On Fridays we host "Family Night" which is when the family all come over for dinner at our house.

Which obviously means that every Friday afternoon, the dining room table looks like this.

And the living room floor looks like this.
Believe it or not, that entire mess was made today.  In less than an hour.

The Culprits

So, the quick scramble to go from before.

To after.
Totally kidding.  That's a picture from Thanksgiving.

See?  I can clean.  When I really have to.

Linking up with One Hot Mess (is that my kind of link up or what???) at The Fike Life.


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Wanna see what we did for Easter weekend this year?

You know you do.

Dim the lights and cue the seemingly endless slideshow of someone else's (totally adorable) children.

Good Friday-

In the spirit of Good Friday and remembering the sacrifice Jesus made for us all on the cross we decided to take a family trip to Six Flags.

I know you probably aren't getting the sacrificial element there but by the end of the day I was totally offering up my hunger (would you believe grilled fish is nowhere on the Six Flags menu) and sore feet.

It would seem the kids suffered too.  My husband had been planning the moment.  Their first trip to Six Flags.  The very first ride he would take them on.  The Aquaman.
 They would love it and he would finally have the ride buddies he has always wanted.
Things don't always go according to plan.

My sister was in town for a few days this week.  She got in on Wednesday evening and on Thursday morning she got up early and left for an appointment.

When I woke up I realized it was a bit late and wondered why the kids were sleeping in so long since they hadn't woken me up.

It was quiet in the house and I was surprised to find the Peanut sitting at the bottom of the stairs casually flipping through a comic book.  I asked him what he was doing.

"Waiting for Aunt Treesa to come down."

I told him she had left for a meeting and he looked at me like I was deluded.

"No, she can't have left.  Her shoes are still here."

Sure enough, her sneakers were there by the door.

"Buddy, she wore a different pair."

He gave me a confused look and asked to go check her room.  He would not believe me until he had confirmed her absence for himself.

Later, the Princess woke up.

She picked out her clothes for the day.

A dress paired with a skirt.
Her argument was that they went together because the skirt was twirly and the dress has a pretty pink ribbon.
Can't argue with that logic.

So I made her tuck the dress into the skirt.

We went on about our day and around noon I told them to get shoes on because we were going to be leaving in a minute.

Is that an outfit or what?

My husband was coming home on lunch and we were going to do our taxes.

She was ready to go and said to me, "As soon as Aunt Tweesa comes down we going to leave?"

Again, I found myself explaining that Aunt Theresa wasn't upstairs.

Again I was faced with a quizzical expression.

January

Started the year off with a cleanish house.  That didn't last long!

February

An Anatomy lesson.  (Seven months later we used the same book to explain Matthew's "broken" heart & told our children their brother might not be coming home.)

March

Softball

April

A visit from a Duck

May

Scarborough Fair

June

The kids went "camping"

July

A trip to the Zoo

August

Dada looks hot too!

September
October

The Princess and the Peanut had their birthday party.

November

We visited Grandad at work. (The carnival)

December

Despite my reservations, 12/25/2012 turned out to be the "best Christmas ever."  The Peanut nails his Dada in the face with a snowball while Mama stays warm inside. Matthew sent us snow for Christmas!

2012 was a hard year but as I look back over these pictures I realize what a joyful year it was.

Linking up with Dwija for 2012 in 12.


*This post may contain affiliate ads.  Read my full disclosure here.

 And he was beautiful!

Once I got back to the recovery room I was able to hold him.
 We started bringing family and friends into the room and everyone had a chance to hold him and love on him.  His brother and sister got the chance to meet him.
The Peanut helped to change his first diaper.

 And he got to hold Matthew's hand which is something he had told me he wanted to do.

Cousins

Everyone of his visitors got to spend time with him and hold him and love him.  He was passed around and around.

Let me tell you about my little "Matt-man."  (Feel free to hum the Batman theme song whenever you say his nickname!)

"A miracle is something that seems impossible but happens anyway." MIB3

Weeks ago, when we were freshly reeling from the difficult news we had received about our baby, we sat in Mass and listened to the Gospel.  It was about miracles.  We listened to stories about how Jesus had healed a woman and brought a little girl back to life.  I'll be honest.  At that moment it kind of felt like a bit of a slap in the face.

I am sure I felt a bit like some of the people in the crowd might have felt.  Pressing around Jesus.  Looking for miracles. Then one woman who touches the hem of His garment is healed.  Her faith healed her.  It makes me wonder if any of the people in the crowd asked the question.  "What about my miracle?  Why her?  I have faith too.  I wouldn't be here if I didn't believe.  Why not me too?"

It was a question I found myself asking.  "Where is my miracle?"

Because in that moment all I wanted was a miracle.  Not just any miracle of course.  My very own custom made to order miracle.  I wanted to be able to ask God for exactly what I wanted exactly the way I wanted it.

My vision is very short sighted.  I can't see the whole picture and because of that it is sometimes easy to forget that there is something beyond my field of vision.

It's all too easy to call out that challenge to God.  God you are all powerful.  I know you can do this.  So why don't you?

Sound familiar?

It's pretty much the same challenge the first thief called out to Jesus on the cross.  "Are you not the Christ?  Save yourself and us!" Luke 23:39

Of course the second thief had one simple request.  "Jesus remember me when you come in your kingly power." Luke 23:42  And we all know what Jesus responded to him.  He said, "get down off the cross.  Your faith has healed you."  Right?

No?

Now, before I embark on my little pity party I just want to express a few things.

First is that it is really hard for me to share at times like these.  Don't get me wrong.  I can complain with the best of them.  About all the little annoyances and inconveniences.  I don't like to clean.  I can't cook.  My kids keep making messes.  Wah!  But when something major happens?  I fold inward.  I cave.  Just hide away from the world until it all goes away.  I have a really hard time sharing the difficult times.  I feel bad calling out for everyone to feel sorry for poor little me.  Then I feel totally overwhelmed when everyone steps forward with offers of help or support.  How will I ever begin to repay them?

This time I am pushing myself out.  I know hiding away won't change anything.  I would have to say something eventually.  Unless I just quit blogging all together and I'm not really ready to do that.  It will only get harder the longer I wait.  And if I really am going to be open and honest then I need to be able to share the lows as well as the highs.

So I will start by sharing some of the highs.  That way you will know that there is some brightness in our world right now.  When I talk about my busy schedule, it's not all doctors appointments.

It's also...

Right now I feel like I am sitting at the top of a roller coaster just waiting for the bottom to drop out from under me.  I don't know exactly when it will happen but I know it will and all I can do is hang on for dear life.  I never liked roller coasters.

I am normally not a very organized person.  I know, don't be too shocked.  When it comes to schedules and appointments I am a mess.  Usually I rely on things like the Evite email or the phone call from the doctor's office to remind me I am supposed to be going somewhere tomorrow.  I have a calendar in the kitchen and have been steadily working on improving myself by remembering to make little appointment notes in it over the last year or so.  Still, I usually have between one and maybe four things written down on that calendar for an entire month.
The other day I looked at my calendar for this month and next and felt the panic start to seep in.  My schedule is so busy.  Usually I feel busy when I have those four thing months.  Now I have something at least every other day.  Every week I have a doctor appointment scheduled with a different specialist.  Tomorrow we have our first meeting with a fetal cardiologist.  Sprinkle in all the added summer activities like Vacation Bible School and play dates with friends and add a few other appointments like a dentist visit.  We decided against putting the Peanut in swim lessons this year because we just couldn't find the time to fit them in.

Now, let me tell you what is making me feel so overwhelmed.

I am terrible at planning things.  Truly terrible.

My husband is a planner.  He always needs to know what the plan is.  Whenever his sister and I take a trip to the mall to hang out and browse, he asks us our plan.  We always answer the same way.  We "plan" to hang out and browse.  It drives him crazy!

I should clarify something.  I am terrible at making active plans.  When I do plan something I usually leave some really important part out or go way overboard on tiny unimportant details.  It all falls apart.  Which is of course why I don't like to plan anything.  And I am lazy.

I am really good at making passive plans.  By that I mean that I simply expect things to go a certain way without any direction or interference from me.  It should just happen.  You know?

Drives my husband crazy!

Perfect example.

Tomorrow I will have my 20 week ultrasound.  Long before I even got pregnant, I came across the idea for a "gender reveal party" on Pinterest.  Complete with a cake revealing the gender when cut.  Genius!  It seemed so perfect.

It was Thursday.

My mom-in-law was coming out on Saturday to celebrate her birthday.

This gave me two full days to paint the homeschool room and clean up the mess.

Thursday to paint.

Friday to clean.

Fool proof plan.

So, I pulled all the furniture away from the walls, pulled out my painting supplies and got started.

 I started with primer.
 Giving the walls a nice, consistent, even coat.
 With several breaks to kiss owies, serve emergency (I'm starving) snacks, and take the princess to the potty.
 As you can see, I consider it of utmost importance, to keep the primer coat from looking sp lo tc hy .

 At this point, I received a call from my husband, informing me he was on his way home from work.

5:00 already!?

That's ok.  I have all evening to finish painting and then all day tomorrow to clean up.

Him:  "Did you take the trash out this morning?"  (I had forgotten to take the trash out on Tuesday)

Me:  "No, today isn't trash day."

Him:  "You're kidding right?  Today is trash day."

Me:  (laughing to myself and speaking in an ever so slightly condescending voice) "No, honey.  Trash day is Friday not Thursday.  Sometimes I get confused too."

Him:  "What day do you think it is?"

Me:  "It's Thursday."

Him:  "It's Friday."

Me:  "No, it can't be Friday because you didn't do your podcast last night."

Him:  "It was cancelled this week.  Today is Friday."

Me:  "Please tell me you are kidding!"

Him:  "Nope."

I then turned around and took one look at my house.

Since Time Warner made me clean my kid's room, and now they have all this inordinate amount of space to actually play with their toys, and act all crazy running around and dancing, I think it's high time we start to fill up all that space with actual furniture.

Specifically the furniture that has been lurking in our hallway, and the "bonus room," which is really not a room at all, but more like an extra wide hallway, or part of the dining room, or part of the living room.

Dresser in the Hallway

Of course, it only makes sense to put the beds back in the room as well, so we can finally have our room back to ourselves.

Obviously the simple thing to do would be to move the beds they are currently using back into their room.  Right?  But when can things ever be simple?

Wake up people!

The Zombie Apocalypse is not coming.  That's ridiculous.  You guys have been watching way too many B movies on late night television.

The Zombie Apocalypse is already here!!!

Don't believe me?

Check this out.

Yesterday my family and I attended the Dallas Comic Con.

I mean.  Of course I remembered mom.  It's not like I haven't grown out of my putting off everything until the last minute and then not being prepared.  I am an adult now.  Independent and responsible.  Totally.

And when you get your mother's day gift from Theresa Michael us you will see how much Theresa Michael we totally appreciate all that you have sacrificed and given to raise us as the responsible adults who would never forget to look at a calender and realize three days before Mother's Day that they are not in any way prepared and thank goodness for their younger siblings who actually know how to plan stuff.

So like I said.  As a Mother's Day tribute to you I wrote you this poem.

Ahem.

Ever have house guests?

You know how despite the fact you are really happy to see them and are excited for their visit you tend to breath a sigh of relief that they are gone.

My brother and his wife were here for a weekend visit and left an hour and a half ago.