Thermos Love!

a few weeks ago I was scrathing my head about what to put in trinity's lunch. She doesn't like peanut butter sandwiches so I am left with turkey (the only lunch meat she likes) and tunafish. I also send turkey picnic style with crackers and cheese. Trinity pipes up that she wants soup. "I can't send you with hot things honey", I reply. "Yes you can!" she says. "Brooke had soup and it was in a hello kitty bottle". Say what? "Oh, you mean she had a thermos?" "Yes, that's it", she says. Okay, so off we go to Fred Meyer where the only thermoses we can find are $24. No bueno, not for a 7 year olds lunchbox. On to Target where I find the same $24ish thermoses. Funnily enough there is a gentleman looking at the same thing. Apparently his 7 year old just informed him of her monstrous lack of lunch options as well so he was on the same mission. They are all too tall, or the mouth is too skinny, etc. and so forth. Finally I pick a somewhat squat but rather large thermos for $18. I am just about to head out with trin when I spy it, THE HELLO KITTY THERMOS. "Look, did brooke have this one?" I ask. "Yes! that's it!" happy girl = happy mom (cause this one is only $16 and just the right size) We move on to the next aisle while I ponder running after the gentleman who sadly walked away before me with the same boring black one I had been eyeing. His daughter could have had HELLO KITTY. Bummer. What has happened since our mission was accomplished you ask?  Lunch has magically expanded so far to include two days top ramen and yesterdays amazing lunch of rice and teriyaki meatballs. I actual feel quite good knowing she has hot food some days during the miserableness that is our fall weather. So, next bring me any ideas you have for filling up her new friend. I would love some creativity  cause obviously top romen has like no nutritional value. warning: she doesn't like spaghetti.

*note the most awesome flame symbol - keeps things hot for 5 hours and the chilly snowflake (7) =)

Feelin the Love

I gotta say. It has been impressed upon me lately than many people are not as lucky as I. How you ask? let me tell you. I have a wonderful family. My immediate family has always been there for me. A solid unit with strong bonds of love. Has it always been like this? Yes and no. My parents argued a lot when I was young. I think most kids' do. (I hope my family doesn't mind this being a bit of a tell-all, ooo phone calls might be coming soon lol) It worried me sometimes but "divorce" was never in my thoughts. We often fought with our brother. Two against one (my twin and I) usually made it easy to get him in trouble but payback was a - Big Brother's Best Friend. There were times I hero worshipped him and times where he wouldn't give me the time of day and I felt the most disconnected ever. This was greatly remedied the minute he was married (we all have our speculations on why that might be). My mother and I had particular strife during my wedding planning. (har har, and NO I was NOT a bridezilla)
When I was around sixteen it was announced that we had a half brother who wanted to get to know us. Okay. . .minor freak out but all is well that ends well and well, we couldn't ask for a better brother or family to join ours (shout out to the Hornbeeks!).  As an adult with my own family, I feel closer than ever to my parents and siblings. I cherish time with them in any capacity. My sister and I talk 5 times a day on the phone and my mother telepathically knows when we are calling each other and tends to call at the same time. I get mushy gushy thinking about holidays and a stolen summer week here and there with them. My mother and sister in particular are sounding boards for my walk with Christ and my parenting goals/fear/failures/successes. I know my mom and dad would do anything for me (and often have). This is not to rub it in to those people who do not share a similar story. The amazing thing is that God has a purpose for each situation and there are those with great testimony because of their family. My husbands' family's story is not such a happy one. I spare the details because we all have dysfunction somewhere in our family, if not immediate then extended so I think we all can relate. Insert your family history/issues here. lol.  I am taking this moment to be truly grateful for the family I have. It is a gift from God that heaven forbid I ever take for granted. To those of you with different background thinking I can't begin to understand how blessed I am, you are right. I don't know if I can ever appreciate it enough. I'm just feeling the love. It feels good.
(pic of my crazy family last Christmas - California family, miss you bro! coming to see you in October wahoo!)

The Circus! (and another round of guess who?)

Firstly, I pulled out my other two kidlets 3 mo photos just to compare to Isaac. What do you think? The first two are trin and the last blake. Strong family resemblance but not quite sure who he is closer to; you can tell he's a diviney though cause of the dorky hair. =) Oh and we just got some cute 3 mo. photos at JCPennnys today and his eyes look way more blue than brown. I think he might end up with gray?

Alright secondly, the CIRCUS was in town and I spontaneously got us tickets for after our photo session. Figured we would make a day of it. We had a great time! Let's just say the circus ain't like it was in the good ole days. Down to one ring from three, cats and dogs instead of tigers, 3 elephants instead of 5-6, no actual trapeze artists and the tight-rope walkers were only 4 ft off the ground. I tried to just let the kids enjoy it instead of waxing eloquent about bygone eras. =) We got there early enough for the pre-show where the kids got to interact with the circus performers and pet the circus dogs. Trinity's favorite part was the motorcycles in the globe (duh! it SHOULD be everyones) and the chicks who swung by their hair. Blake liked the dog that knocked over the gates on purpose. Of course he would, Mr. CONTRARY. So, though it wasn't as I remembered I would call it a success. A success that I probably won't bother to repeat again but nevertheless a success.

 the lead clown

 she's 41 years old

 all clothes pictures are vintage circus wear

 in front of the horses

 petting the circus dog

 she got to sit on it!!!  I'm jealous!

 I believe this lady lead the horses

 shake it girl!

 blake said no to most of the pre-show interactions but he did love his clown nose!

they really do sleep anywhere

yeam, they don't really need the outfit to see they are clowns. . .