{Tea}Time of our Lives

I celebrated my three-year blogoversary a couple weeks ago...and it's been such a fast-moving blur of fun activities, first days of school & last days of school, new pets, new baby, vacations...and all the ordinary days of what to have for dinner and keeping up with the laundry!  I love having a place to journal all these memories...and mostly I enjoy sharing all of our good times! 

But I also want the kids to remember {if they ever decide to read all these posts one day!} that mothering has its seasons...and sometimes it gets stormy!  {But I bet they won't forget some of those moments too...ugh!} 

I don't get enough sleep...I spend too much time on the computer...I don't always listen to them...I'm too  hard on them...I snap at them for spilling their milk...I'm not the best helper with homework...I complain...I nag...I lose my patience...

I love being their mom...over all those little details...

I love having tea parties with little e...

I love when she wakes up in the morning or from a nap and she immediately wants to sit down for a cup of tea!  She's very serious about it...and we have a lot of fun!

I get tired of cleaning up messes...I get tired of little people/pets following me around everywhere...I get tired of watching Disney Channel...I get tired of driving around town all day some days...

I love getting to watch them learn something new...I love supporting and encouraging them at something they enjoy...I am their number one cheerleader!

They are beginning lessons for their first of six swim meets!  This is something new for both of them...and we're so excited to see what's in store...they love to swim!

Just as there are good and bad things to all seasons...love playing in the snow in winter; not the cold, long dreary days...love playing outside, swimming and no school in the summer; not the too hot, too long days where all I hear is "He/she is looking at me!"...love the mild temperatures, green grass and pretty flowers in spring; not all the rain and end-of school busy-ness...love everything about the fall; love everything about the fall!

I love being a mom to my precious God-chosen Alex, Emily and Elizabeth!  There are certainly times when I feel like all I do is laundry and cleaning up the same things over...and over...and over...

...but I don't want the kids to have a lot of memories of me complaining about putting their clothes away or getting upset about messes...it's definitely a part of mothering... and I try to remember to say "I'm sorry, mommy makes mistakes too." ...and say it often...  I want them to remember that more than the reason I was apologizing for...

...I want them to remember the bike rides, family walks, silly games, campfires & s'mores, movie nights, bedtime stories, all the hugs and kisses they'll let me give...
...the fun little decorations during all the holidays... {hard to believe it's almost Easter already... a fast-moving blur I tell you!}

{peek-a-boo Ellie!}

...and the endless tea parties with little plastic cups...

I want them to always remember above all just how much I love them... no matter what!

I love this season of my life... and who doesn't love a good 'ol thunderstorm once in awhile... ...ahem...

{Love} is All You Need

Happy Valentine's Day! 

{I tried to re-create this picture from last year...but it's much much harder with a mobile 14-month old who doesn't want to sit still...and the sad truth is, they are just getting bigger every year, and they couldn't all fit their faces inside the heart... sigh...}

I love this day...the little hearts, the big hugs and the many kisses and the sweet Valentines the kids make...it all makes me smile!  And not to mention...all the sweet sweets!

{we made chocolate & vanilla sprinkled pretzels this weekend for the kids and a couple of their friends...and I may have eaten one...or five ...ahem...}

I have at least three special little reasons to celebrate the love I have on this special day even more...
{and of course my first love...Dan... but I don't have any pictures of  him to share!}

{these pictures crack me up...they didn't turn out as I had pictured in my mind... Alex and Emily were complaining of the sun being in their eyes, and Ellie was only trying to get up as fast as she could...all the while I'm telling them to smile! ha!}

{she seriously did not sit still for one second...I was constantly on the move with her ... but I love the pure endless joy this little e has!}



I am also sharing the love by celebrating my three-year blogoversary!  I was a little quiet about it, but I was offering a $10 giftcard to Target{l.o.v.e} to a lucky commenter on my last post...but my blog isn't about getting lots of comments or visitors...although I have loved every. single. one. that I have ever received...and love even more the friends I have made who have visited Martin Manor so often!  It has been about keeping up with our activities, milestones and preserving our memories!  But since three of my loyal visitors made a visit to wish me a lovely comment for my blogoversary... I feel so grateful for their time and want to give each one of you a gift card!  That's right...Kelli, Kelli and Traci... I hope you buy something you love!  Thank you for stopping by!  And I love that you all end your names with an i... It was meant to be!

Valentine's Day is a fun and special day for us and the kids look forward to little treats almost as much as Christmas day...and I love that they want to be my Valentine on this day!

And who doesn't love spaghetti?!  It's actually my favorite night of the week...we all look forward to Spaghetti Night...everyone's happy!

Hope you all have a Happy lovely Valentine's Day!

Share the love today... and every day!

We love because he first loved us.  1John 4:19

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.  1John 4:11-12

Do everything in love.  1Corinthians 16:14

This is my command: Love each other.  John 15:17

Love never fails.  And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is love.  1Corinthians 13:8, 13

{Super}week

I can't believe it's already February!  What happened to January?  What happened to Winter?  I'm not complaining...at all... but a little bit of snow might be nice...  however, in Indiana...it's possible we may still get that chance even well into May! 

Speaking of Indiana...I feel like since this has been one of the most {super}weekends of the year... and it has literally been happening right around the corner... I should at least mention something about all the fun festivities in our hometown!  Even though I didn't go anywhere near downtown Indy... it has been fun watching all the hype and excitement on the local and national news stations like the Today show and Jimmy Fallon!  The rumor in the street {or on facebook...same thing!} was that there were major celebs really right around the corner here in our town staying for the Super Bowl... Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling, John Travolta?  True?  Maybe...maybe not... but it was fun to think I might've run into them at Walmart or something, ha!  It was fun to see the Giants win even though I didn't really have a preference...since one of the Mannings was able to win! 

{photo from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway site}

Last week also marked another {super}year of blogging!  I completely missed my blogoversary on January 31st!  It has been three years since this day...and so many wonderful memories, changes and new additions have been added to our lives!  I have met so many wonderful friends...captured so many fun memories and am so thankful to have this blog to look back on!  {especially since just yesterday little miss Ellie took a swift kick to my laptop and knocked it right off my lap...literally crashing my computer...right to the floor!  Hopefully everything can be recovered from the hardrive...like all my pictures!  But...I told Dan...I have all the major pictures on the blog...no worries!  Now, if the blog crashes...I better finish getting those books printed!}  It has been a great place to preserve our memories and activities...and I just know that the kids will love me for making them endure my endless photos!

Speaking of love... we finished the kids' Valentine's cards this weekend!  Alex wanted to do the same thing we did last year...and Emily wanted to try it this time too!  {aww...they look so much younger last year...boohoo!}

{this was one of the pictures that I didn't use for her card, but I thought she looked supercute in her braids...and I want to document that she let me fix her hair!}

She was also dolled up because she was on her way to a Valentine's party with her American Girl dolls...Emily and Kit!

I was {super}tired Monday morning staying up way too late watching the live Jimmy Fallon Show Sunday night ...yawn...

...but I am always thankful for the beautiful morning sunrises that God allows me to witness...



And...somebody is sadly getting too {super}big for her britches...

...she thinks she can fit into her babydoll stroller...and she is always {super}determined to keep trying!

It's been a great week...and the next {super}event on the horizon is somebody's eighth birthday... I'm not sure I'm {super}excited about that... yet...  ...sigh...

But I am {super}excited to tell you that even though I'm late in celebrating my three-year blogoversary...

...it's not too late to leave me a {super}comment for a {super}prize... a $10 Target gift card!  Even though I'm trying to steer clear from that sinful place in order to allow our kids a chance at college someday ...sigh...

...doesn't mean you can't splurge for yourself!  I will pick a winner on Valentine's Day!

Have a {super}day!

Back to School...Back to Life! {*and a winner*}

Really...enough cold, snow and ice already! 

Alex and Emily did get to enjoy a little bit of snow this week...on top of the ice...on Wednesday...

It was so cold and blustery...I wasn't bbbbrrrrr...ave enough to leave the garage and go outside with them...so I only took a few pictures while still in my pjs and socks!  Besides...it was still very slippery...and you certainly don't want to see me wipe out!

{Alex's hat always cracks me up!  I help him put it on straight and to cover his ears...but every time it ends up all lopsided and covered in snow!}

So finally...after two more days home from school this week {seven total this school year!}...Alex and Emily went back to the books yesterday...which means Elizabeth and I went back to the dollar bins and some socializing at our local Target!  I'm sure they've missed us!

I love having the kids home from school...but enough is enough!  We are already into June for the last day of school right now...and when they are home for too long...my life tends to get a little out of whack!  Even if I'm just going to the grocery store or Target...it's nice to get dressed, put on some make-up...and get out of my slouchy pjs!  So yesterday...the sun was shining and all the ice sparkled like diamonds...so pretty...

...So it felt great to get out and take this little lady to get her own seat at the table...

She looks so tiny in her high chair!  But she laughed and smiled...and I'm sure she'll be throwing her food all over it before long...becoming Skipper's new best friend!

{and I just had to show Alex the first day he got his new high chair and how much Elizabeth favors him too!  He was about 5 months old...seems just like yesterday!}

* And thank you all so much for leaving some fun comments for my two-year Blogoversary!  I used random.org to pick a winning number and I'm happy to announce that comment #20 - Terri is the winner of the $10 Target giftcard!  And since I appreciate you all taking the time to stop by the Manor from time to time over the past two years...I've decided to pick two winners!  So comment #6 - Jane Anne also gets a giftcard!

I hope you both enjoy it and get something that you didn't really need!  Ha!