Happy 7th Birthday Madeline!

Dearest Madeline,
   I'm so excited that you turned 7 yesterday although I cannot believe it to be true.  I think I say it every year, but you truly amaze me.   You have a heart of gold and you love like no one I know.  You are the quickest to forgive and the you have to best laugh around; it is truly infectious.
  At 7 years old you are reading all the time.  Your love for books makes me smile because it reminds me so much of me.  You're talented in art (which does not remind me of me ;) and you love fashion.  You just earned "Principal's Pride" at school and we were so proud of you  because you were the first one in the first grade to be rewarded.
  You have such a strong faith in God and you are open about how much you love Jesus.  This makes my heart smile from the inside out.
  I'm so very thankful for you.  I cannot stress that enough.  You make me a better mom by being such a loving little soul.

I love you!

Love,
Mommy

*Pictures from the Top to Bottom:
1.  Maddie and Mommy at Principal's Pride 10-4-13
2.  A fun Maddie creation! 9-13
3.  Driving me around (A glimpse of things to come ;) Pennsylvania, 9-29-13
4.  Climbing a Japanese Maple Tree at Nonnie's, California, 8-19-13
5.  7th Birthday Dinner (Thanksgiving-style) at our home, Virginia, 10-10-13
6.  2nd Day of School Outfit, 9-4-13











 

Camping!!!

This happened last weekend.  The girls have been asking and asking for a camping trip and it finally came true last weekend.  Good thing it was only 20 minutes from our house.....

MJ and I accompanied Gabe and the girls to the campsite to help set up, eat dinner and then head home to sleep.  Come on....he's only 15 months and definitely needs the crib.  Plus, I need my king sized bed :)

Set up at the campsite proved to be tricky with having to make sure MJ wasn't in the fire pit, touching the BBQ or running into the road.  The girls were busy riding their bikes and tripping over hard to see tree roots.  It was....emotional.

Once set up was complete, we cooked the food and everyone ate.  I spent that meal continuously taking MJ off the picnic table.  (fun times)

Finally, I decided we should leave.  I bid them farewell and complimented Gabe on his adventurous spirit.  I told them I can't wait to see them all in the morning.

Flash-forward to 1:30am.  I fell asleep with my lamp on, reading my Nook, when suddenly 3 smiling faces approach my bed.  "Mommy, we're home."  I looked at them, confused, and asked the time.  "What are you guys doing here?" I asked, happy to see them.  "Maddie's back itched and the ground was hard, " Gabe replied.

Classic. Us.

Today MJ is 15 months old!!

All 3 of them continue to surprise and amaze me.  I am eternally grateful to be their "Mommy."

Road Trip

I've been so restless lately.  Maybe it's the weather.  Maybe it's recovering from surgery.  Or maybe it's just my age, but regardless I decided I couldn't just stay put this weekend.  So, for the first time ever, the girls and I hit the road.  In all my years of being a mom I've never road tripped without Gabe.  It's not that I worried I couldn't do it.  I just never had the need or desire before. 

  

The girls and I headed to Pennsylvania to go to Dutch Wonderland.  We stayed in a hotel, went out to dinner, ran through the rain, and enjoyed lots of rides and laughter.  It was amazing.  Memories were made and we all got to be present in all of the moments.

At different times during our trip,  each one of my daughters must have looked at me a half dozen times and said "you are the best mommy in the whole world" or "I'm so lucky you are my mom."  I have to say that the way they love me, baffles me.  I swear.  I mess up all the time.  I'm impatient, annoyed, hurried and frustrated with life more than I care to admit. I feel like a nag, a constant disciplinarian, a hall monitor.  But they see me so differently.  Or with so much more grace than I allow myself.  They seem to demonstrate real love.  The kind that truly is unconditional.  So, to them, I would say that in fact "I am the luckiest."

Happy 5th Birthday Gracie!

Dearest Gracie,

Happy, happy 5th Birthday!  I sort of can and cannot believe that today is your big day.  There are so many things I love about you and I want to remember you just as you are today; the day you turned 5. 

One thing most people who are really close to you know is that you LOVE puzzles.  Not just sort like them, but you love them.  You are amazing at solving them; in fact in takes you no time at all to put any puzzle together.  You also love anything and everything Hello Kitty.  It was the theme of your birthday this year, your favorite Bingo game and any tattoos you are currently wearing.  It is so you.

You are a huge fan of Disney Channel, gymnastics, candy and all poop related humor.  Anyone who spends any time with you also knows that you are truly loving.  You may show a tough exterior but you love like no one else I know.

You spend most all day talking, but you also love just laying with me and chit-chatting.  Your eyes are full of life.  I feel grateful whenever I take the time to really look at them; at you.  I'm so proud of you as a big sister too.  You have grown into that role well and MJ laughs so much when he's with you.  I'm so lucky that you are mine.  Happy 5th my precious girl.
Love,
Mommy

First Day of First Grade for Maddie

Seriously......Where is the time going?!?!?!

Okay,  So I haven't blogged in what appears to be forever.... or a month.  Whatever.

There about a million things I want to write about and literally no time.  Or, when I have time, I'd rather do something else, like read, eat or sleep!

We went to California and we've been back for almost a week.  I'm still on the wrong time zone.  I cannot seem to get it together.  Plus, this the last week of summer vacation for us.  Maddie goes to First Grade on Monday.  That is super shocking because I feel pretty sure that I had her yesterday ;-)

Gracie will go to Jr. Kinder this year.  I'm not quite ready to send her off into the great big world.  And MJ will be with me....as usual.  Next year, he will start "school" a few mornings a week.

Our trip home was wonderful, exhausting, fun, hard, peaceful and hectic all at once.  Let's just say traveling with 3 kids (where one is a STRONG WILLED TODDLER) is not for the weak.  It felt like a triathlon.  

I think I'm also tired because I have a lot on my mind lately.  Family things.  Career ideas.  Plans for our lives.  Ya know....the small stuff!  HA.  So, there is a lot in the works and nothing to speak of yet.  But, if you're a praying person, please pray for Gabe and I.  We are ready for God's next adventure for us ;-)

 

I love EVERY one of these pictures so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Oh, and I have a zillion more to share :)

So, we've been back from the beach all week and I'm finally able to upload and share the pictures!  We had such great time and I was saying to Gabe that every year certain aspects of traveling with young kids gets easier.  Although, I do think traveling with Mason last year at 7 weeks old was a bit less challenging than at 1 year old.  Let's just say he got a little irritated over being stuck in his car seat for so  long!
This week has been filled with summer camps (Art Camp for Mad's and Kiddie Camp for Gracie) and MJ and I have been doing mountains of laundry and unpacking.  Oh, and chauffeuring the other 2 around :)
We leave for California in 9 days and I can hardly wait.  The other day I was listening to James Taylor and missing my dad.  Then, I drank a cup of coffee in the afternoon and missed my mom.  All of my family has been on my mind a lot lately.  That's not really different than any other time but I think the anticipation of being all together has me hyper aware of how much they all mean to me.  My brother will be home this time too.  The cousins can all be together (which is how we grew up) and I'm just really looking forward to that part of the trip where I can look around and feel loved.  Completely and for who I am; a part of this crazy tribe!

https://plus.google.com/photos/106224788831349863181/albums/5904243572439161377?authkey=CLOxuve_2Ki_lAE

Summer day with MJ from Sarah Mejias on Vimeo.



This was us this afternoon.  I promise that my world doesn't only revolve around my big guy, but the girls have been at camp all week.  Lot's of them to come since we head to the beach tomorrow :-)

Birthday Party Pictures

Click below to see the pic's from Mason's First Birthday Party! :-)




https://plus.google.com/photos/106224788831349863181/albums/5898412517066495281?authkey=CKKVx7yXm_CtOw

Happy 1st Birthday, Mason!!!

Mason James 6-26-13 7:30am

Dearest MJ,

     Today is such a big day for you!  You are one years old and the light of our lives.  You are constantly smiling and your giant, blue eyes are piercing.  Before you born, we always felt like someone was missing from our family.  And then came you.  The perfect finale.  We never even knew how special having a little boy could be, but now we know we could never live without you!
     You are a walking wild child.  Always going from place to place and just now trying out coming down the stairs.  You love your "bubbas", your "nigh-nigh" and your two fingers.  Also, pretzels!  You go to sleep with a smile and wake up always talking and laughing.  You are for-sure a Momma's boy, but I definitely don't mind.
      I love you so very much Mason.  You will always be my baby boy :-)

Love always,
Mommy

Maddie and MJ play music!

IMG 1668(1) from Sarah Mejias on Vimeo.

Today has been quite a day.....and it's only 12:30pm.  It started with Maddie waking up grouchy, me feeling tired after being up at 4am for no reason at all, and MJ carrying around a Dr. Pepper can that eventually exploded all over our kitchen.  This all happened before 8am.  Also, did I mention the cleaning ladies had been here yesterday!!!!  That's how it works in this house. The worst messes always occur on a Tuesday. 

Flash forward to 8:45am.  I have our handy man here to fix our kitchen window and run down the list of all things I'd like done this month.  As I'm heading out the door to take Gracie to camp, the nurse from Maddie's school calls.  She threw up in the gym!  Awesome. 

Today was the last bible study with my group and suddenly after what was already a hellish morning, I had to change all of my plans.  Nothing seemed to be going right. 

I decided to get Maddie and stop at the store for some sustenance.  She seemed fine and to be honest, I think the liquid allergy medicine I had to give her this morning is what really upset her stomach.  Because she seems fine to me.

So, we've been hanging out, playing with the baby, making banana bread and making music.  This day has turned out to be pretty wonderful. 

Gracie Graduates Pre-K!

I'm just so amazed by her.  She is a beauty on the inside and out and she is such a joy to have in our home.  Today, Gracie graduated with many of her friends who will go on to Kindergarten in the fall.  She graduated from her class but will continue at preschool for one  more year.  I love her so very much and loved every minute of watching her perform today.   Summer has arrived!

What happened last week...

Mason decided to walk....all the time....constantly. 
It is so cute but also so crazy because he also just turned 10 months on Friday.  So, it was a big week around here. 
Also, I've been pretty MIA since I started taking this class to renew my teaching license.  It's A LOT of work but the awesome news is that this is my last week.  Yep, I will be done by this time next week.  Phew.
Also, Maddie lost her second tooth.  The tooth fairy brought her a dollar and she was so happy. It fell out at school while she ate spaghetti :-)
Gracie continues to be amazing and is seriously growing up.  Her demeanor and word choices crack me up.  She's the easiest now and I never thought I'd say that!!!
Happy Monday ;-)

Mason practicing....

Mason at 9.5 months from Sarah Mejias on Vimeo.

I thought this was a good view of my life right now!!! :-)