Overwhelmed

Yep, that's pretty much how I am feeling these days. Overwhelmed.

I am overwhelmed with all the junk laying around my house, waiting for a garage sale I am having this weekend. 

I am overwhelmed with a house that keeps getting dirtier and dirtier as I try to get ready for said garage sale.

I am overwhelmed that my husband starts a new job in 6 days. In Texas. Leaving me at home to get the (messy, dirty) house ready to rent.

I am overwhelmed with my To Do list.

I am overwhelmed with the task of finding a house to rent (in an oil town that is doing well and there are VERY few options that won't cost us a small fortune each month).

I am overwhelmed with finding said rental in an area where my kids will have a good, safe school to attend.

I am overwhelmed with the thought of leaving all of the great friends we have met here in Oklahoma.

I am overwhelmed with worry that my kids will not handle the move so well.

I am overwhelmed with gratitude that El Guapo was offered a job opportunity that we have been praying for.

I am overwhelmed with awe that El Guapo was able to make an upward career move in this struggling economy.

I am overwhelmed with faith in knowing that our Heavenly Father blessed us with this opportunity because of our (and lots of others') fasting and prayers.

I am overwhelmed with pride and appreciation for a husband that works hard and always does what needs to be done for our family.

I am overwhelmed with love for these sweet kids.

Summer

Yes, summer is almost over. No, I didn't blog a bit. Yes, we have been busy. No, we don't want it to end.

We don't have any plans (yet) for the next week or so. I hope to have some posts up for you soon.

18 Months

Buttercup is now 18 months old. I love this stage. It is so fun to watch children discover the world.

I think she was pretending to have the giraffe eat some grass. I love that she hugs ever stuffed animal that she holds.

She has become quite the ham. She loves to smile for the camera.

She wasn't happy for every picture, though. 

I got a good picture of the curls in her hair. Only the back is curly. All that is on the top in the pig tails in very straight. It will be interesting to see how it continues to grow.

I was telling El Guapo that I don't know how I am going to live without a toddler in our house one day. Life is just so much fun with one around. I know I will love the next stage too, but I just want this to last a bit longer.

The rain came down and the floods came up.

It has been hot here lately. Hot and dry. That is unusual for us this time of year. Today our dry spell ended. Just in time for Easter (read: Easter pictures). Bummer.
We are SO happy for the rain though. I went out on the front porch to take these photos of Buttercup. The boys had already stripped their church clothes off by this point.

While I was outside Dusty and Lucky decided to come out to play.

For some reason these two have been fighting a lot the past few days. It was so good to see them having some fun together.

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter.

The Warriors

Ned played basketball this winter. I love basketball (okay, so I don't normally love any sport, but a sport where my kids get to play indoor and we don't have to worry about the elements is my kind of game!) His team was called The Warriors. These boys tried so hard, but never won a game. Theirs was the youngest team of their age bracket. There was one game that they only lost by 2. That was a harder loss for them than losing by 20. I am so proud of Ned for being such a good sport. He has come so far from his first season where he would gladly hand the ball to the opposing team, just to avoid any kind of confrontation. He is such a sweet boy. He made his first (and only) points in a game this season. You can't tell in these pictures, but all of the boys were red-faced from playing so hard. I hope with a little more practice and a little more height he can have a winning season next year.

Buttercup's 1st Birthday Party

The Outfit

The Hat

The Beautiful Guests

She loved having her friends over. 

The Handsome Guests

The parents visited, the boys played video games, the girls ate cookies.

The Decor

The Cake

When we sang to Buttercup she lifted her shirt in embarrassment.

As El Guapo brought the cake closer to her she almost ate the lighted candle. He blew it out just in time.

Digging In

She enjoyed her cake more than I expected. She even finished the rest of Ned's.

Happy Birthday, Buttercup! We love you!

Tutorials for The Hat and The Window Garland.

11 months

This baby girl just keeps getting funnier, cuter, LOUDER, busier, sweeter, cuddlier (and crankier with two molars coming in right now) every day! In the past month she got her top two teeth which has made her look more like a toddler. She crawls so quickly and cruises around the house, following her brothers wherever they go. She loves going into their room just to be near them. I actually thought she would be a little older before she followed them around. It is so sweet to watch.

On Christmas day she said her first word. Her own name.