training for toiletry

If you can recall, Evan enjoyed playing in the toilet now and again.

But, Liam?
Liam is in LOVE with the toilet.
Liam plays in the toilet as if he were training for the Olympics.

He is QUICK too. If the bathroom door is open at all, he is getting in there, guaranteed.

Here is the short list of things I've fished out:
-a WHOLE roll of toilet paper
-3 toothbrushes {that were immediately disposed of}
- a shirt
- a pack of unopened wipes
- toy cars
-a bath towel {yes, he stuffed the ENTIRE towel in}

Maybe there is something the rest of us are missing out on, but in the meantime, I make sure I clean the clean the toilets slightly better than before knowing the L-man will most likely soon be bobbing for apples it it.

This kid is whack.

snowy river

snowy river 2.18.2010, originally uploaded by olives on a monday.

really?

For this season of lent, I am doing the unthinkable.

Giving up STARBUCKS.

It started of as a passing thought when I commented on Annika's facebook post.

Later I received a message from Annika talking further on the subject.

I knew I had to do it.

Like Annika, Starbucks had become a "my time" thing.

It was a stress reliever, my time of day to just relax and let it all go while sipping my latte.

Years ago, when I worked at Starbucks, at a time when it was all you could drink, it was an innocent addiction. That was when the addiction was free.

Sure it was still innocent enough when I would go to Starbucks once a week, but it has gotten to a point that it is an automatic stop whenever we leave the house.

Furthermore, and I would like to quote Annika here, and I hope she doesn't mind that;
"I think, also, that we need to think of it as 'Is God more important to me than my runs to Starbucks? Could I let this go if God asked me to?' And as much as I want to say...'But it's just coffee!' I find that my initial response was, 'Oooh, it would be REALLY hard for me to give that up.' Even for JESUS, for crying out loud?"

hhhhhmmmmmmmm...yeah. Her message to me was like she was reading my mind. So I knew it had to be done. As much as I didn't want it to be, and as much feet stomping and groaning that accompanied my decision I know that it is the right one. My bank account {and husband} are already thanking me.

So Tuesday, as I spent the remainder of the gift card Megan had so generously sent me, {and yes I thought of you, thank you!} I unknowingly sipped my last Starbucks non-fat latte until April.
If I would have known it was my last, I probably would have gone back two more times that day.
For now though, I'm happily making good coffee at home, I have a great little frother that does a great job, and plenty of non-fat milk.
I wanted to make changes for the better in 2010. To strive to be MORE Christ like.
And while this may seem small, for me, it is a BIG start.

l-a-z-y

Justin shoveled the top half. I shoveled the bottom and the sidewalk.

As for the middle?

What's the point? :)

blizzard. 2010

We have NOT had a mild winter here in any way, shape, or form. This is the SOUTH!
However,

today is no exception.
We woke up to this:

We are SNOWED in, and I don't mind one bit.
On NPR this morning they said;" Just stay home."
And that, is what we plan to do.
I'm going to make a big breakfast, start a fire and enjoy the day together.

In fact, Justin, Max, and Evan are still in bed. And it's 10am.

The L-man and I don't mind one bit.

mpls.

Have I ever mentioned I LOVE big cities?
Well, I do.
Something happens to me when I'm in a big city. It's hard for me to be upset about anything.
I think public transportation is awesome, and I love seeing people hustle and bustle about.
Not that people aren't in a rush in my small city, it's just a different.

Last Friday I flew up to Minneapolis.
Two of my brothers live there, and my parents drove up from Wisconsin. I also got to go to a tea party {an event that will NOT soon be forgotten..it was hillarious, I wish I took more pictures} to celebrate my soon to be sister-in-law's {who is really awesome I might add} marriage to my brother, Alec.

They make a great couple. :)
It was a whirlwind of a weekend, flew in on Friday and filled every waking moment with something until I left again early Sunday.
It was a good weekend.
I felt a bit like a tourist snapping photos with my little point and shoot, but what can I say?

Big cities do that to you.

can I be good at SOMETHING?!!

image:bakerella.com

Adorable right?

Looking amazingly scrumptious?

I'm telling you Bakerella is one talented lady.

Like Martha Stewart talented.

Sometimes I think I'm Martha.

But, I'm nowhere close.

{along with the fact that I have no staff}

Anyway. I decided to try and take a crack at the cake pops Bakerella has so beautifully featured.

Looked easy enough.

Here is how mine turned out...

sigh.
{at least they tasted good...I think}

I think first of all I made my cake pops a little too large.

My chocolate adding technique needs so SERIOUS help.

I was pretty disappointed in how LAME mine turned out.

It was a process just to get them to stick on the stick!!!

They pretty much looked like the 47 Christmas ornaments Justin has from his younger years of a clay ball on the end of a popcicle stick.

L-A-M-E and ugly. {no offense to your lovely ornaments Justin}

So I was bummed...and who knows if I will give these a go again.

I want YOU to though, and I want to see how AWESOME and incredible yours turn out...because you can't really do any worse than my 1st grade level ones.

Happy {almost} weekend!

I'm out for the weekend in MINNEAPOLIS while Justin stays home with the boys.WOOT!

Pray for his sanity.

{HEY, I'm giving in to his begging for a flatscreen...so it's a good deal for him}

only evan.

Last night, around 4a.m. I hear a thud and a short cry. I really didn't think anything about the thud and thought the cry was Liam.

About fifteen minutes later Evan comes to our room quietly crying. I hear Justin ask him; "What Happened?!"

I look over and he has blood all over his face, what did happen?!

We take him into our bathroom, he has blood all over his face and arms, I couldn't even tell WHERE he was bleeding from!

I got a warm washcloth and wiped his face off {while he was still half asleep!} and we discovered he had punctured just below his bottom lip with a tooth when he fell.

It was gross...but he was pretty much sleeping though it all. When Evan is asleep, he is ASLEEP.

We cleaned him up and put some liquid bandage on it to seal it, luckily the hole was fairly small, but sheesh,

ONLY Evan.

at least he calls chef max Sir.

Evan may be the most obnoxious eater I've ever watched at El Restaurante de Maxwell.

redeemer.

It has been one heck of a WEEK!

Evan has been testing me in new ways, Liam is walking...no, running and is SO fast so I have to watch him like a hawk, Justin was out of town until last night,Justin's brother has been in and out of the hospital and needs to have a feeding tube put back in, and some close friends are going through a really trying time right now.

It's a lot!

Amidst it all though this hymn has been constantly entering my mind:

"I will glory in my Redeemer
His faithfulness my standing place
Though foes are mighty and rush upon me
My feet are firm, held by His grace ..."

MY Redeemer, JESUS...who atoned for MY sins.
Jesus, the one I can always trust, depend on, lean on and find comfort and joy in.

AMAZING.

birdie wall clock.

A few months ago I got a frantic call about this bird wall clock from my friend Beth.
She found this clock while out shopping with her family, and quickly called to see if I wanted it.
Of course I did.

If it's got cutie birds, I'm in.
Took me awhile to decide on a spot, but I think the wall between the living room and kitchen was perfect.

thanks Beth!

faker.

cry baby Liam 1.10.2010, originally uploaded by olives on a monday.

but goodness...I love this child.
Lord, have mercy.

a 3 minute goodie.

L-man.

wanted.

I WANT to encourage you to go read this post my friend Megan posted today on her blog. It is something I too am VERY passionate about and I think is very important to spread the word about.

2010.

WOW.
Is it just me or did December fly by?
I can't believe we are nearly halfway through January already.

I'm currently in the midst of my 2-week {which is quickly developing into a 3-week} cleaning and organizing fest at our casa. I am a week in, and I am about 80% finished. Today I tackle the kitchen.

Also, it is 2010 people!
2010!
Doesn't that seem so futuristic?! Maybe it's just me, but I still think 1999 was last year.

I've got BIG plans this year. Well, not really, but it sounds good right? More butt wiping, mess cleaning, disciplining, and so one...if it sounds like I'm complaining, I'm not. It's just reality. Honestly it is tiring some days, and I think to myslef, "Why did we have kids so soon? We should have spent more time doing our own thing. When we could do whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted."
It's true, I think that sometimes.
On the other hand, I'm glad we had kids young. Justin and I have all sorts of travels planned for when our kids are older. :)
Seriously though, having kids builds character.
It does.
MOST OF ALL though, it has taught me {and Justin} to be LESS selfish.
Partly it just happens, you don't really have a choice. You can't just pick up your keys and leave the house when you want. Heck, doing ANYTHING is more involved with little ones.
I have learned to be more patient, more understanding, and to RELAX and find JOY in what really matters.
To not worry about vain things that so often consume me.
To find joy Jesus Christ and his word.
I pray I can daily seek his truths each morning and find joy in the journey that I am on.
Additionally, I really appreciated Kim's post a few days ago. It was so good to read. So honest and refreshing.

Cheers to 2010!

saturday morning at our casa. 1.9.2010

breakfast., originally uploaded by olives on a monday.

no school.

max blue double doors., originally uploaded by olives on a monday.

They canceled school today.
We've gotten a nice amount of snow.
We went up to see the lonely school.
Max relaxed at the blue double doors outside the gym.

Merry Christmas!!!

2009 Christmas, originally uploaded by olives on a monday.

See you in 2010!

Christmas tour of homes 2009 {a little late}

WELCOME. Sorry my pitcures aren't very good, I was lazy and used my small camera and didn't bother touching them up at all.

on the fridge...

ok...this was so great...not a great picture but SO funny that Evan was laughing his head off as I was coming down the stairs.

stairwell...and my copied Pottery Barn art...I did a horrific job, but it took awhile.

oops...blurry photo tree...I LOVE getting Christmas cards.

living room...

our ugly fireplace...trying to dress it up :)



the nativity was given to me by my Grandparents who passed away years ago, but it is something I really treasure.

another nativity we got as a wedding gift {great gift!} and some fun little cardboard houses with trees{?} well, I tried :)

close up of my little town.

stockings hung with care. {not on the actual stocking holders as we know with three young boys one is bound to yank a stocking a have a letter come crashing on them!}


Our tree {bad picture sorry}...Oh, and look at this package that arrived...three little boys.

:)

a little shout out.

My friend Bethany knit and sent this hat to Liam for his 1st Birthday, all the way from California. Love you Bethany! Thank you!

yellow.

I used to hate yellow. I hated that country yellow that it seemed so many houses had in it.

Things however... have changed. The shades of yellow have changed, developed into something much more appealing and much more desirable.

I'm now the proud owner of a Shey*B camera strap, and I'm L-O-V-I-N-G it. And how cool is it that the day it arrives I'm wearing that sweater with yellow in it?

Pretty awesome if you ask me.
It also doubles as a neck warmer.

woot for sweet camera straps!

the Christmas picture we won't be printing.

where are you going Liam? , originally uploaded by olives on a monday.

I believe Liam was trying to bite Justin.

steadfast is the Lord.

There is snow falling outside this morning. Looks like another light dusting that will most likely be gone by this afternoon.

I haven't quite been myself lately. Not entirely sure why. I do know
that Thanksgiving week I got pneumonia.

And I ran a 5k with it.

Like a moron.

Some photographer got some really attractive pictures of me running though...thanks buddy. You really needed to take that picture of me looking like DEATH and post it on the world-wide-web.

I ran the race in Wisconsin dragging along my brother Pete, an old friend of our Joe {who kicked all our behinds BIG TIME} and Pete's roommate Arron. It was cold, windy, and freezing. Did I mention the pneumonia? Justin and my Dad came and cheered us on in the cold which was awesome of them.

I was feeling sick before the race, but I wasn't about to skip out because I had a mild fever the night before! BOY did I pay for that decision. I was so out of it for the next two days and Saturday I slept almost the entire day. My Dad took me to his office and my Mom took a chest x-ray and discovered I had pneumonia.

My Mom came home with us Sunday and stayed until last Friday. That was SO helpful.

Needless to say, my Thanksgiving weekend with our familes, wasn't that enjoyful as I was just not myself. It was hard to think straight let alone be thankful for all the blessings in our lives.
Besides the sickness my attitude wasn't the best.

This weekend we relaxed. We got our Christmas tree, {Justin set a new personal record time for picking one out} and had some friends over last night. It was a really nice weekend. Justin and I had some good laughs, we've both been so busy it was so great to just be together.

This Monday though, for some reason I just feel out of sorts. It's not just because it is Monday either. I only have about 1/3 of our Christmas shopping done, and I feel REALLY behind on everything. Our upstairs looks like a minor bomb went off and I'm still just exhausted from the pneumonia I suppose.

As I read the word this morning the Lord reminded me of something so simple, yet so special.

His Steadfast love.


The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness. {STEADFASTNESS!}
-Lamentations 3:22-23


He is STEADFAST.
Immovable!
Unchanging!


Psalm 136:1-9

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who alone does great wonders,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who by understanding made the heavens,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who spread out the earth above the waters,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who made the great lights,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
the sun to rule over the day,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
the moon and stars to rule over the night,
for his steadfast love endures forever

So thankful for an amazing steadfast, unchanging savior that is constant and consistent each and every day!
What do you thank the Lord for this day?

1.

hard to believe how fast you went from this:

to this:

to this:

to this:

{pictured here with your Great-Grandfather Paul Swanson}
to this:

to this:

to this:

to this:

to this:



love you sweet monkey.
xoxoxo
your Mama