My Husband

His commute home today was about tripled due to the big clumpy snowflakes that fell down on us all afternoon. Instead of a nice hot meal and a hug, he was met with a desperate-looking, frazzled wife. He chuckled and went upstairs to change his clothes. After I finished cleaning up the broken silver tree ornament, I followed him up for more sympathy. He rubbed my back and my legs, covered me with the quilt, brought me the iPad and went back down to be with the kids. He ran out to get pizza for supper. Right now, he's pulling the kids up and down the driveway on a sled.

Of course, like everyone else, we have ups and downs (some bigger than others), but he amazes me with how he loves. I am so thankful for how he loves me.

Grasshopper-free!

• we have had coughs for 4 weeks.
• it started a day or two after i got lost going to waconia.
• coincidence?
• judes upchucked this morning. twice.
• i found an empty milk cup in his room.
• it smelled sour.
• i am hoping this is the cause of the chuck-problem.
• theo is off school today
• he is sealing himself off in his room to avoid any puke germs.
• hack-hack.
• the hubbinator was ticked this morning.
• he was STILL coughing and it started raining.
• he takes the bus to work.
• we still have snow on the ground.
• my kids want to play outside.
• it's too wet.
• i tried a different company to make a photo book this morning.
• i used a groupon.
• i filled it with my photos from instagram.  
• have a fantastic weekend.
• but especially a Happy St Urho's Day on Saturday.

8 years.

Happy Anniversary, Sugar Booger!

blog? what blog?

yes.

yes, i am.

(i love this pic because you can see suvi's reflection in the tv-our photog)

i am this self-centered.

and today, this very morning,

i. am. thankful.

thankful for excedrine migraine and peppermint oil.

a hot shower with eucalyptus,

and earl grey lavender tea.

and back-combing and hairspray and kids who don't tell me to settle down my crazy hairdo. i'm thankful for all of that!

peace. school resumed yesterday.

sunday school resumed this week as well, but we missed it.  i overslept my alarm because i was up in the night with judah-washing sheets and blankies and pillows.  eew. he's fine tho'.

this little icy spot is in my front garden.  the weather was mild yesterday, so we had a bit of a melt and drip situation.

I suppose bread, wine, & cheese...

on Christmas Eve, I asked, "what is it like in Bethlehem? what do they eat there?"
"maybe it's the Mediterranean diet," my hubs suggested. sounds good to me!
we were eating lasagna, which had cheese in it, and bread, but we did not have wine. i actually thought about perhaps opening one of the bottles of Ethiopian wine we received from a guest last year when our Ayat was here. but we're sort of diet Coke snobs. i make no excuses. instead we drank tea and water. i'd still like to know what people ate, you know, the ones who actually got a room, on that first Christmas Eve. sweet Baby Jesus about to arrive, and we were eating...
well. i am my mother's daughter. if you meet her, she might discuss a meal plan with you. she likes that kind of wild talk.

earlier in the day suvi and theo made cookies for Santa.

she loves a good cookie. and a good photo op.

gram gave the kids some gifts. judah is in love with his 'little people' house.

theo woke us up this morning around 7:24 (ha, ha). as i was putting on my shoes to head downstairs with him, i thought about sending a message to my friend in finland. we were instant messaging around 1 a.m. when i couldn't sleep and she was starting her Christmas morning with her family. i was wanting to ask what they were up to after my five hour nap. ;)

he was pleased with his batman thingy, and the other crap santa brought him. what? it's so fun to pick stuff out for them, watch them light up as they discover a new treasure, but i am not good and moving old toys out. which means we got a lot o crapola under this roof! ha!

we were able to make it to dassel to share the day and a meal with my mom, my sisters and much of their families. the drive went so fast for me today! i was thankful for the dry roads, for our safety and comfort. also because that meant i basically had an hour to load my new purse, play with my camera, kick butt in Angry Birds...i like a good sunshiney Christmas morning drive!

my sister is married to a farmer, dontcha know. they live 11 miles from downtown cokato. if you go north at the light, turn left when you see these huge power lines. 

number 6 and number 2

number 4 and my mama

number 1, suvi's god-mother, and my handsome nephew #2

my number one, tooth-dangler of a first born. 

did you know that i am the only one of my siblings to have 2 boys? all 4 of my sisters and my brother john each have one son. katie, shirley, and mari have girls, too, but i am the queen with 2 boys. just a nice little bit of trivia for you to enjoy with your coffee this morning.

i hope your Christmas was peaceful and happy. i hope you have the comfort of knowing and believing in the grace gift of the promised Son of God. my heart is often so weary, but Christmastime fills me with joy and reassurance. 

   Joy to the world, The Lord is Come!

and because i love THIS version of this song, a little bare naked ladies.

Autumnal Mumma.

My husband surprised me yesterday by giving himself a mini-vacay...a few days off from work. I LOVE it when he's off work and home with us.  Then, THEN, this morning? You guys? He got up with my early riser boys (they are his boys, too, don'tcha know) and I was sleeping sweetly until nearly 8:30, when I woke up all on my own because my body was ready to stop sleeping and start waking and move about. I've heard of other people experiencing this sort of thing. In fact, if you've ever spoken to me for even six minutes you know that my greatest wish is to sleep as long as I sleep and wake up on my own.  I'm not kidding, here, my husband has, yet again, made my dream come true. Sleep is so stinking awesome! So is, you know it, my SUGAR BOOGER.

I love this cool weather, crunchy leaves, the color in the trees, the panic of the squirrels, and you. Happy Friday!

Who is ready for picture day?

Pick me!

(it was Wednesday)

 click-click! I got this.

 oh yes, i am the cutest strawberry eater. ever.

and yes, my mom has since trimmed my fro.

Fried Rice

after we took theo to meet his teacher last week, we had lunch out.  he picked fried rice.  i, however, had sesame chicken AND fried rice.  i know.  it is exciting.  

the thing i wanted to share with you today is... i laugh at my husband's expense. his sunglasses sort of float over his bald head.   it makes me giggle.  or maybe the nose pads look like feet.  i like it.  he's my SUGAR BOOGER!!

off he goes!

sunday, sunday, sunday

a little distance gives great perspective.
so does cleaning off all the flat suffaces/clutter collectors.

my almost kindergartener has been limping around the house over the weekend.  sigh.  my sister says "growing pains" and the doc doesn't believe in growing pains.  when that same sister got married, her husband and our mom were on different ends of the political spectrum.  she couldn't decide which candidate would get her vote since her two biggest influences could not agree.  she told them she wouldn't vote til they were on the same side of the aisle.  is there something like that for mother's(/auntie's) intuition and doctor's opinion? ;)

this is the third sunday in as many days.  i didn't work on saturday, and the habinator didn't work today, so i am all sorts of week-day confused!  yeah, it is a super sweet problem.  i like it!!

happy back to school to all the school types. 

xo.

Reset

On my way home from work tonight I was getting worked up, feeling alone and stressed, thinking really dark: I had a serious badditude.  I felt my lower lip starting to power down, shoulders slumping. By the time I made it to my chair in the living room, I was a regular sad sack. Of course my sweet husband noticed I had my frowny face on, of course he tended to me. Of course he turned my frown upside down.  Thank you, sugar booger, for the RESET!

And then, and then, with my back to the news, I heard something wonderful: Allegiant Air will be flying to St Cloud. Sa-WEET!

Enjoy your Friday. Hope you find your reset if you need it.

Peace and Joy!

posers

i found this on the paper coterie blog,

(click on the link or the image to get yourself a printable pdf)

but didn't print it out til late saturday night.  i just didn't have it in me yesterday to get the kids going on this little prop plan, but we sure had fun with it this morning! except for judah.  he was sort of disgusted with us by this point!

i couldn't narrow down my photo pics, so i threw a bunch in a collage.

the photos below are in the collage, but they are just so funny, i wanted to give you a better look.

father's day is only 5 years old...

in my house!

i'm happy to be getting familiar with the day due to my baby daddy. it is entertaining to watch Hub-tamu with our little children, our fast-growing mess makers, because they have so much fun with DADDYYYYYYY!

happy father's day to the best father i could ever dream of for these babes! and to the dad's in all y'alls worlds, too.

our auntie A came over today...we got a treat after we brought her back to her apartment.

i was playing around on picmonkey again. this picture still cracks me up.

i just love these flowers out front of our house

a teensy photo around hab's first father's day.

we love you, daddio!

hands and water

my sweet 5 year old

his ma and da

and i had to go back to easter to get a water photo...

Saturday Night Life

In the kitchen
Water running Dishes, pots clanking
 In the living room
Floors cleaned and toys put away
 In the beds
Three Saturday night bath-shined children
 I have a husband who doesn't quit, complain, or hide
 Love is an amazing thing.
 Last night we sat here on the couch together watching the news
His right leg draped across both of mine
I love how he loves me!

sugar booger, age 43

i put a card in his lunch, sent him an email and made a little dessert.  i found this when i got home from work.  i'm glad he took a minute to indulge on his birthday.  he so deserves it.  i got a little quiet inside on sunday when i realized i wouldn't be able to give him a gift.  so i poured my love into celebrating him with words and sugar.  happy birthday, lofah!!!

That.s hot.

 

i'm thinking of something glowy...warm...necessary. 

Mr Funny

I was just bragging to my husby that I haven't been on facebook at allll today?
He asked me if I checked my email, did Mark Zuckerburg email to check on me.
Ha. Ha.

He is funny, though.  I did actually laugh.  He does this to me often, springs humor on me with his straight face.  He's good.  Too good.  I'm going to keep my eye on him.

check yes or no

i choose YES!  i choose love, i choose you.

i made some balentimes on the piknic.  i don't even care if you need to swipe them from me.  i mailed them to some friends, but they didn't find the post office until this morning.  so, happy valentine's WEEK.

i love red and pink and purple and so valentine's cards are like a huge festival of goodness and wonderful colors for me.  hearts ROCK!

well, here's love in your eye!