Everything under the sun

This may be the most random post EVER...yep, about everything under the sun.

I have some odd pictures from the last couple of days that I thought I would throw together so here ya go....just a warning...it's all over the place.

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How many pacis does a girl need??? Lucy hasn't quite figured out that although she has 48 pacis in her bed (very strategic) she can only use one at a time. Alot of times when I go to check on her while sleeping (Have I mentioned I love a sleeping baby???), she has one paci in her mouth, one in each hand, and about 5 more around her face. And she has also figured out how to stand up and throw them out of the bed. When she is crying in bed, it usually means she has thrown her 48 pacis onto the floor and can't get them back. I haven't seen it in action yet but hope to spy on her soon and figure out how she is doing this. Oh and when I do, I will be sure to take a picture of the evidence...just for you peeps.

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I know we aren't in February yet, but this Valentine outfit she has almost grown out of, so I wanted to get some wear out of it. I love Lucy...and I don't mean the TV show!

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My Lucy and the other 2 big babysitting kids are all crawling/walking and everywhere. So I have had to section a part of my house that is babyproof and gate them in when I am doing things like making lunch. Yep, I put my 8 month old in JAIL we call it around here. They often find themselves standing at the gate wanting out of jail...I don't blame them. But sometimes, it is necessary!

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As I was making breakfast this morning (boiled eggs and turkey bacon), I noticed something on the egg carton that I have never noticed before. Do you see it? Look closely.

How cool is that? Scripture on my egg carton! We get our eggs from Aldi's so don't know if just Aldi's does this or not?! I was impressed!

Karis' favorite snack these days? Carrot sticks. I think I saw her about 10 times yesterday getting into the fridge for another stick. She ought to have some good eye sight! haha Oh but here she has bacon in one hand and carrot in the other...interesting combination!

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More baby talk...yes I am at home all day with SIX children 5 and under. Three of them are teething so you can imagine EVERYTHING is going in the mouth and you better hope it isn't your finger! And yes, I have to clean my floors constantly! I find them at the "jail" door gnawing on it...and yes I have lots of teether toys here but of course they don't want those. They get creative with how they work on those teeth!

They were wanting to play with this random box of small cereal boxes that someone gave us so I let them play with them. Pretty soon they were doing this....

All together now...

Did I mention they were teething? Here's the damage.

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I am loving The Biggest Loser this season and look forward to it every Tuesday. I get motivated to eat healthier and just love seeing their transformations. Jillian was being ruthless last night wasn't she? Yikes. I wouldn't want to get her in way! But I do agree with her, that girl (forgot her name) was definitely throwing the weigh-in!

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I am getting my hair cut tonight for the first time in over 6 months and it is way overdue. AND I am also taking Karis to get her first real hair cut ever (in a salon). Yes she is 5 1/2 and never had a real haircut...I usually just cut hers and Brayden's hair myself. I should have some before and after pics of our outing later tonight!

Happy Wednesday everyone!

One in a Million

Trying to get a good pic of a bunch of kiddos is like a needle in a haystack, one in a million. Every Sunday before church I attempt to try to take a pic of the kids if we have a few extra minutes (which usually ends up being only once a month IF we are lucky and even then I may not have a decent one).

These are a few I took this past Sunday...

I love this pic because it looks like she is talking to us, explaining something very important....

Cute...but the perfectionist in me can't stand that her boot strings are not tied...drives me crazy.

They are all looking at the camera with somewhat normal smiles...this may be my one in a million! It might not happen again for a very long time! haha

My cheerleaders

This is a video I took a while back and couldn't get to upload. Recently when I tried to upload videos to blogger it gives me an error message, so I have started uploading my videos to VIMEO and then putting them on the blog. It seems easier and more efficient although it takes a little longer. This video is somewhat "blackmail" I guess you could say. Karis has dressed her brother up in one of her cheerleading costumes and taught him a cheer...yikes!

Untitled from Amanda Lemonds on Vimeo.

Slumber party (X2)...

The kids had some friends over last night for a sleepover and had a wonderful time as expected and were expectedly exhausted at the end of it...and me too. We all crashed and napped today and it was just what the doctor ordered. While K and B played hard with their buddies jumping on the trampoline, playing outside, eating ice cream, watching movies, playing video games, and making forts, Lucy got some special time with mom and dad. I don't think she minded too much.

K and Mari-Morgan in their matching nightgowns (yep planned). They are two peas in a pod!

Brayden and Ethan

My little helper...

I confess...I HATE emptying the dishwasher. I put it off...for reallllly long periods of time. But this morning I HAD to do it. And I am so glad I had some help!

She found one of her spoons..haha! At least she knew what to do with it!

She is teething and EVERYTHING goes in her mouth. I never knew the dishwasher could be a teether, but hey, whatever gets the job done...

I am thankful for my little helper, although I draw the line here...

Yea, the door has to remain shut because I find her here umpteen times a day.

We're "juicing"....

Jay's parents have been telling us they recently starting "juicing" and how great they feel and they have even lost a size or two in their clothes. No, we are not health nuts but we do like to eat good and we try to make healthy choices. We both love fruits and veggies and it is important to us that the kids grow up loving them too!

***For those that don't know (don't worry I had to ask specifics), juicing is a special machine that you basically shove a bunch of fruits and veggies in. It squeezes the juice out of them and you drink it like any other kind of juice. You can put all of your daily requirements of fruits and veggies in it at one time!

So we decided it was worth the investment to eat healthier as a family. We took the plunge!

We got lots of things to try...

Jay tried it out and began throwing some stuff in there including oranges, apples, lemons, limes, carrots, kale, ginger, and romaine lettuce.

It was GOOD!!! It was kinda tart but lots better than I thought it would be. We told the kids to try it and they (Karis, Brayden and 2 of their friends) ALL loved it. We waited until after they tried it before we told them what all was in it. Karis even asked for MORE!!!

We will continue to try different combinations of stuff and fill you in. But we love it so far!

A strong legacy...

Today is a day that will never pass me by without the memory of what took place when the Lord took my best friend home with Him. It amazes me that time has flown so fast and that it has already been 2 years! I don't plan to rehash every detail of that day here, although it is so in my mind. And if you want the details, you can look at last year's post for that. I discussed our last visit together here (the day before her passing), the day of here (how it happened) and a pic of her tombstone here (although she is not really there thank you Jesus!).

Amber will always be one of my heroes in the faith and she left a strong legacy that will never be forgotten. I cherish the memories we have together and am thankful the Lord placed her in my life. Please pray for her family today as I am sure it will be a hard day for them. And as always, be thankful for the time you have with your loved ones because you never know when it will be your last.

Three's a crowd!

What a gorgeous day! Beautiful weather likes this just puts me in a good mood, doesn't it you? I have had the windows open all day and love the sounds and smells of outside that remind me of Spring...and it's January! Didn't we have snow like 2 weeks ago????

Anyway, as B was headed outside today with his bats, he said, "MOM look! I made a cross! Jesus died on one of these!"

Then, he and Karis worked very hard to make me a mud pie...aren't you jealous??? He carried it around the whole house while looking for me. When I realized what he was carrying, I said, "Oh Brayden take this outside baby!" He replied, "But we made it just for you!" (Oh my word....there is a trail of dirt pie all over the house! Oh wait...some would give their right arm for a dirt trail, so I choose to cherish the moment.) "Thank you Brayden...that was so kind!" (as I place it on the table.)

And while the big kids were making mud pies, the babies were wishing they could join them. Remember yesterday when I mentioned the 6 hands of fingerprints all over my windows and doors, this is proof! And those fingerprints are still there...cough cough.

Three's a crowd!

"This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

Brayden's storytelling

For those of you that know my son, you know he is our "patience builder." He loves a crowd, doesn't meet a stranger (seriously...makes a friend of ANY age no matter where we go), and always testing the limits. He is a daredevil, FULL of spunk, and will "try" lying straight to our face. And he LOVES to tell a good story! We have had to discuss with him the difference between "pretend" stories and "lies." We don't want to curve his desire to use his imagination, however to identify truth appropriately. This one is one he told us the other night at bedtime....

Brayden's storytelling from Amanda Lemonds on Vimeo.

Wordless Wednesday