...In A Nutshell...

• Slept in until almost 9:30....so refreshing
• River said his first two-word combination....'hewoh bubba'  cutest.thing.ever.
• Lazy, snuggly, rainy morning/afternoon with Justin and the boys
• River choked on a blueberry, scared me to death, then threw up all over the place (including but not limited to our shag rug.  Trying to get vomit out of shag...not pleasant).
• Glass shower door fell on me while cleaning said vomit out of my hair.  Not fun.
• Packed my bag for when I go into labor.  It's so cute to see how tiny our little guys clothes and diapers are (his butt is going to be so tiny!)
• And finally, I get to go have some quiet time and then hit the sack.  sigh.

A Thing of Beauty

My Mother's Day was a lovely day thanks to my very thoughtful husband and two wonderful little guys.  My husband got up with the kids and let me sleep in...which was heavenly.  Then I awoke to a little 19-month-old boy saying 'Mama,' ever-so-sweetly.  As I opened my eyes to that sweet sound, I didn't see his face, but a bag of Lindt dark chocolate (my favorite) that he was reaching to give me.  Then Israel handed me some more super yummy chocolate (Ritter...yum yum), and the very precious, funny, and thoughtful card that you see here.....

(It reads:  'Thank you for me and I love you.  You are the nicest person I now most of the time ha ha.....Your love makes me sprout.  And then River 'wrote' I love you Mommy)



Last, my husband gave me a sweet sweet kiss, and the biggest bouquet of daises that I've ever seen.  He bragged about me and shared how much I meant to him as a mother to his children, and also as a wife....swoon. 

So after all of the mushy stuff, I soaked in an uninterrupted bath....so nice, had breakfast served to me, and went to church with the family.  Came home, had a wonderful picnic-style lunch, and rested while River took his nap.  When we were all revived again from the rest, we took off to a place we love to go and feed the ducks. It was absolutely hilarious to see River chase those poor creatures at full speed.  Israel was patient and kind and tried to nurture the ducks and coax them lovingly towards him with food.  Not River!  He wouldn't rest (or attempt to feed the ducks at all) until he had caught one first.  There were even a few times I swear he would have jumped in the water after them if Justin and I hadn't stopped him.

We saw a family of ducks, which was precious. Got hissed at by the daddy duck as he was warning us that he didn't like our baby by his babies. 

Then the day was wrapped up by snuggling with the boys after their baths, and having a very romantic 'date' with my husband in our living room while the boys slept. 

It couldn't have been a more perfect day.  I am so thankful for such thoughtful and amazing people in my life!  I only hope that your day was as good as mine!

...A few pictures from our duck-feeding adventure...

Hunting

Sweet little babies

My handsome and patient Israel

Don't worry people, we were right behind him and let go for the sake of a quick picture.

The ducks seemed uninterested in our food due to the massive crowd of people there for Mother's Day who had already fed them.   So we fed the catfish instead.

River eating gross, old bread that we brought for the ducks

(tsk tsk, I know bread is bad for ducks)

Israel assisting his brother in pieces that were moderate and controlled.  Although I think there were a few creatures that liked the entire bun that River threw in the water.

A very patient young man who drew quite a school of fish to the top of the water.



7 Horrible Products that Only Americans Could Ever Think they Need

Consumerism has become ridiculous in this country!  Only in America could we invent some of the most ridiculous, unnecessary, and lazy products....and sell a ton of them!  Here are a few of the stupidest products I've probably ever seen.  Laugh, and then mourn the realization that these are real and saleable items.  Enjoy.

1.  The Booty Pop

The ad reads:  'The booty pop is actually replacing butt lift surgery....there are women in their 20’s and 30’s that have thought about getting a Brazilian Butt-Lift, but now they don’t have to. The Booty Pop gives them all what they’ve always wanted. Literally, the Booty Pop is like a Push-Up Bra for your butt!'

(Wow!  You mean there are different kinds of butt lifts?)



2.  Easy Feet

The ad reads:   'Everybody gets dirty feet but there are those who have dirtier feet and it is such a hassle to have to scrub clean a foot each and every time you want to foot cleaning.'

(Really?  Are dirty feet that much of an inconvenience?)

And also...'Easy Feet also helps prevent you from falling down while foot cleaning, as it eliminates the need of having to bend over or stand on one leg to scrub to clean your foot.....'

(Thank goodness that I no longer have to actually bend over to clean my own feet.  It has always been so much of a workout that I have considered not showering at all.)

3.  Knee Warmers

There is really nothing to say here except I thought we already had these....THEY'RE CALLED PANTS!

4. The Egg Cracker

'We need  The Egg Cracker in our messy egg cracking lives....Not sure why we are so egg cracking challenged, but we are.'

(I guess I have no egg cracking handicaps because I just can't relate to this major morning dilemma....whew...crisis averted.)

5.  The Ab Belt

'The Ab Belt As Seen On TV by Sport Elec system stimulates the muscles in your abs to tone and shape them, without you having to do any exercise.....Tone your abs while watching TV, sitting in the office, or while walking or cooking, and even while enjoy your favorite novel. All without having to stop what you're doing to workout.'

(You mean I could sit on the couch for hours on end while gorging myself on donuts and Lucky Charms and actually loose weight at the same time?!  Sign me up!  Getting in shape without doing any work at all.....that's gotta be real.)

6.  The Foot Pillow

'Surround your foot with a cloud like cradle-shaped Foot Pillow, that envelopes your foot in a cloud-like softness to relieve skin pressure in bed or when seated.'

(Hmmmm....the only way I guess these differ from REGULAR pillows is that nice strap that makes them portable.  I guess I can think of many times it would have been much more convenient and practical to have pillows strapped to my legs.)

and my all time favorite.....

7.  Breast PillowsChoose from two very uncomfortable designs!  I know that when I go to bed for the night I just can't seem to get comfortable.  This will solve all of my problems and is highly necessary!

I hope you have enjoyed a good laugh....now please, do not buy any of these items!

Pause

 Mountains of boxes, bubble paper, and packing tape have consumed our lives for the past week.  Our house currently looks like something off of the show Hoarders (minus the rodents and moldy food), and we have been working nonstop to get organized and packed for our move this weekend.

We have missed our children even though they are right alongside of us.  We decided to dedicate a huge portion of our day yesterday to dismissing the mess, mentally setting aside all that was yet to be done, and went outside on the beautiful 80 degree day to soak up the sun, play with the boys, and picnic together.  Here are some pictures from the break and family time that we needed so desperately.  And only a few more days of nonstop work until it again, can become the norm.

a very proud Israel from catching a pretty butterfly

a closer examination

River checking out the magic of dandelion seeds

bare feet and blankets

the boys checking out their specimens from the afternoon

oohhh....follow River, he found something good

inside of what remains of Israel's fort

the thrill of the catch

Israel showing River his first ladybug

kickin' back and relaxin' from all of that exploring

Israel making a contraption for his jar lid

that way when he catches that bee he's been chasing, he can free it without getting stung

hah!

and sidewalk graffiti

It was a wonderful day, and with the break, we were refreshed and managed to get even more accomplished!