I'm back

So, after an almost 2 year hiatus, I am goig to try to remember to write more often.  I feel bad that Kinli won't have as many posts of her as a baby. 4 kids has just been overwhelming for me.  I'm not saying it's any easier now, but I do want to record our memories.
For my new year's resolution, I am resolving to be more gentle with myself. Take care of myself in all ways.  I seem to be so busy taking care of everyone else, that I always come last and usually never get around to me.
I am going to be kinder to myself by eating better, and exercising.....not just because I want to lose weight, cause, of course, I do, but because it will make me feel better inside and out.
I am going to be kinder to myself to allow myself to buy some cute clothes sometimes.
I am going to be kinder to myself with the things I say and think about myself.

Gentle

Like a gentle wind can blow
The clouds from the sky,
Like a gentle touch can ease
The pain of good-bye,
Like a gentle smile embraces
Empty souls in lonely places,
We should be more gentle 
with ourselves.

Like the friend who gently
Builds us up when we're down,
Like a gentle kiss can turn
Our world all around.
We've been hurt by others often,
We've forgiven and forgotten,
We should be as gentle with ourselves.
Life can be hard but we 
Need not be so hard on ourselves,
If we will see...

Like the Shepherd leads his flock
With gentle commands,
With his gentle voice that
Only hearts understand,
One thing we can know for certain,
He has borne the awful burden
So we can be gentle with ourselves.

One thing that I know for certain:
He will bear my every burden,
So I can be gentle with myself

By Michael McLean

what I need to remember

“Everything in all the books I once pored over is finished for me now. Penelope Leach. T. Berry Brazelton. Dr. Spock. The ones on sibling rivalry and sleeping through the night and early-childhood education, all grown obsolete. Along with ‘Goodnight Moon’ and ‘Where the Wild Things Are,’ they are battered, spotted, well used. But I suspect that if you flipped the pages dust would rise like memories.” Then she goes on and talks about some of the mistakes she made while raising her babies. “…the biggest mistake I made is the one that most of us make…I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of the three of [my children] sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages 6, 4, and 1. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less.”

--Anna Quindlen

Ashli humor

The other day we were in the car and music was on.
Ashli was bouncing her had from side to side with the music.
"Mommy- My head is walking like a penguin!"

Too cute!

Ashli funny

Today, Ashli asked Kevin to guess what song she was singing in her head.
Kevin: "Jesus wants me for a sunbeam?"
Ashli: "nope"
Kevin:  guesses another song
Ashli: "nope"
Ashli: "guess Frosty the Snowman"
Kevin: "Frosty the Snowman?"
Ashli:  "nope"
Ashli: "guess Rudolph"
Kevin: "Rudolph?"
Ashli: "nope"

Family Pictures