April fun

April was a super fun month w/ lots going on.  Tuesday play dates have been the greatest thing to add to our already busy sch.  We will def. be missing that part of our week this summer.

If you follow me on IG, you know I started the Advocare 24 day challenge in April.  Chipotle is one of the places that was still an option on the plan.  This was our last time there, before we learned to make our own less delicious and healthy burrito bowls.

One play date, we went to the most beautiful place called, Cypress Gardens.  I could not believe it is right down the road from our house, and I had never heard of it. 

MP and her precious friend, Kate

Cypress Gardens is where they filmed the incredible swan scene from the The Notebook.  It was absolutely breath taking!

Did you know CFA sauce is a staple?

We also had our first beach day of the year.  It was such a perfect day.

Do you know who this is?

Cascarones, need I say more?

Strawberry picking

I wish I had videoed this stinker.  She couldn't get over the fact that there were strawberries all around her.

Some of our pickins'.

Happy Birthday, Jividen James!!

Today is the birthday of one very special boy, my brother, my only brother.

A sweet boy who was my "husband", my puppy, and so many other things he was forced to be.

This sweet boy has turned into one incredible man, a husband, a medical professional, and most recently a future daddy.  He has become the most incredible uncle, an incredible listener, and one of my very best friends.

J,

Never can I explain to you how incredible you really are.  I admire every single thing about you, and am so proud of you.  Thank you for always being an ear, and for loving my family.

You are such a blessing to me!

I love you!!

A trip to the dentist

Here is the story, I do not floss my girls teeth every day.  There is no way people actually do this.  I paid for it let me tell ya.  The short version.

Audrey 2 small cavities, laughing gas only.

My sweet Madelynn, well, at this point I don't even know how many.  She would need to sedated twice to get them all done.  Yup, I felt like "that mom".

First trip, Audrey was hilarious and MP did fantastic, until we got in the car that is.

Lala land is not her friend.

Her mouth was numb, but her brain wasn't communicating why.

Once it wore off, all was good.

Second trip, started off with a little hiccup.  The girls had a "slumber party" with the next door neighbor the night before.  She forgot that MP couldn't have anything to eat before the procedure.  She had 2 bites, only 2.

I get to the dentist and they pretty much tell me, no way, we're gonna have to resch.

Let me tell you something, getting up and having 3 kids dressed and to the dentist by 8:00, not easy.  I am pretty sure the dentist could see this thought in my face, and agreed to try without her being sedated.

Well, wouldn't you know that child did more than incredible and thought it was so cool that her cheek was numb.

Thank you, Jen for feeding her.  You put green in my jeans!!

Now, pray for us when HG has to go.  I can guarantee, these people will have a whole new definition of screaming. 

Easter 2013

Here we are, almost to May.

Oh well!

Easter was pretty blah this year.  It rained all day, therefore there was no hunting.  There was baseball watching though.  It was opening day for the Rangers, so hotdogs it was.

If you remember last year for Easter, I did great getting their baskets together.  This year, they got pretty much got all the same things.  PJ's, flip flops, and a book are an always for Easter.  This year, they also got a new toothbrush and no candy.  That'll teach them to get me served with another dental bill like I did a couple of months ago.  HA!  They also got water bottles with their mono on them.  Those bottles go everywhere with us!

Just for the record, yes I realize that HG has been in her Halloween jam's on Christmas and now Easter.  We really do have more than one pair, she just loves these.

We chose baseball as the theme for dresses this year.  I mean, do you know my husband?

Go Rangers!!

I even got a new dress, and it color coordinated.

My sweet man sent me an "Easter basket".  Pinterest is so fabulous!!

Being Remembered

I can honestly say, turning 30 has made be think about so many things.  I feel like this year has been huge for my faith, my marriage, and for my children.

I have wanted to write this post for so long, but wanted to make sure I gathered all the thoughts I wanted to put down.  I'm not sure I am at that point yet, but the time is now.  With my blog going private, I wanted to make sure this was here, for anyone to read.  I wanted the blog to go private by Wednesday, but wanted you all to read this more.

I'm not sure where exactly these thoughts come from.  Maybe I am just old, or maybe it was the 2 or 3 weeks I actually watched the news.  I started thinking about the things that are important to me and how I would be remembered by someone after meeting me.  I honestly didn't like what I was thinking.  Yes, I know people are not perfect and people have incredible traits, but do they really matter.  I started to realize that the things I am sometimes complimented on are not what I want people to think of when they remember me.

People tell me all the time how cute the girls look.  Don't get me wrong, I love dressing the girls, especially matching :)  Am I clothing them in the armor of God?  Do they have what they need to go to battle? 

 That is what I want to be remembered by.

I find myself obsessing over what my house looks like.  How people will think about how clean it is or that my curtains really are too short for my windows.  Do people leave our home knowing who we serve?  Do they know that being a family of believers is our top priority?

That is what I want to be remembered by.

I have made so many bad decisions.  That is hard to write, but it is true.  Is that the first thing that will come to someone's mind when they think of me?  Do they take into consideration how far I have come and what I have accomplished?  

That is what I want to be remembered by.

I want to be remembered as having a servant heart, by the good deeds I do.  

I want to be remembered not by my possessions, but the difference I make.

I want to be remembered by my dedication and love for my family.

I want to be remembered as a person who stands up for what is right, no matter what.

I want to be remembered as a wife, who is a partner; and as a mother who teaches her children to serve and love God.

I want to be remembered for being a light.

More than anything I want to be remembered by my love for the Lord and my thankfulness for his abundant blessings.

Sad Day

As much as I really hate it, I have no option but to make my blog private.  It will be private by sometime this Wednesday.

It is a sad world we live in, but safety is my top priority.

If you would like to continue reading the blog that randomly gets updated, it's easy!

Shoot me an email: jamaschlauch@yahoo.com

and I will give you access.

Thanks for reading about this crazy life we live!!

Jama Lee

Why not?!

So, in the last 24 hrs. or so I have made strawberry jelly, strawberry muffins (from scratch), fixed a hole in a sweater, and cooked 3 meals.  I would say that could qualify me as an adult.  It also qualifies me for someone who is in desperate need of sleep.  There's only one thing left to do, and you are looking at it.  I am going to bed a rockstar!!

Here's what we did in March

We celebrated being 1 year free of McDonald's.  For the record, not the brightest idea to explain to your children how disgusting it actually is.  When they repeat that to other children, well, other moms think you're crazy.

 I got the sweetest surprise package from my favorite people in Abilene, TX,

I found the greatest, best priced bow maker, ever!!  

Sweet precious got to stay up super late with her mama "browsing" for Baby Reed.

This stinker told her baby sister to stick her finger up her sister's nose.  

We had an after softball treat.  Oh, how I miss ice cream!!

We sent balloons to Julia Grace.

Sweet precious drank queso out of a cup, and loved every drop.

I found a DQ!  I didn't know they existed in SC.  Man, that was a great day!

and well, her mom forgot a sippy cup!!