Kids...

In the past 24 hours I have been hugged, kissed, danced for, smacked jokingly, jumped on, spit up on, thrown up on, pooped on and been told 'I love you' by my children. Being a parent has its highs and lows- that's for certain. It just sometimes surprises and/or overwhelms me how these highs and lows can come so close together. Sometimes even happening simultaneously. If you don't have kids, consider yourself blessed for the fact that you don't have anyone to wake you suddenly in the night due to the stomach flu. Consider it a blessing that you don't have to wash 'pieces' out of long hair at 1:30 a.m. Consider yourself blessed that you didn't have to change pants and do laundry first thing the next morning due to a diaper not 'absorbing' all it should. Sometimes diapers that claim to be leakproof don't live up to those claims. That's all I'm going to say about that!

Although being a parent is the toughest job on earth, it does have its rewards. I will say that the good definitely outweighs the bad, even though it's hard to believe that in the midst of the long, sick nights. We're in the middle of the sick-mix right now. It's not fun or pretty, but it makes one appreciate health that much more. Bella is down for the count right now, and I'm praying ferverently that none of the rest of us will join her. Feel free to pray with me...and for me too!

I am happy to share the pictures posted here with you today of Ava and me. She is our ball of energy these days. She is our entertainment much of the time- from morning til night. I snapped these pictures as we were headed out the door to pick the kids up from school last week. Don't you just get a good sense of her personality from those first two photos?! That look says so much...so 'her'. She took off running and wanted me to try to 'catch her' with my camera. Silly, lovable girl.

I got to share a bit of her when I was invited to create something for my friend, Claudine Hellmuth, who is a SIS Fashionista, talented designer and author of this fun, new book/kit. It's called "The Scrapbooker's Creativity Kit" and you can find it online here. Claudine has such a fun, unique style and process for making things. She has been featured on Martha Stewart Living and has her own line of product out too...like I said, she's very talented! She will be teaching an online class based on this book/kit- you can register for it here. Or get the class and book all in one by clicking here.

Those of us who were featured in her book were asked to design a page/project based on two colors and a word prompt. It is so fun to see so many different results using the same starting point. The kits not only offers lots of ideas, but also includes so many inspiration pieces from so many different designers. I am so glad I was able to be included among such a great group of people. You can see Ava's full page here. She was proud to be in a book too.

After a long night last night, and more laundry and household chores to do today, I am trying to squeeze in a bit of happiness too. Today that has already included a stop at Starbuck's with Brock before I dropped him off at school. I'm still enjoying a personalized gift card given to me by Chip's mom for my birthday. Simple, but so wonderful and needed on a day like today when the little things make a big difference! Happiness also means I will {hopefully} be getting some more handmade Valentine's in the mail. Ava and Wyndham are helping me with that fun project. Nothing says love and happiness like a handmade card sent in the 'real' mail. =)

Yes, life has it's ups and downs- highs and lows. When we take them in stride, especially the lows, it's all somehow managable. Sometimes they're even fun!