Our {Wonderfilled} Week 5

A little late, this mama
is under the weather,
this will help me
quit my whining
{grin}.

My gratitude from this past week

is far and wide.

Fall is here.
Apples are ripe for the picking.
I am looking forward to
baking and all the festivities of
the next few months.

I have to admit,
These lil' punkins are my absolute favorite...

This week was uber-full,
with a 2-year-well visit for 4 on Friday.

There are a few follow ups for my little guys.
EEG, possible hernia surgery, eye doctor,
all things we can handle
with Him.

Let me begin...

142. A few hours out with my sweet man.


143. Wearing my favorite warm socks.


144. Boys rough-housing


145. Hearing "me want cookies" in that
famous cookie-monster voice.


146. Being able to buy 3 new winter coats
{thanks to birthday money}


147. Watching a little boy fall in love with karate.


148. S'mores by the fire.


149. A little boy counting down to my birthday
{aren't you excited mom?!}


150. Being able to share what I love here.
{thank you}


151. Four boys on the standard growth chart,
doing so very well.


152. A 2.9 lb. baby now a 24+ lb. little boy.


153.  Hearing the neurologist speak the words of hope
we have waited for...no, I don't believe he has cerebral palsy,
maybe some challenges to overcome, but all things he'll manage.
{our miracle Liam}
of course the sweetest words of the year

Linking up to the gratitude movement

going on at Ann's lovely blog...

Taking time to *wonder*,

{michelle}

Our {Wonderfilled} Week 4

I am not a perfect mom.

Not that anyone thought I was {grin}.
In fact I fail at it often.

Lose my patience,
get distracted from the important moments,
allow myself to be pulled into the what-does-not-matter.

This week was especially difficult.
On the verge of the school year starting,
E was told by a friend that someone
said our family was bad.


I think it's the first time it happens to your child
that it hurts the most.

My sweet boy was sad about it, but
said I'm going to stand up for myself!
Then asked what it meant to do so.

Exactly what aches the most,
innocence lost.


I know, get over it {yes!}
but that's what has always upset me,
the untruth.  


My anger lasted a few days,
I tried hard, prayed hard to fight it.

We as a family are fine of course.
We count our blessings,
in fact I am about to add a few more to the list.

In reality,
I don't care if it affects me.
If it affects my kids,
this mama bear will rise up.

I realize this is just a drop in the bucket.
People will say whatever they want.

I am not about to give the negativity any more air time.

So what can I do for my boys?

I pray for their protection.
I pray for their self-confidence to be rock-solid.
I teach them they are not of this world,
so it's going to be tough sometimes.

As moms we need to find words
that bring peace to our souls
in the midst of all we manage.

I surely don't have to share that list with you.,
but I would like to share two reads that have helped me
so much this week.  Maybe they'll help you too.

Sarah Young's Jesus Calling, I have only had it for 3 days and I crave reading
it each day, so appropriate.

 These relevant, wise, and achingly true words from Ann Voskamp.

I can struggle with focusing on the one bad thing,
instead of the overwhelming good things
like these...

128. always having a hand to hold
and a hug to give

129.  empathy running through our veins

130. friends who will do anything for you

131. end of summer day walks

132. morning chaos and routine
{the hardest for me, but still grateful for both chaos and routine}

133. a little boy who LOVES school

134. being able to physically care for my children

135. grace times a trillion

136. a man who gets that what I need most
is for him to just understand.

137. humility

138. a son saying funny! instead of laughing,
he gets humor!

139. introducing Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald
into my oldest boy's world and having him
get why I get teary-eyed...he gets that music moves.

140. this song, this song, and this one too.
AMEN.

141.  love amplified

Tomorrow, I will be linking up to....

Wishing you a week full of your mother*wonder.  

{Michelle}

Our {Wonderfilled} Week 3

Phew! These past few days we have been going at warp speed
trying to soak up as much of what is left of summer
before school starts next week.

For this wonder*filled week, I am especially grateful for the time
we have spent making these memories together
with friends and our little family of seven.
Getting out together is our priority right now,
it takes much planning and effort
physically, financially, but every time
we do something
our bond grows even more.
Not that we can't do the same
hanging out at home,
but there is something so special
about watching 5 of your boys excited, thrilled,
and happy all in the same moment.

From fire safety days to a water park party,
 to a spontaneous Friday night swim,
to the PBS Kids Chicago Fun n' Run,
to a few hours out with my main guy
to celebrate a friend,
to watching dreams come true...
Beckham and Griffin "driving" fire trucks
and Ethan seeing the Kratt Brothers up-close.
I am thankful for so many treasures this week!

We also filmed a spot for WTTW 11,
Matt and E talked while I stared into the camera.
The boys did great, I took the directions a little too literal,
look into the lens and smile,
apparently I thought that meant don't breathe or blink.
Lucky I didn't pass out!
Obviously not a big fan of the spotlight,
but I am sure my boys were adorable, so who cares!
Just if you see it, don't mention my zombie camera face
if you still want to be friends ok?!

{in pictures this time}

Linking up to the woman who has 

inspired the gratitude movement...

Well I may be slowing down a little this week 

to grab those moments with E before school begins,

I will be posting about all things Wild Kratts...

if you have kids between 3-8 years of age,

you of course know them!!

Including a tutorial for your very own creature power suit!

I have a super cool giveaway coming up soon too

that I can't wait to share!  

Wishing you all the best end-of-summer memories!! 

{michelle}

Our {Wonderfilled} Week 2

My about-to-turn-2 boys were born at 33 weeks exactly

at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

I dedicate this week's gratitude post to our incredible journey

that came full circle at their NICU follow up visit

where they shined and showed off and 

certainly made their parents so proud!!  

120.  the bittersweet feeling of little feet touching the bottom of the

stroller {oh where did the time go?} because it shows just how far they've come.

121. an amazing hospital in a great city for my boys to return to

122. the realization of strength, how did we leave them all there? 

and the overwhelming gratitude that we took them all home.

123. rockstars who passed their milestones tests with flying colors

and good humor...completing some tasks that preemies at their age
had never completed before in testing...can you say beaming parents?!

124. realizing again just how much we do as a family for the health and well-being of our

children...focusing more on what we do instead of what we don't {the trap I fall into}.

125. the man who has my heart along our journey.
{so not a fan of pictures as you can tell!}

126. memories from 2 years ago {for the 2 months I lived there}...
cookie runs to AuBonPain, wheelchair races down the corridors, movies and games,
upside down pizza {E's name for Giordano's deep dish},

lots of amazing people who took great care of me and my guys, all of it.

127. the sweetest note ever.
from the sweetest big bro ever.

Wishing you a week full of His wonder!!

{michelle}

Our {Wonderfilled} Week 1

the old

I have been linking up here

for awhile now to express my gratitude for my life.

My intent is to always be grateful, but I do not always live gratefully.

This helps keep me in check.  

the new

My gratitude post will now be called

Our {Wonderfilled} Week

and I will try my best to post it Sunday nights...

regularly scheduled programming friends {smile}.

It may encompass our entire week, a highlight from our week,
really whatever moment brought me back to where I need to be.

It doesn't imply our week was perfect or without trial.

What it speaks to is the choice

to remember it, keep it, and cherish it wonderful

for us

and 

for Him

who made it that way.

Hope you find real life, peace, and smiles here.

{michelle}


Sunday's trip to Wild West Town

109. cowboys sleeping peacefully

110. a cute little boy awake in the car because he napped on the way there instead

111. roller coaster riding, yahoo!

112. a smile that has a few more holes as summer days have passed

113. mining for gold

114. reactions from train-obsessed boys on train rides

115. funny cowboys referring to our stroller as a covered wagon 

116. a big brother's words, I got them mom.  

117. learning to be more flexible and adaptable

118. while sad to soon leave age one behind, excited for all the
new my "babies" are doing

119.  the look exchanged between husband and wife
while dripping in sweat from 100 degree heat and wrangling our boys..
this is all we need.


Crazy in love with this life and wishing you all a {wonderfilled} week!


{michelle}

The Glad Game

via

Well I would be in trouble.  My progress toward one thousand gifts was stalled, taking an unplanned summer hiatus, but I need it back and am linking up here today.  

It is also the perfect opportunity to share some of our summer-so-far highlights and progress toward our 

summer bucket list

100.  dad and son working together

101. wild rumpus before little boy bedtime

102. zoo life
{up close but not too close}

103. 5 giraffes together playing like our boys

104. boys making up their own game without speaking a word
{quad love}

105. play-doh in nothing but sunglasses and a diaper

106. drive-in movies

{we made it halfway through and then took E the next day to finish it}

107. a fun-filled 6th birthday party
and the result...4 happily tired toddlers and 1 ecstatic birthday boy! 

108. 5 years cancer-free 

celebrated again at Relay for Life

{amen}{alleluia}{etched in our hearts forever} 

So tonight, before I drift of to sleep, this is just part of what I will utter my gratitude for.  Glad to share some of our joy with you, as I try to remember to be grateful all the time in all circumstances.