play time

Most afternoons it's just me and my girls. I thought with just the three of us the house would be quieter and stay cleaner. WRONG!

I think the girls make bigger messes than the boys ever did and as far as quieter goes, they have volume level that can blow your eardrums out. The up side is they play together. Really well together. I love to watch the two of them play. The boys play together too but playing usually turn into ruff-housing, them fights and the tear follow.

In September Ella will start all day kindergarden. I wonder how the house will feel come the fall?

xxoo

flutter bee's

I have very few spring decorations. This never bothered me in the past but the kiddo's have loved the decorations that I have done so far this year so I figured I might as well keep it up.

I have little very money right now to buy decorations (I'm saving up for Mr. Tripp's birthday gift). I have spent a grand total $9.00 on my spring decro this year. Two dollars on a little white tree with glittery eggs hanging on it and $7.00 on a table cloth. But today the kids and I did a fun project that caost us $0. I got the inspiration HERE.

paper i had in the closet $0.00

I cut out a bunch of butterflies well the kids were at school and then we went nuts.

I hung them on the mirror wall. They are a big hit.

Ben let me know the butterflies used to be called flutter bee's.

I like flutter bee's much better.

xxoo

Mondays

Happy Monday friends! The weatherman says its going to rain all week here in Michigan but I don't care. I can look out my window and see grass, well it's more like mud. The point is there is NO SNOW!!!!! I hate Michigan winters almost as much as I hate Michigan summers. The boots and snow pants and wet gloves and hat and kiddos who can't find their boot and snow pants and wet gloves and hats. But, today spring has come(yesterday if you want to be technical).

Spring, Spring, Spring!

Good thing are coming our way.

Plus it's Monday. Grocery shopping day for me. My Pantry and refrigerator are with yummy things to eat.

Hey dose any one have any good meal planning tips? I know my grocery bill could go way down if I planned our meals for the week. I just really struggle with it. What tricks help you meal planners out there?

SEE YA' SNOW!

xxoo

Look who hair is getting longer.

I got french braid piggy-tails in it.

xxoo

Thrift Store Finds

This past Tuesdays I went thrift store shopping! I got a lot of random stuff. Honestly I might have a shopping problem. I love it! I really do love to shop. It makes me happy. I know that is a sad, sad thing but its true. So I stick to the thrift stores and the sales rack so I don't get myself in trouble with Mr. Tripp.

Really all the stuff I bought was stuff I really liked or did need, so that makes it OK. Right?

This first thing might seem odd. Its a turkey tea light holder from Avon. I bought it because I already have one at home just like it. It was my Great Grandmothers and I have never seen an other like it, so when I saw this at Goodwill I had to have. Now I have a set and it was only $2.00.

Second is this little wooden tool box. Also only $2.00 from goodwill. Ella has carried around all week like a purse.

I love milk glass and I found this fruit bowl of $5.00.

$8.00 for all four dresses, and the best part is that they are from the Gap and Gymboree.

With 5 kids we burn though white glue, $1.70 for all three

$2.00 for egg dye.

I found this two teared metal plater for $3.50. I might paint it white to go with my other platers and cake stands.

I have already done a project that I will be sharing later with these plastic bangles. $1.00 for all 3.

This set of napkin rings I paid $1.00 for

it is going to my project bin too.

Yes, I all ready have the exact same punch bowl and cup set but I really just bought a second set for the extra cups.

It was only $6.00.

And the best find of the day was an old typewriter. $3.00 and its works. My kiddos have been having a blast with it.

Yes I have a problem

and no I don't plain on doing anything about it.

xxoo

St. Patty's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

We are not Irish over here at the Tripp house, at least not enghout to lay claim to the emerald isle. But I we do look for just about any reason to celebrate.

My lovely lasses in green.

Paddy's day cup cakes and tonight I'll be making my kiddos green eggs and bacon for dinner. I got the banner and cup cake toppers here.

no pinching please!

xxoo

steady hands

It was over a year ago I posted this on facebook. It still rings true today.

"I pray on a daily basis. I pray for my family, friends, thank God for all the blessings in my life and talk with him about the struggle. For the last two months or so I have also been praying about our hosing. I ask that God will make me content with the home that he has provided us with and give us wisdom and make a way when it is in his time to move into something bigger.

Lets please be clear that I am SO VERY GRATEFUL for the home that God has given. But lately it is feeling very tight for the 7 of us. My prayer has been leaning towards the "give me a new house" rather than "give me contentment with what you have given me".

This past Sunday at church are pastor quoted "it takes a steady hand to hold a full cup". This hit home with me. I sit here looking around my house and YIKES! It looks like a toy box, washing machine and Martha Stewart's craft department exploded all over my house. Piles of laundry to be folded and up away, toys every were, unfinished projects, and the list goes on. I can just barely see my dinning room table underneath all the mess.

"It takes a steady hand to hold a full cup". God has already given me a full cup that my hand is not steady enough to hold. I have decided to stop my prays for a bigger house and I am going to pray that God will help steady my hands so that I can manage the home he has given me.

How steady are your hands?"

I still pray quite often for a new house and sadly my hand is still not steady enough to hold the cup that I have been given. My heart longs for contentment. I wonder if this will be a life long prayer. Maybe I will always struggle with a content heart.

I do look at my "full cup" differently now that a year has past. My cup is not only full but it is overflowing. Overflowing with grace, joy, love, faith, trust, peace, family, friends, healthily kids, a happy marriage, as well as my full and messy house.

xxoo

feeding frenzy

My kiddos are crazy about popcorn.

You would think that they are feral children who have never seen food before.

xxoo

A lovely view on Lent

xxoo

two small steps

Penny brought me a pair of the boys old underwear. Then she tried with all her might to take off her pants and diaper. She was so very proud when she got the "big girl" pants on. She peed in them a hour later but up until them she was a big girl.

I think a potty is in her future.

xxoo

We like our fruit.

We will burn through this in about a week.

xxoo

taking a sick day or two

I'v been out of order for the past two weeks. First with the flu and now bronchitis. I last time I was out of commission for this long was when Penny was born.

First came the flu and we all got it. BOO! Luckily no one hurled and that was a gift from God.

As the flu was subsiding in the kids, bronchitis set into my lungs and and the the flu decided that it wasn't ready to be done with me.

It was pretty bad.

Phil threatened to take to to the med station once or twice. I really just wanted to let the "bug" work it's way through and out of my body but after 12 day of being bed ridden I went to the doctors. She put me on a "Z" pack and inhaler. I'm happy to say that today I'm doing much better.

Now I have two weeks of house work and laundry to catch up on.

Please DON'T stop buy to say hi. I won't let you in.

xxoo