Christmas 2012-Instagram overload!

I am ashamed to admit that I am awful about about having a camera with me. So my trusty old, cracked iPhone has to get the job done! We had a fabulous Christmas filled with God's blessings. Christmas is by far, my favorite holiday. Not that it is not great to celebrate Jesus every single day, but it is so magical and humbling to celebrate his birthday! Happy birthday Jesus and thank you God for giving me another Christmas with my amazing family. Life is short and health is a gift. I never want to take a single day for granted  Especially to be together, healthy and happy on Christmas! Here's a blurry look into our Christmas!

My whole world-the hunky man behind the camera;)

6 year olds take awesome pictures!

My biggest best friend

Ready for Christmas Eve service

Cookies for Santa, carrots for his reindeer and cheese for Santa Mouse!

Santa came!!!!

He left treats in the playschool too!

Christmas morning chaos!

Beautiful new hats from our neighbors!

Oroville bound for grandpa's house!

Great grandpa Warren and his mini me! I am so thankful the children get to spend the holidays with him!

                                                                Happy Birthday, Jesus!!!

Last night of our 25 Christmas books. Each year on the 1st of December the children pick one wrapped, Christmas book to unwrap, opening the last on Christmas night! Love creating this tradition for my babies.

It's been real 2012! On to a new year and new memories! Hello 2013!!!

Hope you all had a blessed Christmas and holiday season!

Love and hugs, The Warren Family

Being mommy for the week!

Running a playschool is amazing and I sure do love ALL of those littles with ALL my heart....BUT, each year I am blessed enough to close down from Christmas until after the 1st of the year. I used to feel guilty but then I realized how much I can truly say I earn and deserve this time with my children. And THEY deserve this time with me! Each day of their life, they share their home and their mommy with a room full of other children. I am with them but I am not REALLY with them until 5:30 pm. SO, this week has been full of horse back rides, sleeping in, cuddling on the couch, games galore, tea parties, time for long daytime baths instead of rushed ones at night, appreciating all of their little giggles more and watching them enjoy playing together as a family. What a blessing this time has been. Thankful that God gives me these moments to re center myself and remember what it's all about.
I am working on my New Year's resolution, and I can say that finding more balance and giving more of me to MY kids and my hubby is definitely included! What is on YOUR New Year's resolution?

Seriously-This poor blog!

I am so sad and ashamed that I only posted on this poor little blog FOUR times in 2012.:( What happened to me? I guess it could be due to the 4 kids 6 and under, the very busy playschool I own and run and keeping a household going!;)
Our life is busy and chaotic as ever! Jasper's job is demanding, mine even more so and then there are of course sports, friends and a busy toddler that keeps us going!! Peyton is now 6 1/2, she is in gymnastics, rejoining ballet after a 3 month break and will do a little cheerleading from January to March! Reagan is 4 and LOVES gymnastics and her ballet class. Jordyn is 3 and will be starting Gymnastics and ballet in January.  Caiden is 22 months and well, he's just BUSY!:)  I can barely believe that he will soon be two! For those that have asked, YES, I am in full blown baby withdraw mode BUT as of now we are still set on stopping at 4 littles!
For those readers that don't know, I run a large family child care home (I care for up to 14 kids each day). I have two assistants that make my life easier and I pretty much would be lost without them!:) Each day my life is full of chaos, laughter, messes, some tears and lots of memories being made! It is such a blessing to get up each day and spend my day with a room full of little people! It's even better that my own children are with me each and every day! I am blessed to get the time with them!
I wish I had more excitement to write for all of you but, things have kind of been the same old thing around here. We have been filling our December with Christmas crafts, Christmas music, talks about what Christmas is really about, a ride on the Polar Express (which was amazing) and hanging out with close friends! This weekend I will kick into holiday baking mode, finish last minute shopping and do our annual Christmas light tour complete with hot cocoa!:) I am hoping to be on here A LOT more in the future! So, as I have said before (and then disappeared for months on end) please don't give up on me!:) In 2013 I will find more balance and put myself first now and then which means giving myself more blogging time-maybe a new computer that actually works and doesn't freeze too!;)
I hope that everyone is enjoying their holidays and holding their babies tight! I know I have been holding mine a little tighter since last Friday's tragedy in Connecticut. If you are the praying kind, please say a prayer for all families and individuals hurting right now. Life is short, sometimes MUCH shorter than it should be. Enjoy the time you have! Love your babies, kiss your spouse, eat bad for you food sometimes, sneak some chocolate, dance in the rain, take chances and live life.
Here's JUST A FEW of my favs over the last few months! They are in no particular order. Just some randomness of our "Chaotic Bliss"

LIFE....

Sometimes, I just get the random need to "POST"...Those were the exact words that I just said to my husband as I sat down at the computer. My computer is old and slow, I am busy...oh so busy, I have a million things I should be doing BUT when a post comes to me I post and let all else go. It has been MONTHS since I posted on this blog. I bet my readers gave up all hope in me BUT, I promise, I am back!!! I can't Promise that I will have anything exciting to post, in fact I can't promise that it will not make you fall asleep. I can promise that it will be me. All of me.
I could back track and tell you all about the recent months. I could tell you that Caiden's first birthday made me cry and made me feel things I never felt. I could tell you that Peyton turned 6 and started first grade and broke my heart like it has never been broken. I could tell you that Reagan had preschool orientation and I felt sad instead of glad. I could also tell you that my sweet Jordyn is turning 3 in 3 short days and I am NOT taking it so well. I could tell you that my playschool is my dream come true and full of the most amazing children EVER!! I could also tell you that last May 28th my fantastic hubby and I celebrated 7 years of bliss....BUT I wont.;)
Instead I will just type. Type what is in my head. Type what I feel like saying in my "public diary".
I am so blessed. Blessed beyond my wildest dreams. Life is BUSY, FAST and EXHAUSTING for me. But it is what I always prayed for. I have 4 amazing children, a husband that loves me beyond what I deserve, friends that I know truly love me, a job (that although very hard) makes me excited to get up each day and a God that loves me so much more than I know.I am a mom, wife, child of God, playschool teacher, daughter, sister, teacher, team mom and so much more. However, what it comes down to, I am whatever God wants me to be. I never forget that it is God who has blessed me with everything in my life. If you are new to my blog you may not know that I am a God driven, God fearing woman but let me tell you I am!
I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength-Philippians 4:13
On to life as it is now. Well, life is amazing! I have 4 sweet angels that light up my life!! Peyton 6 (going on 13) has the deepest brown eyes and a heart of gold! I'm pretty sure that she would give the shirt off her back to keep another warm! Reagan, oh sweet Reagan, my DIVA! A total girl through and through! Lipstick wearing, dancing, and pink all the way! Jordyn, my oh my Jordyn...She is actually what prompt me to post, so I will talk about her next. Then Caiden....I was told that a boy holds a special place in a mama's heart. Boy is it true, Definitely no more, no less than my girls but it is different. I feel like he can pierce me with those eyes and tell me what he feels by looking at me. I feel like he thinks that my hug can make all right in the world. He is needy, but I am ok with that. In fact, I'm not sure what I will do when he doesn't need me.
Then my Jordyn, well, what can I say? DO NOT get me wrong. Of course I do not love her more than my other three beauties BUT every child is different. I am struggling with her turning 3 in three days. In fact, I held her in my arms tonight, stared in those AMAZING BLUE EYES, and started to cry. It seems like just yesterday I sat on my faded old green olive love seat and held a stick in my hand with two lines. I was bawling, at the time not happy tears, because it was Christmas eve and there were TWO unexpected lines on a cheap test instead of ONE that we expected. I held a colicky three month old in my arms and a two year old was on my husband's lap as I broke the news. I had recently left my career and knew that my husbands was in jeopardy and a third baby was the last thing on our mind. THANKFULLY, GOD'S TIME IS BETTER THAN OUR TIME!! On the night we found out that our sweet Jordyn was on the way, it was Christmas Eve 2008, we went to Christmas Eve service at Hope Point and they spoke about Mary. They spoke about Jesus not being a part of her plan BUT God's plan and her trust in God. At that moment, I gave my life to God and trusted him to navigate me through this VERY rocky time.
On September 3rd 2009, a beautiful baby girl named Jordyn Sophia Warren was born to us. The biggest, BEST surprise gift of my life. Not a single day goes by that I do not thank the Lord for blessing our family with her! I am having very, very hard week this week. I feel like although Caiden is my youngest, Jordyn turning 3 ends an era. I feel sad, lost and hurt. She has been such a blessing to me. She is SO much like me that it is scary. She is a true gift from God and EVERY TIME I look in her eyes, she captivates me. I feel like God himself, stepped down from heaven and gave her those sweet eyes, SO,if I have seemed off this week, forgive me. I am an OVER THE TOP MOM. 100% I live for my children and my husband. Life is life and it goes on, BUT watching this unexpected miracle grow has filled my life and heart like I never expected! Thank you Lord for giving me this sweet family, my amazing friends, my hectic, prefect job and this beautiful life. All the glory to you Lord! So, although I will post more soon, this is a post to my sweet
Jordyn Sophia Warren! Thank you for being you beautiful girl! OCD, aggressive, talkative, emotional, loving, silly, all of the things that your mama is! I love you so much angel face!! Thank you for choosing me to be your mama!

Being a mom means

Oh my poor neglected blog....I have left you alone for so, so long! I have been busy! Oh so busy! Between my sweet family, sports, the playschool and all the other aspects of life, I had decided to take a break from blogging! I miss it SO much though. It's my diary, my thoughts, my memories for my children and I really want to work better on slicing out this time for me to just write. I love to write.
So much has gone on in the last 4 or 5 months that I could talk about but I will just pick up from here and get back to it! Recently I was on one of my favorite blogs and was reading through contest entries that were posted about "What being a mom means". It made me go deep in thought about what being a mom means to ME. I have always loved my children and more than anything I strive to be the mom my children deserve. Recently though, my love for my children has grown, evolved, changed in so many ways. I feel like I cherish the little moments more. I get lost in their eyes more. I REALLY see each individual child of mine for WHO they are and enjoy their very different personalities. I often watch them do a certain task or job or enjoy something and wonder, will that be what they choose to do when they grow up? Peyton really enjoys writing (as I always have) she also has a passion for anything creative (structures, building, etc.) she is majorly talented at sports too. Reagan LOVES to sing and dance, loves to act, is OBSESSED with fashion. Jordyn LOVES art. Painting, coloring, crafts, building with sand, mud clay. Caiden- well Caiden I'm pretty sure will have a career as a stunt man, he's pretty brave!;) It seriously just makes me think so much though. Where will these kids be 18 years from now? Am I laying the right foundation to help them soar? Am I being present enough? Am I being the role model they need? So it brought me  to-

What being a mom means to me
Being a mom means that after a 21 hour labor full of pain, you immediately feel no pain once a sweet little 7lb 5oz baby is placed on your chest. It means that all of that work leading up to being a mom means nothing because all of your theories went right out the window once you actually became a mom. It means several tears, several. Happy tears, sad tears, overwhelmed tears, scared tears. It means rocking a sweet little baby in your arms at 3am instead of sleeping because they decided it's playtime. It means retiring your high heels on some days (well most) because high heels and hide and go seek don't do hand in hand. It means that your make up is no longer just make up, it becomes a bag of wonderful art tools to a two year old. It means that despite saying that your car would ALWAYS be spotless and your children would never eat in it, goldfish and sippy cups will be on the floor of your precious, pricey car. Being a mom means that you will be stretched further than you ever thought you could be stretched- emotionally, mentally, even physically when you get in a good round of wrestling as a family on the floor. It means that you will become quite the dancer when your child asks you to dance the day away with them. Being a mom means that you are struck with sheer and utter panic when your discover you are pregnant with number 2. It does not matter that you were trying and desperately wanted another, you will be scared. The thought of having to take love from your first born and share with the second is enough to make you cry. Being a mom means that once baby number 2 is placed on your chest and big sister comes in to see her and holds her for the first time, your heart expands. Being a mom means that you will struggle. Every mom struggles. It means that you will be balancing a toddler on one hip while feeding an infant in the other arm. It means that your clothes will forever have some sort of stain on them. You wont mind. It means singing the same nursery rhyme 100 times in a row because it's the only thing that will make your baby calm. It means reading 12 books in one sitting because you just can't tell that sweet face no. It means that "getting crazy on a Saturday night" is a game of Twister and pizza. It means that you will be the enemy more than once when you have to say no. It means waiting in frustration as your 5 year old tries repeatedly to do something on her own for the first time and is crying because it's tough but you know you can not do it for her because she needs to learn and grow. It means crying as you walk away from the kindergarten classroom for the first time because you just can't believe your baby is already in kindergarten. It means being mentally drained on days that your children all need something at the same exact time. It means that that fresh new marriage you had before the baby in the baby carriage turns to a brand new relationship full of respect, appreciation and admiration for your spouse and the parent they have become. Being a mom means being an actress at times when you want to cry because life is stressful but you have to instead smile. Being a mom means being a 24/7 on call nurse when a boo-boo occurs and needs to be kissed better or a case of the stomach flu hits all 4 children at 1am. Being a mom means that you will have to multitask on several occasions. It means that your house will never be to the exact standards it once was. It means that the beautiful wine rack you have on display will be replaced with pictures of your children. It means that the workout equipment in the spare bedroom is given away when you have to make room for a new baby's nursery. Being a mother means that despite how hard you try, your body will never be exactly as it was. You will smile at that fact because our bodies are amazing for what they are capable of. Being a mom means that you are constantly being watched, judged and mimicked by little people. Choose your actions wisely because they WILL follow your example. Being a mom means you will never eat a hot meal with your children around again. They will need more food, a drink, a napkin, a spill will happen or someone will need to potty right as you sit down. Being a mom means you better have a lock on your bedroom door if you ummm plan to have alone time with your spouse. Being a mom means that you will constantly feel like you are failing or could be more. It means that you will spend countless hours even days talking to the Lord and asking for his guidance and praying for Him to pull you through a certain parenting struggle. It means being a tooth fairy, a jolly old man named Santa, a bunny and several other fictional characters. It means laughter. It means chaos. It means being scared to death like you have never been before because although you do the best you can, these little people can and will grow up to be who they are supposed to be, not who you want them to be. It means being prouder than you could have ever imagined being. It means that when you want to write a blog post this long, you will be interrupted at least 1000 times and it will take numerous attempts to finish it.
Being a mom means that everything you dreamed of has come true. It means that you will be a constant work in progress and each year when you look back at yourself, you will not believe how much you have changed and grown. It means that no matter what you do, where you go, or what life throws your way, you will always be someone's hero. Being a mom means having your prayers answered.

Tiny Dancers

I remember being so excited when I found out my first born would be a little girl. The idea of tutus, ballet shoes and tightly set buns made me smile! I had hoped that my sweet Peyton would want to be a dancer! She started at age 3 and has continued on for two and a half years! She is amazing, poised and has a love for it BUT I am afraid her love is dying out a tad, she is a MAJOR sports girl at heart! She wants to play softball, soccer, gymnastics, swimming and begs to play football.;) Definitely a daddy's girl right there. So, for Miss Peyton, dance may dwindle out over the next few years, however, I love watching that sweet angelic girl shine on the stage! Here are some shots of her during the Annual Christmas Performance!

Now, on to daughter number 2!! Oh my little Regs- From the time Reagan was one and Peyton started dancing, she would come along and stare through the glass watching Peyton, begging to dance too! I still think back to the days that it was so tough for me to get Peyton to dance each week because I had a 3 year old, 12 month old and newborn to lug around lol! I was quite the sight each week as we sat there, Jordyn drinking a bottle, Peyton dancing and Reagan's face pressed against the glass wishing she was in there! Right before Reagan turned 3, I called and asked if they would "stretch" the 3 year old rule and let Reagan start although she was a month shy of 3. They did and boy am I glad. That girl LOVES LOVES LOVES to dance! I know as a mom I shouldn't say this, but her dancing skills I think will pass Peyton in no time. (Horrible of me I know, but I truly think it's her gift) She can bend, stretch, focus and remember names of moves I have never even heard of! The Christmas performance was her first time ever on stage. I warned my in laws and friends that came to watch that Reagan would just stand there and not do much. Man was I wrong. That little tiny 3 year old rocked the stage! She hit almost every step and was not intimidated by the crowd once! I was so, so very proud of her!
Please ignore the pink skirt sneaking under the black one.:( Long story, but I wasn't backstage and they just left it under the black. Look at her in her glory though!;)

So there you have it. My tiny dancers! Sometimes when I watch them dance, I can't help but get lost in thought wondering who they will be, what they will do, but my main thought for them is that I hope they always remember to dance! Dance when they are happy, dance in the rain, dance to make it all better!

We LOVE our Miss Tesh! Tesh was Peyton's assistant teacher last year and now she has stepped up and has several of her own classes and she is an AMAZING teacher! We love Ms. Janelle too of course, but Tesh, she's just got a way with the girls!:)) Thanks for all the hard work Tesh! Now, by fall we will have 3 tiny dancers. (Seriously, I may start my own ballet team);) Jordyn has been BEGGING to get in a class! I just do not have the time in the mornings for the toddler class since it's a "mommy and me" so we have to wait till she is close to 3.:( She is not happy about it, but, her time will come!:))

In a nutshell

Oh boy 2011, what a year you were for the Warren Family! We had highs, lows, stressful moments, beautiful moments and it's safe to say that 2011 was our BEST year ever!!

We started our 2011 having this sweet boy on February 20th and FINALLY bringing a boy into this girl house!

                                In September, this sweet little lady started Kindergarten

This blue eyed beauty started Preschool!

This little one became fully potty trained in ONE day!!

There of course were a ton of other great moments in 2011 and also some sad ones. We had friends whom passed away and really made it hit home how precious life is. We had a lot of changes come our way too. Jasper started a brand new job in August and I was so used to having him home that it was quite an adjustment to be on my own from 4am till dinner time. His job is a great one and we are so, so thankful for the financial security it has brought to our family! For a couple of years we had our ups and downs financially as the construction industry tanked and now to know that Jasper is in a job that provides for our family, it makes me so happy and relieved! Of course, it leaves me quite BUSY also!! I have to be honest, from September to the very end of December as I completely had to catch my bearings, there were times I was overwhelmed to the max! BUT, I am excited to start the new year on track and refreshed!!!! In October I expanded my daycare from small care to large care and now each day instead of 6-8 kids, my house looks like this....

It's BUSY around here but man is it fun! As a matter of fact, I have been closed for almost TWO weeks now for winter vacation and I have missed all of my kiddos like CRAZY!! I open back up tomorrow and I am so excited to see each of them and here their stories about Christmas, New Years and such!! I can't ever say it enough, my job is beyond stressful and requires 100% of me 100% of the time BUT it is the best job EVER!!! I am blessed and my business was so blessed in 2011 and I am so thankful for each of the families that have entered my care!! I can't wait for all of the fun and even a few more new faces in 2012!!!

It seems like this year really was a turning point for myself, my husband and even each of our children! A year of so many first also! Peyton lost her first tooth, learned to swim, learned to ride a bike without training wheels and is learning to read! Reagan has learned to identify her name, some letters and can count to 30! She also just had her FIRST ballet Christmas recital in December! Jordyn learned the alphabet, how to count to 10, her colors and completely potty trained in one day. Then sweet Caiden! So many first for him! First coo, first smile, First word, first tooth, crawling, pulling to standing and so close to walking! He's also our biggest baby ever! At 10 months he is pushing 22 pounds!! I also have changed so much this year! I feel I became more confident as a wife, mother and in my career. I trust my instincts and give myself a lot more credit. I used to think I had to be perfect all of the time. Now I know that it's OK to show myself a little grace!;)
In 2011 we also FINALLY after 5 years of long, long talks, prayer over the matter, more long talks as a couple, staring at our life insurance policies and thinking hmmmm, there is the money but WHERE do the kids go, and more talks;) we named our great friends (more like family) as our children's legal God parents. (Of course no paperwork has taken place but will be in the near future) This decision brought me in to 2012 with a renewed sense of peace. For SO long Jasper and I have spent hours deciding where our children would thrive best should anything God forbid, happen to us. We knew we needed a couple with the same values, parenting capabilities, financially responsible, love, compassion and preferably near our age so that they could handle the physically demanding aspect of taking FOUR children on. (it would seem a little easier if there were one or two kids) Now the fact that we chose "friends" over family may seem strange to some. BUT, as I said, there were so, so  many variables that went into our decision and we are so blessed that The Heggstrom family has agreed to honor our wishes should something happen, and we know that our children would be in safe, loving arms, with people that love them like they are their own children, can physically keep up with the demands of (holy moly 6 young children if you add their two) mirror mine and Jasper's parenting style so much and have little girls that have become like my kids best friends! Of course my children are blessed with great family on both sides that will always be large in their lives, but 4 children, it's a lot for most heck ANY couple, and we had to decide who could handle it and keep life as normal as possible if need be!

So, as I said, 2011 was a huge year for our family and I am so thankful and overwhelmed by the MANY BLESSINGS it brought us! I pray for an even more miraculous year in which my family and friends continue to be blessed with sweet gifts from the Lord!
SO FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS, HAPPY NEW YEAR AND GOD BLESS!!!!

Thank you to Samantha Prather Photography for this great picture of my sweet family!

See more of Samantha's work here