Life

These pictures pretty much sum up my life right now.

It's spent...

constantly multitasking.

This day it was pinning towels and tasting the kids play dough creations. 

Trying to capture peaceful moments like this and being intentional to notice and soak up the beauty that is around me. Sometimes it's right in front of my face and sometimes I have to search hard for it.

This bunch. 

loud, crazy, silly, energetic, fun

And me. Exhausted at the end of each day.

Getting out of town. 

Going on adventures and being in nature

and breathing fresh air and escaping the busyness

puppy hood. 

It is no joke people.
I want to kill her about 5 million times a day. 

If I had emojis on here this one would just have lots of hearts. 

Here's a peek at some other moments from the past couple of weeks. 

 parks, hikes, birthday celebrations, early mornings, crazy boys, 60 valentines 

 Thai food, bike riding, Moms in Prayer brunch, date night, painting, baseball practice, mini mama

hooded towels, boutiques, beach shenanigans, 7 going on a teenager, date days

I'm just one big hot mess most days constantly amazed at how much I need Jesus and even more amazed at how much He delights in me in spite of it all. 

If you had to sum up your life right now in one word what would it be? 

Shopping with kids

Being out with 4 kids ages 5 and under can either go really well or really bad. 

Most shopping trips are somewhere in between. 

God bless Costco for making a shopping cart that fits 4 kids.

Sometimes all 4 kids are whining or crying or fighting and I am sweating trying to get out of the store as fast as I can. 

75% of all shopping trips end with at least one kid being banished to sit in the cart with their mouth shut and their hands folded. 

And every now and then we have a really peaceful shopping trip where all 4 kids do really, really well.

The other day I was at Target with the kids.

It was a fairly normal shopping trip (no major meltdowns or anything).

In the 20 minutes I was there six people made comments to me.

They were as follows...

1. and 2. "Wow, you have your hands full." (I got this one twice)

3. "Hey only one more and you'd have a basketball team. So you might as well have one more. Are you going to have any more?" (I'm pretty sure there are more than 7 people on a basketball team)

4. "Wow, you are serious stuff. I only have two and I'm going crazy. I don't know how you do it with four."

5. "Wow, 4 kids! And they are so well behaved. Normally I see people's kids climbing out of the cart and screaming." To which I replied..."Good thing you didn't see me a few minutes ago."

6. "You are busy!"

Lol! Every time I go out with the kids someone says something but I don't think I have ever gotten this many comments in one trip. It was so funny!  

Proof that all Target shopping trips don't go smoothly.

Madelyn, a bottle of opened sunscreen plus a crying baby. 

Just keeping it real people. 

What is the funniest thing any one has ever told you while you were out with your kids?

Our Day in Photos

It's been forever since I did a 

 Day in the Life of the Sellars Family post

so I thought I'd do a snap shot of a somewhat typical day in our life right now

(bed rest style). 

Here's a peek into the craziness...

Coffee. Bible.
Good stuff.

I love that Kenzie can take Maddie out of her crib (they share a room) and that the kids all play together when they wake up. 

Breakfast time!

Veggie fruit smoothies cancel out Captain Crunch for breakfast right?

Get dressed and clean our rooms. 

Here is the master bed maker next to her work.

Today she told me, "Mom, I'm having a hard time. I don't like any lines (wrinkles) in my bed. Can you please help me with that?" 

Seriously who is this kid? :)

Play dough! 

I used to have a major problem with letting my kids play with play dough.

I know it is silly but it's just so messy! 

But since I made the play dough is only allowed outside rule I embrace it more often. 

The little ones went on a walk with Mrs. Lauren 

(one of our favorite friends and bed rest heros)

and Kenzie stayed home with me so we could paint her nails. 

The remnants from lunch.

Quesadilla maker = greatest lunch time invention ever.

Reading books with Mrs. Lauren and Mrs. Becca (are other friend and bed rest hero) then nap time!

Kenzie rested in her room for an hour and then I let her come out to play with her Squinkies before the little ones woke up. 

Making a chalk town with Mrs. Becca 

A little TV time.

Dinner,

Baths,

Bible time and then bed! 

Hope you guys had a great day too!

And then there were 6....

The Sellars' have some exciting news to announce...

Yep, you read that right.

Baby number 4 

is due March 26th, 2013. 

And to answer your questions...

yes it was planned and yes we are so excited! 

getting all mushy

Wesley turning 3 made me get all mushy.

My kids are growing up fast and I don't like it.

I had to snap a picture of each of them to document this season of life.
Because one blink and I know it will be over.

Mackenzie is 4 and a half going on 10. 

She is constantly amazing me with the things she says.
I'm always asking her, "How do you know that?"

I'm pretty convinced she thinks she knows everything too.

Every time I tell her something she always says, "Yeah Mom, I know."

She is also a great helper and loves to nurture her brother and sister.

Oh and she loves to play with her little "people" (Polly pocket, princesses, My little ponies, you name it).

Wesley is our ball of fire. 

He keeps us laughing and smiling and always on our toes.

He has such a sweet, loving heart and is definitely a people person.

He loves sports and climbing (anything and everything) and is finnnaaallly into boy toys.

And he loves to cuddle.

And Madelyn is just a cutie pie.

She is already so independent.

She plays well by herself and wants to do everything without help.

She is happy and playful and stubborn.

Her favorite words are hi and bye (while waving). 

She wants to do everything that her brother and sister are doing and can't wait to be old enough to keep up with them. 

Day in the life of the Sellars' family

A year or so ago I came up with a little something called

A Day in the Life of the Sellars' Family.

It's your chance to spy on me and see what really goes on in the Sellars' household. 

Here's how it works. 

Basically I wake up one morning,

grab my camera 

and document the day exactly how it unfolds.

The good the bad and the ugly :)

Here's how our day unfolded on Tuesday,
January 3rd, 2012.

5:30 a.m.- The alarm goes off.

6:00 a.m. my second alarm (i.e. Madelyn) goes off. 

The hubby lures me out of bed with hot coffee (he knows the way to my heart), I grab the baby and head into the family room with Aaron. 

6:10- Feed Maddie and read our daily dose of this with Aaron.

 Reading through the Bible together is one of our goals for this year! It's been awesome so far...except the getting up at 5:30 part. That has definitely not been so awesome but coffee sure does help.

6:15 a.m.- The big kids are up and come to join us.

We tell them it's still night time and put them back in bed.

Because waking up at 6:15 a.m. should be illegal.

At least in the Sellars' house.

6:30- The big kids are back and up for good.
Our day has officially begun!
They come into the family room and play Legos. 

The first thing that comes out of Wesley's mouth when he wakes up in the morning is "May I have a drink please?"
And he says it over and over and over again until he gets it.
So I change diapers and get the boy some "Apple Spider" as he calls it. 

6:45- Start laundry.

Tuesdays are not my favorite day
 because Tuesdays are laundry day.
And 5 people yield a whole lot of laundry.
All I have to say is thank goodness for Oxy clean. 

7:15- Start breakfast

with my little helper boy.

I love that he loves to be right next to me with whatever I'm doing. 

7:20 a.m.- Eat breakfast 

together.

as a family.

It's one of my favorite times of the day. 

Today we all have our usual...

Eggs and toast for the big people and cereal for the little people.  

I though I'd snap a quick picture of the prayer pail in use! 

We let the kids each pick out a stick and pray for whoever they choose (or we pray for them if they aren't in the mood) before meals. 

Today we picked Gracie, Mackenzie and our church The Village Church of Irvine. 

During breakfast Daddy reads The Jesus Storybook Bible to the kids.
It's their favorite (and my favorite too!).   

7:30- I feed Madelyn her breakfast. 

She's finally a fan of food! 

The girl loves to eat 

just like her Momma.

7:45- Aaron leaves for work :(

7:50- Kids play through the mountains of laundry

while I clean up after breakfast.

Just the other day I told Aaron that I'm sure I spend a least a few h.o.u.r.s. (I'm thinking maybe 3) a day just making meals, feeding meals, and cleaning up after meals.
Does that sound about right to any other moms?
And if it's not quite that much it sure feels like it. 

8:20- Turn on a show for the big kids and
stick Maddie in the bouncer while I hop in the shower.

8:50- Put Madelyn down for her morning nap.

9:00- Finish getting ready (with my helper who has a major addiction to chap stick) and then get the big kids dressed and ready. 

9:30- Pack lunches and snacks for the park. 

And rotate the laundry.

10:00- Feed Madelyn and then leave for the park. 

We got to the park a few minutes before our friends
so I attempted a little photo shoot with the kids. 

The kids however were NOT into my mini photo shoot at all.

Even with my candy bribes and me acting like a silly lady behind the camera. 

I couldn't even get this one to crack a smile. 

Maybe she was mad I didn't bring a candy cane for her too.

Well despite the photo shoot blunder we had a great time at the park with friends. 

One of my friends even hooked us up with tons of cute clothes for Maddie. 

Thanks Amy!
I think Maddie would be naked without you (ALL of Mackenzie's old clothes have been the wrong season). 

1:00- Home from the park.
I fed the littlest one (who had fallen asleep in the car) and put her down for her nap. 

Then I put Wesley down for his nap. 

Lately I have been putting him down in the pack and play in Madelyn's room.

It's pretty much the only way I can get all 3 of them to nap at the same time.

And that is really really important to me so I'm willing to do whatever it takes.  

I let Kenzie play in her room for 15-20 minutes and then I make her take a nap too.

1:20- Once everyone is down I rotate the laundry again and fold the clothes

and then...

1:35- Momma takes a nap! 

YAYY!

Lately I have been taking a snooze (or at least a 15 minute rest) while the kids do and it has been fabulous.

Otherwise I'm ready to go to bed when they do. 

Seriously.   

Being a mom to 3 little ones is tiring stuff.

2:15- Madelyn wakes up and I sneak in to get her as soon as I hear a peep so Wesley doesn't wake up. 

I also realize I'm starving because I forgot to eat lunch!

Whoops!

I reheat some Navy bean soup my mom brought over the day before. 

*Normally I eat lunch with the kids but since they ate at the park and I wasn't in a peanut butter and jelly kind of mood I decided to wait and eat at home. 

I enlist Maddie to help me sort through ALL of the super cute clothes my friend gave me. 

And was reminded about God's faithfulness.
He always provides for us in ways that blow my mind.  

3:45- Kenzie woke up and came out into the family room telling me, "Mom, I just made me and Wesley's beds. Do you want me to make your bed too?"

Ummm, let me think about that.

Yes, please!

Clearly she is Aaron's child. 

Not mine.

4:00- Wesley wakes up from his nap and joins the fun.

 I put all the new clothes into tubs and the folded laundry away.

and do another load of emergency poop laundry thanks to this little one :) 

4:45- Daddy comes home and saves the day! 

He takes the big kids to the park down the street while I get dinner started. 

While the big kids and Daddy are at the park Maddie and I rock out to Pandora 

 while I make some pizza
which is a weekly staple around here.

5:10- The kids and Daddy get home and play together while I finish dinner. 

Did I mention I have the best husband ever?

Because I do. 

5:25- Dinner is served! 

Mmmmm...I could eat pizza and salad every day. 

Seriously.

6:00- After dinner the kids help Daddy make a juice to take to work for lunch tomorrow. 

While Daddy juices, I give Maddie a bath. 

Then Aaron washes the dishes from dinner 

(see I told you...best husband ever)

Maddie hangs with Daddy while I get the big kids in the bath. 

Than I tag team Aaron and he finished the kids bath while I fold some more laundry. 

6:40- We brush the kids teeth and let them pick out a couple books to read before bed.  

A picture with me in it just to prove I was really around that day. 

6:45- Book time!

I feed Madelyn while Aaron reads to the big kids and then put her to bed. 

7:15- Put the big kids to bed 

and then take a deep breath!

We made it! 

Another day of fun and craziness in the the Sellars house.  

Well that's it for our very normal, not super exciting day.

Hope you enjoyed getting a little peek into our life. 

Feel free to check out the past versions of A Day in the Life of the Sellars' family. It's kind of fun to see how our days have changed as the kids have gotten bigger (and as we have added more kids to the mix).