Just so I don't forget

The latest funny sayings of Cuatro:

--"Oh, Katie, your shirt is so beautiful!!"

--When he and his daddy were at the ranch a few weeks ago, they discovered the hunting jeep has been stolen so Joe called the sheriff and told Cuatro that the police were coming. Cuatro started crying and said he didn't want to go to jail. Joe told him that the police were heroes and were coming to help. Joe turned back around to drive and heard a little voice behind him say very quietly, "Daddies can be heroes too."

--While waiting for the police to come, Joe heard something in one of the hunting trailers and thought someone was in their illegally. He went into Marine Corps mode and admitted that he forgot Cuatro was there. So he grabbed his gun and got in his "clearing mode" and right before he was about to barge into the front door, he heard the familiar little voice whisper loudly, "Daddy, you gonna shoot somebody?"
(I was not happy about this story at first and Joe has promised to wait for the police the next time he decides to "clear" a building with one of our children present)

--This might be too much for some people but I want to remember what he says: He asked if it hurt to have a baby come out and I said yes. He thought about this for a little bit and then asked, "Does it hurt for the baby to go in?" (Joe and I both had a hard time stifling that laugh)

--When we asked what he did in preschool yesterday, he said, "Well, I did some time-out.....

An Impromtu Picnic

A few weeks ago, Joe was traveling and the evening was so pleasant that I decided it would be a great opportunity to have a picnic for dinner. The kids love anytime we are able to eat outside so they helped pack our bag and get towels and head out to the front lawn. We had the best, most relaxing time enjoying nature and each other. Here are some of the pictures from that night (Audrey had a bit of a cold and loves to play in the grass so don't judge the dirty baby):

Real Life, Part 2

This is a humbling post to write. I get embarrassed very easily. When we entertain, I kill myself to have a very clean home. I do like a clean house for a party but when I am having a close friend over to just visit, I still make sure everything is super tidy. It might mean that things are thrown in a closet or laundry room so that the house "appears" to be clean. Why? Do I think my best friends will think less of me if there is something out of place? No. Would I think less of them in a similar situation at their house?. No. So why do I stress? It's a pride issue that I am very aware of and working on.
I do believe that I am more drawn to people who are genuine and real. They share their struggles and concerns and don't get caught up in "appearances". They worry less about a messy house and more about helping others. These are the people I call my close friends. I hope I am the same kind of friend to them but there are times where I get so caught up in making it look like we have it all together. I have been so convicted that I am doing a disservice to my friends when I do this. I need to focus more on the ministry I have to my children, family, and friends and less on the material things. So here are the pictures I took a couple weeks ago. This is my house on a typical day. It is a coming out of sorts that my house is not always clean. It is never organized. It is REAL!! I have four children and not much energy to keep everything clean ALL the time. It is what it is: