thx for the skirt. <3

Thank you for the tea. I am feeling slightly better today, though still in pain and groggy, but much better than yesterday!

How are you doing today, on this amazing Friday before your birthday!? You should do something to make it a special Friday - a Birthday Friday!

So I chose two items from the shop (there are so many things that are amazing!)

[edit] Ha representing being country will come soon. C:

thank you and here is my entry

this is some what me when I was yonger helping out with my grandads small holding when he was still alive

Outfit Not Found

i wish.... we just don't have the funds this year to do any big celebrating. the husband has been working alot, with all four kids at home for summer break me getting a part time position anywhere is out of the question. So I'm pretty much stuck at home 24-7. We did make some time last weekend to at least go down the road to a pond and go fishing. And my mom watched the kids one night long enough for us to catch a movie just my husband and I. Besides that ive been in this house and havent left. All i do is take care of kids, animals, the house, cook, clean... over and over and over again. Needless to say this year im pretty down.

, OOooo, that came up on my list! I was wondering about it. I think i will check that show out Last Kingdom.

and i meant to say earlier. 32!!! omg girl. :( i'm SO sorry for you. of every one, you are one of the people that i truly wished i could help. :( it's just, that when i think of every thing you have been through (going through) and your age. I really really pray that you get the exact opposite in your old age. where EVERY SINGLE THING is WONDERFUL for you and GOES YOUR WAY UP!!!

HUGS Darlin!

hugs I pray everyday that these are the worst of times and the best is yet to come (Finally seeing a dr on the 7th and hopefully will get some answers)

: thanks so much!! <3

Happy Birthday, Darling! huggles and you are not old. Think of this as becoming even MORE awesome than before <3

I couldn't decide on just one cake to give thee, so have three, my dear! <3

omg they look AMAZING! gains 10 lbs just looking gobbles them up anyway

Btw you look gorgeous!

That really stinks that you can't find much "me" time out there. There is this song, I wish I could remember the name about missing the small things of daily life. And about how fast life rolls forwards and suddenly the kids are all grown and gone, etc. But I am always reminded to lean into the joy-moments and really live them to their fullest.

You cna create a little birthday joy moment for yourself by just watching your fav movie with the family (we used to call things like that Friday Family Movie Night in my house when I was growing up). And then maybe draw yourself a bath, or have some alone husband time? There are tons of ways you can enjoy a birthday Friday with the whole family, even at home!

I know it seems crazy to most people, having fun at home, or celebrating things at home, but it works out really great sometimes. When I was growing up we celebrated every single thing at home. We could not afford to go out for anything ever -- so we learned lots of ways to do random things at home and make them special or fun. I make it sound so great but you know life is hard and not always fun, and often monotonous.

I am sorry that you feel the pull of monotony in your life. I hope that you can find some way to break up the monotony in some way. I try to do more of my hobbies whenever I feel life is becoming more monotonous. Although, being a mom is a full time job so it can be so hard to find time to accomplish hobbies. So I hope you are able to have lots of "me" time this weekend.

huggles These are "magick" royal birthday cakes. No weight-gain on them :P You lost a lot of weight recently, thou does not need to lose more <3 Aw, thank you! ^_^ I kind of went "Jungle Empress" with it XD I truly love your HA, it is truly gorgeous. The layering is fabulous. <3

I'd give anything to have time for a "real life" hobby. But with the kids everything i try ends up becoming a group thing. Which don't get me wrong I love that they want to be like me and do things i like, but sometimes I just want to go hide in the bathroom and write a story or color in a color book I want to use lol. I love to sing (actually went to college for it, was going to become a teacher) I'd love if just once a month I could go sing karaoke like I did on the cruise. I felt like Heather again for the first time in 12 years. But that would require a sitter for all 4 kids and that is damn near impossible. So instead we all do stuff as a family if we have outings. We ALWAYS do bdays here at home. Living in the country has it perks, it's great for parties and cooking out. But this year none of the family outside the home could make it to a cookout. So it will just be me the kiddos and hubby.

I wish I had my own tv time lol that never happens unless I stay up past 11, kids get tv all day (to keep them quiet)[only 1 tv in the house] hubby gets it when he gets home from work and if I am not dead tired I might get to fall asleep watching something I want haha

jungle empress suits thee! It took me about 40 minutes to make this HA, I spent forever color matching, I too am pleased with the results. (And I've gained 8 that I lost back, dr says I am stressing out about the medical issues) so virtual cake it is for me haha.

This might sound lame, but you could maybe begin teaching voice to students at a local music studio one day a week? That might help you feel more like a hobby and desired life choice were being fulfilled. It would also give you one afternoon-evening "off" a week.

My mom struggled with the exact same thing you are describing my entire childhood. Unfortunately children don't grasp that a mom has her own emotional needs and dreams as well. I am really sorry I wish I had better advice or some way to help you feel better.

My mom eventually learned that she had to start putting herself first, which is almost impossible with young kids but it was easier once they were able to make their own after school snack, and do HW without a ton of parental involvement.

We always had 1 tv in the house too, still do inn fact. You know what you could do is send the kids outside to play. When I was growing up we played outside all day long. Watching tv was rare for me and my parents didn't buy us phone or other gadgets. They told us to read a book, go outside and play, practice a musical instrument (forced on every child lol), or clean something. Cleaning, tending the garden or dog(s), or weeding the lawn always took lots of time.

It's too bad that you have to be so tired and fall asleep watching your show(s) I feel bad for you. hugs tightly Are any of your kids old enough to enjoy the same shows as you?

[edit] ps please do not feel like i had a perfect childhood lol or that my parents had it "all figured out." I am not comparing you or judging, simply trying to throw out what they did and see if any of it might prove useful to you. Also, they totally had tons of parenting mistakes, nobody has it all figured out. There is no such thing as a perfect parent, or one who does not make mistakes either. lol

Raydon is old enough, the other 3 not so much they are 8, 4, and 1.5. Andi is my hand full right now, too young to go out and play with her brothers (I send them out to play all the time haha) she is in that toddler stage where I have to watch her CONSTANTLY! She gets into everything right now. Like today, today I was trying to wash a load of laundry (we average 3 loads a day around here sighs boys) and they were supposed to be watching her, I came into the living room and they were all involved in a show and baby girl was nowhere to be seen. I was like were is the baby! Went through the house and she was literally sitting in the cat litter box... not a pleasant sight to see. She also enjoys eating cat food... and rocks smh. Raydon collects rocks so is she gets loose in the boys room it could be really dangerous because she has learned to climb up to whatever she wants to get.

I'd love to teach voice lessons, but our town is really small, the closest town that would even have some kind of studio would be about a 45 minute drive one way. Eventually when we get a bigger house I want to invest in a piano and then I could give lesson right at home. Right now with 6 people in a 900 sq ft house that is an impossibility

Oh yes, yours are a bit too young to be left to their own wiles. lol This is probably bad advice, but y parents made a huge baby-crate to lock us all in one room when we were 3 and under. So we were only allowed to be in one room ever until we were not in need of constant watching. I do not like this type of parenting that much because my dad took it one step further by locking us in rooms or out of the house. again, not good parenting. lol OH MY! in the kitty litter box is horrible, but really funny (to picture) though scary. She could have eaten poop! Did she?! Rock collecting, now I still love doing that and I am a full grown adult. LOL Have you had scares with eating rocks-blocking intestines, I hope not?

Wow that is a lot of laundry, I think a lot of young kids go through clothes a ton though. My mom was always swimming in laundry (there were 7 of us). I remember huge piles of it every Monday and she would have us pair socks and fold towels until we were capable of helping with more.

You could even start by tutoring in some unrelated field maybe? DO they have a math learning center near you? IDK I just know how much joy I derived from tutoring in voice and science, so I can only imagine how much you would love it. I hope you are able to fulfil that dream of teaching from home when you get a bigger place. 900 square feet is tiny for so many people, I feel for you. hugs

yup, itty bitty living space... no real privacy for any of us. But it's ours and we own it, hoping to start building on next year! We get a nice new bedroom, at least that is the plan. I have baby gates up in the living area... But when the older kids leave them open they do no good. Also she has crazy monkey toes and climbs over them now. She is an escape artist lol. No poop was eaten, she was after the little rocks, luckily I had just changed the litter. She had it in her hair, in her diaper, and in her mouth... She is so weird haha. My boys hate doing the laundry, they would rather wash dishes than help me fold and put away.

Look what our dog Skye gave me for my early bday gift! 9 new babies! [Img]http://i.imgur.com/UASLUfn.jpg[/img] She is our best rabbit guardian, so I have high hopes we get at least one like her. She doesn't let any predators near our place. I had a nice long talk with our other dogs, told them Skye is off on maternity leave so they better step up.

Happy early Birthday! If nobody claimed these yet, I would like to add them to my wardrobe :) Viv Permafrost Hair Wax or Bridal Wig

Hopefully I'll have time this weekend to make an HA :D I went for a nature look haha :) Private Outfit

Here is my country entry:

Private Outfit

Happy (early) Birthday!!

May I have or , please and thank you! <3

Baby gates are hard to control with the older kids, that is true. I think that is why my dad used padlocks. LOL Luckily I was not an escape artist, I watched my brother as he escaped though, he was good. Lol it sounds like she loves the feel of gritty textures and is exploring her wonderful world with exuberant curiosity and unbridled wonder. She sounds like a precious cutie of accidental-exploration-mischief.

Awwwwwww that is such an amazing early bday gift -- 9 cute puppies!!! C: I love being apart of whelping, it's always so miraculous to me. hugs and happy dance

I hope your other dogs step up to the plate. I have one dog who loves everything and everyone (literally). A random stranger was walking into the backyard once and that dog was running around him trying to get him to play with him. The dog was beyond thrilled to have this new stranger in the yard. My other dog was standing by the backdoor barking and growling -- she is timid/terrified but will bark and stand her ground (in a corner). lol I am pretty sure that she would make tons of noise if a real bad guy or wild animal came around (we've had her warn us of coyotes before).

Do you have any plans for today?

I love your HA a ton -- you totally 'stole' the horse I was using, so now I will find a different one. LOL I don't want to look like I'm copying. C: There are lots of horses in the wardrobe luckily -- and my fav two sheepdogs are so ready.