Mommy of Many®

Here is a picture blog of Lex’s special day at Disneyland

Luke-Xavier arriving at Disneyland for his 3rd bday

Hi!  Would you like an M&M?

Hi there!  I’m Luke-Xavier and it’s my birthday.  I’m at Disneyland!  Would either of you care for an M&M?

Look who’s over there!

Mickey, trying Lex’s ears

Let me help you

For your efforts, you deserve an M&M!

It’s good!  You deserve it!

After the picture would you like an M&M?

If I keep meeting new friends, I’m gonna be out of M&Ms!  Wonder how many are left?

Me and all my Disneyland friends LOVE M&Ms!

It’s really nice to meet you!

Nice to meet you too.  Aren’t you going to offer me an M&M?

This was a very happy birthday!  I LOVE Disneyland (and M&Ms)

Peace all!  I’m outta here!

How time flies!!!!  Twenty years ago, today, I was able to claim the title of “Mommy” for the first time.  I can not believe how fast it all seems to have gone!  I also would have keeled over, dead if you would have tried to tell me, on that day, that I would eventually have 9 kiddos and be telling the world about it!

I couldn’t be prouder of the wonderful, young woman that Kateri has become.  I will not embarrass her, here, by listing her accomplishments or gushing over her abilities.  But know that I am very proud and pleased and that I am hoping that the next 20 years of being “Mommy” are as fulfilling and quick as the last 20!

Happy Birthday Kateri!

Sometimes I have to take a minute to remind myself of the beauty all around me.  Today I opened the sunroof and drove to the water.  There’s nothing like the smell of the ocean and the feeling of it’s breezes!  Taking just a few moments to revel in something that makes me so happy and fills something inside me, opened the door for a beautiful rest of the day!

I hope that today you can each find a  moment to visit something that reminds you of the beauty in this life.

Have a great day!~

This story has been years in the making.  I believe it’s been about 6 years since it started.  It wasn’t until this morning that I realized that it was not just a tale of a tree’s growth, but a tale of community.

Years ago, we had a wonderful neighbor, “Miss Casey”.  She was always willing to loan the neighborly cup of sugar, sandwich baggie or tsp. of vanilla.  She also lent in the nurturing of my kiddos’ imaginations.  It was not uncommon for her to help them bake a special treat, throw a pretend wedding or even help put together a neighborhood circus.  One day Mariah took lemon seeds to Miss Casey and together they planted each one in it’s own pot in the hope that they would each become a beautiful lemon tree, full of ripe, yellow lemons that could be used for lemonade stands that would bring in lots of summertime $ to be spent at the ice cream truck.  One by one the lemon seeds sprouted and grew and one by one they died.  Except one. After about 4 years, it looked like this

We realized it needed some room to grow and decided to make it a family project to replant it in a larger container.  So 2 years ago we put together “How to Make a Lemon Tree Happy” in words and pictures

Scrub out a large container

Drill holes in the bottom for drainage

Break up old pottery in the bottom of the container for even better drainage

Add soil and miracle gro

Carefully remove the root bound tree from it’s old pot

Add LOTS more soil

Pack it down and pose with your tree

A happily repotted lemon tree with lots of room to grow!

Now, fast-forward 2 years-

Mariah’s little lemon tree heavy with lemons

Gabi and Luke-Xavier getting ready to pick the lemons.  They weren’t even born when this all started!

Some of the lemons weren’t ready to be picked, but he didn’t let that stop him from working REALLY hard at it!

Our basket full of lemons, all because of a little girls’ idea and a wonderful neighbor who took time out of her day to show Mariah that dreaming is worthwhile and can produce some sweet fruits (even if they ARE lemons!).

Community, dreams, time and love…..all such wonderful things~

After a long and tiring day, where I was bitten by the “must clean and organize” bug, I decided to unwind and go down to the beach. I hardly EVER do this, which is ridiculous! We live SO close to the beach and I always find a reason not to go. I think I’m afraid that if I go too often that I will give up housekeeping and paperwork and laundry all together and become a beach-bum. It’s really the only reason I can come up with, because the second that I get close enough to smell and feel the change in the air, something comes alive in me! I am completely drawn to the water which might explain why I’m married to a Navy man. I also think it’s in my blood because I am the descendant of Portuguese fishermen. I wish I could bottle the feel I get from seeing the water.

I truly hope that each of you have something in your lives that makes you feel as good as the ocean makes me feel and that you get to enjoy it from time to time!

Good night~

P.S. I must admit that seeing Rod Stewart in concert would SURELY compare to the feeling that the ocean gives me. I just know it!

Valentine’s Day is a lot of fun around here because all of the kiddos get so excited to make, give and get valentines. These are the beautiful roses that are for me. Clay and I don’t usually go out on Valentine’s Day (or any holiday, for that matter), because everything is so crowded and booked. We’re more likely to do something quiet for each other and go out on a more random evening.

We’ve hung up the handmade cards and decor that have already been brought home. I’m positive I will be adding to that collection in the next couple of days. I love to display the kids’ art work for each holiday in this way. Then I pack it up with whatever decor I use from year to year and am able to take a little trip down memory lane each year, when I unpack the items. It’s always fun to see the items again!

Much love on this special day to each of you! Thank you for spreading a little love by coming to the site. It’s greatly appreciated!

Happy Valentine’s Day~

Thank you to all of you for coming to the site and for all the questions and comments you’ve been leaving. I really appreciate the interaction.If you are lovin’ the site and lovin’ the show I want to ask that you do me a favor by doing 2 things.

First off, if you haven’t subscribed to the show, please go to the left of this page on the sidebar and click the subscribe button. This means that the shows will show up in your iTunes library each week when I release them. It’s free and easy!

The second request is just as easy-If you could take a minute and go to the iTunes store, click on the podcast section (in the menu on the left) and then type either “Jen Lang” or “Mommy of Many” into the search bar, the podcast will come up and it will give you the option to leave a review. These reviews let iTunes know that I have some lovin’ listeners out there and are important for the shows ratings. Please take a minute to leave a review and let the iTunes world know that you love Mommy of Many.

Thanks again! You are all making this venture so much fun. I hope to keep it going for a long, long time!

Have a great day~

*UPDATE* I’ve received feedback this morning that the subscription button (to the left) may have some problems. I just tried it and it brought me right to my iTunes. I’m thinking it could be a MAC vs. PC thing. However, it’s still quick and easy to go straight into your iTunes, choose “iTunes store” and then “podcasts” and then type in either “Jen Lang” or “Mommy of Many” to find the show. You can choose to subscribe right there. It’s free!

Thanks!