What's In Your Wallet On Your Nightstand?

Is it just me or does anyone else's nightstand look something like this...



What a mess...right? I have a really bad habit of pulling way too many books out at once, reading half of one and going to the next one. I eventually go back and finish the first, but sometimes it is months later! So you are probably wondering what these books are about (if not, just go with me here cause I got nuttin else for you tonight :) )...

Can I have and do it all, please? by Christine Caine

This is a must have. I read the entire book in several hours. I just could not put it down. I've had the honor of hearing Christine twice now and she is full of energy and just plain wonderful.

Mothers’ Manual by A. Francis Coomes, S.J.

A great reference manual for specific needs prayers and great prayers to start and end your day with!

For This I Was Born by Brian Houston
Heaven Is In This House by Bobbie Houston
Identity by Charlotte Scanlon-Gambill

I just got these last weekend at the HPC Women's Conference and I am looking forward to reading them. I'll let you know how I like 'em. I'm starting Identity tonight!

The Holy Bible - New International Version

What can I say about this great book...when all else fails you have to go straight to the source. I don't think I'll ever be finished reading this one :)

Your Best Life Now by Joel Osteen

Not one of my ablsolute favorites, but a good read with some great messages anyway.

10 Stupid Things Couples Do To Mess Up Their Relationships by Dr. Laura Schlessinger

I haven't made it through much of this one yet, but I don't see one of the 10 chapters being on "having quadruplets"...I'm disappointed :)

Building A Winning Career in Engineering by David L. Goestsch

I love this book, but I'm a complete dork so that isn't saying much.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Grammar and Style by Laurie E. Rozakis, Ph.D.

This is a great reference book. I should probably resort to reading it more since I could use a bit of refinement in this area :)

Developing the Leader Within You, Developing the Leaders Around You by John C. Maxwell

I LOVE anything by John Maxwell. He is a WONDERFUL author. You should check out his entire series.

So you have my word that none of this was staged and no authors paid me to plug their books (like any of them know who the heck I am anyway!). I was just getting ready for bed after putting my munchkins to sleep and for some reason felt the need to blog about my stack of books on my nightstand! (See above reference about being a total dork if further clarification is needed)

So...what do you recommend I read next? What is on your nightstand? Keep it G-Rated people!

Until Next Time,

Growing at the speed of light...

I don't know what happened. It seems like just yesterday I was a 21 year old newly married chick in college. I remember thinking how stressful attending class and exams were and how I so looked forward to summer and winter break. After graduating college and starting my career at Dow I remember my disappointment when summer rolled around I had had to go to work. It probably sounds silly, but it really didn't hit me that I was now working in the "real world", you know the one without summers off.

My oh my how life has changed!

Flash forward 3 years. Right past adjusting to being married and living outside of my parents house for the first time, real life after college and our infertility struggle, and I'm finally pregnant! We were thrilled. Then they told us there were 4 - We were shocked, rattled, uncertain, but still excited and hopeful for the best. You know the story, we temporarily relocate to Phoenix, AZ to be cared for by the awesome Dr. John Elliott, are blessed with 4 miracles who ultimately thrived in the NICU and back home in Louisiana once they were all released, and here we are - All 6 of us - together, alive and well. I swear (though I shouldn't) all I did was blink and here we are.

I attended a Women's Conference (Live the Dream) at Healing Place Church yesterday and it was just what the doctor ordered. I know I am blessed, but sometimes I take it for granted. I allow myself to get frustrated when I should show patience and understanding. Angry when I should show compassion. I don't stop working, tidying-up, mediating, long enough to really just sit down and enjoy my children. I'm changing that today because they are just growing up too fast. I'm afraid to blink!

Here's hoping I can do a better job of enjoying...


Cheerios on the couch with Ty...Mmmm


A hysterical came of "Where's Emma?" with Miss Priss herself


Listening to the operator say "If you'd like to make a call, please hang up and dial again" about 400 times with Abbey


and the sheer joy in his face when I ask Cullen, "where's my big boy?"

I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

P.S. We have to wait for Sandra or Moni to post pictures from their trip down since I didn't take a single picture...what an idiot I am!

It's All About LSU...Well, Almost!

We LOVE LSU. Really we do. It's where I earned my degree and being from Baton Rouge it's just a love you are born with. It doesn't hurt that year after year they are a top rated SEC team (which is the toughest conference in the country...just in case you didn't know :)). Like this year - we are currently #4 and set to play #1 rated Florida next Saturday night in Death Valley (Tiger Stadium). Torey and I are the proud owners of 4 tickets to the game and I CAN NOT WAIT!!! I won't say who is coming along, but they are quadparents as well, and they are NOT LSU fans. I know, I know, they aren't right in the head, but we love them anyway :) Any guesses who will be joining us?

Now, back to the meat of the post. What better to take a family picture in than some gear for your favorite collegiate team? Nothing!





Okay, so I didn't say they were good family pictures, but we sure do look good in our purple and gold...don't ya think?

We bribed them with fruit snacks and still couldn't get a decent shot. I do believe it is impossible.


My Granny prefers to use suckers to get the little boogers to sit still...I think she may be on to something!


Because any time I try to take a picture with them it looks a little something like this...


Can you say photo disaster?

But this post isn't all about LSU. I have to throw in some other fav pics from our trip to the zoo while on vacation.

My kids LOVED the little goats. What can I say, I think they felt like they were amung family.


Abbey, the most goat-like of the Cupcakes, REALLY loved them...




She even ran to get Ty and Daddy so they could see. The goats were his favorite too.


Cullen was more into the potbellied pigs, which again is very fitting. I couldn't think of a better petting zoo animal for him to connect with.


As for Emma, she liked all the animals as long as she was on DeeDee or Gammy's hip. That little leach has a way of being packed around everywhere we go!

Until Next Time,

Like Father, Like Son...

His father is so proud. I am completely speechless - other than to inform Torey that "Cullen learned this from watching you".

If You Can't Beat 'em...Join 'em Outnumber 'em!

That has been the name of the game on this vacation. I firmly believe the secret to being able to do any type of normal family activity, going out to dinner, playing on the beach, going to the pool, with 2 year old quadruplets is to outnumber them. Thanks to our wonderful mothers and nanny, we have certainly enjoyed our trip so far!

We went to the beach...






but the Cupcakes HATED the sand, so we went to the pool...





where we had some juice boxes to keep us hydrated...




We sang happy birthday to each little Cupcake and let them blow out two candles...


and we ate some cupcakes in honor of our namesake :)


Tyger REALLY enjoyed his cupcake...


We opened presents...




Abbey is AMAZING when it comes to doing puzzles. Here is a little video of her on her first attempt at her birthday puzzle from Gammy...

We attempted to take some family pictures in our LSU gear today and it didn't go so well :( Over 150 shots and not a single one where at least one isn't crying or not looking at the camera. I believe the perfect family picture with quads is simply not possible at this age, but then again all the other quad families manage to pull it off! Stay tuned and I will share soon...

Until Next Time,