#ThrowbackThursday! Children Grow Up So FAST!

Hi Everyone it's Thursday here so here are some pictures of my little ones when they were really little. I hold on to them so much I don't want to think of the day when they won't need me as much. Them showing independence is great and shows they're developing well, however it still makes me a little sad. My three promises that they will never leave the nest. I think my husband and I will be like the Cosbys where they want their  grown kids out, but they always welcomed them back if they needed somewhere to live for a week or year…but I think I will secretly happy about it :-) 

Question: How do you cherish every moment? I try to do little fun stuff with them. Do things as a family A LOT so they know the importance of family. Sometimes I take some time alone and think about what I love about them all and individually. They really made my life so much better!

My daughter as a newborn

My oldest as a newborn

My daughter is a day old

My youngest as a newborn

As you can tell I couldn't choose just one!!!!! 

Moving and Trip to England

GW move in a couple of weeks!!!! Omg so stressful. Taking care of the last of everything is so stressful. My stomach is knots, my phone is constantly ringing and my home is steadily emptying. However the emptier my home becomes the messier it seems to get. I don't  get it. Ooh nevermind, I have kids.

We are so ready to see our family stateside. Last weekend we went to England. To visit my sin and nephew before we go. So happy to do that. I miss my brother so much.  And it was wonderful to spend time with my nephew. Next up is planning our trip to America along with all the other things we have to get done here! Hotels in America are so expensive! We are a family of five and I don't want to put anyone out especially during the week so the hotel plan is the best. We will hopefully figure something out. Anyone have any hotel recs? 

England was a wonderful trip. The sun shone the entire time, the weather was amazing. A welcome break from the dreary weather we had here in Germany. Parts if our city became so flooded due to the rain. It was ridiculous. Made me happier to be so far away! In England, I cooked for my brother and wasn't so concerned about being a tourist but making England a home away from home. It felt so amazing. I loved it. We shopped, ate, talked and relaxed. We did go to Cambridge and it's a gorgeous town. I feel so honored and blessed to have seen so many different places and now I am addicted. The kids loved England so much. We want to go to be more city before we leave in a couple weeks, but we are not sure where yet. Somewhere CHEAP preferably and close. 

From trip to sainsburys

Taken by the nephew

Well wish us luck with the move! Will reveal location with an Instagram pic when we get there. 

Mama's So Thankful Ramblings

Today I intended on waking up and starting cookies so I'd have a recipe to blog. Well, I woke up and started other things, like lollygagging on Pinterest, playing with the kiddos, and checking FB of course then I started the cookies. So instead of making the cookies on my own, I decided to bake them with my beautiful Curly Sous Chef. She is always a hoot in the kitchen and knows her way quite well around our  little space.

But as we were baking and chatting I decided not to make a recipe post. But rather a post on why I am thankful for everyday. This will not be long because it doesn't take the a lot to be thankful. I am thankful that my daughter wants to be a good influence on kids her age to get into the kitchen. She said today while rolling the cookie dough into balls, 

"When the kids see dis dey gonna be like, 'oh ma gah she cook, i wanna cook too!' I wish y'all could hear her. She is a character. She's everything I wish I had the courage to be. She's outwardly thoughtful, silly, hilarious, and just a kind curious little 5 year-old with a memory of a 97 year-old. The girl can't remember her age to save her life, already taking on a trait some women seem to  inherit once they're on the brink a new decade of life from 30 on ;-) But as I am not lying 6 feet or burning to ashes, I can be that way now. Who cares if I am 29 years old ;-)

Today my daughter and I brought the cookies and tea upstairs to her bedroom and we played tea parties our way. LOTS of drama! Ken is brokenhearted because Barbie is in love with Eric. Eric is being chased by the mermaid triplets lol it's crazy and fun. Barbie Dreamhouse Jerry Springer style. The laughs and jokes we shared, nearly spraying tea from our noses will remain ingrained in our minds! LOL

She did a pretty good job recipe here: http://www.shemakesandbakes.com/1/post/2012/11/cinnamon-chip-snickerdoodles.html

These genuine smiles

I am one cheesy lady so it fills me with joy to see my babies smile and to see them, too, reflect. There is a lot to look forward to this year and some things we're not looking forward to. But whatever happens I hope we are in the greatest of spirits, enjoying every moment we can. If things don't always go well, then try to make a negative experience into a positive one. It's pretty simple, but a lot of people find it challenging. If you're on any kind of social network, you know what I mean. 

Hope you all are making the most of your day! SMILE :-) 

Laughing at the memories (my crazy faces)