Care Packages {Take 6}

The last two weeks did not disappoint in terms of care packages.  The packages coupled with amazingly beautiful weather during Josh's parents stay made for a very sunshiny Shelly!

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Julie:

Julie's box contained Spring. Literally! She made this most adorable wood SPRING set, as well as some Easter banners.  And she sent other Easter/Spring decoration for me to spruce up the house.

There were also graham crackers & jar food for the baby, fun Easter eggs for the twins (which they cannot wait to open!) and a HUGE cars puzzle that we painted while Grandma was here.

We also got tons of snack items from her.  Chips & some sweets.  I wish I had captured Logan's face when he saw the Fritos.  I thought he was going to pass out. He was so excited, he was holding his breath!

Jack felt that way about the additional bath dye discs.
(Check out his face in this one!)
They love those things!

She also included cozy socks for me with GRIPPERS on the bottom! Brilliant! No more tumbles down the stairs for this mama!

Now this is actually apple cider from my mom's most recent package, but I had to include it under Julie's boxes because Jack asked me if he could please "read" these while he ate...

Which is something he learned from Julie & her boys.  

He was so excited when I said yes.

I love that the boys already (at age three) remember the things they learn from Julie & her amazing boys.  I can't wait to spend the whole summer together.  It's going to be so much fun! The moments we share with our six sons will keep my heart warm the whole winter through next year.

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South Carolina Fan:

Oh my sweet blog followers. It is crazy to me that you follow along this journey.  That you know my heart, and I don't know a thing about you all!

This box from South Carolina Fan was a HUGE hit with Logan & Jack.  It contained Lightening McQueen flashlights that have kept them entertained for days, as well as tons of snack items.

Ritz, Cheetohs, Peanut butter crackers, Pepperoni & blueberry muffins I made for myself on Saturday morning.  So delicious, and super easy, just add water!

There was also baby lotion, potato soup, chapstick, Peeps and two chocolate bunnies that the boys can hardly wait to open on Easter.

Thank you so much for the generosity you have shared with our family.  It means so much to me, to us.  And, of course, I would {love} to know more about you. Please, feel free to leave a comment, telling us a little about yourself & your family!

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Nanny:

We got two packages from my mom this week.  They were packed to the brim with awesome items that we both needed and wanted!

One box was an Easter box.  It was full of chocolate bunnies, Butterfinger eggs (my favorite, yum!), a bunny rabbit for Wyatt, and French Lavender Scentsy bars. Oh my holy goodness~ I used them today, and the entire house smelled divine.  And something about the lavender made me feel super mellow even though I am exhausted & we are all depressed that Carol & Carl left this morning.

Along with the gifts in the package, there was some air bubbles.
Jack jumped up & down, over & over, to get it to pop!

She also included some 18 mo. size jammies for Wyatt, which are perfect! We love them!  There was also a new mirror toy for Wyatt and two Ramone cars from Cars 2.  The new Ramone cars reignited the boys' love of their Cars car collection, which has been awesome.

There were also socks for all three boys (thank you!) and AAA batteries for their Walkie Talkies.  I feel really lucky that we have family back home (particularly our parents) whom we can call for anything and they will pick it up & ship it to us. 

She also got us chicken marinates and Johnson & Johnson's Soothing Vapor Bath.

But the biggest hit in her box was this gift for the twins.

They were so excited to open a present!

It's a Cars book that my parents & nephew recorded themselves reading.

The boys sat, mesmerized, listening to the new book over and over again until dinner was ready.

And each night Logan picks it to read at bedtime.

They love it. Love it!

And Wyatt loves his new toy!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

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Jack hates waiting to open the boxes.  I always grab the camera, a pen and a pad of paper so I can keep track of what we got from whom...

It's hard to be three and be patient!

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Eileen:

Eileen is my best friend from eighth grades' mom.  Sarah and I were inseparable for a few years there.  We went to youth group, church camp & school activities together. We also went camping together with her family every year at the Snake River.

Eileen is an avid blog follower of mine, and her whole family even showed up to support us when we had our garage sale to raise money for our move.

She sent us a plethora of useful & awesome items.  Beef jerky for the daddy, fun bathtime rollers for the twins, these silly band bracelets that they adore, and food for the baby.

She also sent butter, cheese, stationary & chocolate- the good kind that goes on mommy's candy shelf, not the kids'!

Ahh, and chapstick! Sweet Dew Kiss, my all time favorite chapstick on earth.  Look how much she sent me! (And another kind of chapstick for the husband & kiddos, so I don't have to share!!!)

She also sent pencils for Josh's class, fruit snacks for the boys and candy for their candy jar.

Wyatt was tickled by his baby food!

I love his face in these ones!

...only nine months old, and already he's a ham!

Thank you so much, Eileen, for everything in our package. It means so much to me that we are still in your thoughts & prayers.  I can feel those prayers.  When days get rough and I am starting to lose it, I will suddenly be filled up again with patience, and I know that it's because of people like you who are wishing us well and lifting us up to the Lord.

Thank you.

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Roxanne:

My sister sends us some really fun boxes.  Usually they are a single theme, but this box had a few things going on in it.

Jack was not happy with how slow I was going, so he was planning to take matters into his own hands!

Inside the box? Two 20 oz. sodas for Josh & I- awesome! As well as a movie (Bridesmaids) and a pair of cute new underwear for me from Target, and Butterfinger candies for date night!

Also in her box was an alphabet puzzle game for Jack & Logan.

 And this adorable new cozy for Wyatt that she & my mom worked together to make. 

As you can see, it's fuzzy on one side, silky on the other, and has ribbon sewn around the edges.  I love it, and when I figured out that my mom made it, I loved it even more!

Thank you girls!

And thank you, Roxanne for your monthly boxes.
I look forward to them very much, and so do the boys. 

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Grandma Woo Woo:

My grandma always sends us packages that are useful. They are chock full of healthy food items, fun snacks for the boys, and essentials like butter or cheese. 

The most recent one had summer sausage, canned tomatoes & macaroni, which always gets me excited!  She also included two packages of stationary, which the boys and I promptly used to write thank you notes to some of our family.

Thanks for thinking of us, Grandma, and the boys would especially like to thank you for the Cinnamon Toast Crunch!!!

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Kristina:

I have truly saved the best for last on today's post.  The two packages from Kristina could not have come at a better time.  They arrived Saturday, just two days before Josh's parents were scheduled to leave after an eleven day stay. 

To say I was dreading their departure would be an understatement. It was so nice to have them around, to help out with the kids, to throw in a load of laundry or do the dishes... Carol did all the dishes the entire time she was here- what a luxury for me!

Not to mention the company while Josh was at work.

Knowing I have seven weeks before I lay eyes on another familiar face had me a bit nervous for this period of time.

Kristina's package was exactly what I needed.  She included lots of sensible things (Ritz, Top Ramen, & snacks like Cracker Jack's & licorice), but most of the box was just for me.

There were candy bars, special Sea Salt chocolate that was divine, mint Milano cookies, two headbands, and new girly nail polish.  There was a new movie for the boys (Dispicable Me) which was a godsend today after their grandparents left. And there was a book.

In Praise of Stay-at-home Mom's by Dr. Laura Schlessinger.

I am nearly half way through it, and it is changing my perspective on everything I do now as a stay-at-home-mom.

I can't thank you enough, Kristina, for your kind words, your encouraging spirit, and your generosity.  This box came to me exactly when it was meant to.
Thank you.

"You'll be his first kiss, his first love, his first friend. You are his mama. He is your little boy."

Aside from all the mommy-pampering in the first box, the second box contained this beautiful piece of art that Kristina herself created.  She has an Etsy site full of things just like it.  You should check it out.

"My greatest blessings call me mommy"

Also included was this one, which I now have on my bookshelf in my dining room.

{love}

I hope to finish the book by Dr. Laura soon, and blog about all the insights she has offered about what being a SAHM mom is all about.  In the meantime, I just want to thank all of you for the continued outpouring of love & support for our family as we adjust to this new place in our lives.

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It was really nice after expressing my feelings of homesickness to have so many other moms/daughters out there reach out to me and remind me that I am loved, what I'm doing is important and this too shall pass.  Thank you.
We are all so blessed by you!