Alright. So. I put on make up today. Which is very very unusual these days. Joanna suggested bright pink lipstick and sent me a crazy photo of herself wearing some. . .which I can now use as blackmail. 
I don’t have bright pink ANYTHING, except for the tank I put under the green shirt I have on today. . . .so, that will have to do.
I came out of my room after applying the make-up, and Jacob looked at me and said, “Where are you going?” “No where,” I said.
“You don’t look like Mom with that stuff on your eyes.”
(that was a compliment, he just didn’t know it!)
We took some fun pictures. I got to use my Christmas tripod again. What an awesome tool!
And, you know what? I do feel much happier after doing this!
This was right before Caleb fell off the dresser. Oops.
I’m thinking about this quote that Joanna sent me years ago:
“When she was in her eighties, she told her
husband that the happiest time in her life was spent sitting at the round
kitchen table in their small house with all her children underfoot.” ~M. Stoddard
Even though Jacob is 11, he still has his “blue-blanket” and I love that!
Good to be Home 
I don’t post comments often but these pictures made me laugh. You look so great with all the kids around you, and the last one of you is the best…I think anyway. Glad you are feeling better today.
I love it!! Yay for you, a good mood enhancer….and yay to your friend for the idea….=)
Great picutres Shanda…I can’t stop smiling!!! In the second one Caleb is just the picture of innocence!!! and Grace so beautiful, just like her mother!!! And your “big” boys are so handsome. Glad your feeling better, praying for you!!! Lots of love, Vonda
You are beautiful….inside and out! I love you smile….and all the smiles of your children. I think those wonder years are some of the best and now they are behind I sometimes long for them….but yes, they take up LOTS of energy. So glad you are all refreshed today and enjoying it all. Jenny
I love it!We should have done that this morning instead of plugging away at math until I wanted to be alone too! You really do have a great looking bunch of children and their Mama looks just fine.
Glad you’re having a better day. The pictures are great. I think I like the second one the best. There’s something about Caleb in the background with that mischievous look… 🙂
You look flat gorgeous ~ Have a happylicious day ~
Bath Tub shot! I’ll have to find the one of Bri and her girlfriends in the tub to send you LOLYou all look adorable
What wonderful pictures.
Shanda, you are gorgeous!! You’re radient! I love all of the pictures! Your children are so precious! HaHa… you all in the bathtub! What a great idea!!
So glad you’re happy today!!
P.S. I LOVE your shirt! Where did you get it??
It’s nice to see you having fun with the kids.
Oh, I LOVE these photos! What dear, sweet children you have! And what a beautiful young mommy you are. You look lovely What beautiful, joy fulled smiles. Glad that you had fun!
lovely mama/children pics
Looks like you had so much fun Shanda. You look so happy and beautiful in that color. Your children were all smiles. I may have to get a tripod soon! 🙂
The lip stick is not quite bright enough I mail you some.
You look beautiful, especially in the last five shots, the lighting in the picture right above the 80 yr. woman quote is amazing..really the best light in your house that you have found so far, look at how all of your eyes just pop. This shot and the one right below it is better than anything Olan Mills could do, I love how D. is leaning on you.
I am now going to add polka dots to my list of what to wear when one is feeling down…polka dots, bright ridiculous lip stick, along with listening to music you normally would not listen to, a fun project, a warm body to hold, and time outside with God. And laughter..sorry I keep thinking of more, I find it impossible to lay on my back and let the kids “fly” on my feet without laughing so hard they “crash” onto the bed. I end up worn out with joy.
Very glad to see you smiling my dear friend, and proud of you for being brave enough to post the ebs and the flows so that others do not feel like they are the only ones.
Love you!
JO
I cried through these, and I really don’t know why. I guess I just loved the pictures so much. Love, Trish
Amazing! What a difference a splash of color and a refreshed outlook will do. Like everyone else said, these are super pictures. And like one of the other commenters said, I too had tears while reading through this. You all are so beautiful!
What a beautiful woman you are!!!! The shine in those gorgeous eyes surrounded by your babies is precious. You already know how I feel about those years at the kitchen table with our olive plants and marble pillars surrounding me. It also obvious by these pictures that those kids love you so much! brilliant! blessings, love and continued prayers, M in SC
I love the photos. It makes me want to grab my camera and take some of the kids. Looks like your kids do so well taking photos. I have to get mine in the right mood. Glad you had fun!!!
I love love LOVE these pictures! The profile picture is just perfect!!!
xoxoo Cat
You look very pretty with that “stuff” on your eyes! lol…cute!I just love your photos! Awesome!!!!
I love love love these photo’s. I’m going to download these to my computer, which is new by the way, and print them. your request for me to come out was so tempting Shan . . . I don’t know if I would be much of a comfort/encouragment to you though. I’d probably be a blubbering sobbing mess! . . . still tempting though. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!
My dear….you looked great without make-up. You are pretty either way and isn’t is amazing how our children always notice when we do something different. They are so tuned in to us and our spirit does affect them. I just wanted to throw my arms around you and hold on tight. E-hugs will have to do. The smiling faces are a delight to see.
So beautiful are you. I love that shirt. I bought some material that looks exactly like it!!! I had an apron in mind….we’ll see…
Hello. Just stopping in. I like the picture with your son jumping for joy by the table!
I love your pictures! That is funny that he would say that. When I put on makeup the kids will ask where we are going:) It’s amazing how something like that makes us feel so much better about ourselves!
What a beautiful family!! Love the green blouse!
I love your pictures. Especially the one with your children all round you! You take some Gorgeous Pictures!
Comment back,
Veronica
Not being a stay at home mom (it is biologically impossible), I don’t have a thorough understanding of the “bad days” that you guys go through. I do recall that hot wifey has used the perscription that you took to get her out of a deep funk one day. As I recall it was offered by a friend also.
It may have helped that we were all praying for you too!!
Psalm 36:5Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.
Once again, your post and pictures are such a fun “good morning” treat for me! Love the pink and green and thankful that health has returned to your family! Blessings to you today!
You are so beautiful,! It is so nice to do a little something for yourself once in awhile. I am glad to see you are feeling better, we all have those rough days, but you have so many wonderful people in your life to help you through. When I have one of those days Nathan tries to remind me of all the good things that God has given us and then gives me a little break from everything. Keep smiling because you have such a lovely smile! Love, Melissa
You are such a beautiful woman! What a great family, and looks like lots of fun too. O.K-that shirt is just too cute! I love, love, love it! Sometimes not feeling like a mom and getting pretty feels soooo good and just what is needed! I totally understand. Hugs to you!
SWEET!!! Looks like you were all having fun!!!
BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love it. All the pictures were great! Your kids are so gorgeous. I am glad that you found these sweet moments and captured them on film! Have a HAPPY thursday! Sending lots of hugs!
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your courage in sharing your life on Xanga, I always feel like a “voyeur” sp?, but I love all of your postings, there is so much life in them. Children are beautiful and happy… love, evalyne
You look beautiful! It does make you feel good sometimes to get dolled up “just because” and my kids ask the same thing! Where are you going? The pictures are great! What precious children!! By the way! I love that shirt! The color is one of my favorite!
You are a beautiful woman anyway and then you put the ‘stuff’ on your eyes, put on an amazing shirt and set up your tripod and…. WOW. you are blowing me away here! Great shots of the kids too! 🙂
Green is truly stunning on you. Eyeliner, or not, I think you are beautiful on the outside and even more beautiful on the inside! You are inspirational!
I love the one in the tub!Beautiful photos,every single one!
OH HOW FUN. I need to get out my tripod and have some fun with my kids**sigh**
you are one beautiful mommy!!!
Thanks for allowing us to catch some glimpses into your home, journal, and soul. It almost feels like snooping since I don’t know you yet, but it’s so nice to remember that other Moms have highs and lows too.