Encouragement From A Girl Just Like You!

kids are funny

2012-02-08T09:56:00.002-06:00

my youngest daughter, carigan, is very funny.

i never know what she will say or do.
*

she wanted to use a gummy worm to trick a real worm.

(i'm not sure what that would look like, but i picture my daughter laughing at it)

*
she creates pictures like this in the backseat with my phone.
*

she tried to sleep in her school clothes to save time in the morning.

last week she took a whoopee cushion to show-and-tell :-)
*
she aspires to be a trash man/woman.
(she says they don't do anything bad)
*

she did this during her reading homework.

she is afraid to eat mini-wheats because they have a face.
*
she prays for people who have jobs that she doesn't want.
(apparently not the trash man :)
*

she did this to make herself look like a "princess" and then had an argument with her older sister explaining that not all princesses look normal and they don't all wear tiaras.

she comes home with something she made out of construction paper everyday!!!
*
she created a "pup club" at school and had people sign up and made a shirt out of paper with a large "P" on the front and wore it to her first orthodontic appointment.
*

she frequently falls asleep listening to justin bieber.

but one of my favorite things that she does is climb in bed with me in the morning to snuggle while i hit snooze on my alarm :)

love you cari!

weekend in review

2012-02-07T10:36:00.002-06:00

this past weekend was a busy one!!!

saturday was our school's annual daddy daughter dance.

the girls look forward to it each year!

chad has mastered the 3 person dance :)

we were looking at the past pictures and realized that cari had been going since she was 2

...crazy how time flies!

cami and i scored a cake ball maker at target and made some while watching groundhog day.

(while watching the movie, cari was upset that she didn't get to see the old man after he died. she wanted to know if his tongue was hanging out - she is so curious)

the girls made some shrinky dinks with their father.

we had a fun superbowl party with friends.

(eli got his second ring!!!)

cami and dad worked on a science project together.

we also got to see some family from out of town and chad and i went for a run!

hope your weekend was a fun as ours :)

i heart lisa leonard

2012-02-03T08:42:00.003-06:00

lisa leonard has the cutest jewelry.

i have ordered a few things from her before and i had to share some of her new pieces that i love!!!

the deer are so darling ;)

this is special because my grandparents would always sing this to me ;)

this is very pretty

this is sweet and it has a message on the back.

i would love any of these!!!!

a father's blessing

2012-02-02T10:42:00.000-06:00

i have noticed something very interesting in my daily bible reading.

i have been reading a lot in genesis and it has reminded me of the power of a father's blessing over his children.

it seems whatever he said, good or bad, happened. there was no taking it back. when the father decided to declare his blessing over his children, it was a one time thing and the children knew it. they sometimes even fought over the father's blessing.

fathers have a huge impact on a child's life. their words are important and sometimes even life changing. their involvement alone is much needed. they serve a very important role in our lives.

but i am also reading in matthew. i see how jesus would only prophesy good blessings over people. he spoke life into them. he healed them. he had compassion over them. he multiplied what they had. he taught them important life lessons. he spent time with them. he was the perfect father.

our dads will always fall short in comparison to jesus, but a father who can teach their child about jesus is about as valuable as a father can get.

the hard decisions

2012-02-01T10:06:00.000-06:00

some decisions we make as parents are small in nature.

for example:

"are you sure those shoes fit right?"

"yes, i love them. they fit perfect."

"they aren't too small?"

"oh, no! they fit great."

*3 days later*

"mom, they hurt my feet. they feel too small."

"man, i knew it!"

but other decisions are bigger in nature and shape their future more drastically.

we recently were faced with a very important decision regarding our oldest daughter who is currently in 3rd grade. she has the opportunity of finishing 4th grade this year which would move her along to 5th grade next year. there were many pros and cons about keeping her with her class and/or letting her move ahead.

this was not a decision that we made over night. this required many parent-teacher meetings with her father and i, many family meetings between us, and many one-on-one talks with my daughter.

in the end, we decided to keep our smart girl with her class and try to continue to supplement her free time with other studies from home. we felt moving her would create more unwanted challenges for her in the future, especially concerning jr. high.

we feel peace about the decision and are looking at the new possibility of her taking advanced math and science classes in the future.

being a kid a little bit longer is a very valuable gift i'm glad i can give my daughter.

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

sometimes being a parent is hard. i put a lot of pressure on myself at times because i always want the best for my children (as do most all parents). a part of me knows that they will be okay no matter what, but i am a planner so i am tortured by all the unknown details. putting my trust in God is so much easier!

and the winner of the worst movie i saw last year is...

2012-01-31T16:15:00.001-06:00

we went to the alamo draft house with another couple to see this because money ball was sold out and the reviews for drive were great! (don't trust the reviews)

we are usually big fans of ryan gosling, but this movie was a disaster from the start.

it was not a comedy, but the audience (including us) started to laugh at the ridiculousness of it.

needless to say, this movie actually made it a very memorable night.

it is out today if you feel like watching a crummy movie &

if you do decide to check it out, be aware...there comes a time you stop trying to give it a chance and it becomes very incredible.

female expert analysis on picking nfl favorite

2012-01-31T10:03:00.000-06:00

superbowl weekend is approaching

and i need pick a team.

i am a big fan of the houston texans and dallas cowboys,

but neither one of those teams will be represented on sunday.

so here is my strange reasoning on the whole thing...

i am picking my fav quarterback!

this is what i already knew about tom brady:

*he has nice hair

*he has a supermodel for a wife.

*he just built a humongous mansion

*he always wins

this is what i already knew about eli manning:

*he has the weirdest hair cut

*him and his brother are funny

*he won once before

*his brother won twice before

i saw back to back interviews with these two quarterbacks and i came to a conclusion real fast.

brady did a fine job with the interview, but eli manning stole my heart.

he was asked about his brother's injury and he had the most sincere and humble response. he went on and on about how he has loved to watch his brother play since the 7th grade. He explained how payton is working really hard on his rehab and how he really hopes his brother continues to play.

i just loved his attitude towards his brother. i'm sure he became a quarterback to be like him and i want his team to win on sunday!!!

i also think it is neat for him to win in the same town as his brother's team : )

go giants!!!

(everyday is the superbowl for mr. brady)

10 reasons why i should see wicked!

2012-01-30T08:31:00.001-06:00

10 reasons why i should see wicked!

because i have never seen a broadway show.
because it is showing in austin right now (which is just down the road).
because i like the wizard of oz.
because everyone says it is amazing.
because some of my friends have seen it.
because i can't stop thinking about it.
because i'm good with getting the cheapest seats (if there is such thing).
because i need to be a little cultured.
because i really, really, really, want to see it!
because i believe dreams really do come true!

anyone want to go with?

i want to see wicked!!!

mirror mirror on the wall

2012-01-28T19:33:00.000-06:00

i mentioned that my husband and i joined the gym for the first time this year.

typically i do my routine on the treadmill and then i move onto the weight machines.

i felt so strong and athletic during my workout the other day until i spotted myself walking in the mirror. i took a double take and wondered what was following so closely behind me...could that actually be my behind! i never look back there. i never knew it was that big. it was a slight set back to my ego, but i moved forward to a squatting machine eager to sit down and hide that big ol' thang.

during my 3rd set i made the mistake a second time and looked to the left. i then catch a glance of myself in a very unflattering scrunched up position that reveals (and i'm not exaggerating when i say) maybe 5-6 rolls in my midsection. i couldn't believe that my over-sized tank tops would tell on me like that. shortly after that, i was done at the gym. i couldn't risk seeing anymore of my disappointing body parts.

the gym is great with the exception of their stupid unavoidable mirror wall. it's bad enough that momma has to wear 2 sports bras just to prevent a breast injury when i jog, but come one people...you could generate more business if you installed one of those dressing-room-skinny-mirrors to make people like me feel better about themselves at the gym.

or maybe the mirror is a constant reminder why we are coming there to begin with and why we need to continue to come back.

either way, i will be more careful when turning my head to the left.

running towards a big goal!

2012-01-26T11:56:00.001-06:00

this year my husband and i are attempting to run a 10k for the first time.

http://www.statesman.com/cap10k/

if you knew us then you would think someone put something in our drink, but we are determined to this.

this is our idea of celebrating our 12 year anniversary...well that and watching hunger games!!!

in our attempt to face the impossible, we have been training and actually joined a gym for (again) the first time!

3 days a week we are building up our stamina to run 6 miles in less than 9 weeks...CRAZY but exciting!

yesterday was the first day i skipped a training day due to being up most of the night during the loudest thunderstorm of my adult life. i actually put the covers over my head in an attempt to get some rest only to be woken up later by hail hitting our window and a child in our bed.

our gym was flooded and i was too tired to hit the pavement. i feel so guilty missing, but i do plan on making up the day sometime during our busy weekend.

i found this saying at the beginning of the year and i feel it totally applies to all of

our "first times" in 2012.

do you dream big? if so, what scares you?

remember when i used to blog...

2012-01-24T16:05:00.002-06:00

remember when i used to blog ;)

(i think i had the same title last year around this time)

my husband has been glued to our lap top in an effort to finally burn our home videos to dvds from 2008 to the present. i am really proud of him because 30-something dvds later, we are finally all caught up. now i am behind on our family photos. i don't even have the christmas ones uploaded yet...oops!

in other news, now that i am on pinterest i find myself there more than here. i also will admit that i love to read/follow blogs a little bit more than i do actually writing in my own sometimes. i guess i have my days (like today) when i feel like sharing my thoughts and ideas even if they are only seen by me. i guess it can be therapeutic in someways. (i don't really know...)

but what i do love are pictures. my girlfriend and i keep binders of magazine clippings for ideas for our home, activities for our children, recipes, and more. pinterest is my virtual pin board that eliminates the need for my big bulky binders. so...like many other women i know, i am addicted to pinterest!

i hate posting in my blog without some sort of picture because i know that is what i look for.

so, if you are interested...here are some of my pins today!

Centsational Girl (robin egg blue)

I Love Lisa Leonard!

The Decorista

(chad is going to set this table for me on valentines...yeah, right!)

so...happy pinning or blogging or whatever you do ;)

easiest potato soup recipe

2011-12-10T22:19:00.000-06:00

this is my favorite potato soup recipe because it only has a few ingredients and it tastes amazing!!!

try it out sometime if you wish.

a bag of potatoes
2 large containers of chicken stock
2 blocks of cream cheese

peel and boil potatoes until soft.
mash the potatoes until they are the consistency you like.
add cream cheese and whisk until combined.
top with cheese and chives
serve with they yummiest bread you have.
enjoy ;)

this makes a very large pot and you can make less by cutting the recipe in half.

handmade advent calender

2011-12-09T09:53:00.000-06:00

a few years ago i made an advent calender for my kids because i never found one i liked enough to buy already made.

this was a nearly impossible task for me. it required a lot of cutting and gluing, and cutting...

i did my best and the kids actually love it, so i guess that is all that matters.

they get to put a new ornament on the christmas tree each day as it approaches christmas.

it is a simple joy, but they look forward to completing it each year.

keepsake ornaments don't all come from hallmark

2011-12-07T20:00:00.001-06:00

i hate it that i haven't got to blog since thanksgiving,

but all my free time was geared towards completing my on-line defensive driving. thank the lord it is done!!! I'll never speed again ;)

after thanksgiving, like most people, we put our tree up and other christmas decorations.

now, i drool over big, fancy, over decorated trees and aspire to own one at some point in my life, but

for now ours is a little hokey and we love it!

the tree itself is special to me because it belonged to my memaw who passed away 2 years ago from cancer. she loved christmas and i loved going to her house every year to see how she would decorate it. i enjoyed spending special time with her and unwrapping the awesome gifts she always had under her tree. i think of her a lot especially at christmas. her birthday is even in december. i do miss her dearly.

i am not much of a dedicated "scrapbooker", but our tree serves as one huge scrapbook in many ways. i am very sentimental and it is hard for me to get rid of anything that triggers a fond memory. as a result, i have a growing collection of ornaments that i cherish very much.

i end up staring at our tree many times during the holidays and remember the little things from the years prior. all the memories that i love are represented by very special unique ornaments that adorn our tree every year. many are handmade by our children or picked out individually.

the star at the top of our tree is 11 years old and topped our first tree as a married couple.

each year my mother-in-law gets the girls an ornament and camille collects snowmen.

my memory of christmastime in the 80's includes clothespin reindeer and puff paint sweatshirts.

this piano was given to camille at her very first christmas piano recital by our dear friends.

last year, camille picked this hannah montana ornament out and this year she is embarrassed by it which then makes me love it even more ;)

(we also keep real candy canes on the tree for the kids and don't let that popcorn garland fool you.

it is fake. have you ever tried making it...it is impossible!)

my mother-in-law got this ugly thing for my husband and i several years ago.

(two peas in a pod) it makes me smile and i love it ;)

do i really have to explain this one...our love for starbucks runs deep.

remember these...when you squeeze it's cheeks it will give you a kiss (hersey kiss).

this is cute...a sweet memory of my husband's childhood.

this was carigan's ornament from last year in kindergarten.

my mother-in-law gets carigan an animal every year and this was this year's choice.

my husband plays the drums so we needed one of these.

here is my husband as a reindeer putting up lights and drinking coffee.

this was for the year carigan played t-ball.

this is me as a reindeer. i make tons of cookies during the holidays.

this was when camille was in ballet at age 3.

this was carigan's pick last year. she loves drawing and doing art.

obviously there are a ton more and many are made of paper or are pictures of our family.

so, there you have it. a trip around memory lane on my sentimental christmas tree.

it's nothing fancy, but i just don't do fancy right now. i prefer the imperfect tree that the kids can touch and help decorate. it's a tree full of memories and christmas just isn't the same without it.

which ornaments brings you the best memories?

happy thanksgiving

2011-11-24T07:29:00.000-06:00

i was inspired by something i heard in a recent church service.

"anything you are thankful for appreciates in value and anything you complain about depreciates in value."

i think this statement is so true.

when we focus on what we are thankful for, then we cherish it. it becomes very valuable to us.

this is true for the material things in life such as our home, car, clothes, and the rest of our stuff.

but it is also true in our relationships.

the divorce rate in our country would be lower if we would focus more on the positive things we love about our spouses and not complain so much about what we dislike.

children would feel more valued and friendships would last a lifetime if we would practice having a grateful heart and not spend so much time on our own wants and needs. children are a gift and time spent with them is the greatest gift we could ever give them.

parents would be cared for more and grandparents would never be forgotten.

this thanksgiving is a great time for us all to start focusing on what God has blessed us with

and recognize the worth of the people around us.

in doing so, i think we would all realize that we lead a very rich life full of value and worth.

happy thanksgiving!

thanksgiving eve bloopers

2011-11-23T11:40:00.001-06:00

this morning, i gaze out my kitchen window and begin to soak in the beauty of the day when -

...i happened to notice this!!!

i think our tomato plant exploded in the herb garden!

it looks terrible and my husband keeps trying to reposition it, but it obviously has a mind of it's own.

he wants to pull it out, but it is covered in tomatoes!!!
(i will be picking them today)

then, i start to make my pie for thanksgiving and i am just loving the morning.

i'm feeling so thankful to have the day off to bake, do laundry, and pack when...

my pie nearly falls on the floor as i take it out of the oven to place it on the cooling rack.

my adrenaline kicked in and saved the pie. i was willing to grab the hot glass if need be.

so, my pie is a little funny looking from the trauma, but it is all in one piece!

(i will post this recipe later - it's awesome)

i made the chex mix last night, but didn't buy enough cereal for both batches, so i raided the pantry

and used up the rest of the kid's cereal to have just enough for the puppy chow.

they were a little surprised and annoyed with me this morning when they found no more cereal left.

i'm sure they will forgive me in the car while they are eating this deliciousness.

(this was my first time making them both...really yummy. found recipes online)

today was a clear reminder for me to be thankful even in the small things.

i'm thankful for ugly tomato plants that actually produce,

pies that don't end up on the floor,

and that golden grahams and crispix taste good with powdered sugar on them!

book of thankfulness

2011-11-23T11:14:00.001-06:00

i started this thanksgiving book the first thanksgiving that camille (our first-born) was at home with us.

she just turned 9 so this makes our little family book 9 years old this year.

(i question my color choices back then...oh well :)

this was cami's first hand print in our book.

this was when cari made her first appearance.

this was the year we lived in colorado and cari had a "mummy hand" after her first visit to the er.

(good times)

this was the following year back in texas.

our first trip to the sweet berry farm.

every year we list things we are thankful for throughout the year and

it is so fun to look back and see all that God has done for us.

challenges we faced many years ago seem so little,

but were big to us at the time.

and this leads me to 2009 - 2011...ooops!

this is a result of life getting busy and me starting to work ;)

i don't want to ever lose my focus and attitude of thankfulness.

we will get caught up because i plan on handing over some of the responsibility

of decorating these pages to my eager girls.

i look forward to many more pages filled with all that we are thankful for.

party in the nail salon

2011-11-21T10:54:00.000-06:00

this past thursday was my daughter's birthday party.

we packed out the nail salon and every girl got a manicure (except mom).

we invited all the girls from her class, but one little girl didn't make it.

she loved all her gifts!!

she gets her silliness from her father :)

many of the girls said it was the best party they had ever gone to :)

happy birthday cami!!

you sure are growing up so fast.

enjoy your last year being a single digit number!!!

the story about this turkey

2011-11-20T20:58:00.001-06:00

nine years ago, on november 21 at 10:03 a.m., i gave birth to my first child by an emergency c-section.

she had the cord wrapped around her neck twice and there was a knot in the cord which had blocked oxygen to her brain and caused her to have infantile seizures (which looks different than your typical seizure). on top of that, she was suffering from meconium aspiration as a result from all the stress she had endured in the womb.

i didn't get to hold my baby after she was born. to make things worse, in the middle of the night they woke me up to have me sign a piece of paper allowing them to transport my baby girl to a different hospital. she was now considered a high risk baby that they couldn't properly treat in their hospital. they gave me some polaroid pictures of her and then they took my baby away.

that leads us to the story of this turkey...

she didn't spend her first thanksgiving at home with us. she spent it with this little turkey. a volunteer placed this sweet guy in her incubator. i have cherished it ever since. it now serves as a reminder of how precious every thanksgiving is with her at home.

it wasn't 'til a few weeks later, december 5th, that we finally had our baby girl home with us where she belonged. she continued on seizure medication for the first year of her life and she has a small scar on her ankle from medicine burning her skin. we had many visits to a plastic surgeon, neurologist, and had too many eeg tests done. but i do realize that this is nothing compared to many parents who have endured worse things with their own children and my heart goes out to them.

so, she is now turning 9 and she is brilliant, sweet, smart, athletic, creative, and kind. you would never know that she was covered in tubes and needles once in her life. you would never know the doctors told us that if another day had gone by with a lack of oxygen she wouldn't have made it.

with every passing birthday, i thank god for the gift of my daughter. i remember to be thankful for the mere fact that she is alive and at home with us. i squeeze her tight and hold her close.

she is... and always will be... a reminder of god's love.

birthday girl

2011-11-17T09:33:00.000-06:00

my oldest daughter, camille, is having a special birthday party today. i thought she looked so sweet preparing her cards. these invites were sent out last week and all of her friends are really excited about it.

it is hard to believe she only has one more year being a single digit number.

i have been busy scrambling to make everything just right before then.

the party is at our favorite nail salon where all the girls will get their fingernails painted.
afterward, we plan on having cupcakes and watching the birthday girl open her gifts.

(carefully of course - not to damage the paint job)

i am hoping everything goes as planned.

50 rules for dads of daughters

2011-11-15T22:41:00.000-06:00

my husband is one of the best dads i know

and he does an amazing job with our two daughters.

i thought of him when a friend posted
this on facebook awhile back and it was so precious i had to share it!

you can follow the author's blog here.
his name is michael mitchell and he is an (almost) thirty-something
dad who blogs daily tips and life lessons for dads of daughters.

you might want to get a kleenex handy if you are a softy :)

1. Love her mom. Treat her mother with respect, honor, and a big heaping spoonful of public displays of affection. When she grows up, the odds are good she’ll fall in love with and marry someone who treats her much like you treated her mother. Good or bad, that’s just the way it is. I’d prefer good.

2. Always be there. Quality time doesn’t happen without quantity time. Hang out together for no other reason than just to be in each other’s presence. Be genuinely interested in the things that interest her. She needs her dad to be involved in her life at every stage. Don’t just sit idly by while she add years to her… add life to her years.

3. Save the day. She’ll grow up looking for a hero. It might as well be you. She’ll need you to come through for her over and over again throughout her life. Rise to the occasion. Red cape and blue tights optional.

4. Savor every moment you have together. Today she’s crawling around the house in diapers, tomorrow you’re handing her the keys to the car, and before you know it, you’re walking her down the aisle. Some day soon, hanging out with her old man won’t be the bees knees anymore. Life happens pretty fast. You better cherish it while you can.

5. Pray for her. Regularly. Passionately. Continually.

6. Buy her a glove and teach her to throw a baseball. Make her proud to throw like a girl… a girl with a wicked slider.

7. She will fight with her mother. Choose sides wisely.

8. Go ahead. Buy her those pearls.

9. Of course you look silly playing peek-a-boo. You should play anyway.

10. Enjoy the wonder of bath time.

11. There will come a day when she asks for a puppy. Don’t over think it. At least one time in her life, just say, “Yes.”

12. It’s never too early to start teaching her about money. She will still probably suck you dry as a teenager… and on her wedding day.

13. Make pancakes in the shape of her age for breakfast on her birthday. In a pinch, donuts with pink sprinkles and a candle will suffice.

14. Buy her a pair of Chucks as soon as she starts walking. She won’t always want to wear matching shoes with her old man.

Photo Credit :: Danielle Rocke Toews

15. Dance with her. Start when she’s a little girl or even when she’s a baby. Don’t wait ‘til her wedding day.

16. Take her fishing. She will probably squirm more than the worm on your hook. That’s OK.

17. Learn to say no. She may pitch a fit today, but someday you’ll both be glad you stuck to your guns.

18. Tell her she’s beautiful. Say it over and over again. Someday an animated movie or “beauty” magazine will try to convince her otherwise.

19. Teach her to change a flat. A tire without air need not be a major panic inducing event in her life. She’ll still call you crying the first time it happens.

20. Take her camping. Immerse her in the great outdoors. Watch her eyes fill with wonder the first time she sees the beauty of wide open spaces. Leave the iPod at home.

21. Let her hold the wheel. She will always remember when daddy let her drive.

22. She’s as smart as any boy. Make sure she knows that.

23. When she learns to give kisses, she will want to plant them all over your face. Encourage this practice.

24. Knowing how to eat sunflower seeds correctly will not help her get into a good college. Teach her anyway.

25. Letting her ride on your shoulders is pure magic. Do it now while you have a strong back and she’s still tiny.

26. It is in her nature to make music. It’s up to you to introduce her to the joy of socks on a wooden floor.

27. If there’s a splash park near your home, take her there often. She will be drawn to the water like a duck to a puddle.

28. She will eagerly await your return home from work in the evenings. Don’t be late.

29. If her mom enrolls her in swim lessons, make sure you get in the pool too. Don’t be intimidated if there are no other dads there. It’s their loss.

30. Never miss her birthday. In ten years she won’t remember the present you gave her. She will remember if you weren’t there.

31. Teach her to roller skate. Watch her confidence soar.

32. Let her roll around in the grass. It’s good for her soul. It’s not bad for yours either.

33. Take her swimsuit shopping. Don’t be afraid to veto some of her choices, but resist the urge to buy her full-body beach pajamas.

34. Somewhere between the time she turns three and her sixth birthday, the odds are good that she will ask you to marry her. Let her down gently.

35. She’ll probably want to crawl in bed with you after a nightmare. This is a good thing.

36. Few things in life are more comforting to a crying little girl than her father’s hand. Never forget this.

37. Introduce her to the swings at your local park. She’ll squeal for you to push her higher and faster. Her definition of “higher and faster” is probably not the same as yours. Keep that in mind.

38. When she’s a bit older, your definition of higher and faster will be a lot closer to hers. When that day comes, go ahead… give it all you’ve got.

39. Holding her upside down by the legs while she giggles and screams uncontrollably is great for your biceps. WARNING: She has no concept of muscle fatigue.

40. She might ask you to buy her a pony on her birthday. Unless you live on a farm, do not buy her a pony on her birthday. It’s OK to rent one though.

41. Take it easy on the presents for her birthday and Christmas. Instead, give her the gift of experiences you can share together.

42. Let her know she can always come home. No matter what.

43. Remember, just like a butterfly, she too will spread her wings and fly some day. Enjoy her caterpillar years.

44. Write her a handwritten letter every year on her birthday. Give them to her when she goes off to college, becomes a mother herself, or when you think she needs them most.

45. Learn to trust her. Gradually give her more freedom as she gets older. She will rise to the expectations you set for her.

46. When in doubt, trust your heart. She already does.

47. When your teenage daughter is upset, learning when to engage and when to back off will add years to YOUR life. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

48. Ice cream covers over a multitude of sins. Know her favorite flavor.

49. This day is coming soon. There’s nothing you can do to be ready for it. The sooner you accept this fact, the easier it will be.

50. Today she’s walking down the driveway to get on the school bus. Tomorrow she’s going off to college. Don’t blink.

"god's girls"

2011-11-11T08:13:00.000-06:00

since kindergarten, my children have attended a small private school that they just love.

in our search for the "right" school, it became pretty clear that there are no perfect schools.

we did, however, find the right school for our children and family for now.

there are things i would like to change about the school, but there are also many things we love.

one of those things we love is a high percentage of parent involvement. i know all the teachers and faculty pretty well and they know my children. it is a christian school and values and character are held high. if my child is having a rough day, their teacher will pray for them. i can always get a personal explanation of anything that happened that day, whether it is good news or bad. our school experience ends up feeling like we are all apart of a big family. the smaller classrooms allow for those personal touches.

my oldest daughter, cami, entered the 3rd/4th grade classroom this year. before the start of the school year, i felt god put those girls in that class on my heart. i have watched cami and her friends become a little more ruthless to one another over the years and i didn't like what i was seeing.

cami's new teacher won the "teacher of the year award" last year. she is wonderful in every way! she was open to the idea of me starting a girl's club and maybe meeting with the girls every quarter to encourage them and teach them things about friendship.

in september, we met for the first time. i learned all 12 of their names and they got to learn a little bit about me as well. i brought them little treats and gave each one a special friendship bracelet to wear. they promised to value each other and treat everyone with respect. i taught a quick lesson and we discussed some things about respect. we even came up with a name for our club.

since then, the girls have been really excited to meet again. so much so, that the teacher has suggested that we meet each month now. there seems to be a unity between them and their excitement has run off on me. i think something like this is very important. girls need to learn early on to encourage and uplift one another. friendships should be valued and we all need tips on working things out.

i can't wait to meet with them next week! maybe i will start to share with you our lessons :)

let us praise him with music and song

2011-11-07T21:18:00.001-06:00

come, let us sing with joy to the LORD. let us give a

loud shout to the Rock who saves us.

let us come to him and give him thanks. let us praise

him with music and song.

the LORD is the great GOD. he is the greatest

KING. he rules over all of the gods.

Psalm 95:1-3

my daughters attend a private christian school and part of their requirement each month is to learn and memorize an assigned scripture. this was the scripture for the month of november for my first-grader. i thought is was so beautiful and relevant for this season.

i'm so glad that we can praise him with music and song because our family is very musical.

my husband plays the drums for our church and has been playing them since i met him at the ripe old age of 12. he can play the piano, bass, guitar, and can sing a mean harmony as well.

his love for music is just one of the many reasons why i love him so.

i too have a love for music and learned to play the piano at a young age.

i'm no musical talent like my husband. i have to practice a lot and

i don't play by ear, but i love worshiping God with music.

i also get the privilege to play and sing with our praise & worship band.

my daughters both love music (as if they have a choice).

my oldest is learning piano, while my youngest aspires to be like dad and play the drums.

on occasion, we all four get together and write and play a songs as a family for fun.

does anyone else out there have a love for music or play an instrument?

thanksgiving count down!!!

2011-11-07T20:27:00.000-06:00

well, october came and went!

and now we are counting down the days until thanksgiving...my favorite holiday!

we got this adorable thanksgiving advent calender from pottery barn a few years ago and it has been a wonderful tradition that we look forward to every year!

a few years ago, all four of us wrote down several things that we are thankful for on the back of paper "turkey" feathers and we pull one out everyday leading up to thanksgiving and read it together.

once pulled, the feathers then go on tom the turkey!

he is not the prettiest turkey in the world, but my girls love him dearly :)

it is fun to rediscover each year what we all wrote.

this was one of our latest feathers.

my husband wrote this one referring to our cat.

here he is laying in our new window seat.

family traditions are very special to us!

these guys are what i feel so grateful for everyday!

do you have any fun thanksgiving traditions leading up to the big day?

it's been awhile...

2011-11-03T10:10:00.000-05:00

i have been occupying my time with "catch up" projects around the house and organizing...organizing...organizing!!!

i love organization!!! however, the process is painful!

i will update everyone very soon on the current projects that stole my time from blogging.

but...

like any normal person...i finish up my projects in the house and then i question if i really like it :)

i drive my husband CRAZY!!! and rightfully so...

our last major project around the house, before the holidays, is taking place in my backyard right now.

it's a small project, but i am really excited for it

and i love checking things off my "wish" to-do-list :)

pictures to come, people...i promise!

speaking of pictures....

i finally made it on pinterest and i'm hooked!

follow me here!

this is my favorite pic right now-i love globes, kids, and rooms that are inviting
*
my next "project" will be to update this blog account!

never stand under a window washer!!!

2011-10-27T15:15:00.003-05:00

my arrival to work this morning was very ordinary; however, entering the building was anything but ordinary.

as i turn the corner, i see a window washer up on the fourth floor right above the entry door.

i stop right in my tracks and watch in amazement at how someone could actually have the nerve to do that for a living. it looks terrifing to me!

he notices me and then immediately apoligizes for the inconvience. then he insists that i enter the building as he tries to stop the rain of soapy water from showering down below.

i hesitate at first, but then i decide to try my best and hurry despite the fact that my badge is always super slow at unlocking the door.

as a child ducking the cold water under a sprinkler, i approach the door and start swipping the stupid badge like a crazy person. staring at the red light in hopes of it changing to green soon, i realize that this water is not going to stop dripping!

just then, i hear him say, "oh man!" then...CRASH!!!

he dropped his squegee and he didn't even give me a proper heads up! needless to say, i jumped back, screeched a little, and then began double-time on my badge! it scared me to death!

i then began imagining him daggling on an unraveling rope overhead like a cartoon anvil. i had seen this scene a thousand times in my childhood and i know how it ends. i had real fear that i could die in a matter of seconds!

i started thinking he could have planned this whole thing in an attempt to kill the next sucker that walked by when, "click" the door finally opened and i was safe from the window washer murderer!

after feeling like i had just starred in some quirky sitcom, i thanked God that i survived that tramatic experience. i was a little irritated with that man and hoped he had to climb down and get his stupid squegee.

but, in a matter of seconds, i heard him at our windows wiping away. he must keep a spare.

sweet berry farm in the fall

2011-10-18T09:06:00.000-05:00

for the past 3 years, we have come back to this charming family owned farm.

we love taking different pictures of the girls with all the harvest!

this was a beautiful display of guards growing on vines.

this was my first time seeing something like this.

the zinnias were beautiful as usual!

the girls got to make sand art this trip, which they enjoyed mixing up later.

fall isn't the same without plenty of pictures with pumpkins.

it's tradition that everyone gets to pick out their own mini pumpkin for our table.

off to the right you can see my mother-in-law taking a break on the ground.

(needless to say we wore them out ;)

i think this was the kid's favorite shot! they love their candy corn!

cari is holding some yummy ice cream.

they even have pumpkin ice cream which was my favorite.

do you visit a farm or pumpkin patch during the fall too?

october 16, 1999

2011-10-17T15:07:00.000-05:00

this past sunday, october 16th, marks a special day for me.

it was the day when my high-school sweetheart proposed to me.

it is hard to believe that happened 12 years ago,

but i remember the special moment like it was yesterday.

during a church outreach event at longer park in luling texas, a very nervous 20-year-old grabbed the microphone from his father and asked for me to come up on stage with him. grinning ear to ear, i met him on stage knowing very well that he was about to ask me something very important. he read aloud the famous proverb found in chapter 31 of the bible. it describes the virtuous woman and he spoke it to me. he then placed his bible on the ground and knelt on it while presenting me with my engagement ring. he promised that the word of god would be the foundation of our marriage, and he has kept his promise all these years.

of course, i said yes.

this goes on record as one of the biggest surprises of my life

(right next to finding out i was pregnant for the first time).

my family was there, friends were there, and even strangers including a group of motorcyclists that just happened to be passing by.

he did this not because he enjoys to speak in front of people. he hates it, actually. he did it for me.

he did it to prove how much he loves me.

thank you chad for choosing me and for loving me despite the fact that i haven't come close to becoming the virtuous woman that you deserve. i'll keep working at it! love you with all my heart and always will!

most adorable!

2011-10-17T09:23:00.001-05:00

i came across this adorable fall snack that i have to make with my kiddos!

Cute Owl Smores

just wanted to share it with y'all!

modern family design inspiration

2011-10-13T10:05:00.000-05:00

one of my favorite shows on tv right now is this one here...

modern family

and phil and claire are my favorite characters (most relateable for sure).

one of my favorite things about this show is their house!

one day... (i can dream, right?)

but an item on my "honey-do list" is recreating a beautiful wall gallery

of family photos up our stairs like in the dunphy's home (or tv set, whatever).

their comfy living room is what i am drawn to in my own home.

this show is great! it is full of some of my favorite things in life...

family, laughter, and a little bit of

"pottery barn-restoration hardware traditional modern” home decor ;)

pajama jeans found at walgreens

2011-10-12T12:02:00.001-05:00

i always seem to find the darndest things at our neighborhood walgreens,

but this one made me stop and take a second look and smile!

i forever made fun of these things as they were being advertised on tv every second...

but after feeling them, they are very soft...and stretchy ;)

just in time for christmas-

i predict this to be this year's "snuggy craze" at $39!

why we celebrate columbus day, by cami davis

2011-10-10T22:23:00.001-05:00

in case anyone was wondering what today was all about...

here is a brief explanation from my daughter's point of view.

she is in 3rd grade and she writes a paper each week to receive extra privileges.

happy columbus day!

clicking the heels of my red ruby shoes...

2011-10-09T20:06:00.000-05:00

have you ever had one of those weekends where you were gone everyday and now your house on sunday night is in really bad shape? this is my world right now.

friday:

i was a taxi for my kids all day and then my husband and i went out that night, even though we really just wanted to sleep ;)

saturday:

b-day party for our adorable nephew, birthday visit for our precious grandmother, and then a fall carnival for the kids in a nearby town with our parents.

sunday:

church, band practice at a friend's house, and then church leadership meeting at another house.

this brings me to where we are right now. home around 7pm on sunday. the girls discover that the cat pooped on their two white bathroom rugs, they clogged the toilet in their efforts to clean it up, and not one clean washcloth left in the house for their baths.

i have to go now because i am throwing something together for dinner in hopes of getting my crew in bed before our family night curfew, even though the odds are stacked against me.

by the way, i had a great weekend ;)

(sorry, i hate posting things without pictures, but really...no one wants to see poop, right?)

if the shoes fits, WEAR IT!

2011-10-06T15:49:00.002-05:00

just when i think i got this "mothering thang" down...

i find myself piggin out on an extra large peice of humble pie!

this morning started out busy even before i even woke up.

there was a lot going on at work today, which required that i be there early. the crockpot needed to be filled so that we would actually eat dinner at a decent hour. the kids needed to be dropped off at school on time!

the kids were already in the car when i got in, so, off we went.

i was dragging this morning because we stayed up late rearranging the garage after recently receiving a lot of new/old items from family members. when we finally got to bed, the garage had received a little botox treatment and it was looking good.

arriving at the school, not a minute too early and not a minute too late, my youngest child had a little surprise for me. i hear her say, "mommy, i'm sorry. i'm so sorry." i open her door to let her out and ask her why she was so sorry when i quickly found out for myself.

"i forgot my shoes." she was standing there, still in the car, with her backpack on her shoulder, and looking at me like she didn't know what to do.

to be honest, i didn't know what to do either. i quickly checked the back to see if any flip-flops were still remaining from my emergency bag i kept durning the summer, but i only found a ridiculously large pair that belong to my husband.

so, i tell her to come on inside. she follows me in the parking lot into her school wearing her crisp, clean white socks. immeadiately, as we enter the building, a friend points out the obvious and asks her where her shoes are. we walk up stairs to her teacher's room, aka my bestfriend, and we reveal the excitement of the morning.

she was talking with another staff member and they both start giggling and wondering how something like this could happen. i explained that we park in the garage and sometimes they grab their shoes in a hurry and put them on in the car. with all the rearranging, she must have forgot to look for them.

her teacher is amazing and assures me that she will be fine. she tells me that it will fun and she will have the rest of the class take their shoes off too.

i had to make a split decision. should i rush to work and get important business things done or rush to walmart to get shoes for my daughter. i chose the latter. even though i know that my kiddo is cool enough to pull this off, her little brave face was too much of a heartbreak! plus, what's the point of me wearing my tom's if i am willing to let my own child go shoeless!

*walmart side note*

did anyone know that the shoes are located at the very back of the store and when you are in a mad hurry, the check out person for the "20 items or less" lane is the slowest human on the face of the earth!

anyway, i was feeling good about myself after the recent post regarding the shot party, but that is all out the window after this incodent today. cari always has a way of making me humble. i am back to barely making it, but completely enjoying the moments i have with my girls. this one is going down in the books as one of my favorite crazy mornings ever! ;)

my only regret during all of this is not getting one picture!

to all my girlfriends who love to read...

2011-10-04T09:59:00.000-05:00

i have been following this adorable blog, mabel's house, since i first started blogging.
her writing is so much fun and she just finished her first book.
i am so excited to read it!!!

here is a little excerpt from the book.

***

Once one has breathed in the deep pungent aroma of sewage, you never again forget the nose-hair singeing, eye clawing, throat gagging experience. It comes over you slowly. You begin to feel like a character in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest as your muscles involuntarily jerk and you run screaming and blowing raspberries. Anything to get away from the mind-numbing stench.

But let me explain.

It was 6:30 a.m. I was standing in my retro pink tiled bathroom trying to open my bleary eyes and ready myself for work. As I stood there, peering into the mirror and wondering what demented nighttime fairy had planted four new wrinkles on my face, I paused and sniffed.

“Matt… what’s that smell?”

Matt staggered from the bedroom in his underwear, eyes half shut. “I don’t smell anything.”

I pointed my nose into the air like a hunting dog. “Seriously? You can’t smell that? Did you go to the bathroom in here earlier? I told you to use the room spray when you do things like that.”

Matt puffed out his bare chest and gathered his pride as best a man can with sleep in his eyes and a small hole in the side of his underwear. “I just woke up!”

I frowned, catching a glimpse of my makeup-less hot-rollers-in-hair state and tried not to think about the fact that I looked fifty instead of twenty-nine. “Well, help me figure this out. Because something smells ripe.”

We sniffed the sink drain and ruled it out as a suspect.

“Is it coming from the toilet?” Matt asked, examining it from top to bottom.

“No, that’s not it,” I snapped. I’m not known for my milk of human kindness in a disaster. Don’t get me wrong. I’m a survivor. I plan on eating my radish like Scarlet and clawing my way out of the nuclear dust while dragging my loved ones with me. But I won’t be doing it with positive phrases and a smile.

“Hon, I just don’t know. We’ll call a plumber after work, maybe it’s coming from under the house.” Matt staggered a little, trying to get past me and out of our tiny bathroom.

“Well, that’s just great,” I moved aside and pulled the shower curtain back so I could perch on the side of the tub and give Matt room to move out the door.

That’s when the full brunt of nastiness filled the air around us, a swirling mix of excrement and acrid stench that would have brought the sewer dwelling Ninja Turtles to their knees. Where the normally slightly-clean-with-a-hint-of-soap-scum bottom of the tub should have been, there sloshed gallons and gallons of brown sewage.

I clutched the front of my sweatshirt and held my breath. Matt began to dry heave.

“Get out and shut the door!” I screamed as we bumbled into the hallway.

“I’ll deal with this,” Matt grabbed my shoulders, trying to talk and hold his breath at the same time.

I could feel my eyes glaze over, the horrors of typhoid and hepatitis in our bathtub filling my mind. But more importantly, I could envision our evaporated savings account. In my mind’s eye I could see the long, gray hallway at the bank. A worker shrouded in a black suit pulled a set of keys from his pocket and unlatched a small locker labeled “Owen Bank Account.” Inside were two small stacks of quarters and a few crumpled dollar bills. It was bleak, not only because the banker with an unimaginative wardrobe gazed at me with an expression that could only be interpreted as “You’re a Big Fat Loser,” but also there was a very definite possibility we wouldn’t be able to pay for a plumber.

I wasn’t necessarily a spend thrift. In fact, I was downright frugal when it came to decorating with thrift store furniture and rewired vintage lamps. But the fact was, we were poor. We were starting out at starter jobs with starter salaries. We were starter adults with a starter bank account.

“Okay,” I nodded numbly, thankful that Matt was taking the lead on such a disastrous biohazard. “But make sure the plumber is super cheap. We don’t have much money!”

I left for work like a wino stumbling through a fog, not really remembering my commute, not really doing any work as I sipped my coffee and stared blankly at the computer screen. A disaster of such gargantuan proportions had previously been unthinkable in my life, and now I found myself attempting to push the image of a vast sea of bathtub poop from my mind. But I was sure of one thing: Anne Shirley never had to get ready for work while breathing raw sewage.

shot day :)

2011-09-29T09:41:00.000-05:00

today is shot day.

i promised my kids a "shot party" aka movie night with pizza and cookies

on the day that we get our flu shots.

we plan on cuddling up on the couch with blankets and food while watching a movie.

as the days got closer, i reminded them that their shots were this thursday.

my kids (who HATE getting shots like everyone else) surprised me with this response...

"YES!" i'm so excited!!!

if you guys could have seen my eyes and how big they got...

right then i knew...i deserve a raise!

happy shot day everyone!

first day of fall

2011-09-23T09:58:00.000-05:00

as i am lying awake in my bed thinking of all the million things i need to do,

a blond curly-headed little girl walks in.

i can hear the dragging of her feet in her house shoes and as she turns the corner around my bed,

i see her tying her pink sock-monkey robe really tight.

she comes towards me and leans on the bed. knowing very well that it is the first day of fall,

she asks me, "mom, can i look out the window to see if leaves are falling?"

i smile and put my hand on her face as to take a mental picture of how sweet she is at the age of 6. she then responds very seriously, "what? i love jumping in big piles of leaves!"

after telling her yes, she makes her way over to the window and peeks out the blinds.

"nope. no leaves. but our tree is growing."

she then drags her little feet out of my room, very disappointed that the first day of fall

didn't deliver the leaves that she had been hoping for.

side note:

our neighborhood is fairly new and there are not many large trees around.

the tree in the front yard, that she peeked at, doesn't even lose it's leaves.

the tree in our backyard only has 5 leaves left from the summer.

this might be as hard as trying to get snow on Christmas day ;)

happy first day of fall everyone!

candy corn bark, yum!

2011-09-22T09:38:00.000-05:00

i found this amazing treat and i think my girls will love it!

...as well as their teachers, my co-worker, and my sweet corny husband!

here is the blog!

lee la la

Candy Corn Bark

1 bag of candy corn

1 bag of white candy melts

parchment paper

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Pour half of your bag of candy corn onto the cookie sheet.

Melt candy melts in the microwave at 30 second intervals and then stir. Continue until melted. Pour over candy corn. Evenly spread.

Pour the remaining candy corn into the melted chocolate.

Refrigerate for one hour. OR stick in the freezer to expedite the process.

Break apart into 2-3 inch pieces and SERVE!

i heart owl crafts :)

2011-09-21T09:18:00.000-05:00

i came across this today and i plan on making this with my children!

it is also easy enough to do this simple craft in their classrooms.

i heart owls...but i'm not too keen on bats ;)

here is the link if you are interested...

Woman's Day

to all you moms out there...

2011-09-19T09:02:00.000-05:00

i feel that new moms deserve a break. lord knows they need it.

i remember when i was a new mom...i was always feeling that i had failed somehow. i worried way, way, way too much. i just wanted so badly to do the right thing and be a good mom. it's hard to learn what works and what doesn't. every child is different and when it comes down to it...moms do end up knowing what's best for their child. sometimes it just takes awhile to figure that out.

i learned even more about life when i had my second. i found myself judging other parents with "wild" kids when i just had my one mild-tempered daughter. i remember thinking, how hard can it be? good disciple people, come on! then i gave birth to #2! that thinking quickly went out the window! i really got humbled then :)

i can't fully comprehend having more than two children, so all my respect goes to any family that can successfully leave the house with three or more!
*
i also have great respect for any single parent. it is hard for me to imagine the pressures of trying to raise my children all on my own. my hat goes off to you.

to sum it up, no worries moms! you are doing a great job! don't be hard on yourself! have a great day!

love,

a fellow mom :)

the dirty, nasty truth

2011-09-16T12:06:00.000-05:00

one day last week, i came home to find two heaping piles of orange cat barf on my living-room carpet. now, normally i would have pretended to ignore it in hopes of my precious husband finding it and cleaning it up for me, but it was much too early in the day and way too gross to ignore. i cleaned it up right away.

and few hours later, i discovered a strange smell coming from our pantry. like a bloodhound, i sniffed around trying to pinpoint the aroma and then i discovered it coming from a bag of potatoes. as i lifted up the bag, brown juice revealed a rotten juicy mess. as i cleaned that pile up, i realized that cheeto, our cat, must have smelled the bad potatoes and then proceeded to hurl onto carpet.

thinking the nastiness was behind me, i began to organize and clean things out upstairs, which included my daughter's room. i began to help her narrow down her purse collection. she quickly picked several purses that she no longer uses, but i insisted on us cleaning out the ones she does use.

she has this one gold bag in particular that she carries around a lot. to my surprise, it was fully loaded!!! i looked into the bag and my mind began to reveal the fact that my daughter was an actual trash lady. it was so bad! there were cracker crumbs, trash, broken pieces of metal, cracker crumbs, and other strange things. did i mention cracker crumbs? one purse actually had gum stuck to the lining where she had planned to peal off and chew later. (i'm not kidding)

needless to say, we had a long talk. while cleaning out each purse, i explained that she is my daughter and she can't be this gross, i won't let her carry around a bag of trash everywhere, and for goodness sake... no more gum!

i cleaned up some very yucky things that day, but those purses put a chill in my spine. who knew an 8-year-old girl could be such a serious hoarder! :)

funny friday foto

2011-09-16T09:00:00.000-05:00

the girl's awwwrrrrrrrr-some dad!

he is never too proud to have fun ;)

fall on the table

2011-09-14T10:41:00.000-05:00

fall is my favorite time of the year.

it seems to be the time where people gather around the table the most.

i love looking at beautiful place settings, especially inspired by this cozy season.

here are a few of my fav's i came across today :)

i absolutely love this color scheme...aqua is my favorite and it looks so great with the bright pop of orange.

it is fun for me and my family to use nature in our seasonal decorating.

pottery barn never disappoints...i love the mixed leaf garland.

dr.'s orders

2011-09-13T10:17:00.000-05:00

after taking carigan to her yearly well-check visit, the pediatrician recommended that she read a book everyday!

i just loved the fact that she mentioned that right along side all the safety rules and healthy eating habits.

She explained to my daughter that reading was food for the brain.

we put a lot of emphasis on reading over the summer, but we don't want our children to stop just because school has started.

so, bug'em came out on the first day of school with some special surprises for the girls :)

they both found him in their very clean rooms with books and a few pieces candy.

it makes me happy that they both have started reading these books before even touching the candy!

our summer reading tree results!!!

2011-09-12T14:24:00.000-05:00

over the summer...

camille, age 8, read 14 books averaging around 150-200 pages each.

carigan, age 5-6, read 50 books over the summer averaging around 20-30 pages each.

i am really proud of them for their love of reading and disciple to continue reading over the summer.

we look forward to the continual growth of our reading tree :)

where were you...?

2011-09-11T10:01:00.000-05:00

it is hard to believe that something so tragic only happened 10 years ago.

everyone always shares "where they were" when they heard the news so i decided to share mine.

i had just moved to dickinson, texas to start a new journey with my husband. we were both 21 years old and i was rushing to bible college and arrived a little late to class. to my surprise, everyone was so serious. our principal was up at the front explaining that there was an attack on the united states of america and possible threat to the president and white house. we were then released to go home.

i remember grabbing my phone as fast as i could to call my husband who was watching the events on tv. in that moment it was great to hear his calming voice.

after school everyday, i had a part-time job as a teacher's aid in the 3rd grade classroom at the private school on the same church campus. so, instead of going home, i decided to help out in the classroom early that day and stay until everyone had left.

in seeing the footage later on at home, i was so shocked that someone would do such a thing. my heart was deeply hurting for all the men, women, children, and families that were fatally injured going about their morning. my heart swelled with pride at every american hero that went above and beyond their call of duty for someone else. i'll never forget the president's speech and how it rang true in everyone's heart!

if you feel like sharing...where were you 10 years ago?

life is a highway

2011-09-10T09:35:00.000-05:00

after my receiving a fun splurge a few weeks ago,

i have been noticing some signage around the house...

this traffic light was spotted in the door way of carigan's room...

and the golden arches was found on camille's door...

lets just hope no one is running any red lights and are only visiting mcdonald's once a month.

mom's day out...with the kids ;)

2011-09-09T09:24:00.000-05:00

our last day of freedom before getting back to routine...

we ate out and got starbucks...

went shopping for something fun...

got pampered...

camille getting her first tween manicure

(in high hopes of stopping her nail-biting habit)

carigan fascinated with the message chair

(she wanted her feet washed in warm water...aka a pedicure)

mine are the stubbing fat feet ;)

it is fun to spend time with little girls who make you feel young and who inspire you to enjoy life.

hope everyone has a great weekend!

funny friday foto

2011-09-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

this was served to me by my youngest daughter this past year.

one thoughtful morning she carefully brought me breakfast in bed.

dry cheerios and a bottle of water.

i love her so much ;)

and, yes, she watched me eat some before leaving me be.

teachers are the best

2011-09-08T09:02:00.000-05:00

like i had mentioned before, school started last week for my kiddos and during our open house we came bearing gifts.

teachers are so important and we certainly value them each year. a good teacher can make all the difference to a child and how their year will turn out.

fortunately, we have always had wonderful teachers that teach at our school and that truly care for the students.

it seems i gain a new friend each year that my children are in a different classroom. i do what i can to help out and support their role as important people in my children's lives.

chocolate and coffee...two of our favorites :)

we even had something for the teacher's aid, an apple stress ball...just in case :)

my daughter also had gifts for her best friends, bracelets that she made them over the summer.

i am expecting this year to be great!

chalkboard door!

2011-09-07T09:08:00.000-05:00

over the weekend we accomplished one thing that was on our "wish" list..

chalkboarding our mudroom/garage door.

we had talked about doing this for a long time and finally accomplished it over labor day weekend!

my husband took the hardware and door off then sanded all the rough spots.

after putting the door back, he painted two coats of chalkboard paint on both sides using a high-density roller.

we let it dry for 24 hours before testing it out.

(older sister was staying with some girlfriends...lil sis was missing her)

it has turned out to be both practical and fun!

school days

2011-09-06T10:00:00.000-05:00

my kiddos started school last monday

and since kindergarten we have taken their picture

in front of our front door to document their first days and keep track of their growth :)

here are camille's first day photos

2008 - kindergarten

2009 - first grade

2010 - second grade

2011 - third grade

(notice my beautiful pots - yuck! i will be replacing those soon)

***

here are carigan's first day photos

2010 - kindergarten

2011 - first grade

i already have the pre-cut mats for these pictures and the future pictures to come. it is hard to believe how much my oldest has grown in such a short time and i know i will be surprised with my youngest as well :)

candy-corn banner

2011-09-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

i absolutely love this candy-corn banner and plan on making this with my kiddos soon :)

i just need to figure out how sew first, no big deal :)

how about you,

do you have any fall projects in the making?

funny friday foto

2011-09-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

Add caption

a biodegradable dvd player created by our children with our very own "family mystery" movie :)

thankful thursdays...

2011-09-01T08:00:00.001-05:00

i'm thankful that...

"...we are family"

i am a young mom, with two children, married to her high school sweetheart. one thing about me that i think is pretty obvious...my family is very important to me!!!

my husband and i have chosen how we want our family to look like. we have our own traditions, our own rules, and our own discipline.

*
we both have great parents, but we don't do everything the way they did. we might have each taken a few things we really liked from our own childhood traditions, but a lot of what we do has our own flavor.
*

individual families can look different without anyone else being right or wrong. don't be afraid to make your own rules. stick to your guns on things that are very important to you. never let anyone on the outside make you feel guilty for doing something that you feel is important for your children.
(as long as you aren't causing them any harm of course)
*
end the end, what comes around goes around. our own children will then get to decide what will work for their families. we get to impact them today and then support them tomorrow.
*
i am so thankful for our own unique family flavor :)

pumpkins, leaves, and cute bags :)

2011-08-31T08:00:00.000-05:00

i came across this cute blog the other day...Nest of Posies!

and here are some fall things i found...

i'm ready for orange!

i want this!!!!

i wish this was in my house :)

i'm so ready!!!!

cooler weather is coming our way this week...relief at last!

ps...pumpkins have made their way into our home already :)

grabbing on to fall early...

2011-08-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

we planted this tree in the backyard last year because i wanted leaves to fall...

(our tree in the front yard stays green year round)

the girls spotted leaves on the ground and needed to take a closer look.

(now, i realize that this tree is trying to survive the relentless heatwave, but we had our first rain shower in a very long time which made the dead leaves fall to the ground...but all my kids could see were fall leaves :)

cari had the idea to pick up as many as she could before dad mowed...

so we grabbed a basked and went to picking...

the weather was the best that we have had in a VERY long time...

being outside with the girls during a cool breeze and seeing all the leaves on the ground...

put an excitement in my heart that only fall can do.

so we are grabbing on to fall early this year despite the weather!!!

quick recap of cari's 6th birthday party

2011-08-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

my baby is now 6-years-old!

her birthday fell on a friday this year, so we had to celebrate the day of!

the party was 2-fold...

it was a fun old fashion sprinkler party

and it was a great excuse to water my lawn during this awful drought!

and no, it was not on our assigned water day :)

if you haven't already seen the slide show then check it out!

This thank you made with Smilebox

arrrr...summer is coming to an end.

2011-08-26T12:34:00.000-05:00

my family has been on a one-act-play kick for the past week.

here are pictures of the latest entertainment...

school starts on monday for my kids and

i think we are all going to miss the extra free time to create these fun memories...

arrrr....open house is tonight and while we will miss the fun free time

i am looking forward to getting back to a steady routine.

have a fun friday!

funny friday foto

2011-08-26T12:13:00.000-05:00

we visited the houston museum of science awhile back and i asked the girls to look scared...chloe cracks me up (from the left cami, cari, chloe)

inspiration comes in small packages

2011-08-22T16:06:00.002-05:00

as cari was reading her last dick and jane book for the summer

she commented on the cover after taking a little time to exam it

she said with amazement, "that is so clever!"

this is coming from a little girl who

wrote, directed, starred in, and was prop designer

of her very first play the other night after dinner.

i guess inspiration can come from anywhere...

today, for cari, it happens to be the cover of fun for three,

but her dad and I are inspired by her creativity all the time!

i did have to promise to supply her some paper bags soon :)

hanging on...

2011-08-18T12:08:00.000-05:00

I really love this idea...

http://www.thehandmadehome.net/2011/08/a-few-of-my-favoritest-things-8-11-edition/

I recently went through my oldest daughter's clothes and realized that she has outgrown every skirt she owns!

She will be turning 9 this fall and has been able to wear size 7 for a long time, but now her legs and hips say otherwise :)

Well, this was great news for her younger sister who still loves getting her older sister's stuff - but not good news for their dad who thinks clothes are way too expensive - and bad news for me who has to get creative in shopping and piecing outfits together on a sometimes unrealistic budget.

Either way, I have an empty hanger like the one above and I have already starting thinking of ideas for this look in our house...maybe it will stay in my daughter's room after all :)

6 candles

2011-08-12T10:39:00.000-05:00

this is my daughter, cari.

today is her 6th birthday.

she is a lot of fun and a delight to have as a daughter...

she is very creative and calls herself an artist...

she is a tall, blond, blue-eyed beauty who sometimes pretends she is a ninja turtle...

she loves dogs, hats, art, dressing up, superheros, and barbies...

happy birthday to the coolest kid i know!

discovery camp...25 years later

2011-08-10T10:12:00.000-05:00

when i was a little girl (around 7 years old) i went to discovery camp for the very first time.

it was a brand new camp and i remember swimming in the swimming pool, painting rocks, and being completely moved by the church services. i would then return nearly every year, even in my teen years.

now, nearly 25 years later, my very own daughters have attended the camp. they have swam in the same pool as mom and attended the same moving services.

chad, my husband, also attended the same summer camp as a kid and i can't help but wonder if we ever attended at the same time as young children.

actually, the first time i really met chad was at discovery camp when we were both 12 years old. 20 years later, we volunteered to go as helpers from our church and took our own kids.

i think this could very well be my last time to attend discovery camp, but certainly not my two girls.

over the weekend

2011-08-09T09:10:00.000-05:00

over the weekend, after taking our kids to a church summer camp, we visited my brother and sister-in-law.

(i will share more on discovery camp later)

some of the girls from our group...my two are the first from the left.

this was chalk talk at the camp (cami, karolee, and cari)

cari's notes from service :)

my husband's sister, sally, and i have been friends for a long time. we were even roommates for awhile before we married each others brothers. we all hung out all the time and this picture brings back great memories.

from the right to left: sally (sister-in-law), chad (husband), crystal (me), mike (my brother), pat (brother-in-law)

they now live in the houston area and we live in the austin area, so between our busy lives, it is hard to get together these days, but we still try.

look at that cute face...she was playing tag with the ducks

our girls are double cousins and get along great. their daughter's name is chloe and she calls my girls by one name, "camicari."

chloe and cari camping out together

we had a great time catching up this trip and even enjoyed the science museum where the dinosaurs were loved by all 3 girls.

no sew blankets

2011-08-08T10:11:00.000-05:00

the girls and i love doing project together in the summer.

i just purchased a sewing machine not to long ago and know nothing about it other than it is hard!

so, we decided to make no sew blankets this time.

we all four (the girls and their american dolls) headed to hobby lobby to pick their fabric.

(i wish i had taken some pictures of them pushing their dolls around in the shopping carts)

cami's choice...

cari's choice.

to our surprise, all the felt was 30% off...we bought about a yard each.

once home, we cut cari's corners 2 inches and then made small 2 inch cuts around the sides.

on cami's we cut a 5 inch square with 5 inch strips around.

(i probably would have done 3 1/2 if doing it again)

after all the cutting comes all the tying!

cami did hers all by herself.

(the longer the strips, the easier it is to tie.)

you can see that cari's strips were much shorter, but cute still!

(the shorter the cuts then the bigger the blanket)

cami and her new blanket

cari and her new blanket

they love them both!

they are very cozy and unique!

we even had enough to make their dolls matching blankets!

robin and rebecca...

(a new doll is on her way just in time for cari's 6th birthday)

we still have fabric left over, so share with us different ideas you think we should try!

funny friday foto

2011-08-05T10:10:00.000-05:00

this was taken of my husband in 2005

this brings a whole new meaning to big blue eyes :)

~he is pretty much this silly 99% of the time~

thankful thursdays

2011-08-04T10:04:00.000-05:00

i'm thankful for...

helpful hands.

when my children were younger, they wanted to help mommy all the time.

so i gave them their first official chore...folding washcloths.

that meant, we always had crazy stacks of washcloths on our shelves, and i had to learn to deal with it.

they got to help and contribute and i had to encourage and praise...and leave the messy washcloths alone.

fast forward a couple of years later, they still fold the washcloths, but they are now able to do so much more.

this summer we discovered that my oldest (8) can vacuum! it was a total rite of passage because that was my chore growing up, and i was seeing my daughter follow in my footsteps.

i was proud, excited, and a little revealed that i was about to get some real help around the house.

i called my mom as cami was vacuuming and held the phone up for her to hear..."this sound is cami vacuuming the house for the first time...woo hooo!" (i'm serious...I really did that!)

they even like cleaning the baseboards for a little cash! i give them huggies wipes (the best) and a small bucket to put their trash in and they finish in warp speed, crawling into small places, and reaching spots i could never get to. they strategically split up to cover the most area all while giggling and bragging at how well they are doing. they then literally thank me for their opportunity...brilliant, i know!

so, today is our normal "cleaning day" at the house. i was sweeping and mopping, cami was vacuuming, and cari was dusting and cleaning the mirrors. i turned the tv on for awhile as they folded their laundry and put it up. with all the help, i was able to clean our fridge out...just in time for the new school year approaching.

i have had to learn early on to let the little hands help and not worry if it is not done perfectly or maybe the way i would do it. I had to learn to praise them for their eagerness and willingness to help and not rob them of the opportunity to contribute and be apart.

the day is coming when those little hands have practiced enough times to get it right and you will appreciate it even more :)

i am so thankful for those (little) helpful hands!

....CHECK!

2011-08-02T13:43:00.003-05:00

i happen to love checklists and use them quite often to try and stay organized.

i came across this one the other day from imom and decided to go ahead and print out.

i was happy to see that i am right on track...and in some ways ahead of the game :)

http://www.imom.com/tools/seasonal/back-to-school-checklist/

i wanted to share if anyone else was interested.

i think it is really cute and very appropriately on notebook paper, which is something we bought for the first time on our school list. it was a big deal to my oldest!

it is really hard to believe that i have a 3rd grader and a 1st grader this year...

well, happy checking everyone :)

chain gang

2011-08-01T15:55:00.001-05:00

we are counting down the days until school starts...the whole red section is gone now!

we also have a small, sweet count down jar filled with skittles (cari's favorite candy).

she gets to eat one everyday until her 6th birthday!

we love our summers, but are looking forward to our new school year with great expectation!

28 more days till school...

and

11 more skittles till cari's party!

anyone else like counting down the days?

funny friday foto

2011-07-29T18:28:00.002-05:00

bieber fans!

when we were at great wolf lodge this girl was standing next to us wearing the same shirt as cari and we had to snap a picture :)

window seat inspiration...

2011-07-27T14:48:00.001-05:00

one thing i have been longing for in my home is a window seat.

my future home that we build, after the kids are off to college, will have a window seat possibly in every window.

it is safe to say that i LOVE them ... a lot!

i came across this beautiful pic and had to share.

maybe one day i will be able to post my very own :)

what space are you excited to create these days?

funny friday foto

2011-07-22T10:00:00.000-05:00

i found this message from my hubby one morning this summer that really made me smile :)

...from a girl just like you :)

2011-07-20T09:49:00.000-05:00

i am so amazed at how judgmental women can be at other women.

it's really sad and what's even worse, i know i have been at fault : (

we should encourage one another, but often times we tear each other down.

i think i first began to experience this in jr. high.

i have been in and out of several schools...8 in all. sometimes because we moved...and sometimes because my brother would get kicked out of the present school we were in.

i have been the "new girl" more times than i ever cared to be.

(this alone has made a big determination on where my kids go to school and the reason we won't be moving anytime soon)

i have met many different types of ladies, tried to fit in many, many times, and failed.

i had to learn that not everyone will like me and that is okay.
(this was something that was very, very hard for me and something i still have to work at being okay with)

one thing is for sure, we are all the same no matter where you live.

we all want to be accepted, we all have our own insecurities, and we are all doing the best we can.

as my girls get older they will be dealing with this more and more. as it is, my oldest daughter that is entering into 3rd grade this fall has already experienced rejection from her girlfriends. it's tough walking it out, but i hope to be help her remain true to herself and learn that everyone is dealing with their own insecurities.

i want to encourage all the women out there that are reading this...be kind to other women. you never know what they are going through and what they are dealing with. encourage other mothers, especially new ones and be a great role model for the little girls that are watching you.

women from our church did a Bible study on this book several months ago and it impacted me greatly! if you haven't read it yet, pick it up...or download it :)

here are some of my favorite quotes from this amazing book...

"Attitude is everything when it comes to limitations, and the way you view yourself will acutely shape how others view you."

"...the only thing it takes to develop insecurity is to be born human and raised on planet Earth."

"Not everyone who is sensitive is insecure, but make no mistake: everyone who is insecure is usually sensitive to a fault."

16 + 16 = 32 great years! happy b-day honey...

2011-07-18T09:40:00.002-05:00

today is my sweet husband's birthday. he is now 32 years old.

16 years ago he asked me to be his girlfriend.

he couldn't have a girlfriend until he turned 16.

that means i have loved him half his life.

they say young love never lasts...but i don't know any other kind.

love is a choice you make...not always a feeling.

he is my best-friend, my prince charming, my partner in crime, and "funer" than anyone else I know (inside joke).

i love you chad, and look forward to another great 16 years with you. fast forward-that would make us both 48 years old and living in an empty nest...living it up! i can't wait to see all our travel plans come to life!

chicken parmesan...just for jamie!!!

2011-07-16T10:35:00.001-05:00

i will be making this today for my husband and his family celebrating his 32nd birthday

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1 28-ounce can tomatoes, lightly pulsed in a blender or food processor
2 teaspoons coarse salt
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (3 whole breasts, split down the middle)
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus more if needed
1 1/2 pounds fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced thin

Directions

Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the garlic, and the red pepper flakes. Stir for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Simmer for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, working on a large surface covered in baking parchment or plastic wrap, lay down the chicken breasts. Using a sharp slicing knife, cut each piece in half horizontally through the middle.
In a large prep pan or dish, combine the bread crumbs and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Spread out to cover the whole bottom of the pan. Lay down as many chicken breasts as will fit on the mixture. Sprinkle salt and pepper over each piece and turn over, completely coating with the bread-crumb mixture. Repeat the process with the remaining pieces of chicken.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, along with butter, to coat the pan. Add the chicken breasts in one layer and cook until golden, about 3 minutes on each side. Remove and repeat the process for the remaining chicken, adding a little oil and butter to the pan as needed.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spoon some tomato sauce into a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish to cover. Layer in the chicken pieces and top with mozzarella slices. Spoon over about 1 1/4 cups more sauce, and sprinkle on the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. Bake until golden and bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes. Let rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Mad Hungry with Lucinda Scala Quinn - She has added many great dishes to our family meals!

diary of a whimpy mom...

2011-07-15T10:00:00.042-05:00

i think i have completely lost my edge...

when i was younger there was no ride too extreme, too high, or too scary for me.

i loved facing my fear head on with my hands straight up in the air!

but, something happened soon after having kids...i lacked the desire to take risks.

i began to realize that no ride seemed worth it - plus...it just wasn't fun anymore...it hurts and i bruise like a banana (honestly, i think i always have...i should probably up my iron intake!)

i used to picture myself as a fierce tigress ready to pounce on the opportunity for adventure...

but lately, i see myself as a grumpy old house cat that only likes to bathe, lay in the sun, and take naps.

during our recent vacation this became even more clear to me when i returned home with a sore throat from screaming way too loud on a family ride...it surprised me that no one else was as terrified as i was.

i guess a lot of things change as we get older (and wiser)...

but mostly, i think my kids have turned me into mush and i have become that woman who sits with everyone else's stuff while all the cool kids go ride the exciting rides...and somehow i have never felt more content :)

i guess i'll just stick to what i have become now most famous for in my family...cuddling!
oddly enough, my soft body provides great cushion for those who want to lay on me. i've become soft inside and out...those darn kids...but i love them and wouldn't have it any other way...well, a little muscle wouldn't hurt :)

this is our 10-year-old cat named cheeto. he is a maincoon which means he is naturally big but normal for his breed and he is also very playful like a dog. (they call them the gentle giants) his face is yellow because he got a little too curious checking out some flowers i had out in a vase...he had pollen telling on him. this was taken sometime last year.

funny friday foto

2011-07-15T08:46:00.002-05:00

snake plank

thankful thursdays...

2011-07-14T10:00:00.003-05:00

i'm thankful for...

family vacations!!

every year we try and get away just the 4 of us...

this year we decided to plan a trip to the great wolf lodge and stop near by to see the new legoland and sea life aquarium that just opened up.

this was our first time having to invest money towards a family vacation, but in the process we learned it was money well spent.

here are pictures of legoland...
there was plenty to do and the kids seemed to really enjoy it.

here are pictures of our room (which i think the kids felt was a huge part of the experience) at the great wolf lodge...
i loved the fact that the cleaning ladies tucked in their babies everyday
and the bunk-beds were a hit!

Here are some pictures of the inside and outside water parks...

everyday we felt we had a different experience. there was so much to do for all age levels.

Here are some of the fun things we did during our stay in the hotel...
swimming isn't the only thing to do here. we played a scavenger hunt game for the 3 days we stayed and ended up fighting the dragon at the end, we played bingo, colored t-shirts, enjoyed story-time, and more.

This was our trip to sea life aquarium....

this ended up being very educational. we even got a free vip pass to see what things looked like behind the scenes. it was a great place to discover sea life.

to sum up this vacation i would refer to cami's quote on the back of her new t-shirt..."best vacation ever."

i find it very important to get away at least once a year with the family to create great memories.

we are already talking about next year's plans and i look forward to the many more family vacations we get to share.

i'm thankful for family vacations!!!

little readers

2011-07-13T16:45:00.000-05:00

as i have mentioned before,

we put a big emphasis on reading in our household.

i have never forced my kids to read...

they just know it is something we do...we read :)

Cami's new little reading nook in her room (after giving her sister her dollhouse) She is hoping for a bean bag here soon!

we have read with them ever since they were little

and we always try to make it a very fun experience and we supply them with plenty of books to look at!

each child also had their favorite book as a baby

Camille loved Goodnight Moon, which was a gift from a friend (her first book)

*she loved blowing the fire out and sh-hing when we saw the old lady*

*she used to call it "night-moon" and would get so excited for us to read it every night!*

Carigan loved Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

*there is no surprise that our little one LOVES animals!!!*

*she loved how we would make different voices for each animal*

it was such a monumental event when camille read her favorite book all by herself for the first time.

and today - July 13th, 2011- on a regular wednesday, carigan, read her favorite book all by herself for the first time...with funny voices and all!!! we hadn't looked at the book in years...so it was neat to hear it again :)

my kids were never over-night-readers...it comes with lots of encouragement, patience, and practice

but, anything worth having is worth working for!

handwritten mail...

2011-07-12T14:19:00.003-05:00

my oldest daughter, camille, received a letter from one of her school friends the other day.

we then had a great opportunity for her to practice her letter writing skills in writing her friend back.

it got me thinking...

remember when people use to write letters and

mail them...

and wait for a response back.

it is an art that i hope never gets forgotten.

as for my daughter, this is just the start...

she has plans to write many more letters this summer to her girlfriends :)

american girls...

2011-07-11T12:37:00.000-05:00

one morning this summer

all the american girls made it to the breakfast table...

"rockin" robin and rebecca

carigan...

camille

and myself of course :) *behind the camera*

we celebrated...

it was a sweet morning with just us girls :)

love this idea...summer on a string!

2011-07-09T10:00:00.000-05:00

The easiest way to hang onto summer?

Hang a keepsake banner.

Ours came together fast from postcards, ticket stubs, and a handful of shells.

Materials:

Glue

Mementos, such as postcards and photographs

Card stock

Hole punch

Ribbon or twine (we used jute)

Shells (optional)

Instructions:

Glue mementos to card stock, then punch two holes at the top of each card.
String the cards onto the twine, leaving space in between for shells, if you're using them. Working on a covered surface, glue the shells to the twine. Let the glue dry completely before moving the banner.

*disney family fun magazine is the best*

funny friday foto

2011-07-08T10:00:00.001-05:00

my youngest daughter drew this...needless to say, she is a huge fan!

is it too late to talk about our 4th of july?

2011-07-07T13:50:00.000-05:00

we spent our 4th this year at home

we took an educational approach this year and learned about a different founding father

each day of the week before the 4th (idea from imom)

we also learned the timeline that led up to the signing of the deceleration of independence

the kids (and myself) learned so much and were able to remember it all

we also made a flag cake for the first time :)

and made time for lots of playing and relaxing

this is my husband...my 3rd kid :)

later on we had a scavenger hunt with several hidden scrolls that contain interesting info about our country

this was their idea for this picture :)

the night ended with us watching fireworks outside our bedroom window on the roof of our porch

(my favorite sweet memory of the day)

*i'm convinced that one day we will be celebrating the 4th in philedelphia so i can hear the liberty bell ring :)*

the count down has ended...

2011-07-07T12:31:00.002-05:00

we have been pretty busy this past week...

making a chain...

to count down the days...

until we leave for our family vacation.

it's finally here, we leave tomorrow headed to the great wolf lodge!

we are all very excited!!!

lots more pictures to come...

funny friday foto

2011-07-01T09:00:00.004-05:00

these are my husband's feet.

he had just cut out eye holes for a super hero mask requested by our youngest daughter.

the girls were trying to find a use for the holes and this was one of the ideas my silly husband came up with.

thankful thursdays

2011-06-30T09:00:00.000-05:00

i am thankful for...

sugar wafers!

i love them because they are cheap...

i love them because they are delicious...

i love them because they remind me of my childhood, particularly in sunday school with punch...

i love them because you get three classic flavors and they are pretty and dainty...

i love sugar wafers!

lettuce saver...

2011-06-28T09:00:00.000-05:00

i was watching mad hungry the other day and she shared this idea about storing lettuce.

my initial reaction was like, "no way that works."

and then i decided to give it a try.

and it is the only way i store my lettuce now!

instructions: wash your lettuce, then lay it out on a cotton towel (i have certain ones that i use only for my lettuce), wrap it up, and store in your refrigerator.

it is that easy and it really works!!!

the lettuce stays nice and crisp a lot longer and it makes it easier to get to it.

i will never ever shove my lettuce in a plastic bag again :)

sidewalk canvas

2011-06-27T09:00:00.002-05:00

just because you are outside doesn't mean you can't do art...

turn your sidewalk into a canvas.

get a life...then game on!

2011-06-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

game night is such a fun time in our house.

it gets us together the same way dinner does.

we found it neat that the girls got the careers that they really want in real life...cari - veterinarian and cami - teacher!

it is also a great learning tool using math, reading, patience, and sportsmanship.

this night was our first time playing the game of life and our youngest beat the socks off of us all!

we like to keep our scores in the box for future reference... :)

funny friday foto

2011-06-24T09:00:00.001-05:00

our backyard bunny who hands out here in the evenings. i didn't know they chilled like this :)

thankful thursdays

2011-06-23T09:00:00.024-05:00

i am thankful for...

my porch!

you might hear me say it a lot...but my favorite spot at our house is our front porch.

i love reading magazines and books on my porch swing...

i love visiting with my husband late at night in our rocking chairs...

i love looking at the little plants that is live in sentimental pots that were given to me from people i love...

i love how my tall bushes (that i transplanted the first year & managed to keep alive) create the feeling of a privacy wall...

i love watching my kids use the rock border as a balance beam and the sidewalk as a race track...

i love having a flag blowing out front representing the great country we live in...

i love sitting out there and having complete silence to relax and listen to God speak to my heart...

we have had breakfast out there, we have spent lazy days of reading out there, and we have even turned it into a hang-out place for us during July 4th which was the perfect spot to watch the city fireworks sparkle...

i am so thankful for my porch!

challenge your kids to amaze you...and they just might!

2011-06-22T09:00:00.000-05:00

there are a few things that i remember in school that i made and loved!

one of those things was doing a shoebox book report.

my oldest daughter has a love for books and even though she is entering into the 3rd grade after the summer she reads at a 6th grade level.

she is my little twin and generally enjoys the same things i do so i gave her a summer project.

i told her that if she reads joody moody and the not so bummer summer in two weeks then i would take her opening night to see it.

well, she finished it the next day so i threw in a book report as well :)

i was completely amazed at how great she did!!!

i taught her how to make a rough draft and final copy...and then gave her creative freedom to decorate a box showcasing the main events in the book.

she presented the book report to us in time to see the movie and we felt as if we had read it too because of her amazing report!

challenge your kids to amaze you...

my future blogger...(told you, my twin!)

and they just might!

(by the way, she highly recommends the book :)

pool parties...

2011-06-21T09:00:00.008-05:00

i love discovering what my kids come up with during imaginary play...

this day was a lazy morning in the shade...

i was doing yard work and they were doing this...

enjoy the first official day of summer!

the ferry ride

2011-06-20T10:16:00.001-05:00

the cheapest (free)

and easiest (drive on up)

cruise you will ever have (you can even see dolphins)

with your children...(they are easily pleased)

and they will love it! (and you will too)