Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas!

Are you ready? I had every intention on being on "top of things" this year. Didn't happen. I was going to wrap presents as I bought them, and have our Christmas cards sent out a couple of weeks ago. I also wanted to make a number of homemade gifts - this didn't happen. All of this was to be part of my plan of "simplifying Christmas".

After a hard week at school, I picked up my daughters and headed to the grocery store. I knew I was stressed, but I didn't know how it impacted my family. A nice grandmotherly type woman was behind us in the checkout and she asked my girls if they were ready for Christmas. My five year old replies, "We are ready for Christmas, but our Mommy isn't!" Where did they get this from?

Well here is my "sermon". Enjoy Christmas! Think about the baby Jesus being born in Bethlehem (without all the comforts, lights, gift giving, etc.). Jesus truly is the reason and the greatest gift!! So slow down, play a game with your family, listen to the Christmas music, enjoy the beauty of the decorations, and quiet your hearts for the Christ Child.

Merry Christmas to all!!

FOOD

There are many times that I think I should just have a food blog! Many of my posts deal with food (or should I say goodies) and I have found myself reading blogs about food! Is this an obsession or what?! Some of my favorite blogs include: 4 Reluctant Entertainers, The Simple Wife, My Messy Thrilling Life and The Pioneer Woman Cooks. Check them out sometime.

I mentioned that I was making fudge in the last post for my Cookie Exchange. It turned out great and we had a nice group of women, for the gathering. In addition, I have a variety of eight dozen cookies - need to pace myself for the holidays. Do you know the average person gains 10 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Years?

Well, my cookie exchange also inlcuded a brunch, since breakfast food is my favorite and I just love those easy overnight breakfast casseroles. Things were going fairly smoothlythis morning until I turned on my oven. The kitchen started to smell - that really bad smell, that happens when food has boiled over into your oven and you didn't clean it up. Well, I opened up the windows (it was in the 20's outside and snowing), turned on the exhaust and started burning the yummy smelling candles. I got the odor under control and got my casseroles baked. Then, after the cookie exchange, I decided it was time to clean the oven (thanks to self cleaning ovens!!). At this point, I was glad I was the only one in the house - there was so much smoke! This time I opened up the front door in addition to the windows. I don't want to see what our heating bill is going to be next month. Well, I should have a clean oven after this. All this to say, from the advice of my friend, "don't you have the really big oven foil - you should go get some."

Fudge

I am excited about this afternoon! I'm going to do some holiday baking, actually in my case it will be holiday candy making. This Saturday I'm hosting a neighborhood Christmas Cookie Exchange / Brunch and I need to make my goodies for it. The recipes that I will be making include a peanut butter fudge and a chocolate fudge. Here is the recipe for the peanut butter fudge:

3 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 cup peanut butter
7 ounce jar marshmallow cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions: Combine sugar, evaporated milk and butter in a sauce pan. Bring to a full boil and stir constantly for exactly five minutes. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter until melted. Add marshmallow cream and vanilla. Beat until mixed. Spread in a buttered 9 x 13 pan. Set until cool. Then place in fridge.

Turkey?

I know most people are tired of turkey - not me! You see we had 115 people for Thanksgiving, all family, meeting at an old one room school house turned into a country church social hall. It was a lot of fun! But with that many people there are no leftovers - just one serving.

So, I purchased my 21 pound tukey before the holidays and I'm making all the fixings. Thankfully some friends of ours will be coming over tomorrow night to help us eat the 21 pound bird - what was I thinking!? If you have any good recipes about what to do with leftover turkey please send them my way.

By the way, my husband said, "I think it is about time you update your blog!" Go figure?

Surgery

My husband had minor surgery yesterday afternoon... It was one of those procedures that guys go through (usually on a Friday afternoon) and it usually produces some "minor" discomfort for the next few days. BTW - I have complete approval from him to blog about this - I would never blog "about this" without his permission. Okay, so I just had to blog about the comments from our girls - they have been hilarious!!!

"Hey Dad, are your privates feeling better?"

"Hey peas and pee pee both start with the letter P."

"What color is your boo boo?"

"Hey Dad, Mom bought peas today to make soup, not for your privates Dad!"

"Why did you have surgery Dad?"

I was out with the girls this morning and we ran into someone we knew and she was wondering if we were going to the state soccer game. I said no, that Jim wasn't feeling well (which is true - he has a very bad cold), to which Olivia said, "he had surgery yesterday!"

One other funny comment, it was recommended to buy an athletic support strap for after this procedure. Interestingly enough - Target doesn't sell these (only child size - go figure). So we went to the local athletic super store and Jim was looking around for this strap and a young sales guy approaches him, "Can I help you?" Jim responded, "yes". The sales clerk wanted to know what athletic event Jim was planning to participate in. When Jim explained the situation the clerk responded, "oh, well, if you have any questions all be over there."

Hope you enjoyed some of the comments!! Just so you know - Jim is doing very well!!! Ice on, ice off!

Happy Halloween!

The girls have had so much fun this Halloween. This is the first year that they were both into it! Our youngest, would run from door to door, and ring the doorbells. Of course it is always a lesson to learn - say your "thank you's!" Lots of fun - lots of candy!

Simple Blessings

This past weekend I went to the Simple Blessings Retreat center for a scrapbooking time away. Let me just say, "it was great!!" I got so much done and I'm almost caught up. For those who do any type of scrapbooking they know what it means when I say, "almost caught up". I know several people who scrapbook and have different philosophies on it. For me, when I think about what worldly possessions that I have or the "if we ever have a fire - what would I get out of the house after family members?" I would have to say it would be my scrapbooks. This is my best record of life and my family. Of course, I think the pages and pictures are beautiful, but it is so much more - a diary, record of life, my story. I couldn't wait to get home and show my girls what Mommy had been up to all weekend. They love looking at the pictures and "hearing" the stories over and over again. For those of you who don't scrapbook I encourage you to find some way to share your life (in story) with those you love. Wow, I can't believe how deep I am getting.

On another note, here is the recipe for the Oatmeal - Raspberry pancakes. (I can't take credit for them):

2 c. rolled oats

1 c. buttermilk

2 c. flour

1/4 c. sugar

1 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

3 large eggs

1 to 1 1/2 c. milk

1 t. vanilla

1 c. fresh raspberries (or frozen - thawed and patted dry)

In a bowl, mix oats & buttermilk; let stand 15 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl, whish eggs, milk and vanilla until blended. Stir in flour and oat mixtures just until evenly moistened. Add more buttermilk if batter seems thick. Gently fold in raspberries.

Place on non-stick griddle. Makes approx. 16 to 18 pancakes

Sunday Brunch

I have wanted to post about our brunch all week. I'm just now getting to it. I love breakfast foods and this brunch was no exception. We had great food - including spinach egg pie, raspberry pancakes, egg casserole, coffee cake and fresh fruit!!! Thanks to all of our friends who joined us and helped with the food preparation! I'm off for a weekend away. I'll write more later....

What's For Dinner?

With fall here and cooloer temperature, I got my crockpot out. I just love having dinner already and having the house smell so good throughout the day. Yesterday I made a soup and it was really yummy. I just used cubed potatoes, chopped onion, cooked chicken breast, chicken stock, corn, salt & pepper, crumbled bacon, half & half and cheddar cheese. I added the half & half and cheese during the last 45 minutes. Please share your favorite crockpot recipes!

Go BLUE (And White!)

This past weekend we celebrated my husband's birthday and it just so happened it was the day of the Penn State / Michigan football game. A friend of ours is a huge Michigan fan and she usually gets tickets for a number of the home games. So, she asked us if we would be interested in going along (since she knows I like Penn State). Of course we said YES!! I thought what a great birthday present for Jim!! However, I was hoping for a Penn State win. You see for the last nine seasons that we have been dating or married - Michigan always wins. I don't know if it was our coming together that has brought Penn State to lose? I know that I have always liked Michigan football (at least 364 days a year), so I wasn't to upset when I met and married a Michigan fan. We did have a great time tailgating, hanging out with friends and watching the game. I'm already looking forward to the next game we get to go see.

PMS Cookies

I came across this recipe for chocolate cookies the other day while I was getting my daily dose of blog reading. It was found from the cherry hill cottage bloghttp://cherryhillcottage.typepad.com/cherryhill_cottage/. After looking at the recipe for a couple of days I decided to give it a try. Well, my cookies baked for a long time, much longer than the recipe called for, and they were still very soft. Most of them fell apart while I was trying to get them to the cooling rack. I decided to call them PMS cookies, because of the rich chocolate and the fact that I had to break 8 large pieces of chocolate into small pieces. I used a meat mallot for this. This alone scared my husband. The combination of the mallot and rich chocolate is how I came up with the name. So "next month" give them a try.

Happy 40th

I just wanted to wish my parents a Happy 40th Anniversary!!!! Yes, I know I forgot my daughter's birthday (and mine for that matter) and the first day of school. But, I am wishing my parents a happy 40 th (a day early). Jim and I are so blessed to have both sets of our parents celebrate this 40th year milestone this year!! What a heritage and a lesson for us. Here are my parents, with the grandchildren, during our vacation in Tennessee.

New Treatment

I have been inspired by some of the blogs that I read that show their cottage homes and decorating styles. I love to see what other people are doing! So, I might start sharing a little more of my passion of decorating on my blog. I found this fabric on clearance and then it was marked down again - very cheap that I couldn't pass it up. I thought I would be able to use it in my classroom, but it ended up being too bright. However, it was perfect for my living room. I decided it was time for a new change. By the way, I'm working on my classroom - were going "vintage"! Hopefully I will post some pictures in a couple of weeks.

Soccer Mom

On Wednesday we finally went to the mini-van family. It only tooks us 14 months of looking at different vehicles (Highlander's, Sienna's, CRV'S, Civic's, New and Used) to decide on a new Honday Odyssey. I must admit that I was the one in our family having a difficult time with the "mini-van". However, like some many people have said"YOU WILL LOVE IT!" I'm already seeing the benefits. So when you are out and about look for me - the newest "soccer Mom" out there.

Happy Birthday!!!

My baby turns three today! I can't believe it. Time really does fly!

HOME

I am home! This past week I have put on a number of miles on our Honda Accord. It will be time for another oil change. Last weekend my husband and I went to a great Bed & Breakfast "Up North" to celebrate our anniversary. It was a great time away (without the girls) need I say more!

Then, on Monday morning I jumped in the car with the girls and drove "home" to Pennsylvania. We made it after the 11 hour drive. This is something that I don't do that often, but I'm very glad I did. I made this trip to say "good-bye" to a very dear Uncle of mine who doesn't have much time left. I knew that I wouldn't have any regrets about making this trip.

With being away this week it has really made me think about "home". I think it also has a lot to do with the fact that I'm reading a book called, "Dwelling". It just really makes me think about my home - from decorating to what kind of feelings does my home communicate. There is something about being at my home that just gives me comfort - from sleeping in my own bed, to having my things around me, to the coffee being prepared the way I like it. Also, it makes me think about providing an environment for my husband and girls where love and belonging are present - that "safe haven" for all of us.

MIA

I know - it has been a long (very long time) since I last posted! Sorry about that! Yes - I have been busy with the start up of my new business, At Home America, and also getting ready for my part time teaching job in the fall. Our family was away on vacation (in Tennessee) so that did take up some of my time.

I have been wondering what to post about? Some of my possible topics have included: buying and wearing high heels, vacation time with my extended family and why I love shopping at Costco. However, after bath time tonight I knew that I had to include this picture - just priceless. This was my husband's idea to encourage the girls to have fun with bath time. Way too fun!!!

Runners!

I am wondering if our girls have picked up the running bug?

He Did It!!!!!

A big congratulations to my husband!!! He ran the River Bank Run yesterday and I am so proud of him. What an awesome experience! It was very exciting for me and also a little nerve wracking. After I dropped him off down town, I headed out to my first location, decided to get a coffee at the Dunkin Donuts drive thru, when I noticed his "bib" number on the floor. All I could do was pray and drive back into town 10 miles with less than 30 minutes to the start of the race. I found a parking spot and started running. Thankfully I had my running gear on. I never found him at the start - I found some friends and said, "if you see him - I've got his bib". So then, it was more running for me, hop in the car and drive to Wilson. How cool!!! I waited on the bridge and saw him (got to run across the bridge area together). Thankfully the "bib" wasn't a big deal and I was also so thankful that he looked strong. His knee had been bothering him the last couple of weeks and we didn't know what to expect. He finished with a time of 2:17:56!!! I was able to hand him his bib so he could cross the finish line with it. Personally, for me it was so exciting - tears were in my eyes - as I saw so many people overcoming so many things and being cheered on. I would love to hear everyones' story. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures to share. I was so excited to see my husband and other friends running that I didn't have time to get a picture. Maybe next time.

Hat Day

It was hat day at my daughter's preschool. Need I say more.....

Decision Part II

Now for the rest of the story...... If you read my last blog post you know how excited I am about At Home America. However, what you don't know is that while I was in the middle of writing that post I got an unexpected phone call from the Principal where my husband teaches. He was calling to offer me a part time teaching position for next year. Talk about your life turning upside down. Here I am a SAHM with two little girls and I haven't been in the classroom for over seven years. Well, I did some investigating and praying about the position and I accepted the job on Tuesday morning!! I'm mostly excited but still a littler nervous, especially about figuring out all of the details with the girls. One might think I'm really crazy, but I'm still going to go ahead with the At Home America.

Announcement!!

I have a big announcement to make! No - I am not pregnant. I am signing up to become an At Home America Home Style Specialist!! After attending my first home party in December (Thanks Laurie!), I realized how much I really liked the product! I took a book home with me and I kept pouring over it. Then, I decided to have a party in February. By that point I loved the new catalog and there were a number of items that I really wanted. This company has been on my mind for a long time and I have been praying about joining this company. If you haven't heard of At Home America I encourage you to check out their website www.athome.com. I have found they have a variety of products, I like to describe it as a Southern Living, Pampered Chef and Tastefully Simple all thrown together at a reasonable price. So take a look and tell me what you think! My kick off / open house will be on Tuesday, May 22 let me know if you are interested!

What's For Dinner?

I don't know about you, but I'm always wondering what to have for dinner. I have found some great recipes in the Simple & Delicious and Kraft Food magazines. Here are two of my new favorites that I have recently tried:

Sweet Citrus Chicken:

1 2/3 cups hot water

1 6oz. package of chicken stuffing mix

6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 1/2 lbs.), pounded to 1/2" thickness

2/3 cup orange juice

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

3 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted

Preheat oven to 400 deg. Add hot water to stuffing mix: stir just until moistened. Set aside.

Place chicken in 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Mix juice, sugar, and butter until well blended; pour over chicken. Top with prepared stuffing.

Bake 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Serves 6

Orange - Glazed Pork Chops:

1/2 cup orange marmalade

2 Tbsp. orange juice

2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

1/2 tsp. minced garlic

4 bone in pork loin chops (1/2" thick and 8 ounces each)

1 tsp. canola oil

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

In a small bowl, combine the marmalade, orange juice, mustard, soysauce, garlic; set aside.

In a large skillet, brown pork chops in oilon both sides over medium-high heat: sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, uncovered 10 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 160 deg. Remove and keep warm.

Add marmalade mixture to the skillet: bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 3-4 minutes or until thickened. Spoon over pork chops. Yields 4 servings!

I hope you enjoy these recipes!!

Bake 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Bathing Beauties

My girls thought it would be fun to put on their swimsuits and eat lunch outside. They enjoy the warm weather as much as their Mommy does. However, did I mention the temperature is only in the 60's. They didn't seem to mind.

Halfway to 100

A while back I started 100 things about me - which turned into 50 things about me, so I have been inspired to try and reach my 100 things. Here we go:

51. I have been in 44 states
52. My theme song is, "You Drive Me Crazy"
53. I sing this song to my girls
54. I can't sing
55. When I sing #52 my girls tell me to be quiet
56. I have a high bed
57. I use a step stool to get into bed
58. I prefer red wine
59. I prefer sweets over salts
60. My dream car right now would be a Honda CRV
61. I watched the first five seasons of 24 in four months
62. I reached my lifetime goal with weight watchers
63. I'm currently above my goal weight
64. I need to start counting points again
65. I played field hockey in high school
66. I also was a cheerleader
67. I have eaten cake for breakfast
68. I have done this more than once
69. I took guitar lessons for one year
70. I like road trips with my family
71. I don't like the feeling of my stomach jumping out when I am on a roller coaster
72. I like my steak prepared medium
73. Salad dressing served on the side is a good thing
74. I enjoy the taste of real butter
75. Especially on warm homemade bread
76. I like food - can you tell - see # 63
77. I prefer to exercise in the morning
78. I was involved in 4-H while growing up
79. I like cottage, vintage and modern country decorating
80. I like organizational books
81. I would like to be more organized
82. I am the shortest of all my female cousins
83. I do not like avocados
84. I do not like guacamole
85. # 83 & # 84 do not like me
86. I watched Zoolander while in labor with my first child
87. I do not like this movie
88. My girls have seen more Disney movies than me
89. However,I do like Beauty & the Beast
90. I think Trader Joe's is a great grocery store
91. I wish they would put one in our area
92. Little Caesars $5 pizza's make a great meal when I am in a pinch
93. I don't like mice
94. I learned to set a mouse trap when I was 22
95. Did I mention my first apartment had mice?
96. I play Settlers of Catan almost every Sunday night
97. My Myers Briggs personality rating is an EXFJ
98. I spent a summer in Prague
99. I have been in six different countries
100. I spend too much time reading blogs

Spring Break In Review

I'm finally getting around to blogging about our spring break. I think the weather has put me in a mood and it has slowed down my blogging. I know everyone has heard a lot about the weather, but I think this conversation with my daughter sums it up the best:

"Olivia, what are you doing?" asked by me as I notice Olivia looking out the slider.
Olivia responds, "Just checking out the weather - it is kind of goofy!"

On to vacation - it was a lot of fun - close to 2,000 miles on our Honda! I had a lot of fun flying to see my friend and hanging out with her and another girlfriend in the DC area. It was the first time that I got to eat at the Cheesecake Factory - yummy. Make sure if you eat there to save room for dessert!

Jim and the girls had a good trip (by car) especially with a DVD player in the car (thanks to Aunt Patti)! They even managed an early morning swim at the hotel pool. I'm not sure if you ask Jim what his response would be about driving solo with the girls - maybe after time he will forget the "moments" of crying in the car.

We had a lot of fun with our friends in Richmond, visiting the cousins and staying with Mimi and Poppie. I've included some pictures - after all a picture is worth a thousand words!

My Bags Are Packed

I had a difficult time deciding what to title this post. It could have easily been called Husband of the Year Award!! You see, my bags are packed and in less than two hours I am heading to the airport to travel to DC. I will be spending three days with my best friend - with no girls or husband. Then, my husband and girls will be taking the 14 plus hour drive to meet me at some other friends in Richmond. The amazing thing is this was my husband's idea! How blessed I am!!! I will miss them, but I'm also excited about a few days "by myself" with a good book and maybe some knitting. Speaking of knitting - I finished my first sock!!! Notice I said, "sock" the singular noun - I still have another one to go in order to have a pair.

The Pacifier

Bring up the word pacifier among mom's and you will get a lot of different opinions. However, right now that is not what I want to talk about. For our family - the pacifier has been a wonderful thing!! Our oldest daughter was pictured leaving the hospital with the paci flinging right in and out of her mouth. Our youngest daughter has learned to enjoy her paci as much as her sister did. We do have a couple of rules with the pacifier - when the child turns two - they only get their pacifier when sleeping (naps & bedtime) and when they turn three - they all get thrown out. Let's just say we are a "cold turkey family".

Well we just had a major melt down with our 2 1/2 year old daughter (at the paci only while sleeping stage). She was getting ready for her nap and got her paci a little early (Mommy is a softy), she was doing her pre nap routine (i.e. going to the potty). Well, she had her paci in her mouth, and she must have opened her mouth while she flushed the toilet and the paci "flushed away". Yikes!! She was so upset, she was shaking and the tears were a flowing! We do have back ups paci's but this one was her favorite. She said, "we need to call Daddy so he can get my paci out of the toilet". How do you explain to a 2 1/2 year old that it is gone? I hope this isn't a preview for when she turns three.

50 Things!

I enjoy reading different blogs and I have seen a number of blogs in which people write about 50 things about them - so here it goes:
1. My daughter was born on my birthday
2. I ran my first 5K race at age 35
3. I once had a summer job doing construction work
4. It was working for my Dad
5. I have been in 5 car accidents
6. None were my fault
7. Since 1991 I have always owned a Honda vehicle
8. None of them have been a mini van
9. I knew my husband less than four months before we were engaged
10. We were married in less than a year from meeting each other
11. I once spent a birthday in California
12. Both my parents and in-laws are celebrating 40 years of marriage this year
13. My favorite color is green
14. I graduated from college in four years
15. Without going during the summer
16. I have never watched an entire episode of Saturday Night Live
17. I have been caught crying while watching the Olympics
18. Fall is my favorite season
19. I enjoy watching football
20. I belong to a fantasy football league
21. I know how to shoot a gun
22. I have actually gone hunting
23. I have one sister
24. I had an epidural with both of my labors
25. I think the epidural is one of the best inventions
26. Costco is my favorite store
27. Sometime we go to Costco for lunch (to eat samples)
28. I'm not a night person
29. I'm not a morning person
30. I'm not an afternoon person
31. I'm a late morning person
32. I don't like roller coasters
33. I am a bag person
34. I'm not a shoe person
35. I like to decorate
36. My surroundings are important to me
37. I enjoy Country music
38. However, I don't get to listen to it that much
39. I like to look at magazines
40. I enjoy reading
41. Breakfast is my favorite meal to eat out
42. Coffee and tea are my favorite beverages
43. I have learned to like diet coke
44. I don't like potty training
45. I was a home economics teacher for eight years
46. I am really bad when it comes to technology
47. My family means the world to me
48. My faith in Jesus is the most important thing
49. My husband is my greatest gift on earth
50. This list was suppose to be to 100 - I made it 50

I encourage all of you to share 50 (or 100) things about yourself!

One of Those Days

I don't know if I should laugh or cry today - I think I did both!! The day started out great! Both of my girls slept in to 7:40 AM!!! For our family, this is sleeping in and I'm sure the time change helped.

I was getting the girls breakfast and I noticed a "smell" coming from my youngest daughter, "Livie, did we have an accident?" This was after an entire week of no accidents. So off to the bathroom and a quick bath.

Then, it was time to drop off Kelsey at preschool and Mommy & Livie went to Meijers. This was actually a successful trip. I dread going to Meijers, but all was well.

After the preschool pickups and lunch was started Livie was crying in her room (did I mention she was in a timeout?)Well, I ran(okay I walked) up to her room to see what the problem was - yep she was wet - another clean up and carpet clean up as well.

Then lunch..... followed by another accident with the big "D" - which meant two loads of laundry, mega carpet cleaning, bathroom cleaning, wall cleaning (don't ask) and another bath!! I'm leaving a number of details out and pictures.

It was definitly one of those days....

Good Night!!

Here is a picture of my youngest daughter, as I try and put her to sleep. As you can see - she needs a lot of extra's in order to go to bed. I don't know how she is able to sleep and keep track of all of her "bed buddies".

My Journey

It has been a little while since I last blogged. Even my husband (who wasn't too excited about me having a blog at first) asked me if I have blogged recently. Well I could say that I have been busy (which is true of every Mom), but the big reason is that I have been debating about how much to share about my "journey". For some of you, you have heard me talk about this and I'm sure some of you are wondering, "what is that girl talk'n about?"

So, let me explain. I have been struggling with the "What do I do when I grow up?" syndrome. (Which in my case should be called, What do I do when I reach middle age?)I'm sure some of you can relate. Well, over the summer I bought a notebook and I really felt like God was telling me to take the next year and learn as much as I can about areas that interest me. So with notebook in hand and many books, I read and wrote about my thoughts, tips and events that have happened.

You might be asking has this helped? My answer "well kind of yes, and kind of no". I have seen some possible doors open / some close and some I'm just not sure if they are swinging. I continue to realize this is a year process and I am growing. One thing that was brought to my attention last week was the importance of writing a mission statement - what really is important / what do I value and does my life model what I believe to be true? This is something that I need to work on and will hopefully lead to clarity in the future. Please feel free to ask me how this is coming along.

If anyone is interested in the books that I have read / am reading - I would love to share them! A lot of them deal with "simplicity", being a Mom, finances, family, etc. I found a lot of them used off of Amazon.com - what a great resource!

So we will see what happens - and where God leads. I'll keep you posted and hopefully in a few months (or longer) I'll have some clairty to share with you all!

Warning!!

Do not put these things together - sippie cup, Sprite, purse and cell phone. The other night we went out for dinner, and since my youngest is almost potty trained, I didn't bring her diaper bag. So, I just threw her sippie cup (filled with Sprite) into my purse. Well, we got into the restaurant and I noticed my purse was "dripping". The sippie cup had leaked all over my felted wool purse. So after a quick trip to the restroom - I cleaned everything up, but I noticed my cell phone wouldn't work. I couldn't tell if it was on or off, and I couldn't make any phone calls - oh boy! We ended up taking it back to the cell phone service place and sure enough it was toasted (or should I say soaked!). This meant I needed to get a new cell phone. It is amazing in the 13 months since I got my last cell phone how much they have changed. If you are wondering - my purse is fine. The beauty of it - I just washed and felted it some more. So please listen to my warning - no sippie cups in purses!

Good Bye!?

I was already to start blogging earlier today about getting rid of a few things that have been hanging around our home for the past 4 1/2 years.... diapers and wipes!! I'm so proud of our Livie she is almost potty trained which makes me so excited to not have to deal with stinky diapers!!! Well, now I'm not quite sure if we are "there". Right in the middle of a phone call she comes to me and announces that she has stinky pants. A big oopps that ended her in the bath tub. We continue to try and encourage her. You see her older sister took a while to potty train - someone gave us the book, Potty Training In a Day and the joke in our family is it took a year. So, hopefully soon I will be getting rid of these diapers!

First Date

I can't believe that my oldest daughter had her first date! Thankfully it was with her father. She just melted my heart in her anticipation of the big event. The count down has been going on for the past couple of days and when she woke up yesterday it was, "tonight is my date". Of course we had to get ready for the big date - paint our finger nails, curl our hair and put on a favorite dress. The date included dinner at one of her favorite restaurants - Wendy's followed by the Valentine's dance at church. Apparently she was soaking it all in - the music, decorations and lights! Daddy and daughter danced the night away (well at least until 8:40) which was way passed her bed time. Me, being the Mom, couldn't wait for them to get home so I could hear all the details!

Lessons From A Princess

Today I was reading my daughters' a book, "The Perfect Party," a Beauty & Beast story. Anyway, it really hit me about how hard I try to get things "just right" and sometimes it is just better to let things happen. The book sums it up the best:

"Everyone makes his share of mistakes, from spelling words wrong to lopsided cakes. Some make lots and lots, some hate when they happen - just like Mrs. Potts. But if everything always turned out perfectly, how dull and boring each new day would be."

I hope everyone can be encouraged by this - especially when things don't go the way that we plan them.

Back to Normal

We are finally getting back to normal after all the snow that we have had. School is back in session, the sun is shining, and the temperature is over 5 degrees. I can't believe that I am excited that we will reach 20 degrees this weekend.

Here is a picture to show you some of the snow that we have received.

Getting Started - Part 2!

I need all the help that I can get. I'm working on my blog - color, fonts, set up, etc. Having fun with it, but I'm also a little frustrated. You see this is my third time trying to post this morning. Somehow I keep losing my post when I go to edit. I know I need a lot of help!! This is why it will take me a long time until I can post a picture (please be patient with me). I still struggle to send an attachment along with an email. I realized I already messed up. If you noticed my profile it says that I am a wife and mother of two beautiful children. I failed to mention anything about my husband. OOOpppps. I am married to the best guy in the world who also happens to be my best friend. I love you honey!!!

One of my fears about my blog (I likely have many), is that I won't know what to write about. My husband suggested that I share my knitting story with you. I know how to knit a little bit and I decided to try and knit a pair of socks. This might be the last pair of socks. Normally I would think that paying $5 for one pair of socks is expensive. So what is wrong with my thinking, I spent $13 for yarn, plus the cost of needles and who knows how many hours it will take to finish these socks. They might be ready for next fall. It must be the sense of accomplishment.

Hopefully soon I will add some pictures and maybe I will add a picture of my socks (or should I say sock at this point). Stay tuned!

Getting Started

After much coaxing from my friend (and lots of blog reading) I have decided to join the blog groupies. Please help them all. I don't have a lot of time to write because it is half time and I've got to get back to the "big game".