Single Life with Kids!

Check out my view!

2011-08-16T02:21:00.000-07:00

So my good friend {read:sistah} Laura commented that I'm not blogging ~~enough~~... At all.

So... I thought I ought to show you all what I've been up to this summer...

We spent a great month with our cousin Ashley from California. We took her to parks, went swimming, saw matinee movies, rode "Roaster-Coasters", and laughed a LOT! I'm so glad she was able to come and get to know these crazy Northern relatives of hers!

After the Fourth of July, Fritz tried to stay focused at Washington Intensive Wrestling camp. It was an intensely tough week of training, perhaps a little much for his barely First Grade body! Poor kid even fell asleep in the car on the 2 1/2 minute drive home three days in a row!

Itty-Bitty turned nine, so we planned her a backwards birthday. We made her pinata from a leftover snack box -covered in scrapbook papers and about 50 sheets of fringed tissue paper- and filled with more than 5 pounds of candy! We decided to serve a lunch meatloaf "cupcakes" with pink mashed potato "frosting" along with "Corn on the Cob" cupcakes. Surprisingly, the meatloaf was a huge hit!

Itty recieved another exciting gift on her birthday.... a new baby cousin!!!! His name is Jamari Lee and he is absolutely adorable - and not at all underloved! Checkout our little "Pajamas" and all of his adoring big cousins!

So.... now that it's finally gotten decently warm up here in the Great White North, there is one last view that I am particularily grateful for.... the lake by my home! Ahhh the peace.

I hope you enjoyed this (seriously condensed) photo-recap of our summer!

Stay cool and don't forget the SPF!

Crazy Week... or two.

2011-03-20T20:27:00.000-07:00

I've been SO exhausted. We have been running, running, running.... non-stop for three weeks. Fritz started wrestling and has two practices a week, plus an all day tournament every Saturday. The first two hosting schools were 35miles and 99miles away. And weigh-in was at 7am! UGH! Add to that the typical weeknight activities: two piano practices, Activity Days for church, and various school and church randomness. See why I'm exhausted?! LOL

We also spent a few nights "in town" getting ready for Nana to leave for her time in California to visit her mother. Then we had to pack her.... and worse, say goodbye to her. Fritz was very sad. He said he isn't going to even sleep in her bed because she won't be sleeping there. Aww :-(

So... instead of whining on and on all night about how tired I was... what do you think I did?!

No. I am not that smart. I didn't go to bed....sillies.

I signed up to be a First Responder at Digitals a scrapbook community and store! It's really very simple and a lot of fun! AND the best part is that I HAVE to use my digiscraps and ScrapbookMax! So..... I've been up several late nights making some LO's (lay-outs) and posting them on the forums... and responding to other posts. I also got a great deal for a printed photo gallery book and was up WAY too late designing one for my mother with all of my family's GREAT new photos! Happy Birthday Nana! I'm having it shipped to my Grandma's house, so it will get there on her birthday.

So.... what have you been up to?

Birthday Boy

2011-03-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

My boy turned six last week, however, we were so busy recovering from his first wrestling tournament that I didn't have time to post the pictures.

I designed his birthday party invitations using my ScrapbookMax! software. The elements are from the Grungy Boy SBM pack. I thought it looked just boy enough.... maybe a little Western Outlaw. I printed them at our local photo kiosk in 4x6 and put them in an envelope. I thought they were cute, but I was surprised (and pleased) when a mom called to RSVP and told me I should sell cards and crafts at our community Farmer's Market!

After I did the shopping and began thinking about the party decor, I realized how packed my week was going to be! I started the week of the party out with a fun little craft I found on In Between Laundry (don't you just love that name). I didn't read the directions very well.... shocked? yeah, me neither. And instead of buying a wire wreath form, I bought a grapevine one. Oh well, you can't see it, except from the back - through the glass storm door. We used 125 assorted balloons. I blew some up, and tied those on for fun. Then I tied a bow and attached my guy's picture with another length of ribbon. We had these great pics taken a few weeks ago and I was so excited to be able to put this one in the frame!

Next it came time to decide on how to decorate the cake. I knew I was going to be too slammed to bake a cake myself. We had three wrestling practices, Achievement Days for church, two piano practices, choir practice, and prep for our first tournament. I'm exhausted just remembering it! Instead, I headed to the grocery store to try to avoid buying a comic book themed cake. We found a brightly decorated ice cream cake that would be perfect for my next project.

I found this mini cake bunting project over at The TomKat Studio. They had great printable letter flags, but I decided to make my own using craftfoam and stickers. I also used my own paper straws. I had intended to do the little windmills on my cakestand too, but the cake was square! So I thought of making a little banner.... but again, time.
So, we kept it simple! I love birthday parties like that!

I took the bunting off after the party and cut the straws, then I hung it on Fritz's bedroom door. He actually jumped for joy when he saw it! LOL

At the party, the kids made masks from craft foam and decorated them with foam stickers and pompoms. They were so pleased with themselves. We played a few games and unwrapped birthday presents. For goodie bags, Fritz picked out some whistles, mini arcade games and tops. Then I printed off magnetic bookmarks from Controlling My Chaos here. I know they are for Valentine's Day, but I used only the construction guy and the green monster ones. Even the girls liked the "boy" bookmarks! These are great little favors, just print them (again 4x6) at the photo kiosk and attach self adheisive magnetic tape to the backs. Viola!

So, there you have it, a quick and simple birthday party that's sure to please everyone - including the over-booked Momma!

AND THE WINNER IS......

2011-03-03T08:50:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry I haven't gotten this out until just now.... You know how mornings are. My children seem to have a flair for the dramatic - surprised?! LOL

Anyway, as you may have noticed, our sponsor changed their name - or rather - went back to their original name, actually. They are now and forever known as Prefense - "because Prefense is the best defense". I have to agree with that statement. Our family has been surprisingly un-sick since we started using Prefense. And my mother, I just have to tell you, it's amazing! Normally she would be on a bazzillion antibiotics and anti-asthmatics this time of year.... NOPE! She's only taking her regular inhalers and allergy meds....I'm so pleased!

So. Without futher adieu, I want to announce the winner, because I am so excited to be helping another person find the healthy joys of this wonderful product!

And the winner is...

#12 is Hiann88

She said:

"hiann88- I Follow Single Life with Kids! on Facebook"

Congratulations Hiann88! The team at Prefense will be emailing you for your contact information shortly.

Thanks again everyone for participating, I will be hosting more giveaways, so please stay tuned!

Science Fair Blues

2011-02-26T21:54:00.000-08:00

Sister Suzie has a Fifth Grade Science Fair project due the week before Spring Break.

Great.

No Problem... Except, there are a MILLION AND ONE rules for the stupid thing and I.can't.stand.complicated. BUT.... being the good, involved, uber-savvy mom I am, I immediately snapped my ~~fat mouth shut~~ attitude in check and set to work finding experiment books for kids on our local library website. I think we checked out seven or eight.... we ended up coming up with an interesting twist on a time-honored classic.

Setting up the experiment
(don't mind the date-stamp LOL)

THE POTATO CLOCK!

We looked at diagrams online and I was pretty sure we could set this puppy up with NO PROBLEMS! HA!

Every explanation I found listed two frustrating pieces of needed equipment. A 1.5-2v LCD clock, and alligator clips. Now, these are fairly commonplace items... not hard to find at your local hardware or big box store. Except, based on the comments of the type of batteries used, I assumed we needed a little tiny travel clock. And based on the *ahem*not-so-helpful-employee*ahem* at the hardware store, the alligator clips are FLIPPING HUGE! HA!

This meant that tonight's initial set-up of the project took significantly longer than my estimated "throw it together, 30mins - tops" exclamation, and included a tantrum or two... mostly by me. I know. I'm hanging my head in shame. Despicable.

The up-side to this wildly, adventurous scientific journey is that we FINALLY got the ~~stupid~~ rigged circuits to work and Sister Suzie is well on her way to a decent grade - despite my ineptitude!

Here are a few pictures of her work.

Set #1

Set #2

In-home Science Center

Momma's Vegetable Beef Stew

2011-02-17T09:26:00.000-08:00

When I was about six years old, my mother took me to a few Weight Watchers meetings...

No. This isn't a weight loss post...

Although, it does bring up the thought that I really SHOULD try that sometime...

To lose weight, I mean. Hmph.

ANYWAY! At one of those meetings -at least- they gave out a recipe for a garden soup that is now one of my MOST FLAVORite foods ever! Honest. We make it a lot during the cold months, and living up here in PacNW, we have lots of cold months! It is an extremely easy and inexpensive meal to make.

While I couldn't find the original WW recipe, this is a similar vegetable soup recipe found on a blog called A Veggie Venture. It calls for vegetable broth, garlic, onion, carrot, cabbage, tomato paste, green beans, basil, oregano, and salt. I like my soup to have a little more body, so I have always added yellow crookneck squash and zucchini. We never ate cabbage in my house as a kid *shrug* so, instead of that, we use quartered Brussels sprouts. Trust me. I adore Brussels sprouts in this soup... my kids actually ARGUE over who gets the MOST in their bowl! Seriously. I'm not just sayin' that to get props. No, really.... ah, well, thanks!

So, my typical recipe includes: canned stewed tomatoes, onions, green beans, cauliflower, corn, carrots, garlic, potatoes, Brussels sprouts, crookneck squash, zucchini, home-made salsa, vegetable broth or bullion, salt/pepper/Italian seasonings/crushed red pepper flakes and a 4-6 oz bone&skin-less chicken breast diced or shredded. This means that by the "old" standards, this soup is more accurately dubbed - 4point Chicken Veggie Soup. I don't care.... I don't count points... I just LOVE this soup!

Today, I didn't have any vegetable broth.... or chicken stock. So instead I used some left over roast beef stock that my mother and daughter had frozen late last month. (They took all of the meat and veggies we had left and mixed them with a gravy my eleven year old made from the crock pot juices! It was awesome for her first 'from scratch' gravy) To make it taste better with the beef, I omitted the salsa. I have a fabulous loaf of fresh French bread ready to break open and sop up the tasty broth at lunch! I can't wait!

Here is my Vegetable Beef Stew recipe:

3c reserved roastbeef pieces and gravy - including vegetable pieces

1 Onion -diced
3 Carrots - rough chop
3 Cans stewed tomatoes

1lb fresh Green beans - snapped to size
1/2 lb fresh Brussels sprouts - halved

3 small Zucchini and 3 small Crookneck squash - cut in half, chopped rough

4 medium potatoes- quatered, chopped, boiled with salt

1 cup water
Seasonings to taste (basil, oregano, thyme, salt, cracked pepper, bay leaf)

Combine all ingredients in a large stock pot and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, for at least 1 hour. Serve and enjoy!

I'm linking up with these parties:

edited to avoid unintentional copyright infringements

Wordless Wednesday - Itty-Bitty's Native American Plank House

2011-02-15T20:34:00.000-08:00

Our prototype

Itty-Bitty and the start of her Plank House

The Alligator means 'courage', the Frog is for 'energy',

and together they make a 'man strong enough to hunt' -- or so she concluded.

Native American Plank House, complete with "totem pole"

Linking up to these blogs today:

Magnetic Bookmark Craft-lift Freebie

2011-02-13T01:11:00.000-08:00

Last week I read this post, from Controlling My Chaos, about her great magnetic bookmarks. They are digital images and Jill made them to print on 4x6 photo paper. She used magnetic buisness cards (you could use promotional magnets too). I was instantly in love! So, when we had our first bookclub meeting, I let all of the girls make some.... they doodled theirs on cardstock.

*I forgot to take pictures of the creative process.... DANG!*

I used a roll of magnetic tape and had mixed success, the polarity was a little sketchy. The girls had a great time and made at least two... the idea was to share one with Mom, but I've yet to see mine!

Anyway, since I am trying to learn how to use my ScrapbookMAX! software, I decided I needed to make a set of my own. I decided it would be fun to have a special one just for us mommies at our next meeting.

Now, I'm not very good at all of this, but I'd like for you to be able to use these yourself. If you click on the image below, and save the picture, it should print well to a 4x6. Could you please leave me some feedback - either way - if you tried it. Thanks so much!

I'm linking to these parties:

My FIRST Giveaway!!!! Ends 3/2/11

2011-02-10T23:24:00.000-08:00

When you are a mom, you learn to love hand-sanitizer. It's a necessity ... diaper changes, spit-up, runny noses, mud-pies, shopping carts, McDonald's play-lands... yes, a necessity!

However, when you are a mom with kids who have skin conditions, alcohol-based sanitizers are not always the best choice. My family suffers from a condition called Icthyosis Vulgaris, basically it means that their immune system goes a little overboard and creates WAY too many skin cells. This increase in skin cells means that their skin is dry, flaky, and itchy. Its really rather frustrating... as well has guilt-inducing, because it is a hereditary disease. I have it, my children have it, my mother and grandmother have the same symptoms. My mother also has extreme eczema on her hands that causes dry, painful splits on her fingers and open sores on her palms.

Most hand sanitizers are alcohol-based. Most need to be reapplied several times a day to remain effective. Every store bought hand sanitizer we've ever used has caused her hands to burn and sting. Well, until this one.Prefense Foaming Hand Sanitizer is a silica-based product that does NOT contain alcohol. It coats the hands with a germ fighting barrier that lasts through up to 10 hand washings. TEN! Isn't that amazing!

I originally found Prefense on I'm a Lazy Mom and decided to buy it, to see if my mother could use it without pain on a daily basis. We have used it since November of last year and she applies it every day with out pain. Even when her hands are terribly broken out, Prefense actually soothes her skin.

"Great," you say...

"What does that mean," you say, "What kinds of germs and bacteria does it kill?"

Well.... let me tell you a few of the organisms, germs, and other nasties Prefense has been proven to kill. Staph, Strep, Ecoli, Drug-resistant MRSA strains, Herpes-simplex I & II, Influenza, and many more! I know! A-MAY-ZING!

So, it's 100% Natural; NO Alcohol; Softens and soothes dry, itchy hands; It kills more viruses, organisms, fungi, spores, and germs than I can pronounce; and.... AND!!! You only have to apply it ONCE a day.... that's a savings of $1.12/day when compared to popular alcohol-based sanitizers!

I purchased my first bottle to experiment, I tell you what, I will not be purchasing any other brand of sanitizer-EVER! We are hooked, we love PREFENSE! And even better, we want YOU to love Prefenz too!

I am using my first giveaway to give a MONSTER 8oz bottle of Prefense to one lucky reader!!! Because I'm new at this... and because I don't want this to be TOO complicated... Here are your entry options! Please leave one comment for each entry.

***This Giveaway will end Wednesday, March 2nd, at 11:59pm. Winner will be notified via email, so please leave me a valid email or link your profile.***

*REQUIRED* Follow Single Life with Kids! via NetworkedBlogs or Google Friend Connect (located on the sidebar)
Follow Single Life with Kids! on Facebook
Follow Prefense on Facebook

So. That's it.... Simple. Easy. Stop reading this and get to it already!

*UPDATED* Disclaimer: I was not paid to give this review. I recieved one(1) free 8oz. bottle of Prefense to use for my review and the company has agreed to send one(1) 8oz. bottle of Prefense to the winner, directly. My review is based on my own opinions, gained through personal use of a product I previously purchased for use in my household. I am not a medical professional, please seek professional advice if you have any symptoms I described above.

I'm A Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinner!!!!

2011-01-26T00:38:00.000-08:00

HOORAY!

Kari at U Create sent me an email last night to tell me that I won the random draw for her Say It On The Wall $50 giveaway. Can.You.Believe.It.????

I posted earlier that I was following Texas Type A Mom in her quest to enter giveaways... what you don't know is that I was saying to myself, "I need to enter eleventybillion, because I never win those things..." Well my dear readers (all 6 of you!) never say never!

So, $50... in vinyl... that's like good chocolate for my walls!!!! Here are a few of the things I am looking at purchasing:

This is the HIL-AR-IOUS saying that I commented on for the contest.

Those of you who know me personally, you KNOW how true that is! LOL and at $10, I think it will be the perfect little tongue-in-cheek hanging for our front door.

I also really like this one - for my girls' room ($12)

And this for THE Boy's room ($15)

I've been looking for something to go over our piano... something about practice... angels... music.... blessings... I don't know...

Maybe this ($18)

That could fit on a 12x12 tile if I aske for it resized a bit.... or I could ask her to widen it a bit and increase the font.

This one is a great one as well ($8.75)

As you can see, I've got a decision on my hands. Which ones do you think I should get - Yeah, I know you are going to say *ALL of them* but really, I only have $50!

Visit Sayitonthewall.com and tell me which ones are your favorites as well!

Don't forget to follow her blog too!

Great Blog Giveaways!

2011-01-25T15:11:00.000-08:00

So I looked for a Tuesday linky party that wasn't a tutorial and came up sadly short. SO.... instead I'm ~~stealing~~ following in Texas Type A Mom's footsteps and entering five new blog giveaways today.

Here's the list for the ones I entered... which giveaway's did you enter today?

1. Health, Beauty, Children, and Family - $50 Staples Giftcard

2. Health, Beauty, Children, and Family - $45 CSN Stores giveaway

3. Texas Type A Mom - Skoy Cloth Giveaway

4. Coffee On the Patio - $300 Target Giftcard

5. A Concord Carpenter - Weekly Tool Giveaway

And.... because we are here.... and I'm avoiding Laundry.... AGAIN!

6. Livin & Lovin - $85 CSN Stores giveaway

7. Hair On the Brain - LovMely Accessories

Ok... the kitchen calls. Have fun!!!!

Every NEEDFUL Thing (or 10 anyway)

2011-01-24T20:59:00.000-08:00

Ohhh. Kay... So, today we are going to try a new McLinky Monday party called:

10 Things You ABSOLUTELY Can't (or at least wouldn't want to) Live Without

hosted by The Real Housewives of Oklahoma

The rule is these are THINGS... not people...

Ok, so careful thought here and this is what I have come up with :

1: My iPhone... seriously, I killed it a few weeks ago and couldn't do ANYTHING right! It holds my brain. Who are we kidding - it IS my brain. I use it for pic/vids, date timing, scripture/lesson reading, meal planning, project management, FB/web surfing, ~~bratty~~ kid incentive/punishment, ebook reading... I'm trying to learn to blog from it, but that is going slowly. It is for sure my #1 top needful thing.

2: My laptop. It frustrates me, angers me, baffles me... but I would be so disconnected without it. I love Blogger, and FB, and all my fun bloggy buddies! Our family's entire Christmas gift making/giving came from this silly little device.

3: Evidently, the "/" key on my keyboard. Wow. Do you realize I used it FIVE (5) times in the last two items above?! Dang! LOL

4: Our new Sony BluRay/DVD player with Netflix, YouTube, and Hulu. I have yet to get our new HD box from Comcast, so this little diddy has saved me from those dreaded "Mmmoooomm, I'm booorrreeeddd..." outbreaks. On most nights, I turn on an episode of America's Funniest Animals, or Search Funny Cats and Kids after the masses have finished reading for the night. We giggle, we *Gasp*, we all whine when it's bedtime. Yup, I wouldn't have it any other way!

5: My iPhone holder+car charger+FM transmitter. I ♥ this puppy because it does everything I can't do! It is illegal to hold a cell phone while driving in my state and, while it is not as wonderful as my mom's Parrot hands-free, with this little diddy I can use my speaker feature and still be legal. It transmits my favorite songs/audiobooks/conference talks through my stereo and gives me a little ambient noise...to drown out the fighting in the backseats!

6: Our FREEZER! It seriously saves the life of my family on a daily basis!!! We have five hungry bodies in this house.... and sometimes that number nearly doubles on weekends. I couldn't afford to keep my kitchen on the mostly unprocessed and healthy side of things if I didn't have a freezer to keep all of my fabulous, natural, fresh (at purchase) local chicken breasts in. Or the tasty enchiladas and casseroles that we love to make... Mmm!

7: ZAYCON FOODS CHICKEN! *read above* They are a great company, dedicated to honest business and healthy, high-quality foods for cost conscious families. They sell cases of local, fresh chicken for a GREAT price (currently approx. $1.48/lb) and I tell. you. what! These chicken breasts are HUGE... and so super tasty!!! Check them out and see if they have a delivery location near you!

8: Scrapbook MAX! Digital scrap booking software. It is SO easy, so fast, and so fun! Did I mention it's also a fraction of the cost of other commercial editing programs out there? I learned about this great product from My Computer is My Canvas who uses it exclusively to do all of her digital designing. I use it for gift labels, recipe cards, scrap books, crafting.... basically all things paper. I can use practically any digi-file I have purchased both from Scrapbook Max! and from other sites. It is a very easy - my kids use it! I love it!

9: My piano! As a singer, I NEED music! I love to hear my Ladies playing their practice songs, I especially love to hear them play Primary songs and Hymns. I love that they can play... because I cant. Oh, I can plunk out my part - almost in time- if I have to. But that is a sad, sad day... when I have to! Still, I have thought of getting rid of the bulky upright and replacing it with a smaller digital version, but there is something so peaceful about the resonance of the plucked strings. I know why Beethoven was so in love with his music... my daughter is playing Für Elise this month! *sigh*

10: JET DRY dishwasher additive! We are going through a time right now, as the different detergent companies are trying to formulate better cleaning detergents without the use of phosphates in them.... supposedly the phosphates do something to the environment.... but really, what's a few dead fish, compared to clean dishes in my home - really?! Ok... I'm not a total jerk, I don't litter. I try not to waste water. I try to conserve energy. I am actually an advocate for natural, plant-based products with fewer chemicals. But I am SO SICK of grey film and white powder all over my dishes. That is where Jet-Dry comes in! Four washes after filling my reservoir and my glasses and pots are SO SHINY! No nasty film... no teeth clenching etching. We even put a baked on nasty casserole dish in and WOWZAS! It's like new again! I'm so pleased! Click here for a coupon offer from FINISH®

So there you have it.... Today's "Gotta Have" list. Some things change ... lots of things don't... but that's why this is so fun!

So, come on and post your own list!

SOOC - My Ladies' First Girls Night Out

2011-01-22T22:54:00.000-08:00

"SOOC = Straight Out of Camera"

I took my Ladies and their friend to our local shopping mall, for their first real GNO, yesterday. We dug through the clearance bins at Bath and Body Works (free body lotion - thanks to Laura at Thrifty Wifey), ooh'd and ahh'd over all the fun stuff at the various accessory stores, and ate tasty plates of chicken entrees (Bourbon, Broccoli, and Sesame), fried rice, and lo mien! We paused a while to oggle the sweet puppies at the pet store - No, I didn't bring one home!

We spent a little time going through several different clothing stores and really had fun looking at all of the tween-teen styles. One store I've been excited for them to be old enough for is unfortunately going out of business, FORTUNATELY that means 60% off some super cute, trendy outfits for both Ladies! We also saw this bedspread set at JCPenny's that I am absolutely. in. love. with. *Do I smell an inspiration-lift in the horizon? I think, YES!*

But the best part of the night had to be when I let the girls in on my favorite mall ritual... Going to the makeup counter and getting a little glam-over! Their little eyes got so wide and smiles so big when I suggested they get real stuff put on. While I'm pretty conservative with my makeup choices, I do ever so love visiting the Benefit counter at Macy's. The consultant was so fun, she gave each of the girls wonderful compliments and asked them about their hobbies. She told them how important it is to wear just the right amount and how to look glamorous with sheer lip gloss. Best of all, it was FREE! They walked out of there thinking they were movie stars, and I spent the rest of the night with the sad realization that my girls are closer to driving than they are to diapers now!

This is my youngest shopper and OH MY! this is just a glimpse of things to come!

*taken with my iPhone4*

*no edits, because I'm lame like that and don't know how LOL*
I am linking this SOOC to

Beginning a Beneficial Book Club

2011-01-21T01:48:00.000-08:00

How's that for alliteration!

www.fromoldbooks.org

I have been thinking of starting a Mother-Daughter book club in which my Ladies, ages 8 and 11, could not only foster a love for reading classic literature through my guidance, but also connect with their friends outside of school. I love the idea that moms and daughters could potentially read aloud together. I also enjoy the idea this kind of club fosters, in that, girls get the opportunity to realize that they can talk with their mother's and that moms understand them.

We continuously teach our children the values and morals that are important to us; spiritually, politically, culturally. We take them to church, watch wholesome movies with them, have dinner with them and facilitate healthy eating and conversations. We meet their friends and their friends parents. We volunteer in classrooms, with church groups, and at sporting events where they spend their energy and time. But have you ever had your child take a Mother's Day quiz about you and NOT rolled your eyes when the answer to the question reads something like this:

Q: My Mom's favorite thing to do on the weekend is...

A: Fold Laundry

*Cringe*

Does your daughter know that you used to dream of being a princess?

Or that you hated math class and wished you could go to a science camp instead?

Does she know that you made dolls from rag mops and cornstalks because you thought Laura Ingalls had the perfect life?

I was recently sorting through a website for ebooks here and it occurred to me that so many of the classics that I read as a student are not being given to our children. What a pity. We have lost the meaning of literature when it comes to our children. Steve Baranick, author of best-childrens-books.com says this about children's literature:

"The phrase children's literature means something different to me than simply children's books. To me literature is the good stuff, the children's books that have stood the test of time."

"These children's books - by definition - aren't "current," but I think you'll find many of them timeless. And how nice it'll be to share with your children literature that you yourself read as a child!"

This is exactly why I want to begin a book club for my daughters. I want to share with them the love of children's literature and see the joy they feel as they excel in their understanding of classic writing styles. I want them to come to me after a high school Lit. class and comment, as I did at 15; "I don't understand why they have such a hard time with Shakespeare. It's just the same as reading the Bible." and "Do you KNOW how many kids in my class have read Poe? Three... two boys and me!"

And so... Now I start to bring my dreams to fruition by beginning this timeless journey of literary exploration with my Ladies!

Here are a few great sites if you are considering starting a children's book club of your own:

I am linking to these parties:

Wordless Wednesday ~ Pretty please - with a cherry on top!

2011-01-18T23:09:00.000-08:00

This is the perfect time...

2010-11-21T22:54:00.000-08:00

...to focus on GRATITUDE.

I have decided to join this community, to commit to show gratitude to the Lord for all of the wonderful blessings He has brought into my life, and to develop a habit of taking time to see the beauty in the moments that grace my life.

I know that I always have overly ambitious ideals... and I am TRYING SO HARD not to let my perfection get the better of me in this exercise. My typical mindset would be to figure out the equation (goal / # of blessings = days needed to complete) or the inverse (goal / days = # of blessings to count each day) but I'm not gonna do that! You hear me, Self?! We are gonna take this easy and simple and ENJOY the journey! That said.... Here's my first list....

My faith
My children
My children's messes
Teaching my children to clean up their messes ;-)
My mother
The knowledge that I too, was "borne of goodly parents"
The Gift of the Holy Ghost
SNOW!
Rock salt (a must have for my snowy steps)
Our home full of treasures and love
Charities who want to take my extra "treasures"
Friends who have kindly offered to open their homes to my family for Thanksgiving.
My nephew, who let me get weepy and tell him how much he is loved.... and who helped me put away our lawn tractors - before the snow started falling!
My brothers and sisters - I love them for all of their quirks, insights, humorous moments, and endearing *read:annoying* traits! :-P
Learning to love others as the Lord loves them
Learning to trust the Lord more and my selfish desires less
THE PROCESS
Cats

Lake Spokane Relay For Life 2010

2010-05-06T22:58:00.001-07:00

Please come visit my personal page at The American Cancer Society - 2010 Relay For Life of Lake Spokane WA: I will be walking the Survivor lap for the 4th year in a row. I was first diagnosed with Skin Cancer in May of 2005... WOW! It's been 5 years. And I most recently was diagnosed with Melanoma in April of this month. Thankfully, I have an AMAZING Dr. who was completely responsive and aggressive about it. He removed it the very next day and now I'm healing with LOTS and LOTS of stitches!

Here are a few pics.... (WARNING: These are graphic, like, cut flesh graphic.... beware! Scroll down for the rest of post!) ;0)

This is the area of skin the Doc cut out to ensure that he "got" all of the cancerous cells.

It doesn't look too big.... but that's my Dr's thumb for reference.
(It was rather disconcerting to hear his nurse say "I got the biggest one I could find.." when talking about pathology vials....Um.... biggest WHAT?!?! LOL)

These are the pics of my outer stitches.... The Dr. thought it was too morbid to take pics during the procedure.... Wimp! :-D

So.... that was a week ago today and I still have the stitches (until Monday), BUT I got a call from my most fabulous Doc today!!!! AND THE CANCER IS GONE!!!!!! They are pleased with the results, all of the margins came back as Curative Melanoma!!!!! It is a true and blessed relief, my kids all whooped and hollered when I told them!!!!! My mother and I cried, and everyone I know said thankful prayers!!!!! Now.... the only things left to do are: biopsy/remove some smaller but concerning areas; get my kids to submit to mandatory SPF slathering, every day of their ~~rotten~~ precious ever-lovin' lives'; kiss, hug, pamper, and adore my sweet kids (and their unburned, SPF'd faces) as much as stinking possible; and purchase stock in said SPF companies.

Seriously though, cancer is a scary thing.... families are ripped apart by it daily. Don't let your family go through what mine has. We spend hours and hours and tons of money to give our kids "natural" lives.... natural fibers, natural foods, natural consequences? (lol).... what about NATURAL SKIN?! Sun tans are NOT stylish.... beautiful, protected, adored, loved, natural skin is so fantastically in vogue! So please, come visit my page and help me raise money for cancer awareness and research! Thank you so much!

New Friend Friday....

2010-04-30T18:16:00.000-07:00

SO .... I'm NEW at blogging.... and NEW at the blog community... and now, New Friend Friday @ The Girl Creative!!!!

Today is the day where we all get to visit tons of great sites and learn a little about these ladies we blog-stalk and what makes them tick!!! What fun, right?!

Today's inspiration is Most Embarrassing Moment. (dun-dun-dun, as Itty-Bitty would say) So... I have to rack my brain... I really don't have any extremely mortifying moments that haunt me - honestly. But, that is quite possibly because I have done so many crazy and idiotic things in my life that I just have a bit of a "Oh-yeah...what's-new" attitude to embarrassing things! :-D

Here's one I came up with ... Picture me - a not-so-small, single mom with a VERY rambunctous 3yo son. Picture us all dressed up for Church. Picture him throwing a HUGE TANTRUM in the middle of Sacrament meeting - throwing crayons, climbing on the chairs, scrambling away from my grasp. You see where this is going, don't you? Yeah. I grab the little ~~monster~~ ~~booger~~ ~~twerp~~ angel and he flails on the floor.... Now, picture me - a not-so-small-mom-in-a-dress, bending down to swipe that little guy off the floor and swoop him out of the Chapel for a *ahem* talking-to. We spend SEVERAL minutes in ~~lock-down~~ time-out in another room and I casually walk back in and sit him down. I smile at my mother, who leans in to tell me... "When you bent down, your skirt shifted and everyone saw your undergarments." HA HA HA! I tell ya, that's priceless!

Have a great Friday!

It’s done

2010-04-23T09:50:00.001-07:00

I started a craft blog for my plan to make Christmas fantastic by not purchasing any gifts!

I tell the story here and share some beautiful and frugal inspirations with you. I will be including photos and videos as the projects get under way.

I have decided to keep this a family/life blog. I will continue to post oddities about my home, family, and interests. This way, I can keep a journal of our lives AND enjoy the selfish desires of frugal creativity! ;-)

Here's a taste of what I'm talking about ---

These adorable Hammock pillows (using old cloth placemats) are featured @ The Red Chair Blog. Who doesn't love a little POP! of color in the backyard?

How about a stack of these 3-D cards for your Pixie family to enjoy? Check 'em out @ Skip to my Lou!

I love these tile coasters from Little Birdie Secrets. A stack of these tied with a ribbon would be a beautiful teacher gift from your child.

I hope you enjoy these great ideas, snag a couple and craft yourself a Frugal Christmas (in April)!

Undecided...

2010-04-17T15:12:00.001-07:00

It's clear as I return to this site and re-read the most "recent" posts that my life is certainly not on the path that it was heading six months ago... I'm dealing well with the changes (I think.) but how have to face this new conundrum. Do I delete these frustratingly obsolete stories from my blog-life? Or, do I treat them as what they are - stories that make me who I am - and continue to blog the way I planned to originally? I am thoroughly undecided.

I spend a few minutes - OK, a lot of minutes - each day getting inspired by FANTASTIC mommy blogs and desperately feel the pull to join the throng. I love the creativity these women share with me and want to give back, inspire others, and give credit where credit is due. I've toyed with the idea that I could begin another blog... strictly craft-hair-food-review oriented. One that would not be linked with this "Journal" blog. I wonder though, if in time, that the new blog would become what this one lacks. *shrug* THen again, does it matter? I could change one or the other if that time comes. Right? Hmmm.

Still, I am undecided.

2009-11-08T20:30:00.000-08:00

"My mind definitely had too much free time, and it was getting out of control. I fluctuated between anticipation so intense that it was very nearly pain, and an insidious fear that picked at my resolve. I had to keep reminding myself that I'd made my choice, and I wasn't going back on it. I pulled his note out of my pocket much more often than was necessary to absorb the two small words he'd written. He wants me to be safe, I told myself again and again. I would just hold on to the faith that, in the end,that desire would win out over the others. And what was my other choice -- to cut him out of my life?Intolerable." Twilight p.251

The hardest thing about a long distance relationship, for me, is the lack of one-on-one communication. The little things in everyday life that we take for granted when we are in close proximity to those we love. The soft smiles, the play of light and shadow on a face, the glint of emotion in the eyes. The simple act of holding hands; close enough to see the lines on a face and the rise and fall of breath. I struggle with this more than I ever like to admit; its like a blister that is constantly being irritated, festering and gnawing at the back of my mind. For a while, I wondered if it was just stupid jealousy -- my own inscurities
pulling me back. I suppose I could conjure up situations that would allow me to
follow that emotion, but really that is not my problem. I don't have
reason to feel that way, I am positive of that. And so, like Bella, I keep
reminding myself of my choice and of the words he last said to me.
Never enough words. Never enough time. No memories that could ever be as
wonderful as the real thing. But, they are all I have for the moment; I will
take what I can get, for now.

"Besides, since I'd come to Forks, it really seemed like my life was about him."

Johnny and June

2009-07-09T09:26:00.000-07:00

Oh there's something about a man in black,
Makes me want to buy a Cadillac,
Throw the top back,

And roll down to Jackson town,

I wanna be there on the stage with you,

You and I could be the next rage to,

Hear the crowd roar,

Make 'em want more,

Kick the foot lights out.

I wanna love like Johnny and June,

Rings of fire burnin' with you,

I wanna walk the line,

Walk the line,

'Til the end of time.

I wanna love,

Love ya that much,

Cash it all in,

Give it all up,

When you're gone,

I wanna go too,

Like Johnny and June.

I wanna hold you baby right or wrong,

Build a world around a country song,

Pray a sweet prayer,

Follow you there,

Down in history.

I wanna love like Johnny and June

Rings of fire burnin' with you,

I wanna walk the line,

Walk the line,

'Til the end of time.

I wanna love,

Love you that much

Cash it all in,

Give it all up,

When you're gone,
I wanna go too,
Like Johnny and June.

Like Johnny and June,

More than life itself,

No-one else,

This endless promise

They don't make love like that anymore

Is that too much to be askin' for?

*~*~*~*

I met Ryan on LDS Mingle website back in Feb '09. We were friendly and had a good time chatting and talking occasionally. He was very funny and always had some witty comeback for most of the crazy convo that happened in the chatrooms. I always thought he was too young for me to be interested in (he's just a month older than me), but when he posted some recent pics of himself in May... I'll admit it... I was crushing on him!

BUT... he was young.... he was a good friend... I wasn't gonna go there!!!

Then Jeniffer (another friend from Mingle) was going to be here in WA, and that was the perfect excuse for us to plan a little WA-Mingler's party on the west side. I am still the only Eastern WA chatter... so Shelley agreed to have the party at her place.. The whole crew was invited.

I drove over from Spokane and was late (I know, shocker!) to the gathering. Shelley did the quick introductions, Hi's and Hello's... we all settled into the normal banter and light joking. Ryan was the only guy brave enough to meet us crazy ladies, LOL, and he was even cuter than his pics! ;-) I remember thinking that he was much quieter in real life... hmm.

We did the customary picture taking and hugs all around when Ryan had to leave, and the girls spent the rest of the evening talking about men and families... and all the girl talk we do... I really enjoyed the convo and insight of these women, they are amazing.

Anyway, I drove home the next day and since I was alone, I took my simple time with the drive.

I walked down along the shore at Bainbridge Island while I waited for the ferry. I marveled at the storm I could see forming and listened to the distant thunder. I thought about relationships and briefly wondered how Ryan was doing. I took pics up at Wild Horse Monument, I got a speeding ticket while trying to find a place for lunch! The drive was making me crazy! Then, I got a random text... "Hope you are having a safe trip home, I really liked seeing you".

We spent most of the rest of my trip home texting back and forth... I know, no texting and driving... anyway! We talked a bit online later that night... and again the next night.

Somewhere in the course of the next few days, we decided to meet again.

We talked it over and Ryan decided to drive to Spokane for an afternoon to see me. WOW! He got to town around 2pm and we talked in my car for a while, then decided to drive out to the Bowl and Pitcher. When we got to the trails, I had to take off my heels! I walked barefoot down the inclines and he was such a gentleman, holding my hand and helping me! We sat on some rocks along the river and put our feet in. We talked for a long time, I was really surprised at how much we had in common. Eventually, it was time for him to go home again...

5hrs was NOT enough time for me!

I was planning to leave for UT a few days later and was busy but thrilled about Ryan and how I felt about him. Every other man I was talking to didn't compare to him, everyone else fell away. I had originally planned to meet a whole mess of people and go out dancing while I was there, but it wasn't appealing anymore. I wanted a laid back weekend... no pressure. Jill met me at the airport and we talked about the 4th of July bbq. The next day I get a call from Ryan asking if I want to see him that weekend or the following weekend? I'm selfish so I said both! LOL He had some extra time off and had decided to drive to UT for the 4th, if I was willing for him to come,

HECK YES!!!

We chatted briefly online and he called me when he was leaving town. We talked most of the night as he drove... I was so amazed that he would drive all night to see me! We met around 1pm and I was SO happy to see him! I couldn't stop smiling, I held his hand, I kissed him... *sigh* When I hugged him, I knew that he was my place.

I will never doubt that.

We had a great time in UT, I had a wonderful time meeting my friends and spending time with Ryan and Jill. I loved watching fireworks with Ryan, standing in the dark and loving the beauty of the dazzling sparks. We talked for long hours while we were together, learned much about one another... I learned a lot about me as well.

I watched him drive away on Sunday, no tears exactly, just peace. Peace, because I knew that I would see him again soon, and because I knew that I would never be away from him....

not really.

Ryan has taken my heart and broken down the walls. He has set himself inside it and I feel as though he won't ever be far from me again.

I love him, more than I ever imagined. More than I ever wanted to.

I am so grateful for his love of me. I am so blessed.

I am so thrilled with this new path!

Thank you Ryan!

I love you!

So glad it's Summer!

2009-06-22T11:11:00.000-07:00

Well school's out... I'm SO glad! I have a basement to declutter and kids to set free in the backyard! I have every intention of spending my afternoons down at the beach -- once it stops raining of course! Here are a few things that have happened since my last post...

First of all, some very exciting news for me... I was able to do something I thought I would have to wait many years to do. I was able to have Temple work done for my Great Grandma Jessie Aurora Bowser, my Great Grandpa Charlie Bowser, Great-great Grandmother Sarah Clements, as well as for my Grandpa Gene Driggers (my mom's daddy). I went with the youth to do the baptisms, I haven't done that since I was 15. It was very cool to see the awesome youth in my ward! They were so happy to be there, and they were so welcoming to one another, I love those kids! What great examples you are to my children! Then the next week my mom and I did the names in a session. The men's names were done the same night! It was such a cool week! I felt so close to my Grandma! Way cool!

For spring break, we took a family vaca to Seattle/Tacoma and went to the zoo(saw a really cool bald eagle and elephants), the science center(the butterflies were awesome and so was the planetarium), and had dinner with our Grandpa and Grandma Leonhardt (we love you and miss you and can't wait to see you again!)! Then we traveled back through Spokane and down to Rigby, ID to visit our friends Sara and Barri Farnes. We had an amazing time there reconnecting and walking around BYU-I. Sara and I did a session at the Rexburg Temple, and we even got a little guided tour... of the sealing rooms and the waiting area for the children. It is so beautiful!

Things got a little crazy after that though... Mom was in California, I was in school.... Girls started Softball. They played on a team called Hot Chili Peppers (the team chose it because their shirts were red!) Both girls did so great this season! I'm so proud of them for stepping out and learning something new. This was Sister's first time playing and Itty-Bitty was the youngest and smallest player -- being the only 6yo on a team of mainly 3-4 graders! They were AWESOME!!!!! They made good friends, as did I, and their coach was fantastic!

Things got really wild when my brother Dave got very sick from an abcest tooth. He was so sick they hospitalized him and did two oral surgeries to remove the abcesses.... EW! I spent a lot of time at the hospital so his son, Jon, could see him. It was a very tender week and I am so grateful to have been able to help my brother and nephew. I am so grateful for the Lord's hand and plan in our lives. I am so grateful for David, for being my brother and my friend. I am so grateful that I have a good relationship with him. I love him so much! I am so grateful he is healing well and able to get back to his regular routine!

After I took Dave home from the hosptial, I did something really stupid and got into a car accident.... IN my mother's car!!!! EEEEEEK!!! Thank heaven that no one was hurt. My kids weren't with me, which was another blessing because I got a little hysterical when I couldn't open the front doors. I had to climb out through the back of the Mountaineer!!! Mom was still in California, so I had the 'pleasure' of calling her and reporting the damage.... Oops! So... that brings us up to about last week.... LOL

There was other stuff like: Fritz and I went to Cattails with his class... Itty went to Riverfront and to the lake with her class, Sister went to YMCA with her class and climbed the wall there... Oh, we got a new kitten too.... Purrsia.... she's really cute... looks like a Mini-Me Domino. Domino boycotted the house when Purrsia came, for about three weeks!!! Talk about tempermental!!! But she's back inside now, staying up on Fritz's bed because Sabrina and Purrsia can't get up there! Laura came for a dance....YAY!!!! Mom bought a new car.... Suzuki XL7 -- way cute! And... I think that's about all!

WOW!!!! I'm so glad for Lazy Dazy Summer!!!!!!

Fritz has a "Cram-rer-ra"

2009-03-10T14:45:00.000-07:00

This is one of the best gifts I've given him, especially since he just recently dismantled the automatic lens covers on my camera! It's a Fisher-Price Kid Tough Camera and he LOVES IT!!!!

It is big and chunky and has a hard outer shell. The hand grips are a rubber that helps little hands keep hold and the manufacturer claims it is even waterproof for upto 30 minutes in 3 ft of water. So that means I can feel safe letting him have it outside for play. I like the fact that you look through the veiw finder with two eyes, like binoculars. Fritz is good at winking, but Sister (eventhough she is nine) still has a hard time with that. Also, the previous picture is on the screen right away, that makes it easy for the kids to see if they like the shots. The buttons are easy to learn and use, and it is very easy to upload to the pc.

I have read several of the reviews on this product, I think many people expected way too much from this TOY. That's what it is.. a toy, not a professional camera. It will not have portrait quality pictures, but it is absolutely perfect for getting glimpses of life through your little ones eyes. That's the best thing about this camera. It gives Fritz a way to enjoy his world, pick out the things he likes about life, and be excited about being a part of our family times. When I asked him what he likes best about his new camera, he said "Mm... perfect! It takes pictures of Sabrina and Domino!"

Here are a few of his first photographs!

He loves to take pictures of our animals, these are Domino (the cat) and Sabrina (the dog) in his room.

He also likes taking pictures of his family : me, Sister, Itty-Bitty and Sister even took one with Itty and Fritz.

What is a cow's favorite thing to see?

2009-03-05T01:05:00.000-08:00

Mooooooooooooovies!

Especially FREE MOOOOVIES!!!

That's right, Redbox is doing Free Movie Mondays and Wednesdays. Wednessdays are for March Madness... every Wednesday on their blog, they have a new Free Movie code good for 1 night's rental. Also, they have a link to set up your cell phone to recieve a code on Monday's for another free 1 night's rental (details here)! How fantastic is THAT?!?!

Through his eyes

2009-03-04T19:56:00.000-08:00

"How do you make oranges?"
"God made them grow from fruit trees, with sun and water"
"How did frogs grow?"
"God made them from little tadpoles"
"Why do we have rain?"
"God gave us rain to water the plants and give us water to drink and bathe in."

These are the kinds of questions and answers I give Fritz each day as we drive to school or walk outside. We play I Spy and he notices his world. Sometime he lets me look at the world as he sees it. On those days, I am truly blessed.

Yesterday we were doing the same Q&A while running errands. We were walking in the parkinglot when he reached up to hold my hand and asked... "Momma, why did God give us Wal-Mart?" To which I said... "Because God knows your Momma loves a good deal once in a while!" Isn't that the truth? God Knows! He knows ME! He knows what I need... even if it's just a good deal on cough syrup for my babies who have the crud. Or if it's the extra money needed to pay that last nagging bill. Even when I need something as important as a sweet moment with my boy. God Gives because God Knows! That's all that matters.

Have a Blessed day.

Love Letters

2009-03-03T00:13:00.000-08:00

I've decided I'm going to send love letters this week.

To whom? you may ask... "Why, to my lovelies, of course!"

I've written one for each of my children... Fritz's is really short and sweet! He'll like it when he's older, right?

Anyway, the first said letter was recieved quite well.... albeit, not found in the mailbox as I had planned (it was on the banister waiting for a stamp when the recieving child spotted it)! I don't think anyone even noticed it didn't have a stamp.... or that it wasn't found in the mailbox for that matter. They got MAIL! It had their NAME on it! YAY! Smiles and warm -fuzzies were in abundence. It was deffinately the spark I needed to write the other two notes.

I hope this will be a treasured "tradition". I've written them each letters in the past... at Church, on mgna-boards, on the whiteboard... on the bathroom mirror with whiteboard markers ;-) yup, they work great for little inspirational quotes too But I've not done it routinely, I think this is what I need. I need to tell them how I feel , before they get too old to care. Yes, I know they are young, I am SO grateful that they are... I need all the time I can have to love them and teach them.

I think this is what I need, to have a sense of love and togetherness... lead by example... no unkind words and letters of love and adoration. My kids are so good at that. I get some of the sweetest art work around: flowers, hearts, portraits, rainbows, animals... even musical compositions that they want me to play with them on the piano. Ahhh, I am blessed... even when my days are rough... when my nights are long... and my sleep is short.... I am so blessed!

Day of rest...

2009-03-01T16:34:00.000-08:00

So, my girls are at their dad's for the weekend... I should be enjoying myself right? WRONG! I am never completely myself when my girlies aren't home. Sure, Fritz and I had lots of fun with Nana and some cousins at McD's yesterday. We did all the good fun stuff yesterday ... like... fixed breakfast, he broke my camera, dumped out all the cinnamon and sugar.... wait... "He broke your camera?" you say. Oh yes. He did. My new one.... my fancy, first one in 12 yrs one.... BROKE! played at McD's, got a toy at McD's, shopped at Wal-Mart, got lost from Momma at Wal-Mart.... Yup... Lost. Called the Manager type lost. Shut the doors type lost.... and what did this sweet boy say to me when he was found???
"Momma! Where were you? I was looking everywhere for you! You should find me next time."

We won't even go into the lovely episode he had in Church today... or the mess I just had to clean up.... Wasn't this post supposed to be about Sunday being a day of rest? Riiiiiiiiight - not if you occupy my world it isn't. It's just LIFE!

But, alas... I do love it so. Sometimes.... gotta go... Fritz just said uh-oh....Again!

Been awhile!

2009-02-28T19:23:00.000-08:00

Like the rest of you, we've been SO busy these last two months just trying to dig out from under all of this INSANE snow!!!! We have 4 foot high piles of it all over near the road and behind the house where we had it shoveled off the roof. The back yard is still under 15inches as well.

Anyway, I have some great things to show you, first of all.... my new background, THANKS SO MUCH LEELOU AND COLEY for all of your help with my new template!!! It's wonderful! Please check out the great templates (even free ones) from LeelouBlogs. They are so trendy and really very easy to use on your own blog.... even if you are html-challenged like me! LOL Follow the link at the bottom of my page. Thanks also for the FAB buttons on my side-bars.

Also, down at the bottom, there is a super cute button for Super Capes for the Latter-day Hero, you don't have to be LDS to L-O-V-E these super-hero capes for your little ones. They have Bible characters, Monograms, and many other designs! What a perfect idea for your little Superman or Pretty Princess!!!! I'm in love with the little applique t-shirts too... the scrappy owl and Tie are my FAVES!!!!

Also, I have a super fun bit of news to report, my friend Stacy (from highschool) is starting a CUTE hairwear business, right here in my little neck of the woods!!!! The hats are so precious... it almost makes me wish I had a little baby girl again! LOL No. Not really... But I think Itty-Bitty will look SUPER-duper cute in one of those BIG flowers!!!!! Also, they are holding a Grand-Opening Giveaway for a Flower Hat or Headband of your choice. The rules are simple, you get one entry for each of the following: Posting a comment, following, and reffering a friend (have them leave your name) .... so go check it out and leave my name along with your comment.... then we'll both get an entry!!!

ONE LAST THING:
I have a few new family pics.... I hope you like them!!!! Sister got her hair cut after these pics... I'm so glad we got them done before hand! Please comment and follow my blog!

Pièce de résistance!!!

2008-12-02T17:20:00.000-08:00

I meant to post this at the same time as the last post, but it took me a long time to figure out exactly how to layout the post.... so here it is!

OUR FAMILY CHRISTMAS VILLAGE! *2008 edition

This style of our village began some where around 1990, when my dad bought Momma a starter set of a Dickens' era village. Before that, she had a little tiny one made of cardboard buildings with colored-cellophane windows, I remember playing with the little tiny houses, pipe-cleaner people and the pretty church with "stained glass" windows.

Though the village started out small, it has grown to a wonderful size in the last twenty or so years! We have seven homes and cottages, a Church, a ski hill, two gas stations (to keep the prices honest, lol), eleven various businesses; including several restraunts and a Micheal's craft store! In past years we have had two trains, this year however, we only set up our HO-scale track and a few well loved train cars. (Our other train is an O-scale North Pole train with Santa and his elves ready to fill the stockings of all the good little girls and boys!) The HO train runs under a fantasticly engineered tunnel, which is topped by Nana's little cottage with greenhouses full of pretty flowers. A favorite place for the 18 grand- and great-grandchildren, her yard is the perfect place to have a snowball fight, test out your daring with a ski session down her steep hill. The children made sure Papa was included in thier fun by errecting a snowman in his honor over by the Snowangels. The older kids love to hang out in the sturdy treehouse, which they decorated with lights from the outside of the house!

As I said in my last post, we normally have a river that includes a waterfall. It spills into a 'lake' and then fades into a little pond that we use for iceskaters. I haven't been able to put this up yet, but I will post a new slide show when we get it done. I will give an explaination of the process then, just know that glycerine looks really cool when you pour it on a mirror! Anyway, down in front of the tunnel, there are several lakefront businesses. One is a coal depot for the train, it really is a cute piece that my brother gave to Mom a few years ago. There is a fishing rental shack, a seafood restrant, a doctors office, and a toy shop. On the other side of the track is a covered bridge that will span the river . The park is complete with a clock tower and a holiday carosel that plays carols. We also have another green house down there. We like little plants I guess. I was going to write a little more about each piece, but I had a hard time getting Blogger to obey, so I guess we have to settle for a slideshow! LOL

Picture Perfect

2008-11-30T22:31:00.000-08:00

We haven't put the finishing touches on just yet.... the hills need trees and the village usually has a river>waterfall>lake>skate pond but we haven't 'built' it yet. That is on the agenda for this week....
Anyway, here are my pics! Enjoy, we sure do!

It's hard to believe that the mess that was my living room could turn into ... THIS!!!!

The piano is beautiful, so simple and elegant I think. I bought these candle holders for my mom last year and they are so fun to decorate for the different seasons.

The little tree is a musical cookie jar! The little trains on the base go around the tree.
What a perfect fit for our home!

This little piano belonged to my brother when he was a baby, every grandchild has enjoyed it's precious music. As you can see by the lack of the right leg, it has been well loved in it's 34yrs!
I bought this Santa's Advent calendar last year and really think it's cute. Putting it on the "little piano" means that it is just the right height for getting out little treats as we count down the days until Christmas! I made the Family picture at a Super Saturday for our ward (congregation) last month. Above that is a plaque that simply reads "Pray".

My mother's curio cabinet is full a beautiful things, but nothing is more precious to her than the collection of Napoleon hand crafted porcelain flowers that my father used to buy for her each Christmas. Always wrapped in a special package; no tag necessary, everyone in the family knew exactly who the beautiful gift was for. She placed this one at center this season. It is remarkable.

Close-up pics of the top.

"The Littlest Christmas Tree", it's just right for us and with the 'stars' to light the night, who could ask for more ?

AND NOW..... The Pièce de résistance!!!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2008-11-29T22:22:00.000-08:00

Everywhere you go....

Well, it's deffinately Christmas time at our house. We have had the tree up now for exactly 2 weeks (yet to decorate... but we will soon), the Village* has been up now for a week and a half. The mantle and piano-tops are beautifully decorated, as is the entry and stairway banister. We started putting things together for decorations around the 16th... I know, that's early... I was getting dirty remarks from people in my classes and remind them that there were only 39, 38, 37... count 'em 26 days until Christmas! What can I say, I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!! I had carols on in my car on Nov. 5th, as soon as the elections were over!

Oh, funny side note story. I had to have some work done on my car (to repair the crunch when I was rearended this summer) and when all was said and done, I had to return the rental car, ect. Well, the man who drove me back to the collision place was teasing me that I had Christmas cd's in the stereo (it was Nov. 18). We were listening to a special cd that my family made as gifts one year. It has all different carols that are favorites of my parents and siblings. Anyway, I told this man about why I made it and he laughed and said, "That's a great gift idea, are you going to give me one?" I smiled at him and said "Absolutely! You can have this one in fact!" I had the case in my purse and pulled it out, took out a pen and wrote "Thanks for the ride! It was nice to meet you. Happy Holidays From Jessica Worley and Family, 2008" and then I took out the CD and handed it to him. He was SO shocked! Then he got excited, he said his wife was going to be so thrilled and that she loved carols too. He was all smiles when he dropped me off, he thanked me agian as he shook me hand and then he gave me a hug and wished me "Happy Holidays!" It was really awesome! I love when I get the chance to spread Holiday Cheer!

"The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!" ~Buddy the ELF

HI!!!!

2008-11-20T09:59:00.000-08:00

Ok... I've been AWOL... but I've been checking on my fave blogs and there is a FANTASTIC give away at MomOf2Dancers - she's giving away a $25 gift cert. to Maiden America. Maiden America is a great company owned by a gal who wants her children to actually be CHILDREN! How refreshing! Plus, she makes super cute hair clips for girls AND dogs.... *sigh* I think I've found another wish for my miles-long list. Doggy bows to keep the hair out of Sabrina's sweet little puppy eyes.

** Also, Ginny (Momof2Dancers) is doing a holiday gift guide, the link is on my sidebar, check it out!**

We Thank Thee, Oh God, For A Prophet!

2008-10-04T22:00:00.001-07:00

I'm so grateful for Conference! I was so thrilled to see precious Primary kids in the choir today it was great. My girls are pretty good about sitting through the sessions when we are home, and today's choir really held thier attentions.

I really enjoyed the talk from David A. Bednar, I have long struggled with making my prayers personal and meaningful. I appreciate the admonishment to make sure our family members can feel our love for them through our prayers. I want my children to know, without a doubt, that I love them. I want them to know that I am trying to be the best mother I can, and that I rely on the Lord to help me make up the difference. I have faith that the Lord can give me all that I need, and that he can make me all that they need me to be. I want them to hear the blessings I see in my life, and to feel the truth of that through the Spirit's soft whisperings to their hearts. This was a very important talk for me personally.

I am excited to hear the Prophet speak tomorrow, I will be taking my children to the Chapel for the morning session, mostly because I want them to know that eventhough we aren't in Primary, we are still following the Lord's commandments by worshiping in His meetinghouse each week.

I have posted the song about the members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. I really think it's a cute way to help the kids learn the names and faces of our blessed leaders. We are so blessed to have Godly men to guide us at this time.

Are you a smarty-pants?

2008-09-29T22:42:00.000-07:00

On the way to "HeadStarts" (as BuggaBoy calls it) for the last week, BB and I have been playing "I Spy".

We love this game at our house, it's a fun way to pass the time and I get a chance to see how my babies view their world. Well, I've learned a lot about my little man on these recent rides, I had no idea he could be so tricky! But also that he really enjoys compliments and is learning to give them as much as receive them. I think it's such a great lesson for him to be learning, it's also VERY comical!

As he guesses, I tell him how smart he is and how fun he is. He always responded with "You so smart too, Momma!" Until Friday... you see, durning this time he's also been potty training... we've been talking a lot about underpants. Well, BB combined them on Friday, "Momma, you is a Smarty Underpants!" HA HA HA! What a PERFECT little phrase!

It's been a running joke this weekend anytime someone does something profoundly intelligent. But BB wasn't going to let his glory fade into a cliché Oh no, he had another fabulous tag up his sleeve. Tonight as he was getting ready for bed, he was playing with Nana and in the course of their time, he told her she was a... Smarty-Pajammies! LOL I'm amazed at his quick wit! What a pumpkin

the logo belongs to smartypants.com

Addicted to HAIR....

2008-09-27T09:24:00.000-07:00

I like to think I'm creative, I love to craft and crochet and am starting to get a decorating bug... well, I have found a new creative addiction!!!! YAY!!!!! It's HAIR!!!!

My girlies' hair to be exact (I'm just starting to get ok with straightening my hair, but these girls are FUN to play with!) SO, there are tons and tons of hair blogs out there and boy am I learning a lot. Now, I'm not completely new at experimenting iwth other people's hair LOL I did a lattice thing on my girlie's a few years ago and got bunches of complements, it was the first time I realized some of these styles aren't that difficult. Some are, at least for me (read: I can't french-braid lol), but these sites are fantastic about tutorials, so I'm confident we'll try some hard ones soon.

Now, unfortunately, I was dumb and didn't take pics of my girls the last two days. We actually got up early *shock* and the princesses let me DO thier hair *double shock*! It was so cute, the first day I did this in Sister Suzie's hair and this in Itty-Bitty's, then yesterday I did variations of this to Itty and this to Sister.

Here are some awesome links: Girly Do's, She Does Hair, Babes in Hairland, Hair's Our Life (click for details on her fantastic giveaway), Hair 4 My Princess, Piper's hairdos... there are SEVERAL more, but Sister is sitting here waiting for me, so I can't play no more! LOL

Today I want to do THIS to Sister... but we're in a hurry and I've wasted time blogging and geting my "hair-fix" so she's only gonna let me mess a little bit. DANG!

Competition can be the greatest motivator....

2008-09-20T15:48:00.000-07:00

After my recent post about the lack of excitement I have for exercising, I got off my duff and went to the gym. YEAH!!!! It was AWESOME! I felt so good about getting out there and doing something. While I was checking out all of the services that the fitness center offers, I saw an announcement for their own Biggest Loser contest. I thought "hmm, that's interesting...Laura did great with her's, maybe I should think about that." That very day, we got our local paper and what do you know, there was the info again... "$10 reg. fee... $150 in fitness center prizes... Lets think this over some more."

So I go Wed. to do my interval and decide I am going to do it. I have a fitness challenge coming up for MomentumFS, so why not combine the two? The initial meeting is Sept. 30, then weekly weigh-ins through December. It's not a huge one like my old gym hosts, but not bad for a small town. I'm sure the future competitions will be bigger, longer, ect. But I'm looking forward to the nitty-gritty and seeing the progress I can make in the next 3 months. This is gonna be good guys, this is gonna be SO good!

Just and old fashioned girl...

2008-09-19T15:17:00.000-07:00

I have always loved Eartha Kitt. Santa Baby has been one of my favorite Christmas "carols" since I was a preteen, the best time I ever had was singing it at a Nursing home in 10th grade. LOL But in searching YouTube this spring for some clips for a Music Appreciation class, I came about the live recording of this fabulous song. It's completely facetious and I LOVE IT! Now truly, I'm not this concieted, but boy oh boy, I'd like to be some days! All in all, I'd just love to find the perfect LBD (Little Black Dress) and some killer heels and sing this at a singles thing one day!!!! HEE HEE HEE!

Ok, I'll go return the horns and pitchfork to the closet and put my halo back on... in the meantime, watch the video and smile a little! I do!

~J~

Motivation... get some!

2008-09-15T23:23:00.000-07:00

So I was having a convo tonight with a friend about my motivation (or lack thereof) to get "fit". I really believe that I have to be the motivation in my own life, so why can't I do that? I have so many things I do every day that I really feel are important, most of them are for my family, but isn't being "fit" also important for my family too?!

I read the scriptures and say prayers because I want to show my kids on a daily basis how important it is to bring the spirit in to the home. I want to show them everyday how to notice the spirit by how they feel. I fix meals with and for my kids most every night, we eat together at the table, we talk, we use manners. I want to teach my kids daily to eat right, to respect their table-mates, to make connections with their siblings that will last a lifetime. I want to do the same thing with them about health and fitness, but why is it that I don't get fired up about it like I do with other things?

I think my answer lies in perfection. I know that my kids are going to lay all over the couch when we read scriptures, my ds is going to run in and out the whole time... I expect it. I know my girls will tussle about who gets "the pretty fork" before dinner, I know someone will inevitably fart or burp at the table which will create peals of laughter and indigestion... I expect it. But when I have a long day and take too many hours chatting and surfing the Internet and then look at the clock and realize that it's already tomorrow... I think "Dummy, you could have worked out... now you're too tired." When I want to sleep in after the aforementioned late night, I think "Idiot, serves you right, now you can't workout because you are too tired." When I drive passed the gym after taking the kids to the pizza parlor for dinner.... I think "You are so lazy, you didn't even go to the gym and you couldn't manage to make a decent meal, how ridiculous." I kick myself.

It's perfection... it's paralyzing my life. As I came to this conclusion, I did something I haven't done all summer, I turned on a Jonathan Roche show and started listening to last week's show. What was the first topic? MOTIVATION!!!!! How much time do you spend in front of a screen each day? How much of a workout could you have gotten in that time? DUH! That's IT! I just need to DO IT!

I'm logging on to MomentumFS now, I'm signing up for the Fitness Challenge, I'm writing myself an appointment with the gym for tomorrow. The dds get on the bus at 8:30, I can be at the gym and busting out that interval by 9:00AM! I WILL be at the gym and busting out an interval by 9:00 AM!!!!

Today is my January 1st! Go Me!!!!!

New Pics...

2008-09-14T22:14:00.000-07:00

Yes DAN.... new pics!!!! YAY!!!!

Rock and Rollin' Jessie!!!!

Thomas talks with R2D2 at Downtown Disney, Awwww!

FRUSTRATED!!!!!

2008-09-14T19:50:00.000-07:00

I am slowly but surely becoming disenchanted with my new laptop...

First of all. whatever "they did" when "they" uninstalled my wireless card from my desktop freaked something up and now we can't access the internet from the regular pc... which brings back all of the bad stuff about a shared computer. The sighs and attitudes about not being able to use it when they want.

And then there is the fact that I don't have the Office 2007 pack on my laptop, which means I can't use Excell, Word, or my constant companion Outlook... OI! You get a total of 25 unregistered uses of Office programs before you are locked out completely. So, since the disk I previously used has moved to Tri-cities...shhhh! LOL I have to bite the bullet and go buy it at the college this week.

OH, yeah... let's not forget the several things that won't run on my new system... CSI games, my dinosaur of a digital camera (Yes Dan, I had pics to post even), my dd's mp3 player... oh. and the new Barbie game I bought the DDs as a reward for homework/piano practice complete. I've downloaded drivers, patches, installed various whooziewhatzits and still can't work them. UGH!

I'm beginning to think this Laptops are the Future stuff is just a bunch of hooey! HMPH!
~J

I went to the animal fair....

2008-09-10T23:45:00.000-07:00

the birds and the bees were there.....

So 'Itty-Bitty's' class went to the County Fair today. SO CUTE! They are so sweet at this age, so excited about ducks and turtles, the part all the kids loved were the Goats who kiss and eat from our hand. They also liked the logging show, shopping wood is super cool at 6! I just love going on fieldtrips! I walked around with "my kids" and just relished in the simple things today. We petted a turtle and a kitten, and we won free goldfish from the petstore. We ate FABULOUS Chicken for lunch. We got faces painted and brought home souvieners. Oh the joy of a BIG rainbow hawiian shaved ice on a warm fall day! It was bliss I tell you, utter bliss! I'm so grateful that they enjoy Mom being wiht them... I know it will get few and far between in the future. I want to live in today. I love today! It was a very good day!

Oh, and for the record... while I love honey, I HATE BEES! One got in my car and stung me on my back and now it hurts. Nasty ole thing....

Technology

2008-09-06T01:12:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I LOVE technology! I'm sitting here listening to Kate Nash and blogging..... in my LIVINGROOM!!! Yup! I did it, I bought a laptop. I'm going to use it for school, since all of my Accounting homework is internet based. But while I'm waiting for school to start, I'm having fun learning how to use it! YAY!!!!! Nancy Drew games are fabulous on here, yesterday I played with my headphones on while DS was taking a nap beside me. I can go to the local pizza parlor and use the network, I set up on a public network tonight while I was sitting at an accident waiting for the road to reopen. It's fabulous! No more fighting over the use of the PC... no waiting for someone else to finish up... or get *sighs* from those waiting for me to finish my work (read:my game) LOL

~J

To Bid or Not To Bid...

2008-08-18T22:32:00.000-07:00

That is the question!

I've started looking on Ebay this week. (Thanks Joni!) LOL I think I've been pretty picky about what I am bidding on. Looking at the bid price + the shipping total = "would I pay that at the store?" (Again, thanks for the tip Joni!) ;)

So I have made a few purchases tonight and now I have to stop looking... But I decided I like this Shop From Home thing.... as long as I ONLY shop for what we need. THAT'S THE HARD PART!!! There is the CUTEST pair of cherry print skimmers that I want like no tomorrow. I don't need them. I have a perfectly fine pair of black and red casual shoes.... and I DID just buy a fabulous (impluse purchase) RED purse on Saturday... But I WANT THESE SHOES!!!!!!!!

Ebay is a dangerous place I've decided. I think I'm going to have to limit myself ... only what we need.... and only one peek-session a week.... moderation in all things... Thou Shalt Not Covet (thy neighbors' cute footwear)...

Ok... ok... I x'd out of Ebay... but I got some CUTE little buys!!!! Yay Me!!!!! Take a look!

SO CUTE! These will go great with DD1's plaid pants and skirt!

I couldn't bear to lose these, so I skipped bidding and paid the $10.00 Buy Now price. TOTAL:$16.00

A Two-fer! These are great for DD2's first grade wardrobe! Bid:$4.00 Shipping:$8.25 TOTAL:$12.25

The best deal I got tonight! DD1 is going to be so stylish! LOL Bid:$0.99 Shipping:$6.95

TOTAL: $7.95!!!

SIGH

2008-08-11T01:12:00.000-07:00

I haven't gotten any votes for my template question, so I'm taking down the poll and choosing for myself. Thanks jackbook.com for the AWESOME template!!!!!

I'm having one of those super sureal days.... you know? First of all, I found out that I am ranking 79th (tied with several other users) in my fitness challenge at Momentumfs.com. There are something like 2000+ people involved and that makes me feel pretty dang good!

ChallengeParticipant Status Total # of Workouts Avg.Workouts/Week Current Place
[JessieMomma] Active 36.00 3.28 79

What and awesome feeling, I was sure I hadn't even gotten 13 workouts in!!!! YAY ME!!!!!!!!!!!!

So the other big WEIRD part is... my ex-finance (who recently got married BTW) RE-sent me an email he sent me only weeks after his wedding. WHAT?! Yeah, he emailed me to tell me all about his life; sans fiance, wife, or marriage info., and asked about my kids... wanted to make sure we could still stay in contact.... misses our converstations........ WHAT THE HECK?!?! DUDE, you are MARRIED! MARRIED.... does that not ring a bell with you???? And you wonder why I sent you packin'??????????????? Some people I swear!

What is it about my life? Do I just have a sign that says "Desperate; Idiots need apply"? *sigh*

Well, I know what I need tonight.... a good snuggle with my puppy dog and an episode of CSI. I'm outta here! Night night!

~JM

New Templates...

2008-08-08T13:33:00.000-07:00

So again with the playing around with Blogger...

I have found templates that are BEAUTIFUL... I wish I knew how to create my own! Anyway, I want your opinions ... which template should I use???? Thanks!
~JessieMomma

So, who DID agree to let China host the Olympics?!

2008-08-05T12:58:00.000-07:00

Dr. Laura Schlessinger has a wonderful blog, I have to say that I am very drawn to her principles and I trust her opinion very much. She is a beacon of values in a world that is terribly mixed up about right and wrong. Her entry today rang true to my values. I've thought all along that sending the Olympics to China was a bad idea, my mother has said for years that we need to be careful. Weren't the Olympics supposed to be hosted by countries that upheld values of human preservation and honesty? Aren't we supposed to look at the countries(and cities) and marvel at how they've overcome struggles and contentions, how their governments are working to hopefully better the lives of their citizens?
Trust me I am not saying that our government is perfect or that we've got all the answers. But my goodness, this is outrageous, there are Olympians who are not traveling directly to Beijing, but through other countries first, or wearing face masks, to avoid prolonged over-exposure to harmful pollution in the air. Pollution which China promised in 2001, to remedy prior to the opening of the Games... don't you think waiting until the week before is a bit of poor planning? Instead, they've uprooted peasant families in order to build new state of the art arenas, continued to disregard the civil rights of their citizens, and limited the ability of foreign newscasters. Please tell me, HOW is this a good thing??? Why haven't these games been boycotted??? What as citizens can we do now, with the games looming a few short days away???
I don't know the answers, but I think we've become too complacent. I'm feeling a pull in two directions, I have been for a while now. On the one hand, I now have two children who are old enough to watch some events and understand why we hold these special events every four years. I want them to see these spectacular athletes and gain appreciation for their dedication, to look up to them as I looked up to Mary Lou when I was a little girl. I want them to be inspired to choose a sport or activity and really learn and grow in the joy of perfecting it. And yet, I want to show them that I don't agree with our involvement in events that bring gain to this country who can be very dangerous to us, who does not even uphold the promises it has made in order to receive the honor of hosting the Olympics.
I am torn. Will not allowing my family to participate in viewing the Games really show anyone anything? Or is this a time to sit my kids down and explain to them why we watch and support our athletes, and teach them WHY we are so lucky to live in our beautiful land? It seems that I have a decision to make soon. One that I am unfortunately certain will not be that last of it's type. Which happens to be exactly the reason I am grateful for people, like Dr. Laura, who have the voice and means to speak publicly about the morals and values that are being degraded by the popular culture. We would be blessed if we had more people like her in the media.

Figuring out "Blog"

2008-07-30T12:46:00.000-07:00

Ok... so I know there is a way to add music to my blog..... because I'm listening to the coolest songs on my firend Laura's blog. She has a friend who sets her up with awesome music.... something called Project Playlist. I'm going to figure out how to use it.

I'm going to figure out how to do a bunch of stuff... one day! LOL. Today I have to figure out how to get ready for Silverwood (bday for my dd) and take my kids swimming... AND do the laundry.... AND save the whales too.... :-P

Alright. Time to start on the figuring out stuff. BYE!

Intro

2008-07-29T16:33:00.000-07:00

Hi! Ok this is the first time I've really done these... I have set up a few... but I never remember the link or passwords... so i can never go back and update them! LOL

I mostly joined so that I could leave comments for my friend Laura and at least have something interesting for her to read, even though I'll have probably already told her about it over the phone first anyway!

So... single with kids. Kinda complicates things a bit, huh? I was thinking the other day how different my life is from those of my married friends. How often do we just want someone to fix the dinner, or do the laundry. How great would it be if we had someone else to deal with 'clean-room duty' and what about trying to find a sitter so you have more than 10 minutes of adult conversation without ear-splitting screams of elementary school girls in the next room? Heck, forget a sitter, single parents can hardly affordto buy gas anymore, let alone a regularly scheduled night out.

I just have four words in regards to this: "THANK HEAVENS FOR NANA'S!"