Grocery lists/organization binder

I may not be organized in all parts of my life but one place I am very organized is my grocery shopping lists etc. I am on a tight budget so I have found for my family that a weekly shopping trip is the best way for us. Let me explain why-

Every Monday I spend 1/2 hour making my weekly shopping list. First thing I do is set up my weekly meals. I have a sheet for that but I don't know how to link it to the blog so email me and I will send you a copy. So for each day I figure out a breakfast, lunch and dinner. For example my Monday menu for this week is cereal (only thing kids will eat), egg salad sandwiches and toss together lasagna. I will write that all down the go to the next day until I have 7 full days of meals. Then I will take out my shopping list and fill out all the ingredients and items I need to purchase to make all 7 meals and I always always include at least 1 or 2 extras of a few things (usually canned goods) to have on the shelf for food storage. My shopping list is broken up into catagories like diary, breads, baking goods, misc., meat etc. Then I will find all the coupons I can for those items for the week. I will also price check the store adds and take the ones that I need with me because walmart price matches! Yes I am one of THOSE freaks.......... I know, I know but it saves you LOTS of money on things like produce and meat because you can't always get a coupon for those. I keep my eyes out of coupon for items we use a lot. Things like yogart, milk, bread............well you get the picture. Why shop once a week you might ask? Well your fresh produce only lasts so long. I like to have fresh items around the house at all times and I just can't keep up with it when I am not shopping once a week. Also, when there is a sale on meat I will pick up more then what is on my weekly list. Maceys will have seasoned pork on sale at times 6 pieces for $3.00 or less. Drumsticks seasoned for $2.50 and lots of other great deals. Then I have a stock pile of the expensive part of a meal and the rest is simple filler. When I really keep up on this I can keep my grocery bill down to around $75 a week. Before we had Addi I was able to keep it more around $50 a week. A baby adds formula and baby food :) Ok now you read my novel. I want to hear your ideas on this. There will always be weeks when you spend more. Those weeks usually include a holiday or a special birthday dinner but if you really stick to it you will always know exactly what is for dinner and you can keep your grocery bill a lot lower. Do you have any tricks that you use to keep your grocery bill low??? Would love to hear because there is always room for improvement! Happy shopping!

Another project

In our basement (what I like to call the hole) we have a room in the back that is filled with junk, junk, some flowers and items for my business, junk and more junk OH and a few boxes of decorations. I have wanted to organize this room and turn it into a cold storage area. So this week I will spend time tossing junk and moving stuff around so I can free up half the room to build some storage shelfs. Jason will be very handy for this job. I will take pictures of the finished project. I can't wait to have all my food storage down there.

On Mondays my "chore" is the kitchen and part of that is preparing the weekly meal plan and setting up a grocery shopping list. I would like to set up a spread sheet for that this week as well. It is pretty handy and makes shopping easy! Not to mention cheap as well because you can always pull the adds from Sunday's paper and take the coupons with you. I will share this project with you as well when I am finished.

So wish me luck!

List

(this picture really has nothing to do with the post but is soooo cute just had to add our little one eating her snacks)

I have this really crazy obsession with list making. I make lists for EVERYTHING! So today I needed something to make me feel better. I decided to make a schedule/chore list for the kids. I feel like they don't have enough responsibility and they just do whatever they want. I realize kids will be kids and they will make a mess but I am really sick of getting after them to pick up their mess, eat their dinner, brush their teeth etc. Me asking is followed by a horrible temper tantrum by either kid. It is a joke and frankly I am sick of it. So I am putting into place the "my responsibilities" chart that proudly hangs on the fridge. Makayla looked at it and said to me "wow that looks like fun". Inside I am laughing MWHAHAHAHAHAHA ***evil laugh*** you won't think it is fun in a week. Maybe I will stop being the maid, cook, and everything else and be able to spend more time with the kids. Less time getting upset and more time having fun. Maybe it can be fun............

December 2

There is so much going on in my life right that I just wish would go away. So much that I stress over. So much to worry about and cry about. We did get a bit of good news last night! Jason will be a full time employee with benefits starting next week. His "trial" period is over and now he can make a bit more money. I am really happy about that and he feels like he has accomplished something good.

When I am stressed I like to find things to keep my mind busy. I think I am going to tackle getting all the Christmas decor up and I may start this little project. I won't put the candy in it but HOW CUTE is it? I can't wait to string it up on my mantle. The best part is I know it is something that I can do while Addi is awake and playing. I will post pictures when I am finished.

I also have about 20 yards of different fabric so once I get past the open house I think a few sewing projects will be in order.

Thankful

"Thankful"

Somedays we forget
To look around us
Somedays we can't see
The joy that surrounds us
So caught up inside ourselves
We take when we should give.

So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be.
And on this day we hope for
What we still can't see.
It's up to us to be the change
And even though we all can still do more
There's so much to be thankful for.

Look beyond ourselves
There's so much sorrow
It's way too late to say
I'll cry tomorrow
Each of us must find our truth
It's so long overdue

So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be
And every day we hope for
What we still can't see
It's up to us to be the change
And even though we all can still do more
There's so much to be thankful for.

Even with our differences
There is a place we're all connected
Each of us can find each other's light

So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be
And on this day we hope for
What we still can't see
It's up to us to be the change
And even though this world needs so much more

There's so much to be thankful for

This song is by Josh Groban. I came across it today as I was getting ready for Thanksgiving Dinner tomorrow. The words are soooooo strong and hit me hard. There is SO much to be thankful for! I forget that a lot. With everything that has happened in the last few months I forget that there is still SO MUCH to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Beautiful

So today I realized that two things go hand in hand-
Beauty and being a mother. After watching the little message from NieNie about her new life and loving herself as she is now I have come to realize that being a mother not only changed me physically but it changed my heart. I know I am not a super model, thin, perfect or anything like that but what I do know is that I am loved and that I love my children and my dear husband so very much. I know that ALL of the lumps, bumps, skin etc. was worth it because I have the most amazing little family. So I will let my inner beauty outshine my outer beauty. I also am making another goal and that is to just love who I am and not try so hard and get so mad at myself about an image of who I USED to be. Lots of goals this week.

Memorial for a Hero

These are really hard to look at. This past week we went east for a memorial for 8 fallen soldiers. It was beautiful, the weather was beautiful but I wish it was for a visit and not for a memorial. Fort Campbell is a huge place. Almost doesn't feel real, like some place not on earth. This memorial really touched me. I have teared up every day since it happened. I just keep thinking about the words said, the families there feeling the same hurt and pain we do, the constant care and support felt. Then tonight I was asked to speak to the boy scouts about what freedom means to our family. One of the hardest things I have done. How do you describe the feelings you have to young boys. If there is one thing I can take away from the past 2 weeks, that is that I love my family very very much. That when you come together and help each other during those really hard times that you can stand as one strong unit. I pray every day that the pain will be lifted from those involved and that each day will bring good memories and a little bit of hope.

Sometimes you just need to "Break Stuff"

Just some of the goodies we got to destroy

Just how I feel............

Now let me start out with saying that I am not asking for people to feel bad for me but I find that putting things down on paper/blog is a good way for me to free myself from these feelings. So don't read this, I don't really care but this is for me.

Over the last few weeks I have struggled to "find" myself. I don't feel like I really fit in any more. I don't feel like I have a true friend, someone that I can call and talk to about every little sad, happy, scarey etc. moment in my life. I even feel myself distant from my husband. As if I don't feel motivated to do things with him. Sure we spent a week together but he ended up sick the entire time and so we really did nothing. Not that I will complain about getting 12+ hours of sleep!!! That was pure magic. My hobby has become my business, I don't have co-workers to listen to or talk to any more, and I miss my husband. I need to find something that makes me, well ME. I have thought about going to school. What will that really do for me? I have thought about working again. Why should I work to pay day care? I have thought about so many things but just can't seem to pull myself out of this hole. Right now I am a mom and a wife but do I really have a place? Do I really belong. If I was gone would people really miss me? I watch others around me find connections with each other and that is just it I WATCH. I am not the same age or not in the same place in life and I just well............ sad to say feel left out. I am a grown woman, why should I feel left out? The truth of the matter is I do. I feel like I am always on the outside looking in.

SO after that cry fest I am going to do something for me. The way I am going to find myself again and to be happy is to do something for someone else every single day. I am making it a goal. It can be a note, a little gift, a letter in the mail, a fresh baked treat..............well anything really. I am also making it my goal to reconnect with my husband. With all the pressure in life I think we have been so focused on fixing all the problems around us that we forgot that we need time for just us. Jason loves golfing, playing video games, watching movies etc. I think it is about time I learn to golf, find a game we can play, watch movies I really don't want to watch. Lets see how this goes. Lets see if in 3 weeks I can turn my outlook around. Feel a little more secure. Feel like I belong.

I hate feeling this way. I hate that I am complaining. I hate crying about it! So I am changing it. Here is to new friends, here is to motivation! and here is to kicking this horrible mood!

Day 7

My world is all about these little ones. Love every single one of them! This photo makes me HAPPY!!!!

Makayla- she is 8 and full of life. She loves to play the WII, play outside, build with her legos and spend time with her baby sister. She is a huge help to me with Addison. Makayla is getting so big! Still small in size but growing up fast. She is my Princess Pea and love her to pieces!

Kaden- he is 4 and super funny. He says the funniest things! When I am having a bad day I can always count on him to say something that makes me laugh. He loves to play the WII, he loves his sisters, loves super heros and legos. He is my little buggy!

Addison- 7 months old going on 2! This girl is giving us a run for our money. She is crawling, pulling herself up to everything, dancing (bopping), eating big girl food and being super cute! She now has 2 teeth and her spit up problem has cut in half. I bet you she will be walking before Christmas! She is my little Addi Macs! LOVE HER!

Day 6

A photo of me and my friends............hmmmm well I refuse to have pictures taken of myself so a photo of me and my friends is just not something I have. So today I will leave you with this-

1.Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay 'them!'

2.Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
Keep learning.

3.Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle.' An idle mind is the devil's workshop.' And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.

4.Enjoy the simple things.

5.Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6.The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7.Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever.

8.Your home is your refuge.

9.Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it.
If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

10.Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

11.Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

Day 5

Blessings alone do not open our eyes. Indeed, blessings by themselves tend to close our eyes. We do not come to know Him in the blessing, but in the breaking. --Chip Brogden

It has been no secret that the last year and a half has been the HARDEST time in my life so far. Jason with out a job for so long, me being soooo sick pregnant and then having our third child. Trying to figure out what is right for our family has been another hard one for me. I lost my job just 2 days before I came back from maternity leave and I feel like it was a push in the right direction. I really don't think I would have ever taken the leap and stayed home with my kids if I wasn't in a way forced to. There have been LOTS of days since that time that I have felt like I just can't do it. We just don't have the money for it and I can't keep playing the game. Then November comes and there happens to be a break in the clouds, Jason gets a job. I have prayed many nights to find out what I should be doing, if I should continue to stay home. Should I go work a full time job, double our income and have someone else raise my children? I ALWAYS get the same answer and that is that I am doing EXACTLY what I need to be doing right now. I know we will be blessed and things are starting to turn. I am so thankful for trials. It is so true that if we have such a perfect life and nothing ever happens to us, no trials and no pain, that we will never see the true blessings. I know that one day I will look back and realize all the things I needed to learn and how it helped me grow as a monther and a person. I love my husband soooo very much. He continues to push me and support me. Together we will climb huge mountains and end up at the finish line with big smiles on our faces because WE DID IT!!!!!

Day 4

I am currently reading the Hunger Games series. Right now I am on the second book and got to a really good part, then found I don't have time to read right now :( BOOOO! I will save it for the trip next week. I love this book but now it has become a fad much like the twilight series. I used to love Twilight but can't stand it any more now that the movies are out and we have to see Jacob (some young punk with abs) take his shirt off all over the place. Blah! I could go on and on about that but will stop now. Happy November everyone! Short little post today because I have soooooo much to do.

Day 3

First off I have to share-
Makayla made a calander for Christmas last year. It has been fun to see each month and the little coloring craft she did for it. This month I turned it to November and there is a turkey made from her hand print. In the feathers/fingers it reads-
I am thankful of MARS, APPLES, SCHOOL, SHETLER and PUPPIES. Mars? Really? Nothing like a good laugh in the morning :)

Kaden also LOVES to get the mail every day. When it is time I will call to him "Kaden the mail is here". He usually comes running with his shoes on and recently he will not even go out to get it with out his sunglasses. He gets that from his Daddy. Such a funny kid.

Ok back to day 3
Jason and I are TV junkies! We watch soooo many different shows. Each night in the fall we usually have at least one show we follow. We DVR it and then watch our shows after the kids go to bed. It is our way to unwind from a busy day.


The Event


Pretty Little Liars
Ok I admit this is not one that Jason loves. He will watch it with me once and a while.


GLEE!!!!!!!! By far our favorite show.

Other shows we watch-
All the CSI
Fringe
Mentalist
So You Think You Can Dance

I also have a secret love of reality TV shows. Mainly those shows on TLC about all the multiples. NOT Katie plus 8...........ugh can't stand her!
Enough about my favorites! What shows do you love?

Day two

First off, thanks Katie for this AWESOME idea!!!! I needed something to help my blogging.

1. I love to watch Ghost Hunters. I think the idea of ghosts is awesome but I don't like devil related things. TWO SEPARATE things.
2. I am very afraid of spiders. So much so that I don't like spending time in the basement.
3. I have a love affair with Diet Dr. Pepper, those who know me well are probably laughing right now.
4. I have had one major surgery and 3 other small surgeries on my jaw.
5. I played the flute for a long time until my jaw caused me to stop. I wanted to try out for the symphony.
6. I can not spell! I live for spell check. In 8th grade I was still spell WANT, WHANT! Don't judge..........we all have our problems ;)
7. I actually have lots of jobs. I am VERY busy all the time.
8. I rarely wear any jewelry. This includes my wedding ring that only goes once and a while.
9. I am the oldest and have 3 younger brothers. No sisters but my sister-in-laws make up for that :) Worth waiting.
10. I am living my dream of being a stay at home mom right now
11. My hair has a bit of natural curl to it.
12. I was a cheerleader in high school for 2 years.
13. I am terrified of water. I don't like it, I don't swim often and taking a bath is pushing it for me.
14. I have more silk flowers then any one person should be allowed to have.
15. I collect tea pots but I don't drink tea.



My favorite movie of all time would have to be The Notebook. Super sappy movie but the LOVE that is shown between the main characters in the movie is something I strive to have in my own relationship. I cry every single time I watch the movie. If I had to chose 2 movies I would also pick Sleeping Beauty. The Disney classic! I have always loved the Victorian feel of the movie. I love everything about that movie.

Taking a little, Learning a little

I took this little game from a friends blog. I thought it would be a perfect way to give me ideas for blogging and maybe for me to learn a little about myself as well as others out there that read my blog.


• Day 01 — Recent picture of you

• Day 02 — Your favorite movie and 15 interesting facts about yourself


• Day 03 — Your favorite television program

• Day 04 — Your favorite book

• Day 05 — Your favorite quote

• Day 06 — A photo of you and your friends

• Day 07 — A photo that makes you happy

• Day 08 — A photo that makes you angry/sad

• Day 09 — A photo you took

• Day 10 — A photo of you taken over ten years ago

• Day 11 — A photo of you taken recently
• Day 12 — A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you

• Day 13 — A picture of somewhere you've been to

• Day 14 — What I would find in your bag

• Day 15 — Your favorite song

• Day 16 — A song that makes you cry (or nearly)

• Day 17 — Put you ipod on shuffle: first 10 songs that play

• Day 18 — Plans/dreams/goals you have

• Day 19 — Your nicknames and reasons behind them

• Day 20 — A picture of you and your family taken recently

• Day 21 — A recipe

• Day 22 — The story behind your blog's name

• Day 23 — A YouTube video

• Day 24 — Something you crave often

• Day 25 — Your day, in great detail

• Day 26 — Your week, in great detail

• Day 27 — This month, in great detail

• Day 28 — This year, in great detail

• Day 29 — Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days

• Day 30 — What you have learned in the last 30 days

So starting out Day one-



This is the most recent picture I have of myself. Beautiful emotion but horrible picture. So swollen, so exhausted but so much in love with our new little princess. Addison changed my life. Literally everything changed when I had her. I went from crazy busy career woman to a stay at home mom. Jason and I continue to work on how we can make it work for me to stay home but so far so good. I am blessed with an amazing husband and adorable little ones.

Growing up

Our little Addi is growing up so fast! I can't believe she is almost 7 months old. Yesterday Addi cut her first tooth. All the slobber was for something! She now sits up all by herself, can feed herself her own little snacks, crawls and mostly scoots, almost pulling herself up to stand, loves to eat and so much more. We love this littler girl. I think she is just the cutest thing EVER! I think that is a mom's job to think that.

She has discovered how much fun the bath can be. We put a small hand towel in the bottom of the tub and sit her on it so she doesn't slide all over. She splashes and kicks like crazy.

It is nice to enjoy the simple slow times lately. The past month with all the emotion and stress has been hard on my little kids but I look forward to the holiday season as we spend time with family and enjoy watching our little "chickens" grown up.

Hero

Cause heaven was needing a hero
Somebody just like you
Brave enough to stand up
For what you believe
And follow it through
When I try to make it make sense in my mind
The only conclusion I come to
Is heaven was needing a hero
Like you

~Jo Dee Mesina

I thank god for my life
And for the stars and stripes
May freedom forever fly
Let it ring.
Salute the ones who died
The ones that give their lives so we
Dont have to sacrifice
All the things we love

Nothing prepares you for the loss of a hero. I am guilty as many of us are for taking my freedom lightly. I owe everything first to my father in heaven but second to the soldiers who die every day for the freedoms we have. I get to watch my children grow up, believe in what I believe in, wear what I want to wear, live how I want to live etc. The last week and a half has changed me. I will never be the same person I was. I will never look at my children the same or my family the same ever again. How precious our relationships with our family are. How precious our relationships with our children and spouse should be. I watch a mother cry to hold her son, I watch a wife cry to hold her husband and an entire family cry to hold their brother, uncle, grandson etc. Always remember our soldiers. Pray for their safe return. Pray for those families that hurt every day because they lost a part of their family who gave their life for you and your freedom. I will forever be thankful I met and was family to Matthew Wagstaff who was killed in action, defending our freedoms on September 21, 2010. May we never forget how and why he died. Rest in peace Brother...... Until we meet again in heaven. Watch over your family, your nieces and nephews need you. You will always be a guardian angel to them.

"I don't think anything is unrealistic if you believe you can do it. I think if you are determined enough and willing to pay the price, you can get it done." -Mike Ditka-

One of the reasons I love being a Mom~

The baby sits alone~

There are no words to describe Kaden and his eating habits. Messy would be one of them but that doesn't even begin to describe it! Here he is enjoying an ice cream cone. My chair and floor liked it a lot as well.

Gotta love that messy face!

Big news this week- ADDI SAT ALL BY HERSELF!!! Now let me remind you she is only 5 months old. She is doing everything very quick. Makes me a little sad. She is almost crawling as well. Right now she scoots herself around the living room floor to get to me or the toy she wants.

Love those big bright eyes!

A lot has happened this week! Addi had her shots and check up and is 13.9 lbs and 25 inches long. She is perfectly normal and average in her size. I was trying to get a meal menu put together for her on Gerber.com yesterday and when I clicked on sitting and put her age in a big error came up "This is not typical for the age of your baby. Please try again". Ok, well this is typical for Addison so what now? We sure love this little one.

AND THE BIGGEST NEWS

MAKAYLA LOST HER SNAGGLE TOOTH!!!! NO MORE TOOTH STICKING OUT WHEN SHE SMILES!!!!! Pictures to come :)

This past week

So much has happened this week. First off, Makayla started school. She was sooooo excited! The night before we painted her nails, got her in the shower and did her hair so I didn't have much to do in the morning, packed her back pack, and set out her breakfast. She had a little bit of homework to do for a "get to know you" thing for her first day so we finished that up as well. Makayla is so smart and does best when she has something to challenge her every single day. She loves her teacher and thinks she is just the best!

Here are the little chickens playing together on the floor. This is a daily thing and the two older ones love to make Addi smile and laugh. This usually is followed by me telling them to stop picking her up and to stop putting toys and blankets on her face but all in all they have fun.

Last by not least we had a memorial service for my dear Grammie (Rosella Mae Bauer Harris). She passed away two weeks ago and it was nice to get the family together to celebrate this amazing lady. Each of my uncles and my aunt got to tell stories of their memories of Grammie. At the end there was a little video of pictures that my Uncle Quinn put together. Then we all gathered together for lunch. Talking and just being together was exactly what we all needed. I know that Grammie was watching and so happy to see how close we are as a family. I know she spent the day with us and I know she is very happy. So to this I add

There is sunshine in my soul today

More glorious and bright

Then glows in any earthly sky,

For Jesus is my light

Oh, there's sunshine, blessed sunshine

When the peaceful happy moments roll.

When Jesus shows his smiling face,

There is sunshine in the soul.

There is music in my sould today,

A carol to my King,

And Jesus listening can hear

The songs I cannot sing

There is springtime in my soul today,

For when the Lord is near,

The dove of peace sings in my heart,

The flow'rs of grace appear

There is gladness in my soul today,

And hope and praise and love,

For blessings which he gives me now,

For joys "laid up" above

I have been humming this song since we sang it at the memorial.

8 things about turning 8

1- I a a princess and a princess wears a crown!
Makayla got a crown and shoes dress up set for her birthday and she has decided that she can not be the birthday girl with out wearing the crown. When we went to open presents tonight she had to run in the house and grab her crown before she could start. Our cruise director has turned into the "Queen B".

2-I am old enough to get my own food and drink.
Makayla has just discovered that she can climb up on the counter to get her own cup and then hop down to get her water and ice from the fridge. She wants to do all of this herself and is not very happy when you do it for her.

3- I can read a chapter book from start to finish all by myself.
We have recently been taking weekly trips to the library. She finds books about animals and space. She also loves chapter books but hasn't really found her favorite set yet. I think we will introduce her to the "Box Car Children" books very soon.

4-I can ride a bike with out training wheels.
She thinks she is hot stuff riding around on her little bike. She has to shown anyone that will take five seconds to watch her. She is fearless and I love that about her.

5-Bugs are cool!
Makayla enjoys catching bugs and putting them in water bottles. She is in and out of the house all day long showing me her latest catch. She is such a little tomboy and I love that she can run and get dirty with the boys and turn around and dress up like a princess the next second. She is really a beautiful little girl and I am glad she can be a good mix!

6- Boys are GROSS!
We have teased Makayla about having a boyfriend in the past but I watch her in primary and I see how the little boys (one in particular) flock to her and have to sit with her and it reminds me that I am getting old and so is she! So for now we remind her that BOYS ARE GROSS and go with that lol!

7- I know who I am!
Makayla knows who she is. She knows how to be a good friend and she knows how to have fun. This past year a very horrible game was being played by a lot of the little girls at her school They called it "popular" and they would pick one little girl to exclude or be rude to each day. There was more to it but one day I asked Makayla about the game and she said this "Mom I don't even know what that is. I think it is a lame idea anyway because we should all just be friends and be nice to each other." I asked her who she played with at school and she named both girls and boys names and said they play things like rocket ship, baseball, kickball etc. I was so proud of my little girl for not being involved in that stupid game. She is a strong little girl.

8- I get to be baptised.
Makayla had her second interview with the bishop today. She was so excited. She stood tall and walked into the office with no fear. She is just growing up quick and it scares me a bit. I know that on the 31st when the big day comes I will probably spend the day crying as I watch my handsome husband baptise her. I can't believe she is old enough to make this decision. She truly made this one on her own.

I am so proud to be your mom Makayla! You always have been a beautiful start to our family and I am lucky to have you. Thank you for keeping me on my toes. You are my little princess and always will be. Happy 8th Birthday little one!

Crack is WHACK!!!!!

My adorable little boy loves to play in the water. Normally he has on a pair of shorts that actually fit but this day his shorts HAD to be washed so he wore these. He ran around with his little crack showing most of the day. Poor thing got his Dad's skin and burns really fast. His shoulders are bright red. I just had to snap a picture of him. I should be able to use this as black mail in the future!

Nature

Last sunday while eating lunch Makayla looked out our window and found this. We live right up against this hill so it was close enough for us to tell that her/his face was all wet. I think it must have traveled down the canal and found the opening in our fence.

The life

Today started out pretty hard. Addi has been doing nothing but crying for me to hold her. Makayla has been acting out and Kaden has been crying about everything. I sat on the sofa today holding Addi as she had a fit because she was so exhausted and cried. I thought to myself, "this is not what I want, I don't want to be stuck in the house crying and being upset at the kids all the time". I was feeling pretty upset today. I was feeling like I failed. We rent out home, Jason still doesn't have a job etc.... I was comparing myself to all those that are "better" then me. I was thinking how awful I look and how fat I feel. I finally made it past the day and decided to come do some reading online and ran into this. I suddenly realized that beyone what I am lacking I have SO MUCH! I realized that we may not be able to take a bunch of trips each year, we may not be able to build our dream home or have a bunch of nice cars etc. BUT we have a special gift and that is family. I love my children and can't imagine not being with them all day. I can't imagine getting up and going to do any other work then being a mom right now. I am so glad I ran into this because I feel at peace. I will be blessed for this really hard time as long as I remember that our Father in Heaven wants what is best for us.

Finally she sleeps......

My little princess is so fun and adorable! Around 6 every night she just gets so MAD and cries and wants to be held all the time. Tonight she puked all down the back of my shirt and all over herself. I put her in the bath, got her dressed, fed her and then put her in her swing so I could finish cleaning up. A few minutes later I look over to find her asleep. I don't have the heart to wake her up because she has been crying for the past hour.

What did you call me?

Jason so lovingly told me I was "suzy homemaker" today. WHAT THE...............wait I have totally turned into that! I started making bread this last week. Wheat bread, white bread, cinnamon rolls and so on and so on. Then I got the bright idea to start sewing. I made my first dress today. It is a little big for Addi and there are a few things I would like to do different next time but it turned out so cute. I am very impressed with my sewing skills. I already spend a lot of my time doing crafty things and along with cleaning house and taking care of kids I really have turned into what Jason calls "suzy homemaker". I am sure Jason would love it if I ran around looking like the lady in the photo above but REALITY CHECK................ ugly t-shirt and jeans is about as dressed up as I get these days. With a 2 month old that spits up on you all day long, I never want to wear nice shirts because they get stained. The one good thing about all this.........I am totally fine with being "suzy homemaker".

Imagination

My cute little girls! Makayla loves to hold Addison. Addison was NOT happy about it so you get a few pictures with Addi and her crabby face. At least she is still adorable with her crabby face! Love my girls!

When I was a little girl we had a metal swingset in the back yard. It had monkey bars down the center, swings, a chin up bar and rings. We spent many hours pretending that swingset was a space ship or a pirate ship. Rigth next to the swingset was a beautiful large golden delicious apple tree. Between the tree and the swingset we had plenty of place to climb and "blast off" from. We spent hours and hours playing night games and running from the neighbors house to our house. We had so much fun just being kids!

Having 3 little kids of my own I often wonder what happened to imaginations! It seems like eletronics have taken over and instead of wanting to run and pretend, kids are asking to play video games or the computer. My kids are no different. They are surrounded by electronics. This is our fault, we purchased all these items. I think the kids are missing out! This summer I am making it a big deal to allow the kids to pretend play and just be kids. I am giving them small time limits on the electronic items. One thing they love to do is build things with legos. They build ships, cars, houses and so many other things. I love when they spend time building and using their imagination.

So what kinds of things did you do during the summer as a kid?

Every Day is Mother's Day!

I have had the privilage to stay at home with my kids for the past couple of months. Summer has officially started (even if I look outside right now and see the rain falling) and the kids are out of school. I thought for sure I would go NUTS with all three in the house screaming, crying, wanting to be fed, making a mess etc. The reality of it is that yes once and a while the kids really get to me. They can drive me crazy one second and then turn around and say or do the cutest thing ever the next second. I never realized how much I miss out on and how much I had to just "let go" while I was working.

#1- kids grow up so fast! Makayla is reading big girl books, getting into the shower all by herself, combing her hair and being the cruise director all at the same time. She likes to learn about new things. Her favorite thing is home made jam with white bread. Kaden is becoming very independent. He has his own way of doing things and saying things. He likes a schedule and doesn't do well when he is off his schedule. He loves pb & h sandwiches cut in to little squares. Addison changes every single day. She is smiling and almost laughing. I can't wait to hear her laugh the first time. She is on a great schedule and she has such a beautiful smile.

#2- I have no idea how I got all the house work done while I was working outside of the home. I know I added a lot more work with a baby but I still have a hard time keeping up with the house. I realize now how much of the house work just didn't get done while I was working. There was just not enough time in the day to get it all done. No wonder I had piles and piles of laundry sitting around, nothing ironed, sheets not cleaned, dishes in the sink, dirty floors etc. I am still no expert house keeper but I am working on a schedule to keep things clean. It is nice to sit down at night after the kids are in bed and to look around and see a clean house.

#3- Dinner before 7! I now am able to get dinner on the table before 6. This is huge for me because when I was working I didn't even get home until 6 every night. We eat out less and I enjoy cooking so it has been fun to try new recipes.

Bottom line........... being at home with my kids is priceless! I am loving it and feel like I have grown so much as a person being able to do this. Who knows if I will be able to continue being at home but I will love every second of it for now.

The Roller Coaster of Life

I know this is cliche' but my life lately has been a real roller coaster.

Most of you know that I just had a beautiful baby girl named Addison. She is so much fun and such a blessing to our family. My pregnancy was a really hard one with her. I left work February 28th for maternity leave and anticipated coming back to work on June 1st. It took me all 3 months to mentally prepare myself for going back to work. I wanted to be home with my kids sooo bad I cried daily. I finally got myself to the point I was okay with going back. I would survive. Many mothers out there worked full time and still had time for their kids. Then I got a phone call on Thursday afternoon, "I am sorry we are not going to have you come back. The economy is still not good and we need to cut costs....blah blah blah". A huge blow to me! I have never been let go, laid off or fired etc. I felt worthless! Like the wind had been knocked out of me. How could this happen? This is all I have ever known. I have worked full time in the title industry for 9+ years! The next couple of days I have been trying to make the decision- Do I go back to work or do I stay home with my kids now that I have the chance? My heart tells me it is time for me to be with my kids. It is time for me to take the giant leap of faith and be home with my kids. I always wanted to be a stay at home mom but this was really not on the terms I wanted. I will be honest, my heart hurts knowing that chapter in my life is over. It hurts to know that it was easy to let me go because I have been gone for the last 3 months on maternity leave. Am I not worth it? Am I not good enough? I have to forget about that and realize the huge opportunity I have right now. I think I have been prepared for this to happen all along. In March I spent a lot of time working on a little side business I have. It really started to take off and I was making a bit of extra money. Then on Wednesday of this week I got an email from the Quilted Bear. I had put in an application to be a vendor there about a year ago in hopes that eventually I would make my way up the waiting list and get a chance to sell there. They had an opening in a great location that I could take right away if I wanted it. I met with the manager to sign papers just 5 minutes after getting the horrible news on Thursday. This is a huge opportunity for me! It will allow me to be home with my kids and still make enough money. My etsy store has also more then doubled in income each month. Now the only thing I have to figure out is insurance and I will be an official stay at home mom. I honestly believe despite the HORRIBLE feeling of being let go, that this is what our Father in Heaven has in store for me.

So here is to a new chapter in my life!

Makayla's First Game

Today we watched Makayla's first softball game. She loves it! The girl can swing and throw like no other. It will be fun to watch her learn and grow (and get out some energy!) during the season. She is the smallest on her team.

Tear for the day

I realized today that I have less then a month left of maternity leave. I realized that I will miss my kids so much......I realized that I am really actually very sad about leaving my kids even if they are going to be watched over by the most amazing lady in the world. So I sat and cried a little (I mean a lot). I am so glad I have the option to work as we are looking at almost a year of Jason not having a job. I am very thankful for my job and always will be. On the other hand I am hurting inside a bit thinking about not being able to be home with my kids. I know my true calling is at home, that is what I should be doing and I know there will be an opportunity in the future for me to be home with my kids. I am trying to find my place. Trying to figure out who I am and how I fit into this world. So much has changed in my life over the last few months being home. I feel like a different person. So for today this post will be a simple yet sad one as I try to let all these bottled up feelings out.

The last month

Easter was the Sunday after we came home with Addison from the hospital. I was in no shape to host a big easter party so my mom and family came over, made dinner with the help of my awesome husband and even did an easter egg hunt with the kids. The kids got some fun things for easter this year.

Makayla will start playing softball this May so for Easter she got all the gear she needed. She got two books, some really cute clothes and a bunch of candy. Kaden isn't old enough yet to really play city ball so we got him a t-ball set, a mit and a soft foam ball so he could feel like he was a big kid. He also got some cute clothes and a lot of candy.

This is Kaden hanging out in the hospital. He spent all day there with his Daddy. It was so nice to have the boys keeping me company while at the hospital. He would sit and watch playhouse disney with me, sleep at the end of the bed and play his DS. He was really good and we didn't have one problem.

Here is our little Addison just after she was born. I just adore the grumpy face! She is so much fun and getting more and more personality every single day. She even started to smile a bit. She isn't really doing it alot but she loves to clap and be talked to and once and a while a big grin will come our way.

Addi had her first appointment and she is a big girl. I am used to Makayla being so tiny and all so it was weird when she charted at the 60 percentile. She was 8 lbs and 7 oz at the appointment and 21 inches long. She grew 2 inches! She is going to be bigger then her older sister and perfectly healthy and happy. She is still not sleeping well. My other two slept 7+ hours at night by 4 weeks so it has been hard. She will sleep 4 hours at a time for the first part of the night then she is up every 2 hours. It is hard but I am just trying to get her on a schedule and I think things will get better. Having 3 kids is harder then I thought but I love being a mom and I am trying not to worry about all the small stuff and just enjoy the time I have with the kids before I have to return to work.

Addison's First Pic

Baby Addison

Monday night I spent most of the night out on the sofa trying to sleep. I was so nervous and worried about how things would go the next day. Finally it was time to get up and I got the kids in the shower, hair done and dressed in their best clothes so they could come to the hospital to see their sister. We left the house at 10:30 and headed for the hospital. I had my makeup on, hair done and bag all packed and ready to go! They hooked me up to the IV and then pumped some antibiotics into me. They burned the entire time but I just hung in there watching the clock and waiting for 12:30 when they would start taking me back to surgery. Finally it was time and Jason dressed in his blue scrubs and cute hair net ha ha! They took me back first and all I could say to everyone was that I was so nervous. I started to have a small panic attack as I knew what was coming. I was worried about the spinal block and the needles and if my little girl would be okay. Finally after being tied down to the bed and totally numb they let Jason come in. He took my hand and I just gripped with all I had. I was so glad he was there, I couldn't do it with out him. My mom was waiting in the recovery room and I know she was watching the clock waiting to hear how things went. Once she was out she gave a bit of a scare. She didn't cry.......... she wasn't crying!!!!!!! I was so scared, no one was telling me what was going on. Finally a sound came from the little gift from god and all we could hear was her gasping for air. It was a weird sound. They couldn't get her to cry and get all the stuff out of her lungs. The nurse who was helping was asked to call for some help and she called a code blue. A code blue is something you call when someone is crashing, something really bad is going on. About 20 people came running in. I was scared to death! Ten minutes later we hear a nurse tell the nurse that called the code blue that she should have just called the NICU. She finally was breathing! They still had to run some tests to be sure but she was breathing. I didn't even hear her cry, it was just a wimper. They bundled her up and set her by me so I could see her. She had cute little cubby cheaks and looked just like her daddy! They wheeled me into the recovery room and Jason went down to the nursery with the baby. Finally at 3:00 I got to hold my little girl! She has dark hair, olive skin and looks like her dad's side of the family. Very different looking from my other two who had no hair, pale skin and looked like my side of the family. She hardly cries. She has a healthy appetite and she is super cute! I am so in love again and so blessed to have her. Jason is just in love with her. He just looks at her and says over and over again "She is so cute! She is a keeper." He is so adorable with her and I already knew he was a good daddy but he is just so in love with out new little girl.