Another Year Older

Yep - I had another one, another birthday to push me closer to getting slow enough I can't run after my kids. I'm pretty sure I feel older too - lol - I don't think so. It cracks me up when people ask you if you feel any older. I really need to find a witty remark for that comment, that won't offend. =)

I had a pretty good day - my in laws took us out for dinner Friday night and that was yummy. I got an iced tea maker which I'm pretty sure I'm in love with all ready. I've made several pitchers of sweet iced tea (for myself), with the amazingly yummy sweet tea recipe Teri gave me.

Saturday we went to my parents house and I got a beautiful flag to hang outside to replace the patriotic flag that's hanging. Not that I'm not all about the USA, but I'm just not into the American Flag hanging on my porch. Sorry! A candle which smells great (Yankee candle - my fav) and this hanging basket that is nowhere to be found in my area. Like I need another hanging basket - I'm pretty sure I have an obsession. Maybe I'll take a picture of all my hanging baskets. Ha ha ha ha.

My sisters watched Landen so my parents, Kurt, Amelia and I could go to dinner. Then we had some good cake, ice cream and root beer floats. No you can't see the picture of me blowing the candles out - my hubby didn't do such a great job. *tongue sticking out* Afterwards we went to the big firework celebration. It was cold and damp though - yes in June, it's not right. Landen hated them and freaked out and Amelia wasn't enjoying them much either, so we headed home.

It was fun and I still have some more gifts to pick out from my sweet family here. Here are a few pictures I can actually show - I'm pretty sure I should be the only one allowed to hold the camera. Kkkkuuurrrrtttt! Thanks for the birthday wishes everyone who sent me one. *Hugs*

Look at Landen in this one.. ha ha.. little frosting hog... he was just waiting to get his hands in it.. and believe me - he did! Can't blame him.. hmmm...buttercreme frosting, my favorite.

The Price Is Right is calling my name.. I'm going to be one of those models for the show. lol!

A Vocation View

Be an example of faith to your brothers and sisters;

Let Your faith inspire others to come to know

Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God.

I got this from our church bulletin and wanted to share.

My new Business... Yah Right!

It didn't take me a month like predicted! I finished my very first curtain. I think it looks pretty good, considering all I did was look at another one that was kind of like it. Now don't go critiquing it because I know there are crooked seams and things like that, but I like it. I'll be taking custom orders starting July 1st. LoL! Hopefully not too much longer and I can reveal the new room. This curtain is part of the new window treatments.

So, You're A Lurker?

Hmm, hmm, hmm! I've been sneaky lately and got myself a stat counter, one of those nice stat counters that tell you most of the people that come to your page. The URL where they came from and that jazz. I am very, very surprised I have as many lurkers as I do. Honestly I thought maybe a handful of people stopped at my blog daily - not the overwhelming amount that do! =)

Here's the question of the day. Why no comments? Not that I blame you, I'm definitely a lurker myself. I do like when people comment though, and I'm sure if you have a blog yourself you like when people comment. Thanks to those of you who do comment! Here's my real question if you've read this far and you're not a commenter - why, if you stop by do you not comment?
Here's why I don't...
I don't always have a free hand to comment or the time.
I don't have anything to say.
I disagree and don't feel like it's something I have to defend or talk about.
I just don't feel like commenting because I don't have anything of substance to comment about.
If I don't come to your blog regularly I might feel out of the loop - I like to see what it's all about before I become committed. lol!
Someone else has commented the same things several times.

There you have it ... a few reasons that came to my head why I don't comment. What's your excuse?
Lastly, thanks visitors, thanks for stopping by!

Growing

Last night I tossed and turned in bed - worrying about the kids, feeling angry at myself for loosing my patience with them so often while they're sick and need my love and comfort more than ever. Feeling sorry for myself because I hadn't gotten enough sleep, I didn't get done what I wanted to do and many other things. Oh, I have lot of growing up to do. I settled my heart by asking our Blessed Mother to help me, I prayed to Amelia while getting her to sleep and slowly drifted off myself. I was still waking a lot because Amelia was burning up with a fever last night though and I remembered this prayer that Jen sent me not to long ago. I got the Ibuprofen down my sick little girl, checked Landen and went back to sleep. Amelia is doing so much better today and Landen's cold seems to be lessening. I need to remember that I don't have to take it all on myself, and when feeling overwhelmed there is always a place to turn. Why can't I just remember that? I'm working on it, striving to draw closer to him daily. It's a lot of work.

Prayer For a Sick Child

O Saint Gerard, who, like the Savior, loved children so tenderly and by your prayers freed many from disease and even from death; graciously look down upon the distressed parents who plead with thee for their child’s health if such be the Will, of God. Present their promise to God to bring up the child a good Christian and to guard it by word and example against the fatal leprosy of sin. This favor we implore thee, O sainted Brother, through the tender love with which Jesus and Mary blessed thy own innocent childhood. Amen.

Win Five Baby Carriers

Win the Essential Babywearing Stash from Along for the Ride (one Beco Butterfly, one Hotsling baby pouch, one BabyHawk Mei Tai, one Zolowear Ring Sling, and one Gypsy Mama Wrap)

It got us again

Yes the sick bug has got us again. Ahh! What is going on here?

Please leave your germs at the door when seeing us because we've had plenty of them and don't want anymore. I think I'm going to have to start suiting the kids up whenever we go anywhere! I'm just kidding people ... lighten up a bit!

Anyway.. why is it when you have sick ones and your running on fumes that telemarketers call a total of eight times so far in.. 4 1/2 hours? That's just not right.

Oh and I know it's wordless Wednesday and this is my third post. I have something to say! That picture makes me smile. Hockey player and faux hawk queen.

A Cruise or Money - You Choose!

I try not to post about contests on this blog because I figure if you want to know then you can check out my contest page. However, this is worth telling because this is a great one. You can win ....

"An all-expenses-paid trip for two to a three-night, four-day cruise to the Caribbean (including airfare) OR the winner may opt to receive a $1,000 cash prize."

Click here to enter my contest page to see the details for this. Contest sponsored by Metropolitan Mama and Protect-A-Bed. Read what I have to say because it gives me more chances. =)

wordless wednesday: Growl

For more wordless wednesday photo's - visit 5 minutes for mom!

Just call me ... batman!

Nothing great and exciting to blog about really.

Last night I felt like I wanted to run away - isn't that awful? It seemed like everything was going in some direction I didn't want too. Ugh! After dinner we decided to sit in the hot tub - Ahh.. so.. relaxing. Amelia fell asleep shortly after we got in, and Landen was being a splashing maniac so that relaxation was quickly taken away because I had to get out. Then after everyone was cleaned up and ready for bed I decided to sit down with some popcorn (which wasn't even good because it wasn't the kind I wanted). During which Amelia woke up, Landen needed his mommy, my drink got spilled all over everywhere, the pop corn was soggy and gross and that ended that thought about moment. Laundry was still laying all over, toys were everywhere and I didn't feel like putting them away. I was still am, supposed to be figuring out what I want for my birthday and seriously - I really don't know! How about some gift certificates? Then I can find something amazing when the time comes along. I don't really know what I want to do for my birthday, but I'll be sad if we don't do anything. Aren't I just a bowl full of fun? =) It really isn't that bad - it was just a soggy, yucky kind of night.

On to interesting news - Landen is still sucking his thumb and now has a cold. We have had more colds this year - common, it's June!?!? Amelia wants to walk and actually let go of my hands a couple of times yesterday and just stood there. It's still very doubtful she'll be walking before a year. Landen called Kurt and idiot yesterday - I about croaked and then realized I call people idiots a lot (oops, bad mommy coming out) and Toy Story says idiot a lot and that's been his favorite pick as far as movies go lately. When did parenting get so hard!?! It's definitely the hardest thing I've ever done - maybe because I really want my kids to have good qualities about them, that make them good people and it's hard instilling that in them. Maybe I'm beating myself up. They really are great!!!

My sisters (Beck and Savannah) sent me a funny e-mail yesterday - it's was a Contest Entry Tracker Checklist - ha ha ha! I laughed really hard and laughed again when I told Kurt. Hey, so I love a contest!! Check out my contest blog and you'll see how much I love a contest. Still on the fence on whether or not I want to do my own reviews, I wish I could do more with someone else. Props N' Pans is going well though. This is my third week having something up for the Must have Monday's and I have two reviews coming shortly.

The new TV is up and working. It's pretty nice... and big. Just waiting on the couches to come in and then we'll be set up in here. Oh and I bought fabric today to make a pretty curtain for the window in here. I couldn't find what I wanted in the right color.. so fine I'll make it myself. Being the super crafty sewer that I am.. oh I should have that whipped up in about a month. =)

I finally ordered a large wet bag last night, after looking all over I took the route Stacey suggested and purchased one from Sewing Mom Just Accessories Etc. I know I've been putting the wet bag thing off for entirely too long, but after finding out that poopy/pee pee diaper attract ants I have had enough. The fabric is gorgeous and I'm anxious to blog about it once it comes.

Now that my computer is being super slow - grr! I'm going to publish this. I hope you enjoyed this edition of my life. LoL!!

* Wonder where the title came from? Or maybe not- well, Landen got a batman mask today and he likes to be called batman now!*

We belong in the 1930's!

Take this quiz and tell me what you get! Sharon, Crystal and Jen have there's up.

This is Kurt's score!

145 As a 1930s husband, I am Very Superior Take the test!

I got an 88 on mine! I guess we're made to be in the 1930's! LOL!

Arghh!

Hockey men are extremly entertaining to Amelia who has no desire to sleep at 3:30am! We might just have to invest in some hockey dolls instead of barbie dolls. =)

A little ZZ top anyone?

Yes, it's a good morning when you wake up to your son playing -

"Uh, har, har, har - hair guitar (air) mom. It's cool, you hair guitar too".

Speaking to me

I haven't been making much time for prayer. I can't use the excuse of, "I've been busy" either because that would be definitely be a lie. I just haven't taken the time. Isn't it funny when you don't take the time God calls you? I've been poked several time and have been ignoring it. Why would I want to ignore Him? I don't know. It's crazy that I even know that I've been poked though, as not that long ago I would have never known. Today and this past week so many overwhelming things have been coming to me, prayer requests, my own prayer requests, things I've read that have been saying I need to spend more time with him, many, many things. This quote fits right along with what's been going on and hearing him in my everyday life.

"God comes to us in the things we know best and can verify most easily, the things of our everyday life".--Pope John Paul II

The Good, Bad and Ugly

One day you're the super mom - pulling a wagon up steep hills while your thighs are about ready to burn off. Nursing your daughter discreetly in the Mei Tei , so she doesn't cry until you get home. You just jumped around the playground being a toddler yourself, buried yourself in the sandbox, and did cartwheels through the back yard. Shared a banana Mr. freeze and enjoyed every bit of it.

The next day bad mom comes along - you don't get the seat belt buckled all the way and when you have to make a fast stop for a car pulling out in front of you, your son goes flying into your back seat. Next thing you know you step out of the room to dispose of a poopy mess and your daughter has a slice on her finger from a pop can. Someone tells you your crabby, macroni's thrown in your hair, a baby biting you every chance she gets, and nobody but you wants to take a nap.

One day it's great, next day it's not! The life of this mom. . . I love it! (*wink* there are times I wonder what I got myself into, but in the end it's all good! *winks*)

WW: Lets Play Indian

Happy Father's Day

Our weekend was packed full of fun for Father's Day. Even though this is a day late ~ Happy Father's Day to all you lucky dad's! I'm blessed that I was able to spend this weekend with my own Dad who I will always be grateful for. Love ya dad!! And to my wonderful husband, without him I wouldn't be living such a wonderful life. I couldn't imagine anyone better for me or my children. Love you sweetie!

Instead of sharing some great memorable - but a bit embarrassing photo's of my hubby, I'll share this one from this weekend - the twinkies!

Live In Me

Immaculate Conception, Mary, my Mother. Live in me. Act in me. Speak in and through me. Think your thoughts in my mind. Love, through my heart. Give me your dispositions and feelings. Teach, lead and guide me to Jesus. Correct, enlighten and expand my thoughts and behavior. Possess my soul. Take over my entire personality and life. Replace it with yourself. Incline me to constant adoration and thanksgiving. Pray in me and through me. Let me live in you and keep me in this union always. – Pope John Paul II

~~~~~~~

While visiting Donna-Marie Cooper O'boyle's blog Embracing Motherhood, I stumbled upon the above. I wanted to share it - maybe it will speak to some of you like it did me!

Winning & Swimming

It's June, your supposed to be able to swim outdoors in June, right? We attempted it (Teri, the kids and I) - since it was supposed to be nice. It started out looking nice and slowly got more and more cloudy. I got there and got in trouble with the town cop (why do cops have this power trip, it irritates me?) because I turned down a one way street - DUH me, it was only like two car links long and I parked immediately, but still. My first run in with a cop in almost 10 years, that's pretty good. I realize he had to say something, but he didn't have to be so high and mighty about it and he didn't even get out of his car, he made me get out of mine and come over to his... Lazy! Oh well.. so you know I had to mention my first run in with a cop (besides when that old lady hit me.)

The pool was so cold that Landen turned blue... okay not his entire body but his lips and around his mouth. I made him get out and we just huddled in a warm towel and got hot chocolate while everyone else was swimming. Yep - it's June, we're drinking hot chocolate like it's winter. We do not do good unless it's in the 90's for swimming I guess! Hopefully we'll make it to the pool again soon. Anyway, we decided to head over to the park instead where the kids had a great time running around. Here's one of my favorite pictures of Landen and Amelia!

Check me out here to read what I have to say about just a couple things I've won lately. =)

A snoring, thumb sucking child

I've been doing some research today on Landen and his snoring at night. He's been snoring for as long as I can remember - since he was at least Amelia's age. I remember sometimes at night when he had a cold it'd be so bad I wouldn't be able to sleep next to him because it'd keep me awake. I don't do good with snoring though - it's like fingers running down a chalk board, or worse, crunchy snow.

Well, I've been reading different things about this and it seems that lots of kids snore. Hmm! However, everything tries to scare you into thinking your kid has the most serious thing - sleep apnea- or in children known as, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and I'm almost positive he doesn't have that. Then of course allergies, asthma, a cold, stuffy nose, or large tonsils/adenoids. He doesn't have allergies, asthma a cold or runny nose. Maybe he does have large tonsils/adenoids - are you born with that? Even if he did have large ones, I wouldn't feel comfortable with him having surgery for that at his age. His snoring isn't disrupting his sleep or causing problems at this time. What to do, what to do. Any of you with kids have snorers?

On another note with Landen - he started sucking his thumb/index finger the last three weeks or so. I've been noticing it a lot lately. It seems that he does it for comfort, to go to sleep. Maybe I'm not giving him enough attention? It doesn't seem that way though. I've heard some different things - stage, jealously, reverting back to a baby (uh, right?), I don't get it. He's never been a thumb sucker, never had a pacifier, he's been weaned for just over a year now. Why would he all of a sudden need his thumb? So many things are running through my head. Anyone have a good idea that actually makes sense? He doesn't act jealous at all, he does like to act silly like his sister - but not to the point that it's an issue. A stage? Do you really go through a thumb sucking stage? *sigh* Idea's appreciated!

WW:Sibling Love

News Flash - Projects and more

• My first somewhat review for Props and Pans is up on the Must have Mondays! Not much but definitely a start to hopefully a lot of fun reviews.
• I finally got my new couch and love seat ordered, and hopefully I won't have to wait the entire 12 weeks for it to come in. It's going to look amazing! *future pictures coming*
• We got a free, yes a free 37" LCD, flat screen television with our purchase. Ooh baby, we're going to have a movie room now.
• The computer room/den/future movie room/hockey room is newly painted with a beautiful blueish silver color (quicksilver). And I think it looks really good. *future pictures coming*
• There was a tornado warning while shopping - no need for alarm. We went to the back of the store and there was no sign of a tornado. I did get a little anxious though when Kurt had to go out to shut the windows in the car.
• Amazing contests to enter and win at the Goody Blog. Does this trip your trigger, or your hubby - 50" LCD flat screen television with home entertainment system for example! All you have to do is comment.
• Amelia's teeth are popping through and hopefully the biting with quit soon.
• Landen told me I was crabby today. I need to spunk up - I don't being told that!

Caffeine Results In Endless Thinking

I've been drinking entirely too much caffeine in the evening, to the point that it's keeping me up at night. I've never had this problem until the last year or so. Anyway, the last two nights it's been bad, to the point that I look at the clock at 1:30 and wonder why I'm not asleep yet. Laying there staring at the ceiling, tossing and turning, pondering over things that don't need to be dwelled upon. I hate nights like those!

Here's something that's been coming up a lot. How do you know when you have too much information on the Internet? Do I have too much info on the net? Should I not have my families names published so that people know who we really are? Is it not safe to enter the contest I enter? Or do the reviews I'm hoping to do soon? Am I being too trusting, naive thinking - why would anyone want to stalk me or my family? I don't know.. what about these other mom bloggers? Their blogs are so popular, all about their life and family.. they think it's okay? You can't even find mine if you Google it, but still the paranoia sets in.

On another note, how do you get your blog to be that famous, and have all these hits - a couple that come to mind adventures in babywearing, Fina Drea and From Dates to Diapers and Beyond? Not that I'm saying I want to have a famous blog, actually I don't. I like reading theirs though - but how do you sum it up, get all those people, all those reviews, writing for all these different place? I don't know! Do they have those same thoughts - is it safe?

So, that's a little of what was running through my mind for many hours of the night last night - along with the entire vaccination issue. Sometimes I don't know if what we're doing is the right thing and what happens when we try to send the kids to school, private school. What issue are we going to have to deal with then?

I underestimate them

The last couple of days I've been feeling a bit discouraged with the entire cloth diapering thing. I suppose because Amelia needs to be double stuffed at night, which is absolutely no big deal as long as you double stuff her. My Mommy's touch diapers started leaking, but once again I think that's because either the insert has detergent built up on it, or/and I'm not changing her soon enough with them. Still working on that issue and the fact that she's going more is something new. Oh and then it seems that I have to do a lot of laundry and some of the really cute clothes I get her don't fit right with them. Grr! But, I'm not trying to complain - I honestly love using cloth and after this morning, I guess I was just really forgetting how wonderful they really are. I had Amelia in a disposable while the cloths were washing - I got a little behind yesterday. Well we had a poop explosion... a regular thing... but not in a disposable diaper. Oh my goodness, up the back, in the neck, down the leg, everywhere. This was a regular poop, not a sick poop or anything. Yikes, it wasn't contained at all. The clothes never allow a poop like that to escape, or at least not that I've witnessed yet. Oh how I underestimate the wonder of cloth at times! After this morning, I'm going to be grateful for them again and remember that there were a lot of reasons why we decided to switch and go with it. I think this is just what I needed - a little reminder!
Along with that my cloth wipes are... amazing! I've actually been taking them with me out and about unlike what I originally thought. The disposables just don't take care of a mess like the cloth wipes do. I'm happy we switched.

God Is Good

I like days like today ... beautiful weather, good friends, great family, wonderful children, an amazing husband! I thank God for days like today!

It really grosses me out

The kids and I are running errands today - I got Landen in the car, I'm getting Amelia in and just glance over at the car next to me. Yikes! There on the dash is a naughty calender from one of those nasty places. Why do I keep running into this crap? Yuck, yuck, yuck. I didn't know they made naked lady dash calenders - well, really how would I know!?! I've never been to one of those places. It made me sick.. so what do I have to do, share it with you people. Am I the only one that thinks this stuff is gross and everywhere?

WW: Cookie Eating Rock Star

He's our future rock star for sure! Like the sewing measuring tape thingy for a guitar strap?


So, she doesn't like regular food - who doesn't like chocolate?

OooOoohh we got a hot tub!

Yes, you read that title correctly - if you hadn't already guessed from my - soaking under the stars - comment last week, we got ourselves a hot tub. Thanks to my sisters boyfriend Jake who found us an amazing deal and helped us put it in and all that jazz, I get to relax, whenever I want out in my sanctuary/patio with a hot tub. I'm loving it and can't wait to have friends over to enjoy it with me. Here are a few pictures of the process -

Here are the horrible rocks that covered the area. It took 5 trucks and a trailer load just to get all these dreaded rocks of out of here. Never go with rocks! It was awful and we had to hand shovel it all out of there. Lots of work and at the time made me think it might not be worth it.

All the rocks gone - a lot of leveling needed to be done. Kurt worked forever out there and got all these patio stones (sorry, no pictures Amelia was sick while he was putting them down) in and looking amazing.

Tah Dah! Here we are relaxing. The kids love it and we're not keeping it really hot so the kids can have fun and enjoy it too.

Here you can see it from the door; nice patio stones and around the fence we're going to have dirt and mulch with big plants. I have some plants out there, but still a bit more work to do.

Good Things Do Happen

So, I had a little chuckle to myself a little bit ago as I was cleaning. My family will probably laugh at this one - once someone said "good girls finish last" - ha ha ha! Well I got an e-mail from a lady yesterday that saw I had entered a contest that she she sponsored from her own little business as a stay at home mom, for a tee and trucker hat. She e-mailed me to tell me she wanted to give me a trucker hat and wool cap just because she believed good things happened to good people and I was a Christian mommy who wasn't afraid to publish what I thought. I thought that was really, really nice! I say good girls and boys always finish ahead in the long run.

Is it necessary?

Maybe this shouldn't come as such a surprise to me, I guess it doesn't really come to me as a surprise, more of a disappointment -- once again. I like to watch CMT music video's while cleaning, or listen and watch a little of the video's. Well today, some song came on (I don't even know what it was - I changed the channel before I could find out) and there are pole dancers and girls wearing next to nothing throughout most of what I saw. I can't even watch CMT music video's anymore? Common - maybe I'm being overly cautious here, but is it really necessary for my kids (or me, or my husband) to see that? Is that what television has to have on to draw an audience? I guess I'll stick to the music channels with no video's - until that disappoints me, then who knows what I'll do. =)