This N' That...............

Today it was rainy and cold so it was GREAT that we had all our errands done and could "just be" at home and enjoy the clouds and rain. After getting all the laundry done and mopping my floors I got an itch to do something creative. I picked up this material at JoAnn's yesterday. My 9 month old niece has to have surgery on the 15th of Dec. and since her mom and dad have nicknamed her lady bug I thought this would be perfect for her bed at the hospital. So I made this really simple soft blanket for Alexandra. I hope she loves it! ;)

Then I decided I had all this beautiful material in my sewing box and my couch pillows desperately needed a face lift so I made some slip covers. A little mix-matchy but I love that look so it works in my earth toned house.


Last night we had the pleasure of having dinner with some friends and then the kids made turkey hand print cookies.

Gobble-Gobble!


The little ones really got into their cookies. Too fun!!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

7 Random things about ME!

OK, so I have been tagged like three times so I am going to be a good sport and play along. It's just that I don't think there are 7 random interesting things you want to know about me. ;) But here goes nothing.

1. I LOVE to read and in fact I probably easily read 2-3 books a month. The sad part? If you stopped me on the street & asked me what I was reading I could no sooner tell you the title of the book or the author or anything. I could tell you what it was about but once I am done reading I completely forget. I don't know if its because I read SO much I just have to filter or if I am really that absent minded. Yikes!

2. I HATE the dark. If I have to walk from one end of the house to the next at night I will flip all the lights on along the way. I just like to be able to see everything at all times plus doesn't the boogy man still live in the dark under my bed? ;)

3. I LOVE to scare people. Not like the put a mask on and hide in the closet and jump out kind of scare but the more passive just stand really still while you walk around the corner and see if you notice me kind of scare. Dan and the girls get so made at me. They try to get me back all the time but I am paranoid when the house gets quiet so I come around the corner swinging. I know, I know, my kids are so going to be jacked up.

4. I have what I like to call a "numbers disorder" everything has to be the same. Like if I am putting deodorant on, each pit has to get the same amount of strokes. ohh, ooohh and like the heater in my car has different controls for each passenger; well if I am alone I have to have the numbers all be the same. I cant believe I am telling you this. So random!

5. I LOVE shoes but HATE to wear them. I LOVE purses and handbags but HATE to carry them. I LOVE fashion and make up but ALL of my makeup would literally fit in your pocket and I am most comfortable in worn out jeans and t-shirts. When I grow up I want to be an adult all put together with a look other than a pony tail! :)

6. I LOVE adventure and change. If Dan came home tomorrow and said we were moving across the country/world I would be ALL over it. I love change and things to get shook up once in a while. I LOVE big city's and small country towns. I honestly could live anywhere. I curb this part of my personality a bit by constantly learning something new. I am itching to take dance classes at the moment. ohh, ohhh and the piano.

7. When God wants me to do something or lean my heart in a certain direction it happens in the middle of the night. More times than I can count I have had dreams or something to that affect that leads me to pray for someone and call them to find out they were in need or hurting. I also am convicted during this time if I am in sin. God wakes me up and it is VERY clear to what I am to do.........................ok, is this weird? Oh well, you asked for it!! ;)

Funny things kids say and the death of a mailbox...........

Our kids say the most hilarious things almost daily. In fact I could do an ENTIRE blog just on the things that come out of their mouths and you would be in in awe and possibly often times frightened at the way their little minds work. Morgan: "wanna play princess?"

Ryanne: "oh yes, can I be a princess too?"

Morgan: "No, I'm the oldest so I am the princess."

Ryanne: "that's not really fair, I want to be a princess like you!"

Morgan: "let me think.............hhhhhmmmmmmm, I've got a great idea!

You can be Porky Pig!"

(we are sitting at a place eating lunch)

Ryanne: "daddy, was I birthed from you?"

Dan: No, daddy's don't "birth" babies Ryanne only Mommy's can do that."

Ryanne: "oohhh, ok so was I birthed from you mommy?"

Me: "no honey, remember we adopted you when you were a baby."

Ryanne: "oohh ya' so who birthed me then?"

Me: "your birth mom."

Ryanne: "whats my birth moms name?"

Me: "Kristen."

Ryanne: "cool ok."

Morgan: "And just for the record I was the one who wanted you!"

I was in the house running around with my head cut off trying to get everyone out of the house on time for swimming when Morgan comes running in;

Morgan: "Mom, the mailbox fell over!!!"

Me: "the what did what!!!???"

Morgan: "ya' the mailbox fell over and oh I might have been swinging from it AGAIN! But if makes you feel any better on the way down it hit me in the head REALLY hard!"

(yes my child in some way that does make me feel better)

So I threw everyone in the car, backed out of the driveway pausing long enough to snap a photo on my cell phone and then sent it to Dan at the fire station with this text attached;

HAPPY FREAGIN' MONDAY!!!!! :)

What is it about my children that they swing, climb, hurdle, launch themselves off anything they can find? Is this normal? Well, its Tuesday whats the worst that could happen right? ;)

Your Input

Hello everyone, now is your chance to tell me what you think. I shared in my previous post that we are trying to really keep the present giving and receiving in perspective. To spend less and give more. Does that make sense? Nobody "needs" to be smothered in gifts at Christmas to make it special and our family is no exception. I mean what if we all sepnt less and gave more of our time, resources and energy to eternal things? Man oh man wouldnt that speak volumes to the world around us! So every year I have this really cool wood advent house I set up and everyday the girls open it to find little candies, scripture, or coupons for dates with mom and dad; things like that. This year I want to make it 25 days of service to our neighbors. Take the trash cans in, grab the mail, rake up leaves etc. Can you guys give me some ideas that would bless you if you were our neighbors. Please keep in mind that we are pretty close and friendly with most all of our neighbors so it can be more than the average surface thing. I know God will bless our entire family and grow us through this and I pray it will minister to others in a way that we don't even know yet. Come on Bloggers I need 25 ideas!! Have a gret weekend.
(p.s. if you are one of my neighbors reading this you do NOT get to put in your two cents! he,hee!)

Living in the moment

I was recently thinking about how hard it is for us to live in the moment. We are always worrying, thinking or planning about the next "big thing" we have going on. I realize that I am very much like that in the sense that I have a hard time slowing down long enough to enjoy today. I don't know about you but I can often tell when I have my hand in to many things especially during the holidays. I will all of a sudden feel this panic coming on and my brain feels like it is going to explode on the next person that asks me anything about anything. Are you following me? To be honest I have no desire to be that mom who does it all. I would be happy just doing a few things well. I got to thinking about how stores make it really hard to live in the moment. I mean when I was shopping for Halloween I had a hard time enjoying myself because the store clerks were climbing over me to put Thanksgiving stuff out. Now as my family gets all excited about Thanksgiving we have to climb over Santa statues to buy a Turkey platter...........ummmm hello!!I totally get starting stuff early and in fact am almost done with my Christmas shopping (more on that in a minute) but it's already so hard to just enjoy TODAY without all the "pushing" from the outside world. ugh! Seriously when I start shopping for Christmas decorations they will be throwing Valentines cards at me. he,hee! One way we stopped to enjoy the amazing Fall weather was to go to our home school harvest party.Ryanne and her friend Seth. Show me those mugs!!!!
They had a pumpkin rolling contest and Ryanne and her little friend had to work together because the pumpkins were SO BIG! It took these two forever to get down and back but they laughed the entire time and never gave up.

Morgan did great too!

Ryanne came out with this crown on this morning, I guess she wanted to make sure everyone knew who was in charge today. ;)

Yup, they even had sack races. Morgan was all business!

OK, so I wanted to share our idea we are using to keep Christmas small and in perspective this year. Every year we say,"let's not go over board, cash only, etc." Well, this year I got this great idea out of a magazine I was reading. Dan and the girls thought it was a great, fun way to make Christmas more fun and keep our eyes on the Lord. You buy three gifts; one they REALLY want, one they REALLY need and one that is a total surprise. We are doing stockings for them as well. It has really caused the girls to stop and think about what they are asking for and what we can buy for Dan as well. Just a thought. :)

Please vote!!

OK, so here I go on my soap box; please vote. Please don't e-mail, call or post on my blog that you are undecided or what one lady said,"I am going to mark Jesus Christ as my president in the blank as a sign my civil protest." Uummmmmm..........last time I check he wasn't running and isn't interested in holding a man made position designed to be held by MAN. God desires to be our king and in that if we are choosing to make him our ultimate leader we should be seeking his will for every choice we make as believers. Please vote.
Please don't tell me one vote doesn't matter because you figure if your not the only one saying that then it's no longer one vote and yes one vote does matter. We have been given the privilege as a country to voice our opinions. Please vote.
It's not a matter of choosing the "perfect" candidate, there is no such thing. We are all sinful and fallen and clearly the president is no exception. Regardless, we have to seek Gods wisdom and I truly believe he is the one who gives us hope and wisdom in this temporary home of ours.
Please vote. We have men and woman serving in the armed forces to protect our freedom. Please vote. This is our civic duty to make sure we attempt to make a difference.
Please vote. Please take your kids with you to vote so they learn to respect this freedom. Also, regardless of the outcome please pray for our leader whoever that ends up being. Pray for their salvation, for wisdom and for Godly people to come along side them and minister to them.
Please vote. OK, getting off my soap box. :)

Halloween Fun

Give me the camera and nobody gets hurt lady!! Our friends and neighbors came over for dinner. Marianne and I each made homemade pizza and we all ate dinner together before dressing the kids up.
Morgan was mad the other day because we dont have alot of picutres of just the two of us. Here you go girl, your wish is my command. he,hee! Get it? Your wish, she has the lamp? Oh never mind. ;)

A quick family photo to prove Dan was home with us this Halloween.

Ryanne looked so cute but I relaized something about dressing your kid in all black on Halloween and then walking around the neighborhood; uumm.... nobody can see her. We tied glow sticks to ALL the kids but Ryanne still got tripped over twice. :)

Morgan had on glow earings, bracelets and a necklace so you could see her for miles. I think planes were trying to land on our street cause they saw all the kids walking with glow sticks and mistook it for a runway. :) More pictures below. Blogger isnt working very well today so my photos are all out of order and the spacing is wierd. Oh well, you get the idea of how cute everyone was. :)

More Halloween pic's.......

Lucky for me in about a week they will have forgotten about all the candy and I can ditch it/donate it. Anyone not get enough sweets last night, I deliver!
Best buds!!! Kind of an odd couple wouldn't you say?

Lillie was a China doll but getting her to sit still for a picture with her mama took a group effort.

Sweet sisters!

Luke, Lillie, Morgan, Ryanne, Caleb and Morgan all ready for a night out! I had to take like 6 pictures to get them all standing still and looking at me.