Double Take

Each week I hear many times how much the baby looks just like his little sister. It has been fun to see Samuel grow and go back and look at pictures and see just how similar they are. There is something so endearing to me to have two kids that look alike. Don't ask me why...I just love it!

Funny Video

I saw this video today and it made me laugh. Part of me found it disturbing but I just had to share it and let you be the judge!

Today

Toady I felt the wind in my hair, the sun warming my back, I felt the earth under my feet.

Today I wore no coat, I spent time with friends, and enjoyed some great conversation.

Today I spent 2 hours outside.

Today was a GREAT day!

Staying Informed

Last night our school district had a meeting to discuss the current issues facing this area. It was proposed that 2 schools, 58 jobs, and $2.6 million be cut out of the budget. You can see all the details from the meeting here. They also have encouraged parents to fill out a feedback form located on that page.

The final meeting will be held on March 23rd. I just thought I would pass on the information as it will directly affect many of our children.

Winter Blues

I saw this cartoon today and it made me laugh. I have not blogged lately because I have been sucked into the world of winter blues. I wish it was as easy to snap out of as the above cartoon advises.

Some of the reasons for the winter blues are in part due to the ridiculously cold weather we have been having. The other day I ran to the grocery store and tried to load my groceries without my gloves on and I am pretty sure I may have lost a finger or two because of it. HOWEVER tomorrow we are supposed to have record breaking temperatures and I am frantically trying to find a way to spend some time outside and enjoy it while we have it.

Reason number two: All of my friends have either just had a baby, are about to have a baby or just found out they are having a baby. Ok, so not ALL my friends but seriously a good number of them. The winter blues this brings me is in no way shape or form because I wish I was in their position. It has affected me in the way that things we used to be able to do we have not been doing as often. I also am feeling totally helpless! Several of my friends are in need of a helping hand and while I am doing my best and looking for ways I can help every chance I get I wish there was more I could do.

Long story short I need to "snap out of it", but you know when you are in such a funk and you think "Ok, I should call so and so and get together and invite them over....I just can't seem to make myself actually DO IT even though I know in the long run I am sure it would help.

So dear cute friends near and far. I worry for all of you. I miss all of you. I won't name names but M- You are an amazing woman and I pray for you all day. K- I hope you get good news this week and you MUST let me help you in some way. E- You are just too cute for being as prego as you are and we need to get together before you are on "lock down" as well. C- I SOOOOOO miss you. Times like these make me wish I was there to take your kids and rub your feet and be your labor coach!

Hang in there everyone and if anyone else out there has the "blues" call me and maybe I can get off my rear and "snap out of it"!

Denial ain't just a river in Egypt

The last few weeks I have been in denial. The kind of denial that you think if you just don't talk about it everything will magically disappear in a puff of smoke. Well, today I realized that my denial is gone and reality has set in....big time.

Most Americans are feeling a bit of hesitancy these days and to a point I really don't think that is all bad. I have however found myself questioning every little expense lately even more so than I usually do. If I am cold in the house (and let's face it with as cold as it has been here that is quite often) I question,"Do I turn the heat up a few notches or do I put on yet another layer of clothing?". I am invited to a birthday party for a good friend and I wonder,"Wow should I really spend money on going out to eat right now?", I see a great deal on kids clothing that in reality will save us money in the future but when the computer stops working in the middle of my purchase I take it as a "sign" that maybe I should not buy the clothes right now.

Much of these feelings are due to the unstable situation at my husbands workplace right now. My unease is also in great part due to the fact that many people I know and love are loosing their jobs left and right. I found out today that a family we know and love lost their job, my father has been out of work since November and my sweet brother lost his job yesterday as well.

We are fully aware that we are blessed to have a job at all right now but the question I have is how proactive do you try and be in a situation as this. Do you weather the storm and hope for the best or do you try your best at making your own destiny and hit the pavement and start looking for new jobs?

We have done our fair share of moving, and I for sure have done my part. I have been moving from place to place my entire life. The longest I have ever lived ANYWHERE is 6 years. I am 31 now so you do the math. I am tired of living my life in the upheaval of life in motion. We have finally found the perfect package of friends, church, community, home....we just love it all. I have learned to make the best out of most of my moves...after all, what other option do you have? But, the thought of leaving this perfect little bubble already just knocks me down to a place of hurt and despair that I can't even describe.

So pardon the long introspective post but the only solace I have found in the last few days is from a pan of brownies. Darn you brownies!!!! Why do you taste so good in my state of sorrow????

Please know that I am not ungrateful and I do completely realize that we STILL have a job and a beautiful home and nothing tragic has happened yet and may very well never happen. I do realize however that I need to spend much more time on my knees praying for comfort and peace and guidance and know that Heavenly Father is the only one who can lead our little family in the direction it needs to go.

I hope for all of my other friends and family in the same position right now that they may turn to the Lord for comfort as well and that we will all be there to comfort one another!

10 Year Anniversary

I looked up on the computer this morning what the traditional gifts are for a 10 year wedding anniversary. It turns out that it is tin or aluminum.

I don't know about you...but the thought of getting aluminum for our anniversary just makes me laugh. What says I love you, more than some foil. The gift would be two fold...a reminder of all of your wonderful years together AND as an added bonus you could make a nice dinner as well.I also found in my research that the new modern 10 year anniversary gift is diamonds!

I am not delusional enough to think that I will receive a gift of such magnitude this year but really can't there be some middle ground between tin and diamonds?

At any rate...gift or no gift 10 years later I find myself still married to a wonderful man that I learn to love more about each year and he has already given me 4 precious little diamonds that I love more than any ring or necklace in the world!

M-M-GOOOOOOOD

I think I am finally a Mormon mom! I made bread today. Not just any bread. We are talking grinding my own food storage wheat completely from scratch bread. For Christmas I got a wheat grinder and a really nice mixer from my mom and then I got some great lessons from my mother-in-law on how to make a great loaf of bread. The other day I thought I would give it a shot and failed terribly. I discussed the issues with my mother-in-law who quickly diagnosed the problem and so I decided to give it another try today and it worked perfectly!!!!

My house smells so fantastic right now I wish I could bottle the smell and just spray it around my house each day. So, I have some warm fresh out of the oven bread on my counter right now that is just screaming for butter and honey. Don't you want to come join me?

How I plan to survive

Let's face it...January in Michigan can be depressing. The holidays are over and the dark snowy cold days are here to stay for longer than I can even think about right now. So I have found some mini milestones to help me make it thorough these next few months. If you are like me and tend to find yourself a little down this time of year feel free to take any or all of these suggestions to brighten your days!



First, Ameircan Idol start on the 13th. Really, I know it is silly but I love this show. I especially love it now that we have a DVR and can just fast forward through all the boring stuff. Seriously the results show that they stretch out to be an hour long somehow, we watch in about 4 1/2 minutes. It's great!



Second, season 5 of Lost begins on the 21st. This show is amazing. If you are not already hooked you can watch all the past seasons for free on abc's website. It will be well worth your time!

Third....may I have a moment of silence please.....yes, it is true U2 is releasing their 15th album on March 2nd, called "No line on the horizon". Honestly, nothing can get me through a dark day like a good U2 song. I also smell a concert in my future. Ahhhhh the joys I have to look forward to.

Lastly, but not least. We purchased tickets to Utah for spring break to go visit family and friends. I am so excited for my kids to have a chance to be with cousins and Aunts and Uncles and Grandpa and Grandma and Great-Grandparents. I also am thrilled that we will be there shortly after my BFF has her 4th baby. We never get to see each others kids when they are new so this will be a nice treat. We hope to get conference tickets which would be so nice to attend. The funny part is that we got out tickets thanks to a tip from a good friend and we are all on the same flights together.

I hope this is enough fun to get me through these next few months. But please if you have any tricks up your sleeve feel free to share!

Christmas 2008

Christmas has come and gone :( Decorations have been put away and now we are left with fond memories of a great break.
The holiday was filled with lots of crafts and baking and kid sleepovers and Christmas movies and music. But mostly it was just spent being together as a family enjoying each others company.

This was the first year on Christmas morning with just our little family and we really enjoyed it. Don't get me wrong...when I spoke to my family that day knowing they were all together and I was not, that was hard but given the situation we had a great time together.

We spent Christmas at home and then spent a few days in Chicago with all of Charlie's family (minus one brother and his family). It was a great combo of relaxation and fun and Charlie got to watch a Bears game at home with all of his brothers which made his day. We got to partake of Diane's wonderful cooking and hospitality. At many times throughout the days there were 27 people to feed and one dog. That could drive a person crazy...but my in-laws are great at welcoming the madness and just letting everyone have fun!

Grandpa Ross made each of the kids a new special toy. He is an amazing woodworker and I love the little projects that he does with them. Here is Ethan playing with the blocks that Grandpa made. I will have to post the elephant and princess that he made for the girls later.

It was hard to send Charlie off to work today and get the kids back in a routine but I guess all good things must come to an end. I feel very blessed to have had such a great Christmas with my cute kids and husband and that we were all healthy and safe. What a great memory the last 2 weeks will be for us!

Piano Recital

Abby had her piano recital last weekend and it went great. She practiced really hard and I was so proud of her that she memorized a song that at the start she thought she could never play. I love watching her learn. I video taped her song so that all of our family could enjoy her big moment!

Proud Father Moment

Sorry normal readers - I had to jack the blog today.

We all spend so much time trying to teach our kids. We discipline, reward, punish, and praise. Sometimes we wonder if all that work really meant anything. Did we actually make a difference in our kids lives? Are they better for the hard work we did? Then something happens, in the oddest of moments, to validate all of our hard work. Something happens that shows us the evidence that we have shaped our child forever.

That happened to me this morning.

I came home from 5 am basketball and laid in bed with Brook. Ethan woke up at about 7 am and came downstairs to turn on the TV. All the sudden we heard him screaming and yelling in the living room. I ran out to see what was the matter and he yelled, "YES - the Bears beat the Packers 20 to 17". You see he's too little to stay up and watch Monday night football, but the TV was tuned to ESPN. He caught the highlights on ESPN before flipping it to the cartoons and was thrilled to see the Bears still in the hunt for the playoffs.

GO BEARS!!!!! GO BEARS!!!!! GO BEARS!!!!! GO BEARS!!!!! GO BEARS!!!!! GO BEARS!!!!!

Christmas baking gone wrong

Last night a few of my friends decided to get together and do some holiday baking. We all agreed on trying a new recipe and seeing as how we are all good cooks we were all excited. Well, I don't know if there was a full moon last night or what but something went terribly wrong.

One by one we finished up our dishes and one by one something had gone wrong. Some were more disasterous than others but by the end of the night we were in tears from laughing so hard.

The stars of the night were for sure the "fudge" that looks EXACTLY like mashed potatoes and gravy and the "carmel" that could be used as a lovely belt if your britches were falling down.

Let's just say that it was all bad enough that the husband who had offered to be the taste tester when viewing the beautiful plate placed before him....suddenly was not very hungry.

Despite our terrible outcome we had so much fun and I think it made it even more fun because nothing worked. Our next adventure we have decided may be an appetizer night....don't you want to come????

Elf Yourself - Part Duex

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Elf Yourself

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Teacher gifts

Ok all my lady friends I need some advice.

Each year at this time I start to wonder about teacher gifts. I wonder what should I give, how much should I spend, do I give to the teacher helpers as well, if I do get something for the helpers how much do I spend on them?????

In the past a few of my children's teachers have asked that any money that would have been spent on a gift is just collected and then the teacher buys something for the classroom that she has been wanting. I LOVE that idea, but unfortunately not all teachers feel the same.

So....I am wondering what are your thoughts? I want to put my questions to rest and have a firm policy on what I would like to do each year so I am not always questioning myself. I know I have at least 1 teacher friend out there....what gifts did you just love getting?

Anyway, PLEASE send some advice my way...the clock is ticking and I have not left myself with much time.

Today's checklist

Kids up- check

breakfast made- check

children dressed- check

teeth brushed- check

hair done- check

lunches made- check

mommy dressed- check

mommy teeth brushed- check

baby up- check

baby dressed- check

bottle made- check

children bundled and backpacks ready- check

prayers- check

in the car to the bus stop - check

check to see that school was not cancelled- NO CHECK

Yup, I broke the number one mommy rule. YOU SHOULD ALWAYS CHECK TO MAKE SURE SCHOOL IS IN SESSION.....ALWAYS!

The only really worth while part of a snow day is the fact that you don't have to get up and run around like a crazy woman for an hour getting everyone ready. When you do get up and run around like a crazy woman only to find out it was for nothing well....let's just say it does not make for a very good start to the day.

So it is 8 A.M. and the kids are already out playing in the snow because darn it I was going to make something positive come out of having them all ready. I am sure that most of you are still in your pj's toasty warm under your covers and all I have to say to that is.....ENJOY!

Every girl needs a friend like this!

Today is my BFF's birthday (at least I think it is). In our 10 years of friendship we have NEVER managed to remember either ones birthday. Well Cher, this year I am raising the bar. You now have 6 months to try and not forget mine. Luckily I will still totally love you even if you never ever remember mine as long as we live!

I could go on and on about this beautiful woman but she knows how I feel. She truly is a gift from God and a blessing in my life.

I love giggling and crying with her.

I miss her each and every day and wish we lived closer.

Thank you for being my friend. You make me a better person. I hope this day is filled with happy children and a peaceful home and maybe even a present or two :)

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

I was so hoping for a snow day today and look what I got! It is 11:00 and we are still in our p.j.'s. We got a new camera on black Friday and I am enjoying the panorama mode. I love our house and I love this season. I love seeing the beautiful lights twinkle in the snow.



We will get out of our p.j.'s at some point but I assure you it will only be to put on our snow clothes and play outside until we get nice and cold and then we will come in for some yummy peppermint hot chocolate. Is it weird that I look forward to snow days more than the kids?

Back to reality

I have been home from my WONDERFUL trip for quite some time but I was greeted with an instant dose of reality as soon as I got back and so it has taken me some time to make a post. The night I got home Charlie got the stomach flu and it has since been passing through our entire family including me. But enough about the realities of life and on to my exciting trip!

I got to spend the first half of my trip with family. I had a great breakfast with my dad and spent a ton of time with my mom and sister. I also got to see my wonderful grandparents and that was a real treat since I don't see them very often.


I was able to spend a few days at my parents beautiful cabin. It may not look like much here...they are under some major renovations and it will be amazing once it is all finished. I love being up in the mountains that close to the stars. It is truly a spiritual and peaceful experience.

I spent some time with my niece's and nephew. They are so cute and so much fun. I wish we were closer as they are the same age as my children and have so much fun together. Looking at this picture makes me miss them already!


We got to spend the day at my most favorite place in the world...Sego Lily day spa. My mother treated all of us for a day of beauty and it was pure HEAVEN. We had a great day of bonding and relaxation and it is not a day I will soon forget. Thanks mom!!!!


I went to the temple twice in one week, what a treat! It was great to go to the Jordan River temple since that is where we were married and we are coming up on our 10 year anniversary. It was fun to think back to me walking around in my wedding dress there. It seems like forever ago.

The second part of my trip was spent with my BFF. We giggled and had so much fun together. We spent part of our time together in Las Vegas and we ran into so many celebrities!

I decided to try out for American Idol while I was there. Here were my reviews:

Simon said, "That was absolutely dreadful!"
Paula, just clapped like a seal and then put her head on the table next to her Coke cup.
Randy said, "Yo dog, you've got mad skilz!"



We will just have to wait and see if my audition shows up on the next season. Ryan Seacrest is really short just in case you were wondering.

We stayed at the "lovely" Flamingo hotel, Donny and Marie's second home. We never saw them but we thought it was funny.

And as you all know I am such a hot babe that I got invited to the Playboy mansion. We got to hop in bed with Hef. The whole experience actually made my skin crawl a bit, but how many women can say they have actually been in bed with the Hefster....ok so quite a few but still aren't you jealous?

And for my final most glorious moment. I GOT TO KISS BONO! Ahhhhh, I can die happy now.

The trip was quite a treat. I was able to relax and enjoy just being me for a few days. I was able to giggle in my head as I saw all the other mothers dragging strollers and children everywhere I went. I loved seeing family. I cherish each moment I spend with them as I know they are few and far between.

A HUGE thank you to my amazing husband that allowed me to go and took great care of the children while I was away, and yes the house was even clean when I got home. I think it was hysterical that he hijacked my blog while I was away...he really is quite creative.

I am glad to be home with my sweet family and so appreciated my wonderful experience!