Fun Project

The baby's room has been in need of some major tlc for quite some time. I have had my eye on some canvas prints that match his bedding but I have only seen them for $50-$70 and I was not willing to pay that much so I started to brainstorm a way that I could make my own.

I started and finished this project in one day and the entire thing cost just under $20. I was so happy with how they turned out and I think it makes it more fun knowing that I made them myself and saved some money while doing it.

Here is the finished project and below that are the actual pictures of the animals on his bedding. I think I made a pretty good match!

This is how I did it. I took a digital picture of each animal. I printed each one to the size I needed just in black and white on regular computer paper. I purchased some tracing paper and then traced the images onto the canvas. Then it was just a matter of painting them and that was it!

I think this is a great option for making art for any child's room. You could take an image off their bedding or really any image from a book, a card...the sky is the limit. Anyway, I thought I would just pass the idea along.

Next project is to paint the actual room and then finish off with a few more little items and I think he will finally have a cute nursery! Sometimes you just need a little project like this to get you jump started.

12 hours = 2 cups

A few days ago some of our friends called us and asked us if we wanted to take some of their sap from their maple trees to make our own maple syrup. I responded with an enthusiastic , "Yes, we would love some."

My worries began when I showed up at their doorstep and my friend said, "Thank you for taking away my headache." I left with two buckets full of sap and the instructions to just boil it until you can't blow the bubbles down anymore.

Sounds easy enough right????

These are my lovely buckets full of sap.

This is what the sap looks like before the process began. Clear as water.

Here is my pot on the stove. Notice the time on the clock 1:36.
12 HOURS LATER THIS IS THE RESULT!!!!

This is not a joke. I started with about 8 gallons of sap and the end result was a little less than 2 cups of syrup. I ran my stove on high for 12 straight hours. I started to think this was just a mean joke when I had reached 11 hours and 59 minutes and I was still able to blow the bubbles down, but finally it happened!

I am not quite sure I will ever want to use this delicious syrup I labored over so diligently but I have had a little taste and it is very good. One thing is for sure...the kids will not be allowed to use this on their pancakes.

Now I know why my friend lovingly referred to this as her "headache". If she calls again and wants to share I may think twice. I must say however it was a new lesson learned and kind of fun to try once but I don't think I will be opening my homemade maple syrup shop any time soon!

No Spending Month Review

Every year we set goals and then post them where we can see them each day. This year I made a goal that I wanted to have a no spending for one entire month goal. Charlie was thrilled when he heard about this goal.

We picked February to be our month. By no spending I mean things such as no movie rentals, no clothing purchases, no babysitters, no eating out....the only exception was that I could buy groceries and gas.

The month is over and I have to say I am glad I did it. I am not much of a spender in the first place so I did not think it would be too difficult to accomplish this goal but I did learn a few lessons.

First: I learned that you really can just make do with what you have. Ethan has two pairs of jeans and both of them got holes in the knees at the start of the month. I could not just run out and buy new ones so he went to school with holes. I also pulled out some pants that are still too big for him but we made them work. Sure he was probably not the most fashionable kid in school, but my kids never are and guess what....that's ok!

Second: I learned that if you are not so busy filling your life up with "stuff" Heavenly Father will bless you with opportunities to help others. This was a lesson I was not quite expecting from this little experiment but I was amazed. This month I was almost bombarded with opportunities to serve other people. I have had time to ponder this a bit and I think the reason was two-fold. One, I think that Heavenly Father knew we would have a little extra money this month and presented us with opportunities to share it with others. The second part of this is that I think I was able to be more focused on others this month and not so much on just our little family which made it easier for me to respond to promptings from the spirit. I found myself each morning during my prayers asking to be an answer to another persons prayers...I'm not sure if I was an answer to anyone but I can say I felt closer to the spirit and I did my best to help each person I saw that was in need.

Third: I learned that we can have just as much fun at home being a family as we do going out and doing things. I pretty much already knew this but it was just magnified this week. We spent more time just being together, baking, reading, playing games and we had a blast!

The other day we got our first credit card bill that had the beginning of February on it. It was the first time I found myself being excited to open a credit card bill. Charlie actually came and gave me a kiss when he saw it! Ladies, how often do you get a kiss from your husband over a credit card bill????

Overall I quite enjoyed this little experiment and think I will make it a yearly goal. It really helped put needs and wants into perspective. That being said I am pretty sure I will end up at a drive-thru window at some point this week, not having to cook for one night sounds GLORIOUS!

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!