Wordless Wednesday Visiting Daddy at work

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Thursday Thirteen - Summertime is here!

Thirteen Things I plan to do with my summer:

1. Keep up with our summer Bible study - which I am really looking forward too!
2. Play dates in the park with the MOPS girls :)
3. Valley Beach! Hoping the weather will cooperate and we can go today!
4. picnic lunches at all the local parks
5. Lots of bike rides! Me and the kids love to ride our bikes and Ethan can go a pretty good distance, so I pop the girls in the bike cart and off we go!
6. Watch Ethan's T-ball games and hope to catch a few of Jason's ball games as well
7. Take Elena to play mini me T-ball. Now that she knows how to play she wants to also!
8. Camping. We love to go camping. We usually go on a few outings with our family and around the 4th of July Bills whole family goes on a camping weekend- which is a blast!
9. Taking the kids to lots of VBS! Ethan went to 3 of them last year and loved it! This year Elena can go too, so I know that at least 2 of them they both will go.
10. The zoo! We have a zoo membership so we will be hitting all the major ones I'm sure more than once. We love the zoo!!
11. All the local fairs and festivals. Love checking them out and sampling the Food! Yum!
12. Going to Kelley's Island. We take the ferry over then rent a golf cart, drive around the island and then hit the beach!
13. One of my favorite things about summer. Our lovely fire pit. Hubby is so busy during this time of year. This is the time we get to spend together, So we fire up the pit, get something cool to drink and sit on our swing and catch up. We try to do this as much as possible. So relaxing!

Wordless Wednesday - First and Last Days of School

Elena first day of Pre-school 2006

Last day of preschool 2007 Ethan 1st Day of Kindergarten 2006
Last day of Kindergarten 2007

What kind of Bra are you?

Tina the Palm Tree Fanatic had this on her blog and I was curious what mine would say so here am I - white cotton bra. Which really doesn't surprise me ;p So what kind are you??

You Are a White Cotton Bra!

Practical, comfortable, and classic You want your man to feel relaxed and himself with you Your perfect guy is low maintenance and adaptable And he makes you feel comfy and cozy too!

What Kind of Bra Are You?

Tackle it Tuesday!

I cannot believe it has been over a week since I have blogged on here! I cannot imagine how some bloggers find the time to update daily once the weather changes. I will do my best though.

Today is my daughters last day of preschool. Now she will be going again next year to pre- K preschool, but something about this is turning me into major mush! I want this whole growing up thing to slow down just a bit. Before I know it kindergarten will be calling and my little girl will be a big girl and in school until she is an adult. sniff, sniff.

Okay enough on that, I have a tackle at hand. Now this tackle will be a two part tackle as I have never painted a room myself before. My dh does all the painting projects in the house. He has no time free these days so its up to me...

Our boys room is still the baby nursery theme. I have had a hard time coming to the point where I can paint over these characters, but a friend of mine gave me a gift when we first had Ethan and it was a print of all the characters, so I will always have that to remind me of when my babes were little and we would sit in there and I would rock them to sleep. again sniff, sniff. Emotional momma here!! Here is a picture of how this project looks in the beginning. I will have to post an after pic later as I have a lot of work ahead of me today!!

Menu Plan Monday

Haven't had much time free on the calendar this week, but managed to squeeze in a quick menu for this week. I have my mother in law staying with us this week so we'll see how this week goes...

Here is our menu this week:

Monday: Chicken Quesadillas, corn bean soup - never made this last week

Tuesday: Tacos / taco salad

Wednesday: Spaghetti, meatballs, salad

Thursday: Smoked Sausage and penne pasta, green beans - never made last week

Friday: Crunchy Onion chicken, rice, Mixed vegetables

Saturday: Grilled Brats and Hot Dogs

Sunday: Beef Steaks with bacon, buttered noodles, salad

For more menu ideas, check out Laura's blog!

Happy 2nd Birthday Natalie!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Just click the play button to view the montage!

Mothers Day Giveaway!

I came across this contest, and although I don't usually try to win them, this is definitely one I really would like to win. If you visit me at my blog very often I'm sure you have thought yourself that we could use a little sprucing up around here. This is a contest for a blog makeover! Perfect for us Mommy's who just won't take the time to do it ourselves. So you can if you would like to help me out by hopping on over to Everyday Mommy and enter my blog.. oh please oh please (nothing like a little begging, eh?)
or I guess you could enter your own, although I think most of your blogs look great just as they are ;P

So if you are interested in checking it out, click here. Some of the details are below. Thanks for thinking of me, but if you nominate yourself... Good luck!

In honor of Mother’s Day Everyday Design is giving away a free Typepad or Blogger design! You may enter your own blog or the blog of a friend. Just grab the button above, write a brief post and link back to this post. The winner will be chosen at random on May 13th. Entrants must have either a Typepad Plus Level or New Blogger account. Please be sure to leave a comment with the URL of your entry.

Menu Plan Monday

Hello! Happy Monday! This past weekend was a long one and I am so ready for this week to begin! Although looking at my calender this week will be a full one too! I guess that is what happens at the end of the school year...

So here is my week, somehow I managed to sit down Friday morning and make my menu plan out and my grocery list. I am thankful I did or I would be clueless right now. I had no time to do it this past weekend!

Monday: Chicken Quesadillas, corn, bean soup
Tuesday: Salisbury steak, mash potatoes, salad
Wednesday: Natalie's actual birthday, last night of Awana. - Maybe stop at McDonald's
Thursday: Penne Pasta and smoked sausage, broccoli, rolls
Friday: Mom out for dinner! yay! Hamburgers and fries for dad and kids
Saturday: Aloha Pizza - my friend has me hooked on this! When I find the recipe, I'll post it.
Sunday: Beef and shrimp kabobs, Rice

Hope you all have a blessed week! For more menu ideas, check out Laura over at I'm an organizing junkie!!

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Things I would rather do today......

1. Stay in my pajamas in bed and sleep past 6 AM (of course this was shot out the window 2 hours ago) Maybe lounge for a good part of the morning..
2. Go to the bookstore and just spend time looking for a great new book to read
3. Actually have time to lay around in peace and read a book- During the day not in bed at night when I can barely keep my eyes open!
4. Spend more time in prayer to help me focus on the issues that have been bothering me lately. (This is actually one on the list I could make happen though)
5. Take a looong uninterrupted bubble bath
6. Have a spa day. Get a massage, manicure and pedicure
7. Go to Sherry's and enjoy a cup of coffee and chat with a friend
8. Be somewhere warm enough to lay out in the sunshine and just soak up the sun
9. Eat at a restaurant for lunch and dinner. My kitchen is nice and clean, it would be nice to not have to dirty it up today
10. Spend time getting all my photos in order, they are all a mess right now. I need to order some prints and get them back in albums-sounds like work, but I really enjoy doing that
11. Kind of along the same lines, Go through our video tapes. The home movies. They all need to be converted from VHS-C to DVD. I just never make the time to do it. I want to convert them so its easier to watch. I love to spend a rainy day going down memory lane.
12. Getting started on some scrapbooks (are you detecting a theme here?) I have so much memory preservation I want to work on, just enough time in my life to enjoy the actual events - not so much reliving them yet. ....someday....
13. Be able to spend a good, fun day with my family. Bill is working a lot lately and the kids haven't even seen him for 2 days because of his hours. I'd like us to go to the zoo or somewhere together and noone fight (there has been A LOT of bickering lately) Just enjoy a day together.

So that is it. I tried to think of vacation spots, but never being on vacation, I just want to be ANYWHERE! I sooo am in need of a vacation.. Or maybe just a little break from being mommy 24/7. Seems like I have been with them all the time lately. I'll have to work on that.

Have a great Thursday!

Wordless Wednesday - a mothers true love bouquet

For more wordless wednesday posts, click here or check out 5 minutes for mom!
Happy Wednesday:)

Menu Plan Monday

Another week fastly approaches and once again I have noo idea what to put on my menu! I have a hard time this time of the year, it is so easy when it is winter and dh is home every night. I can plan bigger meals and lots of casseroles and such. When the weather starts getting nicer, we may just throw burgers on the grill and cut up some fresh veggies.( I don't do the grilling, so its hard when he doesn't get home until later sometimes) Oh well, at least I plan to have these things on hand so I am prepared, right?

Last weeks new recipes went over well. Kid friendly and my family liked them so thanks to you all that I found recipes from!

Here's this week:

Monday: Taco Bake - one of my kids favorite

Tuesday: Grilled Pork Chops, mushroom rice, string beans

Wednesday: Spaghetti, meat balls, salad, garlic bread

Thursday: Bacon Wrapped Beef steaks - grilled, pasta salad, corn on the cob

Friday: Tator Tot Casserole - Jason's favorite

Saturday: BBQ Ribs, cheesy potatoes, mixed vegetables

Sunday: My baby's 2nd birthday party! - Shredded chicken sandwiches, chips, assorted salads, grape salad and of course cake and ice cream!

Dessert for the week: I have been wanting chocolate peanut butter chip cookies, so we will probably make up a batch of those this week!

Have a great week and check out Lauras blog for other menus!

7 Favorite Songs

KC posted this the other day and I have really been thinking about it. This is a hard one. To pick my top 7 songs. I love music. Always have to have it on and really think just hearing a good song and having a little dance session does wonders for my stress level! I listen to a variety of music and really it all just depends on my mood.

1. Don't Happen Twice - Kenny Chesney
2. Born to Fly - Sara Evans
3. Gotta be Something More - Sugarland
4. Who Am I - Casting Crowns
5. Right Here - Jeremy Camp
6. From this Moment - Shania Twain
7. Some Days you gotta Dance - Dixie Chicks

I could list on and on. These are some of my favorite artists and I could probably list every Kenny Chesney song as my fave. The first 3 artists are all going to be in concert together this summer. On a Saturday (summer shows are always like on a Thursday and dh can't take off work) at a nearby football field. I was soo excited when I heard, do you think we could get tickets??? Nope. Bill was even willing to spend $150 a piece for them. (we usually won't spend more than $50 a ticket) Hoping somehow before the show we just come on to some. Hey - a girl can wish!

I like lots of different. I could be in a The Cure or Depeche Mode mood( going back to high school) I love music from the 80's and early 90's, I like Rob Thomas, Maroon 5, Gwen Steffanni, oh and her husband Gavin Rossdales group Bush. I like Casting Crowns, Warren Barfield , Jeremy Camp I could go on and on, like I said it all depends on my mood.

The other question she had was do you listen to the music based on the music or the lyrics. I would say if I like the beat then I'll listen closer and see what it has to say.

So what about you? Are you a tried and true rock n' roller? Do you get your groove on to some funky 80's beat? Do Share. I'd love to see what's on your I pod that will never be removed! If you read this I invite you to tell me your 7 favorite songs. If you play along - please let me know!

Menu Plan Monday

Hello and Happy Monday! I am working on this post late Sunday night as I am anticipating weather like we had this weekend (absolutely perfect) and I am planning on being super productive today! I will be back on later in the day to check out other menus for some inspiration. I did some research on some of the MPM blogs that I read and thought we might go ahead and have a brand new recipe week. Here it goes, I'll let ya know how they go over!

Monday: Slow Cooker Beef and Bean Burritos. I got this recipe from Rona over at Berry-Morins Bits and Tips.

Tuesday: Shrimp Fried Rice this recipe is from Barb, SFO at Mom's Fridge.

Wednesday: Restaurant style chicken tenders with honey mustard sauce, Cole slaw and cheesy potato salad. From Carrie :o) over at My Lil' Corner of the World.

Thursday: Steak, baked potatoes and salad. No, I know this isn't a new recipe, but I was inspired by Annie over at my life as Annie. I have been wanting some good steak on the grill. mmmm I could go for some right now!

Friday: Ordering pizza. Okay not something new and exciting, but hey- maybe I will order something crazy like vegetables on it ? I just might - you never know!

Saturday: Slow cooker pineapple pork roast which I saw on Dana's blog and I believe she noticed it first on Laura's blog. Anyhow, looks yummy and although I usually don't do crock pot meals on the weekend. It might be nice to just hang out and enjoy the family Saturday instead of messing around in the kitchen!:)

So there is my planning for the week. I believe our dessert for the week will be snicker doodles. Ethan loves anything Cinnamon and he hasn't picked something in a while, so his pick is it!

Have a great week and hopefully lots of yummy meals!

For more menu ideas check out I'm an organizing junkie!

Rainbow Cookies

We were in the grocery store the other day walking past the bakery and we saw multi-colored cookies. Elena immediately wanted them. The girls were going to a babysitter the next day and Elena wanted to bring a treat to share. Now I am one of those people who rarely buys baked goods. I will attempt to make anything. so having no idea how I was gonna make these cookies multi-colored without the colors mixing together I set out on my mission. I couldn't find a specific recipe so I just used a drop sugar cookie one. Divided the batter in 4 parts and colored each part differently. grabbed a little dollop of each color and softly rolled them so they would stick. Baked them until just barely set. Perfect play-doh cookies! Elena kept going in the kitchen and staring at her treat to share. I was so happy that they turned out and although not yummy looking on my standards. The batch didn't last long here or at the sitters!

Thursday Thirteen

I had a bit of a rough time this past week and have found myself getting frustrated over little things with the kids, so I thought I would make a list to remind me why I am truly grateful to be given the best job ever!

Refresh myself just a bit!

Thirteen Things I love about being a mom.

1. I always wanted to be a mom. Couldn't wait until I had a family of my own!

2. I love how when the kids are not feeling well, only mommy can make them feel better

3. I love when I see those smiles of true happiness over something little I did - like make them their favorite dinner.

4. I love being able to stay home with them and give them that security that I am always here.

5. First smiles, first steps, first words. All major things in the life of a mommy.

6. First day of bringing a new baby home. Especially when I brought Ethan home, I knew my life would be better than ever. (I am tearing up even as I type that!)

7. Starting fun traditions with each child and knowing that something so little can mean the world to them.

8. Knowing that God has trusted me enough to bless me with 4 little angels to take care of for him. That is such a great honor!

9. To watch how Jason has went from being an adorable toddler (I joke that I fell in love with him, before his father;)to a handsome young man. He takes such pride in his sports and school work and it's awesome to see where he is heading.

10. I love to see how Ethan grows each day in his love of art and music, how he enjoys his mom helping at school and teaching in Awana. That he is growing into his own person, but still likes his mommy to be close and involved (yes, I am creating a mommas boy- so hard not to do :p )

11. For my independent little Elena. It is so refreshing to spend time with her. She is such a little grown up and although doesn't go full force into everything, she carefully selects what she does with her time. Her teachers say she is a joy to have in class and she truly is a joy to have in my life! She looks at life in such a sweet and loving way, I have to stop and look through her view sometimes and it makes life so much better!

12. My little Natalie. Even though she is approaching the terrible twos, even when she is being naughty, she is so subtle and sweet. She truly makes me laugh every day. In her expressions, in her tiniest amount of speech (she doesn't really talk) She is my sweetest little baby and most likely my last so she can stay this size forever if she likes!

13. There have been so many babies born lately, I love to remember each of the kids birth stories over and over. Amazing how you can remember every detail of those days. I could tell you everything I ate, what I was wearing, what the weather was like.Every detail. Those days stand still in time in my mind. Wonderful, truly wonderful I hope I never forget them :)

Wordless Wednesday - Jason our teenager - He's 13!

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For more Wordless Wednesday photos, click here or check out 5 minutes for mom!

Break Time and Nightmares

This past week was a crazy one. Ethan and Elena were on Spring Break. It was the first year that this really affected us. When they are in preschool they are only gone a few hours. It is amazing to me how having just one kid home everyday changes the dynamics of things in the house. So in my quest to keep my kids from driving me crazy with boredom, I scheduled the week up. Oh I do believe I should of scheduled just a tad of downtime in there!! We had school friends over, we had cousins spend the night on two of the nights, birthday parties. Lots of time spent with people. I do so love to spend time with others, but this Monday could not come soon enough!! As I dropped Ethan off at school today it was such a relief to get back into my weekly groove.
The thought that keeps lingering in the back of my mind is that summer is right around the corner! AHHHHH! No, I enjoy having all my kids home and being with them, I just am turning into one of those people that gets a little off when my house constantly looks like a tornado and we are always on the go with no time to stop and clean up, you know? We keep toying with the idea of selling and building a new house and that idea just keeps getting pushed further into the future. I just cannot imagine trying to keep this place show ready with these little maniacs underfoot!
The other thing going on this past few days is a bit strange, Everyone in our house has been having nightmares. We haven't changed the time of day we eat dinner, or had any new foods. Just weird. What else is weird is the story of the week. (Elena usually wants the same story reread a million times) The story this week is the Berenstain Bears and the Bad Dream. Elena has been in our bed due to nightmares, Ethan has been in our bed because of dreams of scary ghosts, Bill woke up having weird dreams and I had a dream the other night that won't leave me alone.

I dreamt that I met a new friend and we really clicked. She offered to watch Elena for me when I had something to do with the baby. Well when Elena came home she had on different clothes and I started questioning her about different things. It turns out this girl, let her boyfriend come over and he molested my baby!!! Oh I woke up almost sick. Where did that dream come from? I ran into her room and just held her. My heart goes out to anyone who ever has had to deal with that. I try so hard to protect my kids. That dream just made me think so much about how easily they can be subjected to hurt. I pray they never will have to endure anything of that nature, but it makes you think about how trusting you can be with your dearest ones. I talk to all of the kids often about what to do or say if someone does anything inappropriate to them. I just hope and pray they never have to use it!!

So here we are in a brand new week. I am not posting my meal plan this week as it has nothing new on it. Just my boring old menu. I am gonna try and check out some of the other meal plans and put together a fairly new menu next week. Well my tornado of a house with all of it's dirty laundry, dusty shelves and smudgy windows is calling me.. Better tend to it!

Wordless Wednesday - A Fun Ride

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Menu Plan Monday

Last week I completely missed mpm! It's hard to believe how easily you can get into a menu rut! I sat there looking at my week and had no idea what to put on it! Nothing was popping out at me. I just went out and stocked the freezer so I have ample menus I could choose from but do you think I could think of something? Nope, Nada. Zip.. Luckily with Easter being yesterday and having a ham dinner here we have some leftovers that have helped me with this decision this week. Now I am still working on tonight's meal and any suggestions would be welcome! My MIL brought over rolls for yesterday in this big bread bowl.

We didn't eat it and I thought maybe I would put like a pot pie or something in it. But I don't want it to get soggy. I am gonna peruse some recipe options and see if I can come up with something. It was a pretty bread display. I'm sure I will find something to do with it.

So that was Monday, here is the rest of our week.

TUESDAY: Ham and 15 bean soup, corn bread twists

WEDNESDAY: Beef Roast with Veggies

THURSDAY: Beef and Noodles, Green beans (leftover beef from roast)

FRIDAY: Spaghetti, meat balls salad and garlic bread

SATURDAY: My stepsons 13th b-day. Dinner out his choice.
SUNDAY: my ss and both sister in laws b-day dinner at Aunt's house.

As far as dessert for the week. I believe it will be cake, cake and more cake!

2 meals I don't have to cook this week! Gotta love that:) Have a blessed week and Happy MPM!

Be sure to check out Laura's blog for more menu planning ideas!