tripletsplusanother

Yay for Eggs!

2011-11-07T14:33:00.000-08:00

Look at this sweet ~~most of the time~~ little girl! She's in her cute new outfit, holding a cute little basket...

What's that you say? What's in her basket?

Why, it's fresh eggs from our chickens!

I found out first egg on 10/23, quite a long time after we thought they would start laying. I was so excited!

Sadly, Princess died this weekend (still not sure what happened), so we are down to 6 hens and 1 rooster. So, we could have up to 6 eggs a day!

Halloween- a little late!

2011-11-07T14:17:00.000-08:00

We had a blast this Halloween.

We had our parties at school on Friday, and then did fun things over the weekend, like "candy corn" finger nails..

We had "spooky" pancakes..

We got to see our favorite little cowboy..

We had fun dressing up as Rapunzel, Iron Man, Pickachu, and a Transformer! We went trick or treating after a delicious supper at Grandma's!

Adult Fall Camping Trip

2011-10-30T17:51:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went on our annual "Adults Only Fall Camping Trip." We usually go with my SIL & BIL and my other SIL. This year, BFF and Mr. BFF joined us! We had a great time and can't wait to do it again next year!
We have lots of little shops in little towns that we love to visit. One of the places is a cute little flower shop that is always decked out for Christmas when we're there. Love it! I bought some jewelry and some beautiful snowflakes to hang in our windows this winter. They had this adorable truck next to the shop!

Another one of our fav. spots- Leeland. BFF and Mr. BFF looking cute as ever..

"Fish Town"

SIL in all her cuteness..

SIL and BIL...

Another one of our favorite spots- coffee/candy shop. Plus they had these great rocking benches that we loved.

Our visit to the lighthouse.

We did lots of hiking..

SIL, BIL, The Hubs, Mr. BFF decided to climb down (and back up) a HUGE dune at "Sleeping Bear Dunes." SIL, BFF, and I thought they were crazy and sat in the car!

What a great weekend!

It's been awhile!

2011-10-29T16:54:00.000-07:00

Well, I took a loooooong blogging hiatus! I needed a break, nobody reads it anyway , and life just got crazy busy!

We're back to school:

We have our house up for sale. We've been thinking about it for awhile now and decided to take the plunge and list it. We are waiting to see what God has planned for us. We may end up staying at this house, or we may end up moving.

The triplets all lost a tooth the same evening! It was so weird. The tooth fairy was very busy that night!

Our chickens are finally laying eggs. (Well at least 2 of them!) This is our first egg!

Of course, this is IG's interpretation of what happened:

Don't you just love the "sparkling" egg she drew?

Camping

2011-07-25T13:12:00.000-07:00

We just "upgraded" to a new camper. (well, new to us!) We made our "Maiden Voyage" this past weekend. We had a blast, and great weather!

Our new camper:

We love it, because it has a "bunkhouse" in the back for the kids. It's so much bigger than our other camper! BFF and fam got a new camper too, so it was an exciting weekend! My parents even surprised us and came camping too!
We did "fun" nails...

Tried a new campfire dessert....

and attempted to get rid of some training wheels...

What a great weekend!

Yee Haw!

2011-07-18T15:40:00.000-07:00

We went to the Double JJ on Saturday. The hubs work usually treats us to MI Adventure, but decided to try something different this year.

IG and I have been having a ton of fun doing our nails lately, so of course we needed to do them for the occasion.

We went on pony rides...

They played for a LONG time in the "Jail." The Hubs and I discussed making our playhouse into one of these. Is it disturbing that our children LOVED playing in there? I think so.

We also did crafts in the "Craft Barn."

We also fed the animals, which IG would like to take home, and went on a hay ride.

I'm a Loser- again!

2011-07-14T09:28:00.000-07:00

We're still alive! We've had a busy summer so far! IG danced beautifully at her recital.

We've been doing lots of camping. We finally had nice weather! The first 2 camping trips were rainy and cold. This pic shows IG and her cousins cuddling on one of the rainy days. Yuck! The next pics are of a much nicer/warmer camping trip. We tried some new things to eat and Daddy bought a tent for the kids to sleep in! We've been camping with family and our friends,the Gowell's. We even tried rafting as a family!

We've been swimming and boating.

We've been to the dentist (a few times.

We've tried fun nails and new "hair-dos."

We made LOTS of strawberry jam. Yum!

We celebrated the 4th of July....

...and some birthdays...

Good Morning, Girls!

2011-05-13T17:16:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon some AWESOME blogs. One of my favorites is Women Living Well. I love the posts and the videos. She mentioned Good Morning Girls a few times and so I decided to check it out. I'm so excited to be following along with their Summer book club! We are reading the book, the Ministry of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson. I think it will be really great to read, and they are providing a detailed day by day reading list, complete with scripture reading. I'm really excited!

They are also providing printable forms, using the SOAP method: S- write out the scripture passage for the day. O- Write down 1 or 2 observations from the passage. A- Write down 1-2 applications from the passage. P- Pray over what you learned from today's passage.

I ordered my book through Amazon. The study starts on Monday- I can't wait!

Stacey- One cute chick!

2011-05-10T16:36:00.000-07:00

OK- I'm not talking about myself here! We have chicks hatching at school! They are just adorable and the students (my personal children included) are just in love with them!

The are being hatched in our Special Ed. room. Each student gets to pick a name, and when the chicks hatch, they get to pick one to give the name to. A student from my class named one, "Stacey." So, guess who I visit several times a day???

I received an e-mail from the SPED teacher yesterday telling me about Stacey's personality: She has blonde highlights in her hair, she's the loudest, hogs all the food, walks all over all the other chicks, and is fat! (I hope she doesn't take after her namesake!) The funniest part is, I forwarded the e-mail to the hubs, and he couldn't figure out why someone would say those things about me! Then he realized that they were talking about Stacey, the chicken! That was a good laugh!

Happy Mother's Day/May Birthdays

2011-05-10T16:24:00.000-07:00

I had a great Mother's Day this year! Before church the hubs made me breakfast AND washed the dishes. Then we went to church and afterward out to lunch. I caught a quick nap and then we went to my Mom's for dessert. We celebrated Mother's Day, My Dad's Birthday and the hub's birthday.

This is my nephew, and I seriously adore him. His red hair is one of the many reasons.

I "caught" the hubs. Look at all those desserts!

Happy Birthday, to 2 of the best guys in my life!

I'm a Loser

2011-05-09T19:51:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. I'm a total blogging loser! I've been busy with teaching, church, home, soccer, Shaklee, family, composting, chickens, blah, blah, blah.

More on all that later.

For now, let me share this AWESOME recipe I tried tonight. It was a hit, even with Mr. Picky, and Mr. Even Pickier. They both let me know that, "it was good, not great, but good." and "It's not so bad!" These are HUGE compliments. Plus, it was super easy!

The Comfy Kitchen

Chi- Town 2011!

2011-04-07T13:18:00.000-07:00

So SIL, MB (my niece),IG, and I survived our trip to Chicago! We had so much fun! However, the trip started off a little "rocky." We drove to Michigan City, IN to catch a train. However, when we got there, they were announcing that no trains were running! Imagine the panic! We knew how to get to the train station, our hotel, etc. SIL had everything well mapped out. However, she DID NOT want to DRIVE to Chicago, especially in a Suburban! I saw a lady getting back in her car after hearing the announcement, that looked like she knew what she was doing. So, I sent SIL over to talk to her, while I got the girls and the luggage back in the truck. She said there was another train leaving at the next train station in 25 minutes! So, we called her husband and got directions. We were thrilled when we pulled into the station, and saw the train still sitting there. However, it pulled away before we even got out of the car! Sadness!!!! The next train wasn't leaving for 3 hours! So, we had to get creative and entertain 2 little girls! They were so good!

First train ride:

We got to Chicago later in the afternoon on Sunday. Once we were in our room, Aunt Katryna gave the girls a present- matching American Girl pajamas!

We went to Rainforest Cafe for dinner.

On Monday, we went to the Disney Store, Lego Store, and American Girl store. We also had lunch there! I highly recommend it!

IG's "Kit," even got her ear's pierced!

We had deep dish pizza for supper at Gino's East! Yummy!

One of the girls' favorite parts of Chicago were the doors!

On Tuesday, we went to the Children's Museum at Navy Pier. It was so much fun!

We went to "Bubba Gumps" for lunch.

Tuesday afternoon we got back on the train, with 2 very happy, but tired girls! This is what the ride home looked like:

We sure had a fun time! I will be showing the boys' trip soon!

The Big "Surprise!"

2011-03-28T20:09:00.000-07:00

I wanted to make sure that I documented this. I'm sure no one else cares, but I want to remember it...

Aunt K has wanted to take MB, (my niece, her grandaughter) and IG on a trip to Chicago to the American Girl store for quite some time. Actually, I think we've both been dreaming of going since the girls were born! Well, we finally decided to do it this Spring Break! Of course, we didn't want the boys to be jealous, so Daddy is taking them on their own trip- to Great Wolf Lodge! We decided not to tell them until their birthday party. We thought it would be fun to tell them at the party, and we also knew that we didn't want to be answering, "When do we go??????" questions for more than a week....

Telling the girls about their "trip........."

Yes, they have matching "Kit" dolls!
IG got a new luggage set from Grandma M. for her trip. How adorable are these????

Daddy telling the boys.... I don't think they quite "get it" yet. IM just sat there and watched Daddy's mouth, like he was concentrating so hard!

I'm not sure whether to ask you to pray that Aunt K and I can find our way around Chicago, or to pray for Daddy with all 3 boys, by himself, surrounded by WATER??? Better pray for all of us...

Super Mario Bros. Birthday Party #3

2011-03-27T20:58:00.000-07:00

Whew! What a whirlwind day! It was a great Birthday Party Day!

First,the decorations:

I made this back drop out of those "science/experiment type" boards that I got at Hobby Lobby and Staples.

They started off just as plain white poster board. I painted them with blue paint and a roller. I found some tutorials to make some of the characters here.
However, I couldn't find a tutorial on how to make "Mario" or "Luigi." So, I found a coloring picture that I liked and went to work tracing!

I cut out each individual piece of the characters, traced it onto cardstock, cut them out, and assembled them.

Yes, this took me FOREVER!

The Menu:

We had "Yoshi Eggs" (sugar cookies).

"Wario Watermelon Slices"

We also had "Mario Munchies" (Chex Mix with red and blue M&M's mixed in), a separate bowl of red and blue M&M's, and "Flower Power Punch" (Raspberry sherbet and Sprite.I didn't get pics of these).

The cake: I made this cake by following this tutorial.

The cake is made by using a 10 inch pan for the bottom layer, the bottom half of a "giant cupcake" pan, and half of a "ball" pan.

I bought the figurines on Ebay, and used them as "cake toppers."

What a great day!!!

3/25/2011 Happy Birthday, Triplets!

2011-03-27T19:29:00.000-07:00

The triplets celebrated their 7th Birthday on Friday. IA said, "This is the BEST DAY EVER!" They were soooo excited, because it was their birthday (and they got to bring birthday treats!), it was pajama day at school, (for March is Reading Month), and it was "Pizza, Movie Night." What more could you ask for in a day????

After school, we met Daddy in Muskegon and ate at "Red Robin." It was yummy and the kids loved it. The staff sang to them, and they liked that too! We came home, watched "Yogi Bear," and unwrapped presents.

The triplets and JT, holding their "Bionicles" that he bought for them with his own money! Shocking, I know!

IM finally got his "own" Nintendo!

IG got an "American Girl" doll. She got "Kit Kittredge."

IA got a "Mario Cart" Wii, and two steering wheels.

It was a great day! As most parents of "multiples" can understand, the triplets birthday is not just a celebration of their birth, it's a celebration that we've all "survived" as a family and we're stronger for it! We love our triplets!

JT- must have had an over dose of "Red Robin!" He passed out on the couch, still holding onto his balloon!

Super Mario Bros. Birthday Party #2

2011-03-22T19:07:00.000-07:00

Today we're talking plates/napkins/etc. I realize this may be boring, but I'm hoping it will help someone like me some day, that can't find ANYTHING Super Mario Bros.

Well, after an extensive search for party supplies, I finally found these at Birthday Express. They have the more "traditional" Mario (which I really wished I would have purchased) or the "Mario Cart- Wii Version," which is what I did buy.

The "placemats" are actually activity mats.

I also have plans for that white poster board that everything is laying on top of. I'll give you a hint...

I sure hope it turns out!

Super Mario Bros. Birthday Party #1

2011-03-21T20:10:00.000-07:00

So, we're getting ready for the Triplet's SEVENTH birthday party, coming up this weekend. I can't believe they are that old! Where did my little 3lb. babies go? Sniff....

OK, OK, let's move onto the party. I have a lot of posts planned for this week, so I figured I'd break them down, so it's not a HUGE post. If you don't care about the party, or my kids, stop reading now. (Just kidding).

I sent out these invitations:

I found the instructions here.
(Sorry for the glare. It's already in my "Project Life" album). They even provide a template. "Toad" pulls up from the pocket on the invitation and gives all the details. It says "7 UP" because they will be 7 years old. I don't really get it, but they tell me it's something to do with how many "lives" you get in the game????

This weekend we finished up the "treat bags" that we'll be giving to all the kids that come to the party. It's all family, but we have a huge one, so there are always lots of kids.

Here are the treat bags from the outside. Isn't "Toad" adorable? I just used the same template from the invitations. I used my circle punch for the white circles and cut out the oval eyes on my Cricut- so easy!

The circle in the middle has a label on it, so a child doesn't lose their bag. (Past experience- ok?)

One would think that with Mario being so popular, that there would be oodles of "Mario treat bag loot." Nope. I searched and searched, and one night at "Party America," found these things completely by accident. (Actually BFF found them. She's pretty much amazing).

Actually, the chocolate coins came from the $1 Spot at Target. (Remember, BFF- I grabbed them one night, because I just knew I NEEDED them? Well, here's why). They're meant to symbolize the coins you get in the game. (Again, I'm completely lost). The stickers came from "Birthday Express." The "Pez" type dispenser and Gummy candies came from "Party America." (I've also seen Super Mario Bros. fruit snacks online, but haven't been able to find them in the stores). The suckers have "mustaches" attached to them. I got the idea here

This is what "my" version looks like in action:
Triplet Moustaches:

Mama Moustaches:

Daddy Moustaches:

Big Brother Moustaches: (I have no idea what he's doing here. He's obsessed with cardboard boxes lately).

Well, that part is done. I hope the kids like their treat bags. Come back tomorrow for more!

My Scrapbook "Nook"

2011-03-17T19:37:00.000-07:00

I've had some people over that can't believe that I moved out of my fabulous scrapbook space and into a much, much, smaller space.

My old space:

The main reasons were: it made much more sense to have the pantry where my scrapbook room was, rather than having to go downstairs to the basement pantry every time I needed something. It also felt like a wasted space, since it wasn't a space I used every single day. So, I down-sized. This is what my "new" space looks like:

I refer to this as my "Cricut Station." I have my big Cricut and "little bug" here. Above that is my make-shift "Clip It Up" where I keep a lot of my stickers. There is a shelf above that that holds my Cricut supplies. One box holds the Cricut books, one holds the overlays, and one holds the cartridges. I'm working on getting a curtain to hide the dryer vent/hose/thingy! Maybe I can talk Mom or BFF into making one? Right behind my Cricuts are the dowels that hold my spools of ribbon.
Below are my photo boxes and my "Scraps" holder. It's separated into colors of course. The last "crop" I went to, they all completely made fun of me. However, when they needed a "scrap," guess who they went to?

This container holds my label makers, punches, and adhesives.

These paper shelves hold some of my paper stash.

More paper storage. The drawers hold stickers and die cuts, each drawer is labeled with a different theme. Example: Kids, Holidays, etc.

This shelf holds my Cuttlebug and accesories and all of my embellishments.

This is the shelf you see when you walk into the area. My area is under the stairs. You have to duck when you enter the space. Believe it, or not, this is where we put all 3 cribs when the triplets came home! Our finished basement was our "nursery."

The Hubs just put these new shelves in for me in January. I love them!

The top shelf holds all of our albums. At the end of the shelf, is my "Project Life" album, that I am completely in love with. Also, my beloved Sock Monkey- "Julio," whom the whole space is modeled after- when it comes to color inspiration. I love him!

The other shelves hold idea books, spray paint, chipboard letters, flowers, small ink pads, small spools of ribbon, etc. The numbered boxes are from an idea I modified that I got from Jen at I Heart Organing. Each number is for our children, in birth order. The inside has hanging file folders, labeled with each year of school. I put their pictures and keepsakes in there that I need to keep. The flowered box at the end of the 3rd shelf,(where the date stamp is) contains my "Pregnancy Journals" from when we were expecting the triplets. I started with a small album, but had to add another album! We had too many ultrasound pics! The outside says, "Anticipation."

The bottom shelf contains spray paint, ModPodge, smaller paper, cards and envelopes. Under the shelves are more storage for the kids stuff and supplies for making coasters, and more paper storage. Thanks for taking a look at my little "nook!"

BFF's Chocolate Pudding Pants and My New Stove

2011-03-11T20:12:00.000-08:00

Hi All!
Catchy title- don't ya think??? I mentioned a few weeks ago that I ordered some Shaklee products and was letting you know what I thought of a few of the products. I've tried a few more things, and let's just say........

I'm in love!

Seriously, I've tried my hardest to sabotage these products and make them NOT work. BFF has too! I sure wish I had a picture of this one! Anyway, BFF's daughter is in Kindergarten (we'll call her CG). Well CG had chocolate pudding at school the other day, and got it all down the front of her pants. Well, BFF thought she'd be real smart, and not pre-treat the pants, and just throw them in the washer, using Shaklee's laundry detergent and fabric softener (thinking that there was NO way it would come out). Well, guess what? IT CAME OUT! All of it! Woo Hoo! I also LOVE the scent (very light) and it takes every stain out that I've tried so far. I also love the "Nature Bright" (comparable to powder Oxi Clean). It works so well, and you use a TINY amount.

I'm also trying out "Basic G" right now (germ killer). I really like it so far. I bought it to clean my bathrooms. It also has a light scent. It's kind of funny- I started using these products 2-3 weeks ago. I didn't realize how stinky other cleaners were, until I thought I would use up some toilet bowl cleaner. I started coughing when I used it. I didn't even realize that it bothered me before, until I used this stuff. It's seriously awesome. Plus, Lysol kills germs for 1 day- Shaklee for FOUR DAYS!

Now, on to my "new" stove. I have tried everything on my stove top for years. I have scrubbed, and scrubbed, and scrubbed, with no luck. It always looked the same when I was done.

Before:

Here's a close-up of the gross-ness (pretty sure that's not a word..)

Well, I started cleaning with the "Scour Off" paste. I took the burner covers off and the round things (I don't know what those things are called), and put those to soak in Shaklee handwashing dish detergent. Then I covered every inch of the stovetop with this stuff. It's made from cherry pits and makes my house smell amazing.

After:

Wowza!

Now I have to be perfectly honest with you. The stovetop took no time at all. I just scrubbed a little. However, the burner covers were not that easy. If I were to buy another stove, I would NOT buy one like this. These are impossible to clean. I cleaned them with the Scour Off once. They looked better, but I still wasn't thrilled. Then I ran them through my dishwasher. Still wasn't thrilled. I'm really stubborn, and I was not going to let them win. So, I took the "Scour Off" to them again. I scrubbed, and scrubbed, and scrubbed some more. They look so much better! I am thrilled! The bad news- it took me a long time. The good news- I've spent this amount of time, plus more with other cleaners, and they didn't work. I also didn't have that yucky "filmy" feeling on my hands when I was done. I'm a fan!

Project Life

2011-02-27T19:16:00.000-08:00

I was reading a post that Jen from I Heart Organizing wrote a few weeks ago. It was all about a scrapbooking product called "Project Life." I was immediately interested. It looked like a way that I could document our life with pictures, but wouldn't overwhelm me. I've been extremely overwhelmed with our pictures. Everything is organized, but not in an album, and it's not documented.

This is what the front cover looks like. I really liked that the spine is black, so if you did more than one year, they would like nice together on a shelf.

So, I decided to order it and give it a try. I worked on it for awhile yesterday and feel like it's something I can handle, and it's a great way to preserve our memories!I'm already up to date for this year so far, which is actually saying a lot! Plus, it's really cute!

Getting Clean with Shaklee!

2011-02-26T20:37:00.000-08:00

It seemed like every time I read a blog that I was "following" lately, they were talking about "Shaklee" products. I had never heard about these products before. I couldn't believe the claims that people were making about these cleaning products! The more I read, the more I wanted to try them.

Then I was talking with BFF one Tuesday night on our way home from shopping. I mentioned that I really wanted to try these products. I wanted to know if they really worked as well as people said they were. Plus, I was interested in finding some cleaning products that weren't harmful to my family or the earth. She got interested too. So, we met with the most adorable older couple last Saturday, and decided to put an order in.

Well, it came in the mail, and I was like a kid in a candy store. I immediately mixed up (everything comes concentrated and you mix it yourself) some window cleaner and went to tackle some of my windows. The window cleaner is made with 16 ounces of water and 2 DROPS of "Basic H" cleaner. TWO DROPS people! One bottle of this stuff is worth over 5,000 bottles of Windex! WHAT?? The kit I bought also came with a fabulous Microfiber cleaning cloth. I sprayed the windows, and noticed that it was odor-less. Then I noticed that it didn't "foam" up or bubble like Windex. It felt like I was cleaning the windows with water- with one difference. They sparkled! Seriously- sparkled!

Then I tried the Hand Dishwashing Soap. I have to admit that I wasn't immediately impressed with this. You're supposed to use 2 drops of the stuff. It didn't really bubble a whole lot. However, I think I'm so used to using a ton of soap, that if I used that little of my normal brand, the same thing would happen. It cleaned the dishes, and made my silverware sparkle. Plus, it smells DIVINE! Like a bowl of fresh lemons! I also tried the automatic dishwashing detergent. It's a powder, and I couldn't believe how little I used! I was skeptical, but again it delivered!

Next on my list of things to try is the laundry detergent that came with my kit. BFF tried it and seemed pretty pleased.

I think I'm sold on these products! Plus, I got the "Cinch Weight Loss" products for free- so I'll be trying those too!

These are just my personal opinions. I am not being compensated in any way. If you are interested in any information, please let me know!

Princess Diana

2011-02-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday BFF and I went to the Princess Diana exhibit at the Grand Rapids Art Museum. It was really interesting and touching. I'm a huge Lady Di fan, so I was so excited. I would have to say that her wedding dress (with a 25 FOOT LONG TRAIN) and the wardrobe room were my favorite. We had a great day.

Sorry for the blurry pictures, they wouldn't let us use a flash, even outside the exhibit!
Thanks for a fun day, BFF!

Valentine's Day

2011-02-15T19:19:00.000-08:00

We had a good Valentine's Day. The kids all had parties at school, and then they came home and opened their Valentine's Day gifts.

The boys got Legos.

IG got "Squinkies."

All 4 kids got a new Wii game to share:

When Daddy came home, we had our Valentine's Dinner. We had heart pancakes and sausage. We also ate by candle light.

$1 Spot Heart Topiaries

2011-02-11T10:56:00.000-08:00

I stumbled upon these heart "topiaries" on Greenbean Crafterole's blog the other day and fell in love. So, BFF and I headed over to Target, and picked up the goods. They didn't have the cute little buckets, so I improvised with some buckets I bought from the $1 spot last Spring. I also didn't have any empty ribbon spools, (I throw everything away!)so I used some pieces of florist foam in the bottom of the buckets. Target didn't have any toile, so we improvised with loofah sponges from the $1 spot. They come in packs of 2, and I only used 1 loofah. I just cut the string and took it apart. It was in one long piece. I cut it in half and added it to each bucket. Then I took a dowel and wrapped ribbon around it, put a slit in the bottom of each heart, and placed the hearts on top of the dowel. Easy peasy!

Valentine's Day Mantle

2011-02-07T17:13:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know Valentine's Day is in a week. I won't have much time to enjoy this. However, I needed to spice up my mantle a bit, after looking at it for so long.

The picture on the left says, "I love you a bushel and a peck." (One of our favorite songs). The middle "LOVE" letters I bought last year- I think Hobby Lobby? The pic on the right is one of my favs of the 2 of us. The strand of lights is actually little pink hearts. The "Be Mine" garland was cut out on my Cricut, (Doodlecharm cart for the hearts and Storybook cart for the letters),and it's strung on some "Happy Valentine's Day" ribbon. It seriously took me about an hour to cut, assemble, and hang it. I love my Cricut!!!!

Mail Storage

2011-02-04T10:04:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to finish the last of the organizing challenges from A Bowl Full of Lemons. Since we've been out of school for 3 days, I've been able to get caught up on some of them. I decided to tackle the mail station. Mail is my enemy. It takes over my counters and causes stress.

Mail is kept on our kitchen counter in this basket.

After looking at everyone's ideas in "blogging" world, I decided that this system would work well for us:

I bought the crate/box at Staples and placed hanging file folders in it. Then I sorted the mail (by far the hardest part). I took everything out of the envelope that it came in, wrote down the due date for all the bills on the calendar on the front of the box ($1 Spot at Target), labeled manilla file folders, and then put all the mail back in, organized into the correct manilla file folder. So far, we love it! I couldn't believe how much mail I purged! I opened it right over a brown paper bag, and the hubs tossed it into the wood burner! I didn't even have to shred anything! My categories are: Incoming mail,One for each person in the family, bills due, bills paid, Taxes 2010, Taxes 2011,and "to file." We'll start with that and see how it goes! It also has handles, so it can be taken to the table or computer desk, if need be.

Lego Storage Solved?????

2011-02-04T09:37:00.000-08:00

So, you probably remember the scary Lego picture I shared last month. I have honestly tried everything I can think of to tame the Lego beast. We've tried bins, baskets, bags, and just shutting the door to my son's room. However, I came up with an idea that I thought might work, and Papa delivered again. I came up with an idea to put a rolling "board" under JT's bed. I told Papa the dimensions I thought we would need, and he built it for JT's birthday. It also has a little "lip" around the edge, so things can't fall off. It has wheels mounted to the bottom.

This is what is looks like when it's pulled all the way out:

Partially pulled out:

We'll see if this helps! At least I don't have to hear the excuse of "But, I was working on that one! I don't want to take it apart, or lose it!"

I also added another small garbage can. He likes to write and draw in his bed, so I put a garbage can next to his bed, so he can toss his papers in there. This has helped with all the garbage next to, and in his bed.

Blizzard of 2011

2011-02-03T15:17:00.000-08:00

Well, since everyone else is posting about the Blizzard, I figured I'd add to it!
We didn't have school yesterday or today, so we've had a lot of time together. It's been nice, but let's just say that I'm ready to go grocery shopping tonight. :)

The kids have been loving the huge snow banks. Yesterday they went out twice, and today they went out 3 times! This is picture of what things looked like at our place:

Opening the basement door:

Our front steps:

Playing on the back deck:

IG fell down in her window well, and had to be rescued by her brothers:

Poor Petey couldn't find anyplace to "go."

Hopefully we're back to school tomorrow!

Happy Valentine's Day to me!

2011-02-02T08:02:00.000-08:00

I'm baaaaack! Last week was very interesting. Sometimes I wonder if technology is over-rated. About 3 weeks ago our regular computer died. Come to find out, we had a virus. It's been worked on 3 times, with no success. Then last Thursday evening, I sat down to work on my power point for a coupon presentation at my church on my laptop. I went to turn it on, and nothing. PANIC! To make a long story short,the mother board was dead. So, the nice man at the computer store was able to get all my files, pictures, etc. off, but I needed a new computer. The hubs, (great guy that he is)went off to buy me a new one. Of course, every store he went to, was out of the computer that he wanted. However, he ordered me one and came home yesterday, with, "Happy Valentine's Day!" What a guy!

On another note- I'm so excited for the give away over at A Bowl Full of Lemons. It's from "Thirty One." Have you heard of Thirty One? Oh my goodness! They have the cutest bags, organizers, etc. Their Spring catalog just came out and I love their new patterns. My favorites are the Apple Blossom and Free Spirit Floral. I just ordered a bag from the old catalog, as a "church bag" for all our stuff that we tote on Sunday mornings. I can't wait until it arrives! Make sure you check it out.

On a personal note- we are having a snowy day at home. We're watching movies, pigging out, and laying around. What a perfect day. I promise that I'll do something productive today, just later...... :)

Happy B-day JT!

2011-01-26T20:50:00.000-08:00

We had JT's birthday party this weekend. He wanted a "Star Wars" party. We had our friend Josh make the cake.

Look at the cool little characters!

Hans Solo and Princess Leia even came to the party!

We had other things to eat too!

"Yoda Soda"

"Wookie Cookies"

"General Grievious Grub"

and "Darth Vader Dip"

We had "Star Wars" decorations:

And JT got LOTS of Legos!

Darth Vader (the pinata) was defeated...

Happy Birthday, buddy!

Days 16-21 Organization

2011-01-25T21:31:00.000-08:00

Well, sadly, the challenge at A Bowl Full Of Lemonsis finished. Sigh. Some of these last challenges, I'm having to skip for now, since I need more time. But, they WILL get done! I'm on a roll!

Day 16- The refrigerator. Done several weeks ago. Plus, I'm getting a new fridge on Thursday. YAY! We've never had a new one. I can't wait!

Day 17- The Mail Station. This is one area that I couldn't wait to get started on. However, I wanted to pick up an actual crate/box to house it in. So, I bought one tonight at Staples. Can't wait to fill that baby up!

Day 18- Keepsakes. I just organized the kids' keepsake boxes a few weeks ago. I used Jen's post about organizing kid's school papers from I Heart Organizing as an example. Each child has a box, which is numbered.

Inside each box are hanging folders, which hold a school year's worth of photos and papers. They are labeled by the year.

Day 19- Master Closet. This one is going to take some time too. But, I can't wait to do it!

Day 20- Photos. We were given until the end of the month for this one. It's a good thing- since we have A LOT of photos. I bought some photo boxes at JoAnn's tonight, so I'll be working on those too!

Day 21- Your Choice.
These are a few of my favorite organization projects:

The snack tray:

Packing for camping system:

Chalkboard paint cupboards and menu:

I loved this challenge, and I'm so excited that Toni will be doing a weekly challenge from now on! Count me in!

Deals! 1/18

2011-01-18T21:09:00.000-08:00

BFF and I go shopping every Tuesday night. We love coupons and love finding deals! This is my favorite deal tonight:

Guess how much I paid for all that creamer? NOTHING! Want to know how?

I printed coupons from coffeemate.com (I have 3 accounts, so that I can print more than 2), and I combined them with Meijer Mealbox coupons!
The creamers were on sale for $1.50. The Coffemate coupons were $1 off and the Meijer Mealbox coupons were $1 off 2. So FREE! Yay!

Day 15- Organizing- Vitamins/Medicine Storage

2011-01-18T20:59:00.000-08:00

So, today's challenge was our vitamin/medicine storage area. Mine is on a top shelf in my pantry. It was pretty organized, but just needed a little more sorting/purging.

Before:

After:

I sorted everything into containers. I put all the pain relievers in one and all the cold/allergy meds. in the other. So, where did everything go, you might ask? There was a lot of this:

It's amazing how much space packaging takes up!

Day 14 Organizing- Under the Bathroom Sink

2011-01-18T20:48:00.000-08:00

All I can say about this one is, "Ewww!" I hate the space under our main bathroom sink. It's gross. I'm pretty sure there was a leak under there at one time, and it seems to be a place of over-flowing garbage and just general gross-ness with a capital G. (Yes, I'm sure that's a word!)

Before:

So, I emptied the garbage, took out the disgusting rug that was under there, cleaned and rearranged. Then I put some white shelf liner down. It looks much cleaner!

Day 13 Organizing- The Medicine Cabinet

2011-01-18T20:39:00.000-08:00

This one was easy, since I already did it awhile back. I just cleaned and arranged a little. This is the medicine cabinet in the main bathroom:

Yes, more labels!

This is the master bathroom:

Whew! That one's done!

Show Me Some Love!

2011-01-14T20:36:00.000-08:00

Some people have tried to comment on a post and couldn't. I think I fixed the problem in my settings. So, show me some LOVE (please). :)

Day 12 Organizing- The Spice Cabinet

2011-01-14T20:30:00.000-08:00

I was so glad to see the challenge today since I already did it! This gave me time to work on the laundry area. Today was the spice cabinet. Mine is spices and baking items. I did this about a month ago. Everything is labeled and in containers. I am planning on adding a printed list of the spices in their order, so that it's easier to find them. I was going to alphabetize them, but T suggested to put them in order of use.

Day 10 Organizing- The Laundry Room

2011-01-14T20:18:00.000-08:00

Well, I spent my Friday evening doing laundry and leaning our laundry area.
Before:

It's a very small space, so it really needs to stay organized. If I get behind on folding or even doing laundry, it quickly becomes a disaster!

After:

I folded all the clean laundry and wiped down the counter and shelves. I also reorganized the shelf that holds all of our laundry supplies, and put the "extra" stain remover, etc. in the pantry. Now things aren't so crowded. But, the dreaded/most time consuming space was the cabinet under the counter top. This is where the Hubs stores all his "indoor" tools. I didn't take any "before" pictures, because I honestly didn't know if I was going to tackle it. This is really his domain, and hopefully I didn't get into trouble. I'm just tired of hearing him say, "I can't find anything in here!" every time he opens a drawer. It stills needs lots more work, but I'll leave that for him. At least I put "like" things together!

I'm also going to cut out some cute vinyl sayings on my Cricut and add them to these spaces:

Where's Day 10???

2011-01-13T20:04:00.000-08:00

Day 10 Organizing over at A Bowl Full of Lemons is to organize your laundry room/closet/area. This one is going to take me some time. I have a very small laundry area, after moving my pantry to my laundry room. So, I need to do some major organization/cleaning in this area. I haven't had the time, because I'm a full time teacher. So, I'm going to work on it tomorrow night. Does that sound like a hot Friday night, or what?

But, I wanted to share another project I've been working on in the meantime. I have wanted to switch to a coupon binder for some time now. I had a coupon box, and although it's nice and compact, I needed a better system. However, when BFF and I went on our Tuesday shopping runs, we'd see people with these HUGE Trapper Keeper things. So, she said she wouldn't go shopping with me anymore, if I brought along one of those! Sniff. But, I'm hoping she'll agree to this cute one I made. (I bet she'll be calling me to make HER one!)

First of all I went to the Krazy Coupon Lady's blog and printed off her dividers/table of contents, and followed the instructions to make a coupon binder. It's all there and it's cute!

Here's the cover. It's really plain and boring, but it doesn't scream, "Hey, these are coupons!!!"

Next is the Table of Contents.

The coupons are stored in baseball card sleeves. I have them stacked, with the earliest expiration date in the front.

Each Category has a title page before the coupons.

I also added these "pencil pouches" in the front, to hold coupons that I need for a particular shopping trip. I got out my handy labeler (LOVE that thing!) and added the stores that I shop to the front of each pouch.

What do you think BFF, can you be seen with me?

Just for Fun

2011-01-13T19:29:00.000-08:00

Some days I wonder, will my kids ever be clean, organized, responsible citizens? Then, I see some of these things and I have to laugh and realize that it will be o.k.

This is JT's "To Do" list from a few day ago. (I am a compulsive list maker!)

This is what it says:

To Do List
1. Color toothbrush holder
2. Play Legos with Boys and Isabelle after school
3. Read "To Do List" (LOVE that one, can't forget that! LOL)
4. Make Homophone & Homonim (homonymn) Dictionary (which he did, complete with illustrations)
5. Create Lego Agents, Dr. Furno's Fire Robot Guys

Too cute!

Then I looked in IG's top drawer the other day, and she rolled all her tights up, and put everything in neat little rows. (Where did she learn that?) Hee hee.

And then IA offered to do dishes tonight and actually did a really good job! So, there's hope. :)

Day 11 Organizing- The Freezer

2011-01-13T18:36:00.000-08:00

OK, so when I read Toni's post, said to myself, "Self, you can skip this one. Your freezer is just fine." I patted myself on the back, and went to prepare dinner. When I went to open the freezer, this is what I found-

and the door-

OK, so maybe it needed a little help. :)

After-

I also wiped down the inside and outside of the fridge while I was at it.

What's that you say? "Don't I have ANOTHER freezer?" In my pantry? Oh, yeah.

It's all organized! The basket has lunch meat, cheese (chunk and shredded), hashbrowns, pepperoni, and chocolate chips. Jams are under that. Beef is in the middle. Chicken and pork are on the right hand side and more beef is under that. I store our frozen bread in the top of our extra fridge in the pantry.

Much better!

Day 9 Organizing- Toys

2011-01-11T15:42:00.000-08:00

Ughhh. Can I skip this one? Seriously? Actually I just did this over Christmas Break, but you'd never know it. So, this post is to show you what I did, and ask some advice. You'll see what I mean in a minute.

This organizer is in IG's room. It holds Barbies and all her "little things." It also holds her American Girl clothes.

She has shelves like this on either side of her bed.

IG & IA posing in front of the doll house that her awesome Papa made for her!

All 4 also have these toy boxes, also made by Papa. They hold "bigger" toys.

The boys have these plastic containers for toys. They used to be in my laundry room, and I used them as dressers for all their little clothes. They're not so little anymore. They hold Legos now.

So, here's my question. WARNING: Pictures are disturbing!!!!How do I get this under control?

JT's room is out of control with Legos! I buy all sort of organizational things like this:

and this:

But, it usually ends up making both of us feel like this:

He said that when things are in containers he can't "find" anything. He can find things when they're spread out all over. Any advice would be appreciated!

And here's a pic of IM, just because everyone else was in this post!

Day 8 Organizing- The Coat Closet

2011-01-10T19:37:00.000-08:00

Day 8 over at A Bowl Full of Lemons is organizing the Coat Closet. We don't have one of those, but we do have a spot where the kids ~~dump~~ hang all of their backpacks, snowpants, and coats. There are also racks above for their hats and gloves. Plastic trays hold their boots below.

OK, I admit that it's not horrible. However, what you can't really see in the picture is the boots falling all over the place, shoes strewn everywhere, and the disgustingly dirty floor. So, I took everything out of the backpacks (gross!) and organized the shelves. I also took the trays that were filthy and washed them, swept and mopped the floor, and straightened everything. That will make tomorrow morning go more smoothly. Well, I hope anyway!

This evening I also put away laundry, cleaned our bedroom, made supper for tonight and tomorrow night, helped with homework and memorizing Bible verses, and did 4 loads of laundry. Can I go to bed now?

1-8-11 Porter Family Gathering

2011-01-09T20:24:00.000-08:00

We had a family get together this weekend with the "Porter" side. It was very relaxed and fun. Before my Grandparents died, we got together every Christmas Eve. We ate a huge meal, went to church, and then opened presents and stockings. I have AWESOME memories of this annual event. However, now that all the "Grandkids" have kids, it was hard to get together every Christmas Eve. So, we scheduled it after Christmas, skipped presents, and the big meal. We had "finger foods," visited, and watched old slides on my parent's big screen t.v. It was so much fun. The worst part of the night, was that it had to end. :( We got a picture of all the Grandkids (minus my Cousin Rob's 3 boys that couldn't make it). I'm sure my Grandparents were smiling at all our fun and all those kids! Like my Aunt Sandy said, "All because 2 people fell in love! Look at all those kids!"

Day 6 Organizing- Dresser Drawers & Day 7- Pantry

2011-01-09T20:12:00.000-08:00

I already organized my dresser drawers and closets this summer, and they are still organized! Yay!

My pantry "room" is still pretty organized too. Let me explain what I mean by "room." Two summers ago, our well died and we had to replace it. Ka-Ching! $$$$$$ After using a huge orange tank full of nasty water for our "well" for 11 weeks, we needed a new washer. During that time, we decided to get stackables and put them in our basement, instead of our laundry room to save space. We turned the old laundry room into a "Scrapbook Room" for me, which I loved. However, my pantry was in my basement too. That meant every time I needed food, I would have to run down to the basement- 2 levels down from the kitchen! Ugghhh. It really didn't make sense to have a room to scrapbook in, 10 steps from my kitchen, and my pantry so far away. So, I decided it made more sense to move my scrapbook area down to the basement and have the pantry closer to the kitchen. Great move! I love having everything so close! Plus, when I scrapbook, it's in the "man cave," so I get to spend time with my husband. I'll show my new scrapbook space soon, but here's my pantry....

Here's the break-down. 1st shelf- Soup, canned goods, etc.
2nd shelf- Boxed potatoes, salad dressings, microwave popcorn, etc.
3rd shelf- Pasta, cereal & oatmeal.
4th shelf- Baking items (sugars etc.), candy, and laundry.

I also have an extra freezer and refridgerator in this room.

I store our crockpots and deep fryer on top of the fridge.
I also have cupboards that store our health/beauty/first aid & bags/wraps/and cleaning products (which I would LOVE to replace with Shaklee!)I also have a shelf that I store my coupon box and receipts on.

I keep our extra pans, large bowls, and punch bowls on top of those cupboards.

I also have a small cart where I store our batteries, light bulbs, air freshners, etc.

So, it looks really organized. However, there is one spot that was really looking bad. There's a spot underneath the white shelf that was a mess. It's where we store our tp and paper towel. Plus, a basket of "camper supplies" that never got put away and some cans of paint. Yuck!

It turns out the pantry did need a little work! This is much better!

Day 5 Organizing- Under the Kitchen Sink

2011-01-09T19:17:00.000-08:00

So, Day 5 at A Bowl Full of Lemons is "Under the Kitchen Sink." When I recently organized the kitchen and cupboards, I did under the sink. So, that one was already done. :)

Wow! I really should paint or something under there to make it look more pretty. But, at least it's organized. I cut the "Dirty Towels" letters out on my Cricut, and attached them to a small garbage can. Then when a dish towel or dish cloth is dirty, I throw them in there. When it gets full, I throw them in the wash.

1-5-11 Supper= Yum

2011-01-06T17:54:00.000-08:00

Almost a year ago, one of my FB friends, Wendi gave me a recipe for "Chicken Pot Pie" soup. It sounded delicious and I wanted to try it. Well, I finally did! (It only took me a year!) :) It was wonderful! I took the left-overs to school today, and everyone loved it. T and I agreed that it was even better the second day! Here's the recipe:

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

4 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 quarts water
1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast
1 T chicken boullion
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup diced white onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup flour
2 tsp. Italian seasoning (I didn't have any- Google Italian seasoning substitutes, and it will help ya out!)
1 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 lbs. mixed frozen vegetables (I did corn & gr. beans- I knew the kids would eat them)
1 Cup heavy cream
Pinch of salt (It needed a lot of salt when we were eating, so when we were done, I added 1 T of salt- much better)
Optional: store bought pie crust

Bring water to boil and add chicken. Allow to poach 8-10 min. Remove chicken and let cool. Continue to simmer water and add bullion, 10 minutes. In a large skillet heat oil. Add onions and celery, cook until translucent. Add flour until it forms a roux. (I had to look that up on Google too!) Add Italian seasoning and pepper, cook 3 min. Add broth to roux, bring to a boil, add drained potatoes, cut up chicken and frozen vegetables. Put lid on, simmer until potatoes are tender, 20 minutes. Stir in cream and salt, cook 5 minutes. Bake pie crust flat on cookie sheet per box directions. Break apart and use as garnish.

Pics of the Ingredients:

Isn't that cutting board in the second pic beautiful? BFF gave it to me for my birthday. Her FIL made it!

Aren't these measuring cups darling? Jen at I Heart Organizing
had them on her blog, and I fell in love. They're from Pier 1. My Dad got them for me for Christmas and I love them!

1-5-11 Day 4 Organizing

2011-01-06T17:06:00.000-08:00

Well, Blogger was being a total pain last night, so I wasn't able to post. I'm not sure what was going on, but I want it to be know that I DID the challege last night!

Also, I'm so excited to see 2 more followers- and I've never met them and I'm not related to them! I have computer friends! Yay me!

Yesterday was the Linen closet.

Before:

Yep, that's a hot mess! Yep, that's a box of K'nex on the top shelf- taken away when someone didn't clean them up. (We forgot about them!)

During: How did all this stuff fit in that little closet???

I purged A LOT of sheets, threw away that extra carpet, and reorganized.

After:

It's not "pretty" yet, but it's much more organized!

1-4-11 Day 3 Organizing

2011-01-04T19:06:00.000-08:00

So, Day 3 of Organizing at A Bowl Full of Lemons is organize your Tupperware cabinet. I recently organized all of my kitchen cupboards, so I already did that one.

However, when I opened my "lid" drawer the other day, I realized that I must have skipped this drawer, because there's no way I have matching bowls to all those lids I had!

I also had a small "stash" under one of the lower cuphoards.

*By the way, that's a stain on that lid container. I tried to wash it, but it wouldn't come off.
So, I took all my bowls out and matched them with their lid. Then I made a stack of lids that didn't have partners. :(

I didn't get rid of them yet, in case there's a bowl somewhere without a lid. (You never know....)

Then I put my remaining lids back in the drawer. How sad is that? What did I keep all those lids for?

Ahhh. Much better!

1-3-11 Getting Organized Day 2

2011-01-03T18:56:00.000-08:00

It's Day 2 Getting Organized with A Bowl Full of Lemons. www.abowlfulloflemons.blogspot.com

Today we are supposed to organize our computer desks. Since our computer desk at home is quite clean right now, I decided to clean/organize my desk at school.

This is the before shot. Not terrible, but not great either. Remember this was my first day back after Christmas Break.

I started by taking everything off the desk and cleaning it. My Dad made this desk for me. I fell in love with a desk from Target. However, I did not want to pay that much, so my dad came to my rescue. However, I painted it white and white does not go well with ~~grubby little~~
cute, little 3rd grade hands! So, enter the glass top. It works to keep finger prints off, but not so much everything else. So, I cleaned that, put a lot of things in their "home" and made it look spic and span!

My first order of business was my "To Do" container that I made last year. This has everything in it, from my calendar to important papers. I cleaned it out, and put papers in their proper folders.

I also cleaned off the top of my computer and scrubbed all the dust off it.

Then I cleaned out my container of pens, etc., by putting all the "like" things together. "Tools" on one side, pens & pencils on the other.

I also got my lesson plan book in order for the week.

I also wanted to show my basket organizing system. I have a label on the front of each basket.

And finally a picture of my "teacher desk!"

By the way, my students were out of the room when I did all of this. I'm a better teacher than that!

1-1-11 Getting Organized

2011-01-01T13:52:00.000-08:00

OK. OK. I know I'm a blogging loser. The whole "December Daily" thing didn't really work out the way I wanted it to. However, I'm still going to post some pics from December, so I can remember what we did!

Anyway, I'm taking the getting organized challege from A Bowl Full of Lemons head on!
www.abowlfulloflemons.blogspot.com
Day 1- Organize your junk drawer. Well, I just did that not that long ago, so I decided to tackle one in our Master bathroom.

First let me explain, I'm kind of a low-maintenance gal when it comes to make up, so I didn't have much to organize. But, it was a mess!

After:

Ahhhh. Add some pretty laminated scrapbook paper, and it's MUCH better! I also went and bought a new brush to replace that nasty one! Then of course, it inspired me to work on the drawer below it! This is where I keep my "travel" items. I have my make-up bag, jewelry travel bag, bottles of travel sized shampoo/conditioner, and travel first aid kits. (Why do I need 4 of these???)
Before:

After:

Much Better!

12/5/2010 (for real) December Daily

2010-12-06T19:38:00.000-08:00

Tis the season for singing! We've been busy preparing for the Kid's Christmas program, but we've also been working on practicing for "Starlight Festival" at our church. It should be interesting!!! :) If you're not busy, please join us on December 19! You won't regret it!

12/5/2010 December Daily

2010-12-05T10:34:00.001-08:00

Today the kids had Christmas Program practice at church. They did really well, and I'm even helping and singing on stage with the kids! We're performing next Sunday, so we're practicing like crazy! I'm sure they will do great!

I wanted to share our advent calendar with you. I bought it from Hallmark when JT was a baby. We pull it out every year, and the kids love it! Every day it's someone's turn to put the ornament on the "tree." It's magnetic and the extra ornaments are stored in a pocket inside the tree. The ornament for the 25th is a present. I love this one, because it reminds us of the best gift of Christmas- Jesus!

12/3/2010 December Daily

2010-12-03T18:20:00.000-08:00

Oh, the "To-Do" list. Are you feeling as overwhelmed as I am? Christmas cards, shopping, baking, wrapping. Wow! And that's not including "normal" life! One of the things I did this year was create a "Christmas Planner." I took a "Composition Book" and covered it with scrapbook paper. (By the way, these go on major clearance right after school starts. BFF and I bought them for 12 cents this Fall!) I used rub-on letters for the title. Then I covered inside the back and front covers with white scrap-book paper to cover the print I didn't want showing. I don't really think I need a class schedule in my Christmas planner! Then I glued an envelope inside the front cover for "Coupons" I may need during my holiday shopping. I also glued an envelope inside the back cover for "Receipts." I also divided the composition notebook into sections and stapled tabs to each section. These are the sections: Calendar,The List, The Plan, Cards, Menu, and To-Do.

I printed the calendar from calendarlabs.com. The list has everyone's "wish list" in it. The plan is a great resource I found on "I Heart Organizing" blog www.iheartorganizing.blogspot.com. This is a great way to keep track of your spending, and make a budget. The cards section is where I keep track of people to send cards to and their addresses. Menu is pretty self-explanatory, as well as the to-do section! I'm loving my Christmas planner!

12/2- December Daily

2010-12-02T20:16:00.000-08:00

I'm working on Christmas cards tonight. This is the pic that is on our card, taken by my friend Amie VanAmberg. Thanks, Amie!

12/1/2010 December "Daily"

2010-12-02T20:04:00.000-08:00

Lots of people in the scrapbooking/blog world make a "December Daily." It's basically what it sounds like- what you do every day in December. I'm going to do my best this year!

This is what we woke up to today- the first "real" snow. The kids were Soooo excited!Good thing I got the last of the boots and snow pants the night before! Thank goodness for Tuesday night shopping trips!

As soon as we got home, the trips headed outside to play!

5/26/2010 Gettin' the Trees!

2010-11-27T20:28:00.000-08:00

We have a tradition every year in our family. Nope, we don't head out shopping for Black Friday. We do a different kind of "shopping." We go to a local tree farm and cut down our Christmas trees. We've been doing it for years. My parents, my brother and his family, and my sister and her family all go. It's kind of funny seeing all of our vehicles following each other! It's like a tree-gettin' caravan! My Mom always says it's their "Thanksgiving." We usually all spend Thanksgiving with our in-laws, so we always set aside this day to spend with our parents. After we get our trees, (and people, it was QUICK this year. It was SOOOOOO cold!)we go to "Country Dairy" for lunch. While we're there, we celebrate my Bro and his kids' November b-days. After lunch we go to our separate houses. Then we get back together at night, have supper at La Fiesta, (can you see why this is one of my fav days of the whole year??? Hello! No cooking!)then we stay in town and watch the "Santa Claus" parade. We had a great day! (Can you tell I was cold? Only 2 pictures! That adorable "little man" is my nephew J, and my BIL, and my Mom, trying to get out of the picture! The other one is of my family- TAKEN FROM INSIDE THE CAR!!!!!!)

11/25/2010 Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-27T19:37:00.000-08:00

We had a great Thanksgiving this year. It was at our house. I went all out this year, and bought new matching dishes, glasses, and cloth napkins. (Don't worry, I went the cheap route). I got some great dishes (white with a gold rim) at Target. I set up 2 tables and we actually all fit! Some of the family went to the other side of their family for Thanksgiving. (They do the every-other-year thing). So, we were down 5. We'll see if every one fits next year! Anyway- here are some pics of our Thanksgiving mantle and table scape. I really had a blast decorating this year. My SIL gave me some pumpkins that were spray painted white and had glitter on them. I added "place card" pumpkins, and some other small gourds. We also had our "pie/dessert" table in the basement. Then we "grazed" all day! We are so thankful for our many blessings! Thank you Jesus!

Dryer Hose Pumpkins

2010-11-01T19:38:00.000-07:00

The hubs and I went away for a camping weekend with BIL and SIL. We had a blast and did a lot of relaxing. While we were away, we made some adorable pumpkins! We stopped at a hardware store and bought some dryer vent hose, some wire cutters, and some orange spray paint. "Mr. Hardware Store Worker" looked at us like we were crazy when we told him what we were doing. After we made one, we took one back to him to display in the store!

9/7/2010 First Day of School

2010-10-16T16:27:00.001-07:00

Our first day of school was September 7. The triplets are in 1st grade and JT is in
4th grade. WOW! They are getting so big!

9/24/2010 Wecome Baby V!

2010-10-16T16:21:00.000-07:00

Our best friends had a baby girl! We are so excited for them! These pics are with 1 of her older brothers. (The other one was sick when I took the pic). She is so precious!

9/30/2010 IM's First Lost Tooth- Finally!

2010-10-16T15:55:00.000-07:00

IM finally lost his 1st tooth! Actually he lost 2! I didn't think it was every going to happen!

10/3/2010- Mom's B-Day

2010-10-16T15:45:00.001-07:00

We celebrated my Mom's 60th Birthday today! She does not look 60! She looks great!
My sweet nephew, J came to visit! He is sooo cute!

I'm a Loser

2010-10-16T15:23:00.000-07:00

I admit it, I'm a loser. I haven't blogged since August. I'm hoping to catch up. I was pleasantly surprised when I logged in, and I have 2 more followers! I'm up to a whopping 8 now! :)

I do have a good excuse though. I've been spending a lot of time here.....

My Dad made my desk. I found a similar one at Target that I loved. However, it was $300. Umm, no thanks. So, I gave my awesome Dad the measurements and he made it for me! (For less than half the price!) I painted it white. It's been working great, but does show dirt/fingerprints really bad. So, I'm getting a piece of glass made for it. It should be ready next week.
The chair is from my brother's garage. My SIL got it from a yard sale. One of my co-workers recovered it for me. It looks like a throne. Thanks, Karen!
The long shelves are all my classroom books. (Plus more at home). The one-on-one that works in my room helped me organize and label all these this week. Thanks, Kris!
The "bird house" lamps are from several years ago, that T made for me, and the "Helping Hands" bulletin board is the classroom job chart. I just had to show the "Cricut" at use in my classroom! Can you guess what my favorite color is? If not, you need glasses! I just spent 4 hours at the school today, organizing some more. I could have spent about 12 more hours there, but it does look better.

Schwass Reunion 2010

2010-08-15T11:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had the Schwass Family Reunion. We get together every August and the kids just love it! Previous years we've had a pinata, boat races in the creek, water balloon games, a game where the kids had to "walk" a cup of popcorn attached to a fin on their foot, (hilarious!), volleyball, hay rides, penny scramble, etc. This year we had the penny scramble, water balloons, had a family picture taken, and WAY too much good food! We also celebrated Grandpa and Grandma's 60th Anniversary! What an inspiration! We also got to meet my new niece!

Mackinaw City - 8/10/2010

2010-08-15T11:02:00.000-07:00

We biked into Mackinaw City today. It was 2 miles- one way! I wasn't sure the kids could do it. But, they did great. IG got rid of her training wheels the day before, so I was a little concerned. However, she did awesome and could go fast!

The kids played on the playground, we had ice cream cones and we went to the movies. IG and I (the girls) went to see "Ramona and Beezus" and T, JT, IA and IM (the boys) went to see "Despicable Me." "Ramona and Beezus" was really good. Then we got back on our bikes and went back to the campground for a dip in the lake.

8/9/2010- The Island

2010-08-12T08:24:00.000-07:00

That's not fudge!

We went to Mackinac Island. We had to ride down below on the ferry, because it was raining. But, we rode up on top on the way back. We started our visit with a carriage ride. T and I had never done it before, and it was really interesting. However, the kids were TOTALLY grossed out by the horse smell, and it was a bit long for them. Aunt K and Uncle R also joined us. They are camping in Petoskey for 2 weeks, and met us in Mackinac City. I think the kids would say their favorite parts were spending their $20 (allowance & b-day $$), and getting ice cream!

Mackinac Bridge & The U.P.

2010-08-11T18:48:00.000-07:00

We went across the Mackinac Bridge and played in the water in the Upper "Puh-neen-soo-la" as JT calls it.

Houses on Wheels

2010-08-11T18:26:00.000-07:00

We couldn't believe the huge motor homes parked around us! Our camper looked like a toy camper next to them!Our camper is the 1st pic. The one next to us looked like a band tour bus!

Family Vacation 8/8/2010

2010-08-11T18:03:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Mill Creek Historic Park. We rode our bikes, and prayed that it wouldn't rain. It was very overcast. When we got there, we realized that there wasn't much for the kids to do. They needed to weigh at least 50 lbs. to use the zip-line, adventure bridge, or rock climbing wall. So, they were disappointed. We did go on a hike and visited an old cabin. (IM is looking down at the root cellar in the cabin). We were also sad that the old saw mill wasn't working. But, we made the best of it, and the kids did like the playground! We climbed to the top of tree top tower. (2nd pic) JT made it to the top, but he quickly went back down, because he was TERRIFIED!

Saturday, August 7, 2010

2010-08-10T08:25:00.000-07:00

Today we started our family vacation. We had planned on leaving at 9:00, and we were on the road by 9:30. I was pretty impressed! We are camping at Mill Creek Park in Mackinaw City. We stopped for lunch in Traverse City. Then we got to the campground. We were placed back with the "old, rich people." Some of the motor homes have to be at least half a million dollars! We went by one motor home, where the side opened up and there was a t.v! Crazy! So, we're feeling a little out of place! Then we were wondering where our fire pit was? We started reading, and found out that we needed to go get a "fire pan" from the office! It was really lame. The kids kept wanting a bigger fire, but this is what we got! Too funny!

Packing for Camping

2010-08-10T08:00:00.001-07:00

Uggghhhh. I HATE packing! However, I came up with a much easier way to pack the children's clothing. I got these Ziploc totes that zip up. I just laid them out on my couch, labeled each with a day of the week with my label maker and also an "extra" bag, and packed away. I used the couch in the basement/laundry area, so when clothes were clean, they could be put right in the totes. They also fit really well in the closet in the camper.

Another great thing that I have found that helps, is my "Scouten Family Camping Master Check List." It's saved on my computer, so I can add to it easily, and I print off a copy every time we go camping. It's my goal to not have to go to a store when we go camping. I get such good deals, that I don't want to pay full price on any items, or go to a camp store (ouch). It's over $3.00 for a small bottle of pancake syrup where we are right now! It doesn't always work out perfectly, sometimes I do forget! This trip it was pancake syrup, garlic bread, brown sugar, and enough bottled water. Oh well. We went to Wal-Mart. You can bet I won't forget those things again!

Baby Shower/ Family Party

2010-08-02T17:40:00.000-07:00

This weekend was busy, but really fun! We had a baby shower in the morning for my new nephew. Then we had a big family party in the afternoon. The amount of kids was unbelievable! The food was great and we made lots of memories! Pic 1- Aunt Rebecca with our new little guy. Pic 2- IG and her cousin. They thought they looked like "twins!" Pic 3-All the kids- crazy! Pic 4- T & Zeke! Pic 5 Marla & the "iPood" shirt- too funny!

IA First Lost Tooth

2010-08-02T17:35:00.000-07:00

7-27-2010

IA lost his first tooth! This is a big milestone for him! Now he's a big kid, like his sister. I wonder how much longer until IM loses one????

Weighted Blanket

2010-07-30T13:26:00.000-07:00

My Mom officially deserves the "Grandmother of the Year Award!" I called her yesterday and asked her to come help me with a "project." I wanted to make a weighted blanket for JT (our oldest). Weighted blankets have been shown to help children/adults with autism, ADHD, restless leg syndrome, etc. to sleep. It creates pressure that helps you feel secure and relax. Since JT has had A LOT of trouble sleeping, I decided to give it a try.

So, I looked them up on the internet. I found "Affordable Weighted Blankets." I was excited- until I looked at the prices! The cheapest was $99! That was for a small blanket. So, I decided that I could make my own. I used their tutorial and bought my supplies. I bought 2 yards of material, (that I let JT pick out. Spongebob, of course. Yuck!) poly- pellets (the same filling as a bean bag), poly-fil, and thread. It was a LOT of work, (sorry, Mom!) but worth it. JT liked it, and it cost me under $35. As for helping him sleep better, well, the jury is still out on that one!

The worst part was the math! Mom and I tried to figure it out, but we were soooo relieved when T came home and figured it out for us!

Baby Shower Gifts

2010-07-30T13:02:00.000-07:00

I followed the tutorial on the blog "Cute as A Fox" (http://www.cuteasafox.blogspot.com/ -sorry, I haven't quite figured how to link yet!) to make washcloth "candy" rolls, burp cloth and baby sock cupcakes, and blanket lollipops. I have 2 baby showers to attend this week/weekend. The first was for a girl, the second for a boy. The tutorial includes a materials list, and great instructions! The first one took me 2-3 hours. The second was about half that time. Plus, the whole gift contains practical items for the babies! It was really fun to make them!

Camping!

2010-07-30T12:41:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went to Hill & Hollow in Pentwater, MI. This was their annual "Christmas in July" weekend. A lot of people use Christmas decorations at their campsites, and my Grandpa dresses up as Santa Claus. He passes out a goodie bag to all the kids, riding around in a golf cart. My favorite quote of the weekend came from IA- "Hey, Santa has a face just like Great Papa!" Too funny, buddy! My parents and BFF's family also went. We're becoming great camping buddies!

1st pic- The campground has an adorable wooden train at the playground. We took a picture of all the kids. 2nd pic- NG riding a little girl's bike! (Sorry!) 3rd pic-The kids eating s'mores (minus JT & NG). 4th pic- My little buddy (NG) with a marshmallow/s'more face. 5th pic-CG & IM eating their s'mores- Because what's camping without them?

Swimming Lessons!

2010-07-30T12:27:00.000-07:00

The kids took swimming lessons this year. They did great! IG passed 2 levels and the boys passed 1 level. (IG didn't pass level 1 last time, because she wouldn't go underwater. Now I can't keep her on top of the water!) JT just passed level 3, and he was in the deep end the whole time! The boys had twins for instructors, which was kind of neat, since IM & IA are triplets. They loved it, and can't wait for next year!

Slip N Slide

2010-07-30T12:09:00.000-07:00

7-17-2010

We got out the Slip N Slide that the triplets got for their birthday a few weekends ago. Everyone had to get in on the fun- even Daddy! What a goof!

Yummy!

2010-07-16T11:03:00.001-07:00

Last night we had "Cornflake-Crusted Chicken" for supper. The kids like it, and so do T and I. I got the recipe out of "All You" magazine about a year ago, and I use it a lot. (see recipe below) We also had green beans out of our garden (squeal!) It was so exciting to eat something that we put in the ground! Plus, they were yummy!

Tonight is "Pizza Picnic" night. Every Friday we order pizza, spread a blanket on the living room floor and watch a movie. I made "Very Raspberry Pie" for dessert. I got this recipe out of "Family Circle" magazine. (see recipe below). I think it's going to be yummy! Happy Friday!

Cornflake Crusted Chicken:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

salt & pepper

6 cups coarsely crushed cornflakes

3 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted

Prehead oven to 375. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place each chicken breast half between two sheets of plastic wrap. With a rolling pin, pound chicken to an even 1/2 inch thickness. (also great for getting out stress!) Mix flour, thyme, cayenne pepper, salt & pepper. In a second shallow dish, whisk eggs to combine. Spread cornflake crumbs on a second rimmed baking sheet. (or use a Ziploc bag, that's what I do. Dip chicken into seasoned flour, turning to coat, then dip in egg mixture. Remove chicken, allow excess egg to drip off, then press both sides into cornflakes. Transfer to baking sheet. Discard remaining flour, egg, and cornflakes. Drizzle chicken with melted butter. Bake until coating is crisp and chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes.

Very Raspberry Pie

3 cups fresh raspberries

1/2 cup granulated sugar

4 tsp. cornstarch

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 cup Cool Whip

1 cup confectioners sugar

1 purchased graham cracker crust

Additional berries for garnish, optional

Mash 2 cups of the raspberries in a medium saucepan. Place over medium- high heat. Add granulated sugar, cornstarch, and 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, Cool Whip, and confectioners sugar until smooth.

Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over bottom of prepared crust. Arrange remaining raspberries around edge of crust. Spoon cooled raspberry sauce over the top. Garnish with additional berries, if desired. Refrigerate 3 hours.

Snack Time!

2010-07-15T12:27:00.000-07:00

All my kids want to do this summer is eat! Well, snack at least! Meals don't really seem to have the same appeal to them. So, I'm mean Mom all day, and don't let them snack all the time. (Don't worry, Mom, I'm not starving them). Actually, I'm probably giving them more snacks than I should.

Anyway, I get tired of, "Mom, where are the snacks?" OR "Mom, I can't reach the snacks!" OR "Mom, can you get me _______?" OR "When is 'shopping night' this week? We don't have any snacks!"

So, I got out this tray that I've had for a long time, and decorated it for "snack time." It's in my dining room, next to my awesome cereal dispenser. I put some little bowls there too, along with my awesome IKEA containers. T wanted to make sure I knew what I was going to use them for, before I bought them. Silly boy! I knew I'd find a use! I showed them how to open the containers, pour it into the bowls (a future mess, for sure!), and most important, told that they must ask Mom first, or I take it away!

JL Turns 1!

2010-07-11T21:39:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe it, but JL (my nephew) turned 1 last week! (sniff) He's getting to be so big and he's completely yummy!

We went to his birthday party on Saturday. I made him a baby book that I think my sister really liked, but I forgot to take pictures of it. We had a great time, and JL loved his first ice cream and cake. Happy Birthday, buddy!

Goodbye Cast, Hello Summer!

2010-07-11T21:28:00.000-07:00

IA finally got his cast off after 5 VERY long weeks! I'm sure it would have felt less during the winter, but we like to go swimming!

My pictures switched around on me, but the bottom pic is the before (I told him to look sad, didn't he do a good job?) and the top 2 are afters! When I asked him how he wanted to celebrate, he wanted to go swimming. However, the weather was super unpredicatable that day, so we saw Toy Story 3 instead. The kids loved it, and we went to the beach the next day.

A Visit with JL, planting flowers & IG's tooth!

2010-07-11T21:08:00.000-07:00

Again, I know I'm behind! The first pic is of IG- she lost her 1st tooth! The next 2 are of IG & IA helping me plant flowers. They were actually a lot of help! The last 3 are of my ADORABLE nephew JL. He spent the day at Papa and Grandma's and we had to go visit! We just love him. Pic 1- playing "ball" with Papa, which he can say now, and yes, it's precious! Pic 2- going for a wagon ride with Papa & Grandma. Pic 3- Riding with IG. He seemed particularly fond of her that day!

Fourth of July

2010-07-11T20:53:00.001-07:00

Ok, ok, I know I'm WAY behind! It's been busy around here!

Fourth of July was great this year. We didn't go camping, which was sad, but we did have fun and we got lots done on the house!

T was in a Fourth of July concert at our church in the evening. Then we headed to Whitehall to watch the fireworks. The kids had a great time posing for the camera, while we were waiting!

Busy 2 Weeks!

2010-06-29T11:12:00.000-07:00

Whew! This has been a busy two weeks! The kids had VBS this week. It was a circus theme, and the kids loved that they could dress as ridiculous as they wanted, every day! The 3rd pic is of the huge water balloon fight they had the last day. This resulted in IA's cast getting wet, IM in tears, and a very wet IG & JT. The top pic is one of the projects I've been working on this week. I cleaned and scrubbed our front entrance. Then I added a chair, a flag sign, and some flowers. It looks a ton better, even if it's only me that notices. The 2nd pic is my new solution to keeping bathroom hand towels off the counter, and even worse, off the floor. (eewww). I got the idea (from another blog- Domestically Speaking, I think) to add ribbon at the top and tie them to the towel bar. It's fantastic! Anyway, I'm off to work on my nephew JL's birthday present. More of that later. :)

Mackinac Island 2010

2010-06-23T20:23:00.001-07:00

We had a lovely weekend in Mackinac. The first pic is my next home. (LOL) I really do love it. The second pic is T and I on a bicycle built for 2! Pic 3 is me with me with ice cream! Pic 4 is us with my BIL & SIL. Pic 5 is us! Aren't we cute??

The Letter A

2010-06-18T09:22:00.001-07:00

This week we learned about the letter "A." Today we made ant farms, that I found at Target in the Dollar Spot. It's amazing how hard those little buggers are to catch, when you want them! I'm sure the next time we go camping, we'll have plenty!

Isabelle's new "do", church, and "school."

2010-06-18T09:07:00.000-07:00

This week has been busy! The first pic is the kids around the table doing "school." The next 2 pics are of JT & IG at church, after a flour race! The last 2 pics are of IG and her new summer "do!" The "after" pic loaded before the "before!"

Dance Recital 2010

2010-06-13T12:57:00.000-07:00

Dance Recital 2010 is done! Whew! What a weekend! IG did a great job!

Graduation, Dance & Cast!

2010-06-12T07:55:00.001-07:00

This has been a BUSY week! I haven't taken any pics of IA's cast, with all his classmate's signatures on it! With 30 kids in his class, there's no room for anyone else! IG's dance recital is this weekend. The 2 pictures are of her and her cousins. Aren't they beautiful? The triplets also "graduated" from Kindergarten this week. IM wants to be a Dad when he grows up. How sweet is that? IG is getting her certificate from her teacher.

2nd Camping Trip

2010-06-07T17:58:00.000-07:00

Sorry that I've been MIA these past couple of weeks. I've been really busy and then blogger was down for a few days. So, I couldn't post anything.

Our 2nd camping trip went well. We went to the state park in Manistee. IA broke his wrist on Friday at school and it rained Saturday night. So, we've had better trips, but we still had fun. These pictures are from a lookout over Lake Michigan on Saturday. We went for a ride and climbed a crazy amount of stairs when we got there!

First Camping Trip 2010

2010-06-03T09:13:00.000-07:00

We went on our first camping trip of 2010 this past Memorial weekend. My parents, my sissy and family, and BFF's family all went. What a beautiful weekend! The weather was perfect! We had a blast! My nephew, JL was so adorable. I wish he lived closer, so that I could smooch on him more! The kids had a blast. We went on the train, swam in the pool, played on the playground, painted with watercolors, and rode bikes. What a great weekend!

Pics of Painted Butterfly Dinner

2010-05-20T19:25:00.000-07:00

Pic #1- IM with his butterfly. Can you tell the kid likes mustard???? Pic #2-IA with his butterfly, looking cute. Pic #3-Pic 3-IG with her butterfly. Pic #4-IM painting his butterfly. (He took at least 20 minutes to decorate it!) Pic#5- Painting the butterlies, before we baked them in the oven. It was a fun time!

Painted Butterfly Dinner

2010-05-20T19:02:00.000-07:00

Tonight we made a fun meal. I stumbled across this blog- www.gourmetmomonthego.com It is packed full of great ideas to make with kids. We made the painted butterflies tonight. The kids thought they were really tasty and loved making them. You actually paint them with egg and food coloring!

Mother's Day

2010-05-12T19:26:00.001-07:00

We did a great thing for Mother's Day/May Birthdays this year. We went out to eat! Yay for not having to cook or clean! We went to Los Amigos in Muskegon for a yummy meal, opening presents, and enjoying each other's company! Pic 1- IG and IA being silly with Papa and "Gamma." Pic 2- J (my adorable nephew) with big cousin, IG. Pic 3-A pic, minus me, with mostly everyone looking at the camera. What a great evening! For Mother's Day I received a necklace with all my kids' names on it and a new apron. :)

Hurry!

2010-05-07T15:34:00.000-07:00

It seems like we do these days is hurry. This what our day sounds like:

"Hurry up and get out of bed. We don't have a lot of time."

"Hurry up and eat. Stop talking and eat!"

"Hurry up and get dressed. Why don't you have socks on? "

"Hurry up and put your shoes on. You're going to make me late. Where is your backpack? Why aren't your shoes on? WHAT? You still don't have socks on??"

"Hurry up and get out of the car. Get your backpack. Close the door! CLOSE THE DOOR!"

"Hurry up and get to class. You already kissed me- now GO!"

After school-

"Hurry up and let's go. Your teacher would like to go home too."

"No, you cannot make another craft, it's time to leave my classroom and go home. We have ______(soccer, dance, church, etc) to get to."

"Hurry up and get in the house. We need to get supper ready."

"Hurry up and eat."

"Hurry up, it's time to go"

"Hurry up and get to bed. It's after your bedtime!"

Then we do all this craziness again in the morning. Someday I'm actually going to count how many times I say hurry up! I think my kids are immuned to it.

I'm really looking forward to the lazy days of summer. I'm hoping not to say those two words at all- yeah right! Hopefully we will be able to relax and enjoy it- like these pictures!

Soccer Mom

2010-04-23T18:40:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in so long, because I've been so busy. Plus, I was having an Eeyore moment, because no one reads this anyway. Then, I remembered that the real reason I'm doing this is to remind myself of what is going on in our life.

So, life has pretty much been soccer. The kids had their first games Saturday. They did really well. No one even cried, which was way better than last year!

I'm also taking 2 classes online. My teacher certificate expires in June, so it's mad dash to get done. I also found out that I'm teaching 3rd grade for sure next year! I'm so glad!

The first picture is JT playing "goalie"- his favorite. The second picture is IA and the third picture is IG and IM. They love soccer!

The Windy City!

2010-04-08T19:14:00.000-07:00

T and I headed to Chicago for the weekend. We went out for pizza and to Willis (Sears) Tower tonight. I'm now a fan of deep-dish pizza and I actually went out on the glass ledge of the Tower! Scary! It felt a little "barfy!" It's 103 floors and more than 1,353 feet over the city streets! We're having a good time and we are kid-free! Thank you MOM!!!!!!

Breakfast

2010-04-08T19:11:00.000-07:00

Aunt Tryna treated us to breakfast at Mr. B's Pancake House on Wednesday. What a great treat! They really spoiled us. A & M (cousins) joined us too.