Awesome giveaway!

Casa de Mask is giving away a wonderful prize over at http://www.casamask.blogspot.com/. Her blog is wonderful! She's giving away a $50 Target gift card!! Go check out her blog!!

Miss you Daddy!

21 years ago today, my father died in an automobile accident. I was 7 years old. My brothers were 11,9 and 6. I miss him very much. At the age of 7, I didn't really understand. Now that I am older and have kids of my own, my heart yearns for him. I wish he could be here for all 8 grandchildren that he has. I do KNOW that he is in a good place. I know that I will see him again. We will always remember him and his spirit is constantly with us!! Love you daddy!

Happy Birthday Adam!

Happy 30th Birthday to my wonderful and amazing husband!!!

I can't believe he is actually 30!! I met him as a baby faced 19 year old!! He is still as gorgeous as ever!! I love him more than words could ever describe and I am looking forward to the many birthdays we share together!! Love you Adam!

My two beautiful nieces!!

My beautiful little nieces!! At birth Baby A on the left was 4 lbs. 12 oz. and Baby B was 4 lbs. 7 oz. They are identical and boy do they ever look it!!

Congratulations to my brother Joe and sissy-in-law Katie on the birth of their twins girls!! They were born on November 19 and they are gorgeous!! Baby A is still at the hospital having some problems with her colon. Baby B is at home with mommy and Big A and is doing well!! So excited to have them be a part of our lives!!

The Things I Love blog!

There is this awesome blog that I follow that has sooo many fun things to do for the month of December!! You have to check it out!! I'm a wee-bit obsessed!!! tehheeee!!

So fun to be getting ready for the holiday season and have the focus be on the Savior!! Have fun celebrating!!

Happy Birthday M!!!

Today, my oldest son turned 6 years old!!! I can't believe it!! I love him so much and am so blessed to be his mother! He is a wonderfully giving little boy and makes me heart melt daily!!! We will be celebrating his birthday tomorrow with his cousins and it's sure to be great fun!!! He wanted a Kung Fu Panda party so that is what we are having!!!

Hopefully I will be able to post pics soon!! Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Run of BAD luck!

Ever since my brother got hurt, we've been having a run of bad luck! Two days before he fell from our tree, our car broke down. So we decided to buy a car off that same brother. It ran well and we thought it was a good investment. Then, it happened. We started smelling a strong odor of gas. We looked and looked for a leak, and nothing. Then, about a week and a half ago, we started seeing dripping. We took the tire of our car to find out that we were in fact leaking gas and that it needed fixed immediately. So we took it to an amazing friend of ours who was ever so willing to fix the problem. He worked hard to find the part but ended up not finding it very cheap. It was $500! For us, that's crazy! But we got some help and fixed the problem. Then, on our way to church on Sunday, the check engine light came on. I cried! I hate to admit it, but I sobbed like a baby! I am our branch's chorister and 1st counselor in Primary and I had a very hard time concentrating. I made the kids laugh and was a very bad example because my mind wasn't there. Hopefully things will get a little easier.

Well, my sissy-in-law is getting ready to have her twins in about 4 weeks, if she makes it that long!!! Her one little baby may have to have surgery after birth, but we'll have to wait and see.

Hope you all had a lovely day! Thanks for stopping by!

I love fall!!

Today I decided to take a breather and walk, by myself, just to enjoy some exercise and fresh air. Well not exactly by myself; I took Ruby, our dog! It was refreshing! Since we are finally getting end of September weather and not mid-July weather, I decided to take advantage!! I felt a little guilty though! Leaving my hubby with the boys just so I could breath. Does anyone else out there feel terrible guilt when they do something for themselves? I felt really bad. My hubby said it was fine. I don't know!! I worry too much about doing things the right way!! Who knows!

Anywho- have a great day! Enjoy your families and love life! You only get it once!

Forgiveness

Amazing video!! I cried like a baby!! Grab the tissue and enjoy an amazing story!
Forgiveness

It's been a while!!

My absence is for good reason!!! My older brother, Josh, fell from a tree in our front yard and shattered his wrist, fractured his pelvis and had a lot of bumps and bruises. He fell on the 29th of August and has been in the hospital since. He had to be life flighted to a hospital in Pittsburgh because they thought he had internal bleeding. He was in the clear with that. He has has five surgeries on his wrist and has to stay off his legs for 8 weeks. If you know my brother, that is torture. He owns his own construction business and a fractured pelvis and shattered wrist isn't good for business. He has rods and pins in his wrist and on the outside as well. All he was doing was trying to help us cut down the rest of our tree!! And to make it worse, it was the first Sunday he had been at church in a while. I told him he shouldn't be working on a Sunday! =) Well, that's where I've been. Hopefully the Lord will bless him with a full healthy recovery.

Have a glorious day! It's beautiful here in Western PA!

The Final Countdown!

Three more days until I embark on the wonderful journey that is homeschooling! I'm not quite prepared but hopefully I'll have everything done this weekend. We have a house of sick people here and tomorrow my hubby is getting a scope done because he is feeling bad. They think either an ulcer or a hernia. We'll see. I can't wait to know because waiting makes me CRAZY!!!! I love him and wouldn't be able to do anything that I do without him!!

M woke up last night just miserable. He came in our bed and layed by me and felt like a heating blanket! He had a fever and he was hot EVERYWHERE! Even his little hands and feet were hot! He seems to be doing a lot better. Hopefully it stays that way. Little A has had a snotty nose for days. No fever but lots and lots of boogies!

I love life! My family is amazing and I am glad for what I've been blessed with! Have a great day and thanks for visiting!!!!!

It's HERE!!!!!!!!!!

Was outside with my hubby and two kiddos this morning cutting down a tree (yes cutting down a tree on our anniversary) and a glorious messenger arrived with gleaming gifts for me! Actually, the FedX guy came with three boxes for M's homeschooling adventure! WOW! That's all I can say!!! The products and books we received are beyond average!! I will have to take a picture of all the things and post them, once I figure out how to take pictures of my camera!!!!!! I feel like it's Christmas for ME! M is super excited as well!! He wanted to start today!! I'm ssssooooooooo excited to do this with him! I even planned activities for little A to do! It should be super fun!!!

Hope you had a glorious day! Thanks for stopping by!!

Happy Anniversary!!

Tomorrow August 18 will be my 9 year anniversary to the most awesome man I know! I love you Adam and hope that life continues to be amazing with you! Through thick and thin and ups and downs YOU are the one who is by my side! Never forget how awesome you are!!

I hope everyone had a great day today!! Thanks for stopping by!

Blech!!

My hubby took Friday and tomorrow off of work so we could spend time together as a family. But we missed church today! I thought that it was only this one time and we haven't missed in a long time so it wouldn't be a big deal. Well...it is!!!! I feel like I missed a dose of medicine that I need to survive! It's weird! The kids were even odd! M asked me why we were missing church and I couldn't tell him why! We were supposed to go camping but we didn't go on account of the rain. Blech!! That's how I feel!! Oh well! Hopefully the week goes fast!

Have a great day! Thanks for stopping by!!!!

Peace, Be Still

Today is one of those beautiful, calm, full of the Spirit days! I am content with things as they are. My little family is amazing! I love going to church and learning the things that we are supposed to learn. I am learning to take things in stride, realizing that the things that are small problems are just that, small problems. There is no point in letting things little grow big. Life is so short here. We need to start thinking eternally! The Lord has promised us eternal life with our families IF we live according to the plan He has in place. Live, learn about and love the Lord and all that was given up for us!

No I don't feel this way all of the time, but boy I wish I did!!! :)

Did you ever have one of these days or weeks? I sure hope everyone feels this way once in a while!! Have a great day!!

Twins update!

My brother and sister-in-law are pregnant with twins as I mentioned before. They are expecting identical twin girls! But there was a problem. They found out that the babies have twin to twin trasfusion syndrome. The one baby was very still and had nothing in its bladder. The other baby's bladder was engorged. They did a very delicate proceedure last Friday that seperated blood vessels so the babies had a better chance of making it. The surgery so far was successful! The babies look good and the doctor is optimistic!!! There is still a chance of something bad happening but so far so good!

Thanks for stopping by and have a nice week!!!

Yeah! School is coming!

We got M's laptop, printer, notebook, headset and a bunch of other little gadgets delivered to us yesterday and we are SSSOOOOOOOOOOO excited! It feels like we are really doing it now!! We are still anticipating books and supplies! The lady we had our meeting with told us NOT to buy any supplies until we received our box of supplies because they give you everything from paper and glitter to glue!! So excites! Grateful to live in a country where we are free to homeschool our children! Grateful to be able to worship freely! Hope it always stays that way!!


Have a great day!! Enjoy the weather and your families!!

Getting ready!!

Today I decided to start making a schedule for little A's tot school. I know that while I'm helping M with his school work that little A is going to need to be busy. So I decided to search the web and found some awesome sights that I got encouragement from!! I want little A to get a head start and learn as M does. He's a smart little boy and I want him to get ahead a little bit. I found worksheets and book ideas and calendar time ideas and I'm pleased with all of it!! So very excited!! I am becoming more and more comfortable with the decision we made to homeschool :) A mother I know is trying to search around for an affordable preschool and she is struggling! I don't have to worry about that! I'm so excited to be doing it at home! I'm grateful to the wonderful mom's out there who are willing to share their ideas with others! Amazing job!!

Some of the sites I looked at are :

http://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.blogspot.com/
http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.blogspot.com/
http://www.totallytots.blogspot.com/


Check them out for your little ones whether you are homeschooling or not! Amazing stuff for kiddos!! Thanks for stopping by today! Hope you had a wonderful day!

A very Happy Birthday to my mother-in-law!!!

Trying to finish our basement!!

Completely embarassed I admit that we have been living in our new house for about 4 months and there are still boxes in my basement that need unpacking! I am trying to organize and have everything ready for when M starts homeschooling. So finishing unpacking is definitely on my list of things to get done! Plus I want to do a tot school with little A. I have to get those things organized as well. Oh the things to do! I try not to get as frustrated as I used to when I have a ton of things to do and my kiddos are saying "mom" every three seconds! I know there will be a day that comes when there will be no more "mom" and I will be sad!!

Awesome news as well: My brother and sister-in-law found out today that they are having IDENTICAL twin GIRLS! Yeah Joe and Katie and big A!!!! We are excited for ya! We were hoping that my brother would get a boy in the mix but are just as happy with the girls. Now my mom will have 4 grandsons and 4 granddaughters!!!

Fun weekend and week!

This week has been crazy!! At least the weekend was! Spent Saturday just hanging out with my hubby and kiddos. Sunday we went to church and then went to my moms house for swimming and a BBQ. Yummo! My brother is an amazing griller (if that's a word!). Monday my family and I spent the day at Idlewild Park. It's a super fun family park with lots of rides and a big pool! We had fun even though it was so hot! This week we have been indoors trying not to die from heat exhaustion!! It's not only been 90+ degrees out but the humidity matches it!! It's horrible! They say a cold front is moving in tomorrow! Hopefully it will rain and give my grass a drink! It's turning brown.:(

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day and enjoy life!!!

What I admire about my husband!

I want to post a list of things that I admire about my husband:

1. He is patient. I mean REALLY patient! We've been married for almost 9 years and I've watched him be patient, even when things got really hard! Amazing. Something I need to learn!

2. Giving. He would give you the shirt off his back. Then his socks, shoes and pants!! Extremely generous.

3. Confident. He doesn't need to say much. He is confident in who he is and what he believes. Another thing I need to learn!

4. Fun!! He can take a hom hum boring day and turn it into something completely fun! We don't just have "campouts" in our living room, we do "airplane" with daddy's feet and wrestling and whatever else comes to mind!!! Just so fun!

5. He loves our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ. This should be the #1 thing I admire about him. I think there is nothing more amazing than a man with a testimony of religious truth! It gives me the goose bumps! :)

6. Sensitive. He is gentle with me and our children. He listens to complaints and tries to understand the feelings of others. No judgement; just listening.

7. Hard working!!! He works these crazy shifts that takes him away early in the morning and brings home late at night. He does it so I can stay home and be a momma to my boys! Amazing!!

Just an amazing husband!! I could go on and on but I'm tired and it's late here in PA! Love this exercise though! It's good to take time to look for goodness instead of faults!

Happy Fourth of July!!!

Hope everyone had a great holiday and a safe one at that! We had a great day! We went to church and I had to run Primary alone because the president is on vacation. Was a little nerve-wracking, but I'm still alive! Then we visited my mom and had a cookout and played baseball and soccer with my niece and nephews. Lots of fun and a good workout!!!!

I am just grateful to have this land to call home! I'm grateful for the ability to be able to worship as I please! I hope that I will always have that freedom. I'm grateful for the men and women who live and die defending our country!! God bless America!!!

Things to think about!

A picture of our bedroom. I'll have to post a new one with the red in it!!

I said before about wanting to learn new things and how to be more efficient, so I kind of started today! I was looking through old fabric and found old red pillow cases that I made before. I think I'm going to be THRIFTY and reuse them in my bedroom. My bedroom is a pretty blue color and has cream too but I wanted to add a little more color. So my hubby and I decided to use red as an accent color. So the pillows should work out perfectly! I'm still trying to turn this little house into a more comfy home. Fill it with things about us that make us and everyone who enters feel at home. I love my family and my hubby for providing us with the home! I love the Lord and all the talents He has given to my hubby so he is able to provide for us!

Have a great day and I hope it's not as humid for you as it is here in PA!!! Blah!!

I want to learn!!!

I want to learn to be the best wife, mother and daughter of God!! I want to learn to be thrifty; i want to learn to be a better cook; i want to learn to be a better house cleaner; i want to learn to cook from scratch. I just want to be the woman that the Lord intended me to be!! I will post my progress and track my journey as I go along. This blog is fun for me because I can go back through and see how things have changed or not!!!! It's like my own journal that everyone can read! It keeps me on point though!!!

Thank you for reading and have a great day!

Ho hum hot day!

Well, I did something Saturday that I haven't done in a while! I went swimming at a PUBLIC pool and got a killer sunburn!!! I'm still feeling it today!!! Everytime I go outside, the sun feels like it's burning a hole through my shirt! My poor boys looked at me like I was CRAZY!! Anyways, I'm getting wicked excited for my days of teaching at home with my kiddos! I know it's not for everyone and that's OK! I'm just getting myself to the point where I am confident in our decision and that's that!!!

I got a new calling working with the kiddos in Primary!! I was scared silly at first, but I think that it will help prepare me for my at home teaching duties! It's a blessing in disguise!!

Thank you to anyone who may stumble upon this and read! I tend to ramble and say nonsense things but that's me!!! Have a beautiful day!!!

Trying things out!!!

Today I decided to bust out some of my lapbooks that I made for the boys and see how they worked! It was AMAZING and so much fun! M did some older kids stuff and little A did some matching! It was fun and they liked it! I made a calendar and we had calendar time. Sang the days of the weeks song that M likes singing to and little A likes to clap! It was fun! I was a little skeptical about how it would fly but I loved it and so did they!!!

Let your light shine!

Read an amazing post from Katy, over at www.countryblossom.blogspot.com , about letting your light shine. To be a man or woman of Christ is a big deal. It's not something you hide away or keep under cover to fit it. It's a light that should be shone all day long. It's not something that you try to get attention for. It's an amazing blessing to know of God and His Son Jesus Christ! So today and everyday let your light shine! Be a confident man or woman of the Lord! You will be blessed for it!

Hope you had a beautiful day like we did here in Western PA!!

Facebook makes me crazy!

I just started the whole facebook thing! Yeah crazy I know! It's nuts! I know so many people and remember so many people than I ever thought I would! It's nice to see old faces and see what everyone's up to. I moved quite a bit as a youngster so I know a lot more than maybe I would like to!

Lazy Days!

Hope everyone got to have a wonderful, peaceful Sabbath Day! We went to church, came home, ate lunch/dinner and went to the park and relaxed! I love the Sabbath and all that we are asked to try not to do. No work or shopping! Two of my least favorite things!! :) We are told to serve others and be good to one another and let our bodies regain strength for the next week! Awesome!

Enjoy your week and let the Lord bless you by following the commandments!

All is calm...

The kiddos are asleep or at least laying in their beds and I'm hearing nothing! I didn't realize how lonely that can be! My hubby is still at work and I'm by myself with SILENCE! Oh well! At least I have my computer?? That's pathetic considering I barely know how to use the thing!

Have a great evening!

My New Life

My New Life

You HAVE to watch this video! Amazing!!!

My boys!

A different beautiful day! This is a picture of my boys at one of our favorite parks! Aren't they awesome! The picture was taken a while ago, but I love it! It would probably be a prettier pic if there were leaves on the trees but awesome just the same!

I love nature and being outside, even though I can't breath because of my allergies! We are so blessed to have this beautiful place to call home! We have a loving Father in heaven and His Son who created all of this for us to enjoy! Take some time out of your day to literally stop, and smell the roses! We are so blessed!

Hopefully my hubby will put the pics on the computer from the awesome sunset last night!

Enjoy each and every day!

Just a GREAT day!

You ever have one of those days that are just great? Today was a great day for my family and me! We went to church and had a blast. Learned about prophets and the blessings that come with living in this period of time! I got a new calling in the Primary of our church. I get to work with the kiddos! Kind of scared but excited at the same time! Came home and had our home teachers visit us. It was awesome! Then we ate dinner with our family and had a nice visit. Nothing special or spectacular but a great day none the less! And what a beautiful sunset! I'll have to post pics of it tomorrow!

Hope your day was as GREAT as mine!!!

What is Modesty?

I was reading my son's magazine "The Friend" (which can be aquired a www.lds.org) and there is a little miny article about modesty. What is modesty? Now days it is so hard to define! Is it making sure you are covered? Is it making sure your shirts aren't too snug? Is is making sure your skirts are long enough? It's tough for most people to define exactly what modesty is. To me it is looking in the mirror and asking, " Would I be comfortable in the presence of the Lord?" If the answer is no, than I need to rethink my clothing choices!

There is a modesty checklist in the magazine article that states:

1. My shoulders are covered.
2. My shirt covers my stomach.
3. My shorts or skirt go to my knees.
4. My shirt is not low-cut.
5. My clothes are not tight.
6. I don't look sloppy.
7. My hair is combed.
8. My clothes are not saggy, torn, or holey to fit in with a style.
9. Labels or words on my clothes are respectful, not rude or offensive.

Seems like a long list for children huh? But we as parents need to start now in preparing our children for the future. Modesty seems like a forgotten law. The Lord wants us to shine because of our countenance, not for our body parts being exposed. We are the examples for the children and adults around us. Be kind to yourself. Take care of the precious body Heavenly Father has given you! It's a blessing to have a body! This seems like such a touchy subject to some people, especially for the ladies! In the scriptures it reads:

"In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array." - 1 Timothy 2:9

We should dress and groom ourselves with praise to the Lord! Not for worldly attention.

Be good to yourselves and thanks for letting me vent! I'm not perfect at this by any means! My hair can be a disaster some days! Some of the clothes I wear seem ok at home and then I go and have to sit and I'm tugging at my shirt in the back! Just try your best to serve the Lord ! He will bless you!!

Sick kiddo!

Yuck! Little A is sick! He has boogers and his eyes are all watery and he has a little bit of a cough. I feel so bad. He is in 'mommy' mode. It makes me a little happy because ,for anyone who knows little A, he is a mover and a shaker! He likes to climb and jump and explore everything! Now he just wants mommy! It sets me behind a little because I didn't get done what I needed to get done but it'll all be here tomorrow!

Take the time today to be with your little ones! They grow so very fast! Love them, cherish them and give them lots of hugs and kisses!!

Have a great day and I hope it's a beautiful day where ever you are!!!

One step closer!

Today Adam and I took M to a seminar for the cyber charter school we have looked into for him. Not exactly homeschooling but it has amazing curriculum. We were so impressed with the program that we signed him up! We are thrilled and so is M. It feels better to have made this step forward. They have all of the basic programs for Kindergarten kids and a bunch of extras. After we get started we are going to participate in a little chef program. M has always had a thing for cooking and being in the kitchen. He was thrilled when we told him about it and he's even more excited that he will get a chef hat!

Through all of this I have discovered that all the decisions you make have an affect on those around you. They may be tough decisions, but you don't have to make them on your own. Pray! Pray and ask Heavenly Father for his advice. His opinion is all that truly matters! People may not like your ideas and plans for life but that's just life! I know that within my own family nobody agrees on the same thing. It is a rare occasion! But that's OK! Heavenly Father gave us the right to choose what is correct for each of us in our own circumstances! That's an amazing blessing! Do what is right in your own heart! Do what is pleasing to the Lord! You will be blessed for it!

Have a great day! Hope your's isn't as wet as mine!! The rain is back!!!

BIG NEWS!!!!

The coolest thing happened today! My little brother and his wife found out today that they are having TWINS!!!!! Big A will have two little brothers/sisters or one of each. It's crazy! I'm very excited for them and I wish them all of the best. They will do amazing with their little family! YYYEEEEAAAHHHH!

Happy Mother's Day!

Hello all you mamas! Happy Mothers Day, a little bit early! :) Hope you have a great day! Love your kiddos and smile they are all yours! I love that! Live righteously and you can have eternity with them!


A picture of me and my kiddos from last Mother's Day! I love my boys! They are too cute!
A picture of my beautiful mommy (who will kill me if she sees this)! I love you Mommy!!!

A picture of Adam's family! It was when little A was in my belly! But it's a beautiful picture. Adam's mom is the dark haired lady, so pretty! Adam's grandma is the lady on the far left.

Happy Mother's Day to all of the women in my life!!!

Be grateful, be humble, be prayerful.....

My three purposes...... they make me happy, happy, happy!!

Today was an eye opening day. I was brought face to face with something I wasn't expecting. I saw a person who is suffering from an illness that has no cure. This person is wonderful and doesn't ask for help. This person is giving up SSSOOOO much to live with this disease. It makes you humble. I instantly started thinking of my life and all the blessings that I have and how grateful I am to be healthy and living. How grateful I am that my husband and kids are well and that my family is doing well. I realized how many times a day I say "whoa is me" and how selfish I am. I think about me way too much and I need to put my focus on others. I was reading somewhere just recently about the Savior and what he did while he was here. It said something along the lines that He did not come here to be served, He came to do service. What an amazing thing!! In an article in the April 2010 "Ensign" magazine (you can find the article at http://www.lds.org/ ) entitled "Becoming a Quality Person" there is an awesome line that says,"Fill your life with service, education, personality development, love for all, and other such meaningful traits. Live with purpose each day." That's awesome! To live each day with a purpose. It could be teaching your children the gospel as a stay-at-home mama, doing service for someone who can't help themselves, helping your husband or wife become the people they want to be, or simply helping a neighbor by carrying in their groceries. The Lord knows each of us and what we are capable of. Live life with purpose. I will work on it too!!! This life is just a speck in the eternal aspects of things. All we are expected to do is live it with righteousness and follow the commandments!

Have a beautiful day!! Do something good to make yourself a more quality person!!

My Family!

This is a picture of my side of the family. I have three brothers...yeah! Living with three brothers made me tough at least. All my nieces and nephews are there. My brothers are the two tall bald ones and the one kneeling with the dogs. The man in the pink shirt is a friend of our family. The girl with dark hair on the left is my brothers, the one with the hat, girlfriend. The girl in the pink shirt is my little brothers wife. The beauty down on the end in the black shirt is MaDukes. And the two dogs are my brothers...kids? That's what he says anyways. That's my family. I'll have to get a picture of Adams side of the family and post it too.

I love family. Even when it's hard, they are family. There is great comfort in that. None of my family members are members of the church like I am and that's OK. They support me now and that's all I need. Someday maybe I'll get them whipped into shape!!! Just kidding! The Lord leads and guides people in their own time. The time He had planned for me was perfect. It will be 10 years this August since I joined the church. I was ready for it. I didn't go looking for it. It found me. My husband introduced me to the church. I just felt it. You know what I mean? When every fiber of your being knows it's right even when your brain is trying to fight it. I'm still working on my testimony. All I know is that the church is true. Other religions have amazing truths to them as well, but we have the entire gospel in our grasps. It's amazing!! I was reading through my scriptures looking at the things I highlighted and it reassures me constantly that what I'm doing is right. I read about baptisms for the dead, Christ teaching in the Spirit World, and all the things that need to transpire before Christ comes again. It's happening and some don't see it. The Lord knows us each and knows the desires in our hearts. Keep your head up and your heart open! Amazing things will happen!

That's enough rambling!!! Thank you for stopping by and checking things out in my average ordinary life!!!!! Hope you are having a great day!!!!!

Making pinecone birdfeeders?!

These pictures crack me up!!! The boys are supposed to be making birdfeeders! I handed them the plastic knives to put the peanut butter onto the pinecones and this is what happened! I made the feeders and they ate the peanut butter! This is M showing just how much fun the activity was! YUMMO!!!!



This is a picture of little A loving the peanut butter! If you look closely, you can see bird seed on the knife! He grabbed by knife by mistake! Hey, whatever makes them happy.....right?

This is the finished product. At first there were no birds! After a day or two the birdfeeders were empty and our yard was full of birds!

It was a very fun and messy project. Also it is as cheap as can be. Just pinecones(I took them from my neighbors yard!), peanut butter and bird seed!! Wah lah! I hung them by string and they stayed put! We had a crazy storm the next day and they blew back and forth but never came off!!

Hope your day is as pretty as ours here in western PA!!! Have a great one!

Homeschooling excitement!

I have been really buckling down and getting ready for the venture of homeschooling and I'm excitedly terrified...if that makes sense! What curriculum to use? Am I doing the right thing? Will M do well? Will little A let me help M when he needs it? All these crazy questions are running through my head CONSTANTLY!!! Then I start doubting myself. Then I become almost sad!!! Then I realize WHY I wanted to do this in the first place. I want my children to be incredibly intelligent. I want them to have one on one time and learn things they couldn't at school because of time constraints. I know that what I have taught M and little A are already sticking! Besides all these things, I know that it is right for US. It is what I've prayed about and felt is the best for us. I didn't always think I would homeschool. But the closer it got to M going to Kindergarten, the more I didn't feel right putting him in school. I pushed the feelings aside and thought that going to school was the best for M and the bad feelings got stronger! So here I go, diving head first into a venture that will change the lives of me and my boys forever! Pray for me!! I need it so very much!! Thanks for listening to my ramblings!!!

Family is Happiness!

Yesterday in our Relief Society meeting we discussed "The Family: A Proclamation to the World." It got me thinking about how truly blessed I am to have my family. I have a great husband and two amazing children. I have a wonderful extended family and I feel extremely happy. I love knowing that we are an eternal family. I love knowing that if we live correctly we will be together again. If you want to learn more about the church, visit the church's website at http://www.lds.org/. That's the church's official website. Look for yourself at the beauty of the Lord's restored church. Thanks for reading!!!

Yeah Yankees!!

Big B's team won their third straight game!! It was cool! Even though it did rain a bit on us, it didn't stop them from winning! Big B played short stop and catcher. Catcher is his favorite. I'm proud of him and am happy that he's my nephew. I love him, even though he told me not to cheer for him because it would be embarassing! :) I cheered anyways and he didn't know any difference!! Love ya Big B!

Little A's 2nd Birthday Party!

These are some pics from little A's birthday party at the request of MaDukes!! We had fun at little A's party. He was really sick though! We didn't even know if we could have the party and we had postponed it already before because of the move. But we made it!



Below is a pic of him opening his presents with the help of all of his cousins!! He didn't know really what to do which suprised me but it didn't take him long to get into the swing of things!!!


The next pic is of Big A whackin' the pinata! I didn't get a lot of pics of her so I definitely wanted to show her some how!! WOW what a hit! Do u like the garbage piled up in the corner? The party was about a week after we moved in. What was I thinkin'? Also we were very safe with the kids too. That's a copper pipe with electrical tape around it that she's using to hit the pinata. Awesome, huh?

The next pic is of the kids with MaDukes eating pizza. That's why little B's face had sauce on it in the other pic I posted before! I like big B's face! It's cool!

Well it was a fun party and I love doing them for my kiddos and everyone else's too.

I can't wait for Big B's party! He has a luau every year and it's a blast. I'll definitely post pics of that in July.

Have a great day! Remember to enjoy your kids while they are little! Help them become everything that the Lord wants them to be. They are amazing and fascinating to watch!

Well we have to get ready for Big B's game. It's not raining which is awesome so we're going to cheer him on! GO YANKEES!

My chore charts

I love seeing everyone's ideas about chore charts and packets so I thought I would post mine!! My kids are some of the few that love doing chores. Especially M. He asks me in the morning about when we can do chores! I know it's crazy! Little A just wants to put stickers on the chart but he does his fair share for a 2 year old!!!

I just took a poster board and drew lines on it until I came up with enough slots to write their chores down on. Then I added the dates to the smaller squares and the stickers go on top of the dates. At the end of the week I will count their stickers and give them their allowance. It's seems pretty simple and it is. Simple just works better for me!



These kids are too funny! Yes my hubbie is holding up little A's head! He would say cheese and look down! M loves his chore chart. It's his favorite part of the day besides video games!!!!

My nieces and nephews!

Well here are pics of my beautiful nieces and nephews!!! I put them in order from youngest to oldest on accident but thats ok!

This is a pic of Big A. She is a cutey pie! She's 2 1/2 years old! She's as pretty as a princess and tough as nails!



















This is Little B. He's 5 years old and quiet and keeps to himself. He is a little guy but hangs in there and stands his ground!!






















Below is a pick of middle K. She is 6 1/2 years old. She is all girl but she also can hang with the boys. I guess she has to because she's in the middle of two boys!!


















Below is a pic of my oldest nephew Big B. He's a kind boy and smart as they get. He has a good heart!

So there you have it! Part of my beautiful family! I would post brothers and sister in laws, but I have to make sure they would want me to!!! I love my family. Especially the kiddos! No matter what they always make me smile!!

I love my new house!

We just moved into our very first home and we are so very excited! I am so thrilled to be able to add touches of us to our own house!! So I thought I would post a picture of what we have done so far.

Below is a pic of our dining room. The balloons are not part of the decor but we had little A's birthday party before I took this pic. The color was a little scary at first but now it's my favorite. My hubbie picked it out. It's a relaxing color to me!





Below is a pic of the boys bathroom (yes we have our own bathroom...aaaahhhh!) We found this monkey curtain and thought it was perfect!!!!! So I based the wall color off of the shower curtain. It's awesome!!!!

Now this is my totally favorite room! The boy's room is so cool. I wanted to try to make their room look like the sky and I think we succeeded. Adam and I worked together and got it done. It took awhile but I think it looks pretty good if I don't say so myself! :) We found wall decals that look just like the planets and ta-da, it's a sky!

Well that's all for now. My brain is starting to go fuzzy from all the picture downloading and typing. Man I'm worn out!!(Just kidding!) Hope you enjoy!

Thank you Katy from the "Country Blossom" for the idea for rainy day activities! I'll post with the ideas I come up with.

Best Buddies!!!

My two little boys are the best of buddies!! They are amazing little guys and you'll have to excuse the comments I made before! If I would have had rainy day activities, maybe they wouldn't have been as crazy!! Wow, the mess behind our couch is bad! Well, I guess we were moving so it's kind of an excuse! Not really though!! I just hope everyone out there appreciates and loves their children!

"And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children." -Isaiah 54:13

I believe that if we give our children the privlege and oppurtunity to learn of the Lord, they will have the most amazing start possible. So today, look at your children, gather them up and say a prayer to a most kind Heavenly Father for the honor you have of raising one of His most beloved children!!

It's finally sunny! Must be why I'm in such a good mood!! HA HA!

(All the scriptures I will use is from the King James version of the Bible and the Book of Mormon)

What's a mother to do?

Today is a rip my hair out, go crawl back in bed kind of a day!! It's raining AGAIN! The kids are stuck in the house and are into everything that they can get into. Little A drew all over a chair with an orange Sharpie. M is doing ok as long as the word NO doesn't come out of my mouth. All I can ask is, "When's bedtime?"

I HATE rain!

Today was to be a day of excitement and free fun for our family, but NO it's going to rain. My oldest nephew Big B is having his first baseball game of the season and we were so excited to go. Neither of my boys have been to a baseball game before (I know it's pathetic considering M is 5 years old now!) We thought it would be a good day to play and see family and cheer Big B on! Oh well! I guess it's better than the snow some people are getting. Hopefully wherever you are the sun is shining and you enjoy your day!

I'm technology challenged!!

Holy smokes! Trying to customize this blog will be the death of me!! I know it's cool to be into technology and computers and ipods but I just don't understand any of it! Oh well! I guess that's why I've got my hubbie!! Who knows where I would be without him! Like the other day we went and got a new phone for me and I was excited to have a more modern phone. You know the kind that slide open. Yeah..well I got home and I hadn't a clue what I was doing!! It has a touch screen and I would forget to lock the key pad and I kept pushing numbers and sending messages to the same people over and over again! Who knows! Maybe I'll get it some day!

Hello Everyone!

Well this is officially my first post! I have seen so many blogs and thought that it would be a cool idea to start one of my own. So any comments and ideas anyone has about marriage, kids and just life itself send me a holler!