my jar of buttons

Christmas wreaths and Christmas countdown

2010-12-20T22:15:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple ideas which may be too late for this Christmas, but tuck them away in you mental file for next year.

Idea #1: I saw a link for wreath making and decided to attempt it. It's a really great tutorial if you want to try it. I took clippings from my yard, and from a friends yard, which I would recommend, a good variety of greens was really nice. My friend's yard had some red leaf plants and some with little red berries which were a nice touch.

Because I was cheap and impatient I didn't use the wire wreath forms or floral wire. I had my wonderful husband scour the utility room for something that would work. He found me and old towel hanger and a broken metal plate rack, both made great forms for wrapping my greens around. I also used fishing line instead of floral wire, but I think next year I will splurge on wire since the fishing line was harder to tie off.

Anyhow, I really had a blast doing these and I can't imagine ever spending money on a wreath. Mine were plain, no ribbon or ornaments added. I would love to do this a little earlier next year and possibly make extras to give as gifts. Since I already have a red berry wreath (fake) for my door I used these more as centerpieces/table top decor.

I think it would be really fun to have a few friends take clipping from their yards and gather to share the greens and enjoy the wreath-making experience together.

Idea #2: I also copied this idea for a Christmas Countdown. I made one quite simply by printing out numbers 1-25 on my computer in plain cardstock, varying the sizes and fonts, so they were all different. Then I just jazzed them up with leftover Christmas scrapbooking paper scraps, and followed the directions on the link from there. An activity on the back of each magnet was a fun way to countdown to Christmas and made sure we were deliberate about enjoying the season, doing the things we love. This was great for the ages of my kids, they have continued to be really excited about each days activity. Every family has their own traditions and I'm sure you can think of little things for each day. Some things could even be as simple as sharing your favorite Christmas memory. Here are some thing we did:

Look at Christmas lights

Bake cookies

Make treats for birds

Read Christmas books

Read the Christmas Story

Watch a Christmas movie

Pop Popcorn (and string it)

Decorate tree

Visit the State Capital

Deliver treats to neighbors

Make cards

Mails cards

Make paper snowflakes

Go to the Nutcracker

Sing Christmas songs

you get the idea.....

Mexican Spice

2010-12-11T21:17:00.000-08:00

Here's something you can mix up for your own pantry, or turn into a cute gift.

I found a recipe for a taco seasoning mix that is really yummy and so much cheaper than the spice packets I used to buy. I mixed up a bunch, packaged it in snack size baggies with a little label I made on the computer, and put it in a gift bag with canned tomatoes and canned salsa from this summer. These will be my kiddos teacher gifts this year, along with instructions for cooking up a "mexican night". My theory it anything simple can be jazzed up to look cute, with a gift tag or label. I'm all about making practical, useful gifts, look more fun!

Recipe for the taco seasoning found here: (I usually times it by 4 and it makes a small jar-full for my cupboard) http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Taco-Seasoning-I/Detail.aspx

Another great mix idea is hot chocolate. My friend Ashley shared a recipe, which is simple:

1 cup cocoa powder

1 cup brown sugar

whisk together in a bowl and add a pinch of cayenne for kick if desired (I left it out)

Use 2 tbs./ mug of WARM milk, stir to dissolve. She uses soy milk and it works wonderfully, as well.

This is a rich and creamy hot chocolate, myself and my kids love it. Would make a cute gift in a jar or baggie along with candy canes and those cute vanilla flavored snowman shaped marshmallows. Have you seen those? Love 'em.

Perfect cold weather treat!

Pillowcase Dress

2010-12-08T08:36:00.000-08:00

Meet, Anna's good friends, baby Zoe and Selah.

Selah's mom Ashley sent me the link to a pillowcase dress and said, "we should make matching dresses for our girls"

So we did.

Only we didn't use a pillowcase. We used fabric that we sewed into a pillowcase. Easy to modify the sizes a little since we were dealing with a 5 year old, 2 1/2 year old and 1 year old. We had extra fabric so we made one for Zoe who turns one on December 17th, a very good day.

These were really easy. I mean so easy, I am already planning on making more. We still have scraps leftover and I want to make a matching dress for Anna's American girl doll and Selah's rag doll.

Check out the link here:

http://www.simplymodernmom.com/2010/07/pleated-bow-pillowcase-dress-tutorial/

Grab a friend and make some for the girls in your life. It's more fun to sew together!

2010-12-07T19:58:00.000-08:00

Hi. I'm back. I think I'm ready to give this bloggin' thing another try. I have been mulling over thoughts about what I want this blog to be about. I have been thinking a lot about who I am, the special gifts and talents God has given me, and what I am passionate about. I have decided that I would love for this blog to be a place where I share some of my ideas on all things domestic. I love to craft, sew, bake, cook, etc. and I would love to share some of that with all of you.

It has been nearly a year since I've blogged and a challenging and growing year at that. My desire is to encourage, as Christ has so encouraged me through His Spirit. There are several things the Lord has been teaching me, and working in me this year. One is that I am not a super mom. As a stay-at-home mom I tend to put a lot of pride in what I do and never got a lot of outward recognition for it. But I am learning that it is not what I do that defines me, rather it is who I am in Christ. I never want to seem like I have everything together, because believe me, I do not.

Along with that lesson has come a lot of me letting go of expectations and humbling myself. Realizing I am exactly who God made me to be and He delights in me. Realizing that I am God's workmanship, His poetry, so to speak, and He is writing my beautiful story. Realizing that God is still making me into the wife and mom He has called me to be. Realizing that it's ok if my kids eat cereal for breakfast and hot dogs for dinner, and go to bed in their t-shirts without a bath. Realizing that the most important thing is not busying myself with the tasks in the "kitchen" (Martha), but sitting at His feet in the "living room" (Mary).

That being said I would love to use this blog to share what I am doing that gives me joy! I hope that if you are a mom like me, you will be inspired and encouraged.

Another thing I think I'll keep forever

2010-01-17T16:46:00.000-08:00

Do your kids make you "treasures" daily? Are your tables and counters constantly covered with pictures, paintings, drawings and glitter glue masterpieces that weigh 2 pounds?

Mine are.

And when no one's looking I throw away about 99% of it. I admit it.

But today, is an exception. Today my 8 year old went off to spend the night with a good buddy. He's spent the night there before, so he's "cool" with it. But when I went into his room later this afternoon, I found a note and four pieces of gum.

The note reads: (spelling errors included for effect)

Dear Mom Dad Anna and Wyatt,
I hop you have fun with Sy (Wyatt's friend who is coming to play tomorrow)
Aneway I just left this note so you won't
mise me. at 8:00 pm call me to say Good
nigte and I will be back tomorow.
love, Will

Yep. I'm thinking I'll keep this one forever.

ps.... Wyatt just wrote him a note back. It reads:

to Will ferum Wyatt B
Dere Will
Thank you for the gum that you gave me
and thank you for the note that you gave me
I rily like it
Love Wyatt

Toothless

2010-01-11T13:39:00.000-08:00

On the last day of 2009 and the first day of 2010 Wyatt lost his two front teeth.

It's pretty much my favorite look on him, so far.

And I can't get enough of him saying his "th's", either.

Our December, so far

2009-12-22T22:18:00.000-08:00

This fall I was introduced to the idea of a "December Daily" scrapbook. Basically it is a mini scrapbook, in which you pre-decorate 25 pages, each numbered 1-25 to represent the days in December 'til Christmas. On each page you leave room for a picture and/or some journaling about what you did that day. My friend Chantel and I decided to make December Daily albums, and I have been adding my pictures and journaling all month.

One week Wyatt was sick, out of school for 4 days. Toward the end of his sickness both Craig and I got sick. It was interesting finding things to scrapbook about on those sick days, but there was always something. From sitting on the couch watching movies or looking at books, to making a break outside to check on the chickens, some days I scrapbooked pretty insignificant things. But it's some of those little everyday things that often don't make it into the scrapbook, so I think it will still be fun to look back on those things year after year.

Here are a few pictures of the slightly more exciting things that have been taking up our time this December:

Will and Wyatt building with legos in their room. They play this way for a long time. It's so nice.

Popping popcorn! Wyatt then took the time to string it and make a garland for his tree.
Daddy brought home a box of russell stover chocolates he got as a gift and we all took turns taste testing. This was one of those special, funny family times, when I look at the photo I laugh. We had so much fun doing something so simple. And I'm not sure what's up with Wyatt's get-up, or Anna's expression.
Wyatt's gingerbread masterpiece. This was a fun day, Anna and I got to visit his classroom for gingerbread house making day.
Me and my parents on my Birthday, December 17th. They, along with my siblings, came out that morning and took me to breakfast.

Later that day I got to watch Anna's preschool program and do some fun Christmas crafts and activities with her.

Anna was an angel in her first ballet recital, a performance of the Nutcracker at the Elsinore Theatre. This was definitely a highlight for me, this month!

Baking day was Monday. I made Russian Tea Cakes, Molasses Sugar Cookies, Almond Roca, and Marshmallow Cookies. We assembled plate after plateful to deliver to our neighbors and friends. A fun way to spread some Christmas cheer.

We stopped off at the capital building during one of our Salem trips. It is so pretty this time of year.

This one makes me laugh, the pose is totally inspired by Anna, and a lady passing by was laughing, too.

We finished off our day with a ride on the carousal!

So there you have it, just a few little bits and pieces of what we've been up to this month. I have thoroughly enjoyed December, and looking forward to the few days still left!

I needed this today...

2009-12-18T12:12:00.000-08:00

I'm invisible.

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see I'm on the phone?"Obviously not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all.

I'm invisible.

Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, "What time is it?" I'm a satellite guide to answer, "What number is the Disney Channel?" I'm a car to order, "Right around 5:30, please."

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude -but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again.

She's going ... she's going ... she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a banana clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I brought you this." It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe.I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription:"To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees."

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:

* No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.

* These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.

* They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.

* The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it." And the workman replied, "Because God sees."

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become."

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on.

The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree. When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table." That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add,"You're gonna love it there."

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

My prayer for today:

Lord, help me to see myself not as the world may see me, but as you see me. As a great builder. Please fuel my passion with the faith that your eyes see my every actions, even when no on else does. Amen

2009-12-06T19:22:00.000-08:00

I've got SUNSHINE, on a cloudy day

When it's cold outside, I've got the month of May
Well, I guess you'd say, what can make me feel this way?

My girl....talking 'bout my girl

I've got so much honey, the bees envy me

I've got a sweeter song, than the birds in the trees

Well, I guess you'd say, what can make me feel this way?

My girl.....talking 'bout my girl

My girl turned 4 last Sunday. It is one of my most favorite ages. I am excited about this year ahead with her. While thinking about this blog post I couldn't get those song lyrics out of my head, I thought they were fitting. She truly does bring sunshine to my cloudy days, and is sweeter than honey.

30 Days of Thankfulness: Wrap Up

2009-11-30T13:58:00.000-08:00

Over the holiday weekend, I have continued to reflect on the things I am thankful for. I think I am due for 6 more to make it an even 30.

1. I am thankful that Craig has a job. And, not just work, it is one that he loves. I have heard of so many losing their employment these past few days, it makes me really reflect at how blessed we are for his steady work.

2. I am thankful for healthy kids. Again, there are several children we know battling cancer and other unknown diseases. I am praying for a little girl from church who is yet to be diagnosed, but is suffering and in pain. I am so thankful for my own children's good health.

3. I am thankful for my siblings....my two older sisters and my younger brother. I look up to my sister's so much as wives and mothers. Being 7 and 6 years older than myself they paved the way, and taught me about hair and make-up. We are each busy with our own families, but I know we truly care about each other and love each other. I had some time to chat with my little brother over the weekend as well, and we shared some good laughs. It was fun to connect a little more than we normally have the opportunity to, and I am so thankful for him as well.

4. I am thankful that my kids have cousins! They are blessed with 12, so far.

5. I am thankful for my mommy van. It is old, the doors stick and the locks are funky, but God provides. 4 years ago we became a family of 5 and I was still driving the old Camry my parents had given us. We had to squish the three kids into the back seat, and I remember praying for this van. It is a simple, but huge, answer to prayer. God knew what we needed.

6. I am MOST THANKFUL for the gift of salvation. These past few weeks we have been practicing with the children at church for our Christmas program, and as we kick off the Christmas season, I am reminded even more how amazing God's grace is. I fail time and time again, yet still there is forgiveness and I am washed clean every day. I watch the little children practicing for their program and I am blessed by the small opportunity we have to give back to the Lord, in sharing our talent and the good news with others.

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 24

2009-11-25T14:57:00.000-08:00

I am so thankful for our little home that has been ours for over 9 years. We brought all our babies home from the hospital here, and have put so much work into it over the years. It is so gratifying to have improved it some, and I LOVE coming home to this place. We are so blessed.

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 23

2009-11-23T14:43:00.000-08:00

I am so thankful for my children's beautiful artwork! I am showered with little pictures and loving notes all the time. Today Wyatt drew this one for me:

Mom, I love you

Dad, I love you to

Will did this self portrait at school this year. It is one of my most favorite pieces of art he has ever done. I think it may end up in a frame! I just love it.

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 22

2009-11-22T18:09:00.000-08:00

I am so thankful for the Word of God that is living and powerful and speaks light into the darkness. This verse encouraged me today:

What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have Him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we've been given a brand new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven-and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you'll have it all-life healed and whole.

-1Peter 1:3-5 (the message)

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 21

2009-11-21T14:21:00.000-08:00

14 years ago I met two people who have blessed me in so many ways. They are two of the most caring and generous people I know. They love the Lord and they love each other. They love me, and have called me one of their own.

They love their fine son very much. And they graciously accepted me into their family.

Meet Ama and Papa (along with Craig and 3 year old Will)

I am so thankful for my WONDERFUL in-laws. The first time I met them Craig's dad gave me a big bear hug, and I knew I would be well loved in this family. I couldn't ask for better (except for asking them to move closer to us! :) They are that awesome!

(Kristi, Nikki and families....I am SO thankful for you, too!!)

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 19 & 20

2009-11-20T22:00:00.000-08:00

I am thankful for this sweet boy.....

And for this season in my life!

I got to have lunch with Will on Thursday and then Anna and I stayed and watched his class do their readers theater play about the pilgrims. Everything I get to experience with Will is new, and a first for me. Sometimes I find myself wishing for the past, or wondering about the future, but Thursday was a reminder to me to just enjoy the present. Will is at such a fun age and grade....he is easy to talk to, he knows and understands probably a lot more than I give him credit for. He is asking questions about things like heaven, and divorce, and I find myself having to stop and really consider my answers....how much info to give, and how to explain things.

Will is a thinker, a planner, he likes routine and stability. He is a true guardian of his younger siblings, and he is very sensitive to others feelings. When I think about the fact that I have already parented Will 1/2 way through his years at home, it makes me even more determined to enjoy the moment. I am so very thankful and blessed to be his mom.

So, I'll leave you with a quote from this summer, I just found in a journal of mine:

Will- Mom, I've been thinking that when I get older I want to play on worship team, like Daddy.

Me- that would be cool, bud

Will- ya....'cause I've been thinking a lot about my future and stuff.

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 16,17 & 18

2009-11-19T16:51:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I got to do three of my favorite things:

1. Take the kiddos to the library and check out a busload of books for our 10 day break from school.

2. Sing for Wednesday night worship with Craig.

3. Laugh with one of my oldest friends---who has know me over 1/2 my life.

So, today I am thankful for, BOOKS, MUSIC, and LAUGHTER!

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 14 & 15

2009-11-17T19:47:00.000-08:00

I am so thankful for our schools. Perhaps I am biased, but I think they are great! The boys have adjusted to a new school this year, and although they miss being at daddy's school, I am so thankful they both have amazing TEACHERS! One of my favorite parts of the day is about 2:16pm when the boys burst through the front door and I get to hear about their day. We work on homework right away, and I get to be the follow up teacher for a few minutes. Right now Will is working on a readers theater, and he just finished a unit on "people in motion" where he diagrammed a swimmer. Wyatt is a little 1st grade sponge soaking in definitions of words, math facts, and reading books all the time. I get so excited hearing about all the fun things they are doing and learning. Their teachers put forth so much effort to make their learning experience the best!

I am also so thankful to be able to VOLUNTEER in their classrooms. It truly is a highlight of my day. It is so fun to see them in action and I gain so much respect for all teachers every time I visit.

Perhaps in my other life I was meant to be a teacher.....I don't know.....maybe a nurse?

30 Days of Thankfulness: Days 12 &13

2009-11-16T21:07:00.000-08:00

This afternoon, as I spent a few hours working on some sewing projects, I was reminded of my gratitude for my Mom and my sewing machine.

As a young girl I practiced sewing on my mom's machine a lot. My mom taught me what she could, but she was more of a pillow and curtain type of seamstress. I had the desire to sew clothes so my mom graciously bartered: she gave a friend's daughter piano lessons, in exchange for sewing lessons for me. I learned (sort of) how to read a pattern and made my first article of clothing: a sarong, it was a very pretty periwinkle color, as I recall.

From there I started a schrunchi business...."Lindsay's Schrunchi's: made with love and help from above" was the slogan I had printed on my own personal business cards. I sewed other articles of clothing (none, too great) but I was always proud of my accomplishments. When I graduated from college my Mom bought me my own sewing machine, and it has served me well, these past, eeek, 10 years.

I am so thankful that my mom, encouraged my love for sewing, even though it wasn't exactly her niche. She made so many sacrifices so I could do the things I loved. These days I am getting to use my machine a little more often. I am so thankful!

30 Days of Thankfulness: Days 10 & 11

2009-11-15T18:44:00.001-08:00

I am thankful for

GOOD FRIENDS

and

OUR CHURCH FAMILY

We are blessed by so many great friendships, both old and new. We love our church family and feel so at home there. We have so many people who care about us and are praying for us. I am so thankful!

30 Days of Thankfulness: Days 8 & 9

2009-11-14T17:57:00.000-08:00

#8: I am thankful for the 4 distinct seasons we get to experience in our neck of the woods. The green and glorious days of spring, a few scorchers each summer, the gorgeous fall leaves, and usually a pretty decent snowfall in winter that brings about a school closure day, (or more!) It really is a blessing to live in such a beautiful part of the world.

#9: PLAY! I am so thankful that our family has healthy active bodies that allow us to play together. Just getting outside for a walk is something we often take for granted. I love watching my kids play, and playing with them.

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 6 & 7

2009-11-13T15:02:00.000-08:00

COFFEE

Today I splurged on my first candy cane mocha of the season, and boy was it yummy. There are times I go to bed at night thinking how lucky I will be to have coffee in the morning.

(ps--do you like my "coffee cozies" --my kids named them that, and I think it's pretty good name--I found directions to make them HERE. Somehow they just make the candy cane mocha seem even more fun to drink. If that is possible)

Speaking of coffee, did you know I didn't start drinking coffee regularly til this guy came into my life?

Something about having two kids "drove me to drink", so to speak.

Today I am also thankful for my Wy-boy. It is safe to say that as Wyatt grew and became mobile, he turned my world upside down and I found myself seeking the Lord for wisdom more than I ever had before. There were times when I even questioned my ability to parent this, crazy, active little boy. God has taught me so much about myself, as I've had the opportunity to be Wyatt's mom. I still lose it as a parent, regularly. But, I can also honestly see how far we BOTH have come. Wyatt is a joy and is soo, sooo, funny. He makes me laugh EVERY DAY! But he also has a very sensitive side. He wants to be a missionary when he grown up, and has been saying that for several months now. Even his Sunday school teacher came up to me the other day and said, "did you know Wyatt, really wants to be a missionary when he grows up?" I see God's promises being fulfilled in Wyatt's life, and for that I am so thankful.

So, coffee and Wyatt. Just think, without, Wyatt, I might never have had the need for coffee, and without coffee, I might never have gotten through those early years with my Wyatt ! :)

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 5

2009-11-12T19:30:00.000-08:00

I'm playing catch-up.

I am thankful when I hear my children's prayers.

Tonight Anna said, "....and if people are sick, just help them to feel better, and if they are sick and dying, help them not to die.....and Lord, if people are in jail..... just, just....... help them to get out."

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 4

2009-11-12T11:43:00.000-08:00

Today I am completely humbled. And that is what I am thankful for.

After my blog post about running yesterday I was feeling pretty hot stuff this morning out on my jog. It was one of those days I felt like I had a little more endurance so I added about 4 blocks onto my route. I was just over 1/2 way, and starting to head home, I crossed the street. I debated about crossing over to the other side, but decided against it at the last minute, there was a girl there walking her dog, so I just figured I'd cross over when I got closer to home. I don't know what happened, but about 2 seconds later I was flying through the air and landed face down, LAYING, on the pavement. I really wish I had a video of it because I'm sure it looked like something from the movies. Immediately my hands stung and my knee started throbbing. I forced myself up, and the girl and her dog asked, "are you OK?" I said, "I think so..." and started to limp home.

So, God has humbled me today, and shown my once again that He is in control. Thank you God, for a little reality check! I may be walking now for a few days. There is a huge goose-egg/bruise on my knee and my hands look like hamburger. Oh, and by the way, when kids fall and scrape their hands up on the pavement, it really does hurt!

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 3

2009-11-11T13:43:00.000-08:00

Morning Runs-

My relationship with running began a couple years ago. It is partly an addiction, part love/hate relationship, part "me" time, and part, a justification to eat ice cream while watching the biggest loser.

Whatever the reason behind it, fall mornings are some of the most beautiful times to be outside in the early wee hours, with the wind and rain in your face. Time to pray, and think. And I have seen some GLORIOUS sunrises in the process. I am so thankful for those early morning runs.

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 2

2009-11-10T12:34:00.000-08:00

(I am a little behind, oh well.)

Today (and every day!) I am thankful for my husband. This weekend I was away on a scrap booking retreat at the coast. I am so blessed to be able to go away and not worry about them at all. He encourages me to go, and takes care of everything at home. I even found a very sweet note from him in my suitcase while I was away. Here are a few other things that just make him the best:

he unloads the dishwasher every morning
he makes the coffee every morning
he helps me pick fruit and produce in the the summer and even helps me can it!
he takes on side jobs so I don't have to work, or worry about money
he lets me vent and talk his ear off
he sends me sweet emails and leave me notes
he prays with me every night before bed

And much, much more! I am so blessed....and VERY thankful for him!

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 1

2009-11-05T19:53:00.000-08:00

My very inspirational friend Christi is doing this on her blog. I'm gonna copy her and do it too!

I am so thankful for my little girl. She is my side-kick these days and I'm so enjoying one-on-one time with her. She is my little helper, my friend, and she keeps me from getting lonely. She makes me laugh, and sing, and smile. She gives love so freely and I pray our relationship will always be this close.

"Brownies" .....need I say more?

2009-11-01T17:44:00.000-08:00

One Rose Fairy Princess

Complete with make-up

Add two Jedi's

Who wouldn't stop posing....

Plus another family of five (not pictured) an awesome Duck win, yummy chili and cornbread, a little time to scrapbook, and way too many Reese's peanut butter cups.

It was a winner of a evening!

And the winner is....

2009-10-20T15:00:00.000-07:00

Anne!!!

After a catalina and a rebate, all the loot below cost me just $9.17!

Anne, email me your mailing address (thebuttonfam@hotmail.com) and you will receive one of those glade candles in your choice of:

Apple Cinnamon

Dewberry Dream

Clean Linen

Let me know which flavor you prefer!

Thanks for all your guesses....don't you all want to be crazy coupon ladies, now?

I've been bit....

2009-10-17T13:42:00.000-07:00

...by the coupon bug!

For the past few weeks I've been trying my hand at this crazy coupon stuff and yesterday I walked away from Safeway on a savings high.

Here's what I got:

1 box cheerios

6 boxes brownie mix

3 Jugs apple juice

2 jugs grape/pomegranate juice

1 tide liquid stain remover

4 tubes crescent rolls

2 tubes grands biscuits

3 glade candles

3 glade candle refill packs (4 in each)

1 pump dial hand soap

Leave a comment with your guess on how much I scored all this stuff for (26 items total)! The closest guess without going over (Price is Right) will win a prize still to be determined, by me!

And if you are interested in crazy couponing click on the links on the sidebar. The Krazy Coupon Lady and Frugal Living NW are where I got all my tips!

Hunting 2009

2009-10-15T08:32:00.000-07:00

So far, hunting for our family has really just been camping with a gun. So fear not, no deer carcas pictures. We spent 5 days in the great outdoors and I was so thankful for the beautiful weather up until the last day. It made for a perfect trip.

Snuggling by the campfire and eating

breakfast was our daily morning ritual.

Also, Wyatt really loved making silly faces. Will, not so much.
Posing on the big rock. Weapons? Check!

Campfire entertainment.

Quad rides...love Anna's expression. She loved it!

Cinnamon rolls in the '69 trailer on the last rainy morning. Yes, you read right, our trailer is 40 years old. Vintage baby.

Campfire kisses

The boys getting ready for a hunt

Cousins on a Quad

Memories made.

In which I share my heart

2009-09-29T12:11:00.000-07:00

I started this blog nearly 4 years ago. At that point in my life I had a newborn, a 4.5 year old, and a 2.5 year old. I was an at home mommy and blogging for my family and reading other blogs served as mommy time for me. My blog has given me an outlet for all my tales and the things I was experiencing in my days with little ones. I linked up with other mommy bloggers and developed cyber support and relationships. I felt connected to the outside world during those long days at home.

Today, I have two boys in school for 6 hours a day and an almost 4 year old, who is becoming more and more independent as the days go by. We have homework, practices, and/or church most weeknights. Our weekends are full of activity, work, and play as a family. In just a few short years my "season" of mommy hood has changed. I haven't changed my own child's diaper in over a year. And I find myself blogging a little less, and perhaps about different things.

I value the blog and the outlet it gives me. I love peeking in on the lives of everyone on my google reader, and still find lot of support here. I love that my family members and friends who live hours away can peak into our lives and get a glimpse at what we've been up to.
But, as evidenced my my last couple posts, I think I'll be blogging a bit less these days.

As I'm sure I've said before, I don't do change very well. Fall is here, my babies are growing up right before my eyes, and my days feel relatively quiet with just me and my side-kick, Anna. I feel it coming, but in some ways I am resistant. Some mommies dream of the days all their babies are in school. I admit it, I dream of having another baby.

I am not one to give advice, but I have to say: If you are a mommy like I was 4 years ago, live in the moment. Cherish those loud, busy, never ending days at home. Keep on keeping on. Read your kiddos a book, or twenty. Be silly and spontaneous. Take advantage of every impressionable moment. I am hopeful that I did that most days. But I know it never hurts to be reminded.

I am faithful that this new season in mommy hood will be every bit as enjoyable as the last. I do get excited when I look in Will's 8 year old face and can see both a glimpse of the baby he was, and the young man he is becoming. It's an exciting thing. But still, my heart seems to catch in my throat when I write about it. So I cling to this verse:

Being confident of this,

that he who began a good work in you

will carry it on to completion

until the day of Christ Jesus. ~Phil 1:6

There ARE a couple things I don't miss....

....boy, these were sure fun days, though! (She said 5 years later :)

~Wyatt fall 2004

I am not a runner

2009-09-21T10:17:00.000-07:00

....but I ran my first race!

I finished, I ran (sloooow jogged) the whole way, and despite a terrible side ache, had a blast. I think it took me about 35 minutes or so, but silly me didn't notice the huge stop clock ticking at the finish line til after I stretched and got some water, so I can't be sure. I want to do it again....perhaps a 10K....anybody want to do it with me? If not, I'll have to talk Craig into it.

Football and Ballet

2009-09-17T19:14:00.000-07:00

I feel so BLESSED to experience BOTH.

My baby goes to pre-school

2009-09-15T11:08:00.000-07:00

It is a strange feeling when you go from feeling like your hands are full of kids, to actually have 5 kidless hours a week.....in just a few short years.

But here we are, my baby in pre-school.....

Showing off her long, "Rapunzel" hair for this shot......
Looking like a big school girl in this one....

So excited and ready for the day with dainty bear......

She seemed to love everything about this day. Said, "by, mom" and plopped down on the carpet. Had a big smile and hug for me when I came to pick her up. Told me how she didn't cry cause she knew I was coming back.

Wow, she's getting so big.

Another first day....

2009-09-08T18:28:00.000-07:00

I was feeling pretty prepared for the boys' first day of school. I was about to fix dinner and wrap up the evening when a migraine struck. I took my prescription and headed to bed. "Can you please keep the kids quiet for a little while?", I asked Craig.

I've been struggling with migraine headaches ever since high school, and although it is a pretty minor issue God has taught me so much through my little struggle. Every time I get one, I always find myself in a conversation with God. Asking Him questions like, "why me?", "why now?" and, "why haven't you healed me?"

Yet always, He seems to speak to me in my time of suffering, when my head feels like it's going to explode, and I wish for a hammer to crack it open. As I'm puking and shaking because the pain is just to much to take.

"I've got you though it before, trust me to get you through this one. Have I ever given you reason to doubt Me?"

He did get me through it, and my family blessed me so much last night. Craig fixed dinner. The kids came to check on me, gave me kisses on my forehead and said they would pray for my headache to go away. Right before their bedtime Craig came in to see if I could get up for a minute. Out in the living room were three lit candles each representing our kids. Craig shared about how the candles represented them and how they were to be light in a dark place. He read some scriptures. Then we took communion as a family. We have never done that before (besides at church) and as Craig prayed over the bread (ritz crackers) and juice (kool-aid), the tears rolled.

I felt complete peace, despite my pounding head and I knew God was holding me. What would normally be a hugely stressful day for me, was fun and joyful. Recently I heard a pastor share about fear. His statement was "Fear is the absence of Faith". That really struck a chord with me, so lately when I feel fear rising up in me, over my kids, myself, my future, I try to speak blessings of faith over what I am fearing.

Jesus said to his disciples, "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth." ~John 17:15-17

Our school year is off....and I will keep praying these blessing of faith over my children.

I cannot take credit for the notes on their cereal bowls. I copied that idea.

The three

First and Third

Sweet Brothers

We are close enough to walk to school....who does that, these days?

Wyatt getting settled....

Will finding his seat...he's like, "okay mom, hurry up and take the picture..."

Can you guess what Anna and I did before brothers got home?

A picture of hope...

2009-09-07T14:19:00.000-07:00

We had 4 or 5 sunflowers pop up out of nowhere, I assume from the bird scattering bird seed around various spots in our yard. This morning on my run I noticed this one had bloomed, and it spoke to me.

Such a picture of hope.

A sunflower growing out of a dirty, paved, parking curb, right where Craig parks his truck. And yet, if it can thrive in such an unideal location, I am encouraged that I can do the same in my day to day life, no matter what the circumstances.

And look....it even got a great water supply today!

New do

2009-09-04T21:59:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all your wonderful advice ladies. It is much appreciated. Here is my new do!

Opinions, please!

2009-09-01T10:33:00.001-07:00

At the risk of sounding like my mom, who is always fussing over her hair, I'm going to post about the same topic because I need some feedback.

This friday I am getting my hair cut. I'm not sure what to do. My "goal" was to grow it out long, but whenever it reaches this point I always get frustrated with it and cut it off. I have a lot of hair, but it is fine in texture and tends to look stringy when it gets too long. Maybe after 32 years I will have to resign to the fact that I am not a long hair kind of girl.

This is my hair right after I finished doing it. Currently I am using one of those curling irons that blows out hot hair to give it some body when it is nearly dry. I used to use hot rollers but they broke. It looks this way for approximately 40 minutes, then falls flat. 99% of the time it ends up in a ponytail before the day is over.

The next issue is bangs. My bangs now reach my nose and I can't decide weather I want to cut them again or not. I have lots of options:

cut bangs
just get everything trimmed
get a few inches cut off
get more layers
don't get layers
or a combination of the above

Also, color. You probably couldn't tell, but I am not a natural blonde. Sometimes I get all highlights and sometimes I have low lights put in as well to balance out the color in the ends. The last time I got all highlights since it was the beginning of summer. Too fake? Should I put in low lights this time?
So ladies, I need opinions.
I know, shallowest post ever.

Fresh Produce, Home Projects &Taking a Break

2009-08-30T14:47:00.000-07:00

These past two weeks my life has been threatened to be overcome by a multitude of fresh produce. I, however, have not been easily subdued.

All that fresh produce has led to things such as this:
As well as this:

Craig has spend his last two weeks working on projects around the house like this:

Painting our bathroom a new shade of green (and I finally framed the photos Jessie took last summer!)

Also, this...

Tearing down our old metal patio cover and bulding this new white, light, and beautiful one with his own two hands.

And (not pictured) taking EVERYTHING out of our shop/ laundry room, painting the whole area, including the cabinets, building new shelving, and finally, re-organizing everything!

So, Saturday we took a break from our projects and hit the beach with one of our favorite families.

It was fun making time for things like this:

And, of course, this.

Then coming home for this:

And all this, cuteness....

A little bit of this

And (what else???) more of this.

So, after a much needed break, I'm now planning on tackling this

And these.

Wish me luck!

Our Favorite Spot

2009-08-21T14:51:00.000-07:00

We can't go to Grants Pass in August without a river day at our favorite "secret" spot. I think the first time we went (and I have pictures to prove it) was when Wyatt was about 4 months old, which would be 6 years ago! We have kept up the tradition every year. Being on the river is so beautiful and it always amazes me how peaceful and calm the world feels here.

My cutie! I love the reflections in his sunglasses.

Getting geared up for some rock jumpin'

Will in the water after a jump to Papa. I love this photo.

Wyatt was brave enough to jump this year! He and Will jumped together.

Wyatt, our photographer, snapped this one of the 2 of us.

Me and my boys, I sat in this spot for awhile and marveled and God's beautiful creation.

After we'd had enough sun and water for one day we headed home, and stopped off for pizza. It was a yummy way to end a perfect day.

By the way, our chickens are getting quite good at doing what they do best. While we were away they layed 7 eggs!

A few things we love about Ama & Papa's

2009-08-17T12:38:00.000-07:00

This past week was spent in Grants Pass at Craig's parents house. Craig helped his mom paint the exterior of their home and it turned out so beautiful! The kids and I got a chance to do a little exploring, relax, and just play! Here are a few things we love about Ama & Papa's:

Swimming in the hot tub....the kids got in nearly every evening

Playing on the swings and feeling like a little kid again

Spotting this pretty mama and her babies in the yard

Playing barefoot in the grass

Swinging on swings some more, this one's a cute little antique swing, just Anna's size

Beautiful flowers in the garden

We also love:

Yummy meals fixed by Ama

Playing restaurant

Spending quality time with those we love!

Up next: The Illinois River

Egg #2

2009-08-06T09:23:00.001-07:00

Egg #2 just arrived this morning. As I was sitting at my computer this morning I heard quite the ruckus coming from the hen house. They were squawking like I'd never heard before. I headed out and saw two of the hens down below, but April, our Rhode Island Red was up in the nesting boxes. I waited for her to come down. Then I peeked in, and low and behold, egg #2.

It looked a little funky and it was way in back, so I was kinda scared to reach in a grab it. (Maybe I'm not as "farm girl" as I thought). "Gloves" I thought! I ran to get my garden gloves and then very bravely reached my hand back and grabbed it. Sure enough, it was a mushy shell egg. It actually made me gag a little, but I kept praising April, saying things like, "Good girl! Did YOU lay that egg? I am so proud of you!"

I'm not even posting a picture of this one. We will continue to wait for a taste of egg #3.

Egg-citing news

2009-08-03T13:03:00.000-07:00

Our chickens are now 4 months old and we had read they would start laying their first eggs at about 5-6 months. Still, I had been peeking in their nesting boxes every fews days, and was so excited to find our very first egg on friday morning!

It was small, but perfect and brown with a nice looking yolk and everything!

I know, because I saw it crack as it fell from the refrigerator later that day. We are still waiting to sample egg #2 when it arrives.

Flower Girl

2009-07-28T14:05:00.000-07:00

About a month ago Craig was honored to be the best man in a good friends wedding. Although Anna wasn't REALLY the flower girl, it was only the second wedding she'd been to, and she had a good time getting all prettied up for the event.

She even went outside and picked flowers for me to put in her hair.

She was completely captivated by the "princesses" aka bridesmaids, and of course the bride herself. She could hardly leave the bride alone during the reception. She was very much in her element.
Here's our handsome daddy with his little "flower girl". And, if you happen to need a real flower girl, I'm sure Anna would be more than willing to play the part :)

Moose Lips

2009-07-26T14:45:00.000-07:00

Do you like peanut butter and apples? We do!

Next time you have the hankering for some, try jazzing them up a bit and turning them into "Moose Lips".

1. Cut an apple into wedges and smear a big glob of pb on one.

2. Press another apple wedge on top and decorate with raisins, mini-marsh mellows or even chocolate chips (as the "teeth), I used golden raisins for the ones below.

3. Present them to your children and watch them gobble up this healthy and filling snack (after they pretend like they are their own lips!)

Wordless Wednesday: Butterfly

2009-07-22T08:14:00.000-07:00

Brothers

2009-07-20T11:21:00.000-07:00

Everyday I look at these brothers and think, "They couldn't be more different"

One's silly, the other's more serious.
One loves rules, the other's always testing them.

One's a leader, the other is watching his every move.

One is more emotional, the other helps to calm him down.

When one's gone, the other misses him.

And yet, despite their differences, they are the best of friends.

I love that.

Makin' the coffee

2009-07-17T14:15:00.000-07:00

Most mornings I wake up to these two....

Makin' the coffee.
Anna is often our earliest bird. During the school year Craig let her help him make the coffee one morning. Now, it has become a routine, in her mind. Every night before bed she reminds daddy about their coffee makin' ritual. It's a special, sweet little tradition between the two of them, that just warms my heart.

Not to mention my coffee cup.

Fun Summer Activity #5: Swim, swim, and swim some more

2009-07-13T14:29:00.000-07:00

Step 1: sign your kids up for two weeks of swimming lessons

Step 2: get invited to house-sit for friends with a pool for 10 days

Step 3: watch your kiddos fall asleep everyday as soon as their heads hit the pillows

As you can tell, we've been doing some swimmin'. Lots and lots of it.

Also some sitting on the side with feet in the pool.

Daddy train

Making up tons of jumps, including the turn-around, the star, and the shredder

going off the diving board

and turning into little fish!

I'm really going to miss that pool.

The 4th

2009-07-09T19:26:00.000-07:00

Here are a few late picture of our fun-filled 4th of July!

We enjoyed a BBQ with the "Button" clan, and home made ice cream.

The only way to get a picture like this.....

... Is to promise them one like this!

Wyatt's newest crazy face

Serving up the ice cream

Anna and cousin Hunter enjoying a tasty treat!

How I know it's summer

2009-07-06T09:50:00.000-07:00

I am not a person who does "change" very well. I like advance warning and time to adjust. So, as much as I anticipate the summer months, it seem like it always take me 'til about the 4th of July to settle down into the summer "routine" (if it can be called that!) Last night I realized I am definitely settled into summer and I wrote down some reasons why I know this to be true:

1. My daughter fell asleep in her wet swimming suit on the carpet at 7pm, and didn't even stir when I carried her to bed and changed her into her jammies.

2. I had to wake the kids up at 8:30 this morning to be at church by 9:00 (WHEN does THAT, EVER happen?)

3. I have a vase of freshly picked sweet peas on my bedside table.

4. We have fresh raspberries on cheerios or yogurt in the morning.

5. Sometimes it takes me several seconds to figure out what day of the week it is.

6. This morning I was awakened by chirping birds and fresh morning air breezing though our french doors.

7. My boys are getting more and more freckles (so am I!)

8. My toenails are painted bright red (so are Anna's!)

9. I took the down comforter off our bed.

10. Applying sunscreen is now a part of our daily routine.

What things just say "SUMMER" to you?

Fort Stevens

2009-07-05T19:32:00.000-07:00

We've been busy and on the go lately, and here is a bit of what we've been up to. We spent some more time camping with some of our good friends at Fort Stevens. We had LOTS of fun, and LOTS of pictures to follow:

The three at Fort Clatsop, dressed in Lewis and Clark garb

5 of the 6 kiddos peering off the dock
W & W getting ready to climb the Astoria Column

We made it to the top! Made me dizzy, but was worth the gorgeous view. The kids each had a glider to send down.

Family shot

Finding beachy treasures

Drake and Anna chasing seagulls

The daddy's helping built the ultimate sand castle (while mommy's sat on beach chairs and relaxed!)

Sippin' a capri sun in Front of the Pirate ship (Peter Iredale)

Exploring Battery Russel

Not Pictured:

S'mores

Kids playing the in sand in our campsite

Numerous bike rides

Late night talks around the fire after the kiddos were asleep

Yummy breakfasts

Dogs being pulled in baby bike buggies

Fishing at Coffenbury Lake

& countless other memories

Thanks for a GREAT trip, Williamson's!

Fun Summer Activity #4: Beach Camping

2009-06-24T16:43:00.000-07:00

Along with clam digging, bike rides, and eating scones around the campfire, not much beats the beauty of the coast. My parents camped next to us and we had a blast. It was over way too soon!

Here's the gang in Cannon Beach right after a tasty lunch at Mo's!

We stopped to play at Hug Point and my mom and I couldn't get over how much this lady looked like her dog. Not a great picture, as I was trying to be discreet. But it still makes me laugh.
Wyatt loves those waves, and being silly.

And mom has a tradition of making scones on the fire in lieu of s'mores. All you need is a store bought scone mix, these handy sandwich/scone makers, butter, and her incredible raspberry jam, and you get....

This! Can you say yummy?

Fun Summer Activity #3: Water Park (and other stuff)

2009-06-18T15:27:00.000-07:00

This week Craig was working up in Portland for my Aunt, so the kids and I headed up for a night to visit, and on our way home we met up with my sister-in-law and her 3 girls at a park in Wilsonville.

The kids had a blast, and despite the clouds it was actually a fairly warm day for playing in the water.

This water park is lots of fun, and I would recommend it if you are anywhere near the area for a day trip. In fact, we may go again later this summer! You can't miss it if you head East off I-5 in Wilsonville, it's on the right.

Behind the water area is a park with this amazing slide and lots of sand which my kids could have playing in for hours.

Earlier that morning we stopped in at OMSI. Here is my daughter petting a rat. I can hardly believe she is my own flesh and blood.

Let me assure you, the hairs on my neck were standing as I snapped these pictures. But I did my best to hide my feeling since I am trying not to pass on my fear of mice/rats to my offspring.

OMSI is a fun place and the kids always enjoy it. My in laws were so generous to buy us a year round pass for the Gilberthouse in Salem (for Wyatt's b-day this year), which also gets us in free to OMSI all year! Quite the deal, and we don't feel pressured to stay all day (just to get our $$$ worth!)

I scored this cute red bench from my aunt!

And the boys had fun climbing the monkey bars in her Portland backyard!

Lovin' Summer!

Fun Summer Activity #2: Pickin' Strawberries

2009-06-10T07:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday a friend and I headed out for a day of strawberry pickin'. It was nice and cool out and we had a great time. I ended up with 28 pounds, and will be making jam, and freezing a lot for smoothies and such. They are so yummy!

We ended up picking at two fields. This was the first and was pretty sparse and full of thistles that scratched our hands when we picked. As we got there I instructed the kiddos to only pick, big, ripe berries. After about 15 minutes of pickin' Will, (my perfectionist child who greatly takes after his father) came back with 2 berries in his bucket. If you know Will, you know how hilarious I found this. He would not pick an unripe berry. He would not pick a dirty berry. He would not pick a berry by a thistle. I love him!
Then he says in frustration, "Mom, if you blog about this be sure to say this is the worst place in the world to pick berries!!" Granted it was not THE WORST place I have ever picked berries. But if you are a perfectionist like Will, you might not enjoy it. He finally let me help him fill his bucket.

We quit after 15 pounds, and stopped off at another place we had passed on the way out. Their berries were .20 more/lb. but worth it. The rows were about 4x as wide and no weeds. They also have other varieties for harvest in July, like marion and raspberry. Will enjoyed this place MUCH more. We may go back!

All in all, it was a fun (yet tiring) day. I'm really glad the kids get to experience it. We will savor those frozen berries and jelly come winter time!

Carting the Hens

2009-06-08T19:40:00.000-07:00

One of the kids favorite things to do is chase the hens, catch them, and then carry them around the yard. Anna is the best at catching them. She just goes for it, and has no fear. Today we spent a lot of time outside. I weeded and the kids carted the hens around. I even snapped some pictures.

Wyatt with April...look how big she is!

Mom saying, "no, don't choke her!!"

Anna, sporting a PBJ face and a chicken "baby"

Introductions:

Drake, meet Sweetie Pie-Lacey

Sweetie Pie, meet Drake

Just a girl and her hen

Do chicken feet give you the heebie-jeebies? They do me.

Such soft feathers

Fun Summer Activity #1: Oobleck

2009-06-05T10:28:00.000-07:00

This week has been a whirlwind of activity and crazy busy at our house. Today marks our first full day of summer and we are spending it inside since the weather is rainy (awesome thunder and lighting storm last night) and I have a little boy with terrible allergies who was up last night wheezing and having trouble breathing (visit to the doctor later this afternoon). This morning I am making myself find time to sit down at the computer and blog!

I am posting something we did over the weekend, mostly to keep me accountable for all the fun summer activities I have rolling around in my head to accomplish these next three months. I will try to post them under "fun summer activities" so you all can see what we're up to.

So moms, my question is: Does this picture make you cringe??

This is called oobleck (I think), although you could call it whatever you want, and it is just about the easiest thing to make. I do recommend this activity for the outdoors, and have a hose handy for spray down for the kiddos (and your porch) when finished.
It is the weirdest stuff, feels like you can grab it, but then just melts in your hands. Try your feet in the oobleck, too, like Wyatt did.

The recipe:

1 part cornstarch

1 part water

mix and color with tempura paint if desired

I would also recommend putting it in a large container, mine was a little crowded for three kids to play around.

Definitely cheap (the entire box of cornstarch was less than $1 and I didn't use all of it), easy, and provided a fun sensory experience for the kids.

HAPPY SUMMER!

Better than diamonds

2009-05-30T08:35:00.000-07:00

Craig and I went out last night to celebrate our anniversary. He had been gone for two days on a school field trip and I was really looking forward to our date. It was wonderful. I can't believe it's been 11 years since we said, "I do". At 20 and 21 we were so young, but we didn't really know it then. I look back on how we've both grown and changed so much, and I honestly can say I love him so much more today than I did on that day 11 years ago. Back then I thought my heart would burst with the amount of love I had for him. But it just keeps growing and growing.

It's awesome how God will bless a marriage when we seek His wisdom. I don't deserve this wedded bliss and I certainly don't deserve a man this wonderful, but God has blessed me, and it makes my eyes fill with tears.

Craig said he had something for me, just a little thing, and I jokingly said, "something little, huh, just a diamond ring?" As we sat on the park bench and watched the water go by he read me a TOP 11 List of the reasons he loved me. After he was finished I had a huge lump in my throat, and he said, "ya it's no diamond ring...." and I replied, "that was better than a diamond ring".

And it was.

What did the girl mushroom say to the boy mushroom?

2009-05-28T14:09:00.000-07:00

You're a FUN GUY!

Check out all the fungi we found over Memorial Day weekend.

Morrel mushrooms

Us by the lake

A family of 7....my biggest find.

Cute flowers growing out of a old log. And a cute girl, too.

Hunting and gathering is so much fun.

Wyatt chillin' by the lake.

Brothers and Friends

The three on the infamous dirt mound.

Can you spot the two monkey's in the tree? This is what happens when mom takes a nap.

A basket full!

A very fungi weekend, indeed!

Calling all photographers....

2009-05-19T13:20:00.000-07:00

Professional or amateaur! Rachel Anne of Home Sanctuary is running a contest and YOU have a chance to be published in her first book. She's looking for photos displaying the "friendship" theme. Check out details HERE. Enlist the help of your kiddos or join up with some girlfriends and get snappin. Deadline for entries is June 7.

Company Girl Coffee

2009-05-15T09:02:00.000-07:00

One of our small things this week over at Home Sanctuary was to organize our pens and pencils. After I organized the jars of pens and pencils I have by each phone I moved onto:

The Kids Art Tub

Anybody have something that looks like this at home? Well I did. A few days before I had seen THIS LINK on organizing art supplies, and thought, "I should do something like that will all our art supplies". So I dug in, sorted all the pens, pencils, crayons and paints. Threw out the dried out pens with no lids and broken crayons. Dug out some of my pretty canning jars and whalla....this turned into.....

THIS!!

Already Anna and Wyatt have been getting good use out of these organized art supplies, and I am so glad I took a little time to get it done. One reason I love Home Sanctuary, is that am inspired to get little things accomplished every day, that would otherwise be put off, again and again!

If you have little budding artists at home too, let me recommend a couple books:

Great Artists by Maryann F. Kohl ~ this book contains hands-on art projects for kids that are styled after the great masters of art. I copied off a few to hopefully try with the kiddos this summer.

ABC Museum by the Metropolitan Museum of Art~ This is a really fun one for all ages (little kids especially!) each letter of the alphabet has a word chosen, which is represented by 4 works of art. So, for example "A is for apple" shows 4 different works of art with an apple in it. Wyatt was easily able to read this one, and Anna loved it, too!

(both books I found at the library)

Just a lot of pictures of my wonderful weekend

2009-05-11T13:04:00.000-07:00

Almost Ready

2009-05-06T15:31:00.000-07:00

Our chicken are almost ready to move outside! Remember the nice warm days we had a couple weeks ago? Well, here are the chicks then, enjoying the sunshine in the "baby gate" turned "chicken pen", outside. They were still little, cute and a bit fluffy.

Here they are as of Monday. I'm not sure where the "cuteness" factor has gone. This picture cracks me up. It kind of makes me think of one of those pet looks like the owner pics. Both April and Wyatt have the same expression.
They love to come out of their rubbermaid tub and perch on our arms. I'm not sure they love to be squeezed like Anna's demonstrating in the picture below. But they don't object.

Can you just hear the little girl scream through this picture? Anna isn't too keen on the feel of chicken claws on her leg.

And here's Will and Starly, lookin' ever so proud.Hopefully it'll be warm enough to move them outside this weekend. I really hope so, my laundry room has been smelling like a pet store long enough.

Practicing

2009-05-04T12:46:00.000-07:00

Friday night I had the BEST time with my good friend Christi. She suggested we get together for coffee and study up on our cameras. This girl's blog inspired us. We both have similar models but hadn't really taken the time to read the manual and learn how to use all the settings. I loved my photography class back in high school....but let's face it, that was 15 + years ago, and I really had no clue about F-stops and apertures back then, let alone now.

One of my biggest goals was figuring out the different settings on my camera, being able to take nice indoor pictures in natural light and get that blurred background affect. Today I took my camera out for about 5 minutes and practiced.

I started with an easy subject. He gladly stood still in the rain while I snapped, adjusted settings, snapped again. I like the blurred background.

Next was my lone yellow tulip. I have ONE tulip in my yard this year. I don't know what is up with that. But here she is standing gracefully in the rain. Again, I like the blurred background. You don't see everything across the street.

Next was onto these wiggle worms. Christi and I experimented with adjusting the aperture (I think) and I got a lot of blurry ones at home with these two because they move so much. The one below was where I was trying to get Anna's feet in focus.

This one is probably all wrong with the lighting and such, according to the rules of photography. Her feet are shadowed, but she's still got cute piggies.

Trying out the foot shot on Wyatt....here is when it got a little more difficult as Anna was bouncing over the side of the sofa waving a piece of paper in front of the camera and trying to get her feet in the picture.

So this is where I stopped. I am glad I know just a tad bit more, and maybe with lots more practice I will become comfortable using all the setting on my camera. Christi, if you try anything new, post your pics! And those of you who know a thing or two about photography, feel free to leave a comment with your best tips!

We have a winner

2009-05-01T07:49:00.000-07:00

Thank you for all your wonderfully creative and catchy blog names! You girls came up with some really good ones.

Craig and I went over the names last night and he helped me choose one....it was a hard decision but the winner is....

EVERYDAY BUTTONS

Submitted by Alysun!

Congratulations Alysun, $5 coffee cash coming your way.

And Honorable mention goes to Darbi with Oh Button. Darbi will receive a consolidation prize. :)

I'll be working on a blog layout with the new title soon!

Feed your children "McDonalds" for less than $.50 a piece!

2009-04-30T12:12:00.000-07:00

Lately I have run across several blog posts about being frugal and way to live on a shoestring budget. I have become a bit more of a bargain grocery shopper. I have been looking for ways to save money and spend less. I have been re-purposing things in my house for other uses instead of immediately going out to buy something, Today, I fed my kids a McButton Happy Meal at home for less than .$50 each.

I hit up the Safeway ads and took advantage of my $10 off $50 purchase coupon.

I ONLY bought things on sale.

Safeway Tyson Chicken Nuggets, BOGO this week came out to about $3.50 per package of 45 nuggets. By my calculations (and I had to break out the pencil and paper for long division, here) makes it about 7.5 cents per nugget.

Safeway 10 lb. bag of apples (about 18-20 apples per bag) for $2.99 with coupon, breaks down to $.16/apple.

My two shared an apple. One ate 4 nuggets, the other ate 5. I had leftover caramel topping in my fridge, ranch and ketchup for dipping too, or course, so I didn't purchase those. And they drink water.

If my calculations are correct (and feel free to test me on this, math is not my strong suit!) it came out to $.45/meal.

After lunch read a couple books on the couch or blow bubbles outside. That's a WAY better "prize" than you'd get at McD's (and it won't get thrown in the trash two days later!!)

What's your favorite way to SAVE (and still have fun) these days??

Wyatt's first book

2009-04-24T12:37:00.000-07:00

When Wyatt got home from school today he was working very intently on something. "What are you doin'?" I asked. "Writing a book", he replied.

One of my most favorite stages in the boys learning has been watching them learn to sound out and write words. Wyatt is at that point, so let me interpret his first book for you.

The Diamond in the Ruff

A long time ago there lived a little boy. The little boy was looking for a diamond. (talking bubble) where is it?

And he looked and he looked and he looked.
I guess I'll never find it.

Then his dad found the diamond. He was so excited he spit his gum out.

Written by Wyatt Button

The end

Name my Blog

2009-04-23T19:50:00.000-07:00

Ok blog readers, it's time to get your creative juices flowing and help me come up with a name for my blog. "The Button Fam" has been in exsistence for 3 years now and it is time for a change. A while ago I got a suggestion from Becca for a name she thought of "Buttons: Cute and Otherwise" and I like it. I really do. But I want to open the table to other suggestions before I make my final decision so here's my proposal:

You leave a comment with a new name for my blog. You can enter as many catchy names as you can think of. I will pick one of the suggestions in about a week and the winner will receive $5 in Dutch Bros. coffee cash!

So let me hear 'em!

Happy Birthday Wyatt

2009-04-16T10:08:00.000-07:00

Wyatt: Day one, April 16, 2003

Wyatt: day 2,190, April 16, 2009
What a difference 6 years makes!

The Bubble Rocket: as seen on TV

2009-04-14T15:15:00.000-07:00

If your kids watch any amount of TV (which mine do) they have most likely seen the commercial for the "Bubble Rocket". Wyatt REALLY wanted the bubble rocket for his birthday so I passed along the idea to my sister. We had an early b'day celebration for him at Easter and he indeed got the bubble rocket. Here are two short clips of the bubble rocket in action. As advertized in real life by Wyatt and Anna.

Will's comment after asking him how the bubble rocket on TV compares to the actual bubble rocket was:

"On TV the bubble rocket goes really high, but in real life it doesn't go that high."

Enough said.

Happy Easter

2009-04-11T14:34:00.000-07:00

But first, a chick update:

The chicks are one week old and about twice as big as when we got them! I am wondering just how big they will get in the next 4 weeks, before they get to move outside?! They already have wing feathers and are starting to grow their tail feathers. Yesterday and today Wyatt uncovered rocks and dug around in the yard collecting bugs and worms for them to enjoy! It took a couple minutes for them to realize these tasty treats in the dish were for the taking, but once they did, they went crazy. The pecking order has been established and it is so fun to sit and watch these girls. Starly is the highest (black) Sweetie Pie's next (yellow) and poor little April (reddish) is at the end of the line. April will sit cupped in my hand without flapping her wings at all....she is so content.

They are funny and sweet and give us lots of entertainment. They are also very messy. I swear I change their water dish 3 times a day.
In other news....we took the kids to an Easter egg hunt this morning....

I'm so thankful the Jesus conquered death and rose again. I'm excited to celebrate!

Sing the Glory of His name; make His praises glorious! ~Psalm 66:2

Happy Resurrection Sunday!

Baby Chicks Part 2

2009-04-06T12:51:00.000-07:00

Our little chicks are quite the buzz around here and are getting lots of love! But first, I know my mother in law is dying to see photos of the coup Craig built for them, so here it is!

So far the only little chicks occupying this coup are the ones pictures below in the nesting boxes!

The only thing left to attach are the hook/locks for the egg door.

The nesting box area has since been painted white and it looks great. I am so happy with the way it turned out. I guess it pays to have a perfectionist for a husband. He did a great job!

The chicks will move outdoors to their new home around Mother's Day.

The weather has been incredible lately. Sun, glorious sun! We spent all day after church yesterday weeding and cleaning up our yard. All we heard from the kids all day was, "Can we run through the sprinklers???"

After our work was done, I gave in!

Sprinklers in April in Oregon! Gotta love it!

Chick Update:

Lacey is Anna's chick and her name has been changed back to her original name, Sweetie Pie. She is the yellow chick, a Buff Orpington and is the "pecker" of the three. She is also the biggest chick.

Starly, Will's chick (named after a pokemon character) is the black chick, she is a Barred Rock. She is the most skittish and I think she'll be the flyer of the group as well. I'm already contemplating putting a net over the top of the rubbermaid tote because I have startled her a couple times and she's gotten within 6 inches of the top!

April, Wyatt's chick is the sweetest (maybe she should have been named sweetie pie, oh well). She is also the smallest and the best one to hold. She has however had some problems with her poop. I read somewhere that chicks can get a condition called pasting up in which their poop dries to their bottoms, plugs them up, and they can die! I am a little paranoid about this happening to April (Craig has called me, "mother hen" on more than one occasion). So this morning I took a wet rag and a toothpick and went to town cleaning off her bum. Craig likens it to wiping that icky tar poop off a baby's bum there first couple days of life. I'm not sure it was even that enjoyable!

Oh, the joys of raising hens! Don't you wish YOU had some??

Baby Chicks

2009-04-04T15:32:00.000-07:00

We added three little girls to our family today...

Lacey, April, and Starly

Aren't they sweet??

Nothing says spring quite like baby chicks!

I'm a little guy...stuck in a tree...needs help

2009-04-03T14:10:00.000-07:00

I just found my old camera that will record short clips!! It has been missing since this fall. Actually, I mentioned I had been looking for it to Wyatt and he found it. So I let him record a "news broadcast", his story about a fish/worm thing he found on the beach at Seaside. I don't know why this makes me laugh so hard everytime I see it. Probably because I am his mom. Enjoy!!

"green" game

2009-04-03T10:33:00.000-07:00

I am a copy-cat again. I saw this idea HERE, and since I always have an abundance of cracker and cereal boxes, I thought I'd give it a try.

I used my CM circle cutter to cut two matching circles out of each box: Cheerios, Cream of Wheat, Wheat Thins, Quaker Oat Squares, Ritz, Strawberry Frosted Mini-wheats (which are so disgusting, by the way) and Regular Frosted Mini-wheats. Then I threw the leftover cardboard in the recycle bin.
Anna uses this game more like just a matching game, rather than memory. She just puts them all face down, picks one up and turns the others over one at a time until she finds a match! You could cut out 4 of each kind and play as a memory game where each player takes turns trying to find matches. The boys love to play it that way, but Anna isn't quite there yet. It is an awesome FREE project that only takes a few minute to complete and provides her with a little activity while I get stuff done around the house. We store the circles in a zip-lock baggie. She has fun finding matches and it is a little challenging since the matches don't look exactly alike.

Try it, and feel good about being "green".

Cute Quotes

2009-03-31T11:14:00.001-07:00

Will--the deep thinker---said in all seriousness after Wyatt ruined one of his lego creations, "Mom, sometimes having a brother is bad, but sometimes having a brother is good."

Wyatt--the information junkie--he's always informing me of things, "Mom, did you know Jordan Michael was really a real person?" (referring to Michael Jordan)

Anna--the mini-me---she's starting to observe and say things that surprise me, "When I grow up I might want to be a mom so I can reach stuff."

Spring Break

2009-03-29T19:51:00.000-07:00

Spring Break has come and gone and this is the only picture I took of our trip to Seaside. Because of the rainy, windy weather we spent lots of time indoors, playing games, watching movies, and reading magazines. These boots were well used when we did venture outdoors. Maybe my lack of pictures is proof that I took time to just slow down and relax. We all had a great time.

I do have clams in my fridge for chowder this week, which will be a yummy reminder of our mini vacation.

Flower Hair Clips

2009-03-24T13:42:00.001-07:00

Make these cute flower hair clips for the little lady in your life. I did, by following THIS tutorial.

And yes, they are quite addicting. I made 24 in the past 20 hours!

Let's Party!!

2009-03-20T09:50:00.000-07:00

Because we have an "in" with the PE teacher from school so we got to use the gym to host Will's birthday party with his friends!

We had a Lego building contest....

Ran an obstacle course...

Made crazy, sweaty boy hair-do's....

Sang Happy Birthday...(it's suppose to be a Lego cake)

Got a group shot

Opened presents...

And had a BLAST!

I love little boys...and still can't believe my "little" boy is 8!! I loved watching him interact with his friends. They are so much fun, and make me laugh so much. God has blessed me beyond what I ever imagined through Will. I'm so excited to see what God has in store for his life.

Rag Curlers

2009-03-17T09:22:00.000-07:00

Another fun book I picked up at the Library is The Prairie Girl's Guide to Life by Jennifer Worrick. I browsed through it one evening and while I probably won't actually do 99% of the ideas in the book, it was again, inspirational. I came across a section on rag curlers and I was immediately reminded of my own experience with rag curlers. As a little girl about 8 or 9 years old, my grandma would dampen my hair with beer (I know gross, but true) and wrap my hair up in rag curlers. For this little girl with fine, straight hair, awaking to a head full of tight curls was quite exciting. I had never done this with Anna, so I thought I'd give it a try:

First, you need a little girl with shoulder length or longer hair. Then, about 20 1-2'' x 10'' pieces of flannel strips. Start with freshly washed, damp hair and roll up your hair around the strip in 1-2" sections starting at the neck line and working your way up. When you reach the scalp, tie each in a tight knot. When you are finished your head will look like this. Too cute!

It you happen to have a sleeping cap, that would be even more adorable. But here she is ready for bead and a head full of curls in the morning.
Untie the rags in the morning and gently loosen each curl with your fingers (I used a spray or two of de-tangler, just to soften the curls, they will be very tight!)

Admire your pretty hair in the mirror!

And as the author of the book writes, "Tie back with a ribbon if you want to look your Sunday best. Leave your curls loose and messy if you're planning to hit the saloon instead."

get inspired!

2009-03-11T13:30:00.000-07:00

Inspiration comes in waves for me. There are days...even weeks when I'll go about my daily routines, not feeling particularly inspired. But every once in a while there are little things in the everyday that pop out to me and really inspire.

A wonderful, deep conversation with my husband,

the "almost" spring sunshine pouring through my bedroom windows,

brisk morning walks in the sunshine pushing my Annie-girl, and praying,

looking through fun magazines and tearing out ideas or anything that catches my eye,

grabbing a couple books for ME at the library to browse through,

AND, believe it or not, getting a cold and forcing myself to slow down, take a break, and snuggle on the couch with my 5 year old for most of the afternoon yesterday.

Lately I have also been inspired by these crafty mama's and their blogs. I haven't posted anything new for a while mostly because I was feeling a little un-inspired. But I'm still enjoying everyone's elses blogs, especially Tiffany, Emily and Tanya, who have some awesome crafty ideas, and have inspired me to tap into some of that inspiration myself.

I started with this clothespin bag. Yes, I am one of the few who actually hang my clothes out on the line to dry in the warmer weather. Won't this look cute hanging on my line, storing my clothespins for me?

I am contemplating making a couple more for Anna's closet to store her undies and socks in, or maybe little toys, or (if you are so inspired) you could make some for your pantry or hall closets to hold plastic bags or other fun stuff in. Everything seems so much more fun with a cute container!

One of the books I grabbed at the library was "Toys to Sew" by Claire Garland. It caught my eye on my way up to the counter to check-out and after looking through it I decided to attempt this Ballerina Doll for Anna, made entirely from scraps from my fabric tubs. Will those things ever be empty??
She has HUGE brown eyes, and is a little funny looking, but there is something so sweet about a homemade doll...

....and the best part is, Anna just loves her!

Stay tuned for more of my blast of inspiration which may be coming your way sooner or later. And, let me know, how have you been inspired lately?

Dirt

2009-03-03T13:24:00.000-08:00

Not just any dirt....RICH BLACK COMPOST....is it weird that looking at these pictures of dirt excite me? Yesterday my wonderful husband indulged me and bought me a huge load of compost for my garden beds, which I helped him unload and put into our garden beds. Every year I try my hand at gardening and I have decided that this is the year for the ultimate garden. I have big plans for these little beds.....

Carrots, lettuce, snap peas, tomatoes, onions, basil, peppers, beets, radishes, cilantro, and cucumbers are on the list so far. I'm also planning on planting a pumpkin and squash patch further out along out fence. Call me crazy, but it's thrilling!

So, do you plant a garden? And if so, I love to know what's on your list this year....and any tips you might have for the best garden yet. Please share....

Where, oh where, has my little boy gone?

2009-03-01T14:43:00.000-08:00

Will between his two good friends, Braden and Braydon!

Receiving his medal and certificate for basketball...
In action during the last game of the season.

Lately I have been looking at Will and just thinking, "man he is getting so big!" In just 3 weeks he will be 8 years old and I can still remember the excitement of being pregnant with him and nearing my due date. With your first baby everything is new and I tended to dream a lot about this child and starting this new chapter in my life as a mommy. But really, I had no clue how he would change my life. I looked forward to the day I would become a mom and wondered if it would be a son or a daughter that would crown me with that title.

All my children are special and unique and bless me in different ways. Will is not often the center of attention. Wyatt gets more attention for his silliness, or more (negative) attention for acting up. Anna gets a TON of attention being our baby girl and is quite an attention seeker at that. But Will, he's behind the scenes. Always lending me a hand and looking out for his younger siblings without even being asked. Always a peacemaker. Always responsible. And always reminding me to pray. Every morning and evening before dinner it is almost always Will who asks, "are we gonna pray?" That, more than anything, blesses my heart.

I was at school the other day and the office ladies were telling me a story about how when Will's class was walking down the hall they passed Wyatt's room and Will saw Wyatt's jacket laying on the floor in the hall. Noticing it was Wyatt's jacket, he quietly stepped out of line and hung it up on the hook. That is the essence of Will.

I always looked up the meaning of my children's names before we decided on them. Would you believe the meaning of William is "guardian or protector". I couldn't have come up with a better description of my Will if I tried.

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

2009-02-20T13:59:00.000-08:00

In my opinion, anyway!

I know, I know, the rains are coming, but just for today, I want to enjoy the SUN, dream about my garden, and watch my kids find caterpillars.

Wyatt was giving this little guy some shade with a parsley leaf.
My friend's little boys often spend Friday's during tax season at our house while their mommy is working. They are great buddies for Wyatt and Anna, and had fun in the sunshine, as well.

Aren't they cute??

Putting the finishing touches on a "pumpkin" pie....

My guilty pleasure.

I wish for more days like this.

Hurry, hurry, Spring!!

I love Kindergarteners

2009-02-19T18:28:00.000-08:00

Wyatt is a little sponge, soaking up information like crazy and making so many observation about the world around him. I love his age and everything about him. Here are some things that made me laugh recently:

1. "Mom, you should never think that Eskimo's are chubby, they just look chubby cause they have to wear lots of layers."

2. Me: Wyatt, do you want to play t-ball?

Wy: No!! Why would I want to hit a ball with a little skinny bat? That's hard!! I want to play tennis, because the racket is bigger and it would be much easier to hit the ball.

3. "Mom, why do girls have to wear that thing all the way around their privates? (referring to a bra)......is it because they want to look cool or something?"

OH, MY!!

V-day

2009-02-15T18:00:00.000-08:00

I have a confession to make (in case you didn't already know). I married a man who doesn't cook. Thankfully, I love that chore, and would much rather be cooking dinner after a long day while he entertains the kids. Cooking is therapeutic for me and I'm so glad God thought to pair me up with this guy who will wrestle with the kids while I'm in the kitchen.

I shouldn't go without saying that Craig is an awesome BBQer and he can make a mean bowl of cereal (according to Wyatt). However the last time he cooked me dinner was approximately 12 years ago when we were dating in college, and he attempted a recipe for Spare Ribs. The recipe called for red wine and being he was about 19 at the time and didn't have access to red wine, he substituted the red wine for, get this ladies.......RED WINE VINEGAR. Lets just say ribs simmered in a cup of red wine vinegar end up tasting, well, very vinegary.

So, when he suggested that we cook together for our Valentines dinner, I was shocked, but also thought it sounded like a fun idea. I can't remember when or if we have ever cooked together....perhaps in our early marriage years when we didn't have little ones to entertain. We talked about making something fun, something we'd really like, but something the kids probably wouldn't eat since they'd be in bed anyway. We realized several years ago that we both love Thai food and we were given this humongous Thai cookbook (seriously 4 inches wide) which we have never made anything from. We decided on a pretty simple recipe for Cashew Chicken. After the kids went to bed we started cooking. I started coconut rice and Craig cut up the chicken. I chopped veggies and Craig stir fried. The end result was pretty tasty....I think we may be on to something here. I'm already pouring over this baby deciding which recipe we'll try next. I just had to take a picture to prove how ginormous this thing is!

Hope your V-day was lovely. I also got another personalized CD from my sweetie with a note explaining why he chose each song. I 'm sure I have already listened to it a dozen times. I love that guy, and his red wine vinegar. :)

my sweetheart...

2009-02-14T10:47:00.000-08:00

Yesterday afternoon the sun was shining and we were in need of some fresh air. I was also overdue to take some 3 year old pictures of Anna so I snapped a few of her while we were outside playing in the yard. Here are a few of my favorites...

Annie is hard to photograph because she is contantly moving and doing fake smiles. The only way I could get her to act natural was to have her sing "Jesus Loves Me" and "Frosty the Snowman". It distracted her enough from the camera....here are a few silly ones that capture her personality.

I wanna cook with you mom...

2009-02-09T11:37:00.000-08:00

(nice "smile" Anna!)

Cooking with mom can be anything from stirring pudding, putting dollops of whipped cream on the top of the pudding (and sneaking licks off the spoon), to dividing out fruits and veggies onto lunch plates. It can mean topping sandwiches with bread, adding forks and spoons to plates and carrying things over to the table. See, "cook" has a very different definition to a 3 year old. It can be anything you want it to be! Anna is my little cook in training everyday and it makes me happy to hear her say, "I wanna cook with you mom"

Thank you Ama for the apron you made. She wears it everyday!

Anna's first haircut

2009-02-02T20:49:00.000-08:00

Saturday evening Wyatt and Anna were playing in her room together. He had a brush and wanted me to take her braid out of her hair so that she could be a princess. I said sure and though nothing of it. A while later I walked back down the hall to find Wyatt with a pair of scissors in his hand and a chunk of Anna's hair in his fist. I am very embarrassed to say how I reacted, but lets just say there was yelling, tears, and a worried husband rushing back to find out what in the world had happened. Wyatt claims he was trying to make Anna "beautiful princess" by cutting her hair, and Anna was crying saying that she didn't want her hair cut and to put it back. I was on my way out the door to pick up Will so I left Craig to deal with the situation, and it was probably a good thing because I was able to calm down a bit.

When I got back home and surveyed the damage I realized it was not all that bad. The section of hair he cut is underneath her top layer so it hides pretty well. However I was still kinda shaken up so Craig offered to call my friend who does my hair and see if she could come by and give her opinion. She was so sweet and stopped by, and agreed with us that not much could be done. But while she was here I decided to have her give Anna a little trim anyway since she has never had her hair officially cut (by anyone other than me). Anna loved it and I'm so glad I thought to pull my camera out and take pictures. She was giddy with excitement and it turned everything around into a fun experience!

And yes, these pictures posted in reverse order. And yes, Anna is really into the fake smile with squinty eyes right now. And yes, I knew I would be getting off lucky if nothing like this ever happened! And yes, I know I am really anal about my daughters hair.

Leftovers

2009-01-30T12:18:00.000-08:00

Leftovers can be a good things. I try and eat up our leftover dinners about once a week. Easy dinner night for me, and it keeps my fridge clear of all those Rubbermaid containers. Leftovers in the laundry basket are another matter. I have a continual cycle of leftover socks at my house. Here they sit in the bottom of the basket, and as I pull fresh clothes from the dryer the socks get buried beneath hoping to be matched up and rescued.

It happened twice today. Two socks in the bottom of my basket were re-united with their mate and now lay snug in their drawer. But the others are left, wondering when it might be their turn?

I know that if I toss them, I'll only end up with more. So here they'll stay, inevitably. Looks like I'm stuck with these leftovers for awhile.

another visit from the tooth fairy

2009-01-24T16:26:00.000-08:00

Last night I was wiggling Wyatt's tooth and got it pretty loose. I was too afraid to pull it out though because I had already heard that crackling sound of a loose tooth separating from the gums. You know the sound, it makes ya jump and ask, "did that hurt?"

Wyatt wasn't phased and I told him to go to sleep and that it would probably fall out in the next couple days. About 10 minutes later he comes out to the living room and says, "mom, I totally lost my tooth". Sure enough, his mouth is full of blood and he's holding the tooth he yanked out. We were all super excited!

Here's the cutie with his missing tooth "window" as he likes to call it.

Read this instead

2009-01-23T15:41:00.000-08:00

This morning I tried to post pictures of a little hike we took last Sunday. I uploaded them three times and kept getting error messages so I gave up. Later today I read my wonderful, amazing, and hilarious friend Darbi's blog and I couldn't resist blogging about it instead. It is way funnier and more entertaining than some pictures of a hike would have been. And I need an updated blog post so I'm taking the lazy route. Go here if you've yet to read it and see if you can relate.

(Hope you don't mind, Darb!)

His pride and joy....

2009-01-19T16:53:00.000-08:00

Today marks a record catch for Craig. This steel head was 15 lbs. and 35", and is to date, the biggest one he's ever caught. He and my Dad went fishing together on the Alsea river and both limited out with two fish a piece. They were beyond excited when they returned home!

Fish is on our menu this week!

Nothing to blog...

2009-01-16T11:34:00.000-08:00

I don't really have anything exciting to blog about, but my blog is haunting me because I have been neglecting it lately. Ever since MOPS on Tuesday I have been in a organization/cleaning mode and it feels good to be getting things in order and wasting less time on the computer :)

The first week in January I got serious (again) about exercising and eating right. And I didn't lose any weight until today. I have lost ONE measly pound. But I am sticking with it because I feel so much better and I know it is good for me in many areas to be committed to to exercise and eating healthy foods. Which brings me to my first poll question above. I would like your input on what is most important to YOU in losing weight. I know you will be tempted to say, BOTH diet and exercise are important, but you have to make a decision and pick just one. Leave a comment with any thoughts and vote on the poll.

This is the best I can do for a blog post. Happy Weekend!

Braids

2009-01-09T12:18:00.000-08:00

One of the many things I love about having a little girl.

While you were sleeping...

2009-01-05T07:57:00.000-08:00

Nothing melts my heart quite like gazing at my sleeping children. Anna has been on a nap fast for the past few weeks. She's at the in between stage, where she probably would nap, but it sometimes feels easier to have her skip the nap and go to sleep earlier and more easily.

But sometimes she just can't help taking a little snooze on the couch. And I just can't help but snap about 20 pictures of my sleeping beauty.

While in Grants Pass over New Years the kiddos all share a room. We put Anna to sleep in a pack and play, which she thinks is really neat since she gets to pretend she's a baby. Before going to bed I peeked in at them and found she had crawled into bed with the brothers. And again, I couldn't resist snapping a picture.

Sweet dreams!

Christmas cheer

2008-12-23T21:57:00.000-08:00

This year my sister Paige, who usually brings all the traditional goodies to our Christmas Eve celebration is with her family in beautiful Hawaii for Christmas. So, I stepped it up a notch and did a ton of baking. It sure helped being 'stuck' at home due to the snow, with lots of time on my hands.

This is pretty much the only Santa thing we do with the kids. I made these Santa cookies with my mom growing up, and they are a fun family tradition.

You buy (or make your own) sugar cookie dough in the roll. Since I had lots of time on my hands I made the dough and rolled it up in wax paper and put it in the freezer til I was ready to use it. When you are ready to make your Santa's you slice it. Each Santa takes two circles. One for the head and the other makes up the whiskers and hat. You cut the sides off the circle, angled in a little, to form one triangle and two sort of semi-circle wedges. I should have taken pictures since I'm not sure that makes sense.

But anyway, then you put his triangle hat on his head and place the semi-circle whisker wedges down on his face. Bake at 350 for about 8-9 minutes and cool. Have fun decorating. I use chocolate chips for eyes and frost the hat and whiskers white. We used heart shaped candies for the lips, but you could do red gel frosting.

Be creative!

We also carried on the gingerbread house tradition. Wyatt made one at his one day of school last week, but it was falling apart when he brought it home. So we used the milk carton from his house and "re-constructed" it. Extreme Home makeover would be proud. Above is the completed house with a sled, snowman, mushroom patch, flower patch, and slide. Very fun!!

All three working together was a little interesting.....but we managed.

Merry Christmas!!

the best birthday present...

2008-12-17T15:58:00.000-08:00

Craig painted our bedroom walls this beachy green/blue color I have been dreaming about for a while, and I wanted to post a picture of the result. I love the color and it really is a wonderful bday present. I pretty much sat around on the computer and did some organizing back here while he painted. He's the best.

This morning I open a package from my friend Jessie. Late this summer she took pictures of us on the beach and she surprised me with the folio of two of her favorites of Craig and I. I really treasure it because it is so seldom we get pictures taken of just the two of us and they were taken shortly after our 10 year anniversary. She did an awesome job of picking out the color on the outside. It totally matches our new paint color and is now on a little shelf above our bed.
It's been a fantastic day!

I {heart} snow days...

2008-12-15T18:05:00.000-08:00

We spent part of the day at our friend's home, playing in the snow and sliding down hills. Next we rented 4 movies to keep us occupied for the next few days.

I've also been baking Christmas cookies like crazy. It sure helps to have another adult around to coral the kiddos while I'm in the kitchen! He also did the dishes and folded three loads of laundry. What a guy!

Tomorrow is another "day off" and Craig has mentioned painting the ceilings throughout the house and our bedroom walls a new color. Something I have been wanting to do for at least a couple years now, and I even have a color picked out, ready and waiting for an opportunity such as this.

I'm excited to see what we will accomplish this week around here. Getting this unexpected family time together is so much fun.

Enjoy this winter weather and stay warm!

The tree is up!

2008-12-07T13:31:00.000-08:00

I have to say I am really fortunate this year to have a "pretty" tree. We usually have fun cutting one down in the woods or going to a cheep tree farm (and trying to find the BEST $10 tree), but this year we were offered a free Noble Fir! I have learned that once we get all our special decorations on it, the tree doesn't really matter so much to me. But I AM enjoying the nice trimmed look of this tree!

Here's the three after we decorated LATE friday night. This picture cracks me up. Wyatt has his basketball gear on and Anna's in her princess dress. Fun times!

Every year the kids get a new ornament and our tree is becoming pretty loaded. It was fun to see the kids pull out their ornaments and actually remember which ones were theirs from years past. (I don't even remember without looking on the backs!) We usually do a tree in the boys bedroom, but didn't this year....I think next year it will be a must with the amount of ornaments we have.
Joe Montana even made in on our tree this year! When Craig and I married his mom gave us a big box of all his ornaments growing up. Along with Joe, we had a fisherman Santa and several basketball themed ornaments. I remember going out and buying a box of sparkly gold balls and a box of little gold churches to add to our collection. Now we have one church and one of those gold balls left! I admit, I struggled with Joe Montana on my Christmas tree for a while, but now he, and a red 49ers ball hang proudly on our tree interspersed with my snowman collection and all my white ornaments. And I've come to realize it's just a reflection of us!

I guess I put these in the wrong order but here's my strong husband hauling the tree out. The sun was setting and I couldn't resist snapping this shot.

Hooray, we finally decided on one. After searching for about and hour they all started looking the same. The kids were tired and cold and we headed back for some hot chocolate around the fire.

It's looking more and more like Christmas around here!