This is Houston, signing off.....

Ok, my blogging friends. Those of you who have not abandoned me after my many months of blog hiatus, I am officially posting my last post. (Please don't cry, you'll just make it harder for me!) I just don't have the dang time to keep up on my blog. I've decided I need to simplify my life a little also, so the blog has got to go. My poor blog pales in cuteness content to all of yours anyways! But please keep in touch, and I'll certainly still stalk all of you (on your blogs, that is!) Who knows, maybe when I get more organized, I get a maid, a personal chef, and all my kids going on the potty, I'll start it up again. OK wait.....that will be never!

Tagged.

I've been tagged, thanks Cindy! Here ya go:
8 Things

8 things I'm passionate about:
1. Spending time with my kids and hubby.
2. Vacations! Particularly ones with the Mouse.
3. Cooking.
4. Faith, and my religious beliefs.
5. The health and happiness of my family.
6. Trying to be the best Mom I can be.
7. Our freedom.
8. Being the best wife I can be.

8 words or phrases I say often:
1. I'm going to count to three.....
2. Leave the baby alone.
3. I love you thiiiiiis much......
4. Hi, I'm earth, have we met?
5. Don't answer the door, Mommy's in her P.J.'s!
6. Stop jumping on the bed.
7. You're my favoritest little girl in the whole wide world.
8. Have a good day.

8 things I want to do before I die:
1. Take my kids/hubby to New York City/Washington D.C./Europe.
2. Have my house paid for.
3. Be a healthy weight. (yeah, or else I could die, right?)
4. Go on a cruise.
5. Make sure my kids have the best education and opportunities that I can provide.
6. Run/walk a marathon.
7. Have my 50th wedding anniversary.
8. See my kids get married and have beautiful children of their own.

8 things I pray for:
1. I pray that my children will make good choices when I'm not with them.
2. I pray to not loose my marbles. (seriously, I do)
3. I pray for my children's safety when their away from me.
4. I pray for perspective on life, that I can "not sweat the little things."
5. I pray for peace and harmony in my home.
6. I pray that I can be a wonderful Mother to my children. I know that my children were given to me because Heavenly Father knew I had all they needed. So where did I leave my answer book?????
7. I pray that I will have the motivation and will to do all the things I need to do.
8. I pray that I will have forgiveness, and that people will forgive me when needed.

8 things I have learned:
1. Mandarin oranges in; Mandarin oranges out. Need I say more?
2. Children need a soft place to fall, I want my home to be that for my kids.
3. Be thankful for what you have, even your trials; someone always has a rougher time than you. 4. Having a budget, and a financial plan can reduce a lot of stress.
5. Going without some of life's little luxuries to avoid debt sucks, but is very worth it.
6. You need to constantly work at a good marriage.
7. Happy, smiling, laughing kids are medicine for any ailment.
8. The best luxury is spending time with those you love.


OK, I tag Jessica R, and Melissa R, or anyone else to wants to play.

Ok, I feel stupid

OK, so per my last obviously un-informed post, Mr. Obama has chosen a running mate. And much to my dismay, it wasn't Miley Cyrus. I swear I read this morning on Yahoo that he was going to announce today. I guess I need to stop blogging and read the news more. So once my embarrassed red face begins to fade, I'll be thankful for someone calling me out! (-:

Next up on my current event stories/things that may have already happened:
Brad and Angelina: will they ever have kids?
Is the earth flat? A Dateline exclusive with Barbara Walters and Christopher Columbus.
DNA: what is it , and do we really need it?
OJ Simpson: the trial of the decade begins.
Is Ellen Gay? An exclusive interview with Connie Chung.
$40.00 dollar a barrel oil! Surely we've hit a plateau!

Today's Random thoughts....

Ok, here are some random thoughts....

Random thought #1
Is Obama EVER going to pick a running mate. As of this post, I swear I've seen the headline, "Obama may pick running mate by end of today," like a thousand times. Who will it be? Miley Cyrus, Michael Jordan, Billy Rae Cyrus maybe? Or how about Hillary Clinton, or maybe VP nominee Sarah Palin's prego 17 year old daughter? Oooo, the suspense is killing me (not.) Now, I don't mean to make fun, I do think this election will certainly be a very important one, but politics are so frustrating to me. I just want someone in office that will be an honest, straightforward, non-mistress keeping leader, one that will fix the economy and the war in Iraq. Is there anyone out there like that? Probably not, but I digress.......

Random thought #2

I love the fall! I know I've said it before, but I truly love it. I feel energized, probably due to the lack of the stifling 100 degree heat, but I love it. I went and got a sandwich and soup today for lunch, SOUP! And it was fabulous. I love the brisk air in the morning when I open my windows. I love the soft light. I love Halloween, and all the fun that goes along with the Fall. Yeah!

Random thought #3

Case lot sales are here! I love them. It's a good way to build up food storage, but they can be budget busters. If anyone is interested in my case lot sale finds, let me know, I've found some good bargains! I'm always up for shopping buddies too, so let me know.

Germ warfare

OK, so I'm a germ-a-phoebe. I'll admit it. Most know this about me. I have tried not to indoctrinate my children to be so, but I guess motherly things do tend to rub-off. My B1 was quite vomitous yesterday, and I would like to contain it as much as possible. So I asked him to not play with the baby/baby's things. Princess was playing with B2 on the floor last night, and B1 was on the couch. I overheard a conversation that went as follows:

Princess: B1, stay away from B2, you'll get him sick.
B1: No you'll get him sick, you're playing with him.
Princess: I'm not sick, you are. If you even get close to him, he'll get your GERMS.
B1: I don't have GERMS!
Princess: Yes you do, you're sick.

Princess was quite protective of the baby, it was actually really cute. And was pretty insistent that if B1 got anywhere near the baby, the GERMS were going to hop right on the two of them and make them sick. Now, I'm careful, but I'm not sure where that kind of OCD comes from (-: he he he.

I'mmmm Baaaack....

Hi, I'm back. I've been a blogging slacker lately, but I felt like catching up a bit today. Here's a little recap:
-Hubby's famous piece of crap car is almost officially retired. You know, the lovely purple car I've owned since High School. Bless his heart, he's been driving it farrrrr too long. But it was paid for, got good mileage, and it was just one less thing, you know. But last week it took a turn for the worse, and is probably not going to make it. The blessing in disguise is that the hubby's parents were selling a car, and gave us a good deal on it. It's not the Hubby's dream car, but it's a really nice car; and anythings better than a car with no speedometer, odometer, an oil leak, a barely working air conditioner and radio. Not to mention that it's twelve years old andPURPLE. Now I have never done drugs, but there must have been some in the air the day I bought that car. I mean, come on, purple? I give him a lot of credit for sacrificing for our family and driving the "purple turtle" for so long; thanks Hubby. Someday you'll get your mid-life crisis car, I promise! We were really not planning on buying a new car right now, so it was a blessing the way things worked out. Now we are famous for expensive, financial things happening in clumps, so that brings me to my next update.......
-The basement is still not back together after the "Flood," but it hopefully will be this week. We can thank two, that's right, two totally incompetent contractors for this. Grrrrr, this is all I have to say about this. -sigh-
-On a happier note, B1 started preschools this week. One is a school he attended last year, and loves. The other is a developmental preschool, which he may or may not be able to stay in after his 30 day trial period. He gets to ride a bus to that one, and after some initial fear, he seemed to like it. I think the developmental school will be amazing for him, so keep your fingers crossed for us.
-Last weekend we took a mini-vacation to a mountain resort not too far from our home. We swam, shopped, ate out, played, and enjoyed the out-doors. We had so much fun, it was a much needed and appreciated respite. I almost forgot about the basement drama, and I really came back feeling a lot better about all of it. It is so nice to get away, I am definitely a vacation addict. My kids love it too, they think hotel rooms are the end-all be-all of life.
-My baby turns one this weekend, I can't believe it. I hate cliche's, but it really does seem like yesterday that he was born. He has been such a sweet, mellow, fun, happy baby. I can't believe how fast time flies (silly me, another cliche,) I'm sure one of my next posts will be the Birthday Soiree.....
All right, there's a quick update on us, we really have not dropped off the face of the planet. (I know there was a lot of concern about this.) Have a good one.....

Mommy olympics

OK, I love the Olympics. LOVE. The competition, the camaraderie, the beauty, strength, and endurance. I love the medal ceremonies with the National Anthem playing. There's something so triumphant, it always makes me think, man, I'd love to be in the Olympics. But what am I good at? I used to be an athlete, but now, not so much. I do wrestle children, but could I medal at that? Hmmmm, what am I good at......I'd have to say I'm a good Mom. So I propose some new events at the next Summer Olympics in London.... Can anyone say challenge?

1.Diaper Derby - How fast can you change, wipe, desitin, and dispose of a poopy diaper? (Gagging equals disqualification)
2.Synchronized Meal time - Make dinner; something different for everyone. Feed the kids, clear table, do dishes in under 60 minutes. Bonus points for sparkling dinner conversation, and for kids not complaining about their food.
3.Errand relay - Go to the grocery store, buy 5 things. Go to another store, buy 5 more things. Go back to first store for things you forgot, all in under 40 minutes. (While the kids are with you.)
4.Laundry Day Steeple chase. Separate laundry. Hurdle over mountains of laundry while carrying one load to the washing machine.
5.Reading All-around. Have each kid pick a story. Read one, break up a fight. Read another, break up a fight. Read the last one, try not to yell. Quiz kids on the story. If kids retained and enjoyed the stories, then the Mom with the best time, wins.
6.Greco-Roman Bed Time - Find all the kids PJ's. Bath, dress, and brush teeth for ALL of the kids. Find kids, wrestle then into Family Prayer. Wrestle kids to read scriptures. Put all kids into their beds, keep them there while Mom and Dad make the bedtime rounds. Kiss, sing, hug, kiss, hug, kiss, sing, hug all the kids (really, you have to do it that many times.) All this in under an hour, without yelling or crying kids, wins.

Ok, now we'll discuss the medals. I don't want a gold, silver, or bronze medal. I have enough clutter around my house. Come on bloggers, tell me what the awards should be?

OK, I'm alright.

OK, so a few people were concerned that I was near a nervous breakdown after my last two posts. I sometimes feel as if I'm always near a breakdown, but really I'm not. I also hope that it doesn't seem like all I doing is complain. Now I could lie and post as if my life is perfect. You know; my gifted children are perfect, my marriage is perfect. I go out to five star restaurants every night with my group of fabulous, celebrity friends that absolutely adore and love me. And I do all of this while keeping an immaculate house, cooking fabulous 6 course meals, and curing cancer. I COULD post like that, but alas, that is not my life. Now don't get me wrong, I have a wonderful life, I am truly blessed. I do have the most wonderful hubby, truly amazing kids, a supportive and loving family, and great friends and neighbors. I thank Heavenly Father daily for all that I have. Including my trials. Like the rest of you blog stalkers out there, my life is all about ups and downs, good times, and hard times. I post about my hard times partly because it helps me vent to write my feelings, and my blog is in a way, my journal. It is just a journal out there for all of you to see. So maybe some of my feelings I should write in my personal journal, who knows. But also, I have learned a lot, and related to a lot of my friends by reading about the happiness and the hard times in their lives. So my friends, life continues. I'm in a hard spot, but I know that one day all my kids will be grown, and life will then be boring! It is so easy to wish ourselves out of our kids young, hard years. But I have friends who then say they would give anything for those years back. You know, the years where your kids depend soley on you, they need you for everything, they love you with all their hearts, and want you around all of the time. It's hard, but I know I should also focus on all the wonderful things and wonderful moments in my life. I love the saying, "Life is not about weathering the storms, but learning to dance in the rain." P.S. Back in pull-ups, and loving every minute! (-:

Tally

Ok, just in case any of you are keeping a tally, or ready to make bets etc...I'm giving you an update. I got done with my last heartfelt post and went into B1's room to check on him. He'd gone in his underwear again. 2 poops, two dirty undies, 30 minutes, 1 crazy Mom.

50 things...(if you're sick of them, please stop reading now)

So I've seen this a lot, and I think it is a fun way to get to know someone. (I've always enjoyed all that I've read) So hopefully you get to know me a little better.....and I do just like to talk about myself.

50 Little Known Things About Me....

1. I'm not really a chocolate girl, salty things are more of a weakness.
2. A lot of times I say things before I think them through, it gets me in trouble a lot. I wish I could not do that.
3. I have not read Twilight, or Harry Potter, or The Work and The Glory. (ok, judge me, I'm a loser.)
4. I might read Twilight, but I've officially boycotted Harry Potter.
5. I am blessed with being a germ-a-phoebe. (meet my BFF- Hand Sanitizer.)
6. I am (or was) a Black Belt in karate. Hi-YAAAAA!
7. I am also blessed with OCD, (ok, you already know that about me.)
8. I hate yard work (really, duh!)
9. I love American Gladiators (me and you Jess!)
10. I excelled in sports in high school (track, softball, karate) I lettered all four years of High School in Track and Field. Of course this was 70 lbs. ago.
11. I am very self-conscious about a lot of things.
12. I wish I was more pro-active, and more organized.
13. I love to wrap presents. And give them!
14. When I lose my weight, I will once again, be un-stoppable at the Outlets.
15. I love Outlet stores. I guess it's because I love nice things, but I love deals even more.
16. I dream of my house being clean every night when I go to bed.
17. One of my favorite things is all the kids quietly cuddled up with me and a good book.
18. I have never gotten a pedicure. Hence, I do not wear sandals very often.
19. I am terrified of being in the ocean. (I saw Jaws one too many times.)
20. I have never watched The Office, Lost, that Earl show, Gossip Girl, Ugly Better, or Dancing with the Stars. (the reason is that I actually live in Natzi Germany.)
21. I love 80's music, The Cure, Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, Cindy Lauper. I could go on and on.
22. Now days, I rarely listen to the radio in my car, unless it's on Radio Disney. I'm embarrassed sometimes when I have never heard popular songs.
23. I like Country Music too.
24. I worry a lot about what people think about me; if they like me, if I've offended them, remember, I am OCD.
25. One of my worst fears is being a bad Mom. Or making the same mistakes my Mom made. (Wow, where's my therapist when I need her.)
26. I have never used drugs or smoked.
27. I am NOT a morning person. I really admire women who are.
28. I love the theater whether it be the Ballet, or musicals. I love that my daughter loves it too. I just bought tickets to Cats.
30. If I could change one thing about me, I would take away my anxiety.
31. I really admire go-getters. You know those people who see something they want, and get it, or do it. My sister-in-law is an awesome go-getter.
32. I always wanted to open up a little lunch restaurant, but I never will because I worry about failure.
33. I love The Lord Of The Rings.
34. I love that my Hubby still holds my hand.
35. I hate gossip, not that I've never been guilty of it. Not gossiping was one of my resolutions this year.
36. I have hairy arms, and I HATE them!!!!! I once tried to Nair them, and instead of hair, I had a huge, blistery rash. I'll take the hair.
37. I love the Fall. The smell, the soft light, cool temperatures, and Halloween.
38. One of my favorite callings was Nursery. (be careful what you say right?)
39. I am an obsessive budget girl. I have a wicked grocery budget- system- thing. I spend the least of anyone I know on groceries.
40. I consider myself a good tipper. I usually always tip at least 20%, unless there is bad service. After the Hubby delivered pizza for extra money when we first had kids, I realized that a couple of dollars probably doesn't mean that much to you, but it could to your server.

Ok, I'm tired, so you only get 40. I hope you enjoyed that peek into me, and my life. TTFN.

Can we have emotions for dinner, Mom?

Ok, so I'm posting my newest weight update. I've lost 20.5 lbs. (and yes, I had to include the .5.) The good part of that is I'm certainly lighter than when I started 3 months ago. The bad part is I've been the same, (or gained a 1/2 lb.) for 2 weeks now. Now last week, I completely fell off the diet horse, and I enjoyed every fattening minute of it. I did as a good friend of mine says, I ate my emotions. Mmmmmm emotionnnns. With our basement not put back together from our mold mishap, getting in arguments with my contractor, having to get a find a new contractor, and just being sick of the whole thing, I really let my feelings dictate my brain and mouth. Now I am determined to get back on that diet horse today, that is unless I get hungry and eat it. Mmmm, diet horse. I have come too far to quit now, and I still have a ways to go. I'm going to forget about last weeks pizza, pasta, cheesecake, ice cream, and yummy Bajio burrito. (I forgot to mention that along with my emotions, I also ate everything in site, he he he.) So, if you get a minute, call me, make sure I've stayed in check. And if my great neighbor brings over any more of her scrumptious chocolate cookies, I will have to kill you. :-) OK, TTFN.

New quote of the week

OK, so my quote of the week turned into "quote every six months," but hey, don't rely on me for your sole source of inspiration OK? So, just in case you didn't notice, it changed today, it's inspired by my recent house drama, and it is a good one!

Oh, I didn't recognize your voice....

OK, so today I spoke to one of my oldest friends (not my eighty-year old friend, buy my BFF all the way back from middle school.) We try to stay in better touch, but like everyone, our lives are busy. I do check her blog quite often, as to stay abreast of her life. When I was talking to her today, we were saying how it's funny, we don't talk, but I still do manage to know some things that are going on with her. Then I started thinking...I instant message my hubby quite a bit during the day, we rarely talk on the actual phone. I email for a lot of things that once would have required a phone call. And I know I have friends that find out a lot about my life through this blog, (yeah, I mean YOU.) So, my point, and yes I do have one; it is kind of sad, but I do a good deal of my communication through some sort of completely non-personal technology. So the next time you call me and I don't recognize your voice (and we are the only people in the entire universe who don't have caller I.D.) don't blame me, blame your blog. He, he, he...have a good weekend :-)

Ok, not so great....

OK, today was not a great "diet" day. For some reason, I was CRAVING something from "South of the Border." Do you know where I'm talking about? I know, white trash right? Now it was really an insatiable craving, so I decided to just do it. I went, I ate, I regretted. The boys and I went through the drive up, and I got a Spicy chicken Burrito, and nachos, plus I ended up eating some of the nachos B1 didn't eat. Although it did taste pretty good, it wasn't near as good as I had expected. Plus when I added the points, AWWWWWWW! Can we say, Nightmare on Diet Street! So in order to not go grossly over my daily points, I had a 4 point dinner that consisted of a small cup of light chili. Live and learn my friends, live and learn.

I'm so proud....

Ok, my middle son, B1, is an awesome movie quoter. I can only hope by the time college rolls around that they'll be giving scholarships out for this, because he'd have a full ride baby! Of course, The hubby and I are know to do it also, so I guess he inherited it. You know, like saying "Buhler.... Buhler," to someone who's last name is so. (If you haven't seen the movie that this is referenced from, stop reading this, we can't be friends.) He he he. Someone in our ward has this name, and although I've always wanted to do this to them, thinking I'm soooo clever, I'm guessing I wouldn't be the first. Anywhoooo, B1 loves to quote lines from Shrek, and from miscellaneous Disney movies or rides. So today we're doing family prayer, and hugs and kisses etc. Princess was leaving B1's room to go to her own, and she says, "I guess you don't want to hug me," to B1. His response, which both baffled and cracked us up was, "I wouldn't miss it for the world." Where did that come from? Come on, come on, try to guess. The only reason I knew was he only watched one movie today, Toy Story 2. Surprisingly, (or not) his Dad knew it right off the bat. Like Father, like son, I'm so proud (-:

Update

So, here I go....The water damage was quite a bit more than we had realized. Several walls and floors were saturated. It had traveled quite far, including under the stairs where the mold had grown. It apparently had to have been there for a little while, at least in that spot. We had just noticed the carpet being wet though, and we go down there every day, so we don't honestly know what happened or when. We think our air conditioner malfunctioned in some way, but we are going to have it checked out also. The "mold remediation," is almost done, now we are waiting for carpet and construction contractors to finish re-laying and repairing the carpet and drywall that had to be torn out. FUN, FUN, FUN. It looks probable that our insurance will cover it, of course with us paying our deductable. They didn't test the mold, and since it was under a certain square feet, we didn't need "Bio Containment." I know you all know how I feel, about un-planned expenses that is. It feels like just as you get ahead in life sometimes, you get hit back again. We had paid off our credit card, and hospital bills (thanks to B2) with our tax refund. We thought, ok, now we can get our savings built up pretty fast. (Our new goal is to get our 6 months living expenses in the bank.) And this is just one step backwards again. But not too huge a step I suppose. It's just so frustrating to have life's little mishaps, especially with houses. And for us it's WATER. It seems as if we have problems with water a lot of places; basement, yard etc. Oh well, I guess that's life. I really do try to have perspective though. We are healthy, happy (I'll be happier when this is over,) and we are certainly very blessed in life. Life's trials are supposed to make you stronger. I wish though that trials would come with a pamphlet or at least an e-mail on just how you'll be stronger; and a guarantee in writing that "this too shall pass." Because when you're smack-dab in the middle of a trial, it sure is hard to see yourself out of it. Well, my blog friends I do think I've rambled on enough, thanks though, for listening.

Ok, I'm having a breakdown....

OK, I have to vent. Hopefully putting my feelings down on paper (well, not really paper) will help me feel better. We had some minor water in our basement, we found it on Wednesday night. We dried the carpet, had a carpet person come and look at it, and thought we were good. Well last night I had a feeling to inspect and make sure all the water had dried up. That is when I found MOLD growing under our stairs. OK, any of you blog stalkers who know me well, know I'm a tad (ha, ha) dramatic, a tad paranoid, and a known to blow things out of proportion a little (again ha, ha.) So I'm trying to stay calm, but I am FREAKING out!!! Black mold is growing in my basement, not far from my children's' rooms. I don't know if it is Toxic mold, UN-Toxic mold, or aliens that have colonized on my drywall. I'm worried that I'll have to temporarily move, throw all my possessions away, have VERY costly mold "remediation," or who knows what else. So we called our insurance company, they're sending out "specialists," which is probably code for "people who will spend all your kids college funds in a 20 minute visit." Because guess what, a lot of times, this stuff isn't even covered by insurance. Lovely. So we'll see, stay posted, and we are accepting donations at www.i'mhavingapanicattack/howarewegoingtoaffordthis.com. Thanks!

More pics

OK, sorry, here's some more. The first couple are of us at the zoo. There is a contest here called "Dream night at the Zoo" it is for families for children with disabilities. But you had to enter a drawing for it, and we won tickets. It was so fun. They had local mascots there, dinner provided by Chick-fil-a, (yummy,) lots of animals out for the kids to see and touch, and a lot of fun. The kids loved it! I love all the pics, especially the one of B2 holding my niece's hand, that was adorable. Also there's a picture of Michal Jackson's baby "Blanket," I'm not sure how that got in there, and also one of Hannah Montana. Wow, who would have guessed how many celebs I know huh! OK, I promise no more pictures for today, but hey, no complaining, after all, this is my blog!

Catch up on Pics...

Ok, so here are a few recent pics. First is B1 on preschool graduation. He sure loves his teacher! Also, his attention span during the program was staggering (not) but he did entertain everyone with his antics. Gotta love B1! Then there's B2, we were at a family picnic. He loves to be outside, but HATES the grass. So you can put any size blanket down, and it works quite well as a perimeter fence. He sure is getting around well though, and is such a fun baby. Lastly, around Mother's Day, I posted about needing a nanny. Well, I finally found one! Here she is with B2. She works for cheep too, Oreos and chocolate milk. She sure loves babies, maybe she can help me convince her Dad for another one!

Mommy moment

You know those Mommy moments that you just savor, that you'd have last forever if you could? I had one today. At our church meeting Princess was leaning up against me, I was tickling her arm. Then my 4 year old son, who isn't terribly cuddly, came to sit with me also. He cuddled up to me, sitting on my lap, with his head on my shoulder. So I sat with my 4 year old on my lap, my 7 year old cuddling at my side, neither of them fought, or made a peep. I just sat there with them, listening to the speakers (which were great, thanks Emily and Jared!) It was sure a wonderful, touching moment. I was overwhelmed with thankfulness for my beautiful children, my great hubby, and for the gospel in my life. Sorry for his personal moment, but one day, I want to be able to remember these times. With so much noise, chaos, and busy schedules, I know I need to take time to enjoy simple moments like that more often. Thanks for letting me share.

Why?????

Ok, I just checked my email, and I had gotten an email from one of my fav places to shop: The Children's Place. The email was all of 45 minutes old, it was informing me of the "Monster Sale." But before you all get too excited and start shopping, EVERYTHING is out of stock. I'm not kidding. Every single item I went to buy was out of stock. Now, this was an awesome sale, $1.99 shirts, skirts, pants etc. But come one. Save some stuff for me, or don't bother sending the email.

Random stuff.

Ok, so I weighed in today. I have lost 19 lbs. I was pretty excited. I feel great, I am starting to see a difference, and I'm full speed ahead for more weight to lose. I found a new guilty pleasure (well, pleasure, but not guilty.) Here it is:

Homemade Kettle Corn:

1/2 Cup unpopped popcorn
4 Tbs. white sugar
5 tsp. canola oil
salt to taste

Heat oil in large pan (one with a lid.) When oil is hot, pour popcorn in. Shake to coat all kernels. Add sugar, shake to coat again. Put lid on. When kernels start to pop, shake pan to keep from burning (keep lid on.) When all is popped, carefully pour in a heat-safe bowl. Watch out for flying kernels. Immediately add salt, and a little more sugar if you'd like. Stir to evenly distribute. This was kind of tricky the first time, but I made a second batch, and got the hang of it. Call me if you have questions. This tastes a lot like the Kettle Corn you get at fairs etc, it is DELICIOUS!!!! I almost didn't want to share the recipe, but since I love you all, I did! Oh yeah, the whole batch is 16 points, so don't eat it all, but it is alright for a reasonable serving.

Some new pics...

Ok, so this was our 3rd annual Freeman Family Block Party. It was so much fun. I look forward to it every year. It is so fun to get lots of neighbors, kids, food and fun all in one place. Here are some pics of the party: Two are of the licorice game, which is fun for kids of all ages! Then there's one of my Fourth of July cake, sorry, I was proud of myself. Then there's friends, and fireworks. It was so much fun.

Whew, I know you've missed me....

Ok, it's been awhile. But I've been really busy frolicking around Europe, competing in the Hungarian folk dance world championships, and ridding the world of disease, hunger and despair. Ok, you caught me, I really have just been cleaning the house (well, kind of,) trying to finish my yard, and breaking up CONSTANT fights between my beautiful children. Anyways.....I'm back, and unfortunately for all you blog stalkers, I have a lot of pics to post....just not today, but be prepared....
Today, I'm going to post my newest top ten..here I go.
#1 Hugs from your kids when they just linger, and don't pull away. I've gotten a lot of those lately from my Autistic son, which is just the best.
#2 Princess finished the 1st grade, with a perfect report card I might add. She loves to learn, she's obsessed with history right now. We're always at the library picking out books about Egypt, different countries, or American Wars. I have to be careful and screen books before her, she loves the gore. Her favorite is about how they used to mummify people. She loves to inform me of things such as how they used to stick long hooks up peoples noses to pull out their brains. Lovely.
#3 Summer without being SUPER pregnant!!! Love it! Last summer I was soooo big, pregnant, and hot. Sorry to all you preggers, I do feel for ya!
#4 Friends. I've done some really fun things with friends. Bunco, girls nights out, fun with the kids. I love you all.
#5 Fourth of July. I love the Fourth of July. On the 3rd we had our annual Block Party. We had so much fun, and hope our neighbors did too. We had food, fun with friends and a firework show I thought would never end. I'll post the pics, and all you traitor/neighbors who move to other countries can be jealous! (just a joke.) On the Fourth of July we always go to some local fireworks with some of our good friends. We sit around before the fireworks start and talk, eat, have fun with the kids, and just enjoy the holiday. It is always such a fun time. And I LOVE fireworks. Also, the hubby and I got engaged on the Fourth of July, so one more reason I love it.
#6 The hubby is still loving working for The Mouse. (code for Disney) And you all know, if the hubby is happy at work, things are more likely to be happy at home. And if any of you happen to visit the Happiest Place on Earth this summer, just remember, you're helping put our kids through college!
#7 Speaking of The Mouse, 5 months until our next trip! And man, oh, man, I'm dying! The Hubby made a CD of music from the park, it's in my car. LOVE IT. Our kids love telling me over and over what songs go with what ride. I so want to go. Can't wait. I know, I have an addiction.
#8 B2 is so fun. He is almost one, man time has flown. He loves to explore, make adorable faces and get into things. He's such a mommies boy, which I have to admit, I love. I read an article about how babies smiles actually affect Mom's moods, which I totally believe. There is nothing better than seeing his smile first thing in the morning.
#9 Honesty from your kids. The other day B1 said, "some boys at the park called me stupid, and Mommy, it made my heart hurt." Princess prayed the other night, "please help Mommy and Daddy to not fight today." (we'd had a lovely fight the day before.) Kids. You gotta love em.
#10 Ok, so I don't have ten things, nine was a stretch. But I've so missed blogging, so I rambled a bit. Get ready for some pics next time. Have a good one.

So close, yet so far away.......

Ok, so this morning the Hubby calls me and says, "So do you want to go to London for three weeks?" Of course I'm speachless, and more than a little miffed at this cruel joke. But apparently it was no joke. A studio in London needed some emergency help, next week I might add, and was willing to bring someone from my Hubby's studio, AND a spouse there for three weeks ALL EXPENSES paid. ALL EXPENSES PAID!!! My head started spinning out of excitement. My stomach started churning at the thought of arranging child care, packing etc to go out of the country for three weeks, having one week to plan. But this was an opportunity of a lifetime, no doubt. Now he did inform me that they might pick someone with more seniority if one was available. But he was the only one on his team that would be available to go. Unfortunatly since he's only been there for 4 months, it was certainly possible they could find someone more senior. Well, they did find another person, dang it! The hubby asked me if I was disappointed, of course I was a little. But for a SAHM, it added a shiny glimmer of unexpected excitement to a monotonous day with the kiddos; and I'll take that. And I can always dream of the more senior person getting food poisoning while eating his Bangers and Mash. (he, he, he) Only a joke of course!

Scales bite!

Ok, so weight update, yeah! (well, sort of.) The hubby and I worked our tails off all weekend on a front and backyard transformation, (not finished yet.) All weekend when I weighed myself, the scale said I'd lost 17 lbs. I was sure I'd worked off a lot of lbs. But this morning, my official weigh in day, my scale only said 15 lbs. I re-weighed myself 3 times, all to my dismay. So, I'm going with the scale, stupid thing. So I'm at my 8 week mark, and I'm at 15 lbs. Still not shabby I suppose. I'm loving it though! Stay posted, I know you're dying for updates.

Inspire me!

Ok, I loved this quote, it is by Cheryl C. Lant who is the General Primary President of the LDS church (for those blog stalkers out there.)

"I would invite all of us to take a moment to reflect on the traditions in our lives and how they might be affecting our families. Our traditions of Sabbath day observance, family prayer, family scripture study, service and activity in the Church, as well as patterns of respect and loyalty in the home, will have a great effect on our children and on their future. If our parenting is based on the teachings of the scriptures and of the Latter-day prophets, we cannot go wrong. If every time there is a challenge our hearts turn first and always to our Father in Heaven for direction, we will be in a safe place. If our children know where we stand and we always stand on the Lord's side, we know we are where we need to be."

Happy Father's Day!

Ok, so I want to say Happy Father's Day to the most important Dad's in my life, (well, I guess they're the only Dad's in my life.)

First, my Dad. My Dad is a quiet creature, I always remember him being engrossed in a book, probably one that he's already read three or four times. I loved when he would be reading, listening to sports radio, and have the T.V. on. He is definitely a muti-tasker. He is a man of few words, but I always knew he loved me. And as an adult, I certainly saw the many sacrifices he made for me, and the rest of my family. He worked overtime, drove beat up cars so I could drive the newer car, and always slipped me money when I needed it. My Dad rarely raised his voice, but we knew he meant business when it came down to behaving. He is very talented in many different ways, and if he puts his mind to learning something new, he will excel at it. He was always at my karate tournaments, softball games, dance recitals, and track meets. He was always there to support me in anything I did. One thing I love is how he loves being a Grandpa, and my kids sure adore their Pa. He is such a great Grandpa too. Happy Father's Day Dad, I love you!

Ok, the Hubby's Dad. I definitely give credit to him for raising such a wonderful man, my Hubby. He taught him how to work, how to be self sufficient, how to excel. He taught him how to handle money, save, and how to treat a woman. I'm sure it was the military, but simple things like taking your hat off in the house, and opening the door for women, he taught him how to be a good man. He taught him how to love our country, and to not take our freedom for granted. He took him fishing, camping, and endured through amusement parks in Texas in 100 degree heat. He is a wonderful Grandpa, and sure has a special bond with the Grand kids, giving them each a special nick-name. Thanks for giving me my better half. Happy Father's Day!

Last but not least, my Hubby. Although not my Dad, he's probably the most important Dad in my life. He is such a wonderful Dad. He works so hard to provide for our family. Seven years in school, working full time, with a second job at one point. He puts everything into making me and our children happy and taken care of. I love seeing the kids eyes light up when he gets home. I love hearing our kids pray for him in the morning. I love how they think he leaves for work after they go to bed (because he's not there when they wake up.) He is always wanting to have fun, to have lasting memories with our children. He knows the importance of one on one time, and creating personal relationships with each of our children. Our eternal family is the most important thing to him. I love him, and I know how much he love us. Happy Father's day, I love you!

Walmart Yin and Yang

Yin:
Dear snotty 19 year old at the Walmart check-out line:

You know what, I did have twenty-five items in the twenty items or less line (really, I counted after I checked out.) Although to my credit, I really did think I only had twenty. I hope you go home to blog about this, just like I have. I hope your blog goes as follows:
"Today I went to Walmart, and I was behind this mom-jeans wearing lady who had the audacity to have twenty five items in the twenty items or less lane. When I asked to go ahead of her, she said sure. But just to be a jerk, I decided to instead inform her that this was the twenty items lane and then refuse to go ahead of her. I sure taught her a lesson! WHAT A JERK. Then me and my muscle-bound 18 year old boyfriend shot her dirty looks and made snide comments just in earshot of her. I can't believe people, don't they know that I have to get home and eat my four boxes of slim fast? Geesh, really people."
I also hope that you go back and read your blog post in 5 years when you're all grown up and have 2 kids with you at Walmart. Maybe you'll be a little kinder and less judgemental of someone who although is doing something she isn't supposed to, is not completely altering your life. Kisses (-:

Yang:
Dear kind woman in the Walmart parking lot:

Thank you so much for volunteering to take my shopping cart clear back to the cart return for me. You saw that I was struggling with two small children, and did something very sweet and kind just because you're a nice person. Even though it was a small thing, it was big to me. Random acts of kindness should never go unappreciated. Especially after I was almost brought to tears by an un-kind person just 5 minutes before. Thank you again, this was a reminder for me to me to do better and to try harder to do Christlike things for anyone. So thank you, kind lady, I sure wish I had been in line with you! Your act of kindness made my day, (and my blog (-:

Mastercard Ad

Drive to city: $6.00
Take kids to Children's Museum: $0 (thanks to a friend and her season pass)
Looking for car for 35 minutes in sweltering parking lot while toting crying kids: PRICELESS

Boys, (sigh)

Ok, I love the boys/men in my house. I love playing trucks, swords, watching sports (even though I usually don't understand them.) One thing I do have a hard time with boys is DIRT. I swear, they are always getting dirty. So today was no exception....B1 and Princess were playing in the backyard. Now it has been raining, but I figured a little water on their shoes would not hurt anything. But I did tell them to stay out of any water that had collected anywhere. My mistake, I forgot about the huge HOLE the Hubby had left in the yard from a recent broken sprinkler. A hole that has been "almost" fixed for like 3 weeks now! So the kids were playing and I could see them, then B1 disappeared for a second. I opened the door and called for him, he came around from the side of the house, wet from toes to crotch. Now I don't just mean wet. MUDDY and wet. I think he must have gotten in the hole and sat down in it or something. I of course got angry, peeled of the muddy clothes, threw him in the bath, then instant messaged the Hubby to tell him which of my lists he was on today. (And it wasn't the good one) As B1 soaked in the tub, I did manage to collect myself, partially because I was practicing singing a Primary song with Princess. (It really did help!) So I'm getting B1 dressed AGAIN and I said, "it upsets Mommy when you don't mind, I told you to stay out of the water, he said, "I know Mom, I just got in the hole." Uh, ok, there's some Aspergers logic for ya. Then he followed that with an, " I love you." Sucker! (I mean me of course.)

Me and technology

Ok, me and technology don't mix. I was just posting on a friends blog when I realized this, so I decided to blog and see if I'm alone. So here's my reasons why:
-I don't text. I don't even know how, even if I wanted to. I would so rather run my mouth to someone than type to them. It scares me, so don't send me one. (-:
-I recently got an Ipod. I COULD not figure out how to first download songs, then fill my Ipod, then figure out how to work the stupid thing. Import a CD, what the crud is that???? Yeah, Hubby had to help me. The Ipod defeated me, and brought me to tears. I have forgiven it though, because it is quite nifty.
-I quite recently was instructed on how to add an attachment to an email.
-I don't know how to get the pictures off my digital camera. Heck, I can barely USE my digital camera.
-The fact that I set up this blog is truly a feat of large proportions. But I'm sure you are all glad that I did right?

Ok, so I'm tech-challenged, thankfully I have a hubby who is not. Now I think I'm a reasonable intelligent person, so I guess I'm just old (-:

Weight check

Ok, so yesterday marked my 5 weeks of new, better?, self. I was officially down 11 lbs. I feel like that is pretty decent results. I certainly have to say it has gotten harder(I knew it would.) There are some days it takes every ounce of willpower I can muster to not go to the nearest burger joint and get the BIGGEST, GREASIEST, burger, fries and thick creamy chocolate shake. Eat my feelings I tell you, EAT MY FEELINGS! Ok, so now I have that out, I feel better. It mainly has been harder because I have had a lot going on outside the house. When I'm home and can cook, I don't have a lot of problems. But baseball games. BBQ's, games nights etc can be sabotage. But I'm in this for the long haul, and I'm committed, committed I tell you. Thanks for listening!

Today's random thoughts

Ok, so I just have to vent! Good thing all of you, my blog friends, are always here for me. My adorable, wonderful, fun children, whom I truly do love with all my heart, are driving me nuts! (Ok, all you Mom's, go ahead and judge me, I deserve it!) If I hear any of the following phrases one more time this week, you'll have to hall me off to the loony bin,
"B1, stop touching me,"
"B1 is bugging me,"
"I don't want to go on the potty,"
"Let's watch, (enter title of movie) again"
"Leave me alone" (that's the kids saying that, not me.)
"He/she hit me"
"When are we going to do something fun?"

I could go on and on, but my brain cells are evaporating as we speak due survival mode. Please SuperNanny, I'm sending out the Bat signal, (or shall I say brat signal), please come to my rescue!!!!


Ok, another thought- and I really want some response to this one, even if you're just "stalking" my blog! Is anyone worried about gas/groceries/crude oil/feeding our children? I'm really starting to worry about the economy. I read articles by financial/oil analysts, saying what will happen if oil reaches $200.00/barrel. And I have to say, it's scary!! Now I feel like we have prepared pretty well by doing what we have been asked by the Prophet, (food storage, no debt etc.), and I think we bring in a pretty good income. But between my grocery bill skyrocketing, and it costing a small fortune just for the Hubby to commute to work, Holy cow! Now, I am a worrier, and I read way too many doomsday articles, but I'm just wondering if I'm alone here? Please post a comment and let me know! Oooh, that was a deep thought, those don't come out of my brain very often! Ha, ha, later gators!

New day.

Ok, so first of all, it seems like B2 is getting better. Yesterday he still had a rough day as he WOULD NOT take a bottle. My pediatrician said to just keep an eye out, keep him hydrated and wait, since they had run every test possible on him. But today he seems to be doing a lot better. He ate well, slept well, and had no fever (knock on wood.) So hopefully we're over this (again, knock on wood.) Also, in regards to Princess and B1, Princess is off track and we're all going INSANE. B1 has a hard time adjusting to her being home all day(we can thank Asperger's for that,) so all they have done is argue. It is too rainy to be outside, and I haven't wanted to venture out due to B2's mystery illness. So anyways, I found this pic proving that they really do love each other! Also, just a cute one of B2 to show him as the happy baby I know he is. Feel better bubalicious!

Bad day for B2 (and Mommy too!)

OK, so we spent the good part of yesterday (Sunday) with the family doing family stuff. At my parents in the early afternoon B2 (who is 81/2 months) started to feel a little warm. I didn't have a thermometer, but he felt warm enough, so I gave him some Tylenol. He was very fussy, and those of you who don't know him, this is not characteristic of him. He is the absolute smiliest, happiest baby alive. Well anyways, he got more cranky and warmer as the day went on. Finally when we got home his temperature, it read 104.3! We got him right in the bath tub, and I got on the phone with his Doctor. After the bath and some more medicine, he slept through the night. This morning he faked smiles but was still really cranky. His doctor said we should come in to check him since the fever was so high. When we got to the doctor, she took his temp, and it read 105.3!!!!! I almost started crying then and there. She checked his lungs, ears, throat, all clear. Then she put in a catheter to check for a urinary infection. OK, I'm SURE this was painful for him, but as a Mom, it was all I could do to hold him down. My heart just broke. Well, this was negative also. He was in love with his doctors nurse, but after her doing his catheter, he may have to find a new love interest. (ha, ha, J/K Alyshia, we still love you!) So they decided to send me to the children's hospital for more tests. They did a chest x-ray and blood work, (which we had to hold him down on a table to do.) So through a process of elimination, they decided he had a virus similar to RSV, barring blood work that wasn't back yet. So in one day the poor little guy got a catheter, 2 pokes for blood, a chest x-ray, and a whopping fever! I tell you what, he's my little super trooper. He's now snoring away on Daddy, hopefully asleep for the night. And hopefully I'll get some sleep, but I'll probably spend most of night checking his breathing. So if I'm supposed to call or do anything for you tomorrow, please forgive me, I'm sure I'll be a zombie. Wish us luck!

Weight check #3

Ok, so I decided not to bore all of you with a weekly weight update, but today was the 3 week mark. I'm down 8 lbs. I started out with a bang, and have slowed down a bit. This week I'm going to go full throttle to get into the double digits. So anyone wanting to walk, give me a call! I'm still optimistic and excited, I feel really good. I know it is not going to all come off in a month. I hope that by posting about my triumphs and roadbumps that I'll be able to learn from my feelings and progress, so sorry all you blog stalkers! You're subject to reading my personal therapy session with myself! Did that rambling make any sense? All right, next week I'm going to post, and I'm going to be down 3 lbs, so PRAY for me! (-:

Some new pics

Ok, so these are some new pics, sorry for two posts in one day, but I hate getting behind! Ok, so the first one is Mother's Day. My cute hubby, and adorable children surprised me with breakfast in bed. Now hubby asked me what I wanted, and I decided to stick to my oatmeal and milk, so to not upset the diet Monster. Well, I'm opening my presents, we look over and B1 is EATING my breakfast in bed. He's just chowing down, not a care in the world. We were laughing too hard to get after him. So that's the story for that pic. And by the way, I did not have the Mother's day of previous post, but one just as good. I spent the whole day with the ones I love most! My sweet princess said, "Daddy said your favorite presents are ones that are homemade," isn't that the truth! (plus Hubby gave me an ipod. I don't think I'd care for his homemade presents quite as much! JOKE)

The next pic is of Princess and Hubby running Princess's first race! She had a fun run at school, and she pledged to run at least one mile. She did fantastic! Hubby said she ran almost the entire way, and kept up with him pretty well. I was really proud of her. B1, B2 and I were there to cheer them at the finish line. Ok, there's my proud Mommy moment of the day!

Take it where you can get it./ Am I pathetic?

Ok, so last night I had Bunco, yeah!!! And of course a lot of us stood outside AFTER Bunco and chatted. You know, discussing the meaning of life, the cosmos, and of course American Idol. (P.S. I haven't watched A.I. this time, so I just listened. Psss. don't tell.) Anywhoo, afterward I had to go to the grocery store to get stuff for fieldtrip lunches. It was 9:30 and I decided to go to the only dang Walmart around, which is about a 10 min. drive from my house. So I called a good friend who lives right there and asked if she wanted to come along. The Hubby thought it was quite peculiar that I would take a friend grocery shopping with me at 9:30 at night. But he said, I guess Mom's of 3 or 4 children take it where they can get it. (meaning adult interaction.) I said, yeah your'e right. And you know what, I had a blast just talking, walking the isles, not having kids CONSTANTLY begging for things. Bunco was fabulous, but Walmart was a close second! (Ok all you Moms out there, tell me I'm not crazy!)

Ok, so just for anonymity's sake, I'm going to change my blog a little. I'm going to use "code names" instead of our real names. I'm Mom, Hubby will be "hubby." Daughter will be "Princess", or "7 year old." Four year old son will be B1 (boy number #1) and baby boy will be B2 (boy #2.) I'm doing this of course because of safety sake, who knows what kind of crazy people stalk my blog (ha ha , just a joke) Hope this won't confuse any of you....Thanks for visiting, come back soon ya'll!

Gross even for a four year old

Ok, so I'm sitting at the kitchen table, stalking all of your blogs. When I hear my 7 year old, say, "Ewwwwww!" I ask what is so ewwww, and she says, "4 year old ate a booger." I say, "4 year old don't eat boogers, that is gross. Get a tissue if you need it." He proclaims, "But Mom, they're good!" Just an insight into my life.

Perfect Mother's Day

Ok, right off the bat, I did steel this idea from a friends blog, I thought it was a fun idea. I will encourage all you Moms that read this to do the same, on my comments, or on your blogs!
Ok, so here's my perfect (not really reality) Mother's Day-

*Wake up @ around 9:00.
*Breakfast in bed: eggs Benedict, carmel croissants, and fresh fruit.
*Having the temporary nanny bath, feed and dress my children. (Dad could do it, but let's give him the day off too.)
*Each of my 3 children would present me with an adorable, hand-made gift. You know, things with hand-prints, and pictures of themselves. I so love those things. Then my husband would give me some kind of jewlry representing my three beautiful children. Wow, I'm spoiled aren't I?
*Disneyland. ( I know it's Sunday, let's pretend it's not, and I know D-land is in California, again let's pretend.)
*Lunch-picnic somewhere nice on the beach while the cool ocean breeze blows. I could read a book (a luxury I never seem to get anymore.) I'd like to eat crab, lobster, a nice salad, and something yummy for dessert. The kids could swim and would of course be well behaved.
*Nap (while temporary nanny supervises the children)
*Disneyland again (I know, I know, I'm an addict.)
*Dinner alone with my Hubby at a fabulous steakhouse where I could have a delicious steak Oscar Style (with crab, asparagus and hollandaise sauce.) We'd eat and enjoy each other's company while temporary nanny was wrestling with 3 kids. Because in this dream, they have been at Disneyland all day, the beach and now they're hungry!
*We'd all go home, well fed, and entertained until we're silly. Temporary nanny would put the kids to bed, and the hubby and I would get 2 hour massages from a Swede named Sven. I would then take a long bath, put on a beautiful nightgown and nod off to dreamland. WAIT, this IS dreamland!!!!! Ha, ha, Happy Mother's Day to all! I hope all of your Mother's days fulfill your wildest dreams.

Weight check #1

Ok folks, today was weight check #1, I've been doing Weight Watchers for 1 week now. Ok, Drum roll please......I'm officially down 5 pounds!!!! I was pretty excited even though I've got a long way to go. My goal is 50 lbs. by December. My new secret weapon, for any of you fellow dieters out there is GUM. Yes you heard me correctly, and no I don't eat it, just chew it. For some reason, this fools my mouth into thinking I'm eating, and I'm amazed at how it has helped me curb cravings. Plus I've made like 10 new friends this week thanks to the constant minty fresh breath! (joke) Well, anyway, just an update, cuz I know you've all been dying to know. See ya in Blog land!

P.S. I have actually felt really good, I haven't been starving every second like I thought. I did have times where it was harder to stay on track, and I'm sure once the novelty wears off, it will get a lot harder. But all in all this plan is pretty awesome, I have actually had real food, and quite a bit of it. Wow, that sounded like a commercial didn't it? Well, thanks for listening to me ramble!

Grateful day.

Ok, so today I'm feeling especially grateful for some things in my life, thought I'd blog...

Today I'm grateful for:

*Prayers.
*Answers to prayers.
*My adorable baby. He is always happy to see me, giggles at the cutest things (like me reading a book to him), always has a smile on his face, never complains, and truly lights up our house.
*A 7 year old that said today was a "really" good day due to the fact that I was helping in her classroom, AND I was letting a friend walk home with her from school. Easy to please!
*A 4 year old that always makes me smile, even when I'm crying over the 3rd potty mistake of the day.
*Friends. I know I have them. I need to tell them how much I care for them more often, and also that I appreciate the fact that they love me regardless of how imperfect I am. So any friends reading, this is for you!
*My husband. For the same reason as above (-:


Ok, I could of course go on and on, but those were the things I was thinking about today. Kisses!

losing weight i.e. preparing myself for battle

Ok, so yesterday I started Weight Watchers. I've had success on it before, and now that I've had child number three, am ready to get to a good size, and most of all get healthy for me and my family. That being said, I'M STARVING! I love this program because you can eat normal food, but my inner-piggy always wants more. I love how the moment I'm trying to be good, I'm all of the sudden famished. It's like a little diet devil on my shoulder constantly egging me on. And if I'm not "dieting," I don't feel temptation like that. So why I ask, am I overweight??????? I'd like to be able to blame it on crappy genes, so today, I'm going to!!! (Tomorrow I'll be forced to take some responsibility, but not today my friends.) So I digress.....So people who read my blog, please support me, call me and ask how I'm doing, take food away from me. I am ready to lose weight, but am gonna need all the help I can get. And if any of you bring anything that even closely resembles a cookie over to my house, IT'S ON! Ha, Ha. No really, bring the cookies, I'll need to test my will power, and everyone else shouldn't have to suffer. So anyways, if I seem out of sorts, a little snippy or cold, please forgive me, it's the hole in my stomach talking, I really do love you! P.S. Here's a pic I found particularly yucky of me while on my most recent trip. This is where I'm starting, sorry I'm not revealing my actual weight. I'm planning on posting pics and updates on how I'm doing, so sorry you'll have to endure. Wish me luck.

10 years and counting.....

Ok, so my sweet hubby and I got back last week from a trip to San Fransisco, CA. While there, we celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary! We had so much fun sleeping in, shopping, sightseeing, taking naps, FABULOUS meals, and just spending time with one another. We saw Pier 39, went to Chinatown, and shopped in Union Square (where we stayed as well.) We rode cable and street cars, saw sea lions and had room service. Some fun things; our hotel knew it was our anniversary, so they had a pretty picture frame and a bottle of wine and wine glasses waiting in our room. As we don't drink, we brought the wine home, so first callers can have it!!! The hotel also gave us a beautiful room that had city and ocean views, it was very romantic. The uber romantic restaurant that we went to on our anniversary knew it was our special day also and had sprinkled little confetti's on our table, and had printed Happy 10th Anniversary on our menus. It was soooo fun. Hubby surprised me there with an amazing anniversary present. (see the pic!) We had such a blast spending time with just the two of us, and thanks also to our sweet parents who took care of the kiddies while we were away, (and started to potty train B1.) Man I want to go back too, it was sure not long enough! Nothing like coming home from a fun trip to finishing potty training your Autistic child and having two mountains of laundry to get through! I'm counting the days until the next vacation.......

Ok, behind again- Happy Birtday B1!!!

Ok, so I'm perpetually behind, but last week was my dear, sweet B1's 4th birthday. For some reason, he'd had it in his mind for months that he was going to Chuck-A-Lung, Oops, I mean Chuck-E-Cheeses' for his birthday. So since he wasn't having a party with friends, and the fact that we were leaving on a vacation the day after, we decided to have our family party there. B1 had a blast!!! It was totally worth blowing a weeks salary on crappy pizza, and tokens. We had a lot of fun, and B1 loved every minute. Plus I did not have to pre or post clean my house. Again, very worth it. So here are some pics from the party, and some of my favorite of earlier B1. I love you "elephant head," your spirit keeps me going, even though you challenge me in ways I never thought. I love your smile, your "funny jokes" and steeling kisses from you. What a blessing you are in my life, I know I was meant to be your Mom. I love you!!!

One more..

Ok, I needed to post one more pic, of me and my sweet hubby. Thanks again for the wonderful 30th! And thanks to everyone else who was a part of my birthday!

Birthday, hooray! (better late than never part II)

Ok, so a couple of weeks ago was the big 30! And you know what, I actually felt older. I woke up so tired and dragging, like 30 had it's icy cold grip death on me from the stroke of midnight. Or, could it be PMS, who knows???? Anyways, I digress. My adorable husband threw me a surprise party, (I'm sure it was half love half revenge,) did a hilarious slideshow of my life, and just made my day fun! I got two wonderful dinners out, an adorable picture of my kids, and a really fun day. Sorry to those of you who didn't end up in pics, I'm sure you're heartbroken! Thanks so much Jared and Deesha for being behind the camera! And thanks to Hubby's parent who opted to take our 3 children for us, so they couldn't come to the party! Also, those of you who conspired to get me there, you know what they say about payback? J/K, love ya. Thanks again everyone!