Baby SHower Cake

Casadee's baby shower cake!

Chicken Love

Beanie Babies

Wearing Uncle John's beanie and feeling "oh so cool!"

Ronnie is in the "can't take a serious picture phase" if there is such a phase! He just loves to pose. It's rare to get a smile these days, we just get the many faces of Ronnie!

Crayons

Step by Step instructions for making your own crayons!

Step 1: Collect all your broken crayons. We have loads of these at our house because Ronnie likes to break crayons. This is the perfect project for him!

Step 2: Remove all the paper. Very tedious and somehow not a very exciting project when you're 6. (However, Ronnie loves taking the paper off when he's not supposed to.) Count to 200 to make the project a little more exciting and decide that's pretty boring too!

Step 3: Since we are having sooooo much fun peeling paper, make loads of funny faces and pose for the camera, because we're super good at that!

Step 4: Put all the crayon pieces in a muffin tin. Mix them all up, you don't want solid crayons.

Step 5: Put the crayons in the oven set to 350 for about 5 minutes. Just long enough to melt, but still have solid pieces in the center, that way you know it's not burning.

Step 6: Turn on the oven light and watch the magic!

Step 7: Remove from oven, let cool, then place in the freezer to cool completely.

Step 8: Pop out your new crayons and have fun coloring!

I covet. I am jealous.

I'm posting a lot, I know, and for all those family members that don't give a rat's about my random musings, that only read my blog for updates on the super cute one's in the house, y'all will just have to deal with my self-indulgence. Because personally, this is me self-medicating, keeping all the thoughts in my head from taking control, sorting out all the schtuff, un-winding, yahda...yahda...yahda, whatever you want to call it. This is what I want to write about, whether anyone cares to read it or not, and it's my blog, so I will.

(Please note the playful sarcasm and don't hate me for being "mean and ornery" as people tend to think I am!)

I find that my greatest challenge in life is it that I am never happy with who I am and what I have. How do I make the changes necessary to become that person who is content? I covet. And I am jealous...all the time...of everyone. Leave it to me to find a reason that every single person has something I don't and that I want. But I can never seem to find the good things in my life. My hub is so great at seeing our blessings, he is my checks and balance system. Without him I would probably be heavily medicated, I probably should be anyway.

I will attempt to make a list of many of my jealousies, and look at the flip side as well.

Someone always has more money. But someone always has less.

Someone always has a prettier house. But someone always has no house.

Someone is always skinnier and prettier. I think the flip side is pretty self explanatory, and let's face it, it's my fault I'm not skinny.

Someone always has a more romantic husband. Someone has a husband that doesn't love them at all.

Someone is always a better wife/mother. Someone is a horrible wife and should never be a mother.

Someone has kids that are angels. Someone has kids that murder and do unspeakable things.

Someone can have kids whenever they want. Someone can never have or afford kids.

And I'm sure the list could go on forever, but the most important lesson I am teaching myself...

I am right smack dab in the middle! And that is a great place to be!

I have enough money for what I need, and the money I don't have, is because I was foolish and am now learning how not to be foolish.

My house is beautiful, it's mine, and compared to the national average for it's size, it was flippin' cheap!(Thank you Howard!)

I am a daughter of God! He loves me no matter what size I am. And some days I actually can make myself believe that I am beautiful. Whether I want to admit it or not, I bring stuff to the table, I am not a waste of space, I have talents that benefit others, and I rather enjoy sharing them, it makes me feel good, important, like I am contributing something to the world. ( I don't want a million comments telling me I'm not a waste of space, I just said I wasn't, and I know you all love me, you wouldn't be reading my nonsense if you didn't, ha, gotcha!)

My eternal companion loves me, he would do anything for me.

I support my husband, I love him, and he feels like I am a good wife, so I must be doing something right. My kids still tell me they love me, so again, while not perfect, I must be doing something right.

My kids are great kids. They have a lot of energy and they try my patience a lot, but they also provide many of the happiest moments I experience.

While I have not been blessed with the opportunity to create children...I have been blessed not only once, but twice, with the means to adopt two beautiful boys, who are mine in every essence of the word.

So, to sum things up, I really am grateful, I have a great life, I just need to work on recognizing it more often. (Not to mention the consequences I am facing if I don't learn how to quit this awful covet sinning. Wink, wink!)

Thanks for listening! Random musings done 'til next time.

(Afterthought: I came back this morning with the intention of deleting this post because I thought it came off whiny and way TMI, but I decided it's honest, so what the heck.)

That Lovin' Feelin'

Once, I had lost that lovin' feelin'. The hub and I have had a rocky road the last few years, and I wasn't sure things would ever get better. I spent a lot of time being insanely jealous of those pre-marriage feelings that once existed, and comparing those feelings to how I thought I should be feeling now. Not good for making progress. Kinda gets in the way of change when you can't look forward and see what is possible, what could be, if you would just get out of the way and let it happen. I can officially say I have once again found that lovin' feelin'. Things are definitely on the up and up, mostly due to a major attitude adjustment I gave myself, and I now find myself frequently feeling those same feelings I did when I "just knew he was the one!" He is the one! My heart is overflowing with affection. So, this one's for you babe! I love you, and I always will!

JUST KIDDING!

Okay, so that wasn't a very nice just kidding. It wasn't my intention to strike panic among family. Sorry all, we are not moving to Brazil, at least not yet. Nelson would love to, but unless things get super crazy in the good old U.S. of A. we are not going anywhere. I found a new blog friend who is living in Brazil and told her that my hubby, having served his mission in Brazil, is crazy for Brazil and would love to move there. When I told him about her site, he said "Let's go!" He was ready to pack up today. My mistake for telling him. I knew he would jump on it...unfortunately, I am not ready for a more permanent foreign experience. I would LOVE to go visit though! Maybe some day when we're rich and still not famous, cause we don't really want to be famous.

On My Mind!

As of late...finances have been a big thing in our home. Both business and personal, trying to figure out how to make things work in this "recessing" economy. I am continually trying to find new ways to save money. Here are a few we have implemented:

• Garden - the brethren aren't telling us to plant gardens because they find it amusing! I see the wisdom in this advice more and more each day. Everyone, YES, everyone, should and can have some sort of garden...if you need advice, I have lot's to give, I have been doing tons of research on this these days! It's so important to rely less on commercialism these days...besides, nothing can beat the pride, yes pride, of being more self sufficient!
• Homemade Laundry Soap and Household cleaners - I can't even tell you how much I am saving by doing this. Not to mention, I am eliminating all those harsh chemicals from my home, which is good for me, my kiddos, and the earthy! It cost's me $2.00 to do 650+ loads of laundry, how can you compete with that? Did you know you can clean your entire home with things you already have in your pantry? Seriously!
• NO MORE FAST FOOD - I admit, this one has been really hard for me (you've seen the pictures, you know I love food...a little too much) But holy cow, I feel so much better when we don't eat out...no kidding. It feels good physically, I never know it could affect me like that, and financially, my pocket book is much fatter without spending money on all that "bad for me" food.
• No Satellite - also a very hard one, but let's face it, it's ALL trash anyway. Just think of all the time you could save without the TV hogging all your time. I didn't watch much TV until the boys were in bed(that was how I would unwind), but now I quite frequently find myself bored, wondering what to do with myself now that there is no DVR to watch. I might actually start getting things done! Imagine that! (I have loads of time at night to be productive by myself with the hubster being gone all the time...I don't sleep well when he's gone)

The bottom line...things are changing whether we like it or not...so how do you save money? I would love all your wisdom in this matter, I'm sure there is much more to be learned!

P.S. As if we didn't live far enough away from family...we are moving to Brazil!

P.S.S. J/K...? I hear life is much simpler down there...

Pay It Forward!

(I was supposed to post this over a month ago, hopefully I didn't disqualify myself from the one I commented on, Sorry Emily!)

Read closely...this is how it works...

The Rules

1. Be one of the first THREE bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which then entitles you to a handmade item from me.

2. Winners, you must post this challenge on your blog, meaning that you will Pay It Forward, creating a handmade gift for the first THREE bloggers who leave a comment on YOUR post about this giveaway!

3. The gift that you send to your Three Friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember: It’s the Spirit and the Thought That Count!

4. When you receive your gift, please feel free to blog about it, sharing appropriate Linky Love!If you are not one of the Top Three Commenters on this post, you can still play along. Start your own Pay It Forward chain, and encourage your blogging friends to do the same!

Floored!

I have one heck of a story to share...you won't believe this!

About a week and a half ago, while Nelson was home, we took advantage of our employees to finish putting the floor in our attic. They had been in and out of the house, leaving the door open, like men do, and I was worried the cat would get out.

Later that night, I noticed I hadn't seen the cat for a few hours. He typically hides when there are strangers around, so I didn't look to hard.

About and hour after I had gone to bed, which was late, I still hadn't seen him, and the noise had been quiet for quite some time, he should have come out of hiding by now. So, I get up and start looking in all the usual hiding places.

No cat.

I check the porch to see if he is waiting to come back in. He has gotten out before, but he's so dang spoiled he usually is quick to come home.

No cat.

I am concerned at this point, I am quite attached as many will tell, I get attached to pets easily. I get this awful feeling he is in the attic, IN THE FLOOR! I go upstairs, turn on the light, call for him, listen, it's dead silent.

No cat!

I go back to bed, get the same feeling, and repeat the attic check several more times before morning.

No cat!!

By morning I am really starting to get upset. I start telling myself, if he got out, he must not be coming back for some reasons I won't detail, or he may just randomly show up a few days from now, our Dog Ginger did the same thing once. I check the doorstep every hour, and the attic twice more, because I still have this feeling. But I never hear anything.

Around 1:00pm I call Nelson and teasingly ask him what he did with my cat...they don't exactly see eye to eye. He asks if I check the attic..."Yes, several times!"

Hang up, get this feeling yet again, so I go back up in the attic, go over to the newly laid floor, and knock. I hear the faintest "Meow". Oh My Gosh! The cat is in the floor. My heart is racing because I can't believe this is really happening. Silly Critter! I race back down and call Nelson to see how to get him out (i.e. ask permission to cut up the floor he just put down), get the saw, cut a 6 foot by 6 inch hole across the floor, missing only the last floor joyce because I can't get the saw to cut that close to the wall.

NO CAT!!!

Now I think I must have wanted to find my cat so badly that I have gone crazy hearing things. Go downstairs.

Feel like I should check again. Knock on the floor. Nothing. Try one more time to cut the last floor joyce.

Go downstairs. Feeling again. Now I am feeling awful and embarrassed that I cut the floor for no reason. But, I figure I need to get that last joyce open just to make sure he's not dead in there I don't want to smell him a week from now. Can't get the hole bigger, so I go get a mirror thinking I can see down to the other end. Doesn't work.

Do you see where this is going?

I 'm driving myself crazy with this silly feeling I have, and I still can't find the cat. I don't hear any more "meows".

Finally, I have to leave to go get Ronnie.

When I get home, resigned to the fact that my cat is gone...Casadee is in the attack. I ask her what she is doing, she's trying to get the cat out. I tell her he's not up there, but she tells me she has seen him in the hole, now she is just trying to persuade him out.

While I was gone, it got quiet enough he tried to get out but the hole wasn't big enough, and when she went upstairs to change Ryland's diaper, she heard him scratching.

End of story, we got the cat out, he was only traumatized for a few hours...he spent almost 24 hours in the floor!

Can you believe it?

The best part...I wasn't crazy, and I learned the spirit can tell you just about anything if you listen hard enough!