Saturday, October 31, 2009

Recent Pics of Our Progeny





Melting Down Isn't Just for Fondue

Yesterday was a stinky day. It was my mom's birthday and she mistakenly decided to spend it with her cranky daughter. Sorry Mom. Our sweet Jess brought over a pot roast, rolls, cupcakes, Weight Watchers cookies, and diet Mt. Dew for Pastor appreciation. I'm so thankful she did otherwise my family may have gone hungry.

I woke up really not feeling well. My head and neck hurt plus nasty congestion. I ended up with a bad headache for the entire day. At 10:30 last night I finally gave in and just had a good cry. I text my sweet friend for encouragement and she said, "His joy comes with the morning."

With those words I drifted off to sleep and awoke this morning at 8:30 to my baby still slumbering peacefully. Jared and I laid in bed and watched T.V. and had a lazy morning. We're about to eat a breakfast casserole provided by Danielle P. and later we're heading to the outlaws :) for some Trick or Treating.

God is good all the time, all the time God is good.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

What's For Dinner?

Since we headed out to Price Chopper for some serious chicken I thought I cook some for dinner. Tonight we're having chicken and stuffing.

What you need:
boneless skinless chicken breast, we use 6-8 due to our family size
2 cans chicken broth
2 boxes chicken flavored stuffing
1 can 98% fat free cream of mushroom (we use cream of chicken due to an aversion to fungi)

Line a 9x13 pan with chicken breasts.
Mix 1 can of broth with the cream of soup and pour over chicken
dump stuffing into a bowl and pour remaining can of broth over stuffing and let sit for 5 minutes
take stuffing and spoon in over chicken
Bake covered for 35 mins at 350 degrees
Uncover and allow to bake another 10 minutes or until stuffing is brown and crisp on top.

This is an old Weight Watchers recipe and is 3 pts for the chicken breast and 4pts for a cup of stuffing. It's really yummy and quite the comfort food. You can also slow cook this in a crock pot. Follow the same directions just layer in a large crock pot and then cook on low for 6-8 hours. I prefer the oven version just because the stuffing isn't quite as mushy.

Who Am I Again?

-I've not chewed my fingernails in two weeks and 5 days. I actually have nails and they're light pink. Yay nice hands.

-Engage! I've realized in the last couple days I zone in mid conversation only to zone back out again. Brennan prayed during prayer time last night that he wanted me to have a good day today. I'm not sure what's caused the distance but the kids are picking up on it and I really want to re-engage I'm just out to lunch apparently. I'll be back soon I hope.

-Sticking things out in the garage only to have the children rediscover them months later is the best tool for keeping them occupied. I am notorious for moving bags of things to the garage with the intent of donating them to Goodwill. Once in a while the boys will help me unload groceries into the freezer out there and they'll "shop" the castoffs and find something great. Today it's a pop up tent and they've been playing quietly for a hour so far.

-Price Chopper has boneless skinless chicken on sale for $1.49 a pound but it ends today so GO GET SOME CHICKEN! We bought some chicken and roasts and saved $58! If we weren't at the end of a pay period I would have bought a lot more. It's a staple in our house and saves us a ton when it's priced so reasonably. I heard from Jess T. that Thriftway has 73% ground beef for $.98/lb. I'm not sure for how long.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Peek A Boo

My veiw as I climbed the stairs to get someone up from their nap :)







Randomness

-I know you are all dying to know how my cat's litter box is doing. I figured I better hurry and give you an update :) So far it's purrrfect. I've read some pretty stinky (the puns for this are awesome) reviews for it online but I'm really happy with it. It seemed that the people that were unhappy with it had 3-4 or more cats. I venture to say such people couldn't ever be happy about anything since they own 3-4 or more cats.

-My daughter loves me. She is sleeping 12+ hours every night now for 8 days. For those of you who's children slept through the night at 2 minutes old you're thinking, "it's about time, how old is she?!" Then there are those of you who are cursing my very name for mentioning it because your 13 year old still gets up and 12 and 4 for a sippy cup. The reason why it's such a big deal to me is I home school and I am not nice when I'm exhausted. The boys, Jared and I all appreciate her willingness to slumber in her snugglie little bed all the way upstairs for the whole night. YAY Anneliese, KEEP IT UP (or mommy will turn off the monitor :)).

-I will be attending a wedding tomorrow. Just the thought of this wedding makes me smile and warms my heart. God is good and works all things to His glory for those who love Him!

-Sis is days from crawling. She currently gets on all fours rocks back and forth. It will happen in no time I'm sure.

-I just proof read my blog before posting and deleted multiple really's. Apparently I really want you to understand how strongly I feel about things. Really.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Do You Need Some Pink?

Anneliese is quickly outgrowing her infant accessories. I am looking to sell a few things to help with her older brothers dental bills :)

-A beautiful Boppy Bouncy seat that is soft pink and tan from Target. It was $30 ish new and she's only used it maybe 10 times. I put her in it last week and she ended up upside down and hollering because she tried to weasel out of it and she was strapped in. I think she may be too big for it now.

-A pink bathtub also from Target that has a detachable sling for when they're brand new. I loved this tub and she's just now stopped using it since she can sit in the sink on her own. It was $20 new.

-A Boppy with two different soft pink covers (one striped one floral). I used this when she was tiny to prop her up in and haven't really used it much since. It's a great tool but honestly I was too chubby post baby to use it comfortably for nursing. The pillow itself was $30 ish and I have the original packaging and the covers were $10 each.

-A pink bumbo with tray. The bumbo was $30 new and the tray was $10. I'm not quite ready to part with this but she'll simply be too big for it soon. I have LOVED this thing. It's a portable high chair, toy station, and all around baby entertainer as well as beautiful table center piece (when the baby is using it :)). I still have the original boxes for these as well. If you want to reserve this I'll let you know as soon as I'm ready to let it go.

-A black and white toile Evenflo sling. A lot of you saw my little princess sound asleep in this wonderful invention. She is officially ridiculous when I try to put her in it. I used it as long as possible. These are $20-$30 new and are meant for 0-6 months. This was the only thing that got us through those evening colic spells.

If you're interested in one or more shoot me an email or leave a comment with an offer or any questions. I honestly feel guilty these wonderful things have only had one baby to use them. I'm used to wearing things out so hopefully someone out there can get some more wear out of these super cute pink baby gems.

Love Is In the Air

-I love fall rainy days and fresh coffee.

-I love 5 little people that call me mom. They're so unique and creative. Graham told me the other day, "Pirates have hooks on day hands. Day use duh hooks to pull on people rudely."

-I love that my husband and I are so on the same page when it comes to everything. Life is so much easier when your spouse is your best friend and confidant. We are in the best season of our marriage so far. He gets me when no one else does. We have come soo far.

-I love that we serve a God that redeems us and our situations. There are several people in my life right now that are either deeply in love or finding love again after a long time. He makes all things beautiful in His time.

-I love that we serve in a congregation with Godly leaders that seek desperately the will of God and constantly and consistently provide for our family no only through financial means but as spiritual leaders, confidants and friends.

-I love my God and creator. He knows my name, He knows my every thought. He sees each tear that falls and hears me when I call.

-I love that I have a Father who calls me His own. He'll never leave me no matter where I go. He Knows My Name
Words and Music by Tommy Walker
© 1996 Doulos Publishing




Tuesday, October 20, 2009

The Purrfect Purrchase

You may think I'm nuts but I am very very excited about my new purrrrchase.

Jared and I are now the proud owners of an automatic litter box.

We have company on a regular basis and my nemesis is the odor that wafts through the back of the house from the litter. We aren't good about cleaning it regularly and often while I'm doing laundry I'm accosted by the smell of well...ick.

I don't really mind the cat. In fact since I've adopted two dogs I have a new found respect and love for Kayla. She is self sufficient and very low maintenance. I've always thought if it weren't for the litter box she'd be perfect!

Well we have a computerized potty for our cat. If that isn't ridiculous I'm not real sure what is, but...

1) It smells remarkably better

2) I am significantly more content with my home since it does not smell of ammonia and I've regained the cat bathroom, I mean second bathroom.

3) I have 1 less job to do and as a mother of 5 you can see that alone makes it worth it!

4) Last but most definitely not least, the dogs can no longer snack from the box. It has a sensor and cleans itself 10 seconds after the cat leaves. The cat's business is pushed into a closed receptacle for later disposal.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Anneliese & Sara

Anneliese meets Ms. Sara for the first time:

The second video is when Anneliese discovered Sara's bottle...

Randomness

-I just had to buy normal sized hangers for the boys clothing. The little kid hangers aren't wide enough for their shirts. It may sound silly but that really gave me pause. My boys are too big for little hangers...

-Anneliese has a new dolly. Her name is Sara. In fact all of her dolls will be named Sara until she's able to protest. When I was a little girl my dollies carried that name. Not sure why but it just seems appropriate to pass that down :) There is a video of Anneliese meeting Sara for the first time. Watch for it, it's precious.

-Tonight is the Jones bonfire. It starts at 6 and I look forward to it all year. I LOVE THE JONES' BONFIRE! I will be making chocolate chip cookies all afternoon and the kids and I will be bundled up and ready to go far before it's time simply due to the giddiness we all share. YAY fall, YAY bonfires, YAY hayrides, YAY jack-o-lanterns, YAY hot cocoa!!!

-Jared's ankle is much improved visually. It was crazy swollen and even his toes were purple with bruising. He's still hobbling quite a bit but after he heeded my advice, iced it, and wrapped it you can actually identify it as an ankle. Poor guy, it is a nasty sprain.

-Having had a manicure I think it just maybe what I need to stop chewing my nails. My little nubs look so nice and my cuticles are in great shape I simply don't want to mess it up. I am still surprised at just how much that day recharged me. Jared said he didn't know that I would enjoy stuff like that so much and I couldn't help but reply, "neither did I!" As a mom of 5 that home schools, time to myself is priceless and having that time filled with pampering was heavenly. I think I may have figured out my love language for this stage of my life. I really felt loved through that gift.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Washing Woes

Just a reminder last Saturday my washing machine flooded the laundry room. I called about the warranty immediately and they came Tuesday to tell me what I already knew. The large seal is torn and I told them that on Saturday. The repair man looked at it, sighed and said, "Yep you'll need a new seal. It won't be here until Thursday or Friday I'm going to have to order it."

My question is why it wasn't ordered on Saturday. Apparently they had to send someone out to look at it in order to confirm I wasn't a ding bat. It's Friday and I still haven't heard from them. As you can imagine by Tuesday my back hallway and bathrooms was under a mountain of laundry.

Since it appears I will have to wait the weekend leaving me without a washer for 8-9 days I got creative. I took some duct tape and went to work. It's not pretty or perfectly sealed but if I strategically place a small towel in the right place and only use the Quick Wash setting I can get by.

We have clean unders, towels, and sweatshirts. I look forward to using the full capabilities of my machine again soon. Here's hoping for Monday.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Spa-tastic

I feel like I need to start this blog off with fully admitting I was majorly stressed and nervous about leaving my little girl (who is nursed) for the bulk of the day. Mrs. Pam called and very sweetly suggested that I may want to please leave her home because having a facial is not conducive to holding a 7 month old. Jared reassured me they would be fine so I left her... for 6 hours.

Had I any clue what I was about to experience I would have insisted on leaving her simply because it wouldn't have worked at all.

I was picked up at my front door a little after 9 am and whisked away to Academy of Aesthetic Arts for a full on facial. They very quietly escorted me to a gently lit room and asked me to lay down. A really sweet girl began to massage my neck, shoulders, and face. She applied several different concoctions to my face while warm steam trickled across me. I was super chatty when I first arrived and about 10 minutes into it I just zoned out.

She applied a lotion to my hands and then wrapped them in plastic and placed them in warming mitts. It was amazing!

When we finished there we headed to Riverside Cafe for brunch. Pam, Cindy and I enjoyed a leisurely brunch all while chatting about this and that.

With our bellies full Pam took us up North for manicures and pedicures. I have been rubbed down, slicked up, exfoliated and painted. My toes are French manicured with a cute little pink flower, my fingernails are a soft pink and my hands, face and feet are super soft!

What an amazing day. I can't even begin to express enough gratitude to Pam for such a generous gift. I can honestly say I haven't ever experienced anything like it. In fact I didn't know a day like today existed.

I also need to take a minute and give a huge thank you to my precious husband. He had all 5 kids which obviously includes Anneliese who is primarily nursed. They did amazing and everyone was in one piece and smiling when I got home.

I have to say I definitely feel appreciated :) I honestly couldn't wait to come home to my wonderful family. I do believe I have been refreshed and what a wonderful feeling that is!!!

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

7 Months!!! Anneliese is 7 Months!!

Momentus Randomness

-Anneliese took her 1st bath as a big girl today! She sat confidently in the tub splashing and kicking. So big!

-I have 5 pairs of size 10 jeans that fit. I would say that officially makes me a 10! I'm down 60lbs and a only 10 lbs from my prepregnancy weight! Do you hear that cute little size 6's? I'm on my way!!

-Brennan recieved his appliances today. His mouth looks like he swallowed a shiny robot. He's self conscience but he actually speaks really well.

-October is pastor appreciation month. I dare to say NO ONE appreciates their pastors and their families as generously as WCCC. Tomorrow morning Cindy and I are being taken out for a facial, pedicure, and brunch! Cindy and I are giddy. Thank you Pam!!

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Tanner & Anneliese


Tanner and Anneliese were having a leisurely morning watching cartoons and sipping on some apple juice. Yeah, she's loved :)

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Who's Murphy and What's His Beef with Me?

My new washer from 1/28/09 flooded my laundry room tonight.

I have this false idea that new stuff will work better/longer than used stuff. Apparently new or old everything is subject to Murphy's Law. Especially when you average 2-3 loads of laundry a day.

Praise the Lord for warranties (and Mother in Laws who insist on extended ones) . I called this evening and they'll have someone out here at the break of Wednesday to fix it. I'm not real sure what a family of 7 does without a washer for 3-4 days but I guess we'll find out soon enough.

Cowabunga!!!

30,000 hits some 100 hits ago! I can't believe it you rock my face off!


Oh, and here's a picture of Anneliese at Red Barn Farm just to make your stop by my blog a little warm and fuzzy.

Friday, October 9, 2009

God Bless Thanksgiving?


My mom and I took the kids to Weston today. We had the best time and the kids were remarkably well behaved. We leisurely went in and out of all the shops. While in one shop I saw several of these sets shown above.

I thought it said ,"God Ble" and I thought it strange that the two s' were missing to complete God Bless. It wasn't until the 2nd and then 3rd sets that I really investigated due to the total lack of s' throughout the store. As I looked closer I saw the Turkey sitting on the G.

Suddenly the word Gobble jumped out at me and I couldn't quit giggling.

There was no S thief, I just can't read apparently.

Oh and I home egumacate my chillens...

Thursday, October 8, 2009

YAY Lunch!

Jared and I are going out for his birthday today. His birthday was Sunday but due to busy schedules we are just now getting to celebrate. We are super excited to go to our favorite place for lunch; BD's mongolian BBQ!

Gary and Tina S are our lunch dates and Grandma Anita is babysitting. We are so thankful for amazing family, great friends, and delicious food!

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Skulls, Squirrels & Savings

I took the kids to goodwill in Bonner today to rid ourselves of 3 trash bags full of unwantedness.

While we were there I decided to check out the boys wear and see what was available for Brennan and Tanner.

They actually had quite a bit and the cashier said typically there's lots of girls clothing and not anything for boys. Thankfully they've seen a huge influx of boy wear and are planning to put out tons more (fyi).

We purchased more than 10 shirts/hoodies and 4 pairs of nice jeans plus a new pair of Nike all for $54!!! Now that's a bargain.

I just let the boys browse for what interested them. Tanner picked out a black hoodie with a glow in the dark skull on the front and a shirt with small fuzzy squirrels on it. I know that sounds diverse but that's our Tanner; skater dude with a mix of sensitivity and a love of all things fuzzy.

Brennan really likes shirts with witty sayings on them. So he ended up with a red shirt that says, "Does anyone want my parents?" I don't mind since I know he is respectful of Jared and I. The part that made me giggle is when he found a plain gray turtle neck. He begged for it and I let in. He immediately asked if I would wash it so he could wear it today. Tanner with his skulls and fuzzies, Brennan with his wit and conservatism hmmmm.

Where Does The Time Go?

-Brennan requested a Nintendo DS yesterday. Brennan's never requested anything like this before. His wish list usually includes the newest Star Wars Lego set or a new Bionicle (both in the $10 range). The part that seemed "older" to me was his list of reasons why this would be such a good investment for him :) I've started looking into used ones and games. He offered to use his birthday money to aid in purchasing it. The whole interaction just seemed too mature for my little boy.

-Tanner is reading. He has a voracious appetite for reading. Yesterday he spent the evening seeking out books that he could finish easily and then added up the pages. He read 63 pages last night just for fun. Dyslexia schmexia my little boy is amazingly smart and determined.

-Elijah no longer has a lisp or impediment of any kind. I've realized as of late when I quote him I don't sound anything like him. He speaks clearly and sounds really eloquent. Where'd my fuzzy little brown bear go? Before bed last night he ran to me and asked for a hug and kiss. After I loved on him he smiled and said, "I love you so very much mom."

-Graham loves other children his age. Clara is his "best friend" and he is giddy when she's around. Yesterday Kelly B came by with her little Tyler and he couldn't wait to play with her. He successfully coaxed her away from her mother and they played dinosaurs in the boys room while we sorted through maternity wear. He's potty trained, independent, and loves to socialize. He's quite the charmer.

-Anneliese is almost 7 months. She sits up, eats from the table, and the other night I heard, "maa maaa maaa maaa" through the monitor.

I need to stop typing and go get a kleenex.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Happy Birthday Daddy!

You're an amazing father, husband, friend, confidant, and spiritual leader. We love and cherish you. We are so very thankful God blessed us with you and we thank you so much for taking such good care of us. Happy Birthday!





Friday, October 2, 2009

Baby It's Cold Outside

-I'm sitting fully dressed at the computer with my robe on and seriously considering drinking a hot coffee just to warm up. It must be fall. YAY!

-I lost 3.2 lbs this week for a total of 56.8lbs lost! I have been smiling all day over that! Apparently my body needed a change of pace. I'm really excited to be seeing the end in sight.

-Believe it or not I am in need of 6-9 mos clothing for Ms. Anneliese. I know those of you who attended her shower are now slack jawed in shock wondering how that could possibly be. It's true, she had a ton 0-3, 3-6, and she has an abundance of 12 mos but somehow 6-9 mos came up short. If you see any cute fuzzy sleepers or warm outfits while your out garage sale-ing or goodwilling let me know and I'll reimburse you.

-Last year I found a lady on Craigslist that had a box full of sweatshirts, jeans, and some shoes for the older boys. I pulled them out since it was so chilly and windy today and they show Brennan and Tanner's middles. They have had a serious growth spurt since last year. I have all of 2 shirts that fit Tanner. SO, I'm also on the hunt for size 10/12 hoodies! I may just have to make a trip to The Children's Orchard down in Olathe.

-Cold means my grass will cease to grow! We have a retarded mower that needs repair. It scalps our yard mo-hawk style and actually makes it look worse verses better post mowing. It's nice to get to the point we'll have several months off before we have to deal with it again.