Your journey begins today!

Ember Lane

2012-01-23T06:14:00.000-08:00

When did my baby grow up!?!?!

silly kids

2012-01-16T18:49:00.000-08:00

the kids are quoting a line from the movie "Despicable Me"

--great movie!

"Can we have stuffed crust?"

"ooh stuffed crust!"

"i'll stuff you in the crust!"

wordless wednesday

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

kids in the cold

2012-01-04T09:29:00.000-08:00

vacation pics!

2012-01-03T18:28:00.000-08:00

just a few....

ok, so more than a few!

so olivia is walking now!

it officially happened over christmas!

crayzee, i know!

yeah, it's a lot colder in the north!

cuddle up!

she was not afraid of him!!

had to try to feed the birds!

no such luck.

got to go to the museum of play!

what a great gift!!

ivory wanted to live there!

our little chef!

couple of cute visitors!

got some time out with my momma!

did i mention it was cold?!

happy season!

2011-11-29T13:08:00.000-08:00

hello everybody!

yes, this is a picture of a picture!

how cheap is that?

oh well!

here's our happy family! (except ember...)

aren't we cute?

i love this pic, it says so much!

we are blessed!!

i hope you all enjoy this season,

there is a reason to be joyful!

randomness

2011-11-18T12:03:00.000-08:00

here's a cute pic i took of ryan and olivia...she's all curled up with him...like when she was

a newbie!

the boy who has all access to my heart!!

this is adia's rainbow cake i made for her birthday! it was such a success!

here she is--all overwhelmed with gifts!

big 5yr old girl!

here...brighten is just being goofy with the headbands!

lovely adia with a headband i made for her.

favorite picture

2011-10-27T08:25:00.001-07:00

my latest favorite pic!

tis the season!

2011-10-26T15:29:00.000-07:00

for all my weight-watching friends out there!

here's the points value to some candies for the halloween season!! take it easy!! :)

Jolly Rancher Hard Candy Twists	3 pieces	2
Charm’s Blow Pop	1 junior or regular pop	2
Weight Watchers by Whitman’s Mint Patties	1 piece	2
Tootsie Roll Tootsie Pops	1 regular	1
Weight Watchers by Whitman’s Peanut butter crunch	1 piece	1
Skittles Original Bite Size Candies (fun size)	1 bag	2
Candy corn	1 oz	3
Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Treats	1 bar	2
Jolly Rancher Gummis	9 pieces	3
Jelly Belly Jelly Beans	1 oz package	3
Twizzler’s Cherry Bites	17 pieces	4
Junior Mints	16	5
Tootsie Roll Tootsie Rolls	13 small	4
Weight Watchers by Whitman’s Caramel drops	7 pieces	4

fun day!

2011-10-20T15:37:00.000-07:00

We had a fun day on sunday!

it was like a fair at our church!

petting zoo,

2 bounce houses,

country line dancing lessons,

free food--cotton candy and popcorn!

games, firing range- paint ball,

face painting..etc.

lots of fun things to do with families.

did i mention bobbing for apples?

only brighten wanted to get in!

and throw the apples over and over in the

water. silly boy!

ivory with a my-little-pony on her face!

hands down, this was the girls favorite spot.

the petting zoo.

we camped out here after awhile.

too fun!

olivia just chilled in the stroller,

she is so amazing!

such a happy little girl!

so that was our fun family outing.

we aren't prone to that cuz there is so many of us.

it was a blessing to be amongst friends and church family!

recommendations

2011-10-18T06:58:00.000-07:00

i just watched this movie Moulin Rouge for the first time!

sheesh! it came out in 2002...what was i doing then?

graduating college, heading to Wisconsin.

yeah, no time to watch movies.

i was in college-land.

but this movie is amazing people!

i was so shocked that it was a believable musical.

a love story,

tragedy,

so. well. done.

i loved all the music,

all the actors/actresses sing awesome!

especially the modern music tied into it!

(elton john, sound of music, madonna)

made it so enjoyable!!

one catch to the movie...it is truly an adult movie.

lots of sexual references, since it does take place in a brothel.

ah well,

another thing i can highly recommend is

reading the Help!

oh.my.goodness.

such a good read!

i am about half-way through it, and yes,

i did see the movie already...which is only helping the book for me!

ok! there's my recommendations for you all!!

have a great week!

happy friday!

2011-10-14T14:09:00.000-07:00

happy friday!

hope you have a wonderful weekend!

2011-10-10T05:56:00.000-07:00

i am loving this new season that i'm in right now,

it's not just Fall here, but in my heart something has changed,

i feel at HOME.

so FULL

of love, comfort, peace

i feel my real, full, self.

i know that probably doesn't make sense,

it is so good!!!

happy monday !!

life made lovely monday

2011-09-26T05:47:00.000-07:00

i don't know how i did it.

i really don't.

but i did it!!

survived a whole entire week without my husband!

all alone with the 5 children!

yes, many people get dizzy just thinking of my job,

my life, my plate :)

i get dizzy too sometimes!

here is one of my secrets to my success

i am addicted to coffee/hot beverages.

i thank God for them daily.

another secret:

these kids are so darn cute and squeezable,

that makes this job a bit more bearable!

especially when they give me kisses!!

makes my life very much more lovely!!

so feel free to have your children pay you in kisses and hugs!

i do! :)

makes life more lovely, i think!

finally friday pics

2011-09-23T05:10:00.000-07:00

Happy friday!!

dreams

2011-09-16T05:55:00.000-07:00

i've been hunting around on other people's blogs...

like for the past 6 months

and i've acquired some "dreams" per say...

here's some of them i'd like to accomplish if there was no limit on funds or time!

~make this amazing duvet cover

i totally love this wreath!!

would love to make this canopy for the girls!

~sorry no pic on here~

i'm surely dreaming when it comes to this next one....

i've never wanted to really make my own dress, but

this would be it!!

wordless wednesday

2011-09-14T10:03:00.000-07:00

wordless

2011-09-08T07:13:00.001-07:00

big baby!

2011-09-03T06:04:00.000-07:00

my baby girl is growing up!!

Olivia Jean is:

crawling around,

knocking on doors,

saying ma-ma!

eating finger foods

loves baths

loves her sisters

loves her brother

really really loves her daddy!

she points to everything she sees

wordless.... whatever day it is!

2011-09-01T11:08:00.000-07:00

and school begins!!

2011-08-30T13:01:00.000-07:00

here's ember's class!

she looks soooo happy, and happy she is!! she loves school and her class,

and we are all thrilled!

while school was in session, we took the little ones to the Dairy Barn, they loved it!

Especially the water!

it's a new season of life here, unchartered waters.

it's good,

it's unknown!

all the more reason to lean on Him!

blessings on your season!

thankful Friday!

2011-08-26T11:16:00.000-07:00

check out this awesome song!

have some alone time and let these words resonate in your spirit...it's pretty powerful!

i've been moved every time i listen!

so, i thought i'd share! :)

enjoy!

happy monday!

2011-08-22T12:08:00.000-07:00

so this great idea i found on family fun website:

you need:

tissue paper--a variety of colors

glue (or glue sticks)

saran wrap

tape

step one:

have a window with a not-so pleasant view? or need a spiced up window for fun??

great! saran wrap it! tape it to the sides of the window till it's all covered up!

then let your kids at it with tissue paper....but first let them paint the glue on/or rub it on with a

glue stick!

Step two: piece by piece glue on the colors you want!

fun fun fun!! my kids were occupied for a long time! :)

viola!! you have a great looking stained glass window!! oh happy day!

i love mine!!

2011-08-19T07:32:00.000-07:00

this is Olivia jean on her 1st birthday!!

she turned one on the 10th of August,

as you know, it's hard to believe a year has past.

wow!

the cake!! (mccall's devils food cake!)

didn't have time to make any frosting, so powdered sugar it is!!

also some redi whip, which she loved!!

fabric flowers

2011-08-12T06:05:00.000-07:00

here are some of the flowers i made!!!

i am quite pleased with them!! i sewed a bobby pin to the back of this white one.....should be cute in someone's hair!!

oh, and yesterday ivory and adia decided to have a hair cutting session in their bedroom......

yikes! i had an array of feelings...but we don't need to discuss them!

here's adia's hair now.....short on one side (reminds me of a mullet!) and normal on the other!

alas....it happens to everyone at least once! :)

make it monday!

2011-08-09T10:41:00.000-07:00

hello friends!

i've been deeply inspired....seeing all these blogs and crafting pictures on pinterest...oh boy!

i want to create sooooooooo badly!

i have to make good use of the little time i have,
when not taking care of 5 young beauties!
but today i've purposed to make "something".

so after looking at this:

and this:

from my favorite new website !

it is super inspiring!!

so, i've decided to make a fabric flower today, and maybe every day this week!

and i want to challenge all of you crafters out there to make one too!!

join me in making a fabric flower--!
and add it to a headband, or shoes, or use it on a present!

options are endless! :)

happy flower making!!

wordless wednesday

2011-08-03T07:38:00.000-07:00

DIY water color paints!

2011-08-01T10:32:00.000-07:00

Ember had a great idea last night! "mommy do you think we can make paint?"
i said "i betcha i can find out on the internet!"
so i looked on pintrest and found a bunch of links to make paint!
this is the one i took ours from.

recipe: 3 Tablespoons of Vinegar, Baking Soda and Cornstarch
and since the original recipe calls for 1 1/2 tsp of corn syrup....i substituted fake maple syrup!
why not? it worked for us!!

mix them all in a pourable dish and pour into egg cartons. then add 2 drops of whatever colors you desire! stir it up, and paint!

fun for all! and cheap! and safe...kids could eat it and be just fine! :)

i heart movies!

2011-07-30T12:37:00.000-07:00

one of my favorite websites i gravitate to every day, sometimes multiple times a day is the pioneer woman. have you checked her out yet? she's hilarious!!

and she gives away some cool stuff, at least every week!

but alas, she is so popular the chances of winning anything (at least 50,000 view/comment on her blog!)

crazy! she's that good!

i got introduced to her when my mom bought me her cookbook--which is awesome!! my husband was very happy when i started making all of her recipes! there's some great ones!!

so, anyways she has a new section on her website- entertainment! that's right up my alley! i love a good movie to watch, and the way she talks about them makes me want to watch all of them! yikes!

so recently i watched Chariots of Fire--directly because she raved about it so!

i realized some things about myself in watching this movie:

1. i don't really like watching movies alone. makes me feel sneaky. sometimes i like to feel sneaky, but most times not so when watching for entertainment and trying to wind down from being around youngin's all day.

2. british movies and me, don't really mix. i need an interpreter! seriously! i don't know why i cannot follow the plot, at least 2 scenes go by and i'm asking...what just happened? why can't i get it?

so yeah! there's my rant on movies!

got any glorious ones to recommend me?

wordless wednesday

2011-07-27T14:12:00.000-07:00

vacation!

2011-07-25T17:42:00.000-07:00

so, yes! we went on vacation, for about 3 weeks! yikes is that long!?! but we got to see lots of family and friends. such a good time! :)

here we are in the car! the kids were super excited to get on the road to see grandma's!!

little did they know how their bums would hurt from driving

12 straight hours~!!

they are troupers though!

we made it to NY!! and we relaxed on the 4th of july in grandma and grandpa's shade, so nice!

then ryan whisked me away! for real! a true get-away from the kiddos, we divided them up and passed them out to willing friends and family. i was truly blessed and completely surprised!... and not only that, but we got to get away with our wonderful friends j &j! all we had was babies on our 2 day/2night escape.

and what did we do?--NOTHING!!! so glorious. when you have many young children, boredom is NOT in your vocabulary anymore!

see how happy and peaceful i look?

here's some highlights of the rest of the trip:

black-raspberries!! my favorite!

who doesn't love a hammock?

swim, swim, swim!!

more pics to come!!

chairs

2011-07-03T06:17:00.000-07:00

hurray!!

this is livi's sign for "all done!"

she goes all out!

gosh love that girl!!

before

after!

i have no idea how to change the back,

either just cover it with fabric,

or who knows?

any suggestions?

life made lovely

2011-06-27T10:38:00.000-07:00

i have been going crazy around here, making my house more lovely, or just for the sake of change, spicing things up a bit!

seriously.

i need new eye-candy if you can't tell!

these are just a few things i've done around here.

new wall pics,

new ceiling!

before of the bathroom curtain

after!

change is good!

what i love today!

2011-06-25T19:31:00.000-07:00

here's some pics of my oldest and youngest!

i am loving having curtains up! yes, and if i can get blogger to upload some pics,

you'll love them too!!

sorry for the darkness, .....it's sunny and bright down here in the south!!

i'm super happy and motivated right now.

next project is:

re-covering my kitchen chairs!

stay tuned!!

i think i'm in love with fabric!

2011-06-17T14:42:00.000-07:00

i went to ikea yesterday, and wow.

they are very pro-textiles (fabric).

i never really realized it until i looked through a book on their rack, and there

are soooo many ideas of things to do (esp. decorating) with fabric!

i'm really really excited!

i've been busy making curtains for my house.

i cannot tell you how many years it's been that we've lived in this house and i am finally putting up curtains! ....(actually about 4 1/2 yrs people!)

yowsa!

can you believe that?

it finally feels like a home!

why did i wait?

i will never do that again!

so here is to inspiration!

when we get inspired it's like a new breathe,

new wind,

new gusto!

i love it!

may you get some your way today!

hurray for summer!

2011-06-15T05:17:00.000-07:00

here is livi's latest trick! she had such a blast showing us that she was "all done!"

she continues to flail her arms up after each bite to watch us congratulate her on all done!!

super cute!

She is growing into such a beautiful girl! i love her so much!

she is super sweet, almost the whole time!

Ember is growing into such a helper!

not only does she serve her sister's their breakfast every morning,

she reads them books at bedtime too!

she was a great help to me while ryan was gone.

she would even put on brighten's shoes for him!

what sweetie!

this is a picture she wanted me to take and send to daddy.

she missed him so.

livi loves the water!!

Adia,

i love her in purple!

she is pretty amazing

and almost always skins her knee when we go for a walk.

she is resilient!

curtains!

2011-06-09T18:25:00.000-07:00

not to be negative, but let me just help you all see how wonderfully real children are!
i've decided to show you some of the damage that children can do.
really.
this is meant to be somewhat humorous and shocking.
this is some of the damage my children have done to my kitchen wall.
as pictured above, i now have to go buy some paint and probably put 11+ coats back on
to make it look normal.
did you notice the marker below?
ha.
ha.
so funny.

on a better note!
i just made these curtains from an old "vintage sheet" that i picked up for $2 at a thrift store!
i love them!
and i 'm super glad they bring lots of light into my kitchen!
yay for new curtains!!

i hope your summer is going well.
we are splashing in our ever-deflating pool (we've had it for 3 years now...might be time for a new one!)

happy summer!

sister love!

2011-06-04T11:20:00.000-07:00

wordless wednesday

2011-06-01T11:49:00.000-07:00

someone got my camera!

2011-05-30T14:33:00.000-07:00

i did not take these pictures, can ya tell?

my daughter got my camera!!

sweet thing.

made my day.

a little surprise!

i love it.

happy monday!

what i love wednesday!

2011-05-11T10:22:00.000-07:00

This about says it all people.

lately i've been really enjoying the Corona. counting points with WW, it's a mere 3pts.

yes!

i also love mexican food.

here's a pic of nachos.

yum.

pretty flowers- yay!

and a pretty girl.

my adia

oh yeah, and paper plates!

genius!-whoever invented them, had to be a mom!

happy mother's day!

2011-05-08T15:36:00.000-07:00

hello friends!

happy mother's day to ya!

if you are a mom and want to giggle...go to this blog.

i had a wonderful weekend, i received a wonderful

mother's day gift, and so of course i'm experimenting with it! :)

so, more food pics to come!

until then, i was able to take a little shoot

of my youngest two.

here's some shots!

Teacher appreciation week!!

2011-05-04T13:25:00.000-07:00

i got this cute idea from here.

i am so appreciative of all the hard work that my daughter's teachers do!!

Brighten turned 3 on sunday! he got a little peter pan and a guitar! oh he loves them so, the guitar plays riffs like- love shack, and other songs....i'm about to go crazy!!!

what a big boy he is!!

3rd birthday cake!

2011-05-03T11:15:00.001-07:00

Olivia photo shoot!

2011-04-29T09:00:00.001-07:00

Five things i love Friday!!

1. roses! we now have roses in our front yard! (thankyou ramona!)

they are blooming and so pretty!

2. This is ivory's robot "Nellie". i had alot of fun helping put her together for an assignment

for kindergarten. she is made out of all garbage/recyclables.

3. Lilac bush! ramona bought this last year when she went up north...brought it back,

and now the southerners don't know what to make of it! :)

i love it!

and i miss the lilac festival.

4. loved doing the egg-decorating with my girls! they loved it too!

such a fun little event. this was our first year doing it too!

5. big girl Ember. yes, i love her so. her face has changed so much since almost all her

big front teeth are in!! ivory is excited too because she just got her first loose tooth!

changes are coming for her this year!

happy friday!

2011-04-23T13:28:00.000-07:00

Vacation Continued!

it didn't take us long to get adjusted to vacation-life! the kids were all over that cabin/cottage

re-exploring and re-discovering memories they had had.

such a sweet time!

this swing was the newest addition to the cabin since we had been there. it was so comfy and relaxing in the back screened-in porch!

we each had our turn in it.

i've been really excited about easter weekend. i'm excited to celebrate with new friends and faces at our latest new church we've been attending- "Abundant Hope"

a brunch before church and then a bbq after church!! what fun!

somehow, eating together always makes me feel more at "home" with other people.

i love it! and it makes me miss home all the more.

bittersweet

so happy easter to you!

may you receive peace and joy in the Lord!

may you feel at "home"

may all your longings be fulfilled

amen!

2011-04-20T16:24:00.000-07:00

2011-04-15T09:19:00.001-07:00

OH HAPPY DAY!

this is what olivia looks like when she's not smiling.....

still quite cute!

in honor of easter coming up i found those jell-o egg molds

at the thrift store...i just HAD to try it out!

unfortunately..i didn't grease them good enough...so we had half-eggs

as you can see in the picture.....they sure were fun to eat though!

i'm going to get it right, i just have to!! :)

my favorite!

ember made me a head-band-hat thingy...

ivory came home with one, so ember made herself and me one!

too cute, and very thoughtful!

i am loved! :)

happy friday blog-friends!

2011-04-14T16:02:00.000-07:00

one of the events i did with the kids while daddy was gone.

Dairy barn creek hopping!

oh so much fun!

they loved every minute.

we probably were there in the water for at least a half hour.

soaking wet.

what is it with kids and water?

me and livi...nice and dry!

oh, so innocent!

yeah right. !

this is ivory with her kindergarten class! they had a performance

singing all sorts of patriotic songs, they were great!

(ivory has a red head-band on, in the second-to-last row, 7th from the right)

hope that makes sense!

2011-04-08T07:40:00.000-07:00

this girl is going to town! she's growing so fast, eating/sucking on graham crackers

and loving being older every day!!

she's so sweet now,...mimicking sounds and giggling!

here's a pic of ember's birthday cake!

isn't mona amazing? she should go into business....princess cake business! :)

some of my creativity! sourdough bread!

finally! making sourdough is a LONG process, more than i knew...

yet very worth it! i'm falling in love with sourdough pancakes,

sourdough bread...i'm also tempted to try sourdough pretzels....ooh yum!

i thought i'd post this just cuz we miss him!

yes, it's been a whole week without him,

3 more days....counting it down!

but all in all, we are well!

2011-04-04T07:37:00.000-07:00

2011-04-01T12:59:00.000-07:00

mug-o-cake!

my mom sent me this random forward email yesterday...

it had the recipe for making a single serving of cake, in a mug!

genius! and you cook it in the microwave- 3 minutes!

i totally know this isn't healthy, but what fun that is!

and yummy too!

here's how it turned out:

within minutes it popped out of the mug,

adia and i were super impressed!

it was devoured within minutes!! :)

we split it in half and devoured the whole thing!

it is a bit chewy, cuz it's made in the microwave....

but those gooey chocolate chips sure are amazing!

here's the recipe:

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug (MicroSafe)

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well..
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.
The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
EAT ! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).

2011-03-30T07:18:00.000-07:00

A few of my Favorite things!

my backyard!

teeny tiny tea party!!

Thanks to Grandma jean!

Big girl!!

mini-me!

2011-03-25T12:39:00.001-07:00

ember's birthday!!

7 yrs

this is what she woke up to....

this is what i made for her.....

a skirt from an old tapestry

she loved it!!

i picked out this stuffed animal...a very long bunny rabbit!

grandma susie sent these stickers for her nails!!

among other wonderful gifts! :)

we had a wonderful little family party for her....this weekend is the friend party!! (first one ever!!)

2011-03-20T09:52:00.000-07:00

HaPpY bIrThDaY Ember Lane!

7 years old today

so big, so fast!

definitely feels fast...7 years ago...

wow...

Such a JOY in our lives, we are truly blessed!

we love you Ember Lane.

A Gift from God, truly.

2011-03-18T06:06:00.000-07:00

friday!!

.....and boy are we tired!

this is a shot of just one of our evenings this week....these days are exhausting!

happy, full, and tiring!

1. i love my family, i'm very thankful for all of them.

2. i'm thankful for Ember-who will be 7yrs old on sunday!

wow...how time has flown. i'm going to attempt to throw her a birthday party

next weekend for the first time! yikes! it's a big undertaking for me, but i want

her to be blessed and have some fun!

3. i love baby Olivia! she's such a blessing, she sleeps a lot and is such a joy!

4. i love corned beef and cabbage....we realized that we all love it so much, why don't we have it more often? instead of once a year? sheesh!

5. i love to create...so much! i'm making Ember a skirt for her birthday! i just modeled one of her skirts, i'm pretty excited! i hope she will wear it!

i'm also making her a french bulletin board...to hand ALL of her art work on...believe me, there is so much to hang...daily she produces lots and lots of art!

(pics coming soon.)

2011-03-11T06:31:00.000-08:00

help!! i need some birthday celebration ideas!!

ember will be turning 7 on march 20th!

she is super excited, and i'm fresh out of ideas.....

well...i have a couple :)

but i would love your imput!! what should i do?

any ideas for a party that don't involve my house?

livi lou is growing so fast...learned how to roll over (belly to back)

she is such a happy baby!! i'm so blessed.

happy friday to you!

2011-03-09T12:32:00.001-08:00

2011-03-08T15:11:00.000-08:00

Sneak peak!

check out these blossoms!!

they = peaches in the summer.

yay!!

we tried some squash......

she looks like she wants to give up...

she shutters every time i put food in her mouth...

i guess we'll try a bit later :)

2011-03-03T09:30:00.000-08:00

Big kids- ADIA Edition

Adia, our true middle child,

lost in the middle.

may you grow and prosper little girl.

you are so special to us!

Olivia is truly Adia's delight,

she thanks Jesus every night for her new baby sister,

and asks for another one!

Adia loves doing special things with anyone!!

she is constantly wanting to play make-believe, constantly.

here she is in ivory's clothing, with ivory's new sunglasses.

adia loves her big sisters and is so relieved now that she shares a room with them...

no longer left out...she's joining the bigger girls!

we love you Adia!!

2011-02-26T06:57:00.000-08:00

irish soda bread

i am a sucker for baking bread.

big time.

all i need to see is a great pic and read wonderful words about it,

and i'm hooked!

no, these aren't the best pics, but it's really easy, i promise!!

no yeast involved.

just baking soda!

and i really like it toasted. it's got such a different flavor than yeast bread.

it's good!

baked in the cast iron skillet!

the irish would make this when guests randomly stopped in...it's that quick,

it's that easy.

enjoy!

recipe

2011-02-25T07:26:00.000-08:00

inspired to decorate!

dead flowers in my front yard...who knew they could still bring beauty?

i've been totally on a decorating kick.

just rearranged the kids and now i have an excuse to redecorate! yippee!

i've been getting so much satisfaction in decorating lately.

:) happy me!

very thankful right now for new inspiration and new motivation!!

i'm thankful for clearance at target that gives me good, cheap, ideas!

kids are doing wonderfully in their new rooms....it was time! :)

2011-02-18T09:16:00.000-08:00

SPRING!

So, i took the little ones for a walk the other day when ryan and adia were

sick-o. it's beautiful!! i love it when the "groundhog sees his shadow!"

(a.k.a.-early spring!)

gosh i love the south when that happens.

i remembered 5 yrs ago when we moved here it was like that. amazing!

last year was not so. it jumped from winter to summer....ew.

brighten loves going for walks around our little pond/lake.

lots of ducks and geese...even a new swan? if you can call it that...it's got this weird orange thing on it's beak...so weird. i'll post a pic when i figure out my bluetooth on this new computer.

so i did a bit of cleaning experimentation.

i've been making lavender water.

it's easy.

5-6 drops of pure lavender essential oil.

boil 2 quarts of water, simmer for about an hour to get impurities out.

then add the lavender and let it sit until cool.

i add it to a spray bottle and i use it for our hair! it adds a pretty smell and did you even know that the word lavender comes from the word :

lavar--to wash

so: whatever i spritz is getting a little cleaner!! i love doing it in my girls hair!!

i feel like they are a bit cleaner! :)

so i tried it on my carpet! it was great!!!

i used a scrub brush too, and my carpet looks a lot better!!

happy me! i'm even going to spritz my bed sheets to freshen them up!

i have many more ideas for this lavender spray! hurray!

just thought i'd share! :)

2011-02-16T13:52:00.001-08:00

2011-02-13T13:59:00.001-08:00

got a new computer--yes, we are happy about that!

so we sit in front of it alot! yup.

olivia is adia's favorite toy.

doesn't she look like a baby doll?

grandma susie made the sweater and hat....unbelievable!!

so gorgeous!

2011-02-11T05:39:00.000-08:00

having fun with the new computer!!!

kids could get used to this....

i am losing it here....utter silliness!!

2011-02-05T04:46:00.000-08:00

Season Change

i'm super excited! my hubby is going out today to order our new computers!
this is huge! i've been thinking about having my own computer/laptop for 5 years now,
and it's finally going to happen!! YIPPEEE!!!

so hopefully i will be producing more blogs posts for you people...or just for myself! :)
it is a new season for us, feeling the spring come....even the ground hog confirmed it for us!
spring is coming quick. i think i'm ready!!
bring it on! :)

2011-01-21T09:38:00.000-08:00

i love felt!
martha stewart you were soooooooo right at recommending felt! :)
so i'm experimenting (finally) with felt and i love it!!
looks so cool! in this pic i'm making a rice bag (you fill a bag full of rice and then you can stick it in the microwave for about 2 1/2 minutes). my children love sleeping with them at night...helps keep them warm at night! --like a cozy!
can't get enough of this creativity! where will it take me next??!

2011-01-18T14:58:00.001-08:00

for grandma susie!
love you and miss you!!

2011-01-17T10:03:00.000-08:00

Discovery place

Wow, they sure grow big fast!
Here's my oldest 4 children at the Discovery Place!
we had our first family public outing on saturday, and ryan and i were just
waiting for it to go horribly...and it didn't! God answered our prayers for grace!
we had fun. it's getting more and more fun to go out, esp now that we have a GPS-
(we got if for ryan's birthday!) best present ever.

jellyfish!

2011-01-15T14:04:00.000-08:00

Outing to Discovery Place!

Brighten loved the Bears!!

2011-01-10T12:22:00.001-08:00

My birthday Dinner!

One of the main things i wanted for my birthday was a dinner party!
i chose the meal, and invited friends, and it was wonderful!!
ryan made me Julia Child's favorite Roast chicken.
it's really complicated, he says.
i believed him when i saw the instructions 3 pages long! yikes!
i guess he loves me ! :)

me and ivory (my mini)

Lora and Jen

Dinner! oh boy!

Table all set up so nicely by Mona

Ryan and the instructions

Lighting the chicken on fire...yes this is supposed to happen!

in the dark! pretty cool.
all in all, i was super blessed. Mona finished off the night by bringing out the cake!
boston cream pie.
my favorite!!
(dont know why i didnt get a pic)

2011-01-10T12:17:00.000-08:00

seriously.......she is like this 90% of the time!! a true blessing!!

2011-01-05T17:54:00.000-08:00

2011-01-03T06:54:00.000-08:00

More Christmas!

new christmas tradition?
cinnamon rolls for breakfast!--at least 2! :)

the girls got princess barbies for christmas!
they love them!!! they actually love anything tangible from a movie they have seen,
so they can pretend play that movie all over again!

no, we didn't get a dog.

but our friend Luke was up for christmas with us, and he brought his dog Syd.
we loved him! he was such a chill dog, did great around the kids,....they loved him!
such a good dog to be around!

here's christmas dinner!
Ryan roasted a Goose! it was good, along with the british roasted potatoes "roasties"!
yum!

2010-12-29T05:57:00.000-08:00

2010-12-27T12:27:00.000-08:00

SNOW!

Ember Lane has been praying for snow, seriously ALL year long!
and i'm amazed how long this snow has lasted!! this is the third day in a row that it is
still here!! that's a record people! normally it melts by the end of the day!
yep, it's cold!!
the Lord definitely loves her! :)

2010-12-27T11:48:00.000-08:00

Ryan's christmas present!

yep! i made it! it is a quilt from all my old "fat"pants that i no longer wear!
there are some of his jeans in there too! i really wanted to make a quilt for the family to have,
and i'm really proud of how this turned out! i love it!! (so does he!)

so i basically just took pants and cut them up ...only did necessary trimming, but left

the pants as is, sewed them together!
i didn't know what i wanted for the back...maybe a flannel sheet or something..
so i ended up at the thrift store...found this polyester blanket for $1.50...it is soft!
so perfect, so i sewed it on! done! :)
it was alot easier than i thought!!

2010-12-22T06:01:00.001-08:00

2010-12-22T05:56:00.000-08:00

merry christmas!!

olivia jean 4 mo.

2010-12-21T10:17:00.001-08:00

KISS/HUG SANDWHICH

here is a yummy food gift the kids can make!!
pretzels and kisses and hugs
placed in the oven then you put pretzels on top--kiss sandwhich!
EASY!!
and delicious, watch out....very addictive!
(idea given by friend danielle thompson!--genius!)

2010-12-14T07:04:00.000-08:00

Go check out my friend jenn's giveaway on her blog!
it's a super cute purse and she's laugh-out-loud funny! :)
www.makemineblue.blogspot.com

2010-12-09T14:50:00.000-08:00

BUBBLES!
i love bath pictures, they are just the best!
here's olivia....she loves the bath!
could be related to her being born in the water....but whatever!, she still
loves it! :)

today i'm thankful for good neighbors.
my neighbor jamie rescued us this morning,
our van was in the shop getting fixed and mona's car needed a jump,....so i knocked on the neighbor door and got eager help! hallelujah!
mona's car got started and she took my girls to school for us....indeed i'm thankful!

2010-12-08T08:07:00.000-08:00

HAIRCUTS

i took ivory to get her hair cut! yup! it was time :)

so cute!!
then it was ember's turn!

they are happier and love their haircuts!!
ember says she looks like frauline maria!

2010-11-26T20:15:00.000-08:00

5 THINGS I LOVE ABOUT THIS SEASON

1. shopping!! i just went shopping on black friday for the first time!! woohoo! let's just say,
the kids are set for christmas!! :)

2. decorating the house....one tree up already...one more to go!

3. Gifting! i'm getting really excited already to ship packages and gifts to beloved ones! i am frequenting amazon.com alot these days!! :)

4. food of course! bring on the cookies, right? gonna explore that new martha stewart cookie book i picked up at a yard sale!

5. gathering of friends/family/loved ones! i will miss those far away for sure, but i'm going
to try to make the most of who's around me! looking forward to blessing my russian neighbors, new mexican friends, and american friends near! (i feel so international, gosh i love america!)

blessings to all of you in this holiday season!

2010-11-19T18:02:00.000-08:00

time for a hair cut, huh?
but i loved how much his hair matched the coat!!
what color is this? the hair and the coat....what color exactly??
please share, all my color-fanatic friends! :)

life is going good, fast...i cannot believe how fast a day, and even a month seems
to fly by!

2010-11-03T04:52:00.001-07:00

p.s.- that is red marker on his nose! he did that himself! :)

2010-11-02T14:07:00.000-07:00

check out this cutie!

2010-10-29T09:30:00.000-07:00

Amazing Tuscan tomato soup!
(joy of coooking)
i loved how it wasn't sweet, it was more hearty and full of fresh basil!
i have plenty of that in the garden!

Pot roast! i made 2 different ones this week.
i love how easy they are and how incredibly delicious they turn out!

Pumpkin muffins!
i fell in love with the picture on martha's website and just had to try them out! yep, they are great! i could use more spices though, but still a keeper!

2010-10-22T06:22:00.000-07:00

5 THINGS I LOVE FRIDAY

1. my mailbox!--actually i love the plant that is growing on/in it! it's a black-eyed susan vine. makes me happy just to look at it!

2. coffee in the morning--it reminds me alot of sipping chocolate! yum!

3. Abuelita!--you've GOT to try it! i learned about it through Dora the explorer! trust me, the mexican's have got this one right, it's soooooo yummy!! (hot chocolate with coconut and cinnamon!) go run to your local grocery store and try it...you won't regret it!

4. the Cosby Show- i've been getting past seasons at the library and having a good laugh almost every night! we can really relate to them cuz they have 5 children as well--one boy, 4 girls. it's destiny! :)

5. MacGyver- yup! still love him, even though he is a player! he still is a genius to me! and the mullet isn't as bad as i thought it would be! (did i just say that?) wow.

2010-10-08T05:08:00.000-07:00

following in daddy's footsteps!

Last weekend we went on a family hike! it was so much fun!
our first real full family event since baby Olivia has been born.
it was great! especially since the cooler fall air is here!

2010-10-04T19:29:00.000-07:00

"livie lou!"

2010-10-02T21:19:00.000-07:00

merry christmas!

just kidding!
ha! look at my amazing garage sale find--for $5!
prelit, 6ft, martha stewart tree!
i love it, it's so cute and makes my home cozy!
yep! i love it, all year long! :)

2010-10-02T21:11:00.000-07:00

Butternut Squash Soup

i am addicted to this soup!! it is so smooth, so good!!
my new favorite for sure!
it is cheap to make, low fat, and good for you!
i think it's about 2 points a cup (weight watchers), if that!

RECIPE:

-cook one butternut squash in oven- split in half, take seeds out- on an oiled cookie sheet
375 for an hour (until very soft)

- in large soup pan sautee for 5-10 min:
1 med onion - chopped
3 T butter
4 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced (i use my garlic press!)

-add cooked squash as well as 4 cups of chicken broth

-bring to simmer for 20 min (while breaking up the squash with a spoon)

-puree the entire mixture in a blender

-bring back to pot and add 2 Cups of chicken broth
and 1 1/2 tsp salt

-heat it up and serve with crusty bread and butter!

YUM!

2010-09-29T06:42:00.001-07:00

2010-09-24T05:37:00.000-07:00

Last night was "house-dinner" and mona made dinner and i made dessert.
i was sooooo excited to make this cake, my friend Trish hooked me on it! thanks trish!!
the million dollar cake!
(5 layers- cake, pudding, crushed pineapple, coolwhip, and walnuts!)
yummy!

isn't mona just stunning in this pic? i just had to take her pic! :)
(this one's for you carla!)

our meal was pretty awesome!
mona's idea: shish-ca-bob's
NY strip steak, shrimp, peppers, and onions
yum!

rye is awesome on the grill!

Olivia smiling!
she's just started that this week!
thanks for reading!

2010-09-22T07:04:00.000-07:00

2010-09-17T06:11:00.000-07:00

Chopped up peppers and onions
(aren't they so beautiful? all those colors, i just HAD to take a pic!)

now carmelized!
(my favorite!)

i put them on pizza!
along with a sausage-like meat sauce, and fresh mozzarella on top,
sprinkled with oregano!
oh yum!

2010-09-16T14:49:00.000-07:00

Toothless wonder!

2010-09-13T06:14:00.000-07:00

Ryan found a caterpillar in our little garden that looked "different" from all the other big nasty green caterpillars that were eating our tomato plants, so he saved it and put it in our caterpillar house! i made a chrysalis immediately! a few weeks later this butterfly appeared! so beautiful!