Christmas Pictures

Here are just a few pic's from our Christmas day adventure. This is at our house at about 6:15a.m. Christmas morning!! Here's Ben with his new hunting blink I got him,,, he was so excited and couldnt lelieve how big it was,,, as I type he and Gary are out in the woods now!

This is at my moms house around 9:15a.m. The 2 babies in their matching dresses:)

And here is Miss Emma with one of her favorite presents,,, shes been toting that baby around with her everywhere she goes.

The 5 of us

Menu plan

Monday:b-blueberry muffins
l-mac n cheese, brats
d-spaghetti and garlic bread

Tuesday:b-oatmeal and toast
l-leftover spaghetti
d-chicken tacos, refried beans, nachos

Wednesday:b-egg sandwiches
l-peanut butter and jelly
d-stir fry (need to figure out some snacky stuff for new years eve)

Thursday:b-biscuits and gravy
d-cabbage casserole

Friday:b-cereal
l-
d-beef cubed steak, green beans with potatoes


I'm not very motivated right now,,, I'll figure out something for Saturday and lunch Fri. later,,,, happy menu planning!

Great Christmas.

Well I had a big invisionment of my post with lots of pictures from Christmas for everyone but for some reason my camera card is not registering on my computer... hopefully nothing is wrong! We had a wonderful Christmas though, the kids got everything they wanted and more,, I even got what I wanted! The wii fit game and board!! Hubby got it for me, I was so excited. Its pretty fun, the whole family enjoys it not just me. It told me how fat I was though, but I think it will be encouraging for me,, there are games you can play but its exercise at the same time, and it tracks your progress along the way....motivation is exactly what I need right now! Hubby and I both agree that come the new year we are getting real serious about losing some weight and eating healthier!! Over the past week or so we've ate all kinds of junk,, people keep giving us sweets!!! I got hubby the ground blind for deer hunting hes been wanting, he was really happy!


Well, once I figure out whats going on with my camera card I'll try and post some pictures.

Adventures in gingerbread houses

Well tonight was or first attempt at making a gingerbread house. It was rather fun and everyone enjoyed it! I let one kid do one half and the other the other half.

They both did a wonderful job. Actually daddy even helped

I made up the icing and he applied it for them. They stuck on all the candy. While they were doing that I made home made doggie treats! Another first for me. It was also fun. You use regular ingredients and roll it out and we used our Christmas cookie cutters and cut out trees, snowmen, and snowflakes. We are keeping some for shelby(our Boston terrier) and the rest will be given out to family members doggies! I thought it was a nice special treat. I let Shelby try one tonight and she really liked it so its doggie approved!!

All in all it was a fun filled night with my family! Tomorrow we are going to make sugar cookies and decorate them with the babysitting kids. It should be fun, then we will save some for Santa Claus and let the babysitting kids take some home for them. Tomorrow will be their last day here before the holiday so I will be giving them there presents also! Exciting!

Cold and a menu plan

Wow,, its been a very cold weekend!@! I'm talking -3degrees with a windchill of like -25degrees. Needless to say we spent most of the weekend indoors. There was a big ice storm and so many people lost power. We were lucky because ours only flashed on and off, it never stayed off for more than 15 minutes. Yesterday my parents and grandparents came and hung out for a little while because they had lost power. It was crowded but nice to see and spend time with everyone,, its times like those though that I wish for a bigger house,, one day we will get there!

So for the next two weeks all kids and hubby will be home, plus the babysitting kids for most of the days. So for my menu plan I am writing out breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I want to make sure Iam gonna have enough food for everyone! :)

Sunday:B-pancakes, ham steak,
D-frozen pizza, leftover hot wings

Monday:B-cereal
L-grilled cheese, ravioli
D-pork loin chops, baked potatoes, green beans

Tuesday:B-scrambled eggs, toast
L-pizza bites, carrot sticks, cottage cheese
D-pork shoulder steak, corn, green beans

Wednesday:B-cereal
L-Christmas eve get together at dad's
D-pizza delivery

Thursday: Merry Christmas
B-big breakfast at moms for her Christmas
L-at moms
D-leftover pizza or whatever is easy

Friday:B-oatmeal
L-Ramon noodles
D-chicken patties, french fries, cottage cheese, peas

Saturday:B-fried eggs, sausage
L-lunch meat
D- company's coming and we are making homemade pizza!!!



Now I do realize that 4 out of the 7 days are pizza...hhhmmmm.. well Sunday just kinda happened that way, and I am ordering it on Christmas eve because its simple and I want the leftovers for Christmas day because normally once we come home from moms we are super busy playing with new things and organizing all the new stuff from Christmas.... then Sat. is homemade pizza this was at the request of our company,,,,, and in my opinion you can never have to much pizza!!! But we probably wont eat it again for a few weeks:) lol

Soon to be walking

Can you believe my little Emma has taken her first steps? 11 months old. She isn't actually walking but I'm sure it wont be long. She is so brave. We don't have a coffee table but she will go from the couch to the recliner which is a couple of steps, and sometimes she just lets go and starts going in the open but she falls after a couple of steps. She get so excited,,, as do I. I tell you what, that girl has no fear! Oh to be young and worry free. Also I noticed today that part of her 1st molar is through,,,can you believe that.... shes gonna have a mouthful of teeth before shes one! Time is just going so fast. I am trying to savior every minute because I know from experience that in the blink of an eye she will be off to kindergarten:(

Apple jack cookies

Tonight instead of hot chocolate I decided to make some cookies with the kids. Gary had brang home a recipe from school a week or so ago called apple jack cookies, I had never heard of them and it seemed fairly simple so we gave it a shot!

They really did turn out good. and we had fun making them! Soon we will have to try our hands at some Christmas cookies. I have some cookie cutters that I have never used. One year I tried to make sugar cookies but they turned out bland and not yummy. Anyone have a good sugar cookie recipe?

Thankful

I have this overwhelming feeling of thankfulness right now for some reason. This morning was kinda rocky, there was a two hour delay so all the big kids were here and I was yelling way to much! I hate when I do that. I just get upset because I feel like they are constantly running around making messes and not cleaning them up, and I guess my way of thinking is they are big enough to clean it up but they don't so then I get angry. I need to remember that they are just kids, and right now it is their job to have fun and play and learn. I need to remind myself to just relax. The world will not end because there are stuffed animals laying in the hallway pretending to be pumpkins waiting to be picked. And the stacks of books all laying out in my sons floor are there because his room has been transformed into a library for the time being. And the piece of paper that has been taped to his door with my tape that is now lost because he lost it is there because last week his room was Walmart. (the sign says "Come in to Walmart, its a great place to be".
Now that they are gone I realize that I need to be thankful that my children have these great imaginations! So many things could come from that! And I am thankful that we are blessed to be able to provide the with these things they are playing with. I am so thankful that I have this warm cozy house to sit in when it is freezing outside and some people have no where to go to to get warm.
When my kids walk in the door from school today I will give them a huge hug and tell them how much I love them! And since its Wednesday that means we will be having our hot chocolate date since daddy is bowling and I will explain to them that I am sorry for getting upset and once again tell them how much I love them. Have a super day and remember to be thankful!

Lemonade award

I recieved another award from my awsome bloggy friend Shannon. Thank you, your great!! This award is meant for people who are positive, show gratitude, and of course: make lemons out of lemonade!



The rules for this award are:

1. You post the graphic for it.
2. Write a post that links back to the giver.
3. Pass it on to up to ten others.
4. Leave a comment on the blogs that get the award, so they know what's happened.


I never have people to give the awards to because usually the ones I would pick have already recieved it but their is someone that I think deserves this one because when he wants to he can always make people feel better. He is new to the blogging world but his posts are normally very encouraging to me. Most days it feels as if he is speaking directly to me. so hear is one for now and I will be sure to update if I think of some more. Oh wait,, I just thought of another one:

big daddy

momzoo

Menu plan

Here are some menu items we will be enjoying this upcoming week.

-chicken fajitas
-bean taco bake
-biscuits and gravy, fried eggs
-chicken sandwiches, chips, corn
-stroganoff,green beans
-chili mac, cornbread

Some people might find that my menu plans always seem simple and not fancy enough but I find that its just easier for me this way. Also my family never complains and always enjoys what I cook. I would rather not spend my entire day cooking a fancy 5 course meal and instead spend it playing with my kids and doing the things that really matter to me! As long as I am getting in the food groups and my feeding my family fairly healthy meals and they are happy then i am happy too! :)

A day in the life of me.

Okay, hopefully this wont bore to many of you, buy here is a little run down of my day today. For privacy's sake I will call the babysitting kids BK1 -3 .
bk1 is 7 years old
bk2 is 3 years old
bk3 is 12 months

6:20am. -alarm rings, and I get up for bk1
6:30am. -receive text message from sister, bk3 is coming today
6:35am. -bk3 arrives
6:45 -bk1 arrives
7:00am -feed bk3
7:20 -wake up my big kids to start getting ready for school
7:40am- Emma is up, change her and give her a bottle
8:00am -bk2 arrives (how her mother doesn't get fired amazes me,, she is supposed to be at work at 8 but never gets here until then)
-get breakfast for older kids
-receive call from hubby who tells me he is just getting off of work-he was supposed to be home over an hour ago
8:25am-send big kids to bus
-attempt to give Emma her oatmeal (this is the second day she hasn't wanted to eat it for some reason)
8:40am-smell something stinky....bk3 has left a surprise for me...change her
-play with kids
-clean up kitchen
9:30am-lay babies down for morning nap,,,,settle bk2 down with some cartoons so I can go take a shower, check email, put chicken in crock pot for dinner, make up a budget for the next two weeks, pay bills online, dry hair
10:30am-Emmas up, change her
11:00am-bk3 awakes, change her diaper
11:15am-CRAZY TIME BEGINS, that would be lunch....feed bk3 first, give bk2 her food, feed Emma, then give babies Cheerios to occupy then while I grab a quick bite.
-clean everyone up, then play time again
(PLAY TIME CONSISTS NORMALLY OF ME ON THE FLOOR WITH EVERYONE, READING BOOKS, PLAYING WITH TOYS,,,, WHEN YOU HAVE A 11 AND 12 MONTH OLD, AND A 3 YEAR OLD YOU JUST HAVE TO STAY AND REFEREE,, NO ONE IS TO BE TRUSTED ALONE!! :) )
12:15pm-bk2 is being mean and whiny so she goes down for a early nap
1:30pm-change diapers...again:)
2:00pm-lay babies down
-fold laundry
-computer time
-sweep floor
-do dishes
-tidy bathroom
3:00pm-Emma wakes
-start green beans cooking for dinner
3:15 -bk2 and bk 3 wakes up
-change diapers
3:40pm-give everyone a snack
4:00pm-bk3's mom arrives to pick her up,, we talk a little then she leaves
4:10 -school kids arrive home, give them a snack
4:20pm-hubby awakes
4:45 -bk1 goes home
5:00-start cheesy potatoes for dinner
5:20pm-bk2 goes home for the day !!! At this point it is finally just me and my family now! Yaayyyy,,,plus my head is throbbing,,, I think I have a sinus infection or something, but I am trying my best not to be in a bad mood.. and not think about my head exploding
5:30pm-sit down for dinner with family (we always have dinner together,,, that is something we have and will always do, we talk about our days, and all say the best and worst parts of our day,, its fun!!)
6:00pm- clean up kitchen after dinner,,,,ask my 9 year old to help but she says she has a paper cut on her finger so she couldn't possibly do the dishes...WHATEVER... I do them,,,,all the while head throbbing
hubby starts on his 4 one page papers that are due on Saturday morning....he always waits til the last minute,,, I hate it!
7:00pm. - I must look like I'm in pain because my awesome daughter tells me she will help watch Emma if I want to go take a bath!!! (This rarely ever happens,, the only time I take a actual bath instead of a shower is when I feel terrible, I love to soak in the bath but who has the time right?) I was so happy with her,, Iran the tub as hot as it would go and just layed there for about 15-20 minutes. It was great...don't worry I could hear everything that was going on in the living room and hubby was in the kitchen working on his paper,,, I would never just leave my baby with my 9 and 7 year old alone!!
7:30pm.- sent Gary for his bath,, got Emma in her jammies...gave her a bottle
8:30pm-kiddos to bed
9:00pm-say goodbye and good night to hubby and now here I am typing this post..



So there you have it.....oh yeah,, the laundry was being done all throughout the day,,, that's kind of a never ending thing,,, I can always find something to wash,, and I love the smell of laundry!

That's just one day in the life of me...it can get hectic when bk3 is here,,, two babies so young and close together can get crazy, but today was a pretty good day accept for my feeling crappy. Hopefully this wont last to long, I've felt like this since Monday and its not getting better.. so many colds and stuff are going around right now....it stinks!! Have a great day!

post coming soon....

Just wanted to let everyone know tonight I am going to post a breakdown of my day today. What goes on in a regular day for me here at home with the little ones. I am taking notes throughout the day and once everyone is in bed tonight I will try and getit typed out... Ta Ta for now :)

HMmmmm

Well my archive says 99, and my dashboard says 102,,, well just to even it up heres 100 for sure!!! Happy Holidays: )

Over 100 and fun with boxes!

I realized as I looked at my blogger dashboard this morning that yesterday I posted my 100th blog post! I didnt realize I had posted so many. When I started this blog I honestly didnt think anyone would read it and it was just a trial thing, but I rather like blogging. I love reading others and my favorite thing is when people comment on my blog! It makes me feel connected to the outside world even though sometimes the only adult I talk to here in real life is my husband!! IT is neat knowing that people in other areas of the world can read my thoughts. So anyways I am going to keep on blogging. I would love to be able to help others through my blogging experience. I dont know everything but I have learned a few things in my little lifetime so far, so does anyone have a particular topic of interest that I might be able to talk about that would help you. Or maybe just some topics or things that you think I should blog about,, any input is welcome!!
Also I ordered a few things online for Christmas this year, it sure has been fun getting packages in the mail. Today we got a really big box that had Emmas giraffe I ordered her in, so I let the little ones play with the box, they have been having so much fun in it. I think I'll just keep it around a while til it starts getting torn up, Its not the prettiest thing but the kids have fun with it.
Thanks for taking the time today to read my blog. Have a super duper day!!!

An award

Look at this cute award my friend gave me. Thanks Shannon!

Menu plan for the week of December 7

Hubby and I went out to Olive Garden Saturday night while we were out Christmas shopping,,, it was so good. I love that place. I sure wish I could recreate their food!! Anyways here is the menu plan for next week.

pancakes and ham steak

cheesy ham and potato bake

roasted crockpot chicken with green beans and potatos

chicken noodle soup --- made with the leftover chicken

spagetti and garlic bread

chili dogs, mac and cheese, broccoli and califlower

cream of broccoli soup with chedder bisquts


Its time to tighten up my purse straps again and make sure we are eating at home again. We spent a LOT on Christmas presents and I need to really watch our money. I am proud to say that we did use all cash, no credit. So that is a good thing!! I keep telling hubby that the kids have plenty presents but for some reason he just wants to keep buying more. THis is the one time of year that he really likes to spoil them.

Fruits and veggies

This morning for breakfast I had toast and an orange! I am trying to incorporate more fresh veggies and fruits into our diets around here. The other day when I went shopping bought a bunch of fruits and I have them sitting out on the counter in a cute basket to help remind me and the little ones to grab that as a nice snack instead of the other junk that we tend to eat!! They love fruit so they are happy,, now the goal is to get those veggies in. I have been trying to have more cooked veggies with our dinner,, hubby always turns up his nose, but he does get a little and eat it, just so the kids cant say that daddy didn't have any so why do they have to. I really don't mind cooked veggies. I like them! This is just one step along the way towards a healthier lifestyle. I've been talking to the kids about getting 5 servings of fruits/veggies in each day, and we are making that our goal. Its kinda hard when you never used to really think about it, but if you have one with each meal, then some snacks its not to bad. Have a great healthy day!

Yummy smells...

There is a yummy smell coming from my crockpot. Pork roast with potatos, carrots, and onions. I think I will make some mixed veggies to go along with it. I love my crockpot. The only problem is that whenever I use it it makes me hungry all day long!!! For those of you that read my last post and then noticed it disappered, I deleated it. I didn't want the wrong person to read it and get the wrong idea. Thank you though to those of you that commented.

Menu plan

Here is this weeks menu:
spaghetti
baked chicken, rice, green beans
taco soup
roast with potato's and mixed veggies
wet burritos
stir fry with rice
Bennie and I eating in Ft. Wayne, and kids eating with grandma while we hopefully finish up our x-mas shopping.

I am so excited because over the weekend I made plans with someone to buy half a beef from them!!! It should be ready in April or May. I know its a while off, but it will be so nice to not have to buy meat at the store, plus I can feel safe in knowing that my meat wont be contaminated with any crazy harsh chemicals or diseases, because I know directly where it is coming from!!!