FOTO FRIDAY....

Signs of LOVE...


Join us at http://zeahrenaissance.blogspot.com for the next Foto Friday Challenge....STILL*LIFE...

JUST BECAUSE...

I have been really busy. There are some folks interested in looking at our home, so I am busting my butt trying to get it ready...lots of mudding, taping, sanding, painting, purging, and everything else in between. One day this week I went to the Dr. and told him I wasnt feeling all that great...he said...are you sleeping? Well, No...I havent slept in almost 10 years...hahaha. Okay...are you eating? Of course I am eating...okay, WHEN do you eat...hmmm I COULD NOT THINK OF WHEN! Apparently I am a grab it and shovel it down kind of girl, and Im off. I feed the kiddos at a certain time, but I like to do things while they are preoccupied. This week I bought some of those Lean Cuisine Meals since they were on sale. I am so glad that I did. Usually I would just grab a sandwich, or something like that...I make Eli a hot lunch usually, soup, etc...This has been a lifesaver. It makes me actually think about eating...I was busy painting...Cory called, and I said, Im going to take a quick break for lunch...it was 2:00!!!!!!!!! Apparently I dont pay attention. So anyways, instead of peanut butter sandwiches etc....Ive had chicken chow mein...glazed chicken, beef tips with portobello and broccoli....the serving sizes are not very big...the whole meal is around 240 calories, but I figure it is more than what I was getting in more ways than one, and well...I am a fan of hot lunches! So...Thanks to the Lean Cuisine company I am eating better...and enjoying it too. Ive lost a couple more pounds too, but that is just because I have been SO busy.

I need groceries....in the worst way. Its bad when you run out of Peanut Butter! Hopefully I can make a trip tonight to get those things.

Say a prayer for us about our house situation, it would be really ideal for us to move into the district where the kids go to school...plus there is a house that is a cozy little place that we would love to call home...Hope you all are having a great week! Back to Work!!!

Updates...cont'd

So I am not sure why I couldnt blog my entire post...so scroll down to the next post if you want to read in order....then read this....it is our family updates:-)



Elijah....When I think of Eli...I think "beautiful big brown eyed boy...with a nasty brown tooth!"....its true...I think about that tooth more than you know. It breaks my big Mommy heart! I dread him going through school with that thing! On a more positive note...I got a potty seat, and he has been very interested in it. He pees all of the time, but is not terribly interested in pooping. We shall get there! The boy LOVES trains! Yesterday we went to Corys classroom for lunch...I bought a pizza and he sat on the windowsill and ate his pizza while watching the train go by. You would have thought it was the actual characters from Thomas...he was SO excited. I think it is time to go to Strasburg.

Asher...What can I say about this adorable snuggly, charming , chubby little darling?...hmmm...he is getting teeth...he is keeping me up at night wanting to nurse too! He is far to sweet for his own good though! Sometimes I still think how lucky we are to have him...God is gracious to us!


***A note to all who love garage sales...May 8th is the Conklin?\Kirkwood town garage sales... its time to fill up your house with someone elses junk! ha ha...I am hoping to go :-) Some folks bring a wagon, ride a bike...etc...its hard core out here :-)

UPDATES ON THE NORM AROUND HERE...

Cory... Cory is busy. Always. He had a evening off yesterday in which he spent fishing with some buddies...he caught a 2lb bass...sent a picture, and I was jealous...but proud of him :-) This week shouldnt prove to be as busy as last week...I hope.

Wendy...Busy as usual, more of the same... I would like to get some material and make Esther and Gayle matching dresses...they would like that, and so would I! I love to do little projects like that. We are in the midst of tearing wallpaper,and painting, and making messes...thats what we do here...haha.

Isaac....Is playing baseball, and the drums. More on the baseball side, and less on the drums. He got all A's and 1 B on his report card...Im so proud of him! He is turning 10 next month...ACK....we are entering the two digits!

Esther....Is playing softball, and piano. She is doing very well on Piano, and I wish I could have had lessons when I was her age. She also got All A's, except for Handwriting in which she got an S+ which is like a B+.....she cried....I was like...Dude look at all these A's! She was upset about the B...could we have a perfectionist on our hands?

Gayle....She doesnt play a sport..or an instrument or get a report card...but Im sure she would measure up just fine..haha! She is enjoying school, and preparing to have me come in for the Mothers Day Spa...oooh la la!

THE FIGHT ON FLAB...

THE FIGHT ON FLAB still....isnt. BUT.....I lost 11 lbs since I last checked. Dont ask me how. I think stress and trying to purge my house of an insane amount of stuff. I stepped on the scale...decided it must have been set wrong...got off...checked it...yeah ok that is set right...got on...had to rub my eyes to see if I was just seeing it wrong...(and yes I actually did rub my eyes)...Wow...I lost 11 pounds....DOING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!!! wonder of wonders. Dont get too excited about this...if I can lose 11 secretly...I can also gain 11 or 12 in secret...For now, I dont really care...I need motivation...Cory has TONS of motivation...he has been working out since school started...he gets up early AND works out at night! I am a total loser...I was on a roll, then the flu came and knocked me off my roll....I cant seem to WANT to get back on...It makes me irritated...what am I going to DO? Cory seems to think it is just a mind over matter idea...I am not convinced...Why is he so good and Im not? HA ....I just had to laugh for a minute there....I know that nothing comes with out some hard work...I just dont want to work as hard as he is...there....I said it. I just dont FEEL like it....its HARD! But I have to...sniff. Dont worry...I will get back at it...I just have to FEEL like it. DONT JUDGE ME!!!!

A CUPFUL OF SUGAR MAKES THE MEDICINE GO DOWN?

The other day we were tidying up in the house...Esther came out of the boys bedroom and said..."When I clean up I like to sing that song from Merry Poppins....A Cupfull of Sugar Makes the Medicine Go Down..." in which she proceeded to sing...I of course told her it was a "spoonfull"...but that just got me thinking...what kinds of things do you do that make a job easier for you? One thing I have been doing lately is Folding the Laundry. It is my habit to do the laundry and then toss it on a chair...until the pile is SO HIGH that it is falling off the chair, and whenever someone walks by and bumps it...clothes fall, and I look at them with the "thanks a lot face"...and tell them to pick it up. I finally get it folded when I cant take it anymore...or when my husband decides he will do it while he watches a show. So with that lengthy detailed story, this is what I have been doing to "make the medicine go down"....


I love the Rachel Ray show. It is on at 10 am every day. I watch no other tv during the day...except for the occasional kid show ( which I dont watch by the way) (do I have A.D.D or what?) Any how...I have a date at 10am every day to watch RR, and to fold my laundry. It is working like a dream people! I get fun ideas for supper, and then I have Eli help me deliver them to the designated Rooms...and then the kids are to put them away. It makes me feel good, because I used to feel so guilty watching a tv program during the day with all that I had to do...but this is total guilt free...so now everyone knows what I do at 10 am everyday :-)

What do you do to "make the medicine go down?"

MORE NOTHINGNESS...:-)

I am not sure if I just get bored, or what...but, sometimes I just want to mix it up...I think I need a break from the blog every now and then. It is not because of lack of readers, comments, materials...nah--I think it stems from just spending too much time in front of the computer...when I blog, I want to look at everyone elses too...I simply cant indulge myself like that on a daily basis! So...every now and then I will be back :-)



The other day Cory and I took the kiddos to the Discovery Center...They had such a ball! One of the highlights for me was walking through the child sized grocery store and seeing Isaac stock up his cart with all kinds of snack cakes, pop, rice crispie treats and ice cream....litterally like cartons and cartons of it. So he goes to get a second cart because it is falling out all over the place in which I tell him "Why dont you put some of that back..." He says, "but I really want it Mom..." "But Isaac, your stuff is tumbling out, and well, you cant really take two carts because other kids are going to want to use one too. " I can see at this point he sees the reason in it...so I go to "help" him put back some of his "pretend" junk food...and he reaches out to stop me and says..."MOM! I really want that one...can I just get that one...I love this kind"...and then I say "Isaac this stuff is all fake....its not for real!" He made me chuckle over and over! It is really kind of funny to me about the kinds of food he was choosing...it was like...this is my CHANCE!!! I worry for him when he goes to college....with all of the food options...he might gain much more than the freshman 15! It seems I have my work cut out for me...what a carbaholic!


If you havent been to the Discovery Center you should make the trip...lots of fun for the kiddos... cant wait for warmer weather...they are working on some outside scenes...one is Mr. MacGregors Garden....I cant wait.

JUST BECAUSE .....

I feel the need to take a blogging hiatus....might post pictures...we shall see.

PRETTY ELLA

It was a treat for sure to get to see Ella over Easter. She was all dolled up, and just as precious as ever. My she is getting big!

Remember the outfit that I sewed for her? Well here she is in the hat...ADORABLE!!!

I love this shot of the back of her head...it is such a sweet little hat :-)

My....but does she have the most beautiful, big, blues that you've EVER seen?

FAMILY SKATE....

MARK YOUR CALENDARS......

MAY 21........................LETS GO SKATING!!!!!!

EASTER PHOTOS 2010

MORE....

EVEN MORE!!!!!!

THESE ARE EGGS--CELLENT !!!!!

YES THERE IS MORE!!!

ARE YOU TIRED YET?

ALMOST DONE!

CONGRATULATIONS...THIS IS THE END OF THE EASTER PICS!!!

ASHER ~growing so big~

He's growing SO big--right before my eyes! It actually hurts! I have compiled pictures of him each month to see the changes. Somewhere along the way I lost February...meaning...i took none. Not to fear! I think Corys Mom may have some. Anyways...here is my sweet growing like a weed.

My Baby....