Sweet Prairie Rose...

Signing off...

2010-10-16T09:17:00.000-06:00

Due to continued computer issues and a couple of other concerns, I am signing off permanently (for a while). I wish you all well. God bless.

30 Day Blog Journal - Day 13

2010-10-05T12:22:00.000-06:00

A Fictional Book

I read a lot of books. I like ones that are stories of people and/or history rather than murder mysteries or love stories. I have not had one that really stood out to me in a long time, so I will go with what I am currently reading...LAMB: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore. I only recently started it and do find it pretty funny. I have only gotten to the part where the boys are nine years old, Biff is in love with Mary, and Joshua (Jesus) knows he is special. I was told about it by my great friend, Lori. I will post my opinion of the whole book when I am done.

30 Day Blog Journal - Day 12

2010-09-29T09:12:00.001-06:00

Something I'm OCD About

Oh, easy-peasy. I'm OCD about pictures hanging straight and doors being closed to where I can hear the click. I have no idea when it all began, but I know that it doesn't matter who's home I am in, what office/restaurant I am in, I cannot function if there is a picture hanging crooked. Also, if there is a door that is not shut all the way, I have to shut it. For instance (and this will be news to her), my mother-in-law has a closet door that is never shut completely when I go in and I always shut it so it clicks (hi, Rita, it's the one in the hallway by the bathroom). I am constantly tested on this because the boys always leave the basement door open, the front door open, the pantry door open...AHHHHH!! You think it would numb me to it, but I think it makes it worse. Oh, well, what's a mom to do?

30 Day Blog Journal - Day 11

2010-09-28T06:07:00.003-06:00

A Recent Photo of Me

September 2010 - I am usually behind the camera, so I don't have too many pictures of myself. This one was taken during a visit to The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. I am six months pregnant and looked HUGE this day. I'm blaming it on the shirt I had on ;). Standing with me is my mother-in-law, Rita.

30 Day Blog Journal - Day 10

2010-09-27T12:13:00.001-06:00

A Photo Taken of Me Over Ten Years Ago

Homecoming - Senior Year 1997

For people who know me now, they are surprised to learn that I was a cheerleader for six years, Prom Queen and on the Homecoming Court. I'm so far from a girly-girl. However, it was great fun. This picture is taken while on the way to the celebration and my shoulders are burnt from riding in the parade earlier that day. I am in my brother-in-law's jacked up Ford, getting in and out was interesting! I believe that, besides prom, this was the only other time I had makeup on during my high school years. Such memories!

30 Day Blog Journal - Day 9

2010-09-26T20:14:00.001-06:00

A Photo I Took

This should be easy since I take tons of photos. Picking one will be the hard part...

Sonora Pass, CA - May 25, 2008

We had a great time on this trip. We wanted to take a drive through Yosemite National Park, but we found out that the road was closed due to snow. We couldn't believe that it was the end of May and it was snowing somewhere. We had just arrived in California a month before and the temps there were comparable to Florida, just not as much humidity. We didn't bother to check the weather before we left because, well, it was the end of May for goodness sakes! We were also amazed that we were at 8000 ft elevation. Again, being flatlanders from Florida, we were easy to impress. It's a little different now that we live in Colorado though. California was the beginning of a great adventure for us that hasn't ended yet.

30 Day Blog Journal - Day 8

2010-09-25T11:54:00.002-06:00

A Photo That Makes Me Sad/Angry

Again, I wasn't sure if this should be a personal photo or not, but I selected one that relates to me.

Diabetes supplies. Both my husband and my youngest son are Type I diabetics. In simple terms, it sucks. I did not have much experience with diabetes before meeting my husband. I had some knowledge due to working at a nephrologist office and knowing a few people with Type II diabetes, but none of that prepared me for how emotional the disease is. I think I adjusted pretty well to dealing with my husband's diabetes. I wanted to learn as much as I could, I was interested in how he took care of himself, and what caused problems with his quality of life. When we met, he worked as a paramedic. We learned quickly that the emergency services lifestyle did not work well with him taking care of himself. After much thought and consideration, he decided that he would like to go to nursing school. In the meantime, we had our second son in January 2003. The University of Florida was conducting a study (PANDA) that tested newborns for the markers for diabetes. Jacob and Justin had been a part of the study. Jacob was said to be No/Low Risk. Justin was marked as High Risk from the beginning. We kept this in mind with what we fed him and limited his amount of juice. We knew we couldn't prevent it, but we hoped to prolong it. Soon after Tom graduated nursing school in 2005, our baby was diagnosed with Type I diabetes. I was crushed and so sad for him. I ached and just wished that I could take it away; I would gladly shoulder this burden that he will now have to bear for the rest of his life. He was 2 years, 4 months, and 20 days old. I will never forget that day. He had been diagnosed with croup a couple days before when we took him to the doctor; the P.A. had prescribed Prednisone. I do not blame her because we had only discussed our family history of diabetes and the results of the PANDA study with our regular doctor. I was unaware that steroids raise your blood glucose, so I didn't think twice about giving him the treatment. So we kept him home from daycare that day. I watched him in the morning, but my mother-in-law was going to keep him in the afternoon so that I could go back to work. He fell asleep on the couch just before I left. After awhile, my mother-in-law called and said that when he woke up, he had soaked through his diaper onto the couch. We talked and decided that she should check his blood sugar. He was 487. A non-diabetic should be between 60-100. I immediately called his doctor and they said to take him to the hospital. I tried to hold it together, after all I dealt with this everyday, but this was my baby we were talking about. By the time we got to the ER and they checked him again he was 578. They rushed him to the back and started him on insulin. When his blood sugar levels were back to normal, we left with instructions to monitor him over night and to see a Pediatric Endocrinologist the following day. We spent six hours at the doctor's office, being loaded up with books and free supplies, meeting with nurses, then the doctor, then the dietitian, then someone to train us on giving injections. We were told to keep a log of what he ate, his activity, and his blood sugars (BS). We were scheduled to come back in one week. We noticed throughout the week that his BS were getting lower day-by-day and that he was not needing the amount of insulin that we originally started with. At his next visit, we were told that he seemed to no longer need the insulin. Everyone was hoping that maybe just the illness and the Prednisone had thrown his system for a loop, and that he was in fact not becoming diabetic. We were ecstatic to say the least. It was my birthday, and I couldn't have asked for a better gift. Again, we were told to monitor his BS and keep a log. For three glorious weeks, our child was free from having to suffer from this disease. But one morning, near the end of June, we woke up and checked him and he was in the 200's. Throughout the day, he never got into normal range. We called the endocrinologist office and were told to start back on his insulin routine. And so it has been for over five years now. He handles it like a champ. He has never known any different and was surprised when he heard me tell someone that he was diagnosed at 2 years old. It is never easy as he is still so sensitive to both insulin and sugar. We do our best, but I feel it is not enough. I had one doctor that would give me the biggest guilt trip every time we went in and I would leave in tears. We are finally seeing a doctor at the Barbara Davis Center in Denver that has diabetes herself and is very understanding. I pray everyday for a cure.

Tom has been diabetic since he was a year and a half old. Being a lifetime diabetic he went through his denial stages in his late teens and early twenties. He just this year received an insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor (CGM). What a blessing these have been! His A1C has gone from out of control at 11 to a beautiful 7.4. We are working on getting it even better. We tried a CGM on Justin, but he has very little bodily real estate to put the sensor since we need a bit of fat.

I hope and pray for a cure for this terrible disease everyday. Until then I will just do what I can to get by and help my boys live their lives to the fullest.

(This post turned out much longer than I expected. Thanks for hanging in there.)

30 Day Blog Journal - Day 7

2010-09-23T20:37:00.002-06:00

A Photo That Makes Me Happy

I'm not sure if this is supposed to be a photo of someone I know, or just any photo, but I chose to pick one that I have.

This is a picture of my grandparents on my mom's side. They died in a car accident a year before I was born. However, I love this picture and it makes me smile when I see it because I can just imagine what kind of people they were. They look so happy and that makes me happy.

30 Day Blog Journal - Day 6

2010-09-22T09:59:00.001-06:00

20 of My Favorite Things (in no particular order)

1 - my hubby

2 - my babies

3 - photography

4 - sewing

5 - magazines

6 - Northwoods Butter Maple Syrup (my parents ship it to me from Florida, because it can not be found in Colorado)

7 - popcorn

8 - long drives

9 - music

10 - chocolate milkshakes

11 - candles

12 - Fall

13 - chips & dip

14 - good fitting jeans

15 - calla lilies

16 - the South

17 - my dog

18 - springs and rivers

19 - Florida Gators

20 - MY FAMILY!

30 Day Blog Journal - Day 5

2010-09-21T09:36:00.001-06:00

Favorite Quote

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

-Marianne Williamson

2010-2011 School Pics

2010-09-20T17:55:00.003-06:00

Since I homeschool the boys, I take their yearly school pictures. Yesterday, we went to The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs and I had the opportunity to take some pics. Here are the ones I am using as "school" pictures for the file.

Jacob - 8 years old

Justin - 7 years old

As a reminder, these were taken last September:

30 Day Blog Journal - Day 4

2010-09-20T12:42:00.001-06:00

Yes, I know I am a little off on my days, but we have had company this weekend.

Favorite Book

I would have to say that I don't really have a favorite book. I enjoy reading and read tons of things on a weekly basis, but the subject depends greatly on what I am interested in that week. Right now, I am reading/looking through sewing books for project ideas. I did read the Twilight series twice though in the past year and I always enjoy a good historic novel.

30 Day Blog Journal - Day 3

2010-09-18T20:42:00.000-06:00

Favorite Television Program

I don't currently subscribe to cable and have very limited options on this one. However, when I did have cable, Grey's Anatomy was by far my favorite program. The action in the on-call room has gotten a little out of hand in the last couple of seasons, but I still enjoy watching it. Bailey is the kind of character that when she says something it is usually profound. I also cry at almost every episode, which I enjoy, because let's face it, a good cry is a good thing.

By some magical t.v. goodness, I get TLC because it is broadcast in HD and my television picks it up. I must admit that I have become quite enamored with Say Yes to the Dress. I've even told Big Daddy that we should have another marriage ceremony so that I can by another pretty dress. He hasn't agreed to any such thing as of yet though. In the mean time, I'll continue looking at all the dresses on the show and on Etsy.

Loving this one from etsy seller Wedding Dress Fantasy

30 Day Blog Journal - Day 2

2010-09-16T21:13:00.001-06:00

Favorite Movie

This is an easy one. My all-time favorite movie is Grease. I was destined to love this movie; my sisters wanted my parents to name me Sandy because of Grease. I love it! I've got chills and they're multiplying!

30 Day Blog Journal - Day 1

2010-09-15T08:24:00.001-06:00

Favorite Song

Hmmm...this is terribly hard for me. I love, love, love music (mostly country) and have many songs that I love. So, I will list a couple of current favorites and a couple of all-time favs.

Current
Craig Morgan - This Ain't Nothin'
Miranda Lambert - The House That Built Me
Shooter Jennings - It Ain't Easy
Jamey Johnson - Ray Ray's Juke Joint (couldn't find a link for the full song)

All-time
Charlie Daniels Band - Simple Man (reminds me of my dad)
Cher - Believe (I can't help myself when this comes on...I have to sing...loudly)
Reba McEntire - Fancy

Mind you this is far from a complete list, but I didn't want to overload you. Sorry if any of these don't play all the way through.

30 Day Blog Journal

2010-09-14T20:02:00.002-06:00

I saw this idea on a blog I came across and thought it was a cool idea. Here is a list of the topic for each day of this challenge.
Day 1 - your favorite song
Day 2 - your favorite movie
Day 3 - your favorite television program
Day 4 - your favorite book
Day 5 - your favorite quote
Day 6 - 20 of my favorite things
Day 7 - a photo that makes you happy
Day 8 - a photo that makes you angry/sad
Day 9 - a photo you took
Day 10 - a photo taken of you over ten years ago
Day 11 - a photo of you taken recently
Day 12 - something your OCD about
Day 13 - a fictional book
Day 14 - a non-fictional book
Day 15 - your dream house
Day 16 - a song that makes you cry (or nearly)
Day 17 - an art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.)
Day 18 - my wedding/or future wedding
Day 19 - a talent of yours
Day 20 - a hobby of yours
Day 21 - a recipe
Day 22 - a website
Day 23 - a YouTube video
Day 24 - where I live
Day 25 - your day, in great detail
Day 26 - your week, in great detail
Day 27 - my worst habbit
Day 28 - whats in my handbag/purse
Day 29 - hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days
Day 30 - a dream for the future

Gifts...

2010-09-09T14:22:00.001-06:00

I am currently making a list of things I would like to give as gifts for Christmas. As I am mostly trying to give handmade gifts this year, I need to get on it since it is September (already!). I have a good idea for most of the people on my list, but I need some ideas of what to make for my mom and dad. A little about them: they just moved into a new house this year after living in the same one for 30+ years; they enjoy riding motorcycles, camping, traveling, reading, and having get-togethers with friends and family. If you have any thoughts or ideas, please share!

The nursery...

2010-09-03T11:12:00.001-06:00

When we first found out we were expecting, our plan was to put the baby in our room for a while until we figured out how we were going to arrange the kids. Then, when we learned that it is going to be a girl, everything changed. We have moved the boys into the same room and plan to get bunk beds for them. Right now, they are sharing a queen bed that our guests normally use. However, since we have finished the basement, the queen bed will move downstairs and they will have room for bunks. This is what the nursery currently looks like. We haven't done much except paint and move a few pieces of furniture in, but we still have (a little) time.

We went with green because neither of us wanted so much pink. There is green in the crib skirt and we will add art to the wall that incorporates pinks and purples. The dresser was a light wood color, but we painted white and plan to add some glass knobs. I tried painting one of the knobs pink, but Big Daddy said it looked cheesy, so we will buy the ones we want from Anthropologie. Rita found the glider/ottoman at a garage sale for a good price but it needs cushions. That will be my next project.

My first project was the crib skirt. I mentioned before that I found a great tutorial for it here and that is what I followed. I made it in one (full) day and I am super pleased with how it turned out. Like Kathy said, it was A LOT of fabric to deal with, but it was well worth it.

20 week photo...

2010-08-22T09:57:00.002-06:00

Here is a picture of the growing bump at 20 weeks. I think it looks about the same as the 17 week but my weight has not changed much. I started at one weight, lost 9 lbs, and have gained about 7 of those pounds back. I had a little extra weight to begin with so it probably wasn't so bad to lose those few pounds in the beginning.

Oh, and I ordered the fabric for the bed skirt online and I can't wait for it to come. I still haven't decided if I am going to do a gathered skirt or a straight pleated skirt. I saw a neat idea somewhere on the web where the lady added color to the inside of the pleats and it looked very nice (sorry I don't remember where I saw it). I will keep you updated!

Okay, I totally changed my mind...

2010-08-20T21:36:00.004-06:00

I've decided on the Amy Butler Love Memento Burgundy pattern for the crib skirt. And I have Big Daddy's approval, so all is a go. This is what the new pattern looks like:

I love the variety of colors it has in it that I can use in other ways throughout the room. I came across it at the cutest little yarn and fabric store here in Castle Rock called Stash. If you're in the area, you should stop by and check it out.

As for the sweet little rugrat taking residence inside me, she has been moving around like crazy. Even though I know it's still early, I get anxious when I can't feel her move for a a long time. Big Daddy says I just HAVE to have something to worry about or I don't know what to do with myself. Isn't that what mothers do?

Planning the baby bedding...

2010-08-19T20:30:00.003-06:00

Now that we have found out that we are having a girl, I want to start making stuff for her. For the time being, the crib will be in our bedroom. First of all, our bedroom is huge. Second, we haven't really made any plans to change the boys' rooms around. My first project (I think) will be a bed skirt for the crib. I found what looks like a great tutorial here. I love the ruffles and the fullness. I would like to make it colorful, but not necessarily all pink. This is what I am thinking so far:

We bought this DwellStudio for Target crib sheet. The pink is more vibrant that what it appears on my screen though.

I am loving this Amy Butler fabric. I know it doesn't appear like it goes with the crib sheet, but I just love it. This is what I'm thinking of using for the crib skirt. However, I have not approved it by Big Daddy yet. He's not as...um...bold as I am with mixing patterns. Although, he has grown by leaps and bounds since I have been working on him for the last ten years!

I am going to a shop tomorrow to look at other fabrics for the skirt and will let you know what I find. There are just so many that I love. Maybe I will pick an Amy Butler line and make something from all the fabrics. Would that be too much?

The verdict is in...

2010-08-18T10:05:00.002-06:00

We had our 20 week ultrasound yesterday. I was so nervous/excited the night before that I could hardly sleep. We were meeting with the other doctor in the practice for the first time and she was very nice. So we started the ultrasound and the little pea had 'it's' legs crossed again, just like the first ultrasound we tried to get. The doc continued checking all the vital parts and everything looked good. She had to keep going back to try and catch a peek at the goods, and then finally, SHE uncrossed her legs for just a second...that's right, we're 98% sure we're having a GIRL! We couldn't be more excited! The doctor did continue going back and checking again and we got a pretty good picture. Of course, we went out afterwards and bought our first pink item, which was a totally new experience for us to even look at the girly stuff. I'm beside myself!

Snapshot...

2010-07-30T15:40:00.000-06:00

It's that time of year again...

2010-07-29T13:41:00.003-06:00

Time to get the homeschool stuff in order. I have been busy filling out my planner, looking at field trip ideas, and submitting my Notice of Intent form to the school district. This year, the district is also requiring a Student Residency Questionnaire to be completed and submitted, in which it asks questions such as 'Where is the student living? *In a shelter; *In a motel, car or campsite, *With friends or family members due to the loss of housing or financial hardships, *Not living with parent or legal guardian, or *Choices do not apply'. The accompanying letter states that it is part of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. I am a rule-follower mostly and want to make sure I have no issues with my choice to homeschool, but really, what business is it of theirs, especially since my children are not attending their schools, I only have to report to them.

But back to the business at hand...I recently came across a wonderful site to make connections with other homeschoolers in our area (http://www.freewebs.com/cchf/). Until now, I did not know of how to get out there and meet others. I tried to get in touch with our local Homeschool Chapter, but after a couple of emails and no response, I gave up. This group has frequent get-togethers at the park, Teachers Night Off gatherings for the moms to visit, and various field trips that we can be a part of. It will be great for the kids to get to know others that are being homeschooled and just get out and meet new people. Good for me, as well.

I chose to use the Sonlight curriculum this year and I feel a lot better about it than I did with the previous curriculum. Sonlight is mainly reading, phonics and language arts, so we have some filling in to do with other resources. The boys will be part of a co-op (that meets in our community, whoo-hoo!) that will teach them science and Spanish two days a week for three hours a day. I'm very stoked about this because they will be in separate classes which will give them some time apart, and it will give me a break...2 for 1!...or 3 for 1!...or something like that! Of course, once the baby arrives, 'break' may not be the right word. Luckily, Tom will be able to take them (at 7:30am!) and I will just need to pick the little boogers up (at 10:30a). We're not really morning people, so beginning next week we will all be practicing 'early to bed, early to rise'. Should be very interesting...

17 weeks and counting... (updated with another photo)

2010-07-27T15:19:00.006-06:00

Well, I am into my 17th week of pregnancy and feeling fine! I'm kinda at that stage where I don't really feel sick anymore and I'm not quite showing so I don't really feel pregnant. I did have to go shopping for a particular undergarment and was quite shocked at the size I needed. I just hope that area doesn't change too much more or I may need an assistant to walk around with me to help carry them so I don't have back pain. Big Daddy said he would, but he has to work way too often.

This is what babycenter.com has to say about the baby this week:

How your baby's growing:

Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.

It also says that I may be less graceful (check) and may start having crazy dreams (check). I tell ya, if there is a pregnancy symptom in any book, I have had it this time around.

Here's a picture from my 15 week ultrasound on July 15th. The poor thing looks a little squished in there, but the doc said that was normal around this time. I have another ultrasound in August and we may be able to find out what it is then.

And the bump...

Work of Heart Photography...

2010-07-26T09:34:00.001-06:00

Since I've been trying to develop my photography skills, I have found a number of great websites to get inspiration from. One of my favorites is Work of Heart Photography. Skye Hardwick is a wonderful children's photographer...her work is amazing! Please go check out her website and blog. She is having a giveaway and sale right now for her Workshop Workbook. I hope to get my own very soon!

Hot, hot, hot!

2010-07-21T22:21:00.000-06:00

I don't know if it is the same for everyone, but it has been HOT here! Being a native Floridian, you would think that I would not be as likely to complain about the heat here in Colorado, but I can't handle it. I am certainly more sensitive to the heat since being pregnant though and I just can't stand to even go outside. The neighborhood pool is out of the question because it is so packed that you can't find seats and there is no room to actually "swim". I need to find something for us to do though because the boys were about to kill each other today with all their pent up energy. Looks like it's time to get the blow-up pool out again tomorrow and see if that helps any.

Any other suggestions?

What we've been up to...

2010-07-20T18:33:00.000-06:00

Well, where do I start? Our most recent home project has been finishing the basement. We hated seeing almost 700 sq ft of space not being used. It has been time consuming and costly, but it is a valuable use of space for us. We put an additional bedroom and bathroom down there as well as a large room to use for entertainment. It has turned out pretty nicely; although, not quite finished. We still need to finish some tile work in the bathroom, as well as, some painting.

Moving on to our most recent LIFE project...we are going to have a new baby! We are so excited by this as we tried for a couple of years and, finally, after some trials and tribulations, we have been blessed. I am due January 3, 2011 (16 weeks along). I had an ultrasound every week during the first trimester because my OB/GYN wanted to make sure things were progressing well. I had another one last week at 15 weeks and all was still well. The doc said we may be able to see if it is a boy or girl, but the little booger had it's legs crossed around the umbilical cord. We're just pleased that it is healthy and growing!

I was ill most of the first trimester, but the sickiness faded around 14 weeks. Now I have just been extremely tired (and slightly moody, but no need to mention that). I'm not really showing yet, but I look like I had a lot of Mexican food to eat and am very bloated! I was lucky to have my sisters and a neighbor share their maternity clothes, so I don't have to worry about shopping for those, thank goodness!

I will have another visit next month and hopefully will be able to share boy or girl (I am not patient enough to not find out). I'll keep you updated!

I'm so excited, uh-huh, uh-huh, I just can't hide it...

2010-05-04T09:55:00.004-06:00

You know, you know - oh, I'll stop now.

Anyhoo, I'm back on the blog. Very excited to have a working computer again. And Internet. While the computer wasn't working, we put our Internet on hold. It was nice to have at least a month of reduced charges on the bill, but it is much nicer having the Internet.

I haven't been working on as much as I had hoped. I was having some shoulder issues and had to get an MRI. Come to find out I have a torn biceps tendon and partially torn cartilage deep down in the middle of my shoulder joint. The doctor gave me a cortisone shot and that has seemed to help. I still can't carry anything very heavy with my right arm, or hold it in one position for a long time, or reach out to the side very quickly, but I am dealing. The funny/not so funny thing is that Tom has injured his right shoulder as well. He has a partially torn labrum and partially torn rotator cuff. He is still in much more pain than I am, but he has not been able to get the cortisone shot yet. He has a very hard time sleeping at night, which is making his days longer.

Here are a couple pics of the things I have done:

These are a couple of shopping bags I have made. The one on the right is the Broadturn Bag from Handmade Home. The one on the left was one I made from a Trader Joe's bag that I already have. I just looked at it and made cuts without really measuring anything. It is very big, but I think it will work great for the farmer's market.

Here are pictures of the curtains I made for our bedroom. Taking a picture of a window is extremely difficult, I tell ya.

Ignore the bag of chips in this one, I was sick yesterday and chips were the only thing that sounded good to eat.

Another thing we have started is Sunday dinner. I would love to say that we sit down every night together and have supper, but that just isn't the case. One of my favorite parts of my family growing up was that we sat down at the table to eat together 6 nights a week. We may not have eaten until 8 or 9 at night, but we ate together. Since Tom works so much and he works 12-hour shifts, he doesn't usually get home until 10-11pm. However, he is usually home on Sundays. We set the table, we use the silver, and we make a day of eating and being together. I have really enjoyed it!

Strawberry Shortcake in progress.

The kids have really gotten into it as well. Bubbie, my youngest, is a homebody. There is nothing wrong with this, except when I need to go to the store. He always says, "But can't you just use something you have here?" Except last week, when I needed to go find some pancetta, he asked what we needed it for and I said, "For Sunday dinner." He said, "Oh, okay, let's go." I didn't want to question it, but I can only guess that he is enjoying that special time as much as I am. I don't usually make a dessert, but have been on Sunday. The most recent have been Strawberry Shortcake, "Special" Brownies (I'll explain in a minute), and Blackberry Shortbread Squares.

Okay, when I told my hubby I was making "Special" Brownies, he looked at me like I was on something "special". I was given the recipe by a lady named Jennifer that I used to work with. I can't find the recipe right now, but it includes chocolate cake mix, sweetened condensed milk, and semi-sweet chocolate chips. It is very good and very special.

Going offline for awhile...

2010-04-02T09:53:00.000-06:00

It finally happened. My computer has quit for good. Since we are not currently in the position to go out and buy another, I will not be posting to the blog for awhile. I wish everyone well in all their adventures and I promise to keep up with what we are doing so that I can overload you with pictures and stories when I am back. Take care.

Julie

I just keep sewing, and sewing, and sewing...

2010-03-23T22:18:00.001-06:00

The bug has bitten and I can't help myself. It started with the need (okay, want) for new curtains in our bedroom. I had this beautiful thrifted duvet cover that was the wrong size for us, but the perfect print. I spent a couple of days seam ripping - which is not that fun at all - so that I would be able to turn it into the perfect set of curtains. I really love them! I have pictures, but can't find my cord to download them from my camera...like always. After the curtains, came a new table runner made from a set of four napkins, then some new coasters, to be followed by a banner and some new pillow covers. Not to mention I made baby quilts for my nephews that I will be putting in the mail soon.

I promise to post pics of all these projects. Hmm, just as soon as I find that darn cord...

Field Trip...

2010-03-17T11:50:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was field trip day. The boys, Rita, and I took a ride on the Light Rail all the way to downtown Denver's 16th Street Mall. For those that live in a city, this may not be a big deal, but it was a new experience for all of us. It was nice to ride and be able to look at everything you may miss while driving a car. Downtown is so full of great architecture, history, and interesting people. The boys were not overly excited about getting off the Rail to go shopping, so we didn't stay downtown very long, just long enough to enjoy a late lunch and a cookie (from The Corner Bakery which was fabulous).

The real adventure was getting on and off the train. The parking lot is across the street from the station and you walk on a walkway that goes over I-25. The boys really enjoyed running across and looking out over all the traffic. Rita had a little bit of a hard time though due to a fear she has, but she did it!

"You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, - I have lived through this...I can take the next thing that comes along.

You must do the thing you think you cannot do."

-Eleanor Roosevelt

...

2010-03-16T12:03:00.000-06:00

Okay, so it has been almost two months since I last blogged. Terrible, I know. There were some computer issues, some personal issues, some vacation time, but I'm back now.

Since I was last on here, Tom, the boys and I drove out to Florida to visit family and see my new baby nephew Gunner (who is just PRECIOUS, by the way). It was a great trip and it was really good for Tom to get to go with us this time.

I'll post some pics for now, but promise (with no fingers crossed) that I will post again soon.

Yes, that is Tom on a horse. Never thought I'd see it.

Tom and Nanny

Little Gunner (Gunny Mac???)

Aunt Julie and her little man Ryan

The "Williams" Family

And it's done...

2010-01-24T20:01:00.000-07:00

The bedroom is finally finished being painted. It was a bear this time; it took 3 days. I am partial to Benjamin Moore paints, but as the closest store is 25 miles away and I had to keep going back and forth to find the right color, I settled for the local home improvement store. Anyhow, the paint I got had a much stronger smell to it and I couldn't be in the room for long periods of time. It has been cold here and there were only certain times of the day that I could leave the window open. I think I am satisfied with the color...it looks totally different and definitely did the job of lightening the place up! I still need to add pics, decoration, and now some color for the bed. I really like that our wood furniture and wall hanging stands out more against the lighter color.

This pic was taken at 7pm in the evening.

As a reminder of what it did look like:

This pic was taken at noon time.

Simple, pure...

2010-01-20T22:44:00.000-07:00

Everyone climbing in one bed in the morning (even Lola!).

Family morning walks.

I love you, Mommy. (unprovoked)

Hugs and kisses.

A smile across his face.

The proud look after making a basketball goal.

Dinner together at the table.

Sweet smell after the bath.

Snuggling on the couch under the covers.

Bedtime stories.

Sleepy yawns.

Quiet.

Psycho-what?

2010-01-18T18:33:00.000-07:00

Justin: MOMMY!
Me: Yes, baby?
Justin: Bobo said I'm psychopatetic!
Me: He said what?
Justin: I'm PSY-CHO-PA-TE-TIC!
Me: That's not a word, don't be offended.
Justin: I'm not offended, BO-BO!

Yellow...

2010-01-17T15:01:00.000-07:00

On my thrifting trip yesterday, I found the most wonderful matelasse cover and shams. I have been looking for one for some time and was excited to find a king size. And the color...yellow! I do not have a good history with yellow, spending most of my life despising it, knowing that it does not go well with my pale skin color and rosy cheeks. However, lately, I've had this weird draw towards it. Everything I bought while thrifting was yellow! Yellow sheets and pillowcases, yellow cover and shams, yellow aprons! It's crazy.

So do you want to see it? Can you wait? Here it is...

And a close-up...

Did you notice the dark walls? When we first moved in and I was painting, I thought that a dark room would help me sleep better as I am bothered by any light. But I really want to change it now. It is too dark and with it being dreary outside and getting dark so early, I only have a couple hours of decent light in my room. I need light because all of my sewing supplies are in my room and even ironing is difficult in there. So this is what part of one wall looks like right now...

None of these are right, so I will keep trying. I do want a lighter/tanish/puttyish (makes perfect sense, right?) color and need to do it soon because Big Daddy is TIRED of looking at this when he comes home from a long days work. So if anyone has any suggestions of colors that fall into this category, please help me.

Rita's curtain...

2010-01-15T18:48:00.002-07:00

Rita has a small window in her upstairs laundry room that the sun blasts through at certain times of the day (and can catch you by surprise if you're not careful). I had some leftover fabric from another set of curtains that I fixed up for her and decided to embellish it a little. It was simple and fun and I have other projects planned to hone my skills at applique. It is really cute and we both think it would look great as and apron, so that may be next.

Justin's day...

2010-01-13T17:26:00.002-07:00

On Sunday, we went to Dave & Buster's to celebrate Bubbie's birthday. Our friends, Casey, Jenine, and Ariana went and so did the boys' friend Brinley, as well as Rita. We had a great time - the food was great, the games fun. It was loud and the kids had the chance to run around and be loud too.

Daily Snapshot...

2010-01-11T12:41:00.001-07:00

This is what I woke up this morning and saw...

Keep in mind this is a 150 lb. dog and a regular sized chair. She has never done this before and I don't know what made her do it last night, but isn't she cute?

Daily Snapshot...

2010-01-10T09:45:00.001-07:00

We had a great time at the park the other day. We were the only (crazy) ones there because it was 35 degrees and there was snow all over the place, but the kids needed to get out and burn some energy.

They have these sculptures all around the park about the different seasons.

Thrifting...

2010-01-07T15:40:00.002-07:00

Thrifting finds from the last couple of trips.

I would not normally talk about how much things cost, but when I get such a good deal, I must share.

Aluminum Bundt Pan: $2.99 (!)

Mason/Ball jars (I hope to start canning this year): $.49 each

White ceramic pitcher: $1.00

Sheets (to be turned into jammy pants): $1.50 for both

Sewing patterns: $.49 each

Chicken vase: $1.49

Box of sewing notions: $2.50 (Not including the wooden chest it is in, that was $5.99)

Round floor quilt: $2.99

I'm so excited! I joined this challenge where I will not buy anything new (as in new at the store, does not include thrifted things) for myself or my home for a whole year. However, I think I may be doing the wrong thing because I have used it as an excuse to shop at all my favorite thrift stores way too much! I may be defeating the purpose, I'm not sure.

My Bubba is 7...

2010-01-06T10:49:00.002-07:00

My little boy turns 7 today. I can't believe how fast time flies. Big Daddy has to work today so we woke Bubba up by singing Happy Birthday to him and had cake in bed. He was so excited and happy!

I made Bubba a pair of pajama pants from Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross. I didn't have any elastic at the time, so I used some ribbon I had. I plan to embroider his name and age on the cuff.

Another Daily Snapshot...

2010-01-05T10:28:00.001-07:00

I love mornings like this. Everyone just woke up and is feeling all lovey...so sweet.

Daily snapshot...

2010-01-05T07:54:00.002-07:00

Okay, this is from New Year's eve, so it's not today's daily snapshot, but I did want to post it. It was the best pic I could get of the "Blue Moon".

Knitting...

2010-01-05T07:51:00.001-07:00

I have wanted to know how to knit for some time now. I have used the round knitting looms to make an undetermined amount of scarves, but wanted to make something using needles. I watched this, and just went for it. Behold...another scarf. I got the basics down (I think), but hope to find someone that can show me more. Pefect? No. Functional? Indeed.

Bishop Castle...

2010-01-04T21:22:00.002-07:00

Today we took a little field trip to a very neat place, Bishop Castle, located near Rye, Colorado. This castle is being built by one man, Jim Bishop, who has been working on it for over 30 years. It is made from stone and wrought-iron and has the most amazing "great hall" with a full wall of glass and stained glass. The boys had a blast climbing all the stairs and finding different doorways to go in and out of. We had a great day and plan to return when it is a little warmer because the wind was kickin' at the top of the towers!

**Note** (1/5/2010) Legs. Are. So. Sore.

As the year draws to a close...

2009-12-31T11:12:00.000-07:00

It's New Year's eve and what a year it has been! We bought a house, the boys started a new school, we then decided to homeschool, Tom started working at a new hospital, we had some friends come and go, we grew closer as a family, Rita moved out here from Florida, we survived a blizzard, my sister had a baby, my other sister got pregnant (due at the end of January), and so many other smaller things that mean so much. Oh, and I turned 30! I forgot about that until I was looking through the pics.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year's eve. Here are a few pictures from our year.

Jacob's snickers pie (I forgot to take a picture of his other cake)

Daily Snapshot...

2009-12-30T15:58:00.002-07:00

So. Cool. Dude.

This is Jacob's new sled toy he got for Christmas. "It is as fast as lightning and I almost broke my arm on it because it is so fast!" Just what my mothering heart wants to hear.

(Photo courtesy of Rita.)

Pink Glove Dance...

2009-12-30T12:59:00.001-07:00

I first came across this here, and it really made me smile so I thought I would share it with you.

So exciting...

2009-12-28T10:40:00.000-07:00

So, I have made a couple of simple things with my new sewing machine, like an eye mask that can be put in the refrigerator and a hot water bottle cover from a button-up shirt (both from Handmade Home by Amanda Soule), but I wanted to make something with a little more detail. Well, ta-da!

This is the Mama's Bag, also from Handmade Home. It took me less than a day to make and I was so excited after I finished that I just want to make another one! I don't know how well you can see, but it has pleats where the handle attaches to the bag. Love it!

Christmas pics...

2009-12-26T09:14:00.002-07:00

A few pics from our Christmas celebrations.

These are from Christmas at Rita's house...

From Christmas morning...

The Family!

Daily snapshot...

2009-12-19T16:30:00.001-07:00

I'm doing these "Daily snapshots" so that you may have a glimpse into the simple, everyday things that go on around here. For instance, today's daily snapshot involves me playing with one of the kids stocking stuffers...and Tom telling me what a dork I am! Oh, it really is the simple things in life that bring us joy!

Too cute!

Daily snapshot...

2009-12-18T18:38:00.001-07:00

Sittin' pretty in my "vintage" Mikasa casserole.

(Dish was made in 1979. Does that mean I'm vintage?)

I was in the mood for something light for dinner. I feel that we tend to eat heavier when it is cold outside. You know, good old comfort food that warms you up. So tonight I made Herbed Pasta Primavera from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook.

Here's the recipe taken from the book:

1 3/4 cups dried multigrain or whole wheat penne pasta (8 ounces)

8 ounces packaged peeled baby carrots, halved lenthwise (1 3/4 cups)

1 tablespoon olive oil

8 ounces fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch piences (1 1/2 cups)

1/2 cup sliced green onion or chopped onion

3/4 cup chicken broth

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium zucchini and/or yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick (2 cups)

2 tablespoons snipped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dries basil, crushed

1/4 teaspoon salt

Grated or finely shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)

Cracked black pepper

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Return penne to hot saucepan; cover and keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook and stir carrots in hot olive oil for 5 minutes. Add green beans, onion, broth, and garlic. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in squash. Simmer, uncovered, for 4 to 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.

3. Toss vegetable mixture, basil, and salt with pasta. Sprinkle with cheese and pepper.

Nutritional: Per 1-3/4 cups: 284 cal; 9g total fat; 375mg sodium; 42g carb; 7g fiber; 12g protein

Daily snapshots...

2009-12-17T14:33:00.001-07:00

Justin helping with the Oatmeal Scotchies (yes he is sitting on the counter).

Say CHEESE, Jacob!

MIA for MYHSM, but...

2009-12-15T15:26:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I was out of town yesterday and missed my Make Your Home Sing Monday post, but I was thinking of home. I was thinking of how I want our home to feel. I want it to be warm and comforting and safe. For the most part, I think our home already feels that way, but now that the cooler temps have arrived I want to add to it. I envision piles of quilts, baskets of books, candles, and fresh-baked bread. I have been on the search for vintage quilts and have only found one. There is something about a quilt that no other blanket compares to. Maybe it is because I know that a lot of work went into making it, or that it makes me think of my Granny and what a strong woman she is and how things use to be...simpler. What ever the reason, I am ~~obsessed~~ determined to find more quilts or vintage quilt squares. I have been to every thrift store in the area, twice. I have some quilt squares that my Granny made years ago that I am going to finish into a quilt, but patience has never been one of my vertues.

Any how, Tom and I have been talking and know that we want to be more self-sufficient and what we really want to have one day is...a farm! Okay, a farm may be a little much, but atleast enough room for a cow, some chickens, a horse, 4-wheelers, and a garden. Is that too much to ask? So on our little outing yesterday, I saw this:

Love it! However, this one is in Crested Butte, and is so ~~out of my price range~~, um, not my style. So we continue on our search. We have decided that to make an educated decision, we will take day trips to various places around here and see what they have to offer. Yesterday, we set out for Gunnison. I saw a house online that looked nice and since we didn't know anything about the area, we decided to drive there. It took us about 5 hours to get to Gunnison, but on the way we had to drive through Mt. Monarch Pass (11,312 ft. elevation). I was the one driving at the time and wasn't prepared for how the road was going to be:

But we made it through, thanks to all the guys driving the snow plows that were keeping the roads safe. Here are a few other pics from our trip:

As it got later and there was nothing to take pictures of, I started playing with my camera's shutter speed:

That's all for now. God bless you and may you make your house a home.

Paper mache bowls...

2009-12-09T19:40:00.003-07:00

Today's craft activity was paper mache bowls. I remember doing paper mache while in grade school, but since that was a while ago, I used the recipe for paste and instructions from Amanda Blake Soule's book Handmade Home. Have I mentioned I LOVE HER?!

The boys really enjoyed it, although it took a few minutes for Justin to want to get his hands in the paste. After some convincing on my part that the paste was not overly goopy and would come off with some plain warm water, he got more into it. It was great fun! I offered my "help" a few times because I wanted to get my hands in it too!

Pictures of the finished product to come soon!

How to Build Community...

2009-12-09T18:59:00.000-07:00

I saw this here, and love it. I hope to purchase my own copy of it very soon. I think I need to do a lot more of the things listed here. I am going to start practicing more of these because one of my biggest complaints about the area I live in is that everyone seems so closed up in their own homes, no one waves when you pass them on the street and the only reason I know almost any of my neighbors is because my kids play with their kids out in the street. As Rita (my MIL) always says, "We should just be more like children. Just walk up to someone and ask 'Will you be my friend?'" Such wisdom.

Just a little part of me...

2009-12-08T11:14:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share some old photos that I love. My mother's parents, Howard and Agnes Boyd, died in a car accident a year before I was born. I regret that I never had the opportunity to get to know them and learn more about where and who I come from, but I do have pictures. I love the smiles and joy that shows in their faces. I can look at these pictures and imagine what they were like and what they would have been like as grandparents. Do I have some of their traits? What could I have learned from them? I love to hear stories about them, although I fear I have heard too few. I could probably never hear enough actually. But for now, I have pictures.

(I will add more as I get them scanned.)

And one of me as a toddler.

Making Your Home Sing Monday...

2009-12-07T12:30:00.001-07:00

This is something I picked up from a blog I follow called Mom's The Word. It's all about making your house a home and what you're going to do each day to accomplish that.

So, today, my plan for MYHSM is to finish my filing, shampoo the carpets upstairs, and make shopping lists (grocery, Christmas, things to do). Not to mention that Christmas is two weeks away...TWO WEEKS AWAY! Where does the time go? I have to do some shopping for the boys, and finish making some of the handmade things I am doing. We decorated our Christmas tree yesterday and put out some decorations around the house. It looks wonderfully warm and inviting!

Isn't it funny how you can start off with just a few tasks and one thing leads to another? It is like pulling a string on a sweater. Because, of course, I know that I will not be able to just shampoo the carpets. I can't shampoo the carpets without making sure all the laundry is picked up and taken to the basement, and since it is in the basement, I might as well start the darn stuff to wash. So, we'll see how it goes, but at least I have a plan!

Ah, December...

2009-12-05T16:09:00.002-07:00

I can't believe it is December and the Christmas season is upon us. Time flies when you're having fun, right? Christmas will be a little different this year. Not only has the poor economy reached the North Pole, as I had to explain to Jacob when he said that he would just ask from Santa what Mommy and Daddy couldn't get him, but this Mommy is seriously tired of how commercialized our lives have become. I really feel that I have started becoming more of the person/mother/wife I want to be and I want to do things different. I want my kids to hold on to the creativeness and imagination they naturally have. Therefore, Christmas will involve gifts I feel help nourish those traits. I am a fan of the website and blog www.imaginechildhood.com and plan on ordering a few items from them. I love handmade things and things that remind me of my own childhood when we "had three TV channels you got up to change", spent most of my days outside, drawing, sewing with my grandma, or riding on the tractor with my grandpa. I am working on taking us back to a simpler way of life.

A day of thanks...

2009-11-26T23:15:00.000-07:00

I am thankful for so much. Family, friends, life. I hope everyone has the best of Thanksgivings this year. In addition to it being Thanksgiving, it is Jacob's 8th birthday. I can't believe it... 8 years! We had a party for him on the 21st with cake and friends and presents, so today I just made him a Snickers Pie. Mom and Dad arrived today from Florida and will be here for 10 days. So many things to be thankful for.

The boys made place cards for everyone.

Jacob's Snickers Pie

Crafty me...

2009-11-24T12:55:00.005-07:00

As a child and teenager, I loved to draw, paint, and create. While I was pregnant with Jacob, I was a scrapbooking fanatic. Then baby came and life changed. One would think that with children around, creativeness would run wild, but life intervened and the fire diminished. So now, 8 years later I am grasping at anything I can bring back into my life to ignite the flame again. Enter my new sewing machine:

A gift from my beautiful hubby, an early Christmas present. I had been eyeing and drooling over this machine every time we went into Walmart. Now, I brought my sister's machine home with me after we visited Florida, but once Tom saw how serious I was about it, he wanted to get me the one I wanted. Such a sweet man! So the collection of fabric begins. I have gone through all of our closets, the linen closet, and the nearest Goodwill. I found some old sheets and curtains that have now been washed and folded, waiting to be created into something great!

To Florida and back...

2009-11-17T13:46:00.000-07:00

My dad retired this year and was having a party on November 7. I received the invite in the mail and put it on the counter, knowing that I would be unable to go. However, as things turned out, the boys and I ended up driving to Florida! It took us 2 days to drive there, scratch that, 2 very long days to drive there, but it was well worth it. Andi and Jenn knew we were coming, but that was it. Dad and Mom were completely surprised when we just showed up, it was great. The party was a hit and I was thrilled to see so many people I haven't' seen in so long. Just want to give a big CONGRATULATIONS to my dad!

The day after the party, we drove down to visit Big Tom and Denise. We had a wonderful time with them. The boys even got to ride on one of their horses, my little cowboys!

I spent a lot of time with my nephew, Little Baby Ryan, as we so fondly refer to him. I also got to see my big sis prego! She looks adorable and I can't wait to meet my other nephew after he is born. Mom and Dad will be coming for a visit, arriving on Thanksgiving day and staying for 10 days. It is always nice to have more family around for the holidays, too bad we can't fly everyone out to enjoy a white Christmas!

Jacob and Uncle Mac having a very serious conversation.

Jacob and his Mimi that he loves so much!

Me and two of my most favorite women in the world.

Such a handsome man!

Proud papa!

LBR (Little Baby Ryan)

On the way back home, we made a stop in St. Louis to go to the top of the Arch. The boys were not super impressed, but it was an experience I'm glad they had.

The boys...

2009-08-28T23:05:00.008-06:00

They are growing so big. They are so smart and we are really enjoying homeschooling. Well, I am enjoying homeschooling, they don't seem to appreciate anything the includes the word "school". They are doing well, nonetheless.

We have also been enjoying some time out on the trails. It is fun to get out in nature and enjoy all of God's gifts around us.

Justin has started losing teeth and has lost his bottom two front ones. He is excited to finally have the Tooth Fairy coming to visit and can't wait until he loses the top two because he knows they are worth the most money. He is really coming out of his shell. I don't know what to attribute it to, but I hope it has something to do with his growing amount of comfort and self-confidence in who he is. Maybe it even has something to do with spending more time with ME! A mother can dream. He loves to ride his bike and play with his friends and will do so for hours on end out in front of our house. He is a homebody and would be happy to never leave the house as long as the food keeps magically appearing! He is happy and brings such joy to my heart.

Jacob is quite a character. His imagination is out of this world. Sometimes he has so much to say that he can't get it out fast enough and his words get all jumbled. I have to get him to stop and slow down, but I can just see the excitement in his eyes and face and he can't wait to share his grand idea with me. He is a lover. He cares so much for everyone and their feelings. I get tons of hugs and kisses from him and he is just content sitting and being with someone and the warmness of his heart makes you radiate.

Verse I'm loving...

2009-08-28T12:14:00.002-06:00

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

Romans 12:2
NIV

Media-free Day...

2009-08-28T12:09:00.001-06:00

We celebrated Media-Free day a few days ago. It was a little tough explaining to the boys why we couldn't be on the computer, play the video games, or watch tv. Overall, it went pretty well. Each day since then, we have watched tv and played video games a little less. The boys are remembering what their Legos look like, how to play hide-in-go-seek, and that they do actually like to paint and draw. They seem a little bit less intense and their imaginations seem to running more wild. I will have to admit, I felt a little less frazzled myself. I cannot deny the fact that I get caught up in the channel flipping, hoping that by the time I get back around to Channel 2, there is something new on.

So, we continue on our journey. It forces us to use our imaginations and spend more quality time together. It is easier to see who someone really is when you have an actual conversation with them instead of sitting next to them on the couch and telling them to be quiet so that you can hear the tv. I'm still not above using the electronic babysitters though when I have a terrible migraine like I did yesterday. I'll work on that.

What type of hen are you?

2009-07-15T23:00:00.002-06:00

What type of Mother Hen Are You?
by Montessorimom.com: Educational Resource

I'm a sucker for silly little quizes. I thought this would be a fun one to take...a soccer mom hen! Interesting.

Simple Woman's Daybook - July 15

2009-07-15T13:22:00.004-06:00

FOR TODAY... Wednesday, July 15, 2009
WHAT'S OUTSIDE... Sunny and warm.
I AM THINKING... I need to start packing for our trip to Florida.
I AM THANKFUL FOR... Being able to stay home with the boys.
IN THE KITCHEN... Sandwiches for lunch, spaghetti for supper.
I AM WEARING... Shorts, t-shirt, my apron.
I AM CREATING... A special gift for Tom (Day 3 of The Love Dare, which I may blog more about later).
I AM GOING... Nowhere today, just being at home.
I AM READING... New Moon (again), the Bible, Upgrade - Ten Secrets to the Best Education for Your Child by Kevin Swanson
I AM HOPING... For a cure for diabetes.
I AM HEARING... HGTV in the background.
AROUND THE HOUSE... Gathering things for a garage sale.
ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS... Reading.
A FEW PLANS FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK... Preparing for our trip to Florida. Cooking so that Tom has plenty of leftovers while I am gone.

Plastectomy...

2009-07-15T12:16:00.005-06:00

Ahhh, credit cards. What evil little things! What a stupid idea that we have been told that we can "borrow" money on a regular basis that we don't even have to begin with. And then, to make it worse, you pay a large amount one time in addition to your minimum payment and they send you a notice saying they are increasing your credit limit! Well, Tom and I have fallen for the evil plot for a while (although coming from parents that never had them and tried their best to lead us on the right path...thanks, Mom, Dad and Rita), but NO MORE! Last night we performed a plastectomy together. If you need help understanding this, please refer to Dave Ramsey. I rounded up all of our credit cards that were stowed away in drawers, old purses, and our wallets and this was the result:

I know I feel very good about this. Now the temptation is gone for me. Seeing those little, plastic beauties filling my wallet, has always created this false sense of security. How is paying for something with money I don't have security? Beats me too. Knowing that we have no "back up" is going to make us more cautious with the cash we have on hand. I do not want to be owned by the people that I owe money to and we are working on being completely debt free.

"The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender." - Proverbs 22:7

Simple Woman's Daybook - July 11

2009-07-11T10:12:00.003-06:00

FOR TODAY... Saturday, July 11, 2009

WHAT'S OUTSIDE... Blue, clear skies

I AM THINKING... We are so blessed.

I AM THANKFUL FOR... Air conditioner (I know it seems petty, but it is already 80 degrees outside).

IN THE KITCHEN... I will be making banana bread today, still thinking about what supper will be.

I AM WEARING... Sleep clothes still, time to get dressed!

I AM CREATING... A clean house!

I AM GOING... Nowhere today, just hanging out at home.

I AM READING... New Moon (again), the Bible, Upgrade - Ten Secrets to the Best Education for Your Child by Kevin Swanson

I AM HOPING... For the willpower to save more money.

I AM HEARING... The AC running.

AROUND THE HOUSE... We are going to figure out where to put a garden today in our backyard. It is a little late to start growing things this season, I believe.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS... A clean house.

A FEW PLANS FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK... Watching my friend's daughter for a little while today, (a new) church on Sunday.

Visiting with my big sis...

2009-07-10T22:59:00.003-06:00

My sister, Andi, came for a visit this week. We have not seen her since she was here last September and missed her dearly! We did not do a whole lot, but that is something that is special about our relationship and her. We enjoy just being in each other's company. I told her that she was an easy guest, she said "Thanks, I think."

It was great seeing her and Jacob interact. They have always had a unique relationship and I feel that it is because they are so much alike! They are both easygoing, could watch TV through a tornado, like to make people laugh, find the good in everyone, and love to love and be loved. They are kindred spirits.

One day we did go to Dave & Busters and spent four hours eating and playing games. We raced motorcycles, played Deal or No Deal and Skeeball. The food was awesome and the company good.

We were sad to drop her off at the airport, but Jacob, Justin and I will be seeing everyone again soon as we are flying to Florida on July 22nd. We can't wait!

Simple Woman's Daybook

2009-07-10T01:08:00.005-06:00

FOR TODAY... Friday, July 10, 2009

WHAT'S OUTSIDE... Clouds and Lightning

I AM THINKING... I need to pay bills

I AM THANKFUL FOR... my family - we had a great day with Rita

IN THE KITCHEN... we ate salmon, green bean casserole, roasted potatoes

I AM WEARING... khakis, new shirt, flip flops

I AM CREATING... a schoolroom for the boys

I AM GOING... nowhere else today

I AM READING... New Moon (again), the Bible, Upgrade - Ten Secrets to the Best Education for Your Child by Kevin Swanson

I AM HOPING... for the willpower to save more money

I AM HEARING... the boys talking about the movie they are watching

AROUND THE HOUSE... we just added window sills

ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS... music

A FEW PLANS FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK... watching my friend's daughter for a little while tomorrow, (a new) church on Sunday

Photography.

2009-05-14T14:43:00.004-06:00

I love photography. I have not gotten into it as much as I would like, but I am hoping to change that. On June 6, I am going to a photography workshop in Provo, UT. I am so excited about it! It is being held by a photographer, Nichole Van, that I have been following for the last year or so. I love her style and hope to take a lot of good things from the workshop.

Provo is about 8 hours away. Due to flight times not working out for me, I will be driving there. I love road trips so I am looking forward to it. This will be Tom's present to me for my 30th birthday. He is always so supportive of me, no matter what idea I get into my head. I will be sure to post some of the pics from the workshop when I get back.

To check out Nichole's work: http://weddings.nicholev.com/?splash or http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicholevan/

One year...

2009-04-20T22:45:00.002-06:00

A year ago today, we left our home/friends/family in Gainesville, FL, to start what turned out to be an amazing journey. I have learned so much about myself, my husband, our beautiful children and I have NO regrets. We took a big leap of faith and God showed us the way to where we needed to be - physically, spiritually, and emotionally. I've never known happiness like I know it now. We have had the opportunity to see and do things that we would have never had. And the opportunities just keep presenting themselves. Life is too short to not seek out and grab a hold of the happiness you deserve.

A new job.

2009-03-10T22:51:00.002-06:00

I am starting a new job on March 16th. It is at an anesthesiologists office and I will be working in the billing department. I will only be working from 8am-12pm, but it will bring in some extra money and get me back in the medical field. While in Florida, I was working towards applying for nursing school; however, Colorado has a three year waiting list for nursing school, so my plans my have to be readjusted. It was important for me that I still be available to the boys in the afternoon, and in the fall when Justin starts going to school a full day, I will take classes at a local community college (after I can claim residency). I was blessed to be able to find a job after only looking a short time.

A few house pics...

2009-02-06T21:49:00.009-07:00

These are from my cell phone so they are not the best quality. I am unable to find my camera cord since the move. I have about 7 boxes to unpack still so it must be in there. Anyhoo, here are a few preview pics. It's still a work in progress. I have to thank our friends Casey and Jenine for helping us out so much...THANKS YOU TWO!

Busy...

2009-02-06T20:51:00.002-07:00

We have been very busy since we closed on the house. We have painted almost every room and I will be posting pictures soon. Things are coming together and we are loving our new home. It is amazing the number of things you realize you don't need after it is packed up and then you have to unpack it. We have gotten rid of many things and I feel like weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

The boys will be going to a year-round school, but the track they will be on went on break. Their first day will be February 17. I am very excited about this because the new school will be 1/4 of a mile from our house. Right now, I am still driving them back and forth to Denver everyday. On a good day that means 30 minutes one way. It is getting to be a pain.

Rita (Tom's mom) has decided to make the move out here as well. We're excited to have family near by again. It is a big move for her, but I think a good one. Change is usually good. Her nerves are pretty rattled still from the process of moving (leaving the home she has known, packing, driving out here, etc), so keep her in your prayers.

The other good news is that we are going to have a NEPHEW! I'm so excited and can't wait to see him. We wish Jennifer and Mike all the best luck!

Our new home...

2009-01-07T11:44:00.016-07:00

I know it has been a LONG time since I last posted, but we have had a lot going on. As many of you know, I was pregnant, but we lost the baby when I was 9 weeks. We know and understand that everything happens for a reason. That and the fact that we have two beautiful, healthy boys already, helped console us. We do not think that we will try again.

On another note, we have bought a house and are anxiously awaiting to close on it tomorrow. We put the offer in on November 15, but due to it being a short sale, it has taken longer than usual. The house is in the town of Castle Rock, which is about 25 minutes south of Denver. It is a great little town with a lot to offer. It has a great school system and a small town feeling to it. We looked at many houses in many areas before picking this one. We are so excited to begin our new year in a new house, in our new home - the state of Colorado. What a year 2008 was! Many changes, many adventures and a lot of growth - for me personally and in my relationship with Tom. We are stronger than ever.

Here are a few pics of the house. Trust me, I will be painting as soon as I get a chance.

Front of house

Kitchen (SS appliance were included)

Living room with gas fireplace

Dining area

From landing at top of stairs

Master bedroom

Master bath

Entrance to master bath from bedroom

Entrance to boys' rooms

1st Trimester Report Cards

2008-11-13T15:07:00.006-07:00

The boys just completed their first trimester of the school year. They have both been doing very well. We received their report cards last week and we had parent/teacher conferences with both of their teachers this week. Academically, both boys did very well. Justin has a few behavior issues to work on, but his teacher said she has seen an improvement since the beginning of the year and expects it to get better with a little more maturity. He also goes to see the Gifted and Talented teacher once a week with only 3 other children from his class. The district that we are in works with Kindergartners that demonstrate a higher level of thinking skills and are selected by their teachers. After Kindergarten, the children are not identified as Gifted/Talented until the end of 3rd grade. The teacher, however, said that she is sure she will be seeing Jacob in the future. Jacob's teacher had nothing but praise for him. She said that is such an outside the box thinker, that he has helped take their class to another level. He has a strong desire to learn as much as he can. She said that he will be quiet while she is talking and she can just see the wheels in his head turning. He is a very good listener, but after he processes it, he has lots of questions for her. Both boys are doing very well in reading and math and are at a higher level than is standard for each of their grades. His class did a podcast and thanks to Jacob, the subject was spiders! The class created a 6 paragraph poem about spiders. We are very proud of them. Below are a few things from each child. Most of Jacob's school work will not be returned until the end of the school year.

Jacob will be recognized at an assembly in front of the whole school. He said he gets to stand on stage and even shake the Principal's hand! He is such a sweet child and has many friends.

Justin's teacher said that she tries to keep Justin involved so that he does not get bored (i.e. get in trouble). She said she started working with him on skills they should have at the end of the school year, like writing your numbers from 1-100.

Justin's class was working with patterns. His teacher said she was telling the class they could make patterns from shapes and colors and Justin spoke up and said numbers. When she gave them a sheet of paper to draw a pattern on, the work on the bottom is what he gave her. She said it was the only one she saved because she was so amazed that a 5-year-old would think at the level of counting backwards by tens from 30.

Having fun...

2008-11-11T23:19:00.023-07:00

We have really enjoyed our time here in Denver. It seems like there is always something to do. We love that there are so many parks to go to and places to visit. I think Denver has more parks in its city limits than the entire state of Florida. One of the larger parks has two fishing lakes, paddle boats, and these neat bicycle carts that we could all ride on. Here are some pictures from a couple of our visits to local parks:

These are a few pictures from Antonio's birthday party at Amazing Jake's. It is an awesome place full of activities like rock climbing, putt-putt golf, bumper cars, laser tag, and even roller coasters - all inside. It was a lot of fun!

Jacob made it all the way to the top!

Party favors...

School Pictures 2008

2008-11-10T16:44:00.003-07:00

Here are the boys school pictures that were taken in October. Jacob is 6 (will be 7 on Nov. 26) and Justin is 5 (6 on Jan. 6). They are getting so big. Although it is hard for me to notice all the time, I was sitting there looking at them the other day and just can't believe how much they have grown. They are my angels!

HALLOWEEN!

2008-11-10T16:13:00.002-07:00

Earlier in the month of October, Jacob decided that he wanted to be a spider for Halloween. Since I knew this meant I would have to make it, I kept putting it off and trying to get him to pick a costume from one of the stores. Justin couldn't make up his mind either, but FINALLY the day before Halloween I said I would make the spider costume. While we were at Joann Fabrics, Justin decided he wanted to be a ghost. It came down to the wire, but we got them done. Next year, I will start earlier. Or at least, I'll try to start earlier. Well, we'll see.

Anyway, here is the only picture I got of them just before they walked out the door. I was not feeling well, so Tom took them along with some friends of ours.

WE SOLD OUR HOUSE!!

2008-10-31T17:00:00.000-06:00

We were very blessed to have been able to sell our house in Florida. We closed on October 31. This is such a relief and burden lifted off our shoulders. Our furniture is on its way out here. Many thanks to Rita for organizing everything and tying up all the loose ends. A funny story she told us was that when we originally left for California, we left in such a hurry that we even left dishes in the sink. She said she guessed we couldn't wait to get the heck out of there. It has been a great journey and we are truly happy.

Tom's 32nd Birthday!

2008-10-16T15:01:00.000-06:00

Tom turned 32 this year on October 13. Rita flew out to help us celebrate his birthday and it was a very nice weekend.

Weekend trip with the Rivera's (more to follow)

2008-10-14T17:34:00.014-06:00

We took a little trip with our friends the Rivera's the weekend before last (October 4-5) to Aspen. We each have four members in our family so we rented a Suburban and off we went. We really wanted to head up into the mountains to see the leaves changing, but it was quite a bonding experience as well. Our first plan was to go camping, however Tom sprained his ankle so we changed our plans. It was a very beautiful, very enjoyable weekend!

Dave's Thoughts About the Economy (directly from his website)

2008-09-26T16:00:00.003-06:00

I don't have a great amount of money in my 401K (yet) and I don't know much about the stock market, so I have been worried about what is going on. I checked out the Dave Ramsey website to see what he had to say...

Dave's Thoughts About the Economy

Over the past month, we’ve witnessed the largest bankruptcy in history, the stock market dropping like a rock, and the talking heads on TV freaking out that the world is coming to an end. I’m here to tell you the truth—we’re going to make it. We’re going to be fine. Take a chill pill.

This month I’ve compiled some of the most-asked questions I’ve gotten recently from you:

Are we okay, Dave?

Definitely. Remember Enron and WorldCom in the recent years? We survived that. But much worse than all this was the financial crisis of the ‘80s – S&L collapse and 1,000 bank failures in 2 years. We’re nowhere near this type of thing; that was probably 50 to 100 times worse than all of this.

What does all of this come back to?

Greedy banks financing homes to broke people. It all seemed to work okay in their minds when the economy was booming, but when the economy slowed a little bit broke people quit paying on their subprime mortgages. DUH. No wonder they went out of business. Stupid decisions.

Is there anything we can do to fix this bailout mess?

YES! Here's a quick summary: Companies that had billions in subprime loans were feeling the effects of their stupid decision to make those loans in the first place, and practically gave them away for pennies on the dollar. But since no one wants these loans, and they've had to mark them down to market value, it has frozen the market. If we temporarily change the rule that forces companies to do that, that will free the market up.
This is an absolutely huge deal, and it involves everyone getting in touch with their congressperson before we spend hundreds of billions of dollars that we don't need to! Learn more

Will the collapse of businesses and banks affect me?

No, not unless you work there. Thousands of stock brokers on Wall Street have lost their jobs in the past few weeks, but that happens in other industries across the country in good and bad times. This time it just happened in NYC where all the national news media is so they made a big deal of it.

If I have 401(k) money in a Merrill Lynch or AIG trading account, should I move the money elsewhere?

No. Your money isn’t with them; your 401(k) money is in the stocks. These big companies are just managers (unless you directly own stock in their company). The only thing that may be an issue is if they crash later, you may have some customer service issues, but your money is still safe. This is a good reminder to not have all of your money in one stock—that’s stupid. Always spread out your money in various growth stock mutual funds.

With these acquisitions, will my 401(k) account and entire portfolio with Merrill Lynch be lost?

No. They just own the company Merrill Lynch. Look at it this way—if I owned 6 rental properties and hired a management company that eventually failed, I would still own the properties; I just wouldn’t have a manager. Your broker doesn’t have title to your stuff. Your 401(k) is not a company asset; that’s the beauty of it.

Should I sell my US stocks to buy gold and foreign stocks?

Absolutely not! Why would you think foreign stocks are any better than US stocks? Again, diversify your money in good growth stock mutual funds instead.

What practical lessons should small business owners learn from these bank difficulties?

When you have no cash, you freakin’ go broke. You must keep some cash on hand, no matter what kind of business you have. Give yourself some wiggle room where you can take a hit and still be standing.

Remain calm, America. We’re in a slow time, but just pay your bills and you’re going to be fine.

Rocky Mountain National Park.

2008-09-22T07:48:00.033-06:00

Yesterday, we went to the Rocky Mountain National Park. It was a perfect day because the temperature was around 60 degrees in the lower parts of the mountains. It was sunny and mostly clear as well. Also, the elk were out because it is their mating season and you could hear them bugling. Initially, Justin (aka Game Boy) wasn't very excited, but Jacob (aka Nature Boy) was ready to go as soon as we mentioned it. The nicknames, by the way, are the doings of the children. However, Justin's changed to Tiny Bubbles when my family was visiting - but don't ask. Anyhow, we checked the weather before we left and saw that it was supposed to be raining at the top of the mountain, so we loaded up our jackets and strapped on our boots and off we went. Once we got close to the park and the boys started seeing snow on some of the mountains, they got so excited! We stopped just before we got there to take a little walk on a trail and let Lola use the bathroom. There was a creek running nearby so naturally the boys had to get their feet wet. We came across a rock that looked fairly climbable so Jacob, being my child, had to test it out. He was up it before I could even get over to the rock. Justin was fine with me helping him up to the first ledge so he could turn around and sit on it. He is getting a little more adventurous in his years, but hasn't reached Jacob's level of thrill-seeking quite yet (which is fine with me). The park was beautiful but we only saw a portion of it. We drove on this road that was one-way and very thin in some parts but Tom drove slowly and it was very enjoyable. The road itself was 11 miles long (i.e. 2 hours to get to the end) and by the time we reached the top, the wind was blowing between 30-40 mph and it was 48 degrees. Needless, to say we didn't stay there very long before we headed back down the mountain. We did get out briefly so Lola could stretch her legs and the boys could throw a snowball or two, but I was worried about someone going over the edge and I made everyone get back in the truck. I think we all slept good last night. If you really want to see how out of shape you are, go to 11,000 feet and try to walk up a hill against the wind. WHEW!! It was a very enjoyable day and we plan to go back to the park so that we can see some other parts of it. Here are some other pics:

Tom and boys on the first trail we went on.

I can't believe how big he is getting!

Lola loves the cool weather!

The ladies.

The man.

Over the mountain and through the woods.

I loved the boots and jeans.

Our boys.

SO HAPPY!!

Are we there yet?!

So pretty!

Road markers for when the snow gets deep. They were 20' high and they were even around the buildings at the top of the mountain.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation UNDER GOD, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

"You're too close to the edge!"

My hunny-bunny.

The road back home.

Not much going on...

2008-09-15T11:03:00.005-06:00

We haven't done much lately. We have mostly been hanging out around the house, going to school/work, and saving money. We have decided that we do not want to go back to Florida and have put our house up for sale. It is a poor market, so if you pray, please pray for God to send a few extra blessings this way (although we know our blessings are bountiful). We are trying to figure out the next steps as far as Tom's work goes. He may try to get another travel assignment here in Denver or apply for full-time work at one of the local hospitals. I am really pleased with how well the boys are doing with their school/teachers/friends and I don't want to pull them away from that. The weather has been beautiful! There is already snow at 10,000 ft and it is nice to drive down the road in the mornings and see the snow-capped mountains out in front of you. Last weekend we took a trip down to Colorado Springs. It is also a very pretty area. It is more hilly than Denver and closer to the mountain range. We stopped at a park and the boys got to see four deer up close. The deer must have been used to people because we were about 8-10 ft away from them before they ran off. It was pretty neat. Well, I hope everyone has a great weekend!

At the base of Pike's Peak. We didn't plan on going and didn't have enough time, but we will be going back.

Some random pics from our time in Cali...

2008-09-08T16:46:00.004-06:00

Dave Ramsey.

2008-09-07T09:56:00.004-06:00

I know some of you have heard me praise Dave Ramsey before. Tom and I started his Total Money Makeover program at the beginning of 2007. We were focused and paid off a lot of debt in a short period of time. However, as our situation changed, we lost that focus but are now going to begin the program again. It is a great plan for anyone and pretty easy to follow if you are determined to be debt free. It does require you to be active and accountable for all decisions though. You can't just sit back and say you are trying to become debt free, you need to be focused or "gazelle-intense" as Dave refers to it. I urge everyone to buy his book. Also, here is a link to his August 2008 newsletter to just give you a little taste of his philosophy. He is also a devout Christian and strongly believes in "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" - it's not always easy, but it really requires you to think about your actions and what impact they will make. Check it out:

www.daveramsey.com/etc/newsletters/company/062708.cfm?ectid=cnlwelcome_3

Visiting with the Williams/Wedding/McLemore crew.

2008-09-01T12:14:00.009-06:00

We had a great visit with Mom, Dad, Jennifer, Andi, and Mike W. Although Dad is still recovering from his knee surgery, he was able to get out and see some sights with us. On Saturday morning, we all loaded up and headed to Mt. Evans. It was a lot cooler than the first time we went and there was more moisture in the air and wind. However, there were fewer clouds this time. When we left there, we stopped by this great little BBQ place in Idaho Springs. It was a great meal and much appreciated after our trip. Saturday evening, the boys stayed with Mom and Dad in their hotel room and everyone else came back to the condo. It was great just hanging out and visiting. On Sunday, we rode out to Boulder and walked around the outside mall. That evening we went to a place called Joe's Crab Shack and had another awesome meal. It was so good! Yesterday, we mostly stayed around the condo (we went to a store or two) and cooked out in the evening. However, the party ended this morning when I had to drop everyone off at the airport. It was so good to see everyone, but the trip didn't seem to last long enough!

Here are some pics from our visit...

Labor Day weekend and the Williams' family

2008-08-29T15:59:00.003-06:00

Well, it is the start of Labor Day weekend. I hope everyone stays safe. My family is coming into town tonight - Andi, Mom, Dad, Jennifer, and Mike W. I can't wait to see them! They will be staying until Tuesday. Tom and boys are both off on Monday, so it should be a nice long weekend.

Justin's first day.

2008-08-27T16:21:00.003-06:00

Ahh, the first day of Kindergarten. All those nerves and the excitement that we felt when Jacob started Kindergarten came rushing back to us today as we dropped our baby off with backpack, lunch box, and emergency contact information sheet in hand. He was all smiles this morning before we left, but quickly gained a very forlorn expression as we met with his other classmates and teacher on the playground. There was a little boy who approached us almost immediately and asked what Justin's name was. His name is Diego. He took to Justin right off and asked him to stand in line with him and told Justin that they would sit by each other in the classroom. What a blessing this little boy is! The tears welled to the surface as Tom and I turned and walked off (you know because it is easier for the child if you don't make a scene - yeah, right, I say it is for the parents sake). We had the pleasure of meeting his teacher, Mrs. Raley, on Back to School night and for his assessment on Monday. She is a very sweet lady and I feel lucky that he ended up in her class. She said that he excelled in his assessment and should be reading by himself soon. I got to see him at lunchtime and he had a smile on his face as he and Diego were talking back and forth from two different tables. After lunch is a short recess and when Justin walked out the door, Diego was waiting for him and off they went, without a 'Bye', 'See ya', or 'Love you'. My how they grow! When I picked him up, he was still in good spirits. He told Jacob that he had a good day and had made a new friend. Sweet, sweet music to my ears.

I have great expectations for Justin's diabetes management. The school nurse is very aware and involved. However, at this time, she is not allowed to give any injections since we have not seen an endocrinologist in Colorado. She has to have a care plan from a Coloradan doctor first. What this boils down to is that I will need to go to the school each day, at least twice a day, so that I can check his blood glucose level and give him an injection when needed. His appointment is not until the end of October. Again, I am very blessed to not have to work outside the home and can be there when needed. It's a little bit of a juggling act until we all get used to the schedule, but today went very well. I even filled out a volunteer form so that I can help out when needed at the school since I will be there so frequently. The school is literally 5 minutes away from our condo. I am just beaming with happiness and pride right now for all my boys!

Jacob's first day.

2008-08-26T10:03:00.005-06:00

Jacob started 1st grade yesterday, August 25. He was VERY nervous! He had such a serious look on his face all morning and when I would ask him what was wrong he would say "I don't know." Even though this is his second year in school, it was his first day at this particular school, so I was a little nervous for him too. When we dropped him off, I hugged him and told him to have a good day and he just latched on to my waist and held on tight. He looked as if he was about to cry, but was trying desperately to hold back the tears. His teacher was there and asked him to start the line because it was about time to go in. She took his hand and walked off. My sweet boy is growing up!

The smile on Justin's face comes from the fact that he is not starting school until Wednesday. He was overjoyed about this. We had to meet with Justin's teacher and on the way out, we saw Jacob and his class coming into the building. He looked like he was doing better so I was not too worried. I was excited to pick him up and see how his day was. As they were coming out the door, he saw me, ran up to me, gave me a big hug and said "I already made two new friends...ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!" I was so proud for him. Needless to say, he was no longer nervous and was looking forward to going to school today. One down, one to go.

Back to School

2008-08-22T10:52:00.006-06:00

Last night was Back to School night at the boys' school. We got to see the school and meet their teachers and the school nurse. Everyone seemed very nice and capable. The nurse told us that she will not be able to give Justin any injections until she has a care plan from a Colorado doctor. What this translates to is that until our appointment with the Barbara Davis Center, I will have to go up there each day at his lunch time to give him a coverage shot for his lunch. I'm just glad I am able to do that since I am not working outside the home. All in all, I had a good feeling about the school and the transition will hopefully go smoothly. The first day for Jacob is Monday, 8/25, and for Justin is Wednesday, 8/27. On Monday morning, Justin has a Kindergarten Assessment time with his teacher just to see where he is at in his learning.

And THANK YOU Aunt Jenn for the great backpacks and lunch boxes for the boys. The are so cute and seem very sturdy.

'Now Is The Time to Open Your Heart' - Alice Walker (edited 8/27)

2008-08-20T09:04:00.008-06:00

I am currently reading this book by Alice Walker (author of The Color Purple) and there is a quote in it that I would like to add to this page. The reason I want to add this is because it gives me a different insight to what I have long thought of as a nasty, bad habit - smoking. I feel it is so true and it makes me think about the people I love that smoke. It reads:

The habit of smoking (terrible, dumber than stupid, he knew) had taught him about emptiness, the need to fill internal space, the huge internal space existing within all of us, with Something.

I have to go for now, but will add more to this post later. Just wanted to give you something to think about.

I just came across this line and I love it:

Ya es el tiempo para abrir tu corazon. Now is the time to open your heart. This was the line that she always understood, no matter how distracted or apprehensive she was at the beginning of the journey. It never failed to make her feel the rightness of her decision to be where she was.

This line touches me right down to the very core. I am someone who has always looked for the approval of others before I make decisions. Living like that can be very stressful because I felt like I walked on eggshells to say the right thing to the person I was talking to at the time. Feeling out their body language and tone of voice and choosing my words carefully. I have learned in the last few months that I am able to be happy without someone giving me the go ahead to do so. I've learned that I have my own (very strong) wants and needs and opinions. I have learned that I am capable of being responsible for myself and my family. While Tom's time as a travel nurse has given us many opportunities to see places we would probably have never seen, it has also proven to me that our relationship and bond is strong and that unless two people in love and marriage learn to rely on each other for support, they will never make it. Stepping out of our life to go on this "journey" has taught me that I am no longer the codependent pleaser I once was that was scared to make decisions for fear of upsetting someone else. It was no one's fault but my own, but I am stronger now than I have ever been and you know what? I am truly happy.

OK - here's another one...

When you are caught up in the world that you did not design as support for your life and the life of earth and people, it is like being caught in someone else's dream or nightmare. Many people exist in their lives in this way. I say exist because it is not really living. It is akin to being suspended in a dream one is having at night, a dream over which one has no control. You are going here and there, seeing this and that person; you do not know or care about them usually, they are just there, on your interior screen. Humankind will not survive if we continue this way, most of us living lives in which our own life is not the center. You would not drive a car looking out the side window, would you? Yet that is what it has come to for many human beings; they are driving their lives forward while watching what is happening along the road or even in the rearview mirror.

WHOO-HOO!

2008-08-19T10:47:00.002-06:00

I'm very excited because I got an A in my General Psychology class. I have gotten A's in many other classes, but I am really excited now because I know what direction I am heading in. I've decided that I want to be a Nurse Practitioner in either cardiology or oncology. I've worked in a few different fields, but I always go back to medicine. This coming semester I am taking Developmental Psychology and Ethics, both online. Ethics should be interesting and I'm sure you can expect a few posts regarding the class. Peace!

Clean Eating Banana Applesauce Bread

2008-08-18T09:41:00.003-06:00

Eating "clean" refers to eating foods closest to their natural state. I try very hard to make mostly clean meals for our family. I don't always succeed, but for the better part of what we eat at home, our meals are clean. The original recipe came from The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook by Tosca Reno. It has many great recipes, but one of my favorites is the following recipe for Banana Bread. I have tweaked it a little to my liking and am only including the way I cook it, but if you would like to, check out the books by Tosca Reno. Another great source is the new Clean Eating magazine that comes out four times a year.

Banana Applesauce Bread

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup rye flour
1/2 cup Splenda brown sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking soda
4 egg whites, beaten until fluffy
1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 bananas)
1/2 cup light soy milk
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla
Cooking spray

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

2. In large bowl combine dry ingredients. In another medium bowl, beat egg whites until fluffy. Then pour bananas, soy milk, applesauce and vanilla into a large bowl.

3. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until just blended. Fold in egg whites. Pour into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 55 minutes. Makes 10 servings.

Nutritional Value per serving:
Calories: 211 - Calories from fat: 32 - Protein: 5g - Carbs: 40g - Dietary Fiber: 1g - Sugars: 17g - Fat: 3g - Sodium: 34mg

*The nutritional information is from the recipe in the book.

It was a good day.

2008-08-17T00:38:00.001-06:00

Today was a good day. Not because of the cool temperatures or good, hot chili on a cold day, but because I realized that my baby Justin finally seems happy. He laughs, he smiles, he makes jokes, he seems comfortable in his own skin. He is coming out of his shell and thriving.

As many of you know, Justin will be starting Kindergarten at the end of the month. I have personally been very nervous about this although I have tried very hard to not let him see. While his diabetes is managed well, I always have him with me, so to go from having him with me all day to being at school from 8am-2:30pm will be an adjustment for both of us. I have been wanting to get him a medic alert identification, but had serious doubts about his willingness to wear something. However, I told him that we were going to pick out a cool bracelet for him to wear and that he could choose any one he wanted, and you know what? He was actually excited. Of course, it took him all of two seconds to pick out the one he wanted - an orange nylon sport band. OK, but Mommy can't find an orange one in your size, would you like a different color? Nope, just orange. So the search continues. I WILL find him an orange one no matter what it takes!

Another time that made me see how he was growing, was while we were eating dinner. He has yet to show any type of positive emotion about going to school. Tom and I were discussing with him how his diabetes would be managed and who would do what. When I told him that the nurse would most likely be the one to give him a shot if needed, he got a very serious look on his face and shook his head no. Sensing a relapse, I quickly told him that I was sure the nurse would let him do it if he wanted to (we have been working with him on this) and he quickly perked up and said, "I will do it." This made me very happy not only because it was about the first time he didn't say anything negative about going to school, but mostly because he is showing his independence and responsibility for his diabetes. While it may seem like a young age to began this, those of you that know him well, knows that he is very bright and VERY determined. He has made his mind up now, so there is no telling what he can accomplish!