Life of a SAHM

Kevin learning forms

2010-07-01T12:20:00.000-04:00

Other blogs

2009-03-06T09:24:00.002-05:00

In case you found this blog due to me leaving you a message on yours.. the reason I leave this one up is because sometimes to leave a message on some is if you have a blogger acct.

So.. if you want to see my active blogs... please visit...

Mom of 2... taking it one day at a time
A little bit about me
Musings of a Michigan Mom

Car body repair in Anaheim

2008-11-21T00:34:00.001-05:00

If you live or are on vacation in Anaheim, California and have the mishap of getting in a car accident and are looking for a collision repair expert, then all you need to do is look up auto body shops anaheim and it will bring you to the nearest and most convenient body shop to you!

Car accidents are stressful enough, let alone trying to find a car body repair place that is trustworthy. Collision Repair Experts make sure you find a body shop that you can trust as they will ronly ecommend the most trusted body shops.

Week 2 of school for Kevin

2008-09-09T23:03:00.003-04:00

We are on week 2 for Kevin and things are going good! The only problem I have is with lunch. I've been packing him a lunch and last week he ate 1/2 the sandwiches and that was it, but today when he came home he hadn't touched a bite of anything! I quized him to see what he ate and he repeated what was in his lunch box, but I know for a fact he didn't eat it since I was looking at it.

I'm wondering if he ended up getting hot lunch today? I put money in his hot lunch fund and the kids can decide that day if they want hot lunch instead of what Mommy packed. I don't think I really care for that....

Troubles of a pre-k mom!

Alzheimer's Memory Walk

2008-08-20T21:24:00.001-04:00

I know we have all heard of Alzheimer's and how terrible of a disease is it. Today there is an estimated 5 million Americans living with this disease. I have been very fortunate none of my family members have it, but unfortunately there are many families that have loved ones that are suffering with it.

I actually had a phone call last week from a survey place and while she was asking me questions and I was answering her, the topic of Alzheimer's came up and I said how I'm lucky no one in my family has had it and I pray that no one ever does. That's when the lady I was talking to informed me that her husband has it and he is getting to the stage where he will keep asking the same questions over and over again. For her it's getting harder to go visit him, but to me the hard part would be when he would start asking who she is.

I'm really hoping that someday there will be a cure for Alzheimer's. Until then Alzheimer's Association is on the move to end Alzheimer's and is looking for some team captain's and volunteers to help with an Alzheimer's Memory Walk. Since they started the memory walk in 1989 they have raised more than $225 million to help fight Alzheimer's and to help those currently living with this disease.

Even if you really don't want to be a team captain, you can also help out by walking and raising the much needed money. I didn't even know there was going to be a walk in my area, but when I looked on their website I found out next month there will be!! After reading about the cause I'm really going to try and find some friends or family that would like to join me on this walk. That way I can get my exercise in for the day and also raise money for a much needed cause.

If you would like to help out in any way, whether it's a team captain, volunteer, walker or even a sponsor, just click here.

Not only would it be a great experience for you, but what a way to teach your children to help out the less fortunate at the same time!

Schools getting near!

2008-08-19T22:58:00.003-04:00

Are you ready for your kids to start school again? Do you have all your school supplies bought?

Thankfully all Kevin needed was gym shoes and a backpack. The backpack we already had from preschool (it's still like new) and I got a great deal on gym shoes! Meijers was having a deal where if you spent $10 in coke products you would get $10 off a pair of gym shoes. We were going to be having a party that weekend so I stocked up on coke products and ended up buying Kevin a NEW pair of shoes for $4.99! Of course it helped the shoes were 40% off that week!!

I am nervous for my Kevin to start pre-k, but I'm sure give it a week into it and I'll be glad that I'm able to just have Katie & Momma time.

Web hosting

2008-08-19T19:49:00.001-04:00

A couple years ago my Aunt started her own magazine called Cats and Dogs and she has kept quite busy with it. When I saw her on the 4th of July she said she was thinking of bringing her magazine online, but wasn't quite sure on how to do it all. She already has her domain reserved, but that was as far as she got.

I would love to help her out, but even though I'm getting a hang of the whole blogging thing I feel like doing a website would be totally different. I'm thinking maybe of letting her know about Concentric which is a web hosting that gears towards Small businesses. What's really nice with them is that they will do your domain registration, email hosting, web hosting, and they also have freebies such as spam filters & virus protection!

I don't know how much GB she would need, but maybe she could even do a shared hosting with someone else to cut down on the whole expense some more. Of course Concentric is really reasonable so she probably wouldn't need to.

Question of the day

2008-08-19T19:00:00.000-04:00

My daughter's birthday is the end of December and I feel so bad for her as Christmas is only a couple days before it. So here she waits all year for Christmas and then to have her birthday right afterwards. Sometimes I'm thinking of celebrating her 1/2 birthday to split it up.

If you had a child whose b-day was close to Christmas what would you do? Celebrate it with Christmas since everyone gets together anyways? Always celebrate it on their birthday or would you celebrate more their 1/2 birthday, but also do a little something on their real birthday?

Another way to preserve Stem Cells

2008-08-19T18:01:00.004-04:00

This is one touchy subject as many people are either for or against it and then there are some that are on the border I guess like me. A couple weeks ago I actually got a phone call from a survey place wanting my opinions on some political stuff and of course Stem Cell Research was brought up.

I know for me when I thought of Stem cell research the only thing I thought of was how they were killing embryos or fetuses to be able to study them. I am pro-life and am against killing a embryos or fetuses just to study them even though I would love for them to come up with a cure for things like alzheimer's.

Then I found out something I thought was really cool, yet many people might think it's gross. C'elle has started a service that will provide women a safe and easy method to collect their menstrual fluid which will preserve stem cells! They will store the menstrual cells at a very low temperature so in case later on down the road you find out that someone in your family has a disorder like osteoporosis they will be able to use the cells for therapy! (At least that's how I read it)

I had also read that the blood from the umbilical cord works great for that as well and many Mother's are now banking that too.

If you would are interested in learning more about C'elle here are some Celle Client Testimonial

I moved

2008-07-20T05:05:00.001-04:00

Thank you for stopping by, but in case you arrived I moved my blog to www.kksmom.net or you can also find me at Mom of 2.. (taking it one day at a time) The reason I am keeping this open is sometimes when you want to comment on someones blog you can only comment if you have a blogger sign in name.

Are you looking for glasses?

2008-07-09T03:45:00.000-04:00

My friend is needing some new glasses and didn't know what style to go with as there seems to be such a good selection nowadays. I ended up going to zennioptical.com to see if I could find anything that I thought would look good on her. I was amazed at the number of glasses they have and how low their prices are! I figured they must be cheaply made, but found out why they are able to keep their prices low. It's because they bring the product straight from their factories so there isn't a middleman that increases the price! Plus they stand behind their product so much that they even have a guarantee! If you are unsatisfied with your glasses for any reason, just return the glasses with the order within 4 weeks and they will refund you 50% of the cost of the glasses!

So next time your looking for glasses and don't want to spend an arm and a leg, check out zennioptical.com

Please bear with me

2008-06-28T15:08:00.002-04:00

If you couldn't tell I'm in the process of moving my blogger account onto my own server. Now I just have to figure out how I can change my template where I can add widgets on the side. Why do I have a feeling it will take me awhile to get it all figured out?

Winter Pajama's

2008-06-27T09:32:00.004-04:00

I'm SO sick of Kevin thinking he still needs to wear his winter pajamas. It's a fight I deal with every day. He wakes up and want to put them on. I've put them away before and he has found them and bam.. there he is in them.

Today I had some for the garage sale (free pile) and he pulled them out and asked why we were selling them. I told him because they don't fit anymore so he took them and put them on and said THEY FIT!! IT'S MAGIC!

AUGH!!! I'm geeting ready to burn these things!

Friday's Feast ~ June 27th 2008

2008-06-27T09:23:00.002-04:00

Appetizer
What is the weather like today where you live? It's suppose to be higher 80's and humid today. YUCK! I HATE humid weather.

Soup
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how career-minded are you? If you call being a stay at home mom a career.. then a 10! If not... then a 3.

Salad
What type of window coverings do you have in your home? Blinds, curtains, shutters, etc.? We have blinds on all the windows except for the kitchen. Then in the bedrooms we have blinds and dark rooming curtains.

Main Course
Name something that instantly cheers you up. Hearing the kids say I love you and also when they use their manners.

Dessert
How many times do you hit the snooze button on a typical morning? Never since it's not the alarm that wakes me up... it's the kids.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Few of Katie

2008-06-24T23:32:00.004-04:00

I had a hard time picking one picture of Katie from the other day so I decided to post all 3.
In other words... today is your lucky day! ;)

Happy Katie

Sad Katie

Quiet Katie

Manic Monday ~ June 22nd

2008-06-23T00:49:00.002-04:00

Are you a talker or a listener? Is it ever possible to really be both?
I most defiantly am a talker, but at the same time I am a great listener too. So yes I do believe you can be both.

Do you think God has a sense of humor? Someday I'll know for sure, but I would like to say I believe he does.

Do you believe in love at first sight? Have you ever experienced it? I know a lot of people say that they believe in love at first sight, but that is one thing I've never experienced. With Paul I honestly thought of him as just a friend for quite awhile and then the love came later.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Guess Who

2008-06-18T08:51:00.002-04:00

Does (did) any of your kids go potty like this when pooping? Both mine do and it drives me nuts! Even if they are in there with the door shut & locked they will do it.

Oh.. you are probably wondering which kid it is behind there aren't you... :)

This time it's...

Safety Tat!!

2008-06-09T23:35:00.001-04:00

While waiting at the dentist office today I was skimming through a magazine and an ad for Safety Tat caught my eye so much that I went up to the receptionist to borrow a pen (don't know where the one I keep in my purse went) so I could write the website down!!

Have you ever had your heart sink into your gut because you turned your back for literally one second and your child was gone? That actually happened to me while at the mall and let me tell you, a terror rushed over me and I pray that never happens again. I had just got done eating supper at the food court with Kevin, Katie, my friend and her daughter (same age as Katie) and my friends friend and decided to walk over to the carousal so the kids could have a ride on it. Since it was only a few feet away I thought I wouldn't have to buckle Katie in the stroller, she could just walk or ride. We all got up and walked over to the carousal, I parked the stroller and quick walked to the token machine since I was the only one that needed to buy tokens. When I left Kevin & Katie, they were with my friend and her friend so I thought everything would be ok. I quickly got the tokens and hurried back and that's when I noticed Katie wasn't around. I asked the girls & Kevin if they knew where she went and they were clueless. My heart just sunk and terror swept over me. All I could think about was how she is so friendly that she would go with anyone. Thankfully an elderly lady said she saw her walk around the carousal so I ran around it one way while my friends, friend ran around it the other way and we ended up meeting at Katie. I swear that was the worst minute of my life not knowing where my child was. Even if someone had found her, she didn't know my name, number, address as she wasn't even 2 at the time. (Heck.. she still doesn't know that info)

So seeing the ad for Safety Tat made me want to share it with everyone! Safety Tat is a temporary tattoo that you can put on your child's arm that says one of the following... If lost please call , ALERT Nut allergy, ALERT Diabetic, I have Autism, I have non-verbal Autism, non-verbal please call, please call my school and then has your phone number on it in case your child gets lost and someone finds him/her.

Even when you use Safety Tat, I'm sure your heart would still sink to the bottom of your stomach if your child walked away, but at least if someone found him/her they would have a phone number to call and let you know where he/she is!

My thoughts is this product sounds priceless as I know our children are priceless to us! I do see me buying some in the near future! If you do go to their website you can not only order some, but can read some great testimonials of how great these tattoo's do work!

Drill Here! Drill Now! Pay Less!

2008-06-09T20:43:00.002-04:00

My friend Jodi informed me of this petition earlier today and since I was just talking about gas prices in my last post I thought what a perfect time to post this petition here!

On May 20th American Solutions started a petition called Drill Here! Drill Now! Pay Less! They (like the 450,337 other Americans who already signed the petition as of 10:43pm on June 9th) are sick and tired of the price if oil & gas going up and up yet our government does nothing about it. We want some change and we want it now!!

What is REALLY upsetting to me is we (the United States) can't start drilling off the shores of Florida (or anywhere for that matter), but Cuba & China is now drilling for oil 50 miles off the coast of the Florida Keys! Why aren't we drilling there for our own oil so we don't keep relying on these other countries?

Are you as sick of this all as I am? If so, please go sign the petition and lets let our voices be heard!

When will it end?

2008-06-08T16:19:00.004-04:00

Summer break has finally arrive and all our lovely kids are now home for the summer! Usually that means it's now the traveling season, but I'm not sure if it will be this year for many families since the price of gas is suppose to be reaching $5 per gallon by the 4th of July!!

I looked at gasbuddy.com and saw some area of California are already at $4.99 for regular!! I just can't imagine what will become of our economy if that actually happens all over the states! All you hear on the news is how every business is hurting, even the ones you thought would be doing ok like Wal-mart. I swear the only business that is doing good is the oil/gas companies. It would be one thing if there was a demand or if a bunch of our refineries were down like when Katrina went through, but there isn't! It's all based on speculation right now which is totally wrong! I really wish our Government would step up for the people and tell the oil companies that enough if enough!! They say we are on the start of a recession (which in Michigan I think he have been for some time) but if this keeps up I think it will be more than the beginnings of a recession.

Kashi Vive ~ Probiotic Digestive Welness Cereal

2008-06-07T16:10:00.007-04:00

I received a sample box of Vive (Made by Kashi) in the mail today and since I didn't eat much in the line of lunch and was a tad big hungry I thought I would try it out. According to the box they created Kashi Vive with lots of fiber and specially chosen ingredients to help us care for our digestive system and to enhance our jie de viere! (Joy Of Living)

They made it out of crunchy graham twigs touched with a hint of sweetness, lightly toasted flakes complete the original seven whole greens & sesame, and vanilla dipped rice crisps.

I didn't know if I was going to care for it as I tried another healthy cereal before and didn't care for it, but honestly I was quite impressed!! The bonus was when I figured out the points for the sample box and it was only 1 weight watcher point and it curbed my hunger! The next time I go grocery shopping and I find it, I just might be picking up a box of it. I'm interested in seeing if the kids enjoy it as well as I am a bad mom and let them eat some of the sugary cereals.

Father's Day

2008-06-06T02:27:00.002-04:00

I can't believe Father's Day is just around the corner. I'm having such a hard time with it this year as I'm not sure what to do with Paul. Since he didn't do ANYTHING for me for Mother's Day he has told me not to do anything for him as he really doesn't care. Of course he says that every year and every year I still have the kids make him a card and get him at least some chocolates as that's one thing he truely loves. But I don't know if I want to do it this year or not as it really hurt me not even getting acknowledged at all from him & the kids. (The kids are to young to know better.. but he isn't!) So what would you do? Still get him a little something or skip it this year so he might know how I felt?

On a happy note though... what are you getting your husband or father's for Father's Day? We tend to just give our Dad's some money as it seems like they have everything they want (that we could afford) so at least they could use it whatever way they want.

Wanting to learn

2008-06-05T11:22:00.006-04:00

I need some help! It seems as if everyone (Aunts & Cousins) know how to knit except me. My Mom ended up giving me some knitting needles & yarn and since I already had a how to knitting book I was hoping to teach myself. (My Mom tried teaching me and it didn't go good) Needless to say I got frustrated this morning and I thought forget it, I'll never know how. But I really do want to know how. I was just wondering.. do you know how to knit? How did you learn? Did you learn from a book.. if so, which one? My sister said some books are better than others.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Can we go out?

2008-06-04T00:02:00.003-04:00

There is just something about this picture I like. We were over at my in-laws and the kids were eating their ice cream cones wishing they could go outside by Grandpa. (Mosquitoes were a little nasty that night)

Tried & True Tuesday!

2008-06-02T23:07:00.007-04:00

Speaking of my other blog I thought I would share with you that I am going to be starting a new meme called Tried & True Tuesday! Every Tuesday I'll be posting a recipe that we have tried & it was a true winner! I'm hoping that you will join in as I'm always looking for something different to make!!

If you want to check it out, I'll be starting this week and my blog for that once again is http://www.kksmom.com/ or just click on the picture above and it will bring you to it!

New URL!

2008-06-02T23:05:00.005-04:00

Just wanted to give you a heads up I am switching my URL to http://www.kksmom.net/!! If you on accident type in http://www.kksmom.com/, don't fret to much as you will just be at my other blog! ;)

New blogging site.. SocialSpark!

2008-05-30T16:26:00.005-04:00

Paul and I have always been on the thrifty side and always thought we would be ok if the economy turned sour. After all, he works in a food warehouse and everyone needs to eat right? Sad to say that actually hasn't been the case where he works. For some reason it's been really slow at work and in the last couple months he hasn't had to many weeks where he has brought home a 40 hr a week paycheck. It makes me glad that we had saved up enough in our emergency fund so in case his work gets even slower I know we will be ok for awhile.

Since things are slow at his work I've been trying to find some ways to bring in some extra money. Of course there is always selling things on Craigslist and having a garage sale, but I've also been lucky enough to be getting some money coming in from blogging! I'm not making a fortune yet, but hopefully someday I will be like the other people you hear that are making some really good money on here.

One of the latest places I joined that will pay you to blog is SocialSpark! What's great about Social Sparks is not only is a place where you can find some jobs to make money, but it's also a great place to read other bloggers profiles and find other blogs that might interest you! I now found quite a few blogs that I go to just about every day. Of them them is Cheaper by the half dozen. I really enjoy finding blogs from other Mom's and hearing that they are or went through the same issues I am going though. At least I know I'm not the only out there.

If you are wanting to find a place to join that could help you find other blogs to read or even to earn some extra money, I would try SocialSpark, you just might be glad you did!

This has been a sponsored post

3 P's in a Pod's 500th post!!!

2008-05-30T00:56:00.005-04:00

First off.. congratulations to 3 P's in a Pod for having their 500th post!! Way To Go!!

In honor of their 500th post they are having a little give away! All you have to do to participate it to answer some fun questions and sign up on their linky! It's that simple! Oh.. you have to also have it in by June 6th!

Here are the questions and I hope you enjoy and learn a little bit more about me!

MOM Tag

1. Typically, what time do you wake up? Is it bad for me to say whenever the kids wake up. Lately it's been between 8-8:30.

2. On a good night, what time are your kids in bed? It used to be 7:30, but lately it's been 8. Of course Katie has been using the "I gotta go potty" excuse so her's has been even a little later.

3. How long have you been a mommy? Since Nov 17th 2003!

4. How old were you when you became a mom? 29

5. What is your favorite kids T.V. show? Signing Time!

6. What is your least favorite kids T.V. show? Telletubbies

7. What is your favorite chore? Doing the dishes! It's where I can try to forget everything and enjoy the warm water.

8. What is your favorite meal to cook? I would have to say Lasagna because it's really easy, but looks like I slaved. LOL

9. What is your least favorite meal to cook? Meatloaf because when mixing the stuff with my hands they get so darn cold.

10. What is your kids favorite meal? Chicken Nuggets with French Fries. (I know.. not healthy)

11. What is your favorite thing your husband does with your kids? Anything.. as long as he is spending time with them.

12. What are 5 things that make you smile when you are being a mom?
1. When the kids behave and show their good manners when we are out and about.
2 When they decide to play together and not fight!
3. When Kevin signs I Love You!
4. When they learn something new that I taught them!
5. When they give me a hug just because.

13. If you could take your kids anywhere, where would it be? Right now.. Disney World again! When they are older ~ Alaska!

14. When was the last time you went out without your kids? Yesterday to the Hospital. (Paul had ear surgery)

15. What is your favorite pastime/activity to do with your kids? Read Books

16. Name one thing you said you would never say as a mother. I can't think of anything right off.

17. Name something you do, that your mom did. Stay at home with the kids

18. What is your favorite quality your mom has? I love how she was (and still is) there for her family.

19. What is your favorite kids book? Any kind of book! They love b

20. What is your favorite advice for new moms? When they are newborns.. sleep when they sleep! When they are older.. they will try your patience... at one minute you will want to strangle them, but the next minute you will want to love them up.

21. What is your most heartbreaking moment as a mom? When Kevin had a Febrile Convulsion and there was nothing I could do.

22. What is your most joyful moment being a mom? Watching my kids being born.

23. When was the last time you told one of your kids you loved them? When they were going to bed.

24. When was the last time you were told? When they were going to bed

Helicopter Crash!!

2008-05-30T00:31:00.003-04:00

Grand Rapids had some scary news today. I was online emailing back and forth with my friend when she wrote me and said a Helicopter crashed into Spectrum! For those that aren't from west Michigan... Spectrum is what I would say our biggest hospital in the Grand Rapids area. (We have 3 hospitals about 20 minutes from each other)

At first I thought my friend was joking, but she told me to turn the TV on & when I did that was the breaking news. They had pictures of it and you should of seen the black smoke poor into the air. When I saw it my heart sunk as I was visualizing the helicopter full of people and by looking at it there was no way anyone would of survived.

A few hours later I ended up finding out it was a training exercise and there were only 2 people on board and they only had minor injuries!! Praise the Lord! They did have to evacuate the top 3 floors though due to a gas spillage that was leaking down the elevator shaft. As of 6pm everyone was back in their rooms and the ER was back open for business!

I'm just so thankful that no one got seriously hurt or even worse. All I know is the Lord was watching over quite a few people today since they are doing a lot of construction in that area. Plus debris from the helicopter was flying off the sides of the building so someone easily could of got hurt from that as well.

If you want to see some pictures of it, just go to WZZM 13 or Wood TV 8

Heads or Tails Tuesday!

2008-05-26T23:29:00.004-04:00

This week's theme/prompt is for us to tell about our job (Or one we've had) so here goes...

Out of all the jobs I've had (Arby's, Kent Rubber Supply, various phone companies and now being a stay at home mom) I'm going to write about the hardest one I've ever had. That job would be what I am now... a Stay At Home Mom. When growing up I always wanted to be a stay at home mom. That's what my Mom was and that's what I wanted to be as I wanted to follow in her foot steps. Plus I thought how hard could it be?!? HA! I found out otherwise!!

I know when people think about stay at home mom's they all think.. gosh, they have the life! To be able to sit home and do nothing. I guess that's kinda what I had in mind too, but was I ever wrong. I admit there are days that the kids & I hang out in our pj's all day (Probably more than I would want to admit) but it's not just all fun & games.

My husband works 2nd shift so the first part of the day is trying to keep the kids busy, yet quiet so Daddy can sleep. (Trust me.. keeping them quiet is a chore in itself) Then it's making lunch and hearing "I don't like it" even though you know they really do. Do the dishes, get Katie down for her nap, say bye to Dad and then have some alone time with Kevin until Katie wakes up. Read, Play do whatever, make supper (deal with the "we don't like that even though that's what we said we wanted for supper" routine) maybe go visit the in-laws, get the kids teeth brushed and ready for bed and then to try and get them down all with no help. Sound easy right?!? Maybe in some households it is, but for some reason it can be quite stressful for me.

There are times in the day I think.. ah.. they are actually playing nice and quiet to have it be 2 minutes later and you hear the screaming, crying, I HATE YOU, and one of the two running to me saying the other one is playing mean. It's those times I just want to run out of the house screaming and wishing I could be back in that office with the peace & quiet putting ordering in the computer, talking to customer's on the phone, heck.. talking to other adults about what you watched on TV the night before.

Then there are the days where you are sick or really exhausted and wish you could call in sick to get some much needed rest to feel better, but you can't because your bosses won't let you as they seem to think your job is 24/7 with very little time off in between. Even all your potty breaks your bosses tends to follow you. If you lock the door.. they just will keep banging on it or screaming through the door so you can't think. Of course sometimes you don't mind because it's a "learning experience" (if you are trying to potty train your little one) just like everything else you do during the day. Everything you do you have someone watching you so you feel like the world is on your shoulders. If they are naughty, mean..etc it all reflects on you because you are the one that is home all day teaching them.

BUT then there are the times like right now where your heart swells up with because you have two precious angels that crawl into your bed because they love you and want to snuggle with you. (How can you say no to that) Or when your doing dishes and you hear your 4 yr old sings the song he learned at pre-school "when my Mom give me a hug", or like today when you are making cookies and you have two little helpers eager to learn and wanting to eat that cookie dough mix with you.

Yes, I have the stressful times, but all the other times I have makes it all worth it. I wouldn't trade this job for ANYTHING!! This job is honestly priceless!!

Manic Monday ~ May 26th

2008-05-25T23:43:00.004-04:00

Do good things come to those who wait? I think yes & no. Yes, because had I of married my first boyfriend I know I wouldn't be anywhere as happy as I am right now. Then No, because sometimes you might wait forever for the perfect person to come along and still never find the right one.

Your best friend's spouse is being unfaithful. Would you tell your friend? If so, how? This is such a tough question. I actually said something to my friend last week regarding this subject because I had a dream about it happening to me and my best friend knew and didn't tell me. (I know it was due to watching the segment on dateline or 20/20 about this subject awhile back and then talking to someone that night about someone they know's thinks their husband is cheating) Anyways, I told my friend I would want to know so to tell me. It's hard for me to say for sure what I would do as she had sounded like she wouldn't want to know, but I would try to bring it up in a nice way. (don't know how a nice way would honestly be)

Which part of your body do you like the least? Would you change it through plastic surgery, if possible? My momma belly!! If money was no object I think I would.

It's the weekend!!

2008-05-23T11:47:00.000-04:00

I know some people probably took today off so they could have a 4 day weekend and I'm sure some of you will be getting out of work early today due to the holiday weekend. (I know my old work places used to do that)

I just wanted to wish you all a very safe & fun Memorial Day Weekend!

Do you have any big plans? Anyone traveling out there? Or will you be staying home like us and just having a BBQ?

Just whatever you do... please don't forget to take time to remember the men & women who lost their lives defending this great country we live in.

Friday's Feast ~ May 23 , 2008

2008-05-23T11:35:00.000-04:00

Appetizer:
Wii, Playstation or XBox? I've never played any of them so I couldn't tell ya for sure. Out of those 3 I guess I would have to say Wii because I've seen commercials and it looks fun. We still are playing the Sega Genisis games here.

Soup:
Would you ever go skydiving? NO WAY!! I'm way to chicken to do something like that.

Salad:
Name a sequel that you think is better than the original movie. That's a tough one as usually the sequels aren't as good. I don't know as if it's better, but we enjoyed the sequels to Lethal Weapon w/ Mel Gibson and we also thought the sequels to American Pie were good too.

Main Course:
Share your most wonderful birthday celebration. I don't know what my most wonderful birthday celebration would be, but my 22nd b-day was fun as we went to the local country bar and just had a blast. If I remember right it was karaotey night! Then

Dessert:
If you dare, post a picture of yourself making a silly face. It's not to silly, but the best I could find on my computer for now.

Shorts

2008-05-23T11:30:00.003-04:00

Now that summer is coming it's time to start digging out the t-shirts & shorts. Thankfully the kid really haven't gained that much weight from last summer so they are able to still fit in last years summer clothes and thankfully the stuff they have are just basics that stay in style.

I saw some shorts at a sale that looked good for guys as they had lots of pockets to put things and actually found them online.. at least on this website they are called 511 Tactical Shorts. I could see these being good shorts to use when hiking or sight seeing because you could put your cell phone, camera and maybe some snacks in the pockets of them.

Do they look like something you or your husband would wear?

American Idol

2008-05-22T00:31:00.000-04:00

Just wondering how many American Idol fans we have out there & what your reaction to David Cook winning is?!?

I admit I only watched the last two shows and to me both David's were really good, but there was just something about David Cook I liked a little better. I'm sure BOTH David's have a bright future ahead of them though.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Mother's Day Weekend

2008-05-21T00:04:00.002-04:00

(Katie's new outfit I bought at the craft sale that day)

If you would like to see more Wordless Wednesday.. Just go here!

Kevin's last day of preschool

2008-05-20T00:29:00.003-04:00

I can't believe in 12 hrs we will be taking Kevin to his last day of preschool already. It just seems like yesterday we were taking him to his first day and oh how long that 2.5 hrs went. Now those 2.5 hrs fly by!! Tomorrow is just a fun day where we (Paul, Katie & I) get to stay too and we will be having a picnic and then after the picnic is Music time where the kids sing their songs they learned in Kindermusik. I can't wait to go as Paul & Katie hasn't been able to see any of the Music Times yet. Usually just one of the parents gets to go, but since it's their last day everyone can go!! Needless to say you will be seeing some pictures and maybe more video's come Wednesday. Maybe that will have to be my wordless Wednesday for the week.

Tag.. I'm it!

2008-05-20T00:10:00.003-04:00

My friend Jodi from My Life as Mama Jodi ended up tagging me to tell you 6 uninteresting things about myself... so here goes!

1. I tend to wear my hair up in a pony tail every day.

2. A day doesn't go by that I don't tell or sign to my kids "I Love You"

3. I love co-sleeping with Kevin. When he was a newborn he had reflux bad so I ended up sleeping with him on my chest for 3 months on the couch.

4. I have brown eyes and my Dad always told me it was because I was full of sh*t.

5. I hate the cold, hot and humid weather. Give me high 60's & 70's any day!

6. I always cry during movies or tv shows if there is a sad part.

That was actually fun!! I won't tag anyone, but if you would like to join in on the fun please do and just leave me a comment saying you did so I can come visit yours!!

Manic Monday ~ May 19th

2008-05-19T10:17:00.004-04:00

If you knew that every minute of the next 24 hours of your life would be recorded on camera is there anything you would change about your habits? I am embarrassed to say it, but I would probably be spending a little more time playing with my kids. Not that I don't play with them, but there are times like right now I'm on here where I could be with them. (Hope that makes sense)

If you could take a one-month trip to any single destination in the world and money is not a consideration, where would you go? At first I was thinking Orange Beach, AL for the month of Feb because that's where my parents go. Plus then we could drive over to Orlando for a few days to do Disney with the kids. But a different place to go that would be fun when the kids are older would be Alaska in the summer when the fish are biting! We went up there for our honeymoon and I wouldn't mind going again someday.

What is the best example of “perfection” that you can think of? This is an easy one... Jesus!

Wordless Wednesday ~ When my Mom give me a hug

2008-05-13T23:53:00.002-04:00

Kevin's preschool had tea for us Mom's and sang us some songs. This was part of one of the songs they sang. (Kevin is the one on the left in the front)

Cold Sores

2008-05-13T09:25:00.003-04:00

Nothing is worse than waking up with that tingling feeling and knowing a cold sore will be arriving shortly. That's what happened to me yesterday. I tend to get them when I'm stressed, have a cold, eat walnuts or my hormones are out of whack. I took a couple asprin right away and usually that will nip it in the butt, but it didn't work for me this time. So here I sit feeling uglier than ever.

Do you get cold sores? If so, what do you use to get rid of them.

2008-05-12T07:52:00.003-04:00

If the statement, 'You are what you eat' was true, I would be a _______. I'm not sure right off, but I know it wouldn't be to healthy as lately I've been eating to much junk. Hopefully by the end of the week my answer will be different.

If you had to have one piece of music (softly) playing in your mind for the rest of your life, what would you want it to be? Amazing Grace.

What is the most important thing in any relationship? I would have to say honesty. Nothing feels better than being able to trust the other person. When someone breaks that (honesty) it just stinks because you are always wonder are they telling me the truth this time or is this a lie too?

Happy Mother's Day!!

2008-05-11T10:02:00.001-04:00

To all you Mother's out there... HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!! I hope you are having a wonderful day.

My question for you is... what does Mother's day mean to you?

Giggle Giggle

2008-05-08T00:06:00.001-04:00

As I'm on the computer chatting with other mom's on my Momma board and doing some blogging I hear this giggle. Kevin is laying in bed next to me (he loves co-sleeping) and must be having a good dream right now because he keeps laughing. I just wish I could see what he is dreaming about right now. Hopefuly it's not a dream about me doing something silly.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Having fun w/ Daddy!

2008-05-07T00:35:00.002-04:00

Can you tell Kevin was having fun at Daddy's expense?

The Mom Song by The Go Fish Guys

2008-05-02T08:48:00.002-04:00

To all the Mom's out there!! I heard this on the radio and had to laugh. (and bop in the car to it) I hope you enjoy it!

Head or Tails Tuesday

2008-04-29T00:48:00.005-04:00

Today's topic is Share a special memory. When I do Heads or Tails I always like showing pictures so going through my pictures I was thinking.. what in here is a special memory? I then came across a picture of Paul with the kids and his Grandma K. I thought with Mother's Day coming up why not show memories of the Great Grandma's with the Grandkids?!?

This first photo as you can tell is Paul with the kids & his Grandma K! Every year since Paul and I got married we would swing over from Orange Beach, AL to Haines City, FL to visit Grandma. Kevin was lucky enough to meet her 3 times, but I'm sad to say this was the first and only time Katie got to meet Great Grandma K as she passed away 5 months after this picture was taken. I wish I would of been able to of spent more time and got to know her better. But I just have to be thankful for the little time we did have together since we lived in different states.

The next picture is a picture of my Grandma V with Kevin. (as you can tell it is an older picture) My Grandma hated getting her picture taken so me getting this picture was something! This day we went shopping with some of my aunts to the local mall to try and find Grandma something to wear to an upcoming wedding. Everyone was in one of the anchor stores and Grandma was a little tired so we hung out on the benches and I was able to get this shot! I miss my Grandma so much. She ended up passing away Jan 11th from Cancer. I always wanted to get one last picture of her with my kids, but unfortantly I was unable to as she passed away sooner than what we were thinking. I'm just thankful for the time that I did have with her and she will always have a big place in my heart.

Mother's Day Gift Ideas

2008-04-29T00:21:00.000-04:00

Mother's Day is around the corner. Do you know what to get your Mom, Wife, Sister.. etc? I had a great idea of what I wanted to do for my Mom & Mother-in-law, but time is running out and I can't see it happening anymore. (I was going to have a photo book made up for them) My guess is we once again will be giving them money to go towards flowers for their flower gardens.

What will you be giving to that special Mom in your life? (I'm hoping to get some ideas)

My day yesterday

2008-04-25T09:19:00.003-04:00

Oh my goodness!! I had so much fun garage saling yesterday. After Katie & I dropped off Kevin we went garage saling until it was time to pick Keivn back up! (2 1/2 hrs later) The best part was that we had hit a neighborhood sale so it was a lot of walking. The only bad thing was Kaite never wanted to leave a sale as she wanted to stay and play. Then near the end I found a table for sale that I know was the kind Paul wanted so we could take it outside with us when we have our bon fire. (Something to put food on) I called him up and since it was only 5 minutes from our house he came over to look at it and we bought it! Since he was there I had him take Katie home since she had started having melt downs.

Then last night Paul let me to go another neighborhood sale and I was there for 2 1/2 hrs too. I didn't do as good as I only found a few things, but what I found (Clothes for the kids) I was very happy with.

I'm hoping to go back out a little bit tomorrow on the way out to Holland. Anyone else here LOVE going to garage sales?

Wordless Wednesday ~ Silly Girl

2008-04-23T01:44:00.001-04:00

I can't wait for tomorrow!!!

2008-04-22T08:36:00.002-04:00

I was looking at Craigslist and found that there is a block sale kinda by my Mom's house starting tomorrow!! I emailed her last night to give her a heads up and she wrote back this morning saying she would love to go with me if I have nothing planned. Katie was suppose to have a taste test, but I think I'll call and cancel it. (She would get paid $20 in Meijer Gift Cards, but it's a 1/2 hr drive to get there and a 1/2 hr drive back.. so think of the gas!)

I just can't wait to go tomorrow!! I'm really hoping I can find the kids some good clothes for church as the 3 of us just started going this past Sunday.

Have you gone garage saling yet this year? If so did you find any good treasures?

Dishes

2008-04-21T12:15:00.005-04:00

It's been 7 years now since my husband & I started using our Pfaltzgraff Juniper dishes and I'm so sad to say that some of the plates and now my serving plate has chips in them. I know we still have lots of wear left in them so we will continue to use them and not buy new, but it got me thinking. (I know.. scary thought)

Have you ever gotten rid of your old dishes and bought new ones? If so, how long was it before you bought new? Or do you have some like I do where you can just buy replacement pieces?

My bike rider!

2008-04-19T22:57:00.003-04:00

Look what Kevin learned to do today!! Of course after I filmed him we took the bike back home and blew up his front tire as it was a little flat. He did so much better after that! The only thing is I have to RUN after him as he just goes and goes now.

Friday Feast ~ April 18, 2008

2008-04-18T09:55:00.003-04:00

Appetizer

Name a color you find soothing. I would have to say the color blue.

Soup

Using 20 or less words, describe your first driving experience. My teacher told me to turn right so I was going to, but got yelled at instead at the last minute. (It was a one way street going the OTHER way!)

Salad

What material is your favorite item of clothing made out of? Cotton

Main Course

Who is a great singer or musician who, if they were to come to your town for a concert, you would spend the night outside waiting for tickets to see? I can't see me spending the night outside anymore, but I did do it once for tickets to see George Straight, Tim Mcgraw, Faith Hill and I don't remember who else was at that concert. It was a good concert though!

Dessert

What is the most frequent letter of the alphabet in your whole name (first, middle, maiden, last, etc.)? That would be the letter E

It's offical now...

2008-04-18T08:07:00.004-04:00

SPRING IS HERE!!! I'm so happy that we can go outside with either light jackets on or the last couple days we were able to go outside without any coats on! My Tulips are growing pretty good and I can't wait for the flowers to start popping out and the leaves to start on the trees!

I heard today is suppose to be another really nice day so I'm not sure what we will do. It would be a GREAT zoo day, but then you're talking about driving and with regular gas already at $3.52 a gallon we are trying to stay home more. Maybe I'll take the kids for a bike ride to a park that's nearby. I know there are a lot of garage sales over that way too so I can kill 2 birds with 1 stone.

I better go.. Katie is waking up (she usually wakes up much earlier) and I'll need to fix her some Breakfast.

I hope you have a great day!! What do you have planned?

Wordless Wednesday ~ Welcome to my house

2008-04-08T22:38:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow!!

2008-04-08T22:36:00.002-04:00

Can I just say I can't wait for tomorrow!! Paul has the day off and will be staying home with the kids so I can have a day out to myself!! My plans are to pamper myself with a haircut at my friends mom's favorite salon and then go clothes & shoe shopping for the new me!! To me after losing 40+ lbs I deserve a little treat like this!!

Wordless Wednesday ~ Easter Eggs

2008-04-02T00:49:00.000-04:00

Manic Monday

2008-03-31T11:19:00.002-04:00

What is the sexiest part of the body? I honestly don't think anything is. I guess I would have to say my eyes.

If you kissed a frog, who would you like it to turn into? I would have to say my husband!! Me made some major brownie points today by taking Kevin to the store with him so Katie could nap. (She was throwing up all night)

What do you have stuck up on your refrigerator right now? Pictures & art from Kevin's pre-school

Wordless Wednesday ~ Back in time

2008-03-12T09:10:00.000-04:00

I just thought I would show you a picture of me as a little one. Who knows... I just might show you more some Wednesday. ;)

Veggie Tales Sale!!

2008-03-11T16:37:00.002-04:00

$10 off Veggie Tales DVDs - just pay shipping for some!

Big Ideas has a lot of Veggie Tales on sale for either $8.95 or $4.95. If you enter the code "wiz" you get a $10 credit. Pay $4 to ship them both if you get 2 of the $4.95 movies! Awesome deals. They have An Easter Carol too. Great for Easter baskets! Or the Christmas Star.. perfect for Christmas!

Big Idea

Lyle The Kindly Viking
Sharing
Now $4.95
Was $14.99

How to Draw with Bob & Larry
Drawing Lessons
Now $4.95
Was $14.99

The Star Of Christmas
It's about Love!
Now $4.95
Was $14.99

An Easter Carol
Hope, Faith & The Resurrection
Now $9.95
Was $14.99

The Wonderful World Of Auto-tainment!
Musical Adventures
Now $8.95
Was $14.99

Pirates Sing Along Songs DVD
Real Heroes!
Now $8.95
Was $12.99

Wordless Wednesday ~ Howdy!

2008-03-04T23:32:00.000-05:00

After High School

2008-03-03T11:21:00.004-05:00

I was talking to my sister-in-law a couple days ago and we were talking about how her oldest child will be going off to college before we know it as she is a Freshman in High School. It seems like it wasn't that long ago I was going to college for my Associates degree in Business Management. Now I sit here looking at Kevin & Katie wondering what they will end up doing.. will they go to college and if so what will they be going for? Or will they just learn a trade or do something like Management Training? Even though everyone says you should go to college at least there are other options they could choose if they wanted to.

7 yrs ago today

2008-03-03T09:12:00.004-05:00

It was 7 years ago to the minute I was getting my hair all done while having butterflies in my stomach. In 2 hrs I would be walking down an aisle with my Dad and becoming the wife to Paul.

I can't believe it's been 7 years already as it sure hasn't felt like that. I guess it's because time flies when you're having fun right?

Our wedding party consisted of my best friend Missy (Maid of Honor) and my sister Melissa (Matron of honor). Standing up for Paul was his best friend Todd (Best Man) and my Brother-in-law Wayne. (Both Todd & Wayne were also our ushers) The the flower girl was Paul's Niece Courtney and the Ring Barer was my nephew Carl.

I thought everything went smooth for the wedding and I was actually surprised I didn't start crying as at rehearsal the night before I was a mess. Of course I think most of it was because my Dad was sick and wasn't able to join us and I'm such a Daddy's girl it was killing me. He ended up feeling a little better the next day and was able to walk me down the aisle, but sucked on a lot of cough drops to keep him from coughing. (What a trooper)

Our reception was right at the church. I picked that location just because living in Michigan you never know what March weather might contain. We could either have no snow and in the 40's OR we could have a huge blizzard. In case there was a blizzard I didn't want for my guest to have to drive somewhere else in that bad weather if they didn't have to.

The only oops at the reception, which I didn't know about until later, was one of the cloth napkins by the food ended up starting on fire, but thankfully the caterer's caught it right away. Wouldn't that of been something to of had the Church caught on fire. I would of felt AWFUL!

So what's has changed in the last 7 yrs for us? We bought a house and are now living in Hudsonville, MI. (Which isn't new for Paul as we only moved 1/2 mile from his parents house) We went from both working to now Paul being the only one working outside the house as I'm a stay at home mom to 2 wonderful, yet busy, kids. I swear this job is the hardest one I've ever had. Kevin is in Pre-school this year and will be in Pre-K next year. He is starting to read (he is sounding out words) and is starting to write! Katie is a little smarty pants too as her vocab is a lot bigger than Kevin's was at this age and she is doing a 12 piece Melissa & Doug puzzle as we speak all by herself. (She LOVES puzzles)

Now I sit back and wonder... how different will my life be another 7 years from now?!?

Here are some pictures of our wedding day. I would of posted more, but these are all I have in photobucket and since my camera is in the shop and I don't have a scanner this will have to do.

Paul and I at the reception.

This is our wedding cake and yes.. that is a Buck & Doe as our cake topper. (We both were deer hunters at the time.. since having kids my deer hunting has come to a stop for now)

One last thing.... I LOVE YOU PAUL!! Thank you for the last 7 years!! :)

Mortgages

2008-03-02T14:10:00.003-05:00

Yes, once again I'm going to talk about our money, but I don't think you can turn the news on without hearing about how the housing market is going downhill and how people are having problems with sub prime mortgages which is causing a lot of foreclosures.

I feel fortunate that Paul and I did things the way we did seven years ago. Seven years ago, just about to the day, Paul and I were getting married and looking at houses. Before buying one we knew what our limit was, not what the banks told us we could borrow, but what we could honestly afford. We both agreed that once we would have kids I would be able to be a stay at home mom so we wanted to make sure we would be able to pay our house payment and all our bills on just Paul's income. If we couldn't do it before having kids then we knew we wouldn't be able to do it after having them.

Paul ended up finding the house we are currently living in and put some money down on it to hold it for us until after our wedding. For me buying a house a couple days before our wedding was the last thing on my mind.

After our wedding we went back to the bank where we were already approved and started the whole mortgage process. Our lender never said anything about getting an ARM, but he also could tell we knew what we wanted. We ended up getting a 30 year fixed mortgage as we didn't know as if we would be able to swing the payments on a 15 year fixed mortgage. Our thoughts were we would rather pay extra every month when we could instead of having a month where our bills were higher than we excepted and not be able to pay our mortgage.

Since we signed our lives away on all that paperwork we have been working hard on getting our house paid off. Every month we always will pay extra on our house. Some months more than others as it all depends on how much overtime Paul can make in that months time. I'm so happy to say we are finally starting to see the end of the tunnel as with our normal house payment more goes towards the principal than interest!! We just can't wait for that day we call our mortgage company to see how much we need to mail them to pay our house off. Needless to say that following month we will end up having a party to celebrate being 100% debt free!!

That's my happy story about our mortgage. I know other's that don't have such a happy story as they ended up getting the 5 year arms thinking they would for sure be moving before those 5 years would be up to now there they are in the same house, but with a higher interest rate.

So before you go out and buy your first or next house, please do your homework! Check more than one Mortgages company as they all have different rates and plans. Find the one that is best for you and whatever you do, PLEASE don't borrow more than you can chew. You never know when something might happen like having a car break down, the washer/drying/refrigerator going dead, loosing a job or even loosing a spouse.

Do you have bad credit?

2008-03-02T01:09:00.004-05:00

It seems like every night on the news they talk about how it looks as if we are heading to a recession and how many of American's are hurting, maxing out their credit cards and now don't know what to do. A place they could go now is badcreditoffers.com which will compare credit cards for those with bad credit. So they won't get stuck with a credit card or loan that is not right for them.

Ear infections

2008-03-02T01:06:00.003-05:00

Here I thought it was only kids that got ear infections! Sad to say I think I have one too. My ear feels plugged up and will hurt from time to time. I can't tell you when I've ever had one, but I am assuming that's what I have since I know kids tend to tug on their ears and I find myself doing that too. I just really hope it can clear up by itself as I really don't want to be on antibiotics due to my Candida. That would just make my Candida worse and I can't tell with that right now.

Speaking of Beds

2008-03-02T00:52:00.005-05:00

If you read my previous post you now know that Katie has moved into her new big girl bed and I'm happy to say so far she is doing great!! She took a good nap and is now sleeping good tonight too as she is still sleeping and usually will of been up at least once by now.

After moving both kids beds today I have beds on my brain and thought I would see what kind of beds are out there for us as we have had our bed for 7 yrs already!! I thought I would share this really cool site that has lots of different kinds of beds. Everything from twin to king size beds!!

All I know is it's probably a good thing we already have Kevin & Katie's beds because otherwise I probably would of been bugging Paul about getting some for the kids. :) You should see all the different kinds of beds they have for kids. Besides the normal looking ones, that do look comfortable, they even have ones that look like Race Cars, A Horse & Carriage, a Pink or Blue Jeep, A Fire Engine and one I NEVER saw before a Digger! Tell me that wouldn't be perfect for that little boy who loves construction!

My favorite one for Paul and I would have to be their Plank Wooden Bed as it looks more on the rustic side to me and if you know me, I enjoy that rustic/country look. Now that the kids got their new beds and I caught myself looking at French Beds and I really feel like going bed shopping for ourselves more than ever! Somehow I have a feeling I won't be able to talk Paul into it though. Oh well, it's always fun to dream right?

Speaking of beds.. it's past my bedtime so it's I hope you have a great night!

I got another new blog!!

2008-03-01T08:50:00.003-05:00

After talking with my friend Kellie I've decided to start another new blog that will be my main blog. So you won't be seeing as many posts here anymore. I'm sure I'll do some, but most will be at my other one. If you want to see what's new with me, you will have to come over to my new one. kksmom.com

Thanks again Kellie for all your hard work on it!!

Wordless Wednesday ~ So Sad

2008-02-26T19:58:00.004-05:00

As you can tell this is an older picture as it's a picture of Kevin. Makes me want to cry because it just shows how big he is getting.

Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!!

2008-02-26T16:07:00.004-05:00

42 yrs ago my Dad was in the military and came home on leave. While on leave my parents ended up getting married. :) Weddings are hard enough to plan, but imagine trying to plan one when your soon to be husband is in the military and doesn't know when he will be home next. Here my Mom went out and made all the plans by herself and was unable to let people like the invatation maker know when then date would be for the invites. Needless to say the wedding went with out a hitch and here they are 42 yrs later still in love.

Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!!!

I LOVE YOU!!

This is a picture of them 2 yrs ago on Halloween (with Kevin)

Is it time to move her?

2008-02-26T11:13:00.003-05:00

Katie hasn't been sleeping good in her crib anymore. I'm not sure if it's she doesn't like it anymore because she tosses & turns and hits her head on the sides, or if she is jealous that Kevin is sleeping with us?!? When I go in to check on her (after she's been screaming) she asks to sleep in Kevin's bed. It's making us wonder if she now wants a big girls bed. We tried having her sleep in his bed the other night, but she started crying around 11pm as she wanted one of us to sleep with her. I'm not sure if it was because she was scared being in Kevin's room vs hers or just scared because she was by herself.

My Mom said she has a twin bed w/ a new mattress that she will give us, but it depend if she can get a queen bed upstairs in that bedroom or not as it has some tight corners. So now we are kinda sitting and waiting. It would be great if we could get that bed, but I would want to paint the headboard white to have it "fit" in her room. (Of course we never did her room yet)

How did you know it was the right time to move your little one into a twin bed? Part of me will miss the crib as she still doesn't know how to get out, but if she sleeps better in a twin it will be worth it.

Manic Monday for Feb 25th!

2008-02-24T21:46:00.004-05:00

How did you celebrate your last birthday? After hitting 30 I really don't celebrate. Maybe this year (since it's next month) I'll figure out what to do by everyone elses responses. :)

What's the last thing you bought yourself, just for fun? This is a tough one for me as I really don't buy myself much. I guess I would have to say my Digital Camera.. of course that was also a Christmas present to me.

What would the child you once were think of the adult you have become? She would be excited that I'm doing what I always wanted to do.. and that's being a Stay At Home Mom!!

If you want to check out more Manic Monday's, just go here!

Fisher Price ~ Laugh & Learn Learning Home

2008-02-24T15:29:00.003-05:00

We bought Kaite the Fisher Price Laugh & Learn learning home for Christmas when she turned one (Ok. a couple days before she turned one) and that was one of the best investments we could of made for her.

That Christmas I had no clue what to get her so I was searching online at toy reviews trying to find something and came across the Laugh & Learn Learning Home. I thought why would I want such a big piece of plastic laying around?!? But then I saw it had high reviews so I thought I would read some. After reading everyone reviews and hearing how 4-5 yr old were still playing with it made me think if I bought it for her now.. at least she could get a lot of use out of it.

So we bought her one and on Christmas Eve, Kevin (3 at the time) and I stayed up putting it together for her so the next morning it would already be put together and she could just play with it. That night, Kevin was having so much fun with it that I knew it would be a hit for Katie as well.

By the next morning Kevin wouldn't wait for Katie to open that present (Take the blanket off of it) and it was killing him that it was the last present she would open because I knew she wouldn't open anything else. It was a good thing we waited because she had so much fun with it.

Whenever my friends come over with their kids that is the 1st thing they go to. It may look big in the pictures, but it's so nice because it can lay flat agaist the wall at night so it's not in your way. For us I put it in a corner so when they go "in" the house they are in the corner. (I also put her doll crib and dolls in the corner too so they would be "in" the house)

I'm happy so say that Kevin & Katie are still playing with it. Maybe not EVERY day, but at least 3-4 times a week. I'm amazed at all the things it can teach a child. Numbers, Letters, Open, Shut (with the doors and windows), On, Off (with the light switch)... etc. Plus there is a radio on it that plays music too!

I know the price would scare many parents away from it as it's $60, but after buying it I would say it's worth every cent! (If you want to find a good deal on them.. check out Craigslist!)

Here are some pictures of Katie with ours when she was younger.

Cute Saturday

2008-02-23T12:07:00.003-05:00

I was busy cleaning out our closest again today since Paul says we have to much "stuff" and I ended up coming across our wedding video, so we went sat down as a family and watched it. (Hard to believe it's almost been 7 yrs already!)

After watching it I thought I would tackle Katie's closet and came across a flower girls dress (size 4.. she is a size 2) that I had bought at a garage sale last summer for her to play dress up in some day. I then remembered that I have the tux that my nephew wore in our wedding (he was the same age Kevin is now) so I pulled that out too and we played dress up.

Here are some pictures of our little bride & groom. :)

Grill Shopping

2008-02-22T20:26:00.004-05:00

All year last year we wanted to buy a grill, but wasn't quite sure what we wanted and thought we would wait till they went on clearance. This week we ended up borrowing Paul's parents portable grill so we could grill up some venison and both decided we would rather have a portable one vs the big kind just because at least come winter we can bring it inside to store it, plus in the summer if we want to take it out by our fire place to grill out there we could do that too!!

So we went to Home Depot since we had a $50 gift card from Christmas for there and ended up finding one we liked!! I was hoping to show you what it looks like, but they don't have it on their website. :( Now I can't wait till tomorrow so we can try it out with the chicken I have thawed out.

Suzi Shelton LIVE at Southpaw DVD

2008-02-22T14:28:00.002-05:00

I won this awesome DVD quite awhile ago and wish I could remember for the life of me who gave it to me for sure, but ever since we got it we listen to it all the time! (For us it rates right up there with Signing Time)

Suzi has such fun songs to listen and dance to! We call it our exercise video as whenever we play it the kids & I all dance around the living room. I just wish Suzi would do a "road trip" to Grand Rapids, MI! :)

Here are some clips of it on You Tube!

Just a little vent...

2008-02-21T18:42:00.002-05:00

Sorry to vent here, but I have to! I AM SO SICK OF THE COLD!!!! When is spring going to get here?!? Even having the house at 68 degrees & wearning blue jeans, socks & a heavy long sleeve shirt I'm freezing!!! Now I'm starting to get a cold on top of it and I just want to scream!!! PLEASE Mother Nature.. let the warmer weather come already!!!

Signing up for Kindergarten!!

2008-02-21T09:24:00.006-05:00

Today is the day that we turn in Kevin's paperwork so he can be in Kindergarten next year!! I still can't believe my baby boy will be in Kindergarten!! Where did the time go?!?

I'm looking forward to him going, but also a little nervous at the same time as it's 2 or 3 full days a week. (2 days one week 3 days the next) PLUS he will be riding the school bus with the bigger kids! YIKES!! He got to ride a bus before when he went to ECSE (Early Childhood Special Education) but then he only rode it with kids in his class and they were buckeled in. Oh how different this all will be. On March 6th we get to go to the Kindergarten Roundup where they will give us more information about it all!!

Did you have a hard time sending your child to school for the first time?

I don't think it would be so hard if it was 1/2 days and he wouldn't ride the bus with the big kids. I just worry about him getting to tired and having melt downs at school and the big kids picking on him. Guess that's just the Mom in me. :)

New background finally!!!

2008-02-20T14:23:00.005-05:00

First off.. if you're here to see WW I've posted a couple things since then so you will have to scroll down. It's a video of the latest space shuttle launch.. we were down there when it went off!!

While checking out other Wordless Wednesdays I came across Tidbits of the Tippets and while reading her other posts she informed me of a great site to get new backgrounds! So off I went in search of a new one for me as I was sick of the same ol' blogger one. After trying a few out I ended up liking this one! What do you think?!? There are so many cute designs I'm sure I'll be changing my mind. I even changed my other blog too.. of course they are the same since I liked it so much. LOL

Anyways.. if you're sick of the same ol' looking blog like I was.. check out Cute Blogs. They are free and she tells you how to update your blog!!

Signing Time Contest!!! (best giveway in my opinion)

2008-02-20T13:45:00.004-05:00

You don't know how thrilled I was to come across this contest as we LOVE Signing Time!! Katie & Kevin has learned a lot of sign thanks to this show!! My recommendations are to enter this contest to try and win it because trust me.. it's a great prize!

Sassyfrazz is having a contest where you could win either the Signing Time gift set (1-3) or the Baby Signing Time gift set (1-3). This is all you have to do to be entered to win!

1. Go to the Signing Time website : http://www.signingtime.com/ and check out the amazing products they carry!
2. Sign up for the promotions or newsletter for signing time that is found on the left side of the website. **This is a requirement for the contest!
3 Be sure to check out the Signing Time gift set (1-3) and the Baby Signing Time gift set (1-3).
4 Comment on this post with the set you would like to win!
5 After doing #3 & #4, blog about this contest, and comment again with a link to your link!

It's that easy!! Can I ask what you are still doing here?!? Go sign up and try to win!!

Wordless Wednesday ~ Space Shuttle Launch

2008-02-20T08:45:00.002-05:00

Ok.. once again I'm doing a video instead.. I hope you don't mind. :) The bad thing is you have to tilt your head because I can't figure out how to make it go up & down. Oops!

Notice how long before the sound from the space shuttle taking off hits us. All I know is that was the most amazing thing to watch.. if you are ever in Florida when it takes off.. go watch it! The next one is suppose to be March 11th at 2 something in the morning.

Snow.. snow and more snow

2008-02-15T18:29:00.004-05:00

This is how much snow we have so far at our house.. with the weathermen saying more freezing rain & snow for the weekend. Oh Joy!!

and the best for last...

So if you're somewhere warm where there isn't any snow... feel lucky! :)

I'm so happy!!!

2008-02-15T15:58:00.002-05:00

The sun is actually out!!! I opened the curtains to try and get some of the sun's heat in our house today. They are saying we are suppose to get more snow this weekend. **sniff sniff** All I know is we are ready for spring already!! Of course it doesn't help that our snow blower doesn't work anymore. **rolling eyes**

My new blog

2008-02-14T23:28:00.004-05:00

I started another blog! This one is all about vacations/trips and ways you can save money and things you can see or do!

In case you want to check it out.. it's called Trip Ideas.

Please let me know what you think.... is it a good idea or not?!?

Bloggy Award!!

2008-02-14T10:17:00.005-05:00

My friend Shannon gave me this Bloggy Award which made me smile!! Of course seeing any picture with out snow makes me smile. :) Thank You Shannon!! I'm going to pass this award on to...

Heather

Kellie

Amber

Media Meme

2008-02-14T09:57:00.003-05:00

I was tagged by Kellie at Confessions of an Oragnized Mess. This week's tag is Media Meme.

Books ~ I'm embarresed to say I haven't read any good books in quite awhile. My book reading now a days is just reading books to the kids. I did enjoy reading before Kevin was born.. I don't remember what the name of the serries was, but they were a christian serries of life back in the Frontier days.

TV ~ Some of my favorite shows are.. Lost, Desperate Housewives, Men in Trees, Greys Annatomy, Private Practice, October Road, The Biggest Loser and I also enjoy watching the CSI, Law and Order type shows. Needless to say I'll be happy when the writers strike is over. LOL

Music ~ I like all kinds of music, except I have to really be in the mood to handle rap. If you would turn on my radio in the car you would either find Country Music or Talk Radio. If you looked at my CD collection it's mainly Country and 80's music. Gotta love the 80's!!

Let's see.. who should I tag?!? How about...

Deb at Mom of 3 Girls

Heather at The U.P. Five

Shannon at Speaking in Plain Shamish

Happy Valentines Day!!!

2008-02-14T09:46:00.003-05:00

Myspace Graphics at WishAFriend.com

From our family to yours.. We wish you a Happy valentines Day!! May you have a love filled day.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Welcome Home

2008-02-13T07:42:00.002-05:00

This is what we came home to after a fun-filled week in warm Florida! A snow pile higher than my burning bush and I should of took a picure of our mailbox as the snow is that high too!! (I'll post that later)

Prayer Request

2008-02-09T07:52:00.000-05:00

As we are enjoying the time of our life down here I found out my Best Friend's Dad got hurt and is in the hospital and could use some prayers.

There was a huge snow storm and he drives a truck and had to make a drop. He waited and waited and the guy who drove the hi-lo came and ended up crushing her Dad between the Hi-Lo and the Semi Truck. He has a broken leg, but because he has poor circulation they have to watch him very close due to blood clots. Thankfully he came through sugery good, but if you could just say a prayer that he doesn't get any more blood clots they would appreciate it.

Thank you!

Just a hint if you go to Disney

2008-02-06T14:53:00.000-05:00

I'm sure most of you already know this, but we found out that if you drive & park and take the monorail... ask to see if you can sit up front with the person driving it! We have been able to ride up front twice now and it's so much fun!! I just can't wait to start posting pictures of our trip... all I can say is we were having doubts about this trip as it was going to cost us a pretty penny, but now seeing how much fun Kevin & Katie are having we are so glad we came!

Wanting a new car?

2008-02-06T14:25:00.000-05:00

Do you ever wish you could afford a new car, but don't feel like going to dealer after dealer getting quotes to see who will give you the best deal? Look no further!! Now there is a website called Carsblvd.com where dealers will fight for your business and you will get 2 quote within minutes! You also can get Car Loans, Auto Insurance and Auto Warrenties!! Just click on Car Prices to check out Carsblvd.com!

Hello from toasty Florida!!!

2008-02-04T14:32:00.000-05:00

The kids just woke up from their nap, so I won't be able to type for long as Disney World is calling us back. :) Just wanted to let you all know we made it down here with no problems!! The kids did AWESOME on the plane and so far are doing great at Disney. It was getting melt down time at Disney so we headed back to the van and came back to our rental and had lunch and the kids napped.

I promise I'll write more later, but it sounds like it might be time for us to go. Unless they decide to go swimming first. LOL

Wordless Wednesday ~ Summer Fun!

2008-01-30T13:06:00.000-05:00

It's is so cold, snowy & windy outside I thought I would bring back some memories of this past summer. I hope I'm not breaking the rules to bad as they are video's instead of pictures... but I hope you enjoy them! The first one is Summer Fun and the 2nd one just makes me laugh at the end. (you will find out why)

Gotta love Michigan Weather.

2008-01-30T12:35:00.000-05:00

Where else can it be 40 degrees and rain to a few hrs later be in the 20's, windy and snowy? Everything that was wet is now ice. Plus the snow & wind... needless to say it's making it for nasty travel. Thankfully Paul got home safe last night.. just took him twice as long to get home since he was driving around 5 miles per hour.

All I know is I can't wait till Sunday to fly to the 78 degree weather in Florida!!!

Good deal on Prescription Glasses!

2008-01-28T19:02:00.000-05:00

So far I've been lucky to not need glasses, but I'm sure the time is coming since every year I'm getting a little bit older. Of course it doesn't help that my Mom, Dad & Sister all have glasses so I'm sure it's just a matter of time for me.

When I do finally need some I found the place to go! Thanks to Pay Per Post I found a really cool website Zenni Optical: Sell Rx Glasses $8 with case! Not only do they have a HUGE selection of frames, but they have all different kinds of lenses. From Single Vision to Bifocals. Tinted Sunglasses, Even the sun sensor ones! Here are just a few of the glasses they have for sale for $8!

I also found out the secret to Zenni's great low price! They send their glasses direct from their factory to you which cuts out that middleman!

Another thing about Zenni Optical is their have a Guarantee! If you are unsatisfied with your prescription eyeglasses for any reason just return the eyeglass with the order copy and case within four weeks and they will refund 50% of the cost of the glasses.

So next time your in need of getting new glasses.. check out Zenni Optical. I bet you will be glad you did!

Little House on the Prairie

2008-01-26T15:16:00.000-05:00

We rented season 1 of Little House on the Prairie from our local library and my kids are in LOVE with this show. (Of course so am I LOL)

I would LOVE for NBC, ABC, or CBS to start having shows like this again.. ones that you don't have to worry about having your kids see or hear something you wish they wouldn't of. Wouldn't it be great if they actually brought back some of the older, good quality shows since the writers strike is still going on. I wonder if people would start watching them or does to many people in today's society want/need that smut that's on TV now?!?

At least I know what to get the kids next year for Christmas and every year after! Little House on the Prairie Season 1.. then 2.. then 3.. etc.

Space Shuttle Launch ~ Feb 7th 2008

2008-01-26T14:03:00.000-05:00

Have you ever been in Florida when the Space Shuttle went off? I just found out that the Space Shuttle is going back up to the space station on Feb 7th when we will be in Orlando! My thinking is it will be worth it to drive over and see it as what are the chances we will ever be down there again when it takes off. (Of course my luck. the launch will be delayed a few weeks LOL)

If you have seen the Space Shuttle take off.. where did you watch it from? I read that Space View Park is good, but to leave there after the launch takes FOREVER. So I'm wondering if we stayed farther away (somewhere between Orlando & the Space Center) would be just as good. (Even though it would be fun to "feel" it take off.

Friday Feast ~ Jan 25th!

2008-01-25T19:41:00.000-05:00

Wow!! It's been awhile since I've done a Friday's Feast! I hope you enjoy!!

Appetizer
How many times per day do you usually laugh? It ranges.. all depends if the kids are in a good or naughty mood. When they are in a good mood I laugh quite a bit, but if they woke up on the wrong side of the bed/crib and keep getting into things.. then I don't laugh so much.

Soup
What do your sunglasses look like? I don't have a good pair yet.. they are an old pair my In-laws gave me.

Salad
You win a free trip to anywhere on your continent, but you have to travel by train. Where do you go? Good question!! I would want to travel to Portland, Oregon to visit my friend Erin who I haven't seen in a couple years.

Main Course
Name one thing you consider a great quality about living in your town/city. I really can't think of anything. Let's see... sure not the taxes or our township board. LOL Can I just say one of the great qualities of living in my township is that it's quite rural.. so it's not busy with traffic like being downtown.

Dessert
If the sky could be another color, what color do you think would look best? Wow.. I can't imagine the sky being a different color. I would have to say pink or purple because I love it when the sky is that color wh
en the sun is going down.

WOOHOO!!!

2008-01-24T18:06:00.000-05:00

We got the vacation rental!!! I'm so excited right now!!! We did find out my parents are not going South this year so I also changed our airline tickets and van rental too so now all we have to do is pack!! I'm so ready for the warmer weather. This snow & cold is starting to get to me.