Just Add Sugar

Plants versus Zombies Cake

2011-09-04T14:59:00.001-07:00

My son wanted a Plants vs. Zombies theme for his seventh birthday. I wasn't too excited about the zombie part, but the plants I can handle. This pea shooter cake was the perfect compromise. I looked around the internet for ideas, and decided on this cute pea shooter. My husband is artistic with cakes, so he worked on the design and then decorated the cake. I made the cake, but that is the easy part. Dave, my son, was absolutely thrilled. Watch out zombies, we have a pea shooter!

Pool Fun

2011-07-15T14:08:00.000-07:00

Today was a gorgeous summer day. I went to the pool with my sister. We hung out and read magazines and talked, while the kids splashed and played in the water. Here are some photos from our relaxing afternoon. Christina playing with her water doll. She has a
December birthday, so up until now it has been just a
bath toy.Christina and her cousin Joshua playing together at the pool.
Christina and her cousin Jason playing.
Dave showing his muscles, cousin Jenny, and Andrew. They all have passed their swim test so they can go all over the pool. Days like this make me wish summer could last all year round. Sometimes I want to pause time; the kids are growing so fast!

Stink Bag

2011-07-14T12:51:00.000-07:00

So the other day I was on a walk with my cutie dog Pepper. We usually walk about 2 miles. Well, I must have been distracted because I realized I had dropped one of her poop bags. I looked behind me, and it was no where in sight. I had no desire to retrace my steps to find it, but I still felt bad leaving a bag of "stuff" on the sidewalk.
Fast forward two days, and I decided to go on my usual walk again. I was happy to find the bag of dog leftovers on a street corner. I must have dropped it when I was rounding the corner. Well, trying to be a good neighbor, I picked up the bag from two days ago. I continued on my walk.
As I kept walking, this jogger ran past me and gave me a strange look. I looked down, and the dog bag was leaking. It was all over my shirt, pants, and legs. Ugh!! It had rained the night before, and I didn't realize the bag had a leak and had filled with water. I found a nearby trashcan and discarded the bag. I don't usually like to use other people's trashcans, but I was not about to carry the bag and leaking contents the rest of the way home!
Anyway, I made it home with the doggy, told my husband my disgusting story, and hopped into the shower.
Lesson learned!

Cute Conversation

2011-02-24T16:51:00.000-08:00

Christina: Why did God make kids?
David: So they would enjoy the world He made.
Christina: How did He make them?
David: He just said "Let there be boys and girls" and there were boys and girls.
Christina: How did He make princesses; Did He just say, "Let there be princesses" and there were princesses?

Sometimes it is fun to just listen in to the sweet conversations.

Something Magical

2011-01-24T07:35:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, my son Dave lost his tooth. It had been loose for awhile, and around dinner time he pulled it out himself. It was so fun to see his excitement!
We soon began discussing the tooth fairy coming to visit. He was a little worried the tooth fairy would be busy and forget to come by. Dave knew that a teen in our church had lost a baby tooth on the same day, so the tooth fairy had more than one stop to make.
The tooth fairy made her appearance. Dave was delighted to find a pile of coins in his room this morning. He was also thrilled to discover the GLITTERY fairy dust trail that led from his bed to the windowsill. I was so excited when my little baby Dave grew that first tooth and now I'm just as proud that only a hole remains where that sweet little tooth used to be.

Oops

2011-01-23T17:48:00.000-08:00

All the kids are in bed.
We hear one coming down the stairs.
It is Dave, for probably the fourth time.
"Why are you up, what is it?" we say.
Dave says, "Andrew never tells on me anymore" he brags.
"Well, is there something that you are doing that Andrew should be telling us about?"
Dave gets a guilty look and realizes he's been caught.
"Yes, I was playing with a little Lego piece."

Small Town Night in the Suburbs

2011-01-15T09:27:00.000-08:00

Last night we had a fun time as a family. We headed over to Jerry's Pizza for dinner. Phil and I have been going to that Jerry's since we were dating. One of the employees over there always recognizes us. She has been watching our kids grow up over the years. She still remembers when we carried them into the pizza place as babies. Phil got his usual sub, and we also ordered a large pizza(half cheese, half sausage). Oh, and don't forget one super size order of fries! We enjoyed devouring all that yummy food and letting the kids make silly faces in the big mirrors that cover most of the walls.
Next, we headed over to Milwaukee Frozen Custard for dessert. We walked in and found out they are now serving funnel cake. Yum! This was the first night they were selling funnel cake, and we were the first ones to buy one. It was delicious and cheaper than getting it at an amusement park. Al brought it straight to our table, proud to serve his first one. We weren't disappointed. The kids and I also got chocolate custard. So good! If you've never been to Milwaukee Frozen Custard, I highly recommend it. It has a definite small town feel.
We spent a little while in Milwaukee Custard, allowing the kids to enjoy the silly mirror, the train, and the dessert. When we got home, we put the kids to bed, and then Phil and I watched one of our favorite shows called "Lie to Me."
There is no other way I'd rather spend my Friday nights than with my family, making memories.

My Baby is Four!

2011-01-14T07:34:00.000-08:00

Just a few days after Christmas, my youngest child had a birthday. I can't believe she is already four. Time is flying. We were visiting my parents on her birthday. We decided to let her be princess for the day. My mom took just us girls out for a nice lunch at Cracker Barrel. Christina(my daughter) ate two GIANT pancakes. She wore her crown during the outing and loved all the attention she got wearing it. Christina is into all things pink and princess at this stage. It is so fun watching her grow up. On December 8th she accepted Christ as her Savior. She is now in God's family. Thank you Lord for my daughter and her faith in You!

Cover to Cover

2011-01-13T06:05:00.001-08:00

One of my goals for 2011 is to read the whole Bible. I have done this before, but I'd like to read through it again. Our church is offering small group Bible studies this year for people who have this goal, and I think it is wonderful because it will help me stay accountable. I wasn't sure that I was going to accept this challenge, but my husband helped motivate me. He's never read the entire Bible. I am already slightly behind the reading schedule, but I am catching up. It is not too late to start reading if you want to join me in this goal :) I think the last time I did this was for a college class. It's about time that I did it again!

Going through the Valley

2011-01-12T05:50:00.000-08:00

I just learned a couple days ago about a friend from college whose husband suddenly died right before Christmas. My heart breaks for her. Her husband's case of the flu turned deadly. She is a wonderful writer and has been sharing her heart on her blog. Please pray for my friend Tricia and her two little boys as they get through this tragedy. This is her account of the day he died and this is the link to the rest of her blog. She really has a way with words. I'm sure she could use all the encouragement she can get right now.

Baby Turtles

2011-01-11T09:18:00.000-08:00

Okay, so first I want to apologize that I never gave an update on Freckles the turtle. I want to be a better blogger this year. Back in August, the turtle eggs did hatch. We enjoyed observing the babies for a couple days before we let them go. Here are some pictures of the little cute box turtles. This was the coolest nature lesson right in our own front yard. It was fun learning more about God's creation.

Dancing away the Pounds

2011-01-10T17:31:00.000-08:00

My husband and kids gave me a fun new Wii game for Christmas. It is called "Just Dance". You can compete with friends and try to be the best dancer by following the moves on the screen. I pulled it out the other day and played it with the kids. I beat the boys easily. However, my daughter beat me every time. She just turned four. I don't know whether to be proud or embarrassed.

A New Counter

2010-11-30T16:14:00.000-08:00

If you look at the bottom of my blog, you will see something new. It is my weight loss tracker! Before you rush down there to see how much I weigh, I'll let you know that it doesn't have my actual weight on there. It just has my goal of pounds to lose. Maybe one day if I get brave and lose all the weight, I'll mention my starting weight but right now I'm not telling!!
Anyway, I like watching my progress and something about making myself accountable to the world is very motivating. That's why I put it on my blog.
My battle plan is to follow the Weight Watcher plan(although I'm not going to the actual meetings). I'm using the Flex Points plan. I also want to up my exercise whether it is long walks with the dog or playing on the Wii Fit. I am so determined to do this!
So even if you never look at my ticker, I'm going to pretend lots of people are watching so that I can feel a sense of accountability. By summer, I hope to have to go out and by some new outfits :)

One of Those Days

2010-11-10T18:47:00.000-08:00

If you have kids, you will know what I'm talking about when I say I wish I could have protected my son Andrew from having a bad day.

- He had a rough start this morning when he somehow hit his own nose on a box he was holding. There was blood everywhere. Not huge amounts, just in lots of places such as his shirt, the floor, the carpet, his pants. . . lots of drips. We got it stopped fairly quickly, and he even made it to school on time. Oh, and I managed to get out all the stains with water and kosher salt.
-At dinner he bit his tongue hard enough to make him cry.
-After dinner, his new pet goldfish died.

You know, there are just some things we can't stop from happening to our kids. Today I think he learned to be careful with objects near your nose, chew carefully, and a lesson about life and death. These are all things we need to learn. I'm not glad he had a bad day, but having rough days occasionally is a part of life. So, I think I'm going to check on him one more time to make sure he's all tucked in and pray that he has an easier day tomorrow.

School Days

2010-10-15T19:45:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been an interesting week. To make a long story short, I feel public school has failed my youngest son. So starting on Monday I will be a homeschooling mom. My older son is doing well, so he is staying in a classroom. I am getting really excited about teaching my kid; I think it is going to be super fun. I used to be a teacher, so I know what I am doing. However, I'm sad things didn't work out for him. We hung in there for a month and a half, but things didn't seem to be getting better. The teacher seemed a bit surprised, but she does agree he would benefit from some one on one attention. The large class size was not conducive to that. She also didn't seem to be challenging him enough, so he was getting so bored. He was coming home wanting to do page after page of workbooks I have for him at home. How many kids do you know that actually want to sit down and work after school? He is really wanting to learn. There are many things I don't agree with as far as this teacher's approach, but as a former teacher I'm not going to sit and bash her. Her style just didn't work for my son. I suppose I could have tried to transfer him to another class, but I just want to get on with it and put my el. ed. degree to good use. Next year I'll revisit everything, and maybe he will be ready to try a classroom setting again. Until then, hooray, it feels good to start making lesson plans for my son :)

Freckles

2010-06-03T19:55:00.000-07:00

We have a turtle that spent all day last Friday digging a hole and laying some eggs. I was babysitting that day, so it provided great entertainment for the kiddos.
She was very intent on laying her eggs, so having me and the kids watch did not stop her at all. She is box turtle. Freckles used her back feet to dig. I counted at least 5 eggs.
Her efforts took all day. She covered the eggs back up with dirt. Then Freckles took a break under my impatient plants(even though she is a very patient turtle). We found a worm, and the kids were delighted to see her eat. She moved in behind my clematis trellis for a couple days. We gave her a slug once and even got her to drink from a puddle when I watered my plant.
The day we named her is the day she crawled away. She has been spotted in my neighbor's yard. Chances are that we will see Freckles walking around our neck of the woods in the future.
My awesome husband put a mini fence and mesh around the eggs to protect them from the neighborhood raccoon and snakes. In a couple months, we hope to see baby turtles digging their way out of the dirt.
I love that my kids (and I) can learn so much about God's creation right in our very own front yard. How often do you see a turtle lay eggs? Sometimes we need to stop and be joyful about the little things in life that can actually be pretty cool.

End of a Chapter

2010-06-03T19:14:00.001-07:00

I'm feeling kind of sad tonight because this week feels like the end of a chapter in a book. It is a chapter I really liked! For starters, our friends are moving up to Canada. We are excited for them, but we have been helping them out in children's ministry for years, and they will be missed. I taught their daughter in school years ago. The girls have also babysat my kids, so I'm out a babysitter too. At first we considered moving up there with them, but realized it is not part of God's plan for us right now. We love them, and we will miss them.

Tomorrow is the last day of school for my boys, and then they will be on summer break. The last day of school has taken on a whole new meaning because after tomorrow, their private Christian school will be closing its doors for good. They did not survive the tough economy. My kids have thrived there. Next year they will be attending public school. My younger son graduates kindergarten tomorrow. I get to go see his little program and hear the sweet songs they have prepared. It will be bittersweet.

Anyway, notice I said End of a Chapter and not End of the Book. Finishing a chapter means you get to turn the page and start a new chapter. I'm really excited about what comes next. Life would be boring without change(even though I don't always like things to change). I'm very excited to work with our new children's ministry leader; she has a lot of neat ideas. I am proud of my kids and what a great start they had at their Christian school. I have heard positive things about the school they will attend next year.

Change can be good. It is a reminder that God is in control. Tonight I'm just mourning the loss of a few things. However, bring on the next chapter! God's plans are better than mine.

Mom

2010-05-14T05:48:00.000-07:00

Andrew had a school assignment this week and needed to write about his mom(me). Here is what he wrote:

Mom
1. She cooks good food.
2. She helps me open the tunnel.
3. She sels jewlry that she makes.
4. She acts out at my church on the stage.
5. She catches big fishes In the ocean

I kept the spellings and everything just as he wrote them. I love it! Number 4 cracks me up about me acting out. I hope everyone had a great mother's day!

Man on the Moon

2010-03-10T10:34:00.001-08:00

My son did a book report on Neil Armstrong. Part of the assignment was to wear a costume to school and talk about the book. My husband and I went to many stores but couldn't find a costume since it is not even close to Halloween time. So we got creative. I'm going to give my husband most of the credit for this one. We found supplies at Walmart. The helmet we borrowed from a friend.He felt so cool walking in to school. He got a 100. The best part is that he loves to read, and that his teacher makes it fun.

Mouse Trap

2010-03-10T10:18:00.000-08:00

This is a video a friend posted on their Facebook, and I think it is funny. The middle part is a little sad but hang in there until the end :)

Snowpocalypse

2010-02-09T06:36:00.000-08:00

We made it through round 1 of lots of heavy snow. I live near Washington, D.C., and this area is really paralyzed with the big storm we had. My family and I spent days digging out and playing. We kept power the whole time. Many people did not, which was terrible with no heat and cold temperatures. Anyway, here are some pictures of our snow and the fun we had.The car is under there somewhere.

This is a picture of the roof. My husband got up there when I wasn't watching and walked across to clear off the satellite dish. Must have tv for snowstorms!

Our house gets crazy long icicles. We broke off a couple smaller ones and the kids had fun with them inside. Star Wars anyone?

David had a great time playing in the snow!

I had the 3 kids sit on the snow for a picture. This snow is overwhelming to them.

I just had to take a picture after her brother David threw a snowball at her face. Shortly after this, Daddy wiped her face off and she forgave her brother immediately and started playing again. Love this picture! She actually has already laughed at it herself after the fact.

Andrew really loves the icicles. One of them actually touched the ground. We kept breaking them off though to help the roof with the weight load of snow and ice.
Well, this morning we took a big trip to the grocery store. Another winter storm is about to hit us with maybe another foot of snow. Power outages are even more likely because of strong winds. We have lots of food now and more snacks than I would normally buy in case we lose power and the ability to cook. We will bundle up if we have to in order to stay warm, and we will be fine. I feel like we are making memories this week. I can't wait to take more photos of snow piled up on top of snow. However, I'm also looking forward to summer or even spring at this point. Virginia, the new Alaska! Except, in Alaska, they know how to take care of the roads I'm sure.

Snow Storm!

2010-02-05T16:49:00.000-08:00

I am all settled in and ready to be stranded at home! You see, we have a huge snowstorm that is going to paralyze the whole area. Grocery stores are running out of food, and the storm has earned the nickname snowpocalypse. I am enjoying all the hysteria around here; it is funny to me. I know it is a ton of snow, but as long as I'm safe and warm in my house with my kids and my family, then bring it on! The snow has started and the roads are covered.
Anyway, we could have anywhere from 20 to 33 inches. I'm eager to see if we really get that much. I'm hoping we do. No matter what, this is a winter to remember.
Meanwhile, I am going to sit back and watch, go out and shovel when I need to stretch, and enjoy lots of homemade food such as soup we will make and the homemade pizza we just finished off. Just praying that we keep power; that would completely change my happy mood if it went out for days. However, I'm really not expecting that to happen.
Let it snow!

Celebrity Look Alike

2010-01-30T18:39:00.001-08:00

Well this week on Facebook everybody is supposed to post a picture of someone that is famous that looks like you. I had a lot of trouble finding anyone close. I used a generator by scanning in a photo of myself and it came up with Venus Williams. Ummmm, not quite.
I mean seriously, here is my actual picture:
So as you can see, the celebrity generator wasn't working for me. I decided to waste a lot of time and find someone by myself. The best I came up with was this picture of Mandy Moore.

So what do you think? Do I look more like Venus Williams or Mandy Moore? Ha! Or maybe I look like someone else. Judy Garland was one of the suggestions from the generator. Sometimes wasting time can be so much fun!

Grateful

2010-01-14T10:13:00.000-08:00

This morning my daughter was thirsty and kept asking for drinks of water. I filled up her cup yet again, but I was frustrated that she needed refill after refill. Immediately after she left the room, I sat down at the computer and checked up on the latest news with Haiti. I watched a video of people running through the streets all because of a rumor they heard about water possibly being available. Tears came to my eyes instantly.
I'm so thankful that all my daughter has to do is ask, and she can have a drink of water. I just push the water button on my refrigerator and out it comes. I am glad she doesn't know what it is like to be without water for days. I'm grateful for the simple things today, such as food, water, and shelter. In the meantime, I'm praying for the people of Haiti after this earthquake. I'm praying for all those thirsty kids and all those moms that would give their children a drink if they had any to give.

Ugly Christmas Sweater

2009-12-17T06:39:00.000-08:00

This Sunday my church is asking everyone to come dressed wearing an ugly Christmas sweater. Unfortunately I had none in my closet. I had a couple I never would have donated if I had known this event was coming up. So the search began!
Who wants to pay a bunch of money though for an ugly sweater? Not me! So I went to the local Salvation Army and paid $6 for a white(well it used to be white) cardigan with these big glittery poinsettas on it. Something I would never wear. Well, when I paid for it, the lady in front of me was impressed with my find. She thought it was beautiful and was giving me tips on how to get a small stain out of the sleeve. Ha! I wanted to tell her it adds to how PERFECT this is, keeping it in the ugly sweater category. Maybe she'll be excited when she goes back next week and sees the same sweater back at Salvation Army. I would make her day. Unless I decide to hang on to it for next year.. . . I hear Ugly Christmas Sweater parties are all the rage.

Grapes of Wrath

2009-11-09T06:47:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had a lovely afternoon of shopping by myself while my husband took care of the kids. I was all finished with my outing and was driving home, listening to the radio and feeling totally relaxed. I left the busy shopping center and turned into my quiet neighborhood. My window was rolled down a quarter of the way so I could enjoy fresh air on this beautiful day.
All of a sudden I was struck by an object that came flying through my window. It hit me so hard that I screamed out loud in pain and grabbed the side of my face. I pulled the car over and threw on my hazards so I could come back to my senses. It felt like someone had punched me. I felt something in my hand and I looked at it. It was a broken grape. I looked down at my lap. Another grape was sitting on it.
A car had passed me at the same time this incident happened. When they heard a scream, they slowed down. I thought maybe they were going to check on me. Instead they quickly turned down a side street. I know it was an older car, sedan type, but I didn't get a look at the plates and the individual. If I hadn't been alone in the car, maybe I could've gotten their info, but I was still in serious pain, trying to get over my shock. I debated calling my husband because it hurt so much, but I was only a few blocks away from home, so I decided to drive on home.
By the time I got to the house I could tell it was already starting to swell. I looked in the bathroom mirror and my face was red, so I went to get some ice. My husband was very upset so he made the whole family get into the car to drive to the general area where it happened. We saw a car in the parking lot of a local park with a young man in it just sitting in the car. He looked nervous when he saw us. The car looked like it could have been the one. But, I can't say for sure.
My husband called 911 to report the incident. A police officer came to our home and filed a report and gave me a case number in case I decided I needed to go the hospital. He could see the redness. I apologized that I had very little info to give him, but thought it should be reported in case the individual continues to throw things at vehicles in the area. He agreed and said he would drive around and maybe even check out the guy in the car I saw. He took me seriously, and asked questions like "did you cut someone off at the shopping center and make them mad?" I told him, "not that I'm aware of". I knew he couldn't do much with the little info I had, but who knows. If this throwing continues, the police will know it has happened more than once in the area.
So, I guess I'm coming out of this whole thing feeling very grateful. It is the next day, and my face is only tender. I don't see any bad bruising. The grapes hurt so much, I wondered if it could have been frozen. I really think the individual was a young teenager or adult that thought it would be funny to throw fruit at a car and didn't intend it to go through an open window. The back windows of the driver's side are also streaked with grape residue. I'm just glad it wasn't a rock, because if a grape could hurt so much, a rock would've been even worse.
Watch out for flying fruit!

Money Stuff

2009-11-03T13:00:00.000-08:00

Money has been on my mind a lot lately. My husband and I have stopped using credit cards. That is quite the change for us. But, we were living beyond our means and knew we had to quit that habit.
Now we are working on paying off our debt. I am happy to report that we recently paid off a credit card. It feels good!!!!
Money has been super tight every month. Sometimes we haven't known how the next bill would get covered. God has been providing for us EVERY time. For example, we were 83 dollars short on making our mortgage payment. Well, that week I got a last minute babysitting job that paid $84. That is just one example of how amazing God has been to us. He has been providing EXACTLY what we need, not more, not less.
It will take a couple years to get out of all the debt we have, but we have learned through this experience, and once our debt is gone, we will continue better habits we have learned the hard way.

The Singing Kitties

2009-09-28T10:14:00.000-07:00

This is a silly video and one of Christina's new favorites. I bet you didn't know cats could sing!

School is Coming

2009-08-15T17:51:00.000-07:00

I've done most of my back to school shopping. I will miss the boys while they are at school, but I'm excited that they will get to learn :) My husband found this video and I think it is really funny. Please note, I WILL miss the boys, but the house will be a little quieter during the day with only one kid at home. Is it wrong to look forward to that just a little? :)

Whack-A-Kitty!

2009-05-29T06:03:00.000-07:00

Cute and funny! No animals were hurt :)

Bookmarks are Here!

2009-05-29T05:53:00.000-07:00

I have recently launched my new bookmarks at my etsy shop Hidden Treasure. They are pretty shepherd hook style bookmarks. Perfect as a gift or for yourself. The best part is they are only $5!($8 after shipping). I really love them and want to show off a few examples. Do you love them too? More are available in my shop.

Still love the grocery store!

2009-05-04T19:26:00.001-07:00

I get so excited going to the grocery store. It is so fun for me! Right now I am just giddy about my shopping trip. I spent $14.60 on $38.32 worth of stuff. Name brand stuff. That is 62 percent off. It is so fun matching coupons with sales. Let me tell you what I got for under 15 dollars. I think everything I got was best name brand kind of stuff

2 bottles of bbq sauce
2 bottles of mayo
4 boxes of cereal
5 bags of frozen vegetables
1 dozen eggs
pack of sponges

nothing was store brand

Maybe this is boring to you, but for me, it is FUN! More money for other things like bills and fun stuff

Andrew's Latest Story

2009-03-21T06:19:00.000-07:00

Andrew has been writing stories at school. He's a first grader. He recently brought home a school paper describing what he would do with 100 dollars. Here it is. I'm going to leave his spellings and everything the way he wrote it:

"If I had one hundred dollars I would get a gint tv. If I had one hundred dollers I woud get a school."

He also drew a couple cute pictures. I guess the reason we thought it was so funny was that Phil used to write similar papers when he was in school. Poor Andrew, I'm not going to tell him that giant tvs cost more than 100 dollars! I asked him about the school part, he said he made it up. I wonder if it has anything to do with my decision to homeschool next year. Hmmmmmm.....

Who is Coming?

2009-03-07T18:29:00.000-08:00

Christina kept saying this over and over. Listen, it is really cute!

Everything is Amazing!

2009-02-26T05:20:00.000-08:00

I thought this video was pretty funny

Goodbye Crib, Hello Bed!

2009-01-13T21:53:00.000-08:00

This week Christina has made the transition from crib to bed. It all started because I went to Toys R Us to return duplicate Christmas toys for her. I really wasn't sure what to get. So, as I was wandering around the store, I saw the toddler beds. I realized that I would only have to spend 9 dollars out of pocket to be able to get her the bed. The boys each got beds on their 2nd birthdays. Even though she hasn't figured out how to climb out the crib yet, I figured I should let her be a big girl since she is now a 2 year old.
She absolutely loves it! The first night it took her about 30 minutes to relax in it, but after that first night, she now goes to bed very well. Here are some cute pictures of this milestone.
She's a pretty good builder too!!

As soon as she sat in her bed, she folded her hands and said "Pray". It was so adorable!Chili didn't waste any time getting comfortable!
Just in case you thought we really made our daughter build her own bed, here is the real builder. I'm so proud, he even read the directions! My baby girl is growing up!!

Getting Ready!

2008-12-17T05:21:00.000-08:00

I am so excited about Christmas, especially because we are spending it in sunny Florida at my mom and dad's place. Last night I wrapped most of the gifts while listening to Christmas music.
Today I need to go to the store and pick up food for the road(we are taking a cooler and eating sandwiches to save some money). We are also driving the whole 16 hours in one day with 3 kids ages 6 and under. So please pray for us :) We don't plan on getting a hotel at this point.
I also need to pick up some dress shoes for my daughter. I realized I have her pretty dress for Christmas, but no fancy shoes. Tennis shoes would pretty much look terrible with it. So, Walmart is where I'm headed.
I am so excited! Christmas is so important and special in our family. My dad is a pastor, so I'm looking forward to hearing him preach. Oh, and they live on the water, so every year the neighborhood lights candles in paper bags and they line the canals with it. Santa drives by in their backyard in a boat(probably some neighbor that enjoys seeing all the kids react). And, the ice cream man has been known to drive through town that week. My Christmas won't be a white one, but no complaints here! I'm sure the snow will be back at home waiting for me.
Please take a little time to remember in all the busy moments, that Christ is the Reason we are celebrating this day.

Christmas book

2008-12-10T08:51:00.001-08:00

Here is a video clip of my favorite author, Karen Kingsbury. I LOVE her books. She writes great Christian fiction. She also has a few kid books, and this is a clip of her reading a new Christmas story(I don't own this book yet, but it is a great one).

I am happy today because of. . . .

2008-12-02T09:43:00.001-08:00

I am happy today because of this wonderful news from a friend!
Click here. Keep them in your prayers :)

Mouse in The House Part Two

2008-12-02T09:37:00.000-08:00

Well, the mouse either got back in or this is a second mouse. Andrew discovered it one morning on the kid's art table. Chili caught this one while we were sleeping and placed it exactly like this on the table, I suppose as a gift to the kids. I think our cat has a sense of humor because notice the book. Maybe Chili wanted Christina to feel a REAL animal. Hopefully we will have no more mice. They don't stand a chance anyway with our cat. As for Chili, she deserves a few extra treats.

Mouse in the House Part One

2008-11-21T05:28:00.000-08:00

Sometime last week, we had some excitement right after the kids' bath. We were getting their pjs on, and all of a sudden a mouse ran across the floor with our cat Chili chasing it. No boring bed time that night! A real life Tom and Jerry chase was happening in our living room, much to the delight of the kids!
It got even more exciting when our cat actually caught the mouse in her mouth a couple times, but the poor little thing was able to jump out and keep running. When I say poor little thing, that doesn't mean I am excited about having a mouse living in my home :)
Chili cornered the mouse behind the entertainment stand. Phil was standing on one side with the cat, and I was on the other. I used a big box to try to trap the mouse in case he ran out. Instead, the cat ran into the box. "Wrong one!" I exclaimed, which made the kids burst into laughter. We got the cat out of the cardboard box. Phil put her behind the tv and let Chili sniff around back there. The cat found the hiding mouse for us, and the mouse went running right into the box!
I grabbed the box up quickly before the cat could join the mouse in the box. Thankfully the box was tall. I carried it outside. Being the picture taker that I am, I had Phil take a couple of the mouse. He looks a lot cuter in a box than running around my house! He carried the box across the street with David, and they let it go. It went running towards the neighbors :) We warned the mouse not to come back and told him how lucky he was to escape the cat. The question is, will the mouse find a way back inside? Those of you on Facebook may already know. Stay tuned for part 2.

He Still Has His Job

2008-11-05T05:39:00.000-08:00

I am feeling pretty thankful this week. Phil was at work on Tuesday in a meeting. They looked at him and said, "your position has been eliminated." As he sat there in shock trying to process that statement, his boss continued. He told Phil that he has reassigned him to a different position within the same company. In other words, he still has work. Phil wasn't the only one. The company was making job cuts, but there were still vacant jobs that needed filled, so his smart boss shuffled people around and no one lost their job. What a great boss.
This all could have been so much worse. God is taking care of our family. We really couldn't afford for Phil to lose his job. The whole incident was very stressful, but we are counting our blessings.

Happy Halloween at Trunk or Treat

2008-10-31T21:42:00.001-07:00

Our family went to the annual Trunk or Treat at our church, Fair Oaks Church. Thousands of people attend and this year was no different. It is really cool spending the evening with the church family passing out candy to the community. The whole thing ended with a wonderful fireworks show. Here are a few pictures of the kids in their costumes:
Maybe this weekend I will post more pics of the event, or at least the pumpkin carving. I'm tired, but it was a fun day. The temperature hit 68 degrees today, so we were blessed with another Trunk or Treat with warm weather.

It's been too long!

2008-10-28T09:49:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged for a couple weeks, so I will try to get some new posts up soon. I actually started a new blog the other day for my jewelry shop on etsy, so you can take a look if you would like
http://www.hiddentreasurejewelry.blogspot.com. I wanted a place to talk about my etsy shop without combining it too much on my family blog. That doesn't mean I will never mention selling jewelry on the family blog, but I wanted a spot to talk about just my crafting.
Halloween is coming up! All our kids are excited. The boys are going to use their old bug costumes and Christina has a ladybug costume(never worn) that we got off Ebay. I will have the cutest little bugs in the neighborhood. Actually we will be taking them to the annual Trunk or Treat at Fair Oaks Church. There will even be fireworks!!! The weather is looking good. I will get cute pics of the kids dressed up for Halloween and put them on the blog, so stay tuned for that.

My Big Girl

2008-10-06T11:49:00.000-07:00

Today we moved Christina out of her high chair. Now she will be at the main table with the rest of the family. She was very happy to sit in her new spot. She's not a baby anymore! These pictures really remind me of some pictures of me as a little girl. I think she is looking more like me all the time.
The last picture is one of me, a little older than Christina.

Starring Andrew and David!

2008-10-04T21:13:00.000-07:00

We had a fun family day at King's Dominion. I'll post more pictures and write about it later. But, I just couldn't wait to post this adorable video of my boys on a kiddie roller coaster ride. We splurged and bought a dvd of the ride.

Saying Goodbye is Hard to Do

2008-09-21T18:25:00.000-07:00

We sold our PT Cruiser today. It was a little hard to say goodbye to a car that we have put into car shows, put lots of work into, taken family trips in, etc. Phil actually put it up on Ebay, and it worked! We decided that with only 2 drivers in the family, we really didn't need 3 cars. Now that the Spyder Eclipse convertible is running again, we sold the Cruiser. We sold it to a girl going off to college. Everyone in her family loves PTs. This is her first car.
The hardest part was explaining it to the kids. David fell apart when they drove away in the car. He screamed and screamed and cried and cried. It was a huge tantrum, one of his biggest ever. The whole time he was crying and carrying on, he was looking out the window watching for our car to come back. He just doesn't understand any of this. He asked Daddy if Daddy wanted to sell him too! So, we did a lot of reassuring that we would keep even if we were offered all the money in the world. Poor kid.
Last night the kids helped Daddy wash the car one last time. Here are the pictures:

Christina is happy helping Daddy
Busy, helpful girl!
Andrew is busy helping too
David played in the water during the car wash. That's the fun part!
We will miss our car since we had it 6 years, but it was time to say goodbye.

First Day of School

2008-09-18T07:58:00.000-07:00

I am pretty late putting up pictures of the first day of school for Andrew. He wasn't so sure that he wanted to go back because he didn't want summer to end. Now he has settled into the school routine and says it is even better than playing Super Mario! Here are some pictures from the first day.
He has his shirt tucked into his underpants. Oops! I think his shirt came untucked before he got to school. I hope so!
I told Andrew to do a "too cool for school" pose. I guess he has that look down!
David decided he wanted to pretend to be a baby that day. He was actually very excited Andrew was going to school. No more fighting over his new birthday toys! I think he misses his brother now that a few weeks have gone by.

Here is Andrew in the first grade classroom. We got there really early. He was the first to get there in his class. We found out his friend David decided to come back this year, so Andrew was very happy.This is Andrew with his new teacher, Mrs. Platt. She is very nice! He loves school. I'm so proud of my big first grader!

No, he didn't hit me!

2008-09-15T08:20:00.000-07:00

This is what I said to the neighbor that ran into me at the drugstore. He asked me if Phil beat me, and I could tell he was joking. Or maybe he really wondered. Maybe I would have laughed if my eye wasn't so painful.
Anyway, I have some sort of eye infection. My doctor sent me to the opthamologist. They think I may have some sort of viral conjunctivitis because my daugher has had some kind of cold the last few days. However, the doctor isn't totally sure. I am using prescription eye drops for the next couple days every 3 hours and over the counter eye drops as much as I want. He wants me to keep cold cloths on top of my eye to help with the swelling. I'm supposed to go back in 2 days to see if that treatment is working. I'm typing with one eye open right now because my other one really hurts!!!! The good news is my cornea isn't infected which is good as a contact lens wearer. He told me not to wear my contacts. I laughed and said, "I don't think I could get it in if I tried!" I'm not sure what to do to relax. Maybe listen to music?

I'm not crying, my eyes are just leaking

2008-09-14T05:43:00.000-07:00

Yep, tears keep running out of my eyes. I have tears coming out of one eye anyway. I think I have pinkeye. My eye was red yesterday. I took my contacts out early last night. Well, I woke up about 3 in the morning, and all this gunk was leaking out of my eye. I got up to look and sure enough my eye was all swollen and red. Pink eye! I woke up Phil, and he put drops in my eye that we still have left from when he had it. I really didn't want to have to go to the ER since its the weekend for something like pinkeye.
I was already planning on staying home from part of church this morning because Christina has been sick and feverish for the last couple days. She seems to be doing better today, but I'll just keep her home with me. I'm really bummed because the church is celebrating my pastor's 10th anniversary today, and they are having a special reception. I was looking forward to that. Yet, I can hardly open my one eye. You should see me typing; it probably looks hilarious with one eye closed so it won't water! My glasses are an older prescription too. I hope these drops start working!! How should I pass the time? Everything I want to do requires my eyes! Reading, tv, computer, jewelry making. Wow!

The case of the missing mouse

2008-09-03T05:51:00.000-07:00

If only I could find the mouse for this computer! Maybe Chili knows where it is!
The mouse really isn't missing! However, Chili loves resting on top of this laptop because it feels warm. We try to keep it closed so she can sleep on that part, but sometimes she manages to relax on it when we have it open. This picture is in response to an email my dad sent me of another cat sleeping on a computer! Enjoy!

My Baby Boy is Four!

2008-08-29T11:10:00.000-07:00

My little David turned 4 Wednesday! It seems not so long ago that I brought him home from the hospital. He is growing so fast. I think he is going to grow up to be either an actor or an author. The stories he comes up with are so imaginative. He is so entertaining! When I think of David, I think of how full of life he is. Here are 5 pictures from his life so far:
Newborn, still loves being all curled up
First birthday, kid on the right! Can you tell he is excited?!
Here David is at age two, at Carolina Beach in North Carolina.
David is 3 in this picture, watching Andrew's soccer game with Daddy

Here is my big four year old! My, how time is flying. I want to enjoy every moment, because before I know it, he will be all grown up.

The Bear went over the Mountain

2008-08-19T10:42:00.001-07:00

On Monday afternoon, our family went back to Skyline Drive. In the evening when we were getting ready to leave the park, this black bear walked across the road in front of our car. The kids were delighted, and Phil and I were too!
Anyway, we spent some more time in Shenandoah National Park yesterday. We asked the rangers for an easy walking trail for the little ones. It was still over a mile, but it was a great walk. We saw 3 deer yesterday; one of them was on our hike. Here are some more mountain pictures for you:
Taking a break on the hike
I just can't stop taking pictures of all the beautiful butterflies! I love them!
When I was a kid, we used to climb this mountain a couple times a year as a family or with the youth group. When our own kids are older, we will take them on that climb too.

In the meantime, they can climb little "mountains".

This deer was standing right next to the road, eating leaves for dinner. She was almost close enough to touch. I took this picture from the car window. The kids were so excited. We have been enjoying looking at God's creations at Skyline Drive.

Lines, Lines, Lines

2008-08-18T07:37:00.000-07:00

We went to King's Dominion as a family on Saturday for a few hours, and we had a great time. I don't think we would have had fun though without our season passes! Traffic was bad, and by the time we got to the park, the lines were the longest I've seen all season. It was all okay though, because we can go back. Beauty of the season pass!
We spent the few hours we had taking the kids on all the kid rides. You know, it doesn't matter how busy the park is, the kiddie rides are never too busy. The kids got to ride on lots of things. I love watching their faces light up with joy when they are on the rides. I do think Andrew is starting to get a bit bored with the rides that just go in circles. Yet, he was pretty good about not complaining. David and Andrew did get to go on the small roller coaster, Scooby Doo. The log flume was a long line, but we saved that for after dark when the line really drops off. That is one of our family favorites. In a year or two, Christina will be allowed to ride that too. Here are a few pictures of our day.We saw this frog while waiting in line. One advantage of long lines is that you get to see things that you would otherwise miss.
Christina is on the kiddie version of the swinging boat ride. Looks like she will love roller coasters in the future!
David and Christina enjoying a drive
Christina and Andrew are having a turn together now.
So, in spite of taking forever to get to KD and the long lines, we still managed to have a fun evening together. I'll try to forget the girl fight I walked in on in the bathroom! The bathroom attendant had to break it up and tell the girls it wasn't worth fighting over. I guess they had been swearing and angry. Turns out one claimed the other had cut in the bathroom line! I'm glad my family had fun at the park instead of becoming angry. Lines teach patience, right?!

What a fun day! Part Three(final)

2008-08-09T18:21:00.000-07:00

We decided to stop by a pizza place on our way home. It is called Spitony's Pizza. We have driven by it many times. Phil and I always make jokes about it, and the kids always laugh. We have nicknamed it "Spit on Your Pizza". Anyway, we thought it was about time we tried it out. It had a very local feel to it, and the pizza was pretty good. Nobody spit on it as far as we know!
Today was one of those perfect family memorable days!

What a fun day! Part Two

2008-08-09T17:40:00.000-07:00

Shenandoah National Park

After our visit to the farm, I did not want to go home! I asked Phil to start driving down the road to see where we would end up. We used to do this back when we were dating. We would cruise around Virginia and discover cool new places to visit. So, we loaded up on snacks at a gas station with the cheapest gas I have seen for months and started driving. We ended up going to Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. The entrance fee for one visit was 15 dollars, but it was 30 dollars for a pass that is good for a year! We got the annual pass which means we get to go back. We didn't see any bears this time, although people in the park told us they had seen bears today. We did see a couple English bulldogs, but they weren't wild animals. The butterflies were out in full force though, and were absolutely beautiful. Here are some beautiful pictures of our time in the park:
Kids on the road trip! They kept saying they were cold with the windows rolled down, but it was such a warm day. I guess they should bring their blankets next time.
Sitting in the park with a beautiful view
I'm really proud of some of the pictures I took today; the butterflies were so beautiful, and they were everywhere!

I thought this old tree looked pretty neat.

I just can't get enough of this view! I'm so glad we got the annual pass. This will be so pretty this fall too!

My boys! They were really hoping to see a bear I think! They still had a great time.
Daddy and the kids on top of a mountain

I will end this post with a couple more butterflies and notice the bumblebees too.

What a fun day! Part One

2008-08-09T17:20:00.000-07:00

Frying Pan Park:

Today was such a wonderful family day that I think I will split this into a few posts. We started this morning out with no real plans. All I knew was that it was a beautiful day outside, and I didn't want to spend it at home cleaning. Phil usually cooks breakfast on Saturday mornings(I know, I'm spoiled, but it is really sweet of him). Today I gave him a break and we went to Panera's for breakfast for yummy bagels. Then it was off to the farm. Yes, in busy Fairfax County there is a park called Frying Pan Park with farm animals and everything. . . . and it is FREE which is a rare thing around here. My daddy used to take me to the same park as a kid, so it is a special place to take my own kids. Here are some pictures of our farm visit.
These are the newborn baby pigs. Pretty cute for pigs!This is the baby goat. He seems a little shy.

This is Michael the horse patiently meeting Christina.
Christina fell in love with the chickens. She kept running back to go see them. She kept saying "quack quack".

All three kids on a pretend tractor ride
Andrew at the farm's playground; I can't believe he's growing up so fast. He's 6 years old and almost starting first grade.

Hanging with my Bro

2008-07-31T20:10:00.000-07:00

At the top of the "Eiffel Tower"

A few weeks ago my brother in North Carolina took his youth group to King's Dominion for Kingsfest. It was so great because I have season passes to KD, so my husband Phil and I met up with my brother (also named Phil) and hung out with him for a few hours. We had a blast. He went on rides with our kids, and they loved hanging out with their uncle. I'm so glad I got to spend some time with him.
Daddy and David in front, Uncle Phil and Andrew second
on the Avalanche

Best Friends

2008-07-26T07:27:00.000-07:00

Chili and Christina are best buddies. Yet, I'm wondering if Chili is just tolerating Christina at times. Christina kisses and hugs our kitty every chance she gets. Chili is very good about it. I think they look so cute hanging out together. Anyway, here is another picture to show what I mean:
Chili has this look of "Please save me from all this attention!" I guess the death grip around her neck would annoy anyone. I still think these pictures are the sweetest ones ever! Too cute!

Another milestone reached

2008-07-21T13:59:00.001-07:00

I am so proud! Well, not really. My daughter has figured out how to take off her diaper. She takes it off in her crib. She takes it off in her crib only when there is poop in it. I guess it is time to wash her sheets again. I have pictures from when one of my sons figured out this neat trick. He used to do it on Sunday mornings, and we were late to church a couple times. I am going to be sweet and spare you the picture. Anyway, Christina left me another poopy crib surprise after her nap. Time to convert to one piece footy pajamas.

Independence Day

2008-07-13T17:21:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Fourth of July weekend. We went to Lake Anna for the weekend to visit my in-laws. Christina had her first jetski ride(waverunner)! No pictures of that, but I'll get one next time. She looked so cute and proud of herself. She had her infant lifevest on; I drove at 5 mph, maybe 10 mph max. She was thrilled to be a big girl like her brothers. Maybe I'm a little nuts to put an18 month old on a jetski, but we were very safe about it.
Part of the time it rained, so we had to do some activities indoors:
Making cookies with Grand-daddy

Washing beloved Doggy
Helping Me-Maw cook

We watched some fireworks at the lake put on by neighbors, and my father-in-law. Christina went to sleep really late because the neighbors were shooting their fireworks off late into the night.
Fireworks at the Lake
The neighborhood that the grandparents live in put on a cute parade, smaller than I have ever seen before. People decorated their golf carts, and drove around the neighborhood. Like I said, it was small. The kids liked the free candy. Here's one last picture, because I have to show off my daughter's cute little independence day outfit:
We wrapped up the weekend by going to King's Dominion for a couple hours and watching their fireworks from our car in a thunderstorm. It was a busy weekend. Lots of great family memories were made.

Running Behind

2008-07-13T17:19:00.000-07:00

Life has gotten so busy lately, I am falling behind so quickly in my blog. However, there are things I still want to blog about, so I'm determined to catch up some tonight. There are pictures I want to post and events I want to write about. So stay tuned!

Elizabear Designs Blog

2008-07-07T08:08:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited because someone wrote a whole blog post about my Hidden Treasure store. She interviewed me and everything. I feel very honored. Please go check it out at:
Jewelry Blog Post
Thank you, Elizabear!

My First Treasury

2008-07-03T16:52:00.001-07:00

I'm so excited because I got chosen to be in a Treasury for 2 days on Etsy! For those of you who aren't familiar with Etsy, a treasury is when one of your items is advertised as a favorite of other Etsy sellers. It is basically great publicity and a huge compliment. Here it is: Treasury
It is the turquoise and coral necklace by HiddenTreasure. This link will only last for 2 days. If you don't see my necklace, maybe it has already sold. I hope so!

Flowers in Bloom!

2008-07-03T09:49:00.000-07:00

See this gladiolus. I think it is beautiful, and it makes me happy when I see them out in the backyard. I've even brought some in, and they are in a vase. Hope it brightens your day too.
My hibiscus has been blooming all summer; it makes me feel like I'm in Florida.

Attack of the Ringworm!

2008-07-03T08:52:00.000-07:00

My daughter Christina started developing spots yesterday on her waist and on her legs. I wondered, is she getting chickenpox? Nope! Because, today the spots are spreading out into circular shapes. I'm convinced it is ringworm. She had ringworm a few months ago, just a little in her diaper area. I treated it, and it went away. Now it is back with a vengeance! I still have antifungal cream on hand, so I treated every spot a few minutes ago. It usually takes a month to disappear completely. Poor girl; I'm sure it is uncomfortable. I'm starting to wonder if our 8 month kitty is a carrier. . . . I've heard that kittens can sometimes spread it.

A Little Frustrated

2008-07-02T20:56:00.000-07:00

I am letting our tight finances get to me too much. I know a lot of other people are in the same boat with this economy, and the gas prices. So, I have been doing some serious thinking today. If money wasn't an issue, I would stay home with my kids. I am still planning on going to my interview Monday just to keep that door open for the moment. However, I am going to concentrate on my Etsy store; it is something that I love doing; and I am still going to keep looking for a child to take care of in my home for some other mom that has to work. I am afraid that if I go back to work, all I would be doing is making enough money to send my youngest 2 kids to daycare. It has been my dream since I was little to be a mommy, and now that I am, I want to stay home to enjoy it! The child I was going to watch seems to be falling through. God has a plan, but I just wish I knew what it was at the moment.

Stay at Home?

2008-07-01T13:14:00.000-07:00

I wrote about going to work, but now I still am not sure. I have been talking to another mom and I might stay at home and watch her child. Please keep praying as I make these choices! I really would love to stay home. . . . crazy economy.

Handcrafted Jewelry

2008-06-30T13:44:00.000-07:00

In case people stumble across my blog, I wanted to mention that I sell hand-crafted jewelry on etsy. I'm actually excited because I had a big sale this week, but it was a custom order for a friend, and it wasn't through my etsy site. I've been having a great time making my jewelry! If you would like to check it out, here is the website: www.hiddentreasure.etsy.com

Back to Work

2008-06-30T13:21:00.000-07:00

I know I just said in my last post that I'm staying at home with my kids. That is true for the summer at least. Yet, I'm seriously thinking about going back to work. I even have an interview lined up for next Monday morning, 8 a.m! Pray for me, because I have a lot of decisions to make. Money has been getting tighter lately because of the economy. Phil has a long commute, so that means lots of gas. The big problem is childcare for my younger two kids. I don't want them to be in a regular daycare center. I always have said that one day I would go back to teaching. This might be the year.

I love Grocery Shopping!!!!!

2008-06-29T14:07:00.000-07:00

Sundays after church are so fun. I gather up my coupons and go grocery shopping. I play the grocery game. We have so much great food in our house, and most of it is name brand stuff. This week was fun because I got some free stuff, matching coupons up with sales. It helps me to continue being a stay-at-home mom.
I feel like bragging about my savings.
At the first store I would have spent 60 dollars; I only paid$29 and I earned a free gallon of milk for next time. The second store I would have spent 106 dollars. I only paid $63. Before you start thinking I bought a bunch of raemen soup or something, I didn't. I bought fruit, vegetables, meat, and many other things. It is so much fun!!!!! What a great hobby! I get to shop and save my family tons of money. The website is grocerygame dot com. If you sign up, please let me know so you can list me as the person that referred you. I will never shop the same again. It is truly awesome. And, it is my hobby!

Life

2008-06-20T19:52:00.000-07:00

I'm happy with my life. But, then, there are some people that are not happy in life. One guy is so tired of his life, he has decided to sell it on ebay. Pretty crazy. He's not suicidal, but he wants to start over. He is selling everything he owns, including his home and job. The auction starts soon if anyone wants to move to Australia. Check out his page at ALife4sale.com

Happy Anniversary!

2008-06-18T07:17:00.000-07:00

Phil and I celebrated 8 years of marriage yesterday. He took the day off work and spent time with me and the kids. Also, his mom offered to watch the kids in the evening so we could go out on a date. Not only did we get free babysitting, she also gave us money to go out. It was very sweet.
We went to Rio Grande for Mexican food. Still no tomatoes in sight by the way! I think they used canned tomatoes to make the salsa. It was all very delicious anyway. We even ordered dessert. We were very stuffed. We almost went to see a movie, but we decided we would rather be able to talk and hang out instead of sit in a movie, not talking. So my wonderful husband took me to a craft store! That's true love! We bought beads for my jewelry making. Anyway, we got home late because my mother-in-law spent the night, so we didn't have to rush back. Phil took me for a spin after that in our neighborhood in the Eclipse convertible that he finally got running. It felt great to cruise around like old times, looking up at the moon and stars, wind blowing in my hair. It still needs a little work, but it runs! Oh, and Phil gave me a great card too, saying that he would choose me all over again. I love my husband! I'm so glad we had a chance to go on a date.

Father's Day

2008-06-16T11:24:00.000-07:00

We had a very nice Father's Day. We didn't go out anywhere too fancy, but definitely places we like. We are saving our money for our anniversary dinner on Tuesday. 8 years! After church, I took Phil to Chipotle. For dinner we went to Five Guys for hamburgers. It was all very delicious. Yet something was missing. Tomatoes! Who else misses tomatoes at restaurants? At Chipotle I absolutely LOVE the tomato with cilantro. Yet, they couldn't serve it. They were in the process though of having tomatoes overnighted. At Five Guys I couldn't have a tomato on my burger. I missed the tomato! All the food though was still really good.
I spent the afternoon grocery gaming. I have so much fun with this. I save an unbelievable amount of money. This week my savings were about 50 percent off my grocery bill. If anyone decides to sign up, ask me for my email so you can put me in the referral section. It is grocerygame.com.
In the evening we spent a little time outside. Phil had a sudden idea about his car that has been broken for 2 years. It worked! He got it running again. That was the best gift for him ever. For Father's Day, we gave him rocks the kids painted at MOPS. I gave him a pair of shorts he wanted at Target. For his birthday last month, I gave him an Ipod and a Sidekick LX, so Father's Day was not as huge for him this time. Here's some pictures from the day. Some of these are probably also on Phil's blog.

Phil the Daddy with Christina, David, and Andrew

Phil and Andrew

Phil and David

Phil and Christina

I'm so grateful my kids have such a wonderful Daddy.

Family Reunion Time at Lake Anna

2008-06-16T05:37:00.000-07:00

Well Saturday at the lake went great, and Phil managed not to have any allergy issues. I ate some crab and shrimp, a special treat since I try to keep most of that stuff out of our house for his sake. Yummy! We played in the water too, but unfortunately a thunderstorm came up, so time in the water was limited. 43 family members showed up for the Sowers reunion. Andrew was very shy and stuck close to us. He said, "I didn't know we had so many people in our family!"
I got some great pictures that will follow. A relative even asked if he could use my camera to take a couple pictures wilth me in them. That was very thoughtful because I am almost always the one behind the camera, and so we have very few pictures of me. Maybe its kinda of on purpose, I don't know! The truth is, I love photography. Here they are:

Ready for crab feasting!

Walking to the water

Christina wants to get in. Time to put on her swimsuit!

Christina and Mommy

Mommy, Christina and my father-in-law Mike

Look what I found! Phil took this pic.

Anyway, we had a great time. I think we will head back down to the Lake for 4th of July weekend, Friday and Saturday. Oh, how I love days at the water!

Signs we read on the way to Lake Anna

2008-06-15T18:10:00.000-07:00

On our drive to Lake Anna the other day, we saw a couple amusing signs that made us laugh. The first one:

This was seen outside a roadside bbq stand .
"Get free gas. Eat our beans." Ha ha! Phil and I felt very junior highish laughing at that sign.

The other one was on a church sign.
"Dusty Bibles lead to dirty lives". While true, it still made us shake our heads and laugh. I'm sure that sign will lead many people to Jesus, right? ;)

We had a wonderful weekend, and soon I will post some pictures.

Tag

2008-06-14T07:14:00.000-07:00

I wasn't tagged, but I'll fill it out anyway since I'm a lurker of A Little Mischief.

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?
I was graduating from college with a degree in Elementary Education.
I moved back to Virginia and started teaching second grade.
I started hanging out with Phil, my friend since I was 10.
I shared an apartment with a roommate that threw coffee grounds and eggshells on my bed and called the cops on me when my parents were visiting. The cops came and laughed at her and shook my hand.

2. 5 things on my to do list
laundry is always on the list
read lots of books to my kids this summer
lose my last 15 pounds
make more friends
get ready for the crab feast today

3. Snacks I enjoy
That is easy since I'm on Atkins. I enjoy anything with carbs. I love chocolate and I miss salty snacks like chips. Actually this diet is perfect for me because I love meat and cheese anyway. I could really go for some Olive Garden pasta about now though.

4. Things I would do as a billionare
Give money to church
Give money to my parents to pay them back for college; thanks to them I have no student loans
Buy a huge house in the Tampa Bay area overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. Beachfront property of course.
put money away for my kids' education
cook less, eat out more
hire a maid
travel

5.Three of my Bad Habits
too much tv watching
need to exercise more
too much worrying

6. Five places I have lived
Stouffville, Ontario
Vienna, Virginia
Herndon, Virginia
Cedarville, Ohio
Winfield, Illinois
Fairfax Virginia (that's 6)

7. 5 jobs I've had

nanny

envelope stuffer for SIDS awareness

Resident Assistant at college

Paul Harris clothing sales associate(I think they went out of business)

Frito Lay warehouse worker - the only female worker, yikes,lifting potato chips can get heavy believe it or not, especially the pretzels. I loaded and unloaded trucks, and I put orders of chips together for grocery stores. Of course I got all the free chips I wanted, but I was in great shape from all the warehouse work. I actually LOVED this job.

elementary teacher- one day I'll probably go back to this, I miss it, but I want to be home more

stay at home mom

8. How I named this blog
Well, we are the Sowers family. Students I used to teach would laugh and say my name sounded like sour candy. But, just because you have a sour name, it doesn't me you have to be a sour person. Just add a little sugar!

I tag no one except all the same people Mischief asked to do this.

Crabby Day

2008-06-14T07:04:00.000-07:00

The Sowers family is getting ready to go to the annual crab feast. We will be at Lake Anna; it is a perfect day to hang out at the lake. We are kind of slow getting out the door to leave, but thankfully it doesn't official start for 4 more hours. It is 10 a.m. now. I have the kids all dressed in crab shirts, which is almost becoming expected of them at the reunion since I do that every year. We are resorting to McDonald's for breakfast. Christina filled the potty this morning with toilet paper, thankfully she didn't try to flush it. The boys are hyper, but I'm sure they are just excited about seeing their grandparents. I'm always worried at the crab feast, because Phil is DEATHLY allergic to crabs. Anyway, after we get past all this chaos and start driving to the lake, it will be a wonderful day. I'm a water nymph. Give me some sun and a body of water and it makes instant happiness. The jetski is the icing on the cake. So except for the crabs on the table, this won't be a crabby day at all.