Never in one place long

Gotta Compost!

2009-04-07T09:41:00.001-07:00

I know there are tons of composting blogs on the net, and now there is one more to add to the list! ;) I decided today it was time to compost after opening the kitchen trash can and it being very stinky! We don't have a garbage disposal at the new house so EVERYTHING gets dumped in the trash and it makes for some real stinkiness!! So I googled composting and found a site with a list of items to compost! I think my garbage will be quite empty after starting a compost! I couldn't believe what you can compost. Why then do we have such HUGE mounds of waste all over our country? Oh Yeah its the non-decomposable junk we all use! Ok enough of my soap box. Anyway I will post more once I get a move on this. I am hoping to get the materials I need today at the hardware store and get pics up too. I will then add more details to the composting craziness! Wish me luck!

Must Reads.... Gemma Doyle Trilogy

2009-03-12T11:00:00.001-07:00

This series by Libba Bray is amazing! I was sad to be done reading the books and couldn't wait until is was time to read everynight! So about the book...Gemma is a girl 16 years old (there abouts) in the 1800's. She is living in India and when her mother dies she goes to a girls school in London. Spence Academy. Where she learns about The Order and the Realms. These books are so good and have such great detail you just get wrapped in them. Great fantasy books with a wonderful love story as well! If you liked Twilight at all, then I sugget you read these also. These are top of my fave list!

Never in one place long... REALLY

2009-02-07T17:15:00.000-08:00

Well, we have now been in this house a year, and yup, we are packing up as we speak. We got a letter of rent increase and just can't pay more and can't see why we would have too. We have been good tenants and never missed or had a late payment. But so be it. We were really stuck in a rutt here. We don't really like this house or the location or the school as a matter of fact. So God made our choice for us and said stop blubbering, here is your out! The landlord did not give a 30 day notice so is in breech of his contract,but I guess we will just deal with it and hopefully get a place we looked at today. It would save us about $6,000 a year. It is in a smaller town and has a bigger yard and sidewalks! We hope this works, and are saying our prayers! Heres to never being in one place long!

SUNSHINE!!

2009-02-02T16:56:00.000-08:00

I love the sun! It is just wonderful to feel the warmth on your face and soak in the rays! I need the sun! I am one of those people that if the sun is away for along time (which it is in Western WA) I get moody! The sun is like a natural high for me! LOVE IT! I wish it was out all the time! Today was a wonderful sunny day and it made my mood wonderful! Tomorrow, I look forward too, also. Sunny and warm! YEAH!! Thank you Lord for my sunshine!

AWANA Family Fun Skate Night

2009-01-24T15:55:00.000-08:00

This past Wednesday was the AWANA Family Fun Skate Night. It was alot of fun too! We all had a really good time. Bailey and Em tried skating and did not do to well but they tried and still had a fun night. Tim fell probably the most of us all, but got up and kept going. He was really cute! Colby was the show off one. He almost knocked me down a few times and did knock Tim down at least once. He had to show how speedy he was. :) Jesse even skated and did a race with the men. The boys raced too. I should have but didn't want to bust. All in all it was a great night!

The Year 1908

2009-01-15T17:05:00.000-08:00

I got this in an email and had to share. It is really interesting how things have changed. Imagine.

The year is 1908. One hundred years ago. What a difference a century makes! Here are some statistics for the Year 1908
************ ********* ********* ******
The average life expectancy was 47 years

Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub.

Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.

There were only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles
Of paved roads.

The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.

The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower!

The average wage in 1908 was 22 cents per hour.

The average worker made between $200 and $400 per year.

A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year
A dentist $2,500 per year
a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year,
and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.

More than 95 percent of all births took place at HOME.

Ninety percent of all doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION!

Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which
were condemned in the press AND the government as 'substandard.'

Sugar cost four cents a pound.

Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.

Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.

Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used
Borax or egg yolks for shampoo.

Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from
Entering into their country for any reason.

Five leading causes of death were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke

The American flag had 45 stars.

The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was only 30!!!!

Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea
Hadn't been invented yet.

There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.

Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write.

Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.

Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores.
Back then pharmacists said, 'Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach
and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health.'
( Shocking? DUH! )

Eighteen percent of households had at least
one full-time servant or domestic help.

There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE U.S.A.!

Try to imagine what it may be like in another 100 years.
IT STAGGERS THE MIND!!!!!!!!!!!

Fun Childrens Book, Jake Stays Awake by Michael Wright

2009-01-05T20:37:00.001-08:00

This book is such a cute book to read to the kids. It is about a boy that will not go to sleep in his own bed, but has to sleep with mom and dad! It is really fun, if you have a child who is like this, even just alittle, to put their name in place of Jakes. I do that for Bailey and he just laughs and laughs! Anyway I say this is a great one for reading to the kids!

New Years Resolutions

2009-01-02T11:16:00.000-08:00

New Years Resolutions seem great at 12:00am When the confetti is falling and you're kissing your loved one... but the next day, the next month, the next year, trying to follow your New Years resolution can be somewhat depressing. So you said I am going to loose 50 lbs this year, or I am going to pay off all my debt or spend an hour more a day with my family. Then time goes by and if you haven't been doing your resolution, you feel like a failure. So make those resolutions something you can live with. Like I am going to work on being healthier this year, so if you only loose 5 lbs, you still kept your resolution. Or I am going to work on paying down my debt. So even if you could only add an extra $5 a month on a payment, you kept your resolution. Or Just say I am going to spend more time with my family. If today you only got an extra 5 minutes with them, it was still more than before and you will feel good about your self! New Years Resolutions should help you to feel good about yourself and not like a failure. So if you do make a resolutions, make it reasonable so you can feel good about yourself and your decisions all year long! I personally do not make them, but maybe for those that do this will help you to have a more positive year. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

PTA!

2008-12-16T11:05:00.000-08:00

I decided this year I wanted to join pta. I thought maybe I could help with the box tops and get more money with some different ideas. I also wanted to help with the carnival. Last years carnival was a little disappointing. So.... Last week I got a phone call. I was asked to be The Coordinator for BoxTops or Coordinator for the carnival! I of course said yes to both!! I am so excited to be able to help where I wanted to! So there was a reason why we couldn't leave this school yet. I want to try to help them get more money for the school!! It is just so exciting to be involved finally!

Our New Homemade Christmas Tree Topper!

2008-12-11T10:20:00.001-08:00

We needed a new topper this year, so Bailey decided to help out!

Got stains? Get Purple Power!

2008-11-30T17:11:00.000-08:00

This stuff rocks! It works on just about anything. It works wonders on stained laundry. Ems shirt had paint on it. Yes, she is our artist and even though she has a smock to wear, she doesn't always. But have no fear, purple power is here. When Jesse is cleaning the four wheelers and motorcycles after a day of fun in the mud, it just wipes off after some purple power! For Emilees shirt I put it in a bowl of water and purple power. You don't need too much. I let it soak for a day or so and then laundered as usual! Use gloves when using, it can irritate your hands. Oh and you can find Purple Power at Walmart in the automotive department. It cost $5.00 for that big jug and Its BIODEGRADABLE!!

ETSY SHOP SALE

2008-11-22T08:25:00.000-08:00

I am having a sale at my Etsy shop. Some of the older items I have discounted, some over a $1.00 So if you need Christmas gifts for family,friends or teachers check out my shop! You don't have to buy the sale items to get great stuff and good prices!!

Can you believe it? Wii giveaway!

2008-11-20T13:37:00.000-08:00

What an awesome giveaway at La Petite Chic. They are giving away a Wii Console and Wii fit with board! I have been wanting the Wii fit for a long time! what fun we would have and good exercise! Wish me luck, but I never win anything! I am sure Christian will win this! She has that winning gene! :)

GrosgrainStore.com grand opening giveaway!

2008-11-12T09:10:00.001-08:00

Grosgrain store is having another great giveaway! Check it out here She has amazing talent! I hope I win! Emilee would look so cute in one of her amazing outfits!! Check out GrossgrainStore.com shop

So who's gonna cut their hair next?

2008-11-12T08:56:00.001-08:00

Luckily, Baileys isn't too noticeable! !

Emliees can sometimes be covered by

her longer bangs!

This past week or so, we had 2 hair cutters! Emilee made a nice cut in her bangs, I guess she thought she would try her hand and being a beautician. Well I think she is a beauty school drop out! Then I took the boys to get hair cuts Saturday, and Saturday night, Bailey cut his hair a big chunk, right up front! Then.... Jesse decided to try to cut Em's bangs. So needless to say, We don't have any Nick Orojjos or Paul Mitchells in our family!

Can you help me? Please.

2008-11-06T14:43:00.000-08:00

Why do we, as mothers and wifes, sometimes feel that question is too hard to ask? So instead we do all the work alone, complaining aloud as we do it? I find myself doing this all the time, and my husband just says, if you need help, just ask. I of course say, " why do I have to ask for help, why don't you just help me?" It then becomes a battle with frustration, when if I would JUST ASK FOR HELP, I would indeed get it. God wants us to know this with him also! Don't go the struggles alone, ask God for help! Exodus 18:17-18 Moses father-in-law replied"What you are doing is not good." You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. THE WORK IS TOO HEAVY FOR YOU; YOU CANNOT HANDLE IT ALONE. That is so true, and one reason why we have a spouse to help and a loving God to turn to! This one really hit home for me and I will start asking for help! Have a Blessed Day!

Twilight Extravaganza

2008-11-05T13:51:00.000-08:00

This giveaway is AWESOME!!!! Just click on the pic and it will take you to the giveaway!

I have to promote this, well because, I love twilight. So if you like Twilight check this out, or you can just check out my Etsy shop! I have some twilight bracelets and earrings.

I VOTED TODAY!! DID YOU?

2008-11-04T13:19:00.000-08:00

Well for the first time ever,(yes I said ever) I voted and I am so proud that I did! This election was really calling me. It was the only one that I watched debates and read up on what was going on. I know as a Christian, this was a very important time to vote. I have said my prayers and cast my ballot so now it is up to the good Lord. He knows what is best! We have to believe that whatever happens, whomever is the next President, God is still in charge!!! He is my commander in chief! God Bless you all and this nation! By the way I am so glad the campaigning is over!!

Easy Fall Decorations

2008-11-03T17:10:00.001-08:00

On the fireplace

on the coffee table.

in the kitchen

in the kitchen

Okay, I got the idea of the plate with the candles and christmas balls from BHG. I of course improvised. I used a pillar candle and added some leaves. Then when it is Christmas, I will change the balls to red and green and change out the candle and leaves. Everything I got to decorate today was something I either had or got at Joanns for 70% off!! It was awesome! Bailey was complaining that we didn't have fall decorations or Thanksgiving Decor. So I got a few things. It was easy and inexpensive. I of course just used candles I already had, that is why most of them are a little worn or warped. :) I also added some leaf brads to the candles to add alittle more fun.

I've Been Tagged!

2008-11-02T17:37:00.000-08:00

Okay, Christian tagged me. So I have not blogged in a few days, so I decided to do it.

Seven random things about me.

1. I would rather read a good book than watch TV!

2. I could not live without my internet!

3. I have lived in 7 different States, 9 different cities

4. I really have a mind like a blonde even though I am brunette. (no offense to the blondes)

5. My mother put me in ballet when I was young because I was such a klutz. It didn't work!

6. I clean when I am upset. (sometimes I think my hubby does it just so I will clean!) :)

7. I love making things for my Etsy Shop!

Pumpkin Patch!

2008-10-23T15:55:00.000-07:00

Timothy

Colby

Emilee

Bailey

Here are some of our Pumpkin Patch pictures for this year. I sent out e-cards to all my friends. I made it using my Creative Memories Storybook creator.

Check out this giveaway. Amazing!

2008-10-21T08:53:00.001-07:00

This is the absolute best giveaway! What a talented lady! You have got to see this! She is over at Grosgrain. I would love to win this for Em!

Amazing Grace!

2008-10-20T10:13:00.000-07:00

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me, I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see!! Wow! I can't listen to, sing or even read the words without crying! Gods grace is Amazing! I just am in augh over his amazing grace! His grace is suffcient! I need to keep that as a reminder everday! 2Cor 12:9 But he said to me" My grace is suffiecient for you, for my pwoer is made perfect in weakness." I had a really bad day Saturday. I had my first CM open house, and nobody came. I was so disappointed, I was hurt. I was angry. I put all this time and effort and nobody came to support me. Sunday, I was still hurt. We went to church and when the pastor started talking about Gods grace, I knew. No matter how hurt I am God grace will help me to be the person, I need to be. No matter what is going on. Gods grace is suffcient.

Cell Phone vs. Bible

2008-10-18T10:03:00.000-07:00

I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone?

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

What if we flipped through it several times a day?

What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?

What if we used it to receive messages from the text?

What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?

What if we gave it to kids as gifts?

What if we used it when we traveled?

What if we used it in case of emergency?

This is something to make you go....hmm...where is my Bible?

So remember this...

You'll never have dropped calls and unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill.

But most important of all...you'll never have to ask Him 'Can you hear me now?'

Makes you stop and think, 'Where are my priorities?'

Cookie Cutter Bird Treats

2008-10-07T16:37:00.000-07:00

We found this fun craft idea in a library book. Bailey saw it and really wanted to make them. What you need is... Bread, cookie cutters( we used fall ones) bird seed, ribbon and egg. First cut shapes out with the cookie cutters and brush each shape with egg then while still wet sprinkle with bird seed. Allow to dry. I put them on a cookie sheet and put them in the oven at 250 for until they were dry,but not not toasty. This was really fun! Unfortunately, we did not get to see the birds eat them this time, cause shortly after hanging them, it down poured. We still have more shapes to try again soon.

To Blog or Not to Blog, That is the Question.

2008-10-02T21:17:00.000-07:00

Well, I have not been blogging for too long, but am wondering if it is worth while. I don't seem to have many people reading it so, I think I might just hang it up, for a while maybe. I am not sure if I am really getting what I expected out of it. Anyway, I will be out of town this weekend! Yippee!, on a scrapbooking retreat! MOPS finally started today! I was so excited! I have a wonderful group of moms at my MOPS at Bethany Baptist in Puyallup. I also got my Creative Memories kit today and am so excited to get started with that! My husband has decided, yet again, that he wants to move at the end of our lease in November. So I will need lots of prayer in that department. I know God knows what is best for our family, but am unclear with what that is right now. Whelp that's it.

Ahhhh.... Slugs! Gross!

2008-10-01T09:12:00.000-07:00

AHHHH, that was be screaming this morning, grossing out after unknowingly touching a slug. The slugs in western WA are huge and slimy and really gross! Bailey left his shoes out my the trampoline all night long. So he brought them in and we let them dry a little this morning. It was now time to get shoes on, and I put my hand in his shoe to see if it was dry and SLUG! Gross!! I ran to the sink washed my hands and had the heebie jeebies the whole time. I made the 2 older boys see if it was indeed a slug. They checked it out and yup, it was. Might I add... GROSS! I almost threw up when they were dumping the shoe out to get it. Funny thing is it was tiny! But it felt huge!! Well I guess it is better then when I live in Texas and had to check for scorpions in my shoes. At least a slug won't sting me, just gross me out!

Blackberry pickin' and bakin'

2008-09-24T10:18:00.000-07:00

BERRY CRISP
Printed from COOKS.COM
Part 1:4 c. blackberries, or other berries1/4 c. brown sugar3 tbsp. flour1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Part 2:1/2 c. flour1/2 c. oatmeal, uncooked1/2 c. brown sugar1/4 c. granulated sugar1/2 c. butter1/4 c. pecans, (optional)
Part 1: Mix berries, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon in 9 inch square pan.
Part 2: Cut butter into dry ingredients and put topping on berry mixture. Top with nuts. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly and slightly browned. Serves 8.

Colby and Em pickin' berries

I can't quite reach it..

Tim getting more berries

Our loot!

Fun, fun!! Last week we went down to the end of our development, right by the bus stop, and picked blackberries! We had the whole family down there, except Bailey, he was at a friends having dinner. Anyway, it was enjoyable and great family time! It was really prickly too! I never knew picking blackberries was so painful! We got stuck many times! I decided one of the things I was going to ask God when I go to heaven was why so many thorns and pricklies on the blackberries! :) So I made blackberry crisp, super yummy and blackberry freezer jam! I still have more blackberries and think I will make muffins.

I Got My New Apron! Yippee!

2008-09-20T14:59:00.000-07:00

Yippee!! I got my new apron that Christian made! Thank you, Thank you Christian!! I love it!! So today is a miserable rainy day. Just blah! But I guess I should get used to it, it is rainy season now in western WA. Anyway, I was just laying down to try and take a nap, when my hubby comes in and throws a package on my bed. I knew right away that it was my apron! I was soo excited! I couldn't even get the package open! Jesse had to help. I was just like a child opening the best Christmas present, that they were waiting all year to get! So I immediately put it on, of course! I was no longer tired. So I will be trying out my new apron today. I am in need of some bread. So I had to show off Christians wonderful work! ( check out my super cut pink socks!)

12 year anniversary!

2008-09-15T14:29:00.000-07:00

Kissing the bride. 9-15-1996

Just married! 9-15-1996

12 years later... His face was Really dirty, can
you tell I didn't want to kiss his dirt.

12 years later... Love each other more everyday

One of the views from our ride. We were really
high up on the mountain! It was amazing!

Wow, it has been 12 years now! I sometimes can't believe we have made it this long and we have so many more to go! My husband and I met 12 years ago. It was Labor Day weekend. He asked me to marry him the first day we met. It took me about a week, I prayed alot about it and I called him up and said yes. Then September 15,1996 we were married. ( this is the short version)Yup, we only knew each other two weeks. I guess when you know, you know! Friday we started our celebration with a day ride at Capital Forest, just the 2 of us. It was wonderful! It was so much fun and just beautiful too! It was a gorgeous day too! Our friend/neighbor watched the kids for us! We are going out tonight for desert. We decided we did not want to spend $50 on dinner. So desert it is. Happy 12 years gone and another 12 to come! I love him more everyday! Thank you Lord for bringing us together!

My first Etsy sale!! YEAH!!

2008-09-15T09:01:00.000-07:00

Had my first Etsy sale today! I was so excited. I will be putting more on this next week! I got lots of new ribbon coming to make more Korker bows! Really cute stuff! Anyway just had to share, I was so happy!

Witnessing like children

2008-09-11T22:05:00.000-07:00

My son Timothy is such a great witness! He is always telling his friends about God and asking them to church and AWANA. He asked three of his friends to the new AWANA, but none of the parents would allow it. Yet he will still try to teach them. I love to hear him( any of the kids actually, but it is usually him) tell me stories about how he was telling somebody about God. Last year he starting bringing a boy to AWANA, then to VBS. Well at VBS the boy got saved! I cried. He was not only like a 5th child to me, but, my son helped him find the Lord. It makes me so happy, that I am doing something right, maybe not all the time, and not in everything, but something. I just wish that I could witness like my child. I think that is something, I must work on, and so I will.

Easy Wall Art for Ems room

2008-09-10T13:23:00.000-07:00

Em painting her artwork.

Em and her art under her pic

Ems beautiful painting

Up on her bedroom wall

Well we finished these pictures today, finally. We painted the once brown frames to watermelon pink and added a glitter glaze. Then today, Emilee painted a picture to put in the frames. I added a pic of Em on to one part of the painting. She enjoyed seeing her stuff in a sparkle frame on her wall. This was really in expensive. I had the frames from a yard sale and Em painted the pic. It was fun. We just used what we had and made some art.

Why oh why?....

2008-09-09T11:31:00.000-07:00

Why.... Is it so hard to clean up a mess, but so easy to make it?
Why.... Is it so easy to put on the weight, but so hard to take it off?
Why.... No matter how many times I repeat myself, I never get heard?
Why.... Do I have more zits at 32 then at 15?
Why.... Do we question what God has in store for us,even though we know he knows best?
Why.... Don't we take life a little slower and enjoy what God has given us?
Why.... Does chocolate taste sooo good and brussel sprouts sooo not good?
Why do we always ask Why?

Potty Training Time!

2008-09-09T10:56:00.000-07:00

Well, last week was a busy beginning week! School started, AWANA started and Potty Training started! Finally! We decided it would be best to wait until the 3 boys were in school for Em to start and she is doing great! I got a potty chart for her at this website http://www.pottytrainingconcepts.com/Free-Potty-Training-Charts.htm She loves to pick out her sticker for every time she goes potty. I bought a box of 1,000 stickers at the dollar store and they fit perfect on the chart! She also has sparkly Disney princess stickers she gets when she poops on the potty. She always wants the princess ones. She is still trying to get the hang of poopin' on the potty,but got two stickers princess stickers Sunday! We also give her M&M's for going. This is getting less, because she really likes the stickers. She stays in undies all day long, unless we go to the store or something, then its a pull-up,and bedtime is still a diaper. I have always potty trained in undies, they get it much faster! She loves to pick her undies too! Hope this info can help someone else with their potty training adventure!

Just a thought.... Funny how we can sit and talk about poop and potties when its children, but if I was to talk about it refering to an adult, how grossed out we all would be... funny huh.

I can feel the Holy Spirit all around me today!!

2008-09-05T11:56:00.000-07:00

WOW! I can really feel the Holy Spirit working through and all around me! What a day with the traffic today. I had an appointment today and the Puyallup Fair started today, so there was Fair traffic for miles and miles. It is so nice when there are kind drivers! It gives me warm fuzzies! I had nice drivers all morning long and I felt nice today too! I just get this feeling in me(its hard to really explain) when the Holy Spirit is in me! I feel wonderful, kind giving and HAPPY! It is such a wonderful feeling having the Lord in my heart! I feel that you can see him radiating out of me! ( I hope this is so) Anyway, I just had to share how wonderful I am feeling! Being kind, giving to less fortunate and just smiling at somebody not only makes my day, but theirs as well, and that is the work of the Lord! God Bless all of you and have a most beautiful, glorious day and weekend!

First Day of school

2008-09-04T09:23:00.000-07:00

Wow another year has come and gone. I now have a 6th grader,4th grader and a kindergartener. Well and my 3 year old too. :) Bailey started kindergarten today and the boys started Sept 2. They started AWANA last night too! ( I actually cried dropping them off last night. because of Bailey.) He is just growing up too fast. I am not sure if it hasn't hit me yet that he is at school right now, because I have not cried yet. And I am a crier!! So it is just me and Em in the morning now. So we have to decide how we will spend our time.

What love is according to children 4-8 years old

2008-09-03T10:37:00.000-07:00

What Love means to a 4-8 year old . . . I Got this in an email, had to share. We can learn so much from children, if only we could see the world as they do, how much a better place it would be! :)

'When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love.' Rebecca- age 8

'When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.' Billy - age 4

'Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.' Karl - age 5

'Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.' Chrissy - age 6

'Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.' Terri - age 4

'Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.' Danny - age 7

'Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss' Emily - age 8

'Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.' Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)

'If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,' Nikka - age 6 (we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)

'Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.' Noelle - age 7

'Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.' Tommy - age 6
'During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore.' Cindy - age 8

'My mommy loves me more than anybody You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.' Clare - age 6

'Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.' Elaine-age 5

'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.' Chris - age 7

'Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.' Mary Ann - age 4

'I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.' Lauren - age 4
'When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.' (what an image) Karen - age 7

'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross.' Mark - age 6

'You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.' Jessica - age 8

And the final one The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, 'Nothing, I just helped him cry'

30 days to more fruits and veggies!

2008-09-03T08:44:00.000-07:00

So, I have decided to really kick off my new hopefully healthy habits! I even got up this morning did my treadclimber and put on my pedometer! It is fun to see how many steps I take and then I know when I am really being lazy! Anyway, I have a HARD time trying to get 5 fruits/veggies servings in per day! I don't eat too much and well, it was easier,of course, when I was a vegetarian. I guess, I should eat like I am again. But still. it is hard. I like fruits and veggies, just not everything I put in my mouth. So on sparkpeople they had a calendar for more fruits and veggies here http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/calendar_2007-09.pdf I also would love to know some other creative ideas to get more fruits and veggies not only in my mouth, but my kids too!! It is another sunny beautiful day today, I am going to enjoy what God has given us! Have a blessed day!

Get in shape girl, you know the feeling...

2008-09-02T14:31:00.000-07:00

Do you remember that from growing up? Get in shape girl? Well that is what this is all about. I have so been slacking for about 2 weeks now. I had a nasty cold. Now I am much better and back into routine... I hope! It is so hard to get the motivation up to exercise. Why?!? Why can't I be like those women who love to workout!? I just think the whole time... I should be doing dishes,laundry, what if Em wakes up while I am doing this and I can't finish... blah blah excuse, excuse. Of course I can come up with an excuse for just about anything! But it is now time to get in shape girl! I have an exercise ball workout video that I do 3 times a week and the other days I do my treadclimber. I also use sparkpeople.com to diary what I am eating. It is free and awesome if you want some support. It is kinda like the weight watchers, but no point system and it is FREE!! So anyway check it out. Oh and let me know what keep you motivated to keep in shape or get in shape?

Comfort verses for Kids comfort kits for school

2008-09-01T19:17:00.001-07:00

So, we have to send the kids to school with a comfort kit in case of a disaster that does not allow us to be able to get to the kids. In the kit are snacks, space blanket, garbagebag, etc and a note of comfort and picture of the family. I decided on my note that I would add some comfort verses for the boys to read, to add a little more comfort and remind them, God is watching over them. He is there, call upon him if you need too. I found a website that had different verses easier for children to understand. I used some of these comfort verses in the kids comfort letters. I chose about 3 for the two older boys and just one for the younger.

Psalm 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."
John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you . . . Let not your be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
Isaiah 41:10 "Fear thou not; for I am with thee; be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee . . ."
Nahum 1:7 "The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble . . ."
Deuteronomy 31:8 "And the Lord, He it is that doth go before thee; He will be with thee, He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee; fear not, neither be dismayed."
Psalm 30:5 ". . . Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."
Psalm 34:15 "The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry."

I thought I would share this so if any others need to make a comfort pack and would like to include a verse or two, they are here for you to get. I also put the meaning of some of the words so they would fully understand that God is there.

Katrina, My Story from the beginning. this is long!

2008-08-29T07:17:00.000-07:00

Its been 3 years since Katrina hit, and it changed not only my life, but many. Hi, My name is Melissa and I am a Katrinian. (thats what we were called). I am going to tell you my story, one you didn't hear on the TV or radio. No, because I was not living in New Orleans. I was in Biloxi,MS. First we will start from the beginning of 2003. WoW what a year. In June we packed up our stuff and moved from Elmendorf AFB,AK to Keesler AFB,MS. Yes we drove! and I was 8+ months pregnant with number 4! Everyone kept saying she was going to be born in Canada, but she made it to MS. So we reach the border of Cananda and US and the border patrol says, we are going to have to search you. WHAT!! We had a trailer packed with containers, a rooftop carrier 3 kids, a dog and a cat. Not to mention, I WAS PREGNANT! So we pull over to get searched and Jesse give them his ID and gets ready to get out. The patrol, says Thank You sir for serving our country, we are not searching you, have a great day! YES!! That is how it should have been in the first place, but anyway, So we continue on our journey to Biloxi, stopping in Wisconsin to see Jesses sister and husband. We left Colby and Timothy there for a few weeks. This was the first time I left them and it was hard, I cried! (prego) So we had to go a few hundred miles out of our way to see my mom and daddy, because we were at a sermon on fathers day and I bawled, " I miss my Daddy" ( what men have to put up with!) Now onto MS we reach there right around the 4th. About a week later evacuate for Dennis, no problem, got the boys, got paid to stay in a hotel and swim. It was nice.We got our house, not the one we were supposed to get, Thank God! July 26th give birth to Emilee. August 4th The two older boys start school, I go back to the hospital with pre-eclampsia. almost coma stage. Get mag-ox overdose, finally after a couple days go home. The doc gives me a new drug for my migraines... topamax. yes finally no more migraines. (so i thought) About a month later, Colby goes to the hospital on base, he sliced his foot open, And I hear a guys saying the hurricane changed course, its headed right for us. We did not have TV set up yet so, I had no idead what was going on. I asked Jesse, he said, yeah. So we went on with life. That night went to a couples house and got evacuation orders at about 11pm, and by the way, Jesse, you have to stay. WHAT! Oh well, we packed up, thinking it would be like Dennis, we went toFlorida to stay with friends and said I will see you this weekend.Mind you we left in shorts,flip flops and tanks. We didn't even bring socks. We planned to visit them labor day weekend anyway. Well it was a 10 hour drive. it should have been a 4 hour drive. Just me and my kids and my post partum. We get to Florida and the bridge is closed to where I need to go. We go into Mcdonalds and people are just wonderful, a lady buys our dinner and finds a way for us to get to my friends! We get there. Katrina hits.. Head on Gulfport. Right by my husband.Remember how I said we didn't get the house we wanted. well those houses were destroyed! Our house only had minimal damage. Again, I thank God. I kept watching the devastation wondering, is he still alive. I wondered for 2 days. Until I finally got a call. Obviously we weren't going to see him anytime soon. I can't go home. I get a phone call from my wonderful sis in Wisconsin offering us to stay with them. I accept and start our trek up to Wisconsin from Florida with 4 kids.( em is a month old) I have started my migraine med and uped the dose, I started breaking out in hives.. hmm why? Gotta keep movin' on. We stop at a hotel, I ask for a military discount and they ask for my zipcode I give it to them, oh you get the red cross discount. Ends up I didn't get billed at all. Back in Florida at Tyndall AFB, I got a grant from the AF. This helps us to get to Wisconsin, and get some warmer clothes. Back to the travels. One night, it is late, I got lost twice, almost hit a semi, looking at the map, I was spent. On the radio, I hear..." Jesus take the wheel, take from my hands cause I can't do this on my own, I letting go" I did just that! I pulled over and did just that, and bawled!! ( I cried alot) I still cry when I hear that song! We made it to my moms house.My hives are worse, I go to a dr and they say maybe its you BP med. So they changed it, I uped my Topamax again. I got some more help from the red cross and the food bank. We then made it Wisconsin,My hives are at the worst, I go to a dr again, Oh, she says, you are allergic to sulfa? Topamax has sulfa! ARRGH. I was driving all that way coating on hydrocortisone cream and dosing up on benedryl. Made for a miserable drive. Anyway,We got so much help, from my sisters school it was amazing, how caring people were! But we needed everything.We stayed there for 4 months. We then got orders to Fairchild AFB, WA. The pics are from Biloxi, almost 4 months after Katrina. I just told my story to let people know, that even though all you read and heard about was New Orleans. Others got the brute of Katrina. There were so many people who got it worse than I! I still pray for them, as they are still recovering. The stories Jesse told me about the 4 months he was there. Are heart wrenching. When you see the pics say a little prayer for all those affected by Katrina and now Gustav is headed there. Thanks for reading my LONG story and letting me share some of my trials and tribulations. Just so you all know, this is not a pity me post, I have triumphed through this and wanted to share that God is with us always! He will help you get through anything! God Bless you all!

This used to be a Sonic on the beach. Right

down from my house.

Base housing on Keesler,AFB

A shore strip store.

One of the hotels/casinos

The empty coast line, where hotels and casinos

once lined the beach.

Nomalcy, finally is right around the corner! Yippee!

2008-08-27T13:30:00.000-07:00

Yeah for the new fall year!! Since we moved at the end of December last year, we just have not gotten back into our groove. It has taken me along time to recover from my hysterectomy (its been over 8 months now. still some pain, not alot) Anyway, with fall coming up, it means AWANA!! Also kids back in school and MOPS! Couldn't do without my MOPS! I also finally found a new creative memories consultant and have my first friday night crop since leaving Spokane. YAY!! So I am feeling chipper about finally coming into our groove. Now just to find a new church home again. It will be hard to find one after the Wonderful church we left in Spokane! What a wonderful Church Family! We love and miss them all! So does fall bring back any normalcy to anyone else? Summers are fun but usually chaotic. So fall brings some sense of peace with the crisp air and turning leaves.

Giveaways!!

2008-08-26T23:08:00.000-07:00

Check out really cute giveaway here!....http://rondell-tomatoecreekprims.blogspot.com/2008/08/my-100th-post-giveaway.html

Another 100th post giveaway!http://kings-table.blogspot.com/2008/08/100th-post-giveaway.html

Both are 100th post giveaways! give them a congrats and get in on the giveaway!

A little bit of everything!

2008-08-26T15:16:00.000-07:00

Have not posted any kid pic recently so I was
told I need too! So here are some things we did
last week!

Bailey and Em jumping around!

Check out Ems hair, she was mid bounce!

Timothy helping bake brownies for a sleepover.

Baking buddies. " yay we are cool!"

Colby ready to get the brownies going!

Emilee putting sticker in her new stickerbook!

Yup, had to copy Christian and make Em a stickerbook!
I used cardstock and braiding cord and beads. Em loves it!
Thanks for the idea Christian!

Recycled juice box purse!

2008-08-26T15:10:00.000-07:00

Drink Boxes Aseptic packages, a.k.a. drink boxes, used to hold fruit juices and milk are not reusable, compostable, or biodegradable, and are difficult to recycle. An environmentally sound alternative to drink boxes are refillable containers. I bought this purse on Ebay! I love my new purse! I love doing little things that I can to help the environment! This is a great way to help and this was made in a forgein country which helps the fair trade. Anyway had to share my new purse, cause I love it!! Also, use reusable bags at the grocery stores!! Now most stores have them for only $1 a bag! You can stuff them full and think of all the plastic,petroleum you will not use!

If you want it done right, you gotta do it yourself...

2008-08-22T10:26:00.000-07:00

Or should it be, if you don't want to do everything yourself, learn to deal with it. For almost 12 years now, I have been working on dealing with it. Yes, it may not be done "right" but my "right" and somebody elses "right" might not be the same. So, I decided it is worth more to me to let others help and let their right, be alright for me. I did not grow up that way, so it has been tough to transition into it's alright. But with 4 kids, you learn that alright is right!

Discovered the 6th love language of my children...Transformer

2008-08-21T13:02:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I have been reading the 5 love languages of children and trying to put it into practice. My hubby has also checked it out a bit. So last night. We were talking about Bailey and his love language. Jesse said Baileys was, and he made the noise... er e rr er e. We laughed so hard we cried. Okay so now to explain. When the transformers transform they make a noise, like er e rr e. Bailey pretends ALL the time that he is a transformer and he too makes the er e rre r noise. Lately, all he talks about is transformers. So anyway, thats it. Just had to share our bit of humor.

Can I Please!! call in sick! Just once!

2008-08-19T10:23:00.000-07:00

Can I just once call in sick to the first and utmost important job, Mommy and wife! I got a cold yesterday and just feel blah. I still had to run to appointments and do my "job" and by the end of the day, I was exhausted and went to bed at 7pm. I still feel blah today and just want to stay in bed. But no matter what, even when Daddy tries to take over, the kids still are saying "mommy,mommy!" I just want to call in sick, and have somebody "clock in" for me and do all my jobs! I will even pay my wages. ;) I added to the post a pic of what I would suggest next time you feel blah! They worked for my kids and are working for me!

School supply lists!! ARRGGHH

2008-08-18T13:43:00.000-07:00

Okay, I hope I am not the only one who hates buying back to school supplies every year! The kids always have leftovers from the previous years, but the next grade wants different supplies. So its buying all over again.It gets very frustrating! This year one the boys grades says to bring 48, yes 48 pencils! What the heck is my 6th grader going to do with that many pencils? Build another school room. They ask for too many things at once! One year, my son needed a 16 count crayon. NO MORE they wrote in bold letters. So I went to Walmart to get his 16 count crayon, and would you know the 16 count was 3 times as expensive as the 24 count. So being me, I of course went on line and found out which 16 crayons were in the box and bought the 24 count and gave him the 16 he needed. Instead of spending over $1.50 I spent .25! I am sure my frugalness will one day embarrass my family, but a penny saved is a penny earned! So this week we will be buying more supplies and even though, I am sure I have half of the supplies hiding in the kids closet, I will get more, and will be sure to complain the whole time, even though I know it really is a waste of time and I should do all things without complaint.

The forever stamp

2008-08-14T07:34:00.000-07:00

I was in the post office today, and saw a sign on the "forever stamp" It was always hold the current value of postage, no matter how much you originally paid for it. I thought that was pretty cool to know,esp since postage keeps going up and up! Thought I would pass this on to those who may not know.

Etsy

2008-08-11T09:20:00.000-07:00

I have finally got a few things in my Etsy shop. I will be adding more, hopefully daily. You can find me at melcrumley.etsy.com or you can just go to Etsy .com and look under seller names. and put in melcrumley! Come check me out! Thanks ! ps. if you click on the Etsy pic it will send you to the website. I also have my shop name right under my blog title and above the etsy pic.

This is great! Go Green!

2008-08-10T18:25:00.000-07:00

Okay so I am all for Going Green! I think we all need to do a little more to make our environment all the better. So the new Arm & Hammer Essential Oils cleaner is great! It works great and.... You don't throw the big bottle away, you reuse it and use the small bottle refills! I was so excited that somebody was coming up with ways to use less waste! Less plastic!! YES!!

Healthier living. Homemade bread for a start!

2008-08-08T14:45:00.000-07:00

Well, We decided that we needed to start making healthier choices. We are starting with making our own bread! Without high frutose corn syrup. We made our first loaves last week and they turned out yummy! I am going to make my next batch tomorrow. I use my KitchenAid mixer and it worked great. Making the bread was not as hard as I thought and did not take as long. When considering the benefits of making the bread and just buying it! This is our first choice to better living and it will be cheaper!

This is honey wheat bread.

Random Acts of Kindness

2008-08-06T10:41:00.000-07:00

I read a story somewhere along the way of life about a family that some of the siblings just could not get along and really disliked each other. So they did a secret pal for random acts of kindness. I have this situation in my family. They get along alot, but then again, there is SO much fighting. We are going to do the secret pal drawing for random acts of kindness this evening. For one week you do things for your secret pal, without them knowing it was you. At the end of the week you get to reveal who your pal is and discuss how being kind made you feel. I am hoping that this will be a wonderful learning opportunity for my family. I am excited to see how it unfolds and will keep it updated!

Quilty threads and Other things giveaway!

2008-08-05T16:40:00.000-07:00

Check out this awesome give away. Who couldn't use some cold weather warmth for the fall!

Quilty threads and Other things..........: I'm having a giveaway, too!#links#links#links

Really Cute Purse Giveaway, I want it!

2008-08-04T08:38:00.001-07:00

http://lilatuellerdesigns.blogspot.com/2008/07/woodland-bloom-giveaway-contest.html. She is doing an awesome giveaway. Check it out! Check out all her stuff. soo cute!

Italian Spaghetti Squash dinner.

2008-07-30T20:48:00.000-07:00

Empty squash. Ready to fill up!

"Spaghetti" It really looks like it. So cool!

Yummy sauce!

All done and ready to eat! It made a ton! I had 2 squash. It was too much!

So I decide to once again try something new. It turned out pretty yummy. I had never made spaghetti squash before and it was really neat! I got this recipe from betterrecipes.com

Ingredients:
1, 3- to 4-lb. spaghetti squash
16 oz. Italian sausage
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups spaghetti sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano or dried Italian seasoning
1/2 cup grated romano cheese
Directions:
Cut squash in half lengthwise, remove seeds. Place squash, cut side up, in a microwave-safe dish with 1/4 cup water. Cover with vented microwave-safe plastic wrap; cook on high for 7-10 minutes, depending on size. Add more cooking, 1 minute at a time, if necessary. Let stand 5 minutes. With fork "comb" out strands. Do not discard shell. Saute sausage, bell peppers, onion, garlic in a large skillet over medium-high heat until sausage browns and vegetables are tender. Mix in spaghetti sauce and dried oregano or Italian spices. Mix squash strands with sausage mixture. Spoon filling into squash shells. Place filled squash shells on baking sheet. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake uncovered until heated through, about 20 minutes.
Number of Servings: 4

Homemade No sew tutu!

2008-07-29T13:21:00.000-07:00

Measure out 20in in length. You will need
about 4 yards of tulle.

Cut strips 3 in wide

Tie onto 1/2 wide elastic band that was stapled
together. It should be measured to fit whomever
is getting the tutu or guesstimate it.

It is all done!

Time to dance!

Well Ifinally made it! Em's tutu. She loved it too! So I thought I would share it with everyone. I first got my inspiration from chasingcheerios. But because I did not know how to tie a slipknot, I searched the web for more ideas. I found some and put them together to make my tutu! You will need 4 yard tulle, elastic, tape measure, good fabric scissors and patience! It was not as easy as I thought, mainly because it is not easy cutting the tulle, but I actually did enjoy making it! The cut strips will not be even! But don't worry it will still be cute!

It is not so easy.

2008-07-24T13:28:00.000-07:00

Parenting, well if anyone had told me it would be this hard, I don't know if I would have been jumping up and down yelling "pick me, pick me!" Being a mother is the most difficult, yet wonderful and rewarding job ever! Everyday, I am faced with new challenges, some simple, some not so simple. I am trying more and more to be a better mom. It is more difficult with the vast ages in our family. I am really trying to put my self in their shoes and see it from their view. When I do this, it usually humbles me and I think of a kinder way to settle our differences. I am so thankful for having the Lord as my guide, for without his love and forgiveness, I may not be able to do that so well. I am not saying it is easy, but I am sure God is with me all the way, and when I throw my hands up (which ,I have many times) and say "Jesus take the wheel!" I know he is there to guide me! I am having a difficult time with one of my children and while it is not something horrible, I still need to see things as he is and feel what he is! When I finally did, I broke down and cried and thought how could I be so thoughtless! From now on, I will not just look at things from my view, but from theirs also!

Trying something new! Eggplant Parmesan

2008-07-24T10:11:00.000-07:00

"seeping" the bitter out

Breaded and ready to bake

All layered and ready to cook one last time!

All done! YUMMY!

Eggplant Parmesan. This what we tried new last night for dinner. Everyone seemed to like it except Bailey. I took recipes from different sites and kinda went with my own thing. I think alot of it was from allrecipes.com. I only had 1 eggplant so only made an 8x8 dish. It was enough for us. So Here we go.

Peel and slice eggplant into about 1/4 in slices. ( I didn't measure, just eye it)

Put out on plate and sprinkle with kosher salt and let sit for 30min or more. This kinda seeps the bitter out of the egglplant, or so I read.

After time is up rinse eggplant and dry off!

This is an Em friendly recipe so I did not use egg to dip.

Dip each slice in milk, then in italian bread crumbs

Put on cookie sheet lightly greased and bake at 450 for 7-10 min on each side.

Layer spaghetti sauce in dish then put egglpant, then mozerella and grated parmesan cheese. Layer again until eveything is gone. (mine was 2 layers)

I sprinkled Italian seasoning on top for color and a little garlic salt.

Bake at 350 for 30min. Enjoy over angel hair or spaghetti noodles.

Capital Forest

2008-07-22T15:41:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went camping and riding at Capital Forest. It was a great weekend of riding and relaxing! We got lucky and got the camp host spot with permission. It was paved and at night we didn't hear all the ruckus of the camp ground! I really enjoyed the just being in such a beautiful and fun place with my family! This is truely some of Gods greatest work! Amazing!

Bailey and Dad sitting at the fire.
The boys waiting, while I capture the beauty!
My princess peeking out!
Me, chillin like a villian. :)

Old logging road, we went up and up the mountain over 3miles
Down one of the trails! It looks like a rainforest!
A view from up on the mountian, If you look hard its Mt Rainer! From our campsite

I love the old trees. Had to get pics!

Friends, a gift from God!

2008-07-20T21:22:00.000-07:00

There are all kinds of friends, close ones, ones you grew up with, ones you don't know to well yet. and those who know you inside and out. We all need friends to share our thoughts,feelings, frustrations with, also to help encourage and enlighten us! Our husbands sure do alot for us, but sometimes, you just need a friend!
Today, I got a nice surprise! I got a phone call from a wonderful friend of mine! It was so nice to sit and chat with her again! It made me think about how important friends are to not just me, but everybody! God knew what he was doing! I just want to say Thanks to all my friends for being there for me, when I was in and out having surgeries, for scrapbook and pottery dates, for listening to me when I was dissapointed in life and giving me encouragement! For just being you and being my friend! I think I have the best friends in the world! But, I am sure we all think our friends are the best and that is wonderful, because they are the best for us! God knew that and placed us together! What an AWESOME GOD! Thank You Lord for my awesome friends and Bless each and everyone of them! I love you all! (sorry if I got too mushy ) :)

Why God Made Friends.

God made the world with a heart full of love,Then He looked down from Heaven above,And saw that we all need a helping hand,Someone to share with, who'll understand.He made special people to see us throughThe glad times and the sad times, too;A person on whom we can always depend,Someone we can call a friend.God made friends so we'll carry a partOf His perfect love in all our hearts. I found this poem on the web and wanted to share!

National Sugar Cookie Day

2008-07-09T16:47:00.000-07:00

Well I got an email today that said July 9th is National Sugar Cookie Day. So, of course I had to make some! It is not easy trying to find a cookie recipe that is eggless. Esp. when you don't have all the ingredients. But I did finally find one. It is for a crisp sugar cookie. I wanted soft, but beggers can't be choosers, and since these aren't really for me, but the kids, we went with the one I found. I can't remember where I found this one. I searched so many! We also made our own colored sprinkles. FUN!!

Crisp Sugar Cookies (EGGLESS)
1 1/2 cups plain/all purpose flour
1 cup sugar - extra for sprinkling
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons milk
1 tsp vanilla
Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F
Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and soda. Set aside. Cream together the sour cream, butter, milk and vanilla; mix well. Stir in the flour mixture.
Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets, flatten with fork. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, until firm and golden coloured. Cool for 2 minutes in the oven and remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Wildwood park

2008-07-09T16:31:00.000-07:00

This was such a fun park. It had wooded area for the kids to play in, a stream with little waterfalls and a playground. We had such a good time here! We will be going back here again!

Independence Day!

2008-07-06T16:17:00.000-07:00

What a way to start off the celebration of our freedom, than Americas favorite pastime... Baseball! We went to see the Tacoma Rainers play on July 3rd. After the game there was a fireworks show! It was packed! Bailey got a ball and so did Emilee. They didn't catch them, they were given to them, but it is still neat. They play lots of music during the fireworks, but I was very disappointed when they play Glory Glory halleluiah, and during the verses with the Lord they just played to music. They cut God out of such an awesome song. Then on the 4th we shot of fireworks and we had a really good time! The rest of the weekend, we didn't do much all have gotten some bug.

Sparkler Fun!

Watching the Snake grow from the ground.

Thunderstorms!

2008-07-03T10:45:00.000-07:00

I love thunderstorms! Everything about them, the rain, the lightning, the thunder and the smell of the rain in the air. It is so refreshing! I love to sit and listen to the rain coming down against the roof and windows. It is just so relaxing! I love to watch the lightning too! Just another of Gods wonders! We had a nice storm last night and today. We actually lost power today for a bit. Enjoy a thunderstorm today! (got pic from web)

Homemade Icecream cake... Easy as pie!

2008-07-02T15:11:00.000-07:00

This is a super easy recipe for ice cream cake! I made this for Colbys birthday this year and it was a success. It sure beats paying $20.00+ for a store made one! Anyway on with the recipe.

What you need...

16 or so Ice cream sandwiches ( I bought a box of 32 and had leftovers!)

1 can whipped cream. If you can find the chocolate try that, I couldn't so I used regular.

1 box whoppers. (the candy not the burger) :)

Okay now, Get a 13x9 dish. fill the bottom with ice cream sandwiches. spray whipped cream on top of the sandwiches and sprinkle crushed pieces of whopper on top of that. then layer another set of ice cream sandwiches on top. then one more time spray whipped cream and crushed whoppers. Then add some whole whoppers on top of the cake. Freeze for at least 2-4 hours.

ENJOY!

Wallace Falls Park

2008-07-01T13:56:00.001-07:00

We decided a couple of weekends ago to go discover western washington. I found a place that was supposed to have like 9 waterfalls. It did mention a trail to get to them, but we did not expect what we got! It was a long hard hike up the mountain! The first 2 miles we did on railroad grade then down to the "woody trail" It was hard. But it was alot of fun and BEAUTIFUL! We finally saw some water and it was amazing. We did not make it to the actuall falls. It was too far and we were already super tired and we still had to go back. All in all it was about a 6+ mile trek.

Trying something new... blogging!

2008-07-01T11:59:00.000-07:00

So, I have decided to add more to my internet hours, like I don't spend enough time on here. But after seeing my friend Christians blog spot, I decided it looked fun. So here it goes. I never thought I would be a blogger. but I never thought I would have a myspace page or a cell phone either. So here we go. I hope it is enjoyable for all.