Thank you, God

Ya know when you go to your drawer and there are clean clothes. You know how you left your room a mess but now its clean?! You had toys all over the place, your sheets were hanging off your bed, your dirty clothes were laying on the floor... Ya know that meal you just ate. It didn't just appear on a clean plate from no where. That backpack you just brought to school with you. Did it pack itself? Did your water bottle and snow pants jump in there? No.....

What about those times you go to your drawer and you have no clean underwear... You are hungry and there is no snack prepared on the table. You want yogurt but there isn't any left in the fridge. You get to school only to find out you have no library book to return to the library....

Are you grateful? Are you mad? Are you disappointed?

I try ya know... I try to keep up with everything. The laundry, playing, cleaning, shopping, bathing... I try to remember when things are due, what's coming up on the calendar. Really I do. Do I get praise and applause when I actually do remember all of these things? No... not usually.... Do I get attitude and disappointment when I forget.... Yes... most of the time. I try, but I am human, I make mistakes, I sin....

Then there's God. Who is ALWAYS there for me. When I am feeling under-appreciated I try to remember God sees me. And he cares about the (good) things I am doing... And of course its God who is giving me the ability to do all of these things...  Thank you, God! So here's living my life for God.... not for people telling me what a good (or bad) job I am doing... not for the almost non-existent praise I receive for a job well done... not for the condescending tones I receive when I mess up. But for God who loves me no matter what, who is proud of me even when I fall, and who thinks I am truly special.

1 Peter 4

7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. 8 Above all love each other deeply, because love covers cover a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

All about Bubba November 2013

Oh Bubba... my 5 year old, first-born son. You are something else! You are a joy and a headache every day.... You showed up a month early..... You could sing your ABC's at 18 months... you were potty-trained by your 2nd birthday! You are reading at the age of 5 right now?! I am so proud of the little man you are becoming.

Bubba dressed up for Star Wars day at the local library!

You love all things Star Wars.... You sing the theme song when you are eating... when you are going to the bathroom... in the car... and at night when you are going to bed. You know more about the characters than I can ever remember.

You know how to turn the TV on and how to start the Xbox to play video games.... you can even make your own oatmeal in the morning... (which is much appreciated!!)

You love your siblings... most of the time anyway! Miss M just loves when you talk to her and smile at her. You and Ceej are best buddies (and worst enemies..). You are always playing together and laughing (and hitting and crying).

You are allergic to Mango :(  (and dust mites and ragweed) We still aren't sure what we are going to do about that one..... We are trying several things right now.... bed and pillow covers, keeping Mango out of your room, changing sheets more often, and zyrtec. So far you are still up coughing most of the night.....

You are constantly asking questions and soaking in new knowledge every day.... which is a blessing and an annoyance! You can remember so many things.... so you obviously inherited that from your mommy...and NOT your daddy (he can't even remember what he did yesterday).

I am looking forward to the parent-teacher conference at school coming up in a couple weeks! I can't wait to hear what your teacher has to say about you :) I have a feeling you will receive high remarks when it comes to academics... and maybe some room for improvement when it comes to following directions and doing things in a timely manner....

It was a Super Halloween 2013

I have to admit this Halloween was pretty much epic.... I mean how freaking cute are we?! Just in case you need clarification..... that's Wario, Princess Peach, a toadstool, Mario and Luigi baby!!! JDub was such a good sport about it all. I made Miss M's outfit all by hand!! Then there was my outfit... at first it looked like this....

Let's just say as an almost 30-something mom of three.... I wasn't looking to be hoochie-mama... so little mini-dress wasn't going to do! I needed to add some poofy sleeves as well... 

Thank goodness for a friend who is a sewing genius!!! She helped me made sleeves out of some extra lace I had... I just attached them to a tank top and wore that underneath the sleeveless dress after I added some extra length of course....

It was super fun dressing up... I'm leaning towards and all Star-wars themed family affair next Halloween...

mini zippered pouch

All of the materials I already had for this little ditty.... while I was working on my Iowa patch I was also making something for this nice mom from my MOPS group. To be honest I don't know her that well... but while I was facebook stalking her I saw her in a Cubs shirt a few times so I figured she must be a fan!

I  made her a little "patch"... I was going to do the whole Cubs thing in a circle... but the thought of having to cut out each little letter and sew that on was a bit much... I went with the cute little cubbie bear instead! I used white fleece, red sweatshirt material, and just some blue cotton/polyester I had from making dinosaurs. I had to use fray check on the end of the blue b/c it was unraveling otherwise!

Then I was trying to figure out what to make with it! I thought of doing a key-chain for her keys... but it was rather large for that... then I figured I had bought a 10 inch zipper a while back.... maybe I should try to make a cute pouch with it! Honestly... the whole zipper foot attachment on my sewing machine kind of scared me. I had no idea what I was doing... but after researching online a bit I found a few videos and decided to dive in!

My mother had given me some fake leather looking, black material and I made this!

I have to say trying to figure out the zipper and what part to sew on when was a little tricky.... but I think it turned out pretty well! I want to go buy a bunch of zippers now!!

Don't be hatin' (Iowa fans)

I'm an avid believer that just because you are not a fan of something... it doesn't mean you have to be a hater... There are several people out there that just do not understand that concept! If you can't say something nice... than keep your mouth shut! No I'm j/k.... but there are some Iowa Hawkeye fans out there that are just obnoxious right?!

Yes I like Iowa State... I am a cyclone fan. I would prefer that they win... but that doesn't mean I have to put your team down, and make fun of you... And honestly, UNI whooped ISU earlier this year... did I rub it in JDub's face?! NO! I just said sweet... go get me some dinner since UNI won... LOL.

We have some friends of ours who are pretty hard-core Iowa fans... they are decked out in Iowa gear quite often... and they have 2 little boys that are similar in age to my our boys.  So they have that same holey pants problem that you get when you have little boys. Or big boys probably too... You've seen some work I've done with patches on the knee.....

So when my friend was saying how her son had NO PANTS b/c they all had holes I said give me some pants and I'll figure something out....

So even though I don't "like" the Iowa Hawkeyes.... I hope he likes them!!!

Come on Over Kids!!

If you are ever in need of getting your toddlers' attention here's a few ideas....

1. Buy them transformers that are too difficult to transform themselves... they'll need you to make them a "guy" and then make them a "car" and then back again several times!

2. Sweep.... make sure the pile of dirt and debris is right in the middle where they'll be sure to step in it.

3. Clean under the couches... you'll be sure to find lots of toys they had been looking for.

4. Go to the bathroom.... they always find me when I do!

5. Make a phone call.... they seem to have something more important to tell you than whoever you are
talking to.

6. Get on your laptop... especially while trying to type emails so you can lose your train of thought and type the same thing over and over  and over again.

7. Get a snack.... make sure it has a really noisy wrapper.... they'll recognize the noise and want some too.

8. Organize the toys... they'll think you are just making a mess and "help" or that its some kind of game...

9. Go start the laundry... by the time you get downstairs and stain treat everything they'll realize you've been gone for 5 minutes and think you are lost.

10. Sit down and read a magazine... you'll find yourself reading the same line over and over again!

Just a few tips in case you need them :)

It's Hot Hot Hot!!

Bubba's school has been cancelled 7 days so far this year due to the heat.... see he meets in the afternoon for Junior Kindergarten. When they have an early dismissal... due to the heat... he doesn't have class?! Its really hard to get into a routine when school keeps getting cancelled!!!

It is also hard to get up and get moving when you only get 2 hours of sleep too... Ok so maybe I got 2 hours the night before...and about 5 last night... but still. Ugh.

Miss M had decided that instead of crying when she is awake... she is going to screech a high pitched squeal! It was kinda funny the first time. I was like what is that noise?! But I'm over it now... I guess it is kind of better than crying... but eh. It is VERY loud... and sharp and high pitched. It echos especially well in a house full of hard wood floors! She is now eating food and loving it! Just like her mommy!! She's eaten carrots and sweet potatoes. And rice cereal of course. She's doing pretty good these days. She went from sleeping great to being back up alot of the night... but I know it won't last forever...

In other news I am working on filling up all my kids baby books?! OMG who invented those?! I hate you! No I'm just kidding... but honestly who fills in all the "what milk cost when you were born"... "How much was gas when you were born"... blah blah. Who cares? I'd have to say Miss M's book is by far my favorite. Its short and sweet... none of this... the first day you walked.... how we celebrated... um how we celebrated? I said "yay!!! good job buddy!" Does everything deserve some big huge celebration? Maybe I'm a cynic... but I don't need some prize or celebration everytime I do something good... and I don't want my kids to expect that either... I swear they're already expecting everything in the world. How do you teach your kids to be grateful? To be thankful for all the blessing's God has given us? Not to just destroy a toy and expect us to go to the store and just buy a new one.... ugh..

Bubba is enjoying school. I am not enjoying trying to get him there on time... but I'm working on it. All I can say is I believe our decision to keep him in Junior Kindergarten instead of going on to Kindergarten has proved to be a good one... That kid moves like molasses... hopefully he'll be able to last all day next year! He's been up coughing all night lately... I'm not sure what it is that is triggering it... so we are headed to an allergist.. but not for a month. I hope its not Mango causing his allergies!!! But hopefully we'll find out some answers soon. He is doing better with his new glasses... but still has days where he does not want to wear them.  He's good at wearing them at school at least... which is the most important time to wear them.

Ceej is missing his brother when he has to leave for school everyday. So the whole not having school lately has been kind of a hard on him as well. He gets pretty upset... they are best buds (even when they fight). He is such a stinker.... but can be so sweet sometimes too. He really looks out for Miss M and entertains her and holds her hand still. He's a very good big brother.

Well I have been struggling lately...the sleep deprivation is not helping... I have a short fuse these days... I'm supposed to be a loving mother but I find myself being selfish and patronizing. It's a good thing children are forgiving...

Taking the Higher Road

Psalm 15

A psalm of David.

1 Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
    Who may live on your holy mountain?

2 The one whose walk is blameless,
    who does what is righteous,
    who speaks the truth from their heart;
3 whose tongue utters no slander,
    who does no wrong to a neighbor,
    and casts no slur on others;
4 who despises a vile person
    but honors those who fear the Lord;
who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
    and does not change their mind;
5 who lends money to the poor without interest;
    who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.

Whoever does these things
    will never be shaken.

There was a time when I would be the one to "take the higher road." I would listen to the insistent whining of my child and I would calmly tell them to take a nap, or adjust their attitude, take a deep breath... whatever. But that time has come and gone. I am NOT righteous these day. To tell you the truth; JDub is way more righteous than I am lately. And I'm not gonna lie... it bothers me?!

Ok... so maybe JDub has ALWAYS been more righteous than I am.

Reasons why JDub is a better person than I am....

1. A few months back we were at Target. We pulled in and I noticed there was a cart in the corral that had a case of beer in the under carriage part. I thought "Free beer lets get it!" When I pointed it out to JDub... he grabbed it and took it into customer service and told them someone had left it in the cart...

2. In the car the other day Bubba and Ceej decided they wanted to play the quiet game.. they played while I sang along with the radio.. Bubba kept telling me (quite rudely by the way) to be quiet... and I was losing the quiet game... I ignored him and kept singing. Then Bubba repeatedly yelled at me to stop singing over and over... and finally I yelled back that I wanted to sing and to leave me alone! To which JDub says "Take the high road honey!"

3. Bubba and I have been butting heads like crazy lately... he has been extremely disrespectful and rude telling me he's going to shoot me, or he can't wait til he grows up and can play star wars whenever he wants.. etc... sometimes I put him in time out or say he can't talk to me in that way... or sometimes I say things like "Good, I can't wait til you grow up and get out of my house either! How does that make you feel?!"  (and then Bubba will start crying..) JDub usually hears this and pulls Bubba aside telling him he can't talk to me that way and to apologize. I apologize too...

I have to admit I am embarrassed by my behavior as of late. There's no excuse really. I am the adult; I should behave like one. I guess its a good thing God gives us things like grace. It's also a good thing God gives us people in our lives who remind us of it (even when it makes us want to punch them in the face sometimes!! Love you honey! :) )

Ephesians 2:8-9

New International Version (NIV)

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

So here's to taking the higher road... or at least to trying a little harder at it!

Thar she blows!!!

So here's the thing... I know this is going to sound ALOT like complaining... but really I'm not. There could be far worse things going on in my daily like than a little spit up... but it is a constant thing... so if you're wondering what's going on in my life... this is it...

So the good news is... wood floors make and easy clean up for this mess... but bad news is.... I've been doing a crazy amount of laundry. I mean JDub thinks I have too many clothes (which I do..) but I would probably be naked most days with the amount of costume changes I have to do!

So Miss M likes to eat about every 2 hours during the day.... sometimes she will spread it out a little further if she's napping or something... but yea pretty much every 2 hours. Then in between the 2 hours she is spitting up... and its not just a little tiny bit. It's a massive amount. And while you think oh ok... she just spit up a ton.. she's gotta be done right?! Yea, not so much. The other day at church she went through 3 bibs and 4 burp clothes..... and that was in like an hour.

So when people witness Miss M (or Ms. Mount Vesuvius...) erupting I often hear "Is that normal?"

Hmm... is that "normal"... Do you mean is Miss M spitting up all over me, the floor, my dress, my bra, herself... normal? Do you mean is the amount normal? Psssh I don't know. I mean yes she normally spits up all over the place. Yes her spit up is normally that color, that consistency, that odor... Yes that amount is "normally" what comes out. 

The doctor always says as long as the babe is gaining weight the spit up isn't an issue.... oh and "it always looks like a larger amount that it really is."

I also hear "Maybe it's something you ate?" Hmm... yep. Could be... Some days I eat greasy pizza... does she spit up then? Yes. Some days I eat a nice salad.... does she spit up then? Yes. Some days I drink milk..... does she spit up then? Yes. Some days I don't drink milk... I drink water, or tea, or coffee... does she spit up then? Yes. She does. This baby spits up. Yes I know its a lot. Yes it is frequent. If you hold Miss M BEWARE!!!! I'm not saying that to brag but just to warn you. If you don't want the possibility of spit up on your person... steer clear folks!

Breastfeeding is the form of food I choose for my baby. Is breastfeeding easy? No... I mean its been fairly easy for me. It's worked out rather well seeing as its cheap and my baby's took to it fairly well. It is convenient? I think so... no bottles can be easy clean up. Some mom's like to watch what they eat... I don't. That's too much work. I'm already irritable from lack of sleep and being surrounded by little "terrorists" all day. (Don't get me wrong I love my children... but their demands are something else some days!) I'm not going to add in trying to keep track of the things I eat and how it effects Miss M's tummy. I'm lazy!! For now I'll just deal with the spit up.

She has gotten better if you can believe it!? There were times those first couple of months that I couldn't even burp her or it would all come flying out! There is a light at the end of this tunnel. She's 4 months now... and if I recall around 6 months is when Ceej quit spitting so much. So here's hoping it'll be over soon. Here's hoping she'll be able to go all day staying in one specific outfit! Here's hoping I only need 1 extra bib in the diaper bag (and not 4). Like I said... there could be worse things I'm dealing with.... a little spit up never killed anyone.

Kitchen Decor

So what can you do with a sweet old calendar and cheap frames from the Dollar General?!!

This is where this is funny... b/c I have literally been meaning to post this for a year?! Ok maybe not a year... but it feels like forever. I took these pictures forever ago (we have since gotten a new fabulous kitchen table and this one, which I thought was ruined, has been restored beautifully by my Father-in-law!) and kept meaning to post and here they are... months later..

But I finally got around to it b/c I added something else recently.....

So my mom bought this quote a while back..... she didn't end up using it so she gave it to me! I thought oh cool, when she brought it. But I have to be honest I was side-tracked and didn't even read what it said. Then I came across it the other day and thought I'm gonna put it up! Then... I read it... and pretty much laughed out loud!

See... mealtimes are NOT fun for me most days... I mean do children really have to eat 3 meals a day... along with snacks... jeez... its a little excessive! (I jest.... kind of...) Ugh. I mean can I be real for a minute? Wait what am I saying... of course I CAN!! IT'S MY BLOG!!

There are days where I'm laying in bed tired in the morning and they run back "Mommy can you fix me food?!" And I'm like "In a minute....." then they proceed to watch 30 more minutes of TV while I snooze... then I wake to crinkling in the pantry and they've found the pop-tarts! SWEET! That'll give me some more time to sleep.... Then I eventually come out of my bedroom looking like a homeless cave woman to find crumbs EVERYWHERE. Not just on the floor, or in their chair... but in EVERY chair, all over the table.. somehow they crumbs have migrated into my shoes?! Jeez....

Then there are mornings where I actually get my butt out of bed! I cook up some bacon, eggs, toast... make coffee, get their juice... I have each plate made to their qualifications (Bubba wants honey on his toast while Ceej prefers jelly..... Bubba gets yogurt with strawberries on the side... Ceej gets yogurt with blueberries and strawberries in it) but what do I hear instead of a "Thanks Mommy!"........." I don't want bacon.... WHAAA" "I wanted apple juice, NOT orange juice." Then there's the spilling of the sticky juice (which happens at least once a week) or the feet on the table. Or the throwing of the food... and the eating with their hands instead of utensils... wiping their dirty little faces all over their clothes... Oh and my favorite (this is sarcasm if you can't tell...) is when they're standing up in their chairs messing around and they end up falling somehow, either out of the chair onto the floor or bumping into the marble table top or toppling their chair over all together and crying.... ugh. I have to deal with that 3+ times a day?! By myself majority of the time?! All while trying to shove food down my throat and breastfeed a baby at the same time because of course everyone else is eating why can't Miss M join in too?! Oh jeez... this just does not make for my fondest memories.

But alas... I digress.... I put this up kind of as a joke, and kind of as a goal. I want those times gathered around the table to be something I am fond of.... or more fond of. So here goes... I am going to try to take it one meal at a time... But honestly... when is the right age to let you child use the microwave... cause oatmeal really isn't that hard to make right?! :)

Life with 3 kiddos

Ya know... life with three kids really isn't too bad :) I've heard people saying going from 1 to 2 kids is difficult, but going from 2 to 3 kids is not too hard. I tend to agree.

Bubba and Ceej are very fond of Miss M. They try to comfort her when she's crying. They grab me burp rags when I need them. Ceej sits by her in the car and he's always holding her hand (its sooo sweet!) They often fall asleep together... still holding hands!

I am no longer a hermit crab. I used to think it was such a pain to go anywhere with kids... so I rarely did.... but since Bubba was in preschool all year long... I had to get out! So while he was at school I would run errands with just Ceej. And then Miss M came along! So it was back to running errands with 2 kiddos at the same time. And then summer came... and its a new adventure of running errands with 3 kiddos. But thank God for the Snugli.... y'all know what that is?!

This bad boy has saved my life... I'm not even exaggerating. I slap her in this baby when I'm shopping.... when we are at the library... when I go for walks sometimes... she's even sung on the praise team with me at church! It is awesome!! She usually just falls asleep while I'm walking around in it.

So there you'll see me... baby strapped to my chest and my little boys holding each hand. I almost always get someone saying "you have your hands full." Why yes... I do... but its pretty great most days.

Bubba:

Well we just found out he needs glasses! I figured he was so smart; being able to read words and knowing all his letters and what not. What I thought was going to be a quick eye appointment turned into an ordeal (b/c I had 3 kids in tow)... I just know he's going to look so handsome in them! Personally I always wanted glasses growing up. I thought they were pretty cool. I ended up just getting the glasses at the eye doctor (my kids were tired enough of being there...) But I think we'll have to go somewhere that has red glasses next time (his favorite color!)

He is testing my limits lately... little stinker... he is too smart for his own good and I find him constantly correcting me (which is what I do to him ALL THE TIME). He does so well listening and being good some days... and then I wonder if he listens at all the next day. He can be so naughty sometimes!

Ceej:

I find I have much more patience with this kid. I'm not quite sure why. He really is cute. And I think that helps. He's still my little baby boy too! I know he's not a baby anymore... but he just seems so sweet and innocent still. (Not like the big bro who's manipulative already!) Don't get me wrong he's naughty..... and still a little destruct-or (he broke our Green Lantern guy in half the other day... took a play knife and cut into a leather storage bin lid.... and I'm pretty sure he scratched JDub's truck while playing in the garage...) but there's something about his personality that makes you forget he was just being naughty 2 seconds ago!

Bubba and Ceej often get mistaken for twins... I have a feeling Bubba's new glasses might change that.

Miss M:

Oh goodness she is already a little diva... If she doesn't get what she wants quick enough she just cries like a little banshee. (what is a banshee anyway... oh wait its some folklore thing that is always depicted wailing... I guess I should stop saying that though b/c its a premonition of death! hmm...) She is a momma's girl. She does NOT like to be held sitting down... its more of a constant motion she enjoys. She rarely even likes being held by other people! Its kind of exhausting... but I know it won't last forever. I do feel like I have the most patience with her. I mean she is just a baby!

She's getting bigger and bigger everyday. She's been so many more places and done so many more things at her age than her brothers did when they were babies. I guess its just b/c you have to get going and do things the older your kids get. She's been to the splash pad, the library, the movies, the Children's Museum... lots of places. We are even headed to a zoo today!

So that's life right now... seems like summer is already almost over! We've had relatives from TN come up to see everyone (and meet Miss M) so that has been lots of fun. We still have more relatives to come too! Miss M. slept from 9:00 pm- 5:00 am!! She was up for another hour spitting up all over me and my bed... but hey.. at least I got a good chunk of sleep before our busy day. I feel overwhelmed quite a bit... but still feel blessed as well :)

you say it's your birthday!?

Well my birthday came and went this year! 29 really isn't that special... but this is my last year in my "20's". I have to say my 20's has been my favorite decade so far.... I got married in my 20's.... became a mother in my 20's...... have come closer to God in my 20's....

And really... 0-10 years.... who really remembers that much from those early years? I don't!
10-19.... who's going to say their teenage years were their favorite? Not me!

I wanted to have all my children before I turned 30... NAILED IT! (Unless God has some other plan for us....) I am super happy with 3 kiddos... 2 boys and 1 girl is just perfect for me! My hands are plenty full. But hey God... I'll do whatever you want!

Here are 29 things I did on or around my birthday! (in no particular order)
1. ate a DQ cookie dough blizzard (compliments to my friend RB)
2. helped a friend move
3. enjoyed the beautiful weather
4. ate chinese
5. took a shower!!!
6. worked out (don't worry I showered after I worked out)
7. went garage-saleing
8. enjoyed a beer... or two...
9. did my toes!!!

compliments to my sis for my bday present!!

10. enjoyed some "adult" conversations (just means my older 2 weren't there to interrupt!)
11. watched some girly movies w/ Miss M
12. went the entire day w/o having to touch poop! **
13. enjoyed a free coffee from starbucks
14. sang on the praise team at church
15. went to a movie with the kiddos
16. painted Miss M's toes!

17. took a nap

18. ate chik-fil-a yummm

19. played sudoku

20. went for a walk

21. enjoyed getting ID'd
22. spent 1-on-1 time with Miss M
23. spent time with just the boys!
24. went to a park
25. got some sun
26. spent time with my nieces
27. felt blessed
28. did laundry
29. thanked God for these 29 years

So over all pretty good birthday!!

**this was in reference to other people's poop.... I may have touched my own... not real sure... JDub just happened to be home to help with this :)

Happy Father's Day!... a little late :)

Happy Father's Day to all you daddy's out there! Isn't being a parent wonderful (and terrible sometimes?!) Here's hoping you have a wonderful day celebrating with (or without) your children :)

This Father's Day is also my mother's birthday! So I when I was trying to think of some presents I thought I'd do a 2-for-1 deal. I also figured the kids could get involved!

I was not so pleasant while trying to do this little project though... It was supposed to be fun! But I kind of turned into a tyrant spitting out demands like "keep your hand still! Don't flex... relax... can you just hold on!!" But I apologized... and eventually let the boys have fun just painting on some other canvases I had...

Bubba's favorite color is red, and Ceej's is orange... and well Miss M just got pink b/c she's a girl! I couldn't use her hand... so I tried her little foot. I think one turned out... but you get the point!

It is displayed in my parents laundry room/play room! And I can't help but smile when I see it!

I added a little polka-dot detail (with the eraser end of some pencils) around the border

New recipe for grapes

I like grapes... they're pretty refreshing on a hot day! But I tell you what they are even better covered in almond bark (vanilla) and chopped peanuts (just regular ones, not salted or honey roasted).

It sounds kinda weird right? But I kid you not... it is delicious! And extremely easy! All you do is melt down the almond bark, dip your grape in it (not the entire thing... just about half of it), then dip into the chopped peanuts and set aside!

It is a little messy... and not the most attractive thing I suppose. But they are yummy! Everyone who has tried them has LOVED them! :)

Homemade Father's Day present

Ok so I saw this idea on Pinterest... didn't come up with is on my own... but I did my own design!!

Bubba is modeling the shirt for me!

I used the freezer paper stenciling option I did a while back on this shirt... Again you'll need freezer paper, some sort of ex-acto knife, a hot iron, and some paint!

I used some letter stencils and traced and cut them out. This took FOREVER!!! The cutting part... But I did use my handy-dandy slicer from the container store. That thing is awesome!!! (its the little green thing in the photo above)

First trace whatever you want onto the dull side of the freezer paper (the shiny side with what gets ironed on. And you'll find out that tracing with markers or pencil doesn't work too well on the shiny side anyway!

Here's the front of the shirt.

freezer paper stenciling with paint applied

freezer paper stenciling after paint dries and paper is removed.

Here's the first design with paint applied again.

These roads need some destinations!

I used a q-tip to apply the paint in the smaller spaces.... and  cotton ball for the larger areas. Don't forget to put something inside the shirt before you paint! Otherwise it will bleed through to the other side... I just used some cardboard this time around (didn't want to waste the freezer paper!)

So for Father's Day if JDub is feeling he needs a little TLC... He can wear this shirt and get a backrub from the boys... I realize back rub is really two words... but when you are trying to complete a project with interruptions from two toddlers and a crying baby... sometimes you forget to spell check and then you've already cut stuff out and don't want to start over!! The boys can take a trip to a farm, church, daddy's work, and the playground!

I know I'm posting this prematurely... but I figured someone might need some inspiration this Father's Day!

Angry Bird Birthday!

Wow, I have really been slacking on the blog front... Well I have to admit with 3 kiddos in tow I have my hands more than full. I'm not complaining... I'm just saying its hard to blog when you have a baby attached to your breast, or in your arms, or rocking her with your foot so you can eat with two hands!

Any who, here are a few photos from Ceej's 3rd birthday party that was about a month ago! I of course was running around like a chicken with my head cut off like I usually do at these parties and therefor didn't get nearly as many photos as I was hoping... but here they are!

Each child that attended got a green pig, a bird, and a few cups. They could make their own towers and knock them down with the angry bird! I forgot to take pics of all the different birds I ended up making... These were make with my handy-dandy pom-pom makers, felt, googly eyes and hot glue!

I snagged the big yellow Angry Bird at Wal-mart for $5! The smaller ones were from Walgreens. They have little holes in the bottom where you can stick your finger or a pencil in and flick the birds that way! I figured a sling-shot was a bit much for a 3 year old's party...

We of course had Emi's Treat's make our cute and delicious Angry Bird cookies!

I opted out of making a cake of the party this time around. Instead we have pudding and oreo cups with gummy worms for dessert!

I used plain orange goody bags and cut out the faces of the orange bird with construction paper; I just used a glue stick to adhere. You can see the original orange bird on the stick in the middle :)

I also made these gummy worm bags for each goody bag.

I'd have to say my favorite part were the Angry Bird shirts I made for the family. I didn't make one for Miss M.... I didn't know how big she was going to be at the time of the party! But they turned out pretty cute. I bought some plain colored t-shirts from Wal-Mart and used scrap fabric to make each bird. I also printed out pictures of each bird and cut out the eyes, beak, eyebrows, etc. to make the birds more accurate. I used felt, fleece, and old t-shirts for the materials.

I was hoping the boys would like them... and they do! Bubba wants to wear it every day (even when its dirty). And usually when Ceej sees Bubba wearing his... he immediately wants to go get his on too. It warms a mother's heart! I kid you not... JDub even wore it the other day! I knew I could make him wear it for the party, but he actually put it on and wore it?! Apparently it is very comfortable.

The party overall was crazy! I was really hoping we would be able to have it outside... but Iowa weather was just not having that.... it was freezing!!! so we had it inside. Which was fine, but our house is not big my all means. So it was cozy... and warm.

You see Angry Birds everywhere! And when I saw this sweatshirt I just had to get it for the birthday boy. Ceej also acquired pajamas, a slap bracelet, underwear, tattoos, fruit snacks, you name it, they have it!

And then there were 5 well maybe 6...

Let's see.... what's new in our household...

-We got a new stove!!!

Yes I know its pretty sweet. No longer will I have to figure out how to adjust the directions when it comes to cooking something... No turning it up an extra 15 degrees and cooking for half an hour longer! When it says cook for 11-13 minutes at 375 degrees..... 11 minutes later the food will be ready! YAY! It's the little things that make such a difference...

-I've lost some weight!!!

Yea its not a ton yet... but slowly but surely I'm getting there...

-Oh yea BABY GIRL IS HERE!!!

We couldn't be more thrilled that our baby girl has finally arrived. Ok.. so maybe I'm the most excited b/c she's not inside me anymore!! The delivery was great... probably couldn't have gone any better!

Yes I realize how awful this photo of me is... but honestly... I could care less. I was feeling pretty good right here with my lovely epidural :) Have I mentioned when having babies I highly recommend them?

Granted both of my legs were completely numb... yea it was still great... Contractions started around 1:45 am Thursday and then she was here 9:21 am Friday morning!! I think I will call her Baby M for now... I know the "Baby" part will be gone before I know it... but for now... Baby M it is!

Baby M was 7 lbs 11 oz; 19.5 inches long.  JDub and I had a heck of a time figuring out her middle name... but we finally agreed :) She has the cutest little shaped head and her ears are so tiny!! She resembles her older brothers... but still has unique, girly features. OH and here's the best part!!! SHE'S A RED-HEAD!! I just love it. JDUB is totally outnumbered by us... we're taking over.

Baby M is an eating fool... I tell you what she just eats and eats and eats! But I know its a good thing. She's doing really well sleeping at night... going 3-4 hours in between feedings. So I'm not too much of a zombie. Now of course I'm letting her sleep in bed with me... (yes I know they tell you not to... but whatever, I am her mother and I know best!) and I mean the girls' not even a week old!

Anywho... we are now a family of 5... 6 if you count Mango :) JDub has been off all week to help. Its been awesome. I'm not really sure how I am going to manage w/o him?! I guess I'll figure it out though. We are so blessed :) Thank you God!!!

He might let you bend, but He'll never let you break

Psalm 92:12 The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree.

Can I just tell you how great our God is?! A while back I wrote about reading Joel Osteen's book "Its your Time". Thriving not just surviving Well I have to admit I stopped reading it for whatever reason... but recently with our night-time routine dedicated to God, and NOT tv... I found myself picking it back up! I read an awesome chapter that really hit home with me.

Chapter 13 - Be A Bounce-Back Person

Did you know that palm trees are very resilient? They can withstand hurricane winds and bend for hours on end during a storm and not break?! Crazy right? But get this.... biologists say that during a hurricane when the palm tree is under all the stress from being bent and pushed over, its root system is actually strengthened. They are strengthened so much that it can grow even more! HOW COOL IS THAT?! No wonder they are mentioned in the Bible.... Psalm 92:12 The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree.

I kid you not I have this window cling/decal in my kitchen right now. It came with the boys' fish tank and they just kept taking it off and throwing it on the ground. I vaguely remember picking it up after the 100th time and being like "I'm going to put this up high where the boys can't reach it!" At first I had it in the bathroom... and then for some reason I moved it into the kitchen. Why did I put it in the kitchen? At my sink where I spend A LOT of time throughout the day..... I didn't even think about it until I read that chapter. Coincidence? I think not. How cool is God to plant that palm tree where I would see it every day as a reminder that the righteous will flourish like that palm tree. No matter what stress I'm going through in my life... its all happening for me in order to strengthen myself... in order for me to come out stronger and better than I was before.

I want to plaster palm trees all over my house right now! I want a palm tree tattoo! I might just have to redecorate my bedroom to be a tropical island! I want to flourish... especially when times are tough.

I have to admit I have not been through the toughest storms... I am very blessed. But I do get stressed... most people do. But each time I'm going through something I'm going to try and remember to lean on God and trust His timing. I want to come out stronger in my faith!

Quench your thirst!

So I hadn't been on Pinterest in a while... probably not a bad thing! But I've been browsing it lately and came across a recipe for Cherry Limeade! MMMM I love me some Sonic Cherry Limeade. Problem is they closed down the only Sonic in Cedar Rapids! Not cool... So its been a while since I've had one; and I have been dying of thirst lately. I'm going to blame this nasty cold that has zapped me of my energy and voice (yep... I had/have laryngitis!). Four easy ingredients!

Fill cup with ice, 12 oz Sprite, 3 lime wedges (squeezed) and 1/4 cup of Cherry Juice.

Now the original recipe called for Libby's Cherry Juice... but I think the Hy-Vee brand was just fine. I also didn't measure out 12 oz and 1/4 cup... I just kinda estimated. But its yummy! As you can see I have been enjoying at least 1 and sometimes 2 glasses a day! I think I might have to restock my supplies here soon.

In other news........

Nothing to report on Mango really.... she's just such a pretty kitty! (And silly too...)

Ceej is turning 3!!

I have been slowly preparing for Ceej's upcoming 3rd birthday party! I am a little crazy too... Seeing as how I'm 8 months preggo... this baby's due April 10th and Ceej's party is the 20th... Let's just hope this baby comes a little early..... I think March 27th sounds like a fabulous date myself :) That would be super helpful God... if you could make that happen!? Or I could do an April Fool's baby too... I would love to call up the gparents in the middle of the night and be like "I'm not fooling I swear!!!" I do think I might have to have Cherry Limeade as the drink of choice that day.

Can you tell what the theme is going to be?!

Bubba is quite upset I have not made any red ones yet (seeing as that is his favorite color). I'm working on it though...  Those little buggers are time-consuming?! But so far they are holding up well with 2 boys throwing them around like crazy.

I have to admit I am being a little lax on all the party craziness. Party City has some great decor that I ended up just buying instead of trying to make my own.... I'm just tired y'all! Like I said hopefully this baby comes early on NOT late though.... cross your fingers for me! I have been measuring a week ahead each visit!