2 Nuts in a Shell

Christmas Eve

2011-01-04T09:18:00.000-05:00

After we came home from our mini trip downtown, we had so many things to do for Christmas Eve! We baked Santa's cookies and made Jesus a birthday cake. We had to be at church by 6 o clock! The day wasn't as rushed as I thought it would be. I even got a little nap in there somehow! I had planned very well and had gotten things done before we left.
Cassidy helping with the sprinkles on the cake:

Cassidy decided on gingerbread cookies for Santa. Jaden didn't want to help this year! Although, he ate some of the dough!

At church:

Blowing out the candle:

Christmas Eve picture before opening the first present:

First present!

Cassidy loved her doll.

Santa's letters:

Santa's cookies and milk. (Jaden made chocolate milk this year!)

Christmas Eve Eve!

2011-01-03T09:18:00.000-05:00

I decided this year I wanted to make a new Christmas tradition. I want the kids to understand that Christmas is also a time to spend with family. As they get older, I want them to understand the importance of getting and being together. So, I reserved a room at the Omni Hotel downtown. It was beautiful. Unfortunately, Cassidy ended up feeling sick and throwing up once. But, after that, she was feeling much better! We started off the night by taking them to the hotel and surprising them. They had no idea! We let them know our plans for the evening. We check out our room and then went to the mall. I loved that the hotel was connected to the mall. We didn't have to go outside nearly as much! We ate at the Spaghetti Factory and checked out the Christmas lights downtown! We told the kids we could go on a carriage ride, but they didn't want to. So, we headed back to the hotel and went swimming! That was their favorite part! We went to sleep after milk and cookies. I hope we can do this every year before Christmas. It was such an awesome evening!

I am back!

2010-12-16T13:32:00.000-05:00

I am going to try to find time to get this blog going again! I really miss coming here and going over my days! We have been busy with so many things and getting so much accomplished. I am hoping that next year will be a fun, stressfree year! We have done so much remodeling and just getting this house the way we want it and updated a bit. We also hope that it will make it easier to sell when the time comes!
So, here are some pictures to get everyone updated!
Jaden's 7th Birthday! What a big boy!

He wanted pumpkin pie on his actual birthday

and a Ben 10 cake for his party!

First day of school

Jaden got his two front teeth pulled!

First day of Co-op

One of our many trips to Metropolis after dropping Jeff off at the airport.

Hutch is almost finished

Metropolis again

Orff Music Class

New desks

Those crazy dogs

At the apple orchard

I am to get some more pictures up later today or tomorrow!

Cumberland Art Fair

2010-08-22T11:44:00.000-05:00

I have really questioned where we live a lot here lately. I would love to live in a small town with lots to see! We live on the edge of the city, so we see both worlds. I would rather live a little further out.
Our town has some awesome things going for it, but I feel it doesn't get noticed. This past weekend, they had an art fair! It was nice to walk around and see all of the people mingling. There was even a booth set up with what they want for the town. It looks fabulous, but I think it will take a long time to get there. We probably won't be here that long. But, they are finishing an awesome trail that we will get to run and rides bikes on! I can't wait!

I also enjoyed a starbucks that day and started getting some projects done around the house.

This one is still a work in progress:

I hope to get a lot more done this week. Jaden is having his 7th birthday party on Saturday. I have to start working on his cake on Wednesday! Crazy stuff! I also have a homeschool meeting on Tuesday night. It is going to be a busy week!

So sorry

2010-08-13T21:42:00.000-05:00

I am so sorry for the lack of posts. I just can't keep up with everything anymore. I hope to get on here soon and do some updating. For now, I will leave you with these adorable pictures:

Blogs

2010-07-23T07:10:00.000-05:00

It has been so busy around here. I have had a little time to get on here and find some new blogs. I thought I would share some of them with you.
1. The Lettered Cottage
    This is has got to be my new favorite! She even has a digital magazine on all of her cottage improvements. Also, she has a facebook page!
2. Southern Hospitality
3. Love, Laughter, Friendship, and 2 Chihuahuas
   Ok, this girl is married to an actor and has the cutest little chihuahuas!
4. The Baking Bird
    This one has a little bit of everything and a lot of baking!
5. Sweet Country Life
    She makes me wish I lived in the country
6. Restyled Home

I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!

Jaden is a rockstar!

2010-07-19T10:57:00.000-05:00

Well, not quite yet, but he is getting there. He has been asking for a guitar for awhile and Toys R Us had them on sale a few weeks ago! Jaden used the money he got from helping Jeff awhile back. He was so excited! We are hoping to get him into some lessons soon. If anyone knows of someone in the Indianapolis area, please let me know.
So, here he is with his guitar:

Here is a song he wrote for Jeff when he came back from a week in Philadelphia:

4th of July

2010-07-07T09:28:00.000-05:00

It was a hot fourth of July! Imagine that! We cooled off during the day with some cold peaches! The kids loved these. I made some peach cobbler and vanilla ice cream to take to a friend's house.

We had a great time at my friend Adrienne's house! The kids played on the swingset, watched fireworks, played on the slip n slide, and had some fun watching the chickens! It was a great fourth!

A New Fence!

2010-06-28T21:32:00.001-05:00

Things are really moving along here. We finally got our fence and we love it. It has the look that I was really wanting. It took the guys 5 hours to do it and we are just thrilled that we didn't have to do anything. We are so used to doing everything ourselves. It was nice to have a break and have it done right!

Jeff is on vacation and we are getting so much done! I hope to post more on all of the projects that are going on. Today, we took a break and saw Toy Story 3 today! It was awesome! I cried so hard at the end. The did such a great job with that movie. We felt that the 3d really wasn't needed in this movie. So, save yourself twelve dollars and go with the basic movie!

Summer is here!

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

Summer is here and so is the hot weather and thunderstorms! I really can't wait for some 75 degree weather again and dry grass! I have been so busy getting things done around our home. We are almost done with school. Jaden has to finish his Spelling and one book he has been reading. I can't wait until we officially begin Summer Break! I am also looking into some preschool curriculum for Cassidy. What is your favorite?
Jeff will be on vacation next week and we are already getting our calendar full. We have several things planned!
-our new fence will be installed on the 30th
-shopping with a friend on the 29th
-Creation Museum
-Zoo
-Toy Story
Those are just a few of the things we have talked about. We are unsure of what we are going to do to celebrate the 4th. Jeff is working and it will be on a Sunday. I hope we can find a way as a family to enjoy the holiday. Also, Jeff is going to start traveling more for work. He will be gone in a few weeks to Philadelphia for 7 days. We are going to miss him so much. I really need to get some things planned for that week!
All in all, our summer has started out wonderful.

Summer!

2010-06-15T15:07:00.001-05:00

It feels like Summer around here! It has been very warm with several pop up thunderstorms. I love those kind of days! Our family loves a good thunderstorm. Even Cassidy begs for lightening. I love to light the candles in hopes that our lights will go out.

So, inbetween the rain, we have been having some fun. We made it to the Talbot Street Art Fair and PBS Kids in the Park on Saturday. The kids had a great time. It was very warm. I am just so happy to see the kids have such a good time. Cassidy got her picture taken with the Cat in the Hat! They also enjoyed some ice cream and some role playing.

Pictures from the weekend:

New Phone!

2010-06-05T21:19:00.000-05:00

I finally got a new cell phone! I think I was the last one on Earth with "just a cell phone". I did not have any email services or web browsing! Everyone couldn't believe when I would tell them I didn't have a phone. I pretty much just gave it up the past few months. What is the point of having a phone when it's not cool? Oh yeah, emergencies!

So, I told Jeff I wanted the Sanyo Incognito and................. he delivered it! Woohoo! I am so excited. I love everything about it.

Of course, I am now hooked on texting and checking facebook. But, don't worry, not while driving!

Tomorrow, we are headed to my parent's house to celebrate my dad's birthday that was last week. They were in Myrtle Beach for his birthday! I am sure it couldn't get any better than that!

We have a very full week next week. Monday is dentist appointments, Wednesday we might have a playdate, Jeff is off Friday so we can get our new air conditioner. We will also be dropping Jaden off at a campground to camp with my mom and dad. He is really looking forward to this. We are praying that the rain stays away!

Gaining!!! Ack!

2010-05-31T18:58:00.000-05:00

I have been slowly gaining some of my weight back. I knew this would happen. I have been feeling very down and I seem to find comfort in food. We have also had a lot going on, and that makes being creative with food seem to never happen. So, there has been a lot of ice cream and pizza going on here. I haven't had much time for exercise either. Which, probably leads me to feeling depressed. I know that when I am running and being active, my mind feels better. So, starting tomorrow (June 1st), I will be active and aware once again. I really can't wait. This is something I need for myself. I want to be the best wife and mother that I can be. I can't do that when I have extra weight on me and when I feel bad about myself.

So, with that being said, here is the plan. I am going to start on my very own cereal diet that got me down 80 pounds before! Well, it got me started! I didn't do it the entire time, but it kicked off my weightloss. I will be eating cereal for two meals and having a decent dinner. This also means that I will have pizza, if I would like, for dinner. I never try to avoid the things I like, that leads to my downfall. For exercise, I will stick with what I love. I will be running and doing yoga. I really like Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper's yoga dvds. Those will really help!

So, I am going to treat this as if I am starting over at the beginning. I want the same feeling I had when I was 247 pounds! I knew I had to get the weight off. So, I want to go into this with the same frame of mind.

On to family news:
We finally got a playground. We have been waiting to find one at a good price, and we think this one will do! The kids are so excited.

The kids got to enjoy the sprinkler while daddy set up the swingset.

Cassidy decided to wear her helmet! Ha!

Stella finally got her groove, I mean, haircut! LOL

They had to shave her ears, due to some matting, but she still looks great!

We have been busy finishing 1st grade! Jaden is doing so well. I can't wait to see all of the things he will learn in the 2nd grade! I am hoping to plan a lot more for the upcoming year and have things a little more scheduled. I also hope to plan a couple of really cool field trips. One of them being the Creation Museum. We can't wait to go there!

I hope everyone has had a fabulous May! Happy Memorial Day!

Freedom isn't Free!

Flying by.....

2010-05-23T09:46:00.000-05:00

This year is flying by! I feel like I haven't gotten as much accomplished as I would like and I have put on more weight than I would like! So, it is time to get serious for the rest of the year.

I just bought this:

and will be doing it almost every day! I am even going to start running again. I will start off small, then start running more miles later. I really hate that I took such a long break. But, we had so much going on, I just didn't have the time or energy to do it!

This dog is in major need of a groom:

Her appointment is set for Thursday! I think we will get her cut short and leave her head round. Yes, I am talking about the dog, not Cassidy! ;)

Today, Jeff is finishing some trim and I hope to get some more organizing done. We just have too much stuff! I cleaned out the playroom yesterday and the kids are getting rid of two trash bags full of toys! This excites me! They are finally parting with some of their baby toys!

I am excited for the wonderful weather this week and I am ready to get outside! I hope everyone is having a blessed weekend!

Busy Remodeling!

2010-05-15T06:55:00.000-05:00

We have been so busy remodeling our house! But, the results are fabulous! We finally have our wood floors in and I refinished the dining room table. We still have so much to do, but I feel like it is finally coming together! We picked out a cherry floor so, I stained the top of our table a red color. We love the look of it. It is by no means perfect, but I was thrilled with my first staining job!

So, here is the dining room table, before and after:

It looks like a new table. I have painted the chairs white also! I am putting the felt on the bottom before I move them into the room. I am so happy with the way it turned out!

Now, for the kitchen. Here is our progress:

We have painted our cabinets, put on hardware, and got the wood floors in. I am excited with the way it is looking. The next step is to get the new countertop and sink! I can't wait! The countertop will be very dark! I think it is all going to come together nicely! Now, if someone wants to donate, or sell very cheap, some ss appliances..... ;)

A Cinderella Birthday Party!

2010-05-02T09:12:00.000-05:00

I have had so much fun buying things for Cassidy's birthday this year. She was just so excited! She decided on a Cinderella themed party. She invited all of her friends and they had a great time. This had to be her best birthday yet! And, her birthday isn't until Monday, when we are going to the zoo! I hope the rain will hold off.

I can't believe my baby girl is turning 4!

Stella!

2010-04-27T08:18:00.001-05:00

For several months, our daughter has been telling us she wants a fluffy white dog named Stella. She got this name when I was hoping to get a female chihuahua and said I would name her Stella. Since then, she has liked that name! We didn't think we would be getting another dog for a long time. But, this just happened to be meant to be! I noticed a Bichon for sale on one of the dog sites. Yes, I check this all of the time, even when we are not looking for a dog! I guess that is just another way I waste my time! I saw "Lola" and she just looked so darn cute! I called and found out she was just a few miles from here and came from a rescue center. Lola was officially bought at a pet store and the people realized they could not travel overseas with her, so they got rid of her. How sad! She is only 9 months old! So, we went to meet her and fell in love! Especially Jaden. He prayed all weekend that we would get her. On Sunday, it was official. The lady ended up dropping her off at our house that evening! And, get this, the owner of the rescue center's name is Stella! Amazing!
Cassidy has ended up naming "Lola" Stella! She is doing great and Nacho even loves her! I can't wait for many more years with both of our new kids!

The girls

The boys

She loves to bark at the ducks!

Penguins, Cameras, and a Wedding!

2010-04-25T12:11:00.000-05:00

So much is going on in the Cole household this weekend. Yesterday, we had to go to Cincinnati for a wedding, so we made a whole day out of it. We surprised the kids by taking them to the Newport Aquarium. I don't know if it is because our kids are so spoiled or what, but they didn't seem very excited. Afterward, we had bought them a penguin experience. We got to sit in a room with them and pet them! It was very exciting. One actually bit Cassidy's leg! Poor thing! The penguin was even put in time out! After the aquarium, we headed to a local mall restroom and changed our clothes into our wedding attire! Yes, we are classy people! I am sure we are not the first people to change in a mall restroom in Kentucky! We got to the wedding and our neice looked beautiful. Everyone seemed so happy! It was great to see family again.
So, before our penguin experience, I was taking pictures of the kids by the river overlooking Cincinnati! Jaden decided he wanted to take a picture and dropped my camera! Ack! Needless to say, it broke. We had to buy a disposable camera for the penguin experience. :(
Later, we stopped at Best Buy and bought me a new camera. I really liked my old one, so I stuck with the same brand. It is a Sony Cybershot.

Now, this is where my camera broke!

Here are some pics from my new camera!

Remodeling!

2010-04-14T13:03:00.000-05:00

I really can't keep up with everything right now, so my blog posts will be very few and far between these days! We have started remodeling part of our house. I am finally working on painting our cabinets and we got our new hardwood flooring! I hope we can get it put in soon, but Jeff is working more hours this week. So, it will probably be a May project. I love how the cabinets are turning out! I will be sure to post pictures. I have also been enjoying the Spring weather. We have been planting flowers and Jeff just starting dig the sod up for the garden! I can't wait
Jaden has been doing well in school and Cassidy is growing like a weed. She is practicing adding numbers together. She just amazes me with all of the things she knows already!
Our Easter was wonderful. My birthday fell on the same weekend, so we had a busy weekend. Here are some pictures to get updated!

Cabinet progress

Cherry flooring with new beadboard

Recipe of the week!

2010-03-29T10:08:00.001-05:00

I plan on making these for April Fool's Day!

"Fish Sticks" from Family Fun Magazine
Ingredients

Cornflakes
Sugar wafer cookies
Peanut butter
Green taffy candy (we used green apple AirHeads)
Seedless strawberry jam
Instructions

For the fish sticks, place a couple of handfuls of cornflakes in a ziplock bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Cover 2 sugar wafer cookies with peanut butter, then toss them in the cornflake crumbs to coat.

For the peas, tear off and roll small pieces of the taffy candy into balls. If the taffy is too stiff to work with, microwave it for about 6 seconds.

For the ketchup, use a fork to stir a few teaspoons of the jam until it's smooth.

Sorry, it's been awhile!

2010-03-29T10:00:00.000-05:00

But, I am still here! I have just been busy keeping up with life! Sometimes I feel like I can barely keep up! I have also spent much less time on the computer and more time with my family.

We had a wonderful St Patrick's Day! The kids woke up to find money and chocolate coins in their shoes. The leprechauns also turned our applesauce green! The kids get such a kick out of that! We also made some cookies! It was a fun day! Jeff even joined in the fun!

There have been a few nice Spring days so far. We played outside and even walked down to the pond a caught a little turtle. We let him go of course! But, the kids thought he was really cute! The geese have started making their nest, so we have to be very careful when we go down there!

I have been working on a few things. I have started painting our kitchen cabinets! They are looking pretty good. We are still deciding on what hinges to buy, so I have started on the drawers first.

I really can't wait to get that project done so we can install a new countertop and sink!

Do you need a laugh?

2010-03-16T09:58:00.003-05:00

I found this today and HAD to share! Get ready to laugh!

Recipe of the week!

2010-03-15T16:09:00.002-05:00

I am in love with this cinnamon bread. I have changed it up by substituting the oil for applesauce and the flour for whole wheat flour.

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons white sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons margarine

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9x5 inch loaf pan.

2.Measure flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, salt, buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla into large mixing bowl. Beat 3 minutes. Pour into prepared loaf pan. Smooth top.

3.Combine 2 tablespoons white sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and butter, mixing until crumbly. Sprinkle topping over smoothed batter. Using knife, cut in a light swirling motion to give a marbled effect.

4.Bake for about 50 minutes. Test with toothpick. When inserted it should come out clean. Remove bread from pan to rack to cool.

It's almost Spring!

2010-03-11T12:10:00.000-05:00

Wow, the weather was wonderful yesterday! It got over 60 degrees! We spent a lot of time outside. The kids played and we walked to the playground. I am ready for the weather to stay this way. But, it is raining today, so we are stuck inside again. Thank God, it is not snowing! We are done with the snow.
We have been busy the last few weeks. Just catching up with school, going on playdates, and starting our Spring Cleaning. I clean out the kids rooms and their closets. I also got their Spring clothes out! I haven't officially taken out their Winter clothes yet. It still gets pretty chilly in the Spring. I usually don't put those away until closer to May.

I have gained so much weight over the long Winter! I am ready to lose it now! I am weighing so much right now. So, I just need to watch my snacking a little more. I think that is where I get in trouble. But, I am doing great on the exercise front! Here is a new video I am doing:

I don't actually have the dvd yet. It is free right now on On Demand! If you haven't checked it out you need to! It's awesome! I am going to buy the dvd when they take it off of there. I want to make sure I don't get tired of it before then. But, so far, I love it. It is a very hard workout! I am still running too. I am going to try to run a 5 mile run once a week and then run a 6 mile before April. I don't really LIKE running, but I love pushing myself.

I hope everyone is having a great week! If you haven't stopped by Starbucks lately, you need to! They have a new Dark Cherry Mocha! It is too die for! Make sure you swing by and get one this weekend! Maybe before church! Speaking of church, we are trying out a new church this weekend. We still love the one we have been attending, but we are looking for some more kid's programs. I hope everyone has a great weekend.

2010 Birthday Wishlist!

2010-03-05T22:10:00.000-05:00

I love this time of year. I saw my first Robin Red Breast of the season the other day and I am so thrilled to see the sun again! It has been quite dreary here! Today, the sun was shining and the temperature was 10 degrees above freezing! I am ready for all of the fun things we do in warmer weather! The kids are so excited to get the trampoline set up and to run through the sprinklers! I am ready to run outside! We are also getting our fence this Spring, and I am ready to do some landscaping in our backyard! Do you feel the same way when Spring comes?
This time of year also brings my birthday! I really do look forward to it every year. There is just nothing better than your family pampering you! So, like always, I am going to come up with my Birthday dream, um, I mean, wish list! ;)
1. Treadmill, I have decided on this model:

2. Sewing Machine

3. glee Season 1

4. Sapphire ring

(love this one from Amazon.com)

5. Itunes gift card

6. Starbucks gift card

7. French Press

8. Wii Fit board

9. Digital scale

10. Magic Bullet

Those are just a few of the things I want this year. There are many more, and I am sure I will talk more about them all the way up to my birthday!

What is on your wishlist?

Winter Blues

2010-02-27T10:04:00.004-05:00

We have all been fighting the Winter blues lately. We are sick of the cold weather and the snow. I can't wait for Spring days filled with activities outside. We have all been fighting colds all Winter. I am just ready for a change!

We have been keeping our days busy though. We headed to Terre Haute for my brother's birthday. We had so much fun. My mom and I made a lemon cake for my brother and the kids played a lot of Wii and Super Nintendo.

A few days ago, I took the kids to Monkey Joe's for a playdate. It was a blast! Wow, the kids just loved it. I think Jaden could have played there all day. It might be a good idea to have his birthday party there. I will have to see what he thinks when September comes around. I bet he would just love that. Or, we might just make a trip there without a party.

Our membership for the museum expires the end of this month, so we took the kids one more time! I think we will be buying a zoo membership for this next year. We just need some variety! The museum had a special Barbie section this time! It was amazing. Jaden didn't like it, but wow, Cassidy loved it! I think she needs some Barbies and some outfits. She just loved putting all of the outfits on the dolls. We had a great time.

I had this Barbie house when I was a kid!

Totally awesome!

And I thought dusting my house was a pain until I saw this......

Cassidy's favorite part of the museum:

My dad will appreciate this:

Yesterday, Cassidy spent some time with her friend Makaeli. Other than that, we don't have much planned for the weekend besides church.

On the road again

2010-02-21T08:57:00.003-05:00

Last week we took Jaden to his doctor in Terre Haute. We found a doctor here, but was not satisfied, so we got a second opinion on things. He is healthy, but he might have some asthma issues. We are praying this is not true and that it just turns out to be a virus, but so far he is still coughing with steroids! Now, we are going back to Terre Haute today to celebrate my brother's birthday. I am also going to stop at Kohl's there and check out their shoes. I am not really happy with the Nike Alaris that I bought. The right shoe is rubbing a bone on the top of my foot. So, I will go and try on some others! Does anyone have any running shoe recommendations? I really want to stay under $100. I am thinking of checking out the Asics Gel shoes.
There is really not much else going on around here. Nacho got a new blue and orange color! He looks so handsome now:

I know, you can't really see the collar! This dog is nuts. I couldn't get the picture of it! hahaha!!!! But, doesn't he look handsome?
I am going to enjoy my coffee before Jeff comes down and then I am going to get ready! Have a great Sunday!

New shoes!

2010-02-20T12:27:00.003-05:00

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend so far. Mine is going pretty well.

Yesterday, I took the kids to the mall and a few other stores. We picked up some new Spring clothes and some birdseed! I just can't wait for Spring, so I figure I will start getting ready for it! The Children's Place is having an awesome sale on their windbreakers, so Jaden got one for this Spring! They are only $10 right now!

Cassidy got a few cute things also! She loves clothes, so it is cool watching her pick out her own things. I love that she in enjoying looking at clothes. She even likes to try them on!

After several weeks of needing new running shoes, I finally went out this morning and got a pair! I am so thrilled. I got the Nike Alaris!

They fit my Nike+ inside the sole of the shoe! I think these will be awesome. I am wearing them all day today to break them in. I might try a run tonight. I need to get to 5 miles before the end of February. I ran 4 1/2 a week ago!

I am going to finish up my day today catching up on laundry and cleaning the house. We might even do some school today! I love that about homeschooling!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T18:39:00.004-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day. We had a great weekend. We started on Saturday by taking a trip to the mall and making some Vday treats! I took the kids to the Disney Store and they bought each other a stuffed animal. Jaden got another Pooh bear and Cassidy got another Minnie! They just love their animals! Disney had a special, buy one get one free! That is awesome! We also went to Panera Bread and got a treat. I love taking the kids out places!

Jaden wanted some pumpkin pie, so we made little pumpkin pie tarts! He loved them!

I just love making a big deal out of holidays for the kids! I blew up some balloons and hid some Hershey Kisses all around the house. This morning, they woke up and looked for all of them! They loved this! I will have to do it again next year. We also had our annual heart french toast and the kids got some goodies! Then, we headed to church. The kids gave out some Valentine's there.

Cassidy has got the craziest bedhead!

Afterward, we picked up our heart shaped pizzas from Papa Murphy's. We just love their pizza!

I just love these kids! I hope we have many special Valentine's Days to come before they both find their significant others!

Not feeling well.....

2010-02-12T10:20:00.002-05:00

Yep, that picture pretty much sums up how I have been feeling the past few days. I haven't gotten much accomplished, but I did paint another chair! That is progress! The kids are also sick, so they haven't been doing much either. We were planning on going to a playdate today, but it is probably not a good day to play around other kids! I do need to get them out of the house though. I think I will stock up on some Lysol when I go to the store. We need to get the germs out of here! I am officially ready for Spring!

It is going to start getting busy around here soon. I will be painting the kitchen cabinets in a few days! I can't wait to see the difference! I am still nervous about it. Cassidy thinks the glaze looks like "poop". Of course, that made me feel even better about it. Valentine's Day is almost here and we always do a little celebrating that day. We start attending our small group next week and my brother's birthday party will be the next week! I love family birthday parties. I am so glad that we still do that!

March will be busy as we plan for Spring! We plan on putting up a new fence! I can't wait!

April brings my birthday and Easter!

May brings Cassidy's birthday, our Mall of America vacation, and my Dad's birthday!

I can't wait! Let's get this year started already!

Still not the kitchen....

2010-02-10T10:08:00.003-05:00

I decided to paint the dining room table and chairs. I have been wanting to do this for awhile, and I thought it would give me more paint practice before I paint the cabinets.
I have one chair done! What do you think? I am still not sure. I might want to go with black. I really can't decide.
Here is the before:

I distressed it a little with some glaze, but I am not sure that I like that! I just can't make up my mind. I don't want the dining room to be very "light", so I am thinking I should have gone with black. I will keep you posted....

Cupcakes....finally!

2010-02-07T15:13:00.003-05:00

I finally made some more cupcakes. Nothing fancy, just sportin the blue for the team! I am not a fan of football, but we are heading to a Superbowl Party! Can't wait to chat with the girls and eat some awesome party food!
These are Madagascar Vanilla Cupcakes (Colts style!)

Snow!

2010-02-06T14:26:00.001-05:00

We have snow again! I love when we get a good amount of snow. Don't get me wrong, I am ready for Spring, but I do love a good snow. We probably got around 7 inches yesterday! And, since the wind blew it around, we have several spots over 2 feet! Very cool. I shoveled the driveway yesterday and today. I am hoping to get the kids out one more time to play!

Decisions Decisions

2010-01-26T12:59:00.007-05:00

Well, the cabinet is about done, but we need to buy invisible hinges. I don't think I like them showing! I thought I would like the look of the bronze hinges. Oh well. Here is the cabinet now! I hid the hinges! LOL Totally didn't even mean too. Just noticed it when I put the picture up! That is too funny!

Now, I need to get Jeff to finish the side!

I have so many decisions to make. Here are just a few that have been sitting around our house.

I just got this phone for the kitchen. I think it holds up my paint samples quite nicely! I am thinking of painting the kitchen yellow! I think Jeff thinks I have gone crazy!

Jaden had a little fun today with his Combos and kept making Combo Castles!

Right now, we are doing school and Jaden is studying his spelling words. Here are some things we are working on right now:

Math: adding double digits, time, and drills

Spelling: Consonant Blends with short vowel sounds

Phonics: dipthongs

History: God's promise to Abraham

We are still working on our "r's". I hope he gets this soon. He is working very hard on it.

Tonight we have a birthday party to go to at Chuck e Cheese. I will be slathering the kids with sanitizer!

New Cabinets, well, sort of.....

2010-01-25T16:07:00.004-05:00

I started painting our bathroom vanity. We are thinking of painting the kitchen cabinets, and I wanted to test on the bathroom cabinets first. They are just the plain builder cabinets.

I decided I should do the cabinets BEFORE we do the countertop. So, it is beginning.

Here is a before picture of the bathroom vanity (the only one I could find, see the corner! LOL):

Here are the doors during painting:

I was very nervous at this point!

I will try to get the finished cabinet up this week! I finished glazing them today and will get the new hardware on tonight. I can't wait to see the finished project. I still have to get the beadboard to put up on the side. Jeff will help me with that!

Dining Room and Healthy Pancakes!

2010-01-22T16:20:00.003-05:00

After painting the front room, I knew I needed to paint the dining room the same color, since they flow together. So, it is now finished. Well, the painting that is. I have so many more plans for this room. I will have to post about all of those!

Some of my favorite things in the room that will not be moving!

And my most favorite! LOL

I hope to paint the table and hutch black or white. I have not figured out which color yet! Any ideas? I seriously think this room will turn into an office in the future. The dining room will then move into the front room (the room from the last post). I will also be painting a harlequin design on one wall in here. I just wish I could have someone come and do it all for me. But, then I wouldn't have the feeling of accomplishment that comes afterward!

Jeff is working tonight, so I have chili simmering on the stove. Jeff doesn't like chili, but I am hoping the kids will! With Cassidy having a cold, I though it might be good for her! I am also going to add a few extra peppers!

I feel like this is going to be a good year for us. I learned so much last year that I am getting to apply to this year. We are healthier than ever! I hope to get even healthier. We are trying to eat more whole foods and staying away from most junk. Of course, having kids and a husband keeps the word "most" in there. Ok, and I will admit, I love me some junk food now and then! I hope to put up some of my favorite recipes up here over the next few days! Everyone loves healthy recipes this time of year!

Here is one to get you started!

I use this recipe every time I make pancakes!

Whole Wheat Pancakes

1 egg
1 c. whole wheat flour
3/4 c. milk
2 tbsp. melted shortening or vegetable oil ( I use applesauce)
1 tbsp. packed brown sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Beat egg until fluffy; beat in remaining ingredients just until smooth (for thinner pancakes add 1/4 cup more milk). Grease heated griddle.
Pour about 3 tablespoons of batter from spoon or pitcher on griddle or pan. Cook until pancakes are puffed and dry around edges. Turn and cook on other side until golden brown. Makes about 9 4-inch thick pancakes.

I know, wrong room

2010-01-18T08:29:00.003-05:00

So, all of this talk about the kitchen, and I started on a different room. Our entry way has been so blah since we moved in. I have wanted to paint it green since we moved in, but wasn't sure how the colors would flow! Well, I finally did it! I went to Lowe's and picked out a color!!!!! I started painting it on Saturday. I finished last night. I am going to do the dining room today! It looks amazing. I can't wait until we get our new flooring in now! Also, we are going to work on the stairway railing. But, so far, it looks great. I couldn't be happier!

Before:

(I can't believe I waited so long!)

After:

Ktichen Before!

2010-01-14T08:09:00.003-05:00

I really don't know why I am feeling so tired. It might be my diet. I haven't been eating very well the last few days. And, by saying that, I mean no veggies at all! I really need to go to the store tomorrow and pick up some whole, fresh foods! I have been running though! Yesterday I ran 3.5 miles and didn't feel very tired afterward! That is such a good sign. I hope to be running 4 miles next week!

The kids have been busy playing the Wii. But, yesterday, Jaden got a little to rough with it and it was taken away. So, he will have to find other things to do today! We will have school time and a craft time today! That should keep him busy for awhile. Yesterday, I painted the trim on our half wall white. I will have to post pics soon of all of the changes that are happening. I guess I can post some before pictures!

Here is a picture of the kitchen the way it is now:

Here is the plan:

New countertop

New sink and faucet

Paint and trim cabinets

New hardware

New flooring

New appliances

New lighting

The appliances will be the last thing to happen! I can't wait for the transformation!

Kitchen inspiration!

2010-01-09T19:05:00.006-05:00

We are starting our kitchen renovation this year. It will be a year long process. First, we are starting with the countertops, sink, and faucet. Next, will be the floors. And lastly, the cabinets. I am so excited. I am just not happy with the kitchen the way it is. And, I am hoping for some new appliances next year. (unless I find some cheap ones this year!)
So, here are some inspiration pictures I have gathered! As you can tell, I will be going with white cabinets, a granite looking top, and wood flooring.

Truly blessed

2010-01-08T10:36:00.002-05:00

I feel so blessed that I have the opportunity to teach my children every day, even when it snows! ;) I just feeling very thankful for it today. We have been doing school and then playing. The kids got to play outside in the snow yesterday and eat snow ice cream, all while others are "in" school. After we were finished playing, we had school and enjoyed some very cool math using dice! Jaden doesn't even realize he is learning! I can't believe how well he is with math.

We are not half way through his books yet, so I am hoping to do a little catching up in these cold winter days.

Here are some pictures from yesterday.

Snow and Cold!

2010-01-05T09:07:00.005-05:00

Ok, it is just too cold here to do anything! The wind chill is -7! That is insane! There is also snow on the ground, which makes it seem even colder. Here is the cold view out my window!

And everytime Nacho has to go pee, I freeze! Ugh!!!! Good thing he doesn't make me go all the way outside. I get to stand at the door.

For some reason, I have been wanting so many things lately. Probably because we have been stuck inside and I am wanting something new to do! Here are some of the things I have been dreaming of:

I will find a way to get these! I would also like other things, but these are on the top of my list. I might have to wait until my birthday (April)! We will be getting a new countertop in the kitchen next month! I can't wait to start that project. Actually, I can't wait for it to be finished. Then, we will be starting on either a storm door or our fence. We will see which comes first. We also need to get french doors for the back, but that is going to be a little expensive. We might have to wait until the kitchen is all done for that.

Today, we are going to be doing school, cleaning the house, and I am sure there will be some Wii playing!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-02T15:51:00.005-05:00

It is now 2010! So much has happened in the last year. I hope this year is even better! I have set many goals for myself. There has been plenty of lazy days going on here. But those are over for now! We have started school back up! The kids both seem to be happy to be back at it!

Ok, so that is Cassidy STILL in her pajamas. I guess things are still a little lazy!
There has also been a ton of this going on:

I am not sure that the Wii will ever get old! It is so fun. The kids are addicted and I would be too if I had the chance! Oh well, I will perfect my Sonic skills when the kids move out!
I have been busy cleaning and getting the house back into order. It still isn't finished. I hope to get the clean clothes put away today and start of the rest of the laundry. But first, check out this cutie:

He is keeping me pretty busy also! But, he learns fast and has been housetrained already! Now, we just have to watch that he doesn't chew our house down!

Christmas break is almost over!

2009-12-30T18:48:00.002-05:00

There has been some long, lazy days this week. I am ready to get back on schedule. I am trying to set up some organization for my weightloss, homeschooling, menu planning, and just about everything! I am hoping to make a binder for each one. I am also in the process of trying to find a label maker I like. I will be a labeling fool!
As for resolutions, I guess I should post some of mine.

2010 Resolutions

1. Lose atleast 20 pounds

2. Run a half marathon (or atleast train for it)

3. Complete several home projects

4. Save money from every pay

5. Get more organized

6. Take the kids on more field trips

7. Live a healthy lifestyle

8. Read the Bible and join a small group

9. Mail more letters

10. Spend more time with the family, playing games

I am sure I could go on and on, but this year is going to be one of the best! I can feel it. I am so anxious for the year to change. 2009 was a good year, though. We lost our beloved Maddy, but she is in a better place now. And, we are all at peace over it.

So begins a new year. Jaden will be starting 2nd grade this Fall! That is unbelievable! I will only have one year left until Cassidy begins Kindergarten. These kids are growing too fast. I am going to be busy this week planning out field trips and fun days for the year. Some of these include: the Creation museum, library, Children's museum, Newport Aquarium, Zoo, Playdates, Summer vacation, Date day, and many more!

After Christmas

2009-12-29T10:17:00.004-05:00

The days after Christmas are always so fun. The kids are busy playing and I am preparing for a new year. It is always exciting to think of new things to come! It helps that my Christmas gift from Jeff was a box full of promises! Literally! He marked off a calendar with home improvements we will be doing all year long. He also included samples! I am so excited. The first on the list is a new countertop! I have been looking and I think I have narrowed it down to the color I want. We should begin on that towards the end of January or beginning of February. I would love to make Valentine's day cookies on a new countertop!
I will be making a list of my New Year's resolutions soon. I have already started writing them down. As for now, I will leave you with some pictures of what has been going on around here!

Oh yeah, our Christmas decorations are all down. But, we should not stop celebrating the birth of our Savior!

Our Christmas in pictures

2009-12-27T19:34:00.003-05:00

Christmas, dog stress, and sleepovers

2009-12-21T13:37:00.005-05:00

I am so excited for Christmas to get here. I get this way every year. It seems like I wish for it to be here and then it is over in a blink of an eye. I have a few more things to wrap and then I am finished. It feels so good to be done and to wait for the day to get here. I have also been baking cookies like crazy! Today, I am baking more biscotti for Christmas Day. I think my mom is going to love it! Here are some of the things my kids are going to be opening this year!

They are going to be so thrilled. Santa is also bringing a big surprise! I can't wait!
Nacho has been very stressful since last night. I guess he is getting comfortable now and all he wants to do is bite and eat everything. He also has to pee every hour! It is crazy! He does very well as long as we remember to take him out constantly. If not, he will go to the door and start peeing! But, he is doing so well for a 9 week old pup!
Jaden is planning on spending the night at a friend's house. This will be his first sleepover. He has been warned several times today that he is not going to go if he doesn't start behaving. He acts very much like the dog, besides the peeing part! LOL
I hope everyone is having a wonderful week so far! Enjoy and slow down. (I am telling myself this also!)

Jaden's beatboxing

2009-12-19T13:54:00.003-05:00

Jaden's favorite thing to do right now is beatbox! Who knew? It is quite funny but he thinks he rocks! enjoy!

Nacho's new sweater

2009-12-17T17:00:00.003-05:00

Ok, as you can expect, I will be posting on Nacho quite a bit. He is filling up a lot of our days! I can't believe how good he is! Really! He is already learning to potty outside and he knows his name! He is such a good dog. He is even sleeping through the night without going out! It's really amazing! It makes loving him so easy!

He got a new Christmas sweater. He keeps scratching at it, but I think he is getting used to it. He really needs it on when he goes outside. The poor thing shivers so bad without it!

It didn't last long....

2009-12-15T13:16:00.004-05:00

Our house was petless for all of two weeks! It just felt so empty without Maddy here. I really miss her. I was starting to think that having another dog would keep me from missing Maddy so much. Jaden has been wanting a chihuahua and we were on the lookout for one. There is a long story involved, but let's just say that it was meant to be. We found this little guy:

Now, I do have some reservations about this. I have never liked little dogs. I do not care for the yappy, hyper, toe biting dogs! We held one at a pet store and I thought that I could do a chihuahua. Also, I wanted a female. I have never really cared for male dogs. There are also several reasons for this, which I am sure I do not need to go into. When we picked him up, there was also a female one. I said I would be happy with the female, but our son had to have the one with the spot on his head. So, we brought him home. He has been so sweet. He is even paper trained, and is learning fast to go potty outside. He seems very smart and loving. But, as I said to my husband today, I could still trade him for the girl. I just hope I can get past that and love this dog. I know it sounds so awful!!!! We'll see.....
For now, I will leave you with some cute pictures of Nacho!

It' been a busy month!

2009-12-10T08:22:00.003-05:00

I feel so bad for not posting in such a long time! But, there has been so much going on! I am trying to keep from feeling overwhelmed.
Today is going to be baking and cleaning day. I am going to have Jaden write my grocery list, find the items at the store, and help me bake! What a school day for him. I think all boys should have to do that for school. Men seem so helpless when it comes to the kitchen! I have decided to make buckeye bars, spinach dip, and chocolate mint bars. I also need to make a couple of loaves of pumpkin bread for our MOPS dinner next week.
I have had packages coming to our door everyday! I have also been wrapping them as I get them. This way, I do not have a huge chore ahead of me. We are keeping up with school work, and I am back to running again. I have been trying to run everyday. Next week, I will cut back to every other day but with longer distances.
Sorry, no pictures today. But, I hope to post pictures of the food and the recipes!

Thanksgiving recipes

2009-11-25T22:46:00.004-05:00

After much debating, I have finally figured out what I am making for Thanksgiving. I decided on these spinach balls:

I have been feeling overwhelmed and these didn't sound too hard. I am also making my husband's grandmother's recipe for kolaches. I hope they turn out okay. I am always nervous that they will taste nothing like hers. We'll see. I will finish them up in the morning before we leave.

Today, we did several Thanksgiving worksheets and talked about he pilgrims. I am sure Jaden didn't quite get it, but I am glad we went over it. He also did some math problems he has never done! Cassidy is beginning to write her letters. She can write a perfect S and that is still one of Jaden's hardest letters!

I have been keeping busy making crafts, cards, and school projects. I just don't know how to find the time to do anything else. I haven't been exercising regularly and it is catching up with me. I have to make this a priority!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and be sure not to forget who we are thanking!

~Maddy~

2009-11-23T20:57:00.003-05:00

As I sit here typing this, I am missing my dalmatian, Maddy. She passed away yesterday. I remember the first time I saw her and I will never forget the last time. She was diagnosed with cancer on her 9th birthday this year (June 2nd). We had to have her leg amputated and we prayed for a miracle. She was doing so well until the end of September, when I noticed she was coughing up blood. Ever since then, we knew she was going downhill. But, these last two weeks have been brutal. She stopped eating all food. She wanted nothing to do with it! But, she drank water all day. She peed constantly and she could barely hold it in. She has had very few accidents in her life, so I knew it was bad when she was going in the house. She began to lose weight rapidly and would throw up the water she drank. Little did I know, that would be the last thing she did. Yesterday, she was laying by her water dish trying to drink. She threw up and then gave in. Jeff and I sat with her until the end. I told her bye and Jaden even came in to say bye. What a strong and brave boy I have! I am so proud of him. I watched Maddy leave us. What a powerful thing I witnessed. I cried, Jeff cried, but the kids have yet to shed a tear. I believe I had prepared them well the past 6 months. They knew it was going to happen. Jaden said he wasn't sad because she is in heaven! He even helped lay her body to rest.
Tonight, we made a spotted cake and shared some memories of her. I loved her so much. She was my first kid! The house has such an obvious absence.

Gymnastics and Shiners!

2009-11-19T22:20:00.006-05:00

Jaden got his first black eye this week. On Sunday, we woke up and hurried around to get ready for church. As Jeff was putting away his computer, Jaden ran into it. Unfortunately, the black eye looks worse every day! I hope it starts going away soon! My poor baby!

This picture doesn't show how bad it looks now!
We put up our CHRISTmas tree on Sunday. Actually, we put up 2! We now have 2 trees we are decorating! I also have several little trees to put up around the house! Hopefully, I will find time to get all of the CHRISTmas decorations up!

Cassidy has been doing very well at gymnastics! I am so proud of her.

Yeah, here I caught her with her hands in her pants! LOL

Jaden continues to amaze me with school! He is so smart. We get through our school days so fast. It is unbelievable! He reads very well and even does his math with no hands! That is a big one for me, because I have always used my hands! ;)

As for Maddy, she is slowly fading away. She hasn't eaten in a week and she doesn't like to get up anymore. It has made me an emotional mess. We will miss her, but we are praying that God takes her soon.

Cassidy's bed is complete! UPDATE

2009-11-13T10:16:00.004-05:00

Cassidy's princess bedding came this morning! We were all very excited!!! Here are some pictures of her and her new bed! What a big girl!

She loves her bed and I am so happy that she loves it!

UPDATE: She already ripped one of the roses off. That didn't take long.

Maddy

2009-11-09T10:20:00.004-05:00

Our dog of 9 years is slowly dying of cancer. She had her leg amputated in June due to Osteosarcoma in her leg. We knew that the cancer had probably spread, but we were hoping and praying for a miracle. Well, she has gone downhill in the last month. There are so many things we began noticing. The first one is that she is not eating very much. She hardly eats one bowl a day. I started noticing she was getting very skinny! Now, things have just gotten worse! She had diarrhea in the house and her breathing is very short. She coughs everytime she gets up and walks around. She tries to run, but she just starts coughing.

This morning, she seems even worse. She is shaking and has a sadness in her eyes. She can no longer hide that she is in pain. This makes me very sad. I have had her since she was just 6 weeks old. What a sweet dog she has been!

I hate the thought of the decision we are going to have to make soon. But, I know that watching her in pain is unbearable. I pray that she leaves us peacefully and the kids recover well. (and me, for that matter!)

Craigslist and Princesses!

2009-11-07T12:18:00.003-05:00

So, last night I found the perfect bed on Craigslist! I am so thrilled. Just as I was about to pay over $300 for Cassidy's bed, there was one on Craigslist! It had stickers on it, so I had to get those off. It still has a mark from where I had to scrub, but I am hoping you won't be able to tell in the room. If so, I guess I will be painting! ;)

About the bedding......

Well, Cassidy has discovered there is princess bedding! I was hoping she wouldn't. Most people who know me, know that I can't stand character bedding! I was so happy to find the cute owl bedding and Cassidy liked it too. Until the princesses came along. How can I deny her??? So, I think we have settled on one. It has a little bit of what I like, and it has the princesses.

I hope this makes MY princess happy! I will be ordering it today. Hopefully, we can pick up the mattresses soon! As soon as it is done, I will post a picture!

another bed....

2009-11-05T12:12:00.003-05:00

Here are two more beds I am thinking of. I am just not sure which one to go with. The other one I posted would take a mattress and box spring. These would just take an xl twin mattress. We could still get the owl bedding, but would need to get xl twin sheets. I am just not sure yet.....

I really can't decide. I plan on ordering it tomorrow. This really shouldn't be that big of a deal, but I want this bed to last her for a long time!!!

Cassidy's Big Girl Bedding

2009-11-04T07:59:00.006-05:00

We have decided it is time to get Cassidy her Big Girl bed. I think I know what I want for the bed, but I have officially decided on the bedding. She loves it and we are so excited to go get it!

I am so excited to see it in her room. But, first we have to get the bed and mattresses. I have a friend who has a white metal bed and then there is this bed:

I am really leaning toward the wood bed. It looks supercute! I could even get the matching furniture in the future! I think Cassidy would love this. She wanted a princess carriage bed, but I know how impractical that is!

So, today I am getting pictures taken of the kids and I might go ahead and pick up the bedding. Afterward, Cassidy has gymnastics. I will try to get some pictures of her today!

Trick or Treating!

2009-11-01T14:15:00.004-05:00

We had so much fun yesterday, except my mood could have been better. ;)

We went to the orchard one more time to pick more apples. They are just so good. The orchard looked beautiful. We had hotdog mummies for lunch. For supper, we had some pumpkin shaped pizzas from Papa Murphy's and Lemon Dropdead sodas. The kids walked in the parade in our neighborhood and went trick or treating. Cassidy handed out candy to the kids at our house. I cannot believe how many adults go trick or treating. That is ridiculous!

Leaves and Pumpkins!

2009-10-30T06:53:00.005-05:00

Yesterday was a busy day! We started off the day by going grocery shopping. Fun Fun! But, that always takes longer than I think it will. We got home around 12:30 and ate lunch. The kids decided to go outside and play in the leaves!

Afterward, Cassidy had her 2nd class of gymnastics! She would stop coming over to me, so I had to leave. I hate that I didn't get to see all of the fun things she did. We caught her at the end when she was climbing a rope! Very cool. We found out that we are going to the same gym Jaycie Phelps went to. She got an Olympic Gold medal in 1996! She was part of the Magnificent 7 that year!

After gymnastics, we headed home and Jaden did some school while I got some things done. Jeff came home and we carved the pumpkins! The kids were so excited! (Excuse the spaghetti and koolaid faces!)

The kids were dancing and posing!

Jaden got to stay up late with Daddy and I went to bed! Today, we are going to Terre Haute to visit my parents and for the kids to get dressed up in their costumes!

Newly painted Bathroom cabinets

2009-10-23T16:04:00.002-05:00

I am happy with the paint on our vanity in the master bathroom. I was really tired of the builder oak cabinets! They are in our kitchen also, but I thought I would test it out where no one could see! Well, it worked. I am still looking for the perfect knobs. I might be stopping at Hobby Lobby tomorrow to check their's out.

Here they are!

Now, should I do the kitchen????

Costume Rehearsal Party and the Pumpkin Patch!

2009-10-23T07:24:00.007-05:00

On Wednesday, the Disney store had a costume rehearsal party. I was looking forward to this, but was slightly disappointed. Cassidy was excited to get her Cinderella dress on and she wanted her hair to be up just like Cinderella's! I can't believe how picky a 3 year old can be. Jaden wasn't sure if he was going to dress up, but he decided to at the last minute. The kids did not win any of the games, but they were very well behaved. I took them to the candy store afterward! I think they had a good time.

I have been sick for the past 2 weeks. I really can't wait to start feeling better again. All I have left is a bit of a cough, but I am so drained! I have been trying to keep up on everything though. I have realized that I can't just call a substitute teacher in when I am sick! So, we have been keeping up with school. Jaden is so smart though and has needed little help from me!

Yesterday, we took the kids to the pumpkin patch. The kids loved it and we had a great time. It was the best pumpkin patch we have been to!

They are growing!

While being sick and keeping up on everything else, I painted our bathroom vanity black! It looks good. I will post pictures soon! I still haven't gotten knobs or decided if I want to distress it or not. I also picked up a hutch last night to makeover! My list just keeps getting longer and longer......

Craft Sites!

2009-10-14T14:21:00.003-05:00

I have been trying to find new and fun crafts for myself and my kids! I have found so many! I thought I would share some with all of you!

1. http://dollarstorecrafts.com/

This one is great if you are looking for some cheap craft ideas!

2. http://www.skiptomylou.org/

I love this one! You can find everything from food to fabric craft ideas!

3. http://theidearoom.blogspot.com/

This is a stay at home mom with 5 kids! She has so many awesome ideas!

4. http://www.oneprettything.com/

Yet again, another site with food and craft ideas! I can spend all day on this site alone!

5. http://bedifferentactnormal.blogspot.com/

This one is new to me, but I can't wait to read all of her past posts! Looks good!

6. http://bedifferentactnormal.blogspot.com/

My son would love to do the penguin pumpkin on this site! Great crafts!

If you know of any good craft sites, please let me know!!!! Have fun looking at the ones I have listed!

Tutu For Sale!

2009-10-07T18:16:00.004-05:00

I have a Halloween tutu for sale on Etsy! I just wanted to let everyone know! It is marked at a special price!!!!

If you would like a tutu in a different color or size, please email me with measurements and colors! jandcsmom1@gmail.com

Thanks for your support!

Last Day of Disney Trip!

2009-10-07T08:07:00.003-05:00

We were sad to leave Disney, but happy to get home. I told the kids to say bye to our room and then we headed to Downtown Disney.

I picked up some Disney mugs for me and Jeff. We are still drinking out of those everyday! We had breakfast at Wolfgang Puck's. It was very good. I especially enjoyed sharing Cassidy's Corn Flake covered french toast. After we left Disney, we stopped at an outlet store and I picked up a few things. As we were heading to the highway, Jaden threw up! Yep, Cassidy vomited on the way to Disney and Jaden did on the way home! Crazy stuff. We had to get that cleaned up and then we headed home. The drive was SO long. I felt like we would never get home. We finally made it and everyone was tired. We all went to bed.
So, our trip is over and we can't wait to go back. I am already planning on going in 2011. If I could find a way to go next year, I probably would. I would love to find a good price on the Grand Floridian!

First Sale!

2009-10-03T17:32:00.002-05:00

I had my first sale today at Cassidy's Closet! Someone is the happy owner of a Disney colored hair bow! I am so thrilled! I hope to spend atleast one day a week working on products and getting them online! I can't wait to have a room full of products to sell!

Cassidy's Closet!

2009-10-02T08:30:00.003-05:00

Grand Opening!

That is right! I have started my own store on Etsy.com. Being just one income family and trying to homeschool is very hard! We have been trying to find a way for me to make some extra money. I am hoping this will work. So, I will be selling some of my handmade items on Etsy. I think this will be a great place for me to start. I have already set up my store and ordered some shipping boxes. At first, I will be selling tutus and hairbows. I hope to expand after I see the demand I have. So, if are looking for come cute things for your little girls, please help support Cassidy's Closet! I hope to be adding some items in the next few weeks!
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5090097

Thanks everyone for your support!

Disney Trip Day 6

2009-09-26T08:01:00.002-05:00

Our last full day in Florida was spent in Epcot. It was a lot more fun than I thought it would be. It is Jeff's favorite park. We went on Soarin first! Jaden said he did not like it, although, I think he secretly did. He went on it with Jeff and then with me. I love Disney's baby switch system. That worked well for us! I liked Soarin. It left me with a little bit of vertigo, but otherwise, it was a nice relaxing ride. Afterward, we went to the Seas. We got to talk to Crush from Finding Nemo. The kids enjoyed that! The Nemo ride was pretty cheesy!

We made it to World Showcase at Rope Drop! Cassidy was excited to see some of her favorite characters again!

Afterward, we headed to World Showcase. Jaden loved the Kim Possible mission. He had to save the world in whatever country they gave him. That was awesome. When we go back, we hope to let him do several other missions in different countries. We only did two countries because we wanted to check out other things. While Jeff and Jaden were saving the world, Cassidy and I had some fun with Mulan. She was so nice. She even played around with Jaden, which he didn't like! LOL

I had some awesome Moroccan food! Loved it!!!!

Here are some other things we enjoyed in Epcot:

For dinner, we headed to the Grand Floridian. We had reservations at 1900 Park Fare. We were looking forward to this. It was dinner with Cinderella and her stepsisters! We couldn't wait! It really was awesome. Cinderella even picked Cassidy to dance with! That was so cool. They made her feel so special. Of course, my favorite was the stepsisters and the "to die for" bread pudding with vanilla sauce! LOL

I have to say that the Grand Floridian is beautiful. If we ever have a chance to stay there, I will definitely go!

Afterward, we headed back to Epcot. Cassidy had a little accident there after playing in the water, so she had to wear her Cinderella dress the rest of the day.

We found a great seat to watch Illuminations and waited for abougt 45 minutes. It was by far our favorite fireworks show of all of the parks. After that, it was late and the kids fell asleep while we watched a show about the history of our country. I enjoyed a very good French sugar crepe. It was time to head back to the room. We were tired, but we hated for it all to be over!

I will post about our last day next time!

Day 5 of Disney Trip

2009-09-22T11:53:00.006-05:00

This was Hollywood Studios day. I knew this would probably be our least favorite day. I had heard from many people that is was more for teenagers. We noticed this just a few hours into the park. We headed to the younger area first. Cassidy enjoyed watching the Playhouse Disney Live, but I thought it was cheesy! But, Cassidy got to meet several characters she loves!

We enjoyed the stunt show. Jaden thought that was cool. Afterward, we ate at Pizza Planet. I was excited to eat there, as I love Toy Story! I even tried to win an alien with the claw, but I didn't. bummer..

The thrill of the day was when Jaden became a Padawan! We loved this!

We loved the Toys Story Mania ride. I really wish we had a Wii so we could get the game! I just know we would love that. Fantasmic was awesome and we had good seats! The day ended well with Fantasmic, but we were a little let down by the park itself.

Day 4 of Disney Trip

2009-09-17T20:29:00.009-05:00

This was my favorite day! We headed back to the Magic Kingdom. It was so nice, but I hated to leave.

We started the day off by going to breakfast at Cinderella's castle before the park opened! It was nice strolling down Main Street with very few people. Cassidy was very excited to see all of the princesses. Jaden was less than thrilled, but he made it through!

Making her wish!

Afterward, we headed into the park at rope drop!

I love this picture:

Jaden was excited to ride the rides in Tomorrowland. It was his favorite section of the park.

Cassidy met Tinkerbell, Fawn, and silvermist! We were so excited for her to see the fairies. Tinkerbell has been her favorite for quite some time now. Then, it decided to rain awhile. It didn't really stop us!

I must say, we all looked cute in our ponchos!

We met several more characters that day but was so excited to meet one of our favorites, Mary Poppins! She was delightful! And, Cassidy walked away and said, "Mommy, her lips are beautiful!". Hahaha

It was really sad leaving that day. I know that we plan on coming back in 2 years (more on that later), but it was still sad. We were tired and ready to leave, but it just feels so magical there.

Some of my favorite things about Magic Kingdom:

1. All of the cast members are friendly. They make it feel so magical there!

2. The characters made my kids feel like they were the only kids there.

3. Pirate Tutorial

4. Main Street

5. Monsters Inc Laugh Floor

6. Jaden's love for the Pirate's of the Carribean and the Buzz Lightyear ride.

7. Cinderella's stepsisters

8. And, yes, Cinderella's castle!

So, we were done with the Magic Kingdom. The next day, we were headed to Hollywood Studios.

Disney Trip Day 3

2009-09-11T18:38:00.009-05:00

Day 3 was Jaden's 6th birthday! He had picked Animal Kingdom for that day and Boma's at Animal Kingdom Lodge for dinner. We were hoping it would be an awesome day!
First, we went to guest services and got Jaden's free birthday gift card from Disney! That was so nice! Then, we headed to the Kilimijaro Safari ride. We watched a Rhino walk beside us. We also saw many other animals.

After that Jaden got his first Mickey ice cream!

We went in the tree of life and watched the Bugs Life show. Jaden did not really like that. We have learned on this trip that Jaden does not like 4d shows! Especially when he gets wet!

Cassidy met up with some friends:

We loved the Lion King show and Cassidy even got to participate! She loved that. Afterward, she got her first Mickey ice cream.

We enjoyed some more things at Animal Kingdom and then headed to Boma. We loved the dinner there. What an awesome buffet and service. Hopefully, we can go back there the next time we head to Disney!

I loved all of the views there. It was cool walking through "Africa" and seeing the mountain in the background.

It was an awesome day, but Jaden still liked Magic Kingdom better and couldn't wait to go back the next day!

Disney Trip Day 2

2009-09-08T15:00:00.009-05:00

On day 2 we had to wake up very early and go to the Contemporary Resort for Chef Mickey's breakfast. The kids were very tired! But, we made it there in time. They gave Jaden a birthday cupcake and he was very shy! He didn't want any of the characters to talk to him. Mickey even tried to trick him into a picture, but it didn't work very well! Cassidy had a great time hugging Goofy, Pluto, Minnie, Mickey, and Donald. But, she kept asking where Daisy was! We enjoyed the buffet, which had Mickey waffles on it!

Mickey's attempt to get Jaden in the picture!

Afterward, we made it to rope drop at the Magic Kingdom. We were so thrilled to get there on time!

Cassidy met a whole slew of characters on that day. We especially like the stepsisters. Cassidy asked them to sing for her and they did! They even remembered her several times during the day. Even at the parade!!!

We enjoyed the Dream along with Mickey show!

Jaden loved the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.

Cassidy got to meet Peter Pan and Wendy. Peter Pan is one of my favorite characters! So, that was very cool. She met more characters and we watched the parade.

We ended this day splashing in a lot of rain! But we had an awesome day! ( I forgot to mention that we ended day 1 with the fireworks at Magic Kingdom!)

Our Disney Trip Day One!

2009-09-06T14:24:00.010-05:00

We are back from Disney World. We had such a great time and will have lifelong memories of this trip. I will try to do a post for each day we were there.
Day One:
We left at 10:30pm on August 28th. We headed to the World of Coca Cola in Atlanta, GA. Before we got there, the kids woke up and Cassidy vomited 3 times! UGH! So, we cleaned her up and headed to Coke. We loved the museum. Cassidy was still feeling sick and Jaden realized he did not like the 4D theater experience. Little did he know, we would be watching several of them in Disney World! We loved meeting the Coke bear and tasting all of the 64 different flavors of Coke around the world. The kids even got to play in Centennial Park.

After the museum, we went to Fuddruckers to eat and then, on to Florida! We were so excited to finally get to Florida. We stayed in a motel for the night and then headed to Disney in the morning.

Our Room at Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa

We loved our room and the view to Downtown Disney! We didn't spend much time in the room, but it was very comfortable.

After we got our room, we walked to Downtown Disney and got Cassidy her ears!

We checked out the shopped and had a yummy treat at Goofy's candy shop. They messed up our order, and I ended up with a free treat! Oh, the magic of Disney!

After that, we went to the Magic Kingdom. They already had their Halloween decorations up, which was very cool to see. We headed straight to Dumbo and the carousel. But first, we had to meet some characters!

The castle and Main Street were beautiful. I could have spent all night there!

We watched the fireworks, which were amazing.

What is your excuse?

2009-08-20T09:06:00.001-05:00

Ridiculously cute!

2009-08-08T11:20:00.005-05:00

That is all I can say about Cassidy's Disney dresses!

Next post I will show my princess shirt and Jaden's Disney shirt!

Again, sorry

2009-08-06T11:24:00.007-05:00

It has been so long since I posted. It is just hard to find time anymore. I hate telling my kids to "hold on" because I am on the computer. So, I have been on here much less. I am also trying to do several things! But, still trying to stay sane! So far, here are some things that are on my list:

1. homeschooling (yes, we still do some learning in the summer)

2. providing healthy meals

3. planning our Disney trip

4. making hair bows for Cassidy

5. exercising
6. started a new Bible study
7. preparing for next year's MOPS

8. dealing with Jeff's stressful job situation
9. cleaning house
10. laundry
Oh my, this list could just keep going on. I am having a very hard time trying to get it all accomplished.

But, I have had some fun in the midst of all of that! Jeff had his 41st birthday! We didn't do much and his cake didn't really turn out the way I wanted, but it was a great time! My parents came over and we went to Five Guys for lunch! Jeff enjoyed a big hamburger (which I am sure he wouldn't enjoy it right now. more on that later!) We did that before his birthday. On his actual birthday, he enjoyed donuts for breakfast and a free hamburger at Red Robin!

At Dunkin Donuts

My itty bitty coconut flavored latte

I think he had a wonderful birthday!

I enjoyed my first Bible Study night. We just sat around talking and getting to know each other better. Next time, we will start talking about the first 2 chapters of "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World". I can't wait to read this. I know that I need it! I also wore a new SLEEVELESS shirt that night. Anyone who knows me well, knows that I do not wear sleeveless shirts! Well, out with that! I am embraced my arms and will be sporting several sleeveless shirts!

I bought 2 tube tops, this shirt, and a cute Disney tank top for our Disney trip! I hope they keep me cool enough!

Here are some of the bows I have been working on for Cassidy. She now wants me to put little Minnie embellishments in the middle.

Now, I am off to run on the treadmill! I hope everyone is having a great week! Next time, I will post some of the clothes we will be wearing for our trip. I am still waiting on the dresses I ordered!

Bangs

2009-07-22T06:59:00.004-05:00

Yesterday we had two dr appts for the kids. Just their annual checkups. We found a new doctor and was anxious to see how she was with the kids. Several things surprised me when I as there. First, they wanted Jaden to pee in a bowl on the potty. He has never had to give a urine sample. Of course, he couldn't go, so we didn't do it anyway. They checked his eyesight, it is good. They even tried to check Cassidy's eyesight. She didn't really want to do it. She acted shy. They had to get undressed and put a gown on. Jaden did not like that part! Wow, he didn't want the dr to see him in his underwear! hahaha. Anyway, to make it short, I didn't get a good impression of the dr. She would ask questions instead of telling me things. Ex: How much milk do they drink?, How is homeschooling going? Do you like it? How often do you do school? I told her we thought Cassidy seemed further ahead and she asked why. When I responded, she cut me off. What dr did they go to before, and then acted like she knew him ( I guess that MIGHT be possible). And the first thing, she acted like she remembered Jaden when she came in, but she had never seen him. We went to a different dr two weeks ago. Then, she proceeded to say that both of my kids have a heart murmur (which no one has ever told us!) and that Jaden's needs checked. Also, she said Jaden needs speech therapy for his r's. We will be taking him to the appt to get his heart checked, but I am going to try to work with him on his r's. Anyway, that was all very interesting!

Then, we went to the candy store(http://www.thesweetreatboutique.com/) next door! I just love that place. I didn't get any candy but saw several cool things I wanted! Like a cupcake necklace, sunglasses, cupcake bracelets, and all kinds of jewelry! I could spend a fortune there!

After the candy store, we took Cassidy for her very first haircut! She loved it. She got to sit on a horse and watch Dora! She now has bangs! She looks so cute!

Before After

Been awhile

2009-07-15T20:37:00.004-05:00

So sorry it has been awhile. I am spending so much less time on the computer and more time with my family and keeping up on housecleaning (although that will never be done!).

I took the kids to Lowes last week for a project. They got to make treasure chests! They can't wait until next week when they get to go make something else! What a great way Lowe's gives back to the community.

We enjoyed church again this Sunday! The kids also loved it. We plan on going to their class this Sunday to learn how we can become more connected with the church. I can't wait!

Today, we had a field trip to Traders Point Creamery. It was not what I expected, but it was nice to get out an spend some time with others. I don't think we will be going back, but I can't wait to visit Zionsville again! They have the neatest little shops and restaurants. I also noticed on the way to the highway they had some fabulous chain stores. I can't wait to go back. And it is not that far! Woohoo!

We don't have much going on the rest of the week, but Jaden has a birthday party to go to on Saturday! Can't wait!

Cute laundry!

2009-07-07T21:04:00.005-05:00

After the 5k on Sunday, we had a nice relaxing day. I made a yummy 4th of July dessert and we enjoyed some fireworks from the back of our suv! It was so much fun. I didn't even mind the rain!

Yesterday, the kids and I washed the car and played outside! We even found a trail close to our house! That was fun!

The kids also discovered the fun of sitting in the dryer! LOL

Today, we met some friends at the park for lunch. Jaden was being so good with the girls! What a guy!

Happy 4th of July and a 5k!

2009-07-04T11:51:00.005-05:00

I hope everyone is having a wonderful July 4th! We started the day off early with a 5k run! It was my first!!! And, definitely not my last! Loved it! Here are some pics:

As you can tell in the above picture, Jaden has been very sick. He has been sick for 3 days! It started with vomiting, and he still has diarrhea. He has been warm, but the thermometer has shown no fever. If he is still sick by Monday, he will be going to the doctor. I miss my energetic buddy!

The run was amazing. We ran on asphalt, grass, sand, and gravel. We even ran on a wooden bridge. What a great way to start our holiday. I feel so proud of myself. I celebrated by having a light mocha frappuccino afterward. MMMMM

Happy 4th of July! Happy Birthday America!

Splash Pad and PBS kids at the park!

2009-06-27T18:49:00.005-05:00

We have had a fun couple of days. We really needed it! Since Maddy's surgery, we have been home and going stir crazy! I needed the time out!

Yesterday, we met some friends at a park with a splash pad! The kids loved it. I felt really hot and still in a bit of a frump, but it really helped me!

Today, we went into the city for the annual PBS Kids in the Park day! Wow, this was just awesome. I wish Jeff could have gone with us! Cassidy loved all of the characters. We got to meet Miss Rosa, Super Why, Wordgirl, Duck from WordWorld, and Sid the Science Kid! We even had some italian ice out of a Reds helmet!

After the park, we went to the Children's Museum. It was so close and I thought the kids might like the surprise! Little did I know, it was the opening of the King Tut exhibit. It was busy! So, we just looked at a few things. Cassidy had to ride the carousel and Jaden actually rode it! Amazing!

We are glad to be home this evening. It was a long day! We don't have much planned for tomorrow. Probably some playing and cleaning. Jeff has to work, so we will probably skip church. It would be great to have some bible story lessons tomorrow!

Have a great weekend everyone!

100 miles!

2009-06-26T20:04:00.001-05:00

http://nikerunning.nike.com/nikeplus/v1/html/milestones/print_certif.html?id=1490552489&region=us&language=en&locale=en_us&dateFormat=MM/DD/YY

Getting nervous

2009-06-25T20:45:00.002-05:00

Wow, with this heat, I am starting to get nervous about my first 5k race! Will I be able to run in this heat? I am having a horrible time running on the treadmill for 3 miles. Maybe if I have a little bit of air hitting me, I will be better. I am hoping to eat very healthy this week and get my body ready for this. I am trying to put together a menu for myself for this week. It is looking something like this:

Sunday: Kashi cereal, veggie whole wheat wrap and grapes, spaghetti with salad

Monday: Kashi waffles, morningstar pizza burger on whole wheat wrap, omelets

Tuesday: Oatmeal, veggie whole wheat wrap, Wolfgang puck pizza (not very healthy, but I will cut up one slice into a big salad!)

Wednesday:Kashi cereal, morningstar burger on wrap, not sure about supper this night

Thursday: Oatmeal, salad, breakfast for supper

Friday: Oatmeal, morningstar burger, spaghetti with breadsticks and salad

I hope I can stick with this menu for the week. I hope to feel good. I am also going to start drinking about 2 liters of water a day. I can't stand water, but I need to do it for my body. I am just hoping I can do this! What a good feeling I will have on the Fourth of July! I hope Jaden will be able to finish his one miler!

I hope everyone is having a great week and have a good Friday!

Father's Day and a race!

2009-06-22T07:15:00.008-05:00

We had a wonderful Father's Day. I always feel so good after spending time with the family. Saturday night, we let Jeff open his cards and present so he would have the snacks for the baseball game that night. He loved it!

On Sunday morning, I fixed Jeff sausage gravy and biscuits and then we headed to the park! Maddy loved running around. But, she got tired fast.

After that, we headed to Terre Haute. My mom made hamburgers and hotdogs, macaroni salad, and some awesome desserts! (I had to come home and run last night, it was that bad! LOL) We had a great time playing Wii, cornhole, and croquet!

We had a wonderful weekend. Here are some random pictures of Maddy and Jaden by the pond:

This morning, I signed up for my very first 5k race! It will be on July 4th! I can't wait. Jaden is even going to run a one mile race! I can't wait! I will definitely be running every day to get ready for it. I want to run the whole thing without walking. I am also hoping for a time under 30 minutes!
I hope everyone has a great week!

Stamps for Sale!

2009-06-16T09:08:00.001-05:00

I am selling some of my stamps to save up money for our Disney Trip. We had to use our Disney fund for Maddy's surgery, but we are still wanting to take our kids to Disney. I hate getting rid of them, but we need the money at this time. Thanks and check out my items!
http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/jadensmom25_W0QQ_nkwZQQ_armrsZ1QQ_fromZ

It's been a long week!

2009-06-15T06:21:00.005-05:00

Wow, this week has been long. We have been in the house most of the week. I am hoping to get out some this week.

Maddy has been doing better every day! I am still praying that God would perform a miracle and get the cancer out of her! Yesterday, we even took her for a small walk. She was pulling and wanting to run!

Here are a few pictures of the things we were doing last week. Like I said, I hope we can get out of the house a little more this week!

Made some homemade crackers:

Last day of school!
More sleeping! Like I said, it was a very long week.
Jaden has been playing lots of baseball with me and Jeff. Here he is after a long game play!
Tonight, I will be going to a MOPS leadership meeting. I can't wait to get out of the house. Even better, our "theme" is desserts! YUM! I have a few ideas to get out there, but overall, I will be there to listen to everyone's ideas. I can't wait to see what others have come up with. If anyone reading this would like to join a MOPS group on the far east side of Indy, please comment! We would love for you to come this Fall!

Pink!

2009-06-11T08:39:00.004-05:00

Maddy is feeling better today. She is eating well, drinking all of the time, and walking a lot! When her meds aren't making her tired, she is following me everywhere and trying to get into things! Back to the same old Maddy! She is still moving slow though.

On our way home from the vet the other day, we bought her a pink shirt. She looks so much more comfortable wearing it!

We will be stuck inside again today. It is raining outside and we need to stay home with Maddy. She is wanting to jump on the furniture, but we are afraid how she will feel when she gets down. The funny thing is, she wasn't allowed on the couch before! What makes her think she can now? ;)
We are so close to being finished with school. Jaden only has 4 more worksheets in phonics! How exciting! We want to do something special for him, but money is becoming an issue right now. With Maddy's surgery, new foods, and meds, we are very tight on money. I think we will still make it to Disney if we really cut down. So, no spending unnecessary money for awhile! Probably not until after Disney!
Hopefully, I will have a little more to post than just Maddy soon. I need to start scrapbooking again soon. Maybe I can get some of the pages I finish up!
Have a wonderful Thursday everyone!

Our sweet Maddy....

2009-06-09T17:00:00.002-05:00

is home. Wow, I just don't know what to say. I can't wait to see her feeling better, but for now, I have to deal with the realization! She has three legs! One has been cut off! Wow, just wow. I can't even explain the feeling of looking at your dog with only 3 legs. I am sure it will get better as time goes on, but right now it is hard. The kids are fine with it! I can't believe how well the kids are! I think I prepared them well.

She whined a lot in the car, but I think she was just really tired. She has been laying on her bed since we got home! She even ate a little bit of food. I have been buying so many vitamins for her and we bought some all natural food and treats! I really need to work on my end of the miracle deal. I am sure God is hoping I will do everything I can to make it happen!

We love our tripawd! Check this site out:http://www.tripawds.com/

Surgery

2009-06-08T13:28:00.001-05:00

My dear Maddy is in surgery right now, 2:29 pm. Please pray for her.

4:00- Maddy is out of surgery and waking up! She did great! I can't wait to see my three legged dog!

Keeping busy but resting

2009-06-07T20:40:00.005-05:00

That is exactly what I have been doing recently. I didn't have any major plans last week, and I feel so relaxed and stress free. I am so glad, since we are dealing with Maddy's sickness. She has been at the vet's this weekend awaiting her amputation surgery tomorrow. We are all praying for her and hoping it will be a smooth adjustment for her. I really want her last months to be good ones.

Here we are on our way to the vet's office:

It was so hard leaving her there. But, we want the best for her.

Today, we had a picnic in the park. We had such a wonderful time. I just love seeing my kids grow up! They are just the sweetest kids ever! I think I have really noticed that this week, since things have been slowing down.

We had a wonderful day. I am hoping to get the house all cleaned tomorrow and ready for Maddy to come home Tuesday. I want things to be easy for her with only 3 legs. She probably will not be going up the stairs, so I want to make sure things are comfortable downstairs. I also want to make sure that all toys are picked up and everything is cleaned with natural cleaners.

I am praying that God will perform a miracle her! But, I know that we need to do our part.

Today, was a long but wonderful day.

New news!

2009-06-04T20:23:00.002-05:00

This is Maddy on her way to the vet for two more xrays! Wow, I think God is working some miracles here. Here xray showed no cancer in her body, just her leg. So, we will be taking her to a consultation for amputation tomorrow. I pray that all goes well and she can have the surgery. It is going to be a big financial strain on us and we might have to post pone our Disney trip. This is very sad, but Maddy is much more important than a vacation.

The days have seemed so long here. Maddy is starting to respond to her medicine and vomited several times outside today. I just wish there was more I could do for her.

The kids have been keeping busy. Jaden is almost done with school. He is done with every subject except phonics. We have 10 more pages! I can't wait until he has graduated kindergarten. First grade is going to be so much fun! I can't wait!

God bless everyone and please keep Maddy in your prayers. She is like a kid to us!

Sad news

2009-06-02T06:08:00.004-05:00

Our precious dalmatian, Maddy, was diagnosed with bone cancer yesterday. The vet said we could have up to 6 months with her, but very unlikely. She had a fever yesterday and we got some medicine we have to give her everyday. I hate seeing our hyper Maddy just laying around sick. It is going to be a very long summer.

We will miss you so much Maddy but until then, we are going to cherish every moment.

Today is her 9th birthday! We are going to have a birthday party for her this weekend. I am hoping to let the kids plan it and decide what they would like to do!

Memorial Day Weekend!

2009-05-26T21:29:00.006-05:00

We had a wonderful holiday weekend. On Sunday, we went to Terre Haute to visit my parents. It was my dad's 60th birthday! We had such a great time!

I noticed that a bird has hatched in our nest! It is so ugly! I hope it can survive!

Today, I decided to finally paint Jaden's room. He got to pick out the color and he even helped paint! I think it looks great. The color is actually darker than in the pictures. He also wants to get a big green dinosaur decal to put on the wall. I might be getting that soon!

The dentist!

2009-05-21T08:08:00.005-05:00

We have had an amazing couple of days! On Tuesday, we went to the park and to the library. We had such a great time together. The park is one that a friend told me about and I couldn't wait to take the trails there! It was so pretty!

Yesterday was the kids dentist appointment. I was nervous because Jaden has never liked going to the dentist! Wow, he did awesome! It probably helped that they had a room with a basketball goal in it. He loved it! Cassidy did scream and cry though. Hopefully, she will do better next time. We loved our new dentist!

Afterward, we took the kids out for ice cream and a surprise game of putt putt! They also had other fun things to do there. The kids had a blast!

Today, we have friends coming over and tomorrow is another playdate at the park! We will be going over to another friend's house on Saturday and then, to Terre Haute for my dad's birthday!

Have a great week!

Another favorite

2009-05-19T19:47:00.001-05:00

I am loving this song. Take some time to listen! LOVE IT!

Free To Be Me - Francesca Battistelli

Jaden's First day working

2009-05-18T08:35:00.004-05:00

Jaden went to work with Daddy yesterday! He was so excited! He actually did a lot of work and helped all of the guys out! We are so proud of him!

Jaden had a great time. He can't wait to go back.

While they were there, Cassidy and I went to Starbucks and Barnes and Noble. It was so nice spending quality time with her. She is such a sweet little girly girl. I see many coffee dates for us in the future!

Every year, when I put my Spring wreath out, the birds find and put a nest in it. Usually, the eggs do not survive, but this year, things are going well. I hope we have baby birds soon!

Baby Fever

2009-05-15T21:27:00.003-05:00

This week has been a long week. Jeff has been working more because of inventory at the store. This makes for some very long days for me. We haven't been up to very much exciting. Although, a friend of mine had her baby! A successful Vbac! I am so happy for her. Baby Delia is beautiful.This has not helped my baby fever! And it also doesn't help that my baby turned 3! Wow! Time just flies. I miss my little babies. I really doubt that anything will come of the baby fever and it will just pass. But, until then, I can't stop thinking about it. What a blessing little babies are! God is good.
Jaden's soccer game is cancelled for tomorrow. If it is not raining, we might head out to some yard sales. Although, the kids can't stand shopping anymore! We will also be doing some more Spring Cleaning. I am so tired of the clutter. We got the play room cleaned and organized. I will be homeschooling up there again soon!
Today was our last MOPS meeting of the year. I can't wait for our end of the year pitch in at the park in a few weeks. These ladies are truly a blessing. I enjoy their friendship. Next year, I will be the Creative Activities organizer and I can't wait. I am already planning on some very cool crafts! I hope to share a lot of them here.
Have a great weekend. Hopefully, I will have some pictures from the weekend up on Monday!

New tables

2009-05-12T10:09:00.001-05:00

We got some new tables for our family room and I couldn't wait to get up this morning and get them in their place! I love it. I would still like a new tv cabinet, but that will have to wait. I love getting new things for the house. It makes me want to clean!

Mother's Day!

2009-05-11T07:04:00.004-05:00

I had an awesome Mother's day yesterday! I woke up to breakfast in bed! Yum! I have to say that it was one of the best Mother's day gifts I have ever gotten. It is so relaxing to sit there and have breakfast brought to you and all of the dishes cleaned afterward. It was amazing! (thank you Jeff!)

Afterward, we went to Terre Haute to visit my parents. My mom made a brunch for us and some amazing Lime cake! I ate way too much! I will be exericising a lot today.

Some beautiful flowers from my mom!
Yesterday, I felt so blessed to have such a wonderful family. I am blessed to have two healthy kids. They are truly the best kids in the whole world!Today, I will be praying for a good friend. She went to the hospital at 4 this morning to have another sweet baby girl.

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-09T15:42:00.002-05:00

I want to wish a Happy Mother's Day to all of the mom's out there. I hope you have a special day. I know I am looking forward to a day all about me! ;)
I told my husband that I would like to have breakfast in bed tomorrow morning. I am very excited about that.

2 Nuts in a Shell

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve Eve!

I am back!

Cumberland Art Fair

So sorry

Blogs

Jaden is a rockstar!

4th of July

A New Fence!

Summer is here!

Summer!

New Phone!

Gaining!!! Ack!

Flying by.....

Busy Remodeling!

A Cinderella Birthday Party!

Stella!

Penguins, Cameras, and a Wedding!

Remodeling!

Recipe of the week!

Sorry, it's been awhile!

Do you need a laugh?

Recipe of the week!

It's almost Spring!

2010 Birthday Wishlist!

Winter Blues

On the road again

New shoes!

Valentine's Day!

Not feeling well.....

Still not the kitchen....

Cupcakes....finally!

Snow!

Decisions Decisions

New Cabinets, well, sort of.....

Dining Room and Healthy Pancakes!

I know, wrong room

Ktichen Before!

Kitchen inspiration!

Truly blessed

Snow and Cold!

Happy New Year!

Christmas break is almost over!

After Christmas

Our Christmas in pictures

Christmas, dog stress, and sleepovers

Jaden's beatboxing

Nacho's new sweater

It didn't last long....

It' been a busy month!

Thanksgiving recipes

~Maddy~

Gymnastics and Shiners!

Cassidy's bed is complete! *UPDATE*

Maddy

Craigslist and Princesses!

another bed....

Cassidy's Big Girl Bedding

Trick or Treating!

Leaves and Pumpkins!

Newly painted Bathroom cabinets

Costume Rehearsal Party and the Pumpkin Patch!

Craft Sites!

Tutu For Sale!

Last Day of Disney Trip!

First Sale!

Cassidy's Closet!

Disney Trip Day 6

Day 5 of Disney Trip

Day 4 of Disney Trip

Disney Trip Day 3

Disney Trip Day 2

Our Disney Trip Day One!

What is your excuse?

Ridiculously cute!

Again, sorry

Bangs

Been awhile

Cute laundry!

Cassidy's bed is complete! UPDATE