Every once in a while they shock ya...

So I am not the only parent with children who make countless projects at school that they treasure... I am also not the only parent with children who thinks they are the best creation ever and must be kept forever... I am also not the only mother of four children who asks herself the same question every day when cleaning off the counter/table...
Do they really need to know they made this one 10-20 years down the road or can I throw it away and it will be forgotten by tomorrow at 4pm???

Well every once in a while they shock me with something I just can't let go of. Something where taking a picture and storing it in an album will not do the creation it's justice. Give it's 15 minutes of fame, or even become all it can be in "all it's glory"!!! Now some have been a handprint ornament at a certain age that I don't want to forget, or the first story they have ever written, and some just "weigh" on your heart that you can't bear to let go of them... Well on December 14th, Elli brought one that just had to stay. It was cute, it was creative, it was heavy enough to handle our 35 mph winds we have been experiencing. Don't believe me? I have included a photo for proof :)

Awesome Happenings and Blue Print Sketches!!!

My friend has some awesome things going on here !!!

Something new up my sleeve!!!

Tastefully Simple has long been a favorite one stop seasoning shopping location of choice for me. They are pre-mixed, generalized, and often make most foods taste great! My husband has been a HUGE fan of the seasoned salt, and though I am too, I just can't see paying $8.99 for a bottle of spices. So I have searched long and hard for a replacement and I think I found it. I started cooking with it before telling Dan about it. All of a sudden I started getting the question "what did you put in this??? It tastes fantastic!!!" and then I turn around and look stupid.

This is my secret weapon. I highly suggest it, a little goes a long way. $2.29 here, check it out in your store.

I am pretty sure I have the best Secret Santa EVER!

I have had the hardest day today. Just one of those days where you're like a kid sitting in front of the T.V. hoping that your school district is the next one to flash on the screen. I woke up at 5:30 on my own and immediately turned it on because with what I drove home in last night, our district was bound to close. Blizzard conditions, made the national weather news, and let's not forget 2-4 inches of snow with 35 mile an hour winds making it -31 degrees!!!!

To my dismay, no school closing, four kids to bundle up from head to toe, and tons of work to catch up on. So no matter my attitude, I was going to work. The day flew by, feeling like all I did was answer questions and help others get their stuff done. I brought Dan the truck so he could pick up the kids, and rode home with my co-worker. All turning positive, but there was so much ahead of me that I knew walking in the house would make me feel defeated! But I sure wasn't going to stay outside!!!

So as I walked in the door, greated by "moooooommmmmmmmmmmmmmmyyyyyyy!!!!!" I noticed a white box in the entry way with my name on it! I was so super excited!!!

So instead of helping with dinner, instead of checking the kids homework, instead of stopping to go potty, I run into the kitchen, grab a knive and start opening the box!!! I am so glad I did because my Secret Santa totally brightened my night!!!

See for yourself!







These stockings are absolutely beautiful and we have never had stockings for all 6 of us with our names on them!!! The kids are so excited for Christmas morning now!!





My friend Dre has this awesome shop, The Blue Gecko Candle Company and I have admired her tarts for so long and as she has told me all about the scents I have drooled and hoped that some day soon I could buy one! Well I don't have to wait any longer!!! WOO HOO!!!

Should I tell you who my SS is???? Hmmmmmm.....











Kacie! Thanks so much for all you have done for us, you have gone way above Secret Santa as far as I am concerned, you have truely brightened our Holiday Spirit!! A million Thank Yous to you and I hope you have a Happy Holiday!!!

I wish it was this warm...

I don't drink beer... I don't like beer... but I feel like this beer label is laughing in my face at the blistery cold temperatures that are outside my door!
I am so thankful that today I rode home with my co-worker who's car has seat warmers :)

Just one picture of SIX!

And I am still not sure we got one!





I really think my children are more like 99.999% monkey...

Decorating at my parent's house...

So my step-dad has Degenitive Osteo Arthritis and this year has finally gotten the better of him. He has spent most weekends home in bed because traveling for work is taxing him. So Dan helped out this year which made some funny memories!

Here is Camryn trying to help my mom put togehter a snowman when she obviously needed her glasses, LOL!

These are my abominal snow girls....


My brother posing as Chester the Molestor... or a robber, still not sure.

Yes I know he's crazy! Guess what word he was saying here?!?!?!?!


The Girls all trying to make a snowman, who was sqare shaped (I was too flippin cold to go back and get the picture over at the neighbor's with no boots on!!!)

The girls thanking Sunshine for the Hot Chocolate!

More Holiday Decorations, I just love the santa's etched on the glass!

The Holiday Express is HERE!!!

The school puts on this great event every year and we just LOVE IT! The kids get to see santa, listen to Mrs. Claus read stories, shop for family with helpers, make ornaments, eat junk food, and hang out with friends and the parents FINALLY GET TO MEET!!! It's a social event, they look forward to it, and it's FREE! Cam was excited to go, can you tell???


So here are the highlights!!!


The main attraction? Yes, the "Santa's Helper" was a big hit, don't ya love Elli's tummy shot?





Mr. Jason just loves to find Camryn and distract her. Then again his wife and son were galavanting in the festivities and he was left all alone, LOL!

There was graphiti..

There were art projects...


There was singing....

And there were treats!

Mrs. Claus reading stories to the kids!



And then it was time to go!

Born Drama Queen

Some days I wonder if I was supposed to submit her to some contest where she could be "found", ya know?

I wish there were more glimmers...

So Mikayla is getting older, there is no denying it. Not when she has a mouth, an attitude, and stomp followed by a door slam like no other. She's in 4th grade now and between school, the gifted program, and school activities, we just feel like she's finally getting to that stage where she is pulled more by her peer's opinion than ours. We knew it would happen, we were pretty sure it would happen soon, but I am not sure we thought she would be so capable of fury at this age. She is short with her siblings and often snaps as an automatic response to everything. As a parent it's challenging to begin with but the longer I work outside of the home, the more I become impatient with this attitude. Doesn't she know how lucky she is to be surrounded with her core family? She's not a child of divorce, she's not a child of a blended family, she's not the child of uninvolved parents. So I guess I wonder "What does she really have to gripe about? It could be worse!" And I know being the oldest is hard, it makes you patient, even when you don't want to be. I know that with four kids, the house is loud, it can make you crazy at times. I know that it's frustrating when others get into your stuff. I just wish she would breathe before she reacts, yk?

And as I see this negative behavior, I do get infuriated with the explosiveness of it all. I find myself using breathing activities quite a bit! And then WHAM! This small little random act of kindness glimmers in front of me. She will do something so nice, so selfless, so remarkable that I will often find myself asking, is this my kid? Is this the kid that just screamed at a sibling for not sharing markers? No... it can't be! And then I am proven wrong. It's her, I am getting through to her, we are starting to see her use the information around her, the teachings we have tried to instill, and her own self making the "right" decisions! It's this glimmer of hope that she is going the way she needs to in decifering right from wrong, good from bad, and consideration instead of selfishness.

All school year her gifted program has been earning something called Hartmann Hearts. They represent $$$. At the end of every trimester they are holding an auction (prizes bought by the teacher) and they need to bid in their range. Now there are several things available to them... music, lip gloss, jewelery, books, all sorts of toys and more. Mikayla had $450 Hartmann Hearts and that was a decent amount of money to bid with. So when she has the opportunity to bid on things I know she loves I think of what her normal reaction is. To get what she wants because she wants it. Mikayla took a different route. She knew that Camryn made it 7 weeks going seizure free and she wanted to help Camryn celebrate with a "prize". So she bid on a doll she knew that Camryn would love. Just to do something for her sister. Now tell me that doesn't say something....