Posted by
Unknown
,
3/6/11
WOW what a weekend! My oldest daughter who just turned 6, won an overnight stay for 4 to Kalahari Water park resort in Sandusky. We were able to use it on her post birthday weekend which made it even a sweeter deal for her!
On this mini vacation a lot of realizations filled my mind. The drive was a very scenic relaxing drive.. we took our time getting there... We drove through parts of Ohio that were just now getting out of being under water. We were in AWE... stunned... unbelief of how badly flooded this area of Ohio was/is. We realized how blessed we are... and how awful and horrible these people have it. I was talking to an employee at the Mcdonalds in the area... and she said "Yes at least today I was able to drive to get to work today". WOW.
In my head.. my children are still my babies... and without knowing ..I don't want them to grow up. And on certain occasions I REALIZE this... lol this being another one of those times. Kalahari has this amazing wave pool! Abigail wanted badly to go in. I was petrified to even think to let her go in. So we tempted with the shallow end which only made her desires to go in even more... now.. keep in mind that this is the child who screams when you get water in her face when getting her hair washed! Kalahari has this AWESOME rule.. (which i didn't like at first) kids under a certain height MUST wear a life-jacket in all water areas. Well... I caved and let Abigail go further in the wave pool with me in arms reach of course... MAN O MAN did we get knocked around, under and over and into each other... the 1st 20 minutes I WAS NOT HAVING FUN.. trying to watch her, catch her and hold myself up at the same time was NOT my idea of fun. Then as I stood catching my breath... i see this amazing beautiful little girl having the time of her life... jumping the waves... going up and down under the water like she was a fish! SERIOUSLY I was in AWE! It was then I REALIZED that my little girl is growing up even more!
I'm sure that if I think harder I can think of a TON more of realizations... but the last one I will leave you all with is that ... I realized this mini vacation was NOT LONG ENOUGH! lol
PS... one more thing... I think God was also teaching me a lesson in it all too..all the worrying I do.. if i just sit back.. catch my breath... I can see HIS work in AWE too!
AMAZING how much I realized this weekend!

Posted by
Unknown
,
2/13/11
I really do love Valentines day! I always have.. from being in grade school I remember getting to decorate my valentines box. I don't really remember all the valentines I received or didn't receive.. I was all about giving mine. Now that I am a mom and we.. err I mean Abigail gets to make her own valentines box... and getting ready for the big valentines party with all the snacks to bring in.. and valentines to send... I am literally like a kid in a candy store.. I am so excited.. but not to receive.. but to give. I started making these Valentine cake truffles at 1030pm last night and my husband said.. who are these for.. I said .. I dunno I'll find someone. I have 2 dozens someones to find... hahah. But I get it. For GOD so loved US that He gave His SON JESUS! WOW.. that's what I wrote on all my basketball players valentines. IT seems so simple.. so childlike that scripture... but OH SO TRUE.. I can just see God face when one of his children realizes the GIFT that they have been given.. the smile on his face... the joy that it brings him... just for us to receive his SON.. his ONE AND ONLY SON. WOW ... and to top it off with whip cream and strawberries ( i don't like cherries).. WE get to be the ones to tell others about this great gift..WOW...
I am amazed at how God reveals things and speaks to us.. I came on here to blog about my Cake Truffles...
Hope everyone has a great Valentines day... enjoy the pics of my pink and red chocolate makings.



Posted by
Unknown
,
2/10/11
I AM going to try these this weekend!
Sweet and Savory by Sarah: Cake Truffles For Valentines Day: "I've attempted to make cake balls in the past and it turned into an epic fail. I did a couple of things wrong (how you do this wrong,..."
Posted by
Unknown
,
2/4/11
I have had some Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust in my fridge and needed to do something with them, so I came across these mock pop tart ideas. I had Strawberry Jam, Homemade and store bought that I used, sugar sprinkles, food coloring and cream cheese frosting. Pampered Chef has these wonderful Easy Accent Decorating bottles that made icing the larger goodies so easy.
The smaller strawberry goodies were a little more complicated, just because of the size, I could have used a slightly larger cookie cutter if I had one and the filling would have not kept oozing out. lol These were by far the easiest and more fun for my 4 year old.
The Larger strawberry goodies were easier to fill and more fun for Mommy to decorate.
Easy, Fast, Simple and ingredients on hand!
Enjoy!
Posted by
Unknown
Well this week has been another crazy. School on Monday, then 2 snow days, back to school on Thursday and then my oldest daughter wakes up with what looks like the onset of pink eye.. so now a sick day. On top of that.. I have been sort of sick myself. Although I don't feel sick, let's just say I have the symptoms that come with being sick. I can't keep food in. This has been going of for 3 days now. And NO I AM NOT PREGNANT! (lol).
So after dropping off my little ones at my mother in laws (i don't want a pink eye epidemic to break out in my house) we both came home and rested. Then it was time to take my middle daughter to school. On the way home I kept thinking what can we do that is educational as well as fun. YEAH ITS CRAFT TIME!
So we searched online at different ideas and we both loved this one. We added our own little flare with the rhinestone gems. We were able to sound out words, write the sounds we hear, have fun and get our craft on!
Enjoy!
These will soon be taped on our front door as soon as i figure out where the little ones put my tape roll. : )


Posted by
Unknown
,
1/28/11
So this week has been so crazy.. outside of the normal crazy lol.. 1st Aubrielle was at her Granna's house 2 hours away spending some quality time for her birthday, but right before she left she had a light case of croup. We dropped her off Saturday, then Sunday was a typical day... Monday... i got the touch of the stomach flu... by bed time Weston my youngest started the bark.. so like it was routine.. daddy and i went in to motion... Daddy got the coats and the blankets while mommy got her shoes on and grabbed little Wes to go outside for a breathing treatment or what we called "going to see the snowman". I bet my neighbors were wondering what was up for the past week with me and a bundled up kid taking a walk down our driveway.. oddly enough it works... ... for a few hours.Then Tuesday I get a call.. my Aubrielle is missing mommy.. so in the car we go.. meet 1/2 way to get her... and then the next 3 nights mommy would stay home from work and every other hour tend to her sick little Wes. Fever, coughing, choking not breathing.. HORRIBLE case of the croup. During the day time though.. u would think nothing was wrong with him.. so I got to be a SAHM this week. Of course I was not prepared with all sorts of craftiness things to try out... so as you read from my previous post I ended up with just photo cards.. but FREE PHOTO cards for Valentines this year. BUT... today my last day as a SAHM we decided to do crafts... took an idea from my dear Friend Susie Chadwick at Mommysavers.com

Aubrielle had a blast making this picture today and while she was gluing.. i tried another idea from Familyfun.com I tweaked it a little bit.. here is the concept
And here is my tweeking... everything to make this was already lying around my house. I made Tissue paper flowered top pencil bouquet! WOW that is a mouthful! This is going to make a nice bouquet gift for GRANNA.. SHhhhhhhh!!
Hope you are having a last minute craftiness day like me! Now I need to get crafty and pack 3 kids my husband and myself for a weekend getaway to GRANNA's!!
Posted by
Unknown
So below is last years card.. i was feeling really creative.. this year.. well i have had a lot of sickies.. and kids now in school so not so much time.. so as you can see by prev post... i just got camera crazy... and utilized free cards from shutterfly!
The cropping is not the greatest here.. my mom still has her card uneaten.. and hanging in her hallway! Sooo Cute!
Posted by
Unknown
,
1/26/11
Posted by
Unknown
,
1/18/11
I have a 5 year old who insists on never eating chicken unless it is a nugget or a patty, refuses to eat pork chops unless it is drenched with ketchup and she sits at the table forever... beef ya right... I honestly believe its not that she doesn't like it... it is a texture thing. She eats certain vegetables pretty good, fruit great... cereals.. wonderful.. toasts... etc... but just not her proteins.
I have tried the supernanny approach... calm ... "ok honey... but you don't get your snack tonight. Well now she approaches us... Mom I am done and I dont want any snack tonight.... (plate still has chicken/beef or pork on it) and she is fine with NO SNACK. SO that is not working.
I am trying hard not to get upset and frustrated cause she wont eat. My other 2... they can eat enough for a NFL football team. I long quit being a short order cook well before she was 3. I have even incorporated the jingle... "You get what you get and you don't throw a fit" (the girls love to use that on each other for EVERYTHING) ... The phrase.. "the kitchen is closed" and it is to the point now where she could careless if she doesn't eat or drink anything else the rest of the night.
I recently searched online for food charts ... like a rewarding type system... but I am not real sure how i feel about that... I have posted the link to the website... it seems great even has games for kids to see how important it is to eat every part of the pyramid and is set up for different age groups.
So.. I am asking all moms out there... ANY ADVICE. I know being consistent is the key and we have been. We have also tried different approaches. I have heard everything from.. she will eat when she is hungry... to kids know when they are full... (full of what ...lol). She is healthy... she is not under weight... SHE JUST WONT EAT MEAT (unless McDonalds is attached to it lol)