Something fun to share

Since Ted has been working nights I've been kind of lonely at night. Tonight I decided to try out something new just for fun and to pass some time.

 

 Apparently if you write on a coffee cup with permanent marker and cook it in the oven it becomes permanent. I decided to give it a try and it actually worked. After making it I thought what cool gifts they could be. You could make one for a friend or give your kids some permanent markers and a plain coffee mug and let them make a masterpiece.

 

Write on a coffee mug with permanent marker and then cook for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. So simple. Have fun!

 

 

'Tis the season to be thankful

 

I love this time of year its full of family, friends, and festivities. Today, Ted asked me what the date was and for some reason it slipped my mind that its already November! Wow, time sure does go by fast. once I said November 1st it reminded me of thanksgiving and all that I have to be thankful for. I know its still a little early but I just had a urge to write it all down. 

 

 

 

 

1. I am thankful for my relationship with Jesus. Yes, this isn't something new for me but my relationship with him has definitely become stronger this year. When we moved to Bloomington we left our old church because the commute was a little longer then we liked. We continued to search for a new church for over a year and just never found one that had everything we were looking for. During our search I felt lost and a little out of touch. We had heard from numerous people to try the church across the street from our house. I don't know why it took so long, but we eventually tried it out and our first service was the Thanksgiving Eve service. During this past year Ted and I have grown so much and both made a decision to get Baptised. Such an amazing experience to share with the one you love. My relationship with Jesus is the most important thing in my life and I feel like I am truly grabbing a hold of that.

 

2. I am thankful for my Husband. Oh boy, where do I even begin. He is a man of so many wonderful qualities. He always makes sure I know I am loved by him. He works his tail off for our family and that is HUGE .. without him we wouldn't have food on the table and a roof over our head. He is an amazing father with lots of patience. He is a loving husband who has loved me unconditionally through everything pretty and ugly. He is the best listener.. I love how when I'm down and a little bit off track he can tell and always has the best advice - Sometimes he knows me better then I know myself... not all the time only sometimes haha! I am thankful for him each and everyday!

 

3. I am thankful for my kids. Where would I be without those precious boys? Honestly, I cant imagine my life without them.  I recently learned that we need to embrace the season were in and right now I am in a season of taking care of a 'want to be teenager' and a toddler. They both are in separate seasons of there life as well and I get the privilege to guide them along and experience the seasons with them. It's such an amazing feeling to watch them grow and become more independent. I am so thankful for having this opportunity and wouldn't change our fast paced life for anything.. eventually we will be in a different season of life and I want to enjoy this one while it lasts.

 

4. I am thankful for my friends and family. I put friends and family together because my family are my friends and my friends are my family!  I have amazing parents who are so supportive in our lives and always willing to help with anything we need .I have truly been blessed in this department all around! I have the best siblings who are more like best friends. I can count on anyone of them for just about anything and I have a special relationship with each one of them individually. They fill my life with so much love. All of my friends are so wonderful. I have a best friend who I have known since the 6th grade.. she is one of the godmothers to Brody and I am so thankful that she is still part of my life. I could go on and on about all the great friends I have but this year I just feel that my life have been overflowing with wonderful friends both old and new! You are all so important to me.

 

5. I am thankful for my job. I don't think its fair to even call it a job because it doesn't feel like work. Sure, I have my days where I feel tired and worn out but that comes with almost anything in life. I love having a house full of kids that feel like family. I like how I have so much love for each one of them. They make our life super fun! It's so amazing to watch my kids create relationships with the kids I watch. They truly become like family and there isn't anything better then that!

 

I am thankful for so many different things and people in my life but I only have enough time tonight to share my top five. It's such a great time of the year and I just wanted to acknowledge a few things in my life that have brought me true happiness. Bless you all.

 

Also a little side note.. There is only 53 days until christmas!! I need to get shopping...

A little note for Devin

 

 

 

I saw this and it made me think of Devin and Brody. I also instantly started thinking of why this was true.

 

1. When Brody drinks his milk he always says "I'm drinking all my milk so I can get as strong as Devin."

 

2. Brody says, "when I get as big as Devin can I  _________?" (Build lego castles, ride my bike without training wheels, have sleepovers..etc.."

 

3. "Mom, can I pick up dog poop like Devin does?" (one of my favorites)

 

4. "When I get as big as Devin I am going to play soccer like he does."

 

5. "Devin gave me a hug so my owwie is all better."

 

 

 

Devin, I hope you know how special you are. Thanks for being the best Big brother. :)

 

Getting closer and closer to being a teenager...

Today is Devin's 10th Birthday.. Yes, he is out of the single digits and he couldn't be happier. We celebrated his birthday last weekend. Although there is no party today I told him that he could pick his all time favorite meal and I would make it for the family tonight.. He picked Breakfast for dinner! We have a few gifts for him after school and one other surprise. I just love birthdays!

 

Note to Devin:

Devin, where do I even begin.. there are so many great qualities about you. I love that you are a sweet, kind hearted, outgoing, competitive young man.  Yes, I can officially say young man now that your 10 years old. I have so much love for you and that will NEVER change. I have some awesome memories with you. You know one of my favorites is when we decided to take scooters down the huge hill at our old house and Daddy was laughing at us. You were so tough for being only 5 years old and you watched me go first and then you said "okay here I come" and you were flying down the hill and as I watched you get closer and closer to me your hands were wobbling and I knew you weren't going to make it. I remember a panic setting into my whole body.. I didn't know what to do. How was I going to stop you from falling?..  Then CRASH.. You fell to the ground. I ran up to you and daddy came running down the hill. I was so scared you were going to be hurt but you looked up at me with those cute blue eyes and said "I can't rub dirt on this one." You were totally fine and even asked to do it again. Anyways, the whole point to my story is that the panic that was in my stomach that day never goes away. It comes back every time I'm waiting to see you walk of the bus, every time you ride your bike, every time your at the park, every time your sad, hurt, or angry.. The feeling comes from love. I love you so much that I can't stand to see you hurt or sad. Devin, you have showed me so many great things in life but honestly one of the best things is you taught me how to be a mom.. you taught me that I no longer can think of myself first, you taught me unconditional love.. no matter what you do or say I will continue to love you more and more each day. I love that you have a heart for God, you are always so worried about hurting other peoples feelings, you are the most amazing Big brother!. I love you so much kiddo thanks for giving me the best life above and beyond anything I could have ever imagined. So, today we are going to celebrate that you have been on earth for 10 years.. but after today lets slow down on the growing.. :) Xoxo

 

 Sweet little boy.

 This was the day I dressed Devin up as a girl. Ted came home from work and saw him and got mad.. Devin and I still joke about it to Ted. There is better pictures of it.. this was the one he approved for my blog.

 Love how his personality shows in this picture.. He just climbed into bed with is aunt and uncle.

 

Agh.. He grew up way to fast.

God you are higher then any other..

I have to say that every day I am thankful for everything I have been blessed with. Today, I had an overwhelming feeling of thanks more than I normally have.  I am  overjoyed with everything in my life!

I was baking cookies for my husband and his friend for their camping trip this week. As I'm placing them on to the cooling rack I was thinking to myself about how much I truly have, how much God has blessed us with, and how amazing everyone in my life is.. especially my husband. I've had a struggle with what my true calling is and if what I'm doing day after day is what I'm supposed to be doing. Well, it hit me today!  I put the next set of cookies in the oven stopped and looked out the kitchen window to see my handsome little son standing on the swing set with a pretend phone to his ear playing who knows what.. it hit me a little harder.. I then walked into my bedroom to make sure Eden was sleeping safe and sound. As I was walking back to the kitchen my eyes filled with tears. Good tears of course!

I have more then I could have every imagined for myself at 23 years old. I have such a loving husband who loves me for every flaw and imperfection's I have.. he truly loves me through good times and bad. I have 2 handsome boys who have overflowed my life with love and have taught me so much about myself. I have the best job ever.. it showed me that I have so much more love to give. I have so many friends and family that just fill my life with love, care, and fun! What more could I want?!

 

 I truly feel like God spoke to me today at that very moment I believe more then ever that this is where I am supposed to be. It kept hitting me harder and harder as I continued to go about my morning.. these are things that I do and see day after day but it was like my eyes and heart were open to truly see it for what it is. I am blessed to have a husband to bake for, I am blessed to have kids who melt my heart when I watch them play, I am blessed to have a job that I have so much love for! I have all those things plus a loving father in heaven who continues to fill my life here on earth with blessings beyond what I could have ever imagined for myself. I completely put my trust in him.  Truly, I am counting my blessings today....

 

 

 

Baking on a hot day!

     We had the privilege to have my mom here from Florida for 10  11 days.(she missed her flight and we got a whole extra day with her lol) We had lots of fun visiting the zoo, playing outside, going to our church BBQ, the state fair, and just hanging out. Wednesday, it was super hot out which unfortunately kept us indoors for most of the day. We found a couple fun recipes off of Pinterest and decided to give them a try. They both turned out really well and were super fun to make with kids. They were easy recipes with common ingredients. Of course, we had to sample them!

 

The first one we made was:

 

Cake Batter Rice Krispies Recipe

 

 Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp. butter
• 1 (10 oz.) bag of mini-marshmallows
• 1/3 cup yellow cake mix (the dry cake mix, not prepared into a batter!)
• 5 cups crispy rice cereal
• 1 (1.75 oz.) container of sprinkles

Method:

Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat and add marshmallows. Stir until they begin to melt, adding in (dry) cake mix one spoonful at a time so its combined. Stir in cereal so it is completely coated with marshmallow mixture. Sprinkle in half of the sprinkles and mix. Press into a baking dish (any size will do) and top with remaining sprinkles. Let sit for about 30 minutes before cutting. I find spraying a knife with nonstick spray helps to cut them.

 

 

Nana and Brody with the finished product

 

We also made 'Peanut butter pretzel bites'

 

Ingredients:

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2 tablespoons softened butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

Pretzels

1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Line a baking sheet with wax paper and set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat peanut butter and butter until combined. Scrape down bowl, add sugars and beat until combined. You should be able to roll the mixture into balls without sticking to your hands. If needed, add more powdered sugar until you reach a consistency that is easy to roll.
3. Roll the mixture into small balls, about 1 teaspoon of mixture for each ball, and place on prepared baking sheet. Sandwich the balls between two pretzels and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
4. Melt the chocolate in a metal bowl over a pan of lightly simmering water. Stir occasionally until smooth, and remove from heat. Dip each pretzel bite halfway into the melted chocolate and place on the prepared baking sheet. Chill in refrigerator until chocolate is set.

 Helping Auntie Mellie Mix.

 Don't forget to have a taste tester!

 Enjoy!

Clean floors

I don't know about you but, having two kids, two dogs, and a husband my floors can be filthy at the end of the day. I feel like I am washing my floors almost everyday to keep them clean. I've tried almost everything on them from Pine sol to natural products from Melaleuca. I have to say I've been pretty satisfied with everything, but nothing was above and beyond was I was hoping for. So, I went to my good friend pinterest and looked up different ways to clean your floors.

I found out that if you combine Dawn Dish Soap, Vinegar, and Baking Soda apparently it's supposed to work well. Yup! They were right! It has to be by far my favorite and most fun floor cleaner. (I say fun because when you mix the vinegar and baking soda it fizzes up.Whoo hoo... floor cleaner and a science project!!) Anyways, I just wanted to share with everyone else who has to clean there floors as often as I do! Here's the recipe!

Heavy duty floor cleaner recipe:

* 1 cup white vinegar

*  1 tablespoon liquid dish soap

*  1 cup baking soda

*  2 gallons tap water - hot

I first filled up my bucket with the hot water, then added the vinegar, baking soda, and dawn dish soap. I felt like when I added the stuff when the water was running that the dish soap created to many bubbles and then I had a bubble mess on my floor.

Hope this works as good for you as it did for me.. Enjoy!

Here's to 2 years and many more to come....

     Today marks the day that I have been married to my wonderful husband for two years! Our wedding day is still fresh in my mind like it was yesterday It was a beautiful august afternoon at Bethany Lutheran Church in Minneapolis and then we had our reception at the Fort Snelling Ballroom. We were surrounded by about 250+ of our closest friends and family. It was the perfect day to celebrate the first day of the rest of our lives as a married couple.

     I remember it being very hot in the church because there wasn't any air conditioning,  but when I was saying " I Andrea take you Ted.." I remember looking deep into my husbands eyes and knowing that there was a reason that God had placed us in each others paths and it was simply meant to be. I look back and thought I couldn't possibly love him any more at that very moment we were standing before the Lord and all the people we love dearly... my heart was pouring with love, but now that two years have passed I know I will continue to love him more and more as each day passes. A few years ago Ted gave me a bracelet that said 'I love you today, more then yesterday, less then tomorrow - Love Ted' Probably one of my favorite things he has ever given me as a gift because it describes exactly how I feel about him too. Everyday he seems to amaze me with his caring, kind, and loving heart.

     Ted, I remember the very first day I met you like it was yesterday. I remember you working night shifts and you would call me on your breaks at like 3 in the morning and I'd lay there half awake on the phone just to hear your voice for a couple minutes. I still remember our first official date was Go-carting and I beat you in the race ( I know you say you let me win but lets be honest I won that race fair and square!) I remember staying up late to watch the hockey games, I remember when we were standing in the kitchen and I turned around to find you on one knee saying how you wanted to spend the rest of your life with me, I remember finding out I was pregnant and you held me and promised to be the best dad to this little baby, I remember giving birth to Brody and you were so supportive and loving, I remember saying "I do" and marrying my best friend.. all these memories will never fade you have kept all your promises (except the melting pot.. its been 4 years since you said you would take me there) now we can keep looking forward to making many more great memories together as a family. I love when I catch you playing with boys and you don't know I'm watching, I love when we laugh together, I love that you work your butt off to support our family of 4, I love that you make sure I know how much you love me, I love your sense of humor, I love that you can laugh at my clumsy self instead of getting mad at all the things I drop, break, and ruin, I love that you have overcome 7 years of being sober, I love that you have love for the Lord, I love that you are always yourself and never put on an act.. I love so many things about you those were just a few. Thanks for being the man I dreamed about when I was younger, a constant support system, a best friend, a loving father, and thanks for being my husband. I can't wait to keep spending the rest of our lives together, and I am so thankful for you everyday. I will never stop loving you.

Love always,

Your wife xoxo



My not so little baby...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO BIG BOY BRODY!!!!

Brody is 3 years old today.. yes, that's right 3! Jeez, I cant even believe how time flys.. I remember when I first laid eyes on him three years ago.

When I first found out I was pregnant with Brody I was so nervous I was only 19 years old and engaged to my now husband. We were not planning on getting pregnant before we were married, but I have to say Brody was the best surprise of my life. I have my husband to thank for being a constant support system through that pregnancy. I have grown so much as a person because of Brody. God sure blessed us with a beautiful son!

Brody is my strong willed, wild, crazy, silly, funny, stubborn, and loving little child. He has a heart for god at 3 years old. Being able to witness him 'growing up' is one of the best rewards. I love watching him interact with his brother and he recently started this thing were he wants to do and say EVERYTHING Devin does. It's cute for me and probably super annoying for Devin! Brody is always making us laugh at all the silly things he does.

Note for Brody:

Brody, I can remember the feeling I had in my heart the first time I saw you. You were so little and I knew at that moment that I would do everything in my power to raise you as a healthy, kind, god loving child. Everyday you seem to amaze me... From the first time you smiled, walked, and said 'mama.' Today you are 3 years old and I cant believe it. You have changed my life in a way that I can't even find the right words to describe it.. all I know is you made me a better person. My heart will never stop loving you and I hope you never change who are. I hope that you continue to love god, keep wanting to learn, and being the silly little guy you are.  I love when you come up and randomly kiss me and say "wuv you mommy"... I love that you can't say your 'L's' quite yet... and you sing the alphabet and twinkle twinkle combined in one song. You are truly amazing and I am so lucky to call you my son. I promise to love and support you in life. I love you my blue eyed little boy -never ever forget that. Love always..Mommy. xoxo

Out Numbered

I have to say I love my kids and husband so much, but quite frankly I am outnumbered by boys! There are days that I love it and days that I wish at least someone understood a woman thinking's.

Here is the Biggest problem that I have. I constantly think bright and pink and honestly that doesn't fly here. I once bought a pink polka dot comforter and put in our bed.. Devin laughed so hard that "Dad was sleeping with a pink blanket"eventually I lost the battle and Ted replaced it. Also, every time were all getting ready to go I'm the last one getting ready and there all sitting on the couch nagging me to hurry up. Not only don't they understand that it takes ladies a little longer to get ready they also have no idea about half the things I own. Brody had some bath crayons that were sitting on the counter in the bathroom and I heard ted yell out "Don't touch those Brody they are Mommy's hair curlers and you don't want to ruin them." What the heck? I don't even own hair curlers..

They best things about being out numbered is I get lots of hugs and cuddles from the boys. I get to be the one who holds them when they are hurt or sad. I get to teach the boys so many things that I hope one day a women will be proud to have them as her husband because they can do the laundry and even know moms special secret to getting the grass stains out, they can also cook, and clean. Don't get me wrong here they have PLENTY of time do to boy things such as playing in the dirt, bringing bugs home, throwing balls at the wall, and roughhousing.. these are all things that I have to get used to being a women, but I try to enjoy as much of it as possible!

All together It sounds awful but we have more turned it into a joke then anything they kindly tease me about silly things that we can all giggle at, but at the end of the day I am also very thankful for each and everyone of them, and its also very nice to be appreciated for my 'unboyish' qualities that I feel stick out a little more because I am the only Female in the house.  The other day Devin said "your new purse is so fancy I like it." I didn't tell him that it was Eden's Diaper bag I just enjoyed the fact that he noticed.

 I guess they kind of look like hair curlers..

Love them.

Today is going to be a good day..

 I was sleeping and I heard the back door slam so immediately I jumped out of bed and went to see what was going on. I find Brody sitting on the kitchen floor with a huge smile " morning mama" Once I realized that he had let the dogs out and they were wondering the driveway I thought to myself ......"crap I am going to have to chase these dogs around the neighborhood I'm my pajamas." Good news is the neighbors didn't get an entertaining show and both dogs ran right into the back yard and I closed the gate. Whew.. At this point I was a little upset with Brody. What was he thinking waking up and letting the dogs out all by himself??

I told Brody that it was not okay to do that and he needs to wake mommy up before he does anything in the morning. (typically I am up before the kids. I guess he just wanted to be an early bird) He said " I help you with all your work momma." Which brought me back to our conversation last night. We were telling the boys how they need to be helpful around the house. Even though it was wrong of him to go outside with out telling anyone I am thankful that he wanted to help out and he was listening to our 'talk' last night.

Well, Its now 8 am and the dishes are done, my kitchen is cleaned, and laundry is well on its way to being complete! I can tell today is going to be a good day. Lets hope I'm not regretting saying this around noon. :)

I can do all things....

I've heard all to often people talking about how much they enjoy their "prayer walks" Its something Ive always wanted to have time for.. I would sit here and talk to Ted about how it would be so nice to just wake up in the morning and go for a prayer walk.

Obviously I can't just wake up and go out the door. I have sweet little angels to take care of. I know... I know... I could wake up before ted gets up and go then but lets be honest I am not getting up at 4:45 ha ha! Anyways, for the past two weeks after the kids are in bed or just relaxing before bed time I have been going for a run, bike ride, or working out on the elliptical.

I started off listening to all kinds of music that I like until one day I played the christian play list I have and started praying and giving thanks through my entire work out.. Before I knew it I had gone over 3 miles on my elliptical and I was in such a good mood I felt like I could have done it all over again. That evening the thought came to my mind.. I CAN have a 'prayer walk' but instead of actually dedicating a walk to praying I will dedicate my work outs. It has been a huge change for me. I actually look forward to it because Its time alone and I always feel so refreshed after. It was also a huge reminder for me that I can do anything I put my mind to if I turn to christ. God will provide and there is always a way!

I owe a huge thanks to my husband who holds down the fort for a little over an hour every evening while I get some alone time with my heavenly father. I appreciate the time very much! I love seeing how GOD provides in my life!

My go to verse! Love it!



A little fun in the sun!

I feel like it's been a while since I last got a chance to blog. We have had a pretty busy summer. I started a new job, Devin's had baseball 2 times a week (sometimes 3), and we have just been trying to enjoy our summer together as a family.

This weekend I brought the boys up to Cloquet to see my parents. We had a blast! Yesterday we went to chub lake and went jet skiing, played in the sun, and did some swimming. Devin feels like he has bragging rights because papa let him drive the jet ski and they even tipped it over a few times! I on the other hand am super tired from the 5 hours of driving and all the fun I had 'screwing around' (in my dads words) on the jet ski with my sister Sadie.

For the most part the boys were great and I love that they like spending time with their grandparents. We made it home in one piece after..... 2 pieces of missing chewed gum, a shoe thrown at my head while I was driving, and the constant nagging about how much longer! I love my boys so much and would do it over and over again to see the smiles on their faces when there with there "papa and Gigi"

Another great thing about being away for the weekend is I got to give my husband some much needed time to himself. He is outside for the entire workday and is just exhausted after coming home and all the evening activities we have going on. You would think he would have liked to take the time and just relax but of course being an awesome daddy he spent some of his time building the kids a huge sand box. They were so surprised and Brody made sure to play in it right away! I also was in for a surprise myself. I have had my eye on some chairs I wanted for the patio and around the bonfire pit. When we got home they were waiting for me in the drive way. Brody said, "Mommy!! your favorite chairs are here... Daddy is nice!" I sure do love my husband! Thanks Ted!

All in all we had a fantastic time, a pretty good car ride, and came home to a few surprises. I am beyond blessed with the life I have been given and just feel extra thankful today. GOD is good!

 On the jet ski with Papa

 My lovely new chairs!

The new sandbox

Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade

Wow, I haven't had time to Blog lately with Brody's surgery and recovery. It's definitely had its ups and Downs but I think were past the hard times! WHEW! I am so thankful everything went okay and hes on the road to being healthy again.

The up side of all the commotion is we have been spending lots of time as a family. Tonight Devin and I tried a new strawberry lemonade recipe and he helped out a ton in the kitchen! I love nights like these when there isn't much going on and there is no hurry to get out the door to baseball or some other activity. I was truly thankful for the time with him tonight. He was so funny/bossy though.. I heard him say three times to Ted that he wasn't allowed in the kitchen before dinner was done.. I think he likes the feeling of being in charge! Despite the huge mess he makes when hes preparing food everything went wonderful and tasted amazing! Here is the recipe we used. We got it off of pinterest.

Sparkling Strawberry Lemonademakes 6-7 cups of lemonade


Strawberry Syrup

• 1 heaping cup chopped strawberries
• 2 Tbs sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• pinch salt
• 2 Tbs cold water

Lemonade

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup very hot water
• 1-1 1/4 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 4 1/2 cups cold sparkling water or seltzer

To make the strawberry syrup, combine the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, salt, and water in a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth. Pour through a strainer into a medium bowl to remove the seeds, pressing down to extract as much liquid as possible.

To make the lemonade, combine the hot water and sugar in a pitcher and stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the lemon juice, strawberry syrup, and water.

To serve, rub a lemon wedge around the rim of a glass, then dip in sugar. Fill with ice, then the lemonade. Garnish with fresh strawberries or lemon slices. Serve immediately.

 

 

I haven't used my ninja much, but the times that I have I've been very impressed how well it works.

 Devin made us fruit parfaits ( I know there beautiful.)

 Such a good helper! He didn't like squeezing the lemons because of all the cuts on his hand.



Lend a helping hand

Last night when we came home our neighbor was standing outside watching her camper being unloaded off a flat bed onto the street. Well, obviously Ted got out of the car and walked up and started conversing her with her. ( I say obviously because he is a very social man) While chatting with her he found out that she had to find a way to get it into her drive way.. this thing is huge.. If i remember correctly I think she said it weighed seven thousand pounds??? Anyways, he offered his help and our dear friend Melissa offered Ted to use her truck to back it into the drive way. I told my neighbor that Ted gets home from work around 3pm and we would talk about getting it into the driveway tomorrow.

Well, 3pm arrived and Melissa showed up with her truck and I went and knocked on her door to tell her we were ready.. She answered the door and looked at me and said "you know I love you guys right?" I brushed it off and said "Seriously, its not a big deal we like to help people out." She then said something that actually inspired me to write this blog.. with tears in her eyes she stated "I have lived here for (I think she said 30 years) and not many people are willing to help out." WOW!!! This then made me start thinking about why people who live in the same community.. same neighborhood.. same street wouldn't want to help someone out... are they afraid to offer, afraid to get rejected or just think they don't have time?? I still don't know why, but it was a huge eye opener for me and it actually makes me want to get out and help more.

I am not going to lie I sometimes see an elderly person, or a mom struggling to get her 4 kids and the groceries in the car, and the thought crosses my mind " should I help them?" Normally I don't because I am afraid they are going to take offense and snap at me and say no. From now on I am going to just ask them kindly if I can lend a hand. We don't know what everyone is going through and sometimes just a simple help loading the groceries in the car or putting their cart away might just be exactly what they need. To all my readers I hope next time you ( and so will I) see someone who could use some help you would be willing to lend a helping hand!  God Bless each and every one of you!

Hebrews 13:16

¹⁶ And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Little life lessons...

This morning Brody woke me up at 6:15 because he fell out of his bed. I have been exhausted from all the activities we have going on. It's been really tough to find any down time in our schedule. I used to think I wasn't going to be the type of parent who is constantly running around, but I now know I have a long journey ahead of me with these boys. Devin is in school activities, church actives, and sports... and in the fall Brody will be starting preschool. Anyways, between juggling the house hold chores, the kids schedules, church actives, being a mom and wife, and work I was not to pleased with being up that early on the only day during the week that we have nothing going on until 5 pm. I know it was not Brody's fault and it feels nice to be needed but can't a girl get some sleep?!?

So, after calming Brody down and he dragged me out of bed to get his breakfast and morning cartoon show. I was drinking my coffee and thinking about all the things I needed to get done in the house.. as I'm making a mental note of the things Brody's playroom door swings open and he is full of energy.. pulling on my pajama pants, climbing on me like I am a jungle gym, and screaming "I want to play outside." seriously.. It's only 7:00 am. My husband and I were talking on the phone and I jokingly said that I was going to drop Brody off at his work so I could get stuff done today. There is always a little truth to the joke right? Well, obviously he couldn't have our 2 year old on his construction job.. So after feeling sorry for myself that I was woken up Early and there was no possible way I was going to accomplish anything that I wanted to get done. I decided to take Brody to the store to get some more glue sticks so he could cut up used paper and glue it together ( one of his favorite things to do) On our way to the store I was talking to my friend and she decided that she would stop by for a little bit with her daughter so her and Brody could play. We finished up at the store, headed home, and waited for them to arrive. As I am sitting in my comfortable lawn chair watching Brody play I realized I was not going to get anything on my list done so I got up and started sweeping all the nasty helicopter things that blew all over the drive way. Our friends arrived, the kids played and us mom's chatted as I continued to sweep she picked up a broom and joined me.. How awesome!! We took a little break, took the kids on a bike ride, played in the pool, and ate lunch. I felt very good about getting half of the drive way done and lots of play time and burnt energy out of the way for Mr. Brody.

Right as we finished lunch and she was heading home my brother called and said he was going to be coming over in 20 minutes to hang out for a little bit. How great to have two visitors in one day. Well little did I know that I was going to be so greatly blessed with all his help. He mowed my ENTIRE lawn, helped me finish sweeping the drive way AND patio, he moved my back step and swept out all the old leaves and other miscellaneous items that accumulated over winter and spring, organized my garage, and even got in time to make water balloons with Brody and sit and chat!

 It wasn't until about 5 o'clock that I realized what happened.. I had made plans for what I thought was going to be best for me.. not for what would have been the best for my son and probably not the best way to spend this beautiful day god has blessed us with. It was a great reminder that sometimes I need to look beyond my selfish ways, take a step back and realize what is more important. I shouldn't have been so consumed in my "mental list" I had made and maybe realized that my son has been stuck indoors due to the rain for the past couple days and in 7 short days will be house bound while he recovers from his surgery.

What I never got to tell my brother ( and now he will know because I'm sure hes reading this) is that Ted and I were going to do all that yard work this weekend and now thanks to him we will have more time to spend together as a family! Thanks Dan you are the best and I am so greatful to have you in my life! Love you!

Oh, the little things!

I absolutely love being a mom.. It's so rewarding, but as I was leaving work yesterday and Brody was crying because he wasn't ready to go. I couldn't help but think about all the things I used to take for granted..

1. Getting in and out of the car without having to put/or take someone out of a car seat. ( I always tell my husband how lucky he is that he gets to go to work and ride alone in the car)

 

 

2.Being able to take a nap. I seriously couldn't tell you the last time I took a nap. When Brody takes his nap that is my time to get things done with no interruptions. The last time I actually tried to lay down I got into my bed, laid down, took a deep breath, and Brody woke up.. So I don't even mess with that anymore!

 

 

3. Going to the bathroom.. Need I say more?!

 

 

These things are just little things that don't really matter. To be honest when the kids get older and I don't have to worry about those 3 things I will probably miss it. Maybe I am the lucky one who gets to be in the car with the kids and sing songs like "baby shark" and the ABC's.

 

 

 It's also funny how it becomes so routine and when the kids aren't with you it feels so empty. On Sunday night we went to our Life group and Ted's parents had the kids (bless their hearts) The car ride was so relaxing on the way there.. I didn't have to turn around and stop a fight or pick something up on the floor that was completely out of my reach.. When we were at our friends house there were other children there and Ted kept looking around for Brody. I had to remind him twice that we didn't have any kids there. Which also meant we weren't responsible for anything that broke, if anyone was hurt, or if anyone was crying.. What a relief! Well, that only lasted so long as soon as we picked the kids up and got them into the car the chaos started right back up.. the boys were fighting over balloons that grandma had gave them, we got home and Brody threw a fit about it being too late for a snack, and we had to have a little chat with Devin about Bedtime. He decided to not go to bed and instead practiced his Kung-Fu moves and was whipping stuffed animals around his room.. Like we wouldn't notice?!?! Like I said there just small things and non of it really matters.. Some day I will get to enjoy lonely car rides, Naps, and using the bathroom in peace! As for now my time with the boys is limited so why not enjoy it while I can!

This is how I feel sometimes! Wouldn't it be nice to have 5 arms?

Father's Love

I think one of the most amazing things is watching my husband with the boys. He is such a great dad and that's one of the qualities I love most about him. Yesterday, we took Brody swimming and the pool was extremely cold but Brody could have cared less. I love that Ted jumped right in while I was being a baby about how cold it was. Watching him laugh and play with Brody was so cute I swear Brody got in and out a hundred times to jump into his daddy's arms! It made my day watching them play.

My point is not to brag about how wonderful he is, but simply to acknowledge him for how much I love and appreciate him. He works 5 days a week and I'm sure its tiring and stressful but everyday he leaves those problems at the door and always greets the kids like he hasn't seen them for a week. The kids will literally watch out the window knowing daddy is coming home to play with them.

 

One of my favorite things is when he plays with the kids outside. It is hilarious the things the kids make him do. Devin has a group of friends that come over and play kickball and they always ask Ted to play. I don't think I have ever heard him say no. Hes out there having a grand time running around like hes 10 again... its so funny watching how much the neighborhood kids think its the coolest thing that hes playing. (I'm sure this wont last long.) Something else that sticks in my mind is the kids had him on the trampoline a couple weeks ago and as I'm cooking dinner all I can see is Ted bouncing around, balls flying, and the kids laughing!

Devin does these silly things where he climbs up Teds legs and does a flip holding onto his hands. It's really cute. He also can't go to bed without giving him a hug even if that means he waits up for him to get home. He loves to help him do anything and wants to be just like him.

Brody and Ted have this game where anytime I walk into the room they hide from me. Brody full out belly laughs and thinks its the best thing! He also likes to help daddy and recently asked Ted to buy him a rake to help him with yard work. I love this because at least he will learn how to do yard work when hes young! It's a win win situation.

It is so important that children have a relationship with their fathers and I think Ted does such a great job. The love and patience he has is incredible. I am so grateful that I can count on him being a part of their lives. Thank you Ted for everything you do for our family! I know Ted isn't the only great dad out there. He has many friends who are amazing fathers and I think its so wonderful to watch all these dads be part of their children's lives! Go Dad's!!!

 Yes, Devin is Driving Ted around the yard....

Love this picture!!

10 signs your kids are growing up!

I have a 2 year old and quite possibly a 17 year old. Well, actually he is only 9 but seriously I've been noticing him do a lot of "grown up" things.

1. He orders off the adult menu.. He doesn't get full off the kid menu anymore.. That's really nice for my wallet!

2. He uses deodorant on a daily basis and smells like a man! Yes, our 9 year old feels grown up enough to have deodorant just like dad.. Although he probably does not need it.. why not start good habits now?

3. He says "I'll text you when I get there." Just makes me cringe.. heck, my mom only started texing 2 years ago.

4. When I go to take a shower he will say "Don't worry about us I got Brody." OK, I don't have anything to say about that.. I absolutely LOVE it!!

5. He will ask to do things to earn money. He is starting to realize we wont just buy him whatever and he has to earn it!

6. He uses the word "dude" on a daily basis.

7. He will ask to help cook dinner, set the table, or do dishes!!! I will enjoy this now because by the time he gets to be a teenager he is going to hate all this!

8. I can no longer spell out words to ted."should we go to the P-A-R-K?"

9. If I say "just give me 5 minutes." I really only have 5 minutes to be ready, because guess who is watching every single minute go by..?

Number 10 is my favorite. It's the whole reason that got me thinking about "signs of your kids growing up."

10. He's to big for the kiddie pool.. We had to refill the water twice today and I let him be in charge of the hose because I felt bad that there was basically no room in the pool for him.. Poor Kiddo!



Kids will always break things..

I can still hear my mom saying " I can't keep anything nice around here you guys are always breaking things." Ha ha makes me laugh because sometimes I think the things the boys do are just payback for what I did to my parents. Honestly, I can remember breaking so many  things and every time saying " I didn't mean to."

I caught myself saying exactly what my mom used to say to Ted today. For some reason the boys have been breaking EVERYTHING.. I wonder if we can go a day without having to put something on the replacement list.. We have to replace a window that Devin broke about 3 weeks ago, Brody broke a tail light on the boat trailer, Both boys have now kicked something into the regular trailer and the tire went flat twice, balls, picture frames, toys, bikes.. Seriously the list goes on. I am going crazy over here and wondering when this will end.. Probably never though because I feel like Ted breaks just as many things as the boys do.

Thankfully its nothing big (knock on wood) and they are things that we can replace. As frustrating as it is I know they boys arent doing these things on purpose. However,  I do know that I will no longer replace things that are carelessly left out and broken. Maybe that will help them take care of their belongings.

I feel much better now that I vented about it.. Im sure so many of you parents can relate!

Mothers do ALL with love..

A couple weeks ago Ted bought me this coffee cup from northwestern book store and it says "mothers do all with love" I love it! It's probably my favorite coffee cup I have ever owned.. not that any of you care ha ha!

Well, Every morning I place it in my Keurig Coffee maker and brew my coffee of choice for the day. As I drink from the cup I find myself reading it over and over and over again, and now I'm writing about it.. A few times when I was thinking about it it brought me back to thinking about what my mother does for me. I know now that everything my mom has done for me is out of love.. like sleeping on the hospital chair when I was in labor for 23 hours. Or telling me I couldn't go out and play until my homework was done.. I know when I was younger I thought sometimes she was being mean or just nagging me, but her intentions have always been whats best for me. She never steered me in the wrong direction and always tried to keep me on the right path while giving me unconditional love and support.

So, yes when I ask my children to clean their rooms I am doing it out of love.. If they don't have clean rooms then they wont learn to respect their belongings or when they want to find something and they have to hurdle through piles of clothes, toys, books, etc.. there going to get frustrated, things can get broken, or they wont be able to find it on time. I don't ask them to do things to steer them in the wrong direction, to hurt their feelings, or to put them down.

I have so many new and old friends that are great mothers and I do think that we learn from each other, use their ideas, and are there to support each other. So, thank you to all my great mommy friends who set great examples for myself. Also, I don't think I could thank my mom enough or find the perfect words to express the love she gave to me which molded me into who I am today, and gave me the ability to be a mother. With out her love I wouldn't know how to be a good mother and "Do all things out of love."

My coffee cup that enables my addiction, provides me with lots of thoughts, and even inspires me to blog. Thanks Ted!  (maybe every mom needs one of these!!)

 

Everyone has a little sense of humor.. Right?

Last night Ted went to Melanie and Nick's house to watch the football draft. Which left me home with the kiddos and a messy house. I do not mind that he went though I think it's great that he has friends with similar interests, because I really enjoyed having some peaceful christian music playing rather then the draft!

I tackled the laundry, dishes, floors, and both bathrooms.. Whew! Feels good to wake up to a clean house knowing I don't have to come home from work today and pick up!! As I was doing dishes I was praying and I couldn't help but thank god for blessing me with two boys who were both in their rooms being very quiet and I was able to get so much done with NO interruptions.. ( this is very rare) As I'm closing the dish washer I couldn't help but feel proud of myself and I couldn't wait for Ted to come home to a clean house.. Or so I thought..

I have always known that my heavenly father has a sense of humor.. There have been way to many incidents in my life I just know hes a funny guy! Well, Last night I was quickly reminded of that again. Right after I had finished my prayers with the man up stairs Brody came and got me and said " Mom come here I have some hay bails to show you." As I walk into his room I notice that he had taken EVERY SINGLE TOY he owns and piled them on his bed... actually I should correct myself.. it wasn't just the toys.. It was the bins that held the toys, the car rugs, and the chairs to his table literally everything.

Normally my first reaction would have been something like " Brody, why did you do this after we spent all that time cleaning your playroom.. Now you can clean them all up and I'm not helping you." This time my reaction was a full out laugh, because all I could think about is what I was praying about and how proud of myself I was. I could just picture god laughing at me! I should have learned my lesson by now. When the kids are quiet something strange is occurring! So all I said was " wow those are a lot of hay bails." Shortly after that Brody comes up to me with this little tiny flag and says " Jesus gave me this flag to put on the top of my hay bails."

Anyways, we had a good night and for the most part the kids were great, the house was almost all the way cleaned and Ted really got a kick out of what happened. Enjoy the pictures!!!

 It looked much worse in person

Where the toys used to be...

Thanks Jesus for the flag!

A lovely "nature walk"

Yesterday, I had the honor to have 3 toddlers over and my good friend Melissa. The night before when I was putting Brody to bed we prayed that we would have nice weather so him and his friends would be able to play outside... It looks like our prayer had been answered because we had beautiful weather to enjoy our day.

First the kids played inside for the morning and around 9:30 we went out and jumped on the trampoline watching the 4 of them get along and converse so well while I enjoyed a cup of coffee was such a blessing. Then we played a game of "kick the bucket" and "hide and go seek" the kids also enjoyed taking turns on the 4 wheeler! I'm so proud of them for sharing!

Melissa had a great idea of letting the kids make a list of 10 things that we could find on the way to the park. We called it our  "nature walk." Of course the kids had some great ideas but also some non-realistic ideas.. Such as Brody's idea of finding poop.. Seriously? I'm sure we could have found some but I don't think they  I would have wanted to put that in their bucket... YUCK! Anyways, they all took turns thinking of ideas while I wrote them down. Here is their list.. (needless to say we did not find a girl or a spider to bring home)

It was so cute to watch how excited they got over finding a rock or a stick.. I'm also sure our neighbors like that the kids picked numerous dandelions out of their yards.. as you can tell from my post yesterday Brody thinks their flowers and he likes to pick A LOT of them!

We ended our afternoon with a picnic and story time in the front yard! Thank you Janel for having such wonderful, respectful, and of course fun kids! It truly made my day (and Brody's) I am so thankful for each day god blesses me with!