The Zoo Keeper's Haven

We've moved...

2010-12-28T09:13:00.001-08:00

I have moved! Well, not really, but I created a new blog. I have had a homeschool blog and a family blog for the past year or so. But, it's too hard for me to maintain 2 blogs (well, 3 if you count my Disney Travel blog). So, I've combined them under a new name, and I would love if you would stop by and follow me over there. My new blog will be my 'life' blog. I'll blog about whatever is on my mind - school, life, family, you name it. This is my last post on this blog. All further posts can be found at...

This Sweet Life of Mine

Feel free to check it out. I'd love it if you would follow me over there. Make sure to leave me a comment so I know you stopped by. See ya soon!!

Wordless Wednesday – My Happy Hour!

2010-11-10T05:59:00.000-08:00

Foodie Friday – Whole Grain Pancakes

2010-11-05T06:28:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite whole wheat pancake recipe. It makes a TON. I like to make a triple batch and freeze the leftovers. Then, the kids can just pop a few in the toaster for a warm breakfast when I’m not in the mood to cook.

Whole Grain Pancakes

(adapted from King Arthur Flour)

Gather all of your ingredients. You will need:

4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups old-fashioned or rolled oats
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 cup vegetable oil

To make the mix:

1) Grind the oats in a food processor until they're chopped fine, but not a powder.

I tried using my mini-chopper for this, and it takes way too long. I will go back to using my food processor next time!

2) Put the flour, oats, and all other dry ingredients into a mixer with a paddle. Mix on slow speed, and drizzle the vegetable oil into the bowl slowly while the mixer is running. (I use a big bowl and a wire whisk. )

3) Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks at room temperature, or indefinitely in the refrigerator or freezer.

To make pancakes:

1) Whisk together 1 cup of mix, 1 cup of buttermilk, 1 TBSP orange juice, and 1 large egg. Let the batter stand for at least 20 minutes before cooking. The oats will soak up the milk to thicken the batter.

Here, I like to add any mix-ins I may want to add to the batter. My kids like chocolate chips (which I chop in the food processor). Sometimes, I add cinnamon and vanilla or a banana or two.

2) Heat a lightly greased griddle to 350°F (if you've got a griddle with a temperature setting; if not, medium-hot will do).

3) Drop the batter onto it the griddle. I use a 1/4-cup measuring cup.

4) When the edges look dry and bubbles come to the surface without breaking (after about 2 minutes, if your griddle is the correct temperature), turn the pancake over to finish cooking on the second side, which will take about 2 minutes.

5) Serve pancakes immediately, or stack and hold in a warm oven. I love to serve these with sugar-free syrup, and my kids EAT.THEM.UP!!

Wordless Wednesday – Little Ladybug

2010-11-03T04:44:00.001-07:00

My Little Ladybug

Halloween 2010

Follow Us Monday Morning

2010-10-25T14:55:00.001-07:00

Question of the Week: Will you be dressing up for Halloween this year? If not, when were the last time you dressed up, and what did you dress up as?

We celebrate Halloween, but I do not dress up. The last time I dressed up, I was working at a preschool. I dressed up as a pumpkin. Yep, big orange pumpkin costume, striped tights, and pumpkin stem headband. That night, Logan (then 3) and I went to a nearby neighborhood to trick or treat with friends. I got out of the car and walked around to his side to get him out of the car. Can you guess where this is going? Umm…I locked him in the car!! So, the neighbors started to congregate while we all debated how to get him out of the car. Remember, I’m still dressed like a pumpkin!! We finally called the police. We learned that they will not normally unlock a car due to liability, but they will unlock your car if you child is stuck inside happily sucking his thumb while strapped into his car seat!!

WDW Day 3 – Animal Kingdom

2010-10-23T14:17:00.001-07:00

More from our trip to WDW in Sept. On our third day at Walt Disney World, we visited the Animal Kingdom. We started our day with breakfast at 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian Resort.

Then, we headed to the Animal Kingdom for the day. At the Animal Kingdom we enjoyed the Finding Nemo live show. This is one of my favorite shows at WDW. We hit Dinoland and rode the Primeval Whirl and Dino Spin. The kids (and Grandma) really love the safari ride. Seeing the animals is always a highlight of the day spent at AK.

We ended our day with a dinner at Whispering Canyon. Whispering Canyon is located in the Wilderness Lodge. It’s a great place to take the kids for a loud, rambunctious meal! We ended the evening with some great food, giant jars of soda, and HUGE desserts we had to take back to the room with us.

Exploring Nature at the Heard Museum

2010-10-15T07:33:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, my aunt and her boyfriend came to TX for the Titans/Cowboys game. While they were here, we spent Friday walking on the trails and exploring the museum at the Heard. The trails are so nice, and we all had a really good time.

We were all intrigued by this tree. You can see where it was hit by lightning. What’s neat is that it is full of beautiful, green leaves.

Can you see the spider web in the tree?

Can you read this sign? No? Let me type it here for you. Maybe you can help us understand what it means.

The Dimetrodon was the dominant carnivore of the early Permian period, but it actually existed before the dinosaurs appeared on the earth.

Hmmm…Well, ya see…This was seen at the dinosaur exhibit. So, is a Dimetrodon NOT a dinosaur? Or …I don’t even know what else? LOL!

Sweet little log cabin with a moss-covered roof

Wordless Wednesday - Happy Fall Y’all

2010-10-13T06:27:00.000-07:00

WDW Day 2 – Magic Kingdom

2010-10-11T08:55:00.000-07:00

When we visit Walt Disney World, we spend several days in the Magic Kingdom. There is just so much to see! Here are the highlights from our first full day in the Magic Kingdom:

We posed for pictures as we headed into the park for the day. We stop here every year for a photo.

We visited with our favorite characters! I love this one since it has my Papa and all of his great-grandkids.

We admired my favorite castle. One day, I want to live here. Think Walt would mind?

We explored ‘a whole new world’ on our ‘magic carpet ride’. (Emma was so excited every time the camel ‘spit’ on Daddy!)

Some of our crew got to participate in the Frontierland Hoedown – where they sang ‘Rocky Top’ (appropriately enough they are from TN!).

We rode Haunted Mansion MANY times. It’s a family favorite. My mom looks forward to it every time she visits WDW. My kids love the ‘hitchhiker’.

Emma watched the Country Bear Jamboree twice with my mom. The rest of us ~~only had to suffer through it~~ watched it once.

One magic carpet ride was not enough. So, we went back for more…

Lots of lovin’ going on in that oh so magical place!

And, our annual trip to O’Hana…

I was not feeling well during this meal. Therefore, I have no pictures of the beautiful Polynesian Resort. I have no pictures of the fantastic food or the ‘cousins’ who serve it to us. I have no pictures of the kids’ activities. But, I do have this one picture of E and her daddy (who loves having his picture taken – can’t you tell…).

Day 1 at Walt Disney World

2010-10-09T12:21:00.000-07:00

So, you already know we went to WDW last month. And, you know where we stayed. What about what we did? We had fun that’s what!!

The first night we were there, we went to the Magic Kingdom. We didn’t intend to ride any rides that evening. We just went too see the parade and the fireworks. Last year, we were able to watch Disney’s SpectroMagic parade. This year, we saw the Main Street Electrical Parade. I preferred SpectroMagic, but the Electrical Parade was great too. Lights, music, and favorite characters. It was too fun! As for Wishes, the fireworks show, it was fantastic!! We have seen parts of it in past years, but this year we watched the entire show. It is really awesome! A definite must-see if you are headed to Disney any time soon!

Guilty Pleasures

2010-10-03T09:05:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful weekend! We enjoyed some beautiful weather and some family time.

After a busy Saturday, I spent the evening having some me time. I caught up on my DVR’d shows, wrote a few blog posts, and read a few of my favorite blogs. Oh, and I even got a 2 hour nap in on Saturday afternoon (after enjoying a few chapters in my latest read – House Rules)! That’s always a good thing.

Just had to share this picture. The local nursery had rakes decorated to look like scarecrows. I thought they were too cute (and kinda funny…), and had to take a picture for you guys to see.

What do you do for ‘me’ time? What do you do with your ‘free’ time?

My Saturday

2010-10-02T18:57:00.000-07:00

Sale at dance studio (scored some really cheap leotards for E)
Anticipating a VERY busy week (fair, hiking, visit from my aunt)
Trip to outlet mall with Emma
Updating next week's lesson plans
Resting up - 2 hour nap!!
Decorating pumpkins with the fam
A girly date with Emma (mani/pedi, haircut, shopping)
Yikes! I'm out of bread! (Guess what's at the top of tomorrow's to-do...)

Grocery Shopping Fun!

2010-09-22T19:46:00.000-07:00

Went to Walmart this evening and found milk for .99/gallon!! Last week, it was $2.46. I am so excited! I may fill my freezer with .99 milk. My family goes through 5-6 gallons/week! That adds up.

And, not only did I find milk at a great price, but they also had canned pumpkin in stock again! Last year, there was a pumpkin shortage. You may not know it, but there was. Now, we don't each much pumpkin pie in our house, but my kids think they could live off of pumpkin muffins. So, in addition to my 6 gallons of milk, I bought 10 cans of pumpkin!!

Guess what we're having for breakfast tomorrow!

Where did we stay?

2010-09-20T06:38:00.000-07:00

We stayed at Disney’s Pop Century Resort. It’s my favorite value resort at Walt Disney World!

The decor is super cool…

The kids love the Hippy Dippy pool, and there’s plenty of seating for the grown ups (and the teens who think they are). It’s shaped like a flower and has flower sprayers around the perimeter.

The Hippy Dippy Pool

My mom, Logan (my teen), Matt (my hubby),

and Todd (my brother-in-law)

My sisters and I – Jessie (and unborn baby Isaiah), Chrissy, and me

Isaac (12), Kiersten (10), and Allie (12)

Emma and Abbi (both 7)

They have a great food court where we ate breakfast most days and pizza for dinner the first night.

Jessica (sister), Me, my mom

Logan, my Papa, Matt (hubby), Todd (BIL)

We went to Walt Disney World!!

2010-09-18T12:44:00.001-07:00

We spent last week at Walt Disney World! We had a blast, of course. We were joined by my mom, two sisters, brother-in-law, three nieces, and my Papa! This was the first time my nieces had been to WDW. I couldn’t wait to experience the magic with them! (We actually traveled to Disney World as part of 3D Travel’s ‘Ultimate Field Trip’ which I will blog about at a later date.)

Here are a few highlights of the start of our trip. I will post over the next few days about each day of our trip. As I blog, I will let you in on secrets, tips, and just plain fun information! Watch for posts on how to pack with just carry-on luggage, how to entertain kids on the airplane, etc.

Emma was up and ready to go ~~not-so~~ bright and early! She couldn’t wait to get there. And, YES, I’m one of ‘those’ parents who dresses their children in Disney-themed clothing for the entire trip! (At least when they’re young enough to still enjoy it!)

Pre-trip breakfast at Cracker Barrel

Emma and Isaac playing checkers

Emma is watching a Piglet movie on my Ipod.

Emma didn’t make it too far into the movie before she fell asleep and slept through the entire flight. Did I mention it was early when we left home?

Emma and Cousin Abbi at the airport

All of the cousins at the Orlando airport waiting for their ‘surprise’ (my Papa joined us and the kids had no idea). We’re waiting to board the Magical Express shuttle to Walt Disney World!

Stay tuned for…our resort arrival

Blog Hop - Mommy Blogger BFF

2010-09-14T04:40:00.000-07:00

Looking for new blogs to follow? Check out the Mommy Blogger BFF Blog Hop at A Mommy Blogger's BFF. I did. I'm hoping to meet some new mommy bloggers and make some new friends. Come join me!

The funny things kids say...

2010-08-23T18:13:00.000-07:00

Isaac: Hey, Emma. Want to have a Lego war?

Emma: Well, only if they have a peace treaty and there's no fighting.

New Disney Promotions!

2010-08-16T11:40:00.000-07:00

I don't have my Disney blog up and running, and I promise not to overload this blog with too much Disney talk. But, this news is just too good not to share!

Disney has extended their FREE dining promotion through September 2011 for most travel dates. In addition, they are also offering gift cards valued at up to $500 when you purchase select packages. Click on the following link for more details:

GIFT CARD PROMOTION

FREE DINING PLAN

For your FREE, no-obligation quote you can visit 3D Travel Company.

If you're interested in joining hundreds of homeschool families for The Ultimate Field Trip, you can visit our Ultimate Field Trip page.

Busy Weekend…

2010-08-15T09:29:00.001-07:00

It’s been a busy weekend (and week leading up to this weekend). I have lots going on, but in just a few shorts weeks things will slow down.

I’m working on a new blog for my new job with 3D Travel Company – a travel agency that specializes in Disney destination vacations! My new blog – Goin’ to the Mouse House – will be a place where I can chat about all things Disney! And, I’m in the process of opening a Goin’ to the Mouse House store on Etsy where I can offer all of my Disney-themed creations for sale.

I’m working on some promotions for 3D Travel’s upcoming Ultimate Field Trip (UFT). I’m embroidering backpacks that will be given away to all of the homeschool families who are attending our field trip in September – at WALT DISNEY WORLD!!

I’m gearing up for our new school year. I wanted to start two weeks ago, and even gave it a good try. But, I wasn’t as ready as I wanted to be so we waited. Tomorrow, we will re-start our new school year. I’m ready and prepared. The kids are ready for some structure, as well. Can’t wait to see what this year holds for us!

So, I’ll remain this busy until after UFT (early September). Then things should slow down…until our new 3D Travel promotions kick in and I start booking Disney vacations that is!

Menu Plan Monday – 8/9/10

2010-08-09T15:18:00.001-07:00

Hubby has meetings most nights this week, so we have an easy menu planned. On top of that, he even gave me a gift card to take the kids out to dinner one night! Yay!

Sunday:

breakfast – cereal
lunch – sandwiches or left overs
dinner – pineapple ham steak, pineapple casserole, roasted asparagus

Monday:

breakfast – eggs, toast
lunch – PB& J
dinner – taco salad and cheese dip

Tuesday:

breakfast – pancakes
lunch – hot dogs, mac-n-chz
dinner – homemade pizza
dessert – Rice Krispie treats

Wednesday:

breakfast – blueberry muffins, yogurt
lunch – ham sandwiches
dinner at Chili’s

Thursday:

breakfast – banana bread
lunch – quesadillas
dinner – spaghetti, steamed veggies, garlic bread
dessert – homemade cookies

Friday:

breakfast – cereal
lunch – tacos
dinner – chicken tenders, oven fries, green beans

Saturday:

breakfast – sausage gravy and biscuits
lunch – sandwiches or left overs
dinner – grilled chicken, veggies, couscous
dessert – peanut butter pie

Nothing too exciting. I’m trying to get back to menu making and meal planning as we gear up for a new school year!

Apple Cranberry French Toast

2010-07-14T06:14:00.000-07:00

Back at the beginning of June, I visited a beautiful scrapbook retreat for a 3D Travel Company training weekend. During that weekend, we were fed so well! One morning we are this delicious Apple Cranberry French Toast. I made it this week to feed my family. The kids did not eat the fruit, but loved the french toast. Hubby and I loved the whole meal!

Psssttt…Don’t look at my ugly dishes…

Focus only on the lovely breakfast!

Apple Cranberry French Toast

by The Sisters’ Hideaway

1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. butter, melted
3 t. cinnamon
3 tart apples (Granny Smith) peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1/2 c. dried cranberries (Craisins)
1 loaf Italian or French bread cut into 1” slices (I bought a pre-sliced loaf of Italian bread.)
6 large eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
1 Tbs. vanilla

Combine brown sugar, butter, and 1 tsp of cinnamon in a 13x9 dish. Add apples and cranberries, toss to coat well. Spread apple mixture evenly over bottom of dish. Arrange slices of bread on top.

Mix eggs, milk, vanilla and remaining 2 tsp. cinnamon until well blended. Pour mixture over bread soaking completely. Cover and refrigerate 4 – 24 hours.

Bake covered with foil at 375 for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Serve warm with syrup.

Movie Marathon

2010-07-13T05:24:00.000-07:00

There was a Pirates of the Caribbean movie marathon 4th of July weekend. My guys settled in to watch the trilogy together.

Emma was quite perplexed! She couldn’t understand why the guys kept watching Pirates over and over again. Every time she went through the living room – all day long – they were still watching Pirates. I had to explain they were watching 3 different Pirate movies throughout the day. Her face lit up as she said “Oh”. I think she thought they were a bit weird watching the same movie over and over again all day long. =)

A girl and her dreams…

2010-07-11T07:43:00.000-07:00

Exactly why did we decide to get two guinea pigs? Well, I’ll tell ya a little story about a girl and her dream…

When Emma was little (like 2 or 3) we visited a pet store to just look around. She fell in love with the bunnies. She loved petting them and decided she wanted one. NOW! Well, I wasn’t buying that toddler a rabbit that I had to take care of (in addition to the three kids, dog, and hubby)! So, to put her off I said, “We’ll talk about it when you’re 8.”

Has anyone ever told you about a child’s memory?!? I knew that children remember the odd things for a VERY LONG time. “Mom, remember that day 200 years ago when we xyz?” “But Mom, last Thursday at precisely 2:16AM you said I could xyz!” (How they can remember oddball comments/facts/etc. but can’t remember to change their underwear or brush their teeth is beyond me!!) Anyway, Emma remembered that comment. And, she reminded me of that comment about every month (at least) for the next 5 years!! No kidding! She really did! She could frequently be heard saying “I can’t wait ‘til I’m 8, because I get a rabbit.” Really! I’m so.not.kidding!

So, for her 7th bday (in June), we decided she could have a rabbit. So, we headed to Petsmart to look at rabbits and to determine how much said rabbit would cost. Well, guess what…Petsmart doesn’t sell rabbits. But, they do sell guinea pigs. After holding several, Emma changed her mind and decided that she wanted guinea pigs instead.

See yesterday’s post about her dream come true…

The newest members of the family…

2010-07-10T05:44:00.001-07:00

Introducing…Molly and Sally…

Emma got two guinea pigs for her birthday. She loves them so much! And, I am surprised at how responsible she has been in taking care of them. She talks to them every time she passes their cage. She pets them through the bars of the cage. She feeds them daily, and holds them during their ‘floor’ time. It’s too sweet!

It all started with a trip to the pet store…

This little girl fell in LOVE!

Making sure they’re comfortable for the ride home…

Introducing the girls to their new homes…

This is Molly.

This is Sally.

This is a little girl who loves her pets!

July Freezer Cooking

2010-07-09T18:32:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was a rainy day here in Northern TX. I decided it would be a perfect time to stock my freezer with frozen meals. And, that’s just what I did. Here’s what I was able to accomplish yesterday. Below that list, I will list what I still ~~need~~ want to do.

I made a loaf of cinnamon raisin bread for a quick breakfast. I sliced the loaf, bagged it, and popped it in the freezer.
I made a batch of white bread dough in the bread machine. I made yeast rolls from this dough. After flash freezing the dough balls (prior to 2nd rise), I bagged them. When I’m ready to use them, I will take out the amount needed and let them rise on the counter. Then, I’ll bake them.
I made 3 dozen strawberry muffins.
I made pizza for dinner last night. I browned a lb of italian sausage. I used half for dinner, and froze the rest for a future pizza night. I also portioned out enough cheese and sliced onion for 2 pizzas. (Our 2nd pizza is always a pepperoni pizza, but I don’t freeze the pepperoni.) I bagged each ingredient in small zipper bags and froze them together in a larger bag.
I made a crockpot full of pinto beans. I bagged beans in 2-cup portions. I also mashed half of the pot of beans into refried beans. These I will use in burritos during my next cooking day.
I used THIS recipe to make a meat mix. From this mix, I made 2 meatloaves and several dozen mini-meatballs.

To do on my next cooking day:

Add taco season to 2 lbs ground beef
Use ground beef, refried beans (above),and cheddar cheese to prepare burritos.
Make several marinades for chicken. I have 10 lbs of chicken to prepare. I plan to just use several marinades mixed in gallon-size zipper bags. I’ll add the chicken breasts, and freeze them. Then, I can pull the bags out to thaw in the morning and cook them for dinner.
I also want to make some blueberry muffins or a blueberry loaf.

**COMING SOON: I made Cranberry Apple French Toast for breakfast this morning. I have pictures and a recipe to share. It was to.die.for!

Fourth of July Mantle

2010-07-05T14:44:00.000-07:00

Thought I’d share pics of my holiday mantle before I pack it away.

My mother-in-law gave me the basket hanging above my fireplace, and she filled it with fern leaves and flowers. I like how it looks with the patriotic decor.

The candle is from the dollar store, and I bring it out at Valentine’s Day, Christmas, and 4th of July. The stand was part of a hurricane, but Emma broke the hurricane. Now, it’s a perfect candle holder. The charms are from a cake plate that my MIL got Emma on QVC. The frame is from my MIL, too. The pic is 2 years old.

The pails behind the ‘welcome’ sign are from Target’s dollar spot (thanks, sis!). The red, white, and blue ‘things’ behind the ‘welcome’ sign are balloon weights from the Dollar Tree. The ‘welcome’ sign is from Kohl’s (thanks, MIL).

The white bird is from Michaels. The little dessert bowl is from Dollar Tree. The stars filling the bowl are from Hobby Lobby. And, the candle sticks are my latest Goodwill treasures.

This is my entry table. Yes, it’s pretty bare, but this was all I had left to decorate patriotically. The pail is another one from Target filled with the Hobby Lobby stars and flags from Dollar Tree. The frame holds a picture of my sweet niece, Allie. The blue vase is from Goodwill.

I love to decorate the table and mantle seasonally. When I pack the patriotic items away, I plan to decorate in a ‘beachy/seashell’ theme. Can’t wait to get started on it this week. I’ve got some craft projects in mind. I’ll post pics as I switch out the stuff.

S’mores on a Stick

2010-07-04T14:30:00.001-07:00

I can’t remember whose blog I saw this idea on, but I loved it. I couldn’t wait to do it with my crew today. See, I’ve been a bit busy lately, and I couldn’t wait to have some ‘family time’ today! So, we headed to Walmart to buy the supplies, and came home to make our snack. We’ll take these with us tonight when we go watch fireworks.

These are super-easy to make:

Insert a lollipop stick into a jumbo marshmallow. Dip the marshmallow into melted chocolate or white chocolate. Roll the chocolate-dipped marshmallow in grated graham cracker crumbs and/or sprinkles. Lay on was paper to set. Enjoy!

Book Review: Sixteen Brides

2010-06-28T06:32:00.001-07:00

According to the Publisher:

In 1872, sixteen Civil War widows living in St. Louis respond to a series of meetings conducted by a land speculator who lures them west by promising "prime homesteads" in a "booming community." Unbeknownst to them, the speculator's true motive is to find an excuse to bring women to the fledging community of Plum Grove, Nebraska, in hopes they will accept marriage proposals shortly after their arrival!

Sparks fly when these unsuspecting widows meet the men who are waiting for them. These women are going to need all the courage and faith they can muster to survive these unwanted circumstances--especially when they begin to discover that none of them is exactly who she appears to be.

My Thoughts:

This was a good read. It kept my attention, and I couldn’t wait to see what happened next. It was a bit difficult, in the beginning, to keep up with the story line of the different characters. The author switches view points frequently throughout the story. But, I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I enjoyed watching the characters grow past their insecurities into the women God meant for them to be.

Bethany House provided this book in exchange for my review. I received no other compensation, and all opinions are my own.

Relay for Life

2010-06-18T08:36:00.000-07:00

In April (or May – I can’t remember now), the competitive teams from Emma’s dance studio performed at a local Relay for Life. I couldn’t take pics and video tape at the same time, so I only have before pictures. But, they’re still cute!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-16T07:22:00.000-07:00

Isaac turned 12!!

2010-06-14T08:06:00.000-07:00

If you can’t tell, I’m updating the blog as I sort through my pictures. So, I’m kind of updating backwards. Anyway, Isaac turned 12 in April. This year, he decided against a ‘friend’ party. He wanted to have a family dinner (at DQ so he could have a chili cheese coney and chili cheese fries). And, he wanted to use the money we would normally spend on him and the money he received for his bday to purchase a trampoline. So, that is exactly what we did! Here’s my silly boy in action…

Note to Isaac: You are such a sweet boy. I love you for your unique sense of humor. I love that you are so sure of yourself. You are you, and you are proud of it. You don’t worry about what anyone else thinks. I love how you look up to Logan, and I love how you are such a good big brother to Emma. I love you! I look forward to seeing what the upcoming year holds for you.

Emma’s Spring Recital ~ May 2010

2010-06-12T06:47:00.000-07:00

May found us extremely busy gearing up for Emma’s dance recital! Because she’s on the competitive dance team, she was participated in the opening number at the recital. This required extra practices. So, between regular class times, class pictures, extra practices, and 2 FULL days of recital…we were so busy! Every single minute of it is worth it once I see her on stage. She really loves it!

Here are a few pictures from her recital…

Here’s Emma before the recital started Saturday.

Hannah and Emma are ready for tap. Emma’s class danced to Tony' Bennett’s ‘Stepping Out With My Baby’.

The studio performs an hour-long ballet at each recital (both days). For the winter recital, it is always The Nutcracker. For spring, it changes each year. This year it was Sleeping Beauty. Emma’s class was Little Red Riding Hood. (FYI for those who don’t know – at the end of the ballet when Sleeping Beauty marries the prince, Red Riding Hood and Puss in Boots are at the wedding ceremony.)

Emma’s jazz teacher picks the ‘funnest’ songs! This time, they danced to ‘Five Little Monkeys’ by Go Fish. I love GO FISH!

Here’s Emma after the recital on Sunday night. Her last number was her competitive routine called ‘Jive Bunny’.

Now, we are on the tail end of our ‘early summer’ break. We had two weeks off. Classes start again next week. The following week, Emma will attend dance camp. This is a required one-week ‘intensive’ camp for competitive dancers. She will have classes through July and then enjoy another two-week break before fall classes start in August. She’s a bit excited about summer classes, because she will have a new teacher. I’m glad she’s excited instead of nervous about ‘new’.

Those summer nights

2010-06-10T08:19:00.000-07:00

Emma and Isaac have been enjoying the cooler evening temperatures down here.

We’ve seen 100+ temps during the day, but cool nights.

Here they are enjoying their bikes and scooters with neighbor boy, C.

Remember when you were young and thought these tricks were soooo cool…

This is what I get when I try to take pics of Isaac these days…

Summer Nights

…Slowly…but surely…

2010-06-09T18:20:00.001-07:00

Now that summer is here, I am slowly but surely getting back to blogging. Over the next week or so, I’m going to post pictures of what has been going on in our lives over the past few months. We’ve been mighty busy around here!

Lots Going On!

2010-05-25T04:40:00.000-07:00

We have had so much going on! I can't believe how busy life has been this month! We've been up to our ears in Emma's spring recital. Isaac has been hard at work with his pottery classes. Logan has been coaching Upward soccer at our church, and he just signed up to work at VBS next month. I've been studying and learning 'all things Disney' for my upcoming job training weekend. I've also been trying to figure out what our summer homeschool schedule will look like so Logan can finish his sophomore credits before our new school year starts in September. Whew! It makes me tired just typing it all out. (Of course, all of the above is in addition to the 'ever-so-mundane' chores that being a stay-at-home mom brings with it - laundry, errands, cooking, cleaning, etc!) I hope to post some pictures of Logan coaching, Isaac creating, and Emma dancing very soon! Right now, I'm off to bake some bread before school starts.

Missing In Action

2010-04-30T06:56:00.001-07:00

Yep, that’s me!! I’m MIA right now, but I’m hoping to be back VERY soon. Life is a bit overwhelming at the moment. A ‘good’ overwhelming, but overwhelming none the less.

Life is busy with dance at the moment. It’s the end of the competitive year and beginning of a very busy recital season.

Logan’s back home with us (home from public school)! Praise the Lord for answered prayers. But, his course load is very overwhelming to me at the moment. I’m trying to get all of his lessons entered into my homeschool tracker, and then I will feel like I can relax about that!

Also, I am in training with my new job, and there’s lots to learn. Who knew!?! I’m learning new things about Disney every day, but it’s very time-consuming at the moment.

In order to accomplish the above tasks and still feed my kids dinner, I have to let my blog sit ‘idle’ for a few more days – maybe even another week or two. But, when I come back I’ll have LOTS of good stuff to catch you up on! Hope you’re having a great spring so far!! Be back soon!

Upcoming Review for CSN Stores

2010-04-23T03:06:00.001-07:00

I am excited to tell you guys about the awesome bookcase I am receiving from CSN stores. While browsing there many websites, I was surprised by the vast number of products you can purchase from the comfort of your own home. Search for products ranging from children’s furniture to baby supplies to entertainment centers.

When I saw this bookcase, I knew it would be perfect for our school room. What a great way to display our themed books. I even got to personalize it with “Let’s Read!” Right now, I have three book baskets around the room – one for each kiddo. This bookcase will allow me to consolidate all the books into one central location. I can’t wait to receive it and share with you what I think!

A Timely Post

2010-04-18T19:41:00.001-07:00

I am writing this post from a hotel room in Bentonville, AR. This weekend, Emma had a dance competition in Oklahoma City, OK. So, we drove to OKC Saturday and spent the night. Matt had a business meeting in Bentonville Monday and Tuesday, so we decided to tag along. On this trip I have noticed some ~~extremely aggravating~~ not so pleasant traits in my lovely children. One such trait is the “I can’t” trait. I can’t open this. I can’t find that. I can’t. I can’t. I can’t. What it really boils down to is ‘I don’t want to put forth the effort to accomplish this task on my own’. And, I, as the Mommy, have been far to eager to problem solve for them on the little things like this.

For example, as we were packing up this morning to head from OKC to AR, I told one of my children to go get their swimsuit from the bathroom. I did not give any instructions on where in the bathroom it was. But, if you’ve ever stayed in a hotel, you know the bathrooms really aren’t that big. It was in plain sight. He walked in a gave a cursory glance toward the spot he ‘thought’ he left it and decided it wasn’t there. He wanted me to tell him exactly where it was or just go get them for him. But, it was in plain sight and I refused. He did go back in 3 times to finally discover it hanging on the towel bar not the bathtub where he thought it was. Had he spun in a slow circle and looked at all four walls of the bathroom he would have seen it in plain sight.

As I sit here this evening, I am trying to catch up on the blogs I enjoy. I came across this timely post at 1, 2, 3…Come Homeschool with Me. So, tomorrow when if this happens, my plan is to reply sweetly with ‘Please use the eyes God gave you to look at all four walls before telling me you can’t find it.’ I WILL NOT tell him where they are (if they are in plain sight), and I will not ~~huff my way~~ walk in there and retrieve them myself. To me, this is one small step to independence. The kids need to know that one day they will need to be self-sufficient, and this is one small, do-able step in that direction.

Let’s go swimming…

2010-04-11T06:16:00.000-07:00

We have a great indoor pool in our area. On Friday’s, they offer homeschool swim hours with a discounted admission. I took the kids a few days ago.

These crazy kids had a great time chasing each other around the ‘lazy river’.

This cool guy decided he would watch the beach bag instead of swim. He was really worried that someone would steal Emma’s Disney Princess beach towel. :) (Actually, he said he hates inside pools and refused to swim…or look at the camera so I could get 1 quick pic.)

Need I say more…

Spring has sprung in TX

2010-04-08T17:45:00.001-07:00

What we saw on today’s walk around the neighborhood…

I was featured...

2010-03-28T15:23:00.000-07:00

This is the first time I've been featured on another blog!
The school supply caddy I made was featured on Fireflies and Jellybeans.
Stop by her blog to see what other great craft ideas she featured this week.

Book Review – The Discipline of Grace

2010-03-26T09:43:00.000-07:00

The Discipline of Grace: God's Role and Our Role in the Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges is a well-written and thought-provoking book. It takes the reader through the gospel in order to better understand what grace really is. Then, Mr. Bridges reminds the reader of his/her role in actively pursuing God's grace all the time. He challenges the reader to examine his/her faith and the way you live out that faith in your everyday life.
I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a 'fresh' teaching on God's grace. This book can be purchased from Nav Press for $14.99.

This is what Nav Press says about the book:

The Discipline of Grace offers a clear and and thorough explanation of the gospel and what it means to be a believer. Written by Navigator author Jerry Bridges, this book explores how the same grace that brings us to faith in Christ also disciplines us in Christ. In learning more about grace, you also will learn about God's character, His forgiveness, and the Holy Spirit.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NavPress Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

The Babies are Coming…

2010-03-25T17:56:00.001-07:00

This looks like it will be a great movie. This trailer has piqued my interest. It’s amazing to me to think that some actions and behaviors are inherent in every baby/toddler – no matter where they are growing up.

“Share the theatrical trailer everyone's been raving about with your readers!

Everybody loves... BABIES. Coming to theatres this Mother's Day Weekend (May 7th), this visually stunning new movie simultaneously follows four babies around the world - from first breath to first steps. From Mongolia to Namibia to San Francisco to Tokyo, BABIES joyfully captures on film the earliest stages of the journey of humanity that are at once unique and universal to us all.”

This is Ponijao from Namibia. She is one of the four babies featured in this movie. Ponijao lives with her family, including her parents and eight older brothers and sisters. Ponijao’s family is part of the Himba tribe, and lives in a small village with other families, following traditions including speaking their own (Himba) language. The men in the Himba tribe are generally off looking after the cattle and searching for grass, so Ponijao is most often with her mother and other female relatives; she plays, eats, and is bathed through the traditional method of mixing concrete red ochre with oil. Ponijao’s favorite things to do are dance and play with other children in the tribe.

I am posting this review as a reviewer for BzzAgent.

School Supply Caddy

2010-03-24T04:16:00.000-07:00

I came across this idea on The Crafters File Box blog. I loved it, and it was perfect for our school table. I did exactly as she described. I purchased a lazy-suzan from Ikea – for $7.99. I stopped at Target and bought 4 pails from the Dollar Spot. (I already had 4 more at home). Then, stopped at Walmart for red spray paint - $.97. Voila! I painted the lazy-suzan white and the pails red. I screwed each of the pails to the lazy-suzan and filled it with our school supplies. I was able to fit 8 pails on mine. (I could probably have fit 1 more small pail on if I had made them touch.)

I plan to make one of these for Emma to keep in the game room in her “craft” area. And, now that I think about it – I may need one for my sewing table! Hmmm…

Project Life: March 14-20

2010-03-23T07:19:00.001-07:00

I’m moving along with Project Life. I’ve almost caught up in my album. I’m hoping to take pictures of my layouts sometime this week. I love chronicling our year this way!

Sunday

Grillin’ weather

This is the first time matt has grilled this year. The weather was nice so he threw some steaks on the grill for dinner. Yummy!

Monday

School Supply Caddy

I love this new school supply caddy. It’s cute, functional, and I made it!

Tuesday

Facebook

This is where I spend time keeping up with friends and family. I enjoy seeing what everyone is doing and seeing pics of my friends and their families. I love being able to keep my family up-to-date with what’s going on in our family since we live so far away.

Wednesday

Play date at the playground

We met friends at the park at the end of our street. Matt got off work early and stopped by the park before heading out of town for the week. I love this picture of he and Emma.

Thursday

Shopping and a movie

Today, I took the kids to the mall and shopped for new spring/summer clothes. Then we met friends to watch Alice in Wonderland. I didn’t have my camera with me. So, I have to tackle one of the other moms to get a picture of our group wearing Mad Hatter hats.

Friday

One of me…

I’m never actually in our pictures, because I’m the one that’s usually behind the camera. So, today I snapped one of myself. This is me, Tara…AKA mom, mommy, babe, sister, daughter. It’s me!

Saturday

Mint Chocolate Brownies

YUMMY!!!

To see what others have done this week, visit Jessica at The Mom Creative.

I got a job!!

2010-03-21T08:15:00.000-07:00

Yeah me!!

My good friend owns 3D Travel. 3D Travel is a travel agency that specializes in Disney experiences – Disneyland, Disney World, and Disney Cruise Line. Carol Beth and her travel agents (which now includes me) organize The Ultimate Field Trip – a homeschool Disney field trip Labor Day week. This year, 3D Travel is putting together their first Disney Homeschool Graduation.

I’ll be in training until June. After that, I will be able to book trips for others!! I can’t wait! Above you can see how I found out I got the job!! A special thank you to the moms I used to work with at MOPS who ~~read the script I sent them~~ spoke to the interviewer when he called to check my references! :)

I am so excited! I get to work from home helping people create a magical Disney experience! Got lots of work to do before training starts, but it will be well worth it when I can start working with others! I’ll post here when I’m trained and ready to book…

BTW, I will have to create a 'business' blog. Any ideas for a catchy name for a "Disney travel" themed blog? :)

Book Review – What Your Son Isn’t Telling You

2010-03-20T06:53:00.000-07:00

What Your Son Isn’t Telling You is a powerful book! And, it couldn’t have come at a better time. This book is written to moms of teenage sons, but it is definitely a must-read for dads, too. The authors discuss the unique struggles of teenage boys. While I was familiar with most of the struggles, I didn’t really understand the difference between the struggles of a teen boy and a teen girl. Thank you to the authors for “unlocking" those secrets for me.

Here’s what Bethany House has to say about the book:

Your son struggles with the constant pressure to prove himself--in the classroom, on the playing field, and especially among his friends. And while he may put up a tough exterior, deep inside he hungers for family support and connection. You long to be there for him, but chances are he's put up a formidable wall of silence, leaving you wondering how to break through.

In What Your Son Isn't Telling You, teen experts Michael Ross and Susie Shellenberger offer a rare glimpse into the secret lives of teen boys--behind-the-scenes footage you might miss in the day-to-day life of your son--accompanied by practical advice on how to provide the support and connection your son desperately needs.

This book is available from Bethany House for $13.99. If you have a teenage boy, or if you will soon, I recommend reading this book. It will open your eyes and give you some insight to the struggles your son could face in his teenage years. The book is also packed with Biblical principles and foundations of truth in dealing with these struggles. The authors give helpful advice in training your son to grow up to be a man of integrity as God would have him be.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of What Your Son Isn’t Telling You from Bethany House Publishers as part of their Book Review program. I did not receive any other compensation, and all opinions expressed are my own.

A Day at the Park

2010-03-19T06:45:00.000-07:00

Last week, we met up with some friends at a local park. It was a beautiful day, and I needed to get the kids out of the house! We were going a bit stir crazy!

When we got to the park, Isaac and Emma discovered a duck that had laid an egg under the slide. It sat very quietly as all of the kids ~~and moms~~ gawked at it.

After eating a picnic lunch, the kids fed the geese in the lake. We were all enjoying the geese when we found this in the water…

An otter!

The kids were fascinated, as were the moms!

After spending some time at the playground and feeding the geese, we walked to a nearby rec center. The kids played while the moms chatted.

After spending some time at the rec center, we walked the rest of the way around the lake. I saw this hole in a tree, and I thought it was pretty neat. Upon closer inspection, Logan discovered a shoe in the hole. We all thought that was pretty funny.

Spring has arrived!

2010-03-16T04:23:00.000-07:00

Just in time!

I am loving the sunshine and the warm air.

I can leave the windows open in the daytime.

The kids can play outside!!

WooHoo!!

Even Macy, the dog, loves being out in the sunshine.

Book Review – Never Say Never

2010-03-15T04:23:00.000-07:00

I received Never Say Never by Lisa Wingate to review from Bethany House Publishers. It’s available for $11.99. This book was a fun, fast read. The storyline is interesting and gripped me from the start. I couldn’t wait to finish it to see how it all worked out in the end.

According to the back cover:

Kai Miller floats through life like driftwood tossed by waves. She’s never put down roots – and she doesn’t plan to. But when a chaotic hurricane evacuation lands her in Daily, TX, she begins to think twice about her wayfaring existence. And when she meets hometown boy Kemp Eldridge, she can almost picture settling down in Daily – until she discovers he may be promised to someone else.

Daily has always been a welcoming place of refuge for those the wind blows in, but for Kai, it looks like it will be just another place to leave behind. Then again, Daily always has a few surprises in store – especially when Aunt Donetta Bradford has cooked up a scheme.

There were parts of this book that made me laugh out loud and parts that tugged on my heart. I recommend it, and I can’t wait to check out more books by this author.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of Never Say Never from Bethany House Publishers as part of their Book Review program. I did not receive any other compensation, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Felt Wreath

2010-03-03T07:57:00.000-08:00

I made this wreath for one of Emma’s friends. I didn’t take pictures

of the process, but am working on another one that I am photographing.

St. Patrick’s Day Mantle

2010-03-02T07:58:00.000-08:00

I love my new decorations!

This is the first time I’ve ever decorated for Saint Patrick’s Day. But, after seeing so many blog posts with so many crafty ideas, I knew I had to do my own.

Emma helped my string my shamrock garland.

This is the right side of my mantle display.

I found this frame on clearance at Target for $2 after Valentine’s Day. I found the glittery foam shamrocks at Michaels. I just glued the shamrock to a piece of scrapbook paper I had in my stash. Then, I found some green buttons in my button stash and hot glued them to the corners of the frame.

I purchased a foam wreath form at Dollar Tree. They also had green and white carnations that I picked up for this wreath. I hung the wreath with a strip of white tulle from the craft room.

For the garland, I used the foam shamrocks from Michaels. I cut a few shamrocks out of scrapbook paper and laminated them. Emma then threaded all the shamrocks onto green and white ribbon. I filled the glasses (in the left corner) with shredded paper and shamrock necklaces. The white vase is from the dollar spot at Target. I picked up the plate at Ross.

This frame is another Target clearance find. I printed our monogram on a piece of cardstock. I then cut it out and glued it to a piece of scrapbook paper. I had a stash of pom-poms in the school room which I placed in the bottom of the glass jar. I wrapped some ribbon around a candle from the Dollar tree and placed it on top of the pom-poms.

This is one of my favorite decorations. I painted a terra cotta pot black. I filled it with some green shredded paper. Then, I added a layer of “gold” (lima beans I spray painted metallic gold). I found the leprechaun picks at Michaels and cut the sticks so the leprechauns would be “standing” on the gold.

Can’t wait to start prepping for my Easter mantle!!

Book 6 - 52 Books in 52 Weeks

2010-02-24T09:09:00.000-08:00

I have tried several times over the past 10 years to read the Harry Potter series. I started reading the first one when Logan was in about the 3rd grade. I tried again when Isaac was about that age. It's just not my style of book. I'm really not a sci-fi/fantasy girl. However, I picked it up again this winter, and decided I was going to finish it no matter what. Know what? I really enjoyed it. It was a fairly quick read. Isaac wants to know if I'll read the whole series. I don't know. I have a whole list of books I want to read in addition to ones I need to read and review. Emma wants to know when I'll read it to her. I don't know that, either. I'm holding off for now, but may read it to her later in the year or over the summer. I will preread anything in this series that I read-aloud to her to make sure they aren't too scary.

Book 5 - 52 in 52

2010-02-23T08:59:00.000-08:00

The Friday Night Knitting Club was a fabulous book. I highly recommend it.

Book 4 - 52 in 52

2010-02-22T08:53:00.000-08:00

I read Coming Unglued. This is book two in the "Sisters Inc." series. I enjoy this series, and I am anxiously waiting for the next book in the series to come out.

Books 3 - 52 in 52

2010-02-21T20:51:00.001-08:00

I read The Lightkeeper's Daughter by Iain Lawrence. I didn't really enjoy this book, but I did read it to the end.

Things to Try – Wall Art

2010-02-18T17:11:00.000-08:00

I ♥ this wall art!! It would look fabulous in my new game room. The walls are currently painted green, and this is a fabulous way to bring in a pop of color (or two). Visit 170 DAYS for a tutorial for this wall art.

Emma: 52 in 52

2010-02-17T07:45:00.000-08:00

I'm updating Emma's 52 books in 52 weeks list of books she has read to date.
7. A Cheese-Colored Camper ~ Geronimo Stilton

This week (January 10-16), Emma read the following books toward her 52 books in 52 weeks challenge:

The Curse of the Cheese Pyramid ~ Geronimo Stilton
Red Pizzas for a Blue Count ~ Geronimo Stilton
Mouse Soup
Fancy Nancy
Katie Kazoo: I Hate Rules!
Katie Kazoo: Drat! You Copycat!

Isaac: 52 in 52

2010-02-17T07:41:00.000-08:00

I have not been keeping up with his list. Here's an update:

2. Magic Keepers (an Eternal Hourglass book)
3. Escape from the Carnivale (A Neverland Book)
4. The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp
5. Peter and the Star Catchers

Change is good, but stress is stress!!

2010-02-16T08:36:00.001-08:00

We are tackling some much wanted home improvement projects over the next few weeks! I am super excited about these projects, but they do cause me a bit of stress. I will take some before pics, and post after pics as each project is complete.

I’m off to finish a shortened school day so I can hit the grocery store and come home and prep for the work crew’s arrival first thing in the morning.

As for the project list, here goes:

replacing crown molding in the master bedroom and bathroom

putting up crown molding throughout the entire downstairs – We have an open floor plan, and our living room/sitting room/kitchen/dining area all flow from one room to another. We are putting molding in the entire area.

chair rail in Emma’s room

access to attic – Emma’s room is above the garage, and Matt is convinced we can gain access to attic space if we put a door in her closet.

cabinets in the laundry room – Right now, I have 2 shelves and no hanging bar in my laundry room (which is a very skinny room we pass through from the garage to the kitchen). I want cabinets and a hanging bar.

All of this work is to start tomorrow and should be finished up within two weeks. We have to wait for the cabinets to be built. So, I now have to go clear my walls and empty Emma’s closet. Stressful, but in a VERY good way!! I’ll post pictures project by project.

Week in Review 2/7-2/13

2010-02-16T07:34:00.000-08:00

Sunday – This is Emma’s first year on the competitive dance team at her dance studio. (She’s the one in green on the left.) Her team consists of 1st and 2nd graders. Three of the kids were on the team last year, and the other three are new. She is loving it! Sunday, they had a “full” dress rehearsal – which means full costume, stage makeup, hair piece (a full ponytail). They are dancing to a compilation of 50’s music which includes Hound Dog, Wake Up Little Suzy, Shake Rattle and Roll, and more. It is too fun to watch. They have one more dress rehearsal before their first competition in two weeks.

Monday – Here’s Emma doing school. She is (in this picture) working on a Valentine’s Day unit study. It involves written work and work on the computer (reading a bit and watching some video clips of how chocolate is made, etc.). As you can see, she loves this study!

Tuesday – Early Valentine’s gift: Matt is horrible about waiting when he’s excited about a good find! I have been talking about wanting a hand-blender and a mini-chopper for months. He came across this one today while looking for bedding at Bed Bath and Beyond, and he couldn’t wait for Valentine’s Day to give it to me! I can’t wait to use it!

Wednesday – New rug and living room furniture: Matt found this rug while out shopping for bedding. I love the way it pops with the new living furniture.

Thursday – Snow people: We got snow, and we got lots of it here in TX. While Logan and the rest of the kids went off to school, Isaac and Emma made snow people. Isaac created “Bob” the Titans snowman. Emma created “Sarah” the snowgirl. The kids were so excited by the snow. That’s one thing they really miss about Cincinnati (besides their old friends).

Friday – Chocolate Chip Pancakes: Because of all the snow, Logan was out of school today. I try to make a hot breakfast when he doesn’t have to be at school early. (He normally has to be at school by 7 for track practice before school.) So, today I made homemade whole wheat chocolate chip pancakes.

Saturday – Logan and his new car: My sweet boy turned 16 right before Christmas. Today, he got a car!! We are all so excited for him. He is happy to have the freedom to go where he wants (within reason), and we are happy not to have to drive him there! Tonight, he picked up a friend and went to dinner. Then, he met more friends for a movie! Could life be any sweeter?

**Be sure to visit The Mom Creative to see other Project Life updates.**

Meal Plan Monday

2010-02-15T08:04:00.000-08:00

Monday: pork stir fry (an easy meal after grocery shopping this afternoon)

Tuesday: double-decker tacos with homemade refried beans, mexican rice, and queso

Wednesday: white bean chicken chili in the crockpot (dance night)

Thursday: salad and baked potatoes

Friday: Happy Meals (look in the fridge, find what makes you “happy”, and that’s your “meal”!)

Saturday: We’ll be in Ft. Worth for Emma’s dance competition.

Sunday: baked ziti (from the freezer), salad, yeast rolls

See what others are eating this week by visiting “Menu Plan Monday” at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Sunday’s To-Do List

2010-02-14T19:45:00.001-08:00

(Time to schedule all our check ups! Don’t ya love the beginning of the insurance year!)

Sunday:

~~Emma to a birthday party~~
~~Email dance team about shoes and prop~~
~~Finish typing lesson plans~~
~~Make “heart” pizza for dinner and Hot Fudge Peanut Butter Pudding Cake for dessert.~~

Monday:

~~Begin packing up Valentine’s decorations.~~
~~Drive to Dollar Tree for wreath supplies.~~
“~~Bling” Emma’s dance shoes and jacket~~
Call ortho to schedule appointment for Logan (check up for retainer)
~~Go pay ticket for expired tags on van!!~~

Tuesday:

~~Dance class for Emma~~
Call eye doctor and order contacts for Logan.
Mail books for Paper Back Swap
~~laundry~~
~~Finish hair bows for Emma’s dance team~~
~~Pick up gift for Papa~~

Wednesday:

Send pics to Walmart for Project Life album.
~~Dance classes for Emma~~
Call ortho to schedule appointment for Isaac (to begin phase I treatment)
Mail Papa’s birthday present

Thursday:

Call pediatrician to schedule check ups for Isaac and Emma
Purchase green and white felt and straight pins for a St. Patrick’s day wreath

Friday:

Call vet to schedule check up for Macy.
~~Phone interview for 3D Travel – potential new job (working from home as a Disney travel agent!)~~
Isaac’s pottery class

Saturday:

~~Emma’s first dance competition (Talent on Parade)~~ in Fort Worth
Possible track meet for Logan in Ft. Worth (if he qualifies)

Sunday:

~~REST after a long day in Ft. Worth!!~~
laundry
work on St. Patrick’s Day wreath

Valentine Dessert

2010-02-14T19:00:00.001-08:00

Oh my!! This was super easy and oh so good!! It’s called “Hot Fudge Peanut Butter Pudding Cake”, and it’s made in the crock pot!! Easy and yummy! Can it get any better? We ate it warm with vanilla ice cream tonight for Valentine’s Day. I forgot to take pictures of it in the serving bowls (because we ate it too fast), but here is what was left of this batch. I took the rest to my neighbor so ~~I wouldn’t be tempted to eat the rest~~ she could enjoy some, as well. I found the recipe at Stolen Moments Cooking blog. Hop over there, grab the recipe, and treat your family to a fabulous dessert.

I love these birthday invites!

2010-02-12T06:24:00.000-08:00

Maybe I can talk Emma into a ballerina birthday party this year so I can make these invitations. They are too cute!! Check out A Little Loveliness to see how she made them.

Over at Frills Fluff and Trucks, I found this beautiful table display that I can tweak to fit a ballerina thems. Love the pink tulle on the chairs and the boa on the chandelier. Check her out to see what she used as cupcake stands and party favors (found at the Dollar Tree). Too cute!!

Our Snow Day – 2/11/10

2010-02-11T07:33:00.001-08:00

We’re in the midst of a heavy snow. Not much

compared to most parts of the country, I know.

However, for north TX, it’s a big one!

We are expecting 4-7 inches of snow today.

As of 8:00 this morning, we’ve got 2 inches.

Logan had to go to school since the roads aren’t bad yet,

but I expect him to get out early.

I couldn’t say no to Isaac and Emma

when they asked to go play in the snow.

Isaac and “Bob” the snowman

(who is frowning because the Titans didn’t do well this year).

Emma and “Sarah” the snowgirl!!

I want to make this…

2010-02-11T05:47:00.001-08:00

I always ask guests to take their shoes off when they come in. I’m thinking most would take their shoes off on their own after seeing this lovely sign right inside my front door. How cute is it? I saw this over at How Does She?, and now I need one for my own home. Visit How Does She? for a tutorial to make your own.

My Valentine’s Day Display

2010-02-10T20:25:00.001-08:00

I’ve never really decorated for any holidays aside from Christmas. However, I now have the perfect place for decorating – the top of the buffet in my sitting room. I have been inspired by a number of blogs I follow, and here is the display I have created for Valentine’s Day. You can click on the photos for a closer look.

This is a full view of the display.

I found these heart-shaped baskets at a vintage shop in my area. I got the hearts at Walmart on clearance for .25/4!

I picked up this frame at a local boutique, and I added some “bling” to the largest polka dots. That’s a pic of my little Emma when she was just a few months old.

On either side of the center frame are some wine glasses I bought at Dollar Tree and filled with M&Ms. The little cherubs in front of that same frame were purchased at Dollar Tree, as well.

Another view – I do plan to add ribbon to both candles, but forgot to do so before snapping these pictures. In these pictures, you can see Emma in a pair of Valentine overalls I made her years ago, and Logan in his favorite Cardinals jersey (the red and white fit the theme!).

The pitcher shown here is from Ross. My little man Isaac is in the picture on the left, and my niece Olivia is on the right.

These are some vintage Valentine cards I picked up at a local vintage shop. They are dated 1949!! I LOVE THEM! I plan to go back and get some more, because I like them so much. They are so much nicer to look at than the cheesy Sponge Bob or Hannah Montana ones sold today!

Week in Review 1/31-2/6

2010-02-09T06:53:00.001-08:00

I know I haven’t done our week in review for a few weeks. Things have been crazy busy around here. But, here are this past week’s review. If you want a closer view of the pictures, click on them.

Sunday – We recently bought some new furniture (which I will post pics of as I need “fillers” for my album). We have also been given a few new pieces, as well. We purchased the cocktail table and lamp above. The cocktail table is a matching piece to our existing coffee table. Matt’s mom gave us the arm chair, and it matches our red sofas perfectly!

Monday – As part of our Winter Wonders unit study, Emma made bagel bird feeders which we hung from a tree in our front yard.

Tuesday – Isaac is snuggled up with a good book. (Here you can see our new sofa and coffee table in the living room.

Wednesday – Here are the “brothers” at the dance studio. On Wednesdays, these boys hang out while their sisters are in dance class. It’s sweet to watch the big boys interact with the little ones.

Thursday – Who needs toys when you have a cardboard box! Emma and Isaac had fun playing in this huge box. They played for about an hour with it – until they crushed it!

Friday – I couldn’t find any Valentine plates I liked for my plate holder so I made my own. A few melamine plates from Target, white heart doilies, mog podge, iridescent glitter, and puffy letter stickers, and viola!

Saturday – HOMEWORK!! This is where Logan spends a good portion of his Saturday afternoons – catching up on his AP World History homework.

Menu Plan Monday – 1/25

2010-01-25T11:02:00.001-08:00

It’s a short menu this week since the kids and my hubby will be going out of town this weekend. While they’re gone, I may try a new recipe or two. Or, more realistically, I’ll just fend for myself from the pantry/freezer/fridge for the weekend since I don’t “have” to cook.

Monday – Asian Chicken Salad (recipe below) with breadsticks

Tuesday – Spaghetti (with sauce from the freezer), salad, and yeast rolls (I’ll make a big batch of rolls and freeze the leftovers for later meals.)

Wednesday – Chili (E has dance classes – 3 of them – on Wednesday’s so we eat from the crock pot.) I’ll have tortilla chips and crackers on hand to be served with the chili.

Asian Chicken Sesame Salad (originally found on Slim Fast website)

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

6 cups lettuce, romaine, chopped
1 pound chicken breast, boneless/skinless, raw
1/4 cup onion, green, chopped
11 ounces mandarin oranges, canned in juice, drained
1/4 cup almonds, roasted, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chow mein noodles
1/2 cup Wishbone® Light Asian Vinaigrette

Preparation

1. Grill and thinly slice the chicken breasts. 2. Toast almonds. 3. On serving platter, arrange lettuce, then top with chicken, green onions and oranges. Sprinkle with almonds and chow mein noodles, then drizzle with Wish-Bone® Light Asian Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette Dressing.

My Weekly To-Do List 1/25-1/29

2010-01-24T11:00:00.001-08:00

Sunday:

~~prep for school~~
~~bake bread~~
~~laundry~~
~~submit job application~~
~~clean game room~~

Monday:

~~grocery shopping~~
send pics to Walmart to be printed

Tuesday:

library
~~Emma’s dance class~~
socks for dance team

Wednesday:

~~Emma’s dance class~~
~~laundry (again)~~
~~make room for new furniture~~
~~move our bed to Isaac’s room~~

Thursday:

~~pack for the kids to go to visit grandparents for the weekend~~
~~make Emma’s wreath~~

Friday:

~~new furniture will be delivered today~~
sew initials on dance team leotards
make Valentine’s wreath

Saturday:

~~Mom’s Night Out (WOOHOO!!!)~~
pic up pictures from Walmart and put them in album
grocery shopping before kids come home

Week in Review 1.10-1.16

2010-01-20T07:55:00.001-08:00

Another week in review from the Zoo Keeper...

Sunday 1.10 Yummy!! I LOVE HOMEMADE BREAD!! I bake it several times a week. I don’t buy store-bought sandwich bread anymore. I even tried a cinnamon raisin bread this week that was fabulous! I will post my sandwich bread recipe in another post.

Monday 1.11 ~ Isaac reading ~ I love to see the kids “plop” down with a good book and read, read, read! Here he is reading The Extraordnary Adventures of Alfred Kropp.

Tuesday 1.12 ~ Emma at the library ~ Our home away from home – the library! We never have less than 50 books checked out between Isaac, Emma, myself, and our school books. We visit the library at least once a week.

Wednesday 1.13 YAY!! My Project Life scrapbook/album by Becky Higgins arrived today. This is where I will store my pictures and tell my stories this year!I have been so excited for this to arrive!

Thursday 1.14 I ALWAYS have a HUGE stack of books waiting for me on my nightstand. Some I am reviewing for various publishers, some I am previewing before I assign them to the kids, and the rest are pleasure books.

Friday 1.15 ~ The boys left tonight for a weekend of Disciple Now. They were broken into to age/gender groups and assigned a “host home”. They met at the church throughout the weekend for worship and other activities. Back at the hose home, they held Bible studies and small discussion groups. Both were very excited to go!

Saturday 1.16 ~ Day out with Emma ~ Since the boys were gone, Matt and I spent the day with Emma. Emma started her day at dance team rehearsal. Afterwards, we took her to Gymboree to pick up a couple of new outfits. Then, we headed to JoAnn fabric where I purchased fabric to make a curtain for her room (and picked up a few supplies for some dance team projects). Then, we took her to Target to get a treat out of the dollar spot (a purple cell phone) and a snack for the movies. To end our “Emma day”, we took her to the movies to see The Princess and the Frog. We all really enjoyed the movie. Instead of a picture for today, I will add her ticket stubs and a Gymboree tag to our scrapbook.

Burlap Wreath

2010-01-17T15:23:00.001-08:00

After seeing this wreath featured on Tatertots and Jello, I decided I must make one for my house. I love it! I followed the tutorial found on her site. Here’s how mine turned out.

I wanted to display mine inside instead of outside. So, I chose fabrics that would match my decor. I chose chocolate brown burlap – which I found on sale for $1/yard!! I then chose fabrics that featured reds, browns, and creams to match my furniture/fabrics.

I started out with a 14” straw wreath that I found at JoAnn’s for $2. For the brads, I used pewter mini-squares that were on sale at Hobby Lobby. I had the mini clothespins on hand as well as the ribbon. I inked the clothespins and paper with brown ink. The wreath cost less than $10 total to make. Even better than the cost is the fact that this project took about 4 hours from start to finish! Now, I’m thinking Emma needs a pink one in her room with polka dots, stripes, and lots of tulle!!

I linked this with Making the World Cuter.

Project life (my 365 album)

2010-01-12T09:33:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm still patiently waiting for my Project Life album to arrive. The shipment was pushed back. It should have arrived Saturday, and it is now scheduled to be delivered tomorrow.

While I wait, I've been checking out ideas to use in my album. Jessica, at Mom Creative, has started a weekly link-up where others participating in Project Life 2010 are posting their "week in review" pictures/stories. (Please note, you do not have to use your album as a 365 album. I've blogged about other ways I intend to use this in the future. Check out that info here.)

I like this idea of linking to Jessica's blog, though. It keeps me accountable - no, I'm not obligated - but it keeps me motivated to stay on top of my photos and allows me a chance to document my stories (in case I don't have time to journal in my album during a particular week.) I'm hoping this will deter burn-out by keeping me excited to look for everyday opportunites to document. I'm also hoping it will inspire me to think outside the box in some of my photos. For instance, I photographed my homemade bread yesterday (which will show up in next week's review post). While this is something I do several times a week, it's not something I've ever deemed important enough to photograph or blog about. However, it really is a part of our "every day" life.

Since my family lives cross-country, they don't see our "daily life". And, since they visit us here in TX just a few time a year, I thought this would be a good motivation for staying on top of the "week in review" blog posts. This way, our families can know what goes on in our everyday life. It also serves as conversation starters when the grandparents call. When there is a lull in the conversation, they can talk about something they've seen on the blog. It sure beats the "I don't know" they will likely encounter when they ask "So, what have you been up to this week?" I've begun posting our seeks in review such as our 12.27.09 week in review or our 1.3.10 week in review. **Just a note, I plan to document our weeks from Sunday through Saturday. Because the first week of the new year actually started with the end of 2009, my first few pics are from the last week of 09.**

Can you tell I'm a bit excited about my year-long project?

To see what others photographed this week visit The Mom Creative here.

Week in Review 1.3-1.9

2010-01-12T07:34:00.000-08:00

Make a Smilebox collage

1.3.10 ~ Isaac and Emma love to pop some popcorn, grab the pillows off my bed, and watch a movie on my bedroom floor in the evenings. I love that they get along so well! She really looks up to him, and he really takes care of her.

1.4.10 ~ The treadmill – Isaac and Emma both wanted to learn to use the treadmill. So, I decided to make it a regular part of their school day. Wonder how long the “wonder” will last? Not long if they’re anything like their momma!!

1.5.10 ~ I took Isaac and Emma to the Dallas Museum of Art. It was the first time any of us had been to an art museum. You can read more about our visit here.

1.7.10 ~ I got my new camera lens in the mail today. Somewhere between Gulf Shores, AL and home back in June, I broke the lens on my Nikon camera. I have used a crummy point and shoot since then. After Christmas, I decided I’d gone long enough with mediocre pictures. It finally arrived!!

1.8.10 ~ Logan got the “hard copy” of his driver’s license in the mail. He’s had a paper copy since his birthday last month. Can you see how excited he is?!?

Menu Planning Monday

2010-01-11T11:01:00.001-08:00

Here’s what we’ll be eating this week…

Monday: Chicken Noodle Casserole

Tuesday: Pulled BBQ sandwiches w/ chips

Wednesday: Bean burritos (using this refried bean recipe), chips/salsa

Thursday: Sloppy joes, homemade fries

Friday: left overs

Saturday: Hubby is cooking something???

Sunday: Chicken Noodle Soup (new)

For more menu planning ideas, check out I’m an Organizing Junkie.

Week in Review 12/27-1/2

2010-01-11T07:13:00.000-08:00

As part of my goal to FOCUS on my family, I set a goal to photograph my family every day of this year. I’ve done pretty good about taking a picture about 6 days a week so far. I’m hoping to do better throughout the year. What a great way for me to chronicle our everyday life!

Here’s a look at the last week of 2009 and the beginning of 2010…

If you click "play" this will open in another screen. You will then be able to enlarge each individual picture to see it better.

Make a Smilebox collage

12.27.09 ~ Matt refinished a desk we had in the living room. All of our furniture is black/white. He brought in a brown desk with the promise of painting it black – last summer. Better late than never, huh?

12.28.09 ~ Logan got his braces off after 39 months!!

12.29.09 ~ We got enough snow for Isaac and Emma to build a ~~snow blob~~ snowman.

12.30.09 ~ We spent a our two-week Christmas break RELAXING!! It was so nice. This was the first year we didn’t travel to visit family, and we missed them. But, we really enjoyed the down time.

12.31.09 ~ We went to the neighbors’ house for a New Year’s Eve party. Emma loved being able to stay up late, but it took her a few days to get “right” with her sleep again.

1.1.10 ~ Matt and Logan spent many long hours putting together 2 big puzzles over Christmas break.

FOCUS ~ Family Time Coupons

2010-01-10T07:56:00.000-08:00

After reading Candace’s post about creating coupons for her family, I was inspired to create my own. I made a book for each child. In their coupon books the have coupons they can redeem for the following:

date w/ mom x2
date w/ dad x2
baking w/ mom
baking w/ dad
pick out movie for family movie night x2
Family Fun Day outing the month of their birthday
a day of Christmas shopping w/ Daddy or myself
choosing the craft for family craft night x2

They were very excited to receive these. In order to make sure they actually get their “days”, we sat down at the table with my planner and wrote everything down for January.

So, for this month, Isaac has a date with me. We are going out for lunch at a local Mexican restaurant. He has talked about this for days. It almost makes me sad that I didn’t place a greater emphasis on this sooner. But, it’s what we are doing now that counts. Logan and Matt are going to see Avatar at some point this month (they both balked at writing a date on the calendar). And, Emma is choosing this month’s craft.

I bought the kids a Christmas tree after Christmas this year. It will go in their playroom next Christmas. I picked up ornaments in lots of fun bright colors for their tree. And, I also thought it would be neat to have them make ornaments to put on the tree. So, 6 times this year the kids will take turns picking an ornament to make. I have saved TONS of pictures and tutorials from the blogs I read. I will print these out and put them in a folder. The week before “craft night” this month’s “chooser” will pick which one we will make. I will then gather supplies and have them ready for craft night. My plan is for each of the five of us to make at least two ornaments each each month. That will be 10 each month. I hope that we can use these for gifts next Christmas for their friends and cousins.

Baby Love Letter 112

2010-01-09T06:32:00.000-08:00

*******************************************************************

What are your child’s favorite things?

Logan has had many “favorites” over the years. Some bring back such fond memories.

Pooh Bear ~ Logan used to carry Pooh Bear wherever he went. He would carry him upside down by one leg. As he sucked his thumb, he would tickle his face with the tag. Oh, the memories that conjures up.

Hot Wheels ~ Oh, the hours I spent playing Hot Wheels with Logan when he was younger. He would “drive” his cars around his car rug for HOURS!!

Ipod/Cell Phone ~ At 16, these are Logan’s favorite “toys”! Not so many fond memories of these toys, unless being ignored by a teenager with ear buds in and his thumbs moving 90 mph across a cell phone keyboard can be considered “fond” moments. LOL!!

Isaac’s favorite toys

Rescue Heroes ~ These were a HUGE favorite when he was younger. He had the action figures, vehicles, and movies! It was a sad day when he sold all of his RH in our yard sale.

Legos ~ These are a current favorite. He particularly enjoys the building sets, not the “plain” Legos. He loves the Star Wars Legos, cityscape Legos. He just bought himself this pirate ship with Christmas money…

Star Wars ~ Another current favorite of Isaac’s. He usually brings these with him to the dance studio to play with his friends while Emma is in class.

Emma’s favorite toys;

Littlest Pet Shops ~ Oh, I’ve never seen such a collection!! It grows and grows and grows. She spends most of her allowance on Pet Shops. She asks for them for birthdays and Christmas. If I would let her, she would prefer to have a Pet Shop bedroom. (She asked, I answered – NO!!)

American Girl dolls ~ I bought her the Bitty Twins for her 4th birthday, and she has collected them ever since. She currently has four, and has circled most of the dolls in the catalog as ones she wants. I love watching her play with her dolls. She has recently gotten interested in reading the stories that come with each doll, as well.

BOOKS ~ She can’t read enough. She can never have enough books. Emma’s always got her nose buried in a book! She reads like – well, like her momma. She always has two or three books that she’s reading at a time. She sleeps with books like most kids sleep with stuffed animals - I mean with piles of books around her as she sleeps.

Book 2 – 52 in 52

2010-01-08T07:28:00.000-08:00

The second book I read for the 52 books in 52 weeks challenge was The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. I know it’s been around for a while, and it’s one I’ve been meaning to read for a while. I found a copy for sale at the library and picked it up. I enjoyed it, and I may rent the movie one of these days. Not sure. I’m really not a movie person.

I’m currently reading Hole in Our Gospel (another review for Thomas Nelson Publishers) and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (from the top 25 Book Blogger suggestions list).

Isaac’s Book 1 – 52 in 52

2010-01-07T08:29:00.000-08:00

Isaac decided to join me in my reading challenge. I bet he can read 52 books this year! His first book was Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw. Every time we would go to the library, he would try to find this book series. It was always checked out. So, we bought him the first two books for Christmas. He got the third in the series Monday at the library, and he finished it last night (Tuesday). He’s currently waiting on book four to come in at the library.

Book 1 – 52 in 52 Challenge

2010-01-07T07:21:00.000-08:00

I read (and reviewed for Thomas Nelson Publishers) The Sweet By and By. You can read what I thought of it here. This is book one of my 52 books in 52 weeks challenge.

Field Trip – Dallas Museum of Art

2010-01-06T06:19:00.000-08:00

Today I took the kids to the DMA. I’ve never been to an art museum before. We really enjoyed ourselves. We were able to recognize some art from our artist studies, and we were able to view some art from artists we will study later in the year. It’s amazing the wide variety of “art” out there. Emma and Isaac are total opposites on their “likes” in art. Emma (like her momma) likes “realistic” art. She loved the Degas ballerinas (no surprise there). She liked the pieces where she could “tell” what the artist was trying to “say”. Isaac, on the other hand, liked all the “outside the box” art. He loved the abstract stuff. His quote of the day was “I like to look at art (meaning paintings) but not make it myself". He much prefers to create sculptures and build with Legos. I assured him that Lego sculptures could certainly be considered art. When you use your imagination to create something it’s art.

My favorite part of the day, by far, was watching Emma. She is the resident “artist” (as she puts it) in the house. She is constantly drawing, painting, sketching, etc. All.the.time!! She took her sketch pad to the museum today in case she was “inspired” And, she was. There were a few pieces she sketched to look like the original (like a Degas ballerina). Other times she just got an “idea” and had to put it on paper. After walking through a few rooms of antique furniture, for example, she sat down to draw a desk with a quill and an ink jar on it. It was just precious watching her. And, I must say that Isaac was a very patient big brother today as we indulged Emma in her need to draw.

My shopping bag. Didn’t see a sign with the name on it (and it was cold so I didn’t look too hard). So, I took a pic of my bag…

Yep, she just plopped herself down on the floor to draw when she was “inspired”.

This is where she’s sketching a desk with a vase of flowers on it (after the quill/ink).

My sweeties!

365 Photography Goal

2010-01-05T06:49:00.000-08:00

FOCUS. Remember that word? It’s my word of the year. One of the things I want to focus on is my family. Sounds like a “duh”, huh? Well, obviously, as a homeschool mom I do focus on my family, right? Well, kind of. I focus on what needs to be done. I don’t always focus on my family as a unit. What’s that mean? It means I get the chores done, errands run, and food cooked. I get school work done and kids to classes/practices. But, sometimes I get so focused on those parts of “family” life that I forget to FOCUS on us.

In an effort to focus more on “us”, I have set a goal to create a “365 Album” this year. My goal is to photograph my family – events, moments, and everyday stuff – every day this year. I found this awesome scrapbook/photo album to help me organize all these photos. If you knew me years ago, you know how “into” scrapping I was. That, however, was before Emma was born, and I learned to sew. Then, I found a new passion. I didn’t lose my desire to photograph everything, I just lost my desire to scrap those pics. So, where are they? On CD’s!!! I don’t print them, because I don’t scrap them.

That’s about to change, though. My goal is (as soon as my album arrives) to edit and print my photos once a week. Then, I’ll sit down one evening each week and journal the photos from the previous week and put them in my album. As I edit my photos, I’ll also upload them to my blog in a “week in review” post so my friends and family can keep up-to-date with our family fun. I’m excited to see this come to fruition over the course of the year. I’m excited to FOCUS on my everyday, ordinary, “just mine” family!!

**And, because I ~~am always one step ahead of myself~~ like to plan ahead … I’m already thinking about other ways I could use this album. Of course, I would have to order more, but that’s OK. I’m thinking I want one to put all of our Disney pictures in one. This way, I can tell all of my stories, but I don’t have to embellish or cut any paper! I’m also thinking about doing one for Emma’s dance years. I’m thinking about a 2-page spread for each recital (so far she’s been in three) and a 2-page spread for each competitive dance season (this is our first). As I said, I ~~am getting way ahead of myself here~~ just thinking aloud…**

Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge

2010-01-04T09:42:00.000-08:00

In conjunction with the 52 Books challenge, I decided to try out the Book Blogger Recommendation challenge as well. 33 bloggers came together to compile a list of over 200 of their favorite books. Here is a list of the top 25 (borrowed from Reading with Tequila):

The following information I borrowed from Tequila's blog:

The Top 25
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J.K. Rowling
City of Bones - Cassandra Clare
Twilight - Stephenie Meyer
The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
Hush, Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick
The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
Graceling - Kristin Cashore
Outlander - Diana Gabaldon
Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien
Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
Eragon - Christopher Paolini
The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle
The Host - Stephenie Meyer
The Thorn Birds - Colleen McCullough
Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling
Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
The Clan of the Cave Bear - Jean M. Auel
The Mists of Avalon - Marion Zimmer Bradley
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
11 Minutes - Paulo Coelho
Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer

Of these, I've read 4 (all the Stephenie Meyer books and The Book Thief). The complete list can be found here.

The first ten I plan to read follow:

The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J.K. Rowling (Isaac will be so happy!)
Graceling - Kristin Cashore
Outlander - Diana Gabaldon
Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
Eragon - Christopher Paolini
The Mists of Avalon - Marion Zimmer Bradley
Sloppy Firsts - Megan McCafferty
The Red Tent - Anita Diamant

You can read the challenge rules and sign up here.

52 Books in 52 Weeks...

2010-01-03T08:46:00.000-08:00

So, last year I set a goal to read 100 books. I didn't accomplish that goal. I read about 50 books. However, if I had counted books I read aloud to the kids, I would have met it. I saw a post about this challenge, and I decided it was much more reasonable for this busy mom. So, basically it boils down to reading a book a week for the year. If you're interested in this challenge, sign up here.

Book Review - The Sweet By and By

2010-01-02T10:24:00.000-08:00

What a fabulous read! I have listened to Sara Evans for years as a country music artist. I had never heard of Rachel Hauck until this book. I will definitely be looking for more reads by these authors.

Jade is looking for "real" love. As she works through relationships with her soon-to-be mother-in-law, her fiance, her estranged parents, and a past love, she is surprised when she meets the One who shows her what relationships are really about.

Soon after starting this book, I was captivated. I didn't want to put it down. As a matter of fact, I put away the other book I was reading so I could read this one. The characters come to life in this story of love, honesty, and redemption - from God and the ones we love! The trials the characters faced in this story are so real. This story could easily be about you and me. If you are looking for a quick, light read with a good message be sure to pick this one up!

I received this book from the publisher at no cost with the purpose of providing a review. I am a member of Thomas Nelson's Book Review Blogger program. For more information follow this link: http://brb.thomasnelson.com/.

NaBloPoMo – January 2

2010-01-02T06:45:00.001-08:00

Ok, so as usual, I’m a late. I’m here, though, and that’s what counts. Right? What is NaBloPoMo? It stands for National Blog Posting Month. The goal is to post everyday on your blog for the entire month. Not sure I have that many interesting things to talk about, but I thought I’d give it a try. This month’s official theme is BEST. However, you don’t have to stick to the theme in your posts. Which is a good thing for me. How many BESTS can there be? Or, as my word of the year has me FOCUS on different areas in my life, maybe BEST is what I should blog about. Hmmm… Lots to think about as I endeavor to write a post each day this month…

Word for 2010

2010-01-01T08:53:00.001-08:00

My word for the year 2010 is FOCUS. Last year was a tough year for me. After our move from Cinci to Texas, I turned into a “turtle”. I climbed in my shell and hung out there by myself for the better part of the year. I lost focus, and couldn’t focus on anything.

In short, I feel God is calling me to focus on the following things:

HIM – I plan to do this in a few ways. I plan to attend the membership class at church with Matt, and we will join the church we have attended since moving to TX. I also plan to read through my One Year Bible this year.
FAMILY – I plan to do this by utilizing our coupon books (more on these later) which entitle the kids to choose an activity each week or a “date” with Matt or myself. I’m also going to work on a “365” scrapbook which will help me focus on my family in an “everyday” way – not just focusing on events.
ME – I am clearing off the treadmill, and I’m planning to run a 5K each month this year with my aunt, sister, and two boys. I am also looking into some “work” related things. One is getting my sewing business back to where it was when we moved. Also this year, I will train to become a Disney travel agent. If you have any future plans to travel to Disney, let me know!!

I’m open to anything the Lord calls me to focus on. For now, he’s got me hard at work on the list above.

Snow Again!

2009-12-30T06:34:00.001-08:00

We got snow again yesterday. I decided last night to let the kids play outside in it. Emma has been eager to build a snowman. I’m glad I decided to let them play outside at 8:00 last night, because when I got up at 8:00 this morning all the snow is GONE! That’s the good thing about snow in TX – it doesn’t linger. I remember in Cincinnati when it snowed it would hang around for days or weeks before finally clearing off. But, for those days and weeks we were stuck looking at grey slush everywhere! Not here. If it snows, you must play in it immediately or not at all.

Emma is all bundled up and ready to go in her new hat and gloves Santa brought her. I have ~~created a monster~~ trained her well. Every time I pull out the camera, she strikes a pose.

My angels making angels in the snow.

The ~~snowblob~~ snowman…

Party Time!!

2009-12-28T17:47:00.001-08:00

WooHoo!! We are excited to announce that after 39 LONG months….

Logan got his braces off!!! Would you just look at that ~~expensive~~ beautiful smile!! I love ~~him~~ it! We really were beginning to wonder if he would ever get them off.

When we moved to Texas last year, we weren’t sure where we would end up buying a house. Therefore, we couldn’t look for an orthodontist. I needed to find an ortho close to our new house. So, Logan went without treatment (tightening, bands, etc) for a couple of months. That couple of months extended his treatment for about 6 months since his teeth shifted during that time. Uugghh!! Then came the issue of him not wanting to wear his bands. They are uncomfortable and “uncool” when your 15yo and in high school (or anywhere else I would imagine). So, that added on a bit more time. We thought he would get them off last Monday (his 16th birthday), but the orthodontist wanted to wait one more week. Today he got them off!! We were all very excited for him. He has been smiling ever since!

Sweet and Sassy

2009-12-26T15:33:00.001-08:00

My girlfriend called me up the other day to tell me that Sweet and Sassy was having a sale. Sweet and Sassy? What’s that, you say? It’s a little boutique where girly-girls can go have their hair and nails done. They had a one-day where they marked down the price of their up-do’s for Christmas. We (Carol Beth and I) thought it would be fun for the girls so we headed out.

I must mention that the girls were very excited. They were excited about getting their hair and nails done. They were excited about wearing matching clothes. I happened to have a duplicate sweater vest Hannah could wear. And, they were just excited to be able to spend the day together.

Here are some pics from our day…

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Winter Recital 2009 – Day 2

2009-12-13T16:57:00.000-08:00

Today was even busier than yesterday. We started the day with a dress rehearsal for Emma’s competitive dance team. Then, it was time for the second day of the winter recital. Emma performed her tap routine to Polar Express. She did not like tap last year and quit after the winter recital. She decided to try it again over the summer, and found a new love for it. She did really well on stage this afternoon.

Here is a picture of Emma and her best friend before heading on stage to tap. There are two boys in their class, but I couldn’t get the group together for a shot.

Emma’s jazz class performed to Go Fish’s version of Joy to the World. They did a fabulous job!! This was her favorite from this recital.

That’s the end of our “winter” season. Next up, they will begin working toward the spring recital after Christmas. Also, Emma’s team will polish up their routine in anticipation of their first competition in February.

Winter Recital 2009 – Day 1

2009-12-12T16:55:00.000-08:00

I love dance!! Well, at least when Emma does it (not me!). This weekend is our winter dance recital. Each winter the studio performs The Nutcracker. Emma’s ballet class danced the Russian Divertissement. She really enjoys dancing in the “big ballet”. Not all the ballet classes perform in The Nutcracker, but hers does. Here are pics of her in her Nutcracker costume…

Emma is ready to go onstage.

Emma in the dressing room ready to go on stage.

Emma and a few classmates waiting in the hall before the ballet.
Emma and her best buddy (and her buddy’s brother) after they performed in The Nutcracker.

Emma and her ballet teacher after the recital.

Tomorrow, we have day 2. She will perform her jazz and tap routines tomorrow, as well as The Nutcracker again.

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-11-30T16:50:00.000-08:00

We are so blessed! My family drove 12 hours from TN to TX to spend Thanksgiving with us! I was so excited. My mom, dad, sister, 3 nieces, and 2 cousins made the trip south. My mom and dad stayed with my “other” sister – who lives just down the road. My sister (from TN) and all the kids stayed with me. I had two 6yos, two 10yos, two 11yos, and two 16yos (well almost – Logan will be 16 in two weeks, but we aren’t talking ~~thinking~~ about that right now).

I prepared a HUGE Thanksgiving dinner for our family. I loved it! I had coloring pages for the kids on the kid table. The kids played “pin the tail on the turkey” before dessert. (I found this lovely game in the dollar bins at Target.) We did LOTS of hanging out and catching up this weekend.

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Friday, we decided to not go shopping. We went to the movies instead. The kids saw Astroboy while the big girls saw New Moon! (And, what a fabulous movie it was! I’ll take sparkly vampires any day!) Hubby and Logan stayed home (actually, their movie – Blind Side – was sold out). I’m sure there was some sport-watching going on.

Saturday evening, we went downtown in our town to “A Dickens of a Christmas” – carolers, shopping, crafts, carriage rides, and FAMILY! This was a neat experience. Maybe next year, we will stay to experience it after dark (when the street lamps are lit and the carolers are caroling). This weekend, however, I was too tired to stay late.

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Everyone left Sunday morning, and they all made it home safely. My house is finally back in order, and I’ve found my energy!

The Ultimate Field Trip

2009-10-09T09:38:00.001-07:00

The countdown is on! To where? Disney of course!! This is the countdown to 3D Travel's "Ultimate Field Trip". Click on *UFT* for more information. You won't want to miss this incredible opportunity to join hundreds of other homeschool families for a magical week at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL.

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TX State Fair 2009

2009-10-08T04:18:00.000-07:00

I took my monkeys to the fair! Twice!! Friday, Emma and the dance team from our studio performed at the State Fair. They helped producers unveil a new superhero character, ZR. (You can check out zrtexas.com for more info about him.) I was so excited to see Em on the stage. She didn't dance in the "main" performance, but the production crew wanted some kids to act as "extras" to fill the stage. So, Emma was an extra. She had a really good time.

I'm not usually a "fair" person. I think the prices are outrageous, the crowds too big, and so on. We ended up having a wonderful time. We met up with some friends and rode the DART rail to the fair. The kids thought that was a blast, and I didn't have to drive downtown! We were able to take advantage of the many free exhibits they had - the butterfly gardens, Little Hands on the Farm, and a "Pirates" dive show. Emma even lost a tooth there.

Isaac was supposed to be an extra that Friday, but he stayed home sick. He was so bummed! So, on Monday before my mother-in-law went back to MO, she took us back to the fair. We picked Logan up from school and headed back downtown. We rode the DART again, saw a dog stunt show, and rode the bumper cars. Isaac was bummed when we had to leave in time to get him to football practice. But, all in all, everyone had a good time.

Fall Into Reading 2009

2009-09-22T11:00:00.000-07:00

Yep, it's another reading challenge. I love to read! These challenges tend to keep me motivated. Sometimes, life gets busy, and I slow down on my reading. Can I read 10 books this fall? We'll see.

Here's what's on my bedside table:

Take Two by Karen Kingsbury
Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian
Along Came a Cowboy by Christine Lynxwiler
A Biblical Home Education by Ruth Beechick
Praying God's Word by Beth Moore
Fearless by Max Lucado

If I can make it through this list, I will add more. I am also setting a goal to read through and file/toss/give away my stack of magazines. They are accumulating on my countertop, and I need to move them along...

One more goal - I want to read through the Little House series with Emma at bedtime.

Serve It Up Sunday

2009-09-20T12:12:00.001-07:00

Sunday: Matt is grilling tonight!! WooHoo!! I love when it's his night to cook. We are having Cuban Mojo Grilled Porkchops. He'll also make asparagus and couscous or mashed potatoes for sides. I've got an apple chip cake in the oven for dessert.

Monday: Asian Chicken Sesame Salad with homemade breadsticks

Tuesday: whole wheat pancakes with fresh fruit

Wednesday: Meatball stew with homemade yeast rolls

Thursday: Country lemon chicken, roasted potatoes, salad

Friday: bean burritos, mexican rice, and black bean and corn salad

Saturday - We will eat left overs tonight.

Disney 2009 Day 2

2009-09-18T18:59:00.000-07:00

Today we went to the Animal Kingdom. Mom really liked this park. She loves animals and taking pics of them. We ate lunch at Flame Tree BBQ - yummy!! It was a fun atmosphere with ducks and hornbills roaming the area. We got TONS of autographs (as shown in the pics below). We loved looking at the animals on the safari, and really enjoyed the Jammin' Jungle Parade. We tried to do the It's Tough to Be a Bug 3-D show, but both the kids were scared! So, we left midway through. Maybe next year....

Dinner at O'Hana was fabulous, as was my birthday cupcake. We ate at O'Hana last time we went to Disney, and I knew we would have to take my mom there this time. It's so good, we will probably eat there every time we go to Disney!

After dinner, we headed to Downtown Disney. I'll post those pics later.