crazy 8's

Tag Rules...
1. Mention the person who tagged you.
2. Complete the list of 8's.
3. Tag 8 of your wonderful blog friends!

*I was tagged by Sam.

8 things I look forward to:
1. Friday/weekend- G'pa & G'ma take some of the kids overnight
2. summer tan
3. swimming
4. our 7 anniversary (in June) - nothing special is planned
5. my SIL to get back to normal - NOT because she's such a 'pest', but because this whole thing is scary and dragging out too long.
6. bedtime
7. a trip back home
8. my 29th bday - one more year before I get 'old' :)

8 things I did yesterday:
1. kissed my husband goodbye for a few days
2. made bread, cinn rolls from scratch
3. got some more vegt plants
4. laundry, laundry, laundry, laundry
5. watched my nephew (and my 4 kids)
6. organized the kids toy bins, WITH their help. I need to do it all over again WITHOUT them.
7. missed my husband
8. enjoyed the sun shine once again!

8 things I wish I could do:
1. be a 'super mom'
2. find enough hours in the day to accomplish everything
3. have more patiences
4. be more consistant in exercising
5. take more time for 'me'..without feeling guilty about it
6. keep my kids from anything bad.. or if they get hurt- take the pain away from them
7. keep my garden weed-free, whenever I get it planted
8. be myself with no fear of what others think/say

8 shows I watch:
1. no TV, but shows/DVD I've seen...
2. Little House on the Praire Series (my kids LOVED them)
3. Westerns
4. Comedys
5. Romantic
6. kids, kids, kids
7. more kids,
8. and even more kid shows.

8 bloggers I tag:
1. Heather S
2. Tanya
3. Darcie
4. Heather T
5. Elissa
6. Lindsay
7. Kandace
8. Aleigh

pictures speak louder than words

What do you think the caption should read for this picture? *Katie is ACTUALLY in the process of putting her arm around Carolyn, but..that's not what it looks like!

Just for you Tanya...

What a great day! This weekend has been jammed packed of things. It's flown by, and I am officially exhausted! I'll try to get pictures of everything we did on the kids blog later this week. The big 'events' of the weekend were my G'parents 60 anniversary and Memorial Day. And in between those were a bunch of little things.

But the purpose of this post is actually to warn my dear SIL. You see, this afternoon, we had my hubby's family over for the afternoon/evening. We had a blast. You maybe heard our laughter, more accurately, 'roaring laughter until you pee your pants', from your house. As usual, people only laugh at funny things. And in this family.. if you do funny things, there's at LEAST 2 people ready with camera's.
SO MRS. TANYA. IF YOU ARE GETTING ANY IDEAS OF POSTING ANY PICTURES OR VIDEOS OF TODAY ON YOUR BLOG.. THIS IS YOUR 1ST AND FINAL WARNING...

DON'T DO IT! DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT DOING IT!! DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT THINKING ABOUT DOING IT!!!

I'm Carrot Cake...What about you?

If all of the eight desserts listed below were sitting in front of you, which would you choose (sorry, you can only pick one)!

Pick your dessert, and then scroll down to see what psychiatrists think about you.

( REMEMBER - No Cheating. Make your choice before you check the meaning.)

Here are your choices:

1. Angel Food Cake
2. Brownies
3. Lemon Meringue Pie
4. Vanilla Cake With Chocolate Icing
5. Strawberry Short Cake
6. Chocolate Cake With Chocolate Icing
7. Ice Cream
8. Carrot Cake

Choose ONE. No, you can't change your mind once you scroll down, so think carefully about what your choice will be.

OK - Now that you've made your choice, this is what the researchers say about you...
SCROLL DOWN---No Cheating

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1. ANGEL FOOD CAKE -- Sweet, loving, cuddly. You love all warm and fuzzyitems. A little nutty at times. Sometimes you need an ice cream cone at the end of the day. Others perceive you as being childlike and immature at times.


2. BROWNIES -- You are adventurous, love new ideas , and are a champion of underdogs and a slayer of dragons. When tempers flare up you whip out your saber. You are always the oddball with a unique sense of humor and direction. You tend to be very loyal.


3. LEMON MERINGUE -- Smooth, sexy, & articulate with your hands, you are an excellent caregiver and a good teacher. But don't try to walk and chew gum at the same time. A bit of a diva at times, you set your own style because you do your own thing. You shine when it comes to helping others and have many friends.


4. VANILLA CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE ICING -- Fun-loving, sassy, humorous, not very grounded in life; very indecisive and lacking motivation. Everyone enjoys being around you, but you are a practical joker. Others should be cautious in making you mad. However, you are a friend for life.


5. STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE -- Romantic, warm, loving. You care about other people, can be counted on in a pinch and expect the same in return. Intuitively keen. You can be very emotional at times but a true person in every way. You like to do things for yourself and help others learn about themselves.


6. CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE ICING-- Sexy; always ready to give and receive. Very creative, adventurous, ambitious, and passionate. You can appear to have a cold exterior but are warm on the inside. Not afraid to take chances. Will not settle for anything average in life.. Love to laugh..


7. ICE CREAM -- You like sports, whether it be baseball, football, basketball, or soccer. If you could, you would like to participate, but you enjoy watching sports. You don't like to give up the remote control. You tend to be self-centered and high maintenance.


8. CARROT CAKE -- You are a very fun loving person, who likes to laugh. You are fun to be with. People like to hang out with you. You are a very warm hearted person and a little quirky at times.. You have many loyal friends.. You were meant to lead and teach others. A wonderful role model.

Has it been a year already?

Fishing Buddies This is maybe one of my all time favorite picture! It's Benji-left and Jacob-right, (our nephew). It was taken a nearby lake almost exactly 1 year ago.

Also almost exactly 1 year ago today, we were leaving Iowa. Little did we know we'd be right back here before the year was over. But saying goodbye to the place that has become our home, and our kids home..was anything but easy, much less saying good bye to family and friends. Iowa was an experience all by itself. Good and bad all at the same time. But we are so grateful that it was ours to experience. So much we learned, so much we experienced, so many, many wonderful people came into our lives!! I'll have to write more about our "Iowa" time.

I just can't believe it's been a whole year already!! Time has flown!

Do you ever..

• have a day that you wish you could just start all over again?

Today wasn't a bad day. But there are a few things I wish I would have done differently. (T- if you're curious it has nothing to do with you or your kids). Obviously we can't change what's already done. The only thing is to learn from it. And change tomorrow.

Two things did brighten my evening.

#1-Our 3 oldest kids went fishing with Daddy and G'pa. Just leaving me home with John. We picked up the living room and vacuumed it. Now its time to relax and snuggle. Just having alone time, to unwind and relax always makes everything better. At least for me it does.

#2- If you are invited to Beechams Blog, read this post. It was a little pick-me-up at just the right time.

1 month

Today I realized (thanks to my handy counter on the side lines) that it's only 1 month exactly until our 7th anniversary! Can it really be almost 7 years already? Wasn't it just yesterday we 1st met and fell in love? Time sure has flown. Of course it isn't a 'milestone' anniversary. But besides the fact, we aren't doing anything 'out of the ordinary'.

Those of you that KNOW my husband know: he wasn't born with wings (so he doesn't fly), he wasn't born with gills (so he doesn't go in water he can't see the other side of)... Someone mentioned he wasn't born with tires, but yet he's a truck driver... Doesn't make sense to me either. But I still love him!

(I'll try to scan some of our wedding pictures...so I can share them on here!)

Better day

To start with the weather was better. Just having Mr. Sun made the day better. It was still cool (high 50's), and windy.. but the kids didn't mind. And speaking of kids..we had a good day! Plans changed last minute this morning, and we ended up with 6 kids (instead of my normal 4). But it was all good. This afternoon all 6 took a nap. At the same time. For a loong period of time!

I had a big box of flowers just impatiently waiting to be planted. So I bravely planted them with the help of my 'helpers'. I'll have to get some pictures from Aunt Tanya. Now after a fun filled day the kids are ready to crash and so is Mommy. Just as soon as I clean all that sand and dirt out of the bathtub...4 kids=messy bathtub

Dreaming of better days..

Today is rainy, dreary, cool, basically meaning, NO OUTSIDE PLAY. I have extra kids. My to-do list is too long. The kids ALL know how to push buttons (on the other kids AND me). In all reality today is nothing compared to some of the days we've had. But it cheered me up to go back and look at these pictures. Of my kids- happy.together.smiling.kissing!

Now I feel better! So when the last of my '6' kids wake up today, I'll be refreshed and ready to go.

Right?!

It's the little things

To tell you the truth I wasn't going to blog about Mother's Day. Mostly because, we don't celebrate Mother's Day the traditional way. Meaning, I don't have the day 'off', I don't get pampered, I don't receive lots of wonderful, (meaning expensive) gifts. Life carries on just like normal, well, to an extent. I figured I wouldn't have anything exceptional to write about. Or so I thought.

• I didn't receive a big bouquet of store bought flowers. But I did get the biggest bouquet of dandelion flowers that a 3 and 4 year old can possibly pick. (think an armful, not bouquet) Not to mention a big flat of flowers to plant together in our pots.
• I didn't get a fancy card. But I did get a handwritten note from my husband, saying (and touching) more than any store bought card could EVER think of saying.
• I didn't receive any 'expensive' gifts. But through out the day I was given little wildflowers, dandelions, hugs, kisses. All priceless gifts to me.
• I didn't get the day off to relax by myself. But I did get to spend the entire day with my husband and 4 kids, creating more memories to cherish. Truth be told, it would have been a BORING day without them.
• I didn't get to eat out (technically we did. We ate at my in-laws.. but all us "moms" worked together). But I did have my family surrounding me at the table..and later that night the kids (and my husband) made a 'pretend' picnic on the living floor for me to enjoy.

So while I didn't get Mother's Day the 'traditional' way. I now realize just how special it was for me. I can't lie- it would be nice to get flowers, have the day 'off', get expensive gifts, the whole 9 yards.. but to be completely honest.. I'm perfectly content with what I got. And I couldn't have asked for a better way to celebrate it.

Having kids has taught me to see the joy in little things, because they mean much, much more than the things money can buy. So for those of you who got the '5 star' treatment, good for you, no doubt you deserved every second of it, but, move on over! This country Mama to 4 is flying high after her priceless Mother's Day!

You can't describe the feeling of "Mommy"

It doesn't get better than this. Mothers Day 2009.

I have much more I'd like to write regarding Mommyhood. But after a busy weekend, extra kids today, and a long list of things to do, it'll have wait. Hope your day was special, just like mine.

Happy Mothers Day!

• Real Mothers don't eat quiche; they don't have time to make it.


• Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils are probably in the sandbox.


• Real Mothers often have sticky floors, filthy ovens and happy kids.


• Real Mothers know that dried play dough doesn't come out of carpets.


• Real Mothers don't want to know what the vacuum just sucked up.


• Real Mothers sometimes ask 'Why me?' and get their answer when a little voice says, 'Because I love you best.'


• Real Mothers know that a child's growth is not measured by height or years or grade...

The Images of Mother

• 4 YEARS OF AGE - My Mommy can do anything!


• 8 YEARS OF AGE - My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot!


• 12 YEARS OF AGE - My Mother doesn't really know quite everything.


• 14 YEARS OF AGE - Naturally, Mother doesn't know that, either.


• 16 YEARS OF AGE - Mother? She's hopelessly old-fashioned.


• 18 YEARS OF AGE - That old woman? She's way out of date!


• 25 YEARS OF AGE - Well, she might know a little bit about it!


• 35 YEARS OF AGE - Before we decide, let's get Mom's opinion.


• 45 YEARS OF AGE - Wonder what Mom would have thought about it?


• 65 YEARS OF AGE - Wish I could talk it over with Mom.

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows,and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows!

The Mom Survey

Here's a survey for mom's. Copy and paste to your blog and then "x" each thing that describes you.


What kind of a cook do you consider yourself?
( )I’m chef material
(x)Nobody complains
( )sometimes it turns out
( )people beg me not to cook
( )what’s a cook?

When do you wash the dishes?
(x)Right away
(x)after the last meal of the day
( )the next day
( )I leave them until someone else does them

How do you decide what to make for meals?
( )open the cookbook and point to a recipe
(x)ask family members what they would like
(x)I plan my meals ahead of time
( )pull a packaged item from the freezer
( )call for delivery

How often do you do laundry?
( )every day
(x)at least once or twice a week
( )I send it out
( )never. I just buy new

At what point do you vacuum the floor?
( )everyday before the floor really has a chance to get dirty
(x)a couple of times a week just to keep the big chunks from be obvious
( )when I can’t walk without the soles of my feet being covered in crumbs and dirt
( )never

Do you dust?
( )yes, everyday
( )once a week
(x)when company is coming
( )no, it will just get dusty again

Do you make your family members do chores around the house?
( )everyone has their daily lists
( )once a week we split chores
(x)the kids have certain chores they do
( )no, I do it all


Do you pick up the kids’ toys?
( )yes, always
(x)I sometimes help them
( )no, never
( )I don’t pick up, I just throw

What do you do after the kids are in bed?
( )more work around the house
( )read a book or take a bubble bath
( )exercise
(x)spend time with husband
(x )go to bed

How often do you and your spouse go out on dates?
( )every week
(x)once a month
( )at least once a year
( x)what’s a date?

How do you buy clothes for your family?
( )brand new every time
(x)brand new and secondhand
( )always secondhand
( )we always get hand-me-downs so no need to shop

If you had a day to yourself, how would you spend it?
(x )clean house
(x)shopping
( )get together with friends
( )go to a Day spa
(x)stay home and do whatever I want

Would you like to go back to work?
( )yes! I need the break
(x)some days
( )never. This is my job

Never, Ever Again!

• On a very spur of the moment I joined my husband on a 'work mixed with pleasure' trip to Nashville, TN. He was planning to leave Monday (4/27) alone. Sunday afternoon I was told to pack the kid's bag because I was going along! Much to my surprise. (I can only imagine the surprise my Sis-in-law got when she found out she was going to have extra kids.) ALL.WEEK.LONG. The girls stayed at Aunt Heather's. Benji stayed at G'pa and G'ma (with Jacob) We took John with us.
• Sunday night I watched the girls leave with Joe and Heather, and we left Benji at G'pa and G'ma house (very hard for me-I didn't cry (in front of anyone at least). We didn't explain that Mommy and Daddy would be leaving for a whole week. (It would have been worse if they knew) Anyways, they were thrilled when they learned they were staying somewhere other than home. The longest I have been away from my kids is 2 nights, maybe 3 tops!
• Bright and early Monday morning we left for Nashville. We got back this past Sunday, early evening. I NEVER once worried about the kids (because I knew Aunt Heather, G'pa and G'ma would take care of them just fine.) But-I.MISSED.THEM.EVERY.SINGLE.DAY! The week went by fast though. We had lots of fun. But I don't think I will ever be able to leave them for that long. EVER.AGAIN!
• I won't lie. The break was nice. Although it wasn't really a 'break' break, since we had an almost 20 month old with us. Our most active kid ever :-) But it was 1 kid, instead of 4. So it was a break. Which by the way, John did GREAT. Sitting for 13+ hours, sleeping in motel, new environment, etc.
• I'm not sure how my husband was able to drive OTR (over-the-road) for so long. Now I know how he felt, in a measure. When he was gone, he was ALONE. EVERYONE else was back at home. This trip, we had each other, plus John.
• For me, calling back home made things worse. I knew Heather would tell me the kids were doing 'fine' if I asked (which she did), no matter how they really were doing. So I called only once.
• We are very much the 'take your kids everywhere with you' types of parents. Yes, occasionally we have an day/evening/night to ourselves. By occasionally I mean once a month-maybe. And we're okay with it.
• I trusted those who took care of my kids, and I don't know how to ever thank them for what they did for us. Yes, I know, family takes care of family, it's what we do. But still. (You'll get your thank-you presents shortly. Yes, you are both getting something, don't argue!)
• I'll post more about the trip and pictures on the "kids" blog sometime this week. But in the mean time, I'm going to enjoy being a mom of 4 once again and get back to laundry... And enjoy the flowers they all picked me this morning!