My 1 day late {Embrace}

Normally on Thursday, I do my "Embrace the Camera" post, but yesterday I was SO DARN EXCITED about my new van that I completely forgot about my Thursday ritual! And it works better to be done today anyways because I didn't have any great pics of myself to post yesterday!

BUT today, I DO!

If you saw my post yesterday, then you already know that my TMOM Support Sister had her twins yesterday afternoon! I went, with two other TMOMs, to see Jamie and her new babies:
Hayden and Hailey!

It brought back sooo many memories of holding my own newborn twins... I LOVED this picture! So, today, my {EMBRACE} moment is of me with my new "niece" and "nephew"!! Aren't they beautiful!!??


*For Embrace the Camera details, click HERE to visit Emily's blog!!

Day of Blessings!

God has blessed us today... GREATLY! This is our new minivan...well, new to The Bunch.

*HISTORY: Our family- a family of 6- has never had a vehicle to hold more than 5 people. We have 2 cars- each holding up to 5. So...if we want to EVER do anything as a family, we have to take both cars. This is frustrating because car #1 is great- has a/c and is comfy; car #2 has NO a/c, only 1 window will go down- the other three are stuck UP...etc- it has lots of issues. BUT if we want to do something all together, one of us is stuck driving the crummy car! Ever since the twins were born and we became a family of 6, we've thought "wow, we need a van" but the finances haven't been there to get one. So, we learned to make do... being grateful that we at least have two working vehicles!

*TODAY: A friend of mine called today and said she had something to drop off for me...could she stop by. SURE! Not at all expecting THIS... she got out and handed me the keys! As you can probably imagine, I BAWLED! I said no a few times...told her she couldn't do this... etc. As I cried, she hugged me... it was very emotional! What a great blessing she is to our family (in more ways than one)!! So, as I thank God for this gift, I pray that He greatly blesses her... beyond her imagination!!

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Also today, my "sister of support" from TMOMs delivered her new twin babies! Hayden and Hailey were born around 12:30 this afternoon; Hayden weighed 5lb,13oz and was 18 3/4 inches long, and Hailey weighed 5lb7oz and was 18inches long!! They're beautiful! My SOS is Jamie- she and her husband Shane and 3 year old daughter, Hannah, are so very excited about their new additions! CONGRATS to your family!!

Strep and skinned knees

I'll be glad when my kids are all well.

First: Asher's finger

Next: Xander has strep now

Then, when we get home from Xander's appointment, Jonathan tripped in the driveway and skinned his knees!

Sure am glad that Tim, Bella, and I are all well!

(Pics should be obvious, but in case you want an explanation- TOP: Xander almost asleep at the Dr. office; BOTTOM: Twins "reading" at the Dr. office)

Happy Birthday to ME!!!

Ok, so I know that Facebook REMINDS people of birthdays, but I feel kinda special knowing that I had over 100 "happy birthday" wishes today! While I DO realize that more than half of those people had no clue it was my birthday until FB notified them, it still makes a girl feel loved!! Thanks to all my peeps for the well-wishes! Love you all!

For my birthday, Tim woke me up with a BEAUTIFUL birthday card:
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My Wife
"It's just another day," you say.
"It's no big deal," you say.
But to me, the anniversary of the day YOU came into existence is about the biggest deal there is.

Until you came along, I never thought it was possible
that one single person could so totally steal my heart away.
But that's what you've done.
One look at you, and all I want to do is be near you, touch you, hear your voice, and hold you so close that it's impossible to tell where you end and I begin.
I think you're incredible, and what I want, more than anything, is to try to make you as happy as you've made me- if that's possible.

In a way, I feel guilty...I mean, here it is YOUR birthday, and yet I'm the one who gets to enjoy the gift... the gift of you and your love.

Happy birthday- always and forever
I Love You-Tim
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Sweet right? I think he's a keeper! He bought me a couple of things on my Amazon.com wish list- can't go wrong there, right? The tagging gun is for my TMOM Sales... I spend SO much time putting safety pins in all the price tags, but now all I have to do is gun them! LOL (I know that's not the right term!) Then, the rotary blade & ruler are 2 of 3 parts of cutting stuff I want on Amazon! I make flannel blankets... it's SO much easier if I can cut STRAIGHT lines in the fabric as opposed to guesstimating! He's so good to me- he knew exactly what would make this girl happy (my wish list helped of course)!!

Also for my birthday, I got money from a couple family members, plus Starbucks and Cherry Berry gift cards!! LOVE it!

I spent most of the day at Tami's house since Tim had to work. We had a good time chatting and crocheting while our 5 littles played (Xander was at school). After I left there, Asher had his follow-up appointment for his finger. Dr wants him to keep the splint on for the rest of the week. Here's hoping he'll be all better soon!

The night was great! All in all it was a good birthday... well, except that I didn't get a birthday cake... BOO! Anyways, happy birthday to me!

Cantaloupe and Pizza

Who doesn't like cantaloupe? Really? I mean, all my life, I have LOVED this beautiful orange fruit...it's so deliciously yummy!

So, yesterday, I decided to go against the norm of buying bananas, apples, or grapes and I bought a cantaloupe! NOT ONE PERSON in my house liked it! NOT ONE! I made Xander take a bite to try it and he said, "EW, that's gross mom!" Babies crinkled up their faces and both said, "No me like it!" Asher took a bite & spit it out. Tim wouldn't try it because he KNOWS that he has never liked it.

FAIL!

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Xander had some pizza... looking at JUST the slice of pizza, it may not seem to big, but when you compare it to the size of his body the slice is HUGE! He ate every bit of it PLUS another smaller slice! I don't know where he puts it!

Hahaha!



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For those of you who follow my blog, you know that I've mentioned my friend Scarlett's baby, Dakota, on several occasions. For those of you who have not heard about Dakota, I'll briefly recap! Dakota was born January 2011. Now, 8 1/2 months later, he has still not seen his home. He was in a local hospital for the first couple of months, then transferred to a specialty hospital in another state. He's had several surgeries; every few weeks of "good" end him up back in the PICU with a bad setback. He's had so many ups and downs for his whole life- only seeing the outside of the hospital on the day they transferred him from here to Nebraska. BUT GOD... God is good! This week, if all continues pacing in the right direction, he will be released from the hospital. They did his carseat test yesterday (a test for preemie babies to ensure their bodies can handle being in the carseat without breathing problems). They will have to continue doing outpatient treatments in NE until spring, then my friend will be able to bring him and his twin brother, Jay, back to Oklahoma! They're still a long way from "done" on this journey, but getting released from the hospital is the news that Scarlett has waited for since January! Dakota has been such a great kid... a strong fighter... he is destined for greatness!

-Keep getting better little man, we look forward to your homecoming!!

Celebrating Birthday

All through my childhood, my grandma would ask what I wanted for my birthday dinner. Every year, my answer was the same: Lasagna! I remember LOVING grandma's lasagna!

So now, as a grown up, when it's my birthday, all I want is Italian food....GOOD Italian food that I don't have to cook for myself! So, my birthday is this week, but I took off work today so Tim and I could have a date night to celebrate my SPECIAL day! I used my birthday money that I've received so far to take Tim and myself out for Olive Garden! YUMMY! I love their salad (with extra olives, of course) and I LOVE their breadsticks (dipped in the salad dressing). It works out nicely for my birthday to go there too... because every year, at this time of year, they have "Never-Ending Pasta" (click for details). Who doesn't like all-you-can-eat pasta? It was sooo yummy!

And the entire time I was enjoying it, all I could think of was lasagna birthday dinner at my grandma's house!

**Thank you mom for keeping the kids so Tim and I could enjoy time alone!

Chef Boyardee anyone?

Today was a fun & busy day. We went to soccer this morning. Lost terribly :( but they played hard and had fun!!

After soccer, The Bunch went to our friend's house for a "Chef Boyardee Party!" It was good fun. Evidently the company is trying to get out to the public that you can do SO MUCH MORE with cans of Chef Boyardee than just open the can, microwave and serve. They have RECIPES for meals you can make. So they've picked certain people across the US to host parties to get the word out! My friend was picked for this party! We tried yummy recipes- I expected nasty, but was pleasantly surprised! We had 4 mothers of multiples (plus a husband), 3 sets of twins, 1 set of quads, and 3 singleton siblings! It was SO very fun!

After the party we went shopping at WalMart to pick up a few necessities. Then back to home to let the kids rest for a little while! They were EXHAUSTED!

Asher's finger is still sore, but not to the point of tears... so that's good!

Getting ready for work now! Hope you had a great day like The Bunch did!

Poor Asher

Poor baby Asher... not much of a baby anymore since he's almost 4... but we still call him that sometimes!

Just before I went into the kitchen to fix dinner, Tim announced for the kids to go to "room time"... that way they stay out from under foot while I am cooking! Well... Bella and Jonathan went in the room and SLAMMED the door. I didn't think anything of it until I heard the BLOOD-CURDLING SCREAMING coming from Asher. Guess he didn't make it into the room. His finger was stuck in the door frame- twins were holding the door shut...COMPLETELY shut on his finger. I ran as quick as I could and had to push on the door to get them to move and release his poor little pinky. It was squished to the width of his earlobe (best way I can describe how smooshed it was) ... and it was all different colors (granted, he had markers on his finger too). But OMG, I wouldn't even let him look at it until the swelling made it look more like a finger and less like a squished worm!

He screamed....and cried... and screamed for almost an hour. My mom came to look at it (she's a nurse) and she thought we needed to have it checked out. The pic here isn't too clear on how the whole end of his finger looks, but you can tell from the fingernail that it was painful! So, anyways, we went to the urgent care clinic around the corner from my house (thanking God they're close to our house)!!

They did a couple X-Rays on his pinky and determined that the end of his finger is fractured. So we left with a splint wrapped in a pretty blue bandage holding his finger in place. We get to go back next week to have it re-checked. Hoping it will heal well & without any problems! Poor little man!

TGIF??

so, when people say "thank God it's friday," i kinda cringe.

friday to most people means that their work week is ending and they're getting a couple days off. FOR ME, friday means it's my last day off before i have to go back to work.

most fridays are ok... in fact, most of my blogs on fridays are titled "fantastic friday" or "fabulous friday" ...etc... BUT TODAY was the exception to that trend.

today, the kids made me a little loopy. they'd go from one "no-no" to the next without a thought. i felt like i was going crazy chasing them from one thing to another saying "no...don't do that... get out of there..." etc! plus, you know how, as women, we have those sorta BLAH days? well today was a "feel sorry for myself" kind of day... one of those that i'm not finding a whole lot to be uber-excited about.

so, that's my day...in a nutshell! hoping tomorrow is a better day!

Embrace the Camera: 9/22/11

It's a wee bit late in the night to work on linking up with Emily's Blog for Embrace the Camera! Good thing she "accepts" people linking up through tomorrow :)

Here's a picture of "snuggle time" with my three littles. Xander is at school all day, so I don't often get too many snuggle pics with him... (mental note, next week's Embrace will be snuggle time with Xander)

I really DO love embracing these kids! They're just so darn embraceable!

Mowed Grass and Yummy Dinner

Today was SUCH a horribly lazy day! It was all I could do to keep my eyes open...LITERALLY. I would, evidently, have my eyes closed when I'd jerk myself awake hearing Bella say "MOMMY, MOMMY!!" LOL... So, it occurred to me that I should get up and MOVE! I got up and made a snack for the kids (fried Cheerios-yum!) and I had some too... it woke me up!! HOORAY!My brother came over and mowed the yard this morning! WAHOOOOO! I was very happy to have cut grass! (see yesterday's frustrated blog post!). All four kids like watching us mow- they'll run from window to window through the house to be able to see the lawnmower!! Here's all 4 kids at the kitchen window! SO cute!

We didn't do much today since I was so sleepy, but I DO have to share dinner with you. If only I could share it in real life...it was DELICIOUS!! Tim said he wanted bacon-wrapped chicken. I had no clue what to do, so I consulted my "Uncle Google" for more information! I got this great recipe... we tried it... it was AH-MAZING!!
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Bacon-Wrapped Chicken

Here's what you do for the chicken:
4 chicken breasts (pounded thin)
4 slices bacon (partially cooked)
1 cup mozzarella cheese (divided)
salt, pepper, onion powder, and italian seasoning (to taste)
*With chicken laying on a flat surface, sprinkle the top with seasonings. Add cheese, then roll up. Wrap chicken roll with bacon, and secure with a toothpick. Place rolls in 9X13 baking dish.
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Here's what you do for the sauce:
1/2 C milk
1/2 C mayonnaise
2 tsp lemon juice
1 10oz can cream of mushroom soup
salt & pepper to taste
*Mix all of the above ingredients in a bowl. Pour over the chicken in the baking dish.
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Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes (or until cooked through). We served it over bowtie pasta with parmesan cheese.
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This was one of the bestest meals I have cooked in awhile! You really should try it!!

TMOMs and Tall Grass

My Two Talk-able Things about Tuesday:

1: I LOVE MY TMOMS! Yes, I DO realize I say this...just about every other Tuesday. But it's that often that I am reminded of what a great group of ladies I am friends with! Tonight was our board meeting. It's always nice to talk business, yet still have fun with these women! God blessed me with some really good friends!

2. My lawn mower stinks! Just about EVERY time that I need to mow the grass, something is wrong with the mower. Sad part: I have 2 mowers! I have a push mower and a riding. We OBVIOUSLY prefer the riding, but in times of desperation, we get out the push mower! I'm about to a point of desperation here... the riding one won't turn over ... but I'm fairly certain my grass is about 2 feet (maybe more) high... IT NEEDS TO BE CUT... BADLY! My brother is going to try something to get it to work tomorrow...praying it does... I DON'T WANNA MOW with the push mower! It'll take a minimum of 2-3 hours to mow my yard that way... whereas the riding takes about 30 minutes... Pray with and for me that it all works out in the morning!!

Poor Mocha and Happy Twins

Our 11 year old dog, Mocha, had to go to the vet today. She's been itching like a CRAZY druggie! Evidently, we've discovered, she had an allergic reaction to something, so she scratched a lot... but the scratching caused sores on her tummy... and so she developed a staph infection. UGH... poor puppy is now on two different meds to help her feel better! Doesn't she look like a sad, pathetic, old lady?

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I always said that if I had identical twins or same gendered twins, I would not dress them the same- I would dress them in coordinating outfits. That way they'd match all cutesy style, but they'd still have their individuality ... at least a little bit! SO.... when I ended up with boy/girl twins, it was great... at least I thought so! It occurred to me that I don't HAVE to dress them alike OR coordinating because they aren't the same sex! WAHOO!!! But, now, every now and then, I LIKE to have them dressed the same. They're cute when they coordinate, but geez...do you know how HARD it is to match boys and girls?? Today, they coordinated... LOVE how cute they look here... and I LOVE that they're holding hands... bestest of friends!

Lazy Sunday

Not much of excitement happened today, so I just thought I'd post a couple "cute kid" pictures!

First is of Asher with the umbrella yesterday at the soccer field. It's almost as big as he is, but he insisted on carrying it all over! SO CUTE!

Then the next picture is of Jonathan playing with a ginormous stuffed lion. He put his ball cap on the lion's head and was having a conversation with him... cracked me up!

Busy day part 2

today was yet another busy day! i feel like i haven't stopped running!

we went to a friend's house this morning to pick up a boppy pillow that she's generously giving to my support sister from TMOMs. my support sister is getting ready to have her twins any day and only had one boppy, so another friend is giving her one! LOVE GENEROSITY! she will definitely be blessed for her kindness! GOD bless amanda!!

then we went to another friend's house. she had a garage sale...after she was done with trying to sell all her stuff, she told me to come get whatever clothing & such items that i wanted. she was planning to take it all somewhere as a donation so i could have any of it! WAHOO for hand-me-downs for the kiddos!! she too will be blessed! GOD bless jill!!

after our visits with friends, we went to xander's soccer game. this week was WAAAAYYY better than last week! until the opposing team cheated in the last quarter and they ended up winning ... up until then we were doing really well! i think the final score was 7-3 (their last 4 points were in that 4th quarter ...boo!)

after soccer, we went to tim's work. he works for the broken arrow animal shelter. they just finished construction on their NEW and wonderfully large shelter. so we went and toured! love it!! when we were leaving, xander was running toward the car & fell ...skinned both knees! the way he was screaming, you'd have thought he'd been shot! poor lil guy! nothing a little ice cream can't fix, right?

his team was planning to meet at braums for ice cream. so after the shelter, we met up with them. braums just opened a new store, so today was "free ice cream for kids" day!! YAY for free stuff! the pics along the side are the 3 littles with their ice cream. didn't get a pic of xander's ice cream b/c he took off with his team & i didn't see him until it was almost time to leave! LOL...kids!

after ice cream, we came home (by now it was after 4...kids hadn't slept...ugh)! so i sent all the kids to the room for "play time"while i worked on getting dinner ready. i had invited the in-laws for dinner (salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, and veggies). we ate around 6, then at 650 i went to bed for a nap before going to work. not much of a nap though b/c couldn't make my brain shut off from the busy day we had! busy.... but fun!

now i'm off to work... hoping you all had a fun filled day like we did!!

Busy day

WOW, we did a lot today! After taking to Xander to school, I took the three littles to meet Tami and Lisa a the mall. The kids love running around and playing there... the mommies love the ADULT conversation. (plus there is a Starbucks right next to the play area!)

After the kids played for over an hour, Lisa left to go pick her son up from school. Tami and I went shopping. Found great deals for Tami- she was looking for jackets for her babies and stuff for Christmas presents! Fun times!!

After the mall, we went to WalMart to pick up some grocery stuff for Tami's house and new wiper blades for Tim's car (ya know, you never know you need them until it's pouring down rain and you NEED them desperately!)

After WalMart, we went back to Tami's house for lunch and to hang out some more! Love that Chica... so much fun hanging with her!! Anyways... kids played hard, so they napped when we got home! YAY!

Oops, got off track. After Tami's house, I ran to pick up a prescription, then we got home from our day of running at 3:02pm. My friend picked Xander up from school for me...she pulled in the driveway at 3:04... PERFECT timing! Put littles down for nap time- didn't hear a peep out of them!

After nap, fixed dinner for kids. Then while they ate, I had to go meet with Xander's soccer coach to pick up his new uniform. He was going to have practice tonight, but because of rain, it was canceled. So I left to get that stuff, then the gas light came on and had to go get gas. Came home and made dinner for Tim and I.

After dinner, Tim took the big boys shopping for some household stuff. They always LOOK at the toy section when we shop.... I love, at this age, that kids are excited to look at toys... even to JUST look knowing that we won't buy them anything... they love the adventure of looking!

While they were gone, I put babies to bed and enjoyed watching some Season 1 of Glee... LOVE that show! I especially love watching it when the kids aren't interrupting! WHEW...busy day... I'm so sleepy now! Thanks for bearing with me as I probably bored you with my day...it kept me busy! Hope your day was good!

Embracing Future Hair-Stylists

Does anyone else have this problem: Whenever I brush Bella's hair, she screams. She tosses & turns in my lap so it probably intensifies the hair pulling, but she just cries and cries. SO, I had this "BRILLIANT" idea. I decided I was going to let her brush MY hair! Thank goodness I don't have a sensitive head...LOL! Then, of course, Jonathan and Ashe joined in! Today's Embrace the Camera moment is pics of the kids "fixing" my hair, and another picture of them "fixing" my MIL's hair! They had so much fun making our hair pretty!!

For more details about what E.T.C. is all about, visit Emily's Blog...link up-it's fun!!

What she wore Wednesday

Today Bella was sporting a classy ribbed tank: Circo brand from Target; Ruffled blue jeans from Children's Place; Pink lace-up shoes from Stride Rite. I just think she's adorable.... Don't you??





Tonight, I met with Tami and Annissa and we got to go visit a pregnant twin mommy who's on bedrest at the hospital at only 25 weeks. Then we met with Jayna (a new fun friend) and went to Starbucks and Applebees. Got home after midnight...so.very.sleepy, but had a blast!! Goodnight friends!

Two Things Tuesday

Two Mentionables about Tuesday:

1: Taco Salad for dinner: Doritos, taco meat, lettuce, tomato, onion, kidney beans, olives, cheese, and I use Catalina French dressing on top... Tim uses salsa & sour cream. Either way is super yummy!

2: Xander had soccer practice today. His coach is good, but Xander is always soooo worn out! He works the kids pretty hard!! So glad he likes playing though. Every time he gets a drink break, he asks, "Do you think I was doing good, mommy?" Of course I always assure him.... it's hard though because since his coach last season was terrible & knew nothing about the game, it's almost like he's a beginner. I know he'll catch on quick... just needs to keep practicing!!

Just another Manic Monday...

today was crazy, as always! i spent the day sleepy and cranky...sorry kiddos! but really... they were NOT helping mommy's mental state either. i think xander took some hyper pills today, and he was going nutty... running around like a chicken with his head cut off! then, all three littles started running like crazy monkeys. then, as i'm sure you can expect, they'd crash into each other and someone would get hurt and cry. THEN... it would start up again within minutes of the injury... only to lead to someone else crying/screaming! UGH!!! needless to say, they were all in bed early tonight. normally, bedtime is between 730 & 8, but today, NOPE, it was 7:05pm and all 4 kids were tucked neatly into bed!! ahhhh... a much needed house of quiet!

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my mind and emotions are exhausted. i think these times are almost worse than physical exhaustion. so many people i know are currently going through hard physical issues right now. i hurt FOR them...i worry too much. last night at work, i told a friend that i sometimes think i need to quit caring so much. she quickly pointed out that i couldn't if i tried.... my caring-ness is what makes me ME! so, instead of not caring, i ask GOD for the strength it takes to care.

Father God, I come to you today for the strength to support my friends during their physical issues. I bring them to you today- YOU care for them...every one of them.
*I give Jamie B to you today- touch her body; protect her babies; keep them in for as long as possible; heal her completely!
*I give you Olivia- heal her from the staph infection. It is so hard to see a baby in pain- cleanse her from this infection!
*I give you Dakota- he is still struggling with his stomach troubles. Give the doctors the wisdom needed to help him. Give his mom the strength as she struggles during this time.
*I give you Christian- thank you for bringing him this far! I ask that you continue working in his body- healing and completing him. Help his organs to function as you intended. Give his mom strength to deal with this difficult time.
*I give you Julie. Protect her and her babies as well. Take away the fever, the sinus issues, and the kidney stones so that she can fully enjoy this pregnancy!
*I give you Jamie W. Touch her body giving her physical strength. She is within a couple weeks of having her twins, but for now she is in constant pain. Help her to finish out this pregnancy without pain or complications.

All of these people I give to you, trusting in YOUR POWER to heal and make whole. Thank you, God, for your promise of hope and a future...your plans to prosper and not to harm! AMEN!

Parks and Sketti Dogs

Today was a fun day. Since I knew I would be exhausted from the weekend of TMOM Sale stuff, I took last night off of work! SO, since no work last night, no sleeping all day today! It was nice to enjoy seeing Tim today, instead of rushing to bed and not seeing much of him! Xander went to church with his friend from school. So since we can all fit in the car if he's NOT with us, we decided to take the three littles to the park to run around for awhile! Our little park has a splash pad- normally the water is turned on to it from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Asher REALLY wanted to play in the water- even though I told him it wasn't working. He went over to the button & it actually turned on! They were THRILLED...and soaked! LOL, but they had a blast! They played on the slides too. I was so impressed by Jonathan and Bella- they climbed the little rock wall. I still think of them as babies...not almost 3 year olds. I forget that they can be more adventurous than they used to be! It was fun watching them explore the BIG slide and rock wall that they'd never tried out before!!

For dinner, I fixed the kids hot dogs... but instead of just boring plain hot dogs, I did "Sketti Dogs"!! All four kids LOVE them...they practically inhaled them! I'm so glad!! In case you missed the blog months ago when I talked about them, here's what you do:

Cut up a hot dog into 4 small pieces. Feed 4 uncooked spaghetti noodles through the hot dog pieces. Boil them according to the spaghetti cooking directions (I usually add an extra minute or two to be sure the pasta INSIDE the hot dog is cooked good)... then serve. Tim tosses them with a little butter. I did not! But either way, the kids LOVE them!

so.very.tired.

some people don't think. some people get hurt by the people who don't think. i don't like to see people hurt, but i don't know how to fix it. i want to fix things ...everything... and when i can't it's frustrating.

so, today, friend A was hurt by friend B. friend B is a little "harsh" at times... not intentionally, but if you don't know her personality, you could definitely take her the wrong way. anyways, friend A was hurt by her- on several occasions in the last couple of years, but today was the breaking point for her. it makes me sad- i wanna be able to fix it and make it better, but i have to accept that i can't fix friend B's personality... and i can't change how friend A takes B's personality.... so my hands are a little tied here!

THEN....

another friend was hurt today. we'll call her friend C. friend C was trying to do a good deed. random individual says to friend C "you don't need to do that being pregnant"... however, friend C is NOT pregnant. nor does she even look pregnant. friend C is very self-conscious of her post-pregnant body, so she was hurt by this person's comment. again, i wanna be able to fix it and make her feel better, but really, is there anything that can be said to "fix" things? probably not.


SO... with the emotions and exhaustion of the TMOM Sale plus my friends having a rough day, i am so.very.tired..... good night world! i leave you with this-

THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK!!!!

Today is the day!

Today is it! It's the day I load up the car and take all my junk... ahem, I mean "valuable treasures"... to the TMOM Sale location! Today was spent catching up around the house since I've been neglecting dishes and laundry! The rest of the day will revolve around the sale. I have family coming to sit with the kids until Tim gets home from work- so I'll be leaving with my FULL car in about 20 minutes. Then I won't be home until around 1030 or 11 tonight.

Here's how my car looks.... great, right??

Tagaholics Anonymous??

Ok, so all I've talked about on my Facebook is tagging for the sale. The TMOM sale is this weekend. I have 350-ish items that I am selling. And, of course, I put it off until the last minute to get it all done!

So, I had this "AHA" moment. I might have a problem. I think I have some weird, twisted addiction to tagging! I had this realization when I was getting ready to finally finish up so I could head to bed, and it occurred to me that I hadn't done laundry in three days...I had not washed any of Tim's work clothes. So, here it is, 11pm...I am exhausted, and I've lost count of how many times I've poked my fingers with safety pins... and I now have to add laundry to my day! UGH... I look around my house and realize that laundry is not the only thing I've let slip away from me this week... oops! I thought about posting pics of my messiness as a result of the sale stuff, but I figure it's better to just let you imagine than to show you proof! HAHA!

SO, as I am finishing up on all my tagging stuff and waiting for the laundry to get done, I'm taking time out to blog about my day! Is there a support group for Tagaholics?? Just checking!

Tags anyone?

I think I might possible DREAM about tagging. In the last 48 hours, I think I have spent MOST of my awake hours working on getting ready for the TMOM Sale! Tomorrow is the last day I can work on it before we set up on Friday. UGH...so much to do! I ran out of safety pins today so that put my process at a stand still! Can't get to the store til in the morning to get more... I think I might be twitching a little.... is it possible to have tagging withdrawals? If so, I've got it!!

Dinner was yum... we had creamy chicken & biscuits! Delish! I pretty much made like a stir-fry (with a little extra broth/gravy in it) and served it over biscuits!

Now, since I can't tag, I think I'll go to bed :( I know...I'm pathetic!

Two Things Tuesday

two mentionable things about tuesday

1: a new recipe learned: "cooking with toddlers" - an easy recipe that kids can help with! black bean quesadilla: 1 can black beans, 2 cups fiesta blend shredded cheese, shredded zucchini. Put it all in a bowl and let the kids mush it up (they love that!) then put it on a tortilla and grill on a skillet! it was soooo yummy! (thanks dana d. for showing us a great new recipe!)

2: tmom night! tonight was a great night for tmoms! we had (i think) 6 new people join the group! i wasn't there last month, so i was having some serious tmom-withdrawals! it was good to be back with my second "family!" these ladies have become such a big part of my life! love every minute spent with them!

tell me 2 things about your tuesday......

"Uncle Derek"

Then....

Tim has a friend named Derek... they have been friends for about 11 years. They were great friends! Just before Tim and I got married in 2002, Derek enlisted in the Army and moved out of town :( .... he ended up stationed in Germany. He was in Germany for many years. They kept in touch without fail! Derek moved back to the US a couple of years ago- he lives in Missouri! He came and visited last summer (2010) for a few days, then after Christmas we didn't hear from him... at all! It was so strange for the last 8 months- not a word.

Now...

This morning, I had the kids go to room time to play. They had been in there about 5 minutes when Xander yells, "Mommy, somebody is here!" Tim was at work until 11am, and I wasn't expecting anyone, so I peeked out the front window. CLUELESS still, I had no idea who it was. This stranger knocks on the door. SCARED to open it, I cracked it open a little bit with my foot behind the door so I felt a little bit safer opening it. (mental note: need a peep-hole) ANYWAYS, after a double-take, I realized it was Derek! He had a beard & long hair now! I yelled, "Oh my gosh, you're alive!!"

Of course the kids came in and attacked him...well, the boys attacked him. Bella hid in the bedroom under a blanket! LOL...she cracks me up! I had to bring her into the living room to sit with me, but she wouldn't even look at him. After right at about 30 minutes, she finally warmed up to him! The kids adore Uncle Derek! He plays with them & makes them laugh, so they love him to death!
(this pic is their Human Octopus: Derek, Asher, Jonathan, and Xander's arms)

AND, after that half hour, Bella loved him too! Tim and Derek went shopping and out for lunch so they could have some guy time together! Tim was thrilled to see his friend! Derek spent the day here visiting with the Bunch!

It was a great day spent with a great friend!!

I got nothing

Today... I pretty much have nothing to say :(

Work was good last night, but worked hard lifting heavy boxes and came home with a back and neck spasming... UGH

Slept well. Made food. Bathed kids. Now to get ready for more work :( Sorry today is boring....

Cinderella and lasagna

Cute moment that I have to document so we don't forget one day. Bella can't say "Cinderella," and any time that she sees a Disney princess, she asks me if it is her. But it's co cute how she says it! She calls Cinderella "Bella Bella!" Hehe! I think it's cute because it's almost like she's calling herself a princess.

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For dinner I found a recipe called "Mini Lasagna" ... it had no pasta, but it was DELISH! Here's what I did:
Ingredients:
1lb browned & drained ground beef
1 28oz can spaghetti sauce
1 8oz can tomato sauce
seasonings to taste
package of wonton sheets (found in produce section)
Mozzarella cheese
Stir sauces into meat and let simmer. Spray 2 muffin pans with cooking spray. Put 2 wonton sheets in bottom of pan and fill with layers of sauce mixture, then cheese, then 1/4 of wonton sheet (I cut a few of them into 1/4ths), then repeat layer until it is full. Top with more cheese. Spray tips of wontons with cooking spray. Bake at 375 for 10minutes!!

The finished product that even the kids said, "Mommy this is soooo good!":

Fabulous Friday

Today was a great day... kids bordered on nerve-racking... but all-in-all it was great! I had friends to share it with, so that made it fun!

We started off the morning with a TMOM playdate! We had Courtney & her triplets, Lisa and her twins, Tami and her twins, and Breanna and her twins there today. It wasn't one of our biggest playdates, but with fewer people, it was more intimate... if a mall playdate could be described as intimate! LOL... ya know, we had more opportunities for one-on-one conversations without having AS MANY people as we normally do! It was nice... especially since Courtney hasn't been to a playdate in about a year- it was nice to catch up!

Anyways, after our mall time, we came home & had lunch. Then it was quiet time for the littles. I WISH it was nap time, but for some CRAZY-INSANE reason, they've been fighting their naps! Anyways, we had quiet time for the kids while I worked on getting things ready for the upcoming TMOM Sale (it's next week)!!

After quiet time, daddy came home!! WAHOO FOR DADDY! He and the kids ate dinner, and mommy ran away! YAY! I went to Tami's house to hang out for a little bit. We ran a couple errands, then went to pick up dinner. We worked on official TMOM stuff for awhile... chit-chatted... she cleaned her kitchen a little (fun!) ... basically I had a couple hours to shut off my "mommy brain" and turn on my "friend brain!" It's a good thing to do on occasion ... TRUST ME!

After a couple hours with Tami, I came home to watch a movie with my honey! Of course I didn't come home until AFTER the kiddos were all sleeping (smart mommy!) Now for a relaxing couple hours with the hubs! Goodnight all! Hope your Friday was as fabulous as mine!!

Embrace the Camera: Sept 1

Today, Bella has been super clingy. At first, I thought, "Ugh, go play...you don't have to be stuck to mommy!" (yes, I know, I'm horrible)... but then I remember a friend telling me how in the midst of the kids being "annoying"... there will come a time that I WANT them to be clingy and stuck to me. So, I stopped what I was doing and moved to the recliner! She was thrilled to have me to herself for a few minutes... and I loved the cuddle time! It was short-lived, she took off to play, but it was a fun moment!

This {embrace} picture with her has NOTHING at all to do with this story, but it was a fun moment with my princess and me when we went to dinner recently!


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This morning started like most every morning! I took Xander to school and dropped him off at the playground! He told me he loved me as he was running from the car- in too much of a hurry to go play with his friends! He got about halfway into the playground and turned around to run back to the gate. He yells, "Mommmmmyyyyy!!!" #concernedmommyhere

He holds up his hand with the "I love you" sign and yells, "I love you, mommy!" Right there...in front of his friends... he loves his mommy! It was more important at that moment to yell that to me than it was to play with his friends. It's not like he yelled it as he was running away. He was on the playground- far away from me- and he stopped, turned, ran back to me to tell me he loves me! It was a proud mommy moment; tears welled in my eyes. I love that boy!! Remember this moment, Xander, because 10 years from now you probably won't leave your friends just to tell me you love me!!!

So, like I did with Bella, my {embrace} picture with Xander has nothing to do with this story, but I thought I'd show you my favorite 6 year old, my son who loves me in front of his friends!!!!


For more details or to link up with the Embrace the Camera movement, click HERE to go to Emily's Blog!!