Post Christmas

I am blogging from the living room from my 9 year olds laptop! This is so cool. At least Elizabeth lets me use her new laptop. I don't get to use Mike's since he is on it or it needs charged. Yes, my parents, actually my dad, thought she needed this HP laptop for Christmas. I thought it was alittle crazy but it was either this or a cell phone. I knew she wasn't getting a cell phone!

I guess our Christmas isn't completely over yet as we still have Mike's parents on the 3rd. At least I got most of the Christmas gifts we all got on Christmas day put away. It makes me feel alittle better since their will be more to bring home next Saturday.

My family got me a new drafting table for my scraproom with a great lamp that hooks to the side. My prior scrap desk was pretty bad, I think I had it from when I was in high school. They also got me a CuttleBug which I really need to test it out tonight. I probably will have to organize my room before that happens. Maybe tomorrow afternoon as I am off tomorrow as Mike's great-grandma passed away on Christmas Eve day. Her funeral is tomorrow morning which we will all be attending. I'm so happy my children got to know their great-great grandma. She was a very very sweet lady and always told me how beautiful our kids were. She was 99 and lived by herself! She will truly be missed by all.

Here are a few pics of Christmas morning.

Welcome new bloggers Monique and Nichole, love to read the happenings in your world.

1 day till Christmas

Do you have all your shopping done? Yes
Are you ready for Christmas? Yes
Are you really ready for your kids to stop asking can we open presents yet? Yes

We can not go a day without Lauren, Ryan or Elizabeth asking can we open a present. I say no and point to the countdown to Christmas on the frig. They are super excited and can't wait for the big day, which make me love Christmas all the more. I just which I could bottle up all their excitement and save it when they are older. I'm guessing when their are 18, 15 and 13 Christmas's won't be as exciting as they are now!!
Our Christmas plans are pretty mellow this year. I only took off Christmas day this year. So, tomorrow night(Christmas Eve) we are just going as a family to look at the Christmas lights around town. Then Christmas morning, we have our traditional breakfast for us 5 and we open our presents as a family. Then my parents will be driving up in the morning to have Christmas with us and probably stay around for 2-3 days. We aren't have Christmas with Mike's side until after the 1st of the year so the kids will get to have Christmas a little longer this year. Hopefully I will get our Christmas mess picked up here at home and put away before we bring more Christmas presents home from Mike's parents.

Everyone have a safe and wonderful Christmas and don't forget Jesus is the reason for the season!

Catch up

Ok, I have a lot of catch up work to do tonight. Well, lets see we should start with Lizzie's 9th B-day. Her b-day this year was the Saturday after Thanksgiving on 11/29. She took one friend with her to Jiva in CF and got turned into princesses for the day. She told me to get metal tiara's not the plastic ones. I guess she is the princess who knows what kind of tiara she wants. Her friend Leah and her looks so cute and don't just love their nails. My mom and I walked uptown CF with the girls and went shopping in a few stores that morning. All the lady's we ran into just loved the girls and their tiara's and boa's. Then we had lunch at Panera and took the girls back home so they could play until Leah had to head home. We then had a family party that evening. I think her 9th b-day was a hit.
Oh, my sister, newphew and new baby niece came for Thanksgiving. We had a great time being together. My sister,Holly and her kids live in Michigan 8 hours away. I was so thankful they all came and I got to spoil my nephew and niece. Ava, my niece is above.
I also go my Christmas cards completed last weekend. I call them my 5 minute Christmas card, because it really only took that long. I wasn't going to do the photo card from Walgreens this year but I just couldn't help since I could get 40 cards done in a matter of 1hour and 5 minutes. I just download to photo.walgreens.com and select my photo card. I choose to use the two pics above of the kids infront of the tree. They did really good for me this year I was so impressed. Hope you all are ready for Christmas, I know my household is. I only have a few more last minute things on my list. YEAH!!

Trick or Treat

Yes, I can say we are done now and have quite a bit of candy. Of course, I forgot my camera when we went trick or treating around the neighborhood. I hate that. Here is the kids after the fact. All and all they had a great Halloween. Now, what do do with all that candy, I know they are not eating it all and neither am I. I have to be strong at least until the morning!! HEE! HEE!

Halloween - the easy way out

Ok, I'm admitting I took the easy way out this year with the kids' pumpkins. I found this really cute Mr. Potato head kits at Target for pumpkins, only $2.98 on clearence. Got Elizabeth the witch and Ryan the pirate one. I don't think they turned out to bad. I hate cleaning out the pumpkin and guts, but really who does. Elizabeth cleaned her pumpkin out at school so thankful none was done at home. Lauren didn't really care about not having a pumpkin this year. She is more excited about her Tinkerbell costume she will be wearing Friday at school and for trick/treaking the neighborhood Friday night. Ryan will be the ever popular StarWars clone trooper and Elizabeth a dream witch. I will post pics of this on Friday night.

Not so plain kids rooms any longer

Last Monday, my mom and I painted the girls room as well as Ryan's. Wow, the girls when from sky blue to purple, orange and neon yellow. They room is very colorful and looks like Dora's place house. They really love the colors and love the circles we put up as well. Ryan's room when from stark white to purple and neon green. We also had to accent with a skateboard guy too. Have at good rest of the week.

Quick Post - Princess Lauren's birthday

Here are a few pictures of Lauren's 4th birthday on Sunday. Wow, did she have a great day. She was really happy and loved being the center of attention. Just look at that smile.

Summers End

Yes, I'm still here. I haven't forgotten about my blog. Really. I'm sure you all have wondered if I would ever make it back. My life is getting back to normal so I am promising to post more often.
As most of you know Ryan started having seizures the last part of the summer. We went to Iowa City to the pediatric neurologist on August 7th. God was truly with us ever step of the way. We saw a great doctor their how prescribed Keppra which new drug which only side effect is crankyness. Which we can tolerate. He is taking the liquid for of 3ml/mg three times a day. He takes it at school so we have gotten to know the school nurse really well. What a blessing she is at the kids school. He is doing so awesome on his dose and have not had a seizure for three week. We thank the Lord daily!!
I'm sad and glad to have summer coming to an end. Glad to get back in a routine with the kids, glad to have kids in bed before 9pm and glad to have two now in school full time. We are such a blessed family. Oh, yeah and I'm the only one in our family that isn't in school now. Well Lauren goes to Hawkeye with Mike to their child development center and she call that her school. It is really nice to have Elizabeth and Ryan in the same school this year. Elizabeth is in 3rd grade and Ryan in kindergarten. They both really love school and are very excited each morning to go!! Lets just hope this countines all year!!
Much more postings information to come including some scrappbooking events and pictures of layouts/cards soon!!

4th of July

We had a great annual 4th of July parade around our neighborhood. We start with a parade at 10am. This year we had a great turn out since the organizers had our parade signs up around the area for a week or so. Mike of course was in the lawn mower brigade. The guys from Abraham Drive have a great time. I also got a picture of the ladies lawn chair brigade. This looks like great fun but I have never participated since usually have my hands full with dog and the three kidos. We usually have a few convertibles, sheriff cars, and a fire truck. My three threw out candy and blew bubbles. I had my nephew Isac come along to help me out.
After the parade, which stops in front of our house the kids get popsicle treats. These are always bomb pops. The kids love them and get good a sticky. We also have bubbles and chalk out for the kids to play with in the street. This year the kids to go in the fire truck and look around. This was a big hit for Ryan. He with two or three times and checked it out.
After the parade we have a grill out at someones front yard. This year we voted to stay home and grill, since Lizzie was over at Lexi's playing.
Then we waited for everyone to come over to watch the fireworks. We love when Cedar Falls has them behind the dome. We don't have to leave home and we have a wonderful view from our back deck. We had Heidi, Brian and her two boys, Mike's grandma and great Aunt Tootie, Mike's Aunt Marty and Uncle Larry, Jan, Dave and Amanda Penn, and Scott, Diane and Alex Bowman all on the deck for fireworks. Heidi and I were mostly in the house on the couch watching CARS with Jamison and Lauren. The neighbors two houses down had some really loud fireworks they let off prior to fireworks starting so that scared the youngest ones. They didn't want to go outside very bad after that. Then to end the evening my husband had to do a few of his own fireworks. Long day but very worth it, the rest of the weekend I could catch up.
Its already Sunday afternoon and don't think this three day weekend was long enough. More postings later in the week.

Update

This has been a busy couple of weeks. I'm back to work and haven't had time to do much blogging. Here is a picture of my last Friday nights CTMH hostess pages. I added some extra stuff at home and thought it turned out pretty good.
Ryan has now started CF rec T-ball for 4-5 year olds. He is on the red team oviously by the picture. He really loves it and has been hitting pretty good. I haven't attended a game yet as their are on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 10am. I plan to go the July 15th to catch one of the last games.
Also as of last week, Diane(neighbor, coworker and friend) have started to carpool to work and walk at least 3 miles a day. We go around 9pm which works out as my kids get tucked into bed then I'm off to walk. We are even getting Heidi in on the walking now that she is back from Mexico.
Hopefully have pictures of us three walking soon.

Week in review

I was off all week from work since this is my normal vacation I take since my 31st birthday was on Tuesday the 3rd. We didn't go do alot but was really relaxing. Got to see Elizabeth's talent show on Monday, did the birthday thing on Tuesday (even took two of my kids to Chuckie Cheese's), my parents came up Wednesday with my nephew I hadn't seen in over a year, Thursday was relaxing day on my deck and Friday got to meet up with people from work for double bubble. Here are a few pictures from my great week off. Back to work on Monday.

More pics

Graduation and Saturday Pics

Here are a few pics of Ryan's graduation on Friday night. Also are a few of the kids riding Joel's daughters pony. They had a blast.

Wow, I got to do this more

Here is my page from club last night, I really like the colors I was trying to do these pages for my son, Ryan. It seems I'm always doing pages for the girls. I'm sure I will try this layout with other colors too. I hope to post these too. We have had a busy month. My husband Mike turned the big 3-0 last Sunday. I totally forgot to get any pics of his birthday or his big banner the kids made. He loved it.
We are also going to have a preschool graduate in our household, next week. Friday is Ryan's big graduation ceremony, they even wear caps and gowns. I am sure you have pictures to post of that big night. He is all ready and can't wait to head to Kindergarten at Hansen Elementary in the fall.
I am excited today as I just got my True Blue Spa lotion and foot scrub from bathandbodyworks.com. Wow, they really work and smell heavenly.
Well signing off to go relax on the our deck and catch some rays.

Too long

Here is last Friday nights CTMH hostess club project. I was the hostess. I added the flowers and stuff later at home. Off work today as Elizabeth has had a fever since Saturday night. Hopefully this evening is the end of her sickness. Off to go jumping on the new trampoline. More later!!

Spring means my family will be jumping!!

We told the kids they would get a new trampoline this spring at Christmas time. Mike ordered it online and it arrived last week. We were lucky this past Saturday and Sunday were a little warmer so we could get it up all except the sides. And oh, yeah the kids favorite part, we also will have a basketball hoop inside. The kids are very, very excited. Ryan and I got our haircut tonight and he was even telling all the girls about our new tramp.

Also are you will see my one and only tag I made tonight. Not my best effort, but wanted to get one done tonight. Of course, did after the kids were tucked into bed.
Have a great week!!

April Shopping Day and Pics of Minnepolis

The date is set for April 21, we have requested off work since it is a Monday. Mike will be off so he will take care of our three children for the day. We are going to head in the morning to Coralville to a scrapbook store and who knows where we will end up from their. I can't wait and look forward for just a day for me.
Leaving some fun pictures of our trip last week to the Mall of American and a indoor waterpark near their.