When you know you have a teenage boy!!!!

Yes your eyes are not deceiving you, this is Christian's cereal bowl he fills twice every morning. The bowl is pressed right up next to the Trix box. It is the largest Trix box you buy a the store. It is one huge bowl and along with the two bowls of cereal lets add a half gallon of milk to it!!!

Snow White Deal

If you go to www.snowwhiteoffers.com you can get a $10 off coupon for this movie and this week at Meijers or Kmart you can get this for free......




You could also choose from Mulan, Ariel, Belle, the Princess from princess and the Pea, and Sleeping Beauty.

No Bake Cookies

Today I made no bake cookies. This is usually a mundane activity, mindless and easily accomplished but today as I was stirring the chocolaty mixture, measuring the oatmeal and peanut butter as I was dolloping them out onto wax paper. I began to contemplate the meaning of no bake cookies to me.

It was a young girls 5th birthday party she was so excited. As the planning began all she wanted was a rainbow birthday cake and no bake cookies. Her friends were coming dressed up in their Halloween costumes to celebrate her special day. The day finally arrived and time was running short and the no bake cookies were not made. She was of course sad at first but quickly forgave her mom for the misdeed. The party was great the little girl was so happy her friends could be there and her wish of all wishes was for her friends.

That day is all over but the memory of the no bake cookies, the significance of them will not be lost by me. For you see that was her last birthday.

Our children are here but a moment and we don't know when that moment is going to end. Are we taking the time for them they need, are we taking the time to breathe with them, snuggle with them until their bodies melt into ours, to teach them, do we love them and do they know it, are we remembering the "no bake cookies" in their lives or are they being forgotten in the hustle and bustle of sports, music lessons, TV shows, climbing the never ending ladder, the appearance of perfection and the list goes on and on.

I know if that mother could go back there would be no bake cookies at that birthday party. I know every year on that day there are with no little smiling face to eat them. For myself and all others who might read this never forget the "No Bake Cookies"!

The Votes Are In!!!

The children in David the IV's class voted for one boy and one girl who were being the best good citizens in the class and he was chosen by his class as the best boy good citizen....the prize? STUDENT COUNCIL

I am proud of him for being a good example to those around him! Good Job D4!!!

Before and After

I found this on the side of the road and asked my DH to get for me. He of course wanted to smash in to disrepair, if it wasn't almost there anyway, but I had a vision and he picked it up. It was missing 2 drawers and 1 was broken. I wish I took a picture of it when we first brought it home but this picture is after we fixed it and before the paint.




I was quite nervous to take on such an endeavor but I have great friends that had done it before so why couldn't I. The results FABULOUS!!! Thank you to all my friends advice and all the courage I gained from the past triumphs!

I can't decide which one of these is going to be my profile picture so let me know which one you like the best!!

It's Me

It's Me Again

PROUD

My Big Boy(and yes I realize he is a young man) has a wonderful quality, if he decides he is going to do something he will do whatever it takes to accomplish that goal. For years he has played soccer(4 to be precise) he would practice endlessly without being asked and has continued to this day to grab a ball and practice(even in the long winter monthes he would practice foot skills in the basement)whenever he has some free time. Last fall he was one of 2 freshman to make the JV team and they had him play double duty by playing on the Freshman team. If the JV team had a day of of practice he didn't, if they had no game on Saturday he usually did on the freshman team, he worked for those teams to near exhaustion.
Today I went to pick him up after tryouts and I was in a hurry so I got out of the van to remind him of my meeting in 20 minutes. It is then his coach comes up to me, we introduce ourselves and he says, "What did you do to him?" I replied, "Nothing."
I did nothing in November he decided to prepare for soccer tryouts. He went to the gym 3 days a week with a specific soccer training and speed training 2 times a week(all set up by the school). Instead of playing travel soccer he ran track and again trained in the gym 3 times a week, when school ended he was there on Tuesday and Thursday nights playing pick up games set up by the coach, when we were on vacation he ran and he ran some more, he picked up his pace at the gym sometimes 3-4 hours- lifting and running and sprinting. He worked hard! Today I am proud of him for working so hard for something!
As the coach continued to talk about Christian, he told me he wanted him last year but he was just a bit too small and this year he made the Varsity team(again 1 of 2 sophmores) and I was so excited for him, all of his hard work had paid off!!! The coach went on and the news got even better. Christian has always played midfield he has outstanding stamina and an accurate strong cross and is also great on defense and midfield is perfect for him, however not his preferred position. He always wanted to be a forward. Well he finally did it, he is a forward..not only that he is the starting forward! Congratulations Christian for all your hard work!!!

7 today!!!

David the 4th turned 7 today! I can hardly believe it. When David and I were engaged we decided we would just have a baby whenever it happend..not realizing that 9 monthes and 4 days after we were married we would be having a baby(he was 2 weeks early). We were so happy it was a boy and no one was happier than his older brother. He was by far the easiest to name. He was very particular even at 2 weeks and he remains that way. He is so smart. He wants to know about everything around him and he studies it and asks questions...boy can he ask questions. He has several inventions he has drawn(starting when he was 4) and I am looking forward to all he comes up with and can achieve. His imagination is endless. I love to listen to him lead an adventure with his siblings or take a game I can barely grasp and change the rules so his younger siblings can play it too! There has not been a day in his life he has not woken up with a smile not one. He is my Sunshine every morning even in the darkest winter. I love him and am grateful to be blessed with this wonderful spirit!

My baby turned 4!!!

On June 27th my baby boy turned 4! I was in such shock when I felt inspired to have another baby I cried for weeks. When I finally told David what I felt...he was shocked but I remember telling him he would have to have a Holy Vision for me to have another baby. I still won't forget the evening he came into the room and exclaimed, "This baby is going to change our lives!" Which my response was...tears lots of them. 2 weeks later I was pregnant and tears fell again. I knew it was what Heavenly Father wanted for us but I was not sure I was going to be able to handle 3 babies(David was 3, and Julianna 1) and teenager.
I am so glad I listened to that prompting. Jensen is such a joy. He is my most laid back child and has become quite funny over the past several monthes. He is the first one up every morning snuggling into bed with my legs and eventually making his way up to give me his kisses! He goes with the flow around here and has fun with whatever we are doing. He has becoming more daring and willing to try new things and has genuinely shocked me on several occasions. I am grateful to have my younger children so close together. They are the best of friends and have grand adventures together! Without Heavenly Fathers intervention I would not have such a wonderful blessing in my life and I am eternally grateful for Him.

Sung to The 12 days of Christmas:

12 loads of laundry
11 bee stings
10 camp fires
9 trees traversed
8 days of fun
7 nights of tenting
6 happy campers
5 fiiiiiish caught
4 bags of marshmallows
3 days at the beach
2 forgotten pillows
and loads of family memories.

I Had Forgotten...

Today as I was going through the mail which is usually a mundane task at best, throwing away garbage, putting bills in there spot, glad to see a magazine(a great read at the beach), and then going through things that are probably junk but hey open them up anyway. There was a letter from a company that I get a magazine from but the envelope looked different than the one I am used to. I open it up to expect an offer for a renewal or something of the sort and to my surprise they are buying one of my preschool ideas for their magazine!!!!! I had completely forgotten I had submitted an idea and am so happy they are going to publish it!!! Yea for me!!!

"Summer finally begins!"

Our teens exclamation last night before bed: "Summer finally begins!"

School got out on June 12th and on June 15th they already had a soccer meeting for fall soccer and the very next day soccer began...every Tuesday and Thursday.

On the 18th he left for Youth Conference and was home by Saturday. On Monday began the prep for High Adventure leaving on Tuesday night and home by Friday evening. He quickly unpacked and we began washing all of his things to repack him for Scout Camp the following Monday and he returned home July 4th exhausted and ready for some sleep.

When he realized in May how busy his first month off from school was he was to say the least disappointed. He had fun doing all of his activities but he is ready to be home sleeping in a bit and having fun with his brothers and sister. Making lunches and babysitting for mom(he is the best). He does have a job this summer but all in all he is glad to have sometime to be home!

I am loving the place where my children are at right now. They tell each other their dreams for their futures. They have their own secrets, they share with each other. They imagine great adventures together. They really love each other and it is great to see when we go to a park or to places with other children they still are together having their adventures! Watching them work out their differences in a mostly good way. Seeing their faces light up when one is away and returns home and then they are just talking amongst themselves about what everyone was doing while they were apart and these can go on for an hour or more. It is amazing to me for their age, their connection with each other. I am a better person because of my children and am greatly blessed to have their wonderful spirits in my life!