Friends Staying With Us

The Fairchild's
came for a visit.
They arrived late Thursday night and left on Saturday.
We hung out, played at the park, shopped and
ATE.
My favorite things to do with good friends.
The visit was to short but so fun.
Can't wait to do it again.

Planting Inside

Every Year I plant wheat grass in my spring chick.
That sounds funny to read,
wheat grass in a spring chick.
Let me explain.
I have a little plastic chick that is a bucket.
I fill it with dirt, seeds and water.
In a few days he will have a head of hair.
It sits on my kitchen table for the kids to enjoy.

I also decided to try growing some vegetable inside this year.
I used some egg cartons, dirt, seeds and
some help from Jillian and Jamison.

Jillian thought this was great.
Jamison was bored and couldn't wait to get back to the computer.

Jillian filled all the spaces with dirt and seeds.
She watered them and asks do to it again.

It is so much fun do things with others.

Idaho Ballet in Sleeping Beauty

I took the two older girls,
Jessica and Jaelynn,
to see the Ballet last night.
We did this a year ago and couldn't wait to do it again.
We got all dressed up and went to the 8pm show.
It was wonderful.
The girls have picked the shows they want to see next season.

The Gum Store

This is a story about:
JILLIAN

Let me first tell you she
LOVES
gum.
gum...gum...gum...gum...

Everyday I pick Jamison up from kindergarten.
At the corner is a Walgreen's.
Everyday when we drive by the store I hear,
"Can we go to the gum store?"
I reply,
"We have gum at home."
This is when the whining, crying and complaining starts.
By the time we return home she has stopped.

Today while reliving this little exchange
I was thinking how I will miss this next year.
It is rather cute she wants to go to the Gum Store.
Even if it is everyday.
Even when we have gum at home.
Even though she is determined to do it right NOW.

I love her and she is growing up so fast.
I am enjoying these moments while they last.

Free Easter Subway Art Printable

I love this subway art.

Go to:
todaysfabulousfinds.blogspot.com

Homemade Dishwashing Detergent

I like to save money
and learn how to make things I can buy.
This is one of the easiest things I make.

Dishwashing Detergent:
equal parts of each

I keep mine in a plastic container
and labeled well.
I put one cup of borax and one cup washing soda
in the container until it is 3/4 of the way filled.
I then shake the container well.
I wait to open until it has settled.

I have one compartment for my dishwasher and fill it 3/4 of the way full.
I do need to use a rinse aid,
vinegar works real well.
I need to find out if I can put vinegar in the compartment for rinse aid.

I am very happy with it.

A New Milestone

It is true.
Jessica is old enough for

BRACES!

I think she has grown up just a little more.
She has been waiting for this day,
for a long time.
She is so excited about her new smile.
I am so excited for her also.

3rd Day Of Spring Break

We have enjoyed time at
Home.
The older girls went and saw,
are you ready for it,
The Justin Beiber Movie.
The other kids have played with friends.
I have been sewing.

It has been so nice.

Spring Break

It is the first day of
Spring Break!

I am so excited to not be on a schedule.
I am excited to have nothing
THAT
has to get done.

I needed to change up my exercise workout.
I am moving it to 6am.
It felt great this morning.

I am looking forward to
Free Time
with the kids.

Bring It On!

Baby Jeannie

An image of a 16 week fetus.

This is a little personal but I need to write it, so here goes.

I have been struggling.
As some of you know I have lost two babies.
I have come to accept the loss of my babies.
However,
I haven't been comfortable saying I have
7 children.
Maybe,
I wasn't ready to explain what happened
and
perhaps some days I still won't be ready.
But...

I had a dream...
It was about my Baby Jeannie.
It was in the early hours of this morning.
It was a fabulous dream.
I saw her, clear as day.

I had prayed that I could have seen my babies.
I thought it might make it easier to deal with.
I thought since I never saw them,
except in ultrasound,
that perhaps it didn't count.
It does count.
They are real people to me.
My kids all know about their sisters.
We put Christmas socks up for them,
they are a part of our life.

As of today I will tell people I have
7 children.
I am proud of this.
I am also going to live my life well so I may raise my babies
after I pass from this Earth.

The other thing that has bothered me is...
I had an early miscarriage, at 4 weeks.
It was sad to me at the time and I have thought that while
it was a pregnancy it wasn't a fully formed baby.
I also had another found pregnancy but
I never knew I was pregnant until after that surgery.
These are both losses.
But to me, it is not the same
as the loss of my other babies.

Does that mean I have 9 children?
This is what I have decided.
Heavenly Father has complete control.
Heavenly Father loves me.
Heavenly Father will take care of all things.
I saw and heard my two babies.
I have named my two babies.
I am comfortable leaving the rest in Heavenly Father's hands.

Thank you for letting me express some of my thoughts.

Spring Subway Art Free Printable

I follow this blog:

http://todaysfabulousfinds.blogspot.com/


Every month she does a new subway art printable.
It is fabulous.

You can find it here:

http://todaysfabulousfinds.blogspot.com/2011/03/spring-subway-art-prints.html

I print mine up on my home computer and frame it in an 8 x 10.
I will take a picture later and show you.

Enjoy.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

A rainbow is always
LUCKY
I heard.
ENJOY!

Snowing

I love the big fluffy snowflakes.
I was so pleased I could get a picture of it.
This is the tree in our front yard.

It didn't snow for very long
and it didn't last very long.

Jillian couldn't resist going out in it.
She grabbed her flip-flops and ran around.
She is making a footprint in the top one.

She wasn't feeling very good today
but this definitely cheered her up.
I think she likes the snow today, also.

The Gym

I have been going to the gym for
EIGHT
weeks today.
I started on the elliptical for
15 minutes.
I thought I was going to pass out.
I didn't but it was
AWFUL.
Tonight I did
70 minutes
on level 6.
This is amazing.
I couldn't be more excited about this.
I have lost 12 pounds, so far.
I look forward to when it's been 12 weeks
and compare the progress.
Yeah Me!

My SIster's Birthday

Happy Birthday,
Heather!
The family has a tradition when it's your birthday.
I think it's a fabulous one.
The birthday person gets to choose the place to eat out at.
Yup that's right.
Any place you want to go to.
She, chose this place...

Yum!
The kids like the personal pepperoni pizza.
I tried an oriental chicken salad,
but liked Kevin's better.
The kids all get a small ice cream sundae.
Since I'm eating no sugar I left the restaurant,
and went to Haagen-Dazs.
It was convenient because Old Chicago is at the Mall.
It was very creamy and smooth.

Happy Birthday
Aunt Heather!
From the Kiddos.

Time For More Prayer

I asked the Hubby what to blog about today.
The answer was,
"What did you learn at church today?".
My answer:
Prayer.

That is a BIG topic, I know.
However, I need more of it in my life.
I have periods of time that I love prayer.
I can't live without it.
Whether it's during a trial or not.
But honestly,
during my last big trail I stopped with my prayers.
It wasn't that I was mad at my Heavenly Father.
I didn't have the energy or desire to do it.
I am doing better and think that I need to work extra hard on it,
again.

So, the personal goal for the week is,
pausing for suspense,
Prayer.

48oz. Water

The Wellness Challenge
is still in full swing.
I am to drink 48oz. of water everyday.
I thought this would be hard.
Most days it is not.
Some days it is.
I like Crystal Light, lemonade and fruit punch flavors.
I don't need those as much anymore.
I don't like drinking water to close to bedtime.
It makes me wake up to early.

Marvelous To Be Debt Free

High Hopes
It is hard not to have them,
at least for me.

A Realtor called to make an appointment
for today.
I get so excited when someone wants to see my house.
I love my house and hope that someone will fall in
Love
with it also.
The hubby and I have tried not to spy on those who come,
but it happens.
Like today.
They were here a long time.
At least 20 minutes.
The last people were here 4 minutes.

The family is praying that we can sell our home.
I hope that the time is soon.
The hope of selling our home is so we can be debt free.
How marvelous would that be?
To us that seems like Heaven.
We look forward to that day.

Sending Prayers upward.

St. Patrick's Day Quilt Runner

This is my first pieced quilt.
I have seen scrap quilts and liked them.
This was my attempt at it.

I have decided that I like the runner,
especially on the piano.
However,
the binding needs to be skinnier
and
I don't want to sew down the middle.

I had most of the fabric from a previous
St. Patrick's Day project.
I rummaged through my Mom's stash to get the rest.
I collected all the pieces and sewed.
For a couple of days.
When I was done I realized I had enough to make
FOUR.
I will definitely be making some changes to improve upon it,
next year.

Hat Day

It was hat day at school for
Jessica, Jaelynn, Jackson, and Jamison.

Jessica wore her knitted cap that her friend made her for Christmas.
Jaelynn wore Jackson's pioneer hat.
Jackson wore Jaelynn's Mad Hatter hat from Halloween.
Jamison wore his Dad's hat.

Hat day wouldn't be the same without a silly picture of them all.

I love this gang. way to go!

Snow

I am still learning how to use my camera.
I am determined to not use Auto.

These pictures were taken out the Dining Room window.

I like this one because it shows off the room.
I love the cushions.

I like this one because you can see the snow
on the branches out the window.

I enjoy the snow
because it usually melts within the day.
No shoveling.
It's great.

The Mall on Saturday

Yes...
the Hubs and I took all 5 kids to the mall on a Saturday.
It was crazy busy.
The weather was rainy and cold which didn't help.
I like the mall...
until I went on Saturday.
Not EVER again will I take all 5 on a
Saturday again.

However,
Jillian had a good time at the little play place.
This is new and we had never seen it before.
It's on the lower level by the food court.
Why am I telling you this?
It's because we don't go to the food court,
of course.
HaHa!

This little play place has the brightest colors.
There was a little forest land.
Flowers, trees and a bridge.
She had a ball running around doing what she wanted.
I'm glad she had a good time.

The trip was a two part trip.
Kevin was buying some new white dress shirts,
Success.
The second part was to find a silver bracelet charm,
for a sweet niece who is turning 8 soon.
Hint Hint.
We had success,
but it was too pricey.
Back to square one.

The mall isn't so bad during the weekdays.
I will stick to going then.
Sorry Jessica.

P.S. I did find a charm and hopefully it will ship before next week,
when I need it.

Appreciation

I am unable to sleep tonight.
It seems that life is on my mind.
More specifically my two little girls.
I miss them terribly.
I miss having them to hold.
I know that with each trial we are given we grow.
I always thought that this would be a trial I could never overcome.
I can.
That doesn't mean I miss my girls,
or get sad some days,
or wish it could be different.
I do.
It can't.
I am coming to realize that it was meant to be.
My little girls are in the perfect place,
literally.
If I do my part here on Earth,
I will be able to raise them in the perfect place.
How amazing.
What a great blessing to strive for.
I love ALL babies.
I love to hold them,
smell them,
rock them,
and love them.
They bring me much joy.
I love to see women with nice round bellies.
They couldn't be more beautiful.
I am amazed each day.
I love my children.
I am blessed by them each day.
I prayed for them.
I pray for them.
I am thankful each day for them.
I cry each day for them.
Thank you.
I love you,
Jessica,
Jaelynn,
Jackson,
Jamison,
Jillian,
Johanna,
and
Jeannie.
I strive each day to be the Mom you deserve.

Clorox Wipe Container Makeover

BEFORE:

AFTER:

I like things that are easily accessible.
Considering the house is up for sale and the bathroom needs to be cleaned
everyday.
This is a pretty alternative.
The sweet hubs spray painted the lid.
A little paper and double sticky tape and it's
complete.

Zero

We are back to ZERO.
The Meyers made it a whole month with no
Doctors.
If we don't count Kevin.

Jillian and I both went to the Doctors yesterday.
Jillian and I both started not feeling well on Monday.
Today is Thursday.
Jillian complained about pain in her right leg.
It got worse each day.
X-Rays were taken and nothing found.
The Doctor believes it is a virus that settled in her leg.
It is very painful and difficult to walk on.
She got around today by crawling.
My antibiotics are working and I am doing much better.

As for Kevin last month
the Doctor determined he has tendinitis.
He has had it before and it is no big deal.

Jackson and Jaelynn were sick last month
but I didn't take them to the doctor.

Maybe next month will be a clean bill of health.
Wish us Luck!

Baking Art

Jaelynn had Activity Days this week.
An artist came in to show them some tricks.
I think the treats turned out great looking.

The nest is too darn cute.

She did a great job on the flower bouquet.

Jaelynn called this one her stepping stone cookie.

Way to go Jaelynn!

Blank

I was right.
I didn't make it to the dentist today.
The kiddo was still home today.
The hubby has a job and couldn't help out.
I will try and go tomorrow...
HaHa.

Tonight was the Blue and Gold dinner for Scouts.
Jackson and I made cupcakes...
Cherry Chip
with white frosting
and
Giant
gummy Butterfly's on top.
It was a hit.
I didn't bring any home with me.
Jackson got his Wolf badge.
I am so proud of him.
Go Jackson.

Another Round...

Yes you guessed it...

Someone is sick...

Again.

It isn't the flu but still no fun.

When someone is sick that means my day gets all turned upside down and sideways.

I had my day all planned out last night...

1. take Jamison to letter school at 8:30am
2. go visiting teaching at 9:15 am
3. gym class at 10am
4. clean house for #7
5. pick jamison up from school
6. make lunch
7. showing on the house
8. visit teach again at 2:30pm
9. pick kids up at 3:50pm
10. make dinner
11. make a cake for the blue and gold dinner that's tomorrow

I was doing good up until #3.
I didn't make it to the gym,
forgot about #8,
and didn't feel like doing #10.
(yes i did feed my kids, leftovers)

The hubby just got home so we're doing #3 together at 9pm.
It's never too late for the gym.

Maybe tomorrow will be better...
I don't think so.
The kid still has a fever
and the parents have dentist appointments.
Something has gotta give...
I will sacrifice my dentist appointment for the good of all mankind(haha).

P.S. I dislike the dentist a lot!

My Mom's Birthday

Happy Birthday, Mom!
I love you!

My Mom wraps presents wonderfully.
It is amazing.
I tried my hand at wrapping nicer than usual.
I think the colors are great, even if Jessica says she picked them out.

The bow on top is my favorite.
I saw it on a blog and thought I might try it.
I made it out of felt.
One of my new favorite mediums.

I made her dinner tonight.
I went to her house and my sister, her hubby and their little(not so little anymore) girl joined us also.
We were missing Sean but she got to talk(text) with him while we were there.
Dinner was yummy and a fun night.
I did the dishes and cleaned up and came home.

P.S. We are sorry about the leak under the sink.

Date Night

I woke my sweet hubby up from a nap at 5:30pm tonight. I thought it would be fun to go out for dinner. I was right. We had the best food. He then took me for "no sugar added" yogurt. It was so nice to be out and happy.
I love you Babe! Let's do it again...real soon.

P.S. He was sleeping because he was up all night putting the t.v. in the car for me. A trip to Southern California with 5 kids needs a t.v. Thanks babe for buying and installing it. We ALL appreciate it.

Nothing & Everything

I have nothing very exciting to say or show you today.
Sorry!
I am still doing the wellness challenge and feel real good about it.
I haven't been able to get all my bonus points.
I should be happy about that.
But...
I am not.
I lost the points on stupid things...
like forgetting to eat a fruit.
I am hooked on the gym.
I love to go.
This morning I was trying my hand at making a fruit smoothie.
It didn't go very well, at all.
I was so frustrated.
All I could think about was going to the gym to burn off some anger.
I went.
I tried a new machine and worked hard.
It felt great.
Most days I go to the gym in the morning.
By the evening I am ready to go again.
This is amazing to me.
I am enjoying teaching my children about health.
I am also on a cleaning schedule.
I purchased one on line and am pleased with it so far.
Why did I buy a cleaning schedule?
I felt it might help me stay on track.
It does.
I think I get more things done regularly.
I also think I'm able to get some things done that I want to do.
I read another book.
I am working on a quilting project that will be done shortly.
That is exciting to me.
It's a St. Patrick's Day quilt for my piano.
I might be able to make one for my entry table as well.
I am feeling good.
I am so glad I decided to do the challenge.
I have won so many blessings for participating.
I have new commitments and am pleased.
My family has noticed a change for the better.
My family encourages me everyday.
Thank you!
I appreciate it!

Jewelry Roll

I made this for Jessica. It will hold all her accessory needs.

I think it's extra neat that it rolls up. The test will come when it's filled if it still rolls.

I wanted to share something that I made but really not motivated to do much else. I should be making dinner but nothing sounds good to eat. I'm sure the kids are going to ask soon and I will have nothing for them. I should be doing a million things but reading and writing on my blogs are sometimes so much more fun. I am also tired from the workout today. It feels good and I can't think about missing my class but I am still tired nonetheless.

Leap Frog

This is Scribble & Write from Leap Frog.

I purchased this for my 6 & 4 year old.

This is a little young for the 6 year old but it never hurts for extra practice.

This is really great for my 4 year old. She loves being able to practice like the big kids.

This system helps by showing the kids the basic letter concepts first.

It starts with straight lines, curved lines and zigzag lines.

It shows them where to start with lights and where to write with the lights.

There is also a game that if they follow the moving line it makes a picture.

I thought this was a great buy for $25.

I have decided to make a little bag for it so we can take it places easier, especially shopping.

French Dip Sandwiches For Lunch

Heaven In A Sandwich!

This was the first time I made this.

I am sold.

This is so YUMMY!

You can't tell in the picture but it was still steaming.

I have become a new follower of The Pioneer Women.

This is her recipe and I will definitely use it again.

Jillian

This is my little girl, Jillian.
She is four years old.
I took her to get her hair cut for the first time.
She has naturally curly hair and I love it.

I love the curls
The hair got about 1 1/2 inches taken off.

This little girl loves PINK.
She loves her baby, Stephanie.
She got a new stuffed animal for her birthday named Cookie.
She loves to watch Dora, Diego and Blue Clue's to name just a few.
She likes to use Dad's iPod.
She loves to go to the circle store, Target.
She loves to eat carrots with Ranch Dressing.
She likes to stay up late.
She likes to sleep in.
She likes going to the gym with Mom in the mornings.
She is not a fan of pancakes and breads.
She likes ham and cheese.
Her favorite thing to order at restaurants is Mac N Cheese.

I am so happy to have her in our family.
I love you baby girl.

My Handsome Hubby

This is my Hubby. I am putting this one up for his Mom.
I think it's the best recent one I have.

Unfortunately...
I expect this to be the look I get when he sees that I posted this picture.

I love you babe and think your the best.

Jamison

This is Jamison.
He is 6 years old.
He is in Kindergarten.
He loves everything blue and orange.
And Red.
He loves the computer,
the Wii,
the Playstation2,
the PSP,
the iPod,
and nintendo.
He has a best friend from school, Preston.
He has a best friend, Spencer.
He has a best friend from preschool, Joel.
He likes to play Legos.
He likes to build his train.
He is learning to read.
He likes the story of Jesus on the cross.
He tries to fall asleep during sacrament meeting, it starts at 2:45pm.
He still has trouble sleeping, he has sleep apnea.
He is not an outdoors type of kid.
He loves to go to Grandma's to have a fruit snack.
He loves when I read him a book at bedtime.

I love my Jamison.
He puts a smile on my face.
I love his hugs and kisses, he does this a lot.
I loves his red glasses.
I like his laugh.
I like when he is nice.
I like when he plays with his sisters and brother, nicely.
I like spending time with him.
I like having him in our family.

Do You Ever...

Do you ever have a day that didn't turn out the way you thought it would?

Do you ever think that things aren't going the way you thought it should?

Do you ever get anything done in a day?

Do you ever think you aren't doing things you should?

Do you ever think you aren't the friend you should be?

Do you ever think you aren't being the Parent you should be?

Do you ever think the world is against you?

I seem to be having one of those days...AGAIN.

I just wasn't able to commit to the day.

I didn't get to exercising today...I chose to do the dishes instead.

I didn't get that shower today...I chose not to exercise today...because I did the dishes.

I didn't vacuum today...I chose to go to Jo-Ann's.

I didn't finish the laundry today...I chose to get my hair done.

In the process of not getting much done today, besides cute hair. I realized that other people affect my day. Whether it's the things they say to me, or to others, being left out by others, or not being able to feel how I do. I am tied to other people's emotions more than I should.

I need to rely on my inner feelings about myself. I need to feel the presence of my Heavenly Father more in my life. I need to let go of preconceived notions. I need to stop thinking about myself and think of others.

My family is wonderful. Jaelynn wanted to spend time with me tonight. Jackson wants me to read him a book before bed every night. Jessica was out for the evening, supporting a friend. Jamison loves to play video games and Jillian was happy watching netflix on the iPod. I love my kids. Thanks so much for loving me just the way I am.

My parents are wonderful. They think of me everyday and care for me. I love to laugh with them and share funny stories with them. Kevin and I love to watch "White Collar" with them. It is so much fun. Thanks.

My good friends are fabulous. I appreciate them in my life. They lift me up when I need it and listen to me when I need to vent. Thank you.

This wouldn't be complete without a Thank You to my Hubby. You are the bestest ever. He makes me happy and helps me see the good in myself when I don't. He is so good at making me laugh when I want to cry. He holds me tight when I do cry. He helps encourage me when I want to quit. He is my best cheerleader and I say Thank You! I Love You, Babe!

Kid Size Messenger Bags

I came across this bag in a book I borrowed from the Library. My sweet Hubby returned it to the Library, like I asked before I got a picture of it, sorry. This book is one of my favorite's. Along with this bag.

I made this one for Jaelynn, she just loves purple.


This bag is for sweet Jamison.
This fabric was a little trickier to sew with but turned out perfect.

I always liked bags and purses when I was little. My kids seem to also. This is just the right size for them. I made one for Jackson when he started scouts last year. It was made with cameo fabric and I used a belt, that was cameo, for the handle. He loves having it for scouts. I would love to make more of these. Maybe with flowers or buttons on it, who knows. The possibilities are endless.

Coin Purse

I made this little number. Jackson needed something made with love for Valentine's Day and this is what I decided upon. He loves to earn and save money, for a short period of time. He loves to buy things with his own money. I was hoping he would like this. He LOVED it.

Valentine's Day Dinner

I put the kids little gifts in lunch sacks and had them in the center of the table. Jackson helped me set the table. It was so nice that he helped me .

I made Chicken Parmigiana. My Mom loves this so I found a recipe by Bobby Flay. I have decided I really like the Food Network website. I will use it again.

It looks so good to eat, too bad I need to cook them more and add stuff to it.

The sauce, the freshly sliced mozzarella cheese, and fresh parmesan, is ready to go in the oven.

It was so delicious. I ate leftovers for lunch today.

This was our sugar free dessert, lemon mousse.

This was one of my favorite dinner's, this year! HaHa!

I did go to the after Valentine Day sales. I was able to get cards for next year and the things to wrap the kids presents in. I found a new blanket for Jillian, considering that she is still using some baby blankets. I also found a Minnie Mouse Memory game.