Christmas Card 2010

Living With Laundry

There are so many great blogs out there that I enjoy following. Last week, there was a post on MoneySavingMom.com about time management. Ugh...sounds impossible, right? Not really. The author is much like myself (mother of 3, wife, blogger, economist *don't laugh, I try*, Christian) except she does not have an outside of the home job. Now, I know staying at home is a very tough job, but at times I feel like I would be able to keep my house tidier if I were there all day. It's my sanity that would be cluttered. *chuckles* She has some great ideas concerning time management, organization, managing home life, and thrifty shopping...my kind of gal.

Anyway, one of the listed items on the post to help with staying organized and caught up around the house was to always do one load of laundry from start to finish each day. Hmm? Sounds pretty easy. *shrugging shoulders* I decided to try this. Robert laughed at me when I told him of my plan. You see, usually we have no problem washing clothes, it's just getting them folded and put away that's the problem. Don't pretend like you don't know the scenario...tons of clean clothes piled on the folding table...throwing what you want to wear for the day in the dryer after spritzing a bit of water on the wrinkles. Oh yeah, you know you've done it...admit it! My flaw...finishing the task.

There are 4 steps to doing a load of laundry.
1)Putting laundry in the washer
2)Putting laundry in the dryer
3)Folding the laundry
4)Putting folded laundry away
Seems simple enough, right? WRONG! I get caught up in something else and that's it...I never return to finish the job.

Not anymore! I have started my new plan and it is working brilliantly! I figured out that what I was doing before was trying to do so many loads at a time that I got overwhelmed. The key is to getting yourself caught up (yes, this will involve an entire weekend of dedication to doing all 4 steps with every load of laundry). Once you are caught up, do just one load a day from start to finish. Yep, you have to complete 100% of the steps for this to really work. I can say that our laundry hampers look quite slim these days thanks to the new system. I'm alot less worried about laundry, and we no longer have to wait around the house half naked waiting for our clothes to dewrinkle! *laughing at myself and what you might be picturing*

Join me in the fight against loathing laundry. Leave a comment as your "contract" to yourself to stay caught up and post whenever you can about your experiences working the plan. Trust me, this will work for you. Happy laundering!

Pizza Pasta

One of my favorite OAMC (once a month cooking) recipes is pizza pasta. It is so easy, not to mention cheap, to make. Very few ingredients are needed to throw together a healthy and hearty meal sure to please the entire family. Hey, if I can get my 3 year old and 2 year old to eat it, anyone will! I've asked some of my adorable family members to help me out for this tutorial...here we go!



You will first need to gather your ingredients. Here, I've pictured everything you will need to make 4 pizza pastas (if using 8x8 pans, which I do for my family). Please note that you will actually need 4 cans of sauce...one decided to lag behind during the photo op. *oops* Isn't that the cutest 3 year old toe head you ever saw?!

M'kay. Start off by browning your hamburger. This is a little over 1 pound of meat. The great thing about this dish is that you can increase, add, or omit any ingredients you don't care for...just like pizza. Gotta love it! While you are browning your meat, in a large pot, boil enough water to cook 12 cups of rotini. The pasta is cooked al dente (to the tooth) in about 10 minutes.

While your hamburger is browning and pasta is cooking, open all cans (drain any juices) and prepare your "toppings". If you get a darling daughter and hunky husband to do this step for you, your meal will taste that much better! *winks* Cut your pepperoni into bite size pieces...we buy a package of pepperoni slices, so they get cut in half. I leave my mushrooms as they are in the can...the front of the can reads "mushroom stems and pieces". My aunt gave Robert and I a handy dandy chopper from Pampered Chef as a wedding gift...it gets used to chop the olives into bits.



Drain your pasta in the sink and let it sit while you move on. Now that your hamburger is browned, it's time to dump the sauce and all your "toppings" into the empty pot (your pasta is draining in the sink at this point). Ooh, look...already it's looking delicious.

Stir everything together and then start adding your pasta back in. At this point, I had to ask Lillie to let me do the work...the pot couldn't even hold all the pasta. Hopefully you have a larger pot than I do. *shrugs and rolls eyes* I have to mix in what I can and transfer some into a large bowl with the remaining rotini and stir...this happens a couple of times until it's all mixed together (I know, get a bigger pot already...that would be too simple). You can see what happened to the camera when I took over. *smiling* Lillie told me it was time for her to take pictures for the "blob"! So proud...a Martha, Betty, and Rachel in training.



Once everything is all mixed together, it's time to dish up your servings. Tonight we planned to eat the pasta, so I dished out a meal into an 8x8 pan and stuck it into my preheated oven (350 degrees). The rest is in this HUGE bowl and will be rationed into freezer bags that I've labeled with the contents and date...



As you can see, I sqeezed out all the air in the bags, sealed them, and then flattened them out. Yep, that's three whole meals stacked on top of each other. Once you pop these in the freezer and they freeze, you can store them upright (think bookshelf style) to save space! It always feels good to know that there are some "go to" meals in the freezer for busy nights when there just isn't enough time to put a meal on the table. When you practice OAMC, you do have time to offer a home cooked meal! *getting off soapbox to continue with my tutorial*

You cook the pasta in the oven until it is heated through. I usually stir every 10 minutes to ensure the pasta doesn't dry out. The dish will start to bubble when it's almost done...that means it's time to sprinkle on some mozzarella cheese. Pop the pasta back in the oven just long enough to melt the cheese. That's it! You're done! I like to sprinkle a bit of red pepper flakes on mine once it's plated. I never put it in the dish prior to cooking since we have youngins', but if you don't have to worry about giving anyone heartburn...go ahead...put it in there! Time for dinner! Enjoy!

Ingredients (4 8x8 dish meals)
12 cups uncooked rotini
1 pound hamburger
4 large cans spaghetti sauce
1 can mushrooms
1 can olives
1 package pepperoni
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

Preparation
Boil water in large pot. Cook rotini for 10 minutes. Brown hamburger in skillet. Drain pasta and let sit while putting sauce and toppings into empty pasta pot. Stir toppings together. Add pasta. Bake in a 350 degree oven until heated through and starting to bubble. Add cheese and place back into heated oven until melted.



Directions For Using Frozen Meal

Thaw in refrigerator overnight or place in microwave to defrost on low setting until pasta will remove from freezer bag. The colder the pasta is when placed in the oven, the longer it will take to heat through. Keep stirring every 10 minutes until done and ready for cheese.

He's Made His List

...and he checked it twice! All 3 of my girls made it on St. Nick's "nice" list! What a proud Mama I am that Lillie, Claira, and Audrey received letters from Santa. *winks* Every year, thus far, he has written a special letter and sent it all the way from the North Pole. It must be a lot of work on his part *winks again* to write each and every boy and girl that make his "nice" list and put it in the mail for our trusty postal service to deliver. Checking the mailbox each day after Thanksgiving, in anticipation of her own delivery, is one of Lillie's highlights of the Christmas season. She was so excited Friday when the only thing received (as I was equally excited not to be getting bills or junk mail!) were 3 letters all the way from the North Pole!

Welcome Winter

One of my favorite times of the day is when I get to put my little Audrey to sleep at night. We both snuggle into Mama's bed and Audrey enjoys her last bit of nursing for the day as she drifts off to sleep. Usually, I join her by crashing into lala land myself. Last night, as usual, I fell asleep too early...hadn't picked up the house, dishes still undone, face unwashed...you get the idea. Around midnight I woke up realizing I still had work to do. I entered the kitchen only to be surprised that the small flakes of blazing snow had actually started to accumulate outside! It's officially the first snow of the season. For me, it is winter when the snow begins to fall. Here are some pics I snapped from my phone (this is the reason for poor clarity). I love how the snow settled into the crevices on our swing...it really pops the "Mannering"!

            

Sitting Pretty

I guess it has to happen...my baby has to grow up. I'm learning to be acceptant of her reaching milestones that I'll never experience with another baby. This saddens me, but I am excited that Audrey is learning and growing at an excellent pace. My little Audrey has started sitting pretty. Way to go baby girl!

Hey Good Lookin...

Whatcha' Got Cookin'? Well, tonight the Martha, Betty, and Rachel *hopes you get the associations* burst from my pores as I slaved in the kitchen from 3:30 to, well, now...9:07! The weather is cold and that means a hot pot of homemade chicken and dumplings in my household. Yes, I make it all from scratch! *beaming with pride* Just check this out...

It didn't stop there. Oh no, sir. What's better than chicken and dumplings on a cold night?

That's right...homemade cinnamon rolls! I haven't made these in ages, and I tried a new recipe. Let's just say if you love Cinnabon, I've mastered them!

Oh yes, that's rich cream cheese icing...again, homemade (surely you are drooling on your keyboard by now, right?)

YUM! Look...even baby Audrey has her tongue sticking out ready to inhale that large lump of deliciousness (not to mention sugar, carbs, and fat...but who's worried 'bout that?)



A Visit to Santa

Today we ventured out into the brisk winter weather to visit the season's favorite fella...Santa Claus! I can't believe two things...1) Claira didn't cry a bit. In fact, she was quite eager to get up and sit on the fat man's lap! 2) I managed to capture a picture with all three girls looking at the camera, looking happy,

and Santa not looking like he's about to drop the whole gang!

8 Years

I had a bit of free time after delivering quilts today, so I thought I would start our anniversary celebration off right by leaving a message on my dear Robert's truck. I amuse myself frequently at the things I come up with...8 years and we still do childish things to eachothers property *grins*

Daddy Deer-est...Daughter Deer-est

Robert was a lucky guy scoring a nice 16 point buck this year. The kill made Lillie eager to get out and try her own luck. I always knew my girls would want to do the things Daddy liked, but I never expected a high pitched, excited shriek out of Lillie's tiny little mouth when I showed her the picture text of Daddy's deer. The text read, "Tell Lillie that Daddy has number 5 for the wall!". She bounced off the wall with joy about Daddy finally getting another deer...it was important to her that there was a 1:1 ratio of deer heads on the wall to people in our family. Daddy's text made her morning and him coming home to boast about his trophy made her day. Oh yeah, and another text for me that says, "I don't suck anymore! 16 point baby!"....ugh...hunting.

Oh for namesake

I made these namesake gifts for two very special people. One was my sister and the other a very good friend. I forgot how much I enjoyed my crafty creativity up until about a month or so ago. I'm ready to get back in the saddle and get to work. Like what you see? They are for sale...obviously not these though! LOL!

My First Last Time

What a bittersweet moment I had on Friday. Audrey started rolling over! She smiles in amazement as her pudgy little body completes it's roll...and I am mesmerized by her new trick...every time she does it. I wasn't upset that I wasn't the first to see her do it...I'm glad it was very special people in our lives that got the experience (you know who you are). I was excited just to see her proud face when she showed me! You go girl! I was, however, sad because it quickly hit me that this was my first last time at watching one of my beautiful gifts from God reach a big milestone. I held back the tears from fear of embarassment. *smirky frown* Oh my, will I really be able to call it quits after 3?...

Tutu Cute!

Here's a sneak peak at my lovely ladies' Christmas outfits :) I'm so loving that I started making tutu's! Look for them to wear one at every occasion...sorry girls...Mommy loves you!

Cape is at the cleaners!

It's been an incredibly difficult and busy last couple of weeks. Robert has been working on a side project in the evenings and I've been teaching a night class 2 nights a week. I have had to figure out what to do with our three angels when I'm teaching and when I'm not, there are gazillions of tasks and errands to check off, all the while having the girls by myself...it's been a struggle to "manage" the daily routines. I am starting...or was starting *there is a silver lining coming* to have a mental, physical, and emotional breakdown (Yes! I suffer from being normal!). Luckily, a post on one of my favorite blogs, "MoneySavingMom", helped bounce me back enough to stick it out a few weeks longer and maybe...just maybe...I'll be better equiped to handle the fact that I cannot have things perfect (whatever that is) in my life. That being said...My "Super Mom"/"Super Wife" cape has been dropped off at the cleaners...I may let it hang there for a while *smirks*!

Check out the post that helped bounce me back!

The Mess I'd Never Want to Clean Up

It was one year ago today that a very important event occured. Let me tell the story...

I just wasn't feeling myself the day before...had that "out of body" feeling. As I was getting ready for work, with 10 minutes before I had to leave the house, I decided to take a pregnancy test. I just knew there was no way I could actually be pregnant...I was still nursing Claira and my "gift from mother nature" had not resumed since having Claira...a waste of a test for sure. I did my business and went on my way chasing after Lillie and Claira to get them ready. A few minutes later I scooted past the sink where the cheap Dollar Tree test lay and took a double take...POSITIVE! What?!?! How...When...Oh my! Can you say "shocked"?

I walked downstairs to the laundry room where my half dressed husband was mid body into the dryer, looking for his socks. I said, "Honey, I need you to come upstairs." His response, and one that will stay with me forever was, "Whatever they (speaking of Lillie and Claira) have done, you clean it up!" All I could think of to say was, "This isn't a mess we can clean up." I started sobbing and somehow got the words out "I'm pregnant" as he look at me confused. He cracked the biggest grin and grabbed me in his arms. "How could he be happy?" I wondered. I was in total and utter shock...Claira was only 10 months old! I wasn't upset...maybe...still not sure. I just couldn't believe the words..."I'm pregnant"..."I'm pregnant"..."Oh God, I'm pregnant!" Lillie was wondering why Mommy was crying. Robert assured her that I was ok, and that she was going to have another brother or sister. Whoa! I kept telling Robert not to continue talking about the morning's big news...Lillie was becoming a "tell all" and I was NOT ready for anyone to know...at least until I had accepted it myself. There was no way I could get to work and be alright, but I went.

I didn't tell anyone at work what I had found out that morning...not even one of my best friends, Ashlee. I'm sure I walked around like a complete zombie...face puffy and swollen from sobbing on and off during the moments of privateness. I was becoming a mother again...for the third time in two and a half years! Luckily, my wonderful and supportive husband sent me messages all day confirming just how excited and blessed he was to be expecting again. What a guy! I needed a bit more time to be convinced that we would be ok (mentally, physically, financially) with three children under 3.

It took me a couple of weeks to accept that my new arrival would be coming. You know, once our doctor ordered an ultrasound and I saw that little heart beating on the screen...there was life inside me :) My dumbfoundedness (wow! long word!) turned into great joy and anticipation...along with a bit of "How in the world will we manage?!"

And here we are now, one year later and I couldn't even begin to explain the joy and love that Audrey has brought me already...in only a few short months. Audrey, baby girl, thank you for surprising me and giving me the gift of you...Mommy loves you! Robert, honey, thank you for giving me one of the three best gifts I've ever received...I love you too.

Christmas Music, Really?!

It's no secret that I am a huge fan of Christmas. I just feel like my home is the prettiest during the holiday season. Our attitudes are more delightful and our spirits are lifted. I am not, however, a huge fan of the Christmas music starting on one of our local radio stations (yes, Star 102, I'm talkin' about ya!) the day after Halloween! I mean, come on! I do love me some Christmas tunage, but if you start playing it two months before the actual holiday, I am tired of "I Saw Mama Kissing Santa Claus", "Christmas Comes This Time Each Year", and "Rockin Around the Christmas Tree" by "turkey time". Please, I'm begging...cease play and resume after Thanksgiving. Many thanks!

Dora and her crew

The spookiness is in the air and my girls are rocking the costumes I worked so hard on. They were the talk of the downtown trick-or-treat! I just wish they would have lasted a bit longer than they did...Dora wasn't enjoying her wig as much as her spectators were, and Map took a few falls...luckily she was padded and rolled!

Dora and her "Crew" Trick-or-Treating downtown Warrensburg

My sweet "Baby Boots" enjoying the downtown Trick-or-Treat

Lillie Trick-or-Treating at her Preschool

A Blog Sent for Heaven

Grandma,

It's been a year now since you left this Earth to be with our Heavenly Father. There's so much I need to talk to you about. Alot certainly has gone on in my world since you flew to Heaven. I have to tell you first, though, that I'm not mad you had to go, or even sad really. Most of all, I miss you terribly. I can't be mad or sad because your pain was so agonizing and I knew you wanted to be free. I'm so happy that you got released from agony and introduced to eternal life. I just wish that I still had you here to talk to, to hold me, to hold you. Your shoes cannot be filled...for so many reasons.

Over the years we had together you taught me so much. Not the "normal" things that one would expect. What grandma's really teach their grandkids the proper way to vacuum? Mine! I couldn't be more anal about making sure to go in both directions...ensuring the nap of the carpet gets flipped so that the dirt is all sucked up. From you I learned the meaning of "elbow grease". Turns out it isn't goopy stuff you rub on your elbows! Some of my fondest memories of us are when we would clean the old farm trailer of Dad's, or right before Uncle John came home for hospice care. I'm a bit embarassed that I enjoyed cleaning so much, but I'm over it because I was with you. I learned how to barter by going garage saleing during the early hours of the morning. Really, do you think there are that many youngsters that would have gotten up at 4 to be ready for early morning sales? The time never mattered to me...I enjoyed our quality time...oh, and all the special treats you'd buy me! Anytime I was with you, it was definitely a treat.

I'll never forget how much we both enjoyed to eat. Oh Lord, how we could clean a whole pan of chocolate cake in an evening. Or how about the many pints of ice cream we would eat? We sure could devour the sweets, Grandma! I partly contribute our binge eating to my childhood chunkiness...ha ha. I loved the mornings when you would fix a big mess of biscuits and gravy. You always complained that it was too something (runny, clumpy, salty, etc.)...I'm sorry though, that I missed the batch made with sour milk (oh yes, I heard about that!). I know I'm not the only one that misses your cooking or vibeacious eating habits. We  could all count on Grandma Jessie having something to eat. Oh, and how about a glass of nutra-sweet kool aid? Am I right or am I right. Love it!

You loved me so very much...I know this. You were filled with much love...most of all for the Lord. I feel better about you being gone when I think about you entering Heaven's gates. I can hear God saying, "Hi "Doll". Welcome. Please come in." It brings me to tears. I can picture your face beaming as you stood before the Lord after all of your Earthly years working for and praising Him. I'm jealous of you. You are just where I hope to be someday...of course not for many years...I have some living yet to do.

My family has grown since you left. They are amazing, Grandma. The girls are getting so big. Unfortunately you never got the chance to meet Audrey. Did you know as I sobbed at your bedside, pleading for you to open your eyes and look at me, that I was becoming a mother again? I didn't, but when I found out a week later I thought to myself, "This baby is a gift for Grandma's absence." It's true. New life does occur when another is lost. You would love Audrey. She has so much personality and she looks just like her big sisters. I am so proud of them. Robert, of course, is too. He's a great Dad. You always told me I was very lucky to have found such a good man. I agree...on most days...haha. I'll never forget when Papa Billy kept calling Lillie "cute little feller" when she was born (gosh how the Alzheimer's already had him) and you kept barking at him, "Bill, she's a girl!" and he would go "Oh, yeah?". He kept doing it until Robert plopped her on the kitchen table to change her diaper and low and behold...he saw she was not a boy! We all laughed so hard when he hollered out, "Well, that's a girl!"

All of these memories being relived have me a mess inside and out. My heart is aching to see you again. You come in my dreams alot...funny how you always act very silly. Others in the family say the same thing. Oh, your humor. I know you are enjoying the company of those who went before you. I can only imagine what it was like to be reunited with your parents, siblings, Grandpa Don, Papa Billy, and Uncle John. Have you seen my Aunt Connie? Does she mention me and my family? I'm glad to know there are so many wonderful souls waiting for me when my time comes. Lillie talks alot about Heaven and dying...all because she is learning Bible verses and usually asks why Jesus died. You can guess where the conversation always leads...death. It always ends with Lillie getting sad and saying, "I don't want to die and go to Heaven. I want to stay at home with you." It breaks my heart, but I assure her that with all hope, I'll be there already and that Heaven is the best place you could ever visit. A funny story is when she asked if her friend Avrie would be there too! I told her yes, but hopefully not for a long time. Lillie wanted to know if they could play freeze tag there. I said "yes!" She was thrilled. She even said, "Jesus will play freeze tag with us too!" Her innocence melts my heart.

Grandma, I love you. I miss you everyday. When I start to get sad, I just picture your face looking at your Savior's face. I know you are where you truly want to be. I am content with that. My heart hurts often, but your good Lord has granted me lovely souls to keep me going here on Earth...my family. Please keep watching over us, as I know you do. Let me know every now and then that you are around...I won't be scared. I need reassurance sometimes. You'll continue hearing from me in the mornings when I'm on the deck with my coffee. I love those chats. Enjoy being with those you lost long ago. Until we are together again...

All my love sent to you,
Brooke

PS...I sure hope they have garage sales for you to hit up in Heaven! Probably not. Why would you have any junk to get rid of when you have everything you could ever want/need?!?! I guess you wouldn't desire garage saleing then, either. What a shame...you were the best garage sale junkie I'll ever know!

How DO you do it?

The common question statement I have heard quite a bit of lately is, "How do you do it?" or "I don't know how you do it!" Apparently my life, or the organization of it, is baffling to others. Well, to be honest, it is to me too! *smirks* I wanted to take a few minutes to clear the air with "How I do it".

I first need to know what "it" is? Are people asking how I manage to raise 3 little girls all within 20 months apart? How I keep a loving marriage going strong? How my house, car, laundry, etc. all stays clean and tidy? Exactly how I'm able to get up at 4:30 every morning to be out the door with tired kids and a sluggish husband by 6:45? How do I work all day with 14 year olds? How do you manage to get your family to church almost every Sunday and on time? How do you still make time to be active with friends and family? Are these "it"? If so, the answer to the "How do you do it?" is, I DON'T! *laughing* If anyone seriously thinks that all of these objectives are accomplished on a regular basis, they are crazy. I certainly wish!

The truth is, I have had to develop a "whatever" mentality. I used to be the most anal person I knew...still might be, but I'm definitely better. *winks* With the birth of Audrey, I realized that I had no time to dwell and to start letting go of everything getting on my nerves or annoying me. I started just saying "whatever" (not in a smart a** way, just a matter of fact way) whenever I really wanted to pull my hair out. Yes, I have three gorgeous daughters (3 months, 22 months, and 3) that keep my busy, but I am not the perfect mom...I do have flaws. Baths don't always happen every other day as I plan, hair may not always look up to par when walking out of the house, the tv has made a good sitter at times...you get the idea. I just do what I can to keep them educated, happy, safe, and loved. Robert and I do appreciate that we have a marriage that...well, works. How? Not totally sure! *laughs* I know the good Lord has the most to do with it. You must realize that we argue on a regular basis...usually about silly stuff that typically stems from frustration dealing with something outside of eachother. Our lives are always busy, always full of something that needs done. However, we always have those moments when we'd really like to scream or hit something, but we just look at eachother and laugh at the wonderful environment we've created...even if it's a chaotic one 20/7. *smiling* Has anyone stepped in my house? It's definitely not clean! I am great at hiding the big messes. Let me just say that if you are ever missing snow, you can turn on a ceiling fan and enjoy a few minutes of lovely gray "snow" (otherwise known as dust!). You can usually draw pictures in the dust on tables. My laundry is always behind by at least 5 loads. Yesterday's breakfast dishes may be in today's dinner sink. The toilet bowl sometimes looks like it may be the start of a teriffic science experiment. Are you getting my drift? It's a normal household of 5 people just trying to coexist. I'm sleep deprived. No, I'm just used to running on very little steam. I like the saying, "You can sleep when you die"...mostly because I have no choice but to believe that's the case...I'm not sleeping much while on Earth. It's tough getting everyone around in the mornings, but with a little cold water, cattle prods, and threats, we manage it! My students are my learning experience...I see how my own will be in about 10 years! The students are great kids...loud, obnoxious, and lazy at times, but truly great kids! Really! You don't believe me? 14 year olds going through hormone changes and figuring out who they are...of course! *trying to convince you here* Church is a must in our household. Don't think for one second that you are ever too busy for God. Point blank. Going to church each Sunday just makes my week that much better. I don't know how it works, so don't ask...it just does. My friends and family are important to me and I want my girls to see how strong relationships are built. This is why we make it a priority to see family and friends often. To do this, many loads of laundry and dishes go unwashed. *winks*

You see...I manage to keep going, but I'm not doing "it". I don't kill over because of all that goes on...I just adapt and keep going, knowing that one day there will be an abundance of free time in which I'll know not what to do with. For now, I'm so happy living the rat race. You'll rarely hear me say "I don't have time for ...". I get frustrated when I hear others saying it. The fact is, you always have more time. Sleep less! So, "How do you do it?" you ask, I don't..."it" leads me!

Baby Wearing

It's no secret that I am an ultimate fan of attachment parenting. Robert and I have always loved our "snuggly", but we've never bought or received a baby sling. A great friend, Jennifer, let me try hers out after I had Claira, but she was no fan of the sling...it put her in the best nursing position, so all she was interested in when in the sling was nursing! I recently thought about the sling after seeing posts about them on my babycenter board. Of course I started yearning for one. So, what did I do? Yep. That's right. I got on the trusty sewing machine and whipped out one by hand! Here's baby Audrey enjoying this morning's UCM Homecoming parade! 

             

Interested in your own custom baby sling? Leave a comment and I'll be happy to contact you concerning fabric and size. These slings sell for $40-$50 dollars in stores and online. I'd charge a mere $20 for one that you provide the fabric for or $25 for one that I provide the fabric for. Babywearing really is a great way for keeping your baby close and snuggly...just like being in the womb!

FREEBIE of the day 10/21/10

I love these photo collages! What a great way to have multiple photos in one place...enjoy!

Free Photo Collage

A new project anyone?

I love my job...the one that pays me with dollar bills, that is. *grins* I get to be super creative in my planning of what projects, sewing and cooking, the students will complete. Lately I've been working on a new sewing project for my students...tiny totes...uber cute! They are made using only 2 fat quarters of fabric...lucky me and my students, I scored about a thousand or more free ones from my man, Paul, at Fabri-Quilt. Check out how cute my "testers" are...

I'm also teaching a community education class about rag quilting in the evenings for the next few weeks. Of course I had to have a "tester" to show my adult students. My 8th grade kiddos helped me make this one. It is twin size and super snuggly! I sure have some cool and talented students. *smiles with pride*

Want to try making your own project? Here are the links for instructions to both...good luck!

Tiny Totes

Rag Quilts



My Crazy Cubbie

Lillie has really enjoyed being part of the Awanas group. She is a very proud Cubbie! The little ones spend a week learning a specific element of the Bible along with a verse they must recite to their Cubbie leader. They earn stickers and patches (for their very distinguished Cubbie vests...which Lillie absolutely loves and is prideful about). It's so rewarding to see and hear Lillie memorizing and reciting the Lord's words. She is the cutest thing ever...really has the voice of a narrator. Our favorite verse to hear her recite is "...while we were sinners, Christ died for us". She puts such an emphasis on "Christ"...lowers her voice in a very serious manner *giggles to self*. Last night was "crazy hair night", but it was also the first of two nights that I had to work late due to parent/teacher conferences. This was my quick work at crazy hair...

The verse for the past week, and a patch earning one, was "...and Jesus grew in wisdom (Luke 2:52)". She knocked it out of the park! I picked her up after parent/teacher conferences finding one excited, beaming Cubbie...with another patch for Mom to sew on. You go girl!

FREEBIE of the day

I frequently search for super savings or freebies. Usually each day I can find at least one. My goal is to share those with you...just as they are shared with me by other blogging people. I found one yesterday and I used my coupon today! The free offer is good until October 26th and the coupon expires November 25th. Check it out and enjoy!

FREE ORANGE-N-CREME FRUITISTA FREEZE

Why now?

My world has been just that, my world, for 10,091 days to date. So much has transpired. So much is yet to be. Today, though, I sit at work missing my family so terribly it hurts inside. I check out a friend's beautiful blog and it sinks in...I too need to talk about my life...my wonderful God, my handsome husband, my gorgeous girls. Her post made me teary eyed as she spoke of how just one year ago today she found out that she was going to be a mother for the first time. I remember that day in my world...***sighs with a small tear starting to well up***...

This blog is being created so I can give a glimpse into my world for others out there striving to be the super ***insert here: wife, mother, friend, christian, employee***...for me, it's the SUPER EVERYTHING. My wonderful, rewarding, challenging, blessed, cluttered, creative, hectic, not enough time in the day, exciting, hopeful, exhausting...world.