I'm back!

I'm back. Had a busy week last week. Then my hubby and I, headed to the UP of Michigan for fun weekend of snowmobiling! I will posts some photos tomorrow and get back to blogging daily. Hoping for a quieter week.

Heading to bed..... Sweet dreams!

St. Patrick's Day Bangle

Do you like this bracelet? You can win it over on my other blog! This would be a perfect accessory for your St. Patrick's Day attire!

CLICK HERE to go enter to win a St. Patrick's Day bangle bracelt from Alex and Ani! There are many easy ways to enter.

Playing in the snow!

We had a winter storm last night and ended up with a Snow Day today! We woke up to another 10 inches of snow! It was a nice wet snow, so it stuck to everything, including the trees. Brayden and Emily played outside for hours and had a blast playing on all the big snow piles that Kyle made when he plowed out our driveway.

Climbing one of the snow hills!


Watching their dad plow the driveway, safely from the porch.


Brayden cleaning off our truck.

Update on My Sis-in-law Serena

Serena is still in the Hospital. They are still waiting for her blood to thin more before they can release her. She also has pneumonia, which would explain the breathing problems she was having. My MOPS group is setting up Meals for her and her family. I figured even if she comes home it will be nice to not have to cook for a few days. Will keep you posted when things change. Please continue to keep her in your prayers.

Top Ten Parenting Oscars you ought to win....

I found another cute list at the back of my new Parenting Early Years magazine that came the other day!

This one is titled Top Ten Parenting Oscars you ought to win!

1. MUSIC (Original Score): For teaching your kids to sing the real version of "Jingle Bells", not the one where Batman smells and Robin lays an egg.

2. BEST DIRECTOR: For organizing a month long PTA fund-raiser that actually raised funds!

3. MAKEUP: For applying enough under-eye concealer to avoid looking like the Crypt Keeper after a sleepless night tending a croupy kid.

4. ART DIRECTION: For getting the kids to make a "Welcome Grandma" banner without a single fight breaking out over using the red crayon.

5. BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: For sitting on the bleachers every Saturday, just to cheer like crazy for the seven minutes your son makes it onto the soccer field!

6. SOUND MIXING: For talking loudly enough that your tween actually heard you over his iPod, and in fact, listened to what you had to say.

7. SOUND EDITING: For stealthily removing the Care Bear's batteries, then telling your son that Tenderheart lost his voice and needs to rest for a day.

8. COSTUME DESIGN: For the Hananh Montana getup you made your daughter from a mop head and cheap jewelry minutes before the Halloween parade.

9. CINEMATOGRAPHY: For capturing five full minutes of your family on video during which no child sticks a finger up his nose or crosses his eyes.

10. PICTURE OF THE YEAR: For the one you snapped of your husband and kids - the one that reminds you why, the craziness aside, this is the happiest time of your life!

Hope you enjoyed these! Which one can you relate to the most lately?

This list was taken from the back of Parenting Early Years March 2010.

Prayer Request

Please pray for my sister-in-law Serena. I got a call tonight from my mom that she went to the ER today, having problems with her asthma. She had also been complaining of "heartburn" or some chest pain the last few days. Turns out after she got to the ER, that she has a blood clot in her lung!! They also had to do some breathing treatments on her as well. They admitted her and won't let her leave until the clot is gone. She had this problem a few years ago too. I will know more tomorrow and update at that time.

So when your saying your prayers, say an extra one please.

Thanks.

Wordless Wednesdays - Want a kiss?

Lip pops (sucker) that the kids got for Valentine's Day!

A Child will.......

A Child will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, the home happier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for ~unknown~

Another great week of wrestling for Brayden!

Brayden had another awesome week! We went to Ionia this week and he came home with a 2nd place medal! He had to wrestle 4 times and went 3 and 1! Great job Brayden!



Check out his sweaty messing after wrestling hair!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Wishing everyone a Very Happy Valentine's Day! I had to post a few photos of Emily, when she was about 2 months old. She was being very smiley and had a cute "I Heart Kisses" shirt on that made me think of Valentine's Day. These are some of my favorite photos!

Date Night!

Wanted to get a quick post in as part of the Community of Moms Blog Dare!

Kyle and I went out tonight for Valentine's Day. We had a gift certificate and a coupon for Red lobster, which cut our bill in half! Dinner was so yummy and we finished it off with the best Strawberry Cheesecake! We only had to wait for an hour and 20 minutes to be seated! lol... The wait was not to bad since it was just us and no little kids to chase around. We were going to go to a movie but changed our mind and came home and watched the Olympics instead, curled up on the couch together.

It was a nice night with my hubby!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Cute printable Valentine's Day coupons!

I came across these really cute printable coupons for Valentine's Day over on West Michigan Mommy! They are printables for your loved ones and even teachers and caregivers!


CLICK HERE to go check them out!

Thanks to West Michigan Mommy for this great find!

Laughter is like...

Laughter is like changing a baby's diaper. It doesn't permanently solve the problem but it makes things more acceptable for a while. ~Unknown~

Instructions for Life: From the Dalai Lama

My wonderful hubby bought me a really cool Moms planner for Christmas! It is called Mom's Manager Planner, the Planner for Moms on the Go! I love it. One of the things I really like is each month there is a page that has tips, cute sayings, ideas and advice! I thought I would start sharing some of these with you over the next few months!

Here is one that I came across. It is called Instructions for Life from the Dalai Lama.

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
2. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
3. Follow the three R's: Respect for self, Respect for others, and Responsibility for all your actions.
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck!
5. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
6. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
7. Spend some time alone every day!
8. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
9. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
10. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.
11. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for life.
12. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.
13. Be gentle with the earth.
14. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.
15. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each exceeds your need for each other.
16. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

A great Love Story!

I wanted to share a story with you. It is a great love story! A friend from my childhood is currently waiting for her hubby to return from Iraq. He has been there since July. While away his baby girl Isabell was born! He will be home any day now and be meeting her for the first time! The Detroit News wrote an article about Kim, Christopher and Isabell. I contacted Kim and asked if I could share her story and she said sure so if your interested in reading it, head on over to Kim's blog.

CLICK HERE to go read Kim's story! You might want to have some tissues handy because it will bring tears to your eyes!

Brayden took 3rd!

Brayden wrestled in Okemos yesterday. He has had a pretty tough year. He has gone up against a lot of good wrestlers. Well, yesterday he wrestled really hard and was able to bring home a 3rd place medal! He was so excited and I of course was really proud. He has really matured over the last couple years and is doing great with keeping his cool when he does lose a match! His Dad and I always tell him as long as he goes out and wrestles hard it does not matter if you win or lose! Great job Brayden!!

Monster Truck Show

The Tailgator!


I won tickets to the Monster Truck show that came to the Breslin Center in East Lansing last week off of WITL! The kids were super excited to go. None of them had ever been. It was my first time going as well. We went early to attend the "Pit Party". The drivers and trucks are all out on the arena floor. It was pretty cool. I can't believe how big the tires are!

We also got to do a Meet and Greet(part of winning the tickets from the radio station) with the 4 drivers downstairs right before the show! It was just us and one other family. It was fun. The kids got a gift bag filled with goodies (hat, flag, pencil and roster). They got their flags autographed and we got our picture taken with all the drivers.

The show was fun. They make it fun for the kids. We had a great night together as a family. I would actually go back, as I found myself having a lot of fun and laughing at the funny parts of the show!


The kids and Rick Long who drives "Big Foot"


Standing under "Ironman"


Getting autographs during the meet and greet.











Bigfoot was the winner of the night!

Another cute thing that 2 years olds do

Have you ever noticed when a little kid enters an elevator what they do?? Today Emily and I went to visit her doctor for a follow up and we have to take the elevator up to the 2nd floor. She loves to push the button to make the elevator come and then when we enter she slowly walks over the little crack in between the elevator and the floor! It is to cute! I think that she thinks she might fall in the crack. :)

Simple things 2 year olds do make me smile!

By the way, Emily is doing much better today. Her visit with the doctor went well and she said her lungs sounded clear. Just going to finish the antibiotic and keep up with the breathing treatments for a few more days. So happy to see her starting to act like the old Emily.

Emily is doing better!

Emily woke up this morning feeling so much better. Her fever seems to be gone now. she played a lot today instead of clinging to me. We will see her doctor in the morning and hopefully her lungs will be much clearer. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers!


Chilling on the couch with her blankies and her "woof woof"!


Doing her breathing treatment! She is a big girl and helps me.

Rough Day

Today was a rough day. Emily, my 2 year old was diagnosed with Bronchitis on Sunday and instead of getting better this week, she has gotten worse. Her fever kept spiking and she has been miserable. So this morning I took her back to the ER. I am glad I did, when we got there her fever was over 104 degrees and she was grunting when she breathed. The doctors and nurses at the ER were awesome. They got her fever down and after a breathing treatment and some chest x-rays they sent us home. She has a bronchial infection with slight pneumonia. They decided that she did not need to be admitted to the hospital since her fever came down and she was drinking liquids and used the potty a couple times while we were there. After a couple of hours of being there she started to act more like herself.

So she is on a new antibiotic and will be getting breathing treatments every 4 hours for the next week. She definitely acted better this afternoon and even wanted to go sleep in her own bed tonight! Although I think I am going to grab her and put her in bed with us. Just for peace of mind....

When you say your prayers tonight, say one for Emily please. I want my baby girl back to bouncing off the walls very soon!

Thanks :)

Now I need to go get some sleep...

A cool Michigan Photo Blog

I came across a blog the other day called Michigan Exposures. If you live in Michigan (and even if you don't) you might enjoy taking a look at it. He posts photos of everything throughout the State of Michigan. His latest being The Mackinac Bridge and Tahquamenon Falls in winter! They are very beautiful.

I have a passion for photography and hope once I get my new camera to take more photos of this great state. Maybe I will start another blog when I do. :)

CLICK HERE to go visit Michigan Exposures.

Just thought I would share.

How having kids is like being a Wall Street Tycoon!

I found this in the back of my Parenting Early Years magazine and thought I would share. It's cute! :)

9 ways how having kids is like being a Wall Street Tycoon!

1. Your gross domestic product rises dramatically....as evidenced by the daily pailful of dirty diapers!

2. You have weekly board meetings...what's family night without Scrabble or Monopoly?

3. You're the subject of a hostile takeover...really, why should you be able to have a full night's sleep without a toddler showing up to hog your pillow and steal your blankets?

4. You're sentenced to several years in a maximum-security facility...and it's funny how your preschooler is better at opening the safety gates and drawer latches than you are!

5. You keep a sharp eye on interest rates...in Green veggies, educational television and chores.

6. You dole out sweet bonuses...hey, a handful of Froot Loops can work wonders on a kid who won't get into her booster seat.

7. You're on constant market watch...because with what your tween son eats these days, a sale on hamburger is a very big deal.

8. You gladly accept a bailout...thanks for babysitting, Grandma!

9. Your bonds are extremely rewarding...and every group snuggle on the couch reminds you.


This was taken from the February 2010 issue of Parenting Early Years.