How to fall in love

Winner

2012-11-17T18:40:00.002-08:00

And the winner of the trunki is: katemillsphotography.

Melissa and Doug Giveaway!!!

2012-11-07T22:43:00.000-08:00

Now for the fun! ...Melissa and Doug is letting me do a giveaway with one of their "Terrific Twenty" gifts. I am going to be giving away a trunki to one lucky reader.

These cute suitcases on wheels are great for little travelers. They can also be used as a ride on toy at home :)

To enter the giveaway, go to the website and leave me a comment telling me what color of trunki you like best. I will draw for a winner on 11/17.

* Melissa and Doug did give me a terrific twenty product for this post, but I really do love their products and would recommend them to anyone. They are my favorite:)

Melissa & Doug Terrific Twenty List and Giveaway

2012-11-06T22:45:00.002-08:00

I am a HUGE fan of Melissa and Doug toys. In fact, my whole family is. Their toys are very high quality (many are wooden), colorful, fun, unique, and engaging.

Melissa and Doug have created a list of 20 top gifts for the holiday season. For 20 days they will be giving away toys to lucky facebook fans. To become a Melissa and Doug fan and get a chance to win, go here: http://www.facebook.com/MelissaAndDoug

Go enter now for a chance to win some of these awesome toys!

Almost Wordless Wednesday

2012-02-15T22:08:00.000-08:00

http://gardenofsimple.tumblr.com/post/1730245178

Tuesday Tour De Blogs - Patterson Family

2012-02-14T09:26:00.000-08:00

After hearing about so many bad folks on the news, it would be easy to think there aren't any good ones left. This family, however, confirms that wonderful, generous, and compassionate people DO exist. They are agents of goodness and soldiers of love.

Monday - "Indulge Another"

2012-02-13T12:51:00.000-08:00

When I became a parent, I learned how delightful it was to occasionally indulge my children. A spontaneous Family Movie Night with heaping bowls of popcorn, a quick hop in the car to watch the jelly fish from a moonlit dock, or a Monster Hunt in the woods around our house - all just to see the smiles on their faces.

There is nothing so sweet as wrapping your children in a tapestry of magical moments, knowing they will lay in bed that night with sparkling memories and imaginations running over.

This weekend, Addison went to her first Ball.

It was a Daddy & Daughter dance that had her twirling and racing through the house all day with unbearable anticipation.

We put on the dress and tights, enjoyed the ritual of applying shimmering powder and a dab of light pink lipstick, as well as a tiny bit of (gasp!) mascara on her dreamy eyelashes.

She had a flower in her hair, a plastic ring on her finger, and had her Prince waiting to whisk her off to pick up her corsage and take her to dinner.

She chose dinner at Chuck E. Cheese.

They danced the night away.

She came home exhausted and exhilarated by her one night as a princess...

Our hearts fell in love with her all over again.

Thursday - "The Perks of Laryngitis"

2012-02-09T12:50:00.000-08:00

I should probably go to the doctor.

In fact, I should probably be put in a plastic bubble until retirement.

I'm sick again.

This time, I have no voice.

Since I could literally not talk at all for much of yesterday, I stayed home. With a squeaky, barely-there voice today, I decided to give it a try.

It could have been a disaster. Really. Think about it - I teach 150 twelve to sixteen year olds throughout the day.

Turns out - when teacher has to practically whisper while teaching Romeo and Juliet, They actually STOP TALKING and LISTEN.

It's miraculous.

Jesus may not be stepping in at the moment to fix my vocal cords with a dab of mud, all New Testament style, but he MUST have stepped in and miraculously silenced those of my students. :) It was awesome.

I need to remember this and do a little Fake Laryngitis next time, right?! :) I'll take pity obedience any day.

The road...

2012-02-07T21:06:00.000-08:00

“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.” ~ Douglas Adams

The perks of going gray

2012-02-04T00:16:00.000-08:00

I, Janelle, have found my first gray hair. Technically, there are 3 of them, but who's counting? I am choosing to believe that this is a case of stress-induced-gray caused by my pending divorce. Don't tell me there isn't such a thing as stress-induced-gray, because I would really like to live in denial for a while longer :)
On the bright side (there is almost always a bright side) these 3 gray hairs may be exactly what I need. You see, I am 26. The average stranger who meets me usually guesses 19-20. At my recent colonoscopy (apparently my body thinks I'm 50) the nurse who was prepping me was shocked to find out that I have a son. I could almost hear the disdain in her voice. She was thinking teen mother. A minute later I somehow managed to sneak in that I am a teacher, to which she asked, "How old are you?" Upon hearing my age she told me that I looked no older than her 19-year-old daughter. This is a very regular occurrence for me.
In Hawaii a couple of years ago I ran into an an approximately 14-year-old boy while out boogie boarding. He was a local who decided to teach all us tourists how to boogie board the right way. Some way or another he asked how old I was. When I told him he did not believe me! I told him I had a husband and a son on the beach and he would not take my word for it until he saw for himself. The age he guessed me to be: 16!
So, next time I am carded at an R-rated movie or given a dirty look from a judgemental old lady while shopping with my son, I will just whip out my 3 gray hairs and proudly proclaim, "See, I am old enough!" I may have to start carrying around a little mirror for this purpose.
I don't particularly want any more gray hairs for now, because that might mean I would have to start dyeing my hair like the typical female my age. However, if I am going to start going gray I should at least use it to my advantage.

So what do you think-do I look my age?

Thursday - "Being Known"

2012-02-02T12:04:00.000-08:00

I’ve always wished for more folks in my life who “get” me. I don’t know if it means I’m unusual, or just plain weird, but it has always seemed that the list of people who understand what I am “all about” has been small. I’ve had times in my life where I felt a profound loneliness just because I looked around and couldn’t find a single person who could walk along to the beat of the same drummer. It’s not to say that my drummer is superior – it’s just that I would have liked some company when I was jamming along.

I’ve so often felt that what I think, what I dream of, what I laugh at, and what matters most to me at any given stage in my life, is somehow an inner road that I walk in solitude. The moments in my life when I Did find a kindred soul were all the more sweet for their rarity. I can remember every instance in my life where I felt that little sparkle of connection that told me, “This person knows me!” My heart always rejoiced simply for being recognized and realized by someone I loved.

(some of those someones are reading this right now! A, H) J

Lately, I’ve been wondering if the whole purpose of this inner road I’ve been walking was to prepare me for the inclusion of my daughter.

Because my daughter is unusual. Sometimes she is just plain weird. She walks to the beat of her own drummer and has inner roadways that are lovely and unique.
She is four.

She has convictions and a strong personality. She is sometimes shy and sometimes vivacious. At night, her dreams are loud and vivid; during the day, her artwork is explosive and sincere.

She stands up for the underdog and worries about pollution. Documentaries about base-jumping or paleontology make her electric with interest and hundreds of questions. She loves to roll in the dirt at recess, has conversations with the cats, and memorizes the lyrics to all of her favorite songs.

When watching a documentary about climbing Mt. Everest, she asked me if I would hold her hand if she ever decided to climb it herself. I said I would.

For over a year now, she has proclaimed that she will adopt babies who need homes, rather than give birth to them, when she is grown. She asks me if I’ll help her go “get one” when she’s old enough. I said I would.

She cries when we don’t have time to volunteer at the animal sanctuary.

She can be feisty, competitive, and empathetic.

When I found her making a long string of signs with the word “Free” written on each one, she told me it was for a store she was going to open someday where everything was free for people who couldn’t afford clothes or food.

She is full of compliments, intensity, and attention to detail. She is interested in home décor, child sponsorship, and Pinterest.

She is strange. And I love that about her.

I KNOW her. I rejoice in her. I am so blessed that my life includes this little spunky girl so that we can walk together towards all the dreams we share.

Knowing my Addison has been more exhilarating than ever being known myself.

Almost Wordless Wednesdays "When Running Away was For Fun"

2012-02-01T11:19:00.000-08:00

This is Aidan, cheerfully running away one Saturday afternoon.

We may be new...

2012-02-01T10:39:00.000-08:00

but we got another award :)
Anna from A Sweet Southern Mess nominated us for The Versatile Blogger award. Thank you!

These are the rules for the award:

1. Thank the person that nominated you, and give them a shout out on your blog with a link to theirs.

2. Share 7 random facts about yourself.

3. Send on the award to 15 other bloggers whose blog you love and appreciate and then let them know they won the award.

7 Random Facts about Rachae and Janelle:

1. We both ran cross-country and track in middle school, high school, and college. Throughout those years I am pretty sure we accumulated enough injuries to fund a physical therapist's income for an entire year.

2. We are unstoppable at the game Taboo. Yeah, we have some serious mind-reading capabilities that makes our opponents hate us.

3.We did 2 marathons together. During our long training runs we would occasionally call our "support crew" (a.k.a. our mom, aunt, or grandma) and ask for the delivery of slushies. Not only did they bring the slushies, they also came bearing candy bars and at one time a plate of fresh-out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookies. We felt like rock stars.

4.We tend to come up with odd ideas and actually follow through with them. One night we watched Napolean Dynamite and decided we wanted to be more like him. We dressed up in ridiculous costumes and went to the store to buy cookies.

5. Rachae is 5 1/2 years old than Janelle. One time when Rachae left for school she told Janelle (too young to go to school) that her books were magic and alive. Rachae came home to find Janelle brushing the books' "hair."

6. We don't believe in counting calories during girls night.

7. We have the tendency to get bitten by weird things. Rachae (in addition to having a raccoon bite her) once had a rat attack her behind while studying outside during college. Janelle got a mosquito bite in Honduras that gave her dengue fever.

Here are some blogs we love:
1. The Branches

2. Life {Sweet} Life

3. finding joy

4. Mama Notes

5. another ordinary miracle

6. The Simmons Family

7. Gaunt with the Wind!

8. Our Neck of the Woods

9. Fresh Mommy

10. Happy Meals & Happy Hour

11. This Must be the Place

12. ..Mrs. Southern Bride..

13. Farmgirl Paints

14. flipflops and applesauce

15. Holy Cuteness

Tuesday Tour De Blogs - Nicodemus

2012-01-31T09:24:00.000-08:00

You know how you sometimes read a blog and think - "I wish I knew these people in real life!" Well, this couple is adorable and hilarious and I wish I could be their real life buddy. They're a down-to-earth, young couple with 2 adorable children and a great sense of humor. I love their willingness to to dork it up for theme parties and their easy relationship with each other and their children. You will too!

Friday Foolishness – "My Dryer has a bad Attitude"

2012-01-27T09:47:00.000-08:00

My dryer has a bad attitude. And It’s contagious.

Just 4 years after having to buy a new washer and dryer, the dryer is starting to throw in the towel with a death knell that can be heard throughout our household and beyond.

Seriously.

It does this shrill, extremely loud “BEEP..Beep..beep,beep,beep” that won’t stop. I may sound like I’m Anthropomorphizing a machine, but this sound going on all day and night is really like a form of torture. Lock a reluctant prisoner in my laundry room and he’ll spill the truth in an hour just to get away from this incessant noise. It doesn’t matter if the dryer is in use or not. In fact, if you try to use the dryer, it turns itself off after 30 seconds of tumbling, so I made my way through one load of laundry yesterday after pushing the start button roughly 547 times.

We’ve practically taken it apart. We’ve cleaned the filter a zillion times. We’ve checked the duct, read the manual, looked it up online.

Turns out – our dryer is simply a JERK.

We’ve even punched it.

When I caught myself ranting and raving at my dryer, I finally realized that, other than the annoyance factor, this was actually pretty funny. I mean, when I finally unplugged the dryer to make it stop the racket, I half suspected it to continue to beep at me, an event that would have had me packing up and moving into a friends’ house until the exorcist arrived and either removed the demon – or my dryer. (at this point – they are synonymous in my opinion!)

Gotta love an appliance gone bad. At least for the comic aspect. Right? And who doesn’t love hanging out in Laundromats ……

ugh

"One Wild and Precious Life"

2012-01-26T23:35:00.000-08:00

(This picture is from an Etsy site. If you like the sign, it can be found here)

We are born full of dreams.

We feel invincible.

And strong.

And are quite sure we can fly.

The first fall seems devastating.

But we learn to get up.

And embrace the mess life hands us.

We start to dream again.

Because we only get one wild and precious life.

And we are going to live it.

Janelle

Almost Wordless Wednesdays "Gotta Love a Man Who Loves Cats"

2012-01-25T14:33:00.000-08:00

This is our Dad with his common naptime companions. Having some personal space might lead to a more restful repose, but you've got to admit it's a lot cuter (and warmer) when you've got so much fluffy company.

Tuesday Tour De Blogs - Ree Drummond

2012-01-24T11:22:00.000-08:00

Well, if you haven't heard of this gal, you might be the only person in the blogosphere. She has mouth-watering recipes (I've made a few!), a quirky sense of humor, an adorable family, and is an all-around gorgeous woman.

Recipes I recommend : here umm.... and that's all, because I'm trying to diet right now and this is torture!

I LOVE this website.

Monday Madness - Embracing your Nerdiness - or the nerdiness of others....

2012-01-23T11:18:00.000-08:00

As one of his morning chores during warm weather days, Aidan is in charge of going to let the chickens out of their coop for some free range glory. (My chickens are spoiled - You wouldn't believe how much.)

Anyways, one morning, I went to the window to check on him, and saw Aidan prancing across the lawn looking like this:

And my first thought was - "Oh my gosh! What a gloriously nerdy moment!" And then, of course, my second thought was - "Where's my camera?!"

Basketball PJs, red rubber boots, fairy wings, bed-head, and a WAND.

Someday Aidan will be a teenager.

Someday he might think he's too big for his britches.

For now - he's kind of a nerd.

And I LOVE that about him.

Do you have any delightfully nerdy moments in your family?

Sunday Soul Seeking - Rejoicing

2012-01-22T12:03:00.000-08:00

"There is not one blade of grass, there is no color in this world that is not intended to make us rejoice."
John Calvin
(Read more: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/john_calvin.html#ixzz1jkQKb8lE)

Photos by Janelle

Saturday Sojourn - H2O

2012-01-21T11:30:00.000-08:00

"Thousands have lived without love, not one without water."
W. H. Auden
(Read more: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/water_4.html#ixzz1jkJxWgxa)

In my opinion, the two go hand in hand.

Find some water this weekend and wash away the busy week. Even if it's cold - There's nothing a good pair of boots and layers can't fix!

(Grandma getting a surprise from one kiddo while being smothered by the other near Deception Pass.)

(Bayview State Park)

(Real life Touch Tank)

(Hawaii)

Photos by Janelle.

"A Major Award"

2012-01-20T23:13:00.000-08:00

Tonight I feel the need to recreate the moment from "A Christmas Story" when the dad gets his major award in a box labeled "fragile." I love that part :) In all seriousness, though, we did get our own award. While it is not a leg lamp, it is just as awesome and certainly less hideous. We got nominated for the Liebster Blog Award by Allyson at Cupcakes & Candy Canes. Thank you, Allyson! We definitely appreciate your support :)

If you haven't heard, the Liebster Blog Award is to recognize newer blogs, with less than 200 followers. This gives us all the opportunity to talk about the blogs we love while helping our own blogs grow too.
The rules for the award are:

1. Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog.

2. Link back to the blogger who awarded/nominated you.

3. Copy and paste the blog award to your blog.

4. Reveal your top 5 blog picks!

5. Drop by your top 5 picks and let them know you chose them by commenting on their blog!

Here are our top 5 picks:

Love from Momma

This is a great mommy blog about a seriously cute toddler, and since we are both moms we love to read Momma blogs of all kinds :)

The Souders' Saga
Another mommy blog with a beautiful toddler and some beautiful photography. I (Janelle) love looking at the variety of beautiful shots that people get of their kids, so this blog inspires me to get busy taking pictures of my son, Graesen.

Wilkinson Way
A mommy blog with beautiful pictures and sweet stories about her little guy.

Unexpectedly Expecting Baby
This mom has great stories about her adventures in motherhood, wedding planning, and being a nanny.

Treasuring the little Things
A beautiful blog by a Christian mom. She takes wonderful pictures and throws awesome kid birthday parties.

Friday Foolishness - Rabid Rachae

2012-01-20T08:29:00.000-08:00

(The one that bit:)

I’ve had rabies shots.
7 of them.

Because my parents didn’t want to see me frothing at the mouth and going out with a bang, “Old Yeller” style, they forked out the big bucks to take me back and forth to the hospital to get the 7 shots needed when a gal is bitten by a possibly rabid animal. It was awesome.

Let’s just say that rabies shots require BIG needles. Sitting in a normal fashion is difficult for days, and rolling onto your side at night is enough to make you want to groan in pain.

But it was worth it.

The story:

My family had a raccoon friend that frequently visited our back porch. He was the largest raccoon we had ever seen. Bold, sassy, and a little bit on the goofy side, we quickly went from concern to acceptance of this guy in our daily life. He went swimming in the pool, would hang out with our cats without a single altercation, and would try to walk right into the house if we weren’t quick enough with the treats when he demanded them. We named him Rocky.

Rocky later came back with his “wife” and “child.” As the years went by, and possibly generations of raccoons, we became uncertain about which raccoons we were currently feeding. Was it Mrs. Rocky? Was it Junior? Were we moving on to the grandchildren now? Who knew. After the huge Mr. Rocky, all the others pretty much looked the same.

One day, when I went to hand a treat to the current Rocky Progeny on our porch, he gave me the smallest little bite on my left middle finger before scampering away. It broke the skin.

Had I not been reading a book on animal rescue and how raccoons are the most common carrier of rabies, I might have brushed off this little nibble. However, as luck would have it, I was reading a book about a gal who rescued injured wildlife and the author had gone into great detail about the high levels of rabies in the raccoon population and how any bite should be treated like a potential death sentence. Once infected, of course, there is NO cure for rabies. Pretty much – if you get rabies, YOU DIE.

So, we went to the ER and started the process of getting the shots and animal control came to set up a trap on our porch so they could test the raccoon for rabies.

I was a bit ticked off about this trap on our porch. The only way to test for rabies is to dissect the animal’s brain. If the raccoon tested negative, I could discontinue the shots. Since I was fairly certain these shots were precautionary and the raccoon was healthy, I was completely against trapping it and was feeling guilty to the max about getting myself bitten.

Luckily, my parents understood the Animal Rights Wacko they had raised and they decided to give me an option. I would have to continue to go get all the treatment for possible rabies exposure and we would simply take the bait out of the trap and pretend the raccoon never came back. The animal control folks would never have to know.

It was a deal.

Well, the very next day, after the bait had been removed from the trap, the raccoon came back. Except this time, SHE wasn’t alone. Tumbling, scrambling, and making a ruckus behind her, were 7 little babies. Mama was worried, so Mama was ticked. She kept turning back to them, obviously trying to get them to go back home where it was safe. She looked tired, she looked overwhelmed, and she looked like she had her hands full.

She looked like the kind of Mama who just might take out a little of her frustration on an innocent bystander.

Every time I went back to get those painful shots, all I had to do was remember those cute little faces. (If you haven’t seen a baby raccoon, you have no idea what you’re missing – these little dudes are the very definition of adorable!)

I loved those little guys.

7 rabies shots to the butt = painful and expensive

Saving 7 little furry lives = priceless.

Baby Raccoon Photo found here: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/07/friday-animal-p/

Thursday Toss Up – A good blanket can conquer “The Thing.”

2012-01-19T11:17:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it’s hard to look on the bright side. There are days when it takes a real effort, and might be a bit of a stretch to come up with something to love.

This weekend, I had a couple of those days. It started with some sneezing and some general malaise, then quickly progressed to a stuffy head, faucet nose, burning, watery eyes, and narcolepsy. You know: The usual seasonal bug that most teachers get at least once a year.

So, never being one to forsake comfort for the sake of fashion, I schlepped around in old sweats with a bright pink Turbie Twist for most of the weekend. I’m one of those folks who takes multiple showers every day that I’m sick, so to keep the wet hair off my shivery, feverish body, I pretty much kept the turbie look going all weekend between showers.

(image from http://www.turbietwist.com/)

With the unpredictability of the faucet nose, I also spent a lot of time laying around with tissues stuck up my nostrils and hot packs draped over my lap. Along with a complete lack of makeup, my general ansemble was pure HOTNESS. Ask my husband. He would agree.

I amused myself by internally acquiring a personal nickname: “The Thing.”

If I made it to my bed for my periodic attacks of narcolepsy, I found comfort in a recent splurge. After expressing jealousy over some of my kids’ dreamy baby blankets the past few years, I finally decided that there was no reason I couldn’t also have a fluffy, delicious, heavenly blanket of my own. I found a king size at Ross that was ridiculously cheap and took it home to transform my bed into a cloud.

(image from: http://www.orvis.com/store/product.aspx?pf_id=1E46)

Even in the most disgusting of personal states, this blanket makes me feel like I’m on a personal vacation. Going to sleep turns into an intentional act of indulgence. It’s like going to sleep in the arms of a big bunny rabbit…. (if you don’t think that’s too weird….)

I LOVE this blanket.

If you have trouble sleeping, or just want the few hours you’re allotted to be plush and dreamy, splurge on your own little slice of heaven. I can’t praise these blankets enough.

Almost Wordless Wednesdays- Keeping it Real

2012-01-18T09:59:00.000-08:00

Gotta love a good dose of parenting reality, right?

Original Post: Here

Tuesday Tour De Blogs - Kelle Hampton

2012-01-17T07:57:00.000-08:00

You're going to love this chick.

Guaranteed.