Marie's World

SIX!!

noreply@blogger.com (Your favorite sister) — Fri, 10 Jul 2015 15:33:00 +0000

My baby is six! When did that happen? I told him he couldn't grow up...he didn't listen!

I love this boy so much. It has been my tradition to share what I love about the birthday kiddo so here it is, six reasons why I love my 6 year old!!

1. That smile! The cute little cheeks, the bright eyes...his smile lights up any room he is in. I love.love.love it!

2. He still SNUGGLES! While he barely fits on my lap, he will still climb up and cuddle in my lap. Or snuggle for stories. He will also snuggle with any of his siblings... as long as they let him! He is my love bug, for sure!

3. He loves to clean! He really does. I thought he would grow out of his "helper" stage but nope. He calls himself a "professional bed maker" and is always willing to wash a table, mop, sweep or vacuum!

4. He is nice to everyone. Even if he has a friend who annoys him, he is still kind. He will play with anyone and include them in his games. He would spend hours out at the park playing with whoever was out there.

5. He loves anything his brothers do! Legos, Minecraft, Star Wars...and doesn't let them tease him when he wants to watch a "baby show" like Paw Patrol, Jake and the Neverland Pirates...

6. He loves to read, draw and do puzzles.

Happy Birthday sweet six year old! Mom loves you!

Swedish Meatballs

noreply@blogger.com (Your favorite sister) — Fri, 10 Jul 2015 03:06:00 +0000

The very first time I used my crockpot, I felt like I had cheated. I had made dinner...but I hadn't done anything. I pulled the lid off and we ate.

I felt like I had stumbled upon some great dinner cooking secret. But nope, it was just a crockpot! Now I use my crockpot all.the.time. I have had some hits and misses but I love that girl. So much so that the words have rubbed off the knob. Luckily I know them all by heart!

One of my dinner hits, that was loved by 7/7 Turners, was Swedish Meatballs. Yum!

I am sure that there are a ton of recipes floating around for these babies, but this is the one that I used. It is simple and delicious! I usually make a huge thing of mashed potatoes to go with it.

This recipe comes from a You Tube vlogger OCD Much, with a few tidbits from me, in pink.

What you will need:
*optional---> crockpot liner. One of the only items that I will pay FULL price for! Worth the money to me to not have to clean!
1 lb pkg of precooked meatballs (I use a bigger bag and fill my crockpot. My kids devour these!)
2 jars of Heinz beef gravy (we like lots of gravy so I add another jar)
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 16 oz container of sour cream

So here is where the "hard work" comes in...
Put all the wet ingredients into your crockpot. Combine well.

Then add in your meatballs. Coat them with your wet ingredients. Put the top on.

Because the meatballs are pre cooked, you are basically just heating this meal up. You can cook on high for a couple of hours, or let it simmer all day. Which is nice, if you didn't think about dinner until like 3:00.

Not that I know what that is like...

Life changes

noreply@blogger.com (Your favorite sister) — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 23:14:00 +0000

Life has changed so much since February! Being military, we received our orders and just like that...life got busy. Really busy.

We are busy in our every day life as is, but throw in a move and life just got out of control. Packing up one house, house hunting for another, finishing school up with the kids, a funeral and then the actual packing, moving, cleaning...Need I say more?

Although we still have plenty to do to get settled, life has calmed. That calm has come with plenty of changes.

We are now homeowners.

We are now on a (modified) year round school schedule.

My kids schools & our church is much closer.

We now have a dog.

My grocery budget is still the same, although spread out differently, due to paying a mortgage.

Life is indeed different.

But my life, my interests & my goals have not changed. In fact, I have a renewed sense of wanting to save money! No longer are we able to just call housing if something breaks.

Ben & I have spent many a morning at Lowes or Home Depot picking out appliances, counter tops, paint...none of that is free or cheap.

Saving money and living on a budget will always be a part of our lives. Now, besides the normal, we have pet food and house "stuff".

Hopefully you will stick around as I rebuild my stockpile, feed & care for our new dog, updating our home, and everything in between!

Bedtime stories

noreply@blogger.com (Your favorite sister) — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 03:51:00 +0000

My kids have had the very same bedtime routine their WHOLE lives.

It started out when Harmony was a baby and continued until last night.

We do skip on the weekends some times but other than that, it has remained...

Bath, pj''s, teeth and 2-3 stories. Depending on length.

Right now, I have 3 books that I have been reading over and over. And over again. Sometimes I hide them, so that we can read other things. They love them.

These three books are totally and completely 100% Ivan & Mason approved.

image taken from Google

1. "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" by Bill Martin Jr. is an "oldie but a goodie".
After reading Mason's very first report card, and noticing that he needed to do some work on his letters, I purchased it. Again. My first copy of the book, after being read numerous times to my older children, was toast. My second copy, purchased in late January, is headed the same way! We don't just read this book. We recite the alphabet. We sound out the letters. We think of people's names who start with every letter. And at the end, when "a" gets out of bed? I tickle them like crazy on the "boom-boom".

image taken from walmart.com

2. "Goodnight Ipad by Ann Droyd". It is a cute & contemporary parody of the classic book, "Good Night Moon." The boys love this book. They love when the book talks about You Tube and Facebook. They laugh when, after it is announced that it is time to turn all gadgets off, it is the Dad who replies, "do we have ta'?". It is a fun read!

3. "The Book with no Pictures" by BJ Novak. I bought this book for the boys as a Christmas gift, and have pretty much read it every night since. The book really doesn't have pictures, but it is colorful. This book, has the person reading the book, say funny things, sing silly songs and call themselves a monkey. BJ Novak, who was hilarious in "The Office" is just as funny as an author.

So there you have it. Three books that my boys are totally digging right now! What about you? Do you have these books? Do your kids like them as much as mine?

"Just get me to the church on time..."

noreply@blogger.com (Your favorite sister) — Sun, 01 Feb 2015 13:30:00 +0000

*** This is part 1 of a 4 part series! Each Sunday in February, I will be sharing something we do to get organized and out the door for church. On time.***

This song from My Fair Lady, often runs through my head, on my way to church.

My big boys, including my husband, have to be at church by 8:30 in order to set up chairs. Harmony, the younger boys and I, leave a bit later.

I often wonder, why we are late to church. We are never late to school. Which starts at 8:10. It is a good question right? Maybe because we don't get tardies for being late to church?

Growing up, if we were late to church (after we had our drivers licenses) we would get the stare down from my Dad as we made our way to our seat. It was even worse if I/we had wet hair, "because if you were going to be late, you might as well be fully ready". My Dad's motto? "If you aren't 10 minutes early, than you are late!"

I don't follow his rule, but I don't like to be late either.

So how do I get to church on time? By doing as much at night as possible!!! For the kids I:

Baths---> I only have one child who is allowed to take a shower in the morning. He is up by 6:00 every morning, so I never have to worry. Everyone else takes one on Saturday. No matter what.

Church clothes---> Before my kids are allowed to play video games on Saturday, they have to have their church clothes ready. We don't take them at their word, they have to physically show their Dad or I, their white shirts, ties, socks, shoes and make sure their pants are clean. Harmony has multiple church outfits (benefits of being a girl!) so I generally don't worry about her.

Church bag---> Yes, I still take a church bag. Many people don't. Many people do. Some it depends on the ages of their children. My two youngest, for my sanity, are still allowed to bring a few things to church. Everything is prepped the night before, including a water bottle and a bag with a snack.

Breakfast---> simple & easy only. Cereal. Toast. A yogurt. Also, no syrup. Its too messy. I don't need that mess to deal with! Aprons work too!

Do you have any ideas or suggestions? I would love to hear them! Stay tuned for next week when we talk about how to get yourself out of the house on time!

Outtakes

noreply@blogger.com (Your favorite sister) — Thu, 01 Jan 2015 01:05:00 +0000

There was a time when I wanted to have the perfect Christmas picture, card and letter. Now I settle. For whatever I can get.

One day, after pulling into the garage after church, I told the kids to not change clothes and to stay in the yard.

I ran in, got my camera and ran back out.

My ~~threat~~ bribe? As soon as you smile nicely, you can go take your church clothes off and eat. Worked like a charm.

However, I still got some cute ones...

Changes

noreply@blogger.com (Your favorite sister) — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 02:12:00 +0000

In all my life of blogging, I have tried to fit my blog into a little box.

Just a coupon blog.

Just a homemaking blog.

Just a challenge blog.

Just a family blog.

But it just isn't working for me right now. I keep thinking & wondering why, if I miss blogging so much...why don't I do it more often?

Yep, I am busy. But that is mostly in the evenings. Yep, I am tired. Yep, I have a lot on my plate.

No, I am not always exciting. No I am not the top Mommy blogger in the world.

But I want to get back to sharing a little more of my WORLD. Not just one or two parts. I have a lot of other things that I do. That I am interested in.

It amazes me that very frequently, I am asked for advice. Maybe because I have been married for almost 17 years (how is that even possible?!), or maybe because I have raised babies & toddlers and have now moved onto teenagers. Maybe it is because I have a child with special needs. Maybe it is because I am just cool like that.

Whatever it is, I am making some additions to my blogging life. More about family life, my continuing journey to becoming organized, more about the traditions that my family has, and I am also going to *gasp* add videos!! *gasp* keep talking about menus, my new obsession with the Dollar Tree & the .99 store, saving money and couponing, and all that homemaking stuff that I love.

2015 is going to be awesome!

Back to School & Back to Work...

noreply@blogger.com (Your favorite sister) — Tue, 23 Sep 2014 03:30:00 +0000

On Aug. 27th my life changed. A lot. For the first time, in my 15 years as a mother...all my kids are in school.

I now have a good FIVE hours to myself! Woot, woot! I get to do whatever the heck I want during that time.

So far, I have filled my free time with shopping, binging on Netflix (Hell on Wheels, Longmire...) and occasionally throwing a load of laundry in. Such is the life, right?

Except that, doing nothing is not very...fulfilling.

I took a huge long break from blogging and couponing (at least heavily) and enjoyed the break but at the same time, have missed it! I have missed having fun packages arrive on my doorstep to review, the high that comes with getting a great deal, online friendships, and sharing my life.

Now it is time to one again fill those hours with those things that I have enjoyed. I haven't made the decision of whether to have my coupon blog be separate or not, so I will keep you posted.

I read a blog post about not giving up and just following your dreams. It's time. My time.

My green thumb...or lack there of...

noreply@blogger.com (Your favorite sister) — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 18:33:00 +0000

I have dreams and desires of a garden. Beautifully colored flowers in pinks, purples, yellows and reds. A vegetable garden with plump red tomatoes, yummy cucumbers, plentiful herbs...

It is, at this point, still just a dream. If it is not one of my children, I apparently can not keep it alive. Yet every year, I keep trying.

And then I hear Yoda's voice in my mind, "do or do not, there is no try".

Luckily for me, my husband has a green thumb. He is just gone. A lot. So I have to pick up the slack while he is gone. Which hasn't happened yet.

Saturday morning, Ben and two of my boys headed out to Home Depot. We grabbed dirt, seeds and plants.

So far, I have managed to keep my flowers alive. A whole 4.5 days! It is so exciting. Maybe this will be my year?

Getting organized

noreply@blogger.com (Your favorite sister) — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 18:00:00 +0000

Here is the situation...

One day while ~~wasting time~~ being very productive on Pinterest, I came across a pin that interested me. No idea what it was but...I clicked. Which led me to You Tube.

Now, I am not a You Tube girl. I have watched the random video here and there but that is all. I actually had a "no you tube" rule for awhile b/c I caught one of my children watching something they shouldn't have.

I clicked anyway. Walking on the wild side, what can I say?! And it was an organizing/cleaning video.

I loved it. So I watched another, and another and...I eventually was downloading the You Tube app to my phone. I have now become an addict. But, everything I have watched has completely inspired me!

I started decluttering, cleaning, organizing, labeling...I was doing awesome. Then...I got sick. Just an annoying cold. That got worse and worse.

My kitchen one day when I was SICK, how scary is that?!

Later, I realized that I had had a sore throat for about 4 weeks. I went to the DR. and was put on antibiotics and am now feeling 1000 times better!

I got back to watching the videos and being inspired again. I have a lot to do but am loving the direction that I am headed in.

Just today I got rid of 52 magazines and 25 cookbooks/magazines. Ahhh! That felt good!

A bit ago, I shared my planner with you. I have a section in there for inspiring quotes and thoughts or even just practical ones. One of my favorite "you-tubers" or "vloggers" was talking about her night time routine. How by the time she got to the end of the night, she was whining and didn't want to do it. She just wanted to watch tv or read or sleep. What did she tell herself? What was it that she said, that inspired me? Wait for it..."suck it up Princess, you are an adult". Talk about tough love right?!

She was saying this to herself, but I really resonated with it! I am an adult. As much as I want to just sit around and do nothing, I am an adult. I have things that need to be done, whether I want to or not.

I am tired of my house being in a state of chaos. No more!!

Are you considered organized? Got any tips? Do you have any You Tube channels you watch? Let me know, I would love to hear it!

My brain

noreply@blogger.com (Your favorite sister) — Tue, 25 Mar 2014 02:00:00 +0000

My planner has changed amongst the years.

From small to big, from 3 ring to 6 ring to a spiral bound.

I have tried notebooks and...seriously a lot of different types, varieties and colors. I don't do digital because for me, I have to write it in my own handwriting. I am just not a tech girl!

I call my planner my brain because it remembers everything for me!

However, right now I am so happy with what I have. It has been perfect for me and my needs.

So here are a few hundred pictures on how I organize my planner!

First off, the binder itself. It is a hard bound 3 ring binder. I believe it is an Avery brand, but now that the sticker is no longer on there...well I have no idea :) It was purchased at Wal Mart but I have also seen them at Target. It has a clear front and so you can slide things in the front & back. I have a picture of my kids on the front and a to do list on the back.

I do have to be careful not to wipe it off on accident!

In the front pocket I have stickers. Stickers from a previous calendar, some smiley faces, and some of our family labels.

The first section I have is my calendar. I purchased the calendar pages from the Martha Stewart line at Staples. It has a monthly overview page and than a 2 page spread for each week. On the monthly overview I don't really fill out too much. Unless it is like my husband being out of town for a week or longer.

However, the weekly pages are FULL! There are 3 sections every day for Morning, Afternoon and Evening. There are also 2 small squares at the bottom. I use those for my weekly meal plan and the zone that I want to work on that week. At the bottom of the page, I have a list of who is doing what for family night that week. That way we are sure to rotate it correctly! Then of course it is filled out with all appointments, meetings, activities etc. EVERYTHING!

Why won't this rotate?!

List for the side hee hee!

The volunteer tab, includes any info that I may need for the things I have volunteered for. I am a room Mom for two different classrooms, and I help out with Cub Scout day camp. That is all kept in that area. Things like email lists & phone numbers, schedules etc.

Contacts is pretty self explanatory! Although, with all the variety of therapists our family goes too, I do now have a section for business cards.

This sexy picture of my husband is what starts my "family section" of my binder. Under my husband's section, I have all of his work numbers, work address, command name, etc. Whenever I have to fill out paperwork, and he is not around, I can just look in that section and not bug him. LOL

Each child has a section with their school schedule (5 kids--->4 schools) phone numbers for their school, passwords & pins for their grade trackers, the names & numbers of any coaches, leaders and people in charge of their activities. I also keep teacher emails and schedules of activities. All those things that pertain to that child. Each kid has a pocket with their picture and in the pocket I will keep cards or tickets from their events. Just little reminders & keepsakes.

After my family, is the section just for me! It says CEO of Turner Inc. because that is literally what I am! This section includes my weekly schedule of family activities, the things that are the same week after week after week. I also have my daily routines (both evening & morning), things that need to be done on a weekly basis, my list of zones (a Flylady thing that I changed for my needs).

I also have a family section where I include, a list of restaurants and my families favorites at each place (this has come in handy soooo many times!), clothing & shoe sizes, and any other little info that I tend to forget!

I have a tab labeled "motivate me". I write thoughts, quotes and sayings that make me want to do & be better. I look at them whenever I need a little pick me up. It also includes nice things people have said to me.

The last section is for menus. I write the plan and then keep it in there. That way, if I am grocery shopping and haven't planned, I can look at those and get ideas & inspirations.

So, phew that was a lot! But I really wanted to go through it. It works so well for me. I can add and subtract as I go along. I have contemplated going to a soft bound binder of the same size but am still on the fence. I like the flexibility of the soft bound, but love having a place to put a picture on the cover. My family is the reason that I do what I do. So it is an awesome reminder for me. Plus they are pretty dang cute to look at :)

If you have any questions or comments feel free to ask! I would love to hear how others organize their crazy lives!

In a slump...

noreply@blogger.com (Your favorite sister) — Tue, 11 Feb 2014 04:47:00 +0000

Just clownin' around!

I don't know how many times I have read the book, "Oh the Places You'll Go" by Dr. Suess but I love it. I love that intertwined in this story are bits and bits of wisdom.

That Dr. Suess was a pretty deep guy!

There is a part in the book, when the boys finds himself in a slump. The words, "un-slumping yourself is not easily done" have been the words I have been living by.

I don't know when or why it started. I don't know how I got into it. Or what it is that is making me want to come out of it. But, unslumping yourself is not easily done.

I have had blogs. Followed blogs. Admired bloggers. Tried to find my place in the blogging world. Been successful. Been a failure. Been admired. Been forgotten.

I miss the outlet that blogging brings. The challenges that come. To try a new recipe. Or a craft. Or an organization challenge. To try to make my life and those around me better. To celebrate life every day. To commiserate when life is giving me lemons. To share. To belong.

I feel myself slowly coming out of this slump I have been in. Getting excited about things again. Realizing where I have needed to improve.

Slowly but surely, I am getting there. Thanks for taking the ride with me...

Happy Birthday to Ivan!!

noreply@blogger.com (Your favorite sister) — Tue, 04 Feb 2014 21:46:00 +0000

OK, how does time go by so stinkin' fast?! I swear I was just in the hospital having this kid!

...and now he is nine. NINE!

So per birthday tradition, here are 9 reasons why I LOVE my nine year old!!

1.He sleeps next to a window, and no matter what the temperature outside, the window is ALWAYS open. And he sleeps cocooned under a good 10-12 blankets.

2. Whatever he loves, he loves it with his whole heart. From Legos, to M & M's, to the American Revolution. He goes all in.

3. He wants to work at LEGOLAND when he grows up.

4. His sweet smiles.

5. When I go pick him up at school, he runs to me like he hasn't seen me for a year and practically knocks me over with a hug! I literally have to brace myself for impact.

6. He only wants to sit by me. At church. During movie night. At the table. That is dedication!

7. He has an awesome sense of humor.

8. He doesn't worry about things like being popular or doing the "cool" thing. He is who he is.

9. He is a good big brother to Mason, even though he struggles with it sometimes!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY IVAN! I LOVE YOU TO THE MOON AND BACK!

brain & phto dump

noreply@blogger.com (Your favorite sister) — Sun, 05 Jan 2014 18:50:00 +0000

Home from vacation.

We had a wonderful visit with family and friends. 2 weeks worth of talking, laughing, and avoiding our actual lives.

After 2 long days on the road, we arrived home. And reality hit like a slap in the face.

Someone has to unpack the car?

And pack up the Christmas decorations?

Who is going to go buy milk? Bread? Everything...

Laundry, laundry and more laundry... ( I swear I did it all before we left!)

Back to the grind. Over vacation, I dreamt and thought about what I want my 2014 to look like. Organized. Planned. Prepared. Practically perfect in every way. Only it is now the 5th and I have yet to execute...anything.

I will. Tomorrow the kids go back to school. Tomorrow Ben goes back to work. Tomorrow I will have 3 blissful hours to myself.

"Tomorrow, I love yah! Tomorrow, you're only a day away!"

As for today, it is about church, laundry (seriously?!) and getting ready for tomorrow.

Life as the CEO of Turner Inc. It is not for the faint of heart!

On life with an autistic child...

noreply@blogger.com (Your favorite sister) — Mon, 16 Dec 2013 21:39:00 +0000

The past few weeks have been rough. Rough on Ivan. Rough on me. Rough on our family.

I feel tired. And drained. Both physically and emotionally.

People ask me what they can do to help. My honest answer is I DON'T KNOW. I just don't.

Ivan's "typical behavior" has never been quite like what it has been recently. He has always struggled with social situations. He has always been easily frustrated. He has always used crying and screaming as his main way of communicating.

But lately...I am in shock. My child has changed. The older he gets, the more pronounced his "symptoms" are.

I have had to pick him up from school because of violent behavior.
I have had to go chase him down in the school field because he was upset by something.
I have found him laying on the ground in the fetal position.
I have had to try to pull him out from under his bed, in an effort to get him to go to school.
I have had him scream at me.
I have had him physically hurt me.
I have had him lock me out of my car for 45 minutes.
I have had meetings and more meetings.
I have cried more tears than I care to admit.
I have tried to be patient.
I have lost my temper.
I have "given up" so many times.
I have wondered why me?
I have wondered why Ivan?
I have asked questions after questions.
I have had more than I can handle.

So many questions and not enough answers.

One moment he is a perfectly happy and content. The next he is covering his ears, screaming and agitated.

I love that kid and want the very best for him. Life as a Mom is so unfair. I know what I want for him. But that is just the thing. I know what I want...and yet I am not the one in charge.

So all I can do is keep trying. Keep on keeping on.

I am not writing this post so I can whine or pout. Or so that I can get comments about what a great Mom I am, or how well Ivan is doing. It is just...what is on my heart and mind.

'tis the season

noreply@blogger.com (Your favorite sister) — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 01:30:00 +0000

A little before Halloween, my life starts to get very busy. Very busy. With costumes and parties and trips to the pumpkin patch...life just gets way too crazy. I don't mean to give up blogging, it just sort of...happens.

Rockin' matching Batman pj's

We are only 8 days into December and so far I have...
--planned 2 Christmas parties
--sent out numerous emails for said parties

--planned 2 teacher gifts
--contributed money to teacher gifts

--attended a Christmas concert
--attended a Christmas party
--made gingerbread cookie dough

--shopped like crazy

I love Christmas. I love all the wonderful feelings, songs, sights, smells...it is just so busy! I miss blogging. Hopefully I will be able to get back into the swing of things soon enough.

cupcake transport

noreply@blogger.com (Your favorite sister) — Sun, 03 Nov 2013 18:17:00 +0000

I was running late. It had taken me forever to find all the right colors and products I needed. I was supposed to be in Ivan's class at 12:30 to set up. It was 12:40.

I finished the last cupcake and...wondered,

"HOW THE HECK AM I GOING TO GET THESE TO THE SCHOOL?"

Because of the peep, my regular cupcake taker just wasn't going to cut it. I felt pressure. Ugh I hate pressure!

Then I looked at my mass of Halloween items and had a light bulb moment!

I had bought these cups when they were a great deal at Target...and they have a lid! I carefully placed each cupcake into a separate cup, placed the top on and...voila!

I lined them on the bottom of one of my 31 bags and it worked perfectly! No muss, no fuss!

The kids were all so excited when they saw them...thinking they were getting coffee. I tried not to laugh too hard at them! Me giving kids coffee? Ha! A lot of the kids wanted to bring the cups to their Moms. Cuteness.

We were also trying to avoid too much sugar, knowing kids were going trick or treating a few hours later, so this was the perfect way to send them home!

I know these cups come in seasonal colors & decorations. Use them then or anytime of the year!

What is your favorite way to transport cupcakes?

Halloween by the numbers

noreply@blogger.com (Your favorite sister) — Fri, 01 Nov 2013 22:52:00 +0000

the last 2 weeks on my wall calender

There are some holidays, that just never seem to end. It feels like it is celebrated over and over and over.

Halloween is one of those holidays. I can't believe all that has gone on in such a short time! So here it is, by the numbers...

5 costumes to buy/put together
4 bins full of Halloween items
12 pumpkins
1 trip to the pumpkin patch
3 dozen sugar cookies baked
2 dozen cupcakes baked and decorated

21 goody bags filled
6 coupon books purchased for free Frosty's
3 costume parades

3 class parties
8 bags of candy purchased
1 trunk or treat
1 fall festival
4 days of spooky Halloween themed lunches

countless readings of "Five Little Pumpkins" and "10 Ghosts in a Haunted House"
2 times getting boo'ed by neighbors
tons of pictures, laughs and of course...candy!

Halloween has now come and gone...and we are all suffering from a bit of sugar shock!

Mom tears

noreply@blogger.com (Your favorite sister) — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 18:01:00 +0000

I have decided that Mom tears are pretty dang strong. There is just nothing like them in the world.

I remember as a youth, my Mom crying her Mom tears and I didn't understand. I couldn't. Because I wasn't a Mom yet.

I have cried many Mom tears. When my kids are sad. When my kids are proud. When my kids are sick. When I got the autism diagnosis. When they hurt.

But sometimes my Mom tears come from the pain & worry that I feel.

I had a rough weekend. With a child feeling lonely, sad, tired and more.

They took these feelings out on me. With words that cut to the bone. And those Mom tears came flooding out. I couldn't stop them. They came for most of the day.

Wonderful Mom friends, who I know have shed their own Mom tears, talked with me, shared their Kleenex, hugs and later...there was ice cream.

My heart was heavy. But I felt loved. And connected with all those other Moms, who have shed their own powerful Mom tears and ache for their kids.

When I felt as if my heart could not take anymore, when I felt like the biggest Mom failure on the planet, I found this on Ivan's desk at school...

...and I cried more Mom tears. Not painful ones. But hopeful ones. Mom tears. There is just nothing quite like them.

Family Movie Night

noreply@blogger.com (Your favorite sister) — Mon, 09 Sep 2013 01:14:00 +0000

With all the craziness that happens every day around here, we try to spend time on Saturdays to sit, relax& eat snacks and watch a movie together.

Having a girl and four boys, and different ages of kids, it can be hard to pick out a movie. Everyone has different tastes and interests.

We all take turns picking. Although Ben & I have to share a day! However every once in a while I will find something I think they will like or a new movie comes out that I will buy.

Even with that, I don't always pick a winner. Then there are days that I do!

While walking around Sams Club one day, I found the movie, "the Adventures of Mickey Matson and the Copperhead Treasure." I thought it looked like something my kids would like, and for $9.99, why not?

We popped popcorn and watched the movie. Snuggles on the couch with blankets and popcorn.

Mickey Matson has to solve a mystery that was left to him by his grandfather who had died. He meets friends a long the way as well as "bad guys" that he has to outwit.

The movie is sort of a cross between Indiana Jones & National Treasure. My boys loved it! Harmony (14) found it to be kind of lame (but she is a teenager and so she finds most things lame!). We enjoyed the mystery and action through out the movie.

Another thing I loved? It is rated PG. No bad language, no sexual situations...everyone in the family can watch it! One the back of the movie case it has, "a Dove Family Approved movie". You can learn more about it here

It is so hard to find something that fits all of our criteria:
1.family friendly
2. interesting
3. clean

If you are looking for something to watch with your kids, I would highly recommend it.

**This is NOT a sponsored post! I just want people to keep making these types of movies, and so I want to get the word out! Although I wouldn't say no, if they want to send me movies to try out!**

School daze

noreply@blogger.com (Your favorite sister) — Sat, 31 Aug 2013 00:33:00 +0000

This Wednesday, my kids started school.

High school. Middle school. Elementary school. Preschool starts next week.

I have made lunches. Packed backpacks. Signed enough papers to give myself a hand cramp for a week. I have driven back and forth. I have walked back and forth.

Seminary started. Early morning seminary. My alarm is set for a time that STARTS with a 4. Yes, a 4. Harmony's alarm starts with a 5. Early.

There have been quiet moments to think. There have been quiet moments to just be me. There have been sweet moments with Mason. There have been moments where he has driven me nuts, without older siblings to entertain him.

All of my kids have had a great first few days. They have classes with their friends & favorite teachers. They have made new friends. They have managed to open their lockers. And haul textbooks. And find their classes.

However, after three days, this Mama is worn the heck out. Last night I fell asleep at 8:15. With my contacts in. In my clothes. With Masons shoes at the end of my bed. Dead to the world at 8:15.

This year is going to be busy. And next year. And the next.

My caffeine consumption just may go up. By a lot.

14 lessons for my 14 year old...

noreply@blogger.com (Your favorite sister) — Sat, 10 Aug 2013 16:24:00 +0000

My daughter turned 14!! How did that happen?! Normally for birthdays I do a post about the reasons I love the birthday boy or girl.

But with Harmony heading to high school and entering a new phase in her life, I decided on something different. Life lessons. Things I hope she learns in her life.

So here they are, 14 lessons I hope my 14 year old will learn...

14.) Her brothers aren't as bad as she thinks!

13.)To not take everything personally.

12.) To find healthy stress relievers.

11.)To be happy in just.being.herself.

10.) That she is amazing.

9.) What a true friend is.

8.) How to be content.

7.)That life is full of good things.

6.) Have a personal relationship with her Savior.

5.) To know who she is.

4.) To be thankful.

3.) That her Dad teases her because he loves her.

2.) Be confident.

1.) That no matter what happens, no matter what she does, that I will always, always have her back.

Happy 14th Birthday Harmony!!

4th of July

noreply@blogger.com (Your favorite sister) — Fri, 05 Jul 2013 16:12:00 +0000

What a busy & fun day!

A very early wake up to go and attend a pancake breakfast at the church...

Ben decided that he and Harmony & Ethan would bike to the church. I took the car...

Ben and the boys google-ing answers to the history quiz

Yum!

After dropping kids off at home, I headed out to grocery shop. It was busy but I got it done :)

Then we headed to the Growing Grounds ( a piece of property owned by a member of our church) for a BBQ and the fireworks show.

The kids had fun hanging out with friends...

and then sitting for the fireworks show...

I am one tired Mom and am soooo looking forward to taking a nap today!

Hope everyone had a happy and safe 4th of July!

Crayon Canvas

noreply@blogger.com (Your favorite sister) — Mon, 01 Jul 2013 13:49:00 +0000

Harmony has been super busy this summer.

Cleaning and organizing her room. Reading, writing and creating.

I love her "Oh yeah I can totally do that" attitude...and then she does.

We had been seeing this cute crayon canvas on Pinterest. One day she decided to make one for herself.

I love the colors she chose and they are just so her.

It took awhile to get the crayons to melt but she stuck with it. It turned out super cute, don't you think?

The next day she was busy going through her fabric stash and making bowties. I wish I had her creative juices!

easy come, easy go

noreply@blogger.com (Your favorite sister) — Mon, 01 Jul 2013 01:48:00 +0000

Vacations, no matter how well planned, usually includes hidden costs. A forgotten item, a gift shop purchase, a meal out....Whatever it is.

I have a Ford Expedition. I love, love, love my car. However, it is not cheap to fill her up! I take advantage of gas reward points programs but...the most I can get off a tank here in CA is a mere .20! However, I will take what I can get.

So during a stop to get gas, I was shocked to find a different offer from Safeway...we got $1 off a gallon! Gas was already super cheap compared to So. Cal but to get $1 off as well? Heck yeah! (Picture above is CA prices with discount. Picture below is AZ price with discount)

While driving into the Grand Canyon, Ben informed me that we had to pay a $25 fee for park entrance. As we pulled up though, we saw this sign...

See that line on the very bottom? Yep, not only did we get the day free, we got a whole year free! We congratulated ourselves on saving some more money on our trip.

At the end of our trip, Ben said to me, "Have you ever noticed how when we save money
on something, we usually end up finding it somewhere later?"

Uh yeah. Unfortunatley. After one more stop at Sonic (this was a must have), we decided not to eat out or spend any more money until we got home.

Upon arriving home, we were getting everything cleaned out of the car, and getting back into the swing of things. But then...we realized that one of the freezers in our garage, had had the door left open.

Everything was ruined. EVERYTHING. I had to throw it all away. It made me sick to my stomach to throw all that food out. I had carefully wrapped meats, frozen produce, whole chickens...ugh. All of my hard work down the drain.

I was already in a bad mood because of all this. I went out to the garage to get something out of the car. When I clicked the garage door button, the door went up and I heard a shattering sound. The lift gate on the back of my car had been left open. When the door went up, it got caught and the whole thing shattered.

After many, many tears, and a bit of chocolate, I called the insurance company. Thank heaven for good insurance. After parts, labor and paying extra for them to come to us instead of me going to them, we were looking at a little less than $500. Ugh. Do you know what I can get with $500?!

While the windshield was being fixed, I went to Costco. My husband insisted that " there is nothing good to eat" and that we needed some quick & easy foods. That "little" trip, knowing that I had to replace some of what was lost, put me back a lot of money.

Yet another kick to the gut.

Such costly mistakes that could have been easily prevented.

It was an expensive, expensive couple of days. Lots of lessons learned.

Now I am trying to re-stock my freezer with good deals...and of course, buying a lock for the freezer!