Keeping it Simple

Yes, it has been a while

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 22:49:00 +0000

Man, it is so hard to get back into the swing of things here. We stayed busy this summer, and I thought that I would have more time to blog once Dylan started kindergarten. Boy was I wrong. I manage to stay busy each day. And other days I am so exhausted, I cant even think straight. Our computer crashed at one point this summer too, so that didnt help.
Like I said there has been a lot going on. I will get back into the swing of things here. I promise. Be patient a bit longer, ok! Please?

A promise

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 00:43:00 +0000

I will be back to blogging. Soon. We are just busy playing outside on these lovely days. When Ethan naps, Dylan watches a movie, and I get lost in a book. I have been needing the relaxation of losing myself in a good book. So any given quiet moment, thats what I am doing. But I promise, I will be back...soon! Stick with me! Please?

Week 23 of 52-Bees

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 00:05:00 +0000

I am a week late posting these. I took them sometime last week. I just didnt feel like posting much and then we got busy over last weekend. So a week late, here they are.

They aren't exceptional photos, but not too bad. Honestly, I was afraid of being stung, haha!!

Week 22 and Review

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 13:38:00 +0000

It really has kind of been a long week. Dylan has spent the week with my dad. So it has been Ethan and I. We managed to stay busy in the first part of the week. Just doing little things. Ethan was doing pretty good. The last 3 days have been pretty rough. Ethan has been so whiny. Its been rather annoying. I'm never really sure why he is whining at that particular moment. I got a bit of a break yesterday while I was at a baby shower, but aside from that, it has been just Ethan and I. I think Ethan is bored. I am hoping he will be in a better mood when Dylan comes home today.
So this weeks picture totally sums up the week.

Week 21 and Dylan's graduation

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Sat, 26 May 2012 14:46:00 +0000

I realized I never posted about the little grad ceremony that the preschool had for the kids. It was short and sweet thankfully. They had a brief slide show of some pictures of the kids. The kids sang a few songs and then it was over. Like I said, short and sweet. But it had to be. I bunch of preschool age kids aren't going to stand there too long. So here is a picture of Dylan at the ceremony.

What If?

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Wed, 23 May 2012 17:49:00 +0000

Have you ever gone back and wondered what would your life be like if one big life event had never happened? I bring this up today because tomorrow is my birthday. And every single year around my birthday, I receive a call from my dad. Our relationship is strained to say the least. Anyway, this phone call is a 'happy birthday' call along with yet another reminder that my parents are divorced. They have been divorced for so many years. Like I was in kindergarten or 1st grade or something. For some reason my dad likes to dredge up the past and give me the same speech year after year. It always includes how he wished it didn't happen and how it wasn't his idea, and blah blah blah. And every year, I have to contain my laughter. Yes, laughter.
You see, because of that divorce, I am happy. I have a good life. If that divorce hadn't happened would I have met Ryan? Most likely no. I wouldn't live here in this cozy house on acres and acres of gorgeous farm land. I wouldn't have Dylan and Ethan. Could I have met someone else and been just as happy? Maybe. But you know what? Maybe not...If that divorce hadn't happened, I could be alone and miserable. Ryan and I are so great together, I really cant imagine there being someone else out there better suited for me. And I love where I live. What if something would have taken me to a city life? I'm not that person. So every year around this time (and usually some random time at least once more through the year) I am reminded how lucky I am. I am reminded how happy and I am now and how if my parent's would have stayed together, I may not be this happy.
I think the divorce set in motion so many little things. Like my grandparents taking my brother and I on little trips here and there. If my parent's had stayed together, would they have been so involved in our lives as they are/were? Maybe not...And my mom's side of the family. They included my brother and I on their family vacations to Myrtle Beach. Would we have had that chance to be so close to them and be with them each year on these vacations? Maybe not...I have so many wonderful memories from the trips with the different parts of my family. They each offered us something different on the trips. Now, because they all offered us a chance to travel and see things, I love to travel. And I have been able to share that with Ryan and now the kids! We now want to travel and do things. What if my parents had stayed together. I may not have gotten the chance to experience these things.
And I think I have an understanding and appreciation for certain things because of the divorce. When he starts on his speech about how different things could be, it really does make me count my blessings. I wouldn't want things to be different. I am right where I am supposed to be. And that divorce...well, that started me down the road to my happy life. I have a ton of wonderful childhood memories. And now I have an awesome family. It makes me sad to think that the things I have seen, done, heard and been apart of (good and bad) and where I am now, may have never have happened.

Week 20 photo

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Sun, 20 May 2012 12:55:00 +0000

Another sunset. But the sun was gorgeous. I also wanted to show a difference between photos. This first one I want to show you is not as dramatic, and not as beautiful. In this first photo I exposed the photo so you could see detail in some of the surrounding things. Just not that pretty...

Now, on this second photo, I exposed for the sun only. Meaning I only wanted the sun to show up correctly. To show up like I was seeing it. I didnt care about the detail in the surrounding area. Same photo, just a few seconds difference. But this second one is much more dramatic, and much prettier.

Dermalactives

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Thu, 17 May 2012 16:31:00 +0000

A few weeks ago I was given the chance to try some lotion and a body scrub from Dermalactives. Here is some info from the Dermalactives website:
Dermalactives contains a special polymer that enables molecules to be transported through the skins deepest layers, delivering protein rich collagen and elastin. Our patented ingredient stimulates the movement of healthy cells directly to the damaged skin areas joining the collagen
and elastin, rebuilding and nourishing the lower dermal layers in a natural way. The result is a visible reduction in fine lines, wrinkles and improved skin tone.

In the picture on the left is the Body Butter. First, it smells amazing. It is a soft, relaxing scent. It is not strongly perfumed, so it doesn't over power you. It has a whip cream consistency and is soft and smooth. It goes onto your skin so easily, without any greasy residue. I have such dry skin. Always have. My skin soaked this stuff up beautifully. And again, no greasy feeling. All it left me with was smooth, soft skin and a very relaxed feeling. The scent of the body butter is very relaxing.
On the right in the picture is the Body Scrub for the shower. I was a little worried about the scrub. I have tried a few scrubs before and they always made my skin feel like it was being ripped off! I know it should be a little abrasive, but some of them just plain hurt! Not this stuff. The Dermalactive Body Scrub is much gentler. It exfoliates your skin without the painful feeling that I have gotten from other scrubs. And again, the scent is very relaxing. The body butter and scrub compliment each other nicely. You use the scrub in the shower of course and rub it into your skin until it dissolves, then rinse. After you rinse your skin, you're left with smooth, and very soft skin. I must say that when I used the scrub, my showers were very relaxing. A relaxing shower is sometimes all that us SAH moms want. After the shower, I would apply the body butter. If I had one thing to suggest it would be that the lid on the scrub should have ridges or something because it can be a bit difficult to open with wet hands in the shower, lol!
But really, this stuff is pretty cool. It really does help you relax you in the shower. Both products leave your skin, soft and smooth with a lovely soft scent. Be sure to check out www.dermalactives.com to read about their full line of products. I have also included links throughout the post to take you directly to the website and to the individual products that I was able to try.

*Disclaimer: I was given these 2 products to try in exchange for this review. All opinions are mine. Yep, my own thoughts!*

Mother's Day & Week 19

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Sat, 12 May 2012 17:16:00 +0000

Happy Mother's Day to all Mother's out there!

Friday at Dylan's school, they had a Mother's Day tea. I dropped Ethan off with Ryan's mom and then dropped Dylan off. The tea wasn't until the end of their school day, so I had some time to myself. I was able to get Dylan some summer clothes and then I got my hair cut. I only get it cut once a year, and that is usually right around summer time. I was due. I think about 6 inches was hacked off! I feel better though.
So off to tea I went. They had a very nice set up. Nice table settings and fruits and sweets. They had the kids sing a couple of songs for the moms and then had each child give a flower to their mom. After that we all sat down to tea. It was really sweet.
Here is what Dylan made for me:

And here he is with the flower:

And here is the place setting:

Happy Times

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Wed, 09 May 2012 18:23:00 +0000

We haven't been up to a whole lot. We had a nice weekend. Although it seemed to disappear all fast. The biggest highlight of the past week was a delivery that I received. The UPS man dropped off a new vacuum cleaner. I had no idea this new vacuum cleaner was coming. I was so surprised when my new Dyson vacuum cleaner arrived. I am so in love with Dysons. I have had a Dyson for about 8 years now. Recently I have been having problems with it. Little things here and there. I tried taking it apart and fixing it, but it just didn't help much. I guess that Ryan got tired of listening to me complain about it. So for Mother's Day he bought the new Dyson.
Yes, this whole post will be about the Dyson. And no, this is not a sponsored post. I just like my Dyson vacuum cleaners! Anyway after I got it put together, I got out the old vacuum and ran it in the living room and hallway. And then I ran the new vacuum over the same areas to see how much stuff the old one was missing. I knew that it was missing stuff, but I didn't know how much.

That much! Half of a canister of dust and dog hair. Can you see the old yellow vacuum in the back of the picture? Every time I use this new one I am amazed at how easy it is to push around and how well it does at picking stuff up. With a dog, 2 cats, 2 kids who are in and out all day and a husband who wont take his shoes off when he stops in for lunch, there is always a bunch of stuff that needs to be swept up. Seriously couldn't be happier with this year's Mother's Day present. I love it! Is it weird that I am in love with a vacuum cleaner? Well I am.

Week 18 of Project 52

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Sat, 05 May 2012 13:42:00 +0000

Hopefully I will be back later with a decent post! There are a few things to post about, so I will get around to it!

I took some photos of the clouds last night. Enjoy

Would you like cheese with your whine?

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Tue, 01 May 2012 22:51:00 +0000

Seriously, what a day. I got the kids out the door this morning by 8:30. It was a nice day despite rain overnight. A little damp out, but warm. So out they went. They fought and whined all morning! Ethan was in and out because somehow, his shoe kept coming off. Nap time came around and I put Ethan down and made Dylan play in his room quietly. Ethan didn't sleep long. So back outside they went. And it was a repeat of the morning. It was just silly little things they were doing to make each other mad, but it was a bit annoying. We had dinner a little earlier than normal because Ryan had somewhere to be. I got them in the bath too before it started storming here. And you know what? They could have filled the bathtub with their tears! And I really am not sure why either of them were crying. So bath time was short. Very short. Dylan ended bath time standing naked in the bathroom crying because his towel was on the floor. *sigh*
As I write this, it is storming...a bit. Nothing bad. But I am counting the seconds to bedtime. It seems like an eternity. I have hope that tomorrow will be better. Dylan has school, so at least they wont be together all morning. They will get a bit of a break from each other.
Well, here's to a better day tomorrow!

Week 17 of 52

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 18:32:00 +0000

I snapped a few pictures of some weeds in one of the fields. They are weeds, but when there is a bunch of them, they are pretty.

Here is week 17's photo:

So..What's been going on?

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 18:26:00 +0000

A lot and at the same time, very little. Does that make sense?
Last week...well I think it was last week, we registered Dylan for kindergarten. Maybe I mentioned that already? I'm forgetful, don't you know that by now? He did fine I guess. A little reserved but not as bad as I thought he would be. Preschool will be over in less than one month.
Some planting has begun, but we have had a few days of rain here and there which is starting to slow things down. I say it every year....once they get started, they just need to be able to work straight through. All that this rain does is drag out the whole process.
We have all been having issues with our allergies this year. So much more than any other year. It is so frustrating. I guess that is what we get for not having a winter. Really this whole year has been so odd. We go from near 80 temps all the way down to barely 50 in a matter of days. I keep waiting for "normal" to stick around. I am still curious about what the rest of the year will bring.
Here is where I apologize. I always have a lot to say until I sit down and start to write it out. As soon as this empty page pops up, all of the words leave me. I will get back into all of this shortly. I promise.

Not around much

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 17:54:00 +0000

Sorry the posts have been few and far between. I hope to get back to normal soon. I've been tired and stressed off and on. In the afternoons when I have time to sit and write, all I want to do is sit under a blanket and do nothing but zone out. Enjoy the quiet.
Stick with me, I will get back into it soon.

Week16 photos: Cell phone pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 12:49:00 +0000

This week everything was taken with my cell phone.

Enjoy!

Here is the photo for week 16. I went out to get them from the field. I had an appointment so Ryan had to take them in the tractor with him while I was gone. One the way back, I noticed they were holding hands!

Where's the wine?

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 23:09:00 +0000

We didn't do much this weekend. Sunday was grocery day as usual. And as usual I didn't get everything on my list. I get so frustrated with the store at times. They are out of this or that, they don't have what I want. For 3 weeks now, I keep looking for flat leaf parsley. They haven't had it. This time they were also out of strawberries. Blah...anyway.
I have been pushing the kids out the door each morning right after breakfast. Inside they drive me insane. And at least I can get things done while they are playing too. Oh, no worries, we are so far from the road that we cant even see the road. There is no danger of them getting caught up in traffic. There are too many fields for them to run through. But yesterday and today it has been so incredibly windy out here. Windy enough that when Ethan comes around a corner it knocks him back. So this evening when they should have been out there, they weren't. Hopefully tomorrow is nice so I can get them out.
Wednesday Dylan has kindergarten registration. I am going to be honest too...I am not sad about sending him to kindy each day. He enjoys school, and I am hoping the same holds with this new school. And honestly I need the break. I have said it before and I will say it again, I get stressed. I am nervous about the assessment though. Not because I am afraid that he doesn't know things but because he is shy. I am not sure if he will answer the questions they ask him. Just because he is shy. Who knows...I am hoping he surprises me. I need to get the paperwork together for that day too. I meant to do it yesterday, but guess what! I forgot. Whoa...big surprise there.
What else?...Oh, we got our old house rented out. So no more worrying about it. Hopefully the renter is a good one. I guess we will find out! But anyway I am still glad that it is rented out. And we didn't have to waste the money by putting it in the paper. We saved that step at least. The kids will be in bed soon and I cant wait. The wine is in the fridge ready for my glass. I am ready to relax a bit.

Friday the 13th! Week 15 of 52

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 18:25:00 +0000

I hope everyone has a nice weekend. I took a few photos this morning. And you will notice my assistant in a few of them, haha!!

And here is week 15s photo:

Fun Facts on Sleep

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 18:36:00 +0000

and why sleep is so important...

Source: http://frugaldad.com

Easter Weekend Rewind

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 17:35:00 +0000

Doing this with photos! I hope you all had a nice weekend. Ryan was very busy this weekend trying to get everything done. We stayed close to home for our Easter get together so that he could come home and get back to work. Despite Ryan's busy weekend, we had a nice Easter Sunday.

Book Review: The Real Elizabeth

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 12:47:00 +0000

I was given a chance to read a book called The Real Elizabeth written by Andrew Marr. I really enjoy these types of books. Books about real people, real events. I didn't enjoy reading my history book in school, but in biography form, I will read just about anything. This book is about Queen Elizabeth II. While it is not an in depth book of her daily life, is still gives you a look at her as the Queen. Even as an American, I admit there is a bit of interest and intrigue with the Royals of Britain. Honestly, there isn't much about that them that I know. So this book gave a bit of background and information in the history of the family and of course Elizabeth herself. One interesting tidbit about the book...it's being published to celebrate her 60th year as Queen. 60 years! Can you believe that? And yes, the book also touches a bit on Princess Diana.
The book includes back story of the Windsors and how and when she came into her current role. It highlights many of the milestones that made her who she is today. From her marriage, coronation, children, up to her grandchildren, the book touches it all. Like I mentioned before, it is not an in depth look at her daily life. The Royals are very guarded as to their personal lives. Well, most of them, as you will read about in the book. Queen Elizabeth is very traditional and keeps many parts of her life very private. She has seen a lot and heard a lot, which you will read about in this book. Personally, I have always wondered what the role of the Royals were in the government. After reading this book, I now know the answer to that question. The book touches on the relationship between the Queen and the many Prime Ministers. That is where you get an idea of part of her role in the government. And I must admit, I didn't think she had much to do with the government itself, but I was wrong. There isn't much that she doesn't know about in her country.
As someone who knew very little about the Royals and Queen Elizabeth, I found the book rather interesting. I imagine if I were British, I'd find it even more interesting. It is an easy reading book. Easy to follow but keeps you interested. Look it up on Amazon or in your local bookstore. Really, give it a read. I promise you will learn something, but you wont be bored.

Week 14 photo

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 13:42:00 +0000

Not a whole lot happening this week but it has been one very long week. Dylan has been on spring break. I get used to the coming and going 3 days a week, so yeah, this week has been pretty laid back. In addition to this weeks photo, I also took some of Dylan trying to feed a calf. It didnt last long because the calf wasnt too interested, and to be honest, neither was Dylan. He wanted to pet it, but he worried more about what his papaw was doing in the tractor. Oh well. Tractors are more fun than calves I guess.

And here is week 14's photo:

Week 13 of 52...Chloe

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 18:03:00 +0000

Here are a few shots of Chloe. My goal was to get pictures of Ethan. But he was not a willing subject. Chloe was though.

Week 13s photo:

Holy Stress Batman

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 18:16:00 +0000

...seriously though. I need a break. Little things. Little things build up. I cant get a moment to myself. Even as I write this, Ethan is screaming in his crib because for some reason he is refusing to nap today. He cant stop rubbing his eyes, but yeah, he isnt going to just fall asleep easily today. I need time to collect myself and my thoughts. Or even just have time to think. Ugh. little things...

It's only Tuesday!

noreply@blogger.com (Christina) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 17:34:00 +0000

Well I had a post planned. But then when I sat down to start it, everything in my head became jumbled. The last few days the allergies have been in overdrive and its making me feel awful. My whole face hurts from the pressure and fluid in there. Yuck. All I want to do is curl up and sleep. Obviously I can't do that. Who really can, but even if I had the opportunity, I wouldnt be able to sleep well. The congestion prevents good sleep. All of us allergy sufferers are in for a long allergy season. I feel bad for you all. This is no fun!
There are so many things I need/want to get done. Its just not happening. Not right now at least. I can't seem to focus on much right now. Well, focus on much for a decent amount of time. Like this post for example. Its taken wayyy too long to get this little bit down. Ugh...