John Deere Mom

Back at it

2012-01-03T17:48:00.002-05:00

I went back to work today.

I missed many things like...

my Kindle Fire.

Facebook and Pinterest.

staying in my pajamas.

sleeping in past 5 a.m.

going anywhere I wanted, when I wanted.

playing games with the kids.

not thinking about lesson plans.

Starbucks.

What I didn't miss was seeing students today. I had the entire day to work in my classroom without the 30 distractions.

Tomorrow? Will be a different story.

But I keep reminding myself...the sooner we get back at it, the sooner the year will be over.

I hope.

Christmas

2011-12-29T08:07:00.006-05:00

Another Christmas has come and gone. And I am settling quite nicely into Christmas break. Sadly, it isn't very long this year, but I am very thankful for these days. No alarm clock. No worrying about homework, backpacks, or lunch money. No concern for lesson plans or grading papers. Just me and an unlimited supply of coffee.

We spent Christmas Eve at my sister's house with her 2 babes. We had a delicious lunch and opened lots of presents. We made it home in time to get the reindeer food sprinkled and cookies set out for Santa. Favorite gifts: pink guitar for the girl and Lego farm set for the boy.

The kids got up uber excited on Christmas Day. Santa had come! Favorite gifts: iPod touches!

We spent the rest of Christmas Day with 2 sets of aunt and uncles, relaxing, eating, drinking wine, opening even more gifts, and drinking wine.

I had 3 things on my Christmas wish list: a new camera, Kindle Fire, and Keurig. And I am pleased to report that I am very lucky (read: spoiled) and got them all!

We spent our first day of Christmas Break running errands. We spent Tuesday at home playing our new Wii games. We visited my sister and the babies again yesterday. Today's plan? Going to the movies to see the new Alvin and the Chipmunks movie.

Ahhhh. Have I mentioned how much I love Christmas Break?

Christmas Card Photo Shoot 2011

2011-12-24T09:36:00.004-05:00

I took advantage of a mild day last month to take pictures of the kids for our Christmas cards. We went to a local park, walking trail, railroad in the middle of nowhere, as well as our own yard and barn. They all turned out so well, we opted for a collage photo card. Here are some of the best ones of the day!

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Stitches

2011-11-13T16:35:00.007-05:00

The day we brought the Little Miss home from the hospital, exactly 24 hours after delivery, daddy and not-quite-2-year-old-Cole were playing and bouncing on our bed. Meanwhile, I was on the couch involved in one of many marathon nursing sessions. A few minutes after the play began, I heard a thump and much crying from the little boy. When daddy carried him out, blood was pouring from his head.

Grandma and Daddy loaded him up, took him to the ER, and brought him home with 3 staples in his head. I stayed on the couch with the 24 hour old baby and cried my eyes out.

8 years have passed since then and except for routine doctor appointments and one scheduled tubes/adnenoid surgery, Cole has needed little medical care.

And then this happened.

Cole and daddy were on the farm early in the day, gearing up for a long day of harvest. The last day of harvest for the year. They were making feed for the cattle, as most mornings begin. Daddy was scooping ground corn to put into the feed mixer. Unfortunately, Cole leaned in to get a scoop just as Daddy was lifting his shovel up.

Forehead? Meet shovel.

When Daddy raced up the road in the truck, carrying a crying Cole through the door, I assumed he had gotten in trouble and was being dropped off. (You see, spending time with mommy on the weekend is the worst punishment he can receive.) Imagine my surprise when he turned around and his entire face was covered in blood!

After an initial gasp, I took him into the bathroom and cleaned him up. The gash was small but pretty deep. I took him into urgent care, blood all over his coat, his lips blue from the children's Advil I gave him on the way.

Several numbing shots (OUCH!) and 2 stitches later, we were on our way to the local farm supply store for a new John Deere combine toy for my very brave boy.

He's excited to show off his war wounds at school tomorrow. And I am very relieved it wasn't any worse!

My Messy Moments

2011-11-02T20:09:00.016-04:00

With a little boy whose favorite things in life are dirt, mud, and manure (in no particular order) life gets pretty messy around here on the farm.

Few things make this kid happier than a huge dirt pile to play in.

And then momma gets her messy moment. Seriously? You want me to wash these?

But that's nothing compared to a fun-filled day of working in the cattle barn.

That ain't dirt, my friends.

But the thing is...I wouldn't trade a minute of it for anything. Not the dirt or the mud. Not even the manure. Because this face?

Makes it all worth it.

I received information about Clorox’s Bleach It Away campaign and am sharing my messy moment for the chance to win prizes from The SITS Girls. To learn more about the messy moment program, check out www.BleachItAway.com. Sharing your story on the Clorox fan page gets you entered for the chance to win $25,000 and daily prizes, and you can grab a coupon for Clorox® Regular Bleach.

Who is this 8 year old and what has he done with my baby?

2011-10-24T17:30:00.000-04:00

We celebrated the little man's 8th birthday this weekend!

We had a party at our house with 10 of his friends.

They rode pedal tractors.

Played in the dirt.

Ate cake.

Opened presents.

Played kickball, cornhole, and dodgeball.

We had a pumpkin ring toss, pumpkin seed race, and even pumpkin bowling with toilet paper ghosts!

After the party, we headed to my parents' house where we had been hiding our gift to the birthday boy.

Could it be?

Is it really what I think it is?

Yes! A 4 wheeler! Woo hoo!

He is SO excited about his new 4-wheeler. Now he's one of the big guys.

But he'll always be my baby.

*sniff*

Happy 8th birthday, my little man. Momma loves you more than you know.

The Speed of Life

2011-10-22T08:00:00.000-04:00

Over the past month...

My new sweet baby niece was born.

4 days later, my own baby girl turned 6.

3 days later, my other sweet baby niece turned one.

Then the kids and the husband were in a wedding for my cousin and his beautiful new bride.

We are now enjoying Fall Break. And when I say enjoying, I mean screaming at the kids to QUIT FIGHTING.

(These pictures of the Little Miss were taken 2 weeks ago, when it was 80. It is currently 30 degrees.)

And today we are celebrating my little man's 8th birthday. Gah! Crazy. Unbelievable. Impossible. He was as small as his new baby cousin just yesterday.

Life is flying by too quickly. Someone, please pass the pause button.

It's October

2011-10-05T17:32:00.000-04:00

So that means...

1. I am knee-deep in papers to grade.

2. The combine will be rolling out of the barn soon.

3. The boys in my life will disappear for a few weeks.

4. My baby boy will soon turn 8.

5. Both kids will be in a wedding next week.

6. I am knee-deep in papers to grade.

7. The leaves are changing.

8. I am making way too many stops for this.

9. I can start making meals like this again.

10. Fall Break is only 2 weeks away.

My Newest Obsessions

2011-09-13T21:45:00.001-04:00

Pinterest.

I am forever ripping pages out of magazines, printing pictures of things I love, bookmarking websites and pictures to come back to later. And then I lose them or they get thrown away. Or I never remember to go back to those sites.

Enter Pinterest.

Pinterest allows you to "pin" all your favorite things, creative ideas, recipes to try, all in one place. My pins include shoes I must have, ideas for my classroom, party ideas...the list goes on. If you haven't tried it, do it. It's crazy addictive, but it feels...useful. Purposeful. And although it leads you to believe you need to be "invited" you can request to be added and it only takes a few hours. Click here to get started.

Guess-the-Google.

Oh my dear. What an enormous time waster...and yet? Completely addictive. The gist: You see a series of Google images and then guess the keyword that brings those images up.

Go ahead. Click here to play. Well, finish reading this post first. Because I know once you go over there, you won't want to come back.

Montage-a-Google.

Brought to you by the same genius who created Guess-the-Google, Montage-a-Google is another cool Google image time waster. You type in the keyword and it will make a montage of images based on that word. Here's one I made:

Yum.

Big Huge Labs.

I may be severely late to the party on this one. But...I just discovered this site and am in love. Basically, you can do lots of fun stuff with your own pictures.

Remember the motivator posters that started out as serious?

But then ended up as fake and hilarious?

At Big Huge Labs, you can make your own!

and seriously if you don't know this story, go read it here.

I have also made some for school. They make great teaching tools for whatever you're studying: vocab words, content area, story elements, etc.

At Big Huge Labs you can also make magazine covers, movie posters, pop art posters, and more using your own pictures. So fun! Click here to check it out!

I hope you have fun playing with my newest obsessions. What's keeping you from cleaning your house?

Award Winning Spaghetti Recipe

2011-09-07T05:00:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, I got an email from the deacon of a small Georgia church. He had made my spaghetti casserole for a spaghetti cooking contest and won first place! How awesome is that?! If you haven't yet made this, what are you waiting for? It's so yummy and now... Award Winning! Click here for the recipe. Enjoy!

Back at It

2011-09-05T21:00:00.000-04:00

Several of my friends have been posting on Facebook that they are going back to school tomorrow. And to that I say :p~~~~~~~~. (Does that sound like a tongue sticking out making a raspberry?)

I've been back for months. Okay, it's only really only been a few weeks, but it feels like it has been months.

The kids went back to school a few days before I did. Here they are on the second day of school because this mom forgot the camera.

Can you believe I have a second grader?! He's going to be 8! 8 years old. C.r.a.z.y.

And my kindergartener! She loves school. Loves it. She gets a weekly homework page on Monday to be turned in by Friday. She has it done in about 2 minutes on Monday afternoon, begging for more!

The boy on the other hand? Is doing great in school but really lives for recess and playing with his buddies at after-school care. The 6 hours of school are really an inconvenience to his playtime. And homework? Not quite as willing as his sister.

The weather for the first 2 weeks back to school was amazing. Low to mid 80s with less humidity. The entire summer was 95 degrees with unbearable humidity, so we definitely did our best to enjoy a few beautiful days after school at the park.

It was 100 degrees on Friday and today? A high of 62 with no sun. It was SO cold this morning! But it was definitely a welcome change. I love nothing more than chilly evenings and extra blankets.

We have a busy couple of months ahead. The little miss turns 6! this month with a party at the local gymnastics center. My niece turns one this month AND becomes a big sister! I can't wait to meet my newest niece or nephew! The boy turns 8 and they are both in a wedding next month!

Not to mention we have gymnastics, book club, and Girl Scouts. All the while I try to keep my sanity teaching all day! The good news...Fall Break is only 5 weeks away. :)

Winners!

2011-08-22T21:59:00.003-04:00

We have winners!

The lucky winner of the John Deere backpack from Rungreen is...

Emilie Rose from Just Us!

And the winner of the John Deere computer bag is...

Handy Family from Handy Family Happenings!

Congratulations, ladies! Please email me right away with your shipping address so that our friends at Rungreen can get your prizes to you ASAP!

Thanks to everyone who entered. Don't be discouraged if you didn't win this time. I am sure this won't be the last John Deere giveaway you see here. :)

John Deere Back to School Giveaway!

2011-08-12T07:00:00.000-04:00

Odds are, if your kids aren't back to school yet, they will be soon! Rungreen is offering you the chance to send them off to school in John Deere style! Not only are they offering you 10% off back to school items using coupon code "school" they are also giving away two fantastic John Deere bags to two lucky John Deere Mom readers!

One lucky reader will win this John Deere green and yellow backpack. This high-quality, John Deere embroidered bookbag would be perfect for a preschooler or kindergartener!

Another reader will win this John Deere laptop computer case! This embroidered John Deere laptop bag comes with organizing pockets and an adjustable shoulder strap. It's perfect for carrying your laptop, papers, or school books!

To enter this giveaway, just answer the following question in the comments:

Which bag would you like to win-the John Deere backpack or the John Deere computer bag?

For additional chances to win: (leave a separate comment for each)

*Visit Rungreen's back to school page and let me know what other product you would love to have!
*Tweet about this giveaway
*Like Rungreen on Facebook

Fine print:

* Contest open to U.S. residents only
* Giveaway ends Friday, August 19, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. EDT
* Winner will be selected by Random.org
* Contest sponsored by Rungreen
* Thank you and good night

The Goings On

2011-07-11T08:41:00.004-04:00

The BFF came to visit! She drove 8 hours with 2 kids to see me! Well, and others too. But I like to think it was mostly me. We had a great time visiting...it was as if she had never left! I was very sad to see her go...but hope we can continue these cross-country visits. We managed to get one picture of us-from her phone. Must do better with pictures next time.

Vistaprint has consumed my life for the past few days. I can.not.stop.myself. I am completely making things up at this point, but I just can't NOT order when it is only costing me $1.24 for SOOOO much stuff! And having all of this stuff will require me to purchase more organizing containers to store it, furthering my obsession of all things organizing. I need help.

I refuse to count the days left of summer. Suffice it to say, June went way too fast. I literally cannot believe it is already July. And I saw school supplies out at Target. Lalalalala. Covering my ears and living in denial!

This is fair week in our county. And we are under a heat advisory with the heat index nearing 110. Oh, and it's hay baling time as well. Those things ALWAYS fall on the hottest damn week of the year. Always. The kids have been begging me to schlep them to the fair and I put it off all weekend. Little did I know those 90 degree days were going to be the coolest of the week.

I have been redoing our kitchen. Wallpaper removed. Glue scraped. New paint applied. New microwave. New dishwasher is to arrive tomorrow. Next step? Replace the countertop, new backsplash of some (cheap) kind, repaint the cabinets, new hardware, new Roman shade blinds. Then we wait for the refrigerator and stove to die. :) I'll post pictures of the before and after when I am finished!

Stay cool this week! And if anyone wants to take my kids to the fair, let me know!

Quick and Easy Chicken Recipe

2011-06-21T07:44:00.008-04:00

When I am looking for a new recipe, I have very few requirements. It needs to be easy. And the prep work needs to be minimal. I found a wonderful recipe that meets both of those criteria and is delicious to boot!

The ingredients needed are:
*6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
*6 slices bacon
*1 C uncooked white rice
*Salt
*Pepper
*Paprika
*Cajun seasoning
*1 can cream of chicken soup
*1 C chicken broth
*Garlic salt
*1 tsp. oregano
*Parsley

Preheat oven to 300.

Line the bottom of an 8" or 9" square glass baking dish with bacon.

Add the cup of uncooked rice.

Place the chicken on top.

Season the chicken with plenty of salt, pepper, paprika, and cajun seasoning.

In a separate bowl, combine soup and chicken broth.

(today water is playing the part of chicken broth.)

Add a dash of garlic salt.

Add 1 tsp. oregano.

Add 1 large palmful of dried parsley.

Whisk together.

Pour on top of the chicken. Don't stir.

Put a double layer of aluminum foil over the pan and bake for 2 hours.

Enjoy!

Life in the Country

2011-06-19T19:53:00.001-04:00

Except for a short stint in town when I was in grades one and two, I have always lived in the country. And for the last 11 years, on a farm. And while there are a few aggravating things about country life (read: flies!) I can't imagine living anywhere else. Here are my top ten reasons for living in the country.

10. The smells. Fresh cut grass, wood smoke, corn pollinating, the fresh country air. (Not manure-we're pretending manure doesn't exist for the sake of this post.)

9. Lightning bugs. There's something about sitting outside in the summer, watching the lightning bugs. There isn't much light out here, so it makes it even more special.

8. Seclusion. We aren't very far from town, but one of my favorite things about where we are is being surrounded by fields. I love when the fields around the house are planted with corn (as they are this year.) By late summer, the house is completely surrounded by corn plants 7 feet tall. It's a very secure, secluded feeling that I love.

7. No noise. Living out here is quiet (when the kids aren't around.) There's no traffic or street noise. No horns beeping or sirens blaring. There's the occasional "moo." That's about it.

6. Experiences. I love giving our kids this experience of living in the country. They get to get their hands dirty and work. They have plenty of pets to care for. They get to see cattle every day. They can see, ride, and work on machinery. They watch the crops being planted, grown, and harvested. There's so much to do and experience here.

5. Plenty of space for a garden. This year we have planted corn, tomatoes, cucumber, green peppers, red peppers, zucchini, squash, watermelon, cantaloupe, and eggplant. Can't wait for those tomatoes to be ready. These's nothing better than a fresh, warm tomato straight from the garden.

4. Grass to mow. Fresh cut grass is one of my favorite smells, and I love mowing the grass. It gets me outside in the warm sun and gives me a couple hours of me time during the summer while the kids play. I love how the sound of the mower drowns out everything else.

3. Telling the kids to "go play outside" and not having to worry about them being out there without me for a few minutes while I take a deep breath and regroup.

2. Hanging laundry on the line. I am sure you can do this in town as well, but there's something about the fresh country air and seeing those clothes gently sway in the breeze.

1. No neighbors. I love looking out and seeing land, not houses. Being able to run outside looking a mess or half-dressed...unless there is a whole crew of farm men in the field nearby. Heh.

What do you love about where you live? Is it the tall buildings and city lights? Maybe a quiet neighborhood in the suburbs? Tell me what makes your space special.

Keeper of the Light

2011-06-18T09:57:00.004-04:00

I just finished yet another Diane Chamberlain book, Keeper of the Light. It did not disappoint. It was slightly slow to start, but once it picked up, I couldn't put the Kindle down.
In this book, we meet married couple Paul and Olivia. Paul is secretly in love with his former flame, Annie. One night, Annie is rushed to Dr. Olivia's ER and dies. With her death, she leaves behind a trail of sorrow and heartache, confusion and questions. This book offers twists and turns as Olivia struggles between Paul and Annie's husband, Alec. I loved the ending...although it was so good I didn't want it to end! You can find this book on Amazon for $8.61 or send it to your Kindle for $8.18.
Happy reading!

Disney World Recap

2011-06-14T19:30:00.000-04:00

We came, we saw, we kicked Disney's ass.

Okay, Disney pretty much kicked our asses...but it was so much fun!

We kept the vacation a secret until we arrived at the airport. Right before we left, we brought the luggage out and told the kids we were staying at a hotel in Indianapolis. They totally bought it because we had just done that a few weeks ago. Cole started crying because he wanted to stay on the farm and NOT go to a hotel!

We got to the airport shuttle stop and told the kids where we were really going! They couldn't believe it! They were almost more excited to hear that Aunt Susie and the baby (and baby #2) were coming along too!

We stayed at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort. The rooms were good, setting was nice, food court and swimming pools were great!

We spent the first day at Magic Kingdom. And it was magical, albeit hot.

Cole got picked to drive the boat during the jungle cruise. He took his responsibility very seriously.

We also climbed the Swiss Family Treehouse, rode the magic carpets of Aladdin and the carousel, and joined Captain Jack Sparrow on the Pirates of the Caribbean.

We rode Splash Mountain, It's a Small Word, and Dumbo the Flying Elephants. We saw the Country Bear Jamboree (dumb!), the Carousel of Progress, and Mickey's PhilharMagic (my favorite part!)

The second day brought us to Animal Kingdom.

We went on the safari

and watched the Flights of Wonder bird show.

We also watched It's Tough to be a Bug (SO great!)

Festival of the Lion King

rode the Wildlife Express Train to Rafiki's Planet Watch

spent some time at Dinoland

and then mommy and daddy rode Expedition Everest sans children.

Favorite part of Animal Kingdom? Definitely the Bug's Life 3D show!

Day 3 was Epcot.

It was fun exploring the countries in Epcot. We watched a movie in China, ate in Germany, and walked through all the other countries.

We had lunch with the princesses at the Norway castle. Claire was in princess heaven. We saw Belle, Aurora, Ariel, Snow White, and Cinderella. She had her picture taken with each princess, got a hug, and even went on the princess parade through the restaurant.

We also rode the Seas with Nemo

went on Soarin', played in ImageWorks and rode Mission: Space, Living with the Land, and Test Track.

Favorite part of Epcot? Besides seeing Claire's face during the princess lunch, it would have to be Soarin! So fun!

Day 4 was Hollywood Studios. Very hot and crowded, thanks to Star Wars weekend. But we had a great time, nonetheless.

We left the kids with Aunt Susie and did Tower of Terror. Scary.

We all did Rock 'n Roller Coaster. I cannot believe how great the kids did-their first big roller coaster and they loved it! It went super fast, upside down, corkscrews, you name it! I was the only scared one!

The boys enjoyed the Indiana Jones Stunt Show while the girls watched the Little Mermaid show. Then we all rode the Toy Story Mania ride. So fun! But oh-so-thankful for Fast Passes! That ride had a 2 hour wait most of the day.

We also saw the Muppet Vision 3D, Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show, and the Beauty and the Beast Musical.

Favorite part of Hollywood Studios? All of it! Except the heat and crowd!

3:30 Monday morning came very early. The bellman came at 4:20 to pick us and our luggage up to bring us to the main desk. We then boarded the Disney Magical Express at 5:00 a.m. to go to the airport. We boarded the plane at 7:30 a.m. and were home by noon.

We had a great time during our first trip to Walt Disney World, but were all happy to get home! Now it officially feels like summer break!

The History of Flight

2011-06-07T13:52:00.004-04:00

The first time I flew in an airplane was in middle school...maybe the summer after 8th grade? I have the worst memory ever. We took a family trip to Hawaii (thanks to my dad's frequent flier miles.) I do remember that it was a very long plane ride. I think the flight attendant gave me a pin to commemorate my first flight.

The second time I flew was in high school. I went on a school trip to Mexico...my sophomore year? Again with the memory. I remember NOTHING about the flight. Quiet honestly, I am just assuming we flew, because I certainly don't remember driving to Mexico. But I don't remember flying either. (Early onset Alzheimers, anyone?) I do remember a ridiculously long train ride from one Mexican town to another, in which our food was served from a cardboard box. And we got lost trying to find our way back to our hotel after a walk around the town. And we thought scary ax murderers were following us, chanting something low and deep in Spanish. Turns out it was a water truck advertising "Super Agua" through the street. Heh.

Fast forward to 2000 to my third flight. My new husband and I flew to Aruba for our honeymoon. Again, I remember nothing of the flight, other than that it was long. Oh, and I went to the bathroom no fewer than 10 times. My husband? Not once. What's up with that?

The last time I flew was March, 2001. Pre-9/11. The husband won a company trip to Paris, France. I am fairly certain we flew on this trip...I hear it's a bitch to drive to Europe. Um, that's all I remember about this flight. The date. That's all I remember about it. Note to self: Start taking Gingko Biloba.

So, four flights in my 34 years. Tomorrow will be my 5th flight, and the first for both the kids. To say I am nervous and excited is an understatement.

Wish me luck. And I will take notes about this flight so that I will remember something about it to share with you good people. You are welcome.

This post brought to you by the Joe Johnson Memory System.

Done

2011-06-06T08:30:00.000-04:00

Ahhhh.

Here I sit at 8:03 a.m. sipping my first cup of coffee.

Summer break is oh-so-wonderful.

I wrapped up my 12th year of teaching last week. Thanks to several snow days, we had a couple days after Memorial Day. Those were such a waste, but it's over now and that's all that matters!

We have big, exciting plans for this first week of summer vacation.

The kids have NO idea we are going anywhere. We hope to wait until we are at the airport to tell them...and hopefully get their reactions on video! And can I just tell you how glad I am that we decided on this vacation for this first week of summer break...I wouldn't want to have to stress about it all summer!

Other plans for the summer include:

*A weekly kid-free Mommy Day (for shopping, lunch, pedicures, cleaning, peace, quiet, etc.)
*Newport Aquarium (we bought annual passes when we went over spring break, so we need to get our money's worth!)
*Cincinnati Zoo and Indianapolis Zoo
*Children's Museum
*New carpet in the family room
*Play time and picnics at the park
*Lots of swimming at Grandma and Grandpa's
*A couple of classes for license renewal points
*Baby niece time

Let the fun begin!

Countdown

2011-05-15T21:09:00.005-04:00

The countdown is on.

I have twelve days of school left.

One dozen days.

By the end of this week, I'll be in single digits.

Human growth unit? Done.

End of year field trip? Check.

Big state testing? Over.

Middle school tour? Complete.

Interest in teaching these kids? Gone.

I will attempt to plan and execute a normal week this week.

With grades due next Tuesday, it's going to be hard to continue to fake it next week.

The following Tuesday and Wednesday? Expensive baby-sitting is what that is.

But then, it's over. My 12th year of teaching will come to a close.

Not a moment too soon.

Book Reviews

2011-05-04T17:44:00.004-04:00

Until the BFF and I decide on the book review blog, I shall share with you the books I've recently finished.

Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo

I have to admit, I would never have picked this book up on my own. It just isn't my usual type of reading. However, one of my students read it and was SO excited to have me read it. So I did. I didn't love it. I found a couple parts of it interesting and inspiring. But most of it felt a little...fictionalized to me. Sorry. Would I recommend it? Not really.

The Escape Artist by Diane Chamberlain

Loved this. I love almost everything Chamberlain has written and this was no exception. It had a great story line with twists along the way. I had easily figured it out by the ending, but it was still enjoyable to read. Definitely recommend adding it to your to-read list.

Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand

Eh. I had read another book by this author that I really liked. I saw this on sale at Joseph Beth while waiting to meet PW, so I bought it. But this one was so slow. I can honestly say I don't even remember much about it and now that I think about it...am not even sure I finished it which is rare for me. Once I start a book, I feel compelled to finish it. But this one just didn't do it for me.

Two Kisses for Maddy by Matt Logelin

*sigh* I have been reading Matt's blog since the summer after Liz passed away. I knew I would have to read this book when it came out and despite the major tears and difficulty sleeping, it was amazing. It was so well-written. It came off very similar to his writing style on his blog, but reading through his pain, loss, and suffering while raising his beautiful daughter was inspiring and emotionally draining. Whether you have read Matt's blog or not, I definitely recommend this book. Just keep the Kleenex handy.

Right now, I am reading The Midwife's Confession, as recommended to me by the BFF. And I have to say? I am loving it. I stayed up way too late last night (okay, it was like 10:15 but that's really late for me!) reading it. I can't wait to find out what happens next!

Read anything interesting lately? I need to add to my to-read list so I'd love to hear your recommendations!

Cowboy Hats, Boots, and a Red Barn

2011-04-04T05:00:00.000-04:00

2 kids

+ cowboy hats

+ boots

+ a red barn

+ cows

+ sunshine

+ lazy afternoon

+ big smiles

= a whole lot of cuteness.

Happy Monday!

Newest John Deere Kid Products

2011-04-03T05:00:00.001-04:00

I was browsing Runreen's website the other day. They have so many new John Deere products, I just had to share some of them with you! You can click on each picture to go directly to Rungreen to learn more.

I know a lot of little boys want a John Deere themed bedroom. It's pretty easy to do, but this John Deere upholstered headboard would take that room over the top! And the price is right, too!

They have many new John Deere newborn outfits like this cute baby girl layette set.

So many riding toys are designed for boys, but check out this John Deere little rider for girls. Perfect for your toddler to zoom around on this summer!

My outdoor loving boy is always pushing, scooping, and digging in whatever he can find. These John Deere sandbox sets are perfect for sand, rocks, dirt, mulch, and other dirty things boys seem attracted to!

The Little Miss has the yellow John Deere bicycle, but she wishes she had this pink one! It is adorable and perfect for your John Deere loving girl.

Rungreen has a great selection of John Deere books, stickers, and puzzles. This John Deere sticker book is definitely on a certain little boy's wish list!

I love this John Deere napmat! I wish it had been available when my kids were younger. It would be perfect to take along on day trips for naps at Grandma's house, or just to use to snuggle up with while watching a movie.

This John Deere blanket is so cute, and only one of many John Deere baby products available on Rungreen's website. They have 6 pages of baby items!

If you are looking for anything John Deere, I bet Rungreen has it. Just click here to find what you are looking for! And don't forget to tell them John Deere Mom sent you!

Happy shopping!

Pretty Please

2011-04-01T21:00:00.001-04:00

Alright, y'all. I have a favor to ask of you! My dad has a photo in a local contest and he needs your vote.

Beautiful, right?

If you have an extra 30 seconds in your day, just click here and vote for picture #2. You would make his day. And mine. Thanks! You guys rock!