what i loved about this weekend

jay meeting the pioneer woman

scrapbooking with Kristie

going to a 10:20 movie with Jay

semi sleeping in

going grocery shopping alone

getting an email from the pioneer woman

out to lunch with Jay

shopping for the kids without the kids

getting my eyebrows done without a child on my lap

out to dinner with Jay

going to a church meeting with Jay

sitting next to Jay and singing

sitting with Jay

being with Jay long enough to smell his cologne

listening to music loud after 11 P.M.

late night ice cream cone run

dancing in the kitchen

turning the sofa around to watch shows on the computer

knowing we get to totally sleep in tomorrow morning

Disney Night

We were invited to a Disney party to talk about the upcoming trip-
The kids were all excited and wore their ears- I love how they are all at varying heights in the back of the car (can't tell if Tucker is scratching or picking his nose)


We were greeted with the "cutest sign ever" (said in Savanna's voice)


All the details were just right.


You can read more about our night here (from the hosts point of view!)

At the end of the night the kids all got goodie bags filled with mouse fun!


It was a fun night for the whole family!
I was so relieved that everyone behaved. I think they were so mesmerized by all things Disney that they could not possibly do anything but be happy!


They really were so wonderful to have our family of six over!

Cute sign on the way out the door huh?
Thanks again Smith family!
(I can't wait to see what we get to do upon your return- I think it will be our turn to host!)

All is well

He did it.

He fixed the camera!

I am amazed. .

But then again I am not.

I always just count on him fixing my problems.

But this one I was kind of thinking that it was, well, unfixable.

So now I am trying to think of some kind of lanyard that I can just wear this tiny camera around my neck. 

I will not be placing it in the windowsill above the kitchen sink. I will just wear it around my neck. Like a tourist in my home.

Terry left an amazing idea in the comments on my last post- seriously- go check it out. It might save your pocket electronics sometime!

Will share more of why I love this camera tomorrow-

allergies are attacking, must go sleep it off.

All is well, all is well.

What to Eat Wednesday-fail

Jay's friend at work made a Iphone app that says FAIL- I need that right now.

I dropped my camera yesterday in about 1/2 cup water that was in a fetta cheese container. I was working on my what to eat photos. No more. Camera won't work.

It was a new camera. A gift brought home from Colorado from Jay. It was like my old one. It took excellent pictures in low light (which is mostly what I take). It was steady and could capture the kids even when they were moving fast. I have my other one, but I am mourning the loss of this one.
So today I am telling you what I want to eat. And what my family wants to eat.

Care to join me?

What to Eat Wednesday- what I want to eat

I love vanilla- and when I found it in cereal I consumed it.

I found a generic brand at Walmart and bought it faithfully.

Last year I received this on my doorstep from a friend for valentine's day- what a fun treat! (it was even the name brand!)

Well imagine my surprise when I could not find it anymore. Not in the name brand. Not in the generic brand. I would look everytime I went shopping. Nope, nada.

So imagine my surprise last month as I did my obligatory look on the cereal aisle to find 3 bags of this

I bought all 3- and now they are all gone. No more. I keep looking on the cereal aisle in hopes of finding them once again. But no.

What do you want to eat, but can't?

SPT

Lelly's challange -tuesday, february 24th i am saying "i love you" when i...

*I say "wait, let's take a photo together" even when we have other things to do,
or are running late

*I take a years worth of self-portraits with you and post them on my blog-






























also i am saying "i love you" when i...

*get up to go to the ladies room at the restaurant and leave you with an enevelope telling you where to meet me

*say we are going on a walk to the library- but we go to a bed and breakfast that has a library

*iron your shirts

*meet you outside with a kiss and a cold drink and enjoy a few minutes before the kids see you are home

*surprise you with a vw bus

*fix my hair just the way you like it

*arrange places for the kids to go so we can sneak in a midday "date"

*call you multiple times a day for no good reason other than to say hi

*go along with what you say (even when you think I give in too easy)

*argue with you when I really have an opinion on the matter



Looking forward to saying I love you in many more ways ...

Overheard

I overheard Luke in the bathroom complaining about the mess of toothpaste:
"I can't get the toothpaste out- all there is a big "snowman pile" of toothpaste that won't come out!"

Disney Surprise

Savanna got a huge surprise the day after Christmas.

Let me start off by saying I have a hard time keeping surprises. It was so hard to not let this one slip. We were so excited for Savanna, we wanted to talk about it all the time. But we waited until the day after Christmas. Savannas friend Jenna had to find out about it first!!
Christmas morning Jenna woke up and found this waiting for her.

So the day after Christmas Jenna and her Mom & Dad came over. I told Savanna I wanted to show her something really funny. Jenna's parents had sent me an email with a link- I pulled it up on the computer and clicked play. It was a short video of Disneyworld with Savanna's name all over it. Every marque, menu item, sign, and shirt had her name on it. I have no photos of the event but we caught it on video and this is what you see & hear-

Disbelieving looks from Savanna lots of laughs from the adults-
and then she starts saying "Why?"- "What is this?" More watching her name appear all over the place and laughs from all the adults.

"Who is that for?"
"Its for you."
"Seriously?"
Laughing-still not sure what is going on-

"That would be so awesome."
Tucker is laughing at the mouse-

"Who is that really for though?"
Jenna hands her an envelope-


and Lori (Jenna's Mom) says that Jenna had one too.
As Savanna is opening the envelope she says -"That would be so cool, that would be really cool." Then she reads what is inside.

She yells "oh my goodness" followed by screams and hugs and jumping up and down!
Jenna announces "transportation is provided by" ... then hands her an envelope with plane tickets.


and a lanyard
and then I give her more pins for trading.


Then Lori gives writing pens for the boys and there is more screaming.

We have spent the last 2 months counting Tuesdays with Jenna and Savanna for the countdown to spring break. Every day at lunch Jenna passes Savanna a little note with some sort of trivia on it about Disneyworld and how many more days, or how many more Tuesdays until they leave!
Seriously. Can you imagine going on such a fun trip? Our family went for 1 day to Disneyland. ONE day. And we were blown away. So much so that I still have not written about it. It is too overwhelming for me to put it down into words. Savanna is going to Disneyworld for days on end. And she is going with her best friend! Who knows the place like the back of her hand! (as well as do her parents!)
We are so excited for them to go- and can't wait to hear of the adventure!!!
Here are a few more links about the excitement of this trip-

The countdown
Im thinking Disney
Buttons
It's Party Time

All this Disney talk is getting me ready to write about our Disney day- I promise to try and do it without crying.

Playlist of my life

I am listening to ... and it reminds me of ...

Coldplay-Viva-La-Vida
Listening, singing, air playing, with the kids in the car. Picking out what instruments we hear.
Luke saying- "I can feel the vibrations in my bones" and "it makes my heart go big & small, big & small."

obedient sleep

I have 4 children.
One of those 4 has always been very obedient. When we transitioned out of a crib to a bed this child would stay in that bed in the morning until we woke up and got said child out of bed. Sometimes this child would call for us in the morning, but it was a long while until said child got out of bed on their own.

Of the 4 children only Tucker has been a good napper. Its such an amazing thing- I had no idea what I was missing with the other 3!

Now I can say I have an obedient child who is also a napper.


For the first year Tuck slept with us. Now he is in a crib. Tucker was struggling a little to go upstairs to take a nap. I offered to let him sleep in Luke's bed, (since anything Luke does, he wants to do) but told him he had to stay in it. He said "tay"- and he did it. He sleeps as I type.

out to eat

January 13th-Out to eat- What a treat!

Our friend Tom, was in town from CA and took our family to dinner.

He and Jay usually hit a movie when he comes into town

and that's usually after the kids have gone to bed-

so we were really excited to all get to go out with him.

The kids did great- the meal was yum-
a definite thumbs up!

I had the above already typed up and not posted-I was trying to get a video to load of Tucker doing thumbs up. It would not, so I thought I would figure it out later. So I just tried again- forget it. I have to wait until the bartender gets home from work. I am sure its a problem that exists with the user.

Yesterday afternoon Jay called and said where are you? I replied "at the park." Jay said "Tom is in town and is on his way to the house."

What a fun surprise! I got home and he was waiting outside. The kids were so excited- its like Grandpa has come to town!

We ate dinner (thank heavens for yummy leftovers in the fridge!) and then went out for ice cream- Braum's- From the first time he came to visit us Tom has been our Braum's man.
And as always, the men went out for a movie.
It is always a "treat" to have Tom come- he really is like a Grandpa to the kids. They love him. They respond to him. He even helps them with their homework. It is wonderful to have him in our life. Especially since Jay's dad lives far away- its good to have a surrogate!