Oh let me count the ways...

Why I love him sooooooooooooooo, in no specific order just as I think of them
1. He loves the LORD and teaches my children daily about him.
2. He doesn't react quickly to things, he is cool and calm.
3. He is wise enough to seek wise counsel and to listen to it.
4. He is wise with money, I am very thankful for his wise decisions.
5. He will admit quite quickly when he has been wrong, especially if its to the kids or me.
6. He is understanding of me and doesn't say anything about the house on those crazy days:)
7. He will go without something, like junk food, in order to stay healthier for the sake of the kids and my sanity.
8. He can correct me with a grin or smirk which is a little easier to take.
9. He balances me out.
10. He loves me no questions asked.
11. He works and studies very hard to provide for us.
12. He is not slothful.
13. He is smart enough to realize that children grow up quickly.
14. He is a sucker for the kids, they just melt his heart.
15. He trust me.
16. He always tries to see the "other" side before making a decision or opinion.
17. He is generous.
18. He'll bare the last five minute of a home show to I can see the end.
19. He loves me.
There is many, many more but those are a few. I am truly blessed to be married to such a wonderful man.

Whatever you do..

Whatever you do today do not, I repeat do not go to Target. Mad crazy chaos. The return lane was crazy, there is no way I would have waited in that thing. The amount of people shopping even crazier. Clearance stuff and storage containers. Every other cart had an over sized storage container balanced on top if it, they must need someplace to store all the clearance crap. I knew it would be bad but I didn't think that bad.
I had to get some diapers for tomorrow, I have to work and cloth diapers void the babysitters contract. Just kidding about the contract thing, but I try to make the babysitters life as easy as possible, you know food prepared and kids bathed and dressed. After all they are babysitters not maids, cooks and laundry help.

Granola

This morning the kiddos and I made a batch of granola, it was good, they all ate some and asked for more. The hubby and I thought it had a Cinnamon Toast Crunch flavor. They are going to have more later on some Rice Dream ice cream. It is actually quite healthy, and a lot easier than cooking oatmeal first thing in the morning. I been trying to find a new oat product that Lula and Biggie would eat, they have their mother's adversion to weird textured foods like oatmeal and creamed cereals. On oat day, day two in our four day food rotation, they can easily polish of a box of O's, at $3.90 a box it get kinda expensive so I'm hoping to keep granola as an breakfast option. The recipe I used is kinda a mix and match of many recipes I found online but here goes.
4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
2 cups puffed rice cereal
1/2 cup or less maple syrup
1/4 cup agava syrup
cinnamon to taste- I went a little over board on the cinnamon
On stove top mix syrups and cinnamon together so they thin and mix together. Pour over oats and cereal and mix well. Bake in a jelly roll pan 20 minutes at 300 degrees stirring every five minutes. Remove and cool, do not over bake it will crisp up as it cools. Serve plain with milk, yogurt or ice cream. On cooked fruit would be delicious also. You could try just oats or just maple syrup I sure it would be good.
P.S. have you ever read the side of the Mrs. Butterworth bottle yuck, use REAL maple syrup.

Please feed the animals!!!!!!!

Please tell me if you think this is alot of food for small family. First some info- me and the hubby both weigh less than 150lbs, nuff said, Racky age 5 is roughly 50lbs., Lula age 3 is 44lbs., and Biggie 2years old is 35lbs. They are not fat or rolie polie in and form or fashion, all three are very tall for their age. Okay on to my question, last night for dinner we had fried chicken, the kids each had a slice of rice bread, Racky had two, they all had cooked carrots about 1/2 a cup and canned pears. Hubby, Biggie and myself had some stuffing. We polished off 12 pieces of chicken and they still wanted more. Hubby had two and I had two and a half. The kids ate 1 1/2 thighs and 6 drumsticks. Almost 8 pieces of chicken gone in no time. How much are they going to eat when they're ten and then when they're 16???? They hubby doesn't think that 12 pieces for a family of two adult and 3 small children is much I think it's crazy what do you think?

Not Much

Not much happening in our little world. The baby came down with a snotty nose this morning. Oh I wish blowing your nose was a natural reflex instead of wiping snot all over your face with the back on your now nasty hand. The weather here is awesome, its cold but no snow. That means no snowpants!!!!!!!!!!!! No striping layers off when they realize that they forgot to go pee, even though they were told twelve times to try. The kids do want the snow to come back, I suppose if I was sent outside in 31 degree weather to play I'd want snow too. But for now they can ride bikes and drive their car around.
I saw the midwife the other day. I love to go see the midwife, to hear the baby and talk to somebody that only wants to talk about the baby. I'm measuring right on which I have never have done before, I always have measured 2 cm behind the whole time with the last three, and gained 4lbs. in one month, oops. I hope that means the baby will be on time instead of 16 days late. We know the date of conception of if we go by that it should be early, yeah right. I also started to feel it move, I can't wait until the kiddos and hubby can feel it move too. Well that's about all in neck of the woods. Have a good day!!!!!!!

Frugal Fridays

I thought I'd join the Frugal Fridays over at Biblical Womanhood.
Crystal asked the following questions:
1. What is the best resource for frugality you've found (book, magazine, website, etc.)?
I personally am a Dave Ramsey fan, I've read a lot of his books Financial Peace was my favorite and I love his radio show he is a no nonsense kind of guy and I like that.
2. What is the best deal you've gotten recently?
My sencond hand store find I posted a couple of weeks ago called Penny Pinching, (scroll down a little, sorry new that the blogging thing.)
3. What is your best idea for a creative and inexpensive gift (I was specifically thinking this might be helpful for those who still are looking for some last-minute Christmas ideas!)?
Well I don't celebrate christmas so you can't get more frugal than that, but when I do give gifts I like clutter free gift so it's usually food. Just yesterday I mailed a package to a lady with a broken hip who is laid up for a while. It contained an inexpensive coffee mug from a discount store a variety of tea bags out of my every grow tea supply and a box of chocolate cover almonds with a little note. Not much but just enough to know someone is thinking and praying for her while she is recuperating.
HAPPY FRUGAL FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!


For those of you wondering why we don't celebrate christmas it boils down to Duet. 4:2. We take the KJV as the pure word of God and strive not the add or diminsh from how he commands us to worship him.

Is it just me?

The kiddos and I were at the post office this morning and there was a mother and child there also with a few other folks. The only thing was that the mother was standing in line and the little girl, about 7 or 8 I would guess, was lying on a blanket off to the side with a puke bucket next to her. I'm I the only one who thinks this woman needs to take her sick kid home and leave her there. The poor thing being dragged to the post office when all she want is to be home. Come on how important is mailing a package? What do you think? I'm I over reacting?

Few cute Pics

Here is a few pics of my darling children. Lula with her kitty cat look.

And here is our polar bear club members in all their glory. They love to go hot tubbing with daddy and daddy loves it too.

Lollipop, lollipop, oh lolli, lollipop

They had their first full sucker last night. Thanks to Aunt Sharon who lead us to them. The oldest two received a dumm dumm sucker from story time at the library this summer they were allowed to lick it until we got home and then I traded them for three tic tacs. So they were quite happy when they each got their own and where allowed to eat the WHOLE thing. Can you imagine almost six years old and never having had a lollipop before, I think it made it that more special it was quite the treat.

It's official

I took the next step and busted out the good ole maternity clothes this morning, I'm only 15 weeks. I was oh so hoping to wait until the new year but I suppose this is baby number four. I just couldn't take the frumpy fat look. Wearing my two pair of in between pants, warm up pants and Ikey's big ole shirts was getting old. Now at least I look like I have a reason for the pudge. I now remember how much I hate maternity pants the pulling and tugging a day is enough to drive you nuts. I love the big belly so does the hubby, so here's to the ever growing belly.

Penny Pinching

I ADORE the second hand stores around here. This morning me and the kids had some time to blow between appointments so we hit up the second hand store. We were in need of some more winter hats, they seem disappear as fast as the mittens do. Here is what we got-
3 winter hats, one for each kid
2 watches, I made the mistake of throwing out the 3 year old spider man watch and he keeps asking and asking so I caved. One watch for Racky and one for Lula
1 pair of Lands Ends snow boots for Racky size 2 should fit a little better than his 13 that he has been wearing, his shoe size is a normally a 1.
I got all of this for $6.10!
You can't beat that let me tell ya. Garage saling in winter gotta love it!

Schedules

Do you have a schedule you work by? I used to be so good about sticking to my schedule. I still do to some degree but not a good as a should be. Here is what is used to look like:
Monday- master bedroom and bath
Tuesday- kitchen and living room
Wednesday- Erands and kids bedding
Thursday- basement kids bedroom
Friday- day off
Lately I've been doing the basics, my small morning routine- empty dish washer, start laundry and everybody clothed and fed. master bedroom sheets on Monday, kids bedding wed. or thurs. Bath tub scrubbed when it "Needs" it. Laundry, which isn't usually a problem, I do daily about 16 loads per week putting it away is another story, when I can't balance anymore on top of the dryer. Vacuum when needed. I used to vacuum everyday. Then the mad scrabble when somebody comes over. What do you do to stay on top of things. I know keeping it clean is easier than cleaning it after its nasty. Ex. it will probably take me 20-30 mins to clean my tub, should take me 20 mins to clean the whole master bath. I'm blaming it on the pregnant thing and the fact that my kids are slobs, not my fault right.

Pics Finally!

Here are the pics I tried to upload about 50 times this weekend!! Blogging is fun and frustrating. Home depot and Lowe's both have kids workshops. Home depot is the first Saturday of every month 9 to noon. Lowe's is every Saturday 10 to 11 but the same project all month. This month Lowe's is building castle that the kids could paint and play with maybe the can sweet talk daddy into that one too. Free entertainment gotta love it! Well I better get so house work done while the kids are out in the winter wonderland.

Our Weekend

Well we definitely live in Michigan, last week the kids wouldn't leave a coat on and a few days later we have snow and lots of it. I would insert a couple of pics of the kids on the snow now but blogger is giving me grief. Hubby took the kids to Home Depots kids workshop on Saturday morning. They built treasure boxes. Next week we will paint them for "art". Here is where I would insert pic of kids in their Home Depot aprons. It was strange being in the house with no kids, I don't know the last time that happened. Well I hope you all had a good week end.

Kids say the darnest things.

Racky, my oldest, "mom how do monkeys get rid of the poo?" (Meaning what do monkeys wipe with?) Then I had to explain that they don't, he and Lula were quite humored by this concept. Oh the thing they need to learn in life!

The Daily News

Not much happen here today. We were graced with present of my adorable niece and her beautiful princess clothes, which my Lula cannot stop talking about. Well at least I know what to get her for her birthday. The hubby and the kids spent the evening frolicking in the hot tub after a big fried chicken dinner. Biggie loves the hot tub, you just say the word and he goes tearing to his room for a swimmie.

We kept school short and to the point due to the fact that the cousin was coming over and its the day after vacation, nobody likes to go back to school. Speaking of school I just got a few pics of our last field trip to the fire station.

Ramblings

Thanksgiving went well, excepted I felt 6 months pregnant by the time I left after all that food. I have been quite lazy the past three days, we went to the library Tuesday and I tend to read everything I get right away and forget about everything else in life. Well I finished the third book this morning so its back to reality. I have to get myself back on a schedule, I have been in survival mode, the first trimester can be pretty brutal. I have felt alright but extremely tired. Things are starting to get back to normal so I need to switch gears and whip my house back into shape.
We, the hubby, the kids, and I cleaned out the garage so it's ready for winter. I still have to take care of a couple of piles of leaves yet but otherwise the outside is winter ready. Hubby got the snowplow stacks in so I can't think of much else we need to do before the snow flies. Last year at this time we were buried in snow so the reprieve is nice. Well I'm off to the store for a few groceries, hopefully the grocery store is not as busy as the mall today. By the way happy birthday to my brother-in-law Caleb who turned 25 today - his golden birthday.

I'm joining the blogging world.

I've decided to final start a blog instead of just reading them. I think it will be fun to look back on in years to come at all the ins and outs of our simple little life. To catch the little moments and save them, as a high tech diary of sorts, for the little moments are what make up our lives. To look back and laugh and cry at the growing of my sweet babies and the aging of my wonderful hubby and I as we attempt to serve the LORD in our daily lives. It too hopefully will force me to get the photos off of the camera and onto to computer, but thats a different post.