Green

Off to the big city today. My good friend is having a baby girl, so I am going to help her celebrate. Have a great weekend!

Yellow

My dear friend, Lolli, has started a photography carnival on her blog. It is a chance to showcase our favorite photo that we took this week. This one I took of Liberty for our Yellow day. I love this picture, she is just so sweet. I used no flash, and I love the natural light I had. I adore those rosy cheeks. She is just soooo sweet.

Red

Taking a page from Stephanie's play book...

Liberty Jane, 5 months

I Lurve Taking Pictures!

My darling friend Beth has started a new photography carnival called, You Capture. Every week she will give us challenges to help us stretch and grow as photographers, or just as people who like to take pictures (like me!).

This weeks challenge was to take a picture without flash. This was not very hard for me as I stay away from the flash as much as humanly possible. I really don't have any love for my flash. This is one I took of my baby girl and I and I just adore it.



Next weeks challenge will be perspective. Come join us will you?

It Feels Like Forever

Feels like forever since I held my sweet Emma. I found this cool picture converter today, and did a bunch of pictures of Emma. It makes your pictures look as if they are 100 years old. I thought it was appropriate because that's how long it feels like since I last held her. I miss her. This post I read today says it so very very well. She must be very close and that is why my Spirit is aching for her today.

My Love

Oh how I love you. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. You are the reason for my smiles and joys. I am so lucky to have found you and that I get to spend Eternity with you. Happy Birthday my love.

Hey! Where'd Everybody Go???

Today there was a gasp heard throughout Blogger-world. People were losing followers as fast as my children can consume chocolate. Some thought it was just them. But really, did we all offend so much so quickly?
No...my dear friend Lolli explains what happened and how we can fix it:

I'm sure that most of not all of you are aware by now that blogger had a few problems today. I was saddened to find that within an hour this afternoon, I had lost 19 of my followers. After a little research, I discovered that bloggers everywhere were having the same problem. So here is my attempt to pass on the info on how to resolve the situation. Apparently, we have not lost followers per se, but some of our followers are now listed as "anonymous" instead of "public". I checked my own following list and in fact was anonymously following all of my favorite blogs. I was able to fix my end of the problem by switching "anonymous" to "public" (I first went to my dashboard, scrolled down to the blogs I'm following, and clicked the "manage" button).

So if you haven't already checked, go to your dashboard and see if you have been switched to anonymous.....And if you are not already following me, why don't you go ahead and do it now! It IS National Follow Me Month, after all. :)

Thank you Lolli! Go follow her and if you're not, follow me too!!!

I ♥ Faces :: Kids Entry

This week the category for I ♥ Faces is Black and White. I absolutely adore taking photos and I LOVE me some black and white pictures. This is one of my absolute favorites of Miss Amelia. It was taken one very cold day when she and Seth just sat in front of the window soaking in all the sunshine they could.

Go on over and check out all the great black and white photos!!

Kid Safe Ink :: Review

When I told Jeremy about Kid Safe Ink, he said, "That is a genius idea. She is going to make a ton of money with that one". I agree.

My kids love temporary tattoos and can be seen sporting many at a time. So, when I was contacted by Heather of Kid Safe Ink, I was thrilled.

These are temporary old school tattoos with your phone number on it. They read, "I'm Lost. Please Call..." and customized with your phone number!

Here is their story:

In the winter of 2006, Kieran went on a vacation in Hawaii and got lost for an hour. Reconnected, 3 hotels down at the towel exchange. Kieran's mom thought to herself, looking at her cellphone, that could have been a lot easier.

That's when the seed was sown, and we soon devised a plan to help parents everywhere. All it took was a simple system that reconnects families through customized temporary tattoos with your cell phone or contact number.

We love old school tattoos, not only because they look good but their meaning is pointing to the important things in life like family and home.

My biggest concern was that they would flake off and thus not last through a day at the beach or zoo or amusement park. So, last week, I put a tattoo on each of my children. They are still there and the phone number is still visible. These have lasted through 2 baths, long sleeve shirts rubbing on them, and lots of playing.

I am so impressed with these! They come in such cool designs too. Something to please every child; a bird, heart, star and anchor. Amelia loves the bird and Seth loves the anchor.

These are something that will be going with us when we go to the pool and amusement park this summer. Also great for a day at the Fair, or really anywhere you are going that is not home.

Thank you Heather for such a great product!! Head on over to Kid Safe Ink and order yours today. You will not be sorry!

Gratitude Sunday

Quick list today because I have to go make dinner.

1. I am SO grateful that Jeremy let me go home from Church by myself (we had to drive seperately today because I had meetings this morning) so I could have 10 minutes to myself. So nice.
2. The sun shone a lot this week, it was nice.
3. My Dad came up on Friday night and stayed until Saturday mid-day. It was so nice to see him and the kids had SO much fun with their Grandpa.
4. My Mom made Libby a quilt and all 3 kids love it.
5. Amelia is POTTY TRAINED!!! WAHOO!!!!!!!!!!! No more diapers on that girl (except for night time, but that is ok with me).

Let's Get Ready for Kindergarten! Review

One thing I love about blogging is having the opportunity to review some really cool items. Many of you know Seth will be starting Kindergarten next year. This is something that causes me to hyperventilate if I allow myself to really think about it.

When I was given the opportunity to review Cedar Valley Publishing's Let's Get Ready for Kindergarten and Let's Get Ready for First Grade, I jumped at the chance. Reading a little bit about the founder, Stacey Kannenberg, got me even more excited about this.
Becoming a mom not only changed my life but it is impacting education. I created my company when my girls were ages 3 and 1 and I was trying to find something to help them get ready for school. I am not a teacher or educator, and yet I created a book used by schools. I didn’t create the alphabet, numbers, colors or shapes but found a way to repackage it for parents, kids and teachers. With a telephone and a computer, I created www.cedarvalleypublishing.com. 10% of all profits are donated to literacy foundations and back to schools. I am a mom inspired by Oprah to change education. This has become my passion! My mantra is if two brothers from Ohio can change the face of aviation, that why can’t a mom, inspired by Oprah change education at the core! Thirty-eight states are discussing all day 4 year-old Kindergarten because kids are not coming to school prepared. But where are the public service announcements telling parents the 7 things they need to know for Kindergarten testing: the alphabet all mixed up, number to 10 all mixed up, basic shapes, colors, coins, counting objects to 10 and how far they can count to 100? Schools purchase my books in bulk to help get parents, kids and teachers all be on the same page of Kindergarten and First Grade! Now I have a national platform speaking to educators, schools, parents and kids! This is a true family business! Who better to help me write Let’s Get Ready For Second Grade! than my 2^nd and 4^th grader!

So, what do my real reviewers think? Well, I had to hunt down the books because they LOVE them!!! As soon as I opened the package with these books in them, Seth and Amelia took them away from me. They ask me consistently to "do school" with them and these books. It is great for me also to see where Seth is and what we really need to work on in the next 6 months.

I also love that they are heavy and laminated. We can do activities in them with a dry erase marker. They are durable and obviously made by a Mom!

I think if I can get him a little better prepared for school, then I won't hyperventilate as much when I think about it!

So, go on over to Cedar Valley Publishing and check out Stacey's amazing books. They are fantastic and worth every cent.

MilkBank Winner!

I'm a little late doing the drawing, but here you go -

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

23 

Timestamp: 2009-02-21 05:33:58 UTC

The winner is Erin!! I know that you will love this and it will make pumping at work just that much easier! Congrats Mama!

Sunshine

Searching for sunlight where we can find it. Hope you have a weekend filled with much sunshine.

It's Not You, It's Me.

Dear House,

I love you oh so dearly. You hold such a special place in my heart. You are the first house the Mr. and I bought. My baby was born here. My other babies have grown and learned so much in you. You have kept us warm in the winter and cool in the summer. You barely winced when upon moving in, we painted one of your walls green. The artwork my children have done on your walls have not phased you one bit. In your walls, we have had parties, and times filled with laughter and tears.

Your beautiful wooden floors and newly carpeted rooms are so inviting. The sunshine that comes streaming through your new windows (you're welcome) warm my children and I daily.

Your yard is becoming more and more beautiful. Our (really meaning the Mr.'s) blood, sweat and tears can be found in your soil. You gave us a beautiful garden last summer. You breathed a sigh of relief when we thinned out your too tightly packed trees. Your grass is flourishing under our loving care. And, while it is something to be proud of, would you please put a fence up? Seriously, you don't need to flaunt to the whole neighborhood. A little privacy is something to be cherished.

So, you see, I love you. But you know that this is a temporary arrangement. We have said from day one that we would live inside of you for 5-7 years. You see, as wonderful as you are, you also have some flaws. These are flaws that I can not look past. Your two car deep garage is a crock. It is a way to get the 2 car garage in the listing, but really? Who is going to park one car in back of the other in the garage? Please.

Also, the fact that I can't get to the backyard from the house, this is really disturbing. Especially when there is no fence (see my comment above please) and my children want to play out there. So, they are forced to play in the front yard where I can see them, and so can the cars that go racing by.

While we're talking about the front yard, what is a nice little house like you doing surrounded by a dilapidated trailer on one side and a duplex on the other? You know that the houses on the block laugh at you don't you? You really should keep better company.

The poor construction of you means that there is no ventilation inside. No exhaust fan in the bathroom or kitchen. We will be remedying this very soon. But it would have been nice had we noticed it before we bought you.

So, on the first anniversary of our owning you, please understand it is not that I don't love you. But, I want more. I want to be able to walk in my bedroom without slamming into a piece of furniture or a wall. I would also like to stop cramming my family of 5 into 2 bedrooms because there isn't a suitable bedroom for children in the basement. And, really who am I kidding? Like I would banish my 2 and 4 year old to the basement.

So, don't take offense when I look online for a new house. I want more than you can give. So, it's not you, it's me. Or maybe it is you.

If you haven't yet, head on over here and vote for me!

To My Family

Dearest Dear Ones,

I have realized that I haven't written you letters in quite some time. It is high time.

My Darling Libby,

Oh how I love you. You have been so easy and fun. You are so fun to watch grow. You make me laugh when you try to suck on your fingers while breastfeeding. It kind of hurts though, so could you please knock it off?
I also love snuggling with you and snuggling is great -- but could we stop the all night nursing business? Oh and naps longer than 30 minutes at a time would be a great addition to our day.
You are so fun with your rolling over and reaching for toys -- especially mid poopy diaper change. It's my favorite.
Keep singing to me, will you? When nothing else can, that, and your huge smile, makes me smile.

Thanks baby. Love you forever and ever,
Mama

Missy Mae Mae,

You are getting so big. I LOVE that you have completely learned how to use the potty. You have only had a couple accidents and none of them poopy. I can totally handle that. You are doing so fantastic telling me when you need to pee, thanks. If you could please stay on the toilet when you're done pooping instead of walking all over the house dripping poo on my carpet and floors looking for me to wipe you, that would be great. Thank you especially for getting me out of that sticky situation at Sams when I was just checking out a laptop and the alarm started going off. Great timing on your part to say, "Mama! I gotta PEE!". You rock.

Thanks for loving your sister so much. Could you please stop riding her like a horse though? She doesn't like that and I don't either. If you could also stop screaming when Libby is down for a nap and waking her up, that would rock the house!

You're my best girl! Love,
Mama

Bubs,

Oh how I love you. I love that you are loving going to preschool now. It was so fun to go watch you and your cohorts sing to the "Grandma's and Grandpa's" today at the Senior Center. You were so cute singing, "Hace Calor o Hace Frio". I loved it. And your little girlfriend Maya? She's a cutie. I'm glad you two have fun playing together at school.

Thank you for taking care of your sisters for me. I love how you make Libby laugh and sing "I Am a Child of God" to her when she is sad and I can't get right to her. It is such a huge help when you take Amelia downstairs and play with her so Libby can have a nap. It is not a huge help though when you tease her, causing her to scream and wake up Libby. Really irritating. Just thought you'd like to know. Also, telling me over and over and over that you want to do something isn't going to make it happen any faster. Nice try though.

You are getting so big so fast and I am going to miss you so much when you go to Kindergarten next year. It will be good for both of us, but I will really miss you.

I love you my Bubs. You're my best bubs in the whole world.

Love,
Mama

Emma,

I still miss you. I still love you. Every day. I can't wait to see you again. I love that your sister talks about playing with you. Do you come and play with her from time to time? I bet you do.
I hope you know what you're in for when you are reunited with this crazy family. Your brother and sister have grand plans for playing dolls and Star Wars and swinging and tag and and and...yeah, they have big plans.

I love you,
Mama

My Darling Dearest Love of my Life,

Oh how I adore you. As you know, your birthday is next Tuesday. You are going to be the big 3-0. I want to do really amazing things for you on your 30th since you gave me the BEST 30th I could have asked for. But, sadly you are just stuck with me on that day. I am staying home on Tuesday night and will make you a great dinner. The house will be clean and the children well behaved. Ok, the house will be straightened and hopefully the kids won't throw any tantrums.

Know that I love you more than anything. You make me laugh, hold me when I cry and are my best friend. You are my favorite.

Love Love Love You!

Me

I Don't Have Much

But I have got all of you! You all know that I am a finalist in the Mabel's Labels contest. Well, it seems that some of the other contestants are doing big old giveaways to score votes. I can't compete with that. So, I am asking you, my friends and readers, to blog and tweet about me and this contest to get me some votes. I SO want to go to Blogher and this is an amazing opportunity. I just need some help!

So, if you would be so kind as to blog about me, how cool I am and why I should go to Blogher that would rock. Link back to me here and be sure to include this link to the Blogher Contest.

Thank you everyone!!! Like I said, I can't do a big fancy giveaway, but I will bring you back some awesome stories and pictures from Chicago!!!

I am SO tired

Seriously, so extremely tired. Why you ask? My darling baby doesn't like to sleep. She fights and fights and when she finally succumbs she is only asleep for 30-45 minutes. I have figured out that she is waking up and not being able to get herself back to sleep.

You might remember that I wrote about The No-Cry Sleep Solution a while back. Well, I have been given a copy of The No-Cry Nap Solution and we are working on it right now. I am not going to fight this girl with sleep for the next 2 years. No way no how.

Today I am tracking when she naps and for how long. I know that she needs longer naps and more of them.

What is so ironic is that she used to sleep like a charm. Seriously, people would ask me if she was ever awake. Yeah, when she's not in the sling ;)

So, pray for me and my sanity. Mama needs her to sleep. Oh, and I could also use her brother and sister not coming into the room when she's almost asleep and screaming so loud to wake her. That would be helpful.

If you haven't yet, head on over here and vote for me!

Call me what you will...

But I really have a hard time with The Bachelor. Don't get me wrong, I love people falling in love. I can't stop watching it either. Like Heather says, it's a train wreck -- you just can't turn away from watching it.

I have this problem with it though. The fact that this guy is not just kissing, but making out with 3 different women at the same time. Ok, not at the same time, but you know what I mean. He is falling in love with 3 different women for different reasons and is supposed to find one to marry.

Tonight was the most disturbing. Now, lest you think I am a new Bachelor watcher, I have watched off and on since it started. So, this is nothing new to me. It has always disturbed me.

Tonight though, it took on a whole new realm of disturbingness (I know that's not a word, I'm tired). Every season of The Bachelor or Bachelorette, they have the "over night" dates. I am sure that the couple is going to sleep together, but it is never said. I have always been quite uncomfortable with the fact that the guy or girl is going to sleep with 3 different people. Call me prude, but seriously? I think that this is something that is so special, and should not be taken as lightly as it seems. Tonight the Bachelor said that he needs to sleep with these women to see if this is who he wants to marry. That this is an important step in finding his wife. I have a real problem with that. I did not sleep with my husband until our wedding night. I knew that he was the man I wanted to spend Eternity with without having sex.

This bothers me on multiple levels. First, I could not imagine making love to Jeremy, knowing that he had just done it the night before with another woman and would be doing it the next night with another. Second, I would hate to think that my performance in the bedroom would be a deciding factor in whether or not he chose to marry me. Third and most important, I think that it is sad that a couple can not commit to marriage without knowing how compatible they will be in bed. What is this teaching our youth? There is nothing wrong with waiting until marriage to have sex. Nothing at all.

I am not writing this to make anyone feel guilty or bad. For me, it was not an option. I wanted to be clean and pure for my husband, and he for me. I am grateful that we both made that decision and learned and experienced together.

I am also glad that I didn't have to think about the other women that he had slept with or may sleep with in the future. I'm glad I'm the only one.

So, call me what you will, but I really have a hard time with the fact that it is taken so lightly. Something that is emotionally and physically bonding to eachother should be treated as the sacred act that it is.

Not Me Monday

It is time for another thrilling edition of Not Me Monday! This is a blog carnival hosted by the MckMama

This week was not my birthday, so I did not celebrate in great fashion.

I did not eat a tremendous amount of cake and make myself sick. I have also not told several people to make this cake in hopes that they will invite me over to eat it with them.

I was not showered with love and affection from my family and friends, both online and in person, this week either.

I am not helping Amelia potty learn this week. And I definitely did not take a video of her peeing on the potty. I totally was not tempted to post it on this blog either. That would just be mean.

Speaking of Amelia and potty learning, she did not take off her poopy diaper yesterday and proceed to try to clean herself off while Mom and Dad were sleeping. This did not make a huge mess. I did not continue to sleep and let Jeremy clean it up. No way man.

This being Valentine's weekend, we did not get a babysitter and go to the best restaurant in town. I did not get crab stuffed ravioli. This ravioli did not melt in my mouth. I was not about to eat the pesto that came with bread with a spoon. That would be gross.

We also did not go get hot chocolate at Border's for dessert. No, that would have been way too indulgent.

My darling did not take the children in the morning and let me get some sewing done. He did not come home with 3 long stem red roses for me either.

Last, but not least, I did not become a finalist for the Mabel's Labels "Get me to Blogher" contest this week. So, you definitely should not go vote for me! (Kim @ Prairie Mama).

How about you, what didn't you do this week??

Gratitude Sunday

I was sick last week for Gratitude Sunday last week and I really missed it. With a house of sick kids, a potty training 2 year old and very little sleep, it is hard to find things to be grateful for. However, I do have much.

1. Amelia is POTTY TRAINING!!!! She is totally leading it and I am SO excited to see the end of the diaper tunnel with her.
2. Great friends that helped me celebrate my birthday -- and ate lots of cake so I wouldn't have tons of leftovers!
3. A certain 13 year old girl that babysat Seth and Amelia last night so I could go on a date with my sweetheart.
4. Laundry to fold. No I am not grateful that I have 4 overflowing baskets of laundry to fold. I am grateful though that we have the means to purchase clothing and that I have this chore.
5. That I have had yet another year with my wonderful family. I love them more than anything. Even when they wake me up at 6 am after I had a late night with their Daddy. I love them and I wouldn't trade them for anything.

So, what about you? What are you grateful for today?

Please remember to go vote for me here and pass along the word!

These People

This girl gives me hope

This girl makes me giggle

Her caption got erased, oops!

These people, they are my life. Happy Valentine's Day to the 5 people who have really taught me how to love.

If you haven't yet, head on over here and vote for me!

Public Apology.

I am publicly apologizing for the email I sent out asking for votes for the Blogher contest. Apparently quite a few of you received the replies that people sent me. I didn't realize that people would hit "reply all" instead of just "reply". Unfortunately I can not control what other people do in their emails.

So, please forgive me and just delete the emails you get as replies from this.

Thanks.

Kim

Birthday in Review

I did a really great video blog entry today for your viewing pleasure, but since I did it on my camera it sounds like I have a broken tooth when I say my s's.  And, since I don't have a broken tooth, I sounded really silly.  So,  you don't get to see it.  Nope.  Even though I was dancing and singing and carrying on.  Sorry.

However, I will tell you why I was dancing, singing and carrying on.  It is because of YOU.  Yep.   You awesome folks that love me so much and sent me so many fabulous birthday wishes.  I seriously had a great day.

Remember that cake that I was telling you all about?  That chocolate peanut butter cake that was going to be divine?  Well guess what?  It was.  Oh.my.gosh.  Seriously, the best cake ever.  I stuffed myself ate a piece with our fabulous friends and then another while I watched Simpsons, and was completely satisfied.  That is until I got up this morning and realized that there was still more cake.  I ate the leftover frosting (peanut butter cream cheese. Can you blame me?) throughout the day and tonight ate the rest of the cake.  I am so sick to my stomach right now.  Yeah, I don't recommend being sugar free for 6 weeks and then eating that.  But man alive, it was worth every single bite.  I took 6 pictures of the cake.  Yes, 6.  I am a little excited about it.  Here is the best one.

Yep, it was as good as it looks.  Ok, better.  But enough about the cake that is making me sick.  Let's talk about the day.

My darling made me a delicious green smoothie for breakfast and came home at lunch to make me a HUGE salad.  So nice.

I did have to sweep and mop the floor becuase Amelia peed on it.  See...we're potty training and that equals pee all over my house.  She peed 3 times!  3 times on the FLOOR!  Lucky for me though, she did 2 of them when Jeremy was home and he cleaned it and her up.  Poor guy, one of them was during dinner.

So, thank you SO SO SO much for the great birthday wishes.  Now if I could just get my intestinal system to forgive me, we would all be much happier.

Oh, and if you haven't yet, go on over to Mabel's Labels and vote for me.  Send me to Chicago and I will sing and dance for you! :)

Milk Bank Review and GIVEAWAY!

You all know that I am a pretty passionate lady. I am passionate about a few (hundred) things and one of them is breastfeeding. I know that not everyone is as lucky as I am and gets to stay home with their babies. I know that some Mom's have to or choose to work. I also know that some Moms just need to pump and store their milk for various reasons. I like to pump to have some extra on hand in case I need to be gone and Miss Libby needs to eat. I also pump for a friend whose baby isn't getting enough of Mama's milk. There are as many different reasons to pump and store milk as there are Mamas that do it.


So, when I was given the opportunity to review the MilkBank System, I was really excited. This is a revolutionary new way of storing your pumped breast milk. The vacuum storage system is clinically proven superior to traditional storage bags or bottles in protecting vital nutrients and flavor. The triple-vented, insulated bottles keep milk warm, even through longer feedings, and best of all, they are easy to clean and guaranteed not to leak. The entire MilkBank system—including the packaging—is free of lead, phthalates, PVC, and BPA.


So, what's the big deal about a vacuum storage system you ask? Well, renowned lactation scientist, Dr. Jimi Francis, IBCLC, investigated the efficacy of the MilkBank System in preserving breastmilk taste and nutrient levels and found that MilkBank was far superior to traditional methods. Dr. Francis writes:

"The oxidation of food products is well documented. Changesin product color, odor and taste are the most easily detected effects of oxidation. Nutrient loss, rancidity, and microbial spoilage are all part of milk degradation as well. This degradation, over time, is caused in part, by the presence of oxygen. Removal of headspace oxygen should minimize oxidative effects in stored breastmilk, prolong shelf life, and improve nutritional quality."

Who among us doesn't want the best for our babies? Who wouldn't do whatever we could to make the milk we are pumping as fresh as possible for our little ones? That's what I thought.

This system is really easy to use, as evidenced by the fact that I did it! I pumped a wee bit, and gave it a go. I put the pumped milk into the smallest container, put on the lid and vacuum sealed it. I was a bit skeptical about it actually vacuum sealing it though. So, I opened it up and it made that sound, you know the sound of something after it has been vacuum sealed shut and you open it? That popping sound? Yeah, it made THAT sound! I was so excited!!!!!

This system also comes with an insulated feeding bottle. Did you know that in a study done by Stanford University they found that "keeping the milk warm throughout the feeding significantly improves nutritional ingestion, produces improved growth, and can improve survival rates superior to milk fed cold or at room temperature"? Yeah, I didn't either.

Given that knowledge the people at MilkBank included the insulated feeding bottle. This is a bottle that you fill with warm water and attach to the outside of the milk bottle. It is guaranteed not to leak and really does keep the milk warm!


Are you as impressed with this company as I am? One lucky reader will win the complete MilkBank Starter Kit! This includes:

• One MilkBank Starter Kit, which includes both the vacuum storage and insulated feeding systems (2.5 oz. and 4.5 oz. bottles)
• One MilkBank 8 oz. bottle for storing/feeding breastmilk for older babies that consume more than 4.5 oz. per feeding.

Pretty cool huh? So, what do you need to do? Comment. Tell me why you want this. Pretty easy!

This contest will close on Friday, February 20th at 8 pm, MST, when I choose a winner with the help of my pal Random.org. So, get your comment in. You can enter once a day.

Send me to CHICAGO!!!

send me and this cute girl to Chicago!!

Ok my dear friends...I've made it to the finals for the Mabel's Labels Contest!!!! WAHOO!! So now what I need you to do is go vote for me. Also, link to me on your blog, tell all of your friends to vote for me. Voting opens at 12:00 pm EST today over here. You can vote ONE time, so make sure it is for ME Kim @ Prairie Mama! Voting will close February 23 at 12:00 pm EST.

Please please please, spread the word and get me to Chicago!!!!

32

Not a magical number...except to me. It is no secret that I love my birthday. I don't mind getting older, I actually quite like it.

I like getting older, I don't mind the couple little wrinkles I have, I even wouldn't mind gray hair. I love my life, my children, my husband. I am just so blessed.

The children made me cards last night while I was at Young Women's. I got them this morning and they are absolutely precious. Amelia drew Princess Presto (Super Why) and Molly (Toy Story) on my cards. Seth drew Buzz Lightyear and did some fancy cutting and gluing and made me a rainbow. Seriously, what more could I ask for? Nothing. I've got it all.

On the weight loss front...I did it. I've gone 6 weeks without sweets, dairy products and eating TONS of salad. I have lost a grand total of 17 lbs. in 6 weeks. I feel really good. If you are dying to know how I did it, go check out Eat To Live.

Look over to the left -- I have a button now that you can grab and stick on your blog!!! Thanks to the FABULOUS Christy of Ruby and Roja for the blog design and button. Those girls ROCK!

So yeah, it's a good birthday. I am off now to start frosting my cake. It is going to be YUMMY and dairy-free. Have a fabulous day, I know I will!

5 Months

Wow, could someone please stop time? Please?!?! Libby turned 5 months old yesterday. This is going waaaay too fast.

Oh my Libby...you are just too sweet. You are rolling front and back, trying to get up on all fours, and just had your first ear infection. You love to sing and dance with your brother and sister. You also are quite the talker...trying to get a word in edgewise, I am sure!
I love your chubby cheeks and how you grab onto the back of my hair when I am holding you. You love to grab my face and give me kisses -- yeah the big slobbery open mouthed ones. I love it. You also will calm down when you're sad and your brother sings "I Am a Child of God" and your sister sings "Silent Night" to you.
You are just so precious. I am so lucky to be your Mama.

Weekend Recap

Went to Salt Lake.

Had fun.

Ate too much.

Came home.

Taught 2 lessons in Church.

Went to Grandma's.

I got sick.

I still feel like poo.

My birthday is in 2 days.

The end.

Big City

We're off to the big city today (Salt Lake). We are even going to go to the Little House in the Big City too! Ah, a day full of Ikea and friends, what more could we ask for?

So, I leave you with the reason I smile every day. These kids make my heart sing and my days full.

Miss Liberty Jane - almost 5 months

Practicing our "faces". They are too much fun.

P.S. T minus 4 days until my birthday. I am excited...can you tell?

No Weigh!

I need to stop weighing myself everyday. It is a compulsion and it's not good for me. So, I am going to have Jeremy hide the scale and bring it out once a week.

So, I am 5 days away from 6 weeks with no sugar. Here is my progress report.

It has been hard. Really hard. I have eaten a lot of salad (A LOT), a lot of fruit and tons of beans. My house stinks like I've been eating like that.

I got to go do Pilates with my friend Kate. She is awesome and I felt so much better after one day of it. Thanks Kate!

I have had dreams about chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate. But I haven't eaten it.

I have lost 15.8 lbs. I am not going to reach my 20 pound goal, but that is ok. I have worked hard and done everything I could do. 15.8 is nothing to cry at.

Next Wednesday I am going to have chocolate peanut butter cake and enjoy every bite. I am going to make sugar cookies with the kids on Valentine's Day, but not eat any because I would rather have something chocolatey when Jeremy and I go out that night.

I am going to have sugar, but not in excess like I did before. I am going to control my intake and not let it control me.

Why I Blog

“Do you blog every day?” my husband asked. When I replied with an enthused “YES!” he said, looking a wee bit concerned,“You do know you don't have to, right? I mean, the blogging world won't implode if you don't post daily.” Duh.

He doesn't get it. He doesn't understand why I blog. I have been asked recently by a few people why I blog. I have to admit this answer hasn't come easily. It is not just a simple answer like, “I like it.” There is so much more to it.

When I started blogging, I had just given birth to my third child. I was learning how to be a Mother of a 2 year old and new baby while still reeling with the grief of losing my oldest child just three years earlier. I was living in a basement apartment in Utah and getting ready for yet another long, cold, dark winter. I was reaching out – searching for something I didn't know I needed – friendship, belonging, community.

I really had little to no idea about blogs and what was involved with them. I had been active in online forums for years and had made some amazing friends. We chatted daily and really enjoyed each other's company. But life got busy and crazy and I didn't always have the time necessary to devote to forums. I watched many of my dear friends retreat from our forums to their blogs and followed them there. I enjoyed seeing pictures of their children, reading about what they've been doing, and catching up in a new way. We could still have conversations like always, it was just a different form of communication. I liked this blogging thing!

My sister-in-law and I are knitters. She introduced me to a few pretty famous knitting blogs and I was completely and totally hooked. I started reading those blogs and meeting people from all over the globe. I learned new knitting techniques, got new ideas and had adult interaction.

That last part – adult interaction – that was the most important I think. You must remember, I was alone in a small dark apartment with two small children all day long. It was crucial that I had adults to “talk” to whenever I needed to.

Later that year, we moved to a new town where I knew only one person – someone I had met through blogs. She and I hit it off immediately. It wasn't really very surprising since I wouldn't have read the blog of someone I didn't think I'd like. She helped me adjust to this new town and showed me around a bit. She helped me find the local knitting groups and I started to make friends.

About this time, I started branching out in my blog reading. I started to read craft blogs and slowly they turned into, GASP, Mommy Blogs. I had always had a negative connotation of the Mommy Blogs in my head. I thought that they were places where parents would just gush about their kids who can do no wrong and talk about what great Moms they are. Either that or they would complain all the time about their kids and their life. I couldn't handle either extreme.

What I found though was so surprising and refreshing. There were the extremes and everything in between. I found women who loved being Moms, but admit that it's hard. I found women who would talk about poop and puke in one sentence and in the next about how there was nowhere they would rather be. I found that I understood these women and, more than that, they were encouraging me to be better. I found women being real.

I also found a community. And what a community it is. We have worked together, shared hopes and dreams and when one of our own fell from the sky, we all came together. There were auctions, benefit concerts, and Etsy sales. Bloggers made quilts, hats, and toys for her sweet children. The most important things offered though were prayers, hope, and love.

These women have become my friends. My attitude about mothering has changed because of them. There are homeschoolers, pubic schoolers, cloth diaperers, disposable users, sewers, knitters, crocheters, crafters & non-crafters. All of us combine to make a very unique group. We offer perspective, hope and challenge. We offer encouragement, love and gratitude. When there is a problem or question, we don't hesitate to ask about it on our blogs, knowing we will get a variety of ideas and answers. We find that all-important adult interaction that so many of us desperately need.

It gets lonely being the Mom sometimes. Sometimes it is frustrating and you feel as if you are the only one who is fighting with your toddler to eat, potty training your stubborn one, or crying in the night when you just don't know how best to help your child. You feel like you are the only one who has walked this toy strewn path. Knowing that there are others there who are doing it too gives strength. Reading about their challenges and laughing with them is more than a band-aid, it is a cure for your heart.

Blogging has been compared to inviting someone into your home and having a conversation with them. You get to have someone over for tea and you don't have to worry about the Legos and books all over the floor. You can have a meaningful interaction amidst peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and sticky hands. You can get ideas of activities to do with your children and inspiration of what to do with those long rainy/snowy/hot days when you can't go outside. You find out what works for other families and learn about new products that you might not have otherwise known about.

Does this mean that we no longer need flesh and blood friends? Not at all. I need both. It spurs dialogue for when we do get together. We talk about different ideas of things to blog and it strengthens those already existing relationships. I will often be talking with my girlfriends and something happens and we laugh about it being sure to “blog it”.

So why do I blog? I blog because I love to write. I blog to stay sane. I blog for friendship. I have found such an amazing community and I blog to be a part of that community – to make new friends and keep up with the old. I blog to document my life, to share my feelings hopes, fears, strengths and weaknesses. I blog because I love people. I love their stories and love to tell mine. I blog to remember the past and share my hopes for the future. I blog because I live.

He's Just Not That Into You.

But I am SO into this soundtrack! I had the awesome opportunity to get this C.D. and review it. The last soundtrack I bought was My Best Friend's Wedding (eons ago, I know). So, I was a little skeptical, but this C.D. is AWESOME!

Everything from R.E.M. and The Cure (hello, my Jr. High and High School Music?!?!) to The Human League and The Replacements. I love this C.D.

My favorite song however is The Last Goodbye by Scarlett Johansson. Who knew the girl could sing?

So, if you want a C.D. that you can dance to, sing to, and love to...go get this one!

Thanks to One2One Network for giving me this great opportunity!

Mmmmmm

So, Erin aka School Teacher by Day Super Hero by Night, did a great meme today and I decided to play along.
Typically I don't do meme's, but I had nothing else (ok, I do have something else, but it is still marinating in my head), so here you go.

She gave me the letter M. I have to come up with 10 things I love and don't love that start with the letter M.

LOVES

1. Marshmallows -- preferable homemade, but I will take any kind of the white gooey stuff. Put chocolate with it (either dipped or as a s'more) and I am in Heaven.
2. Mabels Labels -- they are giving away a trip to Blogher - watch for my entry coming up this week.
3. Mint -- I love Jr. Mints, they are my favorite candy. I have also found the dark chocolate covered creme' de menthe' Altoids -- YUM!
4. Mud. I love the feel of spring mud squishing between my toes. It is just the best!
5. Michael Bluth. I love Arrested Development and Michael Bluth just rocks my socks.
6. Milky Way Dark -- AWESOME candy bar.
7. Mama. She is crazy, but I love her the most.
8. Mac. Not this Mac (although I am sure if I ever tried this one, I would love it also) I love Mac computers. I can't wait until we can afford to get an iMac. Someday.
9. Mollies, The. Ok, that is kind of cheating, but I really love The Mollies. Their music rocks my world.
10. Metallica. Yeah, I bet you didn't guess that one about me. I love me some Metallica.

Don't Love So Much.

1. Mountains. I know, I know, I live in Utah, I should LOVE the Mountains. But, I don't. I am not from here, so I often feel quite clostrophobic with them. Don't get me wrong ,they are pretty and I like to go hiking...but, I would much rather just visit them instead of seeing them looming out my front window all the time.
2. Milk. Hurts my babies tummies and I prefer soymilk anyway.
3. MILF. I don't like that at all.
4. Magic Kingdom. Ok, granted, I've never been there, but I really don't love the Disney Princesses and I think that is where they all live.
5. Mops. Come on, who really likes mopping? If you say yes, you can come do my floors any time.
6. Mud. Yep, it's a love/hate thing around here. I don't love mud on my floors. yuck.
7. Midnight. It's usually the time when I can get things done, but I also know that when it comes I don't have much time before children start waking up and taking over my bed and my sleep.
8. M'Lady. I don't like that term. Kind of gives me the creeps.
9. Monsters. They are scary.
10. Mmmmmmm...I can't think of anymore. Sorry!

P.S. One week from TODAY is my Birthday. I love chocolate and will accept any and all gifts. Especially those that are edible.

I ♥ Faces :: Kids Entry

Here is my entry for this weeks, I ♥ Faces. The theme is "The Eyes Have It". This is another of my favorite Emma photos. I promise, they won't all be of Emma, but her eyes were amazing. She was about 3 months old in this photo. I remember that night so well, it was a Sunday night, we were watching Alias and she was being UBER cute! What a dollie she was. And those eyes...oh those eyes.

Not Me!

It's here again, Not Me Monday!! I had so much fun last time that I thought I'd give it a whirl again this week. Remember, if you want to read lots more about what we did NOT do...go on over here.

I am not going to tell you all about this cool new online magazine that I found called Serious Life Magazine. I am also not going to tell you that I am in their featured blog directory! Nope! I also will not tell you that this is a really cool mag -- they don't talk about all sorts of life topics written by well known bloggers. Oh yeah, and they also don't give away ad space for FREE to various charities. They don't rock at all. Don't go check it out.

This week I did NOT groan every time Amelia told me she wanted to wear underwear. Nope, I did not wish she would just wear diapers until she is ready to be accident free, that would just be crazy!

Also, I am not staying up too late tonight just to load a video of Seth and Libby playing. Something that could be done tomorrow. Nope, I am in bed right now dreaming about chocolate.

I also did not try to convince the Mr. that we needed to drive to San Diego for a vacation in April. I did not tell him that we should use our tax refund for that instead of putting it into savings. That would just be irresponsible, so nope, I didn't do that.

I did not eat pizza two times this week just because it was easier than actually making dinner. No way.

I did not try to get unsuspecting bloggers to send me chocolate cake in return for an entry in a giveaway. No way! I am not having sweets yet, remember? So I would not do that.

I did not go in to lay Libby down for a nap today and fall asleep with her all the while leaving Jeremy to fend off two hungry kids and try to make dinner at the same time. Rude.

I did not get a new camera this week and take a TON of pictures with it. Pictures that I will never delete, no way.

I did not let my children watch an insane amount of movies this week and stay in their pajamas for days on end just because I didn't feel good and didn't want to deal with them.

I also did not drive while so extremely exhausted. Nope. I didn't drive Libby to the doctor and on the way there think, "Wow, I really am so tired I shouldn't be driving." Nope, not me.

I also didn't weigh myself 3 times a day for the last couple of days just waiting to see if any weight was coming off. That would be obsessive. I am not obsessive.

I am also not counting down the days until my birthday when I can make this cake. Nope. I am done with sugar and will never eat anything that is bad for me again. Not me.

how about it? What didn't you do???

Gratitude Sunday

I know it's late, but here is my Gratitude Sunday. I was trying to sew yesterday and Libby was getting fussy. So, Seth came in and started entertaining her. I am so grateful that he is such a huge helper and loves his sisters so much.

Love you Bubs!