It's my BLOG and I'll cry if I want to

My Diva turned 3 today

2012-01-06T22:01:00.001-05:00

Can't believe she is 3 already. I couldn't ask for a sweeter little girl. Cant wait for her party Sunday

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Christmas day

2011-12-25T14:30:00.001-05:00

Liam and his present

Eating green pancakes

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Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T20:21:00.001-05:00

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Santa came for a visit

2011-12-21T21:03:00.001-05:00

Santa decided to see if the kids have been good this year.

However my 5 year old wasn't so easily fooled telling Santa he was actually his pop pop dressed up (so he was right)

And here is what he had to say after Santa left....

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What a day yesterday

2011-12-03T13:10:00.001-05:00

2-year-old girl injured in mall escalator accident, police say I was there when this happened. Since I am trained in first aid and cpr I did what I could with two other people for the little girl and her mom until EMS arrived. I didn't see the actual accident but her the screaming mom. I will never forget that sound. When she didn't stop screaming I grabbed my two little ones and ran over to see what was going on. I just couldn't not help. I am trained to do these things even though its not something I ever expected to do. My heart and prayers go out to her and her mom.

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Just another day....

2011-12-01T15:12:00.001-05:00

Had to exchange a pair of shoes I bought Madi last month and get dress shoes for the kids for the family pic Sunday.....four pairs of shoes and $31.38 later and we are set. Then it was off to have lunch with daddy and mommom, while there an elderly gentelman asks to speak to hubby.....he had thought Liam was a cancer baby because he had no hair.....this really concerned the gentleman....well Liam is only 7 months....and he does have some hair just light. Maybe it was that and his eye that made the man think that I don't know. But the man was very relieved to hear Liam was healthy.

Now we are home and the crazy boy is crawling around with things in his mouth like he is a dog LOL.

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wordless wednesday

2011-11-30T08:51:00.001-05:00

I had an encounter with secret santa last night....totally amazing

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Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-24T14:32:00.001-04:00

Noah was spreading Congenital Heart Defects Awareness by using his sister. (yes those are stickers in her hair)

Goodbye 30's.....

2010-03-12T12:17:00.002-05:00

Hmm tomorrow I turn 40...really though it doesn't bother me. I have so much else on my mind that my age isn't even a factor. First off my youngest who just turned 1 back in January needs eye surgery on both eyes. We just found out Tuesday and surgery is in May. She has a condition called esotropia. Hers is the alternating kind. Needless to say this has me slightly stressed. I mean it is nowhere near open heart surgery like Noah had but still the EYES! I have a real thing for the eyes as my dad lost an eye at a young age to an accident while playing outside. I was looking into vision therapy for her but it seems after consulting with another doctor that she is too young for that. I will try with one other doctor but it looks as if for now it is the surgery. Add to all of this I am starting a new position at my job April 11th. I have no clue of my schedule so planning things is kinda hard.
Noah had his 4th birthday this past Sunday, he is doing very well this winter with no flare ups of his plastic bronchitis. Still wondering whether the procedure they did on him in July "cured" the plastic bronchitis or what is going on with him. Only time will really tell, but as long as his casts stay away I am a happy momma!

Birthday has come and gone...

2010-01-18T12:06:00.003-05:00

Diva's first birthday has come and gone. On her birthday I made her a cake and for some reason the girl does not like icing

yes that is her gagging(and puking) on the icing of her cake.

So for her party this past weekend I bought a cake and got the whipped cream icing thinking maybe buttercream was too sweet for her....

NOPE same reaction.....guess she doesn't like icing at all. Who would have thought. Aside from the icing issue she had a great time at her party with family and friends.

Happy Birthday DIVA! You get more precious everyday!

Happy Birthday Baby

2010-01-06T15:47:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to my little Diva Morgan Rylee Marie

Tonights Dinner

2010-01-05T14:53:00.001-05:00

Pot Pie is on the menu for tonights dinner although I will be using turkey instead of chicken. We had a turkey dinner Sunday to use up one of the turkeys taking up space in my freezer....so I will be using the leftovers to make pot pie. I doubt my older boys will eat it (picky brats) but I am sure the little ones will try it.

Scarf

2010-01-05T14:31:00.000-05:00

This is the scarf I knit for my father for his birthday. His birthday was Dec 7th and I am a bit late but I am so proud that my first knit project is complete! Now on to the baby blanket I want to do.....

DIVA

2010-01-03T17:23:00.000-05:00

She is just a silly girl....

1 year....

2009-12-30T12:51:00.001-05:00

Next Wednesday my little Diva turns 1...how fast this year has gone by

Our new rug

2009-09-25T08:39:00.003-04:00

Our old rug was just plain nasty! No matter what I did it would not get clean. The kids would have black socks and the baby would have black knees and feet from crawling. We got lucky and knew someone getting a new rug and their old one was still in great shape (oh to have money to change things like that just because....) they offered it to us and we just couldn't say no.

the old rug...the picture just doesn't show how "dirty" it really was

Here is a picture of the new rug.

We have a winner...

2009-09-25T08:18:00.002-04:00

Sorry all that I got sidetracked and just picked a winner. We have been busy all week moving furniture out of two rooms and laying new rug. We are done (except for some small cleanup left for me) and I will post a picture later. But for now here is your winner

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

3

Timestamp: 2009-09-25 12:17:46 UTC

Congratulations to Frugal Carol! I will be contacting you via email.

Don't forget to enter

2009-09-22T09:48:00.001-04:00

Zhu Zhu pet giveaway

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-16T09:03:00.002-04:00

My oldest boy playing football, he is number 49

For more Wordless Wednesday visit 5 Minutes For Mom

Diva turned 8 months

2009-09-08T13:32:00.003-04:00

Such a happy baby she is....Diva crawls everywhere at the speed of light and is into everything! She pulls herself up to stand on the sofa and anything else that will hold still long enough. She went to her first football games this past weekend to watch her oldest brother play! And food??? There is nothing this girl won't eat! She LOVES eating. She is such a blessing to have around!

Pets with No Mess and a GIVEAWAY

2009-09-08T12:34:00.008-04:00

We got the chance to check out the new Zhu Zhu pet hamsters. Zhu Zhu Pets are the world’s first innovative, realistic, interactive, plush, and artificially intelligent hamsters that talk and move around in their own playsets. Zhu Zhu Pets include two play modes: nurturing mode where the hamsters coo and purr, and adventure mode where the hamsters explore their habitat with intelligent audio and mechanical responses to various habitat stimuli. Over a dozen add-ons can be purchased to build an ever-evolving hamsterworld for your hamsters to play in and explore. Zhu Zhu Pets are the newest craze among kids and expected to be the most popular toy of the year.
My kids (and cat) definitely loved these little guys! We had some of the neighbor kids over to play with them and take one home. Everyone had so much fun playing with their new pets and the habitat for them. The hamster ball was the biggest hit! The sets are easy to put together in fact my 12 year old put all of them together for his siblings. Getting pictures was tough, no one sat still long enough to really get pictures even the cat was chasing them thinking they were real....but here are a few

Now for the great news. One of you can become the owner of your very own Zhu Zhu pet! (remember Christmas is coming and these are going to be hot toys this year) To enter go to Zhu Zhu pets
and leave a comment telling me which hamster is your favorite. For extra entries subscribe to my blog, follow me on twitter or add my button to your blog. Leave separate comments for each. Winner will be chosen September 22 at noon. Good Luck!

New One Hour Parties....

2009-08-25T05:57:00.002-04:00

How would you love to throw an ice cream party (Party includes: vanilla ice cream (4-6 ounces per serving), chocolate sauce, M&M's, rainbow sprinkles, gummy bears, maraschino cherries and whipped topping. You'll also get ice cream scoop, white napkins, red paper table cover, white bowls, white spoons and set up. This is a self serve party.) for the kids without all the work? Let One Hour Parties help you...One Hour Parties is the most exciting and fun franchise concept on the market today. They provide easy, creative and affordable party planning solutions for corporate celebrations, kid's parties, weddings and more. One Hour Parties has a unique brand position that uses bright colors, a playful and trademarked name, catchy slogans and is the umbrella for a family of great services. Recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the nation's top "Smart Ideas", and Seattle Magazine’s “Top 25 Innovators and Entrepreneurs Award,” One Hour Parties has become the service for employee appreciation events, kid’s parties, birthdays, weddings, Bar / Bat Mitzvahs, family reunions, product launches, picnics, holidays, meeting and lunch breaks, training sessions, bridal and baby showers or any other home or office celebration. The market is huge and the possibilities are endless! Franchise opportunities are available! Stop and check them out today.

And so it begins....

2009-08-24T12:16:00.002-04:00

School is one week away, it is still summer, yet the colds have begun. Noah's turned into an ear infection and of course the horrid cough from having plastic bronchitis. Morgan also caught the cold and ended up giving herself pink eye....they love me so much they gave the cold to me. It is going to be a long winter I dread. I just hope I can keep Noah as healthy as possible and avoid the hospital with him. A bright note if there is one, beings as we saw the doc yesterday they gave Morgan and Noah their flu shots. Now to get everyone else one.

Wordless Wednesday The Zoo

2009-08-19T11:11:00.002-04:00

Nathan feeding lories at the zoo

Madisyn feeding the lories

Madisyn, Nathan and Noah

For more Wordless Wednesday visit 5 Minutes for Mom

Near and dear to me....

2009-08-19T10:56:00.003-04:00

Saving Little Hearts is such a wonderful cause. SLH helps children with congenital heart defects and their families by providing emotional assistance and educational information. They distribute Care Packages, have support groups and parent matching. I love the parent matching....when Noah was diagnosed with his plastic bronchitis, I reached out to Karin and SLH to help me find other parents who had children with plastic bronchitis and I was able to talk to at least a half a dozen other parents. Noah has also received one of their wonderful care packages when he had one of his heart surgeries. Each year a calendar is designed containing pictures of children with heart defects. Noah has been in this calendar before and will be in 2010. In fact many of you know the little guy on the cover for 2010...stop and check it out and see who it is. Stop by the website today and see what you can do to help a child.

Zoo

2009-08-13T20:33:00.001-04:00

I love this photo!

I took the kids to a nearby zoo today and they had a blast! We saw a lot of cool animals and got to see a penguin feeding before we left. Of course after the penguins ate my kids stood there each asking a bunch more questions to the man telling them all about the penguins and how they are fed at this zoo. Leave it to my crew to want to be the center of attention.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-08-05T16:15:00.001-04:00

For more Wordless Wednesday visit 5 Minutes for Mom and Frugal Finds

Isn't she sweet

2009-08-02T14:13:00.000-04:00

She is just too sweet in my eyes....maybe that's because I'm her mother? Nah too sweet!

Morgan got her ears pierced

2009-07-30T08:44:00.003-04:00

Morgan got her ears pierced last night after we had photos done of all the kids. She did really good with it. She has cute little pink earrings.

Wordless Wednesday 7-29

2009-07-29T07:54:00.004-04:00

We had a thunderstorm yesterday and things went from this

to this in a matter of seconds when a huge crack of lightening hit close by.

For more Wordless Wednesday head on over to 5 Minutes for Mom!

Blog Hop Favorite Kid Photos

2009-07-28T10:08:00.004-04:00

This week's Blog Hop theme is Favorite Kid Photos. You can have one or more of your favorite photos your kids, grandkids, someone else's kid or even YOU when you were a kid. Funny, precious, heartwarming... your favorite!.
Well this is hard because I have soo many favorite photos but here are just a few

Menu Monday and Road Trips

2009-07-27T13:45:00.003-04:00

Two days this week I have "road trips", which are doctor/dental appointments for Noah. These are a drive for us...I try to make simple and quick things on those days. Tuesday he has his routine dental checkup but due to his heart condition he has to see a dentist that is about a half hour drive from us. Thursday he has his cardiology visit. This is an hour and a half drive one way. I am anxious for this appointment so I can hear what his doctor has to say about his heart cath he had back on the 14th. And what he thinks it means in relation to Noah's plastic bronchitis. Next week then we drive an hour to see Noah's pulmonologist, who I am also anxious to see and hear what he has to say about the cath and the plastic bronchitis. I hope to hear some new answers but I am not getting my hopes up. For those who don't know plastic bronchitis is a very rare condition that seems to occur in kids like Noah who have had a certain open heart surgery called the Fontan. It is thick and rubber like mucous that fills his bronchial tubes. He coughs these things up every so often and it is a very rough time for him when he does. They really don't have a true cure for this condition the best they can do for now is just treat it to try and make it more livable. I have been doing my research though and have a few questions on things that have been tried on other kids like Noah with some success. And now...

This weeks menu

Monday: leftover pizza
Tuesday: (road trip day) spaghetti
Wednesday: sausage, lipton noodles, broccoli
Thursday (road trip) homemade chicken fingers, buttered noodles, peas
Friday: hotdogs and homemade fries
Saturday: grilled chicken and grilled potatoes, applesauce

For more menus this week head over to Organizing Junkie!

Sleeping Beauty

2009-07-24T12:47:00.003-04:00

I should have saved this for a Wordless Wednesday but I just couldn't resist...

I don't do Mangos

2009-07-23T17:43:00.003-04:00

I must say I have been doing really well making Morgan's food. And so far she has liked it all. Until today...I tried Mangos. I should have known from the start it was a bad idea. I have never eaten a Mango before or bought one. But for the Diva I bought 2 and was going to do this. Well let me say cutting it open (the way it said to online...yes I had to google how to cut a Mango) didn't exactly go the way it was supposed to. Not sure why. So I decided to steam it a bit to make sure it pureed nicely. I think I added too much water to it. It was more like Mango juice when it was done. So the inventive person I am added to it. I won't go into detail as to the additions I made, as to spare myself from hearing the laughter of my friends. But what is done is done. I will offer it to her and see if she likes it. If not...well the dog will get a treat. So today's lesson learned....I will stay away from the Mangos and stick with fruits I eat.

Wordless Wednesday 7-14

2009-07-15T12:09:00.004-04:00

Yesterday my 3 year old went in for his cardiac catherization. Here he is checking out his newly placed IV

RECALL of Play yards!

2009-07-08T11:23:00.001-04:00

Check here for the list if you have a play yard for your little one!!! There have been 1 million of them recalled.

Wordless Wednesday 7-8

2009-07-08T00:34:00.003-04:00

Unfortunately he was NOT helping me weed...he was digging a trench for his cars....

You can see more Wordless Wednesday here and here

Ok...

2009-07-07T13:42:00.001-04:00

I am having a blast blog hopping! Only thing is I am finding so many new blogs to follow I don't know how I will ever keep up with them all! LOL

MckLinky Blog Hop

2009-07-07T09:21:00.005-04:00

MckMama and Brent Riggs have gotten together and started a weekly blog hop....you really have to check it out.
This week is a favorite photo...umm that is a hard one for me because I have soo many favorites. I just took this one last night of my little diva. She was 6 months old yesterday.

Little DIVA

6 months....

2009-07-06T22:31:00.003-04:00

I can't believe my little diva turned 6 months old already today....

Meal Planning Monday

2009-07-06T10:19:00.002-04:00

This weeks menu....

Monday ham steaks, broccoli cheddar noodles, applesauce

Tuesday homemade pizzas

Wednesday meatloaf, grilled potates, corn on the cob

Thursday grilled sausage, buttered noodles, applesauce

Friday shake n bake porkchops, rice, peas

Saturday BBQ chicken, stuffed potatoes, applesauce

Sunday LEFTOVER night

For more menu plans visit Organizing Junkie

4th of July

2009-07-05T12:14:00.004-04:00

Yesterday morning I took the little ones to a parade. Oh how they enjoy themselves! Here are a few shots I took while we waited for the parade to start.

Baby Float Recall

2009-07-02T08:54:00.003-04:00

Aqua Leisure announced a recall of many of their baby floats. There have been incidents where the leg straps have broken off leading to children falling into the water. I checked out the recall and the one we have is on there. There are many versions of these baby floats and the date ranges from 8/02 to 7/08. You can go here for more information. Go check your baby floats NOW!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-01T08:45:00.003-04:00

Waterlily from my pond

For more WW check out these places Frugal Finds, The Not so Blog's Experimental Mommy and 5 Minutes for Mom

Menu Plan Monday

2009-06-29T11:20:00.004-04:00

ah, it's been awhile since I planned oout my weekly menu. I really need to get back into the swing of things because my weekly menu all planned out at the beginning of the week makes for much less stress for me. Not to mention dinner that is on time because I am not sitting there deciding what to make.

Here is this weeks menu
Monday: HM mac and cheese with stewed tomatoes (recipe for mac n cheese from san giorgio)
Tuesday: ham and bean soup using the leftover ham I baked last week.
Wednesday: Chicken Stir Fry
Thursday: Baja Citrus porkchops, grilled potatoes and carrots
Friday: chicken nuggets and fries
Saturday: pasta of some sort
Sunday: chicken and linguine with alfredo sauce

Head on over to Organizing Junkie to see what everyone else is cooking this week!

wv68ejqizh

New Look...

2009-06-28T11:47:00.002-04:00

So what do you think of the new blog look??
Yesterday not only did I make the prunes but I also made some carrots too. It seems pretty easy to make the baby food. Today I may make some applesauce with some apples we have. I just hope Morgan enjoys eating these things as much as I am making them!

Prunes....

2009-06-27T15:21:00.007-04:00

I decided I wanted to try my hand at making baby food for Morg. I think it is a great way to be both frugal and healthy. Plus it will give her more variety than jarred baby food does. So today I attempted prunes....I happened to have a box of dried prunes on hand that I had gotten for Noah who decided they are gross.

First I soaked the prunes in hot water.

Then I mashed them gently as I put them in the food processor just to be sure there were not pits.

I added water from what I soaked them in and kept adding until it got the texture I wanted.

It looked like this

and here it is ready to freeze

Baby Bash

2009-06-27T13:03:00.001-04:00

Head on over to Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House for all the details on Baby Bash! There are so many great sponsers you won't want to miss this!!

Wordless Wednesday....attempting to crawl

2009-06-24T09:18:00.002-04:00

Morgan 5½ months old

Playing....

2009-06-23T16:07:00.000-04:00

Just playing with the Picasa program....

Pictures..... Edited

2009-06-23T10:07:00.003-04:00

I have been looking for a free photo editor to use on my photos. Last night I downloaded Picasa 3. I think this is the program for me, at least for now until I learn more of the editing deal...
I took this picture of my cousin's little boy and

did this to it....

I think she will be happy when she sees this new photo!!
I can't wait to mess with more pictures.

Wordless Wednesday-gymnastics show

2009-06-17T11:53:00.003-04:00

My 6 yr old preparing to take the beam at her first gymnastic show this past weekend.

Big Catch

2009-06-16T14:43:00.002-04:00

My 11 yr old went fishing with his dad overnight in Ocean City, MD and this is what he brought home....his first big ocean catch...

Dogfish Shark (it was 3ft in length)

Wordless Wednesday...The Moon

2009-06-03T08:50:00.002-04:00

I took this photo last night

2009-05-22T09:03:00.001-04:00

2009 Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest

2009-05-22T09:00:00.005-04:00

Do you have a winning shot? Send in your best photos—in categories like Animals/Wildlife, Travel, and Weather—for a chance to win a National Geographic Expeditions trip for two to the Galápagos Islands! The winning photo will also be featured in National Geographic magazine.

This year, the Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest is all about you. Send in your photos, rate contest entries, see how your favorites are doing, and ask award-winning photographer and contest judge Jim Richardson your photography questions.

There's no question about one thing: To get the best shot, you need the best equipment. That's where Energizer comes in. Energizer® Ultimate Lithium AA and AAA batteries are the world's longest lasting batteries in high-tech devices. They last up to eight times longer than Energizer® MAX® in digital cameras (results vary by camera)—which means you can take your mind off your batteries and focus on capturing that winning photo.

Go here to enter or just check out all the amazing photos!

Wordless Wednesday..Happy 6th Birthday Madisyn Grace

2009-05-13T07:59:00.003-04:00

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

Kayleigh

2009-05-12T17:46:00.002-04:00

Please pray for Adam and Aimee and their family as Kayleigh earned her angel wings last night. Also tune in tomorrow to the show The Doctors for an episode of Kayleigh.

So

2009-04-23T09:00:00.002-04:00

I have decided to do some Spring cleaning....I have weeded through my google reader and got rid of subscriptions to blogs that no longer hold my interest. Some may have been added as a contest entry but the blog just didn't capture my attention or maybe I have moved on from that topic...whatever the case I did some cleaning up and am ready to search for some new blogs. I kept many of my old favorites and miss reading up on them daily. I hope to be able to do that again now that I cleaned up a bit.
I made it through one night of work with 2 more to go....ugh I dread the thought of no sleep...I hate being so tired and I just hate work period. But it must be done so I suck it up and deal with it.....
This weekend is supposed to be beautiful weather and I am excited to have some warmth again.

painted piggy toes....

2009-04-22T16:06:00.001-04:00

My how she has grown already and she's all ready for summer with her painted nails.....

Please Pray for Kayleigh

2009-04-22T12:58:00.001-04:00

She needs our prayers NOW!!

Wordless Wednesday....

2009-04-22T08:21:00.003-04:00

Had these pics to post yesterday for Stellan but never got them on my blog....so we are still

PRAYING FOR STELLAN

For more wordless wednesday visit 5 Minutes for Mom

Today....

2009-04-20T10:25:00.002-04:00

Today I have a doctor appt for myself. I have had bad aches in all my joints now for months and it keeps getting worse. So I finally made time for me and am going to hopefully get some relief.
Today my daughter goes to get her car. She is going to enter into a 30 month loan. Hopefully all goes well and she starts to establish some credit (good credit) for herself. I am so excited for her.

Let's see

2009-04-19T09:42:00.005-04:00

Baby is sleeping...the other little ones are at a fishing rodeo with daddy. Speaking of fishing. Noah caught his first fish....

cool huh? He was soo proud. Oh and being proud? My oldest finally went and took her drivers test and passed. Here is the car she is buying tomorrow

I love the color.

Work is work and the kids are keeping me busy with the warm weather the last few days. Hopefully it stays warm now!

Not much

2009-04-14T14:18:00.001-04:00

Not much going on here. Tomorrow is our follow up visit at the allergy asthma doctor for little man.
Friday my oldest takes her drivers test....wish her luck on the parallel parking deal. She is hit or miss on it it seems.

Sheesh...

2009-04-08T15:17:00.003-04:00

Ya know who knew a newborn and a bunch of other kids along with working would take up so much time. LOL! Just kidding. But it has been busy here, with the Little Man and being so sick with countless doctor visits, the fact that he was nice enough to share his ailments with his newborn sister....meaning breathing treatments for them both. And THEN...a wonderful friend of mine convinced me to join facebook.....the evil rotten facebook and it's damn games. Especially the damn mafia wars....so I have been on there WAY too much!
Ugh, baby is awake now....can you believe she is 3 months old now? And check her out...
ok first big brother...

2009-03-02T17:52:00.001-05:00

I haven't abandoned my blog I promise. My laptop died and I also was without internet for a few days. I am back though now and promise to write!

Yesterday....

2009-02-07T12:22:00.002-05:00

Yesterday my little princess turned 1 month old already. Wow, that time went fast. She had her one month old appointment at the doctors and she gained 2lbs since birth. I was so shocked.

Thursday wasn't as great of a day....my little man was admitted to the hospital for a few hours. He was having some issues with his oxygen levels. He also has some gunk in his chest and they were saying viral pneumonia...but different docs had different opinions. We got some IV meds and ended up going home for me to monitor him. He is still down and out but on the mend.

A post worth sharing...

2009-02-01T11:13:00.002-05:00

Please take a moment to stop over and read this wonderful post at We are THAT Family

slightly shaded pink

2009-01-30T13:25:00.001-05:00

Your rainbow is slightly shaded pink.

What is says about you: You are a grateful person. You appreciate everyone around you. You are a good listener and your friends are glad to have you around in difficult times.

Find the colors of your rainbow at spacefem.com.

Morgan is a big cousin

2009-01-29T18:30:00.003-05:00

Hubby's cousin and his wife had their baby today. Here is Morgan meeting her new cousin. They were both fast asleep. He was 8lbs 3oz and 22in. Not sure what the little princess weighs these days.

look at me playing

If you do one thing today....

2009-01-24T13:38:00.002-05:00

Please take a moment to read this post over at Baby Cheapskate!

Together we can make a difference!

Tugging at my heart.....

2009-01-22T14:17:00.002-05:00

He's not a ham now is he?

"Little Princess" as we like to call her. 16 days old

Yesterday I packed these two up for the hour and a half journey to little man's heart doctor appt. Little princess was so very good on this long journey. The appt went well and his doctor is still very pleased with how his heart looks and is functioning. I am so happy to hear this! I can't believe that it is almost a year since he had his last surgery. I am just greatful for how healthy of a heart child he is.

Messin around

2009-01-18T17:59:00.003-05:00

My camera came yesterday and today I was messing around with it. There is a lot for me to learn about this camera but here are some shots I got today that I liked.

My gift to myself....

2009-01-15T20:24:00.002-05:00

Today I ordered this for myself. Did I really need a new camera? Probably not but it is my belated Christmas present/early birthday present to myself....or maybe I can just call it my "congratulations on the new baby" gift to myself. I am very anxious for it to arrive and test it out. Not that I know all that much about photography, but I know I would love to learn more than to point and shoot. (anyone know of any good online sites to learn please share them with me. I would love a SLR camera but it just isn't in the budget. From what I read this is pretty darn close to having one, or at least I think so. I am no camera expert. I really probably should have used that money towards a new washer, which I really should get, yeah my old one works but it is VERY OLD and I am sure the clothes would look a lot better with a new washer. Or I could have put that money towards new furniture which I really should get too or even the living room rug we need to replace. But hey those things can wait...I needed ok well wanted this camera. I will work on the other things when I get my tax refund.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-01-14T13:22:00.002-05:00

Isn't she so sweet?

ugh and this is my water right now....hope they are working on this problem!

Check this out

2009-01-13T13:59:00.002-05:00

This button will take you to a page over at 5 Minutes For Special Needs set up with online games. Janice and Susan from 5 Minutes For Mom set it up for Parker. The proceeds from playing these games will go to Parker’s medical fund.

And if you don't know who Parker is I urge you to stop here

My little sweetheart has finally arrived!

2009-01-08T14:05:00.003-05:00

Morgan Rylee Marie arrived into this world Tuesday January 6 at 7:40am making a grand entrance and being delivered by her nurse because she was too impatient to wait for the doctor to arrive. Even her daddy missed the birth when he ran for coffee.
Here is her first picture

2 days old

Still here and pregnant....

2009-01-01T13:43:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year to all. Hope everyone had a safe and fun night last night.
My hopes of having my New Years Baby, the first one of the year, were dashed last night. Oh well, I never really believed I could get lucky enough to have her then. Especially when it isn't my actual due date until Monday. None of my others have come early, so I didn't think she would either. But one can have hope.
Nothing much happened here last night. The two oldest went out with friends and we stayed home with the 3 youngest. Two of them made it to midnight. Me and Noah went up to bed a little after 11. I know it was so close but I had such a headache and was so discouraged that I had no contractions I just wanted to sleep.
Today, I am running around doing all kinds of cleaning and organizing, not to be ready for the baby but to hopefully kick start labor. So far it isn't helping any. I still plan to take my tree down today, I already cleaned all the kids rooms and did a bunch of wash and steamed the kitchen floor. I have our traditional pork and sauerkraut in the crockpot and the smell is driving me insane. I cannot wait to eat it. The kids aren't fond of it but I only make them eat it once a year.
Well must get back to my "work" I have sat long enough. Gotta evict this baby girl! So feel free to send me all your labor vibes cuz I am sure ready to meet our new gal. (now if only we had a name ready, lol)

Wow

2008-12-27T14:07:00.003-05:00

Has it really been that long since I blogged....I have been so busy trying to get ready for the baby and working that I just never seem to be online anymore. My google reader is filled with things to read....my inbox is over stuffed...and I fear once the baby comes it will get even worse. I guess one must make sacrifices though.
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. My kids were spoiled of course and enjoyed the day. I was exhausted of course and paranoid I would go into labor before they opened their presents. But alas we made it through the day. I am still hnoping for my New Years Baby. My 12:01am January 1st baby.... I am seriously tired of being pregnant now though. I am in pain and just plain out miserable and working 4 nights a week doesn't help either.

I will share a few Christmas pics with you. I had intentions of taking a ton and as usual the camera got swept aside while I handed out presents to the crew. So here this is all I have to share

The tree

Madisyn

Noah

Noah and Raychel

My nephew

Another Wordless Wednesday (and a lil update)

2008-12-17T08:53:00.002-05:00

Four of the kids and the Christmas tree the two youngest decorated.

Now a quick little update. I know it has been 2 weeks since I blogged and I feel terrible about it. I have just been so busy getting ready for the baby, working and just plain out too tired. I have been having a lot of back pain for a few weeks now and it really hurts to sit at the desk on my computer. Yeah I have this laptop but I hate dragging it around. All the kids come and hit the keyboard and mess things up. So bear with me and I promise to try and blog more. (of my non important ramblings lol)

Wordless Wednesday

2008-12-03T10:49:00.001-05:00

Hair Masterpiece done by my 5 year old....
this poor boy

I'm Done....I think

2008-12-01T09:54:00.002-05:00

I think I can officially say I am done with my Christmas shopping. I took advantage of a few cyber monday deals for the little guy and I think I have him finished. My goal this year was to be done shopping by Dec 1st and it looks like I did it. Now to just wrap it all.....anyone wanna help? I hate wrapping gifts. I shouldn't say that. I don't mind wrapping one or two but Christmas time...oh how I dread that. I guess I will have to start doing one or two a day to get it done before Christmas Eve. I also hate to see then what all I really did buy for the kids. I need to learn more self control in that department. Why is it you go shopping for one child but cant' find what you want for them but stuff for all the others who really didn't need anything else? Am I the only one with that issue? Please tell me I am not alone here folks. I admit my kids get too much each year. Every year I say they won't get as much and somehow when it is all done they have more than needed. I really will work on that next year. What cyber monday deals have you taken advantage of?

I'm still alive...

2008-11-29T16:57:00.002-05:00

Hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving.
I of course had to work Thursday night which left me a bit bummed since I like to be out when the stores open Black Friday. But I waited until I left work at 7am and went. I must say I did miss a few of the deals I went out for since I got a late start. But all in all I think I did good. I actually ended up coming home and staying up with the kids while hubby got things in order for hunting on Monday. I can honestly say I was up for 24 hours. Not a fun thing. I should have done a lot of things today but I just couldn't. My body is too tired. So maybe tomorrow.

It's Almost Here.....

2008-11-24T13:16:00.003-05:00

Black Friday is just about here. I am a bit bummed because I have to work until 7am Friday morning. Hubby looked at me like I was nuts when I said I was bummed but I told him. Hey Black Friday to me is like opening day of Buck Season to you... but to be truthful there isn't anything I want that I have to be out there at 4 or 5am. There are a few deals I would like to take advantage of though so I will make a quick trip on my way home from work. I have a few things I still need to get for some people. Also some of the Black Friday deals are available online now. You can check those out here So what about you? What do you do on Black Friday? Do you get up early and go out shopping? Do you watch your computer starting Thanksgiving eve for the deals to start showing up online? Or do you just not care at all about all the fuss of the day? Make sure to stop back here Saturday and share with me your finds and deals from the day! I would love to hear how you made out! You know I will be sharing mine!

PS And make sure you stop by this website where you can watch 101 Classic Christmas Videos online!!

Ridemakerz

2008-11-23T13:01:00.003-05:00

A little over a week ago MomSelect contacted me about checking out a product. Of course I was thrilled to say yes. They sent me a gift card to Ridemakerz. Ridemakerz is like Build a Bear for boys. Any boy (man) who loves cars and building models would love to have one of these vehicles. You go to the website and can pick out your vehicle and all the accesories for it. You can even have it made as a remote control. Ridemakerz sends you your package and you put it together. My son picked out a truck similar to this one

Our package is on it's way to us now and both of us are excited for it to come. You will have to check back to see his truck and the finished product!
Right now I have an online code for you to get $10 off a $30 purchase at Ridemakerz. Just enter code 93486 during the checkout. This code is good until January 4, 2009. This would make any boy (man) a great Christmas gift!
I would love to hear from anyone who orders from Ridemakerz to hear what you picked out!

BABIES (updated)

2008-11-21T12:18:00.003-05:00

Last night I got up to go to work and everyone was gathered around our fish tank. It seems one of our guppies had babies. It was rather late so hubby had to wait until this morning to remove them from the tank. Half of them disappeared overnight, either becoming fish food for the other tank mates or by being sucked up through the filter. He did get the other tank we have set up and put the remaining babies in there this morning. I wish I could get a picture of them but it is just so hard since they are so tiny. Hopefully most of them make it. The kids are really enjoying watching the baby fish this morning. I will keep you posted on their progress.

I was able to get a picture of some of the babies

Another Layaway Option

2008-11-19T08:34:00.002-05:00

Kmart Layaway for the Holidays is another layaway option for you to use.
All you do is pick out your items, take them to the layaway counter and put down a down payment. Make payments every 2 weeks and when it is paid off take your items home. Simple as that.
Your down payment is either a $5.00 layaway fee plus a $10 cancellation fee (in case you cancel) or 10% of the total whichever is greater. Maryland has it's own layaway rules so be sure to check that out if needed. Of course certain items are not allowed to be put on layaway. Make sure to check out the site for full rules and details.
And remember layaway isn't just for the holidays. Use it for back to school shopping, birthday shopping whatever you can think of. It is a great way to spread out your spending on larger priced items. Both of my older boys have birthdays in July a week apart and layaway is a good option for me to purchase their birthday gifts without breaking my budget. I also like to use layaway for back to school shopping. With a large family it helps to be able to spread out the cost of back to school. And with layaway I know the kids will be able to pick the styles of items they really want instead of waiting and having to pick from what is left.
What other ways do you use layaway??
Make sure you stop by the Kmart site for your printable $5.00 off coupon good until Nov 30th.

It's Wordless Wednesday!

2008-11-19T08:23:00.003-05:00

I think this was so cute. The kids were raking leaves over the weekend and Noah was picking them out of the tree and putting them in his little container on the ground....apple picking must have left a real impression on him. LOL.

The Finalists are Announced

2008-11-18T12:19:00.002-05:00

The photo finalists at 5 Minutes for Mom are up. Make sure you stop by and vote for your favorite today. The winner gets that $500 grocery card. Congrats to all the finalists and good luck!

Layaway with Sears

2008-11-18T11:39:00.007-05:00

Did you know that Sears now offers a layaway program? For only $15 or 20% down (whichever is greater) you can layaway most items at Sears and pick it up by December 23rd.
Layaway is a great option for many people. I used to use layaway all the time at Christmas. I was upset when stores starting doing away with layaway plans. Layaway lets me stretch out my shopping over more time and allows me to purchase the things I want. And if I wait to pick my layaway up until the end I don't have the hassle of "hiding" my Christmas gifts from the kids. We all know how they like to search around to find the stuff ahead of time. This year I am considering putting a few things on Sears Layaway for Christmas like this

Fuji Finepix Z20FD Camera for my oldest,

PSP, NCAA Football 09 for my middle boy

and the Playskool Clipo Big Bucket: Playskool Clipo Big Bucket for my little guy.

49 Days to go....

2008-11-17T14:15:00.002-05:00

And here she is....
This is last weeks pictures. The top one is a good one of her profile. You can tell she will look like my two youngest. The bottom one at the top is her foot. The tech thought it made a neat picture...

Crockpot Applesauce

2008-11-17T11:45:00.003-05:00

I made my applesauce yesterday. It got great the only thing I will change is to not put the cinnamon in mine when I cook it. The kids like it better without cinnamon. Otherwise it was simple and yummy.
Here are a few pictures

The final product...

This was a double batch of the recipe from A Year of Crockpoting

Outdoors Person In Your Life?

2008-11-16T16:17:00.002-05:00

Have someone you know who loves the outdoors? Sierra Adventure Gear has lots of great items for your shopping needs. They carry great names like Maglite, Luminox and more. There are backpacks, camping gear, watches, emergency kits, tents and many many more items on their website.
They have quick shipping policy and all orders are shipped within 24 hours of being received (except for weekends and holidays). Orders received on Friday will be shipped Monday (next business day). If you would like to expedite your order, we do offer 2 and 3 day shipping (weekends and holidays are excluded).

Check out their Return Policy
Sierra Adventure Gear will accept all products that are returned to us in its original condition and within 20 days of our shipping. After 20 days, this policy becomes null and void.

The buyer is responsible for return shipping charges and may be subject to a 15% restocking fee
(miss-shipped or defective products will not be charged). All merchandise purchased on sale or special order will not be eligible for return. Sierra Adventure Gear reserves the right to refuse returned items that appear to be used, adjusted, damaged or the original packaged is defaced or absent upon return.

Defective Merchandise

If you receive an item that is defective, you have within 20 days to return the item. Once we have received the defective item and determine that the item is defective, we will resend you a new item at no cost.

This 2 person emergency kit would make a great gift for someone who travels to keep in their car.
Sierra Adventure accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover cards. Stop by and get some holiday shopping done right from home.

Sunday

2008-11-16T16:14:00.003-05:00

Not much happening here. I have my applesauce cooking in the crockpot and I even am taking pictures to share. Yesterday was so warm here and now today it is cold and windy. Gotta love the weather. Hope you all are relaxing the day away!

Looking for Eyeglasses?

2008-11-16T11:31:00.002-05:00

I am in desperate need of new glasses. I know the prescription needs to be adjusted and I am just waiting until after I have the baby to go get them. ZenniOptical has prescription eyeglasses online for as low as $8.00!
ZenniOptical uses the latest modern materials, manufacturing and marketing systems to bring their product direct from our factories to you. No middlemen, no retail overhead, and practically no advertising budget. This allows them to bring you great prices for their own name brand glasses.
To place an order, you need to have at least a prescription for corrective eyeglass lens and your pupillary distance. If you have a prescription for contact lens, it may not be used to make eyeglasses.

When you have your eyes examined, request the PD of the person who does your exam, since corrected lens cannot be made without it. It’s used to position the optical center of the lens so that you will be able to easily see through the lens, to center the correction in front of the pupil of your eye, in the eyeglasses. Therefore, you cannot alter your PD simply to have it match the specifications of a frame that you might want (which will not accept your PD), because you will not be able to see through a lens produced from incorrect information. I know when I go in for my exam I will be asking for the PD along with my prescription! For more information on this read this page.
They even offer a guarantee which states (taken from website)
OUR GUARANTEE:

We take great pride in delivering a quality product at an incredibly low price. Each order is carefully checked by our certified technicians for prescription accuracy and optical clarity before shipment. Since all orders are custom produced and unique, all sales are final. Please be very careful in filling out the order form.

If you are dissatisfied with your eyeglasses for any reason, they may be returned for a -50% refund within a period of four weeks. We do not reimburse for shipping and handling of orders returned for a refund. If the glasses are being returned for a warranty issue, this must be completed within the 30 day period, as well. We do not address warranty issues beyond a thirty day period.

Read what the Chicago Tribune had to say about ZenniOptical.

If you wear glasses it is worth the stop at their website to check them out. They even offer chilren's glasses!

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Celebrity Collage by MyHeritage

2008-11-15T15:53:00.002-05:00

Frugal Carol did one of these Celebrity Look Alike's so I thought I would play along too. Make sure to check out her collage!

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebrities - Collage - Morph

Gone picking....

2008-11-15T14:30:00.003-05:00

Well hubby and the kids just left to go apple picking. I will miss getting some great pics I am sure but I'll go next time. I am just too tired to have gone. I work all weekend and spent the morning scrubbing the kitchen floor. Maybe my middle son will get some shots with his phone for me. I am sure I will have a ton of apples when they get back. Hubby always goes overboard when he goes picking things. That's ok I have my applesauce recipe ready and plan to make some of that and maybe a pie and some apple butter.

Doctor Visit today

2008-11-13T15:14:00.003-05:00

Today I had my biweekly OB visit and ultrasound to check my placenta. I am on a biweekly schedule of this until I deliver. Not good news on that homefront. The placenta is still right next to the cervix and I am still looking at a C-section. I am really starting to stress out about this as I am so petrified of having to go through that. I guess I will just pray that the placenta proves them all wrong and moves.
Baby looks good though she weighs 3 and a half pounds. Guess that is good.

Blogs can Change Lives

2008-11-12T12:57:00.004-05:00

5 Minutes for Mom is teaming up with Playstation and giving 10 sick children PSP Bundles. They are asking for nominations of children that bloggers know. After long and hard consideration I have decided to nominate Max. Max is a 4 yr old boy who was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome like my youngest son. Max could not complete all of the surgeries required of a child with this condition and received a heart transplant. Just in October he was diagnosed with PTLD Max’s PTLD is Non-Hodgkin’s-Lymphoma it is polymorphic lymphoblastic aggressive and causing necrosis. Talk about a mouthful. Max has been receiving Chemo since this diagnosis and his family have sought out another facility to treat Max, one that has a doctor with more expertise in this form of cancer along with being a heart transplant patient. He also shows signs of mild heart rejection. This little boy is in and out of the hospital all the time. He and his family are doing the best they can to cope with all that they are enduring right now. I could write a whole book on this little boy and family but I am sure you get the idea of how ill he is. He is currently in the hospital right now and I am sure being the recipient of a PSP bundle would help pass his hospital time and make things just a wee bit easier on him and his family. They truly are close to my heart as I deal with my own HLHS child.
Please keep this family in your thoughts and prayers.