Slumber Party and Visting Friends

So obviously we've had a pretty busy last 2 weeks getting ready for my best friend Alicia and her daughter Emma Lee to arrive as well as getting ready for Maddelyn's big 6th birthday slumber party. Alicia and I have been having so much fun this past week that well frankly blogging has not been on my mind at all. We spent the first few days getting ready for the big slumber party bash and then since then have been scrapbooking like mad! We went to Columbus yesterday and visited my friend Amy's store...love it! We also ran into a couple of other stores including Trader Joes (found some great CHEAP gluten free foods there!) We've really gotten some good use out of the project table that my dear hubby made for me for my birthday (pictures to upload soon) Lets just say that both of us are scrapping on it with p-l-e-n-t-y of room! Now if I can just convince hubby to put a flat screen TV on the wall in my scrap room we'll be set!

Maddelyn's party was a hit. She even told me afterwards that it was the very best party ever! We ended up having 14 girls for the party itself (mine included) and then 10 spent the night with us, all 7 and under! We had a Barbie Slumber party with all the girliness included. We did crafts, painted nails, ate popcorn, watched a movie and basically all the norm slumber party things. My little girl is getting so big! I thought I would share a few pictures of the night.

Nathan entertained the girls for a bit with a funny sing-a-long. The kids love when he plays for the, It was cute with all 14 girls singing along.

Here is a shot of the girls' dress up room (off their bedroom) that finally has the hooks hung in it. the little vanity set was from Santa (Target) and then we just hang boards and coat hooks around the room. We still need more hooks as well as curtains at the door way that can be tied back when they don't need them closed.

Ohioians!

Because my best friend Alicia is coming from Virginia this next week I thought I would post this ...getting used to Ohio... post. I think all my Ohio friends and family will get a good chuckle out of it as well!


You Know You’re from Ohio When...
You've never met any celebrities.
Your idea of a traffic jam is ten cars waiting to pass a tractor on the highway. I hate that!
"Vacation" means driving through Hocking Hills or going to King's Island. or the State Fair in Columbus!
You've seen all the biggest bands ten years after they were popular.
You measure distance in minutes. Yep
Down south to you means Kentucky. Yep
You know several people who have hit a deer. my brother hit one this year
Your school classes were canceled because of cold. yep
Your school classes were canceled because of heat. I wish!
You've ridden the school bus for an hour each way. 45 minutes and we were like 5 miles from the school
You've ever had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day. yep
You think ethanol makes your truck "run a lot better."
You know what's knee-high by the Fourth of July. CORN!
Stores don't have bags; they have sacks.
You see people wear bib overalls at funerals. Sadly yes, but that is all they ever wear
You see a car running in the parking lot at the store with no one in it no matter what time of the year. um....yep
You end your sentences with an unnecessary preposition. Example:"Where's my coat at?" or "If you go to the mall I wanna go with." Sad to admit as a teacher I've said the first one
All the festivals across the state are named after a fruit, vegetable, or grain. melon, bratwurst, corn
You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked. yep, not us anymore though after the break in!
You think of the major four food groups as beef, pork, beer, and Jell-O salad with marshmallows. Grandma makes the whipped jell-o salad with marshmallows
You carry jumper cables in your car. most people do
You know what "cow tipping" or "Possum Kicking" is. Been cow tipping with my teacher! Long story
You only own 3 spices: salt, pepper, and ketchup. Haha! Yep and Season Salt!
You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit. Every year!
Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow. yep
You think everyone from a bigger city has an accent.
You think sexy lingerie is tube socks and a flannel nightie. not sexy...necessity!
The local paper covers national and international headlines on one page but requires 6 pages for sports. so true!
You think that deer season is a national holiday. Some schools get the day off!
You know which leaves make good toilet paper.
You find -20 degrees F "a little chilly".
You know all 4 seasons: Almost Winter, Winter, Still Winter, and Construction. Funnier than you know! So our construction is a "season" now?? Oh my!
You know what a real buckeye is, and have a recipe for candy ones. Grandma makes them
You know if another Ohioian is from southern, middle or northern Ohio as soon as they open their mouth.
You can spell words like Cuyahoga and Tuscarawas. yep
You know that Serpent Mound was not made by snakes. yep
You know what pop is.
You don't think of Flordia first when someone says Miami.
You snicker when someone is from Tiffin because you think of the State Hospital. HaHa!
Schools close down for the State Basketball Tournaments. Um...yep
You're proud of your state fair, but would rather go to Cedar Point. Both??
You live less than 30 miles from some college or university.
"Toward the lake" means "north" and "toward the river" means "south."
You root for a college team though you've never taken a class there.
You know the proper way to say Lima (Lyma), Berlin (BUHRlin), Bucyrus (Bew-sy-rus) and Rio Grande (Rhyo Grand). Haha!
It’s Interstate, or Highway - NOT Freeway or Expressway.
You know every exit on I-71 And what is at each exit!

You actually get these jokes and forward them to all your Ohio friends.
Isn't it sad? You just said "yup" and "uh-huh" or aint that the truth" to most of these!!!

Happy Kitchen Dance!!

WE FOUND THE B-A-T!!!! And you know where??? My Bedroom! Ahhhhh! So a week and a half after my first sighting I was getting ready for bed (why is it always me? Do they just like me or know I'm a wimp?) and turning on the box fan we sleep with. Well while turning it on I was fooling around with it adjusting the speed and such and as I was walking away I was like "what on earth? Oh my gosh its the bat!" So I then yell and run (Nathan said more like pranced like a deer) across the bedroom floor to get Nathan up. I am yelling "Nathan! Nathan! The B-A-T is on the F-A-N!!!!!" Yes I spelled it? No clue why but I did? Nathan said at least we know you can spell in a time of crisis (even though I can't on my blog! HeHe!) So he jumps up to get it and I dive onto the bed with Elijah and cover us both head to toe in the blankets. Nathan is trying to figure out a game plan of getting it without spooking it when he realized that since we turn the fan backwards so we can just hear it but not feel it the bat was actually stuck to the sucking in air part of the fan. The bat was stuck and could not move! So, he just grabbed up a Children's Place bag and plucked it off the fan. He said it went wild biting like crazy trying ot get out. He then...cough....cough...disposed of it......cough....cough (for all those animal rights activist!) I love all God's creations as well, but NOT in my house!!! So we are just praying that God will direct his creatures to remain out of our living spaces! LOL! The spiders that we come across as we are cleaning up from our huge remodel really don't seem quite as scary as they did pre-bat!!

The other night Maddelyn went to her cousins' Hannah Montana sleepover. We found out that she went up to my brother's fiance that night and while all the other girls were singing karaoke she wanted to know if she could clean the girls' room??? Yeah weird? So Beth said ok and Maddelyn not only picked up in there but she had it cleaned to perfection so everything was in it's own place. She then walked past my brother's room and said "Boy it's messy in there! Someone should clean it up!" (They had moved all the house furniture and such in there to make room for the sleeping bags) She then said "Do you want me to clean it? Yeah I am a clean freak and that still psycho! I am soooo not brain washing her!

Great news....... we are finally in our kitchen! YEAH! We've been living with a college fridge, freezer, and microwave in our formal dinning room since we moved in in January. Yeah frustrating to say the least! So they are still working on some of the decorative trim (getting new trim cut to match the antique original trim), doing 2 more small sections of counter tops, and Nathan has to paint a few more cabinets for me to be able to have the complete kitchen done. We also are waiting to put our new wood laminate (well actually a recycled rubber product from Lowes that looks like laminate but cheaper and much more durable) down until after the 3rd floor master suite is done since the construction workers get up there through the butler stairs in our kitchen. Even though I don't love cooking it has been exciting cooking in our new kitchen with all our new appliances.

I need to run though. I am "trying" to gain control today of the constant construction dust monster that lives in this house. I WILL eventually win this never ending battle!!!!

Back from Tennessee.

Ok, so I know I have been neglecting my blog posts lately, but that is just a small window into how crazy our life has been over the past few weeks. I did return home on Monday from the twelvefridays weekend celebration (crop/classes) in Tennessee. We had a wonderful time and I even brought home an album of 30 FINISHED layouts that the other oh so talented teachers taught over a 2 days span. I wen tot help out and ended up still getting some work done! Woo-hoo! I did not get too many pictures because I was so busy but I did swipe a few from other ladies blogs and such. I do have more pictures of my own but with me not feeling so hot today, I think thse pictures will have to wait a few days. Thanks Heidi and Heather for the great trip! I also met a sweet, sweet lady Amy who was so kind to drive down with me to Tennessee and then ended up being my roommate down there as well. I don't think I've ever met a sweeter person! LOL! So since she owns a scrapbooking store about an hour away form me....that is double reason to drive down and visit her!

The twelvefridays staff that weekend. Heather, Nicole, Me, and Amy. Virginia had already left for home and Heidi was not feeling very well. Say a prayer for her she is having some major back and hip problems right now.

The albums they were working on this weekend. When they left they had a completed American Crafts album with 30 layouts in it. I think that is amazing for 2 days of class and then a crop on Sunday. They were able to do 24 layouts in 2 days of class and then we had 6 additional layouts that we taught as make and takes on Sunday afternoon.

The group of laddies that attended. What a great group!

Us working girls taking a break over lunch in front of the fireplace. Ahhh! So nice!

Virginia Tilley teaching one of her classes. What a sweet girl and doesn't she look adorable in that apron with her little pregnant belly! Another mommy with lot's of little ones. She has a beat by a little bit though with her oldest at 3 1/2 and #4 on the way.

Ladies working on some of the class layouts.

Amy teaching a layout with the layout up on the big screen.

So here is the bat story (REALLLLLY condensed) that I have been promising to you all. I was sitting working on hair bows late one night while Nathan was with work in Texas when I realized I needed another strand of ribbon form the other room. While walking back through the room something darted past my head and I jumped back not knowing what it was. When I turned back to see what had just passed me it was a BAT and it was flying right back at me! I of course screamed!!!!!! I believe the high pitched scream messed up it's whole radar senses because that thing when mad and was diving at my head! Yeah I did not figure this whole theory out until the next day. Well I run into the living room screaming and hide under my baby grand piano. the thing is still flying over my head and I am still screaming under the piano! I finally get enough sense in my head to grab the cell phone on the arm of the couch and call my parents to help. I am sobbing crying when my mom answers the phone and of course she thinks something is wrong with me orthe kids but passes the phone to my dad. He asks if I need him to come and of course I say yes, sobbing. I then realize there is no way I can sit under the piano screaming with it flying over my head for the next 20 minutes while he gets there. When the bat flies back into the other room I decide to dash into Nathan's office and shut the door while grabbing the baby out of his swing on the way. Nathan asked if the baby had been on the other side of the room would I have grabbed him before running into the office and I said I don't know! LOL! Not mom of the year award material! So I then call Nathan in Texas form the office still crying! He asks me where the girls are and I say in bed. he then asks if the doors are closed and I say no. He said that I need to sneak out and get those doors closed. I (still sobbing) say that there is no way I am leaving and he just needs to pray REAL HARD for his kids because I am not leaving that room! Yep, another no mom of the year award! So long story, but he doesn't ever find the bat and I end up staying the night at my parents until he came home. We did though end up covering my fireplace in our bedroom just in case that is how he got in and to keep his friends away. Yet another joy of old houses!!!

March 5th

Maddelyn taking her first pictures with my camera of Elijah in his new pouch carrier I ordered off the Internet.

March 6th

This was the first day that our kids could play outside. They were so excited just to be able to play on the front porch. The grass was still way to muddy to get in the yard but they were just tickled to be outside. Of course another picture of the outside of our house. I can't wait until it warms up a bit more and we get start planting flowers!

Fevers, Smoke, Scrapbooking, and BATS!!!!

So I am still alive. I am so sorry that it has been forever since I posted. We've had a couple of insane past 2 weeks. Just to give you a hint it is now 1:30 am and I am doing a super quick post from a cabin in Tennessee at a scrapbooking retreat for twelvefridays. Ahhhh. hear that??? No toddlers! I love them to death, but YEAH!!!! Mommy got some kid-free (well almost, nursing baby in toe) time with other adults! You can check out all the fun we are having here! http://www.twelvefridaysweekend.typepad.com/

So the past 2 weeks have been insane with all four kids getting that nasty flu virus. I think that entire week and a half that they had it I might have gotten one night that I slept more than 2 hours in a row! The theme of the week was high fevers, deep coughs, round the clock meds, and middle of the night breathing treatments. Fun! Anyone who knows me knows I don't do very well with little sleep, so almost no sleep makes me not a very pleasant person to deal with.

Of course while Nathan was gone on a trip for work last week all craziness broke loose. We had the super sick kids, major hair bow orders that I had gotten behind on while dealing with the kids, a house filled with smoke as I chared some ribbons in the oven, An oh.... a new little B-A-T friend in my house!!!!! Yeah! Great times!!!! I obviously need to head to bed so I will be a "pleasant twelvefriday's rep" tomorrow instead of a sleep deprived grumpy scrapper! So I will have to wait to tell you my: bat diving at my head - me screaming and hiding under the grand piano - dad with a plastic baseball bat and a butterfly net story until tomorrow. I promise you that as hard as you are going to laugh at me it will have to wait until I get a moment to post later this weekend.

Trouble Maker!!

So I had my 4 sick kiddos with me at my orthodontist appointment today. Yes they were all sick but I had no time slot to reschedule and of course couldn't find a sitter. Anyways, as soon as we get in there and the kids all sit down while I am waiting in the exam chair I hear....

Maddelyn: (very loudly) "My mommy doesn't ever wear that thing in her mouth except for a night." (my retainer)

Me: "Maddelyn! Yes I do. You're not even up when I go to bed so how do you know??"

Orthodontist "Do you not wear it?"

Me: "Yes I wear all the time except for when I am eating???"

Orthodontist "You promise?"

Me "Honest I do! I have no clue what she is talking about???"

That little rat got me in trouble!! And to think, he thought I was fibbing and she was ratting me out. Seriously you can't sneak anything by kids....even when you didn't even really do it!

Hellooooo from the Sick Ward!

So I kinda have slacked the past couple weeks with project 365. You know when you take on a challenge like that it sounds wonderfula nd you think...how much time can one picture a day take??? Well with 4 small children it is amazing how little time in a day you really do have to yourself or to do the things that don't directly tie to someone's survival! So I guess I should look at it as what I have is better than no photos at all!

Well we have major sick kids here right now. I have been up with Caroline for two nights in a row. The poor thing is very sich with a nasty virus. As a matter of fact yesterday we had her at the ER again for another fever induced seizure. The last temp I got before it happened was 104.7!!! She is the kind of child that is fine one minute and then spiked feer the next. The doctors said that her littl ebody jumps temps so fast that it just can't handle it and shts down. She is fine though, it is just quite scary for Mom and Dad. The doctor told us that pretty much from now on whenever she gets the slightest fever we need to start giving her meds around the clock to revent this again since we know she has a tendancy to jump temps like this so fast. The last two days we've had her on tylenol and mortin but her temp was still at about 102.5 yesterday and then 100.5 today. Poor little thing. She is just miserable. The other three woke up warm today and the two girls have bad coughs now as well. Great time for mommy to feel bad and to be going on 2 nights of no sleep! UHH! I think we all just need a big dose of benadril??? That won't work though because I have so much to get ready for next week. Only 8 days until I leave for Tennessee for the twlvefriday's retreat! Yeah!!!! I'm getting really excited about warm weather, cabins, and a weekend of scrapbooking with friends, oh and little Elijah as well.

Here are the pics I promised of Kalahai...

February 22 &23

February 26th

After spening the week in PA we returned home to find not only had our kitchen yet again been delayed in getting the countertops in but we still had no appliances adn the countertops were the wrong size and had to be reordered! Yeah! We also found that some how about 1/2 inch (no kidding) of construction dust had settled on everything on the first floor! I think it might part have to do with this plastic sheeting on the new stairs to the 3rd floor master suite is gone and they have been dry walling up there all week. for any of you how know me know that it's very hard to live with all that dust being OCD.

February 28

I spent the evening catagorizing and taking photos of my bow collection tha tI have here at the hose from my craft shows. I have ahd several ladies email about wholesaling with me and several wanted to know what I had on hand and how fast they could get it. I told Nathan it is a definite answer to prayers...but can we pray for the boom in my business regularly so the orders are more consistant instead of slow and then over whelming?? He said you complain when you don't have any and then you complain when they all come in at once. I said I like the orders....just ask god for nice and steady work! HAHA! This is a photo of some of the team spirit bows I had instock.

March 1st

The kids and Nathan took me out for my 27th birthday to Olive Garden and gave me a wii fit for my present! WOO-HOO! Now if I can just get in a habit of using it on a regular basis. All day Caroline has sang "Happy Birthday Mommy!" Melt your heart! The girls woke me up that morning singing happy birthday and giving me a card that Daddy had them sign the night before and hid in their room. Too bad they told me the night before they had a surpise to give me in the morning.

Still Here

Hey guys! I am still around, just haven't had time to post lately. I actually have been on a several day trip with the family while nathan was on a business trip to PA. On Sunday before he left we took the kids up to Kalahari Resort and Indoor Waterpark to celebrate Nathan and I's birthdays. The kids had a blast. We ended up going with 2 other couples from our church so the girls ended up having a couple of other kids they knew to play with. It was so nice to take a mini break from the cold and pretend Summer was already here with the heated pools and water slides and the nice warm indoor water park. Ahhhh and then we headed back out into the 18 degree Ohio weather. It was nice while it lasted though. We found out that little Caroline is a fish just like big sister Emma! She was fearless with the water rides and would try anything we put her on. She definietly is a little sister though and used to having to push her weight around to get what she wants. There were a few times that we cought her bully-ing other little kids on the water slides in the kiddie area! Oh my little tough girl! I have some cute pictures of the kids in the water as well as some of Eli in his adorable swim trunks that I will post soon. I need to run though and get my behind ready for bed. Oh why do I always end up staying up so late??? Oh that's right HAIRBOWS! HaHa!

Life with a Cranky 2 Year Old

So today has been a not so great day with the kiddos. I think there is a vibe that sick mommies put out and their children pick up on so they act much worse then they normally do??? Is it kinda like pheramones but "sickmones" instead??? So obviously it was not my best feeling day and then Nathan was of course not here so it was just me and the 4 little ones all day. We delt with crying kids, fighting, dealing with the constructions guys about exactly what we want for kitchen lights, COLD rain and the post office, snot nosed kids, a fussy baby, and as always ribbon orders to work on. Oh...and I am supposed to be packing and getting school work written out for the next week since we will be again traveling. Oh joy what a day!!!

So what does a 2 year old look like when she wants to be "independent" and has a cold???

She cries because she too wants to try on her new swimsuit.
She cries that she has to put the swimsuit on? (mind you she asked to have it on?)
She cries when she sees me pull out new flips flops becasue she wants them on.
She cries as I am putting them on her becasue she says they don't fit (even though they fit her just fine??)
She cries because she wants to eat dinner
She cries becasue I'm not cooking it fast enough for her.
She cries after she decides her food is not really what she had in mind and want something else.
She cries at every stage in getting her ready for bed.
She cries when I put her back into the bed, again, and again, and again ( I think like 10 times???)
She finally fell asleep at 10:30, 2 1/2 hours after I put her in bed the first time. Oh my!

So hopefully tomorrow will run a bit smoother!!

Happy Birthday Nathan!!!

Here is an update of our past few days. Sorry for the drive by post but little man is hungry....again! The story of a nursing mom! You live in the world of "just fed him" or "he's almost ready to eat." It's one or the other!! So here is my latest Project 365..........

February 13

Happy Birthday Nathan! My sweet hubby turned 28 today. We celebrated his birthday in Sandusky on Lake Erie since we were attending a church leadership retreat. With my birthday just around the corner I am realizing ..... man...we are so getting old!

February 14

Elijah was an absolute peach at our 2 night church leadership retreat. Everyone kept saying that he is just the best baby. No one would believe me that he actually does cry! Well why would he when he was constantly being held??

February 15

The girls absolutely love when Daddy gets out his guitar for them. They sat around last night making up a Tinkerbell song and Maddie and Emma took turns making up verses while Daddy played for them. It was so cute. Even Caroline took a turn strumming the guitar.

February 16

Our little peanut turned 2 months old on the 16th! Wow! How fast those 2 months have gone! I can't believe he is already smiling and as of today laughing out loud! It was cute to get his first little grins in his 2 month pictures. I just love these decals that I ordered off etsy to document his month pictures.

Shoes, Toliets, and a Hole in the Wall

So I am finally getting around to posting this week. I have no clue what we have been doing to make this week sooo busy but it has been? Yes we've been keeping ourselves busy with hair bows, school work, and normal house duties, but for some reason there has just seemed to be so much more of each? Maybe that is party because we are headed out of town for a couple of days for a church leadership retreat so we of course had to do extra school so the girls wouldn't fall behind. I also had extra bows to get out the door since we won't be here and well we've had LOTS of extra set backs with the house this week so in that there has been a lot more construction dust as well. So here is a recap of the past few days with my project 356 pictures....

February 5

So I walk in my bathroom to find this (obviously not swept up in a neat little pile.) So the only thing as messy as living with 4 kids under 6 is living through a remodel. Yep, this pile of dirt covered my bath tub, toilet, and floor from where they put a hole in the bathroom ceiling to run a new heat duct. The best thing was before I found it, I had kids using the potty in there. Great!

February 6

While Nathan was gone on his trip for work, I braved it taking the girls out alone to meet my parents for dinner. I still am so not used to the 4 kids to 1 adult ratio yet.

February 8

My little man was such a little cuttie in his khakis, button up striped shirt, corduroy blazer, and leather loafers in church on Sunday. Gotta love that wild hair. My aunt keeps telling me to just give up and get it. HaHa!

February 9

Okay this momma loves SHOES, especially when they are $2.50 a pair! Okay, they aren't all for my kids but pretty much so. At $6.25 - $2.00 a pair I definitely stocked up for "birthday season" gifts as well. I think we have like 19 birthdays from mid January to early April...most of whom are immediate family that we also by gifts for. It's funny how they all hit at once and then we have this non-birthday time. Weird? So needless to say that is why there are some duplicate pairs in there. We have twins in the family as well. Of course I had to pick up a couple pair for myself as well.

February 10

So Nathan and I went on this lovely date night and came home to this...our toilet in the middle of the floor and a large hole in the wall behind where it used to sit. The workers figured that since they were putting in a new shower base this week (yep the other one broke while trying to take out the old broken plumbing under it from last week) they mine as well just go ahead and fix all the bathroom plumbing right then. This way they would not have us without a usable bathroom longer than we had to. Well it was supposed to be a 1 day process but when we got home from our date the sitter said "The men said DON'T that bathroom....they had a problem" Well judging to the new addition of a hole in my wall I wold say yeah? Funny part is that this bathroom was the only room in the house not getting any remodeling done to it? Hmmmm? New shower base, complete new plumbing, new toilet, new bath tub fixtures, new heat duct (radiator out), new tile under toilet, and I guess now a patched wall??? Funny how that always turns out like that.

February 11

So this is what one finds in the floor of their bedroom when they ask a 5 year old and a 4 year old to help match a basket of socks. Well lets just say I think out of that mess about 10 pairs were found? Oh my! I really don't see the system they were using besides I did see Caroline throwing a handful int he air when I walked by earlier this evening. She must have taught her sisters the art of sock matching.

Too Cute!

This was too cute not to share! I'll *try* to post an update about us later tongiht. It's been crazy busy around here this week.

Hundereds Attend Global Warming Protest

Laws, Layouts, and Potty Training

It seems like I have been meaning to post this all week and haven't! We found out that the new law that was going into effect Feb 9th that would have put all makers of handmade children's items (CPSIA) has been postponed until Feb 9th 2010! They also said that they will be re-evaluating it then as well to see if it is still even going to go through! Whew-hoo! Praise God for answered prayers! This means alot to our family, with having a second income now that we have a new house and a new baby. So...on with selling hair bows!

We had a really nice time at the marriage retreat last weekend. Elijah was just a peach and behaved so well for us. The retreat in Amish country was of course really relaxing (no kids) and it was wonderful for our marriage as well. The kids seemed to have a great time at their grandparents in PA as well.

God not only answered the prayer about that law being postponed so we could stay open, but we've been super busy with new hair bow orders as well! Yep it keeps me very busy and up late at nights, but it is nice to know that we have that extra income. Anyways it is nice to know that we can keep our hair bow bowtique open now!

So here is the photo of the day from the past few days....

January 29

Elijah at the Bed and Breakfast in Amish Country with the Marriage Retreat

January 30
What is meeting my in-laws to pick up the kids in Cleveland without stopping by the Children's Place Outlet. Great deals and I have a coupon! :D

February 4
So it starts! We brought out the potty chairs and pull ups for Caroline today. She's been wanting to potty train since before Christmas, but I just wasn't ready. There was no way I could handle new baby, moving, remodeling, and potty training all at the same time. so we are kinda (kinda not) settled into the new house and Elijah is 7 weeks now so I guess we should get started. The great news is that she has gone twice today and both times she told me she had to go and then actually went! Of course when I ask her if she has to go and then she says yes, it's a false alarm? Oh well, not too bad for her fist day!

I also had to share a few layouts I did for twelvefridays. Man it seems like forever since I have posted any scrapbooking projects on here. That is probably because it's been forever since I scrapbooked! Fortunately though I have been going to a few crops and I will be going to the retreat in Pigeon Forge TN with twelvefriday's in March (YEAH!!!) So it's not quite the resolution I made but better than I was!

25 Random Things About Me.....

Okay so I've been tagged half a dozen times.... so since I FINALLY adm doing this silly little thing from facebook I mine as well post it on here as well.

1. I'm wife of 6.5 yeas to Nathan and mommy to 4 kids Maddelyn 5.5, Emma Grace 4, Caroline 2, Elijah 6 weeks.

2. Our life always has a "theme of the year" 02-Married, 03-Maddelyn, 04-Emma/Deployment, 05-Deployment, 06-Campaign, 07-Caroline, 09-Elijah/New House 10-?????

3. I am a bit OCD...okay MORE than a bit!

4. Even though Ia m OCD I am a procrastinator! I always seem to be rushing to do things at the last minute.

5. Somehow I ended up being in a (maybe causing us to be) a late family. Growing up I hated late families! Uhhh! What kids do to you!

6. We are about 5 into a HUGE house remodel on a big Victorian home. Oh the joy!

7. I don't want my food to touch on my plate and for the most part if it does I won't eat the parts that touch.

8. My bed covers have to be perfectly straigh while I sleep. I literally will get up in the middle of the night to straighten them if they get twisted or uneven. Okay, well maybe my sweet husband will get up for me! HaHa! Maddelyn has the same psycho problem.

9. I LOVE scrapbooking and photography but never have enough time for either. Now that I have a new scrapbooking room in our house I have no reason not to scrap more!

10. I have my degree in early childhood education for teaching kindergarten-3rd grade.

11. I homeschool our older 2 daughters kindergarten and preschool.

12. I am definitely NOT Betty Crocker! I really find little to no pleasure in cooking or baking. I think I fell off the family wagon on that one. My mom and grandma are both amazing cooks? So obviously that is not a genetically passed down trait.

13. For over a year now, I have made and sold hair bows on the internet. God has really blessed this hobby and turned it into a full blown LLC!

14. I have an honest phobia of snakes. I literally have had a panic attack when Nathan and I were out on a nature walk in a natural cranberry bog 2 years ago.

15. I HATE my wrist or inner arms being touched! For some reason it's like nails on a chalkboard for me and I even have problems sometimes wearing bracelets. Nathan knows this and thinks it's hilarious to hold my hand and then rub my wrist with his thumb or so when we are somewhere serious/quiet that I can't get away from him or laugh like in church! Little Booger!

16. In the 8th grade I rode 100 miles on my bike in one day. For real! Anyone who knows this should be laughing out loud at this right now and my non-athleticism!!! It was a school thing we did to rife up to the lake, on a ferry, around the island, and then back to our school again all in one day.

17. I have a cough...cough...addiction to dressing my children. "Hi my name is Mandi and I have a overwhelming urge for Gymboree and Hairbows!" There it is finally out in the open!

18. Nathan and I are the young couple's leaders in our church as well as elders. Yeah...in our late 20's and elders! How does that really work? Doesn't ELDER kinda mean OLDER???

19. I freeze all the time! No fail, if everyone else in the room is hot I am like ice.

20. I really don't care much for chocolate. I love candy but would go for Swedish fish, starburst, or jelly bellys any day over m&m's.

21. Nathan and I were honored to be on of the first people to go into the viewing of President Reagan's viewing in the capitol building in DC. We waited like 10 hours in the hot sun with a 15 month old and me huge pregnant to do so but it was amazing to see his body laying in state!

22. I once spent 3 days/2 nights at Walmart waiting on PS# to come out in stores! Now mind you that not only do I NOT play video games, but I was like 7 1/2 months pregnant! Nathan and I both waited to get 2 of them and immediately sold them on ebay and made almost $1000 on them. I'd say 2 night's vegging in the aisle at Walmart in lawn chairs was worth it!

23. When I grow up I want to own a scrapbooking bed and breakfast.....or be a Walmart cashier...I would even settle for a guide at a historical home?

24. I love traveling. I told Nathan that I would love to spend my retirement traveling. We'll see? That's weird for someone who had ever only be in like 8 states before i met my husband?

25. I love to read, but really just don't find time to read anything lately besides books with pictures and that rhyme! HaHa!

Rainforest Cafe

So obviously I changed things up a bit on the blog. I think it is all the white stuff outside that has had me snowed in the past 2 days that inspired me to go white? We'll see how long I like it???

The kids are in PA right now visiting Nathan's parents (thank you sooo much!!) while we attend a marriage retreat here in Amish country. Our church does three of these over a week at a bed and breakfast. It is our first time but each session only has like 4 couples so it is 3 days/2 nights spent working on your marriage with only the pastor and his wife and 3 other couples. We are so blessed that we have family who is willing to help us out with the kids. Nathan and I would not be able to do 1/2 of the stuff we get to do, if my in-laws didn't offer to keep the kids like they do. Thank you guys so much for that. I have so many other pre-school moms who say they wished they had that as well!

Before I forget, if I can have my friends and family say a prayer. As many of you know, Nathan and I are in charge of the young couples ministry at our church. One of our young couples (who have 4 small children) lost everything they own in a house fire last night. Being a mom myself I can't even imagine what they as parents are now facing. Can you picture telling your kids they now lost all their toys, home, and don't even have an outfit yet to wear to school? No way! Just please keep this family in your prayers.

January 27

So here is my latest photo of the day. I knew when I started project 365 it would be more of a project 150?? LOL?? So as long as I get pictures every few days or so? No, this is not just a pile of laundry ...well it is waiting to be washed. These are all the towns that covered my bathroom and kitchen floor Tuesday night. We had a plumbing problem that lead to rain in my kitchen ceiling from the shower above. AHHHHH! The frustrating thing was I was home along with Elijah when it happened. Nathan had gone to take my kids to Cleveland to meet my in-laws before the big snow storm hit. So I literally called him saying "Nathan I don't know what to do it's raining in the kitchen. No, you don't understand. IT IS RAINING IN THE KITCHEN!" So needless to say our contractor and some of his workers showed up at 9:00 that night to do damage control for me. Praise God! You know how the other day Nathan said our kitchen kinda looked like the Passover?? Well now I have renamed it "Rainforest Cafe" after seeing all the water raining down! The next morning when we had the new kitchen ceiling torn up they found some rotted wood, black mold, and some bare wiring up there. So I guess we should be thankful that it did happen to find all of that before something worse happened like a fire. So we did call our insurance and it will be covered. But, of course this does set us back even further with getting the kitchen up and running while they put all new pipes in, fix the wires and rebuild the ceiling. Oh and more than likely we will also have to go through the county for another inspection....joy! But, like Nathan said, another week and we would have had our new appliances in there, new counter tops, heaters, paint, etc. So it could have been a lot more expensive. Besides that, after getting the news about the family in our church it makes you think...yeah we are even more behind in the kitchen, it is going to be how much more money, and I still am living with a microwave and college fridge BUT we are all still safe and have a home! This is nothing! It is so sad to have to see someone else's troubles before you see how minor yours are int he big picture.