Happy 4th Birthday!!

HAPPY 4TH BIRTHDAY SPECIAL AGENT M!

The above picture is of him seeing his new Transformers Bumble Bee bike-cycle (Thats how he says it.) He was BEYOND thrilled. I can hardly believe its been 4 years!

Checking out his matching helmet. Of course, its not quite big enough....yay for having a large head. But, its protection!!


Daddy is showing him the ropes of pedaling FORWARD and not being able to roll the pedal backwards as well!

Look at me!!! He's so sweet. Simply the light of my day! He may be crazy active and slightly definat but he is ever grateful and always ready with a hug or a smooch. And the twinkle in his eye and his ever sweet smile gets him out of trouble more often than it should!

I was so impatient for this little sweetie to get here that I couldnt even wait until his due date to ask my OB to induce my labor. Probably the stupidest thing I've ever decided to do. (Ok, not the stupidest but in relation to childbirth). I was in labor for what seemed like forever and was threatened with a c-section after 24 hours. His deadline for a c-section was 10:00 am. He was born at 9:58. That's the story of his life.... <3 this child!!!

First Day, Marked off the Calendar

My handsome 7th grader. I can hardly believe that he will be a teenager this year. I am also super thankful, once again, for our kids' amazing school that is allowing us to keep him home on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. For the record, he is ALREADY finished with today's goals. And its 10 am. He was already working when I got back from taking the other kids to school. That makes a Moms heart super proud. Now, to figure out which literature book to start with. And let him in on that he will be doing a daily journal entry. :)

Is she too fabulous for words or what?! LOL!


My pretty little third grader. She was SO MAD that she had to wear a plaid skirt today. Oh well, the new ones will be here Monday. She will probably survive. Most likely, anyways. Probably might be too optimistic.

Aw, I love this angle on her. She looks like her mother. ;)

J of course needed to get in on the action. This is after school and the heat of PE class really brought out her freckles that she gathered this summer. I think Mo and I really hit an integral time in our relationship development this summer. She had a LOT of attitude (and by a lot I mean enough to fill the grand canyon!) but she also became my little shadow, going everywhere with me. She often used the excuse that she didn't want to stay with "grumpy daddy" but I think she really wanted to be with me. I love it. Since she is my only daughter and all!

J, but ONLY because he is so blasted cute. Not that I am biased but WOWZA! He was trying desperately to get into the garage. I am pretty sure he was bored to tears without the older kids yesterday and today he seems like he doesn't know what to do with himself!

This morning was Special Agent Ms first day of preschool (2nd year though). Here he is, flashing a gang sign of some sort I assume. Its a secret first day of preschool gang I guess. He was too nervous/excited to eat breakfast and barely drank his coveted chocolate milk with syrup.

Can you read the expression of love on his face? I can, and it says, "WHAT IS SHE DOING?!"

Heading into school with his lunch, his backpack, and his Mickey Mouse Blankie. He was beyond ready. He bailed out of the car and was running into the school. He could hardly wait for everyone else to get out of the van!

"This is my Special Agent M hook, Mommy"

Now, as I have time for my delicious breakfast and coffee (which J ate and drank most of, he is destined to love coffee), and time for REAL Facebook, not phone Facebook, and a chance to get back into blogging, time for housework, and sewing....I am wishing that I DIDN'T have time!! I have really love having the kids home this summer. We spent lots of time outside and at the pools and lake! It was a blast and it went by WAY TOO QUICKLY!

PS Just because I have TIME for housework, it doesn't necessarily mean I will actually DO any housework. :)

Back to School

I can hardly believe that TOMORROW is the first day back at school. It came so quickly... I've had in my mind that school started on the 17th since before school got out last year! So finding out on Sunday that it actually started on the 16th totally threw me through a loop!! It made me feel like I'm not emotionally ready for them to go back! They all have all their supplies, and MOST of their uniforms. I had to reorder Mos skirts for this year. The size I ordered apparently is grossly mis-sized. That is so frustrating. I even went by waist measurements and the button was not going to button by several inches!!!! I am however, very thankful for the fact that ACS switched to navy blue skirts this year. The plaid is very cute but SO EXPENSIVE! I much prefer spending $50 on 5 skirts, than $50 on ONE skirt. :) So, that makes me a happy Momma!

Back to my original point. Special Agent M is READY to go back. And I am ready for him to go back. He's starting to really be in need of some structure in his daily routine....I can tell by how active he has been! Teetoe and Mo, I'm not so ready for. They are both at an age where they are my comrades around the house. They give me someone to talk to, someone who can help me, someone to watch the baby while I pee. It will be so lonely around the house without them all day! Fortunately, Teetoe will be home on mondays, wednesdays, and fridays. We are going to try out part time homeschooling this year. I'm am really stinkin excited. We have lots planned! And so quiet. In some ways I crave the quiet. The days when I can relax for 5 minutes and get the house clean. But in other ways, we thrive on the chaos that is our lives. The whims that are my crazy mind and all the stuff in between.

I'm excited at the idea of having time to get back into sewing and paper crafting. At least during nap times. I'd love to have a sitter for one day during the week for J, but I'm not sure how reasonable that is for me right now. Or for him. He is a complete Mommas boy. Just the few hours away from me while I go to bible study are pretty stressful for him. I suppose, as always, it will get better! :) Special Agent M did. As did Mo. And Teetoe.

Well, everyone is in bed now. Resting their little heads. With clean hair and full tummies. And back packs ready to go for tomorrow. Except Mikey. He will be sad. He doesn't start until Wednesday. That's ok though, one day for Mommy to have as a transition day will be good.

Don't Put it Down, Put it AWAY!

Todays title has been my mantra....it only takes three weeks to break or form a habit, right?! This is a HUGE lifestyle change for me....I've also added, "Don't walk past it". Its going really well and I feel super good about it.

I actually completed my next task before I even knew I was supposed to! Thats awesome. I was supposed to make a list of three friends or family members that I could discuss my progress and problem areas with....and, well, thats you all. So, thanks!! :)

Next is to write a list of three things I would LOVE to have more time for...you know, if the "have-to's" are taken care of.

#1. Spend more time PLAYING with and DISCOVERING with my children. Projects, goof-offs, trips, learning, research, etc...

#2. Reading. Both recreationally and devotionally. I LOVE to do both and have zero time or energy for either.

#3. This was a tie....I was going to try to choose but I can't. SO, 3a is Scrapbooking. Digitally or on paper, it doesn't matter to me. To document all the fun things I would do with my kids! And 3b is couponing, theres nothing more fun than clipping, organizing, and finding great deals with them! I love when ALL my stacks are clipped and in their proper place. Plus, I'm working on a birthday project related to couponing, that needs to get done!!

So, those are my three goals to have time for. My three motivators.

UPDATE:
I super appreciate everyones suggestions on my calendar issues. I purchased a "Moms Plan-It" calendar today. I've used one before with pretty decent success but haven't purchased one for the past couple of years. It is already posted on the fridge and labeled with each persons name and has all the events I could think of on it. Including when paperwork and payments are due! :) That makes me happy. I will also be retrieving my birthday calendar from the basement and hanging it right next to it! Also, I have entered a daily reminder into my phone calendar to coordinate my purse calendar and my fridge calendar and any other calendars that need to be on our central one. It takes three weeks to establish a new **healthy** habit. (:

Another great task I accomplished was getting my jewelry box organized. My mom brought over an old tack board and inspiration hit. I hung it behind my bedroom door and untangled ALL my necklaces and hung them up in an orderly fashion. It should be super simple to maintain, seeing as how all I have to do is rehang it where it was when I'm done.

This road to organization is an exciting one. I can't wait until the whole house is in order.

A side benefit of mindfully not wasting time is that I got our angle bay windows trim and window seat painted yesterday!! Something I've wanted to do for the last FIVE YEARS! Awesome. :)

Changes to be Made

So in my last post I talked about what THREE areas of my life are the MOST frustrating. I must admit I had planned to post again the very next day and was committed to sticking with the reading plan for the online study of this book. It SO hasn't happened. I could give you 100 excuses but that's all they'd be. It's so typical of me. SO something I want to change about myself. SO FRUSTRATING! My husband must cringe every time I say I want to do something that takes more than a one week time commitment. School, Bible Studies, Organization, Diet and Exercise plans. My follow through is just NOT there. Ever. It makes me sad....HOWEVER I am working on it. Famous last words right??

Seriously though, despite that I haven't read any further, I have been keeping up with the postings for the study and have learned a lot through that. This whole time I have been sssllloooowwwllllyyyy working on organization within my house. I have worked through our game cabinet, my "desk" area, and my pantry. (Which is now brimming with stockpile items, thanks to my couponing).

My focus goal from last time was to come up with quick solutions that could make a change towards being more organized in the three frustrating areas. Those areas are time management/calendar tracking, laundry, housekeeping. One of the topic suggestions that I read may have changed my life forever...I even wrote it on our kitchen whiteboard:

DO NOT SET IT DOWN, PUT IT AWAY. NOW!

Isn't that the story of my life. I fold laundry and set it on the couch. I walk in the house and place whatever I'm carrying on the kitchen island or dining room table (where it usually ends up staying). I sort laundry on my bed and it ends up heaped in a basket again because I get distracted and forget about it until its bedtime. So we have been practicing this...not walking by things on the floor, not setting stuff down, not leaving the laundry sit (still working on this), picking up dishes when I leave the room, and all the while, trying to teach everyone else to make the same changes. This is the solution to #2 and #3. But not #1. I have no clue what to do when it comes to a calendar. I have tried Google calendar. I forget to program things in. Or Nick does. Ive tried a written calendar "big style" on the fridge. Once again, things don't get written down. I tried a carry size that can lay on the island or go with me. Once again, same problem. I tried programming it all into my phone, same problem. **SIGH** Anyone noticing a pattern. Maybe I need HJ for my lack of motivation and follow through. But it seems the root of my problem has been identified. As stated at the very beginning of this post.

Do you have any suggestions?? How do YOU keep track of everything going on?? I need to figure this out soon....before I have FOUR kids with plans and not just two.

Turning My Life Into an Organized One

I have started reading this book. I found out about it through Facebook....its actually and Internet wide group of women (or mostly women) who are participating in a "book study". Starting June 1st we will be meeting on the fan page for Karen Ehman and discussing different points and questions about the first 4 chapters of the book. So, I've decided to also blog about it. It gives me a chance to actually do the suggested work and gives you a chance to help me become more organized. With my friend CM's help my thought processes have become much more organized but my home and life and still somewhat of a disaster. I'm not looking for or expecting a 100% turn around in how we live our lives (though my husband would probably appreciate it) but looking to continue taking baby steps towards living an organized and PREPARED life. :)

So, today's task is to look at what 3 areas in my life are the most frustrating. She says not to think to hard....just to pick the first 3 that pop into my mind.

#1-Time Management/Calendar Planning

#2- Laundry

#3- Basic Housekeeping

Then to describe how I currently operate in each area by answering three questions about each area.

1. What are you currently doing (or not doing)?

2. What are the results?

3. How is this frustrating you?

Area #1 (Time/Calendar Management)

1. I currently program some items into my phone, and write some items on the calendar, and try to remember some items.

2. The results are that I am almost always double booking myself and my family, forgetting things that the kids (mostly Kristo) have to do, and am running behind.

3. It frustrates me because it shouldn't be hard to put all info in one place and check it daily and plan accordingly. I do plan a weekly menu around what is going on each day....but when I do not check the calendar (or menu) in the morning...I forget about it all and sometimes food doesn't get thawed and plans get forgotten until the last minute, costing us money!

Area #2

1. I currently do laundry when I feel like it. Or remember to. Or can no longer walk over or around the heaps of dirtyness. And I only periodically put away my clothes and the little boys clothes. Nick and the older kids are in charge of putting their own away.

2. The result is that we can never find clothing that we want. Its either clean and stacked in a pile or still in the dirty clothes....or has been left in the washing machine and need rewashed.

3. Its frustrating because I am training my children to do the same thing. I find the clean clothes that I give them wadded up in piles or shoved in corners...forgotten and now in need of being rewashed. We also tend to feel like we don't "have ANY clothing to wear" because we can't find it. I have been doing it long enough that now Nick has started just leaving his clean clothes in a pile too. I feel terribly guilty for being a bad influence on him in that area!! This area also costs us money in water and laundry products due to multiple rewashings of loads.

Area #3

1. I'm not sure I am actually operating in this area at this time....its all or nothing for me.

2. The results are that I find myself apologizing for my disaster anytime someone unexpectedly comes over. I am embarrassed and don't invite people over as often as I'd like to. I turn into "stormin norman" when I DO need to power clean the house for company. I am not a nice Mommy or Wife during this time frame.

3. It frustrates me because I waste a lot of time that could be spent cleaning up or organizing, just sitting around, doing nothing fun with my kids or productive. It also hinders other areas of my life because stuff is in the way of what I need to do. I know how good I feel when it IS clean and I want that feeling all the time. I also do not enjoy making my mess my familys problem.

My next task is to look over what I have just written and mark down any obvious changes that can be easily made. I will be thinking over what I have revealed to myself (and you!) and make this my next post....I know you'll be waiting with baited breath....

The daily stuff

So last night I was really feeling down. About just about everything. Sometimes I begin to feel like my friends only tolerate me, my acquaintances don't really like me, the neighbors wish we'd move away (ok, they probably REALLY do, long grass and broken fences aside). I really dislike being inside my own mind sometimes! Its like PLEASE STOP DOING THIS TO ME! I posted on Facebook and received words of encouragement and thoughts from lots of people who could relate....its nice to see your not alone in your struggles. It often feels like you are. Then it makes me sad that so many of us struggle with the enemies ruthless plots. It seems not fair. Makes me want to go back in time and take some duct tape with me and tape Eve to a tree with her mouth shut!!! Like I said, not fair. I think having a baby nursling has made me feel a little more alienated too...seems like no matter what we/I do, I'm always missing part of things or having to leave early because he is with us. Then I start to feel rude or like I don't want to be with people when in all truth I DO! But my commitment to nursing takes precedence....and in the scheme of life 18ish months isn't that big of a deal and is totally worth the sacrifice. Besides that, Jacob would NOT take well to being weaned right now. Ok, this has been a totally random post...just venting. The sunshine and morning light has brought new perspective, less discouragement, and clothes on the clothesline....which makes everything better. :) Have a blessed day my peeps. I love you all.

No Back-Up Plan

So I am about to have a major anxiety attack this morning!! AHH!! Ok, not really, I'm trying to be faithful and believe. AHHHHH!!!! As we are approaching the end of the school year, its time to decide if we will register Special Agent M for preschool next year or not. Slots are almost full and if we don't get on it NOW, chances are they will probably be full. HOWEVER, registering him is absolutely forming a back-up plan, in case God doesn't come through (which He always does). I have discovered that I have an innate ability to forget everything I heard at church, especially when I feel like maybe I got called out on something. Reading TS's blog has really challenged me (because isn't that what we do at the Vineyard?? We are either challenged or impacted. LOL) to work on NOT having a back-up plan. Just having that on my mind has made me really realize how LARGE of a back up plan I really have. I use the phrase, "if we don't go" probably 100 times a day. Nick and I sincerely believe God wants us to help with the Peoria plant and that we WILL be going. But with no actions showing us that we are.....we have started formulating. Plans, lots of them. With the house, with the business, with school, and the kids....in fact, if we DON'T go everything in our lives has been decided. That is SO sad. Be faithful. HAVE faith. I'm 100% sure ALL my actions have shown neither of those statements. This morning, I filled out the paperwork to register Special Agent M for preschool next year (already marking Tuesday/Thursday because I planned to partially homeschool next year with the other kids.), asked Mo to run it back to Mrs. Rhoades and started looking for the checkbook, so I could write a check for the registration fee. Which I couldn't find. Even though I always keep it in the same place. Weird. The filled out registration paper is still sitting on the table. No back-up plan in place....I am NOT registering him for school next year. Jesus help me. To the faithful You show Yourself faithful; To those with integrity, You show integrity. Psalm 18:25

Day 9 - A Picture of my Best Friend

First off I have totally had blog ADD. Not sure why but I totally forgot about it. Oops. So today I am supposed to post my favorite picture of my BFF. But see, thats hard because I have many BFF's. Ya, I'm just popular like that. :)
Pictured above is me and my BFF ;) Ang. I looks super imposed amoungst the tan people!


Then me and my BFFEL, Doreen. We are upside down. And your jealous you didnt think of it.

My sweetie Nick. He puts up with SO much from me....that he MUST be listed as my BFF too. My BFF, my lifemate, my love! <3

Doreen and I's backsides! Showing off our Anam Cara (soul friend) tattoos we had just gotten.

I had more pics but got frustrated with trying to get them in the right order...or getting them to load at all...so I'll throw out some mentions!

Tanya, my brave BFF, Amy, my JOY-full BFF, Travis, my absent/busy BFF, Jessi, my FIRST BFF, Carolyn, my amazing BFF, Christy, my frugal BFF, Facebook, my social BFF (though sometimes he drives me to want to drink!), God, my saving BFF, Mindy, my always unexpected BFF, Abby, my HS BFF, Heather, my scrappin' BFF, Bailey, my little sister BFF, Kathy, my always generous BFF, Laura, my relateable BFF, and lastly but most importantly, Mom, my biological BFF.

I know I missed some people...I really wanted to make sure that I listed everyone. I am SO blessed with many wonderful people in my life. BFF and just FF or just friends for a season. Thank you all for being an amazing and growing part of my life. At this point I can almost feel my roots bound up and pressing against the sides of my pot....just waiting to BURST out and shoot up in growth. God has some amazing stuff planned for our lives very soon...I can feel it in the depths of me. I am so looking forward to it. And to taking my amazing friends along with me!!!

Day 8 - A place I've traveled To

That makes this post easy. See, I haven't traveled many places. Just the thought of traveling out of the country makes me itchy. Except maybe to Canada or Amsterdam (heehee). But I have seen many beautiful places throughout the US.


The one place I want to go FOREVER is Sea Grove Beach, Florida. Beautiful beaches, upscale neighborhoods, wonderful shops, great people. Ahhh, pure perfection.


Olivia and Mikey on the beach


I want to see this view EVERY SINGLE DAY of my life!!!! Just remembering it brings a sense of calm into my very soul.



Dallas, Texas. A great city. It has a huge gang problem. But they didn't really bother us. Well, it made me all anxious...but no one ever hassled us. Gotta love Texas...I'm excited to someday see more of it. Especially the Austin area. ;)

Disney World. Quite possibly the HOTTEST vacation we have ever taken. Yuck. We thought it would be SO fun to take Olivia for her 6th birthday. The bad part is her birthday is at the end of June. Hot, with an almost 2 year old with us. And everyone was sick. Kristo, Nick, and Mikey all ran high fevers while we were there. Olivia was sick before we left. Lots of great memories!

Good Ol Mount Rushmore. My parents idea of a "great" family road trip vacation. I never want to go there again. Ok, I do, but only to torture my children!!!! We rode in the suburban with the windows down, the whole way. I got hit in the head with a grasshopper. Like I was a dang windshield!

I do also really like Arizona. That's a beautiful place but probably too hot for me. I'd love to see Yellowstone, California, Vail, Turks and Caicos. So if you'd like to take me....I wont say no!

Day 7 - Favorite Movies

There is a problem here. I'm not a huge fan of movies. I HATE to sit that long. Which would make you think that maybe I am a really active person. Which I'm not. Mostly, I suppose I hate to be FORCED to sit that long. I fidget. I get anxious. I space out. And lastly, I fall asleep. Right now I see mostly kids movies. I love many of them. My husband makes fun of me for laughing or crying at them. If I had to pick one. My all time favorite movie is Pretty Woman. I like Breakfast Club, Dazed and Confused, Date Night, Hangover, Baby Momma, Sweet Home Alabama, Transformers, Frank and Miri, anything Cheech and Chong. Lots other probably...too many to think of. :)

Day 6 - A picture of something that makes me happy - Part 2

My minions.


LOOK at that smile. My angel.

ahhh, paradise

Teetoe, swimming it up. The little dork loves goggles. They are older than daddy, ya know.

My nephew.

Nicolas. Love his goofy butt.

Nick and I. My heart, my rescuer, the love of my life.

I also discovered through this post just how crazy I sometimes am. I can't upload as many pictures as I want...just only 5 at a time. Doh...then I didn't look at my "other windows" to see if the blogger photo uploader popped up. Oh well, I know now! :)

Day 6 - A picture of something that makes me happy - Part 1

My BFF's and me. Travis and Doreen!


Special Agent M and K swinging, last summer. Such a beautiful picture.

My niece and J

Mo getting baptized. <3

My precious Special Agent M, the light of my world. And his baby dinosaur. He is so goofy.

And I apparently can only post 5 pictures at a time....therefore today requires two posts! ;)

Day 5 - A Song to Match my Mood

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVwd5KpLlXg

So I'm supposed to post a video. Which I am not 100% sure how to do yet! So I'm going to try. In the even that it doesnt work....just follow the link. Sicky Vicky because, well, I've got another cold! Every single thing that J has gotten, Mommy has gotten too. IDK if my immune system is down because of bfding of if its just luck this year! Either way....

Day 4 - My Parents

My Parents!

Marcia and Greg

They are awesome.

Moms a home health care nurse. Dad is a, hmmm, chemical salesman? And a Catholic Deacon.

They have been my rock. Supported me through the best and worst circumstances. Loved me, even when I was a demon child.

I get a lot of great traits from them.

My mom is very short. My dad is very tall. LOL.

I also blame them for any genetic defects they passed down to me. :) Frequently.

My mom is my most best friend in the whole world. In the last year she has FINALLY learned how to text message. That has been a great thing for our phone bills. We talk at LEAST once a day. And if her whole work day has gone by and I haven't texted....she thinks somethings wrong. :)

My Daddy-O is great. Always there for me, my super hero in a cape. I still can't call him when I'm having an issue without crying. Its an uncontrollable response. "Daddy, I have a flat tire. ". "Daddy, my roof is leaking ". "Daddy, I'm pregnant " Its the strangest phenomenon.

We've had and still very occasionally have our issues. But, I love my parents dearly. They must live forever. My mental health could not handle living without them. Sorry, guys, that's how its got to be.

Meaning Behind my Blog Name

Its not about justice, its about silence. Its a simple concept really, behind all things child related. Sometimes its NOT about justice....Mommy just doesn't want to hear anymore screaming! :) Its a theory stolen from the stand up comedy of the one and only Bill Cosby. My husband loves Bill Cosby. He is a super funny comedian, a great actor, and an amazing role model for men, parents, and people alike.
Dictionary.com says justice is the quality of being just; righteous, the moral principal determining conduct. Sometimes that just doesn't apply. Sometimes the offended gets in trouble instead of the offender. All in the name of silence. Because, you see, its not about justice, its about silence. And silence they say, is golden.

30 Day Challenge

Ok, peeps, here is the list of "postings" for the 30 day challenge. It was fun to retype because apparently my copy and past function doesn't work on this site. Bah!

Day 1: Introduce yourself and 15 interesting facts
Day 2: Meaning behind your blog name
Day 3: Your first love
Day 4: Your parents
Day 5: A Song to Match your Mood
Day 6: A picture of something that makes you happy
Day 7: Favorite Movies
Day 8: A place you've traveled to
Day 9: Favorite picture of your best friend
Day 10: Something your afraid of
Day 11: Favorite TV shows
Day 12: Something you don't leave the house without
Day 13: Life goals
Day 14: A picture of you from last year - how have you changed?
Day 15:Bible Verse
Day 16: Dream house
Day 17: Something your looking forward to
Day 18: Favorite place to eat
Day 19: Something you miss
Day 20: Nicknames
Day 21: Fav picture of yourself of all time
Day 22: Whats in your purse
Day 23: Favorite books
Day 24: Something you've learned
Day 25: Put your iPod on shuffle, first 10 songs
Day 26: Dream Wedding
Day 27: Original photo of the city you live in
Day 28: Something that stresses you out
Day 29: Three wishes
Day 30: Picture of yourself on this day, 5 good things that have happened to you since starting this blog

Day 1 - Introduce myself

Introduce Yourself, Current picture, 15 interesting Facts about yourself

Well, I'm Mandie. :) Originally Amanda Gayle, I've considered changing to Mandie permanently but I don't want to hurt my moms feelings. I've discussed this with her. She agrees it would hurt her feelings. She loves the name Amanda. Its funny because I don't FEEL like an Amanda. I'm definitely a Mandie. :)

This picture isn't TOO recent but I do love it. It contains some of my favorite people!!! You can tell its not too recent because, well, most of us have a different hair color now! (In Jacob's case, he just HAS some hair now!) Also, my dear Jessica has moved away...miss her!

15 Facts about me!

1. My most favorite claim to fame is I was born with a tooth. If you've known me long, you know that. Its so strange that I must share. Wives tales say its means your going to be famous. :) Cindy Crawford was born with a milk tooth, and she graduated from my high school, that means something, right? Probably not.

2. Since using a smart phone I seem to not be able to use punctuation or capitalization on the computer. I'm so used to just double spacing and it doing it for me, I can hardly function without that feature...you will see it in my blogs, I'm sure. So I guess, my smart phone has made me dumb.

3. I love Jesus. For some, that USED to know me, it may seem like a real stretch. But I do. :)

4. I'm extremely fertile. See FOUR minions that run around my house. Now, I would like the capability to pass my fertility blessing onto someone else!

5. I have been blogging for exactly two days now. I can already tell I'm going to need Healing Journey down the road to get over my addiction.

6. I lead an amazingly blessed life. I'm under the firm belief that its what I'm GOING to do that has provided me with such a prosperous present. Don't get me wrong. We're broke, we have problems, we lead a normal life but are BEYOND blessed.

7. I am horrible at algebra (or math in general). I have taken it FOUR times as a class and failed every single time. Twice in high school. Twice in college.

8. I struggle with addictions and temptation that you may not guess. Its crazy. However, in my biggest one, I see the lies I have been told and will not be going back. Even though the longing doesn't fade away.

9. I think in Facebook status updates. I might need Healing Journey for that too. :)

10. I love to be crafty. Sewing, scrapbooking, creating, thinking, conjuring up ideas. This is how my brain works. (It does NOT work in a math kind of way). However I cannot paint or draw to save my life and I wish I could! I can see the picture in my head and somewhere between my brain and my head the message gets confused. Must be my shoulder messing it up!

FIVE TO GO!

11. I'm a little bit granola. I love cloth diapers, drying my clothes on the clothes line, breastfeeding, the idea of birthing at home (illegal in Illinois, grrr), eating naturally, using natural products, home gardens, canning (or freezing) fresh food for later, attachment parenting, co-sleeping and the idea of raising our own eggs and meat.

12. I love to read fiction books and parenting books. And self help books. I didn't love to read until about 4th grade. Then I read "Super Fudge" at the prompting of my friend Jessi. I've loved to read since then. I can no longer read horror novels though, they give me nightmares and increase my anxiety.

13. I LOVE to cook. LOVE. If only someone else would clean up my mess. I am not a neat cook. Or a neat anything for that matter.

14. I was born in Philadelphia, PA. My dad was in the Navy, stationed in New Jersey. I have yet to figure out why they didn't live on base or why I wasn't delivered in a military hospital. Maybe I've know that answer and forgotten. I'm sure that's the case!

15. I'm the oldest of two children. My little bro Thom is six years younger. He recently became a dad and fiance. I can now stand to be around him. :) In fact, I might ALMOST admit hes a LITTLE bit cool, and sometimes funny. But is still a dirtball. :)

Learning to Save Money

I am currently on a quest to learn to spend less money on groceries. Wal-Mart, IGA, and CVS do not DESERVE my husbands hard earned money! We deserve to keep it and I am now committed to KEEPING as much of it as possible. My good friend Christy has been s-l-o-w-l-y teaching me to use coupons and she is teaching a class next week that I cannot wait to attend. But I'm looking for ways to make healthier AND cheaper choices for myself, my husband, and my kids. So today I decided to make "Nesquik" at home. Its ridiculously expensive and full of nasty additives. So I did some Google work. This is what I came up with and its just as good! Plus theres only THREE ingredients!

Homemade Chocolate Milk Powder

1/3 cup Cocoa Powder
2/3 cup sugar (you could use a substitute, Id be willing to bet)
Pinch of salt

Mix well and add to milk as desired. Easy peezey lemon squeezy! :)

Starting a new blog

I've been thinking about starting a blog now since before Christmas. Mostly to journal my crazy thoughts and ideas. Sorta to share recipes and household tips. Now, inspired by Tanya's daily blogging and many of my other friends participating in the 30 day challenge, I have started it. I come up with ideas for blogs almost daily, including formulating my personal "mission statement", which will eventually fall in here....trying to find the info on the 30 day blogging challenge...bear with me as I get there.

Today, my mission statement, my life, my motivation, and my encouragement is in the form of my four minions. I just love them. I may have been a young Mother but I'm seeming to think I'm doing ok. :) And at least they are cute!!! Teetoe is 12, Special Agent M is 2, J is 9 months, and Mo is 7 in this picture. They make my heart smile.