Tennessee Hausteins

So Proud!!

2009-07-15T13:11:00.000-07:00

John before and after the triathalon, he kept a smile on his face!!

Happy Birthday Ryder!!

2009-04-14T16:37:00.000-07:00

Ryder blowing the candles out on his cake. He knew exactly what to do with his candles. He did well and only needed a little help from his brother and sister to get the last candle out.

It's official!!! Ryder is potty trained and loves his big boy underwear. We started underwear the week before his birthday and he just took to the potty like a pro. He wakes up dry 6 out of 7 nights of the week and everyday from nap.. He has done awesome I am so impressed. The scarf is a daily addition, or something similar to it, he loves to dress up and act goofy! He's a funny kid.

Ryder

2009-03-16T11:49:00.000-07:00

Ryder our baby is TWO.... TWO, how does this happen that these kids grow so fast!!!!! Today is his actual birthday, but we had a little family party Saturday(photos later). He is TWO and has had some huge advances lately. He moved into a big boy bed in December, (thanks to the breaking of the leg when he climbed out of his crib). He actually did really well when he first moved into the bed, we had a couple hard weeks afterwards, but for the most part he loved it and did great. Now, he is wearing his big boy underwear. He is very proud to be using the potty like a big boy and is doing an amazing job. He got some new Elmo underwear today and is very excited about those. :)

He is definitely a go-getter, he doesn't realize he is not as big as the other kids and wants to get right in there with them and do whatever they are doing. He is a funny, spunky, social little boy and definitely keeps me on my toes, I run after him quite frequently. We love him dearly and look forward to the adventure's he will take us on this year.

Voting....

2009-02-27T19:08:00.000-08:00

So I saw this bumper sticker today, that I thought was very interesting. It said "Vote Scripturally Correct".. Is this possible? It brought to mind the book The Shack, which I recently read and think will re-read again.

Anyhow these were my thoughts. How to vote scripturally correct? It seems that really you have to choose between the lesser of two evils well, maybe lesser of two evils is too harsh but it seems like most candidates have some "un-scripture" like behavior. Is this scripturally correct? I'd love to hear anyone's opinion on this matter. I have been pondering all day how to vote "scripturally correct"(well, not really all day but I have thought about it off and on )

A new post finally!!

2009-02-17T13:51:00.000-08:00

I have not posted in quite a little while 1. because I was having computer problems (ugh! but those days are hopefully over, I got a new computer, yippee!!!) 2. because my children keep getting sick and instead of getting it all at once, yes that would be hard to have three sick kids for a week, but I think that it would be better than three sick kids spread out over three weeks!!! We've run out of children's tylenol twice, and I can't get the smell of vomit out of my nose!!! I am ready to get out of my house and breath fresh air!!!

To top it all off John will be going out of town this week and will be gone for 10 days!! If this bug runs the course like it has been, I should get this nasty,nasty bug as soon as he leaves!! (lovely)

The End..........

I've vented and feel better!! :)

snow (well a little bit)

2009-01-23T11:23:00.001-08:00

This picture to me is just pure "childhood". They were so excited for the snow and it was just fun to see them just enjoy the joy of being a kid.

They are saying "snow day!" Ryder really got into it!!

So we had some REALLY cold weather lately, they even closed schools because it was so cold. I think the high that day was around 5 degrees. The next week it snowed, not enough to build a snowman but enough to go outside and catch it on your tongue!!! The kids and I are still really hoping that we get snow again, enough to really play in!!

TOILET TALK

2009-01-14T06:55:00.000-08:00

Okay, so Ryder is fascinated with the toilet bowl!! The other day I caught him "cleaning" the toilet with a q-tip (no this is not the way I clean, but what a great way to get all the missed spots!!). The next day he decided the toilet was too empty, so he filled it with a whole roll of toilet paper and some pads!! Then he decided it was too full so he should take the stuff out and spread it around the bathroom floor!! Luckily I had just bleached the toilet out so it was as clean as it can be!! So Ryder headed to the bath and then we mopped up the floor again!!

Happy 2009

2008-12-31T19:27:00.001-08:00

As the year is coming to an end I have been "reflecting" on the past year and how the kids have grown and changed.
Meagan: she is our go-getter. There is no challenge that she cannot beat. She has such a confidence in herself and her abilities that she will take on anyone challenge that is placed before her and usually will do it with a smile on her face. This confidence can come off in a bad light at times and we are trying to direct her in a more positive way of asserting her abilities and "knowledge". This is a nice way of saying she can be bossy and a know-it-all and we are working on that with her. She is sweet as can be and loves to help others. She has a heart of gold and loves to learn and has a desire to push her self to be the best. She has grown so much this past year in herself and academically, she has moved up to honor roll and one of the top students in her class. She also finally lost her first 2 teeth right before Christmas, she was so excited, she felt like she was the last girl in the world to still have all there baby teeth. We are so proud of her and look forward to what 2009 will bring to her and us.
Jacob: He has begun to come out of his shell and have a little more confidence in himself. He is still extremely shy, Not as painfully shy as he used to be. He is home with me this year and I will have to admit he has driven me crazy at times, and other times I have really enjoyed having him here and our great conversations we can have during the day. He is still a tender hearted guy and hates to hurt anyone on the outside or the in, it is almost hard to discipline him when he has hurt someones feelings because he tears himself up so much. We are working on his confidence in himself and his lack of a desire to do anything that is "too hard". I have a feeling we get the confidence up the other won't be far behind. He is a Joy in our lives and we look forward to 2009 and his start of Kindergarten and the new growth that comes with that.
Ryder: Oh, boy!! He is an energetic little boy to say the least. He has really kept me on my toes this year. He is all boy, very rough and loud and energetic. His favorite thing to do is to throw or hit, if it can't be thrown or hit he doesn't want anything to do with it. I think that he will be our ball player. He's had many accomplishments in 2008 as well, from crawling to walking and talking and running. He is definitely a mommas boy but has recently become really clingy to daddy and I think he would just enjoy to have us both stay home all day together. He really misses any of his family member if they are gone for the day. When Meagan is at school he will call for her "Meanan" Meanan" and he puts his arms to both side like he's asking "where is she?" He is very sweet and is definitely doted on by everyone in our household. We look forward to what 2009 will bring to Ryder.
Hope everyone has a blessed and Joyful 2009

Yippee hooray whoo hoo!!

2008-12-23T11:29:00.001-08:00

(Ryder and his cast)

So we got back from the cruise on Sunday December 14th at about 1:30 a.m. with a sick boy. Everyone in our house ended up with this nasty stomach bug, and our house was shut down for the week. BUT...... Since this bug was so nasty it caused horrible diarhea (gross I know!) and it oozed down Ryder's leg into the cast!! Double Yuck!! So we went to see the Doc and the Doc said CAST OFF and STAY OFF, yeah!!! So Ryder is cast free, but he still is not walking right. Weird. He won't bend his knee when he walks, They say this is normal and he should adjust himself shortly. For now it is very cute to watch his gimpy walk.

Thanksgiving traditions

2008-12-23T11:21:00.000-08:00

Ryder decided he liked the view from John's shoulder's rather than the stroller.

The past few years on Thanksgiving morning our family has gotten up early and headed downtown for the Grateful Gobbler walk, roll, or stroll. This has become our Thanksgiving family tradition. The kids look forward to it every year. We are still trying to figure out a christmas tradition that is as fun as this turkey day one.

New Friendship's Made Old Friendship's Renewed

2008-12-19T12:33:00.000-08:00

Beth,me and Kristy, We decided when we were (18?) That when we turned 30 we would take a trip and I think we even said a cruise (Right girls?) We were just a year late following thru on our deal but still did it and it was great to spend time with them.

"THE BOYS" Ryder, Isaac, Landon, Jacob, and Aiden. This was the only picture I got with Ryder in it, he wanted to do a funny face too, but he wouldn't stay still long enough to get a good picture.

"THE GIRLS" Outnumbered!! Meagan, Madison and Macie. Meagan and Madison really hit it off and enjoyed there time together on the boat, Macie was as sweet as could be, She amazed me with being able to sleep anywhere and seemed to be able to sleep through anything, what a great baby.

Meagan and Isaac building a sand castle at Castaway Cay (Disney's Island)

Meagan and Madison.

still sick and spreading!!!

2008-12-16T12:01:00.000-08:00

So Jacob is still sick, no more vomitting just the other (you know!! ugh!) Ryder woke up last night with the vomitting and today John is sick!! So Meagan and I are awaiting our turn and praying that it passes us by!!

2008-12-16T11:37:00.000-08:00

This was supposed to be our Christmas picture and it may still be!! Jacob was very mad because he wanted to wear his sweatshirt for the picture, so he would not smile or stop crying!!

Formal night.

Leaving the "Golden Mickey's". (very cute show)

Along with crusing with John's whole family we also got to cruise with my two great friends and their families. The kids had great fun and so did the adults.

First day of the cruise, getting ready to depart!!! Yippee!!!!

WAITING

2008-12-15T04:53:00.000-08:00

We are back from our cruise. We had such a fun time. John has all the pictures on his computer so I am "waiting" for them so I can post them on my blogg. We had a great time the whole week and then realized on the drive home we were missing a bag and my cell phone!!! So Disney is shipping the bag and someone on the next cruise found my phone and called us this morning at 1:30 :) lovely!!! The drive home was also an adventure in itself, Jacob brought a bug back with him and we had many stops to dump the bucket!!! Our car was very odorous!!( is this a word, I am not sure but that is how I would describe the stench!!) So we are back with piles of laundry to do!!!

Cruisin'

2008-12-04T08:43:00.001-08:00

Vacation here we come!!!! Tomorrow we leave for Florida to start our 7 day Disney Cruise on Saturday!!! We can't wait for beach and sun and lots of R&R. We have a cast cover for Ryder so hopefully he won't miss out on any of the fun. I will have lots of fun pictures to blogg about when we come home.

Ryder

2008-11-20T10:46:00.000-08:00

Ryder has been very difficult to get down for a nap lately. I haven't changed the routine he has just decided he doesn't want to be out of my sight lately. I read him two books and sing a song as I am walking him to his crib. So yesterday we did our routine, (I knew he was tired too because he was falling asleep during lunch) I lay him in bed and he is fine, but as soon as I close the door he is up and screaming. So I decide to go and take my shower (yes late in the day, we were having a lazy day) Jacob did his books on tape and coloring while I was bathing. Well, I heard this really shrill cry from Ryder (which is not too uncommon when he is mad, he will really let you know) I kept listening and there was nothing. Then his cry got very loud and sounded closer, I went in the hallway and could tell that Ryder was crying from his door. I open the door and he is sitting on the floor at the door which is kinda strange, I tried to get him to stand and he wouldn't put his right leg down (weird). I rocked him for awhile (he was very upset and I could tell he hurt). He fell asleep and when he woke up we hiked it to the ER. Little Ryder broke his leg, he was such a trooper at the hospital, the Doctors kept commenting on how calm he was, unless you tried to take him from my arms. So Ryder has a cast for 4-6 weeks and today he keeps saying "walk" and falling when he tries. This will definitely take some adjusting.

Fall Fun!!!

2008-11-09T11:17:00.000-08:00

John and I were Thing One and Thing Two for our Church Trunk-or-Treat. We are really scary looking aren't we!?!?!? We had a really cool trunk, John makes his trailer into a maze for the kids to wind thru. This always seems to be a hit and we always have kids coming back to go through several times.

Jacob's Pumpkin carving, the stinker wouldn't let me get his picture!!

Our three treats!! Mr Jacob the "incredible Hulk", Mr Ryder the cutest scarecrow ever!!, Ms. Meagan the "cute witch".

More Fall Fun

2008-11-09T11:12:00.000-08:00

Meagan gutting the pumpkin, she enjoyed this, she seems to like the gooey parts, and doesn't mind getting messy.

Ry-dawg our little punk kid!! John was playing with the kids hair paint and decided to experiment with Ryder. He loved it!!

This was sooo cool, we went to a pumpkin patch and they had a corn maze and petting zoo, and two pits full of corn kernels for the kids to slide into, they all really enjoyed themselves.

Camping FUN!!!!!

2008-11-09T11:02:00.000-08:00

Check out this tongue!!! We went camping down in Georgia at F.D. Roosevelt State Park, and there is a wildlife safari park nearby. So we went and fed the crazy animals!!! It was hilarious and so much fun!! We rented the parks van which is the zebra painted picture below and there are bars on the windows to keep the animals heads out, (because even with the bars they tried to get their heads in!) We had so much fun, it was funny to watch the kids because every time the animals tongues would come in they would squeal and scoot closer to the middle. Ryder rode with big eyes the whole time, by the end he wanted to throw food out but only to the small animals. GREAT MEMORIES!!!

Hot cocoa around the campfire!! We had a great campsite, all the neighbor camping kids would come down and hang out at ours, we had great trees and logs and stumps to climb on , the kids stayed busy all day and asked to go to bed at night!!! I Love Camping!!!!

Random Pictures

2008-11-07T10:34:00.000-08:00

We went on a camping trip on fall break, I have much better pics I am trying to download but my computer is not recognizing my camera for some reason. (still working)

Meagan and a silly pose!

Meagan and Jacob got to take a scuba diving class a few weeks ago and loved it.

Ryder just being Ryder!! He is such a character! He loves to laugh and play and cuddle!!

31

2008-10-24T10:05:00.000-07:00

Well I am now officially into the thirties!! Last year was just a trial year to see if I liked my thirties or not!!?? So I guess I like them because I am now thirty-one!!! I had a wonderful day and had to post about it. I was very selfish and planned a day to pamper myself. Although I had to squeeze in a troop leader meeting (girl scouts) but that was fun as well. So here is how my day went. I woke up to sweet message written on my mirror from John, got the kids ready and it was out the door. Dropped Meagan at school and the boys at mom's and went to Starbucks for coffee!! Then it was off to the meeting. After the meeting I went and met John at Red Robin (so good). It was so nice to meet him for lunch alone, and he gave me the book the Love Dare. (side note) We went to see the movie Fireproof and are doing a bible study at our church with other couples based on the book/movie, so he thought that it would be fun to do the dare for each other. He wrote the sweetest note to me in the book that I am positive I will love looking back over the next 100 years :). So after lunch I browsed around the mall and bought a few things and just enjoyed a leisurely afternoon alone. After my mall time I went to get my hair done and then to get a manicure and a pedicure ( I think that I could get used to all this pampering). To top the day off my mom and the kids made me a dinner and cake. It was a wonderful day and I feel so refreshed after getting some alone and pampering time.

Our first drink!!!

2008-10-20T16:36:00.001-07:00

So on our first date at Harding John and I went to Midnight Oil, this awesome coffee shop within walking distance of campus. The drink we had was called "hot apple pie in a mug" this is so good and we have mastered our own version of it. You have to try this it is so delicious!!!!
Hot apple cider, caramel, 1/2 and 1/2 and topped with whipped cream and drizzled with caramel. I know I know sounds full of fat, but you can lighten it up, sugar free apple cider mix, fat free 1/2 and 1/2, sugar free caramel (already ff) and fat free whipped cream, it actually taste's a little better with the sugar free stuff.
ENJOY!!!!

Sleepover

2008-10-20T13:11:00.000-07:00

So Meagan had her first sleepover, she invited two friends and it was a princess themed night. John and Jacob were out of town for the weekend so it was a girls night (in) with Ryder of course, but he went to bed early.

I was a little worried because it was everyone's first sleepover so we had the #'s ready to call, but they stayed so busy and just finally crashed around 12:30 and no one wanted to leave the next morning. I was exhausted and crashed as soon as Ryder did for nap.

SEPTEMBER

2008-09-30T16:30:00.000-07:00

How are these months passing by so quickly? September was a very full month for us we stayed very busy having lots of fun. John and I got to have lots of good quality date time and we even got a weekend away on a marriage retreat with our church. This was a wonderful weekend, spending time together visiting with other Christian couples resting and relaxing and just rejuvenating our marriage. The weekend before this we actually got to go on a date for free!!! We just got a Red Robin here (whoo hoo, so excited!!!) and somehow we got on the mailing to come to there trial run and get a free meal!!! We had free babysitting and free food you can't beat that!!

Meagan is staying busy with school and has really started to excel with reading and math. She actually won a gift card to the book store because she had so many AR (accelerated reader) points. She was so excited to go pick out new chapter books to read. She is also playing fall softball so this keeps her busy on Tues and Thurs with practice and games. We just recently signed her up for Girl Scouts with me volunteering for troop leader!!(yikes) I am excited and she was really excited about this, it will be good quality time together for us.

Jacob is home with me, we couldn't make up our minds about Kindergarten, (he'll go, he won't etc.) so we lost our spot at our WONDERFUL preschool. He was doing a mother's day out, but it was just feeling like such a hassle and it really wasn't a "day out" for me, so he's home and we are working on reading and writing and math and other "kindergarteny" things. He is also back into gymnastics one day a week which he loves. Next month will be his first meeting at the "bug club" The bug club will be just what my bug catcher needs, ALL summer long I was brought and still am any and every new bug he finds to see what it eats and where we can keep it because it is his new pet. The bug club will teach him all about Bug's every question he's had about bugs should get answered here. He's excited!!!

Ryder, is 18 months and busy busy busy.. He will climb anything and everything. He is our ball player I think. If you can throw it or swing it that is what he does, he always wants to play catch or hit and he actually has it down how to hold the bat. It is very impressive to watch. His personality is just really coming out and is so fun to watch him develop and grow. He gets so frustrated if Meagan or Jacob are doing something that he can't, he doesn't understand why he can't do whatever they are doing. He keeps me on my toes all day long.

Oluve you!!!

2008-09-21T12:47:00.001-07:00

I was cooking dinner with Ryder grabbing my legs saying "num, num" so I popped open a can of olives and he was satisfied :) he loves his olives.

summer fun

2008-09-21T12:41:00.000-07:00

These were taken on one of the last days of summer vaca. before school started ( a month and 1//2 ago) The kids wanted me to take silly photos of them. We had a lot of fun!!!

WHAT IF......

2008-08-20T08:59:00.000-07:00

........ (you fill in the blank with some random crazy question).... These are the words I hear probably 50 times a day. Jacob has so many what if scenarios it is crazy. He is fascinated by tornado's since last year at pre-school they did tornado drills. So I have gotten a lot of what ifs about tornado's lately. I can usually get away with an answer of "well what do you think would happen?". But if it's a real what if we have to have a long discussion about it. ( my brain is fried at the end of the day from a 5 year old's questions)

Jacob has also been saying some very funny things again lately. He is fascinated with water and diving and scuba and really wants to learn to snorkel and scuba. (he practices in our kiddie pool and the tub). He is constantly having me count and watch how long he can stay under water. He came out of the water the other day and said "how come God made it so we could only breath on the land, I NEVER want to come out of the water."
We were sitting and talking on the rug the other day and he was being silly and I said Jacob you are just so funny and he said "no, mommy I am COOL!!!!". (my bad!!)

Meagan is SEVEN!!!

2008-08-10T18:53:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe my little girl is seven, she seems to want to grow up so fast and I feel like it is a tug of war to try and keep her a little girl for a while longer. She is sweet as they come and loves to help whenever needed, she has a heart of gold and loves unconditionally. She has yet to meet a stranger and this both makes me proud and a little afraid. We went to the family reatreat with our church and had to leave in the afternoon for a few hours and Meagan really wanted to stay so we left her with friends there. They broke off into groups to do a team building get to know your brothere and sisters exercise and Meagan ( not knowing half the people in the group) stood up and said " I would like to be the leader of the group" (wonderful people that they are, they let her be leader and had a "co-leader" with her). I got back in time to watch her in action and my heart swelled with pride!!! She is so confident in herself and her abilities. I pray that she will always be proud of who she is and what she can do big or little and that she will continue to stand for what is right. I can't believe God gave me such a wonderful gift as her to call me Momma.

July Overview

2008-08-10T18:25:00.000-07:00

WHOOSH>>>>>>> That's what July felt like around here... Man were we busy. I really cannot believe it is August and Meagan has only 1 day left of summer vacation.... Well I wanted to remember all that happened in July so I thought it would be a good record for me to post it on my blog and have it to look back at. So here goes.
July 6th we were supposed to drive to St. louis to leave Meag and J for cousins camp but John got a job so we ended up getting there sunday the 7th after leaving at 4am. John then left Monday for Montana, (driving) and I turned around and drove back home (after about 2 hours sleep because Ryder has decided anywhere else but his bed is not worthy of sleep). So July 7th -13th it was just Ry and I and you would think having just one child at home would be soooo much easier than three!!!! I guess in some ways that it is but he is so used to the constant attention and noise here that he was under foot all day long, I really didn't mind too much though because I hardly ever get to just sit and cuddle him and read and do blocks etc. I had a whole list of things to do though and only finished 1/2 of 1 item on my list!!!!! Meagan, Jacob and John arrived home on Sunday the 13th (Meagan's 7th birthday) John had driven 24 hours straight on Friday to Saturday from Montana (he and his memphis partner drove together and switched off drivers, but still how restful is sleeping in a car seat) .
So week three of July started off pretty relaxing we went to the pool and the lake and then Meagan got a stomach bug and woke John and I up at 2am SCREAMING!!!! I CAN'T BREATH!!!! we were startled because we were asleep, but not too worried about the not breathing part since she was screaming so air was getting in !!! Anyhow so we cleaned her up again and again and we stayed home for two days. Saturday July 19th we had Meagan's birthday party and did the waterslide, and a water balloon war kids vs. dads, this was fun and fun to watch. The next week the kids did a summer camp and had an awesome time and can't wait to go back next summer, this was busy running around for me since we live forever away from civilization!!! (not really but it sure feels like it sometimes). The last week Jacob went to aquarium camp, he had a lot of fun, he is fascinated by fish, amphibians, any sort of water thing, and has wanted to be a diver for the past two years since he saw one in the aquarium. But this was Jacobs week to get sick, so we stayed home while everyone else went to the ball game (UGH). The first week of August started off great, we went swimming with friends on monday and Tuesday we went to the lake and Tuesday afternoon was my turn to share in the sickness ( my kids are great at sharing :)) So yet again I miss out on the ball game with the fam, and my bro and his wife and son were also in town so it was a double miss!!! Saturday it was John and Ryder's turn to share with us!!! Oh what fun we have here and I wouldn't trade it for the world!!!!

July 4th festivities!!!

2008-07-08T06:16:00.000-07:00

We had such a fun 4th of July celebration. On the 3rd we went to the baseball game and after it was over everyone got to go down onto the field to watch the fireworks (so cool!). On the 4th we grilled hamburgers and hotdogs and made a flag cake and topped it off with sparklers with the kids. FUN FUN FUN!!!

What nine years and three kids looks like on us!!!

2008-07-02T14:38:00.000-07:00

Oh kay!!!! so we have both put on the same amount of weight!!! (ugh) but for some reason it looks so much better on John than on me!!! It will take me 6 months to lose mine and probably only 1 for John maybe even less ( so unfair!!) We have had such an awesome journey together, I look forward to the next nine years and new memories we get to make together.

Happy Birthday John!! 32!!!!!

2008-07-02T14:33:00.001-07:00

We had a fun celebration for John's birthday. The kids and I for father's day/birthday gift got John a motorcycle safety class along with helmet (he picked out himself). He has been wanting a bike for awhile and this is the first step. He enjoyed the class and is excited to get a bike. John's cake was a Wall-e cake. We went to the drive in theatre the Friday before his birthday and the kids really enjoyed the movie and thought that would be a great theme for his 32nd birthday :).

June 12th 1999

2008-06-11T09:03:00.000-07:00

We will be married nine years tomorrow!! It has really flown by. While looking at this picture I think of the plans we had for our future, some came true and some changed. I absolutely knew I was in love on this day, but it amazes me how much more I love John today than on our wedding day well maybe not more but definetly a deeper love.

Summer is here !!!!!

2008-06-06T10:31:00.000-07:00

It is summer break here, we got out on May 21st (crazy I know, but we go back August 12th, again CRAZY!!!) The kids are enjoying the sun and the food and the fun, and I am enjoying not having to go anywhere. So far this is working out okay, but I see boredom coming on quickly. Relief is coming for them and me, Saturday will be at aunt Bebe's and Monday and Tuesday will be with Mimi and Papa. I will still have Ryder, he and I are not sure he is ready to sleep anywhere far away from mommy.

The white container!!!

2008-05-05T06:30:00.000-07:00

We are getting our house organized and cleaned out ( you know spring cleaning type stuff) John was cleaning out the fridge and he gave each kid a job. Jacob's was to put the eggs in the white container. So Jacob saw the new white trash can ( we are fixing our cabinet so the trash can, will go in on the slider again). This is the white container he thought John meant, so in went about 18 eggs. Two didn't actually break when Jacob threw them in, the funny thing was the white egg container was on the table right next to the carton of eggs John had given Jacob. Jacob didn't understand the directions and John wasn't specific enough for Jacob. It was very funny, but Jacob was very embarrassed so we couldn't laugh about it then.

The Lift

2008-05-05T06:23:00.000-07:00

John had this lift rented for a job with work, so he decided to bring it home to fix the kids rope swing before he had to take it back. Jacob loved going up high with daddy and driving the lift. (I couldn't get my picture to rotate so you will have to turn your head sidway's to look at the picture)

Ryder John Haustein

2008-05-05T06:11:00.000-07:00

Ryder loves to go into the craft room and sit at the table and pretend to paint and color like the big kids do. I had the room blocked for a while until he figured out how to climb over. :) !!! So now the craft room is fair game!!!
He's a busy 13month old, still not walking seriously, but takes a few more steps each day. I think that he doesn't want to walk he wants to start out running!! He is so busy and into everything!!! He is a very funny kid and makes lots of different facial expressions for his different moods. He can roar like a dinosaur (thanks to Jacob and their dino time playing), bark like a dog, teet teet like a bird ( so cute, when you ask him what a birdie says). Everytime we go outside he points to the dogs and say's SIT STAY, (In his stern voice, this is sooooo cute). He sign's all done, wash and more. He clicks his tongue to let you know he is hungry, and say's dink when he is thirsty. I have switched him to cloth diapers, he had a horrible rash that would not go away, now it is gone and I am trying to become more environmentally friendly so we are sticking with the cloth. I used them for a little while with Meagan, ( I pinned them on and etc...) but with Ryder I got the Bummis wrap, so you lay the cloth diaper in and snapped the diaper on, very easy!!!

PARRRTY!!!!!

2008-05-05T06:02:00.001-07:00

Jacob is now 5!!! We had a transformers birthday, sort of. I made the cake and got a box of little transformers and topped the cake with them, then we blew up the jump house and let the kids go. We had a lot of fun playing, I think our rope swing was the biggest hit though, one of the dad's got stuck over there and had a line of kids for about an hour, he just kept swinging them :)

We ended the day at the Lookouts game. We had Jacob's birthday anounced during the 6th inning, he was very excited. I just can't believe he is 5. I am thankful we have decided to keep him back a year and I will get 1 more year with him home before all the bizzyness of school starts.

Mr. Golden Sun

2008-05-05T05:51:00.000-07:00

We have been having the most beautiful sunny spring weather here. It has been in the 70's and 80's almost everyday and very beautiful out. It has been too hard to stay inside, (my house is suffering, but my kids are sleeping great from all this fresh air!!!)

One Word

2008-04-21T15:48:00.000-07:00

Okay only one word answers to these questions, my sister in law sandi had this on her blogg and I thought it sounded fun, feel free to post it on yours I would love to see others answers to the questions
1. Where is your cell phone? counter
2. Your significant other. Softball
3. Your hair? Messy
4. Your Mother? Washington
5. Your Father? Washington
6. Your Favorite Thing? Crafts
7. Your dream last night? can't remember?
8. Your favorite drink? COKE
9. A goal or dream? MANY
10. The room your in? Hearth
11. Your kids? softball
12. Your fear? Loneliness
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? HOME
14. Where you were last night? home
15. What your not? Organized
16. Favorite Muffin? Poppy seed
17. One of your wish list items? Craft room
18. Where you grew up? Washington
19. The last thing you did? Dishes
20. What are you wearing? Capris
21. Your TV. OFF
22. Your pets? Dogs
23. Your computer? Sony
24. Your Life? BUSY
25. Your mood? nervous
26. Missing someone? yes
27. Your car? Minivan
28. Something your not wearing? hat
29. Your favorite store? TARGET
30. Your Summer? swimming
31. Like someone? yes
32. Your favorite color? Lots
33. When you last laughed? today
34. Last time you cried? yesterday
35. Person sent this to you? Sandi (sort of)
36. Who would resend this? ???
37. A good book? Bible
38. A good movie? Grease
39. A good song? MANY
40. One word to share? LOVE

Leaving a Legacy

2008-04-15T18:59:00.000-07:00

My grandmother has gone home today. She will be dearly missed. She was peaceful when she passed and was ready to head home. She had felt she had a great life here on earth but her battle was over she was tired. She was a wonderful woman and left a wonderful legacy to live on in her memory. She was a loving mother to 5, three boys and two girls, grandmother to 12 and great-grandmother to 21. Her final day of conciousness was full of prayer, praise and bible. Her children while she was still conscious went to her bedside to sing her devotional songs and to read to her from psalms and proverbs, she said " It is good", Her final night my mother (her youngest) sat at her bedside and read the book of psalms to her thru the night, I can't think of a more peaceful way to go than to hear God's word during your final moments here on earth. I thank God for the wonderful woman he created and the legacy that she will leave behind.

Jacob being funny (again, again!!)

2008-04-06T17:16:00.000-07:00

So Jacob was naked (he he) in front of the mirror, admiring himself before his bath and said "I am strong" Mom, I have bumps on my arms and do you know why I have bumps on my arms? Me "no why" because I am STROOOOONNNNG!!" He was very serious so I couldn't laugh right then and there so I had to send him to the tub quickly. He can be sooo funny and then turn around and dig in his heels and be soooooo soooooo stubborn. Sweet kid!!

JACOBISM'S

2008-03-31T11:20:00.000-07:00

Jacob can be such a funny kid... The other day as we were driving home ( from where I can't remember) and he and Meagan are having a conversation in the back about the male and female's role in this world. It went something like this Jacob: "Meagan boys are the ones that work when you get older and girls just get to play, you know like mommy and daddy do"
Meagan: (just as serious as could be) "Okay sounds good to me, I don't want to work anyway"
It surprised me that Meagan was okay with this because she is a very independent driven little girl and doesn't usually do well with Jacob telling her how anything is supposed to be. ( I love that since I don't leave the house for a job I just "play" all day :) )

We were walking by the movie theatre the other day and Jacob said " hey we just saw that movie (referring to Horton hears a who) in the elevator there yesterday"
Whenever we watch a movie at home he always wants to turn the lights off like an elevator :) ( I don't correct him because it is tooo cute!!!)
His favorite dessert is Muddy muddy pie ( it's Mississippi Mudd but he couldn't pronounce that so we have renamed it).
One summer we had mosquitos really bad so therefore we constantly had mosquito bites all over us, he had his shirt off and noticed his nipples and said "Look I have bug bites here) So for a while everyone had bug bites, I told him what there were really called and he couldn't pronounce nipple so now they are called "dimples" Since I have been nursing Ryder he talks alot about dimples ( way too much about dimples). The other day in Sunday school they were talking about samson and they colored a picture of him, well he had his shirt off and he was missing his "dimples" so Jacob made sure to add those onto him :). Funny funny kid I wish over the years I had been writing down all his Funnies , oh well gotta start somewhere right?

piggy banks

2008-03-31T11:13:00.000-07:00

Our children's museum here was having a piggy bank contest in different age categories ranging from pre-k thru 5th grade. Meagan and Jacob both made awesome paper mache piggy banks. Well, Meagan's was a pig Jacobs was a dinosaur. BUT, I forgot to take a picture before we went to the contest :(. Jacob's won first place and they are keeping it on display in the museum through May!!! He won a $50 savings bond and a baggy of prizes ( he was just excited about the baggy ) He will also have his picture in the paper and be on the news :) . Meagan did not win in her age group and was very upset ( I was disappointed for her also) she really should have either won or gotten honorable mention, because the bank that won was a coffee can wrapped in construction paper. I know I am being biased, but hers is really awesome and she put a lot of work and love into her "princess piggy". So hers is on display in the Haustein house thru May, you are welcome to come and admire it!!! :) I am so proud of the both of them.

My Story (or some of it)

2008-03-30T17:00:00.000-07:00

I had a moment at church today... And was reminded of my journey through life so far.
When I was 13 I decided to be baptized, I remember feeling so intense about God and so on fire for his word, wonderful feelings, I knew absolutely God's way was the right way. Well, Satan attacked me and his attacks were fierce. I was not prepared for the temptations I had to face that year and years to come at school and at home. I made horrible decisions that would affect me and my family forever. I carry these scars still with me today but I carry them in a different light than I ever thought I would be able to do. God saved me from my "choices" and brought me back to his. Over the years I have felt a gentle nudging to share my story but not the push to do so. Just the quiet voice letting me know he was preparing me to share my story with others who may be dealing with those same temptations and not have the strength or courage to fight them off. Well, last summer the urge got stronger to share my story, still no push just more of something I need to do soon. So I have been praying, about courage to share, and the words to come when the time is right. Throughout this year I have felt God has really been placing me in areas to prepare me even more for me to find my courage and words. Today in Church was a BIG I am really talking to you Wendy,, get ready your time is NOW!!!! Maybe not necessarily to share my actually story but to be involved with others who I can help and encourage to fight those temptations and to let them know, "I have been there I know how you feel, and I know God is BIGGER than those temptations".

Camping Trip

2008-03-26T19:47:00.000-07:00

We went camping Easter weekend at Cloudland Canyon State Park in Georgia. We had beautiful weather, and lots of fun at this gorgeous campground. Ryder got very sick and he and I had to come home early :( We have had a sick kid every time we have gone camping, first it was Meagan with strep and an ear infection then Ryder with ruptured eardrums, and again Ryder with the flu and (even though he JUST got tubes) another horrible ear infection :(. Despite the sick kids we have so much fun and wonderful family time. We are just going to try try again and hopefully no one will come down sick our next camping trip.

My Heart Swells !!!!

2008-03-08T16:51:00.000-08:00

Meagan our little go-getter is taking guitar lessons and doing very well (if I do say so myself, but her teacher also agrees!). She is always making up songs and dances and always has new ideas. The other day I was trying to get her to focus on practicing and she said "but, mommy I don't want to practice, I just want to write songs!!!" she then proceeded to sing me a song (about a horse going through the backdoor :) ). Anyhow it was a very cute song and when she was finished she said, "don't you think that sounds like a country song?" I said yes it does but you still need to practice. :) Well, she had guitar lessons today and told her teacher about her goal to be a song writer and that she had written a song and wanted to play it for him, he was very impressed not only with her talent but also with the confidence she has in herself. I was so proud that she wanted to share her song with him and that she has such a confidence in herself not to worry about whether or not he would think that song was good enough. GO GIRL!!! He was also impressed with her creativity and told us we have something to watch in her she has a definite talent.

Pay it forward..The Big Give.....KINDNESS

2008-03-06T11:23:00.000-08:00

I watched Oprah's Big give on Sunday evening and was brought to tears, it was so neat to see those people get so excited about helping others. Why can't we all be like this everyday? Obviously we can"t buy people houses or cars or other extravagant items everyday, but the little things really do add up. Two weeks ago John was in the drive thru of a fast food restaurant, he went to pay for his food and the cashier said the lady in front already paid, this made John's day . I've heard of stories of people receiving money in the mail or grocery's dropped at there door while in the middle of hard times. Random acts of kindness. This reminded me of the movie Pay It Forward, do good to others not so you are benefitted but because it will benefit many. It's good to see God's hand at work in the little and the BIG things...
I've made myself a list of little things I would like to accomplish for others.
1. Making sure I send thank you cards, these always make me feel good, and I have been a little too lazy with this in the past, SORRY!
2. dropping thinking of you cards in the mail occasionally ( I love to make cards, I need to put this to good use)
other small things like this, that are easy to do and help brighten days.

Birthday Parties

2008-03-05T08:50:00.000-08:00

Whew it's been busy here with Birthdays, first my dad's and then two days later it was Brenda's. The kids decided on a Rock Star theme, so we hung music notes up on the wall and from the fan, they painted there hair on Saturday for my dad's party (we couldn't for Brenda's because we didn't want them going to school with colored hair!!) We had fun celebrating with all.

OUR JOYS

2008-03-05T08:44:00.000-08:00

I walked into the living room to find Jacob holding Ryder and talking to him. This was so precious, I had to snap a photo.

Naptime BATTLES!!!

2008-02-18T12:42:00.000-08:00

OH it is way too early for this RIGHT!!!! Ryder is not wanting to take a second nap!!!!!! Almost everyday it takes two hours to get him down for his 1 hour second nap, I am beat by the time he is down and just barely sit down and he is awake again UGH!!!! WHAT to do WHAT to do??? I have even been trying to put him down later at night but he is just ready at 6-6:30 probably because HE WON'T TAKE A SECOND NAP!!! ( stubborn kid, who knows where he gets that from, :) John and I are both so stubborn we have no hope but to have strong willed children. Oh, well just one of the trials of children, good thing there are so many blessings to balance even tilt the scales on what a joy they are!

2008-02-13T17:36:00.000-08:00

Well, I am doing horrible with my blogging and menu planning and house-keeping. For some reason I still can't get my energy and motivation back and running. I have really good days where I can accomplish a lot but then the next two days I am beat. I feel like I need a weekend of sleep. I have started working out and really trying to watch what I eat :) ( very difficult for this food lover) but I am down 4lbs and that gets me excited so it makes it a little easier to pass up the chips for an apple. Since I have started working out I feel even more tired so maybe once my body gets everything figured out I will get that energy you are supposed to have from being so fit :). ( I'll let you know if I ever reach that phase :)) People ask me what I do all day that wears me out and I honestly don't know except I never sit down for more than two seconds ( okay maybe 3 but not much more!!) Ryder is sooooo busy and into everything!!! Which is wonderful and fun but can really wear you out!!!
So I did plan my menu and it runs through next week and hopefully a little longer if I can stretch out the leftovers ( I never know with the leftovers because sometimes my family chows down a meal I was planning on having leftovers with and sometimes they don't )
Wednesday: (today) Swiss baked chicken (from busy mom's cookbook:) ) salad and rolls
Thursday: So-tender swiss steak, cauliflower casserole, strawberry pear jello, chocolate cake
Friday: Chili
Saturday Lunch: leftovers
Saturday dinner: leftovers
Sunday Dinner Leftovers ( oh hopefully this all works :) )
Monday: Homemade pizza's ( I am working on perfecting my pizza dough, it is getting pretty good!!!)
Tuesday: Dogs in a blanket, carrot sticks, tomato slices, fruit salad
Wednesday: Taco soup
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Crockpot chicke, cheese quesadillas, celery and trees(broccoli) slices
Saturday: Hamburgers, potato salad, coleslaw, french fries, and german chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream. My dads birthday we always do a big family dinner for birthdays ( the kids really love this and always have fun planning for the family party)
Sunday: Leftovers
Monday: Brenda's birthday, Baked spaghetti and salad and garlic bread and cake and ice cream.
Tuesday: leftovers
Wednesday is shopping day again!!!!!

Well my menu last week is carrying over into this week more than I thought it would. Sunday we ended up going to dinner at Brenda's so Sundays became Monday's etc....
Tuesday: Leftover stew and homemade bread
Wednesday: Baked potato soup and salad
Thursday: Asian Chicken stir-fry
Friday: Cheeseburger mac and green beans
Saturday: So-tender swiss steak, cauliflower casserole, strawberry pear jello, and cake for dessert
Sunday: Lunch leftovers
Dinner: swiss baked chicken with salad and rolls.
Monday: leftovers

DATE NIGHT

2008-02-05T11:30:00.001-08:00

We had a fun date day:) It started with us going for doughnuts with the kids for breakfast. ( a yummy start) Next we dropped the kiddos off at my parents and went to the gym to play racquetball, (sp) That was such a good work out and so much fun, we are going to try and play weekly now. Then we went to the bookstore to browse, then onto the movies. After the movies we went to Hobby Lobby to browse, we didn't find anything we couldn't live without, and to end we went out to dinner at Panera, ( we were both dressed in very casual type workout clothes so we didn't want to try anywhere nicer). We had fun!!!!

My Menu

2008-01-29T09:49:00.000-08:00

My sister in law and friend Sandi, puts her menu plan for the week on her blog, I love to see her menu and get ideas off of it. So I am going to copy her, it is a great way to keep up with my menu for the week.
Monday (yes I know it is past); Baked spaghetti and salad
Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: soup and sandwiches, simple and easy before church
Thursday: Chicken marsala, rice and veggies
Friday: Fish sticks and french fries, tomato slices and carrot sticks
Saturday: Date night (whoo hoo) we had one planned a month ago and John got slammed with work so it was canceled, and I ended up taking the kids to the movies which was fun but not the same as a date night.
Sunday: 5 hour Crockpot stew and Homemade bread (the perfect combination)
Monday: Leftover stew( I love to make enough for leftovers whenever possible )

FREE TIME!!!!!

2008-01-29T09:45:00.000-08:00

Meagan is at school, Jacob is at pre-school stay day (he eats lunch there) and Ryder is asleep. It is so quite here. I always think of a million things I need to do while it is very busy and loud here with the three kids, and when I get a chance to do it guess what I did. I sat down.!!! And, it felt soooooo good to sit and just not have anything I had to pop right back up for.

KIDS CHOICE WEEK

2008-01-13T15:12:00.001-08:00

This week is kids choice for menu planning.
Monday: Chips salad (taco salad) with milkshakes for dessert
Tuesday: Family night at Chick-fil-a
Wednesday: Hot dogs and mac and cheese, with fruit salad for dessert
Thursday: Baked spaghetti with salad, and cupcakes for dessert
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday: Roast beef sandwiches with AuJus, pasta salad, fruit salad and mississippi mudd for dessert.
Sunday: Chicken fried steak, garlic mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, and mississippi mudd for dessert.
John's parents will be in for the weekend so I had to help a little with the weekend meals, but Meagan chose the roast beef sandwiches.
John will be out of town most of the week so I thought it would be fun to have a little fun with dinner :). Next weeks menu will definitely be a little healthier.

Meagan's Notes.....

2008-01-13T13:58:00.000-08:00

hi my name is meagan i like to do things here are the things i like to do i like to play guitar, and knit.

I gave Meagan a homework assignment of writing about herself on my blog. She had a lot of fun writing, and already has a title picked out for her next entry "What Rockstars Like to do for fun!" Can't wait to read what she has to say. I tried to get Meagan to type more about herself, but she said that was enough for now:).

So I will write more about her; she loves to do crafts and make gifts for people, she is always coming up with new ideas and things to give others, she has a very tender kind heart, she is a wonderful big sister to both Jacob and Ryder, although I think that at times Jacob would disagree on the wonderful part:). She is a joy to our family and has her father wrapped around her finger, I have been told she is a lot like I was as a kid, but I also see a lot of John in her personality and outlook on life. It is fun to see a little of each of our personalities come out in our children.

The Photo Session

2008-01-12T12:05:00.000-08:00

I was trying to get a "good" picture of all three kids together. You know one where they would all be looking at me and smiling. Well, after 20 pictures I gave up :). But, I love this one, I thought it was precious how Meagan and Ryder were sharing a moment together.

THE FIRE TRUCK

2007-12-31T18:20:00.000-08:00

John purchased a Fire Truck off of ebay, ( he say's it is for marketing :)), The kids love it, ( big and small),. He now has it all lettered up with RestorAmerica, and 1800BoardUp, It is a pretty cool idea, or a pretty cool toy for a big kid?!?!?!?

He has used it for marketing and the agent's love it, but most of them are male, so I am thinking that they like it for two reasons, 1. because it is a neat idea for marketing, no one else has a fire truck to market with (besides the fire department, and really they don't want to have to push their services ) and 2. because how cool is it to have a fire truck to ride in:)

2007-12-31T17:44:00.000-08:00

Jacob got a new razor and shaving cream, he loves to shave his face!!

Ryder had a fun Christmas playing with everyone's gifts, he especially loved the boxes :).

Meagan got her guitar, she was so excited, can't wait to start lessons, and start writing her own songs.

Things to look forward to in 2008

2007-12-30T12:00:00.000-08:00

1. Disney Cruise ( whoo hoo, can't wait until December!!!)
2. Ryder will turn 1!!!
3. Jacob will be 5!!!
4. Meagan will be 7!!!
5. Family camping trips
6. Our Anniversary 9 years WOW time has flown!!
7. John will be 32!!
8.New BIBLE study on Thursdays
9. organizing my closets ( I am excited to get started, this is one of my new years resolutions)
10. Finishing the upstairs ( FINALLY)
11. Doing a 5K ( I have to start small, My ultimate goal is to run a marathon)
12. I will be 31 ( can you believe it)
13. Simlifying my life... (part of my new years resolution as well)
14. John and I are starting a hobby together, still deciding what we want to try, ( we are thinking skeet shooting, I did it once and loved it, and he really enjoys it as well)
playing games, doing puzzles, and crafts, watching baseball and softball games, listening to meagan play guitar and sing, watching all of Ryder's firsts, tattooing Jacob, etc... all the FUN I get to have enjoying our children.
MY LIST COULD GO ON AND ON, HAPPY NEW YEAR

ATTACK OF THE SNOT MONSTER!!!!!!

2007-12-30T11:51:00.000-08:00

I have never been so covered in snot as I have this last week. Ryder has a nasty cold and is sharing his mucus with my shirt and arms and anything else that is near when he sneezes. And this is the really gross thing, when he sneezes the snot is also coming out his eyes, seriously gross, poor guy when he wakes up ( every hour, all night long) I have to clean the goop from his eyes and open up his nostrils again( they are caked with buggers!!!). He is miserable, and his eyes must itch from the snot because he has rubbed them so much he has a busted blood vessel in each eye, he looks so sad. So needless to say, my house is a wreck because I am rocking my baby !!! :) On a positive note today seems to be a good day as far as snot goes, not as much caked to the nose and none coming out of the eyes today :). I think I need to get some snot colored t-shirts so it doesn't stand out so much whenever I am in public and forget to check my shirt before I leave.

Family photo session

2007-11-28T20:31:00.000-08:00

http://www.aliciahendersonphotography.com/Haustien%20album/index_html.html Check out our family photos

The BURNING of the Grass?!?

2007-11-28T20:19:00.000-08:00

Every year John decides to work on the yard. This year was a special treat with the burning of the yard. I think this is some sort of stress releaver??? Not sure but John loves to tear up the yard ( this is my term), so I grit my teeth, take pictures, and try and keep my mouth shut, and let him "FIX the yard". ACTUALLY , I need to take a picture of our yard now, It looks really good, Kudos to John....... Maybe he does know what he's doing?!!!!:)

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2007

2007-11-28T19:29:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe it is that time of year again.!!! I remember as a kid time seemed to move so slowly. Now I feel like I wake up and turn around and I am tucking the kids back in bed. Right now my goal is to enjoy the moments, to sit and cuddle, to tickle, to wrestle, to crawl on the ground, play on the swing, find leaves, and dinosaur bones, paint nails, color,play games, my list can go on and on and I am very thankful it can. One thing I am realizing with having my third child is that they grow too fast!!!! No, Ryder does not sleep through the night, he wakes up one time, that is one extra cuddle I get in and some days I feel tired but, those moments at night when I can sit and rock and nurse him are so irreplaceable and worth every second. So enjoy the moments, and the holiday hustle and bustle, I hear it is lonely and too slow without the kids to keep you excited about Christmas, although hearing " When is it going to be Christmas" 10 times everyday can get a little annoying, I am positive I will remember it for years to come, and look back with longing for those little voices to "annoy me again".
Merry Christmas

1 STEP FOWARD 3 STEPS BACK!!!

2007-11-01T10:59:00.000-07:00

This seems to be the way my days are going right now. I feel like I am stuck in slow motion while everything around me is at warp speed. It has taken me 2 weeks to get the clutter off of my counter top ( yes, this is true... I am not the organized person I want to be, in my mind I am though so I should get partial credit for that). So I had the clutter off the counter and then the kids get home.... and it all starts again. I get one room cleaned and stop to admire the sparkle, and then I blink and it's a disaster again. I think I have Meagan's homework mastered :) ( 1st grade is not what it used to be!!! I was trying to help her do her homework, and she was fighting me all the way and she told me, "this makes me think you were never in 1st grade" I let her father help her finish) and she comes home with a whole new set of problems. She has also decided she is ready to be a teenager, and we are not very "cool" a lot of the time, but, then the next moment she is in our laps for a cuddle, ( I cherish those moments, they seem to be getting few and far between,). Jacob has decided to throw me for a loop lately with his temper tantrums ( I thought he outgrew these!!!). We went to the Dentist the other day and he decided this was not where he wanted to be or what he wanted to be doing, he had the biggest tantrum (in public) that he has ever had right there in front of the dentist and staff, I was so embarrassed and very ,very, angry, needless to say he did not get his teeth cleaned but he did get reminded how he is to act and the consequences of that ugly behavior. He can be the sweetest kindness little boy you will ever meet, but he can dig his heels in and be the MOST STUBBORN child I have ever seen, he has been my challenge lately, I pray for patience daily and for guidance on the right way to channel his behavior. Isn't Motherhood wonderful!!! I love being a mother and am very thankful that I am able to be at home with my little blessings, but, some days I wonder how I am going to survive the day:)

GREAT MEMORIES

2007-10-16T08:25:00.000-07:00

Back from Disney and still try to catch up on our sleep. We went from sun up to past sun down. There is something to do all day long there. My favorites were the shows (because you can sit and rest in air conditioning, j/k) Finding Nemo the musical was great. We got splashed by the waves in The Little Mermaid, and stung by bees in the bug show, that one really catches you off guard, they have some creative people working on these shows.

This photo was taken our last night at the park, I am surprised our eyes are still open. We really had a good time and hope to go back again someday, maybe when Ryder is a little older and will actually enjoy it.

The TOWER OF TERROR!!!!!

2007-10-16T08:20:00.001-07:00

This ride at MGM drops you 7 stories up and down, your stomach goes up to your neck and back down. Our daredevil little girl loved it. Jacob rode it one time with John and when they got off he was very mad at John for the scary ride. I got to ride it one time with Meagan, we had a lot of fun screaming together.

THE POSE

2007-10-16T08:14:00.000-07:00

While waiting to be seated for dinner the kids wanted to strike a pose for the camera. They really had a blast at Disney and did very well for as little sleep as they/we all got. We have 450 pictures to browse through and decide which to develop. I am terrible at that I always just keep every picture, I can't stand to delete them if they have family in them even when it's a bad picture.

DISNEY WORLD

2007-10-03T11:33:00.000-07:00

We are off on a surprise (for the kids) Disney vacation. John and I are so giddy, you would think we are the kids. We just can't wait to see there faces when we pull up there. My friend who just got back gave us this great idea, to leave tinkerbell treasures every night. So we got the kids each little gifts to leave with a note and pixie dust (of course) on there clothes every night. We plan on updating our blog with pics while we are there.

A Great Fall Treat

2007-09-23T14:13:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/2cup butter softened
1 egg beaten to blend
2 1/2 Cups Flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 can solid pack pumpkin

1tsp each: vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, grated nutmeg ( I add a pinch extra each of cinnamon and nutmeg)
1/2 tsp salt ( I never add salt)
1-6oz pkg chocolate chips ( I add 3/4 bag of 12oz choc chips, i like the extra)
Preheat oven 350, spray baking sheets with oil.
I mix all the ingredients together in my Kitchenaide, or you can add slowly with mixer.
Bake 13-15 minutes until fluffy and light brown.
THESE ARE SO NUMMY!!!!!!

Camping Trip

2007-09-21T07:46:00.000-07:00

We are back from camping. Not sure if we are rested up yet though. It was a beautiful weekend to go. It was low 80's and sunny and cool at night, could not have asked for better weather. Ryder had a cold before we left, I thought he was getting better. Well,,, he screamed the whole first night, and the next morning I could tell he had a fever. The next night was a little better only because John ran into town and got some motrin and Tylenol. Well, anyhow we took him to the Doctor on Monday and his eardrum had ruptured and was oozing out ( very gross) and the other one was close to rupturing the doc said. So he was and has been a miserable baby all week. I think today ( Friday 21st) he is actually feeling a little better.

Besides the sick baby, camping was wonderful, Meagan and Jacob made new friends. The campsite next to us had two kids ages 5 and 3. They had a lot of fun playing together. John and the kids went to a campfire at the campground and the boyscouts put on a show, the kids really enjoyed it, you could hear them singing the songs as they walked back to the campsite.

The picture is from our hike to the overlook. It was so beautiful. Meagan is being the statue of liberty :)

Our Camping Trip

2007-09-07T16:48:00.000-07:00

We went camping this past June. This was sort of our Anniversary trip ( with the kids). We had so much fun, in spite of Meagan coming down with strep and an ear infection while we were there, she stayed in good spirits too, what a trooper. We played in the woods, went hiking, had a camp fire, went swimming and went fishing. We were raided by raccoons our first night, and let me tell you they are very smart little creatures. We had the lid on our food crate, they figured out how to open it and how to open the tupperware containers. They ate all our cereal, ate the bannanas and left the peel :) and into the woods was a trail of candy bar wrappers ( there went our smores ). We still had a wonderful time though and can't wait for our upcoming camping trip next weekend.