The Little Man is 4!!!

My sweet boy is 4! I cannot believe it. Four years ago our dreams and struggles to bring home a baby manifested themselves into this precious little guy! I cannot imagine not having him around. Andrew is so full of joy and brings so much to our lives!
Andrew loves everything super hero. Spiderman, Batman, Wonder Pets! He also loves cowboys, policemen, and fire fighters. Lets just say he is ALL boy.
We love you little man!!! Looking forward to many many more birthdays with you!

Marianne loves Mickey Mouse

Happy Birthday, Annie! She LOVED hearing the Birthday song!

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse cake, made by Mommy, with help from Daddy and "Broboo" (Andrew)

Annie's party dress. She loved looking like Minnie Mouse, and Andrew loved doting on his sister!

Annie had said for weeks that she wanted a baby for her Birthday. This one from Nana and Papa was immediately loved! Her new Curious George tea set and her purse set, complete with phone and camera, from Andrew were also big hits! Andrew was so proud that Annie loved what he picked out for her...he might like it a little too...

Happy 2nd Birthday to our sweet, tender hearted, fun loving, mischievous girl! We love you so much!

Must be doin' Something right

We have been glued to the Chilean mine rescue today. Andrew is fascinated. We were watching as they lowered the capsule down for the 20th miner and Andrew randomly started praying, here is his prayer:


"Jesus loves me. Thank you for today. Thank you for my mom and dad. Please can you be with the miners so the lions in the pit don't hurt them. And can you keep them safe because my mom says there aren't any lions. Jesus loves me, Amen."

He begins and ends every prayer with Jesus loves me...which we think is fabulous!

Lucky Ducks!

So I was going to name this post "Marianne's Big Announcement" but I didn't want anyone to get carried away...so Lucky Ducks it is!

It does so appear that the cute little girl that lives at this house is . . . do I dare say it out loud? . . . POTTY TRAINED!!! Paul and I have been blessed with two early and easy potty trainers! I can hardly believe it...but she does have a big brother to keep up with. So in just a few days (when her potty chart is full) Annie will be making a trip to the store to pick out a new baby doll! She is so cute and loves getting stickers and treats.

I hope you all have a fabulous day...I'll be looking for ways to spend money on things that are fun...not diapers!

Big Girl Room

Before: Yucky yellow paint over a dingy gross green that still showed through. Plain Jane and boring!!!
After: Soft baby pink and totally turquoise. Daisies and Butterflies everywhere! Must say, it turned out better than I had hoped.


I have been wanting to do Annie's room all girly as soon as she was born. I am in love and pretty excited. She is very excited too!!! Andrew is very proud of being a big helper today. Start to finish while Paul was at work today...and now he doesn't have to deal with it!

Mountain Standard Time

Ok, I know, it's been a really long time since I posted an update. So here it is:
We've been on vacation and we wish we still were.




Hows that? Ok, so for real, we just got back from our annual pilgrimage to Clark Canyon Bible Camp in Southwest Montana. We love that place...we really love that place! We also spent a week with my family in the Dillon area. It was a good vacation and none of us were really ready to leave, but alas, reality called and here we are back in Michigan.

The kids did great on our 25 hour (one way) drive. Of course they are kids and we had our rough moments, but all in all we were quite happy with their performance! I promise to post pictures soon.

Dutchness

Three not so Dutch, Dutch kids and a pretty young lady.

Better late than never, right? Tulip time was last week. I took the four munchkins shown above to the Wednesday Parade. We had a great time and I managed to come home with all of them...and no extras. Lizzy is really becoming an amazing helper with the younger kids and I was grateful for her on this trip to down town madness. Katie thought it was special to dress like Marianne (who in her eyes will probably always be a baby!) We ate some yummy food, Annie downed a giant corn dog, and Andrew ate all of one bite of the burger he wanted (along with a handful of fries, and some of Peggys Funnel cake.) The kiddos also experienced their first taste of cotton candy. That was....messy.
All in all a good trip.

Flour...and Tortillas

Last night was taco night at our house. It really is a family project as my kiddos LOVE to help cook. We had a lot of fun. Some of the hi points....Me "teaching" Paul how to roll a tortilla. (He did it his way...not mine...but got-er-done.) Andrew washing himself with the juice from a freshly sliced tomato...that he later ate. And poor innocent Marianne getting a flour shower. (Or crazy mischievous Annie dousing her self in flour....) Note to self...never put a measuring cup of flour near the edge of the counter... I promise I wiped away the flour that was getting in her eyes before reaching for the camera....yeah it was pretty funny!
So for all of you who are waiting for my tortilla recipe...here it is...super simple..once you get the rolling down.

Flour Tortillas
1 2/3 c. flour
2 1/2 tsp. butter
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup VERY HOT water

Mix dry ingredients. Cut in Butter (I put the butter and some of the dry stuff in my food processor) Add hot water and mix. Dump on counter and kneed. (When you mix the water in you will have to form the ball by hand to kneed it.) Let stand for 10-15 minutes. Separate into balls and roll very thin. I get about a dozen tortillas. Heat frying pan on medium. Cook each side about 2 minutes. (Watch for blisters to form on first side then turn and guess how long it should cook...that's what I do and it works!) Put into tortilla steamer (which at my house looks exactly like a hand towel) while you continue to cook the others.
The trick to these is to have them steam each other so they are soft.

Bubbles, Baking, Ballerina

The kids have discovered "touching bubbles." They are a lot of fun! Andrew was quite proud of himself the other day when he figured out how to stack them on his thumb!
"CHEEEEEEEEEEEEESE!" Annie loves to use the rolling pin. She is really at a fun stage!

This is the hairbow holder I made today. It was so much fun and quite easy. I was thinking about selling them. Does anyone think they would sell or am I over the top crazy about my girly girl stuff? If so, any suggestions on a price? It is about 12" wide and 22" tall.

Dearest Hubby,

Here I am. I'm ready for you to come home. Why you ask? Cuz, the kids are crazy? Cuz, I'm lonely? Cuz, I broke something? Cuz, I really want a nap? Cuz, it's way to quiet at night when the kids go to bed and I have no one to share my words with? All good reasons, but alas, none are really the reason. I'm ready for you to come home simply because I love you.
See you tomorrow!
Me

Confessions of a Mommy

So I want to hear 'em. What are your confessions, you know, your hidden little secrets that get you through the day? Every day, tough days, cloudy days, what ever kind of days need little secrets. I'll start with just a few, then leave a comment so we all can share them together. Who knows, maybe your confession will save a worn out Mommy:
1. I have mini frozen candy bars in my freezer (often) I thaw one out while doing my last little chore, then sit and savor....and I don't share.

2. I allow my son to watch a movie EVERY DAY during rest time...cuz if there's no movie, there's no resting and that's not good!

3. I make my daughter wear a bow of some kind in her hair every day....that way when she's 16 and won't let me touch her hair....I'll have had my fix.

4. I check my email and facebook way to often...just hoping for a little message.

5. I plan on accomplishing NOTHING one day each week. Makes that day feel a lot more productive.

Really, leave a comment. Let us know how you make it through the days.

Meet Charlie

The guy in white is Andrew's new best friend, Charlie. We had a great time yesterday building him, and an even better time this morning laughing at Andrew's horror, when Discover (one of our dogs) removed Charlie's arm. They should both get over it with a little therapy!

All that and a Kitchen Sink

If I could find an Award for my hubby, I would give it to him in style. I now have a new kitchen faucet. It really is a good story (now that it's over)!
Last week Thursday, I got ambitious (ok not really) and decided to clean my kitchen sink. Like really clean. So I pulled out the spray nozzle and turned on the really hot water and began to scrub. Next thing I know, I've been sprayed with said really hot water and the sprayer is no longer attached to the hose. Not good. When your hose becomes detatched, be sure to clean the water up under your sink.....because it will be there....especially when it takes you a few moments to collect your self and turn off the water.
Since our faucet had started to show signs of a looming replacement, we had already taken our time and chosen a new faucet. So on Sunday (as my fantastic hard working husband was at work late on Friday and being Mr. Mom on Saturday while I was sick) Paul started the replacement. Because of a silly error on the part of whoever installed the old faucet, it took over four hours to remove said broken faucet. Once it was removed, the installation of new went rather quickly. Water hookup goes well....turn on new faucet....no water. Ugh. Yes, new faucet had faulty pieces. Removal of the new faucet went much faster as did the re-packaging into the box.
Back to Lowe's we go where they refund our purchase (even with no receipt). Back to the faucet isle we go. In case you are wondering, there are roughly 64,000 choices for kitchen sink faucets. I choose one that I like and put it in the cart for Paul to look at, go retrieve my son from his aunt, come back to the isle and have this conversation:
Me-Which one did I like?
Paul-I don't know.
Me-It's in your hand.
Paul-The $98 one.
Me-Pretty sure I didn't like any that cheap.
Paul-That's what the box says.
Me-Let me see....sure enough, now which one is it?...Oh, yes the "Lexie". That one says it's more on the wall.
Paul-Looks like we're getting this one then.
Me-Sounds good, lets get out of here.

So at the check out, they honor the price marked on the box. A slight amount of gratification comes when we realize the amount saved would have paid for Paul's time the day before. So home we go. Paul plays with the kids, we put them too bed and under the sink he goes. The new-new faucet installs quickly and easily.....until he tries to connect the flex hose that supplies the water. Yep....it's 6" too short.
The next day (Tuesday) Paul stops at Menard's and purchases new flex hose, comes home, eats the wonderful dinner I have prepared for him and retreats under the sink again. This time....SUCCESS!!!!

Thanks, Honey! I love my new faucet!

Little Ways

In the month of January, Paul and I decided that the months of February, March, and April would be serious cost cutting months. We have a few major purchases and home improvements we would like to do this year. As a family we have determined we will have no debt other than our house, so in order to do these projects and purchase some new things (like a second vehicle) we are going pretty close to bare bones. A few things we are doing:
Coupons!!!!!! My grocery budget for the next three months is $75/week, which includes diapers, cleaning supplies, food, and anything else we buy at the grocery store and Costco. (Not clothing and toys, just the grocery store stuff.) One tool we use and love is Savings Angel. Serious time saver!
Spending freeze!!!! No clothing, no toys, no books, no movie rentals, no FABRIC (gasp), nothing that isn't necessary. Now to stay realistic, we have agreed that anything not already deemed necessary that we feel the "need" to purchase, must be agreed upon by both of us.
Selling stuff!!! We are going through our "stuff" in the basement to see what we can and will get rid of. In this we have given ourselves a bit of encouragement by that things that we sell that belong to "one" of us, or that we (I) make and sell, a portion goes into our very own personal pockets. Hmmm...I wonder what all is down there!

In lieu of all of this, I have been doing some research to see where else I can cut costs. I have made my own laundry soap and dishwasher soap. I use a powder laundry soap and dish soap made from a few simple things that make each load cost approximately 3 cents.
Here are the recipes that I have tried and found very good.

Dishwasher Soap
1 Cup Borax
1Cup Washing soda
1/2 cup salt (coarse or table)
5 packets lemonade Koolaid (or 1-2 oz citric acid....which is hard to find)

Mix all together and store in close-able container. Use only 1 Tablespoon per load. I also use a distilled vinegar rinse instead of a store bought rinse aid.

Laundry Soap
1 bar Fels-Naptha soap (turned to poweder by using my food processor)
2 Cups Borax
2 Cups Washing soda

Mix together and store in close-able container. Use 2 tablespoons per load.

I'd love to hear you little ways of saving around the house!

Photo update.

This is my favorite Mommy with my favorite boy! Love this picture!
Marianne fed her self her own chocolate pudding. She really enjoyed it....and I cleaned the bathtub after she got out!
See this? Really do you see this? This is why I never want to leave Montana. Ok, this and the people who live there, and the culture, and the lifestyle.
Our new greatest found fun is Skype. Marianne loves to kiss Nana and Papa through the computer. It is very fun.

I figured it was about time to update this here blog, so consider yourself updated, Blog.

H.E.R.O.

His family is his legacy. A graceful wife of 65 years, 5 successful children, 11 loving grandchildren, and 6 great-grandchildren who adore him.

Honorable
Extends ones life out for another
Respected
Openly Adored

Melvin 'Wesley' Boyd, a true hero. You risked your life in WWII to save the lives of other soldiers. You risked everything to help keep our country free. You earned everything you ever had in life. To us all, a true hero. Life will never be the same without you, but your dignity and strength in death is a lesson for us all. I am truly honored to call you my Grandpa. The memory of 'Bum-papa' will forever go on in our hearts. You will truly be missed.