comments made easy...

I stole this from Brittany, so if it sounds Southern, you know why!! Love ya, Britt! :)))) But, seriously, if you haven't done this, do it! Makes commenting so much easier. Thanks!

Ya'll have got to turn off your word verification! It will change the way you blog and helps people comment SO much easier. Blogger recently changed it and makes you type in a PARAGRAPH before you can hit "publish your comment". You know what I'm talking about, right?


Here's how....simple easy!!

Click on your "Dashboard"

Go to: "Settings"

Then to: "Comments"

Then scroll down and where it says "Show word verification for comments?" CLICK NO!!!!!!

Hit save at the bottom and there you go! Easy - peezy!

hodge podge

FYI...this will be a random post!

Seriously, this little girl is ridiculous. Look at her crib when she sleeps...she is insane. ;) She has to have two pillows (one of which is a hand-me-down Pillow Pet from Levi), 4 baby dolls, 2 bears, a doggie and 2 blankets. I am surprised there is room for her in there!!
And, because she is so cute...

...look who has decided she wants BIGGER bows in her hair!!! YEEEEHAW! You know this makes her Momma super duper happy! I look back on the days of her not wanting to wear bows and shudder.

And, switching subjects yet again, I must tell you about quite possibly THE best dessert I've ever had. If it isn't the best, it is in the top 5, FOR SURE! Jami invited the kids and me over for Valentine's Day dinner. Steve was gone and we got a heart shaped pizza. Awesome. And, she picked up this S'More's dessert. Heaven. People, you need to try it. Period.

Today, I went for an "interview" at a place called Choices for Women. I have felt for a while that I really need to get involved in some local volunteering. Choices for Women is a crisis center for women with unplanned pregnancies. They offer HOPE to women who are facing a difficult time in their life and try to counsel them against having abortions. I love their work...LOVE it and can't wait to get into my training. After my interview, I stopped off at Zesto's.

I ordered myself a small hot fudge sundae and was giddy as I pulled away! I didn't have to share it with any little germy kids. :-) I pulled up to the stop light, and dug in...taking a huge bite of whipped cream. Only, the whipped cream didn't make it to my mouth! It plopped down onto my shirt. Grrr. I took my spoon and scraped up what I could, but didn't really bother cleaning it off, because I'm usually dirty from my kids anyways! I got another heaping spoon full and as I was putting it into my mouth, I looked over to my left and there sat a black Lexus with 3 men dressed in business attire, each holding their smart phone in hand, and they were just staring at me. I kind of paused, then continued with my bite of sundae. I gave them a smile and a small wave with my spoon. They all just started laughing with me (I say "with me" because surely they weren't laughing "at me".) They waved and drove off. Yes, true story. Oy.

from us to you...

Happy Valentine's Day!!

party time !!

"This is the best day ever!!" Those were Levi's words when he woke up yesterday. He was so excited about their Valentine's Day party at school. I have to admit, I was excited too!! I was excited to pass out the goodie bags we made! It is funny how a pencil, a cup, and lots of candy can send a kid into orbit!! ;)

Here is the party boy working on his first craft. Love him!!

And, acting a fool... ;)

Working on a valentine bracelet...

Okay, so I was the crazy room parent who took a picture each time he moved in his seat, but I will spare you all 243 of them!! :) I think the party was a success. 22 kindergartners that made a few crafts, ate cookies & donut holes, played a game where you blew a Q-tip out of a straw, and passed out many o' valentines....each child was smiling when we left!

It was a GREAT day and I was so glad to be able to spend time helping with the party. This is EXACTLY what I have wanted to do for so long...be at home with my kiddies and living in moments like this...

I am so thankful. :)))))

trip to the li-bary

I love the way my kids pronounce certain words!! Bisketti {spaghetti}, constructions {instructions}, libary....well, you get the idea! So sweet. :))))

Yesterday was our first trip to the library. I honestly don't know why I haven't taken them before now. I have intended to, it just never happened. Sometimes I think my mind blocks things on purpose....but that is for another post! Ha!

Levi got his own library card, which he puffed up at, and they even had him sign it. So cute!!

Maggie went straight for the baby board books and found about 40 that she wanted to take home. Oy. We settled on one. ;)Levi picked out two Clifford books and then was so sweet to play with Maggie and help her with several puzzles. I love those kids!!!! And, you know, because it is ME, there has to be a funny twist to my story! So, we pull up to the library and it is packed. I mean, I know it can be busy, but I'm talking PACKED. Weird. I unload the kids after I have threatened their lives to be quiet and remind them that we use a soft voice {as if Maggie has a "soft" level} once we get inside. As we get close to the building, I notice a group of picketers. Weird #2. And a little old lady yelling at the picketers. Weird {but exciting} #3. As we pass, Levi says, "Mom, why is that old lady yelling?" I act like I don't hear him. Great Mom, huh?!! We get inside and I see a big sign welcoming Mitch Daniels to speak at 4:30. Oh my word! There are cameras, reporters, and lots of people in suits with those special looking ear pieces like the CIA use {or at least they do on tv...}! The little old lady follows us inside and is sharing her "words of wisdom" with us. Weird #4. I just smiled at her, tried to be kind, but all I could focus on was my son holding himself because he "had to goooo" and my daughter squealing in delight because there were "stairs Momma!". I kind of side sweep the old lady, take Levi to the bathroom so he doesn't wet himself on camera, and scoop Maggie up so she doesn't kill herself on the stairs. All in all, it was a wonderful first trip and the kids were little angels! So proud of them. :))))

i'm not sure how i feel...

I love to read. A lot. I love the really good books where they capture your mind and for a little while you are taken away...to a different time period, a different culture, a different lifestyle. For a long time, most of what I read were fictional Christian books about the Amish. Sounds boring, right?!! Ha! Actually, they are quite good. My friend, Janna, got me hooked on one and then I couldn't get enough! Then, after years of fighting it, I found Edward, and never looked back. ;)

My Mom and Jenny have both recently read The Hunger Games. And, can I throw my brother under the bus? I guess I just did. He read them too. My sister has started them. Oh, the pressure! They kept telling me to read them. Everyone is doing it. You'll love them. When we saw a movie a couple of weeks ago, they showed the preview for The Hunger Games and I told Jenny I just didn't know if it looked good...futuristic, fighting, weird stuff. She said, "You're such a girl!!" LOL. I guess that is true! So, I've taken the plunge. I started them last week and I am about 80% through the 3rd and last book. I honestly am not sure how I feel about them. I don't LOVE them, but they are interesting and it is like I have to finish them to know what happens.

Feel free to share your thoughts. Have you read them? Are you going to? If you have, what did you think about them??? Dying to know...

not on my game, Hope, and the super bowl

Anyone out there remember how to play Euchre? Yeah, well good for you. I don't. How sad is that? Back in the day, I was quite the champ. :))) Okay, so that isn't true, but I at least knew how to play. Friday night, we hung out with our friends Matt & Melanie and played a game or three of Euchre. We used to do this a lot together. Let's just say that the very first play was mine and I flubbed it up. Euchre is not like riding a bike for me. ;) Mel and I did end up winning the last game, though. Girls rule. We had a blast, eating tacos and homemade salsa, and watching the kids run around playing. Love those guys!!!!!!!

Saturday morning, my mom watched the kids and I was able to help out with a local ministry called Scarlet Hope. It was created to offer HOPE and help bring women out of the adult entertainment industry. And, God is doing incredible things through some incredible women. Our ABF (adult Bible fellowship) class at church adopted a room in a home that was donated to Scarlet Hope. The home is due to open in March and will help to house women who desire to leave that industry are in need of a place to stay until they get back on their feet. Several people from our class put furniture together and decorated our room on Saturday. (Jaime, I thought of you when I saw the purple!!!)

Then there was this little game last night called the Super Bowl. I, of course, was rooting for my BF's brother and his team...the Giants! It helped that the other team was a huge rival. Patriots. Ironically, my BFF was rooting for the Pats. Gag. ;) Love you! Since the SB was played in Indy, I really wanted one Manning to win! :))))) And, win they did. Steve and Jami invited us over for dinner and the first part of the game. Love how Jami was sporting her Colts gear. ;)

We had yummy lasagna, salad & garlic bread. And homemade brownies by Jami. Such a fun night!! I stayed up way too late and this morning I feel like I've been hit by a mac truck. It's not pretty, people. Back to the grind. ;) Happy Monday.