Life with three kids and a husband

Update

2012-01-26T06:14:00.000-08:00

It's funny that my last post is that I ran 4 miles...especially when you read this post.

After my personal best I followed up the next day with 2 miles and then a 5K the following day. I was on track of having my highest mileage week ever...

I have been having heart palpitations. Started back in Colorado when we were starting to make the move. I only had them a couple of times there. In September and October of this past year I had them for about 2 weeks. I was also under a ton of stress and going through a major low point in my life...so I naturally attributed them to that. Then they came back about 3 weeks ago. And I am doing better than I have in a long time so it was time to see the DR.

Went to a new GP since I don't have one. He does an EKG and says this is not right and you need to go see a cardiologist, today, now! He makes the appt for me and an hour later I'm in the cardiologist's office. I've texted a friend and asked her to start a prayer chain and I'm about to puke from the stress. Cardiologist sees my EKG and says you have 2nd Degree AV Block (meaning there is an interruption in the electronic signal in my heart). He does a stress test and an echo cardiogram. He says my heart looks good and responds well under stress and to continue my regular schedule and I can keep running. But if the palpitations persist or I start having pain then I will need a pacemaker in the future..even gives me a pamphlet on the pacemaker.

Stress much? The next two weeks I completely stop running, feel nothing but pain in my chest and have a ton of palpitations. I finally make a second opinion appt with another cardiologist who works for St. Lukes. He says that I am dealing with anxiety. I start to cry and he tells me, very kindly, that I need not to be emotional but objective, that there is really nothing wrong with me. He says plenty of people have this AV Block and go on their whole lives without even knowing it. It's benign. I mention the pacemaker and he dismissed it. He put me on some antidepressants and told me to really go back to running and move on.

Two days later..feeling much better!

Not happy with the first 2 doctors who scared the crap out of me...but much better!

I have, however, revised my New Years Resolution. I will NOT run everyday. I will work out at least 5 days per week. I will give myself 1 or 2 days to rest and recover. I will still run most of the time but will sprinkle in some swimming and weight training to even things out.

It's been a crazy last couple of weeks...and trust me, you do look at everything differently when you are confronted with a diagnosis that you may need heart surgery in the near future. I don't want to ever go through that again. I will do my best to stay stress-free and healthy so I won't ever have to worry about my kids growing up without me.

So, that's it. Just another dramatic tale in my life that ended up being nothing! Next!

Personal Best

2012-01-09T07:50:00.000-08:00

Today I ran 4 miles on the treadmill. Up until now my best has been a 5K which is 3.1 miles. Super excited!

A Benchmark Set

2012-01-07T08:02:00.001-08:00

Today was the first time this week, since I started this crazy running resolution, that I woke up and wanted to start my day with a run. It was nice to have that feeling back! And then just as I was throwing on my runners, one of my besties, Hilde, texted me that she just got in from doing 2 miles. And so...the benchmark was set. Today was officially going to be a 2 mile day. And it was! And now it's time to get on with my Saturday!

Oh, and BTW, I can't believe that I didn't announce on my blog yet that we are officially DEBT FREE!! I know I have given random Dave Ramsey updates in the past 2 years and finally the biggest hurdle yet completed...and I didn't even write about it. FAIL! Anyways, on to step 3 now...getting 3 to 6 months worth of living expenses into our savings account. It took us 22 months to accomplish step 2...I'm hoping step 3 is much quicker!!

Happy Saturday!

Resolution

2012-01-06T11:48:00.000-08:00

So far I only have 1 resolution. But it's a BIGGIE! I am going to run everyday this year. I am allowing myself 5 days off which I will save in case I get sick..and if I don't get sick then I'll have a great 5 day break at the end of the year!!

My biggest reason for doing this is to see if I can. I have been running now for 2 years and the longest break that I've ever taken is 2 weeks. However, I always seem to take the breaks when I get to my best. I will start feeling comfortable running and pushing myself really hard and then I stop. And it sucks to start back up again. It seriously takes me weeks to get back to my old running self when I take a week off.

So, I want to know what my running would look like if I never took a day off.

The rules are simple. Run everyday. Minimum is 1 mile. Max is as far as I can go that particular day.

So far we are six days in and six runs complete. A good start, no?

I'm getting a little tired of Facebook again (I go through stages with that site!) so I will update mostly on the blog.

And I'm a really slow runner and always looking for a partner so if anyone ever wants to tag along...let me know!!

Healthy Breakfast

2011-10-20T06:53:00.000-07:00

My kids are like any other...they would love to wake up to Lucky Charms, Coco Puffs and Fruit Loops every day of the week. However, they are known as 2 things in our house...sugar cereal and Saturday cereal. I screw up as a parent on an hourly basis but I do believe in a healthy breakfast to start their school day. It gets their bodies working right and puts their brains in learning mode. Right now they are stuck on 2 breakfasts that we alternate every couple of days. I thought it would be fun to share those recipes with you.

Breakfast Milkshake (it's a smoothie but don't tell Jagger that!)
Mix all the following ingredients into a blender. This makes enough for 4 kids or 2 adults.
1 cup plain non-fat yogurt
1 cup milk
2 TBSP wheat germ (in cereal aisle at Target or Krogers)
3 TBSP peanut butter (I use Jif natural)
2 cups frozen berries (we use Target brand frozen triple berry...kids don't like others I've tried.)
1 whole banana
Puree it all and serve. Soooo good!

The next is a bran muffin...but don't say eww yet. It's got a yummy sweet taste to it. The kids like a couple of slices of cheddar cheese with it and a fruit..usually grapes or strawberries. I'm telling you, this fills them up and it so so so good for them! Don't forget to serve it with a big glass of milk..YUM! It's a recipe that I got from Parents magazine about 10 years ago and nobody is tired of it yet!

Bran Muffins-makes 16 muffins. We put them in a big ziploc bag, freeze them, take them out when we want one and heat up for 30 seconds in microwave. It's like having fresh warm muffins every morning!
Preheat oven to 425

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsps baking soda
1 tsp salt
mix all together

in separate bowl mix the wet ingredients:
2 cups lowfat buttermilk (I use 2 TBSPs of vinegar mixed with milk to make 2 cups..don't purchase the buttermilk...too expensive and the other is easier)
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I've used canola too and it turns out the same)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 egg
2 egg whites
Whisk together
Then pour into dry ingredients and whisk together.
Add 3 cups of Bran Flakes (you could also use Raisin Bran but we don't like the raisins)

Put into greased or lined muffin tin and cook for 15 minutes.

If you try one or both of these recipes please let me know what you think. My family LOVES them!!

Thirst

2011-09-01T07:05:00.000-07:00

I have been reading my Bible like crazy lately. I can't seem to get enough. I was going in order from beginning to end but after 1Kings I decided I wanted to read from different chapters. First James, then Esther (two of my favorites!) then on to Matthew, Jonah, Ezra, Mark. I read whole chapters from beginning to end. I seem to be comprehending it like I never have before. I'm not just reading over sentences so I can finish and say I read the Bible again, I'm really hearing some great stuff and understanding things. It's been awesome!

Now most of you know that we are trying to move back to Colorado. I want this more than anything else in my life. Is reading the Bible my way of bribing God to do what I want...I promise to read more if you will just give me what I want?? Maybe. Partly. But doesn't God use all trials to draw us to Him. Could maybe the whole reason we came back to TX was to find God in leaving again? I don't know. But I do know that I am closer to God than I have been in a long time and it feels so good to be sitting at His feet again.

Here is some verses from James that I have read over and over in the last week:

^5-8If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.

Isn't that amazing?? I am boldly believing and boldly praying that God's hand is all over our lives right now!!

Also...today is September 1st. There are 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs. Kaylee and I are reading one chapter together every morning for the whole month...and then obviously we will do the 31st chapter on October 1st. I'm super excited that she wants to do this with me and can't wait to see how God uses this time in both of our lives. Feel free to hold us accountable and ask us how it is going!

That's all my thoughts for now. I will be sure to post more info on our journey as they get sorted it out. Thank you for all of the prayers that are heading our way...I know God is hearing them!

One Week Left

2011-08-13T05:38:00.000-07:00

I can't believe we only have a week of summer left!! How did it fly by so quick?? Usually I'm disheveled and doing a count down by mid June...but this year I made it all the way to a week to go!! WOO HOOOOO!!!

These last 3 months have been jammed pack with fun. The kids did 2 VBS weeks. We went on vacation to Bastrop and San Antonio with Jimmy's family. Kaylee went away to my Aunt's house for a week and to Austin for a weekend. Memories were made with my Mom when she visited for a week. Blokus, Skip Bo and Scrabble were regular companions. Tons of remodeling done on the house. We visited Pirates Bay, Calypso Cove and the Wave Pool to get our swim on. We spent a night watching TV and having a sleepover in the TV room. The kids read over 60 books each and participated in the Mont Belvieu library summer program!! James participated in Bayou Bunch outings and did a week of Stomp Camp. We bowled with the kids bowl free program a bunch of times. We met neighbors and made friends.

And now we have one week left. Each of the kids have orientation at school next week and then of course it is time for haircuts and school shoe shopping. I know we still have to fit in our end of the summer Chuck E. Cheese family fun day and I'm sure there will be a couple of other fun surprises to sneak in. But really...I can't believe my babies will be off to school again in 9 days!!

I hope you've had a great summer too!!

Dave Ramsey Update

2011-07-22T06:24:00.001-07:00

We have been following Dave Ramsey's 7 Financial Steps since September of 2009. It has changed our lives as I've said a million times before! If you have never had the chance to take the course, I highly recommend it. It doesn't matter where you are financially, I promise it will change your habits and how you think about spending and saving.

Anyways, we have been stuck on Step 2 since January of 2010. We have done a bit of Step 3 and some of Step 4 but I want out of Step 2. We are so darn close. We just have my car to pay off. We have been putting extra on it and we should not have more than 6 months left at most. Hopefully we will be able to pull it off before then. The move to TX derailed us slightly as did all the decorating we have done to the house to get it ready for summer visitors. But I went in to make a payment yesterday and saw the balance and got totally fired up again! I want this car payment gone!

And I want to be able to call Dave Ramsey on his radio show on Debt Free Friday and scream WE ARE DEBT FREEEEE!!!! Oh that felt good! That's going to feel so awesome to do it out loud and not on the computer!! I can't wait!!

A Favorite Day

2011-07-02T05:11:00.000-07:00

My 18th birthday and my graduation ceremonies just happened to be on the same day. October 16, 1994. My Dad and my sisters drove down to Montreal to my Mom's house and we all celebrated the day together. It was the first time, since I was 6 years old, to have my whole family doing something together. We took a picture and it has been in my wallet ever since. We never got the chance to do this again since my dad died just a year and a half after this picture was taken. It is a memory I treasure!

Jagger Rides

2011-06-26T11:22:00.000-07:00

Jagger Michael learned how to ride without training wheels today!! Yes, he is 6..we waited a little longer. Daddy took off the training wheels after lunch and five minutes later I walked out and there was Jagger just cruising up and down the street. So proud. Next up...swimming without a life jacket!

Running for my LIfe

2011-06-24T08:03:00.001-07:00

I'm alternating biking and running right now. As disgusting as it is, I love the sweat that pours off me here in TX. Makes me feel like Superwoman with every drip that runs down my face/neck/back/boobs...whatever!

I'm still in a funk. And I can't seem to shake it. So, last night when I started to cry I just threw on my running shoes and went out for a run. It takes more concentration to run than cry so the tears dried up pretty quick. Unfortunately, running when you're upset leads you to run aimlessly and by the time I got home I had run farther than I was expecting to. Oops! Sore thighs this morning!

I'm reading a book called Run Like a Mother. First of all, this is NOT a book for beginner runners! Anyone who says that they get up for a lovely 10 mile run on a Sunday is way more committed than I'll ever be!!

Anyways, in this book it describes what you should be doing in order to be getting ready for each distance of a race. At this point you should know that I have a hope of wanting to run the Houston Half in January. Back to the book...they say in order to run a 10K I should be running 3 miles easily (really?? a mile isn't even easy for me after a year and a half of running!!), minimum requirement is running 4 days per week, with one run at 5 to 6 miles, at least 15 miles per week.

Really?? I'm being dead serious when I say how hard this is for me. I want to die just looking at that training schedule for a 10K...how the heck??!!

Well, I don't know about the Houston Half but I'm pretty sure I am going to run myself right out of this funk!!

Coming Up Roses

2011-06-20T17:54:00.000-07:00

Well, not really roses...but, hibiscus. My very favorite flower! This is a variation of the hibiscus that I have never seen before and just had to have for outside my kitchen window so I could wake up and see it every morning.

One Step at a Time

2011-06-19T12:39:00.001-07:00

Moving back to Baytown, TX has not been easy. In fact, it's been downright hard! I wish that I could just close my eyes and open them back up and I will be sitting in my house in Colorado and that Julie will be on the way over with her kids and Kaylee will be out playing with her friends...that life would be just the way it was 5 months ago. Sometimes I will lay on my couch and close my eyes and pretend that I'm in the old house...I put the couch right where it used to be and see if I can really make it happen. It doesn't.

Our reasons for coming back will never change. Schools are losing so much money out there and it scares me for my children's futures. We missed being close to family. And we never found a church that we knew was home.

We love that our children will go to great schools here in TX. We know that they will be pushed to their limits and will go to college and be successful in whatever they do. We are grateful for that.

We LOVE being close to Mom and Dad again. It's a beautiful thing to watch our kids interact with their grandparents and know that these are memories that they will share with their children one day. I love that I can go see my Aunt and Uncle and it's like a little vacation with the whole Terry side of the family when I do that. It's home. I am blessed.

We are back at Second Baptist and we definitely know it's a great church and it is a church that you cannot just find anywhere Unfortunately, I feel farther away from God then I have felt in a long long time. This is especially where I feel like I just have to put one foot in front of the other. I just get up for church. I sing the songs. I keep the car radio on KSBJ. I pray with my children. And I seek Him. But I feel lost. I miss the fire. I expected it to come rushing back to me when we got back to Baytown...it hasn't. I am thankful for the foundation that I have built my life on and I know that I just need to keep seeking. I know, without a doubt, that God has not forsaken me...I just can't remember how to hear him.

I miss my Julie.

I feel sorry for myself right now.

And it all sucks!

So, I have decided to go with the flow. If someone asks me to do something, I just say yes. Go to the pool with you this week? Sure, I'ld love to! A ladies night out at church? I'll go and see who I'll meet up with. Lunch with a friend? Why not! This is new to me and it has gotten me out of my box a little. It's been fun too. I'm praying that God will lead us to new family friends that we can share life, laughs and fun with.

I want to start making tiered platters. I am interested in learning photography. And refinishing furniture.

I am going to go to work when school starts this year. I have already put in one application at the school district. I don't know that the job is a perfect fit for me but I need to start somewhere. My kids are growing up and what else am I going to do while they are at school all day?

So, you see, I do have plans. I do see a future. I am not so depressed that I have no idea how to function. I'm just sad. And a little lonely. And in need of some structure and routine in my life.

Or it could be that my husband has been working a shut down for 2 months and I'm tired of being alone with the kids.

Or that it's Father's Day and I miss my Dad today.

Or that I have my period....just sayin'!

But this is a blog and these are my thoughts and this is what you get when you put it all together....

Facebook Withdrawals

2011-06-12T06:03:00.000-07:00

Ok...this isn't all it is cracked up to be! I don't miss reading random nothingness and spending hours doing so, but I miss knowing what is going on around me. How am I supposed to know that Jane Doe is going swimming and wants to know if anyone wants to join her? Or that John Doe is having a last minute BBQ and anyone can come over and join. I'm looking for an antique hutch for my french country living room and how am I supposed to know if anyone has seen a cool one lately if I can't ask on facebook?? See, this is a problem!!

But where, oh where, is that happy middle ground??

Planting a Home

2011-06-10T17:47:00.000-07:00

We have made a few changes to the outside of our home....

Here is the before pic....

And the after installing solar screens and planting some greenery....

Does anyone know what this is?? It was left behind by the previous owner and had 2 green leaves on it. I've been watering it for a week and it's doing really well. But, I have no idea what I'm growing!!

And it wouldn't be a country home without a lizard hanging out on the side...

There's A Hole In My Wall

2011-06-10T14:27:00.000-07:00

The house we bought is only 15 years old. But, it was built in the style of a much older home where all of the rooms are very separate. We like that to a degree. However, we have a kick-butt kitchen on one side and a great fireplace in the living room. Since 99% of my time is spent in the kitchen I decided that I wanted it open so that we can entertain and I can cook all at the same time. Plus, the kitchen gets hot and the living room stays cold so we knew we had to do something to create better air flow. Our solution..knock out the wall!! Here is the result:

Before...

During...

And after...(don't mind the mess or the mismatch furniture....we are still in move mode!!)...

Now we have a lovely 5 inch strip of concrete between the tile and the carpet. So the new thing in house decorating!! Next up on the priority list...wood floors in the living room!

From Facebook to Blog

2011-06-10T07:26:00.000-07:00

Well, I have stopped using Facebook. I still use it to see family pictures...but that's it!! Sooo liberating. However, now I have all these status updates in my head and all these hours of leisure that I will have to dispense of somewhere else...so, I am sure to back in the blogging world!

We have finally bought a house and we are somewhat in the "country." Not everyone would agree with that but we have well water, a septic system, snakes are found in our neighborhood and it takes me 30 minutes to get to the grocery store...this is about as country as I'm ever going to get!

Well, I'm lovin' it! It feels like we are getting back to a simpler life. We don't go out to eat...what fun is that when you have to calculate in 45 minutes travel time to and back?? Kaylee and I have stopped using Facebook. I've taken Kaylee's phone away from her. We go for family bike rides and runs. We spend more time playing games and reading than watching the TV. It feels like we are getting back to the basics of life...and I LOVE IT!!

We are doing a few things to the house to make it more our style. We have put up solar screens...HEAT RELIEF!! And we took down a wall between the living room and kitchen to open things up a little. We have a priority list of things that need to be done and I am loving having a new canvas to mold, shape and decorate! I will start posting pics within the next couple of days!

I am happy to be back to blogging and I look forward to sharing all the fun things going on with the Clinton family this way again!

Happy Friday!

Long Time

2011-02-06T06:33:00.001-08:00

WOW!!

Even I can't believe how long it has been since I've written on this blog. Life is just flying by....

Biggest news....we're moving back to Texas!!

Reasons why??

Heat!! I hate winter! I remember loving the winters. It is not nearly as fun now that I have to go out to get groceries, drive kids to school, shovel, wait for my car to warm up....grrrrr. And I did all of that last week as the temperatures went down to -20!! This cold and snow stuff is for the birds!!

Church. We have really struggled here with finding a church. We have one that we like more than others but it doesn't even compare with the missions and message at Second Baptist Church in Baytown. We are soooo longing to get back to our church!

Family. Who moves away from family to a place where they have none? I don't understand the point. My children are losing the relationships they once had with their Aunt and their Grandparents. That breaks my heart. It isn't possible to be close to both of our families but it is possible to be close to one of them....and we need to be.

Medical. This part makes me sound like such an old lady!! I have glaucoma. It doesn't bother me very much...unless I'm in high altitude! Who knew?! I get really bad headaches here and they drive me nuts. I seem to pop tylenol like they are M&Ms. Kaylee and I also have Stickler Syndrome. With this syndrome you apparently are not allowed to use nitrous gas in high altitude. So when Kaylee had to have her tooth filled she had to go to the Children's Hospital to have it done in case of any complications. Odd...but true!

We've learned a lot here in Colorado. It's been an awesome journey and we will remember this adventure forever. I think we came here because we needed to try things on our own...without our family and friends and see if we could make it. We did make it. But we want to go home now. It will be fun to travel back here to see the awesome friends we've made but our homebase needs to be in Baytown.

We still have lots to do. Jimmy is working on a few leads for jobs in Texas. We have the house on the market (and we've had 4 showings in 12 days!!) so we are hoping that will move quickly. The timeline is to get the kids and me to TX as soon as school is out and Jimmy will either go ahead of us or behind us depending on the job situation. However, we know God has things perfectly figured out already and we are just trying to take our cues!

We hope that you will pray for us as we make this desired move back home. We want this to be done with God's blessing and His hands all over the whole situation.

Until then...the whole family will be counting down the days to get us back to the South and some good ol' mexican food!!

James' Resume

2010-06-14T19:33:00.000-07:00

James is taking a singing/acting class this summer and had to compose a resume. It will be super fun to continue adding to it over the years to come. Here is the first draft:

In and Around San Diego

2010-06-12T15:02:00.000-07:00

There were so many things to see and do in San Diego that it was sort of overwhelming. We had to just sort of do everything on the fly which was a little scary for this routine girl! It ended up being a perfect weekend and a great way to end our vacation.

Here's a little Shakesperean Store that we found that sold all of my favorite Canadian chocolate bars. I shared the Smarties with the kids and Jimmy and I kept sneaking away to eat the other ones...we even went as far as to eat the Coffee Crisp under the bed covers so they wouldn't see us and I wouldn't have to share!! BAD MOM!

Gaslamp District.

The Seaport Shop area behind our hotel.

A night view from our hotel room. We had a split view of the water and the city. The water was very pretty during the day but the view of the city rocked at night time.

Oceanside.

We walked along this whole bridge and this picture is taken from the pier at the end of it. We had a family run on the way back and Jagger won!

When we got back across the bridge we found some tide pools where we had fun looking for crabs.

Good to know...

For those keeping up with the progress of Jagger's shaved head....long enough for a mohawk now!!

Old Towne San Diego

Our hotel played outdoor movies by the pool at night. So, on the last night of vacation we laid out and watched Monsters Inc.

When we got up to leave we headed out and got to see part of the Rock and Roll Marathon in progress...that's inspiring to say the least!
It was a long 19 hour drive home (with 3 hours of stops included in that time) but we finally made it at 5:45 on Monday morning. It was good to be home. Nice to be back in the swing of things. This was one of our very favorite vacations. The kids just happen to be the right ages for everything and it was the perfect mix of crazy busy and super relaxing.

Can't wait to start planning our next trip...wonder where we'll be headed???

Coronado Island Beach Pictures

2010-06-12T14:26:00.000-07:00

For those of you that like posts on here that have a lot of pics...this post is for you!!

We looked up beaches to visit while in San Diego and heard of so many that we didn't know which to choose. Then we saw that Coronado Island which was a short drive from our hotel was rated one of the Top 10 Beaches in the US and we knew that we had to check it out.

Let's just say that this picture described my morning. I love the ocean...sitting by it...and snapping pictures of everyone else playing in it.

I love taking candid pictures. However, sometimes they just don't turn out...
But sometimes you snap your shot just in time....

Favorite picture of Kaylee today!

Favorite picture of James today!

All about seashells...

All about the ladybug that Jagger caught....

All about the butt crack!

And here's the sand burying pics...

You can't leave the beach without building a sand castle....

Or without writing in the sand...

Oh my goodness we had an awesome morning at the beach. I don't think it's possible to take a bad picture with the blue sky and the sand and ocean in the background. This was a totally unexpected day as we had planned and then cancelled going to Legoland. It was definately a pleasant surprise though!

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives San Diego

2010-06-12T14:15:00.000-07:00

Jimmy and I like to watch the show Diners Drive-Ins and Dives on Food Network with Guy Fieri. While driving from Anaheim to San Diego we decided to search the internet for places around our hotel that have been on the show. We found several but only got a chance to hit up two.

The first was Blue Water Seafood Market and Grill and we stopped before even checking in at the hotel. I am not a fish sandwich kind of person and my kids certainly do not do a lot of fish so this was a pretty big step outside of our small boxes. What an absolute treat it was though! There is a reason these restaurants make it on to the show!

Guy has a stamp outside of the restaurants he does....or at least he did outside of this one.

The second place was a hamburger place in Oceanside. They boast the best hamburger and they were pretty darn good. The line was very long though so we decided to take our food and eat somewhere else...it cut our wait time waaayyy down!

Check out the line to get into this place!
When we got back home to Colorado we went to Youtube.com and looked up the episodes that had these restaurants on them. It was very cool to see places that we had eaten at on TV for the best foods ever.

Jagger's Birthday; Last Day at Disneyland

2010-06-12T13:55:00.000-07:00

We spent most of our last day at Disneyland doing the things that were leftover. We still had to ride a kid train ride, do a Snow White ride, watch Michael Jackson in Captain EO. Those sorts of things.

That night though we had a very special dinner for our Jagger. We had reservations to have dinner at Goofy's Kitchen where we would feast on a buffet while getting to mingle with several characters.

Here we are with Pluto before being led into the restaurant area.

Jagger was sung to and received his birthday cake inside of this Pirate's Chest as well as the flag and a cool compass. He really liked everyone singing to him.

Each character would take turns coming to our table, signing the kid's autograph books and then taking pictures.

Seriously, could Jagger's smile get any bigger?? You tell me if you think he had a good time!

Very cool thing that happened in Disney is that we were there at the same time as some friends (Lee and Cassie Garduno) and actually got to spend most of Thursday evening with them. They were even at Goofy's Kitchen at the same time as us.

Here we all are getting ready to go back into the Haunted Mansion.

We found some awesome spots on Main St. and stayed to watch the fireworks with the Gardunos. It was my first time ever seeing fireworks in Disney and it was "magical!!"

Check out all of the people on Main St.!

A picture of my sweet fam watching the fireworks.

One of the sweetest things that happened was during the fireworks...Jagger was sitting on his daddy's shoulders and he leaned down and whispered in his ear "Daddy, if I make a wish in Disneyland will it come true?" Can't get much more Disney than that!

Aztecas: Best Mexican Food Ever

2010-06-12T13:45:00.000-07:00

While I was doing my research for ways to do Disneyland on a budget I found a post about Aztecas Mexican Restaurant. The post (from a blog) suggested to buy a coupon for this restaurant at restaurant.com (where I was able to get a $25 coupon for $3) and said that it was very much like a mexican Hard Rock Cafe. They didn't even mention how good the food was.

And the food was out of this world! I've eaten A LOT of mexican food since I discovered it at 20 years old. Never in my life have I had anything this good. I had Enchiladas Rancheros which is cheese enchiladas with green chili peppers on top. It was to die for! Literally! And then I tasted Kaylee's quesidilla and that was awesome. And even James' french fries were top of the line.

I'm telling you...if you're ever in Anaheim...this is the place to eat!!

Oh...and the decor is pretty cool....all Elvis...everywhere!

This is the ceiling!

My mouth is salivating just looking back at this picture!
SUPER DUPER BEST EVER MEAL OF MY LIFE!!

California Adventure

2010-06-12T13:06:00.001-07:00

California Adventure is a lot of fun but not nearly as fun Disneyland. It only takes one day to enjoy all of thrills here!

As soon as you walk in there is a Playhouse Disney studio where you can watch the the shows that are on TV. The boys really enjoyed watching this...we watched the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Tigger and Pooh, Little Einsteins and Handy Manny. It lasted about 20 minutes and was about a surprise birthday celebration for Minnie Mouse. Very fun!

Hello Stitch.

We watched several 3D movies. This was the first and it was a Muppet 3D movie. I can't see what everyone else sees since I am blind in one eye but it is hysterical to watch the kids jumping and trying to grab things they think are coming straight at them. Very funny!

Monsters Inc. ride.

Check out my Jim....he's giving that Mr. Incredible a run for his money!!

Jagger and I watched a show about drawing and magic while the others went on Tower of Terror. At the end of the show 3 characters came out. I got some cute pics and then Jagger got to take his picture with Woody.

The infamous Tower of Terror.

A picture of the picture that was taken inside the ride. This is the only ride that James absolutely did NOT like!

Hello Handy Manny.

Jagger wanted to go back to California Adventure again the next day just so he could see Lightening McQueen again...we didn't..but it was cute.

Cute boys.

Ummm....some random airplane in the park....

The Grizzly River Run is a super soaker ride. So much so that I had to sit it out to hold our bags as they would have gotten too wet on the ride. So sad! But the rest of the fam had lots of fun on it.

Keeni and Kodi (sp? for both}.

There was a fun adventure area for the kids to run around and climb and such. This is them riding on a tire...check out the bounce James got!

Do we look worn out yet??

While the older ones rode California Screamin' (a wicked roller coaster that even goes upside down!) Jagger and I ran into the army men from Toy Story. Jagger had just bought himself a Buzz Lightyear laser gun that just had to make it's way into the picture!

There were also army men driving around and putting on shows. James got right in there and got to do some of the games with them.

It was another great day full of fun. The older kids really enjoyed all of the fast rides in this park and Jagger and I enjoyed spending lots of time exploring.

A Disney Magic Moment

2010-06-07T19:43:00.000-07:00

In Disneyland they had a show called Jedi Training. When we were there the first day we found out that it was kids getting picked from the audience to train against Darth Maul and Darth Vader. Well, of course we had to get in on that!! I upped our chances by having my boys wear their matching Star Wars T-Shirts and we got to the stage in plenty of time to sit up on the front row. And lo and behold...my boys were picked!!

Each child was given a cape to wear and then trained in the ways of using a light saber. Then one by one they were called on to fight their opponent.

Jagger was super stoked...BIG STAR WARS FAN HERE!!

James was pretty excited too...he loves to have an audience!

James was chosen to fight Darth Maul. And what a fight it was!

Jagger, I think in part because of his Birthday Pin, was chosen to get up on stage to fight Darth Vader.

Each of the children was given a certificate of completion that I will definitely frame and hang.

Jagger had birthday money to spend and right after the Jedi Training he knew he just HAD to go to the Star Wars store and build himself a double light saber.

And here is a video of Jagger fighting Darth Vader.

This was most certainly a highlight of the Disney vacation. There is nothing more magical than watching your child get to participate in something they think only dreams are made of. I was so proud of both my boys today!!

Disneyland Day 2

2010-06-07T15:52:00.001-07:00

With the passes that we bought we got to have one Magical Morning. That means that you get into the Disneyland park an hour earlier than anyone that does not have this....but tons of people do! One of the perks is that there are characters right after the entrance that you can get pictures with and autographs from.

Here the kids are with Chip.

And Donald.

The Tea Cup ride. The ride is blurry but that is because they are all spinning wildly around and around and around...this was one ride I was happy to miss!

Mr. Toad's ride.

Back to Dumbo because only Jagger and I got to ride on Day 1.

Jagger had seen this whale on a map of Disneyland weeks before our trip. He was sooo excited to see it. The ride (Storybook Boat Ride) was closed our first day but was open this day.

It's a Small World palace....
I do love all things Moose!

We heard the trick for meeting Mickey in his barn was to go as soon as Toon Town opens so we headed straight over and found him!
And one with just the birthday boy.

Go Coaster in Toon Town. Very fast. Very fun. All the kids loved it.

Playing in Toon Town.

Well hello there Pluto!

We took a raft over to an "island" and got to play with lots of Pirate stuff. We even saw a Pirate Ship!

Hi there Aladin!

We found a spot on the curb of Main Street and got to watch the Celebrate Parade.

James got to go out into the parade and dance with them.

And the kids were given instruments to play.

Another great day! We left after the parade and headed to MacDonalds for dinner. We still didn't get back to the hotel until after 9! It was 12 hours of Disney this day!!

Disneyland Day 1

2010-06-07T15:20:00.001-07:00

We were up bright and early and headed off to Disneyland by 9am Monday morning. We were very blessed to have a free shuttle from our hotel so we just had to hop on at the hotel and we were let off right inside the Disneyland gates. Perfect!

We spent most of Monday in Tomorrowland where they have a lot of futuristic stuff. The very first ride we saw and did was the Star Wars Tours. You get on a simulator and get to fly off into the galaxy at light speed. It was very cool...especially to Jagger who is a HUGE Star Wars fan!

Next we got on a submarine and got to see the goings ons under the "ocean."

And then it was Autotopia where we got to drive our own cars.

This was an awesome Disney Moment. They do a Jedi Training class (which the boys got to do and we will do a separate post on that) and we happened to walk by and catch the end of one on the first day. We also just happened to be standing where the characters exit and this Storm Trooper came rushing up to Jagger and got right in his face. Scared Jagger to giggles and he LOVED it! It was definitely a "magical" moment for him.

Buzz Lightyear's ride. Very cool. You get to shoot lasers at targets and rack up points which then get stacked up against all the people on the ride.

My least favorite thing at Disneyland was a futuristic house. It was booorrrinnnngg. But the kids and Jimmy did find rockband and did look super cute trying to figure it out!

Look who we ran into!!

I had a coupon for the Rainforest Cafe that is in downtown Disney so that is where we ate lunch on Day 1.

The Lego Store in Downtown Disney.

While Daddy took the big kids on a scary ride Jagger and I headed off to some cool little kid rides.

I really don't have a clue what ride this is...I'm sure it will come back to me eventually. Pirates of the Carribean maybe??

A picture in front of the Castle.

The kids going on Thunder Mountain with Daddy.

We all went on Splash Mountain, got soaked and loved it! They take a picture of you going down the big drop at the end. Here is a picture of that picture.

Winnie the Pooh ride.

We didn't get home until after 8pm the first night and we were exhausted. Had quick baths and headed straight to bed so we could do it all again tomorrow!

Viva Las Vegas

2010-06-07T14:51:00.000-07:00

As we were driving from Zion to Anaheim we realized we would be driving right through the heart of Las Vegas. And you cannot, I mean simply canNOT, drive through Vegas and not stop. So, we explained to the kids that they were about to enter a whole new world, one that is not completely appropriate to kids! We made them promise to stay close by us, we parked by the Excalibur and started our tour....

This is walking from the bridge at Excalibur over to New York, New York. MGM Grand is across the street from New York, New York.

Interesting little fact...Jimmy and I took a week vacation when we were 3 months pregnant with Kaylee to Las Vegas and stayed at the New York, New York. It was really neat to be back there with three kiddos now.

Statue of Liberty made out of jelly beans...sooo cool!

Harley Davidson Cafe.

One thing I remember most about our trip 12 years ago was the tour at the Coca Cola factory. Well, they stopped giving tours 10 years ago but they still do the taste tests. They give you 16 different flavors of pop that are popular around the world and put them on a numbered tray. The numbers correspond to a list of countries and flavor of pop. The kids LOVED the taste test...even the disgusting ones (the one from Italy was voted unanimously as the worst of all!). It was definitely the highlight of the afternoon.

Right next door to Coca Cola is the M&M store....I'm talking 4 stories of M&M bliss!

We stopped and ate back at New York, New York and then Jim and I took turns doing a little gambling. Jimmy headed out with $21 and was back in less than 5 minutes completely broke. Ummm...what was THAT?? I decided to go out and play $5. I tripled it to $15 and then we headed back onto the road.

This is what happens to my conservative James after being exposed to Sin City for a few hours!!

All in all, it was a fun stop for the whole family. The boys were very interested in the cards with naked woman that were laying all over the streets. They got to see some women wearing a little less than what would be appropriate on the beach. And they saw some billboard signs that were nothing like the ones back home!

More than anything it was a nice break in the middle of our 6 hour drive to Cali!

Zion National Park

2010-05-29T18:47:00.000-07:00

Today we got up and had a bit of breakfast in our hotel room (homemade muffins that I brought from home and mini-cereals that the kids ate out of cups with milk that we bought at the store last night. Breakfast at our hotel would have cost us $60...WHAAATTT???).

We threw on some hiking clothes and runners and then it was time to go explore the canyons. We took two trails and played in a creek. I'll just go through the day with the pictures.

This is at the trailhead for Riverside Trail which allows you to walk through the Narrows. However, the river was up and too strong so we did not get to continue once you have to walk into the river. Boo to that! But what a beautiful hike on a nice paved trail.

We tried to get a bunch of pictures of everyone holding up walls and such. This is the only one that looks like it might actually be happening. Isn't our SuperHero Jagger so sweet to hold this rock out of our way for us!!

Okay, so there is a sign at the trailhead that says feeding wildlife will cost you a $100 fine. I don't think anyone has read this sign but me. These squirrels were bound and determine to jack some food from somebody! And they were evil looking. One chased James and he ran away screaming like a girl! Soo funny!

I never get tired of seeing Kaylee and James side by side when they both seem happy about it.

The views were spectacular!

Jimmy enjoys scaring the crap out of me. One false move and he would have been river debris!

Kaylee can find comfort anywhere.

So, after the first trail we went on another called Weeping Rock. It was only a half mile return hike. On the way we saw a deer in the clearing. I looked down to get my camera and when I looked back up I couldn't find the deer. Everyone else, and I mean there was a crowd, was like "it's still right there." Kaylee had to take the picture. Finally some nice gentleman got in front of me and said I was looking too far left and showed me where it was. I felt like such an airhead!

Ya, so I LOVE this picture!

Taking our picture at the top of the Weeping Rock trail.

Another spectacular view.

Back at the trailhead for the Weeping Rock was a creek for the kids to play in. While we were playing some boys came down with a small frog. When their families called them they gave the frog to James to play with.

I love these next two pics of James.

James' friend, the frog.

Great picture of Jagger before he fell in the water....

New favorite pic of Kaylee.

I do love brother pictures.

And this would be my very sad Jagger after he fell in the water!!

Jagger always wants to climb trees and they are always too big for him. He finally found a tree trunk that was just his size!

Doesn't this look like a HUGE FRIGGIN BLUEBIRD???

Okay...so maybe not from that angle! But I swear it did from mine! I was talking to Jimmy and when I turned around I saw his stupid water bottle sitting there and thought it was a bluebird on steroids and totally freaked out! My husband thought this was hysterical of course and promptly took pictures!

After our 4 hours at the Canyon we headed back to the hotel for a couple of hours of swimming. We got nicely toasted and then showered, dressed and headed off to Oscar's for dinner where we had some amazingly good hamburgers with surprisingly delicious sweet potato fries. On a side note...Jimmy had the Whoopass burger which is described to have jalapenoes, lettuce, tomatoes, more jalapenoes, green chilies...do they not realize that I have to share a hotel room with only one bathroom with this man??!!
It was a great day. I think everyone will sleep well. We will try to get one more hike in after breakfast and then we will head out for our 5 hour drive to Anaheim. The kids sure are excited to get to Disneyland on Monday morning!

The Dreaded Drive

2010-05-29T15:42:00.001-07:00

The Dreaded Drive was not so dreadful afterall! We were a bit worried because we decided not to bring the TVs (half the DVDs are scratched and I didn't feel like listening to the kids fight over what broken movie they got to watch!). The kids did great.. They played their DSs, had naps (well, not James of course!) and enjoyed looking out the window at all of the scenery.

Here are some pics of us having fun in the car...

Leaving one state and entering another is always very exciting. We make a big deal out of it and the kids love looking for the signs.

And once we got into Utah we couldn't believe how monotonous these beautiful rocks could become. Jim and I think this state must have the lowest population...crazy how long it took us to get to a small town and how far in between the towns are. The rocks provided some fun though...we played the cloud game and made shapes out of the formations. I won't bore you with the millions of pics I took of them but here are a couple.

After 10 hours we made it to our hotel (Best Western at Zion-BEAUTIFUL!). The kids immediately had us in our swimsuits and off for a pre-dinner swim. It was lovely to be in an outdoor pool in such nice surroundings.

After our swim we went to the Flying Monkey for dinner. We actually got to walk there...that doesn't happen very often! They also had an amazing BBQ pork pizza loaded with cilantro that I think I will remember for the rest of my life...PHENOMENAL!!

It was a great day considering the long drive. I'm really starting to enjoy the advantages of having older children. Much more fun to travel with!

Vacation Bound!

2010-05-27T05:41:00.000-07:00

I am sooo super excited. Our little family of 5 headed out on a big family vacation tomorrow. It's been a long time since we've done a real vacation that didn't include visiting family somewhere. We will head to Zion National Park for this weekend. Then we keep driving to Anaheim and all that is Disneyland for 5 days. We will end the vacation with a weekend in San Diego. And then it will be a long drive home with a tired but happy family (this is what I suspect anyways!).

All my children have gotten to choose where we go on family vacation for the year they turn 5. Kaylee chose Disney World. James chose San Antonio and Sea World. And now this vacation is Jagger's choice.

I'm really looking forward to getting away and exploring new territory. All the kids are so big now and this vacation should be different from any of the ones in the past. There are no strollers. No diapers. Nobody needs to take a nap in the afternoon. What an awesome celebration of all of my children growing up this will be.

Of course we'll have the lap top and camera. I'll try to update the blog every night so I don't end up being overwhelmed at the end of the trip.

SOOO EXCITED!

Jagger's Birthday Lunch

2010-05-23T17:18:00.000-07:00

Today we had Jagger's birthday lunch since we will be in Disneyland during his actual birthday. We invited our Life Group, our neighbors and Jagger's favorite friend's (Evan) family. It was a beautiful day and the kids had lots of fun running around while us parents chatted, hung out and ate too much food as usual.

Jagger got the new favorite in our house..homemade ice cream cake. This one was made with Rocky Road, Heath, M&Ms, and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Yummmmmyyy!!

The excitement of waiting for the cake to come out....

Jagger LOVED everyone singing Happy Birthday to him!

Jagger wished out loud that he could have all the super hero powers. Best wish ever!

And all of the adults waiting patiently for leftovers...

Matt and Jules.

YUM!

Opening presents...

Aren't these the cutest princesses you ever did see?!!

Jules and Bill.

Tom and a ready-to-pop-at-any-minute Amy!

Me and my Kay!

Candice and Harley.

Go Matt you neck hula hooping Rockstar!

HA HA! Kaylee's face is priceless!

James and his Ms. Twiss.

Jimmy and Reese.

Dude..that guy is HOTT!

Trying to get a good picture of Claire..she will have no part of it!

Playing with the new toys.

Co and Matt.
What a fun day filled with lots of love and friends!

Happy 5th Birthday my Jagger!

Jagger's Graduation

2010-05-20T18:44:00.000-07:00

Today my youngest child graduated from preschool. It was so bittersweet. On the one hand I have been a stay-at-home mom for ten years and I'm sort of ready for them to all be in school full time. On the other hand I know I'm going to miss having any of my babies around.

The teachers had the graduation at a local park and it was an absolutely lovely day. We began with playing in the park, moved on to a picnic, ate a graduation cupcake and then the official graduation ceremony.

Before the teachers gave out the real diplomas they decided to have a little fun with the kids and give hand out papers with what the teachers thought they might grow up to be based on their personalities, likes and dislikes in the classroom. Most kids got stuff like President, CEO, fashionista. Then there was Jagger...

The teachers started by saying that there probably was not a single thing that they discussed the whole year that Jagger could not somehow relate to Scooby Doo. And based on that they believe he has a future as a Mystery Inc. Member. Oh my gosh...I laughed SOOO hard! My sweet Jagger!

Well, without further ado...here are the pictures from the day...

This is Jagger after he heard what his future may hold. I'm thinking he's pretty happy with the Scooby Doo idea!

I think this picture could go up for goofiest pic of the year award...my kids are so silly!

Congratulations my Big Boy!!

Kaylee's School Performance

2010-05-12T08:20:00.000-07:00

The Fourth grade put on a performance about Native American Indians a couple of weeks ago. They worked very hard on it and Kaylee was super excited for us to come and see the show.

Kaylee got dressed up and looked very beautiful in her outfit.
Singing a song...

Playing the Alitone (sp?) that I didn't even know she could play...

Playing her recorder...

And here's a little video of the performance.

Way to go Kaylee Bug! You were such a joy to watch!!

TBall

2010-05-12T08:11:00.000-07:00

Jagger is playing TBall again this year. We are playing with a competitive league this year (although at this age it's not very competitive yet!). We are much happier than we were at the Rec Center.

I love to watch the kids practice. Here are some pics of the first game of the year. Jagger did a great job...well, except running from 3rd to home..he seems to want to run to 1st from 3rd, so in the picture he looks like he is running home from the pitching mound...so cute!

It's a swing and a miss!

Running to 1st...

Running to 2nd...

playing short stop.

Drawing his line for his feet.

Running home...after being rerouted from running to 1st!
Way to go Number 4!!!

Mother's Day at the Park

2010-05-12T07:52:00.000-07:00

We decided to take the kids to Casa Bonita for Mother's Day. On our way back we got a message on my phone that said our friends, the Bainbridges, were heading to Central Park in Stapleton if we wanted to meet them there. We happen to be passing that exit at the time so we just headed on over..and we're so glad we did! What a fun afternoon! Enjoy the pictures!

Disney Autograph Books

2010-05-09T19:35:00.000-07:00

My friend Candice just got back from a trip to Disneyland with her family and she showed me her awesome autograph book. It was beautiful!! I asked where she got it and she told me that her mom had made it. Well...I needed to spend a little time with her mom apparently!!

Her mom, Jo, awesomely sent me a list of materials that I needed, picked up what I couldn't find and then came over one morning to help me put them together. I had to do a bit of homework and then we met for 30 minutes another day and ta da! we had 3 beautiful autograph books for my kiddos.

Here is Jagger's...Cars, of course! (I let each child pick the paper designs for their books...and they all did a great job!)

And this is the paper that he picked for the inside covers. Notice the black inking along the edges? Jo did that with some chalk ink and it gave the books that perfect finish!

James is a big Mickey Mouse fan so this paper was a perfect James choice.

And here is his inside.

Kaylee was having nothing to do with "kiddie books" whatsoever! So, we compromised. Hannah Montana is a Disney character so we went with more of a rockstar theme. I absolutely love the glitter paper she picked out and really loved that she went so girly with all of the ribbons. And the stickers were actually from a Hannah Montana sticker pack.

The inside was Hannah Montana paper. This side has a whimsical heart and on the back inside cover is a whimsical guitar. Very cute.
I am so pleased with how the books turned out and so surprised at how easy they were to put together. If you try to make these yourself you can pretty much see what you need. The only thing you need to know is that the paper is glued on to chipboard to keep the book sturdy. Except Kaylee's because the glitter paper was thick enough to just glue the inside paper right to the back of it.

Thank you Jo for your creative expertise!!

Birthday Cake

2010-04-26T06:51:00.000-07:00

Last night we had our small group bible study. We always have dinner together before we get into our study and last night we shared James' birthday cake for dessert. Our wonderful friend Colleen introduced us to the most delicious ice cream cake in the world a couple of months ago. James was sure from that moment on that he wanted to have it for his birthday. So, I was given instructions, made a practice cake for my friend Amy's 40th birthday and then yesterday finally got to make one for James. Oh how yummy it was!!

Thanks to my sweet friend Julie for all of the wonderful pictures you are about to see!

Drum Roll please.....THE CAKE!!

Singing the most beautiful Happy Birthday ever to the best 7 year old in the whole world!

Ok..this one is a classic! Check out the monkey cheeks!

Giving daddy the candles..what a great profile pic!

Are you kidding me?? This beautiful face is the only reason he doesn't get in more trouble than he does!!

Ummm...he looks like he is going to puke.....

More whip cream please.

Small group...

Happy Birthday again my Sweet Boy!!

Happy Birthday

2010-04-24T18:17:00.000-07:00

Today was my big man's 7th birthday. Sooo exciting!!

We've decided not to do birthday parties anymore. Instead we let the kids choose 1 friend and then we go anywhere that they choose. James chose his best friend Katherine and we went to see the Earth Day movie, Oceans, on Thursday night. It was PHENOMENAL! The kids loved it as much as I did. Go out and see it if you get the chance.

So, today was just family day.

We always have the kids presents waiting for them at their spot at the kitchen table on their actual birthday. James was thrilled with all of his gifts. He got Moon Sand, Bendaroos and a mini bowling game.

James had requested pancakes for breakfast so he was served that on the "special plate." You'll see a picture of it at the end of the post.

I had a gift certificate to Echter's Nursery so we headed on over there after breakfast. We try to do our planting on Earth Day but since we went to see the movie this year we used this morning to get that done. James got a huge tomato plant, Jagger got a strawberry Topsy Turvy and Kaylee bought some little flowers to plant in soup cans for a project she is doing at school.

We are having a birthday cake with our small group friends tomorrow and I didn't want to make 2 cakes. So we went somewhere super special instead...Big Fat Cupcake! It was DELICIOUS!! The cupcakes were super yummy and so big that none of us could finish ours. James chose chocolate with chocolate icing. The rest of us got something called "Everything." They were a chocolate cupcakes with icing and then everything thrown into the icing: kit kats, hershey bars, peanut butter cups, crushed heath bars....OH MY!! Sadly I forgot my camera!! I have some pics on my phone but have no idea how to get them onto my computer...SOO SAD! It was a really fun experience and we all really enjoyed singing happy birthday to James in such a super cool place!

At my kid's elementary school they were holding a County Fair today to raise money for the PTO. We went there from 2-4 and ate more junk food, played games, jumped in bouncy houses and hung out with lots of fun friends.

James decided he absolutely wanted to go out for dinner tonight. So much so that he was willing to spend some of his own money. So...off to MacDonald's we went. I can't remember the last time we ate this much junk food in one day! It was yummy and disgusting and made my James very happy so it was totally worth it!

The boys have just finished their baths and are running around playing with toys right now. Kaylee is vegging in front of the tv. Jimmy is gone to work. And I'm doing everything I can to stay awake! EXHAUSTED!!

What a fun day! Happy Birthday to my most favorite 7 year old in the whole wide world!!

Enjoy the pictures...

Easter Morning

2010-04-05T07:18:00.000-07:00

Oh, what a glorious thing...a Father who gave His one and only son so that we could be free!! So, that all of our sins could be forgiven! And yet he knew we would continue to sin because he gave us free will...yet, He still sacrificed his son for us. What an awesome God we serve!

And then there is the commercial side of Easter.....

Easter Baskets!
So many good things!!

Movies, movies movies! James got Bob's Big Break and Shrek something or other...both in 3D.

Kaylee with her beautiful bed head! Sooo happy that she got Justin Bieber CDs.

Ohhhh...yummmy chocolate for breakfast!

Hershey Kisses for breakfast....

Cadsbury mini eggs for breakfast....

Checking out the new bubble wands...and yes, we already need more bubble solution!

Check out my sweet girl's Easter outfit....gotta love her!

For a whole year I anticipate the sweet taste of my favorite Cadsbury Creme Eggs...and every year it is just as delectable!!

The kids checking out one of James' 3D movies after church. Gotta love the noodle that Kaylee is slurping up!

We decided that we are sooo over holiday meals right now. So, we invited our sweet friends, the Essers, over for an Easter dinner to remember....hamburgers and homemade fries. And they brought a yummy candybar chocolate pie for dessert. It was perfect! I wish I would have taken pics. We played a game, laughed a lot and the kids ran around like monkeys. A perfect evening indeed!

I pray that your day was also filled with fun, family and love. Happy Easter!

48 Hours

2010-03-23T13:24:00.000-07:00

In 48 hours I will be sitting in the airport with my best friend, Julie, waiting to board a flight to TX to take us to my other best friends and some family!! I'm super excited!!

Weight news: Jimmy has lost 30 POUNDS!! I'm so proud of him and all of the hard work and effort that he is putting into his lifestyle change. GO JIM!!

I've lost 12 pounds. I ran the 5K and that was a huge goal for me to accomplish. I've now signed up for a mini-triathalon with my girlfriends in June. I think this is the healthiest years of my life!!

Big news about Jagger....he was accepted to Full Day Kinder at a college prep elementary school. We are very happy about that. Kaylee and James will also be changing schools and since the school is K thru 8 I will now have all my kids at the same school for 4 years. I am already sad to be losing my little buddy to kindergarten but I am looking forward to what the next chapter of our lives will bring.

And for those of you that have been worried about Jagger's haircut...it's already growing in and he now leaves the house without wearing a beanie. He still likes to talk about all of the money that he raised for hte "sick kids."

Well, that's about it for now. I just thought I'ld check in before I left for TX. I'm sure I'll have tons of picture and loads of funny stories when I get back.

Happy travels for me and Jules!!

My 3 Heroes

2010-03-14T09:01:00.001-07:00

It's official...my boys are HEROES!!

Pennock Elementary hosts a St.Baldricks event once a year to raise money for Kids with Cancer. It's an awesome opportunity for the community to get together and support a great charity.

My children all have very giving spirits. I'm so proud of each of them.

When I saw the flyer for this, I immediately thought it would be a great way to get Jagger involved. He has such beautiful hair. Sometimes we've been told to cut it though...it's too long, he looks like a girl...MEAN PEOPLE! But we talked with Jagger and told him that a lot of people would like to see his hair cut and that this would be a great way to raise some money for sick kids. He waivered a bit but then solidly decided that this was something he would like to do.

Jagger raised $500 alone. That was his goal and we thank everyone that helped him reach it! Jagger really enjoyed knowing who was giving to him, how much and reading the notes of encouragement and support that came along with the donations. He also loved all the people that couldn't donate but just encouraged and supported him with love. He's a shy boy but I think he liked the attention just a little!

Then we were getting close to shave time and James needed a haircut. And then daddy said he would love to join in and support Jagger. So, I signed them up as well. With only 3 days left to shave time we just put their goals at $50. James raised $55 and Jim raised $65.

That's a total of $620!! WAY TO GO CLINTONS!!

Here are the pics...

All 3 of them ended up on stage together at one point...love this pic! I have never been prouder of my boys!

James got his hair cut by a firefighter...SOO COOOL!!

My handsome boy. Slightly shorter than normal but just as goodlooking as always! James, I'm so proud of you for supporting your brother and doing something great for sick kids at the same time. What an awesome little boy you are!!

And here goes my Jagger...

I cried just like I knew I would. Jagger did really well though. He went right up on stage and was such a brave boy.

Then they were done and he felt his head....ummm, not so happy now!!

Look how handsome my boys are. Seriously...that Jimmy is HOTT with his head shaved!!

Since Jagger had the most severe cut he got to choose where we ate lunch to celebrate what heroes they are.....and MacDonald's won.

Jagger also got to go buy some new underwear because we are celebrating him for being out of pullups at night time for a whole month! He was super happy with the new skivies and has decided to wear a hat until his hair grows back in!!

He started to get comfortable without the hat too and Jimmy got him doing some kungfu master poses...I'm intimidated!

I actually kind of like his hair. When he smiles it fills up his whole face. His eyes are HUGE! Such a handsome boy. So, I wanted a cute pic of him and he put his rockstar hands up. I ask if I can have one without the hands and he says he can't because he has his spiderman underwear on....well, of course, that makes sense??

I can't stop looking at my handsome boy. I tell him how proud I am of him all of the time. He helped a lot of sick kids. He says he is happy he did it but he wants his hair back. He's not sad, just looking forward to never cutting his hair again. Me too.

My First 5K

2010-03-12T17:14:00.000-08:00

I RAN THE 5K!! Okay, I more like jogged...but I DIDN'T WALK!! Time was 43 minutes. I have a lot of room for improvement but I'm super proud of myself and can't wait to do another! I won't write much on the race because I want to write an article on it. But there is a story I'ld like to tell at the end of the pictures....

I was so blessed to be able to run with one super fly guy and two awesome friends....
Such awesome girlfriends. Huge encouragement through the whole race. So blessed!

Just a little proof of Jimmy and Julie sneaking off together....HAHAHHAA

And here we are after the race....ready to go grab us some cokes and hamburgers. Yay us!!

My story...

I have never run more than .2 miles at one time before the start of training for this 5K just 5 short weeks ago. It was hard to run. It hurt my lungs. It hurt my legs. But I did it. I started with a mile. I moved up to 1.5. I kept climbing. It was hard.

Some friends of mine just lost their precious daughter to Batten's Disease. Towards the end of her battle her dad posted a blog update about Emma's race. He said that Emma was at the last .2 of the marathon. He talked about how every marathoner will tell you that the last .2 of the 26.2 is always the hardest; the longest. As it was for Emma. And for the next 12 days we all cried, prayed and cheered Emma on towards the finish line and right into the arms of Jesus.

So, as I ran and trained I thought of the blog update and of sweet Emma. Every time I thought I couldn't take another step I thought, if Emma could then she would take 1000 more steps. And I kept running.

On race day I wore a shirt with the logo for the nonprofit organization called Emma's Hugs that was set up in Emma's honor. I thought of Emma. And I ran for Emma.

And that is just one more way that a sweet little girl who never really spoke, was blind, could not control her muscles...it was just one more way that Emma Dunnam encouraged just one more person!

To read Emma's story you can click on the blog called "Especially Fond of You" on the right hand side of this page.

Growing Up Too Fast

2010-03-12T17:11:00.000-08:00

While I was on the phone today, Jagger told me he was hungry. Apparently he didn't want to wait for me.....

First Gum

2010-03-02T05:25:00.000-08:00

On Friday, February 19th, Jagger had his very first piece of gum. We bought him a pack and he would chew for about 2 minutes and then throw it out. Then 30 minutes later he would grab another piece and do the same thing. He had the whole pack gone in one day!

Here he is trying to blow a bubble....

Quirky

2010-03-02T05:23:00.000-08:00

My James has always had a different way to play. He rarely uses a toy for its intended purpose. He loves to take apart things, recreate things. I will find things in odd places and doing odd things.

So, it only made me laugh out loud when I walked by the bathroom and saw what he had done with the bathtub toys.....

Quiet Sunday Morning

2010-02-28T05:55:00.000-08:00

It's sooo quiet in my house right now. My husband went on an overnight hike with his buddy. My children are still nestled in their beds. And I'm sitting on the couch with a hot cup of tea and snuggled in a warm blanket. It's still.

I've been thinking about my relationship with Christ this morning. I feel like I've veered so far off path in the past year. I'm not doing anything wild and crazy...but I'm not finding any time to spend with my Father either. I'm missing Him. And I know that He's right beside me and I just need to reach out and say "hello." Why does that feel so hard sometimes??

I could blame the space on a lot of things. It has been tough to move out of the bible belt. I'm not in a Christian bubble anymore. Not as many people to hold me accountable. Blah blah blah. I know the real answer though...laziness!

I'm really looking forward to the Ladies Retreat weekend in 25 days! I need to go back to TX and be refreshed. I need to remember what it feels like to meet with God everyday. I want the Spirit poured back into me and I want to feel that fire and desire that I'm missing. It's a lot to ask of one retreat but God meets me there every year and we have a date again this year!

God is so good and so faithful and I am so blessed that when I ignore Him that He doesn't just turn around to find something else to do. He sits. He waits patiently. And waits. And waits. So very patiently. And then welcomes me back with as much love as the first time we spoke!

I am so Blessed.

God is so Good!

My Big Want

2010-02-17T13:36:00.000-08:00

Check out this duffel bag made by Roots Canada.
Now you have to understand that I am NOT a purse or bag person really. I do not understand the term "investment purse." And I don't usually salivate over material things.

However...I NEED to OWN this bag.

$398....REALLY??

But the beauty....

An investment duffel?? Not sure my husband is going to buy that term either....

Shooting....on my way to the goals...

2010-02-16T09:25:00.000-08:00

So, I had set my deadline to finish my goals to be the weekend I went to TX. But I hadn't bought my tickets to TX yet. Well, I finally bought them today!! I'm sooo thrilled. I was starting to get nervous because I wasn't able to find them for less than $225 which is more than Julie or I wanted to pay. Lucky me, I logged onto travelocity.com this morning and found them for $150! So, now that the goal posts are up...it's time to really focus on getting those goals in!

Physically...I managed to get up to running 1.5 miles. And I love it! Who knew? I get into the zone and just sort of go after it. But nothing beats the endorphines that kick in when the run is over. I feel like I could jump over the moon!

Now the bad news....my knee is killing me. It hurts so bad and is so inflamed that I can barely walk the next day. So, this weekend I actually stayed away from all exercise for 3 WHOLE DAYS!! YUK! I felt better and went back to spin class last night. My knee hurt a bit while spinning but it doesn't feel any worse today so that makes me happy. So, I guess I'm revising my workouts to include more spin during the week and only 1 or 2 runs on the weekend. Somehow, someway, I will make it to this 5k and get it completed! I'm really looking forward to it and cannot wait to cross it off my bucket list!

And some AWESOME NEWS...Jimmy has really taken to this running thing too, running up to 3.5 miles at a time. And he's lost 20 pounds!! I'm so proud of him!!

Financially...not much has changed. Well, we did accomplish one thing that wasn't on my list. WE MADE OUR LAST PAYMENT TO PRESCHOOL EVER AFTER NINE YEARS OF PAYING FOR OUR THREE KIDS TO GO THROUGH!! That is HUGELY EXCITING for us! We decided to pay off Jagger's last few months early so that we could just be done with it. And we are thrilled that we did!

Spiritually...we have made it to church the last 3 Sundays in a row! We have gone in with renewed hearts and God has really revealed himself to us. He is so faithful!

So yay! Lots of good things happening. My heart is feeling very full and I am feeling very blessed.

Valentines Box

2010-02-11T11:46:00.000-08:00

Kaylee was asked to bring in a Valentines Box for her party today. Like always we turned to Family Fun. We found this on their website which is so perfect for her age. We got a shoe box, painted it a metallic silver, and then just added the other stuff with markers and glue. Coolest locker I've ever seen!!! Kaylee was very excited to bring it to school today.

Growing Up Too Fast

2010-02-11T11:43:00.000-08:00

Can someone tell me when it happened? I swear she was running around naked while playing with her Teletubbies just days ago....

Not only did she dress like a full blown teenager last Saturday. Not only did she read some of the newspaper. She also jogged for a mile with me....and beat me home.

Will this precious child of mine ever cease to amaze me??

Robot Valentines

2010-02-10T08:17:00.000-08:00

Jagger and I made his Valentines for his preschool friends today. We found this great idea in Family Fun, as usual! This was so easy to make and Jagger loved handing me the chocolates (and nibbling on a few until I needed the next one...). They are supposed to have foil arms but I think they are cute just the way they are....plus I'm running out of time and we still have to make cookies for the teacher gifts. Off we go....

Setting Some Goals

2010-02-02T05:36:00.000-08:00

I'm a very goal-oriented person. If I know I have a deadline then I can get things done. So, this year is going to be the year of goals for me. Luckily I have lots of pit stops along the way that will be my deadlines.

My first "pit stop" is the ladies retreat with my old church in TX. My best friend Julie and I are flying in for the weekend to spend some time with my TX best friends. I'm sooo excited about the trip and thrilled that Jules is coming with me.

But I have some goals to get to before we leave in March.

Physical: I have to lose 10 pounds. I've already lost 7!! And....I will be running my first 5k with my small group. Now...I don't run! I can't run!! I have never run more than 2 minutes at a time in my life. So I'm training. And just this weekend, for the first time in my life, I ran a full mile outside...without quiting! I still have a long way to go but it sure feels good to make a head start. I'll start blogging about the progress and you can all have a good laugh at my expense.

Financial: Since taking the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University I have been setting small goals for our finances. I have put our house on a strict budget. I wanted our Lowes debt paid off by New Years and when we fell short we decided to give up Christmas presents for Jim and I so that we could pay it off. And we did. So, we have debt paid off now and we have moved on to cars. My goal is to pay off a certain amount of Jimmy's car by March. We have made headway but it is going to continue to take discipline to reach my just out of reach goal!

Spiritual: My small group is doing a bible study called Encounters with God. I have become a little complacent when it comes to church and getting into God's Word lately. This bible study challenges us to transform. So, transform I must. My goal is to go to church every Sunday and pray before service that God would reveal to me what I need to take from each service....or give. I also need to buy myself the bible in The Message version. I have wanted it for over a year and refused to spend the money on it. I want to read through the bible again in a different version and I need to get it so that I can do it.

So, that's it. Not too tall of an order right? I can do it by March 25th!

Then when I get back in March I will set new goals that will need to be attained by the time we leave for Jagger's 5th birthday family vacation on Memorial weekend.

I think this will be the year of getting things done!! Pray for me!

Casa Bonita

2010-01-18T11:12:00.000-08:00

We LOVED Casa Bonita!! It was such a fun place to hang out, watch some performances, eat some awesome TexMex, play some games and just have a blast as a family.

We ate first so here are some pics at the table...

A fire juggler at the top of the waterfall.

Look closely and you'll see it's a waterfall with a pool at the bottom. While we ate there were performers being pushed, diving and all kinds of other stuff going on here.

This was in a cave. A longish dark cave. There was a loud noise at one point so the kids held their ears the rest of the time.

At the pool at the bottom of the waterfall.

Peace dude!

Not the best picture quality but such an awesome pic...truly captures "James"!!

Another Tooth Gone

2010-01-18T11:05:00.001-08:00

I truly have a problem balancing blogging and facebooking. I have to remind myself that there are blog readers out there that are not on my facebook. I hate uploading pics and tend to only post on one or the other. I will try to be better at doing both!

That being said...JAMES LOST ANOTHER TOOTH!!!

He was much braver this time and did most of the work himself. He got a little weireded out when it was just hanging there so I stuck my finger behind it and flicked it....then we had to search the carpet to find it! You can see he doesn't look nearly as stunned in these pics.

I have to say that I love getting him to say Silly Sally! I love his little lisp. It makes me want to stop time for a little while though. I love this stage. But like time has a way of doing, it will move, and his adult teeth will come in and he will keep growing and growing and becoming more and more independent. Makes me a little sad. These are the moments that I try to treasure!

South Beach Diet-Phase 1

2010-01-18T10:58:00.001-08:00

So Jim and I are back on South Beach. We are actually on Phase 2 now (ya, blogging more was obviously NOT one of my New Year's Resolutions!) but I wanted to show you some pics from Phase 1. My Jimmy turns into a Chef on this diet. We're allowed a lot of eggs and Jimmy makes a ton of omelets. I'm not a huge omelet person but seriously, when someone puts this in front of you, how can you not eat??

His yummy chili omelet...

A delicious veggie omelet...

Yesterday he made South Beach's Asparagus and Goat Cheese omelet for me. SOOO good! So sad I forgot to take a picture of it for you.

I think I just might stay on this diet forever so I don't have to cook anymore.....

New Years Artcile for Brighton Blade

2010-01-04T13:09:00.000-08:00

How can it be that New Year’s is right around the corner? Didn’t 2009 just start? How is it that when I was 12 it took 10 years to get to 13 to be a teenager but now the days are flying by and next thing you know my own children turning teenagers is right on the horizon?

I read a quote in Reader’s Digest many years ago that said something to the effect of “when you have children the days can seem endless but the years fly by.” My first child was an infant when I read that and my days absolutely seemed endless. I didn’t get, until now, how fast the years would really fly though.

It’s New Year’s Resolution time. I made a resolution a couple of years ago to read through the Bible in a year and I actually did. This year I was going to stop using credit cards and use cash only. I failed after a week! However, I ended the year by taking Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University and cut up all of my credit cards and do really only use cash now. So, while there was a hiccup, I did ultimately complete the resolution.

The problem is, once I started actually completing the resolutions, I have to now be much more careful about what I’m going to say. I mean I don’t want to say that I want to get back into shape and then have to spend a whole year working out…that would suck! I’m not going to give up my beloved fountain cokes and then really have to give them up for a year!

Also, with the years going by as quickly as they seem to be and my children growing up way too fast, I have to prioritize. I like picking a resolution that will make a lasting change in my life. I want something that will grow me and my character and that I’ll feel empowered by. It has to be hard enough that I have to discipline myself to complete it but easy enough that it can actually be done.

2010 will be a big year for the Clinton house. Our youngest child will turn five and start Kindergarten. My oldest will be in her last year of Elementary School. We are taking a family trip to Zion National Park in Utah and Disneyland in California. It will be another year of growing and my children becoming ever more independent. But the truth is, every year is a big year, every year my children are becoming more independent and every year my family is my only focus.

So, this year I am going to try to find balance. I will always put my children at the top of my list. However, this year I am going to put more emphasis on two things: my husband and myself. This year I resolve to love my husband like never before and make sure our marriage doesn’t get lost in the shuffle. I also resolve to try new things for me. Let’s face it, the kids are going to grow up and I need to have something that I like doing. So, while the kids are away, this mama is going to play and find herself a hobby!

Happy New Year!!

So....blog readers...what are your resolutions for 2010??

Christmas Dinner

2009-12-28T15:44:00.000-08:00

The day after Christmas, known to us Canadians as Boxing Day, the family felt well enough (not well, but better) to give a go at Christmas Dinner.

This year we decided to start a new tradition. Steaks. Big steaks! And sauteed peppers with mushrooms. And oven roasted potato wedges. It was AWESOME!!

Then we topped it off with some ice cream.

Oh yes, we are DEFINATELY doing this every year!! YUM!

Oh, and check out the foam decorated houses at the end of our table. Kaylee did the big one. James did the gingerbread house on the left and Jagger did the Santa house on the right. Every year we go to Michaels before Christmas and get these for half price. Then we spend a whole afternoon putting them together. Luckily I had picked them up before we all got sick and it was great fun for the kids while we were keeping our germs quarantined.

Hope you all enjoyed your Christmas festivities to the fullest. I'm sure I'll be back in a few days to post pics of our New Years Eve. Can't wait!!

Santa Came to our House!!

2009-12-28T15:27:00.000-08:00

We always do our stockings first. The kids hung them up in our entry hallway so that is where they opened them. It was soooo exciting!

I love Jagger's face in this picture. He is definately our most excitable child and he did NOT disappoint!

James does love his DS games!

A shooting game....oh, the joy!!

A Bakugan Battlefield...now we just need to learn the rules. Oh forget it...we'll make up our own!

Kaylee LOVES Guiness Books and was thrilled to receive one from her Nanny and Papa.

Kaylee and Daddy enjoying the Guiness Book. Unfortunately, Jim took his turn with the stomach flu in the early hours of Christmas morning and didn't get over it for 3 days (hence the look on his face and him laying on the couch in all of the Christmas pics!).

Oh no!! Our house is being invaded by Storm Troopers!!

It's just Jagger! Here he is defending his Star Wars tent from his Nanny and Papa in his Storm Trooper outfit from Mamaw and Papaw. Beware!!

And then we lost our Jimmy for the rest of the day. He made appearances throughout but never for very long. It was a very sad day not having him around! We even saved Christmas dinner for the next day...and a picture of it for the next post....

Merry Christmas everyone!!

Christmas Eve

2009-12-28T15:11:00.000-08:00

Since Kaylee took her turn with the stomach bug in the early morning of Christmas Eve, we decided not to go to Christmas Eve service at church. Instead we read the story of Jesus' birth at home and then drove around the neighborhood looking at lights. Normally there are jammies all wrapped and waiting for us when we get home from service and luckily they were still delivered while we were out looking at lights (now if we could just figure out who puts them in our drawers...top contenders are Mrs. Claus or one of Santa's elves).

And here we are trying to get the perfect Christmas Eve Jammie Photo....

After pics we snuggled on the couch and watched the Christmas Story. Everyone had seen it before but me. It was awesome. I loved watching my husband laugh so much...he must have had a lot of memories going through his head because I didn't find it nearly as funny as he did. I really enjoyed how old fashion it was though. Very cute.

Once the movie was over (Jagger started in the middle of the movie) the kids began begging to go to bed so that Santa could come. We had cookies and carrots out and the kids were camped out in our bedroom by 8:30. We could hear them whispering and giggling for a while but they were all asleep by 9:15. And they didn't even wake up until 7!!

Then Santa came....but that will be another post.....

Mr. and Mrs. Claus

2009-12-28T15:03:00.000-08:00

So, with all of us being sick over Christmas Break we never made it to the mall to see Santa. Luckily for us, Chick Fil A came to the rescue!! While I was taking my turn with the stomach bug, Mr. and Mrs. Claus visited our local Chick Fil A and Jimmy, being the awesomest daddy that he is, took the boys (Kaylee was feeling much too old for that sort of thing this year!!).

Now, it was done in "Daddy Style." There are no cute Christmas shirts on the boys and there is not a picture of them all together, but at least they saw the Big Man!!

Jagger was soooo excited for Christmas this year. Check out his silly face!
I love how Mr. and Mrs. Claus are leaning in to listen to his list. Gotta make sure they get it all on the list!!

James, always one for procrastinating, was still thinking of something to say that he wanted. That boy!!

Oh, looks like he thought of some stuff!!

What a fun idea....gotta love Chick Fil A!! The boys had a blast. And daddy got his tummy fed while mama was laid up in bed. Perfect night indeed!

Teacher Gifts and School Christmas Parties

2009-12-21T08:16:00.000-08:00

I did a post back in September where I showed you how Kaylee and I took pictures of things at the park that looked like the letters of her name. We had so much fun doing the activity that we decided to do the same thing with Kaylee and James' teacher's names for their Christmas gifts and frame them.

Here is Ms. Madison's. Kaylee was so excited because Ms. Madison pulled her aside and told her that this was the most creative gift she had received as a teacher. Well, you couldn't wipe the smile off of my Kaylee's face all afternoon!!

And here is Mrs. Twiss'. There were two extra spots so we put in a picture of apples and a picture of pencils to make it all fit and give it that "teacher" quality. It was fun to see the teacher's have no idea why they were receiving frames of random things and then watch their smiles grow as the children showed them the letters. Very cool!

Here is Kaylee enjoying a SUPER-ICED cookie at her party.

And a picture of James and Jagger in their cool matching shirts at James' Christmas party.

I love school parties! The kids had a blast and lasted on their sugar high for a VERY LONG TIME!! It was a perfect way to end the year and start off Christmas vacation. Now we have 17 days to get refreshed before we go back in the New Year.

My Superheroes

2009-12-21T08:10:00.000-08:00

Here are three of my favorite Superheroes showing off their moves....

A Rare Insider Glimpse...

2009-12-16T10:01:00.000-08:00

I don't often speak publicly about the issues I have faced having an adopted child and two biological children. I also don't speak about the issues that come with a child that spent the first year of his life in a hospital and an orphanage in a foreign country. Sometimes I feel like I will be judged. Sometimes I feel like it's James' story to be able to tell one day.

Then there are the seasons where all of the issues are so big that I can't see through them to the big picture anymore. I'm in one of those seasons right now. My heart is breaking for me and for my James.

I shared my deepest darkest fears with my friend Julie this morning. Her response was to ask me some tough questions and follow up with some serious friendship. Then she sent me this clip. I can see different people getting different things out of this. For some it will be about you and the work you do. For me though, it was as though God shouted something to me about my James. Watch first.

So what did God shout at me??

He told me that my James is a Cathedral. He is going to be so much more than I could ever imagine him to be. God is building him and all I have to do is love him and together we are building someone AWESOME!! James will be okay. And so will I.

Another Lost Tooth

2009-12-14T13:29:00.000-08:00

For those of you that are friends with me on Facebook, this is a repeat. But he's soooo darn cute, how could I resist??

James lost his first top tooth. Third tooth overall. He really struggles with loose teeth. They make him nervous and he says they really hurt when he wiggles them. So, he likes to sit with me and work on it together. It can take hours!! And this one did!! He was so brave though and we never wiggled too much.

When the tooth finally came out he didn't know what he wanted to do. Go look at his smile? Look at his tooth? Swallow the blood or wipe it off? He gets a little freaked out by the whole experience. He was very excited after the initial shock though.

And he was thrilled this morning when he woke up to $2 under his pillow.

Such a big boy James!!

Festival of Lights Parade

2009-12-14T13:21:00.000-08:00

On Saturday night we met up with our friends, the Essers, and went to the Parade. It was a chilly night but we managed to make it until Santa came!

I can't believe I don't have pics of the Essers but Matt is the one in the Santa hat off to the right of the picture.

This was my favorite decorated truck. They also had a truck pulling an old Tow Mater but I wasn't able to get the picture...booo!!

Afterwards we went for some New York style pizza at Anthony's. We had to wait half an hour for the pizza to come out so I decided to entertain the kids with the camera while all of the other adults got to chat. It was sooo much fun! Here are a few of our kooky pictures:

Those are Kaylee's chapped lips....I know....HORRIBLE!!

Christmas Carolers

2009-12-14T13:17:00.000-08:00

So, this is a craft we found in the Family Fun magazine. I set Kaylee and her friend up and they sat around Sunday morning creating these. These are Kailoni's, Kaylee didn't like the way that hers turned out.

Instructions: All you do is paint toilet paper rolls whatever color. The faces are cut out of construction paper..faces drawn with Sharpie. Mittens are also cut out. Print one page of sheet music and cut out sections. The hats are old socks tied with a ribbon or string.

Perfect craft for 10 year olds. No help needed and takes up a lot of time!!

2009 Christmas Shirts

2009-12-14T13:02:00.001-08:00

This year we had our friends, the Bainbridges, come over to do Christmas shirts with us. We set the kids up at the table with Hot Chocolate and then called them one by one into the shirt making studio (my kitchen). It was tons of fun and I can't wait to get pictures of all of the kids wearing their shirts!

All of the kids loved having their feet washed after the footprint. As soon as we would start to wash their feet they would say "ahhhhh." It was adorable! Alexia was first in line and the first to get the refreshing foot wash.

Jagger was such a big boy this year. I can tell how much he has grown as we go through some of our traditions. Things that he needed so much help from me for last year, he is practically doing on his own this year. It's sad to watch your baby grow so fast!

Kaylee really enjoyed doing her own shirt this year. You'll be able to tell hers apart from the others in the last picture. Talk about babies growing up..!!

Have I ever mentioned to you about the Bainbridge children having the most precious smiles?? Well, they do!! Check out Ryan having a good time getting his foot painted.

Mr. Bill showed up and was able to help me out with the more wiggly children. Yes, my James is definately in the more wiggly category!

Jonathon went last. He wasn't so sure about getting painted. He ended up loving it and proving that he is such a big boy!

And here are all of the shirts. The Bainbridges did short sleeve and my kiddos did the long sleeves. What a fun afternoon!!

Trimming the Tree

2009-12-14T12:54:00.000-08:00

Every year my children get a new ornament to put on the tree. If they did something special (such as start school, play a sport, etc) then they get an ornament that reflects that. Some years though we just have a "personality" year....that means that nothing big took place so the kids just get something that suits their personality.

Kaylee got a peace sign...in turquoise. She is at the age where she writes peace on everything and turquoise is her favorite color.

James got an ornament that looks like a DS because he is the handheld game KING!!!

Jagger got a transformer ornament...he loves transformers.

And here is a picture of the tree decorated with the boys in front that Kaylee took.

My Kitchen Makeover Wish

2009-12-11T18:48:00.001-08:00

So, I know I talk about all of the great savings I get with groceries, clothes and pretty much everything else. I'm also on the saving boat and refuse to buy anything that is not budgeted for.

However...it's not always easy.

Jimmy and I love to travel. And we love to remodel.

And I have an itch!

I love living in Colorado. And I really like my house. But I HATE (and yes, I mean to use that strong of a word!!) my kitchen. The layout is stupid...truly! However, I could deal with the layout if we could just update everything else. My cabinets look pink. It would be expensive to get all new cabinets because we have a ton. However, I'm scared that if we paint them then we it will make the kitchen seem cheaper somehow. I would love a deep chocolate brown...yum!

The floors are just a boring beige tile. What I miss most about my house in TX is the slate tile we had in our kitchen. It's not a very expensive tile, it looks awesome, it has the warm earthy tones I love...and it hides dirt!

My counters look like they walked out of the 80's and straight into my house. The edges are wood and you can see the finishing nails. I seriously thought the project hadn't been finished but no, it's the same counter and edges in the upstairs bathroom. Yuck!! I have a granite that we both love and it turns out that it's the same granite that is in our fireplace upstairs. It has beige and brown and black...totally yummy again.

And wouldn't it be nice to put some nice beige subway tiles as the backsplash??

So, my husband is out on the town with a friend tonight, my daughter is at a sleepover, my boys are off playing in their rooms....and I sit here dreaming.......

Christmas Shirt Instructions

2009-12-07T08:41:00.000-08:00

One of our very favorite things to do in the Clinton house is to make Christmas Shirts. We started on Kaylee's 2nd Christmas (she was only a month old for her 1st Christmas....not enough time to come up with these great ideas!!) and we have not missed a year since. This year we sent Christmas Shirt kits to the three babies in our family, my niece, Jim's nephew and my great-niece. I hope they all have as much fun making them as we do!!

So, the instructions...

Put a plastic bag in the middle of the shirt. You don't want the paint to bleed through and end up on the back of the shirt too.

Use brown fabric paint. Pick a foot and paint the bottom of it. Make a footprint sort of in the middle of the shirt. Wash foot. (Really good idea to do this at bath time.)

Now it's time to paint the hands. Do one at a time...too messy with two painted hands!! Do the left hand and place it down for the right ear. Right hand becomes left ear.

If the child is old enough then they can trace the outline with the brown paint themselves (straight from the bottle, not with a brush, so that the line is slightly bubbled). If not, then mom or dad can do it for them. Use red paint to draw on Rudolph's nose (we've also used small red pompoms for older children) and use black paint to do the eyes (we've used googly eyes also but again, not safe for babies or toddlers).

Then you can use red, green and/or yellow to put any other decorations on. I always put the year somewhere on the shirt. Sometimes on the line of the reindeer, sometimes on the neck. I also did it once on the back of the shirt up at the top. You may want to put initials somewhere if you have more than one child or plan on having more than one child. Even though they may be different sizes now, in 5 years you won't be able to tell whose is whose anymore.

Here is Jagger's shirt from last year for an example:

Our kids always wear their spiffy shirts to Christmas parties at school and to get their pictures taken with Santa. Kaylee is 10 now and she is refusing to wear it to school but still enjoys the fun of making the shirt...especially now that she can do it all by herself!

Have tons of fun!

Thanksgiving Feast

2009-12-01T07:31:00.000-08:00

This was taken at Jagger's Thanksgiving Feast at school...new favorite pic of us!

Double Digits

2009-11-24T17:02:00.000-08:00

My beautiful little girl turned 10 on Sunday. I know it's a cliche, but where, oh where, has the time gone?? One minute she was this loud colicky love of my life baby and now she is this young girl with thoughts and ideas and such a crazy fun spirit. Too fast...

Here's a journey through the big day:

Kaylee always talks about wanting $100 so Jimmy and I thought it would be fun to give her a $100 bill for her birthday. She was very excited (the boots in the pics were her present from her Mamaw and Papaw).

Here she is "thinking" about where and how she can blow the money the fastest!

Jagger remembered that it was Kaylee's birthday as soon as he woke up in the morning. All day long he kept singing to her and giving her big hugs. She was actually very tolerant about the whole thing....must be growing up!!

She decided she wanted to go shopping at Justice and get some new clothes and other fun stuff. She also had some money from her Nanny and Papa and a coupon for Justice (wonder where she gets that from??). She found the cutest little Snuggie. Here she is testing out the "snugginess" of it (sorry about the quality of the pic).

And the birthday cake...

Do you see that smile on my face? Do you?? That is pure excitement about the fact that I made my first birthday cake in Colorado that didn't explode!! Apparently the trick is to add 2 extra TBSP of flour and bake 25 degrees hotter. Sooo happy!! (I would also like to point out how skinny I look in this picture...great camera!! HA!)

Kaylee made a wish on each of her 10 candles.

Well, it was a nice day. Kaylee is still wild and moody and has her moments that drive me wild. But she is also funny as heck, creative and has a beautiful giving heart. God blessed us so much when he placed Kaylee in our care. I pray that she grows up to be all that God has planned for her and that she has an impact on the world for God that surpasses all of our expectations.

On a funny note, Kaylee went to her well-child visit today. She has been trying to get to a certain weight for 2 years and has not gotten any closer than within 4 pounds. Today...she hit it. She weighed 60.0 pounds on the dot! The excitement and happiness that came out of that girl was hysterical. I'm happy she made it to her goal.

My 60 pound 10 year old...could the world be any brighter??!!

Trip to Canada

2009-11-14T15:51:00.001-08:00

Okay, so I've seen people with donation buttons on their blog so that you can buy them a coffee, pay for their credit card bills or help them pay for college. So, here is my spin on it:

I want to go home to Canada. I want my whole family to go. I haven't seen my mom in over 2 years and it's been 3 years in March since my kids have seen my mom. Toooo long! And other than my mom, there are my 2 sisters and the 2 new babies that were added to their families in the last year. I want to go pinch those babies cute chubby cheeks! I want my kids to know their new cousin and second cousin.

When we moved to Denver we had no idea that plane tickets to go home were so much more expensive from here. Where I was paying $350 from Houston, it is closer to $600 from here. So, it would cost $3000 for our family to fly and rent a car for one week.

I'm starting this as kind of a joke really to see if I can do this. We are taking Financial Peace University and we are budgeting and saving like crazy. However, this $3000 trip is not even on the budget for the next year. So, let's see what happens. If we receive a couple hundred and no more then we would probably fly my mom in and wait to see the babies. If we made half of the money then maybe we could fly 3 people here. More than that but less than the $3000 then we could fly up without my husband. No matter how much is received, we will use it to go home!

So...I'm excited to see what happens here. Let's see how many people pass through this blog...how long does it take a girl with a big dream to raise what seems like an impossibly huge amount of money?? Thanks for stopping by and here's hoping we make it to my mom's for Spring Break...or maybe even Christmas Break if this surpasses what I'm expecting!!

The Donate Now button can be found on the side bar, top right.

Brighton Blade-Veteran's Day Column

2009-11-12T07:52:00.000-08:00

I am Canadian. I am very proud to be a Canadian. I am also very proud to have an American husband, two American- born children and one Russian-born child. I love this country that I live in and very seldom can I sing the Star Spangled Banner without tears in my eyes. However, I rarely think of the price that has been paid for me to live my happy life in this great place.

I avoid most conversations about war. I want to be naïve. I am not a fan of war but can understand that it is a necessary evil. I have not been directly affected by someone fighting for my freedom so war has been easy to push into the un-thinking parts of my brain.

One of my new friends, however, has a son, 22 year old Private First Class Anthony James Wolfe, that came home before being shipped off to serve our country in Iraq. She kept posting on facebook about all of the yummy meals she was making for him and how much she was enjoying showering her son with love before he left. I read the status updates and thought it must be an emotional time in her life and then, sad to say, was able to jump back into my life without thinking of it again.

On the Sunday before Tony was deployed he went to church with his family. They were sitting a few rows in front of me and over to the right. At one point, while we were standing and singing, Tony had his arm around his mom and leaned down and said something that made her laugh. It was such a sweet moment. But then, after the laughter had faded, mom turned her head so Tony wouldn’t see, and wiped away a tear. The pain that I felt in my chest in that moment was something I have felt very rarely in my life. In that instant I had an idea, and I’m sure it is nothing compared to the real pain, of what it must be like for a mom to send her child off to war.

For the first time in my life, the war, the soldiers, all of it, became real to me. It became part of my life. I couldn’t just go on with my life and pretend that I hadn’t seen that moment, or felt that pain. There are men and women that are fighting for my freedom every single day and I have promised myself that I will never let myself forget that again.

I am thankful for all of those that gave their life for my family’s freedom. I am thankful for all of the men and women that are serving our country and protecting our rights as we go on with our busy lives. Today, Veteran’s Day, I will stop and I will remember. My heart will ache for those missing their family members. My hands will come together in prayer for all of our soldiers. And my lips will say Thank You to Private First Class Tony Wolfe and the many, many others that are risking their lives for you and me. Thank you!

Stuff Christians Like

2009-11-09T14:35:00.000-08:00

So, if you look at the side bar you can see the blogs that I like to follow. Way down at the bottom is "Stuff Christians Like". It's funny!

The author of the blog, Jon, felt led, by his 6 year old daughter and God, to raise money to build a Kindergarten building in Vietnam. He is working with Samaritan's Purse (I believe that is the name) and they are controlling the donations. They need to raise $30,000. He states that his family is all in and are terrified because they want to do this before December 31st and that amount feels like a million to them. So, Jon posts it on his blog to get others to help donate.

He posted this on this morning. I checked at 11:30 am and they were at $17,000!! I just checked again at 3:30 and they are at $22,000!! IN ONE DAY!!

I just am amazed and humbled by my God. When He puts something on someone's heart...He definately puts the means on their path!!

Go to the blog, read it today, and let it encourage and bless you and remind you that we serve AN AWESOME GOD!!

Trick or Treat Smell My Feet!

2009-11-02T11:17:00.000-08:00

And here are my little monsters.

Jagger as Spiderman.

James as Jeff Gordon.

Kaylee as a zombie...I love this picture! She did her make-up herself and she did an AWESOME job!

We went Trick-or-Treating with a bunch of friends. Here are the beautiful children that went with us.

And here are all the adults having way too much fun....courtesy of the witch's brew in our cups!

Our pumpkins at night.

And here they are checking out their loot.

Jagger has a bit of a crack...I mean, chocolate addiction!!
This was probably one of my favorite Halloweens ever! What wonderful friends we have been blessed with! The whole night was filled with chaos and laughter and I loved every minute of it. I'll be counting down with the kids until next year!

Pumpkin Carving

2009-11-02T11:02:00.000-08:00

This year we were invited to a Fall Festival by our Realtor, Cheryl Solko with Remax. It was a lot of fun and each of my children left with a free pumpkin. And I LOVE FREE!! We waited until Halloween Day to carve them because Jimmy's mom flew in to celebrate Halloween with the children. It was chilly outside so we moved the dining room table and spread some newspaper on the floor. It ended up being cleaner than when we do it outside...I think we just began a new tradition! Anyways, as always, the kids really enjoyed carving their pumpkins. Here are the pics:

Jagger was having no part of sticking his hand into the pumpkin this year.
I believe his exact words were "THAT'S YUCKY!!"

Kaylee got right into this year. She also did all of her cutting herself for the first time.

Yipppeeee...this is sooo fun!!

I love when I can catch moments of Kaylee helping her brother on camera!

Look at this awesome pumpkin that I made everyone else do but I'm now claiming as mine!!

James drew his face by himself. He was so proud that his vampire pumpkin was missing a vampire tooth. Adorable James!

Kaylee modeling herself...I mean, her pumpkin!

Brighton Blade 10-28-2009

2009-11-02T05:38:00.000-08:00

I’ve always enjoyed football. I loved the Dallas Cowboys back when they had their dream team (Aikman, Smith and Irvin). I stayed with Dallas until Aikman retired and then I just kind of wandered in and out of the games.

Then I moved to Denver last year. I just happened to arrive at the beginning of the football season and I caught on to the Bronco spirit. I loved, and still do, that when I showed up to church on a Sunday that the Broncos were playing, that at least half of the church showed up in their Sunday-best Bronco jersey. It’s awesome.

I became a complete Bronco fan. I faithfully watched them play every Sunday. I didn’t even mind Cutler too much. I did think he was kind of ugly though (for you guys that thought I was so cool for liking football, I’m still just a girl!). I even have a favorite player in Peyton Hillis.

Last weekend my husband surprised me with tickets to the Broncos vs. Patriots game for my upcoming birthday. I was so excited. It was my very first NFL game to see live.

We left for the game at 11:30. I asked why we had to leave so early and my husband just said that this is what you do when you go to a football game and that it’s fun to walk around. Having now done this I have to say that I still don’t understand it. It just meant that I had to freeze my hiney off for an extra two hours!

It was a fun weekend to go since they were celebrating 60 years of the NFL and 50 years of the Denver Broncos. The end zone was done up with old retro diamonds and the players were wearing old school brown and yellow uniforms. They even went all out and put the game on the screens in black and white.

Invesco Field is a pretty awesome place. I loved that it was all open (even though with the wind factor it felt like 20 degrees outside!). We had high seats, only 10 rows from the top. Other than the fact that we all know I’m terrified of heights by now and I was sure I was going to fall and end up in pieces on the field, it really was the perfect spot to watch the game. You get to see all of the players and plays perfectly from that height.

The game itself was incredible! Broncos won! And was there anything better than Josh McHottie’s celebration at the end of the game? Now if that’s not a reason to jump on the Broncos bandwagon then I’m not sure what is.

Here’s hoping the end of the season is as great as the beginning has been!

Spirit Week - Monday

2009-10-26T06:52:00.000-07:00

Today is wear red AND crazy hair day. Kaylee didn't wear red but put sparkles in her hair...that wild girl!

James got black hair. Sooo fun!!

Hot Heads Pepperspread

2009-10-12T13:19:00.000-07:00

So, I have a couple of friends, Keith and Jeff, that have gone into the business of making pepper spreads. Jeff has dropped off a couple of sample bottles and Jimmy has taken them into work for the guys to try.

The last sample was Hoppin' Jalepeno. I'm not much of a "hot and spicy" girl but I knew that my girlfriend was making chicken enchiladas for our bunco meeting that night. I decided to take the bottle with me. I got my delicious enchiladas and then put a big spoonful of Hoppin' Jalepeno right on top. OH MY GOSH...THAT STUFF WAS HOT!! But even though I was breathing fire I couldn't stop myself from taking the next bite. There was just something delicious about it.

I brought the leftover home and put it in the fridge. I was making a tuna sandwich for lunch one day and I just happened to see the jar of Hoppin' Jalapeno when I went to get the mayo out of the fridge. I decided to mix a big tablespoon into the tuna. It was AWESOME!! Best tuna sandwich of my life.

My new goal was to put this stuff in everything and see how it changed the taste.

We needed a last minute dinner on a busy night in the Clinton house. I decided to make Hamburger Helper. The kids ate theirs and then I made myself a plate. Then I remembered the pepper spread. I got a spoonful and mixed it into my plate....and PRESTO! My crappy hamburger helper turned into my favorite meal! It was so good I made it again the next day for Jimmy. Delish!

We've mixed it into curry chicken and pasta salad with chutney...made it have a pepper jam flavor...loved it!

Mixed it into our chili and scrambled eggs breakfast burrito...way to start the day off with a kick.

I'm telling you, this stuff can be put in anything! And me, the one who does not like spicy, I just bought two more jars!

For information on ordering, check out their website at www.pepperspread.com You'll be glad you tried it!

Real Snow

2009-10-11T06:54:00.000-07:00

Okay, now we have some real snow. What a beautiful sight to wake up to on a Saturday morning!! So blessed!

FIRST SNOW!!

2009-10-08T16:24:00.000-07:00

I'm drinking a mug of hot chocolate as I write and share these pictures of OUR FIRST SNOW OF THE YEAR!!

The weather has been teasing us all day. Rain and then small snow mixed in the rain and finally BIG FLUFFY FLAKES!! My kids were tripping over eachother coming home from the bus stop to tell us it was snowing. They are soo excited.

Kaylee couldn't stay home. Her friend next door joined her and they are still outside two hours later. What fun! Here they are laughing and playing. You can't really see the snow but you can see the marks from them on the sidewalk. Oh, what fun!!

Jagger wanted to get in on the fun and got on his big ol' jacket to go outside and play. The flakes got smaller but he enjoyed it as much as Kaylee did! And we all know you can't go into the snow without trying to catch a flake on your tongue!

Some of you are wondering where my precious James is. Unfortunately he has gotten 3 bad reports out of 4 days of school this week which means he misses the festivities. So sad...

Off I go to enjoy the rest of my hot chocolate...

Barr Lake State Park

2009-10-01T15:31:00.000-07:00

Today Jim and I took Jagger to Barr Lake State Park for a little hike. The park is just a few minutes from the house but this was our first visit. It was the perfect way to kick off October and all of the Fall colors!

This is a blue heron. Unfortunately I couldn't get my camera to work in time but I did see one!!

The water was down in the little waterway that was beside us and there was this small puddle...and a huge fish in it. A very strange sight indeed.

Are you kidding me?? I live for these moments in Fall!!

The hike was 1.3 miles each way. We stopped in a gazebo for a snack at the turn around point. Could you not just eat this kid up?!!

What a beautiful day of fresh air and God's beauty!

A Couple of Dumb Blonde Moments

2009-09-29T19:02:00.000-07:00

DUMB BLONDE MOMENT ONE:
Yesterday I had to call our medical insurance company to clear up a few questions about Kaylee's ear tube surgery that she had this past spring.

Insurance Representative: Who is the child you are calling in reference to?

Me: Kaylee

IR: Is this your primary insurance:

Me: Huh:

IR: Is this your PRIMARY insurance?

Me: Well, she's my first child. (Thinking: But doesn't it get distributed equally among them??).

IR: Um...is this the ONLY insurance coverage you have?

Me: Ohhhhh

IR: (Unashamedly laughing at me on the phone....)

Jimmy: (staring at me in complete disbelief that he just heard this half of the conversation in his kitchen).

DUMB BLONDE MOMENT TWO:
Me: Hey Julie, will I have to pay a penalty if I wait until October 2nd to get my inspection if it was due in September.

Julie: I don't know but you just got one last year when you moved here so it shouldn't be due for another year.

Me: No, I just paid my registration and got a new sticker for 2010 but I still have an 09 sticker.

Julie: Do you think that might mean the month?

Me: No. It says 09 really big so it is due in 09.

Julie: I'm pretty sure they wouldn't let you do your registration without an inspection so I don't think it's due.

Me: Whatever. I'll call them tomorrow.

I get off the phone and go back and look at the stickers. Then I pull out my registration forms and look at the HUGE print on the envelope which states that they are not sending me a month sticker to go with the year sticker since it will still be due in the same month, just a new year.

And did you know that September is the 9th month of the year??

I need some sleep!!

Brighton Blade 9-23-09

2009-09-26T08:08:00.000-07:00

Here is an article that I wrote that ran this week. Mark just called me this morning to let me know that they received several leads from it so far....so fun to hear that people are reading and even taking some of my suggestions!! I love it!

A Well of Trouble

I just had the nicest gentleman in my house. It was very clear to me that the apple didn’t fall too far from the tree. Let me explain.

Having lived in Texas for 10 years, my family is pretty new to basements. And brand new to window wells. Even when I lived in Canada I don’t remember seeing any window wells. Apparently they are on the newer buildings but when I was a child it was the tiny little windows just up at the top of the wall.

Having three precious children though, I immediately saw the security hazard with the window well. It’s the perfect spot for someone to jump in, undetected, break a window and then have free roam of the house. Frankly, the idea keeps me up at night!

We had originally planned on putting up a fence but we really like our neighbors. Our children run over to the neighbor’s yard, and their child to ours. When caught sitting on our deck the neighbors come over to join in dinner and drinks. Besides, between our two yards together we have a perfect field for a little game of pick-up football. Who would want to put an end to that?!

So, my next option was to get window well covers. And it just so happens that I got an ad in the mail just at the time we were finalizing that decision. First of all, the ad is adorable with a little boy and a dog named “Shakeabutt” sitting on top of the cover to show that it can hold weight. That dog has become a celebrity in this house. My little guy still carries around the ad most places or hangs it on the fridge and looks at it all the time. So cute!

The name of the company is McIntosh Windows and Doors. I placed a call on Monday afternoon and the owner, John McIntosh, was out the next morning to give me a free estimate and take measurements. He was such a nice person. I told my husband that even though he has been doing this for over 25 years he was incredibly gracious for my business. It was such a pleasant visit.

Which leads me to the nice gentleman I had in my home today. His name was Mark McIntosh and he is the owner’s son. It has been just over three weeks since John took the measurements and the covers were ready to be put on. I received a phone call with this news this morning and Mark had the covers installed by 2pm today. Mark and I enjoyed a lovely conversation while he worked and he still had the covers installed in 30 minutes!

It was an absolute joy to have these men in my home and doing work to make my home more secure. We are living in a time of economic stress which means there are more security issues relating to burglaries right now. If you are looking to make your home a little more secure by adding window well covers, I suggest you give McIntosh Windows and Doors a call at 303-460-1467 and let them know that your friend Krista Clinton sent them your way. It’s a security decision you won’t ever regret!

Before and After

2009-09-20T06:45:00.000-07:00

When we moved to Colorado we bought a foreclosed home. It was impeccable inside but the lawn had been neglected for over a year. Here is an amazing before and after shot that Jimmy got (if you look really close you can see the light fixtures have been painted black now too. Our next job is to paint all of the light green trim red...can't wait!!).

There are still a lot of weeds and we are working on getting our plants to grow (this year they are concentrating on getting their roots planted!) but we've come a long way!!

Kaylee's Photographic Art

2009-09-13T15:00:00.000-07:00

I saw an article in Family Fun about this and thought Kaylee would have too much fun. We grabbed the camera and rode our bikes to the park and we were both amazed at how quickly we were able to see letters in so many things. Here is what Kaylee chose for her name. So fun!

The Goings Ons In The Clinton House

2009-09-12T17:25:00.000-07:00

IN-LAWS
My wonderful in-laws were here to visit last week. We did a bit of sight-seeing and lots of SkipBo playing and tons of eating. It was wonderful to have family filling up our house with love and laughter. And would you believe that I only picked up my camera once...to capture the old people taking a nap on the couch!! hahahha

JAMES
My James has been having some discoloration going on around his face. All up the side of his face and neck. I tried to scrub it off by rubbing him raw with soap and a face cloth and that didn't work. So, I assumed it was a pigment change (since we have no family history of his biological family this made sense to me). On Friday we went to the Dr's just to be certain. She took an alcohol swab and rubbed the affected area...ya, he was just dirty!!

Stop laughing!

Apparently James has some oils on his skin that are trapping the dirt and no amount of soap and water can get it off. So, he will have to be wiped down with some rubbing alcohol every so often. And I guess a bath every couple of days wouldn't hurt!

Ugh...between swollen penises and dirty faces...the Dr will probably be thrilled when I come in for just a run of the mill cold!

JIMMY
My adorable husband has left me to go to a Men's Advance this weekend (because real men don't retreat!). He is in the middle of the Rocky Mountains with a bunch of Godly men zip-lining, hiking, scratching their....well, you know, whatever it is that men do on those things!

My sweet James wondered this morning how bad it must stink in the morning when all of those men wake up and have their morning farts. HAHAHHA I almost died laughing. However...SOOOO TRUE!! Stinky boys.

Without sounding too condescending, I just want to say I'm so proud of Jim. He really stepped out of his box to go do this thing. He did take his own vehicle though in case there was too much man hugging going on (his words, not mine). He wanted to make sure he could escape!! Oh, the people in this family make me laugh!!

ME
I've begun taking a couple of new classes. One is a Beth Moore study; Believing God. I loved the intro and am so excited about what lies ahead.

I've also started Financial Peace University. If you haven't heard of it, go google it. It's Dave Ramsey teaching us how to handle money within a biblical perspective. I just did my homework which is a quick budget based on how I've spent my money in the last month. Ya, that was fun. I'm really excited about all of the saving and undebting I'll be doing over the next 12 weeks...however, not so thrilled about what it means for my spending habits. Ugh!

COMMUNITY
Our new library opened up today. That was terribly exciting to our household. The old Brighton library sucked. It was like walking into a time-warp building from the early 80's. And they didn't have very many books. And those they had were in horrible conditions. I was not a big fan!

I have been counting down for the last month to the grand opening. So much so that the first words out of Jagger's mouth when he woke up this morning were "Yay! The library opens today!!" Such a good little four year old!

We met up with our friends, the Bainbridges (sans Bill because he is off man hugging with my husband this weekend). We made it in time for the ribbon cutting. We also took our kids to a Sticky Fingers Food Demonstration where they got to make gazpacho ( no idea how to spell it). The kids enjoyed the chopping and stirring...not so much the eating. We went into another room where local restaurants were giving out samples and chowed down in there (the fried pickles from the Brighton Depot rocked my world!). We checked out about a million books and five movies and truly enjoyed our time looking around and enjoying the new space (although I'll enjoy it much more on Monday morning when it is waaayyy less crowded). All in all though....sooo thrilled with the new building and the new books. Can't wait to spend hours of fun in the new space.

Okay...I guess you're tired of reading now. Hope you are having a wonderfully blessed weekend!! Till next time....

The Love Shack

2009-08-24T19:09:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's taken a year but we finally got The Love Shack painted! And I LUURVE IT!

Excuse the fan in the window but we love the cool Colorado nights!

We haven't hung pictures yet...we'll do that tomorrow. It took 10 hours to do just the painting today! The bedroom matches our bathroom (and if you look close enough you can see the cute little rugs we found for the bathroom too!).

Now I just have one more hallway to paint and the entire house will be done....yahooooo!!

Berry Patch Farms with Friends

2009-08-22T15:45:00.001-07:00

My best friend Julie and I both have two older children in school all morning and just our younger ones home with us. So, I suggested we make a playdate and go berry picking with our boys. And what fun it was! And soooo quiet and relaxing. Don't get me wrong, I love going berry picking with the older children too...but it's so nice to be sibling-rivalry-free for a couple of hours!

Look mom...raspberries...and they are sooo yummy!!
Jagger was younger last time and did more eating than picking. This time he was my little farmer...I think he may have done better than me!

I think the world may have tilted a little to the right during this picture...

I promise he had lots of fun...I have no idea what this face was about!

Awwww...a mommy and her son. So special.

We took a wagon ride out to the strawberry fields after we finished picking raspberries.

They told us that strawberries were slim picking...ummm...I think we did pretty good!

Again, he was a pro!

On the way back we got to ride the hay wagon which is usually for school field trips..but she was heading back and let us on. How fun! And very very bumpy!!

What a fun day! I think Jonathon and Jagger are going to be the best of buddies!