Jelly Beans

Counting 1000 gifts

2011-05-30T10:43:00.002-04:00

#8 days off

#9 cheesin' babies

#10 running

#11 Friends

#12 morning sunshine

#13 Charlie's imagination

#14 Picnik, where little girls can edit photos however they want.

#15the photo editor.

#16 Freedom
#17 America
#18 our Military

Counting 1000 gifts

2011-05-16T08:39:00.001-04:00

I have seen others counting their blessings, the little gifts in life that often go unseen, now it is my turn.
Clara after her baptism

#1 Faith of a Child

#2 family

Clara being baptized 5-15-11

#3 dying to the old

#4 church family

#5 silliness

#6 laughter

#7 Cameras that can capture life's greatest moments.

Rag dolls

2011-04-30T07:00:00.000-04:00

Clara is always wanting to take out her sewing machine and sew. I have a hard time wanting to take it out. She imagines the projects that will come out of it, I know the arguments that will come out of it. She sees the quality time, I see the frustration. I am trying to let go of my need to control her every move, let her lead in a project. We had time during her spring break to take out the machines and sew. She wanted to make a doll, so I found one that she would be able to make. We cut out 2 dolls the first evening, one for her and one for Lindy. The next morning we stitched them together and followed the directions. I will admit, it went a lot smoother than I had anticipated, we only had one argument (I had to rewind her bobbin and let her use my machine, she jammed it good while she was on it). We spent most of the morning working together on it and we had fun.

Of course, I couldn't just make 2 dolls, I have 4 kids and they all needed one, right? Well after I sent them to bed after we cut out the dolls on the first night, I cut one for Elise and made it, I had to test the pattern to see if it was really 7 year old doable.

So I had Elise's made, and Clara and Lindy made theirs (with a little help), what about Charlie? Could I get away with making him a doll? I was gonna just let it go, and not make him one, do something different for him later, paint rocks or something until he came to me with his oh so sweet dimple and said, "you make a boy doll for me mommy?" I couldn't resist so I worked a pattern in my head and came up with a super cool Super Charlie doll for him (he later named him Zach).

The only thing I had to purchase to make these was the paint pens for the faces and the stuffing to stuff them. All the rest of the stuff was stuff we had around the house. The hardest part was the hair, I had to do all of it, but other than that it was a pretty doable project for the kids. Here is a link for some other patterns we looked at.

Hopefully this is a video of a song I think of every time I say the words "rag doll"

What is it?

2011-04-29T09:12:00.002-04:00


Do you know what this is?

I will give you one clue as to what this is. My kids love to drive me crazy making messes and this "mess" reminded me that they love me.

Here is another clue.

Lilac

2011-04-28T11:23:00.001-04:00

I have always loved lilacs. I think they bring back memories of childhood. We always had a very big purple lilac in our yard when I was a child. The fragrance of the blossoms filled the air in the spring. The very first plant I planted when we purchased this house almost 9 years ago, a lilac. I could not find one with purple flowers, so I got the white. They are in full bloom now, the spring breeze is full of their scent. I am brought back to my childhood, and I am happy.


This is my lilac bush outside my kitchen window (you can't really see the window anymore). When I planted it, it was only one branch.

One of the flowers close up.

Our Garden

2011-04-27T09:17:00.000-04:00

Lindy and Elise helping in the garden.

				We stated our garden this weekend. Our neighbor was kind enough to come and til the land for us one time. Will borrowed the tiller from his mom to do a second round of tilling before we planted anything. The kids all wanted to help get the big clumps of grass and rocks out. Charlie helped me the most with the planting. We planted tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, and watermelon plants and also some pumpkin, lettuce, carrots and zinnias from seed. Will planted potatoes and a blackberry bush. I can already tell that some of the plants have grown and it has only been 3 days! Hoping for a garden full this year, we would love to have plenty to share!

Clara and Charlie helping in the garden.

Elise trying to dig in the garden.

"Z" helping in the garden, she is attacking the grass and root clumps we throw out.

cucumbers

watermelon

zucchini

tomatoes

The whole garden.

Headbands

2010-05-27T08:48:00.000-04:00

I've tried my hand at making super cute crocheted headbands and I am very happy with the results. Trying to decide whether to make them to sell. Give your feedback please.

This is my niece Zoe wearing her headband for a photo shoot.

http://www.sarahhawkinsphotography.com/

earth day 2010

2010-04-22T08:57:00.002-04:00

Happy earth day everyone, what are you doing to help keep this world that God gave us beautiful today?
This is how we are celebrating earth day this year, we broke out the cloth diapers. Since I have 2 kids in diapers. I figured I would save the earth a bag of trash today.

Simple Organic giveaway

2010-04-19T06:46:00.000-04:00

I just entered this giveaway and you should too!

The topic this week is TV turn off week. I have been trying to wean my children from so much TV, not that they were ever allowed to watch much. When the TV is off, the behavior is better! I like it that way. I also liked the giveaway, so I entered, you can too, check it out.

They Could Not

2010-04-02T08:34:00.001-04:00

chubby ponytail baby

2010-03-16T12:03:00.000-04:00

Look at all that chub! Since no one ever sees her roundness with her clothes on, I thought I would show you how round she really is! Isn't she a doll!

When I combed her hair this morning, I realized that I could put the top of her hair in a little ponytail! Hope you enjoy looking at all of her cuteness!

Happy Birthday to My Little Man!

2010-03-06T10:50:00.000-05:00

Charlie

2010-03-05T10:59:00.001-05:00

My sister Sarah came over yesterday to capture some pictures of Charlie for his second birthday. I can not believe he will be 2 on Saturday. To see more of the pictures taken, click here!

look what I found

2010-02-25T21:38:00.000-05:00

The other day, I was cleaning Clara and Lindy's room, like I have to do occasionally. While I was cleaning I found something that I want to keep. On the back of a receipt Clara had written "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep." I just thought it this is just what I have been looking for to frame, something made by Clara. It was not made by her with the intention of being something to keep, but I really like it. It shows who Clara is and what she enjoys at this time of her life. I will keep it as a memory of Clara. Here is a picture of it framed! I have not decided where to put it, but I think it may take residence on my nightstand for a while.

The new Lindy!

2010-02-05T20:36:00.000-05:00

I took Lindy to get her hair cut this afternoon. I think it is much better than the cut that Clara gave her on Wednesday! Afterward, we went shopping and bought a new dress, complete with accessories. We rented a movie and spent the evening together. Gotta love that Lindy!

the pictures say it all!

2010-02-04T09:37:00.001-05:00

Lindy got a new haircut thanks to Clara.

I really don't think that Clara has a future in cosmetology!

Side

Back

a time to stamp.

2010-01-24T16:58:00.000-05:00

These are the cards that I made yesterday. They say "you raise kindness to an art." I made 3 of them and intend on using them for thank you cards for gifts that we received for Elise. The bottom picture is of the back of the pink card, it says handmade by Kelly Hawkins. I got this stamp as a gift from Katie for my birthday. I was so excited to use it for the first time.

Haiti Relief

2010-01-15T09:19:00.002-05:00

Go to my sister's blog and see what she is doing to help out with the Haiti Relief efforts. Make sure you leave a comment.
http://hawklady-sarahsblog.blogspot.com/

A lot changes in one month!

2010-01-10T22:36:00.001-05:00

The last month has flown by, I can not believe that it has been that long. Elise is a really sweet baby and fits in well with the family. Charlie loves being a big brother, he love to hold his baby and give her kisses! Lindy is such a big girl, she loves having a little sister, I can't believe that she will be five this year, I remember when she was my baby. Clara has changed a lot in the last month. She has lost 2 more teeth and I think she has grown about a half inch or more. She is not a "little" girl anymore, she is growing up too fast. I love my kids and I am grateful for ever day I get to spend with them. Will and I have figured out how to handle four kids for the time being and everyday we learn something new. I am glad that I get to take this journey with him, I love him so much.

Elise tonight 1 month old

Clara being goofy at my 30th birthday party!

Charlie being creative!

Where you can find Lindy most days, she loves Elise

Charlie stole the bowl of peanut butter and honey that we were putting on crackers.

New Arrival

2009-12-15T10:27:00.001-05:00

I have a special topic for my hundredth post...

Elise Kelly Hawkins

This bundle of joy came to us on December 10th 2009 at 11:12 AM.

Me looking at my new baby!

Charlie really likes his new sister.

Will has a new princess to take care of.

Lindy now has a little sister and she loves her.

This is the best Christmas gift Clara could ever get, besides the DS that she is still hoping for.

new camera, Christmas tree and one cute kid!

2009-12-09T09:06:00.000-05:00

We have been in need of a new camera for a while now! We were given a very nice gift from the people that Will works with. We figured that everyone is going to want to see pictures of the new baby so we used the gift to purchase a camera. We got this one, the Kodak M340. So far it is a great camera!

Well, I was not going to set up a tree until after the baby came, but gave in after Clara and Lindy begging for days about decorating for Christmas. We did not get all of the regular decorations out of the attic this year because we are going to be crazy enough around here with 4 kids without having to worry about cleaning up a bunch of decorations at the end of Christmas. I went out and got some ribbon, candy canes, and some red and silver balls to decorate the tree, the girls love it! So we only had to get out the tree and lights with will make clean up easier. I know the tree looks a little naked, but if the kids like it, I am happy. Oh yeah, we only set up half of it. We are limited on space around here so, we set it up in front of the fireplace (it doesn't work) and didn't out the back branches! Sounds weird I know, but we think it looks really nice (I know that in the future when we get a live tree it won't work but for now it is a solution to our lack of space).

And the post would not be complete without a picture of one of my cute kids. Charlie has a few favorites lately, he likes to put on lots of shirts, in this picture, he has on his pajamas, his new Big Brother shirt and a blur stripped one that he got out of the laundry. He is also a fan of blankets on the couch (gets that one honestly). He gets a blanket from the rack and asks me to wrap him in it, he then waits patiently for me to lift him onto the couch. He also happens to be eating an orange in this picture, another new favorite of his. We ordered a box of oranges from a friend for a fund raiser and we have them on the porch to keep cool (they would not have fit in the fridge) and every time we go in or out, he gets a "ball" to eat. Isn't he Cute!

Giveaway day!

2009-12-02T08:14:00.000-05:00

I have been anticipating this day for weeks and it is finally here! No, I am not giving anything away, but I am participating in the trying to win of many fabulous giveaways that the are sponsoring over at sewmamasew today. Go and check it out and maybe you will win! Click the link.

snaggle tooth!

2009-11-17T12:20:00.000-05:00

Remember this?

Well it finally happened, Clara's first tooth fell out! She has been wiggling it and twisting it and pulling on it for about 4 months and it finally came out. Poor Clara stayed home from school yesterday, sick again and during our nap time she shouts out, " MOM, My tooth came out!" I look over at her and her mouth is full of blood and she has this worried smile on her face (wish I could have taken a picture of that moment for you, but I was not prepared). She is so excited and wants to tell everyone about it. The tooth fairy came for a visit last night and brought her a stationary set (paper, envelopes, and stickers) and a gold dollar coin.

Veterans day 2009

2009-11-11T12:29:00.000-05:00

Good times

2009-10-26T20:13:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, we invited some friends over for lunch and so that the kids could play together. After lunch and a lot of play time, Clara decided to rake the leaves. After she had a good pile, she invited the other girls out to jump in with her. They all had a good time!

Some Pictures

2009-10-22T09:50:00.000-04:00

ABCs of Me!

2009-10-21T13:12:00.004-04:00

I was tagged by Sarah's Sweethearts

A - Age: 29
B - Bed size: queen
C - Chore you hate: Chores! (it would have been better if it had asked which one do I like!)
D - Dog's name: Dora and Tico
E - Essential start your day item: Hugs, kisses, and cuddles from my kids and husband
F - Favorite color: Green
G - Gold or Silver: silver
H - Height: 5'9.5"
I - I am: Happy!
J - Job: Mom and Wife (The pay is not that great, and there is a lot of over time, but I love it)
K - Kids: Clara, Lindy, Charlie and one surprise coming December 10th.
L - Living arrangements: A house.
M - Mom's name: Linda
N - Nicknames: Kell, Mom, KJ
O - Overnight hospital stay: Child birth
P - Pet Peeve: complainers.
Q - Quote from a movie: "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." Dorothy Wizard of Oz
R - Right or left handed: right
S - Siblings: 3 sisters Sarah, Katie, and Becky
T - Time you wake up: 6:45
U- Underwear: Yes
V - Vegetable you dislike: Onions
W - Ways you run late: I can't find the keys (we are hardly ever late, I try to make it a priority to be on time or early).
X - X-rays you've had: Ankle, chest, teeth, and others probably.
Y - Yummy food you make: Most everything, except rice (how do you mess rice up?)
Z - Zoo favorite: Giraffes, monkeys, and elephants

now it's your turn

Polliwogs and Doodles
It's All about Hannah
Katie J's Journal

Babies Don’t Keep

2009-10-05T06:00:00.000-04:00

Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing and butter the bread,
Sew on a button and make up a bed.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue
(lullaby, rock-a-bye, Lullaby loo).
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
(pat-a-cake, darling, and peek-peek-a-boo).
The shopping is not done and there's nothing for stew
And out in the yard there is a hullabaloo.
But I'm playing "Kanga" and this is my "Roo."
Look! Aren't his eyes the most wonderful hue?
(lullaby, rock-a-bye, lullaby loo).

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
For children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton, 1958

The Price of Children

2009-09-28T08:20:00.002-04:00

This is something that I got in my email and I thought it was worth posting. Based on the calculation, Will and I will have spent over $640,000 on our children for the first 18 years of their lives. Let me tell you, every penny we spend is worth it. I love my kids!

I have repeatedly seen the breakdown of the cost of raising a child, but this is the first time I have seen the rewards listed this way. It's nice, The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140 for a middle income family. Talk about sticker shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition. But $160,140 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into:

· $8,896.66 a year,
· $741.3 month, or * $171.08 a week.
· That's a mere $24.24 a day!
· Just over a dollar an hour.

Still, you might think the best financial advice is don't have children if you want to be "rich." Actually, it is just the opposite.

What do you get for your $160,140?

Naming rights. First, middle, and last!
Glimpses of God every day.
Giggles under the covers every night.
More love than your heart can hold.
Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.
A hand to hold, usually covered with jelly or chocolate.
A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites
Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.

For $160,140, you never have to grow up. You get to:

finger-paint,
carve pumpkins,
play hide-and-seek,
catch lightning bugs, and
never stop believing in Santa Claus. You have an excuse to:
keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,
watching Saturday morning cartoons,
going to Disney movies, and
wishing on stars.
You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay for Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.

For $160,140, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to be a hero just for:

retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,
taking the training wheels off a bike,
removing a splinter,
filling a wading pool,
coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.

You get a front row seat to history to witness the:

· first step,
· first word,
· first bra,
· first date, and
· first time behind the wheel.

You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren and great grandchildren. You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match.

In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits.

So . . one day they will like you, love without counting the cost. That is quite a deal for the price!!!!!!!

Love & enjoy your children & grandchildren!!!!!!!

The first cut!

2009-09-25T13:22:00.003-04:00

Remember when Lindy and I did this? We spent an afternoon making that chain so we could know how long until the baby came. Well guess what? We cut the first one off today! It is getting so close now. In less than eleven weeks, we will have a new baby. I am having one of those days were I want to know if I am carrying a boy or girl. It will pass. Usually I have a feeling each day whether it is a boy or girl, today, I got nothing. I am getting excited and so are the people around me. Some days I feel anxious about how life will be after baby gets here, but I know that time will come soon enough and each new day already brings worries of its own.

Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV)

⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Splash!

2009-09-15T10:28:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, while I was cooking dinner, I let Charlie "wash" the dishes. I did this to keep him out of trouble while I was busy. This morning, I caught him pushing a chair into the kitchen to "wash" dishes again. He was kinda in need of a good scrub himself, so I let him in. He had a lot of fun and will probably try to do this again. Hope you enjoy the pictures!

SPLASH!

Charlie really gets into his work!

Privacy please!

This is FUN!!!

Kitchen colors

2009-09-12T20:45:00.000-04:00

I know that it has been months since we started this project! I finally got a chance to take pictures (with the awesome, non-blurry camera that Katie let us borrow until we decide which one we want to buy) of the final thing.
We painted the walls a medium chocolate brown and the trim a lite green. We also painted the cabinets a really, really, extremely lite green. Although I hate to admit it, I like this a lot better than the purple and yellow it used to be.
Enjoy the pictures.

When's the baby gonna be here?

2009-08-24T13:57:00.003-04:00

My Sweet Lindy

Lindy keeps asking me how long until our baby gets here, I tell her all the events between now and then and she still asks me everyday. To help her better understand how long we have, she and I made a paper chain today. We will take off one ring everyday until there is one left and on that day, she will know it's time. (We still have to put 21 more rings on it, but she wanted to take a break after we got 77 done.) She was very excited while making this project and today thinks that the baby is a girl (usually it is a boy for her)

Writing messages on the pieces of the chain

Working on the chain

posing with almost complete hanging chain

Happy Birthday Will

2009-08-14T16:15:00.000-04:00

Today is Will's birthday! He is 31. I love him so much. He is my best friend and I just don't know where I would be without him.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-08-12T13:36:00.000-04:00

Meet our baby

CLLAARRRRAAAAAAAAA!

2009-08-11T18:24:00.003-04:00

Why is this child crying?

any idea?

Still have no clue?

Alright, She was helping make dinner and

When I stepped into the other room to finish up

while the oven heated up........

CRASH!!!!!

and this is what became of dinner.

Don't worry, I saved it while she stood in time out and we all enjoyed our mini pizzas.
The End.
(PS Dora and Tico enjoyed helping me clean up)

Happy birthday Lindy

2009-08-04T13:05:00.003-04:00

Today is Lindy's 4th birthday. She was born on Thursday, August 4, 2005 at 8 pm. She was 8 lbs. 6 oz. and stubborn from the beginning. I love her so much and I am very proud of all that she has done. Last night when she was getting ready for bed I told her that it was the last time she would go to bed a 3 year old. She asked "does that mean I will be big in the morning?" I told her that we would measure her and see. I made this photo video of her using picture from the last year, the pictures are in no particular order because I can't seem to remember to put in the date when I change the batteries so a lot of them said they were taken on 1/1/05, I know not even possible. She is a beautiful girl and truly is my sunshine.

Birthday party

2009-08-02T11:35:00.005-04:00

Having trouble posting pictures, will post more later.

The girls had a great time at their party. We had a great turn out, thanks to everyone who came and made it a great time for the kids. While the cakes did not turn out the way I wanted, and the caramel kinda dripped off the apples, and the faces never got painted, it was on of the best birthday parties that I have ever thrown. Here are some pictures from the night.
Caramel apples (when they were still pretty and not in baggies)

Happy birthday to Clara and Lindy!

It's about time!

2009-07-29T14:08:00.002-04:00

Clara has been waiting for this day for almost a year. She has had a few false alarms along the way, and I told her to wait until she was 6 and it would happen. Today is the day. "I have a loose tooth!" Clara tells me with that sparkle in her eye. She is so excited, we will have to update you when it comes out! Until then.....

Petit fours memory

2009-07-27T11:34:00.000-04:00

I was reading the blog Bakerella and today's post has what looks to be an amazing recipe for pound cake and petit fours. While reading about the petit fours, I had a flash pack to a fun day my sister Sarah and I shared many years ago. We were bored and wanted something to do. After looking through mom's cookbooks, we decided we were going to make "petite" fours (yeah, that's how long ago it was, we did not know what they were called so we figured it out). I remember it was a lot of fun, and a mess. We enjoyed our creation and shared with our family, I only wish I had a picture of that day to share with this post. (ours looked alittle like this mess).

That was the only time I have ever made petit fours, maybe I will have to try it again sometime.

Birthday cake ideas

2009-07-23T10:52:00.003-04:00

For the girls birthday party, I am going to be busy making cakes. We have begun discussing ideas for them now so that I know for sure what they want by next week when I start baking. (they always change their minds). Right now they both want a two tier cake with a tiara on top. Lindy wants Ladybugs ("lots of them mom") and Clara wants flowers. These are a few cakes that I have found to model theirs after. Let me know if you have any ideas for me. (they are all welcome at this point). I will definitely post pictures when they are complete so you can see the finale product. Also, if you want to come to the party and did not get an invitation, let me know, they want a big party this year.

Clara- pink base with pink and purple flowers and a tiara

Lindy- pink base with ladybugs, daisies and a tiara.

pictures to go by.

Will's first instructable!

2009-07-23T09:29:00.003-04:00

Will is always making stuff out of other stuff, usually bamboo and string. This time he got crafty with some Cheerwine soda cans. He made a deckbox for his cards. Check out the instructable that he made and leave a comment for him and his craftiness.

brownies a la mode

2009-07-09T20:12:00.003-04:00

This post is for all my fans on Facebook, they requested that I "blog" this.

Tonight after dinner the family wanted dessert and we didn't have anything. I wanted it to be easy 'cause I am not feeling very well today. So, I looked in my Bisquick cookbook and there was not a recipe for cake or brownies, so I invented a Bisquick brownie recipe, they loved it.

2 cups Bisquick
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 eggs
Oil and Water (I didn't measure these but together it was about 3/4 a cup)
mix and pour in a greased 13X9 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Hope you Enjoy!!

It was really good with a scope of vanilla ice cream.

Charlie wanted more when I got it out to take a picture.

Beach bound

2009-07-07T14:05:00.004-04:00

This Saturday we will be leaving for the beach. We will be going with my in-laws, who invite us to go every year. I was determined that I was not going to do everything the night before like I usually do, so I started yesterday. Lindy and I drove to Sam's Club yesterday to get a few things that we would need. We got some snack foods to bring (fruit roll ups, honey buns, bottles of juice, things I don;t usually buy) Today I have been tackling laundry so that it is all done before we leave (is it ever all done?). I have packed Clara's bag, and towels too. I plan on getting Lindy's bag packed today and continuing with the laundry. I want to have everything ready to put in the car without the last minute running around looking for shoes and did you bring this and I forgot that routine that we usually do. I have a ball game on Wednesday, play date on Thursday morning, and Girls night out on Friday night so hopefully things get done the way I want them to.

A picture (because what is a blog post without a picture)
Clara on July 4th, her 6th birthday with a sparkler.

Happy Birthday Clara

2009-07-04T12:40:00.003-04:00

Today my baby turned 6! She was born at 4:08 am on July 4 2003. I love her so much and I am proud of the young lady she is becoming. I look forward to the next year and all the things that she will teach me. Please watch the video that I made of her, all of the pictures have been taken in the last year. Enjoy!

fixing my mistake

2009-06-26T13:32:00.004-04:00

The other day, the kids and I set out to make some really awesome tie die shirts. We got white t-shirts, washed them and twisted them and put rubber bands on them. We went to the store and got red and blue die, these were going to be our shirts for the 4th of July, we died them and rinsed them. We were prepared for the awesomeness, and what we ended up with was pinkish purple shirts, a lot of them. (no I did not take a picture of them, I cried and forgot, rather I wanted to forget the shirts). They sat there in their ugliness for a few days until I had an idea how to fix them. Bleach! That is the answer to fixing them. Today Lindy and I set out on a mission to fix the mess I made. I filled a spray bottle with bleach and water, twirled the shirts and sprayed, hoping that they would look a little bit better in the end. To our surprise, they are awesome, not red, white and blue like we wanted in the first place, but we are all happy. Side note, I did manage to save Will's shirt and it turned out really well, it looks like what the others should look like.

Will's shirt, and Will's shirt up close.

Our shirts, after I fixed them.

Turtle

2009-06-19T10:50:00.003-04:00

Since some people were not aware, I am posting about our newest pet. We have had it for about 3 months now. It is the easiest pet to take care of and Charlie loves to feed it. Meet our nameless turtle (we were going to name it Tuck or Rosie but the girls never could agree).

kids, kids, and more kids!

2009-06-18T07:12:00.002-04:00

This week has been a busy one, not much time to post. I have been watching 4 extra kids and we have been having too much fun to post. The only bad part is that it has either been raining or wet from rain outside. We have to find stuff to do indoors. We made play dough one day and played with it 2 days, watched some PBS, played with puzzles, and went to run outside even though it was wet.

In other news: I went to the Dr. yesterday for a prenatal checkup, me and Lindy heard the heartbeat, and my blood pressure was down, yea! (please continue to pray about this for me, I don't want to have another pregnancy with blood pressure problems). On the way to the
doctor., my nephew tells me "be brave at the doctor aunt Kelly" if he only knew, thank you Henry for your two year old wisdom.

Hopefully I will start having more time to post in the near future.

What's a blog post without a picture? This is Clara and Lindy last week at our trip to Lookiing Glass Falls, we had a great time!

Hair cuts!

2009-06-07T20:40:00.002-04:00

Have you ever tried to cut a 15 month old's hair? Trust me, it is not an easy task. Charlie's hair was getting a little long around the ears and on his forehead so I thought I would trim it again. It was not as easy as last time. I guess it looks fine just a little shorter on his head than I would have liked it to be. While I was cutting, I also did Will's and Lindy's. Will's was easy thanks to Kate's clippers that she was so willing to let me borrow (thanks Kate). I just wanted to give Lindy a shorter look for the summer, it will be cooler for her and easier for me. Here is a picture, tell me what you think (the picture is not that great, she was being a clown.)

Big day for Lindy.

2009-05-28T10:34:00.002-04:00

Lindy was born with an extra front tooth. Kinda strange I think, but so is the fact that I still have three baby teeth. We have known that she would eventually need to get it taken out but have been waiting until the time came. When she was a toddler (like 15 months or so) she feel and broke it really badly. It has just kinda bothered her a little bit, I think she didn't like the way it looked. And recently she has told me it hurts her. So I took her to the dentist and he said it needed to come out (the one next to it was getting decayed because of it) and that the one next to it needs a filling. Well today was the day, we scheduled it about a month ago, and we have been talking about it and she was ready. All she needed was a couple of buddies and Grandma to come and hold her hand and she was set. They gave her some gas to relax her and within 15 min. or so she was done. About 5 minutes after the dentist was done, she started to scream and cry, I think it was a delayed reaction. She did not like the guaze in her mouth and thought her spit was blood. After we got home, she got better and is now sitting watching Care Bears in The Big Wish movie as a reward for ding such a good job.

This is Lindy this morning before we went to get her tooth out. She was pretty excited about it.

In the car after we left the dentist. She is not so excited now, but she did a really good job.

At home still a little out of it, but feeling better.

Showing off the "hole" where her tooth came out. She is pretending to talk to grandma.

Lindy's tooth, most of that is the root. Poor girl.

we ♥ babies

2009-05-23T16:58:00.002-04:00

Now that the cat is out of the bag, I wanted to post it here for the rest of the world to know. Will and I are expecting another baby. That's right, Charlie is going to be a big brother. Right now we know that he or she will be here in December, the ultrasound says Christmas eve. After a storm of mixed emotions, I am finally excited about this very unexpected gift that God is giving to us.

more for the kids.

2009-05-11T13:27:00.003-04:00

Here are a few more of our favorite free sites for you to browse. Hope you have a great day.

ziggity zoom is a new favorite of my kids. They like to feed the monster, dress the princess, color, and read stories. If you have not yet checked this one out, do it now.

Kidmango is a new site that I found for the kids. Since we do not have cable, there are not many options for the kids on tv. This site has a great variety of shows for the kids to watch. So far we have watched Pocoyo and New Mcdonald'f Farm. Check it out.

The Literacy Center has a great site for kids to learn colors, shapes, alphabet, numbers, the keyboard and many more things. I really like to use this site because it has printable worksheets for your kids. I also like that it has the lessons in 4 languages.

Zefrank is a site that has lots of cool little gadgets. This is one of my favorites, you can make your own flowers, Clara really likes it too. This one is neat too, there are 2 versions of it and I like them both for different reasons.

I hope that all of my free treats find you lots of learning and entertainment.

one more that I have not checked out yet but they have a search for great websites for kids is the Association for Library Service to Children. If you get a chance to check it out before I do let me know what you think.

Women of Joy

2009-05-04T08:42:00.004-04:00

This weekend I went with my mom and sisters to a women's conference. It was great! It was nice to have a relaxing time away from the kids. We talked, laughed, cried, and most of all had fun. I am very blessed to have such a great family. the speakers for the weekend were: click on the picture for a link to their web sites.

The music was great too. The worship leader was Travis Cottrell. And we had a special concert by casting crowns.This was a very fun trip. I am glad that I am a part of my family, but also happy that I could be apart of a big "christian sister gathering" and meet so many I will see again in Heaven. This was such a great renewal for my spirit. I hope that I truly can be a Woman of Joy!

For the kids

2009-04-30T12:43:00.003-04:00

Since my girls are getting older, they are more interested in doing things on the computer. My job is to find safe and free things for them to do. There are many useful and educational websites for kids. Our favorites are Starfall, poisson rouge, Sebran and minisebran.

Starfall is great for teaching your kids to read and comprehend and also learning phonics. There are lots of stories and songs, poetry and games.

Poisson Rouge is a great game that comes with no official rules. Teaches your children to use their brains a little, they have to figure out how each of the different toys work. Has ABC's in 3 languages and lots of vocabulary in these languages too.

Sebran is a free download game that has tons of letter recognition games, math and number games and also keyboard skills where a child has to press the right letter key as the letters come falling down.

Minisebran is a mini version of the Sebran program for younger children. Has simalar games but geared for your toddlers. This also has a coloring type game.

These are some of our favorites and I hope that you enjoy them also. We have more that I hope to be posting in the next few weeks.

I also found some birthday kid clubs you can sign your kids up for to get a free meal for their birthday. Check them out.

Sonic
there are a bunch listed here
And this list is even longer

And one last tip, you can go to this site and get 2 free games of bowling for your kids a day for all summer long. I signed mine up and they had an offer for 2 games a day per adult (16 and up) for only $23.99 for the family.kidsbowlfree.com

Piano

2009-04-16T13:10:00.001-04:00

Mom and dad gave me this piano. It was in the new house they bought and they did not want it. I am so excited about re-learning the piano. I found a website last night that give free online lessons so I will see how that goes. I printed out sheet music for Carol of the Bells, and I am trying to start with it. I will update you on my progress as time goes by. I am also hoping that my kids can learn too.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-04-15T17:52:00.004-04:00

Pumpkin pie

And a time to paint..

2009-04-14T23:20:00.003-04:00

Ecclesiastes 3:1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

Well, I finally got the refrigerator's corner painted today. I am very happy with the way that it turned out. The picture is not great and the green paint was still wet. If you want to come and see it, just call before you come. Hopefully I can get the rest done this weekend.

A time to prime...

2009-04-13T12:47:00.002-04:00

Lindy and I started to put on the primer this morning while Charlie took a little nap. We tried to just get done where the refrigerator goes so that I can paint it tonight and move the refrigerator back to the kitchen where it belongs tomorrow. So although this does not look like much, I am getting it done, little by little.

my new header!

2009-04-10T20:13:00.002-04:00

Will made a new header for my blog, hope you all enjoy it as much as I do.

Paint colors

2009-04-07T13:58:00.001-04:00

Here are the colors that I think we will use when we paint the kitchen and dining rooms. Let me know what you think. (if you have not seen my other post from today make sure you check it out too).

Extreme Makeover

2009-04-07T12:37:00.003-04:00

Will and I (well mostly Will) have been redoing the floors in the kitchen and dining room this week. He is out for spring break and we thought that it would be a good opportunity to get some bigger projects done. We went to Lowes and rented an ez V Sander to do the project. Although the job is not complete, we are happy with the way it is turning out. Take a look and see what you think.Floor, before sanding.

Floor after some sanding

Floor after stain (thanks dad for the stain)

Powerful song.

2009-04-02T09:29:00.003-04:00

My church choir has been practicing for our Resurrection Sunday performance for the last few weeks. All of the songs have a really powerful message to them. I have a few favorites, but last night the song They Could Not written by Ron Harris and Claire Cloninger and arranged by Russell Mauldin was very touching. Just reading the lyrics is not as powerful as listening too or even singing it. Listen to it while you read the lyrics.

They looked at Him and saw a simple man
A carpenter with healing in His hands
They saw Him calm a sea and heal a dying man
They saw but could they really understand

They could not, They could not
Though they tried, they could not
He was just a simple carpenter but with healing in His hands
But could they really understand, they could not

They listened to the teaching that they heard
They wondered at the mystery of His word
They wondered what He meant, about a Father's plan
They heard but could they really understand

They could not, They could not
Though they tried, they could not
They listened to the teaching about a Father's plan
But could they really understand, they could not

So finally upon a rugged cross
They killed the man who would not suffer loss
And when at last they took what willingly He gave
He died, but could they keep Him in the grave

They could not, They could not
Praise God, they could not
And when at last they took from Him what willingly He gave
Could they keep Him in the grave, could they keep Him in the grave,
Could they keep Him in the grave...

They could not, They could not
Praise God, they could not
And when at last they took from Him what willingly He gave
Could they keep Him in the grave, could they keep Him in the grave,
Could they keep Him in the grave, They could not!!!!

Tuesday Take-out

2009-03-31T15:55:00.002-04:00

Today I will actually post something that has to do with food. This is one of the best blogs ever!
(the link is the first one I remember looking at). Will and I stumbled upon this blog sometime last summer and we make sure to check it a few times a week to see what new "wreck" awaits us. I have laughed lots while reading it. I know that most of my readers already know about this one, but just in case you don't, you need to check it out. Cake wrecks, When professional cakes go horribly, hilariously wrong.

My Etsy Purchase

2009-03-27T13:05:00.006-04:00

About a month ago I told you about the Etsy charity thing for Cora's playground. Well this is what I purchased for the cause.

I got this one to give as a gift. I gave it to Kate.

This one I got for my kitchen, see last post.

This one I got because I like it, not for anyone in particular.

And this one, the artist sent to me as a gift because it took a long time to get them in the mail.

On my mind

2009-03-25T13:25:00.003-04:00

I've got a lot on my mind today. So here is my list, maybe this will help clear my mind.

Why won't the kitchen stay clean? (this is not my kitchen, mines worse)
Will it really rain on Saturday and ruin or Zoo trip?
Easter:

Why do people think the Easter Bunny is a good idea? I don't get it.
I have got to finish those dresses.
I am going to try and remember to call it Resurrection day instead.

How long will Clara be sick?
The book of Daniel. America is present day Babylonia.
Spring break projects, what will really get done?
I love the rain, it really is a gift from God.
I would like to travel (thanks to the Sisterchicks), but I think that I am too much of a chicken.

Lindy and Henry

2009-03-23T09:38:00.001-04:00

Last week Henry and Zoe came to play with us. Lindy liked having Henry here to play with. They get along really well. Here are some pictures I got of Lindy helping Henry get his shoes on. They are both too funny.

Day at the park

2009-03-22T15:39:00.000-04:00

Last week was full of beautiful sunny days. Kate and I met at the park on Thursday afternoon for the kids to play. Here are some pictures of all the fun they had.

I really like this picture of Charlie and Sarah,
they look like they are looking for bugs or something.The three big girls swinging together.

Charlie in the tunnel.

Sarah at the end of the tunnel.

Evan and Gabi close up.

Firends

2009-03-12T20:24:00.000-04:00

To all those that I call friend. Thank you for being there for me all the times that I have needed you.

My sisters, who are my friends by choice:
Sarah-Thank you for "getting me"
Katie- Thank you for crafting with me
Becky- Thank you for trusting me with your secrets

My parents
Mom- who has become one of my best friends:
Thank you for listening to me and helping my family
Dad- Thank you for helping me and teaching me

My Library friends, who I would have never met if we did not have kids:
Sara, Ree, Stacy - Thank you for play dates and someone to talk to during the day other than my kids. Also thank you for sharing ideas with me about raising kids.

My Great friends
Wendy Thank you for the time you give me, for letting me be open with you and for sharing your honesty with me.
Kate Thank you for recognizing me in a crowd and for being an instant friend, I look forward to the memories to be made.

My best friend
Will- My best friend on this earth, I love you and thank you for all that you do for me and our family. This post would be too long if I put all the things that I wanted to thank you for.

To anyone whose name is not mentioned here and I have ever called you friend, I think of the song I teach my Daisy Girl Scouts Make new friends, here are the lyrics (we have only learned the first 2 verses, but we will learn more eventually).

Make new friends,
but keep the old.
One is silver,
the other is gold.

A circle is round,
it has no end.
That's how long,
I will be your friend.

A fire burns bright,
it warms the heart.
We've been friends,
from the very start.

You have one hand,
I have the other.
Put them together,
We have each other.

Silver is precious,
Gold is too.
I am precious,
and so are you.

You help me,
and I'll help you
and together
we will see it through.

The sky is blue
The Earth is green
I can help
to keep it clean

Across the land
Across the sea
Friends forever
We will always be

Thank you for sharing part of yourself with me, I thank you.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-03-11T10:12:00.000-04:00

Charlie likes it!

2009-03-09T14:53:00.000-04:00

Charlie likes Girl Scout Cookies a lot, here is a video of him enjoying some peanut butter patties.

Happy 1st Birthday Charlie!

2009-03-06T08:30:00.001-05:00

I love this kid so much. He is the Sweetest baby boy ever!

I also made another video at Snapfish and this one too.

Look what I bought!

2009-02-25T09:04:00.000-05:00

I have been wanting to get some all in one cloth diapers for Charlie for a while now. On Friday I sat at the computer and checked on ebay for what I wanted. I found these cute diapers made by a WAHM, they were just what I was looking for. I want something that is cute, easy to use, and not too expensive. I got 4 diaper auctions (each comes with a matching wipe) and another auction with 6 wipes. I got it all for $18.01! That is including shipping. I can not wait to get them so that Charlie can use them. I really need something that will be easy for other people, so that when we leave him with a sitter or in the church nursery they don't have to figure out the others.

Etsy for Cora

2009-02-24T09:28:00.000-05:00

I was touched when I read the Story of Cora's family. She was only ten months old when she was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. 3 weeks later, she past away. I read this story on a day that Clara was being particularly difficult to deal with. I broke down in tears, one because I have a healthy 5 year old that I was mad at and two my Charlie is just a few days younger than Cora was. Her family is setting up a playground in her honor. There are several etsy shops giving the proceeds of their products to this cause. I have not decided what to get, but I really want to give to this family.
If you would like to donate money to the cause and get something to show for it, go and visit etsy and type in Cora Paige. (or just click on the link).

Please Continue to pray for her parents Jessica and Joel this must really hard on them and they need to be lifted up now.

I heard a noise

2009-02-16T08:45:00.001-05:00

"I heard a noise and I thinked it was the big bad wolf!"
-Lindy Hawkins 2/16/09

Lindy decorating her cookie at our valentine party.

Tuesday Take-out

2009-02-03T09:53:00.000-05:00

Todays take out is from a blog that I read daily. The nest over at the Nesting Place having a special 10 minutes to a room you'll love. Last week she focused on the family room and this week, the master bedroom. I have gotten a little bit of inspiration from these posts and thought that you might too.

Making a baby doll

2009-01-30T13:49:00.001-05:00

Yesterday when Clara got home from school she wanted to make a craft. The other day I had put a pair of old hose with a run aside to make a doll for the girls. I did not really have anything planned for them and dinner was already planned so I suggested we do that. We started stuffing the legs of the hose and then twisted it into sections like you would a balloon animal. I tried to stitch a face on them, not too bad for a first (and second) attempt. I made a diaper and hat out of felt and used some material I had left from another project to make a blanket. It was fun and the girls like their new babies lots.

Look what I made!

2009-01-28T16:33:00.000-05:00

I have been trying to make good homemade bread for my family this week and after 2 failed attempts, I got this.

Okay, I cheated and used the bread machine, but I am tired of making bread for the birds.

swagbucks

2009-01-28T10:25:00.000-05:00

I am trying a new search engine thing. If you want to too click here. You get swagbucks and get to trade them in for stuff, like a Starbucks gift card for 50 or a Zune for like 2000. It is neat you should all sign up and try it.

Tuesday Take-out

2009-01-27T09:31:00.000-05:00

While entering some of the giveaways on the bloggy giveaway blog, I came across this cool blog with book reviews. These all seem to be books that I may be interested in reading at some point. Hope that you all enjoy this one as much as I did. You can check out her other blogs too, they seem good although I have not had time to look at them as much.

Cookies and kisses

2009-01-22T11:38:00.001-05:00

Last night I made some cookies. These were my famous stand back and throw cookies which always turn out different, that is because there is no recipe. I don't like to follow recipes, I figured out what goes into certain things a long time ago. So now I just usually "stand back and throw" until it looks right or smells right. If I ever make something that is really good, I try to write down what it is that I did so I can possibly duplicate it later.
These cookies are simple flour, sugar, vanilla, butter, 1 egg, (the egg is the only measurement that I know for sure) milk, and sprinkles (I used cinnamon sugar on some of them). They turned out really good and Will said he could eat all of them but I told him to save some for the kids.

Kisses

Last night Charlie figured out kisses. These are not your normal kisses, but the baby kind, the slobber on your face kind, the giggle with excitement kind. He thought that he was big stuff. I was laying on the floor in the living room with him and Lindy playing and reading when all of a sudden he grabs my head and starts attacking me with kisses. The boy is so sweet. This lasted for a few minutes until he decided maybe, just maybe I would let him bite my nose.

Wordless Wednesday.

2009-01-21T09:45:00.000-05:00

Tuesday Take-out

2009-01-20T09:22:00.000-05:00

Today's take-out is from Freely Educate, a blog dedicated to proving that providing a high quality education can indeed be 100% free. I had trouble choosing just one post that is great, but since Clara has been doing alot of poetry at school, I choose this one. Hope you enjoy this one.

This weeks menu

2009-01-19T11:38:00.000-05:00

This is what's for dinner this week. If you would like to join us, make your reservations now. Maybe this will inspire you if you have not planned your menu yet.

Monday

Spaghetti

Garlic Bread

Salad

Tuesday

Pork chops

Noodles

Gravy

Green beans

Apple sauce

Wednesday

Soup

Sandwiches

apple or banana

Thursday

Sloppy joes

veggies and dressing

Friday

pita pizza

broccoli

A bunch of wild animals

2009-01-15T07:05:00.000-05:00

OK, now that i have your attention, I am not talking about my children. We went to the zoo in July and never brought Clara's camera inside to transfer the pictures. Last night Will asked where that camera was (he wanted the sd card in it for something) and when I told him promptly went and got it. I was surprised by some of the pictures she had taken, very good for a 5 year old. I thought that I would share some of them with you. This guy was grumpy.

The giraffes are my favorite.

Look at the smile on this guy! He's got teeth!

Yellow fish stopped for a photo.

Just swimming by.

Wordless Wednesday.

2009-01-14T08:20:00.000-05:00

Clara

Lindy

Charlie

Tuesday Take-out

2009-01-13T09:15:00.000-05:00

Today's take-out is from Lisa Leonard Designs. I thought that this was really nice and simple jewelry. I like it, plus there is a giveaway.

Things that make me happy.

2009-01-12T10:08:00.000-05:00

time spent with friends and family.
Clara's smile.
Lindy's laugh.
cuddle time with Charlie.
Will.

What makes you happy?

Tuesday Take-out

2009-01-06T13:46:00.000-05:00

Tuesday's are one of the easiest days for me, rarely do we have anything planned for the evening, we just stay home and have family time, so nice to not be running around. I like to use my time during the day to make an extra special dinner or dessert. So because I spend time doing that, I am going to start posting a link to a blog post that has inspired me in the last week. I will spend less time on this and more time preparing for our family night, got it.

Today's take-out is from the blog Simplemom. It is an article made up of 6 simple ways to be Disorganized & Unproductive at home. I hope that you enjoy what the author has to say as much as I did. (You can click on the take-out box to go to the first tip of the 6, click on the "today's take-out to go the the main article, or click on teh Simplemom to see the blog in its intierty.)

Photo goals!

2009-01-05T14:02:00.000-05:00

Another thing that I want to do better is keeping up with photos. I started (finally) Clara's scrap book this weekend. I have about five years to do in hers, 3 for Lindy's and almost one for Charlie's. I want to try to be up to date on all three of them by the end of 2009. I also want to try and take more pictures of the kids and delete the ones that are not good, I tend to keep all of them, good or ugly. I took some today, editied them and put them up for others to look at. If you would like to see them click here.

Sweatin', Simmons style

2009-01-03T21:59:00.000-05:00

Another goal that I have for myself this year is to lose "the" weight. I have been trying for along time to do it, sometimes semi-successful other times not at all. I usually end up pregnant when I try and that is not the plan this time. I am nursing Charlie less now and so I really do not need to make milk for him, he gets excited if I give him a bottle so I think that he would switch real easily if I stop producing. I digress. I would really like to lose at least 50 pounds, I think that I would feel alot better, and have more energy to play with the kids. Tonight after dinner Clara and I (Will and Charlie too) did a little "sweatin'." It was fun, but showed me just how much work I need to do. I will try to post an update monthly as to not make this whole thing about that.

Goals for 2009

2009-01-01T15:53:00.000-05:00

I will try to post a new goal for this year everyday this week. If I did them all in one post, no one would read it.

That being said the first goal that I have for this year is to budget better. I have been preparing for this for the last three months, keeping track of receipts and how much we spend on different things. I was all set to start this when I found an awesome website to help me along. PearBudget is a site I stumbled upon completely on accident. I was checking out some blogs that I found on giveaway day and from the Simple Mom blog that I found, I saw a link. I clicked on it and I believe that I may have found the simplest way to keep up with our finances.

Both of these sites are useful resources that I would recommend to all my friends and family.

Happy New Year to everyone. I hope that you will all have a wonderful year.

As 2008 Comes to close!

2008-12-31T15:56:00.000-05:00

This has been a good year. Lots of changes happened to us this year. Charlie was born in March. We went to Dollywod for vacation in June, Clara started kindergarten in August, We got a "new car" in September and also went to Edisto with my family. September was busy Lindy got a black eye, that will teach her to fight over a coloring page with Clara. I went with mom and my sisters on a few trips, they were fun trips, I like to spend time with them. I do not have much time

It's my birthday!

2008-12-29T03:00:00.000-05:00

Today is my 29th birthday, all day long!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T10:00:00.000-05:00

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas, from our home to yours.

It's snowing in blogland

2008-12-22T22:22:00.000-05:00

At least in the "Cox" girls blogland. We have all added the snow widget and you can too by clicking here. Enjoy!

The Beacon!

2008-12-22T22:01:00.000-05:00

Tonight Will and I went to the Beacon for dinner with some friends from church. We had a lot of fun, a lot of laughs, and even more grease. For those of you who do know the Beacon you are missing out big time. Actually, it is one of those places that you have to eat at at least once in your life but that is about all the average human body can stand. That was the first time in three years that I have gone and it will probably be that long before we go back. I got a cheeseburger with and Will got a cheeseburger a-plenty. The winning order for the night goes to Bryn, she got the banana sandwich, who would have ever guessed that you could get one of those at a greasy spoon like the Beacon. We had a great time!

Random ramblings.

2008-12-19T12:49:00.000-05:00

I have been so busy lately, I have a few minutes to post some of the things that I have been up too. I have been sewing, lots of sewing, stuff for Christmas presents. I will post pictures of them next week as to not ruin any surprises. I have been taking care of sick kids. It seems like just when I think we are all better, someone throws up or has a sore throat and a cough. I have been making cookies and cupcakes, going to parties, and as always cooking, cleaning, doing laundry and everything else I do. I sang a solo in church last Sunday. This was a first so I have been spending lots of time making sure I knew the song well. I sang Breath of Heaven, Mary's Song and think that I did well. I have also been preparing for the Christmas music at church, the adult choir will be singing on Saturday night and Sunday morning (I have another solo in this). I have been really busy and will stay busy for the next couple of days. I hope that I can schedule some posts to put up over the next few days tonight. I have a lot of stuff to share, including the gift bag that I got in the mail for winning the blog giveaway a couple weeks back.

I won, I won!

2008-12-09T13:35:00.000-05:00

After all the waiting and thinking that it was all over and that all the giveaways were given, I get an email this afternoon saying that they need my address so that they can mail out my bag. I won! Someone actually picked my name. I will be receiving a bag from the blog Green Bag Lady . I am very excited. I also got a mention on another giveaway but was not chosen. On that giveaway, we were asked to name the monster that was being given away, I named it Zarthag and it was mentioned here in the top ten. After all of that I have found way too many blogs to read, way too many crafty ideas floating around in my head and a Christmas gift bag. How cool is that.

you are not a winner!

2008-12-06T08:20:00.000-05:00

So far I have not won anything from the blog day giveaway. I entered close to 50 or 60 of them and still I am not a winner. Oh well, I got a lot of ideas of things that I can do. I really like to do crafty things, it is hard to find the time with the kids around. I have a few ideas up my sleeve to do for Christmas this year, I better get started soon if I want to be done by then.

I love blog giveaways!

2008-12-03T13:53:00.000-05:00

Today there is a huge blog giveaway going on. I am hooked! I have looked at so many, entered almost all and I still go back to find more. I don't really even care if I win, I just love to look at other peoples blogs and see a glimpse of what other people are like. Some live thousands of miles away, yet I can just leave a comment and our paths have crossed. I feel like I have meet so many today. If anyone is interested in joining me in this huge blog world giveaway, you can find all of the crafters here ( just clik on blog when you get there). Hope that you all find it as much fun as I do.