unintended blogging hiatus...over...

Oh you amazing blog readers, I'm sorry I unintentionally abandoned you after you read all my days of giving thanks.  I am supremely thankful for each of you that visits here, reads my words, comment, and just join in my world in some small part.  Easter was crazy, but so so fun.  We had an amazing time in Iowa, we attended an Easter egg hunt in Cascade Saturday morning where my hilarious little boy proceeded to pick up one egg put it in his basket, hand the basket to me and ran off to play on the playground.  It made me laugh that he didn't care about the eggs or candy, he just wanted to PLAY! The kids had a great time and came away with a haul of candy.  We colored eggs at mom and dad's and my cousin Audrey and her daughters came out to join in the fun.  The egg coloring was fairly uneventful, except that Bryce decided to take a big spoonful of the die and drink it.  He said it was yucky and went on coloring eggs.  That kid!  Easter itself was really fun and we got to spend time with both of my grandmas (always a treat).  We didn't get home until midnight.  It was a looong day, but so worth it.  Last week was a little crazy, I had jury duty on Tuesday (didn't get picked for a trial) but spend most of the day downtown sitting, reading and waiting.  I got dismissed about 2:30pm and decided to head to my Tuesday job.  So that was a long day too.  The rest of the week was fairly tame, but it still didn't seem like I had any time to do anything.  This past weekend Bob had a softball tournament both days so the kids and I chilled out at home and I made Bob's birthday cake.  Yesterday my Aunt and Uncle (Cathy & Greg) and their kids (Tyler, Justin, and Nicole) came to visit on their way home from Indianapolis.  They stuck around for a while today and we spent all day outside at parks and playing in the yard.  The kids are wore out (so is mommy).  Bryce was sleeping before 7pm (that is tired for that boy).  And even though I have a crazy busy rest of the week with 1 million things I need to get done I am sitting here doing nothing (Bob is playing softball).  Maybe I'll get some ambition to do something a little later, but we'll see.  I got the house picked up and the kitchen cleaned, so I'm calling that a success!  Hope you all had a great Easter and I'll be back soon with pictures!

(Abbie, I saw your comment and want to post about it, I just can't think very clearly tonight...I will get back to your question...I promise! :)

days 37 through 39...

I'm coming to the end of my Lenten project of recording things I'm thankful for and I'm slacking on my last few days.  I have no good excuse for being three days behind, I just am.  I'm excited to be going to see family this weekend to celebrate Easter, we've been home for the last 3 weekends (which is so unlike us) so it is time for a little trip away.  I of course have a page long list of things I need to get packed and get ready, but in true Amber fashion I am procrastinating  and probably won't do it until tomorrow.  Bob had softball tonight so it has been just me and the kids all day, and while they have been pretty good (and even went to bed fairly easily tonight) I just have no energy to do anything extra.  Normally I'd have the dishes done and laundry put away but instead I'm sitting on the couch writing a blog post, watching a rerun of Grey's and reading a book (well not simultaneously...but you know).  Anyway, enough rambling...I'm hoping to have some pictures soon, I haven't taken my camera out for a long time, but this weekend...I promise!  Here is my thankful list for the last 3 days. 

day 37 (Tuesday 4/19)...

• no bedtime fights
• catching up on DVR
• leftovers for dinner (so I didn't have to cook)
• a short day at work
• a quiet night at home with the hubby

day 38 (Wednesday 4/20)...

• wearing a new dress (trying to will it to be spring)
• kids in good moods when I picked them up
• kids belly laughs while playing
• getting an advance reader copy of a book in the mail
• pizza for dinner (I didn't have to cook! I really like to cook normally, I just wasn't into it this week)

day 39 (Thursday 4/21)...

• a night with no bedtime fight
• watching American Idol with my girl
• kids picking up the toys without me yelling
• a long nap from Bryce
• a dinner with everyone ate and no one complained about (YAY!)

36 days and counting...

We've been struggling with sleep around here lately.  Bryce is still awake right now (and it has been at least this late for the last week or so) and he'll be up by 6 in the morning.  He's even cutting his naps from a normal 3ish  hours a day to 1 or less.  I don't know what to do.  I'm sure part of the struggle at night is that we have never really established a bedtime routine, but there has to be more to it than that.  Bryce has been out of his crib for a while and he can take down the gate himself...so we have no way to keep him in his room, he is a stubborn, stubborn boy!  Onto my thankful list for the day and then off to bed. 

• hearing the kids laugh while playing with daddy
• that everyone was happy with leftovers tonight so I didn't have to cook
• the cute smile Bryce has and the way he can make me smile even when I'm upset with him
• the sweet girl Brianna is
• how funny the kids are...they always keep me laughing just when I need it most

thankful day 35...

Whew...Sunday night already.  It was a good, quiet weekend and after the week we had it was much needed.  I'm trying to get mentally prepared for the week ahead but the impending weather (read: expected snow) is really bumming me out.  Although I'm completely looking forward to family time this coming weekend for Easter!  I know at some point I need to get back to writing about more than the things I'm thankful for but for now, that is about the extent of the thoughts I can put together.  So, to end my weekend, I give thanks...

• planning a weekend get-away with my mom and sister
• librarything and its member giveaways (I've won 6 ebooks over the last month...yay for free books!)
• a clean kitchen so I can go to bed guilt free and not have to deal with it in the morning
• a fairly calm week ahead (at least as far as I can see!)
• a weekend with lots of good family time and lots of smiles and laughs

I hope you all have a great week ahead and take the time to think about the things you are thankful for...it really does change your perspective on things. Much love.

day 34...

Today was a great day (aside from the weather...what the heck....isn't it supposed to be spring??  Did Mother Nature not get the memo?).  Everyone in this house is in some stage of illness, it stinks.  Bob went to the doctor today and is now on antibiotics, Brianna is still battling her cold, Bryce I think is finally on the upswing of his croup/cough/wheezing and I woke up with a sore throat.  Needless to say it was a good day to stay inside and try to recuperate!  All things considered though it was a really good day at home with the family!

• a game of candyland
• a game of chutes and ladders
• chili and fresh baked bread (the good thing that came out of this yucky weather!)
• a family movie with a bowl of popcorn
• a good book

day 32 and 33...

I am seriously still trying to get back on track from this week.  It is amazing how easily I get derailed.  So, here is a quick list of the things I'm thankful for.

• Bob and Nancy for taking Brianna on Wednesday and bringing her home yesterday
• a good nap from Bryce today
• it is finally Friday
• a chance to sleep in tomorrow morning
• a weekend with no real plans
• Bryce is feeling better and coughing a lot less
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows (part 1) out today
• April 15th is just another day for me (instead of it being a big deal..tax day)
• 2 canoe trips scheduled for this summer...dates are on the calendar
• kids tucked away in bed

day 30 and 31 (hospital version)

The last 2 days have been a complete mishmash of time.  I've slept for about 4 hours in the past 48, spent 5 hours in the ER and 8ish hours at the hospital pediatric short stay with Bryce.  I am tired, my brain is mush, but I am thankful my baby is feeling better (honestly you'd never know he had just gotten out of the hospital the way he is bouncing around here.  Mommy feels like the walking dead and he acts like he could run a marathon...go figure!)  The long and short of it is this...The kids were at Bob and Nancy’s yesterday because I had to work and they usually stay Tuesday night because I work Wednesday morning at a different job.  Bob and Nancy called to say that Bryce had started croupy coughing and asked if we could meet them to drop off the nebulizer.  Bob and I were eating dinner when they called again to say that Bryce was coughing a lot and was pretty miserable so we decided to pick the kids up and bring them home and I would stay home from work today.  We got him home, sat in the steam with him and gave him a nebulizer treatment.  He sounded pretty bad and we had already scheduled a doctors appointment for this morning so he fell asleep and we were just going to wait it out until morning.  He woke up about 11:00 and sounded much worse so we decided to take him to the ER.  I got to the ER and the lady behind the desk was doing something and then she stopped mid-sentence, looked at me and said “is that him?” she could hear him breathing from about 15 feet away.  His oxygen level and his heart rate were fine but he sounded awful, we were back in a room pretty much immediately after his name was entered into the computer.  We didn’t even sit in a waiting room.  He had 2 doses of steroids via nebulizer (not sure what they both were but one was basically adrenaline), an oral steroid, a chest x-ray, and a cool mist treatment.  About 3am they decided they were going to admit him for observation.  About 5am we got up to a room on the pediatric short stay floor.  The ER doctor told us we’d probably be home before lunch, the pediatrician on the floor said we’d probably be home mid-afternoon and the next doctor said we should probably be discharged today and shouldn’t probably have to stay overnight.  We ended up being discharged at 1:30 this afternoon.  Bryce is doing much better and running around like a crazy person.

So with that...my thankful list for the last 2 days!

day 30

• a productive day at work
• dinner out with my hubby
• in-laws bringing our sick kid home
• employer who is sweet and understanding that my kids always come first
• prompt attention in the ER

day 31

• an amazing ER nurse named Kevin
• an equally amazing respiratory therapist named Megan
• Deanna a sweet nurse in the pediatric short stay floor
• the overall amazing care Bryce was given
• to be home and able to sleep in my own bed tonight (hopefully)

On that note I think it is about time for this mama to head to bed. 

day 29...

It has been a long day, due to the fact that the kids got up super early and I got only about 4 hours of sleep last night...yuck.  But it has had some redeeming qualities. I hope you are all feeling as blessed and thankful tonight as I am.

• monthly work is done and billed, it is always nice to have that done
• the kids played together nicely all morning so I could finish my work
• for my mother-in-law, Nancy (Happy Birthday!)
• a family walk after dinner
• a stop at the park during the walk that didn't end up in whining or crying when it was time to leave

It truly is the little things in life that get you through.

sunday thanks (day 28)...

It was a gorgeous day out today.  We spend a good part of the morning outside, the kids riding bikes and driving the jeep, Bob working and me laying in the grass reading.  Pretty much my idea of a perfect Sunday.
We had a good weekend at home and I'm sad to see another weekend come to an end.  In addition to helping me appreciate the good things in life this little project has also helped me write (almost) everyday.  I guess I just need a "fall-back" project on those occasions where I can't think of anything to write, then maybe I won't go weeks without updating.  Without further ado, here are my Sunday thanks...

1. more beautiful weather to be outside, it just improves my mood tenfold
2. the guilt free clothes shopping I got to do thanks to a gift card for my birthday (thanks Bob and Nancy)
3. the little bit of additional shopping I did with only a little guilt :)
4. a project that I am doing and sending to my little cousin at her school
5. a Sunday at home with my family

On an additional note...the niece of a dear friend of mine was born today at 28 weeks.  Please keep their entire family in your prayers so that this sweet little girl stays strong and thrives and is home where she belongs as soon as possible.

thankful day 27...

It is way past my bedtime so short and sweet tonight.

1. when Bryce gets his cup out of the refrigerator he ALWAYS gets Brianna's hers as well and takes it to her
2. 2 showings today
3. a fun couple of hours spent at the library during said showings
4. a beautiful day to play outside
5. a family dinner (with the Carroll clan) and a fun (albeit chaotic) game of LIFE

thankful day 26...

Today (Friday) was a rough day...I struggled...I was angry...I was tired....but in the end I was also thankful.

1. watching Bryce do the "we did it" dance (the song at the end of Dora) HILARIOUS!
2. kids playing together (seriously is there anything that makes a mom happier than her kids playing together nicely?)
3. naptime (even though it was only an hour)
4. winning 3 ebooks in a giveaway
5. a bowl of icecream and a book to finish out the day

thankful day 25...

Are you all tired of my thankful posts yet?  :)  I will admit some days I have a hard time thinking of things to be thankful for, not because I don't have a lot to be thankful for but because my memory is not very good and by the end of the day pretty much stops working altogether.  I really just need to write things down throughout the day but..um...remember what I said about my memory...yeah it doesn't work much during the day either!  I realize some of the things I'm thankful for each day seem trivial and even silly, but I am trying very hard to appreciate the little things.  This wouldn't be a very effective project if everyday I said I was thankful for my family, our health, the roof over our head, our friends and the food on our table.  Don't get me wrong...I am so very thankful for those things and they are the things that I thank God for everyday.  So, this project is mostly about things that make me smile throughout the day or make my life a tiny bit easier.  (I'm not sure I really had to explain all of that but I guess I just wanted to write more than my list today!)  Without further ado...

1. my wireless on my computer has been working lately (it makes life just a little bit easier)
2. bryce stayed in bed when I put him to bed last night (although he didn't go to sleep until 2 hrs later)
3. taco night (there is never a fight about eating when it is taco night)
4. 3 house showings this week!
5. thunderstorms (I love thunderstorms and it is a telltale sign of spring for me)

thankful day 24 (in pictures...and maybe a few words)...

It has been a while since I've put up any pictures so I thought I'd do my thankful post tonight in pictures. (sorry they aren't the greatest photos, but hopefully they are good enough to convey why I'm thankful).

 beautiful birthday flowers

 yummy birthday cheesecake (we finally got to eat)

a new book

 sleeping beauty

  a not so sleeping prince

thankful day 23...

1. that my in-laws could take the kids early today so I could rest and try to kick this bug
2. that my employer is flexible and is letting me switch my day this week
3. that I was sick and home so I could quickly pick up the house for a showing today
4. that I got 2 uninterrupted hours to read at the library today
5. that I am feeling just about back to normal

thankful day 22 (the birthday edition...a day late)...

My thankful post for yesterday got sidelined because I somehow managed to pick up a stomach bug and spent the good part of my birthday laying on the couch willing myself not to get sick and praying for the moment when Bob got home from work.  Not exactly how I wanted the day to go.  But, even with the illness I am still so extrememly thankful for so many things...here are my top 5 for yesterday.

1. coming down the stairs and hearing Bryce say "MOMMY...IT IS YOUR BIRTHDAY!!"
2. the kids snuggling and cuddling with me throughout the day
3. my thoughtful daughter who drug her daddy out because she wanted to get me a special present
4. my wonderful husband who got me chicken noodle soup (even if I didn't eat it until today)
5. that God has truly blessed my 31 years on this earth

thankful day 21...

1. Bryce twirling my hair while laying by me this morning
2. the kids coloring at the table while we make out our meal and grocery lists
3. having a meal plan for the rest of the month
4. Bob grocery shopping
5. a nap

thankful day 20...

1. fairly well behaved kids at a birthday party
2. watching a movie with Brianna
3. hearing Brianna giggle (it is impossible not to smile)
4. watching Brianna hold her brother's hand and help him during the birthday party
5. my wireless is working on my computer again (for now :))

thankful day 19...

1. family movie night
2. watching the kids play wii together today
3. getting to bed early tonight
4. the weekend being here
5. my nice, warm, comfy bed (can you tell I'm tired tonight?)

a modern witch...

Lauren is a successful realtor in Chicago and is living a pretty calm and normal life until one day she is online ordering groceries and gets pulled into a chat room for witches.  Amused, although admittedly a little unnerved by this turn of events Lauren chalks the whole experience up to a strange fluke on the web.  Little does she know this encounter in the chat room will soon change her life forever.  A Modern Witch is a sweet, funny and heartfelt story of modern day witches.  I completely enjoyed this book (evidenced by the fact that I had to force myself to stop reading at 2am this morning, which I only fleetingly regretted as one kid was up at 5:30)  Check it out!

I received A Modern Witch by Debora Geary as a LibraryThing Member Giveaway.

jackson's toy story cake...

For those of you that didn't see this on facebook or in other pictures.  Here is Jackson's birthday cake.  Angie helped with the blocks (she did a great job and she now thinks I'm even crazier for thinking it is fun to decorate cakes) and I sculpted the figurines (except for Buzz and Woody)  My sculpting still needs some work but I really like the way Hamm turned out!

thankful day(s) 17 &18 and other randomness...

It really shouldn't be that hard to post everyday should it?  Lots of people do it...but for some reason I have a really hard time...guess it is my lack of discipline!  (or really by the time I sit down to write I am tired and/or hurried.)  ANYWAY, enough about all of that.  I don't have much new or exciting going on.  Our house has been on the market for a month now, we've had around 8 showings and our realtor tells us there are a couple of parties interested but no one is ready to "pull the trigger" yet.  This house selling stuff is definitely a huge test of patience on my part, but I know it will happen when the time is right.  Thanks to all of you who are thinking good thoughts for us...we appreciate it more than you know! 
(switching subjects entirely now)
Last week Bob gave me my birthday present (a little early so I could take it with me last weekend).  I am the proud owner of a nookcolor!  All of the begging, annoying, talking incessantly about it, subtle hints paid off!  I will never stop reading books, because I love the feel of a book in my hand and I love going to the library, BUT it is SOOO nice to have 20+ books at my fingertips while traveling.  I can just stick the nook in my purse and I have books!  No more packing 2, 3, even 4 books when I go somewhere (yes, I read that much, what can I say I love books!  I am reading my 26th book of this year right now...it is a sickness).  Anyway, this is definitely one of the best birthday presents ever and I can honestly say I have used it every day since I got it.  (I can also check email and facebook and even blog from it (although I haven't tried that yet).  Alright I need to wrap this up for tonight I have been waiting to watch Grey's so I didn't have to watch commercials, but now that the house is quiet it is time to watch!

1. illness that passed quickly with Brianna
2. that the illness only really affected her (and me a little)
3. a husband that keeps me on track of keeping this house picked up
4. a husband that definitely does more than his share of the housework
5. snuggling with Brianna today while Bryce napped (even though it only lasted a few minutes)
6. kids riding bikes
7. a weekend with only 1 planned activity
8. a new greys and private practice
9. thoughtful neighbors to seem genuinely sad that we are moving (at some point)(it really is a super neighborhood)
10. that the ones I loved are tucked into bed fast asleep

weekend with friends...

This past weekend I had the opportunity to get together with some great friends from high school.  We try to get together once a year for a girl's day at the spa.  This year it came at the perfect time.  Mom agreed to watch the kids while I went so we drove to Iowa on Thursday and Friday we spent the day with my friend, Jill and her kiddos (who are about the same age as Brianna & Bryce).  The kids had a great time together.  By Saturday morning, however, I was so ready to be off mommy duty for the day.  The spa was fantastic (as always) I just had a pedicure, but the first one of the year is always so great.  I'm definitely ready for spring now!!  After the spa we decided we were going to head out for the night, we went to a bar for a bit and had a great time laughing and catching up.  I really do have some amazing friends, life is just so much more happy and colorful with them in it.

With that...here is my thankful day 16...

1. a productive day at work
2. a short nap after dinner
3. Bob taking over bath duties
4. a dinner I didn't have to cook
5. the sun shining brightly today

thankful day 15...

Whew...I think I'm all caught up with this list.  I will try to post about my amazingly fun weekend with some great friends but for tonight this is all I can manage. :)

1. for the 2 hours of sleep I did get last night amongst the puking of one kid
2. a mostly uneventful drive home today
3. Bob making dinner
4. Bob taking the kids when he got home so I could lay down (see the 2 hrs of sleep above)
5. an easy night putting the kids to bed.

thankful day 14...

1. kids genuinely excited to see me
2. snuggling up with Bryce for a Sunday afternoon nap
3. a mom-made meal (seriously is there anything better?)
4. my kids had fun being babysat by my little cousin (who I used to babysit...I am old!)
5. that my parents let us invade their house for the weekend

thankful day 13...

I'm a few days behind what with traveling and sicklings...but there are still many things to be thankful for, so here we go!

1. the first pedicure of the year
2. old friends
3. laughing so hard you can't breathe
4. feeling right at home with friends you haven't seen in a year (or so)
5. some time to be just "Amber" and not mommy (for a little bit)

thankful day 12...

1. the smell of cookies baking
2. the kids playing nicely together (for now!)
3. a playdate with great friends
4. my parents (for so many, many reasons)
5. Brianna picking out clothes for herself and Bryce (so helpful)

thankful day 11...

(a little late...again!)

1. a fairly uneventful trip to Iowa with the kiddos by myself
2. a funny, sweet conversation with Brianna while Bryce was sleeping in the car
3. whenever Bryce sees someone has a "boo-boo" he runs over to kiss it
4. actually getting packed and out of the house yesterday (it wasn't looking too good for a while)
5. watching Brianna kiss her hand and then touch a picture of her daddy before going to bed last night and whispering "goodnight, I love you and miss you already".  (yes, I almost cried)

thankful day 10...

1. the way the kids hug each other in the morning, genuinely happy to see each other
2. kids sleeping until 8:30/9:00am
3. an early birthday present
4. a dinner filled with smiles and laughter
5. listening to Brianna read a book with her daddy.

After doing this for 10 days it is amazing how easily it is to find things I am thankful for.  Sometimes they are silly and sometimes they make my heart happy and make me tear up...but everyday I am reminded that for the 5 things I write here there are many many more that I don't.  I am a lucky, lucky girl!

zero waste success (sort of)...

Yesterday was Greening Sam and Avery's Zero Waste Day.  I personally took the challenge (because I wasn't with the rest of my family yesterday) and I am happy to say that I did not throw a single thing away yesterday.  We try to recycle as much as we can in this house, but i will admit we are paper product addicts.  Paper plates, napkins and paper towels are staples around here.  I've been trying hard to limit the paper plate use around here and have been mildly successful.  Yesterday I took my pop to work in my reusable cup and even though Bob and the kids weren't going to be home for dinner and I was very tempted to grab something on my way home I thought about how I would have to admit that I threw something away completely out of convenience and laziness, so I decided to have leftovers at home instead.  Thanks Abbie for this great challenge I know I will think more about what we throw away in this house and find ways we can reduce our waste!

thankful day 9...

1. a few hours of quiet before Bob and the kids got home
2. Bob bringing home Julie Ann's frozen yogurt as a surprise (YUM)
3. Mockingjay being available at the library
4. making it through zero waste day with zero waste
5. a very productive day at work

thankful day 8...

Always a day late and a dollar short! :)

1. crawling into bed at 7pm with a book
2. some of my favorite shows on the dvr
3. girl scout cookies (YUM!)
4. watching Bryce shoot baskets and when he almost makes it hearing him say "almost...I try again"
5. seeing Brianna's handwriting on a note that says I love you

thankful day 6 & 7...

Sorry I'm a bit late on these.  It was a crazy weekend on the road.  We traveled to my sister's house for my nephew's 3rd birthday.  We arrived on Friday night about 10:30.  Bryce decided it was good to play until 2am and then I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep at 5:30am.  We spent the morning making his cake and then had a great party (with really yummy food).  It was a whirlwind weekend, but so much fun.  Last night when we got home I was too tired to do much of anything, so I put my computer away, went to bed and read for a little bit and then went to sleep early.  So, after all of that explanation...here is my thankful list for the last couple of days.

1. spending time with family
2. safe travels for my family
3. a good book
4. that my nephews cake turned out pretty good
5. my kids playing with their cousins
6. the kids seeing their great-grandmas
7. lots of laughter
8. my sister
9. beautiful weather
10. a clean house to come home to

thankful day 5...

1. A long car ride to be able to have a real conversation with Bob
2. 2 hours of blissful quiet to end the drive
3. Bryce going pee in the potty today
4. A clean house for a unexpected house showing
5. Cakes that are baked and ready for me to decorate in the morning (thanks sis!)

thursday thanks...

I've been battling a massive headache all day so I don't have anything for you today except this.

1. Bryce giving my head a kiss when I said mommy's head hurt
2. Brianna dancing and singing around the living room
3. Hot showers
4. A dinner without fighting to get the kids to eat (who knew they'd love corned beef?)
5. Watching American Idol as a family and eating ice cream

What are you thankful for today?

wednesday thanks...a little late...

We went to Bob's volleyball game last night so it was 9pm when we got home and by the kids were in bed asleep I collapsed into bed.  So here is yesterday's thankful list.

1. being able to drive with the windows down
2. that the people that looked at our house yesterday showed up at 2 instead of 1:30 so I had 20 minutes to get the house looking presentable
3. that I listened to my voicemail when I did to find out there was a showing so I could clean up some
4. that the kids got to run and play outside yesterday while at grandma and papas
5. that even though Bryce was a bear last night going to bed as soon as he curled up by me he fell fast asleep

garbage and thanks...

Seriously I'm what on my 2nd day of giving thanks and I almost forgot.  Good grief!  My brain is swiss cheese right now so my title is not creative in the least.  But before I get my pjs on and crawl into bed I wanted to update you on my waste for today (it is just mine not everyone in my household since we weren't home together all day) and give you the five things I'm thankful for today.  So here we go...first the garbage...

1. tissue (crazy I never even think about throwing those away)
2. diaper (only 1 because Bryce was only home for the morning)
3. wrapper from the sandwich I had for lunch
4. 2 paper towels
5. convenience store coffee cup
6. candy bar wrapper

Looking at my list almost all of my trash came from using things that are convenient.  Planning ahead on days like these will serve me well in the future.  Normally I don't drink convenience store coffee or eat candy bars, but between jobs today I needed a little jolt.    Like I stated before this is not a typical day (well it is a typical Tuesday, just not a normal day where the kids and I are home all day) for us mostly because none of us were home and I don't know what my kids or husband threw away today, but I guess I have to start somewhere.

Now for my thankful list...

1. convenience store coffee
2. that I don't have to have a bedtime battle tonight
3. that my kids are safe and loved even though they aren't in our house tonight
4. that my in-laws graciously give up Tuesday afternoons/nights and Wednesdays to help us out with childcare
5. that I have readers that care what I'm thankful for
6. and a bonus thing I'm thankful for...spellcheck, because I cannot for the life of me spell convenience!

And with that I am heading to bed!  Until tomorrow friends!

zero waste day...

My friend Abbie over at Greening Sam and Avery is hosting a zero waste day next Tuesday.  Today she is having a "practice" day.  Today write down everything you throw away and then between now and next Tuesday try to figure out how to avoid throwing that same stuff away.  (Go over here to read her idea/details, she is much better at explaining than I am).  I'm going to try to do this.  In the spirit of full disclosure, Tuesdays aren't a typical day around our house because I work and the kids are gone for the afternoon/evening, BUT it is a start.  We will not be able to go completely waste free because Bryce is still in diapers, but maybe it will push me to get him potty trained, lets be honest I'm ready to be done with the diapers.  I encourage you all to try this out, I know I definitely need to be more mindful of what we throw away in this house.  I'll be back later to let you all know what I threw away today! 

monday blessings...

I so badly want to stay positive in this post...I feel like I'm such a whiner sometimes on here, I do realize how lucky I am in my life and everyday I'm thankful for it.  Today was mostly a good day...I would say the good definitely outweighed the bad.  I picked up another night of working for my old boss and potentially a new client to help out with some accounting.  After the repairs we've had to do in the last month the extra income is definitely welcome and appreciated.  I finished up my monthly work that I do for a client in Florida today and it was not as painful as I thought it would be. Then I actually got to do something creative and made some new jewelry for my sister while Bryce was napping and Brianna was supposed to be picking up the downstairs.  I feel good about the things I accomplished today, nothing big, but accomplishments none the less and for that I am grateful. (I guess maybe those positive thinking books I've been reading DO help!)

Writing this made me just have an idea.  Although I am a few days late on starting this I think this year my Lenten promise will be to come here each day and tell you all about the 5 things that I'm thankful for each day.  Maybe it will help me keep things in perspective much more often.  If you want, leave me a comment letting me know what you are thankful for, I would love to hear!  So here it goes for today...

I am thankful for...

1. employers who think enough of me to recommend me to their friends
2. the opportunity to help my family financially anyway I can
3. being able to snuggle with my baby boy and help us both get a few more minutes of sleep
4. a thank you from my kids and husband for making dinner
5. the excitement my baby girl has for learning to read

on the brink...

I am on the brink of complete exhaustion.  (Hi by the way...sorry I've neglected you for the last 6 days).  We spent the past weekend in the Peoria area with our friends Dawn, Chris & Hayden.  It was a much needed break from all things related to this house.  We had such a wonderful time, we went swimming (indoor pool...the warmest one I've ever been in!) and the kids loved it and it completely wore Bryce out.  He fell asleep in my arms before 7pm and he slept the whole night.  Both kids loved playing with Hayden and who wouldn't...he is the sweetest boy!  Bryce kept trying to hug him and Brianna loved playing with him and reading books to him.  It was just an amazingly relaxing day...thank you Miles family!!  On the way back home Sunday my old boss called and asked if I could help her out with a project, not being one to turn down some money at this point (we did just have 2 sizable repair bills in the last month) I said yes.  I headed over to the office at 5 and worked until 11.  Bryce was up Sunday night so I ended up having to sleep (or not sleep as the case may be) on the futon with him.  Tuesday and Wednesday I had my regular weekly work and then Wednesday night I helped my old boss out again until 11pm.  Today I am dragging and the kids have so much energy.  All I really want to do is curl up in bed with a book...but I don't think the kids will let me!  Must run...Bryce is trying to scale the wall right now, the energy of a two year old...if I could bottle and sell it I'd be a very rich woman right now!

brighter...

After yesterday's dramatic post, I feel the need to update you all on the fact that I'm doing much better.  Yesterday afternoon the kids were having hopping races into my arms (I was the finish line) and I felt the pieces go back together.  Let me explain a little about what happened...the injector pump went out in our basement a couple of weeks ago, so that was an unexpected repair (and expense), then this week our microwave died (which again, not a huge deal...just darn inconvenient), then Wednesday our furnace starting acting up.  We slept in a house with no heat that night (thankfully it wasn't too cold, but it was still cold enough).  Yesterday it got fixed, it again was nothing major but another repair/expense we weren't counting on.  Thankfully our furnace is in fine shape and we didn't have to replace it altogether.  Add all of those things onto a very long couple of days of work, putting the house on the market (and considering the market isn't great to begin with), trying to keep the house clean, and only 1 showing...it all gets to a girl you know? 
BUT, having a night home curled up on the couch with Bob and the kids has helped me pull it all together.  I know things will get better, things will work out the way they were meant to and I need to have some patience and trust that when the time is right things will go our way, and along the way I know I have the best friends and family to lean on.  I am such a lucky girl, I am surrounded by love...as long as I always remember that I know that I will always be able to put the pieces back together.

broken...

It inevitably happens, you get a rock to your windshield, a tiny chip in the thick glass.  A nuisance, but nothing to really get bent out of shape about.  You'll get it fixed, no problem...but time and life goes on and you forget, until one day you notice that from that chip there is now a tiny crack.  You again say you'll get it fixed while it is still fixable, while it is still no big deal.  But here comes life again and your tiny chip and small crack get pushed to the back burner yet again.  Suddenly you wake up one day, go out to your car and realize that over time that tiny chip has destroyed your windshield.  Little crack by tiny little crack, your windshield is broken.  All those things that were no big deal...suddenly when put together are a damn big deal. 
I feel like a windshield today, one that has been chipped away at, little crack by little crack. Nothing major is wrong, no catastrophic thing happened.  But today, all of the little things have shattered me.  I am not a positive person by nature, I have to consciously decide that I'm going to look at things on the bright side to find the positive where there seemingly isn't.  But today...today I only see darkness, the bad and the struggles.  Today there seems to be no sunshine or light at the end of the tunnel.  I am (mildly-unsuccessfully) willing the tears not to fall because I don't want the kids to see me broken.   Right now I don't know how to put myself back together. 

for sale...

Our house! Our house is for sale! It has been on the market for a few days now and we are slowly getting the hang of keeping the house clean all the time! This is quite an undertaking for a house with two kids...especially our kids! Other than realizing I'm a complete control freak and do not deal so well with things I have no say in, I am getting a big lesson in patience as well. It has been a rough week but I have faith that everything will work out and someone out there will love this house as much as we have. It is just a house, but so much of our story is wrapped up here. The place we came to when our babies came home from the hospital, where they took their first steps, said their first words...so many memories held forever inside these walls. We have loved it here, but it is time to move on...to find a place to better suit the family we have become. I'm so excited for this next chapter of our lives, but I'm also a little sad to be closing this one. Well...I will be once we actually sell! Right now...anyone want to buy our house? :)

(sorry for any spelling/grammatical errors...I'm writing this on Bob's iPod so give me a little leeway! :)

check me out...somewhere else...

Just popping in quick to say that I'm guest posting over at On My Bookshelf.  I reviewed the new Jodi Picoult book Sing You Home (which hits stores TODAY!) for my sweet friend Holly and it is up!  Go check it out!  And while you're at it, add On My Bookshelf to your regular blog hopping, they always have great suggestions of things to read!! 

monday...again...

Seriously people how in the world is it Monday already? When we are away for the weekend it goes by so quickly and I'm exhausted by the time Monday rolls around, when we are home for the weekend I feel like there is so much that needs to get done and caught up on that I'm exhausted by the time Monday rolls around. Apparently weekends just make me exhausted. They also cause our children to become less than pleasant by Sunday night. I didn't really come here to whine though (although that is a fabulous perk of having your own blog!)
We did have a good weekend, however fast it may have flown by! Bob and the kids played out in the snow (the little bit we had) on Saturday afternoon while I attempted to have a bit of quiet time. However since I kept getting requests to "look at me!" and the doorbell kept ringing (apparently that is a mighty fun thing to do when you're a kid...or 30!) I didn't get much quiet time. I did however take some pictures of the kids playing...through the window of course! Since Brianna is begging for a snack and Bryce is quiet in his room...for now, I'll just leave you with some pictures of the snow play.
Hope you all had a great weekend and have a great week ahead!

they begged to go outside and then complained the whole time we got them dressed

my little man

snow golf!

making it snow on himself

swinging

how can you help but love that face?

up to something

my snow princess

funny funny kid

snow sliding

Bryce needs a turn too!

late night stream of thought...

Tonight is one of those nights where I can't sleep, too much running through my brain, and I know that morning will come much too soon and I will not be ready for it, but I can't stop my brain.  So, maybe if I just write it out it will help me sleep.  So away we go, this will probably be in list format and I can't promise it will make sense so feel free to skip if you want!

• I just finished Because I Said So by Dawn Meehan. I have to tell you I LOVED it. It made me smile, laugh and even tear up. Totally worth your time to read. I read snippets to Bob because I swear that woman has a camera in our house. I could relate to almost all of what she said (especially the husband chapter) Our chaos is just on a smaller scale (she has six kids). Check it out!

• The next book I have on my to-be-read pile is Jodi Picoult's new book that doesn't come out until next week.  My sweet friend Holly got an advanced reader copy and gave it to me with the requirement that I write a book review for her book blog.  This makes me a little nervous because I'm not very good at book reviews I feel like I either give away too much or not enough, BUT  I'm super excited to have this book (yes I am a nerd) so I of course will give this review my best shot! :)
• I yelled a lot today, I'm not sure why...it almost felt like today was Monday.  Because we were gone all weekend and didn't get home until Monday afternoon and then rushing off to work Tuesday and Wednesday...I feel like I haven't breathed at all this week.  So today I had a short fuse and I am so mad at myself about it.  But I will try to do better tomorrow...er today!
• Does the crossover of extra characters on Grey's and Private Practice annoy anyone else?  On tonight's episode of Private Practice Andy (the patient with potential dissociative disorder) is the girl who also played a cancer patient on Grey's while Izzy was having treatment.  I probably wouldn't notice this except that this actress also played Paris on Gilmore Girls for years. 
• I watch Gilmore Girls everyday.  Did you know it is on everyday?  I have seen every episode of the entire series at least 6 times, and yet...I can't make myself delete it from my DVR recordings. 
• I apparently watch entirely too much TV (stop nodding your head Bob)
• Anyone else watch the first episode of the Real Housewives of Miami?  I'm not sure it will hold my attention, they all seem a bit loca. Although sometimes that makes for interesting TV.
• Army Wives starts back up next weekend...soo excited...that is one of my favorite shows ever!
• If you live in the St. Louis area and need/want some fantastic pictures of your kids...check this out. I love that there are such great giving people out there!
• There are some great giveaways going on out in blogland right now.  Check this and this out!
• Since I put the first five years of my blog into a book every time I link something I think about how that doesn't translate well onto a piece of paper. 
• I We got a new vacuum cleaner!  And it wasn't for a gift (although it was around Valentine's Day) :)  I'm pretty much in love with it, it is amazing how good your carpets can look when you actually have a vacuum cleaner that WORKS!
• Our real Valentine's Day gift to each other was having plumbers come over and installing a new injection pump in our laundry room/half bathroom.  Because of COURSE it quit working a couple of weeks ago.  We are nothing if not romantic. 
• I can tell that spring is coming because all of the sudden there are lots of things popping up on the calendar. 
• Sometimes I wonder why we own a house...we are rarely here, if it were possible for the 4 of us to live in a car together without killing each other it would probably be way more economical for us! 
• Totally kidding about the above...my laptop has sketchy (at best) wireless...how in the world could I go on without the internet...or the dvr.  I shudder at the thought.
• I love how twitter suggest people that you should follow, it sometimes feels like they are trying to tell me something.
• In other twitter related news it is amazing how you can tweet one thing and all of the sudden people are following you.  Before Christmas I tweeted that I was almost done Christmas shopping and next thing I knew there was this shopping thing following me.  Do they have someone just scouring twitter searching for keywords?
• Pretty sure I would be awesome at that job...sign me up!
• I have no idea what I'm even writing anymore...ha!

Now that I've convinced every last one of my readers that I'm crazy I think it is time for me to go to bed.  These kids will be up before I know it.
Goodnight blogland!

knox friends...

Is there really anything better than catching up with old friends?  If you've been around here much you know my love for Knox College and the people I met during my time there.  This past weekend we had the chance to catch up with some great friends in Wisconsin.  The funny thing is, that Bob was friends with Chris and Andrew in college where they played golf together, but I wasn't really friends with Holly and Abbie until later.  We have become friends through our husbands and our blogs and when we're together it feels like we have been friends for a very long time.  Our first real get together with these two families there was only 9 of us (and only 3 kids) this year there were 13 of us and the kids outnumbered the adults this time (7 kids to 6 adults).  The kids had a great time playing together as did the adults (board games and wii were played...there was much laughing).  We went on a couple walks to the creek....you can read about that here. We went bowling and just had lots of fun together.  I will upload all my pictures to shutterfly soon, but for now here are a couple from the weekend!

This last photo is borrowed from Holly! :)

almost forgot...

I can't believe I almost forgot this...
There is a great giveaway going on over at Lily Bella Photography.  It is so easy to enter...just "like" Lily Bella Photography and Tizzy Dee on facebook and then leave a comment stating that you "liked" them on the blog post (linked above) to enter. See...easy peasy!  The hats are adorable and I am just wondering if I win, do I want to keep the hat for myself or give it to Brianna?  :)  Go over and enter contest runs until March 5th!

shedd...

Friday the kids and I tagged along with Ben, Amanda, and Molly for a trip to Shedd Aquarium.  The kids and I had never been there before so we were pretty excited.  The kids loved the aquarium and were mostly well behaved during our time there. :)  Brianna said her favorite part of the aquarium was the whale and dolphin show we went to at the end and I think Bryce just liked everything, they stood in front of the first tank for about 15 minutes looking at the big turtle and the fish in the Caribbean tank.  We all had lots of fun.  Thanks again Ben and Amanda for the invitation to tag along!  Enjoy some pictures from the day!

the one with all the cake talk...

As promised...here are some cake decorating tips from little old me.  I in no way claim to be an expert at this sort of thing, I have learned by trial and error and I just enjoy baking and decorating (so there is my disclaimer).  Feel free to ask any questions on anything you want clarification on, I will try to put in as many details about products I use as I can, but I may miss something here or there, I would be happy to answer any questions you have! Without further ado...
I start with boxed cake mix.  You can of course make from scratch, I however save my time and energy for decorating and not making cake from scratch.  When I make a yellow cake, I like the butter cake mix, it just to me has a really good flavor.

Mix cake according to directions and pour into prepared pan.  I like to use the spray that has flour in it(there are several different brands they all work fine, I use whatever is cheapest).  It works great if you use generously on the pans, the cakes come right out and you don't have to worry about the cake cracking/breaking as you try to get them out of the pan.

Bake according to directions.  When they are finished baking, I like to let them sit in the pan for about 10 minutes before taking them out of the pan.  After they are removed from the pan, let them cool completely.

After the cakes have cooled completely you will need to level them out. 

Time to stack!  Normally I use a bigger plate, but it has cracked so I just used a regular plate, I think this cause the cake to be a little lopsided but it worked out OK.  Between the layers of cake you can put in any filling you like.  I've used pudding, frosting, fruit.  When using strawberries previously I would put a layer of cool whip then strawberries then cool whip, I was worried that the strawberries would make the cake soggy, but really it is up to you, the sky is the limit!  On this particular cake I used funfetti frosting.



After the cake is stacked it needs to be crumb coated/dirty iced.  It basically just keeps all the crumbs stuck to the cake so it doesn't get in the fondant, to fill in any of the gaps between the layers and to give the fondant something to stick to.  You want the cake to be covered but it doesn't need to be super thick.  (I just used store bought frosting)

After the cake is frosted, put it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to harden up the frosting.
Now it is time to start the decorating.  First thing you need to do is make fondant (you can buy fondant if you chose Michaels is a good place to get it).  This is the recipe I use. To cover this cake I used 24oz of marshmallows (so 1 1/2 times the recipe). 
Melt the marshmallows

The recipe says to mix in the powdered sugar by hand but I have found that you can use your mixer with the dough hook to do most of the messy mixing so that is what I do.

After it is mostly mixed (it takes a LOT of powdered sugar) you will need to knead the rest by hand. When kneading by hand you will need either solid shortening or non-stick spray to keep the fondant from sticking to your hands and the surface you're working on.

After it is kneaded you can add color.  I use food coloring gel (I got it at Michaels it is Wilton brand).  Knead the color into the fondant.

Roll out the fondant and then put on the cake.  Putting it on the cake is the trickiest part...a lot of this is trial and error but if you roll the sheet of fondant around the rolling pin you can sometimes transport the fondant to the cake relatively easily. 

After the cake is covered you can decorate it any way you want!  For this cake I was making a pond theme, so I used blue piping gel to make the pond and sculpted little frogs (not especially well) and lily pads from the leftover green fondant.  I used whole grain spaghetti with small pieces of brown fondant to make cattails and grey fondant to make some rocks.  Around the bottom of the cake I just colored some of the canned frosting green and piped on some grass.  (no need for piping bags or tips, just put the frosting in a ziplock and cut off one of the corners).  Here is the final product. 

I welcome any questions you have!  Hope this helps anyone who is looking for a few tips!  I will stress again I do not think I am an expert, by looking at the pictures you can see mistakes and flaws, I am just a girl who enjoys creating things.  Happy decorating!

my name is amber and i am a sporadic blogger...

Oh loves, are you feeling neglected?  I'm so sorry, things have been INSANE around here (hopefully in the next couple weeks I can fill you all in).  Here is the quick rundown...soo much going on, jobs (remember...I have 3 right now...4 if you count Bob and the kids :)), kids are great Brianna is actually at her first sleepover (at a non-family members house) tonight...my baby is growing up :(, Bob was in Boston for a few days last week, and we are excited to be visiting some great friends this coming week.  My mom is in town right now and I've been keeping her busy and working her like a dog.  (Don't worry, she isn't complaining...actually she is totally keeping me on task and for that and so many other reasons I love her).  My goal is to get a cake tutorial post up for my dear friend Abbie this week.  She asked for a tutorial in a previous post so I'm doing my best to fullfill her request (see ask and you shall receive)!  OK, I really must sleep now, morning will be here too soon!  Night night...I'll be back soon!!

(wow this post has too many parenthetical comments and WAY too many emoticons...yikes!)

the story of the birth certificate (or lack there of)...

Since I'm still in sort of a writer's block and in my previous post I mentioned that I didn't have a birth certificate until I was 18 I thought I would explain this little tidbit about me.

When I was 17-18 I lost my license somewhere.  I searched everywhere for that darn thing, cleaned out my car, my purses, looked around the places I worked and came up empty-handed.  So in order to get a replacement license you have to supply the DMV  (at least in Iowa) with two forms to prove who you are.  No biggie, I had a social security card and my birth certificate from the county (I think, right mom?)  So when we took them in they told us that they needed an official copy of the birth certificate from the state. Mom called (or wrote or whatever you have to do) to request a copy of my birth certificate.  They said they didn't have a birth certificate for me.  They asked her if she was sure that was my birth date, she assured them that that was in fact the day I was born.  They informed her they had no records of any births that day for the whole county (I think...or at least the hospital I was born at).  They told her that I would need to apply for a delayed certificate of birth.  My mom (the saint) filled out all the paperwork and got all of the information they requested (huge pain in the ass, right mom?) and about nine months later (I think in the middle of this we did eventually end up getting enough information to replace my license) I finally had a birth certificate and existed in the eyes of the state of Iowa.  Ironically about a week after I finally got issued a replacement license the old one was found.  Thankfully, this all happened when it did, I can't imagine going through all of that when we were applying for a marriage license.  I'm just wondering why the state was taking my money all of those years since apparently I didn't exist...I think I deserve a refund!! :)

(OK that wasn't a very exciting story written out, but that is what you get when I can't think of anything else to write about! :))

i'd like to thank the academy...

Actually...I'd like to thank the beautiful and talented Abbie over at Greening Sam & Avery for this award.  I feel a little less than stylish right now sitting in my paint-covered sweatpants, t-shirt and unwashed hair...but I'm blaming the blizzard on me not looking stylish today.  :) 

Now onto following the rules of acceptance -

1) Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award.
2) Share 7 things about yourself
3) Award 15 recently discovered great blogs/bloggers (The Versatile Blogger guideline was different the first time I received it so feel free to choose 10 or 15)
4) Contact the bloggers to tell them about the award

Hmm...what seven things shall I tell you my beautiful (and handsome) readers?  OK here it goes, hope this gives you a bit of entertainment if you are trapped inside like I am on this beautiful blizzardy (yes, that is totally a word!) day.

1. According to the State of Iowa I didn't exist until age 18 when I (OK really my mom) applied to get me a delayed certificate of birth.  They actually asked her if she was sure that was my birthday!
2. I feel completely socially awkward most of the time.
3. I am terrible at making new friends, but love meeting new people.
4. I have an unhealthy addiction to Reality TV.
5. I am a crier (at both happy and sad things).
6. I read 7 books during the month of January.
7. I am a night owl...I see 2am more often than I should.

Well, I'm not sure those are the most interesting things, but my brain feels like it is on a snow day as well!  Let's see...who to pass along this award to?  OK here are the people I think you should add to your Reader or bookmark (since probably 1/3 of the ones Abbie posted I love too!)!

1. The Creech Family
2. WantNot 
3. Woulda Coulda Shoulda
4. Joy Unexpected
5. The Spohrs are Multiplying
6. Curvy Girl Guide
7. the unwrapping
8. A Southern Fairytale
9. Notes From the Trenches
10. On My Bookshelf

Happy Reading!!