New Pics

Samuel standing, but not walking.

Sam and Little C fighting in the nursery.
Sam and Little C posing, notice how much bigger C is, they were due days apart and born on the same day.

Look what my husband bought me....

It is totally amazing! I love the pictures I've been taking, though they are just silly right now because I got it late tonight while at my ladies craft night.

I'm going to love this! Videos, much better quality and way easier to adjust the settings than I had before. I really like the low light setting because I always have trouble getting good pics in the church and it worked great down in the basement tonight.

All because I wrote a payperpost about digital cameras. OK, not all because, since I actually have been missing my camera for 6 weeks AND I have a baby who is about to start walking. That's right, Sam took his first steps this week at 11 months old. But he has NO, as in ZERO, interest in walking. He does stand and check things out, but then he realizes he is standing and sits down.

Love Letters to a Child

(This contest has now ended)
Tracey Finck is a wonderful lady and I am so glad to know her personally. Her daughter was my daughter's very first friend when we moved to Minnesota and Tracey befriended me and introduced me to a Bible study group.
When I found out she had written a book I was so excited! I called her and asked if I could promote her book and have a give-away. Tracey has generously offered to give away an autographed copy of her book Love Letters to a Child: A Resource for Parents and Grandparents. Here is some information about the book:

Do you long to connect deeply with your children? To have a positive impact on their lives? To celebrate successes and discoveries as well as ordinary moments spent together? If this is what you want, but the distractions of daily life get in the way, then this book is for you.

Writing a love letter or making an entry in a journal for your child takes only 10 minutes and is an effective way to
Affirm your child’s uniqueness as a creation of God
Bond with your child
Celebrate and encourage character growth
Document milestones in your child’s spiritual journey
Establish a family legacy

This book provides examples and ideas to get you started. Years from now you’ll be glad you did.

You can find the book at Amazon or with the publisher Winepressbooks. I know you are going to love this book, my friend Nikki is using it now and has a review up on her blog.

To win an autographed copy of Tracey's book:
1. Leave a comment for one entry.
2. Link to the contest post for a second entry.

The give-away ends October 14, and the winner will be announced on October 15th. Please leave a way to be reached, blog or email, so that we can contact you if you win. I'll wait 3 days for a response before I pick a different winner.

This contest has ended.

Digital Cameras

I love taking pictures of my kids and family. I am really bad at getting pictures developed, though. So when we got our first digital camera it was amazing! We were able to see pictures and share them right away, instead of a year later when I found the film and developed 12 roles at once.

It is also fun to see what the kids take pictures of when I am not around. I find weird things in camera, such as this snow globe posing.
Now that my camera has been missing for almost 2 months, I've given up hope of finding it until we buy a new camera. So that is on my Christmas wish list. Maybe the Canon PowerShot A560, which is priced right, but I also love being able to take short videos on the camera that I am missing. But this camera also looks amazing and has a $100 savings this week, Nikon Coolpix P3 Digital Camera.
Another thing I would like to get are digital picture frames. They are like a digital photo album in a frame. You load the pictures you want to display into the frame and the pictures move through like a slide show. Those would make a really nice gift for the grandparents who have everything. Get pictures of all the grandkids and make a nice slide show for them to display.
I also love the idea of a digital picture frame keychain because I could easily carry 60 pictures of my kids around with me all the time.
If you're interested in buying a digital
camera, first thing you should do is compare prices
on different brands. When you compare prices
on Sony
digital cameras and other things like a cheap
laptop, you'll be able to save money.

Thursday Thirteen~ Silver Linings

13 Silver Linings

1. I have the best friends.
2. I have the best job!
3. My church is filled with fantastic believers that bless my socks off.
4. My in-laws live near us now- this IS a good thing, for our kids, us and them.
5. Our furnace may have died when the power was "accidentally" cut off, but it didn't happen during the cold season and it is CHEAP to fix, praise God!
6. We are getting a foreign exchange student for 2 weeks, it will motivate us to do some deep cleaning and make for a great hospitality opportunity.
7. Our freezer may be going wacko, but we have a deep freeze to fall back on.
8. Our transportation may be trying to die on us, which keeps us from being able to work on our ministry opportunities, but God has provided ways for us to get around, or even have meetings in our home.
9. My washer and dryer died, and I had to do a TON of laundry at the laundromat, but I met a woman there who I was able to encourage a great deal, she called me an angel sent by God.
10. And I can use my laundry as an excuse to go see my friends, girl time!!!
11. My working has been a great opportunity for me to bring in some extra money at just the right time, but also I believe there is a bigger purpose, and it is a blessing to me.
12. Someone is going through a really rough time right now, for years, actually, but through that sacrifice some children are getting a good life they wouldn't have been able to have. Love and stability and normalcy.
13. I have a great husband and terrific kids! The biggest blessing of all!

Check out my give-away for a terrific book on journaling for your children!

Whats up with men?

I have been working so much lately. Not that it is anywhere near the amount that Donnie works, but it is still a ton for me with still having to do the rest of the things I have to do. So yesterday, even though my house looked worse than a tornado had gone through there (tornadoes don't dirty your dishes), I decided that I was not going to do anything on my day off. And I didn't, include getting dressed. Until Donnie called me at 4:30 and told me that his men's group was at our house at 7. I knew it would take a super hero to get my house clean in time! But we worked so hard, and it was a lot of work, but we got the main rooms that they would be in clean, and I though they looked pretty nice. I even ran a mop over the bad spots, sprayed pretty smelling stuff around, took all sorts of computer part boxes and stuff out of the room. I could not get the kitchen decent because I was missing two kids and it took us so long just to do the rest of the rooms. But they don't go in there anyway.
Afterwards I asked Donnie how it was and he said "It was alright." He doesn't get why that made me mad, he said it was "alright." I'm sorry, I worked my butt off on my only day off because you couldn't tell me two weeks ago that it was here, and its only "alright?" How about "Man, you worked hard! I know how bad it was, thanks so much!" Nope, I should have done a better job on the desks and not let our bedroom door be open the 1 inch it was and so on. Am I mad? You bet! Kaytlin totally agreed with me, and Devon even said he agreed, and he hadn't been home to help us. If he were smart, which obviously he isn't when it comes to women, but if he were, he'd bring home chocolate tonight.

Our praise is that we had a friend look at the furnace tonight and it will probably not cost even $50 to get it fixed, if the transformer is the only problem. We expect it to be the only problem, because that makes sense for it to be that part because it died after the power company cut our power off and turned it back on. ("accidentally" of course!) Think they'll pay for it? I don't think so either. But I am thrilled that it isn't going to be a huge expense for us!

Strangely enough, we got a last minute foreign exchange student coming to stay with us. I'm debating on whether we should have him stay the full 3 weeks, or let him stay with a teacher for one week and with us for 2. He flies in on Saturday! The plan is for us to get him after a week, that will give us time to get rooms ready, we need to put a second bed in Drew's room. He's from Germany and Devon is so excited. He loves taking German, and we thought it would be way too difficult for him.

Where to start........

I could tell you all how horrible my day has been, starting with waking up and finding my blow dryer will not work in any plug in the house for more than 2 seconds, and then find my curling iron has been taken apart by some little terrors, so I have to throw it away and go to work ugly, then on lunch break my mom calls and tells me something horrible that happened to her and I can't help her, and then went to the orthodontist and found that the surgery for Kaytlin's braces is going to cost extra beyond the $5000 AND she will have to wear a retainer forever, and then we drove around the cities for practice driving and on our way home the van broke down, and we called AAA and they came out and got the van on a tow truck and when we went to leave in the car, (Donnie was following us home) the car battery died from the hazard lights being on, so another tow truck with a battery jumper had to be called.

But instead I am going to tell you a praise and something funny. Besides praising God that we have AAA, which I will buy forever now, Donnie was with me and I didn't have to deal with it alone with 3 kids! And I got Kaytlin a great winter jacket for only $25 at Plato's Closet! And I am working, so maybe we can fix at least the car, if not the van.
So, after the ortho Kaytlin, Sam, Trinity and I are sitting in Dairy Queen eating ice cream. I'm pretty busy dealing with Sam and his new discovery of being horrible. There are 4 teens sitting near us, I think they are all boys, Kaytlin says only 2 were boys, but if they were girls they were very masculine boys with no b00bs and boy clothes and faces and hair, and there were a couple of teens ordering and several teens working. Then it was us. So out of the blue Trinity loudly says "Mommy has a baby in her tummy!" (which is not true that I know of, btw) And then she says something unintelligible followed by "and my Mommy's b00bies!" said EXTREMELY loudly as only a 3yo can. Those boys were trying so hard not to die from the laughter they were chocking back! Kaytlin's face hit the table, literally. And I just smiled and kept cleaning Sam up, and then the table and on until we could quickly get out of there so the boys could guffaw as much as they wanted to.

When we got home I was feeding Sam some cereal, since we discovered that is the cure for him not sleeping at night!!!!!!! And when I go to give him a bite he barely opens his lips and sucks the food off the spoon. It is very aggravating. So I told him to say "Ahhh" and he did! He was so thrilled to be able to talk to me! Finally I am speaking his language! But why am I shoveling a spoonful of food into his mouth every time he tries to talk to me? LOL The first few bites he was shocked, he'd open his mouth and I'd shove in a spoonful. Eventually he got the hang of it, and then started spitting it out, much to the amusement of Trinity.
But its all worth it, Sam is not only ASLEEP at NIGHT, but he is sleeping in his CRIB!!!!!! I get to sleep in tomorrow, so I am happy.

A few funnies for my faithful readers

I am so busy right now! I feel like I'm neglecting my friends in blogland! I'm sure I'll be back to my old posting in another week. I have one more week of extra work. I worked Wed-Sat this week and Mon, Wed-Frid next week, with Sunday busy with church and Tuesday busy with meetings for 2 of my kids' schools.

Friday night was Karaoke so I went to change my shirt before leaving, if you remember there is all sorts of snot, dirt and food on me at all times. I locked the door to my room because my door doesn't stay shut and the boys were in the living room. (my house is crooked, so the door falls open, lol) Trinity went crazy because she wanted in, but it would take longer to let her in and relock the door than to just change, and besides, she shouldn't be rewarded for a tantrum, right? So when I came out I asked her why she was freaking out. She said she wanted to come in with me. I said "All I did was change my shirt." Trinity said "Oh, now you're wearing a white and blonde shirt!" Yes, I was wearing a white and tan striped sweater! LOL It was so cute.

Tonight I was talking about giving Sam something for his runny nose. Trinity said she needed medicine. I asked her where she was sick and she said her tummy was sick. I told her she was making it up. She said "I'm not making it up, I'm making it down. Right out my butt." Totally serious!

And earlier tonight I took Sam's clothes off for a breather because the kids hadn't changed his diaper enough while I was gone. We were on the couch and he reaches over to get Drew's school planner, puts it right under his pee shooter and uses the paper to aim his pee right onto my back.

Check this guy out!

The blog is not finished yet but you should stop in and read his post and leave a nice comment. This is a blog about a local superhero that happens to reside in my house. I am his cape washer. And he really DOES have a cape. He had it tailor-made for himself. I'm searching for a picture of him in his cape, but I don't have one on this computer. When we get one we'll put it on his blog.
Go check out the guy Behind the Cape.

Thursday Thirteen 13 reasons for missing WW

Thirteen Reasons Why I Missed Doing My Wordless Wednesday Yesterday 1. 18 loads of laundry I did on Tuesday night. 2. I had to work on Wednesday, which is not normal for me. 3. Samuel "sleeps" in my bed, but his version of sleep is not the same as mine. I like to actually get to sleep. He fusses ALL night long, for a week now. (he finally settled down at 5:45am, just when I had to get out of bed to go to work) 4. If I do get to sleep, Sam bites me in my sleep. I wake up screaming in pain. 5. I have 7 kids. 6. I have 2 kids in football right now. Not on the same team. 7. I had to go grocery shopping. 8. We had MOMs group on Tuesday morning, being busy distracts me and I lose focus. 9. I am so tired. 10. Did I mention the 18 loads of laundry? Ok, how about the fact that I had to load them in the van, out of the van, in the washers and dryers, fold them, put them back in the van and bring them home? The kids unloaded them. 11. Trying to keep track of what I had to do this week was enough for my brain, that just slipped. 12. I met Beverly Lewis this week! I was star struck. 13. I have 7 kids with activities, babysit, temp work, football games, house work, wifey stuff, friends, Women's ministry leader, spoke to the youth group, wrote my column and Once a month cooking tonight.

My game with the teens

In order to gain teenage workers in the technical and sound boards at church (otherwise known as the audio visual guys) I was to make an announcement to the youth group. Well, I knew that a bunch of teens didn't want to listen to me, so I had to do something interesting.
I called up 5 boys that run the system. I then pulled out $1 and said that I would give it to whomever can tell me what the people standing up on stage had in common. They're all boys? Nope, I am not a boy! All sorts of guesses, everyone has blue eyes, everyone is wearing a shirt, blah blah blah, lol. No one got that we could all run the computer system. Not even the boys I called up.
I wanted to show them that you didn't need to be a certain type of person (computer nerd) to learn it. I told them how these boys now have something wonderful to put on their college apps and resumes. Trying to entice them into a mentorship.
I hope it works!

Washers, boogers, and teens, Oh My!

I subbed for our church secretary today. That is always fun. I love working at the church. My bosses are not insane, and believe me, that is a problem, I've had insane bosses before.
Tomorrow and Friday I babysit, which I love doing.
And then Monday I'm back at the church.

Tonight I am going to attempt to gain my husband some help in the technical aspect of his job at church. I'm going to speak to the teens and try to coax them into WANTING to work the cameras and computer. Yes, I think they will want to do it! I'm going to first gain their attention. Because they ARE teens, they will not want to pay attention to what a 36yo woman has to say, right? I am going to play a little game with them. I'll blog about it if it goes well.

Yesterday I took my abundance of laundry to the laundromat. I took pics, I'll have to upload them when I have a chance. (yeah, right!) But seriously, I counted washing machines, and I used 18. They are much smaller than I would do for a load in my washer, though. It is weird, I thought they would have larger washers. I did decide I do not want a front loader. I'm too stupid to have one. I would load up the soap and start it without putting the clothes in and then I wouldn't be able to get the clothes in until it was done. Really. I often start loads and then find things to add to it, I couldn't do that if I had a front loader.
I also found out that I am the worst person for stained clothes. Why?? Because everyone wipes their noses, faces, hands, feet, boogers, food, drinks, all over me when they touch me, hug me, steal my food and chug my soda. Then add my own natural grace at eating, and it is a recipe for disaster. I'm going to go all black. Black sweat clothes.

The HPV Vaccine

I got this in an email today: Absurd Vaccine Marketing -- Cervical Cancer Vaccinations for Boys.
The big drug company, Merck, is trying to get boys to have the vaccine to prevent the virus that causes some cervical cancers because if they have oral sex with a girl who has the virus they *might* get throat cancer.

This is getting to the point that people have to see that vaccines are not for our health but for money. The people who get vaccine injuries are a higher number than the women who die from cervical cancer that came from the HPV. The vaccine only covers 4 viruses out of 100 that cause cervical cancer, and it doesn't completely protect against those 4. (vaccines are only 80% effective) Girls have already died from the vaccine, others have been hospitalized.
Lets add boys to the mix. Why? Money. The vaccine hadn't even been fully tested before it was approved. It hasn't been around long enough to know what it is going to do to these girls when they start having children. They do know it is causing infertility. What could it do to their babies? What is it going to do to boys?

Then there is this article: Vaccine tied to 'superbug' ear infection.

Things I have learned about parenting~ part 1

There are many things you can do to prepare to be a parent. You can learn to change diapers, how to prepare a bottle, and even take CPR. You can even read tons of books on getting your child to sleep at night, how to potty train, and gentle discipline.
But there are things you just have to learn on your own. Things books can't teach you. And things you really can't teach others because each child is unique. Ok, so you may have a text book child, but keep going and you are bound to get one that doesn't fit anything you've read about.
I have learned the kids make up their own rules. Trinity let a big fart rip last night and after she got done with her huge guffaw I asked her what you say after you fart. She said "Essuu...ora." I wasn't sure what she was saying, but I knew it didn't end in "me" like it should. So I told her to say "Excuse me" and she said "No, I say 'Dora!'"
I learned that whatever you enjoy they will destroy. I used to collect glass vases, the more beautiful etching the better. One day I heard a horrid sound of breaking glass when Drew was about 1 1/2yo. I went running to find the sound and saw Drew standing there in only a diaper, bare feet, surrounded by glass. And he was gleefully smashing vase after vase. I couldn't yell to get him to stop because I didn't want him to take off running and get his feet cut up.
I learned never to fall asleep before your kids. (as a bonus lesson I learned not to talk in my sleep!) My friend Sheree was letting her little 2yo brush her hair while they watched some TV together. She was so relaxed that she fell asleep. Later she woke up and found her hair laying next to her. Not attached to her head. She was so devastated that he had cut her hair off! She started to yell at him through the tears and he started crying "But I asked! You said I could!" Mmmhmm. She gave him permission to cut her hair in her sleep! Sometimes God teaches us through other people, thankfully!
I have learned that kids are very sneaky and love getting their siblings in trouble very, very early. When sweet little Kaytlin was born Drew seemed to be a little jealous, because when we'd leave the room he was hurting her, making her cry. So when she'd cry we'd yell at him. Grandma came to visit us and she was watching them from just out of the room. Kaytlin was alone in the playpen and Drew came in the room, walked right by the playpen and Kaytlin started screaming like he'd stuck her with a pin! Donnie and I started yelling at Drew. Kaytlin started grinning from ear to ear. She was 5 months old. But she was not the exception. Lately Trinity has been on a baby kick, drinking Sam's bottles and such. Devon was getting mad at her and yelled at her for it. He turned away. I watched Sam dangle the bottle in front of Trinity and give it to her. Then he started screeching and Devon started to go after Trinity! And Sam stopped screeching and smiled.

What have you learned about parenting that books don't teach you? I have lots more that I'll eventually post, I don't want to get too windy here.

Trinity and Sam pictures

My Reversal Miracles!Little hams!

Aren't they cute?

Spiderman!

We met Beverly Lewis!

The girls were so excited to meet Beverly Lewis! They even ended up with a fourth friend with us. Mrs. Lewis was so sweet and wonderful, just a gentle spirit. She told Leah that she loved her name, and it made Leah's day. The girls are: Kaytlin, Rachel, Beverly Lewis, Samantha and Leah.
Here is my pic with Mrs. Lewis. And a babywearing pic, at that! Trinity is in the corner down there. Sam looks miserable, it was very warm today, and we did not dress for that. He did really good up until right after this picture was taken.
I will review the two new books we bought when I am done with them.

Today is the day!

Kaytlin and her friends Samantha and Rachelle and I are going to go see Beverly Lewis! The girls are getting out of school early and we are going to a book signing! Now if only I could find my camera............ Please, Lord? Please, can you direct me to it? Thank you!! (and I do realize I will have to get off this computer in order for that to happen.)



I have a TON of laundry to do. I was going to go to the laundromat today, but I'll probably have to do it this evening. Or tomorrow. I don't want to still be there when I need to get the girls for the book signing, and I have to get to Devon's football game after we get back. The laundromat closes at 9pm, though. So maybe it will have to wait until tomorrow. It looks like rain today, so I can't get things on the line. I guess I can take the diapers up to get them dry in a dryer. One load to dry wouldn't be too much time.



On Saturday I went to the Salvation Army thrift store and got a bunch of clothes! I got 4-5 pairs of pants, 5 shirts and a vest for Sam, a vest and a dress coat for Kaytlin, a winter coat for Hope-Anne and 4 sweaters and a sweatshirt for myself for under $36! I was looking for warm blanket pajamas for the little two because its cool out and we haven't had the furnace looked at yet, so I want to keep them warm in the house. I ended up getting them new jammies at Walmart, 2 pair for $9.77. Not bad. I'd prefer to get them for $1, but you can't get everything you want, right?



And then I found out there are videos of both of my teen boys that I MUST see and put online! I have to track down the owners of the videos! Devon did a "Big Stranger Rodeo" stunt this weekend. I have told him not to do it, I don't want him jumping on some poor guy with a bad back or a heart condition. But he got a 20yo young guy. I want to see it.

Drew and Kaytlin had to do a video for French class. They were supposed to interview a celebrity, in French, I assume. But anyway, Kaytlin's group is doing Lucille Ball. Drew's group decided on Brittany Spears. Guess who they had dress up and be Brittany? Oh yes!!!! I am going to get the video!!! Hey, John Travolta dressed up as an old fat lady, Drew can still be famous and cool, right? I planned to post it on here, but Drew said if I do get it and post it, he'll shut my blog down and lose everything on me. I'll have to find a really, really good password if I get my hands on that video!

The things she says..........

Trinity, of course!

Trinity "I want a ketchup toy! Can I have a ketchup toy?"
That means a happy meal toy. I don't know why, she hates ketchup with a passion and won't even eat if there is ketchup on her plate.

Tonight she stayed up late watching a princessy movie with Kaytlin. Then she wanted to watch another princess movie. I told her no, she needed to go to bed, not watch another long movie. So she asked what she could watch. I said "You can watch the insides of your eyelids." She said "No, I don't want to do that. That's not fun."
So smart already!

Free Piano Lessons online

We want all of our kids to learn to play an instrument. Generally, it is best to start with the piano and move on from there if you want. Hope-Anne is our next child to learn piano, but affording lessons is so hard with our family size and all the activities that we have going on.
I found that there is a Piano Chords Blog that gives lessons free online. The author teaches about chords and chord progressions as well as things like music theory, transposition, modulation, improvisation and sheet music lessons. I really like that he has videos to actually let you see what you should be doing from a view that you would see if you were sitting at the keyboard. He talks you through the lesson while playing examples of what he is teaching.
The author does not just teach the basics, he also talks about all sorts of other aspects besides the actual playing, such as the elements of music: melody, harmony and rhythm .
Our keyboard is going to be moving into the living room for some much needed lessons at a price we can afford! I wonder if this will inspire some of the other kids to pick piano back up.

I'm in heaven!

I have a love/hate relationship with a certain fast food place. I love to eat their food, when its good. But I hate their service. They mess up our order all the time. Seriously, if they get it right, I call the manager to thank them. 9 out of 10 times it is wrong. They have improved recently, but it is still bad. On their side, if the order is just one meal, they generally get it right. But if it is more than one burger and fries they screw something up.
I happen to be a mystery shopper, or secret shopper, if you will.
I happen to have finally found a company that does their restaurant. And I happen to have gotten the shop.

And they stunk! Yippee!!!! They got the order right, but it was cold, messy, and took too long. haha! I know, I'm mean, but seriously, they need some help. I have been saying for years that I should go work there and teach people how to read the receipt. It is that bad.
So, why am I in heaven? I got to secretly shop a restaurant that is notorious for bad service, and they stunk and I got to report it and get PAID to do it! Oh, yeah, I'm happy!

Paper Face

I babysit 2yo twin boys. Their dad told me something that happened at their house after I told him why his boys had green finger nails and toenails.
Twin 1 wrote all over Twin 2's face with markers during nap time. Twin 2 said "I don't know why he wrote on my face, I don't even look like paper."

Ladies Night Out~ Quelf Edition

I know my peeps are checkin' my blog to see what I had to say about last night's Ladies Night Out. We played Quelf. 'Nuff said.

Ok, You know I'm way too windy for that! But for the record, what happens at Ladies Night, stays at Ladies Night. I can only talk about Sarah, Jody and Jeannie, because they are my friends and they have to forgive me, and the people who don't read my blog who were there, because they won't find out. (just kidding)

Yesterday I found out that the youth pastor did not look at the calendar when he planned an activity with the teens. We've been on there for oh, a YEAR. We would have moved somewhere else if we'd known and had time to announce it. So we were just going to have to share the church with a few (hundred) teens. Teens, don't go through the kitchen area. Did they care? Not so much. They'd come in, we'd tell them to get out. "We're just going through." "No, your not. Get out." Over and over and over. So I put up signs on the doors. "Do NOT Enter. Do not walk through. Do not use this bathroom. Jesus Loves You!" But did they care? Nope, they kept walking in. And we kept telling them to GET OUT. Other than that, we were left alone.

So, we had a noob there. Broke her in good. Really, everyone enjoyed the game and humiliated themselves willingly. It was fun. The food was awesome, again.

We have this new secretary at the church and she writes the bulletins and stuff. Her name is Michal. Yes, its a boy's name. Anyways, we told her to write "same bat time, same bat channel" for our announcement. She totally goes all out and writes the funniest stuff, it keeps us cracking up all the time. So, for this week's announcement she wrote the time "7:30-past curfew." We are out until midnight, 1am, 2am.... It cracked people up. I should make Mondays "Michal's Monday" and write the funny stuff she's put in the bulletin, or the announcements, or the newsletter, lol.

Why are you still here? Are you thinking I might post what some of the Quelf cards were? The embarrassing things we had to do? I can't do that! Nicky wouldn't want me to tell about the crazy chicken dance she did. And I'm sure Paula wouldn't want me to tell everyone that she had to ask her foot's permission to speak. And I definitely don't want to talk about how I had to read every card like a hell-fire and damnation preacher. And Anna had to sit in my lap until her next turn, she wouldn't like it if I blabbed that. Man, you guys are so nosey!

Today I have become something new

Today I became the parent of an adult. This is new territory for me. While I am proud of Drew, I am not looking forward to the new challenges.
AnDrew Jaimes was born September 14, 1989 in Landstuhl, Germany. I woke up one morning a week before my due date with a very wet bed. I thought he must have kicked my bladder and I wet the bed. But no, it was my water. I called my husband's work, but since they didn't have office phones I had to call a payphone in the hall and hope the person answering it knew who he was. A Colonel answered the phone and I asked for Donnie, and he asked if it was "time." I said it was, but that I just needed Donnie to call home. I started getting ready, waiting for him to call. I wasn't even having contractions. A few minutes later Donnie comes bursting in the door! He started throwing my maternity clothes in the suitcase, no undergarments or pajamas and nothing I could wear after having a baby, lol. And he had left the car running, which isn't legal in Germany. I calmed him down and we got ready more slowly. It wasn't an easy labor and an even more traumatic birth, followed by a 16 day separation in different hospitals. But after we were brought back together, everything went wonderfully. He took right to nursing.
Drew grew so cute and big and special to us. He didn't like to talk until he knew a word perfectly, but he did have one word he would say that made no sense at all. Whenever he wanted to ask a question, no matter what it was, he would say "Baloopah?"
Later, Drew got a baby sister. We took them to France to Smurf Wallaby Park, and he got the desire to become a Smurf. He also liked very much so to break vases. I liked to collect vases. It was not a match made in heaven. For me.
Drew has done many lovely things over the years. He super-glued his eye open. He drank a bottle of Windex with Vinegaurd. He drank a bottle of infant Tylenol. He drank his sisters Albuterol. He crawled way, way up into a top shelf up near the ceiling and took a nap, and I was on strict bedrest and could NOT help him down. He turned into a little terror for a couple of years, but then he turned around. He became a little preacher. He would preach in the bank, he would preach to parents of his friends. (this started at age 4) He grew into such a tall and wonderful young man.
Now he is in his Senior year of high school and is a DEP for the United States Air Force. I have 11 more months to call him my baby, even though he is a man.


Happy Birthday, AnDrew! I'll try to remember you are not my baby. You try to remember who pays for your food.

Ultimate Paintball

Our family is very into paintball, with a former Army guy and 4 sons, and even a daughter, who play, paintball guns are frequently on our list of gift items for Christmas and birthdays.
Whether you are bunkering in speedball, or hitting a trench in woodsball, you can rest assured that Ultimate Paintball has everything you need for initial outfit, maintenance, or upgrade of your gear. Throughout my family's experience with paintball, we have often been frustrated by limited or complex websites that waste time that can be better spent annihilating opponents. Ultimate Paintball carries top marker lines such as Spyder and Tippman, with prices that seem low for the excellent quality of equipment offered. Their top selling guns are the Tippmann A-5, Tippmann 98 Custom, Smart Parts Ion and the Spyder Pilot ACS. Packages for beginners are very convenient as well as affordable, especially for your young players. Of course, don’t forget your paintballs. The site offers access to customer support if there is a question, and free shipping on all orders over $200. Go check out Ultimate paintball at to gear up and let the paint fly. I know it will be one of our Christmas shopping sites.

What's this?

I found this at the gas station this morning. Mmm, pretty good stuff. Not the best ever, but not bad.

Thursday Thirteen~ Randomness

Thirteen Things about Lisa 1. My mom posted a really funny little something on her blog, something said by a little kiddo! Check it out for a quick giggle. 2. Love contests and giveaways? Check out my contest blog and my contest column. 3. Even with all the things that have broken down at our house lately (washer, dryer, car, furnace, freezer), I am so thankful that I have a great home, family and husband who is willing to work 6 days a week to help us get through this. 4. I am thankful that I am able to babysit for some extra income, and I am thankful it is only two days a week, but long hours so it is still good money, and I am thankful that it is for a friend and her kids are good. (though they ARE busy!) 5. I am so happy with meeting new friends via blogs. I've just been so blessed by people. 6. Oh my goodness is it ever fun to win giveaways! I won an amazing scrapbook box STUFFED with cool things, I nearly cried when I saw all the wonderful things in the box. I won a t-shirt, and you can, too. I also won a nursing necklace! And that is just in the last week. 7. Monopoly Goes Cashless, seriously, Monopoly is going to start selling their new games with credit cards and NO cash moolah. Is this wrong? How are kids going to learn real money skills and not irresponsible credit card usage? 8. A friend of mine had an 11lb even baby boy last week. Yes, he was 11 pounds! Barely fit in the bassinet! He's so yummy! 9. Why do teens turn into disrespectful know-it-alls? We show them time and time again that we are right and they are wrong but they never get it. It is apparently dumb luck that we are right more than they are? 10. Diet Dr. Pepper is just the bestest! 11. Quelf is the most amazing game! I think it is tons of fun and am so glad I found it. I want to promote it all over the place! And I have some plans in that area soon! 12. You can see my pee in a cup at To Drano, or not to Drano... seriously, lol. Only my friend Sarah or I would be that weird, right? 13. You think you are having a bad day? Think again! This guy has the award. We've all had trouble with our animals, but I don't think anyone can top this one: Calling in sick to work makes me uncomfortable. No matter how legitimate my excuse, I always get the feeling that my boss thinks I'm lying.On one recent occasion, I had a valid reason but lied anyway, because the truth was just too darned humiliating. I simply mentioned that I had sustained a head injury, and I hoped I would feel up to coming in the next day. By then, I reasoned, I could think up a doozy to explain the bandage on the top of my head. The accident occurred mainly because I had given in to my wife's wishes to adopt a cute little kitty. Initially, the new acquisition was no problem. Then one morning I was taking my shower after breakfast when I heard my wife, Deb, call out to me from the kitchen. "Honey! The garbage disposal is dead again. Please come reset it." "You know where the button is," I protested through the shower pitter-patter and steam. "Reset it yourself!" "But I'm scared!" she persisted. "What if it starts going and sucks me in?" There was a meaningful pause and then, "C'mon, it'll only take you a second." So out I came, dripping wet and butt naked, hoping that my silent outraged nudity would make a statement about how I perceived her behavior as extremely cowardly. Sighing loudly, I squatted down and stuck my head under the sink to find the button. It is the last action I remember performing. It struck without warning, and without any respect to my circumstances. No, it wasn't the hexed disposal, drawing me into its gnashing metal teeth. It was our new kitty, who discovered the fascinating dangling objects she spied hanging between my legs. She had been poised around the corner and stalked me as I reached under the sink, and at the precise moment when I was most vulnerable, she leapt at the toys I unwittingly offered and snagged them with her needle-like claws. I lost all rational thought to control orderly bodily movements, blindly rising at a violent rate of speed, with the full weight of a kitten hanging from my masculine region. Wild animals are sometimes faced with a "fight or flight" syndrome. Men, in this predicament, choose only the "flight" option. I know this from experience. I was fleeing straight up into the air when the sink and cabinet bluntly and forcefully impeded my ascent. The impact knocked me out cold.When I awoke, my wife and the paramedics stood over me. Now there are not many things in this life worse than finding oneself lying on the kitchen floor butt naked in front of a group of "been-there, done-that" paramedics. Even worse, having been fully briefed by my wife, the paramedics were all snorting loudly as they tried to conduct their work, all the while trying to suppress their hysterical laughter......and not succeeding. Somehow I lived through it all. A few days later I finally made it back in to the office, where colleagues tried to coax an explanation out of me about my head injury. I kept silent, claiming it was too painful to talk about, which it was. "What's the matter?" They all asked, "Cat got your tongue?" If they only knew!

Wordless Wednesday

This is Devon, and if you put a wig, glasses and a dress on him, wouldn't he look like his great aunt Mary, who is the middle of the bottom row? Oh, yeah, it is funny! My dad is in the middle back row.

Train them up right

I have a desire to not have to do anything to raise my kids to be able to take care of themselves. One of the ways I prepare them for that is by having them learn to cook. They decide what they are cooking and sometimes even get to shop for the ingredients. One night a week each child, who is old enough, is forced to gets the privilege to cook for the family.

Well, Drew and Kaytlin have been taking cooking and baking classes at school. Kaytlin is now in advanced foods, and Drew is just starting. But they get inspired in those classes. Kaytlin has made some interesting foods, shrimp stir fry, coconut shrimp like at The Outback, and some yummy desserts.
Last night was Drew's night to cook and he called me from school to tell me he was planning to go to the store to buy ingredients for supper. He made homemade salsa and quesadillas, but not just any quesadillas, quesadillsa with BACON. And let me tell you, that is a welcome addition! It is better than chicken. It is amazing, and I really thought I would not like it. His salsa was pretty good stuff, too.

Don't hate me because I am lazy smart.

Am I a teenager again?

I was blog hopping today, looking for new blogs to read. Because I have nothing else to do in this world, of course. And I came across a blog post at Jenn rambles on. She mentioned her extreme business and how it seems to be a way to stay away from Jesus. Not out of desire for that, but I assume guilt for not being close to Him. And I responded to her comments because I have felt much the same way. Guilt about serving God when you are struggling with even being able to fully pray.
Here is part of my comment: I can relate, too. But I don't know that I want to admit it just yet. But I am busy, busy, even busy serving, so I can't spend time with Jesus. It started out of hurt, but then getting back became hard, its been so long, I'd be mad at me for neglecting me this long, etc. etc. And it just gets longer and longer. Then things go wrong and I think I shouldn't pray for help because I didn't pray when things were good.
She wrote back to me, and then I started an email to her and realized I wanted to share this. So here is what I said back to her.

I struggle with how honest I can be in my blog, because things are in the past. But I started out being mad at God for allowing some things to not only hurt me, but to get so bad as to devastate me, send me to counselling, and nearly have panic so bad I couldn't leave my house. He knew, He let it happen, He told me in advance that it would happen, but not to the extent it happened. So I was mad, and I knew God was OK with that. But coming back is hard. Even though I am not mad anymore and I am even healed. Not that there haven't been times of clear Godly intervention and love and even prayer, because there have been or I wouldn't be set free from some of the issues I had.
But I do not think serving God when you are not close is wrong. Yes, it can hinder some things, but we know that we love God and He loves us, and as long as you know that you would die before denying Him, then I think you should keep serving. We have to keep serving our husbands even when we don't feel close to them or even like them, much less love them, and it is the right thing to do. And we need to serve our children when they are unlovable, it is our duty, like it or not.
I know God still wants to bless us. I have clearly seen God answer my prayers lately, even though they have been like "God, I can't fix this, you have to give me a new washer." And wallah! A new washer that very night! Same thing with cleats for my boys. And money for a car repair. And money for our HUMONGOUS utility bill. And I know that God is going to step in just at the right moment and provide for our furnace. Even though I am not in close communion with Him.
My guilt comes from looking at that and thinking, why would He keep doing that while I am living with pride? Pride against my relationship with Him? Because He loves me like a parent, and we are like teenagers, whom you just need to love until they come back.

The teenager thing hit me when I was writing it. I'm acting like a teenager. I go to God when I know things are out of my control, but I'm still too prideful to just go back to being His child and letting Him be my father. It was easier when I trusted God with all things and prayed about all things. Life was happy. It wasn't bump free, but it was going the right direction and I had complete peace no matter what. My faith isn't any less than it was, because I actually have more trust for God than at any time in my Christian walk. Even when I was mad. I knew that God loved me and that I could be mad, He already KNEW I was mad at Him. What good would hiding it do? I'm past the mad, I'm past the hurt, I'm healed, and the smashed pieces of my life are being put back together in a fashion that I could not have imagined. God is a beautiful artist. So, what is keeping me from a full prayer life, a close walk with God, that emotional closeness that I once had? Pride?
I'm talking about beyond answered prayers. I'm talking about when you hear God speaking to you, you can feel His presence in the things you do. I still know God and hear His voice and see his hand guide me, it just isn't the same closeness. Like an adoring child who thinks mom and dad are his everything, and then becomes and teenager and knows the same but can't follow it.

Yippee!

Beverly Lewis, my favorite author, is going to be doing a book signing somewhat close to my town next Monday! I can't think of any other author I would travel to get a book signed by, except maybe Jeanette Oake. Kaytlin and 2 of her friends are even planning to skip out of afternoon classes so we can get there and get our books signed!
Beverly Lewis writes children, teen and adult books. The books I love are her Amish suspense and romance novels. She offers an honest and real look at the Plain community. I feel that I have learned so much from reading her stories, even though they are mostly fictional, the traditions and secrets happen. Reading her Abram's Daughter series both thrilled and tore my heart apart! When a book can make you weep until you can't see the pages any more, you know that the writing is excellent and inspired by God!
These are books that I want my teen daughters to read. They show excellent reasons to wait until marriage for even a kiss, and it shows that sin has its consequences, but also that God is a forgiving God. Even when you are forgiven, some sins have lasting consequences.
Lewis has two books coming out, one for adults and one a children's book. I think I will pick up both since we have not read her children's books yet.

Coupon Chief

With the arrival of fall right around the corner, and the cool weather already moving in, it is time to start thinking about holiday gift giving. I would love to spoil my family rotten this year.
If I could spend big money I would buy a family gift of a computer. We frequently have a couple of kids needing to do homework at the same time, and with Cody doing his school online, we'll need something extra.
I would love to buy Donnie a western type trench coat. And Kaytlin could always use some new clothes. The girls love getting clothes. The boys love video and computer games.
I plan to save some money on my shopping this year with online coupons. CouponChief.com, a one stop coupon deal and discount resource, has coupons from so many major retailers that I shop at, and I intend to take advantage of them.
I do a lot of clothes shopping at Old Navy and would love an Old Navy coupon. The Dell coupon codes are great right now, many of them are for digital cameras, which I need since mine disappeared and I have a baby meeting growing milestones. I may be able to make use of the HP deals for a computer, even!

This morning's discussion on Coolness

Who is actually the cool one?

This morning I caught Drew in a room alone and thanked him for being so nice to Devon lately, including him in things and not fighting. Drew's like "Thank you, I think??"
We discussed it a little that I liked to see him letting Devon hang out and them getting along, now that they are both in high school it is important. Drew is a senior Devon is a freshman.

Drew says "Yeah, Devon's cool factor goes up hanging with us."
I said "I think your cool factor will go up hanging with a jock."
Drew "No, Devon is a freshman hanging with seniors, his cool factor will go up."
Me "Umm, Devon is a jock who lettered in varsity sport before high school, and his cool factor will go up hanging with senior DRAMA geeks?"
Drew "Yeah, and were not all drama geeks, Joey is a senior football player and Tyler is a gangster wanna-be, so that will bring him down some, but.."


Last week at lunch Devon was eating with some new friends and they were talking about girls for some reason and Devon told one of them to just go talk to the girl. And they were all hemming and hawing as freshman boys do. So Devon says he would talk to any girl. So they dared him to talk to the next girl that they saw. So he did. He starts talking to a girl and she says "Oh, I wish I had seen you earlier I wanted to give you the rest of my lunch." It just so happened that the next girl was Kaytlin and her friends! LOL But his friends don't know she is his sister, they just know he talked to some Juniors and they liked him!

Something smells fishy around here....

Probably everyone who reads my blog knows I use cloth diapers. When I wash them, I end up leaving the dirty ones on the changing table for a few hours until the bag I used gets dry.
So last night as we played Quelf as a family we were having to do a Quizzle card about things that smell awful. And Donnie and the kids agreed that Sam's diapers have been smelling like dead fish lately and they can't stand walking through the hallway. Then Sam got back at them by pooping in his diaper and crawling under the table so they could smell more fishy poos.
That started the discussion again. Why do his diapers smell like fish? I did let him have the crust from my tuna sandwich, but it didn't have that much tuna on it.
Then we realized he eats cat food every day. It is time to cut him off the cat food addiction.

Cell phone

Trinity loves to play games on our cell phones. But sometimes we have to say no because the battery is dead.
Today Trinity came up to me and touched my phone "Can I pway games on you phone? Is you phone alive?"

I think she took the "dead" battery too literal, lol, we need to rephrase that.



Cell phones are great but when you have you're own business an answering service is the best way to be sure you take every call. Phone answering services also keep labor cost down because with a telephone answering service you have a 3rd party call service center taking your calls.

New blog

OK, I made the move! I want to keep this blog mostly for regular posts, and for payperposts, because if I can make a little extra money doing what I love to do, well, I'm going to go for it!
So I am moving most of the contests and reviews to my new blog, The Good Stuff. There are many new blog contests posted over there today. I will do a small post here when I post over there, but I plan to post there daily most likely.
I hope you all won't get annoyed with the paid advertising posts. Sometimes they can get annoying, but I really want to make some money for Christmas.
I plan to have a few give-aways on this blog coming up soon, and I am really excited about them!
These day's everyone has a blog. You can find all different types of blogs from blogs about knitting to american soldier blogs. If you don't have a blog yet you can get more blog info online to get you started.

Stay At Home Dad iMac Give-Away

Dad blogger, Mike of Stay At Home Dad, Geek Style, is giving away an incredible, awesome, stupendous iMac computer! We really need another computer with 7 kids. We have one doing online school, 3 in high school, and another in upper grade school. Add in the preschooler who hollers for "pbskids" all day long, and my blogging addiction, and you can see how one computer is NOT working.

This incredible give-away's spec's are: 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 1 GB of memory, a 250 GB hard drive, an 8x SuperDrive (a DVD burner), and a 20″ glossy display and a mouse and keyboard, which retails for $1199.How can Stay At Home Dad, Geek Style offer such an expensive and cool prize? For this contest, he has teamed up with SitterCity, an online database that allows babysitters and pet sitters to connect with the people who need them.

This is a really amazing idea. I checked out SitterCity, and I liked the idea so much that I have actually signed up for a babysitter profile. I started babysitting twice a week now, and I think it is a good way to bring in some extra money, and since I have kids all the time, whats a few more? I am definitely experienced in child care.So, if I get a computer AND a job out of this contest, I only come out a winner!This contest ends October 31st. You can earn tickets by writing a 250 word post, more than one blog if you want, put a sittercity banner on your sidebar, bid on Devdad's ad space, chip in for Devdad's dream set up, and "like" his page on stumbleupon.

Because I feel like it!

Who asked for my opinion? Well, no one, but its Saturday and I feel giving it.

This is the Ubi changing table that is coming out in September. I've seen this table a few months ago on another website but I can't remember which.

This changing table is made to put the diapers in the little slot there and you can just pull it up and put it on, and the material is made to easily wipe clean and is non-microbial to stop growth of all those icky germs. It is also low to the ground so you can sit and change on the floor, or you could put it on a table. The designs are delightful and modern, and personally, I love the Farrow Spa design. You even have a choice in the wood, natural or cherry.

So here is how it works. Put the diapers in with the opening facing down and the backs on top. The you just pull up the back and fasten them to the little fasteners on the Ubi. Then lay your child on there and pull up the front and fasten on the babe.

I am guessing that you change your little one while on the diaper.

There is also a version that does not have the diaper slot in it. I like that version better for cloth diapers.

I could probably only fit 2 cloth diapers in this thingy.

So, what do I think of this? It sure is cute! Love the fabrics and the look. After years of changing diapers on the floor I would probably love this for that. But I do not like it. After 7 kids I have finally gotten the changing table love and I almost never change Sam anywhere else. I don't want my diapers and wipes and other supplies to be hanging around the living room. And if you got a set place for this, would have you to buy a table to put it on? It already costs as much as a regular changing table that actually HOLDS your diapers and supplies and clothes.

I also do not like that it is easily wiped material. I would put a blanket on it for comfort for the baby. Now, the whole quicker diaper change for a newborn boy seems like it would be a plus, but just put the diaper under him before you start, you don't need a table to do that. And let me tell you, if there is an explosion while the child is on there, you won't think it's so easy to clean because you will ruin all the new diapers in the dispenser and then have to get the dispenser off and clean all it's parts that must consist of springs if it automatically lifts the next diaper into place. If you have a child, there will be a poo-splosion. There will.

There you have my opinion. It is adorable and trendy, love the look, but the rest of it is impractical and annoying.

Laughed til I cried!

Oh yes, I played Quelf! And I'm gonna play it next Friday at Ladies Night Out, too! What strange and crazy things happened this time? Well Sarah was wearing her clothes inside out and I was wearing the Quelf box in my shirt and Donnie had to keep his thumbs in his mouth when it was not his turn, Terry had to raise his hands and say "Excuse me, I feel a question coming on." whenever he asked a question. I made up a poem about my pet tuba, and Kaytlin made up an even weirder one about eating triangles that fall out of the sky. There were accents and singing and even an angry crazy gnome who burned his batch of cookies. (now that there is funny!)
And since Sarah is going to blog it because I said not to, I had to show my belly button and make it talk in an old, angry voice.
Don't you just want to play this game? Please, go buy it! It is so much fun! I think we are going to play it as a family on Sunday if I can get the kids all home at the same time.

Ding-a-ling!

Trinity, at the back door: "How do you make the ding-a-ling work?"

(speaking about the door bell)

Whats a couple more?

Contests! Lets keep 'em coming, right? I don't intend to become a contest only blog, really. I am thinking of leaving blogger so I can have separate pages for contests and things. But I don't want to lose my links and start over, either. Maybe I could have a second blog for contests and make a big link here? What do you readers think? I still need to post some on my blog, though, for entry. Maybe I'll leave it alone.
So, here are some more, and I'll keep adding to this post today as I come across more.

Love to the moon and back Blessed Nest is having a very cool giveaway of products, a company that nurtures babies, moms and their families all over the world. Total value over $150.00 wow!Contest is open from September 7th-October 5th (midnight) The Healing Hand By Blessed Nest, The Woobie by Blessed Nest, Gift Set from Hand Picked Pumpkin and Lily-Padz are just some of the products in the bundle! You need to comment, comment on a product listed, and email a picture of you and your baby and link up on your blog to enter.

Musing of a crunchygoodess is having a very cool giveaway/interview with Sharon Pickersgill, the creator of Tummy 2 Tummy. Win a copy of “Tummy 2 Tummy: THE Babywearing Instructional DVD.” To enter this giveway click here.

Adventures in Babywearing is giving away a sling from Rockin' Baby! It is beautiful! Even if it is pink, I have it on good authority that you SHOULD wear pink even if you are carrying a boy. This give-away ends 10pm Monday Sept 10.

HSKubes’ Haven at Home is having a giveaway for a homeschool prize package to help kick off the beginning of their school year. She is giving away a big selection of products that would be terrific for anyone who loves nature journaling or sketching, including a one-year subscription to Birds and Blooms magazine. The contest closes Saturday, September 8th.

How about an actual contest where you have to earn the prize? I know of a cool contest, but I don't know that the prize is yet! Quirky Cupcake is having a Cupcake Lovers of the World Unite cupcake contest. You need to create a cupcake using limes. You have until September 30th.

Guess what?

I'm a B-list blogger! According to technorati! Go to Kineda and see where you rank.
I got this link from What Works For Us on their Thursday Thirteen.

Thursday Thirteen~ 13 give-aways!

My Contest Frenzy Column is up at Momsblogging.

Here are a few of the contests I am featuring over there!

1. Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer is having a Kajeet Cell Phone give-away through Sept. 9th. I was a beta tester for Kajeet and I can tell you it is a wonderful program for a cell phone for kids, really! Shannon also is giving away some jewelry from Lisa Leonard! I love jewelry give-aways!

2. Don't Forget my Little Miracles Give-away for some mom-made laundry soap! Ends this week!

3. Adventures in Babywearing is having a giveaway $50 gift certificate to Vincent Shoes! Who doesn't need some new fall shoes? I have already bought 5 pairs, and I have 3 kids to go. Post by 10pm TONIGHT!

4. Mama Loves Giveaways by Pinks & Blues is giving away a Skip Hop Duo Double diaper bag filled with all sorts of goodies! Ends Sept. 12th.

5. Bargain Hunting Moms is giving away some Tupperware! This is a link up contest that ends September 7th.

6. Contest - $30 Gift Certificate For SuperMomz.com give a link back to KaTasidy and a link to SuperMomz Blog. Contest ends at 10pm September 28.

7. mod*mom says “enter these giveaways by september 15: sparkability :: infant transportation systemboon :: infant + toddler feeding products enter this giveaway by October 1: dyson :: pink vacuum” And her new Magic Show Kits is open for entry, too.

8. Don’t forget Scribbits amazing give-aways every Saturday! Her monthly writing contest is started up for September. It is on learning, and you could win an adorable purse made by Scribbit herself! Enter your post by Sept. 19th to be eligible for judging.

9. Christelle from Beloved Mama is having a Back to School Party Giveaway! Leave a comment with a school memory and enter by Sept. 8th for the book Slightly Bad Girls from the Bible by Liz Curtis Higgs!

10. Keeping Feet’s First Giveaway! This pouch is the unpadded Catherine Twill Stretch sling, enter by Sept. 9th. I love babywearing almost as much as I love jewelry!

11. Calling all knitters! The Baglady and the Pro is having a knitting contest! She made a pattern for a dishcloth and you knit it and answer some questions about it. The winner gets few hanks of lovely Blue Sky Cotton, which I have NO idea what a "hank" is, lol. You need to knit and post by Sept. 23. I'm a sucker for a knit dishcloth, and I can't knit at all. That is the SOLE reason I want to learn to knit.

12. TeaTime Ramblings is giving away 5 knitted dishcloths in various colours and patterns. Ends September 7th. Enter now.

13. Nell is having a give-away on her blog, Casual Friday Everyday. Win a free year to a menu planning service called “menu planning central!” This is a very generous gift, enter by Sept 15. ($239.64 value)

Happy entering!

Wordless Wednesday~ Bat Attack

This is me hiding from the bats while calling my husband to come rescue us from them at our Ladies Night Out. The bats were swooping at our heads, so I was protecting myself! Then I was hiding from the camera, lol. See, Cindy, I'm not too afraid to post the pics!

First day of school!

I woke up at 7am to get the kiddos moving. Someone was in the shower already, so I headed upstairs to start waking the rest of them. I see Kaytlin's bed is empty, I wake up Hope-Anne, and then Devon's bed is empty. Hmm, where is he? Drew can get his own butt out of bed, he's almost an adult, 10 days away from it. And Cody is not starting school yet.
Kaytlin gets out of the shower, so where is Devon? She said she saw him get out of the shower and head upstairs. That means the little rascal has already left for school and didn't tell us. Nor did he get lunch money or his new lunch number! Too bad!
OK, I'm not that mean. I sent his new lunch number with Kaytlin to hand to him in the hall, and sent Drew with the check for all of their lunch accounts.
I had to get Kaytlin out of school early to go to the doctor. She is running some tests and did an exam. Kaytlin does not want me even talking to my close friends, so the blogging is off limits with what her symptoms are. It appears to be the minor end of the spectrum, but they are running some e-coli tests and other bacterial tests, though we expect to find nothing. Which would be good. Her symptoms seemed to have resolved themselves today, so if she get through the week symptom free we won't have to do any invasive tests! Thank you to everyone who prayed for her, I really appreciate it.
In other prayer related news: Devon and Cody are both in football and it gets really expensive! They boys both need cleats and I just can't see where I can splurge on those. Cody's coach gave him a pair, I don't know how that came about, because in his league they don't have to have them, but he had a spare, maybe his son is a size bigger. But praise God! So I prayed and asked God to help me out with Devon's cleats, I need them to be free, but cheap would be nice. So today I had to go get cleats because his game is on Thursday and tomorrow I can't go get them, he goes straight from practice to youth group. So I came home from the store and told Devon to grab some shoes, lets go get some cleats. "I already have cleats." "Huh?" "Coach P gave me some." "what??" "He asked me if I had cleats, I said no and he said there is a box of old ones in the basement of the school and to go get some."
That's when the crickets started chirping. God has been answering me lickety split on things lately and it is just amazing!
Donnie's car is pretty much out of commission right now, and we'll have to get it repaired, AND we went from $23 a month water bill to $273 a month water bill, so we're going to be hurting! And I just asked God to provide that car repair. The power/water bill is covered with some overtime Donnie forgot to turn in, but there is no room for the car in there. Well, Donnie's mom offered to lend us the money! Its like a savings plan for her. They are getting a bit of money, and she would just spend it quickly, but this way we'll give her some here and there and they will have money coming in when they need it!
We have a Mom's of preschoolers type of group in our church that we are seeking nursery care for, and we've been searching and praying for workers. I've been desperately seeking someone, several someones, to help me with women's ministry. And today God filled someone in both spots! We are halfway through our childcare dilemma, and I am 1/4 of the way through my women's ministry council!
Now, everyone pray with me: Lord, you know we can't afford to fix our furnace and You know that we need it desperately in Minnesota winters with children. I ask for Your provision to get the furnace running. Help us to find a reset switch, or a small problem or provide the money for a repair. In Jesus name I pray.

God is working!

And I have EXCITING news coming up this month! Oh my goodness, I am about to burst with excitement, but I have to wait on the details. I will say it may have something to do with some give-aways.

Little Piggies giveaway and more

So a Blonde Walks Into a Review is having a little giveaway of a $100 gift certificate to My Little Piggy's, "where designer style and fine quality meet for a playdate." I love the nightdress pajamas but I want it in my size!

This contest ends Sept. 10th.

Don't Forget my Little Miracles Give-away for some mom-made laundry soap! Ends this week!

Adventures in Babywearing is having a giveaway $50 gift certificate to Vincent Shoes! Who doesn't need some new fall shoes? I have already bought 5 pairs, and I have 3 kids to go.

Giveaways! Growing and Giving from Growing A Life. A gift will be given away each day between Sept. 3-7. Go check out the prizes and find out how to enter.

Five Minutes For Mom is giving away an HP Photosmart Compact Photo Printer. This would be amazing for me. I haven't printed pics of my kids since Trinity was 4 months old, and she is almost 4 years old. Going digital has helped me to see the pics and send them to family, but it has made it even worse for me to get things developed.

The guys over at NutsAndMilk.com are having a contest and are giving away $250 as the prize money. You too can enter the contest just by blogging about them. Nuts & Milk is a blog on tech news & online tips & tricks. Please do enter this one because they require 50 blogs to participate in order to hold the contest.

Superdumb Supervillian is having a Giveaway! The Learning Tower on her blog. The Learning Tower is a stable place for kids to stand safely while helping you in the kitchen or wherever. Anything that can get my kids to do chores AND doubles as a play place gets my vote for toy of the year!

Beth from I Should Be Folding Laundry is giving away a pair of Ryka shoes! And she's doing the same thing on her other blog, Tales From The Scales! And if you don't win, Ryka is going to be giving away 30 pairs of shoes starting September 5th! I got a new gym membership and I need indoor shoes for it, which I do not own.

Pampering Becki is giving away a surprise design pendants from littleputbooks.

FlippingRich.com T-Shirt Giveaway Contest! at Enkay Blog
Win one of 5 flippingrich.com T-Shirts to be given away.
To enter, just link to the contest.

Quelf

Whew. I can't tell you how tired I am after playing Quelf! As we were playing the game my friends kept saying "Oh, she's gonna blog about THAT!" And they are right!

First of all, this game is silly. It started out pretty awkward and uncomfortable. Some singing here and there, having to sit with your hands on your head until your next turn, etc.

But soon we got in the swing of things and were jumping and screaming and snorting and rapping and pointing-izzle! We could not stop laughing! And that was very bad, for me, which made everyone else really laugh, which made me laugh more and that was bad, for me. You see, I had to snort like a pig every time I laughed or I had to pay a penalty. Now, paying a penalty of going back two spaces isn't so bad, but I had snort through the whole game until a new roolz card replaced it. Which did not happen. You can't imagine my husband's joy to hear me snort. And then there came a Global Roolz card that when it is not your turn you have to end every sentence with izzle. Every sentence-izzle. Or pay the penalty.

Ok, so that was all fun and games. But then the kids found out that we had to jump up out of our seats and yell "Pizza Party!" every time the phone rang or the doorbell rang. Oh, yes, the teens started calling on their cell phones. Of course that got me laughing, which meant I had to snort like a pig, and then everyone would laugh harder, and I had to keep snorting because I couldn't stop laughing!

One of the guys that was here was our mayor for quite some time. Very quiet, knowledgeable, NORMAL guy. He had to make up and perform a rap for us about himself! His kids were shocked that he did it, lol.

I was the waitress. I had to serve everyone whatever they wanted until I was able to replace my card. Waiting on them was much better than the snorting. But I got to pass the waiter card to an opponent when I replaced it! So Jody had to be the waiter! Even though it was my house!

I could go on and on, because there was no end to the laughs. Later I will be posting some of the creative writing that had to be done. But I am so tired and I need to get some sleep. Much needed sleep. Because tomorrow it all starts up again. My dd wants to have her friends over to play it, too.

Please pray for Kaytlin, she has a health issue that warranted a trip to the ER, but we decided to hold off a day and see what happens because she was not in pain. It could be pretty minor all the way to cancer, so we do have to go in if things are not resolved today.

Have a great holiday today-izzle!