I SAW JESUS

Every year we go to Logan's candies in Ontario to get candy canes. A couple years ago we watched how they make candy canes. It's been awhile so I thought it would be fun to take the kids back to watch it again. The owners are really sweet Christian people. They tell the story of the candy cane while they are making it.





yummy and sticky!



Then we usually eat our candy canes and walk Jesus on Euclid. (kind of scary at night,not in the best area) Justin and I go through the story with the kids but this year Austin told the story as we walked through each one.





The 4 wise men

This reminds me of a story:
When Austin was about 3 years old, we went to my in-law's house after going to Jesus on Euclid. We walked in the door to their house and Austin was so excited he yelled, " I SAW JESUS!" It was so funny...They just looked at Justin and I a little confused and said, "Hallelujah!"
My in-law's weren't the only one's he told that too. He would tell strangers, "I SAW JESUS." They would look at him kinda wierd. LOL.. I would just shrug my shoulders and smile:)

Turkey Trot

Austin wanted to race in Upland's 1st Annual Turkey Trot. So, the two of us got up at 6:30am and showed up ready to run. He ran the 1K and came in first place. He's excited that he gets to be in the city newspaper:)

running through the finish line.

Upland High School's track coach announcing Austin


Then I raced in the 5K. There was about 200 people. My goal was just not to finish last haha! I finished 96th. (half the runners were on the h.s. track team) I surprised myself, I had more endurance than I thought. Austin also ran in the 5K too! He did really good and we had fun doing it together. Then we went to grandma's and ate and ate and ate... at least I didn't feel too guilty!

Austin holding up 1st place...me loser! (next year it's on)


right after we finished!



Us on our way to grandma's.



Finley's 1st Thanksgiving

Flashback Friday

Going through the Christmas boxes today I came across this picture. (One of my fav's) This was from 2005, Landen's 1st Christmas. I had some material left over from a Christmas play I put on that year at the kids school. I wrapped material around the kids and set them up in the backyard to look like the holy family. It made for a great Christmas card that year.

Feeling Festive

I'm feeling a bit festive can you tell? I got out the Christmas boxes and am ready to decorate the house. I couldn't forget to decorate the blog now could I?? LOL

Rock On!

What's cooler than going to a concert with your mommy and daddy? Nothing! haha! Thanks to our friends we met on the "love boat" the church cruise we went on a couple years ago. We were able to take Austin to the Jeremy Camp concert. We are so thankful for meeting such a sweet couple. Taleah and I have a lot in common and so do our husbands! Check out her blog for a good laugh. She is known as Confessions Mama. She has two children 13 months apart and has some really funny stories. (Now who would be so crazy to have kids so close together) haha! Taleah was able to get us tickets to Jeremy Camp's release party for his new CD "Speaking Louder Than Before." This is one of Austin's favorite artists. Since Austin has been playing guitar he even has even more respect for his music. We were about 5 rows back from the stage. It was an awesome concert and I'm glad my son still thinks it's cool to rock out with his parents!
Thank you Ricky and Taleah!





Singing: "Take My Life"

Cute Little Indian

sitting indian style


It took a lot of poo to make this house.


this is what indian's sound like......


I wish I could take credit for making these cute little turkey cookies. My good friend Karissa (I would link you to her but she doesn't have a blog yet!) hint hint! She made them for the kids. I am thankful for ALL my friends and new (blog) friends I feel like I know you even though we have never met!!! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

I'm Thankful For Chaos!

I’ve been feeling pretty thankful, not just for the usual stuff of having a business, good health, and a roof over our heads, although I’m very grateful for all that stuff.
I’ve just been feeling especially thankful for all the chaos, commotion, and pandemonium in our house. (when it’s not driving me nuts.)
I’ve always been aware that my children aren’t going to be around my house forever, but the other night my husband and I were talking about how fast time is flying by with the kids.
Pretty soon, I won't be waking up every 3 hours to feed a newborn:( Or getting sloppy wet kisses from Farrah. (snot and all) Having Landen bend over the side of my bed in the early morning with his bottom in my face saying, " mommy wipe me." I won't be having Faith make me notes and pictures everyday out of our business flyers that say Mommy your the best and most prettiest mommy ever. Then wanting me to hang them up all over the house. Long will be the days Austin begs me for more webkinz or is wrestling his brother in the living room. The sounds of babies crying and kids saying mommy watch me,mommy,mommy,mom,mommy,mom....
I could go on, but I won’t. Instead, I’m going to be thankful for:
- unrelenting messes
- constant chaos
- clutter galore
- fighting and bickering
- bad attitudes
- noise......and so on


oh, yes I am thankful for my husband who lets me think I run the show!
What "stuff" are you thankful for???

A Parent's Prayer

I have been really trying to pray for my kids. 7x7! I have come to the conclusion my kids need to pray for me too!!!!
A friend emailed me this and I love what it says:

Dear Heavenly Father,
Make me a better parent. Teach me to understand my children, to listen patiently to what they have to say and to answer all their questions kindly.

Keep me from interrupting them, talking back to them and contradicting them. Make me as courteous to them as I would have them be to me.

Give me the courage to confess my sins against my children and to ask them forgiveness when I know that I have done them wrong.

Grant that I may never vainly hurt the feelings of my children. Forbid that I should laugh at their mistakes or resort to shame and ridicule as punishment.

Let me not tempt my child to lie or steal. So guide me hour by hour that I might demonstrate by all I say and do that honestly produces happiness.

Reduce, I pray, the meanness in me. May I cease to nag, and when I am out of sorts, help me O Lord, to hold my tongue. Blind me to the little errors of my children, and help me to see the good things they do.

Give me a ready word to honest praise. Help me to grow up with my children, to treat them as those of their own age, but let me not expect of them the judgments and conventions of adults.

Allow me not to rob them of the opportunity to learn for themselves, to think, to choose and to make decisions. Forbid that I should ever punish them for my selfish satisfaction.

May I grant them all their wishes that are reasonable,
And may I have the courage always to withhold a privilege which I know will do them harm.

Make me fair and just, and considerate and companionable to my children that they will have a genuine esteem for me. Make me fit to be loved and imitated by my children.

Amen.

Author: Garry C. Myers, as quoted by Abigail Van Buren in "Dear Abbey."

Not Me! Monday

Another Monday and another round of things I So did NOT do...

I am not wearing work out clothes to take Landen to pre-school just to have the "work out" look because I'm to lazy and busy to actually get ready. No, not me I would only wear workout clothes when I work out. HA! I did not just tell people excuse the way I look I just got back from working out!

I did not consider giving Landen a dose of Faith's Tylenol with codeine in hopes it would make him really sleepy.

I did not let Landen leave black marker on all his finger nails and go to pre-school looking gothic just because I was too busy to get it off.

I did not get so excited at Austin's playoff game on Saturday that I really almost did a toe touch, spirit fingers and a high kick. LOL but then again my mom did not just almost do one right next to me:)


I did not just spend all week trying to lose the rest of this baby weight just to shove a dozen cookies down my throat last night and gain it all back.

I did not find a hair sink in someones trash last night when I took the kids for a walk then try to pick it up and load it in the stroller. No, not me then I would have to carry Farrah most of the way home. No, I wouldn't be that stupid. Nope, not me I never find things I like in people's trash then embarrass my children while carting it down the street back home.




Now, don't forget to check out MckMama's blog to join in on the fun. Her Not Me Monday post today was hilarious!

Thanks to all my new readers hopping over from MckMama's and to all my faithful Followers!! May you have a great Monday!

Seven Things

My sister Brianna (check it out I can link LOL..I'm moving up in the blogging world) tagged me to make a list of things you may or may not know about me:

Seven Things


Seven things that attracted me to my husband-

1. Sad to say at first I wasn't. I know mean huh! I was in Jr. High and heard the name Justin Ryan. So when I got to high school I had to check out what all this talk was about. Who was Justin Ryan? So, on the first day of school freshman year my friends were like there he is... I'm like that's it??? LOL...I tease him all the time. Ok, no really at first it was his car. He drove a 64 galaxy in high school I thought he was sooooo cool haha!
2.His butt in football pants. LOL
3.His eye's and dimples
4.He fit in with my family right away.
5.He always left notes on my car or did little things that impressed me
6.Spoiled me from day 1
7.easy going personality (I need that in a husband)That's how he puts up with me:)

Seven things I always say-

1.a boo boo boo boo..(baby talk)
2.LANDEN..I'm gonna call your dad!
3. Finish reading
4. Sound it out
5. Are you kidding me right now? (usually talking about a mess the kids made etc.)
6.Oh...MY....Gosh
7. Mommy loves you (I tell my kids this over and over)


Seven things I love to eat-

I think it might be easier to list the things I don't like to eat which isn't much. haha (ditto Brianna!)

1.Chips and salsa
2.Frozen yogurt
3.bran muffin from Mimi's cafe
4.Terriyaki chicken
5.Frosted Mini Wheat's
7.bagels
8. The kids Halloween candy


Seven things I can do-

1. Touch my nose with my tongue.
2. Homeschool my kids and know when it's time to get a tutor.(has anyone seen 4th grade math now days?)
3. Get myself and all 5 kids ready and out the door in a half hour. (ok so,I cut corners)
4.Waterski/ wakeboard snowboard...I love sports
5.I can figure skate and spin faster than Dorthy Hamill (seriously)...It's my hobbie (inside joke)
6.Scream loud for my kids at games and not care how retarded I look.
7.Make my kids think there mom is smart. (Google any question my kids ask me and know the answer in seconds.)


Seven things I can't do-

1. Budget(I'm trying)
2. Can't be away from my kids
3. Can't give public speeches (just ask anyone who attended my sister's wedding)
4. Can't spell (sad and I'm teaching my kids)
5. Can't do math (your wondering why I'm teaching my kids aren't you?)
6. let a dog kiss me or lick my face (I know where it's tongue has been and I can't help but think about poop. You dog lovers think I'm mean don't you?)
7.Can't sleep (why I'm blogging at 5:30am on Sunday morning.

Now I tag you...
feel free to do your own and leave me a comment so I can check out your 7 things.

When You Have A Brother Like Landen......

Poor Farrah! Having a wild brother like Landen she is in for it!



Here Fey-yah (that's how he says her name)put on this helmet and hold on. As he pushes her full speed down the driveway.

Bragging On My Man

Brag On Your Man…
I found this site a couple months ago. It's a cute way to show our husbands how much we appreciate them and show off their hottness:)





Here's what Nancy has to say about her new blog:

There is enough man bashing out there to make my ovaries ache and my fallopian tubes shake in their boots. Don’t ask me why my ovaries would ache nor just how my fallopian tubes would shake in their boots if they even had a pair, at man bashing but it’s the only thing I could think of at the moment. Work with me folks.

So today I decided that there needed to be a place specifically designated to bragging on our men. The sad truth is that not every woman is in a relationship with or married to a man that they want to brag on. This is not intended to make them feel worse about their situation. My heart goes out to all of those in strained or even broken relationships. None of us is married to the perfect man because the perfect man does not exist. Nor does the perfect woman. They are all broken deep down in some way, just like us. But we love them and we are stickin’ with them if it’s the last thing we do.

And so I now introduce to you, a brand new blog, dedicated to letting women tell the world why they love their men…


Soooooooooooooo, if you happen to brag on your blog about your man, leave a comment so I can read it and others that visit this post will visit your blog. Sorry, I don't know how to set up Mr. Linky. (You would think with all my trips to the book store I'd pick up blogging for dummies)

We all know I brag about my kids all the time but I would like to take the time to brag on my husband. Check out what my husband did for me on our Anniversary.

First he told me to find a babysitter and be ready by 5:30 he had reservations at the Melting Pot.
I wondered why we were driving his truck to the restaurant but when he told me just to get in I saw a card placed in the middle bench seat. (When we were dating I always use to sit right next to him in his truck.) I felt kind of stupid sitting in the middle (all tall) but it's the little things like this that he does that are so cute. (he tries so hard) I loved what he wrote in the card. I thought this part was cute: When I wait in the car and you run into the store to grab a few things, I watch you walk your walk and I can't help but smile to myself. I still love checking you out after all these years. AHHHHHHHHHH... the rest I cannot share, my mom reads this blog LOL. Then when the hostess took us to our private booth the table had a dozen roses,chocolates,balloons, candles and champane. I was so surprised, we had a great night out with no kids. Oh, and I also got a..........NEW WEDDING RING:)








I know, I know!!!! Isn't he the best!

Forging Signatures...Again!

I have a feeling I will be forging signatures again this year. Shhhhhh! don't tell my kids. Every year their Christmas lists are filled with unreasonable gifts. For example a couple years ago Faith asked for a pink guitar signed by Faith Hill. So, I did what any mother would do I got it for her. Well, kind of I found a pink guitar and (forged) signed Faith Hills name to it. She loved it and still thinks to this day she has a guitar signed by Faith Hill. I know, that's bad and someday I will tell her (whens she's older and has kids of her own)
This year Austin wants a football signed by Ladamon Tomlinson. Since I do not have that kind of money and don't know Mr. Tomlison personally I am going to have to forge a football. Hey, I'm just trying to make my kids have a great Christmas:)

Gobble.Gobble

Yesterday we did some Thanksgiving crafts and made a Thankful tree. Each of the kids put things they were thankful for.



oh and now all the kids want their tonsils out.(haha) They see how it's like early Christmas for Faith. She's had balloons delivered to her and family and friend stopping by to visit and bring her jello and lots of other goodies.

Flashback Friday

Happy Anniversary.... to Us!


Today we are celebrating our 9th Wedding Anniversary. I can't believe it's been 9 years already! Justin and I were just kids (15 and 17) when we met and have grown up together. We have learned some lessons the hard way, but they have only made us stronger. We are best friends and love each other's company. We love to get out and do things and enjoy life together. We have grown in so many ways. I can honestly say I love him more now than I did on our wedding day. God is good and he has blessed us and our marriage beyond measure. I Love You babe! (even though you don't read my blog)Thank you for being such a hard working man and providing for this family. I am so happy that I can stay home and raise our kids and have the life I have always dreamed of!
As I look through these pictures it looks like he's with a different women all the time LOL... I can't make up my mind on hair do's can I? (I think he likes it though haha)

We were so young






















He loves to spoil me!