Snowmen

My lil' Sista is here from Oregon and Joseph's Bro is here from Virginia. We had a little craft day yesturday and made these awesome snowmen with the kids. The boys were very creative with theirs. Notice Joseph's has dreads or something and David's is covered with sequins, kind of a picasso if you may. Sunday we put the kids in their Christmas Outfits that I've been holding on to for months. I loved the plaid as we have a lot of Scottish ties. We recently went and saw xmas lights, one house had a show that went to music on the radio it was pretty awesome.

WhoVille

It's WhoVille at our house today. Crazy hair and Christmas cheer:) I also found this sticker faced child after doing some baking. She was so excited about the stickers until we had to pull them off....ouch! Now check out this video of Kaitlyn, Adam and David their Uncle (Joseph's bro) sledding. Adam was all about it...no fears in all the world. Kaitlyn was not as excited. Watch at the end when Adam just hops on the sled and GOOOOOOOOOOOOO's! Yeah Adam.

Will post again soon.

After Turkey Day Ramblings

Having family in town is bitter sweet. It's bitter because you know at some point in the very near future they have to leave and that you won't see them for a while but sweet because it is good to be able to share your life with them. I miss my extended family a lot. I guess I am just one of those people that finds tremendous strength from my parents and brothers and sisters. I love my family and am so grateful for them. We look past each others weaknesses and shortcomings and just appreciate the love that we have developed through time and experience. We have had so many challenges as a family...growing up in our household was not all sunshine and roses...but despite it all we love each other and forgive one another for any mistakes we have made and for our weaknesses. I can only imagine the mistakes I am making with my own kids...I am not the perfect parent and have a lot of weaknesses. I just hope that they can learn as much as I have from my own family of love and forgiveness and that they can desire to share their life with me and find strength from that relationship. We had a wondeful Thanksgiving with my parents and are looking forward to Christmas. Happy Holidays and may they be filled with family and love and lots and lots and lots of yummy goodness.

Pretty Much THE Perfect Day!

Woke up..cuddled hubby and kids...love to cuddle exspecially in the winter!

Husband gave me a healthy breakfast of apples and a Nutrigrain Bar with a glass of water...not how I usually start out my day but I gave it a try:)

House was clean when we woke up...oh so nice!

Went to the Farmer's Market to pick out some Pumpkins, gords and some Veggies. It was oh so bitter cold so we ran quickly back to the car and will probably not be back to the market till next year. (I feel bad for the vendors who are toughing it out for 3 more weeks...yikes it will be cold)



Headed to our new Burlington Coat Factory, almost bought something but the line was way too long to wait for a leotard and some headbands...no not for me, for Kaitlyn. On our way out realized it had started snowing. At this point I was getting kinda anxious b/c it is not even November yet but still had a childish grin on my face b/c well, it was snowing.

Decided to get Kaitlyn and Adam some boots, hats, mittens etc for winter at Target. Found what we needed and hustled to Sam's Club. Did some good food shoppin and some food testing:) They had some really yummy samples today. I usually don't try much at stores but today I was particularly pleased.

Headed home for a good ol' nippy nap nappety nap with my girl Kaitlyn. Naps with Kaitlyn are my favorite time of day!

Woke up to a happy husband who had 2 hours to himself and his playstation that he never gets to play.

Made our pumpkin faces with the kids and put them on the back porch. We are not quite ready to venture to carving pumpkins with two toddlers. Knives and goo and mess...they would love it but one more year..than we will try it! Plus they are cute this way too right?!






Put in a yummy meatloaf and watched "Polar Express" with the fam. It was so nice we all cuddled on the couch and watched our winter movie. Perfect way to invite the Holiday Season:)



Invited a neighbor over for meatloaf and gobbled it up. Put the kids to bed, who went very willingly. Adam even did his first poop on the potty before bed, it's a sweet victorious feeling when your kids start going bathroom on the potty. Don't know why, but it just feels really good.

Had our neighbor watch the kids while we went to Wal'Mart to finish off our food shopping. It's not very often Joseph and I get to food shop together. It always is a treat. I know that is a little sad but it's true.

Finished the ward bulletin, even printed it out so now in the morning I won't be cursing at the printer b/c it's taking too long as we are always running a little late for church:)

Bed time and it's 10:30....the perfect time to go to bed.

Good night!

Not procrastination just VERY busy!!!!!

So do not be decieved I do read your blogs I just never have time to post on my own once I've read all of yours:) I just realized it's been 3 months and oh my goodness it's been a crazy three months. I will give a recap and than post some pics. To spare you all from my dialogue I will simply do a bulleted list of what we've done..if you want more details just ask...here we go...

1) Drove 4000 miles to Oregon and Back
2) When to the Oregon Coast..had a BLAST
3) Saw over 20 Chiropractic Clinics, got some good ideas
4) Spent some Time with Family...Miss them a lot
5) Went to Temple Square and hung out with Sis In Law Alisyn...SOO FUN!
6) Lots and Lots of playing outside..had a super good summer season
7) Joseph's parents came for Palmer Homecoming, was good to see them
8) Drove back to Utah for Joseph's brother's wedding saw all of Joseph's family it was awesome! They had not all been together in a VERY long time
9) Kaitlyn turned 3---I LOVE 3! 3 is good!
10) Took binkies away from both kids....ended up giving them back on our road trip to Utah when Joseph wanted to drive straight through from Iowa to Utah for the wedding. Yeah, it was crazy. Kids actually like traveling but that was a bit much.
11) Took binkies away again but ended up giving Adam back his at night...poor guy loves his binky. Kaitlyn claims "binkies are NOT for babies" but does not protest for long as she knows as with most protests in our country they get little accomplished:)
12) Potty trained Kaitlyn she is currently wearing Minnie Mouse Undies although a friend just bought her leopard print ones...Joseph refuses to let her wear them. Nathalie, I told ya so.
13) Adam is the epitomy of the Terrible Two's...textbook tatrum thrower and refuses to use words to express himself. We are working on it although I must say he throws a pretty good tantrum. Very impressive!
14) Been camping, Adam got stung twice by a wasp. He was upet for about 10 minutes then wanted to go right back to the same playground infested with the wasps to play. Did some hiking, remembered how much I LOVE hiking. Miss those Oreogn woods.
15) Went to Chicago with some friends, had so much fun. Eat at the Grand Lux Cafe, soooo yummy!
16) Craft-Craft-Craft
17) Bought a huge flat screen T.V. one of Joseph's only purchases since we have been married. He claims,"You would have spent the money anyways so I went ahead and spent it before you could". He is probably right.
18) Have completely stopped exercising but plan to get right back on track tommorow...yeah right...
19) Going to start a diet soon...like when pigs fly.
20) Have been trying to give my kids choices instead of telling them what to do, it requires a lot of creativity and thinking on your toes. Not a master of it yet but plan to be.
21) Been planning a trip to anywhere for forever and really want to go but apparently I have two kids and a husband who is too busy.
22) Been holding my friends new baby, Paige, she is adorable! I actually got to see her be born. Not on purpose, it just kind of worked out that way. So I pretty much consider myself her auntie. Which is good because I'm not ready for another of my own yet but I still get my baby fix. PERFECT!
23) Joseph starts clinic in November, we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Tute tute! I think I can, I think I can, I think I can. I am not naive enough to not know although that once school is done it only presents a whole new world of challenges and hard work. If it's not hard..it's not worth it...that is what I keep telling myself at least.
24) Kaitlyn started pre-school...She LOVES it and the teachers are awesome!
25) So looking forward to fall and for my parents to come visit.
26) Miss my family and friends in Oregon and everywhere across the world...a lot!
27) Some of my good friends from here are finishing school and I am really sad to see all of them leave.
28) Got released from Nursery and am now the ward librarian. Can I get a woop woop.
29) Almost went to Hawaii but the flights were completely full and we were flying on passes...makes me want to cry.
30) Is anyone else so tired of finishing folding and putting away laundry only to find that sitting in the hampers are 3 more loads. The job never ends...
31) That is how old I am....curse those gray hairs they just keep coming.....Sigh, not sure if I'll ever feel my age again cause last I remembered I was 25

Well hope you laughed at least once. Give me a shout out...which means leave me a message....word to your mama! Peace out Pony... (those are Kaitlyn's two favorite things to say when saying goodbye..well that and giving knuckles)

Two Two Year Olds

That's right!  My kids are both two right now.  Every Year from May 18th to July 5th my kids will be the same age.  It's kind of crazy.  As we speak they are chasing eachother around the house wrestling and playing.  I hope they will be best friends, for the most part they already are besides the occasional bite or bump.  We are gearing up for summer here in Iowa.  We are traveling home to Oregon and will be there for most of our break.  We have had lots of fun this spring.  Adam celebrated his 2nd birthday at a pizza place with a play gym that has lots of tubes, tunnels and slides.  He is getting to be such a big boy and is now talking a lot. Kaitlyn is our little princess.  She is so much fun and has so much sass.  She has lots of good friends and loves to play with them all the time.  She is so lucky to be surrounded by so many cool kids her age.  We have been going to the zoo weekly and enjoying the moderate weather we've been blessed with.  Low humidity and heat and a lot less severe weather than last year.  Joseph is finishing his 5th trimester at school.  He is doing really well and is looking forward to what this next year will bring.  He took his part one Board Exams and passed with flying colors..wooohoo!  Only 3 more parts to go:)  I am a crafting maniach.  I currently have 8 million projects going.  I am almost done with our bedroom wall hangings, been making bows like crazy, nursing covers, Table runners, cards, blankets and all other kinds of fun crafty type stuff.  I am loving being involved on campus with a group of partners and spouses of the students.  I am going to be the President of the Club this next year and am excited to do some fun outreach type things for the community and to be more involved with Joseph's school.  My best friend Nathalie is almost due with her first baby...I am so excited for her and am looking forward to helping her through the first few months of motherhood.  I think I'll get my new baby fix from her baby and than I can wait a little longer to have another of my own.  I am still a little worn out from having the first two so close.  Here are some pics from the last couple of months....enjoy!

NKOTB

Yeah, the New kids on the block were just in town. Did I go to the concert? No...Did I want to? Yes....Was I willing to pay $80 for a ticket? No...I was in 5th grade when NKOTB came out..I was not as obsessed as some but I must say I could dance up a storm to their music and had a very large button and poster with them on it. I heard them on T.V. recently and sorry to say was not impressed but still it takes a lot of guts to come back after so long....I'm not sure what would have been more fun...to see the New Kids re-live their younger years or to watch all the 30 year old momma's go crazy over their old teen heart throbs...actually I think the funnest part would be to break out all my old dance moves...roger rabbit..running man..mc hammer...oh yeah!!!!

I have been on a crafting binge. A friend from Oregon got me started making Hair Bows over winter break and now I can't stop. I have found many different techniques and love to come up with my own ideas as well. It's a fun craft, you should try it out. I also have been making cards, it is one of my favorite crafts because you can start and finish all in one day. I have a hard time with crafts that never really end. I also have been doing some home decorating. I made our family name with wood letters and Amy Butler paper. I modge podged the paper onto the wood letters and put them on the wall. It turned out great....I plan to do something similar in our bedroom with Amy Butler Paper and our Wedding Photos even including a matching blanket and pillows for the bed. I'll post it when I'm done. I get most of my ideas off of blogs that are dedicated to sharing their crafting ideas and projects. If you know of a good site please let me know. I love new ideas. My sister Amanda recently came and crafted with me. She brought her new baby Estelle who is THE CUTEST BABY ON THE PLANET! I could not get enough of her, or my sister. I miss the both A LOT!



Recently a friend from a club I am a part of on Joseph's campus was diagnosed with Leukemia. Shortly after receiving treatment she had two strokes and underwent brain surgery. Her life completely changed in a matter of moments. I went and visited her just after surgery and she was on life support unable to move her body. She looked completely different, her future looked uncertain. Although she was not LDS our ward felt compelled to fast and pray for her. Her chances of living were one in ten. Miraculously within just a few weeks..I just last night had a phone conversataion with her. I have to tell you after I got off the phone I could not help but smile with amazment, I could not believe that she had come so far so fast. Through this experience I have learned so many things but most of all it is to not take anyone for granted. This girl was one of those people who did not stand out in a crowd, she was quiet and easily unnoticed. I have to admit that I did not make much of an attempt to befriend her beyond just casual conversation. Yet now that I have had the chance to get to know her through this experience I have seen how amazing she is and feel sorry that I did not develop a friendship previous to this experience. It makes me wonder how many people I let pass me by who either need me, or I need them. I want to strive to notice the unnoticed, to get to know everyone I can and not let an opportunity pass to get to know someone and to be friends with them. I want you all to know that I care about you and follow your lives through your blogs and am inspired by your creativity and charisma. You all make me want to be better and do more. Thank you for being my friend...despite my imperfections:)
Till next time...

Wickedly Good

It has been a "Wickedly Good" Winter! It was filled with family and friends and so much fun. Joseph's family made it in for Christmas and the New Year and than the kids and I made a last minute trip to Oregon to visit my family for a bit. It was so good to be back home. I miss Oregon and all it's simple pleasures. The fresh air, green mountains, beautiful coast line and the best of all family. It was so great to entertain and visit with Joseph's family for Christmas. I decorated the house all festive and made my own stockings. I tried to get real crafty but time slipped away and I did not get all the projects done that I had wanted...in the end though none of that mattered, it was the time spent together with family that made this winter so "Wickedly Good". We all got the chance to see the Broadway show Wicked in Chicago and go to an indoor water park. The play was outstanding, it was good to spend some time in Chicago, we are feeling more and more familiar with it and love to go there. Now we are all back at home. We have had since, a few colds, stomach flu and are hoping we have caught all the viruses that are out this year and are good until next winter:) (Yeah Right) Joseph just celebrated his 29th birthday, we hung out at home and had tacos and cake. Than Kaitlyn was in charge of the entertainment so she organized a game of hide and seek. Joseph is about to head into finals and than start getting ready for his first set of board exams which are in a few weeks. We have a spring break coming up, I am watching 5 kids over the break while some friends head to Hawaii for a vacation. They watched our kids while we went to Spain so we have been planning this for a while. I am gearing myself up to be a "Super Mom" and make having 5 kids look like a piece of cake. I have so many crafts and projects in my basement waiting for me, I like to find ideas off of other woman's blogs, there are a lot of good ones out there. Below are two recipe's I recently found from a magazine my Mom ordered for me. They are simple, easy and turned out great.


Shredded Beef Tacos

Pork Shoulder
Enchilada Sauce
Can Diced Green Chiles
Cilantro
Red Onion
Lime
Corn Tortillas


Put the Pork, Enchilada Sauce and Chiles in a Crock Pot for up to 8-10 hours or until the meat is easy to pull apart. 20 min before serving add some Chopped Cilantro to the Crock Pot let simmer. Also Cut the Onions into thin slices and soak in some fresh lime juice. They will become wilted in 20 min. Stir them occasionally. We like to fry the corn tortillas so they turn a little stiff but you can just warm them up. The recipe just had the tacos having the meat and onions in it but we of course added all the works and they turned out delicious and the best part...SUPER EASY!

Berry Cobbler
oh my gosh this is good

Fresh Berries...I used blackberries and strawberries
Lemon 1 tsp lemon zest and 1 Tbsp Juice
2 Tbsp Corn Starch
1/2 Cup Apricot Preserves
16.5 oz Sugar Cookie Dough (Store Bought)
1/2 cup Oats
1/4 cup pecan pieces

Cut the Strawberries in Half and mix them with the other berries. Add Peach Preserves, Corn Starch, Lemon zest and juice. Mix together until evenly mixed. Pour evenly in a 2 qt baking dish. Knead the cookie dough and oats together. Break into pieces over the berries. Sprinkly with Pecan's. Bake at 375 for 35-40 min or until browned and fruit is bubbling. Put foil on top if it begins to get too brown before finished. Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream.....

So EASY and So Yummy!

Here are some pics from the many that have been taken this winter.