Wordless Wednesday: Superman

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a flying Zeke!

Lesson Pathways - Why Homeschooling?

I recently became a writer for a blog called Lesson Pathways and my first blog post is up over there! It's all about why we are choosing to homeschool. I'd love to hear your thoughts! You can read it HERE.

(Also, Lesson Pathways offers a 100% free program that can be used as a curriculum or as a educational supplement. I signed up and it is awesome! No more searching the internet for activities or lessons for my kids to try - they're all on there by subject and grade level. Pretty awesome stuff!)

picture source

Mama Said There'll Be Days Like This

Each day of my life is different - and some days are better than others.

Some days I’m doing great. I wake up feeling good and I have time to mentally prepare myself for my day. The kids have a good day – there’s none (or very few) fights, everybody’s pretty happy and things are good. I get some things accomplished. My house is picked up and overall, pretty clean. I spend some time doing a hobby I really enjoy. I get some lovely mail from a family member and no bills! I’ve been able to make a meal, do a little writing and spend some quality time with my husband. We do something fun as a family. I may even have worked out a little. I'm feeling great about myself. I'm a good mom! A great wife! Just an all-around wonderful human being.

Then there are those other days...

I wake up groggily (and way too early, might I add) to the sound of screeching. My son’s already awake and running around, cackling wildly. My baby girl, her blankets, her sheets and the crib are covered in foul smelling green poop - hence the screeching I heard. While I'm changing her, my son is busy unrolling the toilet paper, dumping cereal on the floor and tearing practically every toy he has out. He has a horrible "I'm not listening and am going to be awful" day. I have a fight with my husband and end up pouting and fuming all day. All we get in the mail are bills that are due immediately. I get bad news from a family member. I've been puked on, peed on and pooped on fives times, but give up changing my clothes and just wear a smelly shirt. Dinner gets burnt (if it even gets made) and after staying up with the kids, I end up falling into bed around three thirty in the morning. I am not feeling like a good ANYTHING.

Obviously, these are extreme examples but that's the way life is sometimes. "Some days you're the windshield, some days you're the bug." Or perhaps "some days you're the pigeon, some days you're the statue." Whatever it is, bad things happen and it stinks. But it's good to be mindful of the things we have to be thankful for when we're going through bad times. It can be difficult though. When my kids are going through a not-so fun stage, I try to focus on the good things about that stage - and I try to remember that it will be but the blink of an eye and then they'll be twenty!

That's just life. It's wonderfully chaotic. And I wouldn't trade it for anything. :)

Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars. - Henry Van Dyke

My Babies & Other Babies

I have to brag on one of my "babies" for a bit, even though I guess he's not really a baby anymore. Zeke had to get a finger poke yesterday to get his iron tested and he was SO brave. I was worried he would be really upset but he just let the lady do it and didn't cry at all. He said, "Look Momma, I got a Garfield Band Aid!"
I also found out yesterday that he's 42 inches tall and 42 pounds - so I told him he's a square. :) Little Miss Ellie was 15 pounds, 10 ounces and 27 inches tall. She's still so tiny but she eats like a horse. (Although is that phrase really a good phrase to use? Do horses really eat a lot? Things to ponder...)
The kids are enjoying the weather getting nicer. Zeke could stay outside all day if I'd let him. Ellie is on the move, though - crawling all over the place and pulling up on everything - so I have to watch her pretty closely!

BzzAgent sent me an email about about a new documentary movie that's coming out (on my birthday!) called Babies and oh my GOODNESS, does it look adorable!





Click HERE to see the movie trailer.Note: I am a BzzAgent and part of the Babies Ambassador program. By promoting this movie I could win some prizes! I do however honestly think it looks ADORABLE and definitely will be watching it!

Healthy Indiana Plan

I found out some information about Indiana's Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP) today regarding the new health care reform legislation. An article I read online led me to believe that the Governor was suspending all new applicants but that is not the case. Governor Daniels suspended HIP enrollment of adults who do not have children. HIP had already hit its limit on the number of adults without children but had recently opened up 2000 slots for additional adults - those applications will end on Monday. HIP will continue to enroll families with children until the federal legislation takes full effect in 2014. The Governor's Office Press Secretary has stated that no one currently enrolled in HIP will be dropped until the federal legislation takes full effect in 2014. Good information to know for anyone who is on it or who was thinking of applying!

For more information on HIP, please go here.

Review: Everyone Communicates, Few Connect

In our every day lives, we use communication in a variety of ways. We speak one-on-one with our children, families and spouses. We talk to different people online, in town, on the bus, on the phone and via email or instant messenger. These communications may be meaningful or they may just be small talk. In certain situations, we don't just want to talk, we want to make a connection. In John Maxwell's newest book, he tells you ways to effectively communicate and make connections with others. Here's a little blurb about the book:

The world's most respected leadership expert gives five principles and five practices for breaking the invisible barrier to leadership and personal success. You have a good idea but can't convince your peers of its merit. You crafted a groundbreaking strategy, but the team trudges on in the same old way. Certain people move forward in their career while you seem to be stuck. If this describes you or someone you know, the problem is not the quality of what you have to offer. The problem is how you connect with people to create the results you desire. John Maxwell believes that a person's ability to create change and results in any organization — be it a company, church, nonprofit, or even a family — is directly tied to the ability to use the teachings of this book.

This book was an intriguing read. I can see where it would be beneficial to practically anyone - a preacher wanting to connect with his congregation, someone involved in business, teachers, writers wanting to connect with their audience, people in a position of power - the list goes on and on. He writes in a way that I think anyone could understand. I especially liked the lists of ways to find common ground with others and ways to recharge yourself. Real communication requires giving a lot of one's self but no one can be a "people person" all the time. I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn how to connect with others better.

Everyone Communicates, Few Connect - John C. Maxwell

Thomas Nelson Product Page

Disclosure: Thomas Nelson provided me with a complimentary copy of this book, via BookSneeze, in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own. Clicking on the picture above will take you to Amazon - through which I am an affiliate - where you may purchase the book.

Completely Unrelated Things

 icon from iconsbycurtana

Well this post today is a mish-mash of lots of things - which is kind of how my brain is feeling today! Our bedroom project is *mostly* finished. There's a few things left to do but we are sleeping in there again and most of our stuff is back in there. It looks great! I have pictures to post but I'll probably post them tomorrow. I just love the color we picked out. We originally were going for a "sand" color but the one we ended up getting is a cooler grayish-blue. It's very calming and soothing.

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I'm a part of the UPrinting Blog Sponsorship Program and my picture is featured on their Ning network homepage, which you can see HERE in the right hand sidebar on down the page. I was very excited!

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Generation Cedar linked to a great post about health care reform:

Businesses will be dropping people like flies from business-covered "insurance"; there will be no reason for anyone as an employer to be providing this "benefit" into an environment where insurance prices will double - and probably double twice - in the next four years. If you think not, look at what was done to credit-card holders in front of the provisions of the CARD act going into effect.

This, by the way, will bankrupt the insurance companies in the end. Nobody will buy until they have HIV, Cancer or some other serious illness - then they will buy, and the companies will have to pay - with no lifetime caps or exclusions for pre-existing conditions...If you have any belief whatsoever in the efficient market hypothesis this is exactly what people will do as the effective dates for these provisions approach, as it will save them ten thousand dollars a year or more - each. The insurance companies will instantaneously lose the "pool" of healthy people who buy against risk - rather, they will have a pool of all sick people who buy against known costs.

Go HERE to read the full article.

We Apologize for the Interruption

I apologize for the lack of comments and blog posts recently - we've been in the middle of a house project (renovating our bedroom) and it's made our house kind of a disaster area. Our bed is in the middle of the living room, my dresser is in the dining room, etc. So I haven't had a lot of time to write posts or comment on your blogs. I will be posting soon though (with picture evidence!) because *hopefully* the project will be completed tonight! See you then! :)

20 Great Reasons You Homeschool

Found this kind of randomly online - click to see the full size version!

Happy Anniversary!

Today is a special day for me and the hubby - it's our five year anniversary! A song that always reminds me of us, Livin' Our Love Song comes to mind:

Baby, just look at us / All this time and we're still in love / Something like this just don't exist / Between a backwoods boy and a fairytale princess / People said it would never work out / Living our dreams has shattered all doubts / It sure feels good to prove 'em wrong / Livin' our love song

Not that I'm trying to rub it into people's faces or anything - that's not my intention at all. I was just thinking that five years ago today, we were both very young and I think most people thought we were crazy for getting married. It's only been five years but it feels like quite a few more. I don't mean that we're ancient and elderly now but I do feel like we've grown up a lot. I'm so happy that we chose to get married and that we've stayed together through all of the stress and struggles the last few years have brought. I've seen my husband grow and mature into a wonderful father, husband and friend. I hope that I've done the same for him. I love him so much and I'm confident we can handle most anything life throws at us. I look forward to many more happy years with him and our children. :)

Wordless Wednesday: Crazy Pirate Kids

Oh the places a simple box will take you! :)

Government Home Visitations & Homeschooling

Even if you are not a homeschooler, I would appreciate you looking into this more and/or calling or writing your government officials. The message is from the Homeschool Legal Defense Association and my thoughts are below it.

Calls Needed: Government Home Visitations in the Health Care Reform Bill

We have previously encouraged you to call your U.S. representative and urge him or her to oppose the health care reform bill that is heading toward a vote in the U.S. House. We urge you to continue your calls. It is very likely that the U.S. House will vote on the health care reform bill this week.

HSLDA is aware of the high cost of health insurance and the problems this creates for individuals, families and businesses. HSLDA’s mission leaves us neutral on the issue of health care reform in general. However, HSLDA believes that the current health care reform legislation in Congress poses a serious threat to parental rights and homeschool freedom.

The problem is found in Section 2951 on page 568 of this 2,074-page bill. This section is titled Maternal, Infant, And Early Childhood Home Visiting Programs, and will create a federal grant program to fund state home visitation programs. Under the terms of this program, government officials, including social workers, will be able to visit the homes of certain families "in order to promote improvements in maternal and prenatal health, infant health, child health and development, parenting related to child development outcomes, school readiness, and the socio-economic status of such families, and reductions in child abuse, neglect, and injuries."

The home visitation program in the health care reform bill is voluntary. However, all the details of the home visitation programs are open to being politically influenced by government bureaucrats who may think that they know more about parenting than do parents. They may pressure parents to adopt child-rearing methods that are against the family's religious beliefs. Home visitation officials may even threaten families with abuse and neglect investigations if the families do not choose to follow the official parenting education models.

And fundamentally, HSLDA believes that the federal government has no constitutional authority to fund and oversee home visitation programs and parenting classes. Once the federal government gets a foot into the door of families’ homes, will it ever stop?

These home visitations are the reason why HSLDA is opposing the health care reform bill.

You can reach your U.S. representative by calling the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121, or toll-free at 866-220-0044. You can find your U.S. representative by using HSLDA’s Legislative Toolbox.

Note: This is just an excerpt - you can read the full message on this page.

I know that the health care system is messed up but I think there needs to be more time spent on figuring out how to fix it and not rushing through it. I think it's better to take our time and fix things than rush through them and mess things up more. This is not an anti-Obama or anti-liberal rant on my part, I just want us all to have the freedoms we are entitled to as Americans. For me, that is less government interference in my life. I believe government is good and has it's place - but it should not be in control of my life. That would be a dictatorship. And I think we know how good those are... (See Parade's World's Worst Dictators for more info.)
I want to know that when I choose to homeschool my child that there won't be interference from the government telling me what I am allowed to do or telling me that I'm not raising my child right. I don't want myself, or any other parent to face criminal charges (neglect or otherwise) for simply choosing to raise their children differently. Yes, there are cases where children are neglected or taken out of school and not homeschooled but that doesn't mean that everyone that chooses to homeschool is that way. That's like saying, "All young mothers don't know how to raise their children because they're young so we need to take their children away from them." (I am NOT saying they're going to do that - that was just a exaggerated explanation.) I went through and read the part they mentioned in the health care bill and after my brain stopped exploding from all the legal-ese, I saw that so much was left up to interpretation. The whole bill is like that really - or so it seems to me. I am by no means wanting to start an argument and if this turns out to be nothing to do with homeschooling or if it truly is voluntary and doesn't affect anyone badly, then I will be very glad and admit that I was wrong. But as it is, it doesn't seem to be that way and I am entitled to voice my opinion. Please feel free to leave your opinions and thoughts on this issue in the comments.

Recipe: Crock Pot Chicken and Rice

This is one of my favorite recipes because it's super simple and super tasty. I actually made it for dinner last night!

Crock Pot Chicken and Rice
- 1 small can cream of chicken soup
- 1 small can cream of celery soup
- 1 small can cream of mushroom soup
- 4 large chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 1 cup Minute rice

Mix the 3 cans of soup and rice into the crock pot. Place the chicken on top of the mixture, then add the diced celery. Cook for 3 hours on high or 4 hours on low. Makes 4 servings.

*When making this recipe, you can switch around the soups depending on what you have. You can use two cans celery and one can chicken, two cans chicken and one can mushroom, etc. I usually add a bit more rice too. You can also easily double or triple this recipe for bigger families or company.

Marriage Monday: Empathy and Understanding

It's another Marriage Monday! You can see my previous Marriage Monday posts here. To join Marriage Monday, go here!

A couple of the blogs I read regularly talked about empathy and understanding today. (Maybe that was a sign to me? Hmmmm......) In marriage, understanding our spouse is especially important. If we don't have understanding, it's very difficult to get along with one another. And I think it's pretty important to get along if you're going to be married!
I think empathy and understanding are things you have to consciously work on. Often when I tell my husband a problem, he is quick to provide a response of what he would do to fix it. This can be frustrating because it's not always what I would (or should) do and sometimes I just want him to listen! On the flip side of that, when he is telling me a problem or issue, I want to hear every little detail and analyze it. I KNOW he finds this frustrating. But I think that is a major difference between men and women - men want to fix the problem and move on, or just move on. And I think women are more prone to dwell on things and to want to know the ins and outs of the problem.

Jeff at Men are Dumb, and I Should Know said it well:

Relationships are tough. It was that way since the beginning of time, and the same is still true now. One of the reasons is that we are all different.

When we hear someone telling us something difficult they are going through, we usually think, "Well, I would do this, and things would be fine," but we aren't the other person.

It happens a lot with disagreements, too. We think to ourselves, "I would never do that to someone else." True, you wouldn't but they might.

Practice empathy. Do your best to set aside the instant platitude, listen and be empathetic.

The world is full of people going through difficult times, and if you take some times to start to practice empathy, you could have the opportunity to release the pain of one person, and that could have a positive ripple effect.

That's just an excerpt of his post (click the link above to go read the full thing) but he is right! When we have an argument (disagreement, heated discussion, whatever you want to call it!) with our spouse, it's good to stop and try to think about their opinion or feelings. We need to put aside our selfishness and pride. If we're more considerate of them, they're bound to be more empathetic with us when we need it.

CPSC Warning About Slings

Have you heard about the CPSC's (the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Comission) new warning on baby slings? If not, read on:

The CPSC is advising parents and caregivers to be cautious when using infant slings for babies younger than four months of age. In researching incident reports from the past 20 years, CPSC identified and is investigating at least 14 deaths associated with sling-style infant carriers, including three in 2009. Twelve of the deaths involved babies younger than four months of age.

Slings can pose two different types of suffocation hazards to babies. In the first few months of life, babies cannot control their heads because of weak neck muscles. The sling’s fabric can press against an infant’s nose and mouth, blocking the baby’s breathing and rapidly suffocating a baby within a minute or two. Additionally, where a sling keeps the infant in a curled position bending the chin toward the chest, the airways can be restricted, limiting the oxygen supply. The baby will not be able to cry for help and can slowly suffocate.

Many of the babies who died in slings were either a low birth weight twin, were born prematurely, or had breathing issues such as a cold. Therefore, CPSC urges parents of preemies, twins, babies in fragile health and those with low weight to use extra care and consult their pediatricians about using slings.

Two months ago, the Commission added slings to the list of durable infant products that require a mandatory standard. Additionally, CPSC staff is actively investigating these products to determine what additional action may be appropriate. Until a mandatory standard is developed, CPSC is working with ASTM International to quickly complete an effective voluntary standard for infant sling carriers.

CPSC recommends that parents and caregivers make sure the infant’s face is not covered and is visible at all times to the sling’s wearer. If nursing the baby in a sling, change the baby’s position after feeding so the baby’s head is facing up and is clear of the sling and the mother’s body. Parents and caregivers should be vigilant about frequently checking their baby in a sling.

CPSC is interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are directly related to infant slings. You can do this by visiting www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx or call CPSC’s Hotline at (800) 638-2772.

Any thoughts on this? I didn't use slings or carriers with my son but I did with my daughter. I used a regular front carrier type, like this but a different brand, and when she was smaller I used a Hugamonkey sling. (I wrote a review of it on my old blog.) Slings/carriers are very convenient and help you to have a closeness with your baby when you might not always have the hands for it. Obviously you wouldn't want to use them all the time but they are helpful when you're walking, out and about, without a stroller, etc. I hope this warning doesn't make people fear slings or not want to use them because when used correctly and safely, they're fine!

Pssst! MyGetTogether - General Mills Network

I got this email yesterday and thought this might be something you all would be interested in too! I already signed up!

As a member of MyBlogSpark we know that you enjoy sharing the information we provide to you with your readers on your blog.

We also want to let you know about another great network - General Mills´ Pssst... network - and all the exciting opportunities it offers. During the week of March 22nd, Pssst... is launching MyGetTogether, a fun way to try products and sometimes new recipes in the company of good friends, giving you a real inside look at the products, providing coupons, unique giveaways or other offers. Be sure to sign up now so that you can apply to host a get together!

In addition, as a member of the network you will get a chance to try new products, provide insight and feedback to the brands, take part in cool surveys and get exclusive, behind the scenes content. From time to time you will receive samples and coupons to give out to friends and family members you think would enjoy them.

Interested in seeing what it´s all about? Visit http://pssst.generalmills.com. Just click the Join Now tab to become a member and get in the loop on new products. And, please feel free to tell others about it too.

BlogFrog Community

My blog now has a community where you can go to talk about anything and everything! Blog posts are one thing but what if you want to continue the discussions? Well, you can just jump on over and feel free to join in on any of the conversations!

EDIT: The widget isn't showing up right so here's a link instead.

 

Recipe: Sweet Amish Chili

Tonight I tried a recipe from a cookbook my family and I picked up at a local Amish store. The recipes we've tried from it so far have been great. Hubby said he wanted chili tonight and I've made chili many times but tonight I wanted something different. The last couple times I've tried it it's either been too bland or too spicy. So I decided to see what this cookbook had. The recipe below makes a sweeter type of chili (which I had never had) and I only tweaked it a little bit to my preferences. I added a jump break because there's lots of pictures! Click "Read More" to...well, read more! :)

Click here to read the rest of this entry >>

Wordless Wednesday: The Princess

Marriage Monday: Schedules, Unemployment and Adjustments

Last week at Come Have a Peace on Marriage Monday, Julie posed the questions: Have you ever experienced a time where your husband had a lot on his plate? Do we go on with our own "stuff" and wish him luck, or do we change our schedule? (Note that this is not what is being discussed this week - I'm a little behind. I started writing this post last week and am just now getting it finished!)

My husband's previous job required a lot of him. He often worked nights and overtime. Somedays it felt like we only saw him when he was leaving to go to work. He got on a four days on, four days off schedule so his days off were different every week. We didn't have a typical "Monday - Friday Dad works and weekends are family time" schedule. We adapted to his schedule. His four days on, I tried to find activities for us to do away or that were quieter so he could sleep during the day before he had to go to work. I saw him for a bit when he got home in the morning and then for a little before he left for work in the evening. His four days off, regardless of which ones they were, were our family days and days to get things done.
My husband lost his job in January. He's been enjoying getting to spend time with the kids and figure out what he'd like to do next. I think it's also been eye-opening for us both - for him to see what it's like to be home all the time and for me to see how he does things differently than I do.
I think as parents and as husband and wife, it's important to remember to help one another out and take each other's schedules into consideration. I can't say that the hubby and I are perfect about that but we are trying. It's a work in progress right now - we're just getting into the groove of being around each other most of the time. Since he's home more, he's doing a lot more cleaning and helping around the house. He's an excellent cook and really enjoys making dinner for us most nights. We're adapting to each other's schedules.
My husband worked at his previous job for almost eight years. For someone young, I think that's quite an accomplishment. It's been...different trying to figure out what we'll do now. I was reading Lysa TerKeurst's blog earlier and this post from her personal assistant explains how I am feeling pretty darn well:

Being unemployed is hard. It's raw. It's full of uncertainty.


As I re-read the devotion I wrote about being unemployed that is running today through our ministry, I am reminded and comforted that God knows, He knew and He is still there.


He knows what we are dealing with daily.
He knew we would be on this journey.
He is still present, still active, still near.


This is where our thoughts must remain. This is where we find our hope.
I will admit that I fall off the wagon every now and then and enter into a pity party as my thoughts run aimlessly such as "Where are you God? We are trying here. Nothing seems to be working. Why is it taking so long?" In these moments of weakness, I must remember that God is doing His work on His timetable, not ours.

Yes, it is rough - and not just for us parents, but for all of us. A week or two after my husband lost his job when I was tucking my four year old son in for the night, he asked me, "Why is Daddy home all the time?"
I told him that Daddy did not have a job any more. He thought about this for a second and then said, "Oh. How will we have money then?" I blinked back tears as I contemplated what to say. I finally told him that Daddy would be getting money from being unemployed for awhile and that he was already looking for a new job. That satisfied him and he went on to bed peacefully. That little question stayed on my mind, though. It kind of reminded me of God and his scheduling. In this situation, I (and my husband) are the little children saying, "How will we have money? Will we be able to pay our bills? When will I get a new job?" and all the millions of questions we want answered. We would love for it to be on our schedule, preferably NOW. But we need to learn to adapt to God's schedule and his plan for us. God is the patient parent, helping us and guiding us through our problems on his schedule so we can peacefully sleep for another night. This verse has been showing up a lot in my life (and it's no coincidence, I'm sure!) and I hope it will encourage you too:

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength." - Philippians 4:12-13

Addison Ranch

A friend on Twitter was talking the other day about getting chickens and I told her I had some. I was going to link her to a post I'd written about them but those posts were relatively old and since I haven't written about them in awhile, I thought I'd write an update about 'Ol Addison Ranch. :)

Click here to read the rest of this entry >>

Covergirl Giveaway Winners

Drumroll please! The winners of the Covergirl ShadowBlast and ShineBlast Giveaway are...

Click here to read the rest of this entry >>

Baby's First Birthday

Exactly one year ago today, my baby girl was born! It's been quite an experience, going from being a mother of one to being a mother of two - but I would not trade it for anything. Ellie is her own little unique person. She likes bopping around to music and loves her brother unconditionally. It doesn't seem like she ever stops eating! And yet, she is still so petite. She is very sensitive and always a diva. It's her way or the highway, buddy! :) My son is the ham, she is the serious one. She's more cautious around people and hesitant to be too far away from me. She loves exploring, though and will gladly crawl all over the house. She's been lovingly called Ellie, Babe-a, Witty Bitty Babe and Crab Cakes. She is my little sweetie and I can't wait to see what the next year holds for us! ♥

 

 

Sounds Like Life to Me

My husband is a great guitar player. He wouldn't ever tell you that and he'll probably be mad that I am talking about him but he only reads my blog occasionally so it may be awhile before I have to hear about it! ;) His favorite songs to play are usually country and he played one the other night by Darryl Worley called "Sounds Like Life to Me." Here's the official video for the song:






If you can't watch the video, check out a snippet of the lyrics:

Sounds like life to me
It ain't no fantasy
It's just a common case of everyday reality
Man, I know it's tough but you gotta suck it up
To hear you talk you're caught up in some tragedy
It sounds like life to me

This song is so true - and so relevant to how I was feeling that day. I love Facebook - for staying in touch with family, networking, getting back in touch with old friends - but sometimes it really brings me down when I get on there. I see everybody ranting and raving about things that aren’t really that big a deal. Of course everybody earns the right to rant once in awhile but some people just seem to be stuck in negativity all the time – everything they talk about is awful, terrible and no good. They're always having a bad day, their kids/family/significant other is horrible, school/job is stressful, their life just stinks...you know how it goes. I think that’s a very poor way to live your life. Yes, sometimes life really stinks but that's just the way life is sometimes. If everything was perfect all the time, things would be pretty boring - and we probably wouldn't learn anything! Challenges sometimes teach us things we wouldn't have been able to learn otherwise. And life is what you make of it. If you're unhappy and mad all the time, your life is probably going to continue following in that fashion. So hubby thanks for reminding me, in your own country way, that sometimes "that's just life."

Wordless Wednesday: Standing Birthday Girl

 

 My baby girl will be one this Saturday! I'm sad and happy at the same time. On Monday she decided she wanted to try standing!

More Blog Awards!

You bloggy friends are just too good to me! I received two more blog awards around the end of February. It's so exciting to get an award, even if it's something silly or small...it still makes me smile and brightens up my day! I hope these awards I pass on will brighten other people's days too.

The first one I received was from Coupon Clippin' Mommy and it's called The Bogart Award:

This award means you're really going places, Baby. You'll still be blogging about your great adventures 10 years from now, and I'll still be reading them. Here are the rules for this award: Link back to the blogger who sent you this award, post where you would like to be in 10 years and pass it on to 10 awesome bloggers.

Wow, ten years from now...well, my son will be fourteen and my daughter will be ten - holy moley! I can't even imagine that yet. I hope homeschooling will be going okay with them and that they'll be growing up well. I'd like to have several more children by then. I will be 33, hubby will be 37 and we'll have been married almost fifteen years! Wow! I hope we are even more in love then than we are now. I hope to be a better writer and maybe even make some headway on the stories I've been writing.
Honestly, I don't think I could tag 10 more awesome people - I think I've tagged all of you at least once! :)

The second award I received was from Gumdrops and Groanings and it's called the Beautiful Blogger Award:

The rules are:

1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award and insert a link to their blog.

2. Pass on the award to about 15 other bloggers who you recently discovered and think are great!

How very sweet! It's always nice to be called beautiful! :) I have discovered some new blogs (or at least new to me) recently and I'd love to send this award along to them! I don't have fifteen but these are all really good ones that I have recently started following!

- Between the Lines
- Closing Time
- It's Morning Already?
- Raising Arrows
- The Toy Box Years

Laundry Room Makeover Contest

I got an email from MomSelect yesterday about this really cool contest and wanted to share it with you all:

If there is one chore that Moms are familiar with, it's laundry. For many of us, it's a daily occurrence that gives new meaning to the phrase "spin cycle!" That's why it's not surprising that laundry rooms are among the most frequented areas of the house for Mom....unfortunately, they tend to also be some of the most uninspired rooms in the home when it comes to design. Luckily, Wisk Laundry Detergent understands and wants to help!

If your laundry room is plain and boring or a downright dungeon, you just might be in desperate need of a laundry room makeover. Wisk Laundry Detergent is teaming up with TV's Designing Spaces to pimp-out one laundry room in dire need of a face-lift as part of the "Wisk Pimp My Laundry Room" video contest.

Just enter a short video anytime between March 1 and March 29 at LaundryHE.com explaining why you deserve a laundry room makeover and Wisk could be on your doorstep with their partners-in-design, Whirlpool's DreamLaundry Solutions team led by Bill Thomas and Emily Johnston, owner of the interior design firm EJ Interiors and founder of Materials Girls Blog. Together, they'll take your laundry room from drab to fab in no time thanks to a laundry room makeover complete with a new Whirlpool High Efficiency (HE) washer/dryer set and a year's worth of Wisk HE Laundry Detergent. Even better, you'll get to star in your very own episode of Designing Spaces!

The top Finalists will be featured on LaundryHE.com from April 12 - 19 and the Grand Prize Winner will be chosen by popular ballot - so be sure to get your friends and family online and voting! Even better, a vote is an automatic entry to a sweepstakes for a year's supply of Wisk HE Laundry Detergent! Check out the website for full rules and to enter!

Disclosure: I am posting about this contest for one, to let you know about it and for two, to enter to win a bottle of detergent and/or a year's worth of detergent from Wisk.

Congress of Counties 2010

My husband and I had the honor of attending the Indiana Republican Congress of Counties this past weekend. It was very informative and educational. The speakers were all very interesting and it was really cool getting to meet some of our state government officials. The State Treasurer even said my name right! That is always a big deal to me since I have an odd name! :) He informed me that there was a girl with the same name that worked in his office, although it was spelled differently. Our Lieutenant Governor (who I heard in 2008 at a Sarah Palin rally) was there too and I enjoyed her remarks after lunch. She seems like a very sweet lady and is definitely someone who knows what she is doing. (I might also add that Republicans really know how to eat - lunch was awesome!) The sessions we attended at the CoC were mainly focused on learning more about polling/elections, the various positions people could run for and statistics about our party and public opinion. I thought it was really interesting to see what public opinion is on our country, the economy, the different parties and various other things. Such as, a certain majority of people might not agree with Obama's policies but they genuinely want to see him succeed. Or that one of the number one issues with people is the economy and it's uncertainty. (Not really a surprise, but it's still interesting.) Something very significant about Indiana that we learned was that while most states are reporting deficits and major debt, Indiana has a surplus of over a billion dollars. I know that some people do not agree with some of the things Governor Mitch has done (privatizing some social programs, the toll road deal, the time change, etc.) but he has done what he said he would do. You have to admire someone who says they will do something and then follows through - especially a politician! ;) There have been cutbacks but we've also saved a great deal of money, which is an excellent thing during our current economy. I hope people don't forget that Mitch has done a lot of good things - like enacting the Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP) that provides coverage to Hoosiers without insurance, putting in order significant tax cuts and of course, in 2005 when he led us to our *first* balanced budget in eight years. And something important to remember that my husband reminded me of is that you can't like someone all the time, regardless of who they are - no one who is in an office or position of power can do everything right, all the time. Anyway, overall we had a very good time and I personally learned a lot! My husband is running as a delegate to this year's convention that will be taking place in June (or is it July? I have mommy brain!) and I'm really excited to see what the future holds for the Republican party.