DDP 5

A few of my favorite things (thanks for the idea Amanda!): Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi (enough said), the new grinders from Pampered Chef - ahh how nice it is to have freshly ground pepper and salt into my leftovers, my crockpot - I put together my meal in the morning when I have the energy think about cooking and does the cooking for me while I am at work, time on the clock - bathtime which is a time I get things done while laughing at the boys playing in the tub, last but not least the PACI's. Yes yes yes I know they should be gone and they can be in an instant! I need them for my sanity as my reign continues as a single mom. When my hugs, words, and kisses can't be enough, the paci is a cure all. They will be gone as soon as Daddy leaves. We really don't have them that much...only when Mommy needs them to have them!

I had to include this one as well. Another job well done! Stickers on the table and a colored page. How fun!

DPP Photo 4

As I was loading the picture below as my photo of the day...

this is what appeared on my lap (you can even see the uploading sign on my computer screen).

So I am voting that the 2nd picture be my picture of the day. My attempt at taking a break and blogging as a single mother. You try typing while holding two little boys on your lap. I wouldn't think of any other better place to be!

Say many prayers tonight for Eric, Cole, Zach (I believe) and Gracie Vest. Their mother, Stephanie went to be with Jesus last night. You can check out her story on my blog roll. Also pray for my friend Kayla's grandmother who is also close to making the journey. This is just a time in everyone's life to hug one more family member, say one more "I love you" and give one more compliment.

With much love (and not much patience:)) Good night!

DDP 3

Today has been a day of thankfulness.

I was thankful for time by myself this am. I was able to eat an entire bowl of Life cereal, check my DDP friends, and pick up my house this morning before my two boys got up.

I was thankful that my husband worked tirelessly on our kitchen so that I could enjoy a freshly clean, dust-free bowl of cereal to enjoy during my time alone and be able to clean it in a real sink.

I was thankful that my husband (and I) worked so hard to insulate, insulate, insulate our huge garage. I walked into the garage this morning and we were no longer cold!

I was thankful that my husband cleaned (with my help:)) cleaned up our garage before he left so that I could park in the car. PTL for not having to scrap the windshield with my credit card.

I was thankful for two little snow bunnies making new tracks in the snow (the picture for today). Kenner loves his new hat and had to put on a scarf because I had one on! Hillarious! Today was Patton's first independent walk in the snow. How fun is that! It is crazy to think that he was not walking yet a year ago. Oh those were the days (as he is jumping off of furniture with his brother as I am blogging).

I was thankful for my car. It took us to Crete and back without any troubles (My mom's van on the other hand didn't. Thank God that it went bad as she was getting off the interstate).

I was thankful for a babysitter in the city limits of Crete. No more slipping and sliding out in the country.

I was thankful for arriving at school with 10 minutes to spare (7:50) and having to drive 45 the entire way. No way would I have been able to make that time without Stepping Stones in Crete.

I was thankful for my job and patience. I have a renewed sense of patience this week. Let's hope this stays for two more weeks anyway.

I was thankful for two boys playing in the bathtub at 6:00 pm tonight for a 1/2 hour, while I cleaned up the kitchen, vaccuumed, and checked blogs. (I was also thankful for their safety...I went in a few times to see what they were laughing about and they were playing jungle gym with the towel rack...eek!) I know safety police I need to be sitting by them while in the tub, but I was only a matter of 10 feet away from them doing the cleaning:)

I am thankful for coming upon Stephanie Vest's website. She is not doing very well, but the strength and courage I have read through her blog has given me a new outlook on life and relationships. Please pray for her, her family, and her 3 children.

Lastly I am thankful for my ability to be a Godly Mom. I had a very hard decision tonight to go to Awana in Lincoln or stay home. Kenner (and I) love Awana, but I am not sure we could take another bathless, late night in Lincoln. After talking with my friend Kayla, I decided it isn't what I take my kids to to teach them about Jesus. But rather what we do together that counts. We have had some great time tonight being Mommy Kangaroo, Kenner Kangaroo, and Bubbi Kangaroo. I am not not participating in Awana, we will be back. I am just not sure how much more I can add to my plate while Casey is gone. Tonight has been a blessed night hopping from place to place (yes I even hopped from the dining room to the kitchen with a chair...because I was Momma Kangaroo!) and spending some good time while I put them to bed.

I knew it was the right decision when we were praying before supper and I peeked while I was praying and both my boys heads were down, eyes closed, I closed the prayer and both of them said, "Amen" in unison! Amen to that!

Have a great Thursday!

DPP Photo 2

Here is the picture that was suppose to be yesterday's. Ahh the busy hands desiring water!

Here is the official jpg of the project!! Check out Rebecca's website by clicking on Treadway's or the picture below.

I wanted to stay true to my word and this project...so I did take a picture today, but this isn't it. My camera is in the car and I am exhausted. This picture is from Texas Road House Grill (yum yum!) from last Wednesday with my Uncle Craig. Old and young alike love the ability to tear apart the shell of a nut and throw it on the ground! The picture from the fun of the small faucet in the doctor's office, two Dixie cups, and two boys that are 3 and 2. Hope your suspense brings you back for more!

DPP Photo 1

We were able to put up the tree with Daddy here this weekend. I put the boys to bed tonight and cleaned up the house alone (or so I thought). I then remembered that I needed to submit a photo for the DPP project. Hmmm I guess my subject didn't want me to take a picture without anyone in it...Patton must have been sitting in the chair looking at the tree while I picked up the toys in the back room, put food away from dinner, cleaned up the kitchen (all dishes included) and swept the floor. Oh well makes for a cute submission for my first photo.

Bubbi is saying, "Hi tractor!" He has to say this because he wants to pull down all the ornaments, so we trained him to say Hi instead. It works about 50% of the time. Happy Photo Project day!

Addendum to the DDP #1 Photo. After I took the first pictures, I proceeded to put Bubbi back to bed and come back down to check out all the other DDPer's. 1 hour later I heard snoring coming from the other side of the room. No that is not a lump of coal under the tree...it is a snoring Bubbi who refused to go to bed. Funny Patton!

December Photo Project from the Treadway's blog

Hey guys- I am going to try to do this project...because it is a great idea to have some fun with pictures as opposed to just reporting about my boys all the time.

Here is the website if you want to join in as well!

http://www.tredways.org/2008/11/25/december-photo-project-2008/#comment-586

Let's see if I can keep up with this!

Rhi

I have been tagged by...

Kayla Here you go:

8 favorite tv shows (these shows depend on when and where I am...because we don't have cable and not a very good digital signal:()
Biggest Loser
Amazing Race
Extreme Makeover Home Edition
News (or Mommy's cartoons as stated by Kenner)
Handy Manny
ANYTHING HGTV (when I have cable!!!)
Sell this house (again...cable)
Word World cartoon

8 things I did yesterday
Drove to Aurora
Pampered Chef Bridal Shower in Hastings
Ate supper with the Elge's
Drove home to Sprague
Entered orders from the Bridal Shower
Checked all my blogs (note: didn't blog on mine)
Spent time with my two boys and HUSBAND!
Unpacked the car

8 things I look foward to
Decorating my house for Christmas
Giving my neighbors the cookies my family and I made together
Having Casey home for good
Spending more time with family for the holidays
Attempting to beat Casey at Risk...or help other cheat so he can't claim to win
Be home all week and weekend
Make supper in my kitchen
Make a super cute baby blanket for Amy and Curtis for this weekend's baby shower

8 of my favorite restaurants
Kelly Elge's Kitchen
Olive Garden
Taco Bell
Texas Roadhouse Grill
Red Robin
Cristina's Mexican Restaurant in Crete
Macaroni Grill
Culver's (for the cheese balls)

8 things on my wish list
Finished kitchen
Homemade pretend refridgerator for the boys made out of our old cupboards
Organized basement
To earn the Pampered Chef Disney Dream Escape trip for 4 to Disney World(you can help by hosting a party anytime next year!!)
To not have to work, but have the income we have, so we can spend more time with family
Tupperware containers for my kitchen
Casey to be home
A healthy three non stressful weeks at work before the break

This took a bit longer than I thought but fun to do...now it is: Andrea's, Astraea's, Megan's, Chris', Crissy's, Shanelle's (sorry for the mispelling), Carrie's, Julie's, and Rebecca's turn.

Pleuritis and puking

I have been complaining since Saturday morning of Caleb's bed, because I thought my shoulder and rib cage/back hurt because of his bed. Well sorry Caleb! I went to Linc Care today, because I thought I was having a heart attack last night. Rest assured it is only pleuritis.

Kenner threw up at daycare and proceeded to throw up two more times in my room at school last night (while making sub plans) and two more at home. He has successfully kept down three meals today...so I think we just had the 12 hour flu bug (which is not covered under the flu shot).

I am taking some stronger doses of Alieve to help combat the pain in my chest, but having two boys that weigh over 30 pounds doesn't help the stress level on my muscles. I was able to take a long nap today at my sister Becca's apartment with my mom combatting the boys into a nap. It was a great nap and I feel great until about 5 minutes after it then my body remembers that it needs to breath awake and we are back into the shortness of breath and fun.

Kenner had his first dentist appt today, because he has a black tooth (probably from one of the many times he has fallen on it!). He only has 3 CAVITIES!!!!!! AHHHH...the candy is being thrown, no more juice, and milk and water for us. I am listening now Daddy! We will be getting them fixed on Dec 23...guess what Kenner is getting for Christmas- healthy teeth.

The boys and I are extremely excited to have our Daddy home tomorrow night for the weekend!!!!! I really wish my house was a little cleaner and the Christmas tree was up for him...but maybe this is something we could all do together.

Have a happy Thanksgiving. I always have so much to be thankful for, but with what happened with Kenner this year that list has seemed to double.

Love you all!

correction to ploob

Thanks to my mother in law to point out that the link to our ploob website wasn't working. If you try to problem solve and google ploob...you get something MUCH MUCH different. My crazy Aunt and I didn't google to see if there was an existing definition out there.

Ours is defined...plastic layers of old bags!!!

www.ploob.net

overwhelmed or old age?

My mom has my boys so I thought I was going to get all this stuff done tonight. I was going to ploob, do labels for our honey, get Pampered Chef ready for Kendra's party tomorrow and this weekend, and get to watch some TV.

I left school at 4:30 which I really should have stayed there until 8:00 (like I did last night...but instead left at 9:30 last night). I felt guilty not staying to get or felt caught up. Then I get home and get my comfy clothes on and get fired up to Ploob. I get downstairs in my sewing room and get a ploob block. Ugh! No radio, no TV and frustrated with not being creative with the ploob. So I went upstairs, made supper for myself. Thoroughly enjoyed sitting and eating dinner while watching TV in my comfy clothes on the couch. Ahh! I don't remember the last time I was able to do that (maybe college).

I went back down to ploob again...no luck. I did do some nice plabric, but no purses. Hmmm! ARGH!

Then I come upstairs and it is 8:30 and I have no ounce of motivation to do anything. I wish I could get out of this rut I am in. At this point, I want to stop everything I do - just work from 8-4 come home play and be mom. But am I satisfying my desires???? Nope...just living. Ugh! I love to do all the things I do, but there comes a point in life where something has to give.

Tonight it is going to be my to -do list.
REVISE TO-DO LIST:
- eat a meal in my comfy clothes on the couch
- make plabric for my Aunt Jane
- go to bed and watch TV at 9:00

How is that for positive! Love you all! and have a great THURSDAY!

Rhi

ahhh at home!

Look who fell asleep in my bed while watching Extreme Makeover Home Edition. Visit my friend The Spence's to see,pray for and live through their life as real life Haitian advocates:)

Wow! Three weeks have gone by fast and both slow without Casey here. We desperately miss him around here. We miss his hugs, the anticipation of him coming home with the boys at the door, and playing with him after supper.

Life has been so crazy. I hit a wall today. Patton had a fever at daycare yesterday. I out of sick days at work. I called all my relatives within a 20 mile radius to see if they could watch Patton (thanks Jess, Jenna, Becca, Mike), no luck. Last but best resort...my mom. My mom came up last night, played with Bubbi in the middle of the night and hung with the boys all day.

I worked 13+ hours today...and still have more work to do. It will have to wait. I get to ploob and sew tomorrow night!!!!

test

I was doing this test for Casey's Aunt Julie to see what my scrapbooking program can do. It wouldn't go through my email...hence the reason for the post.

Happy Birthday Patton!

Here is the birthday boy. Doesn't he look happy? This is our serious child. When he doesn't want to smile he doesn't. I am not sure why I think this picture is funny...but it sure made my day:) (Maybe this is I miss you Daddy)

Happy Birthday Bubbi! Today he turned 2. I now know what to define his behaviors as...the TERRIBLE TWOS:) Thanks to Bob, Marilyn, Maggie and Don for coming over to help us celebrate (I really didn't want to eat the entire cake myself). It was nice to have a small group over to enjoy my test recipe for my Pampered Chef Party which is on Wednesday.

Thanks for all the emails and phone calls (especially my mom's at 7:10 that woke me up. Yikes. I was showered, got two boys dressed, put a roast, cut onions and started the crock pot, meanwhile taking cupcakes and two boys to the car by 7:45.) Efficiency at it's best when you don't any time to waste.

Love you Bubbi! Happy Birthday Happy Bubbi

The BALLOON CAKE!

Cupcakes for his friends at Daycare. Mini Birthday party at the Pizza Machine in Omaha on Saturday night. It was late after the cookie making party all day. I guess when you turn two you get to go to a play land and play games. We did this with Kenner for his 2nd birthday.

Happy

Mad...why? Some stranger (Annie) probably told him to smile. He is funny like that!

Our annual cookie baking day was this weekend at Annie's house. Fun was had by all. Michelle, my cousin, Amy, Jeri, and Kendra my aunts, and Annie were the chef's. My mom was the babysitter. Thanks Annie for letting us break in your new kitchen. It was a blast!

Grandma and Baby Rylan. So cute!! The FORT...Annie's couch comes apart and makes a great fort. FUn times!!

Halloween Pics here we come

Okay bear with me. Blogger has changed the way it puts pictures on the blog...so these are very RANDOM ON HERE. We had an eventful Halloween week with trick or treating at AOPI, our Halloween Daycare party, and trick or treating on Halloween. Enjoy!

Daddy the safety guy in the back ground with the famous trick or treaters. Our friend Don with Bubbi at the insurance office.

Musical Chairs in the infant room at Daycare. All tuckered out from a fun time at the Daycare party!

The real thing...Halloween 2008 Trick or Treaters - Bubbi the Train Conductor and Kenner the Hot Dog Salesman

A bee buzzed by them. It was only their friend Titus from down the street!

Our favorite friend Marilyn. The insurance office in SPrague is the place to go for trick or treating for both parents and kids:) Thanks Mitchells!

The Mummy game. Kenner...I think you look better as a hot dog salesman:) His trick or treat bag was PLUM FULL AT AOPI!

Kenner feeling through the slimy snakes (or cold spaghetti) to get a treat with Terri (who is the director of their daycare.)

Pumpkin Roll with Kenner's teacher Miss Lisa. He holds a higher power than Mommy in my house some days:)

Egg Roll. Kenner almost had it down with a broken egg...because when he first attempted it he went right through the egg. Glad it was hard boiled! The funniest part was that when it was Bubbi's turn...he just leaned on down and took a bite out of it. So funny!

Bobbing for apples at AOPi. He almost got one...they let him get it with his hands. Trick or treating door to door at the AOPi house. They sure got it down!

Intently opening up his first trick or treating sucker...yum!

Look at Bub...he continued to dive in for seconds at AOPI, daycare, and trick or treating around Sprague. It was so funny!

Hard day at work...huh Bub! Decorating cookies at AOPi

Random picture of Bubbi. He just helps himself now to a drink whenever he chooses. He just climbs right in and helps himself. The only problem is that he uses the bath toy cups (which have holes in the bottoms of them!)

Cheese ball Bubbi!

Another random pic of Kenner cheering on the Titan Vball team at Lincoln Christian with Jenna and Aunt Kris.

Taking a vote...does Chad (a guy from Hebron) look like Casey? This is the only guy (besides Daddy) that Bubbi has consistently gone to time after time ever since he was little. Isn't that funny? Thanks Chad!

Hot Dog! Get your Hot Dog! Kenner the hot dog salesman

Power of perspective

This morning and this weekend I was a bit sad with the thoughts that Casey will be missing 2 months of the boys saying funny things, learning new information, and just being here to hang out with.

As I was crying after he left, I thought I would check blogs. Again I was frustrated that there wasn't an updated page on everyone's blog...then I had to check mine and there hasn't been one for a long time!!! Hmmm (something to do this week).

The last blog I checked was my blog friend, Stephanie Vest. It is an amazing, but much more difficult situation than mine. She has a 13-16 week old baby girl and two boys that are 3-6. She is dying with cancer. Wow! I guess Casey leaving for 2 months is nothing. Pray for the comfort of Steph's family.

Have a great week everyone!