Happy Halloween!

Wow! What a great day today! Here are some pictures of the boys trick or treating at AOPi on Sunday. We also had a Halloween party at Day Care on Monday.



Today was a mini party at our house. I always have ideas, but never follow through with them... I am so glad that I did! I had a blast and I think others did too:) Sorry no pics...they will be coming!

Our Kitchen

Okay Blogger is wanting to put the pictures up backwards this am...serves me right for trying to do something at 6:00 am when I have a FULL day...ugh! Love Mondays!

Here is our accent lighting (aka rope lighting). Isn't it cool? Don't mind the tool mess:)
without the accent lighting!

pretend there is woodwork up and a backsplash and a new floor...DONE KITCHEN!

It is amazing how much counter space I have.

Are the things on top..too much?

the boys moved into their kitchen too! They got their ktichen back from being in the basement:)

washing dishes in a sink...OVER RATED!

I am so sorry I have been horrible at blogging lately. I FINALLY HAVE A KITCHEN SINK AND CUPBOARDS...so I have been unpacking our boxes (yes three years later), rearranging my house (I think this might be the last time of moving different pieces of furniture everywhere and they have a home now!), being a single mom, and having fun with my boys.



I must tell you that washing dishes in a sink, standing up is over rated and WAY EASY! I have been doing dishes in the bathtub for the last month. That does a number on your back.



I also want to announce that I have Friends:) I succesfully made my first batch of Amish Friendship bread. Our cook in AOPi use to make it all the time, but without a kitchen of my own (and if she was cooking...why bother) I wasn't able to ever make it. I got the starter kit from a teacher at school. The first batch went wrong...only because I forgot about it. I discovered it under a swarm of little gnats (yes gross I know!). This batch was YUMMY!!!! Thanks to my neighbor Pat (or should I call her the General Store of Sprague) and Marilyn for looking in their pantry's for instant vanilla pudding. The boys and I munched on it all night:) Now I have crumbs all over to prove it:(



Anyone want a starter kit? It is on day 2 today and if you are coming to the game on Saturday (Lincoln Christian Tourney) I can bring it to you! YUMMY!



I promise pictures of my kitchen soon...but don't know when. Seeing that it is 11:00 pm I better get to bed. I never sleep when my bed warmer is gone:(



Have a great week...it is WEDNESDAY TOMORROW!!! YIPPEE!!!

Who needs Disneyland when you have the Roca Berry Farm!

Our fun time at the pumpkin patch with our cousin Rylan and our Aunt Annie...check out his blog for more pics LAST SATURDAY. I will add more commentary later...off to get my boys:)

The boys walking through the huge pumpkin patch. Like a Mother Duck and her three little ducklings.

Look at all those pumpkins...but no standing up Bubbi

Need Magazines or fun wrapping?

I can hardly believe that Kenner is doing fundraising...but he is. They are doing a fundraiser at his new school for toys and other necessities for the school. I really don't expect any of you to do buy anything, but in case you haven't renewed a magazine and it is on our list...you can do it through here. I checked out the prices and they are very comparable to the rates you get when you need to subscribe. Really really no pressure...but if you need to renew you could help my children's preschool. They sell very similar things to our Elementary School's fundraiser and the holiday wrapping package with the snowmen is an AWESOME package and for 20.00 you get a lot.

Really enough selling. Here is what you do if you want to buy something or renew your subscription:

Go to www.prestigefundraisers.com and the organization number is 503164
His name is Kenner Svitak

Thanks!

Also if you are in to buying things to support a good cause - Breast Cancer. Go to my Pampered Chef website to look at the Help Whip Cancer products. A $1.00 is donated for every product sold. There are some great products on there. If you live around the Lincoln/Hebron area, you can email me and I will put them all on one order and I will pay for the shipping. Thanks!

Kitchen and 911 (456938)

First of all 911 is a funny story not scary:) Kenner is learning about fire safety at school this week. We were on the way home from an evening my friend Heather and Kenner and Patton's best friend (so Kenner claimed on the way home) Lane and Kenner said, "Bubbi if you get hurt or there is a fire you call 91238462392, okay?" I just caught the last bit of the conversation before I busted a gut. So we preceeded to call Aunt Becca and Grandpa Pat to spread the news about the new 911 phone number. I just love that he is learning all new things, including a naughty word....which he has gotten the soap dispenser to his mouth! It worked and he didn't say it anymore. I didn't know what to do. Another journey started with motherhood:)

Now for our long awaited pics of the kitchen!
Here are the two helpers being shooed out of the kitchen...we don't need that much help, but thanks for asking boys! Before - the uppers

Ahh! Mommie got a break (I did offer it to Daddy...since he is the one doing all the work around here, but I think he liked getting Mrs. Opinion out of the house for a night!) THANKS CASEY! I went with my mom (no that isn't a typo), Becca and Mike. Unfortunately we lost...but I love Husker football!
Now for pictures this morning. It is 7:02 and the boys are still sleeping I have a meeting at 7:45 and I am still blogging...addiction!!!

First trial run of the concrete countertop. Too red...but cool!
The real thing with just the first buffing done last night.
This is the color with of course more shine and buffing to go on it...doesn't it look cool?

Have a great Friday. Pray for my friend Shawndra Turner, it looks like she is in the hospital.

Pumpkin patch tomorrow with cousin Rylan...here we come!

Cupboards

Our cupboards are installed. I am too lazy to take a pic of them and then put them on the blog...sorry. This is definitely my lazy week...went to bed at 8:00 last night CRAZY I know! '

Thanks to Aunt Becca and Uncle Mike for coming out tonight and watching the boys so that I could go wash the rocks that will go in our cement countertops (yes cement...575 pounds!) Yikes! I hope our floors withstand them. I hope to get pictures of our kitchen this weekend. In the meantime...good night!

New Blog Header

With going back to work, starting a new reading program (essentially no time for speech services), having no kitchen for a month, watching your son get sick and healed, and just life - I decided to live with this new motto. I realize that storm can mean different things to different people. For me at this moment, it is just life and living.

I love my husband and boys, my work, my hobbies, my family (extended near and far) BUT these last two weeks I have desired to take a time machine back to life when it was just me and only me. I have desired to be my own, to be on my own schedule, to get my to-do list done completely...then when letting Kenner and Patton receive the first prize at the Festival last weekend, watching them play games with Daddy, going for walks, helping Casey in the kitchen...I realized - My life wouldn't be the same without them. With the worries and stress, come the GREATEST JOYS like hearing a little brother say, "Ni Ni Nenna, wo you" and the big brother say, "I wove you too Bubb."

I guess my to-do list can get eternally longer and my stresses will remain the same. The thing that will constantly change is the timing of when God will decide to bless me with the next joy moment!
Good night and hopefully those Huskers pull an UPSET against the Tigers tomorrow! Go Huskers!

Smores anyone...

Well it is official OUR CUPBOARDS ARE IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Menard's Guy called us tonight at 9:45 pm...how is that for service. YIPPEEEE!!! Casey might go pick them up tomorrow!

In celebration, Casey thought he would attempt at making smores. No not the chocolate gooey graham crackery snack we all knowand love...right Mom? Try bath towel, plastic screw container, screw kind. Yes, Casey did plug in the stove so that we could get that back into business and went back to his movie. Meanwhile I was paying bills and balancing the check book (OUCH AND I HATE MONEY AROUND THIS TIME OF THE MONTH WHILE PAYING BILLS), when I hear Casey say, "Is that you?" "Huh..." I didn't fart (sorry too much info...but that is what he usually says. Then I thought...no I didn't and how could he smell it clear in the back room even if I did (but I didn't!). Then I hear an "OH CRUD!!!!!!!!!!" followed by crashing of everything in the kitchen. I decided to see what the problem was and the minute I took 4 steps I could smell that he failed at his attempt to make a "shop" smore.

Him being the great and loving husband says, "WHY DID YOU TURN ON THE STOVE!!!!" Me being the innocent wife (always) says, "I didn't...why would I turn on the stove with all these things on top (two towels covering it, numerous tools, paint sticks, screws, light fixtures, honey bottles, etc)??????"

"Don't you think you could have hit it when working around it?" was my next question. "NO WAY!" Umhuh I agreed with him. After the stove and Casey cooled down he did agree that he probably hit it and it was only on low. My next response was, "We are very lucky that you didn't turn the power on and then leave." PRAISE GOD!

Well God has shown his light (literally) in our home again tonight! Thank you Jesus!

Love you all!

Our Month of September!

Well here is our month of September. I can't believe it is over and boy am I thankful that it is ending way better than it began. I have found in this month the love and support of so many is so hard to pay back or even attempt to. The prayers, thoughts, meals, gifts, and friendships that have been strengthened this month is just AWESOME! We are so thankful to be in our home and able to love two little healthy boys again! Here is a recap of our month of September! Love you all!

One way to share the one tractor we have!

Bubbi and Kenner in the bathtub with the fun foam Mommy found while cleaning out the down stairs bathroom!
sorry deleted...due to some one being nude in the bathtub and his name rhymes with Cubbie!

Love this picture! Bub is into wearing hats and hats backwards these days. Who wouldn't love this kid? Happy Birthday Jenna! Birthday lunch at Noodles!!!
Splish Splash fun in the rain! We finally got to take advantage of the boots we received from Great Gpa and Gma Kenner!

Look at the heighth on Patton's splash! So that is how you don't get stuck in the mud (thought Bubbi)
SCREAMS!!! THIS IS SO MUCH FUN!!!!
My attempt at taking pictures like my friend Rebecca Treadway A sign of a good day's work (or play)
While at home with the boys after being released from the hospital, Kenner was learning to do many things over. This one was a new one:) He sat in the chair that he usually sits in with Daddy when they do the breathing treatments very well! Daddy usually reads him a story while they do it. Kenner thought he would try it out on Bubbi. Here he is saying, "Come here Bubbi (in a high pitched voice), I will read you a story."

Here Bubbi willingly let me put him on the chair so Kenner could read him his story.

Kenner knows this book inside and out! It was one that I got him for Christmas two years ago and we read it every night...Daddy brought it to the hospital when Kenner was sick, because he knew Kenner would not be able to sleep very well without it. Wow am I THANKFUL that we can hear him read it to us these days! Ep Mommy Ep! Note his brother's boots and how they are on his feet!
Thanks Mommy! That feels so much better!
Mommy's new rule for coloring...THE COLORS/MARKERS CAN ONLY COME OUT OF THE TUB THEY ARE IN WHEN THE RED HUSKER BLANKET IS DOWN. This allows the blanket to be markered up and the colors/markers have a single place they can be in our house...this will hopefully cut down on the coloring of the walls! Lovely...yes?!?!
Good concentration is noted when you have to stick out your tongue to color:)

Bubbi doing his favorite thing these days...eating cookies or nacks! Quite the HAM! Well another Kenner child does it again...close but not good enough:) Just joking. It is a huge compliment to make homecoming and be able to represent the school...way to go Caleb!
A rare photo opp of the big sisters with their little brother (or it should be the other way around!?!) Thanks to Aunt Kendra and Uncle Craig! Aunt Kendra stayed at my house, so that I could go down and watch the Homecoming Game. Thanks to Uncle Craig for driving me! You guys are the best and I am so glad that I didn't miss it...rain and all! It was my little baby brother! Note: Annie and Becca were in the car the entire game and I wasn't! Wimps!
Where is dad? Great question? Good pic anyway!
Daddy stayed home with the boys, so Mommy could go to the game with Gpa, Gma and Uncle Craig. I can't even tell you who we played...GOT IT New Mexico State! Phew...I thought I was loosing my mind (make a note of this...because I am blogging backwards - I am commenting on the last photos first so they all come out in the correct time order on the blog!

Ahhhhh! Scoring in the first 1/2 of the first quarter. Although it was against a bad team (which I can't remember who it was...), it is nice to see the option being played again. Look! We do have a parade in our front yard each year! It is the Fall Festival at the Sprague Community Church. Although we are only "bad" weather attendees, we are HUGE supporters of their one fundraiser of the year! This year we even upped the anti by entering a float!

Look at all the floats! This was the biggest parade that we have seen (three years). The theme was Favorite Holiday. It was a great theme for lots of people to be involved in.
Even Thomas the Train made his debute (sp?). Darrel is the man who made this by scratch! Kids can drive it and he sits in the back to make sure they don't wreck...isn't it cool?

The FIRST PRIZE FLOAT (in the bikes and wagon's division which there were 4-5 entries). The chef caught the turkey (or chicken in this case)
The Pampered Chef lady was hauling quite the load!
Kenner was the first to ride the donkey. He wasn't sure about it at first, but loved it by the end.
The Duck pond as well as all the other games were quite a hit!