Garmin Nuvi GPS Giveaway and Auto Insurance questions answered!

Jolly Mom (www.jollymom.com) is giving away a Garmin Nuvi GPS and a Road safety kit from State Farm. At this time of year, with challenging weather conditions, busy lives, holiday packages in your car, its a great time to think of your safety and what you can do help prevent auto accidents, auto theft or being the target of a auto break in.
Visit http://www.statefarm.com/ to learn more about various Road Safety issues. Visit
http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/398704/What-s-Your-Auto-Insurance-IQ to test your Auto Insurance IQ. I found out that not only am I not very Auto Insurance savvy...an IQ of only 16, but my vehicle had the highest frequency of auto theft claims in 2009- uh oh.

Then head on over to www.jollymom.com to enter to win the Garmin Nuvi GPS and Road Safety Kit!

A "Yummie Tummie" giveaway!

Melissa over at http://livingonloveandgiveaways.blogspot.com is hosting a "Yummie Tummie" giveaway. Yummie Tummie is modern shapewear, designed to smooth you out, and suck you in, comfortably, making you look slimmer, sleaker and thinner. Who doesn't love that?!
Go check out www.yummietummie.com and then venture on over to Melissa's Living on Love and Giveaways blog to enter the giveaway.

Starbucks 12 days of Sharing

You got to love a deal on coffee during this busy season! Text 12DAYS to 29943 to sign up for Starbucks 12 days of Sharing and you'll get a new offer send to you (via text) starting Dec. 1st.

NOTE: Available in US only. Text Messaging rates apply

$650 Grand Prize Package Giveaway!

Enter to win an amazing prize package. Lots of goodies for you, and lots of things to give this holiday season!! $650 Grand Prize Package Giveaway! Please visit Fabulous Finds for Families and enter to win.

30 days of Thankfulness Days 5-9

Gahh..slacker. Here's days 5-9
Day 5: I am thankful that my friend and coworker Alex was only banged up in a car accident tonight, and although the car is likely totalled, its just a car. She is irreplaceable!

Day 6: I am thankful for "falling back" (from daylight savings time) so that hopefully I will get an extra hour of sleep tonight before getting up early for work tomorrow.

Day 7: I am thankful for my awesome hubby making dinner tonight! (and breakfast too, even better!)

Day 8: I am thankful for my lab Macy aka Macer Moo. She is a the happiest sweetest girl. She is a great guard dog, gives us lots of love and makes us laugh. She has been a blessing to our family and we all love her pieces.

Day 9: I am thankful for our lil Chihuahua/Min Pin JJ aka JJ "The Heater". He can be a complete ahole but I love him. He is the best cuddler, keeps me warm and is too cute for words sometimes. Despite his faults, he's Mama's boy!

30 days of Thankfulness..catch up

For November I am going to participate in 30 days of Thankfulness...I encourage you to do the same. For all that we lack, suffer, and endure...we are each blessed. I have a feeling that if we each took the time every day, even if just for this 30 days, to recognize our blessings, our gratitude for all that we do have would be bountiful.
So here are days 1-4!!
Day 1: I am thankful to have had the luxury to sit in my sweats 90% of the day, as I didn't feel good.
Day 2: I am thankful for beautiful sunshine today in the Pacific Northwest.
Day 3: I am thankful for health insurance and drug company assistance programs that allowed me to get a $4060.99 prescription for only $5!!
Day 4: I am so thankful for music. I am thankful for Pandora, and XM Satellite radio. Music calms me, soothes me, inspires me and makes me want to party! :)

What are you thankful for?

Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese...heaven on a bagel

I just discovered this limited edition flavor - Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Spread at Safeway. It's the local Lucerne brand. I toasted my bagel shmeared it with a healthy dose of this delight...and woah...pumpkin pie for breakfast! It is love.

Win a Kindle DX!! Giveaway from "Moms Need To Know"

Mindi over at http://http://www.momsneedtoknow.com/ is giving away the new Kindle DX as part of her "Dad's Rock Giveaway Bash". The Kindle DX is awesome! You need to go there and enter to win your own!
Imagine having all your books in the palm of your hand in one little pad. :)
Seriously, go now.

Mama's Holiday Wish List Meme

Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme

TodaysMama and Provo Craft are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year?
1) a navigation system for my Cadillac
2) a cute kitchen apron
3) fuzzy warm slippers
4) Ugg boots
5) salon gift card

2. What is your favorite handmade gift you have received? jewelry from my mom, a beautiful scarf from my mom, a picture of my dad and I when I was little turned into a beautiful tiled display.

3. What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle? lots! :) I always want to make things for the grandparents and other family members, just never seem to find the time.

4. What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child? Christmas was always more than I expected every year, my mom did an awesome job!

5. What items are on your kid’s wish list this year? Nintendo DS, ipod Touch, Nintendo DSi, American Girl doll, slippers, Northface jackets. They don't want for much eh?

6. What is your favorite holiday food? Oh gosh, our annual Christmas morning breakfast. and all the baked goodies.

7. What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays? Probably only some cookies and baking for friends.

8. What is your favorite holiday movie? A Christmas Story and Elf :)

9. Favorite holiday song? "O Holy Night" is my absolute favorite. I also like "I'll be home for Christmas" especially sung by Elvis Presley and "All I want for Christmas" - Mariah Carey

10. Favorite holiday pastime? baking, watching Christmas specials and movies on tv, catchin up with friends and family thru newsletters and cards.

poor neglected blog..

We are still around. Life just seems to take over.
Girls are busy with school and Laney, Ash and Jord are taking gymnastics classes at the Y. Craig and I have been going 5-6 days a week as well and working out. He has lost 17 pounds and I have lost 10 since joining at the end of January. Of course we are eating better too! Cortney starts a baseball spring training this weekend. The whole family is just loving the Y.

Craig has been super busy at work, working 12+ hours every day last week as his partner was on vacation. He is still working a lot this week, as the partner still isn't back as he broke his foot while on vacation too. Sigh... Its great money wise, especially in these unsure times, but we haven't seen much of him lately.

Had the chance to take Craig to his first hockey game this past Saturday. We went to Seattle v. Portland in the new Showare arena in Kent (love that place!). We had a great time!

I'm still working at the coffee stand and am working a couple extra shifts this week. I still enjoy it, and am coming up on my 1st anniversary there.

We are gearing up for busy times! Birthdays coming up, weddings, babies... should be exciting times! :)

It's the little things...

That sometime make us happy and here is one... I bought Laney these pink rubber rain boots at the Goodwill yesterday for $4. I was especially tickled as the rain had been pouring here for 2 days and I really wanted some rain boots for her. I went looking for something else, and just hoped maybe I might find some, although highly doubting it, thinking they were an item much in demand.
Well imagine my surprise to find one lone pair of rain boots on the shoe rack, and in something close to Laney's size (a size to big, but she'll wear them and grow into them!). And in pink to boot!!
Apparently, she was quite pleased about them as well. She kept talking about her boots all night. She told me that she can jump really high in them and run fast. She also said her boots are for mud, and snow and rain of course. She refused to take them off, and I finally persuaded her to remove them to put on her pajamas, only if she could put them right back on. So we did.

Do I need to tell you that these pictures are from this morning?? Yep, she slept in them.

Who knew a cheap pair of rubber boots from the thrift store would bring one 3 yr old so much happiness :)??

updates coming soon.

Sorry blogworld and whatever readers I had... I know I have severely neglected this blog.
I will be updating soon. Hopefully today :)

makin cupcakes

Potty training...its going. Slowly. As I learned after the other 2 children I potty trained, you can't force it. So it has to be Laney's choice. I just daily give her the choice whether she wants to wear panties or a diaper. Even when wearing the diaper I ask her "Do you want to go pee on the potty?" once an hour or so. She seems to have figured out what the sensation is just before she needs to go, and when she is in panties she has not been having accidents. She has now gone pee on the potty 5 times. yay!! So....I keep waiting. Hoping that like Ashlyne if we keep heaping on the praise, she'll just wake up one day and want to wear the panties and it will be done.





So Cortney turns 12 tomorrow! I have a full list of things to do today, including get my house clean. sigh...


She has requested I make peanut butter cupcakes decorated like basketballs for her to take to school tomorrow. This is what I plan for them to look like:

I'll post photos when I'm done. Maybe. Ha ha...unless they turn out horribly.

So tomorrow night is her party, 3 boys and 5 girls have been invited and the girls will be staying the night. Its a sports themed party. We are having hotdogs, popcorn, soda, and cupcakes. The original plan was shooting hoops, playing catch, etc. But now with Cortney having a broken ankle, that blew that plan. I still haven't figured out what they are going to do exactly but I'm working on it.

Wish me luck!! Have a super Thursday!

Maybe an end to diapers in sight?!!

Laney just peed on the potty TWICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you need original gift ideas for the Mom in your life?

Yes it is true...Mother's day if sneakin up on all of us at light speed. It tends to do that every year.
I just received an email this morning from a website I frequent http://www.coolmompicks.com with news of their Mother's Day Gift Guide. I have put their display button over there on the right, so you can link directly to the guide. There is some very cool stuff, including great book suggestions, original jewelry, and some green choices as well.
Enjoy!!

Spring Snow!!

So last week was the start of Spring, and we are also now in daylight savings time. Wouldn't it be safe for one to assume that sunshine and warmer temperatures were on their way. Well, as you know, one should never assume....
As last night we were hit with surprise snow showers, and (gasp) accumulation of that snow! It was crazy. So about 5pm we all bundled up and went outside to enjoy a bit of what will hopefully be our last snowfall this year.

Cortney, Laney and Ash just out the front door...

Laney.."See mom...it snow!!"

Jordanna likes to eat the snow.

Craig and Cortney threw snowballs at each other...

Here Laney was trying to catch the snow on her glove..

We went to the park in our development to play..

And here are the loves of my life... :)

So while it was temporary fun...we want our sunshine and warmer temps!!!!!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter from all of us! We sincerely hope that you had a great day!! Ours was quiet and different. No big dinner, and Cortney and Jordanna were gone all day. We woke up in the morning to Easter baskets for Ashlyne and Laney....

Here is a smile from Laney!!! I guess candy can coax one out of her!

Craig and I hid 128 eggs in the backyard for the two of them to find. They were all stuffed with candy, so needless to say...we have a lot of candy around here today!

And then we went out to breakfast, and were surprised the Easter Bunny was hanging out at Denny's....

Where's the picture with Laney? LOL...she would go nowhere near that Bunny!! She did follow his every move in the restaurant though!

Happy Spring and Happy Easter!

learning to ride a bike..

Saturday was a beautiful clear and sunny day here. Which was great, as our Homeowners Assoc. had organized an Easter Egg Hunt that morning. Ashlyne and Laney really enjoyed that and got quite a bit of candy.
A little later that afternoon, Craig took Ashlyne out for bike riding lessons. It went very well and she was able to ride for a few moments without Dad holding on!! Check out the pictures below!

You can see the look of determination on her face! A few more lessons and I'm sure she'll be riding all over!!

Ready, Set, Don't go

So tomorrow night Misti flies out to Alabama. Last Saturday Gma Jan, Laci and I pulled together a surprise going away party for her at a little mexican restaurant in town. She was indeed surprised, and it was perfect, she was surrounded by a room full of people who came to wish her well. I asked her to come up and have dinner tonight so we could say our goodbyes..as you can't really do that at the airport any longer, and this way the whole family could be here to see her.
She requested that I make meatloaf and mashed potatoes and gravy. So the family is coming up tonight for dinner. I'm making meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole and peanut butter pie. So its a busy day for me, cleaning, run to the store for some last minute things, and then cooking.

It's probably for the best I stay busy today. Everytime I stop for a moment and think, tears come to my eyes. I (along with everyone else) am very excited for Misti and the new opportunites on her horizon. I'm proud of her for having the guts to make such a big leap of faith. She is doing what we prepare all of our children to do- Spread her wings and fly. I never imagined how hard it would be to let her go though.

There is this song that Billy Ray Cyrus sings along with his young daughter Miley. It's called "Ready, Set, Don't Go". I googled the lyrics last week and was crying by the time I was done reading them. This song is so fitting for this time in my life, in our lives.

"Ready, Set, Don't Go"

She's gotta do what she's gotta do

And I've gotta like it or not

She's got dreams too big for this town

And she needs to give 'em a shot

Whatever they are

Looks like she's all ready to leave

Nothing left to pack

There ain't no room for me in that car

Even if she asked me to tag along

God I gotta be strong

She's at the startin' line of the rest of her life

As ready as she's ever been

Got the hunger and the stars in her eyes

The prize is hers to win

She's waitin' on my blessings

before she hits that open road

Baby get ready

Get set

Don't go

She says things are fallen into place

Feels like they're fallen apart

I painted this big ol' smile on my face

To hide my broken heart

If only she knew

This is where I don't say what I want so bad to say

This is where I want to but I won't get in the way

Of her and her dreams

And spreadin' her wings

She's at the startin' line of the rest of her life

As ready as she's ever been

Got the hunger and the stars in her eyes

The prize is hers to win

She's waitin' on my blessings before she hits that open road

Baby get ready

Get set

Don't go

And I leave you with a few pictures from the restaurant last weekend...

Misti, Gma Jan, Cortney and Laci

Sisters...Misti, Cortney and Laci

This is a long time coming.. :) Misti and Cortney
I love you Misti. We wish you happiness and joy under the blue skies of Alabama. Always remember that your family is here for you and we love you. Good, bad, whatever.
We are family and that is a never ending bond.

Trip to the dentist...

I found a Children's dentist up here near our house, and scheduled appointments for all 4 girls. Ashlyne had been to the dentist before, along with Cortney and Jordie, but its been more than a year since their last visit, as we had some insurance changes and went without dental for the last year or so. Laney had not yet visited the dentist.

So Ashlyne and Laney had an appointment this morning. I scheduled it for 10am, which in itself was a bit challenging, as at 10am they are usually just moving around and having some breakfast. But by 9:45 this morning, we were dressed, teeth brushed, hair done, breakfast had, and out the door.

What a cool place!! There is a playroom that has books, games, a train set, a castle playhouse with a slide, arcade games and a 3 horse carousel ride. And the games and ride do not require money!! Yay! The girls were having a blast! Which was almost a problem- Laney didn't want to leave the playroom when their names were called. I was really nervous about how Laney was going to act, as many times at the dr. I have to hold her down for even simple things like letting the dr. look in her ears.

Ashlyne did really well, sat still for the xrays, and was still and cooperative for the cleaning and the dentist examination. They put sunglasses on them to help with the bright light in their face. Ash has a set of molars coming in within the next 6 months the dentist said, and a few of her teeth are just starting to feel the slightest bit wiggly- she was very excited about that. She does have one cavity in a molar. Which is in the top, down in a crevice. The dentist said she would probably have a hard time even getting to it with her brush. She will be getting a filling next week.

Laney was freaked out having to lay down and having someone poking in her mouth, but she did much better than I expected. I held her hand and just kept reassuring her and of course, coaxed her with the promise of a treat when she was done. And she laid there and even opened her mouth. And didn't scream. lol Success!! Her teeth looked great!

The dentist also said that they both have beautiful teeth and they have nice positioning (even Ash's permanant teeth he could see on xray) which means he does not for see any need for orthodontics for either of them at this point. Hallelujah!! With one kid already in braces, we've been worried at how many more we will have...

So they got a bag of goodies (new toothbrush, floss, stickers) and got to choose something out of a vending machine with a token the dentist gave them. All in all, a good experience and Ashlyne is even looking forward to going back! :)