So much on my mind...

Do you ever have those days where you just have SO much on your mind it feels like your head is going to explode?  Today is one of those days for me...  haven't had one in a LONG time!  Can't say I miss days like this.... 

Here are a few of the current musings....

My friend Keri (soul sister from our time in NY)... her husband has a job interview HERE this week!  I would LOVE to have them live close again... she really is a kindred spirit.  I've missed the friendship we had developed over our 3 years together.  I'm TRYING not to get my hopes up... but it's hard.  At this point, I'll be devestated if he doesn't get the job (how totally lame am I??)

Flooding in ND... my heart goes out to these people.  Seriously - it hasn't been "that" long since their last HUGE flood.  I feel like asking God to cut them some slack... but I know that it must be in his divine plan.  None the less... I wish I could help them prepare sandbags or something...

$$... who doesn't stress over finances?  Thankfully, we've been blessed with Andy's work.  But - it seems like as soon as things get "back on track" another huge expense comes along (try $600 brakes this weekend).  It's frustrating... I'm trying to be frugal and cut back.... but we have to eat, right?? :)  

Kelli's husbands cousin who was killed recently... she shared yesterday at our small group that he accepted Christ as his Savior only 4 days before he passed away.  WOW!  This amazes me... leaves me quite speechless.  Makes me question if I'm doing enough for Christ day to day... 

My house is a DISASTER!  I need a box of garbage bags and a dumpster.  Would it be horrible to just toss everything and start over?  :)  

Those are just a few of the things boppin around in my noggin.  I do find myself PRAISING GOD that the sun is shining and we're all healthy!  I was reminded of the verse -"No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete is us." (NIV... I John 4:12).  Kind of cool, eh?  I'm trying to think of who I can better show love to this week.... 

Go Take a Hike!!!

"Spring" in Ohio... gotta love it.  Can be 70 one day, 20 the next.  BUT... when it is nice - we LOVE to get outside!  The new favorite thing for the kids to do... hiking.  Of course, hiking consists of following a dirt trail with the occasional wood bridge. But it works :).  We are SO lucky to have a great system of metroparks to enjoy.  They're free (everyone knows how much I *heart* free stuff) and not a far drive in any direction for us.  It's a great chance for mom and dad to teach the kids about the different types of trees and birds... and eventually flowers. 

This picture is nothing short of a miracle.  I can NEVER get all three kids looking at the same time... with their eyes open!  The boys have their trusty maps... just in case we should get lost (which really is IMPOSSIBLE....).  I think Reese looks totally annoyed... she's thinking "not ANOTHER picture mom!!".  :)  I love to torture the kids....

Isn't this the COOLEST woodpecker?  He was up pretty high - so the picture isn't that great.  He was HUGE.  I've never seen anything like him before... so I was excited :).  Isn't God amazing???  I wish I was even a fraction as creative as He is!

 

Get out and enjoy SPRING!  It's been a long winter (in so many different ways)... it's time to celebrate new life (my cousin just had her second baby - YEAH!)!  

I FINALLY did it!

Over the last few months I've been reading and re-reading about people making homemade laundry soap.  I've been wanting to try it - but wasn't so sure if I wanted to spend the $$ to test it out.  Well, I broke down and bought the goods last night at Meijer.  It set me back a whole whopping $8.50.  Not too bad - about what I would usually spend at Sam's Club for my HUGE jug of detergent...

Here are the 3 items you will need to make your soap - Ivory (I've also read that you can use Zote or Fels Naptha... just needs to be a pure bar soap), washing soda, and Borax.  I found the two boxes of stuff in the laundry isle... the soap of course by the health and beauty items.

My lovely grated Ivory... I used all three bars....

Then mix in a bowl - I added 2 cups Borax and 2 cups washing soda to the Ivory.  Thankfully the shreds of Ivory broke up a bit more... I was worried they were too big...

Here is the finished product... all set and ready to go!  This should last at least 6 months - we'll see.  You only need 1-2 Tablespoons depending on the size of your loads.  This can be used in front load washers also as it doesn't get the massive suds action that "regular" laundry soap does.  

Too bad I did all the laundry on Monday - I don't have enough for a full load yet.  I really want to try it out... I'll be disappointed if it's a bust.  

On a side note - the box of borax and the box of washing soda are still at least 3/4's full!  This stuff is going to be around for a LONG time!!!!

I'll keep you all posted on what happens!!!!

Aww Shucks, I'm a little teary.....

My dear friend Kelli decided to pass along this very fun award today... to me!  :)  

It's a "turning lemons into lemonade" award - given to those who strive to stay positive.  I find it amazing that she has passed this along to little ole me... considering how often she hears me complaining.  It's a great reminder to me today (with yet another sick child.... UGH!) that life is short and I need to focus on the POSITIVE things!  THANKS Kelli!  

Now to pass it along to a couple others... Kimm at Reinvented (you're always SO nice to post on my blog - I'm so new at this... I really appreciate it!) and another dear friend over at Blogging in the Ohio 12th (I never knew you had such wit - LOVE IT!).  Make sure ladies you add this lovely "button" over at your blog so the world can know that you are POSITIVE people with a POSITIVE impact! :)

My Baby Girl is 7!!!!!!!

I am always amazed at how fast the kids are growing up.  One minute... they're crawling around, the next they're running around like wild turkeys!  This last week, Reese turned 7.  This TOTALLY blows my mind that my baby girl is getting so big.  She's so beyond "little" girl now... she's developing into such a sweet and helpful "big" girl.  I just love her!  

She had her first "friend" birthday party.  We've always just invited family over - but we figured once the kids got into 1st grade, we'd splurge and have a FUN party.  Reese loves the Friends 2B Made store (similar to Build a Bear)... so it was a perfect plan to invite a few friends along to make some new "friends".

Planning went well - until cake time.  I received a new cupcake cake pan for Christmas and decided this was the PERFECT time to try it out.  As you can see from the oven picture... I need some more practice.  Nothing like overfilling a cake pan - OOPS!

THANKFULLY the cake itself turned out okay.  I need to practice a bit more... but it was fun to eat none-the-less.  At least it tasted good - I was worried it would taste HORRIBLE!

Reese invited 3 friends along for her day.  Jamison, Madison, and Hannah.... none of the girls knew each other - the only bond they have is Reese.  They all seemed to REALLY enjoy the doll store... they of course all picked out the same doll... bright fuschia hair with brown eyes.  After getting the dolls stuffed, they each picked out an outfit... then took some time to name their dolls.  We had Princess, Sleeping Beauty (x2), and Rose.  

After doll making we came back to the house for pizza and cake.  YUMMERS!  Gotta love Donatos!! :)

All in all, I think the party was a success.  My baby girl is now 7 - and crazy as ever!  She's just itching to break open her DIY wind chimes and her Easy Bake oven.  I keep telling her let's wait for a rainy day... but I'm a softee - we'll probably open both tonight!  

I hope and pray that I can celebrate MANY more birthdays with my little peanut.  She's such a treasure - my only girl!  GO GIRL TEAM!!!! :)

Random things I LOVE!

Today is a bit of a *BLAH* day, so I thought I'd share some things that I LOVE.  These are totally random... making it a bit more fun to share them...

I could LIVE on cheeseburgers.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE them.  Not so much now that Weight Watchers is helping me to lose some extra pounds.... but I LOVE them.  Something about how the juice (aka grease) drips all over your hands when you take a bite... YUM!  

There is no better way to end a day than to watch a sunset.   It amazes me everytime how God is able to take something like the end of a day and turn it into something so beautiful!  Watching the sun slowly sink down into a lake until a small little sliver is left - PERFECT!  LOVE it! 

The rest I don't have pics for... but...

I love the goofy smile on Jake's face when I first wake him up....

I love how Ian curls up into a tiny ball - SO FLEXIBLE....

I love how Reese tries SO hard to be BIG but is still so young...

I love how a towel feels first pulled out of the dryer...

I love grapefruit - my FAVORITE fruit...

I love how certain smells remind you of things... 

I love cupcakes ( I just ate one... and I am still smiling)...

I love picking off nail polish....

I love listening to water (as in by a stream or a lake)....

I love how everytime we go into Lowe's or Home Depot, the kids take about 5 million paint chips....

I love how Andy has a million projects - but never really finishes them (really - this annoys me to bits, but I'm trying to be positive today!)

I love magazines - seriously have since I was just a little thing.... 

I love to peak in other peoples windows at night to see how they've decorated (creepy, I know...)...

What do YOU love??