Who needs SNOW when we have each other...

Blogiversary GIVEAWAY!

THIS IS A STICKY POST, PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR NEWER POSTS.

It's hard to believe I have been sharing pictures and stories with you for almost an entire year! There have been a few times when posting to my blog has felt more like a chore than a pastime, but I am so glad I do it. Many times I have looked back on past posts of mine and thought "Wow, look how much my kids have changed!". I especially enjoy looking back on the "What they're into this month" posts. I can really see how they have developed and changed over the year! Another HUGE perk to my blog is keeping in contact with our distant relatives. I love to see a new post from my sister-in-law with pictures and stories from their life! So, I hope you enjoy reading my posts as much as I enjoy sharing!

Another wonderful thing that comes with blogging are giveaways! As you may know, I have been lucky enough to win this and this and this! I do take some time every other week or so and enter a few giveaways... just to see if I'm lucky enough to win. Plus, to enter most giveaways you just browse around a website and pick out a product you like; so similar to shopping I just can't resist!!

So, in celebration of the one year birthday to Each Day is A Gift, I decided to give away a few of my hand-made hair clips as well as a $5 giftcard to Tim Horton's. In order, to enter this giveaway please post a comment with your favorite post from Each Day is a Gift over the past year!! This giveaway will end on December 28th at 10:59 pm EST. The winner will be randomly chosen when the giveaway ends and notified by email. Thanks for reading!

Wordless Wednesday

Just call us "The Grizzwolds"

There's SNOW place like home...

Well, for those of you that get to enjoy 70-degree weather year-round (lucky lucky), us Michiganders may have one up on ya...that's right...SNOW DAYS! I was blessed with 2 this week. I'm already getting prepared for the extra days we will be making up in June once this harsh winter is over.

We spent our first snow day in doctor's offices...but did squeeze in some snow time. LJ and LK had a blast in the snow! It was so deep they could barely walk. These snowballs were originally intended for a snow man, but turned out to be one big snow treat. How is it that all kids can't RESIST eating the snow??!! LJ had a blast goin down the slide at about 20mph and landing in the snow...it was hilarious.

Oh...and my two are SO proud of their new lil' cousin!

Welcome Elly Grace!

Last night I was blessed to meet the newest addition to our family; my brand new NIECE!

INTRODUCING

Elly Grace

Born Dec. 6th, 1:21 AM

7 lb. 15 oz.

20 inches

She is absolutely gorgeous and perfect in every way. I am so very excited for my sister to experience the joy of a girl, with two big boys (M & Z) to help her out along the way! LnL will hopefully be meeting their new lil' cuz tomorrow. I know LK is going to be very excited to have some "girl power" on this side of the fam!

Wordless Wednesday

Does anybody know...what the heck is that squirrel eating??

Don't Call Me a Slacker..

Yeah, I know it's been awhile...my apologies. Quite a busy week with grades due, kids with Strep, Thanksgiving, and SHOPPING!


We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. So much to be thankful for... not just on Turkey day...but every day of the year. Case in point...TODAY I am thankful:

• that LJ is not seriously hurt after taking a dive down our staircase yesterday. Can you say HEART ATTACK??!!
• for the wonderful Thanksgiving dinner we celebrated over at Pa & Grandma Lynn's house...especially the stuffing.
• for not sliding into the very scary ditches on our way home from dinner (winter storm warning happening here)
• for the Elmo Saves Christmas movie that kept my kids occupied today while I had a chance to do some laundry
• warm house
• enough money for food
• healthy family and friends (EVERY SINGLE DAY...thank my lucky stars)
• online shopping + free shipping

Friday my mom, sister, and I headed out to the shopping centers for Black Friday! Hubby had the kids at home and I had a good time fighting the crowds. Most of the awesome deals were already gone by the time I got to the stores, but I did end up with some pretty good deals.

Overall, our holiday weekend has been busy and wonderful. Now, the Christmas season is upon us and I feel the pressure to create our cards and get our tree and decorations up. The kids are SO excited for Christmas this year. I am not sure if they truly understand how great the holiday is...but the are loving all the holiday songs, lights, decorations, and looking forward to meeting Santy Claus!

B-Day wishes for Mom..

We celebrated my mom's birthday this past weekend...and the weekend before! The weekend before I surprised her with 9th row tickets to see Alan Jackson (her fave country artist). Just the two of us headed down for the concert, but we had a blast! Also headlining the concert were James Otto and Trace Adkins (who sings one of my favorite songs right now). This past weekend we celebrated as we always do...gambling at the Casino. We didn't win, but I had a whole lotta fun playing the "digital" table games. These "digital" dealers talk and stare at you while you sit at a table with about 5 others...kinda creepy and fun at the same time! Next, we had a really nice dinner with good food and wine. Mom, I hope you enjoyed yourself as much as I did!! Happy Birthday!!

Finally, I would like to thank my sister-in-law for jinxing us when she asked if it was snowing in MI!! THANKS ALOT! Snow started the very next day.

Wordless Wednesday

Potty Gods...please give us patience

"Me go potty", "poo poo's", "me have poo poo's", "my potty", "no, MY potty", "bye-bye pee-pee", "bye-bye poo poo", "me flush", "me flush", "me flush", "wash hands", "my wash hands", "wash hands", "uh-oh... mess", "big potty", "lil potty", "need paper", "flush again", "bye bye poo poo's", "poo poo" ..................................................... THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE PHRASES WE HEAR NON-STOP DURING OUR POTTY TRAINING DAYS

All I can say it that Hubby and I will be throwing ourselves one hugeass party when we get through potty training. I have never spent so much time in a bathroom in my life...(including all those days in middle school when I used to spend hours ratting and teasing my bangs), and this is just the start of it! We purchased our little potty when LnL were 18 mos. Basically, that is when we started to introduce them to the concept of the "potty". LK has been interested for a long time now. She was going on the potty way back in June, but not regularily.

We are now in full swing potty training mode and have never been more frustrated. One child says they have to go potty and (of course) the other child decides nature is calling to them also! Then we have two kids in the bathroom fighting over potties, flushing, washing hands, step-stools, etc.!! Then, I got into the habit of giving them a "special treat" after they went potty (candy corn). Now they want "special treats" ALL the time. Then came the false potty trick where the child says they have to go potty just to get the "special treat". Also, whenever one child goes potty they try to get "special treats" for their sibling....I guess so they can celebrate their poo-poo's together? How sweet, eh?

Calling out to all POTTY TRAINING WARRIORS: Any tips, tricks, hints, suggestions, strategies, guidelines, opinions, war stories would be greatly appreciated in the comment section.

Wordless Wednesday

What They're Into This Month

Hi All! I am so sorry that I abandoned blogworld for the past 2 weeks. All of my excuses for absenteeism follow.

• Hubby was away on a hunting trip for 10 days and my exhaustion overtook computer time. (seriously not sure how single moms do it; mostly I just missed adult conversation; think I went a little insane)
• Also, the kids have been sick for the past week so I have been lacking in the sleep department.
• End of marking period...grades, grades, grades, followed by parent teacher conferences

So, I thought I would get you caught up on LnL with another version of "What They're Into This Month"

LJ

Movie: He watches whatever LK chooses

Show: Johnny & The Sprites, Franklin, he really likes Thomas...but mommy isn't a big fan.
Foods: loves meat, veggies, macaroni & cheese (not a big fan of sweets...except candy corn)

Stuffed Animal: He love's his Curious George he got from his cousin "Z"

Toy: Blocks, Kitchen Set, LOVES his push car again....as always-loves playin ball.

Outdoor Activities: Car, baseball, kickball,

Shoes/Fashion Item: He likes his clothing that shows sports, trucks, cars, etc.

Word/Phrase: Says SO much now...when his sister gives him a chance. Loves to say please and thank you. He will say thank you 7-10 times in a row just to hear me say "you're welcome".
Song: Kaw-liga is his favorite song. We have to play the youtube video of Hank Jr. and Johnny Cash constantly. He is always asking for "hank". Also known to sing a few lines of ABC's, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Baa Baa Black Sheep

Learning: potty training, Putting on/taking off shoes, to count to 10, shapes, Abc's
Accomplishments: Going on the potty!!!! Recognizes letters, shapes, and colors. The list goes on and on; it seems they learn something new EVERY DAY!

LK

Movie: Elmo's World

Show: Johnny & The Sprites, Franklin

Foods: Still loves all fruit, "mancakes", yogurt, cinnamon graham crackers (definitely has her mom's genes when it comes to tastebuds)

Stuffed Animal: She's not hooked to any particular stuffed animal

Toy: Books, Crayons, Play-Doh, Kitchen Set, Legos

Outdoor Activities: Sidewalk chalk, swinging, slides

Shoes/Fashion Item: She loves all shoes, definitely has an opinion about her clothes these days..

Word/Phrase: Oh-OKAY!, She starting to call Logan "Logi"??, this girl talks NON-STOP

Song: ABC's, Happy Birthday to You

Learning: to count past 20, her letters, to get dressed, potty training

Accomplishments: can pull up her own pants (they're backwards ALOT), can put on her shoes and take them off, recognizes letters up E, knows most shapes,...the list goes on and on; it seems they learn something new EVERY DAY!

Now I know my ABC's...

Thought I'd share this little video we took a while back. LK has been singing her ABC's for quite some time now, but this was the first time LJ tried to sing along!

*You will need to stop the playlist at the bottom in order to hear the video**

His favorite month...

Today my wonderful hubby turns one year older. This fall will mark the 11th year since our "romantic" relationship began. It is crazy to think it's been so long...and to tell ya the truth I am starting to feel a little old. Maybe it's just the annoying little gray hair that keeps coming back in the same exact spot on the top of my head!

Hubby has never actually told me that October is his favorite month...but I would bet some serious cash it is. It is just a bonus that his b-day happens to fall in this month. The month that he gets to start spending time w/the ducks again. Yes, I will become a duck hunter's widow on Saturday. I support him because I know just how much he loves it. I mean there is not one day that our conversation does not veer towards decoys, duck boats, duck hunting buddies, duck calls, shotguns, water where ducks go, fields where ducks or geese could be, flying patterns, feeding habits, ducks, ducks, ducks. I think you get the idea.

It was so fun celebrating daddy's b-day with LnL this year. They loved decorating with streamers, making birthday cards, helping him blow out the candles, and eating cake! It was so sweet when LK met "my daddy" (he belongs to her and no one else!) at the door with Happy Birthday daddy! When we finished singing LJ kept singing and singing the words to "Happy birthday". It was the sweetest little thing!

So...birthday wishes go out to my sweet husband who deals w/me on the days when I think I am going to lose my mind and somehow makes it all a little better.

Fall is here...

We had a wonderful weekend just spending time as a family. We took a bunch of walks. One of which was to the local farmer's market where LnL enjoyed their first Apple Cider Slushie...they are super yummy. We had a nice visit with Grandma L' and Pa on Saturday.

Fall is officially here and to celebrate we headed out to a local pumpkin patch. We headed over towards the end of the day and basically had the whole place to ourselves!! LnL enjoyed playing in the Corn Box, running thru the maze, riding the tractors, meeting the farm animals, running up the sand hills, playing on the wooden playset, and riding on a horse-drawn wagon. We did not get any pumpkins on this trip because we actually have another pumkin patch we are going to visit closer to Halloween.

Thanks to all who helped out with the costume poll. Although jungle animals won by 2 votes, hubby has the trump card. We our going to have our own lil' Chicago Bears football player and cheerleader.

So sorry that I have been slacking on my Wordless Wednesdays. I am struggling to find the time to make my weekly posts!! Will try to step it up a notch for all of my faithful bloggers!!

Getting a lil' closer to nature...

Today we had a gorgeous Sept. day that was just meant for a nature walk. So we took the kids over to our favorite lil' nature path. We used to take this little hike before we had children, when our kids were just babies, wagon rides, and now they are finally old enough to hike it on their own. Well...actually we both ended up carrying them more than half the way :-D.

Our first "school" projects!!

We just started a new daycare/preschool which we absolutely love!! You are viewing the works of art titled "Yellow Sun" and "Red Fruit". We are already out of fridge space due to the face that a new art project comes home every day. I need to make a file for "art work". I am SO proud!

Look-A-Like Meter

I stumbled across this interesting website where you can do some extra cool stuff like see which celebrities you look like, create a family tree, and of all things see who your child resembles most. Supposedly, they use face recognition technology. As you can see from the results, I find it to be a crock. Anyone that knows my son and my husband will confirm that the resemblance between the two is blatently obvious. Yet, this says LJ looks more like me...HUH???? Plus, it says LJ resembles me more than LK! Next time, I am going to use different pictures and see what happens. It was kinda fun to do though! I am definitely not complaining about the celebrities they chose! I hope all my bloggin' buddies will do this so I can see what celebrities you look like!

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Dynasty - Family history

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Family search - Roots

Wordless Wednesday...kinda

Halloween is fast approaching and that means it is time to start thinking about costumes. I am full aware that I may only have a year or two to have a say in costumes before they start choosing for themselves! Hubby and I have pondered this and can't really decide. We want something that they will have fun with and are familiar with the character. So...there is a poll located on the right side of my blog where you can choose your favorite. Thanks a bunch!

As you can tell...there were many Halloweens where I ended up w/ a "hand-me-down" or custom-made costume. Most of the time...that was great...as long as it fit. Here you can see me in my revealing cat costume.

Sunday Notes..

Unfortunately, this bouquet is NOT from my garden. We actually picked them up at the market yesterday. We are lucky enough to live close enough to walk to the local farmer's market. We usually make a wagon ride of it...whenever I remember it is going on. Or course, LnL have to get a few treats while we are there as well. They usually end up munching apples on the ride home.


I spent the whole weekend cuddling and playing with my kiddos b/c I missed them badly throughout the week! Plus, LJ was feeling a little under the weather and needed lots of attention. I am just now getting around to working on some lesson plans for the week. As some of you know...I'm a little out of my element this year with my classes. Teaching 4 sections of video editing and one drama. These are not my usual business courses. The first week I enjoyed my classes...especially drama!

We've come a long way, Momma!!

Wow...wow....wow...my precious lil' babies turn 2 today. I am in serious denial. I just can't believe that they are already two years old! On their birthday, especially, I am always extremely grateful for the beautiful lil' people they have become. They are truly miracles. I remember clearly worrying every minute, day after day, that they would come into the world too soon. (I was on medicated hospital bedrest for over a month and at home bedrest for over 6 wks.) Tests showed there was a high possibility of them being born even at 26 weeks. We made it to 36.5 and it was truly a miracle to see my babies faces and hold them for the first time.

They had SO much fun for their birthday this year. They loved their party. Enjoyed their gifts...and even enjoyed opening some of them (not so much last year). I think their favorite was the cake...which is funny because on their 1st b-day they would barely touch it! Just in the last year, it is absolutely amazing how much they have changed.

Today was also my first day of school so I was missing my babies badly. Due to that fact, I have a ton of work to get to...enjoy the slideshow of my little babies growing up.....(tears)

Wordless Wednesday

Since everyone enjoyed the oldy but goody of my dear ole dad...I had to follow up w/my mom.

That was easy...

I haven't been doing a very good job of keeping you up-to-date on my crafts...probably because I haven't done much!! I didn't find time to complete any more hair bows over my summer break, but these are next on my list.

I managed to design a few invites...created my last one in PS Elements which was a bit of a challenge because I had been creating them in PowerPoint of all places...and I must say was getting quite comfortable there...even though I know it is not really a design program!!

I created a few tees with iron-on transfer paper...

My last set of t-shirts are especially my favorite! They were SO easy and super cheap. As many of you know in a week my babies are turning 2! I was browsing through Etsy and noticed many sellers with cute shirts detailing a child's age. I thought to myself...that looks like something I can do! So, I visited my local Jo-Ann's and picked out some fabric and also some Steam-A-Seam2. Next on the to-do was to find some solid tees. As luck would have it, Wal-Mart was selling them clearanced for a buck a piece. What a deal! This was SO easy!! Someday, when I learn how to sew I can add stitch detail around the number.

Need a laugh??

So, I was strolling through Barnes & Noble yesterday hoping to find this book and this book. I found neither, but ended up with a couple Christmas gifts. I tried my hardest to make it to the checkout line with only my gifts, but HAD to stop and sneak a peek at this book when I saw the cover. I am not a die hard Chelsea Handler fan, but do watch her show on occassion with Hubby and most always crack up. I read 2 paragraphs and was laughing out loud in the store...so it was a must have. Also, I am not really a big "book reader". My reads are usually magazines or required educational readings. That just goes to show you how hilarious it is! Her sense of humor really reminds me of my good friend from The "C" Chronicles (hopefully, she takes that as a compliment). Anyhow, I am only thru the fourth chapter but it is hilarious. If you are in need of a good laugh this will cure ya.

This evening as Hubby was reading bedtime stories to LnL, I sat watching the eerie sky from the storms we had today. All of the sudden the sun peeped thru! I thought to myself...geez...I wonder where the rainbow is. The strangest thing happened next...it appeared right before my eyes! I love rainbows and am always amazed when I rarely see them (Hubby thinks its weird). The pic isn't the best...but it's proof.

After taking the rainbow pic, I happened to notice these Mourning Doves (p.s. I always thought it was MORNING doves until I Googled) on my neighbors roof. By the way, the reason I Googled was because I had heard that they usually mate for life and I wanted to confirm this notion.I thought they were SO cute. I couldn't tell if they were mother/child or husband/wife. I'm leaning towards mother/child after my recent research and findings.