SMELLIN COFFEE

Milk and Cookies

2012-01-30T18:21:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday Hopkins Elementary had their Kindergarten Information Night and since I am the Hospitality Chair, I had to set up a food table. And whats better than milk and cookies, especially for a night dedicated to talking about kindergarten!

It turned out SO cute!

In other news,

1) Arianna finally lost her top front tooth! She looks so cute!

2) Ella got bit by a dog on her cheek on Sunday and then that night fell onto the corner table and now has a black and blue eye. She looks pretty beat up but is healing!

3) Elijah has a BAD runny nose so now both cheeks are chapped and red

(its pretty bad- its been so dry out here lately)

4) Sophia is working hard with her twin to sell cookies (we're up to over 100 boxes:)

5) Mark and I have a date night on FRIDAY and it cant come fast enough:) I love that guy and getting to spend a few hours by ourselves over a yummy plate of food that I didn't cook and dont have to clean up is heaven:)

Last Day of Christmas Vacation at the Denver Zoo

2012-01-26T08:00:00.000-08:00

Fun Family Day- and yes, Elijah wore his new pirate outfit to the zoo:)

Special thanks to Lisa who graciously gave us tickets to enjoy the zoo-

we thoroughly enjoyed the family day!

Mr. Cool

2012-01-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

AND THE THIRTY ONE GIVEAWAY WINNER IS.....

2012-01-24T08:12:00.000-08:00

BETH STAMPER!

(winner was picked by my son out of a random pile of paper strips with names written on each!)

Beth, please contact Michelle at abellx4@aol.com

You can let her know what you would like and she will get you more details!

Congrats!

AND THANKS, MICHELLE, FOR SUCH A GREAT GIVEAWAY!

IKEA "Veggie Garden" Baby Shower

2012-01-22T21:50:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, I had the wonderful privilege to host a baby shower for little Knox!

I saw the "veggie garden" fabric at IKEA and an idea was born:)

I had a bunch of wonderful ladies help me pull it all together with wonderful food found on Pinterest.

We had TONS of "veggie' themed food and appetizers-perfect for a room full of ladies!

Favors were little spades for everyone to use this spring!

And the weather was SO warm and breezy- perfect for our springy colors!

The drinks were SO very yummy.

We served Citrus Mint Water

which basically was a pitcher

filled with mint, cucumber, orange and lemon slices.

It was TASTY!

We also served Orange Julius Smoothies:

Mix equal parts orange juice and milk. Add vanilla to taste. Add sugar to taste. Pour into blender with ice and blend away! It was so easy and tasted amazing!

I loved that all our drinks were served in canning jars with lime green straws and little orange flags made out of scrapbook paper. Super easy and CUTE!

We found the cute little dishes for the "shooters" at Party City! They have a great section of appetizer plastic dishes! Of course we washed them all so we could reuse them at other parties or showers!

I LOVE my dear church family at Sola Church SO very much and the times we get to celebrate with each other are memorable! Love you Melody and so thankful we can be a part of Knox's life!

Look at that face!

{ADORABLE}

Thirty-One Giveaway!!!!!!!

2012-01-18T16:14:00.000-08:00

Hello all! I am very excited to host a special giveaway from my good friend Michelle Abell who is a Thirty-One Consultant in Massachusetts. I SO wish she could be here to throw a Thirty-One Party at my house and you all would be invited!

Instead she wants to give one lucky reader their choice of a...

THIRTY-ONE THERMAL TOTE WITH EMBROIDERY

(like mine but you can choose your own pattern and saying!)

A CINCH IT UP THERMAL BAG!!!

like the one below but you choose the pattern!

Michelle sent me the cutest thermal tote EVER and its right up my alley since I am a Java Junkie!
I have used this bag so many times already and love it! It is super lightweight and the fabric does not stain and washes so easily. The thermal tote keeps my food nice and cold and I can really fit a whole lot in them! And the best part is that they are SUPER CUTE and AFFORDABLE! This month the Thermal Tote is only $10 (embroidery extra) which is a super deal! You can barely get a lunch tote at Target for that much and they definitely wont be as cute! The Cinch It Up Thermal looks super cool because you can carry it like a purse over your shoulder. AND its on sale for $15 this month! What a deal!
This is the first time I have been introduced to Thirty-One and I am excited to order more products in the future! Michelle can even help you host a party across the miles so you can earn lots of FREE products or if you live in MA, you can have one with her present:) in which case I would be really jealous!

So, here is how you can enter to win:

1. For one entry: Go to Michelle's sight and look around! Leave a comment on my blog telling me what you like the best or what you would use a lot! Make sure to leave your email as well so we can contact you. http://www.mythirtyone.com/MichelleAbell/

2. For another entry: Order a product from Michelle on her website! You will be so glad you did and you'll get your name entered 2 times! She can have it shipped right to you as well for a small fee.

Giveaway ends on SUNDAY the 22nd at midnight.
Winner will be announced on MONDAY the 23rd right here on my blog! You can then contact Michelle and your product will be shipped out shortly after the 27th of January.
Good Luck!

Party Recap!

2012-01-18T06:51:00.000-08:00

Jenny and Brian had a VERY fun NewYears Eve Party to ring in the New year! Lots of yummy food, fun games and friends! Couldnt ask for more.

My kiddos conked out around 9:30pm.

Also, wanted to include a few pictures from our annual kids Christmas party that Erika throws at her place! Its always so much fun and the kids look forward to it every year:) Here that Erika, you need to keep it going:) lol! You do an AWESOME job and it always turns out great!

Forgot my camera for that party so my phones blurry pics will have to do!

LOVED all the holiday FUN but so glad its over and things are settling down and back to normal.

Excited for the warmer weather thats supposed to be coming today and the rest of this week!

And its a free day at the zoo!

Five Fun Facts

2012-01-17T07:44:00.000-08:00

1. This picture makes me smile! My men LOVE technology! Elijah is playing games on my phone and Mark is working on his computer all while they watch the playoffs this Sunday! Elijah is SO good at apps on my phone- it amazes me!

2. Arianna has had a loose tooth since the end of Christmas break. She was so worried to return to school and had nightmares about all the kids laughing at her since she has quite a big gap where her tooth is moving over while it falls out. (its the top tooth) And as of today it STILL is hanging on! and the gap is HUGE and the tooth is turning gray. I tried yanking it but it still has a thread that is pretty attached. Where is Mrs. Broad when you need her?:) (she was my Kindergarten teacher who was famous in our school for pulling teeth) Arianna also REALLY wants her tooth to come out at school so she can get a little treasure chest to put it in:)

3. Bronco mania is over. We were so excited that they won the first playoff game against the Steelers- we had a large group of students over to watch the game and it was SUCH an exciting game! Too bad the second game against the Patriots was so NOT fun to watch! We cant wait till next year! and we still LOVE Tim Tebow! SO glad that my kiddos have such a great guy to cheer for in pro-football!

4. Elijah has a pretend family. Its hilarious! He talks all about his "mom" who lives far away. And he uses the word "ACTUALLY" all the time in his sentences- no joking! Almost every sentence out of his mouth has that word in it. It cracks us up! Even the girls comment on how he always says that word!

I asked him at school one time what had happened to his hand because he had a little cut on it.
"Well, actually, when I was at my other moms house. I was going down the stairs and Jack Jack left his toy on the stairs and I actually fell down the stairs and cut my hand. " Okay buddy. Should I be worried that he has another mother some where?:)

5. Sophia's hair is almost to her bottom. Another 4 inches to go- I am begging her to cut it a bit but she gets so worried when I mention cutting it! As long as she takes care of it, its fine by me And I have just been so overwhelmed lately how much I LOVE having twins! Its fascinating to watch them! I love it!

Christmas {Thank you's} for family far away

2012-01-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

I know its VERY belated but we wanted to say THANK YOU to all my family back in PA who mailed gifts for the kiddos! We wish we could have seen you all this Christmas season!

Special thanks to Aunt Abbey and Uncle Jake for all the great gifts for Christmas! And for the large box it came in! That provided hours of entertainment as well:) The girls are so excited to open their hot cocoa stand and Elijah hasnt taken off his outfit and swords since he got them:) It was a HUGE hit!

Special thanks to Grandma and Grandpa in PA for the art easels for the girls and the wooden train for Elijah! They have used them ALOT! We miss you all SOOOOOOO much!

Also, special thanks to all my family back home who sent Christmas money and gift cards! You guys are so sweet! We love you all and miss you terribly! Wish we could have spent some time with you all over the holidays!

And to all you family and friends who live here- we are working on our Christmas Thank you cards! They will be arriving shortly:)

More of Little Miss Ellas Celebration!

2012-01-15T13:46:00.000-08:00

I have been so bad at blogging but seemed to need a break from technology a bit lately! I have quite a few pictures from New Years Eve, my kids, the zoo, etc. I thought I'd finish up Ellas Birthday-These pics are from her special birthday breakfast and her celebration with Marks family!

Yep, we got her a blanket with arms and she LOVES it!

She also got a Spirograph from Grandma in PA in the mail- she LOVES getting packages and thought it was extra cool that I had one when I was her age!

Sunday we celebrated Great Grandma and Ellas birthday! She wanted Bronco colors since they were playing in the playoffs that night against the Steelers!

Present Time!

On Monday she celebrated at her preschool with Miss Pam!

After a VERY full birthday weekend it was over:)

I love our little Ella Bella and cant quite believe that she is 5 yrs old!!!

Little Miss Sunshine Birthday Party

2012-01-07T18:43:00.000-08:00

We had Ella's Little Miss Sunshine Birthday this Saturday and it was one of my favorite parties I've put together! We went with a red/yellow color scheme!

Ella was Little Miss Sunshine and her guests picked names that best described them!

Everyone got a T-shirt to wear and take home as a favor.

Since many of the guests were preschoolers, we went simple with a few activities- a coloring paper, a scratch paper to draw on and the best fun of all was painting popcorn with edible paint! They even got crazy and painted the fruit kabobs as well.

Everyone got their own water bottle and goodie pack- no way they are getting their stuff mixed up!

I made Little Miss Sunshines face and it was super easy and quick to make!

It turned out awesome:)

The kids did SO good at this party- they listened so well and werent crazy!

I had them sitting at the table for almost an hour, then we did presents in the living room and then they played in the basement for a little and it was over before you know it.

We did throw in a few stories after presents and they loved them!

Of course, the 2 boys at the party are nowhere to be seen:)

Happy Ten To Us!

2012-01-04T19:26:00.000-08:00

We are at a milestone as couple- TEN YEARS!! I always have looked forward to the big TEN! And today it is upon us. God has blessed me with a man that is very easy to love! He takes care of me and the kids and gives of himself to meet our needs and that is amazing in my eyes! I love him! Looking back over the past ten years, I feel like we are REALLY in the groove and loving where we are right now! Gone are the days with infants and little toddlers, the sleepless nights, the physical exhaustion of parenting! Now, we are enjoying our kids SO much more- having such fun conversations with them, laughing at their jokes, playing games that they finally understand the rules too, talking to them about life and Christ! - its a sweet time! Our marriage seems stronger than ever probably due to the fact that our kids arent frazzling us to our wits end and on the most part are getting a goods night sleep:) But I know that the main reason is the fact that CHRIST holds us both together. We are tempted. We have our irritations with each other. We are sinners. But I know we make a priority of and both highly esteem the GOSPEL and the LOVE that Christ showed us by making himself of no reputation, humbling Himself and dying for us! WOW! How my love for my husband should imitate that kind of love- its SO hard to and I fail every day at it but when I realize my failures and run to the cross there I find that Christ has more than enough grace for our marriage! Praise God for Christ and His exemplary love!

Mark brought home some very pretty flowers for me and the sweetest card as he always does! Here is just a small portion of what he wrote..
Five different houses
Four kids
Three jobs
Two cars
One marriage
Its been a full ten years!
And then a whole bunch of other mushy stuff:) Sweet, right?!

Thanks to his awesome parents watching the kiddos we were able to enjoy a night on the town! Just to show you what an amazing man I married- he took me to Sushi Den even though he despises sushi:) He did find some steak but it wasnt the way he usually likes it! A bit too exotic! Anyhow, my sushi was divine, melt in your mouth, over the top amazing! It was such a fun evening enjoying the man who makes my world such a happy place to be!

Heres to many more decades together!

Christmas Day Celebrations

2011-12-31T07:59:00.000-08:00

This year we started our Christmas at 5:15am! Yes, the kids were a tad excited! We made our coffee and then read Luke 2 and opened presents. Mark got me a Kitchen Aid beater attachment that I have really wanted, a microplane grater, slippers and 2 coffee mugs from Anthropology! The kids picked out some costume jewelry for me. Perfect gifts!

We had our traditional breakfast of eggs, bacon and cinnamon rolls and then headed off to church. After church we ordered chinese for lunch:) and got to work on the turkey for dinner! It turned out so pretty and the Lutzs came over for Christmas dinner!

We played games late into the night (well 8:30pm- thats late for us)

and we had a Christmas sleepover with Clara and Maddie.

It was a perfect day!

Christmas Eve Festivities

2011-12-31T07:51:00.000-08:00

Every Christmas Eve we head on over to Grandma and Grandpas for a yummy dinner and Aunt Emys famous homemade cookies! It was a wonderful night spent with those we love!

Lots of presents:)

New Year- New Do

2011-12-27T18:13:00.000-08:00

Got my hair cut today- its been almost a year!

I got a Groupon for a cut and color at a salon near my house.

Great deal- I dont think I have ever gone to the same stylist in years- I go where I can get a good deal!

I was sorta nervous when on old guy was my stylist. But he did a pretty good job overall.

I love it short! I was meant to have short hair- I think it makes my face look skinnier which is always nice! I got some nice warm hazelnut and blond highlights too. Its hard to see in this lighting- I'll take more pics tomorrow in the daylight!

Merry Christmas from {us} to {you}

2011-12-24T07:33:00.000-08:00

Wishing you a wonderful Christmas as you celebrate God becoming flesh for US!

The Son of God came down and laid aside His crown

Born without great renown, this Sovereign One

All holiness and might, all glory shining bright

Have come to earth this night in Mary’s son

O come, let us adore

O Christ the Lord, our hope and Savior

Son of God yet made like us

O Christ the Lord, our King adored

Born a child, our Lord Jesus

Messiah born so small, asleep in cattle stall

Come to redeem our fall, nailed to a tree

This tiny, helpless child through death would

reconcile

The holy God and vile, His grace so free

O come, let us adore

-Soveriegn Grace Music

Dreaming of Warmer Days

2011-12-23T06:49:00.000-08:00

Found this picture yesterday that Sophia drew- can you guess where we all are?

This SO makes me smile!

Its beginning to {LOOK} a lot like Christmas

2011-12-22T11:48:00.000-08:00

We woke up to around 12 inches of snow this morning! It was beautiful! Colorado should have a white Christmas this year! The kids have been busy inside with puzzles, play dough, moon sand, art contests, Kung Fu Panda 2, and eating! But they were aching to roll around in the fluffy stuff- so Mark took them out to play! I love how rosy their little noses get and how pink their cheeks turn.

Mr. Elijah stayed in- he's had a runny nose and cough this last week. And he really has no desire to frolic in the powdery stuff! You'd think it was summer by the lack of clothing! Thank goodness we keep it toasty warm in this house!

After an hour, they all came in to eat warm raviolis and drink hot tea! Dont you LOVE the pile of soppy clothes us moms get to handle when all the play is done:) Its worth it though since it wears them out! and as an extra bonus you get to kiss those chilly rosy cheeks!!

Waterless Vintage Christmas Snow Globe

2011-12-16T13:12:00.000-08:00

So I joined Pinterest and found these super cute waterless vintage Christmas globes.

I am going to a cookie swap tomorrow where I am in charge of the craft:)

so this is what we are doing! You can shake them and watch the glitter and snow fall down.

Super easy and really cute! My kids loved them too!

So, here is what you need to create your own:
Little Christmas trees- I got these for $6 on sale at Joannes( you get like 20)
Little figurines- I got 3 for $1.00 at the Dollar Tree
Glitter- I like the silver the best- it shows up more
Canning jars with rings and lids- got 2 HUGE boxes at a yard sale last summer for $1.00 a box!
Fake snow
Hot glue

1. Hot glue the trees and figurines onto the underside of the canning lid.
2. Fill the jar with as much snow and glitter as you would like.
3. Place the lid on the jar and screw on the ring.
4. Flip and there you have it!

{CHRISTMAS TREE}

2011-12-15T10:44:00.000-08:00

This year we got a real tree the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Mark wasnt too thrilled but I had sweet visions of pine scented smells wafting through the house and a cute tree filling up my window.

Well, BIG real Christmas trees are WAY out of our budget so we found a groupon for $20 and got a small tree that was only about 4 ft tall. I watered it like crazy but it wasnt drinking all too much and 2 weeks later it was so dead that I was afraid to turn on the lights and the ornaments were falling off.

So a few days ago, I threw it in the dumpster, and brought out the fake one, lit a pine candle and

I LOVE it!

I am never going back to a real one again- Mark you can remind me of this next year!

Every year we get a new ornament for the kids and write their names and the year on the back- this year Elijah got a Bronco player- he named it Tim Tebow- and the girls got Hello Kitty!

Its been one CRAZY week! We have had a lot of sickness in the house so its made things a tad difficult. We had to miss the Valor family Christmas party. The kids have missed some school. Arianna missed her girl scout Christmas party and was deeply disappointed but I guess this all means we have spent more time together as a family for which I can be grateful!

Mark and I did get to get out to a FABULOUS Valor Discovery Christmas Party and it was WONDERFUL! Honestly, I was almost in tears at how grateful I was for that night out with Mark- no kids, wonderful food, great fellowship with some pretty awesome people- it was GREAT and much needed by this tired mommy! Special thanks to Franki and Jon who babysat for us and even with a kid that had a low fever- you guys are AWESOME!

We were still able to have some company over last night for dinner which was so nice!
And I have been BUSY all week making Christmas presents, Christmas cookies and treats for parties at school and for teachers and friends, mailing presents and writing Christmas cards:) Its been fun!

I have fallen a bit behind in our advent daily happenings so I we have 2 books that have not been read and 3 names of Jesus we have not discussed but this is bound to happen, right?!

Hoping we can kick this bug in our house out the door so we can have a productive weekend and then TWO WEEKS OFF of school! Although I'm not too sure it will be anytime soon as I got a call a few minutes ago from the twins teacher that they are complaining about their belly's hurting- we will see what the day brings!

Dino Craze!

2011-12-11T13:21:00.001-08:00

Last week we went to the Museum of Nature and Science for their free day and they had the COOLEST dino exhibit! They had 3 dinos that moved, breathed, roared, blinked, followed your movements... it was fascinating! Elijah and Ella were mesmerized! I was too- we stayed a good long time just watching them- Elijah keeps asking when we are going back to see the dinosaurs!

Ho! Ho! Ho!

2011-12-10T07:52:00.001-08:00

2011

2010

2009

2008
The pictures I have before here are from Massachusetts and need to be scanned in the computer:) someday!

Every year we take the kids to see Santa!

We have gone to White Fence Farm the past three years because its free but it is far!

This year, we tried Southglenn because its 5 minutes from our house and were NOT disappointed!
I think its the best year yet!

Santa was SO nice and talked to them for the longest time! He looked so real:) and it was free AND their was NO line- we went right in! You bring your own camera!

The kids really enjoyed it!

Cameras Ready!

2011-12-09T07:57:00.001-08:00

MY sweet little Ella had her first Christmas preschool performance last night and all I could think about was how fast she is growing up! She is a beautiful little girl who LOVES to perform! She wasnt afraid in the slightest and sang her little heart out!

We were so thankful to have little Julianna there to watch!

As well as Aunt Emy, Avery, Alex, Grandma and Grandpa!

Ella loves her teachers- Miss Debbie and Miss Pam!

The twins also had a little Christmas performance a week ago at Southglenn- a bit more casual:)

They sang in front of a roaring fire while little white lights twinkled above!

We were so glad that Grandma could come to watch!

Of course, we had to get a little Mellow Mushroom pizza in for dinner- YUM!

ONe more performance to go- all of them- even Lij, will sing at church next week!

They are dressing up as angels and shepherds!

Melt my {HEART}

2011-12-07T15:24:00.001-08:00

I am in love with this picture! I LOVE how the sunburst hits the top corner- I love that my little girlies enjoy tromping thru the snow in the woods on our walk home from school! I love the snow! I love the beauty of God's creation! I love that I have children to share it with! I LOVE that I have one little blond girlie who looks like me! I love Colorado!

And this little guy CRACKS me up! He is VERY into superheroes right now, especially Wolverine at the moment. We went to the dollar store today to find some bells for the Christmas program at church and Elijah had the hardest time deciding on a knife or a chocolate Santa:) The knife won out:) He now says that his name is Wolverine not Elijah and hasn't put the knife down all day:)

And just looking at this picture makes me warm and fuzzy! Little Knox was the cutest little bundle of baby I have seen in a while:) SO snuggly- he basically slept in my arms the whole time I was there:) LOVE IT! He is SO handsome and LONG! He's teeny though! And I even smelled his little head and he had that wonderful newborn smell:) aahh!

It was a good day!

Out-takes- Merry Christmas!

2011-12-06T13:10:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, we had a photo shoot outside with the tripod and the pics turned out great although we didnt use any of these for our Christmas card- they are a tad blurry because of the lighting- it was very low. But I sure have some cute kiddos!

I made the girls skirts and brooches for the picture and they turned out really cute:)

I have been busy crafting away these days- its fun!

I am about 80% done Christmas shopping- which is great!

Mark has one last week of classes and his final is on Friday and the poor guy is almost done! He has to be there all next week to proctor exams and have meetings but it will be GREAT because he will be stress free seeing as his classes are done. He has been having tons of study sessions at night over at Solid Grounds and we barely see him but its okay because it will soon be over! YEAH!!!

Ella's preschool program is this week on Thursday night and she is bursting with excitement! I am too- I cant wait to see her sing her little heart out on stage! This is her first big performance in her life:)

We had our annual Ladies Coffee Jewelry Swap today- it was so fun! I just love our ladies!

And we have some pretty cute babies too!

Speaking of babies, I get to see little Knox tomorrow and I am SOOOOOO excited!

Little newborns are just precious!

Off to keep sewing!

Happy Tuesday!

The Confession

2011-12-03T07:52:00.000-08:00

An innocent man is about to be executed. Only a guilty man can save him. For every innocent man sent to prison, there is a guilty one left on the outside. He doesn't understand how the police and prosecutors got the wrong man, and he certainly doesn't care. He just can't believe his good luck. Time passes and he realizes that the mistake will not be corrected: the authorities believe in their case and are determined to get a conviction. He may even watch the trial of the person wrongly accused of his crime. He is relieved when the verdict is guilty. He laughs when the police and prosecutors congratulate themselves. He is content to allow an innocent person to go to prison, to serve hard time, even to be executed. Travis Boyette is such a man. In 1998, in the small East Texas city of Sloan, he abducted, raped, and strangled a popular high school cheerleader. He buried her body so that it would never be found, then watched in amazement as police and prosecutors arrested and convicted Dont Drumm, a local football star, and marched him off to death row. Now nine years have passed. Travis has just been paroled in Kansas for a different crime; Dont is four days away from his execution. Travis suffers from an inoperable brain tumor. For the first time in his miserable life, he decides to do what's right and confess. But how can a guilty man convince lawyers, judges, and politicians that they're about to execute an innocent man?

I just finished reading this exciting read by John Grisham- I just LOVE his books! They hold my attention to the very end and are so well written. You just HAVE to see what happens next which leads you to reading well into the night:) I love the law side of it too- very intriguing. There are a few curse words and a small paragraph about the rape and killing. Overall, it was really intense and a must read! Next on my list is to finish.. Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your kids with the Love of Jesus!

The kids and I read every night (or try to) before bed and we are in the midst of Henry and Ribsy by Beverly Cleary- I just LOVE her books- they are so funny and written well with lots of descriptions. I have tried to get my twins to read them by themselves but they dont get far.. so I decided to read them out loud at bedtime instead and they love it! I also picked up Homer Price by Robert McClusky at the library the other day- it reminds me alot of Henry Huggins and I vividly remember my mom reading this book to me! My favorite story was about how a diamond bracelet gets stuck in some doughnut batter and baked in a doughnut and tons of people come in to eat doughnuts to try to find the bracelet and win a reward- its really great! There are a few short stories in this book so its good for bedtime!

Book Advent Calendar Countdown plus some more

2011-11-29T12:39:00.001-08:00

I am all ready for December 1st! We are doing a Book Advent Countdown- All the books are wrapped and we are ready to open one every night till Christmas. The first 8 books we borrowed from the library and the rest are all ours. I shop after Christmas and get GREAT deals on Christmas books- score! I need to try to weed out some Night Before Christmas books since we have 4- but I LOVE all the illustrations in these books! I want to try to find more spiritual Christmas books to replace them. I would LOVE your suggestions:) Every night before bed we will open a book and read it together! Im excited for this new tradition!

24. Not Until Christmas, Walter
23. The Christmas Snowmen
22. Tackys Christmas
21. Fancy Nancys Splendiferous Christmas
20. Here Comes Jack Frost (Kazuno Kohara)
19. The Little Drummer Boy (Carolyn Quattrock)
18. Arthur's Christmas (Marc Brown)
17. Owl Moon (Jane Yolen)
16. The Night Before Christmas ( Clement C. Moore)
15. Baby's Christmas ( Esther Wilkin Little Golden Book)
14. The Wild Christmas Reindeer (Jan Brett)
13. Santa Mouse, Where Are You? (Micheal Brown)
12. The Velveteen Rabbit (Margery Williams)
11. The Night Before Christmas (Moore and Jan Brett)
10. The Twelve Days of Christmas
9. Christmas in a Manger
8. The Night Before Christmas (Moore and Weisgard)
7. GingerBread Baby (Jan Brett)
6. Who Is Coming to our House (Joseph Slate)
5. Santa Mouse (Michael Brown)
4. We Believe in Christmas (Karen Kingsbury)
3. Frosty the Snowmen (Annie Bedford)
2. The Legend of the Candy Cane (Lori Walburg)
1. The Night Before Christmas (Moore and Whatley)

We also are going to do a Names of Jesus Christmas Chain and reading the scripture that relates to the name. I will have the kids keep a little journal too- I plan to do this in the morning while we eat breakfast before school.

Ella also brought home a cute little Santa Countdown- She hung it on her door and this can be hers to keep track off:) each day you put a cotton ball on his beard.

And last but not least, my mom bought them little Chocolate Advent Charts- each day there is a little piece of chocolate in the shape of a Christmas thing:) My grandmother bought these for me every year till I was about 13 and they bring back FOND memories of my childhood!

Looking forward to this Christmas Season!

Exciting Times for Sola Church

2011-11-28T10:34:00.001-08:00

Sola Church has some exciting things happen in the past week!

First, Mel and Chad welcomed their 4th child-

{Knox Patrick Mondragon}

to the world on Friday the 25th! He was born about 3 weeks early and has been in the NICU since Friday- he is working on growing those lungs:)

We are praying that he continues to grow stronger and gets to be home soon!

He sure is a cute little guy!

We just LOVE the Mondragons and cant wait to love on this little guy very soon!

Then, this past Sunday, we had our first baptism!

Our church watched as Franki professed her faith in Christ and desire to be obedient in baptism!

It was a sweet event for sure!

AND... Franki and Jon got engaged on Thanksgiving DAy!

Oh, the excitement!

They are the cutest couple!

We got to met Franki's mom who came up from Pueblo for the baptism!

God is good and we are praising Him for how He is building His church!

Felted Mushroom Christmas Ornaments and Owl Ornaments

2011-11-28T09:47:00.001-08:00

I love the Christmas season because I get real crafty and "craft" for days in a row!

This year, we got a REAL tree for our living room and I wanted to decorate it with a "woodland" theme.

Hence, felt mushrooms

and felt owls

I would like to try to have all the ornaments be mostly handmade.. still on the docket to make are a different style of felt owls, felt raccoons and a pine cone garland.

The kiddos got the fake tree in the basement and had fun putting up their ornaments on Saturday!

I LOVE it too because it is filled with ornaments that we have collected over the years that ALL mean something to us (other than the colored balls) ! Each year, I buy the kids an ornament and put their names and the year on it and it goes on the tree- its fun to "see" what they were into year after year!

I also have all the ornaments my mom made for me when I was young- she did the same tradition! So, its really a "memory" tree for us! And I LOVE it!

I also am making all the kids close friends handmade gifts this year-

I am really excited about them!

They are turning out SO cute!

I'll probably post pictures AFTER the holidays so as not to spoil the surprise!

Here are the kiddos picking out the tree!
Its only about 5 feet but its perfectly round and smells amazing!

I'll post pictures of the final decorated tree when its all done!

{Thankful}

2011-11-24T18:13:00.001-08:00

{Thanksgiving 2011}

{A great day filled with Wonderful Family

and Yummy Food}

{so very blessed}

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness!

Come into God's presence with singing!

Know that the Lord is God!

It is he that made us, and we are his;

we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,

and his courts with praise!

Give thanks to him, bless his name!

For the Lord is good;

his steadfast love endures for ever,

and his faithfulness to all generations.

Ella Bella Creations

2011-11-21T10:14:00.001-08:00

This past weekend I had the exciting opportunity to participate in a Holiday Boutique with my Etsy shop-

Ella Bella Creations!

I set up a table and sold a LOT of hair pretties and pins!

I wasn't expecting it to do that well in sales and there really wasn't a huge crown of people at all either.

But I was pleasantly surprised how most of the people there bought something from my shop:)

Yeah- a success!

I still have lots up on my shop so if you need some Christmas gifts feel free to go "shop" there!

Use the code GET15OFF at checkout to get 15% off your order! I will ship it out right away!

You can also ask me to make just about anything and I will do it for ya! So, if you need a certain color or style, message me though Etsy and I will be glad to accommodate you!

Oh, and to find my shop just go to the top of this blog and click on the ETSY heading and it will take you right there!

Special thanks to my sweet husband who helped me with the labels and all the "computer" stuff!

He's the best!

This boutique was sponsored by the twins Girl Scout troop.

They were collecting toys for Toys for Tots for Christmas.

They handed out cookies, took raffle money and sold some water and soda!

It was a fun event and I think the twins got some good business experience- they will be earning their cookie badge, business badge and one other one that I cant remember!

Growing Up

2011-11-17T16:41:00.001-08:00

Sophia has been bugging em for a while now to get her bike out of the garage so she can ride it-I always say no because she doesn't know how to ride it without training wheels. We tried this summer and we helped her and everything but she just couldn't get it! Well, today it was a nice afternoon (shes in short sleeves) so I said okay and wouldn't you know- she jumped right on the bike and just started riding! I couldn't believe it! She can ride a big bike! She was cruising up and down the side walk and street and was doing great! Arianna tried a few times and did better than this past summer so it wont be too long till she gets it, I think.

Then later on this evening Sophie asked me is she could listent to the Ipod-I said okay and she stuffs it in the back pocket of her skinny jeans and puts the earphones in and off she be-bopped away. I am honestly tearing up as I write this post- she is getting so old and so mature and growing up!

Pretty soon it will be car she is learning to drive!

Where does the time go?

My sweet little girl is growing up and Im not quite ready for it!

{SNOOZE}

2011-11-15T18:08:00.001-08:00

Nope, not talking about sleep- the opposite- really! {BREAKFAST}

Erika and I met for breakfast last Saturday and it was wonderful!

It was great to really sit down and catch up with Erika without any distractions!

Plus the smell of coffee and breakfast cooking was an added bonus!

I've heard a lot about Snooze and was very excited to try it out. It did not disappoint!

The ambiance was wonderful- very bright and cheery- fast paced and very retro, which I LOVE!

They had really cool booths like in the Jetsons and I LOVED all the orange and yellow!

The wait was long at 10am (this was the Southglenn location) but at least it wasn't crowded while you wait. Lots of room to move around.

We perused the menu while waiting to be seated and were delighted to find creative and mouth watering dishes with lots of unique flavor combinations.

I got a Benedict because that is one of my favorite things to eat out for breakfast! It was very savory with squash, beans, carrots, shaved Parmesan .. delish! And the eggs were poached perfectly.

And notice that LARGE coffee cup- oh yeah!

I definitely will visit Snooze again!

I just LOVE that Erika and I get to go out and do things just the 2 of us- its SO refreshing to get away with a girlfriend and catch up! Love you, Erika! And yes, I cropped this picture because the bottom half of me was not looking very pleasant after such a LARGE breakfast:)

THANK YOU Veterans!

2011-11-11T12:49:00.001-08:00

Today we celebrate the men and women who have fought and are fighting for our freedom as Americans!

I am thankful for their sacrifice.

I am honored to have people in my family who have served their country.

I am so very blessed to enjoy freedom today.

I am so grateful that the twins school spends a good part of their morning honoring these men and woman and remembering the wonderful gift of freedom we have in America today! The twins were part of the ceremony since they are girl scouts this year! They were so excited to present the flags and hand out flowers to the vets.

The second grade class sang the Navy song- all the other classes also sang different songs from different branches of the military!

After the ceremony, I was in charge of the food table. It went really well and looked cute too:)

I'm all about presentation- its my favorite part of the job:)

It was a good morning- remembering that freedom really isnt FREE-

it cost many people dearly and I will always be grateful and

pass that spirit of respect for our veterans down to my children!

Puppies, Puppies Everywhere

2011-11-09T17:34:00.000-08:00

Nothing is sweeter than a cute little puppy.

They look at you with those sad little puppy eyes.

Their fur is so soft and wrinkly.

Puppies breath is the yummiest smell ever.

They are just so dang cute!

And you know what's cuter than 1 adorable little puppy?

13 wriggly, brown, snuggly, calm, sleepy puppies!

We got to visit with Aunt Tina and Uncle Matt's 13 little puppies this past weekend and

our whole family was in {LOVE}.

It was puppy heaven!

Now mind you, I do NOT like dogs. At. All.

But puppies, I adore!

They are tiny. They are playful. They fit in your arms.

They smell so good!

The kids begged to take one home. The problem is that these are puppies that have been breed so they cost a boatload of money and the biggest problem is that they grow to be the size of my 7 yr olds- no lie!

They are HUGE when all grown up- like massive! Like they scare me when I walk in Tinas house:)

I must say, they are very gentle though but still- they are beasts!

So we will just come over again on Thanksgiving to get our puppy fix before they are sold:(

Thanks, Tina and Matt, for letting us enjoy your little pups!

The kids will remember it forever!

And so will I:)

The Wheels on the Bus

2011-11-07T13:47:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we had the fun opportunity to take your family up to Frisco,CO with some of the Valor Discovery Kenya Team from last year. Mark drove a school van with our family and 5 teenagers. The trip up there usually takes around an hour and a half but took us much longer seeing as it was snowing once we reached the mountains. Plus an accident occurred and we sat for a good 45 minutes before it was cleared and the road plowed. fun times!

We were able to stay at Britta's (the Kenya leader last yet- she teaches English at Valor) parents vacation home in Frisco- it was BEAUTIFUL and had plenty of space for our group!

Here we all are! Britta is holding Elijah:)

We got all settled into and the all my kids were SO excited to sleep under a Christmas tree:)

We hung out for a while and played lots of board games- the teenagers were SO sweet and played tons of games with our kiddos!~ It made them feel so special!

Arianna was very proud that she beat Chase in checkers!

We went to dinner at The Boat Yard- it was FANTASTIC!

Ella formed quite the attachment to Ben! He was so patient with her and she just hung all over him and cried when he couldnt sleep in our room that night:)

We stayed up late watching Lord of the Rings movie

(although I only made it thru half of the first one! I'm getting too old!)

That morning the group planned out their Valor Discovery Trip presentation for chapel, while Mark and I cooked bacon, waffles and eggs for everyone!

It was an epic breakfast! Boy can teenagers eat!

It was such a fun trip! Hanging out, getting to know some pretty awesome teenagers!

And this summer, Mark is leading the trip to Kenya!

What a privilege! Excited to see the group that is put together for the summer!

Trick-or-Treat...Smell my feet...

2011-11-05T07:53:00.000-07:00

Yes, Elijah was a cow for Halloween-this was his first pick and he stuck with it for a while. I found his costume for $2 at a consignment sale and sewed on the utter so he wouldnt be confused with a dalmatian.

As we were riding to Grandmas house, Elijah said, "Mom, I'm thirsty. I need some milk." and then proceeded to suck on the utter! Mark and I DIED laughing which of course encouraged him more!

The girls were all Strawberry Fairies! I found these costumes last spring at Gymboree for $5! Then this summer I found all the accessories at Gymboree Outlet in Silverthorn for really cheap! I will resell the whole set and probably make more than I bought them for- thats how well Gymboree costumes resell! This is a side note, but I primarily only buy Gymboree clothes for my kids, not because I am snobby or rich:) They wear SO well and last forever without ripping, fading,etc.(and are SO cute) AND the added bonus is that I resell mostly all their clothes and make very near and sometimes more than I paid for them! I only shop SALES at Gymboree and if you have the coupon or Gymbucks, I get most items for around $5-$10. I resell on Craigslist, Ebay or JBF consignment sales. Then I use the money to buy new wardrobes for the kids. Also, to get the cheap deals at Gymboree, you have to buy off season. So, I have bins of clothes waiting for the next year for each of my kids. Gymboree runs really true to size and sometimes a tad big and I have had no problem buying a year in advance. (except with shoes- I dont do that! because feet grow weirdly in my family!:) So, overall its a great gig that I started when the twins were around 3 yrs old.

Okay, I am done.. back to trick or treating!

On Saturday, we went to Aspen Grove for Trick or Treat Street- it was fun!

Our yearly Trick or Treat tradition is to go to Grandma and Grandpas for pizza dinner and then trick or treat in their development! Lots of houses participate and they are really close together so its easy to walk.

This year Elijah REALLY got into it! He knew what to say and did most of it himself!

Although, Elijah saw this weird joker guy with a very scarey face and he STILL talks about the man with the horns being in his closet,etc. Poor guy! It scared him pretty badly!

Grandpa got all the kids glow stick necklaces that they were pretty excited about! And of course, they had to pay the Granpa candy tax after when they looked at all the loot! (aka- Almond Joys)

Sophia and Arianna got out all the Milky Ways for their teacher and gave them to her the next day- it was cute!

Another funny story...

The twins heard the little rhymn about trick or treat at school

but they only heard the below version

and said it this way for weeks before trick or treating!

"Trick or treat.

Smell my feet.

Give me something good to eat.

If you dont, I dont care.

I'll take all your candy."

Now, thats not the version I knew as a little kid and I was happy with their innocent ignorance and of course, I never corrected the little ditty! .

But innocence doesnt last forever... after we were done getting candy, the kids passed out candy at Grandmas house. Well, this big group of older kids came up the steps and started saying the rhyme really loud.. I cringed as I knew what was coming!

The last line really goes..

"I'll pull down your underwear."

When the older kids got to that line, the girls looked at me to gather my reaction. I was laughing so hard because I knew what was coming and the whole story struck me as very funny! So of course, they started roaring with laughter! Afterwards though, Ella told me that they were still going to say it the old way because she thought it wasnt nice to talk about underwear! And amazingly, I havent heard them repeat the new version! We will see how the rhyme changes next year!

Grandma's Visit

2011-11-03T15:19:00.000-07:00

We were priviledged to have Grandma (my mom) come all the way from PA to spend a long weekend with us! It was such a fun time to reconnect with mom and the kids to spend some quality time with grandma!

She played lots of games with Ella and Lij.

We even got to swim at the hotel pool!

One of my moms required stops was SAJ Mediteranian Grill. Its her favorite!

On Saturday we made a treck up to Boulder for some pumpkins and to do the Celestial Seasonings Tour!

Wasnt a good day at all for pumpkins- the field was a mud pit and there was still snow all over.

At least we got some cute pictures and pumpkins!

I really liked the tea tour- so informative, filled with yummy aromas and the gift shop was super cute!

We also did some trick or treating but I'll save that post for tomorrow!
on a side note, if you are my mom and you are reading this- my cell is out till tomorrow.
Hope you havent been calling:)
Love you!

We're Missing Grandma!

2011-11-02T14:48:00.000-07:00

I asked the kids what they missed about their grandma in PA... here are their responses!

Ella said, "I miss doing laundry together."

Elijah said, "I just miss her alot."

Sophia and Arianna both said, "We miss going out to breakfast with just her!"

(mom took each kid to get bagel poppers and chat for breakfast- very memorable)

And I miss all the great help I had with her around:) She was so busy, cleaning, doing laundry and dishes!

We also had a great time looking at all the great shopping places around here- IKEA, WORLD MARKET, ANTHROPOLOGY, POTTERY BARN! It was so fun to spend time with my mom! I miss her!

Pumpkin Carving Fun!

2011-10-31T10:34:00.000-07:00

We splurged this year on the pumpkin carving and got more detailed! It was fun and the kids enjoyed scooping the "guts" out of their pumpkins! They were all lit up last night for a few hours!

Can you guess who picked which pumpkin pattern?

Arianna did the spider

Sophia chose the skeleton and cat

Ella chose a traditional pumpkin face

and WE chose the ghosts for Elijah since it was one of the easier ones and it was past bedtime!

So, there you have it! Pumpkin carving done!

Special thanks to my husband who helped in this long process of carving 4 pumpkins!

Unnie Bunnie

2011-10-27T18:44:00.000-07:00

Arianna is 7 yrs old and in 2nd Grade at Mark Hopkins Elementary.

Her teacher is Mrs. Sustr.

Arianna wants to grow her hair long again but keep her bangs.

She has only lost 2 teeth.

Arianna continues to be SOOOOOOO picky about what she eats. We make her eat a bite or two of meat every meal but she still gags and doesnt like it. very frustrating.

Arianna loves breakfast.

Arianna bites her fingernails.

She likes Sprite.

She still loves to wear knit pants and doesnt like jeans at all.

Her favorite shoes are still Crocs.

Arianna LOVES animals of all kind.

She and Sophia still love to play Barbie house and they LOVE pretending with little animals and Barbies.

Ariannas Beta Fish- Nemo- also died the same night Ellas fish died.

Arianna cried and cried over the loss of her fish for which I was the sole care giver!

Arianna likes to walk to the park near our house and play with her sisters- all by herself!

She really likes Hello Kitty right now.
Ariannas teacher started calling her "Ari"( R-E) and now all her school friends call her that!

Arianna loves to sing and is participating so much more in our church services-
she continues to be sensitive toward the Gospel.

{ From the Mouth of Arianna }

my favorite color: All the colors of the rainbow and add pink

my favorite toy: Laura, her pet battery operated hamster

my best friend: Shea, Cheyenne, Savanna, Garrett, Brody, Madeliene

my favorite part about church: learning about God

my favorite food: mac and cheese

my favorite thing about school: independent reading, duck of the day and starting the day by giving Miss Sustr and hug- can you tell she REALLY likes school?

my favorite song: Completely Done and The Fathers Love

what I want to be when I grow up: veterinarian

my favorite movie/show: The Avengers and Pink Panther

Sophia and Arianna's Fall Music/Art Showcase- Hopkins Elementary

2011-10-26T20:42:00.000-07:00

This past Monday, the twins had a special art/music night at Hopkins.

Their art work was displayed throughout the school.

And they got to sing, just the 2nd and 3rd graders, in a special little performance.

All week, the music teacher said Arianna would get afraid when they practiced and did not want to go on the stage. I thought she was just trying to get attention. But the night of the performance she started crying. Daddy tried talking to her and praying with her before it started for her to brave but she worked herself up and was in tears. (she'll probably kill me one day for taking this picture!) The gym was PACKED too- I'm sure that didnt help.

So, while Sophia stood on the stage and sang her heart out....

Arianna stood on the side of the stage between the principal and her teacher and sang from there..

We were honored to have their friends Maddie and Clara come to watch the performance.

I {ADORE} how they are holding hands in this next picture!

Here are a few close friends in their class- JJ and Shea.

After, we all went out with the Lutzs to Yogurtland to celebrate a job well done.

Here is one song that Sophie performed:) Enjoy!

Winters Blowing in!

2011-10-25T13:41:00.000-07:00

8:30am today

1:00pm today- storms a brewin!

Yes, tomorrow all these gorgeous fall leaves will most likely be knocked to the ground with the 6-12 inches of snow they are calling for tonight into tomorrow morning for Denver and 8-15 for CastleRock- we are in the middle of these 2 places- we shall see! SNOW DAY????

It has been SUCH a pretty fall. I will be sad to see it end.

On a MUCH happier note, my mom is flying in on Thursday-

I am beyond excited!

On another sad note, I hurt my finger last Friday. I stopped by a yard sale and found this great metal cabinet for only $2- as I was loading it in the van, it slipped and my finger got caught underneath it- of course, I pulled it out because it was SO painful and the nail totally separated from my finger. It was the MOST painful thing I've experienced in a LONG time! Everything started spinning and I had to sit down because I really thought I would pass out. Thankfully, my house was a block away, so I managed to get me and the 4 kids home. Of course, Mark was gone at a speech tournament till 10pm... the worst timing!
I couldnt stop crying for like an hour because it was just throbbing. The kids were so afraid for me. Arianna went and got the computer and put The Office on for me without me even saying a thing- she knows what will make me laugh:) Sophia went and grabbed tylenol and water for me and Ella rubbed my back . Elijah just stayed away! My kiddos were so sweet to me and did everything their little minds could think of to help me feel better. I love them!
Eventually Mark called my inlaws and they were SO kind to come over right away and take care of the kids while I went to the hospital. Come to find out, I had a small break at the top of my finger bone. They thought about removing the nail but I asked if we could just leave it on and let it fall off itself- thankfully, they said ok! I also got a tetanus shot because it was an old metal cabinet- that sucker hurt SO bad the next day- I could barely move my arm. So, now I have this cool splint on my finger just for a week. The nail is SO tender.. hopefully that will heal quickly.

Well, off to see what the kids are up to- I hear Pink Panther music coming from the basement.. so hopefully they are just resting on the couch! I also need to grab a redbox movie or two and some bread since we may be stuck at home tomorrow! Could use a family snow day!
Have a safe and snowy night all my Denver peeps!

Sola Church Ladies Coffee.. at the ZOO!

2011-10-21T09:47:00.000-07:00

I just LOVE our Ladies Coffee time through our church- Twice a month we all meet up for coffee, usually at Melodys house and just let the kids play (there are lots of them!) and we talk! Its fun!

Last week we met up at the DENVER ZOO because it was a free day and walked around for several hours! We had LOTS of babies in strollers and then the big kids:) which were all Mels and mine!

Great picture to leave you with, I know!

Casa Bonita: A Denver Must See!

2011-10-21T09:27:00.000-07:00

In the 5 years we have lived in Denver, we have yet to take the family to Casa Bonita. Casa Bonita has been around for, I think, at least 30 years and Mark has fond memories of this place as a child!

Marks parents called us up on Wednesday to see if we would like to go to support Sheridan school district so we happily agreed! If you ever visit Denver, stop on by Casa Bonita- its lots of fun!

We actually did visit when the twins were 3 yrs old and Ella was just a baby. We were visiting Colorado with Kara and Eric (from MA) while Mark was on some sort of school trip. And we went here! Do you see the little tiger that Arianna is holding? She got it at Casa Bonita when she was 3 and the twins LOVED those little tigers. They named them Poky and wouldn't go anywhere with out them. I pulled them out of their memory boxes so they could bring them along!

Grandpa gave them some pennies to throw in the fountain.

Their menu is very slim and has had a reputation of being not very great...

but I REALLY liked my chili rellenos- I thought they tasted really good!

But what you really go to Casa Bonita for is the atmosphere! It looks like a Mexican town complete with Mariachi bands, Cliff divers, Caves, etc.

Every 10 minutes or so, they have a little "act" going on that you can watch while you eat!
While we were there, they had a cliff diver, fire juggler, and a gorilla skit.

Mark was teaching Arianna how to eat sopipias.

(I apologize for spelling all these Mexican dishes and terms wrong)

You can actually walk behind the waterfall and look out- pretty cool!

I hate that this picture is blurry!!!!

The little ones didnt want to go in the scary cave- it really was a bit scary- I dont like to be "surprised"! Mark and I went through together:)

At the end, the kids get to pick a piece of candy from the treasure chest!

It was a FUN night and extra fun experience!

Sophie

2011-10-18T15:58:00.000-07:00

{ From the Mouth of Sophia }

my favorite color: orange and blue

my favorite toy: my littlest pet shop

my best friend: Rian, Cheyenne, Taylor

my favorite part about church: coloring in my pad

my favorite food: mac and cheese, hot dogs

my favorite thing about school: science class

my favorite song: 5 Speckled Frogs

what I want to be when I grow up: dress maker

my favorite movie/show: Bedtime Stories

Sophie is our "serious" one.

She is sweet and quieter than her sisters.

She has very long hair and wants to keep growing it longer.

Sophia LOVES to sing and joined after school choir.

She makes up lots of stories about animals and people and writes up a storm.

She is a very avid reader.

She has very neat penmanship.

Sophia has lost only one tooth.

She is picky about food just like her twin sister.

Sophie still has her ears pierced.

She loves to do gymnastics in our basement.

Sophia is a girl scout and loves it.

Sophie loves to read Bible stories and also talks about doing whats right at school

and telling others about Jesus. We pray her heart still remains tender toward the gospel.

Lijers

2011-10-17T10:30:00.000-07:00

Elijah is 3 yrs old and is a spit-fire.

He LOVES balls of every shape and size and calls himself "Tim Tebow" when he carries a football.

He still puts his underwear on backwards every time!

He loves to wear boots.

He hates wearing pants.

He eats SO well and LOTS of it!

Elijah always sits on his legs and then they fall asleep and he cries.

Elijah has CRAZY hair- its SO hard to tame and is very thick and straight. He has a kallic in the back.

Elijah has a little freckle on his nose.
Elijah has a whole make believe family- its SO funny- he always tells me, "well, my mom...." or "my brother....." he said his other family lives in Colorado too.

Elijah loves to play outside and loves swords and sticks!

Elijah likes to play games and puzzles on our phones and he is SO good at it!

He takes after his daddy- Hes a techie for sure!

Elijah loves his sisters, especially Ella. They are 2 peas in a pod!

Elijah does not like to color or do "schoolwork". But I make him do it every other day or so.

Elijah has a little dimple above his right cheek.

Elijah takes naps about every other day. He sleeps about an hour.

Elijah is a messy eater although he is definitely getting better.

He is completely potty trained with an accident every once in a while at night.

He loves to crawl in our bed in the middle of the night and snuggle.

He hates sleeping alone and begs to sleep in sissys bed!

He still sleeps with his monkey pillow.

{ From the Mouth of Elijah }

my favorite color: BROWN

my favorite toy: SPIDERMAN

my best friend: PUFFY- his stuffed penguin

my favorite part about church: THE BABIES

my favorite food: YOGURT

my favorite song: ZACCHEUS

what I want to be when I grow up: SPIDERMAN

my favorite movie/show: SPIDERMAN

Simple Things Sunday

2011-10-16T07:46:00.000-07:00

{Childhood Friendships} Ella with her sweet little friends

Ella Bella

2011-10-15T08:17:00.000-07:00

Ella is a few months away from being 5 yrs old!

She loves taking pictures right now, can you tell?

She rarely shows her teeth when smiling for pictures.

Ella LOVES preschool.

She has made friends and I am looking forward to her teacher conference

to see how she is doing socially and academically.

Ella's handwriting has improved dramatically since preschool.

Ella cries and cries if I dont give her "homework" every night with her sisters! Cracks me up!

Ella will eat pretty much everything I put in front of her (except tomatoes)

Ella loves to hold my hand.

Ella's beta fish, Sparkles, died 2 days ago. It lived for almost 3 years.

Ella loves to "pretend" with Elijah- she is usually the mom.

Ella talks a lot- she is still our loudest child!

Ella is still very clumsy and falls and gets hurt all the time.

Ella says Daddy is the best waffle maker and I am the best pancake maker.

{ From the Mouth of Ella }

my favorite color: GREEN

my favorite toy: LITTLEST PET SHOP

my best friend: ZAMARA

my favorite part about church: COLORING

my favorite food: GRILLED CHEESE

my favorite thing about preschool: GOING OUTSIDE

my favorite song: MY GOD IS SO BIG

what I want to be when I grow up: COWGIRL

my favorite movie/show: STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

Ella finally does not put her shoes on the wrong feet- she's growing up!

Ella's heart continues to be tender toward spiritual things- she asks lots of questions.

Ella fills our home with laughter and joy and we are so proud of the girl she is becoming!

Gourmet Tour of Denver- A TASTY post

2011-10-14T19:59:00.000-07:00

I have such a FUN post to share with you today if you like food! Its gonna be long.... but hopefully you'll bear with me! Every Christmas on my side of the family we draw names between my brothers and sisters families and we just get presents for the familys name we drew. Abbey and Jake had us this year and they got us our gift early- a Denver Gourmet Food Tour. We met Chelly (the owner and guide) at the Riverfront by Platte River and began our tour with 14 others. Chelly was a very enthusiastic, professional, knowledgeable and stylish guide throughout our journey. It was SO neat to meet with the shop owners and chefs and hear the "story" behind their business and their inspirations!

{STOP #1} The first stop was the EVOO Marketplace. The owner Mick and his wife met us and guided us through the fascinating world of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinaigrettes with finesse.

We started with the balsamic vinegars which were out of this world! We were served vanilla ice cream and asked to choose a vinegar to pour over top. I know, it sounds weird but it was AMAZING!!! Mark chose a Dark Chocolate Balsamic and I chose a Cranberry Pear Balsamic. The sour and sweet were perfect together. I am seriously thinking of adding this combo to my dessert diet.

We also mixed balsamic vinegars with their fine selection of EVOO. They import almost all their EVOOs from Italy and have many different infused and fused varieties.

My favorite EVOO was a Blood Orange flavor. It was great with the fruity balsamic vinegars.

Micks wife was SO knowledgeable with which EVOOS worked best with which vinegars.

She paired a Natural Butter EVOO with a Blueberry balsamic vinegar and said her grandkids eat this over waffles and pancakes- and its tremendously healthy- way better for you than syrup. Pretty cool and VERY tasty! I could not beleive how sweet these balsamic vinegars were- and its all natural sugars.

This was definitely one of my favorite stops of the day. The downtown shop has only been open for 2 years. And the best news is that they are opening another shop in Littleton about 10 minutes from my house! I think these would make GREAT Christmas gifts! Looking forward to going back soon!

{STOP #2} Brava Pizza with chef David Bravdica. This was Marks Fav stop of the day and right up there at the top for me! Located on the 16th St Mall, Dave whips up some amazing pizza pie in his mobile wood burning stove right out on the street and let me tell you its delicious! Dave just spent 9 months in Italy learning from Italian chefs the secrets to true Italian Pizza and he nailed it here in Denver!

I just love that he uses locally grown ingredients in all his pies. He made a Margarita pizza with fresh tomatoes, basil and freshly pulled mozzerella. It was so light and flavorful! The crust was thin and cooked to perfection. he uses a wood burning stove and places the pie right up next to the coals... pretty cool! It was ready in about 6 minutes!

We also tried this amazing pizza with atrichoke hearts, kalamata olives and feta cheese.

We tried a pepperoni pizza and then my fav.. the Fun-Guy pizza (get it? fun-guy aka schrooms)

it was drizzled with some Black Truffle EVOO from the shop we had just visited.

AMAZING

All his pies, he serves hot out of the stove and then drizzles EVOO right on top before serving.

Brava Pizza has been ranked as the top pizza in Denver! Pretty impressive!

We will be back for sure!

{STOP #3} GiGis cupcakes- These cupcakes are very yummy! We have a shop right by us at Aspen Grove so we have had them before. They are awfully pretty too! We started talking to a couple on the tour with us and they are expecting their first children-twins- so it was fun to talk to them about twin life!

GiGis also has a Pink cupcake trailer that rides around the city selling cupcakes- such a cute idea!

I chose the Chocolate Salted Caramel cupcake- my favorite part was the sea salt sprinkled on top of the chocolate- YUM! Mark got the Midnight Magic cupcake- LOTS of chocolate!

{STOP #4} Denver Beer Co. Now, let me preface this by saying that I do not enjoy beer at all. I have tasted it on several occasions and in my opinion, it just is not very good. Wine, on the other hand, I like a lot! But since this was our last stop I at least sampled them. It was very interesting to me learning how beer is made. It has 4 ingredients- barley, water, hopps, and yeast. The owners of this brewery walked us through and showed us their beer making process. They have only been open 8 weeks and have already won awards for their brew.

They make their own beer according to the seasons. So, they had 7 or 8 "fall" brews. They do not bottle it or ship it anywhere (yet) so once they make a batch and its gone.. its basically gone forever. We sampled an Autumns Amber - a beer that had a nutty, caramel smell. Also the Pueblo Chile Beer which was really light in color and smelled like chili peppers and then a Fall About Stout beer which was REALLY dark and tasted like coffee and chocolate.

And that concluded our tour. It was such a fantastic experience! Chelly recommended stopping by Savory Spice Shop right on Platte street so we stopped by on our way to the car. They have a shop in Littleton that I have visited and LOVED. You can buy spices by the oz. and they have any spice you have ever dreamed of! I bought some Mulberry Spices to make some spiced apple cider or spiced wine. It smelled so good!

We had SUCH a wonderful time as we sampled the best that Denver has to offer!
Special thanks to Abbey and Jake for such a FUN Christmas gift!
It was the perfect date!

Hopkins FUN!

2011-10-12T06:37:00.000-07:00

The Fun Run at Mark Hopkins Elementary takes place every fall and is a lot of fun!

Plus you get to RUN!

Win! Win!

It was a really chilly day so we bundled up!

Elijah had it the easiest seeing as I pushed him in the jogging stroller and he was bundled in his favorite Cars blanket! Poor Ella had to run and it was sorta a long ways for her but she did it!

We did walk about half the way- it was just too much for her.

I have been running too on my own and I really enjoy it!

I listen to messages by Matt Chandler and it goes really fast.

Our schools colors are green- ya know for frogs.. since we are HOPkins!

We run with the other neighborhood school- Mark Twain whose colors are orange.

Last year Twain wore tshirts with Tigers(their mascot) eating a frog!

Isnt that crazy! It makes me laugh so hard but not really sure its appropriate for elementary kids.

This year they were much calmer in their tshirt choice.

This past Monday, I also got to go on the twins Field Trip to Carson Nature Center which is right by Aspen Grove and the Platte River. It was gorgeous out and I sure do love Colorado! Its perfect for nature hikes and runs and most anything outdoors!

This is their teacher, Mrs Sustr- she is just wonderful!

Special thanks to Val who babysat my little two while I went on this field trip with the girls. I am SO blessed to have other mommy friends who are so willing to help me out whenever I need it- love you!

Outgrowing

2011-10-11T15:28:00.000-07:00

Yes, it has happened. We have outgrown the cute little calendars that my mom buys me every Christmas. Its sad. I loved those little calendars. It just wasnt cutting it- Each little box was getting so crowded each week that I could hardly see what was happening for that day. Between choir, girl scouts, birthday parties, church stuff, Ellas preschool, volunteering, Marks school schedule, his debate schedule etc,etc- you get the picture!

So, I broke down and went to Target and found a mammoth calendar that hangs on the fridge that has a spot for each family member- its wonderful! It is much easier to read and keep events organized. AND theres a spot to write the meal I make that night too- so I can see a whole months worth of meals all planned out- I love it! It really is a great calendar!

I STILL like to keep a calendar in my purse for when I am out and about AND I also keep a much simplified calendar on my phone that links with Marks so he can see what we have planned as well. I know, thats a lot of calendars.
Each Sunday, I sync them all together to make sure events match and we are up to date- it hasnt been bad at all yet:) I should probably get rid of the one in my purse but I just LOVE writing things down- plus I make lists in it and so on and so forth.

So, we are all organized in this household (at least in the calendar department)!
What are your tricks for keeping your family events organized?

P.S. Since taking this picture, I have moved the calendar to the SIDE of the fridge so its not such a monstrosity-ish eye sore!

Simple Things Sunday: Loving Eyes

2011-10-09T20:11:00.000-07:00

I love Ellas eyes- she looks up at me with such love and admiration with those BIG hazel eyes. Ella is the child that needs the most hugs and squeezes and pats and hand holding- she craves love through touch. I must admit that today in church I got pretty annoyed with her while she tried to constantly squeeze into my lap or hold my hand, or cuddle up really close to me while I was trying to concentrate on the sermon, but I was rebuked later that day by the thought that Ella just really loves me and wants to be near me. What a blessing that my little girl looks up to me with those big eyes and I can hold her and hug her and kiss her to let her know shes a special blessing from God in my life!

33 Years Young! Happy Birthday, Mark!

2011-10-08T18:20:00.000-07:00

My handsome hubby turned 33 today!

He basically rocks my world.

He is the BEST husband and father!!!!

I am one lucky girl!

And did I mention he's really good looking?

Yesterday, we delivered some balloons and a KitKat (his fav candy bar) and a card and gum to Valor!

And this morning, we had our traditional birthday breakfast P-A-R-T-Y!!!

We had a yummy burger dinner with Marks parents at Red Robin- make sure to grab one of their loyalty cards and register it (for free) and they will give you a free burger for your birthday! They have such yummy burgers!

After dinner, we all went back to our house and I made a chocolate cake with peanut butter filling and vanilla frosting for Mark! After a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday, we dug in. The sugar high culminated with Elijah and Grandpa digging the boxing gloves out and having quite the match!

sorry its blurry but it just shows you how action packed the game was!

Tonight Mark and I are snuggling under warm blankets with a movie. bliss!
A perfect ending to a perfect day!

Happy 33rd Birthday, Babe!

We love you SOOOOO very much!

"Fall"ing Head Over Heels

2011-10-06T07:40:00.000-07:00

Silverthorn, CO

Sometimes I look at pictures like these and my eyes tear up- where has the time gone?

My kids are growing like weeds!

I am no longer a mom to tiny little munchkins but big kids:)

It melts my heart and makes me savor the moments because they grow so fast!

Embrace those munchkins and big kids today....

because they grow up in a blink of an eye!

Thy Mercy, My God

2011-10-04T06:56:00.000-07:00

Overwhelmed by God's mercy and goodness to me today!

He has blessed me with every spiritual blessing in Christ! WOW!

I am blown away by His mercies-

They are new every morning- Great is Thy faithfulness!

Thy Mercy, My God

1. Thy mercy, my God, is the theme of my song,
The joy of my heart. and the boast of my tongue;
Thy free grace alone, from the first to the last,
Hath won my affections, and bound my soul fast.

2. Without Thy sweet mercy I could not live here;
Sin would reduce me to utter despair;
But, through Thy free goodness, my spirits revive,
And He that first made me still keeps me alive.

3. Thy mercy is more than a match for my heart,
Which wonders to feel its own hardness depart;
Dissolved by Thy goodness, I fall to the ground,
And weep to the praise of the mercy I’ve found.

4. Great Father of mercies, Thy goodness I own,
And the covenant love of Thy crucified Son;
All praise to the Spirit, Whose whisper divine
Seals mercy, and pardon, and righteousness mine.

Take a listen here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUEgqGNFiMs&feature=related

Fresh Zucchini Tomato and Feta Bake

2011-10-03T08:19:00.000-07:00

Fresh Zucchini Tomato and Feta Bake

1 large zucchini sliced

10 cherry tomatoes halved

1/2 cup of crumbled Feta

2 Tbs extra virgin Olive Oil

Cook zucchini in oil till tender over medium heat. Add tomato halves and cook a minute more.

Transfer to small baking dish. Crumble feta over top veggies and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Its hard to believe it is fall. The weather here in Denver is WARM! Its been in the 80's for a while now. I do enjoy the cooler mornings and evenings though! My front porch is decorated for fall.

I have started running- and lost about 2 pounds. I really want to firm up which I know will only happen at a gym but for now running will do.

School is going well for all the kiddos. The twins joined girl scouts after school and choir after school. They are staying busy.

Mark has started his speech and debate coaching- it is going well! Church is going great! Mark was able to preach yesterday on baptism and a bunch of teen guys from valor came to hear him. They arent saved and will openly admit it but really respect Mark and enjoy honest conversations about the gospel and "religion". They came over for lunch at our house after and spent a long time just talking and hanging out- it was fun and I hope that we can continue to talk to them about Christ and see them come to know Him!

My mom is coming to visit at the end of October- I am SOO excited as well as the kids! Sophia keeps asking how many days till she comes!

Marks cousin, Eddie is coming to visit this week from Australia. We are headed to Marks parents house for dinner tonight! Then on Wed, we are headed to the mountains with him! Hopefully we can see some fall colors. Looking forward to it.

Well, that is about it here. Hope you all have a great week!

Simple Things Sunday

2011-10-02T20:46:00.000-07:00

{sweet kisses from Elijah} 10.2.2011

Pumpkin Jack-O-Lanterns

2011-09-30T11:52:00.000-07:00

I just love October- it may be my favorite month ever!

The leaves start changing.

Sweaters and hoodies (thats for you, Mark) can be worn all day.

There's a nice nip in the air especially in the early morning and late evening.

Pumpkins start gracing front steps and mums appear everywhere.

Its my man's birthday month!

You can find apple cider in the grocery store.

We dress up our little munchkins and go trick or treating at Grandma and Grandpas!

We drive up into the mountains to see all the yellow Aspens.

I just love fall! Its the best season ever!

I found this cute idea in a Southern Living magazine that my mother-in-law gave me.

Take old canning jars and paint the outside with orange paint- let dry. Paint a black rim and design a face with black paint. Stick a tea light or LED light inside and ta-da.. a cute little non perishable pumpkin lantern to adorn your front steps for October! And the best thing is that little hands can do most all the work!

Happy October!

{LOLA'S}

2011-09-27T20:21:00.000-07:00

I love this picture. It reminds me of a fuzzy picture I have of my mom and dad on their wedding day in the 70's. In this picture I am just missing the feathered hair and long flow-y dress and daisies! I really need to get a scanner so I can show you all some great "old" family photos.

Now, on to yet another date with my man. I know- we are getting WAY too many date nights, right! We have gone out without kids the past 3 weekends and I could really get used to this:) This time we went out to celebrate Mark's moms birthday! We treated them to Lola's- a fancy "chef" Mexican restaurant downtown in the Highlands. It was WONDERFUL! The food was amazing and the company just delightful

We started off with homemade guacamole that the guy makes tableside. It was so yummy! I am a sucker for anything with avocado in it.

Mark and his mom ordered the double cut smoked pork chops with frijoles charros, onion rings, guajillo
and grilled peach barbeque sauce. It was delicious! I tried a bite, ya know! It had such a yummy smoked flavor- I wish I had the recipe for that sauce!

Ben and I had the poblano relleno which had hazeldell farm mushrooms, tomatoes, chayote squash,
wild rice, smoked goat cheese, chile rojo. It was quite spicy but the goat cheese cooled it down just enough!
It was big Pepper!

We decided to ride downtown for dessert on Larimer Street at The Market- a local joint that has amazing desserts (definitely try the Spring Fling Zucchini cake with fresh fruit) and a great coffee bar.

It was a wonderful evening filled with great food and great company. Special thanks to the Endyks who babysat the kiddos so we could have a nice evening out with Marks parents. We love you guys!

Ephesians= WOW!

2011-09-27T19:49:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday we were challenged with Sola Scriptura- the importance of Scripture to our church and individual lives. Its SO easy to say we highly value Scripture but boy was I convicted by my lack of desire to read it and truly desire it above all else.

‎"Let us then consider it certain and conclusively established that the soul can do without all things except the Word of God."

~Martin Luther

We were challenged to read the book of Ephesians for 5 days this week. I am on day 3 and its SUCH a good book- I think what has hit me most is the contrast of the life we had before Christ and the life we enjoy after we have accepted the good news of the gospel as our sole means of salvation-listen to these verses and get ready to be blown away!

Ephesians 2:1-10

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, ² in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. ³ Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh,indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. ⁴ But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ⁶ and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; ⁹ not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

WOW- what grace! What unmerited favor God showed to me- a rebel to His cause!

The whole book is filled with passages like this- showing the sinfulness of man and the greatness of God- and how God reached across that great chasm and filled it with the His Son- CHRIST- on the cross. Brings me to tears.

What a mystery! What love! What grace! What a glorious Gospel!

I pray as I gaze on this great truth that my soul would desire

more and more of this GREAT God and His GREAT Word!

Vanilla Rainbow Cupcakes with whipped cream icing

2011-09-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

I am not sure when I got this recipe but it my favorite vanilla cake recipe- its easy, simple and basic and always turns out and tastes great! a winner all around! I cut it in half to make 12 large cupcakes-

This time around, I added food coloring to make the batter and layered it to make rainbowed cupcakes for two very special 4 yr olds!

Vanilla Cake (makes a 3 tiered nine inch cake)

1 cup of butter, softened

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 3/4 cup flour

2 Tbs baking powder

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter until nice and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating inbetween each addition. In a separate bowl combine the flour and baking powder. Alternate pouring the milk and flour into the mixture until well combined, Always scrape the sides after each addition. Add vanilla.

Bake for 20-25 minutes

Whipped Cream Icing

2 cups of heavy cream

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla or any other flavoring that would taste great on cupcakes!

Combine above ingredients and whip and whip till light and fluffy!

{ARIA}

2011-09-23T08:43:00.000-07:00

After one week I am starting to feel some relief from this disastrous cold! Thank goodness!We had to cut out a lot from our week like volunteering at the girls school and a few playdates. I hate cancelling those things but I also hate to get other people sick:)

Just wanted to share a few pictures from our amazing date last Friday to Aria! It was fantastic! It was fancy! It was right up my alley but not Marks! He was a good sport though and humored me!

Aria is located downtown in the Cherry Creek district right next to the mall. The ambiance of the restaurant was tasteful and the wait staff superb. They were very knowledgeable about the menu and saw to our every need without being overbearing. Aria is the sister restaurant to The Opus in Littleton.

We started off with some homemade bread with butter that had this yummy Hawaiin sea salt sprinkled on it.

Our first course was Sauteed Superlump Pecan Crabcakes with a lemon aide sauce and sweet corn relish. It was delish and the lemonaide sauce complimented the sweet crab perfectly.

For the Second course, I enjoyed Goat cheese and Walnut Crusted Chicken Breast with a yummy parsnip puree and warm blueberries and mixed veggies. It was SOOO moist and the goat cheese and blueberries tasted wonderful together. I savored every bite. Of course, it was presented beautifully.

Mark ordered the Bacon Brie Bison Burger and Potato Crisps and I, of course, sampled it and it was delicious! The burger was cooked to perfection and had a nice pink center. And anything that has Brie on it tastes amazing.

And our third course was dessert, we shared the Chocolate Chip Cookie Spring Rolls with fresh berries and a sweet ginger dipping sauce.It was melt in your mouth GOOD! I really loved the gooey chocolate chip center. It was the perfect ending to a perfect meal.

IT was such a fun evening of good food and of course a handsome man by my side!

Special thanks to Marcus and Ashlie for watching the kids and for the gift certificate!
You guys ROCK!
We are so blessed to have you as friends.

We've got the Sniffles

2011-09-20T11:05:00.000-07:00

Sorry I havent been blogging recently- I have some very exciting topics to blog about but I would much rather lay on the couch and watch a movie- we have been sick in this house since Saturday- colds- miserable, runny nose, sore throat, congestion filled colds! YUCK! I despise colds-it started with Sophia, spread to Ella, spread to Elijah and Daddy then spread to Arianna and me. I feel like I have been hit the worse- maybe its because I am so much older and my body feels the soreness and achiness more! Its been 3 days now and I am hoping it leaves soon. It is not welcome anymore...

Its Friday, Im in Love

2011-09-16T07:52:00.000-07:00

First of all, I am in {LOVE} with this little guy-

he has been so cuddly and sweet lately- just love him!

He's always kissin me and lovin on me- its the best!

I am also in {LOVE} with the fact that I get to go on a fancy shmancy date with my hubby tomorrow courtesy of our awesome friends Marcus and Ashlie. We are headed downtown to ARIA restaurant.

WHOOOHOOOOO!!!

I am one lucky girl- 2 dates in 2 weeks- sweet!

Dont know if I told you lately but I {LOVE} my man!

He's wicked awesome. He melts my heart.

I could be deserted on a desert island with just him for months and be okay with it!

he's that awesome!

okay, I better go before you throw up:)

Have a smashing good weekend everyone!

Black Bean Salsa

2011-09-15T12:17:00.000-07:00

Everyone makes fun of me because I LOVE to eat! I really do! Dinner that is.. I rarely eat breakfast- there are just SO many things happening in the morning and food isnt on my mind. I do drink lots of coffee in the morning. Lunch is really hard too- So I try to come up with different lunches that I enjoy- this week its greek salads and black bean salsa. I have honestly been eating this salsa almost every day for lunch for the past few weeks. It is SO yummy and I think pretty healthy too since its all fresh ingredients- except for the chips.

Fresh Black Bean Salsa

2 cans of black beans, drained

1 mango peeled and chopped

1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped

1 red onion, chopped

20 cherry tomatoes cut in half

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Toss all ingredients together and refrigerate.

Enjoy.

Hi Ho Hi Ho Its off to Work I Dont GO

2011-09-14T08:04:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe but after 17 years I have stopped working all together and am truly a stay at home mom!

The decision to stop working was a good one, I think. It wasnt like I was working a lot but it sure is nice not having the work schedule hanging over your head when planning weekly activities.

Mark recently got an assistant speech and debate coach position at Valor and that has enabled me to stay home altogether. It pays REALLY well and is not a huge time commitment at all.

Win! Win! Win!

I thought it would be fun to blog about my work experience-

someday my kids will love to see this:)

So if it bores you, you can close my page right now:)

15 yrs old-18 yrs old: Worked at The Creamery (an ice cream store) where I learned to make ice cream cakes and decorate them! I also worked at an Insurance Agency for an hour and a half filing papers- before the world was going paperless! and ALSO worked retail at Nautica at the outlet mall by my house- for a while there (like a few years) I was doing all 3 jobs after school! crazy, right! I also worked at Mt Airy Lodge as a front desk clerk. At that job, I was almost robbed while carrying a bunch of money down a dark hallway.

COLLEGE: I worked at the Information desk giving tours of the college, etc. for 2 years. During summer and winter breaks I worked at Vinny D's Deli and gained a hundred pounds:) I sat out a year of college and worked there a whole year full time. I also worked at The Shannon Inn doing front desk work. Again for a while there, I worked 16 hour days going from the deli to the hotel- it was crazy!

My junior year of college I worked at Country Inn as a waitress. I really liked that job because I made REALLY good tips! Sometimes I think I should go back into waitressing- it was awesome money!

My senior year of college I got married and then managed The Daily Grind- our college coffee shop for the summer during camp. It was a FUN job! AND I truly developed a love for coffee!

AFTER COLLEGE TO THE PRESENT: I taught 3rd grade for 2 years after college and loved it- then got preggo with twins. I did stay home with them for about 2 months after they were born and then went back to work as an Assistant Day Care Director for a year. I had enough of my kids in daycare, so I started working evenings as a Trainer for Dunkin Donuts- I also loved that job because I got lots of free coffee! Then we moved to Colorado and I started working for Gymboree a kids clothing store where I worked for 4 years up until now!

So there you have it- wow, I am tired just typing all that! Thats a lot of work! I have met MANY wonderful friends through all my jobs many of whom are still friends today! Even across the many miles! I am so thankful for the ability to work and hope to instill that in my kids at a young age so that when they turn 16- they can get a job and start saving for college- all my money from all those jobs went to paying for college. I am going to miss working but I only have about 2 years with my little munchkins and then all my kids will be in school and I will have plenty of time to work from there on out! Plus, I think being a mom is one of the hardest jobs out there and we get paid with hugs and kisses and smiles... and right now that's worth more than any amount of money in the world!