Beauty... Day 29

Let me apologize right off for no pics.

Ok, my beauty search for today has made me really stop & think. Yeah, I could easily pull a few things out of our day today & blog about those individually, but you know, my whole day (with the exception of being taken advantage of...) has been beautiful.

We started out going to C-Man's b ball game (which I love), came home & hung out for a little bit before I needed to head out again. The Princess "really have to come with you" Seriously, how could I say no to that?! Of course, then Bubby decided he wanted to come join the fun too (I was only going to get gas & then the grocery store, but whatever LOL).

I was home long enough to put things away, check my email quickly, then we all headed out to B's scrimmage/practice. That was fun! We all stuck around for the first 1/2, then left him there & the rest of us left for Costco. Even though it was super crowded, we took our time & checked out the TV's, then the furniture, we just had fun "dreaming" together. We left there, grabbed B, & then headed home.

Mike is now in the band room with the band practicing, the kids are all downstairs playing & well, getting along! We didn't do anything spectacular, nothing totally out of the ordinary, just normal, every day things, but we did them together & really had fun. I was talking to a friend earlier & I made a comment that sounds totally corny, but is so true...

"Not only do I love my family, I really LIKE them, I enjoy being with them & spending time together". That to me, is beautiful!

Beauty... Day 28

Today's beauty search is well... kind of... different. As you know, I have 3 boys, let me start out by saying, I love my boys more than anything & wouldn't trade them for the world. Now, with that being said, I wanted to be a mom of a little girl my entire life. I have always loved doing girls' hair, like seriously, since I was little, that has been a "passion" of mine. I love any & all things girly & pink. I loved my Barbies & truth be told, played with them for probably longer than most girls.

Anyway, you're probably wondering what the heck any of this has to do with my beauty search today. Well, amidst all the BOY toys we have collected over the years, it is SO nice & refreshing to have a little bit of pink thrown in the mix.

As I was sitting on the couch today, listening the boys playing basketball in the front room, I looked over & saw the CUTEST thing, something that instantly brought a smile to my face...


Not only is it cute & girly cause it's pink, it is SO the Princess right now. She LOVES to play "house", she packs her baby around (at least 1), pushes that stroller all over the house. She talks to her doll & has the cutest conversations. She even picks up her "cell phone" (my mom's old one) & talks to "Gammy & Papa".

Anyway, that is my beauty today, her little baby stroller left in the middle of the family room.

Beauty... Day 27

After the day I had yesterday, I decided I needed a "treat" for today.  I "treated" myself to Sonic for a late lunch.  I'm not a big fan of their food (got some today & well, still haven't changed my mind on that one blech), but I LOVE their drinks!  Today's "treat" was a Route 44 Cherry Limeade extra cherry.  YUMMY!

That my friends, is BEAUTIFUL.  Luckily I have learned to "control" my Sonic craving & only go there occasionally,  even though it's SUPER close to my house.  (We won't talk about how often I went when they first opened).

It's also a beautiful day today, hopefully it is where you are too!

Beauty... Day 26

To be honest with you, I had to really stretch to find beauty today. Not that it wasn't beautiful outside with my street looking like a long forgotten skating rink, or that it wasn't beautiful watching Bubby in his little "program" at school BUT, I'm not focusing on that right now.

I just about lost it this afternoon. Wednesdays are early release days. All I wanted to do was pick the boys up from school & take a nap before I head out to scouts tonight. Without going into everything, I ended up with 3 "extras" today (they're still here). Now, normally, that wouldn't bother me at all. Today, it did. Seriously, as soon as they walked in the house the arguing started. GRRR, I was losin it & fast!

I finally sent them all outside (for my own sanity, well, maybe for their own safety) to enjoy the sunshine & get some fresh air (& get rid of excess energy). I would love to say I had a nice, quiet few hours of peace & quiet, but well, that just didn't happen. I still had the Princess in here & Bubs for most of the time too. Before I knew it, they were all back in here again. To escape all of the boys, I loaded & started the dishwasher & then came up to work on laundry. I had my little helper with me & we knocked it out quickly.

I decided to sit here for a few & on my google page I see that there are millions left in the dark because of the storms. I didn't read any further, I knew right then & there that me being able to do my dishes (NOT by hand) & laundry was a beautiful thing. Something I take for granted. I am so glad I have electricity to make the tedious daily chores around here tolerable. I honestly can't imagine having to deal with this stuff without electricity.

Ok, I have to add this, as I'm sitting here typing, the Princess has gotten into my craft paints. Now, before you think she made a mess, let me explain what she is doing on my scrap table. Here, I'll show you these first...

She is playing house with my paints. She has a Mommy, a Daddy, & baby & who knows what else. The Mickey Mouse glass is her "house". It is SO cute listening to her play. All of her "people" are talking to each other & carrying on conversations.  CRACK.ME.UP!   She can make me smile no matter what kind of mood I'm in. Thanks Roo, I needed that!

Beauty... Day 25

My beauty search happened at o dark 30 this morning. It's been a rough couple of days here with sick kids. I wasn't sure if the older 2 would even make it to school today, we decided to wait & see how they felt this morning. Well... the boys did great last night, it was the Princess that ended up in my bed. UGH, I can NOT sleep with kids in my bed. Anyway, I finally crawled out of bed at 6 & came down to wait for Bonez. Roo decided that she too wanted to get up, not sure (I was so freakin exhausted, I can't even remember now) the sequence of events at this point, but I do know that while I was TRYING to doze off, she started crying. I was seriously starting to lose it with her, I knew I didn't have the patience to go upstairs & deal with her so I was literally trying to calm myself down first. At the same time, B had been getting breakfast, the next thing I know, he was upstairs trying to calm her down & see what was wrong. He was SO sweet with her. I'm not sure where he gets his patience, I could sure use some! Anyway, he was up there for about 5 minutes with her, playing with her & just trying to keep her quiet so she didn't wake everyone else. It totally melted my heart to hear him with his little sister. (I knew he needed to finish getting ready for school, so I headed up there to deal with Princess Grumpy). As I was laying here listening to him talk with her, it reminded me of some older pics I have of him with her. He is such a great big brother. I can't imagine only having 1 child, or being an only child. Yeah, I get sick of being a ref some days (ok, MOST days), but the relationships are constant & lasting. I love my sibs & also love that my kids are building wonderful friendships with family members.

Here are some of the pics I was talking about of Bonez with his little sister.

Bonez & the Princess on her 2nd b day...


I think this is my very favorite pic of the 2 of them... (she was only 5 days old)


Another super sweet one... (these were NOT posed), he just adored her from day 1.


Look at him holding her little hand...(& to think he was convinced he ONLY wanted another brother!) LOL


This my friends, is my beauty of the day, my oldest & my youngest & the bond they share. (Hopefully the next time I'm reminded of this, it won't be at o dark 30)!

Beauty... Day 24

Today's beauty was found right outside my window. I was walking down the stairs & there were about 3 birds sitting in our little bare tree. With the snow in the background, I thought it was the coolest thing. I watched them for a while, it was pretty funny, they would fly off, 1 at a time, then back they would come to perch in my yard. Anyway, I snapped a few pics from my staircase. but this is my fav. Look closely, can you see it?



We woke up to another "Winter Wonderland", EVERYthing was white. Shea even commented that at the school, he couldn't tell the difference between the ground & the sky. It was nice to see a little bit of color right outside my window.

Beauty... Day 23

Today my beauty comes from an online friend I have never met in real life.

She just happened to be online & I just happened to need to vent. I got to not only vent, but also to laugh & chat with her for quite a while. We're part of a message board so I "met" her on there, but it's been through our blogs that we have really become friends. Ok, if I'm being completely honest here, I started "stalking" her blog because she has one of the cutest little girls I've ever seen. Seriously! I tell her that all the time too. Her daughter is such a doll. Anyway, we've slowly become friends & let me tell you, she's great! We were laughing tonight about how we could be dangerous if we lived closer. Yeah, maybe, but holy cow we would have fun!

Anyway, she was just what I needed tonight after my frustrating day. Thanks Lindsay, you were the perfect ending to my day, & one day my friend, one day we will get the 2 Princesses together for that playdate!

Lindsay is beautiful both inside & out & I'm glad to call her my friend!

I need your help...

I'm thinking about entering the Princess in Regis & Kelly's Beautiful Baby Search. I have narrowed the pics down to 3, but can't decide which I like the best. I want it to show some of her fun personality, but also kind of "showcase" her beautiful brown eyes.

Here are the 3 I'm thinking about, will you leave a comment & let me know which is your fav?






Don't be afraid to tell me you wouldn't use any of these, I can either find another, or take more (cause Heaven knows I take them daily of her).

Beauty... Day 22

I woke up to the most beautiful scenery. We had a dusting of snow sometime during the night. That, added with the freezing fog, the city reminded me of a true, Winter Wonderland. It was absolutely beautiful out.

I took a pic of one of the bushes in my front yard, it has looked so pretty all week covered with the frost, I finally got out today & took a pic of it.



Today's beauty came in my own front yard, gotta love that!

Beauty... Day 21

Today's beauty came bright & early this morning. I check my email first thing every morning, before I do anything else on here. I had an email from Bubby's teacher, so I opened it up & read the sweetest note.

"Hi! How's D feeling? I had a training Wed. morning and came to school just before noon. I took one look at D and knew he must be sick. He was so quiet too...an obvious sign. Well, I hope he's doing a lot better and we see him real soon. Take care."

It totally made my day. I love knowing that I'm sending my boys (esp the younger 2) to someone that loves & appreciates them. My boys are NEVER sick, so maybe it's normal to get this kind of an email from a teacher, I don't know, what I do know is that I totally appreciated it. It means a lot to me to know that she is thinking of him & wanted to check on him.


I think he's doing a little better, but he is definitely not himself yet. Hopefully by Monday he'll be back to his fun, LOUD, active self!

Thanks Gail for your beautiful email asking about my little guy, it really means a lot to me!

Beauty... Day 20

Today's beauty was found on the face of my 10yo! Tonight was his last Pinewood Derby. Tonight was also the first time I have ever not attended the big race. Bubby is still sick & we didn't feel comfortable taking him. Since Bonez had COBO practice, I didn't have anyone to stay home with Bubs. Prince Charming & C-Man took off for the races on their own.

They worked hard on the car all week & tonight, put the finishing touches on it. They walked in after it was all over & PC looked at me & said (whispered) "he's bummed, his car didn't do very well & he didn't get anything". My heart sank. THEN, in walked C-Man with the BIGGEST grin on his face & an armload of goodies! NO, he didn't win 1st over all, BUT he did get 8th place & 1st in our ward. He also came home with the "Most Unusual Car" award this year. Yeah, he was BEYOND excited!

Here are just a few of the pics from tonight...
His "Croc" car...


Him with all his "goodies"...


After getting his awards...


There is nothing better & more beautiful than happy kids!

Beauty... Day 19

Today I found beauty in being a SAHM. Yeah, I don't always (ok, I NEVER like) like being the one responsible for keeping the laundry caught up, the house picked up & clean, having to figure out what we're going to eat for dinner etc. BUT, today I am grateful that my "job" is to stay at home & take care of things here.

After a lazy morning of hanging out with the Princess, I gave her her bath & was doing her hair when the phone rang. It was the elementary school telling me Bubby was in the office & wasn't feeling good & had a fever. I told Pam I would be there in 10 minutes, (yes, I know I live only about 3 minutes away, but I was in the middle of doing hair remember). Anyway, I went & picked him up & we have spent the rest of the afternoon cuddling on the couch together.

No, I am NOT glad he's not feeling well. What I am happy about is knowing that when I get a phone call from school, I can go get whoever it is that needs me & not worry about me leaving work early etc. I honestly don't know how working parents do it when they have a sick child, or even on days the child is out of school.

I love my "job", I love taking care of the kids & most importantly, I love knowing I can be here for them when they need me. I know that even if I worked outside the home, I would be here when the kids needed me, esp if they were sick, but I also know me well enough to know that I would feel guilty & torn knowing I should be at work also.

Ok, I'm rambling so I'll stop here, but today, I really did find beauty in being a SAHM.

Beauty... Day 18

Today (well, okay, every day) I'm finding beauty in my kiddos.

Not only are they beautiful on the outside (yeah I know I'm biased, but come on, you gotta admit they are), but on the inside too.

They are all so different, personalities & looks, but they are all mine & I love each of them more than they will ever know.

Bonez is the most responsible child I've seriously ever met. He's a straight A student, is a natural athlete, a great big brother & a wonderful help around the house. He has some great friends & tends to stay away from those that aren't a good influence. He's the oldest & handles the pressure well. (Although, we're starting to see some of the "teen" attitude come out, luckily though, he saves it for us!) He is a hard worker, but also knows how to have a good time. He's probably our quietest, but can definitely hold his own in this loud household!


C-Man is our Mr. Funny man. He's the BEST big brother to the little Princess. He too is an above average student & a good athlete. He is very determined & once he decides he wants something, he doesn't give up. He's our most sensitive, he has such a big heart. His big brown eyes make me melt every time I look at him. C is our sarcastic one, he's also always trying to make a deal, we laugh at his antics on a daily basis. He is so full of love & isn't afraid to come cuddle on the couch with me.


Next up is Bubby. He may be the "baby boy", but let me tell you, there is nothing "baby" about him! This kid is a definite go getter! He has NO fear whatsoever. He is super independent & probably the best athlete out of all 3 boys (& that's really saying something)! Prince Charming & I laugh that he has that "drive" that the other boys don't, (well, *I* call it drive, PC calls it "rage") LOL. His older brothers don't take it easy on him, if he wants to hang out with them (which of course, he does), he has had to learn to BE one of the big kids. The flip side of that coin is that he doesn't have very many friends his age. He has NO patience for kids that don't "get it". He has a pretty short fuse & just seems to do better with the older kids. He also has his sensitive side & loves to cuddle with me, & also with the Princess.


Last but certainly not least is the Princess. This little girl is definitely the light of our lives. She is the sunshine in our house. She is 100% girly girl (which of course, I LOVE). She loves anything pink & girly. She is our little entertainer, she is constantly singing (like right now as she's playing downstairs) & "jabbering". We all have so much fun with her. And yes, she really does like having her hair done! LOL She is such a trooper hanging out at hockey tourneys, soccer games, baseball games, & most recently LOTS & LOTS of basketball games. She'll even start cheering for "MY ..."She cracks us up on a daily basis.


Anyway, I know how lucky I am to have 4 beautiful & great blessings. They all mean the world to me & light up my life daily. I love you BCDC!

Beauty... Day 17

Today's beauty is found in father/son projects. It's that time of year again... PINEWOOD DERBY TIME! Seeing as how the big race is actually Thursday night, yep, THIS Thursday, Prince Charming & C-Man finally decided today would be a good time to get to work. C-Man decided last year on our way home from the race that he wanted to turn his chunk of wood into a "scorpion on wheels" for this year. That has been his plan up until today. As he was googling scorpion images, he came across something he liked even better. He printed it out & they got started. Here is just a sneak peek at what they are creating, this pic also serves as proof that dad is NOT doing the work, it really is being done by C-Man.



I will take more pics as they get further along & then of course C with the final product. This is his last PW Derby, so he really wants to go out with a bang.

I love that I don't have to have anything to do with the project (except getting the paint out), this is ALL about them... including the cleanup! Ahhh, how beautiful is that? Man I love it!

Beauty... Day 16

Yep, that is today's beauty! I FINALLY get to use my little camera. My sis went & picked up the charger from my parent's house for me & she's all charged up & ready to go. Boy have I missed her (my camera, I talk to my sis all the time LOL).

Sometimes beauty is found in the little things!

Beauty... Day 15

Today's beauty comes from finding a drink that all 4 kids like!  Yes, unfortunately I'm serious!  I swear, I have the pickiest kids ever, even more so than me!  I opened this drink up tonight & poured me some, was actually excited knowing that I would get the entire thing because no one else would like it.  Unfortunately, I took 1 drink & made the comment that it was super good.  MISTAKE!  All of a sudden, the next thing I know, all 4 kids have glasses out & are wanting some!  I couldn't believe it, not only did they try it, they actually really liked it!  Guess I'll have to put this on my shopping list!

Seriously, I think this is the first thing all 4 kids like.  I have a few that drink milk (only 1 will drink "plain" milk though) they will all drink water, but don't necessarily like it, 1 likes OJ, 1 likes grape juice &  1 likes apple juice.  Anyway, it's ridiculous.  So, not only do they all like this, IT'S GOOD FOR THEM too!  (Well, better for them than soda pop & Kool aid)!

My beauty comes from a yummy drink we all like!

Beauty... Day 14

Today I'm finding beauty in going out of town.  It'll be a fun, busy weekend.  We're dropping Prince Charming off so he play paintball tomorrow, then the kids & I will head to my sister's for the night.  Bright & early tomorrow morning, the kids & I will head to Eugene for a COBO tourney.  I'll drop Bonez off at his BFF's house & the rest of us will go watch C-Man play 2 games.  After those games, I'll take the boys over to another BFF's house & they'll all hang out there while Princess & I drive back to get PC.  We will then head back to Eugene, pick up the kids & go watch B's 2 games.  We'll be staying with our friends, but the boys don't know that yet so shhh, don't tell!  They are going to be SO excited!

Ok, I'm outta here, gotta go load all this stuff into the car.

We couldn't ask for better weather, it's absolutely beautiful out there!

Beauty... Day 13

Ok, so I had my beauty all picked out, took a pic or two & was ready to go... until... I noticed what the youngest 2 were doing to entertain themselves while the older 2 were at basketball practice. Bubby was coloring his "PAL of the Week" poster up at the bar & the Princess climbed up to "help". They were SO cute! They were carrying on a conversation, giggling, & just having fun. I ran upstairs, grabbed the camera & of course, they turned on the "charm" for me! Here are the "results" of it...

Double Fishies...


Fish face...


Isn't she beautiful...


Taking a pic of her big bro...


Helping...


My FAV!
Yes, I know I'm biased, but dang I think they're beautiful!  Today I found beauty in my sweet, silly little ones!  I love you Bubs & Roo, I hope & pray you always stay beautiful, both inside & out!

Beauty... Day 12

My beauty today comes from the excitement of a little boy. Bubby came walking (floating actually) out to the car after school carrying 2 "backpacks". He had the BIGGEST grin on his face! He was chosen as the "PAL of the Week" today. What exactly does this mean you ask? Well, first of all, he gets to bring home the "cool" frog backpack FILLED with goodies to keep him entertained all week. There were I think 4 chapter books (which he is SO excited about), a journal for him to write about his adventures of the week in, a Rick Krispy treat that he was supposed to make into a toad before eating (not sure what the heck that is about lol), some green play doh to make into a frog, a little plastic frog to play with, & some other "misc." stuff. BUT the most exciting of all... FRANKIE the Frog!!!



This is right before bedtime, he was SO excited to cuddle with Frankie tonight. He has been carrying that thing around with him ever since he got home today. He was so cute, he just HAD to show the Princess when we got home. Ok, quick story... we (him & I) walk in the door & we hear Roo crying. I find her & pick her up & try to find out what was going on. Bray explains that she had fallen & bonked her head. (Of course, he's just playing his video game, like it's no biggie) ANYWAY, so Bubby shows her Frankie & has Frankie kiss her owie. Awww, so sweet, ummm, yeah, it really was, UNTIL she decided SHE wanted to cuddle with it. Bubby's compassion only goes so far! He did go up & get her her own BAB frog that she could cuddle with (she was happy with that). I just sat back & laughed.

I LOVE when my kids get so excited about something (something other than video games that is), esp when it has to do with school.

Anyway, my beauty comes from the excitement of my little 1st grader & something fun his teacher does with them. I'll be sure to add more pics from his "adventures with Frankie" during the week.

Beauty... Day 11

Sorry, another post with no pics.

Today's beauty comes from waking up to a clean house.  Awww, LOVE that feeling!  Let's see how long it can last!  LOL

Brought to you by the letter... "P"

I was reading my friend Traci's blog & she had the coolest "fun" thing on there. Of course, I jumped all over it & well, here is what I "stole" (with her permission of course!) from her...

"Yesterday I was reading blogs and found that MamaHen played a cute little letter game and decided I would enjoy playing along, so I asked her to assign me a letter and she did. The rules are: You have to list 10 of your favorite things, but they have to start with a certain letter (assigned to you by the blog owner)."

So folks, here is my list for you, Oh, in case you didn't figure it out by the title, my assigned letter is... P.

1. My little Princess
2. Pretty hair (big surprise there eh)
3. Super cheesy Pizza
4. Pomegranate 7up
5. My Point & shoot Camera
5. People watching
6. Pie
7. The colors Pink & Purple
8. Pretty ribbon (so I can make bows of course!)
9. Pictures & Paper so I can scrap
10. Playing games with friends & family

Ok & for a bonus... My Prince Charming!

If you would like in on this, leave me a comment asking for your special letter & I'll let you know what it is.

Beauty... Day 10

This is just too cute not to share.  So, Prince Charming was out of town this weekend, he left early Friday morning & didn't get back until Sun night.  Can I just tell you, the Princess missed her daddy!!!  *I* like to say she's a Mommy's Girl, but I don't know...

So, Friday night I think, dang, now I can't remember if it was Friday or Sat, anyway... The Princess is looking out the window at the moon (she is fascinated by the moon) & she is trying to touch it.  Well, obviously she can't, so she says "Moon's too high, I can't touch..." followed by... "I want Daddy to get moon & bring it down for me to reach".  Is that not the sweetest thing you've heard?!  Totally melted my heart!  Yeah, I've heard all little girls think Daddy can "rope" the moon for them, but to have my little 2 1/2 yo actually ask, it was TOO cute!  Of course, I had to call Daddy right away to tell him what his little Princess had said, his response while chuckling was "I'll see what I can do!"

So we're driving home from the last game of the day (night), it's just the Princess & I in the car.  She (of course) is looking for the moon.  It (of course) was no where in sight.  She then says "Daddy get it down for me?  I can reach it now?"  I couldn't believe she even remembered what she had said before.

Giving kisses...

Anyway, I love this little girl & the relationship she has with her Daddy.  I love that she thinks he can "rope the moon for her".  What a beautiful relationship it is with a Daddy & his Princess.  Totally different from the ones he has with the boys (& those are GREAT).  I hope & pray they are always close & have a wonderful relationship.

So today my friends, I'm finding beauty in family daddy/daughter relationships.

NYE, she wanted daddy to wear his "color" while we were playing a game...

Beauty... Day 9

Today I found beauty in my ward family.  We've been hit & miss at church lately because of the boys' traveling scheduling.  They both had late games today, so we got to go to church.  I was talking to a couple friends as we were waiting for RS to start.  Can I just tell you how much I LOVE my ward?!  I didn't realize how spoiled I had always been when it came to good wards... UNTIL we were in a NASTY NASTY ward.  I honestly  have VERY few positive things I could come up with with that ward.  Seriously, it was so bad that we finally just decided one day (after I pulled Bubby out of primary early) that that would be our last week there, PERIOD.  Honestly, I think that was the beginning of the end for us in Eugene.  We decided we just couldn't do it anymore, it wasn't fair to any of us, we were just D.O.N.E.  The next week, & each week after that, we started driving the 2 hours so we could come to church back here.

Anyway, since my post is supposed to be about beauty, I'm going to forget the nasty & go with the positive.  When moving back here, our most important thing in finding a house was getting the boys back in the same schools.  We really didn't care which ward, our old one, or this one. (There had been changes to the boundaries throughout the years, so we knew people in both).  We ended up in Mt View & can I just tell you, I really think it was the best thing for our family.  I knew that things & people had changed & it wouldn't be the same going back to our "old" ward.  With this "new" ward, there were enough familiar faces to make it homey, but lots of new families had moved in, so we would have the opportunity of making new friends.

That we have done!  We have a HUGE youth program, I THINK there are 16 Deacons alone!  (For those of you that have NO clue what I'm talking about, those are the 12-13 year old boys)  Anyway, that alone has been wonderful, esp for Bonez!  

I love the gospel & have a very strong testimony, I would never go inactive because I had a hard time with the ward.  BUT at the same time, can I tell you how wonderful it is to love the people you are worshipping with.  I love walking in & feeling the spirit, knowing I'm where I should be & then looking across the chapel, or down the hall, etc & seeing a smiling face, seeing someone that is glad to see me & my family.  What a wonderful feeling.  I love the nursery workers that adore my little Princess.  That makes it so easy to drop her off, knowing she is loved & being taken care of.

Ok, I'm rambling, my point is, I have a beautiful ward family that I am so thankful for.

Beauty... Day 8

Today, I WISH I could find beauty in silence.

I have a headache, my hubby is out of town until tomorrow night, I'm exhausted & I am D.O.N.E with attitude.

Seriously, all I want is for bedtime to come so I can enjoy the beauty of a SILENT house.

Ok, I figured I better put a little more positive spin on this before I get a bunch of comments asking if I'm alright (or if my kids are LOL).

I also find beauty in my hubby's voice.  Yes, I wish he was home, but just to hear it on the phone is such a beautiful thing!  I'm glad he's able to go & enjoy his hobbies & get away.  (Hey, I'll just make sure I get my turn next LOL).  He is so calming, he really is my rock.  Thanks Honey, I needed to hear your "I love you" tonight!

Beauty... Day 7

HOKEY DINA I'm excited about this post!!!

I am finding beauty in not only good, but GREAT teachers today!

Ok, first, a little back story. C-Man is ummm, well, let's just say, he has a GREAT sense of humor, he is DEFINITELY our Mr. Humor! He thrives on sarcasm & is ALWAYS the one to give someone a hard time. He's FUNNY & likes to be the class clown. You see, C-Man is very bright, BUT doesn't want anyone to know that. He would rather be known as the "funny guy" than the "smart kid". He had a rough start in school teacher wise, but his 2nd grade teacher was INCREDIBLE! She really "got" him & had a similar personality. She loved his "antics" & they had a blast together. That was really his turning year in school. We will forever be grateful for Ms. Hynes. Next year, started out rough, but because of the large class sizes, he was "taken out" of his regular classroom & "combined" with other 3rd graders for the majority of the day with another INCREDIBLE teacher. We LOVED Erin! She again, had the same type of personality as C-Man, they totally clicked! 4th grade we moved back here. I pulled every string I could to get him in with Sarah, she pushed him & really challenged him (which is what he needed). She was AWESOME. Ok, so now it's 5th grade, can I just tell you, again we "lucked out" in the "AMAZING TEACHER" dept!

Now, this is the "fun" part of my post, the part I'm super excited about! Ok, so Rochelle is a MAJOR OSU Beavs fan & also a MAJOR **gasp gasp** Boston Celtics (holy cow, my comp just about blew up just typing that last part!). WE, as most of you know, are BEYOND HUGE LA Laker fans!!! C-Man is also a BIG ol' U of O Ducks fan. Of course, that could spell disaster for another teacher/student combo, but NOT THESE 2 ! They like to, "Embrace" their differences you could say! LOL Okay, anyway, so the day before Christmas break C-Man & Rochelle made a "deal". The Lakers & Celtics **choke choke** played against each other on Christmas day. The "deal" was that the "loser" had to wear the "winner's" clothes when they came back from break. There would also be a note on the board "___ are the BEST!" This is SO right up C's alley!!! Of course, we heard about this "deal" & how excited he was. We all sat & watched the BIG game Christmas day & let me tell you, C wanted to email his teacher right then & there to give her crap about it! (Yeah, WE won) (Oh, just in case you have NO clue what I'm rambling on about, they played each other in the finals last year & well, the Celtics showed up & we didn't). Finally, the night before we went back to school, C-Man emailed his teacher to ask if she would like him to bring a jersey, or a hoodie. Talk about one EXCITED little boy, he couldn't wait to go to school the next day to see his beloved teacher sportin "his" colors, purple & yellow! Because the "Powers that Be" make the teachers have a dress code (like the students care) LOL she couldn't wear "casual" clothes until Friday.

TODAY WAS THE DAY!!! C-Man took my Laker hoodie in to his teacher yesterday so she would be all ready for today. It was GREAT! C was all decked out (which he usually is, he rarely wears anything other than Ducks or Lakers clothes to school anymore, just to bug (wink wink) his teacher)! He was even wearing his Laker shoes! I showed up at the school to "capture the moment". I had SO many teachers, & even the VP comment on Rochelle's "clothing choice" today, it was the BEST! C-Man got major "attention" today & got to do some "bonus" things. He felt like a KING!!! He's STILL smiling! OH, & just to show how "into" it she got, she wrote THIS... "Rochelle ___ is actually wearing Laker stuff to school- arg. Thanks Con!" as her FaceBook status for today! She had a class right after school today & when I asked if she was wearing the sweatshirt there too, her reply was "a deal's a deal"! What a GOOD sport she is! Thanks Rochelle, for making C-Man's day! You went above & beyond today & we really appreciate it! This will be one of those elementary school day memories that he carries with him forever!

So there my friends, is my "beauty" of the day. I LOVE my kids' teachers, I love that they love their "job", I also love that they love my boys! They make learning FUN & to me, that is VERY important!

Here is C-Man & his "Great Sport" of a teacher today...

Beauty... Day 6

This is the "view" I have as I wait for the boys to get out of school each day. I park on the side of the school & if I look to the right, I see the playground & the kids walking with friends, going to meet parents at the end of the school day. If I look to the left, this is what I see. It's just natural land (for now anyway) & it's beautiful. Today was nice & sunny (windy, but "warm") so it made it even more beautiful to look at. I know I've said it before (I'll say it again too), I LOVE Central Oregon!

This is not where I grew up, I grew up where it rained about 360 days a year (ok, not really, but it sure did feel like it). The plus side of all that rain is that EVERYTHING is green. Everywhere you look, you see green (maybe that's why that's my favorite color LOL). Anyway, this is SO different from where I'm "from", CO is BROWN, different shades, but still BROWN. It took me years to actually think it was beautiful here, but ya know what, it is, it's home & I love it!

Beauty... Day 5

Today, my "beauty" is kind of weird, but beautiful just the same. LOL Are you wondering what the heck I'm going to post about at this point?

I am finding "beauty" in the fact that my little Princess seems to be potty trained! (At least during the day)!!! I can't begin to tell you how exciting this is for me, oops, I mean her. LOL We even ventured out of the house tonight with NO diaper! YAY!!!




My friend asked me (ok, made me promise lol) not to post any more toilet pics on here, but hey, sometimes you just have to! Esp since it just GOES with this post!

Please read & sign...

I'm really getting scared. I have been hearing about the lead testing for a few days now & the more I read, the more concerned I'm getting. This is beyond ridiculous. Yes, I'm all for my kids being safe. I'm all for making sure there is no lead in the toys I'm buying for my children. But seriously, now they're going to ultimately shut down & STOP ALL used children's clothing?! SERIOUSLY?! With the economy the way it is right now esp. WHO can honestly afford to buy new clothes every month or so? Since the manufacturers are going to have to do testing, obviously, prices are going to go up for everyone. Personally, I LOVE shopping at the consignment & thrift stores. I have gotten some GREAT deals. I love being able to take my children's gently used & too small clothes & "trading" them for something that will fit. They grow so fast, this has been a wonderful blessing.

I can't imagine just throwing all of these clothes away. Hokey Dina (thanks for that phrase Coffee) this is scary & ridiculous!!!

Ok, I'm getting off my soap box before I really say something I shouldn't. Here is a petition that talks more about the new law & if you go to the bottom, you can add your name to it. I honestly don't know if it will do any good at this point, but I like to think we have voices that WILL be heard... before it's too late! Here's the comment my sis left when she signed the petition, I love it. Wed., Jan. 7, 2009 11:40 AM link Becki L. | Hubbard, OR

"Isn't it just like our government to, in the face of a national financial crisis, add even more of a burden on everyday people? At some point, we're going to govern ourselves out of a profitable society. Oh wait. I think that is already happening."


Here is the petition. ***CLICKY*** Here is an article in our local news today about it (& where I got the petition link). ***click***

Beauty... day 4

Ok, since it's still early in the day, don't be surprised if I post again later today. I'm just sick of the negative, so decided to "take matters into my own hands" & have a quick little "photo shoot" with the Princess. How can that NOT make me smile!
My impromptu photo shoot...
being silly...


her self portrait...


my crazy girl...


my favorite! my beautiful little Princess!




Now I want to share some great wisdom that was shared with me today. I was chatting with my sister first thing this morning & she was telling me about how her 2 youngest (2 & 3) girls had decided to color themselves EVERYWHERE with a teal marker, (of course it WASN'T washable, don't you know kids don't ever mess with those). She had to "redo" the bathwater 3 times before the tub was close to being clear! Nope, marker STILL didn't come off either. Bonus, she has a very nice shade of lt teal bathtub now! Anyway, I asked what she did... that's when she gave me the words of wisdom I really needed to hear. She said she didn't get upset & yell at them, she calmly told them that markers were to be used on paper only. She then went on to tell me that this weekend, she realized her life was gonna suck if she kept wishing it was better than it was. That that's stupid, she kept thinking "if I had that", or "if I was there..." But really, she just needs to be happy here! Let me repeat that cause that's the cool part, "I need to be happy here". She also added that she's trying to be more aware of the kids & enjoy them more instead of getting angry all the time.

Ok, is that not the BEST advice?! I've decided to take her words to heart (whoever said "little" sisters don't know anything?!) LOL Not only am I going to put this to use here at home, esp with my kids, but also with life in general. I've been really upset about the things going on in my "online world", that I'm losing sight of the important things in my REAL life. That is going to change!

Thanks for the wonderful words of wisdom Goldfish, it was exactly what I needed to hear!

Oh, the best part of the coloring story... her 3yo said they were "being Pirates". IS that not the BEST?! Man I love that little girl! She has an imagination like NO one I've ever met, seriously, she is the BEST storyteller I've ever listened to! I just laughed so hard when Goldfish told me what Drie said, it's like "Duh, EVERYONE knows Pirates are teal"! LOL

Beauty... Day 3

Ok, I've had a hard time with this one today, but finally decided what I would talk about. This one won't have pictures, but I'm okay with that.

I've been feeling, I don't know, "weird" I guess, about a message board I am a member of. This place has literally been a saving grace for me the last year. I guess what they say is true, all good things must come to an end (something like that). No, I'm NOT leaving there, but I am cutting back on my time there, well, at least I won't be posting as much. Anyway, THAT'S not what I found beauty in today.

There was something that I posted today, that was actually pretty bold of me seeing as how I don't start threads often, & I HATE any kind of confrontation. I went ahead & posted anyway. I left to take the boys to school & decided to check to see if anyone responded to my thread. HOLY SCHMOLY, I had 21 replies already. As I was reading them, I got a PM (Private Message) from someone. Now, I don't "know" this person, other than reading her posts, we've never chatted before. BUT she felt strong enough about what I had said, that she wanted to talk to me. Can I just say, she totally made my day! We started PMing each other & I suddenly didn't feel so isolated & alone with my thoughts anymore. As I've gone throughout my day, I've IM'd with a few other friends that have "backed me up" for lack of a better word.

What am I finding beauty in you're still wondering? Good friends! Some I have actually met IRL, others, we've just chatted online, & still others I'm only now becoming friends with. I LOVE my friends! I love that someone that doesn't know me, but agreed with something I said, felt like letting me know privately. She let me know that she DOES read what I post & not only that, but doesn't want to see me go away. Today, my friends made me feel important!

Ok, I feel like I'm rambling here, sorry! Anyway, the short story, or the "moral" of my story, I love & cherish my friends! Thanks guys, you're the best & you know who you are!

Beauty... day 2

Today I found beauty in quite a few things, but the one I'm choosing to blog about is the beauty of a hard fought game. It's in doing your best, no matter the outcome. (Although, this was a happy outcome for us this time). C-Man's COBO team is undefeated this season. The Summit team has now lost twice... both times, to us. THIS was a big game for them, they wanted the win. Today, we got it, both teams played hard & fought the good fight.



CONGRATS 5th GRADE MT. VIEW boys!

GO COUGS!!!

Beauty...

This is the view from the end of my street, as I'm headed home. I LOVE pulling onto my street & seeing the snow caped mountains. To me, THIS is Central Oregon & one of the reasons I LOVE living here. Absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!!

New Blog Challenge...

I have had so much fun participating in the blog challenges the last 2 months, that I'm going to "join" another one. This one comes from my friend Traci...

I've been spotting a lot of beauty around me lately, snapping pictures whenever I can. Mostly inner beauty with the kids, beauty in nature... just the kind of thing that makes you stop in awe at God's creation. A lot of it is stuff that I don't have time to really scrap but it definitely brightens my day to be looking for the beauty even if I don't have a purpose for the pictures. Everyone always complains about how gloomy January can be, in the aftermath of the Christmas glow, so it's important to focus on the beautiful aspects too.

My Theme for January will be a Search for Beauty. This beauty can be a combination of both inner and outer beauty and will include a photo contest too. The rules are as follows:

Part 1:
Blog daily about the people/places/things you find beauty in. A post can be a tribute to a special person that is or was beautiful to you. Or a post about something beautiful in the world around us. It could even include a beautiful plate of cookies that you bake, or a drawing hanging on your fridge.

The challenge will run from January 3rd - January 31

Part 2:
Post 3 pictures each week showcasing beauty. I'm not going to give you weekly categories this month because I want you to feel free to snap and post photos as you search for beauty.

Note: There will be 2 separate prizes for this challenge, one will be drawn out of the people who blog daily successfully, and one will be drawn from the people who post 3 photos each week. You can win one, or even both, but you don't have to participate in one to win the other, etc. Photography/Writing skills do not play a part in this contest so please jump in and participate even if your posts are short and sweet and photos aren't the best quality!

Jump on over to her blog & let her know that you too want to participate... ***clicky***

Check back tomorrow to see where I found some beauty!