Safe Kids

Police Cars, Fire Trucks, Helicopters & More!

Oh My!

Doesn't get better than this!

In the Garden

This is a layout I did last summer.

I thought it would be appropriate to share, this time,

because it goes with being GREEN this month!

This is from a kit I used by Sya's Blueprints

Need something to Drool About?

check this out: Get off your Butt and Bake

This is a family that Ryan would drop in on frequently while in college. When he and I started dating I had the pleasure of getting to meet them, too. Ryan talks, to this day, about spending time with the Warnke folks, an unforgetable influence in his life.

V-Day

Now, at last, you can rest easy, knowing what we did for Valentine's Day.

Under the direction of B, we made a robot Valentine Box, during the creation of which, he kept telling me I was the best Mom and how all the other kids in his class would want to come to our house and have me make one for them, too.

and Ryan was attacked by hearts.
That was Friday

Saturday, we started the morning with heart-shaped blueberry (good for your heart) pancakes, and valentines for the kids.

Then Ryan and I headed out for a fun afternoon

First, I found my car loaded with these:

each labeled with a reason why I am {heart}ed by Ryan

Our first stop was to get some of these

Then we went here

and did this

and this

and this.

Let me take a moment here, and tell you how we wasted the young high school kids who were playing laser tag with us. We made quite the team and had tons of fun!

Then we filled our guts at this little 50's dinner

And just about lost our guts on this whirly ride!

and finally, we ended our fun day with the movie Mall Cop.

*

Because my Valentine and I have always enjoyed laughing together, he planned for us to have an afternoon of laughs.

We sure did, huh Valentine!

ENOUGH!

I am so sick of hearing about the Octuplet Mom! Can we not have a little compassion and just give her a break? How about a helping hand? Or a kind word? So the woman can only get pregnant through IVF and saves all her money (including money she got from a disability settlement, that she was given) to pay to get pregnant ( something that comes free to a good portion of us) because she wants to have a family. Each time she is impregnated with 6 fertilized eggs, and each time she has only had one baby, except the time she had twins. So, she wants ONE more baby and they implant 6 eggs, in hopes of one living. IMAGINE her surprise when all six have lived and two have spilt, and instead of choosing to terminate some of their lives, she is courageous and musters up the strength that it would take any one of us to have 8 babies with the 6 already at home!

Does a woman who has six kids and goes to school and is expecting 8 babies really have the time or money or desire to go get her lips done? Seriously? Seriously. Even if she did, why do we think we need to tell people how to spend their money, is it any of OUR business? And plastic surgery is something that is done by millions in this country, and suddenly we're shocked and mortified by it. Give me a break.

She receives $490.00 a month in food stamps. With 6 kids.

I'm sick of the media coverage. Just a couple of months ago, as I was watching the Today Show, they had a woman on there who was talking about how being a single mother is absolutely glorified, and she was saying how wrong it was that we glorify single motherhood in this country. I thought I could practically feel the tension through my TV in that studio with the reporters and all the rebuttals from the media that this was going to take. Yet, all of a sudden the media is soooooo aghast that this mother is single and putting her through the ringer! Two-faced. When the news came out that a mother had delivered 8 HEALTHY babies the media was tickled, now they act sympathetic to her face and stab her in the back when she isn't there. Two-faced.

As I was watching an interview with Ann Curry the other night, she asked, "Did you ask your other kids what they thought about having another baby, before you did this?" What a stupid question. I don't know of any parents that have asked permission from their kids before they have another baby.

So she has the babies, and now what is she supposed to do- give them away like puppies? Does it mean that she doesn't love any of them, or her other kids? She wants the same things that the mother of ONE baby wants for their child. TO LOVE THEM and TAKE CARE OF THEM.

And she is receiving death threats. Makes me sick. What is wrong with people?!

Why do we think we need to rule other people's lives? And say what they should do or how they should spend their money. Why are people so hateful and enraged with this? A mother chose life for her 8 babies. She didn't do it to make you mad, or to ruin YOUR life. Why can't we just give her a break and leave her alone? If you want to be mad at someone- how about the bankers on Wall Street that took your bailout money and then used millions of that money to give bonuses to themselves. How about the housing market that crashed because mortgages were being handed out like penny candy with no thought of tomorrow? Those things seem more sickening than a mother who wants to love her babies.

Parallel Journeys

For Book Club our book this month was Parallel Journeys by Eleanor Ayer.

It is the story of a Jewish woman, who survived the death/labor camps, and a Hitler Youth fanatic who both lived in Germany (at one time) during the time of Hitler.

This is a true story, and Helen Waterford and Alfons Heck even toured together doing speaking engagements. They wanted to share their story and show that the worst of enemies (at one time in history) could find peace with each other and share their hope for peace in this world.

Stories like this always make me wonder what I would do to survive and if I would be able to endure and keep hope alive. It's amazing what hate can do, yet we are so willing to give it out, so freely. Even in the concentration camps how they would turn on each other.

I like to think I wouldn't do that, but I have to be honest and wonder if I would, if I were so cold and hungry, and just trying to survive.

It makes me marvel at the ability for the human spirit to endure.

Interesting and will make you think about what you would do,

and how/if you would be able to cope with life and forgive when it was over.

Wow.

One of My Handsome Fellas

C

November 2008

4yrs old

I was tagged to share with you the 4th picture in my 4th album/folder on my desktop.

This cutie pie was the winner!

Thank goodness it wasn't something too riskay!

This was taken by my friend Jackie

If you're reading this, consider yourself tagged

and I'll extend that back to my 25 facts about me tag,

too!

Something to Smile About

Tonight for Family Home Evening we were trying to teach the boys about the Plan of Salvation. As we moved from room to room, explaining the different parts about the Plan of Salvation, we also kept trying to help them remember 4 basic things we need to do to return to Heavenly Father: Baptism, receive the Holy Ghost, Repent and have Faith. The boys were actually in not quite the sober mood that we (as the old and wise and prudent parents that we are) thought they should be.

As we were finishing up and eating our treats, we were reviewing with them the lesson.

Father says, " What are the 4 things we need to do to return to Heavenly Father?"

they guess all of them except the last one. Father gives them a hint, "Starts with FFFFFFFF"

Our 4 year old says, "Oh, Yah, and FUN!"

Not quite the "faith" we were looking for, yet still something, where the somber parents looked at each other and smiled and realized, that yes, we are supposed to have some fun and joy in this life, and sometimes it takes looking at our kids to

re-remember that.

______________________

The other night we were trying to get some things organized and put away at Ryan's office. It was late and we were tired and so were the kids, which for that reason, they seemed to have bounds of energy and springs on their feet.

They apparently found some Styrofoam and decided to shred it into small, static clingy balls of snow.

Our oldest son walks into the office and he has some "snow" on him. We immediately realize what has happened and start to get after him about making messes and going and getting it cleaned up, and while we were thus scolding, our next child comes in, even more covered in the little clingy balls, followed closely by the youngest who is covered from head to toe with the little balls clinging to the ends of his hair, his eye lashes, EVERYWHERE- allllllllll over him.

To which my husband and I cannot hold back the giggles and we all burst out laughing and the scolding goes out the window.

My husband is really good at reminding me that in those types of situations

1) We probably did the same things when we were kids

and

2) If we didn't, we probably sure wanted to.

(That one I always have to agree with)

Yes, C, Life is not meant to just be endured, but for fun, too.

Thanks for bringing smiles to our faces!

We love you boys.

25 Random Things

I've been tagged to let you in on 25 random, quirky or interesting things about me.
Ah-hem, here it goes:

1. I belong to a book club.
Husband and kids hear, "boring ol' book club meeting tonight". Mom hears, "Yes! My Girls Night Out for laughing, talking, and snacking!" Going on two years now, Love it.

2. Since I was a teenager I've preferred dark or semi-sweet chocolate.
Bonus: now its a tad bit healthy for us!

3. Naturally, my hair is curly

4. I have never tasted alcohol or coffee, or done drugs or posed nakie

5. I put sunblock on my face everyday

6. I've been wearing contacts for 20 years

7. I prefer to have a schedule, routine, or plan. My husband brings the spontaneity to our house.

8. I exercise 5 mornings a week

9. I like to watch Wife Swap while I'm on the treadmill

10. I like to put on a skirt or jewelry and get dressed up

11. My college degree is in Interpersonal Communications

12. I don't drink soda

13. I do pilates

14. When I was 14 I auditioned for a student cast for a professional company's Nutcracker ballet, and I made it. Waltz of the Flowers

15. I could eat tacos or taco salad every night for dinner

16. I'm a saver

17. Say it together now, "Reduce, Reuse,Recycle"

18. You name the NFL mascot and I can name the city/state, or vice versa, or just show me the helmet and I can tell you what team it is

19. I keep a journal

20. I have a very thoughtful and considerate husband- his Mama raised him right

21. My dad has called me at least once a week for the past 18 years

22. Our family likes to turn the music up and jam- we do this a lot

23. I clean a lot- maybe too much sometimes

24.I'm a morning person

25. I love seeing life through the eyes of my kids- I've never enjoyed life more.