Once again.........

Once again it has been awhile since I have blogged.  I am making a promise to myself to get with the program again and do the things I love.  Which is blogging about my family.

School has been really busy for the kids this year.  My oldest has joined choir and my middle child is playing football.  I love this of course.  The season is just about over, but I have really enjoyed watching him play ball.

My little princess is just along for the right, but she makes me smile in anticipation of what she will say next!

My goal for the new year will be to blog more.  I really miss reading all the blogs that I follow.  I also plan to make a little more time for myself.  I have to, to keep my sanity with three kids.  My husband also helps me out a lot.  He keeps me grounded and is my best friend.  I don't know what I would do without him.  

Football......gotta love this time of year.  The weather is great, the anticipation of BCS rankings coming out for college and the anticipation of the first snowfall.  Will we or won't we get snow on Christmas?  How many days of school will the kids miss because of the snow.  When will I start my Christmas shopping?  Holiday dinners!!!  Family!!!  I just love this time of year.  

I can't wait to watch everyones blogs on Christmas decorations and craft ideas!! Love it Love It!!!

Until next time, Hammer out!!

Its been awhile......

Well my fellow bloggers it has been awhile since I have blogged!! Summertime crept up on me and here it is the middle of June already.  School is out, vacation will now begin!  Getting ready for a birthday party this weekend.  My middle child will be turning 8.  My has it gone by fast.  He is such a boy too.  Just finished up baseball and now football will be starting soon.

I on the otherhand have been working out.  Yes folks I have started running again, doing Zumba classes, which I LOVE, and lifting weights with my hubby.  I am in the best shape I have been in, in a long time.  I have more energy too.  This is good because it helps me keep up with my three year daughter. 

I ran my first 5K this past weekend.  I can't believe I did it. 

Thats me in the pink hat.  Listening to my favorite country singer right now, Jason Aldean!!  Yummy.

Anyway I am so behind on my blogs that it will take me months to catch up with all the projects everyone has done.  I hope to have some posted myself soon. 

Have a great weekend all!

Food Revolution!

In case you missed the sneak preview of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution you really missed out.  It was so nice to finally see a show where someone was actually concerned about our children and the future generations.  It starts off he is in Huntington, West Virginia, which is the unhealthiest city in America.  The community gave him one week to go into a local elementary and check out their food menu's and change things around as long as he sticks to the Food and Drug Administrations requirements of daily servings for our children.  Not sure if you have seen the commercials, but pizza for breakfast!  I know I was quilty of growing up and snagging a leftover piece for breakfast, but this school is actually making it for breakfast. 

The one statement in the show that amazed me was this generation will not live as long as we do because of the way they eat.  Diabetes, obesity, etc these are all things that we need to think of.  I am as guilty of fixing a dinner of "convenience", there are some nights that we just do sandwhiches.  Sports are starting up and a quick bite to eat out is really easy when you are in a hurry, but we need to stop and think about the affects on our children long term when it is just a matter of convenience or I must say laziness on my part as a parent. 

Grab a bag of carrots as a snack on the way to soccer practice and a juice box.  Water, Water, Water nothing gets better than water for anybody!!!  It only take one person to make a change and I have to give a big Kudos to Jamie Oliver for trying.  If anything he is making people aware that there is a problem and chicken nuggets for dinner everynite is not the answer.  Think about the family sit downs at the dinner table and the talks that could take place.  Start with a couple nights a week sitting together, move up to four nights a week.  Have your kids cook dinner for you!!  There is so many things out there it just takes alittle effort on our part.  God was gracious enough to give us these wonderdul children, lets take care of them!!!  Set examples for them!! Help them live wonderful, filling lives!!! 

Check out his show people, Friday night on ABC!!!! I DARE YA!!

Wizard of Oz birthday party!

Over the next couple weeks I will be starting preparation on the big "Wizard of Oz" birthday party for my soon to be three year old daughter.  She thinks that Dorothy is the greatest thing ever.  She was of course Dorothy for Halloween.  So to carry that over I have decided to have a birthday party theme of "Wizard of Oz".

So princess is pretty excited.  I thought I would also have the kids dress up as their favoriteWizard of Oz character, this will be optinal of course.  She is going to be so excited she will be clicking her feet just like Dorothy.  Singing the praises to mom "theres no place like home".  

Sorry the pictures are alittle blurry, but you get the general idea.  I also am going to get a rainbow pinata'.  I am hoping the weather will be nice so we can do alot of this outside.  Last year it snowed two inches on her birthday.  In Oklahoma you never know what the weather is going to do, kinda like Kansas.  Ha notice the Kansas thing I threw in there!! LOL!

So any ideas that my fellow bloggers would like to throw my way would be greatly appreciated.  I need some food ideas.  This will be a bunch a toddlers so some good finger food ideas would be great.  I will probably do cupcakes as well.  I found some cupcake toppers with different charaters from the Wizard of Oz to top them off with.  I need some goodie bag ideas? 

I also wanted to tell you about a new fitness class that I am taking.  I was lucky enough to experience a Zumba class.  It was so much fun!!  It reminds me alot of salsa dancing.  There is alot of booty shakin let me tell ya.  My abs got a workout and after three kids I needed some help there.  If you get a chance to take a Zumba class, take it.  If you like to dance you will enjoy this!!  Have a great rest of the week!!

 

Valentines Day

I am a little late posting for Valentines Day, but just wanted to share some pictures with you all.  My daughter and I made some cupcakes together that were yummy!!

She loves to help me in the kitchen.  A far cry from my boys.  The only time they visit is with the whining of "Mom were hungry" for the 100th time.  I think they are bottomless pits.  This of course means that these ymuuy cupcakes didn't stay around for very long.

I also had to let me little princess sample the cupcakes as well!

Isn't she sweet, literally!!

I hope everyone had a great Valentines Day with your loved ones! Have a great week!

Master Bath

So about this time last year my husband and I decided to reno our master bath.  Little did we know what we were in store for.  Here is a few pics of the before and during.

We started off with a glass enclosed shower.  As you can see we totally gutted the bathroom.  We took the shower out to make it bigger to become a duel head shower.  We then built a wall to enclose the shower.

Since my husband is a firefighter, a lot of the firefighters have odd jobs on their days off.  We joke all the time that the fire department could build houses because they all do something different.  One of the fire fighters built our new cabinet for us.

We painted the walls a dark brown.  Don't ask me what the color is I couldn't tell you.  I will have to look around to see if I can find it.  We also put white crown molding up.  My  husband enclosed the shower and we tiled the whole thing.  This really tried our patience, I should say my husbands patience.  He was pretty tired of tiling after the shower.  We still had the floor to do as well.

Sorry this wasn't a great picture. More tile.............

The finished project.  

Here is the cabinet, it was hard to decide on the stain.  Who knew there was so many decisions to be made in a bathroom.

Finally..................

The finished project and I love it.

I don't have any pics taken yet of the faucets I will post more later, but you get the general idea.

Next, we are going to do some work on the outside of the house this summer.  Our house sits on a acre and a half lot.  There is only about 12 houses in our neighborhood and I just love it.  There is 8 boys and 2 girls.  So there is a lot of football games in the summertime.......oh how I long for the warm summers!!

Heather

OK Girls!

I am so giddy with excitment I can't hardly handle it.  I get to see Michael Buble' in concert....again!!!  I saw him a couple years ago and it was great.  He will be playing at a bigger venue this time but I got great seats so I don't care!  His music just reminds me of happier times in the world.  When I hear his music it just makes me happy!!  This is even what Oprah said when he was on her show "doesn't that song just make you happy"!!!  Love it!

So some of you might not be familiar with Michael Buble' he sings alot of Frank Sinatra all the way to The Beatles.  My husband and I are big concert goers, but this has to be one of my favorites!!!  I live in Oklahoma so for Michael Buble' to come here....again was a big suprise.  When he was here last, he was talking about tumbleweeds going down the streets in downtown Tulsa at night.  So not true!!  It is quiet at night, but not that quiet.  Newsflash, this isn't cowboy and indian country still......even though we do have alot of casinos anyway back to Buble'.  The concert isn't until June so it will be a long wait.

Isn't he to die for!! I mean look at this face girls!!

I think I may have a small crush.  My husband just laughs at me.  I am sure I will post more pictures when the concert comes, but for down just stare and drool,  yes I know call me crazy but he is cute!!

One more look!!SAY CHEESE!!

Have a good week my peeps!!!!

Heather

Blankets

I started doing a lot of "cleaning out" and discovered something.  I have a ton of blankets.  I need to downsize big time.  I also have decided that there is nothing like a good blanket to snuggle up with.  Two of my three kids have their "blankies" that they sleep with every night.  My little girl takes hers to daycare everyday for nap time.  My younger son has one he likes to call his "B".  This blanket has been mended more times than I can count.  See the hand stitching we tried to do so it would not rip.  I think my mother has even done some sewing on this one.

The above picture is his beloved "B".  It has firemen all over it.  My husband is a firefighter and we were given this blanket as a gift when my son was born.  He is now 7.  I know I should probably take the blanket away, but it stays in his bed and like I said, there is nothing like a good blanket to snuggle with.

I have all kinds, I have quilts as well.  There is nothing like a good quilt.  They are just not made the same anymore, not with love!!  

Sorry about the bad pic, this is my favorite.  This one was my grandmothers.  I also have a picture of my daughters "blankie" that she likes to snuggle with.

Her blanket was given to me from one of the firemen wives.  I think this is called a knot blanket.  It is made out of fleece.  It has Winnie the Pooh on it.

My oldest son, who will be 13 in April, has a new blanket that he got for Christmas.  It is a New Moon blanket like the movie.  He is a huge Twilight Saga fan.

So I have passed on my obsession of blankets to my children.  I did do some cleaning and I am giving some to Goodwill.  Here is another picture of the firefighter blanket given to my husband when he passed his firefighter test 10 years ago.  Wow has it been that long!!

I also found another quilt that I have.  This one needs a little love.  I need to add some binding to the edges.  There is just something about all the time and effort that is put into quilts that just facinates me.  Some much is done on a sewing machine, most of these were done by hand.  Hours upon hours of time! What happened to those days?  

There is also the knitted blankets too.  My mother made this one for me to put in my Hope Chest years ago.  I am sure we all have seen some of these.  

So girls look around I am sure we all have that special blanket we like to snuggle with.  This year the rave seems to be the "Snuggies", but there is nothing like a good quilt, fleece blanket or at my house "Blankie"!

Have a great week.

Master Closet

Alright, I still have not started my closet clean-out.  I had to pump myself up.  I am going to work on it this weekend, because I know once I get started I won't stop until I am done.  I have so many ideas and frankly I am scared as to what I might find.

My husband is a firefighter, so I have one section of my master closet that is nothing but blue uniforms.  I think he has the first shirt from when he started on the department, um ten years ago.  I am thinking some dust rags what do you thing girls!!  That is my first task.  Then, I will start a Goodwill pile.  I also discovered this week when I no longer could get anymore blankets into my linen closet that I needed to get rid of some of them.  I know this is a  nice problem to have, but I am going to launder them up nice and fresh and donate some of them.  The weather has been unusually cold in Oklahoma this year and I am sure there is someone  that would be very greatful for a new blanket.

Anyhow, I think I may give my closet a fresh coat of white paint as well.  We recently updated our master bath and painted the master bedroom.  No reason the closet shouldn't get alittle love as well.  I say that alot "as well".  LOL!!

Wish me luck people, and I will be posting my progress later.

Have a great weekend!

I will be doing a happy dance when this is all over!

Trying to get Organized

Well this post I am going to try and focus on getting organized for the new year.  It is always pleasant to have a nice clean organized house.  Just makes me feel all giddy inside.  I don't know if it possible with three kids (two boys aged 12-7 that never pick up after each other and a two year old princess that doesn't have to do anything if she doesn't want to).  They boys are working on the picking up after themselves.  I have found over the years that I have done way to much for my kids and now I just wear myself out.  Can't do it all anymore!

I read alot of posts with ideas for organing over the past year.  I have found that venturing into the dollar bends at Target and going to the Dollar Store has saved alot of money.  Isn't it funny how excited we get over the small stuff like dollar tins or ribbon spools.  Like the excitement I get when I print a coupon off of Hobby Lobbys website for 40% regular priced item and you feel the need to run to Hobby Lobby.  BTW did anyone notice on Hobby Lobbys website you can now shop online!  How exciting!  They also have a new "Feature of the Day" item.  I'm just sayin................

So back to the getting organized part of my post.  I find that it is alot more calming if you are organized.  So my first step for the new year, cleaning the master closet in the master bedroom.  Let me just say I am scared.  My husband and I are really bad about doing the "wait I don't want to get rid of that"  when we get our media room (someday) I want these things.  We also have alot of football memoralbilia and nowwhere to put right now.  Whats a girl to do.  So right now it is all in storage bins in my master closet.  So I am going to clean and make room.  I didn't take any before pics of my closet, honestly I was embarrased to show you so I will be posting the after pics instead.  Wish me luck!

Wow!

What a past few weeks I have had.  We enjoyed a wonderful Christmas.  Out first white Christmas in year, not to mention it has also snowed two more time since.  Usually Oklahoma gets three good snow falls a season and we have already had that.  This is the first time in Oklahoma history that a "blizzard warning" has ever been issued, that was Christmas Eve.  It was great!! My kids loved it.

New Years not so good.  My littlest got pneumonia and we just spend four days in the hospital.  We got home Saturday afternoon.  So my New Years Day was spent in the hospital, but my little girl is on the road to recovery and that is all that matters.  Woke up this morning to our third snow fall of the season and I love fresh snow covered mornings and the silence it brings.

photo by Amber Welch Photography

Isn't she sweet!!

I hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday and many happy times to come this year.
The only downside, football season is about over, but baseball will soon begin!!!  Can't wait!