Thursday, December 29, 2011

Just Because

I ...

love fuzzy socks
Hate getting out of bed in the morning
Feel exhausted no matter what
Hate finger prints on my mirrors...makes me cringe
Don't bathe my kids every night...oops
Like the way I feel after a good work out
Could care less about fake nails
Hate rough feet!!!
Would like to dye the ends of my hair pink...probably won't do it. But I like to think I could pull it off
Hate talking on the phone
Love games in big groups
Am a simple gal. Could care less about owning "Tiffany & Co" or any other fancy shmancy jewelry or overpriced purses
Love to cuddle my baby boy :) finally a cuddler in this house! He's so squishy!
Love my baby girl's singing. She's quite the song writer
Love laughing with my handsome husband
Am grateful for my life
Think HOA is stupid. ( and yes I've heard the opposing arguments and I still think it's ridiculous.
Love "twinkling lights" and keep white ones in my kitchen year round.
Think reading is way better than watching tv
Like music that has meaning or tells a story
Hate california
Like being in the middle of nowhere
Love to dream
Like to write in my journal
Love collecting pictures of my family to capture memories
Like to spray perfume in my hair.
Hate doing my hair. If I could be attractive and bald, it would be so tempting to shave it all off!
Have a sweet tooth (Smores are absolutely one of my favorite guilty pleasures!)
Won't wash dishes in a sink of water. Floating food is gross.

AND

I absolutely love hearing the garage door open in the mornings. it means Shannon is finally home from work. :)

Merry and Bright

This little gal makes life Merry!
And this one makes our lives bright!

We are so blessed as a family. Our Christmas was SO merry and bright!
 
 The fun thing about Keshlyn's age (2 1/2) is that we got to really talk to her about Christmas this year and she was able to understand a little bit and get excited. We don't really talk about Santa or do that whole world tradition. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this time of year and want my children to know why: because I'm grateful for the birth of my Savior, Jesus Christ.
Teaching in Primary at Church, I would ask during this season, “Can you tell me about Christmas” or “What is Christmas about?” The first things those children think of are presents under the tree and Santa. Now, if I ask them who was born on Christmas Day (even though he really wasn’t), they’ll answer,  “Jesus.” But, he’s NOT the first thing they think of when talking about Christmas.  I don't like the idea of asking my children to make a list of what they want or hope to receive for Christmas. I don't want to have them focus on themselves and make materialistic demands.  Shannon and I want our children and family  to look outward during the Christmas holiday. I want to form traditions that revolve around the birth of Christ like going to live nativities or reading the account of his birth in Luke. I've also never liked it when I hear adults ask different children “What did you get for Christmas.” Is it a competition? What if a child’s parents couldn’t really afford what that child asked Santa for? Should parents feel the pressure to fulfill a child's list of toys and spend beyond their means Or should our children be brought up focusing solely on becoming more like Christ and honoring His birth through service and giving?  I just find it a little funny that here we have this holiday, CHRISTmas and somewhere along the line, the world threw in Santa Claus and commercialized what is supposed to be a purely religious holiday. Most people disagree with my thoughts and that's ok. I don't judge others for having a tradition rich in "Santa Claus." I'm not saying it's bad, I just feel like for my family, I want to go a different direction. The idea of Santa is good: he is very giving and loving. But, I don't need a mythical example of someone who exemplifies giving and service when I have the ultimate example that came on a Silent Night and was laid in a manger. :)

To try and accomplish the true spirit of Christmas, I started a new tradition with my family: A service Christmas advent calendar. I came up with this idea and searched the internet to see if anyone out there had done one before and of course, I found a website where I took some ideas from. I can't for the life of my find it right now to give a shout out! Grrr. Every day in December until Christmas, there are cards that have a scripture about service/Christ on one side, and then on the other side of the card is a service to do as a family. It’s a Random Act of Christmas Kindness. 

 


We had a BLAST doing these. We did things like: Pull people’s garbage cans up to their houses on garbage day, tape money to vending machines and redbox movie machines, drop off anonymous treats, gifts, and money to families in need; hide money in the toy aisle for those buying gifts, buy the cold Salvation Army ringer a hot cocoa in Kentucky, randomly "kidnap" a family’s kids to babysit so parents could have a free day (etc...) It’s an incredible feeling to get an inkling of how Christ lived his WHOLE life: in complete service.  As our family read the scripture each night and had a discussion about how our service is a gift to Christ, our home and hearts were filled with love. I’ve grown from this experience! We hung each tag/card on the tree after each one was completed. I hope that our family will do this for years and years to come and it will be what my children think of when Christmas comes to mind: serving and giving to others in honor of Christ’s birth.

Craft:

I wanted to make this before Christmas and with going to Kentucky and such, I just didn't have time. But, I saw a picture in a magazine with allof these beautiful ribbons flowing down the tree. I fell in love...but not enough to pay the $79 they were asking for the piece. As I looked at it, I knew it would be SO CHEAP and simple to make so I did today for next year! 
The lighting was bad, and my tree is beyond dead so the limbs are sagging and the ornaments have fallen, so the tree looks terrible. My ribbon looks cute though! :) It's way cuter in person. Next year I'll probably add more ribbon. All you do is take a wire or elastic and make it into a circle. Then you measure out different ribbons and tie it around the ring to place at the very top of the tree. The ribbon flows down the tree and you can tuck it in branches along the way if you'd like. I love it. You can't see all of my little ribbons in this picture. Rats. Oh well. Better picture next year! haha

 

Hope you had a Merry Christmas!

Girl Talk

This is a post about my fave raves right now when it comes to beauty products!

Nail Polish- Sally Hansen's Hard As Nails: Pink Rockstar. Forget paying for "Glitter Nails!" 2 Coats of this stuff looks like you had it professionally done!Love the color. I'm wearing it right now!

Biomega Volume Shampoo and Biomega Moisture Mist: Oh.My. Goodness. I was on a mission a month ago to find a miracle product because my hair has been looking dull and dry. And the Biolage I tried was not cutting it. I found this new brand that doesn't have any drying sulfates and I had to try it. My hair has not ever looked healthier or shinier! I love the Moisture Mist in place of a conditioner, because you spray it on your hair wet and don't rinse it out. It's lightweight and makes your hair feel soft.

Biomega Behave (Smoothing Elixir)- This stuff is awesome for putting just a teeny bit in your hair to smooth it out and protect when blow drying and styling your hair. I'll tell you- my hair curls super easy when I use this stuff.

Aquage Uplifting Foam- You want some lift at your roots so it doesn't look so straight, limp, and lifeless? This stuff ROCKS! It's the best "root lifter" I've used. I got this recommindation off of this other girl's really great blog about hair: thesmallthings.com

Aquage serum: (if you are a biosilk infusion or Chi Silk lover and you want to try something new...this stuff is AWESOME~ and it smells like heaven.)

Marakesh X Leave-in Treatment. High Tide: Great hair treatment a few times a week. If you're a It's a 10 lover, give this a shot for something new. It's a little cheaper and it's incredible

Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Moisturizer with Antioxidants and SPF 15- LOVE this stuff. You should wear SPF EVERY DAY! Lots of people look at me crazy when I say that, but even in doors, UVA rays penetrate through your windows. UVA are aging rays. Prevent signs of aging and skin cancer by wearing a moisturizer with SPF every single day.

Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Hydrating Treatment Mask... This is 1 of my 2 MOST FAVORITE skin care products for my face. I have seen a HUGE difference as I've used this. I can't live without this stuff. It's the only thing I have found that truly hydrates my skin so much that it is constantly soft, smooth, and supple. If you have any trouble with dryness, flaking on your face, or feeling like your face needs a "drink," You must, must, must try this. It's a "mask" but it's like a lotion. You put it on your face and leave it for at least 15-20 minutes, then you can wash it off or leave it on for greater moisture. It's not greasy. I leave it on and it makes all the difference.

My 2nd most favorite product ever for my face is Alpha Hydrox Retinol Res-Q. You wear this cream at night on your face and wake up to amazingly smooth, soft skin. This product in combination with the product above makes my skin look so youthful and flawless. Plus it has Retinol in it! It's a cousin to Retinoids (prescribed by a dermatologist only) which helps reverse and prevent aging signs. If you start using Retinol when you're young, you could do so much preventative care for your face. We always want to "reverse" or undo things when we're older, but why not just prevent why we're young!?


MACs Mineralize Satin Finish Foundation. It leaves a dewey, J-Lo-skin type finish. It really is a good foundation. Used in conjunction with MAC's dual fibre brush (That I've raved about in previous blogs), this foundation glides on and seeps into your skin. I'm not usually a fan of MAC's foundations, but I haven't tried them in years, so I thought I would try and I liked!

Julie Hewett Cheekies. Cream Blush in the color "Jami." Ever used cream blush? Lots of people have never even tried cream blush because they're nervous. If you have really oily skin, cream blush is not for you. If you have Normal to dry, to combination skin,cream blush could be a new favorite beauty product for you! I LOVE cream blush. It soaks into your cheeks and looks natural rather than having a powdery blob sitting on your cheek. For me living in the desert, I have normal to dry skin. This cream blush is perfect for me because I don't ever have to worry about the powder blush clinging to any dry skin on my cheeks and looking uneven.

I truly love MAC's gel eye liner. Always have. It is creamy and glides on very easily. There is great variety in color. It doesn't dry out like Loreal's HIP cream liner does. BUT- somedays I'm lazy and don't feel like grabbing for the pot of gel liner AND an eyeliner brush. (Pathetic, I know.) SO- I'm also crazy about liquid liner in a marker form. I do not do well with straight liquid liner. I love the long lasting and boldness of it but my hand is a little shaky sometimes. Even on myself. So, for people like me, they've put liquid liner in a felt-tip marker form. IT IS THE BEST! It's easy to apply and looks bold and stays put. It doesn't smudge or fade like pencil liner can.Maybelline's Stiletto felt tip liner and Loreal's Lineur Intense Felt Tip Marker are both great choices. Their performances are the same. Just different brands.

Mascara will forever be my struggle in this life! I've tried several that I didn't like. One of which was Voluminous which I raved about in my last product post. I don't know if they've changed the formula or if I've just tried so many that I've raised the bar? At any rate, I don't like it anymore. Others I didn't like or were just
"ok":

MAC's False Lashes
Falsies
Voluminous Million Lashes (HATED. Made hard and brittle. Lashes broke off!)

Ones I like:
Maybelline's Full & Soft will always be a great choice (as long as they don't change the formula or brush! ha). For just great looking lashes day-to-day, pick up this tube. It doesn't give drama or any great length, but it does grab each lash and make them look full.

Telescopic Carbon Black- someone recommended this mascara to me a while back.. At first I didn't like it. It's very wet which means that it grabs lashes in sections. This makes your lashes look skinnier and not very full, BUT it makes CRAZY long-looking lashes and it's a dramatic black. Some days I just want to feel like I have some really bold, long lashes. That is when I pull this mascara out.

Clinique's All about eyes concealer. Love this stuff! The tone of it is great for highlighting under the eye. It makes me look much more well rested than I really am! :)

I just purchased NARS Illuminator...We'll see if I like it! I'm sure I will. I like looking like I'm glowing!

Saturday, November 12, 2011

It SNOT funny!

So anyone who knows our family very well knows that Shannon is an avid booger picker. Day in. Day out. It's a Dang good thing he's sexy! Well, Shannon also loves to snot rocket in the shower. I personally think it's disgusting. If you, for some reason, don't know what that is, Snot Rocket is defined here! haha
Shannon always goes on about how great it is to clear your nose out in the shower. Well, after 6 years of marriage I finally decided last night I needed to see what all the fuss was about. And the verdict- it'S NOT funny! Yuck! Ick! Gross! I just don't see how Blowing snot in the air which then causes some of it to run out of your nose towards your mouth is satisfying! Gross!

Oh and just for the record Shannon is no longer allowed to hock loogies (which is short for lung cookie) in the shower.  One day I got in the shower only to see the remnants of his large slimy glob of spit mixed with nose snot in the bottom of the shower. I screamed my head off and wondered why I willingly chose to live with a stinky gross boy! Hehe. Like I said- it's a good thing his cute factor far outweighs his ICK factor! :) For more on "Lung cookies" go here! (Gotta love urban dictionary!)

**********************************************************************************
on another note, My MIL came into town yesterday to grab Keshlyn for the night and she kept her all day today until 7:30pm! And since Shannon worked today I had myself a little Project day! And this is what took me hours...A menu board. It took quite a while to write the ingredients on the back of each card and also notate the cook book and page number where the recipe can be found. I love it!!!! It's gonna be so quick to choose cards and flip them over to see my grocery list!

Monday, November 7, 2011

Birth Announcement

Ky turned 3 months on October 23rd. So, I'm a little behind but I don't care because I am IN LOVE with the announcement. I'll be mailing them out tomorrow to close family and friends. A sweet gal who digitally creates birth announcements whipped this up for me! Thanks Kate!

And yes, I jacked this idea from pinterest. The lyrics are from a children's church song that I grew up singing with many other kiddos and it is still sung today. It's just perfect for my baby Ky. <3

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Open wide!!!


Today was Keshlyn's first visit to the Dentist! She looked like such a big girl getting x rays and her teeth cleaned. We talked about how she would have to open wide to let the Dentist check her teeth. We practiced lots! Lol She was super stoked! When we walked through the office door, she says to me, "I'm ready someone work on my teef! I get a new toof brush!" (We're still working on the "th" sound!)


Pause. I just have to share this joke that I never heard while living in my home town of Kentucky but was Introduced to quickly since living in the Silver State... Did you know the tooth brush was invented in Kentucky? Cause if it was invented anywhere else, it would have been called the TEETH BRUSH! hardy har har! Ya know, I think all the Kentuckians I know have all of their teeth! :)

She made her mommy proud when she was asked, "what color toothbrush would you like?" She said very quickly, "Pink!" That-a-girl! And who knew that kids dentist offices were so fun? Flat screens on the ceiling for the kiddos to watch while on the chairs. Pink Barbie power wheels on a small lift used as dentist chairs for the kids to sit in and get their teeth cleaned... Seriously.

And look at this cute guy! Watch out UK! Here's your future basketball star... KYDEN JUSTICE!!!! (Doesn't it have a ring to it?! We'll just leave Phillipenas off when he becomes a star!) Thanks Aunt Jill and Debs for the get-up!




And OPEN WIDE for yummy dinner! The lighting wasn't too good but this was our yummy dinner tonight:

Honey lime chicken and roasted brussel sprouts with walnuts and grapes... Yumm-o!!! I've just discovered roasted brussel sprouts and they are delicious. I have a couple yummy recipes for them if you're brave enough to try it! Do you have any good side dishes you'd like to share? I'm trying to switch it up these days with more exciting veggie side dishes!

Friday, November 4, 2011

The Attitude of Gratitude!

I wanted to think of a way to have our family focus on all of the many little blessings we have this month.

After looking at a few of these that I've saved for possible projects


I went to work to create this:


Once I made this Thanksgiving tin, the first thing I put in there was that I am grateful my phone came back on today! Yesterday it went black and I couldn't get it back on for the day. I sure do love my iphone4! Hehe

Shannon's first gratitude card was that his ring was finally found!! I was getting socks for Keshlyn out of her drawer and I felt something hard as my hand scraped the bottom of the drawer. I take out more socks and lo and behold, his ring!!! That little stink hid it in her drawer! And we even asked her if she had seen his ring and she said yes, but could never tell us where it was. 1 month later, the ring is found!!! I knelt down and asked him to marry me again. Don't worry, he said yes! :)

All month we will add little cards with things we are grateful for each day. It can be serious things or silly things. Then on Thanksgiving, we will take turns reading them all. Should make for a fun family evening.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Ghosts say BOO! Cows say MOO!


We've had fun through October doing Halloween crafts and singing little Halloween songs. Her favorite one (that she sings so enthusiastically) is:

Halloween, Halloween
Lots of fun on Halloween,
Black cats and Ghosts
Skeletons too.
Ghosts and Goblins all say...
BOO!!! (She yells this very loudly!)

We had fun on Halloween. We played some  little games together as a family and watched Casper, the movie. Remember that one? It's so cute. We told little ghost stories. And then of course we attended a few different Halloween shin-digs.

I am so sad that I drug my feet this year and didn't get costumes for Shannon and me. I love to dress up. I just couldn't pull it together in time.



I let Keshlyn pick what she wanted to be. She changed her mind every day. Fairy. Princess. Fairy. Princess. So, she was a Princess Fairy!

Ky resurrected the cow costume that Keshy wore for her first Halloween.

Remember this cute girlie cow?




Halloween Jammers!

Keshlyn kept moving around so I told her to "freeze" so I could get a picture. She then signs "freezing" or "cold!" HAHA
Wait a minute, I think Shan and I did dress up...as the cutest couple ever! *wink!


Hope you had a Happy Halloween!

The Motherload!


First of all, yes, we are still alive and I have LOTS to say. I'm sure this will be another novel. But hey, if it didn't turn out to be 20 pages it wouldn't be a post from me, right?! Welcome to the MOTHERLOAD of posts! hehe

Shann-o: What's new with Shan? Well, I think he's gotten even better lookin'. Is that even possible!? Well, must be. Just look!

Shan entered into the Las Vegas Cross Fit Wars a couple of weeks ago. I was so proud of him. Everyone's face read, "I'd rather die." It was actually quite inspiring to watch him push his limits for each exercise. He felt like laying down in the middle of the field for one of the work outs and to complete it he had to run a short distance at the very end. Instead of lightly running like most everyone else did because they were so dead, he sprinted! I was screaming my head off cheering him on. I was SO proud.

He's had a pretty rough past couple of weeks. He lost his wallet AND his wedding ring. I told him that I really believe he's trying to forget who he is and that our whole wedding day even happened! lol. You know- the whole wedding dress story and all. Or maybe you don't. :) Shannon likes to keep that under wraps. The wallet was a little of a bummer because he had $100 cash inside. But, luckily that's all it was. Darn that Dave Ramsey and his advice to only use cash! lol. Just kidding. Gotta love the Total Money Makeover. It works!

Sorry to burst your bubble, ladies, but I really do have THE best husband in the entire world. I mean, day after day, he is constantly proving that he is one of the most thoughtful men ever. Just yesterday, I went and grabbed a friend to take her to get some yogurt after lunch and I came home and all of the laundry was folded, put away, and bathrooms were completely clean! I was so grateful. You know the most attractive thing about Shannon though? It's hard to choose just one thing, but it would definitely be his love for our Savior. He never stops caring about other people in our neighborhood and community. He serves so diligently and he does it all because it is what the Savior would do if he were on the earth today. Shannon really does melt my butter.

A couple of Shannon's finest moments the past couple of days...

I overhear him telling Keshlyn who is whining, "There are only 2 people in the house who are allowed to whine: Kyden and your mom. So stop being whiny!" HAHAHA

I was complaining that I have nothing to wear because of my last 10 lbs from the baby. I apologized for wearing the same few pieces of frumpy clothing I can fit into over and over (as if he cares anyway.) But, this is his reply: "Babe, you look great in anything you put on." A sweet moment passes which is then interrupted by his words, "Except deep purple." Lol. I would have to agree that deep purple is not my color!

Explaining to Keshlyn the David and Goliath story from the Bible. He says, "And David slew Goliath. Well, it wasn't so much of a slaying, but rather a rocking. You see, David used his sling and some pebbles or rocks to defend himself. The rock was slung over and killed Goliath. So, Goliath was rocked (similar to being stoned)." Looking at my -"you gotta be kidding me" -face, he asks, "Do you think this is where the phrase, "We will rock you," got it's origin?" At that moment, I slapped myself in the head and thought I was dumber having heard that story! lol

Shannon speaking to me: "You're sexy dude." A brief pause and then clarification from him, "You're not a sexy dude. I meant you're sexy comma dude." Oh my sweet Shannon. He makes me smile!

Kyden: He's here!!!!
(And yes, that is my leg still in position!)


Just look at how much he's grown and changed so far!








I can't believe he JUST turned 3 months! AHHHH. Where does time go? I'm not
gonna lie to ya: having him has kicked my trash. Not the actual birth, nor recovery, but just the exhaustion with getting into the groove! Finally a few nights ago, he dropped his 10:00pm feeding and I went to bed at 9:30pm! WOOOHOOO. So now both of my children sleep from 7:30pm to 7:00am!

This kid can EAT. He is a chubaroosky. And he grins with his mouth open wide. It. Is. Adorable. He is discovering his voice and so he vibrates his lips which causes spit bubbles. He is always soaked becaue of it. I was tickling Ky last night and he laughed for the first time. My heart melted and I thanked God for that tender moment. I've never seen a kid kick as much as he does either. All day long, he pumps his legs. This boy has some serious leg muscles by now under all of those rolls! :)


 He is such a good baby. I actually left him on his play mat in one room today while I walked from room to room cleaning doors and door knobs. He was totally content. It is a rarity for this kid to cry about anything. He is perfect. Keshlyn was an angel baby too. I owe a lot of it to Baby Wise. That sleep book saves Mothers!

I am weaning from nursing. I was very sad and have been through lots of tears. But, I've tried a little bit of everything. Trust me when I say, I'm done. It's sad because I hated nursing Keshlyn. Many reasons contributed, but lack of supply was not one of them. This time, I actually enjoyed nursing Ky and I just have struggled from the beginning with supply. Talked to Lactation Consultants, tried many things, and now I've come to terms that I'm done and look forward to the next time. ;) It was taking about 45 minutes to an hour for each feeding doing breast and bottle and after a while, I had to ask myself, "Is it worth it?" Especially with a crazy 2 year old running around. He's past the 3 month mark and I feel peace with my decision which speaks volumes! It took me a while to get to that decision. I am very indecisive fyi, in case you don't know me very well...

I am so behind on pictures with him. I wanted to send out a birth announcement but he just hit 3 months. Do you think  I've missed the boat? That thought makes me sad. Just seems like there's always something else that trumps my time. Oh well. I am going to send one anyway to my closest family. Better late than never, right? Well...it's the way I roll anyway!

We cannot quite figure out who our little Ky man looks like... definitely Shannon's ears and my eyes. But the rest is a mystery. He just looks like himself I guess. Chubby cheeks and balding! :)


Keshlyn:





Oh my...I could write a book on this child. She is a CRACK UP! She talks my head off every day and tells me, "Mommy, I wuv you" every few minutes. Makes me smile every time.

We're always working on manners with our sassy 2 year old. Keshlyn now wants to be alone when she's using the bathroom. So, she would say, "Go away!" I finally explained to her that she can't talk to mommy or daddy that way. She would need to be more polite and say, "Mommy, I need privacy please." From that day on, she always says, "Mommy I need primaricy please!" Shannon says he hopes she never stops saying "primaricy" because it is so darling.

She is always saying the darndest things. I actually have this goal of jotting down all of the cute things she says now and even as she gets older; and when she's grown, I want to give her a book of her "childhood chatter." I hope to do this for all of my children. Here's some of her recent quotes:

In the backseat Keshlyn said, "No, no, no," in a very low voice. She kept repeating it.
Me:  "Who do you keep telling, "no" to?"
Kesh: "My fingers!" (as she's putting them toward my face) So cute!

Kesh: "Oh no. I broke my crayon. Dad will fix it!" (She thinks daddy is the strongest person ever and can fix anything!)

Keshlyn : "Daddy, I want to go to park."
Shannon: "Tomorrow"
Kesh: "No! To-Now!

Kesh: "I make you happy mommy. I clean up! I did  it. I'm amazing!" lol. ("Amazing" is her new word.)

When it comes to food, I'm training Keshlyn right!
Me: "Do you want a sandwhich?
Kesh: "No. I want peas."

Keshlyn expressed that she wanted a snack...

Me: "Would you like a halloween cookie that you made with grammy?"
Kesh: "No. I want carrots and hummus."

In Jcpenney wanting a disney princess backpack.
Kesh: "Daddy. I want this."
Shan: "No. We don't need that. You have a backpack at home."
Kesh: "I need it!"
Shan: "Well you need money to buy it. Where is your money?"
Kesh: "In your pocket!"

Kesh came up to me with something in her panties so I asked her, "what's in your undies?"
Kesh: "I wear a pantyliner!" I am curious if she actually got one of mine so I pull down her undies to find a tinkerbell sock! Seriously funny.

Bathing her and Ky at the same time is currently the way to go. Saves time, right? Well, of course she's a little bit curious about Kyden's parts looking different from hers. So while getting a bath and pointing at Ky's boy parts, she asks Shannon, "What's that?" Shannon draws a blank as to what to say. Then he eloquently says (ha), "That's his junk." Seconds later as I'm trying to bathe Keshlyn right along side Ky she squeals out, "Don't wash my junk, Mom! Don't wash my junk!" :)

And the best for last... Shannon had taken Keshlyn to the park. She made a couple of little friends and they were all sliding down the big kid slides having a blast.
They climb to the top and Shan overhears Keshlyn saying to one of the little girls excitedly,
"Slide down on your 'gina!" Unlike Shannon, I use correct terms which has made for some funny quotes!



I am starting a new tradition with my children to take pictures of them on their birthday holding the number of their new age and I will ask them the same questions and a few extra each year to document and keep in a book. Since Keshlyn's birthday is already past, I just did hers. It's going to be so fun to go back and read. I, of course, stole this idea from pinterest. If you do NOT know what Pinterest is, quick! Get off of my blog and go to pinterest.com and become an addict, or don't EVER go there because you'll daydream of it every single day! You'll also find lots of projects you want to try and start scheming how you can get them done and when. As if I needed anything else to add to my "To do" list. *Sigh. Anyways...here's Keshlyn's answers.

2 Year Old Questionnaire

What is your favorite thing to do, Keshlyn?
Her Answer: "Church!" (BAHAHAHAH. This made me laugh!)

What is your favorite song?
Her Answer: "Twinkle" (This kid knows lyrics to TONS of songs. It's quite impressive actually.)

What is your favorite color?
Her Answer: "Yellow"

What is your favorite book?
Her Answer: "Cooties Book" (It's really called, Nit Pickin')

What is your favorite movie?
Her Answer: "Aladdin." (This suprised me. She just recently started branching out. We were watching a little of Tangled EVERY SINGLE DAY for weeks.)

What do you want to do when you grow up?
Her Answer: "Play"

What is your favorite food?
Her Answer: "Ice Cream" (This cracked me up too since we eat this very seldom)

Me:

I'll try not to complain too much during this post. I mean...I could go on about how I'm exercising 5 days a week and I haven't seen the scale move in 6 weeks. Not ONE MEASLY LITTLE POUND! BLAH! I have 10 pounds left to go. Is it tragic? Yes! No. Should I expect to be back pre-baby weight only 3 months after baby like some "freak of nature" girls? Yes! No. But I still hate the fact that I'm not seeing results. Even 1 pound is motivating. I'm doing the same program I did to get my weight off with Keshlyn. I know it works. I've personally seen it happen on my own body. I lost 5 pounds within the first 2 weeks when I started exercising right at the 6 week mark after Ky. But haven't seen improvement in quite a while. I'm toning up. I look better than I did. But "better" isn't good enough! I need to look in tip top shape except you know, a couple stretch marks. What can you do? Darn those cute, totally worth-it, babies! So I could complain about that stuff. But, I won't! :o)

Finding balance in life has been a mess! Figuring out the flow of throwing another child's schedule in there hasn't been too bad. Grocery shopping, naps, lunch, snack times, learning time, family time, story time, relaxing time, date time...and the list goes on. I didn't even get to the cleaning part, hobbies, or church responsibilities. It's been hard to figure out what absolutely needs to be done first in each day. At least for cleaning, I have this bad boy! (Thanks Chels for the template). I would be lost without this!



And then, you might think I'm crazy, but I was having such a difficult time figuring out how to fit everything necessary into my day that I wrote out our family's day and tasks to visually see where things could
"fit" into our schedule. I call it my "Time Budget" because just like our family's $ Budget that allows us to plan for expenditures each month and see where our money is going, a Time Budget lets me plan for things that need to get done in a day and see where all of my time has been spent. Of course each day varies, but all in all, on an average day, the Phillipenas household functions according to the chart below. Shannon helps with all of the chores and such when he's off. So, again, there is variance. Chores/projects could be anything on my chore chart or my project list. It could also be errands or appointments or even library or park time if all of our chores are done! I'm still tweaking the chart but it's pretty close. Having this chart, allows me to stay on track and really feel accomplished that way I'm not running in circles during the day wondering what to do next.

I have done a lot of reflecting lately on my role as a Mother and thinking about what exactly is the most important thing each day to complete. I've been very grateful that I've been able to stay at home with my children and witness their growth every day. Keshlyn is growing at such a fast pace that it's a little saddening. I keep thinking that time is passing me by and I wonder if what I did that day were the things that will matter most in her life. I hope that I am spending my time wisely and embracing these brief tender moments of her young life. I have definitely gotten better. I don't want to think back in several years and wish that I would have spent more fun time with her. So, I'm trying to let go of the "small stuff" and focus on true treasures of each day.

I remember when I was first married and worked as a Physical Therapist Tech, there was a girl in her mid twenties that had just gotten married herself. We were talking about differen things as I assisted her with her therapy and I asked her if she planned to have children someday. Her answer shocked me and I have often thought about her comment. She said she would never have children.She thought bringing a child into this world was one of the most selfish things a person could do. She believed that anyone who willingly brought a child into this "wicked and crazy" world was doing it for their own pleasure and was selfish. I remember really thinking about her response for days because I had alwasy planned to have children and a family. Years later, now I'm the one in my mid twenties and I can't disagree more with that young lady. Having a child is THE MOST selfless thing I have ever done or proabably will ever do. It's a sacrifice unlike any other. Aside from obvious physical sacrifice, your needs and wants are put on hold as you bring another human being into the world and nurture them, care for them, and raise them up unto the Lord- raise them to be good people and great citizens. Do you know how hard that is? Do you know how un-selfish that is? I want to have children so that I can indeed raise them in a wicked world and contribute to the addition of honest, hard working, genuinely good people to the earth. Being a mother is THE HARDEST thing I have ever done. I don't know if other mothers feel this way or not. But, I have never been tested greater than I have as a mother. I have never had to truly set myself aside the way that I have as a mother. I have never seen some of my worst qualities as strongly as I have as a mother. My patience and character have really been tried! I'm slowly working on the things that I don't like about myself (mainly impatience right now) and I get to try over and over to be better because of my role as a parent. Trust me, it is anything but selfish. Being a mother is highly unpopular these days, but it is refining and will stretch and strengthen your heart and soul if you let it.
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I have lots of projects I'm into right now. My main project right now is creating a "Learning Time" Schedule for Kesh. I've done "learning time" with her since she was about 5 months. Started with alphabet flash cards. After a little while, she would look at the correct card out of a few cards held up when prompted to find a specific letter. Then, she could grab the right card every time. It just kept developing from there. She is a smart girl. I spend a lot of time teaching her in fun ways. We do lots of learning games and other activities around the house. I have found some amazing resources online through preschool blogs. We did a lot of fun learning activities themed around Halloween and we are continuing to learn words. We do a weekly sight word or 2. Keshlyn currently can read about 25 words. She is getting better at sounding words out and is so excited when she can read the words she knows in her story books! I'm so proud of her.

My discoveries lately:

I hate peeing! It takes up too much time and I hate stopping what I'm doing to go potty. Once I get engrossed in a chore or project, I want to power through  until it's done! I know. I'm ridiculous.

The world would be a boring place without peanut butter and dark chocolate. I don't eat chocolate very often but if  I do, I want it dark! And Peanut Butter is my snack buddy.

I could never be a fitness instructor for a class because I look and act like I'm dying during all of my work outs! haha

I have also come to the conclusion that I am my own worst enemy. I compare myself to others way too often and wonder why I'm not "as good as them." And then I watch this inspiring, uplifting message and feel that maybe I'm not so bad afterall. Take the time to watch it. It will lift your day!