10 on Tuesday

1. So proud of myself, I cooked dinner for the whole family last night and it cost me $6! We had grilled steak, corn on the cob and mashed potatoes! Yummy!
2. Yesterday my Grandpa was in a motorcycle accident. That was scary to hear about. He should be released from the hospital tomorrow and I am sure he will be in lots of pain.

3. I enjoy going to the Farmers Market in the summer time. I was anxious to check out the Farmers Market here, what a bust! Only a few tables did I see and no veggies or fruit...
4. You know you live in a small town when: you go to the grocery store to scope out if anything is on sale so you can bake, the owner and cashier scurry to the front waiting for you to come up with your purchases. Sadly, nothing is on sale ;but you now feel obligated to purchase something as you are the only shopper in the store. So, $1.29 later and 2 drinks you come out with nothing to bake...
5. I am proud to say that Klayton was accident free today! Finally, a successful potty training day is in the books!
6. Still unsure about how I feel upon hearing someone refer to my child as a, head banger.
7. I have really enjoyed participating in the summer reading program at our library with Klayton. To date we have read 51 books!
8. Spurs, Bruins, Heat and Blackhawks...do those names mean anything to you?
9. This was our Father's Day project with Joseph on Sunday! Love how it turned out!

10. Stay tuned tomorrow for a post about my niece, RoseMarie! Happy Tuesday!

Summer Fun: TIps for Vacation

Today I am continuing with my Summer Fun Series and I am excited to have, Kendra Thornton blogging for me!

Bio: Kendra Thornton: Travel advocate, TV spokesperson, PR businesswoman, proud wife and mama of 3. I am a long time travel expert who has been packing my bags and traveling the world since I was 3 months old! I've found my utmost desire in life is right here in my own home. I have taken my excitement for travel and brought it to you with some of my favorite travel tips and tricks. Enjoy!


What Moms Should Know For A Stress-Free Family Vacation


A family vacation is the perfect way to get away from it all, have some fun, and spend quality time with your husband and children. However, an unplanned vacation is a stressful vacation. Here are the top five mom-approved tips for planning the perfect family getaway!


1. Bored children are unruly and difficult to deal with. Always choose a destination where they will have plenty to do. Look into family friendly resorts, because they are kid-friendly but fun for adults too. Try a serene resort in the mountains, a hotel with an indoor water park, or even an adventurous ski lodge. These places specialize in fun for every member of the family. When deciding where to take my family of five in Hawaii, I did some research to find the perfect balance between luxury and kid friendly (I know! I was surprised they exist too). My kids love the water, but with three of them it was essential that we find a resort with close proximity to the beach. We were able to secure an excellent room at a top Honolulu hotel just minutes from Waikiki. Family friendly accommodations offer plenty of clever kids activities, giving mom and dad a chance to relax.


2. Carefully choose the toys you bring along. There are few things more annoying on long trips than noisy toys, so choose quieter options. Bring toys that are easy to pack and easy to play with in the car or in-flight. New toys will hold your kids' attention longer, but old favorites work great too. Keep a few surprise toys packed away in your luggage or carry-on bag. When your children start getting bored, these surprise toys will be a great distraction. Finally, don’t underestimate the value of silly items like straws and unused toothbrushes. In a jam, these can keep kids entertained for much longer than you’d expect.



3. Do not forget the essentials: zip lock bags in a variety of sizes, first aid materials, a sippy cup or two, and plenty of extra clothes and diapers. Traveling is messy and spills are likely! Shop for travel-sized options for your carryon. Buy extras in case you lose a few. The more prepared you are with the essentials, the more comfortable you will be. These items will ensure you and the kids all feel comfortable and refreshed when you arrive!


4. Baby food and formula are allowed through airport security and are not subject to the 3-1-1 rule. If you are flying, be sure to pack plenty. However, only pack gentle foods your baby is used to as to not upset their stomach during the flight. Further, being away from your family pediatrician means you need to be more sensitive and aware of potential food allergies. Traveling with a baby is hard, but traveling with a sick baby is harder.


5. Don't forget that it is your vacation too! You and your husband can take turns watching the kids. You can get a spa treatment one day and he can golf another. Many top hotels offer certified babysitting services so you can enjoy a romantic dinner. This is your vacation too – make sure you have some quality adult time as well.

10 on Tuesday; I May or May Not

1. I may or may not drink right from the juice jug that is currently in our fridge.
2. I may or may not have left a burner on low causing the leftover pasta sauce to scorch and burn the pot.
3. I may or may not have sunburnt knees and only sunburnt knees.
4. I may or may not have baked a batch of cookies and ate them all in one days time...with the help of my lil guy of course!
5. I may or may not have started this post yesterday (Monday).
6. I may or may not have had a craving for bacon that finally got fulfilled.
7. I may or may not have finally cleaned out my 500+ unread messages in my email boxes. Who has that many unread anyway?!
8. I may or may not have read 15 books thus far to Klayton for the summer reading program.
9. I may or may not be jealous of the tan my child is getting while I only continue to get sunburned.
10. I may or may not want to use my final thought just to say, Happy Tuesday!

Please Pray

Please pray for my sister Kayla. Kayla is 27 weeks pregnant and has preeclampsia. Her blood pressure is SO high that its at or above stroke level. Her doctor tried three different meds to try and get her BP to come down-nothing worked. So they sent her to Madison, WI and gave the baby a steroid to try and strengthen the lungs. The doctors said it is best for the baby to stay in for 72 hours after a steroid has been given. Unless, serious measures are needed they are going to try and keep baby baking longer.

Summer Fun in the Heat

Today I was asked by someone if they could do a guest post for me to share some tips for traveling with kids this summer. Well, that got me thinking that it would be fun to do a little Summer Series every Friday for the rest of June! So, to get things rolling I will start!

Last year, March of 2012 to be exact, we were in Oklahoma City. While there we decided to walk around Lake Hefner as someone (my brother!) told us it was a 4 mile walk-we could handle that! As we started walking we overheard someone say it was actually 6 miles...we were already at mile marker 3 so we figured it was safe to keep pressing on! That 4 mile walk ended up being more like 10! We completed the walk in the afternoon when the sun was at its highest, without sunblock, pushing a 17 month old in his stroller! When we got back to our van we were all hot and a little flush. Unfortunately, as the night progressed Klaytons face seemed to get redder and redder. On Sunday we were visiting a church and a nurse asked me if Klayton had sun poisoning?! So...I went to google and yep it was sun poisoning-talk about a bad mommy moment!
So, this summer we are going to do our best to avoid those kind of bad mommy moments!



The 4 S's!

1. SUNBLOCK!
When you know you and your kiddos are going to be in the sun, especially to go swimming make sure you lotion your kiddos up at least 10 minutes before going out!
Reapply every 80 minutes when swimming and reapply after toweling off!

2. STAY HYDRATED!
Playing in the sun usually causes sweat and just being in the heat can wear a person down physically. So, it really is best to have a bottle of cool water to sip on while you play!

3. Sunglasses!



It really is wise to sport some cool shades to protect your eyes! Besides, early prevention just might keep those crow feet away longer! And if you are not going to sport sunglasses, consider a hat!

4. STAY COOL!
While it is fun to send the kiddos outside to play, remember sometimes it really is just too hot to play outside. So be sure to find some great indoor activities for days like that!
If the kiddos are going to be out in the heat,dress them accordingly. Light, loose clothing that will not attract even more heat!



**I am by no means a medical professional and I only wrote 4 simple things to remember! Just practice being smart in the heat and you will avoid a lot of trouble!**

In His Second Year

I love the time when he first wakes from his afternoon nap.
I listen for the pad of his bare feet in the hall.
He stands there,
silently gazing at me,
yawning.
And rubbing his eyes with his fists.
I gather him up,
still soft and rosy with sleep.
He curls in my lap,
His head against me and his eyes half open,
And together we silently rock.
He is so gentle,
so little,
And so very vulnerable.
I hold him and love him selfishly,
For he is my baby again.
For these few short moments,
Then,
slowly,
his drowsiness dissolves.
He wiggles and squirms to get away
and explore this all-too-exciting world.
I can hold him no longer,
He struggles down and run laughing from me,
And I return to the kitchen.
But I am content;
For just a fleeting, too-brief moment,
I had captured a butterfly in its flight.

Wordless Wednesday-A Strange Place to Sleep

Ten on Tuesday

1. Hello Tuesday! Can I come up with 9 more random thoughts? We shall see folks, we shall see...
2. Dear Mom, you can thank me later for getting you addicted to Candy Crush Saga; but don't feel obligated to text me in the night what level you have made it to! Love, Me!
3. Dad, I did not introduce you to Candy Crush Saga so you will just have to blame Mom for that one!
4. What do you think of my new blog design? It had been awhile since a good updating, I think I like it!
5. Our summer reading program has begun at the library.I took Klayton to get books this morning and of course they were all about dogs!
6. Am I the only one who dreads cooking in the summer heat?
7. Today I went to the gas station to buy a 12 pack of pop. The cashier said that if I bought a 2nd it was like 1/2 price; but I didn't have enough cash. I told her I would just pass on it and she told me to go get another one and she would take care of it! What a sweet blessing!
8. This may or may not be considered strange; but Klayton likes to drink steak sauce right from the bottle! We open the fridge and he is found trying to sneak a drink...no clue where this like for steak sauce came from!
9. I baked these cookies last night and they are already gone!

Source: dessertnowdinnerlater.blogspot.com via Kendra on Pinterest

10. It may or may not have taken me all day to come up with the above random thoughts. Nonetheless, it is accomplished and I hope you had a Happy Tuesday!

Water Baby

When Klayton was six months old we took him swimming for the first time. I remember holding him on my shoulder as I knelt into the water. A few minutes had passed when all of a sudden Joseph was rebuking me for not being careful as Klayton's face was all wet. So, I tried to be EVEN more careful and yet it happened again! We soon realized that Klayton was putting his own face in the water! We could not believe it! He would dip his head in and then lift it with a huge smile on his face!



To this day, Klayton still remains a water baby! He loves being in water, bath time he spends an hour at least in the tub! And now this summer just across the street we discovered a FREE KIDDIE POOL! We discovered this treasure on Friday and have been there everyday since! Its been SO nice because we have been able to use it all by ourselves!



I know where we will be catching some rays this summer...at the FREE KIDDIE POOL! Woohoo!

Waiting for a Rainbow

I recently read a blog that literally brought me to tears through this statement,

"Grateful for the rain in my life, for it most certainly causes me to grow."

I know I don't get overly personal on here; but...since December 20th of 2011 my little family has faced some of our darkest days. Days that I NEVER want to repeat and I HOPE that it was the hardest time of our lives that we will ever have to face; but God knows best!

I just don't feel "right" about sharing the battle we faced. But, I will share some other things...

"Grateful for the rain in my life, for it most certainly causes me to grow."

I struggle with infertility, we tried for 18 months before conceiving Klayton...this time around I have had a miscarriage and am still waiting. Klayton was most definitely worth the wait and I know the child I am yearning for will be as well. Unfortunately, I am not always grateful for the rain while I wait. Yes, I love rain when I'm safely indoors and I can hear it pitter patter against the roof/window; but I don't like it when I have to get out in it to do grocery shopping! I like to think that I am snuggled safely inside my house enjoying the rain in my life; but I'm not I'm out there a big mess, makeup disheveled from tears that have been shed and the gloom rain can bring can be seen in my eyes not enjoying this season of my life as I tromp through the puddles carrying all my baggage-trying to get out of the rain as fast as I can. (Did you catch that I have been trying to be metaphorical? Hopefully you understood my metaphors...)

Source: google.com via Kendra on Pinterest

Grateful for the rain in my life, for it most certainly causes me to grow.

This convicted me to the point of tears, I cried out to God and thanked Him for what He is doing in my life. Two days later I was asking,
"Why me?" "
"Why does it have to be so hard?!"

Source: wishingoodluck.tumblr.com via Kendra on Pinterest

Am I the only one who gets convicted, acts upon it and then just as quickly forget how real and desperate that desire was at the time to just trust God to make that beautiful rainbow to appear when the rain ceases?

Grateful for the rain in my life, for it most certainly causes me to grow.

If this statement was true in my life, I would embrace the rain. I would run outside and let it wash over me, let God do the purging in my life to do what is necessary to make that rainbow appear!

Source: spirituallythinking.blogspot.com via Kendra on Pinterest

But, I realized being grateful is a choice! I must choose to be grateful while I wait for a rainbow! So, tonight I will choose to dance in the rain and enjoy what and who I have now!

Source: heartbeatoz.tumblr.com via Kendra on Pinterest