Happy Birthday, Ellie!

Exactly three years ago, this little girl entered our lives! Her sweet little spirit mixed with just the right amount of curiosity and naughtiness have sure kept us on our toes! Even though she was such a surprise baby, I wouldn't change a single thing about her joining our family!

Week One of Valentine Candy-Grams

Several years ago, my mom saw an idea in one of the crafting magazines that had big hearts with sentiments and a candy attached to them. The kids got one per day until Valentine's Day. My kids didn't remember us doing it, so I did something similar this year for them.

Every day, they get a surprise. Sometimes it's on the table when they wake up, maybe in their lunch box the next day, or they might find them on their pillows.

Treven is the most excited about finding his surprise each day. The girls have kind of figured out what's going on. Treven just keeps asking me if they get something EVERY DAY until Valentines! If he gets up and doesn't find his treat right away, he asks and asks until he finally gets one!

Most of the candy came from the local dollar store, but I had to supplement a few things from Wal-Mart. I also tried to find some ideas that weren't chocolate. Mikayla doesn't like chocolate, so it was interesting to think of things that went with Valentine's Day that were fruity or non-chocolate!

The presentation on each of the treats is very simple. Initially, I wanted to jazz them up and make them so cute. But time started running short and then I got to thinking that they are just going to throw away the packaging anyway! So I just printed the sentiments on the computer and inked the edges and attached with staples, double stick tape, and twine.

Valentine's Day Love Notes

I was trying to think of something fun to do for Gary for Valentine's Day. I made 14 3x3-inch cards and stamped various Valentine sentiments on them. I wrote a different reason I love him inside each one and every day from the 1st to the 14th, he will find a card in a mysterious place. It might be on the seat of his car, in his jacket pocket, or maybe behind his bathroom mirror. I wasn't sure how he would like it at first, but he's really been fun to watch as he looks for them. I try to tell him I love him every day, but sometimes it's nice to have a written reminder!

Survival Mode

Ellie started getting sick last Thursday. She started with a slight cough and then she got a runny/stuffy nose and a fever. Today, she is still not feeling well. She is still playing and being her crazy little self, but she whines constantly. She wants held all the time. She needs something every second of every day and every night. I don't think I've gotten 1 full night sleep if I added the sleep I did get the last three nights all together.

I'm trying to be patient! I REALLY wanted to do some crafting and Valentine decorating today as it is my ONLY day off this week. I bought some supplies and had the house clean and ready to go so there was no excuses to not get it done...

but instead, I find myself rocking my baby. Rubbing her tummy, her arms, her legs, her back. I'm getting up to get her a drink every thirty seconds or so. I'm taking her potty every 45 seconds because she is drinking soooo much! I know in my heart that this is where I need to be right now because she needs me. No one makes you feel better when you are sick than your mommy. So I will continue to spend my day off trying to make my little one feel better.

Making Wedding Plans

When Braquel and Keven announced their plans to get married last summer, I didn't think much about it. After all, they had been seeing each for 4 years, living together for a year, and we had kind of known this was coming. Now, we are actively planning the wedding. We are starting to purchase some of the details of the wedding. Now, it's becoming real. Now, I'm not sure how I feel about this whole thing.

Sunday night, I was looking at You Tube to try and find some ideas for the father/daughter dance. We had talked about a few songs, but had never come up with just the right one. As I clicked from one song to another, I was flooded of memories of my sweet little girl. Then I started thinking about how we'll never have her at three years old singing Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree. We will never have her first day of kindergarten. The wedding is it; it's the last of the last we will have with her. She's all grown up and ready to be on her own; now someone else is responsible for her happiness. It's a little more than I can take in right now! I start crying every time I think about it.

I'm not sure that I can make it through all the planning and worse, the actual day. I'm a mess already, how will I get through her big day without being a total cry baby? Chelsey and Gary both keep asking me if I am premenstrual because I just keep tearing up. Hopefully, as things progress and time passes I can come to grips with the whole idea of losing one of my babies.

On a brighter side, I keep telling myself that without the wedding part, I'll never get the grandchildren part!

Valentine's Day Project

I saw this idea on one of the blogs that I like to use for inspiration last year. I was in the process of making a page for our retreat so I had a ton of wallet-sized family pictures. When Wal-mart prints wallets, you get two of each one, so I wanted to use the leftovers on another project. Then, I saw this cute little collage the lady had done with the same size of pictures, so I did the same sort of thing for ours. I went to the dollar store and bought a foam wreath and some red ribbon to wrap around the wreath. Then, I used paper I already had to back the pictures, some flower embellishments, and some rub-on stickers for the words.


I pinned all the pictures on the wreath and hung it up. I love it so much and have gotten so many compliments on it, that I left it up all year! Not bad for a two dollar investment!

These pictures are from the 4 Girls and a Dream retreat from a year ago! To be totally honest, the last retreat pictures are still on my camera! But, since we just opened up registration on the 3rd and we are already full, I wanted to show everyone who is not coming what they are missing! We have lots of fun playing around and being silly. We had three girls put together a little song for us that had all of us just about busting a gut! It was so impromptu and funny that we just rolled! I think it was Stephanie, Marcy, and Abbie, but I could be wrong! If I named the wrong lady, I'm so sorry! It's hard to tell from the chins!

Here is a little more of the fun...I believe that there was a certain person that held Marcy down and one or more other certain people that drew this lovely face! Believe me, ladies, there is no sleeping at these retreats...except for if you are talented enough to sleep with one eye open!

One of the best things about the retreats is that there is no law saying you have to create! Sometimes it's good just to relax and enjoy one anothers company.

This is Sabrina taking a picture of me taking a picture of her! Crazy fun! I can't wait for April to get here so we can do it all again! I've really grown to love these ladies that take the time out of their busy schedules to come and have fun with us! It's been an absolute joy to get to know everyone and spending time with them.