{Mt. Dew}

I am not a Mt. Dew Fan but their commercials are hilarious lately...here are two of my favorites:





and Pepsi has a good commercial that makes me laugh every time I see it:

{Update}

So I thought I would do an update post...nothing too fancy just writing down what's been happening the past week or so....

...so here goes:

I let my uncle know that we were looking for a bigger place a few weeks ago and figured it would take him a while to decide what to do....well, I was wrong! He listed it the next week and it's only been on the market a little over a week and already one couple has come to see it and another couple are coming on Monday....

....meanwhile, we are earnestly working on finding a new place to live. We will either buy a place or rent a place. We still haven't decided what we are going to do as of yet. I, of course, AM FREAKING OUT (aka STRESSING OUT!) because things are not set in stone as of yet....

....not only do I need to pack up all of our stuff, rent a Uhaul but I need to find us a place to move BEFORE Clay sells his place, so that we have a roof over our head that doesn't include a steering wheel. (overly dramatic, I know, but this is how my mind works when stressed and right now I am overly stressed)

I am not sure if I mentioned this or not, (see how scatter brained I am, I can't even remember if I said this or not), but Aaron is now taking the discussions so that he may be more informed on weather or not to get baptized. The Missionaries are coming over once a week and he is really enjoying it. It's great to see that he is interested and wants to make an informed choice.

The kids are finally going to be starting school on Monday!!! (giddily jumping for joy, not just me but them as well) They are really excited to get back to learning and hanging out with their friends and getting to know their new teachers, who they met last week.  I can't wait for that bus to pull up and take them away to the great brick building where they will learn like sponges and be reunited with old friends, (as you know I will probably ball for the first hour or so after they leave and cling to them when they get off the bus in the late afternoon.)

So as you can see with my uncle putting up his home for sale and moving on the brain, kids starting school and trying to stay calm - it's just not working and I am stressed to the max....(calm, calm, think soothing and calming thoughts, Arya - darn it! I said CALMING!!!)

{Rain Gutter Shelves}

(please note the image was found on Satori Smiles and is not my own)

This is such a neat idea and I am going to do it when we get our own home. What a great way to encourage reading and helping to make sure your bookshelves don't end up looking cluttered and books being ruined from being squashed onto the shelf or stepped on because they fall to the ground and the kids just don't pick them up. (I have this problem now!) 

So if you want to find out how to create these inovative book shelves out of rain gutters, check out this cool tutorial by Raising Olives.

{One Month}

On the 23rd it was one month since I found out there was no heartbeat for the baby and on the 29th it will be one month since I had to have a D&C. This past month has been hard, I found out that three of my online friends also had miscarriages during this past month.

I know this is going to sound lame, but it brought me a bit of comfort to know that others are going thru the same thing as me, but also, it brought sadness to my heart that others had to go thru the same pain of a miscarriage.

This miscarriage hit me harder then the last two. I had more time on my hands and nothing to distract me from dealing with my emotions, you see with the first one I was around 20/22 weeks and my husband had just been activated to go to Iraq. It hit William alot harder then it did me, which at the time I found odd but I just shoved my emotions away, had my first D&C and focused on my two little boys and helping my husband prepare for his deployment, I didn't have time to deal.

The second miscarriage I was probably about 8/12 weeks along and my body followed a natural course and no D&C was needed. I got pregnant on William's R&R leave and miscarried while he was in Iraq. I was in school and taking care of Aaron & Sam. I was too busy to indulge the grief, again I pushed it aside and focused on what needed taking care of.

I, of course, got pregnant with Ruth shortly after William was home for good from his deployment and although my pregnancy was a little rough and she decided to come early all was well.

I decided to go on birth control because I just wasn't prepared to have another baby and it gave me 5 years to decide if I wanted to have another baby. At the time of starting the birth control I didn't want to have anymore. That, of course, changed and I had my birth control removed and we started trying again.

We both were excited when I got pregnant after only having one cycle. It was awesome and I was on cloud nine. I had baby names picked out and everything. The weeks go by smoothly and soon it comes time to check for the baby's heartbeat. I knew when the doctor couldn't hear a heartbeat with his little machine I needed an ultrasound. It was scheduled for the next day and confirmed my fears. The next week I had the D&C.

I figured this time I would just deal with this like I had done before, only this time I didn't have anything to keep my mind occupied or anything to help push the pain to the back burner and the depression sunk in. I still am sad and dwell on the lives lost because not only did I grieve for my current loss but for the other two miscarriages. Some days it was hard to get out of bed and I was sooo tired and had a tough time being happy. I saw baby bumps everywhere and a score of newborns those first few weeks. I think that was the hardest, knowing I would have to wait longer for my time to come. I was happy but sad at the same time.

I was on an emotional rollercoaster ride and I couldn't find the brakes anywhere. Now my emotions are getting back to normal and my eating is getting there too. (have I mentioned that now I can eat chocolate!)

It helped that I had so many surrounding me and helping me through this pain. It still hurts but I know, when it's time, I will have another life growing inside me and it will take. (I hope and pray that it does) I know our family isn't complete but one day it will be.

When I told the kids about the baby "going to heaven to be with grandma and grandpa" it was hardest on Ruth. The boys were in shock but once William told them we were going to try again they were ok with it.  If anyone asks about the miscarriage or the D&C, Sam matter of fact like, will tell them "the baby is dead and is in heaven with grandma and grandpa". Of course this statement brings a shocked look onto many faces but that's who he is and is very matter of fact about the situation.

It took Ruth a few days to understand and now she keeps asking me if "I have a baby in my tummy yet?" because she wants a little sister to play with because "the boys are mean!" It really is quite cute because she bats her eyes and cocks her head and puts her bestest smile on and it's just too darling!

Thank you all again for your support and love. It has really helped alot and I can't wait to start trying again...I know my time will come, just when is the mystery.

{Mac vs PC ad's}

I just saw a new commercial for MAC and had to share it with you. You can check out the MAC vs PC commercials by going to Apple's website. I just love these, they make me laugh so hard and I just can't stop smiling after seeing them. Enjoy!

{Sleep Deprived}

That's right, I am talking about it since it's 2:30am as I write this and still feeling tired but can't seem to close my eyes and turn off my brain.

(I gotta do something right? Might as well blog about my problem!)

Of course I did some research while thinking about my problem and trying to come up with tricks to help me sleep easier and faster. You see I stay up until ALL the kids are asleep, lately that has been anywhere from midnight to 2 am and William let's me sleep in the morning, but I normally wake at 8:30-9 am
some times it's even until 10 am...(he spoils me!)

I did find an article by Dr. Oz (ya know Oprah's DR. Oz). It was very informative and thought I would share it here with you, because let's face it - counting sheep just doesn't cut it anymore!

So it's super simple and I am going to try some of these and hope to stop the late, late nights so I can be less grumpy during the day and get some energy back that I desperately need.

World-renowned Doctor Mehmet Oz offers six steps on how to get a good night’s sleep every night.

If you get less than six hours of sleep a night, as we just learned, you're in trouble. You need sleep more than you need food. When you're always tired, you actually age faster than you should. Here is your new nightly routine. Sleep tight:

• 1) Dim the lights an hour before bedtime. This mimics sunset. Smack in the middle of your brain is something called the pineal gland. It releases melatonin, the hormone that readies the mind and body for sleep in response to lowered light levels.
• 2) If you've got things on your mind -- tomorrow's meetings, errands, that kind of thing -- write them down fifteen minutes before bed. This sweeps them out of your mind. 
• 3) If you're still awake after fifteen minutes, get up and do something quiet, like reading a book. No Internet, no TV, no exercise. You have to let your body and mind slow down to be able to slip into sleep. If you just lie there thinking about how you're not sleeping, you'll never sleep. (this one could help me alot, my brain hasn't been shutting down lately)
  
• 4) Wake up at the same time every day. An hour extra on weekends is fine, but if you wake up at seven every morning during the week, then sleep until ten on weekends, you're effectively giving yourself jet lag. Monday morning, you'll feel like you just got off the red-eye from three time zones away.
• 5) A little chemical help once in a while is fine. Not alcohol -- it actually interferes with the normal sleep cycle. But Benadryl or one of the combination OTC painkillers or sleep drugs can give you that little nudge into natural sleep. Just describe your symptoms in detail: From a pharmaceutical perspective, "can't fall asleep" isn't the same as "wake up in the middle of the night."
• 6) Sex. (This is the fun one!)
  

{Old Pictures}

If you spot yourself in my old photos let me know...sometimes my memory fades and I just don't remember who everyone was.

Below are some old photos that I came across of me and my family...just wanted to share (btw the baby shots are of me...and no the one that looks like Ruth is me, but we know where she got her looks from, don't we...lol)

{Magazines}

I am sorting thru my magazines trying to get rid of the clutter that they have become. I picked up 2 white binders w/clear plastic on the front and two pockets inside as well as TONS of page protectors and I am cutting out the information I want and placing it in the binders.

The things I am cutting out are party ideas, recipes I want to try, design ideas and projects for kids. Party ideas and recipes are going into one binder and design ideas and projects for kids are going in the other. I am also going to jazz up the front/back of the binders to make them more fun and stylish. (you can see how to do it yourself, here)

Of course I am not getting rid of all my magazines or mutilating them all either, some wouldn't make sense if I took them apart, this is just for those magazine subscriptions that I have had for years and only kept the magazine because of the few things in them. (why keep the magazines when I can just take what I want and put it in a pretty folder?)




 

{Organization}

Hubby and I have decided that we need to find a bigger place and while we search we have been down sizing our things. We do this with each move but we have been doing more and more of it since our move back to Idaho.

Now our drive has kicked into full gear since my Uncle has put the house we are living in on the market to sell. (know anyone who loves country living and wants to be in the Fruitland school district?)

So, before we move I have been implementing my many tricks to downsize without everyone knowing it...(I hope.) Below are a few of my tricks to getting rid of the clutter and making the move go a bit more smoothly.

1. While folding laundry, have a sack next to you to collect the "too small" or "overly damaged" clothing. This helps you to know what needs to go and what should be replaced if at all. (I have 5 bags of clothing that are heading off to goodwill)

2. While putting items into boxes really think about weather or not you want to keep it, if not I put it in a "donate" box or "trash" box. This way you are not moving clutter from one space to a new space.

3. I am in the process of going thru boxes that were never unpacked due to us being in a smaller place and I am getting rid of items that I haven't missed.

Thats it for now, but it is sure helping me to weed out items and I will either donate, trash it or sell the unwanted items on craigslist. Isn't moving just swell.

{Webcam}

Here are some images from my webcam - taken this morning...

{Rice Crispy Treats}

(this image isn't mine, found on the web since my treats look about the same)


Ingredients:

* 1/2 cup margarine or butter (I use butter)
* 1 package (16oz) mini marshmallows
* 6 cups of rice cereal (I use which ever is on sale)

Directions:

Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat (I choose the medium setting on my stove between 5 & 6). Add marshmallows and stir constantly until melted. Remove from heat and add the rice cereal. Make sure you get it all coated w/your marshmallow mixture.

Dump into a greased 9x13 pan and either use a sprayed spoon or spray your hands and mash into and around the pan. Cut into squares when cool.

{Banana Bread}

BANANA BREAD
(yields: 1 loaf)

Ingredients:

1 cup walnuts or pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped (optional)

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup granulated white sugar

1 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3 ripe large bananas, mashed well

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the dry ingredients in a medium size bowl. Mix the wet ingredients together in a large bowl. Fold in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Do not over mix or you will end up with rubbery bread.

Spray 9"x5"x3" loaf pan and scrape the mixture into the loaf pan. place on the middle rack and cook for 50 to 60 minuets or until toothpick comes out clean from center of loaf.

Once loaf has finished cooking. Place on wire rack to cool then remove from bread pan. This bread freezes nicely. Serve warm or room temperature.


I made 9 loaves of banana bread today and if you want to use up all those ripe bananas or have found a great deal like I did on over-ripe bananas just double, triple or in my case 9 times the recipe.

{Kittens}

I took the kittens into the vet's this afternoon for their first set of shots. Toby (the orange stripe) is exactly one pound heavier then Sorry (the grey stripe). They did really well at the vets and I was told I can get Toby neutered next month but will have to wait until October or November for Sorry since she is soo much smaller then Toby.

After we got back from the store, I found them on my bed curled up all pretty. I couldn't help but take a few snaps. Enjoy!

{Movie Review}

"City of Ember"

This adventure is set in Ember, a city illuminated only by artificial light. When the city's generator begins to fail, two teens race to solve an ancient mystery and save Ember's citizens from darkness.

This tale is based on Jeanne Duprau's enchanting children's tale.

My Review:

This is a great movie for both adults, teens and families alike. It's full of mystery and action. It was an afterthought added to my netflix queue as I was purusing different family entertainment for my family to watch and I am sure glad I did because not only did I like it but the kids and hubby liked it too. It's Indiana Jones meets Journey to the Center of the Earth. This film is rated PG and is about 2 hours long.

Check it out on your next stop to your video store or in my case local internet movie provider.

{Flower Power}

I had to make a quick run to the store to grab some milk and while I was gone Miss Michelle brought me this beautiful rose in a stunning green vase. They are not your store bought roses with no smell but come from a real live garden and smell so yummy! How did she know I love fresh picked roses!



(I wish they would hurry up with a screen that would let you scratch and sniff, wouldn't that be awesome!)

I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful friend.

{Life}

My life has been good, although I should have listened a bit more and relaxed and rested for the week the doctor told me too. I ended up doing too much yesterday. I figured since It was more then 24 hours later and I felt fine I could get everything done on my list, which included:

* picking up my new-to-ME bed frame in Caldwell
* rearrange my bedroom to accommodate our new bed frame
* get the school shopping done in Nampa
* get replacement paint & miniature stuff in Boise.
* get a new AC since ours crapped out this past week
* get AC hooked up and running right
* get all the clean laundry sorted and put away
* clean kitchen, baths and livingroom
* get kids rooms cleaned
* go grocery shopping

Now I did get the bed frame and with help from my Uncle & William I got the bedroom rearranged. I also got the school shopping done and the paint & miniatures done and before we got home we did pick up a new AC and William hooked it up.

Of course, after all the running around I didn't have the energy to get the laundry sorted or put away (but I did it this morning) or the kitchens, baths or livingroom cleaned let along the kids and forget about shopping for food. Sure I got the food this morning but boy am I still beat.

I am going to be taking it easy and just resting after I go get my dad & his wife. Their car broke down and the kids were looking forward to them being here today for the game. My uncle will take them home so I don't have to make two trips into Meridian today.

I am still depressed and wish things had gone differently but I know it's God's hands and when the time comes for us to have our family be complete it will happen. Thank you all for your warm wishes and words of comfort during this time. It really has helped alot.