And Molly Makes Three....

Nails

2012-01-22T17:45:00.002-06:00

I leave for LA tomorrow and found that to be the perfect excuse for a manicure. Molly went with me and got her nails painted as well. She was a little impatient on the drying time but overall did very well!

Sunset

2012-01-19T16:48:00.002-06:00

This was the view from our deck last night.

Hoops

2012-01-19T16:42:00.002-06:00

MJ is the smallest on his team by far. Most of this season has been spent with him heaving the ball toward the basket and if he's lucky, it might hit the bottom of the net. Tuesday night he had practice and during warm ups he was actually hitting some rim. I told him that he would make a basket that night. Sure enough he did! It was great to hear the cheers from his teammates and the other parents. His coach was pretty amazed too. That's him in the black shirt looking shocked!

Stylish

2012-01-17T10:23:00.002-06:00

Molly has been modeling some *new* outfits this week. She has been growing so fast, it seems like I'm constantly taking the tags off of clothes that I had bought ahead. Here are some from this week.

Molly's Ears

2012-01-17T10:17:00.002-06:00

Recently, Molly has taken an interest in my earrings and has wanted some too. We went to the mall one day and watched another girl get her ears pierced and I explained that if she wanted earrings, that's what she has to do. On Sunday, we were running early for a play date with her friend Leah so I threw out the idea of stopping at Claire's and getting her ears pierced. She was excited about the idea so we went. I was nervous thinking I may have ruined the upcoming play date but Molly was a ROCKSTAR! No tears at all, though you can see she may have been close in the above picture. As soon as she saw her "purple flowers" in the mirror, all pain was forgotten and on to the play date we went!

Blog Withdrawal

2012-01-16T19:52:00.001-06:00

I am having serious blog withdrawal. Laptop is in for repair and a new desktop is due to be delivered Thursday. Lots of exciting pics to share (including the new office which is coming along nicely!). Stay tuned for some new posts soon!

I Want an Office

2012-01-09T10:01:00.002-06:00

When we moved in to this house in 2005, we had an office. It was in the guest room which is now MJ and RJ's bedroom. When MJ was about 1 1/2, I decided to have RJ and MJ share the larger room and started working from home. RJ's room became the guest room and MJ's nursery became my office. Fast forward about 6 months and I am pregnant with Molly. During her pregnancy it became clear that we would be using the guest room (RJ's old room) for her nursery and then having to convert the office (MJ's old nursery) in to the guest room. Whew, did you follow that? So, for 3 years, I have been missing an office. I know there has to be a way to make a 10X10 room a usable space both for my office as well as for overnight guests. I have contemplated a (nicer) futon but have those completely gone out of style? I also considered converting our guest room closet in to an office via Pinterest but I don't know how feasible that would be as well. I welcome any tips or suggestions you can give!

Happy 8th Birthday Ryan!

2012-01-05T19:51:00.003-06:00

L.A. Baby

2012-01-04T08:48:00.004-06:00

In about 2 1/2 weeks, I'm traveling to Los Angelas for work. It's our big annual kickoff which has routinely been in Kansas City (*yawn*) or last year in Minneapolis (-10 in January). Talk about an upgrade! These kickoff's make for long days of meetings but it's also fun catching up with your counterparts from across the country. I wonder if we'll have any brushes with fame? To date I've only had a few including meeting Brad Paisley when I was pregnant with MJ, having lunch next to Steve Zahn in Puerto Rico and of course, DJ Lance Rock.

2012 Resolutions

2011-12-31T17:09:00.002-06:00

I know some people don't believe in resolutions but I find it good to have goals to strive towards during the year. I have slowly been compiling my list over the last few weeks and I think I have some good ideas. In no particular order:

-Clean my car out once a week

-Pray more

-Learn to knit or crochet

-Coupon, Coupon, Coupon

-Run 2-3 times a week

-Drink more water (if I go out to eat, drink one glass of water first and then decide if I need a Diet Coke)

-Back up my computer monthly

-Keep a cleaning schedule

-Make a designated home office

-Eat cleaner

Growing Up Fast

2011-12-29T16:12:00.002-06:00

I think this is going to be a tradition of getting Molly and MJ together on Grammy and Grandpa's bench on Christmas Eve. We've been lucky to snap great pics for two years in a row! Also, I think Molly's catching up to her brother!

Christmas in Review!

2011-12-29T12:00:00.007-06:00

Christmas Eve at Grammy and Grandpa's

Christmas Eve/Morning at Our House

Christmas in Iowa

My technically challanged husband playing with his new Kindle Fire! I think he's figured it out!

Mom, Dad and all the grandkids

My siblings, parents and I

Sorry for the picture overload! After spending Christmas Eve at Bobby's parents, we left our house around noon on Christmas day, made a whirlwind tour to southeast Iowa, followed by St. Louis then back home on Wednesday. I'm finally sitting down to upload pictures. It was a wonderful holiday surrounded by family and the kids loved everything they received (and sometimes fought over what their siblings got!)

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T21:05:00.001-06:00

Christmas Product Rave

2011-12-24T10:18:00.002-06:00

On a whim I ordered a Lego Advent Calendar around Thanksgiving. For my Lego lover, this was a great investment. Every day he would look forward to opening a new door to further complete his 'scene'. Today he opened his last day and to his excitement it was a Santa with a chimney. I think this will be an annual tradition for sure.

Gingerbread Men and House 2011

2011-12-23T16:40:00.002-06:00

Cozy

2011-12-22T19:37:00.000-06:00

New Ornaments

2011-12-20T18:15:00.002-06:00

I stopped by Kohl's to buy a gift card and found their ornaments to be 70% off. Realizing that I hadn't bought the obligatory annual ornaments for my family, I took this discount to my advantage. I decided to make a little more fun and wrap one up for each kid and allow them to open and hang them on the tree. Matthew and Ryan each got light up snowmen with their names on them. 'Molly' was not offered in the snowman style so she got Dora the Explorer which was also a hit.

Christmas Party

2011-12-18T16:13:00.003-06:00

Last night we had our annual Jones family Christmas Party. Though we can't pinpoint exactly when we started hosting this event, we think it was approximately seven years ago. Once again we had a wonderful turnout and it's always great to be surrounded by our friends and family this time of year! We had to improvise in the basement this year, RJ broke our old tv (accidently kicking it) a couple of weeks ago so we brought our bedroom tv downstairs for the evening.

Our Visit With Santa

2011-12-17T10:45:00.001-06:00

Holiday Baking-Done!

2011-12-16T18:03:00.007-06:00

For the record, this year consisited of:

Caramel Munchie Mix (Caramel Chex Mix)

6 Dozen Decorated Sugar Cookies

White Bark Pretzles
Peanut Butter Dipped Cookies

Fudge

My Little Basketball Player

2011-12-16T18:00:00.003-06:00

Two games in, I don't think my little number 14 has touched the ball with the exception of throwing it in from out of bounds. He plays awesome defense though and looks good out there on the floor!

Christmas Card

2011-12-16T17:55:00.003-06:00

Once again, for those of you in my blog family who may not have received a physical card, from our family to yours, Merry Christmas!

Holiday Party

2011-12-12T12:23:00.002-06:00

Saturday night I had my holiday party for work. I'm really disappointed in how the group picture turned out but a fun time was had by all. This was the first time we had met most of the spouses of our coworkers and we found a funny common attribute. Most of my coworkers are women and we can be pretty loud and outgoing (Type A anyone?!) ALL of the spouses were very quiet and introverted. My friend (and coworker) Ashleigh and I determined that opposites must really do attract and that we need someone to balance out our craziness!

Sharing a Good Book

2011-12-08T09:00:00.000-06:00

Take 2

2011-12-08T08:55:00.001-06:00

Molly said "Take another picture of me and Hannah". And so I did.

MJ Chandler

2011-12-05T19:21:00.002-06:00

MJ has me on the verge of pulling my hair out today so I thought I'd post something that makes me smile. He has a beautiful natural smile but struggles on putting on a good "posed" smile. Reminds me of an episode of "Friends".

A Girl and Her Dog

2011-12-03T12:42:00.001-06:00

Picture Perfect

2011-12-03T08:33:00.004-06:00

As many of you know, I don't cook for the presentation. My creations typically taste pretty decent but the visual leaves a little to be desired. This morning I made homemade monkey bread and I almost gasped when it came out of the pan. It looked beautiful! Tasted yummy too!

Dear Santa....

2011-12-02T16:38:00.002-06:00

9 Years!

2011-12-01T20:36:00.003-06:00

Yesterday Bobby and I celebrated our 9th anniversary. His parents watched the kids while we went down to the Plaza, took in the lights and had a delicious dinner at P.F. Changs. It's amazing to see where 9 years has taken us. I can bet that on that November day in 2002 those two young newlyweds would have never fathomed the road we were to travel and the parenting obstacles we were to overcome.

I can't help but think of statistics as our marriage continues to be strong. Not only do many everyday marriages end in divorce but once you factor in a special needs child, the statistics increase measurably. I know we may face additional challenges, especially as RJ ages but I am proud of where we've come and thankful to have a loving partner by my side through it all.

(*this picture is from a couple of months after we started dating, we were just a couple of kids!)

Dudley's Back!

2011-11-27T20:10:00.003-06:00

Our Elf arrived back at our house the day after Thanksgiving. All it's taken is a few reminders that "Dudley's watching..." for the kids to be on their best behavior!

Santa Came to Town!

2011-11-27T20:07:00.003-06:00

Yesterday I heard sirens in our neighborhood. Alarmed I looked out the window and saw a police car announcing the arrival of Santa on his converted bus 'sleigh'. Santa sat with each child, listened to their wish list and gave each a small toy. We didn't know this was coming so it was a great surprise! (Unfortunately, RJ was napping at the time)

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-26T11:05:00.002-06:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with lots of delicious food (thanks Mom!) Mom and Dad and my sister and her family all left this morning. My sister and I ventured out Thanksgiving night for some pre-Black Friday shopping and came away with a couple of bargains.

Big Helpers

2011-11-21T19:19:00.002-06:00

With company set to arrive tomorrow, I opted to get our Christmas decor out tonight and decorate the tree. The kids loved it! I had a plethora of ornaments at eye level for a 2-5 year old. I spread them out a little but not too much. I'm really looking forward to Christmas this year!

Molly's Big Girl Bed

2011-11-20T19:58:00.004-06:00

Tonight we put up the daybed for Molly. We really were in no rush to get her out of the toddler bed but the daybed was taking up room in our garage. It is actually the bed I had as a kid so it's a little nostalgic to see it in my daughter's room. It seems like just yesterday we took down her crib.

Tall Girl

2011-11-18T09:14:00.001-06:00

I took RJ to the doctor yesterday to have his ears looked at. While we were there, I had them measure Molly as she is currently growing out of her 3T's rather quickly. My suspicions were confirmed as she is 39.5"!

Spirit Week

2011-11-17T11:18:00.002-06:00

It's Spirit Week again this week at school. Today way "Nerd Day".

Sick Household

2011-11-17T11:02:00.002-06:00

As I mentioned MJ had the stomach flu last weekend. I had thought (wished!) the rest of us were in the clear. RJ got sent home from school with a fever yesterday and Molly got sick about 7 last night. Both are almost back to normal today and I am thankful for short-lived illnesses!

Well Crap!

2011-11-15T09:45:00.002-06:00

While I was gone a package arrived in the mail consisting of personalized books for MJ from Santa. Bobby not knowing what to be expecting let MJ open the package! When I heard about the error I played it up to MJ that since he's been such a good boy recently that Santa must have sent him a present early! MJ was ecstatic and wrote Santa a letter as pictured above. "Dear Santa, Thanks for the books and And Santa, please bring me a DSi" A DSi?! Crap!

Where Have I Been?

2011-11-15T09:35:00.002-06:00

I always go through blog withdrawal when other blogs I follow go through a hiatus. It's been a week since I've posted! Things have been busy in Kansas City. Last week was full of sales meetings, the weekend involved a trip to Des Moines to do some Christmas shopping with my mom, sister and sister-in-law and yesterday I had a sick boy at home. When he was feeling a little better we made a Christmas chain to count down the 41 days until Christmas. Rich Jr. and I used to make one every year as kids and it's something I want my kids to do too. It feels good to be back to blogging!

Yummy Review

2011-11-07T18:15:00.002-06:00

Tonight we tried Cheezie's Pizza for supper. They are known for their $4.99 large pepperoni or cheese pizza but have other toppings available. I purchased two pizzas due to the cheap price but really could have easily gotten by with one. The best part? They have a drive-thru! We may have to rotate this in to our Tuesday night Happy Meal schedule. At $4.99 it's even cheaper that 3 happy meals!

Yo Gabba Gabba Live!

2011-11-06T17:23:00.003-06:00

It was everything I had hoped it would be and more. RJ was so excited to see the show, wanted "Mo-Mo" during intermission and all of the kids had a wonderful time. We had the opportunity to meet all of the characters afterwards and MJ and Molly even got to go onstage during the show! The crowning moment was a family picture with DJ Lance Rock.

Finished the Ruckus KC!

2011-11-05T11:16:00.002-05:00

BEFORE

AFTER

Wow! What an experience! It really was fun but pretty grueling. I decided that if was able to do that once a week, I would be in great shape!

I'm Insane

2011-11-04T16:15:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow I am participating in the Ruckus Kansas City. This is essentially a 3 mile obstacle course with mud pits, monkey bars, rope nets and many other *fun* activities to overcome. I initially signed up to participate back in August when it would be nice and warm and a swim through muddy water would be nice and refreshing but they opted to postpone it due to the excessive heat Kansas City was experiencing at the time. I am doing this with two of my high school basketball buddies so at least I won't be suffering alone!

Trick or Treat

2011-11-01T08:46:00.001-05:00

Can't Wait

2011-10-31T12:25:00.003-05:00

As I've mentioned before RJ is the world's biggest Yo Gabba Gabba fan. He has a Brobee backpack, sleeps with a Brobee pillow and blanket and "Gabba" is one of the few words he can actually say. I had the opportunity to join the "YGG" Street Team which basically involved me spreading the word of the upcoming show. I got an e-mail last week stating that they are giving our entire family tickets to the show this Sunday plus we get to meet the characters! If anyone remembers our Disney trip last year and the joy RJ felt when he met the characters there, you can only imagine what it will be like when he meets Brobee up close and personal. I can't wait!

Pumpking Carving

2011-10-27T09:39:00.002-05:00

The kids did a decent job getting the guts out this year. RJ especially enjoyed it! I must say my right arm is a little sore this morning though.

Compromise

2011-10-25T22:08:00.003-05:00

Molly has been having a terrible time going to sleep at night. It's exactly what MJ went through 3 years ago. Tonight was an exceptionally rough night. Finally, I asked her if she would like me to make her a bed on her floor. It worked.

Thoughts and Prayers Needed

2011-10-25T20:47:00.003-05:00

MJ's teacher had surgery last week and is having a difficult recovery. She is a wonderful person in addition to being a great teacher (she's was RJ's teacher the last two years). Please keep her in your thoughts for a speedy recovery. This is the 'Get Well' card MJ made her tonight.

Haunted House

2011-10-24T19:18:00.003-05:00

The kids made a haunted cookie house tonight. Didn't look exactly like the picture on the box but they enjoyed it nonetheless!

Halloween Preview

2011-10-23T19:23:00.003-05:00

We were invited to a Halloween party last night so the kids got to try out their costumes. Pretty cute if you ask me.

Floor Sleeper

2011-10-21T08:54:00.002-05:00

A couple of nights ago, I opened the door to Molly's room to find her asleep like this. She's just like her mom and likes to sleep with her head under the covers!

Kindergarten Musical

2011-10-19T10:40:00.002-05:00

MJ had his first official school performance last night. He's battling a little cough which seemed to distract him a bit but otherwise, he did great! Though the pictures in the gym are horrible (anyone know how to photograph in florescent lighting?), I was able to snap a couple of cute ones of him with a couple of his classmate buddies.

Fried Green Tomatoes Anyone?

2011-10-17T11:47:00.003-05:00

With the forecasted frost tonight and the rest of this week, it was recommended I pick the remainder of the tomatoes in my garden and let them ripen inside. It makes me sad to pick them prematurely but I would be much more sad if they were ruined by frost. I did leave the ones that were much smaller (golf ball size and below) on the vine. I'm going to chance covering them with blankets and see if I can get a little more growth out of them.

Monday Morning Quiz

2011-10-17T07:42:00.002-05:00

Which part of Molly's outfit did she put on herself this morning?

A) The tutu

B) The mismatched princess shoes

C) The Sweater Coat

D) All of the above

Molly the Singer

2011-10-16T15:04:00.001-05:00

Our Saturday

2011-10-16T07:19:00.002-05:00

We built a tent

Naps were taken

Chilled on the couch with Hannah

Had a movie night watching "Wizard of Oz"

A pretty good Saturday if you ask me!

Meal Plan 10/15-10/29

2011-10-15T10:05:00.003-05:00

Saturday 10/15-Tortilla Wraps & Boneless Wings

Sunday 10/16-Tacos, Rice

Monday 10/17-Bowtie Lasagna

Tuesday 10/18-Happy Meal Night

Wednesday 10/19-Crockpot Beef Stew

Thursday 10/20-Leftovers

Friday 10/21-Homemade Pizza

Saturday 10/22-Artichoke Bread / Halloween Party at Neighbors

Sunday 10/23-Roast with potatoes and roasted green beans

Monday 10/24-Broccoli Cheese Soup

Tuesday 10/25-Happy Meal Night

Wednesday 10/26-Spaghetti

Thursday 10/27-Leftovers

Friday 10/28-Cheeseburger Soup

Saturday 10/29-Football Food

Product Review

2011-10-13T19:25:00.003-05:00

I picked up some Sally Hansen Crackle nail polish the other day. I was curious on how it worked and how it would look. Here is the result of the silver topcoat over a plum base. Very easy to apply and an interesting result. Maybe not for every day but definitely a fun way to accessorize. Seemingly appropriate for the Halloween season.

My Bargain!

2011-10-10T17:48:00.002-05:00

It is a well known fact that our plaid living room furniture has seen better days. We bought the couch and loveseat 9 years ago, the month after we got married. The chair was my Grandma's which she bought when I was my kids' age I think. I had been looking for new furniture and stumbled upon this while looking for something else on Craigslist. It is in absolutely perfect condition and for about 1/5 to 1/4 of the price of a new couch. Thank you Bob for helping me pick it up! Now we just need to sell our furniture and recruit someone to bring this one in the house!

Fall Festival

2011-10-09T18:27:00.004-05:00

Whew! What a weekend! We headed to Keosauqua for their annual Fall Festival. MJ and Molly enjoyed seeing their cousins, attending a parade, jumping in the leaves, making (and eating) s'mores and climbing in their fair share of trees. Tonight we've already had baths and they have their jammies on. I think they'll hit the sack early tonight!

No More Pappies

2011-10-05T14:52:00.003-05:00

Miss Molly is giving up her pacifier(s). She had to go to the doctor to get a flu shot so we decided to take advantage of all of the babies in the waiting room. She presented the nurse with her bag of pappies to give to "all the other babies". She left without tears and was happy to pick out her present for being such a big girl. If all works out as planned, this will be a good 6 months before MJ did.

It's October

2011-10-02T12:49:00.002-05:00

Time to break out the Halloween garb.

Two of My 'Lil Tigers

2011-10-01T08:56:00.001-05:00

Cramming

2011-09-29T21:16:00.002-05:00

Kindergarten homework is exhausting....

Wacky Wednesday

2011-09-28T08:55:00.004-05:00

It's Spirit Week at school and today is "Wacky Wendesday". This is about as wacky as these Jones boys get.

RJ's Ready for Bed

2011-09-26T19:35:00.002-05:00

He's becoming more and more independent!

Welcome Home!

2011-09-25T21:57:00.002-05:00

As I mentioned, my parents have been traveling in Germany for the past 3 weeks. They are back on American soil and I'm thrilled!

Recipe Suggestion

2011-09-25T21:56:00.002-05:00

I made these for lunch today. Super easy and DELICIOUS!

1st Sleepover

2011-09-23T21:59:00.002-05:00

The first playdate and an excellant week at school has resulted in MJ earning his first sleepover buddy. So far, it's gone very smoothly!

Happy Friday

2011-09-23T07:04:00.002-05:00

Just a cute pic from a festival we went to a couple of weeks ago.

Sad Week

2011-09-22T11:40:00.003-05:00

It's been a sad week for us. We received news that Bobby grandma, "Grammish" passed away suddenly. She was just in Kansas City to visit last month and really was the picture of who I want to be when I'm 84. She was active, traveled to see her great grandkids, played Bingo and cooked a mean New England Clam Chowder. Though it's harder on the ones left to mourn, I consider it a blessing that she didn't suffer and I'm thankful that we were able to see her just recently one last time. ~Rest in Peach Great Grammish~

MJ's First Playdate

2011-09-18T20:15:00.002-05:00

Since starting Kindergarten, we've heard the names of several new friends that MJ plays with at recess. We recently learned that one of them lives three doors down. I walked MJ down to his house this evening to see if S wanted to play. It was wet outside so the play date consisted of challenging each other to a little MarioKart but a good time was had by all.

New Hat

2011-09-16T20:46:00.002-05:00

Tonight we took the kids to another local festival. It was a short stay but we wanted to stop by our friend Jenni's booth to support her new business. I purchased several items for Molly including this hat...purple of course. Check out her poor nose. She took a sidewalk dive at daycare yesterday.

Roller Skating Brothers

2011-09-15T08:29:00.002-05:00

Sorry for the bad pic but it was too cute not to post. The boys' school PTO had a roller skating fundraiser Tuesday night and they had a blast....so did I. It's been 16 years since I roller skated so I'm thrilled I am not on crutches.

I'm Thankful

2011-09-15T08:26:00.002-05:00

This morning we were able to Facetime with my parents. They are on a trip in Germany and for someone who talks to her mom 3+ times a day, I had been going through major withdrawal. It was 7:50 our time and almost 3 their time so it worked out perfectly. I love technology!

Where are you?!

2011-09-14T07:18:00.001-05:00

I'm reading for my pumpkin spice coffee creamer. Where are you?!

My New Time Suck

2011-09-09T20:47:00.002-05:00

Do you Pinterest? I'm now obsessed! If you do, let me know your link so I can follow you!

Missing in Action

2011-09-09T20:38:00.002-05:00

Where has this week gone?! Labor day was Monday, Curriculum Night was Tuesday, Wednesday I went to Lawrence, KS, yesterday and today I was in all day sales meetings for work, last night was MJ's first football game (see pics of #88 above, they won!) and tonight and all weekend, I'm working a thirty-one booth at the GV Fair. Whew! I need another holiday!

Labor Day Weekend

2011-09-05T19:45:00.001-05:00

Midwest Possibility

2011-09-04T09:18:00.002-05:00

So this made me laugh. Obviously the extended forecast on our local news station is wrong...but for those in the midwest know, not completely out of the realm of possibility.

End of Summer

2011-09-04T09:13:00.002-05:00

Here is a pic of the boys waiting for the bus last week with fresh haircuts. I am loving the fact that the weather is cooling off after labor day. Makes it seem like fall really is on it's way. I just hope it stays!

My Wednesday

2011-09-02T09:19:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I drove approximately 7 hours, 400 miles for 1 regular appointment and 1 lunch appointment. Granted, they both turned out great but I am exhausted!

Baking My Way to Autumn

2011-08-30T15:18:00.002-05:00

Have I mentioned I'm willing it to be fall? Today I'm willing it through pumpkin bars with cream cheese icing...

Sick Baby

2011-08-30T13:36:00.004-05:00

Molly Gail Jones is home again today. Fever and sore throat (though the fever seems to be on it's way out). I hate having her sick but I love the mommy and Molly time. I think you can tell in her eyes that she doesn't feel good.

Ready to Swim

2011-08-27T18:08:00.003-05:00

Just in time for Halloween

2011-08-27T18:07:00.001-05:00

#2 Tooth is out!

MJ's 1st Scrimmage

2011-08-25T20:19:00.001-05:00

At least he looks the part!

My First Shows

2011-08-24T16:19:00.002-05:00

I joined thirty-one back on July 20th. Since then I have had two shows. One vendor-type show at the high school for teachers and my first home show on Monday. I have to say, though I wasn't too nervous on Monday, I wasn't sure how it would go. Though it was a great learning experience, I still couldn't help but be a little disappointed in the lack of orders that resulted. I checked my e-mail today to find someone from that party asking what it takes to become a consultant. Just when I thought nothing would come of it, something good happens. It totally made my day!

Family Night at the Royals

2011-08-20T21:47:00.003-05:00

We were fortunate enough to be on the recipient end of a generous organization. This particular organization buys several tickets in the handicapped areas of stadiums or arenas and then gives them free of charge to families who have disabled family members. Someone suggested our family as a recipient and we had one of the best family outings we've ever had. The seats were wonderful, the kids were amazing and we even stayed in our seats until the top of the 8th. The best part? RJ walked in to the game by himself for the first time!

1st Day of School 2011!

2011-08-17T10:12:00.004-05:00

A Couple of MJ Pics

2011-08-16T14:59:00.002-05:00

Product Rave

2011-08-16T11:51:00.001-05:00

Love Love Love this Gum!

Iowa State Fair..Part Two

2011-08-15T09:56:00.003-05:00

While walking in to the fair with MJ, Molly and my brother, I started this conversation with MJ. "What would you do if you got lost here at the fair?" We went through the scenarios and what he should do. It's one of those conversations that you have with your kids but never expect them to have to actually use. Yesterday afternoon MJ got lost at the fair. Really lost. So lost that we had the stage performers announce the fact we had a missing child. Though I started calm, I was soon in frantic, hyperventilating tears. Every time during my search that I would run in to one of my family members who still hadn't found him, panic set in even more. Eventually (20-30 minutes later) someone saw me in my state of hysteria and asked if I was missing a little boy. They then sent me to the fire station where I found my baby safe and sound. He had the wherewith all to go up to an older couple and tell him he was lost. They took him to the fire station and waited with him until I got there. I ran to him as fast as I could and he looked at me and asked "Mom, why are you crying?" I kept him home with me today.

The Iowa State Fair...Part One

2011-08-15T09:14:00.003-05:00

This weekend we went to Des Moines to visit family and hit Prairie Meadows and the Iowa State Fair. Molly had a bit of a cold and was uncharicteristicly cranky but overall it was a great weekend....until Sunday afternoon.... More to come.

Fallish Weather Today!

2011-08-10T07:36:00.002-05:00

It was originally supposed to be 77 and now they're calling for 72 and rain. All of my kids are wearing jeans and I'm happy.

Football Season

2011-08-09T20:59:00.002-05:00

MJ has his first flag football practice tonight. Baseball season was rocky from day one but I'm happy to report that MJ really shined tonight. Maybe he's found his sport of choice. His favorite part? Molding his new blue mouth guard.

Poor Hannah

2011-08-09T12:26:00.002-05:00

Every fall Hannah gets the itchies. This year it has progressed to a pretty inflamed "hot spot". She had an unpleasant visit to the vet and now looks a little more like a baboon than a golden retriever, bare rear and all. She got some steroids, some antibiotics and $155 later, she's as good as new...almost.

Booked! April 2012

2011-08-08T15:09:00.002-05:00

We will be taking our 10 year anniversary cruise on the exact same ship we took our honeymoon cruise on. Can't wait!

Meal Plan 8/6-8/20

2011-08-05T10:57:00.003-05:00

Saturday 8/6: Fajitas

Sunday 8/7: Lasagna with Garlic Bread

Monday 8/8: Leftovers

Tuesday 8/9: Happy Meal Night

Wednesday 8/10: Chicken Enchiladas

Thursday 8/11: Leftovers

Friday 8/12: French Dip Sandwiches

Saturday 8/13: Des Moines

Sunday 8/14: Corn Dogs, Funnel Cake, Guinea Grinders (aka Iowa State Fair)

Monday 8/15: Cheesey Chicken, Bacon and Rice Soup

Tuesday 8/16: Happy Meal Night

Wednesday 8/17: Chicken Marsala with Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Thursday 8/18: Leftovers

Friday 8/19: Pizza

Saturday 8/20: Crock pot Nachos