Bucket Babe

Tonight we went to a dinner event at our church for those who have worked with the children's ministry or youth. It was called Ovations and I was given an award officially entitled, "Bucket Babe."

Won't my Momma be proud! :-)

Before your mind wanders to what this title could mean, let me explain. Each week buckets are made up of supplies needed for Sunday morning for the kids ministry. I did this for the Firstlook group {4, 5 and 6 year olds) before my foot got broken. So there you go, nothing provocative, just a name they gave it.

June is the month I jump back into working with these kids. They are a lot of fun and I have missed them while being in the cast/boot. It was nice to be thought of but Bucket Babes? I need to give that more thought and maybe come up with something new:-). Got any suggestions?

This will be my PoTD. It's not that often I get called a Bucket Babe! {oh that is so laughable!}

5.31.09 MTD

It occurs to me as I examine our empty nest, that preparing for it, in some ways, begins the minute the child leaves the womb.

- Charlene Ann Baumbich

Added music

Music has always been a big part of my life. Well until I had kids, then it slowed down to the tunes of kids praise cd's and the GoFishGuys. I grew up listening to Christian music mostly. It speaks to me still today even though I don't keep up with it like I should. Luckily I have a great Christian station here in the area and a husband who has XM radio and keeps me current.

So, I added music to my blog. Just five tunes that I like that have special meaning to me.

Baby Baby - by Amy Grant, been a fan for years, it was her big mainstream hit, reminds me of my girls. Art made videos of their first year to this song and it is my ringtone on my cell phone. I can always be found dancing to it while at home :-).

Stand - somewhat recent song from Michael W. Smith. Another great artist I grew up with. I have always liked him, his talent with the piano. One of mine and Art's favorites of his is the instrumental and Christmas cd's. Just beautiful. His music, certain songs inspire me and encourage me with my walk with Christ.

Somewhere over the Rainbow - Iz, a well known Hawaiian artist that Art and I found on our first trip to Hawaii for our ten year anniversary. Everywhere you went he was playing, we fell in love, purchased a cd and listened to it one of our nights there on the beach. It was dark, no rainbows in sight but listening to it made it feel sunny and bright. I will always remember that night, sitting there listening to him and in the background the waves crashing in, in the arms of Art. Surreal moment.

I Need You To Love Me - Going back to a Christian Artist, Barlow Girl. I wouldn't probably know as much of this group if I didn't have nieces that introduced me to them. This song speaks to me on those down times when I need God to love me, I beg him to love me. We all have those moments, times of need when we cry out.

Today is the Day - by Lincoln Brewster. A pick me up, get me going to my day song. How can you not bob your head to this song, tap your feet, dance with hands held high, praising God. I love dancing with my girls to this song. Today is the day, oh Oh OH OH!

So I hope you enjoy my picks. They might change from time to time, depending on my likes and mood. Enjoy the nest mix :-P!

Sweet three

We celebrated Sarah's 3rd birthday today {better late than never} with the family party.

This is her Dora cake which she loved. It was her one wish for her party to have a pink and orange cake. My friend from MOPS made this incredible cake, perfect as usual.

I cut out a bunch of number 3's on my cricut and put them around the house with pink and orange streamers and balloons. The girls were eager to help.
Here's the party girl loving every moment of her sweet day.

Sarah showing off her big 3 with Daddy.

Opening presents.

Ready to blow! {thanks for the pic Aunt Lisa}

Family gone, made a trip to the sandbox to try out some new toys, then a bath.
We ended it all with a party tradition. We released the balloons up into the air, freshly bathed and in our new pajamas from Uncle Gale, Aunt Lisa and Jada.

We stood at the end of the drive watching as they got smaller, saying goodbye to them and another birthday.

Happy Sweet Three Sarah!

5.30.09 MTD

This is the day tha the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

- Psalm 118:24

Potty humor

Sarah has been doing so well on potty training that I've been affectionately calling her my "big potty girl." She loves it when I call her that.

Today her Daddy was teasing her calling her silly girl and she matter of factly said back to him, "No, I Sarah Kaqueen Sanderson BIG Potty Girl" {emphasis on the big}.

Funny now, not so funny when she announces it to her teachers at church. Explain that one :-).

Brief moment

I got some of this, this afternoon while the girls played in their sandbox. It was nice to sit and relax for a brief moment.

Sarah's family birthday party is tomorrow. We have both sides coming to help us celebrate our three year old. She and her sister have both been bouncing off the walls all day. They can't wait.

We are all looking forward to relaxing with family. God is good to give us this.

5.29.09 MTD

A wedding is the beginning of the celebration of new life together. Marriage is the continuation - the knitting together of two hearts over a lifetime.

- Becky Wiese

K-Day Countdown!

The countdown has begun on the big K-Day!

49 days until Peanut goes to Kindergarten

Tic Toc.....

ABC's of me

Found this on the internet and thought I would do my own version. I challenge you to do it too!

A - Age: 38
B - Bed size: Queen, Art would rather have a king but I like the closeness :-)
C - Chore you hate: Laundry, well at least putting it away. That's where I always seem to stop.
D - Dog's name: Are you kidding? I Have enough little ones to take care of.
E - Essential start your day item: Orange Juice, Juice plus pills
F - Favorite color: Yellow, bright, brings hope
G - Gold or Silver: Silver but I do have a gold wedding ring which I love
H - Height: 5'6"
I - Instruments you play(ed): Piano
J - Job title: SAHM of two little girls, wife, sister, daughter, friend - the most important jobs
K - Kid(s): Grace Marie (5) and Sarah Kathleen (3)
L - Living arrangements: Atrium ranch we built almost two years ago. We love that everything is on one level.
M - Mom's name: Kathleen
N - Nicknames: Ny, NSN, Obnob
O - Overnight hospital stay: 2 times, both with c-sections
P - Pet Peeve: Vain people and how they react to the fact that I have no tan, never will!
Q - Quote from a movie: "You got to pucker your lips, like dis {smooch}" - from The Little Mermaid, Sebastian
R - Right or left handed: Right
S - Siblings: Kristine, Janene and Kendall
T - Time you wake up: These days, whenever my kids do, between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m. My alarm is the pitter patter of their feet running down the hall to our room.
U- Underwear: What kind of question is this? Pass!
V - Vegetable you dislike: Corn (I know wierd), you won't find it in my house.
W - Ways you run late: living out the country I tend to forget the commute and the time it takes to go from here to there.
X - X-rays you've had: teeth, knee, most recently my broken left foot - just two weeks ago in fact.
Y - Your favorite piece of clothing: Sweat pants or my favorite pair of jeans.
Z - Zoo favorite: Penguins and Elephants. Both are loved by my girls and bring funny stories to mind. Has to do with them getting splashed and wet.

Jeff

Happy Birthday to the first one inducted into our family by marriage. Boy you are a brave man :-). You fit in well with your love for laughter and family.

You are to me:

The best Manager I've ever had. Working with you at Mickey D's was the best!

My friend. Fun, energetic, good listener.

Shortly after you became my manager you became my brother-in-law. That was a great day!

You are a fellow fan of Amy Grant. Even when the world was hard on her, you were still a fan alongside me.

Disney aficionado. You know it all and are a big help when planning a trip.

Lover of life. Always ready for the next adventure.

Godly man who prays for his family.

Brother. After all these years you have become close to me as my brother.

I love you Jeff. Have a super day!

5.28.09 MTD

Are you feeling guilty about the dust in your house? Are you afraid that, like glue, it's holding things in place? Remember, the dust will still be there while your babies will not.

- Pam Kruswicki

Fear

You would think as you mature in age, fear would become something that was easier to deal with. Not true when you become a parent.

The past couple of weeks, off and on Grace has been waking up, crying, not wanting to go back to bed or be alone. She says she's afraid. We're not sure where it is coming from but I do know it is a natural part of being a kid. I remember having fears when I was little. I feared death. I feared thunder. I take comfort in hearing my sisters tell stories about when their kids were Grace's age, their issues. Makes me feel better about my own situation and to know it will pass with reassurance and love.

This is part of our solution. A mulitude of friends sleeping with her to help her feel less alone.

These plus two other night lights help as well.

Part of me wonders if it has to do with school ending. She really misses her friends. I can try to diagnose and worry about it until it consumes me. All I really need to do is pray. Pray that God will help her through her fears now and the ones to come.

I had my own fear the other night, proof that being an adult does not make you immune to it. I had a very disturbing dream that Grace was taken away from us and given to another family. That was it. I woke up sweating and wanting to run to her room to check on her. Luckily she came to me shortly after I woke up. She cuddled with me in bed like we do these summer mornings. I hugged her extra tight this a.m. as we talked about our day. I said a thankful prayer as she laid there. The fear was gone.

Easy bake fun

Grace and I pulled out her Easy Bake Oven today. Every kid should give this a try. It was easier than I thought it would be. The hardest part was the waiting, Grace is like her Momma,

lacking in patience :-). Loving the end result.

{thanks Aunt Lisa and Jada}

Favorite things {hearth}

I'm sharing a few of my favorite things from our hearth room. It is off the kitchen, bright with lots of windows so it sees alot of use year round. This room attracted me to this house plan.

Fell in love with this wicker chair from Pier 1.

It was their display, had some damage and they were ready to get rid of it.

All it needed was a little work and some stain.

I got it for $125, not bad since it was originally $275.

Trumpet we found on eBay for nothing.

Art put a hanger on it and it became part of the decor on the wall.

Art used to play trombone and trumpet in school.

He worked hard cleaning it up, it was filthy.

Love the results of his labor.

Area rug I got from Home Depot. Loved the colors, perfect for the room.

We are lovers of antiques. This one is personal and came out of my Grandma Evea's attic. Art refinished it, took parts from another one we found and cleaned it up. It has a history.

Love seat, comfy and perfect size for the room.

Lamp my mom found at a garage sale. She thought we would love it, we do.

F-A-M-I-L-Y blocks on the mantle.

Basket that the builder of this house gave us. Perfect color match for the room and great for keeping favorite books in and my old teddy bear.
Angel. Got her from Gordmans I think. She is plain and has an innocence about her.
My girls like her.
Checker board that Art made in junior high wood shop.

5.27.09 MTD

God, help me today to see my children through your eyes.
- Ric Hardison

Okay, last potty training update

I promise!

Last night at 2:30 Sarah woke us up crying. Art went in to check on her since it would take the "Hobbler" {me} awhile to get there.

Get this, she had to go potty! She had a diaper on but still insisted she go on the potty. 2:30 a.m. in the morning folks! I laid there trying to hear her through the monitor, which I couldn't and then I heard a flush. I was a little dumbfounded, it couldn't be her, had to be Art, right?!? I had to giggle as Art dropped back into bed, telling the tale.

First thing this a.m. she was up, ready to potty again. No if''s, and's or but's! She was ready, watch out world my girl is bound and determined to be diaper free!

{I grin.... so proud}

Tutu heaven!

Have this incredible friend who is always thinking of my girls.

She sent these to us today in the mail. All the way from California.

Ange, you are totally amazing and they LOOOOOOUUUUVVVEEE them!

Sarah sporting her new tutu after a bath.Grace doing her dance pose for you (she ran to put on the leotard that matches as soon as I opened the package). Oh yes, she loves all things dance :-).

Even Hello Kitty and Sophia got in the action.

Thank you Ange, their smiles say it all.

Do you have cooties?

We do and my girls love playing with them.

I meant the game ya'll!

Remember getting cooties was the worst thing that could happen to you in your young years.

Different kind of cooties huh?

These guys are welcome anytime.

Aren't they cute?

She was super proud of her creations and had to have Daddy take a picture knowing I would want to see these {I was at the scrapbooking store ahhhh...}. Close up of the little critters!
Love the one with the buck teeth :-).

5.26.09 MTD

As moms we often say no to our children's requests because it might inconvenience us.

Say yes and create memories instead.

- Angie Perschall

Memorial Day

A day of remembering. That's what I was taught about Memorial Day. I have to say that this day has fallen into the category of "three day weekend" or "one more day at the lake" like most of the world sees it. I am as guilty as the next.

This year we are at home and I wanted to take a moment and not forget to remember. So today I will remember those who have gone before me leaving a legacy of love, faith and love of country:

Grandpa Perry

great smile and laugh, always had a candy bar, I get my red hair from him:-)

Grandma Grace

warm, tender, strong, creative and smart

Grandpa Jim

I never got to meet him, I was a baby when he died. But I hear stories, he lives on in my Dad

Grandma Evea

talented, warm, great laugh, a hugger, best apple cobbler and chicken and dumplings

Papaw Jess

he was a big guy, tall and broad in stature, handsome, fun and a teaser

Uncle Larry

unmistakeable laugh, full of joy and mischief, arms wide open for a hug and even though I wasn't in his life on an everyday basis, just knowing he is not with us is hard to accept

I will also remember those who have fought and still fighting for my freedom. Art's Dad fought in World War II and to this day still struggles when talking about it. He lost alot of friends. He loves his country and it still shows today. Thank you for your service.

Happy Memorial Day.

5.25.09 MTD

Being the parent means teaching your child to obey. That is not being cruel. It is being biblical.

- Kendra Smiley

Random things of the week

I must say this week has been busy even with most of the days planned at home. I've gotten alot done around the house from cleaning to clearing out things we don't use. Now I need to get those things to the nearest goodwill. That's on my list for next week.

I am proud to say that I only heard the "B" word {Bored}once this week. That's an accomplishment for our household since my girls love to throw it around alot. So what will I do next week? Some of it will be preparing for Sarah's birthday party. I'm hoping to have friends over, maybe go to the lake and build a big sand castle with Grace and Sarah. I will map it out sometime today. Having a plan last week was very helpful and I am a list person :-).

One thing I pulled up from the basement that has provided endless fun and help in the potty training department is this easel. Grace got some new chalk from her Sunday school teacher and was excited to use it. Grace and I would draw and entertain Sarah as she sat on the potty, waiting. Here is one of Grace's creations. A portrait of our family.

I'm not the only one working hard around here. Art has tackled two projects this week in his down time. These are projects he's put off for awhile. He just refinished our kitchen table and I have to say I love the outcome. He took it from a honey oak look to this -

I love the darker color on top and the black base. We purchased black bar stools when we moved into this house and wanted to refinish the table and chairs ever since to match. It looks great, I can hardly wait until he has the chairs done too! I'll have to post a completed pic when it is done.

His second project we started last year but struggled to get it finished with "life" happening. We have a play area in the backyard that we have boxed in. Our plan is to fill it in with gravel, eventually. We had also boxed off in this area a new sand box. Our girls currently were using this small lady bug as their sand box and while it worked for many years, they were outgrowing it.

So this is Daddy's solution. Huge isn't it. Even Mom and Dad can get in now! Art has been digging, lining it with roof shingles and some of that black flower bed liner to keep things from coming up like grass. The girls LOVE it and love that they can spread out. We are going to keep the lady bug and re-purpose it to hold all the sand toys they have. It could even be used to hold water when they need it for building sand castles.

We've had some entertainment this week from a new family of squirrels in our yard. They are a menace at times, getting into things like bird feeders but the babies are sure cute. I caught one of them sneaking across the yard.

We have another new family that has moved in, a family of blue birds have found a nest in our bird house. They are beautiful but hard to catch on camera. I will give them their privacy as they take care of their eggs.

Hopefully this week I will be able to use this more:
Maybe a little? I'm going to try :-).

Way to go team!

Sarah was on the big potty doing her thing and yelled out, "Look, I went poo-poo!" At the same time, Art, Grace and I all let out a big "Yeah!"with clappping, cheering, hooping and hollering. What was so funny about it was that we were all in different parts of the house, praising our big girl together. This has truly been a family project, we all share a part of this victory! Way to go team!

5.24.09 MTD

During our children's teen years, our role changes from decision maker to vision caster as we help them make their own decisions for their life.

- Pam Farrel and Jill Savage