Designs By Tiffany Jordon

4H

2009-10-13T14:12:00.002-05:00

Last night was Natali's first 4-H Meeting. She wasnt' too impressed, but I"m excited about it. There were several "classes" she could take but she ended up enrolling in 4.

Sewing

Floral Arranging

Cake Decorating

Small Dog care

She may also decide to do a bucket calf to take to the fair this year, but we still haven't decided.
I've never been in 4-H so I have no clue as to what to expect. I'm crossing my fingers that she'll have fun and maybe, just maybe, get a little interaction from it! :)

And the countdown is ON! 88 days....

2009-09-28T13:27:00.002-05:00

...until Christmas!

Can you believe how fast it is sneaking up on us? I am SO glad that I've started shopping already. I have all of the kids done and now just have to do the adults. Some will be easy, some will be harder.
Wanna see this year's list? (Since last year's Christmas post was only a few posts ago! You can compare! LOL)

Steven- Still thinking on this. I'd like to get him something he wants, but he always buys it before I get a chance. I'll for sure get hima few t-shirts, maybe a Transformers one and I'd like to get him one that says "I ♥ corrals" LOL And, of course, something for his fishtank.

Natali-Barbie hairdresser, make-up, Cinderella playing cards, hopscotch mat, Jewelry kit, Pink Panther DVD's, beach towel appliqued w/ her name (I'm making one of these for all the girls! They're almost done!)

Emersyn- Dog groomer toy set, 2 new Veggie Tales DVD's and appliqued towel

My family:
Mom- Set of 2 glass hummingbird feeders, "Grandma" picture frame, Coin purse w/ the girls' photos
(Just a tip...use code 099mcpurse at checkout and it makes the coinpurse $1.99 w/ FREE SHIPPING! )
Dad- Coffee mug w/ pictures of the girls,a box of chocolate covered cherries and some homemade goodies. (He's SO easy to please! He wants the exact same thing every year! LOVE IT!)
April & Leo- I wanted to get them somehting for their new house, but I"m still deciding what they need. They've lived together for a looong time, but they just moved into a HUGE house and need some decorating help. However, we have totally different taste in decor, so we'll have to see. Maybe just a large mirror? Hmmm...

Kimble- Casino in a box, set of Nike batting gloves, personalized towel
Vinny- Batman toys
Jeremiah- Casino in a box...gotta get him something else. Probably a video game or something?
Freddie- Ha...Freddie will still be in China on Christmas, so I don't have to buy him anything. I might send him a care package, although, he'd have to mail it back in just a few months when he returns, so I don't know what we'll do yet.

Steven's Family:
Mike- No idea...yet.
Vicki- Coin purse (just like my mom's), tie dye shirt w/ a cross on it and we'll need to pick up somethig else for her
Michelle- Handstamped keychain w/ her kids' names and birthstones, 3 tier candleholder and WAHM jewelry (I still need to find the perfect set! Any ideas?)
Charles- No idea...yet again.
Madison- I'm planning on making her a purse w/ Supergirl fabric, an appliqued towel and a shirt that says "Future Mrs. Welling" and I'll probably pick her up a CD or something closer to Christmas
Alyssa- Several outfits, make-up, Cinderella cards, Tinkerbelle alarm clock, Tinkerbelle snow boots, applique towel (Her birthdayis rigth before Christmas, so she obviously has more.)

Others:
Natali's teacher- Quilted throw from BrylaneHomes.com
Amanda- Apple decoration, new set of towels
Grandpa & Evelyn- Same clearance throw as Natali's teacher
Grandma- Once again, the throw...great deal on that thing, so I bought several! :)

I am blessed...

2009-09-23T20:28:00.002-05:00

Do you ever have days where you just feel so darn blessed? I'm having one of those days. I honestly couldn't ask for anymore than what I have. God has blessed our lives SO tremendously. I have a healthy, happy family. A gorgeous husband, who I am still madly in love with after nearly 10 years. I have a cozy little home, a great car and more clothes than I'll ever need. I am blessed. And you know what...you are blessed, too!

Summer '09 Rewind...

2009-09-14T13:36:00.006-05:00

Has it really been 7 months since my last post? WOW! I've honestly missed blogging. Hoping to stick w/ it better this time! :)

Here are a few pics from this summer! I'll post more later!

Natali's first day of kindergarten! :(

Can you tell who's been crying?

Family PIcs...

Pics...

2009-02-05T08:53:00.007-06:00

Just thought I would share some pics of the girls since I finally have a chance. (I'm currently attemptign to make homemade cinnamon rolls and am waiting on them to rise!) I made homemade bread yesterday for the first time and it was soooooo delish. I had to try this awesome tutorial for the cinnamon rolls! :)

Weddings, Hair Fires and Birthdays.........

2009-01-29T17:06:00.010-06:00

I know poor E.baby deserves her own post, but she'll have to live w/ this! :) My little girl turned 1. I am so sad. She's growing so fast. I just love her more and more everyday. I still need to get her 1 yr. pics taken. Bad, bad mommy.

Emersyn feeding my mom

Getting the hang of it

There's ice cream, too???

Hmmm....who is the 1 year old?

2 days after Natali's fire incident and we STILL sit a candle in front of a 1 year old! LOL

wowzers

Eatting like a big girl

My big girl...so stylish

About a week before the wedding (details below), I had a candle lit, sitting on the table. Bad idea. Natali, who is always sooooo cautious, simply bent down to smell it. Needless to say, half of her bangs caught on fire. She screamed bloody murder. Steven and I looked up and were there in a flash. He beat her over the head until the flames went out. (Okay, so he didn't actually BEAT her over the head, he simply patted the fire out.) Thankfully, we were standing just a few feet away. If not, it would have easily burned her scalp. It stopped just millimeters from her scalp anyways. Another half a second and her head would have been charred. As it was, she made it out, w/ half of her bangs and a pretty nasty burn on her forehead, which has already scabbed over and pretty much disappeared. You can part her hair on the other side of her head and it's easily hidden. Here's the pictures:

The next day, getting ready for school.

Grandma brought ice cream over to make her feel better. It worked.

My best friend since Kindergarten got hitched this weekend, despite my pleas for her to do otherwise. I had the honor of being the Matron of Honor, while Natali was a rather, *ahem* eventful flowergirl. None the less, the pictures are adorable and we all made it out alive. Let's just say she was up all night the night before the wedding, and didn't stop puking until the day AFTER the wedding. Yeah, it was exciting. She was a trooper, though. She threw up just SECONDS after we got out of the chapel. Thankfully, she made it through the wedding, but we had a trash can hidden in case she needed to upchuck during the ceremony. Ugh....

...Busy Little Bee...

2009-01-09T22:37:00.002-06:00

It seems like the time from Halloween until Valentine's Day are just CRAMMED full of events! I have been so busy lately. I'm ready to just sit down and not get up until SUMMER! LOL
This week, I've been getting things ready for my bff, Meghan's bridal shower and bachelorette party. Wed. is Emersyn's birthday, Thursday is Meg's shower, Friday is the bachelorette party, Saturday is E's birthday party. Then, I still have to do lots of wedding stuff for my darling procrastinating friend! She decided she wants me to MAKE a veil for her! (Which I have no clue how to do! LOL) And, she wants me to add ribbon to her ring bearer pillow and Natali's flower girl basket. So, when does she ask me to do ALL of this? Yesterday, yes, yesterday! And, on top of that...I have to hem my matron of honor dress before NEXT Saturday! LOL Sound busy??? It's cause I am!
So...out of all of the trillions of things to do today, I decide to sit down and make E. an outfit for her birthday. Poor girl, never gets any clothes made by her mama! Natali bearly wears any storebought clothes and E-baby wears nothing but! I did make her several outfits at first, but she outgrew them so fast, it made me mad! Now, the growing stuff is slowing down, so I think I'll start again. So I'm making a simple ribbon top w/ ruffle jeans. I love the fabric I'm using! I'll share pics when it's done. (Which may NEVER happen b/c my serger isn't cooperating! It's hard to NOT use a serger when it's just sitting there staring at you...laughing b/c it's outsmarting you...just taunting you...dang thing!!!)
So...what else happened this week? Hmmm...took the girls to the dentist today. Nothing too exciting. Emersyn's teeth don't have enamel on them...just like mine and Natali's. Great...:sigh: Oh...I took and passed my driver's test. WRitten and the driving part. SUcked. I hope I never have to do that again! I would explain the story, but I'm tired. Maybe tomorrow! ;) Oh...and last week, Steven and I decided to make our own laundry detergent. Well, we made our own dishwasher stuff a few months ago and it works good and saves money, so we wanted to give laundry soap a try. Well, we have been using for over a week and so far, so good. Everything smells great and is soft. We are trying to go green...and save money. Every little bit helps. And, it's actually kinda fun! ;) Everytime I do laundry, I think..."Hmmm...I just saved a quarter!" LOL
Well, I suppose I'd best get back to my sewing....Maybe I'll actually finish this outfit before her birthday!

What happens when you let my brothers babysit...

2009-01-01T19:48:00.002-06:00

Kodak Moment...Darn it...

2009-01-01T19:43:00.002-06:00

Yesterday, Emersyn pulled another one of her little toilet stunts. She has been playing in the toilet anytime someone leaves the door open. (She can lift the lid herself, but can't get in the door!) Well, of course, having a 4 yr. old sister is just perfect when you're trying to get into a closed bathroom. Natali just cannot remember to shut the darn door. Well, yesterday, Natali got my camera down and was letting Emersyn "take pictures of her modeling her new shoes" Lo and behold, the camera somehow *mysteriously* ended up in the crapper. Hmmm...no one knows how it got there either! We put it in the oven for awhile and currently it's hanging above our fireplace, hoping it will dry out!
Anyways, my cousin, who is 6 weeks younger than Natali is staying the night tonight. And, wouldn't ya guess it, they are playing dress up and having a fashion show. And, here I sit, w/ no darn camera. UGGGGH!

A Look Back at Christmas....

2008-12-31T07:37:00.007-06:00

Well, I am FINALLY getting a chance to get on here and share some Christmas pics! I didn't have many from actual Christmas day, b/c we were so excited and enjoying the moment and I didn't snap many pics, but I have a few. We are so incredibly blessed. I cannot even begin to tell you all the things that we got that we didn't deserve. We have great friends and family, who showered us all with gifts, but we mostly have an awesome Savior, who is the real reason for the season. Okay, so on w/ some pictures....

The girls after opening presents...I made them matching pajama's but Natali spilled something on her shirt RIGHT before bed. LOL

Can you tell we aren't morning people???

Emersyn...hiding behind the TV door...she carried the outfit around for about an hour! LOL

Natali, using the stockings as puppets...

Carrying that darn outfit again...LOL
Natali ended up getting A TON, and I mean, A TON of stuff! Of course, we buy the absolute minimum b/c we know that BOTH of the Grandma's in our family go completely NUTSO over Christmas, buying waaaay too much. Luckily, Emersyn was still a bit young for TOO many gifts this year, but I'm sure next year will be a different story.
Steven ended up getting a lot of nice dress clothes, some dress pants (I think they're called slacks or something...don't ask this country girl!) and some new dress shoes. He got a lot of other stuff, including money to spend on his fish tank.
I got lots of decorations (YEAH!), the automatic sweeper I wanted, a new pillow (I needed it, bad! Been hinting to Steven and he actually picked up on it!), and a few necklaces. Oh, and I almost forgot...my brother got me some sewing lessons. I told him that I need them, since I am a self taught seamstress. I bet there are all kinds of tips/tricks that I am completely clueless about, so I think it'll be a blast. Steven says I am gonna teach the teacher a thing or 2. LOL
Emerysn ended up w/ a few toys and a few outfits. Nothing too extravagant. The boxes were the most exciting part for her! :)
And Ms. Natali...well, it's safe to say that she made out like a bandit. I mean, that girl ALONE had over 3 trash bags FULL, I mean FULLLLLL, of stuff from both Grandparent's houses! I think it's a bit ridiculous and we've asked both grandma's to cut back, but do they? Of course not. So, she made out w/ TONS of new clothes, toys, a few new V-Smile games, a HUGE gumball machine, a new CD player, some Hermit crabs (thanks a lot, mom!), and this...

Her name is Cheese Dip...

Which is fitting since our other dogs were named Nacho and Taco...

She is super duper good w/ the girls...

And, she's a man's best friend...

Merry Christmas to all....

Okay....so now I guess I will show you some of the Christmas gifts that I made this year. I made MANY MANY more, but just happened to snap a few pics of these random ones!

Here is the record bowl that I made my sister. She LOVES Michael Jackson, so I used one of his old records. (Yep, you read that right...she actually LIKES MJ!!! Don't ask me...she's a goofball!)

I made ALL of the kiddies in Natali's class crayon rolls. They were a huge hit. I actually just made them out of felt and it was SO much easier! No measuring and such. I just but the sheets of felt into thirds and then used a different color to make the pocket. Nothing fancy, but the kids loved them. (As did the teachers!)

And, some MORE crayon rolls for a trade I did w/ a mama on Diaperswappers...

Then, I did these matching pillows for a mama, also on Diaperswappers...

And, this name pillow for a brand new baby girl....

And, we made these clipboards for Natali's teachers. I wish I would've gotten a better picture. These were my first and they turned out REALLY cute, but I think next time I do them, they'll be even cuter! :)

Well, as you can tell, we had an abundance of blessing on Christmas, as we do everyday! I just hope that you and yours had a great Christmas too.
And, this will be my last post of 2008! Be careful, safe and courteous. We are staying in where it's safe and warm and playing board games w/ some friends and family! Don't forget, my birthday is only a few days away! ;)

Four More Daaaaaays....

2008-12-21T18:08:00.004-06:00

Wow...Christmas is a'comin! I am SO darn excited. I can't wait. I am COMPLETELY done w/ my shopping and even have all of my gifts wrapped. :)

I ended up buying Steven some dress clothes. Like, really dressy, compared to the rest of his hillbilly get'up. My BFF, Meghan is getting married in January and me and the girls are in teh wedding, so we'll be REALLY dressed up and I wanted Steven to be dressed up, too. Maybe this will be the perfect time for us to get some family pics! I bought him some pants, dress shirt, and a tie and my mom is buying him dress shoes. SHHHH...don't tell him!

Natali is getting some Webkinz (she's an addict!), a few clothes, and this book:

I loved it as a child and I know she will, too!

Emersyn is getting some cloth blocks that I got for a STEAL of a deal from a lady on Diaperswappers. That's about all she's getting. She will never even know, though! ;)

So, what do I want, you ask? Well, Steven has asked me several times and I have a list of little things I want. But, when I started naming them, I sounded like a complete moron. Here's kinda how I sounded:

"Let's see...I've been wanting one of those handy sweeper things that you don't have to use a dustpan w/. And, I saw this really cool vacuum on TV the other day. Oh...and I've really been needing a whisk lately. Hmmm...how about some new washcloths? Oh, oh oh....I really want one of those Scrubbing Bubbles Shower cleaner thingys...."

Awww...the life of a mom. Everything I want makes sense to ME b/c I know it will make my life simpler, but to others, I sound completely dumb. ;) But, I'm still crossing my fingers for the sweeping thingy-ma-bobber!

Been MIA...

2008-12-13T15:24:00.002-06:00

Well, I guess you could say it's a war zone here. My sewing room is a DISASTER, but I have completed a few orders, so I guess it's okay! Now only 6 crayon rolls to go! ;) And, of course, I still need to add the stuffing to some pillows. But then I'll be FREE to do my own Christmas sewing! I haven't even made my girls a Christmas outfit yet, but I will this week, just in time for Natali's Christmas party at school.
We have been busy, busy, busy for the last few weeks. I have been sewing up a storm and in my "free" time, I've been wrapping Christmas presents. Me and my mom went to Cheapo Depot this week and I found a few more presents. I am sooooo close to being done that I could scream! Now I just need to pick up a few things and then RELAX and enjoy the holidays. So, do ya wanna see my list now???

Mom- DONE!
Dad- DONE!
Mike- DONE!
Vicki- DONE!
Charles- DONE!
Michelle- DONE!
Madison- still need to pick up a CD for her
Alyssa- DONE!
April- DONE!
Leo- kinda done...still debating if I should get him more...LOL
Kimble- Maybe 1 more small thing for him, too
Freddie- DONE!
Vinny- DONE!
Jeremiah- DONE!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Steven- ACK! Need to pick up his stuff still! (I know what I'm getting him, just need to get off my lazy butt and get it!)
Natali- DONE!
Emersyn- DONE!

So, it looks like I'm doing pretty darn good, huh? All that stressing for NOTHING! ;)
Oh, and I finally got around to telling everyone that we will be staying HOME on CHristmas day. They didn't take it very well. My brother was H.O.T. He was really mad b/c we only live like half a mile from my dad's house, where we usually meet. He said if my sister can come up from Arkansas, an hour and a half drive, then I can make the 1 minute drive! LOL Oh well. Guess what...I'm still planning on staying home. I just want to spend this day w/ my family, just us, no one else. So, call me selfish! LOL But, in my defense, we ALWAYS have people at our house. EVERY SINGLE DAY!!! Our families are always just "dropping by" and while I love them all very much, it is really annoying! LOL Seriously, there hasn't been 1 single day since Emersyn was born that someone hasn't came to visit us!

Okay, okya, I'm off of my soap box. I've got to go wrap Alyssa's birthday present b/c her party starts in an hour. We still gotta get to their house! LOL

I'm tagging myself...

2008-12-05T21:58:00.008-06:00

I have been SO absorbed in everything Christmas lately, that I decided to do some blogging. Problem is, when I sat down, the only thing on my mind was...you guessed it, Christmas. So, I went to a few of my favorite blogs for inspiration and landed upon LeAnn's blog. I have a few blogs from girls that I was previously in sewing groups with and I like to stop by and I love stopping by her blog to see how big her kids have gotten! Anyways, that must have been just what I needed b/c she had this silly survey that I usually hate, but am doing just so I don't end up telling you about the new idea I had for my sister's Christmas gift! ;)
8 Favorite Books: The Bible Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover
Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace
The Very Hungry Catepillar
Sideways Stories from Wayside School
Shiloh
Where the Sidewalk Ends
Chica Chica Boom Boom (So, half of them were from grade school...but I must admit that I've read them all countless times!)
8 Things that Happened Yesterday:
*Hmmm...putting my thinking cap on*
Of course, I got Natali ready for school and put her on the bus
I had made 2 of these little puppies before 10:00!

Me and my mom went to pick up Natali from school
Went to my favorite Mexican restaraunt for lunch
Went shopping and I bought a few Christmas gifts (Ooops, I wasn't going to mention that subject!)
I actually looked at Steven's fish tank, which I NEVER do. (It never seems very interesting to me! LOL)

(Boy, that fish tank sure is getting prettier!)

I took a nap...I have a great husband who watched the girls while I slept! :)

Had some lasagna for dinner, then gave the girls a bath and headed for bed...

8 Things I'm looking forward To:

Growing old with Steven

Watching my kids turn into great adults (notice how I skipped the teen years)

Having grandkids to spoil and send home

Growing closer to God, and hopefully even going in the Rapture
Christmas (Ugh, there I go again!)
Steven's business taking off (Just gotta keep trying and praying!)

Adding to our family, maybe a few more times ;)

Living like NO ONE ELSE!!!

8 Things on my Wish List :

Happiness

Safety

Health

Peace

A New President (Okay, I don't want that one until 2009, THEN I'll be wanting someone else!!!)

Financial Security

More fabric... You just KNOW I don't have more than enough already!

A new ironing board (Hey, I'm trying to get OUT of debt, so I try not to think of thing I WANT!)

8 Things I Love About Winter:
Christmas

My birthday

Emersyn's birthday

New Years

Honoring Jesus' birth

Ham...(I don't like turkey, but I sure can eat me some Christmas ham!)

Warm fires

Snuggling

8 People I Tag:

Whoever wants to do it, go ahead! I doubt 8 people even read this! LOL

From Our Family To Yours...

2008-12-05T14:13:00.001-06:00

Christmas Ramblings...

2008-12-02T22:19:00.003-06:00

Well, I am on my way to comleting my Christmas shopping. As you can tell, I tend to STRESS out about the holidays. Today, I made some AMAZING trades over on DiaperSwappers. It is really a great site and the ladies there are SO nice. It's really saving me a LOT of money by being able to trade my wares w/ other WAHMs. I'm glad I stumbled upon this thread.
So far this week, I have traded for a set of dryer balls, some pail powder stuff for my CD's, some wipe bits, some adorable crayons, 3 I Spy bags, and 3 Tie Dye shirts along with a few other random things. I have saved at least $100 in Christmas shopping. I still have a few other trades that haven't been finalized yet, but I'm hoping to get them done soon. So, at least I am starting to feel like I am SLOOOWLY creeping towards the finish line of the shopping season! :) Although I am still stumped on gifts for Natali's teachers. I need ideas!!! PLEASE leave me a comment and let me know what you do for your kiddo's teachers!

"Is Jesus a Girl?"

2008-12-01T20:54:00.003-06:00

Tonight, Natali's bedtime story was the story of Jesus' birth. Here's kinda how our conversation went after the story:

Me: "So, why do we celebrate Christmas?"
Natali: "For Jesus' birthday."
Me: "Then why we get presents if it's Jesus' birthday and not ours?"
Natali: "Jesus gives us His presents b/c he loves us."
Me: "That's right. Good girl."
Natali: "Mommy?...." *long pause* "So, is Jesus a girl?"

Which would explain why Natali will be getting trucks and dirt bikes and boy stuff from here on out! :)

One Month...and counting!

2008-11-25T21:32:00.002-06:00

Only 31 days until Christmas. That ain't good, considering I still have a lot of shopping to do! I have most of the adults taken care of which is a big relief, but still need to get stuff for the kiddos. I'll probably hit a few stores on Friday, looking for a good deal, but who knows if I"ll find any! LOL I'll probably just spend too much money and come home w/ NOTHING!
I still need to buy for:

Madison
Alyssa
April
Leo
Kimble
Freddie
Vinny
Jeremiah

and I haven't bought anything for my girls or Steven. We will have a small Christmas at home. We always do. The girls will get 3 presents. Why? Jesus got 3 presents and I really don't think my girls are any better than He is. Don't you agree? :) Besides, they need absolutely NOTHING and will get waaaaaaaaaaay more than a whole village would need.
Christmas kinda stresses me out b/c both of our families go WAAAY overboard, buying TONS of gifts, although we've asked them to cut back. I do not want Natali thinking of Christmas as the way most kids do, but I don't really know what to do. I hate taking new toys from her just to keep her "grounded" but how do I make sure she isn't spoiled rotten? Oh, the joys of parenthood.

A New Look...

2008-11-22T11:57:00.002-06:00

I finally did it. I tackled the BIG job of redoing my blog. It was really blah to begin w/. I just LOVE this amazing paper that I used to make my background, that I found at the Shabby Princess Shoppe. Actually, I love practically EVERYTHING on her site. I wish I had her talent!
I found this awesome blog that helped me figure out what the heck I needed to do, in order to make my blog look fantabulous. Such great instructions!

On another note, you all should totally check out Kandy Kisses Design Blog. Not only is she a totally amazing designer, but she is having one heck of a party over on her blog!!! Seriously, go, now! You'll be glad you did!

Some Thoughts on Being Debt Free...

2008-11-21T20:22:00.003-06:00

There are several times every day that a thought crosses my mind that sounds something like this: "When I'm debt free..." I've realized there are SEVERAL things I would love to do when I'm debt free, when I can spend money and not feel guilty, when I know that I can afford to do something other's can't and when I will be living like no one else. I am so excited for that day.
Of course, there are big things I would love to do, like go on a family vacation, have a girls day w/ Natali, getting our hair and nails done.
Then there are the smaller things, like having a date w/ Steven. Or buying my mom a GREAT birthday present. Or buying my Tupperware at an actual Tupperware party, instead of Ebay, where it's much cheaper. (Okay, I'll probably still buy it on Ebay, but maybe I could afford to buy it at the party if I wanted to!) I could take Natali to Chuck E. Cheese more often, and maybe even, gasp, buy clothes for ME!!! (I always feel so guilty about buying stuff for me, so I am always wearing things that are the wrong size that I find at garage sales. Hey, I'm not trying to be a fashion model.) I would buy Steven the prettiest anenome that I could find for his saltwater tank, no matter how much it cost b/c when we buy stuff for his tank, it's always from the $10 and below section at the fish store. LOL
I'll probably be adding to my list of "debt free activities" b/c it's been on my mind a lot lately, so try not to get bored w/ it! :)
Anyways, we should be debt free by next Christmas! Maybe sooner, depending on how much work Steven has! WHOO HOOO!!!
I totally encourage everyone to read the Dave Ramsey books and STOP letting money control your life!!!

We're still here...

2008-11-18T16:40:00.002-06:00

I just haven't had much to blog about. Okay, that's a lie! I've had PLENTY to blog about, but I just haven't done it! I would basically have 50 1-line blogs, if I blogged every time I thought about it! LOL So, I'll spare you and just give a quick update!

Let's start w/ the girls. Natali has been going to school and loving it. She's been riding the bus like a big girl. She's been sounding out words and is slowly learning to read. I am teaching her, since her preschool only teaches "basic survival skills," like how to set a table, take turns and things of that sort. They aren't really into academics. LOL
I told her *jokingly* that I was going to get a job and Daddy was going to be staying home w/ her, so she'd have to help him out. I told her that Daddy thinks it's okay to eat tuna fish and snails for breakfast and doesn't know how to fix hair, so she'd have to get a "boy haircut" and that she would be changing all of Emersyn's diapers. She just started bawling. Now when she's acting, ahem, not so great, I tell her that if she doesn't straighten up, I'm getting a job! Works every time! LOL
And, little Miss Emersyn. Well, she's walking ALL OVER! I can't remember if I have already blogged about that, but she started walking at about 9 and a half months and hasn't slowed down since! She's into everything. Just this morning, I had a platter w/ a cake for my sister's birthday sitting on the table and, what do ya know, that little stinker pulled it off of the table. I just let her sit there and eat it. I would've snapped some pics, but I didn't even think about it. Bad mommy! :)
Steven has been out of construction work for well over a month now, so we are putting our Debt Snowball on hold until he gets some more steady work. We are currently living off of our savings, which is obviously dwindling down. Oh...I hate money! ;) But, our bills are all paid and we do still have a savings, which is more than a lot of people can say, so I know we are so totally blessed! God is on our side!

A great book to read w/ your kiddos...

2008-11-13T22:00:00.003-06:00

The other day I remembered a hilarious book that I had read SEVERAL times in grade school, Sideways Stories from Wayside School and decided to get it for Natali. We got it in the mail yesterday and have already read 16 chapters! LOL The chapters are short but oh so funny and quirky! I even picked it up and read it while she was at school today! I'm thinking the other couple of Wayside books would be PERFECT for Christmas! :)

Christmas Thoughts....

2008-11-13T10:00:00.003-06:00

Okay, 2 posts in one day, I must be on a roll! Actually, I was just browsing Ebay, looking for a few gifts and thought I'd write down my thoughts before I lose them! :)

I have a BUNCH of people to buy for! Steven and I sat down yesterday and narrowed our list down to 14 people, although, we'll probably end up buying for 19. (There were 5 that we would LOVE to buy for, if we have the $!)

So, yesterday, when we were making our lists, we decided to just do gift certificates for the majority of the adults, since everyone on our list pretty much buys anything they want all year long! Sure makes Christmas shopping hard. Well, I logged on to our local newspaper's website and they have "Half Off Deals" I ended up buying several gift certificates to a NICE local restaraunt and to a day spa.
The restaraunt gc cost only $10 for a $25 certificate. Not bad, huh??? :)
The day spa gc cost $25 for a $50 certificate. I figured it up and you can get a pedicure and 30 min. massage for under $50, so that's a great deal! Or, they can choose to use it on any of the services, but that's what I would get! LOL

So.....here's Steven's family....

MIke- Restaraunt Gift Certificate, shirt, probably another small gift
Vicki- Spa GC and a few small gifts
Michelle-Spa and small gift
Charles-Restaraunt GC, shirt and snazzy guitar pick (DONE!!!)
Madison- hmmm...tween...don't know yet. Maybe a CD?
Alyssa- raincoat, handmade outfit, small toy

And my family-

Dad- Rest. GC, shirt, coffee cup w/ girls' picture
Mom-Spa and small gift
Steve-GC (DONE!)
April- no idea...maybe a CD and probably some clothes?
Leo- shirt and probably a movie
Freddie- shirt and small gift
Jeremiah- No idea...stinkin' tween!
Kimble-Another no idea! :)
Vinny- Small toy or book

Every family will probably get a basket of goodies, rice krispie treats, cookies, etc.
So, I still have QUITE a bit of shopping to do, but we aren't going crazy like usual this year. Instead, we are paying down debt! Next year, we'll (hopefully) be living like no one else, so we can have a GREAT Christmas!

Preschool Drama...

2008-11-13T09:29:00.003-06:00

I think I've mentioned before that Natali has not wanted to ride the bus to school in the mornings. She did GREAT the first few weeks of school, then she refused to ride for a few weeks, then decided to ride again. (Ugh, the mind of a 4 year old!) Well, she had an extra long weekend due to Veteran's Day, so yesterday was the first time to ride the bus since Friday. She was perfectly fine until the bus pulled into the driveway, then she stiffened her body and wouldn't get on. :(
So, since Steven was home, we decided that he could take her to school, since she clings to me when I drop her off. Well, little Ms. Opinionated didn't want her dad to take her. After about a 30 minute fight, she was spanked and told to go lay down in bed. Screaming, she marched to her room, only about 2 minutes later to say "Daddy, I'm ready for school!"

So, Steven took her to school. I had warned him that he just needed to get her busy and leave w/out her knowing. Well, "Ol' Softie" just couldn't do it. After about an hour, I called to make sure everything was okay and he tells me that he's "just watching her play." I tell him to LEAVE!!! He said he tried to leave 4 times, but when he tells her goodbye, "she looks so sad, like she wants him to stay." So, he finally escapes unnoticed and when he gets home, I can see that he's been crying. He decided he wants to home school b/c it's just too hard leaving her at school!!!

Oh gooooooodness, now I know where Natali gets her craziness!

Fall Fun...

2008-11-01T21:44:00.008-05:00

Natali had a Fall Celebration at preschool and Steven, Emersyn and I got to attend. It was really fun and she is really starting to enjoy school. (We have been having problems w/ her not wanting to ride the bus, but she rode it everyday this week! WHOO HOO!!!) Anyways, I just wanted to share some pics of us playing, having lunch and her trick-or-treating at the other classrooms!

The family, along w/ K., who wouldn't stop kissing Emersyn! I could NOT get her out of the picture for ANYTHING!!! LOL She reallllly wants a baby sister, just like Natali's! :)

Trick-Or-Treating at Ms. Pat's Class
Emersyn loved the chili!

Big Smiles in the Play Center!

LOTS of treats!!!

Daddy helping Emersyn walk

"Monkey Natali"

Who's a Daddy's Girl???

Walking on the balance balls

Natali in the Space Ship

Playing in the "Caterpillar"

Slidin' Sisters!

The whole gang in the Space Ship

Natali LOVES her sissy!!!

We had a lot of fun and can't wait until the next family fun day! :)

Trades, Swaps and Good Deals...

2008-10-25T23:36:00.003-05:00

I have been doing so many awesome trades over at DiaperSwappers. There is a WAHM thread, where all the mammas are swapping stuff they make w/ each other. I have got a few diapers for Emersyn, some clothes for the girls and a matching necklace/bracelet for my sister in law's birthday this week. I should also have a few Christmas gifts on their way! I'm hoping to get a trade worked out so I can get Steven's sister and her family matching tie dye shirts. I am LOVING it b/c, who, with this awful economy, can even afford to THINK about Christmas??? But, I'm slowly getting my gifts stocked up. Even if you don't use cloth diapers, I think you should totally check out the WAHM thread! There is something for everyone there! And, if you want to do a trade w/ me, just throw me an email!:)