It has been a while....

Sorry I haven written anything for a while. I have been super busy with school, dance and all of the other things Brooke is involved in. We are getting ready for Christmas here. The kids are making their lists and boy do they want some high-tech stuff! I couldn't imagine asking for that stuff when I was a kid. Things sure have changed. Makes me feel old :) I wish I had something crafty to post but I haven't had the chance to do anything lately. My cousin has made a wonderful advent calender you should check out. She blogs on twobluehouses.blogger.com. They have some really cute stuff on there. You should check it out. I wanted to try to make some stuff for people this year..don't think I am going to get to it. I hope all is going well for everyone and I hope to have more to post soon!

God Bless!

School....

Well we made it through our first week of home school. I thought it went well. Brooke seemed to really enjoy it. I feel like I am learning as much as she is! :) I think this is going to work out well for us. I just need to figure out how to keep JD busy while we are doing school. Here is a picture of our first day.

I hope we still like it a few months from now. I'm sure we will. I'll keep you posted!

Coming to an end....

Summer is coming to an end....school is about to start. I have decided to home school my daughter this year. We are going to do the Ohio Virtual Academy online. Keep us in your prayers that all goes well. I am excited and nervous at the same time. We are also in our last week of summer dance. We have a break for a few weeks and then the fun begins. We are adding production to our list of classes this year. I'm sure it is going to be fun. Has anyone caught that new show Dance Moms on Lifetime? It is crazy!!! That is not how it is....(not at our studio anyway) If you get the chance you should check it out on TV or their website. That is all I have for this time. It has been a busy summer. I hope to get into regular posting when school starts. Have a great week!

Groupon....

On Friday we went to the African Safari Wildlife Park in Port Clinton.  I got tickets for $5.00 each on Groupon. We had an extra ticket so Brooke chose to take her cousin Eden along. JD wanted no part of the animals sticking their heads in his window. After he beat a llama with his toy phone we decided to roll his window up.We saw lots of different animals there. I got to feed a zebra a carrot from my hand. How cool is that?! Anyway, here are some pictures of our adventure. I recommend the adventure if you can get the cheap tickets. Not worth it for full price. Also, the snack bar is very expensive and not very good. I would pack a lunch (which we didn't know you could do) or stop and eat before you go in. Here is the website.... http://www.africansafariwildlifepark.com






Brooke & Eden on the way there

Someone needs a hair cut :)

My buddy

The kiddos

Brooke and Eden braved a camel ride

 It was a really fun day. I would go again. I never realized how many things there are to do in Ohio. Saved money on a far vacation and had a blast.

Movies.....

On Saturday I went to see the final Harry Potter with my sister. It was so good! I was kinda sad it was the last one but, all good things must come to an end. I won't give any details (in case you haven't seen it yet) But let me say one more time it was really good!



I also went that evening to Mill Creek Farm to see a movie under the stars with my family. We got to see the animals and we watched the movie Babe. It was really cool. We saw some of the kids gardens and here is one of the scarecrows they made.



It is Harry Potter! I thought it was cool....

While at the movie I was thinking how many free community activities am I missing out on because I didn't know about them? Times are tough and we need to take advantage of these. It will give our kids great memories. I don't know something to think about. Have a great week!



Busy Summer....

It has been a crazy summer so far. I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July! We have had a lot going on at our house. Summer ballet started last week. UGH! The break wasn't long enough. Brooke has decided to do a tap solo this year. (extra time at the dance studio) Well here are a few pictures of what we have been up to this summer.




This is the picture they took for Joe's father's day gift.



The first eggs from our chickens. They finally are paying for their feed.
We also found out 3 of our 11 hens are roosters. (not happy)



This is the (unfinished) float for the 4th of July parade. (forgot to take after pics)
It is a ship to promote our VBS in August.



This is Bella. She is the newest addition to our family. That makes 3 dogs now.
She is soooo cute and the kids love her.

Well that is what has been going on here. What have you been up to? 


Coupons......

I'm sure you have either watched or seen commercials for Extreme Couponing on TLC. Well I started watching that show and figured why can't I do that? Sooo I started clipping coupons like a crazy person. My husband goes to our local recycling center and dumpster dives for coupons. I have actually accumulated a lot of coupons.

Here is the loot I got yesterday. I'm hoping to get better at it. I saved $50.00.

The only thing I didn't have coupons for was the eggs, meat and ramen noodles. (they are cheap anyway)
I got the Edy's ice cream for free because I bought 3 boxes of pieroges. (which I had a coupon for)

This dog food was on sale for $5.99 for a 17 lb bag. I had 3 coupons for $1.00 off which the store doubled. So I got each bag for $3.99.

The sale was 10 for $10. I had 8 coupons for .75 off 3 boxes. The store doubled to $1.50. I got 24 boxes for $12.00. So half were free.

I know I need to work on it. I hope to figure it out soon. Those people save crazy amounts of money. I just want to feed my family of 4 not hoard it. Let me know if you have tried to do this and any tips would be appreciated!   Happy Shopping!!!

Projects....

 I have been wanting new curtains for my dinning room for a while. I don't have the money to spend on curtains so I made them. I took a bed skirt I got at the thrift store. I cut one side off. ( I cut about an inch into the middle so I could make the rod hole ) I sewed it and there you go. Done. I like it, it gives more light into the dark room.

Before

After :)

I made my kitchen curtains out of an old table cloth. It is amazing what you can do yourself if you just take the time to do it. Not sure what project will be next but I will let you know.

People?!

Today my husband took me to the hospital to get blood work done. I have a heart condition so I have a handicapped tag in my car. Someone was backing out of the spot and my husband had his signal on to take the spot. There was an older gentleman behind the car backing out who also wanted the spot. My husband was there first so the car backing out backed out so my husband could pull in. The older gentleman flipped off my husband for parking in the space! What is wrong with people. I get dirty looks all the time from old people who think I shouldn't have a tag. Here is what I have to say to them... Just because I don't look like I have a problem doesn't mean I don't. You don't know me, you don't know what I go through everyday. Next time you see me or some other young person parking in the handicapped spot say a little prayer for them. Stop judging people you don't even know. Unfortunately their health might be worse than yours.

Here is my plug for the day. Women please keep up with your health screenings and have your heart screenings as well. The life you save could be yours. Check out the following links and have a blessed day!

ww5.komen.org

www.goredforwomen.org

www.clevelandclinic.org/cancer

Spring is finally here..

Today Brooke helped plant the garden at the library. She is joining the
Library Sprouts Garden Club. They planted veggies today. Her friend
Ewa was there too!



Brooke & Ewa



JD after a morning of playing outside and chasing his sister around.
Out like a light.

I am so happy Spring has sprung. We went today and helped our friends get their garden ready to plant. Had a very good day of visiting with them to. I look forward to the vegetables I am going to get from my garden this year. I hope to can a lot of them for the winter. How about you? What are you planting in your garden?



My Hubby...



This is us at our senior prom in 1994



This is us now. We celebrated our 9th anniversary yesterday.
I look forward to many more with him. He is a great husband
and father. I could not have asked for a better man.

Thank you for letting me share with you today about my husband. I feel like the luckiest person alive. Hug your spouse today and let them know how much you love them and how much they mean to you.


This is our song. Enjoy

Pictures...

Here are the pictures as promised. The girls were AWESOME!!  Enjoy :)
This is with her new competition shirt.



This is the tumbling group.




Thriller!




Jazz group.




More Thriller :)




My zombie!



Recital

Tomorrow is the day we have been waiting for! Recital.....I have 4 costumes, makeup, hair, eyelashes and the list goes on. We are doing two shows so we are going to be there all day. I hope it will be fun. I am so proud of my little dancer (not so little anymore :(  ) She has informed me she wants to do a tap solo next year. I don't know if I am ready for that. We shall see. I will post pictures as soon as I get the chance.

Spring is here :)



This is my beautiful yard. You may recall my Spring Break pictures.
My family and I spent the whole weekend outside. It was wonderful.

                                     

We can finally use these things. I am so excited!!!



Fields are being plowed.



Flowers are in bloom. Make sure you take time with your family to enjoy
the outdoors. Stop and smell the tulips!





Mother's Day

My Mom :)

Happy Mother's Day to all of the Moms out there.

Hope you have a blessed day. 

Recital....

We are quickly approaching recital day. Next Saturday to be exact. They are working really hard on the Thriller finale. It looks soooo awesome! Now I need to get her costume finished for it. Not really sure what to do. They are going to be great and I can't wait to see it. I will post pictures when I get them.

A day in Amish country

Today Joe and I went with our friends to spend a relaxing day in Amish country. I loved it. The countryside was beautiful. I saw the worlds largest draft horse. His name Big Ben he weighed 3,000 pounds. The horse was huge!! We looked at the shops and I saw the most beautiful quilts. We sampled jellies and jams and the best peanut butter you ever had. They had this huge fabric outlet and the prices were so cheap. I would have bought tons of fabric.(if I had enough money) I have no pictures to show because I didn't want to invade any ones privacy, but I will share a recipe with you out of the Ohio Amish Guide.

Amish Macaroni Salad

1 1/2 c uncooked macaroni
1 t. salt
3 hard boiled eggs
1/2 c chopped celery
1/4 c chopped onion (optional)
3/4 c Miracle Whip
2 T mustard
1/4 c vinegar
1/3 c sugar
Cook and drain macaroni. Cool. Add salt, eggs, celery, and onion.
Mix Miracle Whip, mustard, vinegar, and sugar thoroughly, then add to
macaroni mixture.

I am going to try this to. Let me know how yours turns out. It will be great for picnics and BBQ's this summer. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

My son...

My son is obsessed with Toy Story. I mean he can watch it over and over all day long. It doesn't matter which one it is either. He has probably watched the second one the most though. I was sitting watching it with him and the part where Jesse is telling Woody about her owner comes on. They play this sad sappy song and my 2 yr old starts singing along. He sounded so sweet. He amazes me everyday. I love watching what he learns and what he does. I think we need to slow down and watch our kids and families, before we know it they are grown up and think they know more than you. Enjoy this clip of JD's favorite part of the movie.

Upgrade

We recently upgraded to a flat screen TV. My husband got a "great deal" on it. OK so now where do I put it? We had an old entertainment stand that this TV was not going to fit in. My husband said "We can just sit it on top" We did this for about a month and I was like "OK I'm done". We didn't have the money to buy one so I wandered my house for a few days to see what I could turn into a TV stand. I finally had a great idea. I had this hand me down dresser in my dinning room filled with sewing supplies and family pictures so I emptied it and my husband helped me move it. We took out the top drawer to use as a shelf for the DVD player and satellite box. I used the other two drawers for movies and Cd's. I actually refinished the dresser last summer to put it in my dinning room. I also want to do something to the inside of the "shelf" I just don't know what yet.  It looks perfect as a TV stand and I saved myself at least $100.00. Here is a photo. My advice, check your house before you make that big purchase. You might just find what you are looking for there.

Resurrection Sunday!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Resurrection Sunday with their families. Please enjoy this song. It is Amazing! Thank you God for all you do for my family and for dying on the cross for us.

My least favorite of the holiday traditions....

 I don't know why but I could go without coloring Easter eggs. It has never been one of my favorite things to do. But my daughter begs every year and every year I give in. What a sucker I am.

 While grocery shopping Brooke sees a Glitter Easter egg kit. As if coloring them wasn't bad enough we need to make them sparkle. This is the Magic Glitter shaker. Two pieces of paper attached with a mini bag inside. What is so magical about that?

Here are my happy children when we get done. Was it worth the mess? Was it worth keeping my 2 year old from drinking the dye? Was it worth all the glitter everywhere? Yes it was. They had fun and it is something they will remember. (Brooke will anyway)

Ohio :/ ''ugh!!

The weather around here is terrible!!! I have been fighting a cold and sinus problems for a week and a half!!!! I am so done. I hear it is going to be warm tomorrow but still rain. Why can't we catch a break?! It is downright depressing. Please God show us the sun...

Ohio need I say more?

Where else but in Ohio would it pour rain and we still go to an Easter egg hunt? You gotta wear your poncho, mud boots and take your umbrella. UGH!! I hope the kids have fun anyway. I prayed for no rain but it looks like that prayer will go unanswered. Can't wait for the warm weather to stay. I miss that yellow ball in the sky......

It has been decided.

Well we found out tonight that the finale of the dance recital is going to be....(drum roll please) Thriller! They are going to dress as zombies and they have a really cool dance. I can't wait! It is in May but when I get pictures I will post them.

Tip of the day...

I was cleaning my house yesterday when I realized I had no toilet bowl cleaner. I live in the middle of nowhere so I didn' t want to run to the store. I looked online to see if I could make my own. You know you can!?! So I tried it and my toilet bowl are shiny and clean. I don't think I will ever buy toilet cleaner again. All I did was put 1/4 cup of baking soda and 1 cup of vinegar in the bowl. It will fizzle and foam, let it sit for about 5 min then scrub with your toilet brush. The best part is it is cheap. You usually have these on hand anyway for other things. So that is my tip for the day. I hope it helps. This is the web site I found it on. There are lots of other cleaning products you can make yourself. Once on the website click on Green Tips. http://www.aboutmyplanet.com/

Last Dance Competition.

Well yesterday was the last dance competition of the season. The girls rocked the house. They did an amazing job! Brooke's jazz number got GOLD and their tap number got PLATINUM! They also got another award for BEST ENTRANCE. The whole studio did a fabulous job and brought home a lot of platinum. Four of the girls brought home titles! I am so proud of all the girls. The teachers rock and did a wonderful job with the girls. I added a short clip of their jazz number. My camera is a dinosaur so I have no sound. We have recital in May and then we are done for the summer. (except summer ballet but that doesn't really count)

One man's trash....

A lot of the furniture in my house is hand me down. We recently got a sectional sofa from my parents. Their crazy dogs chewed the arms of the sofa. I am trying to think of a way to make arm covers without them looking tacky. I tried today but my husband said "I guess they are OK" which means uh no. So I need to come up with another plan.

Sick Day?

Does mom get a sick day? I think she should. I am not feeling well today and my wonderful husband has to work. He found me a babysitter for my 2yr old. How wonderful! I can relax and try to get better. I love him so much!

Say WHAT?!!?

Well our weekend competition is all on Sunday! Her first number is at 8am and the second is at 9am! UGH!! To top it all off the awards are not until 12:45! What are they thinking? They have the older girls dancing until 10:45 pm. Crazy! They are going to be so tired. Now we have nothing to do on Saturday. Oh well. So I need to think of a cool project to do. Any suggestions?

Girls Night!

Had the girls over on Friday night for Mother-Daughter Spa night. (of course JD wanted to join in)
The girlies had fun with the foot bath(JD too!) After that we painted toe nails and finger nails.

                                             


This was the clay mask. They loved this part. Made their skin nice and soft.
They had a lot of fun and we are definitely going to do it again.



Pump It Up Party....

 The theme was a pajama party. All the girls wore their favorite pajamas. They played games (like the one above) and just had a lot of fun!

This is the whole group. They are so close. The older ones take care of the little ones. It was really nice. I am proud of all of these girls!

Chicken Coop???

 We are finally done and the chickens have moved into their new house! Yes this was an old camper. My father-in-law got it for $50.00 about 8 years ago. It just sat in his yard. They asked if we wanted it and I said "can I make it into a chicken coop?" My husband thought about it and said "I guess so". And the rest is history.

                                         Can't wait for them to start laying eggs!

My husband and his helper. He worked so hard to make this possible. I love him so much! He is awesome