Melandboys

Welcome FEBRUARY!

2012-02-01T21:59:00.000-05:00

Source: shopquickquotes.com via Melanie on Pinterest

I know I have been neglecting this little blog, but my husband has been out of town most of January and these boys of mine are keeping me BUSY!

I am truly "WORN" out by the end (and sometimes the start) of each day:) It has been a LONG and tough month for me!

Thank heavens that it is now February and I will have a husband back soon... I have missed him so!

And I couldn't be happier that Valentines Day is coming up!

I have some fun ideas to share with you next week!

For some inspiration go here...it is an awesome article!

My favorite part:

William James, a pioneering American psychologist and philosopher, wrote, “The greatest revolution of our generation is the discovery that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.”

So much in life depends on our attitude. The way we choose to see things and respond to others makes all the difference. To do the best we can and then to choose to be happy about our circumstances, whatever they may be, can bring peace and contentment.

Charles Swindoll—author, educator, and Christian pastor—said: “Attitude, to me, is more important than … the past, … than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.”

I have had to reread this a few times this month:)

Have a lovely week my friends!

I've got a REALLY Great Movie fo you!!

2012-01-25T09:13:00.001-05:00

Have you seen the movie ' Courageous' yet?

I highly recommend it!

Now I am not saying it is going to win awards for the best acting ever--but WOW the message is POWERFUL! I am so grateful there are good people in the world, making good movies:)

In the end I wanted to stand up and cheer!! The film will touch your heart and motivate you to be a better Christian and a more committed parent. I really LOVED it!

This is from the creators of another one of our favorite movies 'Facing the Giants' which is only $6.49 on Amazon right now. Making both these movies together just over $20 with free shipping. What a bargain for good wholesome inspiring entertainment (how often can you use those words together:)

Do you have any great movies you would recommend? I would LOVE to hear about them!

Reaching High

2012-01-18T17:09:00.000-05:00

It is that lovely goal setting time of year again--

Where my heart yearns to REACH HIGH

to stretch myself and become the woman God created me to become...

the best version of myself.

Which sounds overwhelming, but...

I came across these cute pictures of TJ and Bridger catching passes from Brad.

He caught it by the way:)

my personal theme this year comes from the scripture

"By Small and Simple Things

are Great Things Brought to Pass"

I believe those words are true and apply to all aspects of my life.

With that in mind my resolutions are pretty simple--

and I know they will brings about the BIG results my heart desires.

Do you set New Years Resolutions?

I LOVE them. I am not always successful, but it feels good to try:)

I have my 2012 life planner, scripture study plan and budget system

set up for the year--I am very excited about them all.

Hitting the Slopes

2012-01-13T10:18:00.001-05:00

**I am itching to post about resolutions and organization ideas I have started for the New year--but I just have to finish up with all the fun from our trip to Utah first:)

The boys didn't let the complete lack of snow on the ground around town, or the reports that it was the driest December on record for Utah stop them from hitting the slopes for their much anticipated ski days.

When we moved to Tennessee we left our skis in Grandpa and Grandma's garage with promises of ski trips to Utah. And we have kept that promise--even this year with not the best (terrible) conditions.

Connor outgrew his skis and TJ wanted to snowboard this year, so a stop for rentals was the first order of business.

Even though the locals called the snow horrible this year (mostly man made) our boys thoughts it was AWESOME!! I guess they are officially 'Southerners' now:)

Bridger skied for the first time.

I didn't go (since Cannon doesn't ski yet--I stayed with him) but I hear that Bridger was a natural. After a half day of ski school he was off--flying down the mountain, er I mean bunny hill, with no problems:)

The perfect ending to a warmish and happy day of skiing--Frozen Yogurt with lots of toppings!

Yum!

Christmas 2011 in Pictures

2011-12-30T11:53:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful Christmas this year in Utah at Grammie and Papa's Home.

Traditional Christmas Eve dinner of Chicken a la King--served in our family for generations on this special night to celebrate Christ the' King'.

A dear friend gave me this beautiful quilt that day. Cannon was the first to snuggle up in its cozy warmth. It is BEAUTIFUL--I still can not believe that it was handmade for us. What a treasured gift! I absolutely LOVE it. Thank you Melanie! We love you!

We started our special night with Grammie (and Cannon) at the piano:), playing all the beautiful Christmas songs that we love.

My big boys:)

Caroling the night away!

Time for talents--TJ and the little boys started us out with a rockin' "Jingle Bells' number!

Juggling from Connor--with Christmas colors!

Coleman showcasing his fabulous handstand skills:)

I noted that TJ is not too big for Papa's lap yet:)

Just like every year, my Dad read the account of Christ's birth from the Bible my Grandma got in Jerusalem. We finished the night with a few of our favorite Christmas stories and the classic movie 'The Christmas Carol' We love the George C Scott version here. It is the BEST:)

Cannon fell asleep on my lap--what a treat! At 41/2 that is VERY rare! I loved it:)

The boys opened new pajama pants and happily went to bed! It is the only night of the whole year that my crew RUN to bed. It may have something to do with these piles of presents just waiting to be opened:)

The Christmas morning line up--youngest to oldest--just like always:)

It was an ELECTRONIC Christmas this year--perfect for bringing home on the plane.

Thank you Santa!

Before unwrapping gifts the older boys fed Grandpa's horses and we all enjoyed an amazing breakfast of traditional "Christmas Eggs" These are eggs baked in cream and they are seriously GOOD, let me tell you! Recipe here. Yum!

Then the gift giving started--and it was FUN:)

The best part of the day for me was watching all the hugging taking place!

Those happy faces and all the love being shared is pure bliss for this Momma!

It was a happy day--

I hope your Christmas was a Merry one too!

Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert

2011-12-27T12:24:00.001-05:00

After traveling all day with 5 boys, I look a little tired--but I was so happy to be "home" again:)

Straight from the airport --my Mom, sister, Coleman and I headed for Temple Square:)

Grandpa took the rest of the gang home for dinner and the BYU game on TV!

After a fabulous dinner at one of Utah's Cafe Rios (Yum--how I miss that place) we headed for the Conference Center for an absolutely heavenly Christmas Concert.

A very fuzzy iphone picture with my sweet sister Mindy. I sure miss this girl!

After the concert we enjoyed the beautiful lights on temple square as we hurried to our car:) It was freezing--especially for us wimpy Southerners:) We are looking forward to going back to see the lights with the rest of the family later in the week!

They were breathtaking!

Here is a little sample of what we got for almost two hours.

It felt like we were listening to angels sing.

I loved every minute!

Over the Country and Through the Skies to Grandmother's House we Go

2011-12-20T11:43:00.000-05:00

Wefinally reached the end of our paperchain countdown and it was time to go!

This picture is so funny--I snapped it quickly before we left for the airport with my phone and look he was in the middle of dropping it! ha

At the airport bright and early!

And we are off! Atlanta to Salt Lake City!!

Wooo hoooo!!!

Coleman got some pretty cool pictures from the plane:)

The Nativity and a Tebowing Wiseman

2011-12-19T09:24:00.001-05:00

My children were asked to be a part of the Nativity at our Christmas party at church this year. Honestly, I am not sure why they would ask us again considering what happened last time!

But they did--and so Connor was Joseph (what a good sport)!

Cannon and Bridger were little shephards and...

TJ and Coleman were wisemen. I had told them to come out and kneel or gather around the baby Jesus. I was snapping pictures at my table when one of teenagers said--"Is that wiseman Tebowing?"

For those of you who don't know what "tebowing" is:

Tim Tebow is the quarterback for the Denber Broncos. He is a faithful Christian who always takes a knee and gives a prayer of thanks instead of doing goofy celebration dance after a touchdown or winning a game. You can google it--"tebowing" is pretty big!

When I asked Coleman if he "tebowed" during the Christmas nativity--he responded with a lttle smirk and a "what?!!" as if he had no idea what I was talking about. Well after a little investigation (blowing up the snapshot for a closer look) I think that little grin there is a dead giveaway!

What a little stinker! I tell you that boy is just bursting with personality. He is a cutie, but what a stinker-augh! I guess at least my football fanatic boy is mimicking a pretty darn good guy in the NFL:) It could be worse, a lot worse!

Of course he was just being a typical 9 year old and having fun, but it did make me think. I decided it would be good for my boys to have a much better understanding of the Nativity and what each character represents:) And I think that now that really will be the last time my boys are in the church party nativity!! ha ha!

So, this last week before Christmas we are having a short and sweet nightly devotional/discussion focusing on one character of the nativity. I have been gathering scriptures, stories and ideas. I am really looking forward to it and hope it will become a yearly Christmas tradition.

If you have any ideas, I would LOVE to hear them--I need all the help I can get:)

Good Old Fashioned Games

2011-12-10T08:49:00.001-05:00

A couple of nights ago, this was my very enjoyable view while making dinner...

My litle boys have just discovered UNO and they can't get enough!
They walk around the house clutcing the deck of cards, recruiting people to play a game with them. We have all never played UNO so much in our lives:) And when no one is available for a round, they play by themselves. It is pretty SWEET--and hilarious to listen in on!

Jenga or "Jingo" as Cannon calls it comes in a close second around here.

I LOVE to see my boys enjoying a good old non electronic game together!

Which brings me to a question--

What games are favorites at your house?

The boys have asked Santa for electronics this year. And they have been good little boys, so I am guessing that he just may grant their wishes:) BUT this Momma will be limiting the daily time spent on these items, if you know what I mean!

I want to have a couple new card or board games to play together, you know?!

What would you suggest?

Christmas Planners and other Preparations

2011-12-05T09:50:00.001-05:00

There is always so much I want to do this time of year --from gifts to buy, parties, activities to do with my family, treats to bake, movies to watch...and the list goes on!

This year I decided to make a Christmas Planner to keep me organized. I also made one for my sister and friend with end of November birthdays:)

I got the idea from the blog eighteen25. They have directions here.

I used a set of Christmas scrapbook papers from Hobby Lobby, a composition notebook, some white cardstock, glue dots, white cardstock, and a small brown ink pad.

You can print calendars here.http://calendarlabs.com/

And make the tabs to fit your needs. It really was so fun to create and has helped me stay organized! I take it everywhere I go and review it several times a day!

In other news:

We set up our Hot Chocolate Making Station.

The boys have been LOVIN' it!

And on Saturday after my little boys gazzillioneth time asking me when we are going on an airplane to Grandma and Grandpas--we made a Paperchain Countdown!
We are so excited, can you tell?!!

The Stockings are hung...

and I have tried to fill our home with reminders of the true meaning of the season with nativities in almost every room:)

This sweet one is from Isreal--my sister brought it home for me when she spent a semester at the BYU Jerusalem center. I love it.

I have been thinking alot about of how to create a more 'Christ centered' Christmas for my family. I read this book --which is full of lots of wonderful ideas! I really want my boys to feel the true magic of the season that comes with a sincere celebration and increased devotion to the Son of God.

Do you have any traditions or activities that help your family have a more Christ centered Christmas?

I would love to hear about them!

The First Night of Christmas at our house

2011-12-02T14:47:00.001-05:00

We can hardly wait to get our Christmas tree up and quite often we do it on Thanksgiving night or soon after:)

This is the first of many family traditions during the Christmas season.

First Dad gets the tree set up and makes sure all the lights are working--this was quite an ordeal this year, darn it! The zap gun on TV did not do the trick--argh! Then I make appetizers and treats, (just like my Mom always did for the tree decorating party), while the boys unwrap and lay out all the ornaments. There is always lots of excitement as they talk about each of their favorites and laugh at all their homemade ones from years past. I love to hear their happy little conversations, it is probably my favorite part of the whole night:)

Then I have to show great restraint and let them hang everything wherever their hearts desire! Later on when they are gone I quietly rearrange just a bit for "balance", don't tell:)

Then we get all set up with sleeping bags and Christmas pillow cases for a sleepover under the glowing tree!

And we always watch ELF!!

Because we are big fans of Buddy the Elf around here and his words of holday wisdom get repeated often this time of year:)

Source: clawsondesigns.com via Melanie on Pinterest

Thanksgiving in Tennessee

2011-11-28T21:55:00.001-05:00

Ever since we have moved to Tennessee we have spent Thanksgiving with these dear friends.

(Our sweet hosts with my boys)
We are so grateful that they have kindly pulled us (and the missionaries) into their family on this special holiday each year!

I can not tell you how much this has meant to me!

As you know, I miss my family A LOT--and holidays like Thanksgiving would feel so lonely all by ourselves!

Thank heavens for sweet friends that treat you like family!

We love you Wolfleys:)

And the best part of the day for me-- getting to snuggle the two newest members of the Wolfley family--sweet little twin boys!

Seriously holding a newborn is such an amazing experience--heavenly!

It was a Happy Thanksgiving for us!

How was yours?

This Time is Precious

2011-11-22T10:15:00.001-05:00

Today, I am so grateful to be a Mother and a homemaker.

I can see that this time is precious and will be gone before I know it.
Lately these words have been going through my head and I know the are true...

"If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will - to your surprise - miss them profoundly." - President Thomas S. Monson

I am sure he is right, someday I WILL miss these 5 loud and messy little boys running through my house, profoundly.

It feels like just the other day I was starting out as a Mother with this little bundle in my arms.

Now he has grown into a tall and handsome young man. And it happened in the blink of an eye:)

Do you ever look at your children and realize just how fast they are growing up?

This month as I have tried to slow down and appreciate all the simple joys and blessings in my life, I have felt very sentimental about my family. One early morning I was looking at my oldest boy--up on his own at 5:30am to go to a seminary class to study the Old Testament before school --I was filled with so much love for this child of mine and a longing to stop time.

Connor is 14--that only gives me a little more than 3 years to have him in our home before he is off to college and more! With that in mind, I felt a desire to do better about being "present" as a Mother.
.

To really soak up and enjoy these years we have together.

I know that you can be home with them, but not really" there" when your mind is off in another place amd your busy with projects and such. I am guilty of this at times.
This family is my number one priority right now. I felt a new determination to have my time, energy and talents reflect this:) Some other ambitions and activities will have to take a backseat for now. Their time will come--just not now!

I am learning that babies don't keep and children grow up way too fast!

I heard once that "it is impossible to be a perfect Mother, but that there are a million ways to be a great one!"
What a happy thought:)

Weekend Plans

2011-11-18T16:38:00.001-05:00

I am so happy that it is FRIDAY!

I had a very happy but oh so busy week so a slower paced weekend is welcome and I already have a fun list of To Dos going:

*Tonight I am bringing a warm dinner to some dear friends who just welcomed a new baby into their family! I am so excited to snuggle that little bundle and bask in the sweet scent of a newborn--there is nothing better!

*Brad and I are going to the movie 'Courageous' --Brad has heard from lots of people at the office that it is a powerful movie. I am excited:)

*Saturday I plan on gathering the troops and super cleaning our home. I am looking forward to blasting some tunes and enjoying a family lunch out at our favorite pizza place after!

*Watching my little boys participate in the annual Primary Program at church. Coleman has a talk on Temples. Bridger and I love this Sunday each year! It is so fun to hear from the sweet little people in our congregation!

*Teaching the 12 year old girls in the Young Womens organization at Church--the lesson is on Good Health Habits. The perfect lesson for me--I have been itching to get back into a good exercise and diet routine. My friends asked me to join them in running a half marathon this February and I have not been running. If I am going to do it--I need to get in shape, you know!? I think I will revisit the Living Healthy and Strong challenges again:)

*Feeding the missionaries after church--always a blessing to have those testimony filled young men in our home.

*Pulling out some warm blankets and old family videos Sunday night.

Always produces lots of laughs and reminiscing with my boys!

Ther perfect way to wrap up our weekend!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Little Bit of Heaven

2011-11-14T21:10:00.001-05:00

I am now home happily surrounded by boys and LOADS and LOADS of laundry BUT have a gazillion pictures to remind me of the magic of Maui:)

I am so thankful that we were able to take this trip half way across the world,

and I am so very thankful that I had 5 beautiful boys to come home to all safe and sound!I caught this full rainbow on my Iphone during an early morning walk on the beach.

A little picture to text to my boys at home:)

I never grew tired of the view from my balcony--what a glorious sight to wake up to!

There is something so peaceful and soothing about time on the seashore.

Such a blessing to spend a whole week relaxing with my love!

. I have more adventures to share, including an afternoon spent on ziplines and snorkeling with seat turtles!

It was a fabulous little escape-but iit was also great to come home to my children and life as a Momma.

BYU Football

2011-11-07T15:28:00.004-05:00

As you well know my boys are HUGE BYU fans and they are loving quarterback mr Riley Nelson right now.

Today I an thankful that someone posted this SWEET clip on youtube of when he high 5'd the offical after a touchdown a couple weeks ago. We had to rewind it during the game and watch it again ! The boys were rolling with laughter--thinking Nelson is one cool guy! Hilarious!

I emailed a link to my boys today and they LOVED it:)

Much better than a boring old Hawaii postcard to let them know I am thinking of them!

What can I say---I get boys!

And it's a good thing since I have 5 of them :)

My View this Morning

2011-11-06T15:42:00.003-05:00

This is the sight I woke up to this morning from my balcony here at the Hyatt in Maui.

We arrived late last night for a trip hosted by Shaw( my husbands company).

This is why I have not been posting as planned the last few days.

It sounds funny, but leaving 5 boys home for a week is A LOT of work!

All the preparations took all my time and I never got to my little blog.

Although I didn't post-- my goal of living with thanksgiving daily has not been forgotten.

I have noticed a BIG difference in my heart and soul as I have consciously noticed and appreciated the simple blessings that surrounded me at home all week.

And today, I am especially grateful for this beautiful pool at our hotel:)

Can't wait to swim--as soon as our lost luggage is located. Cross your fingers for me!

A Month of Daily Thanksgiving

2011-11-01T09:35:00.000-04:00

My goal this month is to take the time to appreciate all the beauty and blessings of life and to be GRATEFUL.

I am planning on posting something I am thankful for everyday.

I truly belive that a secret to happpiness is a grateful heart:)

Today I will start with my family.

I am so thankful for these boys that are mine.

Even though they can be crazy loud and produce such messes, I love them with all my heart:)

Here is to a HAPPY month of THANKSGIVING!

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T10:04:00.001-04:00

(this photo idea was totally his idea--cracks me up!)

I am sorry for the lack of posts lately--but with one of my very favorite times of the year going on I have been happily very busy! Not to mention it was my sweet heart's birthday this weekend too!

Fun times:)

I am off to a spooky story time at the library with my little pumpkin Cannon!

I hope you have a delightfully spooky, sweet and safe Halloween!

A Birthday at the Beach

2011-10-24T16:28:00.002-04:00

Bridger turned 6 while we were at the beach--just like last year at Hilton Head and just like last year the day started out with everybody singing 'Happy Birthday' to our boy just as soon as he was awake:)

Then we took off for an early morning shell finding walk on the shore BUT

not before a stop at the local Piggly Wiggly (yes that really is a grocery store chain here in the South and the only one on Edisto Island) for some donuts and cinnamon rolls (our Birthday Boy's favorites)!

And the shell seeking expedition begins:)

Success:)

The Birthday Boy and brothers

We had a miniature golf course at the resort that we stayed at and Bridger LOVED it!!

After the beach and opening his presents this was his next birthday request!

The whole trip he was constantly wanting to go play this course! Luckily it was just across the road from our unit and right next to the jungle gym, so we were happy to oblige him:)

Brad told him he would get $5 for a hole in one and guess what?!

Bridger got 4--he was $20 richer by the end of that round!

We could not believe it! I think we have a golfer on our hands!

How I love this sweet boy and can hardly believe that he is already 6!

Crazy, I tell you!

Some fun Bridger facts:
*He was by far our biggest boy at birth (almost 10 pounds!!)

*He is also by far our pickiest eater (yes he inspired this post here)

*He can ride a two wheeler like nobody's business (without training wheels--for over a year now)

*He is VERY fast and athletic

*He LOVES playing football and soccer and wrestling with his brothers--let me tell you he is TOUGH!

*He LOVES green smoothies and requests them everyday (it is the only thing that I don't have to require him to eat at meals)

*He is very very good on the computer and Wii--he is electronically talented:)

*He is not a loud child, but he can talk your ear off--we love it!

*He loves going to school each day with Coleman--I love to see that look of pride when he proudly tells me about his day and shows me the contents of his backpack.

*He may be big and tough around his brothers but he still loves to be tucked in every night with his two special blankees that he has had since he was born:)

After his requested dinner of pizza we served up Oreo ice cream in mugs!

He decided that we would postpone the requested football cake until we got home:)

Our 6 year old Birthday Boy

Getting so big...

but not too big to still snuggle up with his Momma (&and those blankees:) to watch a movie!

Thank heavens!

Fall Beach Trip 2011 part I

2011-10-23T21:51:00.002-04:00

I have about a GAZILLION pictures from our trip to Edisto Island, South Carolina.

It was a wonderful trip!

I love time on the sea shore and so do these boys of mine:)

Here is just the first day in the sand...more to come!

Sand in our Toes

2011-10-19T10:21:00.003-04:00

Source: bippityboppityboo.tumblr.com via Melanie on Pinterest

We are at the beach and LOVIN' it!I think the beach is the perfect vacation for our boys. They are happy for hours on end with just the sea and sand...oh and some food of course:) Those boys of mine are always hungry!
Can't wait to share some fabulous pictures from Edisto Island, SC when I get home--since I forgot my camera cord-darn it!

What a time we have had... including PILES (literaly piles) of shells on the beach, hot tubbing in the pouring rain, an alligator sitting in a puddle right in front of us and breakfast at the delicious Sea Cow Cafe--mmmm:)

Yes it has been an adventure!!

Hope you are having a great week!

DIY: Halloween "BOO" Banner

2011-10-14T10:24:00.000-04:00

Here is what you need to create a 'BOO' Halloween Banner:

*Cardboard letters (Purchased for $1.50 each at Craft Store)

*1-2 rolls of Black Tulle (Craft Store $3.00--I used a little more than one)

*Various orange and black ribbon (Craft store from $1-$3 each--they are often on sale for 1/2 off at Hobby Lobby)

*A drill (3/4 inch--I think:)

*Glue--I used a glue gun--but forgot to add it to the items for the picture

Directions:
1. Drill two holes in each letter, big enough for threading your ribbon through.
2. Thread your ribbon through the holes.
3. Using a dap of glue (I used a glue gun) to attach tulle, wrap letters until the are completely black and you can not longer see the cardboard.
4. Cut pieces of ribbon and tulle and tie onto ends of banner for added decoration.
5. Hang on mantel or wherever you choose

**FYI the letters are kind of heavy and I did not want to put a big nail in my mantel, so I used these 3M hooks. I found them at Home Depot for $2.99 and they don't damage the surface! When you want to remove them you simply pull a tab and they release! Cool, huh!

See--pretty easy, huh?!

Happy Halloween my friends!

Well I am off to pack! Next week is fall break, so we are taking the boys to South Carolina for a few days on the beach! We had so much fun last year at Hilton Head that I think we are making it a fall break tradition! This year though we are going to Edisto--have you ever heard of it? We decided to give it a try because we own some weeks each year in a time share and they have a resort there.

I hope it is as great as Hilton Head (I LOVED that place)! We'll see:)

Hope you all have a happy weekend!

October Lovin' at our House

2011-10-13T11:09:00.000-04:00

I am lovin' these slightly cool October mornings. I pulled out the boys winter clothes, but haven't convinced them to give up the shorts quite yet.

Notice how Coleman has 2 backpacks?

This morning was one of those moments that made my Mother heart happy:)

Bridger was in charge of snack time for his kindergarten class today--so I put a very large bag of animal crackers in his backpack. I was worried that it would be too heavy for him. Coleman heard me talking and gallantly insisted on carrying it for his little brother!

That little act of kindness MADE MY DAY! Coleman has sweetly taken extra good care of our new little kindergartner boy. I am lovin'that--it makes up for some of the obnoxious teasing that this cute 9 year olds finds so hilarious:)

Front porch autumn blooms are getting full! We are going to add some pumpkins soon:)

I made this 'Boo' banner this year. It was really easy and fun to make. In case you are in need of some Halloween decor, I will show you how I did it tomorrow.

Great finds the day after Halloween at TJ Maxx and Target:)

I love this little saying. Isn't true? Home Is Where our Story Begins.

It is such a good reminder for me.

I want so much to create the beginnings of a beautiful happy story for my boys in this home.

Making good memories and traditions that will bring happiness and warmth throughout their lives, especially during those challenging times that we all struggle through at one time or another.

That is the reason I put so much into every holiday and season
.

I hope my children will always enjoy and celebrate life finding joy in the simple things.

I was just thinking about a dear friend who did not come from a happy home. Her parents were divorced, unhappy and things were tough--but she has seriously overcome the not so great beginning of her story. Although she can not rewrite the past, she has chosen to let it go and create a happy life for herself and and her family now. I just thought I would add that thought--I am so inspired with people like that--who choose to be happy no matter what life hands them.

We always have that choice--what a blessing!

Winner

2011-10-11T10:01:00.002-04:00

The winner of the awesome IHeart Organizing Family Binder Kit is...

#45 (according to Random.org)

who is Mindy Halladay! Congratulations Mindy! Email me at melandboys@gmail.com :)

I wish I had one for all of you that entered! You can order the whole kit or the individual forms you think you would use most here at IHeart Organizing Etsy Shop. Jenn the shop owner is so sweet and easy to work with--you will love her and her work! She also has a blog full of great ideas here.

In the comments, I noticed a BIG interest in the meal planning printable, so I wanted to remind you that you can download one here for free at my other blog The Sisters Cafe:)

Organized Hall Closet and Giveaway

2011-10-10T09:17:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday Everyone:)

Did you have a nice weekend? We had a Friday off and I have to say I really love 3 day weekends!Today is the last day for the IHeart Organizing Personalized Family Binder Printable Kit--to enter go here.It will help keep your life in order and family organized!

Trust me--it is a great product!

Here is one of the 30 printables included:

I meant to post more organizational tips and ideas last week--but I got busy being a Momma--which of course, trumps blogging:) But, on the last day of the giveaway I thought I would share with you a quick project I tackled awhile back--THE HALL CLOSET.

I unfortunately forget about this space in the hallway and since the majority of my family is old enough to help with laundry (but obviously can't fold sheets--yikes) , get their own band aids, sunscreen etc, this closet gets trashed very easily. When I opened the door ready to bring some organization to this area, I had to laugh because it was in BAD shape--total chaos in there. I decided I needed to take a 'before' picture' to illustrate to my family the DON"Ts when I am teaching them how to maintain the order:)

BEFORE:

AFTER:

I tossed some junk, divided items into bins, used these handy labels again,( laminated and attached with zip ties) and folded sheets.

This closet did not take me long and I am happy to report that it still looks like this 3 weeks later. I have found that my family will keep things in order when their is organization with everything having a spot and the expectations are clear on upkeep:)

Now go and organize something! Do it in baby steps, one drawer at a time and pretty soon your whole house will be in order! And--you will love it:)

Organizing My Spice/ Baking Cupboard

2011-10-04T16:31:00.002-04:00

As you can see, I am a BIG fan of little' lazy susan' turn tables! You can pick them up for around $4-6 at Target or Walmart. I started out with just two for my spices and then recently decided to use them to organize the rest of my cooking and baking items. It is so great to be able to quickly and easily locate anything that I need in seconds with just a little spin instead of unloading and rearranging the shelf:)

A little tip I learned from my Mom is to keep your spices on these little turntables in alphabetical order. Now this is just a basic thing--all the spices that start with an A, then a B and so on as your spin it around. It really saves you so much time to keep them organized like this and it is super easy to keep up.

I have little baskets for all the season packets (green one) and food coloring/ extracts/flavoring (white one).

I keep these glass jars on my counter top for the baking items I use all the time--flour, sugar, brown sugar and steel cut oats (for breakfast, not baking:) These jars are pretty enough to display and were not very expensive at Target.

I also keep big buckets with gamma lids (screw top) on the bottom of my pantry to refill the flour, sugar and the yellow one is wheat for baking fresh bread (my favorite:) I keep my wheat grinder there too for easy access!

To answer a few of your questions from the 'Organized Pantry' post...

The Ikea jars pictured on the right ( middle shelf ) are from the kitchen dept. on the label they say IKEA 365+

The blue containers on the left middle shelf are Rubbermaid from Target or Walmart years ago. They have held up really well and I like how you can easily scoop our of them. They sell similar ones still.

I hope these ideas help get you started in organizing your kitchen.

It was a little overwhelming to tackle for me--but now that it is done I LOVE it and can't believe I didn't sooner:)

I would LOVE to hear any of your tips or tricks for staying organized!

Please share--I welcome your ideas!

**Don't forget to enter the IHeart Organizing Giveaway here**

IHeart Organizing Giveaway!

2011-10-03T09:47:00.001-04:00

I am so excited to introduce you to a WONDERFUL shop on Etsy 'IHeart Organizing'

Jen the shop owner is a very talented graphic designer with a serious knack for organizing!

I have loved her work and ever since I found it have used it on my Family Command Center.

I can now print off this darling file each week for just pennies instead of the costly one, and it takes up less room on my magnet board which is very nice. It is also perfect for the fridge or somewhere else that is convenient for your family.

And you know the Family Binder that keeps me family organized that I shared with you a few weeks ago here...well IHeart Organizing shop has oodles of awesome printable pages for your family binder!

From basic important information,

to Cleaning Checklists all personalized with your family name!

Brilliant, huh?!

IHeart Organizing shop offers all these personalized printables individually or as a set for a very economical price!

The Personalized Household Binder "everything" printable kit, includes all of the following that you can print of as many times as you need for the rest of your life:)

* Binder Coversheet w/Spine
* 12 Month Calendar
* Blank Monthly Calendar
* Week at a Glance Calendar
* Task Checklist
* Family Outings Idea List

* Monthly Finance Checklist
* Monthly Budget Worksheets

* Home Maintenance Checklist
* Home To Do Checklist
* Cleaning Checklist
* Automotive Maintenance Log
* Important Home Information Worksheets

* Travel Checklist
* Babysitter Notes
* Petsitter Notes
* Kid's Daily Schedule

* Shopping List
* Meal Planning Calendar
* Freezer Inventory
* Fridge Inventory
* Pantry Inventory

* Blog To Do Checklist
* Blog Ideas Checklist

* Important Dates Chart
* Gift Giving Budget Tracker
* Party Planning Checklist

* Media Inventory
* Library System Tracker

A grand total of 30 Personalized Organizing Printables {individually that's an $82 value!}

These printables combined create an incredible Family Management Binder system for the home, keeping all valuable information centralized in one location. Used with or without a binder, they are the perfect set of documents to keep any home running organized! I LOVE these printables and think you will too!

TO ENTER:

We would like to offer one reader this incredible Personalized Household Binder Kit that will help keep your life in order and family organized! To tell me which IHEART Organizing printable you are most excited about. For an extra entry become a Melandboys Follower (on the right sidebar) and let me know in a comment.

Drawing will be closed on Monday Oct 10, 2011 at midnight Eastern time

and announced on Tuesday.

In honor of this giveaway, I will post organizing ideas all week!

First up tomorrow--tips for organizing your spice/baking cupboard.

Happy Monday Everybody:)

Life is Messy but oh so Good

2011-10-01T00:12:00.000-04:00

I had one of those kinds of weeks where life was messy and exhausting!

Unfortunetly, I did not get enough sleep and had about a GAZILLION things going on...

my bathrooms didn't get cleaned (dang it!), my family dinners didn't really happen (we had 'events' almost every night it seemed) and my daily excerise goal went down the drain (oops), I forgot to put the trash can out on garbage pick up day (aughh!) and the list goes on!

I guess that is just the way it goes sometimes--life doesn't always go as planned!

But, tonight as I was trying to bring order back to our messy home, feeling worn out and a little discouraged, I found my self sifting through the events that made up this exhausting week. Slowly a strange thing happened, as my thoughts turned to my family, my mind filled with little moments that occurred...happy stuff involving my sweet boys...

Pretty soon I found my self smiling and my heart overflowing with love for this crazy bunch that is mine--I realized how blessed I am to be so busy and so needed... to have such a full and sometimes chaotic life!

They may be messy and loud, but I am so thankful that I get to spend my days with these little (and some not so little:) people!

Life is good and I love it!

Tomorrow the craziness continues for me with a huge multi county crosscountry meet for Coleman that he qualified for , a baby shower I am hosting and more!

BUT I can not wait until 2pm when I can stop everything and snuggle up with my family to watch General Conference.

It really is so inspiring and uplifting--you should check it out! ( The link above will provide information of how to watch it from the comfort of your own home)

I found these free printables to help me and the older boys take notes

Source: visitingteaching.net via Melanie on Pinterest

And these packets for my younger set:)

Source: sugardoodle.net via Melanie on Pinterest

You can click on the link to print them if you want.

I hope you all have a very happy weekend! I have a really great giveaway scheduled for Monday morning. I am so excited so check back:)

7th Grade Football in all it's Glory

2011-09-28T22:33:00.001-04:00

TJ (#17) loved playing football this year and his team went UNDEFEATED.

Not just undefeated, but UNDEFEATED--as in seriously whooping every team they played. Awesome!

Last nights score was 44-6!

TJ plays free safety and corner back. ...which honestly I am not sure what that means, but I do know that he looked great! He was fast and aggressive!
In fact, he was so quick that I seemed to be unable to get his great plays on film! I was too busy cheering...and trying to figure out which player was mine so I could zoom my camera in on the right boy all the while handing out snacks with one hand and keeping little boys from tumbling down the bleachers with the other!

Phew--it is really ~~crazy~~ fun at those games for me!

But I did get a shot of the cute cheerleaders:)

That is something I understand!

What sweet, I mean TOUGH Football players!

Don't you just love 7th graders?!

Sometimes, I look at TJ and I can still clearly see a cute little toddler running around the house clutching a mini football like it was yesterday. My heart wants to burst with love for this boy and a longing to slow down time!

How did he get so big and grown up already?!

I am trying to soak up every minute with these boys of mine because my goodness their childhood is racing by!

Organized Pantry--YES!

2011-09-26T09:53:00.002-04:00

As you can see, I have a VERY small pantry for a family of 7!

This has been a source of frustration ever since I moved into this house 2 years ago.

I have slowly learned that if you have a small pantry you must me creative and ORGANIZED to make it work.

For instance, I have had to be creative with storage and have dedicated some shelves in my laundry room right off of the kitchen for pantry type items. That is were I put a big basket full of all the chip bags for the boys lunches, along with jars of nuts, trail mix and Costco size fishy cracker box, etc. I have been organizing and overhauling that room too :)

I also have glass jars on my counter for flour, sugar, and brown sugar to save room (although--now with these changes in my pantry I probably have room).

I got rid of all the different containers for everything and used these IKEA jars instead. I can not believe the difference it has made! I have so much more room now that everything is a uniform size! Not to mentiion that now with the clear jars and labels, I can quickly and easily find anything I am looking for!

The baskets and cereal containers are from Walmart. I printed the labels here for free on cardstock. Then I laminated them and attached them with zipties or scrapbook dots (very strong). I left the labels for the cereal blank, so that I could write with a dry erase marker when we changed out the cereal.

The 'snack' basket is way up on the tops of the pantry so I have a little more control over the consumption of granola bars and such:)

I bought the turn table (lazy susan) for my oils and the expandable tiered shelf for my cans at Target. These were great purchases that have helped me easily find items on this small shelf that used to be such an unorganized mess!

I love this wire pantry door organizer that was already installed when I bought the house. I have seen them at Home Depot and Lowes and at very affordable prices. They really help add usable storage to a limited space. You really should check out all the options on the kitchen organizing isles at Target, Walmart, Home Depot and Lowes. There are some great products!

I am so glad I took the time and invested the money in organizing this space in my kitchen. It has made a HUGE difference and I LOVE it. I smile every time I open this door--and that never happened before!

Why did I wait so long to do this?

Next up organizing the spice/ baking cupboard!

Happy Monday!

Happy Friday Thoughts

2011-09-23T15:04:00.001-04:00

Source: google.com via Melanie on Pinterest

Happy happy stuff on my mind:

*Brad gets home at 7pm after being out of town all week--can't wait to see him! And the boys can't wait to have their Daddy back!

*BYU plays tonight...we are hoping they can redeem themselves after last weeks devastating loss-ugh!

Lets hope that a miracle happens and they come out STRONG!

*I have been re-reading all the conference talks from April in preparation for next weeks General Conference. This one and this one have inspired me today. I am so thankful to have these beautiful words of counsel and direction from current prophets and apostles.

*Can't wait to sleep in tomorrow morning--ahhhh! Getting up daily at 5am wears me down by the weekend:) I am going to enjoy a lazy Saturday morning and make some pumpkin pancakes--we don't really have time for that during the week, you know?

*Finishing up a "BOO" banner for my Halloween mantle. It turned out just as cute as I imagined--which doesn't always happen with my crafting projects:)

*Looking forward to the Relief Society General Broadcast and dinner tomorrow night at the church. Always so inspiring!

*Going to go for a family bike ride this weekend. We will enjoy the {slightly} cooling temps and first hint of Fall colors!

I LOVE this time of year, don't you?!

Happy Weekend to you!

Monday I will share some tips and ideas for organizing your kitchen pantry and cupboards! Let me tell you, completing that project was something to smile about:) I have LOVED the results!

Sanctify Yourself

2011-09-19T21:18:00.000-04:00

This morning I saw this video and knew it would be perfect for family home evening... and it was:)

My boys were unusually still and quiet--totally mesmerized as it played! After we had a great conversation about how important it is to stay clean and pure--worthy of drawing on the powers of heaven when needed.

I am so grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ as a guide and a source of strength as I raise my boys.

What a blessing!

A BLUE Tradition

2011-09-17T23:33:00.002-04:00

On the morning of the BYU vs Utah game we ALWAYS have a BLUE breakfast.

It's a tradition that my boys LOVE and look forward to.

You would think that moving across the country would lessen the hype of this rivalry for my boys,

but the miles have done nothing to squash their BYU enthusiasm.

These boys of mine are true blue through and through!

Rise and Shout the Cougars are out in Tennessee!

It is now only half time and already 11:30pm here on the East coast. Geez--we are going to be up all night watching this game, not that my boys will mind!

Lets hope these crazy little cougar fans of mine will get to go to bed happy, reliving a win in their dreams tonight!

I am crossing my fingers:)

I am ready...

2011-09-15T09:47:00.000-04:00

for CHANGE

I have been having thoughts like this running through my head...

Source: beccabae.tumblr.com via Melanie on Pinterest

I am ridiculously excited for fall!
What is it about the change of seasons that is so good for the soul? I find each new season so refreshing and rejuvenating--I love it!

So even though it was 90 degrees outside and felt like summer, I went ahead and changed out my front door wreath for an autumn leaves look.

Removed the now scraggely pink and purple summer blooms, planting some golden Chrysanthemums ($1.19 each) and a budding auburn Mum ($2.50) So pretty for just $5!
I can't believe that those sweet potato vines are still going strong!

I also changed out the throw pillow covers in the family room for a warmer Fall/Winter look and put a few "fallish" items here and there.

I also picked up some 'Autumn' wallflowers at Bath and Bodyworks (love that scent) and baked our favorite pumpkin muffins. Yes those are both links--I couldn't recommend them more:)

I may be' jumping the gun' a bit, I think the official first day of Autumn is Sept 23, but I can't help myself!
It was a delight to see my boys reactions to the changes around here. Much to my surprise, from my 4 year old to my husband they all actually noticed and loved it!

So yes, we are {VERY} ready for Fall...bring it on, please!

Speaking of change...I am seriously considering a major change with my hair. I am so tired of dealing with the frizz brought on by the humidity here. I am dreaming of really cute SHORT hair. Maybe something like this...

Source: google.com via Melanie on Pinterest

Or this...

Source: twitter.com via Melanie on Pinterest

Such a daring move for me, but I think it would be SO much easier, and take SO much less time which sounds SO appealing.

What do you think? Do you have short hair? Do love it or regret the cut?

Organizing: Batteries

2011-09-12T11:04:00.002-04:00

So I have been organizing and labeling like mad around here. It feels so good, I think I am addicted:) I need to take some pictures of my work so I can show you what I have been up to. That is on my to do list this week, but in the mean time let me introduce to you our handy Battery Organizer...

I was brainstorming for gift ideas for my hubby for Fathers Day. When I ask him for ideas he says he doesn't need or want anything, just our love or something along those lines. Which is sweet, but dang it the boys and I want to wrap something up, you know?! So it is always hard to buy for my man and takes a lot of thinking. Some of my creative ideas do not turn out as awesome as they were in my head, but this one was a WINNER! My husband always complained about our battery situation. We put them in a zip loc bag which was usually spilling out onto the shelf in the sunrrom because with 5 boys and remote control cars alone, we go through A LOT of batteries. Well, I looked online for a solution and found some battery organizers that were all around $20 with shipping. Feeling thrifty, I set out to make my own. I found this container with adjustable compartments at Home Depot on the nail and screw aisle(I think that is where it was) for $4!!

With the help of our labeler and a cute print out on the front Coleman and I transformed this box into a Fathers Day gift and the Daddy LOVED it!

We have now used it since June with great success. No more old ziploc spilling out batteries anymore! Yay!

Do you have some great organizing ideas that have worked for your family? I would LOVE to hear abou them! Leave a comment here or email me at melandboys@gmail.com.
Have a great week!!

Visiting Teaching ideas

2011-09-09T10:20:00.000-04:00

Last month I shared a quote and some Cinnamon swirl bread.

I received an email from a reader requesting that I do a monthly post on the Visiting Teaching message.

( FYI--we are assigned sisters to visit from our congregation--to check on them, share a message and be a friend...it is awesome!)

I love visiting teaching and have been blessed by this program, so I think a monthly post is a great idea! The best part is, it will get me thinking about it early in the month and hopefully be more prepared. No grabbing a copy of the lesson as I run out the door and trying to read it in the car on the way over!

I have picked a few highlights and added my thoughts in this lavender:)

Strengthening Families by Increasing Spirituality

Julie B. Beck, Relief Society general president, said: “There has grown in me an overwhelming testimony of the value of daughters of God. … I have felt that there has never been a greater need for increased faith and personal righteousness. There has never been a greater need for strong families and homes.”Sisters (meaning women) can help create strong homes and families as they act on personal revelation.

(**This is one of my favorite quotes**)

“The ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the single most important skill that can be acquired in this life,”

One of the things that have helped me in this area is having a place to record my experiences with the Spirit of God in my life. In face because I believe in this so much, I made a personal revelation journal for each of my sons that are old enough to write. And little scripture bags for my two younger boys . We had a family home evening lesson about the importance of personal revelation, and how to qualify for and receive it. Along with quote from Sister Beck, I shared with my family scriptures about this topic and some favorite talks on the subject including,
Proverbs 3: 5-6
"To Acquire Knowledge and the Strength to Use it Wisely" Elder Richard G. Scott
"Scripture Reading and Revelation" Elder Dallin H. Oaks
"The Spirit of Revelation" Elder David Bednar

Here are the ones I made for my boys. They are denim notebook covers holding composition notebooks. Each one has a pocket in the inside cover for quotes and a pen.

Please don't laugh at the embroidery:) It was fun but I had no idea what I was doing!

But you could easily make simpler ones like these that my Relief Society recently gifted to us.
They embellished an inexpensive composition notebook and glued some quotes in the cover.
Everybody loved it!
This would be easy to make for your visiting teaching sisters.

“What can we do to better prepare our children spiritually for their eternal roles?” asked Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “Perhaps the most inclusive answer is: Teach them how to live the principles of the gospel.” This teaching comes through daily prayer, scripture study, and family mealtimes as well as weekly family home evening and Church attendance.

Elder Ballard explains: “We prepare each day, right now, for eternal life. If we are not preparing for eternal life, we are preparing for something less, perhaps something far less.”

Along with daily family scripture study and prayer, I feel that having dinner together is very important. I wrote about it here, "How to create happy and nourishing family dinners". You could share some ideas about the importance of family dinner and maybe a menu planner printed from here.
Also an incredible way to increase the spirituality of our families is watching and discussing General Conference (on Oct 1-2, 2011) together. What a blessing to have a prophet and apostles on the earth today.

Since that is coming up ...you could give them activity packets for their children.
I have some links on this post here.

These are just a few ideas to discuss from this months message--
I hope this helped to at least get you started:)

Get the full September 2011 message here.

A whole list of Visiting Teaching lesson helps and handouts here.

More cute handouts here

Happenings

2011-09-06T17:00:00.004-04:00

We had such a fun weekend with 'Papa' in the house!

Even though we moved across the country two years ago,

the boys didn't seem to skip a beat in their relationship with Grandpa.

It was sweet watching my boys with my Daddy.

He is a wonderful Grandpa...we sure miss this guy!

In other news...we have had a TON of rain!

It is such a fun change from the dry hot summer--that we are thrilled!

In fact school was cancelled today due the excessive rain!

Can you believe that? I swear they look for any excuse to cancel school around here,

but we are NOT complaining:)

It was so fun to sleep in, relax and read today.

I love having lazy days in our cozy home.

And last, but not least, oh my goodness, I am so excited to tell you about the most DIVINE Caramel Banana Cream Pie I made this weekend in celebration of Grandpa being here for Sunday dinner. It was incredible! I will share it next Monday on The Sisters Cafe.

Seriously, it was heavenly:)

Recently I have been working on organizing my kitchen pantry, cupboards and drawers. What a big job, but happily I am almost done and LOVE they way it feels to have order in my kitchen with everything neat and easily accessible. Now I can actually see and find everything with ease. BIG improvement, let me tell you! With a small kitchen, I have to be very organized to maximize the space that I do have. If you are interested, I will write a post with the products and ideas that I found that helped.

What do you think?

I hope your week is going great!

You have to be DEDICATED and TOUGH...

2011-08-31T09:10:00.005-04:00

to run cross country in High School, especially in the heat and humidity of the South in August. I don't know about you, but watching my son and these other kids run and struggle and improve each week is SO inspiring for me! This is a tough sport and the caliber of kids who participate is impressive. These are committed, hard working, ambitious individuals. I can tell you that I have 'stepped it up' in my own workouts and runs lately, motivated by their stellar examples! Connor runs about 4 miles everyday after school with the team and he never complains or whines about the difficult workouts his coach leads them in, ever! This sport builds physical strength and stamina along with some serious mental toughness! I LOVE it and am so thankful that my boy loves it too! What a great experience!

This was about half way into the 5K--Connor giving his little brothers a quick smile as they cheered him on from the sidelines!

I didn't get a shot of the end--I was too busy cheering the kids on... IT WAS AWESOME!! Connor always sprints at the end when he looks exhausted and beat--he somehow pulls down deep and finishes STRONG--and I mean FAST. He passes people at the end left and right. I love that determination. He is not the fastest by any means but he gives it his best and that makes me proud!

What a super example for his little fans:)

(This was taken somewhere in the middle of the race when the runners are out of view for awhile. It gets a little boring in the hot sun-poor guys!)

These little boys are troopers with Cross Country meets for Conn and Football games for TJ, they do a lot of cheering in the hot sun each week! Bless their hearts!

How is your week going? Are you busy cheering young athletes on too?

Exciting News

2011-08-29T13:11:00.006-04:00

As you all know, we have some SERIOUS BYU fans (remember Sweet 16) in the house. So you can only imagine the excitement when we heard that the Cougars 2011 season opener was going to be at 'Ole Miss' here in the South. And the boys were beyond happy when Brad got tickets for them to go! BUT what caused the MOST excitement was the news that Grandpa was flying out from Utah to join them for the game!

The boys had just walked in from a Sunday night Youth Fireside at our church, when Coleman told them the happy news:)

Grandpa will fly in on Thrusday night and will make the road trip with the boys on Friday morning to Oxford Mississippi to cheer on their beloved team together. The plan is to be there in time on Friday night for the BYU Team Fireside.

This is exciting stuff, it feels like Chrsitmas around here!

Go COUGARS!!

Source: cougarblog.wordpress.com via Michelle on Pinterest

Happy Thoughts on a Thursday

2011-08-25T07:32:00.003-04:00

Source: twigandthistle.com via Melanie on Pinterest

Aren't daisies such a happy flower? And they remind me of my Mother--a happy thought for sure:)

Source: michelleums.tumblr.com via Melanie on Pinterest

Source: bippityboppityboo.tumblr.com via Melanie on Pinterest

Source: lh3.ggpht.com via Melanie on Pinterest

Source: simplypix.tumblr.com via Melanie on Pinterest

Source: weheartit.com via Melanie on Pinterest

Source: bippityboppityboo.tumblr.com via Melanie on Pinterest

Hope your day is a happy one!

What the World Needs Now...

2011-08-23T08:39:00.004-04:00

More fierce and lovable NINJAS following your every move, bravely protecting you from bad guys and that big bad pile of laundry:)

I am trying to savor these sweet diversion from "getting stuff done" knowing that in a blink of an eye he will be too grown up for the costume box and off at school with his big brothers.

And I will have an ache in my heart when I am no longer tripping over little boys all day:)

The Family Binder--keeps me sane!

2011-08-22T15:06:00.003-04:00

We keep our family binder in the sun room right off the kitchen.

One aspect of family life that drives me crazy is keeping track of the gazillion papers we seem to generate! Sports practise and game schedules, notes from teachers, reminders of giving talks in Sunday school, birthday party invitations, coupons to our favorite pizza place and the list goes on! A couple of years ago I was fed up with the mess and implemented a system that{thankfully}works! Introducing the THE FAMILY BINDER!

This little 3 ring binder keeps our family organized and on top of things! We used to get so stressed and waste so much time trying to find that "one paper" in a stack on our counter or in a drawer. Now it is so nice to know where all of our important papers are and be able to locate them quickly.

Here is how it works:

*You will need a nice and sturdy 3 ring binder, dividers (with pockets are the best), and page protectors.

*Each person in the family has a section where we put any of their important papers that they get from school, coaches etc. They also have a list of their friends phone numbers there.

I also have a section for Home (projects and bids),Menus, and Church.

I got this leather binder in the planner section of Target for about $25. I love that it has this little file feature, zippered pocket and card holder. I used the file for bills, invites (but I will probably change that because we usually put that in the individuals divider pocket) receipts (this is where I put them until I have time to file them in the cabinet) and coupons ( I am not a 'couponer', but I do use a few now and then). I also put frequently called business cards in there, including our pediatrician and orthodontist.

In the back is a notepad that I have been using for household shopping lists, and items I want to remember for our next family council (ie work not getting done, plan to memorize scriptures, fun places to go as a family etc).

It is funny how the simplest things can make a HUGE difference. This is one of those things.

Do you have any simple ideas that have worked in a big way for your family? I would love to hear about them:)

First Day Of School Morning x 2

2011-08-17T21:28:00.002-04:00

6:30am Big Boys have breakfast (yummy overnight waffles here), scripture study and pictures before we leave for school.

A 7th grader and a Freshman--what?! I can not possibly be old enough to have a HIGH SCHOOLER!

(they are so sweet to accommodate my picture taking still. I am sure they are starting to worry that I will be following them to college just to get my first day of school shot:)

7:45 am Group 2 Breakfast, scriptures, and pictures:)

A big time 3rd grader and a brand new Kindergartner!

Cannon is REALLY missing his best buddy Bridger. Each morning Cannon and I happily wave from the front porch as he hollers his "have a nice day" and "I love yous" to his big brothers. Then as we go inside Cannon cries for a few minutes as the realization hits him that the brother he has been with everyday of his whole entire life is leaving him behind. It is just heart breaking (for him and me!) I try to talk it up that he is going to be my buddy and we are going to have so much fun--but life is not the same and he knows it! Poor little guy. He has a summer birthday and so technically he could start school next year, but I haven't decided. I would like him to be the oldest instead of the youngest, but the thought of one more long year without his brother....I don't know if I can do that to him!

Cannon making (and sampling) chocolate chip cookies for an after school snack for his big brothers. YUM!

And in a couple of weeks we will have a 4 different times to get boys out the door each morning now that Connor started early morning seminary class and our little man goes to pre-K!

Oh the crazy life of a home full of children!

So far, somedays have been 'go go go' from sun up to sun down...

I am praying for the energy I need and trying to go to bed earlier!

We are going to LOVE our weekends, I can tell you that much!

Are you still enjoying the last bit of summer or have your kiddos gone back too?

Back to School Dinner

2011-08-15T06:46:00.002-04:00

I had such fun decorating for this years annual 'Back to School Dinner' and it was a lot cuter than usual too:) ...thanks to the free printables at eighteen25. Thank you ladies!

On the menu:

Chicken & Vegtable Terriyaki Fried Rice

Whole Wheat Rolls

Fresh Watermelon

Pink Lemonade

And a very gourmet Rice Krispy Cake...

Every year we have a theme and this year it was Spencer W. Kimball's famous words "Lengthen Your Stride" During dinner I shared with the boys some life history and interesting stories from the life of President Kimball. Ending with what a hard worker he was and what it means to 'Lengthen Your Stride' The boys all committed to push themselves and try harder in every aspect of their lives this school year--not only with grades, and sports, but in serving and striving to live the gospel of Jesus Christ more fully.

After dinner all the boys recieved a Fathers Blessing.

This is the sweetest part of the night.

Watching my boys take their turn and hearing the beautiful words of counsel and blessings from my husband to our sons.

There is always a happy feeling that fills our home and I am so thankful.

We ended the night with this super gourmet, ridiculously easy Rice Krispy Cake, while we discussed the upcoming year.

It was decided (mostly by Mom and Dad--with some grumbling) that we should all go to bed earlier because this year we have an early morning seminary boy! Connor will attend a scripture study class every morning before school at 6am! That means getting up at 5am, yikes that is early!

Here is to a Happy New School Year--hurrah!
(If you want to make this rice krispy delight--simply make a double batch of rice krispy treats and find two containers that will work for stacking. Be sure to spray the chosen containers with non stick cooking spray and let the treats set up in the molds for 20 minutes. Then stack and decorate with some 'Capt Crunch Berries')

Last Days of Summer

2011-08-13T09:14:00.001-04:00

On the last the day before school started we wanted to squeeze that last bit of summer fun out of the all too soon ending season. So after cleaning out the garage (what can I say...I too had to squeeze one more project out of my boys while we had time:) we went 'Disco Skating' with a bunch of friends and then off to the pool. It was a BLAST! I have to admit that I usually dangle my feet in the water and chat with friends while my kids play--BUT this last day of summer I felt like really swimming with them and it was so much fun!

It is one of those days with my boys that I will always remember...a day I hope we will happily reminisce about over the years!
I know I will!

I really enjoyed playing 'sharks and minnows', 'quiet mouse' and jumping off the diving board with them--and then taking all these iphone shots of daring jumps:) Even Bridger, who was scared to jump off the diving board just last week, got in on the action proudly performing front flips!!

Bridger

Connor

Coleman and best bud Kollin

My little sweetie pie

The only one who still needs floaties and is too scared to jump off the diving board. Geez my boys are growing up fast!!

He still had fun getting in line for the diving board and then when it was his turn, he would very determinedly run and jump into the water on the side totally bypassing the board:) He also was out in the games bobbing around with his floaties thinking he was part of it all!

Next up First day of School! yikes

It's the Pirate LIfe for Me (pirate party ideas)

2011-08-08T20:10:00.004-04:00

I am not sure how many pirate parties I have put on over the course of my years as a Momma of boys...but this may be the last one:(
My littlest man turned 4 last month and we celebrated buccaneer style!!

So if anyone out there is thinking of a pirate party, here a few tried and true tips for a great time!

I did not take a picture of the invite, but I printed the following on tan card stock which we (carefully) burned the edges, rolled up and tied with twine:

Aye ther Matie!

Ye be invited fer some Birthday merrymaking at

Capt’n Cannon’s

Pirate Party

Chart yer course fer the

Port of Christensen

(address here)

On Tuesday, July 26th 2-4pm

Be ready to pillage and plunder

Your way to a swashbuckling good time!

See ye there…Aarrgghh!!

When the little pirates arrived we decked them out in their own hat and eye patch and let them play with an assortment of ships and pirate themed toys while everyone arrived.

We then played some easy games such musical chairs with little islands on the floor, and earning treats by tossing ping pong balls into bowls candy/treasures .

Then I read my favorite pirate book---

This book was gift from my Mom years ago and is absolutely A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E. The kids LOVED it! It is such a cute book, if you have a boy--get it! It will be a favorite!

I was planning on making this amazing pirate cake, but never got to it--so cupcakes with jolly roger flags had to do. Luckily Cannon didn't know what he was missing out on and loved his boring little cupcakes:)

We enjoyed cake and juice boxes

where I made a point to tell the boys that today they are pirates, and pirates have bad manners!
They giggled about not saying please or thank you and yelling 'down the hatch" while pounding their fists on the table,just like the book we read!

Next we played" cannonball"

Each little pirate had a balloon tied around their ankle. The goal was to bust other peoples cannon balls while trying to keep your from popping. It was silly but fun!

After unwrapping gifts we sent the little pirates on a treasure hunt created by Cannon's big brother. The little boys ran all over the house with Connor reading each clue until they discovered a treasure chest of party favor bags. So fun--thanks to Conn:)

One of Cannon's buddies made him a real 'duct tape' pirate sword, hat and hand crocheted eye patch--he was thrilled!

A couple of hours later the celebration continued with a family party!

On the menu

Pesto Chicken Sandwich

Doritos

Grapes

Frozen Strawberry Lemonade

And more cupcakes, of course:)

He opened gifts from his grandparents, brothers and Mom and Dad including legos, super hero action figures, pirate PJs, cool football shirt,books and more... He loved them all:)

He must of said at least 10 times "This is the best day EVER!"
Happy Birthday Cannon ---we love and adore you!!

You my darling boy are a treasure:)

And can you please please stay little!

Family Movie Night Reccomendation...

2011-08-03T15:39:00.001-04:00

I saw the movie 'Soul Surfer' in the theatre...and could not wait to watch it with my family. It is a powerful movie with a GREAT message of determination and triumph over personal tragedy through faith in Jesus Christ.
Although there is no violence, sex, or swearing, it is not a perfect movie--I wish there were less bikinis--(watching it on Clearplay would help)--but overall I give it two thumbs up!

In 2003, when a tiger shark in Kauai, Hawaii, attacked the 14-year-old Bethany Hamilton, the story was covered all over the nation. I remember reading about it then. Incredibly, just three weeks after the attack, Hamilton was back in the water learning how to surf with one arm. A year later, she won a national surfing title. Amazing!

Today, Hamilton is a professional surfer. In 2010 she was ranked 23rd in the world. “The shy kid has gone on to have a legit pro surf career despite her massive physical impairment,” Joel Patterson recently wrote in Surfer Magazine, “and, in the process, she’s inspired uncountable people struggling against cruel twists of fate.”

I love that in all her interviews over the years, Bethany Hamilton has always spoken about her Christian faith and the huge role it played in her recovery. Thank you Bethany for your beautiful example and desire to testify of the power of faith in Jesus Christ.

I love watching inspiring movies like this!

I think I was born in the wrong century...

2011-07-30T16:05:00.006-04:00

Source: karabana.blogspot.com via Melanie on Pinterest

I am currently enjoying a very relaxing "mini moon" with my husband in Savannah, Georgia.

This is one of the countries oldest cities, dating back to 1733, and brimming with that old Southern charm that I love.

I am now officially in the mood for 'Gone with the Wind'. Although, I am not sure I can get my boys to sit through that, I may have to plan a girls night--maybe I can serve up some Peach Cobbler or Red Velvet Cake while we watch:)

I have always LOVED that film, in fact my name was inspired by the kind hearted character, Melanie Hamilton Wilkes. My Mom would tell me how Melanie refused to see bad in people and she hoped I would do the same. This thought has stayed with me as a gentle reminder and goal.

I have come to realize that I am happiest when I focus on the good in others. Funny how that works!

Well, I am off to enjoy some good southern home cookin' at Savannah's own Paula Deen's " The Lady and Sons" restaurant Yum!

Back on Track baby!

2011-07-25T22:56:00.000-04:00

This summer has been a whirl wind of activity at our house. This little indoor picnic was a rare moment with just my little guys at home. The big brothers were off to scout camp and birthday parties and we took advantage of the unusual lack of anything going on to have some little people fun together. They were delighted with our simple dinner served on a tablecloth in front of the movie 'Gnomeo and Juliet'. What a treat to sit back and soak in my sweet little boys, knowing that soon enough they will be too busy for a family room picnic with their Mom:)

Lately I have missed those "lazy days of summer" that we used to have, even when the boys would drive me crazy with complaints that they were bored. We didn't really have any of that this year! I am not sure if I have ever been so busy as a Mother as I have this summer. We had swim team practises daily, with meets on the weekends, soccer practises and games, summer weight training at the school, wrestling camps, football camps, basketball camps, scout camps and the list goes on! I am going to have to think about how to do things a bit differently and what we can cut out next year to find a better balance. I am so worn out this summer that I am actually looking forward to school starting for a slower schedule...and that is just wrong!

I will say that I think my boys have had a happy summer--and that makes it worth it. I think they all loved being busy with sports (their favorite pastime:) One highlight for me was watching my Bridger play soccer. It was his first time on a team after watching his big brothers play for years. He was so excited and thrilled with himself, it was ADORABLE! I really love watching my children play sports and do what they love.

So all in all it was a good summer and with all our activities wrapping up we will have the next week and half before school starts to relax and check a few more things off our Summer Bucket List.

Also, I will have more time for this little neglected blog! yeah! Thanks for sticking with me:)

How is your summer going? **And do you have any suggestions for a good book that Brad and I could listen to on our way to Savannah, GA to (finally) celebrate our June 29th Anniversary? Please share!**

Swimming the Summer Away

2011-07-18T23:31:00.002-04:00

The day the team jammers came in the mail. My older boys would not be caught dead posing for a picture in them:) unlike these little guys who were so excited try them on and feeling pretty cool:)

We have spent A LOT of time this summer at the pool for SWIM TEAM (thus the lack of posts) and I have loved {almost} every minute of it:) I love that my boys get a great workout everyday, that they have been part of a wonderful team of coaches, kids and parents all working together to create strong swimmers and build confidence. Swim team is a big commitment with practices everyday--and 5 { very long} meets. The swim meets are exciting for the boys--but sitting in the sweltering hot humid southern summer weather for 5-6 hours at a time almost KILLS me, I am not kidding! But I can honestly say--it has been worth it and we will do it next year and every year that we can. What a great experience for my crew. Our last meet is this weekend and although it will be nice to not be spending so much time everyday at the pool, we will miss it!

Cannon was one of the youngest children on swim team. I was able to sneak him in since all his brothers were on the team and he would turn 4 during the summer. This was the first meet--he had a cheering squad trying to coax him into the pool to swim his little "guppie" lap with his dumbell.

He finally did it!! It was so sweet with everyone cheering on the little guys who start the meet off!

One of the line judges (for the real heats:) was congratulating him on his big debut swim--he is so proud of himself!

Bridger preparing for his kickboard heat with one of his best buds Kooper. They take this very seriously!

Connor and his friend Cameron splitting earbuds waiting for their heats to begin. He is a couple of years older than Connor and his Mom still requires him to do swim team. Which really helps back my request up:)

Cannons's little buddy Kristen--she was a huge help with getting him to praticipate on swim team in the beginning. I LOVE this girl!

Yes--we got this face a lot the first week or two! He would tell me "I don't fink I can do this" I can report that he now happily runs to his practise and loves it!

Bridger had no bad days--he was always ready to go! He is a determined little swimmer and has improved immensly this summer!

Coleman is the swimmer in the center...

He won his heat! Woo hoo! Dad congratulating him on a great swim!

Here goes TJ--he is the swimmer on the left.

GO TJ!!

You can tell that who is always at my legs and gets photographed the most. Next year I am going to do better about getting shots of my older boys, even if they don't want me to:)

Unfortunately I did not get any shots of Connor swimming--I could kick myself! He really did not want to do swim team, but I think he now secretly likes it. It is a great workout and he has always been a hard working kid.

The team had several sweet parties that the boys loved...

including a pizza party with dolphin balloons.

What a great experience to be a 'Dolphin'!

Thank you swim team for filling up our summer with good hard FUN!

Words to live by...

2011-07-11T22:59:00.000-04:00

Are you finding your summer to be as busy and crazy as mine?

It has been hard for me to get eveything done that my heart desires:)

I am trying to work on prioritizing better...with these wise words running in through my mind...

Source: michelleums.tumblr.com via Melanie on Pinterest

And this quote is my saving grace:) Makes me feel better about my not-as-clean-as-I-would-like house at times! A clean home is very important to me, but not at the expense of happiness, you know? This is hard to remember sometimes with 5 messy little boys running around my home!

Source: catchingfireflies.com via Melanie on Pinterest

So, how is your summer going? How do you get anything done with everyone home?

Tribute to the Daddy-o

2011-07-07T10:11:00.001-04:00

We had a great Fathers Day this year--celebrated literally right before we jumped in the car to start our Summer 2011 Road trip to Nauvoo:)

Best part of the celebrations was the hand made gift wrap, cards of boyish love and Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffeecake-yum!

We could not ask for a better Daddy!

Brad is one sweet, fun, hard working Father who has FULLY and proudly embraced the "Dad Life"!

We are so lucky!

Have you seen this video?
Turn up the volume and get ready to laugh!!

Happy Fathers Day to all you awesome Family Men out there! We love you!!

Birthday Fun

2011-07-05T22:41:00.002-04:00

We celebrated Coleman's 9th birthday on Friday!

His requested birthday dinner was Hot Dogs:)

Also on the menu:

Layered Drinks--have you tried these yet? They are a blast to make and drink!

BBQ Lays Potato Chips

Green Salad with Buttermilk Dressing

Oreo Ice Cream Pie

This boy is such a delight to have around. Coleman is so inquisitive, creative, kind hearted and FUN--there is NEVER a dull moment with this boy around!

He is slightly obsessed with semi trucks and driving right now.

Every time we are in the car he tells me how he can not wait until he can be get a license, points out all the big trucks and expresses his dreams of being a truck driver someday:)

He was gifted a semi truck to play with, a new Bible, a Nike basketball shirt, beef jerky, ice cube gum, a new art mosaic game and a MOTOR SCOOTER to speed around the neighborhood on.

Happy happy Birthday my darling boy!

You are love beyond words!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Fourth of July Inspiration

2011-07-01T22:31:00.002-04:00

As you know I LOVE holidays and the Fourth of July ranks up there pretty high in my book. I feel so blessed to live in this great country and enjoy the blessings of freedom and prosperity. I also feel so grateful to all those who sacrificed so much to bring about this great nation that we enjoy.

So in honor of our Independence Day coming up on Monday, I present to you these lovely images to inspire our celebrations!

Happy 4th of July my friends!

Please note the links at the bottom of each image. for the source of these little delights:)

Source: emilyhensoninteriors.com via Melanie on Pinterest

Source: thesisterscafe.com via Melanie on Pinterest

Source: marthastewart.com via Melanie on Pinterest

Source: iammommy.typepad.com via Melanie on Pinterest

Source: twoshadesofpink.blogspot.com via Melanie on Pinterest

Source: tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com via Melanie on Pinterest

Source: thecraftingchicks.com via Melanie on Pinterest

Source: womansday.com via Melanie on Pinterest

Source: twoshadesofpink.blogspot.com via Melanie on Pinterest

Let the celebrations begin, hope your day is GRAND!

My life changed forever 15 Years Ago today

2011-06-29T12:05:00.005-04:00

I married my (very handsome) best friend in the beautiful
Salt Lake Temple.
We were so excited to begin our life together and become a family.
Little did we know what was in store for us...
with 5 precious souls coming our way!

What a grand adventure this has been so far.
I am so blessed to share it with this man
who makes life so fun and happy!

Today as I reflected on the sacred relationship of marriage,
I was filled with a great desire to be a better wife--to find ways to show more love and respect for the man that God has given me.

Just got home

2011-06-23T22:33:00.001-04:00

** Don't forget to enter the $100 Best Buy Giveaway here**

And yes, Cannon packed all those "friends", along with a favorite blankee, and several hotwheels in his little backpack that he insisted wearing everywhere!

We just got home from a wonderful family vacation to Historic Nauvoo, IL.

" In 1839, early members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—called “Mormons”(our faith)—established this place of peace and beauty on a great bend in the Mississippi. And then they were forced to leave.

Today, Nauvoo is one of America’s premier historic communities. It has been designated a National Historic Landmark District. Many of the early homes, shops and public buildings have been restored or rebuilt and are open for guided tours. Horse-drawn wagons carry visitors along the tree-shaded streets. Children’s plays, musicals and nightly shows fill the days with family entertainment."

We had so much fun!! My heart was touched over and over again by the industry and faith of these people. I left inspired to work harder, and to be more faithful and committed in dedicating my life to God. I took lots of pictures that I will share soon!

Create: Crayon Cars

2011-06-19T05:25:00.000-04:00

I have seen these adorable crayon cars on serveral sites and thought this would be a craft I could interest my boys in, so I purchased this Nordic Ware Sweet Rides Classic Car Pan on Amazon. I figure with 5 boys we will use this cake pan lots over the years--and not just with crayons!

(uh not sure what was up with Coleman here--that is life with boys--one minute mad the next forgotten, thank heavens:)

How to Make Crayon Cars:

1. Peel the paper off of the crayons. Sitting around peeling the paper off of the crayons together was fun at first, but became a little tedious after awhile. The younger boy lost interest, but my older boys plugged along and I have to say I enjoyed working with them on this little project. We sorted the colors so that the final cars would be different shades of the same color.
2. Break the crayons up--or just use broken ones like us:) When we did have to break crayons my little boys loved to help!
3. VERY IMPORTANT STEP: spray your car shapes with cooking spray to help the cars come out of the pan easily.
4. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
5. Fill the pans with crayon bits and pieces. Here they are ready to go in the oven

6. Bake for about 20 minutes- We noticed that as the crayons melted, they sunk down and we had to quickly add more.

All 5 of my boys had fun looking in the oven window and watching the crayons melt, swirling into a puddle of wax. Who knew this would be so exciting!

7. Carefully, remove from oven when they are all fully melted. Allow them to cool. They shrink a bit and easily come out of the pan.

And Viola--you have crayon cars!

Ours are now proudly displayed on each of my boys desks and inside our crayon bucket.

The army truck is my favorite! We actually didn't plan it that way we just had leftover green and then a bunch of brown that we weren't being used so we just tossed them into the last mold and hoped for the best! It was a surprise when it turned out perfectly "camo".

Crayon Cars were crossed off our Summer Bucket list and considered a success! Fun times!

Last MInute Father's Day Inspiration and Free Printables

2011-06-18T13:36:00.000-04:00

I thought I would share with you some of my favorite Fathers Day ideas from some very creative and talented bloggers. First up...

Shirt and Tie Gift Boxes from Paper Cave.

Next from Idea Room-- Cute Fathers Day Pop Bottle and Candybar Covers. So fun!

Source: theidearoom.net via Melanie on Pinterest

And last but not least adorable Fathers Day Printable tags and Notes. We have these all ready for tomorrows breakfast! Thank Amy of Living Locurto!!

Source: livinglocurto.com via Melanie on Pinterest

Hope you have a fun and Happy Fathers Day tomorrow!!

PS We are headed to Nauvoo, IL. Have you been there? Any suggestions for our trip would be much appreciated:)

Summer Bucket List

2011-06-13T23:39:00.004-04:00

Source: simplypix.tumblr.com via Melanie on Pinterest

As you know I have my boys working with our Summer Job charts, but I really want them to have some fun too! I want to create some summer magic--sweet childhood fun-- memories that will be with them always.

Sometimes, the best memories are made from spur-of-the-moment- kind-of-fun, but for us I have found that usually fun times need to be planned and created. I want my boys to feel rewarded for working hard and not just with an afternoon in front of the TV, you know?!

So as soon as school ends each Spring, we have a very important family meeting (usually over ice cream), put our heads together and come up with our "Bucket List" of fun we want to make happen over the Summer.

This is what we came up with this year--with a few already crossed off! But with this LONG list, I am thinking we better get busy:)

2011 Summer Bucket List

Day trip to The Great Smokey Mtns Natl Park with Friends
Go to Disco skate at the Roller skating Rink

Bowling at Pinstricks

Camping in the Tennessee Woods

~~Make Crayon Cars~~

Backyard Movie Night

Enjoy theTN River Walking Bridge downtown and Snow cones

7 Brides for 7 Brothers Family Movie Night and Brother Sleepover

Create Tie Dye T-shirts

Tour the Mayfield Dairy and Ice Cream Factory--enjoy samples:)

Rock Wall Climbing

Chattanooga Cho Cho Tour

~~Go out for Frozen Yogurt~~

Fireworks Show for the 4th of July

Night Games and Milkshakes with friends

Go to a Chattanooga Lookouts/Atlanta Braves Game

Golfing with Dad

Family Mini Golf night

Go Boating

Create Popsicle Boats and Race them in the stream

Pizza Dinner at the Pool with Dad after Swim Team Prac.

Catch Fireflies
Squeeze Lemons for Homemade Lemonade

Gotta love having a list of fun waiting to be crossed off. I hung this list by their summer jobs, hoping it would inspire the boys to get done quick so we have time to get more crossed off!

What is on your Summer Bucket list?

Samsung Super Capicity Washer and Dryer and a $100 Giveaway

2011-06-08T12:12:00.001-04:00

Click here for a chance to win a $100 Best Buy gift card, and find out how you can get laundry done faster so you can spend more time doing better things, like being rescued by sweet little Super Heros?

Summer Job Charts

2011-06-07T10:04:00.002-04:00

I know, that I wrote 'next up was our Summer Bucket List', but I decided to post the Summer Job Charts first, since "work comes before play"! That is a little idea that I am trying to teach my boys. Somedays, I feel like it is a constant phrase coming out of my mouth.

It helped a lot once I got our Summer job system up and going on our 'Family Command Center'. Ever since life has been much happier, with a much cleaner house (yeah!) and a less frazzled and nagging Momma. When the expectations are clear my boys do so much better. I figured out what I needed done everyday and divided it up between the boys. The three oldest rotate between certain jobs--with the description outlined below. My two little boys have age appropriate jobs each day too.

For the older boys, I typed a detailed description of what the listed jobs meant. I fogot Dishes--but have told them when they see that on their chart--they are the 'Dish Duty Dude': meaning unloading and reloading dishes throughout the day. I am hoping that they will learn to put their dishes in the sink and maybe brotherly peer pressure will help.

The jobs are now clearly outlined for the summer and I don't have to change the routine until school starts. It is really important to me that my boys learn to work, so they know that there will also be big projects we work on together once a week or so. Such as, last week we dug out a HUGE thorny giant of a bush that was taking over our front planter box. It took us hours but I could tell the boys were proud of their work:)

I found a great weekly calendar from Erin Condren online. I love the bright and fun colors and personalized design. I also ordered the Life planner, which I LOVE too!

I recently purchased this and used it to laminate the charts. Now I can add notes with a dry erase marker if I want.

So far so good. We are working hard and playing hard too! We have already crossed off a couple of things on our bucket list. Now that jobs are out of the way--the fun is coming...Summer Bucket List really is up next!

Yeah for summer!!

Thoughts on Sunday

2011-06-05T22:29:00.003-04:00

Source: bellinipics.tumblr.com via Melanie on Pinterest

Today I was reading an old Womens Conference address about one of my favorite stories in the scriptures, that of Queen Esther, who at great danger to herself, had the courage to step forward in a most crucial way to save her people. She was the right person, at the right place, at the right time, with the right preparation to do what the Lord needed her to do.

I am sure you know the statement "Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14).

I believe that each of us have a great work to perform, and that we are here at this time and place for a purpose. We can acquire spiritual skills and understanding so that we too can be in the right place, at the right time, with the right preparation to do whatever the Lord needs us to do. I think these skills come when we first have the desire and then strengthen our relationship with the Lord through scripture study, prayer and doing what is right...especially serving others.

I loved this part of the article

"What do you think would happen if we were to look at every ability and every talent, every challenge and grueling obstacle, as being given to us "for such a time as this"? Every gift and endowment from above--every opportunity, heartache, and disappointment here--teaches us, enlightens us, and makes us who we are: women better prepared to serve the Lord, however and whenever He calls.

And what happens when the only desire of our heart is to give all that we have and are back to the Lord? When we want to consecrate every gift, talent, and resource? When we want to consecrate every relationship unto Him? What happens? Marvelous things--life-changing and spirit-enlarging things"

These thoughts have sunk deep into my heart today and given me lots to work on. I am inspired to, as Gordon B. Hinkley used to say "try a little harder to be a little better." I want to live my life in such a way to be prepared-- the kind of woman the Lord can count on to bring forth good works and glorify Him. That is my hope and my prayer.

Here's to a new week and new goals:)

Celebrating With Boys and other Sweet Birthday Treats

2011-05-31T09:34:00.000-04:00

For Connor's 14 Birthday we treated bunch guys to 'CiCi's Pizza' (an all you can eat pizza buffet) and then back to our house for 'Tommy Boy' with cold gatorades and candybars.

The boys humored me with a group shot...

which quickly dissolved into a mass of wrestling bodies. BOYS!! Actually I am getting used to the constant wrestling that goes on in a house of boys--and Connor's friends were so cute with my little boys. This is a pretty sweet group of teenagers!

Connor and I share a birthday week and one of my sweet neighbors surprised us one afternoon with the Lindt Truffle cupcakes from The Sisters Cafe. They were amazing, melt in your mouth good and Connor and I were both so happy with the gift. Thank you Kay!

My birthday was delightful surrounded by my boys! And I am happy to report we had no cake issues like last year:)!

But I have to tell you about quite possibly the sweetest treat of my birthday...

One of my friends arranged with my boys to come over and super clean all my bathrooms while I was out of the house one afternoon. Now, I love a clean house (especially bathrooms) and pride myself in keeping on a good routine, most of the time, but for some reason May has been crazy for me and I hate to admit it, but I let my bathrooms slide. I mean, they were BAD! The last couple of weeks I have skipped the deep cleaning they usually get and have done a five minute-wipe-the-sink-and-counter-and-quickly-swish-the- toilet- brush kind of clean.

Imagine my total astonishment when I came home to all of my bathrooms pristine, and sparkling clean! With flowers and chocolate to top it all off! Seriously I got a little teary eyed:) What a perfect gift. I had complained to my friend that I probably needed to hire help with my bathrooms because lately I felt like I couldn't keep up and did not have time for the deep cleaning that they needed.

As I looked over the beautifully clean rooms, I waffled between feeling so grateful for such a kind, thoughtful birthday offering and then horrified that my sweet friend cleaned my awful bathrooms---how embarrassing! In the end I decided to just be thankful (and to NEVER let my bathrooms get that bad again)!

I am blessed to be surrounded by good people and hope to follow their sweet examples. I really enjoyed all the facebook messages, emails, texts and phonecalls too! It made me want to be more diligent in remembering to give birthday wishes:) They are a sweet treat to receive:)

So all in all May was a great month at our house and we are a little sad to see it end.

Summer is officially upon us now and we are EXCITED, how about you?

This years Summer Bucket List up next! YEAH!

Dreaming of Backyard Magic

2011-05-24T23:43:00.010-04:00

I can't get this sweet outdoor movie night out of my head ever since I saw it in the current Pottery Barn Catalogue. Doesn't that look perfect? Too bad I don't have that tree in my backyard... AMAZING, huh?! I really want to do this for my family. It may not be as perfectly stylin' as this, but I will find a way. I know my boys would LOVE it!

Source: potterybarn.com via Melanie on Pinterest

Absolutely LOVE glass jar lighting. I am definitely doing this on the back deck!

Source: marthastewart.com via Melanie on Pinterest

Love these sparkling jars...

Source: weheartit.com via Melanie on Pinterest

Can't wait for firefly watching....one of my favorite things about living in the South!

Source: ohhelloyouprettythings.tumblr.com via Melanie on Pinterest

How romantic is this? Perfect spot for a summer dinner party...

Source: None via Melanie on Pinterest

And this last one?

Source: maluna.tumblr.com via Melanie on Pinterest

What a beautiful spot to cuddle with your love
--perfect for star gazing and stealing kisses:)

These images have my mind churning with ideas.
I am excited to create a little magic in my backyard this summer!

14 Years ago today...

2011-05-23T21:52:00.002-04:00

Brad and I welcomed our first son into the world! It was a VERY rough labor that actually started early on the 22nd of May, but did not successfully bring forth a baby until the 23rd.

We were OVERJOYED and SMITTEN at once with our new little boy. Connor Bradley weighed in at a whopping 8lbs 14oz and we thought he was PERFECT!

Now our sweet little bundle has traded in chubby cheeks for a tall and lanky look with braces...and we are still smitten with this boy!

He requested pizza and a white cake with chocolate frosting. YUM!

This year he was gifted a bench and weight set, some American Eagle clothes, Sperry topsiders, "The Bourne Identity" movie (which we are watching with clear play right now), along with some Reeses Pieces candy and 5 gum. He loved his gifts and his brothers loved presenting them to him.

I LOVE birthday parties--but let me just say ALL my boys including the Daddy were so wild and goofy during the festivities that I seriously thought to myself ...'I do not get boy humor' and wondered if I ever will?" Sometimes, I could really use another girl around here...I am so outnumbered!

Happy Birthday Connor Bradley! I love you my darling boy!

PS Do you like the new look around here? Thank you Emily from Designer Blogs-I highly reccommend this company. The prices were great and the service was FANTASTIC!

Let the FUN begin

2011-05-20T15:01:00.004-04:00

Source: hostessblog.com via Melanie on Pinterest

SCHOOL is out for my boys!

I can't believe the beloved days of summer are finally here!
We are working on our Summer Bucket List.*
and I am getting the summer edition ready of our Family Command Center* (that sounds so official it makes me laugh:)
*More to come with pictures!

Right now I am painting my nails a BRIGHT and fun shade of pink (OPI Dutch tulips) Just getting ready for my hot date tonight:) Dinner and a movie, can't wait!
My little boys roll their eyes eveytime we go on our weekly date and ask WHY (my older boys have stopped questioning the weekly date night and they babysit without complaint--so nice)?

I tell them because we love each other... leaving off the part that it is nice to have some alone time once a week! Brad, on the other hand tells them we go on dates so we can kiss while he makes kissy lips! That gets a lot of giggles and "eehs" and "I am not gonna do that when I grow up"

I will be reminding them of their aversion to kissing when they are of dating age--ha ha:)

Have a Happy Weekend everyone!

Walkie Talkies, a Shiner & some Inspiration

2011-05-16T10:43:00.013-04:00

Coleman and his best bud Kollin have been introduced to the world of 'walkie talkies' with" over and outs" and "roger that" This is exciting stuff to an 8 year old! They talk right before bed and plan their walk to school over breakfast. So cute!

Also Cannon recieved his first true blue shiner. It looked way worse than this the next day. I was embarrassed to be seen in public with him--lets just say he got A LOT of attention! He ran into Bridger's head while they were trying to gang up on TJ "WWW smack down style". This all happened when they were suppossed to be getting a story for a nice and calm bed time routine. I try, that is all I can say:)

I was a part of a birthday party for the Relief Society (Women's organization) I am a part of. The Relief Society strengthens women and families and I LOVE being a part of it. I taught my family dinner class that night and handed out a new menu planner (found here).

I LOVED this video shown that night---WE CAN DO EXTRAORDINARY things:)

Tornado Relief Efforts

2011-05-11T08:33:00.011-04:00

We spent last weekend doing what we could to help with all the Tornado Relief Efforts. It was a great experience for our family to be a part of. On Saturday the boys and I helped with a food and clothing drive sponsored by our church. We were in charge of our neighborhood and there was a HUGE response. We loaded up the van several times!

At the church all the donations were sorted. It was actually really fun to all work together with so many people for such a good cause.

Please excuse my blurry Iphone shots:)

We had lots of helpers in all sizes:)

After the donations were all neatly sorted and boxed, they filled a large trailer to the TOP for the Samaritan center to be given to the people in our communtiy that are in need right now. I was so amazed with the generousity of so many good people!

Brad and Connor have gone out EVERYDAY to help with the clean up. Every evening Brad comes home from work eats a quick dinner, throws on his yellow 'Mormon Helping Hands' shirt, grabs a chain saw and is out the door. As Elders Quorumn President (his church calling or assignment) he has been in charge of organizing some of the clean up efforts according to the needs in our area. There are A LOT OF NEEDS right now. He says that the mess is overwhelmingly HUGE and will take a long time and many hands to get it all done.

Brad has been very touched by the heart wrenching stories and the gratitude of the people he has been able to meet. And I have been touched to see my husband and boys so willing to serve where needed. They come home exhausted, sweaty, dirty and all scratched up from trying to haul off all the fallen trees and debris ....and my heart swells with love for these stinky boys of mine:) Sometimes I have such a hard time getting them to do their 'chores' and even make their beds, but I am happy to see that when it really matters, they can be counted on to step up and work hard! Phew!

All cleaned up for church.

Because of the great needs in our area--as soon as church was over the men and older boys went back out to work. I told them not to worry about Mothers Day....but they still showered me with some sweet handmade cards and coupons for foot massages! yeah!
And Brad keeps saying next weekend we will celebrate--but honestly the work they are doing so willingly is the best gift they could ever give me:)

How to Deal with a Picky Eater

2011-05-09T09:59:00.015-04:00

I must admit that I prided myself in the fact that I did not have picky eaters! I thought I had that figured out...I refused to put up with that and taught my boys the sentiment "you get what they get and you don't throw a fit". Well, that was the case with my first 3 boys...but how foolish I was to think that it was that easy with all children. Along came my fourth son Bridger, weighing in at a whopping 9 lbs 14oz. I thought that surely this little butterball would be the best eater of all!! How wrong I was!

Inside this sweet little body resides a very STRONG spirit with an iron will. He absolutely refused to be forced into eating anything that was not on his "approved list" of foods. Which was very small, by the way:) This chubby baby turned into a very thin toddler who didn't seem to care much about eating or food.

No amount of orders, threats, or manipulation would get him to eat his dinner. All the toughness that worked so well with his older brothers seemed to have no effect on him. He would miss out on treats during family movie night, go to bed hungry and still not budge in his decision to not eat the food placed before him.

It was extremely frustrating and damaging to our relationship at times! I seemed to be the one being manipulated. Soon he never ate with the family because I was too tired of the fight at the dinner table. I was worried about his weight and health and I wanted peace and quiet. So I ended up giving him something separate that he liked. Everyone was happy and his little tummy was full. This went on for long time and then one day it hit me that I was not doing him or our family any good with giving in and catering to this "picky eater" lifestyle. It was time consuming and not healthy for him or our family. So I put my foot down mentally, but did not know how to go about it fixing the problem.
I will admit that this little journey of helping Bridger become a healthy eater has been overwhelming at times BUT rewarding too. I have grown so much and so has he. While this is work in progress, I can report that we have come a LONG way and I celebrate that fact:) He still struggles with dinner some nights, but there is no more tears, or throwing up when trying a new food (uh yes that did happen several times when dinner was forced upon him! It was traumatic for him and me) I don't profess to have all the answers, but this is what has helped us!

So here is my advice for
Helping Picky Eaters:

** Preface**You may think this is funny, but my biggest advice is first of all...pray for inspiration. As Mothers I feel like we have a direct line to heaven when it comes to the welfare of the little souls placed in our care. Those children are God's before they are ours. I think of them as 'on loan'. I believe that our Heavenly Father LOVES His children and wants the best for them. We are blessed when we take our concerns to him regarding those precious little ones-I know that He cares and will direct us on what is best for their progression and development. I have found that when I do this I am blessed with more love than ever for my child, the ability to see clearly what needs to be done and the faith (and stamina) to see it thru.

#1 NUTRITIONFirst, I decided I would pay close attention to providing good nutrition for him and our whole family. I started making green smoothies (full of spinach and fresh fruit and berries) everyday. This became a family tradition. I enlisted the help of the older family members in setting a good example--telling them how important this was for our picky eater to have this awesome "liquid gold". I put the smoothie in a plastic Batman cup with a lid and straw and he shockingly slurped them right down. I felt like it was my insurance policy that he was getting the nutrients he needed even if he didn't eat much. Even though it may not seem like it--children really will eat enough for their needs. Just make sure you don't let them fill up on junk food. Give them nutrient rich food and then a little bit can go a long way in nourishing them.
#2 CLEAR EXPECTATIONS
Next for me I had to establish clear expectations ("family rules" regarding meal time/ eating) I like the idea that you give your children clear guidelines or expectations but let them choose for themselves. There needs to also be clear consequences for their choices. (ei they may be hungry later--but they only eat at scheduled meal/snack times or sitting at the table, they have to go to bed early if they cry and whine at the table OR no treats unless they have one bite everything on their dinner plate etc--WHATEVER YOU DECIDE is best) Children can learn this concept quickly at a young age.

#3 NO PRESSURE OR Extra Attention
I tried to be very careful to not make a big deal out of food and mealtimes. I felt that it was important that no pressure or stress be associated at all with eating. He knew our "rules" or expectations but I didn't want to talk about it the whole meal and give it too much attention. On the other hand, the decided upon consequences were clear and non-negotiable. We gave a warning or two, but then we were consistent with the follow through--and we never showed any anger or extra attention while giving the consequence. If was just "matter of fact" with as little talking about it as possible. (this was hard at first--but it did work:)

#4 CONTROL
I have found that children love to feel in control of their world as much as possible. Letting them have more control with food/mealtimes will help. Maybe they get to help choose the meal, the drink, the plate or even help prepare it.
#5 CELEBRATE
Celebrate any success. I tred I take him aside with a little hug whenever I saw that he was making progress. From the start of this little campaign to change his picky eating, I have tried to build him up and treat him like he is becoming a good healthy eater. As he started to do better, I tried to tell him sincerely and regularly that I was so happy that he was learning to eat his dinner and that his body was getting healthy, big and strong! At one point we put stickers on a chart each time he ate a bite of all the food on his plate at dinner--when he had a certain number of stickers we celebrated with a small new toy. I could see the pride in himself grow as he saw his success and it fueled his desire to try harder.

#6 LOVE
A key for me with my boys is LOVE. You can have firm rules and expectations that do not change--but at the same time you can show unconditional love not tied to their choices. That is the most important thing. Children crave and thrive on their Mother's love. I found that a Mothers love is powerful stuff:)

I keep editing this post with a little less specifics about what I did, because every child and family is different. What worked for us may not be right for you--but I think the general ideas above are true for all children. The specifics are where inspiration comes into play--so you know what is the best route to take with your child and their paticular personality and situation. I hope these general ideas help with your little picky eaters! Good luck my friends!
And please know that I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject in the comments:)