Fair is upon us...

Today is the first day of our county's annual Labor Day Round-up and Fair.  It truly seems like yesterday we were packing up and heading home from the long weekend last year.  It is amazing how time flies when you are running around like a mad woman having fun!  Here are the fruits of my children's summer labor...

Tater & Ferdinand (weighing in at 290 lbs.)

Tales & Fruit Cup (weighing in at 270 lbs.)

Tonight they will show the pigs for market and tomorrow night for showmanship.  Does wanting to skip this weekend make me a bad mom?  Because if so then I am terribly horrific!!  I think a girl weekend somewhere warm with frilly drinks sounds pretty darn good!!  Anyhoo...I will be busy but look forward to chatting with all of you next week.  Sweet weekend-

Weekly Thoughts-Week 35

So now I am on a kick to see if the cute weird little things and I do are shared by others.  For some strange reason it made me feel a little better to know that I am not the only one who counts my hours of sleep.  So here is another one for you...

Week 35-Am I the only mom who goes to bed and sets her alarm early to "Get Things Done" (i.e. dishes, exercise) only to turn it off when it rings and sleep in until you are running late?

I wouldn't necessarily say that I am not a morning person.  I really do like mornings...I just LOATH getting up!!  I am jealous of those of you who can spring out of bed when the alarm goes off and get more done by 7 in the morning than I do all day long.  I want to be that person...I just can't seem to make myself do it!!  Sweet intentions-

Thank goodness for football...

If you have been reading my blog for any length of time you already know that I LOVE football!!  I love watching it on TV but my favorite football to watch is when my son Tater is playing.  Lucky for me he had his first scrimmage this weekend (for high school...GIGANTIC SIGH) and I was there excited for the season to start and with my camera in hand.  Here are some of my favorite shots of the game (#74 yellow)...

The cute and funny thing about it is that when he left for the game that morning I didn't know what number he would be...so a little before the game started I got a text from Tate...#74 yellow.  In looking at these pictures I am pretty darn sure that I could have picked out my boy.  Just saying...he kind of has a look about him.  Thank goodness for Tater's and football!!  Sweet season-

Teenage Room Make-over...Part 1

We have been in our new home since the middle of April and I still have not addressed my children's rooms.  So for Taylea's 13th birthday I thought it would be a perfect time.  I would have loved to surprise her with it but I know her well enough to know that isn't a good idea...she is a girl who likes to be involved (which is one of the million reasons why I love that girl)!  My plan was for it to be a room she could grow in...one that is fun and girly but mature enough to stand the test of high school (tall order).

To begin the project I had her come up with a color scheme...she chose yellow, gray & black.  I wasn't supper excited about her choice but I have to admit that it grew on me and now I absolutely LOVE it!  Next was our trip to shop for everything we needed to begin.  We were both excited to see what we could find and after ZERO arguments (its the truth) this is what we came home with...

Two black lamps from Target (16.99 each), two gray and white zebra shower curtains from Target (14.99 each), two yellow place mats from Target (1.99 each), numerous old picture frames from Goodwill (5.00 total), two yellow pails from Target (1.00 each), yellow and gray leaf pillow cases from Target (5.00), black shelf from Target Clearance (7.99), gray and white fleece blanket from Fred Meyer (12.00), black chair cushion from Walmart (5.00) and coordinating fabric/ribbon from JoAnn's (15.00).

Some of the items will be repurposed and some will be painted.  In fact painting was the next item on the "To Do" list.  We started with her closet doors and painted them with......drum roll please.....CHALK BOARD paint.  This time we used the kind in a paint can and rolled it on (or at least Tales did)...

Next came the bedroom walls and the chore of picking the perfect shade of gray.  I have to say that it was harder than I had thought it would be.  There are so many gray's that have touches of greens and blues in them and so I struggled until I found this...JAUNT-True Value.

Again Tales pushed up her shirt sleeves and painted until it was time for me to come in and finish the trim work and corners...

I think I had better stop here for today but I will continue with the other projects and the final product in the next couple of weeks.  Sweet makeover-

Friday Thoughts-Week 34

Funny story...This summer has pretty much kicked my butt!!  The sad thing is that I'm not quite sure what I have accomplished...I'm thinking nothing...or at least nothing that I had on my "Summer Chore List". 

Blogging-Been a slacker!!  Thank you to the sweet selves out there that sent me little notes, texts or phone calls (Dad) that you are missing me.  It makes me smile to think that this little thing I do has touched someone.

Loosing Weight-BLAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!  Gained it!!  Happiness does that to me!!  So as much I would like to complain...I'm not going to do it!!  Happiness is worth the poundage.

Painting my New House-Nope!!!  A friend even gave me a gallon of paint for my front bathroom and it is still sitting by the front door in the same spot that I put it in when she brought it to me MONTHS ago.

So that is pretty much how the summer has gone & I am WIPED...end of story and complaining.  Thanks for listening!
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Week 34- Am I the only mom who sits on the couch before bed and calculates how many hours of sleep I will get if I go to bed "RIGHT NOW"??

There are some things that I do and wonder to myself, "Am I the only one who does this?"  Calculating my hours of sleep is one of them.  I will even go as far as to say that most nights I bring out the fingers to count because by that time of night I need them to get past 2 (sad but true)!  Please tell me I am not the only mom who does this!!  Sweet sleep-

Today is a BIG deal...

Today is a very special day at my house...my sweet baby girl is now 13!!!

Isn't she B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L.?? 

To celebrate I surprised her with lunch at the Happy Horse (an AMAZING deli in Lakeview that I worked at all of my high school years) with some of her most precious friends and family...

The girls caught up...

Tales opened gifts...

They laughed and giggled...

Such a fun group of young ladies...

For each girl I put together a candy bag with a tag that said "Sweet 13" (although I'm not quite sure that Sweet and 13 should be in the same sentence together...I like to dream)...

I now live in a single parent home with TWO teenagers (one of which will be old enough to drive me around in a few weeks...EEEEEEEEEKKKKKK) please pray for me!  I have a hunch that I am going to need them. :)  Sweet 13-

P.S.-Hi Dad...love you and thanks for the hard time!!!

And the winner is...

A big THANKS to all of you that entered my August Already Giveaway!!  The lucky winner of the Ice Cream Sundae Kit is...drum roll please...

Cheana Wright!!!

Congratulations Cheana!  I will be posting a little later in the week about how to put this fun gift idea together.  Happy Tuesday Everyone!!!  Sweet cream-

Thursday Thoughts-Week 32

Week 32-Live Simply...Dream Big...Be Grateful...Give Love...Laugh Lots!!!

This pretty much sums up it all up for me and how I would want my kids to live their lives.  To me life is not about what you have but who you have surrounding you...Dreams are necessary to make it where you want to go...Being Grateful for life and its many pleasures will remind you of how lucky you are...Giving Love will make you happy and give you more love in return and Laughing is the best medicine for anything that comes your way.  Sweet kids-


PS-Don't forget to enter the Already August Giveaway!!  You only have until tomorrow at 5:00 pt!!  Winner will be announced on Monday. 

A few of my favorite things...

Writing and producing a blog has been such a great way to chronicle my life.  The other day a took a few minutes and looked back at some of the things that I have posted about.  I realized that I post about all things that I love...which is such an awesome way to direct my creative craziness.  There are of course a few things that I love more than others...my favorite things.  Here are a few...

My favorite boy (Taters)...

My favorite decoration of ALL TIME...

My favorite project...$2.00 candle holders...

My favorite leftover meal...Taquitos...

My favorite Christmas Cookie...

My favorite antique...

My favorite kids...

My favorite purchase...

My favorite smile...

A few of my VERY favorite girls...

My favorite and sweetest Papa & Mamu...

My favorite cookie (remember that is ALL I ate one day)...

My favorite dog...

My favorite place...my new home...

My favorite girl (Tales)...

My favorite new product...chalk board paint...

My favorite photo...

My favorite thing to do...camp with the people I love...

I have said it before and I will say it again...I am one lucky girl!!  Sweet favorites-

Wednesday Thoughts-Week 31

Week 31-Whoever said Diamonds are a girls best friend....never had a dog!!

Missing my sweet baby Jack today!!!  Sweet bubba-