It came!!!

This morning I opened my door to check and make sure that N8 put the garbage out to the curb (which he did, thanks!) and my blog book was at my doorstep!! I am super excited and really pleased with how it turned out. I feel that the quality is excellent and it was relatively easy to do. I snapped some shots of it for my fellow bloggers that might be interested in doing it themselves.
So, here you go...
I made it using Blurb!

This morning I also got a couple of pictures of the kids. Mo, loves our kitties and it shows!

And Emma just wanted her picture taken!

I had sworn it off...

Ok, some time ago (at least 2 years or so) I swore off Oprah. Her topics became depressing and her motives were in my mind wacky. So, I happily switched over the The Martha Stewart Show. I've said it before, I don't hold her time in prison against her and her ability(or her staffs!) to create fun crafts and interesting cooking segments.

But yesterday I broke down. I watched Oprah. On Monday during the Bachelor (yes, I watch that too!) I saw a commercial for Oprah. She was having the Grandfather of the recently born octoplets on her show. This is a story that for some insane reason I have been enthralled with. The entire situation is insane in my mind. I am continually amazed at modern medicine and all that it can do. IVF has blessed many couples with the ability to bare children. But this lady took it too the extreme. I think large families are wonderful. But I also think that a mother and a father are essential to a sucessful family. I also feel that it is vital that you support your family emotionally, socially, spiritally and finantially. This last one is the kicker for me in this situation. She has no job, she is living with her mother, they're months behind on the morgage, she has no health insurance!!

So, yes when I saw that her father was going to be on, I wanted to watch. He seemed like a nice person. I was pleasantly surprised that he thought she was crazy too! He even talked to her doctor after for 4th child and said enough is enough, stop getting her prego!

Now, I do not plan on making the Oprah show part of my regular viewing. But if she has the octoplet mom on I will watch. Heck I stayed up entirely too late watching the Dateline with her on it. Crazy I know!




I also wanted to post a hilarious youtube video that Megan posted on her blog. This is some darn good editing!

Disappointed...

Last night I rented 2 movies. Both from Redbox which is great and I even had a promo code so one of them was free. That being said, it doesn't change the fact that one of the movies was terrible.

I'll start with the first, not so terrible, but not a movie we'll ever purchase. A family in our ward had a baby on Thursday and ended up having to stay an extra night at the hospital. So, their 2 other children came a spent the night at our house last night. Since N8 had bishopric duties to be at the Stake Youth Dance I thought it would be a fun idea to rent something for the kids to watch. I rented Madagascar 2.
We had seen the first in the movie theater. It wasn't too bad, but honestly I wasn't expecting too much out of the 2nd one. It was ok and it kept the kids attention for the evening. That at the microwave popcorn. Popcorn makes everyone quiet down, especially if you have any Handly blood in you!


I also got a fun shot of the kids chowing down!
Since I knew N8 would not be home until close to midnight I decided to rent myself a "chickflick" After hopping online and seeing what was available at Redbox I decided on what I thought was going to be a more of a period piece/drama. It had Emma Thompson in the cast and I figured it had to be good. I was wrong. Anyone searching for a nice, home without hubby chickflick, don't get "Brideshead Revisited". My first problem- it was 2 hours and 15 minutes long! If I was going to watch something that long I would have gotten out my copy of the BBC Pride and Prejudice! Second, naked mens bottoms. When I skimmed the brief description, nudity was not on the list! Nor was alcoholism, homosexuality or adultery. Should I go on?? In short this movie is not on my recommended list of Emma Thompson movies. I might have to watch Sense and Sensibility again just to make up for it!

Free stuff for you!

. . . if you follow these steps.

The first five people to leave me a comment get something made by me just for them. It can be anything I want, I get to choose. It can be silly or serious, edible or not, but don't plan on anything alive. There are a few rules involved (aren't there always?)

1- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2- What I create will be just for you.
3- It will be done sometime this year probably even this month if you're lucky!
4- You have no clue what it's going to be but if you know me it will probably be something crafty so don't post if you don't like my crafts! oh, and don't tell me you don't like my crafts because that's just plain rude!! It could also contain chocolate or something else that could increase your waistline, beware!

The catch is that you must repost this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog. The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they've posted on their blog win a hand made, super creative, possibly lovely whatever in the world I decide! Be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!

If you love free stuff, check out bzzagent.com it's free and you get to try out products and give them feedback. I've been doing it for about 2 years or so. Yesterday I got a FREE "Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner"!

and then threw in the new


Check it out!

Mister Distructo strikes again....

Really I don't know what to do with him!! Mo is driving me crazy with his constant desire to dismantle, pull apart, throw, tip over... the list could go on and on!! Yesterday N8 got totally fed up and took the books off of 2 shelves in a bookcase and threw them into the guest room. Today I moved the bookcase to the guest room to go with the books. Tipping over our bar stools and side table are another joy for him! It's insane!
Last night we had Ricky and Kim over for dinner and FHE. I made BBQ chicken egg rolls and N8 made some french fries. Not the healthiest meal, but mmmm it tasted good! For our lesson I printed out a page from this months friend for everyone. After completing the page we read it all together. (pg 34-32 in Feb 09 friend)

Ricky and Kim brought Creme Brule for dessert! This kids (and N8 and I) enjoyed watching and trying the blow tourch!
So for all you bloggers out there, have you checked out Blurb? I just ordered my 2008 blogbook! I am so excited. On Sunday Megan showed me hers and it looks awesome!
You can check out a little preview of it here: http://www.blurb.com/books/575298

In other excited news, Bud had really taken off on his reading. This weekend we bought him a "Jack & Annie" book, otherwise known as "The Magic Treehouse" series. Then on Saturday I went to the library and check out 3 more. He's now read 3 of them and is halfway through the last one. It's fun to see him so excited about reading!

Do you have a Valentine?

Valentine's Day is an interesting holiday in my opinion. N8 and I tell each other we love each other all the time and we regularly have a date night. So the difference is he gets me flowers (which of course I won't complain about), I love fresh flowers. We also get each other a small gift. This year I found a Peruvian Cookbook. We're going to have to spend some time finding some recipes that I can make. Nate got me a new mouse for my laptop. I had really been wanting a wireless laptop mouse.

I made those fun Valentine's tiles for Bud and Emma's teachers and for the sisters I visit teach. I didn't make any treats this year. Maybe today!!

In other news, Mo is continuing to figure out how to climb onto things! His latest feat is climbing on a chair to better reach the piano. He also like to steal the apple corer out of the drawer, put it on the floor and stand on it to gain an inch or two. This way he can see into the drawers to grab things out!!
BTW, I am actually sitting at the piano! I haven't done that for a while. But I was asked to play at our adult session of stake conference. Our music chair calls me every time there is a stake function and they need someone to play. I finally broke down and said ok.

Yesterday we went down to Lancaster for an eye appointment for myself. I needed new contacts and glasses. While we were there we got to enjoy a little blizzard!! It snowed quite a bit for about 2 hours. Of course then the sun came back out and it was all gone again. By the time we left there were no signs of snow and only small puddles remained!

Why didn't we do this sooner?

So, one of the suggestions that our Pediatrician made for helping Bud was having a morning and bedtime routine list. On Monday for Family Home Evening (or as Emma calls it Family Home Meeting!!) we made Bud and Emma's lists. My kids have never been so excited to get ready for bed! Bedtime hasn't really been a struggle, but they've never really been excited. As for the morning, it hasn't really sped up Bud, but is has decreased the nagging significantly! Now if I could just get Emma to eat her breakfast without a fight!

My parents in paradise (or at least it looks like it!!)...

The mission president's wife for the West Indies Mission keeps a great blog- http://westindiesmission.blogspot.com/ If my son (and in my case, my parents) were there I would be very grateful for all of the time and effort she must put into taking loads of pictures and putting them up for families to see what their sons, parents, grandparents, friends, etc are doing while serving the Lord.
This week my parents have been in Trinidad. For those (like me) who are unfamiliar with the Caribbean, here's a map to show you where Trinidad is.


So, here are a few pictures that include my parents. I hope that my mom (hint, hint mom if you're reading this!!) will be sending us some of her own pictures at some point!

My mom is the 4th from the left.



My dad is the one if the front in green.



My dad is the 7th from the left and has his hand on my moms shoulder.