Penguins are taking over my sons world.

Isaac recently decided he loves penguins. We went shopping yesterday and with winter fast approaching there were penguins everywhere! Isaac was so excited until he realized he could only get one penguin treasure to bring home.I was also informed yesterday Isaac would like a pet penguin named fluffy


What is your child's favorite animal or thing they are into now?

Life has been crazy!!

A lot has has the last few months!
So sorry I have not been on here during it! I have missed being on here so much. For the last 2 months we have been getting things sorted to move. We now live in the house where my husband grew up. It is neat because Isaac is the same age Andrew was when he moved here.

Take the time to dance

I have tons of things I am trying to accomplish today. In the midst of all of it Isaac looks at me and says" Mama May I have this dance?" Isaac is my most important priority I am so thankful that he reminds me in such sweet and special ways. Take time to dance with your Children today.

Goofy Glowsticks

At the wedding we went to a month ago there were glow sticks on every table. My Brother -in -law Matthew had tons of fun playing with them.

Gameboy

As you know we love our thrift stores!! We are always finding great deals. I have to admit this was one of the best we have found. Gameboy advance, 3 games, wall charger, car charger , and cable to connect to Gameboy advances........all for $15!!! The game boy and one charger are $40 .
Lets see what great deals you can find :)

Wordless Wednesday

Some pictures from one of our family walks.

Fourth of July Fun

On the third we went to A local unguarded beach for the day. We had so much fun swimming and playing in the sand all day long. Then at 10 they had their fireworks display complete with 3D glasses. Isaac had so much fun.

Can you hear me now?

No i can not hear you, talk a little louder both ears are clogged. I have had clogged ears now for 48 hours! it is getting annoying. Hope everyone has had a great weekend :)

playing with food

One of Isaac's favorite foods is toasted rolls and applesauce. Isaac called me over to see how much he had eaten and this is what I found. A boat floating on a sea of applesauce.

This beautiful train bank was Isaac's gift for being in Adam and Natasha's wedding. All of the adults laughed so hard when we saw the warning that came with it.

I just love how everything has to have a disclaimer these days.

Adam and Natasha's Wedding

Andy and Isaac were in a wedding last weekend and I wanted to share a few of the pictures from the amazing day!










Mr. and Mrs Wolf














Isaac dancing with the beautiful bride

thriftstore madness

We went to the thriftstore a few weeks ago and this is what we found. Some of these treasures were given imediately, some where put in his prize box ,and some were put away for Christmas and birthday.

My amazing family

Yesterday Isaac and Andrew were in a wedding for our good friends Adam and Natasha. While Isaac was up on stage he kept blowing kisses to me, he would not stop blowing them until I blew back kisses. I am so blessed to have such a sweet and caring Son.

Surprise visit

Yesterday afternoon I got a call from my brother Teddy saying he was passing my direction on his way back from a business trip. I was so excited he was coming, he had never been to my house before. i was also over whelmed because my house was not as clean as I wanted it to be for my brothers visit. Isaac could see that I was overwhelmed and told me "Mommy you don't have to do it all. " When I told him that I needed to do it all before Uncle Teddy got there he told me" Ok if you have to do it all I will help you Mommy."

We got all the cleaning done and had a nice hour visit with Teddy before he had to get on th road again.But i learned something really important .......That Isaac is growing up to be the the sweetest most considerate little boy a Mommy could want. It made me so proud to be his Mommy

I am playing the quiz game with Holly

Who doesn't love answering different questions about themselves? So fun!


1. What is your favorite thing to cook for your family?

I love making Pizza for my family because it is my sons absolute favorite

2. We know you love thrifting...what was the best find you ever had?

There are so many. Do I have to narrow it down to one ? hmmm....We found a step 2 all plastic desk at Good will for $2.00, We also found two fisher price imaginex dinosaurs for $.35 a piece.

3. What is your biggest challenge in being a mother/wife, and what do you do to get through it?

my biggest challenge as a mother and wife would have to feeling like I not have the energy to accomplish everything that needs to be done. I take it one task at a time and try not to stress what is not accomplished.

4. Name the one thing that you love the most about your husband.

I love how much he trusts God . He encourages me everyday to do the same.


5. Tell us a few shortcuts you take in cleaning/cooking that work for you.

One short cut I take in cooking is that I make a bigger batch of whatever is for dinner and I freeze a few servings for days when I am sick of have so much to accomplish that I do not have time to plan a meal.

One short cut I take in cleaning is focus on one room and make piles of things that do not belong in that room and return everything to where it belongs all at once

If you want to play along:

1 - Leave me a comment with your blog URL, saying you want to be interviewed.
2 - I will respond; I'll ask you five questions.
3 - You'll update your blog with my five questions, and your five answers.
4 - You'll include this explanation.
5 - You'll ask other people five questions when they want to be interviewed.

That's it! Let the games begin!

Family walks

Andrew and I have always loved to walk. One our of our favorite places to walk a lake about a mile from our house. As we were walking there the other day some really great memories of Isaac came to mind.

As we were were walking one day Isaac looked out at the lake and said "hello water" it was so adorable we had to take a picture of his "friend" the water.


On another of those wonderful walks we found this beautiful tree in bloom. Isaac was not happy in these pictures because he told us he thought the tree was trying to eat him.

Thrifty Thursday

A friend and I went to A handy dandy store recently called Rex's Salvage. They sell things from wrecked semi trucks. Sometimes you find a great deal sometimes you walk out empty handed. This Day i found an amazing deal! I found this beautiful metal colander for.....$2.99. I love when I can find items that are $20.00 or more for so cheap.

Mommy sleepover

Andy's best friend is getting married in 3 weeks so Andy is going to his friends for a pg bachelor party. Lord of the rings and video games. So... I decided this would be a great time for me and a friend to have a Mommy sleepover. Isaac and I are going to our friends Holly's to spend the night. Holly and I are going to stay up late talking and sewing and eating yummy snacks. I am so excited!

Crazy day!!

I am so tired! I go up at 6:00 am to prepare for a yard sale. The beginning went pretty welll then about 1:00 it started sprinkling, within a minute it was full soak you to the bone rain. We hurried as quickly as we could to cover everything. We still lost some stuff from rain damage. Once the rain stopped some we looked everything over decided what to keep, what to throw , and what to donate. After about an hour we filled the van went to the salvation Army to drop stuff off then back to the house for another load, to take back to Holly's house for a yard sale later this summer. After that load was on the way we then loaded our van to take some things home. we finally arived home at 6:00 after all the craziness of our yard sale.

I will have pictures of the sale on here for tomorrow

Children are watching.

Since before Isaac was born Andy and I have always made it habit to pray if there was a car accident on the highway or if there was something we could not find in the house.

Isaac has picked this up from any early age. when he was just two we had our van stolen from our driveway and Andy and I were both a little stressed , God knew what we needed. When Andy walked out the door to pick up pizza that night Isaac looked up at me and said " Father, Pizza Amen." That melted my heart to know that Isaac had been watching us.

Today Isaac amazed me again with his heart for prayer. I was cutting an apple and the cutter is dull so it got stuck. Isaac looked at me and said "Mommy lets pray!" After the prayer the cutter worked and Isaac told me " see Mommy we always need to pray.

God is so good at giving us encouragement through our blessed children!

Possitive reinforcement

My son Isaac is very easily swayed with what is in it for me mentality that is all around. My husband and I have found a way to get obedience and give Isaac rewards cheaply. As you know we are avid thrifters. We love to find great items for little money. Isaac is given a choice out of our "Treasure chest" if he keeps his room and play room clean as well as obeying us for several days. Everything in this box was bought on sale or at the thrift store. the highest price of any item is $2.50.

What methods do you use that help with obedience in your house.

Another Great Deal Thrifting

We looked this toy up online just for curiosity to see how much it would cost brand new....... $17. That is crazy considering we spent $.37 on this cool transformer.

Isaac is trying to be good to try to earn this out of his bin of toys that give out for obedience. He told me he is trying to be extra good to get Mega Tron to put in his new big Castle.

Silly Boy

Isaac just told me that these Afredos taste really good, as he was eating Fritos He is so silly!

May I have this Dance

The weather here has been super warm. Isaac and I decided we wanted to try to cool off in our neighbors pool.When we arrived there were three older children in the pool. All of these children were roudy and rough and just wanted to wrestle around. They invited Isaac to play with them some of the games , but it is was all to rough still for Isaac.

During one of the crazy games Isaac smiles at me and says "Mommy may I have this Dance?" It was so sweet . Isaac and I danced around the craziness in the pool.

I love his heart and his sweetness toward his Mama.It is hard to see him growing up so fast, but it is great to see what a sweet boy he is becoming.

Friendships

As a Mom I try to show my son how to be a great friend. I have had some of the same friends for years but I am learning they are my friends when they need me and only then. I want Isaac to be a compassionate friend but I also do not want him to be constantly walked allover, as I have in a few of my friendships.
I am also blessed with a handful of amazing friends who are there for me always and I am there for them. I am so blessed to have these three great Ladies in my life.

This week my goal is to try get my friendship priorities in check and be the best Mom and example I can be to my son.

homemade cookbook

Andrew's best friend is getting married next month. I figured I would put
two of my favorite things together to make them a special gift. I love to scrapbook and I love to cook , so wa la there we have it. I am having fun sitting down and picking favorites together for this fun gift.

What are some creative gifts you have given?

Family Time

I am so thankful for the family the Lord has blessed me with. He has also blessed my husband with great hours , and these ours just got even better. Andrew goes to work at 6 every day and gets out at 2:00. Family time starts by 2:30 which is such a blessing especially with warm weather here.

(His hours used to be from 6:00 until 2:30) I know it is only a half hour but every second is enjoyed.

Thrifty Thursday

Isaac loves to a be knight and pretend to fight. My husband and I find new armor at the thrift store almost every week.We found the helmet, breast plate and the hand piece for $1.11 for all three pieces. At that price no wonder he has enough armor to cover a small army.

Go to your local thrift stores and see what treasures you can find this week.

How to train a Dragon

Isaac went to see the the Movie "How to Train a Dragon recently. Now Isaac walks around pretending to be a dragon.















I love Isaac's imagination .

Thrifty

Recently in one of our tips to the thrift store we found this. Isaac loves this chair and since it hot he is sleeping on the floor on our $.35 treasure.

Marble mania

As a child my husband Andrew loved marbles. He loved to collect them and play with them. I could not figure out what his fascination with marbles was all about until yesterday....... We went to our favorite thrift store and there it was the thing that had prompted his love a giant marble track. as you can tell this kept Andy and Isaac entertained for hours.

I love it hours of entertainment no batteries , no tv no fancy sound effects.

Out of the mouths of babes

On Thursday afternoon our neighbor was going to the hospital to have twins. I asked Isaac to pray for her. His prayer: " Dear God please help her have a safe delivery, and Lord it is a good day to have babies. " He is such a sweetheart.

Both babies were healthy and happy and everyone is home getting used to two little miracles.

A childs Heart

For the last few weeks we have been learning about wants and needs in school. Isaac has had to write several times things he wants . At the top my my sweet five year old son's list is a baby. He is such a sweet heart. He has been praying for a year and a half for a baby for our family.

I am so thankful for my miracle . His heart and thought of others amazes me every day

old made new

A month or two ago I found a doll house at the thrift store the only problem was that the cushions in the beds were worn and falling a part. So yesterday I decided to sew covers on the beds. Not perfect but much better.Isaac is obsessed with Pokemon so he uses it as a pokemon house, so i decided to use an old pokemon sheet as the fabric for this project.

I love when I can find something for a great price and make it a little better for pennies

Turkey ham

I am not able to eat Ham or any pork due to an allergy. A friend suggested I try turkey ham. I loved it , it tasted so good it had been 10 years since I have had ham so I was so excited..... Then I realized I can not eat it either. I was sick all of today after eating it. Hopefully I will be feeling better soon so Isaac and I can have a normal day tomorrow.

Wordless Wednesday

Hide and seek ! Isaac favorite hiding place in hide and seek.

On Mothers day we helped our neighbors put up a pool in their backyard. All three of the children could not wait to get in. It was 60 out side and all three still jumped in. They shivered and smiled ans laughed as they enjoyed the new pool.
As a young child I was always the first one in the pool after dad had filled it. Still trying to decide if I am still that crazy.

Long journey

I have always fought the battle of weight from the time I was 12 years old. My weight would go back and forth constantly it seemed. I always listened to what others said to do and did not listen to my body for what it needed.
After Isaac was born I started exercising, eating right and it paid off I was smaller than I had been since before I was 12! I was so excited . Then something unexpected happened . I started gaining weight. I was still exercising and still eating right but I gained 30 pounds in 2 months. I was so discouraged. I went to the doctor and they could not find the cause so I got more discouraged, I fell back into my old habits again and gained another 30 pounds.

Last year I got things a little more under control but I was still listening to others and what they felt would work for me and I maintained the same weight for a year. I was excited but I was not happy still having those 60 pounds on me.

I have decided to go back to what I know works for me. It may not be the same as what is right for others but I am learning that there is no one size fits all when it comes to exercise and dieting.I want to be healthy. If I do not hit that 60 pound down mark i will be happy as long as I know I am exercising and easing right.

Iam putting this all on here as the beginning of my renewed journey in hopes of a little acountability.

hope everyone has a wonderful Monday

Hats off to Mom

For Mothers Day all of the girls in my husbands family went to a Mother daughter banquet. The theme was "Hats off to Mom". The speaker spoke about all the different hats that mothers wear. She also spoke to those there that were no Mothers and how to be an example to the children around you.














I enjoyed my self tons and was so thankful for the time to spend with family and friends to celebrate the most wonderful job ever , being A Mommy. Happy Mothers Day to all Moms out there.

Enjoying the weather

It has been a beautiful week here! So much so that we have spent a good part of it outside in the wonderful sun. On Tuesday we went fishing with the neighbors. None of the children caught anything ,but it was still quite enjoyable. On Thursday we played outside with the neighbors for a few hours, which was also tons of fun.

On Friday evening we decided to go for a walk as a family. We called up some friends who live in the neighborhood we were looking to walk and they decided to go with us. It was so enjoyable to have another family to walk with and it was so much fun. Seven children ( who amaziningly did not complain too much)and four adults. The perfect ending to a crazy but fun week.

I am so thankful for all the wonderful friends the Lord has blessed our family with.

Curiosity

Yesterday I sent Isaac to the basement to get flour from the deep freezer. The first time he returned quickly with no problems. When I sent him later in the day it was taking what seems like forever. I call down the stairs to see if everything is okay and I hear say what sounded like he hurt his foot. So I go down the stairs Mommy's hands still covered in dough to find him standing by the freezer just fine. I ask again to realize his tongue is hurt. When I asked him what he did he told me he licked what he thought was sugar on the inside of the freezer and his tongue got stuck. I was trying so hard not to laugh and be sympathetic.

I think I held my amusement back pretty well.
I am also sure Isaac will never lick the freezer again.

Mirror , Mirror on the Wall

Isaac has had a fasination with looking at himself in the mirror. Over the years we have got some really cute shots.

Hope you enjoy a walk down memory and cuteness lane with me.

Pain in the foot

Sorry for my lack of updates this week! The weather changing almost 20 degrees a day is havic on my feet. The last 3 days I awoke with such pain that I could barerly get down the stairs to help my hubby in the morning. We do not know what is causing it right now so please keep me in your prayers.

great weekend

Had a busy but great weekend! Friday was spent running around paying bills and grocery shopping.Saturday morning I got up did a little thrifting then I went with my Mother -in-law and three sister -in-laws to a mother daughter banquet. After the banquet I went back to my Mother-in -laws house for a birthday party for my wonderful husband. We did not return home until 10 . Then on Sunday I woke up wide awake way to early!! I made homemade spaghetti sauce from scratch then made a yummy vegetarian lasagna. After I was finished cooking that we rushed out the door to meet my Father-in law for a birthday lunch for the hubby . When we got home we played outside with the neighbors until 5:30 at which point we went to church for Isaacs closing program for Awana . needless to say when we got home at 8:00I was exausted ....so I thought yet here I am at 2:00 in the morning wide awake.

creative and cute

A few days ago Isaac was plasying with play-doh when he came to me and told me he was making Mommy dessert. First he made me vanilla pudding with Oreo cookies doesn't it look real..... then he made me a birthday cake. My little boy is such a sweetheart!

I love being a Mommy!