Check out this blog candy!

For those of you who don't craft, blog candy is what some people offer to individuals who look at their blog often. It is generally given to entice people back because they love to share their talent. This particular candy is huge for those in the crafting world. Enjoy her blog! Hopefully I can start posting more often now. Life is starting to kind of settle down. Garage sale is over, 1/2 marathon is done (I am very happy with my results... 2:10:45) and the only thing left is ballet recital, baseball, and sell the house and move. Nothing too small, but doable! (check back in a week and see if I still feel that way!) So, crafting, here I come.

Anyway,

http://passionforcrafts.blogspot.com/2009/04/blogoversary-candy.html

....So here's what you could win!


Set A (36) Copic Ciao Markers (I got this set because it's a good starter and includes skin shades) Nestabilities (5) Sets: Labels 2, Labels 3, Labels 4, Classic heart and Scalloped Classic heart.
Martha Stewart Floral Lace border punch.
Miss Anya Stamp set by The Greeting Farm.
2 6x6" pads of the latest releases from Basic Grey Lime Rickey and Wisteria.
100 Flowers.
20 x 1 metre lengths of assorted ribbons
25 Flower Buttons.

First showing

Well, we had our first showing on Friday. My neighbor spied on our house for me and told me they were here for about 40-50 minutes...I think that's good! At least they made it in the door and wanted to see more! I'm not sure how they felt about Holly's beautiful Tinkerbell room. My realtor told me not to paint it just yet...maybe someone will like it. We'll see. I'm sure I'll be painting it before long though. I do love it!

It brought to light a few concerns I haven't taken time to truly consider. IF we do sell before I need to, where are we going to live? I've thought about it, but haven't really taken it into consideration or truly looked for a place to rent in the meantime. Also, how am I going to discuss it with D? Doesn't that stuff usually happen rather quickly? They offer, we counter if necessary, they...Will I have time to email and wait for a response? Anyone know? Help me with that one. I guess I should talk to my realtor too!

So, life here is loads of fun. The kids are getting used to military rule in the house. They'll be ready to have their beds checked with quarters pretty soon. Every call on the weekend is the "is it her" call now. Not really fun trying to keep the house clean while relaxing...but it must be done.

Nicholas had a kindergarten performance on Tuesday last week...Oh my gosh was it ever cute! He is such a ham...dancing like John Travolta, singing his math song. There are definitely some drama kings and queens in his class! The parents couldn't stop laughing as some of the kids just let it all out! Maybe I should have enrolled him in dance also? Naw, I think baseball will be a lot more fun to watch.

Bethany had a science fair project due tomorrow. When did she begin? Well, she worked on some of it (writing part) this week, started the experiment on Friday and put it all together today...of course I told her I would not help her if she waited until the last minute...alas, she did. I did offer to type and cut out a couple of things, but it frustrates me so much when she waits to start the major portion. Not good. I think it turned out pretty cute...I'll have to take a couple of pictures to show you. She is very proud of her project.

Ashley is doing well, loving dance and still reading a ton. She finishes her books so fast she needs to visit the library every other day practically. She is starting to hit a little bit of a growth spurt again and getting into her size/age clothes again. She is still a little on the small side...she gets that from me...poor girl.

Holly is my little stinker. Boy is she giving me a run for my money lately. She keeps me on my toes with household cleaners and paints, but she is just looking for that creative outlet...on the carpets, walls and doors. Now I need to show her where she CAN paint and clean! She is getting so big, she's outgrowing her age/size clothes. She also LOVES dance and her teachers keep telling me of her "natural" talent. I ask if they mean the DRAMA part...they laugh. I am not kidding!! :) She's so much fun though. We are going to have a tea party tomorrow (we tried on Friday, but had to leave the house for the showing, so it never happened). Yummy tea with milk and lemon cookies! She wants to have all her friends (dolls) be a part of it. I can't wait!

So that is us in a nutshell right now. Keep your prayers up for our house, family and move! Please also say a prayer for my mom who is still fighting a staph infection in her knee, and David's mom for her Cancer. It's been a tough start of the year for both of them. Thanks again...and Happy Spring!

Finally done

Well, it's finally done. I still have a lot of work to do, but my house is actually on the market. Now we'll see if we can actually keep it clean! I have to go through a few things and organize a lot more. I've kind of fallen off the bandwagon, and now I have to get back on and fast! If any of you have any pointers, I'd appreciate all input. It looks like the kids and I are going to be finding as many activities OUTSIDE of the home as possible so it can stay clean. I just hope the weather cooperates! Anyway...the sign's in the yard...so please pray it sells (just not too quickly!).

Crazy week

What a crazy week this has been. It started with Holly having the stomach flu for 5 days. She was beginning to feel better Monday but I kept her home. As it turns out, Monday at her school, an older woman (grandma) pulled up in the handicapped parking space in front of the playground her class plays on and drove under/through the fence and hit the slide off the playset and stopped just short of the glass windows to the parish hall. Just minutes before they had gotten the kids off the playground and several people were still standing outside (it was a beautiful day) talking and taking their time getting their kids to their cars. It was a very traumatic event for alot of moms, teachers and the preschool director. The woman was fine, just shaken up as were many people that day. Amazingly, no one was hurt.

Wednesday I lost my cell phone at the commissary. Normally I would say this isn't a big deal because I don't particularly like having it all the time, but when David is gone, it is the only way for the schools to communicate with a parent when I'm not home so I am much better about having it and turning it on when he is not home. Fortunately it was found 2 days later...no problems.

Thursday, a certain female child decided to turn on the shower and "wait for it to get hot". 10 minutes later, I heard a flood of water in the ceiling in the kitchen and suddenly water flowed from the light fixture and seams between the sheetrock...I ran up the stairs pushed the curtain in the tub, turned off the water and started grabbing anything that could soak up water to dry up the floor...now I have to repair and paint the ceiling in the kitchen before I try to sell our house...soon.

Friday am, same female child decided she wanted ramen for lunch. She put it in my pampered chef microwave cooker and cooked it for 3 minutes...without water. Needless to say I need to get a new micro cooker and our house smelled awful all day! Even with open windows and fans on.

Saturday a couple more things happened that I can't even post and needless to say, I have had a WEEK! Thank GOD it is over and we can start fresh. Don't you love waking up in the morning knowing that a new day has arrived and it will hopefully be better than the day before?

Well, now that I have new work ahead of me and one less day to do it (ie children have no school) I will be planning a preparing a little more.

BTW, I am trying to train for a 1/2 marathon in April down in Nashville. If anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them. I am 10 weeks away, running 3-4 times per week and am running about 4-5 miles each now. I am also attempting to do cross-fit still, but it is harder to come up with my workouts. It's all good though...hee, hee.

Well, it is time to get the kids ready for bed, but I decided to share a peek into my world lately. Trying to get a house ready to be put on the market, raising 4 kids, ballet/baseball, and training for a marathon... I guess my life is a marathon at the moment. Wish me luck!

Meet Riley

Our newest addition to our clan. We just hated coming home to emptiness. He's so much fun...

Happy Discovery

OK, I typed too quickly...as I loaded my printer driver onto the computer, I happened to glance down at it and realized that it, too has memory card slots....YEAH!!! I remember thinking when I bought it that I would never have any reason to use it...well, now I do! It works perfectly with the computer and I uploaded my Christmas pictures so easily. Don't you just LOVE when that happens. So far, I can't find anything wrong with this computer...everything is easier! Gotta love that. It just WORKS! 5 stars for Apple!

New Year, New beginnings

First, I have to tell you all that we got a new computer...a Mac, and I am still working through the differences. I have a lot to learn and one of the first things I have to figure out is how I'm going to upload pictures. My old computer had a slot for memory cards and it was extremely convenient to upload pictures, but this does not. Sooo...I have to find the cords for my cameras and hope they work. I hope once I get some pictures on, it will be easy (everyone says it is) but in the meantime, I can only type.

I have decided that this year is a year of hope for all of us. It started off OK, but I think it is going to be a lot better than last year. Things are improving on the home front and the kids are getting excited to move. We are going to move to Virginia this summer or after our house sells, which ever comes first. I'm sure many of you who know me know that this is a change from our previous plans. We are working on things and they are improving.

Thanks to all of you who have supported me and my family through the tough times we've been through...life isn't perfect yet, but we are on the right path.