Spring Is Here!!

So - Spring is officially here! I have been busy as a bee around here, spring cleaning and such. I have scrubbed countertops, sinks, floors, and more! Our apartment smells and looks pretty amazing, if I do say so myself. *winks*

: I love my birdie creation :

: Split pea decor :

: Easter cookies :

: Easter egg window decals :

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So - I have had a pretty interesting week. I had a 'falling out' with a good friend. I know it is for the best though. It was over something so little and petty. An apology was thrown out but was never accepted. I had to move one. For me and my family. Anyway - so I feel good about it though. I know I did everything I could to resolve the relationship. The Lord knows what he is doing. *smiles*

Hope everyone has a great week! I am so excited - our furniture arrives tomorrow! I will post pics of our updates when everything is finally finished. It will be after the 1st of April - when I have everything completed and in 'prestine', photography-ready mode! lol.

Canning Day - Chili

: Step 1 :

Wash Jars. Brown Ground Beef. Re-read Recipe.

: Step 2 :

Set out tools. Continue to brown the rest of the ground beef. Sweat onions. Add peppers to onions and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add to ground beef. Add 5 cans diced tomatoes. Add 2 large cans tomato juice. Add 2 small cans tomato paste. Salt. Cumin Seed. Chili Powder. Dash of Cayenne Pepper. Freshly minced garlic. Stir. Cook 20 minutes.


: Step 3 :

Fill canner with 2 inches of water. Boil. Add jars. Place lid on canner. Tighten. Wait (and watch temperature gage) for 1 hr. 20 minutes. Turn off fire/heat. Set on different burner to cool. Let rest 2-4 hours. Take off lid, take jars out. Let cool 2 - 3 hours. Write date (month and year) on jar or lid. Place in pantry.

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: E.J. :

Check out this hail storm we had today, here in Ohio. We were under a Tornado watch all day - and a Severe Thunderstorm warning. We got hail the size of marbles - and someone sent in a photo to our local news studio - he had a golf ball in his right hand and a hail ball in the other. Same size! Glad those didn't come near our place...my car would have been totalled!

Did you all receive any hail? Tornado's? Anything?

Anyone canning this spring? I believe I will be doing Apple Sauce next week. *smiles*

E.J. update

: E.J.S. :

That's right folks. My little baby is almost 6 months old. Already! I can't believe it. *tears up* R.A. is almost 4. E.J. is 5 1/2 months. Where does the time go? Really?!

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Today I finally ventured out to services with the fam. It has been almost 2 months since we've been - due to flu/cold season. Uggh. January and February were not our favorite months around here. *sigh* However, we are doing much better now - and we hope to stay that way. *winks* I finally got this place looking up to par. It is 'spring' cleaned too! Did that the other day. Whew. That was a LOT of work. Ha ha! Our furniture will be here in 10 days...I can't wait! R.A. will actually have a 'big boy' bed. (A full size bed.) His room will be decked out in dinosaurs. *smiles*

We had a great time this weekend - hanging out together, shopping, and attending a friends 'game night' at their house with lots of pps. Had a great time - especially playing 'Apples to Apples'. *winks* Watched a bit of the race today (Nascar), but didn't get to finish. *bummer* Who won? Anyone know? So - tomorrow I'll be chilling at home for a while - then taking my mom and sis out to lunch with the kiddo's. Hopefully it won't be raining. *please don't rain. please don't rain.* So - it is getting late. Very late. Better go to bed.

Everyone have a great week!

God's Will is always better

So....

We didn't get the house. The inspection failed. Miserably.

The Lord knows what is best for us. He truly truly does. *smiles*

However, I couldn't be happier. And I truly mean that. I am not just saying it. Really. *smiles*

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We - instead of getting the house (that failed by 1. termite invasion. 2. water damage. 3. foundation issues. the kind that makes it fall down in 10 years.), spruced up our town home with some lovely pieces from our local furniture store, and wally world. *winks*

I will have to post pics when everything is completed. Here are some tid bits to chew on so I won't leave ya hangin' for too long. *winks*

1. New lamps in the Master BR
2. New faux wood blinds
3. Curtains
4. Sofa
5. Apothecary jars
6. Canning jars
7. Wall decor

and MUCH more!

I am so happy to finally update this place. I feel so much better - and I truly feel "At Home" for the first time since we moved in here, 2 YEARS AGO! lol.

How was your Friday? Any plans for the weekend?

Seussical Breakfast

{Green Eggs & Turkey Bacon}

: Dr. Seuss inspired breakfast :

Green scrambled eggs (green food coloring), turkey bacon, and toast with apple butter.

: R.A. :

Well, we are on the mend - but not too much better. I am feeling alot better. E.J. and R.A., however, are still feeling very 'under the weather'. *pouts* They both still have the cough, sneezing, and runny nose. *sigh* I am hoping they both get over this very soon. Prayers would be appreciated. *smiles*

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Things I am looking forward to this week:

1. St. Patrick's Day. {we will be making cute little sugar cookies.}
2. Mommie's Group. {if we aren't still sick. uggh.}
3. Hearing back from our house inspection.
4. {this already happened, but I'm putting on here anyway...} Picking out paint colors, carpet, hardwood, and more...from Home Depot. *smiles*
5. A friends' St. Patties Day party this coming weekend. Yay for parties!

Is there anything you all are looking forward to this week? Please share! :)

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sick. sick. sick.

Sorry for the lack of posting these days. My entire household has been super sick. We were diagnosed with an Upper Respiratory Infection. It seems like we have been sick for weeks. Months. Uggh. So tired of this weather. But I feel like I can't complain too much - considering what Japan and the entire Pacific coast is going through. I feel blessed to have what I have. I would just rather not be sick. My little ones have runny noses, scratchy throats, and horrible, wheezy like coughs. Yet, the doc thinks that the one antibiotic they are one will do the trick. So, here is hoping we get over it soon! I have a wedding to go to today. Mom is watching the boys. we are supposed to get over 4-5 ft over flood stage today. Roads are already blocked off in town and restaurants are already closing up, boarding up, and sacking up the place in downtown.

Hope you all have a great weekend. Mine will include a wedding, snuggling in bed getting cozy and trying to get better. And to think in 3 weeks we will be moving into our new home! Yay! I can't wait to head to Home Depot to buy our supplies! Aah! *smiles*

Artsy + Crafty + PB knock off

: Party Favors :

I used old baby food jars (given by a friend) - painted the lids green - ran brown construction paper through my printer (I had to trim the sides first) and voila! Party favors! I plan to have guests choose their favorite 'trail mix' and scoop it up and pour it into these cute lil babies!

: Beverages :

For my son's 4th birthday party this summer, we are doing an outdoor 'camping' theme. We are using the jar idea for favors and this is one of our beverage options. There will be a basket full of different kinds of packaged bottle drink mixes they can choose to fill their bottles with.


: Pottery Barn Knock Off :

We are also re-doing his room for his 4th birthday. To dinosaurs. Well, PB offers alot of great things in the dino department, however I wasn't willing to 'splurge' hundreds on wall art. So, I made these up with my old canvases I hadn't used in 5+ years...and some crayola 'marker paints' of R.A's. Ha!

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Anyway, so this is what I have been up to this week. Aside from us ALL being sick. AGAIN.

Everyone have a great Monday!

House Update

: NEW HOUSE :

Okay. So tomorrow the hubster is sitting down with the owner of the house we are looking to purchase. He will be planning to meet with our attorney too. And a friend of ours will be inspecting the house to make sure everything is OK.

I am so excited. And R. is too. *smiles* I can't wait to start slappin some paint inside!

Here's hopin everything goes well this week.

If all goes well - we should be in there by the middle of April!!

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NEW HOUSE

: NEW HOUSE :

Okay. So today's post doesn't have a picture. Yet.

My hubby and I are getting ready to buy a house. Finally! We are discussing paperwork with the owner of the house on Monday. So, this is a house built in the early 1900's and it is very old. Obviously. I think it has great possibilities. It is pretty much a blank canvas and I am soooo excited! I get to splash my 'white' obsession ALL over it. Yay! Any ADVICE or IDEAS you all want to send my way would be GREAT!

If all goes as planned - we should be in this house in the next 2 months.

*smiles*

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Mommies Group

Yesterday our Mommies Group at our church celebrated St. Patrick's Day a little early. We all wore green and brought something green for our prize drawing. We had our devotion and then we made a craft. Well, we took it home to make, but we did the craft all the same. *winks* It was a shamrock that you cut out, and then you cut out the seperate 3 hearts that say, 'Father', 'Son', and 'Holy Spirit'. R.A. traced the words with his green crayon, and then we colored the hearts red. We then glued the 3 hearts onto the shamrock. It was really cute. I left it at my mom's house, but when I get it back I'll take a picture of it for ya. *winks* After craft time, we enjoyed some tasty 'green' St. Patrick's day treats. The spread included, green grapes, green chocolate covered pretzels (used food coloring), green goldfish, green cereal loops (apple jacks), and rice krispie treats. We had a blast - us mommies - and our kiddo's. I took some pics - obviously. lol. We went out to eat afterwards for Chick-Fil-A (my favorite 'fast-food' place). I had the 'chargrilled chicken garden salad' with fat free honey mustard dressing and a Diet Dr. Depper. I got R.A. Burger King, just because he loves the apple fries and they had the new "Rango" toys. *smiles* I love Johnny Depp. He's hilarious. lol. We finished up and then we went home.

After group, we ventured over to Mamaw and Papaw's house. Since both boys fell asleep in the car on the drive home from group, I figured, "Why not stop by mamaw and papaw's?". *smiles* We spent a few hours there and killed some time before we had to leave for church. R.A. picked out Mamaw's silver bowl (as always. lol.), a wooden spoon, and went at it. *laughs* We had fun putting together the "McDonald Fun Times" puzzle that Mamaw got him the other day. We played with puzzles, bowls, and flashlights until we were tired...then we got freshened up and hit the road for church.


: R.A. and his friend from church. :

: E.J. :

: My little bundle of joy. :

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Do any of you fellow mommies out there have a group at your local church or community that you attend? If so, do you like it? What sort of things do you and your kiddo's do?

I love to hear your comments! :)

Felt Flowers & Biscotti

: Felt Flower Tutorial :

1. Choose a color of felt you want to use.
2. Trace circles in the size you want them (depends on how big you want your flower).
3. Cut out circles.
4. Fold the circles in half, then in half again. Use sewing pins to hold them together.
5. Repeat steps 1-4 until you have as many flowers as you want.
6. Use a needle and thread (preferably the same color as your felt) to sew in and out around the bottom of your flowers.
7. Voila! Flowers! If you want to add a 'center' to your flower - you can add pearls like I did - you can find them in your craft store or even at wal*mart in the wedding aisle. They are twisted onto long wire stems. (usually used for wedding bouqets)
   

: Homemade Fort :

Night before last - my guys made a homemade fort in our living room. Ha. R.A. loved it! Daddy had a pretty good time too. *winks* I just love it when my guys do cool stuff like this. These are the memories our little ones will cherish the most. *smiles*


: Nestcafe Coffee & Triple Milk Chocolate Biscotti :

Mmm...momma is enjoyinhg this special little treat today. And I am loving it!

What are you all up to? Happy Tuesday!

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