Happy Cinco de Mayo

Well when a day starts out SUPER CRAPPY….the only way things can go in the happy meter is up…so I guess in the end it was somewhat a Happy Cinco de Mayo!!!

So we woke up to find out that our car was towed away during the night. Our HOA does not allow street parking overnigh and we forgot to move the car in. Good thing $225 is pocket change for us…..NOT! (Live and learn right???)

But the day got much better from there. My friend and I took the kids to Einstein Bagels and used our “Get free bagels” coupons (tell you what I’m addicted to coupons now….there’s no turning back!).

Then we headed off the the children’s museum.

Love it there!!!

Sadie had a great time with the employees when they built a tower with her inside of it….

And Kendyl couldn’t figure out why the heck their slides were CHILD PROOF!!! She was getting so frustrated…(They are only for throwing blocks down).

Then after school the neighborhood got together and broke open a piñata…

 

Mason wasn’t sure if he could trust a bunch of crazy kids running around with a bat…so he kept his distance and didn’t want to take a turn.

In the end…it was the moms that had to “stick it” to that piñata!!! And it was the “day away from her due date” mom that busted it open.

NOTHING SAYS “HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO” LIKE LOT’S AND LOT’S OF CANDY!

Rain or shine…..it will be sold!

So even though it felt like mid-winter with the rain yesterday….we still held our garage sale (did I say we….let me rephrase….I HELD THE GARAGE SALE…poor Rich has been working some crazy hours). Rich was in surgery until 5 a.m. that morning. I stayed up until 3:30a.m. getting everything ready for the sale. My alarm went of two hours later so I could start posting up signs around the neighborhood. Rich’s alarm went off an hour later so he could get up AND GO BACK TO WORK…YES ON TWO HOURS OF SLEEP!!! As if getting no sleep was bad enough….then the whole day was a teaser…it would rain then shine. So I would pull things out on the driveway….quickly pull it back in….then set it out again…only to pull it back in again.

I thought I would be done selling by noon….BUT OH NO…THIS WAS A FULL DAY OF FUN! People were coming all the way up until I finally pooped out at 4p.m. Even as I was lowering the garage door there were people still asking if they could come in and see!!! And it’s not like we own really awesome things….it’s true what they say “One man’s junk is another man’s treasure!” Apparently our stuff is worth something to buy…to some people!

So a HUGE..HUGE… thanks goes out to all my friends that helped in one way or another. Thanks to those who watched my kids here and there…and also to those who actually helped in the sell itself! Your kindness was much appreciated!

So here’s cute Sadie working her own entrepreneur skills at her very own lemonade stand. At first nobody was buying any…so I would slip strangers some coins and ask if they would buy some on their way out. Then that got the ball rolling…. She was on CLOUD NINE! So excited!

(P.S. Don’t you love little E-E’s hands on his hips…like there’s so many choices to choose from?)

She makes me laugh….she said to me

Sadie-“Mom, I think I’m going to ask for $2.00 a cup.”

Mom- “Some people might think that’s pretty expensive for lemonade and a cookie”.

Sadie- “They will be ok with it. I will just first tell them that I was going to sell it for $10.00… then when I tell them I’m only going to sell it for $2.00 they will not think it’s expensive anymore"!”

I chuckled..because I caught myself using the same technique all day…. AND IT WORKS!

The kids were troopers. By about 2:30 they had had it. I lost sight of Sadie for awhile…but soon found her taking a nap on the grass.

But that didn’t last long…..NOT WITH MASON AROUND!

Mason entertained himself in true Mason style…by breaking off the legs of a table and chasing everyone around with his weapons.

WHAT A LONG DAY…but it was worth it. We are now that much closer to our financial goal \’’/

Garage Sale this Sat. May 1st 7 a.m.

So as most of you know we are moving back to Arizona. We are done moving all of our STUFF….SO WE ARE SELLING MOST OF IT!!!! It blows me away how much we accumulated in 8 years of marriage…and three kids later!  Don’t laugh at me…but one thing I really hate about Garage Sales is how hectic and messy it gets. So I probably went above and beyond in organizing this…but at least (well hopefully) there won’t be clothes thrown all over the place on Sat.  So if anyone is looking for cheap stuff …check out the new blog I set up for this sale. Go to: westjordangaragesale.blogspot.com to see pics of some of the things I’ve got around to posting. I haven’t posted the baby crib and changing table along with my kids dressers.

If you see anything you want to buy early just call me 801-967-9561…my garage store is up and running so I will take early customers…haha!

Be thou an example…

So I woke up today on the wrong side of the bed. Then it didn’t help that I was pulling teeth to get my kids ready to make it to church on time. The Mommy monster began to emerge as I tried to wrestle the kids into the car. I was in no mood to be going to church. In fact…I felt like the day was already shot spiritually and that it would be pointless to even go. But I do have a testimony of church attendance….so I went anyway….LATE OF COURSE!

But I’m always amazed how we can be blessed just by doing what we know is right…even when our heart is not in the right place.

Today in sacrament meeting some neighbors of ours talked. This couple is a rock!!! She was diagnosed 2 1/2 years ago with cancer and they have been battling through this trial for sometime now….and things are not looking as bright as they were hoping for. But through it all I have been amazed at their strength and willingness to help those around them. I was so touched by their testimonies and talks they had prepared. I felt so selfish that just an hour before I was home getting work upped over such insignificant matters, when on a daily basis they are just praying for more time together. Life is just too precious to get worked up over the small things!!!

So when I was leaving for church today….IN MY BAD MOOD…I choose not to take my scriptures. “It’s just one more thing I have to carry and be burdened with”..I thought to myself. I felt bad about my decision,  knowing it’s something I should take…but again feeling angry I choose not to. THEN…as I was listening to the talks and my heart was beginning to soften…I reached down to grab something for the kids….AND THERE LAID MY SCRIPTURES!!!

Rich had grabbed them for me! I instantly began tearing up!!! This small moment was the perfect example of the relationship we have with each other. Marriage is not about two perfect people coming together to live perfect lives. It’s about supporting each other and carrying each other when one of us is feeling weak.

I didn’t want to carry the message Heavenly Father had for me today…So Rich carried it for me until I was ready. Then once I was ready, I opened them….and of course read exactly what I needed to hear! The whole chapter was on patience (which it was my lack of patience with my kids that sent me in this downward spiral to begin with). I feel so thankful the Heavenly Father has blessed me with such great examples in my life. I’m ready to test my patience tomorrow in hopes that what I have learned will give me some much needed strength.

SO HERE’S WHAT WE DID TODAY…JUST TRYING TO PASS TIME AS A FAMILY!

Face Painting

Mason was so excited he even said “Mom will you put this on your blog for everyone to see?”….so here you have it…..my scary attempt to make some cool creations on my kids faces!

I don’t know if Kendyl was crying because of her lame cat painting or if it’s because she had a rice krispy up her nose….or maybe it was a mixture of having paint all over her face, cereal up her nose….AND THAT MOM WAS TAKING PICTURES INSTEAD OF HELPING HER!!!!

At least she’s got herself a cute little man that takes care of her. Her little boyfriend who’s three months younger took her for a little stroll today…I thought it was so cute!

Deal Junkie…

So my new pass time (as if I have a lot..haha) is to find AMAZING DEALS from groceries to toiletries…you name it! I’ve been amazed at how much we have saved by doing a little bit of homework….AND A WHOLE LOT OF COUPON SHOPPING!

So here was one of my favorite purchases this week. 32 BAGS OF GUMMY WORMS AND BEARS….and I only paid $3.84!!!!! Yep…each bag (I think regularly was $2.00 and I got them for 12 cents).

So you may be thinking…. “What is she going to do with 32 bags of gummies??? THIS IS WHAT: Party favors for the 18 kids who will be invited to Sadie’s B-day party. (My goal is to spend only $50 for her B-day. That’s with the gift….feeding the kids…and games. Do you think it’s possible. We'll at least I’m off to a good start).

Then the rest will be bribes to my kids to be good in church. We only give our kids fruit snacks at church… which when you hold out on them for a week it REALLY WORKS! Now I just upped the anti a bit. We’ll test it out tomorrow and see if the little angels within my kids come out!

Officially Certified…

After 5 long years of changing diapers day after day….I can officially say that I am CERTIFIED to change diapers...(well briefs \’’/ can’t use the term diapers!). So a new goal has recently consumed my thoughts, well really for the past three years, but strongly for the past 8 months or so. I’VE DECIDED I WANT TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL….to be a NURSE!!! After experiencing childbirth three times…I’ve discovered I really want to be a labor and delivery nurse (So my heart tells me right now). It’s going to be a long process because my first and foremost priority is my children. I don’t want to regret spending too much time away from the home while they are young. So I went and got my CNA certification and plan on working one day a week as a nurses assistant until my kids are in school and then I’ll jump back into school. I guess we’ll see if I have the same drive and desire in 5 years as I do now. But until that day comes at least I can be a professional diaper changer (although I think 5 years of experience makes me more of a professional…not a certificate!)

So cute…so wise!

So today when Mason went to the store with Rich, he asked Rich if he would buy him some candy at the checkout stand. Rich used our usual response “Well Mason, did you bring any of your money you have earned???” Then Mason got this sad look on his face, THEN HE STARTED SEARCHING THROUGH HIS POCKETS UNTIL HE FOUND THIS….. A dollar bill Sadie had made for him this morning when they were playing store. He got all excited thinking this was as good as real money!!!!  So of course Daddy bought him the candy. When Sadie heard the story she got all excited herself…figuring she had discovered a “Get rich quick” scheme. She was sad when we had to break the news to her that Dad actually slipped the cashier a real dollar to purchase the candy.

Then another cute thing Mason did this week… He slept on our floor one night when he was scared, and Rich said he woke up to Mason talking. He figured he was talking in his sleep because it was still really early. But then he started listening and this is what he heard:

“Dear Heavenly Father…We thank thee for this day. Please bless the food. Please bless Uncle Taylor in the Navy. Please bless Uncle Ben in Chili. Please bless Grandma in the hospital. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen”.

Then he jumped up and started his day!!!!

So cute!!!!