windowsill garden

Cosmos seed starts

I've started my springtime planting again, the awesome part is this house has 3 large south facing windows to start seeds in where as my old house had two tiny south facing windows. Since we've had a bunch of sunshine (thank heavens) my little seed starts are happily growing. I'm starting onions indoors for the first time and they are doing super. I've got some flowers growing too, Marigolds and Cosmos. These are all left over seeds from years past, so I wasn't sure if they would be viable but so far they all seem to be sprouting. I've had bad luck getting herbs to grow in the past but my basil is actually coming up just fine. I've had a seed starter green house thing for several years now, but its a bugger to get the seeds out of their containers, maybe I just take them too early. They'll be getting plenty of time indoors because I don't think this snow is going anywhere :(

onion seed starts in a recycled fudge striped cookie container, basil and beefsteak tomatoes in egg shells

 unfortunately our yard looks like this... isn't Konnor a cute big helper!

In case your curious I kept track of when my seeds emerged and what the package said they would do

• -Beefsteak tomatoes pkg said 7-14 days- 8 days
• -Marigold pkg said 5-10 days- 9 days
• -Onion pkg didn't say- 7 days
• -sweet basil pkg said 10-15 days- 6 days
• -Parsley pkg said 14 days - 10 days
• -Large red cherry tomato pkg said 15-20 days - 10 days
• -Cosmos pkg said 7-10 days- 5 days

Motherhood, and my perceptions

AH, welcome to my inner most thoughts... its late Sunday night and as always I am reflecting on life.

Do you ever wonder what others think about you, or what another couple or family has struggles with? I do that on occasion, I wonder if the appearance of my outward life makes other people feel jealous, or lucky, or whatever. I know that everyone has their struggles and I also know its really hard not to judge someone on what you perceive their life to be. I'd be the first to tell you that I don't have the perfect life, everything doesn't always want to go my way and maybe that's a good thing.. I guess time will tell. I'm not going to list my demons, I have this irrational fear that those who pretend to be my friends would somehow be able to chalk up a point on their score board because I am struggling. Its like a balancing act, I have so much good and so many blessings but yet I see so many things I fail at and need improvement on. And that's my day, a combination of good and bad, sometimes good prevails and I go to bed thinking today was great and sometimes it doesn't.

 Often at night I think of my kids, how much I love them, how fast their growing, how much I wish I would do with them but never do. Growing up I pictured being a mom and raising a family a totally different way than what my experience has been. I thought my mom was a crazy neat freak, I hated that a clean house was the only thing I could imagine that was on her mind. I grew up wondering if she ever was interested in me, she was always so busy... with kids, with friends, with work, with cleaning the house. Now that I'm older I know that she does listen and she is a good sounding board when I need it. I swore I would not be so obsessed with a clean house like she was, that I would do those things with my kids that she had no interest in doing with us. Now to be completely honest my house isn't nearly as clean... ever... as hers was and is, but its on my mind constantly... I'm a super crazy person with one final goal in mind, then I can move on to more fun things (its never done folks). ITS NEVER DONE, there will always be something lying on the floor ready for my army crawling 6 month old to ingest. The sink fills itself up within an hour of being cleaned out. The laundry multiplies and replenishes the earth at staggering speeds, and toys walk themselves all over the whole house waiting to be stepped on to throw the whole day off balance. By four pm I'm spent, the kids have found their second wind, and the baby neither wants to nap or be set down. After an early bed time when kids don't really go to bed until the 7th or 8th time you've turned out the lights and sent them back to bed, 10 pm hits and I think man I wish I would have done something fun and interactive with the kids today. Really listened close to what they were saying, taught them something interesting or told them a cool story. But I didn't, I was too worried about the bites of food they didn't take, the crumbs they tracked everywhere, the valentines papers on the ground, and how quiet the house was so the baby would sleep.

Motherhood never looked so good right? I know the solutions to my problems, I know it requires me to let go of endless (unimportant) tasks and I pray to be the better mom that I imagine lives everywhere but at this house. Ugh its tuff being a mom. Tomorrow I'll try again.

Rust Colored Skinnies

 I'll start off by saying I'm no fashionista, and I most definitely need to clean my hallway mirrors!! My awesome mom picked me up some rust colored skinny jeans the other day from Bella Me. The only skinny jeans I own are denim ones that I picked up years ago (from savers for $3), it was a super purchase because I still wear them today. I thought of googling what to wear with these rust colored beauties, but instead I picked out what colors I thought would work and it turned out pretty well. So if you, yourself own some of these skinny jeans maybe this will help you figure out what to pair with it.

 Chunky silver buckle belt, medium brown pumps, denim cardigan, with cream blouse and chunky cream necklace. The necklace is something I don't wear enough, my little brother brought it back from his mission in South Africa for me, I love it but I have a hard time pairing it with things.

So what do you think?

Christmas and a Six month old

We dont know how to use the panorama correctly :)

look how awesome we are at getting a picture of all three kids. lol.

They've been rowing laundry boats for at least a year now, I thought I should take a pic before they determine its no longer fun.

My baby is six months today! It has truly flown by, babies grow up too fast. He is a pretty good sleeper for me, he usually goes to bed around 8:30-9 and then wakes up at 6 or 7 to eat, and if I'm lucky I can get him back to sleep again. He is a little mover, he currently army crawls pulling with his left arm while he tries to reach or grab things with his right. He sometimes rocks on his hands and knees and it wont be long till he is also crawling that way. When he is awake he is almost always moving, and if I were to guess he will be busier than his older brother who is extremely busy (heaven help me!). He has a much happier disposition than he started out with, but he is also a completely different individual than my last two. For the most part he is content with exploring the floor and loves his and Konnor's room upstairs with all the toys. I'm still wondering what his haircolor will be, he seems to have all sorts of colors growing out of his noggin so it should be calico... like a cat! I love him and the added craziness he brings to our household!

Good Neighbors

We've had a sick week, low grade fevers, ear infections for everyone 5 and under, coughs and runny noses/ head aches for everyone.
 Two Fridays ago is when Makayla started with the croupy cough and later that night she had a nice fever, that day Konnor was seen playing with the thermometer and it has been MIA ever since. I went to the neighbors to borrow their thermometer at around 9 or 10 pm and they were so nice to let us borrow it. A couple days later Konnor was doing the same thing as Makayla as far as cough and runny noses goes and then Makayla was crying because her ear hurt. That day Makayla and Konnor went to see the doctor (I guess it was a mad house, I sent Jared while I stayed home with the baby) we learned that Makayla did have an ear infection and Konnor had a double ear infection. They both tested negative for the flu thank goodness.
I was hoping to keep Beckam well, but he was the last to pick up the cough and runny nose. Really early this morning he woke up and his sad cry was one that was more of pain than need of attention. I gave him some Motrin and really tossed around the idea of waiting it out or taking him in, but when even a burp made him bawl I decided that it was better that we get him started on an antibiotic soon and give him real relief. So at the lovely hour of 4 am and the temperature of 5 degrees we went to the Brigham City E.R. Lucky for me it was a quiet morning in the E.R. and we were attended to quickly. Beckam was cheerful, (thanks to the Motrin) with the nurse and Dr and sure enough he did have an ear infection. We took the day off from church today, I wasn't feeling too bad but baby needed me home and I was in no way able to get ready for 9:00 church. Shortly before 9 I read that my friend's husband passed away in his sleep yesterday, and I have been broken hearted and weepy ever since. My kind neighbors not knowing the night, week, or day I've been having just brought over some biscuits and a ravioli soup; but that is just how they are, they are just like extended family who are cute with my kids and out in acts of service constantly. We had good neighbors in our old neighborhood too, neighbors that always seem to be about our Father's work, answering silent prayers and giving of their time and self.

old year, new year

The 2012 year is drawing to a close and lucky for me I have many wonderful things that both me and my little family have been blessed with during this year. We were able to sell our home in Ogden and move to Brigham City; to a home that offers us a little more space and a safer feel for a neighborhood. We got to welcome a new addition to our family, our sweet son Beckam. Jared amazingly enough finished his drafting classes at the OWATC, he still needs to test to get his certificate but I guess its just baby steps (ugh). We got to ride yet another roller coaster ride called "employment" this past year with Jared being hired at a great job, laid off, hired at another job, and then being "re-hired" at the old great job with a completely new position. I know that the Lord has had his hand in the whole processes and we've ended up where I feel like He wanted us to be (and were so blessed for it). I am impressed with my daughters Kindergarten teacher and her school, she is doing fantastic with her reading, I know I couldn't read as much as she does at her age, and I completely cannot take any credit for it. So over all its been a really great year for us.
I have some big and small goals for our family in the new year and years to come hopefully. I'd like to begin getting us out of debt (again) and if I follow my plan we could be "debt-free" in 3 years (other than our home). Unfortunately we have two car payments, our dear truck bit the dust and we decided that we couldn't live with one car and bought another. I've built a budget that allows Jared to get gas to go to work, and us to have some money for groceries, diapers and then what we put on debt. The rest of our money goes toward all our bills and tithes. I'd like to pay off our smallest debt first and then snowball that money onto our next debt and so forth. Its very simple and I'm hoping that it will at least give me piece of mind.
I understand that there are a great many people who get depressed after the holidays, I honestly feel relieved after the holidays. It is incredibly stressful to make sure every one's gifts are accounted for, and the cost of it all even when your trying to be as conservative as possible still seems to bite. I see pins on pinterest that challenge people to do a no spend month, I feel like I live a "no spend month" so when Christmas passes I truly have a mess on my hands. So what would be a better way to start out the year than an enormous challenge of getting out of debt.
I'd also like to make over the way me and my family eat, so I am trying to incorporate more greens into our diet via smoothies in the morning. I'm trying to give up on juice itself and replace it with milk, water or a blended smoothie with fruits and the like. My daughter hates milk and I'm not entirely sure how that came about because she used to drink it just fine, so part of me thinks that I've allowed her to have so much juice and its obviously more tasty than milk so that's why she chooses not to drink it. She does drink water, and probably drinks the most water out of all of us. Over all I would like us to have more of a whole foods diet, and ultimately get rid of most of our processed foods and replace them with a healthy, safer alternative. Whats your goals?

Holiday Rut

Only 14 more days till Christmas and I am already tuckered out. I have 3 more people on my list to shop for and they're all the hardest ones to do so. I still need to get Jared something, my in laws something and my parents something, Ugh. I swear it would be easier if I was loaded but that is never the case so I'm trying to find a crafty gift for both my parents and in laws. I just picture my MIL turning up her nose to everything I think of and that doesn't help me all that much.. November I was doing good hammering out my projects but December has been a drag, my prime time for getting things done (at night) finds me wanting to sit on the couch and do NOTHING. I get so much done in the morning I just need to figure out a way to do stuff then. I'm thinking about making the rachel ray style oven mitts for my family, (they have one oven mitt to their name, and I made them purchase it because they had none), I broke their hand mixer a couple years back and my mom has yet to replace it so I may add that to my list with a treat they can just pop in the oven. But his family is sooo hard, I'm thinking about making a thing of frozen cookie dough balls that they can just pop in the oven and perhaps a wreath I'll probably print our newest family picture for them to update the one that they have also. I plan on making Jared a sports blanket, its gonna cost a fortune for just a blanket but he's been wanting one for a long time now other than that I'm really not sure what to get him. I wish I could give him (and me) a night out at a nice hotel, but that's not in the cards for this year. Now to find the motivation to get it all done before I really don't have time...