Abby's 6th birthday party planning!

Abby wanted Littlest Pet Shop, so I made this cake using a flower cake pan. I iced it purple and did each petal a different scene. The pig is on chocolate icing for mud, the ostrich is on peanut butter and graham crackers for sand. I did a pond and lily pad for the frog and the others are all in grass.

I am going to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and cut them out with a bone shape cookie cutter and call them "dog treats". We will also have monkey munchies (banana chips), apple slices (pony feed), goldfish (kitty treats), a veggie tray (rabbit food), peanuts (elephant snacks), animal crackers, and teddy grahams.

I can't wait for her party tomorrow at the park. I got all the paper products at Fred's and it will look great with the colors.

Happy birthday, Abby!

Baby steps continued...

So I cleaned out Abby's closet and did everything I set out to do today. Moved some dressers and sorted more clothes. The rest of the house looks crazy, but closets are getting organized! Tomorrow baby's room!

My small victory

I cleaned out Ari and Angel's closets, organized and put the clothes away. Baby steps to clutter free!

Resolutions

I want my life and house organized. I resolve to shower daily, brush my teeth every morning, to do more to take care of myself. I resolve to excersize more, to get back in shape. To bake more and get better at cooking. These are my goals for the New Year. Let's see if I can meet them this year!

Christmas

Merry Christmas! Happy holidays! We have had a great holiday season! The Lord has truly blessed us with a wonderful family and some great friends.

What happens when you send Mark to the store for milk...

Mark took a video of the lights he put up outside this year! (his first ever attempt!)

Just a housewife.

A funny thing happened a few days ago. I was helping with the church yard sale and I was talking with one of the ladies at our church. Somehow we got to talking about work. I mentioned how I want to go back to work when the kids are all in school. She just started to laugh and said, "well, hon, what do you think you are doing now?" and then I laughed thinking, that is so true.

So, I now catch myself when I say I am just a housewife, or I would love to go back to work. Because it is work. Hard work! What I did yesterday- Got up at 6 to feed baby. 645 time to fight with Abby to get her up and to school on time. 730 back home to take some time for myself. The one hour a day I have to myself. Mark gets up by 830 and so do the little ones by 9. The rest of my day is spent changing diapers, feeding, picking up toys, throwing trash away, doing dishes and laundry, breaking up a lot of fights, kissing tears away. Then it's 130 and time for the car line, where I get to read or play angry birds in the car while waiting in the line. Home again by 230. Then it's snack time, homework time, computer time for Abby. And getting dinner ready. All while still changing diapers and taking care of baby. We eat dinner, then bath, then bed by 930. And I stay up til 1030 or 11 with Alexis getting her to sleep. By bedtime I am exhausted and the house is a wreck again, more dishes and laundry have piled up. Set alarm to do it all over again.