I saw this on Pinterest and thought that it would be fun. It is 21 questions to ask your kids. I think I will save these questions and answers and ask them again next year to see how they change.
1. What is something Mommy always says to you?
Jordan: "Stop"
Kate: "Are you going to live?" (I do ask this every time one of them says they are hurt)
2. What makes Mommy happy?
Jordan: "When I'm good."
Kate: "Playing with me."
3. What makes Mommy sad?
Jordan: "When you say stop and I don't stop."
Kate: "When we go to our dads."
4. How does Mommy make you laugh?
Jordan: "Tickling me."
Kate: "When you say funny jokes."
5. What was Mommy like as a child?
Jordan: "Your mom"
Kate: "Preschool." (Not sure what this means)
6. How old is Mommy?
Jordan: "29" (He's actually right!)
Kate: "21"
7. How tall is Mommy?
Jordan: "10"
Kate: "82"
HUH????
8. What is Mommy's favorite thing to do?
Jordan: "Play with us and have fun."
Kate: "Shopping."
9. What does Mommy do when you're not around?
Jordan: "Take care of Will."
Kate: "Laundry."
10. If Mommy becomes famous, what will it be for?
Jordan: "Be an awesome basketball player." (I suck at basketball)
Kate: "Will."
11. What is Mommy really good at?
Jordan: "Telling us what to do and driving."
Kate: "Gluing."
12. What is Mommy not very good at?
Jordan: "Playing a basketball game against me."
Kate: "Knowing what to pick when you go shopping for presents."
13. What does Mommy do for her job?
Jordan: "Make stuff."
Kate: "You don't have a job."
14. What is Mommy's favorite food?
Jordan: "Spaghetti."
Kate: "Starbucks."
15. What makes you proud of Mommy?
Jordan: "Beating me at a basketball game."
Kate: "When she helps me learn to write new words."
16. If Mommy were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Jordan: "Sponge Bob."
Kate: "An Indian."
17. What do you and Mommy do together?
Jordan: "Play games and hug."
Kate: "Go shopping and hang out and play and take care of Will."
18. How are you and Mommy the same?
Jordan: "Cause I was born from your tummy."
Kate: "We both look pretty."
19. How are you and Mommy different?
Jordan: "We're not even different."
Kate: "We have different colors of hair."
20. How do you know Mommy loves you?
Jordan: "Cause you care about me."
Kate: "Cause I was your baby and comed out of your tummy."
21. Where is Mommy's favorite place to go?
Jordan: "To the store."
Kate: "Starbucks."
This was a lot of fun for me. Hope you have just as much fun asking your kiddos these questions. Thanks for reading. Happy Holidays!!
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Monday, December 17, 2012
Living in Faith, not Fear
As a mother of three I feel that I need to address the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. There is no doubt that what happened to those sweet children was horrifying and pure evil. When you send your child to elementary school it should be one of the safest places for them. I can not imagine the pain of those parents, of the other students watching their friends die and how scared they must have been, and of the first responders and the horrific scene they went in to. I'm sure those images will be forever burned into their minds and I pray that they can find peace.
I've been reading a lot on Facebook about people being afraid to send their kids to school. Yes I too wanted to see and hug my children as soon as I had heard what had happened. But what would picking them up from school early do except raise questions as to why I did so? My husband and I chose not to share with the kids what had happened. I think they are too little and if they go to school today and hear about it then we will discuss it. I know it's scary but are we going to let fear rule our lives? Think of all the things we would miss out on if we lived in fear.
In thinking and reading about the shooting this weekend as well as other recent shootings and events I have come to a realization and that is that I refuse to live my life in fear and instead I am going to choose to live in faith. I have a strong faith. I know that God has a plan for each of our lives that only he knows. Our children are gifts from God that he has given us to care for and nurture and raise up to love and praise him. This is my job. I would be doing my kids a disservice if I were to teach them to fear going to school, the mall or really any other public place. Instead I will teach them to have faith in God and his plan and to live their lives to glorify him. And I will cherish and thank God for every moment I have with them. I will continue to pray for them, their friends, classmates, teachers and school administrators. And I will continue to pray for the community of Newtown.
"May the Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace." -Numbers 6:24-26
I've been reading a lot on Facebook about people being afraid to send their kids to school. Yes I too wanted to see and hug my children as soon as I had heard what had happened. But what would picking them up from school early do except raise questions as to why I did so? My husband and I chose not to share with the kids what had happened. I think they are too little and if they go to school today and hear about it then we will discuss it. I know it's scary but are we going to let fear rule our lives? Think of all the things we would miss out on if we lived in fear.
In thinking and reading about the shooting this weekend as well as other recent shootings and events I have come to a realization and that is that I refuse to live my life in fear and instead I am going to choose to live in faith. I have a strong faith. I know that God has a plan for each of our lives that only he knows. Our children are gifts from God that he has given us to care for and nurture and raise up to love and praise him. This is my job. I would be doing my kids a disservice if I were to teach them to fear going to school, the mall or really any other public place. Instead I will teach them to have faith in God and his plan and to live their lives to glorify him. And I will cherish and thank God for every moment I have with them. I will continue to pray for them, their friends, classmates, teachers and school administrators. And I will continue to pray for the community of Newtown.
"May the Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace." -Numbers 6:24-26
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Holiday Baking
Yesterday in addition to making the chicken noodle soup I also did our holiday baking. I decided to cut back this year and make five kinds of cookies/ candies. The last few years I've found that I always end up throwing out way too many goodies because I usually make too much or forget to get out cookie plates to our friends. So this year I cut down the number I make and put the cookie plates together right away.
I made fudge (no nuts), peanut butter clusters (they are a cookie/ candy that my mom used to make when I was little), sugar cookies, gingerbread boys (and girls) and individual raspberry swirl cheesecakes. They all turned out delicious! Today the kids decorated the sugar/ gingerbread cookies. They both REALLY like the sprinkles! I kept having to remind them that some people don't like sprinkles. They decided that people that don't like sprinkles must be allergic to them.
We got the cookie plates all ready to hand out tomorrow. One more thing I can check off my holiday list! Leave a comment with which cookie/ candy you think sounds the best and I will do a blog with the recipe :o)
Thank you for reading. I hope you are getting things checked off your holiday list. Happy Holidays!!
I made fudge (no nuts), peanut butter clusters (they are a cookie/ candy that my mom used to make when I was little), sugar cookies, gingerbread boys (and girls) and individual raspberry swirl cheesecakes. They all turned out delicious! Today the kids decorated the sugar/ gingerbread cookies. They both REALLY like the sprinkles! I kept having to remind them that some people don't like sprinkles. They decided that people that don't like sprinkles must be allergic to them.
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| Kids decorating cookies |
We got the cookie plates all ready to hand out tomorrow. One more thing I can check off my holiday list! Leave a comment with which cookie/ candy you think sounds the best and I will do a blog with the recipe :o)
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| Cookie plates! Yum!! |
Thank you for reading. I hope you are getting things checked off your holiday list. Happy Holidays!!
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
The flu found our house this past week. I came down with it first and then passed it on to the rest of the family. It was miserable. It started Friday but I still can barely eat and have been craving some good chicken noodle soup. So today I decided to make my own with homemade noodles. It was quite the project but well worth it :o) I thought I would share the recipe in case any of you would like to make it.
- 9 cups chicken stock
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- 1/2 onion diced
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 1/2 - 2 cups carrots diced
- 4 stalks of celery diced
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes
- 1 bay leaf
- sea salt & fresh cracked pepper to taste (my husband doesn't really like salt so I just did a tiny bit and then added more to my bowl when I was ready to eat it)
- 1/2 tsp. dried basil
- 2 cups cooked chicken shredded (I used chicken breast)
+ Saute onions in olive oil until soft, about 3 -4 minutes. Add garlic & cook for 30 seconds. Add broth & the remainder of ingredients. Cook over medium low heat for 1-2 hours. (I covered it about half way through to make sure that the carrots and celery were extra soft).
Noodles:
- 2 cups flour
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup of milk (I added a little more because my dough was not quite wet enough)
+ In mixing bowl combine flour, salt, egg & milk. Mix until you produce a slightly sticky ball of dough. Flour the counter & roll out dough to 1/8" thickness. You want them thin because they will thicken when cooked. Cut noodles to desired size & place on wax paper. Let the noodles dry out on the counter for at least one hour before adding them to the soup.
+ About 30 minutes before serving soup, drop noodles in & cook. Enjoy :o)
I hope that you are all staying healthy this winter. Thank you for reading. Happy December!!
- 9 cups chicken stock
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- 1/2 onion diced
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 1/2 - 2 cups carrots diced
- 4 stalks of celery diced
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes
- 1 bay leaf
- sea salt & fresh cracked pepper to taste (my husband doesn't really like salt so I just did a tiny bit and then added more to my bowl when I was ready to eat it)
- 1/2 tsp. dried basil
- 2 cups cooked chicken shredded (I used chicken breast)
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| Will was helping me chop onions. I thought maybe his eyes would water but they didn't :o) |
+ Saute onions in olive oil until soft, about 3 -4 minutes. Add garlic & cook for 30 seconds. Add broth & the remainder of ingredients. Cook over medium low heat for 1-2 hours. (I covered it about half way through to make sure that the carrots and celery were extra soft).
Noodles:
- 2 cups flour
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup of milk (I added a little more because my dough was not quite wet enough)
+ In mixing bowl combine flour, salt, egg & milk. Mix until you produce a slightly sticky ball of dough. Flour the counter & roll out dough to 1/8" thickness. You want them thin because they will thicken when cooked. Cut noodles to desired size & place on wax paper. Let the noodles dry out on the counter for at least one hour before adding them to the soup.
+ About 30 minutes before serving soup, drop noodles in & cook. Enjoy :o)
I hope that you are all staying healthy this winter. Thank you for reading. Happy December!!
Monday, December 10, 2012
Buddy's Adventures
I have been a little delayed in blogging this past week. Unfortunately I came down with the flu and it made it's way through our house to all three little ones now. My in laws were here visiting for the weekend from Oregon so I was so disappointed to be sick during that time.
I wanted to give a quick catch up of what Buddy was up to this past week. When I was sick I forgot to switch what he was doing but my wonderful husband picked up the slack without me even saying anything. I love him and am so happy that he finds joy in the things that the kids love and the magic they see around Christmas time.
Monday: Buddy went repelling down our fireplace. This one was fun for Kate because while she was standing there Buddy slipped a little but he held on!
Tuesday: Buddy used Merry Christmas streamers to lock the kids in the the hallway! The found their way out by crawling underneath :o)
Wednesday: Buddy cleaned their bathroom. I had just been talking to them that day about keeping it clean and surprisingly Buddy did it for them. What a nice elf he is!
Thursday: Buddy had a movie date with Barbie. Kate loves when Buddy hangs out with her Barbie's. Our dog Fenway knocked him off the couch this day and Kate came and told me. Wouldn't you know when I went to check on him he was already back on the couch. She was so surprised that he had moved during the day ;o)
Friday: Buddy took a little ride on our Christmas moose.
Saturday: Buddy made a BB gun out of Legos just like the ones the kids had gotten from Grandma & Grandpa Ashley the night before. He also left a note about safety while using your gun.
Sunday: Buddy put on camoflauge and hid out in some of our pine decorations. This one was hard for the kids to find but eventually they found him. He had some good camoflauge!!
I hope that whatever Christmas traditions your family has that you are enjoying this special time of year. What a blessed time to remember and celebrate and thanking the Lord for his ultimate gift.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16
Thank you for reading. Happy December!!
I wanted to give a quick catch up of what Buddy was up to this past week. When I was sick I forgot to switch what he was doing but my wonderful husband picked up the slack without me even saying anything. I love him and am so happy that he finds joy in the things that the kids love and the magic they see around Christmas time.
Monday: Buddy went repelling down our fireplace. This one was fun for Kate because while she was standing there Buddy slipped a little but he held on!
Tuesday: Buddy used Merry Christmas streamers to lock the kids in the the hallway! The found their way out by crawling underneath :o)
Wednesday: Buddy cleaned their bathroom. I had just been talking to them that day about keeping it clean and surprisingly Buddy did it for them. What a nice elf he is!
Thursday: Buddy had a movie date with Barbie. Kate loves when Buddy hangs out with her Barbie's. Our dog Fenway knocked him off the couch this day and Kate came and told me. Wouldn't you know when I went to check on him he was already back on the couch. She was so surprised that he had moved during the day ;o)
Friday: Buddy took a little ride on our Christmas moose.
Saturday: Buddy made a BB gun out of Legos just like the ones the kids had gotten from Grandma & Grandpa Ashley the night before. He also left a note about safety while using your gun.
Sunday: Buddy put on camoflauge and hid out in some of our pine decorations. This one was hard for the kids to find but eventually they found him. He had some good camoflauge!!
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16
Thank you for reading. Happy December!!
Monday, December 3, 2012
Nashville
This weekend we decided to take an impromptu family trip to Nashville. Friday night when Steve was looking online he saw that Willie and Korie Robertson from Duck Dynasty were going to be there for a book signing. We love the show Duck Dynasty and really just love the faith and values that the family has and portrays. We thought it would be fun to go see them and get autographs plus we had always wanted to go to Nashville. We decided to sleep on it and decide in the morning if we wanted to take the trip or not, 6 hours is a long drive for a quick trip especially with two little kids and a four month old baby.
Saturday morning I was in the shower and Steve came in the bathroom and said "Let's go to Nashville!" I was so excited! We packed up some clothes and snacks and hit the road. I have a friend that just moved there a few days before so I text her and we were able to meet up with her and her husband for dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. We also walked around downtown Nashville a bit which was awesome! Every place you walked by you could hear the music coming out of the door and there were people on the street playing music with a bucket out for money. Afterwards we went back to the hotel and took the kids swimming. It was Will's first time and he wasn't quite sure what to think.
The next morning we got up and got ready for the book signing. The book signing was 12-2 and we got to Bass Pro where it was at not long after 9. We found out shortly after getting there that they had given out tickets to people right when they opened (at 8) and if you were not there to get a ticket you would not get an autograph. I was so disappointed. We had driven all that way though so we decided to stay until they got there so we could at least see them and get some pictures. The kids enjoyed shooting BB guns and seeing Santa at Bass Pro.
After the signing we grabbed some lunch to eat in the car and headed home. We had purchased The Duck Commander Family book during the signing and I read it to Steve the whole way home. We both loved it. It has so many great bible verses, I'm eager to put some of them up on my walls. What an amazing, faith driven family.
What I love about car trips like this is that Steve and I really get a chance to just talk and connect. We don't have TV or other distractions. We just enjoy each other and the kids. So while we didn't get the autographs we went for (someday hopefully I will have the chance to meet them) we got a weekend neither one of us will forget. We had an amazing time as a family and just enjoyed the little getaway.
So thank you Willlie & Korie for giving us the motivation to take this road trip and have this family time.
I want to share my favorite verse from the book that is going to find it's way onto a wall in my dining room this week: "WHAT, THEN, SHALL WE SAY IN RESPONSE TO THESE THINGS? IF GOD IS FOR US, WHO CAN BE AGAINST US?" ROMANS 8:31
Thank you for reading and Happy December!!
Saturday morning I was in the shower and Steve came in the bathroom and said "Let's go to Nashville!" I was so excited! We packed up some clothes and snacks and hit the road. I have a friend that just moved there a few days before so I text her and we were able to meet up with her and her husband for dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. We also walked around downtown Nashville a bit which was awesome! Every place you walked by you could hear the music coming out of the door and there were people on the street playing music with a bucket out for money. Afterwards we went back to the hotel and took the kids swimming. It was Will's first time and he wasn't quite sure what to think.
The next morning we got up and got ready for the book signing. The book signing was 12-2 and we got to Bass Pro where it was at not long after 9. We found out shortly after getting there that they had given out tickets to people right when they opened (at 8) and if you were not there to get a ticket you would not get an autograph. I was so disappointed. We had driven all that way though so we decided to stay until they got there so we could at least see them and get some pictures. The kids enjoyed shooting BB guns and seeing Santa at Bass Pro.
After the signing we grabbed some lunch to eat in the car and headed home. We had purchased The Duck Commander Family book during the signing and I read it to Steve the whole way home. We both loved it. It has so many great bible verses, I'm eager to put some of them up on my walls. What an amazing, faith driven family.
What I love about car trips like this is that Steve and I really get a chance to just talk and connect. We don't have TV or other distractions. We just enjoy each other and the kids. So while we didn't get the autographs we went for (someday hopefully I will have the chance to meet them) we got a weekend neither one of us will forget. We had an amazing time as a family and just enjoyed the little getaway.
So thank you Willlie & Korie for giving us the motivation to take this road trip and have this family time.
I want to share my favorite verse from the book that is going to find it's way onto a wall in my dining room this week: "WHAT, THEN, SHALL WE SAY IN RESPONSE TO THESE THINGS? IF GOD IS FOR US, WHO CAN BE AGAINST US?" ROMANS 8:31
Thank you for reading and Happy December!!
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Buddy The Elf is Back!!!
Two years ago I started the elf on the shelf tradition with the kids. I enjoy coming up with different ideas of things for our elf "Buddy" to do. The kids LOVE Buddy. This is the first year that they have really remembered and anticipated him from the year before. Kate was so cute she told me how she asked her teacher if Buddy would be able to find them here. She also said that since Buddy found them she knew that Santa would find them because Buddy would tell him. I love how her little mind works!
For Buddy's arrival which at our house always happens December 1st he brought breakfast from the North Pole. Buddy set the table up with a platter of donuts covered in powdered sugar (snow donuts) and got each of the kids a little Santa mug that had hot chocolate, tiny little marshmallows and candy canes in them because that is how they drink hot chocolate in the North Pole! He also decorated the light fixture and their chairs. He brought them little goodie baskets with a few small things. They each got a game, chapstick, candy cane, stickers, notebook and pencils. Buddy of course didn't forget Will brining him a teething ring. He wrote a letter to say hi and remind them that he would be watching. He mentioned specific things that we have been working with them on such as cleaning their rooms and trying very hard on their spelling tests. He also reminded them that they couldn't touch him or else he would lose his magic. He brought along the elf on the shelf book which I read to them while they ate breakfast to remind them of his story.
I love the magic that the holiday season brings especially when you have young children. It is so fun to see the excitement in their eyes and experience all of it together. I love building these memories for them. I hope someday they will get the joy of passing our traditions on to their own children.
Thank you for reading. I hope that you are all having a blessed holiday season. Happy December!!
For Buddy's arrival which at our house always happens December 1st he brought breakfast from the North Pole. Buddy set the table up with a platter of donuts covered in powdered sugar (snow donuts) and got each of the kids a little Santa mug that had hot chocolate, tiny little marshmallows and candy canes in them because that is how they drink hot chocolate in the North Pole! He also decorated the light fixture and their chairs. He brought them little goodie baskets with a few small things. They each got a game, chapstick, candy cane, stickers, notebook and pencils. Buddy of course didn't forget Will brining him a teething ring. He wrote a letter to say hi and remind them that he would be watching. He mentioned specific things that we have been working with them on such as cleaning their rooms and trying very hard on their spelling tests. He also reminded them that they couldn't touch him or else he would lose his magic. He brought along the elf on the shelf book which I read to them while they ate breakfast to remind them of his story.
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| North Pole Breakfast |
I love the magic that the holiday season brings especially when you have young children. It is so fun to see the excitement in their eyes and experience all of it together. I love building these memories for them. I hope someday they will get the joy of passing our traditions on to their own children.
Thank you for reading. I hope that you are all having a blessed holiday season. Happy December!!
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