Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Simple acts

While deep cleaning the bathroom this week, I found this little gem hiding behind the tissue box holder.



























My Grandma Davis sent this to me a few years back. She was always so great about sending little notes & comics in the mail. By this simple act, you knew she was thinking of you! There is a big smile on my face while thinking about her today. Tanner & Carter have mentioned several times this week that they really miss Great Grandma. I miss her too! This little comic is going back in the bathroom. This time I am taping it to the mirror so I can see it everyday!
I challenge you to do something today that will make some one else smile!
Have a good one!

Monday, May 11, 2009

Spring cleaning...take two

I am still on a roll. I am still cleaning, organizing, & tossing things out. Today's focus was the bathrooms. What a chore it was! I loved today's tip. The Simple Mom's blog said that if your stuff does not fit in your storage baskets/boxes, you need to throw it away. If it is something you want to keep, you throw something else away out of your basket to make room for the things you want to keep. I cleaned out every single drawer & under all of the sinks in both bathrooms. I will share the before & after shots(brace yourself) with you. That top drawer became the bathroom junk drawer. I could not believe what a wreck those drawers were. Believe it or not, the boys bathroom was tidier than our bathroom. What's up with that? While cleaning my bathroom, I learned 1). that I buy a lot of chap stick, lip gloss & lip stick. I found about 20 tubes rolling around in the drawer. 2). That I need to find another closet to store all of my coupons deals(ie:shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant) in. 3). That I have a 2 year supply of shampoo/conditioner, toothpaste, & deodorants :).

BEFORE:






























AFTER:






















BEFORE:






















AFTER:






















Many of you have emailed me asking for the Spring Cleaning site name. You can find the link for the Simple Mom blog under Sites I like to visit, the link is on the left, towards the bottom. Let me know if you jump on the band wagon. It has been awesome to break my house down by room. A little work each day goes a long way. Happy Spring Cleaning.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Happy Mother's Day...
























{my Dad, My Mom, & Me(2 months old.) Dec. 1974

to the best Mom in the world! I can't let the day pass without giving a shout out to my Mom. She is simply the best. She is my ROCK. She is everything to me. She is the glue that holds our family together. She always does the right thing. She gives everyone the benefit of the doubt. She is the hardest working woman I have ever met. She raised 5 children with LOVE. She has 10 grandchildren who simply adore her. She has a strong testimony of Jesus Christ & lives her life in a way that patterns his. She takes the high road even when it's hard. She is a scrapbooker. She loves to read. She was there for each of my children's births(that means so much to me). She is a fabulous public speaker. She makes the cutest denim quilts & each grandchild will eventually get one. She makes the best sugar cookies in the world. She is a great pen pal. She is super crafty. She has been successful in a career that can often times make one feel sad & overwhelmed. She can sew & I am happy she shares that talent with me(it's not my favorite thing in the world to do). She made all 250 of our wedding invites, scrapbook style...before it was the "IN" thing to do. She gives great advice. She is a thoughtful friend. She loves good music. She is a talented writer. She makes the best homemade crescent rolls. She loves to shop. She is a great road trip companion. She has great faith.
I could go on & on...I just want my Mom to know that I LOVE her & think the world of her. I am so thankful for her constant example of how to be kind & how we should always treat one another with love & respect. I could have not picked a better woman to call Mother. I LOVE you Mom! You're the best!

Saturday, May 9, 2009

thinking, spring cleaning & randomness

How is that for a title :-)? Kind of random huh? I have just been thinking a lot about life & the families each of us are given. I am so grateful for the little family that John & I are raising. So very thankful for the opportunity that I have to be their Mom. I carry a HUGE weight on my shoulders(on a daily basis) knowing that I am responsible for these little boys. I am in charge of making sure that they are given a good home & an even better upbringing. In the throws of life, this task can often seem very daunting. We get slammed with things from all directions. Things begging for our attention & time. We take it day by day. I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who has great faith and trust in me, in hopes that I can raise these boys right. Along the lines of family, I am also so very grateful for the home that I grew up in. Thankful for wonderful, loving parents who gave me a stable home & lots of love. I was blessed to grow up in a home with a Mother & Father who taught me right & who simply led by example. I find great comfort knowing that I have 2 sisters & two brothers who will always be there for me. That's what family is about...having a connection with the people you love & respect. Again, I am just so very thankful for my family.

This past week has been a week filled with Spring Cleaning. I came across a blog that posts daily challenges & tips for cleaning certain rooms in your home. I have been on board & have accomplished so much. I have been cleaning & organizing the cupboards & drawers that are often over looked. It feels so good. Out with the old. With this challenge, they even have you take before & after shots of each area that you clean.

Here is an example. This is what I call our junk drawer. This is where my boys deposit their important school papers & folders. I use it to store place mats, linen napkins, & holiday themed dish towels. As you can see, the boys papers(and a few of my coupons) have taken over this drawer.





















After 10 minutes of purging & throwing things out, I once again,have an organized drawer. I am really enjoying the process of Spring Cleaning & getting rid of the things that aren't needed. The things that add chaos & stress to my day.





















I am accomplishing so much & am really feeling good about the changes & progress I am making in our home. So I have been thinking a lot about this concept, getting rid of the things that aren't needed. The things that may add stress or simply do not bring me happiness. I am going to take my spring cleaning one step farther. I am going ELIMINATE those things in my life that do not bring me happiness. The things that are not positive or uplifting. All of those things will be heading out to the trash where they belong. Oh, how I love spring & the encouragement it gives me to start clean & fresh!

In other news...my camera cord has been found. Happy days! I had even offered the boys a cash reward earlier this week. Who ever found the cord would receive $5.00. They looked for a minute or two & then quickly lost interest. Well, low & behold,Tanner found it today in his room. I have no idea how or why it was even in there. That little bit of information probably tells you that their room needs to be next on my spring cleaning spree. It is pretty bad :-). Life with boys!

I'll leave you with some photos from our field trip to the zoo.

I love this picture of Garrett. I have one of Carter from a few years back that looks very similar to this one.






























All of the preschool pals were getting their photos taken with this prop & Brody wanted his taken too!
































My little monkey loves to climb trees.




















Have a wonderful weekend & don't forget to spoil your Mothers rotten. They so deserve it!

Calling all scrapbookers....





















Head on over to the Green Tangerines Kit Club blog right now! You won't be sorry! Their Blog Party is going on right now. Everyone can PARTY! Leave a comment telling them what size format(12 X 12, 8 1/2 X 11, or mini albums) you use when scrapbooking & you'll have the chance to win free scrapbook goodies. ***This Blog Party is happening every M-W-F till July! You will have several chances to win. What a sweet deal! Good luck! I hope you ALL win!

Friday, May 8, 2009

cuteness...

see for yourself.


Don't forget to hit the pause button on my play list before watching.
*Mom it is on the left, scroll down :-).

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

still here...

life has been super busy & super crazy. Life & boys have kept us on our toes.
I have misplaced the cord to my camera & it is driving me crazy. I have looked everywhere & have not had any luck finding it. Any ideas as to where I should look next? I am really hoping that I didn't leave it on the bumper of the Tahoe again. I did that once & made it all the way to the grocery store. I found the cord sitting on the bumper when I went to get Brody's stroller out of the back. I must have been driving super slow that day :-).

I have a hard time blogging w/out photos... I have so much to share.
Wish me luck finding that cord! Hope everyone is happy & well.