"Yes" Mom Challenge

ok, this is so hard for me, but i do find myself saying "no"so much more than "yes". so i'll focus on saying more "yes" to the kids and harmless fun. if you read in jill savage's blog-i find myself guilty of being selfish with kid activities-like i don't want to have to clean up more, or just plain end up with anything more to do that i already have going on. you know my day is a full plate of busy! but they need fun! so here's to having more "fun mom" days, won't you join me?!

jill is having a giveaway when you post on her blog your "yes" mom stories...here's what she has to say "Anyone who posts a "yes mom" story to this post from today through the month of July, will be entered to win a Hearts at Home mom gift package, full of mom resources designed to encourage you! And here's the best part: the more you say "yes," and share your "yes" stories, the more times you are entered into the August 1 drawing. And the more we are all encouraged!"

sounds like a plan- i wonder what fun will the kids suggest we have today??? i'd love to hear what you all say "yes" to. take pics, share & document all the fun, crazy things :)

Happy Homemaker Monday

thanks sandra at diary of a stay at home mom for hosting :)

The weather in my neck of the woods: i'm wishing for rain, none in sight.
One of my simple pleasures: going to the movies with the family
On my bedside table: about 1/2 way into "the host" really good reading while working out at the gym. time flies!

On my TV: disney :)
On the menu for tonight:chicken alfredo and country italian bread
On my To Do List: make grocery lists and menu, and the regular fun stuff around here
New Recipe I tried last week: ok, i love making my cake balls and i tried something new- chocolate banana one with pecans sprinkled on top. perfection!!!

In the craft basket: working on nothing right now.
Looking forward to: my little man coming home on sunday. i miss trav!
Homemaking Tip for this week: trading and bardering is awesome! we traded our atv for a jet ski.

Favorite Blog Post of the week (mine or other): not much time for blog reading this week

Favorite photo from last week: ok, i know it's not a photo, but it made me smile!!!

Lesson learned the past few days: god always provides...in unexpected ways.
On my Prayer List: my good friend sarah going through some transistions, my family & for our country on her bday this 4th :)

Slow it Down Thursdays

so, this is one of the songs that gets stuck in my head all week. i love it! what brings you closer to love? always hits me when we do something out of love, care, & genuine concern we do something for god.

Giveaway Fun with Julie

100th Post Giveway on This is Me Then

this week julie is having a ton of fun stuff going on all week on her blog in celebration of her 100th blog post. so drop on over by her blog and say hi!

Happy Homemaker Monday

thanks sandra at diary of a stay at home mom for hosting :)

The weather in my neck of the woods: hot & humid- no shocker there, tx in the summer.

One of my simple pleasures: morning phone call from friends checking in

On my bedside table: omg! got "the host" by stephenie meyer as a bday gift from dad & linda (thank you!). good so far...really different.

On my TV: it's summer-- disney channel!

On the menu for tonight: we have so many wonderful left overs from my dad and linda visiting and cooking.

On my To Do List: get trav's suitcase and things ready for his big boy vacation to granparents' houses for 2 weeks! i am going to really miss him, but he's so super excited!

New Recipe I tried last week: well, i tried my hand at some sushi rolls! our fave "shaggy dog" and it was gooood!

In the craft basket: working on nothing right now.

Looking forward to: seeing results from all the hours at the gym the last few weeks.

Homemaking Tip for this week: with meals- do as much prep work as you can while the kids aren't under your feet. mine seem to always need me when i am busy making dinner, lol.

Favorite Blog Post of the week (mine or other): my goodness! i found this blog and have been looking over it. this guy cracks me up. twilight guy and his commentary on the books!

Favorite photo from last week:

Lesson learned the past few days: each of my children are so precious and unique to me! when one isn't here, life isn't the same. --that hits me so hard just from the anticipation of trav leaving :(

amazing how kids raised the same way, same parents can be such individuals. what an amazing god we have to create us!

On my Prayer List: of course for trav & my parents & family- hope they all have a wonderful visit. for family & friends and their unknown struggles.

Father's Day

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Love you Tim

xoxo

Slow it Down Thursdays & A Comfort Food Dinner Recipe

i love quick comfort food! so, here's an easy one for ya:

Chicken & Stuffing Bake

what you'll need:

boiled chicken cut up into bite size pieces

can of cream of chicken

handful of cheese

boxed stuffing mix prepared

and random veggies to sneak in ;) i won't tell!

mix everything together in a big bowl and season with salt, pepper, sage or poultry seasoning, & garlic powder.

i had carrots on hand, so i shredded some in to add some color and vitamins. but no one will notice.



spray a casserole dish with some non stick spray and pour everything in

bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. i'm serving my meal tonight with mashed potatoes & green beans. enjoy!

Spotlight Wednesday

this week is all about adam. he had his first day of school! yes, it's the summer, but he's doing some extended summer sessions with the school district to get him ready for pre k. he was so excited to go yesterday and i was so nervous-all for nothing though. he's just my baby and we've been like 2 peas in a pod since he was born. so here's the spotlight on adam today.

saying "cheeese"

it was super humid outside monday! thanks cayley for snapping a quick pic of mommy & adam!

adam getting off the bus to come home- he didn't really want to get off, lol!

here was the best birthday gift ever!!! adam singing "happy birthday" to me. this gives me so much encouragement that he will be talking so that all may understand him soon. i know he just needs a little extra help right now-thankful for all the ladies in special services who have tested and visited with him the last few months. i am so grateful for their patience with my strong willed little guy.

Happy Homemaker Monday

thanks sandra at diary of a stay at home mom for hosting :)

The weather in my neck of the woods: it is already hot & sunny outside!

One of my simple pleasures: dinner prayers with the family

On my bedside table: "new moon" all over again :) and i finally finished nineteen minutes! wow- it was very different than i thought

On my TV: watched "valkyrie" this weekend. good movie!

On the menu for tonight:probably arroz con pollo (chicken & rice)

On my To Do List: i slacked on getting laundry put away last week- need to play catch up.

New Recipe I tried last week: well, i lightened up my favorite meal- mom's baked ziti. instead of italian sausage, i used well seasoned ground turkey and added a little pepperoni. really good!

In the craft basket: my online craft basket, lol! needing to work on school year scrapbooks online. only can be done at naptime- i'm lucky i get to type this stuff right now, lol!

Looking forward to: adam getting home from school-today is his first day and he ran on the bus without looking back...he was very excited. mommy is sad.

Homemaking Tip for this week: oh, the walmart brand of lavender dryer sheets smell so super good- and way cheaper :)

Favorite Blog Post of the week (mine or other): didn't get to read much this week.

Favorite photo from last week: kinda shocking that i have no new pics of the kids...but here's a good one...trav's is the super skinny guy.

Lesson learned the past few days: ya can't stop time- you can only make the most of it.- ok, that's from last week and it really applies today. adam is officially a bigger boy than i give him credit for. i couldn't sleep last night knowing that everything would be different today.

On my Prayer List: a father's day blessing to all the dads, grandpas, uncles, & godfathers. hope you enjoy your day this sunday!

Age is Just a Number, Right?

ok, so what happens when you hit an age milestone? i'm turing 30 on saturday and in someways, i don't think it makes a difference- just one more year older. then in other ways, it seems huge. tim and i did start our family in our early 20's, so it seems like i haven't been my actual age for quite sometime. with each new child, came new responsibilities, new roles to play, more people to need me. turning 30 this year is just the beginning of some big changes around here. cayley will be in 3rd grade, travis starts 1st grade and our youngest, adam, starts 1/2 day pre-k. huge changes! still a very busy stay at home mom, just busy & needed in different ways.

there are so many things that i love about my life! blessed with a huge, wonderful family & circle of friends. i know i blog a ton about my sweet kids, but then i know they won't always be here for me to clean up after & remind them to say nice things to each other. i know things don't last...how can they? but i'll always have this blog to remind me of the crazy life i had as a stay at home mom of 3 in the last few years of my 20's. just can't fight that feeling like the big changes are headed like storm clouds on the horizon. not that the changes ahead are looming dreary ones, but ya know what i mean.

feeling like i need to make a list...like "in my next 30 years"

*get healthy. stop checking the scale for validation. this has been a great week at the fitness center here!

*do more art/photography just for me. who knows? the few hours i have without the kids each day during the school year might lead to some new ventures...

*spend more time dating my hubby. though our time away from our kids is rare-it's getting easier to know that they are all slightly more self-sufficient.

*keep creating dinners at home that keep us wanting to eat here more than out. this is so good for us- gets us chatting about our days, saying our blessings, and just being together.

so dear friends-here's to me turning 30. loving what i have, sharing what i can, living life in my own little corner of the world.

Got a Little Excited...

and had to share! twilight guide.com gave me & cayley a little shout out for the super cool cake we had on cayley's bday!
i do get some fun twilight facts & graphics from there-so you should stop in and check them out for the latest in "new moon" info.

Happy Homemaker Monday

thanks sandra at diary of a stay at home mom for hosting :)

The weather in my neck of the woods: it's a beautiful sunny morning here! lower humidity for the moment :)

One of my simple pleasures: waking up to my 3 kids in my big bed on the first day of summer vacation.

On my bedside table: "new moon" all over again :)

On my TV: cartoons of all kinds- it's the first summer morning.

On the menu for tonight:blackened chicken & sausage with red beans & rice.

On my To Do List: make our summer fun list, some frozen snacks, straighten up a bit.

New Recipe I tried last week: think i stuck to good old stand-bys last week. it was a crazy one!

In the craft basket: my online craft basket, lol! needing to work on school year scrapbooks online. only can be done at naptime- i'm lucky i get to type this stuff right now, lol!

Looking forward to: adam starting summer school next monday-so nervous though!!! he needs the speech help and i think he'll have a great time. oh! tim & i joined the fintess center here in our subdivsion! i'm looking forward to starting off my 30th year by getting healthy!

Homemaking Tip for this week: keep a frozen meal, like chicken pot pie casserole or something. ya never know when your week will be ultra hectic and i hate eating dinners at 7:30.

Favorite Blog Post of the week (mine or other): my spotlight wednesday this past week was my fave! the kids and i are really excited to begin the planning of our bake sale!

Favorite photo from last week: my big kids on the last day of school

Lesson learned the past few days: ya can't stop time- you can only make the most of it.

On my Prayer List: family, friends traveling for summer vacations, prayer of thanks for all those who made this past school year so great! lord, help me be a fun mom this summer. knowing that this only last so long. prayers for keeping things in perspective.

Slow It Down Thursday

"there's a little bit of something me, in everything in you..."

i love this song! the music is so great with the horns & guitars. rob's voice is haunting and what lyrics. i love how he wrote this for his wife. i need a dose of some 90's music every so often. matchbox 20 alsways puts me right back there.

Spotlight Wednesday

cayley's heart is so big! monday night we were watching food network-yep, it's the cleanest, safest tv for my kids to watch-and sandra lee's commercial came on talking about food network's campaign with "share our strength & great american bake sale". cayley and i looked at each other, repeated the website, and knew that this is a cause we could help with. she knows how blessed we are and how other families do struggle with hunger issues.

with all the baking i have been doing, i knew this would be a great way to introduce the kids to a charitable organinzation and the blessings that come along with service. cayley is so excited and she'll be an excellent partner in organizing this. my girl loves to plan :)

she's extremely caring about other people's feelings and carries the joy of jesus' love in her heart always. in the car, we'll be listening to christian music on ksbj, and she is filled with questions and comments on the lyrics. pretty grown up stuff! good golly- i love this little girl- who's all done with 2nd grade this week!!!

now, once all this end of school hoopla is over and we get settled next week, cyaley and i will start planning our great american bake sale. keep us in prayer and we'll get back with details soon. i want my kids to know that they can make a difference in someone's life...even if it's one cupcake at a time.

http://join.strength.org/goto/crosbykidsbake

Happy Homemaker Monday

thanks sandra at diary of a sahm for hosting this each week. go there to read her & other of her blog readers monday posts :)

On my bedside table: about to re read "new moon" can't get enough

On my TV: extended basic cable- we didn't even have disney, or mtv- got it just in time for the movie awards last night- caught the new moon trailer!!!

On the menu for tonight: king ranch chicken-haven't had this in sooo long!

On my To Do List: get ready for my sister & niece to visit this week, kitchen, and more cake balls.

New Recipe I tried last week: well, getting creative for my kids-

red & white cougar mini cake balls!

Looking forward to: going to cayley's end of the year class party on wednesday, trav's graduation on thursday!

Homemaking Tip for this week: don't think i have anything- oh! but just keep doing the special little things with & for your kids. mine remember everything!

cayley and i had julie and taylor over friday night for a twilight movie night! we had some yummy snacks and some good girl chat! so nice to share little moments with my sweet girl! she was so excited about the cupcakes too.

Favorite Photo of the week:

Favorite Blog Post of the week: sandra & her kids made this summer "to do list"! really cute & fun. we will be doing htis friday afternoon when school gets out and posting it where we can all see it.

Lesson learned the past few days: "If you want children to keep their feet on the ground, put some responsibility on their shoulders." - Abigail Van Buren-

this summer we will have chores & tasks to earn something they have wanted, a lunch trip, extra privilages. this will be a new concept to them! but they are way old enough to pitch in at home. mommy can't pick up for 3 kids all day, all summer.

On my Prayer List: my mom- as she gets a well deserved mini vacation, my sister- safe travels as she comes to visit and help w/ adam while i run around town for kids parties.

Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses: Phil 4:13: I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

this keeps me going when the day gets tough. it's just so real and applicable to us everyday! wow! what a relief that it's not by my own strength, or doing, but by His.

The Official New Moon Trailer!!!!

ah! if you are anything like me-you have been needing a good dose of anything new moon, twilight, edward cullen-so, here ya go. enjoy!

this is gonna be soooo good! november cannot come soon enough :)