My New Endeavor

I was very excited to get a FedEx delivery today. Not that I'm not always excited to get something, or frankly to just see somebody during the day that's over 3, but today I was especially happy. I have been looking to find a way to help out our family financially, but working outside the home with 5 kids is just not very cost effective. So, I had the idea of becoming a Tastefully Simple Consultant. I prayed about this for quite a while and really thought at first it was a crazy idea. However, it just never seemed to go away. I feel like right now that this is what God would like for me to do. So I'm going to give it my best shot. I received all the goodies needed to be the best Consultant I can be today!!

In case you're not familiar with Tastefully Simple, it's a food company that is pretty much just as it sounds. Everything tastes delicious and can be made with no more than about 2 added ingredients. Thus the "Tastefully Simple" name! They have a large assortment of products and the best part is that the party you hold in your home is a taste-testing party. I don't know about a lot of people, but my two favorite things are hanging out with friends and eating, so this is the best of both worlds.

Now is the part where my fabulous friends and family come into play. I need your help in jump starting this new endeavor. If you would like to help me, while having fun, sampling yummy treats, and earning free products, PLEASE contact me. I would absolutely love to do a party for you. Plus, when I'm super successful, you get to say you helped launch my new career!!

Partying Elmo Style

Last Saturday Preston had his 2nd birthday party. He is going through a big Elmo phase right now. As much as I would have rather had another theme for the party, it was pretty much dictated by Preston. I'm not exactly sure what draws kids to Elmo. Is it the weird voice or the fact that the name "Elmo" is so easy for a toddler to say? (Preston says it like "Melmo")

As we add more children, I find myself trying to find ways to make life easier on myself. Birthdays are no exception. We held the party at the church so that I didn't have to stress myself out making my house spotless. Then, when picking the cake, I decided to do cupcakes, so that I didn't even have to cut a cake. I was very pleased with how they turned out. Here's a picture.


Preston got a lot of great presents. He received clothes and toys. Here are a couple toys he received. Can you see a theme?!


We also had an Elmo pinata. I am no including a picture of it. Frankly after the kids were done with it, it was a little disturbing to see what was left. I don't think anybody wants that image in their mind. So instead here's a picture of Preston enjoying a well fought-for prize from the inside!

I still can't believe he's two already. While this is a little sad, it does mean I'm getting closer to getting back to only 1 child in diapers!!

A Night at the Game

We are always trying to come up with new and exciting ways to spend an evening with the boys on the weekends. It's best to stay busy, because otherwise when we're all stuck inside together, it can get ugly. So, we decided to take the boys to a football game at our old Alma Mater, Washburn Rural, which will be theirs as well. I must say that it was not exactly the most inexpensive way to spend an evening (especially when your husband spends $5 on a "rally rag," which is essentially a glorified washcloth!). However, we did have a great time. There we met our friends, Don and Anissa, along with their three kids, Madison, Lily, and Taegan. The kids had a blast together, and even cheered on the home team.

The Boys

Maddox

Preston

Caden

Maddox and Brennen
Mommy and Ella

Brennen, Lily, and Preston

Madison
Anissa and Taegan

Washburn Rural ended up beating Shawnee Heights 35-16. We had to learn this from the news. You see our crew hit meltdown mode shortly after halftime. That's when the boys started to turn on one another and many a fit began to be thrown. So, we headed home!

My Little Man Turns 2!!

My littlest man turned 2 today. How can this be?? It seems like just yesterday he was born. I remember it like it was Ella's birth, but yet it's now been 2 years! After dropping Brennen off at preschool today, Preston, Ella, and I went to finish up shopping for the supplies for his birthday party on Saturday. As he pointed at objects and said their names, it really hit me just how much he's grown. It's hard to believe the little guy started out like this:

















Grew to this by 1 year:



















And is now:















He's now such a character. Yes, that is a nice way describe him. He gets into absolutely everything and can be very infuriating that way. However, the next minute, he'll flash those beautiful baby blues at me, and I melt like jello! I feel so lucky that I was chosen to be his mother! (I am writing this while he's asleep. I may need to be reminded tomorrow when he's emptied a drawer or eaten another Cascade Action Pack!)

Brennen's First Day of Preschool

Yesterday marked Brennen's first day of preschool. He goes on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Once Caden and Maddox started school, that began the onslaught of questions as to when he got to go. He loved his first day. When I picked him up, I tried asking him if he had a good day. He said, "Yes, but guess what we had for snack." Leave it to Brennen to think about snack first! (In case you are wondering, it was graham crackers!)