I know this is old news but I just love it!

Mike would absolutely KILL me but, I just love this cut!!!!! I may just get a wild hair and do it!

And I thought that I had it bad......

Please please please read this over at The Nester{be sure to click where their story began}. It makes me count my blessings in a deeper way. I have really tried to be conscience about my many blessings.....(name then one by one...a few words from a favorite hymn) since this fiasco....or what I thought was a fiasco of my life began.....feb 28th. But (never start a sentence with but...I know) I would take my situation right now in life any day over the one that you should really read that is linked above! I am soooooo blessed. Everyday I am blessed to have 4 healthy children and a wonderful husband and my faith. I am so blessed. Just wanted to share, maybe you should/could read this?

What's a Mom to do?

Today Camryn said to me that she wants to be homeschooled again!!!!! I am a huge supporter of homeschoolers!!!! I loved homeschooling {most days} but it just didn't work out for us at that time. She needs the social interaction badly! I wish I had had access to more social activities or h/s groups at the time. She doesn't have a sister to play with and with us moving to a new state she will really be cut off socially unless we are blessed to have lots (I'd be happy with 2-3) girls to play with. So, for now we are still on track for public school. We are really happy with the schools so far in the area we are looking at and I think we should give it a try b4 we change things......oh and Dad needs to be at work so he can stand us all being around if we h/s again! LOL {That was the big reason for us to put them back into p/s.} That was a hard time for me. Who knows what is in the future as far as this subject goes.....I miss it though. I am trying to find ways at home to supplement and give them a bit more of an edge. In fact my friend (who is a homeschooler) and I were just talking about this very subject yesterday. She is soooo good at it and her daughter is as smart as a whip! I sometimes think that my kids could be moving further ahead with the one on one ed that they get from h/s. Thanks for letting me get that off my chest!

Family Dinner

So, this past week at our Sisters Weekend we talked about everything from tummy tucks to designer bags. In between those subjects, eating dinner as a family got brought up by one of my sis-in-laws. She said that my brother really preferrd everyone eating at the same time! "Another Sheets (that is my maiden name) rule!" I spoke up and said that my family eats dinner together every single night! I was proud that it was something that we almost never let slide. It is almost as important as going to church and as neccessary to me as breathing. The reason I bring this up is not because I think she is wrong....more like I think families miss out on valuable "table talk" and because today is one of those days that I actually let my self watch Oprah. ( I gave her up a while ago.....sometimes though she has some really great topics that are worthwile.) Today was all about living on less and living simply. I am glad that I already have developed a simple tradition of family togetherness. I love dinner time even though it is the "witching hour" here at that time, it is still sooooo worth it! If you need some simple famil togetherness time try it out this summer.....I know you will love it and so will your kids!

Girls Weekend {Sisters and Sis-in-laws}

Girls weekend started {for Cathy and me on Wednesday} here is her loot.....don't even want to know how much is here!!!! This was her "play" money. That girl hits the jack pot every time......like she is the "slot machine whisperer!" No, her luck didn't run off on me:(

So my sis in law Cathy and I decided that we needed to have a girls weekend! It turned out to be the best idea! No kids, no husbands (we did miss them) and no responsibilities! We had some wonderful things planned and everything went off with out a hitch! We had so much fun bonding and acting like we were kids again and laughing till it hurt and we couldn't breathe. That is the best!!!! {Some of us even lost our drinks through our noses!!!} You know who you are!!! :)

~~~

This was our Friday morning scrap booking session. We went to bed the night b4 around 3 a.m. and it became a trend for each night! I think I got more sleep as a new mom!

In the pic below are just a few of the girls...the rest were to arrive in a few hours.

{Connie, Cathy, Dana, Dallas and LaDawn}

Jennie and Connie in the pool...I think it was like 113 degrees

Dinner out at the Sonoma Cellar in Henderson. The Chef came out to talk with us and take some pics. The man has a gift! The food was beyond amazing!

We had a private room with beautiful wrought iron arched doors and a huge chandelier

My brother's wife {the one who set Mike and me up on a blind date} Connie and me

My sis Dallas and me....she is soooooooo tan! She colored her hair that day and we played make-over with her. So fun and she looked so HOT!

Mom and me

Um, yeah we played some pranks on each other!

You never want to be the first one asleep!!!!

Brunch on Saturday was Delicious! Dallas made this salad

Jennie made Lobster and Crab omlets from the major left over of Surf and Turf that was ordered the night b4! Sooooo amazingly good!

Saturday was our big surprise! Cathy and I arranged a massage therapist and an esthetician to come and spend the day pampering all the girls! Some have never taken time out for themselves to get a massage and a facial! It was a HUGE HIT!!

Dana getting a facial

Barbara and her gifted hands with Mom! She was wonderful. If you are ever in the Vegas area and need a massage she is the one to call!

All of us on the waterfall wall above the pool. We arranged these gorgeous patten type bags filled with Sisters weekend t-shirts {that we are all wearing here in this pic} and also Twisty Turbies, gourmet chocolate bars and the best lotion and scrap booking kits!

Do you know how hard it is to get 9 girls to all look the same direction and not blink their eyes????

Girls weekend with my Sistas!!!

I know it's only Monday, but I get to leave for girls weekend on Wednesday a.m.! I am so excited to have quality time with some of my favorite girls! They are my sisters!!!! My brother's wives, Mom and the 4 girls all get to spend 4 days together lounging by the pool, scrapbooking, shopping and much much more.....some things are going to be a surprise and I'll let you know all about it when I get back! I hope you all have a wonderful week!!!!!

So tomorrow I am going to make some of my family's favorite meals (Calzones, Pizza and spaghetti sauce...I think Dad can handle cooking the pasta...and turkey taco's so they can eat good while Momma is gone!

I hope that no major mis-haps occur and that my little sneaky boy doesn't get into too much mischeif while I'm away...

Church was great today!

How Firm a Foundation...was one of the hymn's we sang today at church. Although I have sung this many times over my life time, today it had totally different meaning....it wasn't just another hymn! It was beautiful! Read on.....have a wonderful rest of your Sunday!

1. How firm a foundation, ye Saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in his excellent word!
What more can he say than to you he hath said,
Who unto the Savior, who unto the Savior,
Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled?

2. In ev’ry condition—in sickness, in health,
In poverty’s vale or abounding in wealth,
At home or abroad, on the land or the sea—
As thy days may demand, as thy days may demand,
As thy days may demand, so thy succor shall be.

{I was feeling pretty good up to this part.....and then

we started singing the 3rd verse and the tears started

flowing!} Not because I am sad but because the spirit

confirmed what I already know is that I am NOT alone.

I am so blessed to know this!!!!

3. Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed,

For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, upheld by my righteous,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

I can't believe she asked for it!

Well, we are moving to Texas! (Big hair!)

So the other day Cami and I were on an evening stroll through the "hood" and she told me amongst many other mother daughter secrets that she needed a BUMPITS! Oh and she would like a medium one and then proceeded to tell me that I needed one too! I think they would be fun! I guess someone is marketing to Mothers and older teens or something during Hannah Montana!

Do you have a favorite poem?

I think tomorrow I will implement some memorization with the kids. I am thinking some kind of classic poem or maybe even one of our favorite Psalms. My friend Lara is having an "un-plugged" summer with her kids....well for most of the day anyway. We are spending entirely too much time in front of the t.v. I know it is hot and I wouldn't want to be out there running around, so instead of what we have been doing we will have some productivity during our week then they can play in the cool of the evening.

Any favorite poems out there???????? Maybe I'll post a video of the kids reciting one that gets suggested!

How was your 4th????

We here on Carolyn Drive love us a 4th of July block party! It's a tradition we started a few years back (as our neighborhood is 7 years young) and we all love it! Not too big but definitely fun and spent with our favorite neighbors! I do have pics and I will post them as soon as I can find the cord thingy that plugs into the computer......Mike has his hidden spots for these kinds of techy things to keep them safe from the boy(Blake) and me I think!

We started the day off with our church's annual Ana Verde Ward Pancake Breakfast! We always have so much fun. The kids did 3 legged races, the men did pie eating contests blind folded while being fed the pie from some one across the table..(so funny to watch), a cake walk for the kiddies and finally the all time ever popular egg toss!

The evening wrapped up with lots of friends(from church and our neighbors) all gathered around watching our Pyro-technician AKA Mike down the street giving us all a wonderful fireworks show! This was our last 4th here in CA on Carolyn Drive and we will surely miss our wonderful neighbors!

Pics to come tomorrow!

Wanna see the cutest cake ever????

This is NieNie's birthday cake! Isn't it delightful? Doesn't it just make you want to dash back into the 50's and break out your party dishes and while we're at it let's get June and Lucy to come eat some too!

Want a great recipe?

I don't know why I made this last night for dinner (especially in the Summer time) yes I do. it's because I had everything on hand to make it (except the red wine...it was really good w/o it) and I could be lazy!!! No last minute trips to the store b4 dinner for this girl! (LOL) Put it in your recipe file or box or whatever you keep that stuff in......trust me on this one!