Simple City Life

{Sponsor Spotlight- Sprig Toys}

2012-01-23T22:12:00.000-06:00

I love Sprig Toys. Like really really love them. After working with Sprig Toys last spring in the SHAREaway event, I learned that they are truly a solid company that is driven by bringing smiles to children's faces. When we first started the SHAREaway they jumped right on board offering up a toy to be donated to a good home. With is just a few short days I was contacted to add another toy! This blew me away. So not only is this company known for amazing toys their heart for others is unbelievable. I was so excited when they were willing to join in the Green Resolutions Giveaway. For this event, I was sent a toy to review, the Eco Blocks.

So, Eco Blocks are awesome. We ~~have~~ had a set of another brand of toddler blocks, a popular brand that is often found in every house on the block. They were given to use and they worked, kinda. The big kids had a easy time but the toddler, not so much. He would get frustrated with them and because of that had little interest in this other well known brand. Enter into our house...safe non toxic, never painted Sprigwood Eco Blocks.

That normally frustrated toddler got busy building right away.He built towers and towers. He was able to easily grasp the pieces and lock them together. At the same time big brother was fully immersed in the block on his side of the table and created a pretty cool 'eco castle'.

At this point, I am also fully immersed in these blocks. I love the colors- red, orange, yellow, purple, green and blue. These colors are a awesome, a sorta vintage/muted tone. Then there is the Sprigwood- It is just fascinating to look at. Seeing the specks of wood bonded together with the recycled plastics. Really, next time you are a store, look for some Sprig Toys, pick them up and be amazed. Do not place said toy back down- make sure you purchase it and take it home for hours of play!

Head on over to the Green Resolution Giveaway Hop going on right now and enter to win you own get of Eco Blocks along with a bunch of other amazing items!

Disclaimer: I received the above product in order to conduct an honest review. All opinions are 100% my own, I was not paid or influenced to give a positive review.

{Sponsor Spotlight- Reusit.com}

2012-01-20T18:46:00.005-06:00

Reuseit.com is quickly becoming my new favorite resource for all things eco friendly. Reuseit.com is your one stop shop for all things reusable. One things that I have been working at very earnestly is reducing the amount of waste in my childs school lunches. I try to not purchase individual items such as yogurts. I purchase in bulk containers and have started using reusable containers to transport these items. I no longer use plastic baggies either. Chip and crackers are also placed n reusable lunch bags- which are not only way cuter than plastic, they are much better for the environment. :) Here is a startling reality:

The average school-age child packing disposable lunches generates 67 pounds of waste per school year [EPA]. That's about 18,760 pounds of lunch waste per elementary school!

The kind folks at Reuseit.com sent me a set of three Kid Conserve nesting containers. These stainless containers are the perfect fit for lunch boxes. They are also simple to open, which is very important to kids. I am finding that several small portions of healthy foods is a great way to get children to eat healthy lunches. When packing up there containers, I tend to use the smallest container for dips and the larger two for simple finger foods or even fun shaped sandwiches.Kid Conserve containers are made from high quality food grade type stainless steel and the lids are made from Lids are made from recyclable type 4 Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE).

Pretty much anything that can be reused, is sold at reuseit.com. Grocery bags, feminine products, produce bags, water bottles and so much more! I love the Replace Disposables tab. If you are wanting to replace any waste, head over to this area and find what you are looking to replace, such a wrapping paper. You will find a list of fabulous suggestions, such as a reusable grocery bag! Genius.

I hope you take the time to head over to their site and see how you can reduce your waste.
You can also head over to my Green Resolution Giveaway
and
win a 25$ gift certificate to Reuseit.com!

one of those mornings.

2012-01-20T09:56:00.000-06:00

I am having a bad morning. Which doesn't seem right after having a bad day yesterday.

In all fairness, bad days should be equally spaced apart. That way the bad days are balanced out. Makes sense to me.

The almost 2 year old is working overtime on this mama. He is in full force toddler mischievousness. I mean he is seriously naughty. Being the youngest, he has two older siblings laughing and encouraging his naughty ways. See, this child is a thief. It is amazing to me the things he can find to steal. Most of these items are from the pantry. He is ALWAYS in the pantry. Immediately after a meal, he heads into the pantry to steal a box of something. These days it is cereal, crackers or granola bars. Like a sneaky little devil, he will grab the box and run through the kitchen as fast as his chubby legs can take him, then as soon as someone is close to him, with all his toddler gusto, he launches the said item. You can guess what happens next. Cereal, Granola or cracker explosion. ALL.OVER. Yesterday there were two causalities. A box of vanilla almond granola and a box of Nut Thins. Mind you these are new expensive foods for big brothers gluten free diet. I would like to tear my hair out.

In general this child loves to throw all things. Dishes, constantly off the table. The other day a glass cup. Toys, all over the place. No where is safe from this little man. The problem is as hard as I try to teach him not to throw things, big brother and big sister laugh their guts out at him. As soon as they see him pull his little arm up, they start running and laughing, so it has become a big game. To add to the continual cleaning of food all over the house, Owen had caught a never ending stomach virus. For one week now, I have been catching vomit and cleaning up diarrhea. This is making for a very messy house in other ways. Tending to emergency vomit has taken place over laundry. Vacuuming crumbs has taken the place of dinner preparations. I am getting worn down.

I feel like a failure, even though these are situations out of my control. I hate having a messy house. But as I take the time to ignore this messy house and type my emotions out, I feel worse about myself. Maybe it is the weather. I have a super fun Mom's Night planned tonight, but with the impending winter storm I am not sure it will be happening. I am trying to stay positive, really.

Anyone else in the toddler nightmare stage? Please tell me I am not alone!

Dear Naughty Baby,

Please Stop.

Love,

Mom

Green Resolution Giveaway!

2012-01-16T00:30:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the Green Resolutions Giveaway Hop, hosted by Happy Mothering, Mama Chocolate and Purposeful Homemaking!
I am excited to be a part of this great group of bloggers. There are so many amazing green giveaways! I am very excited to be offering two prize packages.

Prize Pack #1
Green With Envy:
25$ gift certificate to Reuseit.com
(review/spotlight coming soon!)
6 Pack of organic, rare or heirloom seed plus a copy of
an illustrated guide to growing food on your balcony from Cubit's Organic's.
and
a pack of Fuzzi Bunz Comfort Pads
(open to US and CAN)

Prize Pack #2
Play Green:
25$ gift certificate to www.ecobabybuys.com
and
a set of Sprig Toys Eco Blocks

(review/spotlight coming soon!)
(us only)

In addition to my green giveaway, there are an additional 40 blogs featuring eco-friendly prize packages. After you're done entering my giveaway, please visit the other blogs, which you'll find listed below the Rafflecopter form. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

January 2012 Buzz Blast!

2012-01-16T00:01:00.000-06:00

Welcome to Buzz Blast January!

Buzz Blast is hosted by ShePromotes and the goal is to bring you a great little prize while building a little buzz! If you love to enter giveaways and discover new blogs, Buzz Blast is a great opportunity for you!Buzz Blast January runs from Monday, January 16th through Sunday, January 22nd. This month you will have the opportunity to check out some great Facebook pages! You will also have 3 chances to win $10 cash (paid via Paypal) or a $10 Amazon gift card because we have 3 Buzz Blast giveaways going on now! What could be better than the chance to win a prize? The chance to win 3 prizes!

How to enter

It's easy to enter the Buzz Blast giveaways!

Enter the Buzz Blast Giveaway here by using the Rafflecopter form below.
At the end of the Rafflecopter form, you will find links to the other two Buzz Blast giveaways.
Enter each of those and you also earn extra entries in this giveaway!

There are 3 Buzz Blast giveaways and entrants are eligible to win more than one prize. (Yes, you could get lucky and win $30!) Sponsoring blogs are not eligible to win.All blogs are using the same Rafflecopter forms. For example, if you enter Buzz Blast #2 here, you do not need to enter Buzz Blast #2 on another blog. You can enter Buzz Blast #1 and Buzz Blast #3 on other participating blogs! Duplicate entries will be deleted.

Check out some new blogs and build some buzz this month with Buzz Blast! Oh, and best of all, win some money! What are you waiting for! Enter now for your chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

{Sponsor Spotlight- Fuzzi Bunz Comfort Pads}

2012-01-14T23:30:00.000-06:00

For most of you FuzziBunz is a name you equate with Cloth Diapering. I know I do. I love their diapers, we own several of them and have nothing but great things to say about them. But today we are not going to talk about cloth diapers, we are going to talk about Mama Cloth. If you choose do use cloth for your sweet babies, why not use the very best for yourself too. For the past several years we have been on a journey in our house. A journey to living a life that is less toxic and more environmentally friendly. A lot of those changes came about from our use of cloth diapers. Getting over the fears and realizing that going green isn't hard at all- it is really very simple. Cutting back on the waste is a very easy place to start. Yes, we recycle, but I am talking about reducing the waste all together.

FuzziBunz has created a way to help you reduce your waste very simply for that once a month visitor. By switching to FuzziBunz Comfort Pads you can not only reduce waste, but reduce the amount of toxins your body is being exposed to. FuzziBunz Comfort Pads are a reusable menstrual pads that are easily washed and extremely comfortable, thus the name. Lined with the super soft fleece they are know for and backed with a thin layer of PUL, the pads are no thinker than disposable pads. FuzziBunz Comfort Pads come in three sized for light, regular of heavy days. Each pad comes with a snap closure to ensure that everything stays in place. Having something so soft and comfortable next to your skin during that time of the month is way better than the alternative disposable ones. And don't worry, these pads will wash up well too.

I am adding Comfort Pads to my green resolutions this year, will you join me? Fuzzi Bunz is graciously offering a pack of Comfort Pads to one lucky Green Resolution Winner! Come back Monday morning for your chance to win a sample pack from Fuzzi Bunz.

{sponsor spotlight- Cubit's Organic Living}

2012-01-13T21:29:00.004-06:00

I am so very excited to introduce you to our next lovely sponsor. Perhaps you have heard about Cubit's Organic's before? I stumbled upon them through a friends blog and fell in love right away. We love to garden as a family. Now, we may not be very good gardeners- but we are gardeners no less. Urban Gardeners that is. ;)

Cubit's Organic's is a Toronto Based company specializing in organic, rare and heirloom seeds. Laura, the Owner of Cubits Organics, is a work at home mom to a sweet toddler and is joined by her husband Ryan. Cubit's is committed to environmentally friendly practices. They use recycled materials and non toxic glues on all their packages.

Laura will be offering a lovely package for our Green Resolutions Giveaway Event.

She has offered up for giveaway a copy of an illustrated guide to growing food on your balcony

along with six packs of seeds. This is a great package that will help you get on your way to healthy, yummy organic vegetables. There is nothing more satisfying that sitting down to eat the very food you have grown.

Check back Monday morning for this great giveaway!

{Sponsor Spotlight- www.EcoBabyBuys.com}

2012-01-13T13:54:00.000-06:00

Daily deal sites are a dime a dozen these days. My inbox is flooded with daily deals. I use my delete button on the majority of them! However, there is one daily email that I look forward to everyday. I look forward to this daily deal email, because I know that there will be something that I can stand behind. I often find products that are made from recycled materials, item that are reusable and sustainable. We are always striving to live our lives with a Eco-conscious mind.

Eco Baby Buys was created by urban mothers who desired to find non-toxic, eco-friendly and fairly traded products. When you are trying to purchase with those things in mind, it takes a lot of time and energy. What www.ecobabybuys.com has done, is taken the research off your shoulders! Everyday you are introduced to products that fit into their standards. Standards such as:

The use of non-toxic materials and dyes {i.e. BPA-free};

The use of organic and/or recycled textiles and materials {i.e. organic cotton};

The use of eco-friendly packaging {i.e. post-consumer};

And a commitment and adherence to the standards of fair-trade.

From cloth diapers to eco-friendly lunch containers, organic clothing to reusable mama cloth pads, you will find amazing deal after amazing deal on www.ecobabybuys.com! I have discovered so many amazing brands through this site as well, allowing me to continue to support companies with such standards for a lifetime. Don't forget to sign up for your daily email on their homepage. You can also stay up to date on product information on their Facebook and Twitter pages as well!

I am thrilled to have www.ecobabybuys.com as a sponsor for the Green Resolutions Giveaway Hop! Come back on the 16th for a great giveaway from www.ecobabybuys.com!

{wordless wednesday- my new baby}

2012-01-11T13:03:00.002-06:00

Introducing my new, amazing dream machine.

My mom surprised me with this for Christmas.

I was seriously in such shock.

I cried.

And take a look at these amazing fabrics I picked up from Drawstring Studio. :)

Happy Sewing to me!

oh, yes, we did celebrate Christmas!

2012-01-10T22:23:00.000-06:00

After scrolling through Lightroom, I realized all these lovely pictures were just sitting in there, alone, untouched. I promise, that we did truly have a great Christmas and now I have the proof. Being that we stayed put for the grand event, meant waking up in our own house and doing things when we were ready. We have decided to always keep the kids at home to wake up in their own beds on Christmas morning. I feel that this is the best decisions we have made. Don't get me wrong, I do love spending Christmas with family- but I just love walking out and sitting in front of our special tree that we picked out. Slowly going through our stockings until each and every sleepy head has woken up. Dividing up the present and opening them up one by one. Seeing the expressions on their faces and watching them settle the new toys into the house. It is so peaceful and so warm.

I love gathering at the table in our PJ's and eating a yummy Breakfast. I especially enjoyed setting up a scavenger hunt for the great family present! The entire day was just sweet and simple, just the way I like it. It stinks being so far from both families, but this does seem to be the best way to handle things- no travels, just family. Now, that being said- we are 100% open to family coming to us. To us it is important to be in our house for this holiday.

sleepy Owen

wide awake and happy with new Lego's from Grandma and Grandpa Fisk

working our way through the presents

Lincoln Logs!

fire truck!

This right here was the best moment all morning...realizing that her dream of owning Felicity came true!

close to tears. such a sweet girl!

and now the great hunt begins...six envelopes, six clues to where the gift would be...

Right to the neighbors house...and what did they find?

Got ya!

No, not a dog. Elliott just happened to be doggie sitting this sweet pup across the street.

They found our brand spanking new...

Wii

I know it is like so 2009...but hey, that how we roll!

So, there you have it a lovely Christmas morning at home in good old Milwaukee, WI.

New Year, New Reads {Giveaway!}

2012-01-09T06:49:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the New Year, New Reads Giveaway Hop!

Click here to enter the Grand Prize Giveaway!

When you enter, be sure to say that Simple City Life referred you!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hop along and enter to win some great prizes from the participating blogs!

Sponsor Spotlight: Say What You See by Sandra Blackkard

2012-01-08T21:39:00.000-06:00

Say What You See by Sandra Blackard is a simple easy to read guide for parenting. In these 55 short pages I was challenged and inspired in so many ways! I am insisting that my husband read it so that we can be on the same page. Say What You See is a tool that is useful for parents as well as teachers. Learning how to truly listen to the children in your life can open up the floodgates in these precious relationships. As a mom I know I find it hard to always listen to my children. So wrong, I know. When you have three kids all asking things of you all day it is pretty easy to start selectively hearing. Through this book, I have been challenged to slow down and listen to what my children are actually communicating to me. Listening not only to words, but to actions as well. Grunts of frustration, screams of anger- these are also ways our young children are communicating. I know I challenge my children to see if they are listening to me, but they are also testing me. Sadly, I fail a lot.

By saying what I see, shows my children that I am listening to them with my eyes and my ears. Acknowledging their emotions instead of falsely praising them can be the very connection to open up the communication. I know that I hate having a conversation where someone disregards everything I say. If we are continually disregarding our child's communication, we are not listening to them, therefore we are cutting the lines of communication without even realizing it.

I have been truly challenged and have taken away valuable keys in listening through this book! I highly recommend this book to all parents and teachers!

Want to Win this? Check out the great giveaway here including this book along with a few others.

Sponsor Spotlight: Fit Moms for Life

2012-01-06T22:33:00.004-06:00

My first spotlight for the New Year, New Reads Event is Fit Moms for Life by Dustin Maher. I have to say first of all I am not a reader, so the very fact that I signed up for this event and have been diligently reading already this year is pretty awesome! When I received this book, I shrugged my shoulder and though, cool another get fit book. Do this, Do that and you will be a skinny minnie. What I did not expect was to actually be in tears while reading the first chapter. Call it hormones, call it the new year, but his words of understanding what life is like as a mom was so amazing! This part right here:

"I know it is draining to be the caregiver to everyone in your life: your kids, your husband, your boss, your parents, your friends, your church and your neighbors. I hope you are beginning to realize that you have done so much and helped so many people, but that you aren't helping yourself."

I don't think I know one mom out there that hasn't felt worn down and physically drained at the end of the day. I know I do. My kids are better dressed than myself. My kids meals are made before mine, they eat, I clean up the scraps. That is all part of being a mom, what isn't is forgetting ourselves. This book has been great because it gives practical steps to help you take back your health. It isn't just another how to drop 10 lbs in two weeks trip, this is a whole body experience. Gathering your mind, body and soul in order to fully reap the benefits of a healthy life.

I have found his book to be inspiring and motivating. There are so many tools packed into this book as well. You will find recipes, food journals, goal charts, and answers to all your questions. I am very excited to have this as a tool in my 2012 goals to be more healthy, not to mention loose that baby weight once and for all! Now if I could just get Dustin to come to my house every morning and get my bum out of bed!

Join Dustins facebook page, I love being a mom. This page is filled with words of encouragement and fun things for us moms. Fit Moms for Life also has a page that will help keep you on track with friendly reminder and health tips.

Enter to win this great book along with a few others here! There will also be a grand prize from Howard Computers.com, a Kindle Fire! So get ready.

*I was not compensated in any way for my review. All opinions are my own. I was provided this book in order to conduct a full and honest review. *

9 years and counting. a very long anniversary post without pictures.

2012-01-05T21:40:00.000-06:00

9 years ago, I was 23 and just married, like I just walked down the aisle. I was much thinner then. My dress was white, strapless, and simple. Not a bead, sequin or ruffle, I guess I have always been a pretty simple girl. My necklace was my something old, a beautiful crystal necklace worn by my grandmother. My veil was hand made by myself, along with the bridesmaids necklaces. The weather was perfect. It was in the high 40's out in Boulder, CO. I had my hair done by a friend, who owned a high end salon just off Pearl St. We had the whole place to ourselves. I really don't remember feeling nervous. I was excited.

Following our ceremony and reception, we headed off to our hotel in downtown Denver. This is where the nerves started to settle in, if ya know what I mean. ;) We made it through our first night as husband and wife and headed off to our honeymoon in Vail, CO. I love telling people we honeymooned in Vail. I love the, "Oh how romantic- skiing in the mountains!" Ya, we were so broke it wasn't even funny. We did take the ski lift up to the top of the mountain, enjoyed a drink and rode it back down. There was no way lift tickets were even close to being in the picture. We walked through Vail Village, window shopped, and went on a few mountain excursions. We did scrounge up enough money for me to have a little spa trip. I had my first facial. After 5 days of newlywed bliss, we headed back to Denver to pick up the rest of our things and head to our new apartment in Los Angeles.

This is where the scratch in the record occurs. This is where things took a turn for the worse. See we only dated for 6 months, 2 of those months Scott lived in Colorado, then he moved to California. The next two months we dated long distance and then he flew back, proposed and the wedding planning chaos started. Basically we married a complete stranger. We were great at talking on the phone, we did love each other a lot, but we had never been around each other long enough to really know to day to day life. Our marriage ran like a amazing roommate situation. Now there were times when we got everything right, but to often we fell back into old habits. I didn't know of the struggles Scott was facing when it came to addictions. Scott didn't know the struggles I has going through feeling lonely and out of place in a new city. We went into maintenance mode till we found out we were pregnant. Jumped into counseling and patched things up on the surface. This pattern repeated itself over the past 8 years.

I'll be honest I prayed for a divorce. I begged in my heart that he would screw up so bad and it would free me from my vows. I even prayed that I would just be taken away from this earth. I let depression take over and learned to cope with a smile on my face. The past nine years have been challenging to say the least. When things reached an all time low at the beginning 2011, I honestly had no idea what was going to happen. I know we were surrounded by prayer, and honestly the only way to explain the events that happened this year is God and prayer. I believe that telling Scott that I wanted him to leave was the very pivotal moment that shook us both to the very core. The evening that Scott collected his things and moved out, was the same evening that for the first time he reached out for help and was embraced by men who have walked in his shoes. My last words to him as I stood on the front porch in tears were, "get well and come back home." I had no idea the feelings that would overcome me over the course of our separation. It was so overwhelming at times I just had to remind myself to breathe. The tears come back just as strongly now as I type. Looking back it is hard to believe the healing God has done. Our marriage has become new. We have built a whole new layer of honesty and authenticity. We survived when the odds were against us.

God is good.

I am so proud to be here. I am so proud of the changes I have made as well as the changes I see in my husband. We will still have challenges as all marriages do, but we are equipped so much better now. We are stronger as a couple now. We have a church family that cares for us deeply.

It is hard to believe that 6 short months ago I was researching life as a single mom, yet today I am more in love with my husband than ever. That my friends is a miracle that only God can provide.

Happy Anniversary to us.

Nine years and counting.

I can't wait for the next nine years-

life, bring it on, we are ready.

Green Resolutions, a giveaway event coming soon!

2012-01-04T10:10:00.000-06:00

I am very excited to be bring you a new event as the new year begins! I am joining with Happy Mothering, Mama Chocolate and Purposeful Homemaking. This is a giveaway event! Who doesn't love a good giveaway? Plus these giveaways are all ways to help you green up and reduce that carbon footprint! I have a great sponsor- you won't want to miss it!

If you are a blogger, consider joining in!

{Wordless Wednesday- Flower girl}

2012-01-04T09:43:00.002-06:00

Goal for the year: keep fresh flowers in the house.

Part 2 of this goal: purchase and arrange them each week with my beautiful daughter. :)

Affordable Scarves {Review and Giveaway}

2012-01-04T00:00:00.000-06:00

One of my goals of 2012, is to work on my style. I have to admit, I am not a fashionista. When it comes to my wardrobe, I am a creature of habit. Every morning, I wake up, shower and put on my boot cut jeans with a long sleeve cotton shirt. Now that winter has arrived I add a fleece. I know, way. to. go. I have been trying to add a few new pieces to my closet. Last month I purchased a pair of skinny jeans and some very awesome boots. I think being a stay at home mom, I really do not have a ton of motivation most days to get all glammed up. Which honestly all you stay at home moms who wake up are ungodly hours before your kids to get all dolled up, I think you are insane. Just my own personal opinion! ;)

The very fun and very awesome thing that I am learning is that I do not need a ton of new clothes, just a few fun pieces. I of course mentioned my boots, because I am completely in love with them. I just feel more confident in them, which is the same way I feel when I add a little flare to my outfit with a scarf. Scarfs are such a fun and simple way to bring a new life to those old jeans and cotton tops. Through Affordable Scarves, I was able to pick out the Sidney Plaid Ruffle Scarf in order to conduct my review. I decided to go a little out of the box for myself. Normally I would have gotten myself a solid colored scarf in a blue tone. I decided to try something a little different and I am so glad that I did! I simple love this scarf. The colors are gorgeous and fabric is so soft.

Being the complete Ugly Betty of fashion, I needed some help after I received my scarf. I mean I have this beautiful scarf, now what? Thanks to Scarves.net, I was able to find several simple to follow instructions for How To Tie A Scarf. So far, the Four in Hand is my favorite.

The Neck Wrap is another favorite. It is really nice and easy too. I will be returning to Affordable Scarves in the future. They have such a large selection along with super fast service. For a easy fashion statement all year round, check out Affordable Scarves!

**Win It**
Affordable Scarves is offering up one lucky reader a 20$ gift certificate! Simply fill out the Rafflecopter form below for your chance to win.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Disclosure: I received this product free of charge in order to complete my full and honest review. All opinions are my own. I was not paid or compensated for this post.

Let's do this.

2012-01-01T14:48:00.001-06:00

I am so ready for a new year. I can not say that 2011 was purely awful. There were some really great memories. We went month by month with the kids and talked about all the things we did this year. It was full of great memories, like celebrating my grandma's 90th birthday (a milestone she longed to reach) and getting my little girls ears pierced. We celebrated 1st birthdays along with the end of lives well lived. We traveled a little bit together and the kids went on their first trip without me. Overall as a family it was pretty good, on the other hand in our marriage it was another story.

It is amazing how you can keep going and plugging along as peacefully as possible just to save yourself some humility. For the last few years, we had conducted ourselves in such as way that all seemed perfect on the outside. We were a star family. Supportive husband allowing me to staying at home. We even home birthed our third child. To the outside eye, everything was picture perfect. Unfortunately, when the door was closed and the lights went out, the house was filled with bitterness, deceit and anger. Things finally peeked in 2011 and the song and dance was stopped. I got the courage to face the humility and ask my husband to leave. My anger was so great I couldn't hid it anymore. Without hesitation he found a place and like that our separation began. This is the part that made 2011 kinda suck.

Thankfully the story has a happy ending. Issues were dealt with, like really dealt with. Wise counsel was sought out and accountability was put in place. Change was needed fast, and with God's amazing grace, change happened immediately. We are so happy to be on a strong road to recovery in our marriage. We are falling in love all over again and it feels so good.

I am ready for a new year. I am ready to challenge myself as a wife and mother. I am ready for a year devoted to my husband and I finally getting it right. I am so over the moon in love with my little family and I can not wait to see what is in store for us this year.

So, to that I say, Let's do this.

Let's make this year, 2012, the best year yet!

Bringing in the New Year with Calypso Bay!

2011-12-30T17:42:00.001-06:00

If you know me you will know that I am not a lover of the winter months. I would much rather live in Hawaii. I want to walk on the beach all year round. I want to surf again. I do not want to spend anymore money on heavy coats! Unfortunately, we have been called to the Midwest. Although this winter has been incredibly mild so far, I know the cold is coming. With the help of this new beverage, I may be able to get through my winter blues a little bit better.

Recently, I was contacted by the makers of Calypso Bay. Although we are not big drinkers in our house, we do enjoy a nice mild drink every once in a while. Calypso Bay is a very refreshing adult beverage and at only 99 calories, you do not have to feel bad about enjoying one. I received a sample pack of each of their flavors, Pineapple Mandarin Orange and Ruby Red Citrus. Of the two, I personally prefer the Pineapple Mandarin Orange. It is a very nice tropical drink and on a really cold night, it helps take the winter blues away! The Ruby Red Citrus is very true to a grapefruit taste, which is surprising that it isn't my favorite since I love grapefruit. There seems to be a slight aftertaste with that one. Overall I liked the light crisp taste of these beverages.

Calypso Bay is only offered in two states, Wisconsin being one! If you are in Wisconsin and are looking for a nice beverage for the new year, I suggest you try out Calypso Bay Beverages.

Check out their facebook page for the latest news and sweepstakes!

Have a safe and Happy New Year!

misfit cookies

2011-12-26T22:09:00.001-06:00

The kids have officially taken over the kitchen when it comes to Christmas cookies we did this year. As always the very organized, perfectionist that I am has a very strict plan when it comes to making cut out cookies. The dough must be so thick and the cutters have to be placed in such a manor that no dough is wasted. And then the icing is made and spread with care each cookies is decorated like a Van Gogh painting. This usually happens when I call the kids into the kitchen and have them observe making cookies. In all honestly it isn't very fun for the kids.

Well, they must have had an organized meeting behind my back this year. Before I knew what to do they were grabbing cookie cutters and slamming them in to the dough. They cutters were not strategically placed and all the dough was rolled out ever so uneven. It was horrifying. I had to just stand back and take a few deep breaths. In that moment of sheer panic, I found my self control and only heard the chatter of two busy, proud children. I handed over the rolling pin, the spatchula and of course the cutters. Before long they had a ton of dough cut and ready to be placed on the tray, I think I told them to be careful while transporting...all I heard was, "we lost another leg, oops, the angel lost a wing." I breathed through the anxiety and went to whip up some frosting, surly they can be saved with frosting!

While mixing up the frosting, all I heard was beautiful sounds coming from the kitchen table. They were a team. They had trays full of misfits. They were laughing and enjoying each other company so much. As i mixed and colored the frosting everything went wrong...I was out of red food coloring. I tried as hard as I could to create red, instead I made purple. (don't ask) I called out to the kids and told them the horrible news, to which Elliott responded, "Thanks mom, purple is my favorite color!" I brought out the frosting and fully surrendered. The were armed with spreading knives, frosting, jimmy's and sugar. They created and laughed. With each broken cookie they laughed a little harder. As the "glued" legs, arms and heads back together they talked and laughed some more. When I look into out cookie jar filled with misfit cookies that are completely imperfect yet totally loved, my heart is full. This is what makes Christmas special. Letting go, embracing joy and being okay with imperfection, because well we are all a bunch of misfit.

boys.

2011-12-23T06:00:00.000-06:00

Watching the boys play together is always very entertaining for me. Being that they are almost 4 years apart, they do not always see eye to eye on things. Lately they have started to bond more and actually play well unattended for quite some time. When I peeked in on them yesterday, this is what I found:

I imagine Owen was most likely telling Raichlen that those are pants, not a hat. Then silently in his little head Raichlen is saying, "who are you to judge, your not even wearing a shirt!" And yes, the pants hat was worn most the day. I know he looks like he was put together by a committee. And when I asked Owen why he wasn't wearing a shirt, he simply replied, "I'm being cool. Cool guys don't wear shirts." Well buddy, once winter sets in you better rethink that theory. ;)

Loosing my mind over poo.

2011-12-22T22:27:00.002-06:00

Yes, you read the right. I am looking my mind because of poo! For the past three weeks the baby has not had a normal poo. He isn't sick, he just keep getting into dairy. He is like a dairy magnet. Today he found a stash of Hershey's kisses, a few days ago it was his siblings yogurt bowls that they "forgot" to clear off from the table. A few days ago he pushed the table chair to the counter and drank from the coffee creamer bottle. Every time he ingest dairy, I get stuck with the nasty stinky diapers! Dairy allergies are one of those things that stay in the body forever too. So it isn't like he is fine the next day, oh no it takes a good week to get it out of his system completely. Which is why he has been a complete mess for the last few weeks. About two months back, I was hopeful that he was tolerating things better. He had a few crackers that contained milk and was okay. I started to test him and by giving him regular bread and granola bars that contained milk, again he seemed alright. Then all of a sudden everything went haywire.

In the grand scheme of things it is a pretty minor thing. A few extra poopy diapers. No big whoop. But it just get tiring. I am so thankful that I do not have to walk around with a epi-pen. I will gladly take poo over anaphylactic shock. I don't know if we will always have these issues. Maybe he will out grow this like his sister did, but maybe not. I just wish I could get the kid to eat something other than oatmeal, bananas, raman noodles and graham crackers. Seriously, the kids is so picky! I tries to put peas in his raman yesterday- just a few. I gave him a bit with two tiny peas under the noodles, with in seconds those too peas came right out- no noodles mind you, just peas. It was pretty impressive, how well he can sort things out with his tongue!

So this is my whiny post about allergies. Sorry you had to read it, I just need to "vent"!

Sand, Light, Imagination!

2011-12-20T18:18:00.000-06:00

A very beautiful Merry Christmas from Scott's company, WackerNeuson! Enjoy.

a little reminder before the big day.

2011-12-18T18:06:00.001-06:00

Just one week till Christmas.

Actually in a week from right now the craziness will have ended, the boxes will have been opened and we sit back, put our feet up and take a deep breath. The excitement will have passed. The neat bows and special paper will be in the trash. The garbage can will be stuffed with boxes. Stomachs filled to the top.

When it is all over and we are admiring our loot, will we then remember why this day exists?

Celebrate, share gifts, but I encourage you to take time to remember why. Take the time to make a memory.

the backstage pass.

2011-12-15T14:32:00.003-06:00

On my last post, I showed you my family. I showed you the fantastic pictures that turned out simple lovely. What I neglected to tell you was what getting pictures like that in-tales. Getting three kids ready for pictures can be a difficult task. I have had their outfits picked out for a long time. Getting them ready is a tricky task. You have to time it right for everyone to shower, dry hair, get dressed and not get those new outfits filthy. We spend the better part of the morning getting the said tasks completed. Waiting to get the boys dressed last, being they are the ones who tend to spill anything and everything in their paths. It's kinda like this...

So, one we finally have everyone ready and in the car we set off for amazing pictures, right? We happened upon a amazing little cobblestone alley way and settled on taking some pictures there. After parking and unloading, we were ready to start. About 7 mins into things, I wanted a few pictures with my Elliott and let the boys wander a bit. The baby would have nothing to do with being away from mama and in a tizzy tripped and whacked the bridge of his nose on the loading dock steps. Which looked like this...

That caused us to stop taking pictures and pack everyone back in the car. We headed off to urgent care. After an hour and a half, we had a stitch free face and hungry tummies. Me, still determined to get pictures taken decided it would be a good idea to feed the hungry children and try again. We chose a lovely Italian restaurant. Italian restaurants are great for children with dairy allergies. So, while we fended off all things dairy from within a arms reach and paid way too much for a bowl of plain pasta (which mind you he didn't eat, he only decorated his precious clean head) we set out for try #2.

With full belly's and happy faces we set out, only to discover that my beloved camera bag was forgotten in the mad rush to urgent care. Back across town we went in hopes of finding my bag. Thankfully I had my camera around my neck! The bag carried a few of my favorite lenses. Of course the bag was no where to be found in the old alleyway. In a desperate attempt to find my bag I went into a antique store close by. The gentleman inside slowly pulled out my bag with a sad look and stated that there were only a few items left in the bag. To my relief all my lenses were there and to his relief, I told him I had my camera. :)

So, with kids, owies, camera, lenses and a pocket full of hope we once again set out, this time finding our perfect location. About 45 mins later I finally had the images I had dreamed of. It only took six hours of delays to get them! So, when you do not see a family picture of us again for the next eight years or so, you'll understand why!

my family.

2011-12-11T21:55:00.002-06:00

Taking pictures of families is what I do. I love it. However taking pictures of my own family...well it's a little harder. Finally Elliott enjoys having her pictures taken and is pretty well behaved in front of the camera. Owen on the other hand is at the, "i do not know what to do, so i will just stand and look awkward" stage. The odd expressions I find on his face are well, odd and hilarious. Raichlen, the baby, is well a typical busy 20 month old boy. I mostly just snap away and see what happens! That being said, I present to you our very first successful family photo shoot!

Not just the kids but mom and dad too! I am so thankful we did these, as much as I hate being in front of the camera. I am glad that we have these pictures to really memorialize what we have been through this year and the healing that has occurred. God has been faithful, these pictures are a true sign of that!

{the five of us}

{the three monkeys}

{the boys}

{our handsome middle man}

{our little mischievous baby}

{our beautiful little lady}

{the biggies, best friends for life.}

CampusBookRentals.com {review}

2011-12-09T14:30:00.001-06:00

I know a lot of friends that are reevaluating their lives right now and are looking at returning to school. Especially a lot of mom's that I know. It is hard to make that decision to start over, but what is even more daunting is the costs. You plan to go back to school in order to get the job you have always wanted. The hard part is coming up with all the extra costs. When I came across this site, CampusBookRentals.com, I was impressed with how simple and affordable getting your books can be! We all know what a big cost college book can be, not you can save money and the hassle of what to do with the books when you are done. CampusBookRentals.com offers a few different rental time periods that help fit a your needs. You can rent your items for a semester, a quarter or for a summer session.

Watch this video to see how simple CampusBookRentals.com can be.

Campus Book Rentals offers:

If you are thinking of going back to school or are already a student looking for a better solution to your book need, I encourage you to look into CampusBookRentals.com. Especially if you are a mom looking to head back to school this is for you!

Not only is CampusBookRentals.com good for you, they are giving back. For every book rented they are donating a portion to Operation Smile. They have committed to donating enough to cover 1,000 surgeries! I love supporting companies that believe in the greater good! Let's help make a difference in a child's life, just through renting books!

Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post. All opinions are my own and were not influenced by the sponsor.

our tree came from Whoville I believe...

2011-12-09T13:28:00.001-06:00

I added a little something extra to the tree this year, something new, something different...

something TEAL!

Our tree is a happy tree this year full of bright colors and whimsy. I love it! Everytime I look at it I feel like I am in Whoville. On Christmas eve all the little who's will be sleeping and we will put all the who packages under the tree!

Whats your Christmas tree style? If you have your pictures up leave me a link in the comments! I love seeing the different themes and styles!

12 Days of Gifts Galore. #12DaysGalore

2011-12-06T23:59:00.000-06:00

Welcome to 12 Days of Gifts Galore Giveaway Hop hosted by Tales From the Nursery, Formula Mom, and Mama on a Green Misson. There's over $5,000 in prizes offered to help you get the gifts you need this holiday season. After you are done entering our giveaway you'll want to check out everyone else's AND enter for a chance to win one of three GRAND prizes sponsored by Kudzoom! Each blog you stop and enter at will be another entry!Fill out the Rafflecopter below in order to be entered in this wonderful prize bundle! One winner will receive one handmade pillow from Joy and Delight, a Holly Jolly Gift Pack from Lovable Labels, a $10.00 gift certificate to Buttom Bowtique and your choice of hat from My Kids Lids! All entries need to be entered via the Raffelcopter widget and will be verified. Thank you for entering and good luck! Don't forget to hop over to all the other blogs and enter to win their giveaways!

My Kids Lids Hat. ARV $22.00

Felted Pillow from Joy and Delight ARV $38.00

Button Bowtique 10$ gift certificate

Lovable Labels Holly Jolly Pack ARV $24.95

Please note that Tales From the Nursery, “12 Days of Gifts Galore” or the “12 Days of Gifts Galore” bloggers are not responsible for sponsors that do not fulfill their prizes. We have represented each sponsor with the expectation they will fulfill their prize and in a timely manner. We will contact the sponsor regarding your prize(s). The sponsors, in most cases, are shipping their items to you directly. We will make every effort to assist you obtaining your prize. If there is an issue with a sponsor, please notify the blog you won a prize from within 30 days for assistance, after that we may be unable to assist you.

a new tradition.

2011-12-06T11:04:00.001-06:00

Every year, after Thanksgiving, we heard over to Papa's tree lot. The kids run around, eat way too many candy canes, drink way too much hot chocolate and help pick out the best tree on the lot. This year we stayed home for Thanksgiving. With all the change that has gone on this year we decided it was best to stay home for the holidays and just enjoy being a family once again. Which was wonderful, but it puts us 4 hours away from the tree lot. After a call out to my fabulous Milwaukee facebook friends, we were led to a family owned tree farm nearby. So, for the first time in years, we headed out to get our tree at a lot that would not have Papa. We of course also choose the nastiest day possible. Cold, Wet, Muddy. But we made the best of it and headed out into the field to pick our tree! After getting over the sticker price of these suckers, we found the perfect tree. We stripped down the muddy children and loaded them back into the van. Over all it was a lovely time! Oh, ya, we ended up getting our tree for free...we worked out a little trade. Scott will be helping them set up their social media tonight actually!

owen running through the mud...

Gosh my kids are cute! :)

Deck the Walls with Easy Canvas Prints!

2011-12-06T09:15:00.000-06:00

I love decorating the walls in my house, I may even like it a little too much once you have counted all the nails I have used this past year. One of my very favorite thing to place on my walls is pictures. I love my kids and having them all over my walls makes me very happy! It helps that I have like a bizillion pictures of them due to being a photographer. Well, 90% of them are the kids running away from the camera or giving me a sassy face. It's the curse of the photographers kid. I have managed to get a few extremely fabulous pictures of my tribe and you know what I do with those ones? I blow them up real big and print them on canvas!

I was lucky enough to have Easy Canvas Prints find me, yes they found me! I am always nervous about handing over my most precious images to a company that I have never heard of, but when some one throws the word free into the equation I am all over it! I uploaded my image, crossed my fingers, did a little dance and waited...

To my surprise, the canvas arrives very quickly! It was packaged very securely. I carefully tore into the package and immediately began ohhhing and ahhhhing! Enerything about the image was perfect! The colors were spot on, the canvas pulled nice and tight, strong sturdy frame. It was perfection! I had already had the spot picked out so I once again pulled out my hammer and nail, quickly placed the nail and hung my image! I am over the moon with my canvas. It is in a central part of the house, so I get to admire it about 10,000x a day. And I do.

If you are looking for the perfect gift this holiday season, check out Easy Canvas Prints. Check out their facebook page and sign up for their emails- they send amazing deals all the time, like sign up today and get a 10$ gift card!

I Heart Faces {On your feet!}

2011-12-05T14:43:00.001-06:00

At a shoot recently, my friends son really wanted some pictures of him skateboarding. I was happy to help. He is really good and is a super cool kid! :)

Check out all the wonderful entries at: http://www.iheartfaces.com/2011/12/photo-challenge-feet/#more-6921. ( I have no idea why, but blogger won't let me link things. )

Wordless Wednesday.

2011-11-30T15:47:00.001-06:00

Little Bear.

Giving Thanks.

2011-11-26T16:50:00.001-06:00

This year we stayed home. We just simply did not want to travel. It is hard on the wallet as well as our patience when traveling with three youngsters. We decided it would be nice to just enjoy the time together. Especially since we are together now.

It is amazing that we are still together. It is a miracle that neither of us threw in the towel and moved on. For that I am thankful.

We have been blessed not just once, but three times with beautiful children. There was a time when I was told adoption or treatments were our only options and now I have delivered three beautiful children. For that I am truly blessed.

We have a beautiful apartment. At times it feels small, but it is amazing. We all have our own beds, the closets are full of clothing, the pantry is full of yummy food, the faucets all work, we can wash our clothing in the washing machine, the shower is working and the location is prime. We are more than blessed.

I have a marriage. It has been very painful at time and incredibly joyous at times. We have cried a lot, together and alone. We have laughed a lot too. Through it all we have manages to stay friends and have worked hard to restore what we broke. I now have a new marriage to the same man. We are much stronger and authentic. I am overwhelmed by this blessing.

We have friends. Real, deep friendships. The kid of friendships that will last forever. I have women in my life that I would be completely lost without, you know who you are. ;) They pour into me and I hope I do as well for them. They are the kind of friends that are there in prayer. I have never felt so safe in my relationships as I do now. I am forever blessed.

We have a church home. It has been years since we have had this. We are still getting our bearings there, but it is coming. We have a place where we can have community with others that is real and authentic. I feel connected in a way that I have not felt in a long time. I am so thankful for this blessing.

We have a home. We are called to Milwaukee and plan to stay here for many years. We have a burden for this city and are excited to see where it leads. I know with out a shadow of doubt that this is where we are to be. I don't know for how long, but I know it is going to be awhile!

I could go on. I have so much to be thankful for, but these are all the pictures I had from our dinner with friends on Thanksgiving. ;) I hope you were able to sit and truly count all your blessings!

Spotlight Sponsor {Lovable Labels} #12DaysGalore

2011-11-24T19:09:00.001-06:00

Do you kids lose stuff? Do you ever have to label their things for camp, school, dance class? Being a mom of three I have to label a ton of things. I have to admit I am horrible at this. I forget. I can't find the sharpie when I need it and then it never gets done. Lovable Labels is the perfect product for any family. They make labeling your things a snap! With durable, easy to use stickers, you can have your child's things labeled in a flash! These lables aer able to withstand washings, dishwashers, microwaves, sunshine, bleach and other elements. From shoe labels to medical bracelets, Lovable Labels has you covered!

I was sent the Holly Jolly Christmas Jewels pack. My daughter was excited to order her labels with a princess crown on them. When they arrived I was impressed with the packaging- very little waste and easy to keep organized. We went to work right away labeling her shoes, coat, lunchbox and backpack. My favorite item in the pack is the mini metal tags. I really like having the label so visible. The shoe labels are really great too! As a bust mom, I really like having such a simple way to keep things together and organized.

Lovable Labels is sponsoring my 12 days of Gifts Galore. I am so excited to be offering one Holly Jolly gift pack to one of my readers! The giveaway will be live tomorrow morning and will be part of a bundle of goodies!

Sponsor Spotlight {My Kids Lids} #12DaysGalore

2011-11-24T14:00:00.000-06:00

My Kids Lids is one of my favorite etsy shops! I met Katie the creator and seamstress behind the shop about two years ago. We worked together to do some pictures of her product line. We have since worked together a few times and have developed a friendship. Katie is busy creating adorable hats and adding new things to her shop all the time! Every year I am amazed at the new hats she comes up with. Like this adorable holiday hat!

My Kids Lids come in several sizes to fit kids of all ages. My kids are big fans of these hats. The fleece is so super soft. They love finding the right hat for their personality. My oldest loves these hats so much she even sleeps in them! :)

You will not want to miss out on your chance to win one of these amazing hats of your choice in the 12 Days of Gifts Galore! The giveaway will start on 11/25/2011. See you there!

Sponsor Spotlight {Button Bowtique} #12DaysGalore

2011-11-22T21:30:00.001-06:00

Our next sponsor for 12 Days of Gifts Galore is Button Bowtique. Button Bowtique is a WAHM mom shop specializing in custom hair clips and tutu's. Jess's creations are so adorable! Each clip is unique and original. Any little girl would be thrilled to have something so special in her hair. These little ballet shoes are simply amazing! Seriously creative!

Jess also makes beautiful tutu's. She can make all sorts of fun color combinations. How perfect are these for the holidays! A perfect present for your little princess.

You can keep up with Jess on facebook and shop around her Etsy Shop. Jess is offering up a 10$ gift certificate towards anything in her shop for the 12 Days of Gifts Galore! The giveaway will open bright and early Friday morning, so get ready and feel free to check out all the other participating blogs!

Sponsor Spotlight {Joy and Delight} #12GiftsGalore

2011-11-21T09:35:00.001-06:00

I am very exciting to be participating in a great holiday Blog Hop! :) There are 194 blogs involved and each will be giving away a prize valued at 25$ or more! I have a sweet little package that will include a lovely handmade felted pillow from Joy and Delight. Joy and Delight is a lovely etsy shop filled with fabulous handmade items. Each item is unique and a original. One of my very favorite things is her felted pillows. The detail and time she puts into these is unbelievable!

Jess, the owner of Joy and delight, is a busy stay at home mama to three sweet little boys. When she isn't creating beautiful things she is homeschooling her oldest, chasing the middle one and nursing the baby. She never ceases to amaze with her creative talents and patience as a mother. In her shop you will find more than these pillows. You can also find the cutest coffee cozies and sweet items for you little ones. I highly suggest you shop Joy and Delight for the perfect present for your loves ones!

Stay tuned on Black Friday when the fun begins and you can enter to win one of Jess's felted pillows! Plus check out the list of almost 200 participating blogs hosting giveaways too! Get ready and good luck!

I Heart Faces~ Autumn Splendor

2011-11-14T22:13:00.001-06:00

cool nights. lovely walks.

Nana and Papa near by.

we are three lucky little ones.

skydiving for a cause.

2011-11-14T10:38:00.001-06:00

Some of you may remember last year, I was able to watch with envy as my friends went Skydiving. I was suppose to go, but unfortunately I wasn't able to raise enough funds. It was a sad day for me. Well this year, we are doing it again, and I will be in the number of people who jumped! I will be jumping along side several amazing moms. These moms are amazing. I have meet them through the Extreme Moms Organization. Extreme moms was founded by my friend Sarah. She founded this organization in order to help empower moms. Read more about Extreme Moms here.

The reason why I am writing about this today is because I need your help. I need to finish raising the funds for my jump, Parachute for Power. I have raised about half the money I need. The proceeds from this will be going towards the 2010 Empowerment Bootcamp for moms and families. This bootcamp will help women going through a tough period in their lives discover the amazing skills and power they inside themselves! I am asking you if you have a dollar, five dollars, one hundred dollars- please donate!

There is still room too- If you think this sounds like an event you want to be a part of, please jump with us!

Thank you so much in advance!

If you are able to donate, please donate at www.extrememoms.org. Click on the donate now button. Make sure in the notes of your donation you use my name Courtney Fisk.

busy good times.

2011-11-14T09:53:00.001-06:00

Life has taken a new busy twist lately.

First off Scott moved back home. :)

I know It seems like I just mentioned that he moved out. I didn't blog about it in the beginning, because I was too overwhelmed and very private about the whole thing. Five months later, I am in a much better place emotionally and spiritually. I honestly didn't not think we would ever live together again, and I never imagined we would have this new found relationship. Let's just say when you really truly "air all your dirty laundry" you just realize that there is no reason to keep things in anymore. This new level of honesty and speaking of truth is unbelievable! We are just letting it go and it is bringing so much amazing communication between us. Granted, we still have a lot to work on and it will be a journey together to keep this up and to not fall back into old patterns.

We recently found a new church home. I briefly wrote about that a few weeks back. Yes, for the first time in almost 8 years I am so happy to feel at home in a church again. We have found churches that we have enjoyed. We have made good friends at churches we have enjoyed. This is deeper than friendship, this is a calling. I really believe it in my heart that God has called us to Transformation City Church. I felt it that first service I attended and still feel it. We are making ourselves get involved where we can and just jumping right in. Due to that, we have started attending Wednesday small groups. We meet at church, eat together and divide into small groups. The kids have a place and mom and dad have a place- it just rocks! No babysitters, no fuss...well, when we get home there is a lot of fussing about being tired and not wanting to go to bed, but you know what I mean.

Now that Wednesday is taken up we had to switch the kids Awana Club. We found a Thursday evening club, so they are adjusting to that. So far they love it and are making new friends. Scott and I are enjoying it because it gives us a hour and a half date every Thurs. night. We still have the baby with us, but we are able to enjoy good conversation and some good eats. We went to a wonderful Indian place a few weeks back and I am craving it daily! :) So, that is two night a week taken up, not to bad. I have been having photo shoots consistently every weekend. It has been wonderful! I love my clients and am so honored to have them contact me.

On top of weekly family things, Scott is continuing his meetings on Monday evenings. I am so glad that he has reached out and is growing in relationships. He is diving into accountability and continuing on his journey to freedom. We are working to keep our relationship healthy and keep boundaries set high. It is hard. There is expectations from the outside and we are working as a team to battle those unrealistic expectations. I plan to continue to blog about our story as I feel it is important to be honest and to document this journey!

Thank you to those who have left sweet comments, and to those who have prayed. It means the world to me!

Get a Melissa & Doug 25% Off Coupon When You Take the North "Poll"

2011-11-12T23:01:00.001-06:00

Melissa & Doug want you to tell them which of their educational toys you think is the best! Just click on the image below to place your vote in the North "Poll!" You'll Get a Melissa & Doug 25% Off Coupon** to use at MelissaAndDoug.com just for voting!

If you know me at all, you know that I LOVE Melissa&Doug toys! This is a great opportunity to get ahead of the shopping mobs and grab some great deals on these fabulous toys! All you have to do is vote!

the holidays are just around the corner, get ready with Shutterfly!

2011-11-09T22:51:00.000-06:00

It is that time of year to start planning your holiday cards! Hopefully you have already had your holiday pictures taken or have them scheduled. (hint, hint- i still have dates open too if your local!) This is when I start getting feelers out and start looking at the styles and designs that are available for Christmas Cards and Holiday Cards. Every year I have the best luck shopping at Shutterfly for my cards. I feel that they have a large selection to chose from. I was over the moon with my cards last year! The shipping is quick and the prices are very reasonable. I have been so impressed with the quality of the paper used and the color of the images is always wonderful. Here is what last years card looked like:

Cheers Bubble New Year's Card

To view our most popular holiday card designs, click here.

View the entire collection of cards.

I received so many compliments on these cards last year. While you are picking out your holiday cards, you may want to take care of a few gifts while you are at it. Shutterfly makes wonderful Photo Books, Ornaments and Photo Mugs. So, get ahead of the game this year and get your holiday shopping started! Plan a little more ahead and create custom thank you's from the kids, the possibilities are endless when you are using Shutterfly.

wordless wednesday

2011-11-09T22:09:00.001-06:00

"Mom, do I look like a teenager?"

~Owen

life is funny like that.

2011-11-03T21:56:00.000-05:00

It's funny how life and God can be. Really. Some of you who read this blog, (and thank you for doing so) know that I have been going through a hard time. Five months ago my husband and I made the decision to separate. There is no short way to sum up what went wrong. The funny thing is that five months into it, I feel like I can start to see what went right. A situation that seems so wrong in so many eyes can actually be the most right thing. Scott and I went on a date tonight. We actually will be able to go on dates every Thursday night thanks to Awanas. Yes, we are starting to date each other again. For the last eight years we have lived on the Demon Drop. We have these periods of great highs and then long periods of plummeting to very deep lows. Several things have caused this pattern, I can best describe it in three words: addiction, depression and co-dependence.

The night Scott moved out I had no idea what was going to happen. I did several google searches for single mom support. I looked into divorce laws and I cried. I stood on the porch as he moved out. Between tears, the only words I could say was "get well". I really though that it was over. There wasn't a big night of fighting that brought this on. It just came to the level that it was harder to be next to each other that together. The next night I ventured out on my first night as a "single mom". I ran into friends and it was terribly awkward and emotional. My friend that was meeting us there too what seemed like years to arrive. I needed a safety net. When she arrived, I told her of the events and she let me lean on her.

I am going to jump forward to this past few weeks. I heard God again. It has seemed like forever. I have finally taken the steps in my life to heal and be honest. I have had conversations these past few months that the old Courtney would have ran from. God has also laid things on my heart that I would have ran from as well. Here is where everything went right. My friend, the one who let me lean on her, needed me to lean on this week. I was strong enough to let her. God has been preparing me for the situation that happened this week. He has allowed healing in my marriage. He has help me confront life issues head on and be so brutally honest. I have nothing to hide anymore. This friend has similar issues in her life, we have paths that have been difficult and we have both acted like all is fine in the world when out hearts and souls are completely broken. Everything that I have gone through- all the pain, loneliness, humility, depression has all been for this. I believe it with my whole being.

My husband is moving back home this week. I am happy. I am shocked. I am overwhelmed with the amount of emotions that I am feeling, but then I am calm. It hasn't been a waste. We talked so honestly tonight. We put out fears on the table and it felt so good. We have a lot to work on. We always will, but God has been faithful. It has been really hard to believe that, but after this week I am more sure of it than I ever have been of anything. and 5 years later, I know exactly why we are here, in Milwaukee.

one fine halloween

2011-10-31T22:08:00.000-05:00

There was a sweet lady named Rapunzel, locked in a tall tower. The air was crisp and she longed for her knight to rescue her.

As she longed for her knight, she would look over the fields and dream of what life would be like for a young maiden.

The days were long, waiting all alone. Until what did she hear not one but two knights! They were brave and true. Together they climbed to her rescue.

Sir Owen and Sir Raichlen, the two bravest knights in all the kingdom worked together to free the fair maiden.

It was a joyous occasion. They rode off into the sunset to gather candy from local strangers.

And all was well in the kingdom again.

Happy Halloween!

{wordless wednesday}

2011-10-26T11:35:00.001-05:00

Picture day.

and yes, I actually got in front of the camera!

just being a little crazy.

I heart faces. let them be little.

2011-10-24T09:36:00.003-05:00

old fashioned wagon ride.

i went to church today.

2011-10-23T20:54:00.002-05:00

This may come to a surprise to some of you but I have not attended a service in well over 4-5 months, except the one I went to when we were visiting my mom. Why is this the case? Well for starters having a one year old who is exhausted at 10am. He is cranky and will not go to the nursery. So, I sit in the lobby and entertain him. More like I try to keep him from screaming. It am not getting fed, instead I am completely stressed out and exhausted by the end. But honestly this is the lame easy excuse. The main reason why, well in all raw honest reality, I am so sick of the church song and dance. I am sick of meeting and greeting friends who go about life trying to impress other Christians. When I see a friend who is hurting and I ask how are you and I get the common, "i'm good", it really burns me up. I am broken right now. I am separated from my husband, I am worn out and tired, I am not good. Am I still blessed, yes. Do I fell that I have to carry my dark cloud over me everywhere I go, no. But I do believe that especially in the church you need to be real, honest and authentic. I feel that church (from my point of view) has come to two things a.) moms trying to outdo other moms and b.) everyone trying to be acceptable one day a week.

I have avoided going to church. I am sick of looking for a church that not only preached the truth, but is real and authentic. A church that could care less about Sunday morning, but a church that truly cares about the body. The last church that we attended for over a year there was very little community. We have one close relationship from there, which is a huge blessing and they are so raw and honest, I love it. But the pastors never took an interest in the body from what I could tell. We have hopped around so many church since moving here it is so frustrating. Either the community is great, but the preaching isn't doctrinally sound, or the opposite- sound doctrine with poor community! So frustrating. So, I left it all behind. I stayed away and kept up the real relationships I have found along the way. Growing deeper in those relationships and being totally open and raw with them. Sharing my joys and my struggles. Having those safe relationships where I can say, "hey you know marriage has sucked and I am mad at God about it." or "I'm struggling with depression and am taking something to help me get a grip." I have been so disappointed in so many things and yes, I have been mad a God. I don't understand why things have gone the way they have. I hate that my husband and I have lived in two separate houses for 5 months. I do feel like I am completely alone and that God doesn't are. Speaking those thoughts out loud in a church setting make others uncomfortable and is usually responded to with a awkward, "I'll pray for you and man is't the weather beautiful?" If you know me, you know I have a hard time holding my true feelings back. I am pretty honest and raw with people.

So, after five months of long hard relationship work and rebuilding as a family of five we went to church again. This is a church where Scott has been attending on his own for a little while. He has meet with the pastors and has been open and authentic with them, they know our story. I was nervous going, but I miss church and I was ready to go. I was really worried about Rai and had Scott drop him off. The service started. Nothing fancy, a time of worship and fellowship, then preaching. And you know what he was preaching about? Not the sermon he planned, but a complete sermon about every single thing I posted about above. About lamenting our struggles and being alone. About being intentional about people and loving them. About being raw and honest. Wow. Not just being real to others but to God. Letting God know our struggles and let downs in this life. It was amazing and a total Godsend. I needed today. We all needed today. I couldn't stop thinking about so many people that would benefit from a service like this one. Enough of the "I'm good" answer, It's time to be real. Are you being real? When is the last time you were really honest when someone asked, "how are you?" When is the last time you told God you were upset and letdown by people or things in this life? I wrote down my laments in church today, they were simple: Marriage has been a dissapointment, Parenting is really hard and I feel alone in it and I hate the feelings of depression, I just want to feel normal again. I handed it in and took someone else's lamenting home with me to pray over and to know I am not alone. We all struggle. We are not alone, yet we are because we are so consumed with keeping up the good side for church. I am ready for real relationships and I am hopeful for the first time in a long time.

I am glad I went to church today.

{Sesame Street Live Giveaway}

2011-10-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

Last week I was thrilled when Jenna contacted me regarding Sesame Street Live: Elmo Makes Music. I had seen all the commercials on PBS and thought, man that would be so fun to take the kids to. Now I know Elliott may be a little old for it, but seriously, who doesn't love Cookie Monster?

How fun to watch monsters becoming musicians! All your favorite characters take the stage to bring music to life for young and the young at heart. Sesame Street Live is a larger-than-life, musical touring stage production featuring Big Bird, Elmo, Cookie Monster, Bert and Ernie…and more.

The characters teach children, and themselves, that everyone has the ability to make beautiful music, whether they realize it or not. Don’t miss this opportunity to count along with The Count, visit Elmo’s World and do the Crumb-A-Rumba with Rosita and Cookie Monster at Sesame Street Live "Elmo Makes Music."

Each performance is 90 minutes of singing, dancing and audience participation, including a 15-minute intermission. The perfect length for very young children!

I am so looking forward to taking the kids to this event and am thrilled that I get to giveaway a family four pack to the show! Yep, you heard that right. You could be on your way to this fantastic show too. All you have to do is simply enter the form below.

Sesame Street Live

“Elmo Makes Music”

Milwaukee, WI; Bradley Center

Friday, November 25 – Sunday, November 27, 2011

Six (6) delightful performances!

Tickets on-sale May 23 at the box office and all Ticketmaster locations.

To charge by phone, call 800-745-3000

Ticket prices: $15, $18, $23, $33 (Gold Circle) & $63 (Sunny Seats).

Opening Night (Friday, November 25)—All seats $14 (excluding Gold Circle and Sunny Seats). Family Matinee (Friday, November 25)—All seats $10 for School/Daycare Groups 10 + (excluding Gold Circle and Sunny Seats).Additional group discounts available. Groups 10+ call 414-227-0444.Get the ultimate fan experience with Sunny Seats! The Sunny Seats Package includes a VIP Seat and a pre-show Meet & Greet photo opportunity with two Sesame Street Live friends.Additional fees/surcharges may apply.

Performance Schedule:

Friday, November 25 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM

Saturday, November 26 10:30 AM & 2:00 PMSunday, November 27 1:00 PM & 4:30 PM

Not only is the Vee Corporation providing a family four pack for giveaway- they are also offering a discount code for all ticket purchases to the show.

Save $3 per ticket!

Use the code ERNIE online at ticketmaster.com to receive the discount.

(Discount excludes Gold Circle & Sunny Seats. Not valid on Opening Night or previously purchased tickets. Discount cannot be combined with any other offer.)

Now that you know about the show and when it is, you can now enter to win a Family Four Pack of your own! Simple fill out the entry form below.
(you have to click on the "I did it" button to fill in the answers!)

Enjoy the Show!

off to school we go.

2011-10-15T23:09:00.002-05:00

I am a babywearer.

It sounds like a really funny thing, right? I wear babies! Ha!

But I honestly do not know what I did before. How on earth did I make through two kids with out a really good carrier? Well, I know my arms were sore from ALWAYS holding my very colicky baby boy, and my eldest screamed bloody murder when I tried to restrainer her in any way, shape or form- there was just too much going around for her to be so close to me. Once I knew number three was coming, I knew I would have to have a good carrier. I mean come on, I will have three children and only two hands...you do the math. Someone will need to be strapped to me, cause you know strollers take two hands leaving two children running about like wild tasmanian devils. On the monday before Rai was born, I had Scott pick up my Moby wrap I bought off Craigslist. Rai lived in that thing from day 3. It was a life saver. Then my sister sent me her Mei Tai carrier- this was also a true life saver! Super simple and much easier that the wrap. Then I finally made the big purchase...my Boba! Oh how I heart my Boba. It is so comfy, fits on any body size and it super easy. Being that we walk to school every day, morning noon and afternoon, Rai spends a lot of his days on my back, happily chilling in the Boba or Mei Tai. He has even been know to bring me the carrier when he is tired or cranky. I toss him in and can get so much done around the house.

Needless to say, this is how we look every day when we are off to school drop off and pick up.

i admit it.

2011-10-13T10:50:00.000-05:00

I do love fall. I love the colors, the cool evenings and the crisp mornings. I love the kids excitement to ~~do yard work~~ jump in leaf piles.

I however do not like the season that is up next, so we just won't talk about that.

Happy Fall y'all!

learning not to whine.

2011-10-06T23:18:00.002-05:00

I don't like whiners. It seriously drives me up the wall when the kids whine. It drives me even more crazy when adults whine. I mean seriously put you big boy/girl panties on and deal with it. When life gives you lemons make lemonade, right. Here is the problem. I want to whine.

Really bad.

I want to whine and whine and whine and drive everyone around me nuts. I want to feel that my glass is way less than half full. I want to be validated in my whining. I want my friends to say, oh your not whining, your just being honest. But no matter what it is whining. Like last week, when I was so unbelievable sick I really thought I must be suffering from some sort of unknown flu bug that will eventually kill me. I had every right to whine. I had diarrhea for 4 days. I vomited for 4 days. For an entire 48 hours I did not leave my bed, (well yes, I did leave my bed for reasons stated). I was sick. I am a mom of three and I was very sick. Who on earth is going to help me? I am currently a single mom, help me. Help me. Poor me. :( Oh wait did I forget to mention that my husband (yes the one I am separated from) came every night to make dinner and clean? and took an entire day off to care for the kids? So I guess I really can't whine. But on day 4 I was still so sick I though surly it was the end. I need to get to the dr.'s. I must seek help, but I don't have a car. I have small children to watch, I can't. Poor me! (insert really whiny child's voice) Oh wait, that's right my amazing friend called. The first thing out of her mouth...what can I do? In less than an hour she was at my door, took my crying baby handed over her keys and I went to the dr.'s. I received 2 liters of fluids and returned home to a sleeping baby, happy middle man and feeling a lot better.

I was better enough to enjoy a lovely weekend. I felt great enough to work all weekend taking pictures of beautiful families. It was lovely. Until...

Monday morning.

Middle man wakes up and whines, "my throat hurts". I say, "ya mine too. you'll be ok." Tuesday, my throat feels on fire, middle mans is still complaining and has missed school. Wednesday, still sore, very sore. Time to call the dr.'s. Oh, ya that whole car thing...me on the phone, "well I think he needs to be seen, but we don't have a car, can we just get something?" (whine, whine, whine...) No, we have to see you unless this is the second time. Crap. Poor me. Jeepers, what is my deal! Do you realize how many people in this world walk miles without shoes to receive medical help? Grow the heck up, put on those big girl panties and step up to the plate. Remember those fabulous bikes you bought to replace the car? Remember that the office is about a mile away? Do you see how beautiful the weather is?

and that is just what I do. Biked the boys to the dr.'s, had my throat swapped, tested positive for strep, bike to walgreen's across the street and the enjoyed a lovely ride home.

I am blessed. No matter what I am learning that there really is a silver lining. God does love me and has my every need meet. I have no cause to whine. I have no reason to throw a pity party, because I have everything I need. Everything.

This summer has been challenging. It has been painful. But I am learning so much everyday. This process has not been a waste, it is just a step in the right direction. I'm gonna fail at this life. I am going to whine. I am going to fall down and cry, but I am going to stop. I will look back and see the blessings- I chose to do this. I have to do this. It is a choice and I am taking it.

Wordless Wednesday.

2011-10-05T16:48:00.002-05:00

my little cousin got married!

2011-09-30T22:04:00.001-05:00

Yes. I do feel a little old now. I guess I just need to get used to it. I have plenty of cousins and there will be many more weddings!

Last weekend I drove with my daughter up to my moms for a special weekend away. Just us girls. Elliott was so excited to be going to a wedding and I was honestly so excited to have a weekend away from my regular duties. Elliott and I rarely get time for just the two of us anymore, so this was a extra special treat. I picked her up early from school and we headed out in a very spiffy rental car provided by my mom.

We played cards and relaxed. I slept in. Like really slept in- there was no screaming kids out in the living room. No one yelling "Mom!". No little nursling crawling in bed next to me. It was fantastic! Exactly what this mama needed.

After my lazy morning and a walk around the pond, we started getting all ready for the wedding. I helped Elliott get all dressed up and managed to pull of a fabulous outfit for myself. I had a great hair day too. Bonus! And not to mention the weather was absolutely perfect. All the makings of a fantastic wedding day. We set off for the wedding and we were greeted by an unbelievable amount of gorgeous decorations. I couldn't help but snap some pictures- Madi was a busy bride! Everything was so, so amazing.

favors for the kids!

place cards.

centerpieces.

guest book.

welcome window.

flowers

Following the ceremony there were lawn games and hor dourves. Along with mustaches and lips for fun photo props.

Bubbles for blowing...

into each others mouths. :/

I, of course, had to snag my beautiful daughter and get a few updated pictures of her all gussied up. Isn't she just so cute?

and sassy.

and maybe a little bit of a ham?

It was a wonderful weekend. Filled with a ton of great memories. At least I have some time before this generation of my cousins are getting married!

I love my family. Every last one of them.

*yes. i never took a picture of the bride and groom. what the heck? can we say blonde! good thing I wasn't the hired photographer.

last minute sewing.

2011-09-25T22:19:00.001-05:00

I procrastinate. I have to say that I seem to work much better under pressure. I have known, for ummm, a little less than year that I was going to make something for my cousin for her wedding. I even emailed her a few months back asking about her colors. I found a ton a fabric that were possibilities. Then I did nothing. I had it on my to do list, just never got around to actually completing it. With the wedding fast approaching ( I just got home from it actually) I thought I had better get started. So I did, on Wednesday...I left for the wedding on Friday! With the help of my very favorite sewing book, One Yard Wonders, I had picked up at Drawstring Studio. I picked my project and fabric.

I started with the Wine Lovers Special and finished with a Market Tote. The Tote was then filled with two bottles of delicious wine, organic pasta, organic marinara and German white chocolate. A romantic dinner for two! I do hope they enjoy their little meal and that their tote takes several trips to the market with them on fine Saturday mornings this fall!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-21T20:23:00.000-05:00

we have a lot of tomatoes, want some?

breakdown. the car and almost my mind.

2011-09-20T22:02:00.004-05:00

I spent last week caring for a sick little girl. She caught a terrible stomach virus and missed three days of school! My mom and Dave came to visit for the weekend, which was a wonderful little break for me. Scott had left for Germany, leaving me with the kids and zero breaks for 8 days...and then returned on a day that the kids had off school! So me time has literally not existed lately.

But here is the kicker of everything.

Scott left for Germany right, which means that I get the car right? Awesome! A car for 8 glorious days! I decided I would take the kids to the domes, visit my friend Jess, run errands, grocery shop- just enjoy a little freedom to the fullest! The first few days he was gone Elliott was sick, so I didn't leave the house. Then like I said Mom came, and well they have a bigger car so we used her car. Come Sunday night, mom left and I packed a picnic dinner, loaded up the kids and headed off to the lake shore. With in a couple blocks I realized something was wrong and pulled over, only to discover a completely flat tire. I had just passed a gas station, so I went back filled the tire up as much as possible and went back home. Let me tell you it took every ounce of my will to not just fall down in a bawling mess. I couldn't believe it. And It isn't like I would be able to just run the car to the shop come Monday morning, with the crazy school schedule. I have 2.5 hour windows of time in my day between pickups. And let's be real I'm not going to take three kids across town with a flat tire and try to get it fixed. So instead, the car sat in the garage all week. I honestly wanted to just give up. I feel like I have sacrificed so much over the last few months and I really didn't need this inconvenience. But I gave myself a good pep talk. Really how bad is it really? I have my health. I have my legs to bike or walk to the store. I have a home. I have food. I made it through the week just fine. And thankfully Scott took care of it over the weekend- and yes it was a all day process- the rim was cracked, needed to be welded and the tire replaced. Good times. While he was doing that, Elliott and I went to the Bayview Bash, and got feathers in our hair. :)

the lovely anita @ the bayview bash

elliotts special henna from Anita

picking out the perfect feather.

getting her feather.

all done!

I chased this little monster around while big sister was getting pampered. :)

I know, he is so cute.

And incase you actually read through all that, we discovered that the breaks on the car all needed to be replaced on the car...so yes, we had to get that fixed today. So I would appreciate a lot of prayers for photo sessions, cause we have a big debt to pay back right now! Thanks.

When it rains it pours...speaking of rain check out this session from Sunday, just a little drizzle.

{wordless wednesday}

2011-09-14T10:56:00.004-05:00

Big day here yesterday-

Rai has finally mastered the pull behind toy!

*back to school has been very busy here! I hope you are enjoying the fall and making plan to get out to the orchards and enjoy the season! I have so much to get caught up on on this poor blog!

Have an Ekk-O-Friendly Halloween!

2011-09-13T08:08:00.000-05:00

I am super excited to share this event with all of you! This is a nationwide event happening at locations all over the place. What is this even you ask? Why it is

National Costume Swap Day!

On Oct 8th, 2011 locations will be hosting costume swap. Why such an event? Let me tell you, by swapping half the costumes that children wear at Halloween can reduce annual landfill waste by 6,250 tons, equal to the weight of 2500 midsize cars.*

Not only will it reduce the amount of waste in the landfill, it will also save you time and money. By participating in this event you will be able to have a one stop shopping experience with your child that will allow he/she to pick out and create their own costume. You will also be cleaning out your closets and spending zero dollars in the process. Swap locations are being added daily, so visit the site and see if your state has a location near you!

To make a difference this Halloween you must also check out Green Halloween. you will find hundreds of ideas to make your Halloween more ekk-o-friendly. While there you can also find out how you can get connected in making a difference in your community. And to Swap all you things for "new" things you need check out swap.com!

*Statistic credit Bob Lilienfeld www.Use-Less-Stuff.com based on
data from U.S. Census Bureau and Department of Transportation.
Assumes costume weight of 1 pound.

summers end, school begins.

2011-08-31T22:27:00.000-05:00

Summer has come to an end. My days of sleeping in and hanging out in my jammies with the munchkins is over. We have had such a nice summer. Just us, nothing fancy. No schedule. No sports. Just play. We have played with the neighbors for 100 hours, we have rode countless miles on our bikes, we have read a gazillion books, we have napped in the sunshine and enjoyed tea on the porch. It has been completely fantastic.

Tomorrow morning we will rise, and get ready for a new school year. We will eat pancakes, cause that is what we do best. I will braid hairs. I will straighten their shirts and tie shoes. They will place their backpacks on and we will walk to school.

They are going to have a great year, I can feel it.

Wordless Wednesday.

2011-08-31T22:05:00.002-05:00

All boy.

sleeps with his

blanket and dinosaur.

i heart faces- white.

2011-08-30T15:35:00.003-05:00

eyes as blue as the sea

heart as sweet as honey

my baby boy.

take a look all the wonderful entries:

bird love.

2011-08-28T09:49:00.002-05:00

I mentioned last week that the middle man went to visit Nana and Papa. Giving me some quality time with my little lady. She is such a special little girl. I am so proud of who she is turning out to be. Although all the emotions along the way are pretty exhausting, she is a terrific kid.

Elliott has always love birds. Ever since she was a baby, she would stare out the window and watch the birds at the feeders. By the time she was three she knew several bird types. Her room has a subtle bird theme and she continues to love watching the birds. When I discovered that we could use our zoo pass to get into the International Crane Foundation, I knew it would be the perfect outing for the two of us. I went as a little girl and loved it. We dropped Owen off with my mom and headed off the visit the cranes.

Whooping Crane

The African crane exhibit was really fun with some hungry hippo's roaming about...

hippo attack!

strolling by the hippos. ;)

They really are such beautiful creatures. It is a shame that so many are so close to extinction. The efforts made by the International Crane Foundation are remarkable. If you are in the Wisconsin Dells area I highly suggest checking it out- there are plently of hiking trails on the property as well and the staff is super helpful and welcoming too.

a fifties kinda day.

2011-08-25T22:01:00.001-05:00

Today was one of those days that you hear stories about.

You wake up and stroll out to the porch with your cup of coffee in hand. The eldest decides to make a pot of tea and join you. Shortly followed by the middle son with his cup for tea too. A little while later your neighbor strolls across the street with her beautiful babes in tow. The children run off playing and imagining. Us moms kick back and talk about life and raising the youngsters. After awhile, the kids migrate across to their house.

We had decided to make zucchini bread together while we were chatting on the porch, so I gather up some good and bring it across the street. While the big kids played, my lovely neighbor suggested having them set up a produce stand. They quickly made their sign and set up shop on the side walk. We gathered the babies (just 25 days apart) at the kitchen table and set to work on the yummy loaves of zucchini bread. Chatting and listening to the kids yelling, "vegetables for sale".

the cuteness is a little overwhelming at times.

owen sharing some vegetable facts. ;)

no cucumbers were harmed, it was a teething toy.

It is these types of days that make my heart so full that we live in the city. A place where the kids can have their best friends across the street. Where us moms can have an adult to socialize with and support each other in the thick of parenting. It is truly a blessing. God has honestly blessed me with the most amazing neighbors- everywhere we have lived! Several of my closest mommy friends are those who I have been a neighbor with.

*disclosure. although similar to the 1950's i must point out that there were a few major differences: neither mom was in makeup while sitting on the front porch, honestly we hadn't even showered yet. ok, we may have been in our PJ's. while baking we did not wear aprons or heels.(or dresses for that matter)

wordless wednesday.

2011-08-24T22:14:00.001-05:00

Elliott is turning out to be a fabulous nail artist. :)

Beach Love.

2011-08-18T22:14:00.000-05:00

We went to the beach this week. It was perfect.

Elliott and her friend ran to the water and were lost in their imaginations for hours. I stayed out of their way and snapped some pics of the little man.

Rai was completely happy in the sand

and water.

I am sure that there was sand in each and every craves of his little body.

He may have been chewing on a rock here...

With each tiny fist full of sand he tossed into the water, the harder he laughed. I am pretty sure he would like to live at the beach, just like his mama.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-17T21:51:00.003-05:00

Life is good.

baby.

city.

beach.

supermom for the day.

2011-08-11T23:35:00.000-05:00

I gave it my best shot and tried being supermom. It was pretty fun. It wasn't anything too great or over the top, but needless to say I was pretty stoked. All summer I have been trying to fully embrace my new no car life. Yep, three kids, no car. In the past when I haven't had a car, I had two bigger kids, so it was easy to hop on the bus or put them in the trolly. New challenges have arisen with having three. The bus is just too much for me now, I know maybe I am just a big old wimp! I now have to pay for Elliott to ride the bus, bringing up the cost to $4.50 one way. Not to bad, but if we are going to the museum, I would want to pack snacks and/or lunch. Well the baby already has claimed my back, so now how do I carry everything we need? Strollers are too bulky and time consuming on the bus, so that isn't gonna work either. Now I could forgo the snacks and lunch packing. Then we would have to add the cost of purchasing while there, again, not really an option for us right now. With all that said, I am limited to foot or bike and therefore, I stay home all the time. Well, after this past weekend, while having access to the car, and not running out for groceries, left the kids and I with empty cabinets. I could have arranged to have Scott come by with the car late Monday night so I could run out, or late Tuesday night. (fyi-we are currently separated, so it takes a lot of juggling to get access to the car.) I decided to no longer be a pathetic loser, sitting at home waiting on access to the car.

No. I was Supermom, I can take my three kids grocery shopping while riding our bikes. Yes. We. Can. I had to persuade the middle man to ride in the trolly, although he is really good on his bike, the ride to Target would have been too much. Oh yes, our Target now has a full grocery section.

Seriously, a huge blessing (and motivator ;)). I packed the boys in the trolly, Elliott grabbed her bike and away we went. Now, it is a very quick ride there, it has a really fun hill to glide down...think about it...makes for a longer ride home. So, we arrive, everyone happy. I grab my coupons and list and off we go.

I swear to you I hit the jackpot in sales and coupons! It was amazing, 33.00 in coupons was knocked off our bill. Every item I needed had a coupon for the next item I needed right on it- the odd thing, almost everything was organic too! I stuck to my grocery rules and came home with everything thing that i needed and a little more, all for less than a normal grocery trip at the grocery store. HOLA!!! Now mind you it was grocery shopping...right before lunch time...with three kids. OY!

Overall they were good, a little crazy, yes, but nothing was broken and no consequences were given. After we finished and paid, we brought our cart full of groceries out to our little trolly. LOL! How in the heck? So, I pulled out my Supermom brain, and started ripping open boxes, dumping contents in the bag and tying up the sack, after all I keep snacks and such in a easy grab basket, mine as well leave the trash at the store! I managed to cram everything into the trolly, shoved the boys in, set off for home, with a good 80lbs in tow. With supermom and supergirl power, we so took on the hill and made it safely home.

My confidence it higher. I will not wait till the weekend for errands anymore...

I am SUPERMOM! ;)

(at least in my own head)

What was your supermom moment? please share!

Homegrown Party.

2011-08-10T10:32:00.005-05:00

We had a lovely simple celebration for Owens birthday this year. No big party, just a lot of fun at home. We made yummy number pancakes for breakfast, ate his favorite Mac and Cheese for lunch followed by super yummy chicken and corn on the cob for dinner. Our most fabulous neighbor came by with adorable left over decorations from her daughters 1st birthday party. Who would have thought newspaper hats with pom-poms and feathers! The kids loved them. She also so kindly brought by a large bag of giant freezer pops...thank you...the sugar high is still wearing off. ;)

In the middle of dinner we had a surprise knock at the door- Owens Awana teachers! We were so shocked and thrilled to see them- they are seriously the nicest people on this planet. The came bearing gifts for the birthday boy- lucky little man. He received several all sorts of backyard exploration toys from his Nana and Papa, Aqua Sand from his teachers along with his own 8 pack of juice boxes!

The highlight i believe was the balloons. Tons of balloons, everywhere! The finally are able to blow them up by themselves, it is very entertaining to watch.

The day was perfect. and he had a smile on his face all day long.

5.

2011-08-04T23:19:00.005-05:00

It was a great day

to turn 5.

But,

I will have to fill you in

on the details later!

I am one worn out mama. :)

World Breastfeeding Week day4

2011-08-04T22:26:00.001-05:00

Bonding.

I can not express in words the amazing bond you feel while you are breastfeeding. The connection between you and your baby is unbelievable. In those first few moments after birth, you are directly skin to skin. I remember like it was yesterday, her sweet tiny body breathing right next to me, on me. I felt so clumsy, yet so empowered. In those first moments, your baby, tiny and helpless, is relying on you and only you to supply all their needs. They are taking in every moment too. Learning you small, your breath, your feel. They are learning that you are safe. You are their means of survival in this world. And, the amazing thing, in a instant you can supply everything that child needs.

What a joy! What a privilege.

What is so wonderful is that even after you baby is bigger, stronger, more independent. You are still all they need. In a matter of seconds you are able to give that child exactly what they need. Whether it is for nourishment or comfort, you are there.

When you are up all night nursing you little one, or plain exhausted. When you are in pain form a plugged duct, or stressed out in the walk of like, just remember, you are all they need. Your baby doesn't need a highend crib, a designer diaper bag, a anthropology wearing mama- all they need is you. Relish in each nursing moment...all too soon your nursling will be off to 1st grade

Wordless Wednesday.

2011-08-03T21:48:00.002-05:00

Sleepyheads.

Dear Summer,

thank you for wearing my children out. I love you, please don't ever go away. OK. Thanks.

Simple City Life

{Sponsor Spotlight- Sprig Toys}

{Sponsor Spotlight- Reusit.com}

one of those mornings.

Green Resolution Giveaway!

January 2012 Buzz Blast!

Welcome to Buzz Blast January!

How to enter

Check out some new blogs and build some buzz this month with Buzz Blast! Oh, and best of all, win some money! What are you waiting for! Enter now for your chance to win!

{Sponsor Spotlight- Fuzzi Bunz Comfort Pads}

{sponsor spotlight- Cubit's Organic Living}

{Sponsor Spotlight- www.EcoBabyBuys.com}

{wordless wednesday- my new baby}

oh, yes, we did celebrate Christmas!

New Year, New Reads {Giveaway!}

Welcome to the New Year, New Reads Giveaway Hop!

Sponsored by HowardComputers.com

Hosted by Formula Mom, Tales From the Nursery, & ShePromotes

Click here to enter the Grand Prize Giveaway!

Hop along and enter to win some great prizes from the participating blogs!

Sponsor Spotlight: Say What You See by Sandra Blackkard

Sponsor Spotlight: Fit Moms for Life

9 years and counting. a very long anniversary post without pictures.

Green Resolutions, a giveaway event coming soon!

{Wordless Wednesday- Flower girl}

Affordable Scarves {Review and Giveaway}

Let's do this.

Bringing in the New Year with Calypso Bay!

misfit cookies

boys.

Loosing my mind over poo.

Sand, Light, Imagination!

a little reminder before the big day.

the backstage pass.

my family.

CampusBookRentals.com {review}

our tree came from Whoville I believe...

12 Days of Gifts Galore. #12DaysGalore

a new tradition.

Deck the Walls with Easy Canvas Prints!

I Heart Faces {On your feet!}

Wordless Wednesday.

Giving Thanks.

Spotlight Sponsor {Lovable Labels} #12DaysGalore

Sponsor Spotlight {My Kids Lids} #12DaysGalore

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Sponsor Spotlight {Joy and Delight} #12GiftsGalore

I Heart Faces~ Autumn Splendor

skydiving for a cause.

busy good times.

Get a Melissa & Doug 25% Off Coupon When You Take the North "Poll"

the holidays are just around the corner, get ready with Shutterfly!

wordless wednesday

life is funny like that.

one fine halloween

{wordless wednesday}

I heart faces. let them be little.

i went to church today.

{Sesame Street Live Giveaway}

off to school we go.

i admit it.

learning not to whine.

Wordless Wednesday.

my little cousin got married!

last minute sewing.

Wordless Wednesday

breakdown. the car and almost my mind.

{wordless wednesday}

Have an Ekk-O-Friendly Halloween!

summers end, school begins.

Wordless Wednesday.

i heart faces- white.

bird love.

a fifties kinda day.

wordless wednesday.

Beach Love.

Wordless Wednesday

supermom for the day.

Homegrown Party.

5.