2nd Annual Comment Challenge

Over on one of my favorite blogs, Our Motto is Patience Shelly is participating in the 2nd Annual Comment Challenge over at Jenna's Journey. I didn't hear of this last year but I think the concept is great! From today (July 4th) through next Monday our challenge is to visit 10 of the blogs on the linky list and comment on their post, because, well, what blogger doesn't love comments right!?!! And I'm sure like I did when I participated in the Ultimate Blog Party over at 5 Minutes for Mom last year I'll find a few new blogs to follow, which is always fun!

I liked Shelly's idea of doing a top 10 list so here's my top 10 to introduce you to me during the comment challenge.

1) I was raised Mormon, but converted to Catholicism in 2007. I love being Catholic and am very involved in my Parish, including cantoring during Masses, teaching 8th grade Confirmation prep in our Parish School of Religion, and being a part of a women's retreat team called CRHP (pronounced "chirp") and stands for "Christ Renews His Parish", just to name a few!

2) I love theater and was very active in my high school drama club (I played Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz..how fun is that!??!!) I was going to major in theater, but I didn't. So now I sustain my thirst for theater by attending touring Broadway shows, frequenting local theater groups and participating in my parish's drama club.

3) I love to travel. Last summer we took a 10 day road trip and went to Washington DC, Baltimore, MD and Lake Erie, OH. I am currently trying to put together a group tour to Italy summer of 2013, which will be an ultimate dream come true!

4) I have a degree in Middle School Education, and my areas of concentration are math and science. I haven't taught since I graduated in December of 2008 because I opted to stay home with my children instead. I LOVE being a stay at home mom, even on the days that my kids (ages 6, 4 and 2) are absolutely driving me nuts! ;-)

5) I love FlyLady! I think she is amazing! And I swear that my house looks as good as it does because her steps actually work! I am a Flybaby and I am proud of it! 

6) I started couponing about 1 year ago, but got really into it in the past 6 months. I love being able to bring my grocery bill down (especially on healthy and beauty items, and diapers!), but I refuse to become and extreme hoarder, uh, I mean couponer! (I will NOT dumpster dive for coupons! That is just gross!!!!) However, I am very proud of the 5 tubes of toothpaste I got this week for $0.30 ($.06 a piece, all I paid was tax!!!) and the 5 Dove deodorants I got for a $1 a piece! You gotta love a deal like that! lol

7) I started scrapbooking in 2000 and I still love it, even though I don't have much time to do it nowadays. I love to attend crops (especially 12 hour ones, or longer!) I get so much done and have a great time hanging out with other scrapbookers! That is my idea of a great time!

8) I met and started dating my husband when I was 17. We dated for 4 years and were married in 2003. (yes, I was 21!) I have had 3 kids in 7 years. We've survived building a house (with my mom who we share the house with), a miscarriage (only about 2 months ago), family drama, financial hardships, and just life in general. But I love him as much now as I did then, probably more. And I'm so glad that he chose me to share his life with!

9) I watch way too much TV, not kidding! And the only thing that keeps me from turning off the cable, is me! I am a movie junkie too! My husband still doesn't understand why I would want to buy a movie that I've already seen...I don't understand why he doesn't get it! lol

10) I have sorely neglected this blog lately and am vowing to kick start things this summer! I have some plans for a new weekly line up (with themes for each day of the week) and I hope I'll see some new faces joining me on this ride! So thanks for stopping by, and I hope I'll see you around a lot!

Stop by Jenna's Journey and check out and comment on some more blogs! I think this will be a great way for you to find more followers and make some new bloggy friends (and who doesn't love that!!!) Happy 4th of July everybody! I hope you have a great day and celebrate our wonderful country today! And if you see a solider please thank them for their service to our country!

Father's Day 2011

November 19, 2004 my husband became a daddy for the first time with the birth of our daughter, Brianna. 2 years, 1 month later, December 19, 2006 we welcomed our first son, Jonah. And on July 9, 2009, the day before Steven's 31st birthday, we welcomed our 2nd son and 3rd child, Micah. Over the years I have watched him grow into being a wonderful father. He loves his children and they adore him! He works so hard to provide for our family, and he doesn't ever complain about it. He not only supports me being a stay at home mom, but he wouldn't have it any other way. 

Over this past year Steven has been able to rebuild a relationship with his dad. They hadn't had a relationship for years, in all the time that we've been together (12 years) and even before that. But it's been amazing to watch this year as they have let the past go and have decided to move forward and build a life together. This was the first Father's Day that they had celebrated together in all those years, and it was very special to be apart of. He recently started renting a place along the river, has a boat, and lots and lots of fishing equipment. Some of it belonged to his younger brother, who passed away right before Christmas last year. It was pretty special watching the kids fishing with Uncle Dave's fishing poles. I'm sure he was smiling at all the fish they were reeling in! Steven took some pictures on his phone (of course, I took the camera, but didn't get it out of the car!!! What's wrong with me?!?! And I also realized we got no pictures of Steven with the kids, or him with his dad!! Geez, I'm slipping!) But we had a wonderful Father's Day, and I hope you all had a special father in your life that you got to celebrate as well!

Brianna's first fish of the day-and Papa Steve showing it off!

A close up of the fish-it was a pretty biggin!

Jonah's first fish of the day- I think he looks like he's about to pinch it!

Poor Daisy Duke- Micah decided at one point that she was horse and decided to ride her! She just laid there and let him climb all over her- what a good dog!

Steve's boat- he bought it for $1000 (used, obviously) and had to put about another $600 in it, but it is awesome!!!

This little guy waited so patiently while everyone was fishing for his first boat ride. He loved every single minute of it!

We decided Brianna will be up on water skies by the end of the summer- I can see it now! Her daddy will have to teach her though, I've never been able to get up!

Micah wasn't too sure what to think about the boat. At first he was terrified, but by the end he was yelling "Whee!!" with the rest of the kids!

Ahhh, this is the life! I agree, dear boy! I agree!

Have a blessed day! It looks like ours is going to be a stormy one! I hope you get sun wherever you are!

How We are Surviving Summer

Well, we're in our second week of summer vacation and so far we are surviving. We went to Meijer and got an inflatable pool for the kids which they love! I think they have spent more time in the pool than they have done doing anything else! I sit on the deck under the umbrella and listen to them splash and play with a good book in my hands. It's the best of both worlds for everyone. Today it rained so I took the kids to Chuck E Cheese's. We ate pizza and drank soda and played lots of games. They enjoyed being out and about, and I enjoyed giving them a place to run wild for a little while, especially since getting outside was difficult. When we got home the rain had stopped so they played outside for a while. I love opening the garage door and letting them run between the garage and the driveway. It feels like an extension of the house, another playroom where you don't have to worry about something spilling on the floor or if they start to get really loud. While they were playing it started to rain again, so they grabbed umbrellas and ran around like wild people. I remember growing up and playing in the alley behind my grandparents house when it would rain. We would splash in the puddles and just get good and wet. It was always so fun, and I went back there today while I watched the kids playing in the rain. We are about to snuggle up on the floor and watch Gnomeo and Juliet. Just another lazy summer afternoon.

We Survived Kindergarten

I can't believe that the school year is over! It feels like only yesterday we were sending Brianna off for her first day of real school, and now we are surviving the second day of summer vacation! It feels like only yesterday I was taking these pictures...

Wednesday before she left for school we went out onto the deck and took some pictures by our new water feature. Looking at these pictures it struck me how much she grew up this year! 

1st Grade here I come!!

Our beautiful princess!

The diva pose! lol

This little girl has learned so much during the year! She reads books with little to no assistance. She ties her shoes. She can make her bed and clean her room all by herself. She rides a bike. She can shoot a basketball and hit a volleyball like it's nobody's business. She can swim without floaties (in the shallow end anyways!) She writes everything. She can color within the lines. She actually ended up being quite the little artist, and a piece of her artwork was chosen for an Art in the Park day! She made lots of friends (the birthday parties got about ridiculous this year! lol) Her teacher said she would miss her sweet spirit and her love for the Lord that she shows in prayer. She grew up so much it kills me! 

I got a few pictures after school when I went to pick her up. I especially needed a picture of her with her teacher for a her scrapbook, so that was number 1 on my agenda. But I snapped a few others with some friends too!

Brianna with some friends.

Brianna and a friend with their Kindergarten aide, Mrs. Stoll.

Brianna and her teacher, Mrs. Ross. She was a fantastic teacher and we will miss her next year!

As much as it's hard to watch our little girl grow up, it's also very exciting! It's amazing to watch your children become their own people! There are lots of growing pains along the way, but the rewards are so worth it! We're looking forward to a wonderful summer, and a terrific year of first grade next year at a new school.

Oh, What Do You Do in the Summer Time?

Tomorrow is Brianna's last day of school. Tomorrow is Olympic Day, and it's going to be hot and muggy. It definitely feels like summer here. We went to Aunt Pam and Uncle Tim's house yesterday to go swimming. It was the perfect day for it. When we left the house at 10:30 it was already 90 degrees!!! By afternoon it was 94! The water felt great and the kids splashed and played for hours. I mainly sat under the covered patio and enjoyed the breeze and the luscious watermelon and cantaloupe we had cut up upon our arrival. It was a glorious day and it got me thinking about what in the world I was going to do with three kids, all day for the next three months! I started to feel a little panicked at the thought of it, but then with the help of the trusty internet I started to find a bunch of great resources to help me make a plan.

One thing I knew for sure was that every Thursday (weather permitting) we have a standing play date at my friend Lisa's house. They have a great pool, and Brianna is BFF's with her granddaughter Alex. A few other friends bring there kids and we spend the day splashing and playing. So every Thursday on the calender is swim Thursday and we look forward to it! But that's only one day. What can we do for the other 4 days of the week while everyone is at work?

Our public library has some great programs this year, including a reading challenge. For reading (or listening to) 5 books they return a log to the library for a free book prize. After 10 books they get a t-shirt and entered into a raffle to win a new bike. Even children under the age of 2 can get in on the fun with special prizes just for them! They have several story times, art times, and movie times throughout the week that we might take advantage of, especially when the weather is bad.

Our local mall has a great indoor play place. They recently remodeled it and the kids love to play there! Plus, it's air conditioned, a really nice break on those days when the heat index in the Ohio River Valley tops 105 degrees...and it will...often! Thinking of play places also reminded me that Chic-Fil-A has kids eat free Mondays from 10 am-2 pm and they have a wonderful play place so I think we might end up there on almost a weekly basis! lol

But, it looks like gas is going to be really expensive this summer as well. So what can we do in order to help conserve gas and money? My friend, Kaysi posted a great link on her blog to a wonderful list made by Crystal at Crystal and Co, 80+ Inexpensive or Free Summer Activities. She has some great ideas, broken into different categories (Go, Make, Play & Do) I spent some time wandering her blog...really fun! Check it out! And of course, there is always the kiddie pool, the slip-n-slide and the sprinkler!

I have a feeling we'll survive, and I'm sure some days will be better than others, but I hope we'll make some fun summer memories this year! I'm sure we will! What are you planning on doing with your kids during summer break this year? Please, share...I'd love to hear your ideas!

Today

Today I feel very content in my life. We have some sun peeking out of all the clouds. The kids are outside running in the yard, riding bikes and finding frogs. Steven is trimming plants and flower beds, laying out mulch and all the fun yard things that come with early summer. As I was looking out the window watching Brianna riding her bike she caught me and gave a little wave. As I waved back I realized how peaceful I felt. It's amazing what a little sun can do for your attitude, but more than that I realized for about the millionth time how blessed I truly am. Yes life is crazy. It's unpredictable. A lot of times it's hard. But times like these I thank the Lord for the life He has blessed me with. It feels like the storm is passing through, and I'm excited to see what might be on the other side.

I Will Praise You in the Storm

This song has been playing in my head a lot over the past two weeks. Sometimes it's hard to believe it's only been two weeks...the time has really dragged on and sometimes it feels like forever since we lost our baby. I have moments that catch me completely off guard and I find myself sobbing. I never knew that you could miss something so much that you never really got to know. I always felt bad for women who had miscarriages, but I never really understood their pain. Oh boy, do I understand it now! It's a pain that I would never wish on any woman, or any family.

Steven has had a hard too. Some men don't get attached until the baby arrives, but not Steven. He gets attached the minute I say "I'm pregnant!", so he has taken it very hard. The kids have done OK. Brianna will occasionally come over to me and say "Mommy, I'm sad the baby died." I just hug her and say that I am sad too. And then, life goes on. And that's exactly how it should be. We can't stop forever, even though some days it's harder to get moving then others. But I make myself get up, get dressed, make my bed (it's less tempting to crawl back in it if it's made!), brush my teeth and hair. Luckily I have two little guys at home with me all day, so I'm forced to get on with life. And more than that, they keep me laughing and playing and for that I am very grateful!

This weekend Steven and I are going with some great friends to Gatlinburg. We have a cabin up in the mountains, with a view and a hot tub (holla!!! lol!) It's going to be a great trip, and one that we really need! We haven't been away, just us, since Brianna was 11 months old. And that trip was to Gatlinburg too! But we're glad to be going with this group of friends (there will be 6 couples total, all from our church) And after the last two weeks, the time to be alone, and just be Steven and Kari, and not Mommy and Daddy will be very welcome time.

Here's a video I found on YouTube for the Casting Crowns song "I Will Praise You in the Storm". This song has helped me a lot over the past two weeks. It's my reminder that no matter what path we are walking in our lives, Jesus is right there beside us, and we never walk it alone. I learned a long time ago to praise Him in the storm...and we've been able to do that even now. It's been a great comfort!