The kickoff!

Last year when my hubby was laid off from his job we knew that it wasn't going to easy. Not just financially but to keep our family strong. To not let the stress of everything get in the way of a happy family. We decided that it would be good for our family to take a day every week and do something fun. We started calling them our Family Adventures. We did some really fun things. I tried to blog about them, but there are so many that I didn't blog about. This year will be different, I plan on blogging about every one of them.

We have some good friends that came with us on almost every adventure that we went on last year and they are excited to do them with us this year. In fact we have 3 more families that most likely will be joining us. All 5 families had a Family Adventure kickoff BBQ at the park yesterday. It was pretty fun! I was able to get a few pictures. Check them out!


Baseball is Dude's new thing. He is pretty dang good at it. He was given a scholarship to play on a league here and has been enjoying it!

The Princess has been practicing the monkey bars at school but the ones at the park where up kind of high. She really wanted to try to do them, but I was being lazy. Our friend Brandon went over and helped her for the longest time. She had the best time!

This is just funny! You remember that Little Man has an obsession with hats right? Well did you know that he makes me put jackets on him just so he can wear the hat? Silly kid!

Princes has been trying hard to learn how to swing too. I sat there forever trying to teach her. She is the world's most uncoordinated little girl. But she still had fun!

So that is it. Our first Family Adventure of the season. We sat down and wrote out all the things that we want to do this year so stay tuned for more fun with our crazy family and occasionally an appearance of our crazy friends.

Easter

I know that it was a week ago, but I promised my mom that I would post these pictures. Ok, she really didn't twist my arm. But I still made a promise.

Easter was the best. I went to bed feeling really crappy about myself and all the things that are going on in my life. But when I woke up Easter morning the sun was shinning bright in the windows, and my kids were super excited. I couldn't help but smile and push all my stress aside for one day. The Easter bunny did come which made the day even better. The Princess was so excited that the Easter bunny knew that she was diabetic and brought her sugar free candy. This made her day. The day was looking even better.

The Easter Bunny also brought the kids the cutes Easter clothes. I loved that the boys were dressed alike again, and the Princess couldn't stop twirling in her beautiful flowy dress. I tried to have this quick photo shoot, but you know how it is to take your own kids pictures. It never works for me. I always catch a bit of their personalities. Dude really wanted to do his own hair. I wasn't going to fight. This was his best try at a sharks hair do. Gotta love this kid!

Little Man couldn't have been more happy as well. He has a sucker in his mouth before all the eggs where found. This kid loves candy! He looked super handsome in his new get up too! But when I tired to take his picture he was more excited that he was outside he wanted nothing to do with getting his picture taken. I can keep up with him playing. I got a few good ones.

I had taken a few hours off of work so that I could spend a little time with the family before they headed off to church. I was so bummed that I couldn't go with them. I helped get them ready and took their pictures, and was getting ready to send them off. I checked for time off and wouldn't you know it I got it! It was a miracle! I ended up not having to work at all. Not good for the pay check but awesome for spending time with my fam!

All in all the day was awesome! It was just what I needed for curing the way I had been feeling the day before. A holiday, spending time with my family, sunshine and being able to go to church can do that to you!

The only bad part...I didn't get to see my parents.

Not So Bad After All

Last month when I took the Princess to her Endocrinologist appointment I came back feeling like a failure. Well to a degree. I know that wasn't really my fault that her A1c had gone up. But it is so hard not to take it personal. He made a ton of changes to her treatment last month that I feel have been really helping her.

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Let me take a minute to answer a few questions that I have received. First I take her to see her Dr. once a month, and we visit on the phone every week. This is partially due to the fact that since she was diagnosed in November she has never really been able to stay on the same treatment. Her body has been changing so quickly (due to slowly coming out of her honeymoon stage) that almost every week there have been changes made to her doses. Once they feel like things will slow down a bit they will have us come in every 3 months. And second, at the appointment every month they do check her A1c. As you all know this is to help us know how we are doing with things.

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So with all that said, last week we were due to take her to the doctor and I couldn't help but be nervous. All I kept thinking was if her A1c was back up again then I know that I am doing a crappy job at taking care of her. The day wasn't a pretty one. I ended up taking the boys with me to her appointment. I knew I was asking for trouble. When we got there they were pretty wound up. Little Man fell off a chair in the waiting room and was pretty much a pill the rest of the time. I even brought books for all of them to read while the Dr. and I talked. They were so loud that they Dr. said that he was just going to talk over them and asked if I was ok with that.

All that aside, I am here to report that I have nothing to worry about. Her A1c came down from 8.7 last month to 7.4 this month! A huge change and this is the lowest it has ever been. The doctor said we were doing a great job and she is exactly where he wants her to be right now. He didn't make any changes. This is even the first time that I get to go 2 weeks before I talk to him again. You can imagine how happy I was!

This really is the first time since she was diagnosed that I can honestly say that things are going good with her. Before I always felt that they were out of control. It ended up being a good day after all!

I know you were all dying to know!

Yes, they survived the winter. Dare I say just barely?

When we first got these cluckers last summer Mini was pretty small. She wasn't producing eggs yet. Now that it is spring I look at her and think she is Jane every time. I still try to find the "smaller" chicken who is Mini. I just barely realized how to tell them apart. First Mini is now bigger than Jane. Second, Jane has white wings and Mini has white feathers around her neck.

The kids think they are pretty cool still. The "Ba cocks" (pronounced like the sound that a chicken makes) is Little Man's favorite. He likes to wake up and feed them bread, he likes to chase them around the yard and he likes to try to pick them up.

I have learned to like them a little too. Jane is super sweet. Every time the back door opens she comes to your feet and will follow you around. Mini did climb up on my lap while I was taking pictures though. She started to peck at my pants so I kicked her off. Jane came shortly after. She asked to have her picture taken with me. I looked terrible, but I agreed to do it anyway. (lol)

Dude was able to catch Mini on a nice note. I just had to take a picture. Too bad that nice note ended quickly. Little Man tried to pick her up and he got pecked in the face.

See all grown up. Both are laying eggs now. Unfortunately it is never in the same spot. It is like an Easter egg hunt every day! Some days I don't even try. Did you know that egg shells are good for your garden? YOU DIDN'T? Well don't forget to post your gardening questions to get my hubby, Farmer "T" to do a guest post! Maybe you will learn some awesome things like that!

I know what you are thinking. This was taken before she tried to peck his eyes out.

OH! Did I mention my chickens do tricks? Here is proof!

Yep! They jump. Here they are trying to get worms. The kids think this is the best! You hold out bread, cracker, a worm and sometimes just your finger and they will jump to get it!

So there you have it! Proof that I am not a crappy chicken owner. Now let's see if they make it to Sunday Dinner....a hem.

I AM JUST KIDDING!

Well for now. We will see about that when the time comes!

The "Office"

If we lived out in the middle of nowhere I am pretty sure that I would have to start calling my hubby Farmer "T". Kind of like Mr. T but only a little more redneck. On second thought maybe I will start calling him that anyway.

You see he has this love of gardening that has just been getting bigger and bigger every year. Even more so since we moved into this house and have the backyard the size of Nebraska (Hi Gena! Miss you!) The entire North side of our back yard is nothing but garden. Our awesome friend Holly gave Trevor her old greenhouse, that we now call his "Office", and is now located over there too. This has been great for making his garden starts, but bad for ever seeing my hubby.

It had been awhile since I had been out there (dang spring snow!) so I thought I would put on my shoes and head out there yesterday. Plus I figured that if I ever want to see my hubby I need to meet him in the "office" cuz he ain't comin' out till dark.

This is what I saw! I guess I can't make fun of Farmer "T" anymore. This very well might be the only way we will be eating come the fall.

Check out the "Office". Pretty cool huh? FYI, this is where my chickens live too. I was forbidden from taking pictures of the coup until it has been cleaned again. Maybe next time folks.

Let me explain what you are about to see here. When Trevor started planting stuff in the ground he had a feeling that the snow wasn't done yet (see natural born farmer) he had an idea to use our recycled materials to help the little seeds survive. Let me tell you, it worked! We have had several inches of snow in the last few weeks and these little guys are still sprouting!

You can't see it here, but there really are starts under there! Little Man was pretty amused! I was too, but I was a little more impressed with this sweet moment I caught between the two of them!
So I have a feeling this won't be the last we see of this garden. Wait till I show you his love of canning! Anyone else remember when he made strawberry jelly out of 40 lbs of strawberry's 2 weeks after the Little Man was born? Just so you know, the jelly only lasted us a year!

Now here is something fun that I just thought of. Since it is time for most people to be starting their garden maybe it will be fun to have my hubby answer any gardening questions you might have. So if you can think of anything that you need help with or need ideas leave a comment and I will have him guest post. Let's think of some good ones, he is a character and I am sure you all want to meet him. Right? RIGHT? (LOL! He is going to kill me!)

So ask away. If he doesn't know it he will go to the gardening master, my Grandpa, and find out the answer for you! Happy Spring people!

The Easter Egg Hunt

As I mentioned on Little Man's birthday we went to an Easter Egg hunt. This wasn't just ANY Easter Egg Hunt. No, this was one that we were invited to go to at the University of Utah. They hold an egg hunt every year for children with diabetes and their families. It was quite the event. Complete with balloon animals, face painting, magic show, the Eater Bunny, learning classes for the parents, lunch from Jason's Deli, and movies. Oh and the actual hunt itself. It was sponsored by Walgreen's and they provided every child with 2 toys. Yes TWO toys! Not just any little toy either, Dude got a K'nex set and a pack of markers. Princess got a Disney princess makeup kit and a doll that is 1/4 of her height. Little Man got a pack of dump trucks and some crayons.

It was a blast. While we are still adjusting to diabetes being in our home, I feel grateful for events like this and programs like the JDRF that helps us to feel so normal. It helps when all the other kids in the room get shots and make pump adjustments at lunch. All of the sudden Princess isn't quite as different. I just wish I could have taken all my new internet (and some here at home) diabetes buddies. Hopefully we get invited back again next year!

The Dump Truck Birthday Cake.

Every year with the birthday cakes that I make for my kids I get really stressed. I love it! But I have had a lot going on so I wanted to keep it easy. He loves dump trucks so I thought that filling a toy dump truck with dirt would be fun. The dirt actually being chocolate pudding with crunched up Oreo's on top. Complete with gummy worms. What 2 year old doesn't like dirt?(plus with sugar free pudding it is lower carbs than birthday cake for his sister)

Little Man is 2!

I can't believe that 2 years has passed since this little guy was born. His birthday was actually on the 28th, but this last week has been really busy. And to top it off he has been sick all week so this is the first chance I can get to post his birthday wish. As they say "Late is better than never!"

What a joy he is. Even when he is acting 2. This little man has such an understanding of the world around him. Talking up a storm and always trying to make people laugh. He is always learning new things. Many times a day I hear him chanting "Daddy, watch this!"


This boy knows how to show his love for every member of the family. He loves to cuddle with daddy and follow him all around the yard. He loves to play with my hair and gently twists it through his fingers. He loves to play with his big brother and wakes up every morning calling his name and asking to watch cartoons. Him and his sister could play for hours together. He has this nickname for her that is adorable to hear him say. He has certainly found his place in our family!

Little man loves his blanket and binky still. He is rarely without one or the other. Sometimes both. He is a little man of touch. His hair stays long partially because of how much he loves to play with my hair and his own.

He has a collection of hats that are often used. And has a slight obsession with trucks. Dump trucks, fire trucks, garbage trucks and even our friend Brandon's truck. Somehow he knows when it is Friday and waits in the window all day so he can watch the garbage man.

We spent his birthday at an Easter Egg Hunt help for diabetics and their families. Dude and Princess got their faces painted. He wasn't really all that interest. Apparently Princess felt bad for him. Once we got home she took him into her room and painted his face with the makeup she got at the Easter Egg Hunt. I had to leave it for the rest of the day.

There is so much that I love about this kid. I hope that as he gets older he sees how special he is. His ability to touch people and to make people laugh. I also hope that he gets over his fear of heights and dogs.

I find that since he is my 3rd 2 year old I have been a little more relaxed. I try not to get angry when he empties out a the drawer of towels or when he unrolls a new roll of toilet paper. When he takes the bathroom stool ALL OVER the house to make him 6 inches taller it makes me laugh. Even if he uses it to sneak a treat of the counter. He is an explorer just like his older brother. He is sensitive just like his older sister and he is funny like his dad. He is an awesome little boy and I love him to death.

Happy 2nd Birthday Little Man! Your mommy loves you!

The New Look!

As some of you know when we bought our house 2 1/2 years ago it was a mess! I don't mean dirty, it was that too, but it needed a lot of work. We did so much to it. (You can catch on what we did here, here, here, here, here, here, and here but just know that now I have a very dark brown wall, a blue wall and a green wall. Nothing is the same color still)

I had never really liked my kitchen. Well, I loved the fancy tile work that my dad did for us, but everything else just wasn't good. The counter tops never really matched, the cabinets where almost orange, and nothing seemed to fit right. Our awesome neighbors redid their cabinets in their house and passed on the idea for our kitchen. It is this gel stain that you just paint on. You don't have to sand them or anything. It is the coolest stuff! My hubby worked really hard on it and I have to say it makes everything fit now. I don't hate the counter tops now, they match the dark brown so well. We continued the green wall from the family room into the kitchen and that just made everything perfect. Check it out!




Ohh, the cabinets used to be this color. I forgot to take a before picture, so this is the cabinet in the bathroom. They will be stained too! Soon!

Now forget about the orange...look at how awesome it is!

Thank you hubby for all your hard work! I love it!