Great Minnesota Get Together...

Today we are gearing up to take the boys to the fair....Please say a prayer for us as it will be 90 degrees and we will be with my brother and his fiance (I can't believe I am saying that..fiance).

So, while you wait for my much anticipated downloads...Share your own fair story. Here are the top 5 things on my list every year:

5. Christmas Ornaments at Holly Hobbies in the Bazaar (some of you are the recipients)

4. Sweet Martha's Cookies

3. The Big Slide (the boys love that)

2. The French Fry Booth

1. Randomly elbowing hundreds of people as I feel "TOO" crowded!

More to come later...

Television All Star

Did any of you ladies or gentleman know that I was in all the major TV shows?

Well, I have been keeping it deep inside until now....

please see my portfolio of fantastic work that I am proud to display!

It all started with "BANDSTAND" I was an alternate for every other show...my moves were mimicked all across the land!

You must remember "Gidget" in the Flying Nun. I started all the rage with Sally Field haircut. She totally copied me. Trendsetter since day one!Do you remember a little show called " What's Happening?" Well, I was re-runs sister Sheila. PSS, I was "DA BOMB".

Candice Cameron on "Growing Pains". I was an understudy with identical hair...Not much camera time though...I was more interested in Kirk (her brother) who came to pick her up!


Last but not least, I was a 90210 original cast member. Tori was jealous of me even though Jennie Garth loved me..what can I say...Love a little drama

Giving props to my cuz who told me about it....www.dingdingdorn.blogspot.com make sure to check out her pics too...pretty funny!

Enjoy your day...I know I did...

Thankful Thursday...For School!!!

A much anticipated event for mom & dad and a much more nerve racking event for Jaxon, but nonetheless and EVENT! Open house at school this year and Jaxon is in 2nd grade...hard to believe. They really do grow up fast. Feels like I just dropped him off at Kindergarten.

His 2nd grade teacher seems really excited and sweet. She is very outgoing and was taking individual time with each student! Jaxon has several students in the same class as last year, so that helps with the comfort level.

I am really trying to squeeze in a couple of fun things...although it has been tough because family is here and we are planning a birthday party for Erik's dad.

So, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU...to all the teachers out there for all the hard work that you put forth to teach our children. I know that it is a job that I could NEVER do and would not even begin to question your dedication. I love the school that my son attends and the staff makes it ....AMAZING!!!

Wordless Wednesday....I'm Feeling....

Tuesday Technology Tidbit

Here is the much awaited Technology Tidbit for this week. It is FREE editing software that is just like Adobe Photoshop or CS3 (with some minor subtractions). It is developed by the software gurus at Microsoft who used to be with the Microsoft Paint program that came on all the older XP machines. Not to bore you with too many details. This is a really great way to begin to "Seriously" edit your photos without having to pay the large price tag that comes with Photoshop or CS3 (we are talking $700-$1500 depending on what you buy).

This is ONLY for PC users and not for MAC. So please make sure that you do not try to load on the MAC...it will laugh at you..(that is a computer joke..)

You can access the download at: www.paint.net

Now, I am sure that will not answer all your questions...you can purchase books on the subject but my favorite tool of reference is Google, have any of you heard of that??? LOL.

Type in what you want to do like: How to edit photo in paint.net and the instructions will pop up.

There are some web based tutorials also. I'm here to help if you have questions.

Good Luck!

Priority Shift

I'm in need of making some changes in my life.

Overall, I feel blessed to have the life that I live. I am no longer a 20 something searching for selfish things. I am now a 30 something wife...

AND mother of 2 that constantly keep me on my feet

(and sometimes past out on the couch or at the computer...lets be real here)!

Although my family life is great, I am the one that needs a Priority shift. More Family Time!

Starting today, I am learning to say "NO" to some of the wrong things that I have previously felt the need to squeeze in. Now I am saying "Yes" to more of the right things.

I'm sure all 8 of you that read this would agree.

I am making a priority shift for real. Starting with Mamma.

Here's the quote that got me all started:

Busy, aren’t you? Thank God you took the time to come to church. I’m sure the needs and responsibilities of your life are immense. Do your job well. Pay attention to your spouse. Care for your children. Pay your taxes. Make ends meet. Find time for some fun and rest. Don’t disappoint anyone. Make sure you measure up. Whew! No wonder you’re busy. The demands of life are, well, demanding.

I am all ears, open to suggestions and ideas....

Great Girlfriends...Gettin Gussied...

So, here is a great pic that was taken last night as Jenny celebrated her 30th birthday...(and I thought I was young)! Man, did we have a great time. Dinner @ Wildfire...followed by a shindig at Casa de Hansell with food and festive beverages....

So, in honor of Jenny's 30th Birthday here is a little something that I love about each one of these girls that make my life a little sweeter......

Jenny- She has an extremely level head for someone who is a youngster...I value her opinion on my many things but most of all, I appreciate the fact that she just takes you as you are...even with all your flaws...HMMM...I can admit that I am not perfect...(Shhhh...don't tell Erik)!

Kari - At first glance she might appear to be shy but watch out, this girl can belch like a trucker!

Not only that, but she has some mad skills in the scrap booking and home made craft department...seriously, how do you know how to make an ear of corn, a tooth, or a chefs hat? It is like origami to me but she does it in a snap....every girl needs a friend like that~!

Robynn -The sense of humor that she has pretty much makes me wet my pants! I know that if I am having a bad day, I can call her up and tell her and poof! I am snapped out of it.... She also has the gift of insight!!

Now...the interesting this about this friendship is that they all come from right around the corner. Most of the time you think oh these girls knew each other in college, or high school even but we met right in our neighborhood.....crazy.

So, to all you girls who have girlfriends, give a shout. Be thankful! We are blessed to share our lives with a short few...and these 3 have all the skinny on me (and they ain't tellin)!

Saturday "Shack" Attack!

Well, its official. I am FINALLY reading "The Shack"! I started last night and I can hardly put it down. Good thing I will have a 3 hr car ride home today and hopefully I can push through a few more chapters!!!

I have tons of friends who have told me about it and now I will no longer be out of the loop.....I catch up, it might take me months, but I get there eventually!!!!

Saturday Shack Attack...here I come!

Our Day Up North

Just when I thought that Mason had no more firsts to accomplish, here he goes getting stung by his 1st bee! I felt so bad for him and I am sure that most of you can attest...that really stings!!

He has never had that feeling and it took him a sort of long time to recover...
(we are talking lots of hugs and ice cream here)!

We started out our day up north playing a little football in Nanna and Poppi's front yard. Then, the boys let me snap a couple of pics of them walking together in the field...Then we headed over to Mark's cabin (maybe partially ours soon)? We took a rather cool dip into the water and the boys let me snap again!

We topped it all off with a bonfire hot dogs, chips and smores...

PUT A FORK IN ME....A GREAT SUMMER DAY UP NORTH!

PS...this NEW collage is courtesy of Picnik...if you become a premium member..you get this for free! I am loving it!

Thursday Top 10

After a day like the one I had, I sort of started to ponder the going back to school days....although a small piece of me realizes that I did not utilize this Summer to spend as much "Quality" time with the boys as I would have liked, I am grateful for the time that we had and I know that there were some great memories there! So, as I countdown my top 10 today is what makes the mom bus better than the standard mode of school transportation? Or does it at all....

Share your thoughts...I'm open!



10. Don't have the fear that my kid gets put on the wrong bus to Timbuktu.
9. Gas Prices...HA
8. Something cool about drop off and pick up
7. Mom waits in the line....Jaxon talks to friends and keeps me waiting
6. No spit wads
5. No making fun of one of my kids for glasses (we know that happens)
4. Me, standing on the corner in my PJ's and a winter vest...(you know who you are!)
3. Having to be out of the house by 8:15am...that never happens in Summer
2. Lost backpack is a thing of the past....
1. Don't have to buy another Christmas gift....(unless it is to reward myself..)

Wordless Wednesday - Guess where I found this?

Technology Tidbit

Here is a little thing that I have been playing with for the past couple of days. The site is called ScrapBlog and you can find it at www.scrapblog.com. You can create digital scrapbooking for your blog....normally I am not into digital scrapbooking because I believe it takes all the fun out of your creations, but this is a really neat site that makes your blog jazz up. Take a peak at the site, it is very cool and so many styles and designs to choose from.

Blackmail...

Last night we had a little fashion show with the cousins who are in from Madagascar. I secretly have always wondered what one of my children would look like as a girl (minus the glasses of course). I know what that was like wearing specs as a little girl....BRUTAL~! Would not wish that on anyone....Anyway, I digress.

Jaxon decided to dress up like a girl and ask us to "SCORE" him like he was at the Olympics! Let's just say he got a 10.0 on this one!

Serious blackmail for later in life...or heck how about for right now!

Super Ball Sunday

Erik had some daddy/boy time at the Twins game (I know what your thinking....AGAIN?) while I got a little work done as well as some errands...it is so joyous to walk into a store without kids...remember that? Oh, how we take small things for granted some times!

After the festivities, I made a little dinner..(lasagna..YUM) and we headed out on the deck for a beautiful evening of chilling.....Mason got this really cool ball from his buddies birthday and he decided to try and give it a shot....it ended up scaring him royally....I laughed on the inside and sympathized on the out

(way to go mom)!

Here are the pics, hope you enjoy...Till tomorrow!

Spicy Saturday

Have you ever opened up a cupboard and stuff just falls on you???? Sometimes that is all it takes to start the "organization war" again. That is what inspired me today to get a couple of those "hidden" areas of my home back under control.

My children bring home some adorable art from school as well as ocassionally (and by occasionally, I mean on a very very rare occasion) I will make a project with them. Jaxon is now 7 and Mason is 4...this means we have some serious space issues in the art department. A great idea that one of my girlfriends does...takes a picture of the art, then she does not keep the original!!! I have implemented that for most things now however, there are some items from a long time ago that I just can't part with. So today was the day that I bought bins...and a paint pen. Walla~

PS....the spice rack shelf and the bins came from a store called Storables...MiMi, do NOT go in there....Rick Ramsey will kill you...seriously, the absolute coolest stuff...even if you think you are organized! www.storables.com

Frantic Friday

Take a look at what I am trying to accomplish...the only reason I am blogging right now is so that I can cross it off the list! HA....

Some days, you have NOTHING to do and other days your list looks like mine...either way, lets try to enjoy that it is another day we are breathing....=)

Say a prayer that I make it back in one piece from all of my excursions today...oh and say a prayer for all my boys too...they have to deal with the lady that looks like this!!!

Tool Thursday...

I have not had the bug for scrapbooking very much since I started this blog thing back in April. Although, I still know that I NEED to scrapbook. I was able to get together with some girlfriends for some scrappin and of course now I have the bug again.

I organized all of my paper again, went through my scrapbooks and added a couple of new scrapbooks to the mix. Now that Mason is officially starting preschool it is time to bump him up to a school album.

So, in an effort to pass along some great information, I love to find paper packs that have coordinating ideas with them. Some of the brands like EK Success, Basic Grey started this but now just about every paper pack comes with an "ideas" page....LOVE THAT!

Here are a couple of the pages that I completed as well as one of the "idea" pages that I was talking about.....That is my Tool Thursday....

Till Tomorrow....

Wordless Wednesday - Laundry Day

Top 10 Tuesday

Top 10 reasons to spend a day having fun with the kids:



10. It gets you out of the house

9. Your kids have play mates!

8. You get some friend time too!

7. Educational areas where you don't have to say "don't touch that"

6. Boys dress in something other than a jersey!

5. Carpooling

4. $20 never seemed like such a better deal.

3. Watching them "be a kid"

2. They are not saying "I'm bored"!

1. The Candy Store afterwards!!!


Thanks guys...we had a great day!!!

Maffic Mondays....Look it up!

Well, here is a spelling lesson...on top of a blog..what a talent I am!!! LOL.

Today, my to do list is a mile long and it has all started with Thank you notes for the boys birthdays and birthday invitations for Erik's Dad who is turning 80 at the end of the month!!!



I am in the process of planning along with all the other family members....one of my functions was invitations. So here is the finished product! Printed, addressed and stamped. One more thing to cross off the list...Now, if only I could cross of Laundry (can any of us ever cross that off)? Oh, I better go, Mason just changed clothes for the 12th time today.......my little fashion model.



Peace!

Cool Cousins..

First, I would just like to say that we DID NOT get a dog...Thanks to the overwhelming responses, I believe that most of my friend pool understands where I am coming from....I know that when my kids are older I might want something to take care of but right now, I am good.

Today started out sort of on the boring side if that is possible. I had to run some errands and then Mark and Tanya decided that they wanted to go to a beach for some swimming...We headed out with the boys to Rice Creek Park Reserve just about 20 minutes away. While we were there, the boys really had a great time with Tanya the cousin that we hardly see. She is adorable and age 9...just what the boys need!!!

Here are a couple of pics that I took of them just hanging out. It is amazing to me how great of a connection that they have when they live half way across the world....Jaxon remembers the last time he saw them and when they are out of the house Mason says..."Where are my cousins"?

Sooo Cute!!