What have I been up to???

Well let me just say that when you do not have BLOG on the brain you can get a lot accomplished. I have to say that it feels rather AWESOME to be caught up on things like:


Reading my Bible plus...
Cleaning out closets
Taking down Christmas decorations
Cleaning out my car
Cleaning out my office
Downloading all my pictures from PC to CD for safe keeping
Grocery shopping
Talking to Children and Husband...wink wink =)


I do have a couple of things to post and I will have to see where I go from there...I miss you all terribly tho...so I am catching up on comments!

Favorite Picture from taking the boys to Disney on Ice...This was the Lion King portion...FUN!

Jaxon's 1st Hockey game of the season and yes, you guessed it Masons 1st attempt at trying something fun (other than watching brothers game).....hopefully this is NOT a precursor of what is to come! (Behind bars that is..)


Next, we took our boys to something here in Minneapolis called Hollidazzle. It is a parade of lights that is put on every year. The kids LOVE it, I LOVE it when I can sit in the sky way with a warm Starbucks....this year we did BOTH...Outside and inside.


Macy's also does an 8th floor show every year. This year it was Santa's Elves. It is always free so this is something that we LOVE to take the kids to.

Here are a couple of my favorite pictures..




Well, there you have it...about 2 weeks worth of posting....in a REALLY REALLY LONG post!
I am just now downloading from Christmas so I will have some really cute pics when I get that done.

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and Blog at you soon!

Pay it Forward.... WINNER

DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!!!

The winner is......Elaine @ Matters of the Heart

Yeah, you!!! You shall receive the complete set of 4 glasses....Shipping out ASAP!

I am sending you an email to get your address. Congratulations.

Hockey Season Has Begun....

So this weekend was the 1st Hockey game for us. Many weeks of practices and I am PROUD to report that Jaxon had 7 (yes, I said 7) goals. Lets just say that dad and him have been doing a little incentive with a new hockey stick. Get at least 5 goals and you can play with your new stick. Get less than 5 and you are back to the old one that is splintered to heck!

There was a little drama in the beginning of the season because Jaxon was evaluated and chosen to be on A Mites again this year simply because of his skating which both Erik and I realized was our fault for not spending 3-4 hundred dollars on lessons (can you think of something more fun to spend that money on..I can).

Well, as it turns out we may have to petition the association because Jaxon knows the game really well. He is focused and guess what??? His skating has kicked in! So, after the 1st game we had several coaches tell us that he might need to be moved. Please say a prayer, because this is always a little hairy and it is not our intent to rock the boat. We just want Jaxon to be challenged at hockey like we expect him to be in school.

Here are a couple of pictures from the game. These are random shots. Not all of Jaxon but there are a couple of him as well.

Hope you are all having a great weekend!

Thank you Thank you!!! + Pay It Forward.....

I want to say Thank you Thank you to Stacy @ Mckrackensx4 for my Pay it Forward gifts...I received the following....

Yum to the chocolates and the minty body lotion...if I eat all the chocolate and apply the lotion hopefully no one will know I ate all the chocolate ;). The notes pads and thank you notes will be used too!

So, onto the Super Fun part of this post....I am taking the guess work out of this one because I know that we are all busy ladies. Below is a picture of the Pay it Forward gift that I will raffle off.

It is a set of (4) home made wine glasses by yours truly.... To enter please leave me a comment.

You will be placed in the drawing and could be the lucky recipient (barring a broken glass incident from the post office)!

I will close the drawing on 12/22 and ship out that day with every hope to get the item to you by Christmas but I can not make any promises...

After further discussions with my husband and my cousin, I am going to discontinue doing any of the MeMe's on the blog but I will post occasionally on all things faith, family and friends...just to keep in touch. There He&Me+3...you happy;) ??

With Some Serious Sadness....

So, for the past couple of weeks I have been hearing a little whispering voice that has told me that I need to stop blogging. Of course I have been ignoring it (much like I ignore my kids, husband, and anything else that gets in the way of my blogging.) Well, the little whispers are getting louder and louder ( in the form of a 7 , 4 and a 40 yr old voice and one who is a little bigger and older than that). This time I am listening.

Ladies, I just LOVE LOVE LOVE blogging and all of the friends both Christian and otherwise that I have met. Most of you have made me laugh, cry and just realize that we are all human and trying to live life to the best of our ability. And that with God, all things are possible not through me alone but along with him.

For me, I started this with the intent of having far away family be able to feel closer to us. I grew into what I would consider to be a more Christ like Wife, Mother and Friend because of all of you. Now, my challenge is not to write on a daily basis about what my family is up to but to spend the time with my family. These days are short and I do NOT want my children to remember mommy as someone who is always on the computer.

Believe me when I say that I am so thankful for all of your blogs and for you to continue to blog. In a world where there is not a lot of positivity, this is a positive forum that should be broadcast to the masses. The message of connectedness and sisterhood as God intended us to be.

I will occasionally stop by all of my friends to leave comment love (duh, that is so important) and I will not be done with my blog until I have completed my PAY IT FORWARD from McKrackensX4.

I ask that if you have been following me and you do not currently follow He & Me + 3 that you will check out my cousin because she will continue in the blogging world and has some great insight and humor as well as love for the Lord (and her kids might be on the cute side)!

After discussing this with my oldest son and husband, the words that my 7 year old said..."Thank you Mom, I will love having you back." Gulp Gulp, Kleenex please. I am doing this for them, NOT for me!

So, to end this lovely little post with an 1980's power ballad...which by the way just seemed appropriate (you can thank me later).

Please feel free to keep in touch with me, I will delete the blog once I am done but my profile will still be up.

Thank you so much for all you have taught me and God Bless all of you and your families.

Not Me Monday...Oh boy, what did I (not) do now?

1. It was NOT me who decided that a day old cup of coffee out of the pot would be just fine and there was no need to brew a whole new fresh pot...I mean, really when you think about it I like espresso anyway. I would NEVER be that lazy.

2. It was NOT me (and my hubby) who stood in line for an hour and a half to take pictures with Santa to have the computer crash literally as we got up to Santa...then who decided he might need a smoke break...(seriously Santa...FYI, you may not want to let the little kids in on your really lovely habit). (Not to mention, my oldest did NOT ask me if Santa made Cigarettes at his workshop)LOL....

3. It was definitely NOT me who decided to get a really nice, expensive car wash this week and while waiting for my buzzer to go off for my car I did NOT overhear a man screaming the F word to someone on the phone...Again, it was NOT me who politely (and by politely, I mean really snotty and belligerent) told him that was highly inappropriate and should not be allowed in public. There were several OLD men who applauded which made me NOT feel hot and sassy ;)

4. It was NOT me who spent the better part of a 40hr work week fighting with the computer and photo shop for the above header/Christmas card. I am more intelligent than that and should know better than to try and accomplish something like this without and intervention. I needed an army of hands to click in this program...Sheesh and I sell these things for a living, how does an average person deal with this?????? I was NOT frustrated!

5. Yeah, so my family decided it would be fun to go to this outdoor Christmas parade on Sunday evening (did I mention that we live in Minnesota?). Any who, the temps had NOT been plummeting and it was NOT blizzard us here at all...so we get downtown and I was NOT grumpy...looking at my watch and basically wondering if I was ever going to eat again when my oldest son did NOT say to me.."Man mom, you need a Starbucks".....Um, this did NOT send a hungry, cold, almost tongue stuck to pole agitated mom into a NON fit of Rage....wow...thanks for letting me vent on that one...(PS, thanks to the Starbucks on Nicollet Mall for making my hormone levels normal again). It was not me anyways...That would just be pure evil.

6. Lets just say that it was "NOT" me who called a snow day for (today) Monday for our whole school district, I mean at least for my children, I am not getting them up out of bed to sludge through 40 minutes of traffic to go 6 miles to school...Let's just say that since I am posting at 1:30 in the morning, I should NOT have a problem sleeping in...

So, Please tell me....what did you "NOT" do this week? Please visit MckMama for more!

Sunday Sermon..Have A New Kid By Friday!!

So, I was with my friend at the bookstore a couple of weeks ago, we were piled high with books on marriage, self esteem and of course stumbled into the parenting section. I just so happened to pick up this book from Dr. Kevin Lehman with a hope that there would be some great tips in there on how to reason with my NOT so small minded 4 year old. Well is it a prescription for success? In my opinion...YES! Obviously principals that we have already heard but twisted in a once again easily readable format for even the most time crunched Moms and Dads.

Here is a little intro into the book, and if you are looking for a little help in this area I suggest you pick it up at a local bookstore!

TSMSS - Sing Angels Sing

Oh I love this season. The songs that should be sung all year by everyone are finally heard!!!

I'm sure you have all heard this song but I can't make it through this song without crying. Jaxon asks me to turn it up and then says it is really sad. I am not sure why he is subjecting himself to it but I think that it makes him think...as it does me also.

For more TSMSS please visit Signs, Miracles, and Wonders. Have a blessed day!

Friday Funnies...

What do you call the fear of getting stuck in a chimney? Santaclaustrophobia...Duh!

For more Friday Funnies, please visit Homesteaders Heart!

Time off Thursday...

Just needed a blog day off...Too much Christmas shopping and errands to run! Hope everyone has a blessed day...Be back tomorrow!!!

Wordless Wednesday..Happy Holidays...REALLY?

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Tuesday Technology Tidbit...And Award Love

Two blog posts for the price of one...HA!

So, maybe just maybe this has NOTHING to do with technology (simply because you have to live in a cave not to hear of YOU TUBE). However, I just could NOT pass this up. This Christmas video is really really funny. I mean, wet your pants funny...and you know that means that you have to appreciate my humor to get this.

Please have a kleenex handy...you will be crying ;).
"I saw monkey kissing Santa Clausssess"

The 2nd piece of this blog is to lovingly thank Tollesons4Him for sharing this awesome award with me!Please stop by and leave her a comment! We love comments! I have to say that I would like all of my friends to snag this award, if you follow me, just stopped by or are an award stealer..you are welcome here and welcome to take the award as your own. I love all the award love that we have been sharing!

Not Me Monday...

Again with the Not Me's!!! I have been writing and pondering all week to make up the list!

1. It was not me who made an accidental phone call on my blackberry to my in laws when discussing their gift with my husband..not that I can keep secrets but to inadvertently tell them what they are getting...Nope not me!

2. Again not I, who took a slip outside of Target. Not like we donate enough in our hard earned salary to the joint but then to take an enormously embarrassing spiller? C'mon already.

3. It was NOT ME who decided to pack my schedule to the ULTIMATE MAX making me quite possibly the most INSANE and crabby person on this earth. As if a job in corporate retail at the holidays was not stressful enough...

4. It was NOT ME who decided to attend my husbands school Christmas party only to find a room of men...seriously why did I get dressed up for this. Not even a chick in the joint who graduated before 1960....

So, what on earth did you NOT do this week? To join in on the fun please check out MckMama!

Root Beer Float Night...

Something that we do fairly often...(seems more frequent in the summer) but we make Root Beer Floats w/ sprinkles. They pick out the sprinkle colors and they have a small glass w/ light ice cream! I know that life gets more and more busy but sometimes when the boys ask for the simple things...I try to remember, YES! You can have that!!!

One day, I will miss this for sure!!!

To get in on the Your Gonna Miss This fun, Please visit Pam!

Sunday Sermon...Is it just me?

Yes, sometimes I feel like a crazy person. I will admit it. I stuff my schedule to the max and sometimes everything and everyone around me suffers. I long for days where I have nothing planned, nothing to mark off the dreaded TO - DO List and can just sit back and relax with my family.

After thinking about all that I realized what a sinful nature I have, to not make God a larger priority in my life. I have made some large strides in the Marriage, Parenting and Bible Reading arenas but an area that I feel like I struggle with is prayer. I am learning every day to give over control that I so desperately want for myself to someone who has all of my plans guided out. However, praying...I'm just feeling like it is the missing link for me.

I'm looking for tips here on this one...so if you have a foolproof method to fitting it in, please let me know the strategy.

I have been trying in the car while I am waiting for my son at school. This is about 20 minutes but sometimes I am easily distracted (does that happen to anyone else)?

So much for my Sunday Sermon. Looks like you ladies will be preaching to this choir!

James 5:13 - Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? He should sing songs of praise.

Friday Funnies...Watch Out!

Hey Hey Hey...it is Friday Funny time! If you have not participated, please head over and see Kim @ Homesteaders Heart and link up so we can see "YOUR" idea of funny!

Here is my idea of funny....watch out Santa! You never know what those pilots are doing!!!!

(PS, my apologies if you or anyone you know is a pilot, this is NOT directed personally at them)!

The CHRISTmas Award..

Well, as they say in Hollywood, the award season has begun (LOL)! I would love to thank Stacey @ McCrakensx4 for giving me a little CHRISTmas Spirit!!!

Here are the rules of this award:

You must be a true CHRISTmas lover to receive this award.
The person to whom you give the award must also be in love with CHRISTmas.
You must link back to the person who gave you the award.
You must list 5 things that you love about Christmas.

Here are the 5 (well OK..7 ) things I LOVE about CHRISTmas!

1. That a baby in a manger, would turn out to be the saviour...

2. CHRISTmas Caroling (kind of old school but I still love it)!

3. The CHRISTmas Cookies....C'mon there are like a thousand different kinds

4. Watching the kids light up that morning when they open their gifts.

5. My Dad reading the CHRISTmas story from the Bible.

6. Driving around the neighborhoods to evaluate lights!!

7. All of the CHRISTmas sales...(yes, God has to be in those sales, I just know that he puts some of those things on sale specifically for me)!!

In true spirit of the award, I am passing this onto a couple of blogging friends:

Jenny @ Hansell Happenings

Melyssa @ Life w/a Beau and a Belle

Karin @ Just Me and My Boys

You ladies can all take this award if you don't have it....by all means lets share the CHRISTmas spirit!!! ;)

Thanks again Stacey! Your really becoming a BLOG DIVA!!!! =)