WiFi...yes please!

I'm sitting at the car dealership...not because I'm car shopping (I guess if you know me you know I love cars! It's always fun to look) but because I'm getting an oil change. Don't worry I am still loving my Mini Cooper. Especially since the gas prices are SKY high! I brought my laptop and am taking full advantage of their WiFi. Thank you very much. What better time to blog? We have had a busy week this week. I have been hunting for the perfect job. There isn't a lot out there in case you were wondering. But if I could nail it down to one profession or field it might be a good starting place. LOL! I think that's the part that is making the search a bit harder. I have a lot of options. I'm choosing to look at that as a positive. There are a couple of things that I am praying about right now and so we will see where the Lord leads.
This past weekend the kids were with their dad who was in town. I picked them up Sunday afternoon and took them to our favorite restaurant for lunch. Chinese of course! As the waitress sat us at a booth...they wanted to all three squish in on one side. As I was sandwiched in the middle they kept hugging me and squeezing me and Tanner looked up at me and said..."Let the hug-fest begin!" It's good to be missed my friends. Very good. When we actually sat down to eat I sat across from them in the booth because there was not really enough room for us to fit and Chloe kept climbing under the table to come over and hug me...she kept saying "I just can't help it Mom...I just have to hug you!"

It's good to be loved and missed. Very good. And since I can't seem to post a blog post without some photos...these film strip photos Chloe took of the two of us. (Using the PocketPhoto app on my iPhone.) She is currently obsessed with taking photos. Gee I wonder where she could have gotten that from? ;)

And just because today is a beautiful day and we have a weekend forecast calling for 80 degree weather...thought I would share a picture of Minnesota weather. Hmmm...so nice to NOT be there! :)

So very grateful!

Where have I been?

Well there have been some BIG changes for the 3 Musketeers! First of all...if you didn't know we are back in Illinois. The land of warmth! After a LOOOONG and freezing cold winter in Minnesota I am beyond thrilled to be home again. Yesterday it was 83 degrees. Seriously. It doesn't get better than that! So much has happened since my last post in January!! I really don't know where to start!

We just celebrated Tanner's birthday party last weekend...he requested a "green frog party" which was a breeze to pull of with the help of my Slice die cut machine. (I am still squealing with all the fun I am having with that silly little cutter!) I made the kids pose for a very green picture before the party got started.

Then a silly face picture...oh my...their teacher is a saint, because these kids are FULL of energy! LOL!

Green paper lanterns, and frogs dangled from the chandelier. We made a frog craft that was fun, and had green cupcakes and green mint chocolate chip ice cream.

This tree house was one of Tanner's gifts that I had gotten for him and I thought after he opened it that it would be the perfect place to house all of our green frog cupcakes! The table was also filled with green snacks. Green grapes, green apples, strawberries and a little candy too. I apologized to all the parents as they picked up their kids as they were very wound up! :)

I will be forever grateful for the sweet, precious boy that the Lord blessed me with 8 years ago. He is a true GIFT! His love for life and art and animals is contagious. I can't help but be excited for the things that he is passionate about. I don't think Tanner will ever wonder what he wants to do with his life. He is absolutely fascinated by so many things. He has so many God-given gifts and talents...and I love him like crazy!

I will be making these...

Are these not the sweetest little treats you have EVER seen?

Found HERE. Well friends, there is much to report from the Stork house here in the frozen tundra of Minnesota. I plan to do some explaining this coming week. And since we are moving...I will just have to post a few photos of the house that I took before I started tearing it apart. :) For now, here's to a new week and specifically a fresh new Monday...full of new mercies. Hope you had a great weekend! :)

Two zero eleven!

I just can't seem to believe that it's 2011! Where did last year go? I blinked my eyes I tell you. I am not a person who is intent on making resolutions that are hard to keep and goals that make me feel pressured. However, I am a "reflector." I like to take a step back and look at things and remind myself of what's important and who I want to be in the coming year. In my time of looking back there are a few things that I zeroed in on right away. First of all, last year at this time I was teaching my kiddos a scripture each month. A simple scripture that we said before we ate our meals. We are reinstating this scripture learning time...It's going to happen this year. Oh yes. I've already talked about it with the kids. The other thing that I am working on figuring out is giving the kids some more responsibilities. I am so used to doing everything for them...that it's high time they pitched in and helped. I would really like to train them so that they don't have to be asked to help bring in groceries or clean up their room. It would be automatic. I am questioning doing an allowance or a reward, as I really want them to "want" to help. Without rewards or bonuses. When I was their ages...I had chores and jobs that my parents expected of me and I never once resented them for it. It was just what was expected. I think for the most part that your kids want to meet your expectations. So I'm going to set mine on the high end. Of course there is the always popular "I'd like to lose 5 pounds" resolution. However working as many hours I work a week...there is absolutely NO way I can work out. I have tried every angle. Until the big trade show at the end of the month is over with at least. And as I sit here and type with a box of mint Oreo fudge cremes sitting next to me...I definitely didn't start off the new year eating healthier. ;)

SO...I have been such a bad blogger. I will share the Christmas festivities with ya! We went home to Colorado this year which was such a treat! It's been 2 years since we had been with the entire family for the holidays. The kids had a blast with their cousins and I got some great bonding time in with my favorite people. There just wasn't enough time to see everyone before it was time to turn right back around. I really didn't have any time off of work either, so we had to get back. We headed home on my birthday.

We went ice skating on Christmas Eve and had a blast. Chloe is a natural and I couldn't believe the improvement she showed! Tanner and I worked on the basics. Me skating backwards and him working on moving forwards. And if you're wondering if I fell. Well the answer is yes. Just once. It was enough. Holy cow...ice can be brutal!

 Papa with his favorite kids. I love this picture!

 Tanner with his "walker" or maybe we should name it a "skater?" Whatever you call them...it helped! :)

 That night Christmas Eve with the whole family was a blast! Chloe got the Swim With Me Puppy she has been wanting for the past 2 years. Unfortunately the first bath they took together didn't go so well and the puppy wouldn't turn off when you pushed the button on his collar. It kind of freaked her out and so she hasn't played with it since. She wants to take it to a swimming pool she tells me. Hmmmm. We might have to arrange that! :)

Tanner and his wild hair from running like crazy with my little nephew Caleb. I really like the sweet people in the background of this photo. So sweet!

Christmas morning was full of more Christmas surprises! The kids opened their stockings and since the rest of the adults weren't quite ready to get started I gave the kids a bath before we started the presents. Looking back at these photos it just seems so strange that they don't have bed head and aren't in their jammies. LOL! Chloe got this Olivia doll from Nana and Papa. She loved it!

This toy was $7.99 and it was at the top of T's list. If only it would stay that way! I am not ready for the day when they are asking for smart phones and ipods. I love their ages!

Working in the scrapbook industry meant that I scrapbooked on the airplane on the way home from Colorado (not for fun...but for work.) So you know when my niece mentioned to her mama that she wanted an American Doll craft set...I had to get her the scrapbook of course. Holly says she is already working on it. She just needs to take a photo of her room to put in it. So cute! I sometimes think of when they are a bit older and we can all sit around an scrapbook and enjoy each other's company. It's going to be fun!

Colorado was kind to me...mid 50 degree weather made me even more homesick for the Colorado sunshine. Tanner exclaimed as we were driving to my parents house from the airport "I can SEE the GRASS!" We haven't seen the grass in MN in months! As we returned a video to the Red box tonight it was a mere 6 degrees and much colder than that I'm sure with the wind chill...this too shall pass right? Spring has to get here someday. With 37 and a half inches+ of snow just in the month of December...I think I've reached my quota! Happy New Year my friends...may it hold all of God's richest blessings for you!

Possibilities...

Trying my hand at the positive...glass half full perspective today. Looking towards all the possibilities that are ahead. So far December has been a whirlwind. My focus this week will be to enjoy all the fun that this season has to offer. The kids are just full of the Christmas spirit and I am really trying to get on board. All I can think about is everything that I have to do! :) I tell you, I learn things from them everyday!

I will make friends with you December...starting now.

Sharing a few photos from my date with Tanner at his school gingerbread house making party. He told me before the parents left "Thanks Mom for coming today...I really appreciated all of your help." It was lots of fun! My first time volunteering in his new classroom (3o kids and all.) His teacher is a saint.

And in other weekend news...Minnesota's weather officially sucks. It has been snowy and stormy for the last 3 weekends. When is a girl ever to get her Christmas shopping done? Seriously? This is a shot that Chloe snapped on Saturday out the 3rd story hall window. We got at least 18 inches of snow Fri-Sat and had blizzard conditions to go with it. I had a 5 foot drift in my font walk...today was 12 degrees below zero. NOT a fan. Especially after chatting with my sister who informed me it was 60 degrees at home in Colorado.

But I will remain to have the "possibilities" mind frame this week. After all, it could not snow again the entire winter. OR warm up to say...I don't know...above freezing?? That would be nice!

Hmmmm...

Those are the thoughts running through my head tonight. I am sitting amongst a pile of boxes (yes I still have them everywhere!) but most of these boxes are Christmas decorations so that makes things a little bit better. My parents had to leave this week which is always such a bummer. I seriously cried when I hugged my sweet mom goodbye...in front of everyone eating lunch at Noodles & Company...and I didn't care who saw it! I enjoyed them so much! So I am trying to get the house picked up today and I am happy to report that all 4 loads of laundry today are folded and put away. I hung pictures in the kids room which was fun, and it's finally starting to look like home in here.  Since I never got a chance to share the photos of Thanksgiving and my parents visit, I thought I'd better do it before Christmas! LOL!

When we used to live with my parents before moving to Illinois, my Dad would buy us donuts every Saturday. The kids called it "donut day." They would frequently ask if it was "donut day." So it so happened that Nana and Papa were here on a Saturday so we just HAD to keep the tradition alive! Here we are at the Starbucks that's inside of my new Super Target. You can see the parking lot from the 3rd floor of my house! :) Love having it so close!

On Thanksgiving day, my new bosses had us all over to their house for an amazing feast! We all contributed and my Dad made a fantastic turkey (just like he always does.) The cutest guest award definitely goes to their sweet pup "Brinkley." He has stolen my heart I tell you.

This girl is pretty cute too though! And tonight she read me an entire book that she didn't know! I am amazed at how fast she is learning to read! Amazing! She also won the "Citizen of the Month" award at school for being an outstanding student! (Pretty impressive for it being her first month there and the fact that there are over 600 students!) She was so excited and got her picture taken to be hung on the wall in the front hallway. I can't wait to see it!

The adults table...minus me. Did you notice my sweet friend Amanda and her husband Eric? Super excited to have them around again. We are going to have SO much fun!

After dinner Papa entertained the kids with some conga-line fun! He is always doing something silly to entertain them. They had a blast!

Papa told us that he and Halle (my niece) had made up "fist bumps" for each month this fall. Novembers was folding your hands in prayer (being thankful) after the fist bump part. Here he is teaching Tanner the proper technique.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! 

Where has the time gone??

I must apologize for my enormous lack in the blogging dept! My parents arrived safe and sound Tuesday evening and have been spending the week with us...attending grandparents day at the kids school, cooking a fantastic turkey for Thanksgiving and also spoiling us rotten. I do mean rotten. Not like a $4,000.00 shopping spree rotten, but more like a "I'll paint some of your hideous walls a neutral color" rotten. Let's just say the house I bought had an "interesting" color scheme. Now if you have walls painted this color...please do NOT be offended. To each their own I say. I love color. LOvE. But the previous owner had painted my walls every shade of ugly. I mean not just once...but there are at least 4 coats of paint on any surface that has been painted. Right now I would like to give some mad props to Behr paint with the primer in it. Because other than my Dad who is doing all of the hard painting...it's pretty much my hero right now. Awesome...with a capital "A."

This hideous green wall is no longer...it is now painted a beautiful shade of grey. Hallelujah! I walked in Saturday afternoon and thought I must have walked into the wrong house...that is how much of a difference it made! Don't get me wrong...I love green, in fact it's my favorite color. But this green with burgundy, gold yellow, and turquoise painted under it...was just TOO much. The kitchen and the powder room has the darkest turquoise color painted all over it...and that will be transformed tomorrow also...I WILL be showing the transformation! Next up after that is the kids room. Oh my word...of all the walls in this house...these are hands down the worst. I would show them to you because I have taken before and after shots...but blogger isn't letting me post any pictures anymore. Boo!

You'll just have to stay tuned I guess. I also have lots of fun Thanksgiving photos to share and so I will end by saying that I hope you all had a beautiful Thanksgiving! I have so much to be grateful for!