Happy New Year

It's that time of year again. We reflect, we list, we promise, we try. There will be victories, there will be failures. I think we tend to focus and remember our failures more than we should. Yes, we should learn from our mistakes and try better but we should not always beat ourselves up about them. There are times where I make a same mistake over again and I just feel I will never be able to overcome certain challenges. But then I came across this simple but very profound quote by Richard G Scott that has helped me so much: "You are making better progress than you realize." I want you all to remember this quote throughout your lives as well :) Happy New Year!

Home Sweet Home

We have now been in Fort Wayne for 6 days now! We are SO glad to be here! Our home is BEAUTIFUL! New paint, new carpet, forced air for heat (We had been living with baseboard heaters-yuck), A/C for the summer, a water heater that works amazing, no smokers around us!, a dishwasher, washer and dryer, new cabinetry, assigned parking, and FANTASTIC staff and maintenance. We get all of this for $575/month!

We live on the outskirts of Fort Wayne so it is a quiet neighborhood :)

Our branch is just fantastic! I have NEVER been in one before, so when we walked into the chapel and I saw no pews just soft chairs, I was shocked! The building is sooo cute! Nursery consists of 3 including Rhychie. It looked like Primary had less than 20 kids in it. It is so awesome to experience church in a different way :) And the members are FANTASTIC! I think I met 75% of the branch yesterday! And a nice family and the only other ones under 35 :P had us over for fondu last night! Oh and we had AT LEAST 6 people show up to help us move in! When we left Laramie, NO ONE from the ward came and helped us pack up :(

Bo started work today! I am goona miss having my hubby around as often as I did while he was going to school but I am looking forward to those paychecks :) I am also very traditional, I have waited for this part of our lives! Hubby goes to work, I take care of the house and kids, and we have dinner as a family when he comes home :) Sounds silly I am sure, but I am excited!

Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas! :)

Laneah is 4

 Being a goof!

 Opening presents!

 She got A TON of Magiclip Disney Princess's!

She wanted Strawberry Shortcake decorations, a Barbie crown, My Little Pony candles, a Smurf cake, and Lalaloopsy ballons... Silly girl

Rhycherd Is 2

 Kiddos goofing off :)

 Enjoying a red cake with chocolate frosting!

 Rhychie's obssessions lately are: Elmo and Spider Man.

Happy Birthday Big Boy :)

Halloween

Laneah went as Elsa, Rhycherd as Spider Man, and Bo and I went as parents :P

Your Little Ones Do Understand

For FHE this past week, we did our lesson on Gratefulness. We had our song, prayer, scripture, and then lesson. For the lesson, Bo and I shared something we were grateful for. Then we asked Nay what she was grateful for. She didn't get what we had asked of her, so Bo and I continued to share things we were grateful for. I feel that if I my kids feel the Spirit, the lesson isn't a total bust. But we soon realized, Laneah did get our lesson! (It just took some time) Every night since, for our family scripture study, Laneah would stick in a little plug about something new she was grateful for! It made us so happy!  I am so glad that she was not only able to feel the Spirit but that she DID learn from the lesson I had prepared :)

New Diet For The Next 9 Months :)

Pickles and Ice Cream :) That's right, that is baby #3 floating to the right! :)

I'm A Cannin and Food Processin

Earlier this week, we got a food processor and canning supplies. I have made homemade peanut butter (Just peanut butter and pulsed until smooth) it is super healthy and nummy! I have also made raspberry jam (Thrive raspberries and sugar) there are no preservatives! Because I canned them, they are good for a year anyways! I have also canned cuties (Also good for a year)! You just can't get me out of the kitchen lately :P

Updates!

Bo: Is doing great his last semester so far! He has got all A's and B's :)

Laneah: She has been so good at making her bed (with help) and cleaning her room (with help) that we decided to make her a chore chart where if she makes her bed every morning and cleans her room every night for a week, shown by stickers on a chart, we will take her to the Dollar Tree and let her pick out EITHER one toy or one candy :) She just got through her first week with flying colors!

Rhycherd: Is what I call "day" potty trained! We started less than a week ago, but this little boy already wears underwear all day, except for naptime, and tells us everytime he needs to go potty before he does in his underwear AND it's on the BIG potty! He still wears a diaper to bed as well, but I seriously do NOT care changing only 2 diapers a day :)

Me: I have had this homemaking bug lately. I have been making all our bread from scratch and making our cookies from scratch as well. Oh my goodness, last night I made cherry-chocolate chip cookies.... DIVINE!!!

Of course, God just showing us His hand in all things :)

Life is wonderful!

Homemade Fruit Snacks

I tried my first batch of homemade fruit snacks today! (Thank you Pinterest)

1 cup of juice
3 tbs of Knox gelatin
1 tbs honey (optional)

Heat up juice and honey and slowly add gelatin until fully dissolved. Pour into mold or square pan. Put in fridge for 1 hour until solid.

They didn't turn out too bad! They tasted a little too bland so I will add the optional honey next time. But the kids have loved them!

Wheat Montana 7 Grain with Flax Pancake Mix

I have a hard time straying from buttermilk pancakes just cause it's my favorite! But I have found a brand that makes REALLY good healthy products! I have used Wheat Montana's all-purpose flour nd wheat flour for a while now. (Unbleached and unbromated). I recently saw they had 3 different kinds of pancake mixes. We tried the 7 Grain with Flax this morning and it was delicious! 5 grams of protein per serving (Great for the hypoglycemic husband) and 17% of your daily fiber per serving! The package costs a little under $4 and will feed us for a good 2-3 breakfasts! Definately worth a try! :)

No Matter How Deep . . .

I Took The Plunge . . .

And am LOVING it! As you all know from a previous post, I cloth diaper Rhychie with these awesome "hybrid" diapers from Gro-Via. No pins, no folding, just snap in an insert and snap on him. THEN, I went further into it by buying these cool disposable liners (Thanks Sara :) you put on top of the inserts, so that when your kiddo poops, you just lift out the liner and poop and throw it! No need for a special cloth diaper washing bucket! BUT, just yesterday, I started doing something I swore to myself I would never do... I started using reusable cloth wipes! Sounds gross (I know, I used to think so too) But they are quite AMAZING! I just wet them down every night (After washing them), put them in a special container I got for them, and use them like regular wipes (Except for the fact they go into a wet bag until washing). They are so thick and soft and I have only had to use 1 per change, including poops!

I went from spending $50 to $75 a month on disposable diapers and wipes, to just $23 a month on the special soap for the cloth diapers (After the initial buying of diapers)! Not to mention the green factor of reducing MUCHO waste! Cloth diapering is NOT for everyone, it is time consuming but I LOVE the money saved, the earth saving qualities, and the fact that I just enjoy it so much! So, if you feel like taking the plunge too, I recommend it! :)

Word of Wisdom FHE Lesson Plan

               Word Of Wisdom

Song: Children’s Songbook 153 “The Lord Gave Me A Temple”

Prayer:

Scripture: D&C 89:18-21

Lesson: Tell the story of how Daniel refuses the King’s meat and 

wine (Daniel 1)

Activity: Show pictures of do’s and don’ts dealing with the Word 

of Wisdom (i.e. don’t drink coffee, do exercise)

Treat: Have a healthy snack as a family J

Disclaimer: With having little kiddos, I make lesson plans with only an opening song and prayer, it seems to fit their attention spans well :)

I LOVE THIS!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3je9jQf38c

I LOVE Frozen! This is a parody to my favorite song from the movie. This video made me laugh and then cry :)

This Couponing Lady Struck Again!

I got SEVERAL $1 off coupons for the single bounty basic rolls. They are currently 97 cents at Walmart. I bought 4 rolls for the cost of JUST the tax... 12 cents!!! Thanks Lara (sp?) for the coupons!!!

I am sure you noticed I switched my background to Fall. It is my FAVORITE season! :) I know it's early, but NO JUDGING! :P

The Latest

Laneah is now riding a tricycle very well! Grandma Cooper gave her Uncle Justin's old one and she loves it!

Rhycherd is talking so much now! He is starting to get all his colors down and many others.

Bo loved his internship and is looking forward to being a full fledged engineer after he graduates :)

I am still loving couponing and homeschooling Laneah's preschool :) I was able to pick up an awesome book from Barnes and Noble to help me!

Life is still wonderful :)

Just A Thought For Your Sabbath Day

"You hold in your hands the happiness of more people than you can now imagine." - Henry B Eyring

I feel this so much more as a parent. If I am impatient or moody, I see my children reflect it. I have tried much more as a mom to be positive, patient, kind, and happy so that my children will be too :)

Hope you all have a wonderful Sunday :)

We Have Been So Blessed

Not only did Bo's internship turn into a job offer, but we also have a wonderful place set up for when we move in December :) Everything has just fallen into place and we know who to thank and we have thanked Him everyday :)

We found out we will be attending a BRANCH for church!!! We are so excited! I have never been in a branch before.

Fort Wayne Will Become . . .

Our permanent home December!!! Bo got extended an official job offer to come back and work full time as an engineer for Primary Engineering!!! I am so proud of him! We are so excited! We love this place :) Just had to share this wonderful news :)

Our FHE Lesson: Hope

We showed the kids the video "A Mother's Hope" on mormonchannel.org Then we talked about Hope more in depth for Bo and I.

I had always understood Hope with "A hint of uncertainty" (Neil A Maxwell) I had always felt it was things like: I hope this snow stops or I hope this day gets better. But apparently it has a different meaning in the gospel: "When we have Hope, we trust God's promises. We have a quiet assurance that if we do 'the works of righteousness,' we 'shall receive our reward, even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come.'" (Neil A Maxwell)

This made me feel good because it made me realize I do have hope. I know that God will keep His promises if I keep mine. It also renewed my vigor to try harder because I know wonderful things await me if I do what's right.

This is why I will NEVER lose weight :P

Fort Wayne Children's Zoo (Where we were for 4 1/2 hrs today :)

This Giraffe was in petting distance!!!

                                                                      Cute babes :)

They let the peacocks just wander around the park!!!

Laneah brushing a goat. One came out of nowhere and sniffed her, then bit her hair and pulled it out! She looked at him and ran out of the pen so fast XD 

                                                               Rhychie brushing a goat.

This zoo is voted as Indiana's #1 zoo! We got to walk AMONGST the kangaroos! We went on a carousel ride, a log ride, a train ride, and you can also ride a sky safari and little ponies! Just an absolute fun place to be!

Connections Acadmey

Bo and I have never wanted to send our kids to regular public school. We had initially wanted to fully homeschool them but after homeschooling Laneah's preschool, I see how much work it takes and it will only get harder! So we found this free online public school that a lady I visit teach works for! Here is a link to the website if you are interested :)

Connections Acadamy

Updatessssssss

The kids and I were supposed to leave for Indiana to join Bo this past Saturday. But because of the wonderful woman I was serving with for Girls Camp, she said family is more important and said I could leave early if I wanted to! So we did, the kids and I made a 2 day journey to SURPRISE Bo a week and a half ago :) That was a long drive...

I am so amazed at how well my kiddos have done with this trip. Rhychie had some screaming fits on the drive here, but he is 19 months, totally expected. But they did really well on the drive and sleeping in hotels and did just fine adjusting to our temporary apartment here in Fort Wayne. They go to bed and sleep just like back home in Wyoming :)

Bo is doing WONDERFULLY! He has received MANY compliments on how well he is doing! His boss has even said, if everything goes well, Bo may have a job with this company :)

We went to our ward for the first time today. My oh my is this ward wonderful! So much kindness!

We go to the mall every weekend just to walk around and let the kids ride the double decker carousel and eat while we are there :) We even enjoy a little bit of shopping :)

I was raised in cities, so it is SO nice to be in a city again! We love the interstate driving! I love how much higher the speed limits are! :P We love the choices of restaurants here that Laramie does not have: Long John Silvers, Panda Express, Steak N Shake, etc.

We are really hoping this is where God has our future set :)

AAAAHHHHH!!!!! :) :) :)

Great things for us seem to always drop into our laps! Bo and me meeting and marrying came out of nowhere. Us getting moved into better apartments came out of nowhere. So did this latest thing...

Bo was calling different firms to find a job for after he graduates. Well, he came across one that was not hiring for then but were looking for interns now! They remembered Bo from February when he called them about internships then (They were not taking them then) but they were now! They were only taking 1 person! After Bo's webcam interview, they had to interview one more person. 2 hours after Bo's interview, he said Bo had the internship!!!! We will be spending our summer in Fort Wayne, Indiana!!!! Bo will be leaving this weekend cause his first day is June 2. The kids and I will be joining him 2 weeks later immediately after Girls Camp :) Oh life is good!!! :)

Great Quote

Judging a person does not define who they are... It defines who you are.

Oh My Daughter...

Yesterday, Laneah was having a "I am not going to do anything, you get everything for me" fit. After I had been dealing with it for a while, I had enough. She asked for her blanket. I said "Laneah it is right behind you, you get it." She said "No it is by you mom!" I said "No, it is by you. If you want it, you get it please." "No, mommy get it!" "No Laneah, it is closer to you, you get it." So she bent over, grabbed the blanket, and threw it by me and said "Mommy get it." I had to turn around so she didn't see me laughing...

Today, Laneah was in he bathroom with me talking about how she loves showers. I said, "Yeah? Just like daddy huh?" She said, "Yeah, I like daddy. I can't like mommy cause I have daddy." I started laughing so hard! Oh the things kids say...

Laneah's Potty Training Journey

It all started 2 years ago...

She had turned 18 months and so we bought her a pink potty and training pants. We left them out just so she could see them and hope they sparked her interest.

It took a little while until she wanted to try things but eventually she was interested. We started placing her on the potty several times a day. Then we started placing her on there at specific times during the day (before and after baths, etc). This lasted a couple months until she started actually going on it. We were happy!

Even though she would go those specific times, she was still wearing a diaper and going in it the rest of the time. So we bought her panties and put them on her occasionally. She would still pee and poop in her panties quite regularly.

After this went on for a while, I finally was done changing pee diapers and panties so I put her in the panties all day everyday. She started fully peeing on the potty in 2 days! I was so happy!

So now she was wearing panties all day except when she had to poop (Which she would tell us) and for bedtimes. We were like this for quite a while.

Then we tried many different ways to make her go poop on the potty, all of which failed at some point. But I jumped on this 2 weeks ago.

She said she was done with diapers so we threw them away. But she was really constipated cause of how much she would hold her poop, so we gave her stool softener, nothing. Fed her fiber, nothing. She had not pooped in weeks, so we went to mineral oil. No matter how hard he tried to hold it, out it came! But she would cry the whole time. So I came up with a rewards system:

-she pees: small candy
-she gets a small poop out: big candy
-she gets a big poop out: BBW had sanitizer (she loves them)
-she goes poop without crying: a hair bow/flower

It's been less than a week since I did this and she now poops quickly and without crying on a regular basis :) So nice to be at the end of our first potty training journey... :)

GO NAY NAY!!! :)

I Love This Calling!

I was given a 2nd calling on Sunday, Assistant Ward Camp Director! I JUST LOVE IT! I get to go to Mutual and YW on Sundays and go to camp for a day :) The loving atmosphere from the other women and the young women is just so wonderful! I really hope God has Young Women in my future of callings :)

I Just Don't Understand Mean People

I went outside this morning to water our plants and saw that someone felt like calling our property their own... Both Bo's and my bike along with the kids bike trailer was stolen! Right off our back porch! EVERYTHING was LOCKED together! You can even see the skid marks from where the thieves were dragging OUR property away. The skid marks end at the street suggesting they loaded OUR stuff into their truck... We were very upset this morning. Bo built his bike on his mission. My dad gave me my bike. And the kids LOVED that trailer so much. :( We have been pointing the best in this situation as much as we can: we don't have to move them now, etc. We are getting the kids a wagon, so they still have something. Laneah is very excited about it. But yeah, just had to vent. I just don't understand how someone can just take expensive property that is not their own away from a family...

Child And Pet Safe Bug Sprays

I LOVE Pinterest. And I have found a couple of awesome homemade sprays to keep the pests away!


- 1 part white vinegar to 1 part water

They claimed it was a deterrent and a killer, I tried out this method and found it to STINK at the deterring. The ants, more specifically, were only scared off for about an hour than they were there like nothing had happened. I did find, however, this mixture is FANTASTIC for killing them.


- 15 drops of peppermint essential oil for every 12 ounces of water

This has worked BEAUTIFULLY! I haven't even had the chance to test the killing factor because I have not seen ants since I sprayed this solution along my walls.

Happy Spring!

Funny From A Prophet

There is a hilarious part of "Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration" I want to share with you... (Goona be a little slaughtered, so watch the film for yourself, it's a good one)

Joseph Smith is beating a rug outside for Emma. A male friend comes by and says, "People see what you do and it's not right for a man of your station to be doing menial chores."
Joseph Smith replies with, "If there is anything out of order with the house, don't you think the head of house should take care of it?"
Friend says, "My wife takes care of these sort of things at my house. If you want I can have her come talk to Sister Emma?"
Joseph Smith laughs and asks, "How long have you been married?"
Friend says, "3 years next month."
Joseph says, "That long huh? May I give you a bit of advice? God intends for it to be a lot longer, forever as a matter of fact. If a man hasn't helped her in this life, what makes you think she'll want him in the next?"
Next day, Joseph and Emma see this friend beating a rug for his wife in the yard :) Joseph says, "That's a wise man there." :)

Happy Easter!

I am looking forward to the happiness our kids will have tomorrow with all the fun from the Easter Bunny visit :) But I am also loving that all of us can repent and keep trying to be better. Because of the Atonement and Resurrection, we can be forgiven and receive Eternal Life. I love the hope and peace this gospel, this TRUTH brings. I know there is a God. I know His Son, Jesus Christ, lived, suffered, died, and rose again for us all. Jesus lives and WILL come again. :)

The Latest

Bo's semester is winding down! He has less than a month to go for this semester! He is excited but also bbbuuusssyyy!!!

Rhycherd has had the same 6 teeth for the past 6 months. He FINALLY is getting another one in! BUT, it is a molar :( My poor little man has come into bed with us halfway through the night the past few nights.

Nothing new for Laneah and I as of right now :)

Call The Midwife

This is a show I just started on Netflix and am loving it! The show follows a small group of midwives in 1950's England. I seriously am never bored with anything on pregnancy, births, or babies so this show satiates my appetite :)

We Can't Wait To Move! :(

Since our time in Laramie is running up, everytime something goes amuck with this town I just say to myself, "I can't wait to move!" The reason why I am saying it this time (And most times lately) is cause of the irritating weather! We have had a week of no coats and bike rides and windows open in our house. But because we are so high up in elevation, when other places are getting to enjoy beautiful spring rain, we are getting snow! Tomorrow, we are having a full day of snow that should be resulting in 3-5 inches!!! It is April! Easter is in a week! NO MORE SNOW! But I have been trying to see the good in everything for quite a while now, and with this situation I just tell myself "We won't have a terrible drought this summer." It helps a little...

God Loves Me :)

I say that because He has shown it to me once again in a big way! We were all sick this past weekend with the flu (Not tummy flu thank goodness). Kids got it first then Bo. I did not get it till a couple days later, Sunday night AFTER the kids had gone to bed. And seriously just like that, the aches, headache, fever and chest tightness came on out of nowhere. We are all doing better now but it's just amazing how He made it so I could keep taking care of my family :) Just had to share a mini testimony :)

Loved Conference!

That was amazing! It is always awesome, but a lot more talks than usual brought me peace and comfort and guidance. I love this gospel!

General Conference Idea For The Little Ones!

Super excited for General Conference this weekend! I love the Spirit! I love seeing the unity of this wonderful church! I love the guidance!

I have been racking my brain on how to help Laneah feel the spirit more during General Conference. I found something awesome on Pinterest! You take gospel pictures, put them on the wall, and everytime that topic is mentioned, you have your kiddo point to the picture. We are using: Enos in his knees for praying, Jesus with Mary at the tomb for Jesus lives, Joseph Smith's picture for him, Christ in the clouds for second coming, Mormon hiding the plates for Book of Mormon, the temple baptism font for temple work, and John baptizing Jesus for baptism. I am super excited! :)

GroVia!

These are the new hybrid cloth diapers we are trying and so far LOVE them! We prefer them over gDiapers! gDiapers were hard to get on a kicking, screaming toddler. We also didn't like how the plastic inside folded the disposable liner. The edges would rash up Rhychie's bum. But these GroVias just have the disposable lay in there, no awkward folding. (The disposables are not flushable with this company). You can also choose to use legit cloth diapering inserts. The diapers are so soft inside and out. You can use these diapers from 8 lbs to 30 lbs! This feature makes them cheaper than other hybrid brands. We have also been throwing around the idea of trying out full blown cloth diapering. Like the money/earth saving aspect of it :)

Go Nay Nay!

Laneah still wears a pull up at night. Well, apparently I forgot to put one on her last night...

Nay: I slept in panties, I need new panties mom
Me: Huh? (Realizing what she said) Oh!
(I check her butt, I feel nothing)
Me: What a good girl! You slept in panties and did not go pee pee or poo poo in them!
(Laneah smiles)
Me: Go to the potty!
Nay: Ok! Yay!

Such a wonderful surprise for me! :)

One Of My Most Favorite Quotes

“Women of God can never be like women of the world. The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity.”

― Margaret D. Nadauld

Another Plug About Couponing!

If you have an interest in saving money and have the determination to do it, couponing is AMAZING! Right now, our Albertsons has a great deal going on! They dropped some of their General Mills cereals down from $5 (A price I would NEVER pay) to $2.49. THEN, we have a deal in their circular: Buy 4 participating General Mills cereals, they become $1.98 each AND you get a Shoppers Value Milk for 75 cents! I also had a coupon for $1.50 off on any 3 General Mills cereals. So, I will do the math for you :) I got 4 boxes of cereal and 2 gallons of milk for UNDER $11! And then, the register printed off a new coupon for cereals for me! :) I LOVE COUPONING!

Always Been A Favorite!

"You should write a book "How To Offend Women In 5 Syllables Or Less'" Ahhh Swan Princess :)

What's Eating Gilbert Grape?

Oh my gosh! That is one of THE BEST movies I have ever seen!!! It is one of the few films where I have a headache afterwards because I cried so hard! The acting by everyone superb! The story beautiful! I HIGHLY recommend this movie!

How We Family Scripture Study

I used to visit teach a sweet lady who gave us an idea that we turned into this:

Sunday: Modern Revelation
Monday: Scriptures
Tuesday: Scriptures
Wednesday:Modern Revelation
Thursday: Scriptures
Friday: Scriptures
Saturday: Modern Revelation

We are currently in The Book of Mormon for our "scripture" scripture study. And for modern revelation we use anything from Ensign articles (Right now we are reading "Special Witnesses Testify of Jesus Christ" April 2014) to the manual we are using in Relief Society and Priesthood. The reason for this is, we fit in past revelation but we are also fitting in modern that applies to us more. We started this, this year and are LOVING it!

I GOT IT FREE!!!

I had this Colgate coupon for $2 off on 2 products. The coupon did NOT specify size! (Couponers dream!) So I printed off 2 coupons (The amount the website allows) and picked up 4 TRIAL SIZE toothpastes (97 cent each) and got them all for completely FREE!!! I am just super giddy right now :)

The Latest (Of The Kiddos)

So my little boy is starting to fit into 18 mo clothes (Tear shed). One of his shirts, which he is wearing today says "Who are you calling short?" with a giraffe on it :) For those of you who don't know, my son is in the 5th percentile for height. So this shirt fits him perfectly :P

Laneah is now wearing 5T dresses. She is not chunky or anything, people just make kids dresses too short! We have also started buying clothes for her in the little girl isle not the baby/toddler isle (Another tear shed).

My kids just keep growing and growing...

Just Had To Share :)

So I was preparing for our FHE for next week (Noah's Ark) and I found this on Pinterest and just HAD to share :)

Money Saving Tip For Groceries- Mac N Cheese

I buy the 5 pack Kraft mac and cheese (~$5). Then I will buy different, cheap things to put into it.
- good and plain (nothing added) $0
- hot dogs (we like oscar meyers classic) $2
- fresh tomatoes (1 BIG one) <$1
We are usually never in the mood to eat this much mac n cheese in a week, but even stretching it out between many weeks, you can get 5 meals for a family of 4 for under $10 :) (Change for your individual circumstances)

Our St. Patties Day Dish!

St. Patties Day is a BIG thing at our house because my hubby is proud of his Irish heritage :) So we always have family over and make a nice meal with corned beef and cabbage and some fantastic green desert! This year, we are making this! I am SO excited, it looks DELISH! :)

Such A BIG Girl :)

Today was Laneah's 2nd dentist appointment. Her first one didn't go so well (Of course, 1st time at a dentist, don't blame her!). But this time, she couldn't have behaved any better! She let them brush, floss, squirt water, suck out, and fluoride her pretty little teeth! (All with a smile!) And once again, she got to be a part of the no cavity club!

Her being a big girl was not the only reason why this visit went so well. Everyone there is amazing! When she first walks in they give her a goodie bag with a new toothbrush, floss, and toothpaste. Then they let her pick out her toothbrush top (She wanted the pink flamingo) and the toothpaste flavor (Cookie Dough) and the fluoride flavor (Watermelon). All throughout the cleaning they give her compliments and are just SO friendly! And because she didn't have any cavities, she got an extra goodie! Who knew a dentist visit could be so wonderful? :)

A Little Mormon Humor For You :)

gDiapers

We are awaiting our starter package of gDiapers for Rhycherd! It consists of: 2 gPants (Like cloth diaper outsides, being reusable and washable), 1 package of inserts (Which are FREAKING FLUSHABLE!), and 1 swishstick to help insert flush better. This package is usually $50.99 but with the online coupon currently happening, it's only $39.99! We are so excited! No more smelly trashcan full of nasty diapers! They can just go right down the toilet! And I have a little save the earth, green side to me that is getting satisfied... :)

If you would like to learn more, here is the link! http://www.gdiapers.com/

I Love Couponing...

Don't worry, I am NOT an EXTREME couponer. :P But between stores weekly deals and  the coupons I have, I will be feeding my 4 person family including 2 always hungry boys for $99 next week!!! I LOVE DEALS AND COUPONS!!! :)

Post #2 While We Were Gone Yesterday

My pretty little princess in gamma and gampas car :)



My handsome little man showing his 6 little teeth :)

:)

I KNOW there is a God, but there are times in my life where his existence is SO apparent! Take today. Rhychie's crib was breaking and making us feel unsafe that he was in there, so we bought an adorable Elmo (He LOVES Elmo) toddler bed. His first time sleeping in it was for his first nap, currently happening... :) He cried for maybe 1 whole minute, after what sounded like a roll off at the beginning :P But after that, just happy little cooing sounds and then beautiful silence. I just got down from checking on him and he is snuggled in bed with one of his favorite bears OUT! :)

See You Tomorrow Denver!

Bo and I are going to the Denver Temple together tomorrow for the first time in over a year! We are so excited! We always do a session, then go to Deseret Book, then go out to a fancy dinner :) Temple trips are the only times when we get to be ALONE together OUTSIDE of the house :) Thanks gamma and gampa for watching the kiddos for us!

You Know, Just Saving Money :)

Pinterest was my "Bible" today! I made homemade laundry detergent, color-safe bleach, and fabric softener! We are going from $120/year on these supplies to $40/year!

Then I made homemade diaper rash cream and baby wipes! It has been so much fun today and I LOVE saving money! If you are interested, let me know and I can give you the recipes!

Hot Dog Boats!

I made these for our meal after church! 

- 1 pkg hot dogs $1

- 2 instant potato pkgs $2

- 1 bag shredded cheese $3

Such a cheap, FAST (From prep to eating: 15 min), and delicious meal!

Is That Spring I Feel?

Oh my goodness! There was rain falling this morning! Maybe we will actually have a Spring this year! :) I am so excited!

I Am One Proud Mama!

We had our evening family prayer. Laneah ran off pretty quickly. We went to check on her and found her bent over on her bed with her hands folded and her eyes closed. She told us she was praying! We were not going to start personal prayers with her til later, but apparently my little angel is ready :) I love little things like this that let you know you are doing just fine as a parent :)

Such a Wonderful Sunday!

Today was just wonderful! From the fact my daughter goes potty at church, to kind people who share their kids goodies with my ALWAYS hungry son, to the lovely Relief Society lesson and the sweet people in there :) Today has just been wonderful :)

I wanted to share a spiritual thought from a great talk in this month's Ensign called: "Living a Life of Peace, Joy, and Purpose," by Elder Richard G Scott.

"We need mothers and fathers who will preserve the sanctity and safety of the home and the integrity of the family in which faith in God and obedience to His commandments are taught as the foundation of a productive life."

Amazing talk! Highly recommend it!

Happy Sabbath Day everyone! :)

PINTEREST!!!

I cannot get ENOUGH of this website! Just this afternoon I printed off and am going to frame "I Am a Child of God" picture for both my kiddos and a "10 Commandments" picture! 

Oh and the crafts! They are just WAY too stinking CUTE!

Just Had To Share This Funny :)

Happy Monday!

What a great start out to the week! Monday is my favorite day anyway, but I was able to get everything done that I had set out to do :) Including us setting up Laneah's new TWIN mattress! I never realized how long a twin mattress was until we went to it from a baby/toddler mattress! It takes up 1/3 of her room! She loves it to pieces though :) She is getting so big...

The Latest With Us :)

Bo
He is almost done with school! So far he is loving and doing well this semester :)

Laneah
She has been pee potty trained for a while now but has had trouble with the poo part. So we are following the steps by a doctor to help with that:
1: Let them poop in their diaper (Which we do)
2: Have them poop in their diaper IN the bathroom (The step we are on)
3: Have them poop in their diaper ON the toilet with the lid down
4: Have them poop in their diaper on the toilet with the lid UP
5: Have them poop in their diaper WITH a hole in it with the lid up
6: Have them poop like a big kid :)

Rhycherd
He is starting to sign A LOT! He is signing "more" and "please" all the time! He still only says "daddy" : P

Lanelle
I am homeschooling Laneah and loving it!

Hello Again Blogger!

I had stopped Blogger and went to Facebook.

 But I realized I miss the creativity that blogging brings! I miss the privacy!

So here I am again! And here is our family... :)