Easter printable

I am so excited we are approaching March! I love March it may be one of my favorite months. Who doesn't love a month with Easter, Spring, Spring forward (hello longer days) and warmer weather all in one! 

I just wanted to post a couple printables to get us in the mood. 

5x7 download

8x10 download 

It's okay Thursday!

It’s okay:

to be fearful of the future.

to know that you need to leave it up to God, but not quite know how to do that.

to replace the habit you gave up for Lent with another.

to wish you wouldn't have cut your hair, even if you did donate it to locks of love. 

that things will never be the same. 

to be addicted to Alias. 

to wish Alias was over so I can get back to life. 

to know the right thing to do (talking about healthy eating) and just not be ready. 

to already want to re-refinish the desk I refinished earlier this year. 

We might just be living out of our car

It’s a good thing I love my car because in a few months that might be our residence.

All joking aside, my husband and I will be jobless and homeless come June and I’m getting scared. I gave up my good paying job almost 2 years ago to be home with the kiddos.  At first I wasn't sure if being a stay at home mom was for me. I had been working for a long time and I loved what I was doing.  It was however the best choice for our children. I’ve grown to love it. There are so many things I would have missed, like my boys fork feeding the dog their refried beans (no really this is happening as I type this). 

My days at home might be numbered. We are unsure of my husbands job situation after June therefore we both are looking for employment. Just in case. I’m sad about this. As much as I loved working in the past I hate to imagine my days not being filled with kisses and hugs. 

So in this time of uncertainty I have turned to the one thing that has been certain in my life, my faith in God. I find myself in a prayerful state more now than ever before. I am not praying for the things I want but for what he has provided, for wisdom in our next steps, and for the Lord to be with us during this journey. 

Today at MCCW (Military Catholic Council for Women) we listened to a song that puts our relationship with our savior into prospective.
The song What I need by Collin Raye here's just a bit of the beautiful lyrics. 

'Cause I prayed for strength 
And I got pain that made me strong 
I prayed for courage 
And got fear to overcome 
When I prayed for faith 
My empty heart brought me to my knees 
I don't always get what I want 
I get what I need 

Words that I believe we all need to hear sometimes. God may not always give us what we want he does however give what we need. I know many times in my life I have thought he's not listening. Now, looking back I don't think thats it I think I was reading what God was giving. 

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St. Patricks day printable

In honer of St. Patricks day I thought I would toss out a few printable. enjoy. To download the image click the text download below the printable. Images are 8x10. 

Download

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Dear Payton

The idea for this post comes from my friend and fellow blogger Candace over at Hippie at Heart. She has written to her daughter Harper as a way of documenting and reflecting on where they are in their journey. When I read her first post, Dear Harper, I was inspired to do the same with each of my children. My Children are a bit older so there will be some reflection. I hope to one day share these with my children so they can see themselves through my eyes and know how much I truly love them.  

Dear Payton, 

You are an amazing child. You will forever be my baby. When You were born my world changed. I was scared. Alone. Heartbroken. Sad. But more than anything I was overwhelmingly happy. You came into this world a perfect baby weighing less than six pounds and small enough to fit into one hand. But you had legs. Oh girl you sure did they stretched on forever. When you were born I was so clueless on how to be a mother, you made it so easy. You healed me. 

Over the years you have grown so much. You have an amazing mind. So incredibly smart and loving. One of my favorite memories of you comes from the day we brought your little brother Preston home from the hospital. You loved him so much. The first night was a tough one he woke up a few times and each time you would come into our room and stand there ready to help. It was like it was your duty as his big sister to help. Things are a bit different these days. Your brother is almost 4, and in your eyes he’s just in your way. He loves you so much. He looks up to you and in so many ways he wants to be just like his big sister. 

You are an amazing child. I love being with you. Talking. Singing. Playing. Learning. I learn from you all the time. So much of me is afraid for you to get older. I know I will lose you. At some point you will want to spend more time with your friends than me. And some day you will not want to be around me at all. I’m guessing this will happen around middle school. And if you're anything like me it will last years. This breaks my heart. Just know I love you so much. I know you will do great things. 

You have changed my life so much. You have made me who I am today.  

I love you so so very much. 

Mom

Easier chalkboard writing

It's funny the things we do without thinking about it. I've always sharpened my chalk before writing with it. Have you ever tried to use unsharpened chalk it simply doesn't work. Well okay thats a bit dramatic it works but not as good.

 I really don't want to make this post longer than it needs to be. It's simple use a large pencil sharpener (the kind for those fat pencils) and sharpen away!

It's okay

HappyThursday! 

We are over the hump and on our way to the weekend!!! This weekend shows little promise, bad weather and the flu is going around, but I will have daddy’s extra helping hands. 

As I am writing this I can’t help but want to get back into bed... afraid that I am the flus next victim. Some Thursdays I truly have to think about this post, reflect on the week we have had and all the reasons it’s okay because its Thursday. Today is not one of those days.

It’s okay....

to be an adult and secretly want your moms chicken soup. 

to plant the kids in front of something educational so you can get a little more rest. 

that I took way too many pictures during soccer practice this week. 

to want a new lens for my camera. 

to me slightly freaked out about our upcoming move. 

that this is my 10th move in the past 10 years. 

to hate my crock pot. It has to be close to 10 years old (was moms) and it over cooked 2 meals this week on low :/

to look at pinterest and want to barf. How in the world are people already thinking about St. Patties day! 

I have replaced my coffee addiction with hot tea for lent. 

I hope you have a great weekend! 

Weekend in rewind

Have I ever mentioned that I don't like the cold. That might be putting it a bit to kindly I HATE the cold. Having grown up in southern California cold weather didn’t come around all that often. For me cold is anything below 60 and even there I am not happy. My body seems to be programed for warmer weather. I think 100 sounds good even with the usual mix of humidity we get in the south. But the cold even at 60 is likely to keep me indoors. 

The Miller weekend was uneventful to say the least. My oldest was sick nearly all weekend. Which kept me indoors with her most the weekend. I secretly didn’t mind, it was in the 50s. 

She did make it to sell Girl Scout cookies with her troop for an hour but shortly after resumed her post; under a mound of blankets on the couch.  

The kids did dress up and have a dance party .

My older two tried to teach the little one how to jump. 

Yes, that is a little boy prancing around in a pink cloth diaper. 

How was your weekend? How do you handle cold/warm weather? 

Valentines recap and a sick baby

As I posted yesterday, not a big fan of the hallmark holiday Vday! I had a good day though. It was busy one of our busiest yet. Yesterday was filled with Tae Kwon Do, crafts, gifts, potted tulips (my hubby knows me well), cards, hand prints, and soccer practice. There aren't any pictures of soccer practice :( I forgot my camera and my phone was updating. 

Around here we’ve started the weekend with a fever... My oldest is staying home today with a 101. Her brothers are helping her get better by watching cartoons in bed! 

Pink heart pancakes

As I posted here I am not a huge or even big fan of Valentines. I do think the history behind the day is pretty cool but in recent years Valentines has become more of a hallmark holiday. I however enjoy making the day special for my little ones. 

This morning they woke up to the smell of home made pancakes. Confused my oldest asked if it was Saturday (my usual pancake day). After assuring her it was Thursday and even better Valentines day she was elated to see what I had cooking on the griddle. 

Pink heart shaped pancakes. 

This seriously was one of the easiest ways I have made these kids happy. 

I use this recipe and substitute the milk for almond milk I also sub cooking spray for my olive oil spray. When using the cookie cutter be sure to spray it with the oil to prevent sticking. Be sure not to put too much in the cutter or you will have a 2 inch thick pancake. (A little bit goes a long way) 

Happy Valentines and It's okay Thursday

I’m just going to say this I am not a big Valentines day gal. Don't get me wrong I love flowers and chocolate just as much as the next gal. Well, maybe not just as much you see I think potted living flowers are much more appealing than ones that will die in 3-7 days. Chocolate heck yes there... but I wont be eating any this year :( 

But I will use this opportunity to write about love. That’s what today is all about right?

I’m not a big mushy gushy I love you gal. I don’t really see love like most people do. I see love as a conscious choice. A choice that using good sense we decide to make. 

I guess I am just not a romantic love at first sight type of gal. I can totally understand how people reading this can think that maybe I am just a little nuts. I think my views on love make more sense at the other end of love, the part where loving someone is over. It might be easier to think about if you think about choosing to stop loving someone. 

It’s okay Thursday

It’s okay: 

to not be completely in love with this holiday.

to be completely in love with your spouse (thats me)

that on day 2 of lent I already want some coffee.

to be overly excited about paint and sip class tomorrow.

that my picture will likely be horrible. 

soccer practice was cancelled 2 of 3 days this week (thank you rain). 

I think I may have signed the kids up for too many activities... 

that today is Valentines day. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful Valentines day!

Life truly is wonderful

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 I am not an eternal optimist to be honest most days I find little to be optimistic about. That being said I wouldn't call myself a pessimist either. I am a realist. Yes, for those of you wondering or doubting there is a difference. I don’t see the world as bad nor do I think that only negative or bad things happen. I am just real about what is happening and what is going on. This coupled with my blunt honesty has gotten me into trouble especially when I was a child. 

Now as an adult with children of my own I have learned to holster this (at least when they are around). My children remind me of all the good there is in the world they also project their undying optimism onto me. They honestly believe everything is okay and will be okay which I find wonderful. 

Children are amazing creatures. God did a fine job when creating the Childs mind. 

Life is so good and sometimes we get caught up in this crazy world that we forget how truly blessed we are. 

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We live in a beautiful world we just have to be willing to choose that beauty. You have to recognize that beauty. 

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I tend to get stuck. I see the world beyond my own front door and I see all the bad. Everything ugly going on out there in the world. I should and we should focus on what is happening here in our homes with our families. 

So many people get lost in far away hopes and dreams; a life where the grass is greener. I once read, “the grass is always greener where you water it.” This just makes sense! The grass is and will be green where you put in the most effort. 

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Well this has been a bunch of half baked thoughts from a realist. 

Uneventful but good

Hello world it is MONDAY! I actually enjoy Monday. Monday is always the start of another week but for me it’s back to routine and normalcy after a weekend of no structure. 

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We didn’t do much this weekend but it was great. Payton and I worked on her Valentine box for school, we played board games, played at the Park, went to the farmers market (more on that in a minute) and played hide and seek. 

My little gal LOVES crafts so lets just say she was in heaven when her and I put together her Valentine box for school. She did a really great job. And other than some spelling I let her do most the work. Go me! 

Many nights before bed the kids will ask to play hide and seek. The game in itself is so funny/ Preston can’t stay quiet long enough to hide, Cooper points out hiding places and eventually the game turns into a man hunt for the well hid adults. Cooper is especially funny when the “it” person is counting, he counts too... (he does this during time outs too) 

Okay, on to the market. We are vegetable freaks in this family. We eat a diet primarily of whole grains and veggies and more than not we enjoy trying new veggies. That being said OMG collard greens were nasty! I really tried to like them. I kept trying to rationalize the taste with the nutritional advantages but I couldn’t do it. I’m not sure if it was how I prepared them but yuck! I have a few more recipes to try out and plan on putting them in my 15 bean soup tonight but Im not sure about these greens. 

Vegetarian collard green recipes now being accepted. 

It's Thursday

Man for me this week has blown by! We have been beyond busy and I can tell that my days as a taxi driver have just begun. So here you have it... It's okay..

that I kinda thrive on this crazy life.

to be taxi driver just don't expect any dash decorations or beads in my car. 

that I am more than freaked about about my latest medical diagnosis.

to be ready for more bad news at my next appointment on Tuesday. 

to read just one more chapter before folding the laundry and then just one more chapter before putting it away. 

to be so happy that it is raining (I might actually be able to get some stuff done at home today)

to be so super ready for the weekend. 

Sorry not too much to say today. 

Milkaholic baby shower

This weekend we had a milkaholic party!

I'm not going to lie I didn't come up with the idea. Thank you pinterest. The original idea looks like this: 

It looks pretty awesome! It also looks like it cost a lot of money! I'm guessing at least a few hundred dollars. 

Our party:

It may not be quite as fancy but it cost less than $100. Here's where we saved the most of our money.

Homemade cupcakes: instad of a cake. By using a matching color frosting instead of an expensive fondant cake we saved at least $40. These cupcakes were super easy and you can get a professional looking frosting by purchasing a piping bag and tip for less than $10 at your local craft store (or Walmart). We also used existing items to make the cupcake stand. You can see how that was made here. 

Invitations: we opted to design our own invitations and have them printed at vista print. These cost us about $25 for 50 (we had tons extra those extra went into making other decorations)

Decorations: Keep it simple. By using simple colors like black and white with a splash of other color we saved a bunch. People tend to have more neutral colors on hand so you don't have to buy any thing. We had the stands, bowls, table cloths, cups and balloons on hand instant savings. We painted the signs ourselves and also saved on wood by using scrap plywood that was sitting in the garage. Flags and bunting were made from left over invitations cut to shape. The cupcake toper was also made from a left over invitation. 

Food and drinks: Our shower was at 1:30 so we could provide a small simple spread. We had 2 drink choices a nonalcoholic lemonade and a sangria. For food we provided tea sandwiches and a spinach artichoke dip with carrots and french bread. 

DIY cupcake stand

I love parties... and I love hosting them. I however don't have all the party hosting goodies trays, plates, special glasses or in this case a cupcake try. I do have a cute cake stand but its little it fits a 6 inch cake. No big deal a cupcake stand is super easy to "make" with stuff you already have in your kitchen. I used the small cake plate for my middle tier but this could have easily been done with a small bowl and plate! 

Good luck and party on! 

Hello busy weekend with a milkaholic party!!!

We had a busy weekend. There was a beautiful sun rise, a birthday, a baby shower, and a date. 

I went out side Friday morning and the sky was on fire. Seriously, no joke the sun rise was probably the most beautiful I have ever seen. My photos give it no justice. 

There are so many things in my life that should show me the awesomeness of our Lord and our creator but I seldom look at them as that. However, the sight out side my window on Friday nearly took my breath away. Simply magnificent. 

As I previously posted here I no longer have a baby. As of Saturday he’s is now a big 2 year old. Sadly, enough with that my husband is no longer letting me call him the baby anymore. 

Cooper opened his presents all on his own this year which was quite a thing. He would get about half way done taking the tissue out only to go back and put it all back in. Opening his 4 presents took about 30 minutes longer than it should have none the less he was excited and loves his new toys. There was cake... but no pictures were taken not sure about that.

Sunday

My good friend Pauli and I hosted a baby shower for 3 pregnant mamas (1 couldn’t attend). The theme Milkaholic it was a fun and hilarious shower. 

Here's a sneak peek at the decorations!!! 

Than later that evening I took my lovely husband out on a date. This was a pretty big sacrifice for me... I am not a seafood lover but he is. So we went to an oyster bar. THere were no oysters ordered my food was actually pretty bad but my husband enjoyed his... Well except the part where we were reminded that you can’t buy alcohol on Sunday’s in Alabama. To this is replied “Alabama sucks” I needed that beer. LOL. But we did go for froyo after and that was great.

Aren’t these funny one so fun and playful the other so dark. 

So what did you do this weekend? And how do you like your froyo?

Happy Birthday Cooper!!

I officially no longer have a baby. Two years ago today was the worst day of my life. 

My

made his official entry into the world 5 weeks early and fighting for his life. Immediately after being born he was rushed away without a word to me. The first few hours were painful and scary. I was told so little the nurses and doctors just seemed to avoid my room. It was more than 8 hours later before I got to see my baby. He looked so sad and helpless hooked to machines and tubes. I was lost. My husband had been deployed only days earlier and had just arrived in Kuwait. Communication was bad I couldn’t get ahold of him. Cooper was nearly a day old before my husband even knew he had arrived. Because Cooper was born so early his little body was underdeveloped especially his lungs and liver. We spent the first week not even knowing if he would ever leave the hospital. Then in the second week  things started to look up we was beginning to breathe on his own only to get sick again. He started to get feverish and his vitals were weakening. I was so lost. The Army didn't believe his situation warranted his father to return home. I spent most of my time alone in thought. Thinking and blaming myself for his early arrival. Maybe if I would have taken things easier, or eaten better, or even something as simple as taken my vitamins. I couldn’t help but feel like everything was my fault. After almost 3 weeks in NICU my guy got to come home. Perfect and completely healthy. He does still prefer to sleep with the lights on (this we think is because there were always lights on in the hospital). I’ve grown to love that about him. For him sleeping with the lights on is comforting for me it reminds me of what we went through to get here. 

2 years old today. I am beyond happy to reach a day that at one time I wasn’t sure we would ever reach. 

Cooper is just about the funniest and happiest kid out there. He is my little surfer 

You make me smile and laugh so much! I am so thankful for you. 

Happy birthday Cooper! You are my miracle you have forever changed my life.