Crazy Cat Lady

I don't see anything wrong with this. This cat eats way neater than my two children. I feel a challenge coming on w/ my Maelin.

Living Room/Den

I am not completely happy with how everything turned out and really couldn't pick a theme for our front room but I have a better idea what I'll do differently next year :) I still need to post pics of the kitchen & dining table. Our front room doesn't really have a theme except for maybe poinsettias. I'll stick with it for next yr and hopefully will find some great stuff after the holidays. The den is Santa themed. Not really crazy for Santas but my parents sent me quite a bit of Santa stuff in the previous years I had to use it. In the future I may use Snowmen...I really like them and if they don't look too Christmasy then I can leave them up til after January. Hope you enjoy!

Re enlisted

Dec. 11, 2005 I tearfully kissed my boyfriend goodbye not knowing what our future held. 5 years later we are now married,lived in two different states and have a family. I am so proud of him because today he re enlisted in the military. It only took a few seconds but it has made a big difference for the next 4 yrs. Kids and I were there to show our support. We love you Ken!

Never Grow Up

I am so loving this song. Its kinda sad :(

Just for fun

You can get up to three extra entries besides just commenting/following her blog. I thought this would be fun to give it a try and if I win then a free blog make over!

Band concert videos

This beginner band consists of 3rd and 4th graders. I wish I had been able to get a better focus and to actually see Matt. Hubby and I are so proud of him and how far he has come since he first picked up the viola.

Matthew's 1st band concert!

Matt had his first Christmas band concert this past Tuesday (12/7) evening. He did great and it took me back to my first concert. I can't wait to hear them at the end of the yr for Spring. I took several videos (these will come soon) and pictures but Matt was being blocked by a little blonde head. Hope you enjoy!!

Never ask a toddler to pick up their own toys...

This is Mady. Every morning she feels the need to take out most of her toys from her toy box and have me step all over them. So, one morning this past week I decided to finally ask her to please pick up her toys. And she did...

Mady vids

I had been meaning to post these videos but never got around to upload them. So enjoy!



This was late summer when Mady decided to try mine and Ken's lunch AFTER she had already had her lunch.










Sometime during the fall Ken hooked up the drums to the Xbox so she could play around with them. She loves making music.

Big mistake!

I let Mady try Trix and she loved it...how can I not be surprised. I let her have a few after her breakfast but after she finished she kept asking for more. I hid the box back in the pantry and hope she has forgotten all about the cereal.

Fall wrap up

I can't believe November has come and gone. I know the month isn't over just yet it practically is at my house. The fall decorations are down and have been replaced w/ Christmas.
Our Thanksgiving this year was a good one. We spent it at a friend's house w/ three other families. Being there helped keep my mind off of not having Matthew w/us. I had to look at the bright side though. He did get to visit w/ my family and since he spent Thanksgiving with his other family only means we get him for Christmas! Last Christmas was so depressing for me that I cried Christmas morning :( This year will be great. Not only will Mady get to participate in opening gifts (last yr she was only 10months) but my parents and sister will be here too. It has been 4 yrs since I've spent a holiday with them. Plus, I'm not stressing about $$ for their visit because the kids' gifts have been bought and wrapped already. I will definitely continue early Christmas shopping.
Oh I forgot to mention that earlier this month DH graduated from CCAF. It was short ceremony (thank gawd). Mady was well Mady...loud. She talked thru most of the ceremony as well as ran up and down the pew. Luckily we were the only ones in that row with a very nice man at the other end who humored her. I did get compliments that she was cute and well behaved from the row behind us...really? Could they not here her telling the different speakers to "go home"? Oh well whether they were being nice or honest I'm just glad they weren't rude.

Weekend wrap up

So glad to have Ken home after his short trip to TX this past week. We had a pretty low key weekend just the way he likes it :) I've been sick w/ a horrible smoker's cough for nearly a week. I can't say more than a few words or even laugh cuz then I start w/ my hacking cough. It's not fun but I don't think it's contagious because I am the only one who has it so that's some good news. Saturday my cough and I went to a clothing swap. This is the second one that I've been to. I had such a great time and scored some great stuff (need to take pics). If you aren't too familiar with a clothing swap it's just a get together where you bring in clothes that you no longer wear/fits and swap w/ other girlies and any left overs get donated. I was so hesitant when I went to my very first one and saw that it wasn't just "old clothes" like I had imagined. It is gently used clothes kinda what your closet has hanging in there now. I kinda think of it like I borrow clothes from my friends and sister and this is kinda the same except I get to keep it :) Later that evening I decorated the stairway w/ fall garland as well as our front room. I also made pumpkin pie in a mug...it was delish and something I will make again. Ken and I both really liked it. Sunday has been a blur...took it easy til 11:30 ran many errands while Matt was at CCD and then back to chill mode the rest of the afternoon. Matt had a friend over from 3 to 5 so that kept him entertained and Mady took a 3 hr nap. We are so ready for Monday!

Happy Halloween!

Hope everyone had a safe and Happy Halloween. The kids had fun and all three of them are worn out from walking. I stayed nice and warm at home on candy duty :)

The Monster Mash

Took the kids to a Halloween party last weekend. Mady will be a flower fairy and Matt is Luigi. We also finally got around to carving our pumpkin. Matt has always enjoyed the whole cleaning of the pumpkin and Mady on the other was terrified of the pumpkin guts. Every picture I got was of her running and crying from the pumpkin. She did enjoy the finish product.

Falling for Fall

I absolutely love fall and right now I am loving all things pumpkin. It can be a latte,muffin,dip,pie or as decoration I love it all.



After he beat his game.

My yummy iced pumpkin latte from Dunkin. Matt was sweet to share his doughnut w/ sister.

The top pumpkin was purchased at Hobby Lobby and the bottom from Homegoods.


Would you believe I purchased this from Wal-Mart?

Organizing October

So, for some reason this month is dragging but I also have been organizing, rearranging and cleaning like a mad woman. I usually have a clean house but this month I have found myself cleaning the very top of my kitchen cabinets (a place no one will EVER look but still it kills me to know its nasty greasy up there). I have gone through our Halloween/Thanksgiving bins and have organized them way better than I ever have had them thanks to my labler. The front room in our house which was shown to us as a "dining room" is now rearranged for the fourth time since we've moved in Oct. '08. I actually like the way it is and think it will stay that way for a good while. Rooms that still need to be fixed:
Den: we just need some more pictures to hang the walls are a bit bare
Mady's room: ???? I have no idea how to rearrange it. I need help.
Master: I like the set up and I just wanted to add some stuff to the walls and new sheets (but that will have to wait)
Master closet: I know EXACTLY what I want but I'll have to wait first or do a little at a time.
Matt's room: His is perfect. Everything is in it's right place and we have a space open for his future desk. Now if he could just keep it clean...


We are all still sick. DH has caught the last of our cold and Mady and Matt just have a cough. I on the other hand am healthy as an ox but know by this time next week I'll be the sick one again.

Our weekend wrap up

Well, kids and I had a cold this past weekend which I think stemmed from our Wed. afternoon flu shots. I started w/ a sore throat,coughing,runny nose and a sore left arm thanks to Mady. She received her shot right before me and started screaming and crying. I was trying to hold onto her while waiting for my shot. Well, the nurse gave me my shot while I was still trying to keep a tight grip on Mady so my arm was a little more tense than I would have liked it to have been. Thurs. and Fri. are kind of a blur but I know I didn't work out which was pretty crucial to me (in the sense that I am not an in any way shape or form athletic)and Sun. morning would be my first 5k race. I never really ever had any intentions on running but a friend posted it as an invite on Facebook. It was invite to run the 5k,do the 1 mile fun walk or just donate. My other friend had convinced me to run it. So, the same week of the race I FINALLY paid my due. The name of the run was Bubba's Belly Run. You can read the sad back story here. Ok on Saturday I knew I had to go to the gym no matter what. I went along w/ my awesome smoker's cough that I have because of the cold. I ran like I usually do for 40 mins and in that time I surpassed the 3.2 miles and that I was use to. I have no problem running on a treadmill its outside that I really don't do so well. By this point worrying about Sunday would be pointless. Later that evening we took the kids to Oktoberfest that the military hosted on post. Both kids really enjoyed themselves. It looks like Mady will like fast rides (something I have NEVER cared for). That night after the kids went to bed I set my stuff out for the following morning took my Tylenol p.m. since I was sore from my run earlier and went to bed.

Sunday morning I woke up early and ate breakfast and was ready outside waiting w/ two other friends for our ride w/ Melissa who sent the invitation. It was a cool and drizzly morning and I felt slightly sick from nervousness the whole time til we actually started the run. Like always I feel sick the first 10 mins til I get into my groove and feel alright. I ran the whole time which meant a lot to me since I am not great outdoor runner and finished at 36.51 which is what I average on the treadmill. I am so lucky to have run in at the same time as my great friend Barbie. She encouraged me towards the very end when I began to slow down and for that I thank her. I hope if we are still stationed here next year to do the run again. Listening to Nicki Bunting talk was so heart breaking. If I am not then I know I'll definitely donate. Hope y'all enjoy some of these pictures.

Update on Christmas gifts

So far so good for Christmas gifts. I didn't take out Matt's laptop and printer because they are packed up nicely in my closet. We are still pending some more gifts and Mady is starting to show more of an interest in certain items which is very helpful. She loves animals and I've seen a few at Target that move when you touch them. I know she'll love those. As for Disney Princesses I don't think her favorite will be Snow White (as much as I want it to). I think she is leaning towards Ariel and loving the whole Mickey Mouse gang. Matthew is pending a few more Sponge Bob items and Club Penguin. We will wait til maybe Nov. for those because he is always changing his mind and sometimes he'll get a few before Christmas. Can't wait to start wrapping gifts!

Sunday was a funday :)

Ok so we really didn't do anything special and it was a rainy gloomy day but I still had a good day. Ken was off and he grilled some brats,first game of the season for Redskins and they beat the Cowboys and last but my favorite moment from yesterday was Mady squealing at Target when she saw a huge face of Hello Kitty in the girls clothing section. She wouldn't stop pointing at Hello Kitty til I took her over and lifted her up so she could touch Hello Kitty's face. I still love Hello Kitty(not Mariah Carey love haha). I am so happy Miss Mady is seeming to like her just as much as I do. All in all we enjoyed yesterday and didn't let the weather ruin our day. We have a lot to look forward to this week as well. Hope y'all enjoy this week!