trick-or- treat continued

i figure i better post the rest of the trick-or-treat pictures before christmas is here :)

here is little miss Hannah Montana. ("because i have blonde hair. not brown like miley cyrus.")

This is the 1st year that I wasn't so good in convincing Lilly what to be. But I was able to get her some real clothes that look like rock star clothes... instead of a 'Hannah Montana in a bag' costume.

At least I convinced the little man to be a gnome.

And an adorable gnome he was. (though he stated a few times he wanted to be a 'hockey gnome'. we're holding off on the hockey costume as long as possible, because i think once that starts, that is all that will ever be.)

here are a bunch of kids in the new neighborhood. one of the neighbors in the cal-de-sac behind us hosted a 'walking taco' dinner. so much fun. we are still very new here... but we do feel like we are starting to blend in.
our backyard neighbor brought out their little pet. in a sombrero. doesn't he look like he should be in some sort of commercial?? hilarious. (im guessing it's a he... maybe it's a she?)a family pic :)and some more cute gnome pics... with our backyard neighbor's buckeye gnome :)though all this stuff above was much fun... the best part was driving to our 'old' cal-de-sac and visiting with our 'old' neighbors. who are now some of our greatest friends. though we really like our new house, neighbors, and neighborhood... i really really miss our old place. we hadnt been back since we moved over 2 months ago, and we decided spur of the moment to take the kids trick-or-treating on the 'old' court. i am so glad that we did. when we got there, i gave lilly permission to run out of the van and go give hugs! i started down the line of about 6 hugs, and didn't even start crying till the 2nd or 3rd hug in :) 6 years with the same people will take a place in your heart. i miss them so much, but am so glad they are not just our 'old' neighbors, but our forever friends.

little bean love

i wanted to share a story that i recently received from a little bean customer, who had ordered a special bib for her baby girl.

"Faith wore her bib for the pictures we had taken with her big brother, Dillon, and Dad, Jason. These photos were taken at the same time as the team photos so all of the players were standing by, watching me act a little goofy to make Faith smile. :) Fast forward a few weeks... every year, my husband and I have the senior football players over to our house for "Senior Meal." When the boys came in to the kitchen, they all had on " I (heart) Coach Cross" bibs! LOL Of course, they used marker and so they didn't look near as good as the embroidered bib from you. " :)


this is the reason i love my little business.
the people.
and their stories.
and how my little products bring big smiles :)

(see some new LBE designs... here or here.)

trick-or-treat

stay tuned...
for more pictures.

my kind of day.

today was my kind of day.

dave made pancakes and eggs for breakfast.

i jogged a mile.

made a gift.
and worked on cleaning up the office.


made cincinnati chili and christine's sweet chili for lunch.
and garlic cheese bread.
mmmm.

dave and his buddy brought home a HUGE truckload of mulch.
the big guys did the heavy labor.
i weeded.
the kids followed the big guys around.
here is the before mulch picture.
including our newly painted door.
($1.50 mis-tinted paint. yay!)

and the after mulch picture :)then we trounced around town looking for curtains and a rod for the eat in area.
im so indecisive :(

then dinner.
leftover buffet :)

then... pumpkin carving.

just drained the pumpkin seeds for drying and roasting.

we have a busy week coming up.
the next pictures may be halloween costumes!

ok... off to sort and put a billion scrapbook pages into albums!

have a wonderful week :)

dip night

i declare wednesday night... DIP NIGHT!

the perfect compainion to GLEE.

(thursday night is leftover dip night. a perfect companion to Grey's.)

a while back, i ran across this.

i spent a few weekends clicking through those 2 hundreds of dip links, and copied and pasted my favorites into my own refined dip catalog. 13 pages worth.

ive made a few. loved a few. modified a few.

now im sharing.

tonight's dip (which is actually last night's being reheated)...

Hot Turkey Reuben Dip

1 8oz block cream cheese, softened

chopped up turkey lunch meat

1 package shredded swiss cheese

1 can sauerkraut

3 heaping TBS thousand island dressing

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl, and then spread into an 8x8 pan. Heat in the oven at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips, or whatever you prefer for your dipping!

I am not a fan of sauerkraut (we make our Reuben sandwiches with coleslaw...) but this is reallllly tasty :)

Tonight I'll being enjoying this dip with my new found beverage... caffeine free Mountain Dew!!! By accident, I picked it up at the store... but little did i know it wasn't really an accident but a great discovery of being able to have Mountain Dew without going wild!!

ok... almost TV time.
happy dipping.

My Life People ~Meet Jen!~

Welcome to the second segment of My Life People!

Today... meet Jennifer McWhirt!

(my what a lovely name...)

Here are Jen's answers to the 5 questions I asked ;)

1. How do you know me?
Scrapbooking... we met online when I got my very first design team spot and Jen was already one of the members.

2. If you had to guess right now what do you think your children are going to grow up and become for their professions? and why?
Ian (age 7) = I would say he would grow up to become a either a vet or the next George Lucas. Either way I am good! He has taken up this love of all things cute and furry lately and since I told him we couldn't own them all he thinks being a vet would be cool cause he could play with them all day long. And the next George Lucas because he loves to draw comics of stormtroopers and Indiana Jones and things like that!! I think he has the imagination for it and it would be really a cool job.

Evan (age 4 1/2) = I would say engineer. He can build anything out of legos and loves to do so. And I am not talking about following the directions but seeing a picture and building something and then coming to show me what it is. I love that.

With their daddy being in the army though, it will be interesting to see if either of them join the military.

3. What sort of theme party would you host?
I would love to have all Ian and Evan's little friends over for a Halloween party and go all Martha Stewart on the back deck. You know cause on Halloween night here in Texas it will still be in the 70s or 80s!!

4. What is your idea of a perfect date night?
Kids with my parents or Darren's parents (so I don't have to pay for a sitter) while we go to a movie and maybe even dinner! This doesn't happen very often being as my parents live 18 hours away and my inlaws 12 hours away. Date night normally consist of taking the kids out to see a movie and dinner. Oh well, it isn't perfect but it is all still good and how many gals get a date with 3 handsome guys at once!!

5. Tell us 3 songs most played on your playlist?
Let it Rock by Keith Rudolf, Jump by the Flo-Rida, and Boom Boom Pow by Black Eyed Peas. They are good songs to run to.

Check out Jen's blog ... http://rmeyfe.blogspot.com/

My notes on Jen:
While I have yet to meet Jen in real life... I feel like I've known her forever! I am so in love with her scrapping style... every time I see one of her layouts, I wish mine were just like hers :) (Browse around on her blog for a bit, and you'll see what I mean!) I am also totally envious of Jen's new kitchen ;) And the fact that she recently participated in her very first race!!! wtg Jen:)

ok... gotta get get :)
(i need to add that to MY playlist!)

friday night

it's friday night.
we are loads of fun.

the kids are in bed.
i'm working on some orders.
dave is painting trim.

it's cold outside.
i'm trying to get in the halloween mood.
decorationg the house a bit.
and making cookies.

something strange happened to this one.

these are my 'new' little ones.

the one in the middle was the cookie culprit.

speaking of little ones...

remember these cuties?

not so little anymore.

they are losing teeth.

and going to kindergarten.

so hard to believe.

and lastly, and so unrelated to anything above... just had to share this fun apron i made for wearing to craft shows. it's made from an 'old' pillowcase. (i say old because we still use those sheets, but they are old enough that i didn't mind using it, and letting them go without matching pillowcases)

the pose makes me laugh. guess my 5 year old photographer knows how to make me smile :)

have a great weekend everyone!!

My Life People (Me- Part 2)

Part 2 of My Life People... questions to me :)

1. If you could go any where, Where would you go?
The beach or maybe a cruise. Yes, a cruise and the beach. A cruise for the unlimited food, and the beach, well, for the beach! (Now, that does not give anyone permission to surprise me with these things just because I said I wanted to go. That’s a hypothetical answer people.)

2. What is the one TV show that you just HAVE to watch every week?
Ohhhh…. I have several that I watch, but this year…. GLEE is the one show that I HAVE to watch every week :) LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!!

3. Do you think you will have any more babies?
This is a question that I ask myself pretty much on a daily basis (and can discuss this matter non-stop, so this may be an extremely long answer). There are literally days when I wish I could have 10, and days when I wonder what in the world I was thinking having 2.

I’ve often joked (but maybe I really should do this…) that I need to put a tally sheet by my bed, and each night make a mark on the YES side or the NO side, and see which one wins. Being a parent is the most challenging job in the world, but also the greatest thing in the world. It's not easy, but it is wonderful.

I am so happy with the 2 we have been blessed with, but in my heart I don’t quite feel like I am done. We are getting to the point where things are a bit ‘easier’ (in some ways… harder in others) and going back to the newborn stage of life would be rough… but then I think “If we are 2/3 done… then that is a good thing.” We are still young, so even if we had another we’d still be fairly young by time everyone was out and on their own, which is nice. And I'm not overly concered with the age gap(s) like we were the 2nd time around.

Then there are finances… blech. It takes a lot to raise a child. And you all know how I am with money. I have issues. But then I think… “Well, we do have one of each, so we’d have clothes for the next one.” Then I worry about all the extras… co-pays, soccer, school photos, pumpkin patch fees, birthday parties, friends’ birthday parties, all of that stuff. Times 3. But we live frugally anyways… I will still shop at garage sales, still welcome hand me downs, still shop the sales with coupons… whether we are a family of 4 or 5. And if having 3 means they only get to do 2 extra curriculars instead of 3, well, then that’s the way it goes. In our family you don’t always get what you want anyways. We won’t get to go to Disney world or the beach every year no matter how many kids we have, we wont be driving the newest cars, or wearing the newest clothes no matter what. And not even because we can't, but because we choose not to. So I really can’t let money be the sole reason for not having another… though it is a good thing to consider.

My biggest thing… I don’t want to be 50, or even 40 for that matter, and wish that I would have had another. Deciding not to have a 3rd, and truly wanting a 3rd, is a regret that I do no want to live with, so it is a very big decision for us. But being a Mom is my life, the best thing that I've ever been priviledged to do, and I want to be happy :)

So to answer the question :)… we aren’t sure yet. It isn’t a for sure no… (as in, Dave has not begged for any elective surgeries). But it is not a definite yes either. Sometimes I wish (I know, be careful what you wish for…) that I wasn’t such a planner, such a thinker outer, and that I’d just let things happen and be ok with it. Darn birth control and responsibility.

lilly and the toddlers :)

a little video to start your week off :)

lilly's moves make me giggle so hard.

she got some rythm somehere ;)

did you notice the little shadow? the little ones are too darned cute.

have a wonderful week!

My Life People ~Meet Heather!~

Welcome to the first official segment of My Life People... starring Heather Breuninger!

I asked Heather 5 questions... and here are her answers ;)

1.How do you know me?

family :)

2.You get to eat out tonight. Where do you go and what do you order?

lone star. filet, medium rare, lettuce wedge with blue cheese and cheese fries, both ranch and texas ranch. YUM!

3. Who would you invite to do an in home concert?

david grey. L O V E love him!

4. If you could go any where, Where would you go?

any white sandy beach where the water is so clear you can see through it for miles

5. Tell me 5 of your positive addictions.

(im not sure they are all positive.. but they arent terrible either) scrapbooking, farkle (game on facebook), chipotle, taking pictures and getting in shape (I just started almost 2 months ago with a trainer and im addicted now.. )

Check out the site to Heather's store!!

http://www.allvera.com/

My notes on Heather:

Technically... Heather is my cousin-in-law? My aunt's husband's niece. Whatever that is :) Family sounds good to me ;) Heather has the.best.eyes. Gorgeous. And a wonderful smile. I have never seen her without a smile and a cheerful attitude. She has a beautiful daughter who has that same smile :) Heather just opened her own store (see link above) and I admire her so much for that!!

ok... i'm off to see if i know who david grey is :)

have a wonderful weekend!!

My Life People (Me- Part 1)

Part 1 of My Life People...

1. If you could meet one person in history, who would it be and why?
Ohhh. This is tough, as I am not a big history buff. I always had a fascination with Helen Keller when I was in elementary school. It would be interesting to meet her and get her view on life.

2. If you could have any job, what would you really like to do?
I w0uld love to craft, and cook, bake, take pictures, and document my life at my leisure and get paid enough to live comfortably :) That job would also allow me to volunteer at my kids’ schools, go to the bank, doctor's appointments or grocery shop any time!

Or I could put my stalking skills to good use and be a Private Investigator…

or I could be the person who finds look-a-likes from the audiences at sports events to put on the big screen :)

3. Do you have junk under your bed? (as in... what's under your bed?)
Nothing under the bed since we moved to the new house!!

4. If you had to guess right now what do you think your children are going to grow up and become for their professions? and why?
Well Cohen is obvious… something in the world of hockey. If not a player… a manager, or a coach, a trainer, a sportscaster, or a rink supervisor. Anything that requires his life to be centered around hockey. Why? Well… because he is 2 ½ and a tad obsessed with the sport.

Lilly on the other hand is a bit tricky. She is very into music and dramatic play… so she may do the ‘super star’ thing. While I could also see her going into nursing or teaching as she is such a helpful and caring little girl. She also loves crafting and creating, so I could also see her going into some kind of design work.

...on a side note (and because no one dared to ask this question)

5. If you and your husband birthed a half gallon of ice cream, what flavor would it be?

Thank you Meijer :) for combining our 2 individual loves...

Watch for more My Life People segments soon... starring you!

Happy Bday LBE!

Happy Birthday to Little Bean!

calling all my peoples!

I really want to blog on a regular basis… but sometimes I just don’t have the time, energy, or inspiration on my own. So whom do I call on when I need (or want) some help??

My life people.

That’s you! Everyone reading this.
Whether I know you in real life, or not.
Whether I’ve met you, or not.
Whether I talk to you daily, or a few times a year.
Whether I even know you are reading this blog, or not.

You are my people. The people in my life.

So... I’m starting a series on this blog, called… My Life People.
Segments in this series will be constructed by you.
You will be my featured presentations!

It’s easy…

I’ll ask you 5 questions (via email, so make sure I know how to reach you), which you will answer and return to me. (If you aren’t comfortable with a question, you won’t be forced to answer, but all the questions I ask will be ones that I would answer.)

When it is your turn to be featured, I will post your answers here to share with all of my other life people reading :) You can send along a picture to share, or I will choose one for you :)
If you have your own blog/site I am happy to link back to you or not. You choose. If you don't have a blog... who cares! You can still play :) If you have other links that help answer your questions… link away!

Want to play? (Of course you do! You must be a tad interested if you've made it this far.)

Leave one question as a comment below, and you can consider yourself signed up! (or email me your question if you are not into commenting directly here!)

It can be a question specifically to me, or a general question that anyone could answer. I will answer all the questions I get from everyone signing up in the very first segment of the My Life People series. I will also add the collected questions to my list of questions to ask you! Let’s keep these questions fun, positive, interesting and entertaining please :)

If you are someone who reads here, but doesn’t post here (but likes to reply to my mass blog email alerts…) please email me a question so you can play along! I want all of my life people to be a part of this! (If you don’t have my email, or I don’t have yours, click the ‘view my profile’ link in the right column, to send me an email!)

Alrighty... who's in??

Happy Weekend!!
xoxo

theme party

we went to a party this past weekend.

you can guess the theme :)

the sad thing... our costumes were a bit too close to our real life.

well... the kid's costumes at least.

cohen's 'costume' wasn't so much a costume as to what he really wears around the house.

lilly's too. she'd sport that outfit anyday anywhere... if we'd let her :)

and this necklace?

i really wore that in high school. really... i did.

i brought twinkie delight dessert and corndog casserole.
(i make corndog casserole in real life.)

i tasted my 1st ever White Castle burger.

we had a blast. so much fun to play dress up and eat :)

thanks john and julie :)

mr. smarty

I was braiding Lilly’s hair the other day and I hear the 2 little ones say “uh oh, elmo.”
(As in... “the elmo cd is over”.)
I tell them… "hold on a sec, ill be right there to put a new cd in."
I hear the entertainment door being opened and I say “please don’t touch the door. You guys are not allowed in there.”
Not more than a few seconds later I hear the chicken dance song playing.
Cohen had changed out the cd and pressed play all on his own.

He’s not even 2 ½ yet.

This boy amazes me.
He isn’t a big talker yet, but he surely knows a lot more than I think he does.

The other day (it was actually the 1st day of school)… he starts throwing blocks in the kitchen/eating space. I look more closely and see he had created these all by himself.

Mock cornhole.
Seriously?

(Do you see how he even angled the trays!?)

I asked him… “Are you playing cornhole?”
He says… “uh huh!” (as in… yeah mom!! aren’t they cool?!?)

Then, without any prompting he slid one board to the other side to make the game more official, of course.
We switched out the blocks for some softer toys and kept on playing.
Mr. Smarty.

He’s almost 2 ½ and can name pretty much every piece of hockey gear there is. And can proudly spot anything Blue Jackets related a mile away.

Does he say his name yet?
Not exactly.

But he knows what a Zamboni is.

salsa... salsa

i'm not sure why i even bother to buy salsa at the store.

i always forget how delicious homemade salsa is, and how simple.

though we've managed to scrounge up some fresh veggies...

we definitely miss our garden, and look forward to planting one next year.

lilly tried the first bite and proclaimed...

"this taste-es real! better than the store salsa."

so true.

and so nice to know exactly what you are eating.

this recipe is from the recipe collection last year.

(we doubled the recipe)

thanks debbie!!

Texas Salsa
Presented by Debbie L

1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 C chopped onion
1 (4oz.) can chopped green chilis
2 tsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt

Combine all ingredients and allow to marinate 1 hour before serving.

spectacular

a few of my favorite kids.
wearing goofy glasses.

in alphabetical order.

xoxo

ode to the little man

he's our little potty training...

dis-liking mess making...shark-boot wearing...
hockey loving... cheese-ball hoarding... juice addicted...
little man.

and we love him so :)