I think its going to be a long day

Britton was up all night with a bad fever and cough. We are trying to get Kendall off of Pull-Ups and that is not going so great either. Today is going to be full of sick kids, washing all the bedding, cleaning my messy house and trying to battle this constant headache I have had for the last two weeks. SO....just to cheer myself up a little bit (and anyone else that may be having a less than stellar day!:) here are some pics I just love that remind me why I do what I do every single day...and I would never trade it! :)

Just in case...

I had somehow given the impression that the activities I do with my kids always turn out, I thought I would show you proof of one that didn't quite take off like I thought it would :) Don't get me wrong, the kids still had fun and we all enjoyed the yummy treat, but one look at these pictures and you'll see what I mean!

I had the brillian idea of letting the kids build their own "snowmen" with powdered donut holes. I thought it would look darling and be really fun for the kids. Well....one out of two isn't bad, right? :) They did not turn out NEARLY as cute as I thought they would, but if this picture of Britton is any proof they still enjoyed eating them!

I'm really lucky to have my girls...no matter what we are doing they always think its the coolest thing....especially once they see the camera!

Here they are in all their.....ummmm....glory?? Snowmen made with donut holes for the body, a tic tac for the nose, sour straws for the scarf and pink frosting for the eyes....we ran out of black :)

Ok, seriously, I know they look ridiculous. But if I only blogged about the things in my life that turned out perfect it would be a pretty boring (not to mention empty!!) blog indeed! :) Have a great night everyone!

Life is so interesting...

...don't you think?? You think you have everything all planned out, you accept the challenges and decide to forge ahead and the next day WHAMMO!! Things have completely changed and its time to accept something different and embrace whatever comes your way. This has been our way of life for the last several months and I have learned alot about myself and the things I need to work on. Do you want to know what I have learned? Oh all right...I'll name just a few ;)

-My family and I can be happy ANYWHERE we go. Whether its our ideal little home that we LOVED in Herriman, or the upstairs bedroom at my in-laws house. Happiness is a choice, and I am trying to choose it every day.

-I have been blessed with the most amazing inlaws you could ever imagine! About a week ago when we thought we might get our home back my father-in-law said we couldn't go yet....that we hadn't stayed here long enough. Seriously?! We have completely turned their quiet, calm house upside down and they have been so kind to us the entire time. I honestly feel that my inlaws (all of them, parents, brothers and sisters ) are MY family, I just found them through marriage instead of birth.

-I have learned that Paul really is my best friend. Nothing more to say about that...its just a fact.

-I have learned how resiliant my children are. It was a tough transition to leave our home, but they are thriving here. Paul and I decided they will remember this experience exactly how we make it for them, so we lovingly call this stage in our life " Our Big Family Adventure!!" :)

-Last, but certainly not least....I finally learned the right way to chop up green onions. I can't believe all these years I have been throwing away the good part and using the chives! :) I think my mother-in-law is still laughing about that one!

Thanks for joining me for this little reminder of some things we've experienced the last few months. I want to take every chance I can get to grow and learn and become better, and I think this experience is helping all of us do just that!

Remember how this blog used to be fun and creative and full of ideas?? Well, they are going to be making a comeback BIG time!! I havent been able to do much with blogging since I have been using my inlaws computer, but I am getting mine back next week so watch out!! :)

Cutting the Chaos, Week 5!!

Well here we are on the 5th week, and I'm still going strong :) I usually have a lot of great ideas and even better intentions, but always tend to get busy and have a hard time sticking to things. I am glad 5 weeks into this crazy thing I am still finding some ways to cut the chaos. The project for this week was not original, crafty or very cute, but oh so needed in my life!!

A few posts back I mentioned my love of couponing. It takes a little while to get into it, but once I did I went a little crazy! It was just so exciting to feel like even though I don't bring any income into our home, I can have a huge effeect on how much of that income leaves the home :) Although recently as we have tried to eat a little bit healther I haven't been using the food coupons AS much, I still love all the toiletries I get for amazing deals. Anyways, with all these coupons floating around I had to have a way to keep them organized, right?

You would think so :) This is a pic of my previous, ahem, system (if you could call it that!)

I would cut out all my coupons, group them into categories, and then paper clip them and throw them in the pile. Hmmm, see that huge pile of coupon inserts on the right? Those are all the ones I was behind on that still needed to be clipped. I loved the idea of clipping coupons, and for months was able to keep up with it, but NO MORE!! Not only did it take me hours to clip the coupons and organize them, but then to dig through the pile of paper-clipped categories and try and find the ones I needed, it was just too much!

My sister-in-law Crista introduced me to this brilliant method of organizing your coupons. If you visit different coupon sites like I do, you will notice that they always tell you where the coupon you need comes from (i.e., Red Plum 5/2). So now instead of spending hours clipping every Sunday I simply stick that weeks inserts in a plastic sheet and put in a binder I got on clearance at Walmart.

This way as I am making my grocery lists I can check the coupon blogs and ONLY cut the coupons I will actually be using that day at the store. Isn't it beautiful?! :)

I can't tell you how wonderful it feels to have these organized! Just one more way I am trying to Cut the chaos so I can enjoy all the fun things in my life!!

Do you coupon? If so, how do you organize your stash?? :)

Cutting the Chaos, Week 4!!

Holy moly...what happened the last few weeks! :) I tell you people, I took on the chaos, and the chaos won! :) But never fear, it didn't keep me down for long and I am here with another project I am doing that I know will significantly cut the chaos in my life :)

The inspiration for this project came a few week ago as I was on the verge of hysteria as my insurance company was calling me, demanding Brittons social security number or else his coverage would be terminated! Only one problem, I couldn't find it anywhere! Having a hard time visualizing it? Here is what I looked like as I dug through all of our paperwork...

(I stole this pic from my awesome friend Emily's blog...hope you don't mind Em :)

It really was ridiculous! I realized I had never recieved it in the email, and not only that but to get it I needed his birth certificate....hmmmm, never got that one either. Are you seeing a trend here?? I am so completely unorganized with our important papers! Something had to change! So after doing a little research (ie, blog-hopping :) I found this amazingly ridiculous blog you MUST check out immediately:

http://www.executivehomemaker.com

This blog was created by the mastermind Laurie behind my all-time fave blog, Tip Junkie! On this blog she has an entirely FREE printable for an Executive Homemaker Binder. It was exactly what I needed to start off my pitiful attempts at organizing. I also love her motto, "Organize your life so you can get to the fun things about being a mother, wife, and woman!" Amen Sister!! I tell you, I was not having very much fun running to the vital records office, then standing in line at the Social Security Admin for 2 hours :)

Anyways, she completely lays out for you how to get organized with categories like Daily Tasks, Monthly Planner, Family info (this is where I included all our important papers and immunization records for the kids) Expense and more! It is a great starting point, and I added things that I knew would be helpful to me and left out some things that I don't need.

You can't imagine how good it feels to have all of our important info in one place! Now when I need to call someone in the ward, I go to my binder. When I need to see what this months Food Storage item to stock up on is, I go to the binder. When I leave the kids with the babysitter and they need an info sheet, you guessed it, I go to the binder! :)

Now I realize I am probably the exception to the rule and you all have already done something like this years ago. But if for some reason I am not completely alone in this and you are feeling a little overwhelmed with it all, check out the blog and get started on a binder today! Mine still needs alot of work and it will constantly be changing and needed to be updated but it is a START! Hope you all are having lots of success cutting the chaos in YOUR lives, I am slowly but surely finding some success in mine! :)

Wake-up Call!

Before I get to the point of this post, I have to tell a quick story. And to understand this story you need a little bit of background on ME :) Here's the thing, I tend to be a very "all-or-nothing" type person. This can be very good, but also very bad. When I am "all", I am unstoppable. But if I feel like I can't be "all", I tend to do the other part...."nothing". The funny thing is, I'll just be going along with my life when something will happen and a switch will go off in my brain making me go "all" on some aspect of my life. This is what happened to me a few weeks ago:

Skylar was complaining of some health issues in a sensitive area and I started to do a little research. After I checked her out and did some research online, I came up with my diagnosis :) I was horrified with what I found. What she had was caused by dehydration, lack of excercise and poor diet!! I felt like the worst mom EVER! In all the research I did it was very uncommon for children to have this condition, and that made me feel even worse. Here's where the "all" kicks in! In one fail swoop I completely changed the way our family eats. Out with the enriched flour, high fructose corn syrup, and processed foods. It's hard to change a lifestyle, but when you think your childs health is at risk, it suddenly becomes much easier!!

Now are you ready for the funny part? When I took Skylar to the doctor to get her issue checked out, it turns out I was totally wrong!! :) She didn't have what I thought she did, jokes on me! So here I made this huge lifestyle change, for really no reason at all :) BUT, that doesn't change the fact that I am glad we did. A few weeks later I am seeing that I need balance and to be a little more flexible, but I am still really happy with the changes we have made. I quickly wanted to post some of my favorite things that I have found in our quest to be a little bit healthier, simply in the hopes that you will do the same! What are some healthy things you give your kids to eat? I have a pretty easy time with meals, but snacks are a little bit harder for me. Here are a few of my fave things: (and just a sidenote, I am no nutritionist, but I feel pretty good about giving my kids these things!)

My kids LOVE these Annie's Homegrown Bunny Snacks. They taste just like Teddy Grahams and Goldfish, but they are all-natural and made with whole-wheat flour. You can find them almost anywhere I think, I like to buy the variety pack at Costco.



Yogurt is one of my kids favorite things to eat. I really thought I was giving them a healthy snack, not realizing that the second ingredient listed on Gogurts is high fructose corn syrup! So needless to say I was thrilled when they recently came out with Simply Gogurts. I know, I know, these still have a bunch of sugar, but they did take out all the high fructose corn syrup and artificial colors and flavors. Its better at least, right? :)


Finally, we LOVE us some hummus!! I get any old brand of pita bread, bake it in the oven for about 7-10 minutes and bake our own pita chips. My sister in law introduced me to this particular brand from Costco while I was in New York. It is our fave new snack!!



I think one of the biggest obstacles for me when it comes to eating healthy is the financial aspect. Let's get real folks, it ain't cheap!! But after talking to my husband and looking at our budget, we decided to take the money out of our entertainment fund to add to the grocery budget. I feel like it is an investment in our health, one that I am sure will pay off in the long run.

One more sidenote: I don't think there is anything wrong with yummy, unhealthy treats!! The problem in our house is that those kinds of foods were no longer special treats, they were snacks that the kids could eat all day. So take what I am saying with a grain of salt and if you ever have the Johnson's over, don't worry about what we will and won't eat!! I have decided you can't control the situation everywhere you go, and thats just fine!! I am simply trying to teach my children (and really my husband and myself too!) how to live a little bit healthier life :)

Now don't forget when you comment :) to leave me all of YOUR wonderful healthy snack ideas!!

Out with the old, in with the....older

This last week our lease was up on one of our vehicles and it was time to turn it in. Usually this would mean a mission to find a new car, however this time was a little bit different.

Let's be honest folks, times are TIGHT! We are so lucky that Paul has a great job, but our finances are a lot different now then they were 3 years ago when we bought our home. It has been a very interesting time for us. I think when you are struggling and stressed about your finances, it seems to take over your whole life. As we've been going through this we have truly realized how priceless financial security is, and how trite "things" truly are.

So even though it was a sad day (especially for Paul!:) when we said goodbye to this:



I think we have both slept a little easier knowing we are doing what we can to better provide for our family and become more self-sufficient as the Lord would have us be. We now have just our one little and old Honda, but luckily for us, we are able to squeeze all the kids in the backseat. And with any difficult situation, the good is always there if you are willing to look for it. As we drive Paul to work in the mornings we read our scriptures and have some much-needed family time that we have previously been missing :) We also have amazing family members that have offered us the use of one of their cars while they are trying to sell it. Things are things and it was fun while it lasted, but I am excited to see what we can accomplish with our new goals and hopes for our future!

What a day!

Okay, before I start, heres a little disclaimer. This is not a post to just complain or get your sympathy. I realize I have things pretty darn good and it could be much, much worse. With that said, I have bad days like every body else, and this one gave me some much needed perspective and taught me a lesson I hope to remember for a long time.

I have felt like crap today. I woke up with a killer headache and it will not stop. I am so nauseous (sp?) that I run to the bathroom every couple of minutes sure I am going to lose it, but I never do. All food is making me sick, so I haven't eaten as much as I should, which makes me feel weak and kind of woozy. While Skylar was at preschool I laid on the floor and let Kendall crawl around me and get into things I never let her get into. When Skylar got home I let them play outside while I laid on the grass on a blanket. They watched more TV than they should have today. By the time they went down for their naps (at the same time the little angels!) I was feeling worse than ever. So instead of being productive I watched an episode of House, and took a nap. When I woke up I felt so so discouraged. I hadn't taught my daughters anything today. I hadn't touched the mountain of laundry sitting in my closet. I hadn't played with them or done any fun Halloween crafts. I hadn't made a good dinner for my wonderful, hard-working husband. I hadn't had more than a passing thought about my Young Women and their individual needs. And mostly I couldn't figure out how in the world I could feel so discouraged and insecure as a mother, only to be bringing another precious child into this world. Then a beautiful, wonderful little angel named Skylar changed everything. I told her that when daddy got home we were going to make caramel apples. She looked up at me and said " You are the best mommy in the whole world!"
Seriously??? I felt like a really crappy mommy. I am so grateful that Skylar does not have the same unrealistic expectations for me that I have for myself. I am so grateful for the reminder that even though I didn't plan some grand educational activity today, or conquer the mountain of laundry today, that my kids know I love them, and in spite of all my weaknesses they still think I am a good mommy. I am so grateful for the precious life I am carrying and the knowledge that families are forever. I know its all worth it. I know I will wake up one day, and long for these days again. Mostly I know that one of Satan's most powerful tools against Heavenly Father's daughters is to make them feel inadequate and doubt their divinity. Today reminded me to never let him have that power over me. Turned out to be a pretty amazing day after all!

Keeping it real

I am sure many of you have heard of this blog, Seriously So Blessed, but if you haven't, it is freaking hilarious!! It is a satirical blog playing off of the typical mormon mommy blog. The first time I saw it, I have to say, it rubbed me the wrong way. As I thought more about it, I realized it was rubbing me the wrong way because my blog has SO many of the things she is making fun of :) I went back and read through my blog, and man, it seems like my life is absolutely perfect! Now herein lies the dilemma. I am all for being positive and looking for the good. Going along with that, I don't like to record the negative, but come on, it happens, right? Life is not perfect, but I do think I AM very blessed, so I don't like complaining. I actually think its kind of dangerous to always try to make your life look so perfect, because then other people feel bad about themselves when they have struggles, when in fact, you (and I mean me:) may just be better at hiding them. So, long story short, here is my attempt at keeping it real: I love my kids and don't know what I would do without them, however, some days I feel like I need anger management classes. I lose it! There are some nights I cry after they are asleep because I know they deserved a better mommy that day. I love my home and think it is beautiful, but I am horrible at keeping it clean. Seriously, it is a daily struggle for me to keep it up. If I know someones coming over and I can pull it together, but if you just stop by, it probably won't be very pretty! I love my husband and I KNOW I got the better end of the deal in our marriage, but (GASP) we fight, we always make up, but we fight.
I will continue to post cute pics of the kids, and write about the fun things we do, but all in all, I am going to try to keep it a little more real! And also, I certainly hope this didn't make anyone feel bad. I love reading all of your blogs, and in a lot of ways they make me want to do more and be better. This post is (what else?:)all about me. I believe your blog is for YOU, so you should do with it what you want. I just found mine is sounding a little too perfect, and I want to be a little more down to earth than I have been.