(Top thoughts in the B home)

Top thoughts:) 

{ Sometimes do you ever feel like this tree? Alone? That your the only one thinking what your thinking?}

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 TOP THOUGHT:BY me

{{yes I am still alive see:) some weeks are hard to find time to sit and blog but thats life living it for real:)

1. Ever wonder why some people are enablers for instance letting their children dictate how they run your life it should be the other way around don't put up with it or the  results are a growing entitled future generation of children who think they deserve anything and everything and who think people are going to validate their every feeling.... cater to every whim

It isn't going to happen. real life doesn't include that. and the sooner our children and ourselves figure that out the better.  

I am a live with it, change it, or get happy kind of mom ......

I don't cater to issues...... 

I try hard not to create them.... so I have to live with what I created because in the long run they have to understand that life isn't put here for them
you make life the way it is..... CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY.
We create our environment......  What are we creating?? 
We need to love our children, hold them, listen to them and help them understand what works and what doesn't ...........but don't put up with the unnecessary....... it doesn't do you or them any favors.

NEXT UP :

2. Why do we think we have to perfect ?? Why do we think we have to live up to some unattainable standard?? Like everyday is a competition?? I'm not entering??  a fashion show i don't care to be in or who can make the greatest prettiest cake, the fanciest party table or whatever it may be ... we look around  and feel unequal as everyone around us thoughts like.....I'm not as not as skinny, or as pretty and its all downhill from there....

We are so hard on ourselves and we seem to forget more often than not what is most important in this life and it is none of those things! But as women why is it SO hard to grasp that......or why is it so hard to not judge someone who likes to get up early to get ready for the day ahead of everyone or that its okay to wear your pjs all day if thats what YOU want and what works for YOU!! Its okay if I like to get up early..... its okay to pick up cupcakes at the store  instead of spending hours on a masterpiece but fine if thats your thing and you love it....its when you doing it because you feel pressured or that its expected thats where the problem lies how much of of what we do is because we "think" its what everyone is expecting when its us who puts that perspective on ourselves..

.... 

Why do we judge, assume and compare so much?? its so sad and we all do it especially as women & mothers.

Instead of concentrating on the "little things" that need our desperate attention now because nothing else matters in the long run.....

HOME FRONT:

3. I so love M's face when he walks in the door after school he is so lovable gives me a hug tells me about his day even if he got in trouble a little:) He's loving reading...from good old Dick and Jane readers we grew up on.... its pretty amazing! Spelling tests, big hugs and i miss you's I'm loving it!! That and the falling asleep at 7 pm:)

4. I am SO proud of K he has found A PASSION...football, running, catching, throwing.... HE GOT HIS FIRST TOUCHDOWN this week you should have seen that boy move!! It is amazing to watch the fire growing in him giving it his all... made me a proud mama to see him get so excited about something... being undefeated helps him get excited too:)

5. Love watching L understand a few new things in the social aspect of things....dang girl drama!! Yet learning compassion for others...and enjoying activity days, choir and basketball camp and growing up entirely to fast:) 

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#tryingonreadingglasseswearesuchnerdsbutwehavefunlovethisman:/ #he'dkillmeifheknewiputthispictureonhere:)

6. D's 38th birthday is tomorrow and I can hardly believe we are getting this old I know its barely old ;) but crazy where life takes you and how much you learn and grow together and the more years that go by the more I love this guy!

 I love this guy with all my heart
so 38 things about him:)

He makes me laugh

He is funny!

He always looks to the bright side of things

He makes me a better person

He is dedicated to any calling he is given in church and does all he can

He is steady

He is an incredible boss who cares

He is respectful

He makes time for us even though he is super busy

He is strong physically emotionally and all other ways

He is an organizer and helps around the house

He is very determined

He looks for the good in everyone

He can make and build and fix anything

He is my handsome rugged outdoors kind of man

He is a great father

He is a hard core ski bum and looks awesome doing it:)

He is patient

He is my shoulder to cry and always there for me and our children

He is very smart

He is money smart

He is dependable

He has a fun sense of humor

He never quits

He is very easy going

He has a strong testimony 

He is a peacemaker

He puts everyone's needs in front of his own

He is always appreciative

He has the ability to talk to anyone and make them feel comfortable

He provides for his family

he is always serving others,

he loves me no matter what

loves each of our children

 He teaches through example

HE is a very very hard worker

HE is dedicated

He could be anything he wanted to be 

He is aware of others always..

AND WE LOVE HIM Never a dull moment with D around just ask my kids fun times:) Just like everyone of my crazy kids can't imagine life without crazy D in it!!

So if you see him tomorrow {sept 30} wish him a happy birthday!

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7. LOVE THIS:

"We each do the best we can. My best may not be as good as your best, but it's my best. The fact is that we know when we are doing our best and when we are not. If we are not doing our best, it leaves us with a gnawing hunger and frustration. But when we do our level best, we experience a peace."  

-Sister Marjorie Hinckley

and really what it all comes down to is doing our best whatever our best may be for us:)

Have an awesome weekend :)

{Pintersting Finds :)

So over the past months some things we have tried and loved and some we have tried and they weren't so good and some were just awesome so thought we'd share especially for those not on pinterest:) Pinterest is a love/hate kind of thing but I figure if I get as much from it and use it then thats not a waste of time right:) 

So first up is:

This recipe from here 

So my kids and D weren't crazy over them they have far to many rice krispy's in the recipe and they turn out kind of hard now maybe that was just ours ....so if you give it a try let me know:)

Next up is:

This recipe Southwest Chopped Chicken salad it is SO good! I think I shared this a post ago but its worthy of another:)! That may just be an understatement my kids and D loved it which is saying alot because none of them like beans {I didn't even add the tortilla strips and hardly any of us had the dressing I didn't add that to the recipe either:)

Then we tried this for breakfast the other morning and the KIDS loved it and it smells heavenly....I didn't use any recipe from pinterest but I had remembered seeing a picture of pumpkin french toast and threw some things together and it was AMAZING...try it:) Her link to the picture and recipe is found here

 The recipe we made was 

about 4-5 eggs

pour in some milk

1 cup pumpkin 

some epicure pumpkin spices 
{or nutmeg cinnamon ginger cloves}

and a capful of vanilla 

and thats it:) 

With some homemade coconut syrup or maple amazing:)

and pinterest worthy

Next up isn't found or pinterest but its the awesomest kid fun flubber recipe ever K2 has played with it everyday this week for hours at a time he LOVES it its grandma's recipe so here it is ::

can you read that recipe?? If you want I'll send it to you or write it out but I think you can guess the missing words right:)

Next is this amazing tip: on cleaning stainless steel appliances 

cleaning them with this here is her tutorial and this is her picture

and this is my fridge that looked like this before and after:

okay how about this for decorating so cute....found here

 or some style fun

I love this shirt and I might even try to find some pants just like these so cute... I don't know though all these colored pants and chambray shirts coming back.... we all know it won't last to long right ....
because it once was 

somehow I've been here before what goes around comes around:)
Its fun though:)

and finally not pinterest but I went on a run this morning so so nice out or maybe a picture walk ha ha:) But I just love mornings I miss early summer morning runs since school started and now its back on the treadmill for me its just not that exciting or pretty...but this morning I got some fun shots...played around with them cause thats fun too:)

people miss out on the awesome sunrise's don't they...

and thats this week's/months;) edition of very pinteresting:)

Have an awesome weekend:) 

Happy Fall:)

{Being the Parents...}

via pinterest

 So Just to get out to the boring 10 for tuesday list type posts I've been stuck in a rut doing for everything 

I've been thinking okay so this is a ME THINKS POST :)

 alot about the things we do as 

parents how much it affects children.......... what we do. 

How our choices have such a bearing on our children because honestly they watch us far more then we think they do.....the things we do and our examples is what builds them up or tears them down...

So I was thinking of some of the things that I love doing with my kids that my parents did with us...

Things like reading together, praying together and eating together

the importance of record keeping 

and scripture reading no matter what age you are

and then the simple things like 

Sunday Disney popcorn nights 

{do the dishes during commercials listening for the "its on" call}

fun times:)

or simple things like these songs that I loved singing with my siblings and now my kids love when we put it on!

If you don't have these they are such cute fun songs they are on itunes too:) 

Then I was thinking about the awesome articles and kicks in the butt we get from all over I love this article from here 

titled

1.}How to miss a childhood: The dangers of paying more attention to your cell phone than your children

 I don't want my kids to remember that I was on the phone or computer all the time...I want to be present now...

2.}I love this article from here and I love that when I was reading it my kids will already have some of these memories because we do some of them already but I always love new ideas too!! There are so many things we can be doing that don't take much to build happy memories:)

I love this. To many parent/ children friends. We need more parents to be THE parent, not buddy buddy friends whose children can do no wrong and face no consequences of there actions.  Our children need to face responsibility and have CONSEQUENCES for their actions makes them better well adjusted adults and children.

AND some awesome quotes I love this week on parenting{

if you are my fb friend you get quoted to death and probably have already read these but I love them}

Parents, be patient with your children. Read to your little children and help them with their schoolwork, even if you need to tell or show them the same thing many times. Elder Richard L. Evans said, “If they find that they can trust us with their trivial questions, they may later trust us with more weighty ones”.

and this one

"You have nothing in this world more precious than your children. When you grow old, when your hair turns white and your body grows weary, when you are prone to sit in a rocker and meditate on the things of your life, nothing will be so important as the question of how your children have turned out ... Do not trade your birthright as a mother for some bauble of passing value ... The baby you hold in your arms will grow quickly as the sunrise and the sunset of the rushing days." 

President Gordon B. Hinckley

I love these because I feel like now more than ever in the history of our world  ..... its more important to TEACH our kids to be there for them and teach them the lessons of life.

Make memories listen and love.

None of us are perfect and thats why we have each other:) To learn from, to encourage and lift us up on all the good and bad days...

because there will be lots of those :) 

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"The attitude you have as a parent is what your kids will learn from more than what you tell them. They don't remember what you try to teach them. They remember what you are."

- Jim Henson 


One of the most frustrating jobs out there, but also the most rewarding for sure!!
 
Have a great week make some memories 

{My top 10 thoughts of the week ...}

1. So the Kids are enjoying their new school year so far only a few mishaps;) always a learning experience especially for a certain 6 year old!!

2. K2 and I are throughly enjoying hanging out everyday we have lots of fun, walks, talks, meetings, appointments.....parent preschool together and its super fun he is such a good boy and listens so well...

3. We tried new recipes.....enjoyed the sun and I even hand wrote TWO letters haven't done that in forever sad really used to be my favorite thing I love letters, mails and packages!

 Recipe found here it is so so good!

4. K2 Discovered what sour is....

5. We went to a pinterest lunch were we learned to make mozza cheese  its really good and super easy!!Then we all brought a dish we wanted to make from pinterest so many yummy things..and then talked about what things work and what not to bother trying it was really fun! Found here

6. Then came Monday and with it came a massive fire & hurricane winds to drive it in pretty much the same two places as last November so it was a very real  deja view feeling. Although it wasn't on the ranch dang close though.... the Ranch boys and D ended up fighting fire all afternoon and into late night! He came home a smelly,sooted black man with hurtin lungs ...

7. Ever wondered what the inside of our LDS temples look like now is the time if you live around here. Take the chance to find out for yourself...nothing more peaceful and  beautiful.....get your tickets:) and watch this short video...

8. I am so heartbroken for so many people from all over right now so many sad & awful things happening to people all over.... making choices that make you want to cry for them for there families, for the tests in this life. I look around and I see the one word that describes so much what is happening and it is a lack of COMMITMENT in so so many areas right now....
 I see it everywhere..

I read a quote that said

"If you're to busy to read your scriptures, or say your prayers, you are busier than God ever intended you to be....."

how often are we so busy these days we don't even really talk to our kids, or talk at night to our husbands and wives??? because we are checking up on the latest on face book, twitter or whatever it may be instead of reading, praying and talking to those that mean the most to us

actually 

.....being connected in real time...

something to think about.

"It is good advice to slow down a little, steady the course, and focus on the essentials when experiencing adverse conditions." — President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

9. Sad that K2's nystagmus has started to become more obvious now that he is getting older...he tilts his head to the side where his eyes can see best and it seems to be more obvious lately or its getting worse not sure what one .. it also means his big surgery is coming sooner than I want it to :(  {its a good thing just a scary thing for him to have to go through } but we have an appointment with the specialist coming up so I guess we'll see what's next!My favorite little 3 year old in the whole world I just LOVE this boy!!!

and 10. My favorite quote of the week...

"What you allow, is what will continue."

{goes for so many things in life doesn't it}

 

Have a great week...

{Beautiful.}

C T R

Miss L. got baptized on Saturday Sept 8th she was SO excited. 

She was prepared ready and 

It's really so hard for me to believe she is 8 years old.

8 years since that perfect little baby girl was placed in our arms by a strong loving amazing birth mother!

Now

She is old enough to make decisions

Old enough to make the first big step in her life 

She was beaming Saturday and we were all just so happy and proud of her. She looked beautiful, radiant, clean and ready..... I know she felt something special throughout the program and baptism.

She is full of light. 

My prayer for her is that she always remembers how it felt to feel so clean .....that she makes right choices throughout her life and carries that light with her forever...she has a strong little spirit and we love her so, so much...

Beautiful girl.

 Getting ready..

Beautiful is family support all those that came from our families.

beautiful is ...worthy men in our lives who live listen and believe...and are amazing examples to each of us in there own ways.....

beautiful is a feeling....There is not a day that goes by that I don't thank my father in Heaven for my family the blessings they are to me the feelings they invoke in me....... is far more then I could ever put into words..and for the man I married.

 L deserved an all pink day so thats what I did we made it a pink day a day just to celebrate her..and she loved it...she felt loved, felt special and above all to know how much we love her...

i took this before i got the last picture picked up and put in oops;)

Beautiful is .....also having friends and family  

who make beautiful cakes. 

Take amazing pictures 

and sing amazing songs. 

Sew amazing dresses 

and text me to see how I'm doing...... 

and let me cry ....come to my rescue ...

and give me hugs at the moment I need one... 

I feel very blessed to such amazing friends and family in my life...and hope they know how much I love and appreciate them!!

Beautiful..... 

is love..... something you feel..... something much deeper than a first glance something that grows, teaches and is full of light...

beautiful is sometimes much more than a feeling you can see it when it radiants from happy people...

Beautiful is.....having a loving family, the Gospel, a strong testimony 

and what we share...

that deepens and grows with every passing year.

A beautiful day.

{Back To School and a few other things:)

The many faces of my picture hating children this year:)

I can hardly believe how big they are getting... for some reason they all followed K2 with this one funny kids!

then this is starting.....

 they won their first game and my boy is on fire this year:)
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I also found I had a little more quiet time this week ha ha and actually
finished this mirror project that has been waiting for me......it was an awesome $2 find at a garage sale... I forgot to do the before but it was a gold color love how it turned out!
excuse how weird I look in this picture my eyes look like they are squished together ha ha

and now working on this sweet excited little girls big day tomorrow here's a teaser :) Now I really can't believe she is 8 years old!!! My awesome neighbor Rhonda Steed shot a few fast ones of her last night and there are a few definite keepers! So till tomorrow:)
Here's a sassy one;)

Overheard this morning

I told K2 to make his bed and say his prayers because I tell all the kids that everyday......not really thinking I told K2 that and he goes in his room and the next thing I hear is::

Heavenly Father...

have good day..

jesus amen

Melt my heart, my attitude and make my day
 I love that boy he is such an example to all of us at such a young age!

Favorite Quote this week

"You can be excellent in every way. You can be first class. There is no need for you to be a scrub. Respect yourself. Do not feel sorry for yourself. Do not dwell on unkind things others may say about you. Polish and refine whatever talents the Lord has given you. Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face, but with great and strong purpose in your heart. Love life and look for its opportunities. 

Gordon B. Hinckley

Have a great weekend:)

{ Me thinks.... }

Well another summer full of memories..

and another last fling at summer this weekend

we got some camping in...

 some hiking and some wicked wind ha ha

crazy how fast it goes by ...
 I will have a 1st, 3rd and 5th grader now that is crazy..
and one cute little K2 to hang out with all day long..

It really is like Christmas eve around here we all are excited to get back into some routine and structure..the kids are feeling it and so am I.
We had a fun get together tonight with the "neighborhood" +plus ....corn bust tonight in our backyard and it really was a lot of fun our awesome neighbors brought over there astro jump and the hundred kids running around were entertained.
The perfect note and night to end summer off with :)
We really have had a very packed fun summer and enjoyed all the great new memories we made together..I just love my little family!!

Me thinks.
Ready. Set. Go.
onto a new year..

some fun things we are going to try out..

found here

some fun ideas here

okay enough

SO question am I the only one who makes my kids shower every morning?? Because I was looking for morning routine charts today and not one of them said shower or bath?? I know my friends already think I'm weird that I do but am I the only one? 

Or how about brushing your teeth when you first wake up? Why not after you eat breakfast before they head out doesn't that make more sense??
What do you have your kids do?

Have a great week!!
And a very happy birthday to my dad and my sister today!! love you guys!!