A week of Thanks

Julie at living on less, Started a challenge on Thankfulness! Starting today, each day we are to list something we are Thankful for!

I am Thankful, I was raised in a Christian Home, with good Morals. I don't know how I would have made it this far, in this world, Without my Parents installing the Values of Faith in Christ! I know with the challenges I face in life everyday, I am constantly brought back to the things I was taught as a child!

Unfortunately, I don't always listen, and I make my wrong choices, but I will ALWAYS know GOD is there for me, And will never leave me or forsake me!!!!! Hebrew 13:5

Click on the box above to join Julie, in her Week of Thanks!!!

Shopping Strategies for the 12 Weeks 2 Christmas

My Shopping, is pretty much, Whatever I can find on clearance.

As the kids are getting older this is getting more difficult, but I do what I can! Right before Christmas, at a lot of stores many things are being clearanced out, to make room for the Christmas things, coming in!

This year I have found all my 12 year old & 5 month old daughters gifts in the clearance @ Wallmart, Fred Meyer, and Target.

I haven't had as much luck with my 9 year old son, and my 13 year old daughter. I have found a couple little items, for them and stocking stuffers, though!

Now the items I haven't gotten yet, I am hoping to find the day after Thanksgiving! If I don't find them , then It will probably just help me change my mind and get them something else:)

I used to have a separate checking account, also, that each month I put about $10 dollars in, and labeled it my Christmas account! That did help for a couple of years! I really should start that again, for next year:)

My strategies aren't very organized, I just always go down the clearance, and keep my mind open to what the children want or like! They don't always get what they wanted, but they always love what they get! There have been times that they are even happier they didn't get what they asked for!!!!!

Click up above for more strategies at 12 Weeks 2 Christmas.

Glass bricks decorations

Here are some Glass light up bricks, that I made to sell in my Etsy shop!

The Santa Clause and the Snowman bricks, have a string of colored lights!

The Sunflower brick has a string of clear lights!

I am looking forward to doing more crafts, and putting them on Etsy! I would love for people to get enjoyment out of the things I make!

Visit my Etsy store HERE!

12 Weeks of Christmas

I have decided for my nieces and nephews, I will be making Quillows. If I have time I will make them for my kids too.

I just need to get some of the 40% off an item at JoAnnes, that come out every week! I broke my computer and can't print them out. So I will have to do it at my moms this weekend.

For the older girls I'm sure I'll b doing Hannah Montanna, the younger girls princess, and the boys will be sports and trucks. I will probably do most the same material to make my 40% an item go further:)

Started an Etsy Shop:)

I have started a new Etsy shop! For now I am starting with some baked Goods, and will soon be adding some more craftier items:)
Come visit me! Click on the flower!

All 15 cousins together - I have the oldest and the youngest for right now:)

More wordless Wednesday Click HERE and HERE

Our Antique pitures

Friday, the kids got home from school, and it was time to curl all the girls hair!

Mops had a picture fundraiser, to take antique pictures.

The girls were all having so much fun getting ready. I had a hard time keeping them still , to not mess up there hair.

My son Ryker was playing video games, and complaining how he didn't want to take his pictures, and he wasn't going. Of course that's all just for girls:)

So, in between preparing dinner and the babies cries (who of course would not take the nap I planned for her. So she would be all ready for pictures), I was running back and forth between girls, curlers , curling irons, and bobby pins. Making sure not to burn the poor girls, as I'm pulling them every which way. I wanted them perfect for their pictures.

But of course by the time we got out the door and rushed into the church for our evening of poses! We were'nt quite so together!!!

We got all the dresses on, and fought my son to wear his overalls, without his pants underneath. I have never known a boy to be as modest as my son:) They were baggy, and he had to have his pants under. So we rolled his pants up underneath trying our best to make sure they wouldn't show!:)

As I saw my baby girl sitting for the first time in a little chair, i just had to break out my camera. So snapping away I realized, I had better stop! I'm sure they wouldn't be very happy, since of course it would keep me from buying there $40 a sheet picture:(

I wish I would have thought of getting pictures of the others kids too, because of course I am going to want to buy them all, I just know they are going to be great. But I will have the 1- 11x13 with all of them together, which of course will have to go up on the wall, for everyone to see as we enter in the house.

It was a lot of fun. wearing, but FUN!

For more Talk about Tuesday, click HERE!

Field trip to Pioneer Museum

More wordless Wednesday.............

Good old days of Mam and Sir :) I wish the children where still taught the respect in the class rooms!

I grew up going to a Private school, which had a lot of the same rules as this classroom from 100 years ago. I think I learned a lot from the respect I was raised to have!

I know, I can never make it without words! I'm not known for my big mouth or anything:)

For more Wordless Wednesday click the banners to the right

Talk about Tuesday!!

I just love to watch the cute things that my baby girl does!

One of the funny things she does, is she sucks her thumb, while sucking on her bottle! I push her thumb out, but she always puts it back in!

I have never seen a baby do this before, and it cracks me up every time. It's hard get a good picture, but I hope you can see. It is just to funny!

More Talk about Tuesday

Trick or treat

Wow, this Halloween, was finally a decent temperature for the first time, since having my first child, 13 years ago. Normally, the kids have to be bundled up they can't move, in fact this year my son was so warm from his thick long sleeve shirt and sweatshirt under his costume, he was completely drench. Poor boy!!!

We headed out at 5:30, I thought it was way to early, but they saw another child out, and the fun began:) I couldn't believe the hand fulls of candy people where handing out! The got way to much!! We ended at 7:30 and and they ended up with 2 ice cream buckets each:( Good thing they tend not to like a lot of it, and that gets handed over to Kevin for his lunches.

12 Weeks of Christmas - Caramel Corn

Here is my Caramel Popcorn recipe! My whole family loves it and begs me to make it, all the time! Some of my family likes it with peanuts, others do not! So I make one half batch with peanuts, and one half without! I personally love it with the peanuts. It seems to add an Little extra flavor to the whole thing, that i really like!

INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 quarts popped popcorn

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (95 degrees C). Place popcorn in a very large bowl.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil without stirring 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in soda and vanilla. Pour in a thin stream over popcorn, stirring to coat.
Place in two large shallow baking dishes and bake in preheated oven, stirring every 15 minutes, for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool completely before breaking into pieces.

12 Weeks of Christmas