It's Ok Thursday

~It's ok that Rachel and I spent the whole day yesterday with new friends of our's. We even stayed for a picnic lunch in their backyard, and I pretended like I really didn't NEED to get to the grocery store and do my weekly shopping.

~It's ok that I let Rachel run around without pants after she soaked the ones she had on. I didn't have an extra outfit with me. Yeah, I forgot to pack one.

~It's ok that I'm a complete and utter nerd. I mean bigtime. I have shelves and shelves of books. I still like to go to the library. I laugh at stupid things. I get so excited about things sometimes I shake. I dance around and sing really loudly when I think no one's watching. I care way too much what people think. I am not "good" at being fashionable and just "knowing" what looks good together. I crunch my icea after every drink. I get way too attached to people I care about. Its all OK.

~It's ok that the other night I was totally belting out an old Shania Twain song in the living room. I was even using a Pringles can as a microphone. Arnold was a little embarassed of me, I think.

~It's ok that I am not very crafty. Most moms I know are. Friends have tried to teach me to make hairbows for the girls and I just get frustrated. A friend made me like 6 bows for Rachel while I was attempting just to make one look "right." I guess I will either keep buying them or relying on generous friends to make them!

~It's ok that I sometimes go back and "correct" a little on Brooke's homework after she's done. Just erasing stray marks and letters that went a little above the line, etc. I am a teeny bit scared of her teacher. She is oldschool like you wouldn't believe. But I am glad Brooke has that structure in her daily life.

~It's ok that I had an extra piece of cake last night at a church thing. It was chocolate. Enough said!

~It's ok that I like watching reality shows like "Biggest Loser," "Teen Mom," "19 Kids and Counting," and the like. I like seeing people in their everyday lives. I think I touched on this in another blog. I am nosy!

~It's ok that I am not very good at math. Don't ask me to do any in my head. If I am trying to figure out sales or "percent off," I whip out my calculator. Every time.

~It's ok that I don't like coffee! Everyone and their brother say I am weird for this. I still get my caffeine fix. I just drink Dr Pepper or Sun Drop instead ;)

~It's ok that I am wrapped up in the "Hunger Games" hype just like everyone else. I want to go see the movie with Arnold. I am afraid I will get upset/sad/nauseous and all that, but I still want to go. Just to say I did.

~It's ok that I'd rather do exercise videos and Wii Fit than go to an actual gym. I don't like people watching me work out.

~It's ok that I think I'm even more excited about Easter than the kids are.

~It's ok that Arnold went in with others at work to try to win the lottery. Have I ever played? Nope. Do i think its silly to try? Yep. But I am a teeny bit excited this time.

~It's ok that the girls have way more clothes than me. It's way more fun to buy stuff for them than it is me. Everything looks good on them! ;)

~It's ok that I am very jealous whenever we visit friends' houses who don't have kids. Their houses are not cluttered with toys! No crayon marks on the wall! Or spills on their carpet! It's heavenly.

What I'm Loving Wednesday

~I'm loving that I re-decorated my blog for Spring, and reached 12,000 views

~I'm loving that I got a good night's sleep last night (for once)

~I'm loving that we got to go visit Makenzie in the hospital last night. She had her tonsils and adenoids removed yesterday morning. She did really well! Rachel made her a card and took it to her. I think she was happy to have some company :)

~I'm loving the memories that flood back to me when I'm at the hospital. I always think back to when I had the kids. Caleb even said to me "this is where I was when I was a baby!!" And I told him that yes, he was born there. Can't believe it was almost 6 years ago that we pulled out of that parking lot with baby Brooke in the backseat, and became a family. I peeked into the nursery when we walked by it, but didn't see any babies in there.. darn. Something about new life that makes me happy.

~I'm loving that I had not one, but two conversations with Ray last night (even if they were quick!) It has been a weird, long week, and it was good to talk to him. He is a really good friend.

~I'm loving that the other night while we were having "Circle Time" and helping the kids say their prayers, Brooke said "Thank you God for my Uncle Alex." That was just precious! Usually they call out their names and mine and Arnold's, but it was sweet to hear them add more family members in the mix this time. The kids love their uncle :)

~I'm loving that the most recent Nicholas Sparks book I read had a way better ending than the last one. I just finished reading "The Choice" and before that I read "At First Sight." That one ended very sadly. I always cuss Nicholas Sparks for making me cry, but I'm always sucked into this stories.

~I'm loving that a story I wrote was featured in Christ Church's newsletter this month. We got it in the mail this past week and I was really surprised. They had told me awhile back that it might be in there, but I had forgotten all about it. I wrote about how awesome Lifegroups are, and how everyone should join one. The newsletter went out to people from all the campuses, and although I know a lot of people didn't even bother to read it, it makes me feel special ;) It was neat to see my name under it. I am definately saving that for the future :)

~I'm loving that this Sunday it starts April. This year seems to be flying by already. And while I am not wishing the time away at all, I am really looking forward to Easter. Love that time of year. The kids ask me many mornings if it is time yet. Their Easter baskets are already full and hiding in the hall closet on the shelf.

~I'm loving that we have raised a decent amount of money for the Diabetes walk this Saturday. Arnold and I have gotten some donations from his work friends, and from family. We are walking the 3 mile walk this weekend, with some good friends of ours. We are walking for their daughter, who was diagnosed at only 6 years old! I hope they can find a cure!

~I'm loving finding other people's blogs to read online. The only thing I love more than writing a blog is reading other people's. Many people will tell you I am nosy (ask my Mother and husband!) Not in a bad way, I am just fascinated with other people's lives. I don't know why.. I just always have been. I like to see what other people do, buy, how they live, etc. I hope I don't come across as creepy now, haha! I also am envious of how "together" some other moms seem to be, but I know I don't get to see the whole story, so I shouldn't compare myself to them.

~I'm loving that we got the proofs back from the kids' spring pictures yesterday. They used an ugly background this time (don't like to be negative, but they did!) Brooke's picture was pretty good, except she forgot to take her necklace OUT of her shirt, so it would show. And Caleb totally had a fake smile, but he was cute, too. He looks so much older compared to last year's pic.

~I'm loving that "Secret Life" came back on last night. That show has got to be the biggest train-wreck I have ever seen. It has some horrible acting and the show has turned into a big soap opera. With that being said, I can't look away. I find myself still watching to see what happens.

~I'm loving that tomorrow is payday. Enough said :)

**I know half of this is green and half regular text, but I can't seem to fix it!**

These are a Few of my Favorite Things

~Cupcakes with cute decorations, preferably chocolate

~Holding a newborn baby, and feeling them snuggle into the crook of my arm

~Rita's Italian Ice, especially strawberry margarita or pina colada

~Getting a FB comment from a friend, just saying they were thinking of me

~The look and smell of the grass after its been cut

~Laying in bed listening to a thunderstorm outside during spring-time

~Watching the fireworks on the 4th of July

~A summer time cookout with hotdogs, all the toppings, fruit, chips, pickles..

~Days that we spend as a family, doing fun things, and the kids getting along

~Watching the kids get excited about things for the first time

~Getting to buy earrings, girly toys, and girly stuff in general for Brooke

~Picking out stuff to put in the kids' easter baskets or stockings

~A waffle cone full of chocolate chip icecream

~Dipping my pizza (preferably Papa Johns!) in ranch dressing

~Having a girls' night, and talking and laughing until I can't breathe ;)

~Trying to beat Arnold's scores on Wii Fit games.. healthy competition ;)

~Ocharleys' rolls they give you before they bring out your dinner

~Celebrating my birthday, I have a marathon birthday every year!

~Getting packages in the mail, especially a new magazine or a book I ordered

~Being in the middle of a great book and not being able to put it down

~Singing in the car with Arnold to the top of my lungs, to a great song

~Going to yardsales and finding that "one awesome deal" that I get so excited about

~Blogging about my day and getting to share pictures of the kids

~Taking a picture where all three of the kids are looking!

~Strolling around Target when its not crowded, looking at all the cute stuff

~My stuffed bear PJ that my grandma made me when I was a baby, that still sits on my nightstand in my room

~A cup of sweet tea full of SONIC ice

~Waking up and realizing you still have a few more hours to sleep

~Singing along with the great worship music at our church

~Finding money you had forgotten about

~The look of the van right after its been through the car wash

~Relaxing after the kids are in bed and watching some of my fave shows

~Finding CUTE outfits for the kids on Ebay or consignment, for much less $$$

~Looking back at old pictures and having some memories

~Planning and throwing themed parties for the kids, and all their friends

~Getting manicures and pedicures, especially in a pretty color!

~The countdown on New Year's Eve, still gives me butterflies

~Hearing Arnold's car pull in the driveway after work

Getaway to the Moutains

This weekend we went on a (very) short trip to the mountains with my parents. To Lake Lure, to be exact (very close to Chimney Rock.) My parents have a timeshare up there, and we went a few times every year since I was a baby. Arnold has only been up there once, when we were just married and pregnant with Brooke. The kids had NEVER been, so I was so excited to take them some place that meant so much to me, I knew they would have a great time. They actually did pretty well on the ride up there, but Brooke did ask the infamous "Are we there yet" a million times, it seemed like. As soon as we parked at the condo Rachel jumped out of the van and was jumping around. It is always so beautiful up there.. it is nice every once in awhile just to get a change of scenery. The condo had a big bedroom downstairs that my parents stayed in, and upstairs was a guest bedroom that Arnold and I stayed in.

When we first got there we unpacked and let the kids look around. They ran up and down the stairs a thousand times, they aren't used to stairs since we don't have any in our house except for leading down to the basement :P Then we drove down to the lake and my dad took the kids fishing. Well they didn't actually catch anything (other than some sticks, leaves, etc) but they sure as heck had a great time trying ;) I got a TON of pictures, but they are on my mom's camera, so I will have to wait awhile before I can post them (they are up there for the rest of the week still). Then we walked over to the beach area and fed some geese.. they actually came right up to us and ate the bread. Rachel wanted to chase after them, she always gets so excited around animals :P We stopped into a little shop and my dad got the kids some strawberry icecream (they are soo spoiled, I told you!) and then he bought tickets for us all to go out on a boat ride on the lake.

The kids had never been on a boat, so they were thrilled about every little thing-- getting to wear life jackets, feeling the boat rock from the wind, and watching the water splash around behind us. We had a tour guide, and she was really nice. We also were on the boat with 2 other couples, they had never been to the area before. We of course had, but we learned alot of things on the ride that we didn't know before, so it was interesting. Brooke ended up falling asleep on the ride, just passed right out on my lap :P Rachel kept running back and forth from side to side, sitting with her grandparents one minute, then with Arnold and I another minute. We saw the places where a lot of scenes from "Dirty Dancing" was filmed.. that was pretty awesome.. love that movie! :) We also got to witness a wedding going on.. they even had a horse and carriage waiting on them, it was soo romantic. I am such a sap :P The whole ride lasted about an hour and a half, and by the end I could tell the kids were really ready to get off and go home. It didn't help that it was evening and overcast, so it was pretty chilly (and silly me didn't bring any jackets because I didnt know we were doing a boat ride!)

When we got back to the condo my mom cooked us all a big dinner.. crab meat, shrimp, baked potatoes, and salad. It was sooo good, I could eat seafood every night. Brooke even ate and ate, she kept going back for more shrimp :P We didn't end up eating until around 8:30 PM. I grew up being used to eating later in the evening because of my parents' work schedules, but Arnold has really had to get used to waiting when he goes to eat with my parents, because he grew up eating at like 4PM (yes Im serious!! I think its crazy too!) But anyway, after we ate and got everyone ready for bed, Mom took the kids downstairs so they could camp out in her room. Arnold and I were able to hang out together, watch some tv, and be in our own room, which was nice. You can tell Arnold was exhausted, because he fell asleep BEFORE me, and that NEVER happens!!!! :)

I didn't sleep well that night.. I tossed and turned alot. Didn't help that we were sleeping in a small bed together and didn't have a lot of room.. or the fact that Arnold was snoring in my ear! Plus, I am a big-time homebody and always sleep best in my own bed. Arnold on the other hand slept like a log, and was the last one of the family to get up :P Mom cooked up breakfast. My parents are always eating lots of different things and experimenting, and they made me try lox on bagels. This is smoked salmon, cream cheese, capers, and ONIONS, on a bagel. Yes.... for breakfast. So... like a little kid, my mom made me try a bite before she cooked me scrambled eggs. Not my 1st choice for breakfast.. but Arnold ended up eating two of them :P The kids liked it too, much to my surprise. But mostly they ate fruit. They LOVE fruit and ended up eating all the fruit my mom had brought on the trip :P

We hung out around the condo for some of the morning, then got the kids dressed to go swimming. They have an indoor pool at the rec center, and we had promised the kids they would get to go swimming. It is a smaller-sized pool and only reaches 4 ft, and is in a heated room, so it worked out well, considering it was chilly and raining outside all day. Arnold went in with the kids while my parents and I stayed out and watched (Mom couldn't find her suit before we left and I usually don't swim, I really dislike swimming, I KNOW im a weirdo) The kids all had a great time and Arnold walked them across the pool and let them practice their kicking and splashing. He walked away with Rachel for a minute and Caleb all of a sudden decided to walk further into the pool. In a minute he was gasping for air and thrashing his arms around.. I RAN over to the side of the pool and was 2 seconds away from jumping in, with all my clothes on and rescuing him (I was feeling the mommy instincts kick in like crazy) but he reached his arms out and caught the side of the pool, thankfully. I then pulled him out. He was upset for a minute, but he was totally fine. I'm sure this makes Arnold and I sound like horrible parents, but we were all RIGHT THERE, it happened in a second. Just one of those lessons-- you can never be too careful!

When we got back to the condo, we gave the kids a bath in the big jacuzzi tub and got them dressed. Then we all made sandwiches for lunch. That afternoon the kids rode with my mom into town to do some grocery shopping for the rest of the week. So Arnold and I decided to go into Chimney Rock and have a mini "day date." we stopped by and got some icecream-- chocolate chip in a waffle cone for me! And we were going to walk around the shops but it started raining as we walked out of the icecream shop, so we just decided to go on back. When we got back we lounged around and Arnold watched "Green Lantern" which was on the tv. I ended up falling asleep on his shoulder and slept almost 3 HOURS. Wow, it was so nice to get a nap. Meanwhile my parents helped entertain the kids and play with them. During my nap I woke up a few times and Arnold told me that I had been snoring, and grinding my teeth like crazy. We suspected that I did, because my jaw often hurts me for "no reason." But now we have proof. Im afraid I might have to get a mouth gaurd to wear at night.. even the dentist says Ive starting grounding down my back teeth :-/ Yikes... don't want it to get any worse I guess.

We stayed around and ate dinner with my parents that evening, before we went home. Mom made her famous homeade lasanga. We watched the Carolina game while we were waiting on dinner. Big time disappointment, as many of you know :( Then we started packing up our stuff and left out on the road around 7:30 or so. Mom watched us pull out of the parking lot and drive away. Im pretty sure she might have started crying after we left, I know she sure does love those grandkids of hers :) The kids fell asleep pretty soon after we left, and Arnold and I enjoyed a quiet ride home. We didn't even turn on the music! When we got home we carried the kids inside and put them straight to bed. They were exhausted from the trip! It was such a great time, and I was glad to get away, even if it could have been a lot longer!

*Pictures to come soon!*

Recent Ramblings

~Last week I started feeling sick one day. I mean really, really bad. I had chills so bad I was under the covers with 5 or so blankets on me. I also had a throbbing headache and just felt weak. I could have sworn I was getting the flu. But the next day I felt so much better??? So strange, still don't know what that was about.

~I FINALLY tried Nagano's! I know a lot of you thought it would never, ever happen with me and Japanese food. But Arnold has wanted to take me forever (he loves it). I had shrimp, rice, and broccoli. It was really good, I'll admit. I don't see the HUGE deal about it, but it may be what I ate? What does everyone like there?

~Took the kids to Ritas the other day. Had some lemonade-flavored italian ice. Can't wait until the warmer months when they will bring out the "Summer" flavors again like Pina Colada and Strawberry Margarita!

~The time change didn't mess with me TOO bad, but I did wake up later than I was supposed to, which put me almost late to church. I didn't set the alarm, which I know I should have!

~The weather has been absolutely beautiful lately! We have played outside, taken the kids to the park, grilled out hotdogs... love this time of year! Spring is JUST around the corner now, and I can't wait :)

~Picked up a few things at the dollar store to put together a little Easter centerpiece for our table in the kitchen. A glass decorative bowl thing, jellybeans, and a pillar candle. Got the idea on pinterest. It is pretty cute! Now if I can just keep Rachel out of the jellybeans.. she thinks they are for her to eat ;)

~Finally got around to reading Stephanie Plum's 2nd book, "Two for the Dough." Its in a series of Thrillers that I have started. I am really enjoying them!

~Have I mentioned that I really want to rent and watch "Footloose"?? Has anyone seen it yet??

~Rachel colored ALL over her arms, legs, part of the wall, and carpet with red, black and yellow sharpies yesterday. Partly my fault, I really should have made sure they were put up better than where I had them. Anyway, it has been a pain trying to figure out how to get the marks up. So far not much luck. I have lightened the marks on Rachel a lot, but its going to take some time until her skin is its normal white again! Right now she just looks bruised! :(

~We bought Arnold's parents' elliptical machine they aren't using anymore. Arnold put it down in the basement for us to use. He has used it a few times already, but not me. I should be happy that we have that here now to use, but most of you already know that I hate basements.. they creep me out. yes, even my own. So I don't like to go down there. And that's not an excuse not to work out.. seriously! :)

~Yesterday when we went to Kohl's, Rachel picked out a stuffed Kangaroo from the "Kohls Cares for Kids" section. They have Eric Carle books and animals out right now. They already have two of the books, but we picked up the other two books for their collection. Rachel LOVES that kangaroo. She always loves to have a buddy to carry around with her :)

~Speaking of books, my mom was asking me to make a list of all the kids' books in their collections, so she could look at it when she was wanting to buy them a new one. She usually gets them a new one for each Holiday. Well that took forever!! I didn't ever step back to realize how awesome their book collections really are! I hope to hold onto a lot of them so they can have them when they grow up. I still have a lot of the books I had when I was a kid, including most of the Berenstein Bear Series :)

~I think we have decided to get the girls bunk beds! I was a little worried about them before now, safety issues and all that, but we found a set that looked pretty nice and safe the other day. It will also free up a lot of room in their bedroom. I will probably then give Brooke's bed to Caleb. I just hope he doesn't get jealous!

~I usually am so excited about Tues. nights.. but Glee is on break right now, won't be back until April! This is killing me! Can't wait to see what happened to Quinn.

~Taking Rachel to the park tomorrow for our first OUTSIDE playdate of the year! it will be so much fun. I can't believe it is going to reach 80 degrees tomorrow! She will definately get to wear one of her new Spring outfit.

What I'm Loving Wednesday

~I'm loving that I am finally back online, technically. I was using my Kindle for awhile after I accidentally spilled sweet tea on my laptop. We now have a desktop computer set up. I am missing being able to put the laptop in my lap and lay in bed with it, but I am LOVING the huge screen on this desktop. It is 19", so awesome.

~I'm loving that I have gotten back into the groove of reading lately. I have read so many books in the past few weeks. I just got finished reading "Between Friends," and thanks to my friend Erika, she let me read her copy of "Safe Haven" by Nicholas Sparks. They were both really good, somewhat suspense, and were real page-turners.

~I'm loving that the next week or so its supposed to be nice weather. Sunny and in the high 60s for the most part. Looks like lots of playing outside for Rachel and I!

~I'm loving that I found out that the people moving in next door have THREE kids. Not just two like I originally thought. It will be cool to have people with something in common with us. I heard one is a baby too.. ahh.. we all know how much I love babies ;)

~I'm loving all the Easter stuff out at stores right now. Easter is one of my favorite holidays! Today I picked up the kids' easter eggs for their baskets. They were ridiculously over-priced for little pieces of circular plastic, but I know the kids will be so happy, and that's what matters ;) Caleb gets Spider Man, Brooke gets Princess, and Rachel got Dora. Acutal little Dora heads that are the easter eggs ;)

~I'm loving that I ran into a friend from a local mom's group I'm in this morning at Walmart. I see her on the forum and read her blog all the time, so I feel like I already "know" her, but now I've actually MET her ;) She has the cutest little girl who is 3, and always is wearing the cutest little outfits. I'm also very jealous of her photography skills ;) Anyway, I hope we will get to hang out sometime soon and Rachel will be excited to have someone new to play with!

~I'm loving that they are making a new "American Pie" movie! haha! Has anyone seen the previews? I saw it last night when I was watching "New Girl." I know they are the cheesiest movies of all time and I even have bad memories associated with the American Pie Wedding movie, but still.. I was a little excited to see the new movie. I will have to see it, just for old time's sake. I am a child of the 90s, after all ;)

~I'm loving that "Footloose" came out on DVD this week (since we were on the topic of movies) Hoping to rent it this weekend or next. I never saw the original! But always wanted to.

~I'm loving that Brooke and Caleb's school had a thing last night called "Literacy Night." It's all about the importance of reading to kids. They had the chorus sing a few songs to the parents, then the grade levels split up and went to different classrooms for different activities, stories, and crafts. Then at the end they had cookies and juice in the cafeteria. It was really cute.

~I'm loving how social Caleb has become! Preschool has been so great for him, if only for the fact that he has gained so many friendships and learned how to interact better with others. He even gave his AND Brooke's teacher a big hug last night at the school thing (without prompting!) He also grins and blushes when we talk to him about this one little girl in his class, Piper. I think Caleb may just have a little girlfriend ;) He says she gets mad at him alot... typical ;)

~I'm loving my new fave treat- pistachios! I know I am behind the times. I am usually an almond-eating girl. But I tried some at Christmas and ate a TON of them. My mom kept saying I was going to get sick. Arnold bought me a few bags of them the other night and they are already gone. Ummm.. oops. But they are so good! Rachel likes them too.. I will open them up for her and give her the inside. So now I guess i'll have to share my goodies :( LOL!

~I'm loving that Saturday night I am going to a "Girls Movie Night" with some friends at one of their houses. I like time spent with just the girls. Now wonder what we will watch??

~I'm loving that Mom and Dad told us that they are going to Lake Lure for a week at the end of March, and they invited us up for the weekend. Its where we always vacationed since I was a baby, and its neat to take the kids up there now. Hopefully it will be nice weather when we go!

~I'm loving that I finally got all of the girls' Spring/Summer stash hung up in their closets last night. There is a LOT of stuff on Rachel's side.. I won't lie. I told myself I have a serious problem when it comes to cute girls' stuff. I even showed Arnold and he just shook his head and smiled. Thankful for a husband that (somewhat) understands that this is "my thing" and he's just going to have to deal with it! haha ;)

Weekend in Review

Friday morning Rachel and I met up with Erika and Crystin and their kids at the mall to play. It was a rainy, nasty day, so It was good to get out. Afterwards we asked Rachel where she wanted to eat, and like always it was "Chick Fila!" So we headed up to the food court and got some lunch (which ended with icecream, of course! :) That afternoon my Father-in-law had wanted to pick up the kids from school and hang out for awhile, and it just so happened that my mom asked if she could take Rachel out shopping with her. So I dropped Rachel off after lunch and had a free afternoon all to myself! It was awesome! What an exciting life I have-- I went home. But I did get to rest, read, watch some tv, and so that was heaven to me.

That evening we met up with Arnold's parents at Applebees to have dinner. They of course brought the kids with them and my mom dropped Rachel off there, too. They had bought the kids stuff, basically taken them to the store and let them pick toys out. Between all our family member and us, our kids are so spoiled it is RIDICULOUS! Brooke had picked out a princess dress-up set, and Caleb got a remote-control truck. They both got pinwheels. And my mom had got them little boxes of animal cookies. But anyway, had a great dinner-- my usual chicken fajita rollup. Was fighting a sinus headache like crazy the whole night (what is up with this crazy weather lately, anyway?!)

A little later I met up with my friend Jess at the movies. We went on a "date" (really a Girl's night!) to celebrate 10 years of friendship :) We met in high school, when she was 14 and I was 16. The fact that we have been friends for 10 years and we both now have kids makes me feel extremely old! But I am so blessed to still have a friend for this long that means so much to me, still to this day! We went to see "The Vow." I'm sure all of you have heard of it. I actually read the book first (like I usually do-- the nerd in me!) I really liked the book so I was anxious to see the movie. The movie was pretty good, but it didn't follow the book well (like usual) It was based on real-life events, and the real people were Christians in real-life and of course they took the whole Christian-aspect out of the movie, I know for entertainment purposes. Made me a little mad because they threw some things in there that didn't really fit, but oh well. And it didn't hurt at all looking at Channing Tatum throughout the movie ;) Although everyone tries to ruin movies for me with him in it since they all say he looks so much like my younger brother. I DID have the overwhelming urge after the movie to call Alex and see how he has been doing....... :)

Saturday morning we got ready and went to Barnes & Noble, they were having a special "Meet Curious George" day. I knew the kids would want to go to that. We actually went through the drive-thru at Krispy Kreme first, for a dozen glazed donuts. I am so glad that we have 5 family members to help me eat them, or else I'd probably try to eat them all myself-- just can't say no to that sugary goodness! We waited at B&N for awhile and the kids were getting really restless, and somehow Caleb got ahold of a "graphic comic book" which had a lot of superhero stuff in it and he was fascinated but i was just grossed out and kept telling Arnold to put it up! Finally George came out, and we waited in a long line, just long enough for the kids to stand there with him and get a picture before the workers pushed them along. At least all 3 kids stood there and smiled for the camera and i have a decent reminder of the morning (I was especially surprised that Rachel stood with him, she has a fear of strange-looking things, but hey, so do I!) After that we went to a friend's church for an indoor yardsale. We got there towards the end so you could fill up the bag for $5. The kids found a bunch of little toys and I found them some books (one of the "Little Critter" books and a "Bearenstein Bear" book we didn't have yet) and I found an OWL decorative set for the kitchen, so I was happy about that.

Later that evening I went out shopping for awhile with my friend Jackie. We went to Once Upon a Child and I actually didn't buy anything for once-- I think I have honestly cleaned them out of all the good stuff in my kids' sizes lately. I'm surprised they didn't ask me why I was in there AGAIN. Then we went to Target, and I just dumped a whole bunch of snacks in the cart and bought them.. we needed some snacks at home anyway. Very random, but... oh well. I told you I had an exciting life! ;) Then we stopped by Game Stop and looked at the Wii games. I ended up buying another Guitar Hero game, and Wii fit. I am really loving the Wii more than I thought I would. Lately I've been playing Guitar Hero: Aerosmith and I have made it pretty far except I save the "battles" for Arnold ;) Right now he needs to Battle Joe Perry so I can move to the next song ;) Anyway, lastly we went to Barnes & Noble (yes again!) And Jackie looked for some new books to read. Believe me, there were plenty of books I WANTED to buy, but i need to move through more of my stack here at home first, before I get anything else. At least my membership card got some use for once, Jackie was able to get a discount on her stuff. I had signed up for a free trial back at Christmas and forgot to cancel it, so they took the money out of our account and sent us a member card. Sooo I have a membership for the next year I guess... Funny, because i buy 90% of my books off Amazon and not there....

Sunday morning I got up early and went to church to be in the Boxcar Babies class. we ended up only having one baby, so it was pretty boring for once. One baby and 3 workers= not much to do at all. But at least I got a little escape from my own kids ;) Then arnold and the kids showed up and we went to the 11:00 service. Right after we went to lunch at Wendy's with Erika and her family. You know that it is on average $25 to go out to eat with the 5 of us, and thats FAST FOOD and not even buying KIDS MEALS and a drink for Rachel (she shares with someone) That is ridiculous, considering how much you can buy at the grocery store with that money. We need to seriously cut down how much we eat out, I know we will save a ton. Anyway, that afternoon we took the kids to Malachi's 6th birthday party. (Yes, Brooke's boyfriend! ;) It was at their church, and was a Firetruck theme. They had a bounce house set up outside, and the kids all insisted on jumping in it even though it was FREEZING and windy outside. I hope no one gets sick from all that! Then they had the local fireman come down and he showed the kids the firetruck, and they got to sit in it, and we got lots of pics. Then we had cake and Malachi opened his presents. The kids all had a great time. Malachi's dad had made a video of his past year that you could watch, and it was really neat. Need him to make some for my kids' bdays ;)

So that's it... our weekend. And yes we have a new computer now, so I am excited to be back to the blogging world, I really did miss it :)