Thursday, August 1, 2013

Front Door Wreath

So as you can tell from the lack of blogging our lives have been pretty full! And I have loved every minute. We recently just got home from vacation, and we are 2 weeks away from school starting. Every time someone mentions it I am on the verge of tears. Today was one of those days where I played catch up. I even got to a little weeding in the flower beds (Eric just about fell over)! But one item that was high on my to do list was to get something new for my front door. I love a good wreath, but I hate paying a ton of money. I have had the same wreath on SINCE BEFORE EASTER! It even had a bunny on it! Whew... it was driving me nuts.  I have pinned no less than 50 things that I wanted to make to spruce up the ol' front door but none of them were happening.

When I was in Lexington a couple of weeks ago I ran into the Hobby Lobby to get a few things, While I was in the fabric section I saw a pre-printed burlap with black chevron. It was $8.99 a yard and I used my 40% off coupon. I had a project in mind, I just needed the time to get it done.

Well yesterday was the day! I was ready to pull out the burlap and get started! Here is a "best" step by step tutorial!

SUPPLIES:
1-2 yards of burlap fabric (they have several colors, several printed-- like the chevron i used, or they have the simple plain burlap). I bought 2 yards but only used about 1
LOTS of plastic Wal-Mart bags ( for my "W" i used about 25)
Staples

TUTORIAL:
- Lay fabric out on flat surface. Layer the fabric so that you are only cutting the letter one time. I put my fabric printed side to printed side so I could mark on the blank side.
- Once your fabric is laid out and its time to make your letter. I eyeballed how big I wanted my letter and then just free handed a "w" with a pencil. Once I got it how I wanted it I used a marker to outline it so I could see better when cutting.
- Cut your letter out. I used pinking sheers to keep the raveling to a minimum, but I do not think it necessary
- Once you a have your letter cut (don't forget you need 2 letters) make sure that they are lined up and printed sides are facing out.
- For my "w" i started by using my good old fashion stapler and stapling the bottom. Basically what you are gonna want to do it staple part of your letter then stuff it with the wal-mart plastic bags. I would just keep stapling and stuffing making sure that the stuffing was even. I just did a little section at a time and then stapled it up! (*** you will be able to see the staples from up close but really they are unnoticeable***)
- Once my letter was done I needed a way to hang it. Now this is gonna vary for each letter. I used a brown wire hanger.  Breaking off the "hook" of the hanger and I unwinded it and then poked holes in my letter and fished the letter through the hanger. This way it would lay flat on the door. Another option to hang it with is wire hanger that is used for picture frames.
- Now that my letter was on my hanger I needed a splash of color and a way to hide the ugly part of the hanger. I used some art mesh that I had left over from my christmas stash and made a bow. Put the bow on the top of the hanger and then placed that baby on the door.
- Now its not perfect, but it looks great on my door and it is NOT my Easter wreath hanging up in AUGUST!

If you have any questions please feel free to EMAIL me at kjwhite1980@gmail.com

Friday, March 8, 2013

Playroom Overhaul

I have an entire board on Pinterest dedicated to our playroom. It is on the main level of our house and I love it. The kids play in there while Im cooking, cleaning, or doing whatever. It also has a door so at the end of the day I close the door to not see the mess. It is very nice. Another plus is that there is NOT ONE TOY anywhere else on our main level. In our last house the kids toys were in our family room and every day it was a stressor for me as well as an eye sore. So if i could snap my fingers my playroom would something along the lines of this:



So my plan is to spend most of the day working on our playroom. If I had about $500 and a Uhaul heading to ikea I am sure I could really make some progress. Well since neither of those things are happening today I am on my own. I plan to purge, place, and prioritize. Here's a list of the things I want to do: (mind you this all has to happen during Lynley's naps because she is not such a good "helper")

1. Get some artwork hung on the walls. I have lots of "kid friendly" artwork that I want to display in a collage I just need to get it sent out and hung up the way I want it!

2. Purge the toys. We have about a MILLION happy meal toys that JHW thinks holds significant value. They do not. I want to throw those away.

3. Keep like things together. Blocks, baby toys, ninja turtle crap all together! Make laminated labels to store in bins

4. Make a reading area. I have some cute ideas for this, but I am not sure this will happen today!

5. Keep all the Wii/ video game stuff together and out of the reach of sweet little Lynley!

6. Set up a a magnet area where Lynley can use magnetic stuff. She loves these things, but they are not allowed on our fridge so right now she is using a cookie sheet!

7. Hang Blinds... well at least that is what I think I want to do in here. I am still deciding on blinds or roman shades, Im gonna have to talk to Daddy Warbucks on this one :)

8. Vacuum. I just want a good old scrub down of the floor, but i haven't seen that floor in a while so hopefully tomorrow that will happen!

9. Order my growth chart. I want to make one of the those giant rulers that you have seen on Pinterest I have found one I love, now I just need to order it and the get the wood/ supplies from Lowes :)

So I have a huge task before me. Do you want to see how big... Well here is a picture of the current state of our playroom. Say a prayer and wish me luck!







Thursday, March 7, 2013

Easters on its way

If you know anything about me you know that Easter is by FAR and AWAY my most favorite holiday! Its a sign of new life with the beginnings of spring, the words of the hymns awake my soul, and children in matching smocked clothing just about send me into a tizzy! (FYI neither one of my kids are wearing smocked this year.... yes I have their outfits picked out, yes - they are monogrammed, and yes- we will all match)

So with the impeding snow storm that was about the hit Indy early this week I decided it was a perfect time to break out the Easter decor. A lot of stuff I already had, some stuff I made and others I just improvised. But as I set in my house last night I was completely in awe of the sacrifice of Easter!

 Here is the mantel! I always try to put a big banner just because i think it is kid friendly. Keep scrolling down and you will see where I have the printable version for you!
 This is the Southern Living plate that I have had for years. I change the words every season. It only seemed fitting for my favorite hymn!
 Here is our entertainment center. A side note. This was actually a credenza that went with the desk we had in our Lexington House. My parents painted it black added the molding on the bottom and put new hardware on there. It has been a perfect addition to our home and we Love it!
 This is a little table I have between two wing back chairs in our family room. I change out this picture frame regularly. I wanted to put scripture that was easy enough for John Hunter to read. In case you cannot see this one says, "He is not here he is risen just as He said." He is really becoming quite the reader and I could not think of anything I would rather him read than Scripture!
 Ok a closer look at the banner!I printed out 5 pages (there are two pennants on a page) I cut them out. Went to the bathroom drawer  got some cotton balls and glued those cute little bunny tails on. I punched holes in the top corners and threaded some yellow satin ribbon I already had through. Taped her up and there she is! Here is the link I used to print off the banner
 I used a canvas I already had and some paint I had lying around in the craft box to make this little guy. I love it because it is so bright. This was a hard one for me. Easter Hymns are my thing. I love them. I spent about 2 days trying to figure out which one I was going to commit to canvas. Then I let go and relaxed because this little canvas is about $3 so  I could always change it out. I went with this song because I love it.
He Lives He Live Christ Jesus Lives today, He walks with me and talks with me along life's narrow way. He lives He lives Salvation to impart. You ask me how I know He lives, he Lives within my Heart!
 This sweet canvas I used when I taught preschool. This is the area above my desk in the Kitchen and i wanted to something fun and kid friendly. So this was the perfect option!
 Over 10 years ago my parents bought me this crown of thorns for Easter. It is probably one of the things I treasure most. Every time I look at it I see more than thorns I see a crown, and a King who was willing to give up his Heavenly crown to wear this terribly painful one. Why did he do it? For me. My sin put Him on that cross and my sin put those thorns on His head. This was a great reminder. John Hunter has now taking a liking to these as well. This plate came from wal-mart and I used my cricut and black vinyl to put this hymn on there. I love how it turned out!
 Subway art is all the rage right now. So what better way to be in style than with some Easter subway art. I found this one on Pinterest and had it printed at Sams Club as a 16x20 for about $4. Its perfect!
Here is our kitchen table. I always have a plastic table cloth on the table for each season because I find I have a messy family and we are always doing art projects here. Its just for a season when the kids are young but I love it. I found this bunny in the decor stuck him on the cake stand and added some grass. Now buried away in my cabinets I have beautiful easter egg dishes and  chargers along with monogrammed spring napkins and napkin rings. They are lovely I promise. But the reality is we live here. Every night we eat dinner at this table and as much as I would love place all those things out, I don't!

So here is our house at easter! What is your favorite Easter decoration that you have in your house?

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Crazy Girl....

A few weeks ago we had some friends over for a last minute dinner. Eric had been smoking a pork and the food was wonderful (as always). The children were playing and the adults were sitting around the table talking about life, kids, ministry, and marriage.

Eric and I were replaying an event that had occurred earlier that week. We had gotten in a pretty heated argument over something silly (really just miscommunication) but it got blow up way out of proportion. But the whole argument took place over text message. Please tell me you all have been there? What was even worse was we were in the house together while this was taking place. So Eric and I were each defending our sides of the story all while reading the text out loud.(Let me say here that arguing over text is not advisable and since them we have tried really hard to communicate with audible words)  My girlfriend was cracking up and said, "I would love to see that side of Kendra, she is always so sweet, I don't think she has it in her." Poor friend little does she know that there are days I have a crazy person trapped inside me. Do you? Even in college my friend "Big Dog" named my alter ego Mrs. Z (my maiden name begins with a Z), and i always joked that you never wanted to meet her.

I have worked really hard over the past 10 years to not expose that crazy lady to the people around me. But the truth is she exist. You know who meets her the most often, Eric, or my kids, or my family? She comes out even when she is not welcome. Yesterday in Bible Study we were watching the video from Beth Moore. We are neck deep in the study of Esther, but the Scripture she talked about was from Hosea 7:8. It reads, "Ephraim is a flat cake not turned over." Basically what is saying that only one side of Ephraim is exposed. Only one side. Each of us has two sides, and we know what side we want people to see. That is the side, we beautify, the side we build up, the side we update our status on Facebook too, that is the side we make our imaginary boards on pinterest about, but sweet sister we are two sided.

Here is the truth I want you to camp on to today. God wants access to both sides. We cannot be wholly His until he has both sides. What are you so afraid of in your hidden side that He cannot have access to? He loves you, He has engraved your name upon His hand, and He has call you His child? Oh friend I have been there, as early as this morning. Last night I was so mean to Eric, he had a really bad day and was trying his best to be the best husband and father, but I kept beating him up over the smallest things. I knew what I was doing was wrong and mean spirited but  I continued to do it. I spent most of the early hours of this morning exposing myself to God asking for Him to weed out the mean spirit in my life and help me to grow as a supportive and kind wife. Then when Eric woke up I had to humble myself and tell him I was so sorry for my behavior. I could have listed a 1000 excuses as to why I acted the way I did, but that would be all they were.... excuses. In order for me to be better I must expose the BOTH sides to my maker. Have you been there? Do you know what I am talking about? Sweet sister, what do you need to give to Him today.He is ready and willing to take it, He wants you WHOLE and He will help you get there.

After our friends came over for dinner I was browsing Pinterest and I saw this ecard, it was so fitting I had to quickly sending to my friend. Can you relate to this one?


Monday, February 25, 2013

Giveaway Time


So I know I have been MIA for the past month! I have a sweet  friend who keeps reminding me! Well today this blog is back up and running! We have had a lot going on for the past month. Here are some highlights:
1. I turned 33... how fun was that!
2. John Hunter got the stomach bug...threw up all over school
3. Kendra got the stomach bug
4. Lynley got the stomach bug (found her in her crib covered in throw up)
5. Eric got the stomach bug (on his birhtday)
6. Eric turned 33
7. We celebrated Valentines day
8. Eric had surgery.... the family jewels removed :)
9. John Hunter is thriving at basketball
10. John Hunter was Mr. Q in the wedding of Q & U at school
11. The kids and I went to Lexington
12.  Eric and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary!
13. John Hunter got a STELLAR report card and we are beaming with pride!
14... Today is Monday!

So I cannot think of a better thing do on Monday that host a give away! Easter is right around the corner and if you know me at all you know it is my favorite holiday! So I started looking at some really cute easter shirts for sis and found this adorable one! I contacted the lady and she said you could WIN one! So heres the deal! The contest will close tomorrow at 5PM. You can leave a comment here or on my facebook post. I will enter all the names into random.org and select one winner! How fun is that!

Sweet Lynley did some modeling in her shirt at well! Hope you are in love with it as much as me! If you would like to go ahead and purchase your own, you can do that here at her etsy shop!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/KatelynKreations



Everyone enter now!

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Meal Planning 101


So I have had several people ask me about how I plan my meals. Really for me it is all about organization of prep work. So here are a couple of tips I have for you:

- Look at your WEEKLY calendar:  I start by looking at my week and seeing what we all have and what we have time for. For example: Eric always works late on Thursday nights so I need something for the kids and I but I also need to make leftovers for E when he gets home. Or if we have dinner plans one night I will write in OUT TO EAT. Another example is I have bunco this week, it starts at 7 so whatever I cook for dinner I want to be able to eat early and have the kitchen cleaned up before I go. I take all that into account and fill in meals for each day.

- Keep of running list of recipes your family likes: I have a list of about 20 meals that my family loves, likes, or will tolerate. I keep those in the back of my calendar to use as a reference.I only try to rotate them once a month or at least space them out as far as possible. If you would like to see a list of those meals feel free to email me at kjwhite1980@gmail.com

- Meal plan on Sunday: I meal plan on Sunday for meals from Monday- Sunday. And I do my grocery shopping on Mondays. This makes it easy for me. That way I have looked at my calendar, made my meals, and now i am ready to grocery shop. I also browse my Pinterest board on FOOD to see what other options I might be willing to try or whip up. It gives me lots of fresh ideas!

- Make a menu: I write out what is on the menu and keep it posted in the pantry for all to see. That way when I wake up each morning I know what's for dinner and what needs to be done to make it happen, it takes the guess work out of. When I make the menu I usually only include a short description. We are not big side people so for me I can do grilled chicken and a can of green beans and call it a day. But write out whatever helps you complete your meal.

- Make a grocery list: make a list of everything you need to make your weekly menu happen. We rarely eat out for dinner so I have to be prepared. Once you write down what you need SHOP your pantry. This will make life easier and lower your grocery cost. Oh and remember to take your list with you when you go to the store!

- Be flexible: There are some nights where Eric ask for something else or some thing in our schedule changes. Always be flexible. If you skip a meal or don't use it, freeze what you can and then save the rest of the ingredients. For example I have had Chicken Spaghetti on the menu for the last 3 weeks. Tonight we are finally having it.

Hopefully this helps you all. In additions here is an 8 x10 printable jpeg of my menu. You can print it out, hang it up or do whatever you like to it. For me I printed it out and laminated it. That way I reuse it weekly by using a dry erase marker. So what is your favorite thing to fix for your family when you meal plan?

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Perfect day for Potato Soup

It is cold here, and I don't mean there is a chill in the air, I mean that we had a 2 hour delay because the windchill was sub zero. Nothing says comfort food to me like soup. I love soups pair with a good salad or even a sandwich from Jimmy Johns
**** SIDENOTE... we go and buy day old bread (which is usually only hours old) from Jimmy Johns for $.25 a loft and  come home and make our own sandwiches, saves money and super yummy)

Anyway I thought I would share my potato soup recipe with you. I recently found this on pinterest and gave it a whirl and it has quickly become a family favorite.

Since the orginal post was so good full of pictures I am just gonna send you there.


The only thing I did differently is I left my cream cheese in for an hour... just made it creamery! So what are your favorite cold day comfort foods?

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Bible Study


As a mom I find if very difficult to find adequate time to actually study the Bible. If you know me at all you know that I am a huge reader and love to ready just about anything! But when it came time to Study God's word something always seemed to be more important. Notice that I said "seemed". I felt like there were lots of distractions keeping me away from my time with God and it was beginning to show in my family, interaction with friends, and most importantly within myself! So I knew a change needed to be made!

Since moving to Indy and even before I was deeply involved in Mom Groups. MUMS and MOPS played a huge role in who I was a parent, friend, and leader. But last year I kept sensing I needed something more. So I decided to step away from MOPS and pursue the Bible Study classes that were offered at the church. It was the best decision I had made in a long time!

I am doing the Beth Moore Esther study. It is amazing. I really think anything by her is great, but this one has spoken volumes to me! I knew no one in my study and I have met some really neat amazing women from ALL walks of life! They have blessed me in many ways (including my fun birthday party today)!  For me I really think it is not the study or the video or the people. It is that I actually made this a priority and each week I have homework that forces me to dig into the word, ponder questions about myself, and really HEAR what God is trying to tell me.

Are you in a Bible study? What is the best one you have ever done? What changes in your life do you need to make to study the Bible on a regular basis? These are some questions that I asked myself and I encourage you to ask yourself. It really will bring you closer to the one who called you to KNOW HIS WORDS!



I am gonna leave you with a snapshot of what spoke to me this week during my study!

Monday, January 14, 2013

How to wear a bow...


Our Sweet Lynley Elizabeth has had a bow on since her very first photo!


So it is NO lie that I am obsessed with highbrows for our little Lynley. I am too embarrassed to count but it is a number well above 100! We have one for every outfit and some even have two. Long ago I heard the mantra that said, "the bigger the bow the better the mommy" now in now way do I think this is true, but I do think it is funny. We have worn all shapes, sizes, and colors of bows. Today's post is to make you all a little more knowledgeable about hair bows.


Here are a few tips:
- You can never have too many!

- Always keep a spare white one in your car and in your diaper bag!

- When I was prego with L my girlfriend Britney suggested that I order several of the same while bows. I listened but at the time had no idea why. Oh friends I am so glad I did. We have lots of white bows, some have make up stains, some have lipstick stains, some have dirty hand print stains. You can NEVER have too many white bows!

- In my Opinion solid bows are the best. They go with more and then tend to have a more classic look!

- Special occasions deserve special bows. Christmas, Easter, 4th of July, Valentines day, birthday, parties, whatever the occasions, some times a special bow is just the magic that sets apart your little princess.

- Bow Placement-
- When your child is a baby (as in still needing to wear headbands with bows on them or attached to them) the headband should sit behind the ears and away from the forehead. Think of it as if you were gonna place a bow on your head... you would not stick it in the front of your forehead would you?  The bow should typically be on one side or the other. Lynley's hair naturally parts from left to right so she wears her bows on the right side.

-Now that Lynley has hair, I brush her back and place it in a small rubber band (think the size used for braces) I call this her bam bam pony tail. It is parted to the side and secure sweeping as much of her bangs off of her face as possible. Once the pony tail is secure then I attach the bow. Most of her bows are alligator clips, so this is super easy.


- Bow Size- This all comes down to personal preference. Only once in my lifetime have I ever said a bow was too big for L. I ordered a 8.5 inch bow and it was huge it took up her whole head. I think we will wait til she is in Kindergarten to wear that one! Most of Lynleys bow are 5.5- 6.5 inches. When she was an infant she would wear mostly 4 inch bows. But as she has gotten older and more hair I have upped her size. Some days we wear a small bow with no bam bam but her hair is so fine it slips out. So for us the bam bam works great!


- Where do I buy her bows: I get the question ALL the time. My favorite place to order bows is Polkadot posies.  I love her prices (nothing over $4 and her shipping is super quick). She also has some fun accessories and headbands as well. I have also had luck finding bows at Hobby Lobby or JoAnn's I find a lot of our corker bows there! It is kind of hit or miss. As far as custom bows I have several friends who do several bows so I just use them on an as needed basis!

 I hope this post has been benefical. If you have ANY questions about more on bows... let me know by email (kjwhite1980@gmail.com) or comment!

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Weekend Recap

We have had a such a fun and wonderful weekend. However right now it is freezing outside and I am starting to feel like Noah and the ark. It has rained for days! Last Thursday my parents came in town to watch the kids while Eric and I headed out of town for a work function to Columbus, OH. Even though it was work related it was super fun to get away with just E.

While he was working I worked out, did some shopping, ate lunch at a fun place, took a nap, and got ready for the big dinner. During the course of the day Eric texted me that he received an award. He was named Agency Sales Director of the year! I am so proud of him and all his hard work has truly paid off. God has big plans for that guy! We went to a wonderful dinner at had some fun/ interesting conversations with all the people.

We headed home Saturday morning cause we were super excited to see the kiddos and my parents. It has rained a bunch and John Hunter and the neighbor kids decided it would be a blast to play in the mud. They had the best time but oh they were dirty!

John Hunter had his first basketball practice ever and we were thrilled. He loved it and did so well. I am anxious for the season to start and see how much he will improve and grown his love for this sport.

Last night we went and watched the Miss America pageant with some friends. I have always loved watching but this year it was neat because our friend Katie Stam Irk was one of the judges. It was great to see her on Prime Time TV and know that her heart is turned toward serving God and others. She truly is a gem among many.


Today we have been so lazy. We went to a huge breakfast with my parents and then they headed out of town. we have had a great family day watching the rain, watching football, playing games, eating Texas trash, and just being together. All in all I am glad to say we had a great weekend!







Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Valentines Day Wreath

So if you don't know me too well I will let you in on a little secret. I am obsessed with Pinterest! I love everything about and my whole family knows. I had a board marked "Kendra's wish list" and was thrilled when I opened gifts this Christmas from that list! It is so bad that sometimes my 6 year old son will come into a room and say "mom I have a great idea." Proceed to tell me about his great idea and then end the conversation with "I think you should take a picture and pin that on pinterest!" Ooooo  I love that kid!

So after the Christmas decorations came down I started thinking about decorating for the next holiday. I know, I know, it's my birthday but my family would think I had lost it! So that left Valentines day. I have several ideas in mind, but I needed something for my front door, so I started too look. And I found the most adorable wreath. After a quick trip to Joann Fabric (well let's be honest no trip to Joann's is quick), I was ready to make!

If you would like to make one too here's what you do!


What you’ll need for the wreath:
- a 12 or 16 inch styrofoam wreath form
- approximately 2 yards of felt
- straight pins (enough to match the number of felt circles needed, plus two for attaching the hanger)
- scissors (I used pinking sheers which gave it that textured look, but regular scissors will do!)
- a 3 inch circle template... I used a can of chicken
- chalk
- ribbon for hanging
How to Make:
Using chalk and your circle template, trace circles onto the felt. Cut the felt circles, and fold them in half twice to form rosettes. Insert a pin near the bottom corner of the rosette, about 1/8 inch from the corner.

Attach the felt rosettes to the wreath form, making sure to group the rosettes tightly enough that no styrofoam is showing through the rosettes. After you’ve added a few, fluff and adjust the rosettes to your liking. Continue making, pinning, and attaching the rosettes until you’ve worked your way around the wreath form. If you have circles that are slightly misshapen or that have a little chalk on them, place them toward the outside or inside edges, where they can’t be seen when the wreath is hanging.


I also added the ribbon to the inside of my wreath just to give it some color. You could fill with rosettes, but trust me when you have cut out that MANY you will want to use ribbon!
After you’ve finished adding the felt rosettes, cut a 10 inch length of ribbon, fold it in half, and attach it to the wreath form with two pins to form a hanger.
From this point you can hang on the door and it will be perfect. I like bows, so I added a bow out of left over Christmas art mesh on the top of the ribbon just to give it some color!

The picture shown is on my garage door, but I put it on my front door and it does look amazing! IF someone had shoveled the sidewalk I would take a picture for you... maybe when it melts! 

Monday, January 7, 2013

Thankful Thursday


For this weeks installment of Thankful Thursday I am deeply thankful for our first born child... John Hunter White. In my opinion he has to be one of the coolest kids around. He came as a surprise to us, but our lives have been changed for the good every since. Since he is in Kindergarten and learning to spell I thought it would be fun to spell out his name and list something about him!

J- JOY! John Hunter has unspeakable joy! He is thrilled about the smallest things in life. If you tell him we are going to get ice cream he reacts the same way as if we told him we were going to Disney!  He not only shows joy he expresses it. He loves to make people laugh by telling jokes or pulling "pranks" as he calls it. This sweet blonde boy has brought joy to so many!

O- Obedient... from the times he was little we have always said, "immediate obedience" which means we want you to obey on the first time! He is not a perfect  child, but he has been very obedient and for that his father and I are forever grateful!

H- Humorous... he's a funny kid. He can pull one liners from out of no where, and in 6 year old fashion it is funny! Even last year at preschool graduation his teacher commented about his quick sense of humor. I think it will take him far in life!

N- Nice- All in all John Hunter is a super nice kid. He gets along with MOST people and even if he doesn't like them he has learned how to tolerate them! I hope when others desirable him they say he is NICE!

H- Helper- John Hunter has always been one who wants to help you!  From the time he was little I can remember he would have a rag in his hand cleaner when I cleaned. He wants to help his daddy in the kitchen and in the yard. He always wants to help. He took on a new role as big brother and I cannot tell you how helpful he has been. I love to see his servants heart grow at such a young age!

U- Understanding- John Hunter is a lot like his mommy in that he wants a plan of action! He likes to know what is gonna happen and when. Sometimes when things dont go as planned he struggles with being understanding. However in the past year we have seen this fault dwindle. He is becoming more understand and learning that not everything has to go as planned!

N- Nurturing. He loves to cuddle, snuggle, and hug. He will be playing and say Mom can I have a hug. He will never let Lynley go to bed without a hug or a kiss and he is always holding on to his daddy's hand. I love that about his sweet heart. He loves to express love this way and I hope he always stay that way!

T- Talkative- From the time he was little he has always been a boy of many words. He loves to talk, and frankly I love to talk to him. I love to hear stories he tells, makes up, and repeats. I love his questions and his desire to learn, but man does he love to talk. One time my friend kept John Hunter from early in the morning until the afternoon. Around 9:30 she texted me saying, "my boys are still asleep, but John Hunter has asked no less than 250 questions"

E- Energetic- Whew... somedays I have to say, this momma needs a break! He is full of energy and life. Not much will take him down. We will be at friends house and all the kiddos will have been in bed for a bit and John Hunter is still going. He cannot be still for the life of me, he tries, but he loves to be on on the go! I love that about him!

R- Right for me. God sure knew what he was doing when he gave me this little boy! I am so thankful that God let me be his mommy!

Weekend Recap

We had a wonderful last weekend before school starts!  I really do not want John Hunter to go back to school tomorrow. Friday John Hunter invited a friend from school to go to Skyzone with us. However parenting fail I did not check and they were sold out. So we went to Ben and Ari's instead. The boys had a great time and I love spending time with his friends. I always want to a pretense in their lives!

We went got home a special package had arrived for John Hunter from Mrs. Tami. I have know Tami for many years and she currently lives in Alabama. When she found out JH's love for the Roll Tide she sent him some great to present here in the land of the Fighting Irish. Least to say he is super pumped for tonight's game but he will not be staying up long enough to watch :( Oh well I am sure we will see the sports center dates at least a hundreds times!

The rest of the weekend was spent playing games, hanging out with friends, and eating good food. John Hunter got a TV for his playroom for Christmas and we put the wii in there, he has loved it with the exception of Lynley always wanting to be right on top of him as he plays! It is rather funny!

Sunday night we had our friends over for dinner. They have a little girl who is 3 weeks older than Lynley and a little boy who is three months. They are busy to say the least! But we had a blast with them and cannot wait to do it again. As you can see the girls loves playing together!

Today Lynley took her first "gymnastics" class and loved it. We had a great time and cannot wait to go back. And they we met our dear friends at the Incrediplex and JH had a playdate with his dear friend Emmy. Those two are a hoot together! All in all we had a great weekend!