I love Tennessee!!!!

I voted today for the upcoming democrat primary. Yes it won't officially take place till Super Tuesday but here in Tennessee we have early voting. I had never heard of this before I lived here and in the past have been to nervous to go. I already feel like my vote doesn't count living in a mostly republican state but I felt like early voting would really make it not count. Well after Travis called and told me I should go do it cause they weren't busy I decided to go after I picked Kaylee up from school. There was NO line at all!!! I was in and out in less than 5 minutes! How great is that! I will defiantly be early voting in the presidential election and any others that occur! Just think we are down to less than a year before George Bush is no longer in charge! WooHoo!! It can't happen soon enough, I just hope the right person gets the job and can get our country out of the toilet before it is too late.

Family Time :)

My mom, Aimee and Abby came for a visit this past week!! They came on the 13th and left the 20th. We had a really great visit, did alot of shopping, mostly window shopping and just hung out. We took the kids to CEC on Saturday and it was a madhouse but it was alot of fun. The kids had some fights over toys but overall had alot of fun playing together. Mykenzie and Kaylee love having their Aunt Aimee and Nanny here to play with them too. It was really great to see my mom! We haven't seen her in a year and a half so I am really glad she came. I hope we don't wait that long to get together again. We will be visiting the rest of the family for Easter, over the girls spring break from school. We are looking forward to visiting everyone else then :) Pics from the trip are on the other computer so they will be uploaded soon, I'd guess at some point tomorrow.

I need a swift kick in my butt

I can't get motivated at all to clean my house. I have people coming over Thursday, I am having playdate on Friday and my mom and sister are coming to visit on Sunday for a week. So all of these things should be motivating me but still I can't seem to do it. I am sleepy and I want to go to bed early. Maybe I will feel like doing it tomorrow while Kaylee is in school? The problem is that I start to clean and then I end up doing dumb things like cleaning out my junk drawer or organizing my sock drawer, seriously that is what I have accomplished. I need a maid. Or a good swift kick in the butt!

One down

I bought these file folders at Walmart the other day and finally put the girls school papers in them last night. I am hoping that they will hold all of their elementary school papers anyhow. They each have 19 pockets so they should depending on how much I actually keep. I can't seem to find where I put Mykenzie's 1st grade folder of school papers so I need to find that and add it to her file box still too but I am going to say that goes along with getting my house organized! lol I think that this is a good idea and a nice solution to the problem I was having. Plus the girls will be able to have them one day. My mom gave me all of my old papers but she did it when Mykenzie was 1 so I didn't appreciate it and threw them away. Now I wish I would have kept them so I could compare my stuff to my girls to see if we were at the same level. But they will have theirs to compare to their own childrens one day.
So I now have one thing crossed off my things to accomplish in 2008 list! Granted it was the easiest thing on my list. Still it is January 5th and I already have a check mark. I am pretty happy about it no matter how small it is :)

Girl Scout cookies! You know you want some!

Hey Everyone it is that time of year again already. I swear I just did this. Girl scout cookie orders are starting just in time for all those "I am going to lose weight" resolutions. They are $3.50 a box but you don't have to pay until they come in.

They got rid of the cafe cookies and the little brownie things they had last year

There are 2 new cookies this year.

One is called Lemon Chalet Cremes. Vanilla sandwich with a hint of cinnamon-ginger spice with a zesty lemon creme filling.

The other new one is a sugar free Chocolate Chip (they are pretty good we got to try them)

Then there are still the favorites from the past...

Trefoils (shortbread)

Do-Si-Dos (Peanut butter sandwich cookies)

Samoas (Carmel and coconut )

All Abouts (vanilla cookie with a fudge coating on the bottom)

Tagalongs (chocolate covered peanut butter cookies)

Thin Mints

If anyone is interested you can respond here or email me

Shhhh!

I don't want to say it to loud because I don't want to jinx it but I am going to go on a limb and say Kaylee is potty trained! I started putting her in panties last weekend and we have had a few accidents and she wasn't really going without being told to go try but as the week went on more and more she has been going when she needs to and she hasn't had an accident since around Monday. She has only been in a diaper at night and has stayed dry while out and about and at school!!!! I was beginning to think this day would never come but I think if I would have stuck her little butt in panties a long time ago it would have been done then. It is harder when you have 2 kids and especially since she is in school already to find the time to just stick them in panties and let them go.

We went to McDonalds Wednesday to play and she walked around to every table and pulled her panties up out of her pants and showed them to everyone. Pretty embarrassing but very funny too cause she was so proud. I am very proud of her too! It took longer than Mykenzie did but I am just so happy she finally got it! She is just a month shy of being three and a half, better late than never! Way to go Kaylee, Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you for being a big girl and using the potty!

2008!

It is already 2008! Seems like we were just hearing about all of the Y2K panic all over the news. This year Travis and I will celebrate being together for 10 years! Holy Moly! Mykenzie will turn 8 and my baby will turn 4! I will turn 28 *gulp*

So this year I have some resolutions but I am setting them as things that are actually realistic. Sure there are things about myself that I want to change, be more patient more positive ect but those aren't really things that you can cross off a list. So on that note my resolutions for 2008 are....

1. Copy all of my VHS home videos onto DVDs (we bought the DVD burner last Christmas and still haven't done it.

2. Get all of my pictures burned to cds off the computer, and keep up with it.

3. Get all of my pictures organized. They are laying all over my bedroom with all my scrapbook supplies. I want them all either scrapped or in photo albums.

4. Figure out a better system for my kids school papers. I am better about throwing stuff away but I still have a ton. My current folder situation is not working anymore.

5. Overall get my house more organized. I have alot of things done already but it takes me no time to junk it up again and then I have to do it again. I have to do Kaylee's closet (the keeper of all the clothes that don't fit) every 3 months.

6. Keeping with the picture/video theme, I want to get more of Kaylee on video. I have truly sucked with it. I probably have at least 1000 hours of Mykenzie and I probably have 10 of Kaylee. It is really really sad. More photos too. But of both girls. I seem to only take pics when it is a special occasion anymore I need some more candid shots.

7. Learn how to work my sewing machine. I am going to go pick out a seemingly simple pattern and learn how to make something with my sewing machine. I seriously have had that thing for long enough, it is time to blow the dust off of it and learn how to use it. I have 3 pairs of pants that need hemmed and one that needs a zipper replaced and I would love if I could do it myself. Don't worry I am not going to try, I will pay someone for that. I am gonna start small people!

Ok so there is my list of practical things to accomplish in 2008! Losing 15 pounds and getting fit would be nice too ;) But you'll notice that isn't on my list of practical things! lol Travis is starting his no more smoking quest starting today so wish him luck. Well really wish me and the girls luck cause it is gonna suck for us for a while. lol We want him with us for a long time though so I suppose listening to him bitch for a while is ok. As long as it isn't too long! lol

I hope all of you have a wonderful 2008 and that you accomplish all of your resolutions this year!!! Happy New Year!

Pictures from Christmas Day

Santa Came! Yay!!!

Mykenzie got 4 game boy games this year!!

A glimpse to how Kaylee acted opening gifts this year! Do you think she was excited? I love this picture.

Girls with their Santa gifts


Here is a link to all of our Christmas pictures if you haven't gotten enough yet.

Christmas Eve pictures

Happy Christmas Eve!

Kaylee with her gifts from Nanny, Grandpa, Aimee and Great Grammy


Mykenzie with her gifts from Nanny, Grandpa, Aimee, and Great Grammy


Girls hanging their new ornaments on the tree



Milk and cookies for Santa

Merry Christmas Everyone!

We had a fabulous Christmas this year! The girls both loved all of their gifts from everyone. Kaylee got lots of horses and My Little Pony toys, playdoh and baby dolls and baby doll accessories. Mykenzie got board games, video games, dog/animal toys and baby doll stuff. They went shopping today so they could spend their money from their PaPa and Uncle Tony and Kaylee picked out more Ponies and Mykenzie picked out more dogs! lol They both got some clothes too. Uncle Mike sent them both some money and I think they are going to get a membership to the Discovery Center with it since they both loving going there so much this way we can go more often. They will both have some left but they truly don't need any more toys so they may save it till they find something they are dying to have :)

I had an awesome Christmas! My husband spoils me for sure! I got the wine rack I have wanted for my kitchen for 3 years and haven't bought, a belt (totally needed it badly), a car charger for cell phone, and some other things but my main gift was my laptop and a wireless router!! Yay! I am so excited to have this thing! I totally love it. Travis was pretty happy with his iPod. I got him the 80gb video one so he can put a TON of songs and movies on it. I think he will love it even more when he is traveling alot. Not a Wii but still pretty good I think.

Kaylee is such a dramatic kid to begin with but watching her open her gifts was too funny this year. Everything got a huge smile a loud squeal and a big hug! Mykenzie was even more enthusiastic this year. Normally she just opens, looks, and tosses them aside this year she was alot more excited this year. We had a relaxing day playing with new toys and eating turkey :) It was a great day, but now we have to find a place for all the new toys and get our house back to normal, take down the tree ect. Just think in 11 months we get to do it all over again :) I hope all of you had a wonderful day too! Pictures will be coming later, I haven't had a chance to install the software for my new camera yet :)

Merry Eve of Christmas Eve to Me!

We all gathered around the tree today after church to take a family picture. This is something we really haven't done and we really have next to zero pics of the 4 of us together. We got a decent, not great but I am happy, picture and then it happened. My camera lens would not go back in. It is clearly broken. Now this is probably something that can be fixed, maybe, however tomorrow is Christmas Eve followed by Christmas. Point being I need a camera and it wouldn't be done in time. So shopping we went and now I have a 7.2 megapixel Sony Cybershot camera. It is small and cute and teal! Woo Hoo! My husband rocks for buying me this when all of his Christmas shopping for me was already done. I am so glad that I won't have to go without a camera this Christmas! Thanks Honey! I love you!

Something nice for Santa??

Mykenzie "Mom, I think we should do something good for Santa, like leave carrots or something."

Me "ok"

Mykenzie "Really Mom I think we should do something nice for Santa. Like, maybe wax his reindeer's collars or something. I think that's a good idea."

Hi Santa!

I took the girls to the mall to see Santa today. Kaylee sat on his lap and barely whispered what she wanted. Santa kept telling her she had to speak up. Finally I told her that if she didn't tell him what she wanted he wouldn't know what to bring her and she finally spoke slightly louder so he could hear :) Mykenzie acted like he had the plague. She barely went near him, didn't tell him what she wanted and I had to "make" her get in the picture. This may be the last year for her :( They grow up too fast!

Oh how I love you Sonic!

I bribed my kids that if they were good today while I ran errands then I would get them a special treat. I decided that would be a frozen treat from Sonic. They both picked a small chocolate milkshake and I decided to try the new (well new to me) Java Chillers (Caramel of course). OMG it was so yummy! For $2.50 I will most definitly be back for more!

6 days left!!

Are you ready?? I am so beyond ready. I get too excited too soon and now I that I have been done shopping it took the fun out of it! lol I suppose I need to go do some other fun things instead. I plan to take the girls to see Santa, maybe today. We also may do our Christmas cookie baking today. Travis has to work work work so we wont see him too much but then he is going to be off off off so he will be here all the time! lol He has is work Christmas party for his "guys" tomorrow night, he decided to take them to dinner and then to play laser tag. He is pretty excited about it. He is so convinced that he is getting a Nintendo Wii for Christmas, I really hope he isn't too disappointed when he wakes up Christmas morning! I think while he is at his party and my kids are sleeping I am gonna tackle all of the wrapping that needs to be done. I have mailed all my gifts that needed mailed and they should have them all by now! yay! I mailed my last batch of Christmas cards out yesterday, most are local so they should get them pretty quickly. I hand delivered some to give it that extra "personal touch" aka I was being cheap! lol

So, Kaylee all day yesterday walked around saying "This is the worst Christmas ever!" Travis asked her why and if it was a bad Christmas or a good Christmas. She said it was good. So we explained that good would be best not worst! lol Now she is saying it is the "Best Christmas ever!" I am sure when she sees that she is getting 2 of the 3 things that are at the top of her list she will really think that it is indeed the best Christmas ever!

Gingerbread house?

We ended up waiting until Saturday to make our gingerbread house since Travis was still feeling yucky Friday. So after a long day of fun and junk food we made a candy house! lol We had several mishaps but in the end it tasted, I mean looked, pretty good ;)

Kaylee funny

We ran to blockbuster yesterday after I picked Kaylee up from school to pick up a gift card. When I unbuckled her seatbelt she said, "Thanks for keeping me safe mom" It was too cute and too funny! She is growing up so fast, there are some days Travis and I just look at her and ask when she got so big!

Yeah Baby!

It is December 7th and I am done with my Christmas shopping!! I think this is the earliest that I have been done ever and I got the latest start! I guess I could check my blog from last year and see cause that would be a close 2nd. I technically still have to get Mykenzie's ornament for Christmas eve but otherwise I am totally finished! I am still waiting for a couple of things that should be arriving in the mail for other people that I need to wrap but other than that all the gifts that will be leaving my house are also wrapped and ready to go!
I think I have all of my bases covered, I have 3 teacher gifts, a girl scout leader gift, 4 ornaments for exchanges, 3 books for exchanges, 23 of something for Kenzie's class as well as plates and napkins, all of the sets of parents, all of the nieces and nephews and my husband and children! I have already turned in my Angel tree stuff, sent in stuff for Kenzie's class to donate to a shelter and gotten my toys for tots stuff to turn in at Girl Scouts!! I am feeling pretty good and I did it all and stayed stress free!!! Yay! Now I just get to enjoy the rest of the time between now and Christmas soaking up the holiday and having fun! We are going to do our gingerbread house tonight! The girls don't know about that yet, they will be so excited! Oh and Frosty the Snowman is on tonight too!!! Tomorrow we have a birthday party and then our playgroups Christmas party where we will be getting a visit from Santa himself! They don't know about this either :) I am really looking forward to it. Sunday after church we will be spending hours at the table while the girls make their gifts to send to their grandparents. I love having them make something that comes from them for the people they love. Mykenzie is painting ornaments and Kaylee is doing Christmas sun catchers. A fun filled Christmasy weekend is in store! Have I mentioned that I love this time of year?

Christmas Fun!!

I so love Christmas cartoons! Watching Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, the Grinch, Frosty the Snow Man and Charlie Brown Christmas take me right back to when I was little like my girls are now. I love that we share that time together and the tradition of watching all the Christmas specials continues. I don't think I have missed them ever since I was a little girl. Seeing how much they love watching them and how excited they get when they come on every year makes me love them even more.

We have been enjoying all the Christmas specials as well as listening to the all Christmas radio station and singing Christmas songs in the car. This is such a fun time of year!! It is so easy to get so consumed with everything you have to do and get so stressed over the little things that you don't truly enjoy it. I am just having a great time buying things for our family this year and enjoying all of the fun things, the simple things like singing Christmas music and watching cartoons, to taking a drive to enjoy every one's Christmas decorations. Seriously, it is "The most wonderful time of the year!"

It's killing me!

This doll may send me out of my stress free state of mind! lol Ok so I am not really stressed just a little annoyed. Since it works out in my favor I am glad that it is happening but annoyed none the less.

I originally purchased this doll with dark hair for Kaylee. It was so cute and I just knew she would love it under the tree this year. Well once I got it home and showed it to Travis after the kids went to bed I saw the fine print in the bottom right corner of the box that told me that it was in fact Spanish speaking only! So once Thanksgiving break was over I exchanged it at Toys R Us for the blonde since she is not Spanish speaking. Problem solved. I went to Target a few days later to continue my shopping and found the same doll for $10 less. So I bought it there and returned it to Toys R Us to save my $10. I was just going through the ads and what do I see, oh yes, the same doll once again for $10 less than the last price I paid! So I am totally happy that I get it even cheaper but I am annoyed that these stores just don't put the lowest sale price from the get go so I don't have to keep returning stuff!! I guess most people don't take advantage of going back for adjustments. So I started out paying $60 and this week will end up paying only $40, who knows maybe next week I will get it for $30! Pick a price people!!!