1. October brightens my spirit because I love fall! It's my favorite season!
2. Skeletons and gore that you see in stores scare me!
3. Leaves are falling all around, it's clear that it's fall here in this town!
4. My favorite horror movie is nothing particular because I do not like them!
5. A day at a farm on a beautiful fall day = good memories.
6. It was a dark and stormy night and I was scared out of my wits just like my kids.:)
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to eating pizza, watching a movie with the kids and eating popcorn, tomorrow my plans include hopefully a little clothes shopping for the youngins and a trip to Hozak farm to pick some pumpkins and Sunday, I want to relax with the family !

MONDAY MORNING MEME!

1. How do you define happiness?


I define happiness as being satisfied with your life on a daily basis, and I'm not talking about the little things that happen or get in the way of things, I mean the bigger parts of your life. Being content with who you are, who you're with, and what you have accomplished. Getting laundry done and the having my kids to school on time is an example of my daily accomplishments :) Those seem little but they are HUGE to me, and to my family.
I get down sometimes like anyone else, and I definitely have my moments, but I am truly happy and truly blessed. Praise God for that.

2. What did you have for breakfast? (If not this morning, tell us what you had the last time you had breakfast).

I did have breakfast this morning actually. I had two pieces of toast and a banana. And of course, a cup of coffee. Well , two cups, but one was an on-the-go cup! :)

3. On a scale of one to ten, how sick are you of the presidential campaign? Do you talk about politics on your blog? What about in real life? Why or why not?

I am not big into politics what so ever, but this election has really got me digging deeper into the candidates, more than ever before. I think it's going to be exciting to watch, and I'm not really sick of it either. My television isn't on much any way.

I do not talk about politics on my blog, and I would have to say I don't in general. I'm very private about it. Everyone has their own opinion, but I just don't want to open up that can of worms with anyone. I'd just rather talk about something else :)

4. What about your life today would surprise your teen-aged self?

I think my teen-aged self would be proud of myself now! :) I always wanted to be a young mom, and that definitely happened, but I think it would shock my younger self that I have three children already. My teen-aged self would also think I would've only had one or two children by now. Other than that, I really don't think there is anything else that would surprise my younger self. This is kind of what I always wanted to do! Be a mom and raise my kids at home as long as I could! I guess that makes me pretty lucky huh? No, just extremely blessed! Thank you Lord!

Friday Fill-ins

Friday Fill-ins (sorry no logo!)

1. Going to the apple orchard, visiting a farm to pick pumpkins, Ariana's birthday, baking goodies and everything that comes along with Halloween are some of the things I'm most looking forward to in October.

2. Sometimes I ponder what it would be like to have a lot of money!

I believe that anyone can do anything if you just put your mind to it and that's why there is a saying, "never say never"!

4. When I'm down, I try to keep my schedule limited so I don't get so stressed out, and I try to do things that keep me busy and that keep the kids laughing. That always helps me out.

5. In my house cleaning, folding laundry or working outside is where you'll find me most often.

6. A rainy day is good for sitting down with a good cup of joe and a good friend and having a great day indoors!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to getting stuff packed for the tournament and then relaxing, tomorrow my plans include sending Gabriel off to his karate tournament with daddy and then taking Ella shopping for clothes and Sunday, I want to read the paper, maybe bake some and relax with my family!

Ella is 5 years old!!

It has been a while since I have blogged, but I am back and have photos to share of Ella's day!! Today is a big day for my oldest daughter...IT'S HER BIRTHDAY!! AND SHE IS FIVE!! Ella is 5 years old!! I Think I keep saying because it is still sooooo hard to believe!!
The picture above was taken outside our house this morning. She chose that specific spot "in the sun" as she put it. She immediately held her hands up to show how old she is now. She's so adorable!

She is very excited about turning 5, and last night it really hit her that today was the big day. So, we took daddy to work and little sister to school, and then we went to the park!! She didn't want to wait for Ariana, she said, "I want to go by myself". I thought that was so cute! Then we went to the store and she bought some M&M's and got to keep the change! (It was a penny, but she loved it).

The rest of the day has been all about what she wants to do, and we even visited daddy at work and munched on some cookies. The rest of the day will be pretty laid back, but she also gets to pick out what we're having for dinner.

She also got to pick out what kind of cake she wants (she picked a princess cake!) and she got to open two cards and a present! How exciting!

Time goes by too fast, and I still can't believe our little Ella is 5. So sad but wonderful at the same time.

Here are some pics, so enjoy, and leave a comment if you'd like, I love to read them!

She wanted a picture of the two of us, so I held out the camera and here is what we got!
Here is Ella opening a package that Aunt Lori, Uncle Matt and the cousins sent. Thank you all!
Here are the presents she received: She got a card, some faith beads, stickers and a sticker album, and a photo album just for her that says, "Ella's photo book". Isn't it cute?! Thanks again Aunt Lori and Family!

1. I enjoy being at home with my family.

2. Working out of the house is something I wonder about often lately.

3. In your heart, you knew that he was always there!

4. Take a day, add a little coffee and you end up with a better day for me and those around me!

5. Life has gifted me with good health and a wonderful family!

6. Candles, a movie and no kids around is an instant vacation.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to making pizza and watching a movie with the kids, tomorrow my plans include laundry, making chili and having friends over and Sunday, I want to relax!

Join in here!

A random moment!

I just wanted to post this picture because it represents little random, crazy moments that are continually happening in my house. If you look to the left of the picture, there I am walking through the kids playroom coming toward the room here in the picture. I figured out was going on after looking at the pic. It made me laugh. I am actually looking for some furniture polish that I had put down but did not have a clue where it was! :) Ever happened to you? Yeah, I thought so! I am also on the telephone, and at the same time I'm saying, "has anyone seen the orange spray?" I then turned around because my son had shouted, "I found it!" It was on top of the refrigerator :) Apparently while all of this is going on, Ariana had found our camera and taken this picture, very beautiful picture :) of our oldest daughter. I love that this captures a moment, and about a minute later, it was over. Ariana was delighted to show me the picture, but I had to fuss at her for getting the camera (it's a big no no). I had the house so clean, I thought I'd light my pumpkin scented candle on top of the armoire. Look, you can see it all lit up in the picture! Of course, my house is once again messy and cluttered, but atleast my furniture is cleaned with the "orange spray" right? :)

1. Do you live for the start of college football? professional football? Does anyone in your house? Do you know anyone who does?
I do not personally live for football, but I do cheer on the Pittsburgh Steelers when they are on T.V. I will actually be watching the game on Sunday, and I'm kind of excited :) The black and gold has rubbed off on me after living here for 8 years! About time I quess :)
Rob , however, loves football! I used to just dread it, knowing he'd be stuck to the T.V. I would even give him a really hard time and give him quilt trips about "not spending time with the family". Well, I try, try I said, not to do that as much anymore, and I've become more accepting of it. I love it when he says," Jen, if you'd just watch football you might grow to like it." It's hilarious and I just laugh when he says it. I'm like,"no honey, not gonna happen." You can't change a person, right?

2. Did you go to college? If so, what was your mascot? Was/Is that your favorite team? If not, what was/is your favorite college team?

I did not go to college, but we usually cheer for the Southern Illinois Salukis and Penn State (my husband went to SIU and Penn State as well). I don't really care who it is "we" cheer for though, because I don't watch!

3. Have you ever embarrassed yourself at a sporting event? Have you seen someone else embarrass themselves at a sporting event?

None of the above! :)

5. Do you have a sports hero? If so, what makes them special?

I admire and respect all of them, but I don't have one particular sports hero.

6. What's the most memorable sports moment you've watched on television? Watched live?

I watched as Jason Lezak beat the Frenchman at the Olympics in the relay that was lead by Micheal Phelps. They were both awesome, and the reaction that Phelps and another teammate had to the news was incredible! I was so glad Rob wanted to watch the Olympics, otherwise I wouldn't have seen it. Phelps was just incredible, and I also watched as he broke record after record this year. I was so proud of the U.S.! How amazing, what talent!

7. If you have kids or grandkids, do they play sports?

My son, Gabriel, does Karate and then plays indoor soccer in winter. Also, My girls are going to be doing gymnastics here soon.

Thursday Thirteen~ 13 things on my "list" for the next few days; just thought I'd share!

1. Get out fall clothes for the girls to put away in drawers and hang up
2. Get clothes together for my mom and send package (sorry mom)!


3. Go grocery shopping

4. Go to class on Sunday~Protecting God's Children
5. Vacuum out my car~ Ugh!
6. Order mums from school


7. Get a part-time job!
8. Take some stuff to goodwill
9. Start putting up some of my fall decorations



10. Clean the house~ This actually comes before the decorating
11. Spend some quality time with the kids



12. Water the bank thoroughly with the hose (it's very dry here)
13. And finally~ have a good time doing it all! :)

Ella's first day of school!

So as I posted just the other day, all of my children are starting school! Wednesday was Ella's first day, and she was very excited to go. This is her 2nd year in the four-year old program, so this year she is to be the "assistant" to Mrs. Fairley, along with 2 other children from her class last year. She did, however, have a little bit of nervousness when it came time to actually go in the classroom. She was pushing herself against the wall, and didn't want to anyone to see her. I think she was nervous to meet a classroom of all new kids! One of the teacher did have to take her finally, but she ended up fine, as always!

I think the fact that I've been home with them for so long and they haven't had many babysitters makes a big difference. There are kids in her class that have both parents working full time, and although they've never been to pre-school, they have a baby-sitter or nanny. I've heard that does make a huge difference.

I love these kids so much and I can speak for Rob and I both when I say that we are sooooo proud of them! They have all come so far, and these little everyday situations (like not wanting to go into pre-school class) are going be far gone and seem so simple as they continue to get older. We're going to wish for these days back.

So with that being said, I'm going to go make the girls some lunch, and enjoy looking at the pictures!

Here is our big girl!
Here are some of the children coming out of school in their single file line. Can you spot Ella? And quess who that little girl is in the right hand corner waving to the kids? Ariana of course! They love to greet each other, it's so cute!

First day of school for my baby!

Well, I did it again. I sent another child to school this morning. It is Ariana's first day today, and have to say, it was harder to let her go than any of them. Now, I know it's just pre-school (three-year class to be exact), but she is my youngest, so it's going to be harder. And I've come to that conclusion. It's going to be harder to send her to kindergarten, harder to see her graduate, and even harder to send her to college. :( These are all happy things and happy times, I realize that. This morning I was more excited than her just about. I love when they start school! It is so bitter sweet though.

She went in the building fine, and even hung her book bag and talked to the teacher. However, as soon as she knew it was time to actually go in the classroom, she wanted to go back to the car. She was trying to run away, but Mrs. Fairley convinced her to come in by saying that mommy could sit behind her during song and praying time. So, I did just that. She didn't listen to any directions she was given, she simply sat there and watched while sucking her two little fingers (it's a habit she's had and probably won't be breaking any time soon). After I marched down the hall with them, I said my good-byes, and she just didn't want me to go. The other teacher had to pry her off of me, and I left the building hearing her cry for me. :( I was hoping it would be a smoother transition, but not on this day. But pre-school is just that. It's a transition, and it just takes some getting used to on all ends.

I truly believe that she will love it, and it will be better the next time I take her. She'll know more of what to expect.

In the meantime, I sit here wondering how she's doing, and can't believe that my "baby" is at pre-school and is not here with mommy. Tomorrow Ella has her first day and second year in the pre-k class. I'm so excited for her because I know how much she really wants to get back. She's going to be an "assistant" this year! How exciting!

So, here are some pictures of Ariana before we left. She was so happy to finally be going. She practically dragged me out of the door!

She was posing in this picture, but it came out with her looking shy!

She was so proud to be going to school! She picked out her My Little Pony book bag!

I'm in a cookin' mood!!

I just had to share with you all what I have cooked up lately, and tell you that I'm in the mood to cook today! I've got dinner in crockpot, potato soup on the stove for lunch, and I called my husband and told him to buy some eggs so I can make some muffins! Wooooh! I am on a roll!

So, below you will find what I am cooking for dinner. It's called Burgundy Beef, and the recipe can be found at my good friend Dawn's recipe blog.
And can I just say, it is lookin' delicious and I just put it in!

Here is the potato soup I am making for lunch. It's super easy, and I make it for dinner most times. Here it is cooking as we speak, and here is the recipe.

Potato Soup

2 large cans chunky potato soup

~ 1 envelope Uncle Ben's Wild Rice--microwaveable pouch
~ 4 cups half and half
~1 can crumbled bacon bits
~2 cups shredded chedder cheese

Microwave the rice and then dump everything together and heat. Serve when warm. You can top with sliced green onions if you life.

This recipe is also from Dawn's recipe blog.
She gave this to me a couple of years ago, and it's so simple and good! Try it sometime!

Also, here is picture of the spagetti pie I made last week. Umm, delicious as well! I'm sorry if I'm making anyone hungry! :)



I also made some Banana oatmeal cookies for the kids last week (and for us bigger kids). Those were a hit.

Well, I just wanted to share some recent recipes I've tried this week. I'm trying to this more, so I can establish new meals for the family, and have fun in the process. I love to cook! Have a great Sunday, and you all know what I'll be doing!

. How far in advance do you start getting ready for back-to-school (whether for your own kids, or for yourself when you were in school)?

I start thinking of it pretty far in advance, and we start buying clothes a shoes typically 1 week before. Didn't go as planned this year, and we still need to buy for our oldest daughter. Not a big deal though, it will get done! We bought school supplies late this year too, we didn't have a list.

2. Do you have any picky eaters who need special considerations for lunches? What does a typical bagged lunch look like in your house?

My son is getting pickier everyday, so I try to make sure everything I pack is approved first ;) I want him to eat it all since he's in school all day now. He buys lunch as well because he loves everything they have! I will be switching back and forth through the week. The first lunch I packed for him consisted of a juice box, grapes, and lunchable that had cookies and ingredients to make a cracker sandwich! You know, lunch meat and cheese. It was a hit with him, but I won't do that every time.

3. What school supply items do you skimp on and what are you willing to shell out the big bucks for?

I didn't skimp. I got everything on the list because I know he will want to use the things. He is our little artist :)

4. Do you get your kids up, or do they get up on their own? Any snooze-hitters that have trouble waking up? How about the opposite, any kids that are up at the crack of dawn?

I have to get all of them up. It takes about 10 minutes to get my son out of bed, and the girls are much easier. Next week, I will be getting all of them up at the same time! ;( Wish me luck!

5. Any cafeteria horror stories? Is school food as bad as they say?

Their school food is great, and he loves it! We are very fortunate.

6. How important is it to you to make sure your kids have the latest styles and trendiest accessories?

Gabriel wears a uniform since he goes to private school (it's Catholic). I love it, and the fact that he's a boy makes it even easier! With the girls it might be a little harder, even with a uniform! They have jean day once a month though, so that's nice. I do all the shopping for him , and he pretty much just wears whatever I buy. He does seem to have a certain taste though, because he'll pick up certain shirts and say, " this one is really cool". Then, he'll want to wear that piece no matter what time of year it is! I had to fight with this summer over wearing one of his sweaters! Yeah, he's a crazy kid :)

7. Remember the movie Kindergarten Cop? If Arnold Schwarzenegger was your child's new kindergarten teacher, how would you feel?

I would feel like,"Ok, maybe he can make him listen! :)

I'm very excited about this weeks S&T because the theme is "Dreaming of Autumn". Love it, love it! What's ironic is that what I have to "show" I picked out before I knew this theme!

So, on with the "show". One of my very good friends was so thoughtful and sent me a couple of things that she spotted and knew I would love! Love ya girl! She is such a sweet person. She knows me and how much I love fall and decorating.

Here is what she got me:
2 packs of flavored coffee, a decorative resin pumpkin, and a caramel apple with a remover lid! Another thing she sent that you don't see was a pack of brownie bites! And quess where I put them? Well in the caramel apple of course! The little candle sitting there is one I purchased the other day. I couldn't help myself, it's pumpkin spice scent! Ummmm!!

Here is the pumpkin; I love what it says, "Praise God from whom all blessings flow".

Can wait to drink some of this coffee! One of the flavors is caramel apple :)Here is the apple. I should've taken a picture with the lid off, but I didn't want to tempt anyone with what was inside ;)

Thanks so much Dawn! You are such a good friend and a sweatheart! Happy S&T everyone!

1. When I'm sick I'm very needy and want my hubby to be with me and take care of me. :) I just want a lot of extra TLC. I also want to just lay down, like most people would when you're sick! :)

2. When I take a walk, I think about what is starting or ending in my day. I like to reflect also. Best of all though, I love to just watch nature. I look for animals, and I teach my kids to do the same thing. I myself am just a big kid at times! :)

3. Money can't buy happiness but it can reduce stress and be a very good thing if you don't use it the wrong way or let it take over your life. I have known people that have been in both scenarios, and it never turns out good. Speaking of money, I could definitely use a little right now!

4. Cotton makes me think of something that is very versatile. It can be dressed up or dressed down, and I love it! I love cotton and I am so incredibly comfortable in it, and that's what I'm all about! and leather makes me think of someday owning a really great leather jacket or blazer. I can dream, right? Or maybe I could ask Santa ;)

5. The strangest person/character I've had lewd thoughts about was no one. Wait, maybe my husband? ;)

6. My favorite color these days is anything that surrounds me in warmth. In my house, I'm really loving the Warm Buff color we have on our walls. It's in our entryway, hallway upstairs and now in our bathroom. I painted that last weekend. I'm working on the dining room next, and I would love to go with a color that has a mix of orange with the Warm Buff color. I love that kind of mix because it reminds me of fall!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to eating pizza and watching a movie with my kids, tomorrow my plans include nothing concrete yet and Sunday, I want to just be and not clean!

Participate, it's fun! Just go here, and have a great weekend!

Hello everyone! This the 160th edition of Thursday Thirteen!

So this week I chose to share 13 things I have bought this week. Between school clothes, supplies, and a few things in between, this one was an easy one for me. Enjoy!

1. Tennis shoes for Gabriel-He is a size two! Can you believe it?

2. School shoes for Ella-We got these in black. She is a size 12.

3. Black shoes for Ariana-These will be worn with sooo much! And even better, all of these shoes were on sale! The guy told at Kohls told us they are marking down more shoes on Sep. 4th.

4. A pair of shoes for myself :) - I hardly ever buy shoes, but when I saw these on the sale rack, I couldn't pass them up! They were too cute and too cheap!! I paid a whopping 5.49 for them! Even better, I can wear them as the weather starts to get cooler! Yay!

5. Rob also let me buy a tank top for myself, that I will layer with shirts this fall. I couldn't resist the color-it reminded me of fall! Here is a picture! And once again, on sale!

6. A pair of tennis shoes for Rob-and boy did he need them! They are an essential for his work, and his were literally falling apart! He waited too long because he doesn't buy things for himself unless he absolutely has too! What a sweet husband, he puts us first!

7. Jean bermuda shorts for ariana

8. 2 pairs of uniform shorts for Gabriel-navy blue and khaki

9. Two sparkly tees for Ariana- One colared shirt as well (below)

10. An outfit for Ariana's first day of school-we let her pick it out. She didn't want a dress like mommy wanted for her. She opted for a preppy uniform type plaid skirt with a cute layered tee to go with it! Now I just need to get her some knee high socks and she'll be set! :) Her skirt looks very similar to this:

11. 2 packs of 8 chubby crayons for the girls-that was the extent of their school supply list! Easy enough!

12. School supplies for Gabriel- There were about a dozen things, not including tissues! It could've been worse, right? I'm so excited for him though, and most of the stuff was pretty cheap! Having three kids in school gets expensive!

13. This shirt in purple for Ella! - we're buying more for her next week, next pay day!