Happy Father's Day Babe!

Gotta brag on the Hubs for a while!  He loves these boys more than life itself!

He is a regular jungle-jim these days and he just lets them climb ALL over him!

Sometimes even when he is working in his office!

I love to see how much he completely enjoys and adores them!  The pride and love in his eyes is unbeatable!

And that love and pride goes both ways!  The boys (especially R-Man) LOVE to learn from him and work right alongside him and I love to sit back and witness it!

Jer- thank you for loving our crazy boys so much!  Thank you for so deeply caring about keeping their hearts and taking the time to teach them things.  Thank you for teaching them the meaning of hard work and showing them through actions just how much you love them!  You are a wonderful dad and I hope you have a wonderful day!  Most of all- thank you for giving these boys to me!

I love you and Happy Father's Day!

PS- Your gift will be arriving in a few days (Pagan Christianity? By Frank Viola)- I hope you like it!

PPS- I truly love each and every one of these pictures- they really show your love and joy with these boys! However, if there are any you want me to take down, please let me know!

A Simply Lovely Mother's Day!

What a sweet day with my sweet boys!  After a bit of a rocky start (R-Man doesn't seem to want to celebrate any day other than his birthday!), the day turned out to just be really nice.  We went over and visited my parents for a short while and then went for a drive- one of our favorite past-times!  We love looking at new properties for sale and dreaming of moving out to the country.  A particular piece we have had our eye on for a while is still on the market.  Now if it can just stay that way for, oh, I don't know, a couple more years maybe?!  Haha- I guess it is all up to the Lord anyway!

After our drive we went out to a really nice dinner at a small local gourmet bistro.  The boys sat so nicely through the whole thing- R-Man played with a little truck while Lion Cub flirted with the women at the table behind us!  We then headed for ice-cream (Baskin Robbins- my FAVORITE!!) which we took home to scarf down during the special one-hour Mother's Day episode of 19 Kids and Counting (also my FAVORITE!).

All in all, it was a lovely day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Here is R-Man enjoying a little cereal with green milk!  He got a total kick out of it and it was so easy to make!  I just stuck a permanent marker into the milk for a few minutes and let it bleed to turn the milk a sufficient shade, and viola'!  Green milk!

Alright, just seeing if you're paying attention!  Of COURSE I didn't stick a permanent marker in my son's milk this morning!  I used washable!  ;-)

Anyway!  We seem to be on the mend.  The boys are doing much better and my husband went and had a hole drilled in his ear drum this morning so they could unplug his eustation tube (ooooo- I'm getting all fancy on ya now!) and suck the fluid out!  Doesn't that just sound horrible?!  He said the worst part was the anesthetic and the weird thing is that now he can hold his nose and blow, and air comes out his ear!  Freaky!  All should be better in a couple of days which we are very thankful for!

So, with the overall improvement of our life I am beginning to feel re-inspired and re-motivated!  I am planning lots of wonderful posts that I am sure you just can't barely stand to wait for, but you're gonna have to!  They are coming though! 

In the mean time- 

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Love Letter #5- February 5

I am going to take a little break from a direct love letter to my hubby, just to brag about him for a bit to all of you!

I don't know how aware you all are of it, but I am married to an AMAZING carpenter!  I mean, seriously, he is such a creative, ingenuitive, perfectionist when it comes to his craft... it leaves me in awe.  He never does anything half way, and if you give him the room to create, he will deliver some of the most unique, classically stunning work out there!

Okay, this just a small and silly little example, but check out the adorable little doors that he made for the cubby room (which he also made) that is underneath our stairs between our bedroom and R-Man's.

R-Man's Side

Our Side

Oh, and did you notice the cool shadow boxing he did in each of our rooms?  Yeah, I love it!  And those are such small examples of his brilliance and craftsmanship!  Check out this house he is basically building for a friend (the friend is a mason, so he did the brick work but my hubby is doing pretty much everything else!)... oh, yeah, it's a castle!

 

He can pretty much build anything I want, including my dream home... someday... and I love that!  I love going to his jobs and seeing what he has created.  I am so proud of him!  Yup, he is pretty handy to have around!  And he creates pretty cute kids too (with my help, of course!) but that's a post for another day!

Babe- I love you and think you are the best at what you do!

P.S.  I know he will say that I over-talked him in this post... blah, blah, blah... but I don't care!  He really is amazing at what he does and if he isn't going to toot his own horn then by golly, what's a wife for?!

Love Letter #4- February 4

Jer,  I love the dreamer in you!  One of my all time favorite things to do is dream with you!  Our long talks about everything from house plans, to family, to travel, fuel my spirit.  I cherish when we can be creative together- even if it is just in talk and plans.  We have so much in common and I think we draw on each others' ideas to form even better and more unique ideas.  I value your opinions and input- they are priceless to me!

So won't you come away and dream with me for a bit?  This Saturday maybe?  Even if only for a short car ride... it would be my favorite part of the date!

I LOVE YOU!

Love Letter #3- Februaury 3

Jer- I love your smile!  I mean, seriously, LOVE your smile!  When it is genuine it is priceless!

And your laugh makes my day!  I love to see what things you think are funny when we are watching a show.  I love to hear you laugh at the goofy things are boys do and say- ESPECIALLY when it is something you are trying really hard not to laugh at and your eyebrows go all high and surprised as you try to fiend seriousness!

It brings me so much joy!

And totally cracks me up!

Oh, and I really love when you laugh at something I said... if I meant to be funny (otherwise, shame on you!  :-P ).  Sometimes just having my wit appreciated is enough to truly lighten my mood, and let's face it, our 3 1/2 year old doesn't always catch on!

So thank you for your friendly face!

And I love you!

Love Letter #2- Februaury 2

Jer,

I know I tell you all the time, but I love you.  I love hearing your truck pull up after work.  I anxiously wait for you to walk in the door and give me a kiss.  I love being wrapped in your strong, safe arms.  I love cuddling up next to your warmth on a cold night (or a steamy one for that matter! :-) )  I love that we have so much different and yet so much the same.  I love that there are things only I know about you.  I love our dreams for the future and the possibilities that await us.  Yes, I just love you, my handsome husband!  I do, I do!

Always,
Kenz

Love Letter #1- February 1

Dear Jer,
I adore you for loving me, in spite of me!I know that there are times when I drive you to the brink of near insanity,but somehow you still love me. I can be annoying, and naggy, and entirely selfish,but somehow you still love me.I can entirely fail to meet your expectations, or worse yet, just flat out fail,but somehow you still love me.I can mess things up, make a mess, and look a mess,but somehow you still love me.I can burn dinner,but somehow you still love me.I can forget to wash your socks,but somehow you still love me.I can be wasteful,but somehow you still love me. I can loose my temper, yell and scream, and even slam doors  (gasp-it's true!)but somehow you still love me.  You may not always like me,but you always love me...and I love you for that!  Have a letter you would like to share?  Check out the details here & link up below!  

Love Letters and such...

"Officially" I am not back.  "Officially" I still have work to do in order to pay the dreaded visit to our accountant (who should be facilitating a hefty return for us, so maybe I shouldn't dread it so much).  But, "officially" I said that I would be back in February and there are just so many things happening right now that I can't keep myself away any longer!

First order of business- today Tyndale publishers are launching a brand new website and, as a blogger, I think that their new features are pretty appealing and exciting!  Some of them include:

-          Links to all of Tyndale’s social media sites

-          A list of all Tyndale authors and their blogs, Facebook and Twitter accounts, etc.

-          A place where you can share stories about Tyndale products that have had an effect on your life

-          Under product details you can post reviews with a link to your own blog so others can see the exciting other books you’ve been reviewing

In honor of their launch, they are hosting 4 book giveaways a day (kids, Bible, fiction & non-fiction) for 30 days!  You can enter every day of the month, so head on over there to celebrate and sign up for their blogging program!


The other piece of news I want to share with you is a contest going on over at Focus on the Family called The Love Letter Contest.  Basically, every day between now and February 11 Focus on the Family will pick the four best love letters written on the topic of "Why you want to grow old with your spouse."  Then, on February 12 they will pick one lucky couple to receive a trip to the simulcast Focus On Marriage event in Colorado Springs on February 27!

In honor of the contest I have decided to write some sort of love letter to my husband every day between now and Valentine's, maybe even for the whole month- we'll see how it goes!  As you may have guessed, this little project is going to formulate the bulk of my husband's Valentine's gift, and I thought that some of you might want to join me in this little project!

Here is what you can do to participate:

1. Blog love letters to your spouse, linking back to this post (you are welcome to use my button- found in this post and the left sidebar).
2. Blog about the creative way you are going to present these letters to your love ('cause we all love a good project!).
3. Link Up!  Come back each day and enter your specific posts in that day's MckLinky so that we all can see!

<center><a href="http://mamakenzstudio.blogspot.com/2010/02/love-letters-and-such.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q153/Chic_Mama/DearLove.jpg" border="0" alt="Dear Love Button"></a><center>
I can wait to spread the love and the creativity!  I will be posting my first letter later on today, so be sure to stop back by and link up!

My Christmas Card to All of You!

As I am preparing to send out our Christmas cards I thought I would post one to all of you!  I greatly appreciate all of my readers and consider you my friends!  Thanks for all your support and I am looking forward to bringing you fun new giveaways, how-tos and even a super secret new blog in the coming year! 

Merry Christmas!

Mama's Holiday Wish List Meme!

 Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme

TodaysMama and Provo Craft are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year? 

It is kind of a tough year this year, so I am not really expecting much of anything.  I am hoping to get a grain mill to mill our own wheat (I have been trying to make our own bread lately and would like to continue to do so).  Ultimately I would love to get a Vitamix Blender, but I know that isn't going to happen (but maybe at the fair next year if things are going better!). 

I need new socks underwear and a haircut, but those sound pathetic to put on my wish list, so scratch that.  I would really love to get this set of books and DVDs and this book from the Simply Charlotte Mason website about early childhood learning, the Charlotte Mason Method and establishing habits in your kids and yourself.

I would also like to get the Duggar's book and a Message/NIV Parallel Bible.  So, yeah, I think that is about it.  I am sure I could come up with a lot more, but those are things that come to mind that even if I don't get for the actual Christmas holiday I hope for us to be able to afford in the early part of the new year.

2. What is your favorite handmade gift you have received? 

Hmmmm... I am trying to think of one I have received.  I got some cute fabric coasters from my sister-in-law a few years ago.  Those were nice.  Yup, I think that's it.

3. What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle? 
A few years ago I bought the fabric to make bags and notebook covers and I was also going to include aprons, homemade bath products and knitted wash cloths- they all have yet to be made.  Maybe someday!  I would also really like to make quilts, but I think that will happen many years from now when I have more time and space!

4. What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child? 

I received a new Cabbage Patch Doll every year and loved EVERY one of them!  I would set up my whole little Cabbage Patch family and take pictures and everything!  I LOVED those dolls!

5. What items are on your kid’s wish list this year? 
R-Man wants just about everything he sees!  Mostly he wants trucks, construction equipment and legos.  I would like to get him some books and games so that we can start having family game nights. 

For Lion Cub I hope to mostly get clothes and diapers, I mean what does a 6-month-old really need anyway, especially when he has all of his brother's old toys to play with?!

6. What is your favorite holiday food? 

We have BBQ crab every year for Christmas Eve dinner with my family and it is to die for!  I wait all year for it!  I will have to post the recipe for you all because you simply haven't lived until you have had this crab!


I also have a minimal obsession with my grandma's popcorn balls and suckers!  They are sooooo good!  In fact, I should go call her right now so we can plan a date to make them!

7. What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays? 
I am considering making a few simple things (which I can't really post because the people I will be giving them to read my blog! :-) ), but it is really going to depend on how much time I have (Lion Cub makes everything more difficult right now) and if we have the money to buy the ingredients and so forth.  We'll see!

8. What is your favorite holiday movie? 
This is so bad, but growing up my family had a tradition of watching National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation- it is just so stinkin' funny!  We all know all the lines and have a hoot watching it!  We don't watch it with the boys around now though, so alternatively I enjoy the classics, like the Rudolph from the 60s, and The Santa Clause.

9. Favorite holiday song? 
I love Carol of the Bells.  That is a really hard question though because I like so many of them!  I mean it's Christmas music!  What's not to love?!

10. Favorite holiday pastime?
This is a year of lots of new traditions for us.  We are going to do The Jesse Tree Advent countdown, decorate cookies, go look at Christmas lights in our PJs and I am working on more!  I really want to make things special and memorable for our family, especially now that R-Man is getting to the age when he will start remembering the events.  So, any tips or ideas you have would be greatly appreciated!

Christmas already?

Yes, that time of year is rolling around again and as we begin to embark on these months of holidays I am setting out to create new traditions for our family (as we have faced many big changes in recent months) and keep things focused on what really matters. 

In addition, since finances have been tight I am trying to figure out how to bless my family and those around me with gifts from the heart that don't require much cash.  We'll see how that pans out, since those gifts tend to require good bits of uninterrupted time which I do not currently have!  On any hand, I thought I would post the link to a fabulous blog I recently found- Life in Grace.  Edie is hosting a "12 days of Handmade Christmas" party that has some wonderful little ideas, so hop on over and check it out!



I would also love to hear about some of your unique family traditions!   Things you bake, make, spend your days on or give special meaning to this season and create lifetimes of memories- please share!