Our 2011 in Review

Here's what happened...

In January, we kicked off the new year in my mom's hospital room. She had her gall bladder removed.  We also sold our last house in Moberly, Mo. What a relief!

In Feburary, Jeremy and I went to a youth ministry conference in St. Louis together. It was great to get away from the boys for a weekend and fuel our passion for ministry.

 In March, we traveled to Texas for spring break. We had a great time with Jeremy's family and the boys got to go to the Zoo for the first time.

Jerm and Noah at Fortworth Zoo

In April, Jeremy got to preach at our Sunday morning church service. He did great! This helped reaffirm our calling to ministry.

In May, Asa turned one. I now have two ornery toddler boys. I saw my favorite band - Bowling for Soup - in concert for the 4th time! We also went to Texas to celebrate the college graduation of Jeremy's sister, Elaina.

Me and Ash w/ Chris from BFS

Jerm and Asa (1st b-day)

 
 In June, I kicked off my cake pop business. It went well but I soon found out that I want more in life than making cake pops 24/7. 

Fishing Bobber Basket

July was a big month. We celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary. We spent a  couple of nights at Chateau Avalon. I seriously can't believe it has been 5 years already!  We learned about fireworks safety, courtesy of my brother, Matt. We also celebrated the marriage of my cousin CJ and her new husband Steve.

Chateau Avalon

Matt broke every tip that was highlighted

Mr. and Mrs. Steve Justice

In August, I must have hit my head. I cannot remember anything from this month!

In September, Noah turned three. I was also able to see Blink-182 in concert with my long-time friend Amanda.

Amanda and I at Blink-182

In October, we lost a dear friend of the family. Davie was such a good friend to my brother. He will not be forgotten.

Matt's fishing buddy

In November, we were able to buy a new car. It gets way better gas mileage than that old truck!

In December, my brave grandfather survived his 12th heart attack. Toughest guy I know!

Grandpa and Asa

I'm sure I could have written a post about each of these events but it seems like I never have time to write anymore. I hope you all have a safe and happy New Year!

Santa Claus is coming to town!

As of right now I don't see Santa as being a part of our family's Christmas. Jeremy and I have many reasons but I won't bore you with those. Don't get me wrong- I'm not hating on Santa. After all, I'll never forget the year he brought me my very own keyboard! I remember how excited I was as I brought it into my parents bedroom to serenade them at 5 a.m. on Christmas day. (I'm sure Mom and Dad won't forget either.)

Despite the fact that Santa won't be bringing my children obnoxious musical instruments, Noah is very aware of who Santa is. Santa is like the coolest cartoon character ever at this time. Noah could spot that red coat a mile away. Just this past week someone asked Noah what Santa was going to bring him. Noah in a very excited but matter-of-fact voice replied, "Uhh...reindeer, reindeer, reindeer and uh... reindeer." Goofy kid. He must have forgotten that animals are on the "Do Not Get List" for Christmas gifts.

Christmas 2010

It's a Guy Thing

Potty training is way harder than college. Ugh. I mean potty training the boys. However, introducing Asa to the potty has given Noah some extra motivation.

Last week Jeremy and I sat Asa on the potty and he went for the first time! Jeremy and I were so proud of him. We were still celebrating as Noah ran in and jumped on the potty. He stayed there for 15 minutes trying. He probably would have stayed longer but we made him go to bed. I can already see that the boys are going to be very competitive!

Playing Catch Up

*This post is a an update on our family*

The last couple of months have been crazy busy. We had a great summer and already busy fall.  There was really never a dull moment. We even made it to the zoo three times (see pic below!)

Starting the cake pop business has been exhausting. I've finally decided to call it quits. It just took too much time away from more important things. I enjoyed it though and I'm not done with cake pops forever. I'm sure I'll still be bringing them to family dinners and church functions.

The boys are growing so fast. At Noah's 3 year check up the doctor told me that he is the height of a 4 year old and the weight of a 5 year old! And it turns out that Asa eats as much as a teenage boy! (The doctor didn't say that last part but I know what I'm talking about.) They are so ornery. They get into everything! I'm sure I'll be posting more stories about them as I have more time.

I'm looking forward to the holidays. I'm already counting down the days till Thanksgiving. Jeremy won't let me put up Christmas decorations till the day after. I don't see what the big deal is. I mean Wal-Mart had their x-mas decorations out after Labor Day!

Well, that's all I have to say for now. I'm sure I'll be writing again soon.

I'm Just a Girl,
Tracy

Honey, I Shrank the Kids...Shoe

What a hot summer it's been! I'm so glad it's finally starting to cool down and show signs of fall. I LOVE fall. Maybe it's because my birthday is in the fall or maybe it's because the holidays are just around the corner.

Last week the temperatures still reached into the 100's a couple of different days. On one of those days I was taking the boys out and running some errands. Asa lost a shoe on the way to the car so I picked it up for him and carried it till we got to the car. I ended up throwing it into the back window so I'd see it later and wouldn't forget it. The other shoe eventually went into our diaper bag.

I left the shoe in our window for hours that day while we went about and did our business. At the end of the day I saw the shoe and threw it into the diaper bag and carried it into the house. Yesterday Jeremy asked me if I knew what happened to Asa's shoes. 

Apparently the shoe in the window had melted and shrank... a lot.  I guess it's a good thing I didn't leave the kids in the car while I ran my errands!

I'm 100% Sane

I never imagined that two little boys could be so wild together. If you follow my blog regularly, you've probably noticed I haven't posted in quite some time. While I'd like to attribute that to the new cake pop business keeping me so busy that's actually not the case. Yes, the cake pop business is going well, better than I ever expected.

It is the boys however that are keeping me from blogging. Right now, I have managed to keep them occupied by offering them pigs in a blanket but in approximately 3.5 minutes, they will be running wild again (covered in ketchup and mustard.) Last week, Noah smeared a jar of jelly all over the couch and redecorated the bathroom with a bottle of Hershey's syrup. Asa has mastered the art of climbing. He has broken two glasses and one plate in just a matter of days. I go from cleaning up one mess to the next. I'm even beginning to think they are planning this stuff out. One of them creates a diversion to distract me, while the other one carries out a massive act of destruction.

Last week someone gave Asa a shirt that appropriately said "100% good, 10% of the time."  That sounds about right- if you are counting the 10% of the time as the time he sleeps. As for myself, I'm 100% sane but not very often. Well I better go, Asa is eating the dirt from the house plants -again!

Chubby Cheeks

I never get tired of hearing the silly things little kids say or the flat out embarrassing things other peoples kids say! My cousin's daughter is always saying the funniest things. I was watching her yesterday and no surprise she had me laughing so hard I had to share!

We were sitting down eating and I said, "This is a pretty good lunch, huh?" Unfortunately, Kaylee reminded me that smoke detector had gone off. Trying to be clever, I told her that wasn't the smoke detector, that was the "lunch bell." She didn't buy it. Jeremy said, "Kaylee, you need to tell her that her nose is growing." Kaylee shook her head and said, "Her nose isn't growing. Her cheeks are chubby!" Apparently she didn't get the Pinocchio reference.

Of course I wasn't laughing at first. I was in a little state of shock and confused. She just told me I have chubby cheeks. But she is just so innocent, I couldn't hold it against her. I guess we'll have to watch Pinocchio sometime soon.

Birthday Boy! Bubby is One!

Last week my little Asa turned one. I know every mom says this but I cannot believe how fast this last year has gone by! We celebrated with a sports theme party. My aunt was gracious enough to let us use her place. They have an amazing back yard with a new playground. We just had lemonade and ice tea, popsicles and cake pops. I made the cake pops into footballs and baseballs to go with the theme.

Asa had a great time. His face just lit up when everyone sang Happy Birthday to him. He even enjoyed opening his presents...at first. He was so happy to see his new toys but so upset when we took them away to give him the next present. Big brother, Noah, had a good time too. He is still walking around the house saying "mine" with all of Asa's new toys. Here's some of the pics. Enjoy!

Birthday Boy

Delicious Cupcake

Cake Pops

Sticky Situation

For breakfast today Jeremy made us pancakes from scratch. They were pretty good too! We sat down at the table to chow down and Noah was very disappointed to see that his pancake did not come with syrup.

That's right, this mean mom didn't give him any syrup because I hate cleaning up the sticky stuff! So Noah began to pout and marched over to the fridge. I didn't care because I knew that wasn't where the syrup was. Noah dug around for a moment and finally emerged from the fridge. When he returned to the table he was carrying a bottle of mustard!

For heaven's sake child, if you need something on your pancake that bad I will just give you some syrup. When it came down to it, I'd  rather clean up the syrup than watch him eat mustard on his pancakes.

How to Drive Your Mommy Crazy

Here are 10 guaranteed ways to drive your mommy crazy, thought up by my very own toddler, Noah.

1. Dump a 5 gallon bucket of crayons on the floor.

2. When mommy tells you to pick the crayons up, use your toes.

3. Shove as many Cheerios up your nose as possible.

4. Empty a salt shaker on little brothers head.

5. Wipe boogers on the sliding glass door.

6. Lock mommy outside when she gets the mail.

7. Turn the volume on the TV all the way up.

8. Wake little brother up from his nap early.

9. Use your silverware to play the drums on everything you possibly can.

and last but not least...

10. Jump up and down on the couch shouting butt, butt, butt, butt!

Mother's Day Truths for Men

Here's the 411 on Mother's Day from a REAL mom, not the writer of a Hallmark card. Ladies, now is the time to bookmark this page for your husbands. Better yet, you'd might as well just e-mail it to him or he'll never see it. While you're at it, go ahead and name your subject, "New Flat Screen TV" or "Free Taco Bell For a Year!"

1. First of all, next Sunday is Mother's Day. That is May 8, 2011. Don't forget. :) Mom's won't forget if you do.

2. You need to get a gift (at the very least a card) for your mom and the mother of your child. It doesn't matter if she is not your mother. She carried around your child and gave birth to your child. I could go into detail but I won't. Get her a gift!

3. Remember, Mother's Day is before Father's Day. We will remember how special our day was when we are thinking of yours.

4. Handmade cards are completely acceptable from children (and very much cherished.)

5. Breakfast in bed is also super sweet. Personally I would like to sleep in. Breakfast after 10 a.m. is fine. Check first.

6. Cereal is not acceptable as breakfast in bed, nor is a pop tart. Here are some never-fail suggestions: Pancakes, waffles, scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, toast or biscuits and gravy.

7. Most importantly make sure that all the mom's in your life know how much they are loved and appreciated. After all being a mom is the hardest (and best) job in the world but unfortunatley the least appreciated at times.

Taco Cups

At least once a week our family has tacos. We love them! It's kind of a pain though with Noah. It would be too messy to give him his own taco (not that he isn't messy with every food he eats!) So we usually just give him a few chips, some slices of cheese and a little ground beef on his plate. A while back I stumbled across "Taco Cups" on the internet and knew we had to give them a try!

So today Jeremy and I fixed tacos for lunch and gave Noah his own Taco Cups to try out. They were a hit! You just use Tostitos Scoops for the "cup" (which were on sale for $1.88 last week.) You could put whatever you want inside. We just put a piece of lettuce, seasoned beef, sour cream, cheese and taco sauce. Noah was able to pick them up without spilling them. He even ate 7 of them!

More Play-Doh Fun

We pulled out our basket of play-doh again today despite our previous blunders. Everything seemed to be going well. I showed Noah my impressive sculpting skills. First I taught him how to roll the dough out into a snake. He loved it. Thinking hard, I also decided to show him how to make a worm. Maybe next time I can show him how to make a rope out of play-doh. I don't know why I didn't think of that earlier.

At least five minutes had gone by, I had run out of sculpting ideas and Noah's attention span had expired. It was time to pack up the play-doh. I must have been too caught up in rolling snakes to realize that half of Noah's red play-doh was no where to be found. I searched high and low for it. I have some suspicions as to where it may have gone though. Not so innocent Asa had been scouring the kitchen floor the entire time and Noah has been guilty of eating the molding compound before. Just wait, tomorrow I will let you know who the culprit was. At least it's non-toxic.

Good Friday to Bad Monday

Let me start by saying that I am completely exhausted from our busy Easter weekend. As usual it was a wonderful weekend but it went by way too fast. Finally the boys are down for their naps and I have a brief moment to myself- BRIEF.

Friday evening we attended our church's Good Friday service. We snuck into the back row about five minutes late. Because it was a special service, there was no nursery and Jeremy and I did the best we could to keep the boys "under control." In an attempt to keep Asa quiet, I gave him a bottle during the service. Just moments after he finished it, he sat up and let out the manliest burp ever. As if that wasn't embarrassing enough, when a few heads turned to glance back at us, Jeremy pointed his finger at me! Thanks honey.


Yesterday we had a family dinner and an Easter egg hunt. Noah is starting to get that hang of this whole egg hunt thing. Almost. He did a great job of finding the eggs. Instead of putting the eggs in the basket however, he opened them immediately to see what he had found. The eggs contained money and candy! Each time he found candy he said "Mmmmmm," and popped a jelly bean into his mouth. But when he found money he said, "Oh no!" and dropped it to move on to the next egg.

Fast forward a little and here we are, Monday. The kids all have sugar highs and I am wore out from the events of the weekend. Pictures to come soon. I hope you all had a wonderful Easter and were able to spend time reflecting on the true meaning behind the holiday. Jesus suffered and died on the cross for everyone's sins so that we can spend forever with Him. He rose again on the third day and is alive. AMEN!

How to Wash Cloth Diapers

Perhaps the biggest reason I did not use cloth diapers sooner is because you have to wash them. Duh. Anyways, it's really not as bad as it sounds. Pretty much the worst part is actually changing the diaper and you kinda have to do that whether you use cloth diapers or disposable diapers.

Just to make it simple I thought I'd share the process with those of you that are interested. just for the record, it's best to follow your manufacturers directions.

Dirty Diaper Storage

Step 1: Store diaper till washing day. (If it is poopy, you will need to shake the poop into the toilet. Breastfed baby poop will wash out easily and doesn't need to be removed.)

Step 2: Empty diapers into washer. If you have a diaper pail liner you can wash it with the diapers.

Step 3: Cold rinse to remove residues.

Step 4: Hot wash and add detergent. No fabric softeners (they will leave a build up that affects absorbancy.)

Step 5: Second risnse (if necessary)

Step 6: Dry- Line dry or place in dryer.

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Tips
~Keep diapers in a sealed container till wash day
~Dry pail, less smell
~Many manufacturers recommend placing covers in the dryer every now and then to "seal" any small holes in the waterproofing layers.
~Sunlight is a great, natural whitener
~Vinegar in the rinse cycle will remove soap residues, neutralize urine odors and remove stains. Only use 2 Tb spoons though!

Related Posts
The Cloth Diaper Experiment
Cloth Diaper Update

Laundry Mishap

A little over a month ago, Noah- being typical made a mess. He got into my laundry detergent and dumped it all over my carpet in the hall way! I spent hours trying to clean up that mess. I ran our carpet cleaner over and over the puddle. It just got bubblier and bubblier. I was finally left with a faded blue stain. Luckily my laundry detergent wasn't full. It was actually less than half way full.

The next day I went to the store and bought a new jug of detergent. I came home and placed it on the dryer. Sure enough later that week, Noah dumped the full, brand new detergent on my carpet again! What a waste. Laundry detergent isn't cheap either. I was out another $8+ and I spent another two hours trying to clean the carpet.

I kept hearing about people making there own "homemade laundry detergent." I had no idea you could do that. I had my doubts about it too. Does it work? Is it worth the effort? Where do you get the ingredients- Amish country? In the end, is it actually cost effective? Well, I found out for myself.

First, here's the recipe I used.

Hot water
1/2 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
1/3 bar Soap (grated)

In a large pot, heat 3 pints of water. Add the grated bar soap and stir until melted. Then add the washing soda and borax. Stir until powder is dissolved, then remove from heat.
In a 2 gallon clean pail, pour 1 quart of hot water and add the heated soap mixture. Top pail with cold water and stir well.
Use 1/2 cup per load, stirring soap before each use (will gel).

I've been using this for just over a month now and it is FABULOUS. First of all it was cheap to make. The total cost of all the ingredients was cheaper than the $8 bottle of detergent I was previously using. Plus, I still have enough ingredients to last a year!

It was so easy to make. It only took like 10 minutes to throw it together. The first batch that I made lasted about 5 weeks. I can live with 10 minutes every five weeks. Also, I noticed my laundry was much brighter after the first load. It makes sense though. I mean look at what my old detergent did to my carpet!

By the way, you can find the ingredients at your local grocery store too! I had to go to a second store to find the Washing Soda though. They don't carry that at Walmart. Check Ace Hardware if you have one nearby.

Anyways, If you're interested in savings some $$$ or you have a two year old that enjoys pouring out laundry detergent give this a try.

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Tips
~The detergent won't be bubbly so don't worry when it isn't!
~You can add a scent if you want.
~I recommend using Fels Naptha or Ivory for the soap.
~For inexpensive fabric softener add two table spoons of white vinegar to the rinse cycle.
~1pint = 2 cups

Confessions of a Mom

Some of yesterdays events inspired me to write about some of my "Confessions" as a Mom. I guess there are a few things I just need to get off of my chest.


1. I didn't want kids. I'm happy that God blessed me with children but until a couple of years ago they were never in my plans.

2. I look forward to going to the grocery store. I stay home with the boys for at least 50 hours a week. I really look forward to getting away no matter what the reason.

3.  I HATE Barney and Friends.

4. Losing pregnancy weight is much harder than I ever imagined. I had never had a problem losing weight before in my life. It's as if my metabolism suddenly realized I am not a teenager anymore and came to a sudden halt.

5. I hated breastfeeding. I felt like a fat dairy cow. I was exhausted and it wasn't fair that I had to take care of every feeding!

6. I felt like I had to breastfeed both my boys or I would be a horrible mother. After all, "breast milk is best for your baby." I know breast milk is the healthiest choice but it doesn't always work out and I felt super guilty when it didn't work for us.

7. For Mother's Day, what I really what is a day away from my kids. A "me" day.

8. I didn't enjoy every minute of pregnancy. Especially not the morning sickness,  nausea, stretch marks, Braxton Hicks contractions, back aches, pinched sciatic nerve, insomnia and weight gain. However I loved feeling baby kicks and hearing the heat beat over the monitor. That was absolutely amazing every time.

9. I don't appreciate unsolicited advice. For example, if you happen to notice my stretch marks (not easy to miss) please keep your remarks to yourself. If you say,  "You should have put some cocoa  butter on those," I might not say anything to you but I'm probably ready to bite your head off or snap back at you. And just for the record, I did use cocoa butter everyday and still got stretch marks.

10. Even though car seats save lives, they are a huge pain in the rear end.

11. I don't like changing diapers. I don't mind changing diapers but I certainly don't enjoy it. I've been in situations where a child needs a diaper changed (ie, nursery) and when it comes to decide who will change the diaper, it's always a mom. "oh she's a mom, she likes changing diapers." Really?! No way!

12. Baby carriers never get any easier to carry.

13. The last book I read was by Dr. Suess.

14. I always carry around baby wipes.

15. I have a song from Seasame Street stuck in my head right now.

16. The last movie I saw was by Disney.

17. Being a mom is the hardest thing I've ever had to do!


What's your mom confession? I know you have some.

Lots of Love

I am so blessed to have such loving and supporting family! I wouldn't trade my family for anything. They are always they for you.

Sometime last year one of our cousins had lost a loved one. They had updated their facebook status to request prayers. My sweet grandmother commented on their status saying, "I'm sorry for your loss lol."

I couldn't believe my eyes! "I'm sorry for your loss lol." Grandma! Seriously!?! It turns out that she though lol meant "lots of love". Now every time someone writes lol I smile a little.

Lots of Love,
Tracy

Chores List

I wanted share my chore "to do" list with everyone. Having three boys in the home plus two extra boys that I've been babysitting lately, this place can get messy fast! The previous paper pad I had on my fridge was no longer getting the job done. Chores began to feel overwhelming and no matter how much work I had done in a day, I never felt a sense of accomplishment.

 My first step was to organize my chores into daily, weekly and monthly lists. Of course the never ending chores, dishes and laundry made it onto my daily list. I also added no brainers like make lunch and boys naps. I don't know about you but when I cross something off my to do list, it makes me feel pretty good.

I was reading another blog that recommended laminating your to do list and using a dry erase marker on it. What a great idea! No need to use a different piece of paper everyday. I actually don't have the supplies to laminate my list though so I put it in a picture frame. The dry erase marker works great on the glass.

I was almost done but to be honest, I wasn't thrilled about framing and hanging a piece of black and white paper on the wall so I got a little creative. I pulled out my scrapbooking stash and did what I could to make it a little more presentable.

There ya go. That's my to do list. Notice I haven't crossed anything off today! Now if someone has some ideas for actually getting these chores done, please share lol.

The Piggy Bank

If there is one thing that I've taught that Noah has picked up on already, it is to save for your future. Before he was even born, he had his own savings account and piggy bank. Well, yesterday I caught the little stinker making a few deposits into his piggy bank all by himself.

These deposits weren't the typical nickle or dime. Noah was saving animal crackers for his future and by the looks of it he had been saving up for a while! I just hope that in the future this habit will "pay off."

Lunch Time!

For lunch today we had yummy Octopuses! The boys loved it. I got the idea from a friend several years ago before I ever thought about having kids. It was such an easy way to make lunch fun.

I just cut half the hot dog two ways to create the legs then I boiled them. The legs curl as they boil. The one pictured above didn't curl very well. Anyways, you get the point. Sometimes it's ok to play with your food!

Cloth Diaper Update

It has been brought to my attention that I haven't given an update on The Cloth Diaper Experiment. So here it is. It has been three months since our family has discovered cloth diapers, something I thought was a thing of the past!

After hours of research on the internet I decided to order some diaper covers from Kawaii Baby. They had good reviews and they were the best value by far! They even had free shipping on orders over $70. If you're thinking "Geez, $70 sure is a lot to spend on cloth diapers," well, that's actually less than what we spend on two weeks worth of disposable diapers.

Jeremy and I were buying two big boxes a week of disposable diapers that cost approximately $20 a piece. That's $160 a month on diapers. Yuck. So the initial investment might seem expensive on cloth diapers but they paid for themselves in no time at all. Over time we will save hundreds of dollars!

We still occasionally use disposable diapers when we aren't home (church, grandparents house,etc) We would never expect anyone else to have to deal with cloth diapers.

We are so happy that we made the switch from disposables to cloth diapers. I'll admit that at first I was worried that it was going to be way more work than it was worth but it really hasn't been that big of a change. The biggest pain has been asking, "Honey, can you pick up a pack of disposable diapers for the church nursery tomorrow?" Seriously!

Texting Pro

Maybe it's just me but I can really screw up a text message. Especially because of T9. I don't really look at what I text, I just hit send. Only after I get a response like huh or rofl (Mom, that means- rolling on the floor laughing) I realize I goofed up. Here are of few of the texts I accidentally wrote and what I meant to write instead.

I'm so gassy today!... I'm so happy today!

Yea, the beer are good ;)... Yea, the beds are good ;) (I was pregnant when I did this!)

Joke you...Love you

Wanna go sins?....Wanna go shop?

I'm too fart....I'm too fast.


If my phone really is a "smart phone," why can't it figure out what I want to say?

 

Uncle Day-did (David)

I'm requesting prayers for my brother David. As of Monday this week he's been back in the hospital. For those of you that don't know, David has an Epilepsy disorder. As of lately he has been having more seizures than normal. We are thankful that he is not on a ventilator a this time (many times in the past he has been.) He is also responding to my parents and talking some. They are trying to keep his room quiet however, sometimes the slightest stimulation triggers a seizure.

Noah and Uncle David fighting over a book ironically titled "I Like to Share" last summer

Also pray for my parent who take care of David. They are traveling back and forth to the hospital daily. Thanks.

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Update: After a three week stay in the hospital David was released to come home. He is doing better. Thank you for the prayer. Please continue to keep my family in your prayers, as David is still not 100%.

Thirsty as a Dog

A few weeks ago Jeremy and I took the boys down to Texas to visit family for a week. It was a fabulous visit! The weather was beautiful. One afternoon my mother-in-law, Susan, and I were home alone with the boys (with the exception of my brother-in-law, Anthony who was playing video games up stairs). We took the boys to the back yard for some much needed playtime. Asa explored the grass. Noah played in the dirt. We also played tug-war with Maya, their dog. After a while we were all exhausted and ready for a cold drink.

Maya the sweetest dog ever!

Without much trouble, we got both boys inside and I began preparing their drinks. As I turned to give Noah his sippy cup, I was horrified to find him on all fours gulping water from the dog bowl! I yelled at Noah and then Susan and I began to laugh hysterically.

It was a Kodak moment but we had left our cameras outside. Immediately we rushed outside to get them. When Susan turned around to open the back door, it was locked! That lil stinker Noah had locked us out. Our keys and phones were inside. Anthony was upstairs. The front door was even locked! We started begging, "Unlock the door, Noah," "Let Mama and Moppy inside." There he was just grinning at us through the glass.

Does this look like the face of a troublemaker?

Meanwhile there's Asa going right after the dog's water. Thank goodness he didn't drink it. He more so just splashed around in it. Fortunately after only a minute or two of begging Noah unlocked the door. Lesson learned: When we get our own place, we will  hide a spare key outside. Oh and a little dog's  water never hurt anyone.

I've been busy

It's been six weeks since my last blog post. What can I say? I've been busy. Here is little picture collage to update you on my life the last six weeks.

Cleaned EVERYDAY

Noah thought Bubby looked too clean apparently

Had all four wisdom teeth removed. Ugh.

Dishwasher mishap

Noah dumped a brand new bottle of laundry detergent on the carpet (TWICE)

Spent a week in TX. We drove the whole way!