Valentines Party

We had some of our home school friends over for a Valentines Party and had lots of fun! The kids were very excited about trading valentines!

Hannah with her new sister Haddie after decorating iced sugar cookies

Malaine enjoying her cookie, YUM! Notice how toothless our girl is?

Everyone having fun icing cookies

Makenna insisted we needed to have a baby food eating contest

Wesley was pretty serious about his baby food and won!

I was nice and only bought PINK baby food. But next year, I think I will make them do the veggies!

A very fun day!

Happy Birthday Mark!

It is a really great thing when your oldest child is old enough to BABYSIT and we can sneak out for a quiet birthday lunch for Mark's fav, Mexican food! Makenna even pulled off making her dad's favorite dessert while we were gone, oreo cake balls, YUM!

Craft Day #1- Family Values Canvas

This is Makenna making lunch for the kids, she is awesome!

Lots of girls having lunch! And a counter covered in lots of crafting supplies. Not to mention a dishwasher that needs cleaned, oh the fingerprints on that stainless!

click on the picture to enlarge and read the rules.

Here we are, next craft day I think I will put on makeup! Do not click on this picture, eek! ;-)

**Our friends blog did have to go private for now. They go to court on Friday afternoon, during our Thursday night so please continue to pray for them and their sweet little girl.

Amy, (who is married to my cousin, so now my cousin), and I had fun doing a craft day. She also home schools, so before you believe this was a craft day for the kids, let me clarify, it was a mommy craft day! Surrounded by 8 children, 7 of those girls.

I had come across these Family Value Canvas Pictures & loved it. And thought it did not look to hard, if I had Amy to help because she is A. Creative B. Patient C. Really good on the computer and I knew printing off all those rules was going to be tricky. D. Does not care if my house is a wreck or I answer the door in sweats and no makeup for craft day!

We had fun and it really was not so hard once I got the hang of printing off the papers. I am not going to type out directions, because really, if you want to make one just google family values canvas and you will find TONS of blogs with directions. The cost is next to nothing, we got our canvas at Hobby Lobby for just a couple of dollars. Some of the scrapbook papers we had. Some of my papers are a little to busy, but overall I like it.

I have another one started with bible verses that I hope to finish soon. I will take a picture of them hanging on the wall next to each other when I am done.

We already have plans for craft day # 2 and it involves some clothes refashions. For us. Which obviously means some sewing lessons for me and digging out that sewing machine I have yet to put to use.

Please pray for our Friends Adoption

Our dear friends are in Kazakhstan for their 2nd trip of their adoption journey. You might remember back in November they traveled and met their new daughter, Nina. This week they are there for court, the judge decides on if they will get to adopt her. They expected a yes last week, and hit a few "questions". They were told to return for the answer yesterday, more questions, more delays. So now they wait. My heart is heavy for them, I know they are scared. They love this little angel, she IS their daughter. We all love her. Please join us in praying for mercy. You can read their journey at their blog, on my sidebar or here.

And yes, I realize that you are sick of looking at the laundry room update. We have had a party here EVERY SINGLE WEEK for a month, so my head has been spinning. Not to mention I am teaching an American Girl History class on Fridays, that is so much fun! Really, all fun things, just busy. Friday night is Chinese New Year here, and after that, I promise to catch up!

Laundry Room Makeover-Reveal!

**If you click on the photos, you can enlarge them. **

If you missed the before photos of our laundry room, click here or just scroll down to the next post. It was bad, REALLY bad. I have been plotting to re do the room for a year. Finally Saturday, I sent Mark out for the paint. He is very thankful that my insanity is finally over. In that room anyways!



I had found a shower curtain at Kohls last year, and just loved it. I was pretty certain that Mark was not going to go for that in our bath, nor did we even need a shower curtain because of the shower doors. I was also very sure that I would scar Sawyer forever if I put it in the kids bath. So, why not use it in my laundry room! The room could certainly stand to be girlified for the GIRL who does laundry, right?

I had 2 curtains, cut off the bottoms and the side of one. Tied them with ribbon to a pole over the washer/dryer to hide the shelves behind. I also cleaned out those shelves, but I doubt you care what they look like! ;-)

Took the other part to use as a curtain over the window tossing out the dirty blinds. Used fabric I had left, to cover up the laundry basket. I had it tucked tight around that but it came loose when moving things around. I should sew it on, or in my world where I am lazy I simply use masking tape to hold fabric together. Terrible isn't it? But it works.



I want to get a vinyl quote for the wall, but for the time being just made the signs above the window. They say "The Laundry Room, Loads of Fun!"

Covered the ugly sink (which is really great to have, just not to look at) with fabric.

We bought this shelf to replace the open shelf. Made the pictures and just found the polka dot apron for only $5! Actually everything I bought for this room was $5 or less besides the curtains and the shelf. Alot of it I already had.

The verse is quite appropriate for a laundry room where clothes are washed for SEVEN, don't you think? I keep repeating it, over and over.

In case you are like my husband, and have no idea what these are, they are giant clothes pins. I found them at Marshalls on clearance. They were cream colored and cheap so I painted them and I think they turned out fun! No matter what my husband says! (to be honest I am not even sure they were clothes pins but they are now!)

A few people had suggested the laundry line idea. Thanks Colette for walking me through it! I really love how it turned out. On the back of those doors are mismatched socks and in the other we keep tape, scissors etc. Need to find a zebra stripe sock bag!


I just used black ribbon tacked to the wall. Cut out the dress from leftover shower curtain and zebra fabric. and the other accessories from the curtain. Had tiny clothes pins just painted them pink!

This is the last wall and I do have a plan. But it involves summer, mud and 5 children. Once I get that idea done, I will share!

There you have it. I have to say even Mark came in today and said he was going to put a chair in there to hide out and read! I do love it, and it was fun. I am still searching for a small (cheap) chandelier, a rug and an old fashioned wash board. (you know what i am talking about, the flat kind that I could paint and hang?)

Next project- Family Rules Canvas, can't wait!

Laundry Room Makeover- Before

I have been on an organizing, decorating kick this year and this project has been on my radar since LAST year! As I was reading some decorating blogs, I noticed that many people actually painted their laundry room. Hung pictures, organized. Those blogs made me smile. And it made so much sense! A room that I am in ALOT, should make me happy to enter, right? And my laundry room did not make me smile. I can't stand laundry. It. Is. NEVER.ENDING! So I convinced Mark that I should at least make an effort to make this MY room. If I have to take ownership of the laundry mountains that fill our house, I can surely take ownership of the laundry room. He, of course, thought it was ridiculous that I would waste my time on a room that no one sees. He is obviously man. But he was kind enough to put together a few things for me, run and get the paint and not grumble to much.

This is a picture of the room as you enter. I have finally come up with a system for doing laundry that works well for us. Will share that sometime. Blah, isn't that depressing?

To the left, all my cleaning supplies, and well, junk.

This is to the right. I adore my new washer and dryer, but the rest, ridiculous.

And then facing out to the kitchen.

I am thankful to have a room for laundry, and it is in a perfect spot, right off the kitchen. But it tends to turn into a catch all. (sadly as do many rooms in my house) Stay tuned for the new, fun and happy place that almost makes me WANT to do laundry! ;-)

Ice Skating Lessons

Kids started ice skating lessons. Everyone did much better than expected. We practically had the ice to ourselves. My children, give or take one, had never even been on the ice. Somehow missed a picture of Sawyer, but he is out there. Next week Mark is going to put on skates instead of just walking on the ice! ;-)

Maverys Model

Sometimes I drive my mommy CRAZY!

But then I know just how to melt her heart.

"Look I built Mommy & Mavery!"

Mavery loves to build with blocks and I thought this was very creative of her. I think she has a very artistic side to her. She enjoys working with her hands. Painting, coloring, building, drawing and will sit with play dough for a long time.

Things are going better around here. We are still working through, but we have come a long way. With that smile, how can WE not smile?

Snow Flakes!

Today during the middle of school we looked up and were amazed at the size of the snowflakes coming down. They were HUGE! The kids were excited to run out for a brief "recess" , did not even take time for coats as you can see.

Catching Snow, what could be better!

And in other news, Malaine lost another tooth today! It was hanging by a thread and thankfully it came out before gymnastics. She said she was NOT going to gymnastics with a hanging tooth! Can you see it, on the bottom? The other top is loose to. She is going to have a hard time eating soon!