What To Do When You Need A Laugh

I have a confession to make. Sometimes I actually look at my blog's statistics. I find it interesting to see which posts get the most hits and where those hits are coming from. Obviously I don't write for those hits because it seems like it's always a surprise which posts are more popular. Oh well, it's just interesting to me. Looking at my "Search Keywords" is also very interesting, and can be downright hilarious. When I looked at that today, here's some of the "Search Keywords" from the past week that stood out to me:

"a survival manual for the human mind" -- Um, yeah, my blog comes up on that one because I surely have it ALL figured out. I have a feeling that whoever was searching w/ that phrase was sorely disappointed to happen upon my little ol' blog.

"take a dump" squat hike -- I can see the hike part, but seriously? I don't think I've ever blogged about taking a dump in the woods, which of course is always done in a a squat position unless you're my kid and need a log to support you. Oh look at that, I guess now I've blogged about pooping in the woods.

how to become friends with a tooth fairy -- I'm totally not making this one up, honest! Did I blog about this secret and forget? I know I've mentioned countless times how I've forgotten to "be the tooth fairy" for both my kids, because I'm super forgetful. Maybe I need to become friends w/ her so she'll actually do her own job for once.

There were others that were totally legit, and since they aren't funny I'm not talking about them. So, if you need just a laugh or two, check out your blog statistics and specifically the "search keywords", you'll thank me for it. :)

Her Nowhere -- A review

A long while ago I stumbled across a blog that I immediately decided to follow. I'm sure you are like me and can't remember how you found this or that blog, but you are glad because the author is so real and engaging. That is exactly what I thought of "Transparent Mama" by Brigetta and I thought it was funny how I'd just happened to stumble across this blog written by a gal also in Montana! I enjoyed her well written and thoughtful posts and could relate to so many of them as a Mom, woman, etc. I vaguely remember her posting something a while back about writing a novel, but sometimes exact stuff from all the blogs I read get lost in all the info from the blogs I read. So, when she posted just last week about her novel being published, I almost immediately downloaded it to my Kindle. I'm always on the lookout for a new book or author and I just felt like it had to be good.

Her Nowhere  by Brigetta Schwaiger is seriously one of the best books I've read this year. I was immediately drawn into Anna's life and her story. I read it in not quite two days. I cried and laughed and couldn't put it down until I had found out how Anna's story would end. It's beautifully written and I absolutely loved all the descriptive and imagery filled language. I highly recommend it!

And, I guess that today (Saturday 5/12/12) it's FREE in its Kindle edition, so you should totally take advantage of that and get this book TODAY! And hey, if you're reading this post on Sunday or Monday, it's totally worth paying for too, so you should still check it out. That picture of the cover at the bottom of this post will take you directly to Amazon. Oh yeah, and you should go check out Brigetta's blog too, it's pretty cool.

Eleven Randoms

Here are the rules:
1. Post these rules
2. You must post 11 random things about yourself
3. Answer the questions set for you in their post
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer
5. Go to their blog and tell them you’ve tagged them
6. You are tagged if you are reading this. You legitimately have to tag 11 people!


Just so you know, I'm not tagging anyone and I wasn't tagged, just saw it in a blog I follow. So, if you wanna do this for something fun and different go right ahead! I just ask that you tell me so I can read your answers! :)


Randoms:


1. Although I really don't like sports, I am actually quite competitive when it comes to things like board games, etc.


2. I do not remember anything that has to do with numbers very well. Words, yes, numbers not so much.


3. Sometimes I wish I would've paid better attention in school to things like science and social studies. It didn't interest me then, but now I wouldn't mind knowing that stuff.


4. I can watch and read all the CSI/coroner type shows and books, but I cannot stomach any kind of blood or injuries in real life.


5. I think I might have fallen out of love with scrapbooking. It's just not very fun to me anymore, feels more like work.


6. I love cats, but because of allergies in my family I will never own one again and I'm okay with that. It's a lot less housework.


7. For a while I wanted a third kid, but I'm good now. Two is perfect and I don't really want to re-live the baby years.


8. I like to be comfortable, the first thing I do when I know I'm home for the night and it'll be just us family is either put on my sweats or my pj's.


9. I love to sing along with the music, even if I sound horrible and can't carry a tune.


10. I love giraffes. It all stems from a book I got as a kid that was personalized for me. In it I met a friendly giraffe named Ardnek. 


11. I brush my teeth usually at least 3x a day. In the morning, and at night but then also before I leave the house to go anywhere. I'm paranoid about having stinky breath.


Questions to answer:
1. Would you rather run in rain or heavy winds?
Well, seeing as I don't run anymore, I'd say neither. But before, when I did run, I'd much rather it be rain.
2. Coffee or tea?
Coffee, all the way! 
3. Are you obsessed with Lululemon too even though they are overpriced?
Honestly, I don't think I've ever checked out their stuff. I'm more of a Title Nine/Athletica type.
4. Ever been outside the US?
Yes. Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean
5. What is your dream location?
To live? I'm living it with the exception of being out of town w/ some land and a mini-farm.
6. Favorite song right now?
"God Gave Me You"
7. One thing you hate about running?
Definitely the fact that long-term it's bad, bad, bad news.8. Favorite book of all time?
All time? Yikes. I'd have to say "Shadow of the Wind" or "Thirteenth Tale"
9. Can you swim or are you a doggie paddler like me?
I definitely doggie paddle more than actually swim.
10. Do you burn candles with wicks or prefer the wickless ones like Scentsy?
I have both, depends on what I feel like doing at the time.
11.  Favorite candy?
Honestly, I love Snickers, but it's a very rare treat considering all the garbage in them!


Questions for YOU!
1. What is your favorite cut of meat?
2. Do you crave salty snacks or sweet ones?
3. Least favorite household chore?
4. Weirdest habit?
5. If you're a gal, do you shave your legs in the winter, or just let 'em be?
6. Any class in school you wish you would've done better/tried harder in?
7. Are you a fainter when it comes to seeing blood/injury?
8. Movie you've watched the most times?
9.  What are your top three most visited websites?
10. Did you ever have a snail-mail pen pal?
11. Scariest thing you've ever done?

Five Question Friday

Remember, I get this from here. Go, check it out, have fun. After I answer these it's back out to the driveway for yet, more shoveling. Yay.

1. Where do you hide the reeeally good snacks?


I have a few places, like the tall cupboard above the sink or in with the canned goods, but it doesn't matter where I hide it. If I've bought a special treat, Erik will come home that day and it's like he's got built in 'goodie' radar and he'll go right to wherever it's hidden.


2. Do u keep your vehicle clean or am I the only one who has things falling out of their van?


Nah. With two monsters girls sitting in the backseat, my car is far from clean. The front isn't too bad, though.


3. Have you ever been to Vegas?


Yes, more times than I can even remember. My sister lived there for a while, so we visited her. We aren't big into nightlife or gambling, so it doesn't have a whole lot of pull for us anymore.


4. Warm room light blankets or cold room warm snuggly blanket?


Cold room, warm snuggly blanket is definitely better for sleeping. We keep our thermostat low, like 66, and even if it gets upped to 67 we can feel it and don't sleep as good.


5. What is the worst airplane/flying experience you've ever had?


I was preggers with Lindsay, not too far along, but past the morning sickness, so maybe 5 months? I ate something in the airport that didn't agree with me and ended up feeling really sick in the middle of the flight, you know the feeling--you suddenly get hot and your stomach twists. I barely made it to the airplane potty before it let loose, and I'm not talking about vomit. I was pretty miserable the rest of the flight.

*tap, tap* Is this thing on?

Okay, so as I sat here wondering what I should be posting today, I had a thought. (Yeah, imagine that, a though!) And actually I've seen this in a blog that I follow, so I'm sort of stealing her idea, but not really because it's been on my mind for a while.

I know why I blog. Mainly I blog for me. Whether anyone else reads it or not, I blog because I've got something on my mind or my heart that needs to be put to paper. Sometimes its my feelings, sometimes its a random observation or even a book review. But then again, if you've been reading this blog for any stretch of time, you know all that.

And I know you're reading. I can look up my stats on Blogger and see how many times a post or page has been viewed, even if you're not commenting. And I've done a survey to see what kind of thing you want me to post about, and I got some votes, so I know what at least 8 of you would like to see.

But what about the rest of you, or better question, are there any others out there? I guess what I'm trying to say is I'd love some interaction. I'm just as guilty as the next person of reading all the blogs I follow through GoogleReader and hardly ever commenting on them. But I'm trying to be better about commenting, maybe not everyday on every post, but at least on the ones that I enjoy or have questions about or just simply enjoy. And, I'd love for you to do the same.

So, with this post, I'm just asking you to comment. You could ask me a question or give me a tip. You could tell me I'm wrong about something or even just say hi.  Let me know if you've gotten any good book suggestions from me or tried any recipes I've linked to. Or maybe you would love for me to blog about pets, snow or dirty kitchens more. Whatever it is, leave a comment. All I really want is for you to say something. Just this once, and then I'll go back to blogging just for me and you can go back to quietly reading me through your reader or your email.

Looking Back on 2011

Can you even believe that this year is almost over? I cannot. It seems like the past 12 months have gone by super fast! I was thinking about all the fun things I was able to do and blog about this past year and thought it would be fun to do a little recap...

This past year....

• I was able to go on a wonderful trip to Mexico with my hubby. Cozumel was so relaxing. I am so grateful to God for blessing me with an amazing husband and 10 years of marriage.
• I started what I thought would be 30 days of paleo eating. Now, ten months later, I'm still going strong. And boy, when I look back on this year I blogged about food, a lot!

• I started spending more time writing after realizing how important it truly is to me.
• I renewed my love of hiking and took several hikes with both family and friends. We saw some truly beautiful sights! I love living in Montana!

• We were able to go camping a ton this past summer. I love having fun with my family in the woods!

• Lindsay wrote her own little blog post about our 4th of July hike.
• I ran and finished (barely!) The Missoula Half-Marathon again. Little did I know then that my horrible experience during that race would help push me into giving up running.
• Our family took a wonderfully fun trip to Yellowstone National Park.

• I threw away our scale. 
• I grew spiritually and learned a lot about who I am and how God sees me.
• I started a book club!
• I did Christmas baking but only "paleo-ized".

• I also did a fair amount of reading over the past year, and am excited that I actually kept track of it all!   A whopping 83 books read so far in 2011!! Not sure if I'll add to that list for 2012 or start a new one, but I'm not going to stop reading anytime soon!

Phew! No wonder this past year went by fast, I was a busy girl! I look forward to seeing what fun things that will be experienced this coming year!

Five Question Friday

Because I feel guilty about not writing anything worthwhile in here this week. And because I don't have enough time to put at least one coherent thought together to write anything in here, and because it's fun, I'm doing Five Question Friday again this week. Feel free to join along, just visit Mama M. over at My Little Life to get the questions and linky. 

So, without further ado and before I get pulled away by the millions of other things I should be doing instead, here are my answers:

1. What is your favorite Christmas cookie?

I love a good sugar cookie, to be honest. No frosting just sprinkles. BUT we aren't eating those now, so holiday baking has had to take on a whole new look for me. I still enjoy the act of baking so I decided this year I would "bake" several paleo-ish treats, let my family have a few and then give them away to neighbors and friends. I also have a few activities where I need to bring one or two dozen cookies and for those I'm doing all paleo-ish. I'm documenting those goodies, so stay tuned for a blog post hopefully coming up on that, including a new recipe I made up for Paleo-ish Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles! :-)

2. What's your favorite holiday movie & why? (DISCLAIMER: I obviously cannot read, this question asks about movie and I answer about music. Duh. I didn't even notice til I read others' answers. But you know what, I detest Christmas movies, so I'm gonna leave my music answer!)

I like Christmas music that's soothing and beautiful. I've been playing the Pandora Station called, "Christian Contemporary Holiday" and I really like it for the most part. I would much rather listen to the Christmas music that talks about Jesus, because honestly he's "the reason for the season". My favorite one song is "O Holy Night" and I especially love it when my dad (who has an awesome voice) sings it.

3. Is there a gift that you bought for your kids that you wish you hadn't after they opened it?

Ha ha ha. There's been a few noisy ones in the past, like the dog that whimpered and was motion activated. I bought it at a Toys R' Us in a town a few hours away and that thing made noise in the back of the car all the way home. Then there was this baby Pony that would talk all babyish. Not totally obnoxious, but I am grateful the girls have grown out of that stuff. 

4. What is the messiest room in your house right at this moment?

The kitchen, for sure. All the baking I've been doing combined with making a gingerbread house with the kids and all the normal meal cooking and it's getting gross. I will clean it real good after I'm doing baking, I did vacuum it last night after Lindsay dropped a peppermint disk on the floor (it promptly shattered into a million pieces).

5. What is the furthest you have driven for the holidays?

We haven't driven very far for Christmas. We've gone up to the in-laws place but that's only 1.5 hours. I'm very blessed to have all of my immediate family in the same town as me!

Five Question Friday

I'm going to try something new today and participate in a little thing called "Five Question Friday" hosted by Mama M over at "My Little Life." So, grab a cup of coffee or tea and prepare to be entertained or inspired!

1. What is your favorite Christmas decoration in your house?

My favorite Christmas decoration at my house would have to be our stockings. Although I do love the tree all lighted up, the stockings beat them by a tiny bit. 

They are hand made by my great aunt Ann--she knits them for all the members of the family. They have our name and birth year on them and a picture of Santa. I hang them on the stair railing and can see them every time I walk down the hallway.

 Mine is the oldest and is yellowed, but that's okay, Stockings have always been my favorite part of Christmas--waking up in the morning to see what treasures Santa filled them with was more exciting than seeing what presents he left. For some reason I love the smaller, more creative stocking presents. So my stocking brings back memories of Christmases past and reminds me of the magic of Christmas and the spirit of Santa. 

2. Do you finish your Christmas shopping early or are you a last minute type?

I like to try to finish my shopping as early as possible. I would much rather spend the last few days before Christmas holed up in my house with some coffee, Christmas music and my family. I don't enjoy the hustle and bustle of last minute shopping, so I get it done as quickly as possible. I don't usually start much earlier than November, however, so it's done quickly in a matter of weeks. I'm efficient!

3. When do you turn on your heat?

We don't have a specific date that we turn the heat on, just usually when it's cold enough to warrant it I guess. We do the whole "open the windows for sunshine to heat the house" thing as long as possible in the late fall, and even then if we have the heat on, the temp is set to 66 so it might not kick on. 

4. Do you ever wish your blog was private?

Hmm. Maybe. But then, what would be the point of having a blog? I keep a hand-written journal for the things I'd want to be private.

5. Do you put your deodorant on before of after you put on your shirt?

Definitely before. It's one of the first things I do right out of the shower. I don't want to work up a sweat while blow-drying my hair! And it has time to soak into my skin before putting on my clothes and lessons the white marks. Although I still have to be careful with dark colors. 

Well, that was fun! I hope you have a wonderful weekend! :-)

Ten Random Thoughts

Right now, as I type, or as I sit with hands ready over keyboard and brainstorm about what to type, these are the random thoughts dancing around in my head:

1. I can't believe I forgot to be the tooth fairy last night and then tried to sneak the money under Kera's pillow after she brought it up. What a way to ruin a kid's day. And now she doesn't want the money and knows I'm the tooth fairy (Shhh! Don't tell!). I wonder if I try again tonight with the money if she'll take it.

2. I should post a link to the trailer for The Hunger games on my blog. I seriously can't wait for it, I know it's going to be so much better than Twilight. Hmmm, maybe I'll wanna see that one at midnight, although I'm still not paying $12 for a movie ticket. Utterly ridiculous!


3. I hope I can spend some time writing later today after I get back from helping in Kera's class. I'm really liking what I'm working on.

4. I really need to have the girls work on their Christmas wish lists, as much as I hate to do it this early. It would be nice to start working on the whole gifts thing early and be done with it. I'd love to just hang out for most of December.

5. Twitter may have been a bad idea. I'm definitely going to start implementing a "tech free" day each week. I'm thinking Sundays.

6. I am so excited to make chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream tonight with Kera. Paleo-ish version, of course. I hope its good. Or maybe not too good.

7. I love my new birthday pants. So warm and cozy, it's a good day to test them out on a morning hike.

8. Why am I so tired? I got almost 8 hours of sleep last night. Maybe I should read that book about sleep sooner rather than later. I might not be getting good sleep!

9. I really need to sit down and brainstorm some good blog post topics. I'm boring myself even.

10. I love my "job" and that I can drink coffee, blog, hike and volunteer in the classroom all in the same day and call it a good day!

Civilized Caveman Giveaway

Wowzers. This is some giveway going on over at Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations. You really ought to go check it out.

http://www.civilizedcavemancooking.com/2011/10/10000-fan-giveaway.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CivilizedCavemanCooking+%28Civilized+Caveman+Cooking%29

That is all for now.

Kids can eat healthy too!

In this journey of healthy eating that I've been on for awhile now, one of the things that gets me most excited is when I see my girls either choosing to eat healthy or choosing to eat something they might not have before (as in their taste buds changing). It just warms my heart because they are part of the reason I want to be healthy. I want to have energy and health in order to play and keep up with my children for many years to come. I also want to educate my kids as to why we eat the way we do and why certain choices of food are better than others. I think this is the toughest part, though for several reasons. One, they are bombarded with misinformation everywhere. (School health curriculum, food commercials on tv and even well meaning adults) Two, they do eat differently from their friends at school and sometimes I think that's hard. Three, they truly miss the "unhealthy" foods that we don't eat much anymore (I still allow them to make their own choices--sometimes those choices aren't the wisest). So, when I come across a great resource that not only helps me in my quest for health, but also the girls, I get excited.

I follow a ton of paleo/primal/wholefoods type blogs, and one of them that I've found really inspiring is PaleoParents. Not only are the hubby and wife eating paleo/gaining health, but their three boys are too. They blog about a variety of things: recipes, advice, weight loss, etc; but they also just announced that they are going to be publishing a book, "Eat Like a Dinasaur", which is a recipe and guidebook for kids! Check it out, their two oldest boys did a video blog about it and they are just so stinkin' cute. (I think its sweet how the older boy pushes his little brothers hair out of his face!)

I can't wait for this book. The cover is adorable and I think the concept is wonderful. It's not going to be published til next spring sometime, but the book is already available for preorder. I would love to win a free copy of this book for my girls, and I can with your help! They will be giving away a book to the top 20 referrers to their site. So, could you, would you help me out? Just click on this link for me, pretty please! I totally appreciate it!

I need your input....

As you've probably noticed, I haven't been blogging much. Yes, life is busy with all the back-to-school scurrying, but it's not that, really. I am just not inspired. What to write about? I don't know.

SO, I decided to poll you, my dear readers. You'll see a poll on the upper right hand side of the blog.
Over there----------------------------------------------------->

Please pick one or two or three subjects that you'd like to see me blog about more, I'd appreciate the help in figuring out where to focus my attentions!

EDITED TO ADD: And, if there is something specific you'd like me to write about, let me know! It could be sort of a challenge for me. (Think high school English classes where you had ten minutes to "journal" about some random assigned topic.) I know some of you know what I'm talking about.

Absent

Dearest Blog,

I realize that I've been pretty absent lately and so I thought I would explain. You see, it's finally summer here. The sun is out and the air is warm. The girls and I have very few obligations and Erik has a fat staff, which means we are pretty free to go and do as we please. And this time of year, what we please involves packing a cooler (or two), stocking up on trail mix and Larabars, (as well as some marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate), filling our camper and camelbak's with water and hightailing it out of town.

This is what we look forward to all year: camping, hiking and fishing season!

The mountains, streams, rivers and lakes are calling our name and we need to answer them. We need to drive into the woods, gather fire wood and circle our aluminum folding chairs around the campfire. We need to throw beef and veggies into aluminum foil and cook it over the coals. We need to spend three days exploring the mountains with our snacks and hiking boots. We need to don our swim suits and bathe in the creek when we get tired of our own stench. We need to sleep with the sounds of a creek or stream outside our camper. We need to get out of the hustle and bustle of regular, city life and get back to nature and enjoy the beauty that God created around us. We need to spend time playing as a family.

And so, my laptop (and you too, dear blog, by default) will remain here, gathering dust while we play. I'm sorry to leave you alone so much, but I promise I will share our stories with you when I am back. For now, however, I'm off to play.

Until later (maybe September!),

Nuttin'

That's what I have for you today. 

Nuttin'. 

I don't have any pictures of yummy food to share with you because I only tried one new recipe and forgot to take any pictures--Erik was gone and I was dealing with a pukey kid and a garage sale, so I was a bit distracted.

I don't even have any useful tidbits or thoughts on paleo this week. We were just making it through, I guess. Summer vacation for the girls starts Friday at 11:30, which means I'll either be so busy entertaining refereeing   that I won't have time to blog and you'll see me even less, OR we'll be doing such fun/cool things that I'll want to share them with you. 

Stay tuned, only time will tell!

In the meantime, go check out my dear friend Aubrey's first ever giveaway! She makes these most fantastic swaddling blankets that she's going to give a set away for one lucky reader. Her blog has some awesome recipes and cool ideas for kiddos--you should definitely go check it out! :-)

And that's all I got!

Giraffes in the Pool

Trying something new today. Have been up for hours due to my poor Lindz being sick. I woke up around midnight to the sound of barfing. I didn't jump out of bed right away, I think I hoped it was a dream or not what I thought it was. But then Lindsay came into my room and told me she'd puked. Thankfully, most of it got into the toilet/garbage can. Poor thing was up the rest of the night off and on, vomiting. I slept a little in-between episodes, but I don't think she did.  She hardly ever gets sick, and she's missing a fun Track & Field day at school, so I feel bad for her. I don't have much creativity in me, but wanted to do something, so thought I'd try out Five Question Friday for a change.

1. If you had to choose, how would you prefer to choose to spend money...on landscaping or a pool?

Well if that includes the money for upkeep/sprinklers/etc, I'd have to choose the pool. Who cares if my yard looks nice or not, the kids and I would love to be able to jump into a nice cool pool on a hot summer day!

2. (Scott likes to get things stirred up...) Death penalty, yay or nay?

Ugh. Ask me back in college after reading, "Dead Man Walking" and I'd for sure say nay. Back then it was all about the lack of fairness in the court system and partly about the whole "turn the other check" bit, but now I'm not so sure. I'll leave it at that.

3. What's the worst thing your kid has gotten into when you turned your back/blogged/showered/blinked?

Well there was the time I found Kera had used a kid's stamp to "tattoo" her face. She had stamps all over it. Or the time Lindsay colored the bottom of her feet with a marker down the craft area and then walked all over the house, leaving pink footprints everywhere.

4. How often do you REALLY go to the dentist?

I actually do go to the dentist twice a year, about every 6 months. I hate it, but I do it because I'd rather get my teeth cleaned than a cavity filled. Now, ask me how often I REALLY floss and I'll tell you the truth: I do it everyday right around the time of my dentist appointment, but after a while it becomes more like every other or every 3 days. It's cyclical. 

5. What is your favorite animal (doesn't have to be a pet-type animal)?

Definitely, without a doubt, a giraffe. Love their long, lush eyelashes and long, graceful necks. Love their coloring and their demeanor. They are just plain cool. When I was a kid, some very dear friends of the family gave me two personalized storybooks about the adventures of a little girl named Kendra  and her giraffe friend named Ardnek. (notice anything?) Ever since I read those books (and I still have them) I had an affinity towards giraffes, especially ones like Ardnek. 

Winner!

Thanks to my lovely assistant, like Vanna but cuter, 

I can now announce the winner of the $15 Amazon Gift Certificate!

Woohoo!

I put all the names on paper and into a bowl. Kera closed her eyes and mixed them up.

Then she closed her eyes and picked one.

And the winner is.......

(drumroll)

Mommy's Paradise!

I need an email address to send the certificate to, so please respond within a week! Thanks!

Thanks to everyone for your comments and visits, it was wonderful to "meet" all of you! :=)

Party Time!

It's Party Time!







Well, hi there!

So glad you could stop by,

I love having guests!
My name is Kendra.

Welcome to my blog,

grab your favorite drink

find a seat

and I will tell you just a little about me.

My blog is called All & Nothing for a reason. Well, a friend suggested the title, but it's also a completely accurate description. Sometimes I write about deep,insightful things, like what I'm learning about myself or struggles I'm having as a mom, etc. But other times it's lighthearted, recipes or cute pictures or random surveys. You just never know what you're gonna find on a day to day basis around here, it's either all or nothing! :-)

I just write about things that interest me, and those things change from day to day, which I think makes life interesting. But the things that don't change are these:

I am a thirty-something wife (to an amazing man). We just celebrated our 10th anniversary!

and mother (to 2 wonderful girls; Lindsay who is 8 and Kera who is 6).

 I love being a stay-at-home mom to them and having the flexibility that "job" allows. I am currently using some of my kid-free hours to write--I have two novels in draft and lots of ideas swimming around in my head, it is time to get them out! 

 I have a deep faith in God and strive to live my life according to the Bible. I have a wonderful church family here that helps me in that journey.

My family and I enjoy lots of outdoor activities and are lucky enough to live in Montana where opportunities for those things overflow...

 I also love to run! I have completed the local half-marathon twice and am currently in training to do it again this July. 

Bloomsday 2010 with my running friends

Some other hobbies include scrapbooking, beading jewelry, sewing, reading and cooking.

I love to find new blogs and be inspired by all the wonderful bloggers out there. I found so many great craft ideas, new recipes and friends as a result of last years party!

I hope you will find some new friends and inspiration, too!


And, because I've been blogging for years now without ever really celebrating any "blogging anniversaries" I'd like to do my first ever give-away!


What's the prize???


A $15 Amazon Gift Certificate (Because you can find anything on Amazon.com) 


How do you win??


Leave me a comment answering these questions: 
How long have you been blogging? 
and  What are your favorite types of blogs to read?


I'll pick a random comment after we get back from our Spring Break family vacation, so look for a winner around April 14th! :-) I look forward to hearing from you!

It's coming...

It'll be here on April first, and that's right around the corner! Are you ready? Well, you better get ready! What is "it"? It's "Five Minutes for Mom's Ultimate Blog Party"! I did it at the last minute last year and had fun finding all sorts of new fun blogs to read. Check it out>>>

Handmade Gift Exchange

Not too long ago, I happened upon a handmade gift exchange over at Craftaholics Anonymous. I love cute little handmade gifts, and since I've been doing my fair share of beading, I thought it would be fun. I signed up and not too long after that I got the name and address of my exchange crafter, Alyssa. We exchanged a couple of emails to find out a few things about each other--which (hopefully) helped in figuring out what to craft and send to each other. As soon as I found out she liked green, I knew exactly what to make her. I've had these cute green beads in my stash just waiting for the right project. Now, unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of the green necklace I made her, so I can't share that with you. But, I can share pictures of what she made me! I just got it in the mail this morning (well, it would've been yesterday afternoon but our mailperson is quite late these days). I'm so excited to share it with you...

A cute hairclip--I cannot wait to let my girls try these, they are SO cute!

Not one, but two hairclips! I love the fabric flowers! :-)

And a super cute washcloth. It has "Make-up" embroidered on, so my guess is that its for taking off eye makeup--since its dark colored it won't stain! How genius! :-)

Thank you Alyssa!! They are wonderful!!

Thankful Thursday & Bootie Buster

Today, as the wind blows hard and loud, whipping little particles of rain/snow around and dropping the temperature, I am grateful for my workout area downstairs, specifically my treadmill. I hate running against the wind, so a run outside would've been brutal. I'll run in the snow, rain, cold and whatever weather a Montana winter will bring, but I really hate wind. And since our winter lasts quite a while, I am so grateful that I can continue running through it on my trusty treadmill.

Speaking of winter and running.....I found a little activity that might help me stay active through the holidays:



I think it is going to be fun, you should check it out if you're looking for an extra helping of motivation to keep your head above waters with all the sweets and goodies headed our way! :-)