12 Simple Pleasures I Discovered in 2012

12. Spincah and Artichoke Dip on Pita Chips

11. Orange Leaf Soft Serve Yogart

10. The peace, quiet and extra time of both kids being in school

9. The New High Efficiency Washer and Dryer

8. My new, updated cell phone

7. My dads new and bigger house, it has a bigger garage, and more space for our garage sales

6. A kiss on the cheek from my nephew, Colby

5. The sound of Brody singing in the bathtub

4. The compassion that Dawson has for everyone around him

3. Listening to my boys laugh

2. This kiss my husband gives me every morning

1. The surrounding love of my family

Away He Goes

Brody started kindergarden this year. He's 6 months younger then Dawson was when he started, I think that made it a littler harder to deal with. I'm still home watching other peoples kids and finding that I have to keep myself busy so that I don't miss my own kids. Life sure has gone fast. I know I'm blessed for all the love and life in my life.

Family Lessons

It's a pretty awesome idea. The thought of a family where everyone gets along and always works as a team. A family that unconditionally loves each other and never makes judgement. Does this even exist?
My life, my family, has changed so much. A lot of times I find myself feeling lost and misplaced. I've learned a lot of hard lessons in the last couple years, lessons that are still sinking in.  I've learned that the family members I thought I could trust, I can't. I've learned that family members who I thought I was supposed to stay away from, are really my allies. I've learned that blood is really not that much thicker then water. I've learned that you family really can hurt you more then anyone else is possibly able to.
The hardest lesson I have learned is too keep my mouth shut, and I know blogging about it, isn't really keeping my mouth shut. But this is way better then it used to be. I know people will ALWAYS have their opinion. There will be those who will always feel like they are better, or know more then others. I'll never be able to change that.
The most important lesson I've learned is to try and raise my kids in the most honest and the most fair way. And to do it without a lot of drama. To teach them that there should be no competition within a family, no secrets and no lies. To let them make their own judgements about people without clouding up their decisions and ideas. Then pray that I did a halfway decent job.

I Love My Boys with All My Heart!

You never know love

until you become a mother!

Thank God for this blog....I really need to vent!
So Doug found this car that he was VERY intetested in. A 2007 Toyota Pris. It was red and he wasn't crazy about that. Anyways, he found on an online website out of Cable-Dalmer in Kansas City. There were actually 2 listed, one was a touring the other was regualar. He was very intetested in the touring. So, he contacted the online sales rep and asked her if they still had the touring. She said yes. Then he asked her if she would take 13,500 for it. She said yes, if we came to Kansas City on Saturday the paperwork would be ready.
So, like a couple of suckers, we load up and head to Kansas City. They bring around a car, we take it for test drive, Doug is liking it. Doug says, "This is the touring right?" The guy says I'm not sure, I think so. So we park, the guy goes in to run the carfax and Doug gets to looking. He finds these dents and scratches, you can tell it was wrecked. Doug says, "This is not the one I saw photos of" Then he looks at the tires and realizes that it is not the touring, it's the reguar. He's pretty upset. We go back in and he tells the salesman that it's not the touring and do they still have it? The guy said, they never had a touring. (RED FLAG) Then doug says he wants to talk to the manager. The guy says the manager is busy today. (RED FLAG) I asked if we can talk to the online sales rep. The guy says she is not working today. (RED FLAG) So Doug pretty much storms out of there, pissed off that we drove all that way so they could pull a swith on us.
While we are driving, I decided to call the manager and surprise....he answers! I say "I was told you would be busy today I'm surprised I got ahold of you" I told him who I was...he ofcourse knew why I was calling. He told me that they never had the touring and if we wanted the regular car he would give it to us for 13,500 which is a REALLY good deal. He hears Doug say in the background "It was wrecked!" So then he says to me "Then there is nothing left to talk about. You can jump back online and find one somewhere else." I said, "Okay we will." I can't believe how rude he was!
Discusted at the lack of honesty from thease people, I decided to call my friend who sells cars here in Topeka. He told us that he is not surpirse that Cable-Dahmer did that. Apparently, they have done things like that before. They don't care about the people, just the money. My friend, Mark, helped us find a better car at a better price. And he did it honestly! I guess things happen for a reason.
Who knows if they were actually pulling a switch on us, or if there was just a lack of communication or a mistake when posting online. No matter what, they should of been more polite and helpful and they should of been willing to figure out what went wrong and try to save their reputation and keep our business.
The moral of this story, don't go to Cable-Dahmer....go see my friend Mark at Ed Bozarth!

10 Things 2011 Taught Me....

10. MAYBE I REALLY DO LOVE MY DOG
He is so hyper and he barks all the time! Drives me crazy! But in 2011 we invested in a shock collar. I always thought that was cruel but, really, it's not. It's exactly what he needed to train him to stop barking. Therefore he can stay outside longer. He is more calm and therefore he gets more time out of his kennell. He has turned into a more pleasing pet and maybe I really do love him.

9. I CAN NO LONGER PUT UP WITH THE NEW EPISODES OF SNL
I really tried this year, but they just get dumber and dumber and less funny. I wish they were still as good as they used to be I give up, I can no longer put up with the new episdoes of SNL.

8. MY MOM DOES NOT HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS
Growing up I always felt I could turn to my mom for anything and everything. This year I have learned a hard lesson. She does not, nor has she ever had all the answers. I can't depend on her for everything. I have been trying hard to raise my kids more independently then I feel I was raised so that maybe they don't have to learn this lesson like I did. I love my mom, always will, but she doesn't have all the answers.

7. I'M NO GOOD A ROUGHING IT!!
I kinda always knew this. We took a little adventure this year past summer. I'm talking... bath in the lake, pee in a tree, watch out for the snakes, kind of adventure. I think I'll stick to camping in a campground thank you very much. I'm no good a roughing it!!!

6. I ADMIT THAT I AM ADDICTED TO CITYVILLE!
Yes, when I'm done with this, that is what I will most likely do. I admit it, I'm addicted to cityville.

5. TIMES CHANGE, PEOPLE CHANGE.
This year, I learned that things I used to know, are not the way they are now. I've learned that it is impossible to avoid. Change. I've learned to be flexible and patient and too look for the brighter moments. It's a hard concept for me, but times change, people change.

4. 9 KIDS IS DEFINATELY THE LIMIT
I want to make sure that they are each being loved enough, taken proper care of and I don't pull my hair out. Plus that is all that will fit in the van! :-) 9 is the limit!

3. BEAUTY IS NOT ALWAYS BEAUTIFUL
I saw pure nastyness in someone this year who I had always thought to be a beautiful and popular person. But this person confirmed that true beauty really does lie within. This person really changed my opinion and my mind about many things, you might even say this person changed my life in many ways. I will be more skeptical, I will be less trusting. Beauty is not always beautiful.

2. GARAGE SALES, FOR THE TIME BEING, ARE INEVITABLE!
Simply for 2 reasons....I can't stay away from them and I can't stop having them. Every 6 months I have to buy new clothes for the boys, theres no point in paying full price for something that will only last a few months. Thus, causing me to turning around and sell it when they've outgrown it. Plus every Christmas and birthday they get more crap! I just have to turn around and sell it when the next holiday comes. So, I guess, until the kids grow up, garage sales are inevitable!!

1. DISCOVERED HOW TRULY IMPORTANT MY HUSBAND IS!
It was a rough year, infact it's been a rought couple of years. But we are still together and my husband still means so much to me. I've learned to just keep forgiving and to keep asking for forgiveness. Neither of us are perfect. Marriage, life, can be so good if we just keep loving. I discovered how truly important my husband is!!!

A nice little get-away....

The last weekend of February we took a nice little family trip.....

What a Great Love Story.....

Hope everyone had a wonderful Valentines Day yesterday!!
It's the perfect time to reflect on on the wonderful things in your life...I know that is what I did. I think my life...my family...turned out to be a great love story...and it just keeps getting better. All the bumps in the road sure made it more worth while. I love you guys!!

So Many Changes

Wow, it's been so long since I have been on here and so many things in my life have changed. Dawson is about to start first grade, Brody about to start preschool. I remember when they were just little babies....how I miss that time.
My sister became and instant mom when her "soon-to-be-husband's", daughters mother died (what a mouthfull) it's been an experience watching her learn how to do it all. I would have to say that she has really matured in the process. It's been kind of a blessing for both of them. The doctors always told my sister it would be hard for her to have kids.....then she ends up with a guy (a great guy at that) who's daughter has no mother. God really does work in mysterious ways.
My mom and dad's divorce is about to go through....for a while there I really thought they were going to get back together. They have both changed so much.....I think they are just completley different people with difference needs and desires. I've learned many things about each of them that I never realized before. In the process, I think it has changed who I am and who I want to become.
Since Christmas, I think my realtionship with my husband has changed as well. I think it's changed for the better. I fell like I am more aware of who I am now. I am more aware of the things I do and I try not to take life so seriously...at least not as much as I used to. I have learned that his feelings are his feeling and my feelings are my feelings....it doesn't mean thats the way things are....it just means thats how we feel. For me, that has really been the key.
We just got back from a mini-vacation. We went to Scott City, Kansas. It was a nice little trip, we stayed in a Cabin for 4 nights. The best part was going to see Monument Rock....the boys really enjoyed that. We also looked at some museums there and we found a really awesome park where the boys had a blast! Take a look:

It's Christmas Time Again

I guess I have not been on here in a while. Life has just been pretty busy. I can't believe another year has almost come and gone. It's almost time for Christmas again! Dawson is pretty excited. His Christmas list changes from day to day, so I'm thinking he will just get what he gets and be happy with it.
Over the weekend we went to Legends mall for a little family time. It was fun! We were able to get a few good pics. If I don't blog again before Christmas, Merry Christmas!!