Momma in Red

My hubs and kids, spoiled me this year!! I must have been a good girl. ;) My Mother's Day was so fun!! And relaxing. Filled with lots of love, fun presents, and the people I love. :) First up, are my presents. Because I really didn't expect them!!



Don't you just LOVE this dress? I do!! I like that it's a dress that I can wear casually. Or I can dress her up!! The style of the dress is so fun. So is the name of the dress....Red-y for Inspiration. Late last night, my hubs told me, it sorta reminds him of when I wear his shirts to bed. :)



Oh, and not to be outdone, is this lovely dress!! I just adore the style of the dress. The print is just AMAZING!! Oh, the Red-y for Tea Dress, is my favorite new dress!!

Can you see why I feel so blessed? And spoiled!! On top of all of this, my hubs gave me some beautiful flowers. My kiddos made me the most adorable cards, and a cake. :) My hubs cooked up a yummy breakfast in bed. At church, they showered us Mommas with prayers, little gifts, and tons of love!!

We also had a BBQ at our house. With all our favorite dishes. Cooked by my hubs, my Daddy, and my Daddy-in-Law. :) It was just such a fun day!! And it makes me feel like, I'm doing a good job with my own kiddos. Sometimes, it's just nice to know, that we're not ruining our kids. That we are actually doing a good job in raising them!! ~Maggie

Rain....

We've had some pretty weird weather lately. For over a week now, it's looked like it was going to rain. But it hasn't. :( It's been so muggy. And cloudy. The days are super windy. I just keep thinking, it has to rain. But we never get rain.

It's fooled us more than once. We didn't water our garden for a few days. Thinking, it's going to rain. I just know it! In the end, Jake and my hubs, spent a couple hours soaking everything last night. It was their "guy time." I'm telling you, the 2 of them, like to get away from all of us girls. Not all the time. But you can just tell, when they need a little time together.

While my boys were enjoy outside time together, I decided to work on a project with my girls. I'd seen this picture a while back. For the life of me, I can't remember where. If you know, please leave a comment. I'd love to give someone the credit!!

Anyway, I saw this picture. And thought, it would be a fun project. We enjoy us some rain around here. :) I showed Bri how to cut the raindrops. I already had a nice stack. But knew we'd need about 10 more. We used some felt. Lizzie would hand them to me. And Audrey sat on my lap, and helped me "sew" up some garlands.



In the end, we had 9 long garlands. That we hung on the windows. Around our breakfast nook. When my hubs came in, Audrey rain to him. "Daddy it waining!! It waining inside!!" She just loves our little rain drops. :) ~Maggie

They're So Excited!!

My hubs and I, have been saving our pennies. For years! Since before we got married. For a few years, those pennies, and well the rest of our pocket change, went into these large jars. They sat at the bottom of our closet. Then, when I was pregnant of Jake, we opened a bank account. Just for our change.

Little by little, this account has grown. We always knew, that we wanted to take our kids to Disney World!! ALWAYS!! When I was pregnant with Audrey, 2 thoughts crept into my head. 1. We're NEVER going to have enough money!! We're about to be a family of 6. How are we going to afford Disney World now? 2. If we managed to get enough money together, when would be the best time to go? Being that Jake and Audrey, are 6 years apart.

Well, my hubs and I, finally decided. This was going to be the year!! Nearly 2, should be a fun age to experience Disney World. And nearly 8, the magic should still be there. Last Summer, we started hunting for good deals. Around Christmas, we managed to book an incredible deal! One that made me feel a lot better, about the money we'd saved.

We let our parents know about our plans. And they gave our kiddos some "secret money" at Christmas. Actually, they gave it to us, in envelopes with their names on them. And my sister, and SIL both recently gave us some money for the kids. We've convinced our kiddos, to save most of their "birthday money" too!

Slowly, we've been buying some things we think we'll need. In the Fall, I stocked up on lots of clearance Summer clothes and shoes. With the help of my cousin, and Auntie, we've added touches of Disney to them. Making a plain t-shirt, something fun. With a little Disney fabric, some ribbon, whatever we thought would work.



And this weekend, we finally broke the news to our kiddos!! They were in shock at first. Didn't believe a word, that my hubs and I were saying. Then, they were over the moon!! Jumping around. So excited!!

My hubs had this great idea. To get them each a little notebook. And some Disney stickers. We spent Sunday, decorating their books. And writing down, what they wanted to do, while we're at Disney World. We showed them lots of brochures, got online, talked about all the things that are out there. Then we took to writing down our "must haves."

I wasn't surprised when Jake wanted to ride the cars. Or Bri wanted to visit Epcot. I thought it was super sweet, that Lizzie wants to go eat breakfast with the characters. And I was definitely not shocked, when Audrey said she had to ride the tea cups. And Dumbo!! :)

It's a good thing, that when we booked our trip, we booked all sorts of fun meals. Reservations at lots of these places, are tough to make. And have to be done, months and months in advance!!

Shay's blog, was also another good resource. Recently Shay and her family went to Disney World. Reading her blog, helped me to get a better picture, of what we are going to be doing. It's also helped me to plan some of my own, "must haves." I can't wait, to have fun with my family, in Disney World!! June can't come fast enough. ~Maggie

Getting Crafty in the Backyard

Now that Spring is officially here, I've been looking for some projects to work on. With my kiddos. I came across this project. And I just knew, it was perfect for us! Bird feeders for our backyard!



On Friday, I called my Mom. I just knew she'd have the bottles. She had 8 of them. :) And I happened to notice, that Hobby Lobby was having a good sale. This week. On the rest of the pieces! The wooden bits. And I had a bunch of lids. Years ago, I bought a vintage suitcase. When we got home, I noticed it was loaded with old canning lids. I didn't know what to do with them. So they sat in our garage all this time! And we have tons of spray paint. Any color you'd need! I knew this project was meant to be!

This weekend we each made our own bird feeders. We have a lot of birds around here. 6 feeders just seemed appropriate! :) We helped Audrey with hers. And the rest of us, worked on our own. It was really an easy craft! And in less than an hour, we were done! Then my hubs painted them all! Everyone picking out their favorite colors. :)

Jake was so excited! He and my hubs went to buy birdseed. And they came back with a few different kinds. We filled up our bird feeders. And spent the rest of the weekend, watching all the cute birds. It's nice to have some useful projects in our yard. You should trying making one of these too! ~Maggie

It's Our Song

I heard this song yesterday. It had been a tough day. Elizabeth was so sick. There was an accident in the car. A long wait in the doctor's office. Horrible traffic on the way home. As I'm trying my darnedest, to get there before the school bus. It was just a tough day.

This song came on. I hadn't heard it before. My brain was in overdrive. Trying to remember if I had fed Audrey lunch. And did I really have that 2nd medicine at home? I hoped that I wouldn't have to go back to Walgreen's. But these words spoke to me.

This song made me realize, I'm not in this alone. I have the most amazing man, who loves me. The man that vowed to be my husband, for all eternity. This man, that I've loved for almost my entire lifetime. We've had our ups and downs. Pretty serious ones. But in the end, we came back to each other. Because life, didn't make sense without each other.

My hubs knew it was a tough day. He'd called at lunch time. When Audrey was asking for a snack. I was pulled over, on the side of the road. Trying to clean up Lizzie. And the car. While I was on hold with the doctor's office. He could tell, it wasn't a good time. He just knew.

My hubs told me, he loved me. It was going to be OK. Did I need any help? I assured him, that I could handle it. And honestly, just hearing his voice, made me feel like I could. While I calmed down Lizzie, he talked to Audrey. Remember, I was on the side of the road. Kids in the car. Mommy trying to hold it together.

My hubs got off of work early. When we pulled into the driveway, my hubs was there. Getting Jake and Bri into the house. I'm sure, they were fully involved in conversations about crayons, kickball, and all things elementary school. :)

But he stopped. Turned to my car. My hubs came and gave me a big hug and kiss. Held me. In that minute, all the chaos was gone. I felt safe. I knew, together we could get through this. Lately, things have been so tough for our family. I just needed my husband.

Kisses around. Audrey was so happy to see her daddy. And a sleeping Lizzie was carried to her bed. By her very own, "Prince Charmin." We walked into the kitchen. Pizza, salad, and dessert waited for us. My hubs tended to Lizzie, before she fell asleep. Then the 5 of us, sat down to an early dinner. He thought of everything!

As the girls and I cleaned up the kitchen, my hubs took Jake outside. They had buckets in hand. It made me curious. As the girls settle into playtime, I went to check on my 2 favorite guys. "Jake we have to take care of girls. Especially our girls. It's the most important thing. We have to love them. Make things better. Safe. Do you understand?" They were having a "father-son talk."

In these little moments, I know that I have the best husband in the world! He's an amazing daddy. I know, our kiddos are going to grow up, and be amazing. Because of the man I love! They show him, how to treat people. And how they should be treated. He teaches Jake how to be an amazing man! And shows our girls, how men should treat them. :)

Last night, long after the kiddos went to bed, my hubs came to bed. Our sick Lizzie, nuzzled into me. Feverish still. "Babe, I love you. I should tell you more often. But I do." "I love you." "I heard this song today. It's perfect. It should be our song." Ya, we'd heard the same song. And thought about each other. I told you, we've had a complicated life together. But I'm telling you, we were meant for each other. 100%!! God gave us each other, for the good and the bad. He's made our relationship stronger. I for one, am so grateful! ~Maggie

Getting Real

I read this, and it just hit home for me!! Like a ton of bricks. For those of you, that personally know my hubs and I, you know, it hasn't always been easy. It's been a struggle. At times, I didn't think, we would make it. It's the truth. A tough pill to swallow, but the truth. And this post, says everything that I was feeling, at a very difficult time in my marriage.

We are high school sweethearts. That didn't skip a beat. We married, moved in together, bought a home, had babies. We did all the things, that we had ever dreamt of. Things that people expected us to to. From the outside, we were the perfect couple. With a boy, and a girl. In a home. With a large yard. My hubs working a successful job. Living the perfect life!!

In Fall 2007, our world crumbled. And fast!! It was all those stresses, that no one tells you about, that just kept piling up. We wouldn't talk to anyone about them. We didn't talk to each other. Just walk around with a chip on our shoulder. Going to bed mad. Hubs and I, started to get resentful. Finances were tight. Really tight. My hubs worked long, long hours!!

Life of a SAHM, is tough. No one told me that. Everyone talked about all the good things. Not about the bad days. When kids were sick, tired, teething, had the runs, wrecked the house, cried all day. No one talked about the days, when you pinched for pennies, to buy diapers, and ate macaroni's for the 10th day in a row. Definitely, no one ever told my hubs or I, about the days when we'd have to pick between food for us, and our kids. Or between house payments, and water. Or gas for the car, and medicine.

Those days, were a dark time. A time when my husband and I, just lived under the same roof. I felt like he didn't understand my life. He didn't get why or how, I could stay home all day, and the house was always a wreck when he got home. I resented him for it. He resented me, for working 10 hour days, and coming home to a messy home. And no dinner on the table. He didn't understand why we only had $50 in the bank, when he worked so much.

Deep in our hearts, we loved each other. The same steamy, hot and heavy love, that we had since high school. But all this other stuff, was killing us! Smothering our lives. Killing us very slowly. Making us miserable. Resentful. And even hateful to one another.

Finally, I'd had enough of it. Enough of the pleasantries, in front of our 2 small kids. Enough of the late night fights between us. Enough of this "fake life" that we were living. I didn't want our kids, to think this was normal. Or acceptable. One day, my husband went to work. And my kids and I, got in the car. I didn't exactly have a plan. I just knew, we needed to get out.

I drove, and drove. Then I called my cousin. I had pulled over. Was sitting at a rest stop. While my 2 sweet kids napped. I had no plan. Nowhere to go. No idea of what was next. I was 45 minutes from my home. Yet, I knew I had to keep driving. My sweet cousin, told me that we were welcome at her home.

Before I knew it, I was unloading my 2 small kids. Over 200 miles from our home. With 2 small bags. Not knowing, what our future held. How long we'd be there. Or if we'd ever go home again. Little did I know, we'd spend the next 9 months living there. Making the 3 hour (one way) trip, twice a month. My hubs and I, didn't want our kids to miss either of us.

It took almost 6 weeks, before we told anyone, that I was living with my cousin. Not even our parents knew. I'm afraid, the only reason we told anyone, was because I was pregnant. For the 3rd time. The timing couldn't have been more crazy!! It seems as thought, during my last week at home, we made our sweet little girl.

My hubs and I spent the next 10 months, evaluating what was best for us. And our family. We had 3 kids to think of. We had a long relationship to evaluate. We tried to make this time, as easy as we could, on our kids. We had plans. That we carried out, to the letter. Every 2 weeks, our kids would stay with my husband. For the weekend. Once a month, we'd ask either my parents, or in laws, to watch our kids. For one evening. So my hubs and I, could talk. Try and make some positive decisions.

This was the hardest time of our lives. I felt so alone. Like no one understood. I know, had it not been for my cousin, we wouldn't have made it. There is absolutely, no way, we would have made it!! She was in college, working, battling her battles. But she kept us going. Was the ray of sunshine, that my kids needed. The support system that I needed. And the lifeline, that my hubs needed.

Our separation was never about dating other people. My hubs and I, made that very clear. We just needed time apart. But we stayed completely faithful to one another. We worked at things. Went to counseling. Tried our hardest.

We planned little activities for our kids. Little trips, that would make them feel safe. And happy. We reevaluated everything. Finances, family, life, religion, parenting. We worked through all those things, that no one ever talks about. All the tough stuff.

It was not easy. Elizabeth was born during this time. I was still living over 3 hours, from my husband. My hubs was able to be there. But after Lizzie was born, I stayed with my cousin. I wasn't sure, what the best move for my family was. I now had 3 kids. A newborn. And was living with my cousin. Jake was just months away from, having to be in kindergarten. We needed to make the tough decisions. Because our kids deserved better. Jake needed a stable environment, as he entered school.

Ultimately, my husband and I, choose each other. We choose to work on this thing. To put us first. To talk about things. Not put them under the rug. Not pretending like we were living a magical life, when in reality, we were both at the breaking point.

This for me, was the toughest time in my life. I truly questioned everything in my life. The only thing I didn't question, was my kids. They were the shining stars, that helped me, to move forward.

The summer before Jake started kindergarten, our family, for the first time, lived under the same roof. Things were different. My husband now understood, that some days are tough. He's going to come home, and the house is going to be upside down. The kids might be crying, or sick. Dinner might not be on the table. I might even still be in my pjs. It's just the reality of life with kids.

I also know, I need to talk to my husband. Tell him, when I'm overwhelmed. When life is just getting to be too much. We need to talk about money. About upcoming expenses. About unexpected things that come up. We need to come to each other, when life is too much. We can't keep these things from one another.



But I'm positive, the thing that really changed, was our relationship. Not just our marriage. But the way, that my husband and I see each other. We go to each other. And know, that the other is our rock. They are there, because they want to be. Not because they have to be. We both know this. We don't have to be here. We've tried that already. But we want to be together. Married. Raising our kids. We want to be a family. And walk hand in hand, through life. Be each other's, shoulder to cry on.

Since we separated, and choose to do this thing together, our lives have greatly changed. We take time to do things together. We ask for help. Yes, we ask our parents to watch our kids. Not all the time. But at least, once a month. Just for a few hours. So we can go on a date. Reconnect. Catch up on each other. Things that easily get lost, when you're trying to navigate through life and parenting.

We also use this time, to talk about things that are bothering us. Or big decisions that need to be made. We talk about budgets. Upcoming expenses. Field trips, bills, doctor appointments, cars, etc. are on the table. We don't hide these things from each other. We talk about them.

Since the Summer of 2008, many things have changed. I've also reached out. To my cousin. Who became our rock, during that hard time. We've added to our family. Welcoming Audrey to the mix, in August 2010. We've simplified life. And become more active as a family.

Now, there are baseball games, dance practice, PTO meetings, etc. Church has become a priority. We make weekends, all about family. My husband and I, are more understanding of each other. I realize, that during the week, when he's working long hours, I need to cut him some slack. I need to be supportive. Because he's the one, that is out there, earning the money for our family.

I'm telling you, people never talk about the tough stuff. Never. They never really tell you, how tough it is to parent kids. How you can go months and months, on 2 hours a night, of sleep. How one kid gets sick, and then it slowly makes it's way through the family. Somehow a small bug, lingers in your family for 2 months!

People never talk about how marriages can become strained. How 2 people that are deeply in love, can begin to resent one another. No one ever talks about this! But I wanted to post this. Hoping, that if someone else is in the same place, they know, they are not alone. Because I always felt alone. Felt like a disappointment, and a failure.

Most of all, one day, I will sit all my kids down, and be honest with them. I want them to know, that marriages are work. Good marriages, are a lot of work. Being good parents, is also a lot of work!! I would never change any of this. I've grown so much, as a person, a mother, and a wife.

Life is not easy. But my struggles, have made me closer to God. It's helped to enrich my family. It proved to me, what real fighting, for the people you love, means. I've learned that spending good, quality time, with each of my children is vital. Nothing is more important, than letting them know I love them. That they are special and unique. One on one time, is so important! Because that's the time, when you really get to know your kids. Make the real connections.

I've also learned, just what a good marriage takes to survive. Listening, communication, reaching out, dates, intimacy. All of those things, are so important. We've realized, that our bedroom, needs to be for my husband and I. No straggling children, in the middle of the night. Mommy and Daddy need their time. And their space. Because grumpy parents, make for a very grumpy and non functioning family.

You are not alone, if you are struggling in your marriage. You might love your spouse to pieces, but can't get it together. Sometimes, it just takes stepping back. Looking at the situation from all sides. Think about your partner. Think about your family. Doesn't it make you wonder, how Cinderella and Prince Charming did it? I do!

I know that this could be a shameful topic. But really, there is nothing to be shameful about. Nothing to hide. It's life. And everything in life, has it's ups and downs. Everything!! If you are willing to work at your marriage, anything is possible. Believe me. There were many dark days, when I thought, my marriage was over. But I had to fight. I had to fight, not just for me and my husband. But for our kids. They deserve a happy, and functioning family. I only hope, that they can learn from their parents mistakes. And realize, that after the "I dos," it's not all sunshine and roses. But it's worth all the hard work! ~Maggie

Perfect for My Girls!

Very rarely, I find something on the internet, that I must try. I'm not a big DIY-er. I'm just not that skilled. Drills and saws, scare me. So when I find a project that I want to recreate, I generally have to convince my hubs. And he is usually game. As long as it doesn't take months to finish. And we have room, for the finished product.



Having 4 kids, we don't have much extra room in our home. We have a large home. But we also have a lot going on. This clothing rack, is just perfect! At least for my girls. They have so much going on. Play clothes, pretty dress, and tons of dress up clothes. I say, we convince my hubs, to make 3!! ~Maggie

Happy Easter!!

We wanted to wish everyone a very Happy Easter!! This is such an amazing day!! The day when Jesus gave of himself, for us. This time of year reminds me, to be a better person. A more caring mother. A better wife. A better person, that God is working through.

We don't have many plans for the day. The most important part of our day, is going to church. Showing our kids, the real meaning of today. Then we are going to have some family over. For a little BBQ, and Egg Hunt. Happy Easter! ~Maggie

Fun with My Girls

I like to play with my kiddos. It's not out of the ordinary, to find me on the floor, playing with them. Having a tea party, building a fort, or playing in the mud. I feel like I'm going through my second childhood!! :)

I also like introducing my kiddos to games and toys of "yesteryear." I think a parent can only take so much Disney, Disney princesses, plastic toys, video games, and cartoons. I'm just being honest. I'm not going to apologize for it.

When I was little, my grandma sat on the floor, with me and Lola. Taught us how to play jax, tops, pick up sticks, dominoes, Old Maid, etc. I LOVED it! We also made our own paper dolls. That was one of my fondest memories!!

I found these paper dolls. For free!! And I was so excited. I printed out 4 sets. On Sunday, my hubs and Jake went to help some friends of ours. The girls and I, had baked lots of cookies. For my uncle's funeral, that was earlier this week. And I knew we needed something to do. Something to unwind. That's when I remembered these little ladies!!



I let Bri and Lizzie cut their own. And I cut out 2 sets. One for Audrey. And one for me. :) I printed them out, on some white card stock. And honestly, we played for hours! Until the boys came home!!

And then, for another hour, while they went to pick up dinner. Oops! We totally played right through our cooking time. :) I never realized just how much my girls, would adore paper dolls! Who would have thought?

I'm thinking of investing, a little bit of money. In sheets of magnets. I have the perfect little tins already. And I think, I could print these on magnets. So they'd be a little more durable. Last through lots of playing!!

Anyway that you spin it, we had a fun time! My girls enjoyed them. And haven't stopped talking about their paper dolls. Bri even took her's to "Show and Tell!!" And I'm thinking, this would be a fun theme for Audrey's 2nd birthday!

What are some of your favorite games or activities, to play with your kids? Are they from yesteryear? I'd love to hear about them! Please share! ~Maggie

Adding Color

I was reading some blogs on Friday. And this picture kept showing up. I had to just stop and take it all in. We've got some wooden spoons, that have seen their better days. Oh ya! Not only that, but it's Spring. And don't you feel like, in Spring, you clean and refresh your home? I feel like you do!



Well, I decided our wooden utensils needed some sprucing up. On Friday, I picked up some non-toxic, enamel paint. I also picked up another 4 pack of wooden spoons. Wally World just has some good buys. I think in total, I spent $10.

We had some bad news last week. And we've had a difficult time, scheduling our week. Because we are waiting to hear, about my uncle's final services. We didn't want to plan anything, because we weren't sure if the services were going to be Sunday, or early this week.

Saturday, we decided to stay home. But the weather was so nice! I wanted to do something crafty with the kids. Preferably outside. I convinced Jake and Bri to help out. Beth and Audrey were happy helping daddy. My hubs was busy with yard work. Yes, it turned into a nice and colorful weekend. Complete with painted utensils, and new flowers in our backyard. It turned out to be a very nice weekend! ~Maggie

Happy Spring!!

Happy Spring everyone!! This year, I was so excited for Spring. Literally, counting down the days. Our weather here, has been so hit and miss lately. My entire family, has just been waiting for the warm weather, to roll in. And stay put!!

Last week, my kiddos were on Spring Break. Poor things. It snowed!! My hubs and I, had planned a fishing trip. Which we had to cancel. I know. I was even disappointed. But we made the best of our week.

Friday, my hubs went with us, to a local Kids' Museum/Fun Play Center. He had already taken the day off, to go on the fishing trip. In the end, we all had a lot of fun! Jake just adored playing with my hubs. Finally, he had another male to hangout with. I think he was starting to get sick of the girls, all their dolls, and even me....poor boy is totally outnumbered!!

But now that it is "officially" Spring, I'm starting to plan. For our garden. A bit for the back yard. That sort of thing. Heck, I even started pulling out sandals, Spring dresses, and outdoor toys. :) Yes, we're excited in these parts!!

A few weeks ago, we were looking through the weekly ads. You know, the ones that come in the mail. And I saw an ad for this bird feeder. It sounded interesting. But for the world of me, I can't find that darn paper anywhere. I took to google, and found this one....



Oh how I LOVE it! This bird feeder just fits our style better. I'm trying to convince my hubs that we need a few. Actually, last night, I almost begged him to make us some. :) I have faith in my husband. He can build anything. At least in my mind!! I think these birdhouse/bird feeder/planters would look nice, outside our front door. 2 would be perfect!

We have a few other plans for Spring. A little remodel. Some kind of big plans, for our garden. A fun trip. Just a lot of fun family plans. What are your plans for Spring? ~Maggie

Happy Love Day!!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!! In our house, we call it "Love Day!!" Jake, Bri, and I spent lots of time getting their Valentine's in order. I'd never seen 2 more excited kiddos, than this morning. They had their special treats in 1 hand, as they got on the bus. Handing the bus driver, a special little treat!! They really do, have an amazing bus driver. :)

It was a traditional love day in our home. Breakfast in mommy and daddy's bed. Little treats for our 4 sweets!! I'm so glad they enjoyed their little gifts. Daddy bought everyone a little something. And Mommy made everyone a little something.

Tonight, it's a fun night with our kiddos. An inside picnic. With all our kiddos' favorite food. Yup, pizza is on the menu!! So are cupcakes. Or as Jake and Bri remember, "Cuppy Cakes." See Lola, you made some very special memories with my kiddos!!

My hubs and I, are waiting until this weekend to celebrate. We're going out on a little date night, Friday night!! :) Yes, Mommy and Daddy have been looking forward to this. Love is definitely in the air. At least in our home. And we hope, that all of you, have a very Happy Valentine's Day!! ~Maggie

My Aunt and Empanaditas

Recently, my cousin and I, have been remembering our aunt. She past away, just over 8 years ago. My cousin, was definitely closer to her, than I was. She just spent more time with our aunt. But so many of us, were close to our aunt.

At this time of year, I especially remember, and miss my aunt. She was the best cook ever! Making us tons and tons of food. Yummy food! You never went to her house, and didn't eat. That was just not going to happen.

Unfortunately, many of us, never cooked with her. Lots of the recipes, were just lost. She suffered from a debilitating stroke. Then they found cancer. And she past away, just 5 months after her initial illness. From the day of her stroke, until her death, she couldn't speak. Or do much for herself.

I always regret, not learning more from my aunt. I tell you, she was amazing! A self taught, amazing seamstress. A cook, that no one comes close to. Just an amazing woman!! At this time of year, I especially miss her empanaditas. No one that I know, knows how to make them. Lola and I, have been remembering all the ingredients. I know that she plays with various recipes. Trying to nail the one, from our childhood.

Recently, I took to chatting up a neighbor of ours. And she shared her family's recipe. Not the same savory ones, that I grew up eating. But a delicious recipe nonetheless!! With apricots, nuts and various other goodies. YUM!!

While Jake and my hubs were out shopping this weekend, the girls and I took to baking. :) And let me tell you, we baked!! Some mighty delicious fried desserts. I wanted my girls to enjoy this. And to start a new family tradition. It was a great afternoon!!

Like all little girls, my daughters enjoy playing "make believe" with their kitchen set. Since I've started on this crafty adventure, I've tried to "grow" their supply of play food. And I wanted to find something to make my girls, to remember this day. That when I found this adorable pattern!!



I'm nearly done with 6 of these cuties!! 2 for each of my daughters. I'm positive that they're going to love them! And I know, every time I see them, I'm going to remember our special day in the kitchen. Yes, it took longer than I had planned. But it was so much fun, creating new memories with my daughters. And remembering my aunt. ~Maggie

Entire Reason I Learned How to Sew

Little projects like this, are the entire reason, that I learned how to sew. No stinking lie! I wanted to be able to create special things, for my kiddos. Now if I just had a ton of time. And a good fabric stash. I know my daughters would love to play, with something like this! ~Maggie

Making Life Easier

There are not many products in my life, that genuinely make my life easier. Having 4 kids is crazy! And tough. Some days are not pretty. Most days are truly amazing. Magical. But I never get too comfortable. Life is just that way. Some days, I'm barely hanging on. It's a good thing that those days are few and far between!

One of the things that makes life easier is this...



Hubs and I both agreed. And after 4 kids, little really makes us super excited...when talking about baby products. But this little set, well it just makes life easier. And today, we needed that. It's tough trying to pick out and buy plants, when all our kids can think about is ice cream. Note to self, promise them after the shopping is done. Not before. :) ~Maggie

They Need Their Own Space

I've been looking for some fun projects. You know, it's almost summer. And I'll have all 4 kiddos home. We need some things, to keep us entertained. Isn't this a great idea? I just love it! I'm wondering, if my hubs can make a bigger one. Maybe 2. This would be a good reason, to try my hand at sewing again! :) ~Maggie

Clouds for Audrey

My grandma used to crochet. I still remember going to her house, and playing with the blankets she made. They were so colorful! My grandma past away almost 14 years ago. My auntie and my cousin, both crochet. And very recently, I inherited some special doilies. That my grandma made decades ago!

I've always enjoyed crochet items. They remind me of my grandma. I regret, that I never got a blanket from her. She made the most amazing granny square blankets. Ask Lola. She's got a few. :)

I was lucky enough, to get some crochet lessons. In late December, I learned from my auntie and my cousin. And I haven't looked back! I'm having so much fun. That's why, when I saw this little tutorial, I squealed in delight!



Remember those doilies I was telling you about. I'm going to use them, to make Audrey some little clouds of her own. My baby girl, is not quite 7 months old. And she just loves watching everything. I think these would be perfect, to hang in the playroom. That way, Audrey has something fun to look at, while her brother and sisters are lost in play! Time to get sewing!~Maggie

Baby's Nursery

I finally made a decision on the baby's nursery. :) I don't know what was taking me so long. I'm going to chalk this up to pregnancy brain....

I don't remember what this set is called. But I got it on Amazon. And it wasn't too expensive. I just really enjoy the fun and bright colors. So unexpected!



I like that it's not all pink. But it's still girly. The bright colors are what sold me. And all the fun flowers. :)



We have white furniture. And we painted the walls a light aqua color. Or I should say hubs did that. And we're using the glider from Jake's old nursery. My parents have been storing it at their house, for us. I think they were a bit sad, when we went to pick it up. The glider has an orange cushion on it. But the actual glider is white. I think we're pretty much done with the nursery. Hubs and I worked on it last night. For some reason, our kiddos fell asleep really early. But this worked in our favor. We got a lot of work done!

So we have a nursery. And most of the things we'll need. We've only bought 2 outfits. Because we're using everything from our older girls. Saves so much money! Especially when you think about how quickly babies grow their first year. And we're pretty well stocked on diapers.

The only thing left to do...pick a name. And have us a baby! I can't wait. The closer we're getting to my due date, the more excited I'm getting. I think because the last time, hubs and I missed out, on all of this stuff. And we know, this is our last. So we're really enjoying every second that we can. ~Maggie

Almost Time

It's almost time. For our baby girl to meet us. We're all so excited! Definitely a different feel from when we were expecting our little princess. We've worked through all of that tough stuff. And now, we're waiting. Happily, excited, full of love. And I can't wait to hold my little girl. Our last baby. Our family will be complete. I just can't wait to meet my little girl. Something feels so right about the direction our family is going in. And I truly believe, God has everything to do with that. He has helped us to make our family stronger, more loving. I just can't wait to be in our home, all of us. Happy and healthy. ~Maggie

Andrea Bocelli

I thought this was the cutest episode of Sesame Street! My little princess, she just loved it. And my hubby had to go out and buy her an Andrea Bocelli CD. She just loves it! Plays it all the time! And this morning, she came up to my belly and started sing to the baby. Can you say cute? She tells me that she is singing the baby to sleep. It was so cute! ~Maggie