Texas or Bust

Our ten day vacation has officially started! I woke up early yesterday morning. Spent a few minutes with God and started my day! The day included: shower, bathe kids, wash 4 loads of laundry, and pack three people! Oh...and drive to Little Rock, board a plane, and fight with one sleepy three year old while listening to a talkative 6 year old! Surely I could survive this since I'm weaning off my meds, right? I got the laundry done, packed the suitcases, almost broke my ankle walking out the door to get something from the car, and spanked Kaden about 4 times before making it to mom's house! At his defense, he did take a small nap on the secong leg of the flight! Oh...and I'm happy to say that no grouchy passenger on the plane said anything about him this time or gave us any ugly looks.

Today, we plan to swim for a little while, visit mom's work, and go to the grocery store. We are all headed to the coast today until Tuesday! I'm sure mom will bring the computer so I can take pics and post them!

Vacation is on and hopefully I can try to relax a little while I'm here! I have a feeling that I'm really going to be missing Tony for the next ten days!

More Blurried Pics

Ok....I love this new thing MckMamma has taught me!

This is Kaden bowling in Arkansas.

Then Jordan (neice) bowling.

And I couldn't leave out this awesome pic of Raegan!

5/25/09

As I sit here watching Kaden take pictures of lord knows what, I just learned something new! As you may already know, I am a blog stalker of www.mycharmingkids.net . Well, this morning MckMamma posted a blog of how to make the backgrounds of your pictures blurred. I have a point and shoot camera so I used my PhotoShop Elements 6. And just look what I can do!

I know! I will so be using this application from now on! As soon as I can master it that is!

5/23/09

It has finally happened! Kaden had his first t-ball game! After weeks and weeks of rain, God answered our prayers and held the rain off a few hours so my sweet baby boy could get out there and show off his skills.


He waited patiently all day! Brady had two games that morning. Then, we didn't leave the park so we watched one of the t-ball games while we waited.


It was such an exciting day! Raegan and Kierra came all the way from Batesville to see his first game!

They went in numerical order, Kaden is number 17. When his first bat finally came, coach helped him get in position.

He gets ready and BAM! He hit the ball and started running as fast as he could!

Good thing Daddy was the first base coach! They planned out when he would run to second!

Of course I think the best part about a game is the fans! Here's Raegan cheering her buddy on!

And then it's Kaden's team's turn in the field! Lucky for Kaden and Hayden that Daddy was out there! It seems he was the only one really paying attention to what was going on!

Yeah! It's his second time at the bat! Wow! What a hit! It looks like everything is going to be great!

Apparently, he didnt' like the first base coach's (Daddy) instructions! He ran straight to the back of the field and started crying! I guess a long day at the ball field takes it out of a little guy! Because by the end of the night......

This was the only group picture I could get with my boys and their "best" girls!

5/17/09

I have blogged more this week than I think I have since I was pregnant with Kaden! I have a ton of pictures to post and some videos....I hope you enjoy and oh...five days left of school! So, here goes...Here's Kaden running the bases at the end of the game. (I know I'm going backwards) I tried to get a pic of Brady but some kid stepped in front of him right when he crossed home! Here's the boys on their favorite ride! Brady, Kaden, Ty, Lane, and Hunter! And Brady, Adam, and Matthew being silly at the game! Now, on to more that happened this past week!
This is Brady's school program! I wasn't able to go,but Tony got video of my favorite song! Brady had been singing this song for months. He sang it so much, that Kaden started to sing it too! I will have to get video to let you compare! Lots of other things have been happening around here too but I don't have pics! For example, last night, Kaden pulled a kitchen chair up to the trash can and decided to "pee" in it! I'm serious! I can't for the life of me figure out what would make a child want to do this! He's so strong willed! Saturday morning, while Tony was in the showe, Kaden climbed up on the kitchen counter and got out some allergy medicine from the cabinet above the sink! I mean seriously! What is wrong with this kid?!? Any suggestions? I just keep telling myself 5 more days and then I'm home with him for 8 weeks. Maybe we'll work on "home training!"

5/16/09

I heard the most shocking thing today....my little brother is now a blogger! What? He hates writing. He hated English in school. Who cares, right? I'm just excited to see him use the web for one of his many creative outlets! I just checked his site. There's not a lot of writing...but there are some beatuiful dishes he has created! I am in awe almost daily at what an amazing chef he is! The man is an unbelievable, creative genus in the kitchen! I am super proud of his accomplishments! Check out his site and be very careful! Drooling may occur!

http://ilpionero.blogspot.com/

5/14/09

As I count down the days until summer vacation, I am starting to think of all the things I want to accomplish this summer! Besides the fact that I am traveling, a lot, I am planning to get our home in order! I'm tired of being tired at the end of the day and not having the energy to get this house clean! I have discovered a new blogsite that I totally know is a God thing!

http://likeawarmcupofcoffee.blogspot.com/2008/06/31-days-to-clean.html
If you read my last post, you know I originally landed here to enter a contest. But the more I started reading, I realized this woman has a heart similar to mine! When I clicked on the 31 days to clean button, I found a home like mine and a woman who felt the same as me! So, I'm going to try her challenge. I get out of school next Friday. When I get home I'm going to re-read the first post and start my 31 days.

I do realize that I will be out of town part of that 31 days....but I will pick up where I leave off as soo as I get home! Start praying for me now...I want this house to be organized...There are a million reasons...but the one for today would be because we are wanting to adopt. I know that come January we will get a home study and many home visits. I want this place to be easy to clean so that if there is a drop by visit, we won't be running around like chickens with our heads cut off trying to make it appear that we are clean all the time!

Another reason, the boys are getting bigger. They are taking up more space....we need to make room for them to keep growing!

So, please start praying now...we'll see how it goes.

Oh yeah....another prayer request....I am going to the doctor on the Tuesday after school to talk about getting off my Paxil. I've been trying to lose weight for about 6 months and it seems like as hard as I've worked, the weight hasn't wanted to come off. So, I'm hoping that by not taking my meds I will be able to lose weight!

5/13/09

Have I mentioned that there are just 7 days of school left for us teachers? I'm not counting them down or anything! Today is just a quick post. I'm entering a contest of a friend of a friend's blog. She has a great give a way going this week! Check her out!

Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I enjoyed this so much last week that I just had to do it again today!
Let's see...Oh...I know...
I did not forego coming up with a great lesson plan last Friday and instead get out the colored pencils, glue, and magazines and let my students make a "Brochure" just so I didn't have to teach anything! (In my defense...I had just completed reading a novel to them...I have six classes a day! Yes, that's reading the same chapter six times a day!)
I also did not put on a big smile at the MIL's this weekend because grinning and bearing it is better than being miserable the whole time!
I also did not make brownies at 9pm last night thus using most of my WW points and then shoved another down my throat after working out today! NOT ME!
And...well, I'm ashamed to say this one....I would never have promised the 3 year old $5 to clean his room and them give him a dollar because I know he can't read! Not me! I would never do that to my sweet baby boy!

AHHHHHHH! That felt so good to get off my chest!

Not Me Monday

Yes, as you may or may not know, I am a blog stalker of the awesome MckMamma blog. I have been praying for Stellen for weeks now and have been blessed by her many blogs the past month and a half.
Today is "Not Me Monday!" So, here goes.

Despite my many attempts to lose weight before this June wedding I'm in...I DID NOT eat Taco Bell with my family before a baseball game! Not me!
I also did not secertly enjoy the rain so that I wouldn't have to go to yet another baseball game on Saturday!
I would have never taken a 3 hour nap on a rainy Saturday before I got all dolled up for the prom. No not my prom (that's true!) the one for the school where I teach. And I most defintally DID NOT do the "Stanky Leg" dance with a group of students at the prom! NOT ME FOR SURE!

5/3/09

I feel like it's been forever since I blogged. I have been out of things to talk about latily. It's not that there hasn't been anything going on...it's just that I haven't felt it! I thought I could update on all of the life's going ons here Pillstrom house.

Brady has been going to school, making good grades, and playing baseball. He hit a really good homerun Friday night! I was so proud of him. I took my camera but didn't get it on video :(

Kaden has had t-ball practice but his game was rained out on Saturday. I was really bummed because I can't wait to see him in a game! He's talking really well and I and just so proud of his progress.

Tony has been playing in the church band the last two weeks. He enjoys it!

And I have been on a mission to healthy eating. I have been looking for fresh veggie recipes and have been enjoying cooking! I'm going to steal an idea from "The Shoes in My Closet" and post my Sunday dinner recipe. I'm pretty impressed with the fact that I actually made homemade spaghetti sauce! And it was actually good!

Marinara Sauce
Olive Oil Spray
1 cup minced yellow onion
2 tablespoons freshly minced garlic
28 oz. roma tomatoes
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons no salt added tomato paste
2 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
salt, to taste

Spray medium pan with olive oil and place over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook until tender (not brown). Reduce heat to low and add other ingredients. Cover, cook 1 hour stir occasionally.

I put the tomatoes in the blender because we don't really like chunky tomato sauce. Then I cooked ground turkey and organic wheat noodles. It turns out to be very low in calories and weight watcher points. I love to try something new like this! I hope that you will enjoy it as much as we have!