SWW

SO WHAT if....

....I went to bed at 9pm last night.  I was tired, this getting up in the middle of the night every night for an hour is draining and this girl needed some sleep!

....we still have laundry in the dryer from Sunday.  Someone in the house may be running out of undies soon if mama doesn't get that stuff folded soon.

....I'm addicted to The Voice.  That show is so awesome and the talent that is on it is simply amazing.  Love, love, love!

....my addiction to ink pens is getting ridiculous.  I have a coffee mug full of pens at my desk - and I WANT MORE!  

....my family had our yearly family pictures taken this past Sunday and I'm so anxious to get them back so I can see them!

....I'm supposed to run in my first ever 5k race this weekend, and I've decided not to do it.  I've been too busy/preoccupied/lazy/foot hurting to actually do any of the training past week 1 of C25k, that I'm bowing out.  I will run in a 5k race sometime in my life though, I promise you that!

....all of the surrounding areas (except Indy) are postponing trick or treating until Friday night.  Indianapolis expects us to go out in the pouring rain and storms with our kids?  No thank you, we'll just visit another town and trick or treat there on Friday, done and done.

That's it for me today...  Linking up with Shannon for SWW.

  What are you saying SO WHAT to this week?

Five on Friday!

FRIDAY, finally!! So happy to be nearing the weekend! Here are my 5 for this Friday.

1) My husband - Tomorrow we have the second of Cooper's two birthday parties, so this week has been a whirlwind - getting the house in party ready mode.... To be honest, my hubby has done the majority of the work. By the time I do the baby stuff at night and eat it's time to get the kids ready for bed which doesn't leave much time for me to help. This guy is definitely my hero this week, Love you Babe!

2) Stephanie - Girlfriend has been wonderful taking care of our kiddos. I knew she could do it, I just questioned if she would WANT to after dealing with my extra two.... She's proving to be quite the pro, God has blessed her with more patience than I have, that's for sure! I love this young lady and am so fortunate to call her my daughter and friend.

 

3) My new purse and wallet from Thirty-One - I love these. Not only do my phone case, wallet/wristlet purse all match, but the purse can be worn three ways! So convenient as a backpack when my hands are full of other things. LOVE.

4) Fall TV - I am obsessed. I watch too much, and I need to stop. My DVR is constantly full and sleep is lacking more than it should. Please send me to a twelve step program, I am addicted to TV.

 

 

5) Cinnamon Rolls. These guys have been calling my name this week. I will make them soon. Maybe even this weekend. We'll see, our weekend is already pretty full......

 

 

What are your five this Friday? Any big plans? Cinnamon roll fan?

 

SWW

Another Wednesday!  Linking up with Shannon for SWW....

SO WHAT if....

• I haven't blogged consistently for the last 4 months.  I am determined to change that, just need to find some TIME!
• We are having Cooper's second birthday party this weekend and I'm not even close to being ready for it.
• I'm super excited that after Cooper's party our house will be super clean for a few days.  If only we can keep up with it!!
• I started changing my blog design a couple of weeks ago and still haven't completed it?  What's the hurry anyhow?
• I am super excited that this is Cooper's last week of swim lessons.... Two days a week with one of us being gone - even if it's only a half hour is killing me.  I just need us all to be home in the evenings - so after Thursday, I will be a happy camper.  I just don't know how you moms of multiple children in all kinds of different activities get anything done!
• I'm eating terribly.  I've fallen off of the wagon BIG TIME and I just don't care at the moment.
• All I want to do is be lazy when I have a million things to do.  Just for once, I'd like to have an evening where we get to sit down and relax before 9pm.  I know that is not going to be a reality until the kids are much older, but GOSH, no one told me this being a mom thing was so tough!
• I'm loving this FALL weather.  I was getting tired of the hot and the clothes that went along with it.  Bring on the cooler temps!
• I'm jealous of all of you Target coupon-ers who went and got free watches.  I need to learn how to get bargains like that!

And finally....

Five on Friday

My favorite linkup day!!!

Join us, will you?

Here are my FIVE:

1)      Last weekend, I took Cooper (and Katy) to the children’s museum again.  The new 5 and under Playscape just opened on August 31, so it was his first time visiting.  OH MY did he have the best time!  They have a room full of musical instruments, s big ole pond for “fishing” and so much more.  He had a great time.

2)      I went to a consignment sale the other night, and got the cutest matching dresses for Katy and Kampbell.  They are the exact same dress, both from Gap – Katy’s came with this crazy looking onesie that I’ll take out of there, but these dresses are super cute, take a look!  We’re going to put long sleeved white shirts/onesies underneath them with white sweater tights and it’ll be super cute! 

3)      I rearranged the pictures at my desk this week.  They were all Cooper – and I needed some of my girl up there.  Plus, I had so many pictures up there, that really, I needed to make it simpler.  So, this is what I now have on the two “walls” of my cube.  MUCH BETTER, yes?

4)      My little girl kinda looks like me when I was a baby.  I couldn’t really get her to put her hand in her mouth or to turn her head, so I hope you can see the resemblance, but here is the comparison.  That’s me back in 1981 on the flowered couch.  Do you think she looks like me or is it all in my imagination?

5) Last but not least.  Look at these adorable kids.  I’m in love.

Peace Out Friends, it’s Almost the Weekend!!!

Throwback Thursday

I'm linking up with Amy today for her weekly Throw-back Thursday party.  This week it's all about the high school dance/prom pictures.  
I've posted these pictures before, so they are a repeat, but they represent good memories for me, so I'll link up and post them again!  
This was my senior prom.  I went with my boyfriend at the time who I thought was the love of my life.  And, up until that time, he was.  But not too long after school was out that summer that guy went and broke my little ole heart.  I was devastated.  In my heartbreak, I think I got rid of every picture of him and me that I had.  I kept these though.  They are the good ones.  My friends.  These ladies were my best girlfriends throughout high school - and while I have only kept in touch with two of them.  They definitely made high school fun and memorable.  I will always look back and have sweet memories because of these ladies.

This one is the big group.  We were definitely a fun group!

Now these girls.  They were my sisters.  We hung out every weekend night and lots of weeknights as well.  I consider myself blessed to have known them and to have been friends with them throughout high school.  Maybe someday, we'll all get together again.  
Considering this was 1999, I think we all looked pretty classy.  I don't see any big regrets in any of our dresses, I still love the dress that I wore.  I don't know if it's still hanging up in the closet in my dad's basement or not, but that dress was by far, the best dress I ever owned.  :)
I hope you'll link up and share some of your old high school dance/prom/homecoming photos, I cannot wait to read everyone's blog who links up.  Going back in time is fun - sometimes!!

Five on Friday

I’m linking up today with the good life blog and about a zillion other bloggers for 5 on Friday!  It’s my favorite linkup!

One

                I got off my butt this week and did Days 1 & 2 of Couch to 5k.  I started on Wednesday and I plan to do these runs on Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays through next week, then hopefully kick it up a notch and just go every other day.  I need to complete the training by November 2^nd, which will be my first official race.  My husband and two neighbor friends and I are all doing the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon’s 5k.  Someday maybe I’ll do that half marathon, but for now, just focusing on the 5k. 

Two

                Sleep has improved since Tuesday night.  THANK GOODNESS!  Cooper is still waking up in the middle of the night, I cannot figure out why and what to do about it, so I suppose we’ll just continue doing what we’re doing.  Katy has been sleeping much better also, so that’s a blessing!

Three

                My best friend Erica and her partner and my good friend Mel, completed their cross country journey on their bicycles!  Click here to read their day by day journey!  Tonight is the Raise the Roof fundraiser for the Looking Out Foundation.  This is who Erica and Mel were raising money for on their journey.  They are going to be speaking about their journey and their fundraising efforts tonight.  I cannot attend in person, but I did donate enough money to be able to stream the event live tonight!  I’m looking forward to hearing what these awesome ladies have to say!  I am SO PROUD OF THEM!!!

Four

                This weekend should be fairly low key and that is exciting!  I’m taking my kiddos to the children’s museum with my friend Shannon and her kids, and Tim is umpiring a couple of games on Sunday.  Other than that, we’ve got zero plans, woo hoo!

Five

                Katy.  She is so happy, and she brings me such great joy!  I’m so blessed and I thank God each and every day for her and her brother.  But look at this face!  Isn’t she just precious?!?

Happy Weekend Everyone!!!

Five on Friday

It’s Friday!  Yay!  I’m linking up with the fine ladies above for 5 on Friday!

1)   I’m nearly halfway finished with my last day of my first week back to work!  That makes me smile.  That means in about 5 hours, I get to see my babies for two whole days straight!

 

2)    I joined Weight Watchers again as I mentioned the other day, and BAM, since Tuesday I’m down 1.5 lbs.  It could be a fluke, but we’ll see how it goes.  I got my starting weight first thing in the morning and weight myself this morning first thing, on the same scale, so there may actually be progress already!  Since Weight Watchers (and a lot of walking/running) are how I lost weight last year, I figured I’d better bite the bullet to get this baby weight off!

3)  These two.  I can hardly believe how much they look alike.  These pictures were taken at almost the same age, Both of them were almost 12 weeks in these pictures.  If you follow me on Instagram, I apologize, you've already seen this picture.

4)   Meal Plan Mondays should be coming back to this blog again shortly.  Tim and I started a meal plan for my first week back at work, and it was successful, so here’s to meal planning consistently!

5)   I’m exhausted. Like completely exhausted.  While I’m thrilled to have made it through the work week, I cannot wait to get some sleep this weekend.  Weekends mean that I can either take a nap or hubby will probably let me sleep in or cross your fingers, BOTH!  I knew it would be tough getting back into the routine with getting up in the middle of the night with the baby, but it’s the nightly chores and the total lack of relaxation that are getting to me!!!  This e-card pretty much sums up how I’m feeling this week.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and are able to enjoy these last weekends of summer weather, I’m hoping we’ll be able to have a dip in the pool!  Happy Fridays folks!

Who Are YOU? Part Dos….

 

I’m linking up with Kimmy again today for her Who are you series.  Link up and tell us about YOU!

If you could have three wishes, what would you wish for?

• That all of my friends and family and their friends and family and the rest of the world would get to know and believe in Jesus.
• Health and happiness for my entire family and all of my friends.
• To have enough $$ to not worry about the small things and enough so that my kids could attend college without piles of debt.

What is your dream job, and why? –

I have two…..

To be a stay at home mom and to be able to volunteer time to a children’s hospital.  I always wanted to be a SAHM until I had Cooper, then I changed my mind and loved that I worked and was a mom, and now, all I want is to be at home with my kids.  If I could stay at home, I’d also like to volunteer time to a children’s hospital where I could bring some sunshine to children who were having a rough time.

To own and operate our own bakery or diner/bakery.  I love to bake.  It’s one of my favorite pastimes and Tim loves to be a short order cook.  So, we could do just a bakery or a diner/bakery and we’d both have our dream jobs.

What are 5 passions you have?

Jesus
My family
Friends
Baking
Saving $

List 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.

• Jesus – Obviously the greatest influence in my life.  He laid down his life to save all of us.  What greater influence could there ever be?
• My mom – She loves deeply and has shown me the mother I want to be, the person I want to be and what it means to be amazing.
• My dad – He’s one of the smartest people I know.  He has rules for everything (wonder where I got that?  from this guy).  He was a tough dad who expected perfection and showed me what it meant to never give up.
• My husband – He teaches me about life, love and marriage on a daily basis.  Having this man in my life has made me happier than I could have ever expected.
• My grandfather (dad’s dad) – This man has taught me about hard work, about politics, about bowling, about so many things, his work ethic is undeniable and I hope that I can always make him proud.
• My grandmother (mom’s mom) – She has influenced me to want to make the best mac and cheese around, just like her!  No but really – my grandma is the best.  She has always made me feel special.  As a child, she took me shopping for each birthday and she always made sure Christmas’s were special by giving me a special porcelain doll.  I have so much I could say about my grandma.  I love her so much.
• My grandfather (mom’s dad) – My grandpa.  He passed away when I was a senior in high school, but I will never forget him, his teasing or his love of ketchup and donuts.  He was such a special man.  I remember him taking me to feed the calves on his farm when I was little.  He helped cut my hand out of the back of my dad’s truck when I got it stuck as a child.  He taught me about IU basketball and tractors. 
• Erica (my BFF) – Erica has been in my life since my freshman year of college – she is like my sister and has taught me so much about patience.  She’s about as laid back as they come and I’m about as type A as they come – her influence in my life taught me how to chill out and I thank her so much for that.
• Cooper – My little guy influences my life so much.  He makes me want to be a better mom/person on a daily basis.  He is such a sweetie with such a crazy side and I just cannot help wanting to be better because of him.
• Kate – Even though she’s only 10 weeks old, she’s already brought so much joy to my life.  She influences me to calm down and know that I’m not in control.  This little gal takes hours to get all of her burps out after she takes her bottle – with many screams and tears in between (I’ll let you decide who screams and who has the tears, lol).  I’ve learned through her that I just have to take it easy and realize that she’s going to do things on her own time and that I’m not in control.

Describe your most embarrassing moment.

This is tough for me.  I honestly cannot think of a terribly embarrassing moment.  Maybe that’s because I don’t let things bother me forever.  One time that I can think of that I was embarrassed that Stephanie still teases me about today, is when we were playing Blurt as a family and I couldn’t think of a cow.  She had to literally say “Emily – MOOOOO” before I realized the word I needed to blurt out was cow.  I’m sure there are other embarrassing moments, like the one at my surprise sprinkle when I ran Aly over to get to Holly, but you can read and see that video here…..

Who Are YOU? Part Uno…..

List 20 random facts about yourself.

1. I love peanut butter.  Especially with chocolate.

2. I used to despise the color pink.  Now, I kind of like it.  Like a lot.

3. I have rules.  For everything.  If you don’t follow my rules, known or unknown to you, it drives me crazy. 

4. I LOVE the Indiana State Fair.  I love the 17 days in August when the fair is going on and I itch to go each year. 

5. I do not have a green thumb, therefore the flowers that you’ll see around my house are those that require zero attention.

6. Spreadsheets are my favorite.

7. I Love Jesus.

8. Movie theater popcorn makes me smile.

9. The remnants of chocolate chip pancakes on this face make my world brighter.

10. Couponing used to be one of my favorite hobbies.  I’ve gotten away from it, and I miss it.

11. I have about 10 home projects that are in my head that I need to start on or finish and I just have no motivation/time.

12. I love to shop.

13. We keep our house pretty cool in the summer, just so that we can put blankets on when watching tv.

14. I really dread going back to work, this time off with my babies has been wonderful.

15. Baking is an obsession.  If I could bake everyday I probably would.

16. I cannot stand whining.

17. I have a love/hate relationship with our dishwasher.

18. I never wear sleeveless tops outside my house. 

19. I’m a little biased, but my Cooper is THE smartest almost 4 year old I’ve ever met.

20. A bed that has been made up in a clean room is a beautiful sight to me.

Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears

1. I am afraid of riding in a truck and falling off of a cliff.  I had a recurring dream when I was a child that I was riding in a truck with my dad and we fell off of a cliff.  It made me deathly afraid of this happening, I’m still afraid of it to this day.

2. My child/children being kidnapped scares the crap out of me.  The constant news of children being taken from their parents is why this became a fear of mine.

3. My house burning down because I’ve left the clothes dryer on when I’m not at home.  This fear originated from my mother as a child, she mentioned it once and I’ve been a little nervous about it since.  Not afraid enough to not let it happen, but it is always in the back of my mind.

Describe your relationship with your spouse.

My relationship with Tim is wonderful.  We communicate well, whether it be good or bad things.  We have fun together, and we help each other.  He makes me laugh.  We take care of each other.  We have our ups and downs, like any other relationship, but we have more ups than downs and it takes work, and its totally worth it.

List 10 things you would tell your 16 year-old self, if you could.

In no particular order…..

• High school boyfriends are really not that important.

• It doesn’t matter what kind of car that you have, at least you have one.

• Brand name clothing doesn’t matter.

• When you are a senior, you’re going to quit all sports and dance – DON’T!

• CHERISH PEOPLE, NOT STUFF.

• Don’t take your parents for granted.  LISTEN to them!

• Spend as much time with your grandparents as you can.  They won’t be around forever.

• Target will still be your favorite store when you are 32, so enjoy working there while you can!

• Get move involved in church!

• Save more and spend less.
  

What are the 5 things that make you most happy right now?

Sticking with “Things” and not people…..

1. Our new refrigerator
2. Our new stove/oven
3. Pandora Radio
4. Brooks Running shoes
5. Mistresses (TV Show)

Whoa!  That’s a long post, I cannot wait to linkup for the rest of these, that was fun!  Happy Friday folks!

SWW

I haven’t participated in a So What Wednesday linkup in a while, so I figure it’s about time that I do.

This week, I’m saying so what…..

……… if the day after we go to purchase a new refrigerator our oven dies and we have to go buy a new oven also.  Home ownership is awesome.  On the positive side, I get a new convection oven and a French door fridge like I’ve wanted for such a long time!  These bad boys will be delivered sometime this week!

……… if I didn’t stay off of my foot as much as I should have over the past week after my surgery.  It’s pretty impossible with a 3.5 year old, a baby and a husband.

……… if I’m obsessed with taking comparison pictures of my two babies.  I just cannot help it.  I want to see how much they look alike.

……………if I just downloaded pictures from Cooper’s school play in APRIL…. Anywho, here is a video from his play.  He’s cute, I’m a bad videographer, I cannot keep the camera steady.

………if I’m already looking up family picture ideas for our family pictures this year.  We won’t get them taken until mid October, but I’m already obsessing about colors of clothing, poses and how to mesh all of us and make it make sense. 

…….if I’m also thinking about Christmas cards.  Yes, I KNOW it’s only July, but I’m trying to decide how to incorporate all of us into a card this year.  The Bram Fam with the Johnsons?  Separate pictures but still on the card?  All the same picture?  Just the Johnson’s on the card this year?  I SERIOUSLY need opinions.  Since Steph and Ryan got married, we’ve always just had them on our card, and in our pictures, but how many years do we do this?  Does it make sense to continue this practice?  HELP!

What are you saying So What! to this week?  Link up with Shannon and tell us!!