This and that

(Snow boots after shoveling...I'm still sore.)

(Tired Ellie)

Life is busy for sure, we've got a lot of fun things happening this month, and it's fun, although

I would like a little more energy for it all. Today we decorated for Valentine's Day, we used my Cricut and cut out kissy lips, and hearts and put them up all over the house. Calvy said that we needed to cover the whole house, I told him that would be too much, he said "that's fine just use all your paper right here."

Things are going great, time just seems to just slip away, and I'm not sure how to break away from the movies...it's a great sitter when you don't feel good. Ellie is sick today, just a fever and boogers, she keeps telling me that different things are in her throat. "There's eggs in my froat" (we had eggs for breakfast) "There's a frog in my froat"

Some other fun things the kids are saying:

Talking about Nixon:(on a not so good day)

M: "He's annoying"

C: "Ya, why did we pay for that dog?"

*We don't normally talk about Nixon that way, we do love him, it was an off day.

C: "Boo-yah. Mom, Vance says Boo-yah."

M: "you're crazy."

C: "No, I'm cool"

M: "Oh sorry."

C: "it's okay."

Ellie:

"Oh, I can't believe it!"

While holding the scriptures:

"An it came to pass and the Lord. The end, now go to bed."

I put some jam on her toast this morning and she said "Iss yummy bue berry jammas."

Next on my list, turn off the T.V. make these, and this but probably end up eating this and kiss these, comfort this and spank this ;0) (j/k).

Have a grrrreat day!

-Keara

Somebody needs to start making some snow cones

So I got over my mastitis, and it was all because of my amazing friends and my wonderful, too good for words husband. I made it through the weekend, then Monday I felt a sore spot again....oh boy. It was not bad though, I was able to function, I wasn't stuck in bed, just a little tired and achey. I am feeling better today just in time for the STORM...literally not figurative. ;0)

We had some insane stormin yesterday and through the night. We woke up to several feet of snow in our back yard. It was so fun. Alan and I made a pact last night that we would get up eat breakfast and get dressed as fast as we could so we could get out and play in the snow with the kids. We totally did it. It was so fun, we played outside for at least 2 hours. The kids were frozen so Alan took them for a little ride around the neighborhood, Alan really wanted to put his truck into 4 wheel drive. I'm pretty sure Alan had much more fun than the children, although I do think they enjoyed the warm car. I stayed out and video taped and ran/jumped through the snow. It really was a workout trying to get around outside. Our neighbor upstairs had to go to work and his car was literally buried in a wall of snow, so we had 2 snow throwers out there and a shovel and a windshield scraper. I manned the scraper, Ryan(our upstairs neighbor) manned the shovel, Alan had a snow thrower and our other neighbor Gigi had his snow thrower, and we dug that car out. Alan and Gigi had to give a few big pushes to get him going but once he got to the hospital roads he was good. I am so thankful for a snow day, it's nice to have a husband around...except when he's out trying to get our snow thrower fixed so he can dig my van out of the garage. ;0)

That is one thing I have learned to love about the snow, it provides great opportunity for service.

After playing I made grilled cheese (with muenster, mmmm so good) with tomato soup and home made hot cocoa. We thought the snow play would have pooped the kids, but it didn't so we are headed for some more snow fun down and Duck Creek Park for some Sledding down "the big hill".

These are the children before we went out...well 2 of them, Caleb slept.

(I think she knew what was coming)

"Um actually I need my pants on"

(Calvy definitely knew what was coming)

"So why do you have to have crazy hair when you are sick?"

I had to PUSH the door open, and that's about as far as it would go.

Everything seemed fine.....

This is what happened after Alan through Calvy in the snow, he landed in it as if it were a cloud.

This is what happened when Ellie was thrown into the snow, she landed as if in a cloud, but al little snow got into her face and she tried to get it out, but her hands were buried so when she put her hands to her face a pile of snow came with it and covered her entire face. Not a fun way to start our snow day.

This is Ellie after her second face plant, this one she did all on her own.

Alan pretending to be stuck.

Ellie waiting for Daddy to get the keys to the truck. She was VERY patient and very good.

I have never seem so much snow in my life.

The front.

Some REALLY awesome neighbors plowing our street.

The back...buried!

Some funny things Calvy and Ellie have said today.

C- "It says to go to the blues 'S'(while looking at his compass) Hey, come on Ellie. Get on movin!"

M- "Hey, you need to talk to her a little nicer."

C- "Get on movin Ellie"(in a nicer tone)

C- "His name is Soskee."

M- "I think it's Soske' like Nacho Libre', Soske' "

C- "No, it's Soske' like Aladar, Soskee."

E- "Dese not yours. Dese mine, dese my binkies"

D- "yes Ellie, they're yours. I know."

E- "You can't have them, dese mine binkies"

Playing house:

C: "It's your Birthday Ellie...it's your Birthday Sissy"

E: "I not Sissy, my name Mommy. I Mom."

C: "Oh, it's your Birthday Mommy."

I love seeing my babies grow, it amazes me to think that they are mine, that I get to love on them as much as I want. I am so grateful for the blessing of being a Mother and being able to stay home with them. I would eat boiled beans and tuna gravy on toast and boxed mac and cheese if that's what I had to do to stay home and teach my babies. I am grateful for a mother who did that for me and my siblings. I am grateful for trials, for the opportunity to change perspective and gain insight.

I love my family and I love the Lord.

Loved: Filling my family's tummies with warm home-cooked goodness.

Not so much loved: Hm....getting upset with Alan for not having magic powers to remove the snow quicker. :)

GIVEAWAY: I am cutting the drawing off on Valentine's Day, so be sure to secure your entry, "like it, follow it, comment" Here's a link to the post you must comment on.

Good luck!

-Keara

Giveaway!!!!!

It's Giveaway Time!!!

I finally got my vinyl!!! Yay!!!

I am going to give a 10-20 letter phrase (ie: quote, names etc.) depending upon the size, or 1-2 characters or outlines depending upon the size. The font, color and/or character options will be given to the winner of the drawing. Ok, the drawing. In order to have your name put into the drawing you need to become a follower of Gimme a "B" and a fan of Gimme a"B" on facebook. I have a button for both. You will also have to leave a comment on this post, letting me know you've done both,.

Re-cap: "follow" it, "like" it then comment.

I will put your name into a hat(or bowl) and my cutie Calvy will pick the name, it might even be yours! So..."follow" it, "like" it and comment on this post.

Good Luck!

Just a few things

"In His selfless plan, the Lord doeth nothing save it be for the benefit of the children of men”

-Elder Neal A Maxwell (1926-2004)

(Listening to Mindy, fell asleep, watching Word Girl & beautiful bright happy Tulips!)

As most of you FB friends know, I have mastitis again. Bummer....

I am feeling much better and look forward to those days where I feel 100% yet again.

Things I look forward to...

Running on the treadmill

Taking my children to the museum

Brushing me my teeth

Not cringing when my kids want to sit on my lap

Wearing a bra again. *wink

Making dinner

Change diapers

Get my kids and myself dressed

Doing the loads of laundry piling up in my basement

The Mommy/wife stuff

Things I am grateful for...

Great friends and clean dishes, they go hand-in-hand lately

Clean house

Dinner(made by awesome friends)

Great advice and help(friends)

My amazing family!

My Heavenly Father who never ceases to send me His little love notes.

This gospel.

Picking his nose at the ward Christmas Party

End of our Birthday endeavors, light up super hero shoes "These shoes make me run SUPER fast" -Calvy

Showing off their presents from Geoffrey Giraffe

My cute husbands subtle funny faces.

Grandkids picture time, that was an ordeal...for sure. Oh boy doesn't that grass and sunshine look nice.

Loving his Daddy just before bed

The beginnings of our sweet snowman. I'll have to post a pic of what he looks like currently.

Girls dinner at Pei Weis (I love that restaurant) with my sweet new sister!

Ellie eating more muddy buddies than any person ever should, Christmas day.

Other fun things.

Calvy made a robot picture at a friends house and named him Konkit, he carries markers and toilet paper and poops toys.

I miss my Arizona family, and the Arizona sunshine.

Trying to love snow and cold.....still trying.

Like: Being sweet to my children

Dislike: Not being so sweet to my children. ;0(

Be grateful!

-Keara

Conversations

It is no secret that I love Nie Nie, and I read her blog quite often. There is something new out there that Alan and I are really into, it's call Conversations on the Mormon Channel. There is a conversation with Stephanie and her Husband Christian, and it has inspired this post.

she said that she gets frustrated with mothers sometimes and wishes she could just shake them to help them realize all that they have. I think I would probably be one of those moms that she would like to shake, so I want to change that.

I have been pretty complainy about my life lately, Alan and I lead pretty busy lives right now. I have a demanding calling at times and Alan now has patients in the clinic that take time and a lot of effort, and it's tough. My biggest complaint has been my children, that they don't allow me to get things done, or that they make things hard, but what I miss the most is my time with my Alan and I think I may have been taking it out on my sweet, little beautiful precious babies. I just want to take a minute to tell you about my amazing children. I will start with Ellie today, she is a ball of energy and with that comes a LOT of chaos, but a lot of hugs and kisses. I love doing the dishes and having her run up and slam her whole body into the back of my legs, I don't know what I would do if I didn't have that any more. She is also very sweet and very tender and just wants a whole lot of love and attention.

Caleb is just a little love ball, he smiles and laughs and looks for me all day. Tonight after I nursed him, while they others were in bed, we just lay on my bed in the dim light and looked a each other, he would lean in and suck on my nose or my shoulder. I couldn't get over how much he just loved me, that he truly just loves me, he doesn't care what I looked like or smelt like or how clean my bedroom was(or was not) he just loved me, for me.

Calvin, what can you say about sweet Calvin. He is incapable of hating, it is not in his nature to hold a grudge or to stay mad or to even be mean. He loves everyone and he shows that. Today he came up to me and lay his head on my shoulder and told me he loved me.

I was hit with a realization today, that my children just want me, they don't want the me that has a perfect house or perfect children or this amazing sense of style or class, or who is just like "the person down the street who has perfect everything," they just want me and that's not only enough, that is perfect.

Nie Nie said something in her conversation about just being you and not competing with your SIL and neighbors, and to just be happy with who you are, to love you, imperfections and all. So here is my goal, my New Years Resolution, to love me. I want to go to bed every night and be able to say that I truly love myself, an dI mean really love myself, being able to see my imperfections and accept myself with all of them, and a way I decided might help is to point out two things each day, one thing that I did that I loved and one that I didn't and at the end of it be ok with both.

So...

Love: Threw a baby shower for a good friend.

Didn't: That I beat myself up for not being as good as someone else.

I hope you take a moment (or an hour) and listen to her conversation, or any of the others, we are working our way down the list. They are always inspiring and leave me a better person than when I started. I am grateful for a good husband who suggested listening to a conversation rather than watching a movie tonight, I love you Alan.

I sincerely hope you have a good day or a good night, and that you remember who you are and all who love you, the real you.

-Keara

P.S. just some pics of some of the centerpieces I did for a R.S. Function.

(Love my Calvy)