Red Heart with Love Giveway!!

Who loves Red Heart Yarns?  I for one do, and use it 98% of the time for my projects.  Their latest Yarn, called, "With Love" is super soft and you will love it, so check out the link below to enter for a 3 skein giveaway. 


http://www.allfreecrochet.com/sweeps/Red-Heart-with-Love-Yarn-Giveaway

Fall is Upon Us!!

Aiden had his 6th Birthday this month!  He was so excited about his party.  We had his special dinner on his actual birthday, then his party on the following Sunday.  You can see some pictures above...one from his "dinner" one from the party he had at school, then his party pictures.  He loved all his gifts, and you can see I DID finish the Mario afghan on time!!!  Just barely.  I finished it the morning of his party.  It is really huge!!!  I will probably post a better picture another time. 

Halloween was super fun!!!  WE carved pumpkins Sunday and they all came out really nice, probably our best ones so far.  WE actually started earlier in the day and took our time, instead of rushing like we usually do because we wait so long.  Aiden got a lot of candy!!  enough for everyone.  LOL  He dressed up as an astronaut!!  Story on that costume!  that was a very thick, really nice costume.  This past weekend we went to the Kansas Cosmophere and Space Center with Aiden's dad.  He wanted to go get some coffee, so Aiden and I made a detour into the gift shop.  They had some costumes like this, one was a thin, cheap one.....well cheap for them, they had listed in it, $29.99 for the thin one.  The thick one like the one Aiden is wearing?  They had it listed for $59.99.  I kid you not!!!!  Guess how much I paid for the costume with the boots?  $8.00 at a local DAV.  I had gone in there to look for some Halloween decorations for outside, and came upon that costume and Aiden wanted it so bad.  It needed to have one of the straps tacked back up, but other than that, no holes, rips, or stains!!!  I did purchase the space helmet at the Party City store for $16.  Still very cheap!  

I am so glad Fall is upon us!!  I found this leaf cup last month and bought it!! I have snowman for the winter.  I even saw Halloween ones at Wal-Mart, but they were chipped and not even on clearance!!  

Hanging in There

I will be getting out the pattern for October very soon!!  I am getting it tested.  I have to say I really like this pattern.  I didn't start it until just the other day.  It's been a busy couple of months.  I am waiting for the time when I can say it's slowing down. 

I am sick!  It's either bad allergies or a nasty cold..the only difference in why I think it might be a bad case of allergies, is that my nose is not stuffy! Anyway I am hoping to get some allergies medicine soon.  I have been putting off getting more and I am paying for it. 

Boys are doing good.  Last Saturday we went to Worlds of Fun.  I thought Aiden would be scared of some of the rides......I knew he would not want to go on any roller coasters, but some of the rides I thought would scare him didn't!!!  I had more fun just watching him have fun.  His face just lit up!!!  The smiles, the laughs, the excitement in each step he took........I really enjoyed that.  AJ rode a lot of the roller coasters with Brett, I stay away from them........don't like them, and they feel like they are breaking my back. 

They are doing well in school.  AJ is taking Robotics after school.  His algebra teacher recruited him.  He is really enjoying that and I can't wait to see what his group comes up with.  Aiden "loves" doing his homework.  LOL........I am wondering in what grade that will change!!  He keeps teasing me about being in high school!! 

I am working on Aiden's Mario afghan, need to get busy on it.  I have 5 strips done, 70 squares done, so only 182 more squares to go.  LOL luckily each square only takes me about 5 or so minutes to do. 

Update with some pictures

My mom and dad had birthdays back in July...so I wanted to make them something as well as buy them something.  I made that 50s doll for my mom (obviously) LOL and she loved it which I knew she would.  She loved poodle skirts and even had some.

The car was done for my dad and is pretty big......I took my time with both of these as well......I was happy to have the car done.  He loved it as well.

Above is some of the projects I have been working on. I just started the Mario afghan, this one will take 253 squares.....I am doing them different.  The lady who did the original afghan, did regular granny squares, I am doing a different square, just DCs all around.  I wanted it to be warm and free of too many "holes"  I am making it as one of his birthday gifts..his birthday is in less than a month.  So one strip at a time...there is no way I am putting 253 squares together at once.  Each strip has 14 squares across.  So I do a block of colors and sew that onto the existing trips and so on.  It makes it much easier.  I also finished Aiden's colorful afghan....he was so happy it was done.  Crappy picture.......but this afghan is huge!!!  All the squares are my own design.  I did graduation dolls earlier this year, one I love, the other I don't like at all. Will not

I love Halloween!!!  You might think that skeleton was hard, but it was actually very easy and worked up fast.  The pumpkin tea set took a bit longer, but not by much. I worked on it and the skeleton about a week.  I alternated between the two so I would not get bored.  Hanging ghost is for a swap and the mummy is one I tested for Alisha a couple of months ago.

My little Aiden is sick........it started Sunday morning, he was complaining of his throat hurting...it just got worse as the day went on.  I didn't plan on keeping him home from school.....but he coughed all night and I kept him home and about an hour after I called the school, he got a fever....so he would have been sent home anyway.  

I got AJs first progress report........WOW is he doing good.  He is taking chinese.  Which everyone said was hard...but so far he loves it and is getting an A in the class.  He is also taking JRROTC and he looks so handsome in his uniform!!!  

I REMEMBER!

Do you remember what you were doing that day?  I remember it well......AJ was 4 years old and we had errands to run.  So we never turned on the tv, just got ready and out the door we went.  I know I was aggravated that there was no music playing, every radio station was talk.....and I didn't stop to listen, just complained to myself on why no music was playing.....I was rushed, I wanted to get my errands done before traffic picked up, before others were rushing around to do their errands too.  I wanted to get home and spend some time with AJ, probably crochet a bit too.  I also had to hurry because I had to work that night at Best Western.  We stopped to get lunch, and that is when I heard about it......we picked up our food and left instead of eating it there as we planned......I drove home feeling ashamed of myself for rushing through my day......for not stopping to listen.....for not realizing that if every radio station was talking.......then they  MUST be talking about something important.  I immediately turned on the tv, and started to cry....it didn't take long!!  It was horrifying!!  It was heart wrenching...and having to go to work that night was hard.......it was so quiet there......I just wanted to be home with my family.  We received a few calls from people complaining about their flights being cancelled and how they had to get a reservation....I wanted to leave!  Luckily they made us all go home.  WE all knew nothing was ever going to be the same.  You just looked at everything and everyone differently.  I didn't have the usual thoughts in my head that I usually did......The only thoughts I had were about those people on the planes........those people in the towers, those people outside the towers watching in horror.........those family members watching and listening to this all going on and knowing a loved one was there.  The people who worked at the Pentagon, their loved ones watching that as well.  Then the passengers on flight 93......who had known what had happened already.......I sit here and cry thinking of all of them, thinking of all of us here.............how our life has changed because of this........I can't breathe or see because I am crying too much, too hard, and then I think to myself that I can't even begin to come close to what those people on that day who were directly in the path of all this.......how can any of us not there imagine......we can only imagine what we might be thinking in that situation........or if we had loved ones there.......and that thought is just too much to think.......but we think it anyway, because we are human and we can't help it!  I am so PROUD of everyone who was involved that day and the days, weeks, months, years, and many more to come.  YOU risked your lives and some gave up/lost their lives.  Doing what??? HELPING and GIVING HOPE to those who needed it most that day.  I AM PROUD of the strangers who lent a helping hand, a helping shoulder, and even both hands to hold them in the destruction.  Who found someone they didn't know, who was stuck, or who was trying to get out too........and they comforted them......stood by them........made sure they were not alone.........they did that not only for a stranger they didn't know...but for themselves too......because they needed that comfort too, they needed that hand to hold, that shoulder to lean on.........that comfort of knowing they were not alone.  It is hard to see through my tears as I type this........I know my words echo much of what millions think and have said.........I know that no one will ever forget that day..........That day, those people, the heroes.........the whole world.......DESERVE respect.......DESERVE that same comfort, DESERVE to have everyone remember that day, and give that same comfort to someone in need.

I was watching one of the specials on the History Channel today about the attacks on 09-11-2001.  I was listening to survivors and family members of those who did not make it......I was crying so much........I couldn't stop.  My little Aiden was playing with his legos on the floor and he got up, climbed up on my lap and snuggled up against me.....he stroked my cheek, patted my shoulder....he never said a word.......he just gave me what I really needed....his love, comfort and his hug.  He kissed me.  That moment is one I WILL NEVER FORGET either.  NEVER! I went into AJs room and hugged him, told him how much I loved him.  I am incredibly grateful that I have my family.  You all should be grateful of yours as well.. I am sure we all are, but lets try harder to not let everyday life and stress get to us so much that we forget what is MOST IMPORTANT in our lives.  FAMILY AND FRIENDS.  BE PROUD OF WHO YOU ARE, BE PROUD OF BEING AN AMERICAN.  If there is something in this world you don't like........want to change?  STOP.....first lets change ourselves and how we think........then maybe the other things will start to change or seem less important in our minds.  

 

Been Awhile for a Regular ol Post!!

Well I know it's been awhile!!!  So here is a normal, everyday post!!!  (With pics)

My mom recently had a birthday in July.  She loves Purses, so Aiden helped me make this purse cake.  

Her gifts

My best friend came in from Alaska, and this is her son, Nathaniel, Timmy, my nephew Dylan, and my two boys, Aiden and AJ, all trying to pose like the statue.

Stephanie and her family

We braved the very hot temps to go to the zoo. 

I got this great shot of Aiden and me.  Nowadays he leans towards making funny faces in pictures. 

How friggin cute is this?  Aiden with his cousin, Dylan

All 3 of us.  AJ is out of town.

AJ is in Indiana at a gaming convention, he will be home Monday night.  We sure do miss him, but he is having fun.  It has been such a busy summer for us.......always on the go. I finally got the boys enrolled in school.  Aiden in kindergarten, and AJ in high school!!!!  The supply list for Aiden is a bit upsetting.  10 items, but those 10 items will cost a lot.  Only two things are school related. Crayons and glue sticks.  The rest are different kinds of wipes, tissues, and ziplock bags in 3 different sizes.  I don't blame the teachers or staff, but I do blame the economy.  (if you can blame it) as well as the city and school board.  Not enough money is going into our schools and that leaves teachers, staff, and parents to pick up the tab!!  Our children will suffer if they continue to make so many cuts.  I don't understand how our city has billions to loan out to companies who are facing bankruptcy, or want to either improve/update, or remodel their business........how??  Yet they claim there is not enough money for schools.  Teachers are getting laid off.  AJs middle school lost 8 teachers!!! How do they justify the loss of 8 teachers in a Middle school?!

Anyway they start in about 2 weeks.  AJ says he is not nervous about going into high school (I AM)  Aiden is excited!!  I am wondering how he will handle the all day kindergarten.  

My nephew, Dylan is with us from Texas, he got here the 7th of July.  He has certainly been a handful.  WE have enjoyed him being here.......very much so, but like most boys he goes from 0 to 100 within seconds.  

He will be going home in about a week.  We will miss him, but hopefully see them Thanksgiving.  

I took Dylan and Aiden swimming today......our heat has just been awful!!!  Triple digits for over 42 days straight now.  We FINALLY got some rain the other night, but ended up with a lot of damage,  Our utility room started to flood just about, we had water pouring in from the windows, from the roof, our back storm door was pulled off the hinges and bent, our back porch railing was ripped off.  Ugh!!!  I spent the whole next day cleaning up.  Roofer came out yesterday and found that a huge tree limb fell on our roof putting a huge hole in it.  He will be back Monday to fix it.  

Well I should get off of here and start working on Aiden's blanket. 

MEDIA!!

You know how we have a lot of misbehaved kids.......even misbehaved adults.....and who do most of society blame?  PARENTS!!  For the most part I agree, discipline starts at home, and I am not talking physical discipline.  BUT......I think the media, news stations, movies, t.v. shows play a big part in this too.  I mean what is the most popular type of shows/news on t.v. right now?  People acting out, acting like idiots, people beating each other up, people committing serious crimes......killing their children, kids cussing and doing/selling drugs at an earlier age.  Adults acting like sluts, adults acting outrageous.....and who comes to these kind of people like flies to rotten food?  THE MEDIA.....they jump on these people offer them money, put them on t.v, make movies about them, make reality shows for them.  They are glamorizing this behavior!!!  AS the public most of us are loving every minute of it.  When reality shows first hit the airwaves, I watched them.......but after they started becoming more and more about acting out and stuff, I stopped.  Look at the mother who's kid was violent in school multiple times.....and got arrested and now she is suiing the school and police?  WHY?? because she refuses to act like a mother and help her child??  she is making excuses for him, and Good Morning america puts them both on T.V.  WHY???  Whether her and her child were in the wrong, this should have not garnered the attention it did....good or bad.......GMA glamorized this by allowing these two to get on T.V. and act like even bigger idiots!!  Well the mother.......the child needed some serious help.......and why should parents get to get on TV and all of a sudden get "free" help........what about the good parents who are trying their hardest to get their children help they may need, and are turned away for lack of funds? 

We hear it a lot lately........people committing crimes so they can get sent to jail/prison and in turn get free healthcare?  I don't think prisoners should get healthcare.....not free anyway....we are paying for it through our taxes.....yet I don't have health insurance!!!  I can't afford it.....now I do have it for more kids, that is the sacrifice I make.  I shouldn't have to though........I need to be healthy for them too.  People out there have jobs with health care, but can't afford it either.....and then you have the idiots who say if you really want it for your family you will do it.......ok so what do they give up......paying rent? then they go homeless.....give up utility bills?  then they can't provide a safe home for their family.....There are things you can give up that will be hard, but not life threatening to the family or their safety, but it still remains harder and harder to survive......prices are going up up up up up......and then you have the cities who want to raise taxes because they have run out of money.(our tax money) and we have to bail them out.........yet these same officials are the ones approving the utility companies requests to raise the bills!!  Sure minimum wage went up.........but then so did the grocery bills......so did the rents.......When does it stop? 

When will cities stop using tax money frivolously, when will they stop "loaning" millions of money to businesses who want to upgrade, remodel, or "improve" their business?  When will the media stop glamorizing bad behavior......when we will we, as a society,  stop supporting this? 

It angers me, but saddens me more! 

Time is Flying

Well today was a good day, but then I started getting paperwork organized and realized how busy of a week I have.  Then I came across a paper reminding me of the Open House for AJ Friday.  For high school!!  WOW!!!  My little AJ is going to be in high school.  Where did our time go? I know that he is still only 13, but I guess 13 is not 5 anymore.....he is not my baby.  Well I tell him that he will be my baby always..Things I do with Aiden remind me of AJ and I when he was little.  Every morning Aiden will wake up and come snuggle up on my lap!!  AJ did the same when he was that age.  Aiden asks me really cute, funny questions......AJ did the same at that age.  Aiden is so open with hugs and kisses, he will snuggle a lot, he tells me how beautiful I am, how much he loves me. AJ did the same at that age, but with each year, it got less and less.  He still tells me he loves me, but not as often as I would like.  My "baby" is growing up.......and now I get to watch my baby Aiden grow up, who already tells me he is not a baby anymore.  I love my boys so much, and I want them to grow up and become amazing adults, to experience so many good things to have families, but it is hard to see it starting.  We want those things for our kids, but watching them grow up is both amazingly happy, and amazingly sad at times too.  You wonder why it moves so fast.  Can't it just slow down a bit, maybe even more than a bit.  How come the times we want to go slow, move fast, and the times we want to move fast, go slow?  This is just not fair for us!  

Aiden is doing really well in pre-k, and I am saddened a bit too that he is venturing into Kindergarten....ALL DAY TOO!!  Which again reminds me that my baby is growing up too.......I wonder how well he will like all day kindergarten.  He just had a fundraiser with school, and he did very well.  

AJ is making a high B in pre-algebra, which makes me very proud!!  I just took his instrument in to get fixed and got some estimates on getting some of the dents out and a new case.

DIET SODA INFO

Well I received an email from a Christine Seivers about my diet soda post...she sent me a link, actually here is the email she sent me.  I have gone to the link and I think it offers up some great information.  I will say that I have really slowed down my diet soda drinking.  Not that I did drink that much anyway, but I am counting calories so I am slowing down on a lot of the "other" drinks, trying to stay more with water and tea.  I don't put sugar in my tea.  I actually had a funny conversation with a friend of mine about water and tea.  He said drinking tea sugarless is not considered very good for you, he said it makes you go pee a lot.......Hmm......not sure why his dr told him that, I drink water and make many trips to the bathroom, but I have always drank iced tea and it has never made me go as often as water does.  LOL  Anyway please read the site below.  I think the Unsettling Facts really do sound legite, and we all can make up our own minds, but I think if you are going to decide to do something or not do something, you SHOULD know the facts, or what the studies do say.  I am glad Christine sent me this site, and I will certainly continue to drink less soda period.  Diet or not......I am slowing down......I read this but had already decided to slow down and hopefully stop altogether.  I don't consider myself addicted at all.....I am proud of myself for slowing down.  I even had my son drinking diet soda......which reading this makes me wonder why I didn't do my own research before deciding to allow my son to drink it.  So he doesn't now.  

Hi,

My name is Christine, and I'm writing in regards to your site. I'm currently working with Radiologytechnicianschools.net, and we recently published an article entitled "10 Unsettling Facts about Diet Soda". You can review the article here: http://radiologytechnicianschools.net/10-unsettling-facts-about-diet-soda-2/

If you find that this resource would be of interest to your audience, please feel free to share it with them at your discretion.

Either way, I'm glad to have come across your blog. If there's anything else on our site that interests you, please feel free to let me know. Thanks again for the great content!

Diet Soda causing heart attacks?? Organic food too high in price?

I heard on my local news last night that a study on drinking diet soda every day increases your risk of heart attack and strokes.  How many here drink diet soda.......do you only drink diet soda?  How much do you actually drink? 

for me I drink diet Crush, diet Mt Dew and/or Diet Rootbeer, these I found are actually pretty good, do not leave a nasty after taste.  Do I drink a ton of it?  Well depends on your definition of a ton.......LOL I know I do drink at least one a day, and sometimes two........but usually no more than two.  (most of the time)  When I go out to a restaurant, I will always drink water with my meal.  I tried to do some checking around online and found that only "small" studies were done, and none on those same effects for regular soda......why?  Why are they signaling out diet soda?  Those websites and the story on my local news did not say how or what in the soda made them come to that conclusion....and how can a "small," and short study show that it increases your risk of heart attack and strokes?  From what I have heard and read, the only thing different about diet soda is that artificial sugar.  I could be wrong...but that is just what I have heard.  If that is the case then they should be going after the artificial sugar..which can now be bought in little packages, and larger bags for baking and such.........sometimes I feel this is just another way for the government to try to control us and what we eat.  Sure some people could say that the government wants us healthy and that is why these studies exist and extra fees are being put on junk food and sodas.......BUT and this is a huge BUT........if they want us to be healthy and eat better......why is "healthy" food more money??? 

Organic foods?? sure sounds like a good thing, but again from what I have read and heard, the only difference is that they don't put all the chemicals on these foods and then slap the name "organic" on it........ok......wouldn't it be cheaper then???  Are they not saving the money by NOT having to use extra chemicals???  Remember a few years back when they said Eggs had nutritional value and were actually healthy for us....I have always known this....BUT.........I remember when that came on the news everywhere, then the price of eggs went up........The government should put a stop to these people jacking up the price when someone says healthy.  I know that some need to make a profit, but how much do they think they need when they do nothing different...........but someone on tv says it is good for us and THEN they NEED to raise the price?? 

Just like when the minimum wage goes up.........then everything else goes up in price too....so how does that pay increase help us??? 

I think the government is too busy "helping" in all the wrong places!!!  

These are just my opinions!!

6 New Patterns Posted

I have just posted 6 patterns!!  Please scroll down to view them, or check, "My Free Patterns" at the right, they will be at the top of the list.  I will still be posting the Square for February in a few hours. 

WE are getting blast of winter weather.......I was hoping for one more blast of winter before Spring came.........which the way our weather felt last week, I was sure Spring was already here.  IT is really cold out there, we had ice this morning and snow is starting to fall now. 

I helped out at the school for a couple of hours, then headed home to get ready to take my mom to the dr,  Her kidneys are messed up and it is making her blood pressure go way up.......so she is back on her Depokot and a blood pressure medicine.......she needs to fast this week then go back for blood work, which should tell them more. 

Snow No More

Create your own free collage

We got some snow last week, it really came down hard, but didn't last...this was actually a couple of weeks ago.......it started Sunday and Monday, and School got canceled Tuesday and Wednesday which made the boys very happy!!!!  The boys went sledding with their papa and AJ was walking up the hill, and Aiden came down on his sled, and slammed into AJs legs knocking him over onto his arm, he ended up pulling his shoulder out of whack......Luckily nothing broke!!!  

Happy New Year!

Well I hope you all had a great New Year.........we did here.  I think Aiden thought we were all crazy when yelling HAPPY NEW YEAR.  He laughed, so I guess we were still, "ok" in his book though. 

 Both boys enjoyed their time off from school during the holiday break.  AJ had left for Kansas City on his last day of school.  This picture above is my father with Aiden, This too was Aiden's last day, but his school was h having a math party after school.  Since I had been up at the school helping the teachers out, I told my father to take him up there, so I could clean up the house a bit and relax.  They had fun!  

This is a snowman and holiday ornament I crocheted before Christmas for our kitchen.  Both worked up quick and came out cute.

I love snowman.......I do not consider them Christmas, but winter!!  So I decorate my house with them for the Winter.  I did this one though to send off to a lady in part of a prize package.  Again this worked up really fast, and I can't remember where I got the pattern from, I have had it for about 4 years now. 

Aiden wanted these once I told them what they were, Coasters.  So I whipped them up Saturday in a few minutes.  I sure wish I could cut out perfect ovals and circles.........but I can't.......felt does not like me, so I will just blame the felt.  ;)  

My New year was spent with family and friends........we had a very yummy dinner!  Now I am ready to get back to a more normal schedule.  I put the boys to bed early today.  AJ spent the night with a friend Friday and she let them boys stay up ALL NIGHT!!  She said they were still up playing a game system at 6:30.  I told her to not let that happen again......even with it being New Years, past midnight was fine......but not that late.  When I called her the next day to pick them up to come over for dinner, it was 3:15 in the afternoon and the boys were all still sleeping!!!!  I told her to wake my son up, I don't let him sleep that late.  LOL

They didn't give me a hard time when I told them it was bedtime.  I was surprised and relieved too.  Now I am going to go enjoy my quiet evening!!