What's Up Wednesday!

Today I thought it would be fun to link up over with Shay and play along with What's Up Wednesday.

What we're eating this week...

This week has seemed a bit busy, so I've been slacking on dinners.  I made breakfast for dinner on Monday.  But who doesn't love pancakes and sausage?  ;)  Yesterday, I didn't get home until 9:00 so Dan picked up a couple pizza's for him and the kids.  Tonight we are grilling some steaks and then I'm hoping to make fajitas and stir fry this week as well.  

What I'm reminiscing about...

Days of old.  Gracie and Emma got out a box of pictures from when the kids were little.  My niece came over and us 4 girls ended up looking through them for a bit.  So fun to see pictures from the past!

  What I'm loving...

My awesome husband is making me a table for our deck!  He just has to sand it and stain it and then it's done!   I love it!!!  I had originally found a table online for $1200 and thought, "Yeah, right!"  Well, it looked basic enough, so I showed Dan a picture of it, and he made one!  I can't wait to use it!  I just have to find some chairs I like and then we can stain the table to match.  I'll be sure and post another picture when it's all done! 

I'm also loving these chocolate coconut almonds from Costco.  They need to quit selling these!  They are super addicting, and we just can't stop eating them. 

What we've been up to...

It has been grand central station around here lately.  But that's okay because things are getting done.  We had a load of logs delivered and then this week Dan had hired someone to come in and cut them up and stack them.  We no longer have to think about firewood this year and it's done come fall.  Wahoo!!!

Also, we've been having our back deck refinished.  It's getting close to being done and I can't wait to be able to use it!  The white balance on my phone must have been weird, because the wood really doesn't look this orange. 

What I'm dreading...

I need to make time here in the next couple of weeks and clean out my storage room upstairs.  It's way past time!  I store our Christmas stuff up there along with everything else that we don't use all the time.  The stuff just seems to keep accumulating, and it's time I go through and reorganize and put things aside to get rid of.  It's my biggest project and I'm not looking forward to it at all... but it's time! 

What I'm working on...

I've been working on getting the house reorganized before summer gets here.  The last thing I want to do when the nice weather gets here is to be inside.  I've currently been working in Jesse's room.  My friend came out and painted it for me.  She LOVES to paint and I don't.  She's also really good at it, so she paints and I trade her by taking family pictures for her.  Perfect solution!  Pictures of the room will be up soon!!!

What I'm excited about...

The kids have just over a month left of school.  I am so excited for them to be home and for us to be freed up to go and do things again.    

What I'm watching/reading...

We watch 19 Kids and Counting and we are anxiously waiting for the next season of Fixer Upper.  Other than that, I don't really care to watch tv.  I'd rather be reading.  I probably have 5 different books that I'm reading at the moment, but a novel is always my favorite.  The others, I can read a chapter here and there.  But with a novel,  I can hide out in the bathtub for a couple of hours and relax!

 What I'm listening to...

If I'm in my car, I am usually listening to the "Message" which is a christian music station.  If I'm playing my itunes, it can be a mix of so many different things.  When I was growing up, my Mom always listened to country music.  My Dad listened to anything other than country music.  More along the lines of Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, the Grateful Dead...  So to say that I listen to a wide variety of music is an understatement.  Haha!  Being as my kids are with me a good percentage of the time, I really try and make sure what we listen to is appropriate for all ears.  Here are a couple of my favorite songs at the moment...

Wild Child by Kenny Chesney

Shotgun Rider by Tim McGraw

Voice of Truth by Casting Crowns

What a Savior by Laura Story

He Knows My Name by Francesca Battistelli

 What I'm wearing...

The weather has been so nice here in Montana.  Everyday is different though.  Some days we can get away with short sleeve shirts and the next day it's back to a jacket.  But for it being April... there wasn't much complaining around here.  ;)

 

What I'm doing this weekend...

I don't think we have any big plans this weekend.  I need to organize the camper and get it all ready.  I meant to get to it earlier this month, but we ended up doing more things around the house instead.  

What I'm looking forward to next month...

Lots and lots of camping!!!  Letting the kids build forts in the woods and just being out and enjoying the outdoors. 

What else is new...

The kids have been out riding the horses lately.  They've actually ridden more than I have this year.  Except Jesse.  He isn't interested in horses at all.  He's been riding the cousin's 4 wheeler or shooting hoops.  He is his Daddy's son for sure!  :)

Catching Up

I have been the worst blogger lately.  I just needed a bit of a break and time to refocus on other things around the house.  I can't do it all, and sometimes, something has to hit the back burner and it seems that's where my blog has been lately.

I bought 2 new books recently.  I'm excited to spend some time on this one.

 

The other book I bought is called, "Boys should be boys: 7 Secrets to Raising Healthy Sons" by Meg Meeker. 

I'm a few chapters in and so far I'm liking it.  After I'm done reading about how to raise my son.  I'm going to invest in one about raising my daughters.  Raising my kids is the biggest and most important job I have right now, I want to do my best and try and do it right. 

One of Mom's cows calved last week and had twins.  Emma wanted to watch them being born, as she's always missed it by just a minute or two in the past.

She had fun and enjoyed it, even though you couldn't tell by the expression on her face!  Hahaha!  Life on the farm...

The weather has been so incredibly nice that we've been able to get outside and get quite a bit of stuff done.  It feels so good to get a head start on the yard work for the year.

Saturday afternoon after working outside all day, Dan and I met up with my sisters & brother-in-laws and had an early dinner.  We were just missing my brother and his wife. 

 

We had the steak dinner and as good as it was... these were even better!  Yum!!!

One of the things that I love the most about this nice weather is the way it draws the kids back outside to play.  After a long winter inside, I love looking around the yard and seeing signs of the kids outside.  Even if they do leave a mess wherever they go. 

By the way, did you know that the "swim noodles" aren't only good for swimming, but also for fights around the yard.  I think my kids use them for "war" more than they do for swimming.  ;)

My boys

I finished out the evening last night by the fire.  Alone at the fire with my kindle, and an ice tea was a perfect way to end the weekend!

And a s'more.  Gracie thought I needed one...  I think I did!  :)

Hope you all had a great weekend!  

A weekend of basketball

Wow!  What a weekend!  To say that we're all tired today would be an understatement.  Here's a picture that best describes our entire weekend!

 

 Yes, that's all we did all weekend!

Gracie and my niece had a basketball tournament on Saturday and Sunday.  The tournament took place in a town about 70 miles away from us, so we put in some driving time this weekend as well.  Did I mention that we are tired!  ;)

This girl of mine played her heart out.  She's loves playing and is constantly trying to improve herself.  I'm excited for her to attend a couple of basketball camps this summer.  We play a lot of different schools that seem to have a lot more experience than us and some of the girls she plays are taller than I am, and I'm not short!  So with her being on the smaller side, she is learning that she is having to get more aggressive.  I love watching her fight for the ball.  I also love that she's not a quitter.  She is determined and head strong... always has been.  It can sometimes be hard as a parent when you are trying to raise a child who is head strong, but the older she gets, the more I see how those quality's are going to help her in life.  

Source

I saw this picture on Pinterest and I'm thinking, it would be fun to order Gracie this necklace with her jersey number on it, for her birthday here in a couple months.  Isn't it fun?! 

I hope you all had a great weekend!

Checking in and sharing some books.

I just wanted to check in and let you know that I'm still around.  Life has been busy lately and even though it's been busy... I haven't had much to write about that's very interesting.  My niece and nephew have been staying with us for the last week and we've been hanging out and having fun.  I've been terrible and haven't taken many pictures lately.  I took a couple quick pictures of the kids on Easter looking for eggs, but I didn't even attempt to take any "nice" pictures of them all dressed up.  It seems, we've been running from one thing to the next.

People had always told me when I had young kids, that the older they get, the busier your life gets.  I always thought, yeah right.  Well it seems to be true.  And from what people are still saying, it's going to continue to get even busier for me.  I believe them this time!  I guess it's time to invest in some running shoes.  ;)

I've been trying to get my work done as early as I can and then I've been trying to read for a bit before the kids get home everyday.  I just finished the last book in a series of 3.  They take place back during the civil war, and each book is through the eyes of a different person.  The first book gives a view through the eyes of a Southern Belle, the 2nd through a well to do Northern gal and the third gives a  view through the Slaves eyes.   They were all really good!!!  They are the "Refiner's Fire" series by Lynn Austin.  I don't know that I've ever read any of her other books before, but I was really impressed with her as an author, while reading these, and I'll be looking to what other books she has out there. 

At the moment, I'm in the middle of a book called, "The Ransom" by MaryLu Tyndall. 

It's the 4th book in a pirate series.  I had read the other 3 books, years ago and now that I'm reading the 4th, I'm actually anxious to go back and reread the first one, (The Redemption) as I remember it being one of my favorites.  They are just another good set of books if you are needing something to read this Summer.

 

 I saw this on pinterest and isn't it the truth! 

Even though fictional books are my cup of tea, I do like to throw in other interesting reads as well.  I have been wanting to read a biography for a while now.  I think it would be interesting to read one on Jackie Kennedy.  Do you all have any recommendations of a biography that you liked?

Linking up today with Andrea

 

I hope you all have a great weekend!