Happy 2nd birthday to our little miss Ali!

My 'me' time

On a normal day, I wake at 6:45 am. I usually have a few little things to clean up before the rugrats show up but I always make sure I spend some of that time before my crazies wake up on the verandah with a coffee. Just sitting there listening to the birds and the wind blow through the trees is so calming. My favorite part of my day. Now don't get me wrong,  I love my kids to the moon and back. But. They are crazy (as per normal......they're kids after all), and we just cannot seem to get on the early bedtime routine. It's ALWAYS for sure 930-10 or even 1030-11 before they hit the sack and are out....plus we have to lay with our daughter to go to sleep. We had to do this with Tanner too, so I do know there is an end coming, they do grow out of this!!!!! But. This also means that while laying...mommy also falls asleep. So I don't really have a chance like normal people lol, to get any chores in after the kids are sleeping or to just sit and do nothing. Hence, first thing in the morning being my favorite part of the day. Sitting out here, I can reclaim some of my sanity he he.

So with all this talk about sleeping, sleeplessness, and limited mommy /  me time I feel it makes sense to tell you that we are expecting baby #3!! Ha ha. Yep. Now who's the crazy???

Ashley

Homemade dishwasher soap

Yes! This is for real and it does work!! I have been wanting to try this for awhile now especially since we moved and have soft water. Now tbe lady that I got this recipe from stated on her blog that she has hard water and that it works for her. But I asked my mother-in-law to try it in her dishwasher and it does not work with her hard water. With my soft water I was very excited to find that it works really well! 

The recipe :

1 cup borax
1 cup super washing soda
1/2 cup table salt
1/2 cup citric acid

Mix together. Use 1 tbsp per load. She says to use two tbsp in hard water. I also put vinegar in my rinse aid spot. I'm so excited that this works. Anywhere I can cut costs in my household / grocery bill is an exciting thing to me ;)

If you decide to try this, let me know how it works for you!

Ashley

Baking up a storm

This feels good. To actually have a counter full of baked goodies for our week of lunches and snacks. Usually when I get in the mood to bake it's Thursday or Friday..... Go figure! So far I have chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, puffed wheat cake and banana chocolate chip muffins. I feel like making cinnamon buns yet but I might just make them, stick them in fridge and bake in the morning. Then I'll send some to work with Corey and be the favorite wife of the day! Lol.

Have a good one.
Ashley

One of my favorites!

Savoring the last of the lilacs...

This is me...

Iced caps - better than Timmies!

I got this recipe from a cousin a couple years ago and they are soooooooooo delicious. I have never liked iced caps really but these are good.

Homemade iced caps

2 tbsp instant coffee
3/4 cup warm water
1 cup condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups ice cubes

Blend together in blender. I also use my homemade condensed milk for this.

Enjoy!!
Ashley

Tanner turns 4!!!!!!!!!!!!

 Yes, Tanner is opening his gifts from us in the van...LOL. We were seeding all day yesterday and I wanted Tanner to open his gifts the night before his birthday because the day of his birthday we would have dayhome kids. This way he would have a chance to play with his new toys before all the other kids came the next day, the day of his birthday. So since Daddy was in the field, I took the kids in their pajamas and Tanners gifts and we headed out there. Daddy got to see Tanner open his gifts and say Good night!

 Pretty excited about the squeeze chute, no more pretending!

 Tanner's John Deere 4440 tractor (as per request) cupcake cake before the icing.

 And after the icing!

 A very special picture, Great Grandma Friesen with three of her Great grandchildren. (Dad's grandchildren)

 So pleased with his cake and kind of embarrassed that everyone sang so loudly for him. I think he was very overwhelmed with the attention, gifts and love he got today. He felt very special, and rightly so!

 Blowing out his candles!

 Opening gifts. (I apologize for the sideways pictures, not sure what I did, it's late and I should be sleeping...)

A great day was had!! So glad it was so special for him. We love him so much.

Good night!
Ashley

Slowly but surely, making progress

 This is a new to us tractor and air seeder. Pretty exciting step up from the old press drills!! Finally yesterday we were able to seed most of the day. (We do have out sunnies and corn in the ground. We use a planter for that) But it was so nice to be able to get some cereals in.

 It is just amazing how much ground you can cover with this equipment!.............When your not sitting in front of the shop that is!

 Helping Grandpa calibrate.

 They spotted the choo choo! My kids are obsessed!

 We went for a ride with Daddy in the new rig.

So we are getting somewhere even though it doesn't seem like it some days. Looking forward to celebrating Tanner's 4th birthday tonight. I will do a birthday post afterwards.

Have a great day.

Ashley

My baby he will always be

Lately my son has really been tugging on my heart strings. The things that come out of his mouth, the things he does, the fact that he's having his 4th birthday in three days, how obvious it is that he loves his sister, mommy and daddy. He is such a special little man that these words don't even do him justice. And I tear up just typing that. Boy oh boy. He is growing up so fast before my eyes.

Today he needed to go poop. Which he is normally very vocal and not shy about. This time he caught himself in mid sentence and came and whispered the rest in my ear so his cousin wouldn't hear. (his cousin is a year and a half older) I understood he needed to go but he was trying to tell me more. So off to the bathroom we went and once the door was closed I asked him what he was trying to say.

He didn't want his cousin to hear me say that I would help him on and off the potty. (he still uses a little potty seat, needs help on and off the toilet and help wiping) So I asked him if he was embarrassed by it and he said yes.

*we have been bugging/asking him off and on if he wanted to try on his own and he's just not been ready for it.

So I told him if he wanted we could start practicing doing it by himself.

What about in the Fall, he asked.

I said, we can start anytime, even this summer.

But I still want to be your baby this summer, he says.

Insert>>>> mommy trying not to tear up again!! Lol.

So I explained to him that even when he learns to go potty all by himself that he would still be my baby. That he will always be my baby. Well his face lit up like a Christmas tree and he looked so relieved! It was pretty cute. Then he wraps his arms around me and tells me, I love you so much.

Got to love bathroom heart to hearts! All joking aside, I hope he always feels comfortable talking to me about whatever he wants.

It's funny how kids minds work. We have been talking regularly about pre-school that is coming up in the fall. I want him to be mentally prepared that I won't be staying with him and that it's going to be fun!! So I think that's why he asked about the Fall bc he is associating it with being a 'big boy'.

Another hilarious thing he did today, he was fooling around and hit his head and ear on the kitchen table. Amidst the bawling he spit out the words, is it cracked?????  Meaning his head, lol, he was terribly worried he cracked it open.

He loves playing with earthworms but is terrified of ants, go figure.

He helped me plant my garden, it was so nice. And he helped his grandma rake up grass today. He was so proud that he got to help her!

Anyways, it's his birthday on Monday. I can't wait to give him his present.

Good night.
Ashley

Happy 30th Birthday to my Hubby!

 Yesterday was my husband's 30th birthday. We celebrated with a small family BBQ and birthday cake. Of course I wasn't thinking and started cutting the cake and handing it out before I realized we didn't put candles on it and sing Happy Birthday. So I stuck one lonely candle into his piece of cake and we sang happy birthday that way! He looks soooooo impressed with me.

 Baby cousin Dallas, Jessie and Ali.

 The kids reading with cousin Darcy. They love him.

My kiddos after a busy weekend, short sleeps, cake, sugar, lots of sunshine and whatever else!