We Got the Job!

I am so proud of Travis. He got the promotion in Mexico, ME. We will be moving by the end of August so things are crazy with morning sickness, trying to find a place to live, and packing with two little ones under my feet. This is such a blessing having my parents close by with the third child on the way and us being able to be there for my Mom if or when my Dad starts to become more ill. I am also very appreciative of the extra time I will have with my father during these last few years of his life. I'm sure it's an unmeasurable gift from the Lord and I will cherish this time for the rest of my life. On a happier note we are very excited. Travis is so good at what he does, it amazes me to think that just five and half years ago he got a job at Wal-Mart just as an associate working in the meat department, not even a department lead, and now just a short time later he is the head store manager. He is unstoppable and is a great example to our boys for what smart great work ethic really is. Again we are all so very proud of his rapid progress in the company and how well he does at everything. We love him so very much.

Tuckered Out

We recently have finished a new adventure with Coy. He was getting up in the middle of the night and refusing to go back to sleep for easily two hours or more. If we tried tough love and let him cry it out he would be hysterical and throw himself on the floor kicking and screaming or, our favorite, getting a running start and body slamming himself into the door. We tried everything to get him to stop, the tough love, spanking, flicking, threats, compassion, I even cleared his room of everything he plays with, reads, special blankets, toys, and the killer no Mickey Mouse Club house the next day. To no avail our almost two year old is more stubborn than us. We were defeated until one day, thanks to my brilliant friends who scratch their own heads to give me clever advice in my many Coy situations, we decided to fore go nap time. Well my poor bugger was so tuckered out that when I put him in time out he fell asleep like this, his head is resting on a chair flipped upside down, I moved him very carefully to his bed and he took a nap and he slept that night. We have finally figured it out. He needs a nap but no longer than an hour and a half. I ask Hayden to go wake him up and Hayden loves doing it and Coy responds better to Hayden waking him up than me. We are so grateful that this adventure is over and are ready for the next, this little man certainly keeps us on our toes!

Bay View Enrichment

For those of you who don't know I have a new calling in the church. I am the enrichment counselor and am so far loving it, even if it is short lived since we are moving soon. We had such and good time together eating yummy foods and just enjoying each others company. We couldn't have asked for better weather, not too hot not too cold. The sisters at the convent were so good to us letting us use their property and allowing us to use the tent and tables they set up too. We appreciate their kindness and thank them. Also the Young Men pulled through beautifully by providing babysitting to all of us mothers who needed a break from our children. Thank you Young Men. I was very pleased with the way this enrichment turned out we had a great time if you weren't there you surely missed out on a relaxing evening. I am so glad I have these pictures and memories with my sisters to help me remember them forever.

Pumpkin Bread

Recently I have been asked for these two recipes a lot, so I decided they must be extra good and others might want them as well. Give them a try I personally love them both, the pumpkin bread and the ginger snaps are a sweet easy fun treat that's a switch from chocolate.

Pumpkin Bread

Mix together in a large bowl:
3 cups sugar
2 teas. soda
1 teas. cloves
1 teas. nutmeg
1 teas. baking powder
1 teas. cinnamon
1 1/2 teas. salt
3 1/3 cups of flour
Stir all the dry ingredients thoroughly, then make a deep well in the center. In hole put the following:
2 cups pumpkin (I just use one can of libby's pumpkin)
1 cup oil
4 eggs
optional-nuts, chocolate chips, chopped dates.
Mix well and bake and 325 for 1:15-1:30 minutes in two greased pans. May cook quicker in tin rather than glass. I use glass bread pans so I have to cook them longer. It's worth the wait. Enjoy.

Ginger Snaps

Ginger Snaps Recipe

2 cups Sugar

1 1/2 cups oil

2 eggs

1/2 cup molasses

4 teas. baking soda

1 TBS Ginger

2 teas cinnamon

1 teas salt

4 cups flour

BEAT WELL!! The better you beat it the better the cookies will be.

Mix in order given. Shape into balls and roll in sugar (I like them better not rolled in sugar, you can do both). Bake on ungreased pan in 350 oven for 8-12 min. Depends on if you want them chewy or snappy.

A Thank You note to my boys

I had a rough day today with the pregnancy. I was extremely exhausted to the point where I was falling asleep sitting up and my stomach was more queasy than normal. I'm not sure why this day was worse than the previous days but it wasn't fun. My boys really pulled through for me today, getting a long well, listening, and Coy went down for his nap well too. They ate simple foods, and ate them well. They left me alone when I was trying to nap and really fended for themselves today. Although I feel bad that my 3 and 1 year old had to entertain themselves today I didn't know what else to do, since it took all I had to get up to get them milk and the other small things they need throughout the day. So I want to tell everyone how thank full I am for them and what great boys they are. We love them more than life itself so, Thank YOU Hayden and Coy for taking care of your Mommy today.

Ready or Not Baby #3 on the way

We are excited to announce our third pregnancy. So far so good I'm only tired and a little queasy if I don't eat. I'm craving chips and salsa, green olives, and sweets just do not taste good to me. This is especially odd since I can down a half a package of Oreo's in one sitting if I let myself. Of course first and for most we want a strong healthy baby and mom when it's all said and done, but the saying is if you crave sweets it's a boy (which I did with both of my boys, downing two fluff nutters in a row) and if not it's a girl. So everyone cross your fingers.
And update on what's going on with Travis's job. For those of you who don't know Travis applied for his own store in Mexico, Maine a little over a month ago. This is exciteing because my parents live there and sad because we love it here so much. We have been waiting and wondering what has been taking Wal-Mart so long and have come to find out that for three weeks in a row someone that needs to be there was one vacation, therefore the interview process could not proceed untill they all got back. Travis got phone call yesterday for the first round of interviews which he will have on Friday, tomorrow. Say a little prayer we are really hopeing to get this.

Silly Coy

I have a basket I keep up high in my closet that I keep my bathing suit and all my beach skirts in. Well we went to Fun Town Splash Town (I forgot the camera unfortunately) this day and I hadn't put my basket up when we got back yet. The next thing I know Coy comes around the corner wearing on of my skirts as a shawl and a hat I keep in the basket for Travis that someone gave to him on his mission in Honduras. I thought it was so funny that I ran for the camera and of course he posed like a super model. Every time I bring the camera out my boys are like a moth to a flame, no modesty here. "Look at me mom look at me, take a picture of me!!" So of course I got a cute one of Hayden I had to post too.

Fun Times at the Park

I like to take the kids to the park just down the road sometimes. It's just a little one so we don't do it often or they get bored, but this particular day they had a blast because Daddy was with us and life is always better with Daddy around. It was sprinkling on us and the kids thought that was fun, but eventually it started to down poor and we sprinted to the van. Thank goodness I listened to Travis when he said he wanted to drive, because I wanted to walk and we would have been soaked to the bone in two seconds and it's a good twenty minute walk. What a way that would have been the end a good time at the park! We got home safe and dry and happy, as we always are whenever we get to do something fun as a family.