an evening out with my boys

This is the best life. I have a mini van so I can tote all of my kids around. It's dificult to answer the question of how many kids I have b/c it often feels like the list changes by the day. Last Wednesday, for instance, I had 13 kids in my care. (Different locations and different families, but still.) Anyway, on this particular day, my count was 7 for the day, but only 4 at this park. Isaac was the monster here, in case you couldn't tell:)

I think Marc looks like Isaac's big brother here.

And Jake makes a really good big brother too. 

here's a picture of me, to prove that i was there with my pocket cam

Marc caught a "zebra fish," as Dylan calls it.  He caught a couple that evening, actually.

Jake is there to entertain us with trying to pick the lucky case. 

We didn't pick the right one:(

And here's a real fishy face, not to be seen on my cutesy fishy face photography blog:)

eew.

"I'm just a girl who cain't say no . . .

. . . I'm in a terrible fix."

I'm from Oklahoma, so I've seen this play, "Oklahoma," a couple of times.  I can picture Chrissy belting this song out wondering why I don't know the words.  (I was home schooled but her school did the production each year.)  I keep singing this song to myself lately.  Not about the kissing boys back part, but I'm going to be the Pinellas County Dental Hygiene Association president again.  It's good, but I feel like I've been there, done that, will still stay involved, but there's just a LOT of late night emailing and presentation forming and meeting announcing and planning involved.  It's all easy, but is busy work.  I needed busy work when I volunteered last year.  Isaac wasn't a newborn any more, I wasn't the church young women organization's president any more, and was feeling the deep desire to serve.  This year I feel like I serve pleanty, and there are other areas where I could be of more use.  The truth is, if I weren't busy with PCDHA stuff, I'm sure I'd fill it with something else.  I was and am happy with that decision a year ago, but realize that
I'm just a girl who

                               cain't


                                           say


                                                            no. 

"I aint the type that can faint, how can I be what I aint?"

motivational speakers

I've been listening to bunches of motivational speakers on CD lately.  (Have I told you that this is the year that I'm going to be wildly successful at everything?!  - well it is.  The secret is hard work, no sleep, then taking naps where possible, making moments count, having a husband that can tolerate occassional messes and will take over, research, awesome friends and family, and saying yes to work.)

Anyway, those CDs, although great, are nothing compared to live inspired motivational speakers.  You know the feeling when you are in an auditorium with other people in your same situation listening to the same speaker who is getting you pumped up?  Well, now I get to not only listen to, but can watch general conference - live!  But from my own computer desk.  (So can you, by the way.)  It's broadcasted around the world in a bunch of different languages, and if you listen, you can get that same feeling of being in an auditorium or conference center with different people in the same situation as you.  There are messages of hope, love, and yes, hard work!  You don't have to log in or anything, it's just streaming audio or video at noon and 4pm my time-EST (Sat 4/3 and Easter 4/4).  I'll be listening to the archives late at night while I work too, I'm sure this next week.  I dare you to listen to one of the talks.  I know they are inspired, and are for us in this time. 

While I'm on the subject of church, I really should give my talk to you I gave at the beginning of the year.  I'm not going to though b/c it's late and my shoulders are begging me to take a rest and get a massage from Corrrie.  But, I'll tell you about me telling the congregation about goal setting part of my talk. 

I chose the goal of reading my scriptures daily, and for some reason felt impressed to urge the church members to do the same. (Everybody already knows he/she should search the scriptures daily, so it's nothing new.)  Anyway, I gave tips and scriptures to back it up etc.  THEN, out stake came out with goals for us.  The daily goal is to read our scriptures!  How cool is that?!  The weekly goal is to share our testimony of the gospel and of Jesus Christ to somebody.  It could be to our kids, our parents, or to friends etc.  The monthly goal is to do family history work and/or go to the temple.  I've been once this year, and started Chrissy's temple work too!  The anual goal is to visit every member of our stake in his/her home.  I've done some of that too. 

So get motivated - keep your New Year's Resolutions, and read your scriptures!  If you don't have any, read online or I'll get you some.  K, I'm going to go read and go to bed.  Happy Easter!!!!

underwater Easter egg hunt

We waited in line, and didn't get in to the first session. 

The lifeguards are smart and didn't let us all in at once. 

We went in and waited some more.  Ella's mom told me about the hunt, then Malia and Noah and their cousin Olivia went too!  All 6 kids are in this picture.

It was worth the wait!  look at all of those floating eggs!  They didn't have candy in them, instead they had little erasers, stickers, and "gold" coins etc.  I love it! 

This was taken from under the water.  I cropped the rest of Isaac out and put it on my fishy face photography blog. 

We didn't stay b/c we (Steven and I) had gotten enough sun on our backs at that same pool the day before.  I'm glad I had put sunscreen on the boys, they didn't get pink at all.  We played with sidewalk chalk, went for a jog, and Steven took them to see a movie and to Publix the rest of the day. 
Oh, and I'm excited about this pool because they are enthusiastic about having me go on a designated picture day each swim lesson session! 

fishy face photography, yes it's me!

It's funny that some of my friends hadn't associated me with fishy face photography, the Tampa Bay, FL underwater portrait and natural light photographer. I clarified on facebook, but reaize I didn't put it here. I now have 2 blogs, not just one, and I'm trying to keep up with both while paying the AAA membership bill, dying Easter eggs, working, and jogging. So, check out that blog too if you want. I'll naturally have some similar posts on both, but this will be for QUANTITY, and that'll be for QUALITY. I can't help but do both:)

Why I go to Tball games:

Dylan is #5, I was always also randomly given #5 in sports, as was my mom.  I like it. 
Isn't this series so cute?!  He looks so little and so worried in the 2nd frame.  Then he makes eye contact with me, then he has a smile that he can't hide, then WHAMMO! 

"Go Dylan, Go!"

down to the grounders, then UP TO THE CLOUDS!

We started our morning off watching Dylan play Tball. 

He's so cute.  He uses a Rays glove from the Szasz family. 

Isaac had fun climbing under and over the bleachers.

Isaac didn't just play UNDER the bleachers the whole time, he likes cheering for his big brother too.  I heard him cheering, so turned the camera on him.

We took the treats for that game. 

Then we were off to MacDill Air Force Base to watch their annual free air show.

Lots and lots and lots and gobs and gobs and throngs of people went.  They all stood in this never-ending line to get on the other side of these heavily guarded cement barricades.  We didn't need the fair food over there or to wait in more lines to climb into and onto the aircraft.  We were content where we were, in the parking lot.

Isaac tried on Dylan's hat.  It was too big.  He's so cute figuring out how to fit it to himself. They didn't just sit quietly the whole time.  We were in a wide open space, after all.  They were free to run circles around us, which they gladly did! 

We were going to go to the Green Iguana there in Tampa, but Isaac was almost asleep when we pulled into the parking lot.  Instead, we went home for nap time, then went to the St. Pete one for dinner. 

and that's our sweet {& sour} day:)

St. Patrick's Day {Organized} Chaos

6 kids over for our green day (in our green sand box Steven made, have I told you about that yet?  Well here it is.)

Isaac kept sneaking our green foods from the picnic table, mainly the rice crispie treats, the only unhealthy thing there.  Silly little guy.

Tee Ball Time!

Dylan started playing tee ball on a real team!  Here he is at his first practice.  He wanted to wear his new baseball pants. 

Can you believe that I forgot my cameras that I had already and charged?!  It was his first game!  I asked the mom with the nicest camera if she would take some pictures of my little #5 for me through the fence.  She did!  The next two are from Nicky's mom.  The parents get to be on the field with the kids. 

They get assigned MLB teams.  Look at his huge shirt and hat.  This is such a fun thing to watch each week.

And here's my camera - back in action for his 2nd game.  They are practicing a little before the game. 

Isaac really wanted to go out and play the first game.  He was so mad at me.  He has been good at watching or playing under the bleachers for the next two games though. 

Dylan is a little afraid to really smack the ball, but he is really good!

I think it's hard for him to run with the big hat on his head, but he has to keep it on the whole way around 'til home. 

I love how he is looking at me instead of at the high five in his face.  And I love the proud daddy in the back.  Steven does everything for tee ball.  He signed him up, sold raffle tickets, bought all of the gear, is the contact person for the team mom, knows when there are practices, etc.  He and Dylan are equally excited about this sport.

"good game, good game, good game, good game, good game, good game."  Dylan is the one in the middle headed to the right with no hat on.  He was the last batter so he hit a home run!  His grandma and granddad got to see it!

Isaac went to run the bases after.  He ended up just running all around. 

NC diet time

I made wilted spinach salad for dinner tonight b/c it was yummy at the Maccaroni Grill when I went with Laura a week ago.  I carmelized some chopped onions, added smushed garlic cloves, added the olive oil, rice vinegar and lime dressing I made, added some almond pieces then two big things of baby spinach and the rest of the dressing.  I wish I had only wilted a little more than half of the leaves b/c it didn't end up looking like much, but that's OK.  Everybody ate it all up!  (I added some sliced carrots too, but that's just random.)  We had delicious multi grain rolls with real butter too. 

I actually made a meal plan and went grocery shopping and everything.  (Usually Steven does all of the shopping, laundry, vaccuming, dusting, yard work, bills, etc etc.  Neither one of us is any good at meal planning, but we do eat some how.)  I hid our sugar cereals and am going to get my whole family on board this week.  Join us!

Eat no crap.  That's it!  N. C. If it's processed too much, wait a week to eat it.  If it's candy, hide it for a week.  If it's an apple, eat it even if you're not in the mood.  Eat organic if you can find it. 
Someone once said you should move closer to the farmer and further from the baker.  I liked that philosophy.  I bought a bunch of fruits, nuts, raisens, craisens, Zbars, etc.  We won't go hungry, we'll just stuff ourselves with more healthy things instead of the usual marshmallows for bribes and kraft cheese singles. 

Green projects for St. Patrick's Day

We made rice crispies treats turn into green shamrocks for today!  The kids helped stir the butter, put in marshmallows, and stir until one of them touched the pot.  Then I told them to go play. 

Isaac did more than play.  His idea of green is the green floor mat tile that he colored with a crayon.  I love magic erasers!  Thanks for that tip too Lacey. 

sun oven VS. convection oven

My dad got me a convection oven with the hope that I would not buy a microwave. It worked. We do have a microwave in the garage that we occassionally sneak and plug in out there, but that's really REALLY rare.

My dad also got me a solar powered sun oven.

Today I made baked ziti in the convection oven. The top got crisp, and by the time Steven got home, it was cold.

The solar oven wins! It's moist and steaming hot for a long time and won't burn get crisp on top.

The funny thing is, that my dad got me the pots I use in the sun oven and the pan I used in the convection oven (and my Saladmaster other pots and pans). He's the skinniest guy around, yet he's worried how I eat.  I guess he wants me (and his grandsons) to be healthy.  He's making it easier.  I think I'll designate next week as another NC week, only I'll include my 3 boys which means I need to do a lot of planning.  I want to make a warm spinach salad (I had one at Macaroni Grill and I think I can duplicate it), grilled fish with either corn on the cob or asperagus, beans and rice (maybe made into a taco salad w/ no meat - just kidney beans like my mom makes), baked/mashed potatoes, and veggie wraps with hummus.  I'll also do organic pasta w/ organic sauce one day too.  That's the plan anyway, we'll see how busy I get and if I can get home for dinner. 

My dad would have liked this baked ziti recipie better than the one I did in the sun oven b/c I didn't go to the store to buy the meat, (even though it was organic ground beef or ground turkey last time), and I used whole wheat pasta this time. I don't like ricatta, so I use goat cheese, not much, but it's fun. Then I put some on our salad too:).

For those of you who asked where my dad got my "green" solar oven, it's http://www.solarovens.org/

oh, and I updated my fishy face photography blog w/ cute photos of a girl's newborn.  I met them the day before.  (It was on that best random Thursday ever).  She seemed like she needed a photoshoot, and did it for free.  It was short and rushed unfortunately, but I think she got more than she paid for:)