to the troops

I thought this was pretty cool.  Xerox will actually PRINT and SEND each of these cards overseas to the troops. 

All you do is:
1) click on a picture of the card they will send one of the troops.
2) click on the pre-written text to be included on the card to be sent.

http://www.letssaythanks.com/

I thought this would brighten up someone's holiday season and it didn't take any effort at all.  I wanted to share it! It took me 45 seconds to do this and hopefully I'll brighten up someone's day overseas. I support our troops!

giant yumminess!

I LOVE my new giant cupcake pan! I bought it at JoAnn's last weekend and I absolutely LOVE it! It looks like a regular cupcake, only a ton BIGGER!

To give you a frame of reference, my lovely (and hungry) assistant was good enough to brush his little teeth and then model it for you.

It's as big as my Lawyerpants Husband's HEAD!

Just a couple TIPS if you run out and buy one:

The instructions that come with the pan don't say anything about having to use TWO cake mixes! I used chocolate for the base and white for the top.  The instructions say "if you use a boxed cake mix, you will need more than just one mix..." or something to that effect. 

I ended up spending 4 hours on this project, 6 eggs, 1 1/4 cup oil and a lot of nervousness to make sure it came out okay! It was fun though.  I love baking projects within my baking ability!!

tag, I'm IT!

I love being tagged!!

My sweet friend, April, tagged me as a THETA MOM! What a compliment and honor.  Here are my 5 reasons off the top of my head what kind of mom I am:

1) I love jewelry and anything pink.  I only have one girl, so I have to pass my love of pretty things on to her.  My boys pick up on it and Carter loves wearing necklaces too.  Dawson wants a pink Transformer for Christmas...gulp! (I can't break it to him that the don't even MAKE a pink one!) I also love Leopard print.  Or better yet, PINK LEOPARD PRINT!

2) I'm a slightly OCD MOTHER and CHEF in the kitchen.  The kids will put on their aprons and set the table, butter the bread and other such child-sized tasks.  They will stir the Crystal Light and spill.  The bread usually ends up falling on the floor face-down.  The main course is hot and ready to eat, but then the kids won't like it; therefore will NOT eat it.  It's tradition! As long as we're together, that's what counts.  I wouldn't trade these days for ANYTHING!

3) I really don't watch that much t.v., but there's a guilty pleasure I do have...PHINEAS AND FERB! That Disney cartoon is so cute and it's fun for the entire family.  Seriously, Ryan and I will watch it with the kids and just giggle and giggle.  It captures the attention of all our ages: 30, 28, 7 1/2, 5 and 2 1/2.  I LOVE it! It's creative and they write their own music for the shows and I just love it.  Watch it, I know you'll love it.  But I LOVE LOVE LOVE movies.  I listen to them as I cook, clean, shower, whatever I'm doing! I love my sitcoms.

4) We love to read and snuggle.  Ryanna knows her books and characters so well that she'll tell me which chapter and page a vital conversation takes place between Junie B. and her best friend.  Or what Ramona Quimby did at HER age.  Or what The Littles are doing today.  Or the recipe to rid those pesky blue Frekles.  There's no keeping up with her! I love to try anyway.

5) I try to be happy where I am in my life.  I love my life.  I take care of my children and make the most of every day.  I laugh over silly things with my husband.  I tell him I adore him on a daily basis.  I tell my children I love them consciously 15 times a day.  I kiss my husband in front of them.  I cook, clean, launder and steamroll my kids out of love.  I LIVE for my family and I try to keep the fort standing.  It's a DAILY battle.  I love it! But I still miss Moscow with every inch of my heart. 

I get to tag 5: Mom, Ashley, Aimee (she doesn't have kid, but she teaches 4th grade and that TOTALLY counts!), Tiff Holdaway and my cousin Katrina.