Cell Phones

Let me explain this real quick, we have a family plan cell phone with Jim's brother. So we pay him each month and he pays the bill all together. Yesterday he texted and said that Sprint was saying we, on our cell phone numbers account, had accrued $22.00 worth of downloads. What! Jim and I never download any apps or anything if it's not free. You know us, we're cheapskates. Ha! Well, Jim went online and looked up what the problem was while I went and got the kids from school. When I got home he was on the phone trying to explain to the guy that what he had found was not something we would download. I sent the kids downstairs to play so I could figure out what was going on. Jim mouthed to me to look at what he had pulled up on the computer. Our bill online said that we had downloaded a whole bunch of music. Some of the song titles were: "Drunk Callin'" and "You Da Man!". Ha! The rest were all ghetto titles too and I sat there laughing soooo hard. Jim and I are such gangsta's, right?! Oh man. Jim got them to take it all off and asked the guy how could something like that happen. The guy said, it can't. He said he has no idea how something like that could happen since it happened on our phone. I am wondering though if it's because since I did an update on the phone it keeps just randomly turning wifi on by itself. I wonder if someone could piggyback on our phone and download things? I don't know really anything about technology so I'm not even sure if that's a thing, but it sounds smart, right? :)

Oh, fun. Technology kills me sometimes.

Straightened hair

New bathingsuits

The kids all got new bathingsuits this year. We got Ethan one a few weeks ago at Walmart and then the girls went shopping with Grandma Connie and Aunt Jennifer and got new one's. Samantha's sort of looks like Wonder Woman, doesn't she? They also got matching flip flops. They were such girls too, They flounced around in them and haven;t taken them off in hours. Wearing them around the house.

One food, one pintrest.

I don't know how it happens, but life just get's away with me.
I have been thinking about blogging for a few weeks now, but have had such a heavy heart. My dear friend Heather lost her little girl Eslyn two weeks ago and I can't stop having so many feelings about it. When she was first diagnosed I felt terrified. Eslyn and my Samantha were great friends and I felt this fear that if it could happen to them, it could happen to me. I slept in bed with Sam that night, holding her close.  As the weeks went by (only 3 short one's), I felt the need to help, but wasn't sure how. We have any amazing church family in this area and I knew the Kubaleks were being taken care of. Heather's sister was here for the summer and could kind of take over as a second Mom while Heather was at the hospital and I knew people were offering to take the kids and bring meals and help out in any way. I was talking to my friend Amy, a mutual friend of Heather's and mine, and also a Pediatric Nurse up at the Univerisity of Michigan, and I asked her if she thought it would be ok if I went to the hospital to sit with Heather. I wasn't sure if non-family members were allowed. She said she was sure I could so I contacted Heather and asked. I was nervous about what her response would be because I really felt like I needed to be there that thursday. She replied with a yes and off I went a few days later. Amy watched my kids while I drove my junker of a car down there. I said a prayers before I left that I would make it.
I made it safely to the hospital and sat with Heather for a few hours. We had a great visit. She has a strength inside her that amazes me. We talked about life and the goings on in both of ours. I brought her a quilt that I had made for Eslyn and a "Happy Book" I had made for her. I was thinking while visiting with her that I first met her when Eslyn was a few weeks old and they had just moved to town. She had some music playing and I told her I would burn some Disney CD's for her to play for Eslyn when I got home and bring them to her soon. I left there, promising to return soon.
I went home that night and burnt the CD's. Amy and I were taking our kids to the Toledo Zoo the following day and I was going to ask Amy if we could swing by the Hospital on the way home and drop off the music. As we were pulling into the Zoo parking lot Amy got a call from another friend of ours telling us that Eslyn had passed away that morning. We both jumped out of the car ran behind it (so the kids wouldn't see us) and started to sob. We decided, after pulling ourselves together, that we would have a day dedicated to Eslyn. She loved to Toledo Zoo and we knew she would want us to have fun. We didn't tell our kids till we got home that night.
I think about how blessed I feel that I was able to be with Heather and Eslyn hours before her passing. I feel blessed to know the Kubaleks. Their strength is like no other.
I have been keeping an eye on Samantha to see how she is really feeling about all of this. When we told the kids she started sobbing. She has had many moments where she will say, "We're having our friends over, and I get to play with Eslyn...." or "Is Eslyn going to be there?" and then she get's sad again  This past sunday she was sitting in her sunday school class. Many people with kids her age are out of town right now so there were just a few boys in there with her. She came over to me and started to cry. I asked her why and she said she was all alone. I told her she had the little boys there. She cried harder and said she wanted her friends Eslyn and Savannah (who is out of town). She knows what happened and she knows that Eslyn is with Heavenly Father. She thinks that's ok, but she misses her a lot.
I am sorry for such a sad and long post, but I have been needing to talk about this, get it off my chest. I go about my day and then suddenly feel this sadness creap over me and it's hard to get out of it sometimes. I know that Eslyn is in a much better place. I know she is with our Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ. I know these things happen for a reason. The most comforting thing for me is that I will see Eslyn again. That Samantha will be able to see her again and that they can pick up where they left off. My faith is stronger because of the trials I have gone through and those around me have gone through. I feel my Savior walking with me and helping me along the way. Like the song says “Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives: ‘I know that my Redeemer lives!’”

Super girl pasta

I know this picture does not look appetizing, but I promise you, it was uber yummy. I got my parenting magazine yesterday. Some of the things in it I ignore. Ha!  That's terrible to say, but some of the things just don't pertain to me and my family. I have gotten some great advice though and yesterday was one of those days. An article in it said that cornell university did a study that found that preschoolers ate twice as many carrots when told they were "x-ray vision carrots". Interesting huh?! Instead of cauliflower you can call them "snowpuffs" and name the lazagna "ethan's lasagna". I decided to test it last night with the pasta. I said it was called "supergirl pasta" and would give them huge muscles if they ate it a lot. Ethan was skeptical. I got him though. I walked over to the package and read the ingredients, including "captain america carrots". He ate a handful. (Which for him is huge!) I'm almost positive they knew it wasn't real but I think they liked the thought. So I would say: success!

Growing up

This is paige on the phone calling her friend natalie to see if she wants to come over for a playdate. Unfortunatly she wants there, but we left a message. She was so excited. She dialed it herself and everything. I had to record this moment.

Tooth

Ethan lost his first tooth today! Its been loose for a few days and I guess while at school his teacher pulled it out! He was so excited. He got a tooth necklace and a sticker. Adorable. I had an activity tonight with the girls I teach at the catherine cobb womens shelter,so I was gone for a while. When I got home jim said he's been talking about it non stop. Ethan pulled me to the front window and asked me to look outside at the front tree. He wanted me to go check and see if there was a little door that leads to the toothfairyand. He said it would probably be really small. How adorable is that.

I mean to blog, I really do. I just never seem tlo remember. And then when I do remember I can't figure out how to get pictures onto the computer. I take most of my pistures on my phone and then just put them on facebook. I really need to blog though because I can't seem to remember to journal either and these precious moments are going to slip away from me. Everytime one of you see's me, I need you to sternly say, "Have you blogged lately?" and then maybe wag your finger at me and "tisk, tisk" a little. Thanks. I appreciate your pushing. :)

Let me think of a fun few things that have happened lately. Jim's sister Jamie had her baby the other day. Mason James was 8lbs 13 oz and 22 in long. We went and saw him today and he is adorable. Jim didn't want to hold him because he says he get's nervous holding other people's babies, but NOT Me! I LOVEEE holding babies. If there is a baby within 25 miles from me I am wanting to hold it. I picked that little Mason up and held him till about 3 seconds before we had to leave. I wanted to stick him in my purse and sneak him home with me. OOO, I have baby fever!

I got to chaperone Ethan's kindergarten class trip to the Potter Park Zoo in Lansing. There were so many parents that went that is was just Ethan and me walking around. We did, at times, hang with his friend Maddison and her mom. I know her mom well since Maddison's older brother Brendan was Paige's first crush in Young 5's 2 years ago. :) They were also in kindergarten together too. Anyhoo, I digressed, sorry. I carpooled with this one little girls parents (and her 3 year old little brother) and another mom from the other Kindy class. It was a ride to remember. I am not mentioning the little girls name for a reason. Let me tell you a little bit about the trip. We pulled out right in front of the bus, it was behind us for about 6 minutes, and then.....we drove rreeaallyl fast. We got there 20 minutes before the bus. And we got back 25 minutes before the bus. They also chose to have a booster seat, without the back of the booster on it (you shouldn't do this till your kids are around 5 or so many pounds) and they put the shoulder strap behind his back. Then on the ride home, no seatbelt at all. I put it on him after a few terrified minutes. Then halfway through the drive she took it off him and had him sit with her. Neither parent had a seatbelt on and he was just bouncing around on her lap.
If you don't know this about me, I am a FIRM believer in wearing seatbelts. Why wouldn't you?! I am going to digress a second here, Just a few days ago I was talking to Jim's cousin Mike. He owns a motorcycle and I asked him about the no helmet law. He replied by saying it didn't bother him because he planned on still wearing his. He said he heard somewhere that something like 90% of motorcycle accidents who wear helmets, live. So why would he want to be the 10%. I was very happy about this. People say, "oh well, BACK IN THE DAY...(fill in the blank)". I can tell you, you are right, back in the day we didn't wear seatbelts like we do now and my uncle lost his 5 year old son because of that. We didn't have the knowledge and safety standards back then, but we do now! So please, please wear your seatbelts and have your kids do the same.

ok. Rant over.

The Potter Park Zoo is super small, but fun. Ethan's favorite part was getting to ride a pony. Best $3. ever spent. He had a blast. It was also his first time on a bus and he was psyched.


This last weekend we also go to go over to Uncle Bobs house and the kids got to ride their cousin Jace's 4 wheeler. It's just a little kid one with a battery in it but man it can go fast. Ethan had a turn last and he rock and rolled all around the cul de sac. He came blazzing so fast that he ran right into me. I saw him coming and I jumped up onto the front of it and screamed. I have a wicked awesome bruise on my leg to prove it. lol. They got out Jace's super hero masks and were all super hero's. (Picture's to come)

Well, it's 11 at night and there is school tomorrow, so more tomorrow, maybe...if I can remember..
  

I Was Tagged

My sister posted this and tagged me so here it goes:
THE RULES:

1. Post these rules
2. Post 11 random things about yourself
3. Answer the questions provided by the one who tagged you
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag
5. Tag 11 people

The Random Things

1. I bit my nails till the day I came home from the hospital with my first born and changed a poopy diaper. That's when I stopped. I regress sometimes, but I have pretty much kicked the habit.
   
2. I have never, ever flown in an airplane.
   
3. I have never been west of Illinois/Wisconsin.
   
4. I love reading mystery novels. I have a million of them. They don't take a lot of thought and are fun to guess "who dunnit".
   
5. When I was little I thought there were sharks in my closet and made my mom sleep on the floor in my room for a long time. Bless her heart.
   
6. I don't do boogers or snot. I handle the vomit and anything bum related as long as my husband takes care of booger.
   
7. I hate wearing socks. They annoy me like crazy.
   
8. My spine is curved the wrong way in my neck so I lay on a curved neck thingamajib everyday for 15 minutes to try to curve it the correct way.
   
9. One of my grandfathers fought in WW2 and the other in WW1.
10. I broke my nose at my 16th birthday party.
11. An angel took care of me after I gave birth to my daughter and had complications. There was a woman who comforted me while i was scared and in pain. She rubbed my arm and told me everything would be o.k. Days later I asked my midwife to find out who she was so I could thank her. The next day when I went back in again for a check up my midwife said there was no woman that fit her description that was with me. No one knew who I was talking about. She was my guardian angel.

New Questions:

1. What's your favorite drink? White hot chocolate. I used to get it at Caribou Coffee in downtown Ann Arbor, but now I make my own from a can.
   
2. What animal are you most afraid of? SHARKS! Anyone that knows me knows I don't do sharks. I will watch shark week and everything, but with my hands in from of my face half covering my eyes.
   
3. What is your favorite thing to do on vacation? Swim. I love to swim..in a pool. Not the ocean and sometimes to even the lake. You never know if it's a fresh water shark brushing up against your leg.
   
4. Do you like your name? If not, what do you wish your name was? Dawn. Just kidding. Full House joke. I like my name. I don't know too many Heather's. It's a pretty Scottish flower, so that means something, right? :)
5. What are your top three favorite movies? "What About Bob?"; "So I Married An Ax Murderer"; anything by Hayao Miyazaki (Totoro, Howls moving castle, ponyo, spirited away..etc)
   
6. What are some characteristics you look for in a friend? Loyal, understanding and kind.
7. Do you consider yourself creative? In what ways? I love to sew. I'm no professional, but I have fun. I love making baby things and blankets most of all.
8. What's your favorite season, and why? Spring. Because I'm from Michigan, and Spring means Winter is OVER!! Hoot Hoot!
9. Do you believe in ghosts? Yes. I've never seen one myself, but I have felt the presence of something before.
10. What is your ideal weekend? (Relaxing at home, time outdoors, getting work done?) Reading a book, Eating food I don't have to prepare, and maybe some napping.
11. Are you a dog person or cat person? (Or "other") Dog. I don't do cats either. Maybe because my dad had a sign growing up that had something to say about cats..and it wasn't in favor of them. (it's too scandalous to share), (just kidding. it wasn't that bad).

New Questions:

1. What is your favorite cartoon from your childhood?

2. What do you want to be when you grow up?

3. What is your favorite food to make?

4. Have you ever been in a car accident?

5. Where is your favorite place to vacation?

6. What was the first car you ever owned?

7.What is your favorite board game? (mall madness, sorry..etc)

8. Do you play sports? If so, what one's?

9. What is your most favorite article of clothing?

10. If you could change your hair color for 48 hours, what color would it be?

11. Who is your celebrity crush?

I am tagging you ladies, you can do it if you want, but don't feel pressured.

Mellissa, Katherine, Rachel, Janette, Alecia

Pin again

I found this cute and easy recipe (its just tempera paint and dish soap) for window painting. The kids had a blast.
Easy peasy.

Pin anyone?

I found sort of this idea on pintrest. I forgot to take an after picture-but I added to this a note that said "orange you glad its spring break?!" And then the childs name from that class. I gave each teacher 2 of these orange juices. In the one I found they used some orange candies. I used orange juice instead because I thought the teachers could probably use a little pick up on the last morning before spring break.

Pintrest idea

I got this poem off of pintrest. Paige's teacher uses this same one in their classroom. I just made a small one and added coins and put it on the fridge.

My emergency car kit

On pintrest I have found true love. Its call others peoples ideas that I steal and do for myself. True love. ;-) I have scads to share with you but only little battery left on my phone. So,alas, I will only share one for now. It is an emergency kit for the car. I super glued some stars fabric on an empty wipes box and added stuff in. Here's my list of what's in mine:
1 diaper
1 pull up
A hand full of bandaids (because all little kids...and some adults...have accidents.)
2 hair bands (all you ladies understand this)
A mini bottle of hand sanitizer (for the geeerrmms)
Mini thing of tooth floss (because I looooove me some corn on the cob)
2 cough drops (for the tickles at the worst time)
Little bottle os lotion (for the over hand sanitizer-ers)
A pen (duh)
A plastic bag (I don't know about you, but every long car trip we have has at least one puke incident.
A fiver (for when you leave the house without your wallet and need gas...{or when you absolutly have to stop for a chocolate shake at mikey dee's})
A little thing of crackers (for the "mmooooooom, I'm sooooo hungry!" Moments)
Wet ones (no explenation needed I think)
An afro ken pill box from thailand filled with
1. Kids motrin
2. Kids pepto
3. Moms ibuprofin :-)

Good stuff huh?! I am super excited about it.
Thank you pintrest!

Valentines day was a lot of fun. The kids had a great day.

Valentines party

Today we went to the community center where they had a craft table where the kids could make valentines cards for soldiers and a few snacks and a bean bag toss game. Nothing to spectacular, but it was nice to get out and let the kids have some craft time and to see friends. This is samantha making a valentine. She put a lot of sticky's on them.

Pin idea.

I got this idea from pintrest. I just wrote the alphabet on the chalboard in the kitchen, gave her a bowl of water and a paint brush and had her trace them. She did really well and she had fun. Good times had by all.

In other news ethan read his first book the other day. He's been reading shirt ones from school but he normally gets stuck on a word o two, but two nights ago he said he was feeling confident and when we were taking turns reading that night he read us a book all on his own with no help from mom. Woohoo! I am so proud of him. He was so proud of himself too. :-)

Funnies

Two funny things my kids have said lately.
The first was Ethan's and my conversation on the way home from church on Sunday. He loves the show Phineus and Ferb on the disney channel and this cute litle girl on it Isabella.


Ethan: How do you spell Isabella?
Me: I.s.a.b.e.l.l.a.
Ethan: Can you write that down for me when we get home on some paper?
Me: Sure.
Ethan: and can you put heart around it, 'cause I want to marry her...


Then tonight Samantha said:
"When I 1, I a little baby. When I 2, I a baby. When I 3 I a kid.When I 4 it's my birfday. When I 5, I go to school."

Cute. These kids crack me up.

Hair

Today I did the regular french braid where you pull from both sides, but sideways of course. This was my first try and she didn't want to sit still. It is a very messy one and not as tight as i'd like, but I think with practice it could look really good.
We are sitting in the van right now outside of p and e's school waiting to go in and have lunch with them. I had told them I would bring them subway. I am not about to buy them the kids meals though. I have before and have nothing against them. I think its way better than happy meals, but with 3 kids it can get expensive. I had kids meal bags from last time, I got a footlong cut in 3 sandwiches, juiceboxes and baggie with chips. Hope they like it!

Hairstyles

My friend lindsey's friend jennifer recently passed away. She was 23 and a mother of a 2 year old girl and 10 month old boy. I found her blog through her mom, its all about hairstyles she has tried out on her daughter. They are wonderful. She has some great ideas and she posts liks and a tons of pictures. I just tried the side french braid on samantha and I love it. It only took me a few minutes, it keeps her hair out of her face and she looks adorable. My next one to learn is going to be the dutch crown. Can't wait!
Her blog is www.toddlerhairstyles.blogspot.com

Pintrest idea

Calm jar. Mason jar filled with colored water and glitter. When kids or mommy need a time out. Shake jar. Sit quietly till the glitter gets to the bottom. Yes. I think this could work. I think we might have a winner .

Pintrest idea

Strainer. Check. Pipe cleaners. Check. Samantha sitting and putting pipe cleaner's in strainer for 20 minutes to make what she calls "crazy hat". Check.

Christmas with the koepfle's

Lots to update you all on. We had christmas with jim's dad and family on new years eve. We all got to his dad house around 11. We had lots of yummy food: chili, cheesy broccoli soup, delicious breads, archie dip and chips, cookies, browies, mac and cheese..you get the idea.
We all played apples to apples and the kids ran around. We all being: jim's dad and step mom lorraine, sister danielle and fiance steve, sister taylor,sister jamie and boyfriend luke and his daughter trinity, cousins mikey, megan and larry (joe and girlfriend laura met us for dinner), brother bob, his wife martha and kids jace and zaden and our little family. Just a small gathering. Ha! We hung out and just had fun and then all went to eat at the classic cup cafe in ann arbor. We had our own room which was perfect for us because with 6 little kids it was loud. Well..let's be honest..the koepfles are not a quiet bunch...lol.
It was fun. Most of us went back to his dads and hung out for a few more hours. Good time all around.

Been awhile.

I haven't written in a while. I can't believe it's been so long. I guess I just never feel like I have anything interesting to write about. I feel bad though, because I've missed a lot of things I wish I had written down. I have been thinking about going back to old facebook posts and then making a little journal of things I've written on that about.

I am going to come back tomorrow and write all about our Disney trip, I promise. Stay tuned. Lots of catching up to do!