Hush it!!!

I know it's been a while since I've updated & I totally broke my promise that I was gonna do better! We've been super busy lately so I have no idea where the time is going! I have several things to post so no "random man" comments (if you listen to Kidd Kraddick, you'll get that one!)

One of my students gave me this for Christmas~her aunt decorates cookies/cakes & does a totally awesome job. A couple of years ago I had her daughter and she made me an awesome gingerbread house.


Heather & Caroline had another cheer competition last weekend in Shreveport. Heather really loves cheer. She FINALLY got her no handed back tuck! She can do a round-off, back-handspring, back tuck! I think she's a rockstar! Caroline enjoys it but not near as much as Heather even if she is the sassiest one out there!






Jed is still enjoying Cub Scouts. He will be moving up to a Bear at the end of the month. We sat down tonight and marked his stuff off in his book. He only has a few more things to complete and he'll be official!:) We had the Pinewood Derby for our Pack this last week. Jed's car had some difficulities and didn't win any of the races, but this awesome couple in our ward made these trophies for all of the boys!



Other exciting news Jed was picked as a Super Stallion this last 9 weeks & Caroline was picked as a Super Bobcat this last 9 weeks! They were treated to lunch at Cici's by their principals! Way to go!!!:)

Jed is rockin' the 3rd grade! He was the only student out of 3 classes who aced a open book SS test last week! His teacher was so proud of him~she said she had students making 21's & 36's~on an open book test!!! Moving him from dual to regular was the BEST decision I've ever made~It's done wonders for his confidence & his stress level!

Heather is moving right along in 6th grade! It's so fun to watch her become a young woman! She has been working on finishing up her Faith in God Program since she'll be moving into Young Women's this summer! She is so excited & ready! She really is a good kid & so far the middle school age has been ok~let's hope it stays that way! :)

Caroline is moving right along in 1st grade! It's hard to believe she's going to be 7 soon~she tells everyone she is 6 and 1/2 these days! LOL



We took the kids to see the musical "Oklahoma" Friday night! It was at a local theater & the kids music teacher & his wife (my Zumba instructor) were in it. It was really good~of course I'm partial I'm sure! :)



I got a new toy this last week & I absolutely love it! :) I talked Tyson into letting me (not really) get an Iphone! I am always connected & it's awesome! lol I'm waiting for my cute pink case to come in so it will be protected!

~Menu~

This last week went pretty good. I had to change somethings around b/c of time (or lack thereof) but it was super easy since I had the ingredients for all the dishes on hand! I love being prepared! :) So here's this week:

Sunday~hot dogs (lunch)/enchiladas (dinner/pioneer woman)
Monday~Brown Sugar Chicken (crockpot)
Tuesday~sloppy joes/french fries
Wednesday~Breakfast
Thursday~pork chops (kraft website)
Friday~Meatballs w/ brown gravy (crockpot)
Saturday~Chicken Quesilldas

Some of these are repeat from last week but that's b/c we didn't actually eat them last week!

~Some GOOD reads~

It's been a pretty good week with going back to school and all! Our start at the new school went pretty smoothly, except for some minor glitches which really could have been bad! One being I have a mysterious water leak in my room~with no water source! They are working on it but needless to say I have 2 holes in my wall & still have water on the floor! LOL Oh well their problem & my boss man SWEARS it will be fixed!:)


On too the GOOD reads! For some reason yesterday I was extremely tired~I don't know if it was because I was getting back into the swing of things or I'm trying to get sick~hopefully, the first! :) I just wanted to curl up with a good book & read, but I didn't want to have to go to Wal-Mart to buy it. Then I remembered that I have the Kindle app on my Ipod Touch~so I bought it on there & started reading away! The book I chose is called "The Help", so far it's been really good & a pretty easy read (I'm on Chapter 7). If you decide to check it out, let me know what you think of it.

Another GOOD read I wanted to share is this blog


Inspirational Weight Loss Blog

I've had several people ask what I am doing to lose weight~I've lost 20 lbs over the past 6/7 months. I switched to drinking water (Large water from Sonic, extra ice & lemons~YUM-O! & it lasts all day!) which is a HUGE accomplishment for me b/c you know I'm a Pepper right! LOL Anyways, a friend & I started walking this past summer~we walked 3 1/2 miles everyday & were both discouraged that we were losing any weight! At the end of the summer we joined the local gym, & I started going to the kickboxing class~I started noticing a few lbs coming off. Once school started, I didn't get to the gym as much as I wanted to b/c there just wasn't time. I tried to go to the step aerobics class in the evenings, but I wasn't real consistent. Some friends of mine went to the gym in the mornings so I started going with them~5:30~I went with them a few times then I wanted to start running so I started going more often. I try to go 5 days a week! I run on MWF and do some other kind of cardio on T/Th~I added in the weight machines recently. I'm running with the Couch to 5K program & I'm now on week 7~I can run for 25 minutes straight~which is a miracle!:) I have about 15 lbs more to lose~hopefully I'll be done by summer~

OK back to the GOOD read blog~One of the things that motivated me when I was first starting is looking at before & after pictures of people who have lost weight! It's amazing what dedication can do for you! I think this girl at 19 is awesome! I'm proud of her & don't even know her! I've only read through a few of her posts but have enjoyed them so far~again, let me know what you think! *Be sure to scroll down to the very bottom & look at the slideshow all the way through!*

I'll be back later with my menu for the week!;)

Have a good one!

~Menu~

I'm only posting this because I've had several people asking for it! haha Enjoy

Here are my meals for the next week~

Sunday~Roast (I totally cheated on this one and bought a kit! I just threw it in the crockpot, so it's ready to put on tomorrow!)
Monday~Taco Soup
Tuesday~Nachos (our favorite from www.kevinandamanda.com)
Wednesday~Breakfast for dinner
Thursday~Chicken Strips (Pioneer Woman)
Friday~Enchiladas (Pioneer Woman)
Saturday~I got NOTHIN! haha
Sunday~Brown Sugar Chicken~crockpot recipe from SparkPeople
Monday~Pork Chops

I know~

you thought I was just teasing right? I've gotten lazy lately! I don't know why~of course, it might have to do with the fact that I am enjoying getting up at 5:30AM! I know, something is totally wrong with me~I am THE poster child for sleeping late and staying up late, but not these days, EVEN for most of my break I got up early!

We've stayed busy these past couple of weeks much to my dismay! At the beginning of the month we took the kids to ride the Polar Express with our good friends the Adams!



This is SOOOOO worth the money! If you ever have the chance to do it, spilt with the money and take the kids!

I made a few things for Christmas gifts! I'm in love again with my embroidery machine~


This is a bath towel wrap! I added a hot pink ribbon after I took this pic! I loved making these and they were super easy!

I made this to give to Tyson's sister! I loved the giraffe ribbon!

These were for a friend of mine to give to her girls! I thought they turned out really cute!


This was for a friend to give as a gift!




After we open presents on Christmas morning, we go to IHOP for our Christmas breakfast! Caroline HAD to bring baby Whoopsie-Doo!

These are my favorite Christmas cookies~of course it was a big mistake to make them b/c then I HAD to eat them! Fortunately, they didn't last long!

This is another bath towel wrap!


The other night we had Chicken Spaghetti for dinner & Caroline for some crazy reason was acting like she was Chinese~The kids decided they were going to eat with chopsticks so they got the bamboo skewers and went to town! It was hilarious!




The most exciting news is that on Monday when we go back to school, we will be starting in a new building! We are so excited~here's a few pictures of my new room.






Excuse the mess~I am not quite finished but it's presentable for kids on Monday! It's a work in progress and I just wasn't willing to spend anymore of my break in that room! The coolest thing when you look out the front windows, I can see my house! YEP, it's THAT close!


This is a picture from Christmas at Tyson's family! You'll be seeing it again on a New Year's Card~yes, I know I'm behind!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas holiday & a wonderful new year!

I'm bringing blogging back! :)

Stay tuned for some updates!!!

Why does the weekend...

go by so fast? I get so excited for Friday but Saturday & Sunday seem to go by soooooo fast! Yesterday, Tyson & I went to the Houston Temple with some friends. It was great to be able to spend some time with Tyson & have adult time! It's a wonderful feeling to be able to do the work that Heavenly Father has for us! I am so glad I am able to serve Him! :)

Today the kids had their annual Primary program at Church! They all did a great job! It's wonderful to see what the kids have learned throughout the year! It was Heather's last program~she'll be 12 in July and will move into the Young Women's program at Church. She is a little bummed because in January she'll be the oldest in Primary & all of the other girls are quite a bit younger than her and all of her friends have moved on to the YW's program.

I really enjoy reading this blog~Jill always post something from her Sundays at Church! It is always enlightening and then I think~hum, I should be a better listener at Church! Thanks Jill for sharing your experiences with everyone!

Enjoy your week!:)

5:30 AM????

I know crazy huh? I found out 2 of my friends from work go to the gym at 5:30 a few times a week! I've been wanting to go but have no motivation to get up that early by myself but it's easier with friends! We went yesterday and today and it also helps me to get ready for school earlier! We'll see how long I last!

Back in Business!!!!

So I've been kinda depressed lately mostly because I lost Heather's camera! That's 2 in the last couple of months that I've lost/misplaced/whatever you want to call it! But yesterday, yes on a Sunday I decided I was cleaning the house (hey when the mood strikes!) haha I even swept under the couch and guess what I found~yep Heather's camera! WOOHOO!!! I was so excited!

so that's the big news of the week! haha Now I feel like I can be a blogger again! HAHA I have a few pics from my camera but I wasn't that thrilled with them.

Here are the kids at Halloween



We've been crazy busy! Caroline and Heather had their first Cheer competition on Halloween~They both did great! Heather's squad got 2nd place & Caroline got this huge trophy! LOL



Heather was in her first school play & she loved it! It was called the Attack of the PomPom Zombies! It was really cute & the kids did a great job!
They started on the next one Charlie Brown Christmas today!

Jed & I have been enjoying Cub Scouts (you know I'm the new Asst Den Leader or something like that~that's bad huh? I don't even know! haha) Jed's been doing more of the enjoying really & I can't stand it but I'm trying to have a good attitude about it all!

Tyson's been hunting like crazy! Jed shot a doe last weekend, Tyson's gotten a hog or two (I can't keep up) and then Tyson got another deer this last weekend! It's a good thing he knows how to process it himself~Our freezers are full!



I made this cute dress for Caroline to wear to church! I whipped it up one morning before Church!



I had a birthday last Friday~we celebrated at Cafe Del Rio with lots of friends! We had a great time!:) Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes & the birthday cards I received in the mail! Totally made my day!

THANK YOU!!!

definitely blog worthy...

hurry go try it! :)

One Costume Down...

Heather was invited to a halloween costume birthday party~it's hard when you get older b/c all the costumes are cutesy for little girls, hookerish for teenage girls, etc. nothing really for tween girls. She did find something she wanted at walmart however they didn't have her size~so I dropped her off at play practice this afternoon and hit the goodwill! If you know me at all, you know that I'll figure SOMETHING out and if I do say so myself 9 out of 10 times it rocks! Yes, my blog & I can brag all I want! haha

so I picked this up




I wasn't crazy about it, but it would do...Oh and it was 3.99 but when I got up to the register it was on sale for 99 cents SCORE~YEs, I dug 1.07 out of the bottom of my purse b/c I refused to use my debit card for a buck!

Then I hit the resale shop to look for some boots~I knew I wouldn't be able to find white go-go boots but...


I found these and was determined I could spray paint them white~yes, i said spray paint~crazy lady behind the counter who gave me a dirty look!

I picked up some boot covers at card and party just in case and some clip on hoop earrings, some purple material at hobby lobby for a head band!

Here's the final





here's what we made for her gift...


you write on the glass with an expo marker~supa cute!

Here's a pic of caroline sick at the dr's office thursday



That's all i've got for you now! I'll have something else in a little while!

YAY!!! Finally!!! testing post

Picture Day with the Dogs

Caroline grabbed my phone last night and told me she was having a picture day with the dogs! I had to take her picture~she is such a mess! And after I took the picture she took my phone so Sissy (our lab) could see it! LOL

Here Piggie Piggie...

opening day of deer bowhunting season and this is what Tyson came home with~biggest hog he's ever gotten with a bow! He was excited! This is for you Aaron!

Super Saturday Project

We are having a Super Saturday at church. We spend the day making crafts usually things we can give as Christmas gifts. Thanks to Lindsey (she always has the rockin' ideas)

We are making a necklace out of a domino




This is my sample & of course since I live where I do~I couldn't find any black dominoes locally so I had to use white. For the actual project, the dominoes will be black. I'm also going to offer mini dominoes~they are super cute! Of course I have to order those too!

We are also making a FHE board (Thanks again Lindsey) We are also doing etching on glass, a christmas tree skirt, and some christmas garland.

I hope it turns out ok.

Oh and the pic~we are down to our cell phones b/c that seems like the only thing we can keep up with! I've lost Heather's new camera.

School Projects & other things!

Heather had to make a cell model for science class. The thing to do is make a cake b/c it's the easiest. Well anyone who knows me, knows I can't just do a cake...so I thought about making something out of paper with my cricut so I posted on the cricut messageboard and someone there suggested we make a pillow. So of course, i talked heather into making a pillow. here ya go...



She was very pleased with the way it turned out. This was our conversation

H: This is Awesome!
Me: What?
H: This pillow!
M: see!!!!
H: I'm glad we didn't make a cake b/c that wouldn't have taken as long to make!

Awwww~she WANTED to spend time with her momma! We had a good time doing it and really she did do most of it. We were both very pleased with the way it turned out!

In other news, Tyson & I made the decision FINALLY to pull Jed from the dual language program. He is such a different child and it was just ALWAYS a struggle to get him to do anything & to have double the homework was even worse. I have felt a lot of stress relived since we've made this choice! Hopefully, school will get a little better for him.

We've become THOSE people...

oh yeah I know I know! this picture will explain it ALL



see what I mean? and yes that's pink nail polish on her nails! Some friends of ours wanted to get rid of her b/c they didn't have anywhere for her to stay and Caroline loves her so we took her. I figured she would be an outside dog but Tyson has been letting her stay inside.


this was Tyson & Jed's supper one night~any guesses to what it might be??? It's not deer, chicken, or ground beef.



in other happenings or sad depressing news My friend gave me this piano. I was really excited. I know it needs lots of work but I had the piano guy come by and look at it just to see how much it would cost to get it play-able~yeah well let's just say it's going out by the curb. To get the inside working and sounding good it's an easy $500 & to replace the keys it's another $400 if I don't decide to do it my self. :( I was so excited too. Maybe I'll come across a better something! :) Or maybe that's a sign that I don't need to learn to play the piano! LOL

yeah, yeah, I know what you are thinking...

but keep your thoughts & comments to yourself! We are still alive~barely but we are here! Summer went by way too fast and we are trying to get back into the swing of school/work. Here are the kids back to school pics I made Tyson take them while I was finishing getting ready




My 3rd grader! WOW!!!



My 1st grader! Isn't she cute?


and Oh My Goodness!!! My MIDDLE schooler! Can you believe? I'm really not old enough for that to happen I really was a child bride and had her when I was 15! haha I kid I kid but let's not talk about how old I really am! (but my birthday is exactly 2 months from today~in case you need to write it on your calendar!)



a couple of funny ones~I have no clue what they were doing but it was their daddy taking the pics so you can just imagine! haha

Heather has settled right into Middle School and LOVES it. Caroline is loving her class as well but of course Jed could do without school and be just as happy!

I have 2 small classes this year and some really sweet kids~they just love to talk! I think we will have a great year!