Teaching Kids about S??

There is no way shape or form I'm going to do a huge long post on this:)

however,

I wanted to share this message from "focus on the family"

From Mary Flo

"Teaching Kids the Simple truths about Sex"

Very Helpful.

Just thought I would share.

Chore Charts

Here's a honest post from a mother of three:)

I have tried numerous chore charts.

I used to make my own from the computer every week.

I used to post them in their rooms

I used to do this and that...

and then I discovered these...

We have the monkey one...not the bear, but anyway.

This is a awesome awesome system

They love doing their chores.

All I say is do your yellow cards in the morning.

Then blue at night.

And they get a token for all their chores in the "I did it" box.

25 tokens gets a prize in the treasure basket, which is a bunch of stuff from over the years...

The other morning while waking up i hear.

"Let's do our yellow cards" 

Love that!

They love it and it works for us.

What works for you?

Good Times on the 4th

We enjoyed July 4th so much this year I thought i would share some pictures...

Recently I've had a cousin move to the central coast.

So exciting.

So along with my cousin and her husband are five more kiddos around the same ages as all our kids.

So if you know our family there are three kiddos in our family, three in my brothers and five in my cousins.

3 + 3 + 5 = yes a crazy 11 kids

(btw only three of which are BOYS)

So we had a ton of fun.

There were puppies to see, kitten to find, horses, stairs to climb, kids to play with

and

so many hugs and kisses by family. 

Being up in the bay area we have really come to

appreciate family time SO much.

It was nuts all these kids and no fighting, whinning or fussing!  Awesome!

God is so good.

I kept having to pinch myself I still can't believe my cousins family lives in the same town as my parents and brothers family, so cool.

(btw: crazy Nolan made it in so many pictures, he's just such a ladies boy)

 Dylan has made a new best friend. 
They are only four months apart and we barely saw them all week. 
They just played and smiled and played some more. 
Even had a sleepover, so cool.

Even dressed the same for the 4th, so cute and so special for Dill.

 Do you see this boy in the middle of all these girls? :)

o'boy.

 Silly.

 Some of the girls o'and of course they wanted Nolan in the photo...too funny.

 The "look out area" on their property.  I'm missing.

one...two...three...four...five...kids...o'well.
(hey being real here with the photo, girls always have their hands in just the right place, boys???? come on...)

 Jason (that's my husband yeah he made it in a photo and into a blog post that's HUGE) and my brother.

Of course the 4th won't be complete without some princess's :)

 and some more...

 BELIEVE it or not this is all 11 kids plus two nieces on my cousins side

WOW it was a lot of action on Pismo and we had some tired kids on our hands.
(oops I was wrong one is missing, Brenna, "B" bummer)
Next time we'll have to get a better photo, but you get the idea.

Okay here's another photo, but twins are not in it...we'll have to work on getting one photo with all the kids.

 Hey that's my Uncle and my brother again

(two pictures for Jeff that's a record, what happened to the moms?)

 I went for a hike around the property with three of the girls it was so much fun.

 YEAH.  What a great end to a perfect week.

We can't wait to see everyone again it was such a blessing and SO much fun.

Exhausting, but such a joy to be loved and to spend time loving on everyone.

Love you all!



Berries. Berries and MORE Berries.

I LOVE Olilaberries!~

 It was a little overcast when we started.

 Starting the process.  It's intimidating at first, but it is really fun and easy, especially with berries.  Don't be intimated, go for it!

 I found a great blog with printable labels Call Domestifluff.com

Truth is we had so much fun we are going back for more today.

We ended up making 24 jars of jam, three cobblers and ten turnovers.

Still intimated let me know if there is a interested and i'll do a how to on my blog.

Thanks so much.

Berry Pickin Time

Last year we went searching for a great place to pick berries with the kids.

There are numerous farms off highway 1 in Santa Cruz, CA.

However, there is one in Watson ville called Gizdich Ranch we think is pretty awesome.

So how did these gorgeous Olallieberries, and Strawberries turn from

these:)

 to these:)

More pictures shortly...

(I felt very Amish making jam this year, i think it was the apron???)

June ~

The news is out and we are all excited it is finally JUNE.

The biggest most exciting news is my cousin from Texas and her husband and five kids are moving to SLO.

They bought a horse farm in SLO and will be moving there mid June.

Here's a cute photo of all of them, kids are all a little older now:)

How fun for all of us, this will be the third family in San Luis.

"No expectations Becky, but we'll see you on the 4th".  Yeah.

How fun for the kids to be around each other and the great outdoors this summer.

The other news is .... yeah it is finally summer.

We have goals and agendas all summer, not huge trips (at least not until Sept...), but little trips and big agendas for learning and growing as a family of five.

Since Daddy will be so busy this summer we have plans to acquire some new skills, discover new areas, make lots of yummy jam and berry treats and see lots of family.

Yeah.  Yeah. Yeah.

My goal is to keep the kids on a morning routine all summer.

Choirs/learning in the am and play in the pm.
(oops and can't forget on attempting to ready my bible every day, can't survive without that...)

What are your plans?

Princess & Pirate 4th Birthday Party

Nolan and Taryn's 4th Birthday Party.

We love you Nolan and Taryn and are so thankful for you!

We can't believe you are FOUR already it has gone by SO fast, too fast.

We love you and feel so blessed to have you as son and daughter, brother and sister.

You are both a gift from God and a joy to raise!

Super fun to use itsy this year and purchase pdf files to do the party.

 A little decor.  I know a little over done this year, but super fun.

We had breadsticks for swords, meatballs for cannon balls (mini party ones from trader joes, fruit cabobs, malt balls and some heathly snacks and stuff for adults.

We had two tables pirate and princess with a craft on it to begin with.  We started with decorating swords with jewels (oriental trading company), and crowns for the girls again (oriental trading company).

                                     We'll start with the princess

 Taryn doing her crown

 The girls were invited to wear dress up.

I also had a ton of dress up in their rooms for them to change into or change throughout the party.

 It was cute i think Taryn wore three different dresses.

 I had the kids get their swords and wands and play a little game of balancing the money on their swords and wands and dump in bucket...didn't work to well, but o'well. They had fun.

Moving on from the cute princess's to the adorable pirates!!!

Nolan making his crown.

 We also had two more games hunting for treasure in water and pin the pirate patch on the pirate.

And then there was cupcakes and cake.
A friend from our bible study made the cupcakes and I purchased the little cakes.
Okay these little cakes are PERFECT for pre-schoolers, plenty for everyone and just too cute.  Great for twins.
The toppers for the cupcakes were all from Nancy's on Itsy.

 We had a princess cake (barbie really) and a pirate cake.

 Of course we needed a new princess outfit for the blowing out of candles.
Is that outfit #2?

Goodie bags for the kids

 Had to throw this one in there this was her little friends princess outfit i think this is outfit
number three.
Very fun and o'so cute.

One of my favorite parties to have, spend a little too much time doing it, but it was fun.

The morning two days later Nolan says in his bed,

"Mom I loved my birthday party".

Well for a mom that just makes it all worth it.