New blog...

so ok...to fight the temptation to leave political posts on this family blog and so I can stop saying stuff on facebook I started a new blog where I can feel free to say what I would like about politics and whatever else. I hope you go read it but if you don't want to read that sort of stuff it's easy to avoid! And Jess, I'm sorry for being so weird! I just can't help it!!! As I was typing my first post I was deleting and starting over and deleting some more and tapping my leg real fast and playing the drums on my desk and probably a few other things I didn't notice. I get so worked up over this stuff. Anyway....go check it out if you want! the address is:

www.iwenttoaprotest.blogspot.com

I thought of the name in like 30 seconds!

Two year old extreme sports!

A few videos of Davis doing some fun stuff.

What is up with that??

Today I was looking up the meaning of Cole's name (don't ask me why I guess I was just curious) and what in the world did I discover??? I couldn't believe that it is also known as a short name for Nicholas. Can you believe that? So, that is now 2 kids that are named after Nick but at least this one wasn't intentionally. I knew that I should have looked his name up before we named him..... seriously this is not fair!! I definitely call dibs on the next child's name for sure!!

Hop-py Easter!!!

Just look at these adorable faces!!

I know I am a little late on posting this but I just wanted to post our happenings from Easter.

Here are the events that took place for us this year. Davis had an Easter egg hunt with our church playgroup. I guess I under estimated my child this year with egg hunting because Davis found and gathered up so many eggs his basket was full and he kept going and when he bent over to pick up more they would tip out so when he wasn't looking I was taking them from his basket and giving them to other kids that didn't get as many as him! I think he plotted out his strategy very carefully. While all the other kids went for the eggs that were just laying on the grass Davis went to the outskirts of the yard and just followed the eggs along the outskirts. Just playin...I think that this was just luck and he had no idea what he was doing! I forgot my camera for this church egg hunting so I have no pictures but I got plenty from the family Easter party.

Surprisingly this was Davis' and obviously Cole's first time spending Easter with the whole Bettes clan. I guess we have always had stuff going on the previous years. The family party was fun for Davis and he had a blast!!! We had to do the same and cut Davis off of egg hunting when his basket was so full that eggs were falling out! Chris and Jennifer did a great job planning some fun egg games for the kids, Davis didn't really follow the rules but he had fun playing the games.

The Gang...only missing Kinley and Logan sure hope you had fun in Disney World!!

and he is off.....

Egg toss....catch it Davis!!

Uh-oh....missed it!!

Check out my egg carrying skills...

What you want me to roll this with my nose?

I have a better idea....

Davis WINS!!!!

Cole slept through the majority of the events but we were glad that he was there with us this year!! He is my sweet snuggle bug!! Just look at him.....

and look at this....

I just can't help myself who in the world does that baby belong to??

Any who...the kids also loved going to the lake and fishing too! Davis is in love with the four wheeler and is constantly wanting to go on four wheeler rides with either Nick or Papa. I jumped on with Cole so we all could go on a family four wheeler ride but we were going to slow for Davis and Nick ended up having to drop Cole and I off at the house. We missed Mimi this year because she was in Italy and Davis kept asking where she was and we told her that she was on a plane and you could just see how Davis thought that was cool!!

We ended up staying too late for driving home so we drove to Wade and Kristi's and stayed the night with them and Davis was in heaven playing with Tucker and Haley and going to church with them! It was so nice that the Easter bunny came and visited Davis and Cole at Tucker and Haley's house. I was bummed by morning our camera was dead so we weren't able to get any pics of their Easter baskets. We were woken up by Haley coming in and telling Davis the Easter bunny came and Davis jumped up and rushed out to the living room. I think he was still sleepy but was very excited to see what the Easter bunny brought him! After he saw what he got he wanted me to pick him up and look out the back door because he thought the Easter bunny was outside and he wanted to see him, it was pretty funny!! After church we went and ate Easter dinner with Kim's family and watched the movie Bolt, actually I feel asleep, but Davis sure did have fun playing with Kat and Anna while we were there. We are so fortunate to spend time with so many family members!! Thanks for the great time everyone!!

Time to be responsible!!

I can remember back to the days where Nick and I could go and do the things that we wanted when ever and where ever. I can't really say that I necessarily miss those days but I can for surely say that life was easier!! Life was care free back in the day when it was just the 2 of us. It is sooo crazy to me how parenting changes your life COMPLETELY!!! How your priorities are different once you become a mother and a father. How certain things don't really matter to me anymore that did before. Even earlier this year I wanted to upgrade our kitchen, which don't get me wrong I would still like to do it but for some reason it doesn't really seem much of a priority to me anymore.

Sadly, what I am trying to get at here is that I never really viewed food storage as a priority....when it was just Nick and I. Well, for me times have changed and I guess it is about time. Maybe it is because 800 people were laid off at Nick's work, mostly people working in the plants and a hand full of corporate. Luckily for us Nick was not one of them, I count my blessings everyday that Nick has a job and is able to support our family!! When Nick called me and told me the news my initial reaction was I felt terrible for those families. But, after I hung up the phone the only thing I could think of was "what if that was us, what would we do". We have no food storage, no savings...nothing!! So, to make a long story short I did what any mother would do and I kissed my soon to be updated kitchen good-bye. I stopped spending and started saving!! I have become so obsessed with trying to save money that I really didn't even want to go to Hilton Head because I knew that we wouldn't get to save any money that pay check but don't get me wrong I am glad we went!!

I was talking about this with our cousin Jennifer and she encouraged that I blog about it. Now you guys get to listen to my food storage frustrations. Lately all that I have been doing in my spare time is doing so much research with food storage that my brain is packed full with so much information that I feel like it is going to explode. I started our food storage, it is small and tiny right now but at least it is getting started and I feel very overwhelmed. My goal starting off is to have enough food storage and savings for a 3 month supply right now. We also started in the month of March and went on a fast food fast, if you know us we love to eat out! Well, we stopped eating out for the month and we cooked everyday and put $500 dollars in savings! Yeah, I know it is ridiculous how much money we waste on eating out!! I am extremely embarrassed to even say that we waste that much money on eating out. But, hey at least we are learning and trying to do better for our family. I am sure that so many of you have seen this blog and it is awesome!! It has baby steps to follow for building a food supply and I am using their step by step method which has me pretty darn EXCITED!! Look at me I have gone seriously nuts, I mean come on I am EXCITED about food storage!! Right now I am in step 1, making 72 hour emergency food kits and guess what I am sooo EXCITED!! So stay tuned to see how they turn out!! So, for those of you who have any awesome tips for food storage or recipes please, please, please send them my way so I have something that I would rather be doing then housework!! YAY for food storage and for savings!!!

Just another day in paradise!!

We just got back from a mini-vacation in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. It was nice to get away and we had a good time with our friends Joe and Dawnelle and their kids Carter and Ellie that decided to join us as well. Davis loves to play with Carter so it was nice that Davis had a friend with him. The beaches are nothing like the gulf coast (Florida) but it was still the beach. There is something that is so calming about the beach and the ocean. As I like to say when you are at the beach it really is like another day in paradise.

We have been to Hilton Head before but never when it was warm, so it was a nice treat
to have some warm weather for a few days. Because the beach wasn't scorching hot and there was a cool breeze, we didn't think to put sunblock on ourselves, we ended up getting sun burned pretty bad. Luckily we were smart enough to put it on the kids, even though Cole and I sat under the umbrella the majority of the time, my arms still got burned. Nick was out playing in the sand with Davis a lot and flying a kite with Joe without a shirt on and he got burned the worse out of everyone. Davis got burned right under his left eye and on parts of his legs and feet where we missed with sunblock but he never once complained about it. So, we were very lucky, I mean if Davis got burned any worse I think we could have been in trouble. It is never fun to get sun burned when you are on vacation.

Some of the highlights from the trip was relaxing on the beach and watching some dolphins swimming really close to the shore which was really cool. There were 4 of them swimming together. Went swimming in the pool and watched Nick and Joe wrestle in the pool, totally gay looking, but I guess that is what guys do!! Davis loved the pool and it was tough for him to leave. Watched the guys learn how to fly a stunt 2 handle kite, I am surprised the kite survived all the crashes. Watched Davis fly his "awesome" spider man kite as he called it. We ate at some pretty good local restaurants. The boys went riding on their scooters while the girls walked with the babies. On the drive back home we stopped in Savannah and ate a late lunch. Overall was a great and fun trip besides Nick getting "scorched".

We came back home and it is freezing and we are fore casted for snow tonight! I am missing the warm beach where you feel like life can't get much better!!
Isn't spring break suppose to be warm??
I am just going to feature my favorite pictures and put the rest of the pictures from the trip on a slide show if you care to watch!

"Eggs"cellent

I have been looking for a spring wreath for awhile to hang on my door. Like I have said before I am not crafty at all but I saw this really cool Easter wreath from Tip Junkie. (you can click on this link to get the tutorial) and since I couldn't find a wreath that wasn't going to cost me an arm and a leg. I thought that it would be fun to make and it seemed pretty easy and inexpensive to make, which it was! Since I was going to be making one myself I thought that it would be fun to have some company so I emailed some friends last week to see if anyone wanted to make one with me. It ended up being a really fun craft night with the girls!! I am pretty proud of myself and my wreath making accomplishments. I think the wreath turned out great and it looks great hanging up on my door! I liked it so much that I almost wanted to keep it inside so I could look at it everyday. I have been waiting for some neighbors to come knocking on my door asking me where I bought it so I can for once act like I am crafty!!

Us working diligently on our wreaths.
Rebecca are you trying to hot glue Shellie??

Top to Bottom, Left to Right: Connie, Shayleen, Rebecca, Lisa, Dawnelle, Me and Shellie. Picture taken by Lazette: she was there just to hang out with us!

I know the neighbor's are jealous they are just to afraid to admit it!

My table was feeling a little empty so I helped it out.

What 2 crafty things in one month, I rule!!!