Uffda......has it really been this long?!?!

Happy Tuesday readers! :) OOPS I mean Saturday-I think I started this on a Tuesday about a month ago!


I honestly cannot believe how long it has been, I was really trying to be a better blogger, however in the process I did worse (was that even possible?!?!) I know some of you are thinking, "really what does this woman do all day, after all she is a stay at home mom? Between watching soap operas, laying on the couch and eating bon-bons she should have a few minutes to blog."


Well yes you basically described my life in a nut shell, however, minus the soap operas and put in Barney or Dinosaur Train, take out laying on the couch and put in CHASING (let me tell you this kid can move) an 19 month old and delete eating bon-bons and put in grabbing a bite of macaroni and cheese when I have a minute. Still not impressed? Then I challenge you to come to our house for a day and see what its like! :) To be honest we are just busy living and LOVING every single minute of it! :)


It is hard to believe I have been in my new job for almost 7 whole months now. A few things I miss from working are: taking a 10 minute state ordered morning and afternoon break, going to the bathroom with the door closed, eating lunch in peace and only having to clean up myself after and when my work day is done closing the computer and walking away from my job! :) Anyone who has gone from being a career woman to a SAHM understands all of the above. I no longer have a 401K, vacation days, sick days, flex time or the option of promotion (unless you count this baby boy coming in November as a promotion!) :)


However without the above "benefits" I believe I am MUCH better off. On a recent Sunday evening I had a moment where I missed "working" and had an in depth conversation with Kameron about my feelings. I was just jealous of some of the women I know, however this is the BEST situation for our family. I know many working moms who would love to stay home with their kids, however that is not an option. I am very blessed to have a husband who can support us and I am able to do the BEST JOB IN THE WORLD! :) And we are busy, and we love it! As I recalled things I miss from working, you have no idea how many million things I would miss from not staying home with Kynlee and any future kids that come along! :)


That being said, what have we been doing since my last post (lets not mention how blasted long ago!) hmmmmm....we have been doing tons of things! :) I decided to sum up our lost time with 11 things that have kept us busy!


11 Summer Activities


1. vAcAtIoN!!!
We did not take any BIG family vacations this year. Between NUMEROUS trips to Bismarck (not relaxing, usually appointments!), a couple stops in Tioga, the Tangedal family reunion in Epping, Fargo with my Mother-in-Law, Medora with my parents and Kamerons, and a VERY relaxing trip to Sioux Falls with my husband (Kynlee stayed at G & G P's house!) I have no idea where our summer went! :) Although I do know, we enjoyed it!!! :)


2. DOG DAYS OF SUMMER!
I know our "dog days" will have a different meaning than most, I am okay with that! :) Kameron & I talked back in March what to do about Sadie Mae. She was our black cocker spaniel that we got in November of 07. She was our baby and she knew it. So when Kynlee came home from the hospital we hoped life would continue as normal and they would be the best of friends. Well this did NOT happen. Kynlee LOVED Sadie, however Sadie did not love Kynlee. :( We tried MANY methods to have them get along, but nothing seemed to work right. Sadie did not harm Kynlee, just did not like her at all! So we talked to our dear friend Erin, who has LOVED Sadie from the beginning. She agreed to give Sadie the loving home that she deserved. We were dog-less for about a month and fell in love with a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel/Poodle mix who we named Dottie. She is a VERY good dog, just a puppy and I think we need more training than she does! :) LOL! However the sweetest part is Kynlee LOVES her and she LOVES Kynlee!!! That is what matters! Not to mention Sadie is the happiest she has EVER been!


3. OH BOY!
I begged and pleaded with Kameron that we could find out the sex of this baby.....when I say begged, I honestly did!!! We had guessed boy from the beginning, so we were happy to confirm that there is indeed a little man growing inside of me! :) We brought my mom, my sister Emy, my cousin Shelby, my grandma Carol and Kameron's mom Rusty into the ultrasound room to share the moment with us! We didn't care whether this babe was a boy or girl, we just wanted a healthy one! And so far he is looking great and I am feeling great, just REALLY tired!!! We are planning on doing a name that starts with a "hard c" or K sound, so if you have any suggestions we will take them. I would say we are about 90% sure on a name but we will keep that a secret until baby gets here!!! :)


4. HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?
Well we decided to have a garden this year. I can grow plants very well, so I figured a garden would be SOOOOO easy. Turns out they take a lot of work! :) Next year we will be more prepared. Kameron did most of the work but the heat was ALWAYS a factor for me to get out there and work the garden. We did get a few items, however we lost quite a few plants too. Oh well lesson learned.... :)


5. VEHICLE SWAP!
We have our mini van of course (which I agree is the most uncool car invented, however I know now that I could totally not live without it!!!) and then we were still driving our Journey and Kamerons work car Betty (Chevy Lumina named Betty Beater because of her hail damage!). We decided to sell Betty to a coworker of Kamerons and just have him drive the Journey. However we knew with winter coming we would need a 4 wheel drive vehicle. So we bucked up and traded the Journey in on a truck for Kameron. He is VERY happy with it and I enjoy it also, its a pretty sharp vehicle! :)


6. GOLF!
I love my husband! When I married him almost 5 years ago, I knew that he liked cars, derbying, nascar and wasn't a big fan of any other sports. He is becoming more of a baseball fan and follows the high school and college football scores almost as much as me. However I was not ready for his newest adventure....GOLF! My dad Tim started playing golf a couple years ago and decided that he would keep mentioning it to Kameron that he should try it. In the past Kameron and I talked about taking lessons and seeing if we liked it. Well it turns out KAMERON LOVES IT! :) Which is great, it gives him an outlet. he has gone out a few times with friends and any time he and Tim are together, they are scouting for courses to conquer! I have also caught him watching the golf channel from time to time.....scary!


6. PAINT!
We had my parents come for Labor Day weekend and help us get the babies room ready! I should clarify, my dad and Kameron golfed all weekend long, while my mom and I painted! :) Emy watched my nephew Ashur and Kynlee so we could get a lot done. Kameron did help paint part of the boarder, however that was about it! However with only 6 weeks until baby comes it is a nice feeling to have the room painted and ready. We just need to bring the furniture out of the basement and then we should be set! I am not sure if you are ever 100% for baby, but we are doing our best! :)


7. TERRIBLE TWO's!
Now some of you will tell me that 3 is worse than 2. To be honest, I don't even want to hear that from you yet! :) After all, Kynlee is only 19 months. I mean seriously how can she be showing "terrible 2" behavior already?! Who is this monster child! Yesterday I told her to get out of the bathroom, she wasn't listening, so I shut the door. This began a 15 minute major fit. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? Kicking the door, laying on the floor crying, throwing the couch pillows.....I mean come on kid, spare me! Unfortunately for Kynlee she gets her determination from both sides of her family and I am still convinced the drama, bossy behavior, and strong will is from her dad's side, however I am afraid she is a little mini-me!

8. BUSY GIRL!
Not that I can't escape from her to get a blog done now and then, but typically when she is napping, I AM NAPPING! She wears me out! She goes by many names (always has!) Sal, Sally, Kyner-bug, Bugs, Baby Girl, just to name a few, and she seems to listen to any and all of them! :) When I have her in the office with me (and I am trying to get ANYTHING done) I might as well have a group of preschoolers in here touching everything! I know she is curious and wants to learn, however some days I need a little quiet time on the computer myself! Our lap top is out of commission right now as Dottie decided the cord was yummy and chewed it up, while it was plugged in-how she didn't get shocked, I will never know. So when Kynlee is down for a rest, and I choose not to rest I come down to the laundry or computer and typically fb, email or check the bank account. Sorry but the blog has been last lately (I gotta work on changing that!) :)

9. JABBER BOX
Well we all know I can talk, NO secret there! Kynlee does a lot of jabbering that we have NO CLUE what she is saying. She has taken after her father in the way that she gets REALLY nervous in public and doesn't say much then. However at home and in the car we are always working on words to say. I know some of you might see Kynlee and wonder why she isn't saying more, but I am afraid once she starts getting actual words out, she is not going to stop! :) (remind you of anyone!) Anyhow her favorite word is DOT-DOT. She says it every morning when I go to get her up, she is referring to the dog. I would appreciate if she would say mom, however that has not happened! She also says, "bumpa" meaning grandpa, but wont come near grandma yet! (my dad Tim loves rubbing that in!) Other than that, she says quite a few other little words, and will do please "peeeese" and thank you "ank ooo" when we ask. Either way if she is saying a lot of words or not, she is not afraid to let us know what she wants! :)

10. NO MORE BOTTLES!!!
I am happy to say that we are a week bottle free in this house. REALLY hard to imagine as I thought it would never happen. It is funny because Kynlee did just fine, it was her parents who had a hard time letting go. Now I know some of you are reading this and are shocked that we let our almost 19 month old child have a bottle so long. Well get over it! :) Each family is different and each family has to do what is best for them. This is how it was for us. Please no msgs as to how your child was 2 days old, bottle free, writing a novel, driving a car and won Miss America! :) Not to mention potty trained! HA! I get it, your child is perfect! Mine is too, its just her parents who are not! ;) Either way we are bottle free and she didn't even bat an eye, we had a couple struggles at nap time, but she rocked it. She is an all-star!

11. NESTING!
Now I must confess I am not nesting as much with this baby as I did with Kynlee. When I was pregnant with Kynlee I am pretty sure I rearranged the ENTIRE house (ask Kameron, he couldn't find a spoon in our kitchen!) I am better this time. I did move most of the toys out of our upstairs living room into Kynlee's room, and have changed the bathroom cupboard around a dozen times, but I have been pretty tame. We shall see how the next 5.5 weeks go, I may really turn into the crazy lady (no comments there!) I try to keep things pretty organized around here, but with a toddler, a dog and a husband -also a prego lady who can be pretty lazy at times! -sometimes it gets hard to do. :)

Well there ya go, that is what has kept me busy for (lets not mention how long) and I am okay with that. :) As I said, we have about 5.5 wks left before this boy gets here, if you have name suggestions, drop them to me! Otherwise, please keep us in your prayers that all remains healthy and happy! We now start weekly visits involving an ultrasound each time. With each appt it will probably be around 2 hrs long, as the baby has to pass all 8 points on the ultra sound or I come back later in the week-NO FUN! and no pressure of course! :)

I WILL blog again before we have him, some how the summer got away from me! :) Hopefully yours was full of sunshine and memories, I know mine was! :)

Thank you for reading, even if it became a novel! :) Much love!

Make it a great day!!!

Cass :)

11 things I forgot about being pregnant...

Call it baby brain, but I forgot a lot of things about being pregnant. I mean really what is wrong with me, I was pregnant only 15 short months ago. For real, I should know this stuff. Here is my list of 11 things I forgot about when you are pregnant....

1. THE LOOK! When I (or we) tell someone that we are expecting again they immediately look at my belly. Which is hilarious, I love it. I do it too when people tell me, but somehow I forgot that this happens.

2. THE DREAMS! Oh my goodness, are you kidding me, pregnancy dreams are the wackiest ever. I have had some crazy ones ALREADY! The other night I dreamt that one of my high school classmates died of cancer, which is random, this person is healthy as a horse! Then I dreamt (right when we found out I was expecting) that I kissed a high school boy. HELLO COUGAR! I didn't know this kid, but I kissed him. Random I know, I have had some bad (scary) dreams too. Its hard to explain to Kameron how vivid they are and how well I remember them. Next time he can get pregnant so he can experience them! :)

3. BABY BUMP! Okay they say the more kids you have the faster your "bump" bumps out. Well that is true, I think i was like 3 days "officially" pregnant and here comes the belly! I was in maternity clothes faster this time than with either of my other 2 pregnancies. I actually tried to pull of regular jeans the other day, got down the hallway, turned around and got my full panel maternity capris on, just better for me to be comfy! :)

4. CRAVINGS! Now I am not the pickles and ice cream pregnancy lady, but I do get some deep cravings for things. My last pregnancy it was Munch em's. I mean really they are good but I must have ate 2 million bags-we are talking family size bags not snack size! :) Lately I have been craving cinnamon butter, it was a special at our grocery store for a short time and now I cannot find it anywhere. Trust me I would give anything for that tub to have with my toast! :)

5. HIPS! These hips don't lie. I am pregnant. They are out of place every single minute! I use my exercise ball every day and it feels good on them but once I am off the ball, they are out of place again. So my choices are either live on the exercise ball or buck up and deal with these crazy hips! :)

6. PAINS! When you are pregnant you get strange pains all over your body, I mean after all you are growing a PERSON inside of you, its only right that you would hurt a little! :) When i get up from a chair too fast I have to sit down again and let the pain go away, i need to move like I am 100 not 33! :)

7. ROCKIN'! For some crazy reason I rock when I am pregnant. If I am standing in one position I will rock back and forth, typically holding my belly. I am pretty sure I don't do this other times, only when I have a bun in the oven! :)

8. WADDLE! I will admit it I am a waddler, I look like duck. I told Kameron I was gonna do my best not to waddle at in with this baby, however, I know I am occasionally waddling already! Its okay, its cute to waddle now, but after the baby comes, no more waddling! :)

9. NESTING! I love to organize things, that is no secret. Now that I am "with child" I am taking things out of a cupboard and putting them in another that makes more sense to me. Poor Kameron never knows where to find his favorite cooking tool. Sometimes I don't even remember where and change it back the next day! :)

10. NAPPING! Who doesn't love napping? Well besides kids, ALL adults love to nap, we are tired people. I hated naps as a kid, i mean really I would have missed something if I napped! :) However, I am pretty famous now for taking a morning nap with Kynlee. I put her in her crib, I head to my bed and snuggle in. More times than not she wakes me up before I am ready to get up. However I believe a nap a day is keeping me sane! :)

11. BELLY RUBBIN'! I know most pregnant ladies don't like random people (or anyone for that fact) rubbin their bellies. I love it! I rub my own, let other people talk to the baby, rub my belly, whatever. It does not bother me. Many of you are shakin at the thought of this, but it really doesn't bother me at all. Rub, Rub, Rub away! :)

Well there you have it! :) My memory is finally back in the saddle, at least until my morning nap! :)

Enjoy your day, thanks for reading! :)

Cassie

Happy Birthday Kameron! :)

Today is my favorite husbands birthday! :) Okay so hes my ONLY husband, but hes still my favorite! :) I am dedicating today's blog to him! :)

There are a million and more reasons why I love him, however in standard Cassie fashion, I will only be posting 11! :)

11 Reason Why I Love Kameron! :)

1. He does the yard work. He knows I am allergic to raking (okay I am not, just don't tell him, its our little secret!) and so he does it all for me.

2. He eats whatever I cook. Sometimes its good, sometimes its bad. The running joke is that I don't cook, however I do and I am a pretty good cook at that, I just don't LOVE doing it. However he is game for whatever, sometimes I tell him we are gonna grill steaks then I forget to take out the steaks and he comes home to delivered pizza and just smiles! :)

3. He drives. Sounds crazy I know, but now that I married him I am pretty much done driving when he is in the car. He loves it. But don't ask him too many questions because he also "concentrates" on what the vehicle is doing going down the highway! I think it has something to do with multi-tasking, but I just keep my mouth shut! :) LOL!

4. He lets me have me time. He knows that it is important for me to have my own time, he strongly encourages time out with friends, a walk by myself even lets me have quiet time watching my favorite reality TV show while he takes care of Kynlee! :)

5. He lets me win. To be honest we don't fight, maybe I sound like I am bragging, well I guess I am. I like that we get along really well. Anyhow, if I am in one of those feisty moods and just want to pick a fight (not a big one, just a little spat-and ladies you know what I am talking about!) he just agrees with me and says, "you are right". I know he does this out of love and I love him more for it! :)

6. He always encourages me to shop. Lucky girl right! :) He knows that sometimes I just need a little retail therapy and never tells me, "okay that's enough!" :)

7. He knows I have a fast brain. This may sound strange, however, my brain never stops, sometimes its even hard to sleep. It goes a million miles and hour ALL the time, sometimes are worse than others. He just knows when I hit "fast brain time" and its honestly like a tornado. This is so hard to explain so just go with it! :)

8. He lets me celebrate. If anyone knows me they know that I love a reason to celebrate. ANY REASON. Holidays (yes ALL of them!) are huge deal and Kameron has to get me a card from him and Kynlee (Sadie signs it too!). He tells me he likes the decorations although he may change his tune as he is hauling totes up and down the stairs, time and time and time again! :)

9. He doesn't clean. Most of you are gasping saying, "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!" however, we made an agreement on something. I take care of the inside, he takes care of the outside. It works really well for me. Don't get me wrong, we help each other with both tasks (except raking, you know I am allergic!). I say this is a great plan, and my OCD cannot handle another person doing things the "wrong" way! :)

10. He thinks the same. I love how he is (almost) always thinking the same thing as me. Of course this does not always occur and sometimes he has to explain things to me or vise-versa, but all-in-all we think the same on things. I love that he shares the same values as me and is encouraging Kynlee on the same path! :)

11. He doesn't plan. Many of you are shocked that I said that, because you know I plan, I schedule, I like things in order... :) HELLO OCD! :) Kameron doesn't plan, he likes not planning, just running by the seat of his pants. Now 90% of the time this drive me NUTS! However, I secretly love his spontaneity! He is always coming up with something to change our plans, always for the better. :)

Okay that is my first May post, HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAMERON! :) We are both now 33, the same age so stop calling me a cougar! :)

I wanted to add one more, but we know my list is only 11, but I had to add this, I know it sounds a  little generic, but he ALWAYS THINKS I AM BEAUTIFUL. This means a lot, however lately it means more. If you look at me, I either look pregnant or that I just added a huge tire on my waist. I am not a fan of these first few weeks of pregnancy before you are actually rockin the bump. And boy did this kid, "bump" out earlier than the first two! :) Anyhow, I am happy that he thinks I am the most beautiful when I feel the most frumpy! :)

HAPPY MONDAY, enjoy your week, and tell your loved ones, you LOVE THEM! :)

Thank you for reading,

Cassie :)

Why I am happy turing 33 rather than 23! :)

Well folks, the day is here. Yes it is my birthday! :) I have been 33 for about 2 1/2 hours now. My mom was in labor for 24+ hours and I like to think I was worth it! :)

Anyhow I decided for the big 33 I would make a list why I am happy being 33, rather than 23. Random I know, but just go with it, after all, ITS MY BIRTHDAY! :) Which should be a national holiday however, nothing REALLY cool happened today, it was 99 years yesterday that the titanic sank.....that's cool, but today this is what happened in history: What happened on April 16 I am not 100% impressed by everything listed. Here is who I share my birthday with: Famous April 16 Birthdays. So anyhow, I also found that today is: National Stress Awareness Day and National Egg Benedict Day. Well that's all great, because I can sometimes be stressed (even on my birthday) so I am happy to be aware of it today. But the eggs day.....hmmmm... I don't eat eggs, unless they come in the form of cookies or cakes so I will not be celebrating Egg Benedict Day! :) Anyhow whatever happened or happens today, I will continue to enjoy it! :)

I decided on a list (I know you are shocked!) of 11 reasons why I am happy to be 33 and not 23! :) ENJOY!

1. GRAY HAIR. Now I do not usually celebrate this, NOT at all. However today I was looking at myself and realizing that my gray hair isn't caused from stress (although it could have been!) but it is genetic. I come from a long line of beautiful gray haired people, I am embracing it this year! :)

2. ID. I am happy that I am 33 and am not getting carded. Not that I am buying anything to get carded for, besides cold medicine, but its still nice to know, I look old enough to purchase whatever I want. :)

3. 10 YEARS. Now 10 years ago I was turning 23 (yes, I am good at math!) and I was not up at this hour 10 years ago, unless it was still from the night before. I look at all that has gone on in the past 10 years and anyone who celebrated my 23rd with me knows it was a big day. You see my mom only lived to be 23, so making it to that age was huge for me. Here I am 10 years later and proud of where I have come from.

4. JOB. Well 33 years in the making, I am finally at my dream job. As a little girl I always said I wanted to be a teacher or a mom. Well I have done both and now I am doing what I was meant to do, be a mom. I love staying home with Kynlee, however we don't stay home much, we are busy! :) I have had some wonderful jobs in my day, but this is the best one yet! :)

5. FAMILY. well 10 years ago I wasn't nearly this close to my family. Not at all. I knew I loved them and they loved me, but we are a lot closer now. Unfortunately we had to go through some tough times to get there, but here we are.

6. KNOWLEDGE. You know 10 years ago most of you probably never thought I would ever graduate from college, trust me I was concerned also! :) LOL! But I look at the knowledge gained not from college but from life in 10 years. Kids don't interpret this as a "don't go to college speech" because that is not what it is......however, I have gained great knowledge from life also.

7. HEARTBREAK. 10 years ago I didn't really know what "real" heartbreak was, I am talking about love here, not just heartbreak in life. Over the past 10 years I have had my heart chewed up and spit out a  couple times. I am happy to be out of the dating ring, that place is vicious! :) However as I reflect back on some of them (I got to last weekend with Leslie-thanks hun!) I know I would not be as thankful for what I have today with out that past! :)

8. UNANSWERED PRAYERS. I look back over 10 years and am thinking of some of my "dreams" that I prayed would come true and I realized that I am sooooooooooo thankful for those unanswered prayers. So this morning I am breaking out into song with a little Garth Brooks number, (sing along I know you know the words!) "Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers......"

9. DRIVING. One thing is for sure, I have become a better driver in 10 years. I mean I recall times of painting my toe nails, putting in my contacts and my famous putting on my makeup ALL while driving. Yes I was a road hazard. 10 years has changed a lot, I keep mirrors ON cars, I don't do crazy things while driving, and I drive safe. After all its not usually just me, I have Kynlee too! :)

10. HEALTHIER. Its crazy how much healthier I am now than I was at 23. I am not just healthier physically but also mentally. I am better at eating foods that are good for me (pretend I didn't eat some dirt cake for breakfast today---give me a break, its my birthday!) I also know that a little physical activity each day does a body good. :) And as far as mentally I have mentioned before about seeing my crazy doctor, she keeps me grounded. Its one of the BEST decisions I ever made.

11. HAPPIER. This probably has a lot to do with #10, but I know I am a happier person. I look at all that has happened in the last 10 years.....I have lost some WONDERFUL people in my life, however I know each death lead to building character. However I feel I have enough character for a lifetime now! :) I have also made some amazing friends who have stood by me in my darkest moments. I should mention some of those amazing friends where there prior to 10 years ago too! :) Anyhow, if I have learned one things, its life is to short not to be HAPPY! :)

Okay that is my 11 for today, the start of the 33rd year of my life. Now for the next two weeks Kameron will call me a cougar because I am 2 weeks older than him. Its fine, I can handle it.

I should put a disclaimer in here that 23 was a wonderful year, but I am happy and PROUD to be here at 33! :) And its funny how life doesn't turn out the way you "planned" it. Which is a good thing, my life is way better than I ever dreamed it could be! :)

Have a wonderful Saturday, thanks for the love.

Cassie :)

11 Things to Look Forward to in April...No foolin'

Well its April today, which according to me is the BEST month ever! :) Anyhow, for some crazy reason I am up in the middle of the night and decided to write my top 11 things to look forward to for April...enjoy! :)

1. MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (this should probably be numbers 1-11, however there are other reasons to celebrate this month besides me!)

2. sPrInG? I say that with a question because I am really asking...is it EVER coming?!?!? I still have not found that box of flip flops, but when I do, its on! :)

3. My mother-in-laws birthday! She is by far the BEST mil that I have ever had. Okay she is the ONLY one, but still she is so awesome! I would be lost without her may times. She is the most patient woman I know and would do anything to make us happy! :) Thank you Rusty for all you do to brighten up our little corner of the world! :)

4. EASTER! I love Easter, always have, except when its right on my birthday, that is NO FUN! Or maybe its because I don't like sharing! :) I just love the time of Easter and the bible stories and all that goes around with it! :)

5. Pastel, okay this probably goes with Easter however, I love pastel colors (yes I have sharpies this color too!) and I love seeing pastel. To be honest, when I was like 16 I wanted a variety of pastel colored bridesmaids dresses in my wedding.....strange I know, and when I got married my sisters wore black, quite a bit farther from what I had one time wanted! :)

6. CADBURY CREME EGGS! I have loved them forever, honestly I have....Now i only indulge on the mini ones, otherwise I get a little woozy. I was just telling Kameron how in HS I used to suck all the insides out and then eat the chocolate (yes I am strange!) this was probably an everyday occurrence for me. (Mary if you are reading this I know you are smiling! Most of this occurred in the powder blue escort wagon!). 

7. PEEPS! Who doesn't love Peeps?!?! Okay I know a lot of people don't! However, I love them, but again its too much sugar so I found little mini chocolate covered peeps, I think they are new this year. Has anyone tried them???? AMAZING AMAZING, just melt in your mouth. Get to the store and get some...NOW!

8. Fundraisers! We are participating in the Legs for Lorisa MS walk this May and everyone and their dog is doing a fundraiser for this cause. Our family has not come up with anything to do yet, YIKES, except have a "donate to me" page, but hopefully something comes to us soon! A lot of our friends and others we don't even know are doing a variety of fundraisers this month and we are really looking forward to participating in each and everyone of them! :)

9.  Walking! I know everyone says, "don't wish your kids to grow up too fast" however its easier said than done and we are sooooooooooooooooooo close to walking I can taste it! My sisters and dad said they saw her take 4 steps on her own (apparently going after a phone, do you think shes my child?!) however she has not done it since. We try with her and we also take her on walks down the hallway (roughly 6 million times a day!) and she great when she holding onto us with one finger, but don't let go, she throws herself on the floor and cries (again...I wonder if this drama means shes my child?!?!). Anyhow we are still waiting to witness with our own 2 eyes her first steps! Pretty sure they will come this month.....

10. Walking x 2! I am looking forward to walking outside...I have mentioned this before, but it HAS GOT TO WARM UP SOON, please! I mean the Cadbury Eggs and Chocolate Covered Peeps and the baby weight from Kynlee (did I mention she is 13 months now!) needs to find another home, soon! :) Last night we thought about it, but knew it was a little to chilly for Kynlee. Kameron & I knew we could bundle up and Sadie (our dog) was wearing a sweater (of course) so she would be fine, but Kynlees cheeks would have been a little too red! :) Soon enough, soon enough! :)

11. MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!! I did think this deserved another post! :) We don't have anything fun planned for that day. The night before we are attending a fundraiser and the day after is Palm Sunday, but nothing special for that day. We are headed to Bismarck the day before for a couple massage and I have an appointment with the crazy doctor. We are hoping to turn it into a mini-date day but need somewhere for Kynlee to go, any takers?! Just kidding, we will figure out what to do with her! :) And maybe she will get to tag along since that what married parents have to do sometimes! :)

Anyhow that's all folks, have a wonderful April Fool's Day! :) I will not be pulling any pranks today, although I would love to! I have done some classic ones in the past! :) I am laughing out loud just thinking of them! :)

Thanks for reading.....

Cass :)

FOR THE BIRDS!

First of all, let me say, I have NOTHING against birds. Sure I hate it when they poop on my car, but all in all they are not bad animals. I have no interest to shoot them, except for the woodpecker who lived outside our window in our little house in Linton. That was annoying. However, I just let them do their thing, not bothering a soul. In fact I enjoy birds, I love seeing the first robin of Spring, always a joy! Yesterday we saw a pheasant in our yard, in town. It was cool, trust me we don't see much cool, as far as animals are concerned here in the city! :)

So for a while now, I have read about people playing this game, "Angry Birds". I thought nothing of it, since I don't play video games or computer games. One day however, I decided to put it on my phone....BAD MISTAKE! I am becoming a bird brain, any spare time I have (which isn't always a lot) I am playing Angry Birds. Not only is it an annoying game, its ADDICTING also.

Well I just had to vent about my latest obsession......I better go back on and see if I can beat it this morning.....

Good-bye from a bird brain.

Have a wonderful day!

Cassie :)

5 years ago....(almost!)

Well (almost) 5 years ago my life changed for the better. I had known for about 4 months or so that I was getting a nephew. My sister Annie and soon to be brother-in-law Cody were having a little boy. They announced the pregnancy at Jamie & Miranda's wedding. Although I was the LAST person to find out, I was still excited! :) Trust me, I don't like being last at ANYTHING; contests, challenges, races (although this one is hard, most snails would beat me!).

So my life was a little less than secure (good way to put it) and I was so excited for a baby to be around. Well not really "around" since they lived in Northwood, but at least in our family anyhow! :) I knew Christmas' would get even more fun and that life would take on a whole new perspective! The Christmas before Ashur was born Angela and I spent hours (at least) rubbing Annie's super cute prego belly, little did the two of us know that the next Christmas our lives would be drastically changed also. Angela found out shortly after this Christmas that she was expecting Sawyer in September (actually born in August, more on her later) and I would be having Peanut in November. Yes the next Christmas was definitely different.

Anyhow, I got the call for Mr. Ashur Lee Knetzger's world appearance and I was so excited and up early since I was headed to work at Home Depot. I remember crying (possibly some hormones mixed in!) and being so excited to meet him FINALLY! I did get to go and see him a week later and he was just so tiny I was even afraid to hold him! He had changed my whole world. You see we had not had a baby around since Emy was born about 8 years before this. Babies were a whole new world for our family.

Well here he is 5 years later and just a BALL OF ENERGY! He is obsessed with Thomas the Train and occasionally puts on a Buzz Lightyear costume but mostly enjoys being in his underwear. He doesn't have a favorite food but likes "cupcakes on the side" and he will make your head spin with his vast knowledge of many things!

I remember taking him for a night, it was shortly after the Northwood tornado and we volunteered to have him at our hotel and so Annie and Cody could get some stuff done. Well he would only eat chocolate milk and french fries, so that is what we fed him. Then he hid under the sink in the hotel and started grunting.....well lets just say, Kameron & I had a HUGE mess to clean up! I wasn't sure if Kameron wanted to have kids after seeing that disaster. :)

Ashur is a joy to our family and he loves "Baby Kynelee" soooooo much! :) His actual birthday is tomorrow but we will celebrate with him today! His gift from us is 100% Thomas the Train and not the ones you buy in the stores, he has ALL of those already, I had to special order him some! :) Oh well, he is worth it! :)

I am looking forward to seeing him today and having him melt my heart when he gives me a hug and says, "Thank you Auntie Cassie". Kynlee & I will head west (only 2 hours, we love living closer) and celebrate with him as Kameron is in on overtime today! :)

I had to share something with you, here is a my absolute favorite picture of Ashur Lee! :) What a riot! :) Enjoy your Saturday!

Thank you for reading! :)

Cassie :)

SPRING, WHERE ARE YOU! :)

Most of you saw this picture on my fb yesterday, however, I had to put it up on my blog. Not to mention this is the FIRST picture I have ever put on a blog post...lets call it lazy or technologically lame.

Anyhow yesterday morning we woke up to this, now mind you the snow doesn't look like much in the photo, but it was crazy later on in the day! Prior to this storm, our deck was CLEAR and I was planning on bringing out the patio furniture! NOT SO MUCH NOW!

So Kynlee was a little fussy and just wanted to be held...this is happening a lot lately. So I put her down and she was mad, I told her to look for Sadie (our super cute black cocker spaniel in the window) and she was still mad, I thought, I know how you feel hunny. I grabbed my phone and took this shot. She will not be happy with me one day when she sees it. but it was great to show how all of us feel about the storm. If you don't live here just know the week before I was seeing people in flip-flops, capris and tank tops walking around. We had started grilling and we getting excited to take walks again....then BAM winter is back!

Also for those of you who know me and how I love Sadie to be wearing a sweater all winter long. I had taken her sweater off last week, you know when it was 46 degrees and packed them away (yes them, she has a collection!) and this morning I dug them out again. Very sad, I thought we were ready to have warm weather all the time.

Anyhow, Kynlee and I will NOT be leaving the house today, not even if we want to. Kameron shoveled for us to get to the mail box but he said I will not be leaving the cul-de-sac as there is quite the drift at the end of the street.

Yesterday we kept entertained (not really) by folding laundry. Which involves me folding and Kynlee unfolding to put on her head, socks, underwear, jeans, shirts, dog sweaters, you name it! Today I might actually have to tackle our taxes. SHHHHHHHHHHH I know its almost April, NEVER before have I been this late with them. I have no excuse besides lazy, so I shall get that done today....or maybe not. NO I MUST! I have to get them mailed to the accountant. Please pray for me, I don't like organizing receipts! NOT ONE BIT!

Okay I can hear the taxes yelling at me, so I best begin before Kynlee gets up. Unless of course I need to reorganize a cupboard upstairs first and that might take all day! ;)

Whether you are in a warm or cold climate, enjoy your day!

Thank you for reading!
Love-Cassie

AMAZING Grace!

Let me start off on a note about the weather. The calender says Spring....however the weather man says blizzard....Well for some of you on the planet, Spring may have sprung...however here in ND we are experiencing what is to be a week of massive winter storms....So I REFUSE to discuss the weather today....onto a happier subject!

Last night I attended a benefit for AMAZING Grace Bittner in Dickinson. She is about 10 months old and cute as a button! In my days I have attended many a benefit, however this was BY FAR the largest one I had ever seen. I cannot tell you how awesome it was to see the generosity and love pouring out of people from all ends of the earth! There were sooooooooooo many great silent auction items and a wonderful raffle and people donating left and right not only to Grace but to her great parents & brothers too! :)

I saw a lot of familiar faces, it was nice. The place was PACKED PACKED PACKED! I wish I could have stayed all night and chatted, however I wanted to give up my seat so others could eat! I know at one time the line was down the block, OUTSIDE! :) I was moved to tears on more than one occasion last night.....not only the outpouring of generosity from everyone but also by the multitude of people who came in support.

Andrea & Cory you should be very proud as AMAZING Grace has touched many lives! It was just wonderful! I cannot imagine what you guys are going through, but know you are blessed because many many many many many many (and still more) people are there for you and lifting all of you up in prayer everyday! :)

My day started out rough....insert super full diaper and poop all over the place here. I literally hosed Kynlee off. It was rough, then she was being really needy when I needed to pack and get ready to leave. (Why does that ALWAYS happen!) Anyhow we got on the road on time, which was a miracle! We had lunch at Badlands Brew with one of my favorite people....Annika. 5 minutes with this wonderful woman and your whole life will feel uplifted, she radiates awesome-ness! :) I always leave time spent with her in a better mood! :) Then we ran into a flower shop that a friend of mine runs and surprised her! She was so excited, so were we! So we shopped together and had a blast catching up! I always enjoy laughing with Tara! :) Then we went to Wal-mart to run some errands and kill some time. Well that is about the time (in the check-out line, of course) that the melt down started.....I knew it was coming, she only had about a 30 min nap in the am and nothing yet for the afternoon... I got in the van, made her a bottle and started to drive. This went on for about 45 minutes. I just drove and drove and drove....the only thing missing was Lacey, some cheap hot dogs, and a couple mello-yellows. I drove by all of our old stalking, oops I mean, spying, oops I mean "viewing" places! :)

I was planning to go visit with Tami & kiddos, but I chose (for my own sanity) to let Kynlee sleep a little. We then went to see if baby Rae (I know shes not a baby, I just like calling her that!) was home and she arrived within a few minutes of us. The girls were a little scared of each other but it wasn't long before Kynlee wanted to lick, I mean kiss, her face! :)

Next we headed to the banquet....once again...super awesome outpouring of love! :) Then Lacey had both her kiddos and so we headed to Rae's house for a quick catch up. I decided with this lovely weather we were having that Kynlee and I best be heading home. Not that I minded being stranded at the Espinoza's, but I knew we needed to get home. So Kynlee played for a while and wouldn't share with Jackson and I held and snuggled Carly for a while and it was time to head home. My lovely child threw a fit when she saw the ba-ba and wanted it ASAP! So I got her snuggled in the car seat and headed down the highway. Right before I did that, I reminded Kupper and Haus (AKA Lacey and Sarah) that I am not gonna be the friend who tells them they need to come to Beulah (only an hour away) and visit me, but I WAS GONNA BE THAT FRIEND! :) Love you guys, just come visit! :)

It was wonderful to get home but even better to spend time at a great cause for AMAZING Grace and see many familiar faces! I love laying in bed at night knowing I had a day filled with love.

Thanks to Kameron for getting the crib ready for bed (we had to put new sheets on!), Tara for the giggles, Sarah for the hospitality and fun, Lacey for the laughs (as always!) Tami for understanding Kynlee needed a nap, Annika for always brightening my day!, and everyone else for the smiles on familiar faces! :)

In closing.....GO GRACE GO!

Hug your kids extra tight, they are a blessing, even when they poop all over their crib first thing in the morning. Oh boy, I hear the beckoning of my princess upstairs...lets hope we don't repeat our Monday morning.

Love ya, thanks for taking a minute to read....

Cass :)

Kiss me I am Irish!

Okay so the truth be told....I am not Irish....not at all. Not one ounce, I didn't even marry Irish. However, today, I will still wear a little green and a leprechaun pin or something...I am festive that way (I blame it on the teacher in me!) I didn't do much decorating for this lovely day, normally I have some stuff out, however, I seem to be missing that box of stuff, along with some of my shoes....Have I mentioned before, I HATE MOVING! :)


Next year after I find that box (and a few others!) I will decorate and play that leprechaun game with Kynlee, where while we are sleeping or away he comes in and messes up stuff and we set traps to try to catch him and stuff like that! However this year, there is minimal decorating and the only candy in our house is Cadburys (you KNOW I am addicted!).


I decided since I have been on this list kick! That I would do one today for the holiday. I am naming it, 11 reasons why I am lucky. Before anyone starts lecturing...I know I am blessed and not lucky, all good things come from above! :) However, since today is St. Paddy's day...I am calling it "lucky"!


11 reason why I am so lucky (blessed) this St. Patrick's Day! :)


1. Kynlee. Enough said, I can't even begin to tell you how absolutely awesome she is. We are currently learning, right from wrong...I really don't like scolding her, however sometimes I have to. Today I caught her pinching my leg and IT HURT! So I told her she couldn't do that and she cried. Breaks my heart....however, I know it has to be done. She is a true blessing and a we are "lucky" to have her!


2. Kameron. He rocks. I honestly thought I would be married with a dozen (not really) rug rats by the time I was 23. So when I wasn't married at 27 when we started dating, I really thought it would never happen. However here we are. Just over 4 years into this and not to sound sappy but it just gets better. I am very "lucky" to be married to my best friend.


3. Parents. I have been very blessed in the parent department. VERY blessed. I mean really who gets to be loved two moms and two dads in their lifetime. My life circumstances were not the best but I have been very "lucky" to have each of them as part of my life. Although my birth mom isn't here on earth anymore, I know she is smiling down from heaven everyday.


4. Grandparents. I cannot tell you how "lucky" I am to have such wonderful grandparents. All of the grandparents that were alive when I was born were all at my high school graduation, all 6 of them AND my great grandma too. It really meant a lot. Shortly after that within a few short years I lost 3 of my grandparents and then just over 4 years ago another grandpa and my great grandparents, George and Blanche. Now I have 2 grandmas and one great grandma alive. They are such amazing women and if I turn out to be a 1/4 as awesome as them, I will be honored!


5. Home. It seems normal to have a home almost like an everyday occurrence. However, I know all over the world people do not have homes. Even in North Dakota people do not have places to live. I am "lucky" enough to have a wonderful home to share with my family with room for people to come stay! We have heat, lights, water and even though I keep the heat real low (I am a warm person and cheap!) we still have a wonderful place to raise our daughter in! :)


6. Friends. I am not shy at saying I have a lot of friends, its true I do. Each one is very special to me in their own way. Men, women, children....even peoples pets, pretty sure I have loved them all. I know that because I have this larger than average group of people in my life, I sometimes get stretched to the limits and fall behind on keeping in touch with everyone, but I am "lucky" to have people around me who understand have a LOT of patience.... Thank you! :) Not only for your patience, but for your love and support on some of my darkest days.


7. North Dakota. I know, I complain about the weather here like everyone else. However, this state rocks. Low unemployment, low crime rate, friendly people, all four seasons (love them or hate them!), and lots to see and do. This state is full of "lucky" things and people.


8. Sadie. Many times I complain about our precious dog, but she really is my pumpkin. She is a snuggler and although she has a few (okay sometimes more....) annoying habits, she is absolutely wonderful. We are "lucky" to have her as part of our family.


9. In-Laws. Not only was I blessed with a wonderful husband, I was blessed with his parents also. I am "lucky" to have Jim & Rusty as part of our lives and family tree. They bend over backwards for us time and time again. Not everyone has been this lucky to get in laws like mine!


10. Food. Once again, when you look at the world's economy, you see that many people are not able to put food on their families tables. Although, now that I am staying home we can't be a "free" about our money, but we are still able to have a hot meal on the table every night. We are "lucky" to be able to feed our family, Sadie included! :)


11. MOPS. This organization has introduced me to a WONDERFUL group of women from all walks of life. I am very "lucky" to be part of them. I always leave each gathering a better person. It is an international group so if you aren't aware of one in your community, create one or find one somewhere close. You will not be disappointed! :)


Well that's my Irish list of "luckies" for today! Its not often you get that from an Icelandic/Norwegian girl! :) Enjoy your day and think of the ways you are "lucky"! :)


Enjoy your blessings today and always,


Cassie


PS Thanks for reading...you rock!

Just another manic Monday (March Top 11)

Good morning, now that I have you all singing the Bangles! :)

Thought I would do a quick post this am before my new boss wakes up and starts demanding breakfast! :) She is still snoozing which is WONDERFUL! :) I really enjoy my time in the am, I get up at 5 with Kam, eat breakfast with him, read the paper and facebook a little! :) Then she wakes and our day gets busy!

As you all know, she is now 1. Someone forgot to tell me that we now have a toddler and no longer a baby. What the heck! She is a busy kid, I know all kids are busy but she has (unfortunately) her mothers busy-body-ness (not a real word!) :) So she pretty much goes NONSTOP all day long!

We had a great party and I need to get some pictures up soon. I promise I will! Anyhow I thought I would stay on the theme of my lists....so here is my Top 11 list of what I am looking forward to in March (yes, I know it is the 7th today, get over it!)

1. SPRING!!!! On March 20 we start Spring, I understand that here in the Tundra (aka ND) we will probably still have snow, but I know there is hope on the horizon! I will probably start wearing capris and flip flops in a couple weeks, even if its still cold. I am strange that way. I have learned however not to pack away my winter coat, that only means MORE snow is coming, I am a curse that way! :)

2. KYNLEE TURING 1! As you know this happened last week! I cannot believe she did turn 1! Where did the time go, she is such a lovey girl and I cannot wait for her to change every day! :)

3. DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME! Well I know you Arizonians have no clue what I am talking about, but the rest of the country will turn our clocks ahead this weekend, which means more daylight. Its a strange thing, but it works! Not that I am looking forward to missing an hour of precious sleep, I do enjoy sunshine! :)

4. GRANDMA JANICE'S BIRTHDAY! My grandma will be 86 years beautiful this month! She is honestly one of my bestest friends not to mention one of my favorite people ever! :) She has lived her life to the fullest and doesn't stress about petty things and quit caring what others thought years ago! :) Even though she likes cats, I still love her! :)

5. ST PATRICK'S DAY! I am not Irish, I am Norwegian and Icelandic. However I love this "green" holiday! I have enjoyed some WONDERFUL Irish celebrations! (Insert Butte and Deadwood trips here!) I think its just fun! You know me, any reason to celebrate! :)

6. STAYING AT HOME! I have been looking forward to this month because it meant I could stay home with Kynlee full time. Last week was my first week and I thought I would have the whole house reorganized by Tuesday. That did not happen! I guess baby steps! :) I did reorganize some of the kitchen, so I can put that feather in my hat!

7. EASTER! I know Easter is not this month, it is in April this year. Although some months it is in March (who can keep track anymore!) I love Easter, it means celebrating new life, the Resurrection, and signs of green grass! Tomorrow is fat Tuesday! Then Ash Wednesday on (get this...) WEDNESDAY! :)

8. ASHUR! Oh my! I cannot believe Ashur Lee Knetzger is going to be 5 years old! That is crazy! I remember when Annie told me she & Cody were expecting. We were at Jamie & Miranda's wedding! Then I had just found out I was expecting peanut and a few weeks later, Annie Mae had Ashur. I cried like a baby! Probably some pregnancy (and crazy life) hormones but I LOVED knowing I had a nephew! I remember going to visit and he was just a little buddy! He is now a wild man who is obsessed with Thomas or Buzz! He is a joy and has such a sweet spirit! I love spending time with him! :) Next time I see him I think I will give him a "side of cupcake!" :)

9. CHARLIE SHEEN! I am ready for Charlie Sheen's celebrity NONSENSE needs to be over! Oh my goodness, what is this nonsense. I know he will fade quickly, they all do. Some other nut job will go public with something and he will fade away. Amen to that! :)

10. SPRING CLEANING! I LOVE spring cleaning. I know, I am strange. However, it just makes me feel wonderful. I love the fresh lemon smell that fills the house and how I can breathe the fresh air as I wipe down walls! :) Because you have to have the windows open during this time! :)

11. ROBIN! We always had a challenge when we were growing up for who could spot the first robin of spring! It was so fun, most of the time it was my mom, she has a keen eye for the red breasted robin hopping around looking for food! I know when the robin has arrived, so has spring. I look forward to continuing the tradition and spotting the first one with Kynlee! :)

Enjoy your week! Even if it looks like the middle of winter outside your window! :)

Thank you for reading.....

Cassie

Letter to Kynlee

Dear Kynlee,

First of all and most importantly, HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY!!! :) I thought for your special day I would write you a letter. Don't get me wrong we bought you plenty of gifts, but I thought this would be something you would treasure for years to come. Not that you won't treasure your new carseat for the next few years, but you get the idea! :)

I can't even think of what to tell you, I guess I should start from the beginning. Before you were growing inside of me, we prayed for you. Not just us, your parents, but lots of people! I think that is a pretty good start to life! :) All 37 weeks that you grew inside me, we prayed that you would come out healthy and screaming! :) And that is exactly what happened on March 3, 2010... We were able to have 2 of my favorite doctors in the room getting you out of me, Dr. Bradley and Dr. Rhonda wanted to be the first to meet you! I was so happy they were there! Then your daddy stood by my head and as I cried through the whole thing, he told me it would be okay! :) And grandma Karin was there too! She had MANY cameras on her neck, she looked like a tourist! :) When you came out, I said, "She needs to cry!" And that second you did!!! I was so excited that the happy tears came flowing!!! Everyone was crying! :) You were the prettiest girl I had ever seen, and right away grandma Karin said, "Are you gonna tell us the name now?" And I looked at your daddy and he said yes! So I told everyone in the room that your name was Kynlee Jacalyn!

You should know where your name came from. You see you were Karsyn for a long time before, then two weeks before you were born mommy created this name for you. Daddy loved it and we decided it would be perfect! :) We wanted you to have a name that started with "K", and the Lee comes from your daddys middle name, your grandpa Tim's middle name, your grandpa Jim's middle name, and your godmother Emy's middle name! :) Then your middle name, Jacalyn is from your mommy's mom who passed away when I was a little girl. I am sad every day that you are not going to be able to know her here on earth, but I see her spirit in you already! :) (this could mean trouble!)

Anyhow, enough of the beginning! Its been a year and oh my how you have changed our lives!!! :) Always for the better! You have traveled to 7 states already! We are busy people and you do a great job of keeping up with us! :) You have taught your daddy that sometimes we have to plan a little bit and can't always leave last minute. Remind me someday to tell you about the Labor Day trip to Fargo without a change of clothes, you had pooped all over yourself by Jamestown so we had to take a naked baby into Target to get a new outfit! :)

I know that we, as parents, haven't always made the right decisions and trust me this will continue! But we are learning right along with you, everyday is a lesson. Just know that everything we do, is out of love. We will make mistakes as parents, everyone does, but at this point we don't know all the "right" answers, we just do what feels right!

As you grow, I will always try to tell you how beautiful you are inside and out. I know this is important for you because I was a little girl once too. Junior high is not a friendly time. I tell you everyday how pretty you are and I always hope you feel that too. Even when people don't tell you that, please remember that beauty comes from within. I know people who are "pretty" on the outside but the inside are rotten to the core, this makes them very ugly!

Always know you are bigger than the problems that come in your path. Always keep in touch with your grandparents and great grandparents because they hold the key to your past and will always be a wealth of knowledge for you! :)

I know one day will come when I am not your best friend anymore, however you will come around and have me back again! :) Trust me it took me a while to realize how very smart your grandma Karin was! Not only is she an amazing grandma, she is a wonderful mom and an even better best friend to me! :) During the time when I am not your favorite person, I will still love you more than you know and always want the absolute best for you! :) Sometimes mommy really does know best! You can always talk to your dad and I about anything, we may not like what we hear, but we will listen.

Its hard to believe that a year has passed....you have changed us for the better! Thank you for all the hugs and kisses, that makes our day! We pray for you everyday and thank God that you have blessed our lives. You are so very special to us! :)

I better close this letter and get your breakfast ready, we will make today a special day for you! As you make everyday special for us.

We love you with all our hearts and then some, have a wonderful birthday,

Mommy (daddy too, he just didn't do the typing!) :)

Spring.....WHERE ARE YOU!!!!

Hello all! Good morning, as I am typing this morning the big bad wolf is outside trying to blow our house down. Okay well I never confirmed that its a wolf out there, but it sure is HOWLING! :)

I am REALLY looking forward to Spring!!! I decided today's post would be about the 11 reasons why spring is my favorite season....'

1. WINDOWS DOWN! I love this feeling, if i had a convertible it would be TOP DOWN! However, i am a practical lady and we drive a mini-van! :)

2. GREEN! I love green things, green grass, green flowers, green money....you get the idea! I love the sign of the new blooms and giving me hope that winter is NOT the only season ND has! :)

3. GRILLING! Now we could grill in the winter, but our grill in still in Linton. Note to Kameron (although he never reads this...) GET THE GRILL!!!! This lady needs some steaks and I am not talking about from the crock pot! :) Now that we actually live together, I am really looking forward to grilling almost every night!

4. WALKS! Oh how I miss my morning walks with Sadie. Last year I took a break from walking all together, I had a baby it was cute to still have the baby weight. NOT SO CUTE ANYMORE! :) I am looking forward to walking in the early am (before Kameron goes to work) with Sadie, our dog, and then during the day pushing Kynlee is the stroller and even walking as a family at night. HELLO FRESH AIR I NEED YOU!!! I know I can walk on the treadmill, however there is just something about being outside!

5. FRUIT! Yes the grocery store has fruit now, but the oranges are a little yellow and the bananas are a little green.....I am ready for some fresh fruit, not to mention the great prices that go along with not having it shipped here from Brazil! :)

6. PUDDLES! I love to splash in puddles, well not really splash as I don't like to get dirty, so I like to drive through them! :) That will work for me!

7. DRIVES! This goes along with puddle splashing! :) We always go for a Sunday drive (we call it our booze cruise, however NO DRINKING ever takes place, its just something we say!) :) And there is just something about going for a drive on a Sunday when its nice out, no heat, no air conditioner, just us and the open road! Oh and Kynlee and Sadie! :)

8. SCHOOLS OUT! Now I love the song...SCHOOLS OUT FOR SUMMER! (Most of you are singing it right now!) But really school gets out in Spring! Its not summer until June so technically the song should be SCHOOLS OUT FOR SPRING, no never mind leave it alone! :) NO MORE PENCILS.... (got you singing again!) I just love the feeling of kids riding bike, running around... good times!

9. NO COATS! I hate coats, actually I detest them. The more layers I have to wear the more I look like the Michelin man (not an attractive sight!) and with all this baby weight (yes shes almost a year) still on me I don't need to add any more cushion! :) Plus getting Kynlee to put on a coat, hat, boots, gloves, scarf....is a chore and by the time I have the last thing on, she has the first thing off! :)

10. NO NORTH DAKOTA ROAD REPORT! I refuse to check the road report when its spring. Yes I know we will probably get a few more "big" blasts of winter just letting us know hes still there (until July most likely) however, I enjoy knowing that if it snows its melting shortly. I don't like saying, "well we might come visit, IF THE WEATHER IS NICE!" In spring, for the most part you don't have to do say that EVER! :)

11. Last but not least (and some of you thought I forgot....) FLIP FLOPS, let me say it again.... FLIP FLOPS!!!!!!!! Live it, love it! :) I will sleep in my flip flops here in a couple weeks (okay thats a bit much, but I do LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE them!)  I know they are super bad for your feet, but you know what...I DONT CARE! My toes have not seen daylight in like 10 months (not quite that long) and I am ready to paint my toenails and get out there! :)

Okay thats my 11 for today! :) Enjoy your Thursday! Feel free to let me know the reasons you love Spring (and it doesn't have to be 11!)

Until the next time, be nice to others! :)

And thanks for reading! :)

Cass :)

Saturday in the Park....

Okay its definitely not a Saturday in the park... or the 4th of July, but it is the 12th of February and Abraham Lincoln's birthday for those of you who care! :) Not to mention the big V-day is only two days away, get to the Hallmark store and get your cards and chocolate! :)

We had an awesome "date" day yesterday, celebrating our 4th Anniversary and Valentine's day! :) Well actually since our anniversary was the 10th I was just getting ready to cook up some chicken for supper and Kameron surprised us by coming home early! IT WAS AWESOME! I love surprises! We exchanged cards and headed to the Grandview for some supper, I even had lobster! :) LOVE IT! :) Then Friday am we dropped Kynlee off at daycare super early and headed to the big city (Bismarck!) We had a morning of appointments to take care of then we had a couples massage at In Touch (the best place ever!) and headed to Red Lobster for a late lunch. We had a gift card from my dad and Frannie so we spoiled ourselves and I had lobster again! :) We made it home later than planned and completely exhausted!!! I was supposed to go play bingo last night with the girls but I was just REALLY tired and so we threw in a party pizza, gave Kynlee an early bath and sent her to bed. By this time it was about 7 (yes we are old!) We put in Despicable Me and cuddled on the couch, we LOVED the movie but I was almost sleeping a dozen times during it! I didn't sleep very well the night before, this is normal since we were sick. NO FUN!

This morning I was surfing fb on my phone at 5am, YES 5AM, TOOOOOOOOOOO early! I finally got up, made myself a cappuccino, and came down stairs to catch up on DVR's. Well I had watched all the shows I needed to catch up on already so I just started surfing around. I found Maid in Manhattan and watched that and then about 25 minutes into Sweet Home Alabama Kameron joined me on the couch. Sadie who got a much needed haircut yesterday cuddled up too! :) We decided we needed breakfast so we headed upstairs for Dakota Maid pancakes and turkey bacon!!! :) YUM! We haven't done that for a while and it was delicious! Kynlee LOVES pancakes and got a new plate and silverware from my parents for Valentine's day and was excited to eat it up.

We are working on her using a fork and spoon, but not much luck yet.....sad I know! I really wish she would grasp the concept but I know it will come in time, to her its easier to use your fingers to get the food. (Trust my Kynlee I feel the same!) :)

Then I got in a quick cat nap while Kameron & Kynlee went downstairs to watch qualifying for an upcoming Nascar race and Sadie barked outside (peaceful....NOT SO MUCH!) So I came down to join them and before we knew it, it was 11 and I had to jump on the computer and get Elton John tickets for Billings with Leslie! We had 4 computers and 3 phones going and FINALLY got in using our house phone~ I have no idea what seats we got but they will be mailed Monday.

Now Kynlee is napping (thanks Kam for putting her down!) and I am blogging and thinking I should finish laundry (DOES IT EVER END!!!!!!)

We are celebrating Valentine's Day by exchanging cards and Kam goes to the dentist and he and Kynlee go to the eye doctor, romantic I know! :)

Whatever you do for the special day of love, make it worth it! Even if its just the dentist and a card! :)

Have a super weekend! :)

PS. This post makes more for 2011 than I ever did in 2010! :) I AM PROUD OF ME! :)

11 things in 4 years!

Well for those of you who don't know....TODAY IS MY ANNIVERSARY! OOPS! OUR Anniversary! :) Kameron & I are celebrating 4 years of wedded bliss....TODAY!

It may not seem like a long time to some of you, but considering that half of today's marriages end in the "d" word, every day longer that someone is married is an accomplishment! :)

So I decided to write a list of 11 things that I have learned in 4 years! :) ENJOY!

1. Its so awesome always having your best friend by your side! I am the first to admit I have a lot of best friends and I love each of them dearly! However, Kameron is a best friend too! He is the best friend I never knew I was missing! This is not a slam to my other best friends, but instead a praise to Kameron! :)

2. Pick your battles. Honestly we don't fight alot, really its rare, to be truthful I couldn't remember the last time we had a major disagreement. Anyhow, in any relationship you need to pick your battles. This is true with your kids, boss, dogs....you get the idea! :) So I pick my battles with my husband also, I choose what I am going to nag on him about or what I am going to whine about....no one enjoys constant nagging or whining. We all pick our battles everyday, be wise about the ones you choose! :)

3. Talk about it. This is simple, if something is wrong or bothering you....TALK ABOUT IT! You might have noticed, I am a bit of a chatterbox, my husband is not, but sometimes its good to get it out in the open.  We both agree on this simple principle. And the sooner I realized Kameron is not a mind reader and I needed to talk about things, the better off we were! :)

4. Men are like waffles, women are like spaghetti. The sooner I learned this, the better we were. Honestly, its a book. READ IT! :) Kameron and I both read it and both laughed and loved it. Its fascinating how to understand how eachother's brains work. VERY GOOD READ and really helped me understand that when Kameron is doing something, THAT IS WHAT HE IS DOING. Example, when he is driving, HE IS DRIVING! Hello just like a waffle.... When I am driving, I am singing, talking on my phone, planning the meals, talking to Kynlee, waving, looking at my nails, wondering if I took the clothes out of the dryer, remembering that I need to make an eye appointment....okay you get the idea. I am spaghetti! :) I know you understand.

5. Date Night. We found this one to be even MORE important after having Kynlee, it was easy before to "date" each other, however now it is more difficult. But we are trying hard to get it figured out and make sure we take time for eachother. Even if its just putting Kynlee to bed early and watching a movie. Simple, but very meaningful for both of us.

6. Doing something each day that makes their life easier. Even if its just starting Kameron's toast for him while he goes and gets the paper and starts his car. I am up anyhow, it takes no additional effort to start his breakfast for him. I try to think of at least one thing that can help him out each day. He does the same for me a million times a day, so I can repay the favor at least once!

7. Be honest about money. I love to spend, thats no secret. I LOVE TO SPEND! But its important to be honest about what I am spending money on. I haven't always been the best at this, but I am working hard to be more honest. When we finally decided we would go from a two income family to a one income family I had to be REAL honest at where our money was going. I still handle the bill paying, but knowing that we are budgeting things more, I need to be honest. Its a challenge some days! :)

8. Do things we are good at. Okay this probably displays my OCD more than I would like, however, its the truth. Kameron knows that I am not good at shoveling, raking, fixing cars or other things like that, so he does them. I know that Kameron is not rockstar (he will admit this!!!) at cleaning the bathroom, planning, organizing and other things like this, so I do them. Part of that is my OCD, I am the first to admit it, but I LIKE doing those things. Yes probably a little gender stereotypical, which I typically despise, but it works for us. We like to stick to things we are good at, which so far has worked pretty well. Kameron & I know that if I tried to change the oil, the car would never start again, or if he cleaned the toilet, I would go back and do it my way (yes THAT is my OCD!) :) Do what works, its a happier house! :)

9. Bite your tongue. I am sure he and I could back talk each other in the heat of a disagreement, but we choose not to. Part of that is now that we have Kynlee we are choosing to set an example for her. I saw plenty of marital fights in my first 10 years of life and have chosen to not have my child see that. It really stresses a child out (trust me on this one!) We try to live by the "Children live what they learn...." philosophy. My mom had that hanging in our home growing up and it really struck a cord to me...I searched on line and found something similar to what we had hanging up....if you haven't seen it...enjoy, it makes you think...CLICK HERE! :)

10. Know when to be honest. Now I know that everytime I ask Kameron how an outfit looks on me and he says, "great" he probably doesn't think that I look like I am ready for the prom. However I look great in his eyes. Its a rare occasion that he tells me, that maybe i should change. However when it comes to clothes, I am VERY honest with him. For example, no brown shoes with a black outfit. I am just playing on a strength of mine and a "not-so" strength of his! :) Trust me, he will admit it. But the one time I have to thank Kameron hands-down for the most honesty a person has ever given me. Shortly before we got married, we were living in the "ice box" rental house (NOT EVEN KIDDING! IT WAS COLD!!!) And it was about 6 weeks after Peanut had passed and I was having a VERY emotional night. Not that this was a shock, as to be expected I had many emotional nights, mornings, afternoons...DAYS! Anyhow back to the story, Kameron looked at me and grabbed my hand and said....(and I remember this exactly as it happened!) "I love you, and I will listen whenever you want to talk, but I think you might need some professional help" I was a little put off at first. I mean really, what was he saying? I was crazy in the head? Professional help? He is the one who needs help! However, after a minute, I agreed! I did need help, I needed someone to talk to. Someone who would help me sort out what was going on in my head. This January marked 4 years since I started seeing my Crazy Doctor (yes she knows I call her this!) and it has changed my life for the better. I owe Kameron everyday for helping me realize I needed to talk to someone. I see her about once a month to every six weeks and I can tell when its been too long and I can tell how much better I am afterwards. I honestly think she saved my marriage AND my life. Some people might be embarrassed to say they have spoke with a professional and I am not saying that everyone should. However, I was dealt some sour lemons in life and am really happy to have someone to talk to about it and sort it all out. We realized I have a fast brain, that doesn't slow down...EVER and so knowing this I have learned things to do to cope and things to do to help Kameron cope. One day I was running around the house like a crazy lady (honestly, it was a sight!) and Kameron grabbed my shoulders and said, "Hey fast brain, lets take a minute and slow down!" Its wonderful that with his honesty I was able to get the help I needed. :) Thanks hun, you are a gem! :)

11.  Laughter is the best medicine! I cannot take credit for this one, Kameron is the the comedian in our family, he ALWAYS makes he laugh. No matter what crazy mood I am in, he is always making me slap a smile on my face. He is amazing and I am so lucky to have someone who constantly makes me smile. He is so silly and even when I am wearing my crabbiest pants, he turns my frown upside down! I am very grateful for this ability my husband has been given, he sure lightens up our days! :)


There are my 11! :) I am not saying we have the perfect marriage. We don't, I don't even think there is such a thing that as a "Perfect Marriage!" However, its perfect for us. So do what works for you, do what makes your marriage perfect for you! :)

Thank you for reading my 11 lessons in 4 years, I know there a million more lessons to go! Thank you for everyone who has stood by us as we began this journey 4 sweet years ago in the middle of cold February (who gets married then anyhow!) and those who have been there for us every day since. You rock! Kameron and I have tons of friends and families with awesome marriages who serve as great examples for us to follow. So thank you for that! :)

If you haven't found your better half, don't lose hope....he/she is out there! :)

Until next time, HAVE A HAPPY DAY! :)

Happy February! 11 favorites! :)

Okay so I am a day late on wishing you Happy New Month! I LOVE this month for a few reasons! :) Actually 11 (go figure!)

1. Its the shortest month of the year! Which means spring is coming!

2. My great grandmas birthday is February 5, she will be 97 years young and is a CONSTANT inspiration to me on how to overcome lifes lemons. Also to be a constant prayer warrior when there isn't much help that you can give. She does rock, I love her for so many million reasons! :)

3. GROUNDHOG DAY! NOt only do I love the movie, I also just love this little holiday! I don't do anything special. (however if I was teaching I am sure I would!) But I have always looked forward to today...no reason, just because! :)

4. Our Anniversary! Kameron & I will be married for a whopping 4 years on February 10! At times it seems like such a small number other times it seems like I dont remember being without him. He is my rock, my best friend, my soul mate and I couldn't get through a day without him.

5. Leap day, okay not this year, but I love LEAP DAY! :) I always do something special for one person on that day. It only happens every 4 years, make it important! :)

6. Valentines Day! I havent always loved V-day, as sometimes it is a hallmark holiday (okay it ALWAYS is!) And we know I LOVE hallmark! :) Before I was married, I wore a shirt that said, LOVE SUCKS! on valentines day, every year! But I have taken a good attitude lately. Also my mom always makes it a special day for us year after year!

7. I look where I was last February and it was a VERY special month! Our lives were about to change, we spent our last month as "just the two of us". We won't have that empty nest again until our kiddos go to college.....WOW thats a long and expensive way down the road.

8. This February marks one year since I was baptized. Emy and I were water baptized last Feb 13. I never had been and knew it was the right time. I don't know why I waited so long, but I am SOOOOO happy I was able to share that special moment with Emy.

9. I look back 5 years ago and think of how much February changed my life. It was when I became pregnant with Peanut. Hard to believe 5 years have passed. It doesn't even seem real...THat was a life changing month for me!

10. President's day-I feel the need to honor our founding fathers! :) I always loved getting school off, I think we should get every presidents birthday off! :) LOL!

11. And this February is different, I spent most of yesterday in tears, happy and sad. I told work that I will be staying home with Kynlee full time at the end of the month.  I enjoy my job, but we know its best for me to be home with Kynlee. Beulah has an awesome SAHM community and I look forward to more time with them! :) Thank you everyone who helped us with this tough decision! :)

Well thats it for today. What do you LOVE about February?! :)

A little of this a little of that...

Oh boy! Its early, I could go back to bed, however I would rather blog! (BE THANKFUL! BE VERY THANKFUL!) ha ha ha!

What is happening in our world.....lets see....I got up real early this am as Kameron is working today so I was gonna back cookies for a family who is traveling next week to deal with some medical issues. However, I have no vanilla. WHAT?! How do I not have vanilla? I am sure when we moved I threw it out, along with most everything I am currently missing. So needless to say I have to go to the grocery store later today and stock up on things and pick up some vanilla while I am there. I am pretty proud of me for doing the "only go to the store once a week thing" I love it! I really do! I am definitely spending less, which works out well for our family!

I am also up watching The Best of Trading Spaces with Paige Davis reruns. They are on early on the OWN channel, you know Oprah's station. I remember many years of watching this show on a Saturday night with my family! :) Paige is totally rocking the mom jeans and sleeveless top like no one else ever could! They actually look good on her, will fashion ever think mom jeans are cool again? I know they look dorky but sometimes I think I would rather have them then the low cut denims that show your undies and butt crack. I also was happy to hear that skinny jeans are on their way out, they only look good on skinny people who don't eat cookies and don't have hips. But if you are looking for new fashion you could always wear jeggins. Which to me are like stirrup pants with out the stirrups. I mean seriously, don't challenge me on this one. Also have you seen Pajama Jeans? I think I need a pair, not even kidding. Jeans that are comfy, that has to be a miracle product! I have yet to find the "PERFECT JEAN" I am convinced that they don't exist. Okay off my fashion soapbox, who knew you were going to get a "Project Runway" blog.... :) Heidi Klum, I am not. :)

Okay what else are we up to, oh yes Kynlee, our little sunshine with spitfire like nothing else I have ever seen! She is crawling EVERYWHERE, almost like she is in a race with someone. She is VERY busy ALL the time. I am pretty sure she gets that from Kameron, I mean really, I am so relaxed all the time. ;) Don't get me wrong, I am so happy that because Kynlee looks EXACTLY like her father she at least has a few traits from me. However, I really could have lived without the nosey, drama queen, busy body traits. Oh well, at least we know she is mine! :) She is trying to walk. She walks behind all sorts of things pushing them around the house, we know the day is coming that she will take off on her own! She tries to stand up by herself but then just sits down and crawls to her destination. She eats like a champ and makes a bigger mess with her food than I know what to do with (good thing we have Sadie!). She is always making noise (another one of my lovely traits!), she says "MAMA, MAMA, MAMA" a LOT! Also said "dadda" on command last night! It was so awesome. I know she is close to saying "bye-bye" as she waves she opens her mouth like she is gonna say it, but nothing comes out! :) Soon enough, soon enough! There are days that I wish she would just talk already, but pretty sure between her and I no one else will get a word in! :) She LOVES to Skype with Kameron's parents about 5 nights a week. We hope to get my dad & Frannie in on it too and next is my parents. Its so wonderful for Kynlee to get to see everyone! SHE LOVES IT! :)

Kameron is doing better since his little health scare. I will post all about that sometime, I just don't have the energy yet! He is working a lot, even today. He never works on Saturday's but took off Wednesday and so he adjusted his schedule. He may work tomorrow too, he will let me know on his break. Other than that he is the main snow remover in this house. We all know I would not be shoveling, its just not in me to do that. Shoveling or raking, I told Kameron before we got married almost 4 years ago that he would have to pick up my slack there. He told me that he doesn't clean bathrooms and loathes doing the dishes. So far things have worked out well between us! ;)

We are taking a mini-vacation to Las Vegas next weekend. Yup, we fly out Friday and back on Monday. We are REALLY looking forward to it! :) I bought the flight as a surprise to Kameron back in September. I figured after having a baby and moving we needed a trip. I knew if I scheduled it in January it would also work as our anniversary/Valentines Day gifts! :) Little did I know that after Kameron's "near death experience" we would REALLY REALLY REALLY (you get the idea) need a vacation! :) So Kynlee will head to my parent's house next Thursday night and then we will meet them on Monday in Minot to pick her up. We are looking forward to it and I know my parents & Emy are too. Oh and I should mention Sadie is also going with, she and Polly (my parents dog) get along really well! Neither of us have been to Vegas and we are excited to see the sights! We have a million and one good recommendations of what to see and do while there! :) I did want to get back to my pre-baby weight before we went, however that totally did NOT happen. Oh well, no big deal, Kameron loves me either way! :)

I kind of decided that 2011 was the "Clean Sweep" year for us. We are ready to "de-clutter" our lives. There are a couple ways we are doing this, actually 11. For those of you who read my 11 list a couple weeks ago you know how well this works for me. I wasn't going to post the 11, but I feel if I do, it will make me more accountable.

1. Less clutter in our house....meaning one thing....SELL SELL SELL or GIVE GIVE GIVE! We just have too much "stuff" and it needs to go! Yes I know this would have been helpful prior to moving, but either way its getting done.

2. No random shopping. I love retail therapy. Let me rephrase that, I LOVE RETAIL THERAPY. But sometimes its more expensive than real therapy and it just clutters our house. This doesn't mean no more shopping, it just means limited.

3. Only grocery shopping once a week. This will save us money and make me plan more.

4. Planning out a week of meals, this goes along with the weekly grocery shopping. Not to mention I like to be organized (why hadn't I thought of this before!)

5. More fresh fruits and vegis. Not only is this helpful health-wise, but also a good practice for Kynlee to follow. When we lived apart it was hard to buy lots of fresh food because neither of us could eat it fast enough and it would go to waste.

6. Less eating out. Very healthy for our bodies and our check book. Not to mention trying to only drink water when we are out. I mean really why must a restaurant charge $3 for a fountain pop, we all know it only cost them like 3 cents to pour it in to the glass. (Don't yell at me, yes I get it...overheard, however I still want to complain!)

7. Work on a budget. So not easy for me! I hate budgets! I haven't even kept a check book register in years. We are now working hard on keeping tabs on every penny spent! :) Thanks to Dave Ramsey and Financial Peace University we are trying hard to pay off some debts. Its an uphill battle, but I know we can do it.

8. Utilize resources that are right in front of us. Why would we not use online bill pay? Its free from our bank and so super easy to do. I save so much time not writing checks and using stamps.

9. Mail less. I love mail, everyone knows that. I love mailing things. Its actually what people make fun of me for most... the standing joke is "how many letters did you get from Cassie this week". So I decided after all these years of making fun of me, I am going to slow down. I didn't say stop, I just said slow down. For years (sometimes decades) I have been sending birthday cards to MANY people. Sad that I only get about 5 back each year. So if I send around 50 birthday cards a year @ .44 for a stamp and $2 for a card thats.... $122 a year. Crazy. I know people love birthday cards, but really why am I wasting my time. Not to mention the birthday gifts I do, the baby gifts, the "oh its Friday" gifts, I just have to be done. I spend a lot of money & time  each day/month/year doing this. Not that I need to be getting something back from everything I do, but at this point its a financial decision. I can utilize texting, emails, facebook and ecards to send greetings. ALL FREE SERVICES! :) This also goes along with Christmas cards. There are people I have sent to for a long time without a card back. Kind of like a slap in the face, I need to limit that list. I have been working on that and am getting the list down. This also saves money and time! :)

10. Cleaning out facebook. I am working hard on deleting people that I don't need to have on fb. I also get made fun of for the large group of "friends" I have, so I am trying to widdle my way down to a "normal" number of friends. This is really hard. Its frustrating when I see someone out in public and they don't say hi, but we are expected to be friends on fb. Its strange I know. This whole fb world is just wacky! So I am working hard on deleting people, but I don't like telling someone that "I don't want to be friends with you" its like elementary school all over again! However, I really need to clean out this list, I have some people on there who are negative ALL the time. You know the ones, " Oh I am sick again, the weather sucks, my life is horrible...." blah blah blah. Not that I am Sally Sunshine 365 days a year, but I cannot listen to negative all the time. If your life is that bad, get off the computer and do something positive. BE THE CHANGE YOU NEED! No one can make your life better, except a change in your attitude! :)

11. Less TV, more family time. Everyone knows how much I love TV, I do, I am a child of the TV generation. I love reality tv the most. I am trying to "clean sweep" my life and the shows in it. I don't want to have Kynlee growing up watching nonsense shows. We watch plenty of tv, however we have started to eliminate shows that didnt make us feel good about ourselves. I am not preaching to you about what shows you are watching. Whatever works for you, do it! :) I took out watching Desperate Housewives, I never felt good after watching it, I felt slimy, so I decided to be done. I have never watched Jersey Shore. I just don't think its a good show to be on with Kynlee around. She doesn't need to see Snookie making a fool out of herself on the beach. I have been trying to stick to the philosophy that "Is this healthy for Kynlee?" or "Is this show rotting my brain?" I still have some guilty pleasures, but I am working REALLY hard on this. We have been trying hard to shut the TV off at 8:00 each night and have quiet time until bed. Kynlee goes to bed about that time and then Kameron and I read in bed. We haven't been 100% perfect but we are sure starting to read the millions of books we have from many of my retail therapy sessions! :)

Okay thats all! Have a super duper Saturday. Kynlee and I will spend our day folding laundry, making cookies, doing more laundry and vacuuming the basement. Yes I know you are jealous, it may not be a glamorous life, but its our life! :)

Much love!

Cassie and gang! :)