Daily time usage calculator - CNN.com

Just now, before bed, I was checking the news online and came across this... "How Busy Are You?" compare yourself to other Moms. Interesting... Nothing new under the sun, but interesting. One highlight was to "Get an idea of how much free time you have."

Uh huh.

Daily time usage calculator - CNN.com

This is so, by the way, not how I look around my house. Nor do I attempt to vacuum and stir. But the baby looks familiar and the phone ringing seems right. She looks way too cute doing housework. And way to go, having dinner in the oven. I'm proud of you. Peppy ponytail, cute shoes, and eye makeup... lookin' good cartoon woman. tee hee

I am so thankful that my little pie chart looked like it did. Hooray for mostly orange and purple. Sleep and kids. But unfortunately there wasn't a husband pie. I'll take a large slice of that, please. Oh, and a shopping pie, oh, and a haircut pie, oh, and an exercise pie. I could go on.

March Memories

Aaron and Abie came for a visit! We greatly enjoyed the two days we were able to see them...

There wasn't exactly time to get to know each other and hang out during the wedding festivities in October, so we were more than excited when we heard about their quick trip this month! We love and miss you guys!

This is officially the most people that have ever been in the girl's room at one time. We kind of just ended up this way for a bit... 11 people, not bad! Oh, and one doggie Jasper!

These last two pics are from my budding photographer, Gavin. He loves taking pictures and I let him regularly. I thought these two were pretty artistic for a 6 year old!

Annika has been testing her legs with climbing latetly! She's SO proud of herself!

Watching a Mama and baby moose that hang around our neighborhood. I love how Morgan lovingly has her hand on Annika's head.

My girly girls.

The kids got a kick out of Annika this morning.

The mystery solved.

This is Annabelle's "husband" as the kids call him. Jeremy had said he saw a yellow lab around Annabelle when she got pregnant this winter... and he's back. Our neighbor's son owns him and he brings him over when he visits his parents. He even has the same white patches on his "shoulders" like the two yellow pups. We had a really hard time believing it was the mutt brown dog we saw around too. They just look like Labs!

Enjoying Little House on the Prairie together.

another first!

This morning I opened a long awaited email from MomSense magazine put out by MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) and they want to publish one of my articles!!!

I submitted this particular article when I was in Tennessee last October and hadn't heard and hadn't heard within the 10-12 week timeline they gave so I figured it got lost in the process and wasn't going to worry about it. I had already received a rejection from them about an article I submitted in December, so I knew they were actively responding to submissions. And I knew the competition was tough since there are a lot of wanna-be-writers like myself out there that are submitting articles to them. So I didn't expect to be published. At all. BOY, was I surprised to get their response this morning!

They said "We have read your article with interest and will seriously consider it in an upcoming issue of the magazine." They had no other details to offer me, and said they'd contact me when the details became available! It has been a dream of mine to be published in MomSense since MOPS has meant so much to me these past 5 years. Thank you, God for this opportunity!!!

My TV Twin

Have you ever been told you have a "twin" somewhere in the world? I've been told that many times. I must have a common face or something. But today a woman at MOPS asked me if I've ever been told at I looked like someone on TV. I was really curious so I went home and looked the TV show up that she said my twin was on... and I have to admit, there are similarities! And the funny thing is that someone has told me I look like her before! She was in the movie Ever After, and it wasn't as flattering of a comparison. She was the chubby sister who was always eating! :)

So who do people tell you that you look like???

too funny for words

mega post

I'll start this mega post with a picture from today! We spent the afternoon out at my in-laws for a fun, relaxing day. The Iditarod re-start was going on just minutes away, but we opted for a warm and cozy afternoon... plus we've done the Iditarod countless times! Maybe next year! We haven't had a complete family picture since the fall. And Drewy made sure he could hold his baby sissy. She could never doubt she is loved.

This post is full of pictures, some dating back to October! They are pictures that I've either recently downloaded, or recently aquired! But they hold great memories either way.

I was laying on the bed next to Morgan a couple weeks ago and kept staring at her face while I was watching her play a computer game and couldn't get over the fact that I needed to capture her profile. This was one of my favorites of the many I took.

Gavin lost his first tooth!

The night before my Mom left, we completed one more project! I bought this material back in December to re-cover my couch pillows, but the project was left unstarted. So my Mom and I whipped these babies out while watching a movie, and VIOLA! New pillows for only $18!

Here are the pups at 6 weeks! We now have 2 puppies spoken for and 2 more left to sell! They'll be ready to go home in 1-2 weeks. They have been really fun to have around. We'll miss you guys!

He's still available! SOOOO cute, huh?

He's male and looks like a stuffed animal.

Here's our other puppy up for grabs... We call him Butterball.

He's adorable.

Last Sunday, Dad had us over for winter smores and snowmaching!

It was a fantastic afternoon with a spectacular view. I never quite get over how beautful Alaska is.

Thank you, Gavin for taking this one.

Isn't this amazing? It's a creek running through my Dad and Marla Kay's "backyard"!

Another beautiful, clear shot from Gavin! We weren't quite ready (or I wasn't!) but I love how clear Annika's eyes came out.

Can you imagine this out your window each day?

I love you Grandpa Louie!

Love, Annika

Y U M M Y

Family Fun had this idea in their last issue... go to their website for instructions, if you make them make the mixture stickier. (you'll know what I mean)

Tanya R. and Italy came over one morning and we made these fun bird seed creations.

This expression from my sweetie is so funny. Her eyebrows are raised and she looks so lively. Which is how she usually is, but in most pictures, she's pretty expressionless. Don't ya wanna pinch those cheeks?

I finally was able to view/copy the professional pictures from Aaron and Abie's wedding in October! There were SO many amazing pictures. Here are some of my favorites of the kids and Jeremy.

Morgan adores her new Auntie Abie, can't wait for their visit this month!!!

I never even knew a picture like this existed, so it was fun for me to see this. Uncle Aaron and his two casual-lookin' nephews. It's kinda blurry because I compressed the file too much and now I can't get it back. They are really hi-resolution photos and it would have taken forever to load. But the blurry version is still way cute!

love, love, love this

And some more first birthday fun!

Annika dove right in for a tasty bite! Don't you wish you could do that?

Anita took this one. Annika was sitting by her lonesome on the floor at the start of her first year slideshow... but I wanted to hold her during it. I love how she captured this moment! I remember how sentimental I was feeling picking her up.

Well, that's the end of this photo marathon. I've been a lame-o blogger lately, hope this makes up for it!