Is it spring yet?

I'm really LOVING this warmer weather we've been having lately and I'm really trying hard to ignore the storm that's rolling in as I type this. I have to say that the sun and semi warmth has really healed my cold and tired body!!! I just feel like a new person!!!! Even though I had a really lazy day yesterday and didn't do a single thing, I have really gotten so many things done lately!

For instance, I finally cleaned most of the junk out of all the corners of my bedroom that have just been piling up since we moved. I organized the boys bedrooms and boxed up some of the toys that they have grown out of. Now I can finally fit most of the toys in the closets and there is much less to clean up after a hoard of kids come over to play (actually I'm just hoping that is the case, since we haven't really had a hoard of kids over since I cleaned).

Next on my list of things to do later today, or probably tomorrow: organize the hall closet where all the winter snow gear just gets thrown and anything else I'm too lazy to put away, and organize my bathroom closet. The kids like to hide in the closets when we play hide'n'seek and all the stuff just gets pulled off the shelves and then shoved back on again. It really won't take much time to re-fold towels and blankets but it's something that i never think to do and really drives me CRAZY!!!!

Ultimately, my goal is re-organize the basement and storage room but I don't think I will be attacking that project until it is a lot warmer!!! The basement is just a little too cold for me right now. I did actually make a dent in it the other day while I was boxing up toys, but there is still so much to do!

When we moved into our new home last summer, I was having too much fun playing out in the sun that I never really organized my home the way I wanted it. I just kind of put things away just to get them out of boxes. I promised myself that I would get it all together in the winter when it was too cold to go outside. So, I guess I had better keep working on getting it together because as soon as the weather warms up I'm going to be outside in the sun! Okay, I'm getting a little too excited about warmth, and the wind blowing against the house right now is pulling me back to reality.

So, this afternoon we are headed off to sign up Rayden for wrestling. It starts next week and goes for about three weeks. I really wish Richfield would have a little bit bigger wrestling season but oh well. I just don't feel like traveling to North Sevier, where wrestling is a lot bigger, just for practice. Maybe when he gets older if he's still interested then we will cross that bridge. We also have baseball sign-ups which I am totally excited for, but Rayden says he doesn't want to play because it is too hard to play on the Wii!!! I think I'm just going to make him at least try it this year and if he doesn't like it then we'll find something else. He's not really the sporty type. I think he would rather just be inside playing lego's all day. But oh well, the kid has got to get some exercise right?

Anyway, I better get back to my organizing before I burn out. I hate leaving projects half finished! Here' s to a new me and an organized home!

Brrrrrrr....

I have to say, I was really starting to get out of my winter blues feelings the other day!!! Towards the end of last week the weather was a little warmer, the sun was shining, the snow had finally almost all melted, and I didn't feel like I had to walk around all day with a million layers!!!!! I even went to the grocery store at 8 o'clock in the morning with only a sweatshirt! That is a record for me. Usually when I go out I have to have a long sleeve shirt, a sweatshirt and a coat. So things were really looking up last week and I was even starting to think of some projects that I could work on to get me out of my winter blues. Let me just say, when I really put my mind to it I came up with quite a few projects that need to be done that don't cost a single penny! I was pretty proud of my thinking abilities!

But then this awful thing happen: IT SNOWED!!!!!! Okay, so I know I need to be grateful for the snow because it brings water and moisture to our desert, but let's just face it, I am not a person who likes to be cold one bit!!!! So while I'm grateful for the snow, I am unhappy for the coldness that comes along with it!!! All of my hopes of getting many projects done have diminished!!! I have thoughts and dreams of spending every waking moment at the beach or on some tropical island! I am even going so far as to planning a cruise I want to take (but probably won't because of $$) the second my husband graduates from Grad School!!! Just thinking about it and planning it helps me feel a little warmer!

So, I'm back on the couch with a million blankets just waiting for this weather to warm up! I did happen to get one project done, which was really needed and fairly effort less! Now I don't feel like a total couch potato! I also have managed to always make sure there is plenty of food in the fridge, dinner done and on the table when the hubby gets home from work, and I have pretty much kept the dishes under control! Oh, and I FINALLY cleaned those darn bathrooms!!!!!!!

Now, if only I could magically come up with a way to get my children to just get a long I think I will officially be over these winter blues! I didn't realize how nice it was in the summer to just send them outside to run around and play! Being cooped up in the house they find more things to fight about!!! Right now as we speak, I have to lock myself in my room just to get a few moments of quiet!!! They are now running out front in the freezing cold and ringing the door bell constantly! I guess it's time to put them to bed for the night! Wish me luck!!!!

Winter Blues!!!

I always get the winter blues after Christmas!!! It always seems like Nov. and Dec. are so busy with holiday festivities and family and it goes by so stinking fast!!!! Then January hits and suddenly time comes to a screeching HALT!!!!! It's freezing cold, nothing is happening, and time just seems to stand still. I always tell myself I'm going to do a project to help time go by but I just can't seem to get it together and come up with a project that doesn't cost a fortune!!! So, sadly I have to say that my life has been very boring lately. You know, just the usual stuff going on: cleaning house, doing dishes, taking care of the kids, breaking up arguing children constantly, spending a few hours on the weekend with my hubby, and then starting the week all over again!

To add to our boredom, Rand started his second to last semester of lectures for graduate school!!!!! Then he has a year of internship after that. I am seriously counting down the days he has left of this! While it is still somewhat overwhelming how much he has left, he has really accomplished so much and we're finally on the home stretch!!!! However, this semester will probably be the worst of it so if I can make it through May I will be so happy! Not only does he have his regular Tuesday night classes and tons of homework all week, he started his practicum where he has to get 150 work hours (which are unpaid)!!!! So basically he leaves before I get out of bed in the morning and gets home around 6, we have dinner, and then he is either in class, studying, or we are doing our church calling! It's Saturday before I actually get to spend some time with him, but then he leaves for several hours during the day so he can study where it's quiet! So my weeks are pretty boring sitting home with the kids all day!!! It's too freezing cold to go out so we are just holed up in our house watching truck/tractor movies all day! Isn't it just great? So if any of you are bored at all, feel free to stop on by!!!

Other than school and winter blues, nothing else seems to be happening at the Riddle home. I've started to teach Rayden a little of piano. He was excited at first but after two weeks he's already saying that it's too hard and doesn't seem to want to practice. He is such a little smarty pants, I just don't know what to do with him! He's learning to read at school and he is doing so great!!!The teacher had to skip him ahead in the books he brings home because they are way too easy for him. I guess that's partly because I held him back a year from starting kindergarten but I still feel really confident that I made the right decision! I'm thinking I'll do the same thing with Ryker but I'm not quite sure yet. Ryker is such a rough'n'tough little guy!!! He is so wild and crazy and he is kind of a little bully to his older brother! For being four years younger, he sure can cause a fuss with my soft-hearted Rayden! It's just so interesting for me to see how different my two boys are, but at the same time, they are very much alike! I love watching them grow and learn and play! They truly are an amazing blessing in my life! As much as I complain about how long and stressful each day is trying to raise them, I wouldn't trade it for anything else!

Well, stay tuned for pictures soon. I was really hoping I could put up some Christmas pictures, but wouldn't you know it, right when I finally decide to (and my 6 yr. old isn't hogging the computer) my picture program is updating and it is taking FOREVER!!!!!I know I am quite the slacker but don't give up me!!! It's rough having to compete for computer time with a 6 year old! He thinks he owns the thing!!!! So, you'll just have to wait probably another month to finally see our Christmas!!!

Private

Okay all, I'm going private! Since you all love to read my blog, don't forget to give me your email addresses so you can continue on reading!!! Thanks!!

Thankful

(Our snowman family)

I know this is a little late seeing how Thanksgiving was last week, but I wanted to take a minute and tell you all about the things I am thankful for. I'm not usually a sappy, mushy, emotional person and I always have a hard time expressing my thoughts. So, this is my once a year where I guess it's okay to break out of my shell, sort of. I'm not really going to do a lot of telling, I'm going to show:





These three boys are the LOVE of my LIFE!!! I live each and every day to make sure that they are fed, clothed and happy! I'm going to be honest, I don't LOVE every minute of it. There are many days that I want to pull my hair out and scream and cry and just give up!! But then there are also many days that I just want to scream to the world that I have the BEST children ever!!! So let's face it, if I didn't have these three boys, my life would be so completely empty! I love them so much and I am so thankful that they are a part of my life!

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving cause we sure did! Happy Holidays!

Finally Done!!!

Never have I been so sick of canning in my entire life, but I am happy to say that I am done canning for the season!!!!! It seems like the last 4-5 months have been so crazy and I have constantly had canning materials all over my kitchen and pantry!!!! It all started with a few batches of tomatoes. Then I did some more tomatoes, and then some peaches, and then some more tomatoes until I didn't want to see or eat another tomato in my life!!! I decided to freeze some corn and that wasn't too bad because my MIL helped me!!! In September I thought I was finally done so I decided to clean up everything and pack it away.

Then, I went to my parents and picked some apples!!!! HELLO applesauce!!!! I did so much applesauce I didn't want to eat another apple in my life! Oh.....and then I came home from my parents to find a whole new box full of....TOMATOES!!!!! Ahhhhh!!!! I could've beat my husband for bringing me more tomatoes to can! I also forgot to mention that I did some pickles mixed in with all those tomatoes!!! Once again, thinking I was done and that I finally had my kitchen back, I put away all the canning stuff. A little too soon however, this weekend my husband pulled up all the beets and decided we (I) should pickle them!!!

So, if you've ever canned before, by yourself that is, then you know exactly what was going through my head when I saw that bucket of beets!!!!! But, like a good wife that I am, ha ha, I pickled those beets and now I can finally say that I am DONE canning this year!!!! When I told my husband I was so glad to be done he said to me, "What about the parsnips!!" I think I better not tell you all what I said in response to that question!

Now that I am finally done, it is so nice to go down stairs and see all my hard work!!!! At least I know that if we have a disaster in the next year that doesn't destroy my home or basement, I'll be able to survive on spaghetti sauce, peaches, applesauce and beets! Sounds yummy right???

I guess I better rest up until next summer because my husband is planning all sorts of stuff to garden next year!!!! I should start a sign-up sheet for helpers right now! LOL!!!

Super Mario World!!!

So Rayden decided last year that he wanted to be Mario for Halloween this year. When I got his costume last year on clearance I just happened to see a Luigi costume for Randy and thought I'd get it. Over the last year I thought it would be fun to have a Super Mario family for halloween!!! I happened to have a lot of pink dresses from High School dances and thought I could be Princess Peach. Then I saw a lot of costumes online for a toadstool for Ryker. I was too cheap to spend a lot of money on his costume so I threw together my own costume for Ryker (Thanks mom for the help!) I wasn't sure Ryker would wear his hat but he LOVED IT!!!! The kids just loved dressing up as Super Mario Bros. and so did everyone else!!!!

Rayden was really into the dracula teeth! Maybe next year he will have to be Dracula!




We had fun making Frankenstein cupcakes! They were filled with green pudding!!!!

The last week we have been in a huge apple mess!!!! Rayden and Ryker were huge helpers and we had a lot of fun canning applesauce, apple pie filling and drying apple rings!!!

The glasses were to keep their eyes safe from the splattering hot applesauce!!!

I also got to spend some time with my family this month! My sis and I celebrated our birthday's with the traditional pumpkin pie!!!! Happy Birthday to me!!!!!!

Another school field trip to the pumpkin patch!!!

This was actually the day of my birthday and I had a great day going on Rayden's field trip, making sugar cookies and decorating them with our cubscouts!!! Then we went to a movie with Randy's family!!! Thanks all for the birthday wishes!!!

Rayden picked the BEST pumpkin in the whole patch!!!!! Happy Halloween all!!!