can I be good at SOMETHING?!!

image:bakerella.com

Adorable right?

Looking amazingly scrumptious?

I'm telling you Bakerella is one talented lady.

Like Martha Stewart talented.

Sometimes I think I'm Martha.

But, I'm nowhere close.

{along with the fact that I have no staff}

Anyway. I decided to try and take a crack at the cake pops Bakerella has so beautifully featured.

Looked easy enough.

Here is how mine turned out...

sigh.
{at least they tasted good...I think}

I think first of all I made my cake pops a little too large.

My chocolate adding technique needs so SERIOUS help.

I was pretty disappointed in how LAME mine turned out.

It was a process just to get them to stick on the stick!!!

They pretty much looked like the 47 Christmas ornaments Justin has from his younger years of a clay ball on the end of a popcicle stick.

L-A-M-E and ugly. {no offense to your lovely ornaments Justin}

So I was bummed...and who knows if I will give these a go again.

I want YOU to though, and I want to see how AWESOME and incredible yours turn out...because you can't really do any worse than my 1st grade level ones.

Happy {almost} weekend!

I'm out for the weekend in MINNEAPOLIS while Justin stays home with the boys.WOOT!

Pray for his sanity.

{HEY, I'm giving in to his begging for a flatscreen...so it's a good deal for him}

only evan.

Last night, around 4a.m. I hear a thud and a short cry. I really didn't think anything about the thud and thought the cry was Liam.

About fifteen minutes later Evan comes to our room quietly crying. I hear Justin ask him; "What Happened?!"

I look over and he has blood all over his face, what did happen?!

We take him into our bathroom, he has blood all over his face and arms, I couldn't even tell WHERE he was bleeding from!

I got a warm washcloth and wiped his face off {while he was still half asleep!} and we discovered he had punctured just below his bottom lip with a tooth when he fell.

It was gross...but he was pretty much sleeping though it all. When Evan is asleep, he is ASLEEP.

We cleaned him up and put some liquid bandage on it to seal it, luckily the hole was fairly small, but sheesh,

ONLY Evan.

at least he calls chef max Sir.

Evan may be the most obnoxious eater I've ever watched at El Restaurante de Maxwell.

redeemer.

It has been one heck of a WEEK!

Evan has been testing me in new ways, Liam is walking...no, running and is SO fast so I have to watch him like a hawk, Justin was out of town until last night,Justin's brother has been in and out of the hospital and needs to have a feeding tube put back in, and some close friends are going through a really trying time right now.

It's a lot!

Amidst it all though this hymn has been constantly entering my mind:

"I will glory in my Redeemer
His faithfulness my standing place
Though foes are mighty and rush upon me
My feet are firm, held by His grace ..."

MY Redeemer, JESUS...who atoned for MY sins.
Jesus, the one I can always trust, depend on, lean on and find comfort and joy in.

AMAZING.

birdie wall clock.

A few months ago I got a frantic call about this bird wall clock from my friend Beth.
She found this clock while out shopping with her family, and quickly called to see if I wanted it.
Of course I did.

If it's got cutie birds, I'm in.
Took me awhile to decide on a spot, but I think the wall between the living room and kitchen was perfect.

thanks Beth!

faker.

cry baby Liam 1.10.2010, originally uploaded by olives on a monday.

but goodness...I love this child.
Lord, have mercy.

a 3 minute goodie.

L-man.

wanted.

I WANT to encourage you to go read this post my friend Megan posted today on her blog. It is something I too am VERY passionate about and I think is very important to spread the word about.

2010.

WOW.
Is it just me or did December fly by?
I can't believe we are nearly halfway through January already.

I'm currently in the midst of my 2-week {which is quickly developing into a 3-week} cleaning and organizing fest at our casa. I am a week in, and I am about 80% finished. Today I tackle the kitchen.

Also, it is 2010 people!
2010!
Doesn't that seem so futuristic?! Maybe it's just me, but I still think 1999 was last year.

I've got BIG plans this year. Well, not really, but it sounds good right? More butt wiping, mess cleaning, disciplining, and so one...if it sounds like I'm complaining, I'm not. It's just reality. Honestly it is tiring some days, and I think to myslef, "Why did we have kids so soon? We should have spent more time doing our own thing. When we could do whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted."
It's true, I think that sometimes.
On the other hand, I'm glad we had kids young. Justin and I have all sorts of travels planned for when our kids are older. :)
Seriously though, having kids builds character.
It does.
MOST OF ALL though, it has taught me {and Justin} to be LESS selfish.
Partly it just happens, you don't really have a choice. You can't just pick up your keys and leave the house when you want. Heck, doing ANYTHING is more involved with little ones.
I have learned to be more patient, more understanding, and to RELAX and find JOY in what really matters.
To not worry about vain things that so often consume me.
To find joy Jesus Christ and his word.
I pray I can daily seek his truths each morning and find joy in the journey that I am on.
Additionally, I really appreciated Kim's post a few days ago. It was so good to read. So honest and refreshing.

Cheers to 2010!

saturday morning at our casa. 1.9.2010

breakfast., originally uploaded by olives on a monday.

no school.

max blue double doors., originally uploaded by olives on a monday.

They canceled school today.
We've gotten a nice amount of snow.
We went up to see the lonely school.
Max relaxed at the blue double doors outside the gym.

Merry Christmas!!!

2009 Christmas, originally uploaded by olives on a monday.

See you in 2010!

Christmas tour of homes 2009 {a little late}

WELCOME. Sorry my pitcures aren't very good, I was lazy and used my small camera and didn't bother touching them up at all.

on the fridge...

ok...this was so great...not a great picture but SO funny that Evan was laughing his head off as I was coming down the stairs.

stairwell...and my copied Pottery Barn art...I did a horrific job, but it took awhile.

oops...blurry photo tree...I LOVE getting Christmas cards.

living room...

our ugly fireplace...trying to dress it up :)



the nativity was given to me by my Grandparents who passed away years ago, but it is something I really treasure.

another nativity we got as a wedding gift {great gift!} and some fun little cardboard houses with trees{?} well, I tried :)

close up of my little town.

stockings hung with care. {not on the actual stocking holders as we know with three young boys one is bound to yank a stocking a have a letter come crashing on them!}


Our tree {bad picture sorry}...Oh, and look at this package that arrived...three little boys.

:)

a little shout out.

My friend Bethany knit and sent this hat to Liam for his 1st Birthday, all the way from California. Love you Bethany! Thank you!

yellow.

I used to hate yellow. I hated that country yellow that it seemed so many houses had in it.

Things however... have changed. The shades of yellow have changed, developed into something much more appealing and much more desirable.

I'm now the proud owner of a Shey*B camera strap, and I'm L-O-V-I-N-G it. And how cool is it that the day it arrives I'm wearing that sweater with yellow in it?

Pretty awesome if you ask me.
It also doubles as a neck warmer.

woot for sweet camera straps!

the Christmas picture we won't be printing.

where are you going Liam? , originally uploaded by olives on a monday.

I believe Liam was trying to bite Justin.

steadfast is the Lord.

There is snow falling outside this morning. Looks like another light dusting that will most likely be gone by this afternoon.

I haven't quite been myself lately. Not entirely sure why. I do know
that Thanksgiving week I got pneumonia.

And I ran a 5k with it.

Like a moron.

Some photographer got some really attractive pictures of me running though...thanks buddy. You really needed to take that picture of me looking like DEATH and post it on the world-wide-web.

I ran the race in Wisconsin dragging along my brother Pete, an old friend of our Joe {who kicked all our behinds BIG TIME} and Pete's roommate Arron. It was cold, windy, and freezing. Did I mention the pneumonia? Justin and my Dad came and cheered us on in the cold which was awesome of them.

I was feeling sick before the race, but I wasn't about to skip out because I had a mild fever the night before! BOY did I pay for that decision. I was so out of it for the next two days and Saturday I slept almost the entire day. My Dad took me to his office and my Mom took a chest x-ray and discovered I had pneumonia.

My Mom came home with us Sunday and stayed until last Friday. That was SO helpful.

Needless to say, my Thanksgiving weekend with our familes, wasn't that enjoyful as I was just not myself. It was hard to think straight let alone be thankful for all the blessings in our lives.
Besides the sickness my attitude wasn't the best.

This weekend we relaxed. We got our Christmas tree, {Justin set a new personal record time for picking one out} and had some friends over last night. It was a really nice weekend. Justin and I had some good laughs, we've both been so busy it was so great to just be together.

This Monday though, for some reason I just feel out of sorts. It's not just because it is Monday either. I only have about 1/3 of our Christmas shopping done, and I feel REALLY behind on everything. Our upstairs looks like a minor bomb went off and I'm still just exhausted from the pneumonia I suppose.

As I read the word this morning the Lord reminded me of something so simple, yet so special.

His Steadfast love.


The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness. {STEADFASTNESS!}
-Lamentations 3:22-23


He is STEADFAST.
Immovable!
Unchanging!


Psalm 136:1-9

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who alone does great wonders,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who by understanding made the heavens,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who spread out the earth above the waters,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who made the great lights,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
the sun to rule over the day,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
the moon and stars to rule over the night,
for his steadfast love endures forever

So thankful for an amazing steadfast, unchanging savior that is constant and consistent each and every day!
What do you thank the Lord for this day?

1.

hard to believe how fast you went from this:

to this:

to this:

to this:

{pictured here with your Great-Grandfather Paul Swanson}
to this:

to this:

to this:

to this:

to this:



love you sweet monkey.
xoxoxo
your Mama

easy peasy advent calendar.

I've wanted a GOOD advent calendar for a few years now. One that you could put a little something in.
I wanted this advent calendar from Pottery Barn Kids, but $69...I don't think so. Besides, it's sold out anyway.
So, I came up with my own, and it cost about $15.

Need:
12x12{ish}piece of plywood {about $2.
25 boxes. {I got mine for .25 each}
decorative paper {$4}
mod podge glue {$3}


glue on boxes {with lids on} in 5 rows of 5.

Yeah, it's not all perfect and even, but you get the picture.

Then take off all your lids and cover them with your paper, and numbers if you'd like.

Wallah. Easy peasy advent calendar.

on NEW MOON.

SO...last night I went to the opening of NEW MOON with my good friends Allison and Beth.
There we stood in line 45 minutes before the movie with teenage girls, cougars, and men who had been dragged there. In front of us there were three young girls {talking faster than I could think...did I used to be like that?} and not moving WITH THE LINE while a Mom, Dad and their two girls behind us, and here is the MOTHER who is practically ON TOP OF ALLISON as if someone would sneak in between her and Allison if she wasn't and SHE WASN'T EVEN GOING to the 10PM showing ANYWAY, she was going to the 10:30!
Let me tell you some of these people needed to R-E-L-A-X.
It was an experience. I cannot even IMAGINE what a premiere with the actors actually there. It must be complete madness. Madness that I want NO part of.

Anyway the movie was pretty great. Compared to the first film which I did enjoy, it was a bit dark and too dramatic, this was amazing.
It's the look,the feel {no, not it's not cotton} of the film that the added time and money committed to New Moon that compared with Twilight, that makes it supremely better. And the settings, from the cliffs and the gorgeous forests, to the Tuscan scenes of the Volterra, gives the movie a less darker feel. While at times the background music seemed overdone, I appreciated the indie soundtrack that accompanied and complimented the movie. I also appreciated director Chris Weitz's {who is new on the scene,Catherine Hardwicke directed Twilight} faithfulness to the book, and I dare say his additions at times, improves it.
There are people here who won't "get it",and I understand. They don't connect with the stories, and this clearly isn't for them. Kind of like Harry Potter wasn't for me.
The film was good, the acting was overall well done {I thought Dakota Fanning was FABULOUS in her small role as Jane}, the dialogue works well and there is a good amount of humor which is mostly well placed. I'm left interested and excited to see the direction they'll take with Eclipse.

ALSO...
on a more humorous note NEXT TO and BEHIND us was this group of like 10 women {WHO HAD TO BE IN THEIR 40's if not close to 50} one of which BEFORE the movie began was dancing and acting like a COMPLETE buffoon.
Throughout the film they were shouting whenever a shirt was off or perhaps a kiss was going to occur. It was RIDICULOUS. These Women were old enough to BE the guys in this films MOTHERS! Crazy I tell you. We had our suspicions that they had been drinking and sure enough when the film let out we saw their.
As we exited a the dancing buffoon and friends where standing together, and she puts her arm around her friend and says;
"That movie was AH-MAZ-ING"

Guess the film changed her life. :)

the week before we give thanks.

Justin has been working 10 {ten} hour days, 6{six} days a week. It's a little ridiculous and I'm pretty sure, long term I can't deal with it. It has been fine so far, but I see it getting old quickly. I do miss him, and I know how tired he is.
This week has been insane, and here are a few selected stories from the week so far.

Monday:
Justin and I have been having the same argument for WEEKS. It is not a serious or important argument, but neither of us is willing to give. So Monday we are in bed talking and he falls asleep on me mid-conversation!!
Instead of jolting him {which is my preferred method of waking him...not his} I decided to try the annoyed sigh...loudly sighing him awake.
Didn't work, so I'm going back to jolting...although that night I let the man sleep.
It was a Monday after all.

Tuesday:
Ev. the L-man and I went to GAP to buy Justin some fleece lined jeans for work. I am walking to the register and Evan is just ahead of me, and I can't even tell you how it happened but all of the sudden he appears with a Mountain Dew in his hand, SIPPING it like he has had it all along.
"where did you get that?"
" I dunno. Over there."
I see a bunch of employees putting up new fixtures and new clothes out and realize
it is one of theirs.
NICE.
So, instead of alerting them all that my three year old has potentially backwashed in their drink of choice I put the drink back from where I thought he picked it up.
My Dad would DIE. My germo-phobe {technical term} Dad who is A DOCTOR for crying out loud would die if he heard that. Let's say my Mom took a bite out of a sandwich and decided she didn't want the rest. My Dad would surgically cut the sandwich at about a length of 1.5 inches away from the bite so he wouldn't get the germs.
I'm not sure why I just included that, but it seemed like a good way to tease my Dad.

By the way, what does Evan want for Christmas? Diet Soda. {I don't buy it, and so he wants it}

I'll give a little shout out to Justin too who won his first indoor soccer game {which I'm NOT jealous of at all since I get to stay home with our boys...ahem} and scored all three goals the team had. WOOT.

Wednesday:
Evan makes a HUGE ruckus when he uses the toilet. He makes a lot of noise, slamming toilet seat up and down...I think he wants the WHOLE HOUSE to know that he has used the bathroom.
Last night, Max was brushing his teeth and Evan was using the toilet and as I was on my way upstairs to help them finish up and get into bed I hear the slam and a cry.
You guessed it, Evan slammed his P in with the lid.
Poor kid, I'm sure it killed.
I came back downstairs and Justin and I laughed at his expense.
We are GREAT parents.

Any "fun" things happen with you yet this week?

{ps-I have a fun tutorial coming soon...at least I thought it was fun, and maybe you will too.}

Thursday am addition:

This morning I met a nice Grandfather at Panera, got a free tire rotation, and a free bluetooth since my cell phone speaker broke. Been a GREAT Thursday so far :)