Prayer request

Can you all add a very dear friend of mine to you your prayer lists??? She is going through a lot of emotional stuff right now and could use the prayers!

Thanks!
Kristin

Super Mom!!! NOT

Apparently because my two year old twins are not potty trained this gives other people the right to judge me and my parenting techniques. It seems that because other family members close to their age are potty trained our children should be too... I'm happy for those families!! I am... it is great for THOSE kids... I am also glad that those other parents don't have 'deal' with diapers anymore nor do they have to pay for them but there is no reason for one person (give you two guesses) to berate me for mine and Chad's choice to not 'deal' with potty training just yet.

Please do not judge me because I choose not to potty train my children...Thanks!

Delainey update

Delainey seems to be doing pretty good today. She says her head still hurts, but she seems to be almost back to herself.

The day's excitement

I had my first Tastefully Simple Party today. I think it went well. The people who were there said that I did a good job, but they are my friends after all so they could be lying. We will be closing the party on Wednesday so I will feel even more 'accomplished' then. I have two other parties scheduled in August, with hopes of one more the weekend of Labor Day weekend.

The other bit of excitement today was Delainey's visit to the ER. My mom and aunt took the kids to one of the local water parks. It is very kid friendly with a pool that literally starts out at like 1/2 an inch of water and goes to 4 feet of water. They also have some 'sprinkler' toys that shoot water out of the ground, out of poles etc. It really is a very child friendly place and everyone can't wait to go back... anyways. Delainey was spinning around one of the poles and from what I understand walked straight into one with her head...right between the eyes. Well she seemed ok for awhile, but then she got really quite and told my mom she didn't feel well. So they loaded all the kids up and brought them home...Delainey ended up throwing up in the van (My mom and aunt were never so thankful for the Starbucks cup that had been left in the car as they were today). So needless to say that when they got home, Chad and I made the choice to take Delainey to the ER. After a CT scan (do you put that in baby books?? LOL) and a very good exam by our FAVORITE ER Dr. (THANK YOU DOCTOR LEINGANG) we were told that she had her very first cuncussion and that we should be proud of ourselves for getting her to 4 without one before. Personally, I think he was just trying to make me feel better. But long story short, she was discharged with some things for us to watch for and also a prescription for Dairy Queen for dessert.

Hope everyone had a much calmer day then we did... :)

Brody's 7 month collage

Ok, so maybe the photo collage was a 'little' late in being posted...BUT it was made... LOL...give me a break...he is the youngest of four...he is LUCKY to even HAVE PICTURES... ;)

Mr Serious

I don't think I have EVER seen Brody with such a serious face on his look before. Those of you who know him, KNOW that he is always smiling and happy... My friend Madame President would 'kindly' refer to this face as the "Chad look'... or "Kristin, Brody is 'chadding' me again"... Oh...btw Chad and my friend have a delightful relationship... can't you tell?!?!?

Our backyard looks like a daycare...

Avery and Shelby enjoying their 'chocolate pizza' (otherwise known as dessert breadsticks)

The view of the playground...oh I mean back yard from by the dog kennel

The view of our private play ground from the patio.

Chad setting up the new dog kennel for Kyper and Brownie.

Wow…that was A LOT of work!

We have finally made it so that our backyard was a fun place to play. I was able to take the time Friday during nap time to mow the back yard…I dang near needed to call up my friend who lives north of town to see if I could borrow her husband’s fancy lawn tractor to get that yard mowed. I mean seriously… I think the farmers in some counties may be jealous of the amount of ‘hay’ I was able to rake in.

Last night Chad sprayed the yard for bugs…supposedly this spray is supposed to keep the bugs out of the lawn/yard for up to 4 weeks. We shall see though….(although no one had any bug bites tonight).

So today we took the time to FINALLY set up the play set that my mom had purchased for the kids (they are even cheaper now at the local Wal-Mart). And since we were out there we also finally put together the Dora pirate ship that the girls Uncle Ryan (he is actually my cousin, but since we are both only children…oh never mind LOL) bought for Delainey like two years ago. We also set up the new smaller pool (the 36inch one was a bit scary for Shelby so we got a smaller one so that everyone could enjoy swimming) as well as brought out the rest of the yard toys.

As Chad was further into the back yard putting together the new dog run, he commented that our back yard looked like childhood had thrown up… LOL. He then expressed how his dad would have NEVER let their back yard look like that when they were kids. So in all the kids have plenty to do to keep them busy and to entertain them…I for one think that we still need another red cozy coupe car!!! LOL

Memories

Heres a little game! Leave a comment on my blog of a memory that you and I have had together. It doesn't matter if you've known me for a short time, or a long time, anything you remember!

Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. Ready, Set, GO!

I often sell clothes/baby stuff at a local store that resells the items. They often give you 1/2 the price that they are going to sell it at. Well this past weekend I took a few items up and they were going to give me a whopping $22 for the items I brought in. This may sound like an 'ok' amount but it most certainly was not with me. I mean the Baby Einstein gym alone (which still has ALL the toys and works etc) could easily sell for $10/$15. And the Boppy brand bouncer chair retails at $50 because the blue one is only available ONLINE. Well today I sold both items for exactly what I wanted for them... which is more than the store was going to sell them for and CERTAINLY for more than they were going to give me for them!!! So HA!!!

SCORE!!!!

It really does pay to have patience... We got an AWESOME DEAL yesterday! We have been wanting/wishing/begging for one of these Little Tykes 8-in-1 Playsets since Delainey was Brody's age (no lie) and well today while I was placing a few ads on bismanonline.com I came across one that was selling for $250. Chad told me to offer the person selling it $200 and then we would go and get it (it is about 30 miles away), well after I got to thinking about it we decided we should call and see what the local stores have it for. Well we found one at the South Wal-Mart for $250. So we made the choice to go and get that one...who wouldn't have brand new for the price of a used one :) Oh...and Thank you Mom (Grandma) for buying it for the kiddos! They will have a blast with it!!! They are so lucky to have such a wonderful grandma!!

THANK YOU MALETTE!!!!

My children and I have such wonderful friends! Our dear friend Malette ever so graciously handed down a few toys that her children have outgrown and let me tell you... they have been a HUGE hit!!!
So THANK YOU MALETTE AND FAMILY FOR SHARING YOUR TOYS WITH US!!! they have already gotten a lot of love :)

Mommy Blogger Award

Alyssa ever so graciously awarded me this award today...(although I was second on her list, gee thanks a lot Alyssa... YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU!!!) Alyssa and I met through our MOMS (Mothers of Multiples) group here in town. We have become wonderful friends (well at least I think so) and it is nice to have someone to talk to who knows what it's like. Thanks Alyssa for the award... I am glad that someone besides me likes to read about my 'boring' life ;)

The rules to this Mommy blogger award are simple...When you get an award you have to send it on to 3 more Mommy Bloggers and say why you like reading that blog. Then you must leave a comment on their blog letting them know they were given the award! Easy enough! Please don't forget to tell your blogging mama that she has been given this award and to pass it along :)

First up is Jeanna. We met online during 2004. We were members of a TTC board and she was/is one of the most supportive people I have ever had the pleasure to 'know'. She is a true friend and a blessing to have... I'm still holding out that one of her boys will marry one of our girls :)

Second up is, Angela. Angela and I met through a moms group and were fast friends. Her blog is always one that I check every night before going to bed. She has 4 children ages 9-2 (3 boys, 1 girl). Delainey of course is going to marry all three of Angela's boys... this should be interesting... because she also has 'plans' to marry two other friends' boys as well... BUSY girl that Lainey ;)

And last but certainly not least, is Dawn. Dawn and I met through a wonderful organization called sidelines.org. It is an online/telephone support system for women who have been placed on bedrest because of pregnancy complications. She is a wonderful mother and an awesome friend... Brody of course will be marrying her daughter...well that is of course if we can just get Katie to convert ;) And of course her son Ryan is more than welcome to marry one of the children that Jeanna's son doesn't or vice versa.

To copy the award and pass it along to other blogging mamas, just copy the picture onto your computer and post it in your own blog message! Thank you to all my wonderful friends... IRL and on-line! I truly am blessed!!

I did it!!

I have become a Tastefully Simple Consultant. I am so happy and excited to start this new adventure and you know what... I KNOW I can be successful with this! I am so excited and can't wait to have my first Tasting Party. If you would be interested in hosting a party please feel free to contact me via my website www.tastefullysimple.com/web/kwentzkrumwiede

My calendar is completely open and I am more than willing to book as many parties as people want to host :) Remember for every $100 in orders you receive $10 in free product...and July you will get 50% more free product for every $100... so if you have a $400 party you will receive $60 in free product.

Have a great day!
Kristin

I've been tagged

I've been tagged for yet another fun thing thanks to Lissa and the Anderson Clan

8 things I am passionate about:

1. my children
2. My husband
3. My friends
4. Moms Club
5. Missouri Valley Mothers of Multiples
6. Getting myself healthy and no longer being the ‘fat’ friend
7. Whatever happens to hold my interest at that moment.
8. Obama for President J
******************

8 things I say a lot.
1. Just a minute
2. Seriously?
3. You’ve got to be kidding…
4. What did you do that for??
5. I love you.
6. 1…2…3…
7. I’m the mom
8. Go to the corner…
********************************

8 things I would like to do before I die.

1. Get healthy enough to not die because of my health
2. Go to Europe
3. Lose weight.
4. Start running
5. Go to Italy.
6. Scuba Dive.
7. Take photography classes.
8. Get a job that I can do some good in the world with
**********************************

8 books I have read.
1The Dive From Clausen's Pier by Ann Packer
2. "Dreams from My Father" by Barack Obama
3. The Friday Night Knitting Club
4. Eat, Pray, Love
5. Since We’re Friends
6. Horton Hears a Whoo
7. Where the sidewalk ends
8. The giving tree
******************************************

8 movies I have seen 8 times. 8
1. Harry Potter (any of them)
2. Georgia Rule
3. Beaches
4. Steel Magnolias.
5. Grease
6. The Reaping
7. Meet the Robinsons
8. Ratatouille

******************************************

8 people I tag.
1. Alyssa
2. Jeanna
3.Heather
4.Angela
5.Jen
6.Dawn
7.Nancy
8.Amanda

Pluses and Minuses to Chad’s new job

Pluses:
Chad has been at his new job for two weeks (tomorrow will be the beginning of the third week) and to be honest HE LOVES IT!!! He loves what he is doing and loves that he is getting to use his brain. He also loves how he feels that he is appreciated for what he knows rather than feeling like a computer/robot could replace him. He loves the change in our benefits as well. Chad is now paid every two weeks rather than the weekly that he was paid previously, so that means that our benefits are paid every two weeks instead of every week. Well after having received his first actual pay stub we realized that while he took a small pay cut to have the job change, we will be ending up with more money in our pockets…and who can’t appreciate that during the current times. We are now paying less every two weeks than we were weekly…we will save thousands of dollars…woohoo!! Chad has been able to come home for lunch with the kids and I and it has been nice to know that I have ‘back-up’ when it comes to bed time.

Minuses:
I never realized how lucky I was to be able to leave a kid or two home with Chad during the day…it has been a delightful experience taking 5 children (ranging from ages 4.5 – 4 months) places. Granted the places we have gone had all been kid friendly activities but I couldn’t imagine if they weren’t… PRAISE to all you families who have more than 4 kids…YOU ROCK…
Another minus, I have to do an extra load of laundry each week. Before Chad just wore “whatever” to work and now that he has a ‘grown-up job’ (his words not mine) he has to wear business attire. So it has certainly taken some getting used to, to make certain that his ‘work clothes’ are clean, ironed etc. I actually had to go OUT and buy an iron and ironing board…which of course gave me several ideas for when we redo the basement for my laundry room. Oh…and a side note, I think the Duggars had a good idea with the family closet right off the laundry room… I mean I know it won’t fly here, but what an amazing idea!!!
And lastly my biggest minus of this new job…having to redo my monthly budget. You see we were used to being paid every week so I knew how to pay bills that way… so now this every two weeks is going to take some getting used to and never mind that the parents of the little boy that I babysit also pay me on the same weeks that Chad gets paid, so while it will be nice to have a lump sum in our checking, it is going to be interesting to redo the budget to make certain that everything is paid properly etc.

Oh…Chad visited his old work this past weekend to see some of his friends and I think he was a little ‘too’ pleased to see that things weren’t running as smoothly as they did when he was working there…to bad the company didn’t realize it before just how much Chad accomplished.

Brody is 7 months old (and 6 days...)

Here are a few of the pictures that were taken for Brody's 7 month session. I can't believe how 'grown up' he is getting already. He isn't crawling or talking yet, but he LOVES to roll EVERYWHERE... we had to remove the coffee table from the living room because he kept getting stuck underneath it. Cute and sad at the same time. He is about 19lbs and 25 inches or so...just our lil cuddle boy...

LOVE YA

LOVE YA
One morning you will never wake up
Do all your friends know you love them?
I was thinking......I could die today, tomorrow or next week,
and I wondered if I had any wounds needing to be healed,
friendships that needed rekindling, or three words needing to be said.
Let every one of your friends know you love them. Even if you think
they don't love you back, you would be amazed at what those three little words and a smile can do.
And just in case GOD calls me home before I see you again......
I LOVE YA!!!

Best friends are we.... my twin sister and me!

I just HAD to share this picture with everyone. Shelby and Avery can be the best of friends or each others worst enemy...there never seems to be a happy medium with these two. But at least I was able to capture a very good/beautiful/precious friends moment.

Question of the week

I have decided to 'do' a new feature on the blog... and that is the question of the week. Please feel free to leave your answers in the comment section... here goes!

Do you ever feel out of the loop...but the loop is actually YOUR life rather than the lives of those around you?

Even Iraq wants us out....

Iraq raises idea of timetable for US withdrawl from country

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA and SEBASTIAN ABBOT, Associated Press Writers
1 hour, 27 minutes ago

BAGHDAD - Iraq's prime minister said Monday his country wants some type of timetable for a withdrawal of American troops included in the deal the two countries are negotiating.

It was the first time that Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has explicitly and publicly called for a withdrawal timetable — an idea opposed by President Bush.

He offered no details. But his national security adviser, Mouwaffak al-Rubaie, told The Associated Press that the government is proposing a timetable conditioned on the ability of Iraqi forces to provide security.

In Washington, the State Department declined to comment on the ongoing negotiations and said officials in Washington were not yet entirely sure what al-Maliki had said.

"This falls in the category of ongoing negotiations, and I'm not going to talk about every single development, every single development in the negotiations," spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters.

Al-Maliki said in a meeting with Arab diplomats in Abu Dhabi that his country also has proposed a short-term interim memorandum of agreement rather than the more formal status of forces agreement the two sides have been negotiating.

The memorandum "now on the table" includes a formula for the withdrawal of U.S. troops, he said.

"The goal is to end the presence (of foreign troops)," al-Maliki said.

Some type of agreement is needed to keep U.S. troops in Iraq after a U.N. mandate expires at year's end. But many Iraqi lawmakers had criticized the government's attempt to negotiate a formal status of forces agreement, worried that U.S. demands would threaten the country's sovereignty.

U.S. officials have said little publicly about the negotiations. Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, did not comment directly on the specifics when asked about it on a trip to Baghdad.

"We'd all like to see U.S. troops get out of here at some point in time," Mullen said. "However, from a military perspective I need the laws and the regulations and the agreements from the government of Iraq in order to continue operations beyond the 31st of December of this year."

With the latest moves, Iraq's government appeared to be trying to blunt opposition in parliament to any deal.

Al-Maliki also could be trying to avoid parliament altogether. He has promised in the past to submit a formal agreement with the U.S. to the legislative body.

But his spokesman indicated Monday that the government might feel no need to get approval from parliament for a shorter-term interim deal.

"It is up to the Cabinet whether to approve it or sign on it, without going back to the parliament," said spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh.

Legal experts said the form of the deal was less significant than its substance.

"You could theoretically include everything in a memorandum of understanding that you could in a formal status of forces agreement," said Michael Matheson, an expert on international law at George Washington University Law School.

The Bush administration has said it doesn't need congressional approval even for a full status of forces agreement — a position criticized by some U.S. lawmakers.

The contentious issues have been U.S. authority to carry out military operations in Iraq and arrest the country's citizens, along with legal immunity for private contractors and control of Iraqi air space.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said last week after a visit to Washington that the U.S. had agreed to drop immunity for private contractors and give up control of Iraqi air space if Iraq guaranteed it could protect the country's skies.

But those concessions, never confirmed by the U.S. side, were apparently not enough to cement a formal agreement, leading Iraq instead to pursue the memorandum.

Iraq's government has felt increasingly confident in recent weeks about its authority and the country's improved stability.

Violence in Iraq has fallen to its lowest level in four years. The change has been driven by the 2007 buildup of American forces, the Sunni tribal revolt against al-Qaida in Iraq and crackdowns against Shiite militias and Sunni extremists.

Despite the gains, frequent attacks continue.

A roadside bomb killed four people and injured three others Monday close to the Iranian border near Khanaqin, 90 miles northeast of Baghdad, said border guard Capt. Sarchel Abdul-Karim.

Another bomb near a dress shop in Baqouba killed one woman Monday and wounded 14 other people, police said. Baqouba, 35 miles northeast of Baghdad, and the surrounding Diyala province remain one of the country's most violent regions.

Also Monday, gunmen killed a member of the Sunni Iraqi Islamic Party in Tal Afar, 260 miles northwest of Baghdad, said police, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

Uggg

Last night I tried this awesome brownie recipe. After the recipe was done baking, I realized that it was very similar to a recipe that a friend of mine had made a few weeks ago. My friend was kind enough to share some of the brownies...they are SOOOO RICH. In fact I actually got a stomach ache from eating them...so good, but so painful.

So last night after I realized that it was the same recipe, I reminded myself during dessert to take a smaller piece because it is in fact SO SWEET....

Well dumb me... I had a second brownie (a small second one mind you) shortly before bed, and let me tell you I paid for it BIG TIME...

HAPPY 4th of JULY

Ahhh... Gotta love it don't you ?!? My sister-in-law Tracy sent me an e-card with this message on it and I thought it couldn't be more fitting than for my 4th of July post and it also goes along with how I will be spending my 4th of July this year. I will in fact be marching in our local 4th of July parade in support of Barack Obama and couldn't be more proud to have the honor to be part of the campaign on my local level.

ok, ok, enough politics...here is our family 4th of July message....

Please have a happy, fun but most importantly SAFE 4th of July...and remember we have the right to be free, but our freedom has come at a cost... pray for our soldiers, their families and of course for our country as a whole...

THANK YOU FOR MY FREEDOM!!!

Can I just Vent (COPIED FROM ANOTHER BLOG)

This blog post was copied from HERE and I agree with her on EVERY SINGLE WORD...well except the part where she talks about being pregnant ... as I am SO over that ;)



I can vent to my own blog, right?
I do not usually get very political on here, but I have got to get this out. I don't know WHY I read emails or posts when I know from the subject line that it's going to be ANOTHER smeared, irrational, hateful, ignorant stab at Barack HUSSIEN Obama. Yes, I know his middle name. I love how anti-Obama folks love to point that out. Suuuurely that is God giving us a sign that this man is a secret Muslim terrorist who somehow snuck by and made it into the Senate, and then on to become our Democratic candidate. My land, how ever could we have missed it?? Boy, do I feel stupid for supporting this guy! Thank you to the super awesomely smart code breakers who made that connection for us!
Sarcasm? Yeah, that's what that was.
Do you realize that I have NEVER received any type of slanderous or malicious email about John McCain? Are there even any out there? Wait, I did see that video spoof by Will.I.am. And yeah, I laughed. At least everything in that video was him actually being quoted.
I hear ALL the time, "You don't have to like Bush, but people need to respect our president!" Well, WHEN Barack Obama becomes our president, I hope people are whistling the same tune. I hope some of them will get on board. I hope SOMEONE who once sent that email will get over this drama and see through the lies and give the guy a break. For once, we have a candidate who inspires people who NEVER CARED BEFORE...like me.
I mean, the ANTI-CHRIST??? Really???
UGHHHH.
I hereby promise to never ever even open those emails again, because I don't want my baby to come out completely pissed off. But in case I do accidentally open the hate machine again, here is a great link to a blog on how to respond to them. The comments are really good, too.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/6/18/91850/5582/248/537755
And here is a link to the Obama anti-smear website:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/fightthesmearshome/

I will end by saying I know that all politics involve a certain amount of playing dirty, name-calling, satirical comic strips, and hip celebrity videos. I don't mean to be naive or seem like a crazy person. I have tried so hard this year to learn to be more accepting of people whose views I totally disagree with. It's just hard to maintain a level of respect, when I don't get that in return.
SIGH.
I feel better.
Thanks, blog.

All I can say is AMEN SISTER LADY!!!! Heather has completely read my mind....

Lazy summer...literally

Not a lot of time to blog tonight, so here is a picture from our mini-vacation a few weeks ago. Apparently the little boy who never used to like his baths (until the weekend in question) found the swimming pool of the hotel very relaxing... so relaxing in fact that he fell asleep while floating there... and let me tell you IT WAS LOUD in there :)