Spring has Sprung- A Blog Swap!!

Hey all! Aly and I have teamed up once again to bring you something super fun to get excited for Spring. I'm hoping my doing this blog swap, our weather will straighten up about the time we do the exchange, one can hope right?! SO.SICK.OF.SNOW. 

Anyway, here is a run down of all the details for this awesome swap, sure to make you one happy Spring chick when you receive your gift. 

<center><a href="http://thehallfamilyof4.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i976.photobucket.com/albums/ae242/analyzethisblog/BlogSwapButtonSized2.jpg" alt="Blog Swap Button" width="125" height="125" /></a></center>

 The Nitty Gritty:

{one} Sign up will run today (2/28) through Friday, March 4th at 9 p.m. EST.

{two} To sign up, comment below with the following information:

-Name

-Blog Address

-Your email address

{three} Spring Exchange partners will be revealed on Monday, March 7th on my blog, as well as Aly's blog (Analyze This). All participants will also be notified by email with their partner's name and email address.

{four} Please purchase your Spring themed items with a spending amount of $20. Favorite Spring item examples would be: favorite spring colored nail polish, hair accessories, scarves, necklaces/bracelets, books, magazines, candy, etc...

{five} All items must be mailed between Tuesday March 15th and Friday March 18th. We will do a post link up Thursday March 24th for everyone to reveal the items they received!

{six} We ask that all participants with blogs, grab and post our button on their sidebar until the Spring Exchange is over.

And spread the word ladies, the more the merrier Springier right?! Don't forget, the deadline for entry is Friday March 4th!

*Today is the LAST day to enter my CSN Giveaway, don't forget to enter. I'll announce the winner tomorrow. 

Friday Confessional

We all know sometimes I like a little 'random' in my life, so I figured this week I would participate in Friday Confessional. A few of my favorite blog reads do this one, so I thought, why not?! Who doesn't love a good confession session?





I confess.... I have totally FAILED at the cleaning schedule the past two weeks, and p.s. I just started it last week. 

I confess.... I've been trying to sweet talk my husband into taking me to Kansas City to eat at The Cheesecake Factory the past 2 days. Cross your fingers that he listened to me, and is planning to take me TONIGHT :o) 

I confess.... It makes me SO uncomfortable when people talk about their finances. Its such a weird quirk that I have I know, but I cringe every time. 

I confess.... Gerrad has been remodeling his bathroom so we've been sharing a bathroom, I thought it was going to KILL ME, but it actually hasn't been that bad. I guess the past 10 years of nagging about leaving clothes on the bathroom floor FINALLY paid off, ha!! 

I confess.... I'm BEYOND ready for Spring... for warm weather, for flip flops, for bbqs on our patio, to have friends over and sit outside all evening chatting and enjoying letting the kids run around and play. I.am.ready.now. 

I confess.... I'm debating doing the 'Couch to 5k' program, not to become a runner, but to just get my butt out and get some exercise. I'm also trying to talk G into doing it with me, wish me luck! 

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!! Don't forget to enter my CSN GIVEAWAY, it closes Monday!!

The BIG Question

I feel like we're in a season of our life lately, where pretty much all of our friends are either having babies, had babies, are planning to have more babies, or asking us when we're having more babies. I feel like we're approaching the time when we are going to be making the decision to either have a third kiddo, or be complete with the 2 beautiful girls we've already been blessed with. I go back and forth all the time, sometimes I REALLY want another one, and then sometimes I'm terrified at the thought of being pregnant and going through that all over again. I'm done changing diapers, done breastfeeding, done with sleepless nights, done with toting around an infant carrier, done with buying diapers, baby clothes, etc... Part of me misses a FEW of those things though, I must be crazy. Its a tough choice to decide when you're done, and lets be honest, its not really up to us is it? Its up to God. Gerrad is pretty content with the 2 we have, but we both seem to go back and forth, and always leave it at 'maybe.' Maybe one day we'll feel called to have another sweet babe, but maybe we won't, and either would be OK with me!

I feel like as soon as I feel content, then I think about the future, and when the kids grow up, and we have holiday get togethers and I always see a BIG family. I feel like I have so much love to give. Being a mom is truly the greatest joy that I have ever experienced, definitely life altering, for the better. I feel like its what I was born to do! For now we'll stay in our place of 'maybe' and just take it one day at a time.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  Jeremiah 29:11

A friend of mine posted this to her blog a while ago, and I just fell in love with it. I think to myself, what would my sign say? Looking back on the time before I became a mother, I was still a child myself, so I'm not sure that my sign would be that insightful had you asked me then. Thinking about it now, I think my sign would read 'You will finally know what TRUE love is.'





*Have you entered my CSN giveaway yet? If not, what are you waiting for? $35 gift certificate for great merchandise, where pretty much the sky is the limit! Click here to enter!

CSN Giveaway!!

I was recently contacted by CSN Office Furniture to host a giveaway for a $35.00 gift certificate to ANY of their stores on ANY of their products. They've got everything under the sun for sale (including the kitchen sink) in their various stores. We're looking at a few things for Gerrad's bathroom that we're currently remodeling, and I'm LOVING this upholstered headboard. 

This would be perfect for G's vanity light (which his current is severely outdated). 

This chair would look super cute in each of the girls' bedrooms, and its super affordable!

To be entered to win:

You MUST be a follower of my blog (leave a comment telling me you already follow, or you're a new follower).


For Extra Entry: 


-Tweet about it, and leave me your twitter name


-Tell me what you would buy if you won


-Blog about it and leave me the link in the comment section



Who doesn't love FREE? There are lots of items you could purchase with your $35! Good Luck! I will close this giveaway next Monday February 28th!!

Our Week in Photos

Our week has been pretty laid back and boring, other than Valentines Day being Monday. I was able to go to Macie's school party Monday afternoon to surprise her, it was wonderful. I hadn't planned on being able to go, so she was shocked when Addaline and I showed up, it was priceless, and she even got a little teary eyed, she is SO my kid! The weather has been pretty 'spring-like' this week, which we're loving. I took a few photos of the girls outside Tuesday evening, they loved it!

 Enjoying the Vday Party at school

 My big 3rd grader, where has the time gone??

 Her Valentines treat bag

 Someone thinks she is a big girl, and is ready for school!

 I can't get enough of this sweet dimpled smile!

 Trying to look 'serious'

 Love these girls more than life itself, and their cheesy smiles that brighten my days!

I randomly decided this morning that I needed a vacation, to an actual destination, not just a day off. I haven't filled Gerrad in on my idea yet (HI HONEY). I'm looking a budget friendly destination, that we could possibly take the kids with. As much as I love my every other year alone, vacations with G, I want to take the girls this year, even though its our year for an adult trip ;) I priced a Disney World trip for an amazing price, but I'm not opposed to a Caribbean getaway either. Anyone have any great location ideas??

LOVE Day!

 Happy Valentines Day to you all!! We don't have any big plans tonight. We usually do something the weekend before, usually just a date night. This weekend we had 2 nights out, which was amazing! Friday night was dinner, just the two of us. I explained to Gerrad about his gift. I think he was confused since I didn't bring it into the restaurant with us, so I just told him about it. He'll start choosing a card a day from now until the end of the month. My gift was a 'Love Jar.' I got the idea off of a blog, and thought it was fabulous! Its just a glass jar, I put 'manly' ribbon on the lid, and there are note cards folded in half, with sweet sayings, date ideas, bible verses about family/relationships, and notes from my heart. I'm hoping once he starts to read the cards, he'll get the idea better.

Here are a few of the cards in the jar...

I decided to prepay a few of the date ideas as well. Hopefully it works that we will get to have that date night, on the week he draws the card. When he draws a date card, he is not allowed to draw another card until we've gone on the date. I'll keep you all posted on how it works!

Addaline already had her Valentines Day party at school on Thursday since she only goes Tuesday/Thursday. Macie's party is today and she is SO excited about it. She picked out some 3D peace sign valentines, perfect for her personality. That girl loves all things peace sign!

I'm planning another little surprise for Gerrad when he gets home from work, nothing major, just something small.

Thanks Gerrad for being a great man, father, spouse, friend, supporter, provider, confidant, believer, everything! I am truly blessed to have you!

Hope you all have a wonderful day, couples or not, enjoy your day and spread the love!

A Mash Up

Yes I believe I just used a term from my newest favorite show (as if I needed another show to watch) GLEE!! I've been HOOKED on that show since I started watching it. I'm not going to tell you how pathetic I am and how I watched the entire first season in a matter of days to catch up on the second season when the marathon was on Oxygen last weekend. And again, here I am on a total random topic...

So I decided to follow in Molly's footsteps and create a cleaning schedule. Sometimes I feel like I get so far behind on cleaning/laundry. I'm really hoping this helps, especially with the laundry situation. I put off doing laundry like the plague, this is no joke. I wait until it piles up so bad that we're all out of clean undies and socks, which takes a good month or so for that to happen, which equals hell for me when its time to tackle the laundry. Its a vicious cycle that I'm determined to change. For the most part I kept the same tasks that she has on hers, only I added the girls. I believe its important to help them learn early, and establish these routines. I know Addaline is a bit young, that's why I only put that she needs to keep her room clean, which she is totally capable of doing. We've tried a 'chore chart' with Macie, and it failed miserably. I'm hoping this is different. 

Monday

Laundry

Sweep Kitchen

Tuesday

Bathrooms

Wednesday

Laundry

Dust

Thursday

Mop Kitchen

Vacuum

Friday

Laundry

The girls chores include the following: Macie: Take laundry downstairs Mon/Fri, Clean room daily, make bed daily, take out trash on Friday. Addaline: Clean room daily, help me bring her laundry down Mon/Fri. They both have to make sure toys/belongings are picked up daily. I'm going to print this off and hang it up where we can ALL see it (somewhere in the kitchen). I will remind the girls daily of their duties, and I hope to have all my duties completed by lunch, here goes nothin' I guess ;) 

I got Gerrad's valentines day gift completed this morning. Since we said that the keurig was a gift to each other for vday, I wasn't planning to do anything else for him, but I found a wonderful idea online. I cannot wait to share it with you all after I give it to him. I might give it to him tonight since we'll be alone for dinner, and we won't be on actual valentines day. I'll make sure to post some pics of it, don't worry! 

This weekend is a busy weekend at our house, and it includes a lot of parent night out time, I cannot tell you how excited I am about this. I've mentioned before that I think its important to have adult time alone, and we definitely value it. Tonight Gerrad and I are going to the improv comedy show I've mentioned before with some of our good friends. Tomorrow night we're going to Kansas City to celebrate two of my best friends birthdays- Happy Birthday Melisa and Carrie, love you both! Saturday during the day, and Sunday we have no plans so I'm sure I'll spend that time catching up on laundry so I'm all ready to turn over that new leaf bright and early Monday morning! 

Hope all of you have a fabulous weekend! If you get the chance, start brain storming some of your favorite 'pay it forward' stories/ideas. I've got something exciting coming next week!!

I've Learned...

Last night the girls and I were at WalMart doing a little shopping. We got in line, and I noticed a middle aged man in front of us, with his two daughters that looked to be pretty close to Macie's age (she's 8). He said at one point that when he got close to x amount of money, he needed the cashier to stop ringing things up. My ears perked up a bit, and I just casually observed the situation. When he got to the end, I saw the anguish on his face, as he was putting things aside (hamburger meat, milk, potatoes, etc...). My first instinct was to offer to purchase those things for him, then I ran through all of these scenarios in my head of him being offended that I offered, and Lord knows I did not want to insult the man. Then I thought, ok I'll hurry and get up there and have her ring the items up, and I'll run them out to him. That didn't work either, our cashier was slower than the day was old, so by the time she even started ringing things up, let alone got to the point where I could pay, they man was long gone. So what does that mean I did, NOTHING... I felt terrible. I teared up in line several times (ya'll I didn't lie when I said I'm emotional). I had the perfect opportunity to step up and do something, and I let that moment pass me by because of fear. Fear for making someone feel small, when I could have made his day.

I've always wanted to take part in some sort of 'pay it forward' type of situation. When in line of a drive thru, I often think, I'll pay for the person behind me. Then I think, well what if they ordered half the menu and their bill is $40 or something ridiculous, when really that probably NEVER happens. Again, letting fear dictate the situation. How many of you have paid it forward? How wonderful did it make you feel? I'm determined to do something nice for a complete stranger in the NEAR future! I've learned... that I should do what I feel God is pushing me to do, even when I'm afraid!!

**********************************************
I'm sure lots of you have read this before somewhere, or maybe a version like it. I just love this, and every time I read it, makes me stop and think a little.

I've learned...that the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.


I've learned...that when you're in love, it shows.


I've learned...that just one person saying to me, "You've made my day!" makes my day.


I've learned...that having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.


I've learned...that being kind is more important than being right.


I've learned...that you should never say no to a gift from a child.


I've learned...that I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way.


I've learned...that no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.


I've learned...that sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.

I've learned...that we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.


I've learned...that money doesn't buy class.


I've learned...that it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.


I've learned...that under every one's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.


I've learned...that the Lord didn't do it all in one day. What makes me think I can?


I've learned...that when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.


I've learned...that love, not time, heals all wounds.


I've learned...that everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.


I've learned...that there's nothing sweeter than sleeping with your babies and feeling their breath on your cheeks.


I've learned...that no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.


I've learned...that life is tough, but I'm tougher.


I've learned...that opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.


I've learned...that one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.


I've learned...that a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.


I've learned...that I can't choose how I feel, but I can choose what I do about it.


I've learned...that everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.


I've learned...that the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.


(source)

Super Bowl Sunday!!

Some friends of ours had a little super bowl get together yesterday. It was a ton of fun, and so good to get out of the house and away from the laundry and the basement that seem to have over taken my life lately.

There was some serious booty shaking going on at the party....

 There were rebel kids flashing crazy gang peace signs...

And babies tipping back some adult beverages water...

Responsible adults doing the sprinkler to compete with the kids...

Boy our super bowl party was CRAZY last night ;o) How about you?