FREE HANDBAG...

Do you want to win something really cute and fun???
I do.
Go to this link and you can win a free handbag



http://www.handbagplanet.com/

FIND JOY IN THE JOURNEY....

NOW!!!
I LOVE THIS MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT MONSON. HE IS TRULY AN INSPIRED MAN, EVERY WORD HE SPOKE TODAY IN GENERAL CONFERENCE I FELT LIKE HE WAS TALKING TO ME.

Do you ever feel like you can never keep up?
Or that everyone around you is doing a better job and has everything you want in life.
I am constantly feeling this way!
And i'm constantly reminding myself that it's not true.
Do you ever say "we'll be a real family after we have our first baby?" or "Our lives we'll really start after we're done school?" or my personal favorite "We'll be truly happy and feel complete when we can afford the house we want"
BUT every time one these things is finished i still have the feeling like something isn't complete.

And it finally clicked today when Pres. Monson said
we need to realize what is most important in life.
Why do we care so much what other people think or have? It seems like an never ending roller coaster to disaster when we try to out do each other.

I decided today that the Karrens our going to live "SIMPLE"!
Brett is going to LOVE this, because he already lives this way and has been trying to get me on board for many years!

I also liked when the prophet reminds us that our children only have one childhood and that the never ending laundry can wait. I enjoyed the little story about his dad not going into work when there was an emergency because he had promised his sons he would take them to the circus. I love this reminder. Our children grow up so FAST i think i often forget to enjoy the moments i have with them. So if you come over to my house this week and it's a disaster it's because I've been playing with my kids.
He also talked about expressing our GRATITUDE and to give THANKS. I try to do this often but i think i forget to thank the ones i love most.
Brett and i have been talking about this alot lately and it seems we often forget to acknowledge what the other one has been doing. I get so caught up in the stuff thats NOT getting done i forget to notice the things that are.
So i hope i can become the person i want to be.
Thanks for listening to my ramblings....

Apron, Potty Traing and Rocket Ships!!!!

My friend Lindsey had a great idea last week so i thought i would copy her and make my own apron! Whitney also made a very cute apron awhile ago and i loved her apron too but i couldn't wait to order the pattern she used, so i bought a basic one and jazzed it up a bit. I think i'll make a black and red one next time just to have a few around (you know because i cook sooo much)! So if you show up at my house and i'm in my apron it's because i've been cleaning and cooking all day!!!


My reversible apron

POTTY TRAINING...
We have officially been potty training for 9 days now! Peyton is doing great, he rarely has accidents and he even wore underwear to church and to all our outings this week with NO accidents. If he is outside he will forget he needs to pee and poop on the potty...yes he even pooped outside! But we are looking forward to the future of having at least 1 of our kids out of diapers....yeah!

He likes to pee on the potty like this because he thinks it's how daddy does it...whatever gets him to go.


WHY BUY TOYS???

When you have kitchen aid attachments,
my kids love playing with these and pretend that they are rocket ships! I find them all over the house and luckily none have them have broke yet.

Was it worth the $60 bucks???

I think so...

I found this Pottery Barn sleeper sofa (worth $1800 at PB) on craigslist.com for 60 dollars. When the guy emailed me pictures it didn't look too bad so Brett and Jordan went to check it out and pick it up for me. When they brought it home all i had to do was wash the slipcovers , vacuume the entire thing and lysole and febreeze it. So to have an extra couch and a place for guests to sleep was worth my $60 bucks.


Our kids LOVE WATER
The number 1 rule for playing in our backyard is NO turning on the hose, well these 2 little boys didn't follow that rule last night and this is what we found!
So i hosed them down really good, let them play in the kiddie pool and considered it their bath for the night.

I have to post this because if you know me i HATE to cook, i've tried to pretend that i like it and even tried to convince myself that i like it but the truth must come out.
I HATE COOKING! OK i said it so and i feel better. So if you come to visit we will either eat out alot or you'll have to take a turn cooking one night. Any ways i made dinner the other night, i normally make dinner but i actually made a casserole and dessert. This rarely happens. We don't eat out alot we just eat simple things or Brett cooks.

So for dessert we had cinnamon knot thing also known as monkey balls to some...i can't believe i just wrote that!

And dinner was chicken broccoli casserole with rice....and it was really good.



The Karrens are starting to decorate for HALLOWEEN.
This has to be one of my favorite holidays, and yes it's because there is so much good CANDY!


Does anyone else's kids make so many messes??? I feel like i'm constantly cleaning up after these 2, and these are just 2 things that have happened in the past 24 hrs.

Brody dumped the cheerios all over the floor
Peyton unwrapped all the wrapping paper...aggghhh

FINALLY A NEW CAMERA...YAY!

The Karrens have moved again!

We are renting a house 4 miles away from our old place and are loving it so far. The extra space is nice and there is a great park down the street. Here are some pics of the new diggs....
Kitchen

Family room

we have 2 levels....we love the upper floor!

This is the living room/dining room that we don't have furniture for

Up stairs hall

TOY ROOM, my kids live in this space

Peyton's room

Brody's room

Master bedroomOK i'm sure your all wondering why i haven't decorated or put pictures up on the wall but i'm hoping this home is temporary. We want to buy a house in the next 6 months and to me it's not worth putting any energy into decorating a space that's not even mine. So that's why it's bare!

A Good Day...

Today my friend Shari has my kids while my van is getting fixed, the dealership drove me back to my house so i could get some stuff done and it was going to take forever. Anyways, i am at home all by myself and LOVING it. I have my house cleaned the laundry on the go and now checking out all my blogging friends. As i'm making the normal loop through my friends and their friends and so on it seems like everyone is having or have had babies lately. Well i'm starting to feel like i want another one. And i know it's only because HURRICANE and TORNADO aren't around. I'm sure this feeling will pass when i go pick them up, but i'm actually enjoying the moment at thinking maybe i could manage 3!

I'm always looking at baby stuff (Brett hates it) but i know exactly what i want... kind of! Take a look at what i've been noticing is out there...

Either color will do!

Posh tots has DARLING cribs, and if i have TWIN GIRLS i'll be able to pick 2!

OK so i have wanted a pottery barn rocking chair since Peyton but moving across the country and having NO MONEY was just a little bit of an issue.
I love them and with all the new fabric choices it would be hard to choose which one i think i could manage.

Isn't this bassinet so gorgeous, it looks like an heir loom. They have it in white as well but i was drawn to the dark one this time.

Anyways the list could go on and on, but i better stop before i'm cursed with having another BOY!
And so you know i am NOT pregnant and not planning on it for awhile, i was just admiring all the cute babies out there and all the cute stuff i could buy if i had one.

I'M STILL ALIVE...

Barely breathing but i'm still here....

We have been BUSY traveling to Montana and Canada and then back to AZ again. We sure had alot of fun and enjoyed seeing everyone we could. But now that we're back in the HEAT we have moved into a NEW house and are just trying to get settled. I would love to post some pics BUT our little Peyton decided to put my camera in the pool. So i have NO pics to share. I will be getting my new camera soon and i will put some pics up of the new house.....until then hope you are all breathing and alive too!