The Bread Machine Rocks!!!

I'm so totally addicted to my new bread machine!! My mom had one and I even borrowed it once but never actually tried to make anything with it. I went to a church fundraiser and found one that was like new so decided to try one more time to see if I would get the bread making maching bug.

Who would have thought this little mechanical box could bring so much happiness in our home. It actually sat on the shelf for a month before I got the courage to pull it out and search the Internet for a recipe. That coupled with the fact that there were some ripened bananas on the counter just screaming to be cooked into banana bread.

I searched the web and found a recipe for chocolate chip banana bread. Poured all the ingredients in...clicked all the special little buttons and watched the glob of ingredients turn into a masterpiece. The bread was such a hit with the family, that I decided to make a few more loaves. I especially liked throwing all the ingredients in before church and coming home to a fresh baked loaf of bread.

So feeling totally confident in my "bread making" skills, I decided to try a new recipe and picked a chili bread. I tweaked the ingredients a bit and as the bread was mixing, rising and baking the scent filled the air of our home. I think this particular bread is going to be our favorite as it has a bit of spicy taste to it and will be perfect with a little cream cheese spread on a slice.

Where did fall go?

As I'm driving my oldest son to school today, I am wondering....where did fall go? We have had two snow storms already. One just 13 days ago and again one today. I was also thinking how spoiled I was last year not having to wake up every morning and drive in bad weather.




I'm also bummed because I wanted to get some fall photo shoots in this week! These pictures are from last year because it has been too wet to get any pictures. For those of you who have seen the pictures from last year before, you know how our back yard, drive way and front yard is just filled with leaves this time of year. Well now our driveway not only has a "leaf" storm of leaves 1 inch high (that we hoped to get cleaned up this week)...it's now snowing on top of them which will be really interesting when we go to clean the driveway later today!!

The Jungle Room Needs a Haircut!!!

For those of you who have seen pictures or have visited our "Jungle Room" you will be surprised to see how much the fig tree has overtaken the room this summer. We have been so busy with the kiddos and other things in our lives, that I haven't kept the tree trimmed down to size like I have in the past. The room seriously looks like a jungle room this summer.

View looking at the deck stairs to the "river" basin. Notice how you can't even see the stairs? This tree has decided to even climb the steps.

My son sitting on the steps to show how big the leaves are. I hoped to get more pictures of the other boys before I trim the trees, but he was the only one available so I made him be my model!

The orange tree to the left has tripled in size since we first moved into this house. In the spring when it blooms, our whole house smells like orange blossoms. For some reason this year, we did not get any fruit from the tree.

Here is a picture to show how tall the tree has gotten in such a short time! The branches have completely reached the ceiling after being completely trimmed down in May.

As you can see from the limbs on the deck...I have started the "haircut" process. One of the hardest parts about trimming this tree is that it "bleeds" this itchy sap when the branches are cut so you have to cut quickly and from bottom to top to avoid a head and arms covered in sap. I also wear a shirt with sleeves which when the room averages 100 to 110 degrees in the summer is not a fun task!! ...I will post update pictures when I get this all done.

WASP-UP!!!

Okay so we go out for lunch today and I come home to check if the mail is delivered. I get ready to open the door and noticed that we had a few friends on the front porch. There are hundreds of newly hatched wasps on our front porch!! What a lovely thing to come home too. Those of you who know me know I absolutely hate wasps and bees!! I'm totally bugging!!! LITERALLY!!! I wish there was better lighting because they are even crawling on the floor of the porch!!!

Pineapple, Cookies and Grandparents!

Today Jonathan was digging in the food cupboard and pulled out a can of pineapple. He was talking about how this was one of his favorite foods. He said "I know how I got to like pineapple. Grandma Edwards used to give it to me every time we went to see her. I used to call her Pineapple Grandma." Brandon chimed in and said "Yep and you used to call Grandpa Edwards "Cookie Papa" because he gave you cookies when we saw him in Florida." My father in law has since passed away and is waiting for us in heaven. When he was alive however, he would make sure that he gave the boys his full love and attention when we saw him. Jonathan was only 18 months when we went to Florida to see my father-in-law and because he was so shy Grandpa bribed him with cookies to get him to come and sit in his lap. It was the perfect bond between them and for years after Ray Sr. passed away, my little boy would look up at me with his beautiful blue eyes and say "I miss cookie papa so much." I guess the way to Jonathan's heart is his stomach and Grandma Edwards followed suit and would give him pineapple chunks as a treat. That little boy I think would eat an entire can by himself when we were there. Like the cookies, it was something he identified with her and made her special in his heart. When they talk about my brother they identify the fact that he is the army and served our country. My children get to see my parents more often so it's hard to pinpoint that one memory that they identify them with. My mom is always doing some kind of project with the boys whether it's painting or baking. She also loves to read with the boys, something they enjoy very much. My dad is known for taking them out in the yard and letting them ride on the riding lawn mower with him, he also has an antique John Deere tractor that he often lights up at Christmas time, something they always love. My kids and I love to talk about all the good things that have happened in our lives, especially those family members that we do not get to see as often. I think it's so important with children to focus on the happy things of the past, especially when you have a situation like ours when the present isn't exactly cheery with some family relationships. I want my kiddos to remember the good times that they have had with these family members so that if they never see them again, that they will cherish THOSE memories. I have always tried to see the good in people no matter what they have done or said to me. I think it's just maybe a gift that God gave me to not dwell on bitterness and unforgiveness. God forgives us too for all the sins that we do against him. God sees us as the "apple of his eye", I think it's so cool that when God thinks of me, he thinks of the happy things that I have done and not the silly mistakes that I have made throughout my life. The other day my husband called me when he was on the train. He had been praying because there was a real possibility of being laid off from work that would put our family in a tremendous financial crisis. As the economy continues to decline they cut more and more positions from the railroad. It's something that we have been praying about daily. Ray told me in this phone conversation, that God had woke him up in the middle of the night and spoke to him in a small still voice and told him that he would rather cast the stars away which he knows by name then to ever let our dear family fall from his hands. In these trying economic times it's so important that we fix our eyes on our father who reminds us that we are the apple of his eye and he will not forget us.

Looks Like Just a Big Kitty to Me!!!

This white tiger at the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo is by far one of my favorite animals. Watching it lick itself was just absolutely amazing!!

Boys & Basketball

Brandon is playing middle school basketball this year. It's so fun to watch these fresh sports faces awkwardly moving across the court. I love watching them mimic the professionals only to have their ball fly off the backboard or wall!! I know, terrible momma!! What I also noticed is how awkward and kind of goofy looking boys are at that age. I thought man...when I was that age I thought boys were amazing!! I thought if just one of the boys talked to me, I was in heaven!! Then I grew up and became of mom of three boys...one of which is now an awkward 7th grader who could care less about girls!! Shows you what I knew!! Hopefully next week I will have pictures of him playing basketball!!

Math In the Kitchen

One of my favorite activities with the boys is to let them help me bake in the kitchen. They love to get out the bowls and the measuring cups and often fight over who is going to do what. Like most homeschooling mommies, I try to make everything an educational lesson when I can. Cooking is such an excellent way to teach kiddos about fractions. Jonathan was having a hard time understanding what the numbers meant so I pulled out a 1/8, 1/4, 1/3, 1/2 and 1 Cup. I then asked him how many of the 1/8 cups it would take to fill the Cup..he wasn't sure, so I told him to fill the 1/8 cup with water, dump it into the 1 Cup and see how many it took. He was fascinated that it took EIGHT cups to do that so we said that this cup equals 1/8 of a full cup. We repeated this exercise with the remaining cups and when it came time to measure 3/4 of milk for the biscuits for the pigs in the blanket, he was ready to go and knew what the numbers meant!! I also use our cooking time to teach vocabulary, reading and of course home economics!! Yes...I mean..we had a lot of fun baking boys...now we need to clean it all up!! Have a Blessed Day!!

Football, Friends & Prayer!!

I had a wonderful day yesterday. It started out with church and worship where we did one of my favorite songs "You Raise Me Up". I absolutely love that song and being able to play the flute on that song makes it even better! I then had my Sunday school middle school class. They always seem to give me a new perspective on God and the world around us. We then were invited to a friends to watch football but thanks to the wonders of the cable company the game was halted for a bit. Ray asked me to go to our house and check if we had cable and we did so, we invited everyone to our house, so I quickly did a quick clean up of our weekend mess and within a few minutes Ray and his friends were watching football upstairs. After football they engaged in guy conversation and we all ended the evening in group prayer!! God is so amazing and Ray and I are so thankful for our Worship Team and friends. What an amazing end to a great weekend.

I've Been Invaded!!!! My Crazy 24 Hours!!!

Because Brandon's birthday was during the week, we held his actual party this weekend. So as custom goes, he got to have two overnight guests and the party the next day, which increased the male population in my house making the male to female ratio now 6 to 1!! As the volume increased in our home my even more decibels than the usual boy clamour, my husband jokingly teased me about the baby lust I sometimes falter into. I reassured him that I was quite satisfied with my three boys!!! In our house last night Nerf gun wars were initiated and PlayStation tournaments were held. I think our staircase sounded like a summer thunderstorm for hours as boys ran up and down the stairs and into the solarium. I could hear the pop, pop, pop of the cap guns and the springy cling of the Nerf guns. Sophia curled up in her cat bed and looked at me like "Seriously mom, did you need to invite more boys here!!"

Like any good birthday hostess, we had a fun dinner planned. The boys designed their own individual pizzas, while Ray and I dined on my beloved pot roast. Despite the fact the pot roast aroma filled the entire house, tantalizing the taste buds of the adults, our boys and our guests still wanted the pizzas(children just do not know and appreciate quality dining). Once the little gentlemen were fed, then came the after dark hide and go seek (we called it ditch-em when I was a kid) which also seemed to burn off the sugar high. I was told it was too cold after a couple of games so they decided that another PlayStation tournament was going to begin soon! They then got Ray to come up and play teams on NCAA Football! Ray loves playing with Brandon, but the opportunity to play with more guys made it even more enticing!! One game later, and Josiah retiring to bed, Ray and I decided to go to bed as well. I'm not sure how long the little troopers were up, but I was so tired by the end of the night that I was hoping they would stay up late and sleep in late!!

Morning arrived and our little one came in and gave us his customary good morning and snuggle. Along with the I'm hungry, what's for breakfast and the sun is out mommy get up!! So up I go, reluctantly and get coffee going. By then I hear the roar of boys upstairs and now that it's time for breakfast. Simple breakfast for these guys though as they were in full tilt PlayStation mode and wanted to dine on cereal and fruit. This kept them entertained until lunch. After lunch, my parents were coming so I got the cake made and ready. We were then invaded by not one, but five other neighborhood kiddos that happened to stop by to play with the boys. So now we had 10 boys and 3 girls in the house!! I was kind of glad that there was a slight increase in the female population!! It was fun as we had a whole room full of kiddos for Brandon's cake!! Brandon was ecstatic as he was surrounded by family and friends and ended up having a wonderful time.

The house is down to normal male population and the volume has substantially decreased. My hubby has just left for work for yet another train trip, so I'm a little lonely, so I'm at the computer blogging away waiting for the kiddos to wear down so I can take over the television!! Sometimes I really enjoy the me time, but it's nights like this when I miss him the most.

Tomorrow night this lone female is going rogue on the boys and the TV is mine!!! The Golden Globes are on and I'm hoping The Curious Case of Benjamin Button garners a few rewards!!! That would make this blanket making experience even more amazing!! ;-)

And So It Begins....My Homeschooling Story

I never thought of myself as a homeschool mom. I actually was a working mom for five years. When my middle son was born, my husband and I decided that I would stay at home and raise the boys. It was an interesting journey for me as I was not a domestic diva by any means. I was the take-out, box-chef, frozen dinner queen!! I really didn't have time to cook so why buy all the crazy ingredients! I did spend a lot of time with Brandon though, reading, playing educational games, and talking to him which I now know was something that would lay a foundation for him as he started going to school. I was "homeschooling" him and didn't even know it at the time.

Kindgergarten was great for Brandon as he excelled above the other kiddos because he could already read and his teachers were amazing in making sure that he was challenged. When he started first grade, the trouble began and the teacher not only refused to give him harder work, she insisted that because he was a first grader he needed to read first grade books, not the science and mystery books that he was reading at home. That said, Brandon was bored and we started courting the possibility of homeschooling him. We had several friends that homeschooled and so we were able to tap in to all the resources available. We also learned about all the amazing curriculums out there. When we learned about Abeka and other curriculum that was Christian base, that made the aspect of homeschooling even more appealing!! After spending tons of time on the internet, we found what we wanted and started homeschooling him in second grade.

My first year was a rocky one...and I imagine any professional teacher that you talk to would also probably tell you the same thing. As I blog away on this homeschooling blog, I will share with you things that we have learned during our homeschooling journey as well as books, videos, and much more. I will also share our struggles and how we overcame them!! I encourage you to comment and share your ideas as well so that we can all work together to give our children the best education possible. I have now been teaching my children for 5 1/2 years. I also will be interviewing other homeschool moms!!! Welcome to The Homeschooling Princess!!

Do You Think Jonathan Liked His Christmas Present!!

Jonathan opening his Christmas present from Ray and I!! Don't forget to shut off the music at the bottom!

Making Cookies with Phyliss

One of our favorite ladies from church invited us to make cookies with her!! The boys had so much fun and got to take a HUGE plate of cookies home with them!! Needless to say in our house treats do not last to long and they were gone within a day or two. I think Ray and I each got to try one of the cookies!!

What Goes Around Comes Around.....

So I think just about everyone in our church and group of friends has had the dreaded flu bug this year. I was thinking it would pass up our family, we homeschool and are not around sick people right? Well it just so happened that this week we caught on to the "getting sick" trend that has blanketed our church. My kiddos came home from staying at Grandma's over the weekend, and that night Josiah got sick (just once) in the middle of the night. So I go and clean up that mess and sanitize myself...Lysol everything that Josiah and I touched and then washed up and went back to bed. Next morning Josiah is ready to go and climb mountains, but Brandon gets very sick and is sick until the next day. Pour guy couldn't even keep down water. He gets better and I think okay...it has passed. We go to our friends the next day and bake cookies...everyone healthy and happy. Ray gets called out on a train and I clean up around the house a bit and then settle down on the couch upstairs. All of the sudden I start feeling sick and came down with probably one of the worst flu bugs I have ever had in my life. I won't go into details but I was so sick that when Jonathan (yes...he decided to get sick too in the middle of the night...started getting the urpy cough) needed me in the middle of the night, I almost passed out getting to him. I call Ray and leave a message for him to lift us up in prayer and to call me when he woke up. Ray calls this morning and I find out that he too was sick last night with the same exact flu bug that Jonathan and I had!! The worst thing is that Jonathan has one of the leads in the church play and I can't take him tonight for dress rehearsal because he's still not 100%. The director said we could run him through his positions and lines tomorrow so I'm not worried, but I just feel so bad because I honestly thought we had missed the "sick" train this time!! I'm still just weaker than can be, but I'm trying to get all the linens washed and everything sanitized down. I'm not a proponent of the flu shot either, because every time I have gotten one, I always get the flu so I just think it is one of those things in life that you just deal with. As a mom though it seems worse because you are the one generally that gets to clean up after a sick loved one and it is worse when you get sick at the same time as one of your kiddos as you do not get to comfort them the same as you do when you are in healthy nurse momma mode!! The one thing I'm certain of is that God heals and restores. I know that in a day or two when everyone is feeling better, we will look back at the humor of this situation and wait for next years visit!!

Happiness Is..........

Amazing Grandparents and Awesome Neighbors!!! My husband had a brilliant idea to ask my parents if they would watch the boys Friday night...instead, My mom and dad took the boys for the weekend!!! Ray and I went out on a date and got our Christmas shopping for the boys done Friday night. Saturday we just lounged around the house until he was called into work and then I went to a ladies' Christmas Party with my neighbor, something I wouldn't have been able to do had my parents not had the boys for the weekend.

It was so weird being in the house Saturday afternoon and night as the house was sooooo quiet something I'm totally not used to. I had an opportunity to watch television and just have some "me" time!! My neighbor invited me to go with her to a Christmas party!! It was so fun doing something with all females for a change!! Our neighbors are such a blessing to our family!!

I missed the boys and the hubby to though, and apparently Sophia did too as she wanted to keep pulling the novelty fur balls out of my craft tote to me to play. She wandered around the house all day meowing and when I asked her if she was looking for and missing her boys she said a very loud "MEEEEOOOOW!" I took that as a definite YES!! Little miss prissy also has issues with the cat food we bought her this week so she was also mad that I wouldn't get into the cupboard with the leftover "favorite" food and get her some!! I was going to drive to my hometown to pick up the boys after church, but woke up to snow!! Not sure of what was going to come with the afternoon weather, I ended up staying home waiting for the weather to clear so I could drive the 50 some miles to get the boys. The weather broke enough to drive so I packed up blankets and extra winter gear...hats, gloves, snow pants(I know I always over pack!! lol!!) in the back of the Escape and took off. I had to get gas and because we have a garage, I wasn't quite aware of the nice little wind chill we have here!! Holy cow, I knew it was cold from the weather report, but I thought my hands were going to turn into ice cubes not even covering Ray's heavy sweater over my hands could block the piercing cold wind from getting to my hands!! The good news is for the first time in years....I filled up a vehicle for less than $20!! Ray usually gases up all the vehicles so I wasn't aware of how much it would cost to fill it up!! That totally made my day...I even was able to get a Pumpkin Spice coffee to warm me up too!!! So off to pick up the kiddos with slowly thawing hands and coffee in hand...I headed towards my parents house only having to fight a couple of ice patches, strong winds and blowing snow on the way!! I visited with my parents for a bit, packed up the kiddos and headed back so I wouldn't have to drive at night...something I really hate!! lol!! We made it back in record time and now are just getting settled in. Once Ray gets here, I'm going to whip up some spinach dip and watch football with the guys!!! Mom and Dad if you read this....thank you again so much for taking the boys!! I really appreciate it soooo much!! The boys couldn't stop talking all the way home about how much fun they had at Grandma and Grandpa's house!!!!

More Media Coverage!! Woohoo!!!

So as they come, I will just add them to this post!! ;-) This article was published in the North Platte Telegraph, Norfolk Paper, the Omaha World Herald and probably other places that I'm not aware of! ;-)

A blanket for 'Button'
Sherlyn Edwards of North Platte crochets a blanket similar to the one she designed for the upcoming movie called "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." Edwards, who creates custom crocheted clothing and accessories, was contacted by a Hollywood representative two years ago to make an Angora wool blanket for the movie.

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By JOHN LINDENBERGER
Published: Saturday, December 13, 2008 4:14 AM CST
The North Platte Telegraph

For years, Sherlyn Edwards of North Platte has been creating custom crocheted clothing and accessories that she sells all over the world through her Web-based business called "Agape Bebe."

So when she received a request to create a Victorian-style blanket out of Agora wool, she didn't think much about it at the time. What she didn't realize is that the blanket would be used in a famous Hollywood movie.

"It was such a cool thing," Edwards said. "We give credit to God for it."

She said the initial e-mail inquiry from Hope Parrish, a famous Hollywood property master, came through an old company Web site that she doesn't even promote anymore.

"Her finding me was a complete accident," Edwards said.



She later talked to Parrish by phone. That's when Edwards learned that the blanket she was being asked to design would be used in the movie "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett.

The movie tells the story of Benjamin Button, a man who ages backwards. Although the movie will not be in theatres until Dec. 25, trailers of the film show an infant wrapped in the wool blanket created by Edwards.

Because the blanket is what is referred to as a hero prop, Edwards said she had to make six identical blankets in case one was damaged. The blanket is an ivory color in the movie. However, Edwards said she used a darker, oatmeal colored yarn so that filmmakers could get the color they wanted under the bright lights.

Edwards said the first blanket she made was rejected because it looked more like a rug. Edwards admits she used a fairly tight stitch on her first attempt, but she eventually found a design they liked.

"They wanted kind of a Victorian-style blanket," she said.

Edwards said she was first contacted by Parrish in August of 2006, and it took about a year for her to complete the order. She said she spent about a month on each blanket, working four to six hours a day.

The yarn used to make the blankets was Angora wool imported from Peru, South America. Edwards said she received the wool in batts that had to be rolled into balls before she could start crocheting.

"It would take 10 hours just rolling this stuff into balls," Edwards said.

After finishing the blankets, Edwards was asked to create some starter projects, or partially finished pieces that could be used by characters in the movie to look like they are crocheting.

Edwards said she is really looking forward to seeing the movie. Unfortunately, she won't be listed in the ending credits of the film, but she is still excited about seeing her finished product on the big screen.

Although it's been over a year since she finished her initial order, Edwards said she hasn't gotten any more calls from Hollywood. But when she does, she is ready to go.

"They were absolutely the most fabulous people to work with," Edwards said. "Most of my regular clients know that if I get a call from Hollywood, I'm gone for several months doing what they need me to do."

Edwards, who is a mother of three, has been crocheting ever since she was 7 years old. She learned her skills from her grandmother, and continues to crochet whenever she can.

She sells her creations through her own Web site as well as on E-Bay and other online retailers.

"I sell all over the world," Edwards said. "I have boutiques that buy my items and then they resell them."

While the exposure hasn't created a noticeable spike in sales, Edwards said she is seeing a lot more hits on her Web site. However, she acknowledged that she is not really doing this for the fame or fortune.

"For me it's more just a legacy that I can give my kids," Edwards said. "If I never ever do this again, at least I can tell my kids that Mommy got to crochet a blanket for a movie."

Click on this story at nptelegraph.com to post your comments, or e-mail john.lindenberger@nptelegraph.com.

I was on TV Last Night!!

Yesterday I was interviewed by our Local Station!! It was so much fun and I was impressed by the professionalism of Kendra and the other staff members of KNOPTV!

See The News Story & Video Here!!UPDATE:The video is now off the KNOPTV Website...hopefully I will eventually have a copy of it that I can upload here!! Hugs!! - Sheri

The Life of a Railroad Wife!!

I've been asked so many times how Ray and I make our marriage work since he works for the railroad. It's quite amazing how if you have a solid marriage and great communication that you can actually thrive in a railroad marriage.

When Ray first was hired on the railroad it was tough at first because we didn't get paid for a whole month, but we planned well and actually were able to completely meet all needs and more during that month. Then he started training and that was really easy because he was just in a classroom and was home EVERY night which was awesome! Well then he had to do on the job training and there are three different shifts. The day one wasn't so bad and neither was the evening one...but that graveyard shift was sooooo difficult to adjust to. When Ray worked in the yard after training, he didn't have a regular schedule, but he was home at least every day for part of the time. This gave the boys time to adjust to Daddy working different times and sometimes having to sleep when they were up during the day. Now we homeschool all three boys so that sometimes makes it even harder to keep a house quiet during the day, but we have done it and I'm amazed how we have adjusted. Well now here's the kicker.....he eventually moves to Conducting and now Engineering on train trips and is out 1-2 days from our family. He still goes to work at all times of the night and day.

What changes is when he's home, we make a special effort to spend quality family time together. Ray and I try to read the Bible and pray together whenever possible so that we can strengthen our relationship with God as well as spending personal time together. Now I know that many railroad wives do not do this, but I get up with Ray even when he's going out at 3:00 a.m. and make sure he has a lunch, coffee, and whatever he needs before he takes off. I like to also send him off with a hug, I love you and a kiss goodbye. It's something that I've done ever since he has started and something I hope to continue as long as he's employed by the railroad. To me this is especially important since we cannot really talk together for up to 12 hours after he leaves the house since he can't use a cell phone on the train.

The boys also have learned to be flexible about where we do schoolwork. In the winter we go upstairs and lounge in the living room and do school and try to stay upstairs and keep quiet so Ray can sleep. In the spring and fall, we get to do class outside and for those of you who have boys...you can imagine how much they enjoy being able to go outside to school!! One of the things that also makes our marriage work is that I continually remind the boys of the sacrifice that Ray is making for our family. I let them know over and over that he has to work all kinds of hours and be gone because he loves us so much and wants to provide for us. It's so important that you speak positively of your children's father when you are married, especially when you have a husband that works long hours like my husband does. The Bible tells how to be a good wife in Proverbs 31, a passage that I read over and over and have continually worked to strive for in our marriage. I believe that speaking highly of your husband, not only brings honor to him but to you and your children. It also helps the children to have a strong relationship with their father. The older boys get it and when Ray is home they have learned to capitalized on daddy and them time because they know that it won't be long before he's out again. Josiah on the other hand gets "daddy" homesick and doesn't quite understand why daddy has to go to work all the time. However, even as I type this, he too has learned to take advantage of Daddy time and is on a special trip to the park with Ray to feed the deer and ducks!!

Ray and I also take special "us" time whenever we can. Now it is a little difficult to sometimes have actual dates, but we make sure to spend quality time with just the two of us, even if it's playing an internet game together while sitting by each other on different computers or just talking together one on one about what is going on in our lives, etc. Ray is by far my best friend and I think that because of that we will continue to grow closer and closer together as the years go by. The one thing that also brings us together and keeps our family so well grounded is our deep relationship with God. Prayer together and when we are apart has strengthened us as a couple and as individuals!!

25 Days Until the Movie Comes Out!!

Okay now I'm really getting excited for the movie to come out!!! Hopefully Ray will not be on a train so we can take the boys to see the movie we have been waiting TWO years to see!!! I can't wait to see the props I designed actually on the big screen!!!

Hey Becky!!! Look What the Edwards Boys Can Do!!!

I've told the story about Jonathan surfing down the stairs on the crib mattress before, but I thought the days of stair sledding and surfing had ended when I threw out the mattress. Well after reading my friend Becky's blog, I was telling my husband about how Becky's three boys had used a clothes basket to go down the stairs!! Well my husband being the wonderful athlete and child at heart that he is, decided that our boys needed to try that trick too. Well the boys were not too keen on the clothes basket, and instead opted to take the tote lids from their toy boxes and turn them into sleds. The video above is Josiah who was thrilled that Daddy was letting them do something adventurous and Mommy was not freaking out!!! I have to admit, it was very, very, funny!!!!