Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme

Mama's Holiday Wishlist
Already thinking of what to do about your long Christmas list this year? With this incredible Wish List Meme giveaway by Today's Mama, all your wish list woes could come to an end . . . TodaysMama and Provo Craft are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year?
- new indestructible dishes to replace my chipped plates and bowls
- pair of perfect fitting jeans (if there is such a thing)
- boots, for gettin' around in the snow that's just around the corner
- a new dress, something that really revs up the feminine and flirty side in me
- a magical Christmas for my husband and darling kids

2. What is your favorite handmade gift you have received?
- the handmade gift that comes to mind is the doll my grandma made me. She crocheted a beautiful dress for a doll she put together for me, I think I was around six or seven when she gave it to me.

3. What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle?
- quilts for the kids, and scrapbooks for the kids and for my husband's childhood pictures.

4. What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child?
- I got this enormous stuffed animal dog named Dougan when I was around six. He was bigger than I was, and was my favorite for years.

5. What items are on your kid’s wish list this year?
- my daughter wants the Fur Real kitty from Santa this year, and my little guy wants swords.

6. What is your favorite holiday food?
- I love this german cake my Mom makes every year called Lepcuchan (not sure on the spelling), and I absolutely adore hot wassail.

7. What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays?
- :( still pondering this one.

8. What is your favorite holiday movie?
- my kids love the movie Elf, so it's a regular for Christmas in our family. I also love A Christmas Carol.

9. Favorite holiday song?
- the Mannheim Steam Rollers are one of my favorites, and any of their music is great, and I love "What Child is This," "Carol of the Bells," "Silent Night" and all of the classics.

10. Favorite holiday pastime?
- we love making a fire in the fireplace, snuggling together to watch Elf or another Christmas favorite, getting together with family to re-enact the story of the birth of Christ, drive around to look at crazy peoples amazing Christmas lights, and love just enjoying family and being together.

To enter to win all these cool prizes below simply answer the questions in this meme, make sure to post links back to TodaysMama.com and Provo Craft (use this link: http://bit.ly/4ikY3c ) and tag your friends!

Tag you're it!

Madsen Cycles

Yup, I'm on a "get stuff for free" kick! Madsen Cycles, who has the coolest bikes in the world, is having a contest each week to give away one of their cargo bikes. If you aren't familiar with them, click on their link that I've posted over there ----> and see what you think. I for one would be sooo excited to win one. Just think of all the cool places you could go with your kids in the back, and get a good exercise at the same time.

Well . . . wish me luck :)

Rock My Friday . . .

So, my husband's friend has this website called "Rock My Friday" and each week he gives away a gift certificate. All you have to do is leave a comment on his page each week with a way to contact you if you win, and each week he randomly selects a drawing. You can enter to win once a day, entering each day increases your odds but does not guarantee you to win.

Anyhow, for those of you who are interested, I'm going to post a link on my page so you can check it out. No harm in trying . . . brings a little excitement to your week too :)

Good luck

Woo Hoo! I'm back!

I can't even explain the amount of stress and overwhelmed feelings I've had over the past 8 months while I've been in school. I would have never guessed that I would have finished my bachelors degree (of any kind), while being a stay-at-home mommy of two. When people generally hear the words "stay-at-home mom," they tend to think the easy, bon-bon eating, TIVO watching, napping daily, shopaholic life! Yeah right . . . right!? It's unbelievable how much work it is to be home with children every day. Dishes, laundry, vacuuming, bathrooms, mowing lawns, weeding gardens, making beds, dusting, cooking, making snacks, making boo boos better, teaching, balancing checkbooks, grocery shopping, just to start. I've never had everything under control in my home, and adding school on top of this was quite crazy.

To express my innermost gratitutde to my Mom and Mother-in-law who supported me tremendously in different ways, I wish I could buy them both presents, take them on a vacation or do something that would mean as much as what they did for me means! Maybe someday, but for now I hope they understand I couldn't have done any school without them, at least without becoming a poster child for missing persons :)

One of the lessons I think I've learned from finishing school, is that it's nice to have something outside the home to concentrate on and enjoy. School, although difficult, was a nice break, I was learning some new skills and growing in new ways. That is something that I would like to keep up on my own in some fashion.

At any rate, I'm glad to be moving on from school, no longer to have that one thing I wish I would have just finished hanging over my head. I'm excited to have time to check up on my friends blogs again, to have more time at home with my family, and to hopefully have time to spend doing something new and undiscovered yet.

Twilight at midnight.....

Twilight may not be the best movie I have ever seen (certainly not the worst), but I must say I got to see it with the best group of girls ever! And, I must add, even without coming in costume, Elisha and Ashley, you truly are the best Alice and Rosalie look alikes I've ever seen!! Should of won that contest.

Anyhow, here's a shout out to all of the girls who made last night a blast! Mmmmmuuaah! Thanks for a girls night out to remember, and looking forward to many more giggly filled adventures with you all...

Dum, da, da, dum.....

Sometimes I feel like my cute little kids have it all together better than I do! They've got their lives planned out to the "t"! I'm not exactly sure who they get this fantastic quality from . . . but it's sure not me!!

The other day, Logan said "Mama, do you know what? I'm going to marry Hayden, and my name will be Logan Isabelle Hudson. And everyone will say, na na na na na na, your name's Logan Hudson, and they will laugh at me, and I will laugh too!" Quite a lot for a four year old to say, but I replied by saying, so does Hayden want to marry you? She said, "yes, we have to be in love first, but I know he wants to marry me too." Ashton chimed in after, "I want to marry Hale!" Too cute (watch out Hudsons!!).

Later that day, Logan says to me "When I grow up, I want to be a Mommy!" I told her that's the best thing she could be when she grows up and that I love being her Mommy! Then Ashton chimed in, "Mommy, when I grow up, I want to be . . . uh . . . Logan!" I had to smile. I thought to myself, what more could I ask for than a little girl who wants to grow up to be like me, and a little boy who wants to grow up to be like his sister! At least I know, and Logan should know, that we're loved and admired!

HUMONEY HEE HAW!!

This year, fall sneaked up on us so fast that I didn't realize that it was half way over until about last week!! So, I finally took my poor kids out for some fall fun! Let me just say, Hee Haw Farms, in Pleasant Grove, is a BLAST! We had so much fun in just a couple of hours that it was hard to leave, and we can't wait to get back.

For those of you who haven't experienced the quaintness of Hee Haw Farms, there is a hay slide, corn maze, bunnyville, cows, the largest male pig you'll ever see in your life (with the largest "you know what's" you never wished you saw), tractor train pull, wagon rides, pumpkin patch, jr. haunted house, hay jump, and big slides! We did it all and my kids haven't had this much fun in a long time!

Since I returned to school at the "U" our lives haven't been nearly as exciting. Every "extra minute" I have is a toss up to spend it trying to catch up on my homework or spending time with the family. I was so glad we got out and enjoyed a bit of this beautiful fall weather! We couldn't have asked for a better day!

Logan coming down the tube slideAshton, Davis, Logan & Jillin in corn maze (just a little excited)!

Ashton, Logan, Davis, Ethan, Jillian Tractor Pull Pumpkin Patch