make that 6...

nights of sleeping through the night!

way to go little man! We love you so much Jack P. Your father and I are still wondering how such a good natured, laid back baby came through our genetic line but we are beyond thankful for you! (and would be even if you didn't sleep through the night... but keep up the good work!)

Tuesday afternoon...

After kind of a hard afternoon I decided I needed to refocus on what I am thankful for (in the spirit of reading "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp. If you don't have it, stop reading now and go order it, AMAZING stuff)

1. the view out my back door that makes me feel like I live in the country
2. the way my husband's voice sounded happier when I told him I was just calling to say "hi"
3. "R" monograms everywhere in my house
4. Brother Bear's huge hazel eyes peeking over a pile of super heros set up on the dining room table
5. the way Brother Bear says "smow" instead of "snow" and "smeeze" instead of "sneeze"
6. Sister Bear's long hair
7. Baby Bear's huge open mouth smiles
8. the white comforter on my bed
9. the fact that I have a mini-van
10. a mom, sister, and grandma who are all the best friends a girl could ever ask for
11. shopping at Dierburgs
12. the coffee the hubs makes sure I have every morning
13. that Christmas cards hanging on my door that I can't bring myself to put away
14. ties hanging up on his side of the closet
15. superheros AND princess stuff everywhere
16. two girlfriends who chat with me on the phone almost daily
17. that he found my cell phone
18. slippers
19. a china cabinet with glasses in lots of shapes and sizes
20. how girly Sister Bear is
21. how Brother Bear knows the names of all the dinosaurs
22. how Baby Bear hardly ever cries
23. 5 nights in a row of sleeping through the night
24. a phone call from North Africa yesterday letting me know everything is okay
25. there are only two more hours until the hubs walks through the door

What's on your list today?

Review of "Reshaping It All"

I just finished reading, "Reshaping It All" by Candace Cameron Bure. I was a HUGE fan of Candace Cameron when she played D.J. on Full House! Then years later when I found out she was a Christian and a mom I was excited to learn more about her. When this book came out I wasn't sure what to expect. I knew she was going to talk about her life and her struggle with weight and getting healthy but that could go a lot of directions. But, I ordered the book right away and got to reading it as soon as it arrived!

Now, I feel like before I get into what I thought about the book I have to say, as a person with a degree in professional writing I was a little frustrated with the book. It jumps all over the place at times, and feels very disorganized and like it lacked much editing. And as a human being I must say that the book seemed a little self-glorifying at times. But, it is an autobiography I guess so what can you do? So, expect to hear about how awesome Candace Cameron Bure is! Ha! (She also listed what brands of jeans she likes to buy which made absolutely no sense in the context of the chapter she was writing about... but honestly, as a fan, I was interested to know! Ha!)

Now, with all of that said, the book really is good. If you have any struggles with food this book really is great. She really shines a light on overeating from a spiritual perspective and I think she really hits the nail on the head. I had more "ah ha" moments than I care to count. She talks in length about overcoming food addictions and emotional eating and suggests that almost anyone who is overweight probably has a problem in one of these areas. I think anyone who thinks they might have an emotional attachment to food should read this book. She is pretty serious about the importance of overcoming these issues which I thought was refreshing.

The idea of gluttony (habitual eating to excess) as a sin has been on my heart for quite awhile now and it was great to read more about this topic get some practical advice for overcoming this area in my life. I am hoping to write more about this in the future as I think about it more and start applying some of what I learned into my life!

My biggest "ah ha" moment was realizing that I have tried (and almost always failed) to loose weight since high school. I am realizing my issue has not been trying the wrong plans or things like that but that I wasn't dealing with the real issue, an unhealthy attachment to food. So, I hope to start dealing with that and for the first time in my life overcoming my issues with food are more important to me than being skinny!

So, if you read this book let me know what you think about it! And I will hopefully be blogging more about this little journey I am on as time goes on!

Sleeping through the night!

Okay, I guess I will go ahead and jinx myself and say: Jack has been sleeping through the night! Last night was the third night in a row. I was really surprised he did last night because he has a little cold and is super stuffy and usually stuffy babies are terrible sleepers. It has been so strange for him to go from waking up twice a night to zero! I am glad I didn't stress about it too much. I figured he would just be like my sweet Soph and not sleep through the night until he was over a year old which I was okay with, but this is way better!

 I love waking up to his little "coos" in the morning. I don't know how Nick and I ended up with such a sweet, laid back little baby. He does not have laid back parents so I don't know where he gets it from! Maybe his soon-to-be uncle? Can you get traits from them! Ha! Seriously, we are not a laid back people! It cracks me up!

(here is where I WOULD post a sweet picture of my Jack-Jack if the card reader on my laptop was working... bummer)

I hope everyone else is sleeping well too. This mama is WELL RESTED!

Valentine's Day

As you may or may not know, Valentine's Day is my favorite holiday! Maybe it is because it is my birthday, okay, absolutely because it is my birthday! But, I have decided I need to start decorating for Valentine's Day! So, I found this adorable Valentine's Day Subway Art at Craftily Ever After! Go check it out! And if you blog about it she will send it to you for free and you can print it out and start decorating for the best holiday of the year yourself!

Random Survery

I always thought these silly e-mail surveys were kind of fun and since I didn't have anything to blog about I thought this would be fun! Feel free to copy and paste to your own blog so we can all learn these very important facts about you!


Name: Katie R.
Sex: female
Location: O'Fallon, MO
Height: 5'2
Eye color: blue/green
What does your name mean: no idea!
 graduation year (highschool): 2002
Favorite TV shows: currently, The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, and The Office
What’s on your mousepad: I don't have a mousepad!
Do you believe in yourself: I believe that I exist!
Favorite game: Hmm... maybe Scrabble
Favorite drink: coffee!!
Favorite food: I guess Chex Mix
Favorite colors: pink!
Favorite cigarettes: I don't smoke
Favorite sounds: laughing babies, especially the belly laugh
Favorite thing to do on a weekend: go on a date with my husband!
Favorite soundtrack: Wicked!
Where do you see yourself in 10 years: Let's see... still being an awesome stay at home mom, but with a 14, 12, and 10 year old! Crazy! And of course still head over heals in love with Mr. R.
First thought in the morning: it is too early!
Do you get motion sickness: sometimes
Rollercoasters- deadly or exciting: I used to like them but it has been a long time!
Are you a good friend: I try, but probably not all the time
Chocolate or Vanilla cake: chocolate
What do you drive: a mini-van! boo ya!
Do you sleep with a stuffed animal: no, I think the hubs would frown on that
Thunderstorms cool or scary: cool
If you could meet one person in the World, who would it be: Beth Moore! No question!
What do you wear to bed: sweat pants and a t-shirt... much to my husband's dismay, ha!
Do you eat stems of broccoli: yes!
If you could dye your hair one color, what would it be: well... I do dye my hair... shhhh
Favorite brand of gum: I don't really chew gum
Have you ever been in love: um... pretty sure! ha!
Pick a song that describes yourself or that you can relate to: I don't even know, I think this survey was written for 12 year olds!
Which do you prefer- Cool Ranch or Nacho Cheese Doritos: Cool Ranch all the way
Favorite flavor Snapple: do they still make Snapple? I don't really like lemonade or fruit drinks. Diet Coke, water, or coffee only!
Which one, Coke or Pepsi: Diet Coke, but Diet Pepsi is fine too
Which kind of milk is your favorite: I don't like milk
Are you a righty, lefty, or ambidextrous: righty
Do you type with your fingers on the right keys: yes
What’s under your bed: the  leaves to my dining room table
What’s the best number in the World: I am not sure!
What is your dream car: a Honda Odyssey mini-van, that is right... I dream about owning one!
Who is your biggest crush right now: Nick Gene Ramsey! I think he is hott! (seriously, for 12 year olds!)
Bacon Bits Or croutons: Bacon bits! Croutons are gross!
Favorite Salad Dressing: I am on a Greek dressing kick right now
Do you Drink: sometimes
Have you ever been skinny dipping: I haven't actually, but it sounds interesting
Do you make fun of people: yes!
Have you ever been convicted of a crime: no
One pillow or two: one
Favorite Movies: Legally Blond, Notting Hill, Sweet Home Alabama, Elf, Rent
Favorite type of music: Christian contemporary and a little bit of country
Hobbies: blogging and scrapbooking
Toothpaste: yes! people should use toothpaste
Do you get along with your parents: yes! I have the best parents in the world!
Favorite song at the moment: "Children of God" by Third Day
Favorite subject in school: it was English
Least favorite subject in school: it was math or science
Craziest or Silliest Person You Know: my children!!
Favorite Holiday: Valentine's Day


And if you read all the way through that you deserve some sort of prize because you probably feel like you just wasted precious minutes of your life! Thank you for caring! Ha!

A VERY lazy day!

Sorry I haven't blogged in awhile. I am sure you all have been very upset! Ha! Anyway, I haven't been able to download pictures because my card reader on my laptop isn't working. So, I had been putting off blogging. I know that when I read blogs on my Google Reader I mostly read ones with pictures so now I feel bad posting without pictures! I feel like I should hold myself to the same standards that I hold others.

ANYWAY! We are having a VERY lazy day in our house. I think I have a cold or something and my throat hurts and my head feels all foggy. The hubs is off work which has been great. He watched the kiddos so I could take a nap this morning. We are all still in our p.j.s at almost 4 o'clock, no one has left the house, and our day has been spent just lounging around. I NEVER in a million years thought I would enjoy a day like this. I used to like to go-go-go! But, then I had three kids! Ha! Anyway, it is good to just relax today. I hope I feel better tomorrow. Being sick is such a bummer.

I made these muffins for breakfast this morning:

Strawberry Muffins
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Strawberry-Muffins/Detail.aspx

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped strawberries

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) oil an 8 cup muffin tin, or use paper liners.
2. In a small bowl, combine oil, milk, and egg. Beat lightly. In a large bowl, mix flour, salt, baking powder and sugar. Toss in chopped strawberries and stir to coat with flour. Pour in milk mixture and stir together.
3. Fill muffin cups. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 25 minutes, or until the tops bounce back from the touch. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pans.

I added 1/4 C. brown sugar and 1 tsp. of vanilla and sprinkled a little brown sugar and white sugar on top and they were delicious.

I am planning on making spaghetti for dinner tonight. I am not a huge fan but the kids love it so I try to make it every once in awhile. 

Anyway, I guess that is about it for now! I hope everyone else had a good weekend!

Project Life! January 1-8

I am participating in Project Life Tuesdays over at The Mom Creative! I think it will be a good way to stay on top of things!



Click on the link above to check out even more Project Life posts!

January 1: We rang in the new year with our good friends, the Scott family! Max and Ben had their first sleepover!

January 2: We found Sophie sleeping in a funny position! I have no idea how a person sleeps like this!

Janyuary 3: Our last day with Daddy home on his long break. We loved every second having him home with us.

January 4: With everything I do wrong as a mom it makes me pretty happy to see my kids chow down on veggies!

January 5: Soph decided to help with clean up! Love a kid with a good work ethic! Ha!

January 6: Max and I were playing Memory and I took a break to check on something and I came back to him playing with Jack. It was such a sweet moment!

January 7: Max asked to hold Jack. Max is such a good big brother. I pray so much that Max and Jack will love each other and grow up to be good friends.

Weekend Recap

Yay for another great weekend! It was fabulous really! On Friday night we hung out at home. I think the hubs and I might have even went to bed a little early! Which was great because Saturday was packed full. We woke up and did some housework. One of the many things I totally {LOVE} about the hubs is that he is very helpful with housework. He even asks for me to make him a list! So... anyway! We did some housework and then our good friends Wyatt and Christina came! We got 54th Street Grill for lunch and then Christina and I went over to my friend Erica's for her jewelry party! Then after the party Nick and I took the kiddos out to my parent's house. We had steaks and then played my sister's new Wii game, Just Dance 2! SO much fun! We were all rediculously sweaty and had a great time! We stayed way too late because we were having way too much fun! Then Sunday we went to church. Our church started a new sermon series called "Stuck". It is about relationships and the first sermon was awesome! Then we spent the rest of the day hanging out at home watching football! Yay! Here are a few photos of our Saturday!

Me and Christina! I was so glad we got to spend some time together!

Jack and his grandpa just chillin'!

Playing Wii! Sophie was just too cute playing along!

Easy Storage

We keep our kids in bins for easy storage.

I am not sure which one of my children came up with this brilliant game but it sure got some laughs and smiles!

I am so glad it is Friday! It has been a nice short week with Nick only having to work for 4 days! We don't have much on the agenda this weekend which will be nice. My friend Christina and her husband will be in town tomorrow so we will get to spend some time with them but other than that I think we will get lots of vegging out and family time. I am looking forward to it.

The kids start back in Mom's Day Out on Monday and I think it will be good. Max is starting to get a little bored at home so I think he is ready to play with his friends and get lots of his energy out! Today he was begging me to go somewhere but with it snowing and nothing really planned I just couldn't bring myself to take 3 kids out into the cold for an impromptu activity. But, we have made the most of the day so far and have played some games, watched some PBS Kids, and had some frozen pizza!

I hope everyone else has a great weekend!

2011 Home Goals

The Nester is doing a 2011 Home Goals link up today! I actually don't have a lot of goals for my home this year but I do love to link up! So.... I have a few "goals" for this year and many, "that would be nice"s! I already accomplished one big goal I had for the year which was FINALLY painting our master bedroom. Check that out here.

Goal 1: ORGANIZE ORGANIZE ORGANIZE! We have lived in our home a little over a year and for the most part all of the visble areas are organized and decorated. However, the closets and storage spaces are another story. I would post pictures but I am honestly too ashamed to show you the wreck that is the insides of my closets! So, I would love to get a handle on those spaces this year!

Goal 2: Get my kids rooms finished. My kiddos rooms have changed purposes a lot. As of right now, they are pretty much exclusively for sleeping and don't have any toys in them. Which, I really love! BUT, they look so bare! Not to mention that neither of my older 2 have bedframes... just box springs and mattresses on the floor. Yep, classy!

Goal 3: Have one thing that I {LOVE} about every room in my house. It could be paint color, a throw pillow, the whole thing, whatever. But I want my home to make me happy (since I am here ALL the time!)

So, that's it! Do you have any Home Goals for 2011? If so, head over to http://www.thenester.com/ and share them!

Teach 'em young

I think it is important to teach responsibility at a young age...

you know, make kids "earn their keep"...

keep them busy

Or... maybe I was just letting her play with cleaning supplies...

I wish I looked that cute while cleaning!

Project Life

So, I am attempting to complete a "Project Life" scrapbook this year, details here: http://www.beckyhiggins.com/products/ . You take a photo every day for a year. I am super excited! With three kids doing seperate scrapbooks for each is just a lot to keep up with. So, this is a fun, easy way for me to keep up daily with what is going on in our family during this crazy time! To keep my photos organized I decided a web album was the way to go so I thought I would give you the link in case you are interested in seeing 365 pictures of our family at the end of this year! HA! Okay, mainly, for the grandparents and other family who, even though they live like 5 minutes away, insist on weekly pictures of the kids! So! If you are interested, feel free to periodically check out our site, http://picasaweb.google.com/ayearinthelifeoftheRs .

When you are there you will find pictures like this:

Basically, not the most exciting pictures... but the ones that share our day to day life!

Our Monday afternoon...

Nick shared this little series of pictures he took on Monday afternoon at our house...

I think he looks a little bit happy to have everyone asleep and a little down time! What do you think?

Back to work...

Daddy went back to work today. It was so nice to have Nick home with us for over a week! We spent a lot of time doing things like this...


We will really miss having him home playing with us everyday. But, we are thankful for his job and glad he is there workin' hard for the money! Ha. Thankfully, we are headed to a little playdate soon to distract us from the fact that we are home without our Daddy!

New Year's Resolutions

I really like making New Year's Resolutions. Even though I don't always stick to them it feels good to be intentional. Nick and I sat down together on New Years Eve and each shared 5 things we would like to do/accomplish in 2011. Some of those things include loosing weight (both of us), saving money, going on a family trip, and several others. It was neat to share so that we are both on the same page and can encourage each other. Plus it was neat that several resolutions on each of our lists were the same!

I have seen on some other blogs the idea of doing a theme word for the year. I have really been thinking and praying about what my theme word for the year should be. When looking at my resolutins the common thread seems to be "intentionality". I want to be more intentional about several areas of my life; my relationship with God, being a wife, being a mom, spending money (or NOT spending money!), etc.

As far as intentional mothering; I read a blog post somewhere (I can't remember where, so if you know leave me a comment and I will post a link) about being a "yes mom". The concept is that as Christian mommies we have to say "no" so much of the time. And especially as they get older we will have to say "no" to certain movies, activities, etc. But, we can choose to be "yes moms" whenever possible. As in, "Mommy, will you read me a book" -Yes, "Mommy will you play with me?" -Yes, "Mommy can I sit on your lap" -Yes. I admit, I am very often a "not right now mom". But, I don't want to be. I want to be a "yes mommy". Because I know the day will come and come too soon when they won't ask anymore!

This past year I spent a lot of time just making it. And I can't really be too hard on myself for it. Adjusting to life with three was certainly a challenge. And I know that this year will have it's own set of challenges. But, I believe that if I rely on God this can be a great year! So, here's to "intentionality"! Do you have a theme word for 2011?

New Years Eve and 5 months old

Wow, it really is 2011.

We celebrated New Years Eve with our friends the Scott's. We had a great time! They stayed the night so the kids could go to bed and the adults could play games. And this meant that Max got to have his first sleepover! He was so excited!

Our Jack is officially 5 months old today. Time is flying by SO fast! He is getting so big! What he is up to these days...

• he rolls from back to tummy and tummy to back... he rolls ALL THE TIME!
• he is wearing mostly 3-6 months cloths and some 6-9 months
• he giggles a lot and LOVES to be entertained by his older brother and sister
• sometimes he is a good sleeper and sometimes he isn't
• he loves his oatmeal and we tried avocados for the first time this week and he really loved those
• he likes to sit in his highchair while we are all eating or while I am cooking
• he is super good in the nursery at church and they seem to just love him in there, it makes me happy!