Homemade play dough

Homemade Jello Play dough:




1 cup flour
2 tbsp cream of tarter
2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp cooking oil
1 3 oz package of jello
1 cup warm water

Mix all ingredients in a bowl



Put in a pan and continually stir until it forms into a ball. Then place on wax paper to cool.

















Let cool and knead with flour. If sticky add more flour while kneading.

Find some cute kids to play.









The "Tangled" chicken :)


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What I would tell the Jenn from before...

I would tell her..

The Tahoe will not make you more accepted, give you more friends, make life easier or give you status.

Your hair would look just as beautiful natural, find changes in something else. It is not the change you need to find beauty and happiness.

Your new outfit only hides the hurt today and tomorrow you will need something else.

Your kids will actually be better behaved with less.

Your kids may want all of you today...enjoy because one day they won't.

You will never find happiness nor fulfillment in things.

You will be able to stand if your things are stripped away.

You will learn life changing lessons and so will your children.

You will learn true friendships and true relationships.

Your marriage will be stronger when there are not things numbing and hiding the pain and true issues.

Your life will be for God's Kingdom.

Your heart will be renewed.

You will desire to no longer take the dollar for granted.

You will no longer buy your happiness.

Your happiness will come from Christ alone.

....I don't want to go back until my heart is changed. In order for my heart to be changed and for us to truly live out God's will, he has had to break us and continues to break us. My life will be different because happiness will come from a new place.







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Running...

So I started running again. Well not sure if I can really say again cause I don't think I ever truly started in the past. I've always had this curiosity to run, this desire to run. I could picture myself running with the wind blowing through my hair and the worries leaving along with it.

So I did it. I laced up. Downloaded the awesome Nike+ GPS app...which is amazing by the way!

I'm only on day 2. I don't really have a goal, besides being able to actually RUN. Right now I'm doing the run, feel like I'm gonna die, walk, walk, then run a little and repeat.

Does it ever get easier? As much as I kinda don't like it, I really love it. Funny how that works. This Love, Hate relationship. It's challenging and yet SO rewarding at the end of a run to feel accomplished that I pushed through.

I'm not sure where I'm going, if I will become an avid runner, participate in marathons or ever be able to actually run the entire distance but oddly it's fun, clears my head like nothing else and gives me a sense of accomplishment.




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A New Year

Lately I've been thinking about New Year's Resolutions. Thinking of ALL the things I want for this year of 2011 and thinking of all the things I want to change. Then I question myself WHY??? Why do we make them? It's as if it's a magical date of January 1st in the new year and our life is gonna change from the year before.

Don't get me wrong I love lists and goals and having hope that things can be better, will be better and new. I reflect on this past year and all it was. A lot of heartache, struggle, loneliness, confusion, fear, stress, anxiety, sickness....I think you get the point. But in that same year there was joy, happiness, love, growth, maturity, faith, grace, family and health. Isn't that how every year is.

It's interesting how no matter what, every year will bring both. The good and the bad. The ups and the downs. The trials and triumphs. The hurt and the love. I wonder what this year will bring.

I do love the hope that the New Year gives us. A fresh start. I think it's the hope that we need, hope that motivates us. Hope that our finances will be restored, hope for that new job, hope for God's guidance in our lives, hope for children, for our marriages to be renewed, friendships to be made, friendships to be healed, hope to forgive and be forgiven, and hope to be healed and healthy.

So with all of that said I will make my New Year's Resolutions. I will find hope in this year to come. I will pray that in the times that are burdensome and not as planned, that God will carry me through as he has in years past. I will look forward to the new joys and adventures to come in 2011. I will close the door on the hurts, upsets and let downs of 2010 but bring the growth, maturity and lessons learned to 2011.

What do you hope for? What New Year's Resolutions do you have?

Happy 2011!!!

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Anniversary...

The Big 8


The other night Kev and I were talking about how our 8 year anniversary is coming up in January. We thought about what we could do and reminisced of things we have done the previous 7 years.
I started writing down each year and Kev was literally telling me the details of ALL 7 years!!! What a good hubby! I honestly couldn't remember!! Bad wife! Haha!
We noticed a trend of places we go or things we do. Every year except one (super pregnant with Emma and NO money) we have stayed the night away from home.

We have a little secret to our anniversary that I thought I would share with you...We make each year a BIG deal no matter what year it is. We don't do lavish gifts but we do like to stay the night away from home, do a nice dinner and then something fun! We celebrate that we have survived another year of marriage together! Marriage is work. We feel that in this world where the norm is divorce rather then Till death do we part, we make it a BIG deal. We don't celebrate with our kids or with others, just him and I and I and him. It is easy to get busy BUT every year we have truly celebrated our anniversary and made it a BIG deal. I look forward to the many more years with him and looking back in the little notebook with the details of all past anniversaries!!
Love you Kev!!
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My Wanna-Be Pantry

The Before...



The Process-



The After-



(still need to organize the top shelf)

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Madsen

See if it works this time :)




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