Tuesday, July 22, 2014
My Favorite App - Rhonna Designs
So if you know me, you know I take lots of pictures. I usually take at least one picture of each of the kids every day, and it is usually a lot more. I'm obsessed. I even call my mom while I am at work to send me pics of the kids when I am missing them. I just don't think there is anything more important thing than documenting the moments in your life and how do we do that - TAKING PICTURES! When I got my IPhone, I was so excited because I could finally take decent pictures with my phone. I hardly ever use an actual camera anymore, so I was uber excited to find this app. Rhonna Designs cost me 1.99 but it was the best 2 dollars Ive spent in a very long time! It has the cutest borders, frames, stickers, quotes and filters to add to the picture. The cool thing is you can even save the picture in a bigger file and actually print them as well too (although I have yet to do this, so I don't know the quality of the picture when printed). If you want an awesome way to document those special moments you should definitely check out this app. Here are just some of the ones I have been able to create, and this doesn't even begin to show all the wonderful things you can create with this app :)
Monday, July 21, 2014
4th of July 2014
Hello again!! So I still need to be better about my writing but I'm trying to do more :) Our Fourth of July was awesome but exhausting. Two kids, two different locations, and 11 hours out of the house, equals one tiring day for mommy, haha :) I still can't believe we did it. Although when I got home I went right to bed. Luckily both boys fell asleep on the way home and stayed asleep.Even though it was exhausting, it was a wonderful day filled with lots of laughs, family and love! Love our family time.
First, we went to my cousin Amy's house for her annual Fourth of July Pool Party. It was so much fun and the food was excellent! Hunter had such a good time playing with his cousins and jumping on the trampoline, although he was terrified of their dogs. (Side Note: Hunter is all of a sudden terrified of certain things that never bothered him before, mostly dogs. Any advice anyone can offer is much appreciated). We had such a great day that we didn't want to leave but we were very excited to go and see Scott's side of the family. We don't see his Aunts/Uncles and cousins very often, so it is always a great time when we can get all together. They also love seeing the boys and seeing just how much they have grown. Luckily at Scott's aunts house there was no dogs, so at least he didn't have to glue himself to me the whole time (still a majority but not the whole time) haha! Hunter and Grant also loved watching the fireworks everyone had brought.
This was also one of Grants first major holidays since being born. I'm just constantly reminded how thankful I am for the beautiful life our Heavenly Father has given me. No matter how much money we have or don't have it is the people we surround ourselves with that make your life. I am realizing that Hunter and Grant are just as excited and entertained just playing with family than going and doing something really fun and costs a lot more money. I am just so grateful for the life I have and cannot wait for all the holidays to come with our little family of four!!
First, we went to my cousin Amy's house for her annual Fourth of July Pool Party. It was so much fun and the food was excellent! Hunter had such a good time playing with his cousins and jumping on the trampoline, although he was terrified of their dogs. (Side Note: Hunter is all of a sudden terrified of certain things that never bothered him before, mostly dogs. Any advice anyone can offer is much appreciated). We had such a great day that we didn't want to leave but we were very excited to go and see Scott's side of the family. We don't see his Aunts/Uncles and cousins very often, so it is always a great time when we can get all together. They also love seeing the boys and seeing just how much they have grown. Luckily at Scott's aunts house there was no dogs, so at least he didn't have to glue himself to me the whole time (still a majority but not the whole time) haha! Hunter and Grant also loved watching the fireworks everyone had brought.
This was also one of Grants first major holidays since being born. I'm just constantly reminded how thankful I am for the beautiful life our Heavenly Father has given me. No matter how much money we have or don't have it is the people we surround ourselves with that make your life. I am realizing that Hunter and Grant are just as excited and entertained just playing with family than going and doing something really fun and costs a lot more money. I am just so grateful for the life I have and cannot wait for all the holidays to come with our little family of four!!
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| Mommy and Hunter - after one of his freak out moments from the dogs |
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| Babies are already tired from a day of FUN - Trying to relax in the SUN! |
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| Tried to get a picture of them in their Fourth of July gear - This was the best I got - Life with two boys :) |
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| Cousin love! |
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| This is typically how they play together, haha! |
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| Happy Fourth from the Hosmers! |
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| Daddy and Grant |
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| Hunter worn out from all the food and FUN! |
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| My two beautiful Grandmas - Love them more than words can express |
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| My beautiful family - So thankful for every one of them |
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| Watching fireworks |
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| I think Grant was smitten with his cousin Monica |
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| Daddy and Hunter watching fireworks |
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| My LIFE! |
Friday, June 20, 2014
Sunday Funday Activity - Salt Dough Handprints
So as many of your know my family always (for the most part) gets together on Sunday to have dinner and spend time with one another. It is also my opportunity to do our laundry for free (Its $2.00 a load at our apartment). We have always called these special days our Sunday Funday! Now usually we just have dinner and then hang out after ward, usually on the back porch just talking and catching up with another.
On a side note: it has always amazed me that on Sunday we hardly ever turn the TV on and if its on we usually dont watch anything. It is merely a day that we enjoy being with one another and are too busy talking, eating or playing with the kids to really watch TV. That is one of the reasons I love my family so much, is we dont need the TV or other things to make us happy, all we need is each other :) I know that may sound corny, but its the honest truth.
The last few Sundays we have had together, we have been doing fun activities as well. One Sunday we played "Corn Hole", well my mom and the boys played, Kelly and I just sat and played with the babies; Another Sunday we did a impromtu "Egg Hunt" with the kids. Well a couple weeks back I found on Pinterest this cheap and easy activity called Salt Dough Handprints, so I thought it would be a fun activity we could do with the kids, even the babies. It was fairly easy and we had all the ingredients to make the dough and craft supplies to decorate after. You really dont have to decorate them at all after, that was just something we decided to do.
I thought I would post the recipe, in case anyone wanted to try out.
Ingredients Needed
2 cups flour
2 cups Salt
1 cup water
Food Coloring (optional: you can add food coloring to ingredients to dye the dough before baking)
Instructions:
1. Combine Flour, Salt and Water and knead until a dough forms. Roll out until its about 3/4" in thickness.
2. Create handprint and stick on a ungreased cookie sheet
3. Bake on 200 for about 2-3 hours or until handprint is complete dry.
4. Decorate!
Like I said before, this was such a fun and easy craft and cant wait to try again when all the kids are a little older and can decorate themselves. Here are some pics of our fun activity day :)
On a side note: it has always amazed me that on Sunday we hardly ever turn the TV on and if its on we usually dont watch anything. It is merely a day that we enjoy being with one another and are too busy talking, eating or playing with the kids to really watch TV. That is one of the reasons I love my family so much, is we dont need the TV or other things to make us happy, all we need is each other :) I know that may sound corny, but its the honest truth.
The last few Sundays we have had together, we have been doing fun activities as well. One Sunday we played "Corn Hole", well my mom and the boys played, Kelly and I just sat and played with the babies; Another Sunday we did a impromtu "Egg Hunt" with the kids. Well a couple weeks back I found on Pinterest this cheap and easy activity called Salt Dough Handprints, so I thought it would be a fun activity we could do with the kids, even the babies. It was fairly easy and we had all the ingredients to make the dough and craft supplies to decorate after. You really dont have to decorate them at all after, that was just something we decided to do.
I thought I would post the recipe, in case anyone wanted to try out.
Ingredients Needed
2 cups flour
2 cups Salt
1 cup water
Food Coloring (optional: you can add food coloring to ingredients to dye the dough before baking)
Instructions:
1. Combine Flour, Salt and Water and knead until a dough forms. Roll out until its about 3/4" in thickness.
2. Create handprint and stick on a ungreased cookie sheet
3. Bake on 200 for about 2-3 hours or until handprint is complete dry.
4. Decorate!
Like I said before, this was such a fun and easy craft and cant wait to try again when all the kids are a little older and can decorate themselves. Here are some pics of our fun activity day :)
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Stay at Home Mom vs. Working Mom
http://carolynee.net/a-letter-from-a-working-mother-to-a-stay-at-home-mother-and-vice-versa/
I saw these letters in an article posted on Facebook about a week ago and it has been in my mind ever since. There is this age long debate on which job is easier, being a stay at home mom or being a working mom.
I say NEITHER! They are both demanding jobs and both have their positives and challenges. I do not think being a stay at home mom is any easier or harder than being a working mother. I have been on both sides of the spectrum currently being a working mother, but was a stay at home mom for 3 months when both my boys were born and got a taste of what it is like being home with the kids all day.
Just because a woman chooses to stay at home with her children does not mean she has it easy all day, you are in fact still at home with KIDS :) They are WORK! Trying to keep them entertained and happy for however many hours a day is daunting and that is not even including the diaper changes, temper tantrums, meals prepared, cleaning of the house, constant picking up toys, and the list goes on and on. Whoever says that is not a full-time job has clearly never been home with a child for a least 24 hours straight. Although it is challenging, it is also the most rewarding thing a mother can do for their children and themselves. Because there is also the cuddling, the hugging, loving and tender moments that happen frequently throughout the day. There is also, the opportunity to be there for pretty much every milestone a child will accomplish, especially in the early years of a child's life. It is the best job a woman could have and if you are lucky enough to have the opportunity to be a stay at home mom you should grasp it. I cannot wait until I am able to do that for my boys.
But let's not forget the working mother. She does not get off easy, because "she gets to get away" for 8 hours a day. Yes we do get to get away, but we are still going off to WORK, not getting a mani and pedi and running errands all day. Not only do we have to work but we have to do it with a little guilt and sadness in our hearts because we are not able to be there with our children. In todays age, it is almost not financially feasible to be a stay a home mom. Many homes require that extra income to survive. Many of us dont choose to work, it is a necessity. But even for those that choose to work, doesnt mean they dont miss there kids and look for opportunties to brag about there little ones at home, just to see a picture of them. Also, when we go off to work, it is only our first shift, because when we come home our second shift begins. Dinner needs to be made, kids need to be bathed, house needs to be cleaned and that list goes on and on, yet we have a fraction of the time. But there is one thing a working mom gets that a stay at home mom might not - that excitement on their childs face when they first see them because they have not seen them all day. It is the face that keeps me going.
There are so many other positives and challenges to both sides of the debate but like I said earlier, i dont think any side has it easier, its just different. Being a mother is an exhausting job, no matter how many hours a day you have your child. What matters is how you spend that time.
I am so thankful to be a working mom so I can help provide a better life for my children. Although I may not be with them all the time, I know they are loved and are in good hands when I am away and I just make my moments with them special. I also cannot wait until I hopefully have the opportunity to be a stay at home mom and be able to witness all the precious milestones they will accomplish in there lives.
"The natural state of motherhood is unselfishness. When you become a mother, you are no longer the center of your own universe. You relinquish that position to your children."
I saw these letters in an article posted on Facebook about a week ago and it has been in my mind ever since. There is this age long debate on which job is easier, being a stay at home mom or being a working mom.
I say NEITHER! They are both demanding jobs and both have their positives and challenges. I do not think being a stay at home mom is any easier or harder than being a working mother. I have been on both sides of the spectrum currently being a working mother, but was a stay at home mom for 3 months when both my boys were born and got a taste of what it is like being home with the kids all day.
Just because a woman chooses to stay at home with her children does not mean she has it easy all day, you are in fact still at home with KIDS :) They are WORK! Trying to keep them entertained and happy for however many hours a day is daunting and that is not even including the diaper changes, temper tantrums, meals prepared, cleaning of the house, constant picking up toys, and the list goes on and on. Whoever says that is not a full-time job has clearly never been home with a child for a least 24 hours straight. Although it is challenging, it is also the most rewarding thing a mother can do for their children and themselves. Because there is also the cuddling, the hugging, loving and tender moments that happen frequently throughout the day. There is also, the opportunity to be there for pretty much every milestone a child will accomplish, especially in the early years of a child's life. It is the best job a woman could have and if you are lucky enough to have the opportunity to be a stay at home mom you should grasp it. I cannot wait until I am able to do that for my boys.
But let's not forget the working mother. She does not get off easy, because "she gets to get away" for 8 hours a day. Yes we do get to get away, but we are still going off to WORK, not getting a mani and pedi and running errands all day. Not only do we have to work but we have to do it with a little guilt and sadness in our hearts because we are not able to be there with our children. In todays age, it is almost not financially feasible to be a stay a home mom. Many homes require that extra income to survive. Many of us dont choose to work, it is a necessity. But even for those that choose to work, doesnt mean they dont miss there kids and look for opportunties to brag about there little ones at home, just to see a picture of them. Also, when we go off to work, it is only our first shift, because when we come home our second shift begins. Dinner needs to be made, kids need to be bathed, house needs to be cleaned and that list goes on and on, yet we have a fraction of the time. But there is one thing a working mom gets that a stay at home mom might not - that excitement on their childs face when they first see them because they have not seen them all day. It is the face that keeps me going.
There are so many other positives and challenges to both sides of the debate but like I said earlier, i dont think any side has it easier, its just different. Being a mother is an exhausting job, no matter how many hours a day you have your child. What matters is how you spend that time.
I am so thankful to be a working mom so I can help provide a better life for my children. Although I may not be with them all the time, I know they are loved and are in good hands when I am away and I just make my moments with them special. I also cannot wait until I hopefully have the opportunity to be a stay at home mom and be able to witness all the precious milestones they will accomplish in there lives.
"The natural state of motherhood is unselfishness. When you become a mother, you are no longer the center of your own universe. You relinquish that position to your children."
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Memorial Day Weekend - Family Fun
Hello Again...told you I was gonna try and do this more often :) Well the start to our weekend started on a pretty sour note. As many of you have seen probably on my Facebook, Scott got laid off from his job on Friday. Although it is going to make times a little tougher, and my hopes of going part time put on hold, we are looking at this as a blessing in disguise. Scott was very unhappy and was working very hard for a company that didnt necessarily appreciate that hard work. Also, I think he was at the highest place he could go in that company. So he is now off to find bigger and better things for himself and our family. Plus, he will get some great quality time with the boys while he if off.
This whole weekend we didnt do much but had such an amazing time. On Saturday we stayed home for most of the day but late afternoon went on over to Costco and had lunch and had to pick up some things for the kids (DIAPERS!!). Gotta love when diapers are on sale at Costco. Its is such a huge cost savings buying them there especially when they are on sale. Then we went to dinner with some very good friends of ours Mike and Karmin and we always have a great time with them. Last we went over to Scotts parents house so they could visit with the kids for a bit. Hunter was terrified of their dog Cindy, but as soon as she was outside he calmed down and had a really fun time playing with toys with Grandma and Grandpa, he definetly gets his love of Choo-Choo's from his Grandpa :)
On Sundays we usually go to my parents in the afternoon but on this particular Sunday we decided to have a low key day at home. Once we got home from church and the boys woke up from there naps, we took them outside and played bubbles and drew on the sidewalk with chalk. Hunter loves to get messy. Then we took a short stroll to the little playground area they have built in our complex. Hunter really liked the big slide and must have gone down it a dozen or more times. Then we all headed up to the house and made popcorn and watched Frozen. Its the first movie Hunter really paid attention to. He loved Olaf, who couldnt, and loved all the music and dancing. We have tried other movies but they just didnt keep his interest. So glad we found one he enjoyed and we enjoyed as well. Although it wasnt much it was one of the funnest days we have had in a long time. We just enjoyed being together.
Then on our last day together, we went to my Mom and Dad's ward Memorial Day Picnic. Hunter had a blast playing the games and running around. Then we had to do about 4 loads of laundry so we headed back to my parents house to do that and hang out with everyone. It is amazing to me that when we all get together, we never once turn on the TV, we just sit around talking and hanging out with one another. Yesterday we went through some old pictures and did we find some doozies :) We just love being around each other. I just love our family fundays!
Its on days like this I am every so grateful that we are a forever family. I know that if we all continue to do whats right and follow the commandents our Heavenly Father is going to bless each of us and we will see each other again in the hereafter. I am so grateful for that knowledge.
Below are some collage pics of some of the stuff we did. Hope you all enjoyed your time off, i know i did, now back to the grind :)
This whole weekend we didnt do much but had such an amazing time. On Saturday we stayed home for most of the day but late afternoon went on over to Costco and had lunch and had to pick up some things for the kids (DIAPERS!!). Gotta love when diapers are on sale at Costco. Its is such a huge cost savings buying them there especially when they are on sale. Then we went to dinner with some very good friends of ours Mike and Karmin and we always have a great time with them. Last we went over to Scotts parents house so they could visit with the kids for a bit. Hunter was terrified of their dog Cindy, but as soon as she was outside he calmed down and had a really fun time playing with toys with Grandma and Grandpa, he definetly gets his love of Choo-Choo's from his Grandpa :)
On Sundays we usually go to my parents in the afternoon but on this particular Sunday we decided to have a low key day at home. Once we got home from church and the boys woke up from there naps, we took them outside and played bubbles and drew on the sidewalk with chalk. Hunter loves to get messy. Then we took a short stroll to the little playground area they have built in our complex. Hunter really liked the big slide and must have gone down it a dozen or more times. Then we all headed up to the house and made popcorn and watched Frozen. Its the first movie Hunter really paid attention to. He loved Olaf, who couldnt, and loved all the music and dancing. We have tried other movies but they just didnt keep his interest. So glad we found one he enjoyed and we enjoyed as well. Although it wasnt much it was one of the funnest days we have had in a long time. We just enjoyed being together.
Then on our last day together, we went to my Mom and Dad's ward Memorial Day Picnic. Hunter had a blast playing the games and running around. Then we had to do about 4 loads of laundry so we headed back to my parents house to do that and hang out with everyone. It is amazing to me that when we all get together, we never once turn on the TV, we just sit around talking and hanging out with one another. Yesterday we went through some old pictures and did we find some doozies :) We just love being around each other. I just love our family fundays!
Its on days like this I am every so grateful that we are a forever family. I know that if we all continue to do whats right and follow the commandents our Heavenly Father is going to bless each of us and we will see each other again in the hereafter. I am so grateful for that knowledge.
Below are some collage pics of some of the stuff we did. Hope you all enjoyed your time off, i know i did, now back to the grind :)
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