Our Life Lately

 Seeing that I have been a little MIA since Halloween you can obviously tell life here as of late has been a little busy and hectic to say the least, but in the most wonderful way!

The good thing is I will not bore you to death with a HUGE post but I WILL get you up to speed with some of our highlights these last few month! 

Girls on the Run:

In November our youngest ran her 5k with her Girls on the Run crew!  

This was such an amazing program and I am so glad that she decided to join it this year. We are in total hopes that this will be an option again for her next year! 

 

WISHING THE BEST OF LUCK: 

Also in November my brother and sister in law stopped in on their way back from Missouri where my brother in law had just finished all of his tech school for the Air Force. They were headed home to Alabama for a week or so before heading to their first stationed base in Minot, North Dakota! 

We were so EXCITED to see them and my god daughter! 

They will be in ND for three years and there may or may not be a road trip brewing in my head :) 

My sister in law and I JUST HAD to get this picture of our military two :) 

(D is of course in ROTC this year)  

 An EMC Christmas:

Back in August I started a new job and have not looked back! 

I LOVE the job, the people and the company that  I am now with!

A lot of prayers have been answered with this choice and I am so very blessed for it all! 

This year the owner took all three locations and their families to Play Time Pizza and it was a hit!

The girls loved it and it was a very nice jester from our boss! 

 NEW BUCKET LIST:

Of course with the change of seasons and holidays there just HAS to be a new bucket list! 

We did WAY better on the fall one then I thought we would and so far we have A TON of the winter one checked off as well! 

I think I might have found a NEW trend! 

Check out our updated one :)

 CHRISTMAS:

 Of course Christmas has come and gone and though I do LOVE this holiday this year was a MAD dash to get it all accomplished! I think we finished our shopping the 24th at like 5pm! SHUT THE DOOR! RIGHT! I swear every year I will be more prepared for the next one but it seems to get worst... Ugh...

Though I would LOVE to say I got everything done and perfect I will not lie. No cards were sent again this year, though they are currently sitting on my desk.... Christmas pictures did not get done...yet again... but for the most part it wrapped together in the end nicely... 

Adding Family:

These last few months we have been adding family it seems left and right! My little brother had his baby girl Penelope (pictured) and my sister and her long time boy friend decided to skip the fancy crap and FINALLY got hitched! 

We are so excited to add members! 2017 seems to be a busy forecast in this area so stay tuned! 

XOXO

SJ

My Ghouls and Halloween

To say that Halloween is not one of our favorite holidays during the year would be a frightful lie!  

The month of October is ALWAYS jam packed with a ton of FUN and SPOOKY things to do and we always look forward to the festivities every year. 

Fall is by far my favorite season and I can't honestly narrow it down on why...

It could be the change in weather (which we have yet to see here in Central Arkansas)

Maybe its the fact that Halloween is always a blast...

Or the colors and the cool air

Wait! It might be all the festivals and fun...

Or a HUGE combo of all! 

Either way though I personally LOVE fall it is also a HUGE family favorite to boot! 

But I MUST warn you for a picture overload... :) 

At the beginning of October the house has usually transformed and is decked out in Halloween decor. We always do this as a family (though mommy usually puts it away) and each year we add a few more items and details to the collection! 

The girls and even the hubby look forward to walking around stores looking for just the right additions every year! 

This year for fall we are trying something different and we are doing a Fall Bucket List.

Surprisingly this is working better than I thought and the girls and Hubby are REALLY enjoying it! 

As per tradition and bucket list we just HAD to carve pumpkins!   

A dear friend of ours had to work over the weekend and we were honored to have his boys for the day. He was generous enough to bring over pumpkins and carving kits for all the kids to enjoy! 

Granted due to mother nature not getting the memo it is FALL our pumpkins didn't last the week before rotting and meeting the trash can...

But it is what it is and we had plenty more fun planned for the ghouls to enjoy! 

Since we have moved here back in 2011 we have gone to the annual Spook City that our "new" hometown host every year. 

This year according to their records was the BIGGEST turn out to date and I BELIEVE IT! 

We got there early like usual but we didn't even get to every booth this year! 

The streets crowded quickly and the lines got long and the kids were OVER IT....

For the first time this year we did get the arm bands which the kids LOVED but we skipped the annual funnel cake and this mamma was disappointed...

Our Spook City Crew!

The day after Spook City the Elementary school hosted their annual Fall festival where they open the doors with games, a haunted house, crafts, concession and more for the families. 

This year I figured the older two girls were a little old for it and got to spend the time with just our youngest. 

She adored the time with just mommy and it was fun to see her socialize and have fun with her peers. 

And of course she ran into her FAVORITE teacher! 

Of course on actual Halloween we just HAD to go trick or treating!

I think that this year will be our last though since the girls are getting older and I can honestly say I think I'd rather host a Halloween party...

But we shall see...

This year we cranked it up a notch or five and had a TON of kids join us for the fun! 

The WHOLE Trick or Treating CREW!

Before hitting the block!

Our Ellen Inspired selfie....

 This year we had three families join us and I am glad that the adults weren't TOTALLY out numbered this year! 

I hate that the hubby wasn't feeling well either but I am so grateful he didn't bail on me though he probably should have stayed home and rested... 

We love this time of year and though the house is cleaned up and ready for some fall or Christmas decor Halloween 2016 was a HUGE SUCCESS!

But before I go here is a closer look to the ghouls and their costumes this year!

Alora was Little Red Riding Hood...

Aaliyah was a broken doll

And Dakota was a Freakshow Clown...

Hope you all had a safe and fun Halloween! 

XOXO

SJ

Our 2016 Birthday Smash Up

As a mom, wife, full time employee and working on building a few small businesses you can imagine life here gets BUSY to put it mildly.

After a 12 hour shift yesterday at my "day" job I realized I have forgotten a few things.... 

1: Post the girls birthday party photos on Facebook for our friends and family to see

and 

2: Share with you all how they turned out! 

Way to go mom... right!? 

Lord knows I will defiantly NOT be award mom of the year yet again.

2016's birthday are over for everyone in the fam and it is always bitter sweet. After the holidays I will be getting things ready for our 2017 celebrations but until then lets recap what 2016 brought us.... 

March: 

March 9th of each year kicks off the birthdays in our home with celebrating our oldest daughter Dakota's. This year she turned 14 and I SWEAR grew up overnight! 

She is now my size and with each passing day is more and more like me...

LORD HELP US ALL! 

I swore I was done throwing themed parties after they turned 13 but Dakota REALLY wanted a horror themed party and I JUST COULD NOT SAY NO! 

 For the first time I personally made the cake and I decided I am NO Betty Crocker and would not EVER try this again...

 But we did manage to make some gross looking party foods with some gruesome names to go hand in hand which was kinda fun! 

 Though we did the chalk board for the birthday party some days I really feel this should actually be out all year as a warning sign :)

 Of course you have to have a picture of the birthday girl too!

We had a wonderful turn out for her party and I feel more and more thankful and blessed each year that we have an amazing group of friends  family here in Arkansas to help make their days special. 

April:

The first week of April is a BUSY one here! 

The hubby celebrates his day on the 4th and our daughter right after on the 5th.

This year my daughter wanted an Avengers themed party and we had everyone wear their favorite super hero shirt! 

We have always celebrated both of their days together and this year made it the 9th year doing so! 

I really epidemically failed with no pictures of the birthday boy...

 I met this wonderful lady through Facebook that does most of our cakes for us and this one was perfect! 

 Of course there is not a party at my house if there is not some DIY party decor and well my infamous chalkboard!

Plus a few pictures of the birthday girl! 

Again the turn out was a blessing and everyone seemed to enjoy the SUPER  day! 

Fast forward to...

September:

On the 27th each year we get to celebrate our middle daughters birthday and this year was a BIG one for her! She turned the BIG 13 and officially became a TEEN! 

Of course she was super excited and of course I was crying on the inside... 

2 teens...

2 teenage girls...  

#godiamgettingold

This year she wanted a bonfire theme and I was thrilled with the idea! 

 Our cake lady did it again and nailed the look Alora was wanting for her cake this year and how do you have a bonfire without smores!  

 My Infamous chalkboard was at it again setting the mood... :)

 And since Alora is my social butterfly...

Plus the birthday girl! 

The turn out was amazing and I am again so blessed and thankful for all of these people in our lives. 

I can not believe how spoiled loved the girls are! 

October:

The first week of October my birthday comes around just one week after Alora's. I really try not to make a big deal out of it. 

Plus I am an adult now so things like being mom, working and being a wife still happens on special days...

I woke up my birthday morning with a clogged toilet... girls fighting and a splitting headache and a full days work ahead of me...

I was very surprised and humbled that work had gotten me a cookie cake and sang a WONDERFUL version of happy birthday! 

I LOVE this new job and the people I work with!

I was showered with well wishes and text messages galore...

2016 was a great year for birthdays and next year we hit the double digit milestone for our youngest and I just have to say...

I AM NOT READY! 

Teaching the Art of Savings

There is an art that I have REALLY wanted to teach my girls especially in the world that we live in today and that is the art of saving money.

I wish that I would have paid better attention to this lesson as a kid but I think at the same time with me learning the hard way that I know now how very crucial it really is. Since my girls are older now and they all have a decent grasp on money I wanted a way to teach them this art but at the same time make it to where it was fun and a family affair because we all know it is better late than never on some lessons in life and I feel saving money is one of those lessons! 

I hunted, pinned, scoured and researched online and Pinterest  and finally found a great idea that would work for us! 

You will find TONS of saving ideas, schedules, challenges, etc out there but the one I found was SUPER simple! 

So a few weeks ago we started not one but two money saving challenges as a family! 

According to Life Hacks a 2 liter coke bottle filled with dimes will end up being $500! 

That breaks down to $100 a person and that was an EASY win for this house. We will split the savings equally and either go some where fun or go on a mini shopping spree.  If the life hack stands true. 

I took a 2 liter bottle ripped off the label, rinsed out the bottle and with my handy dandy sharpie I just wrote Dime Challenge. 

There is NOTHING fancy about it and it sits in our office on my desk. If this is successful I will take more time into making the bottle "cute". 

So far after a few weeks the bottom is barely covered in dimes but we figured dimes would be slow to accumulate.  Hints why we did a second challenge....

I have not found what the penny's will accumulate in worth BUT I can tell you this 2 liter is filling up WAY faster than the dimes. 

And again I did NOTHING fancy... another bottle of change on mommy's desk with Penny Challenge wrote in high tech sharpie for this one too....

I can say though the girls have all been pretty active in it and have a fit if they see a dime or a penny to add to the savings. Even the hubby is glad to help out and lord knows my wallet is thankful for the lightened load through out the week when I distribute it out to the girls to add it to to the challenge. 

I can't wait to keep you all informed on where we are in this and what we rake in from savings. 

Have you got a great way to save money? Please share!

Why I will be running on...Coffee, Choas and Cuss Words

I feel like there has been so many posts telling you all just how busy this mamma feels when it comes to having three girls! 

This year seems even busier for some reason and I am unsure why but my poor planner seems to be a rainbow of colors trying to keep up with it all. 

This year the girls seem to be more and more interested in extra curricular offered through the schools and through their church and though this mamma seems to be booked solid most of the time I REALLY enjoy seeing them grow and learn on all these levels! 

Here are just a few things we have going on right now! 

One Million Minutes

It was announced last week that the Elementary school is challenging the kids there to read one million minutes this school year! 

As a minor book worm I LOVE it! 

The school has come up with ways to get the entire school excited about it too with weekly contests, prizes and a HUGE thing is being put together for the entire school if they reach it. 

I know Aaliyah will be doing her part to help and I can not wait to see how this goes for them all!

Caravan 2016-2017

When we moved into the house we are in now the girls started going to church on a more regular bases with our middle daughters bestie. Wednesday nights it is off to church on the church van and the girls have been very active this year! The church offers a caravan program where the younger school aged children learn not only about God and His amazing self but also about real life lessons. They have the program set up like a boy or girl scout and the kids earn patches, take field trips and have a ceremony at the end of the school year so show off what they hvae learned. 

I LOVE this idea and it gets my little one super excited about getting some Jesus in her life! 

The older two are now teens and they also learn, work and enjoy activities as they learn more about God. For instance the just had a field trip to our local Christian Music Festival and my girls REALLY enjoyed it! 

I am super excited to see everything that they learn and do this year for the Lord. 

One Million Words  

Dakota signed up this year to read ONE MILLION WORDS... 

by herself...

 voluntarily...

Though I know she can do it because she is a HUGE book worm I am just amazed she signed up for this. She is already jam packed with JROTC, band, Honors and Pre AP classes but what is one more... 

She was also very proud of herself that she was the first person to sign up for it too...

JROTC

As you all have seen here before Dakota is also signed up for her first year in JROTC. 

She has been thinking hard about signing up for some of their teams like riffle, First Aid, Color Guard etc and I am REALLY pushing color guard!

I think she would enjoy it and it would help her break out of her non social self but we will see what she decides if anything. I know we are 4 weeks into school and I am over the 5 am mornings to help get her ready for inspection though :) 

Elf Club

Alora this year has signed up for the Elf club this year and I have to say I am kinda excited for this. Dakota did not do any of these things when she was at the Middle School so I am excited that Alora is willing to get involved there. This is a club where they help others through out the year but their main goal is to raise money between now and December to purchase gifts for children in need this holiday season. Though it is a social club technically the purpose behind it is heart warming and helpful and I am super excited to see what all these kids accomplish in the few short months we have in 2016! 

Girls On the Run

Our youngest Aaliyah decided to sign up for a 5k this year! 

Now I am NOT athletic what so ever... period... I have not ran in YEARS and I will be the first to say this gene is NOT from me! 

BUT...

More power to Aaliyah and I am VERY excited to see her do this program!

They meet every Monday and Wednesday after school and train the girls for the big 5k that will be in November. They also have snacks, lessons and will teach the girls about a healthy lifestyle. 

This is the first year that the elementary has offered this and we have been VERY VERY blessed to have our school sponsored for these girls to enjoy and benefit from this! 

Though most of these extra curricular will be done with by the time the girls go on Christmas break I am SUPER excited to see them SO involved this year. I will gladly keep you all updated as these play out and progress!

XOXO

SJ