count your blessings

Joe and I are getting ready to do our taxes. Comparing all the totals with our expenditures, tithing, etc it doesn't add up! We should be in the hole and struggling more than we are. I believe that it is because we pay our tithing that the Lord has poured down upon us the many blessings of heaven. Thank you to everyone who has been an instrument in God's hand and helping us out while we finish school.

implants, of the dental kind

I just went to the dentist for the last time since I started this dental implant!!!!!!!

Rewind 15 -ish years ago. Me, Denise, and some of her friends were jumping on the tramp playing crack the egg. I was "it" and was holding on to dear life. Technically I won because they didn't crack me, but I cracked one of my molars instead. When I say cracked, I mean 3/4 of it came off! My dentist filled it like he would have a cavity and that was that.

Fast forward to 2006. Joe and I have been married and I'm having trouble with said molar again (past dentists would tear the old filling out of the molar and refill it like last time). Instead of doing what all the other dentists had done, my new dentist told me I needed a root canal and a cap put on. Okay. Sure. You're the Doc. Two root canals later and one cap, I was in pain.

Fast forward to 2011. I've had on and off trouble with my molar, but amoxicillin clears up any and all infection. I get pregnant with Jovi and zero tooth pain! I guess if I had to be that sick I'm glad I didn't have teeth problems on top of it. I had Jovi and a couple weeks after delivery the pain in my molar was UNBEARABLE!

My options: get another root canal or get the molar pulled and get an implant.

I got my molar pulled in October. The next several months are a blur of a surgery, stitches, blood, pain, implant revealer tool, more blood, screwdrivers, scraping gums past the post, and MY NEW TOOTH! I'm still hurting a little, so I can't 100% say that I'm glad I went through this whole ordeal. Don't ask Joe either. I'm sure he's glad that I don't have a gaping space in my mouth any more, but I'm not so sure he's happy about the bills from two doctors!

pinterest

I love Pinterest. My daily routine consists of waking up, peeing, feeding both Corban and Jovi (after I wash my hands), getting me something to eat, checking emails, and pinteresting. Yes, I've made it into a verb! I love this site. Here are a few projects that I've done in the past little while. 

Finger Puppets. I knew I wanted to make them for an activity bag I'm putting together. I searched in Pinterest and viola! I had patterns and ideas galore! Here are the finished products.

These little guys can be used with the monkey and crocodile song. Corban was so excited about these bad boys. While I was putting them together, he kept asking when his muppets were going to be ready. So cute!

 These are chore sticks. Each room has a different color and chore. Each chore gets done either daily, weekly, or monthly. I've been feeling a little overwhelmed lately so these chore sticks have been placed to the side momentarily.

 This is my all time favorite project! It's a calendar made from paint chips and an old frame. I love the colors. I love the frame. I love that it is erasable. I love that my entire family can see what's going on during the week. I. Love. This. Calendar!

raining, kind of gray day

I don't know if it's the rain/snow falling outstide or having to constantly put Corban into timeout, but today is one of those blah kind of days. And then the power went out. I pulled out the flashlights and Corban and I put together puzzles by their blue glow.

iSPY

I'm putting together a travel book/bag for my kids. I did a small I Spy bag for Corban a while back, but he never really was interested in it. I decided I needed to make the window bigger so he could see what was inside it. And I did just that. I then decided that I would take a picture of what was inside and write the word beneath it. And I did just that. Here is what the card looks like. 

When I'm feeling really ambitious I'll take a picture of my travel bag and all the games/activities inside.

proud mama moment

I sent Corban to time out. I went up to take him out of it and he had blocked his bedroom door with EVERTHING that was within reach: chair, table, blocks, train tracks, toys, books, etc. Instant white hot anger (it had been one of those days). Instead of screaming at him like I wanted, I told him that he needed to clean up everything and put it in the right place before he could get out of his room. I then closed the door and walked away. It took him about 15 minutes, but Corban did eventually clean up everything he had put against the door and I had a nice little break to cool off.

happy christmas

Me, Vickie, our parents, and our families gathered at my parent's house and celebrated Christmas Eve. We ate soup, played games, acted out the Christmas story, sang Christmas songs, and opened presents.