Channellock giveaway @ Tammy'sTwoCents

Miraculously in the past 3 years my husband's gone from not wanting to do anything around the house to mr. fix it! This set of pliers from Channellock that Tammy @ Tammy's Two Cents is giving away would be a perfect father's day gift for any fix it husband or brother or even you!!

Mommy and Me/Mono Monday

Hosted by Krystyn
This past wed. was my little Aria's birthday and she got her yellow "hupe a loop"
Probably not big enough for two people though. :)



Alysha at Supermom went and changed the subject for this week and I never checked it so I just went with the original. Motherly Love or Mothering (can't remember)






I like the holding hands one, but the other two didn't turn out quite like I wanted. Nice concept though right? :)

For me??

Well gee I received another award (I really can't believe it my blog is so new) from two people! Thankyou so much to Glamazon and DysFUNctional Mom!



So for this award I'm supposed to list 7 things about me and then of course pass it on to some other awesome blogs that you've recently found :)

1. I absolutely LOVE the smell of coffee although I do not drink it

2. I'm a food picker….I pick off my husband and children's plates….I will also eat your pizza crusts. Funny little story: When me husband came up to Alberta the first time to see me we went out for pizza and I ate his pizza crusts. He later told me that he was surprised I did that cause we hardly knew eachother and he knew I kinda liked him cause he thought it was "forward" of me. Crazy Yank!!!

3. I flew 1300 miles to get my fiancée visa and forgot my birth certificate but they still issued it….something that would probably never happen now….they would of probably made me mail it or even come back

4. I have a Wellar nose. Has a little crook in it.

5. I have a bad habit of smelling my fingers and when I was flexible enough sometimes I got a whiff of my toes (what was I thinking!!)

6. When we were first married one night my husband got up to do his business and I shot up and exclaimed loudly "I'm your wife!!!" and dropped back asleep.

7. Sometimes I really can't believe I'm THE mom because I am such a baby and a mama's girl.

I pass this on to:

Simoney @ GreatFun4Kids
Kristin @ Adventures of a Betty Crocker Wannabee
Krystyn @ Really, Are you Serious?
Tammy @ Tammy's Two Cents
Sammy @ Ridiculously Random
Anastasia @ Sweetbutterbliss!

(there really are so many more but I'm gettin tired of doing this link thingy and well....I'm just kinda lazy but if I didn't mention you please know you're all AWESOME!!)

Whew! That was tough (the naming things not passing it on :)) Now for the easier one. Lana @ tagged me and I get to list 5 things that make me grumpy.

1. When my husband plays his Xbox 360 (namely Modern Warfare!!!!) Can't even tell you!

2. Messes! (the house doesn't have to be clean per say just picked up with the look of clean)

3. Old people givin' me the stink eye when my unruly kids raise heck in church

4. Wasting time (eg. driving 30 min. to a place only to find out they are closed or looking 30 min. in a store only to find out you have to go somewhere else)

5. Disappointing people (including myself)

I want to hear what makes YOU grumpy!

Nikki @ My Fantabulous Life
Amy @ The Fourth Frog Blog
Kerri @ Kerri's Klutter

Friday Confessional

It's time to confess with Glamazon. Go ahead….what are your dirty secrets? (maybe I shouldn't take that so literally???)



I confess:

-I got a little ticked at my son for unplugging the deepfreeze so that everything spoiled
…..come on you're six now!

-I wonder when the day will come when I won't think 28 bucks for shoes is expensive
…….ya I know I'm cheap! Born of necessity folks 

-I am more than a little ticked that my four year old is still crappin' in her pants
…….any suggestions PLEASE!!!!

-I am super ticked at this sucky economy

-I am mundo ticked at this crapola healthcare the US has
…..a friggin' extraction costs 250 bucks!!!

-I need someone to slap some sense into me cause I am too ticked!!
….."Count your blessings…..count them one two three….."

-I ate three donuts in one day cause my super cute "mature" neighbor always gives us baked stuff on Fridays……this week it was wed. (I swear she's trying to make me fat)

-I've said swhite a lot this week
…..yes that's the actual word I use (you should know by now I'm a prude)

-Glamazon thinks I'm funny *snort*
…….I'm honored *snort*

PYHO

First of I wanna say Happy 4th birthday to my precious Aria. You know that movie Angels and Demons….lol I think of my Aria :)
I love you more than the sun an moon an stars (as my mom and I always say to eachother) I love that you have a sing songy cute as all get out voice that melts your heart and fits your name perfectly. I love your incredible imagination. I love how you are so affectionate and give me so much love all the time. I love how you and your brother have eachothers backs (hope this continues :)) I love how you call him Esan. I love how you want to share everything with him. I love how you love everyone. I love how you get super excited over the littlest thing. I just love you.





My Dearest Children,

Words could never be adequate to describe a mother's love for her children. You are truly angels sent to my care from a loving Heavenly Father. I am entrusted with your care. What an incredible honor. One that I could never fully live up to. You deserve the world.

Please forgive me for not being the mother you deserve. Forgive me for not always talking as kindly to you as I should. Forgive me for getting frustrated with you and expecting you to act like an adult. Forgive me for not giving you more of myself. Forgive me for not cherishing every single moment I am blessed to have such a beautiful, healthy child. Forgive me for I don't know if I can forgive myself.

I love you with all my heart and more my precious angels and I will never stop trying to be better for you.

Eternally lovingly
Your Mother

I AM Pissed!!!!!

I am sure there's a rant meme somewhere but I need to rant....

Ya ok you know I am mad when I use that word cause I NEVER use that word....I don't even really like it (not that I mind when other people use it so don't go gettin offended and thinkin I'm a major prude {which I am but not a judgemental one :)}) Anyways I am so flamin' hot mad right now my fingers can't even move fast enough!
Lately I've been thinkin' a lot about healthcare and how the US healthcare system IMO is seriously messed up! I never really thought much about it being from Canada and never having to worry about bills and stuff. Man if I went through what I did and we lived down here!...don't even go there!
About a year ago I had to have my tooth extracted because a dang root canal was 900 bucks!.........WITH insurance!!! What the crap! I was so upset that I had to lose a precious part of my body cause of greed. Plain old greed!!
Now my husband is sitting in the same chair at this very minute having his precious tooth yanked! (well his isn't as precious as mine right :))
My aunt who lives in Alberta comes down here (to the states) quite often and well this last time she had a bowel rupture and had to have surgery and after weeks here was lifeflighted back to Canada. You know what it cost her.......Guess.....what was that....NOTHING!!!....did you hear me? NOTHING!!
Now how is it that a mother who has a 16 month old with cancer has to worry about paying the bills. Dang it people her daughter's health is her number 1 priority and she has to worry about flippin' bills??? What is wrong with that? Seriously messed up!
When I had Aria we had to shell out 2000 bucks (of my dad's money :) Thanks dad) and that's only if we payed within 10 days....if not then it probably woulda been 5743 bucks and 22 cents! When I had Emma luckily we were on gracious medicaid who paid the bill for none only then the greatest miracle on earth! but I guess when I had Ethan I hadn't been Americanized enough to deserve their money!
Now I'm certainly not comparing teeth problems to having cancer or any other illness.
But it's still health. And what is wrong when people put money ahead of someone's health or life even?

......and that is why I am Peed right now

Comment Love Letters

If you haven't join in Comment Love Letters at Kerri Klutter, You should It's kinda fun! Especially this week cause she is donating 1$ to be matched by Adrienne, to Mission Monkey. So please contribute!



Dear Tylaine,

Glad you had some good weather. I'm still waiting for ours. They are precious memories. Aww..Little weed helpers…so cute! That is real motherhood. Great pictures and such cuties. :)

Don't you dare stop writing! :) I look at my blog a little like therapy. Some days, it might be full of hope and excitement, and others, not so happy things. But, it's all real. Our blogs are how we met. I wish I had a magic wand. You know, it's easy sometimes when we see the inspiring stories of others to remember that our own stories have value and meaning, too. Nor should you discredit your negative and down feelings just because you feel that others have it harder. If we wanted a fake reality, we'd watch reality television. The reality is sometimes we're down. Sometimes we want to run away from our kids. Sometimes we cry. Sometimes we burn the supper. Sometimes we order a pizza because we don't want to do the dishes. Sometimes we're happy. Sometimes we're silly. It just is. :) So many of us have gone through the same things and it's so good to hear that we aren't alone. Once I started blogging about the fun and funny things that were going on around me, I started to notice them more often. The more we look for the good, the more easily we can see it in our lives. People are not perfect and if it seems too good to be true, then it must be.

And, what—you don't just walk around naked? Weird! He he! I don't take anything personally. I don't even know what you said! LOL This blog world rocks.

Sniff, sniff I miss UT! I'm excited to hear that there are things to do that won't break the bank. But from here, paying for the 3300 mi round trip might be rather onerous. Cheers!

Your wonderful readers

Yee-haww!

Hosted by Krystyn

Last week Ethan had his western program at school. It was so cute to see all those litte cowboys and cowgirls singing cute songs and squaredancing on the stage. Of course mom didn't think to take a picture of her and her little cowboy on the cute stage so I got one when we got home.

Day sans Kids!

Today I had the pleasure of going downtown with a couple of ladies I know from church. We went out for lunch at a cafeteria style restaurant (old home which was really cozy but unfortunately drafty...oh wait this is me I think everywhere is drafty) So we had a nice lunch and then trekked over to our little theater where we saw the BYU young ambassadors (amazing!) Seriously if you live in SLC or even in Utah and have not seen them (or any of the BYU companies) you're missing out. They're wicked awesome. So is the ballroom dance and the living legends. Basically anything they do :)
This is what I just LOVE about Utah! Nowhere on earth can you get entertainment of the kind you can find here for 8$ or free. It's kinda insane actually.
I've been lucky enough to attend the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Program in the massive Conference Centre (seating is 20000 so it is HUGE!) and wow! I mean WOW!
This is seriously incredible entertainment for FREE!! Awwwwesome. I Love it!!!

Mission Monkey and Prayers for Daffy

Today is worldwide Mission Monkey Day! but before we get to that another blogger friend is going through a nightmare of her own. href="http://batcrapcrazy.blogspot.com/">Daffy and her family are saying goodbye to the sister they once knew. Daffy's sister came out of a long surgery yesterday with no neurological activity at all. Please pray for her, Daffy and her family and especially her 5 year old son. I can't even image how hard it is for him.




and now for Mission Monkey........

I still feel so new to this blog world but I truly have never felt as much a part of something. It is so wonderful how all these bloggers band together when someone is going through a crisis. I do not know Michelle or Monkey but my heart goes out to them. This is reality folks and to not support this because "it would take away from the fun" is selfish. The happy-go-lucky blog world is great but these are also REAL people with REAL lives.

TodayI am participating in what's known around the world as Mission Monkey day! What is Mission Monkey you ask? Well, there's this blogger friend of ours known as Pixie Momma, aka Michelle. Michelle has a little girl, or Monkey as she's known by who was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma. To learn more about it, click here. Monkey is a sweet little 16 month old girl. She doesn't deserve this. Nobody deserves this.

But the good news is that Monkey only has Stage 1 (low risk). The bad news is the medical bills are mounting and the Physical Therapy (starts today) isn't covered by insurance. Michelle is using the donated money to offset medical bills. She will donate and unused portion to another family dealing with the same issue.

This is why the blogging universe is banning together like never before to rally around Michelle and Monkey to provide support. In addition to further entice you to lend your hand, and donate to the cause, we have over 50 items that have been donated. Many bloggers are hosting these fabulous giveaways and all you need to win one of these items is just one raffle ticket. There's tons of wonderful stuff. For more info. head on over to Ians, he's done a super awesome job of putting this whole thing together.

Monkey could be anyone of our kids. How grateful would you be to someone who helped you in a situation like this??

Click on monkey to donate...please help!

Comment-love Love

The wonderful Tiffany over at My crazy Kind of Wonderful honored me with this lovely award! Thanks so much Tiffany. Her blog is awaesome if you haven't checked it out.


(Is that not the cutest award pic.!)

Ok so for this award I gotta answer these narcisisstic questions and then pass on this lovely award. :) So here goes:

1.)Why do you blog?
Because a shrink is too expensive! and I've never felt a part of something like blogging....it's nice to know there's others out there with the same feelings, insecurities, irrationality, whateva!
2.) What are your three best memories?
birth of Ethan, Aria and Emma
3.) If you had to change your real name, what would you change it to?
Lola
4.) What are 5 things you can't live without?
food and water (duh), my family, my computer, clothes (ya I'd prefer not to go around naked)
5.) What are the the 4 best books you have ever read?
Harry Potter, Twilight, The Host, some book I read about a girl who had to go to a hospital for lepers in like the 1800s (I'm not much of a reader as you can tell :))
6.) Tell me something unique & interesting about yourself?
I can't wait to go on a humanitarian vacation with my family and also serve a mission with my husband
7.) What do you love about yourself?
My sincerity and loyalty
8.) What is the best movie ever made?
It's a Wonderful Life (ya that's a good one :))
9.) If you have a Freaky Friday experience who would you want to trade places with and why?
My Aria, I would like to know how her crazy mind works
10.) What's the best part about being a woman?
Being a mother and experiencing the miracle of making a child (dang your good Tiffany!)

and I pass this award on to:

Laura @ The purseblogger
Jamie @ Little Bishop Chronicles
Brittney @ Unexpected Surprises

PYHO-thankyou

I absolutely love Shell's PHYO Meme but I really wasn't gonna post anything today. I actually thought of giving up on this whole blog thing cause I hate always being so negative and I don't wanna drive ppl away with that. But I need it for me. I felt super down yesterday (ya just hear the violins) It is what it is....just one of my many pity parties lately (ya as in the past 3 years) I felt like the most ungrateful person in the world.
After reading many of the fabulous PHYO posts by so many others and what these amazing women have struggled with and overcome is just inspiring. Seriously if you have not read them DO! It's almost like they were written just for me. I realize that my little problems in my little world are so insignificant compared to what others have gone through. I am so incredibly blessed and I need to stop being a baby and just be grateful for what I have. I don't say that at all in a haha my life is better than yours kinda way. (I don't even like typing those words) I say it in a I truly admire you for your strength and courage and being a wonderful example kinda way. (and thankyou for knocking my humility level up a notch)
I'm tired of having regrets. I'm tired of feeling like I'm wasting away the days. I'm tired of being dissapointed in myself. I know I'm capable of so much more. So why stay in this routine? Cause it's comfortable and change is dang hard! I feel like such a flake cause I know I've talked like this before but I really need to do something. I gotta stop being so immature and act my age. You know you're immature when your 4 year old tells you to not get so frustrated or mad or to stop yelling or that it's gonna be ok when you're breaking down crying. This blog world is truly awesome and I'm so glad I finally got up the courage to start "my own" blog.
Like I've heard so many times. Happiness is a choice and I have to try harder and get out of my comfort zone (cause right now it's not a fun place to be which is kinda an oxymoron.....but so is the mind of a woman).
I just wanna give a big thanks to all you wonderful, amazing women who are so open and honest on your blogs. It truly is a blessing to know there are so many women out there that have the same, sometimes completely irrational, feelings as you do.

Comment-Love Letters for Monkey

This is my first time doing comment-love letters with Kerri@ Kerri's Klutter and I must say it way kinda fun!

Dear Tylaine,

"this is sad…very sad only." Love the card. Happy Mother's Day!! You kinda look like the mom on I love you stinky face.

I whine a lot too, or so I'm told. I don't believe it though. My zit is getting smaller, ha ha! I love that you went to McDonald's in your wedding dress!!! My BIL FINALLY admitted that he met his current girlfriend online-but, hey, a lot of people meet that way. It was hard for awhile but if it's meant to be, it's meant to be! It's nice to hear a good 'hey I met this guy online' story :) Now, almost every year on our anniversary we head out to whatever town we are in to hit the Walmart! :) Guess that's why I married the boy next door. I'm thinking that's a pretty long way on a bus. Did you draw it? K <3 ya.

Oh my gosh, I think that is the best award ever! I love it. So funny! Money stuff is the WORST. It ain't right. Make Ian put guys, it would be so much more interesting  You are braver than I am. For a while I was having a lot of dreams about my teeth falling out. It scared the crap out of me. So I googled it..and guess what? It means you're stressed about money! Banks are the worst, right! And see, if you get to hell before me, just save me a good seat, yea?? Not even close to a rant, my dear. :)DOPES. Now that is an award worth putting on your side bar! Maybe that's why it's the root of all evil or something. I want to drop everything and go live on a mountain to get away from it all.

The title sucked me in. HA! The closets YOU have look gigantic in comparison to what they called "closets" in our home. Basically, they were doors that when opened revealed a wall about 2 inches away. And what a beautiful view of the mountains!! I could have flower boxes for a view like that!

Your Readers

Mommy and Me/Mono Monday

Hosted by Krystyn

Saturday was gorgeous out so we decided to do some yard cleaning. I swept the patio and back stairwell while Ethan and Aria were my weed pickers and filled bucket after bucket with dandelions!







Motherhood is seeing the world and enjoying it anew through your children's eyes!

and finding inexpressionable joy in the simplest things

Why the people who built our house are morons

1. NO Storage!!
-what people 50 years ago didn't buy extra toilet paper or stock up on canned goods
and what about decorations....well I guess that's why every house around here has a shed.....well I have one word for that...BUGS ewwwww!

2. Closets are waaay to close to the clothes

Maybe I'm strange but I hate the fact that my clothes are constantly rubbing against this ancient wood
....oh and same goes for the backs of the closets; I guess people were smaller back then??

3. A/C right next to the patio

Oh my Duh!!! When are people most liekly to bbq?...in the summer When are people most likely to have the A/C on?....in the summer put two and two together!

4. Smurf size Kitchen

-ya...I totally blame my lack of culinary skills and desire on just not wanting to be in here

5. Basement stairwells the size of a shoebox??? Huh?

-I am not even kidding when I say I spent at least 1/2 hr. cleaning this stupid thing this afternoon....I think I can still stand up straight??

Oh and the best of the best! (guess this "good job" goes to the brilliant lanscaper)
6. Willow trees in the front yard...are you kidding me!!

-ya pretty to look at but a royal pain in the butt!
tree suckers all over the yard, completely uneven lawn (I can seriously not even dig once in the flower bed the trees are planted in without hitting a ton of roots; hence no flowers), nasty roots bending and growin all up in the pipes=mundo plumbing problems [oh I feel sorry for the poor suckers that move here after us]

Ya...I can't wait to move
(no there's definately no plans to move in the future; I SO wish!!!!)

...but dang I'll miss the view

Friday "de"pressional

-Dear Glamazon, I hope it's ok that I took the liberty of changing the awesome name of your meme but I thought it was fitting for the ocassion

-I feel kinda bleak right now

-my husband had a job in the bag but it was like a 2 ½-3 hr. drive a day; sorry the expense of gas wouldn't even make it really worth it and our poor beat down car could not take that kind of driving

-and if our flippin car goes out we would be screwed
(we've poured so much money in that sucker it better last for awhile!)

-the economy sucks right now and I'm really getting ticked at the corruptness of Corporate America!

-we just lost 292 bucks which put our account back to 0; damn greedy banks! we owed it they took it, thanks for the warning greedy buttheads!! Hmmm do you intend to pay back the many people you screwed over when you went under??? Ya.. didn't think so

-Dang! Why didn't I pay that bill earlier in the day

-so now we gotta beat this scum bank to the punch before they grab our money again!

-am I talking to myself? I'm really not crazy

-I got some stuff to take to kid-to-kid but I'm just to lazy….don't know if it'd be worth it

-sorry for my rant (it's totally not my nature to be this bitter) well I guess it must be a little or I wouldn't be talkin' like this right?

-but it could always be worse; I really need to count my blessings

-I have a lot of them

-The End.

On a lighter note Tabatha from Expressing it ALL!
(whoa! What is goin on here….four awards and my blog is still a baby!)

Well I don't know if it's quite an "award" but it's certainly……ahem...interesting :)



So here goes: (I'm a super goody goody so I don't do things like this but I guess I'll let my carnality take over….just this once right? :))

The rules are I must tell you 5 CHARACTERS with whom I would choose to knock boots with, or bump plastics with in this case I guess. and then of course pass it on!!

First of all can I just say that who in their right mind would wanna knock boots with someone else? (unless they were line dancing?) I don't even own a pair of boots??

Upon further examination of this intriguing picture I discovered a deeper meaning, (I'm pretty naive and a lot of things do go over my head but every now and then I do catch on to the grown up world)

so here goes: (and no mom I don't really do that even though I have three kids :))

1. I know some people might ew but I love love love Hugh Grant!



2. And who can resit the adorably cuteness of Shia LeBeof

(if you look closely it actually says Tylaine on his stomach)

3. I'm not a bad boy girl but Hugh Jackman does have a soft side too (what's with the name Hugh?)



4. I know we're not talking character or anything here so I'll go with Johnny Depp
(pirates alive!!!)



5. And I cannot forgot! oh my heart....Russel Crowe!




...passing on to....

1. Kim @ So many kids so little time
2. Mindi @ Mindi's Manic Meandering's
3. Terry @ Oh for pete's sake!
4. Glamazon @ Glamazon Mormon Mom
5. Ian @ Daily Dose of Reality (you can do women if you like :))

Ok I'm going to Hell now. Seriously my heart was even racing as I did this (don't laugh....ya...that's how uptight I am)

PYHO

If you've read my past PHYO's you know I'm the absolute antithesis of a social butterfly. In fact I didn't even really have any friends 'till I joined my church and started attending activities and stuff. (Ya I had absolutely zero social life)
A couple on months later a friend and I were chatting and she was talking about how she liked to sometimes chat online and that this was a way sometimes for people to actually hook up. Introducing my first internet experience. I chose a chat room I thought would be appropriate, filled out my online profile and started chatting. Yes it was a single's room and yes I was kinda looking to meet someone but the thought was really in the back of my mind; I just liked talking to "my boys" (I think I freaked my mom out when I said that) Anyways one day this dashingly handsome screename comes on :) His was dreamspark Mine was dreameyes. (Oh those two names are just meant to be together :)) Actually at the time I used my real name which was why he choose me to talk to: cause it was the only "normal" looking name (I guess JadeKing or TomTom weren't his thing) and I kid you not he thought I was a guy! Well he soon learned different.
So after a month or so I asked him to come up (ya so brazen of me I know!) He only could because his mom drove for Greyhound so he got free tickets or else he never could of afforded it. (yep meant to be) 30 hours on the bus!!!! stopping at every little po dunk town on the way. He almost turned back in Montana cause he had been burned so many times before (sorry baby I know it's humiliating but you were a geek, only I saw the true beauty beneath his geeky awkward exterior)
So my reaction when he got off the bus.....(before I saw him: face smiling after I see him: face faking smile, if ya get the picture; ya no starry eyes here)
Long story short. I love him; I turn him away; I toy with him; I tell him there's nothing; he leaves thinking he'll never see me again; I love him......typical right?
Back and forth visiting. Craziest thing I've done. Engaged after a month of IRL and about 8 of online. Serious, you think you know someone online, IRL is sooo different.
And of course there was a moment I gave the ring back. Oooo I was kinda nasty.
It all worked out. The fiancee visa was a hasel (nother story). But I made it to Utah.
After I was here about a week we were married in a little town south of where we live.



It was hot hot hot that day (and I mean that literally it was like 104) I think my mom from Alberta just about melted. It was so beautiful out though! The flowers were gorgeous! Did I mention it was hot??

Then of course we had to stop at McDonald's on the way home. (I always wanted to go into McDonald's in a wedding dress)

The reception was super beautiful too! (the one thing I regret though is not eating more!! Serious, the food was so good I should of got a to-go box for later :) hehe!)
And ofcourse we had to bring something Canadian :)



And now 10 years later we have three beautiful angels and are still goin strong (well not right now but hey! we will be :)) And noone thought it would last.
(Really my mom told me later that she thought I'd be home within a month! :)


This is not just pouring my heart out. This IS my heart. :) (So please be gentle :))