To do list....

I haven't been feeling well this week, and partook in the luxury of sleeping in this morning...on a school day! This is HUGE, because I usually wake up to help the girls get ready, making sure they have all their stuff for the day, everything signed, packed lunches, etc., etc. When I woke up this morning to a quiet house, I immediately thought "Oh no, I hope Madeline remembered everything!" Then I noticed the paper below sitting on the kitchen table....

That girl is WAY ahead of me.....

Christmas no-no

Next time you want to make peanut butter blossoms, but don't have Hershey's kisses...I advise against substituting them with Nestle "Bells"....

Harder than I thought...

It's not hard to be grateful, just hard to write every day about the things I am grateful for!

Yesterday was one of those days I had hard a time seeing the good in my day, hence the lack of posting....one of those days where nothing goes right, and the day ultimately ends up in tears! I am thankful for a patient and sweet husband, who lets me wallow in my misery! We all need a good cry once in a while....

Today? Much better. A good cake day. I even got a standing ovation when I delivered it. Not too shabby, good for the ego. I am grateful for yummy chili. I am grateful for Saturdays, and for a husband who will take the kids to the park so I can get stuff done!

honest people....

I am grateful for honest people. Today was one of those days where the kids were driving me crazy at the grocery store - I just wanted to get out of there ASAP. When we finally did, I was scatter-brained and frazzled. We jumped in the car because I still had to run to Michael's to get some cake stuff for an order tomorrow. 10 minutes later we arrive at Michaels, and low and behold my purse is nowhere to be found. PANIC. I instantly think the worse, having to cancel my check card, credit cards, getting a new license, and having the cash in my wallet stolen....arrrggghhhh!!! We drive back to King Soopers where I am trying desperately hard to be positive. Thankfully, when I get to the customer service counter, it is there! Hallelujah!! I almost cried a little from the relief. "THANK goodness for honest people" I tell the guy behind the counter. Truly though, thank goodness there are still good people in the world, who can return a purse, and not take ANYTHING out of it. I pray whoever it was gets EXTRA blessings today!!

ALSO, I am grateful Tom and I get to go on the funnest date ever in June. We bought our tickets to the U2 concert for June 12 at Mile High Stadium. This band is such a legend in my eyes, and I am sooooo excited! Yes, I am grateful for good days.

gratitiude through grief

I am so grateful I can hug and hold my children today. So grateful to have had another day with them. So blessed. Today a friend from college launched a new website: agoodgrief.com Her story is heartbreaking, a complete nightmare for any parent, yet she has taken her grief and molded it in to something positive and uplifting. I so admire her. She helps me to remember that even the mundane responsibilities of parenting are a blessing, and miraculous. How blessed we are to have these little ones in our life.

....being grateful

I am keeping my word!!

I am grateful for sunny and 70 degree weather in November. I am grateful to live in Colorado, because it truly, truly is a magnificant state.

I am grateful I had an adult lunch today - cranberry walnut salad with feta cheese, and Italian bread. Macaroni & cheese and chicken nuggets get old after a while....

I am grateful I had lunch with a lovely British friend. After listening to (and loving) her accent for a few hours, I like that I still have a bit of a Canadian accent that I can be proud of. :)

I am grateful the girls' school is 5 houses away, it is the perfect distance to go on a stroll with a 2 year old with no stroller.

I am grateful I have a toilet, and toilet paper, because it really beats going in the bushes.

What are you grateful for today?

25 days of gratitude

We will celebrate Thanksgiving in 25 days! I thought it would be good for me to share some things I am grateful for every day until then....because, why not?!

I am grateful that when Hayden dumped all the fish food this morning, it was on the floor, and not in the fish bowl.

I am grateful that the good Halloween candy (eg. candy bars) is almost gone, and that the remaining candy is not appealing to me.

I am grateful today is sunny and mild, a perfect fall day.

I am not grateful that my house is an absolute mess, but I am grateful I am healthy and well enough to clean it.

I am grateful Avery's second front tooth fell out, because it was hanging there for a long time, and it was really, really disgusting. She looks much cuter now.

What are you grateful for today?

Don't ever wear a pencil skirt to Walgreen's

So, yesterday evening on the way home from Women's Conference, I thought I would stop at Walgreen's for some milk. (My kids freak out on Sunday's when we run out of something and I won't go to the store). BIG mistake. First, I already felt weird about walking in to Walgreen's wearing my Sunday best. It's just not the kind of place you neccesarily want to stand out on a Saturday night. I quickly walked to the back to get some milk, and joined the five other people standing in line - when all of a sudden I hear "OH MY GOSH!!!! I LOVE your outfit!!!" I look over to see a cutesy store clerk staring in my direction, along with five pairs of eyes who didn't know I existed until that moment. "Thanks", I mutter, feeling a sudden urge to run out the doors. If that wasn't bad enough, she continues! "Seriously! LOVE that skirt, oh my gosh, can you turn around? Does it have a slit in the back? Is that a pencil skirt?!" "I guess so", I say, giving her a polite smile, with a slight look of warning...."Oh, and those SHOES, soooo cute!! Seriously!" Did I mention 4 pairs of eyes are still staring at me (thankfully one person has left by now). Then, the clerk yells two aisles over! "Hey, Donna! Come see this girl! (Another store clerk rounds the corner) Isn't her outfit SO cute?!" Really, this was overkill. The other store clerk nods. Feeling somehow victimized, I pay for my milk, and run out the door, before she can say another word! It was nice to receive the compliment, but one of those times where you really wish you just hadn't received one at all! Anyway, the moral of my story is, NEVER wear a pencil skirt to Walgreen's. Or heels. Or a necklace. Ever.

Mishmash

I use to be a very loyal blogger...not quite sure what happened, but now I need to catch up on 2 months worth of Helm family shananigan's!! Life is just busy. The girls are back in school, and with that comes violin, ballet, and skating. School activities, and church responsibilities seem to pick up as well. Hayden is 2 1/2 and turned in to a little stinker overnight, a cute stinker, but stinker nonetheless. Yes, life just gets busy. Here are some highlights over the past 2 months...hard to believe fall is here!!

Madeline celebrated the big 10!! She wanted a Twilight themed party with all her friends. It was a fun, and less than quiet evening! ;)

I have mixed feelings about our baby turning "double digits". It is an adjustment for sure....

Madeline loves all things Twilight, but mostly Edward!

I am grateful Madeline has good friends, with good morals!

Oh yeah, I have been doing A LOT of this lately as well....I average 3-4 orders a week, so my kitchen is almost always a wreck. I have really been enjoying myself though. It has been so nice to do something I really, really, love again!

Our girls keep things lively around here....

Labor Day weekend we drove up to Denver and went to a fun restaurant called Casa Bonita. It doesn't have the best food in town, but if you love Cliff Divers, waterfalls, scary caves, pinatas, and live entertainment than this is the place for you!

We also visited Tiny Town Train Park, it has a miniature village, and a train that goes through the park. The kids loved it!

Avery lost some teeth.

Hayden is a sweet boy (most of the time)

Madeline and her friend Abbie gave eachother makeover's.....gorgeous!

Tom and I celebrated 11 years of wedded bliss....truly.

I will try not to wait another 2 months for another update!!!

My how they grow (unfortunately)

Once upon a time, we had these......
cute little kittens that fit in your hand, and slept all day with their momma...

They don't do that anymore. They do,

THIS

and THIS



and THIS....

Yes, my friends, Cheeto and Scout are getting big, and getting in to everything, and turning in to cats. (ugh)

Granted, they are pretty cute and fun.... BUT I still prefer

the 2-D variety.

Craft it Forward!

Ok, so I have been meaning to do this for a while...my friend Mel did this on her blog, and I won, so now I get to share the joy with all of you! Woohoo!!!

This is how it works:

The first THREE people to type in "Callie is trying to be crafty!" in the comments on this post will get something made by me! Especially for you. The catch is you must re-post this on your own blog, and promise the same thing to three commenter's who will also craft it forward...

The rules are:

1. There are no guarantee's you will like what I make...you get what you get, and you don't throw a fit!
2. What I make will be just for you.
3. It will be done this year.
4. I have the right to make whatever I want, even if it's really weird or creepy. (Not that it will be...just sayin')
5. You must post a picture of what you get when you receive it.

If you are willing to join the fun, and I know you are - because all my friends are super fun, then post away!!! ;)

Arizona - Part Uno

We're back, and we had a wonderful time visiting with family in Flagstaff! Let's jump right in to the pics, shall we? The first picture of our entire trip still cracks me up....
Wouldn't a sign reading "Please keep dogs off grass", suffice? Apparently not. Those New Mexican's are so graphic. ;) Or maybe they just did it so my kids wouldn't stop giggling for 2 hours straight.

We stayed in a beautiful hotel in downtown Albuquerque on our first night. The kids' love hotels. I am not quite sure what is so fun about hanging out in a room watching TV, but to them, it is much more fun than doing the same thing at home. Downtown Albuquerque was interesting....we felt very out of place as we walked to dinner surrounded by men dressed up as woman, and real live "gangsta's"....we had lots to explain to our kids while we ate that night. :S We came back and went swimming. Good times.

dinner in Albuquerque....a place called "Fresh Choices" which didn't quite live up to it's name. pic of New Mexico at 80 miles/hr.

For the fourth of July we had a great time visiting with all of Tom's siblings, and their kids. We had a big BBQ and all the cousins got to play together! They haven't all been together in over three years, so it was a FUN reunion!! (Left to right) Joe, Ray, Tina, Tom, Tammy. Tom is the youngest, although you can't tell so much anymore! ;)

Madeline playing "dots" with OJO...(Uncle Joe).

Tom and John

Tom had too much fun harrassing his younger nephews. They love their Uncle Tom, and who can blame them?!

They had their fair share of WWF moments....

The first day we got to Flagstaff we had an awesome thunderstorm that flooded the backyard. The kids had a blast playing in the water, and so did Grandma's dogs!

Every night we built a bonfire and stayed up late talking with Grandma and Papa. The girls had so much fun with Grandma and Papa's dogs - Sarge, Lola, and Lupe!

Aunt Tina took the girls to Claire's, and got them a bunch of "girly stuff". They spent the afternoon painting eachother's toenails, and putting on their new make-up!

Avery's new sparkly toenails!


Grandma and I had to get in on the action too! The girls gave us makeover's, and I have to say we were pretty darn gorgeous if I do say so myself!! Grandma was such a sport, and such a good Grandma!!

We were going for the "natural" look. I told you....gorgeous!! The girls couldn't stop laughing.

That Monday, Grandma, me and the girls packed up her Jeep for an adventurous day in Sedona!

We had to wear hats since the top was down in the Jeep. Madeline and Avery wouldn't stop saying how funny I looked in my hat. It actually kind of grew on me... you don't have to worry about how your hair looks!

More to come!.....

THE CAKE BOX

I have created a new blog to celebrate my love of parties, and fun and yummy cakes! Check it out!

http://www.coloradocakebox.blogspot.com/

Yes, you should go to Mount Rushmore.

We had an amazing time in South Dakota and Mount Rushmore. If you live in the west, it is on my top 5 list of places you should go with your family!! Truly worth seeing. There is a ton to see and do, and it is very green and beautiful country to boot!

We stayed in a cabin with only one bug.
Played with cousins, and even got along!

Hung out with our favorite storybook characters...who knew they lived in South Dakota?

Dodged wild animals in our vehicle.

and last but not least saw Mount Rushmore in person.

It is AMAZING. There is a quiet reverence there, and patriotic spirit that was touching and humbling. It was an honor to see it, and learn more about these great men and president's whose faces grace this mountainside.

So glad we went, and can't wait to go back!!