Monday, November 30, 2009

Only two days left to get your 100 free photo cards from SeeHere!

Only ONE DAY left to get your 100 free photo cards from SeeHere!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Homemade Vanilla Extract


Homemade Vanilla Extract

"I absolutely love vanilla extract! Talk about a fun, easy and delicious homemade gift idea! Organic vanilla extract can be quite spendy at the store, and with these cute jars you cannot go wrong in blessing family and friends and your own kitchen cupboard. I made 6 (4 oz bottles) this last weekend and they are steeping away nicely in my cupboard ready for Christmas baskets."

Be sure to go to Passionate Homemaking to get the recipe and how to!!

homemade peppermint extract


homemade peppermint extract

Posted using ShareThis

"I tried making peppermint cookies a few years ago. They were very festive to look at- dark chocolate cookies with pieces of candy cane spread throughout; but they tasted TERRIBLE! The peppermint flavor was way off and I blame the peppermint extract I used. This year I am making my own and know the cookies will taste much better with homemade peppermint extract in them!

It is so EASY to make! All you need is a few sprigs of fresh peppermint and vodka."



Please check out 5 Orange Potatoes to learn how to make your own Peppermint Extract!

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Our Jesse Tree: A Focused Advent Celebration


Our Jesse Tree: A Focused Advent Celebration

When I went to my favorite blog today I saw that Lindsey had posted this beautiful and meaningful post about the Jesse Tree. I hadn't heard of this before and so I was fascinated! I think you will too find it fascinating and perhaps consider starting this tradition in your home! Be sure to share it with family and friends! Here is part of what Lindsey had to say. Be sure to click on the title to go directly to her blog and get the full story and list of resources!!

"Last year, I was introduced to the idea of a Jesse Tree as a purposeful way to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas and our family loves it!

The name “Jesse Tree” comes from Isaiah 11:1-2: A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.”

The Jesse Tree idea centers around Jesus as the fulfillment of this prophesy being the “stump of Jesse”. I had a blast beginning to assemble my own homemade ornaments to add to our tree throughout the Advent season. Each ornament represents a different story, starting at the beginning of Creation and working all the way to the coming of Christ Jesus. Each reading shows how all the Old Testament points towards the coming of Christ as the Messiah. The Jesse Tree gives such a beautiful picture into seeing how each story of the Bible speaks about God. Each story is a little whisper of His name and a glimpse into character, plan and purpose. The Jesse Tree is a form of Advent, in which you read one story each day from November 30-December 25. It is a fun and purposeful opportunity to sit down as a family and read more about His coming, but also have a visual representation through each ornament."

Friday, November 13, 2009

It came in!! My Etsy Christmas gifts!!




I am so excited!! Check out Valentine Studios for yourself!! You won't regret it!!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Etsy for Christmas!


There are many unique and beautiful gifts to be found on Etsy! They can be bought on any budget as well! Like this adorable necklace (pictured above) I was able to purchase for only $5! What a beautiful, frugal and unique gift! I am so excited! You can purchase this necklace and others like it from ValentineStudios and you'll love what they have to offer! You can find a great number of handcrafted items for everyone on your list! Have some frugal Christmas fun!

Monday, November 9, 2009

Here He IS!!! BOLT~Our Super Hero Dog!!


We are so thrilled to have Bolt with us! We were able to complete the adoption Saturday, November 7th, 2009 and that will officially be his Birthday! They thought he was about 2 years old~so fully grown and yet so very tiny! They found him wandering around in the streets so the New Nodaway Humane Society took him in and cared for him until we were able to adopt him and give him a new home and be his family! We love him so much! He has taken to us already and is very protective! He is an excellent house dog~no accidents! What a blessing he has been already. We hope that we will be a blessing to him as well!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

BIG NEWS!!



We are getting a Toy Rat Terrier!! We are so very excited! He is our Christmas Gift to ourselves and our gift to the New Nodaway Humane Society! We are so excited and so thankful to give this little guy a home! The kids want to name him BOLT! :) We will post pics of him after his adoption is complete. For now, you'll have to see pics of other adorable Toy Rat Terriers! If you decide to Adopt, please contact your local humane society or do some research online! These adorable Rat Terriers need a good, loving home and you can contact New Rattitude!

Out of the Box Christmas Gift Idea!!

How many of you are Animal Lovers? Know some one who is? How about adopting a pet or making a donation in their name? This is a great way to give a sweet animal love and a family or just better care at their shelter. Below is an excerpt from M'Shoogy's, Famous Animal Rescue!




" M'Shoogy's is a no-kill animal sanctuary that has been dedicated to saving the lives of abandoned, injured, and abused animals for many years. The 22 acre refuge is located about 60 miles north of Kansas City in Savannah, Missouri and is currently home to several hundred dogs, cats, and other animals. Unfortunately at this point in time M'Shoogy's is at full capacity, is running very low on funds and volunteers, and is unable to accept additional animals unless they are injured or abused (and with prior authorization from M'Shoogy's only). We will continue to support our current residents for as long as we can. Keep reading to see how you can help...

WE NEED YOU
!!! Not only do we need caring individuals to adopt our animals, we also need volunteers! From feeding and watering to assisting with adoptions, we have volunteer positions open now! If you want a rewarding way to spend some of your free time, please contact us today at 816-561-1635 or at info@mshoogys.com.

HELP! We are in desperate need of people willing to adopt our animals. We are in a rural area which means that we don't have nearly the amount of "walk-in" traffic that places like Wayside Waifs and the Humane Society do. The dogs and cats of M'Shoogy's are relying on animal lovers like you to be willing to drive a few extra miles to adopt a pet. We have many special needs cases (seniors, medical situations, behavioral issues) that just don't do well in a shelter setting. Please consider adopting a M'Shoogy's resident today!"

TWITTER!!

I finally did it! I opened up a Twitter account! I am such a goon! :) Just thought it would be fun! You should totally check it out and follow me! :) Looking forward to seeing you on Twitter!!

Make sure to Click on the Title (I haven't figured out how to get the widget yet! :) )

Monday, November 2, 2009

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!

Do you want to give some unique Christmas gifts this year, but don’t want to spend a lot of money? You can find gifts that are both cheap and thoughtful. Here are ten easy ideas for inexpensive holiday gifts that are sure to please.

1. Fun, trendy watch. You can buy watches in all shapes and colors from around $8 to $20 at discount department stores and flea markets. Include a note in the box that says something like, “I always enjoy our time together”. If giving this to a teacher, you could thank them for all the “time” they’ve spent teaching your child.

2. Mini recipe book of your favorite recipes. Buy a small, inexpensive photo album that holds one 4 x 6 photo per page (usually just a dollar or two at craft stores). Print, type or write your recipes onto 4 x 6 recipe cards and insert in the sleeves meant for photos. After you’ve made the first set, make multiple photocopies of all the recipe cards. That way you can easily make more personal recipe books for other people this year or anytime.

3. Gourmet chocolate pretzels. These sell in specialty stores for $20 for around a dozen large pretzel rods. But you can make your own homemade version for a fraction of the cost. All you need is the pretzels, chocolate melts (most craft stores have these for under $2 a bag), and optional things like chopped nuts, mini chips or sprinkles. Simply melt the chocolate, dip the pretzels rods until about half of the pretzel is covered, then roll in the toppings and let them set upside down in a cup.

4. Handmade framed name print. Research the meaning of the person’s name from a baby naming website. Use your computer graphics or word processing program to type his or her name in large letters in a nice font. Put the meaning of their name in smaller letters under the name. Print it on pretty background paper, such as 8 1/2 x 11 scrapbook paper from a craft store. Trim to fit a small frame purchased from a discount department store or dollar store.

5. Night at the movies. You can make this inexpensive by just picking up a $5 gift card for a movie rental and a box of microwave popcorn. Or you can make it a bigger gift by adding a large bowl for the popcorn, a gift card for multiple rentals, and perhaps some DVDs.

6. Flashlight that doesn’t need batteries. This is a very practical gift that almost anyone can use. Depending on the model, you either shake the flashlight or wind it up. They really work and you never have to worry about dead batteries. The price range is between $10 and $20.

7. Photo ornament. You can find these in all kinds of stores, some are quite inexpensive and look like little holiday photo frames. Just insert a photo of your friend, their pet or children and you’ve got a very personalized gift.

8. Custom gift card from you. If you’re short on cash, but not on sentiment, you can print a gift card that promises babysitting, a car wash, running errands, lessons, etc. If you love to bake, but don’t have time around the holidays, give a gift card redeemable for your specialty in January.

9. Personalized giant candy bar. This one is so easy. Buy a big Hershey bar and replace the outer wrapper with your custom wrapper. You can print one of the many free Christmas chocolate bar wrappers found on the internet. Some of them even have places for you to put a photo and your own words. Or make it yourself by tracing the original wrapper and cutting it out from nice holiday paper. Then just tape or glue in place.

10. Personalized magnet, button, key ring or pocket mirror. For just a couple of dollars, this one of a kind little gift can’t be beat. There are companies on the internet that will put any funny or inspiration quote or your own message on one of their products. Whatever the person’s hobby, interest, or job, there is a saying or quotation out there that would be perfect for them.

A thoughtful Christmas gift doesn’t have to cost a lot of money or require hours of searching through crowded malls. All that is needed is your big heart and imagination.

About Our Family

My photo
Missouri, United States
Clinton and I live in Missouri. Clinton works for CED, Inc. It is an electrical distributing company. He works in Inside Sales right now and is training for Outside Sales. I am an Independent Marketing Consultant for Melaleuca. I work from home and I really love what I do. Cora is 3 years old and she is so excited about starting Preschool in the fall. She loves everything Princess and her favorite color is Pink! Miles is 2 and he loves CARS the movie and is really into Thomas the Train as well. He is a ball of Fire and keeps us on our toes! And in keeping with stereotypes, loves the color Blue. Well, Wyatt Evan Fisher is here now!! He arrived at 5:03pm on June 22, 2008!! We are so very blessed and so very excited! He's 7 pounds and 5 ounces, 20 inches long! Healthy and so very handsome! We are so blessed and so proud of our new baby boy! Precious blessing from God!

Fisher Farm Family Cookout!

Fisher Farm Family Cookout!
Cora was swinging with her cousins.



Fun Fall Pictures!

We had a blast taking the kids pictures! It was a gorgeous fall day and the kids were in great moods! We really loved Miles "cheese" face! We tried to get him to say something else so he'd actually have a smile instead of the "cheese" lips! :)

I have included some of Hannah, Major and Cannon. They are great friends of Cora, Miles and Wyatt. We have had a great time being neighbors and friends! We have been really enjoying doing things together.



Cheese Lips!


Again with the lips! :)



The Ulitmate Mud Puddle Adventure

Miles LOVES Puddles! We have had a lot of rain lately and so the dead end fills up quickly with the run off. This is such a great joy for Miles. He loves water and jumping into puddles and making quite a mess of things! Take in mind that it's October and quite chilly out~this means nothing to Miles~he feels no cold. Now, since daddy took the pictures, please excuse the fuzzy ones! :)






Painting the Pirate Ship!

Cora and Miles love painting! They had a great time painting and I had a wonderful time watching them, taking pictures, laughing, being amazed at how quickly they are growing up, in awe of their creativeness. I am so blessed to be their mom. What a precious gift God has given me. I am so thankful!





Puddin'

I decided that it would be fun to let the kids play with their snack as a sensory activity! So, we had chocolate pudding to "paint" and granola and dried fruit to "decorate the painting" and their bodies as the "canvas"! It was a hit!

Miles wasn't sure at first~he usually revels in messes, but this time Mom was "letting" him and he just didn't know what to think about that! It didn't take him long to get into it though.

Cora had a great time and she dug in right away! When Dad came home from work, she invited him to join the fun as well! He took off his shirt and soon he was the canvas that the kids were painting! Cora wanted to make sure that his entire back was covered!

Wyatt remained an outsider to the event~which I am sure he appreciated! He really enjoys watching his brother and sister play. He smiled and laughed and cooed a lot! It was a really enjoyable time for us all! If you haven't had fun with pudding, I suggest you try!

Cora and her "Pudding Art Creation"

Cora and her "Pudding Art Creation"
We have chocolate pudding, granola, and dried fruit!

Puddin' face!

Puddin' face!

Miles was just getting started!

Miles was just getting started!

Now we are getting the hang of it!

Now we are getting the hang of it!

Cora loved the feel of the "squishy" pudding in her fingers!

Cora loved the feel of the "squishy" pudding in her fingers!

Daddy jumping in the fun!

Daddy jumping in the fun!

HMMMM......

HMMMM......

Almost got it all......

Almost got it all......

The Finished Paintings!

The Finished Paintings!

Now with silly faces!

Now with silly faces!

Cora's First Day of School!

Cora's First Day of School!

It was chilly morning.

At School

At School
In front on her school.

Her Cubby

Mrs. Creason~Cora's Teacher

Mrs. Creason~Cora's Teacher

Oh bath time!

Oh bath time!

May I Help You?

May I Help You?

Here's lookin' at you kid!

Here's lookin' at you kid!

Wondering if we could just go on our walk already!

Please???

Please???

Wyatt always falls asleep in his backpack on our walks!

Playing in the sprinkler!

Playing in the sprinkler!

Hannah, Grant, and Cora~Umbrellas to "save them" from getting wet....didn't work out so well!

Hannah, Grant, and Cora~Umbrellas to "save them" from getting wet....didn't work out so well!
Hannah and Grant are our neighbors. Hannah lives next door and Grant lives caddy corner across the street.

Hannah's brother Major.

Hannah's brother Major.
Major and Miles are good friends~they love to play together!

Fort Umbrella~all the kids are inside.

Fort Umbrella~all the kids are inside.

Miles coming to join the Umbrella Crew.

Miles coming to join the Umbrella Crew.

Cora Loves Playing With Finn!

Cora Loves Playing With Finn!

Clinton Jumping Over Cora!

Clinton Jumping Over Cora!

We take Jason's Dog Disel, for a walk everyday! Cora likes to hold the leash by herself.

We take Jason's Dog Disel, for a walk everyday! Cora likes to hold the leash by herself.

Cora LOVES to ride her bike! Everytime we are outside, she's on her bike!

Cora LOVES to ride her bike! Everytime we are outside, she's on her bike!

Miles Messes

Miles loves to make messes! This montage of cereal was waiting for me one morning and boy was I happy about it..... This isn't the first (or the last ~ I'm sure) time this has happened. If you don't get him food the moment you hear him wake up~BEWARE! Oh the joys of parenthood!

Miles Helping Himself to Breakfast.....

Miles Helping Himself to Breakfast.....

Cora and Aunty A making Cheese Cake!

Cora and Aunty A making Cheese Cake!

BIG SISTER

BIG SISTER

Cora is always asking to hold Wyatt

Cora is always asking to hold Wyatt

How Sweet

How Sweet

Into the face paint from halloween.....

Into the face paint from halloween.....

Miles thought Wyatt needed some too!

Miles thought Wyatt needed some too!

Bath Time

Bath Time

4th of July

4th of July

Four Wheelin' Anyone?

Miles loves Uncle Paul's four wheeler! He just loves to run to the shed, get the helmet on (which used to terrify him) and climb on! If he can talk daddy into it (which isn't a hard thing), he gets to ride all over the farm!


Clinton Painting Cora's Nails

Clinton Painting Cora's Nails

Angela and Jeremy Reynolds

Angela and Jeremy Reynolds
This is my best friend and her husband.

Wyatt's first week!

We had so much fun spending Wyatt's First Week of life with Nani and Pop Pop! We drove down right after we were released from the hospital and Wyatt proved to be a great little traveler! He never made a peep! Cora and Miles were great helpers and loved having their baby brother in between them. Every time we got out of the car, Cora would say,"Mom! Don't forget our baby!" It was really cute. It was a lot of fun for the cousins to get a chance to spend time together too. It was a great week!

Our First Family Pic!

Our First Family Pic!

Playing Time

Playing Time
In Nani and Pop Pop's basement playing!

Balloon Swords!

Balloon Swords!
Safe Play?

Ping Pong anyone?

Ping Pong anyone?
Miles couldn't wait for his turn to play ping pong

Nani and Cora

Nani and Cora
They had matching hats! It was so much fun!

Proud Grandparents!

Proud Grandparents!

All the Kids with Nani and Pop Pop!

All the Kids with Nani and Pop Pop!

Diaper Head!

Diaper Head!
He decided that it would be fun to put his swim diaper on his head! He made the return trip home a funny affair!

Cora wanted to do diaper head too!

Cora wanted to do diaper head too!

The Arrival of Wyatt!

We were so very excited for the arrival of Wyatt! He arrived two weeks early, much to everyone's surprise! On June 22, 2008, at 6:30am, I noticed that it was going to be a very special day! I woke Clinton up and we began the "run around". We had to get everything cleaned and packed and ready for the next week. We arrived at the hospital and everything took off from there! He arrived at 5:03pm and was 7 pounds 5 ounces , 20 inches long. Just perfect! He was our smallest baby, but the size of a regular full term baby! He just seemed so tiny to us! And to think that most people have babies his size! We couldn't be more thrilled with our new little man! He is so precious to us! He is very content and sleeps very well! You can't ask for more than that!

Baby Wyatt is coming!

Baby Wyatt is coming!
I wanted a picture before Wyatt made his grand entrance!

Our Precious Little Man!

Our Precious Little Man!
Just a few minutes after he was born!

Mom and Baby!

Mom and Baby!
I couldn't be more thrilled with him!

Dad and his Son

Dad and his Son
He is so proud of his boy!

Big Sis and Wyatt!

Big Sis and Wyatt!
She sang "Mary had a little lamb" to him! It was so cute!

Wyatt Evan Fisher!

Wyatt Evan Fisher!
Our Precious Baby Boy! Loves to look around!

Nani and Pop Pop!

Nani and Pop Pop!
Happy Family!

Pop Pop and Wyatt!

Pop Pop and Wyatt!
Pop Pop was able to cut the cord! How cool!

Wyatt and Nani!

Wyatt and Nani!
We loved having Nani there for the Birth!

Uncle Jason!

Uncle Jason!
It was great to have Uncle Jason come and visit!

Summer 2008!

We are having a lot of fun this summer right in our own back yard! We got the kids a little pool that they love and a swing that I (Amy) love so that we could enjoy being outside together as a family! God has blessed us with great children, great weather, and so much love for each other. I am always thankful for how well the kids get along. I am looking forward to seeing how Wyatt will fit with our little family.

Cora is growing up so fast and she is "teaching" Miles new things all the time! Miles grows so fast "learning" from his big sister and he loves to copy her. He follows her and repeats what she says and does what she does. It is really sweet to see them playing together and learning from each other.

Umbrella Time

Umbrella Time
Cora loves her little umbrella!

Fun in the Summer Sun!

Fun in the Summer Sun!
They love their little pool!

Pool Time!

Pool Time!
They love Splashing in the Pool!!

Eatting Pluots!

Eatting Pluots!
Snack time in the pool! Can't get any better than that!

We love eachother!

We love eachother!
They are best friends!

Cora and Miles Club House!

Cora and Miles Club House!
They love this little house!

Painting!

Painting!
The kids discovered that if you get chalk wet, it makes "paint"!

Coloring!

Coloring!
Cora loves to color.

My yellow picture!

My yellow picture!
Cora wanted to make sure that I took a picture of her with her picture!

My Favorite Cuties!

My Favorite Cuties!
They are such posers!

My Studly Man!

My Studly Man!
Miles is such a big boy!

Precious Princess!

Precious Princess!
Cora is such a Princess!