DIY Easy Soy Essential Oil Candles

This year I really wanted to make some homemade gifts. The kind people would use though and not say "oh thanks" but then store it in their closets or regift. I love candles. Most people I know have candles or essential oils. I wanted to mix them together bec its a candle that's nontoxic and good for you. For those oilers like me. Other candles can be too toxic.

This was beyond easy! I bought containers and soy flakes that came with wicks from Amazon. At the end of the blog, I will put the websites if you want to use the same kind.

1. Put containers on cookie sheet. Just makes it easier.

2. On the stove in a pot, you don't really want or need I melted a full pot of soy flakes. It was the size of pot that you would do like a box of mac and cheese in lol. While listening to Christmas music I put 25 drops of Essential oils in. If didn't smell enough I would add another 10. Pick whichever one you want. Make sure it is a good brand to make sure it's pure. I love the Holiday scents from DoTERRA not only is it good for you but it smells AMAZING!  Melt on Medium until it turns in liquid.

3. Put the wicks in the containers and pour just a little bit of the wax in the container to hold the wick. Make sure its just a little so the wax turns white. The wick will now stay:) YEAH! Then you can pour the rest of the melted soy wax into the containers to the top. Make sure its all the way to the top bec as it firms it will go a little lower in the container.

4. Now its done and you can cut the wicks to the size you need to close the top. It smells great and its a great super easy gift. This actually took longer to write about than it did making it! Super easy. Smells soooo good. Again my favorite Essential Oils are doTERRA. Here is the link to the Holiday Scents! SO GOOD!  https://www.doterra.com/US/en/p/doterra-holiday-joy-essential-oil-blend 

Plus you can diffuse it for the rest of the holidays. There are 240 drops in one bottle. That's a lot of candles.

I love doing DIY stuff and we are going to have a lot more coming on this blog so make sure you subscribe by going to home page and putting in your email. You will receive an email.

Love, Ro

Sneak Peek!

Want a sneak peek? of what is in my purse at this very moment.....

my wallet
my keys (kinda amazing they are where they should be)
tic tac gum
an Epi-pen (generic)
a bottle of L-theanine
work keys
a loose bottle of lemon essential oil ( not sure if it didn't fit in my oil bag, or I was in a hurry?)
my oils bag (currently containing: past tense roller ball, holiday peace, bergamot, cedarwood, peppermint and lavender)
a box cutter (this actually made it into a large arena at the bottom of my purse--oops!--they guy checking purses was way more concerned about my oils)
burts bees chapstick
two loose dollars (score!)
two hair ties
15 cents, loose
an I- phone fan that plugs in
a child's tooth
floss
three lip glosses
two tampons
a marble


While I like to blame children for my purse being a mess I'd say less than a quarter is from them.....the random fun stuff that makes me smile is from them.  I choose to love I can pull out something someone may need, floss? sure....hoping to never need the Epi-pen but I have it.
My purse is actually pretty small so isn't that bad...did you notice what it's missing that would be helpful? I know I'm lacking this but never think of it until I need it again...a pen! lol     -Lo



I am going to be honest but I went to a small, small purse because with 4 kids and a husband that has sunglasses and a wallet everything was being put in my purse. Love, Ro

Lotto...This is what I would do

I know everyone at some point has been asked questions like "If you won a million dollars what would you do with it" Its funny because I met 3/4 or more of America has thought about what would they do if they won the lotto. Millions of dollars that of a sudden got placed into your bank acct. Well there was 1.6 billion lotto this week that would of been a 907 million pay out. If I won this is what I would would do. I so would love to know what you would do! So please comment below.

So I started out thinking of amazing houses, cars, having a chef and someone to clean my house. Heck maybe finding someone who would even exercise for me right ha! Then as I thought about it through the week I noticed that I really wanted to help my true friends and family out more. If I won 907 million dollars this is what I would do.

I would buy a 5 bedroom house that was not a mansion but a nice ranch house or house on the beach. I would want 5 bedrooms so all of my kids can come home for holidays and each have a room for their family. I would want acreage because we have already had acreage for our animals. I would also want a pool for my grandkids (which I dont have any but have to think ahead).

I would pay off my kids student loans and make sure they all had decent cars. Just something that they could keep for a long time. I would put some money for each of my four kids to have a starter home in the future. I would also put trust funds for each of my grandchildren to be for their college funds. Education is important.

I would pay off my sister, my husbands sister, my bff lo and our parents homes. Just so they don't have to have a mortgage.

I would also send my ex and my husbands ex 200,000 which most people are like WHAT! I would send it to them to get a nice small home or add it to their own money for a home. I want my children to be able to go to any parents house and have a nice home. Plus although I dont need to talk to the exs anymore because are kids are grown up. I want to have our kids parents taken care of too.

I would take our family on a yearly vacation to a different country each year. We dont have to stay at 5 star places. I just want like a month in a nice place all together for us to be immersed in the culture.

I would go on a vacation once a year with my bff Lo. We always dream of that each year and it would be a yearly fun to what you want month vacation . Best Friends always need something like that.

All the money would be my husbands and mine. We would do this together and talked about this too. He, of course, wants some more things! He would want a better car and wants us to get our pilot license.  Which we both have dreamed of doing since we flew a plane a couple times.

The rest we would invest. I would love to be able to invest in some sort of corporation that would give our kids and their families jobs if they wanted.

I would also always pay off my close families medical bills. Never want them to be drowning in debt.

There are so many people I would want to help. I would definitely give to the Ronald Mcdonald House who helped us out when my son was 6 months old and had scull surgery. We needed the place and I will always give to them.

So what would you do? Would you go crazy and spend it all? I would get a financial advisor to help us have it last for a long time for sure. I am sure we would splurge. It's funny that I would help all of my family first. All  I want is a nice home where my family can come for holidays. What would you do?I would love to know!
  Love, Ro

I would pay off my house as that is a huge bill that takes more than half my paycheck so it would just make me feel better.  I'd talk to 3 or more financial advisors and 3 or more rich people (if they'd talk to me).  I would actually give my ex money because it would be good for my kids for him to be less stressed and better off (not sure the amount though).  I would invest for long-term profit and go on a great vacation! -Lo

Easy Recipe for Pancakes

To me its so much easier to make my own pancakes. I dont always have the time to run to a market which is at least 45 minutes away for us to get the bagged pancake mix. Its just easier to use my moms recipe! I found it in her recipe box that I got after she had passed. So much goodness in there! Love it! I will pass it down to my kids too. So here is the EASY recipe for handmade pancakes! So easy and so good! Plus I always have this stuff in my house.

My Moms Pancake Recipe:)

1 cup of flour
2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Mix. Then add

1 cup milk
1 egg
2 Tbsp oil

Mix all together and BAM! There is your batter.
I like it when whisked and creamy. It is so simple. I like to use a griddle to make mine.

This makes 8 medium size pancakes so you can double or triple this recipe for hungry or large families. Excited for you to try it! My mom would love that her recipe everyone can use! We like to even make breakfast for dinner sometimes. So Enjoy! Love, Ro

You're better than me

Let's just get that out of the way, you're better than me.  I can say that with absolute certainty, YOU reading this...... are better than me.  Can we just end there? Can you just be content in knowing you are better than me?  No? you need to know why?  to actually make you accept that you are better, to give you some satisfaction and pride you need to know why and be able to think that over. Ok, alright...you may run a faster mile than me, have better ankles, be a better mom, a better cook, a better friend, a better sister.  More than likely I'm better at some things about being a sister and way worse at some.  I can cook and bake and yet there are so many better than me and yet.... I'm better than many.  Your smile may be better than mine and I may give a better hug.... the point is we cannot compare only what people are good at and us.  This mom makes better lunches for her kid, this mom always has the kid's hair so cute, this mom makes friends with everyone.  yet that's not the same mom, why do we think we need to be the best of everyone?  Theodore Roosevelt said "comparison is the thief of joy"  let's stop stealing our own joy, know we are the best at some things, we are the best at knowing our kids, don't let comparison steal our joy. -Lo


I think we all have things we are good at and I am happy when someone is better than me at stuff because I can easily learn from them. Love, Ro

25 Completely Useless Facts

Have you ever met one of those people who knows everything about everything? Well now you can tell them a couple of your new completely useless facts! I think of my dad in this so much because he is so smart. Like actually genius smart. He could win anyone in trivia and it would drive me crazy ha. I love him so much though. So here dad...Do you know all of these? Here are 100 completely useless facts! This is also for my son Jason who tells me these facts all the time and I have to look them up to see if they are true.

1. Every time you lick a stamp you consume 1/10 a calorie
2. Barbie's full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts
3. The average person falls asleep in 7 minutes
4. Vatican City registered 0 births in 1983
5. James Bond car had three different license plates in Goldfinger
6. In California, Washington and Idaho its illegal to own a monkey (my son bec he wanted one looked it up)
7. Walt Disney holds the world record for the most Academy Awards
8. Bullet proof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers and laser printers were all invented by woman
9. A cat has 32 muscles in each ear
10. Poland is the stolen car capital of the world
11. Babies are more likely to be born on Tuesdays
12. The average lifespan of eyelashes are 5 months
13. An Ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain
14. Ingrown toenails are hereditary
15. You can't kill yourself by holding your breath
16. Some lions mate over 50 times a day
17. Elephants are the only animal that can't jump
18. All polar bears are left handed
19. Almonds are a member of the peach family
20. There are 293 different ways to make change for a dollar
21. Most toilets flush in E flat
22. Non dairy creamer is flammable
23. It is illegal to hunt camels in Arizona
24. The average person spends 6 months of their lives sitting at red lights
25. No English word rhymes with orange, purple or silver
    

I would love to know if you have an useless facts that I can tell my father or son! Its so interesting. I bet we all could learn a useless fact once a day forever. Can't wait to hear yours. Love, Ro

long car rides with kids

 When we are on a long car ride it is very regular for us to play 20 questions.  I guess it is more common when my sister is in the car with my kids and I....as you need another adult to help pay attention while I am driving.  Now we don't play this game typically I suppose, we don't count questions we just keep going and the one who guesses doesn't go next we go in clockwise order (I mentioned we are in a car and I'd rather not have any extra arguments.)  Also, we have some other adoptions that just make it more fun and make us laugh.  Somehow "mythological animals" became an option.  So ...animal, vegetable, or mineral? animal? mythical or real?  My eight year old has stumped us with a jack-a-lope.   The funniest conversations have ensured! What a great way to use Greek mythology and antiquated knowledge for instance, "Is it bigger than a breadbox?" my children, of course, have no clue what a breadbox is, so it's fun to try and explain what one is and why people had one and just how big one may be.    My children can now answer "is the mythological creature humanoid?" Thanks to my sister.   This is a game that has created many laughs and lots of thinking and I'm sure will be one of the things they remember from childhood which warms my heart (and lessens car arguments and the number of "how long till we are there's?" and them wanting a screen of some sort, WIN!) what game do you play as a family and what adaptations have you made organically while playing?
-Lo

I love this so much and can totally see you and your sister doing this to them. We do twenty questions a lot also just to learn more about our teens. When hubby and I got together we played this a lot. Great way of finding out about each other. And laughing....a lot! Love , Ro

                                               

My Favorite Youtubers

Oh Geesh! I love You-tube. Maybe its because we chose to not have cable or just because I like it because its a good get away. Here are my favorite ones and why. Let me first tell you that I am so all over the map its crazy! I guess you can see my interests too in what I watch. I think its pretty funny. You can check them out also I will put the links to their pages.
.
Its a Buzz world https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDRTAewerzwhGm7aSgw

I love watching this. I have watched all seasons and episodes of Outdaughtered. I am so capitvated by how they live and the girls are so dang cute. They have a little girl who is 7 and quintuplets that are 3 years old. Its so fun to see all their personalities. Plus, they are super funny. I do want to know how the parents are so fit with that many little ones! Seriously! And all the kids are girls!

Five two Love  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKMT-NFpYshJT9v-Fd6tmrw

Ha! Guess I am into quintuplets. This family is truly funny. They have two older boys and 6 month old quints. They do little skits and stuff which make me laugh like one of the babies hiding stuff that you know they cant hide. Its a good one! 

McHusbands https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoNqcyYmT3czFelR4H9B0Xw

 I have been watching them for over a year. I watched this gay couple who is pretty funny go through deciding how to have children. Their bff gave them the eggs and their sister in law carried for them. They are so into their twins and I have watched since they were thought of up till now and they are turning 1. THREE!

Ellen Fisher https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH3D9swlnNdy__zz9PH3fvg

Ellen Fisher is a vegan. Although I am not a vegan I like watching her and what she makes. I have made a lot of her meals. They just look so good. Plus I like her parenting tips. She is an advocate which I admire.

Barnyard Bees https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2g3DukLp8dE9Ap7_LLfPeg

I really love watching this one. I think its because my husband and I want to start having bees on our land. I think its satisfying to watch it go from hive to honey.

Shane Dawson https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV9_KinVpV-snHe3C3n1hvA  

I have written about him before but I have watched him for a long time. It started out with his conspiracy theories and now I am just hooked on his trying to find out more about people and why they are the way they are.

1000's of Roots https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_iz0mIhVFaMwD-KBfrLPWA

These are off the grid homesteaders who I just started watching and got hooked. Its pretty interesting to see how they do everything in such a little house with lots of kids. They are so polite and I love that.

Phil and Alex https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAkM_UgVD8EK4oJePdv36fQ 

I love watching them. So positive. They adopted both their children and have gone through a lot of infertility.  Alex is going through the process again to have a child. I love how they treat the birth parents and they are so involved still.

The Gathering Nest https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJfx4F-W-GYBHaHLMnYzvjg

 I have watched them for awhile. This couple has 7 children. They have gone through some pregnancy problems and a lot of their children are adopted. I love watching the adoption stories and that's what got me to start watching. After that I just love how the mom explains life.

James Charles https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCucot-Zp428OwkyRm2I7v2Q

Wow talk about a make up artist that is so good. I like him because he calls everyone sisters and talks fast while showing designs for make up and even Halloween designs. For such a young adult he is so talented.


I am sure there are a lot more that I watch. I tend to watch things that are adoptions, twins or quints, parenting, homesteading, makeup and recipes. Here are a few that I love. Tell me which ones you watch so maybe I can open my horizons.  Or do you even watch YouTube? If not...its free and you really can find anything on there. Just search what you like to see and Bam its there! Cant wait to hear what you like.
                                                                            Love, Ro

Cushings: Am I High?

Am I high or am I low? This is a big question for those who are trying to get diagnosed with Cushing’s Disease. No one wants to have a Rare Disease that makes you gain weight, have anxiety, lose your hair, get a buffalo hump, have high blood pressure, diabetes, insomnia etc.

For those who do not have Cushing’s it’s hard to really understand why that person feels great one day and is say walking fine and very active but the next day they can hardly get out of bed.

I was diagnosed with Cushing’s. Had my first surgery on July 25^th 2014. Went into remission for 10 months. Then had to test again because I was out of remission and all my symptoms have come flooding back in full force.

When testing for your doctor you want to test when in a high. These are the basic symptoms you will have (at least the ones I have) when you are in a high. Side note…High is when your body is producing crazy amounts of cortisol. This gives you the feeling of “fight or flight”.

High Symptoms:

1.       Insomnia or wired at night

2.       Constipation

3.       High energy

4.       Low pain

5.       Anxiety/Mood Swings

6.       High Blood Pressure

7.       Water Weight Gain/Weight Gain

8.       Acne

9.       Speed talking

You don’t want to test however when you are in a low because it will not show your Cortisol Levels when it should be showing what is happening to you.

 

Low Symptoms:

1.       Nausea

2.       Weight Loss

3.       Depression/Crying

4.       Extreme Fatigue

5.       Muscle/Joint Pain

     6.       Diarrhea

 It’s hard for people to understand that your symptoms can be so one way one day and another way the next. I had a cycle of about 5-6 days low and 2-3 days high. During my highs I couldn't sleep but maybe 2 hours a night. I had all this energy so I cleaned the house in the middle of the night. I feel like a drug addict or something but it’s just my body creating a hormone that does this. After a couple days of being in a high I crash. I am so tired I don’t want to do anything but sleep. I hurt all over. I cry more often which is really annoying to me. I am thankful that I have an amazing family to help. This is what helped me to get my highs on my tests for my second surgery. You just have to keep on keeping on.

Just know that we have resources out there.

NORD (national Organization of Rare Diseases) can help you if you need financial help on getting diagnosed.

www.cushingstories.com  is a great site for those who want to see Blogs, Videos, and Personal Stories of people who are dealing or have dealt with Cushing’s before.

http://www.cushings-help.org/ is a great site to learn about Cushing’s and research answers.

And please feel free to always write me at Cushingscountrygirl@gmail.com and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

 I don’t always talk about Cushing’s but it’s good to have that knowledge too! It was a huge part in my life for so many years. Thankfully I am now forever in remission. I just still want to be able to help people get diagnosed because for some it can take up to 6-8 years. I want to help you so it goes so much faster! I am here to help too if you ever need it! This is me now Cushings free. Love, Ro

Have to VS Get to

Is this how your day starts? mental notes, I have to get the kids to school, have to prepare for two meetings and finish a report at work, then I have to pick up the dry cleaning (ok I just threw that in cause it makes me laugh....I don't have dry cleaning), then I have to pick up the kids from school, make dinner, finish (6) loads of laundry, read that book club book, make the children lunches, make them brush their teeth and get them in bed on time because they both have field trips tomorrow (crap they needed sack lunches.....).  I have so much to do! constantly! We all do, drink the 120 ounces of water we need, make homemade meals, send balanced food for lunches, work, get exercise the list never ends really.  Are we stressing ourselves out more by how we talk to ourselves?  Look at your list again, what if we say we "get to" instead of "have to"?
I get to take my kids to school (this is the start of their day, I get to be sweet, encouraging or embarrassing as necessary)
I get to work, I have a job that helps pay the bills, it may come up short but I have it and most days it brings me joy, how lucky am I?
I get to pick up the kids from school, I get to ask them about their day and hear the best stories
I get to make dinner, I get to chose what I offer to go in their mouths to nourish their heart, their brain, and their bodies. And yes they get to complain about what is offered.
I get to have an excuse to sit down and fold laundry
I get to read a book that was recommended by a friend and I get to discuss the said book with friends
I get to teach the kids that routines like brushing teeth are important in life and I get to call them out on dragon breath if they don't ( I can only say that to one of mine the other is too sensitive)
I get to hear about those field trips...just recently " We got lost in a corn maze it was the best experience of my life"
I get to exercise, thank goodness I have the ability.
I get to do life, I get to experience busyness and calm.
Try changing " I have to" to "I get to"  I guarantee it feels so much better to think of the all the things you get to do versus have to do.                             -Lo



This is such a great way of thinking for sure! I get to make beef stew for a family dinner.:) Love, Ro

Light in the sky (Lantern Festival)

If you want to see something that thousands of people go to and it lights up the sky then the Lantern Festival is for you! My husband turned 43 and I wanted to do something really spectacular for his birthday. This was something I had seen in the years past posted and wanted us to be able to see it for ourselves. It was beyond amazing!

First, we got there and there are hundreds of fire pits that you can go and sit around to roast marshmallows that came in your kit. We walked around and around and decided to be more by the band that was playing while we waited for darkness to fall. I finally found a spot that looked halfway open and a lady with a kind face. So we decided to sit down there. As soon as we sat down the lady with the kind face said " Aren't you Lo's best friend?" I just was like uhm YES! lol. Comes to find out she is a good friend of Lo's also who is in her book club. What a small world since Lo and I live 5 hours away from each other. It was nice to sit with someone who knows someone at least. We started to make stuff on our lanterns that would soon go up in the air. I just laughed because I am so not an artist and then there is my husband all creative and crap! Geesh! One of the many reasons why I married him ha!

As it started to get dark we were rather excited as it was time to do the lanterns. They did a countdown with some amazing music in the background. Once everything went up into the sky it was so glorious! Just an awesome thing to see in real life. I could see the huge smile on my husbands face that really showed how much he liked it. He even got sang happy birthday too. My husband was pretty sure that all these thousands of people came out just for his birthday which cracked me up. If you ever have a chance to see something like this I would suggest you go. It was pretty spectacular. This happened over a week ago but I had so many pictures that I just had to pick my favorite ones. Hopefully, just by these pictures, you can see how wonderful it was. Let me tell you thought it was much more perfect in real life. So....here are the pictures of my husbands 43rd birthday celebration. He somehow is going to have to come up with something even better for my birthday which I think isn't possible. It was just so amazing!Love, Ro

ryan with his artwork

3...2...1... countdown

getting ready to let mine go

I so should have gone! that looks gorgeous!!! and fun-Lo

Pumpkin Season Everything but not PSL!

I know I have said this but I love Fall, especially October!  It's the weather, I love snuggling under the covers in the morning because the windows were open all night.  I love needing that blanket on the sofa while you read a book, I love crisp, crackling fires, and I love the season for baking and cooking.  Sunday is my fun cooking and baking day (when I can.)  Today (and its 2pm as I type this) I have baked pumpkin muffins with a cream cheese addition, banana muffins with a hint of coffee and cooked a pot of pumpkin chili *.  I also have egg-free pumpkin muffin batter ready to be cooked.  I lot of pumpkin you might think? well yes, I even purchased the dogs' pumpkin dog food today....what's funny is, I don't like PSL much at all, the smell, the taste, not a PSL fan....but I am a fan of PSL season, different pumpkins of all shapes, sizes, and colors, the house smelling of baked goods, warmth, and love.

Yes, the kitchen is the heart of the home.  I pour a lot of love into that area of my home and my life and it feeds my loved ones and that makes me happy.
Fall just seems like such a great time to gather, to be reminded of what we love and who we love and bring them closer.   What is your favorite fall recipe? or tradition?  I have included links to the recipes for the above-baked goods, that I may have tweaked but are in no way my own.

Pumpkin chili doesn't taste like pumpkin but flavorful, nutritious and a great color, add some cayenne for spice!

https://www.skinnytaste.com/crockpot-turkey-white-bean-pumpkin/


Banana muffins, both kids loved! I used flax to make egg free

https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/banana_nut_muffins/

Pumpkin muffins; made an egg-free batch with flax

https://lovelylittlekitchen.com/best-ever-pumpkin-muffins/

*Some Sundays I cook nothing and feel like I get nothing done, this was a great Sunday for me, the kind I aspire to have not my every Sunday   -Lo


Oh I love me a PSL but man pumpkin muffins sound amazing! Who knew they had dog food! That is so neat! And good for them. Love, Ro

No Egg Cookie Dough Recipe

This Cookie Dough Recipe is AMAZING for those of you who like to just EAT it without baking it. This one is the one I make for my family because its egg-less so I don't have to worry about contamination and I can make it for Lo's family when I visit because my Lil girly girl is allergic to eggs. Its super simple and great to do with children! You can leave it in a container up to 5 days and its fresh. This is not for baking. Just for eating that raw cookie dough that I know my husband loves so I try to make it often. Enjoy!

Recipe:


1/4 cup sugar (granulated)
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 1/4 cups flour
12 Tbsp unsalted butter (room temp)
2 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt (I like pink salt)
3/4 cup miniature chocolate chips.


Mix all of this together. I like to use my kitchen-aid but you can do it by hand also. Its super simple. Keep in a closed container for up to 5 days. Eat out of the bowl or roll them into balls for easy access. My family loves it! Enjoy! Comment if you tried this recipe or what you would add? Love to hear from you! Remember this isn't for baking its just for eating.
                                                                                   Love, Ro

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Parenting Teens

I have four teenagers. Well had four teenagers to be specific. Right now all four of my kids are between the ages of 18-20. I remember very vividly though when I had a 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grader all at the same time. It was stressful and joyful all at the same time. Here are some of the tips that I think are very important in raising a teenager. Was I perfect all the time? Probably not. I do think though that if you can commit to these it really helps.

Family Time. This is a huge one. With our busy lives and having four teenagers at the same time all in sports or activities, it was hard to have family time. We made it happen though. One huge thing we did was always eat dinner together as a family, not in front of the television. This really helped because we were able to know more of what was going on in their days, what was going on in school and even some tattling on each other (which was beneficial to us sometimes ha). It also helped to connect us all together. As you can imagine our table was pretty full especially if grandma or any of their friends were there for dinner. It would get LOUD sometimes but its something I think my kids will always remember and hopefully do for their families.

Showing Affection. I do this a lot. My teens are pretty affectionate too because of it. We are huggers for sure. I hug all my kids almost daily. I think its good for them. Sometimes because they are like "really mom?" I just hug a little longer till they sigh and just hug back. I think secretly they are happy that someone is loving on them daily. My husband is pretty good about that too. He is more of the wrestler with them but they love that too. We always say I love you to them when they leave the house or before they go to bed. Its important that they know through a huge growing time in their lives that their parents always love them. We do this so much that it doesn't become a problem when they are with their friends because it's so normal to them.

My oldest hugging me

Jackson and Josh Hugging

Speaking of friends. We get to know their friends and family. Might sound strict but they are not allowed at friends houses that we don't know. With it being a small town of 250 people that isn't the hardest thing. IF we feel iffy about their friends then we have them bring them to our house instead of them going to theirs. Might seem a little more to do but definitely better, in the long run, to know what they are up too.

Have rules and consequences. I think you have to be pretty clear about what you expect but also have to be reasonable too. We were pretty relaxed on some things and very strict on others. Our kids knew what we would do vs what we wouldn't do. Like if they wanted a friend to spend the night they weren't allowed to ask us in front of the friend so we can make up our mind without being pushed to do it because their friend was standing there. Our kids weren't allowed to go to parties that had drinking in it. The parent had to be there and it had to be a person who we knew and trusted if they were going to a social gathering. Soon our kids wouldn't even ask because they knew who we trusted or maybe didn't feel comfortable with. Just be clear on what the rules were so its easier on the teenager to know what they can and can't do. We had definite consequences also. For instance, maybe we would say that they couldn't do something and if they did that this or that would happen. We would follow through with it also. So they knew that if they did this or that what they would be having to deal with later.

only these two would pick the smallest pumpkins :)

Having teenagers can be a trying time for sure. Especially when you have four at once. I will say though I was scared of this phase in life. It could be rough at some small increments of it but mainly it went really well. I think that I will miss this phase actually. This was a phase where the teens really speak their mind more. They are so funny at this age. They are learning about themselves and learning about who they are becoming. It's amazing to watch! This definitely was one of my favorite stages of my kids' lives. Now I am watching them grow into adults. They don't have restrictions they had before. All the decisions are theirs to have now. It's nice to see them still showing affection and missing family time. They all have good friends and are seeing now more of WHY we did what we did as they were growing up. This next phase of life is going to be another good one. I can't wait to see.                                                                       Love, Ro

*sometimes I wonder why I wanted more and reading this makes me know why -Lo

Ten Things You Dont Know About US

Lo and I want you to get to know us better. So here are ten things each you don't know about us. Only super good friends would.

Ro-

1. My father passed away when my mom was pregnant with me. I was named after my father.
2.  My love language is words of affirmation. So I love to tell people how wonderful they are.
3. I have hyper pigmentation from having Addison's and look tan but I am not.
4. I have a transgender child and I love him for being him. 
5. I make bath bombs for the store in my community. I love baths. Like LOVE baths.
6. I have traveled to 24 countries and want to go to a 25th this summer.
7. Live every moment, Laugh every day, Love beyond words is my favorite quote ever.
8. I would love to be apart or do a pod cast sometime in my life.
9. I used to have a YouTube about my family.
10. I have saved over 40 plus animals in 5 years. People in my town call me Farmer Ro lol.

      1.  Lo hated this post cause she has nothing to share that isn't too private or is in anyway                           interesting.

      2. I love fresh flowers in the house, peonies, lilacs, chamomile, I just love to walk into a room                  with flowers!

      3.  I want to travel more, I'm pretty easy going want a companion?

      4. Pepsi is a comfort food ( trying to realize it's the first 3 sips that do it and not have more)

      5.  I love to dance, in the kitchen, in the car, it's just fun

      6. I give strong hugs, you'll know you have been hugged by me

      7.  I love the smell of puppy breath!

      8.  eight, eight I forgot what eight was for ( I like the violent femmes, it's a lyric)

      9.  I love to drive with the sunroof open and the heater on my feet at night......magical

      10.  dark chocolate is better than milk (so much so that chocolate cake or cheesecake isn't worth                 eating!)
-Lo
I love it when I force Lo to do something she doesn't want to do and look at all the wonderful things that came out anyways! Love, Ro