I've Been Tagged!

I've been Tagged by Crazy Mama and Cheffie Mom and I am finally getting around to doing it!

I have been procrastinating cause I can't seem to think straight lately!My mind is numb here! Do you think having kids kills your brain cells? It seems like the more I have the less I can focus and remember things anymore! Bummer.

OK..On to business.

1. One of my favorite smells is the smell of pine sol! When I was younger I loved coming home to a spotless house and that smell after the maids had been there! Now we didn't have maids very often and being in a family of 8 kids it tends to get messy as you can imagine, so whenever I'd come through the doors and smell that smell I would know the maids had been there and it was always a treat! To this day I love that smell especially if I am lucky enough to have maids of my own come to clean.

2. I love to break out into a song or a dance and it is even better if I can get my kids to join me! I love Grace cause she is always up for it! I'll say Gracie girl..show me how you can shake your thing. And she will! She loves it. Now If I am dancing and I say Bailey check it out..do you love my bootilicious butt shake? She gets a disgusted look on her face and says ughh mom stop it I DO NOT love it! Hehe! Lighten up girl! Luckily I can get her to rock out with me sometimes and it is even funner when I can get the older ones to! The other day Zach and I were in the car and Marvin Gaye came on and we were both dancing and other cars were looking at us and we were crackin up! I love it! I think I get it from my mother, so maybe my kids will get that from me and they can pass the love on to their kids too!

3. I have to have presents under the Christmas tree! Ok, selfish I am sure, but my husband one year was saying we are broke this year so I don't think you or I should get anything for Christmas! I was devastated! It felt like he was saying he didn't love me anymore! I don't know why but it is important to me that he gets me presents and actually puts the time and thought into it.

I look back at growing up and the years when we were broke. I never felt like we were. We didn't get tons of stuff but I always got just what I wanted and it was magical. Now It's not the value of the gift I am looking for or the materialism..I just want that special Christmas feeling!

4. I have always wanted a big family~always! (be careful what you wish for Ü) When I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up I said a mother! I actually wanted 8 or 9 kids, a station wagon with all the kids in it yelling and a dog with it's head hanging out the window. Seriously..I can remember wanting this! Weird I know but I do love having a big family. The blessings far outweigh the challenges!

5. I do not make friends easy. I am weird as heck when I am around people I don't know. It is like my brain has a brain fart and I can't think rationally! I say things and afterward I think what the heck? Why did I say that? I often joke I'd rather visit a proctologist than have to go to a new ward at church or meet new people! I am just socially retarded until I feel comfortable around them! It takes me months! Sometimes longer!I have a few really wonderful friends and I often wonder how they got over my weirdness to became good friends! I am grateful for them!

6. I love to laugh but don't do it much anymore! I am not sure when I became so serious! I used to be much more lighthearted. I need to get back there! When I was in a Bunko group I would come home from a evening of laughing and fun and my cheeks would actually be cramping and hurting from laughing so much and I'd think man I need to smile more and have fun! I need to lighten up!

7.I feel like a hot mess most of the time. I am not a great mother, great housewife, not as organized, not as slim, not as diligent, not as spiritual etc etc. I have been really hard on myself and often compare myself to others as I think alot of women do. I have been trying to counterbalance that by reminding myself what I am good at! I am a good wife who loves her husband fiercely, I am a good mom who may not be perfect but is really trying and feels blessed to have her kids, I have a love of God, and of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am a good friend, and so on. I am trying to recognize more of what is good and hopefully change what is not one step at a time. It is obviously the theme of my life right now however that goes with the territory of where I am at for now!I think that is part of the process of being a mom and of growing emotionally and spiritually!

OK.. So do ya think I am freaky? Not so bad right?? Sorry ladies it took me so long to accept your challenge of the tag! But hey~ I did it!!

So.. I am going to pass the love along I tag~~

My sisters! Shelli, Juli, Janeal, Suzanne, Dani,Kristi, and Cari..I want to hear from you!

What's Up With That??

I just have to ask yo~ what's up with everyone saying I cheated. Y'all suck! Am I such a freakin hot mess you thought I cheated? Hmm sisters... who needs them? Ok, I do... But seriously!

My pics were all a matter of perspective. I am going to show the super, super ugly now just to show you how clever I am.. and Dani so help me if I have a Cathy Church moment over this...I KNOW WHERE TO FIND YOU!!! I think you know what I mean! I know someone somewhere will be talking smack about me over this. What the crap.

Ok, I am so bad at keeping a clean house. I have six kids folks and it is not easy. Plus I just plain stink at it. Here's how I stack up with it.

My kitchen~ It is clean most of the time..I can't stand to have it out of control. The floors usually need to be mopped but the rest of the kitchen is usually ok. It never goes more than a day without being done. dishes and all. I love to cook and my life feels out of control if my kitchen is out of control.

My Family Room~ It is a disaster about 3-4 times a day, but We pick it up every day over and over. At any given time it could be spotless or look like a bomb went off. Just depends on what time I tackled it that day.

My Bathrooms~ Hardly do them. Kids get that job. Hannah had bathrooms this past week and has not done a good job. Heck she barely did them.

My bedroom~ is usually a freaking mess, but I stayed up until 3 am the other night cleaning it and my closets. The ac went out upstairs and I won't have anyone in my house until it is clean, and the unit for the ac is in my closet. See, my closet was clean cause I had to have it so I could get my ac fixed!

Living room~ Mostly clean 98% of the time

Girls room~ Disaster daily. even a hour after I clean it

Toy room~ Disaster daily. We clean it, they dump out all toys moments later

My carpets are what get me the most. I don't even invite people over because I am too embarrassed by how sick they are. Stained and nasty, nasty. They were sick to begin with and my kids have added to the sickness! Sherri, once I work up the courage, I'll have you over for a bbq and swim Ü

I wish I were more like these women with perfect houses and perfect looking kids etc, but I don't think it is in my makeup. As hard as I try, I just can't seem to get there. My kids look like ragamuffins. They prefer the panties with boots look and who am I to argue? Tony likes that look too! Just kidding!

I do let them pick out what they want to wear and if we are not going anywhere, what do I care if they don't match or don't want to wear clothes when it's hot? I think I need to be more on the ball. I look back at my mom struggling to keep a clean house with 8 kids, and I feel bad we didn't help her out more when I was younger. Her house is perfect now, so I have high hopes one day mine will be too! I have gotten better over the years but there are just some things I am not good at!

Ok~ here is my proof I didn't cheat you boogers.

So, when taking the pic of the bathroom I stood at the door to do it. I didn't come in. Perspective, yep, perspective. What you didn't see was what I am posting today. The cleaning glove in the sink, The counters not wiped down, and the best part is next to the trash. Hannah hid everything in this corner so I wouldn't see it. clothes, dishes(umm why are there dishes in the bathroom?), toys, and yes trash. See, filthy bathroom, I just aimed my camera so you didn't see it so much. So, humiliated again... there you go!!

Oh, and just for kicks and a ego boost for some of you I'm gonna throw in a pic of the WORST room in the whole house right now. The toy room!!!! We put a mattress in there cause it is cooler in there for the girls and instead of sleeping once again they dumped all the toys!

I accept that I am a work in progress but am inpatient wanting to have a clutter free clean house.

Does anyone else out there struggle to keep their house clean?

Do you feel inferior when you are unsuccessful?

How do you stay motivated?

Do you feel a clean house is reflection of who you are?

And...why do you think for some people it comes easy? Are they born that way? Is it nature or nurture?I couldn't even begin to imagine being so on top of it!

SIGGHHH

The Photo Tag

Yikes!!! Julia You suck and I say that with love my friend Ü

She tagged me for this photo tag and I have accepted the challenge. I might even put a few of you to shame! Watch out folks!!

Oh yeah~ for those of you with weak stomachs, stop now, do not go any further. Walk away my friends, just walk away..



The only rules for this is that you have to post a photo of each of these things and you CANNOT clean before you take the photo! Why the hell am I doing this??? Oh yeah, I forgot it's fun...


Ok let the games begin~



1. Your dream vacation~Playa Del Carmen Mexico. Tony and I went to Xhel-ha a ecological preserve just outside Playa Del Carmen and went snorkeling there. We then went to the ruins of Tulum. I am dying to take my kids there with me someday! They would so love it!























2. A self portrait~ I was trying for a myspace-esque type of photo! I think I look pretty hot! I am one sexy beast!!

3. what are your kids doing now?

Rachelle and her friend Maddy are in the kitchen baking cupcakes, brownies, and taking turns reading the twilight book

Bailey is eating the goods as quick as Rachelle and Maddy bake them.

Ethan is snoozing in his high chair after a big meal!

Hannah and her friend Jessica are watching TV

Zachary is hiding from me. Claims I am mental since I started blogging

Grace is being a pain in the butt and refusing to take off her swimsuit from swimming earlier today!!


Umm Tony is technically not a child, just acting like one

4. Fav shoes~ These are super comfy and hide my sick looking toes! Holy crap, how come nobody told me I was getting canckles? Sheesh. Thanks alot!

5. Fav Room~ My family room. It is the room everyone gathers. I like it when I am cooking and everyone is in the family room and kitchen and we are talking and having fun. Also love when the family sits down to watch so you think you can dance, and the three little ones dance, and we critic the dance moves. Very fun.Even bratty teenagers aren't so bratty then!

6. Bathrooms~This is where it starts to get rough folks. Pretty disgusting. Hey, at least there are no floaters in the pic! Plus I HAVE been out of town for a week. Ok, ok, it is pretty sick even when I am home. I freaking hate cleaning bathrooms. Oh my! Now you need to prepare yourself for the next pic. And if you can't say something nice...stuff it!
7. WHAM!!! The Laundry Room~

Holy freaking sickness!! I told you I was working on it. And I swear before I left for Utah you could see the floor., Just not so much now! Oh, and see all the detergent bottles? They ARE empty, just need to be thrown away. See I am doing laundry.. just not my fav thing. Don't you just find a quick trip to Target easier than having to go in THERE for clothes???
8. Ok, Now I will go a little easier on you and let you all calm down

My closet~ not so bad.. and yes those are dirty clothes in the laundry baskets, but enough with that already right?

9. The Fridge~ Bad, but not horrifying. Oh I forgot I had that diet coke in there from McD's. wonder if it's flat now or still good...hmm..
10. Last but not least The sink~ Well, Rachelle has the kitchen this week and she has done pretty good, just not great. She hasn't been washing the big pots so I gotta get on her! Oh, she has the pine sol out~~ Maybe she will mop too! She said she would. Keep your fingers crossed!!!!

So my dear friends and family.. horrified yet? Like I say, Somehow I manage to be horrifying yet delightful all at once. I guess it's a talent of mine!

Who's brave out there? Ready to take the challenge and be tagged? This is for all of my friends and family. Who's brave enough?? C'mon you know you want to share...