Busted!!!

My boys feel like they need to help me with EVERYTHING. Vacuuming, sweeping, opening mail, writing, making up the bed, cooking, baking, and doing laundry, the list goes on.. I'm hoping that they NEVER lose this attribute and will continue helping their mother well into their adulthood.
To illustrate, here are Preston and Parker, helping me with the laundry. (Was help needed at the moment? Absolutely not! Was I EVEN doing the laundry? No! Does the look on Preston's face look like he got BUSTED! Definitely!)
I actually think Parker is putting clean clothes in the washing machine! I guess I can't complain if they are trying to help!


Here are some extremely random pictures of Preston and me. I rarely take pictures of myself, (EVER) and I figured you all would want to see my beautiful face (since this is MY blog!) Enjoy! :)

I am counting down....

to December 12th!


When I found out about Twilight by Stephenie Meyers, I had heard such rave reviews that when I actually read the books, I was some what disappointed. The novels were really good, I couldn't put them down, I finished all of them in less than a week, ( Ben was getting VERY annoyed! Nothing was getting done around the house. He banned me from reading for one whole day even!) but it was more of the fact that I kept waiting to find out why everybody loved them so much. I think I was expecting some AMAZING novel. I need to read them again, because the more I think about it, the more I really liked the novels. And that leads me to the reason why I CAN'T wait until December: the movie comes out. I was looking at the Twilight Movie website today, and I got SOOO excited! Seeing the pictures of the actors and actresses........
Oooooo....it's gonna be good! :)

so you think you can dance?

I watch very few tv shows. For one thing, we have basic basic cable. (I watch a LOT of Food Network) For another thing, there is never anything good on. But at 4pm, you can bet the I turn on Oprah. It's my little "treat" if I have everything done, and dinner is in the oven. Last week, the champions from "Dancing with the Stars" were on. It was awesome. Parker even seemed to think so! :) He's got some moves:

Parker was CRACKING me up! I tried to get more footage, and I have it in short spurts, but these were my funniest clips!

He's saying, "Mambo, mambo, mambo..." or something close to it! What a crazy kid!

And yes, he is only wearing a diaper. I can't believe I am letting my son run around without clothes on. I never thought I would see the day......

WARNING!!!! VERY AMUSING PHOTOS.....

and I can't believe I am posting them. But there is a method to my madness. Today is my birthday, and I happened to be digging through old photos, and came across these from one of my birthdays. I'm not sure if it was my 12th or 13th birthday (Pam and Penny help me out here....), Beth and Chad came and picked us up and we drove to Jackson. We saw a moose, who had been hit, (who was also peeing. Okay, so the things you remember!).We also stopped and got "square ice cream cones." Bubble gum, of course! I think Chad is still disappointed that the scoop was square, not the cone!!!

I can't believe how young we look. How fast time flies....

Twins?

When Ben and I went to the mall last week, we were stopped by someone who asked us if we had twins, referring to Preston in the stroller and Parker standing up in the back. Granted they both had matching shirts on, but come on, twins?





















I went the the Children's Museum today with my friends, the Allens'. It was a lot of fun. There is so much for the kids to do, I guess that is why they call it a "children's museum!" Aside from the fact that Parker felt like he was able to have free reign of the whole place! I was chasing after him pretty much the entire time! We were so exhausted after we came home (we made a quick stop to see Ben at the fire station) we crashed for 2 hours!
I asked Parker what he did today, and he said, "Motorcycle.....Fire Truck....Bus....Blocks." I guess that explains everything we did!
He is growing up so much...talking so much. Each day it suprises me so much more of what he does, says, and comprehends. It is so amazing!

Preston Joseph

as you can see, preston is a "pro" at crawling...but look-ey here:

it won't be long! :)

thursday nights

are scrapbooking nights. About a year and a half ago, we started an enrichment activity once a month where we would get together and scrapbook. We had quite a few sisters come. We really wouldn't get anything done, but it was nice to get out of the house and have adult conversation. To make a long story short, there are three regulars now that make it to scrapbooking: me, my sister pam, and a new member in our ward-chancy. It would be nice if more people came. We now scrapbook once a week. Two of us. Three of us. Sometimes just me. Thursday nights are the nights that I am able to set aside time to have some "me" time. I don't worry about scrapping any other days of the week. (Believe me, I wish I could find more time to do it!) Slowly, Parker and Preston's scrapbooks are getting filled, and I LOVE the accomplishment I feel when I finish a layout. It's definitely my "outlet". At least I have something to show for it! :)

Here are my reasons why I "need" my own scrapbooking room:

1. Bigger Table (my OWN table) so I can have room to move

2. I deserve it! (well, maybe not, but I would like to think so!)

3. Sqishy peaches. (Last night I stepped on peaches from Parker's dinner! Eww!)

4. Squishy green beans. (Also from dinner last night, from Preston)

5. I think #3 and #4 are reason enough! :)

pink paper? where is my pink paper?

do i OWN any pink paper? oh yeah, i forgot! i live in a house full of boys. boys+scrapbooking=all boyish paper. aka blue, green, and any other color that i can find that will look "suitable" for a boy's page.
only problem is, when it comes time for me to do something "girlie", i can't find any paper. errgg! luckily, i was able to scrounge up some, and wa la...this is what i came up with:

i wanted to make some valentine goodies for some of my friends. of course, i waited until the last minute! but where is the fun if you don't procrastinate? i made the ULTIMATE best brownies in the whole entire world.

(i'll even post the recipe, because you HAVE to make these!) i had to shoo ben out of the kitchen today. he was on a cooking frenzy for some reason, and made some banana bread, and chocolate chip cookies. they turned out pretty dang good, too! my man can bake! :)

to answer deanna's question about scrapbooking, i love love love paper scrapbooking. i have thought about digi scrapping, but i haven't gotton into it yet. for one thing, i don't have any computer programs to help me out. (hint hint: my birthday is coming up and i would LOVE photoshop! ). i love creating, and most times i suprise myself about the pages i come up. i had so much fun making these valentine's day goodie bags!

today was so much fun with the boys. this was the last day of ben's four days off. his amazing fireman schedule is: 24 hours on, 24 hours off, 24 hours on, 24 hours off, 24 hours on, 4 days off! :) i have really enjoyed this past 4 day break! we have been playing a lot of basketball. (parker got a hoop for christmas, we raised it up to 6 feet, and have been playing HORSE). we went to the mall. and for 2 days, we have stayed home!

preston is such a ham! when parker was this age, he did the same thing. they both love the camera! i just LOVE

preston's teeth! he is such a happy, content little boy!

here is my recipe for the brownies! yummy! (and yes, there are 3 stick of butter in it! and 5 eggs. just DON'T eat them all yourself, even though you may be tempted too!)

i got this recipe from someone's blog...i'm not sure when, or where!

MARSHMALLOW BROWNIES:

4 oz. UNSWEETENED chocolate
1 cup butter
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 TBSP vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9"x13" pan. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the unsweetened chocolate and the butter being careful not to scorch the chocolate. Take pan off the heat and mix in the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat until well combined. (I literally mix it right in the saucepan!) Stir in the flour. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, just until set. A toothpick inserted in the middle will still have moist crumbs attached.
When there are 10 minutes left on the baking time, make the frosting.
FROSTING:
2 oz. UNSWEETENED chocolate
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 package powdered sugar
2 cups mini marshmallows
In a large saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate and the butter. Remove from heat and immediately beat the egg and vanilla into the chocolate mixture. (This will cook your egg.) Add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Then stir in the marshmallows. If the frosting gets too thick, add a TBSP of milk or return it to the heat until it melts just a bit. Spread the warm frosting over the hot brownies when they come out of the oven. Let cool on rack for about 30 minutes, and then put the pan in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight. These brownies must be cold to cut or you'll have a sticky mess. That's it!! As simple as it gets, and soooo much better than a box mix. :)

Ben.....

I have been tagged by Deanna. So, here are some things you may not know about Ben.

My amazingly cute husband as a fireman. My handsome boys....

Very very cheese-y!

I married a redneck! :) And now I have redneck children!!!

NEVER a dull moment with Ben!!

WHAT IS HIS NAME: Claston Benjamin Lineberry, Jr.

HOW LONG HAVE WE BEEN MARRIED: 5 years on June 3rd. (Holy Cow!!)

HOW LONG DID WE DATE: We met December 1st, engaged on February 28th, and married on June 3, 2003
WHO SAID I LOVE YOU FIRST: Ben did, the day I had surgery on my knee.

WHO IS TALLER: Ben (6'4")

WHO SINGS BETTER: Neither? Well, I guess Ben. I can lip sing REALLY good!

WHO'S SMARTER: That depends. I never would have thought Ben to be as smart as he is! (In a good way!)WHO PAYS THE BILLS: I normally do. But I am TERRIBLE about mailing things off, so normally we are running last minute to Farm Fresh to pay them there!

WHO SLEEPS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BED: If you're looking at the ceiling, I do! Plus, Ben gets up at night and brings Preston to me. How great is that?
WHO MOWS THE LAWN: Ben does. He take care of all of the outside chores. And he does an awesome job, too! Last year he was in the Fire Academy, and didn't have time. But this year, our yard is gonna be NICE! :)

WHO COOKS DINNER: Ben does. He is an awesome cook, and loves doing it. I'm getting better at cooking...but I love, love, love, to bake!
WHO DRIVES: Ben always drives when we are both in the car. Except when I am prego and get very car sick....yuck.

WHO'S MORE STUBBORN: Umm.....I don't think either of us are stubborn??!

WHO KISSED WHO FIRST: Ben kissed me first. We had only known each other for 4 days, and he layed one on me. Completely took me by suprise! I was the first girl he kissed!

WHO ASKED WHO OUT FIRST: Umm... that's a toughy. I sought him out in the family ward. He had only been home from his mission a month. My sister told me there was a really cute RM in her ward. I went, saw him, couldn't believe how cute he was, and invited him to the First Presidency Christmas Devotional at the stake center that night. He came, and after that, we saw each other almost everyday until we got married.

WHO PROPOSED: Ben--he came and picked me up from class, and took me to Wal-Mart to get my paycheck. (Yes, I worked at Wal-Mart.) We were walking to the back, and I noticed the flip-flops were already out. (it was February) As I was looking at them, Ben told me too look on a higher shelf, and right there, situated between some flip flops, was the engagement ring. He then got down on one knee and proposed. Kinda cheesy, but he was so excited to give me the ring. He had other proposals in mind, but couldn't wait any longer.
WHO HAS MORE SIBLINGS: Me. 7 sisters, 2 brothers. Ben has 2 sisters.

WHO WEARS THE PANTS IN THE FAMILY: We are pretty equal. :)

I am so lucky

to have my brother-in-law Matt close by to practice his photography! He does such an amazing job taking photos of my boys. When he was on his 6 month deployment, I felt so lost...I was the one supposed to be taking "amazing" photos of them, and that didn't quite happen. That was Preston's first 6 months of life, too. (When babies seem to change so much everyday.) Well, thank goodness he is back, and in the mean time, taking amazing pictures like these:
Thanks, Matt, for all you do. You (and Pam) are the best!

Such Silly Boys.....

That's right. I am admitting it. My boys are pretty dang silly. They crack me up. Parker, especially. What a nut! He loved putting on his "Mr. Potato Head" glasses. Don't ask why! Preston can't get enough of Parker, he's always following him around the house.

Alexander and the

Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad, Day! That pretty much sums up my day today. I don't know why naptime has to be a constant battle...but it is. Preston is crying so Parker won't take a nap.I finally get Preston asleep, and Parker refuses to take a nap. Then Parker is crying. And Preston wakes up from his nap, early, and then Parker and Preston are BOTH cranky because neither of them get a nap. Errgg! And it only 3 o'clock!

But....I was able to try out a new recipe! It actually turned out pretty yummy, too! I got the recipe from Beth almost 2 years ago, and never tried it...and thought today would be the day. (go figure.) Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies. And come to find out, I don't think she has EVER made them! But, I doctored them up a bit with frosting, and they do taste pretty yummy. One word, foamy. How can a cookie taste foamy? I don't know, but this one does. But in a good way.

So, thank you, Beth, for the recipe.

The Best Christmas Present EVER!

I was going through some old files last night, and I came across a present that I got from my brother Matt back in 2001. I just HAD to share it with all of you. Really, Matt is pretty much the coolest brother EVER! And this is probably the coolest present I have ever recieved. One that I will never get rid of:

This is how he gave it to me, in an old envelope, with his address scribbled out....

Dear Kate, Dec 11, 2001
While at work I was thinking about a present to get you for Christmas and I decided it should be something original, something I hadn’t given you before. The thought crossed my mind that I hadn’t ever written you a letter. I don’t write many letters. “Matt, you’re a genius,” I thought. “You can write Kate a letter—it’s inexpensive, easy, and all together original.” After all, who’s ever heard of a letter for a Christmas present? My conscience got the better of me and I decided this could be jus t a part of the present this Christmas. So, without further ado, here is your amazing Christmas present. Read on, if you dare. You can share it with others or keep it for yourself, whichever you deem appropriate.
Dear Kate,
How are you? I am fine. I like to ride horses. My favorite color is green. My best friend said I should join the circus. How old are you? What is the name of your frog? Do cats have ears? How about bats? I know a man named Curdle Hoger. He likes to borrow money. Blankets are warm. When they are wool. And thick. My doctor said that I am not to poke sharp objects in my ears anymore. What’s a sharp object? Sometimes I get a funny feeling in my stomach. After I eat glue. I can wiggle my ears. I like ears. Ears are alright. Dogs make funny noises. Sometimes. Like when they are chasing armadillos, Or eating peanut butter......
At this point in the letter, I think I shall switch modes to a style more acceptable to general society as a whole. Society like poets, so I shall become a poet.
Dearest Kate within whom yonder calls
Oh, how I wish words weren’t necessary
to describe the joy at which the meadow
becomes the meadowlark
It is at this point, my dear, that
Nuclear Power, its resonant head striking
forward, becomes at peace with me
and my immortal soul—gesturing wildly
with innocent abandon, smelling slightly
fish like with no room for eggplant.
Kate, oh Kate, oh Kate, God shed his
grace on thee.......
Speaking of thee, at this point in the letter, the author would like to once again switch literary styles. He would now like to speak in the form of a biblical scholar. Hold tight.
Deareth Kate,
verse 1 Thy Lord hath given thee but one promise—If though listen to my
workeths, thou shalt giveth thy brother one half of all thou maketh.
Foreth example, Thy Lord sayeth, If thou receiveth Ten goats, thou shalt
giveth thy brother, he being the younger of thy brothers, five of said goats.
The same goes for money and jewelry too, yo. Heareth my word and
obeyeth me, sayeth thy Lord, else I will striketh thou down and cuteth off
thy fingers and feedeth them to thy goats. They I shalt smile in eternal
glee, for I am thy eternal protector. And if thy neighbor should have a
yard light which shineth all night, go to thy neighbor’s yard light and
smiteth it in the name of me, THY LORD>
verse 2 And it came to pass that the Lord was happy with Kate, for she did as she
was commanded. However, her brother was shivering in the cold, for he
had no goats for warmth at night. Thus, Kate went to her brother, he
being the younger, and gave him all of her money and cd’s. And the Lord
saw it and said, “It is good.” Also, Kate gave her brother a car. And a nice
watch. And some root beer. And the Lord smiled. Because he just had his
teeth cleaned. The end.

Love,
Matt

Kite Flying in February?

Who would ever imagine it being 80 degrees in February? It was SUCH a beautiful day today. I took the boys to the park this morning. We played for about 2 hours, came back home for naps, and when Ben got off work, we headed to Mt. Trashmore (yes, such a corny name, but it WAS once a trash dump! and it IS the highest point in Va Beach.)

It was so nice to let Parker get some fresh air and run around outside for a couple of hours. We brought Parker's little kite to fly.





Right now the windows are open! I CANNOT believe this weather. But, I am going to take advantage of it while it lasts....because it is February and it is Virginia, and it problaby won't last for long.

How is this for my very first blog? I think I like my new found addiction! :)