Its been awhile

It has been awhile since I have wrote in here.Us the Kraus's have been very occupied. The last time I updated was in August right before my surgery. Lets say my surgery was successful. I now have another diagnosis, but I am living and thats what matters.
We moved from Granite Falls, NC to Virginia Beach, VA. We are really enjoying it here. We have wonderful neighbors and friends. The kids have other kids to play with and I am loving what the military has to offer here.
Over this year of 2009, I have blossomed into a new person. I love the new me and so does my hubby ;) . I think once you know who you are as a woman and what you want in life, its alot easier to love yourself. Once you love yourself, its easier for people to love you. I am not afraid of myself and I let me be me.
Madison is 2 now. Well to be specific she is 2 years and 3 months. Chase is turning 4 in a couple of weeks. Our puppy Yogi, if not a pup anymore. He is 1 now. Harley our bird is still hanging in there. Harley is now 14 years old. Andy turns 27 this sunday. It is his "Golden Birthday".
The Holidays were great this year. In October we had some of my family come out and we took a trip to Washington DC which is only 3 hours from here. Thanksgiving, I had more of my family come out and we celebrated with family and friends. Christmas was just the four of us, and it was grand. Andy has duty tonight so he went to bed around 3pm on Christmas day. Poor guy. Now onto 2010.
Andy starts Weapons Training 35miles from here. He will be doing training the whole month of January. I will hardly see him, but at least he will be sleeping at home. Andy then goes on FEX for a couple of weeks in March/April. Then he deploys to Lithuania in June for 3-6 months. I am going to get the kids the "Hug a Hero" Doll. I take a picture of Andy in his working uniform and upload it to the website, they then make a doll out of the picture. They are really cute. That way the kids can hug, kiss and take the daddy doll anywhere.
Madison has been battling ear infections all of this year. She is going to see a ENT doctor for her ears in January to see what they are going to do about her ears. I feel so bad for her. Ear infections are painful, and I don't want her going through it anymore. She has had 5 already this year and the infection she has now she has had for over one month. Madison has gone through 3 different antibiotics and they still are not helping. We will see what the doctor says in January.
Well, thats all I am going to say for now. Here are some pictures to recap the last couple of months of 2009.

Busy Busy For The Next 10 Days

I thought last week was busy enough between my hospital and doctors vists. This coming week is going to be alot worse. Tomorrow I have a TON of errands to run. Taking our dog to the groomers at petsmart, and while we are there I am taking our bird in to get his nails clipped. I really do not want to drive all the way back home (about 20 mintues) to take the bird home while Yogi is getting groomed for 4 hours. I might have to and then drive all the way back and finish running my errands at Target, Party City and etc. until Yogi is done. I need to get one more gift for Miss Madison, do some grocery shopping, go to Party City to get some things for Maddy's birthday and I think there are a couple more places on my list while occupying my time while Yogi's groom visit is being taken care of.

The next day (September 1st) is my surgery. Laperoscopy and Cystoscopy. They doctors will be doing some procedures on my bladder and then some procedures in my abdomen and pelvic area. Taking biopsies, removing whatever they find and what not. I will be out completely with general anesthesia. I am REALLY nervous. I am a total worry wart when it comes to situations that are totally out of my control. Me being put out and not being able to breath on my own and not being able to know whats going on around me, much less in my body, is very mind bottling.
I am praying I wake up and do not die. I sound like a total freak, but I am scared and that is my life. I am the first patient of the day, so my doctor will hopefully be fresh and non-stressed with a full previous nights of sleep. I however have to wake up around 4am and leave around 5am to make it to the hospital by 5:30am-6am which is the time they want me there. I can not eat breakfast so I will have low blood sugar which makes me VERY crabby. My mom and grandmother are coming up the night before to stay with me. My grandmother will be staying with the kids while my mother takes me and stays with me at the hospital.
My doctor said the surgery will take about 1 hour and then I will be in recovery for a couple of hours. I am hope they find something that will explain my bladder and pelvic pain.
On top of all of that going on south in my body, I seem to have more health issues north in my body. I saw my neruologist. He said my reflexes were not good and because of my migraines on the left side of my head, they ordered me to have an MRI with contrast on my brain. Then he felt my thyroid and it hurt and it felt swollen, so he ordered a ultrasound on that and on my liver. I had 20 tubes NO JOKE of blood taken from me for testing. Since I am anemic, that didnt go so well. I had all of those tests done about 5 days ago, and when I called my doctors office the other day, they still have not recieved the results. So I HAVE to call tomorrow. Something must have been elevated in my bloodwork for my doc to order a liver ultrasound. I have fibromyalgia and arthritis so my nerves are always up in a roar. I am so glad I am on muslce relaxants at night. I truely sleep like a baby thanks to those pills.

Due to my surgery, I will be out for a couple of days. Which brings me to friday September 4th. That is the day my Hubby is home and mine for good. Well until his next deployment at Little Creek in VA. Which should be in the summer of next year. Hubby got us a house in Navy housing right outside the Little Creek Base. Excited about that. 3bedroom. I looked up the address on Google Earth and it looks nice. Back to Navy housing, thankgoodness. Paying utilites is stressful. We are moving September 9th. Our new place is only 6 hours from where we are at now. Hubby will be driving the U-Haul with our dog, while I follow in our van with the kids and the bird. We sleep at the Navy lodge that night and then we pick up our keys in the morning on the 10th.

Madison's birthday is 1 week from today. We will be having some friends over and family. A little get together, nothing big. Very quiet and calm.

Madison is talking ALOT. She almost has all of her teeth in. She REALLY wants to be potty trained. She will take off her pants/shorts, then her diaper and will squat on the floor and go potty. I packed the potty, thinking she woudln't be trained until 3 years of age like Chase. WRONG. So, I can't wait until we get to the new house so I can unpack the potty and get her started. The next step is getting her off of the binky. We took Chase's away at 2 and he only had 3 days of screaming and crying, then he was over it. Hoping the same for Maddy.

Chase is doing very well. He knows way too much for his age. He is showing ALOT of responsibility for being 3.5. The other day there was a mess of crackers made on the floor. Chase got out the Vaccum, plugged it in and cleaned up the mess along with vaccuming the whole upstairs without me asking him or showing him anything. Good kid.

That is our current update. Pray for me in my surgery. I will update again after we are all moved in, in our new house in Virginia Beach, Virginia! :)

Time is flying by...

It seems to be that time has just flown by way too FAST. It felt like we just moved into our house and now we are packing and moving out. I have held down this fort for 7 going on 8 months by myself, with hardly any help. Two kids and Two pets and taking care of my new handicap self. It has made me 50 times stronger. I feel like I could handle anything and accomplish anything. After 8 months of being here and finding my way around the East Coast the old fashion way, by stopping and asking for directions or using up all of my printer ink and using mapquest...I have finally purchased THE GARMIN gps.
My kids have been in tow with me wherever I go and I wouldn't have it any other way. I am thankful for the handicap huge public restrooms, because of the fact that I have to two toddlers in a bathroom while I am occupying it. Yuck, I still can't stand public restrooms, but when duty calls, you must surrender.
Running around town, going to doctors appointments and me seeing the obgyn isn't the idea of fun for toddlers, but they really have no idea whats going on anyways. Now when they are 6 or 7 and asking the obgyn doctor..."Whats that", then a sitter will need to be called. Right now I have no choice, Hubby is gone and family is not near.
Hubby came home for a nice 7 day visit at the beginning of July. He was home for our 4 year wedding anniversary and the 4th of July. We drove up to Inidiana-near michigan to visit Andy's whole family. It was a nice mini-vacation. I was very emotional saying goodbye to my other half. But I have this whole 5 bedroom house to pack, and I have to have it done by the 30th of August. I have to pack, touch-up and paint. In the meantime I have a stream of doctor and dental appoinments for all of us.

We are excited to be spending our next 4 years in Norfolk,VA. Curious as to what Andy's new command is going to be like and what their deployment schedule is. Andy thinks he won't be home for Christmas, but we are praying he is.

Here are a few pictures as a little update!

Of course my eyes are shut in this first picture....one of two family picture we got while Andy was home.

Finally a Diagnosis!

After 10 years of leg pain and fatigue, after the last 2 years of every other pain in my body and after the last 2 months of arm-joint pain, I finally have a diagnosis. I swear my story could be on the "Mystery Diagnosis" show on TLC and Discovery Health channels. I have seen, ENT doctors, PCM's, Eye Doctors, Have had Physical Therapy and Ultrasounds and some blood work. I have seen doctors in HI and CA and now N.C to where they have gotten down to the bottom of it all.

Come to find out with my list of symptoms most of it is Fibromyalgia which they firmly diagnosed me with today. I also have Scoliosis in my back and Arthritis in my left knee, which is very bad, a bit in my right knee and Arthritis in my sacrum which is terribly bad. They ran a bunch of other blood tests to rule out a thyroid disorder, Lyme disease and Lupus for some other pain I am having and my hair falling out in chunks. They also think that the arthritis in my sacrum could possibly be related to a disease because of my condition and whereabouts of it all. My doctor said it could me chromes disease or colitis. If it is any of that, which I hope not, I might need part of my intestine taken out. I am one big mess right now and dreading hearing about all of my blood work that should all be back within 1 month because they have to mail my blood to Georgia and California.

I am on 3 different medications for the rest of my life. None of what I have can be cured, just dealt with. I will be starting physical therapy 3 days a week at the hospital and seeing my Rheumotologist every couple of months. I will be getting a handicap sign for my car so its easier to get closer to the entrances of stores and whatnot.It is very hard for me to walk or drive for more than 45minutes at a time. I have to take a break and relax for at least 10 minutes before I can do anything again.

I still can't believe they actually found something wrong with me. After all of these years. They took about 10 x-rays today and saw my pain in my knee and in my lower back.
Then the doctor did poking tests around my whole body. I was amazed and how the doctor knew exactly where to touch and thats because he knew exactly where to touch on my body in about 25 different areas that made me scream in pain and jump out of my chair. Thanks to that test I have been in lots of pain all day. Now that is what fibromyalgia is, PAIN 24/7. Some people I have met say they have Fibro and that they are in remission or that they don't have it right now but they did. Well sorry, but you must have gotten missed diagnosed. Fibromyalgia NEVER goes away, you are always in pain. My mom and I both have it and it really HURTS. Sometimes it feels as if you have just the achey feeling of the flu times 10. For 3 days I was in so much pain I couldn't even take care of my children, I had my neighbors helping me and my mother. It was the worst feeling ever.
Hoepfully with my new meds, everything will get easier. I still don't understand how I could have arthritis at 23 years of age, but it might just be a disease that they are waiting for my blood to say. I have to say it all HURTS!
Oh and your sacrum is between your pelvic bone and spine.



I feel better knowing what I have now, and not feeling like an idiot for being in pain all of the time. Now I have reasons to the truth of my pain I have been feeling.

I also still have my appointment to see my neurologist in August. Hoping that goes well!

My new favorite book

Now that I am a mom, a mom of 2. A wife, a Navy Seabee Wife. I know SOO much more now than I did before I go knocked up and married. When I was 18 I knew "stuff", but nothing compared to what I know now. I wont even start on all of the things I have seen since being married and a mom. BUT..... This book "Perfectly Imperfect" By Lee Woodruff is Amazing. It tops all books. Well me being an Adult and this is the first book I have had time to read other than grade school, middle school, high school must-reads and Pregnancy and Toddler parenting books, this book is AWESOME.

I love that SHE wrote it and it is all TRUE and came for her HEART. Us moms and wives can relate to it all.

Here is a link to a sneak peak at what you would be reading;

http://www.leewoodruff.com/imperfect.php

Please go out and by this book, and read it. You won't regret it.

New Baby/Toddler Tip of the DAY!

I need to get some of this stuff. Especially the Toy Cleaner.

Fast Germ Fighter

When babies are teething or when they are trying new toys out through the feelings in their mouths, or if you babysit, run a daycare or have a playdate at your home, its always nice and peaceful to our mommy minds to have our children's toys clean.

This toy cleaner helps you quickly clean our childrens toys. It is Safe and made with Natural ingredients.

$7

Google Dapple to find stores that sell the item

My Little Miss America

Our little 20month old little girl. Talking more and more everyday. Its funny how she will make a mess and then come tell me "Mamma Mess" as she is pointing to what she has done. She never takes a nap or leaves the house, or sometimes even a room, without bringing her pink bear with her. That little pink bear has been thrown in the wash at least once every two weeks since Maddy was born. I really need to start looking for another one just like it in case something happens to the one she has. And when Maddy doesn't have her pink bear with her (she calls the bear her baby) she will let you know. She usually says "Baby, wh-R you?"

Maddy loves coloring and even sometimes when my back is turned she sneaks in some art work on the walls, or floor.

She says ALOT of words now, I don't even have the time to type them all on here.

Maddy knows all of her animals. She will bring them to me and ask me "Whts tis" as in Whats this?

She calls her binky a binky and can say it loud and clear. I will be weaning her off of it when she turns two as I did the same with Chase.

Maddy now takes off her own diaper, she wants to go on the potty. Yesterday she had no diaper on and told me "Up Up" as she was pointing to the potty, but since I was on the pot, I could not let her on and she went on the floor. I was so proud that she was communicating about her wanting to go on the potty.

The other day there was a Katy Perry music video on tv. Well Madison started getting her groove on. She was REALLY watching Katy Perry and her dance moves and Madison starting copying her same moves. I had really wished I had my camera handy. It was a laughable moment.

Since day one Maddy has been a Water-Baby. She loves the water. She will get into the toilet water, she will get on Chase's stool and turn on the faucet. Yesterday we went to the lake and Madison went right into the water. I had to put my soaking wet toddler into her carseat and head straight home. :)

When it's cuddle time, Maddy will curl up right next to me start pattting my back or rubbing my arm. Its so cute and it realxes her, I guess. She will also climb right into my lap and start giving my a ton of kisses and rubbing her nose against mine.

That is a big difference between a boy and a girl RIGHT THERE. Chase would body slam me and Madison would pat my back and give me kisses. No, but they are Andy and I's joy.

We love our kiddos

The Funny Face of A 3 Year Old

My 3 Year Old

That loves Katy Perry's Music. Whom is talking in FULL sentences and paragraphs. Whom can tell me how he is feeling and why. Whom can talk back to his parents and tell you what he wants and when he wants and even WHY, (watch out moms with children under the age of 3). Is interested in Space and Firetrucks. Sleeps in, in the morning past everybody else. Brings toys into bed with him, his helicopters and airplanes, as if he is going to get bored, but then falls asleep within 15 minutes of hitting the sheets. Goes potty standing up like a true man, watch out for the floor..sometimes there are shots that go overboard. Sometimes he pretends to be a power-ranger. He is trying to get into the big kid cartoons, some are okay and some I don't think he is ready to watch, or I am not ready for him to watch them (I rather have him watch Noggin or PBS). Loves the big kid girls next door and down the street, he could spend hours with them (Sorry Hunny). I love my 3 year old and I can't believe how fast time has gone, and I love blogs and the kid's aboutmybaby pages for letting me store all of this information to look back on, because now that I am a mom and as the years pass by, my cells in my brain are diminishing and my memory is getting shorter. :)

Chase and Madison Updates

Chase and Madison's Updates are on their personal aboutmybaby pages.

Chase; http://babyboychase.aboutmybaby.com/ password; littlesunshine

Madison; http://babygirlmadison.aboutmybaby.com/ password; sweetangel

Please read their updates on their pages. I do all of their updates and post pictures on their sites.

It's Quicker, Easier and EVERYONE gets the e-mails sended automatically from the site.


Thank You!

Clorox Green Works Products Coupons

Go to this website and on the lower right hand corner should be the coupon to print out.
http://www.greenworkscleaners.com/products/

I buy alot of GreenWorks products so this coupon comes in handy. I printed out TWO, because today I am going to buy the GreenWorks Wipes and the All Purpose spray.

You save $0.50

Thats half of a dollar of savings for one product and a $1.00 for two.

Pizza Coupons Every State-City (incuding Hawaii) and Any Store!

Go to www.coupons.com
Scroll through pages 1-7
Look for the CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN coupon
and the DIGIORNO PIZZA coupon.
Read the fine print to make sure you save on the right pizza.




-California Pizza Kitchen Pizza you save $2.00


You need to buy the Self Rising any flavor California Pizza Kitchen Pizza to use the coupon



-Digiorno Pizza you save $1.25


For the Digiorno you'll need to buy the Crispy Flatbread Pizza.




They both are very Yummy. I have tried both!

Print them out and your done. You might need to install the coupon printer, but it only take a few seconds.

Dino-Mite (My Article)

Written by ME of course

From Scientific Facts to Answers and Questions, Dinosaurs raise allot of hands. Dinosaurs are very fascinating and they are animals that we have never seen alive. But we always have more and more curiosity about them. For all of you dinosaur lovers here are some great exhibits for you to visit.




Dinosaur State Park

Not only is there allot to see and discover, but there is allot to do.

Under the Wondrous dome, they have;
-Dinosaur Tracks
-Life-size Jurassic Diorama
-Interactive Displays
-Discovery Room

On the Ground;
-More than 2 miles of Nature Trails
-Park Arboretum
-Picnic Facilities
-Mining for gems and fossils

And lots more


"We are one of the largest dinosaur track sites in North America. Beneath our geodesic dome, you will find a display of early Jurassic fossil tracks that were made 200 million years ago.
Surrounding our Exhibit Center are more than two miles of nature trails and the Dinosaur State Park Arboretum, containing more than 250 species".
-Dinosaur State Park is part of the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation,
Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection.

Contact Information and Hours of Operation

Dinosaur State Park
400 West Street
Rocky Hill, Connecticut USA 06067-3506

FDPA Phone: 860-257-7601
Park Phone: 860-529-8423

E-mail: info@dinosaurstatepark.org


Open All Year Around

Park Grounds are open daily

9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Trails close at 4 p.m.

Exhibit Center is open Tuesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed Mondays.





Yale Peabody Museum

Come explore down and around the world at the Yale Peabody Museum


"The year 2009 marks the bicentenary of the birth of Charles Darwin, and the 150th anniversary of the publication of The Origin of Species.

The Museum is planning many activities as part of the international celebration of Darwin’s achievements, among

them a new exhibition that will explore the relationship between Darwin and two of his contemporaries at Yale — the distinguished geologists James Dwight Dana and Othniel C. Marsh — as well as modern research on natural selection, particularly at Yale."

-Derek E.G. Briggs



For all of you Dinosaur Lovers the site to see is The Great Hall. You can see

Skeletons of Dinosaurs from the Museum’s world-renowned paleontology collections.

Peabody has a new addition. They have welcomed a life-sized bronze statue of the dinosaur Torosaurus latus to their family. It is a 21 foot life size Torosaurus.

Rudolph Zallinger’s The Age of Reptiles Mural is something beautiful to see. The mural takes up the whole East Side wall of the Great
Hall. The painting is one of the largest in the world. Zallinger's representation of the prehistoric plants and
animals is truly remarkable.

Contact information and hours of operations

Our mailing address is:

Peabody Museum of Natural History
Yale University
P.O. Box 208118
New Haven, CT 06520-8118 USA


Phone number: 203.432.8987

E-mail: peabody.admissions@yale.edu

The Yale Peabody Museum is open:
Monday through Saturday 10:00 a.m.
to 5:00 p.m.
Sunday Noon to 5:00 p.m.



Bruce Museum


Bruce Museum Mission Statement
"The Bruce Museum promotes the understanding and appreciation of Art and Science to enrich the lives of all

people".

The Bruce Museum has allot to offer from digging to seeing.

Dinosaurs: The Art of Reconstruction

The exhibition also goes over changes in individual species based on new information:
from the fossil record
from current theories and
from knowledge of physiology and anatomy.

You can see paintings and sculptures as well as skeletal and fossilized remains.


Digging for Dinosaurs

In the Digging for Dinosaurs exhibition, guests get to be in the shoes of paleontologist's.

Examine various types of fossilized dinosaur remains, Scrape away to free cast dinosaur bones and other fossils in
the hands-on excavation area (when the area is supervised).

Other interactive stations include:
computerized CT scan of a dinosaur’s skull that reveals the brain and nasal passages inside
microscope.

February 2009, the Bruce Museum is also showing a complementary exhibition entitled Dinosaurs: The Art of
Reconstruction, which explores how an artist reconstructs a dinosaur’s appearance.

Contact Information and Hours of Operation

Museum Hours
Tuesday - Saturday 10 am - 5 pm
Sunday 1 pm - 5 pm
Last admission 4:30pm
Closed Monday and major holidays

Bruce Museum
One Museum Drive
Greenwich, CT 06830

Email: webmaster@brucemuseum.org

Phone Number: (203) 869-6786

Another Day Of Wonderful Memories

Our Easter Sunday was Perfect. Very quiet and calm and small. No family and Husband/Daddy which I was sad about, but at least I have our wonderful children. The kids woke up Easter morning to find their Easter baskets next to their beds. Full of smiles and "Wow's". Lots of paper and trash everywhere from the kids tearing everything open. I am glad I got them Sugar Free Chocolate bunnies because they had eaten them up before I even had the chance to make them breakfast. :)
I set my cell phone alarm for 6am. The sun wasn't even up yet. I got dressed while still being half-asleep. Went out front and hid all of the eggs. Came back inside, ate my breakfast while catching up on my DVRed shows. 7am my two little munchkins arose out of bed. Everything began.
By 8:30am Everything was OVER. I couldn't believe. The kids woke up so early, opened up their baskets, ate breakfast, got dressed and went outside and found all of the eggs. I was already exhausted by 9am and I had only been up for 3 hours!!! But the day was relaxing and fun for the kids playing with their new things. Thats all that matters. :)
The night before Easter, I hard boiled a carton of eggs, put covers over the kids and got everything ready for the kids to decorate and color their first set of eggs for Easter.
Madison already knew what to do, she grabbed those crayons and started drawing on her eggs. Then she dipped them into the cups of dye. She also managed to drink some of the dye. Thankfully it was all non-toxic. But the look on her face as she tasted that vinigar was priceless. Sooo funny! Chase made some beautiful eggs. He literally sat their concentrating and decorating that one egg the whole time.
Our Easter was nice and Spring is here finally.

My mom, sister and grandparents are moving out here in 2 weeks. They will be 55miles south of me. The kids and I are down to see them the day after they arrive on May 1st. Yogi is also coming with us. Yogi gets car-sick so I am putting him in his kennel in our Van as we drive there. We will be staying the whole weekend and my 23rd birthday is that Sunday. Can't wait to see them and help them all unload. I am actually getting MORE furniture from them all and decor stuff so I am thrilled.

Thanks to the government throwing millions of dollars to banks that have no need for it all...they are short on money to fund the military.
There are about 5 people at Andy's work that have PCS moves and transfers within the next 2 months, along with Andy. Well they pushed everyone back by 4 months. They told Andy that he won't be going to VA or coming home until OCTOBER!!! 6 more months.
Well Since all they have to pay for is Andy's ticket and a TV and clothes to ship. Instead of a house full of goods, a car, and more people like everyone else..they are trying to get the funding for Andy to come home at the end of June. So pray for that. Our 4 year wedding anniversary is the 30th of June and Fathers Day is in June so we really want him home.

Life is great right now and the kids and I are loving everyday and living everyday to the fullest.

Here are some Pictures of Easter and Our trip to the Park Today. Our kids are getting so BIG!

Pictures From Our Trip To The Park Today 04/16/2009

My Home-Made Slipcovers

I saw this on GMA this morning and didn't think I could pull it off. But I love the idea and I did it all within 10 mintues from things I gathered from around my home.

4 Pillow Cases

String or bow

I had a bag full of straw-string, which I love. You can buy some at your local craft store.

I go all out for every season/holiday so I loved this idea and knowing that I could turn it into something of my own. The straw string adds the perfect spring/summer touch.

Here are some pictures.

Yummy!

Thanks to a friends blog. This is my new favorite salad. So thankful to "Mamasamess" Blog. Check her blog out its my list of favorite blog sites on the right hand side of this page. You can get the recipe on her blog.

This picture is the picture I took of my salad when I was done making it all. I was delicious. That is my dinner or lunch for the next two days. I knew the kids wouldn't eat it, so with the leftover bow pasta I put it in a bowl and poured in some tomoato sauce. Both kids had a bowl and ate it all. They loved their version and I loved mine.


Thank you Sharon for the recipe on your blog.

Ready For Easter!

Easter is special this year for the kids. They can actually go outside and look for their eggs, pick them up and put them in their baskets. There is more meaning this year and to all of the years to come, because they are now older. They Easter baskets that are already pre-made for children at Walmart or Target, ETC...are nice, but they are full of CANDY and toys that will fall apart within a week. This year I decided to make my own for the kids. Well the Easter Bunny actually made them .. ;) I picked my sugar free candy and nice toys, coloring books, crayons, bubbles, kites and books...to fill it up. Stuff I know will get put to good use.

The NICE coloring books, crayons, bubbles, and kites I bought it all at the Dollar Store..and everything there is $1. I love that store...and everything is nice. I wouldn't buy toys there though. The toys are too cheap. Coloring books and crayons are GREAT to buy there. Also the Tigger and Pooh books in Maddy's basket I bought at the dollar store. They are great board books.

Here are some pictures of Chase and Maddy's Easter baskets.

My Homemade Yogurt Parfait Recipe.

Ingredients;

1. Fresh Strawberries

2.Granola (I bought granola with rasins)

3.Yogurt

4. Honey

You can add or use any fruit. I prefer strawberries or blueberries. Same with the Yogurt any kind. I prefer plain or vanilla. Less calories.

Pour in your desiresd amount of yogurt, add in your berries. Don't forget to wash and cut up the strawberries. Then you add your granola. Last, add one or two drops of honey. Add everything in the amount you desire. Just not too much of anything.

Here is the finished look of mine;

The picture is a bit blurry but it tastes delicious. Trust me. I love it.

Even my Maddy loves my yogurt parfait.

Happy Saint Patricks Day!

Happy St. Patricks Day from the Kraus Family!

Here are just a few pictures of the kids wearing green today. Mommy was wearing green too, but no picture. Daddy is always wearing green, its part of his uniform (even though he is in HI) So all of us were wearing green!

I had to run to this store to pick up some food for dinner and Chase wanted a toy. The whole time we were at the store he was telling me "I want that toy" "But it's st. patty's day". It was funny and very clever. He is one smart boy. He has alot of psychological tricks for a three year old. :)

Now Spring begins in three days. It's finally getting warmer outside. I just need to find some parks around here. Driving around you see none, but there has to be some. Easter is April 12th. Yay for Spring.

Happy St. Patricks Day