Scraps 'N Snaps

New blog

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:28:00 +0000

Well, few and faithful readers: I have a new blog! I hope you will stay with me. I've started a blog that I intend to keep more as a family journal, with (hopefully) Jeremy contributing as well.
I probably won't keep up with this blog anymore.
The new blog address is kersenbrock.blogspot.com

See ya there!

Baby!

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:11:00 +0000

Here HE is. :-) Baby boy #2.

Opinions, please

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:08:00 +0000

OK, I am trying and failing to figure out a good way to rearrange the kids room. I've taken some pictures--please pardon the mess! lol
The main pieces of furniture I need to fit are:

1 crib
1 toddler bed
Rocking chair
Dresser
Chest of drawers

Standing in the corner of the room looking towards the doorway.

Standing in the doorway looking left:

Standing in door, looking towards back left corner of room: (I normally have the crib pushed right up in this corner)

Standing in doorway looking straight into room:

I know it's hard to visualize in pictures, but any ideas for me??

I love him

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 01:16:00 +0000

I just love this little boy!
Pretty blue eyes that sparkle at me.
Silly giggles all day long.
Smiles to brighten my day.
Mimicking everything I do or say.
"Helping" with the dishes, dusting, sweeping, and trash.
Taking me by the hand, "Mama, up!" or "Mama, play!"
"Love you, Mama" with a big kiss.
Running up to me just to give me a hug.
"Hi! Morning!" when he wakes up.
Reminding us to pray before every meal, "praying" along with us.
Picking on mom, dad, and Dolly all day long.

:-)

Cool Pics

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 02:18:00 +0000

Here are some random pictures we've taken lately that I thought just came out really neat! I took the flower pictures and this first picture of the bug, the rest were taken by Jeremy.

This is what Jeremy calls a "wooly worm". You've gotta click on this picture and see it bigger to really appreciate it....look at the detail there! Pretty cool.

The Indestructable Coffee Table

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 02:54:00 +0000

When Jeremy and I first got married, our house was furnished via the local auction place. :-) Some of our finds included a $130 antique (beautiful!) kitchen table, a $5 microwave stand, a $30 waterbed, a $20 (ugly) couch, etc etc. Many of our finds have been slowly replaced as we have the money, and more will be replaced in the future I'm sure. And then there's our coffee table. Jeremy, not even being able to see it very well from his seat, bid $1 and won it. That's right, ONE DOLLAR. Somehow this ugly piece of furniture has never made it out of our home. It's so ugly it's unique. Although, I have to admit it has grown on me. Maybe it's the uniqueness, or the "ugly duckling" aspect of it, or the "character" in the patchwork looking top and the odd leather straps. (what on earth are those for???) Regardless, I haven't yet felt the need to toss it out on garbage day.
Another thing this coffee table has going for it is it's amazing durability. I have never owned such a sturdy piece of furniture! It's solid, thick wood and it takes all kinds of abuse on a daily basis without a complaint. I am no lightweight, but I can STAND on this coffee table and it doesn't so much as creak. (with our height difference, this puts me at the perfect height for kissing Jeremy hehe.) It's also right under the ceiling fan, which makes it a handy stool for changing light bulbs. Since Levi could pull up, it's been the perfect height for him to drive cars on, build things on, eat snacks at, or most recently, climp up and sit on. Daily he pounds on it with hammers, springs, or other various tools and toys, and yet it survives.
And so the coffee table will live on. :-) I am determined that someday I will replace it with something pretty, but I am just as determined that that day will come ONLY when our children are past the destructive stage. (wait a minute.....does that stage ever end?)

PS--Who knew you could write an entire blog post about a coffee table?? :-p

Many faces of Levi

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 20:07:00 +0000

Is he cute or what?? ;-)

Cute face:

The teenager face:

Serious?

Stern face:

Cookie face!! :-)

"Love you mom!" face

Stern but silly, picking-on-dad face. ;-)

I just love how Levi's personality develops more and more all the time. I think he most definitely has my silly, joking, prankster personality. He loves to tease and "scold" and just be generally goofy! He also likes to tell people they are "Funny!" while laughing at whatever silly thing they do. If you tell him something is funny, he giggles on demand. He sure can bring a smile to our faces. :-)

Nighttime Humor

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 17:53:00 +0000

My husband sleepwalks sometimes. :-D If I happen to wake up and catch him in the act, it makes for great entertainment!!
A few nights ago, I wake up to him climbing out of bed. I sleepily ask where he's going and he mumbles something that doesn't make much sense. I immediately realized he was sleepwalking, so I watched him and got ready to confuse him. ;-) He starts trying to put his jeans on, but is all clumsy and uncoordinated and can't get his leg in. I asked again, "What are you doing?" He: "Oh, I have to go out and fix that.....um.....that." Me: "Oh, ok." After several tries, he still hasn't been able to get his jeans on, so I say "Honey, why don't you just forget it." He heaved this huge, exasperated sigh, threw his arms out, and said angrily, "FINE!" On his way back to the bed, twice more he throws his arms out and sighs "Fine!" As he laid back down in bed with his back to me, I tried to put my arm around him, but he was quite mad and just laid there all stiff with his arm in the way. I finally started giggling, and his final reply was "Go ahead and laugh at me! It's NOT FUNNY!" which only made me laugh more. About this time, we both went back to sleep again.
In the morning, we both had a good laugh about the incident. He remembered a lot of it, even though he was asleep at the time.
Jeremy tells me I can be pretty funny in my sleep too. I talk sometimes, and I get really, really grumpy if he tries to get me to move over or if he takes some blanket away from me. The funniest thing to me was the night I think he was trying to get some blanket back from me, and I huffily told him, "You KILL me every night!!"

What about you? Do you do anything weird in your sleep?

Already??

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 18:35:00 +0000

It would seem that even though I am ONLY 8 1/2 weeks pregnant, I am already visibly showing. Yikes--am I going to be enormous? I thought I was big last time!
Now, admittedly I was fat to begin with. So, I took a picture right at the beginning, so later I would be able to compare and tell when I actually started showing. I didn't expect it to be so soon. It's not quite as noticeable depending on what I'm wearing, but I CAN see a difference.
I'm going to do something unheard of and show off my fat here on my blog. ;-) The first picture is the beginning of my pregnancy, and the 2nd was taken yesterday. A noticeable difference, wouldn't you agree?

Love

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 02:20:00 +0000

Found this on another blog and thought it was awesome.

If I live in a house of spotless beauty with everything in its place, but have not love--I am a housekeeper, not a homemaker.

If I have time for waxing, polishing, and decorative achievements but have not love, my children learn of cleanliness--not godliness.

Love leaves the dust in search of a child's laugh.

Love smiles at the tiny fingerprints in a newly cleaned window.

Love wipes away the tears before it wipes up the spilled milk.

Love picks up the child before it picks up the toys.

Love is present through the trials.
Love reprimands, reproves, and is responsive.
Love crawls with the baby, walks with the toddler, runs with the child, then stands aside to let the youth walk into adulthood.

As a mother there is much I must teach my child, but the greatest of all is love.

Levi and the Kittens

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 02:15:00 +0000

HEY WHERE DID THEY ALL GO??

Have You Heard?

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:50:00 +0000

ZOO!!

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 02:10:00 +0000

Well as you know, yesterday we took Levi to the zoo. It was not a mistake! :-) He really, really enjoyed himself and it was a blast watching his reactions and hearing him "talk" to the animals.

Enjoying a new souvenir cup and a cool drink in the shade.

Ohhh, fish! This was a popular exhibit, as I knew it would be. Whenever we go to Wal-Mart we stop in the fish aisle so Levi can oooohhhh over the fish. He can say "fish" and seeing a whole building full of fish, many he could walk up to like this, was a hit!

Roar!

The giraffes were greeted with wide eyed stares and whispered, "Wow!! Wow!!'s"

The tiger was having a hard day. LOL Levi enjoyed roaring at this guy.

The leopard inspired many very loud "Meow! Meow!!'s" hahaha

Watching the elephants. They were another favorite.

A fun day, for sure!

Little Boy Boots

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 00:36:00 +0000

I just LOVE cowboy boots on little boys. Absolutely adorable!!! Unfortunately, Levi has rather thick, fat feet and I have never been able to find boots that he has been able to wear. I have a hard enough time finding regular shoes he can wear.
However, the other day at Wal-Mart, I just happened to spot some new boots on display. I thought they looked like they just might fit my little fat-footed boy. Sure enough, we tried them on and found them to be an excellent fit! Woooo! Look! Aren't they the cutest things you've ever seen????????? :-D

My Levi

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 01:26:00 +0000

I've gotta say, this age that Levi is at right now is my favorite age so far!! He is an absolute joy, a doll, and such fun. He's young enough right now to still be a little babyish, and still want to snuggle with mom, and not sass ;-), but he's old enough to play, entertain me, make me laugh, and amaze me every day with the things he's learning and picking up on.
Here are some cute/fun things he does right now:

*He can say around 30 words, maybe a few more than that. He loves to point to things and say the word....he's so proud of himself when he does that!

*EVERY time we go to wal-mart, as soon as we walk in the door he starts asking for "nana" (bananas). The whole time we are in the store, he will talk about bananas. lol.

*He knows all our pets by name. When we pull in the driveway, he starts talking about Molly and Cocoa. His 2nd word upon waking in the morning (after "daddy?") is "Dolly?"

*He knows how to say "please" to get what he wants. :-)

*He has figured out our routine for church. :-) When he sees Jeremy taking a shower and then shaving (Jeremy normally showers at night and only shaves on Sunday) he starts saying "ch, ch". When he sees Jeremy putting on his dress boots, Levi goes and gets our Bibles. He has a Bible story book that he absolutely loves, and calls that his Bible and wants to take it to church. :-)

*He LOVES his daddy SO MUCH. As soon as he wakes up, he is asking for daddy. He talks about daddy all day long, and when Jeremy gets home from work, Levi often hears his truck drive in. He screeches "DADDY!!" and runs to the door. When Jeremy walks in, Levi runs up to him and puts his arms up in the air.

*He really, really loves tractors. He also associates tractors with daddy, because he'll see a tractor go by and say "Tractor!" Then, "Daddy?"

Next week we'll be going to Denver for 2 days and we're going to take Levi to the zoo. I can't wait to see his reactions and how much fun he has there!!!!

More Farm Pics

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 20:06:00 +0000

*Warning: Picture-heavy post.*

Nicole was interested in seeing some pictures of our land and farm, so Nicole, this blog is for you! :-)
Coming in the next few days: Some pictures of our house/land where we live.

The grain bins where some of the crops get stored to sell at a later date.

Another picture of one of the wheat fields. Isn't it pretty?

One of the irrigation systems, watering some soybeans.

Milo (Grain Sorghum) just coming up good.

Our one and only corn field.

This is the engine for one of the irrigation systems.

We have had a lot of rain this spring/summer!! This poor neighbor has a lake in his corn field.

These next 2 pictures are of some neighbors harvesting their wheat.

Jeremy out working a field. This is a "summer fallow" field.....will be drilled to wheat this fall.

A view from the road as you leave the farmstead. (looking south) See the grain elevators in the distance? That is the closest town, and it's actually 14 miles away.

Another view of the summer fallow.

Jeremy in the distance on the tractor.

This is a picture from the road driving in. The farmhouse, workshop, grain bins and equipment are back behind those trees. Jeremy's mom and dad live in the house. This field you see in the foreground is not supposed to be soooo weedy!! ;-) With all the rain this year Jeremy got behind when it came to weed control! It will look much better soon.

And that is about all there is to see! I didn't get a picture of every single field, but you get the idea. :-)

A day at the farm

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:07:00 +0000

Today Levi and I went up to see Jeremy while he was working in the field. We rode around in the tractor for a while (not a very comfortable experience!) and took some pictures in the wheat fields. I love how pretty the wheat looks this time of the year....it's so golden and beautiful.

Daddy and Levi in the tractor

Wow, that thing is BIG!!!

"O beautiful, for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain............."

My little farmer

Peek!

Book Review: 100 Bible Stories, 100 Bible Songs

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:21:00 +0000

"100 Bible Stories, 100 Bible Songs" is a great book for young children. I ordered this with my 18 month old son in mind, and he just loves hearing the stories and looking at the pictures. I personally love the illustrations in this book! They are adorable and also well detailed. The stories themselves are quite simple; therefore I would say this book is really for children under the age of 5 or 6. The stories are accurate and fun, they are just not very detailed and are written so a very young child would understand them.
The songs are also quite fun!! I enjoy hearing many favorites from when I was a child in Sunday School. There are some new to me songs as well. I look forward to teaching all these songs to my son.
The biggest downfall to this set, in my opinion, is the way the CD's come. They are in 2 plastic sleeves, which are glued to the inside covers of the book. It is difficult to get the CD's in and out of the sleeves, so I have resorted to putting them in my own CD case.
I would recommend this book to any family with small children.

(A book review for Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers)

Bad, bad blogger

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:50:00 +0000

I am a bad blogger! I just don't have the talent like some people do. :-p Plus, it's hard to be inspired to blog when there's only 2 or 3 people that read my blog. lol
I'm actually pondering deleting my blog. I've been putting most of my pictures on facebook and my online photo album, so it feels repetitive to post them here.
If you don't want me to delete my blog, what would you like to see from me? More pictures? Poems? Boring details about my life? Stuff about our farm?
A while back, I actually started another blog, but have not posted a single thing to it yet. I called it "Recipes From a Farmer's Wife" with the intention of sharing recipes we love. You can actually see the blog if you look under my profile, there's just no posts there. Should I pursue that blog more? I think it would be a fun one if I could attract readers to it.

Some new favorites

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 02:35:00 +0000

One day last week, Jeremy, Levi and I got a chance to go to the park. We took the portable grill and cooked hamburgers, then played for the longest time. Levi really had a blast, climbing all over everything. While we were there, I got some pictures that are my new favorites. This first one, especially!! I'd like to do something neat with it, maybe print and frame it for Jeremy's office or something. It's soooo precious! :-)

He's such a little squirt!

More Treasures!!

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Sun, 31 May 2009 01:34:00 +0000

In just 2 garage sales yesterday afternoon, I felt like I really hit the jackpot!! I spent a total of $40 and could have spent more and got more great deals but I didn't want to go too crazy. ;-)
Take a look at my bargains!

Play kitchen set. Yes, boys can play with kitchens! ;-) Besides, I'm dreaming and praying and hoping that someday we will have a girl, too. :-)
This set retails new for $100. I paid $20 and that included a bunch of dishes, food, etc.

I always thought these things were the coolest when I was a kid. Levi will really enjoy this with his matchbox cars when he's a bit bigger. These cost $15 and up new, I paid $1 for this one.

Really neat doctor kit! Retail price--$30. My price--$4. And every piece is there. Again, this will work when Levi gets a bit older.

Several nice plates and toddler sized silverware....I ended up getting this stuff for free.

A boy can never have too many trucks! These were all 50 cents each.

This little set is really neat. Each animal fits in a certain spot, and when you press on them they make their sound. Pressing on the farmer plays a song, the horn on the steering wheel really honks, and when you press on the smokestack the tractor drives forward and makes engine noises. I paid $4 for this, it was probably at least $20 new.

Little Tikes Coupe car.....I had one of these as a kid and had the most fun with it!!! These are really tough little cars. Retail $50, I paid $7.

Not pictured, but I also found myself a Lucky brand skirt for 25 cents, and a big bag of ivy/plants for $1.... This is something I've wanted in my kitchen, so now I just need to find a couple baskets for the ivy and I'll be set.

Weekend Bargains Blessings

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Mon, 25 May 2009 16:55:00 +0000

In the summer, I rarely miss a weekend going to garage sales. You just never know what you might find. I think 80 percent of Levi's toys and clothes come from garage sales, and he has nice stuff. I call my finds "blessings" as well as bargains, because it is truly a blessing to be able to find so many nice things for Levi at only a fraction of the cost of new items.
This last weekend was no exception to finding deals. The first sale I went to landed me the deal of the century!!

t

This little motorized riding toy was marked $5, a deal for sure. I grabbed it right away, but when I went to pay for it, the guy running the sale couldn't find the battery charger. He told me to take it for free and try to get a charger from the company. I gave him my phone number and told him to call me if he found it, then I'd pay him the $5. Well, he called me later in the evening, so I went back to get it......but I tried to pay him and he told me to just forget it! He said "Aw, it's only 5 bucks, I don't care." So I didn't argue! So I've got a cute, working riding toy that Levi is going to LOVE, and it didn't cost me a dime. I'll be saving it for a Christmas or b-day gift. :-)
At the same garage sale, I found several nice Gap shirts for Levi and some sandals for $1 a piece. A nice umbrella stroller for 50 cents, and 3 kids music CD's for $1 a piece. (something I'd been looking for to keep in the van)
Our next blessing was not at a garage sale, but in the online classifieds. A couch that was exactly what we wanted: tan, microfiber, and recliners on each end. It is only a year old. We were in desperate need of a new couch and were planning on finally giving in and buying a new one after wheat harvest this year. Then I spotted this one and it only cost us $350! It's super comfy and nice. It needs a little cleaning so I need to figure out the best way of cleaning microfiber, but it's not too bad. I'm so happy!

Book Review: Face of Betrayal

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Mon, 25 May 2009 16:26:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, I joined Thomas Nelson's "Book Review Bloggers". You can choose from a list of books, they will send it to you and then you agree to write a review of it on your blog.
The first book I received was Face of Betrayal by Lis Weihl. Face of Betrayal is a gripping mystery filled with realistic characters, real danger, and a shocking yet satisfying final twist. While home on Christmas break, a seventeen-year old Senate page takes her dog out for a walk and never returns. Three women who are life-long friends race against time in an effort to find the girl alive. Though authorities think she might have been kidnapped or run away, those theories shatter when they discover she was having a relationship with an older man, possibly a U.S. Senator.
I'm often skeptical of reading new authors, just because I never know what to expect. I really enjoyed this book and author, however! Mystery novels are my favorite genre of reading and while I wouldn't call Face of Betrayal the best I've ever read, it definitely kept my attention and was an enjoyable read. It's one of those books that keeps you turning pages late at night to see what's going to happen and how it ends. I will be looking for more books by this author, I'm sure.

A Week in Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Wed, 20 May 2009 17:44:00 +0000

The days always start out with a snuggle with mom:

It was time for a summer hair cut......what a big difference!

Hanging out in the new swing daddy put up and reading the mail. (I don't know why he looks so grumpy)

We planted some new flowers in the flower beds in front of the house:

Then we had to come inside to cool off and get a big drink..........

Ahhhh......feels good sitting under the fan. It was hot outside!

Hey! There's a button on my tummy.....I wonder what it does?

Time to do some housecleaning:

Such a big helper!

Finally, the days END like this:

Life is good! :-)

Daddy's Truck

noreply@blogger.com (Amber) — Tue, 12 May 2009 00:50:00 +0000