Sibling Revelry

Flashback Friday

2012-01-27T09:52:00.002-05:00

Maddie and Dad
January 2007

Household Happenings and Crib Sheets and House

2012-01-26T10:17:00.000-05:00

There is really nothing much happening around here. It's been gray and rainy for the past couple days and my motivation just goes back to bed. Haha. I can tell my productivity is waning and I'm needing more sleep these days. That's why I have to get all this baby stuff done now! Tyler can't figure out why, since I still have plenty of time left.

I did get these 3 crib sheets sewn. If you've never made crib sheets, they are super easy. I would recommend this tutorial for the general idea, but her sizes are a little big for my mattress and I do my elastic differently (easier, I think).

So you can tell from the crib sheets that we are doing the gray and yellow thing. I know, no imagination. But we have this pale yellow chair (what the sheets are sitting on in the pic) that is the BEST nursing chair ever. There's no way I'm getting rid of it. I knew this going into the game, and I also knew that the new guy would be bunking with us for at least a year so instead of fighting the yellow, I decided to work with it. Someday I'll actually clean up our room (it's also my sewing space at the moment, and you've seen how my sewing spaces look--so romantic!) and get something on the walls, and take a picture for you... but remember, this doesn't take much imagination. Still, I like it. The walls are a solid gray which I was nervous about (since I am a sucker for white) but I LOVE it. It's a nice change from the old shabby chic master and feels quite grown-up.

That's really about it. Somehow I manage to fill my days with just doing the dishes and cooking dinner and nothing much else. Nothing is happening on the upstairs, we are waiting on more permit nonsense (yes, yes, we are doing this right) but as soon as that goes through, Ty can start the oh so wonderful process of dry-walling. Then things should move fast. I cannot wait to get the space finished. I'm super excited about having an official office and sewing room and guest room (for guests!) and cozy family room. It will make a huge difference around here.

In the meantime, Ty started in on the laundry room and got the washer and dryer moved and stacked. I've got plans to make it girly and cute and bright, but that would require me picking out paint and being productive. Probably will take awhile. I'm getting tired just thinking about it.

I better go back to bed.

Ready--Diapers

2012-01-24T13:46:00.000-05:00

In one respect, I think I am ready for the new guy to come. I've finally built up a nice stash of cloth diapers. You may recall my attempts at cloth diapering Will, but it didn't really work out because it was too late in the game and I wasn't willing to invest a lot of money in a kid that was close to being potty-trained. But this time, I've been slowly stocking up, as my Etsy shop allows, to where I've got enough to make a confident start. Here's what I've got (so far--I can totally see how cloth diapering becomes a hobby!):

12 BumGenius 4.0 Pocket diapers

2 Flips with 6 liners

16 infant size prefolds (diaper service quality--I found 2nd hand when Will was a baby)

2 Thirsties Duo Wraps size 1 covers

2 covers I made (have you seen the Babyville Boutique stuff? Love!)

3 wet bags (also made)

2 diaper pail liners (Planet Wise in Owls and gray)

5 snappis

2 different kinds of cloth diaper laundry soaps

and 2 dozen cloth wipes

There's still a bunch of different styles and brands I'd like to try. But I'm glad most of my stash is one-size because my babies grow so fast (and big!)--I'm hoping we don't have too many fit issues. I've been reading and watching youtube videos like crazy; I've even got the washing part figured out (I had to study the manual for the washing machine). I'm hoping that knowing all this stuff before he comes will make for a good start, and I plan to give updates on how it's going. So... wish me luck!

Here's Will. He just wanted his picture taken.

I left him at his friend's house today while I went to my Dr. appt.

I can't believe how sad I feel when he's not with me! I'm going to have serious issues when it's time for him to go to school...

grateful sunday

2012-01-22T19:08:00.004-05:00

Every time I see President Hinckley's face pop up on pinterest my heart says, "awwwww." I love that man, and I miss him.
It's 64* out right now, and storms are coming tonight (at least that's what they say--We've yet to have a good storm here), but I love the mildness. I've been able to walk outside almost everyday, up and down our driveway for 30 min. and it has been helping my swollen legs so much. I was really hoping I wouldn't store water in every part of my body this pregnancy, but that's not the case. I look horrible and huge, but the upside is water is easy to lose afterwards. I'm afraid the ward members here won't recognize me once I return to my normal self.
I still LOVE my calling. I just love to sit behind the piano and watch the kids in primary. I look forward to those 2 hours every week. I love it.
Tyler bought a grill. This is the first time we've ever had a brand-new grill and it's pretty nice. It's also the longest we've gone without one, and I was dying for some easy, fast food. We had burgers last night and they were so good!

New Listings

2012-01-21T12:12:00.001-05:00

I've been working on my shop lately. I still have so so much fabric, and I'm trying to pare down in addition to saving up for baby stuff. I just listed a bunch of sheets today, and these are my hands-down favorite. I have never seen such things. They just crack me up. It will take a brave soul buy these and use them. I'm pretty sure they would keep me up at night...

The mushrooms are my favorite.

Flashback Friday

2012-01-20T15:53:00.000-05:00

Do you recognize these people?

Pretty, but Unwelcome

2012-01-19T10:08:00.001-05:00

With the weather so mild around here, we figured there's no need to wait til spring to get some new chicks. But, the wildlife around here has me a bit nervous. I've seen a fox run across the backyard, and I know there are raccoon, and then when Will and I were eating lunch, he said, "look at that cute little birdie on the fence!" Cute my eye. Beautiful and amazing yes, I have great respect for these majestic birds, but they are vicious killers!!! It's unfortunate that chickens are at the bottom of the food chain. So we've been making plans to fortify a new coop and run, and hopefully we'll get some new chicks soon! I cannot wait. I have really really missed my chickens.

Refrigerator Makeover

2012-01-16T10:55:00.001-05:00

I think it's a truth universally acknowledged that men don't like chalkboard paint

(with the exception of Ryan Gosling).

So when I suggested covering the refrigerator panels that Tyler really disliked with chalkboard paint I was surprised he went for it. Here's our before: lots of wood. Country style curved panels.

And after:

The panels are now just inexpensive luann (or however it's spelled) so they could always be changed back, or replaced with something else.

I think Ryan would approve.

grateful sunday

2012-01-15T20:30:00.000-05:00

Tyler and I spoke in church today. We are both super grateful it's over! Our topic was "Gospel Living." I admit, it was broad, and it was hard to narrow that down! But I think they both went well and hopefully it will be another year before I have to do it again.
Maddie has taken her cooking to a new level. She has helped with all the meals this weekend, including cleanup. It's awesome! We did a bunch of baking yesterday to be ready for a week of lunches.
No school tomorrow--they celebrate MLK Jr. day here with a day off!
Elle has finally, finally decided she can read. She, of course, can read, but she always says she can't/won't/doesn't like it. Reading is tough for her (she's much more math minded) which is hard for me to understand. How could a child of mine not like reading?!?! Anyway, she finished her first chapter book this weekend and I am SO proud of her. And even though I'm NOT crazy about Junie B Jones (the bad grammar just kills me) I bought her 5 more books just to keep her going. Get her hooked on reading, then we'll move to better examples. So if you know some good series for 1st graders, clue me in.
The weather here is so amazing. The kids were out all afternoon enjoying the sunshine. I love it.

When was the last time you watched...

2012-01-14T13:34:00.002-05:00

The Sesame Street Crayon video?I LOVED this as a kid. And I still love it.

My Foray into Bento Boxes

2012-01-13T10:35:00.001-05:00

I hate packing lunches.
I never did it in Fort Wayne because the school hot lunch was affordable, and fairly nutritious (lots of fresh) and I adored the lunch ladies. Everyone ate hot lunch; very few kids were "packers."

Well, at our new school we're "packers." The hot lunch is super-expensive and lousy, and you have to wait in line for a long time only to have the lunch break (15 min!) end.
But I still hate packing lunches. Slapping together a sandwich, a bag of chips and a juice box is just not my style. Or my nutritional style (much to my kids chagrin).

I had seen bento boxes before, and they are indeed adorable, but I always thought, "who on earth has the time to create these masterpieces just to eat them?" Well, let me tell you, with the inspiration from THIS LADY I've ventured into that world, and it is so much more fun. It really doesn't take that much time (I pack 3 at the same time) and with the exception of smoothies, I make them in 10 minutes before the kids leave for school.

This one above is not super creative (today is grocery day), but we just got our order of little shape cutters and animal forks, and even hard-boiled egg molds. And yes, that is a frozen chunk of ice on that pea. I don't think I'll ever make them as cute as the above link, but I actually gain a slight amount of pleasure from sorting and filling the compartments. Anything that helps, right?

So now, instead of despising the lunch-packing process, I look forward to making them each morning and using the fun little gadgets and seeing the colors.

And of course, the kids are liking them too!

Help, I'm sewing and I just can't stop!

2012-01-10T13:14:00.001-05:00

My mom is ready for me to update my blog.
I've been on a sewing frenzy lately. And seriously, these burp cloths and cloth wipes are so fun, so easy and so addicting! I can't stop making them even though I have more than enough now (expect these if you are having a baby!).

The downside is it is hard to find cute flannel. My absolute favorite combo for burp rags is flannel on one side and chenille or terry cloth on the other. It is the best for catching that spit-up before it rolls down your back/shoulder/front. I know this from experience. 2/3 have been reflux babies and I won't be surprised if it becomes 3/4.

Fabric sourcing has been interesting around here. In our micro town of 10,000, where there is virtually NO retail there happens to be a little quilt shop. It actually carries some nice stuff, just not a ton. If I drive into Memphis there are Hobby Lobbys and Hancock Fabrics everywhere, but they are really lame when it comes to cute fabrics. There is a Joanns, but it is sooooooooo far away that it's not even worth it. I made the whole family drive all the way over there after I had no success at the other stores, and I made sure to stock up while I was there. They have cute stuff. The frogs with the orange cheeks are my fave. I'm thinking that online fabric shops are the way to go.

I had another Dr. appt. today. The new guy is sounding good! I really, really like my doctor. She's so mellow and hands-off. She's very pro-natural childbirth which is so refreshing. I have great hopes that this will be a wonderful birthing experience (I think I deserve one, for real. Maybe one day I will tell everyone why). Will adores her too. He can't wait to go to her office, which is good since we're now to every 2 weeks. Crazy how time is flying.

Nesty

2012-01-06T09:07:00.000-05:00

I've been feeling it: nesty.

I made a list of the things we'd need for this new guy since we got rid of almost everything baby-related. I let myself save 1 tote of kid/baby clothes and most of that is clothes I've made (and mostly girly at that) and a few other extra cute outfits. Luckily these 3 pairs of shoes made the cut.

But this got me thinking, ok, obsessing (I love obsessing!) of all the things I need for the new guy. And even though I decided at the beginning of the pregnancy that this would be "simple baby" he still needs a place to sleep (easy), and a car seat (not easy), and some clothes (easy--and fun!).

It was pretty simple when Maddie was a baby. We bought the cheapest thing on the market--made the decision for us! And then you just have more kids and you don't even think about it. But now, I'm older, I've got time to research and we can actually afford a baby so there are a lot more choices! It's amazing the stuff that is invented for each generation of babies.

Anyway, I've got my little list of things to buy or make for the new guy and it's fun to think about, and plan and create, or obsess (poor Tyler) and I'll share those things along the way.

And if you have any thoughts on your favorite infant car seat, let me know!

Accomplishments

2012-01-03T12:49:00.003-05:00

I have lots to accomplish today: clean kitchen, plan meals, put away Christmas stuff, laundry, picking up everywhere....

But this is all I've managed to do--a dino-rawr t-shirt.

It's a New Year

2012-01-01T18:33:00.001-05:00

New Years Day and the beginning of a new school are 2 of my favorite times. I just love fresh starts and opportunities for new beginnings. I love those optimistic and hopeful feelings of what lies ahead.

2011 was a good year. It seems like a long time ago when I look back because so much has happened and I live in a completely new place (world, sometimes), but it was just a good, nice year. I have much to be grateful for.

2012 is going to be a great year.
I am so looking forward to this little (big) guy making his appearance. My thoughts on motherhood are so different this time. Even though I am gaining my regular crazy amount of weight, I'm loving being pregnant. I have never loved it before. I feel so much more relaxed and comfortable and faithful. Like I'm doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing--which brings great peace.

On the other side, as much as I'm enjoying this pregnancy, I am super looking forward to fitting back into my clothes. Knowing that will happen in 2012 is a good feeling too.

I also look forward to making this place more of a home, feeling like I belong, settling in. There are still lots and lots of things that make me feel like the new person. Still lots of things that have to be taken care of. Speaking of which, I must get a new driver's license but my pregnancy face does not look forward to being memorialized. It will be a nice feeling to feel comfortable here.

Some other things I want to happen in 2012:

Work on my shop--sell my whole inventory, then focus on other things. Besides, I don't think Memphis can support my shop. I had zero success finding vintage fabric at the 3 stores I went to last week. Vintage kids clothes, now that was another matter...

A beach trip with my family. The beach is one of the few vacations that Tyler truly enjoys. He can relax and have fun and seeing him in that state is pretty darn nice. We live lots closer, so I hope it happens.

Lots of temple trips. It is sooo nice to live close to a temple. They have monthly ward temple trips with babysitting. Could that get any easier??? We are already scheduled for January. I can't wait.

Elle's baptism. Can you believe she's going to be 8?

Widening our health world. I'm not sure how else to put that, but I'm ready to take some more steps toward Real Food eating. I can't wait to restock our freezer with healthy meat. I need to do better about soaking the whole grains (or eliminating them all together). Creating new eating habits such as bone broth (with chicken feet!) and fermented foods (I am going to try sauerkraut and like it). Cutting out even more processed foods (I think we're better than most, but could still do better). Limiting sugar.
A big canning garden (I miss all my home grown food!) and a new flock of hens!

So. Just some thoughts on the new year. I can't wait. It's going to be great. I hope yours is great too.

Barnwood Coatrack

2011-12-29T10:17:00.002-05:00

One thing I really like about this house is the long "service" hallway in the back of the house. It just leads to the half bath, garage and laundry room. This big blank wall was perfect for a long row of much needed hooks. Everyone needed a place to deposit their stuff coming in.

As soon as our awesome barn next door got tumbled down, I had all kinds of ideas running through my head for projects with all that wood. And I knew I wanted to do this. So a long board (we let it dry, and checked it over for termites and bugs, and brushed it with a wire brush), some screws and hooks (Hobby Lobby) and we now have a place to hang our stuff!

I plan on adding some quirky pictures of each person over their hook, but I haven't gotten around to that part yet.

I love it!

Life Changing Present!

2011-12-28T11:20:00.000-05:00

OK, can you handle it? Here's my life-changing gift:
Yes, that's a new sink and faucet!!!

I really wish I took a before shot because you would understand why this is such a big deal. It was a normal enough looking sink, but it was only 4.5" deep. I'm serious. It held nothing. It was really more of a depression in the counter top. And the faucet was so low-down and immovable that if you had something in the sink you couldn't fill up a pot with water. In addition, our dishwasher is tiny so I have to wash lots of things by hand. Things that don't even fit in the sink. Anyway, my mom took pity on me and got me a new hunk of metal for Christmas. Tyler spent a few hours installing it as my present also.

In case you can't tell, it's 9" deep on the left side and 7.5" on the right. Plenty of room to wash pots and pans. I've included my big pot to show the scale. Much much better. The faucet is tall and has a built in sprayer and came with a soap dispenser. 2 things I really wanted and was missing from the old house.

So thanks Mom and Dad and Tyler!
Now I can let the dishes just pile up forever!

Christmas Aftermath

2011-12-27T10:13:00.000-05:00

I didn't take many pictures of our Christmas celebration, but it was excellent. It was fun having my parents and Uncle Kyle here (Will and Kyle and best friends now) to celebrate for a day and a half.

Here are the few pictures of Will waking up and happening upon the scene.

I did think I'd catalog the kids' presents just so we can look back at the changes as they grow:
Maddie
Santa: the pink Lego box
Want: Duvet cover (brown with pink and orange flowers)
Need: New pink fan (she'd been using a hideously ugly broken box fan)
Wear: James Avery charm bracelet plus "Big Sister" charm (I LOVE that they have JA here!)
Read: The Daring Book for Girls --very very fun

Elle
Santa: School set
Want: school grading stamp set + dry erase markers
Need: Room decor--duvet cover and fitted sheet (I made out of vintage sheets--post to come), rug, picture frames, "Smile" wall picture (I thought the sentiment would be helpful)
Wear: JA "Middle Sister" charm. I don't know what I was thinking when I bought middle sister instead of little sister. Maybe it's cause I'm holding out for a girl at the end of this family :) Elle will get her bracelet when she's a bit older.
Read: Berenstain Bears anthology

Will
Santa: Fireman dress ups, "Robot Updozer" (this is what he kept telling people Santa was bringing him.
I, uh, Santa did his best to find one), Mac car transporter

Want: Trio blocks
Need: Church shirts (exciting!)
Wear: new pajamas (also exciting!)
Read: Lego Ideas (way cool book)

Ty:
Want: new screwdriver drill bits (I had heard him complaining that his were all stripped out)
Need: 2nd battery for cordless drill (I even managed the right one!)
Wear: Vintage cuff-links
Read: I failed at this one, didn't find anything he'd be reading other than the blueprints.

Me: (don't worry, I took care of myself)
Want: new bar stools (realistically these will be for my birthday)
Need: I'm getting myself a color printer--a GOOD one-- any recommendations?
Wear: a new charm for my bracelet (post to come)
Read: ok, write-- my 2012 red daily journal

This was our tree. Will had decorated with little white yarn strands. It made the tree look like it was covered in cooked spaghetti. I left it on.
We were also blessed with many other lovely gifts from grandparents and other relatives. And my parents bought me a LIFE CHANGING GIFT which I will blog about tomorrow!

Gingerbread Houses

2011-12-23T09:41:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we worked hard on our advent activity: gingerbread houses. The kids were really patient in setting up the houses, letting them dry, adding something else, waiting some more--and not eating all the candy.
It was actually fun.
Maddie did hers by herself; I obviously "helped" Elle and Will.
Of course I could not get a decent picture of all 3 of them.
We did miss seeing the Festival of Gingerbread Houses in Fort Wayne this year. It was a long-standing tradition. I guess this will have to do.
* * *
I can't believe Christmas is so close!
I also can't believe I don't have anything Christmas-related to do, other than cleaning the house for guests and picking up some groceries at Whole Foods.
I'm excited for all the Christmas surprises. Tyler doesn't even know what the kids are getting, so it will be fun to see everyone's faces.
Hope everyone is enjoying their pre-Christmas activities!

Attic Progress

2011-12-20T13:02:00.000-05:00

Here in our area of good ol' TN there are no basements. Apparently the water table is so high that you only have to dig a foot or 2 to find water. So when we were looking for houses, I couldn't figure out how I was going to live without my basement space. The few old houses that we did look at that had basements had major mold issues. So, that is why everyone here as "bonus space" above. Our house has a 2nd story that had never been finished. The P.O.s just used it for storage, but we are a growing family and can't wait to have some more living space. So this is how the upstairs is coming along. When we moved in, there was nothing up here but the outside walls. See all those 2x4s? Tyler did that.

This room (above) is the 5th bedroom but is going to be my sewing room/guest room. The cabinets and counter that are in Maddie's bedroom will move up here and I will have lots of natural light. I'm super excited about this space. If needed later, it can become a bedroom for either the girls, or the boys. For now, little baby will live in our room as long as possible, and then hopefully just move in with Will and I can keep my space. I've got it all planned out...

This space will become the family room. The main living area of our house is very big and open and close to the bedrooms and not super cozy. Ty and I don't feel like we can put the kids to bed and watch our nightly netflix anymore (well, let's face it, I can't stay awake that late) because the kids are RIGHT THERE. So this room will house the leather sofa and comfy carpet, and a nice big TV--and it will be away from everything else. The computer/office area will fit into the huge dormer off to the right there.

This area is considered just storage on the blueprints, but Ty is fixing it up and adding a door and it will become my food storage area. That "wall"/insulated thing to the right is the staircase coming up.

This is the other side of the staircase and it will become more storage and the upstairs bathroom and linen closet.
So there you have it!
I couldn't picture how any of it would look from just the plans, so it's been really fun to see the rooms take shape.
I think the goal is to get it all done (except bathroom) before this baby is born end of April so my mom has a place to stay when she comes to help.
There will be plenty of room for any other guests too (hint hint)!!!

Grateful Sunday

2011-12-18T16:51:00.001-05:00

I was set apart for my new calling today. And I'm SO grateful!
I am the new primary pianist!!!!!!
This is a calling I've always wanted, and never had.
When the new bishop asked what my favorite calling had been I was quick to say I would love to be primary pianist.
Anyway I am super grateful to be serving in primary with a zero-prep calling. Best of both worlds! I get to be around the kids and hear the funny things they say (such as calling a manger a litter box, by mistake) and I get to see my kids interact and smile and sing. I love it.

Other things I'm grateful for:

Ty has started in on the attic. It's looking so amazing up there, he's almost done framing all the walls. I'll post pictures tomorrow.
Christmas is all taken care of: packages mailed, cards out, shopping done, presents wrapped. Now I'm just waiting for my parents and brother to show up on Saturday and the festing can begin!
Meeting some people in the ward. It's nice to start putting names with faces.
Baby boy that is always moving and kicking. Maddie could actually feel him moving last night and she thought that was pretty cool.

And completely off topic--how many of you fellow bloggers have switched to the new interface? Do you like it?

Quick Ceiling Fan Makeover

2011-12-17T10:44:00.004-05:00

In small attempts to update this house (it's very year 2000) we are changing out all the shiny brass to a darker finish. I have nothing against shiny brass except that it's just a little too formal for my tastes. So here's a before and after of our living room ceiling fan. It involved 3 different cans of spray paint (ORB, brown, and frosted glass) and that's it. Someday I'd like to switch out to a different light kit, but for right now, this will do. I think it's quite a transformation!

Christmas Happenings

2011-12-14T09:35:00.004-05:00

Here are some shots of the town Christmas Parade. It was so cute and quaint and fun for the kids. They scored some major candy. First up is the Navy Band.

In the waiting time beforehand, Will could not help grooving in the street:

A ginormous Radio Flyer wagon. I'd seen this thing parked at a nursery along the highway, but I didn't know it actually worked!

I absolutely adore this picture of Will and the foaming snow.

His favorite part: the monster truck for the middle school girls basketball team.

* * *

Last Thursday after a temporary loss of sanity, I decided to make sugar cookies. I LOVE to eat sugar cookies, but I hate to make them. They never turn out, I can't ever roll them right, they come out crispy and hard. But I was swept away by a pinterest picture and thought I would try it again. Well, they were delicious. Soft and fluffy, they rolled, they baked. I got rave reviews. Will was my little helper, but he had more fun playing in the flour.

* * *

And lastly, the school had a fundraiser--Cookies and Milk with Santa. The kids got their picture taken and it turned out pretty cute. Sorry for the bad version though, I had to take a picture of a picture. They actually did email one to me, but it won't let me save it, only copy. So if anyone knows how to make that into a jpeg or something, please let me know!

Maddie thought it was so funny that the Santa was her friend's dad.

We're having a...

2011-12-13T15:00:00.003-05:00

Had my first Dr. appointment today (21 weeks) and got to see our new little guy. He was yawning and waving and holding his arm above his head. He already weighs 1 pound and is strong and healthy.

The girls were really hoping for a boy and Will talks incessantly about his "brothers" (are there more?) so we are super excited! What a wonderful Christmas present--I feel so blessed.

Let the sewing begin!

This is what happens

2011-12-10T10:06:00.003-05:00

When you step on a 2x4 that's not attached to anything. Instant intercom to downstairs.

Not sure how that passed inspection...

Flashback Friday--Christmas Spirit

2011-12-09T10:11:00.003-05:00

Not much has changed....

Good News!

2011-12-08T09:45:00.001-05:00

The Forsyte Saga is streaming on Netflix!!!!!!

It's one of my favorite period mini-series.

Watch it and tell me if you like it too!

Feels Like Home

2011-12-07T10:17:00.002-05:00

I can't say how much this pretty snow made my day.

I went to bed with the sound of rain last night and thought to myself, "maybe it will turn to snow." And when I awoke in the middle of the night (to do my nightly checking on kids--I'm not used to them sleeping so far away from us) I saw such a pretty winter scene.

I never thought I'd say I miss the snow, but seeing it this morning just made me feel so good and comfy, and like home, and Christmas. I guess this snow is not super-normal since it made the national news, but I'll take it.

Rain, Rain... And Christmas Thoughts

2011-12-05T11:18:00.004-05:00

Did you see the First Presidency Christmas Devotional last night? It's something I look forward to each year and put on our advent activity calendar. There were lots of groans beforehand, but the girls seemed to enjoy it. Will, on the other hand spent most of the time banished to his room. He's gotten so naughty.

I loved President Uchtdorf's talk. Whenever I hear about keeping Christmas simple, and not worrying about perfection, I usually tune out. I feel like things are pretty pared down around here: gift giving is simple, the decor is homemade and traditional, we don't travel, and I try to keep the season Christ-focused. BUT I realized I DO have expectations about the feeling of the season. I expect my kids to be extra-loving and service-oriented, to enjoy reading Christmas stories each night without fighting. That's how it's supposed to be, right? Magical? Loving? I realized those expectations of feeling the Christmas spirit (at least in my kids) just might not happen now, and that's what I need to let go. I'm going to keep doing what I think is right and hopefully they will catch on and feel the magic too.

And in other news, it's been raining for 2 days straight (more tomorrow too), and when I mean straight, that's how it rains. Straight down. It's very boring, dark and dreary. If I turn around about 120 degrees in my computer chair (I'm all about lazy photography these days) this is my view. It's not even that bright in real life, and you can't see the rain pouring off the roof, but it is. There are no gutters on the house ??? apparently that's fairly normal around here, but it makes the worst mess.

One of these days soon, I'll actually fix the place up and take real pictures. For now, you just get views from my computer desk chair.

Flashback Friday--That 70s Day

2011-12-02T08:48:00.003-05:00

Today is the school's 70s Spirit Day. Since I'm not a huge fan of the hippie look, we went the Brady Bunch route. Here's our best effort. Too bad you can't see Elle's shoes because they are authentic Marcia Brady.

Cookies!!!

2011-12-01T16:46:00.004-05:00

I was invited to a cookie swap (my first social event here!) and I decided to make these Egg Nog Cookies. They are very very yummy, if you like egg nog. If not, you won't like them much.

Hopefully most people like them or I may not get invited to anything else!

If you are in the egg nog camp and want to try them for yourself, just click on the pic below!

Source: yourcupofcake.com via Emily on Pinterest

I forgot to sprinkle the nutmeg on top, and I did add about 1/2 tsp of sea salt. Everything is better with sea salt.

What are your favorite Christmas Cookies?

Oh Boy!

2011-11-30T19:21:00.002-05:00

Oh Boy. Oh Will.
He is such a character. He came crying to me today because one of his lego guys hurt his feelings.
Then later that afternoon one of his imaginary friends apparently offended him and said he didn't want to play anymore.
It's a tough life when fake people don't want to play with you.

Doings

2011-11-29T09:46:00.004-05:00

We are slowly getting things in order around here. And by that I mean I can find the towels but they don't have hooks, we had the ironing board, but not the iron, kids' rooms are functioning but so not cute and from where I sit I can see the Christmas tree and 4 cardboard boxes. ↑

We've got most of the obvious assigned a home and put away, but there is still so much stuff that we don't really have a place yet. For now we have a single story house, which is the first time Ty and I have ever lived all on one level. It's got its pros and cons. Upstairs we have 1200 unfinished sq feet that will one day become a family room, office, 5th bedroom and full bath. Until then, we have lots of odds and ends just stashed away. Or just hanging out looking junky.

As much as Ty and I enjoy a project, it's hard to go from a "finished" house to starting over again. I forget that it takes a lot of time (and money) to get a house the way you want it. I'm having a hard time being patient this time; I want things the way I want them and I want it now. I forget that we haven't even been here for 2 weeks.

The girls seem to be enjoying school. Maddie loves her teacher and says she's almost as good as Mrs. O' Connor (third grade legend). She's also loving using iPads and macbooks in school nearly every day. She is her father's daughter.

Elle only met her teacher yesterday since she had a sub all 2 days last week. Poor girl, what a way to start class. She seems to have lots of homework which is going to take some adjustment on her part, and mine.

Ty drops the girls off in morning on his way to work (bus stops by our house at 7:03 and school doesn't start til 8am! No thanks) but they are the first stop off the bus in the afternoon. So Will, who enjoys playing by himself all day long, and I walk down the long drive to meet them. It's nice to start settling into a routine.

I finally found a source of raw milk here. I didn't realize how good I had it in Fort Wayne. There, I placed an order with my co-op and I could get anything from organic coconut oil to raw cheese, yogurt, grass-fed/finished beef, chicken, and pork in addition to my milk pick up--and the milk was $6 a gallon. Here I had to call a million people to see if they sell their extra cows milk, finally found someone but I'm paying $12 a gallon! I still need to find a farm for meat. I miss my freezer full. Also, where am I going to get my pastured lard when it runs out?!?!

And while I'm complaining, it gets dark here at 4:30 pm and it's pitch black by 5. Ty and I are both having a hard time with it. It took a long time for us to switch to Central Standard time from Eastern Daylight Saving Time; we were 2 hours off. Couple that with the darkness and we were going to bed at 9pm. Now, it's just annoying and depressive that it's dark so early. Maybe if I had little kids again that I put to bed at 6:45 (oh how I miss those days) it would be ok, but unfortunately the kids haven't had such a hard time adjusting.

OK, work is the best medicine (or the humor section on Pinterest) so I better get to work. Don't click on Pinterest. Don't click on Pinterest...

Thanksgiving Happenings

2011-11-27T21:41:00.001-05:00

We spent the Thanksgiving holiday with my mom and dad. We just drove up for a short visit, mainly to eat, make a mess of everything and then leave. We had a wonderful traditional meal; everything was yummy. Thanks mom for cooking everything!

Saturday morning we enjoyed the balmy weather and went " 'sploring."

Down the road in my parents' neighborhood are some cool hiking trails that head out to a creek and lake. There are some really neat rock formations and signs of old civilizations. My kind of stuff. Kids had a blast until Elle filled her boots with water. Here are some pics of the fun:

I hope everyone had an enjoyable Thanksgiving and

let the Christmas festivities begin!!!

Oh Big City--I am Thankful

2011-11-23T13:40:00.003-05:00

The kids and I headed to Tractor Supply this morning to buy rubber boots. This is what we saw as we drove down our little country road to the interstate exit one mile from our house. There were emergency vehicles everywhere and I was sure people must have died in this horrendous accident. I was pretty shaken up because I had planned to stop for gas myself. I'm so glad we didn't leave the house any earlier!

Miraculously no one was killed; only the driver and truck passenger were injured. I couldn't believe it after seeing this wreckage with my own eyes, but feel so relieved.

Oh crazy life.

Everyday I am thankful to be alive. Last night I laid awake (took a nap then couldn't sleep) and felt those little tiny baby movements inside and marvelled at life. At this Thanksgiving time, I am thankful for the life I have and the opportunities to serve others. I'm thankful for my family, even when they are insanely annoying and thankful that we are safe and comfortable.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families! I hope everyone has a grand time with their families and friends laughing and sharing memories!

Grateful Sunday

2011-11-20T22:35:00.004-05:00

The church building is 1 mile away. It took 2 minutes approximately. Only 2 stop lights. It's amazing.
The ward is super friendly and they all seemed excited to have us. Will didn't even cry in sunbeams (it helped that they watched scripture cartoons and ate popcorn--it was the primary program after-party)
There is a doula in the ward. I am so lucky. After having my friend, Anna, help at Will's birth, I (actually Tyler) would never do it again without one. She also recommended a great hands-off doctor; even better, she's actually in the insurance network. Apparently here in TN, midwives can only deliver at home births (not hospitals) aaaaaand I'm not really up for that yet, or rather, Tyler isn't. I'm nearly half-way done cooking this baby and I haven't seen a doc yet; it was on my list of things to take care of. So that's something to be grateful for. Hopefully I'll find out what we're having this week!
The girls start school tomorrow. It's been fun having them around, and they sure have enjoyed the outdoors, but I've got LOTS to do in the house now and a little break from the squabbling will be nice. Maddie met a friend at church who's in the same grade, so she's a bit less hesitant to go. Elle is just ready.
My parents came over for the day yesterday. It was so nice to see them and so amazing that they can just pop over. 3 hours away is popping over. Thanks for bringing the trailer and some homemade food too! I cooked real food in real pot and pans tonight and it was nice. It's been a long time...

I Promise

2011-11-19T08:32:00.004-05:00

I promise some real blogging will come soon, but here's a quick update on what's going on:

So far, I'm loving it here! The weather is warm, there are pine trees everywhere and the people are really friendly.
We got our house on Wednesday. The original date of possession was Friday, so we got lucky. And after 4 days in a cramped hotel room, we decided to stay at the house even though we didn't have any of our stuff. We made do with 1 areo bed (for me!), a toddler cot, some new towels and some new Ikea bedding. For cooking I had 1 glass measuring cup, 2 knives and a strainer. Luckily the previous owners (p.o.) left 3 bar stools so we at least had something to sit on.
We took advantage of this time by painting a few rooms (well Tyler did--he's a speed painter). We went to hardware store where I picked out paint colors right from the rack there. Let me tell you, I am a terrible picker of paint colors. I always get it wrong. It's a good thing Tyler IS fast because he usually has to repaint twice. Or three times. But this time, I was 3 for 3. I love all the colors I picked! It's amazing.
Just removing some heavy drapes and painting is already making the house feel better. Here are some things I love about this place already: wood floors, 9 ft ceilings, white trim, big windows, tons of kitchen cabinets, great kitchen floor plan, breakfast bar, covered back porch, and most of all, the location, both the lot itself, and this little town.
Speaking of the lot, we are on an acre surrounded by woods on 3 sides. And the woods go on and on. The kids (and I) have had a blast exploring and searching for treasures. Maddie has become a bottle-hunting expert with a collection numbering around 70--and that's just the past 2 days! We told her to pace herself so she has something to do in the next few weeks, months, years...
We decided her bottle collection would look cool above the cabinets in the kitchen. I'm not entirely sure how we are going to wash them all though. Most are growing some sort of moss inside...
It is just so amazing to live in history. It's pretty much my dream to find old junk and see remnants of former lives (haha--Will even found a deer skull). About 50 feet to our left is an ancient old barn/shed thing. It was so cool and probably dangerous, but it's the kind of thing that makes my socks go up and down. I was beyond excited. It's not on our property, but I figured it had been there for a century, it's not going anywhere. Well, I was wrong. The very next day, a skid steer loader came by and tore it down. I couldn't believe it!!!!!!! They were just scrap metal collectors tearing off the roof. Now it is a big jumble of barnwood. It was very very sad. I don't know if the owners saw us prowling around and thought it was too dangerous, or if our timing was just totally off, but I was really bummed. At least there is tons of wood to salvage, and I have some plans for that!
If you are still reading it, then bless your heart (I can say that now, I live in the south). I haven't written anything down in the last 10 days, not even in my journals, so I guess I have a lot to say. As sad as I was/am to leave Indiana, I feel very blessed to be here at this place and time. I have felt very positive and peaceful about this move and house even though I was pretty freaked out before. Of course, the kids haven't started school yet (hotel was just too far away), and Ty hasn't started the real part of his job yet (lots of training) and we haven't even been to church yet (it was stake conference) and those are some pretty big factors, but I feel good about things. I know the Lord has looked after us thus far, and I have faith that He will continue to do so.
OK! The movers will be here any minute! I will be sooooo glad to get our stuff. Never take for granted things like chairs and silverware!

Grateful Last Sunday

2011-11-06T15:23:00.003-05:00

Not doing so hot with the blogging lately.

Today was our last day at church here. I felt way sadder than I thought I would. I bore my testimony and couldn't keep it together (pregnancy!) and apparently it was so bad Tyler felt the need to tell me I was a wreck up there. Helps.
I hate hugging. If you are on the verge of feeling sad, just hug and you will cry. It releases some kind of lever and you have no choice. Just one of the reasons I don't like to hug.
There were lots of people I didn't say goodbye too. I'd much rather slip away and be gone, but so so many people here in our ward have been good to me. And if I could talk to each person and thank them for their examples and service without choking up, I would.
When we moved here I was 23 years old and 17 weeks pregnant with our first child. I was just a baby myself. When I move to the next house I'll be 33 and 17 weeks pregnant with our 4th child.
As soon as we moved here I was called into the Relief Society presidency. Prior to this my callings included primary teacher for a few month in my parents' ward, and Relief Society Table Decorator in college (I'm for real here). Imagine how I felt. But it was the best thing for me. I was mentored by the best and really grew in Gospel service. I did not get released from a presidency til 7 years later (haha, that lasted for a few months, then back in, with 2 MORE callings added to the mix!). Sometimes I thought I would die. Having crazy sick newborns, crazy toddlers, a husband in more demanding leadership callings, living far from the church, hours of service. But I can't imagine a better use of my time, or a better school for learning the gospel . Those years of service were indeed a sacrifice, but as sacrifice is, I feel so much more blessed in return. And hopefully I am prepared to serve in whatever capacity I'm needed in the next place (please, please primary pianist!).
the movers come tomorrow. It's finally starting to feel real. We've been doing as much as we can to help speed up the process. I completely de-junked my sewing room. It looks amazing. It makes me want to start a project or something...
Our last day here is Thursday, then we head to my parents' house for the weekend. Then we have a week in a hotel before we take possession of the new place. By this time next Sunday, we will have been to our new ward! It's crazy to think about. I really never thought we'd leave this place.

Grateful Monday

2011-10-31T13:42:00.002-04:00

Our neighborhood always does the trick-or-treating (and block parties) the Saturday before Halloween. I love it. So we ate candy all weekend and we have no plans for tonight (read: relaxing). Maddie is going at it again with a friend in her neighborhood, so she can supply us with some more candy...
Last weekend we visited our dear friends in Chicago. It was so fun to see them again. The kids had a blast. The food was yummy. The company even better. I will miss them even more when we are much further away...
The movers come one week from today! I feel like I can finally work on stuff such as eating all the frozen food and cleaning out the fridge. I still have to pack and figure out details for the week we are homeless. Not totally looking forward to that.
We needed a washer and dryer for the new house since all the appliances are staying here. We've never bought ANY major appliances since our homes have always come well equipped, which also means I've never been able to pick out exactly what I want. Now I am a proud new owner of matching front loader and dryer. The fancy, pretty kind. And now that I will have an actual laundry room (not just a miserable pass through from the garage to the foyer) I might just be able to tackle that laundry problem...

Halloween 2011

2011-10-29T13:18:00.001-04:00

Here are the costumes for this year. Will has worn his nonstop since Tuesday. He loves being a knight.

Maddie is showing the seriousness of the theme.

She's a fine Medieval Lady, and Elle is a Medieval Princess.

Will was trying to make a serious knight face.

At the ward trunk-or-treat

Halloweens Past

2011-10-28T11:06:00.001-04:00

Some of my favorite costumes. Starting in 2006:

And tomorrow I reveal this year's collection!

Coming Along

2011-10-26T10:53:00.003-04:00

I worked leisurely on Will's costume yesterday. It was fun; it turned out cute; he helped me. Then I figured I could relax for a little while. Will was the first to need a costume--he has a party Friday morning at preschool.

BUT THEN! I got a message saying Maddie needed to wear a costume that night (last night) to activity days. So I spent the next 2.5 hours busting out a Medieval Maiden dress. It was frantic, but I got it (mostly) done. It's a good thing I got it finished so soon because it's got some major fit problems. Normally, I don't use a pattern when I make costumes, and this time I am. Serves me right, the pattern is pretty horrible. I felt like I was on Project Runway yesterday, and I would for sure be sent home over this one. The judges would have torn me up.

But at least she had something to wear. And she liked it.

As soon as both maidens and the knight are all finished up, I'll be sure to post pictures.

House Sneak Peak

2011-10-25T11:21:00.004-04:00

Because my mother thinks I'm dead again, here's a sneak at the new sewing room I'm inheriting.

Too bad the long-arm quilter isn't staying. I could have some fun with that.

BTW, it's purely coincidental that the house we are getting belonged to a fanatical quilter. I just got lucky I guess. I am pretty pumped about having a window in my work room though.

Speaking of sewing, I'm actually going to make costumes this year. I am feeling TONS better; I actually have some motivation. And since we are in the hurry-up-and-wait phase of our move, I figured I had nothing better to do. We finally got everyone on board with a theme (I love doing themes) so hopefully things will turn out. By Friday.

Utah Trip 2011

2011-10-20T19:03:00.001-04:00

We had the lucky occasion to head out to Utah for my brother's wedding this past week. It was the first time my kids had ever been out west (excluding a trip to Seattle when Maddie was 8 months old) so there was much marvelling at the desert landscape and the mountains especially. I don't have any pictures of the wedding, so those will have to wait.

First up, we took full advantage of the opportunity to annoy our kids by showing them every place we lived, had classes, ate, worked, etc etc etc on BYU campus. They were pretty good sports, enjoying lunch at the Cougareat, playing in the Eyring Science Center--where I used to work, visiting the Autoshop--where Ty and I both worked, the "underground" library that I never really got to enjoy.... I made them go into the HFAC just to smell it. It has it's own smell, you know, and I love that smell too. Here they are with the bottom half of Brigham Young. We should have held out on the mint brownies and donuts til after they took a good picture....

Maddie had the insane desire to hike Y mountain while we were there. Originally it was just going to be Tyler and her, but the others wanted to go too. I climbed about 20 feet, wished them luck and settled into the car to watch Larkrise to Candleford. Quite nice. They made it all the way to the top. I was surprised, and proud of them.

Saturday was my brother's wedding (which was very nice, a separate post to follow), Sunday was church at the local building then downtown to Temple Square. It was Tyler's first time seeing the Conference Center as well as the kids. We took the tour and it was well worth it. Such an amazing and beautiful building.

On the roof:

I would love to crop my large-size self out of the following picture, but I do believe that would take out the rest of the fam. Pregnancy is fun for so many reasons.

I did not lug along my big camera on this trip, but Ty got this pretty picture of the temple with his little point and shoot. It was so beautiful this time of year, leaves were fiery orange and yellow. The mountains were a feast for my eyes. I wished I had brought it after the fact to take some nice shots. But these will do...

Monday we drove into Park City (Ty had never been) and both agreed it would be a fun place to go sans children someday. This is the house where we stayed. It was wonderfully situated on the mountain with an amazing view. The place was HUGE with room for all of us. It was great to stay up late talking and laughing (and eating of course). It even had a piano for a traditional night of singing.

It was such a fun trip. So many memories made for us and for our kids. I hope they remember how they felt at the temple and seeing the beauty of the area--even if they decided the mountains were crowding them out and they longed for straight, flat roads.

Thanks Mom and Dad for making it happen, and thanks Joe and Allie for giving us the reason!

Dream

2011-10-12T11:36:00.003-04:00

OK, so after yesterday's complaining session, a lot has happened. We got an offer on our house (less than 24 hours of being on the market), and our offer was accepted on the new place. So, pretty amazing.

Here's a picture of the new place. Ty still won't let me disclose much in fear of jinxing the whole deal.

I can't wait to tell you more though! Stay tuned!

Dream or Nightmare?

2011-10-11T12:22:00.004-04:00

Our house is officially on the market, as of last night. We already have 2 showings lined up. Everyday we have people over doing something for this move: realtors, inspectors, fixers, moving walk-thrus. It's never ending.

Luckily I'm coming out of the exhaustion of the first trimester, and my vertigo seems to get better everyday. The house is in pretty good shape, but of course, now that it's real, you see so much more that needs to be done. Like under the kitchen sink. I need to tidy under the sink. Add that to the list.

And, we're leaving for Utah in a day for my brother's wedding. It's a crazy time, but I think we will all enjoy the break from this frantic, stressful life.

We've pretty much found a house down there, but I'm not allowed to blog about it yet in case I jinx it :) Hopefully soon I'll spill the beans.

When I started this blog, 5 years ago, we were in the midst of selling our old house. I can't believe I'm doing it again. Except, this is on a much bigger scale and so much more complicated. I just tell myself, that by the Christmas holidays we will be nestled into our new place. All together.

Photo credit. I googled "for sale sign" and oh my, there are some funny pictures that show up.

Day of Realtors

2011-10-05T16:01:00.001-04:00

Today is the day we have a parade of realtors come through the house. Relo is such a hassle. But since I had the place pretty spiffed up, I thought I'd take some pictures.

I finally "finished" my wall of art. I figured it would be a morphing project and every time I found something I liked I would add it, or switch out frames when I found something better. I kind of have a bird theme going on; we like birds.

top ten--reasons to not get out of bed

2011-10-04T08:46:00.001-04:00

It was General Conference weekend. I loved every minute. I thought all the talks were wonderful.
I've had plugged up ears and the worst vertigo for days now. Sudafed isn't working it's magic, but I do seem to feel a little better each day.
I'm still feeling tired. This baby better be the smartest, strongest and highly-motivated because it's sucking it all out of me.
We've had a slew of people coming to our house and more coming in the next few days. Working with relo companies are a pain. I'd rather just hide under the covers.
I'm hooked on Larkrise to Candleford. That's probably my main reason for not getting out of bed.
It's getting colder around here. I've loved it. My bed is comfy.
I've got a whole house to clean.
And laundry. See bullet point #4
I have nothing to wear. Nothing that I want to wear. Nothing that feels good. Jammies are still the comfiest.
And when I'm lying in bed looking out the window, I see things like this ↓ and I get the biggest smile on my face. I even get out of bed, to get my camera and document the fine ladies strolling around the neighborhood.

Aren't they the fine?

Maddie's Race

2011-09-27T09:45:00.006-04:00

I'm feeling good today! Good enough to get out of bed and even make it! Wow.

Last Friday was Maddie's first cross country race of the season. She placed 14th out of 71 fourth-grade girls. She even got a special ribbon and helped bring her team to a 2nd place win! We were super proud of her and quite surprised to see that she had improved so much since last year. Her one-mile time was 7:52.7. She's got another race this Friday and she's hoping to shave off some more time. She said afterwards, "I could have gone faster..."

Since we don't really do any other extra-curricular activities, it's been fun to participate in XC. It's been fun that the schools out here do this for the younger kids. They don't have this (or any other sports) in the elementary or even middle schools where we are going. But it's fun for now.

Grateful Monday

2011-09-26T10:39:00.003-04:00

My mom thinks I must be dead if I'm not blogging. I'm only half dead, so this will be half blogging.

Elle got her hair chopped. It looks so much better now. I got my hair cut too, and I feel so much better. Hair cuts are worth it.

Yesterday, we only had sacrament meeting. It was awesome.
I'm still feeling blah, drained, nauseous, crampy. I'm taking these all as good signs. I've miscarried at 10 and 13 weeks, and both times I was feeling great. So I figure as long as I'm still feeling rotten, I'm still pregnant.
We've pretty much got a buyer for our house and it hasn't even been on the market yet. That's going to make things so much easier. It's so hard keeping the house perfect when you've got kids, not to mention, when you are too tired to do anything.
Also grateful for this house. It's so nice. Our backyard is so green and pretty right now. It's making it hard to leave.

Made My Day

2011-09-22T12:01:00.004-04:00

I got a call this morning from a number I didn't recognize on my cell phone. After a short explanation, it was a recent Etsy customer thanking me for his purchase. He was a very kind man who explained that his wife had a set of glasses like these that she valued not only because she had them for 31 years, but because they were given to her by a beloved great aunt. Well, he accidentally broke one, felt horrible and quickly went online to find a replacement. Mine were the closest match and he called to let me know they received them and that she was delighted. Probably more delighted at the thoughtful purchase by her husband than the glasses themselves, if you ask me...

I got the opportunity to explain that they were my grandmother's who recently passed away , but I really couldn't use them (well, I could, but they'd get broken pretty fast around here) so I decided to list them in my shop. He said that made them all the better.

In a day and age when my phone rarely rings, and I even more rarely talk to a stranger, it was really nice. It made my day.

First Goodbye

2011-09-20T09:41:00.003-04:00

Ty knew that as soon as we got a definitive answer about moving the first thing to do was find the chickens a new home. The thought of having them in the backyard when our house was on the market about did him in. So as sad as it is, I'm relieved it's not something we (Tyler) have to worry about.

Friday after work, Ty went to town unearthing the coop and moving it to its new location. We have good friends in our ward with an ideal location outside the city limits (legal) who offered to take the chickens. It took only 4 hours to complete the whole process. I will really miss my pretty hens, but I'm so glad to know they are in good hands. They will love their new home.

Here's the yard now. The lawn has been reseeded and before you know it, all traces of owning chickens will be gone. It still makes me sad to look out the kitchen window and not see them pecking around, and when it gets dark, I still think I've got to run out and lock them up. I miss greeting them every morning, and I have a surplus of scrap food that I don't know what to do with.

So goodbye little chickies. Have fun with your new owners!

The good news is, all the areas we are looking to move allow chickens!

We can just get more!

Pregnancy Brain Incident #1, or, The Lord Really Loves Me

2011-09-17T08:22:00.002-04:00

I told you my hot pads were yucky...

Yesterday afternoon I had to run and pick up Elle from her first Baton Class after school. I left the other kids in the care of the neighbor and ran to the school to get her. I was gone for probably 20-25 minutes.

When I got home, I smelled a burning smell. I left the stove burner on (gas stove--we're talking flame here. fire.) with a hot pad directly on top of it!!!!!! I just couldn't believe it. And that is the extent of the burning on the hot pad.

How did the whole thing not go up in flames and burn our entire house down?!!!!! Our house goes on the market next week. Can you imagine the mess that would cause?

I immediately said a prayer of thanks because I know Heavenly Father kept this from becoming a nightmare. He watches over those crazy moms whose brain cells are not fully functioning because we are on his errand. And next time I leave the house I will be much, much more careful. I still shudder to think of it.

But in good news, Elle loved her class. More on that later.

Household Happenings--the big news

2011-09-14T13:26:00.003-04:00

Yesterday Tyler accepted a job offer in Memphis, TN. He starts November 14, so the next few weeks will be busy, not only with house and moving stuff, but doing all those things here for the last time. I will really, really miss Fort Wayne. I think of it as the place I became a grown-up. I will write more about the whole job and moving stuff later.

And--the reason for my sporadic blogging is the fact that Baby #4 is supposed to come this spring. I have been SO tired that I've been napping all day, and when I am forced to wake up, all I can think of is lying down again. I'm hoping there's not much more left of this, because I have a lot to do!!!

Everyone around here is super excited. Last summer I wrote that post about eternal family size and mentioned that we were not done, I just didn't know when. Well, this summer both Ty and I realized the time was right. Part of my feelings were the fact that my kids were all going to be in school this year (Will in preschool) and I wondered what was I supposed to do with myself (of course I really could fill that time easily--there's always plenty to do). But I feel that my purpose here on earth is to be a mother and I guess I just have more mothering to do.

So that's what's going on around here. I will probably now switch to posting exclusively about baby stuff and houses, because that's just what I do. One track mind (2 tracks for now). I won't be offended if you tune out for the next few months :) Now, I must nap.

My Kids Amaze Me

2011-09-09T15:38:00.003-04:00

I am a lucky mom.

Elle received the "Honorable Otter" award for showing kindness and friendship in gym class. She was encouraging and helping another girl who was struggling with the game apparently. It's just such a nice surprise to see that my kids can act like decent people. We are very proud of her.

And then I open Maddie's teacher's weekly newsletter to see that she is one of 5 students to pass the math facts for this quarter. Maddie is very self-motivated--I hardly ever know what's going on with her homework because she just takes care of it and studies on her own. It's wonderful.

Will is doing great at preschool too. I can tell he is trying to meet the other kids and be friendly. His teacher called him a "doll" which of course, he adamantly denied.

Sorry for the lousy photos. Forgot the big cam. Tyler's gonna hate me for posting that one of him, but I think he's cute, and I love that Elle is looking off in some other direction.

Preschool for Will

2011-09-06T11:36:00.002-04:00

Here's my sweet little guy on his first day of preschool. Well, it was really just the orientation: 30 min. of playing in the classroom while the teacher talks to grown ups. He was the kid that didn't want to go in. Poor guy he was so nervous. Such a change from the girls who just march in and take over the place. Tomorrow is the real day, where I just drop him off at the door. I'm pretty sure it's going to be sad (for him, not for me. Ok it will be sad for me if it's sad for him). I hope he survives it! Way to be brave Will!

Grateful Sunday

2011-09-04T09:49:00.003-04:00

We had a great thunderstorm last night that brought some much needed rain. It also brought all 3 kids to our bed. It's so cute to see them all asleep together. I especially love Will's hand pose.
The storm also brought cooler temps. It's been such a hot summer (I know you Texas people are scoffing--but I'm really not that far from Canada. It's not supposed to be this hot here, for so long). I am really looking forward to Fall this year.
We have so many upcoming changes. Big ones. It's so nice that we have the help and inspiration from the Lord in guiding us in these big decisions. I have complete faith that He knows what's best for our family.
I have such a good, patient husband. I love all that he does for me. Thank you dearest.

Household Happenings

2011-09-02T15:39:00.005-04:00

Well apparently my best wasn't good enough. Nothing amazing happened to me this week. A few smaller things to note:

Elle wanted a decorative pillow for her bed, so I made this. Out of the scraps left from their quilts. Anything to get her to take some pride in bed-making...
Ty did get his birthday ipad. I donated all my earnings, and it came in the mail yesterday. I've enjoyed the gift as well...
This was Elle's special week at school. She got to do a science experiment in front of the class and I got to go in today to read a story and eat lunch with her. It was fun and I think she liked it. She brought in snack today too--homemade bread with jam and butter. I don't know how often regular kids eat homemade bread. The bus driver liked it too.
My neck has suffered a relapse. I can't turn again to the right. Not as bad as the first time, but still frustrating.
I'm getting excited for our family trip to Utah. A certain little boy is SUPER excited to ride on a plane.
Will loves the Busytown Mysteries on netflix. I must say, I love it too.
This is Maddie at the end of the play the Activity Day Girls did. It was 12 Angry Pigs where the Big Bad Wolf is on trial. The best part was all the pig costumes.

Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

Cloth Napkins

2011-09-01T07:48:00.003-04:00

Our family uses cloth napkins exclusively--they are pretty, luxurious, earth-friendly and easy. When I am out thrifting, I pick them up in colors that complement my kitchen and they get stored in a drawer right by the table. I've almost have enough sets to last the whole family for a week. I just toss them into the washer and stick them back into the drawer.

To add to my stash I made some cute cloth napkins out of my piles of vintage fabric. These all came from my fat quarter seconds pile because I didn't care if they were already a bit stained. I trimmed them in vintage cotton ric-rac, they're 2 layers thick (reversible) and 16" square. That is my favorite size: easily folds into nice rectangle, plenty of room for face wiping, covers your lap. I think they are so pretty. Their charm makes it much more fun to set to table, or do laundry.

I found this little plastic napkin holder for $.45 and I LOVE it. Now the pretty ones don't have to be stuck in a drawer!
There was a tutorial around for step-by-step directions on how to make, but I cannot find it anywhere now... maybe I'll just have to make one.

Poll

2011-08-31T11:50:00.003-04:00

I nearly squealed when I saw this on yesterday's thrifting trip. I brought it home and Tyler nearly gagged. Two opposite reactions. He said no matter what, needlepoint is not cool. I said I'd just have to find out about that. So please, answer the poll to the left, and be honest. Anyone can vote, so all you stalkers, weigh in. It won't hurt my feelings if needlepoint really isn't cool, because I STILL LOVE IT!

School Picture Day

2011-08-30T11:01:00.002-04:00

My mom is starting to panic because I haven't posted since Friday. It's just hard to make laundry and picking up toys exciting. And I haven't done much more than that. Except that I went on a camping trip with the Young Women from the ward and I got covered in bites and got stung by a bee (swelled to the size of a salad plate--lovely). So other than laundry and picking up, I've been sitting here scratching myself. Nice, right?

But today is the day the girls have been waiting for: school picture day. They've had their outfits planned for weeks now, and Maddie had her hairstyle picked out too. These are the only shots I got-- 1 take each because the bus was coming. This is Maddie doing her best to not panic. She does not like to be late for the bus. Elle, that's another matter. She came out of the house with the toothbrush still in her mouth.

That's about it.

I will try to do something fascinating this week so I have something to blog about.

At least, I'll do my best.

Random Friday

2011-08-26T09:59:00.003-04:00

Will spends most of his day doing things like this. He says they're racing.
I'm going on a quick, 1- night campout with the young women tonight. Should be perfect camping weather.
We had our grout cleaned by Stanley Steamer yesterday. Looks amazing. Will post pictures.
I think I'm getting excited about fall weather. I miss wearing my cardigans.
It's so sunny and beautiful out today that I want to sit outside and knit instead of putting 10 loads of laundry away.
I love cherries. To eat. They remind me of this little roadside stand where we used to stop between my grandma's house in Santa Rosa and my g. grandma's house in Sonoma. The road was a deeply shaded tunnel of Eucalyptus trees you would drive through and the smell was heavenly. Then you'd stumble upon this little place and get a bottle of cherry juice. I would die to experience that all again. I'm guessing that's the only way anyhow...
Have a wonderful weekend!

Ice Pack Cover --Beginner Sewing Tutorial

2011-08-25T07:56:00.005-04:00

This last Saturday I woke up with the worst neck ache. I must have slept on it wrong and pulled a muscle or something. I couldn't turn my head to the right. At all. Like tears would spring out of my eyes it hurt so bad. So needless to say, I spent a lot of time icing my neck to help it feel better. And through this time lying there with ice packs I came up with this:

The Ice Pack Cover Tutorial.

Everyone knows a bag of frozen peas is the best. All those frozen little spheres morph around whatever painful body part, and the peas are small and smooth, but the plastic bags are kind of squirly--always slipping out of whatever towel you've wrapped around it. So even though this is super-basic, it's actually quite helpful.

1. Cut a piece of fabric 20 x 9.5 inches. A fat quarter is great for this. I like the thinness of an old sheet because I like to feel the cold, just not plastic. And... I have tons of them lying around.

2. Fold up the short sides 1", iron. Then fold in the raw part to meet the ironed seam. I'm sure most of you know what I'm talking about. Or fold 1/2" and fold again. Iron. Or don't iron. Pin, or don't pin. This doesn't have to be perfect.

3. Stitch your seams down.

4. Now, with your fabric facing you right side up, fold up 1 short side about 5" and fold the top down about 6". They will be overlapping, with the pretty fabric side inside.

5. Your rectangle should now be 9.5 inches by 7"

6. Sew a 1/4" seam on both sides.

7. Trim corners and flip the mini-pillowcase right side out. You are done sewing! Only 4 short lines! Poke out the corners so they are nice and crisp (chopsticks are perfect for this).

8. Flip one side open and insert your 16 oz. bag of peas (or frozen veggies of your choice, or just a Ziploc full of ice...). Flip top back over to enclose. And that's it!

9. Awwwww, your neck or other body part with thank you! No more slipping out of paper towels, t-shirts, or make-shift covers! Just don't forget to put the veggies back into the freezer, or you might be having lots of peas for dinner!

And yes, slowly, my neck is feeling better. I can almost turn it all the way right (still a bit tough when driving) but at least I can do things like make tutorials.

It's the important things in life...

Happy Birthday Tyler

2011-08-24T14:53:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday to my amazing, talented, handsome husband. I still love him even though he is getting rather OLD. He can't help it, but luckily I think he improves with age :)

I love you, Tyler!

Top Ten Tuesday--Actresses

2011-08-23T14:05:00.002-04:00

1. Julie Andrews

2. Audrey Hepburn

3. Mary Tyler Moore

3.5 Hayley Mills

4. Romola Garai

5. Carol Burnett

5.5 Doris Day

6. Shirley Jones

6.5 Emma Thompson

7. Barbara Streisand

8. Goldie Hawn

9. Madeline Kahn

10. Scarlett Johansson

To be a good actress to me, you must be funny. Or strikingly beautiful. Or a good actress. But mostly funny.

My mom and I were discussing this because I had a lot harder time coming up with 10 actresses (and then I thought about it and it was hard to stop at 10) So here are some more of her suggestions (she's quite enthusiastic about movies):

And Mom, you should just do this on your blog, you know...

Gwyneth Paltrow

Vivien Leigh

Ingrid Bergman

Debbie Reynolds

Deborah Kerr

Claudette Colbert

and the one who should reign supreme and that you should not have forgotten and for which you could be drummed out of the Old Movies Fan Club:

Ginger Rogers!!!

What about you? Who are your favorites?

Laraballs

2011-08-22T12:54:00.004-04:00

When my kids accompany me to the grocery store (a task I hate as much as they do) I let them pick out a "special bar" as their reward. No it's not candy, they get a Larabar. They're just fruit and nuts (ok, and sometimes chocolate), so I don't feel guilty about splurging on them. And my kids think they are getting a candy bar.

Anyway, Katie over at Kitchen Stewardship has an ebook called Healthy Snacks To Go and it is excellent. The recipes are great--especially the homemade Lara bars. I've made quite a few different flavors, and everyone loves the Chocolate Peanut Butter Delight. They are such a treat!

And easy to make:

Grind 1/3 c. peanuts and 2-3 tbs. chocolate chips in a food processor. Once they are getting well ground and crumbly, add 1/2 c. dates. Process that all up until it's paste-like and stream in 1/2 t. vanilla. I keep mixing it all until the mixture stays together well when I press it to itself. You can form into bars at this point, but I found the easiest way is to use a cookie scoop. I press as tight as I can and then pop it out. Makes these nice half-balls. I refrigerate them to also hold them together.

The hardest part is keeping the kids away from them! Because they are so dense, 2 is plenty for a snack. I just stick them in a snack bag and pop into lunches, or have them take to school for their snack (yes, our school has snack time).

So give them a shot, and check out all the other recipes in the cookbook. I've liked everything I've tried!

Purple

2011-08-20T10:39:00.002-04:00

Purple.

One of my least favorite colors.

Unless it's done by nature, then I think it's gorgeous.

Aren't these little eggplants amazing?!

Too bad I really don't like eggplant (I've tried, I really have), it's such a disappointment.

Pretty, but yucky.

Such a shame.

Flashback Friday: Emily & Joe

2011-08-19T07:45:00.001-04:00

Summer, 1978

Another great photo from the 70s

Top Ten Tuesday--Actors

2011-08-16T10:00:00.000-04:00

A couple months ago when I was making the drive to Indy I occupied myself with coming up with more top ten lists. Here's a very basic one. Actors. My favorites of the male species on the big screen. I did number them, but not sure if it's 100% right. I change my mind a lot. Some I think are fabulous actors, some are actors more fabulous to look at...

1. Paul Newman

2. Cary Grant

3. Gregory Peck

4. Ioan Gruffud

5. Dick Van Dyke

6. Damien Lewis

7. Fred Astair

8. Jimmy Stewart

9. Christian Bale (I know, a jerk in real life)

10. Colin Firth

source for all photos; Pinterest

As you can tell, I grew up on old movies. Who's on your list?

And next Tuesday? Actresses!

5 minute reversible skirt

2011-08-15T16:45:00.003-04:00

I've been on a sewing spree of late.

A skirt sewing spree.

Skirts are pretty much my summer uniform. It's all I ever feel like wearing and I decided I needed a few more to add to the rotation.

My go-to pattern is this:

(skirt only--I have yet to make a pair of pants from this pattern that fit).

It's fast to cut out, fast to sew. No waist band really, and I even skip the buttonholes in the front for the drawstring and just pick open the seam at the side. It's flattering and I love the fit.

But I was intrigued by Angry Chickens 5-minute skirt. 5 minutes is even faster than 30 minutes! So I modified my favorite skirt pattern and whipped out the 5 minute skirt in a vintage sheet. The problem was it was too thin. So then I tried using 2 sheets and made it reversible! It's awesome!

Fold-over elastic is fabulous to work with; I love not putting in a real waist. I did a rolled hem on the bottom, and did both layers at the same time. I think I might experiment with making one side longer and having it peek through, or using lace or ric-rac on the hem for extra detail. I know I'll make more of these.

Anyway, I have more skirts to wear, and a fun, fast new way to sew them. Try out either pattern, I think you will be pleased!

Happy Sewing!

So Lucky

2011-08-13T17:14:00.000-04:00

to find these.

i heart.

Inspirational Video

2011-08-12T09:27:00.000-04:00

I found this video really inspiring.
I like the quote about not letting 'perfect' be the enemy of good.
We can all make a little change.

1st day of school!

2011-08-11T08:32:00.001-04:00

It's only 8:30am and it's already my best day ever. It is SO quiet around here. That never happens. Quiet in my own house? I love it. I hope the girls are loving their day too.

Knitting, and Knitting and Knitting...

2011-08-10T09:27:00.003-04:00

I guess it's no longer Monday... These last few days of summer are slow and lazy. Just the way I like them.

Two Sundays ago a sweet sister at church gave me a couple knitted dishcloths along with a card thanking me for doing my Provident Living/Food Storage calling. It was very touching and made me miss doing all that now. I really loved that calling and all I got to learn doing it.

Anyway, I had never used knitted dishcloths before, but they are amazing!!! I only use dish cloths for wiping counters and tables, and they are perfect for that. Just the right amount of soft+scrub. I seriously love them.

So I decided I could probably figure out how to make them (I definitely need more), so I've been knitting away, using this pattern. I can't wait to make a whole cute stack of them

Here are some inspiration pictures if you want to make some too:

Source: homespunliving.blogspot.com via Emily on Pinterest

Source: wikihow.com via Emily on Pinterest

Source: hookingalong.com via Emily on Pinterest

10 points if you know the title of this post comes from...

Monday Monday

2011-08-08T15:26:00.003-04:00

Source: collectionaday2010.blogspot.com via Linda on Pinterest

I wish I had something fabulous to blog about, but it's just Monday. Monday Monday. I like Mondays, honestly. I love relaxed weekends, but I also really enjoy getting back to the routine.

Monday is laundry day and cleaning day and milk pick-up day.

It's simple dinner and FHE and early to bed.

It feels good to me.

But tonight is Open House night at the school. Maddie just can't wait to go, find her locker, stock it full of magnets and mirrors, fresh pencils and gym shoes. This is Elle's first year for a locker but she doesn't seem as excited. Maybe it's because she doesn't know the fun.

I am pretty darn excited for school to start. I know August 11th is ridiculously early, but I'm ready, the girls are ready. I can't even imagine how quiet it's going to be around here with just Will. I have grand visions of exercising, thrifting, sewing, cleaning and puttering around the house. I don't know how it's actually going to be, but I can't wait to find out. Will starts preschool after Labor Day and then I'll have 2.25 hours to myself, 3 days a week. I wonder if I'll hate the driving, or if I'll love the alone time more. Only time will tell.

All right, the dryer is dinging. Back to Monday.

Happy Birthday Giselle!

2011-08-06T19:02:00.008-04:00

Today was Elle's first birthday party (haha, even though she is 7) She picked the Hawaiian theme from the Betty Crocker Party Book (1960) even though the book said it was for girls ages 10-13. This was a very mature party. Here's a run-down of the events: (and sorry for the bad looking photos. click on them for the full view)

Some of the details-- treat bags filled with tropical starbursts decorated with paper umbrellas (those were a huge hit); hair flowers, leis and sunglasses given upon arrival; the cake, which miraculously ended up just like the picture from the book; the invitations; and some of the decorations (mostly from the Dollar Store, but watch out, there is a lot of tacky there) and I found the palm fronds at the thrift shop the day before for $.50. That was a nice surprise!

First the girls made their grass skirts. I couldn't find a good tutorial for making them, so I came up with my own idea. I sandwiched layers of green tissue paper between a felt waistband that the girls could then cut into strips. It worked beautifully.

Ta-da! I love that I have way more pictures of Maddie than the birthday girl.

She was busy.

Then we made leis. I found this idea on pinterest. Big flower paper punch and straws cut into 1" segments. String them on and you have a lei!

Here are the Hawaiian babes:

After we were dressed and ready to go, we learned the hula. I downloaded lots of Hawaiian music, but we learned the routine following this. The girls did great and we have some cute video.

Time for lunch--starting with tropical fruit salad (with more umbrellas, of course).

Then little cocktail wienies and shredded bbq chicken sandwiches on King's Hawaiian rolls (my favorite!)

Finally one of Elle, being her usual self...

Then presents! She loved them all. Such cute girls.

Will couldn't figure out why he couldn't open them, so Elle, feeling very generous let him have a turn.

After some outdoor water fun in the little pool and sprinkler and trampoline (hence the wardrobe change) it was time for CAKE! And that was that. Elle's first party. It was super easy, and very fun. I liked the small group of girls, it was just the right amount and they all seemed to have a good time.

Happy birthday Elle! We love you! I hope this next year is a great one for you!

Flashback Friday--Elle Edition

2011-08-05T10:28:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow is Elle's birthday, so here's a little flashback of the 7 years of the"Dolinator":

newborn

1 year

2 years

3 years

More Household Happenings

2011-08-04T11:37:00.003-04:00

I'm no longer capable of coming up with creative titles apparently...

This is my favorite stack of linens. The ones I can't get rid of. I hope I can find a use for them someday...

These are 2 chalkboards I saw whilst thrifting. I LOVE the details in the little corners. Wish I could have brought them home, but I'm pretty sure Ty would not appreciate.

Carrie and kids came up for another 2 day trip. It is so nice having them so close. So while Carrie's kitchen was being painted we hung out here. And really that's all we did. Sit on the couch, knit (Carrie did), eat. We even napped. It was very relaxing. But I somehow pulled a muscle in my back/shoulder/neck (how does this happen just sitting there?) that hurt pretty darn bad, and then the water was unexpectedly turned off (construction on the street) after the kids went down in the creek and covered themselves in mud. Nice.

Here's Elle and Scott trying to clean up in the only water we had. The swamp pool. And here's cute Maggie who is just a firecracker.

Thanks for coming up friends and spending some of the last lazy days of summer with us!

Household Happenings

2011-08-01T14:56:00.005-04:00

Will is sitting on my back/lap/head, so we'll see how this post really turns out...

***

I actually got the roman shades made for the front. Here's a before shot: Just boring sheers that have been the only things on the windows since we moved in and took down the mini-blinds and way over-down window treatments...

After:

I used this tutorial, and they work like a charm. They are still very simple and clean (I'm not much of a window coverings person to begin with), yet provide privacy at night.

They are still in the stage of learning their folds, and it's hard to photograph windows in broad daylight.

I'm pretty proud of myself for (finally) getting them done.

Yesterday I wore one of my favorite vintage dresses to church. Here's the best picture I could take. The lighting isn't too helpful and really we need to invest in a better full length mirror. But the purpose for bringing this up is I got tons of compliments despite the fact that Tyler HATES this dress. He could barely look at me. So I just wanted to document that other people think it's cute.

The Activity Day girls (8-11 year olds) had a swim party the other week. It was on one of the hottest days (which could be any day around here, what's with this heat?!). Thankfully they invited other family members so Elle got to swim too. Both girls had a blast with the other little girls.

Not much else is happening around here. School registration starts tomorrow which means I get to shell out a lot of money for books for TWO kids now. So fun. School starts here on the 11th which just seems insane, but I can't say I'm not glad. I think everyone is ready for a little time apart. Maddie loves school to begin with, so much of summer is torture for her anyway.

Elle's birthday is this Saturday. She is having her first ever party. She saw this photo from the Betty Crocker Party book and decided a mature Hawaiian Luau would be the party for her. So as best as I can I will try to duplicate this look.

We'll see how well I do...

Ok, that's about all for now. Carrie + kids are coming again tomorrow (yay!) so I've got to get the guest room back in order and finish the laundry (yay.)

Little Vintage Girl

2011-07-30T12:34:00.003-04:00

This is me, wearing a favorite dress, probably around 1986. I had just completed my first "on-stage" piano recital (ward talent show!).

This is Elle, wearing same dress. She is showing off her missing teeth. She finally lost that other top one. 2011.

Pinterest + diet = not good

2011-07-28T10:11:00.003-04:00

It's no secret that I adore pinterest. It is my ultimate relaxing-unwinding treat. I love looking at pretty pictures and putting them into categories. However, there is one category that I've decided is BAD! And that's my food category. Looking at all those beautiful pictures of delicious amazing creative foods is really bad for my weight. Because when I see it, I have to make it. And when I make it, I eat it. Simple as that. Take for instance these, that I made when Carrie was hanging out with me yesterday:

Source: iowagirleats.com via Emily on Pinterest

They were good. Here are some other yummy things I've been hankering to try:

Source: bakersroyale.com via Emily on Pinterest

Source: thekitchn.com via Emily on Pinterest

Source: bakingbites.com via Emily on Pinterest

Source: mybakingaddiction.com via Emily on Pinterest

It's definitely a problem. So from now on, I'm NOT going to pin anything with chocolate, or coconut, peanut butter, layers, swirling, or anything resembling a girl scout cookie. Rules, rules rules.

It's time for me to get back on the wagon (the fast wagon too!) because my brother is getting hitched! I'm so happy for him!

Nightgown

2011-07-25T13:54:00.002-04:00

Elle has been really wanting a nightgown. So I finally made one. A vintage sheet was the perfect thing to make it out of, built in ruffle and all...

She likes it.

Grateful Sunday--William Edition

2011-07-24T21:27:00.001-04:00

Today is Will's birthday. He is such a good boy and so glad to be 4 years old. We saw Cars2 yesterday (disappointing movie, but fun to be together as a family) and we opened presents and had cupcakes today.

He's been having so much fun playing with his new toys: some vintage fisher price, new "talking cars", and an emergency vehicles set.

We love you so much Will. You are a pleasure to have in our family. You are funny, sweet, thoughtful and appreciative. Even though you will keep growing up I hope you never grow out of your kind personality.

Happy Birthday dude!

Ol-fashion

2011-07-23T18:19:00.002-04:00

the girls have been playing "ol-fashion" lately. it's where they put on aprons and fancy dresses, practice good manners, and take care of Will (the baby). because all pretend involves a baby.

here he is, tucked into his "bed"-- the suitcase i finally emptied after our trip.

i love when they play this game. it's quiet, they're nice, and i'm left to myself for some reading time!

Last

2011-07-21T20:09:00.005-04:00

Last night was our last swim party with our dear friends. They are moving, and we will miss their pool, and them, of course...

It's been so hot here (WAY hotter than Texas) so last night a perfect night for cooling off. The kids had a blast, grown-ups laughed, ate delicious food, drank gourmet pop. What could be better?

Lots of this going on:

And then, the big treat of the night was hearing "the band" play:

It was so fun.

Elle said, "they're good."

It was a perfect summer night.

So sad to see our friends go. Good luck in your new place.

We will miss you.

home

2011-07-19T13:01:00.002-04:00

we are home from our whirlwind trip to san antonio. it was such fun; ty and i thoroughly enjoyed our time together, and with my family. many many thanks to carrie and lincoln for watching our brood, and taking such good care of them. they had a wonderful time too.

now it's back to work, with all those post-vacation duties waiting for me.
thanks mom and dad for the great trip!

grateful sunday

2011-07-17T15:11:00.001-04:00

we are having a pretty fun time!
more on this later.
and this is my first attempt at mobile blogging. thats why it's a bit short...

July Camping

2011-07-12T08:42:00.002-04:00

We went camping with some friends this last weekend. It was really fun despite the heat. The campground was along the Maumee river in Ohio and it was the perfect place for the kids to play; they spent hours in the murky water searching for shells and clams. Maddie even stumbled upon a gold wedding band Lots of treasures. I didn't get many photos because I forgot the good camera, but I wish I could have captured the summer memories with our friends.

There was a super-cute little town only .2 miles away that we walked to. We looked like the folk that live permanently by the river, but it was still a nice little place. I'd go there again.

I really do love camping. It's a TON of work beforehand, and I was wondering if it was all going to be worth it, but it was.

Dress my Nest Reveal!!!

2011-07-08T09:36:00.003-04:00

So here is my hypothetical Dress My Nest solution! It was really fun to find all these things and put this together. The girls both liked it and actually want to redecorate their room for real now. Here's how it goes:

girls dress my nest by alamogirl on Polyvore.com

Maddie's style item was the orange thing. That inspired the vintage orange/peachy/melon vintage chenille bedspreads.

Elle's style item was the Heidi dress. That inspired the main color palette of bright colors, and some Black Forest elements such as the cuckoo clock.

Maddie's personal item was Sally, the pink bird, which inspired the bird prints, the tree mural and the pink in the mirror and pillows and fabrics.

Elle's personal item was the chenille blanket: chenille bedspreads.

And the shared item was The Sisters Grimm. That inspired the fairy tale items (plate collection--which I adore and may have to splurge on for real), dolls, books and the ornate Victorian furniture (I thought that would make it seem a little more magical). They would keep their desks (for their detective work).

The walls would be bright white to accent the colors of red, orange, pink and green. And I would hypothetically make curtains and pillows out of the patterned fabrics featured.

Isn't it cute? I love it, and if I had tons of cash lying around, I'd buy everything and really make it happen! Still, fun little project.

Thanks girls! Hope you enjoy your "room"!

Dress my Nest

2011-07-07T11:09:00.004-04:00

Have you seen Dress my Nest? It's streaming on Netflix and my girls have been serious watchers. They decided to come up with their own items and now they want me to come up with a mood board for their shared room. With the stuff they brought me, it's going to be a tough challenge! Here we go:

Maddie's style item is an orange piece of spandex knit that she cut arm holes in and wears as a vest/cover up/cape. Very multi purpose. She loves orange, she loves that she made it, and she likes that it's soft.

Elle's style item is the vintage Heidi dress (it was mine as a girl--should I be offended that my stuff is vintage now?!) She likes that it was mine (sentimental), she likes the old-fashioned styling and the bright colors.

Maddie's personal item is her pink cockatoo, Sally. Maddie really loves birds, plus she's pink, soft, sweet and comforting.

Elle's personal item is her "bonky" It's chenille (on the other side...). That's the basic thing.

And their shared item is Maddie's picture of The Sisters Grimm. They both love the book series, the fairy tales, the girls, the detective aspect.

OK! I'm going to work on some ideas, and stay tuned for the mood board! And if you want to play along, do it too! I'd love to see what other people come up with!!

Giselle

2011-07-06T13:29:00.002-04:00

Elle was my model for some pillowcase dresses that are going in the shop, and I thought this picture was especially sweet. She's a toothless wonder.

Fourth

2011-07-05T15:20:00.006-04:00

We had such a great weekend with our dear friends, Carrie and Lincoln and fam. It's funny, we spent their last 4th of July in Indiana together, and now we spent their first one back together. And even though they'd only been in their house for a few days, they were great hosts.

We got up Monday morning and watched the community parade. It involved lots of sirens and big vehicles, so Will enjoyed. However, the candy passing was pretty stingy so the other kids were a little miffed. I, of course, cannot see the ancient old man veterans carrying the flag without crying. That's part of the fun.

We grilled out, made ice cream, and blew off some kid-size fireworks.

Maybe not quite enough to keep the big kids entertained,

but enough for the menfolk to have fun...

It was just a great holiday and I'm so glad we got to share it with friends. And since Carrie is watching our kids for our upcoming Texas trip, it was a good primer for the kids to get used to things. I think they will do fine.

Thank you so much C&L!

I'm so glad we can do stuff like this now!

Happy 4th!

2011-07-03T16:46:00.002-04:00

Wishing everyone a Happy Independence Day weekend!

I'm so grateful for our country and the rights and freedoms we enjoy.

That picture is some of the fun we had on Friday, back at Silver Beach.

More to come later!

busy

2011-06-29T20:19:00.002-04:00

sorry for the lack of posts. i've been busy trying to get some things listed for the shop. always takes longer than i imagine. it's also summer time. which means there are 3 kids to referee/entertain. i make them do chores each morning. and reading and math. and even though it's been what, 3 weeks there is still a fight each and everyday. it's fun, really.

I love...

2011-06-25T13:51:00.000-04:00

when my yard looks like this...

date night movie review

2011-06-24T21:55:00.002-04:00

Have you seen Stranger than Fiction? Tyler and I watched it again last night. Neither of us could remember the ending from the first time we watched it, but we both remembered liking it.

And we liked it just as much, or maybe even more the 2nd time.

I love Will Ferrell and he's good as the straight man. The movie is original and quirky and still funny and sweet and even romantic. It's got it all.

So if you haven't seen it, go watch it. And if you have seen it, leave a comment!

at the beach

2011-06-23T21:04:00.003-04:00

We went to the beach today.

After 10 years of living here in the land-locked Midwest, we finally drove the two (2!) hours to Lake Michigan. I had heard talk about how the beaches were so nice and it's almost like the ocean and we just never went. I don't know why. And now I'm killing myself for not going sooner. Even though it was 65* and windy and threatening to rain, it was such a good ocean fix.

We went to Silver Beach in St. Joseph. It's a county park with a huge sandy beach, playground, ice cream snack bar, volleyball courts and showers. And on a day like today, it was deserted. Perfect. And only $8. I can't wait to go back when it's warmer.

Maddie instantly got to work on the drip castle.

Tyler and the kids ventured into the water while I stayed as cozy as I could wrapped in beach towels. I had pants and a sweater on too.

We didn't spend much time looking around the quaint little town because everyone was tired and ready to go, but it looks way cute with carousels and fun shops and restaurants. Tyler even got a souvenir St. Joseph t shirt because he forgot to bring anything dry and I had to run into Walgreen's of all places to buy him clothing. Now he will always remember our fun trip.

Good times. I can't wait to go back.

House Inspiration

2011-06-20T13:05:00.003-04:00

Source: designspongeonline.com via Emily on Pinterest

We've been slowing getting things in order around here since we pretty much re-arranged the bottom 2 floors of the house. I'm left with lots of wall space in a boring-suburban-no details house. I used to decorate the walls machine gun style with a spray of stuff around the room. Arranging things in artistic clusters is not my forte, but I've been {trying} to learn thanks to friends and blogs about adding texture, interest and detail.

Anyway, I saw this picture on Pinterest and remember that $1 desk from the auction? With 9 drawers? Tyler modified one half of it as a stand for my printer and storage for my desk, and I'm gonna give this a try with the other half. I love this idea.

Grateful Sunday Father's Day Edition

2011-06-19T18:34:00.004-04:00

Even though I didn't do anything totally awesome for Ty for father's day, that doesn't mean I don't love, appreciate, and revere him. We got him a Top Gear tee-shirt to illustrate our love (well, we ordered it....) and I kept him company while he fixed dinner and made no-bake cookies. It was a good day for me!

And to my dad, thank you for being such a great role model.

I'd write a lot more, but I cut my finger with kiddie scissors of all thing and it hurts to type. So this will have to do.

So thank you fathers and good men out there. It sometimes seems that the breed of good man is dwindling in this day and age, and I count myself blessed to be around the remaining.

Home from Camp

2011-06-17T22:16:00.003-04:00

I'm home from camp. And even though it rained a good portion of the time, it was my favorite year by far. This group of girls is the most amazing group of young women. Such good girls. It was a delight to be their leader and I will remember their testimonies and their shining faces forever. The other leaders were great, the food was plentiful, the surroundings beautiful. It was just a great experience.

It is also great to be home. A big thank you to my mom and Tyler for taking care of the kids. And I'm really going to enjoy my own bed tonight!