my loves my life

2011-04-11T18:33:00.000-07:00

Lucy Grace

2011-04-10T14:19:00.007-07:00

Our little squirrel arrived this week! She arrived with the chubbiest cheeks I've ever seen and a head full of dark hair!

They let me cuddle with her for a good hour right after she was born. I loved it! It has been a long time since we've had a newborn around and I have really been enjoying her! She looks alot like her daddy!

The girls have been loving her so much and every chance they get they want to hold her. Ella asks when she is going to wake up so she can play patty-cake with her!

Joe is a little out numbered. I hope he can handle us girls:)

a twirl

2011-03-22T14:22:00.003-07:00

we had a warm day a week ago and the kids were enjoying their new twirl skirts and their tree house tent! i love to listen to them pretending. they come up with the most amazing scenarios. pretend you were my baby and i was your big sister and our mom was on a trip in a big boat and i had to take care of you and....oh it goes on and on. sometimes they don't even get to the pretending part!

it does get a little old when they want me to play pretend ALL DAY LONG.

2011-03-09T22:33:00.003-07:00

ya, this was funny until i found out they were using

my lipstick and not the designated "play makeup".

farewell my favorite sheer blush.

unfortunately, i cannot afford anymore of you for awhile.

some ruffles

2011-03-04T21:52:00.003-07:00

well, since my internet is working for the moment, i thought i would post something. i've had a few friends have babies the last few weeks and it makes me think i have to get everything ready, but alas i still have 5 more weeks. anywho...the nursery is done. i already had this cute bumper from pottery barn, but got some fun sheets and decided to redo the crib skirt i had. and there is nothing better that a few ruffles for a precious little girls room!

i have had this plain pink lamp shade that i wanted to spruce up somehow and finally started making some ruffles and put it all together and wala a fun ruffly lampshade.

N.E.S.T.I.N.G.

2011-01-11T19:32:00.006-07:00

So I am on serious nesting mode. I have all of this energy and have been organzing like a crazy women. I had to take a break over the weekend because I was having some major contractions. Which is kinda funny. Kinda. This is my third babe and haven't ever really experienced a contraction, being induced with my previous two as well as having glorious nurses that start pumping the fentanyl from my first discomfort. Long story short, I had to put myself on bedrest for a couple days and am feeling much better.

I have decided to finally tackle my bedroom and bathroom fiasco. I am extremely embarassed of it and can't decide if I want to put up before pictures. I have paint samples all over the walls, white spackle spots that have been there for years, ugly hand-me-down furniture. I am very excited now that I have a plan and know exactly what I want. We are half way done with the bathroom cupboards--arggg--that is a whole long story that nobody wants to hear. Sorry to those I've already told. Hopefully...they will be done on Saturday. (Joe promised.)

Anywho...in other news, I went through all of my baby things and have a gazillion clothes. A girl can never have too many summer dresses. It was so fun to go through everything. Brynn kept holding outfits up "this is so cute mom, I remember when I wore this when I was a baby." She was very helpful sorting the piles: jammies, jumpers, shirts, dresses, pants and hats. She was even more helpful tucking them neatly in their designated drawer.

Letters to Santa...

2009-12-17T23:24:00.004-07:00

It's been a busy, but fun month around here. There is a lot to do, as my check list seems to be getting longer instead of shorter...Man, I though I was so on top of things this year!
The kids have been busy drawing their letters to Santa...

they worked long and hard on them.

Making yummy chocolate popcorn for our neighbors...although I think half of it ended up in our bellies! Reading our favorite Christmas story with some "warm" hot chocolate drenched in cool whip...mmm
Licking the dough off beaters. This is rather common in our home. We never quite get to the cooking part. (Besides the dough is much better.)

And of course picking the perfect Christmas dress.

Bunk Bed=Sleepless Night

2009-12-14T23:58:00.004-07:00

We finally finished up "the Girls" room. It is freshly painted. Which by the way means one coat of primer, 2 coats paint, tape off ceiling, touch up ceiling, tape off baseboards, touch up baseboards. This is not an easy process in our household. Nevertheless, it is done and we've put up our darling bunk bed, purchased here, for a screamin' deal! Their duvet covers are to die for and I found some curtains that go perfectly with the decor. They, I am sure, will not be up for awhile. It takes my man awhile to put holes in his perfectly smooth walls. Blah...Blah...Blah...I may just surprise him one day with a crooked curtain rod. I can hear me now..."It's not my fault, there was a small earthquake that shook the house right when I was putting the nail in the wall...the beautiful, flawless wall."

Anywho, my point of this post is this people: Think this bunk bed thing through. I have a 4 and a 3 year old and I think I was a little hasty in my decision to move them together. The other room sits empty (hopefully for not too much longer). I love my girls dearly, but bedtime is not so fun anymore. They play and laugh and pretend they are peter pan and wendy all night long. Ever since the binkie broke, yes, tragic I know, the naps have vanished and the sleep is not quite so fun. Some nights I think...eventually they have to fall asleep...but until there are threats of being put in the crib, it doesn't happen. Ah well, we live and we learn...

Catching Up...

2009-12-08T16:48:00.006-07:00

Oak IS GONE!

We've been doing some fun, festive activities these December days. Don't you just love Christmas. I am like a giddy little 5 year old. I'm having so much fun with the kiddos doing our advent calendar activities. I found the cutest advent calendar on etsy and really wanted to re-create. But I couldn't find the supplies I needed. So I found a paper mache star box and some smaller boxes that I modge podged with Christmas paper. So each day the kids take turns opening a box.

Most of the activites are simple things, like make a christmas chain, deliver cookies to a friend or play candyland. I think I'm a little more excited about it than the girls...

They had fun helping me decorate the tree. I was handing them the ornaments and when they were gone I looked at the tree. It was so cute. All the decorations were on the lowest couple of branches. But they were proud as can be and so was I!

We are in baking mode. Almost every night is another delicious treat! Good for them, not so good for my behind...

I've been having fun decorating our house for the holidays. Joe made me wait until AFTER Thanksgiving. Humph.

The End.

oak be gone

2009-10-04T18:19:00.004-07:00

i have way too much oak in my house; bathroom cupboards, kitchen and banister. by golly it is time to get rid of it all. well, at least give it a much needed make-over.

my first project: the kids bathroom. i sure am glad i started with the small bathroom to work out all the kinks. it consists of one door and two drawers. i was told it was a 3 hour project. no problem. alas, 5 days later (i'll spare you the details)...

next challenge: the banisters.

starting off right

2009-10-01T20:03:00.002-07:00

hey ya'll, if anyone comes to my blog anymore. haha. i love fall and especially halloween. the whole month of september and october involves alot of sugar cookie decorating, carmel apple dipping, major halloween craftiness, parties and of course my specialty: costume making!!!

warm nights and fireworks

2009-07-10T13:22:00.005-07:00

one of my favorite things about living in the beehive state is the warm, dry nights. i love to sit outside in the middle of the night and feel the warm air surround me.

i love july too. i love watching fireworks almost every night on our driveway (we have a lot of enthusiastic parents in our neighborhood). i love falling asleep to the sound of fireworks popping.

i've decided to be a little more laid back with bed time this summer. i admit somedays an 8 o'clock bedtime is a must. but i do have memories of being in bed when it was still light and i could hear all the kids playing outside. boo. it was traumatic.

we enjoyed one of these late, warm july nights with some good friends and great fireworks. the boys put on a fun show that the kids looooved.

Wow!

2009-05-20T14:56:00.002-07:00

Okay, okay...I know that everyone thinks their kids are the cutest. BUT, I really do think I have the most beautiful girls. I'm not sure where they get their beauty, I think they just got the very best genes of Joe and I. So today, my dear friend (who is an exceptional photographer--if you don't believe me look here) and I took the girls to an AMAZING location that pretty much had it all...big grassy field, old shed, stream and a little bridge. The best part was neither child had a breakdown of any sort! Hoorah! Thanks so much D for a fabulous session! Now scoot on over to her website and get some beautiful shots of your own!

Inspired...

2009-05-18T20:36:00.004-07:00

Now this is inspiring...

and this...

and this.

I cried when each of these people crossed the finish line. I don't know why. A marathon (26.2 miles) is such a tremendous accomplishment. So much sacrifice and time put into training and then to actually follow through with it. I just don't know if I could do it, but you all definately inspire me.

Way to go!

2009-04-29T23:14:00.005-07:00

a perfect pink party. for a perfect four year old. thank you martha for the "easy" invitation idea. super cute, but super time consuming!

we started out with the paper dolls. each girl got their own doll to dress. they chose the dress color and all the accessories. what a blast they all had. so creative!

each pink partier received a flower head wreath to take home. they were falling apart from the get go, so i'm not sure how long they lasted once at home. hopefully at least one full day!

the beautiful birthday girl! and the beautiful pink ruffle cake. finally, one that turned out decent.

all the girls drew a wish on their balloon and let it fly. this was the girls favorite part. they watched and watched until they were out of sight!

happy birthday sweet girl. i love you.

2009-04-06T20:40:00.003-07:00

today was a good day. it was sunny. it was warm. i ran 3 miles. i made a yummy dinner that joe actually had seconds of. (this is not a common occurance, making dinner OR joe having seconds.) i played outside with my kids pretty much all day. i was patient. i had energy. i had F.H.E. (second week in a row...good for me.) and i watched my kids dye and decorate their easter eggs and stain their little fingers blue and red. it was a good day.

i have no pictures of my good day because my camera is giving me troubles. can't someone read the instructions and then inform me how to take beautiful pictures.

i am getting deliciously excited about our piper & chloe spring showcase. it will be friday, may 8th and saturday, may 9th. i hope you all mark it on your calendars! it will be great, giddy fun!

playing house

2009-03-06T16:40:00.006-07:00

i'm so cranky when it comes to my children's bedrooms. they are always such a disaster. all their toys are in their rooms and it gets crazy messy all the time. i keep thinking i can't have a playroom until the basement is finished. and yet. i had good times in my unfinished basement. i played down there a ton. so. what to do. i gave it a good clean-up. and now there is a fun little area to "play houses" as ella would say. even though it's a tad cold (okay freezing) i just have to put slippers and jackets on. i've been having so much fun...and i suppose my kids will learn to love it.

the bedroom and closet

the baby's room

the family room

the kitchen area

before

after

2009-02-25T22:41:00.001-07:00

well, this about sums up my week so far...

happy love day

2009-02-14T18:23:00.000-07:00

be mine

2009-02-12T12:18:00.004-07:00

today we made valentines.

we ate oreos.

and we made fancy headbands & hair clips.

water the plants

2009-02-11T20:16:00.005-07:00

finally a moment to relax. i've cleaned up the kitchen and the kids are playing upstairs. i go to indulge in an episode of the city. i hear the water upstairs running. tell ella to not make messes. she assures me they are not only watering the plants. i don't bother to take a gander. i'm sure there is water everywhere.

again ella tells me she is watering the plants on her bed. i think what plants could she be talking about. the only flowers in her room are too high for her to reach.

the city is done. i trudge upstairs to get the kids ready for bed. ella excitedly tells me she watered her plants. i ask her what plants she is talking about. she points to her bedspread. see these plants. oh, those plants. the whole bed is sopping with water and all i can do is laugh.

fashion 911

2009-02-04T22:01:00.006-07:00

i am so out-of-style, it's ridiculous. i cleaned out my closet. really cleaned it out. i have bags of clothing i'm getting rid of. see.

in the past, everytime i start cleaning it out i think, oh, ya know it's been 3 years, but i just still might wear it. well, this time, i didn't hold back and went to town. my closet is pretty bare now, but at least i know i wear everything in there. the only trouble i am having is my skirts. are they cute and in style. or not. i'm sure they aren't but wanted all of your trusted opinions. i think i went through a major skirt buying era. i've got alot of them, but nothing to wear with them. you know how it goes...find cutest skirt ever. buy it. come home, nothing to wear it with. sits in closet collecting dust. wear it with a shirt that kinda goes with it. get weird looks from people. put it back in closet to collect more dust. so just be honest. i will not be offended. pa-lease help me.

i made this one. maybe that should be my answer.

we're going to the ball...

2009-01-31T22:51:00.004-07:00

i know i shouldn't be doing this...but, really, i could not resist. my marm dropped off my wedding dress a couple days ago. i don't think i've looked at it since i was married. but alas, tempation took over. my excuse was that i knew ella would love it. and love it she did. she wanted to put her prettiest dress on. and then, of course brynn too. and she wanted me to put on my dress. you think i didn't. well, you are wrong my friends, i did. and i couldn't get the blasted zipper up...embarrasing.

so...we danced at the ball...i have no shame...i did take pictures, put my camara on the 10 second timer...and danced away.

then, we had the carriage take us home. brynn was our driver.

ballarina

2009-01-14T15:05:00.003-07:00

my little ella loves her dance class. she had a mini recital a few weeks ago. she was in heaven (and her own little world) as she gave the most beautiful performance! she is such a princess.

our little bug is two!

2009-01-07T21:31:00.004-07:00

alright. i know. i'm slacking in the blog department. i really needed a break from the computer after crazy december. so now that we're into january a whole week, it's time to get back in business. first order, my little bug brynn turned two! i just can't even believe it. it makes me sad that she's growing so fast, but, she is at such a fun stage right now. she is a little ball of fire and makes me laugh all day long. she goes and goes and goes and when she's tired she tells me "nap" or "sleep" and looks at me with those big blue eyes. i love being a mom. some days it is crazy and i have to lock myself in the basement for a "timeout" or else i will completely lose it. but really, most days i am so glad that i chose to be a mom and to stay home with them.

happy birthday bug. i love you.

hey ya'll

2008-12-01T22:15:00.006-07:00

I don't know why I'm so into that word these days. Ya'll. It reminds me of my awesome Plano, Texas roomates back in the day. Ah, good memories. Oh yes, I wanted ya'll to join me at our upcoming holiday showcase. That's right ladies (and gents), you are not gonna wanna miss this hip, vintage-inspired show. It's gonna be awesome! Here are some of my favorites.

Oh yes, I can definately see myself wearing this around the house, or perhaps on a night out.

Chartreuse Jewelry

Hello, Ella and Brynn are going to LOVE decorating this adorable felt cake over and over and over again! So cute!

Oliver

Perfect holiday attire. Think of all the parties this skirt could go to...

JustBe

A beautiful alternative for a night light. I would much rather have my house adorned with these, than Dora. I swear Dora is on everything these days.

Mariposa Avenue

Adorable!!! Need I say more. I thought not.

Noggins

Now, like I said, these are a FEW of my favorites. There is alot more to be seen this weekend. December 5th and 6th. See ya'll there. (I had to throw it in one more time.)

a broken arm and a bowling ball...

2008-11-25T21:53:00.005-07:00

cutest 80 year old...he thought long and hard before he blew all the candles out!

ella bowled a great game, with the help of her grandpa

happy birthday!

Who would have imagined how this evening would have ended. After a glorious birthday celebration: a horrific accident. My grandpa turned 80 on Friday. We had such a blast driving down south for the occasion. He was surprised as could be! That was the glorious part! Mom was blowing us all away with her amazing bowling skills. When an extra step into the slippery lane landed her in the hospital. Poor marm. To her credit, it was a pretty acrobatic fall. I laughed a little until she didn't get up. She couldn't move. We had to slide her off the floor. She not only dislocated her shoulder, but broke her humerus as well. She had to have surgery, they put metal screws and plates in her arm. She's had a few unfortunate accidents over the years, boo, but we love her all the same. I love you marm.

the picture before the fateful fall, and the blasted sweater they wouldn't cut off. really.

buddies

2008-11-22T21:13:00.004-07:00

It really makes my day to see something like this. And if I had a camera that didn't take F.O.R.E.V.E.R. to take a picture, it would make my day even better. Sometimes, it takes too long to capture the moment and by then, Brynn is screaming because Ella is choking her.

goodbye

2008-11-12T21:47:00.005-07:00

i am feeling a little blue. i'm not quite sure why. just feeling like i don't want to let go of my twenties quite yet. they have been so good to me. i've had some great experiences. living in san diego, for one. we moved there after our first year of marriage. let's just say prayers do get answered.

some of my greatest memories there are running on the beach after work, listening to the sounds of the ocean. ahh love that sound. i would then write in my journal and spend an hour watching the surfers, relaxing on the sand. i miss that place so much. i want to go back in a lot of ways, but i do love where i am at here. i guess i will always have an itch to be there.

one thanksgiving i decided to drive home for the weekend. this was before i knew what traffic really is. i had a fine time getting to my parents. but getting back. wow. i wanted to cry. oh yea, i did cry. what is supposed to be a quick 4 hour trip from vegas to san diego took me 9 hours. yes, 9 dreadful hours. i never did do that trip again. and in subsequent years had my most memorable thanksgivings. i am so thankful i had such incredible people to spend my days with.
our trip to the sequoias. that was an amazing trip. we camped for 4 days in the giant forest. i had seen pictures of these trees, but nothing compares to the real thing. when we drove into the park, i could not believe what i was seeing. it was incredible, the trees are ginormous. not only tall but huge around. i had such a great time on that trip. we cooked dinner over the fire and roasted marshmellows every night. i swear i could hear all kinds of animals roaming around our tent. yikes!!! we did some gorgeous hikes and sight seeing. it was such a blast. when we got home, what do ya know i found out i was pregnant. yipee! our months and months of trying finally over. we were going to have a baby.
i was sad to say goodbye, but excited for a fresh new start. joe had finished the BAR and we were heading back home. this excitement didn't last long. living with in-laws when you are pregnant is not fun. i was miserable and was confined to my one tiny room. blah. enough said.

i am so lucky to be a mom. i have had two beautiful daughters and they are amazing. i love them. they make me laugh and love like i never thought i was capable of. even through the challenging times, there is nothing i would rather be doing than raising these two little monkeys of mine.i have a delicious hubby. he treats me so good. i don't deserve it most of the time, (well, actually i do) but i am so glad to have him. we had a rough start. i honestly didn't think i would make it past that first year. but somehow we have survived. and i am so glad we did. now i know we can get through anything and that is comforting.
so i am ready for my fresh start. this is the opening page of another great chapter in my life. i don't know why i am all emotional about it. i'm weird. i asked my mom when i would stop feeling like i am 18, she said you don't. you will always have those same feelings you did when you were that age. i am so lucky to have such great people in my life. my sisters, my parents, and great friends.

okay i am done. thanks for listening to my rambling.

let it snow

2008-11-05T09:19:00.003-07:00

i couldn't resist. doesn't the first snowfall mean christmas. i have the music cranked up and we are all in holiday spirits! ella couldn't wait to get her snow clothes on. and i just couldn't wait to take the garbages out, that my dear husband seems to conveniently forget. love ya babe.

why do i bother?

2008-10-27T12:51:00.002-07:00

I can not figure out why I try to make myself costumes every year. Every year it is the same story. I have a great plan. I try to create. I fail. I try again. I fail even worse. I try yet again and make do with what I have. Saturday, was my day to make my costume. I gathered all my old fabrics and started cutting out a pattern. I started out laying on the fabric, with my pencil, marking my shoulders and my sides. Turns out the first try was a complete disaster (this was not a surprise). I tried really hard to get the dress on, but couldn't make it past my head. Funny thing, I let my 3 year old wear it, yeah, it barely fit her! Oh my. On to my second try. I get a shirt from my closet and trace it onto my fabric (I am running out of fabric at this point--so I'm trying to at least get a shirt out of it). Second try, horrific! I still can't get the thing over my head. I even tried cutting the back and putting a 6-inch panel in. Oh dear, I have run out of fabric and have nothing. Nothing to show for all my hard work. I happen to find an old sheet that we don't use anymore (I don't think). I Lay it out and start drawing away. This time, I am very careful to make sure it is plenty big. This one actually fits (for the most part). The neck is way too big and I could use it for an off the shoulder dress. I just don't care anymore. It will have to do. When will I ever learn? When?

Costume done. Now, I need to test out my makeup. I bought a black liquid eyeliner, which, come to find out, is very difficult to put on. I also bought some black eyeshadow. Last night, I was up in the bathroom figuring out how I should do my makeup. I really should have taken a picture, but I was so embarressed with how I looked I didn't want Joe to see me. I was laughing so hard. Apparantly, I am not the greatest makeup artist. Humph. And liquid eyeliner? Who, tell me, uses that stuff. I had it all over my eyelid, an inch under my eye (I really was trying to make it look good). My eyeshadow. Wow. You know that smoky eye look, well, I did not come even close to that look. I seriously looked like a clown. Black eyeshadow and black eyeliner pretty much all over my face. I am trying to look like Cleopatra and it's just not working. Oh my, tonight will be interesting.

piper chloe

2008-10-21T22:09:00.006-07:00

I am so uber (that's ew-ber) excited about our holiday show. After an incredible stroll through anthropologie, I am feeling so excited about this event. It will be such a delightful show to attend! So, to all those hip, modern divas out there save the date December 5th and December 6th.

For more info visit here and hopefully we will see you there!!!

craft overload

2008-10-16T21:56:00.007-07:00

today we spent the day making pumpkins

flying around the house like bats

making ghosts out of cheesecloth

a boo to hang from the door

oh yes, and a little craftiness now available in my etsy shop

oink oink

2008-10-01T21:55:00.005-07:00

I always start shopping in September for Halloween costumes, and I've been told that I spend a pretty penny. I am really trying hard not to buy anything. Brynn will just have to wear the peacock hand me down. Boo (as in Boo hoo) cuz i found this cutest little piggie costume. I really wish I had an extra $50 floating around. I'll have to check my pockets again. There is bound to be something hiding in there.

Anywho, Ella claims she wants to be a white princess. What in the world? Alright child, I vowed to never make a costume, but I will do it for you so that you can be a "white princess". I found a cute headband crown that just finishes it off. I keep asking her everyday, "Do you like your costume?" because I need reassurance. So three days after it was made, she still wants it. Sigh of relief. Now she asks "is it Halloween today? is it Halloween tomorrow?"

cookies anyone?

2008-09-27T21:40:00.005-07:00

this is just the dough by the way.

sometimes cookies are just what you need for dinner.

on these days, i feel like the greatest mom ever!

g is for giraffe

2008-09-26T21:42:00.006-07:00

this week i hosted ella's preschool. we rotate each week between moms. i was a little nervous that i wouldn't be able to keep their attention for more than 5 minutes, but it turned out really good and i had so much fun doing it. it was a lot of preparation, but i think as i do it more, i'll be a little more efficient.

my cute little class.

here was the schedule:
color giraffe while kids are arriving
read goldilocks and the 3 bears
growl and crawl around the room like a bear
tape glasses on grandpa with a blind fold
decorate Gg with glue and glitter
play musical pillows
assemble paper bag giraffe
decorate and eat gingerbread cookies
make ghost suckers to take home
color a picture to grandparents and put in envelope

yes, this is the grandpa

we didn't get to do all the activities, but we did most of them. i think their favorite was the musical pillows (although it turned into a pillow fight) and growling like a bear. did i mention it was so fun. i think i will do a mini version of these with ella and brynn once a week.

will you be my friend

2008-09-21T11:11:00.003-07:00

i love strolling down the lane hand in hand,

chatting along the way.

you're so funny, you just make me laugh so hard.

i'll be your best friend...if you'll be mine.

where the buffalo roam

2008-09-18T11:20:00.007-07:00

we just spent 4 days in victor, idaho. a thirty minute drive through the beautiful tetons to jackson hole. it was gorgeous.

the weather: perfect. the accomodations: nice and roomy. the scenery: breathtaking. the company: i haven't laughed so hard in a long time.

crystal clear, jenny lake at the base of the tetons. we did a mile hike around the lake. ella had a couple of hard falls, but overall it was very enjoyable.

we spent sunday driving around yellowstone and stopped at a couple waterfalls.

ella with her map. she didn't want us to get lost. she also thought that we were going to slide down the falls. i assured her we were just going to look.

me, and my two bestest friends, overlooking the lower falls.

we saw so much wildlife in yellowstone. at first, i was taking pictures of buffalo that were so far away in the meadow and then this. they would just mosey on out into the road and stand there. looking right at you. crazy people were getting out of their cars trying to get closer. i'm thinking isn't 6 feet close enough. we had to stop several times to wait for the buffalo to pass. joe was saying do you have any candy. i'm like really you want me to feed the animals? not a good idea.
we stay in this nice, big cabin that is set on a golf course with gorgeous views of the tetons. we went for lots of bike rides and walks. we stayed up all night (well, not all night) playing games. i laughed so hard, it felt so good.
we spent another evening in jackson hole. love that place. walked through the shops and had dinner.

little ballarina

2008-09-10T21:27:00.002-07:00

ella is thrilled to be in ballet. she loves to get her leotard on and her ballet slippers.

i love you ballarina princess.

cristelleamberdesign

2008-09-06T17:52:00.003-07:00

my etsy shop is officially open! hooray. thanks tiff for the inspiration. you can visit it here. it is still pretty raw, and only has a couple art pieces on there, but more are sure to follow!

california dreamin'

2008-08-26T10:47:00.007-07:00

i love california. most especially i love san diego. we spent the week catching up with old friends, surfin' the waves, running nude on the beach, and visiting a very special place...disneyland.

i've realized since having kids a vacation is no longer a vacation. there is a difference between a trip and a vacation.

trip: a whirlwind of activity; dirty children; living space that looks as tho someone has turned it upside down and shakin it a few times; tired children; eating snacks and treats all day long, then stuffing your face at dinner; running from restroom to restroom, praying for no accident; falling asleep on the couch immediately after the kids are down (so much for the quiet, relaxing evening you were looking forward to); tantrums; that priceless look on your childs face walking in the sand for the first time; the enormous smile seeing the princesses in person; sandy poops; catching a huge wave on the boogie board; watching the kids find sand crabs; jumping the waves, running away from the waves.

vacation: laying on the beach, listening to your ipod, or reading a book; a quiet evening at an expensive restaraunt; showering everday, maybe taking a bubble bath or two; sleeping in; having conversations with your significant other.

really, there is no comparison. look at that happy family.

35 i love yous...

2008-08-10T20:40:00.004-07:00

i love your smile

i love your half smile

i loved our first date, even though you thought i was weird

i love to watch you play with ella and brynn

i love to listen to you snore

i love your stinky morning smell

i love when you set a goal, you achieve it

i love that you love the outdoors

i love to listen to your childhood memories

i love your goofy moods

i love your hugs

i love your perfectly round head

i love that you'll rewind a commercial several times because it makes you laugh

i love that you love being a father

i love the way you plug your nose under the water

i love how you hold me when i am sad

i love that you give me compliments

i love how excited you get over things

i love to see you all dressed up

i love how meticulous you are

i love when you grill steaks, yummy

i loved how you proposed, it was perfect

i love when you surprise me

i love that you'll rub my fat, swollen feet when i'm prego

i love that you are willing to work so hard to provide for our family

i love your sexy dance, whoa baby

i love how you hung your surf board in the garage, but mostly how proud you were of it

i love that you want a big family

i love how happy you make me

i love how you drive me crazy sometimes

i love how nice you keep our yard

i love when you belt out in song

i love when we snuggle on the couch

i love that you let me sit in your massage chair all those years ago

i love that you are mine

i love you, babe

happy birthday

project: paint

2008-08-05T11:11:00.004-07:00

i'm always looking for little projects that will entertain my kids for awhile. so far, i've not found any that occupy them for more than 5 minutes.

on our weekly trip to the craft store, we picked up a little wood doll for ella and ashlyn to color and some red, yellow and blue paint.

i was ready, as soon as we got home i ripped open the packages and spread out paper and they went to work. after brynn was covered with paint, i thought "is this paint washable??"

well, still not entertained for more than 5 minutes, but just look at how much can get done in such a short amount of time.

there is beauty all around

2008-07-31T10:53:00.005-07:00

i love the canyon, especially in the middle of HOT july! it was a pleasant 75 degrees and the wildflowers...wow. it's sort of become tradition to go up the canyon during the summer. although we always seem to miss the flower season and get the end of it, where there is a small patch still alive and we try desperately to get that coveted shot, but you only have about a minute to try and capture it, because after that minute, the flower petals lay wilted on the ground. they must have recognized me at the gate, as i was driving away she yells "please don't pick our flowers" okay i laugh, wouldn't want that to happen.

anyway, we remembered to go up a couple weeks earlier this year and am so glad we did. i had so much fun and so did my kids. we took a little picnic that all the flies enjoyed, not my children, they were begging food off everyone else. we had fun trampeling the flowers. i tried to get some good photos, but i will blame it on my camera. it takes a good 30 seconds of holding down the button to get a picture. alas, you will find some good ones here and here. oh dear, someone needs to go potty. run ella run.

how does your garden grow

2008-07-29T15:07:00.004-07:00

my garden is flourishing this year. i love to examine each of my vegetables. are they ready to pick yet? or as ella will say "are they red yet?" so i have many a green tomato and am just waiting for them to ripen up, so we can slap on some cottage cheese and salt and pepper and enjoy a nice summer meal. i've had several zucchini, and have already made zucchini bread a couple times, what else do you use zucchini for? i have a whole 8 corn stalks and the ears are poking through, but as of the last couple days they having taken a turn for the worse, i don't think they are growing anymore. boo. well, if nothing comes of it, at least i can use the stalks this fall on my festive front porch...

gross

2008-07-29T07:50:00.002-07:00

i just pulled the longest hair out of the front of my neck. yuck. so please, if you ever see a long piece of hair coming out where it shouldn't be, let me know, i'd be much obliged.

ahh Zion

2008-07-09T07:58:00.004-07:00

i love this place. i have been going here every year since i was born. there is a peaceful feeling here. i love hearing the rush of the river and the trees rustling in the breeze. even though it was 100 +, we spent most of our days in the river or in the pool. we took a ride down the river in some tubes. i had B, she was a little nervous and would try and climb off me while we were going down some ferocious rapids. luckily, half hour into it she fell asleep. it was extremely relaxing after that.

we hit the parade the morning of the 4th. i'm glad we got there on time, if we had been three minutes late we would have missed the whole thing! the kids enjoyed mounds of candy, and i enjoyed two very hyper-active little ones!

we also took a hike up to temple of sinawa, and hiked a mile up the narrows; stopped for a bit and enjoyed the cool water. J had the backpack with E in it. i had the bjourn with B in it (she's a little big for that thing) and a camel back. B was facing forward and would lean over so far trying to touch the water. i think we must've looked a little strange, we got alot of funny looks and laughs.

i love watching my kids play in the river, throwing rocks and catching polliwogs, getting muddy and watching the ants crawling around the dirt. ahh zion, i love you. until next year...

Sleepover

2008-06-26T15:10:00.004-07:00

Yea, we decided to have a little sleepover. We had a hard time getting Rosie out of the high-chair, so she had to come as is. It was a little squishy, but we all managed to fit. It was a total party!

Life is Very Good

2008-06-11T14:46:00.007-07:00

I am loving this new website. They have the most adorable, pottery-barninsh childrens furniture. I've been looking for a white bunk bed, for when the girls get to share a room and am liking both of these. Good thing I have awhile to decide. What to do...I came across the most delightful childrens art, whilst I was blog hopping. These pretty little prints would be so charming in a little girls room (my little girls room!)

B is for Brynn

2008-05-28T20:40:00.015-07:00

Alright, I have finally finished another project. It really does take me way too long to do these things. If I could just find 2 solid hours with no interuptions, I would really get ALOT done!

Needless to say, I was able to finish this one. I hung it in Brynn's room (obviously). It is nice to get something done. One more check on my humongous (sp?) list of projects I want to do!

Supplies:
12" unfinished wood letter
paint color of your choice
2-3 coordinating cardstock papers
dark walnut stain
modge podge
your choice of accessories

1. Paint the back side of letter only with your choice of paint color. (This color will only show slightly on the sides of the letter that are not covered with paper. It just gives it a more finished look.)

2. Trace sections of the letter onto paper of your choice. Modge Podge sections onto letter and smooth out with a credit card or ruler.

3. Sand edges of paper until it is flush with the wood. Once it is all smooth, apply small amount of dark stain. You can later go over the stain with a damp cloth and wipe off stain until you get desired look.

4. Apply ribbon, flowers, or any accessory to your letter. I used these flowers and hot glued some of the petals onto the letter and also applied a small amount of stain to the edges of the petals.

Little Princesses

2008-05-22T21:12:00.005-07:00

I never thought I would have girlie girls. I'm more of a tom boy, I was never into dress-ups or dolls. Although Joe was, I guess that must be who they got it from:)

Anywho, these little ladies are already so in love with dress-ups. The first thing Ella does in the morning is get into her Cinderella dress. Even Brynn loves to get in her dress (Ella has assigned her one) and clunk around in her high heels. The funny thing is they don't really play, they just kind of twirl around and wave their wand at things...turning them into dogs, cats, princesses, pretty dresses, etc...

Disneyland is sounding like the perfect place for them right now!

Ella's Room

2008-05-09T19:49:00.003-07:00

I finally have made a little progress in Ella's room. We put a couple of shelves up and pictures.

Ella got a hold of the camera, and apparantly she thought this would be a great picture. Joe is always telling me I got crack! And now you get a little crack, enjoy.

Happy Birthday!

2008-04-30T15:17:00.009-07:00

Well, I guess it is about time I post Ellas birthday. After seeing this I was a little embarrassed to post my beautiful cake. Let me justify, I was in a total hurry and had only 1/2 hour to create this masterpiece. (It looked really good in my mind.) In my rush of finishing the frosting, Joe asked me if it was a temple. That just made me more self conscious. Aw well. (It's a castle, for those still wondering.)

Enough of that. My little monkey is a year older and it make me a little bit teary. Where oh where does the time go? We just had a family party this year. I think I would have done a friend bday, but I did one last year and let's just say 2 year olds are not easily entertained for more than 3 minutes! So, I decided I needed one more year to recover.

One Year Old

Two Year Old

Three Year Old

We started off the day early, eating cake mix in our underwear.

It was super windy outside. All the kids tied on balloons and ran through the backyard, getting caught together every couple of seconds! It was fun to watch. If I knew how to download video, I'd let you take a gander, but alas, that is way out of my league.

She was in heaven with all of her new dress-ups. All the girls got in on it. A dress for everyone!

Coloring...

2008-04-16T13:42:00.004-07:00

I really love my showers. I take as much time as the hot water will allow. Most days, my kids are pretty entertained with each other that I don't worry too much. Well, the other day I think Ella forgot that your only supposed to color on paper...

Aw well, what do ya do...

Sure was fun 'til mom took the marker away!!!

My Babes

2008-04-10T21:14:00.004-07:00

I don't mean to boast, but I really do think I have exceptionally cute kids. I think they just got the very best genes of both of us! Anywho, we had pictures done a few weeks ago and even though Brynn was being a little stinker, FPP was so great, she did a fantastic job, I had a hard time choosing what to order!

I just got them back and am so happy with them! I can't wait to hang them up now. Yeah, finally something to put on the walls...(as Joe is telling me NOT to hang anything up until we discuss it). Whatever babe, just wait until you get home...HA HA HA!!!

the Sweetest Thing...

2008-04-06T12:08:00.005-07:00

Congratulations to my two younger sisters. They welcomed their first little ones Ty and Bostyn on Friday. I love you both so much and am so proud of you!

I'll love you forever,

I'll like you for always,

As long as I'm living

My baby you'll be.

Bostyn

Between the dark and the daylight,

When the- night is beginning to lower,

Comes a pause in the days occupations,

That is known as the Children's Hour.

I hear in the chamber above me
The patter of little feet,
The sound of a door that is opened,
And voices soft and sweet.

From my study I see in the lamplight
Descending the broad hall stair,
Grave Alice, and laughing Allegra,
And Edith with golden hair.

A whisper, and then a silence:
Yet I know by their merry eyes
They are plotting and planning together
To take me by surprise.

A sudden rush from the stairway,
A sudden raid from the hall!
By three doors left unguarded
They enter my castle wall!

They climb up into my turret
O'er the arms and back of my chair,
If I try to escape, they surround me;
They seem to be everywhere.

They almost devour me with kisses,
Their arms about me entwine,
Till I think of the Bishop of Bingen
In his Mouse-Tower on the Rhine!

Do you think, 0 blue-eyed banditti,
Because you have scaled the wall,
Such an old mustache as I am
Is not a match for you all!

I have you fast in my fortress,
And will not let you depart,
But put you down into the dungeon
In the round-tower of my heart.

And there will I keep you forever,
Yes, forever and a day,
Till the walls shall crumble to ruin,

And moulder in dust away!

ABC's

2008-04-02T21:43:00.007-07:00

A: ATTACHED OR SINGLE? Attached.

B: BEST FRIENDS: My Sistas

C: CAKE OR PIE? Jamoca Almond Fudge Pie scrumptous! It's added to my behind the next morning, but it is SOOO worth it!

D: DAY OF CHOICE: Sunday, I love to veg and visit family

E: ESSENTIAL ITEMS: good hand lotion that's not too slimy

F: FAVORITE COLORS: Yellow and Blue Jade (the color of Brynns room)

G: GUMMY BEARS OR WORMS? Bears covered with chocolate mmm

H: HOMETOWN:

I:FAVORITE INDULGENCE: brownies just pulled from the oven, dipped in milk (Yeah, I ate a pan of them tonight...no, I did not share...I was the only one who finished my dinner!)

J: JANUARY OR JULY? Would anyone pick January? JULY for sure and this year I'm not complaining that it is too hot

K: KIDS? two little babes Ella (2) Brynn (15 months)

L: LIFE ISN'T COMPLETE WITHOUT... desserts, and sunny days

M: MARRIAGE DATE? April 20, 2000

N: NUMBER OF BROTHERS AND SISTERS: 4 sisters

O: ORANGES OR APPLES?Oranges, nice juicy ones

P: PHOBIA OR FEARS: my biggest fear is that someone will kidnap one of my kids and do horrible things to them

Q: QUOTE: If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all (that's for you Joe)

R: REASONS TO SMILE: I am ready to be an aunt two times...can't wait:)

S:SUPERMAN OR WONDER WOMAN? Superman. I've never seen wonder woman, but I am A wonder woman

T: TAG 5 PEOPLE: tiff, ash, krista, jamie, kamie

U: UNKNOWN FACT ABOUT ME: This is embarrassing, but I scratch 'n' sniff

V: VEGETABLE: sauteed asparagus with butter and a touch of lemon

W: WORST HABIT: picking my nose and tooting in front of my kids (not a good habit to get into)

X: X-RAY OR ULTRASOUND? Ultrasound for sure. What's more beautiful than seeing your baby when they are only 20 weeks old!

Y: YOUR FAVORITE FOOD: A good tender, juicy steak, preferrably prime rib

Z: ZODIAC SIGN: Scorpio

Dear Mother Nature...

2008-04-02T20:28:00.013-07:00

I'm feeling a little blue. I know spring is coming, but it sure feels like it is taking long to get here.

Can I at least get some buds on the trees? Maybe a little sunshine, that would be loverly:)

And just one more little itty bitty favor; Please, please no more snow, it's just not fun anymore...

Little Bunny Foo Foo...

2008-03-28T12:20:00.004-07:00

We headed down south again this year for Easter! It was SO beautiful. Sunny, warm weather it was fabulous!

Saturday, we found an easter egg hunt at a park there, so Ella and I went. I thought she would be pretty aggressive this year (since we practiced) but I think there were just too many kids. She got a few pieces of candy, but what she really enjoyed were the chicks they had there. She wanted to hold all of them. I had to take quick pictures before she choked them to death or broke their wings!

The place we stayed was really nice and had several pools to choose from. We laid out by the pool almost everyday. Ella loves the water and had fun playing with her cousins in it!! Brynn was a little bit sick the first couple days, so she would just lay in the shade next to me. It was surprisingly very relaxing!

By Sunday, Brynn was doing much better and found her easter basket right away! They both had fun looking for the easter eggs and really enjoyed what was inside. YUMMY!

I bought way too much candy...so I'm really glad I left most of it there in the condo...kinda glad...okay I'm really missing it, we are almost out!

What is a Muffin Top?

2008-03-17T12:54:00.001-07:00

This commercial is hilarious! I saw it last night and was laughing so hard!

Fruit Pizza...yummy...yummy

2008-03-13T22:29:00.006-07:00

Here is an awesome recipe for fruit pizza. Everytime I have made it, it's been an absolute hit. The best part is that it is SUPER easy. You can use whatever fruit you want too...it's great!!!

1/2 c butter, softened
3/4 c white sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 c flour
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 (8 ounce) pkg cream cheese
1/2 c white sugar
2 tsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cream together butter and 3/4 c sugar until smooth. Mix in egg. Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until just blended. Press dough onto an ungreased pizza pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Beat cream cheese with 1/2 c sugar and vanilla until light. Spread on cooled crust.
Arrange desired fruit on top of filling, and chill

I also use the recipe for sugar cookies too (minus the spread)...mmm...delicious:)

Enjoy!!!

Little Lady

2008-03-10T18:41:00.006-07:00

Ella is my little lady. She loves to get dressed up in fancy dresses and shoes. Every day she wants to wear a dress.

So, I had a great idea, I thought I am going to make a bunch of summer dresses for her and Brynn, so everyday this summer she can wear a dress. Well, I don't know how many I will get done, but I did finish one and much to my surprise it turned out pretty cute.

Invitations from Hell

2008-03-07T11:45:00.009-07:00

My two younger sisters are having babies and I couldn't be more excited!! They are both due in April, so naturally me, my older sis and mom are giving them a baby shower. I was put in charge of the invitations. Easy enough right...WRONG, oh so wrong!

To start off these SHOULD have been mailed out Wednesday and I did have good intentions. I started playing around with my CorelDraw (which is similar to Adobe, another free download for 15 days). I made some really cute ones. Then I printed one and thought what in the world am I thinking. First, my printer is almost out of ink, so there was just no way I could print 20 of these. And secondly, they really weren't THAT cute once printed.

Okay, plan B. Target usually has really cute ones right?? So we (me, ella, brynn) all loaded in the car for a trip to Target. There were cute ones, but just not up to my expectations. So, we come out of Target, with no invites mind you, but with $70 worth of goods, that will all be returned at a later date. (At least that's what I told Joe.)

That night, (Wednesday) what do you know I can't sleep, because my mind is busy designing baby shower invitations. I'm so excited, I have a vision and am ready to get to work!

Last night, (Thursday) I sit down to create my masterpiece at 6:30pm. I am still sitting at 12:15am, and decide enough is enough. I am about 65% done with these nightmarish invitations. And what do you know, I put the wrong freaking date on them....aahhhhhh!!! FYI for those who will be receiving invites, it is on the 15th NOT the 5th!

Anywho, they are FINALLY done and next time I won't come up with any brilliant ideas, I'll just have to settle for the Target ones!!

For the Love of Music and Dancing

2008-03-04T10:17:00.014-07:00

And who is this handsome young man you ask? Well, he is Jason, the lead vocal of Lifehouse, whose concert Joe and I went to last night! I had such a blast! I love music and concerts, and love to get down and boogie!
The opening bands were awesome too. If you are in need of a good make-out song, this is a good one! You might recognize this one too. His name is Matt Nathanson, and he's been around awhile, I just never really heard any of his music, but he is a keeper!

I totally thought the concert was done after Matt. I thought he was Lifehouse. (I wondered why I didn't recognize many of his songs) So I was sitting there along with everyone else, thinking we were waiting for his oncour, and Joe turns to me and asks what the last band was called and I said Lifehouse. He was like no, they haven't come on yet. I felt like a fool!

This was us dancing away. Well, me showing off my awesome dance moves. Joe had a good head bob going on! Only a handful of the crowd was dancing, I don't know how people can listen to music and just sit, I have to get up and move. Luckily, most people there were judging impaired so it didn't matter how bad my dancing skills were!

So ladies, I feel a girls night coming on....

My Girlfriends

2008-02-24T20:33:00.006-07:00

I just got home to a very tired hubby and my two beautiful girls. They both came running up to the door in their matching onesies as I walked in. Oh my sweet babes. It has been good for me to get away for a couple days.

My bestest girlfriends all went away for a relaxing weekend. We stayed in a deluxe hotel suite, well maybe not deluxe, but we had a little room to dance, and we all got to sleep in a bed!!

We went to the parade of homes, which never fails to disappoint. I think we all saw some inspiring things. We are still trying to talk my mom into investing in a gorgeous vacation home. (See pictures below). Hey, she haggled the price down to 2.6 M, not bad!

This was a play room in one of the houses. It was so cute.

One of the homes had a mini bathroom in it. The sink was miniature and the toilet. Ella would be begging me to be potty trained if she had that little toilet to go in!

Thanks for the good times girls, as always:)

Happy V-Day

2008-02-15T16:09:00.006-07:00

I know it's a day late, but wanted to wish everyone a very happy valentines day!

Ella, Brynn and I made some yummy heart shaped sugar cookies. We iced them, well I iced them, Ella ate the icing!

My dad stopped by in the morning to deliver some valentines for the kids. He used to lay out hearts on the table for us for valentines day, I like to do that for my kids now too! I love how excited Ella gets for things, even though she doesn't know why. She sees the hearts on the table and her eyes get really big "Wow mom, look at this!"

We drove all around town delivering all our valentines. It was a fun day, except the accident Ella had. I sat her on the potty for 5 minutes and she wouldn't go, finally I took her off, knowing full well she was going to have an accident within the next 2 minutes and sure enough she did...potty training is NOT fun. She tells me sometimes "No more potty train." I must say though it sure has been nice not having to change 2 kids diapers all day long. I feel like I have an extra 1/2 hour a day!!!

Joe surprised me with some beautiful red roses and a card (the exact same card he gave me last year)! I remember things like that, he doesn't!!

bedding

2008-02-11T13:26:00.000-07:00

I am really excited about the bedding I just got for Ella's room. I had looked EVERYWHERE, and the things I saw were cute but not exactly what I wanted. I finally found this online at JC Penney of all places, and it was a great price too. I am finally starting to get a few things done around my house and it's been very fun. Although at times I am so excited that I find myself decorating my house in my mind until the wee hours of the morning...

Ella was funny, she was dancing around the room singing "yeah, new bedding!" What was even more funny was realizing she was mimicking me, singing and dancing...who wouldv'e thought someone could get so excited about a simple quilt...

still not funny

2008-02-01T10:10:00.000-07:00

i know most of you have probably experienced this at least once, unfortunately it was my turn a couple months ago. i took pictures thinking this is going to be funny someday...well, it still isn't and i can still smell it and the dry heaves begin.

i put brynn down with just a diaper on, that was my first mistake, NEVER do that, always put at least a onesie on. brynn was playing around not sleeping. finally, i go into her room and there is poop everywhere, and there is her diaper neatly lying on her bed with nothing on it. it was still hooked together like she just slid right out of it! she had it smooshed between her fingers her binkie, lets just say it got thrown away, she had smudges on her mouth. yuck!!!..so to all those who haven't experienced this yet, good luck and remember put a onesie on!

mirrors

2008-01-31T19:41:00.000-07:00

i finished a project today! i'm so excited:) i bought these mirrors from ikea years ago and have never known what to do with them. i think i've painted them 4 or 5 times, but my cousin has the same mirrors and she embellished them so cute, so i did the same and i'm really proud of them they look really cute! the mirrors are really inexpensive $1.99/each and now you can get them in different colors. anyway, i'm just glad i got them done and had to share my happiness with all of you!

daydreaming

2008-01-27T21:21:00.000-07:00

alright i'm blogging again! it took me about a month to figure out my dang header...it's the best i can come up with for now, i still have 26 days left on my photoshop free download, so i've got a little time to play with it! i love blog hopping, everyone is so creative and so funny, it is fun to get inspired by all you bloggers out there!

i've been a little spacey lately, i find myself sitting on my ella's bed day dreaming, and 30 minutes later realize i haven't done one dang thing, except dream about decorating my house, which is quite difficult when joe and i have excessively long arguments about moving a dresser 6 inches to the right...that's a whole other story...don't get me started! some of you have been blessed to hear it...i will call you the lucky ones!

anywho, i was talking to my sis, she is pretty much my psychotherapist, she referred me to http://www.flylady.com/ it is a really

good site to help any of you who need help organizing your time and getting things done! so i made a list of things to do tomorrow, and i tried hard not to put too much on there for fear that i will get overwhelmed and sit and daydream about finishing the rest of my list! seriously this is how i look about a half hour before joe gets home, and suddenly i realize i really should look like i at least got ready today...

One Year Old!

2007-12-27T12:28:00.000-07:00

Brynn is ONE!!! What a party we had, with cakes, balloons, presents and lots of family to show their support for our little peanut!We had a barnyard bash with a pig cake (which was Brynns!) a cow cake (for all the other hoodlums there) and a chocolate zucchini cake (for the big kids aka adults)

Brynn took cake eating very seriously, she would have devoured the whole thing if I would have let her. Face a mess, floor a mess, and high chair a mess ahh a success for sure!!

Joe took the high chair outside for cleaning...except he forgot the cleaning part! The next morning I went to put Brynn in her chair and what do you know...the chair is gone, it is still outside, not in the backyard but the front porch for all to see:)

I ended up pouring lots of hot water over it to clean it off best I could!!!

We had such a fun night and thanks for all who came!!!

Batter

2007-12-03T22:58:00.000-07:00

I love sweets, and I do believe I have passed that love along to Ella and Brynn! We decided to make chocolate chip cookies and the best part was licking the batter off the spoons and mixing bowl! Why is the batter so much better than the baked cookie???

Doggy House

2007-12-01T14:46:00.000-07:00

This is Ella's favorite thing to do these days...make a "doggy house". Well, on this particular day it was the couch. They through all the pillows off the couch, with the help of their father, and arranged them into a "doggy house". The joys of childhood:) I remember back making forts in our basement, we would spend hours and hours perfecting our little hut!! I love to see my kids enjoying the same things I did when I was young!!!

Fall Fun

2007-11-18T16:35:00.000-07:00

I got jealous of all the leaf photos everyone has, so Ella and I raked up all the leaves we had in the backyard and made a puny little pile. Ella had so much fun out there. After I had come in, she just stayed out there and sat in the leaves!

Music

2007-11-14T15:57:00.000-07:00

So my kids are both asleep! Yeah for me, and I did try to take a nap, but unfortunately I find I can't really take naps anymore, that really sucks! Anyway, all my TO DO's are checked off for the day so I am a little bored.

I realized the past few weeks my love of music, what a huge part of my life it has always been, having a dad in the radio business we grew up listening all the time dancing upstairs turning the lights on and off really fast for the effect of a strobe light! Coming down the stairs singing into a mixing spoon or spatula (my sisters and I would fight over who was the lead singer) I was usually a back up dancer and singer! I'd forgotten how much I love it!! So I decided to download a bunch of songs, ya know the good stuff from the 90s and I just love listening, it totally puts me in such a good mood. I dance around the house with the kids and they laugh and look at me like I'm really silly. I catch glimpses in the mirror to see how my dancing skills are...unfortunately it is not a pretty sight! Good Times, anywho, that is my shpill for the day...anyone want to go dancing?

Just a Mom

2007-11-11T18:52:00.000-07:00

We had a really good lesson in RS today on Womanhood. The comments were wonderful and it is so great to be uplifted and reguvinated for the coming week. I think being "just a mom" is the most wonderful thing in the world. I absolutely love being able to stay home with my kids and teach them and play with them and watch them grow. I hope I can reflect the joy I have in my calling as a mother to my children, so this is what they want to do when they get older.

The Joy of Womanhood

Margaret Nadauld

Women of God can never be like women of the world.

The world has enough women who are tough;

we need women who are tender.

There are enough women who are coarse;

we need women who are kind.

There are enough women who are rude;

we need women who are refined.

We have enough women of fame and fortune;

we need more women of faith.

We have enough greed; we need more goodness.

We have enough vanity; we need more virtue.

We have enough popularity; we need more purity.

My job is challenging, more so than I thought it would be, but it is so rewarding. I look at my kids fast asleep in their beds and realize how perfect they are, how pure and innocent, and how close they are to their Father in Heaven. I have a great responsibility in teaching my children good values in such a rough and cruel world, but they will survive I know it! They are strong little people already, and I love them so much!!

Halloween Party!

2007-10-31T13:39:00.000-07:00

Lacey and Josh did a GREAT job with the Halloween Party this year. We ate lots of yummy food, played some fun games, carved pumpkins and the best part the SPOOKY haunted house!!!

Everyone looked awesome. Lace and Josh were vampires!! Watch out they look thirsty!!

Ashley a silly scarecrow...I love this picture Ash!!

Tiff and gang were pirates with Andy as their dog and Ava a cute little pumpkin!!

Granpa made a great pirate, his props were even real. Glad no one got hurt!

Mom and Dad pumpkins:)

I went this year as a flapper (thanks Ash for the idea and helping me with my DI purchase), Joe was Maverik from TOP GUN! Ella our little buzzing bumblebee and Brynn, our sweet little bunny rabbit:)Ella with all our carved pumpkins! We had a contest...Daddy, Cam and yes, me of course won!! Thanks everyone for the GOOD TIMES and great memories:)

Oreos vs Gingersnaps

2007-10-28T17:23:00.000-07:00

I love snack time:) Ella loves her oreos, she even knows to dip them in her milk!

I mostly love to see how messy my children can get, which is pretty messy!! I find remnants everywhere, hair, under their shirts, diapers, socks...oh yeah pretty much every crevace they have, I will find food...it's great!

Ella is pretty clean compared to my little babe! Brynn loves snack time too. She has just discovered her love of gingersnaps, they keep her busy for a good couple minutes!!

What a little goo:)

Scarecrow Fest

2007-10-27T10:26:00.000-07:00

We had such a Blast at the scarecrow fest this year. There were so many fun activities for the little ones!! Ella was a bit timid at first, but she finally went into the balloon trampoline and had so much fun! We had a hard time removing her from it!

Brynn got in on the action too! She played with some big blocks, well she mostly just put them in her mouth, YUCKY!! So many germs to go around:/She also ate anything the kids would hand her. She especially enjoyed the cotton candy...really who wouldn't?? My blue eyed beauty, poor thing she was so cold!!
Yo Ho Yo Ho a pirates life for me!! We met my sister in law there with Ella's cousin Daniel. Yeah for cousins!! They had fun chasing each other around and eating anything sweet they could get their hands on!!
Have I mentioned I LOVE this time of year??!!

Sisters

2007-10-21T14:51:00.000-07:00

What is a sister?

She is your mirror shining back at you with a world of possibilities.
She is your witness who sees you at your worst and best,
and loves you anyway.
She is your partner in crime, your midnight companion, someone who
knows when you are smiling, even in the dark. She is your teacher, your defense
attorney, your personal press agent, even your shrink.
Some days, she's the reason you wish you were an only child.

The Men in My Life

2007-10-17T15:47:00.000-07:00

Alright, I admit I have three men in my life right now. And yes, lucky for Joe, he is still one of them. My most recent...Edward Cullen...brave, mysterious, and beautiful. The other is a constant...handsome, charming...the very essence of a gentleman...Mr Darcy.

Bunny Wabbit

2007-10-11T19:25:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I know it is a little premature... but I LOVE halloween, and I just got Brynns' costume and I couldn't resist I had to make sure it fit! My cute little bunny wabbit!
She is so stinkin' cute...I love it:) Can't wait to get Ellas' costume now!

Wheeler Farm

2007-10-11T19:08:00.000-07:00

We had fun times at Wheeler Farm!! Me, Tiff and Krista met up to see all the animals one last time this season! We stopped on the way in to get some quick photos in the pumpkin patch. Brynn was so excited about the big pumpkins and Ella didn't want to get dirty!!

We had a little picnic across the river by the play house. It was so windy...food flying through the air...strollers on the loose, luckily no babies were hurt!
I love this time of year...despite the allergies it is my favorite, the changing of the leaves the cool evenings and all the festivities :)

Cubbins

2007-10-04T20:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, Ella and Andrew are so CUTE together. They had so much fun playing together up in Jackson. They would follow each other around, always holding hands. They would talk really close to each other and Andrew would pat her back. Then they'd give hugs and kisses whenever they were leaving each other:)

They would play all day together, then get in little fights and have to be seperated for awhile. So Cute!!

Jackson Hole

2007-10-04T19:05:00.000-07:00

What a blast we had in Jackson!! We (everyone but mom, dad and grandpa) stayed in Victor, ID, which is about 25 miles from Jackson through the Tetons. The house we stayed in was on a golf course and was SOOO nice! It had 3 rooms and a loft so we all got our own rooms. It was so much fun staying in the same house with everyone!!
I have no idea what he's doing, but he wanted me to take a picture. Beware of the bears!!
We spent Sunday in Yellowstone. It was FREEZING. We walked through the Lodge and watched Old Faithful explode! It was so fun. Grandpa spent his honeymoon in Yellowstone at the Lodge. It was a whopping $7.00/night to stay there!

We spent one day in Jackson, mom made a yummy brunch and afterwards we walked through the town, going in all the shops. It was lots of fun until the kids got tired:) Grandpa and Ella. The bears are everywhere.
Ashlyn and Ella.
Is this the cutest picture of Brynn?? That bright blue eye poking through.
What fun we had! We played lots of games ate good food and laughed alot. Can't wait until next year!!'

Cottonwood Canyon

2007-08-21T18:53:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful day in the canyon. It was the PERFECT weather! Krista and I headed up with the kids to have a picnic and see the wild flowers. Unfortunately most of the flowers were gone, but it was still gorgeous. On the way up we were told they had spotted a bear the day earlier. YIKES!! But we braved it anyway and all came back safe!!

We had a nice picnic. Brynn thought she wanted Sisi's PB sandwich and grabbed that thing so fast out of her hand and stuck the whole thing in her mouth. It was quite difficult to pry it out of her hands! She also enjoyed a little dirt and a few small rocks, ya know the normal things an 8 month old eats!!

The kids really wanted to throw rocks in the stream, so we took a little walk down to it, while the kids collected rocks in their pockets. There was a fun bridge that they threw their rocks off! I love this time of year. The crispness in the air. Joe always says "it feels like football!!"

BBQ!

2007-08-13T21:47:00.000-07:00

Yeah!!!! Now that summer is mostly gone, we FINALLY got our BBQ :) Yes, this is the BBQ that Joe got a picture of not last Father's Day, but the one before. Poor Joe, he always has to wait for his pictures to become the real thing! Luckily, he is patient and has a good sense of humor. He just laughs now when he gets a picture, knowing he really won't get it for a year or two!! :o) He spent most of the day Saturday putting it together.

We all headed to the pool, to find the closed sign on the door...so the next best place...our backyard with a puny sprinkler to run through!!! Hey, the kids love it!!

Brynn enjoyed eating her ball, while Ella ran around the sprinkler dipping her face in it. I'm so happy to finally have a beautiful home and nice backyard. It's just the perfect size for us : )

Ella is such a goof. She makes me laugh all day long. She is constantly asking me "what's dis?" "What's dis mom? (and if I don't answer right away) huh mom, what's dis?"

Brynn is getting so stinkin' cute!!! She doesn't want to crawl, she wants to stand!!! She pulls herself all the way up in her crib and then gets stuck standing. She climbs all over us too. She'll just pull herself up and kind of stand there looking around like she's part of the big kids, it's cute!

Ella is getting used to her and learning her boundaries with her. She still likes to push her over and lay on her, but she loves her. The first person she wants to see when she wakes up is Brynn. She says "Binn awake?"

Go Joe Go

2007-08-11T00:16:00.000-07:00

Yeah!!! Joes first marathon. What a great accomplishment. It made me want to do one :o) He was glad to be done. 26.2 miles is a long way to go.

Here he is with his buddy Karl, who's a veteran marathoner. Way to go Joe!!!

Wheeler Farm

2007-08-10T23:40:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I am trying this blog thing for the first time. It seems these days that everyone has a blog, and I don't want to be left out!!!

I haven't figured out this picture thing yet, but I'll get the hang of it.
Krista and I took the kids to get up close and personal with the animals of Wheeler Farm!! They had alot of fun looking at the pigs and turkeys. Sisi had a great fake laugh going that really rubbed off on Ella, she was doing it for the next few days after our little outting!! Thanks Sisi :o)