Tyler, DoniLyn, and Damon

Crayon Hearts!

2012-01-18T09:27:00.002-07:00

As I've mentioned before I love Pinning. I realized I need to start some of the projects I pin instead of putting them on a board and forgetting about them. So, I picked a couple of Valentine's Day projects. One is a gift for Damon and I will post it later. The other is a little something for his friends at school. It was great because I got to use up all the little crayon pieces we have lying around the house. I decided to group the crayons into like colors instead of mixing all the colors together (like the one I pinned.)

I removed the wrappers and cut the crayons into little pieces.

Then I put the pieces in a heart mold. I think I got it at Target a few years ago. It is actually for ice cubes, but it is dishwasher safe and the oven only needed to be on 230 so I put them in, crossed my fingers, and hoped for the best. Everything worked out great, and as soon as they were cool I popped them out. There is a little crayon residue left in the mold, but it is easy to scrape out. Tyler also had a few comments about our "rainbow cutting board,"but I just flipped it over and used the other side. After a few passes through the dishwasher it is nearly good as new.

Here are the fun little heart crayons. We just need to make a card to stick them to and they will be ready to slip into the little Valentine's Day pockets at school.

Damon was pretty excited that the same day we were making Valentine's he found this strawberry in his Special K. Nearly perfect heart in the middle.

P.S. I don't think a morning goes by that we don't have a bed head situation going on over here.

P.S.S. In case anyone was wondering, we didn't get any snow.

Let it snow, I guess.

2012-01-18T09:09:00.002-07:00

If it's going to be freezing cold we may as well have some snow. It's been such a brown winter and Damon got a new sled for Christmas. Just before Christmas we actually got some snow (which was gone within a couple of days.) Damon and I wondered what Zoë would think. Terk never loved the snow so her reaction was quite the surprise.

She ran,

she chased,

she jumped,
she ate.

She loved the snow! It's a good thing because it has been threatening for the last week and I think it is finally here. A little late for all the school kids though. Last night the district sent out e-mails saying that if it snowed like it was supposed to last night school would probably be canceled. We woke up to not a bit. It waited until all the kids got to school. I wonder what they would think if they got stuck there? It's happened before!

It was a happy Christmas!

2012-01-04T22:12:00.003-07:00

We started the week off with a Jon Schmidt concert. Damon remained interested even though it was pretty long and kept him up later than he has ever been up on a school night. Thank goodness the next day was the last before the break.

We visited with Tyler's grandma.

All traditional activites where on the list of things to do.

As well as a few new ones. Dad and I made chocolate covered bacon.

We had fun trying out my new camera remote. (Focus is sometimes as issue.)

Sleigh riding.

Being together. (Damon is on a Harry Potter kick.)

I was sad to see the holiday fly by so quickly, and it was hard to send Damon back to school this week. However, I love the New Year and look forward to lots of fun new activites. One of which is city league basketball. Damon had his first practice last night, and Tyler feels the need to remind me not to be one of those annoying parents. I'm working on it.

Ties!

2011-12-20T11:04:00.010-07:00

Finally! Sorry it took so long. The pictures didn't turn out great and I quickly used photoshop to add instructions so if there are any parts that are unclear let me know. Also, I downloaded the pictures in the reverse order by mistake and don't have time to switch them. So, start at the bottom of the post and work your way back here. Have fun!

I also trimed the top knot piece straight across,here. You will still have raw edges that you tuck in on step 14.

You will just have to use a ruler and make a pattern, I didn't have time to make a PDF. Sorry!

Start with fabric, iron on interfacing, and elastic (I used 3/8".)

It's finally done...

2011-12-15T11:41:00.003-07:00

...our ward Christmas party! I can finally breath. Thank goodness I had such great help, but still so glad it is done and I can finally get really ready for Christmas. I know I don't have many days left. I promise to work on the tie tutorial and try to post that next. I know I promised it to a few of you weeks ago. Don't worry, you still have plenty of time to get some made in time for Christmas! See you soon!

Acting silly with family is my favorite!

2011-11-18T09:18:00.003-07:00

Last weekend a few of us went to visit Lori. We played some games and acted silly in celebration of all the 11's.
Even though it was late, and Damon had already fallen asleep sitting up (while watching Elf) we played a quick game of Perudo. I remembered why I like it, and want to play again soon. Maybe Thanksgiving!

Also, this week I learned how to make cute little ties. I made all of these using scraps I had and they only took about 15min. total. I love something new without spending any $ or having to make a trip to the store. They would make cute Christmas gifts! Let me know if anyone wants the instructions. So easy! Wish I would have figured this out before my sisters got married. Damon could have been matchy!

We had a happy Halloween!

2011-11-09T21:16:00.007-07:00

It wasn't as cold as last year, and we got lots of good candy!

Zoë wouldn't keep a costume on so she stayed home.

I loved Damon's pumpkin. It had such personality, especially after a few days of aging in the sun. He did a great job, all by himself. I should have taken a picture before we threw him in the canal. (After Halloween I let Damon destroy our pumpkins.)

Now, the Holiday's are in full swing. I put away all of our scary stuff and pulled out the "Blessing Jar". I need to find some cute paper for this year. Tonight, Damon and I had fun reading what things we were grateful for the last few years. Some that made us smile: "electricity" Damon, "halo wars" Michael, "family" I think just about everyone had that in there, "food" Damon. It's crazy how just a few words on a piece of paper can stir such memories. Fun! The little jar is getting kind of full so I might need to come up with a long term storage sollution for the old ones. Maybe a cute mini-album. If you have any ideas let me know.

P.S. Have I already told you I am addicted to Pinterest. Can't get enough!

Happy Fall!

2011-10-16T18:38:00.003-06:00

I tried holding on to summer as long as I could.

But these last few weeks we have been harvesting the last of our garden, which was crazy this year. Everything was either very successful or really struggled. Lucky for us Damon's watermellon turned out great this year. He was very proud. And, I have finally come to accept that Summer 2011 is officially over.

I've also been busy working on Halloween costumes (and wondering if they will actually turn out like I hope.)

And, Damon finished the last of his soccer games.

2 more sure signs that summer has been gone for awhile. I do miss summer, but we have been having an amazing fall. The weather has been beautiful and we even had a little rain today, which is always fun!

Conference Weekend!

2011-10-04T19:13:00.004-06:00

Amazing as usual. This year was especially exciting because we were able to attend the Saturday morning session in Salt Lake City. This was the 1st time Damon was old enough to go and he was so excited. Never mind the fact that we had to get up from our seats, in the middle of a very long row, twice in the 2 1\2 hours that we were there so he could go to the bathroom. It was still awesome.

I'm amazed by Temple Square. It's always so beautiful. Damon was sad to leave. He said he wants to live in Salt Lake.

But the time came to go home. On our way we stopped at a new favorite burger and frozen custard shop. I think it was exit 319 and we will definitely be stopping again.

Sunday we relaxed at home while we watched the rest of Conference on T.V.

Damon broke out the watercolors and Ryan and I joined him in making a little book.

This is my favorite page. Not only because I think it looks super cool, but because Damon was inspired by the amazing talk on the Book Of Mormon, by Tad R. Callister . If you missed it check it out. I'm not sure which talk is my favorite because I loved so many. But I do know, I can't wait for the November Ensign so I can re-read, and highlight, and mark all of them. We had such a great weekend and we all felt a special spirit being in the presence of such incredible men and women.

P.S. Please don't forget to let me know your favorite Christmas Party memory or idea. I know more of you have read this than have let me know. Remember, I need your help!

A "praying" Praying Mantis

2011-09-26T14:05:00.007-06:00

It's obvious why it's called a Praying Mantis, but today I saw one with arms folded, forhead to the ground, deep in supplication. I have seen so many this year. Probably because Damon goes "hunting" for them in the field behind our house, which might be because Tyler is found hunting a lot right now, as well. But, I think it is more to do with the fact that his teacher lets the kids show them to the class. "Not Grasshopers, just Praying Mantises." His words, not mine. Which makes me wonder; Praying Mantises or Praying Manti?....

Anyway, because the kids show them in class Damon comes home with all kinds of facts. The cute workings of a 3rd graders mind. Much more realistic and much less imaginative. Which brings about lots of fun conversations. A little sad to say goodbye to the fun imagination, especially since I don't have anyone else to play Santa for. Which reminds me, I am incharge of our ward Christmas Party this year and it is always quite the event. I am pretty intimidated by the hundreds of people to entertain and feed. So, I am asking a favor.

Please, please leave a comment telling me your favorite thing about a Christmas Party you have been to or any ideas you have. Just tell me anything that has made an activity like this special for you. Please, please, please!

Puppy Baby!

2011-09-07T22:40:00.002-06:00

After poor Terk died last October we have been contemplating a new puppy.

A girl this time.

Damon LOVES her.

She still doesn't have a name and we have had her since Friday! I know, too long!We have got to start some obedience training, and that is hard to do without a name. We just haven't come up with anything yet. Doesn't mean we don't love her though.

My Little Cub Scout

2011-08-31T20:30:00.001-06:00

I can't believe my little buddy is a cub scout. One of his first activities was a Boat Regatta Gala. It was the day I got home from Ohio so thankfully he and Tyler worked on it while I was gone.

Since he is now a scout we got to participate in Scout Night at the baseball field. So I brought Ryan and Taylor along for the ride.

Taylor chased down this foul ball near the end of the game and then we all went out on the field. The boys ran around playing with the frisbees and balls they won during the game while the adults set up the camping gear. I can't believe I forgot to take a picture of the whole outfield covered in tents. It was pretty sweet!

Now we are getting ready for bed on this last day of summer vacation. I can't believe tomorrow is the first day of 3rd grade. Tonight Amanda asked me if I was going to cry and all I could say is, "I always do."

The Buckeye State (After searching the web I now know what that means)

2011-08-22T16:26:00.004-06:00

Look who I got to spend a whole week with.
Elise did a much better job than I could at summarizing my favorite parts.

Mostly the amazing company!

I had a great time. And, I realized, yet again, that anywhere is better if you're with people you love. I mean no offense to the state of Ohio when I say this. It was so green and beautiful, and I really didn't love coming back to the super dry heat.

Leaving Ohio was bitter-sweet, but only because these two didn't come with me. I was so excited to see their faces and hear their voices again. Next time they are coming with me. (This pic is on Father's Day. Tyler modeling the bow tie Damon made out of M&M's.)

Thank you Elise, Brady, Mylee, and Mercer for having me. It was the best.

Fishy, fishy!

2011-08-02T23:28:00.002-06:00

Something we have been doing quite a bit lately.

I did my best to catch this fish without actually touching it. I thought I should for the picture.

This would be even sweeter if Damon was reeling in a great big fish. Maybe I'll photoshop one on there. Ellie is so helpful.

Ramekins

2011-07-28T20:28:00.000-06:00

I hosted Bunco a couple of months ago and one of the prizes I picked where little souffle ramekins. A few people had never used them before so I got a couple recipes together for them. Thought I would post them here, too.

The first is Molten Lava Cake. I don't have a picture, but that is probably because I am too excited to eat these that I don't take the time to get one. They are so yummy and I make them a lot. The recipe suggests making them in muffin tins which works well if you are serving a larger group of people, but I like to make them in ramekins. They are so much bigger. ;)

I also like Chocolate Souffle and I think this is a good recipe. I have heard that you should brush the butter up the sides to encourage the cake to rise better while baking.

And then here is one that Damon has been begging me to make. Really easy and fast Chicken Pot Pies. I also like it because it eliminates a lot of the crust. I like to save my fat and calories for dessert. If this was a berry pie I would say the more butter the better.

Here is what I do. Cube some potatoes and boil them with mixed veggies. At the same time in another pan I saute onion and seasoned chicken in a little olive oil. When the chicken is done I make a simple gravy and drain the veggies. Then mix everything together and fill the cups. Top with a round of pie crust and bake at 415 until the crust starts turning brown. This is also great for summer because you don't have to have the oven on for very long heating up your kitchen. Damon loves having his own little personal pie.

Also, if you like fabric napkins, like us, you might like this idea. I got an e-mail about them this morning and it came at a perfect time. Tyler had just filled a bag for the D.I. and there were a few shirts in there I'm excited to use.

Have you ever...

2011-07-26T23:03:00.003-06:00

Damon certainly has a mind of his own. He is very inventive and is always wanting to make something. We are in the process of building a play house in the back yard, and every day he tells me what new thing he wants to make in his "work shop, that's what I'm going to call my play house." He is also VERY stubborn! The combination of these 2 traits means that he has either made me so mad I don't know what to do next, or I am so happy to just be with him that I want nothing more. Like when he taught me how to write with a stick on leaves. Never mind that we had a notebook and pen within arms reach. He thought it was so much fun to create his own idea. I loved playing along.

Everyday he amazes me. Sometimes by how stubborn he can be, but always by how much I just can't get enough of him.

Update: After reading this over today I thought I should probably say that Damon & I are happy with each other most of the time. He just argues about everything and it drives me crazy, but the other day I found out he doesn't mind it all that much. Here's what happened. I was explaining something to him, which he had to argue about. He would not let it go so I just left the room. He promptly followed me and said, "We were arguing?" Then after a pause he said, "like 'you were saying' only we were arguing, where were we?" I was a little shocked and said I didn't want to talk about it anymore and he said he did. What? He was enjoying the arguing which was making me mad. One thing I always try to remember when a child has a trait that is a little difficult to deal with. As an adult it will probably serve them well. As long as they can learn to appropriately use it. That's part of what growing up is all about. Right?

Brace yourself, it's a long one!

2011-07-07T23:24:00.008-06:00

Together with Tyler's family we rented a cabin by the lake for a few days of fun!

Fun at the pool!

While we were there we had a picture scavenger hunt and I couldn't pass up a picture of Gavin in these floaty wings for my "something hot pink."

We had fun riding the lake trail on these multi-passenger bikes.

Here's Brock in my "picture of a flower."

The lake was great, as always!

Andy tried, unsuccesfully, to keep Alivia from eating sand and just ended up knocking her down. It didn't seem to bother her too much.

Here is Tyler's "picture of someone you don't know." Notice his hand tightly clutching a bag of chocolate covered raspberries.

They are amazing and my "picture of something I love (excluding people.)"

Also on our trip we ordered "Famous Raspberry Shakes."

We ate "Famous Raspberry Shakes."

Andy watched us eat "Famous Raspberry Shakes."

The kids bounced.

Ellie gave it her best shot at blowing up an air mattress, with absolutely no luck at all.

As the weekend wrapped up we had to be a little more inventive with our pictures. Like this one which fullfilled the requirement, "picture with a wild animal," and

this one, "something we're afraid of."

I don't think anyone was more creative than Kaleb. The end of our trip happend so suddenly that we never took an official count, but I am pretty sure he won!

It was a little bit hard to say goodbye to the amazing views,

and our cute cabin (especially since there was a missing wedding ring on the loose, which has since been returned to it's rightful owner, whew.)

But, we went straight to the blessing of baby Maddox, which made it a lot easier to do.

We had a great time. Hope everyone else did, too!

Shower Curtain DIY

2011-06-17T09:27:00.010-06:00

A few weeks ago I found this shower curtain from Anthropologie and couldn't stop wishing that it didn't cost $118. And, even if I had $118 to spend on a shower curtain it is only 72" square and I had been wanting a floor to ceiling curtain for my little bathroom. So, I headed for JoAnn's with a 50% off coupon in hand. I knew the only way to get all the fabric I needed, for a reasonable price, was to get 1 cut (the coupon stipulation.) After a lot of figuring and a few drawings I came home with 15 yards of white muslin and 2 packages of RIT dye.

I cut 10 strips 120" long and 12" wide. Then I used every last scrap to piece together a back. I hemed the bottom of each strip, so that when I dyed it, the thread would match.

Then I mixed each of the colors in 2 buckets with a third bucket to use for combining the colors and soaking the fabric. I started at the top by adding some yellow dye and some water to get a really light cream and then continued to add blue down to the bottom teal strip which was dyed in the teal bucket with no yellow added. After rinsing really well, washing, drying, and ironing each strip I started sewing the strips to the back piece. I pleated as I sewed to get the ruffled look and underlapped each piece by about an inch or so (I would do a little more if I did it again because when it is hanging you can see under the pieces a little bit.) I worked my way down to the bottom and the length turned out just like I wanted it.

It turned out a little more yellow than the original and I wish I would have left a couple of the bottom blues in the dye a little longer. However, I finished the project for only $28, 2 trips to the store (I had to go back for more thread since all those ruffles used a lot more than I thought), and a few hours on my sewing machine. So, it was totally worth it. Plus I think this kind of stuff it fun!

Another bonus, I finally hung (scratch that) made Tyler hang, the cute towel hooks that his dad made us for Christmas a few years ago. I have been waiting to hang it until I painted, which I tend to put off. This curtain gave me the nudge I needed to finally get it done.

Last weekend...

2011-06-08T14:39:00.002-06:00

it was great to be eight for a boy named Damon.

We had such a great time with so many members of our family who were able to come and celebrate with us.

Damon was feeling a little under the weather that day which made for some less than perfect situations here and there, but it was a great day and I am so proud of Damon for choosing to be baptised.

Since his baptism and birthday happened to be on the same day, we had cake. It's the same cake I made for Damon's last birthday. The difference was, I knew what I was getting myself into this time, and I didn't make it the day of. So, there were no tears this year. Tyler actually seemed concerned when Damon asked for this cake again. It turns out it's not too bad with the help of one simple item, PARCHMENT PAPER. Sometimes you can get by without it, or use something else, but that is not the case with this cake. Don't be scared by the fact that it requires 19 eggs and 2 lbs. of butter, it's worth it. (cake found here)

It was so much fun having family fill our house. Thank you to everyone who came! We love you!

Baptism

2011-05-26T08:49:00.002-06:00

We have been a little bit crazy around here for the last few months. Lot of traveling (buisness related, not the fun kind.)

I did get Damon's announcements mailed a couple weeks ago. So, if you haven't gotten one yet let me know. The same day I sent them, I was mailing post cards, and some never reached their destination. So, I wanted to make sure that didn't happen with these. We plan on having lunch at our house after. Also, since it is Damon's birthday he really wants to have a "game party" as he called it. "You just put a bunch of games out and everyone can go to whatever one they want, and play," was about how he described it to me. So, if you have a fun game let me know. I am hoping for good weather and maybe some outside games, too. And, we have plenty of room for anyone who wants to stay over night. Just let me know.

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T23:03:00.002-06:00

Damon had me cover my eyes since he didn't wrap the gifts he made me at school.

Also, I wanted to let everyone know that Damon's 8th birthday and baptism are coming up. I haven't mailed invitations yet, but I wanted to give some notice. It will be on Sat. June 4th at 10:00 a.m.

As I'm sure every mom says, "I can't believe he's 8!"

Our Easter!

2011-05-04T21:46:00.005-06:00

I realized today that I never posted pictures of our Easter. It was such a fun day. The weather was cooperative (a little chilly, but no snow) and we had visitors.

After digging through his basket, Damon said, "Aren't these the eggs you can use as lipstick? But, I'm not going to use them as lipstick since I'm a boy." And then the next time I looked, he had them smeared all over his face. Oh, and isn't his bedhead sweet? Every morning!

I got Damon a Children's Dictionary. I have been on the hunt for a good one ever since he said he wanted one a few months ago. How could I say no to that? This one has lots of good pictures, but also age appropriate defintions, and a pronunciation key. He reads it with a flashlight almost everynight before bed.

Damon was really excited when I taught him how to color an egg with rainbow stripes.

I think next year the lesson will be how to color eggs, without coloring your fingers. Don't know if that one will be quite as exciting.

Easter Sunday was also my parents 30th wedding anniversary and I was glad they chose to share it with us. My Mom got these gangsta' teeth especially for the occasion and thought it would be fun if they wore them for a picture. I think Tyler and I will do the same on our 30th.

My Big, Little Brother!

2011-04-30T13:18:00.004-06:00

Way back in January Taylor was already excited that his 16 birthday was the day before prom. First of all, I was glad he was so excited to be going, but also, I was suprised that he is already dating age.

Here we are 16 years ago when I was 13 yrs. and he was 24 hrs. old.

And this is a picture I sent Ryan last summer to show how much he has grown. He now refers to him as "Huge Tay."
My mom asked me to help her with the dinner she was making for the prom goers and I was so happy to be there. It was fun helping Taylor put on his cuff links and buttons.

My mom picked a really yummy menu,

and, I enlisted these two cute boys to be servers. They brought a little silly, light humor to the evening, and did such a good job. They took their job seriously, making sure the "chef at the grill" (aka: Dad) knew how everyone wanted their steaks.

Here is Taylor with his date. Everyone looked so great and it was such a fun night.

When is came time for the party people to head to the dance I overheard my mom ask the kid who was driving if he would mind if Taylor rode in the trunk (they were short one seat and the dance was only a couple blocks away.) Still, I thought it was a joke. When I realized it was for real I had to get a picture. It wasn't quite a trunk, but still hilarious. And, even more funny when I heard my dad say, "It's a conversation starter. Not everyone can say they rode to Prom in the trunk of a car." So true!

Just wondering...

2011-04-06T22:01:00.003-06:00

I'm just sitting here, at my computer, wondering if I will ever get to shower again. After months without soft water and with white, filmy dishes we finally bought a new water softener. It was a hard purchase for me because it isn't such a necessity like the fridge or something, but everything else runs so much better with a working water softener, so it was time. Installing it should have been a quick and easy job, and something Tyler has succesfully done in the past, but today it has been one problem after another. So, as it is, Tyler is still in the storage room wondering what to do and I am in the office wondering if I will get to shower before bed. We both just wish we where watching Survivor and probably drinking a nice cold glass of water (it's been a while.)

While I'm wondering things, I am wondering why this hour glass only lasted about an hour in my house, and also, why I thought it would last any longer.

April Fools!

2011-03-31T16:59:00.003-06:00

Dear Winter,

Please go away! We want to go to the beach!

XOXO,

April, a new month, and one day close to warmer weather. Damon is excited about April Fools and I still haven't come up with anything fun.

Last year we had a silly dinner with meatloaf cupcakes, mashed potato "frosting" and dessert pot pies. I think I got the instructions for the pot pies at FamilyFun.com (not sure), but they were pretty simple and here are some pictures if you want to try it.Rolled up tin foil holds the pie crust in shape while it bakes, and then it is easily removed once everything has cooled. I used a fork to make our initials for vent holes.

The filling is shaped chewy candy like starbursts and chewy jolly ranchers (that's where I got the bright green.) You can eaily soften them in the microwave, but it only takes a few seconds. I learned this lesson the hard way on a seprate occasion (it happened on a late March evening in Iowa, anybody remember?) I also used dried apples for the "chicken." Then stir it all in vanilla pudding. It's fun and everything tastes pretty good. Now I have to think of something new for this year. If you have any ideas let me know.

Straws!

2011-03-16T11:20:00.003-06:00

I know it has been awhile, and I have so much I could write about, but today is the day for a post about a recent straw purchase I made. I have been in the market for reusable stainless steel drinking straws. First, I searched online. I found what I was looking for, but $3-$5 per straw plus shipping was not within my straw budget. So, I searched all over town with no luck. Finally, after asking at Bed, Bath & Beyond a woman told me they could be found at Maverick. "Ummm, really?" I decided to check it out.

I went in with the image of sleek, classy stainless steel straws in mind and came out with these bright pink, giant milkshake size straws instead. They weren't quite what I had in mind, but for only $1 a piece I couldn't pass them up. I just wish "The Chiller" wasn't etched in the side.

The warning on the wrapper was so funny to me. When I read it to Tyler his reaction was, "Oh ya, that would be bad!" Not the reaction I was expecting, but true after I stopped laughing and thought about it.

Still, I decided to risk the recommend appropriate age of 12yrs. and let Damon sip away.

How fun would it be to come up with warning labels. Am I the only one that usually finds them hilarious?

Snowman Update!

2011-02-04T15:15:00.002-07:00

A day or two into our snowmans life he started to lean. I kept expecting his head to fall off, and then I was sure the entire middle section would collapse anyday. As he is right now, nothing but the bottom ball is touching the ground (if you don't count the eyeballs which fell off the first day, the tips of his arms, and his nose which is also detatched.) It is so crazy! We even saw a girl in our front yard taking pictures of our snowman the other day. Damon thinks he looks like he is doing yoga. I just wish I had taken pictures throughout his very slow journey to puddle. Around day 3 his top two sections were parallel to the ground. Not sure what is causing our snowman to remain off of the ground, but it is fun to watch. Hope everyone has a great weekend. Damon has a basketball game tomorrow, which I can't wait for.

~A day for snowmen~

2011-01-26T22:24:00.008-07:00

I finally got around to this snowman project. Isn't he the cutest? (The video quality isn't the best, but the pictures turned out really great! I can't wait to make a cute snowman shaped album?)

After spending time with "Mr. Snowman" in the morning, and all the snow we got throughout the day, Damon thought it would be fun to make our own friend in the front yard. It was getting late and I wanted to say no, but I am glad I didn't. We had so much fun!

While I hurried in to finish dinner, Damon decided to create a snowman of his own.

Our December

2010-12-29T21:28:00.005-07:00

It all started with a fun, family party.

Tyler won this candy with these crazy mittens.

Then came sweet little Landon's blessing day.

We made a gingerbread house.

Cassie and Keith had a beautiful wedding.

We ate a gingerbread house.

We spent lots of time with our families.

We delievered and received lots of yummy treats, talked to Ryan on the phone (who was having an 85 degree Christmas), probably spent way too much time with a cute stuffed snowman, and so many other fun things. Hope everyone else had as much fun as we did.

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas!

2010-12-13T21:43:00.004-07:00

After our first real snowstorm in the end of November,Damon was so helpful in shoveling our sidewalk. I was so proud of him for choosing to do it on his own,and then following through to the end. Even though I think it was a lot more work than he anticipated. The snow lasted a lot longer than I expected and now with Christmas just around the corner it is almost all melted.

That's why I added some artificial snow, via photoshop, in some Christmas pictures we took the other day. Right now it is a little muddy and brown outside so I am hoping by Christmas everything is white again. If it's going to be windy and cold we may as well have some snow to go with it.

It may not look so festive outside, but I am trying to fill our home with Christmas. I made a new Christmas playlist for the I-pod, Damon keeps the pine scented candle burning most of the time, and we have far too many Christmas treats in every corner of the kitchen. I'm also displaying all of the Christmas cards we get from family and friends, so you are always on our minds.

A few years ago I covered a bunch of wooden clothes pins with a strips of wrapping paper.

I clipped them to the evergreens on our banister so I can add each new card as it comes.

Now, as we walk down the hall (at least 20 times a day) we see them and think of you.

P.S. I'm still getting lots of use out of the coffee filter flowers Damon and I made months ago. Make some, you will like them.

Snow Day!

2010-11-24T10:47:00.002-07:00

Yesterday school was closed due to snow. Damon was excited at first, but then sad when he remembered he would miss his A.R. Party and Thanksgiving feast. He was also a little sad when he didn't get to go out and play in the snow. He was feeling a little sick and needed new boats so I told him he needed to wait until today. This is he and Ellie playing in the first real snow fall of this year, last Saturday. The snow day gave me some extra time to get ready for Thanksgiving.

I have this little "blessing jar" on my table to help us all catch the Thanksgiving spirit.

Next to the jar I have strips of paper and a pen. I like everyone to write something they are grateful for and stick it in the jar. These things range from really sweet to really silly (which I love). I use different colored paper each year to help keep the dates separate and I ask everyone to put their name on it. It is fun to read what people put. Last year Elise and Brady were here so it was fun to remember what we were doing then.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Caught in a bad romance!

2010-11-13T21:58:00.003-07:00

Lately I have found myself using products whose warning labels scare me just a little.

After noticing the warning on the front of this glass etching cream I put on a second pair of gloves and banned Damon from the kitchen.

A few days later I decided to make soap. I knew something was up when I went to Lowe's to get Lye (which is no longer labeled Lye on the shelf's because of it's use in Methamphetamines) and the salesperson said, "That's some pretty strong stuff. I don't think you want that to make soap." After Damon found 100% Lye on the label I knew I had the right stuff. (Many people don't realize you must have lye to make soap, because before it processes it is so caustic.) I went home, put on my gloves and covered everything with newspaper once again. Both projects turned out pretty well and I think they would make fun Christmas presents.

I think I etched nearly everything. No piece of glasswear was safe. I put our last name on everything that might leave our house (also great for a wedding gift) It turned out great and was a fast project which always scores extra points with me. Using vinyl would be a little bit easier, but I am all about saving money so I used contact paper. I cut it down to fit on my Cricut cutting mat.

I removed all of the negative spaces and used masking tape to apply the sticker to the glass.

Next it was time to spread the cream on the glass. I found that thicker is better, and it's more important than the length of time you leave the cream on the glass (I assumed longer would be better, but I didn't notice much of a difference. The cream only needs to stay on for 5 min.)

I think it makes everything look cute, and now I won't have to label our dishes with masking tape, that might fall off, when we have potluck activites.

Soap was a little bit more time consuming. You must get a recipe you like and follow it specifically. It seems that, besides being extra careful while handling and measuring the lye, it is most important to mix the lye solution and the oils when the temperatures are nearly the same.

I made a simple castel soap, but I added ground oatmeal and lavendar. It turned out, just, okay. I learned a few things, such as: a little oatmeal goes a long way, pour quickly, don't touch the soap until it hardens (chemical burns are not cool, and after all the care I took while making it, opps!)... I am making soap again this week so I hope mistakes from last time can contribute to better soap this time. I also hope I can keep some enthusiasm for getting my Christmas gifts and planning done early so I can relax in December. I wish the same for each of you!

The glue was still hot, but we made it.

2010-11-02T08:55:00.004-06:00

I spent so much time looking for Damon's green hat that I only had a few min. to put together a costume for me (Tyler's and Damon's were pretty easy so I guess I thought Princess Peach would be too, but it's clear I was wrong. I still wanted to be a part of the dressing up so I wore it anyway). I didn't have time to sew anything so I grabbed the hot glue gun and a bunch of saftey pins and finished up as we were pulling in to the park. Our trunk wasn't decorated and Damon's hat wasn't green, but we still had lots of fun. And, we didn't run out of candy this year. We spent the rest of the night with family at our house eating food and candy and playing games. We had lots of fun!

Almost ready!

2010-10-29T11:53:00.002-06:00

I may not have done everything I would have liked to be ready for Halloween, but I am taking care of a few things today. After I help with Damon's school party I am going to hurry to the store to finish costumes and get what I need to make Stuffed Pumpkin Stew (I couldn't find a link, but it is in the Oct. '08 issue of Martha Stewart Living, and it is so yummy.) We are also carving our pumpkins tonight, finally.

Lucky for us last weekend, while visiting family, my mom had everything we needed to decorate and eat yummy sugar cookies. Also, while we were there Taylor carved this sweet pumpkin. So, we haven't been completely without a little Halloween fun.

I did have time earlier this month to make these cool paper "flowers" and I couldn't resist putting them all over the house.

And, Damon added to the decor with this cute spider he made at school. I especially love where he choose to hang it.

Have a Happy Halloween Weekend! (Wish I had pics of our costumes now, but ya know, I'm still working on that. I guess I'll have to post pics next week.)

Update!

2010-10-27T21:48:00.004-06:00

Shells were found,

Parks were played in,
A bunny was captured (and later let loose),

Fish were caught,

Fair food was eaten,

A baby was born (more pics of this cute little guy later),

A tooth was lost,

Canning was done, canning was done, canning was done,

The garden finally froze and it is starting to feel like winter is just around the corner.

Most recently, and something I am pretty excited about, Hunting Season is finally over! We've been pretty busy lately. Halloween kind of snuck up on me. I am still finishing up getting costumes together. With only a few days left I think I need a little luck. Hope your having fun getting ready, and lots of luck if you're like me and still have a lot to do.

Party!

2010-10-13T15:51:00.002-06:00

If you're not busy tomorrow night around 7:oo come on over. I am hosting a Discovery Toys party. E-mail me if you want more information donilynr18@yahoo.com. We're going to have some yummy Halloween goodies, and lots of fun, I am sure.
I remember some of the same fun toys when I was a kid, and there are lots of new ones as well. Damon and I have our eyes on MarbleWorks. Hope you can make it. ;)

Homemade Apron

2010-10-05T10:48:00.005-06:00

This weekend's General Conference reminded me that, despite the amazing Summer-like weather we have been having, it is in fact Autumn. I thought we might find evidence in the mountains, but orange was the hardest color to find.

Conference also reminded me that this little baby has been hanging on a hook behing my pantry door for 6 months. It all started last General Conference while the boys were at their Priesthood meeting. Ari and I decided to be crafty and hurried to the fabric store. We found what we wanted and had it cut. When we got to the checkout line and heard the price I had the urge to drop my stuff and flee. I'm used to DIY being less expensive, not more. It took a second for me to remember that once the fabric is cut I am committed. At an attempt to tame my buyers remorse I rationalized. "I'm improving my sewing skills." "It is going to be really cute." "Tyler spent a lot more on a bike today." Things like that. The more time and effort I put into the apron the more I thought about when I'd use it. For example, I probably won't want to use it while cooking spagetti. And, since it is going to be sooo cute I may want to wear it in more than just the kitchen. And, since I don't want to get anything on that cute fabric, I may not want it in the kitchen at all. Hmm! But, that doens't make much sense and I like to be practical (I even considered spraying it with some of that waterproofing spray that Tyler uses on camping gear.)So, for the last 6 months it's just hung there (except for the one time I wore it while cutting Tyler's hair. I was pretty excited about that since it really did it's job of protecting my clothes, but couldn't get permenantly damaged.) So now I wonder, "Will it just hang there for the next 6 months?" Hard to say. Oh, and don't be surprised if you see me outside of the kitchen wearing an apron for no reason at all.

Nerdies

2010-09-17T21:38:00.004-06:00

Don't be fooled by the simple design of Damon's latest Lego creations. Nerdies are actually quite complex.

They fly, but they aren't birds ("Their kind of like aliens." I'm just not sure how something can be like an alien. ???) And, when they fly they fly in "Herds" like this one.

They are friends with frogs, and they eat coins!

Pennies for dessert because they like them best.

They sleep in rows, on their backs, next to Indian Jones.

Who, as it turns out, takes off his hat for bed, but not his bag and holster. Hmm?

Little kiddo's creativity is so awesome! Don't you think?

I'll be back soon with pictures of what we have been up to since we said goodbye to summer.

Triple A (and I don't mean road side assistance)

2010-09-02T20:11:00.002-06:00

Ari, and Andy, and Baby Alivia!

Damon got to meet his newest cousin yesterday.

Isn't she so precious?

Back To School Night #3!

2010-08-31T10:39:00.005-06:00

I can't believe this is our 3rd Back-To-School Night Family Home Evening. The last 2 years we have made goals that we can work on all year. While we aren't perfect at our past goals, we are still working on them and adding more.

We mostly just ate a bunch of food (I love all of the fresh fruits and veggies we have available this time of year. I just added some grilled chicken kabobs and french bread.) While we ate we talked about our goals for the year.

I have it this quote framed and hanging up in our dinning room to help us remeber.

Damon is almost a big 2nd grader. Where does the time go?

County Fair!

2010-08-28T21:53:00.002-06:00

A couple of weeks ago I followed these two boys around the good old county fair.

We spent a lot of time at the Super Slide, 'cause lets face it, it was the best ride there.

The boys were funny on the spinny rides, and I think they liked them, but we always ended up back at the slides.

I did ride the hammer with Taylor and I got sick. The crazy carnie worker offered us a 2nd ride, but I declined. As soon as my stomach settled I made a mad dash for the greasy fair food.

I can't wait for the funnel cakes at the state fair in just 2 weeks and counting. I wonder which topping I will get this year? Hmmm! Anyway, we all had a good time and I ran into a few people I haven't seen in such a long time. BTW, Taylor is getting big. I had to send this picture to Ryan to show him how much he has grown in a year. CRAZY!

We headed East, to the Wild, Wild West!

2010-08-08T16:54:00.003-06:00

Yellowstone is so facinating!

We had such a great time. And, I learned how big Bison really are! Look at that thing!

Enjoying the great outdoors right in our own backyard!

2010-08-07T21:55:00.004-06:00

This time of year, I feel extra greatful for each day I can spend outside because I know before long I will be forced indoors due to the freezing cold.

I was feeling that greatful feeling the other night while we were busy making tin foil dinners in our fire pit.

Damon was pretty excited since he was finally taught how to use a lighter, and really wanted to help start the fire. He tried to reassure me, by telling me he had been practicing. Telling me he had been practicing with a lighter was not exactly the reassurance I needed. I was reassured by the fact that Tyler was supervising.

Why is it that food tastes better outside? I have my theories.

After dinner and talking to our neighbors about their recently deceased dog, we started the smores. There was a marshmellow or two that would rather burn in the coals than fill our tummies, which brought on a few tears, but in the end we all got nice and full before we attempted a sleepover on the tramp. That lasted til about 3:00 a.m. like most tramp camping does at our house. That's when the thunder started. Tyler grabed Damon, I gathered all of our stuff, and we ended up right back where we belong, our nice cozy beds. Damon was a little disappointed when he woke up wondering how he got in bed, but I woke up a lot more comfortable than I would have outside. The star gazing was a lot of fun. Maybe we will just stick with that next time... Na, I'll never get off that easy.

First Harvest!

2010-08-01T20:36:00.002-06:00

Arugula is all we have been able to harvest yet this year (and a little lettuce from thinning). We were really late planting our garden, but better late than never. Damon loves eating anything from the garden. He has also diligently watered the garden almost everyday. He has been a big help.
We tried a variation of this recipe and it was pretty yummy! Definitely something we all liked a ate a lot of.

They "sang as they walked,"

2010-07-27T11:21:00.005-06:00

We pulled each other around while eating cotton candy. (Not the same.)

We also ate a bunch of other stuff, like popsicles, snowcones, hamburgers, watermelon, lemonade, parade taffy, Pepperidge Farm goodies... (It was a good summer food day!)

Gathered candy.

Spun around. This "fan powered" swing was so fun. Damon was barely under the weight limit and I kind of think the man in charge didn't really believe me. (BTW "the man in charge" was non-other than Don Aslett.)

Played in bouncy houses and got pulled around the fairgrounds.

Chased the baby goats. (Damon didn't really want to hold them, just chase them around and say he could catch them. He gave every goat he caught to some little girl who just wanted to hold them.)

The horses were a hit that day, from the tiny pony in the parade to the races at the end of the day.

Right before bed we finished up all the fireworks and party poppers we still had lying around the house. (As I have mentioned before, Damon has sensitive ears.)

The day was so much fun and I love celebrating the pioneers (even in our modern way.)

No longer a twenty-something!

2010-07-14T10:39:00.004-06:00

But no worries. He's still got skills!
Happy Birthday Tyler!

Summer Fun!

2010-07-13T23:35:00.004-06:00

July might be my favorite month. The 4th is a great start.

This year we had some friends and family over on the 3rd for food and games in the backyard, and I didn't take a single picture. Opps!

The next day we made bacon/bleu cheese/avocado burgers, homemade fries and root beer floats. They turned out pretty sweet!

Then it was firework time. Damon has always had really sensitive ears. He loves the fireworks, but doesn't want to hear any kind of booom! Silly boy! At least he has no shame.

This last weekend we also enjoyed some classic July activities with Tyler's family.

Camping! It was...dirty! (I even took Damon back into town for bed. I know "Party Pooper!")

At least the kids still look super cute all covered in dirt, bug spray, sunscreen, smoke, food...

Another exciting addition to this years camping experience was 6 little boys running around with pretty sharp sticks "Rat Hunting" as they liked to call it. Kinda hope that one doesn't become a tradition.

Then it was off to the lake. Ahh! The Lake! I just love it there.

June!

2010-07-02T22:09:00.009-06:00

What a month. Here are a few of the good times.

PARTY!

2010-06-12T17:26:00.001-06:00

June has been and will continue to be really busy for us. We are sneaking in a little party for Damon this week and if you live close enough to come we would love to have you.

Birthday Boy!

2010-06-04T22:35:00.002-06:00

7 years sounds like a long time, but it is amazing how quickly it has flown by.

It's hard to believe that 7 years ago today I first laid eyes on this little person. He could not make me happier. It is amazing to watch him grow up.

It feels like just yesterday I could fit all of him in my 2 hands.

It's Raining, It's Pouring...

2010-06-01T22:44:00.005-06:00

We spent Memorial Day with friends. It was so fun to catch up. I'm lucky everyone was able to work with my last min. plans.

We also came home with an extra little person. The rain didn't stop the boys from enjoying the backyard. Rain is great when it isn't accompanied by the freezing cold.

:) to :( to :) again!

2010-05-23T23:24:00.006-06:00

First, I was so excited to talk to Elise about the arrival of my new nephew, Mercer. He was born on Friday, 2 weeks early, weighing in at 8 lbs. 13 oz. He already has cheeks that I wish I could squeeze.

Then I peeked outside to find what looked like a blizzard.

But, we were happy again when Mario Kart returned (thanks Aunt Lori!)

Overall our weekend was fun, even with the snow. Especially thanks to a visit from Taylor and Grandma!

Invite to Bannister to Blog

2010-05-14T22:13:00.006-06:00

I am hosting bunco this month and made invitations* with a little banner on them. It inspired me to make one out of fabric for the house.

I used pinking shears to cut out the triangles so I only had to sew along the top edge.

I picked fabrics with colors that coordinate with a photo collage I have in the living room.

Then I added some little coffee filter flowers (this link is a tutorial, it's the same place I discoverd rolled fabric flowers). Damon had a lot of fun helping me make these.

*I thought I would share how I made post card invitations, because it was inexpensive, simple, and versatile (ie. announcements, holiday cards, etc.). I used photoshop and digital scrap supplies to create the invitations. Then I printed them off as 4x6 photographs. I checked with the post office and 4x6 is about as big as a post card can be. There is a thickness requirement also which a photograph doesn't meet. So, I glued a 4x6 index card to the back. This provided the proper size and a blank spot on the back for writing the addresses and putting the stamp. Many photo labs will create post cards for you, but not in one hour. Since I don't like to wait when I get an idea, this worked well and I had the invites in my hands the same day. It was also less expensive.

We may need a lesson in relaxation!

2010-05-06T21:38:00.003-06:00

Last night Damon got a balloon while we were on a treat run. When I went in this morning to wake him up for school I found that balloon tightly clasped in his little hand. I'm not sure how much of the night he spent hanging on to it, but I wonder how well he slept.

On a separate note, what is up with the weather? I scraped at least 3 inches of snow off of the car this morning. I guess I should have parked in the garage, but really it's May.

Thank You's!

2010-04-26T21:47:00.003-06:00

I was spoiled by friends and family for my birthday this year and a few weeks ago I was in the process of making some Thank You's! I like making cards, but I sometimes find it hard to spend a lot of time on them.

So, I came up with this little idea. A really simple open card with a little fabric flower attatched to the top. I've said before that I like using fabric scrapes to make flowers and they came in handy here.

I added a little hair clip to the back and used that to attatch it to the card. Then when the recipient is ready to toss the card they can keep the flower for their hair. The cards where quick and easy to make and I felt like my time was well spent.

P.S. Damon's fits have mostly ceased, I'm not sure if it is the weather, but I know it has helped my mood. I haven't heard any tales of "Arch Enemies" lately either, so maybe that's it.

Mysteries of my 6 year old!

2010-04-13T21:45:00.003-06:00

Damon has been sooo tired lately. I'm not sure if he is fighting off sickness or if he is just worn out from all the monster fits he's been throwing. It could be social stress at school. 1st grade is pretty intense. The other day we were talking about his day and I asked about his bus ride home. He said he sat by himself today and I asked why. He said, "Because Hunter sat by Conner, my arch enemy." (some names have been changed, mostly for fun, because anybody who knows any of these 3 boys probably knows who I am really talking about.)

My current arch enemy? Our yard!

I wish I was one of those "green thumbs" who really loves yard work, but I'm not. Our yard could actually be pretty nice it is just such a beast to take care of.

Quest for organization

2010-04-07T20:49:00.002-06:00

still on!

A few weeks ago I picked up these simple carboard magazine storage boxes at IKEA for just a couple of dollars. They had cute patterened ones for a few bucks more, but nothing I liked. So, I bought the cheeper white ones and covered them with some wrapping paper I like. They fit in with the rest of our office and I think they are going to help keep me more organzied. Time will tell.

We also picked up these industrial shelves for our storage room awhile back. We have since started filling them with cans, boxes, bags, and other food storage items. I really like how sturdy they are, but I am worried that they might become cluttered and unorganized if I don't come up with some kind of system, soon! So, does anyone have any good tips on keeping everything in order and rotating items effectively? Please let me know.

It may have felt more like Christmas...

2010-04-06T11:19:00.000-06:00

but we had a happy Easter!

Now, where is the sunshine and flowers?

Free time projects!

2010-03-28T21:58:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago Tyler and Damon went to a Jazz game. That left me with a good 8 hours to do whatever I wanted. I spent way too much time telling myself it was ok not to clean or work while they were gone. Then I had to decide what I wanted to do. After all of that I spent quite a bit of time on the computer and I made 2 trips to the craft store (after I decided what I was going to do.) This is what I worked on.

This chair was resting peacefully at D.I. with an $8 price tag. I walked past it more than once before I talked myself into considering it. I was afraid to touch it. I found cereal under the cushion. It scared me a little. I brought it home anyway. I painted the legs, bought a button kit and used left over fabric from something else to make the black button. After I sewed and stapled all of the fabric into place I attached cute black piping over all of the unfinished edges. And, it's comfortable which is the best part.

While I had the black paint out I decided to refresh this photo screen. It has been stored away since we moved into our house 4 years ago. I have always liked it, but I just couldn't find a place for it. After a few minor adjustments it fit right in next to my new chair. It was also lots of fun to go through all of my pictures and decide which ones I wanted to use in each of the 15 openings (that may be what took the most time of all.)

Remeber this post about these little wooden accents? This is one of the projects I had in mind for them. They were such an inexpensive and simple change that made a big difference.

The boys got home completely exhausted and went straight to bed. It was fun to have some time to myself, but I was so glad when they got home. I went straight to bed myself.

A Happy Birthday!

2010-03-25T22:01:00.000-06:00

What a fun day I had!
It all started when two cute somebodies made me breakfast.

We spent some time the park. Then we went to the pet store to look at the cute baby animals.

We played hot/cold and I found a little something from my littlie in the air vent. Sneeky! He was very excited for me to see that he got me some lotion, which he picked himself. He told Tyler he wanted to get it because he knows, "Mom has really dry skin." Awesome! He doesn't miss a thing.
Then the same two somebodies made me dinner. It was so yummy. Steak (on the grill) and potatoes (twice baked). Garlic bread, salad, and snow crab legs. Mmmmmm!

Happy Birthday to my sister Lori today!

Happy Day!

2010-03-18T16:09:00.000-06:00

St. Patrick's Day!

The day that means my birthday is in exactly 1 week.

The day Damon woke up to a little something from the toothfairy. (She visited us for the first time the night before.)

Corned beef and cabbage and Irish Soda Bread for dinner (I like to put green food coloring in the buttermilk.)

The day I finally got to run outside. (It was so nice, and everyone knew it. There were kids all over on bikes, people walking their dogs, the smell of BBQ....)

The day before I hear it is going to snow again soon. :(

Glad I got to enjoy it!

Spring?

2010-03-15T21:45:00.000-06:00

What's your first clue that spring is on its way? I think I usually smell it first. That happened a few weeks ago. I got excited, and then it snowed this weekend.

These furry little guys helped though. It may be freezing outside, but new, cute little birdies mean spring is just around the corner.

2nd Generation Needle Nerves

2010-03-12T22:05:00.000-07:00

This is the guy that I thought was going to start crying when his mom wanted to do a little finger prick for a blood sugar level test.

This is also the guy that told me he had to fight the urge to punch the nurse who had to give him a tetanus shot.

Now here he is donating blood. All grown up.

Damon was the one making jokes and acting silly to mask the fact that he was uncomfortable. I assured him he had to be 17 and 110 lbs. to donate. But I also had to let him know that the food table was for people willing to bleed for the cause. He didn't meet any of the criteria.

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

2010-03-02T22:39:00.000-07:00

When Damon was asked at school what his favorite book was he said anything Dr. Seuss. But even so, when he came home from school speaking in rhyme I knew something must have triggered the silly talk. Dr. Seuss's B-day, of course. Yep, on this day in 1904 "Dr. Seuss" was born and aren't we all glad.

But now about some yummy cookies and a loud game.

Damon had the treat for Family Home Evening and picked "cookies with white chocolate in them." So I made a couple of batches of these yummy cookies. We finished up, played a game, and tucked Damon into bed. I sent Tyler out the door to a study group and I realized I had some free time on my hands. I put in the last batch of cookies and ended up singing my heart out on Rock Band. I couldn't do just one song so I picked another. After I felt like I had wasted enough time I decided to turn off the XBOX and find something more productive to do.

That is when I heard a buzzing from upstairs. "The cookies!" I raced to the kitchen to find these in the oven. Opps! I can't believe I was so distracted.

While I am on the Rock Band subject I thought I should post a couple of pictures from a few weeks ago.

I love that Ellie's ears are plugged. It makes me laugh so much. This is why I needed the practice while I was alone.

Happy, Happy Snail Mail Day!

2010-02-18T10:51:00.000-07:00

I think virtual communication is awesome, but don't you just love a "Happy Snail Mail Day?" I had one a couple of days ago. Let me start by saying that our old house had a cute little mail box on the front porch, and I anticipated the little squeek that signaled the mail had arrived everyday. When we moved into our new house I had to say goodbye to a cute box on the porch and hello to a community mail box on top of the hill above our house. Needless to say I don't get the mail everyday, especially when it is cold.

So you can imagine my surprise when a cute little postman arrived at my front door with the days mail in tow. I should tell you that there are only two spots for packages at our mailbox so if someone doesn't empty their package after a few day the mail carrier brings the mail to your house so you don't have to wait for the other person (this has only happened twice).

Hand delivered mail already signals a good mail day for me, but it doesn't end there. We only had 2 pieces of "junk mail" and 1 bill. Again a good mail day. But wait, I'm not done.

This book arrived. I ordered it a few days before and have been anxiously awaiting it's arrival.

Cassie's phone, which she has been calling us about everyday around 2:00, finally came (It took forever.) We didn't mind hearing from her, but we know she has been antsy for a replacement to the phone she lost, and I am sure Ramona will be happy to get hers back, too.

We also received a cute card and pictures from the Martins.

And, a little something from Ryan in Guatemala. You may notice my letter is in Spanish which equals a little extra work for me, but more exciting I think.

Is it silly that this was so fun for me I am actually blogging about it?

I hope you all have a Happy Snail Mail Day, too once in awhile.

P.S. Today is Ryan's birthday. I hope he has a happy one.

Love List #3!

2010-02-15T16:01:00.000-07:00

Like last year and the year before this is a list of a few of the things that make me happy right now.

I love these little animals I have scattered around the house. I think they are all so cute. However, I think all of them might scare me or gross me out if they were real. Weird! The turtle is the newest addition to our house, isn't he cute? I love him!

These little wooden accents are so cool. I have a couple of projects in mind for them. I'll post them when I am done.

I love homemade fabric flowers. They are so fun to make and there are so many different techniques for making them.

I love ribbon. I think it makes almost everything better.

I can't believe I have had 3 of these lists without putting our piano on one. It was a pretty big expense for us when we were first married, but it is definitely one of the things in our house that I really love.

Hope everyone had a Happy Valentine's Day. We sure did!

We can kind of laugh now,

2010-02-08T10:51:00.000-07:00

But we haven't gotten the bills yet.

So that's a kidney stone, huh?

A couple weeks ago Tyler was in the E.R. passing a kidney stone. It was one crazy morning. At one point the P.A. asked Tyler how he was doing and through clenched teeth, and what sounded like his last breath, he murmered, "I want to die!" As soon as the stone passed he was back to his old self. We were laughing and sending texts while he finished his I.V. We also got to listen in on the prisoner in the room next to us, who seemed to be on vacation. When Damon got home from school and heard the story he felt like he missed out on a fun time.

I love DIY,

2010-02-01T21:41:00.001-07:00

But sometimes it is A LOT more work than I expect.

This is a little glimps at our bookshelfs in the making.

Lucky for me Tyler was the brains behind this whole operation. He worked really hard and I did my best to be a worthy assistant. If it hadn't been SO cold it would have been a lot more tolerable. I would sneek in the house once in a while just to warm up.

I tried to get as much done as I could before Damon got home, but he did get in on the action a little bit and he couldn't have been more thrilled. Notice the shorts. He wasn't out there very long.

Since we aren't carpenters we had to make due with the tools we had. This did cause a few problems; everything took much longer, there were a few "difficult-to-fix" mistakes, and we had to use tools in pretty inventive ways. But it all turned out ok in the end. And thank goodness for an insulated garage or I don't think this would have even been possible this time of year.

Here they are installed. I am still working on filling them. It is a little hard to tell, but they are HUGE. So it is taking me awhile. They are another one of my steps toward better flow and organization in my house. I am having a little bit of a problem being practical and still pretty. Any advise. I will put up some pictures of our family room after I finish a few more projects: recovering an old couch (hopefully), finishing some cute pillows, finding some old, but sturdy chairs that I can give new life to.... I will paint if I have to, but after the shelfs and this room I am pretty tired of painting. I went through almost 3 gallons of paint in 2 days. This was one part of the project that Tyler would have no part of. I guess I can't have it all.

I love them!

She's Married!

2010-01-24T23:32:00.000-07:00

After this weekend Lori's wedding is officially over.

It's always a blast to be with my family.

And, I got to visit with people I haven't seen in so long.

It was great!

Reorganize!

2010-01-21T22:49:00.000-07:00

In an attempt to create a more organized life I have decided to make a few changes throughout my house. This was a project I quickly did this afternoon and I think it is going to help my bathroom look more tidy and give me a few extra min. when I am getting ready each day. Plus while the shelf was cleared I did some much needed scrubbing of the window sill and track.

It is so easy to just take off my jewlery or hair clips and bands and just throw them on the ledge. Convenient, but cluttered.

So, I went to a couple antique stores and picked up some inexpensive, but interesting bowls and dishes. I looked for items that didn't look to "kitcheny" (made that word up.)

Now everything is easy to get to, quick to put away, and not so messy looking.

I plan on moving throughout the house and continuing my organization, so if you have any tips or ideas please share.

Stalling!

2010-01-14T14:00:00.001-07:00

I'm supposed to be busy packing for my sisters wedding, but..... I'm stalling. I don't know why. I'm excited. It is going to be a fun weekend, but I just feel the urge to sit and do nothing. Nothing except think about how I want to organize everything going on my new bookshelfs.

And decide how best to use these new, cute little bowls.

And how much fun we have been having making smores in the house with this cute Christmas gift from some friends.

Ok, I better get busy. I think I'm stalling because I know once I start I won't be stopping until at least Sunday.

Here goes.

See you Monday, maybe!

Scrabble to Showers to Shelfs

2010-01-10T22:24:00.000-07:00

Tonight we played Scrabble and these were my first 7 letters. Ummm! Not much to work with. Damon won!

On Friday we went to the temple with my sister and then back to my house for her Bridal Shower. I experimented with some of the decorations I am using for the reception. The party was so much fun.

Last week Tyler and I spent most of our time in the garage working on this project. I am so excited about it and Iwill post more updates later.

Wishing everyone a happy week!

"Happy Twenty-Ten!"

2010-01-05T22:36:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun ringing in the new year with family and playing Hullabaloo.

If you haven't played it you should.

Just a few more things...

2009-12-30T00:10:00.000-07:00

that make our holiday so much fun!

The Nativity!

*I have to say the costumes get a little crazier every year, but it makes it more fun I think.
*Damon choose to be a sheep the last 3 years and this year Mylee joined him.

Christmas Eve dinner.

*Fanta Grape is not usually on the menu, but every year there is something new and non-traditional.

What makes Christmas fun for us?

2009-12-28T23:09:00.000-07:00

Making aebleskivers for breakfast.

Eating them.

Since I've been gone.

2009-12-09T23:03:00.000-07:00

Pepper's memorial service came and went.

Elise, Brady, and Mylee arrived.

We saw New Moon. It was lots of fun!

Tyler played the piano at the pre-show party.

Thanksgiving was lots of fun. (I loved going to Damon's Thanksgiving Feast at school.)

We spent the weekend at my Grandparents' house in Utah. Don't they make the best Mr. and Mrs. Clause?

Poor Poor Pepper

2009-11-18T22:15:00.000-07:00

About a week ago I noticed that Damon's little beta, "Pepper" wasn't behaving as usual. The bowl needed to be cleaned and I kept putting it off.

Then on Sun. Damon called, "Mom, come and look at Pepper."

I thought, "Oh, no. I should have cleaned his bowl and now he is dead and it's all my fault. Maybe we can get a new one."

I was right in the middle of dinner and said, "I'm sorry I can't right now."

That is when he came to me with tears in his eyes. "When I touch the bowl, he usually swims around, but he is just laying there and barely moving." At this moment I realized this fish was a lot more important to him than I thought.

I set the dinner aside and hurried in to look at the fish, which totally looked dead, and consoled my poor little buddy. Then I also see the fish move. Not in a normal healthy way, but to my suprise, still alive.

Pepper didn't look good and I talked with Damon about the fact that he probably wasn't going to last much longer. Damon was truly mourning which I didn't really expect. He was so upset.

He kept checking on the fish to see if he was doing any better. Each time whispering, "Pepper, please don't die."

I kept checking on the fish to see if he was dead yet. The whole time feeling so bad knowing there was nothing we could do but pray. Which we did.

By bedtime there was still a flutter at his gills and I didn't want to euthenize the poor thing so I just thought we would take care of him in the morning.

Upon waking I look in and think Pepper is dead, again.

Upon waking Damon looks closer and notices the fish is still alive, again.

This continued until today. I really don't know how many times I was sure the poor thing lying in the gravel at the bottom of the bowl was dead and then it would prove me otherwise. I think he is gone for sure this time, but I'm still not certain I won't wake up tomorrow to find I am wrong again. Time will tell.

As for Damon he says he wants a new fish, but he is afraid it will remind him of Pepper. He drew a picture of Pepper in his prime to remember him by.

This fish was a trooper. I have really never seen anything like it. It was one of the weirdest things I have ever seen.

So, tomorrow after school we will bury the little guy in our backyard and move on. Now I just need to decide if a new fish is right for us. Hmmm, still not sure.

"Star Student"

2009-11-13T08:16:00.000-07:00

So much fun for the "Star Student." Special show-and-tell, special helper, un-birthday celebration.
Photo by Cordie
I'm taking treats in today and I always love visiting Damon at school. I help in his class on Thursday's and yesterday I stayed for lunch. It is so much fun! If your children's school allows lunch visitors you should take advantage of it. They are so cute and responsible. And I love the little "kid community." After lunch we played kick ball on the playground. It was very nostalgic.

I also wanted to share this fun idea. I saw the technique in "Creating Keepsakes" Nov. 2009 on a layout in fall colors. I chose a monochromatic color scheme and used the technique on a card. Just cut or punch out equal sized squares. Then round 2 corners and arrange with 4 like corners together. It a good way to use up some of my little scraps.

We tricked, We treated, We conquered!

2009-11-01T21:21:00.000-07:00

Damon was so intent on carving his own pumpkin from start to finish. It may have taken A WHILE, but he was pretty proud of the end result.

The robot costume was an idea he had for a long time and he finally pulled it off. All the Wal-E talk finally came in handy!

The Trunk-or-Treat was so fun, but we ran out of candy twice. I didn't have to turn anyone away though since Tyler just stopped by the trunk next door and took some of theirs. I guess when you're a giant Rubix Cube, you can get away with it.

Fond Farewell's and Happy Hello's!

2009-10-26T22:04:00.000-06:00

Goodbye soccer.

We'll miss you.
In honor of Damon's last game I thought I should share my favorite picture of the year. When you know that no one was hurt I hope you will be able to laugh as much as I have.

Goodbye hunting! (Finally!!!)

Tyler might miss you.
I always have to take at least one hunting trip each year and this one sure was memorable. But the best news is we were done opening day! I cheered everytime someone mentioned it.

Also this weekend we got to celebrate Mylee's 2nd birthday with her and Brady and Elise and lots of family and friends. We were so glad to see them and excited for the next two months. They are here all the way from Des Moines.

So Much....

2009-10-12T15:24:00.000-06:00

to say, so much to do.

We have been a little under the weather around here. But I think finally today, we are feeling energized and much better. Especially after my trip to the chiropractor this morning. It may have taken 2 hours!!! but I think it was worth it. I am always having problems with my super tight neck and shoulders, but last night, while watching "Hocus Pocus,"

and eating this yummy, crunchy, chocolatey popcorn, my jaw started hurting so bad! Now, if you know me, you know I talk a lot, I eat a lot, and I eat often. So, jaw pain is not something I could tolerate for very long. I think the "crack, crack, crack" (x's 30, at least) did the trick. I can now chew/talk/sleep in peace. Yay!

Since I have had lots of time to lounge around the house I have managed to find a home for my cute little owls.

And, come up with some Christmas decorating ideas. I am going to make a bunch of these tissue paper balls to put all over the house. I got the idea from our guest room and just did a much smaller, Christmas colored version.

This is what I like to call the "R&R." Open for buisness. The R&R is not a B&B, however, we do provide a bed...., and breakfast. So, stop by any time. WE LOVE VISITORS!

Here is a close up of the orbs. I love them. And, they are quick and easy to make. Plus inexpensive. I also love our new wall color. The top is called Parmesean and I really wanted to lick it off the brush, mmmm!

I really need to move on to matters at hand. Damon wants to be a robot for Halloween and I haven't even started that. And, I have a party on Thursday and I don't know what I am going to do either.

Damon offered to let me borrow this chef's hat he brought home from Primary yesterday. Hmm! Maybe, but I am still open to other ideas. Do you have any? I need help!

D & E

2009-10-09T14:26:00.000-06:00

Damon only had school on Mon. and Tues. this week and I love having him home. So does Ellie. They have so much fun together. When Damon gets home from school Ellie runs to him and says, "hug." Then on days when she leaves before he gets home he is sad.

Damon likes to help her with his toys.

Ellie likes to help him answer the spider man phone.

Ellie doesn't seem to mind that we mostly just have boy toys.

And, most of the time Damon is making her laugh!

Except when he is making her cry.

An apple a day

2009-09-30T21:38:00.000-06:00

can get old. As much as I love them sometimes it's nice to change things up a bit.

So, when these arrived at my house today I wanted to enjoy them in a new way. Plus, we were freezing and wanted something warm.

I just peeled and chopped a few of the little guys and tossed them in a sauce pan. I covered them with apple juice and threw in a handful of golden rasins. Then I sprinkled in a tiny bit of cloves and a couple of shakes of cinnamon. I let them bubble away for quite a few min. When they started to melt together I stirred them up leaving bigger soft chunks. The smell was delightful and gave us the feeling of fall. I sprinkled a few canndied pecans on top just before eating. It was such a quick and easy snack. And, I didn't feel bad about eating a lot.

After picking up a couple of apples I uncovered this little buddy. I wonder who that was? I have my suspisions, but whoever it was, I bet it was a cutie pie!

After freezing rain all day it finally turned to snow just a couple of hours ago. Damon is using the snow as an excuse for not being in his p.j.'s yet. Stinker! He is sound asleep now, though, in spite of his excitement. Glad someone has a positive attitude about it.

Getting festive and a little spray paint!

2009-09-27T19:13:00.000-06:00

I had fun getting out our Halloween decor.

Damon had fun getting out our Halloween decor.

Terk... not so much. I told him "no" when he tried to take these off the first time and then went about my buisness. Then at least 20 min. later I noticed him laying like this on the end of the couch. He is such an obedient puppy.

I have been having fun with thrift store items and spray paint the last few days. These are a few things that have crossed my "spray paint path."

Also the frame to the "Boo" sign on my table. It started out red, with a crazy print glued inside.

I ripped off the backing and moved the hook (so it would hang horizontally). Then I took the frame out and sprayed it black. I cut out the letters with some vinyl and my trusty Cricut (you could also just buy some letter stickers or come on over and I will cut you some), and attached them to the front of the glass. Then I taped a piece of cute paper to the back. I made sure to put it on the frame and not the glass to give some dimension. Then I just attatched the ribbon. It was lots of fun and super quick. I think cleaning the glass is the step that took the longest. It was worth it for the $.75 I paid for the frame. Just a fun idea I thought I would share.

~Chores~

2009-09-24T08:38:00.001-06:00

This little buddy is pretty good at "forgetting" what he was supposed to get done when I give him a small list of things to do.

So, recently while putting together some collages to send to Ryan in Guatemala, I came up with an idea to help Damon remember what comes next in our daily routine. I ran around the house taking pictures of all the things Damon is responsible for and the rewards for each of these things.

Then, I put 9 pictures on a 4x6 photograph. I had them printed and then cut each one out.

I stuck each picture to a laminated chore chart using Handi-Tak. Now I can move them around or add to the chart when I need to. On laundry day I just add a picture of folded clothes which doesn't need to be there everyday.

So far this is working pretty well, but I am always looking for new ideas. So, do you have any ides on getting kids to get the work done quickly so there is time to play? Please share!

Lovely Day!

2009-09-21T22:07:00.000-06:00

Soccer is in full swing and Damon is loving it. His game was pretty exciting.

Also on Saturday we met my family for a little fishing and lunch (the best Thai food, Yum!)

What a week!

2009-09-13T21:31:00.001-06:00

It all started at the fair.

These are a few of my highlights.

I look forward to these all year, and they did not disappoint!

This goat followed the foam padding with a nice big drink from the communal water bowl. But, you do know goats eat everything, right?

Usually my favorite exhibits are the photography and the painting, but the cakes may have won me over this year. Isn't it awesome? And, Damon assured us that they smelled as good as they looked. This race car game was a hit with the boys, and everyone always loves the puppies.

Damon was a good boy and had $4 allowance money, just the amount of this gun which he can't stop talking about. Why can't he love books as much?

Damon's first soccor practice of the fall. He was pretty excited, and so was I when we tried a new league, which I thought was less expensive. That was before I knew that we had to buy a uniform in addition to the registration fee. And, I couldn't even find the right one when I went out shopping for it on Friday!

Saturday was lots of fun. My family came over to cheer Damon and I on in the races we competed in.

Damon was so cute preparing for his race and I am sure I was beaming about it all. I reminded him that he was racing with me in utero and he just said, "I know." I guess he has heard that before. Hmm.

I was so impressed with his attitude about the whole thing. He took it seriously, but had lots of fun. Coach G (my dad) noticed his good running form, Tyler and Grandma took some great pictures, and I ran around like one of those really annoying parents at their kids sporting events. You know the type.

Just after Damon finished I had to hurry over to my event, 25K duathlon. I wish I hadn't missed Damon's trip to the athlete's food table. Afterwards Tyler told me Damon had a power bar, but he didn't think he liked it since he only ate half. Are you kidding me. A 6 year old eating 1/2 of a power bar. I don't think the problem was he didn't like it, I think he was probably about to explode. Those suckers are dense.

After the races we hurried home to spend a lovely afternoon with Tyler's family. I can't believe I didn't snap one picture. We had so much fun visiting with everyone. And the food was fabulous as always.

What a week!

Relief!

2009-09-08T22:35:00.000-06:00

That's what I am feeling. I just got home from Enrichment and even though I really didn't have to do very much to get ready for this one (except a bunch of running around today) I am so relieved. I think it is just the thought of being incharge if anything should go wrong. It turned out great. It was back-to-school night, Relief Society University that is, theme; Goal Setting. Complete with school lunch ladies wearing hair nets (wish I had a picture of that).

Because I am not very organized and a procrastinator (remember family back to school night goals), I had a lot to do today. In addition to Enrichment it was Jay's birthday. Jay is a handicapped guy we take care of and he doesn't have any family to celebrate with him. Well, after setting up for the meeting I mentioned I still had to go home and make a cake for him. This nice lady in my ward ran to the store and showed up at my house 20 min. later with cake, ice cream, candles, and decorating frosting. It was so so super nice. If it weren't for her we would have ended up celebrating tomorrow.

We cut the cake just before I had to catch the bus.

So, now that it is over I felt to fully relax I needed to do a little web surfing. I just happend to come across this fun idea for the 2nd time. What are the chances? I decided that I really need to take this challenge. Any guesses what my goal will be? I think it will be really fun. Try it, even if you have to start a day or two late.

Also, I would love any ideas on fun Enrichment activities! Please share any that you have really enjoyed! It is so nice to have ideas that have already worked! Thanks!

I know it's almost fall when

2009-09-02T21:22:00.000-06:00

the pears are ready to be picked.

I also feel it when the nights are cool but the days are still hot, I start wanting soup more often, and Tyler is gone hunting all the time.

We canned our peaches and early plums this week and I can't wait for the smell of pear butter in my kitchen. Yum!

It's so much work, but worth it. Now for something that's not so much work. A couple weeks ago a friend shared this yummy recipe with me. Cake mix and assorted baking chips have now become some of my essential pantry items. This is one of those things you can whip up really fast at the last min.

Cakemix Cookies

1 box of cake mix

1 c. baking chips, or candies, or nuts, or dried fruit, or oatmeal, or ...

1 egg

1/4 c. oil

1/4 c. water

Mix everything together, drop on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 15 min.

The best part is you can mix and match. My friend used chocolate cake and peanut butter chips and they were so yummy. Last week I tried lemon cake and white chocolate chips. mmmmm There are so many combinations to try.

Another one I love is Italin pasta salad. You know tri-color noodles, italian dressing, tomatoes, olives, capers... I just throw in anything I have that sounds good.

So, I want to hear your quick and easy recipes that you can make in a hurry!

We survived!

2009-08-30T15:09:00.000-06:00

The first week back to school, that is!
The mornings were the hardest. We are night owls at this house.

The first day was tough. The only thing Damon was excited about in the morning was his new "Master Yoda" shirt. He came home happier than when he left so I think that is a good sign.

We had our 2nd annual Back to School Night FHE. Aren't our party hats sweet?

We ate yummy food and Damon was so cute when he wanted to make a toast.

Our goals this year are to be more motivated and no more procrastination. When something needs to be done, just do it! These are in addition to last years theme, Be Your Best!

We're Back!

2009-08-27T08:30:00.001-06:00

Back home.
Back to school.
Back on schedule.
It's good to be back, but we sure had lots of fun.

We are sure going to miss summer.

Goodbye Summer

2009-08-19T21:41:00.000-06:00

We want to make the most of this last week of summer before school starts.

On Monday my parents and Taylor came and we played disc golf.

And, Damon and Grandma climbed this crazy tree.

Yesterday Damon and I went to Raft River.

This family has a bunch of property and they made these big water slides on the hills by their house.

Damon had so much fun. He was up and down these hills the entire time we were there (about 6 hours) except to quickly eat lunch and then catch candy out of the "candy cannon."

They also have this fun zip-line and all kinds of fun summer things. It was a good day, but at a cost. Damon has been in bed all day today, not feeling well. And, what makes it worse is that I think he is just dehydrated after the super long day yesterday. So it's all my fault and I feel so bad. Hopefully he gets feeling better tonight because we are still planning on camping, fishing, 4-wheeling, and boating this week. And, he has a pool party at a friends house tomorrow. We really are trying to make the most of this last week. Hope everyone else is able to enjoy the last of their summers.

Best Fruit Salad Ever!

2009-08-14T23:26:00.000-06:00

While shopping the produce section on a recent trip to the store, Damon saw some strawberries that he wanted, and them some blueberries, and then he said, "Mom can I make a fruit salad?"

I could not wait to get home and see what he would do with the stuff he picked out. He washed all the fruit and cut it up, using some kid friendly kitchen tools. Then he poured yogurt on top, some dried fruit and candied pecans.

It was so yummy! He took his job so seriously and acted so grown up. It was the sweetest thing! He couldn't wait for grandma to get here so he could show it off. He was very proud of his culinary skills.

Thanks to Lindsay for our fun new triffle bowl.

Did we just skip past summer this year?

2009-08-09T15:29:00.000-06:00

We are back home after a week away. We had lots of fun and I have plenty of pictures to share sometime. Right now I wanted to recap our fun Saturday with our little visitor, Devon.

Our city is celebrating it's 60th, and there were lots of activities planned. Too bad it rained for most of them.

That didn't stop us from attending the parade. Tyler will never miss an opportunity for free candy. We did have to fill Devon in on our "Parade Rule." Tyler and I are free to any of the candy, because, let's face it, without us they wouldn't have any. Right?

The boys are having lots of fun together and it is nice that Damon is entertained all day.

After the parade we had to hurry home from some hot, herbal tea. Not something I am used to fixing in August.

After everyone was warm and dry we headed back out. Home Depot had a children's project and Devon and Damon had lots of fun building these birdhouses. I am sure if a Dad would have been helping they would be a little more square, but I did my best and the boys actually did most of the work.

Our last stop was the bouncy house and then it was home for dinner. The kids were worn out and ready when bedtime came. They had one little hiccup on their way to "dreamland" and that was a very interesting conversation about aliens. I was called in a couple of times to clear up a few things (which I couldn't really do, since I am not well versed on the topic) and finally I heard the happy sound of quiet breathing. What a day!

Another summer weekend....

2009-08-02T19:15:00.000-06:00

We had lots of fun this weekend. Yesterday I got to compete in a triathlon with some girls in my ward. It was lots of fun and I am so glad they wanted to do it or I'm sure I wouldn't have.

Here we are post race. Not glamorous, but happy to be done.

I am excited to compete in another one of these. First item of business; get a bike (I was loaned this one which I was so grateful for,) and second I think next year I will actually ride a bike and swim more than once before the actually race.

Then, last night we went to our neighborhood party and had so much fun. I think Damon's favorite part was getting to climb all over this old firetruck. Good Times!
Another fun weekend memory, this morning I woke up to quite a bit of noise in the kitchen. What was it? Damon making us breakfast. He was so excited about having gotten up before me (he told me a few days ago he wanted to sometime, but I wasn't so sure it would happen) and fixed us each a toast. Look at all that butter! Yum! He set a place for each of us with assigned seats. He was so cute about it I couldn't tell him it was fast Sunday. I just ate my breakfast. We'll fast next week.

It's almost over

2009-07-28T20:43:00.000-06:00

and there are still so many things left on our summer "to-do list."

Yesterday we felt summery when we went to the driving range.

And, (not on our summer list, but still fun, I think)...

...today I learned (from Damon) a new use for the left over crust from sandwiches. I thought it was pretty creative.

Copycat!

2009-07-26T23:36:00.000-06:00

Damon has been brushing up on his reading so he will be ready for first grade in a few weeks (can't believe it's almost here.) And, if it's something Damon is doing, Ellie is sure to be right behind him.

We are loving this summer heat, finally!

2009-07-22T19:54:00.000-06:00

Nothing like snowcones after a long, hot day at the pool!

All mixed up.

2009-07-18T15:44:00.000-06:00

Saying good-bye to Ryan this week was so hard, but we are so excited for him, too. And, we got to spend such a fun weekend with him in Bear Lake!

First stop, Ranch Hand for dinner.

There was lots of ping pong and pool. Ryan and Tyler vs. Dad and Uncle Jay was a continuous battle.

GRANDMA'S HAM! There is nothing like it. Her ham is the best ham of all the hams and giant. I have never seen anything like it.

Croquet on the beach. If you haven't tried it you should. It is so fun!

You can make all kinds of traps and obstacles that you just don't get from the average game of croquet in the grass.

Tuesday we went golfing as a farewell to Ryan and a Happy Birthday to Tyler.

(This is what I do.)

We are going to miss Ryan so much. He is one of the funniest/ kindest people I know. But, we are so excited to hear all the stories he brings home from his mission to Guatemala.

07/08/09, 10:11:12

2009-07-07T22:39:00.000-06:00

For a fun game and chance to win take a picture tomorrow at 10:11. For more details click here.