Oh Henry

We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of my nephew Henry. He will be my sister's second little boy and I'm so excited I can hardly stand it. Every time the phone rings I jump up hoping it is her with good news. So while I've been waiting for him to get here I've been working on this....

I think this might be my favorite quilt I've ever done. I did a similar quilt top last year and decided I like the patern enough to try it again. I did a smaller zig-zag but I didn't really plan it out I just mixed the colors as they came.

The boys room is in Bronco's blue and orange, and I just love how these colors turned out.

Hurry Up Baby! We can't wait to meet you!

Career Day

I'm going to be giving a career day presentation in Carly's class tomorrow. I'm sure your all thinking 'What career?' What can I say, they were desperate, actually when I mentioned that I could come and talk to the kids about sewing, her teachers thought that would be really neat. I have lots of visual aids so I think the kids will be pretty interested. I'm going to bring some quilts and some clothes, and lots of my tools. Is it weird that I'm a little nervous to get up in front of 5 year olds?

Butt Dialed

I'm usually the very first number in people's phones and you wouldn't believe how often I get butt dialed. I have a friend who it seems the only time I talk to her is when she accidentally butt dials me. I also get lots of calls about lost phones, they dial me and expect me to know who's phone it is. Today I got call from my 4 year old neighbor. He was playing with one of his parent's phones and since I'm the first number, it dialed me. I tried to tell him to to go give the phone to him mom or dad but he wanted to tell me about going poop on the potty. He was very cute!

Sick and busy

I was starting to feel pretty smug about making it through winter without getting sick. Then last week it finale hit. I tried to deny I was sick for a few days and just kept going, but I finally succumbed Tuesday and spent the day in bed. I had to because I was going to be very very busy the next to days. Wednesday and Thursday we had parent teacher conferences (both girls are doing very well) at the school and if your are the PTA president that means busy. We run a book fair during conferences and we also feed our teachers dinner on Wednesday night and lunch on Thursday after noon. That means almost 2 whole days spent at the school, and I was just the helper on this one. Two other ladies were in charge of those things and spent many more hours than I did pulling it off. It did strike me as a bit ironic last night when the principal came to tell us goodbye as he was leaving and we (the volunteers) stayed for at least another hour cleaning up. The teachers are all so grateful for what we do and it is nice to hear it, and make me feel go to be doing good things with my time.
Now though, my house looks a bit like a bomb went off. Added to the fact that I haven't been home or useful for about a week, out dryer is not drying. I'm hoping Jon can fix it this weekend, but it is at least 15 years old so it might be time for a new one. Ah the timing, we just paid of our RC Willey bill.

Package Pals

My mom found this cute sign and gave it to me for Valentines. Too cute! I love it. I need to find a spot to display it, all year round.


About a month ago one of my Facebook friends posted a link to a blog about package pals. A package pal is just someone you exchange fun packages with just for fun. She asked if any one was interested in being her package pal. Even though we live close to each other we don't see each other very often, but our husband's do because they work together. So we decided to exchange packages through them. Our first exchange is today, and this is what I sent off.

I sent of 3 of these hare things for her 3 little girls.
And this apron.
I'm hoping she likes her stuff and really excited to see what is in my package.

Crush

Sorry for another slightly lame post but I'm sure you will forgive me because it has pictures of beautiful men.

I have a crush. I don't think I have been this obsessed with a celebrity since I was 12 and had a crush on the Newsies boys. My crush is Timothy Olyphant.

Isn't he beautiful? He has been in lots of things but no one ever knows who he is.

I fist saw him in Deadwood, it was an HBO series many years ago, where he played the sheriff of the old west town of Deadwood.

He has been in several movies since then and then last year he started doing a show called Justified. Again he plays a sheriff. It is so good, you should watch it. He has been doing the talk shows to promote his show and a movie he is in and he is just so cute. Half the fun is that my sisters are crushing on him too and we talk about him like he is Justin Beiber or something.

He is also in the movie Catch and Release from a few years ago. It is a good movie, he is very sexy, and has the best last line ever.

But, no one will ever beat the crush I have on this man.
So Sexy. I really love this man.

How often do you eat out?
I try really hard to cook on weekdays, but we usually eat out on Friday and Saturday. This last week though we have been bad. Last Thursday I helped all day at a school fundraiser and when I got home Jon went and got us In and Out. Friday was date night and Saturday we hit Taco Time. Sunday was a family dinner at my Mom's, by the time I got done with 3 Valentine parties on Monday I was exhausted so we went to Red Robin, We got such bad service that they gave us our meal for free. Last night Chick-fillet sponsored PTA night so we ate there. I finally managed to cook dinner tonight. I made meat loaf and it was good, I put cheese in the middle. I have no clue what I am going to make tomorrow. I don't mind cooking I just really hate trying to figure out what to make everyday. My sister in law is so good at planning out the meals for the week, but I'm just not that organized. Jon got me new skillets for Valentines day, romantic I know, but that is what I wanted. Most of our kitchen stuff I got when we got married which means it is now 15 years old. My friend says we should get to have a 'we stayed married for a long time so our stuff is old shower,' So we can get new kitchen stuff.
Now that I've rambled on...... Are your kids picky eaters. And, what is your favorite thing to cook. I need some new ideas. Share your good recipes.

To my friends, who shall remain anonymous. Please, Please keep looking at my blog. I love that some stranger is interested in what I'm sewing up. Your right I didn't go private for that reason, I just wanted to invite every one to post comments. Some times I feel like no one is looking or caring about what is on here. Knowing you are out there checking me out makes me want to post more often and better stuff. In fact feel free to add me to your blog role. Some of my best friends I have made over the Internet. See. Please don't go.

Trying not to procrastinate

I'm a huge procrastinator. I think I just work better under pressure, that and I'm not very organized and things sneak up on me. So every year I think I'm going to do something different and cute for my kids to give as valentines, because I hate the store bought ones. But I never seem to be that on the ball. This year is different I've got a lot going on so of course I feel the need to add to it. I had this great idea for Bri's Valentines.

We've made cards that say 'Straight from the horses mouth' and this picture will go inside.

For my little Carly we are repeating a melted crayon project we did a few years ago and are putting it with a mini coloring book.

We've also got to make a hundred days poster due Friday, Bri has to make a Valentines box, and I am in charge of a craft for Carly's party. I know not that much stuff, I've made a good dent so hopefully we won't be doing it all on Sunday night.

I know lots of people look at my blog, and I love it. But, I'd love to know who you all are. So please, even if I don't know you, say Hi.

Real or Fake

Last week one of my favorite bloggers decided to quit. I'm so very sad about this news as hers was one I really looked forward to reading. Seriously So Blessed, is a blog about a perfect woman living in Utah and raising her twins, she is LDS and her husband is perfect too. She was always telling stories about how wonderful her twins are, and how great her life is and how she feels bad for people who aren't as righteous and wonderful as she is. But it was all fake, but every story she told you could think of someone who really had done or said some of the things she blogged about. I'm not sure why she quit, we all keep hoping it isn't really true, but I will miss her as she was often a reality check for me.



Another blog I love to read is Soul Mama. Her blog is very real and that is why I love it. She is a Author, photographer, craft er, and mom, living in Maine. She and her family recently moved into a 200 year old farm house. The blog documents this family who are not farmers, but are trying their hand at it, as they figure things out, renovate their house, and raise their family. She is a little on the hippy-dippy side for me. She is very 'green' which is great, she makes her own bread, home schools her children, and makes or thrifts most the their clothes. I think these are all great things, but I could not keep up the life she leads. The thing I like about her blog is that you get the feeling that she does these things because this is the way she is, she doesn't think every one should be like her and she rarely comes across as preachy. You can tell she enjoys life and her children and husband, but she doesn't feel the need to gush about it and tell every one how lucky and how blessed she is every post.



There was recently an article on Salon.com written by a feminist atheist, who talked about how she is addicted to reading Mormon Mommy blogs. She says she likes to read about how their lives are simple and they are all so happy. I thought it was interesting because I read so many blogs that make me think 'these people are trying way too hard to 'look' perfect'. My life is pretty good, and since I have never been much of a scrapbook er, this is a great way to document our lives, but I try hard not to come off as sounding like everyone should be just like me, or that I think I am the worlds best mother. The past few years I have tried hard to be real, I feel like I spent a lot of years trying to please every one and to have people like me and I didn't like that person. I've been trying to be 'authentic' this past year and have made some big changes. I needed to be true to myself, and I'm starting to like me better now too. I hope you will all like the real me better too.

Aquarium

We had an extra long weekend so we decided to go to the aquarium.
Daddy came with us this time.

It was a very fun afternoon.

A project

I decided that the cure to my winter blues was to find a project. I mentioned it to Jon and he agreed. The only problem is that post-Christmas, funds are a little low. So we decided to update our down stairs bathroom. It has been several years since we did this bathroom, and it really needed a paint job and a new look.

Here is the before picture.I really liked how I had it done up

And this is the new and improved bathroom. We did paint it though you can't really tell from the pictures. It was white before and we had some paint left from when we painted our house a few years ago, but decided we didn't like the color. It's a nice taupe now, much warmer.

I changed the butterfly babies for pictures of wildflowers that I've taken over the years on our trips. I'm really happy about how it turned out.

January Blues

We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to look through the rooms of our lives.....not looking for flaws, but for potential.~Ellen Goodman

A friend of mine recently posted this on her Facebook status. And I have been giving it a lot of thought. I really hate January. No matter how prepared I am for the post-Christmas let down, January still leaves me feeling down in the dumps. For a month we are bombarded with exercise and diet commercials, and organization tips. Try as I might, I will never be skinny and my house will always be messy. I don't always make resolutions, but one year I did make the resolution to 'Listen more.' It was one I actually kept and I learned a lot that year. I've been trying to decide if I should try one this year and after reading my friend's post, I think I will.

So I have decided to try to be more social. I'm sure anyone who knows me just laughed at reading this, thinking that I already am a social person, and that is true, sort of. I do love a good chat and am happy to have my sister and my good friend Jill to indulge me in these chats, but when it comes to going out or having people over, we are kind of hermits. I love nothing more than to spend my weekends curled up on the couch in jammies with my honey, so we really don't go out much and we rarely go out with other couples. Twice last year we were invited to dinner at friends houses, and went but never returned the favor. And just recently a friend invited us to a get together with some people I'd love to meet, but when she told us it was a bit of a drive I immediately thought I don't want to drive that far. So my resolution is to get out more. I have the potential to make new friends and hopefully become closer to friends I already have.

Playlist

I am probably way behind the times here, but I have just made an amazing discovery. Pandora Radio. Really it is amazing. For those of you even farther behind than me, it's an internet radio station where you enter in what music or artist you like and then they play music from that person and other music similar to it. Brilliant! Since making this amazing discovery I almost (almost) look forward to doing the dishes. It's great. So far I love my Glee station, but when I get sick of show tunes and Journey, then I switch it to my James Taylor station, who knew I was such a fan of 70's classic rock.
And.........
On the subject of music. In my family we like to make each other mixed Cd's. My sister was telling me about a mix Cd's she recently got and it was so depressing. This got me thinking about what my 2010 mix would be. My taste in music runs a few years behind and tends to include tiny bopper music, as I am forced to listen to Radio Disney, but here are some songs that I have liked this year.

Hey Soul Sister, Train (I know, Please don't hate me)
Lucky, Jason Mraz, Colbie Caillat
Fire Flies, Owl City
Smiling Face, James Taylor
Losing My Religion, REM
My Life, Billy Joel
Defying Gravity, Wicked
Seasons of Love, Rent
I Could Not Ask For More, Sara Evans
Love Story, Taylor Swift (Remember I have an 8 year old daughter)

So what would your 2010 playlist be? Really? I want to know!

New Years

The best part about this time of year, is spending so much time with our family. This past week we have gotten to do some fun things, the best by far was bowling.


This was the first time we've ever taken the kids bowling. We play Wii bowling all the time so it was fun to go see the kids bowl in real life.

My brother is such a cute daddy and Jack is such cute little boy.

Carly tied to bowl the right way a few times but eventually would just sit down and give the ball a good push.

Bri was actually pretty good.

Friday night we all got together for New Years. Grandma had made all the kids sweaters for Christmas but hadn't quite finished them in time so the kids got them for new years.

Then the mom's and dad's left and the kids and grandma slept over.

We did a count down early but the kids all stayed up till midnight anyway. We had a very happy new year and we hope you do to.

Before....................

After...............

Christmas

We started our Christmas fun on Christmas Eve. We made cookies in the afternoon. Then we headed to my brother's house for the real fun. We ate lots of good food. Then we let the kids get in the hot tub for a few minutes.

They had so much fun!

After they dried of we frosted cookies for Santa.

Then presents!

They both got pillow pets, and couldn't be happier. When we got home, we got to open up one gift, Jammie's, of course. Then set out the milk and cookies and carrots of course.

The girls were spoiled as usual.

They both loved their guitars, Bri is a budding Taylor Swift.

Carly loves her kitty. We also got a telescope.

More gifts.

Next we were of to Jon's parent's house for Swedish pancakes and for presents.

We gave their cousin Courtney a bag of dress up clothes, which she loved.

Putting on make up. Then we headed up for so much needed napping.

We had a great Christmas! I hope you all did too!

Nutcracker

Once again we were able to go to the Nutcracker. This time daddy came with us, his first time at the ballet. I think he even enjoyed himself. He bought the girls their own nutcrackers. I love this new tradition we have started.

Santa!

One of the best parts of the holidays is spending so much time with family. We love our cousins!

They are so silly!

Every year Santa comes to our family party. Carly couldn't think of what she wanted.

Brianna asked for a telescope. Last year she asked for a microscope.

All the cousins. and Santa.

Why I have the best sister in the world

I have the best sister in the world, and here is why.
http://sewperfectgifts.blogspot.com/2010/12/best-gift-ever.html

My little singer

Brianna sings in the school choir and they had their concert last night. They were all so cute and did a really good job. There is just something so beautiful about children singing. Even if they aren't perfect they sound like little angels.

She really enjoys singing.
I really enjoyed watching and hearing her.