Sheri

Our house...

2010-10-10T14:45:00.000-07:00

Many of you have been waiting to see pics of our new place.
Go here to see a few.
Enjoy.

P.S. I have a couple projects in the works right now, so I'll get back into the blogging groove soon.
Life is so busy.

Dad Life

2010-09-22T09:55:00.000-07:00

Love this.

Rambling...because I can.

2010-09-16T11:26:00.000-07:00

Moving is hard. This move was the hardest.

Here are some reasons (in no particular order)...

~We now have 3 kids and with each kid your amount of "stuff" increases exponentially.
~More stuff = more boxes = super full truck to the point we had to leave a few things behind.
~We were given two weeks to move, and there just wasn't time to downsize that "stuff" as much as I normally would have.
~We own much more actual furniture than we did before (biggest factor leading to the super full truck) and you can't get rid of furniture because you'll need it in the next house!
~I finally had a good system going...good friends, one kid in school all day, awesome church calling, family close by, husband in school doing well, settling into our place for 2 more years, etc.

Simply put, I plan. I like to plan, and when things don't go according to plan I sorta freak out.

Don't get me wrong. This move is exactly what we'd been hoping for, it was just shocking how sudden it happened and I think I'm only now realizing it and mourning the good things that I am leaving behind. I know there are more good things to come...on to new adventures, right?

On a brighter note, I love this house. Love it.
I think I would buy it if we were planning on being here more than a couple years.
I can send the kids to the backyard to play, and I don't have to have my eye on them the entire time.
On rainy days I can send them to the big basement play room.
They actually play down there and I can barely hear them. Amazing.
When I'm doing my homework I can go down to the office, close the door, and I'm in my own little sanctuary.
I like to sit in the kitchen, open the windows and listen to the birds.
I watch the squirrels and chipmunks running around in our yard.
It is peaceful and comfortable....and as soon as I get the boxes of stuff unpacked, it will feel like home.

Kansas? Really? Okay.

2010-08-31T08:05:00.000-07:00

My husband landed a good job in Kansas City.

He wasn't even looking for a job...ya know...since he was in law school and all.

We thought we'd be here for at least two more years.

Some opportunities just can't be passed up.

We're moving there in less than two weeks.

I can't wait.

We found a super cute updated older home.

My kids will have a fenced in yard to run around in.

I'll have a huge laundry room!

We'll be 3 miles from our church.

We'll be close to friends.

Most importantly...

(okay, not really, but ya know...importantly)

I'll have room for a good craft/sewing area!!!

How awesome is that?!?!

Life is great.

Trust in the Lord.

He knows us, and what is best for us.

Let Him guide your life.

I am so blessed.

no school, yummy veggies, and crafting.

2010-08-08T12:22:00.000-07:00

Well I finished my semester of classes.

Two A's.

Not too shabby for an old woman, eh?

I'm super glad accounting is over.

On to cute things...

I am almost done with my afghan.

I think I love it. Just a few imperfections to fix.

Still have to add the border.

We're using it regardless of its incompleteness.

A friend showed me how to make hair bows.

No pictures yet. Soon.

My daughters now have a small collection...

which is quickly expanding.

I'm too old for bows.

My solution? Flowers.

Found this video tutorial on Youtube.

I love.

(ignore the messy hair. I should have taken this picture before I left the house.)

My sister says flowers in hair are for little girls too.

I think that she doesn't know what she's talking about.

What do you think?

I hope to make more cute things before classes start again.

Stay tuned.

P.S. I love having a garden.

Tomato, cheese and cucumber sandwiches are the best.

(those are lemon cucumbers f.y.i. -they are supposed to look like that...I think)

Games=Art

2010-06-30T14:42:00.000-07:00

I love games.

Anyone that knows me knows that I love them.

I'll play any game, any time.

Check this out. Art and storage in one!

This creative gal is my new hero.

I plan to copy her someday.

Gardening

2010-06-10T06:13:00.000-07:00

We planted a garden this year.

Each morning I wake up and simply cannot wait to go check on it.

The day to day changes are small, but noticeable.

We have a very small, less than perfect, garden plot next to the house.

It will have to do. I still love it. I even love weeding it.

Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Watermelon and Zucchini.

This picture was taken about a week ago...it has already grown so much since then.

I'll share more pictures later...

...and if you are close by, we'll probably have a few tomatoes to share!

My new bag. =)

2010-05-24T09:04:00.000-07:00

I posted awhile ago about a messenger bag I wanted to make...

Well, I finally spent a Sunday afternoon sewing.

Here is what I came up with for the bag...

(thanks to my awesome neighbor for the fabric!!! I love the elephants.)

It is reversible, though I like the satin-y fabric on the inside, so I don't switch it often.

Soon after I saw that bag tutorial I found this

Gathered clutch tutorial.

I love it too.

My attempt wasn't completely perfect,

but it will do.

Since school started I haven't had much time to sew,

but I am pleased with these for now.

I've been working on a crocheted bag as well.

Pictures to come soon.

I've also been doing some yard work.

I'll share pictures of our small garden after the plants grow a little.

Tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, and watermelon.

Hopefully something will survive.

Oh, and a couple pots of flowers...

Motivation

2010-05-24T08:25:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while I get into a rut.

I lose my motivation. My house gets messy.

My kids watch too much TV.

I'm sure a lot of parents can relate.

I found this article today.

It is written for moms, like myself.

Motivation at Home

I love it. Especially #1, #3 and #8.

Just a simple reminder.

Stay motivated!

5K recap

2010-04-22T15:09:00.000-07:00

I decided I should blog about the 5K.

Mostly just so that I will have recorded it somewhere.

(I am getting old and forgetful after all.)

The night before Eric's parents stayed at our house so that we could all get up early the next morning and head over to the race location and they could watch the kids/cheer during the run. The route started at the law school building. While waiting for the race to start we chatted with Eric's friends and our photographer (Eric's dad) got some great pre-race shots.

After a little while the race began...

Now let me state, just for the record, that the route description said "The course is mostly flat, with a few gradual inclines—perfect for beginners and seasoned runners alike." After reading this I figured I would be fine because that is the description of my training route so I should have been able to handle it. Well, let me tell you, it was ALL A LIE! The course was mostly hills with very few short flat sections!!!

About half way I was getting discouraged because my legs were burning from all the hills and I had a huge pain in my side. Eric kept me going. He listened to all my whining and complaining, grabbed a water for me so I wouldn't slow down (trust me, I was already going S-L-O-W) and kept reminding me that I could do it.

He also kept telling me that this "has to be the last hill because we are pretty much at the top of campus" at least 3-4 times, but I've forgiven him.

We finally got to the last little stretch and I decided to run as hard as I could to the finish.

Not sure how fast I was really going. It felt like I was sprinting, though I'm sure I wasn't, but I passed a few people and finally crossed the finish line. 37:17. Slow, but steady.

At this point you would think I would be happy....well, I was, except for the fact that the "sprinting" at the very end pushed my lungs to the limit and I could barely breathe. It took a few minutes to gain control of my breathing. Eric's dad was taking pictures and managed to get a good shot of me at this point.

When I see this picture one word comes to mind. PAIN!

This 5K was a great experience.

I learned that I can do anything I put my mind to.

I learned that I should probably train a little better next time.

I learned that the physical pain is temporary,

but the sense of accomplishment lasts.

Time to sign up for another one...

School: week 1

2010-04-22T14:21:00.000-07:00

Well, I've officially started classes. I'm taking Child Development and Survey of Accounting.

I dropped Econ. 9 credits was just too much for a mom of three with a household to run and a husband that is about to start studying for law school finals.

It does feel good to use my brain again and to feel challenged. My writing needs a little work, but I'll get there.

Six years of not writing tends to make one a little rusty.

I love school. I love learning. I'm quite happy.

Oh, guess I should mention that Accounting assignments haven't really started yet...

Maybe I should have waited before blogging about loving school.

Accounting scares me.

TO BE CONTINUED...

my addiction

2010-04-21T14:28:00.000-07:00

My name is Sheri and I have a problem...

I have a major addiction to craft/sewing/quilting blogs.

Seriously, I need help.

Thank you Google Reader for facilitating my addiction.

Anyway, I found a new blog today.

She has a cool tutorial for a super easy reversible bag pattern.

Nothing super special, but with the right fabrics could be totally cute, right?

I want!

She also has a fun tissue case tutorial for those of us suffering during this allergy season.

I suffer.

I definitely need to find time to make these.

Do you have a favorite crafty blog you read?

If so, please share!

feeling okay

2010-04-14T05:38:00.000-07:00

So, I'm no longer reading the Wicked series. Holy smokes does it have a lot of inappropriate stuff in it. I had no idea.

5K is this Saturday. 2.5 miles was pretty hard on Monday, so we'll see how the race goes. Good news is that it should be a little cooler that morning.

FYI - Allergies suck.

I can fly!

2010-04-09T15:06:00.000-07:00

Okay, not really.

BUT...

There are times in life where things seem to go so slowly.

Now is not one of those times.

Life is flying by!

It is APRIL!

How did that happen?

Guess I blinked.

I have a bunch of things happening...

My kids are growing up.

P is learning to read.

W is learning to rebel.

M is learning to eat solids.

I am the Laurel advisor at church now.

I work with the 16-18 year old girls.

I love it. The girls are great.

My BYU-I classes start in less than two weeks.

Accounting, Economics and Child Development.

Should keep me busy.

I'm a little scared too.

I've been a major book worm lately.

My favorites recently are

I like reading books in a series.

Next on my list to tackle are these.

I have read others too, find me on Goodreads!

I like to find new crafts here...

Down time in the evenings lately

means we watch one of these two shows.

We've also been spending lots of time outside, the kids and I.

Running, riding bikes, playing.

Sunny days, cloudy days, rainy days.

I love springtime.

Not to mention the fact that my spring cleaning is done.

Thank you mom for coming to visit.

It forced me to actually DO spring cleaning.

Running. I've been running.

I signed up for a 5K when I could only run a mile.

I made it to 3 miles this past week. Twice.

THANK YOU, ERIC!

He ran alongside me and kept me going.

Guess that means I'll be able to finish my 5K.

That makes me incredibly happy.

The only thing I haven't been doing is creating.

Sewing, crocheting, crafting. Oh, how I miss thee.

A woman can only do so much at once. Right?

March is here!

2010-03-01T08:29:00.000-08:00

Every year I leap for joy when March arrives.

The funny thing is, I don't really know why.

Perhaps it is because it brings promise that the weather will warm up soon.

We'll start seeing green again. Flowers will start to bloom.

The sun will come out to play.

Quite possibly it is because it is my birthday month.

Either way, today is March 1st.

I am happy.

The fact that I fit into pants this morning that were too tight a month ago is just gravy. =)

My new toy...

2010-02-22T20:12:00.000-08:00

I can't tell you how excited I am to have this in my home.

Time to get healthy!

Back to school...

2010-02-22T15:48:00.000-08:00

Did you know BYU-Idaho offers an online bachelor's degree?

I have officially started my first class.

I am extremely excited that I get to start now.

I thought it would take years longer.

Life will be busy.

My brain will finally get some real exercise!

Business and Communications.

Yipee!

Who do you think you are?

2010-02-12T08:38:00.000-08:00

NBC has a new show that I think is a GREAT idea.

I love genealogy.

I hope this show inspires more people to look into the lives of their ancestors.

It is exciting and eye-opening.

So many things...

2010-02-08T09:39:00.000-08:00

Well, I had a long break from blogging.

It wasn't intentional.

I have missed it.

I'm back.

Things will be a little different.

I will keep things short and simple.

Life is busier, leaving me less time to create.

I will share fun things I find.

I will share cool things I make.

I will share things I'm learning.

There won't be daily posts.

Maybe weekly.

Maybe.

So here's what I have made recently...

This was supposed to be done by Christmas 2009.
It wasn't.

However, our tree will have a skirt for Christmas 2010.

We have a couple superheroes hangin' around our house now...

I was amazed at how simple these capes were

and how much fun they bring.

My new toy

(the white one in the background)

I love my mixer.

I've named her Estelle.

Inspiration

2010-02-08T09:27:00.000-08:00

One of my life goals is to be able to make cookies like Marian on Sweetopia....

Do you have the same goal now? If so, here are her Top 10 Tips!

Someday

2010-02-08T09:18:00.000-08:00

Someday, when I am skinny again (it really does get harder to lose the weight after each pregnancy...) AND rich, I hope to buy this dress. Or one like it. I love it. LOVE it.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/emilyryan This girl has talent.

Halloween is almost here!

2009-10-22T11:51:00.000-07:00

I love Halloween!

This year will be a little less stellar for me. Since I have a newborn baby just a few weeks old, and people all around with H1N1 flu, I won't be venturing out to any parties.

In an effort to have a little bit of Halloween fun, I spent the morning making

and decorating sugar cookies.

I didn't get super detailed with them, but the kids and I had a lot of fun.

She's here!

2009-10-08T08:37:00.000-07:00

Our little baby Marie has arrived! I blame the pregnancy for my lack of blogging. It's not that I had nothing to blog about, just that I never felt like sitting down and typing it all out. Oddly, now that I am more busy, that is all I feel like doing.

Here are a few projects I was working on while awaiting the arrival of our precious little girl...

new girly boppy cover..

tag blankets, burp cloth and washcloths...

Matching winter hats for baby and big sister...

of course, big brother needs a hat too!

I still have a few things I have been working on that I will share later. We'll see how much I can get done now that I have three little ones to entertain and feed. My project to-do list gets bigger by the day. Especially with Halloween coming this month! Costume creation is in full swing.

Quilt for baby #3

2009-07-20T20:49:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it took me awhile to finish this, but I am quite pleased with the result. Trying to decide how to quilt it is what took me the longest. I always worry that I will ruin a perfectly good quilt with the quilting design. I like how this turned out though, so no complaints. Hope you like it too!

Can I just mention how much I like making quilts? There is something about creating it and all the work it takes to put it together that I just love. I wish I had time to do more and explore different techniques. Maybe someday in the future I guess, but for now, these baby quilts will suffice.

Keeping busy...

2009-06-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

Alrighty. I've finally been putting my new sewing room to work. I have a couple projects that I have started for the baby (due at the end of Sept.) I'm really hoping that the ultrasound tech was right about it being a girl, because I really don't want to give this quilt away. Anyway, here is a preview...it's not quite finished, so you just get a small feel for it right now, I'll post completed pictures later.

I've also been crocheting a blanket that is gender neutral, just in case. Again, it's not finished yet, I still have about a third of the length to crochet, then a super cute border, so another update is in the future.

My other recent projects are a little more simple, yet fun too. I've been using my new Adobe computer software and just trying to get introduced to the different ways that Illustrator works. I haven't done a whole lot, but here are a couple of images from what I have done.

This is a little sign I made for the kids' bedroom door. I was basically messing around and trying to figure out all the ins and outs of freehand drawing in Illustrator. I had a lot of fun with it and loved that it didn't take me much time at all!

This is the fathers day gift that "the kids" gave to Eric. Obviously, it was more a gift that I created since the kids are still a little too young to comprehend the whole holiday thing. It didn't turn out exactly as I hoped, and I ran out of time, but for the most part I really loved what I was able to do. They printed with full bleeds which made them look really great after they were all cut out and the coupon book was assembled.

So, as you can see, I've been keeping the creative side of my brain busy. It has been fun and I've been learning a lot..

my Adobe

2009-06-12T09:21:00.000-07:00

Another super exciting event in my life...

I now have the Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design Premium package!!! That means updated versions of Photoshop and Illustrator, plus tons more! I can't wait to get using them, though it might take awhile to figure it all out on my own. I hope to create some pretty awesome things. I'll be sure to share!

Free Time

2009-06-12T09:02:00.000-07:00

I've been finding it really hard to get free time lately. Fortunately, I finished unpacking the final room in our new place yesterday, so I have a little more free time now. Must blog.

Random thoughts of the last month or so...

Two days before we were supposed to move to Missouri I ended up getting appendicitis and having my appendix removed. Surgery sucks. I hated it. I don't recommend it, especially while pregnant. My husband moved all our stuff anyway, then flew back here to pick the kids and me up and drive us back out to MO. He did a lot of driving, but thankfully it all turned out okay.

Life with a dishwasher, air conditioning, washer and dryer, and garage is incredibly different than life without all those things. I am getting quite used to having them, and love it.

I've discovered that I hate moving. It used to be so easy before having a couple kids and house full of actual furniture, but now that we do, it is a lot harder than it used to be. Cross your fingers that we will be able to stay in this house until graduation 3 years from now.

Columbia, MO is an awesome place. They have the most fantastic library that has a HUGE kid friendly area. The librarians are all super nice and encouraging to the kids. They also have an impressive collection of all kinds of books. Columbia also has a very cool free park with a huge water fountain area for the kids to run around in, and a great lake with a beach swimming area. We have already spent a couple afternoons there and plan on many, many more.

I'm sure there are other great things about Columbia that I will share in the future, but suffice it to say, I am quite happy here.

I saved the best for last...
We have the kids sharing a room, so there is a spare bedroom, right? Yes. That means I get my own SEWING ROOM!!! I set it all up yesterday and can't wait to get in there and work on some projects. I am seriously in love with this room. Initially, Eric and I were going to share it as a craft room/office, but since our bedroom is gigantic, we are just going to put his desk and stuff in there and I get my own room. Seriously. This is the life.

Blah...

2009-04-30T20:36:00.000-07:00

So I still haven't been up to much lately. Just taking care of the kiddos and trying to figure out our plans for the near future. We are moving to MO at the end of May. Eric found a nice duplex for us to rent, so I'm looking forward to the move and increase in living space....not to mention actually having a dishwasher, washer and dryer, and AIR CONDITIONING! All of which our current apartment does not have. I'll definitely miss the friends that we have made here, but I'm excited about the future.

Mostly I just spend time outside with the kids, or inside decluttering, cleaning, etc. Not much more to update you on. So, just for fun and because I hate posting without pictures, here is a fairly recent pic of my growing stomach. This was taken at about 16 weeks...I'll be 19 weeks along on Saturday.

I'm Alive

2009-04-08T10:32:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it has been a really long time since I have posted anything. The reason...I'm pregnant and have been miserably sick...mostly just morning sickness, which for some reason is much harder on me than most people I know. I didn't have enough energy to keep up with the kids and everything else that I HAVE to do, so blogging definitely didn't make the cut for a few months. The good news is that I am finally feeling mostly better and am able to get more done. The past few days I've been working on getting my house cleaned up a little. I deep cleaned the kitchen, decluttered the kids room, etc. It is amazing how quickly things accumulate in such a short time.

Anyway, I'm about 16 weeks pregnant now...so in about a month I should be finding out the gender of our baby. I can't wait! Finding out will give me an awesome reason to go garage-saling...I love garage sales.

In other news...
We have finally come to a final decision for our near future. We will be moving to Columbia, Missouri at the end of May so that Eric can begin law school! I'm excited to return to the midwest, though I will miss the beautiful mountains!

We bought a new minivan!!!! I'm very excited about this! Eric did an awesome job negotiating and we got a great deal...I seriously love it.

Well, I'll try to keep up better from now on. I'm off now to scrub down the bathroom...wahoo.

What I've been working on...

2009-01-21T09:52:00.001-08:00

Lately I've been noticing a lot of hype about cute aprons. I decided instead of buying one for my sister's bridal gift that I would try to make one. I used part of a dress pattern and simply made up the rest, but I love how it turned out. I felt like the apron wasn't enough, so I also made her some hot pads and dish towels to match. It was a lot of sewing, but definitely worth it, they turned out so cute! Now I just need to find the time and energy to make some for MY kitchen!

I am...

2009-01-14T09:26:00.000-08:00

I was tagged.

i am: happy
i think: that I should be doing something besides computer stuff.
i know: that I am loved.
i want: more energy.
i dislike: the job hunt.
i miss: friends that live far away.
i fear: losing a member of my family.
i feel: a little cold...I need socks.
i hear: the kids playing and the sounds of Night at the Museum, their new favorite movie.
i smell: my scented candle with the scent called Coffee Tree...it's yummy.
i crave: chocolate rice pudding.
i cry: when I'm really mad.
i usually: check my email like every hour.
i search: for fun crafts to make. I like making things.
i wonder: what our kids will be like when they are older.
i regret: not running when I was younger, it'd sure make it easier now.
i love: my family and friends.
i care: for my family and hope I'm being a good mother.
i always: want to have something to do.
i worry: about everything...I'm a worrier. Mostly about peoples' safety.
i am not: against my kids watching TV.
i remember: good times I had with my friends...I had the greatest friends.
i believe: that God loves each of us and wants us to reach our full potential as His children.
i dance: with the kids to funny songs.
i sing: in the shower, in the car, pretty much anywhere as long as there is music...and in a choir.
i don’t always: clean my house as I should.
i argue: when I don't agree. =)
i write: mostly just on my blog, but sometimes in a journal or letter.
i win: at least half the time when I play games against Eric.
i lose: fewer games than I win.
i wish: I felt better lately.
i listen: to music, kids, husband, and friends...I do a lot of listening.
i don’t understand: how people knit...it's not easy!
i can usually be found: at home with the kids.
i am afraid: I'm a bad mother.
i need: time to myself.
i forget: to return phone calls.
i am happy: with my life, the people in it, and the choices that I've made.

I now tag: Cynthia, Talena, Leah, Ginni, Lauren, Andrea.

A thought for the moms in our world...

2009-01-11T13:36:00.000-08:00

This was forwarded to me in an email. I rarely forward these emails, but I did like the message of this, so I decided to post it on here. I hope you like it too. --Sheri

Invisible Women~

"It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store.

Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?'

Obviously, not.

No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all.

I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated sum a cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going; she's going; she is gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England ...Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.'

It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe ..

I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription:

'To My Dear Friend, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:

No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.

These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.

They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.

The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman replied, 'Because God sees'

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place.

It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.'

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life.

It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.

I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'you're going to love it there.'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right.

And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Hopes for a new year.

2009-01-03T22:52:00.000-08:00

It has been far too long since I have posted on here. I am such a slacker. Well, life has been busy lately with traveling and the holidays. We spend Christmas in California with Eric's grandparents and other extended family. We had a party here with friends on New Years.

Other news...in early Dec. I was released from my church calling as Relief Society President. It was a really great calling and I loved learning more about the way things function in the church and getting to know all the amazing women that are in our ward boundaries. They have taught me so much and have become great friends.

So, it's the beginning of a new year which always brings about thoughts of goals and resolutions for the upcoming year. Here are a few things I hope to see happen this year....

1. Eric landing a great job for after graduation in April.
2. Buying a house of our very own, or at least finding a good place to live (you know, one with a dishwasher, a/c, washer and dryer, etc.)
3. Improving my photography skills.
4. Catching up on at least one digital scrapbook project.
5. Running a 5K.
6. Succeeding at home preschool for Paige - teaching her to read.
7. Starting some sort of college coursework to further my education.
8. Overall better appreciation of my blessings as a mother.
9. Learning more cooking skills and actually using them!
10. Starting a weekly personal/family journal.

Seattle

2008-12-16T10:15:00.000-08:00

Last weekend Eric had a final job interview in Seattle, WA with Amazon.com and they flew both of us out there! It's a great city.

There is a part of the Seattle area called Fremont. It is quite the town, full of interesting people and other things...well, someone there decided to put up the statue of Lenin right smack in the center of town. Interesting. Read more about it here. Here's the picture we took, Christmas light necklace and all.
This is a picture of an apartment building, also in the Fremont area.

Fremont yet again, as I said it is an interesting place. This is a huge troll sculpture underneath one of the huge bridges. We were driving by too fast to get a picture and couldn't stop because our bus was on that road illegally anyway, but you get the idea.

Eric and I also went to the Pike Place Fish Market. Unfortunately, we weren't there early enough to see them putting out all the fish, yelling, singing and throwing fish, but it was pretty cool regardless. They sure do like to yell though.

This fish (I can't remember the name unfortunately) is quite ugly, don't you think? EVERYONE was taking pictures of it since it was just hanging off the display counter. However, when someone was bending down close to it to get a picture, the guy behind the counter made it jump by pulling a rope that was connected to its tail...needless to say, most people jumped. Hilarity.

I think these were my favorite fish of all that I saw there.

Other than taking pictures of weird things, we had a really good time. We stayed in the W Hotel downtown. It was very nice and had the best bedding ever, which included a pillow menu...that's right, a pillow menu. I slept very well. We went on a driving tour of Seattle and saw a bunch of different areas. We ate at really good restaurants and if you are ever in the area I highly recommend Purple, but most important of all, DO NOT miss Tulio. Tulio was absolutely amazing! Get the sweet potato gnocchi. Trust me. Also, the warm chocolate pudding cake dessert...to die for.

Sadly, Eric didn't get the job offer with Amazon, so we're still on the hunt. However, it'll always be very cool that we got to go to Seattle together without the kids, and on someone else's tab.

Twilight Movie

2008-12-10T16:04:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I know this happened awhile ago, but I just recently got the pictures from that night. I went to the midnight showing of Twilight with my friends Linda, Amber (who flew in from TX!), and Talena (my sis-in-law). Of course we all had to have Twilight t-shirts to make the night complete. Also, P.F. Changs. Talena and I went and sat in line while Amber and Linda got the food. We then sat there eating for awhile in the freezing cold. They let us into the theater a couple hours before the show even started, so we sat in there playing with our cell phones and being completely obnoxious, yet having a blast. Here are the pictures...

At Linda's house just before leaving.

Waiting outside the theater.

Eating P.F. Chang's while waiting outside the theater. Delicious.

Waiting inside the theater.

All in all it was a great night, thanks ladies!!!

P.S. The movie was pretty good. I have a few issues with it, but overall it was good.

Have You or Have You Not?

2008-12-09T09:00:00.000-08:00

I have done the things in red.

1. Started your own blog 2. Slept under the stars 3. Played in a band 4. Visited Hawaii 5. Watched a meteor shower 6. Given more than you can afford to charity 7. Been to Disneyland 8. Climbed a mountain 9. Held a praying mantis 10. Sang a solo 11. Bungee jumped 12. Visited Paris 13. Watched a lightning storm at sea 14. Taught yourself an art from scratch 15. Adopted a child 16. Had food poisoning 17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty. 18. Grown your own vegetables 19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France 20. Slept on an overnight train 21. Had a pillow fight 22. Hitch hiked 23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill 24. Built a snow fort 25. Held a lamb 26. Gone skinny dipping 27. Run a Marathon 28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice 29. Seen a total eclipse 30. Watched a sunrise or sunset 31. Hit a home run . 32. Been on a cruise 33. Seen Niagara Falls in person 34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors 35. Seen an Amish community 36. Taught yourself a new language 37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied 38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person 39. Gone rock climbing 40. Seen Michelangelo’s David 41. Sung karaoke 42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt 43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant 44. Visited Africa 45. Walked on a beach by moonlight 46. Been transported in an ambulance 47. Had your portrait painted 48. Gone deep sea fishing 49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person 50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris 51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling 52. Kissed in the rain 53. Played in the mud 54. Gone to a drive-in theater 55. Been in a movie or on a TV show 56. Visited the Great Wall of China 57. Started a business 58. Taken a martial arts class 59. Visited Russia 60. Served at a soup kitchen 61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies 62. Gone whale watching 63. Got flowers for no reason 64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma 65. Gone sky diving 66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp 67. Bounced a check 68. Flown in a helicopter 69. Saved a favorite childhood toy 70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial 71. Eaten Caviar 72. Pieced a quilt 73. Stood in Times Square 74. Toured the Everglades 75. Been fired from a job 76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London 77. Broken a bone 78. Been on a speeding motorcycle 79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person 80. Published a book 81. Visited the Vatican 82. Bought a brand new car 83. Walked in Jerusalem 84. Had your picture in the newspaper 85. Read the entire Bible 86. Visited the White House 87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating 88. Had chickenpox 89. Saved someone’s life 90. Sat on a jury 91. Met someone famous 92. Joined a book club 93. Lost a loved one 94. Had a baby 95. Seen the Alamo in person 96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake 97. Been involved in a law suit 98. Owned a cell phone 99. Been stung by a bee

Only 32 out of 99...I guess I still have a lot of living to do.

The Christmas Sweater

2008-12-09T08:15:00.000-08:00

We went to Glenn Beck's Christmas Tour on Saturday with some friends, and it was great. It wasn't quite what I was expecting, but the message was really good and the performance was done well. It was basically a one-man performance based on the fictional story that Glenn wrote in The Christmas Sweater. Okay, so I still haven't read the book. I'll get to it as soon as I can get a copy of it in my hands.

The awesome friends we went with...they are great!

Glenn...we didn't have good seats like our friends, so the pictures didn't turn out so great. Nevertheless, I was there and it was awesome.

I love him, he loves me.

2008-12-02T09:09:00.000-08:00

This is, by far, my favorite picture of the two of us. I most definitely have the greatest husband in the world.

Am I getting old or what?

2008-11-18T11:51:00.000-08:00

Okay, so our last vacation was in August, so it really hasn't been that long. I am, however, in great need of a vacation. Fortunately, we are leaving on Friday and heading to Missouri to spend time with Eric's family. I can't wait! His brother is getting married this Saturday, then the following week we'll be heading down to the Lake of the Ozarks for a few days, including Thanksgiving. We always have a delicious feast at a resort there. It is a really fun family tradition. Fantastic food, and a dessert table to die for. Really. We'll be there just over a week and it is going to be great. Be ready for an update in about two weeks!

On another note...I'm finally learning to knit! My awesome neighbor gave me a good start. I just need more time to actually work on it. To me, it's a lot harder than crochet, but I think with a little practice I could really enjoy it. Wish me luck! I'll post pictures as soon as I finish something (it might be awhile.)

Confessions...

2008-11-11T15:53:00.000-08:00

Warning: This may be boring and will probably show you just how unbalanced I am, but I needed to write it down. It is therapeutic. =)

1. Being a mom is HARD!

-- I remember as a teenager I told my mom that I never wanted to have kids. I remember looking at her and thinking how much being a mom wore her out. She always seemed so overwhelmed and frustrated, and that was the last thing I wanted to be. It wasn't until I got a little older and learned more about life that I realized I did want to have kids. I remember promising myself that I would never get overwhelmed. I'd figure out the best way to do things and go from there.
Now? I realize that being a mom really is hard. It's definitely worth it, but it can be so hard. After bringing Paige home from the hospital I felt this weight on my shoulders that I couldn't figure out. I constantly felt scared that I would mess up now that I was responsible for her. Whenever Eric was gone to work or just away, I feared that I would do something wrong and that something bad would happen, and it would be completely my fault. That feeling has never really gone away, though I've gotten used to it and deal with it much better. There are days when it seems like everything is out of whack. When the kids constantly fight or make messes and I can't seem to accomplish anything. The days where I have to stop myself from repeatedly yelling at them or losing my temper. Even on the good days it is hard to balance keeping the house cleaned up, the kids fed and happy, and taking care of my other responsibilities. Slowly I'm figuring out the little things that help to avoid conflict during the day. I'm realizing that by taking small breaks to do things that I enjoy doing, I am better able to handle the things that I don't enjoy as much. However, regardless of what I do, being a mom is hard for me. Emotionally and physically. As hard as it is, I really do love my kids and feel like they are the reason I get up every day and keep trying. I want to help them to become good people that do good for others. I don't write this to complain (maybe vent a little), I just hope that those of you that also feel this way know that you are most definitely not alone!

2. I'm a bad friend.

--When I was in school and college I was good at making friends, learning about them, and showing them that I care. I was always doing things for my friends. I was always there to listen when they had problems or to help out with anything they needed. I was always ready to have a good time. My friends were the most important part of my life. I really think because of this I was always blessed with many friends, even though I moved and changed schools a lot.
Now it seems like I've lost my touch. I try to do things for other people, but I guess I don't do it often enough. I don't try hard enough to make conversation and learn about their lives, even though I really do care. I do only what is required and don't go above and beyond like a good friend would. Why? I'm not really sure. I don't have a good excuse. As I think about it I realize that having kids sort of changed things for me. Kids require so much time and energy that I feel like it makes it hard to focus on and improve other friendships. I still care just as much about people I meet as I did before, I just have a harder time showing that I care. So for those of you reading this, old friends and new...please know that I care about you. If you need anything, even just someone to chill with or talk to, please know that I'm here. Say hi, call, email, whatever works for you, and update me on your life! I do care. I will work harder to show that I do.

That's all for now, folks.

Another creation.

2008-11-04T07:42:00.001-08:00

Okay, so my younger sister came to me a few days before Halloween asking if I'd help her make her Halloween costume. She wanted to be Sally Brown (Charlie Brown's sister.) We took a trip to the fabric store to try to find a pattern similar to what she wanted, however we didn't find anything even remotely close. So what did we do? We came back and I created the dress from nothing but my creative little brain. There were a few mistakes here and there, but nothing that couldn't be fixed. Here is the result...

Not the best pic since she decided to slouch her shoulders at the last second, but it gives you an idea.

The sleeves were our favorite part - they turned out great.

Clearly, she was very excited about the dress. Excited enough to dance. She's hilarious.

The Music Genome Project

2008-11-04T07:30:00.000-08:00

If you are anything like me and constantly looking for new good music to listen to, then you need to go to Pandora. This site is simply amazing. It is basically like listening to a radio that only plays music that you like. You create a station by using the name of an artist you like, then it will automatically play songs from similar artists. If you don't like the song, give it a thumbs down and it won't play songs like that again, vice versa. It does take awhile to get set up well, but I really do love it. I have this playing during the day just like I would listen to the radio. I have already found a few new artists that I had never heard of, and now plan on buying their albums. There are so many great artists out there, I am thrilled to have an easy way to discover their music.

Pandora also has a blog.

Have fun music lovers!

YAY!!!!

2008-10-28T12:57:00.000-07:00

We bought our tickets for Glenn Beck's Christmas Tour!!!!

I am incredibly excited about finally being able to go see one of his shows.
This is a picture of his new book that the show is based on.
Now I just have to wait until December to actually go...

My recent projects...

2008-10-27T14:02:00.000-07:00

For those of you that know me well, you know that I am way too frugal to go out and buy costumes for the family....at least at this point in my life I am. For Halloween this year I decided to use any scrap fabric that I had and try to simply create costumes, with no patterns or anything. Fortunately, last year I had made Paige's costume too big, so she still fit into it this year - AND she was actually EXCITED to wear it, as opposed to last year. Will's costume from last year was too small, so I decided to make him into Batman this year. It worked, except we couldn't wear masks to the party, so I had to adjust the hood...the ears were a little floppy, but they looked okay. Here are some pictures with close-up details.

I promise this looks way better in person, he's wearing it here so that bat logo looks a little lop-sided, but it is indeed straight. Also, it's hard to see, but there is a little logo on the belt as well.

The floppy-ears-no-mask hood.

This vest was much harder than I thought it would be, but I guess it turned out okay in the end.

I love this dress. I do wish I had used a pattern though, so that it fit her a little better. Even this year it is a little big in the shoulders.

I'm an....

2008-10-16T21:24:00.001-07:00

Okay, I know, it's been forever since I've posted...I'll get to it soon. In the meantime...

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

Back to work

2008-09-17T12:30:00.000-07:00

Well, I haven't been doing much digital scrapbooking since I got home from the summer away, but today I actually sat down and threw together a layout. My next big project will be getting all our NYC pictures into layouts, but for now, here is a cute one of Little Will...

And the first one of our trip in NYC...our hotel.

What Am I Doing?!?

2008-09-10T14:12:00.000-07:00

There have been countless times since I had my kids that I have tried to figure out what exactly I am doing as a parent. What are my goals? What can I do to help my kids become the best they can be? What are my weaknesses? How should I do certain things? What is the RIGHT way? What do I need to teach them and when? Well, over the few years I've been a parent (Paige is only three so I'm sure I will still be wondering all this for the next, well, forever) I've been reading books and trying to figure out what I think is right for my kids and my family, and how I'm going to go about making these things happen. Recently, I took a class on teaching your kids to be independent. This class totally changed my outlook on parenting. We aren't just here to make sure our kids are safe and live through each day, but to teach and prepare them to grow up and have productive, wonderful lives of their own. The teacher of the class I took, Merilee B. Boyack, wrote all of this in this book
I highly recommend this book. Not only is it an easy read, but it will definitely give you a perspective on raising your kids that you may not have thought of yet...or maybe you have...sometimes I'm really slow. BTW...thanks Melinda for the book!

Follow My Blog?

2008-09-10T09:26:00.001-07:00

I just found this gadget (thanks to Emily) and thought it would be fun to add to my blog. I am curious to see who reads my blog...not that it really matters that much since I mostly do it to keep a "journal" for myself, but it'd still be fun to see. I've been a complete slacker lately, so I am sure many readers have given up on me, but I hope there are a few of you out there. So, if you want to become a follower of my blog, just click on the right menu bar where it says "follow this blog."

I'll try to write more...life is just overwhelmingly busy at the moment, and any free time I have I take the kids out to play while the weather is still nice.

MBASA

2008-09-05T11:43:00.000-07:00

The coolest part, for me, of being here at BYU for Eric's grad program is the MBA Spouse Association. There is nothing like it. It is a group of mostly women, though there are a few men, that get together for a huge variety of activities, that become friends, and that serve each other in any way possible. I have seen so many great things that this group has done, and I'm amazed each time at how organized and efficient they are. Last night was the opening social and it was held in the Hinckley Alumni Building here on campus. I love that building. Anyway, Susan W. Tanner spoke to us about thriving while we are here, not just surviving. That is the theme for this year. I know that a lot of us in the MBASA are young mothers, (some with up to 6 kids!), and it often feels like we are just doing our best to make it through each day. I loved the message they shared about getting out and doing, serving, and having fun! I had already made it my goal, but it was good to get that reminder. We also had a great 3-course dinner, and switched seats between each course so that we could meet new people! It was a lot of fun!

Politics...

2008-08-31T18:31:00.000-07:00

I just want to say how HAPPY I am that McCain picked Sarah Palin as his running mate. The more I read about her and hear her speak, the more I like her.

Busy-ness

2008-08-31T18:10:00.000-07:00

I've been pretty busy lately. Most of my busy-ness has been due to the kids and my church calling. Unfortunately, my blog is one of the things that gets neglected in times such as these.

Eric bought me an awesome gift a week or so ago...Wii Fit! I haven't had a chance to play around with it as much as I'd like to, but once things settle down a little I hope to.

We had fun this weekend. Yesterday was the opening game for the BYU football season. Eric and I got the all-sports pass this year, so we will be going to most of the games. BYU didn't play extremely well, but they won, so I guess that is what counts. We were able to get seats with the MBA group, so we are sitting next to some very cool people. It'll be a fun year!

Today was Eric's birthday. I didn't plan a whole lot since it is Sunday, but I wanted to make him a nice dinner. Sadly, after church he started feeling sick and completely passed on the dinner idea due to nausea. I guess I'll make it up to him tomorrow...tonight his dinner consisted of soda and pretzels to settle his stomach. Fun times.

My break...

2008-08-21T06:55:00.000-07:00

Eric left town last week for a rafting trip for 4 days, so after all that time alone with the kids I finally get some alone time too. Wednesday I went to Education Week at BYU. I have never attended it before, but absolutely loved it and had a great day. I took an awesome class on training your children to be independent. It was very eye-opening and I came home with tons of ideas on how to train my kids to know everything before they move out at 18. And yes, they will move out at 18. I also took a class about marriage. A class about the characteristics of true leaders and the differences between managing and leading (another awesome class.) My last class of the day was about how to connect with everyone around you. Anyway, after all that I came home and immediately had to eat and get ready for a meeting with the bishop, then another meeting with our Enrichment committee. It was good productive day in the meetings, and a day full of learning that morning. I loved it.

Today I'm going to help at a funeral of a little 4-year-old boy who died of cancer. His father is in the MBA program with Eric. Tobin was diagnosed last fall semester, but lost his battle with cancer a few days ago. I can't imagine what the parents are going through, but I know there has to be at least a little peace that comes from our knowledge of God's plan, where we are going after this life, and also from the knowledge of eternal families. We are so blessed.

NYC - Day 6 - Final Day

2008-08-09T12:49:00.000-07:00

We only had a few hours in the morning on our last day. Our first stop was Central Park. Eric wanted to make sure that we got a chance to walk around the park a little. It is a nice, calm place to be right in the middle of such a big city. While we were walking through, I heard a familiar voice. I turned around and this is who I saw....

That's right, Jon Stewart. He was there playing with his daughter.

Eric didn't have much of a chance to go running all week, and had really wanted to go running in Central Park, so this is a picture of him running in Central Park. It doesn't matter that he only ran a few steps, right? (side note: just a couple days after we got back to Utah, he ran 18 miles straight...he's training for a marathon in September.)

A view of Central Park with the city in the background.

Eric next to a fountain in Central Park.

Our final stop in the city after we checked out of our hotel was at the LDS Temple in Manhattan. This temple is very different from most, but was really beautiful, as they always are. We were able to do an endowment session, then some sealings afterward. It was a great way to end our trip!

After we went to the temple we headed back to the airport. Our flight home seemed really long. Fortunately they had a cool trivia game you could play on the screen in the seat in front of you, so that entertained me for awhile. We were also able to watch the Olympics on the flight, so that was fun.

We had a great trip!!!

NYC - Day 5

2008-08-08T00:01:00.000-07:00

We had left our last full day in NYC unscheduled so that we could fill it with things that we didn't have time to see earlier in the week. Our first stop was Chinatown where we did a little shopping for souvenirs and enjoyed the busy life in the city.

Cool building in Chinatown.

Fish market in Chinatown...it looked good, though it didn't really smell all that great.

We found ourselves at this intersection, where Chinatown and Little Italy meet.

Our next stop was the area near the financial district called South Street Seaport.

South Street Seaport

While there we went to Bodies: The Exhibition. Basically it was museum of real human cadavers that had been cleaned up and preserved. It sounds kind of "creepy", as a good friend of mine put it, but really it is absolutely amazing. The human body is fascinating.

Our next adventure was a long subway ride down to Coney Island. Eric had wanted to go all week so that he could eat a hot dog from Nathan's. I wondered if it would be worth the long ride, but it ended up being very worth it.

Here I am on the subway ride down...Eric thought it was funny to take random pictures of me, and I had just caught him when he snapped this one. I was listening to some awesome music.

The view as you enter Coney Island from the subway train.

Astroland, on Coney Island.

Nathan's. This is where they hold the famous hot dog eating contest every year.

Our food from Nathan's. Eric got a hot dog with a bunch of stuff on it, and I got corn dogs. They were fantastic. I'm not much of a hot dog person.

After we stuffed ourselves at Nathan's, we went to the New York Aquarium. Unfortunately, it seemed that everyone else had the same idea. The lines were long, and there were people everywhere.

The jellyfish tank was really cool.

We also went to a Mets game at Shea Stadium. We had an awesome time and I had fun trying to get some good pictures of the players with our good camera.

We decided to go out for dessert after the game, and look who we ran into... we just had to take a picture for our kids to see. They love Elmo.

NYC - Day 4

2008-08-07T16:10:00.000-07:00

We were so tired from our early morning yesterday and long days of walking that we slept in, one of the many luxuries of not traveling with kids. We did miss our kids a lot, but we were so glad we decided to go without them, it would have been impossible to see all that we did with two kids in tow.

Our first stop of the day was the NBC Studios and Rockefeller Center. We went on the NBC Studio tour, but they didn't allow us to take any pictures while on the tour. Eric snapped this one in the hallway. The tour just showed the news room where Brian Williams does his show, all the cameras, etc. and the main control room that controls all of NBC's affiliates throughout the country. It wasn't a very exciting tour, but had some cool information.

Next we went to Radio City Music Hall. This tour was really cool, I had no idea how beautiful the building is inside. I won't lie, I was hoping to run into Glenn Beck somewhere, but he works in the offices up above the actual music hall, so chances were slim and it didn't happen.

This building is amazing!

One of the Radio City Rockettes came and told us a little about their job, answered a few questions, then posed for some pictures with us. I figured, why not get a picture with her?

This is a picture of the main lobby just inside the building.

This is a lobby on a different floor, I loved all the dark colors and the neat lighting.

A picture of the women's bathroom inside Radio City...it was one of the coolest looking bathrooms I've ever been in. This picture doesn't include the primping area where they have a bunch of mirrors on the wall with little tables and chairs lined up next to them where you can make sure you are still looking beautiful, or the women's lounge area where they had huge comfy chairs and a chaise, with gorgeous paintings on the wall. This building just kept getting better and better as we continued on the tour.

We also took some pictures in Rockefeller Center. We had tickets to go on a tour of the building, but never made it back...too many other things to do!

Rockefeller Center

We kept hearing that we had to try New York City pizza, so here we are trying it. It lived up to it's reputation...very, very good pizza.

New York Public Library was next on the list. I was very impressed by the architectural details in this building and wish we could have spent more time there.

The lion statue just outside the New York Public Library.

Our trip was mostly done by area, we'd pick and area of the city and go see all that we could in that area, then head to the next. So, our next stop was Grand Central Station. We didn't spend long here, but it was certainly a cool place to see. It was just what I expected, people moving really quickly in all directions.

Later we went and did a little shopping at FAO Schwartz, Bloomingdales, Pottery Barn, etc. We also tried to go to the Central Park Zoo, but it was closed when we got there.

And to finish off a fabulous day we went and saw Mary Poppins on Broadway. Wicked was sold out, so this was my 2nd choice, and I'm SO happy that we went to it. I had a great time and the show was fabulous!!! I recommend it to anyone, and have no doubt you'll enjoy it (plus it's way cheaper than Wicked.)

NYC - Day 3

2008-08-06T23:30:00.000-07:00

We started out this morning very early because we had gotten tickets to be in the audience for Good Morning America. We waited in line for awhile, and finally got in. Turns out they make their audience stand there for over 2 hours while the show is being filmed, and you aren't even in the main room, but instead, in a room where they do a couple 5 minute segments. After finding all this out, we decided to take off early (after about half and hour.) Neither of us really cared to meet the newscasters that much, we never even watch the show.

We are waiting in line for Good Morning America...too bad we didn't realize what it would be like until later.

Next we decided to head out to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Fortunately, we got there early enough to miss the insanely long lines waiting for the ferry. Unfortunately, it had been raining so it was quite foggy and our pictures didn't turn out all that great.

The ferry that takes you to Liberty Island and Ellis Island.

Me on the ferry.

The view of Ellis Island from the ferry.

Simply amazing.

Inside the Ellis Island Immigration Museum
(I'm pretty sure they went to this museum in the movie Hitch.)

While we were on the ferry heading back from Ellis Island, we got a call from the Late Show with David Letterman letting us know that if we could answer a trivia question we would win tickets to be in the audience of his show. Fortunately, Eric answered the phone, because I never would have answered the question correctly. How many of you know what color the producer's hair is? Well, Eric did, and we got tickets to the show. It was such an awesome experience. Penelope Cruz was on the show, along with a skateboarder and some old guy playing the piano. The coolest part for me was listening to Paul Schafer and his band playing throughout the commercial breaks. They are amazing. Letterman was also pretty funny in his pre-show act, which he kept addressing throughout the show to get some extra laughs. Anyway, it was a fun experience.

Here I am outside the Late Show waiting in line to get in...I was quite excited about it as you can see.

How often to you see a scene like this? We walked by right as it was happening.

The home of the best cheesecake I have ever tasted. Carnegie Deli.

seriously, the best I've ever tasted. Amazing. Delicious.

Toys 'R Us had a ferris wheel inside it, how cool is that?

Buildings near our hotel.

NYC - Day 2

2008-08-05T22:53:00.000-07:00

Our first full day out in New York City. We had a lot of things on our list, and were able to actually cross a lot of them off on this day. Nothing could slow us down.

This was the entrance escalator to our hotel. We actually thought our hotel was great, it was the Hudson Hotel on 59th street. I'd recommend it to anyone that isn't traveling with kids.

We took the subway most days that we were there. They have a 7 day pass that is only $25 each, so it ended up being a really good deal for us. We were able to get to everywhere we needed to go and at a very low cost compared to taking a taxi. I liked the subway a lot.

Waiting in the subway station.

First stop: The Financial District (Wall Street.) It was very cool to walk around here and see all the big financial buildings, along with Tiffany and Co., the Trump Tower and many other places.

The New York Stock Exchange.

Next stop: The Guggenheim Museum.

I have always wanted to go here, and thought the museum itself was pretty cool (designed by Frank Lloyd Wright) but wasn't all that impressed by the artwork inside.

Next stop: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Aside from all the amazing sculptures, fantastic architecture of the building itself, and great artwork, they had the coolest Superheroes exhibit that displayed old and new costumes that superheroes have worn, including the actual costume that Christian Bale wore in The Dark Knight. Unfortunately, they didn't allow us to take pictures in that exhibit. I was not happy...I'm a HUGE Christian Bale fan and would have treasured a picture of that costume.

On our way to the next stop we walked through Central Park and took this picture of the lake, it was so beautiful with the city in the background...I wish the picture could do it justice.

Next stop: Museum of Natural History

Many will recognize this as the museum in the movie Night at the Museum. We had fun trying to figure out where everything was that we saw in the movie, however, we didn't find many.

Next stop: Tom's Restaurant (more famously known as Monk's Diner on Seinfeld.)

If any of you are Seinfeld fans you should recognize this restaurant. It was at the top of our list for places to see in NYC...we are BIG Seinfeld fans.

Inside the diner. We met some friends here for dinner, and the food was fantastic and very reasonably priced.

I love Seinfeld, can you tell? I look way too happy in this picture.

Last stop: Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum.

We had a lot of fun taking pictures here, but I will only share a few...

There is something about the Osbournes that I like, though I'm not sure what that is. I especially like Sharon, she makes me laugh.

I'm not a huge fan of Johnny Depp, but thought this picture turned out pretty good.

Me and the young Johnny Cash.

Eric and James Brown...we are BIG fans of James Brown around our house, so Eric was pretty excited to get this picture taken.

So, all in all we had a very busy, but very fun day.

NYC - Day 1

2008-08-04T20:59:00.000-07:00

Today we arrived in NYC at around 3pm. We got to our hotel around 5pm and settled in. We then took off to explore this amazing city. First we headed to Planet Hollywood to pick up our New York City passes. We ate dinner there, which was delicious. After dinner we headed to the Empire State Building and waited in line much longer than anyone should have to. A couple hours later we were finally to the observation deck and took lots of fun pictures..most of which turned out blurry. We may have to try to stop there again with our better camera. Anyway, after that we walked to Times Square to explore and enjoy the big city life atmosphere. Then we came home and crashed in our hotel room. We did a lot of walking, a lot of waiting and it was rather warm, so it ended up being a long day. Here are some pictures from today! Oh, and we haven't seen anyone famous yet, nor have I tracked down the Cash Cab. Those are my goals while here...who knows, it could happen.

Our hotel room, right next to Central Park and the Time Warner building.

The other half of our tiny hotel room. Tiny, yet clean and cozy. We like it.

Sheri during dinner at the Planet Hollywood restaurant.

Eric and the statue guy that was on our table during dinner.

The view from the Empire State Building of NYC and the Chrysler Building.

The view of Times Square from the top of the Empire State Building.

Me and Eric on the observation deck of the Empire State Building.

Times Square.

The two of us at Times Square. It was insanely crowded, and also very warm today.

The Move

2008-07-28T17:01:00.000-07:00

I survived the 9 hour drive alone with two kids. It wasn't nearly as bad as I had anticipated. I rocked out to some awesome music on the new mp3 player that Eric bought me, while Paige watched movies and Will played with toys and took naps. He cried a few times, but I had prepared myself for the worst possible situations, and not one of them happened, so I am definitely counting my blessings.

I just want to say thanks to my family and friends that helped out when we got here. I was exhausted by the time I arrived, and still had so much to do, so all the help was greatly appreciated.

I am so happy to be home.

P.S. See my NYC countdown on the right? Yeah, you read it right, six days!!!!!!!

Blogging Hiatus

2008-07-21T11:51:00.000-07:00

Well friends, I am going to take a blogging hiatus this week. We are heading back to Provo on Saturday...well, the kids and I. Eric will join us a week later after his trip to Houston and a couple more days of the internship. I'm not looking forward to the drive to UT alone with the kids, but I figure I just have to do it, not stress, and soon enough (like 9 hours later) it'll be over with. I'm hoping to get a good audio book to listen to and of course take some good tunes with me. The kids have their portable DVD player, thank goodness.

So, I'll be back next week, perhaps with some fun tales to tell, or maybe just some new cool things to share. See you then!

Money, Money, Money...MONEY

2008-07-17T10:55:00.000-07:00

I realize that money is not the most important thing in the world, but we can all admit it definitely effects our lives daily. In preparation for our future wealth (hahaha) and because I have been wondering what we need to do for our kids in case something happens to one of us, I decided to buy this book.

It has turned out to be full of very useful information that is easy to read and understand for those like me that have little education in personal finance. The format of the book is question and answer and covers pretty much everything. I also like Suze Orman's viewpoint, she always says, "People first, then money, then things." So, I just wanted to share this in case some of you are like me and not quite sure how to make the most of the money you earn.

One of my favorite places...

2008-07-14T08:48:00.001-07:00

This weekend the family and I went to Estes Park, CO. As you drive into the valley you can see the whole town and it is absolutely gorgeous. The downtown area has a large variety of shops and restaurants, all situated along a river. It really is beautiful. The first time we drove through I thought, "this just might be one of my new favorite places." When we went back this weekend and actually spent time there, I confirmed that it is indeed one of my favorites. Here are some pictures...

Driving toward Estes Park from Boulder.

Getting closer, heading into the mountains!

Welcome to Estes Park.

Just driving out of the canyon, into Estes Park.

The road goes right across a lake, just gorgeous.

For some reason I think this hotel is absolutely gorgeous, and obviously huge. It's set up on a hill and is one of the first things you notice. After coming home I looked up information on it and kicked myself for not doing that beforehand and going to see it. It is called the Stanley Hotel.

This is the river right behind all the stores. There is a walking path and most of the stores have a rear entrance, so you can walk along the path and do the shopping. It is beautiful.

This is the pond where we took the kids fishing.

So, if you are ever in the area, I recommend driving up and exploring Estes Park!

I missed it. =(

2008-07-10T22:46:00.000-07:00

I missed America's Freedom Festival at the Marriott Center. How sad I was when I found out. Glenn Beck was the guest speaker. His speech was great, I was able to watch it today. You can watch the video at BYU TV.

I'm so grateful for this amazing country that we live in. It's not perfect, but it is the greatest.

New Clothes

2008-07-07T18:34:00.000-07:00

I found some great deals at Kohls last week and bought a few things. My sisters tend to make fun of me because I am not as trendy as they are. I have a pretty simple style, no bold colors or prints. I tried to find something that fit really well and had a little extra cute detail. I don't spend a lot of money on clothes, but every once in awhile it is fun to buy some new articles (that I absolutely love!) to add to my wardrobe, and it is even more fun when they are all on sale! Unfortunately I didn't find any shirts, but that is okay because I have a good selection of different styles of Shade shirts and they go with practically everything.

Pants: These are brown dress pants and fit me really well. They don't have a lot of detail, but will be easy to find shirts to match and easy to dress up with accessories. Skirt: I absolutely love this skirt. The detail is cute, and the length is perfect.
Shoes: I have some brown heels but was hoping to find some brown flats. Here they are and I loved them the second I put them on.This week while Eric's parents were visiting, his mom and I went shopping for her birthday. She insisted on buying me some new shoes, so I got a black pair since I had bought my brown pair the week before. They are definitely the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn. I guess paying a little more for a good pair of shoes might just be worth it after all. Thanks Melinda!!! I love them!

I love Games

2008-07-03T07:40:00.001-07:00

I found this game online. I am a huge fan of trivia games and also of geography, so this game is right down my alley. I'm ridiculously addicted. Try it out! You can see my Traveler IQ on the sidebar. I never said I was good at it, just that I liked it.

TRAVELER IQ CHALLENGE

New Tricks

2008-06-25T16:47:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been learning a lot of new little tricks and techniques I can create with PSE 6.0, so I wanted to share my new layouts! What do you think???

Perfectly Pomegranate

2008-06-24T07:50:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share something that I love and use everyday...

Scentsy Wickless Products

Basically it is a big candle warmer with a light bulb inside that heats it. You put little squares of scented wax in the dish on top, and it melts and gives off an amazingly perfect aroma throughout the house. There are so many different scents to choose from that it is actually really hard to narrow it down. So far my favorites are perfectly pomegranate, sun-kissed citrus, and fresh-cut canteloupe. There are so many to choose from that I have many more to discover.

I'm not a consultant, but wanted to pass the word on. You can find a catalog and consultant online if you don't know of one in your area.

**A little tip I discovered, is that you don't have to use their warmers. I have a regular candle warmer that I got from a craft store, and just put the little wax cubes in a dish and put it on top of that warmer, it works just the same...they just aren't quite as cute as the Scentsy warmers.

Yummmm....

2008-06-23T17:45:00.000-07:00

I am not a very big snack person. I usually just eat three meals a day and don't really munch on anything in between, but I am afraid that trend may end after my discovery of...

Honey Wheat Braided Pretzel Twists

Eric found them at Walmart (Great Value brand.) I looked for a picture online, but couldn't find one. Anyway, they are the perfect blend of salty and sweet; both flavors are fairly mild. They also aren't high in fat, so I don't feel too guilty about munching on them. Anyway, just wanted to share my new find in case any of you out there are looking for a new delicious snack food.

6 Years!

2008-06-19T10:27:00.000-07:00

Eric and I have now been married for six years. I think in some ways it seems longer, because we have gone through a lot, but in other ways it feels like the time has completely flown by. He's the greatest husband ever, and I love him more each day.

To celebrate we got a babysitter, then went to Dave & Busters, where had some delicious food and played pool while we ate.

Then we spent the rest of the evening playing various arcade games like skee ball, car racing, shooting games, etc. My favorite was a trivia game where 6 people competed and you could win lots of tickets. With our tickets we ended up getting a little stuffed Care Bear for Paige and a stuffed Dragon for Will. It was a fantastic night out!

If you want to read a little about how we met and getting married, check out my family blog.

I love you Eric! Happy Anniversary!

Teaching

2008-06-15T18:21:00.000-07:00

I got a phone call yesterday (Saturday) around 3pm from one of the counselors in the Relief Society here in Colorado. Now, technically we aren't members of this ward because our records are still in Provo. The bishop there decided not to release me from my calling as Relief Society President over the summer, and instead to have me run things from Colorado. Needless to say, it has been a little bit of a challenge, but thanks to my AMAZING counselors and secretary, I think things are going pretty well. Anyway, back to my story...the counselor here in CO called yesterday and said that since I am a R.S. President and am probably used to pinch-hitting, she wondered if I would teach the lesson Sunday (today.) Of course, I said yes. I guess they had someone back out at the last minute. So, last night I read through the lesson and got an idea of what I was going to do, made a rough outline, and didn't really worry about it much. For those of you that don't know, this is very unlike me. Usually I have EVERYTHING written out, word for word, so that if I get flustered by nervousness, I won't have to think about it, just read. Well, I think this is the best lesson I have ever taught. It went really well, I didn't mess anything up, and had great participation thanks to the questions I had. I haven't actually taught since I was first called as RS Pres. so this was a great confidence builder for me and I really think that my experience with the presidential duties has really caused me to grow. What an amazing thing. I truly know that the Lord knows what we need and gives us ways to grow and develop talents, in order to further His work.

(I love this painting.)

Oh, the lesson was on Joseph Smith's teachings about how important it is for us to share the gospel with others....not necessarily to convert them, but to share it with them.

So, if any of you want to know more about the church I belong to, email me at carter3682@gmail.com or visit the LDS Church Website. I'd love to answer any of your questions!

Music

2008-06-13T15:36:00.000-07:00

I have recently realized how much I love having music playing in the house. Today was getting really stressful with the kids, and everything seemed to be going wrong, so I walked over to the computer and turned on some tunes.

My choices today??? Flogging Molly, Jack Johnson, and John Michael Montgomery. I know, random.

While listening I cleaned the house from top to bottom while the kids ran around and played. I honestly think they entertain themselves better when I have music playing, not really sure why. Maybe it is because the music is so loud they don't think they can talk over it. Either way, I am doing much better now.

Breaking Dawn

2008-06-12T14:07:00.001-07:00

I pre-ordered my copy of Breaking Dawn today from BYU Bookstore. Right now they have 25% off if you pre-order so it was only $16.50...Borders had it priced at $22.99! Huge difference.

I am also going to go to the release party at the BYU Bookstore, so if any of you in the Provo area want to join me, please let me know! It would be so much more fun to go with friends!

Add a Little Spice to Your Life

2008-06-12T07:12:00.001-07:00

We have been using this wonderful find for years now, but every time we have someone over for dinner they ask what it is, so I thought I would post something about it so that you can all add a little flavor to your food...we love it!

Cavender's All Purpose Greek Seasoning

It really is an all purpose seasoning. We use it on everything: all meats, spaghetti, toast, soups, eggs, casseroles and even salads. It is easy to find. We have found it at all the major grocery stores we shop at, including Walmart. Enjoy!

Adorable...

2008-06-09T09:12:00.000-07:00

Here's a new layout I made, I love it.

Gifting

2008-06-06T07:53:00.000-07:00

Eric and I have been married now for nearly 6 years (on the 19th of June) and since we have been married I can probably count on one hand the number of gifts I have given him that have been a surprise. Rather than spending a lot of money on a gift that he might like, I'd rather have him choose his own gift. Anyway, the other day he went out and bought a heart-rate monitor to wear while he is running...it was rather expensive, more than $50 anyway, so he came home and told me that he had already bought his anniversary present. I thought that was kind of funny, but was okay with it since I wasn't sure what to get him anyway. Well, last night we were at Costco and he pointed this out to me.... Obviously, I made him buy it for me as my anniversary gift. Later he said something along the lines of, "Aren't you glad I pointed it out, rather than try to make you overlook it as most husbands would probably do?" How lucky I am.

We like our gift buying tradition, where it doesn't have to be a stressful thing trying to decide what he/she would like most, whether it is too much or too little, or whether we will have to end up returning it. Instead, we know that is really what the other person wants, we don't end up getting something we don't want, and we are both happy to have something we've been wanting for awhile. It works for us.

So, yes Eric, I am so glad that you are an awesome husband that encourages me to have my own interests and likes, and will even sit and watch Pride and Prejudice with me if I were to ask. Now that is love! Really though, you are amazing and I love you more every day.

Badlands Layout

2008-06-03T13:11:00.000-07:00

Here is a layout I threw together today.

If Only...

2008-06-03T07:13:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite fabric designers, Heather Bailey, recently (this year) came up with an awesome new creation that has nothing to do with fabric...

Trash Ties by Heather Bailey

I think these are such a fantastic idea and have read raving reviews about them...if only they weren't so pricey! Someday...

More info about me

2008-05-31T08:27:00.000-07:00

Four Jobs I've Had (or things I've gotten paid for):
1. Dairy Queen
2. Payless Shoesource
3. Office Max
4. Cleaning a mortuary

Four Goals I Set This Year:
1. Be a better mom.
2. Be more outgoing.
3. Get my body into better shape.
4. Learn a new hobby.

Four Movies I Could Watch Over and Over: (i'm not sure if I could do this with any movie, but since I have to choose...)
1. Pride and Prejudice (BBC)
2. Napolean Dynamite
3. Rudy
4. any of the Bourne trilogy

Four Places I've Lived:
1. Savage, MN
2. Salem, UT
3. St. Louis, MO
4. Brighton, CO
....among many others....

Four TV Shows I Love To Watch:
1. The Office
2. Seinfeld
3. LOST
4. Deadliest Catch

Four Favorite Vacation Spots:
1. San Diego, CA
2. Visiting family
3. Cozumel, Mexico
4. anywhere really, vacation is always great

Four Websites I Visit Almost Daily:
1. Google News
2. Facebook.com
3. My blogs
4. Yahoo Games

Four Favorite Foods:
1. Vanilla Ice Cream
2. Chocolate - any kind
3. anything Mexican
4. Avocadoes

Four Places I Would Rather Be Right Now:
1. I'm happy where I am
2. At the park with my kids
3. Sleeping ... I like sleep.
4. At the temple.

My Mother's Day gift

2008-05-30T07:26:00.001-07:00

I realize that Mother's Day was a few weeks ago, but I was again reminded today about how much I love this gift, so I thought I would write about it. When we moved to Colorado we just brought out laptop with us, since we had very limited room in our car for stuff. Now, during the day I like to have music playing because it keeps me in a good mood and I'm able to be more patient with the kids, plus we love to dance. Well, needless to say, listening to music on the laptop is not the greatest...the sound just isn't good. For Mother's Day Eric, my wonderful, amazing husband, bought me this set of speakers. I cannot describe in words the difference that it makes. I absolutely love them. Thanks Eric! I love you! You are the best husband in the world.

100 Things About Me

2008-05-29T11:32:00.000-07:00

Uh, so I thought this was fun...but I don't blame you if you don't read it all....

I dislike eating most fruit.
I have had part of a needle stuck in my big toe since 4^th grade – in order to remove it they would have to cut my big toe off, so I guess it will be my friend forever.
I eat ice cream almost every day.
I moved 11 times during my life before getting married.
Eric and I have been married for (almost) 6 years and have moved 8 times.
I taught myself how to crochet by borrowing a video from the library.
I almost always leave one bite of food on my plate when I’m finished…for some reason, I get down to the last bite and just can’t bring myself to eat it, even if I’m not full.
I love the smell when it rains.
I hate being hot, and therefore dislike summer.
I love Mexican food.
When I was a kid I always wanted to be a marine biologist. Now that I am an adult, I could never do that because SCUBA diving scares me to death.
I listen to Jack Johnson nearly every day.
I love to go camping and sit and stare at the campfire and think.
My childhood dream was to go to Sea World, and it finally happened when Eric took me about a year after we got married.
I took piano lessons for 5 years, but stopped when my teacher moved…I regret stopping (and not practicing...)
I love to play board games…you name it, I love it.
The only jewelry I wear is my wedding ring.
I don’t really like swimming…I can swim, I just don’t like to.
My first real job was at Dairy Queen with my best friend Roxann.
I really like the show Deadliest Catch…I’m not sure why since it is a bunch of men crab fishing, and mostly the same thing over and over again, but I really like it.
I never had my own room growing up…it took until college when I got lucky and my future roommate decided she was dropping out...trust me, I lucked out (she was a crazy!)
I lost in the school spelling bee in elementary school by misspelling the word “poll” – how was I supposed to know there were two different ways? I spelled it p-o-l-e. I never participated in another spelling bee…yeah I was a quitter.
I love doing word puzzles. Yes, the yellow section on Cranium is my favorite, I’m a nerd….but at least I have something I’m good at.
I do not like eating popcorn...something about it getting stuck in my teeth drives me mad.
My new favorite thing is Photoshop Elements 6.0 – a gift from my father-in-law.
For the past few months my heart has been doing this random weird thing where it skips a beat like every 8 beats, and when it does it my chest feels like it’s being crushed…but the doctor says there is nothing wrong with me.
I get sunburned very easily…and I mean VERY…Eric makes fun of me because we were going to a waterpark and we put sunscreen on before leaving the house…my arm nearest the window was already sunburned by the time we got to the waterpark (20 minutes at the most.)
When I was a kid and I was in the sun a lot, I would get a rash on my arms and hands, a nurse told me maybe I’m allergic to the sun…weird.
I am not a fan of cats…at all. I have learned to tolerate them since my in-laws have a couple, but I still dislike them.
I think dogs are great…but only if they are big, and they live outside. I will never have an indoor dog unless it doesn't shed AT ALL and is housetrained.
I used to work for Office Max in their copy center…it could have been a cool job, but wasn’t…not the greatest company.
In my 9 years of driving, I have never been pulled over by a policeman. I’m not sure what I would do if it happened.
My favorite color is blue, though I also really like green and black.
I had braces twice…long story.
My pizza preferences: sauce, cheese, pepperoni. Yes I know, boring.
My favorite ice cream? Vanilla. Again, boring.
I love the smell of coffee, but do not drink it.
I do not drink alcohol, and have never tried it.
I have also never tried smoking.
I have been pregnant 4 times, but only have 2 kids.
I am the second oldest of six kids in my family. Oldest girl.
I like almost all movies with Matt Damon in them…oh, and Christian Bale.
I like to play first person shooting video games…this surprises a lot of people.
I don’t think there are 100 things to say about myself.
I have a burn on my ring finger that was caused by my dad, accidentally.
I like to draw and hope to one day take a drawing class.
When I go back to college I am going to study...oh I haven't decided yet.
We used to live in the basement of a mortuary and I worked there. I liked it.
I’m not scared of dead bodies anymore.
I don’t think of myself as a leader, but it seems that other people do.
I want to learn how to paint with watercolor.
I went almost a year very rarely driving after our car accident in 2003.
I like to learn how to do new things, it keeps life interesting.
I don’t watch rated R movies…though we now have a DVD player that edits them, so I do watch them edited.
I think global warming is a bunch baloney. Well, it might be a real, but the idea that we can do something about it is ridiculous.
I drink skim milk and think anything else is too thick. Most of my family loves whole milk.
I have never been downhill skiing and have been told it is a disgrace since I have lived in Utah for many years.
The only country I have been in besides the USA is Mexico.
I have never been farther East in the US than Michigan.
My dream car (for now) is a new Toyota Sienna…yes, a minivan…sad I know.
My dream vacation would be to go to Brazil with Eric and meet the people he knew there while serving his mission.
I love to go to the library.
I don’t enjoy cooking. I like to bake though.
I love to teach my kids new things.
I love playing the Wii – especially Wii Sports and Mario Kart.
I like to color in coloring books…for some reason I find it therapeutic.
I am a major sweet-tooth. I love most things with sugar.
I do not like dark chocolate.
I am planning a trip to New York City in August 2008 and cannot wait, I have always wanted to go there.
I am sad that my dad sold his house in Minnesota and that I no longer have family ties there.
I think Facebook is really cool because it has given me a chance to reconnect with friends that I wish I had never lost contact with.
People ask me all the time if I dye my hair….I DO NOT dye my hair.
I am a huge fan of Walmart…I know it’s not the cool thing to be these days, but I just cannot help it.
I have no idea what to get my husband for Father’s Day.
I think that people that litter are disgusting and disrespectful.
I wish there were more people in this world that care about those around them…it seems like people don’t treat each other as real humans anymore…it is sad.
I have lived in 5 different states : Utah, Minnesota, Idaho, Oregon, and Missouri.
I got married when I was 20 years old.
I had my first child when I was almost 23 years old.
I had my second child when I was almost 25.
I think that February is the perfect month to have a baby...my kids’ birthdays are ten days apart, both in February.
I have never had a broken bone.
I have had glasses since I was in 2^nd grade.
I lost my first tooth in an accident when I was 3 and the permanent tooth didn’t come in until I was 7, so I have 4 years of pictures where I was missing that front tooth.
My brother cut my hair when I was little, and I think it is the funniest picture ever.
I used to suck my ring and middle fingers on my right hand when I was little…I stopped before kindergarten because my dad said that other kids would make fun of me.
I moved to Utah from Minnesota in the middle of my junior year of high school and it took me a long time to be okay with it.
I didn’t get my driver’s license until I was 17 because of that move, and that made me mad.
I have never ridden on a horse…but really, really want to!
The older I get the more cynical I become, and I don’t like that about myself.
I used to make friends easily, not so much anymore. I’m not sure what happened.
I like a lot of different kinds of music…it just depends on my mood.
I think my kids are really adorable…even though they are fighting at the moment.
My new favorite soda is Diet Pepsi Max.
My favorite candy is peanut butter M&Ms.
I also love peanut butter creme Oreos dunked in milk.
I cannot eat graham crackers unless they are dunked in milk, or part of s’mores.
I have always liked macaroni-and-cheese…even today. Walmart’s thick and creamy is the very best.
I always sneeze in multiples of three…it is embarrassing.
I cannot believe that I actually came up with 100 things to say…and I can even think of more! Crazy! For your benefit I will quit now.

Humanitarian Aid

2008-05-27T08:56:00.000-07:00

Most of you know that I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Most of you that read this probably are as well. I recently heard, then read, some facts that I just had to share. I have always known our church stresses the importance of helping those in need, but it amazed me how much humanitarian aid is being done by members of our church, and I wanted to bring that to others' attention. The other more amazing thing is that our church covers all the overhead cost of this aid, so 100% of all donations go straight to helping those in need. (link)

In 2007, aid was offered for:
--major earthquakes in 5 countries
--massive fires in 6 countries - (Wildfires in southern California: in response the Church provided cleaning kits, blankets, hygiene kits, and food. Over 5,000 Mormon Helping Hands along with missionaries cleaned, cooked, comforted, and cared for those affected.)
--hunger and famine in 18 countries
--flooding and severe storms in 34 countries
(In total the Church and its members responded to 170 major events---nearly one every two days for the entire year.)

The church doesn't only help in disaster relief, or for a short period of time...
--Over 1 million people benefited from Church-sponsored clean water projects in 25 countries. (In Ethiopia, communities helped to access clean drinking water. The Church drilled wells and constructed storage tanks. Communities organized a water committee and dug the trenches needed to pipe the water from the storage tanks to each village. In some cases this was a distance of over 3 miles.)
--More than 60,500 people received wheelchairs in 60 nations.
--In 11 countries, over 54,000 individuals now enjoy improved vision.
--Over 16,500 health-care professionals in 23 countries were trained in infant neonatal resuscitation; they, in turn, will train many others.
--In a quest to eliminate measles, 2.8 million children and youth in 10 countries received immunizations.
(The combined effects of these outreach endeavors directly touched nearly 4 million people in 85 countries.)
--The now four-year effort to help those devastated by a tsunami in Indonesia and southern Asia also continued. Funding was provided to help build 902 homes, with 3 community centers, 24 village water systems, 15 schools, and 3 medical centers.

Since 1985 the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has given a value of $750.9 million dollars in humanitarian material assistance, $259.8 million in cash donations, and has given aid in 165 different countries. (link)

Amazing isn't it?

(P.S. These numbers do not include the donations and assistance given in all local wards/branches throughout the world, which I am sure are even more astounding numbers.)

Missing My Machine

2008-05-27T08:35:00.000-07:00

Being here in Denver temporarily has definitely put a damper on my craftiness. I didn't bring any of my supplies because we simply didn't have any room in the car. Oh well, it is only 3 months, right? I can live without a sewing machine...I think! Well, in the meantime I have been researching for good projects, that way when I get home I can just get them started. Here is one I found today that I am definitely going to work on when I get back to Provo.

Mens Dress Shirt = Little Girl's Dress! (tutorial)

Mount Rushmore

2008-05-25T22:16:00.000-07:00

Eric and I brought the kids here this weekend. For those of you that have not been here, I encourage you to come. Though there is not much around the area, I had a great time and it truly is amazing to see Mount Rushmore with your own eyes. We also drove through the Badlands National Park...another amazing sight to behold. We live in such a beautiful world.

NYC!!!!!!!

2008-05-25T07:16:00.000-07:00

Eric and I booked flights for our trip to New York City in August. I am ecstatic. We are going to leave our kids with family and take off, just the two of us! This will be the first time I have spent the night away from kids since Paige was born...so over three years. It is a big step, and I am totally ready for it! (okay, I'll probably feel differently when the time comes, but for now I am ready!)

So, I am looking for any advice that anyone has on what we need to see while we are there. We will be there about 5 days, so we will have plenty of time to see everything...at least I hope so. I look forward to the recommendations.

Project Domestication

2008-05-23T06:20:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I found this super cute blog that has tons of good info on it. Go visit for great ideas on all things domestic...cakes, cookies, recipes, design, weddings, flowers, candy, crafts, etc.

(CLICK ON LOGO TO VIEW SITE)

One Word

2008-05-20T07:09:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine does a Tuesday Tell-All, so I am copying this from her (thanks Holly) because I thought it was a fun idea.

Tuesday Tell-All: Answer the following with only one word.

1. Where is your cell phone? ....................purse
2. Your significant other?.......................Eric
3. Your hair?....................................red
4. Your mother? .................................Gaydean
5. Your father?..................................Hal
6. Your favorite thing?..........................happiness
7. Your dream last night?........................running
8. Your favorite drink...........................mate
9. Your dream/goal?..............................success
10. The room you're in?..........................clean
11. Your children?.....................................adorable
12. Your fear?...................................failure
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years...........homeowner
14. Where were you last night?...................enrichment
15. What you're not?.............................unhappy
16. Muffins......................................poppyseed
17. One of your wish list items?.................music
18. Where you grew up?...........................Minnesota
20. What are you wearing?........................capris
21. Your TV?.....................................Dora
22. Your pets?...................................none
23. Your computer? ..............................laptop
24. Your life?...................................fun
25. Your mood?...................................positive
26. Missing someone?.............................friends
27. Your car?....................................white
28. Something you're not wearing?................socks
29. Favorite Store?..............................Kohls
30. Your summer?.................................exciting
31. Like someone?................................yes
32. Your favorite color?.........................blue
33. Last time you laughed........................yesterday
34. Last time you cried?.........................weeks

Creativity at its finest...

2008-05-19T15:44:00.000-07:00

A website I found that has the most amazing things I have ever seen is craftster.org

Though it sometimes takes some time to search through this site, I promise if you are crafty you will love it. I have found so much inspiration to make things that I never would have come up with on my own. Too bad I'm not creative enough, but I am so glad that there are people that are willing to share their fantastic ideas. Check it out!

silly me...

2008-05-19T15:26:00.000-07:00

So, remember the days of Mario Kart on Super Nintendo? Well, the other day we bought the Wii version. Oh my, is this game fun! I could honestly spend hours at a time playing if I chose to, it is THAT fun. For those of you old Mario Kart fans, you have got to try this game. For those of you that haven't even tried playing the Nintendo Wii yet, you should...even if you don't really like video games, it's completely different and much more fun! Plus, it can be a workout, and who doesn't need another fun way to work out?

More Layouts

2008-05-15T10:25:00.001-07:00

CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE

I have had a few comments and emails about my digital scrapping pages, so I thought I'd share some more. If anyone wants to know more about how to do it, please email me. Also, if you want something special made, such as invitations, cards, etc. let me know. I could even do a layout of a special event if you send the pictures. Anyway, I love doing it, and love to share, so hope you don't mind!

(It is common courtesy for people to thank the designers who made the papers, etc...and I would like to do that now...THANKYOU! However, I have not kept track of names, so sorry I can't thank anyone specifically.)

Killer Workout

2008-05-14T10:38:00.000-07:00

There are some great workout DVDs that I found and wanted to share with everyone. For those of you who are fans of The Biggest Loser, they are the DVDs made by Jillian Michaels, the toughest trainer on the show. I got 5 DVDs for about $25 (can't remember exactly.) Anyway, there are by far the best workout DVDs I've tried. For some of them it helps to have small weights and a step, but it is not required. I actually found these awhile ago, but wanted to mention them here because I love them...plus they are all I've thought about today since my workout this morning was really tough.

Global Warming?

2008-05-14T06:15:00.000-07:00

For those of you that don't know, I have become quite interested in some political topics. I have been trying to do a little research on them so that I can determine my thoughts. Well, last night I watched "An Inconvenient Truth" by Al Gore. I have been hearing a lot about this movie, good and bad, so I knew I had to sit down for myself to watch it. (I know, took me long enough!) Oh my, was it boring. It was completely one-sided with facts left out that would possibly add any doubt to global warming. Not only that, but Al Gore used it as his own personal pity fest. I mean, come on, what does the 2000 voting recount in FL have to do with global warming??? Well, I'm not writing this to tell you what to think about global warming, we all have to decide where we stand, but I am going to give you my opinion on this movie. Needless to say, I thought the movie was very lacking and only recommend watching it if you need a good nap!

Motherhood

2008-05-13T19:15:00.000-07:00

On Mother's Day someone sent me this story...I loved it and thought I would share. I don't know who the author is, but it is very well stated.

We are sitting at lunch one day when my daughter casually mentions that she and her husband are thinking of 'starting a family.'

'We're taking a survey,' she says half-joking 'Do you think I should have a baby?'

'It will change your life,' I say, carefully. Keeping my tone neutral.

'I know,' she says, 'no more sleeping in on weekends, no more spontaneous vacations.'

But that is not what I meant at all. I look at my daughter, trying to decide what to tell her. I want her to know what she will never learn in childbirth classes.

I want to tell her that the physical wounds of child bearing will heal, but becoming a mother will leave her with an emotional wound so raw that she will forever be vulnerable.

I consider warning her that she will never again read a newspaper without asking, 'What if that had been MY child?' That every plane crash, every house fire will haunt her. That when she sees pictures of starving children, she will wonder if anything could be worse than watching your child die.

I look at her carefully manicured nails and stylish suit and think that no matter how sophisticated she is, becoming a mother will reduce her to the primitive level of a bear protecting her cub. That an urgent call of 'Mom!' will cause her to drop
a souffle or her best crystal without a moments hesitation.

I feel that I should warn her that no matter how many years she has invested in her career, she will be professionally derailed by motherhood. She might arrange for childcare, but one day she will be going into an important business meeting and she will think of her baby's sweet smell. She will have to use every ounce of discipline to keep from running home, just to make sure her baby is all right.

I want my daughter to know that every day decisions will no longer be routine. That a five year old boy's desire to go to the men's room rather than the women's at McDonald's will become a major dilemma. That right there, in the midst of clattering trays and screaming children, issues of independence and gender identity will be weighed against the prospect that a child molester may be lurking in that restroom.

However decisive she may be at the office, she will second-guess herself constantly as a mother.

Looking at my attractive daughter, I want to assure her that eventually she will shed the pounds of pregnancy, but she will never feel the same about herself.

That her life, now so important, will be of less value to her once she has a child. That she would give herself up in a moment to save her offspring, but will also begin to hope for more years, not to accomplish her own dreams, but to watch her child accomplish theirs. I want her to know that a cesarean scar or shiny stretch marks will become badges of honor. My daughter's relationship with her husband will change, but not in the way she thinks.

I wish she could understand how much more you can love a man who is careful to powder the baby or who never hesitates to play with his child. I think she should know that she will fall in love with him again for reasons she would now find very unromantic.

I wish my daughter could sense the bond she will feel with women throughout history who have tried to stop war, prejudice and drunk driving.

I want to describe to my daughter the exhilaration of seeing your child learn to ride a bike I want to capture for her the belly laugh of a baby who is touching the soft fur of a dog or cat for the first time. I want her to taste the joy that is so real it actually hurts.

My daughter's quizzical look makes me realize that tears have formed in my eyes. 'You'll never regret it,' I finally say. Then I reached across the table, squeezed my daughter's hand and offered a silent prayer for her, and for me, and for all the mere mortal women who stumble their way into this most wonderful of callings.

Making of Twilight

2008-05-13T13:20:00.001-07:00

For those of you who have read Twilight by Stephenie Meyer you know what a great book it is. The movie is coming out in December and I am EXTREMELY excited to see it. The trailer came out recently, but I wanted to share this video that has a little more in depth look at the movie being made and some commentary from Stephenie herself.

Also, I just finished reading her new book, The Host. It is completely different from the Twilight books, but is still fantastic. I am a little obsessed with her books and for anyone else that feels the same, come join us at TwilightMoms.com, click on forum, and if you meet the criteria, please join, it is so fun to read everyone's thoughts.

Layouts

2008-05-13T12:47:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love digital scrapbooking. I am learning new things each time I make a layout and try to figure out how to do something new. It is such a great way to make pictures just a little cuter, add text, and be creative. I will be sharing many of my layouts here, and I am starting now with two layouts that I made today. I will add more as I make them and try to throw in a few that I have made in the past.

~ S ~