It's Thursday again!

so lets go with the Thursday 13!

1. painted my bathroom on Tuesday. it looks fresh and springy and light.

2. hope to get to the bedroom on Saturday. need to be done the whole clean up, organizing thing by Wednesday for the organizing challenge. nice to have a deadline, I work better that way.

3. my throat hurts. it started to yesterday, I was hoping it would go away, but it didn't. I don't feel like eating. probably a good thing!

4. spring is here! yay. light sweaters is all we need. we have pulled out the capris and sandals. love it.

5. have my passport almost ready to go. just need someone to sign it for me, then the dreaded trip down town. hopefully will be good to go at the end of June to Virgina, and a couple of days in NYC with my sister shelley. fun fun fun.

6. wow, I am having a hard time coming up with things to say today.

7. oh- just finished a book called the Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls. very interesting, I got sucked in. finished it in just a few days. try it!

8. I was sitting in my back yard envisioning what it could be- a patio set on the little patio- us enjoying suppers and lunches out there, a badminton net set up, lots of vegetables growing, and some beautiful flowers. hmm. looks nice, yes? now, how to go about it. the one big flower bed has a huge tree at the back of it that provides much shade. not good for growing the veggies, I think I got one or two carrots last year, but quite a few cucumbers. something else I hope to get better at- gardening.

9. book club tonight. we read the 5 people you meet in heaven. by Mitch Albom. very interesting. so stressful to pick a book for everyone to read. it was my turn last month, so I am good for a while.

10. I am making baked potato soup for supper tonight. my kids don't like it, but Cory and I do. so good. the potatoes are baking right now. then I make potato skins with the leftover skin, you scoop out the insides for the soup. apparently my skins have something to be desired. maybe I will have to research potato skins on the internet this afternoon. yum. I hope I feel like eating tonight!

11. also making bran muffins. the kind you make a big batch of and keep the dough ( I don't think that is the word, the mix- I don't know!) in the fridge and just bake them up as you need them. some of my kids eat them, but some don't. I think it is because of the raisins.

12.laundry. yep. can it never be done? that is the sad thing about it. when you think you are done, there is always more. yuck.

13. the last of our two original fish died this week. he was old. now we still have a bunch of snails, one tetra, sadie's fish Ariel, and Jack's fish- shadow. I have learned that I am not a pet person. even though I don't do anything for these fish, I will not be sad if they are all gone. nope, not at all.

Monday, monday

so good to me.
actually, not such a good day,
but not that bad either.

that van- that crazy van, wouldn't start. yuck. Cory vowed he would take it in on Friday. yay.

had to do a swatch of the paint colors, sorry that one is sideways, meant to fix that, but forgot,
that is the paint color the ensuite bathroom will be- it is called sea drops


then the bedroom, a shade darker, woodland mystery.
sounds nice!
who comes up with these names?
I would not be good at that.
I will have to take pictures when it is done- this week! the challenge is coming to an end, must get busy!





a friend of mine has a photography business, and 4 boys, and needed some girls to come and try out her new backdrop and dresses, so we agreed to it, and just got the pictures today. pretty nice! got a few smaller ones that I have scrapbooked some, and one for the grandmas!
If I can get Cory to get my scanner working I will scan those in tonight!
I am so not computer, (or any techonology for that matter), smart. I would like to learn more, someday.

Thursday thirteen

I was just reading on someones blog that did a thursday thirteen every thursday- 13 things. I thought that was a good idea.
so,
1. walking into my room makes me happy.
it is almost all clean. I tied up the sleeping bags that were in a huge pile, I even vacuumed- sadly, it has been a while, and now it makes me smile.

2. I am buying paint for that room on Saturday, and hopefully can paint next week.

3.is spring ever coming? it snowed last night and this morning. really, snow. the whole glbal warming thing? I am not feeling it.

4. I love cupcakes. love them.

5.making some hamburger soup for supper tonight. need some warm comfort food for a day like today.

6. as the mom dropped her daughter off at our house to be babysat today, the tv was on to clifford, and she said that she wished she could be home and watch clifford, and I smiled, and was glad that I got to be home and could watch clifford, if I so chose, which I didn't because that is when I was vacuuming. but the fact that I could have, was nice.

7.I scrapbooked one page on Saturday. wow, it has been a while. all my stuff is tucked deep in the depths of the boys closet, and doesn't come out much, but I am planning in my head a layout for the goodie box! must get busy!

8. hoping to make some banana cupcakes for the kids for afterschool. yum. I love cupcakes.- oh, wait, that was #4.

9. Ben is going on his first scout camp this Friday. hope it warms up. man, he is growing up too fast. had to fill in his choices for options for Junior high. he didn't want band. hmm. art was his first choice. not a surprise.

10. Jack hates piano. he was the one who wanted to take lessons, and after I told him over and over he would have to practice every day, and he agreed time and time again that he would, now he hates it. he says after his last lesson he is never touching the piano again. I bet he is the one who will play it the most all summer.

11.I could really use a nap.

12. etsy. oh, etsy. everytime I try to get in to my shop to change things up, maybe add an item or two, it won't let me. I don't know if that is because my time has expired, but I think they would let me know. I am so not a computer person, and cannot figure out these things. I think it is a great thing, that etsy. I just wish I could harness all the goodness, and sell something!

13. wow, coming up with 13 things was kind of hard. but good. I might have to keep that up!

off to make some soup and cupcakes, and if I have enough time, have a nap!

this week

-warmer weather
-bag of hand me downs- love it!
-time at the park
funnily, I found a fabulous place to take pictures, that I have walked past who knows how many times and never even knew it was there!

my house is in such a state - I just don't know where to start, so I usually choose not to start! ha ha.
how is the bedroom coming, you may ask?
very slowly.
I just need to spend a bunch of time in there, and get it done. I usually just pick up a few things, put them away, then move on.
must focus!
the van is starting now, thank goodness! we really should get a professional to look at it! but in the mean time, I am going to always have a stroller in the back in case of having to walk across town again. would be much easier with little Maggie in a stroller.
okay, 15 minutes in the bedroom, now! really!

a warning, a complaint, and a cute baby

first the warning.
these are dangerous.
dangerously delicious.
in my opinion.
I will not be held responsible for weight gained from eating them- I think what is gone from this pan- I ate - no, actually I put some in the freezer and ate them the next day.
that good.
okay,
so I will share the recipe. because they are so good.

Eatmore bars- got it from a Sobeys flyer, so they tell you you have to use their brand stuff, but I will just give you the basics, and you can use whatever brand of stuff you like!
3/4 c honey
1c peanut butter
1 c chocolate chips
4 c crispy rice cereal
10 large marshmallows.
melt honey and peanut butter on stove top or in microwave. bring to a boil. remove from heat and add chocolate chips and marshmallows until melted. add rice cereal. pat firmly into 9x9 inch pan. cut into squares and enjoy,
- but make sure you share them. soooooo good.


a cute baby. isn't he sweet.
I am loving taking pictures lately, but realizing that I have so much to learn about my camera and lighting, and how to do things right.
but it is fun.


now for my complaint.
went to do a bunch of running around this morning. groceries, sending off some pictures- to you Heather, if you read this- they are on their way! my last stop was the post office and library, which are right behind each other.
in and out, had to hurry. just enough time to get home to the boys and have lunch.
dumb van would not start.
I just filled it up with gas- in all my running around.
and here it wouldn't start for me.
how rude. so I call on my handy cell phone for Cory. he's not at work, he's not at home. where is the man when I need him?
I call the school- kids are already gone home.
no key at the house, doors are locked.
must get a key hidden for the boys for occasions such as this.
so,, Jack called me from the school to see what was going on, and he said it was okay, they would just eat at the school. a mercy lunch from the supplies the principle has on hand for occasions such as this.
the sad thing is this is the second time- you might recall a previous post on me not being here for lunch time. that time was my fault, this time, not my fault at all.
so me and the girls walked all across town to get home just in time to get Sadie a sandwich and get her to school on time. crazy stuff. my feet hurt. should have worn my walking shoes.
I am just hoping cory will check his messages at work, or show up at home soon so I can get the groceries out of the back of the van!
and I think we need to get it a little tune up. this is rediculous!

for Kayli

my favorite kissing picture for Kayli's challenge! two of my sisters showing Jed the love. so funny.

a challenge, a picture, a happy easter.

these pictures,
yep, I am embarrassed by them.
that my house could be in such a sad state.
like at the beginning of clean sweep,
i always wonder how people can live like that-
well, here it is, my bedroom.
horrible.
but, it is going to change this month. I am joining a challenge-
to organize this room.
all thanks to the organizing junkie!


this room will be tranformed into the bedroom of my dreams.
well, probably not, but hopefully it will be clean.
I mean, yes, it will be clean.
I must add- it isn't always this bad.
a lot of it is due to the basement renovations,
but that will take a while, so I might as well deal with this now, as live like this for a few months.
right? right.
I will do it!




the weather this weekend was crazy.
we had snow the whole way driving down south.
Friday was cold. cold cold, very cold. so, pictures that were scheduled for that day did not happen. well, I did happen to take a bunch of two super cute girls, here's one of them.

for our family pictures we decided to see what Saturday was going to be like, and it was warmer, but still a cold wind. and an uncooperative husband. yes, you Cory. you know it!
then, wouldn't you know it,
sunday was gorgeous. kids played outside all afternoon with no sweaters, a few with no shoes. warm. like it should be. yep. then we went home.
I was sad not to get our family pictures done, but we will, oh yes, we will.






we had a easter egg hunt in the school in stirling. Maggie was so funny. she only found a few eggs, then just sat and ate all the goodies from inside. as happy as could be. love it.

happy Easter!

the snow is melting- hurray!

we're going to Grandma's for easter- yay!

taking some pictures and getting some taken.

a long drive,

but the dvd player is fixed and we have season one of Smallville that we are all looking forward to watching.

should be a good time!

April?!?

looking out my window,
I would think hmmm-
November, February maybe
nope, it's April. and there is snow,
and slippery roads
and they say highway travel is not recommended.
crazy stuff.

so, on Sunday, we were talking about sushi-
asking the kids what it was made of,
if they wanted some-
Ben started freaking out- he really dind't want to have to eat sushi ( he is really quite picky) then I pulled out these beauties,
and the protests continued, till Jack looked closer and realized it was rice krispies, fruit by the foot and gummy worms. haha. april fools day!
thanks Shelley! then the kids just couldn't get enough of them. they were really quite good!

then, since this weekend was general conference, I had the time to sit and finish a few things-
a little sweater for my new nephew Kai,
a scarf for my niece,
and all the while being inspired to be a better person by the leaders of the church!
what a weekend.