13

1. wow. last day of 2009. this year went by fast!

2. Ben is heading to his first youth dance tonight- the new years eve dance. I hope he has fun. and asks girls to dance. I think we need to have a little chat before the dance. give him some pointers. from a girls point of view.

3. I guess 14 is too old for matchy matchy christmas eve pajamas. I think maybe the bulldogs on the pants had something to do with it. but a mom has to try, you know?

I thought maybe, when the other kids all put theirs on and said they were so comfy, that he might just go for it, but no.

4. we are heading out to party hardy like its 2009!

5. but not until Christmas is put away. and the house is cleaned up.

6. oh wait- we might never get to the party!

7. Cory went on a cleaning spree after Christmas and cleaned up our room.

he cleaned it up good.

so far it has stayed clean.

now we just need to branch out to the rest of the house!

8. I did clean up the girls room really clean yesterday.

today it is a bit messy, but nothing that can't be tidied up in 2 minutes.

now, if only we can keep those two rooms clean, we might have a chance with the rest of the house!

9. so- want to know my resolutions for 2010? well, I am going to share a few-

I really want to buy less stuff.

and get rid of more stuff.

and use more of the stuff I already have.

reduce, reuse, and recycle the stuff!

that is the big one!

10. of course, on every ones list- lose some weight. haha. but seriously.

that treadmill is going to be worn out this year, baby! or my shoes. whichever goes first.

11. I want to have more fun. be more fun. do fun stuff. fun.

12. I want my kids to be nicer to each other.

oh wait, I think that is just a far off dream. I am hoping when they are adults they will all get along nicely. maybe.

13. alright, I best get off the computer, put Christmas away, pack up for the weekend, and clean like it's the end of the year.

oh wait, it is!

happy new year!

delicious and mysterious

so, you may be wondering what we did for our neighbors and friends for Christmas this year.

well- wonder no longer!

we printed off a bunch of our christmas mustache pictures,

I bought a mustache sucker mold online somewhere,

made up a bunch of these delicious things-

(here are a few of my kids demonstrating what to do- before quickly devouring them!)

mysterious, no?

so, anyways, we bagged up the 'staches, punched a hole in the corner of the picture, and attached it with a bit of twirly ribbon!

so fun!

and funny.

Merry, or hairy. you decide!

Do you have room?

Last week we had a Relief Society social.

it was a wine and cheese night-

non- alcoholic wine, and cheese cake, of course!

there were more women there than I have seen at a RS event in a long, long time,

which is wonderful!

anyways,

we listened to a song- sorry, I should have found out info to share, but I didn't.

it was beautiful.

about finding room in our lives for the Savior,

or do we just move on in living our lives, and not let Him in.

made me think.

and want to make more room for Him.

we got a sweet smelling ornament to take home- with a little note attached-

Do you have room for the Savior?

something to think about.

especially important right now. are presents and food the most important thing about Christmas? I have to say- that has been most of my focus lately.

need to change that a bit.

to the real meaning of Christmas.

Christ.

sweet Sunday

the last Sunday before Christmas.

a beautiful Sacrament meeting.

the girls wore their christmas outfits.

this year, I went the easy route.

made them some twirly skirts,

and some matching ruffle t-shirts.

easy peasy, and still cute.

I chose to not use Christmassy fabric- so it would be wearable all year, but it would have been fun to have a Christmas one.

there is always next year, right?

here is Maggie modelling her ensemble.

Sadie went to a friends house after church and was unavailable for the photo shoot.

what's that in Maggie's hand, you ask?

why- it is a huge sucker she got from primary.

need a cute, closer look?

here-
my first thought when I saw that all the kids had gotten one of these sugary delights was cute photo prop-

but Jed's was opened, and chomped on so fast this is what I got-
(oops, Maggies shirt needs a little trim. there is a stray thread there. just ignore that , and focus on the sugar!)

so Sadie was gone, Jed was chomping, so that left Maggie with a full sucker, and a cute picture.

it was a sweet Sunday, indeed.

13

1. well only one more day of school- boo,

but only one more day of seminary- yay!

2. and only 8 more days until Christmas.

how did this happen?

I am not ready!

3. I think what is really holding me back from feeling ready is wrapping up the stocking gifts. such a piddly job. I have been putting it off. but, I am watching a friend's child this afternoon for her, and she is watching Maggie tomorrow afternoon for me, so I think I will buckle down, and get those things wrapped up, so I can feel ready for Christmas to be here!

4. our kids draw names for who they can get gifts for,

and this year I am encouraging them all to make gifts for each other-

mostly because I had ideas of things I wanted to make, but I really didn't need to give them more gifts, and they are all pretty easy things that they could do, or do with a bit of help!

and it was mostly stuff I have already =no $ spent, which is always a good thing in my book!

5. I have always wanted to try freezer paper stenciling, so a bunch of the kids are doing t-shirts for each other!- this is one that Maggie did for Sadie. okay, I did it, Maggie painted a tiny bit,

but isn't it fun?

6. Jed is making some picture block puzzles for Maggie- I think she will love them!7. Jack is making some fun shirts for Jed, and I still have to find out what Ben wants to do for Jack, but I have a fun idea for a shirt. should be good!

8. I had to get some groceries yesterday, so I started a list, and then Jack added on a couple of things (he's not my best speller)

and then someone- I know who, added on the last item.
sadly they didn't have any of those at the grocery store.

he really wants a synthesizer. funny boy.

9. it finally warmed up here- I think we are at around -10, with a high of 0 today.

it feels so nice. really.

10. I am putting off doing a bunch of Christmas baking, because I know that I will do too much Christmas eating.

so delish. no control. it's a problem.

11. alright, must get on with my day, try to stay off the computer, and actually get things done.

12. Ben has actually requested that I knit him a hat, so I am working on that- trying to make a cool one! - we shall see if he even wears it.

13. and I knit one mitten for maggie a bit ago, need to get the second one done. so much to do!

fun

I bought two of these fun big ornaments at Ikea a couple of weeks ago, and hung them up outside our front door.

so cute!

I might have to go back and get some of the striped ones!

Sunday

On Sunday Sadie was baptized.

it was a very nice day.
I made her a dress out of my wedding dress.

it turned out well, but I should have made a size smaller!

A whole bunch of family came out,

and we are so grateful.

on Sunday Edmonton was the coldest city in all of Canada,

and let me tell you, it was cold!

I wish I would have taken a picture of the cupcakes- I made rainbow ones,

and they took a long time to make, and I am not sure that I would ever do that again,

so I am sad that I didn't take a picture!

What a good day, and a good girl!

Love you Sadie!

13

1. sometimes my teenage boy is quite the moody one, and has quite an attitude.

I hear girls are worse.

and I am very afraid for the future.

2. big Christmas shopping trip planned for tonight.

using up the PC banking points!

I love it! stuff for nothing. perfect!

3. counting down the days-
( this picture was taken a couple of days ago- we really are on the right day!)

it was so fun to see this exact countdown thing (the right word is escaping me) hanging on the wall in a house in a movie. I believe it was 4 Christmases, but don't quote me on that! - if you watch that movie keep an eye out for this advent! (there, I remembered the word!)

4. I found a few blogs that I am quite enjoying- thought I would share-

ashley ann . cute stuff. cute girl! I love her house!

5. supablogga. super cute!

6. focus jennie so fun. and cute. of course, you knew I would say that, right?

(I added all three of these to my links on my side bar. just so you know!)

7. what? everyone doesn't have strawberry shortcake girls on their trees?

It is the favorite play place for little girls and their dolls, and littlest pet shops- what with those little magnets in their feet, they stick to the wire branches quite nicely! ( I think they pretend they are camping in the woods. so fun!)

8. snowy and cold. that is what it is around here lately. right now it is only about -14, and that is feeling not so bad right about now. sadly.

it is supposed to go back down to -30 by Sunday.

brrr.

9. speaking of Sunday, a certain newly 8 year old girl I know is being baptized!
10. and her dress is done! yay! and the food has been decided on. yay!

11. Getting my Christmas cards ready to mail out. Karalee, if you are reading this- I am not sure if I have your current address- I tried to email you, but it didn't work! let me know!

(it is really just a picture, and I will post it on my blog soon, so you can all see it!)

12. Maggie is wearing some fuzzy polar fleece pajamas, the kind with the feet attached, and she doesn't want to take them off and get dressed, because they are so warm.

I don't blame her one bit!

13. alright, time to get off the computer and do some cleaning.

yuck. a necessary evil. that is usually avoided, but sadly can only be avoided for so long.

push

well, 2 parties, two birthdays, 2 cakes, and a batch of cupcakes,

all within 4 days.

a ton of snow,

a party at the pool.

stuck in the snow in the pool parking lot- not once but twice.

(good thing I had a van full of strong 12 year olds (and a 13 year old))

they got me out no problem.

(except one of those times when 2 other people came and pushed as well!)

such fun.

okay,

now if I can just figure out what to serve for lunch at Sadie's baptism next week, finish her dress, and figure out a program,

then I can think about Christmas.

any ideas of easy lunches for large groups?

please share!

thirteen silly things

1. wow, I just realized it's thursday! this week is flying by. Actually I knew it was thursday, it just hit me that it is thursday, and I haven't blogged yet!

2. we had a birthday party here for Sadie yesterday.

I remembered that I don't really like birthday parties.

I think I am partied out.

3. it is Sadie's 8th birthday, and Jack's 12th birthday tomorrow.

they are my twins born 4 years apart. crazy stuff.

4. so, what do I do when they both want something different for dinner?

(it is tradition to have whatever the birthday person wants for supper on their birthday)

5. except Ben never gets what he wants. always a big turkey dinner.

(his birthday is on Christmas day)- but usually on boxing day he gets whatever he wants.

6. I need a nap really bad.

I am always tired. always. and usually in bed by 9:00.

darn seminary!

7. I am so glad it is Friday tomorrow because that means game day in seminary, then that means Saturday the next day, and I can sleep in. hurray!

8. another sewing night at my sister's house planned for tonight.

those should be some well dressed dolls around here!

9. so, I think every year I plan on being all ready for Christmas by the end of November, and then December comes around and I am not ready. it is no exception this year. not ready at all.

okay, I am ready a little bit, but still lots more to do.

10. but really, if I was all ready for Christmas, what would I do in December? sit and read by the fire, and drink hot chocolate all day long?

oh, that sounds really nice actually. okay, next year, ready by the end of November!

11. who am I kidding? like I don't always have a few dozen projects on the go no matter what time of the year it is! or new hats I want to knit, or new dresses I want to sew, or scrapbooking I really need to get back to or.....

12. Maggie and I, and my sister hit the Bulk Barn that just opened up in Edmonton today.

I got some fun snowflake sprinkles. and when I was down south I hit the one in Lethbridge and got some holly and berry sprinkles! now I need to make some sugar cookie dough and get decorating! so fun!

13. alright, I am going to finish up some stuff in the kitchen and see if I can catch a small nap before supper time!- one can always hope!

and I quote-

the sun will come out. tomorrow.

the sky is grey.

I got a negative feedback on etsy

(that is so not my fault- the person never paid. like I am going to send them something when they haven't paid. and I did try to contact them. several times.)

I am tired.

and grumpy.

I pulled out my Christmas decorations and my nativity snow globe that I loved is broken.

and now maggie is pulling out all sorts of stuff.

like Christmas threw up in my living room.

and have a house that needs cleaned.

and no gumption to do it.

but-

the weekend was so fun.

I spent it with my mother-in-law, and my sisters-in-law.

we saw new moon.

(let me just say that I always did like Jacob. and still do. yowsa.)

I get to see my aunt this afternoon.

then I think I will have a nap.

and then I think things will feel better.

it's not so bad.

I think I will have some spinach dip for lunch.

that sounds really good to me.

stuff

1. we no longer have internet connection on our pc, so I am on the mac, where I know nothing about pictures and stuff, so my posts will be pictureless for a while-

until I figure out the apple,

or we get wireless onto the pc.

2. more sewing planned for tonight. Need to get those dolls some cute outfits!

3. girl's weekend coming up.

so excited.

4. New Moon! I am going. can't wait!

5. I am bringing along some scrapbooking stuff.

(on the weekend-but not to new moon- in case that is what you thought I might mean!)

it has been way, way too long since I have even looked at pictures and paper at the same time.

6. looking at blogs today I am really sad that it isn't thanksgiving up here. yummy turkey and pumpkin pie. I think if I was going to be home this weekend I would cook up a turkey just because. Happy Thanksgiving to you Americans!

(and find some great deals at the stores tomorrow!- one of these years I am going to hit black friday!)

7. I guess I will keep the turkey in my freezer until Christmas.

8. which is now less than a month away.

9. does that freak anyone else out like me? lots to do! stuff to make, and buy, and cook, and decorate!

10. I am so excited to put up our tree!

I bought a new-er one at a garage sale over the summer- it is a pre lit one! I can't wait to take it out of the box and set it up and see what it is like!

and then, if it is not so great, we will pull out our old one, and the lights. fun. not.

11. whoever invented pre lit trees was a genius. seriously. what a great idea. I am amazed at people and the things they come up with.

12. I got a hair cut. and it is cute. maybe I can figure out how to put a picture up sometime soon!

13. had parent teacher interviews for all the kids this past week.

good reports for all four.

makes a mother proud.

(it is so nice to hear that your kids are good from other people. so nice.)

the vortex

do you ever think that if you could just stay off the computer, how much stuff you could get done?

I do.

but here I am.

on the computer.

finding more ideas, and craft things,

and gifts to make.

instead of finishing the ones I have started, and doing the ones I have bought stuff for.

silly me.

silly computer.

sucks me in.

like a vortex.

must get out.

and get stuff done.

help!

the girls

in the mail a while ago, we got a little catalogue.
not rare, at this time of year.
flyers, and catalogues everywhere.
but this particular one caught Sadie's eye.
it was the Maplelea girl catalogue

beautiful dolls, yes. nice clothes- no doubt.
but that price tag- yikes.
for a doll?
sorry - but I won't spend more for an outfit for a doll than I do for myself.
so, I was thinking maybe ebay.
maybe an american girls doll. we aren't too picky around here!
but all the ones I saw, and bid on went too high.
and once you add shipping- way too much. so sorry sweet sadie.
but then,
my sister.
who is a deal finder.
found these- Springfield dolls
at Micheals.
for about 1/4 of the price. - and yes, I know not all the same quality, but they are dolls- and will get tossed around, and I don't want to be freaking out every time I see them holding them by their $100 hair! know what I mean?
and of course we use the 40 or 50% off coupons whenever we shop there!
(because this poor little doll comes without clothes!)
so, I decided this year both girls will get a doll.
they can play together that way
(that is the plan, anyways)
so, every time I hit Micheals now, I use the coupon for some fun accessories for these girls-
so far I have a pair of glasses and some crocs.
and my sister and I have spent a couple of nights sewing outfits for these poor naked dolls.
now I need to find a fun case to keep the clothes in.

and that is my story of dolls,
and thriftyness,
and what they are getting for Christmas.

13

1. last night at dinner, we were talking about what the boys did at scouts the night before.
Jack said he learned about hypothermia, and hyperthermia. I asked what hyperthermia was, and Jack said it's when you are too hot, and you need medical help, and then Ben pipes in- then call me a doctor!
so funny.

2.Maggie asked me to make some playdough for her today, so I was making it,
and she was asking if I was doing it, then walked past me and saw that I was, and said- good mom.
silly girl.

3. in seminary there is a family that is consistently late. quite late actually.
so today when they came in, I said- you guys need to turn your clocks ahead 20 minutes,
and one kid said- that was rude-
and I was kind of confused about how that was rude- but just said- okay, your alarms need to be set earlier.

4. then I was sitting here at home and thought about what I should have said.
something about how coming in 20 minutes late to my class is rude.

5. why do I always think of these things so late?
darn it!

6. Maggie keeps asking me how many days there are until Christmas. Maybe we should have an advent that counts down from November instead of just December.

7. only 36 days left. just so you know. if your kid asks you!

8. what?! 36! that is not very many. and I have to think of a few birthdays between now and then.
yikes!

9. Sadie wants to have a Hannah Montana party. but she has a few friends that are boys that we are going to invite. is that okay? will boys be annoyed? I am thinking we will play freeze dancing- to Hannah songs, of course, and I bought some guitar shaped papers that they will decorate and stuff. I do have a bunch of Hannah Montana stuff I picked up at the dollar store, and liquidation world, that I hope the boys will be okay with! I can think of one boy who will probably put up a stink, but the other 2 will be fine with it- I think. hmm.

10. another sewing night planned for tonight at my sisters house! can't wait! (I think the girls will love it!)

11. I spent the afternoon crafting and chatting with a sweet friend who I am "helping" make a dress for her adorable little girl. really I am just her moral support. but she was doing so great, and her dress is going to be so super cute!

12. and now we are off to another volley ball game. luckily it is local.

13. I made some cookies, but they taste a bit off. darn it. I hate that. a whole load of sugar and chocolate chips wasted. well, the kids say they taste fine. so I guess that is a good thing. for me. and my hips.

saturday

this past saturday was sister saturday at our church.
the same as the old super saturdays,
but now under a different name.
(I have no idea why, but whatever!)
a day of crafting, and a delicious lunch- I am all over it!

so, I was asked to do a little display about neighbor/teacher/friend gifts.
fun!
so, this is what I did-

(I really wish I had more stuff on the table- but who knew that the grocery store I shop at had no sprite, and no jolly ranchers? not me!
and I was tired of shopping by then, so this is what it was!)

and this is the page that was handed out, with some fun ideas. all courtesy of the internet.
oh, sweet internet. how I love thee.


it was kind of fun to find a bunch of ideas-

(Ben saw my list and said they are all so cheesy. yes, they are cheesy, but they are fun!)

I personally am going with the jolly rancher idea this year. feel free to copy! after all, I got the idea from somewhere out in cyber world! so fun. (as long as I can find some! just not at my grocery store!)

today

1. we hit the library earlier this week, I found a book that I thought might interest Jed- (he doesn't really like to read)- but he read that book most of the day, and into the next.

2. but I am pretty sure he hasn't picked it up since then. silly boy. he told me he knows how it ends.

3. I vacuumed the floor in my craft room yesterday. wow. what a difference. just doing that made it seem so much cleaner in there. - there were a lot of thread bits and yarn bits all over that floor.

4. but it still needs a lot more cleaning/organizing. I am hoping to finish up some projects that are taking up space in there-- that will make it seem way cleaner!

5. especially if I can get the ones on my table done that have been sitting there for a while. It will be nice to be able to use that table to cut on, or work on. someday. hopefully soon!

6. I have big plans for the girls for Christmas. which involve a bunch of sewing. I am heading to my sister's house tonight to get started! I am so excited.

7. I really hope the girls love them! (I will share more later.)

8. I am happy there is no snow- because no snow makes for good roads, but I kind of wish there was some snow- makes it seem a bit more like winter, you know?

9. does anyone else feel this way? or am I just crazy.

10. anyone else getting Christmas on the brain? My sisters were getting a package ready to send to our parents for Christmas, so I had to work on getting stuff ready for them. kind of nice to have it done. I will show you what I did later- after I know my mom has seen it- because I know she reads this! (hi mom!)

11. I bought a Christmas tree at a garage sale this summer- a pre lit one, so I am kind of itching to put it up, and see how it looks- I think it has some pine cones on it, and some fake snow stuff, so I am not too sure how it will all be- but if nothing else, we can put it down in the basement! it was only $5.

12. but- must wait a couple more weeks. decorations can go up December 1st! ( I think I was anxious one year and put them up a bit earlier, but by the time Christmas came, I was already tired of them.

13. alright- I should go hop in the shower. the cable guy is supposed to be stopping by to pick up something this morning, and I should probably be somewhat presentable. maybe.

so far-

- one quilt top that has been almost done for a long time is now done!
- only a couple of extra jobs given out yesterday.
- none so far today.
- a knitted that (for a friends grandbaby) that has been in progress for a while now is now done!
- hoping to start (and finish) christmas skirts for the girls today.

not a bad week so far.
thank goodness!

Fall break

The kids are home for a week.

which means sleeping in! yay.

and fighting kids to deal with. boo.

I am hoping to get a bit of deep cleaning done around here-

what with having five captive slaves around all day!

(actually, I think I am going to make a list of jobs, and whenever a kid gets in trouble, they have to pick a job to do! genius.)

my to do list is long,

hoping to get a early jump on some Christmas stuff,

and catch up on a lot of half done projects.

we will see if we can all make it through this week alive.

and sane.

hmm.

13

thirteen things I learned today while driving some kids to a volleyball game:

1.Vegreville is far away.

2. even farther than the town the team they played came from, but apparently that team doesn't have a gym. what? yes. no gym.

3. teams that have no gym are easy to beat. - our team is not the best, but they totally rocked today!

4. the only way to kill Jason is to kill him underwater.

5. the only way to kill wolverine is to take away his mutation stuff, ( I think the boys used other terms)then kill him.

6. I think that is the one, I could be a bit mixed up. don't quote me on this stuff. I was just the driver.

7. some kids play a lot of video games.

8. and a lot of those games are war games.

9. my poor kids are so deprived.

10. and will continue to be so deprived.

11. some boys don't hate abba.

12. they might try to convince you to stop at a&w, but if instead you stop at tim hortons and get some tim bits, that might be okay too.

13. I am so glad that is their last away game. (and they way they played this season- I wouldn't be surprised if it was their last game ever!)

Saturday, October 31

we had a Jack in the box. get it? haha a sweet little red riding hood. (I need to share a picture of her with the little pantaloons I made to go along with this costume- so cute) she got so many comments while trick or treating about how cute she looked!
a vampire. scary.

and what is supposed to be Marie Antionette- it came with a white wig, but it looked a bit wonky, so we just went with an up do. I really should have gotten her a tiara- then she would be an obvious princess, but that is what most people thought, and it worked for us.

(there is a hoop in the skirt of the dress, so it stood out a bunch. pretty fun)

and lunch that day-

this is our usual halloween lunch. so fun.-

just cut up the bottom of the hotdog, into 8 pieces, then boil them, and they will curl up like this. so fun!

and here is some of the loot, all sorted and organized.

yummy chocolate bars. so delish.

what a great halloween- and it wasn't even too cold. hurray for that!

fourteen for friday?

1. sorry I missed yesterday. the first thursday thirteen I have missed in a while! so to make it up to you, I will do fourteen on Friday.

2. so, since halloween is on a Saturday this year, school celebrations are happening today. Maggie and I headed over to watch the costume parade.
some of those costumes are so creative. some not so much. when will that scream mask guy ever go away?

3. I am a bit dissappointed in myself this year. I am a big believer in homemade costumes as opposed to store bought cheapness.
well, this year, 2 out of 3 are in store bought stuff.
I hang my head in shame.

4. The costume Sadie is wearing looked so cute in the store. on her in the school hallway- well, I was thinking- what was I thinking? should have saved my half price money.

6. which brings me to another thought. why is halloween stuff mostly half off before halloween is even over? well, I am really not complaining, since the day after halloween is Sunday and I won't be shopping, I am glad to get it cheaper now! except the candy. I might have to head out on Monday and see how picked over it is.

7. Last year I went to walmart the day after halloween- I think- it could have been 2 days after, I am not sure, but there was no sign that halloween ever happened, Christmas had taken over. crazy stuff.

8. I bought these super cute little magnetic spiders- on sale, of course, to stick on our front door for halloween. (our door is made of metal, so it was perfect!- here is maggie keeping her eye on one!

9. and here are the rest, invading!10. I went into one store on Wednesday, and saw this cute halloween tree- but thought I will wait until after halloween until it is half price, then snatch it up. well, really, I only had to wait one day, and go to the same store, but at a different location- and there it was, half off. so I can enjoy it this halloween. I think I need to think of some cute little ornaments I can hang on the branches.
11. It looks like the bottom is crazy, but those are just legs from a big spider that is behind the tree. just so you know. in case you were wondering.

12. candy jar almost full of candy corn. must be halloween!

13. a vampire! ahhh!

walking so fast past me in the school hallway-

so this is what I got!

freaky.

14. I got to go on a trip with Cory this week- he had a business trip, and I tagged along. and basically shopped for 2 days. good times.

so, I picked up this little ring for me- for fun.

fake, of course, but still fun.

I looked down today, and one of the stones fell out.

my diamond!

oh, I mean, my cubic zirconia!

I guess you get what you pay for!

maybe it will turn up somewhere and I can crazy glue it back in!

because I am very fancy like that!

pretty lucky

want to see some pretty pictures of my pretty girls?

if you answered yes,

go here

(I am lucky I have a real photographer as a friend-

and super lucky that she loves to photograph babies, and use hats, and wraps and stuff, and that she lets me use the pictures in my etsy shop!

super lucky!)

weird

why do some people- say on etsy,

say, I really like such and such- say maybe a certain hat,

but they ask if maybe it can be made without a certain thing,

but then when you say yes,

they say, okay, can I have one made, but with the very part they asked if you could make it without, and then proceed to ask if you could make the rest of the hat completely different?

are you sure that is the hat you want?

weird.

but I guess I am glad they came to my shop.

I had better get knitting!

today

today is my birthday!
the kids keep asking me "how old are you, again?"
and I have to think for a second.
then I have a moment of shock.
woah. 36.
closer to 40 than 30.
getting up there!
but it is all good.
I made some fresh salsa I am going to eat a lot of.
and an ice cream cake I will probably eat a lot of too!
but I am allowed, right?

because it's my birthday!

yay!

Thursday, again?

1. is it just me, or are the days just flying by lately?

2. I made some dessert for Cory's birthday, then the left overs got put into a margarine container, and put in the fridge. then the past couple of days when I have pulled out the margarine for supper, there is the dessert. then it gets put back, and forgotten again.

3. today it will not be forgotten!

4. I love that Jack is on his school volley ball team.

5. I don't love that he has away games that he needs rides too.

6. darn that they had to get rid of the whole big school van- for team use.

actually I doubt that this school ever had one, but it sure would be very handy sometimes.

like today, after school, for instance.

7. no school tomorrow. why? I can't say. - well some teacher something day- whatever!

but I can say I am very excited to not have to wake up at 5:30 in the morning. yay!

8. the rest of the day might not be so great, but at least we can all sleep in!

9. and, if I can stay awake that late, I can actually stay up and watch my Thursday night shows!

(I usually watch them online early in the next week)

10. I had Sadie clean up her room the other day. she didn't do too well on her own- she just kind of stands there and doesn't know what to do. I have to come in and say- pick that up, now put it where it goes. now pick up that other thing, and put it away. silly girl.

so anyways, we had it picked up pretty good.

today- well, you wouldn't even know we did anything. so crazy.

11. I think it doesn't help that most of the toys come in sets with tiny pieces- polly pockets, barbies- a million pieces- and little shoes, oh, those shoes!

12. alright- once again, my to do list today is quite lengthy, so I must tear myself away from the computer, and get on with real life.

13. groceries, post office, speech therapy- just a small sampling of my day! such fun.

happy thursday!

leg warmers

chilly days call for warmer clothing-
and since skirts are a big part of little wardrobes around here,
I have been eyeing the cute little leg warmers that are out there-
then I found a tutorial somewhere on the internet,
and found a cheap pair of socks-
snip, sew, and voila- funky little leg warmers.
now I think I need to go pick up another pair of socks for another pair of legs!
so fun!

Banff

we headed to Banff on the weekend,
because Cory was running in a relay race.
we stayed in a hotel.
that is always a fun thing.
especially when there are 2 tv's, so the kids can watch different shows!
what fun.

then, race time.
it was a bit rainy and chilly.
and Cory was running the longest leg of the relay.
and we stalked him.
the other people running close to him thought we were crazy, I am sure.

we would wait for him at a spot, then drive ahead, and wait for him at another spot.
the kids even got in on the running action!I don't know if there is a more beautiful place to run a race!
okay, maybe hawaii. but that would be really hot.

the kid's favorite part of Banff, and the weekend-

the candy store!

yum!

today

1. I am going to do something with that big box of apples I have sitting on my counter-

2. I am thinking some apple pie filling and some apple sauce.

3. I need to find my canner. hmm. a trek out to the garage is in order.

4. maybe more shovelling. but I think it is supposed to warm up, so maybe I will just let it melt.

5. another trip to the post office- to mail off some etsy packages.

yay for etsy!

6. some knitting- once again- etsy!

7. hopefully get those wedding pictures onto a cd, and delivered to the happy couple. yes. it was almost a month ago. shame on me.

8. laundry. always laundry.

9. find some super fun, fabulous game to play in seminary tomorrow. anyone have any great ideas?

10. buy a bottle of rootbeer for ben- I told my seminary kids that if they memorized the scripture mastery in 2 Nephi:48, I would buy them a bottle of pop, and Ben did it!

it is a long one- about eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow, we die...

11. we have a cd with the scripture mastery's all to songs, so that definitely helped him learn it, so that is good.

12. must remember to pick up Jack early from school and get him over to where his volley ball game will be! -they are playing a school that doesn't have a gym, so the game is at the big city gym, and Jack is pretty sure they will win. I told him you never know. they could be a super team in disguise!

13. but first, get the kids up, and off to school. good times!

Happy Thursday!

the weekend

a big pile of coats= lots of people

which means lots of food.

so delicious.

the only problem with having thanksgiving dinner at someone elses house is that we have no leftover turkey. I think I might have to pull the turkey out of our freezer, and cook up a belated thanksgiving dinner, so we can go through the turkey casseroles, and turkey soup, and turkey sandwiches. yum!

Thursday

1. on the radio they were saying that of adults surveyed, 47% said that "whatever" is the most annoying word/phrase used in conversation.

2. to that I say "whatever"!



3. last week we had a pile of leaves on our yard. Maggie and I headed out there. I tried to get her to jump in them. this is what I got.




4. you would think I was asking her to eat them or something!
little stinker!
(I think she just didn't want to get leaves in her shoes!)



5. this is out my door this morning:





snow!


6. I pulled out the boots and the coats. now to find the hats. yikes!


7. hopefully it will warm up a bit again- after all, that big pile of leaves is still on the front lawn, and needs to be cleaned up!


8. I am so looking forward to a 3 day weekend.

9. especially sleeping in for 3 days.

10. oh, and turkey. I love turkey. and mashed potatoes and gravy and stuffing. okay, mostly just food in general. yay for thanksgiving!

11. but most especially yay for pumpkin pie! yummy!

12. but sad that my mom and dad won't be here. and we sisters have to cook the whole meal! yikes. but it will be good. and we will wish my mom and dad were here, but be happy for where they are.

13. and from what I hear, they will wish they were here eating with us- in my moms last email she said for supper they had some spagetti, and spam. and that was a good meal.
yikes.
yep, turkey sounds really, really good!

the wedding

first I asked him to whisper something in her ear- then I asked her to whisper in his ear-

heehee.

there was something about this picture I really liked. I think it is their real happiness. a lot of their pictures were forced smiles- you know, the wedding smiles, but these were real smiles.

and I know- I have so much to learn about editing, and photography. sharp images, better black and white conversions- but here is where I am at now. hopefully I will just get better!

a good read

if you want a good book to read, may I suggest this one:

but if you haven't read the Hunger Games, read it first.

then read Catching Fire.

it is good. Cory read it in about 24 hours. I read it in just over 24 hours.

and now we have to wait for the third book in the trilogy to come out. - but it won't be for a while, since the second one just came out last month. darn it. I want it right now! I need to know how it all ends!

and I do believe there is a movie in the works. (but it will never be as good as the books- you know how it is.)

good books.

if you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up! - or put your name on the long hold list at the library. you will not be disappointed. I hope.

random stuff

- I made cupcakes yesterday, because I had some left over icing that needed to be used.
I didn't have enough icing for all the cupcakes though, so now I need to make more icing. then I will need more cupcakes for that icing.
vicious, but delicious, cycle.

-watching general conference on the internet- with a fire in the fire place, while knitting= a very nice Sunday.
too bad conference is only twice a year!

-Jack made the volleyball team! here is a fuzzy picture Ben took at one of Jack's games. he's the one looking back, in the blue and white shirt. nice!
they won that game- against on of the other junior highs from our city. it was a happy day.

- video chatted with my folks again last night. so fun. we were just finished supper, and they were just getting breakfast-
just like that oreo commercial, with the dad and the kid. fun stuff.

okay, I was sticking to my kitchen floor this morning, so top on my to do list is get the floors mopped. such fun around here today.
(and I think when I am done I will reward myself with a cupcake! why not!)

13

1. yay, it's October.

2. I am loving the leaves falling, the colors and everything, but I know it will probably be done in less than a week, and then everything will be brown and blah.

3. I also love to hear the geese honking as they fly past. very much a sign of autumn around here!

4. I had someone contact me on etsy to make a red hat for her daugher who wants to be a gnome for halloween! I love it! I love when someone requests something special, and I can make it for them! 5. Maggie and I headed to the library earlier this week, and I thought we should find some halloween books, and we picked up this one- Woo! the not-so-scary ghost.

what a super cute book!6. the pictures are so cute- the story good for kids, and I found it entertaining too (always a plus)

7. and look- he gets found by a dog, then the farmer thinks he is a sheet, washes him, and hangs him out to dry- funny stuff.

8. double ruffle bottomed pants make me happy!

9. I would attempt to make some in my size, but I am pretty sure they wouldn't be a fraction as cute on me as they are on Maggie!

10. Maggie decided she was going to be a fairy for halloween. then I pulled out the halloween box, and she decided she would be little red riding hood again. I loved that idea! no work for me. then we headed to walmart, picked up some suckers for trick or treaters, and she saw a princess make up kit. then she decided she is going to be a princess. yikes.

I am going to try hard to persuade her towards the red riding hood costume.

wish me luck.

11. I joined facebook. I said I wouldn't.

but Ben and Jack did, and I decided I should keep an eye on them.

I still don't get it. I have much to learn.

12. alright, my to do list today is quite lengthy, and I haven't done much on it yet, so I had better get busy!

13. Have a great thursday!