October Fun

This has been a rough few weeks with my mom's accident, and I haven't felt like blogging much. I have a lot to catch up on!

Cider Mill

We went to the Cider Mill for a play group activity earlier in October. It was a fun outing. We got to see how they make apple cider, and then got some to taste, as well as a cider donut! Yum! We also went on a hay ride, got to pick a pumpkin, and play in some of the other things they had there.












Ward Halloween Trunk or Treat

We had our ward Trunk or Treat and Chili Cook-off the week before Halloween. Tony and I got a little crazy and volunteered to perform the Thriller Dance for the ward party. There were about 8 of us total by the day of the performance. It was really fun, and I totally enjoyed myself.It has been a long time since I have done something like that, and I wish there were more opportunities.I think Tony was the best zombie around!

The kids had a fun time too. Avery hung on to her pumpkin bucket for dear life and wouldn't let me help her with it even when it was getting so heavy. Even Logan was complaining about it being so heavy!







FHE Carving Pumpkins

For Family Home Evening, we carved pumpkins! Well, Tony and Logan carved them, and I took pictures and helped Avery. Logan drew his face on his pumpkin, and then Tony carved it for him. He did a great job! We asked him what his pumpkin's name was, and he said "Pumpkin Man". The we asked him what daddy's pumpkin's name was, and he thought for a minute and then said "Man Pumpkin". Sounds good to me!








Play Group Halloween Party

The Tuesday before Halloween, we had a Halloween party for play group. We met at the church, and the kids wore their costumes, and we passed out candy, and they colored and basically ran wild in the gym. It was joyous. We also did the chicken dance. That's a must for any kid activity!




Halloween

Tonight, we got together with some friends for a yummy dinner of chili and homemade rootbeer! I drank so much root beer!It's good stuff! We took the kids trick or treating, and had a really fun time. It was a beautiful night! I was almost hot!Tony pulled Avery and her friend Savannah in the wagon, and Logan ran along with the other kids. At one point he was running after his friend Dakota yelling "Best Friends Forever!" I wonder where he got that from? I got Avery out every now and then and either carried her up to the door, or let her walk. She hung on tight to her pumpkin bucket again and did not want to let it go! At one house, Logan went up to the door and said "I need some water!" I was so embarrassed! It was so nice though, cause the man went and got him a cup of water to take with him. Silly kid!Overall, we had a lot of fun this month with all the festivities.











Happy Halloween!

Primary Program, Saturday, and Mom

Primary Program
Today was the Primary Program at church. It was a proud mama day, since it was my first time having a child in the program! Actually, I had both kids in it! They had the nursery kids come up at the end to sing "I am a child of God".It was so cute!

Logan had a very simple part. He got to say " Hi, my name is Logan. I am a child of God." He has had this part down for a long time...it isn't hard...but I decided earlier this week to practice it again to be sure.

I said, "Logan, let's say your part for the primary program!"

He says, " Hi, my name is Logan. What's your name?"

Oh no! I was really worried that he would be silly and say that today, but he didn't. He said the right part, thankfully! Although it would have been hilarious if he didn't!

I was also a bit nervous about Avery going up on the stand. I was afraid of her screaming like a banshee, like she does. She didn't act bothered at all! She stood up there with her finger in her mouth almost the whole time. Then she yelled.."mama! dada!" and then tried to sing something at the very end. When she came back down to sit by us, she was clapping her hands and saying "Yay! Woo-hoo!" She is so funny!

This afternoon, I took the opportunity to have a nice Sunday nap while Avery was sleeping. When she woke up, I heard her in her bed, singing "Twinkle, Twinkle" and yelling other things to let us know she was awake. I was being lazy and didn't go get her right away, and finally heard her yelling " Det out" "Det out" and then after a pause... "Mommy... Det me out!"

I was so surprised! I hopped right up to go get her out! I couldn't believe that she said a full sentence! Of course, she wouldn't say it again after that. She is growing up so fast. It's crazy!

My week-end has been crazy, so I am going backwards here. Saturday was Logan's last day of Soccer (thank goodness!) He got a medal at the end, and couldn't be more proud! He wanted to wear it to church today, but we managed to keep it home.

Saturday
Saturday afternoon I went to the Holiday Mart at the convention center. It was really fun! It was really overwhelming, and I only ended up buying a cute pumpkin votive holder, and a breast cancer survivor necklace for my friend for her birthday.I just couldn't decide on anything, and was just taking it all in. Now I know more what to expect, so I can have a better spending plan for next year.

When I got home, we loaded up the family and went to a Family Harvest Festival at the local Nazarene College. It was totally free! We had hot dogs, chips, popcorn, cotton candy, and soda for dinner...for free. They had all kinds of inflatables and carnival games for the kids to do, complete with prizes and everything. And at the end as we were leaving, each child got a nice big bag of candy. It was a great activity for the family, and even better since it was all free! You can't beat that!

Mom
I was able to talk to my mom today and on Friday. She had her jaw surgery Friday night, and is scheduled to have surgery on her arm and shoulder tomorrow. Please pray for that surgery to go well, as it is the most severe of her injuries, and what we are all the most worried about at this time.

My brother Scott and his two boys, Carson and Cody, and my sister Kristy drove down from Idaho last minute last night and got there this afternoon. My mom said she was rejuvenated having them there, so I am so glad they were able to go. When I talked to her today, she really did sound in good spirits. I was also amazed at how well she could speak considering her jaw is wired shut. I didn't think she would be able to talk for the next few weeks.

My sister said she is looking better than she was expecting, so I am relieved to hear that. The swelling is going down, and the bruising is fading, so I am sure she will continue to heal and be looking like mom soon. I know that Heavenly Father is watching over mom, as there have been many tender mercies, and miracles that have occurred in this situation. I feel very blessed to have such a wonderful extended family, who have a strong testimony of the power of fasting and prayer.Miracles happen becuase of the faith of these family members.

I will write more later! I am being summoned by a crying child!

Thriller

Ok, on a light note, I am actually performing Thriller at our ward Halloween Party tonight. In an attempt to figure out my costume, I googled the Thriller video to watch. I also found this video, and I was cracking up! So, for Halloween, you should all go learn the Thriller dance!

Ha ha! Enjoy!



I will update about my mom later on!

Sad News

It is 12:30 in the morning and I don't know what else to do other than blog. I can't go to sleep. My phone rang around 10:45 p.m. and it was my brother calling to tell me that my mom had been hit by a car. I am shock. I don't know what to do. I hate living so far away! It isn't easy to get home, and even if it was, what would I do with the kids?

I still don't know any of the details, and I am sure she will eventually be fine. What I understand so far is that she has a broken arm,jaw and eye socket, as well as some lacerations on her face.My poor mom. My heart breaks for her and my dad to have to go through something like this. I feel like one major trial in our family is enough...why do we need something like this? Why did it have to happen to my poor, sweet, little mom? She doesn't deserve this. I know she is strong, and she is tough, but still.

Part of me is really upset that now my parents can't come visit me for Thanksgiving.I was so excited and really looking forward to their visit, especially since they were going to be here for almost two weeks. We just got their plane tickets last week.

I am just so sad about all of it. Just sad. Life is sad. I am tired of being sad.I feel like throwing up.

I am tired and sad, and probably will regret posting this in the morning. But it's how I feel right now, so I am posting it.

Twilight Trailer!!!!!!!!!!

Twilight HD Exclusive Trailer

Finally!

I FINALLY did something I have been wanting to do for a LONG time this last week! I joined the gym! I know there isn't any dance involved, but there are classes, and that's what I enjoy doing. I am not very good at motivating myself to work out. I decided that I really needed some classes to hold me accountable. Since Logan has started Pre-school, I figured that the 2 1/2 hour block that he is there, MWF, would be a great time for me to exercise. I signed up at Bally's, since they had a really great deal at the time, and I know another girl from church who goes there as well. They have Yoga on Mondays and Fridays, and Pilates on Wednesdays during my time slot. I have gone to the pilates class twice now and it is a killer! It has been really hard for me, and I enjoy pilates!I was sooo sore last week after wards, but that was great!I met with the trainer on Friday for my free session, and then tried Yoga on Monday, and pilates again today. I have never been sold on yoga, but I will give it a chance. I just really really hate downward dog! I remember doing that in my modern dance class at BYU, and hated it then, and still hate it now. Especially when you do it about 500 times in one hour!

I have been taking Avery to the childcare, and overall she does fine. The first day she didn't cry at all. Each time since then, she cries when I leave her, but only for a bit and then she is fine the rest of the time. She loves the slide and is always playing on it when I go pick her up!

Anyway...I am really happy. I am enjoying having that scheduled time to go, where I just fit it into my routine for the day, and it works great. I love having that time for myself again after all these years, and I can already tell a difference in my emotional state just by having that release.I never used to consider myself someone who got stressed out easily, but have noticed that I have turned into a stress basket lately. I haven't had my normal form of stress release.

So, hooray for me! I hope to be able to maintain my enthusiasm and continue to go on a regular basis. So far so good!

Something to make you laugh!

I just found this funny site called Yearbook Yourself. My friend Amiee had it on her blog, and it was funny, so I decided to try it out. My photo editing skills aren't that great, but you will get the idea. Ha ha ha! I was cracking myself up! Take a look and see for yourself, then tell me your favorites!

1956




1960


1964


1966


1968


1978


1984


1994


1996


1998


Funny thing is, my real graduation yearbook picture would have been in 95, but it doesn't look anything like the ones around it! I will have to find it and post it one of these days!

My little/big Logan

Ahhh...there comes a time in every mother's life when their child becomes a challenge. Ok, actually there are MORE times than one, but I guess each time presents itself as worse than the last time. The latest time for me has been the past few weeks with my littl/big man Logan.This is a long post, so read ahead, or skip to the next blog on your list if you must.

I believe it has all started since the kiddo started pre-school. He really likes school, so that isn't the problem. The first few days after he came home from school he was CRAAAAAZY! When I say that, I mean, super hyper, full of energy, bouncing off the walls, silly, goofy crazy. But along with that came the emotions, and the tantrums, and the defiance, and the independent streak. I am really hoping it is a phase, and is simply due to his change of routine now that he has school 3 days a week.

So, after talking to my mom last night and listing all the "events" of the past week with Logan, I decided I better document them.If anyone else has a 4 year old exhibiting any of the same behaviors, please let me know! Any advice will also be appreciated.
Tuesday, Sep.19th, we went to the park for play group. Logan lost it and started crying and clenching his fists and shaking, because he was so mad! I stood there watching him, along with at least 3 other moms, and I was in shock! I had never seen him get like that before, and I didn't know what to do! I finally went over to him to see what the matter was, and he was going on and on saying that Dakota wouldn't obey him. I had to tell him that she didn't have to obey him, and it was ok for her to do what she wanted to do. I told him he needed to calm down right away or else we were going to go home. So he did, and was fine after that. Crazy kid.

Wednesday, Sep.18th, we started our carpooling with Dakota. My friend Hillary picked up and took Logan to school, and I picked him and Dakota up and brought them home. When I showed up to pick the kids up, Logan was upset because he didn't want me to take him home, he wanted Hillary to take him home. Then he threw a fit in the car because I made him sit in his seat, and didn't let him sit in the back by Dakota. Then, he proceeded to try to get out of his buckles while I was driving down the road. Then when we were almost home, he got upset because he wanted Dakota to come over to play. He was having such a fit in the car, and kicking the seat and everything. Once we got home, he calmed down and was fine after a bit.



Thursday, Sep. 19th, we had gone somewhere and when we got home I told Logan I was going upstairs to put Avery down for a nap, and I would be back in a minute. When I came downstairs, I noticed the front door was open and so I went outside to get Logan to come back in. I couldn't find him for a minute, and then looked up the street to see him coming back down the sidewalk with his arms full of mail. He had gotten the mailbox key and went and got the mail all by himself. This was one of those mixed emotion moments. I was really surprised and proud of him that he was big enough to do something like that, but then again a bit concerned since he didn't tell me what he was doing and I didn't know where he was. When he came back, he was sooo excited and proud of himself that he got the mail, so I let him enjoy his moment for a minute, and then explained that I was proud of him for being so big, but that next time he needed to tell me before he did that again.

Friday, Sep. 20th. I picked the kids up from school again today, and this time Dakota got to come home with us afterwards. I had been telling Logan for a day or two that she was coming over after school, so when I picked them up they were both super excited about it. He got in his seat willingly this time, and all was well until I asked what they learned at school. Logan started trying to tell me, but then said he forgot, so I asked Dakota. Once she started to tell me, Logan started yelling and getting so upset because she wasn't supposed to talk, because he was the one who was going to tell it. He kept saying that he was the best. I said Logan, you need to be nice and take turns,and we are all the best.I asked him what he thought he was the best at, and he said he was the best at fighting. I said, we don't fight. And then he told me he was the best at fighting monsters.Anyway, he continued to be super upset in the car, and was having his fit and kicking the seat, and screaming and crying, so I told him that if he didn't calm down and stop right away he would have to go in time out when we got home. He kept it up, so when we got home, I told Dakota she could go outside to play and told Logan he needed to go in time out for 4 minutes before he could go play. He was out of control. I was trying to get him out of the van, and he was kicking and flailing, and scratching me, and trying to grab and hold on to everything he could in an effort to stop me from taking him in the house. I almost felt like I was having an out of body experience, because it seemed so surreal. I was almost laughing because I couldn't believe what was happening, and how he was acting.I managed to get him in the house and after a while, threatened that if he didn't sit in timeout for the 4 minutes, that he would have to go to his room and not play with Dakota at all. He finally calmed down enough to sit in timeout, and after I explained to him why he was in time out, and talked to him about the proper way to behave, he went to play with Dakota and they got along totally fine for the next 2 hours while she was there.


After I took her home, I went upstairs to put Avery down for her nap, and again came back downstairs to an open front door. I went out again and found Logan on his way up the street to the mail box again. I went and got him and made him come home since he didn't tell me he was going, and that was the rule. He actually came home with me willingly, so that was good.

Dinnertime that night, we had a huge issue about eating dinner, which isn't unusual. He always informs me that I made the wrong dinner again. Tony wanted to take the kids to get ice cream after dinner, so we told Logan he had to have one bite of dinner before he could have ice cream. He ended up in his room because of his awful behavior. FINALLY, only after Tony and Avery were in the van and half-way down the driveway, Logan was willing to take one bite, and then we went.Boy what an ordeal!

Saturday, Sep.20. Tony let me sleep in this morning, so when I finally got up, Logan was watching Happy Feet, which he wanted to watch at bedtime the night before, and we told him he could watch it in the morning. After Tony got Avery down for her morning nap, he went out to mow the lawn. I was on the computer trying to plan my menus and make my shopping list so I could go to the store later on. The next thing I know, Logan has gotten his little scissors, gotten a bag of microwave popcorn outof the cupboard, cut the plastic wrapper off, slid a chair over to the microwave, and was aking me if it was the right button to push. Besides, being concerned about him falling off the chair and getting hurt, it was funny to see him being so independent.When Tony came back in from mowing the lawn 1 hour and 45 minutes later, he went up to take a shower. I was just waiting for him to be done before I left for the store. Logan had followed Tony upstairs and I assumed he was playing in his room, or our closet like he sometimes does.When Tony came back downstairs I asked him where Logan was. He told me he was upstairs getting dressed, since he gave himself a bath. What???? Tony said while he was in the shower the water kept going from hot to cold, so when he got out he found Logan in the other bathroom undressed, with his hair wet. Just the middle, front section of his head, but still. Crazy kid!


Sunday, Sep.21, I had to leave a bit earlier than my family for church to run through a song we were performing for ward choir. Church starts at 8:30, and I had to be there at 8:15. As I was pulling out of the garage, Logan came running out to say bye. I told him to hurry back in the house so I didn't run over him, and also to put his shoes on. I was stopped at the stop sign at the top of the cul-de-sac, when I looked in the rear-view mirror and saw Logan running up the street after me. I turned the car around and drove up to him and told him to hurry and get back to the house, since he didn't have shoes on and he didn't obey me when I told him to get in the house. I drove along side him while he was running down the sidewalk, and then of course he biffed it. He was crying and yelling at me because I told him to run, and I was upset since he wouldn't have gotten hurt if he had obeyed me in the first place. I got out of the car and picked him up off the sidewalk and put him on my lap in the car to drive him the rest of the way home...all of a distance of maybe two houses, so don't be appalled.I took him in the house for Tony to take care of, and then hurried off to church.When Tony got to church with the kids, Logan was all whining about his scraped up elbow, and proceeded to do so almost the entire Sacrament meeting. Except when he was suddenly well enough to escape out of the row and make Tony chase him up and down the aisle. I eventually had to take Avery out since she managed to bonk her chin on the end of the pew while trying to also escape out of the row, and was screaming like a wild banshee. I walked out of the chapel and really felt like I wanted to give away my kids. They were behaving so horribly! Don't even ask me what the talks were about. I think one of them mentioned something about food storage?

We have also been having issues with Logan staying in bed at night, as well as waking up in the middle of the night, but I am willing and able to deal with that issue. It's the fits and tantrums I need to nip in the bud, FAST! It was kind of funny. When he was in time out after pre-school, and I asked him if he knew why he was in time out, the first thing he said was because Dakota wasn't obeying him. After I explained that wasn't the problem, he told me it was because he was "fitting". I thought that was funny.

Before I end this very lengthy post, I feel like I better tell a positive Logan moment, since there are really more of those than the negative ones. A funny one that sticks out in my head was something he said to me the other night when I was laying by him at bedtime. He leaned over close to me and said "Mommy, your hair looks good." It was super cute, and very sweet.I do love that kid!

I am dough challenged

Ok, seriously. I have issues. I cannot make anything with dough. It does not work well for me, so I try to avoid it. I rarely ever make bread from scratch. I hate making sugar cookies that you have to roll out the dough. I never make pie crusts from scratch.There is just something about me that dough doesn't like.

I came across a recipe from buttermilk rolls the other day and decided I would go for it. Well, the recipe called for an intial 3 cups of flour, and then another 5 cups later. I think I ended up adding at least 7 cups, so two extra cups and the dough was still sticky.In the end I managed to make them, and they turned out fine, but it was a mess.

So, I came across another recipe that sounded good to try, and thought I would make them for Tony's seminary class. Cinnamon Rolls. Dough s a requirement in these as well. I must be feeling brave. I am in the process of making them this afternoon, and lo and behold...sticky dough AGAIN! And I think I added almost another 2 cups of flour as well. It is currently rising, so I will see what happens when I go to roll it out. Yikes.

I need help. Any tips? Suggestions? It can't be that hard...is it?

Allergies

Oh, to all of you out there in the land of allergies, I have joined the club. I have been absolutely miserable for about the past month! I have never in my life had allergies before, and apparently have developed them this year. Nice. Everyone says that Kansas is horrible for allergies, and I guess the longer you live here, the more likely you are to get them. Maybe I should move....

Anyway, I went to the doctor today and was given the official diagnosis, so it is real.

I am going to try out a sample over the next few days that the doctor gave me of an allergy medication, and hopefully it will work. I have tried generic Claritin and it doesn't seem to be helping.This better help. My poor nose is raw.

So, to all of you out there in allergy land, I would love any help, tips, suggestions, remedies, etc. that work for you. I guess I am allergic to ragweed.

Sniffles and sneezes,

Me

Big Week for Logan

Well, last week marked a BIG change in Logan's little life. He started pre-school AND soccer, all in the same week! He started school on the Wednesday after Labor Day, and soccer the following Saturday. He was soooo excited to go to school. He was so good in the morning, and got dressed and made his bed all by himself and was ready to go. Tony came home from seminary before going to work so he could be home for Logan's first morning of school. We all ate breakfast together. Logan chose "crunchy crunch" (aka Captain Crunch, or other generic form of the same cereal)for his favorite breakfast. Of course, his first day of school was cold and rainy, so we had to change his clothes from shorts and sandals, to jeans and tennis shoes. The silly kid would only pose silly for me, so this is what you get. He loved his first day of school. I think he was a bit reserved and spent the day observing a lot of what was going on. When I got there to pick him up, he was the only kid left sitting at the table eating his snack. It was someone's birthday, so they brought cupcakes. Anyway...he loves school and is so excited to go every day now! I can't believe how big he has gotten! He has a class with about 20 kids and 2 teachers. It will be good for him to meet some new kids...especially boys! It seems like since we moved here, all the little kids his age are girls! Hopefully he will make some good new boy friends at school. For dinner, I let him choose his favorite meal, since it was his "special" day. He chose mac and cheese, and edamame. My kids LOVE that stuff! I made brownies for dessert. Logan even got to eat his dinner on the "red" plate!We had one growing up, and I got one at the beginning of the year for Tony's birthday so we could start using it in our family, and I have forgotten about it until now!It was a great day!


And here is a picture of Avery in her pretty bib from Aunt Jody!I have to brag, but it's my blog so, I can. I just think she looks so pretty in this picture!


Saturday we made our way to the soccer field. It was INSANE!!!!!!! We had no other instructions other than show up at "this" park at your designated time. We arrive, and the parking lot is a zoo, and there are probably about 10 fields, and we have NO idea which one we are supposed to be at! we wandered around and finally found someone who pointed us in the right direction. We should have thought to look for the tiny goals! We are so clueless! We went up to the coach, who looked like he was in college, and the coach gave Logan his T-shirt and his very own very own ball. He wrote Logan's name on it with a sharpie, adn then told Logan to go kick the ball around until he came out to give them directions. I elft Logan on the field to go sit down in our chairs with Tony and Avery. It was so fun to watch Logan! I was so proud of him that he seemed to know what to do fairly well...especially since we haven't really taught him anything. He kept stopping to check his ball to make sure it was still his, and that was pretty funny. He did a great job for his first time, and he will onyl get better. I am glad we chose to put him in soccer. Check out some of the action first-hand!

Stampin' Up! and other activities

Many of you may know that I have been a Stampin' Up! demonstrator for the past almost 4 years. More like 3 1/2, actually. Before I moved to Indiana and met my wonderful friend Heather, who introduced me to the Stampin' Up! world, I wasn't into this type of thing. I considered myself "not crafty". I enjoyed looking at people's scrapbooks and thinking that I would love to create something like it someday, but never had the desire. When at BYU, my mom would come to visit and drag me around to the different scrapbook and craft stores, but I was immediately overwhelmed by it all, and never thought I could do anything like it.

One of my first memories of Heather was from an opening social to welcome new members into the ward. Heather and her husband had just bought a house in our ward, so we were visiting. I guess she had just recently signed up to be a Stampin' Up! demo, and began asking me about it. I had never heard of it. She was so excited about it, and she dragged me out to her car to show me a stack of paper that she had stamped to make background paper for scrapbooking. I was actually amazed! I had no idea that you could create something that looked so real! I mean, it actually looked like she could have bought it at the store.

Eventually, I decided that I would try to be ambitious and "crafty" and attempt to make my own Christmas cards. I looked through the catalog and found a stamp set with the matching card sample, and thought it looked simple enough to duplicate. I got together with Heather at her house one night and we worked on our cards together. I was so excited about it! That would of been Christmas of 2002 I think, so some of you were probably lucky enough to receive that creation.

After that, I decided to brave it and join a monthly card exchange that Heather hosted.Some of my first cards were definitely from someone inexperienced, but overall I think I was doing fairly well. It was fun for me to get cards back from other, more "experienced" card makers so I could learn from them and get ideas. It was also really fun to have a nice stash of cards when an occasion came up.

In May of 2004, Logan was born. I quit working full-time and began my new stage in life of being a stay-at-home mom. When Logan was almost 7 weeks old, I lost my little brother in a 4-wheeler accident. My life was turned completely upside down, and nothing that I knew and was familiar with was the same anymore. Usually having a new baby is an exciting time, but for me it was really hard to enjoy it while grieving. I do think that if I didn't have a new baby to take care of, I am not sure what I would have had to hold onto to keep going.

Anyway...enough of the sad story. When Logan was about 9 months old, Heather convinced me to sign up to be a demo. I was very doubtful of my abilities to do such a thing. I almost felt like an imposter, since I was so new to the "craft". But with a lot of encouragement and helpful information, I decided to do it.

While the option of making some money was definitely intriguing, I was first drawn to the cameraderie and fun community that involved other demos. I finally had something that I could be a part of, and involved in. I was involved in things my whole life! I took dance classes, voice lessons, piano lessons, was in choir and drama in school,and participated in church programs. When in college, I joined the Folk Dance team and had that fantastic experience to be apart of, from the classes, to the club activities, to the performances and rehearsals, to the friends (and how I met Tony!) It was something I was involved in and loved. Once we graduated and moved away, I had to find my involvement when I was working full-time. It wasn't quite as much fun as my past activities, but it sufficed. I was contributing,and involved. Everything about my life changed when Logan came along, so the idea of having something like this to be involved in again was very appealing.

Eventually I gained more confidence in my abilities, and really enjoyed doing workshops for people. It was fun for me to meet new people, and of course, get out of the house and socialize. I loved creating something and being able to look at it and say "Wow! I made that!" It was fun for me to see people new to the "craft" get hooked as well.

When we moved away from Indiana, to Kansas, I was in the middle of my pregnancy with Avery, and trying to adjust to a new area. I have such a fear of talking about being a demo to people, because I know that home sales parties and reps get such a bad rap from people, and I don't want to come across as being the "pushy home sales rep". Needless to say, my "business" has not gotten off on a very good foot in the last two years.I don't have any social network outside of church right now, and I still don't feel quite as comfortable with my new friends here, as I did in Indiana. I have had two parties, and a class. I have a few people I know enjoy this kind of thing, but I have yet to get the guts up to encourage it more.

Anyway...the sales part isn't the point of my post. My point is, that I really, truly enjoy doing this. I love getting the ideas, and seeing ideas, and still being part of something. I really enjoy showing people how fun and simple it is to create something to be proud of and share with others. I have often though that maybe I should just quit, as I can't make my minimum on my own. But, I am not ready to give it up yet, so I am going to keep on trucking and hope I can find some fellow "crafters" who will want to learn and create with me.

I do have a business website, and soon people will be able to place orders directly from my site. This I am very excited about. I am hoping it helps. I will also soon be introduced to fellow pre-school and soccer moms, so that might give me some options outside of church. I have let things slide so much lately, but I am ready and gung-ho to get back into things.

I just wanted to share my feelings on this subject, as it is a part of my life right now, and I rarely talk about it.I have also contemplated taking voice lessons again, and maybe even a dance class, or pilates class, or even working part-time at Bath and Body Works, since I love that store. It's just hard to figure out how I would do those things and what I would do with the kids.That's why Stampin'Up! is nice. I can do it when I want, and when it works best for me and my family.

So, what kinds of things have you all found to be a "part" of? Is that even something that is necessary or important to you? Or is it just me? please share! I would love to know!

When the cat's away...

So, finally more about my summer trip! On my drive to San Diego from SLC, I stopped outside Cedar City to stay at my brother's house. Unfortunately, the timing was off, and my brother's family left for Lake Powell the morning I was coming. I was sad that I wasn't able to see them, but it was nice to see their new house. They moved away from California last summer. It was nice of them to let us stay at their house even when they weren't there.

I got there about 4 hours before Tony and the kids, so when they finally arrived the kids were anxious to get out and stretch their legs. I hadn't seen my family for 5 days, so it was fun to see the kids reactions to seeing me again. It's amazing how much they looked like they had grown...just in 5 days!

So, the kids had to test out all the sleeping accomodations to figure out which was the best choice. This post is mostly for my brother's family! These pictures are to show you what went on while you were away!



Avery had a great time in her cousin Tawni's room!Did you find anything missing Tawn? I think Avery found your stash!Jackpot!


Woo-hoo! Fun pillows to throw!


This fabric is so soft!


Where did my binky go?


Ahhh! This is sooo relaxing!



I don't know what to do with myself!


I guess I will just roll around on this slippery blanket!


Wee-ha!I'm sliding!



After little Miss Aves had her fun in Tawni's room, she moved on to see what other fun she could find.


This chair is just right!


Wait! Who is that I see peaking out from Kellen's bed full of animals? Is it Logan? Hi Logan!


The kids soon discovered another fun way to get their wiggles out before bed. This bed has excellent bounce quality!


This is fun! Weee!


This bed is big enough for the both of us!


We've got to get in our morning cartoons to start our day off right!



Thanks Colton, Tawni and Kellen for letting us have fun at your house!