Gotta love Austin....

Grandpa Jed is in town working with Brett on our railings (pics soon to follow). Last night the guys took a break to go to dinner with us at our favorite Italian restaurant. Towards the end of dinner Austin got a little restless and bored and decided to entertain himself and everyone around us by running circles around the table. At one point he stopped and came up to Grandpa and said...

"Grandpa, does it to stink to not have kids?!" To which Grandpa replied (quite convincingly I might add) "Yes it does"

Daily battles

Brett made this video for me and it really sums up my daily battles with Autin. Austin and I watched it together and we were both laughing, then Austin said "that doesn't sound like us!"

Cameron's Baptism

I guess that I am just a little behind on blogging. Cameron turned 8 this year and was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on Oct. 9, 2010. Here are some pics of his special day.

Cameron and Brett.
I didn't get a picture of them in their whites, but this was taken just before the baptism. We are so grateful that Dad holds the priesthood and was able to baptize Cameron.

Our family and friends who came to share this special day with us.






It is a pretty wonderful experience for a mother to witness her child accept the invitation to be baptized. I am so grateful for the gospel in my life and I am grateful that my children have the opportunity to take this important step in returning to our Heavenly Father and then to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. It was a really special day. Cameron, Dad and I are very proud of you! We hope that you will always remember the special, warm feelings that you felt today and strive each day to keep the covenants that you made. We love you lots!

JOY!!!

We were truly blessed when a wonderful family in our ward gave us their piano that they no longer wanted. It has been such a joy having this instrument in our home. I have wanted a piano for years and years, and now that we have one, we are using it and enjoying it. I have started giving the boys piano lessons. Here is Austin practicing his first song.

JOY!!!

Mouse update....

So, remember fat fuzzy (as I have begun referring to my little mouse nemesis)? Well, he has yet to find himself in one of my traps. I have found some traps with missing peanut butter, and I just know that that is the work of fat fuzzy. You may think that this story starts and ends with him, but no, there is so much more to this story. Apparently Fat Fuzzy has invited all of his little rodent friends to come and squat with him. The other night I had just finished vacuuming my living room. It looked so nice and clean so I sat down on the couch to enjoy a quiet little moment of bliss in my clean room. As I was sitting there on the love seat, I look over at the couch and I see this little grey mouse run up from either behind the couch or (gasp) in the couch and he perches his little behind on the arm of the couch and we make eye contact. (I'm sure he was taunting me). Now seriously, you have never seen a 30 something woman jump up and run as fast as I did and the mouse takes off back into the couch! I yell for Brett (who is relaxing in front of the T.V.) to come and get this mouse out of my house. Cameron, his friend and Austin come running in to save me. They came armed with flashlights and bins to capture this little critter. I at this point am sitting on the stairs watching them try to scare the mouse out of the couch so they can take him prisoner. At that point, we see a little brown mouse run up from the loveseat (I was just sitting there, it gives me the creeps just thinking about it). So now we know there are 2 mice running around my living room. Brett hears all the commotion and decides that he'd better come and help get this mouse situation under control. So, after about an hour of trying to get the mice, the little friend goes home and Brett decides the boys need to go to bed. I remain on guard duty to make sure the mice do not leave the living room. I am afraid at this point that if they do, we will not be able to find them. While I am sitting there I see the little brown mouse run across the floor and up the steps and then he darts into my dining room. I yell for Brett to come quick and then like superman Brett shows up with a bin and runs into the dining room where the little mouse is hiding in a box, playing dead. Brett tells me to shake the box and when the mouse comes out he will trap it in the bin. And that's exactly how it went down. We caught that little mouse and then we looked at him and thought Awww, he's kind of cute (We used a clear bin, so we could see him in there). Cam came downstairs to check him out and he said "He's cute, can we keep him?" NO WAY!!! But we felt way too bad killing him, so Brett took him down the road and released him into the wild (I'm sure that as I type this, that little rascal is hitch hiking his way back to our place). Then we set out traps everywhere and that night we caught 2 more and since then our count is up to 5!!! Can I just say GROSS!!!! I need to deep clean my house! So tomorrow I am going to sing this little song.....



If all these animals insist on giving me grief, then they better earn their keep!

Seriously?!!!

Now a fat, furry little creature is squatting in our house. Last night I walked into the computer room and turned on the light and the little critter darted under the computer desk, and I ran straight to the car @ 9:30pm to buy mouse traps.... What was I thinking moving across the street from a nature preserve?!!! This morning I think that I heard him rustling around the laundry room, so I don't care if there are no clean clothes to wear, I am not doing laundry until the fuzzy one is gone! Oh, and I am writing this blog post with my legs and feet tucked up under me on the computer chair, because with my luck the fuzzy one would scramble across my feet and bite me or something....he's probably rabid! Just sayin'!

Scared...

the living daylights right out of me......

So, last night was the annual Trunk or Treat out in the church parking lot. We had a great time chatting with friends, eating too much candy, seeing all the kids in their awesome Halloween costumes and then it was time to go home. We got home just as it started sprinkling little rain drops (Thank you rain for holding off for the Trunk or Treat). We ushered the kids upstairs to get ready for bed, then we spent a few minutes playing with the boys until Mom (that's me) got a shiner, yep a little black eye thanks to my sweet little Ethan. My eye met his head while we were bouncing on my bed and then that pretty much ended playtime for me so off to bed they went. After I hugged and kissed and tucked them in, I retired to my room and flopped down on my bed to rest, but oh no, that was not to be, because my kitchen was a disaster and I just couldn't face waking up to that nightmare bright and early in the morning (that thought is scary in and of itself). So, while Brett is finishing up with the tucking kids in bed ritual, I drag myself up off my cozy bed and head down to tackle the mess. First things first, I bag up the over-flowing garbage and tie it up all nice and neat and then I head out into the dark, drizzly night to throw it into the garbage can. I take about 5 steps and out of the dark shadows of my back yard, I see some large animal walking towards me.....I think what is that a cat?! (Yeah, like a cat on all 4 legs comes up to my hips, a tiger maybe) Then it dawns on me that is a BIG, BLACK DOG and I don't own a BIG, BLACK DOG! At that point I screamed a loud, blood curdling scream (like in the movies) and then I turn around with garbage bag in hand and do exactly what you're not supposed to do when you encounter a large animal that can run way faster than you, I run like a crazy lunatic back to the house screaming Brett's name and carrying the garbage bag with me (You'd have thought that I could've dropped the bag, or even thrown it at the BIG, BLACK DOG to distract him), but you'll be happy to know that me and my garbage bag made it back into the house in just the nick of time (must be all my training for my upcoming 5k..but most likely it was pure adrenaline). I slammed that door in the dogs face and screamed for Brett to come and save me. At this point my heart is racing, my body is shaking and my mind is trying to process what the heck just happened and I slowly start to realize that the BIG, BLACK DOG belongs to my neighbors. This BIG, BLACK DOG is always escaping his yard by digging holes under the fence, then chewing his way out and that is how he must have gotten into MY yard. Now the crazy mutt is scratching at our new back door and trying to get into our house, so Brett goes out to return him to his home and I leave the garbage bag by the back door where it will remain until morning and head upstairs to calm down my crying child who is now too scared to go to sleep because he heard my crazy yelling fit from downstairs . (Yep, I scared him...AGAIN!) After all was said and done, I was too traumatized to clean the kitchen, so I plopped down on the couch and watched T.V. until bed time. And you know what, the kitchen waited for me! Just one more thing...what is it with me and animals?!!!

Came across this quote today...

"Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor each morning the devil says "oh crap, she's up".

At first it made me laugh, then I thought wow, there is a very good message in that. It made me question, Am I this kind of woman? A woman who is steadfast and immovable always abounding in good works? For surely this is the kind of woman who can withstand the mighty storms of the adversary. I like to think that I try, but there is always room for improvement.

Then I remembered this quote by Sister Hinckley and I am reminded that this is the kind of woman I want to be because most certainly this is the kind of woman that will make the devil say "oh crap, she's up".

"I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails.


I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp.


I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbors children.


I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someones garden.


I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder.


I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived."
— Marjorie Pay Hinckley

Super Saturday....

or in our case Terrific Tuesday. I am in charge of the craft day for our Relief Society, and this is what we are making.

Seasons Board


Frugal Gifts

You get to make a double-sided memo frame, ribbon bookmark, 2 cookie gift bags, a hot pad first aid kit and a Hershey bar snowman (not pictured).

Menu Frame


Muffin Tin advent


Should be fun!

8 years ago today...

Cameron 8 months old
this little man joined our family. 8lbs 8 oz of cuteness, with fuzzy blonde hair and the cutest little nose I've ever seen. Today Cameron is growing into such a handsome young man who is about to be baptized! What an exciting birthday this is for him. So in honor of this momentous birthday, here are 8 things that I love about Cameron.
1. Cameron has a smile that lights up his whole face and a whole room.
2. Cameron is very thoughtful of others. He loves to write little notes to everyone and he always shares with his brothers.
3. Cameron loves to dress up in costumes, and I love seeing all of his get-ups.
4. Cameron is very smart. He gets really good grades in school (straight A's last quarter) and he always does his best.
5. Cameron always gives me a goodnight kiss and hug....always!
6. Cameron loves his family and he makes sure that we all know it.
7. Cameron tries hard to choose the right and he often reminds our family to have family prayer when we forget.
8. Last but most certainly not least, Cameron is funny and he makes me smile and laugh on a daily basis....I love you Cameroo!


Cameron flashback (about 9 months old)

My baby is home.....

Erik went off to camp this past week for school. He left on Monday and returned today (Friday). His family missed him terribly, and we are so glad that he is home and now our family feels complete again.

He had a great time!!!

Lunch with buddies

Tug of War, they almost won

Building a shelter (How handsome is that kid?!)


Welcome Home Erik...we missed you!

It's the hard knock life

*Warning* Mom's vent....

Oh how I love Saturday chores......My boys were asked to do 2 simple chores today

1. Clean their bedrooms
2. Clean their playroom

Both chores should have taken them an hour at the most. Well they have now been at it for 3 hours and still going. All I have heard all morning is "I can't do it!", "It's too messy!" "It's too hard!", "Austin isn't helping", "This is going to take forever!", "Cameron threw Lumpy into the fan", "Cameron isn't helping", "Ethan's making messes"...you get the point. So from the mother who is feeling a little like Miss Hannigan to the boys who've got it so rough, I dedicate this to you....Oh and by the way, I did clean their bathrooms for them which would have been chore #3 (Mean Mom)

"What are you just standing around here for? You're supposed to clean the bathroom and the kitchen before lunch, my little pig droppings, and if you skip the corners, there will be no lunch. And we're not having hot mush today...We're having cold mush!" --Miss Hannigan

A true story....

Once upon a time there was a dated, sad, old light that was in need of a makeover



Then a new family found her for sale through the classifieds, forked over $5 dollars for her and brought her home. With a vision, a tutorial, a can of Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint, and one hard working husband, she was transformed....



And now she is a happy Pottery Barn knock-off hanging happily where once lived some lovely track lights over our stairway. And she lived happily ever after.

Before


After






The End!

Disaster zone....

My house is a disaster at the moment and I am really happy about that, because it means the we are finally getting these:

Hooray for railings!


a little helper

and I can finally say goodbye to my lovely sub floor as the wood is finally going in:



Thank you Jed and Brett. I know that everything that you have been doing is A LOT of work!

More pictures soon to come!

Straight No Chaser - I'm Yours/Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Sorry about all the videos lately, but I was just cleaning away and listening to Pandora, when this song came on and I had to look it up on youtube to see who these guys were. They are amazing! I love them! Enjoy!

Real water bed

My sister posted this on her blog and It made me laugh so hard that I was practically crying. My boys came running in to see what in the world was going on with their Mother. I LOVE candid camera stuff, but hope to never find myself in one. My favorite part of this is the slow motion replay shot from above and who wouldn't love the two hilarious chubby ladies at the end of the video....you'll have to watch it to see what I am talking about.
Enjoy! Thanks Ali! :)

New toys....

for me!!! So, remember the cool toy that I won? Well it showed up on my doorstep earlier this week and it was like Christmas morning for me! I've been playing with it over the last few days, just learning about all the cool stuff that I can do with it and let me tell you, it is FUN!!! So then a week or so ago, Brett bought me another super fun toy (a scroll saw) that I have been playing with and I combined the two and came up with this cute project that we will be making for our Terrfic Tuesday (Super Saturday on a Tuesday night)in Relief Society that is coming up next month: (can you believe that I cut the wood myself?!)

Winter


Spring


Summer


Fall


I used my new Silhouette to cut the vinyl. I love how it turned out. Now I can change out the magnets for each season. I am also planning to cut some more pieces that are holiday related! So much fun!

I also found this cute frame from IKEA and I made this:




I love that it is double sided one side for memo's and the other side is a dry erase board to write reminders, messages or love notes......all for just 99 cents! This too will be a Super Saturday craft! I am on a crafting kick, so there will be lots more fun crafts to come!

Back to blogging....

Wow, I haven't been very good with blogging lately and I am not sure who is even reading about my musings anymore, but here is a quick update on what has been going on with me and my family Going back to July....Austin had his 4th birthday! We had a fun little birthday party while we were in UT with all of his cousins. We (all 14 minus little Nixon + 6 Mom's) went to see the movie "How to Train your Dragon" and then back to Grandma's for cake and presents and fun! Thanks everyone for coming! We had a blast! (*I have no pics of the event...Mom do you?) Then as if that wasn't enough, Austin got to celebrate a couple of days later back home with his family. Then in Aug., Ethan hit this little milestone:


Now he is walking pretty good. He looks like a little baby Frankenstein though! I will have to post another video of him walking soon. As for life in general, we are still just plugging away on the house and making improvements here and there. I will post pics of our progress soon.

Speechless....

(insert high pitched, girl scream mixed with giggling here)

And you'll have to go here to figure out why. (Hint, I won something....Big!)

Ladies, I am feeling a craft night coming on....who's game? :)

Chick-fil-A

One more....just for fun! And I must admit I do love Chick-fil-A

Attention all husbands....

This is too funny! Enjoy!

4th of July craftin'

I woke up this morning, and it felt like a crafting day. I was pretty excited so with a head full of ideas, I was ready to sit down and do some crafting and while I did manage to complete a couple of projects, it wasn't quite as quick or relaxing as it could have been thanks to this little munchkin....


But in spite of the many interruptions, I did manage to finish two simple projects and with that my home is a little more festively decorated in honor of Independence Day!

This is my first project, and probably my favorite. I just took 2 plaques that I bought at Wal-mart (I originally bought them for another project that I never got around to)and painted them light tan and then I distressed them. Next, I cut and distressed scrapbook paper to create the stars and stripes which I adhered to the board with mod podge. Notice that the little blue paper is embossed...I love my cuttlebug. Finally I added the little wood star and then I drilled the holes in each plaque so that I could wire them together. There you have it! A fun little flag. So cute, simple and inexpensive (a great way to use up my stash of crafting supplies).


This second project was even simpler than the first, and again I had all the supplies on hand. Just used a little $1 frame from Michaels, painted and distressed, added the little wood star in the corner and then framed a small flag inside...Done! How easy is that...Now go and make your own. I found the idea for this cute project here.

And finally, even though this is not a 4th of July decoration, I still wanted to share my idea for hiding my funny little wet bar. One day this wet bar will be a distant memory, but because there are many projects on the list ahead of removing it, I decided to "cutesify" it....here is my attempt.




I think that it worked. Now I have something cute to look at for now. Next step with the wet bar is figuring out what to hang above it...I'll let you know what that is when I decide what to do there.

So all in all, I think that it was a pretty successful craftin' day if I do say so myself!

June in a nutshell

I guess that I was in much need of a blogging break....Life got a little busy (it still is), but I wanted to update the blog, so be prepared for some lengthy posts and lots of pictures.

June has been a busy month for us. First off, my baby turned 1 year old on June 1. Time really does fly...it seems like just yesterday that we were bringing him home and now he's doing things like this:

Cruisin' around


and Makin' messes (notice there is nothing on the bottom shelves...I wonder why?!)




But doesn't he look happy!

So Ethan at 1 year old:

• Barks like a dog (ooh ooh)
  
• Holds the phone to his little ear and says Hello
  
• Climbs on everything
  
• Got his first haircut (a trim really, just in the back as there is still not much on top)
  
  
  
• Loves to sit on the couch by his brothers. Suddenly being down on the floor isn't good enough, but after sitting for about 10 seconds he decides that it is much more fun to crawl around the couch, over his brothers and the most fun of all is crawling from the couch onto the side table and knocking off all of Mom's carefully placed decor. Good times!
  

A few pics of Ethan's first birthday:
The Cake

Package from Grandma and Grandpa



New Sandals...cutest feet ever!


June also brought more house projects...this month we got a new fence carefully constructed by Brett and our neighbor with a little help from this future carpenter

Before:

After:

Then there was Father's Day...Brett had to leave us for a week for work, so I wanted to accomplish a couple of home improvement projects while he was gone in honor of Father's Day'
Bathroom before:


Bathroom after:


The Mantle...yep, I hung it myself

And rounding out the month....we celebrated this boys 11th birthday with food, friends and fun. Can't believe how grown up my boy is!


Happy 11th Birthday Erik!