All he wants for Christmas...

All he wants for Christmas is his two front teeth! Braxton is trying to catch up with all his friends, within in the past month the tooth fairy has been super busy. He only lost 2 last school year, and already 3 this school year. He looks super cute right now with his "spacey" grin. He was trying to sing the song this morning just the way the Chipmunks do, but he doesn't have as hard a time saying certain words as they do.

December Class

Okay, I know it hasn't been very long, but I wanted to make sure everyone could get their Christmas cards made and get them sent out in time. So, the next classes are:

Saturday, December 5th 7pm - midnight (that's this weekend!)
or
Wednesday, December 9th 7pm - midnight.

Again, you get to make 10 Christmas cards for only $15. Take advantage of this now, the price could very well be going up to $20 in January. Bring a black ink pad if you own one, and your favorite adhesive. These cards take a bit of time, but that's all depending on the quality you want them to be. So, plan on being here for awhile.

We always have treats, and a great time. Reserve your seat today!

November Creations.

Here's what we made this month:

Two of these. Snowflakes are embossed in white. Snowflake punch window to view the saying on the inside corner.

We made two of these. Tag punch window to view the image on the inside. The city here is stamped in navy, but we found it looked better in black.

We made two of these. The ornaments have crystal effects applied to make them look glossy and give them dimension.

We made one of these. This is a small note card you can use with a gift bag. The buckle was made with a punch and threaded with white ribbon.

We made one of these. The buckle and all other Santa coat details were created with punches.

We made two of these. The base of the card was made with clear acetate, and stamped on with StazOn ink. Brushed gold and copper cardstocks.

We attached the gold cardstock on the inside, someplace to write along with a background color for the outside.

November stamping classes

Okay ladies, so this is who I have coming to make 8 Christmas cards and 2 Thanksgiving/Thank You cards (Only $15? What a deal!):

Wednesday, November 18th 7pm-midnight

• Rachel L.
• Connie S.
• Ila Rae M.
• Stacie S.
• Monica C.

Saturday, November 21st 7pm-midnight

• Heidi M.
• Ashley L.

If you are not on one of the above lists, but should be, let me know ASAP. I am cutting paper tonight and tomorrow morning.

A little late, but better than never.

I just read this on a friend's blog, and had to post it here(It made me so emotional!). This is to all of my friends and relatives, as well as those I know not, who serve/served for our country: Happy late Veteran's Day, I salute you and your families! And especially... to my brother.

THE FINAL INSPECTION

The Army Soldier stood and faced God, Which must always come to pass. He hoped his shoes were shining, Just as brightly as his brass. 'Step forward now, Soldier, How shall I deal with you? Have you always turned the other cheek? To My Church have you been true?'
The soldier squared his shoulders and said, 'No, Lord, I guess I ain't. Because those of us who carry guns, Can't always be a saint.
I've had to work most Sundays, And at times my talk was tough. And sometimes I've been violent, Because the world is awfully rough. But, I never took a penny, That wasn't mine to keep... Though I worked a lot of overtime, When the bills got just too steep.
And I never passed a cry for help, Though at times I shook with fear. And sometimes, God, forgive me, I've wept unmanly tears. I know I don't deserve a place, Among the people here. They never wanted me around, Except to calm their fears. If you've a place for me here, Lord, It needn't be so grand. I never expected or had too much, But if you don't, I'll understand. There was a silence all around the throne, Where the saints had often trod. As the Soldier waited quietly, For the judgment of his God. 'Step forward now, you Soldier, You've borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets, You've done your time in Hell.'
~Author Unknown~

Sick, sick, sick.....

Last Thursday I was feeling achy. But, I thought it was from my first attendance at a BodyPump class at the gym. Little did I know, I was sick.

It hit me hard and very fast while I was at my mom's house. I grabbed my boys' and hurried home to get straight in bed for the next 2 1/2 days. I don't even remember Friday, thanks Colby for picking up the kids from school on Thursday and Friday. I can't remember being so exhausted in my whole life.

Then Saturday morning it hit Tristan. So, Colby took Braxton and Gabe to hang out at his parent's house to keep them all safe from it. T and I were left at home to fend for ourselves. Colby came home around 10pm, claiming Gabe had thrown up there and now had it. Sunday morning, Colby awoke with the awfulness.

I was "sick and tired" of being sick and tired. So, while everyone was napping I broke out the Lysol spray and Clorox wipes and cleaned every surface in our entire house that I could think of any of us touching. It took me the whole day. Then, I Cloroxed the kitchen floor and fell asleep on the couch feeling a lot better. I was determined to get those germs out of my house, and quarantine all of us sick people in. I didn't want to be responsible for this spreading to any other household. I kept urging Braxton to drink Airborne and stay away from us, and the whole family got attacked by me and the Purell hand pump about every other hour for random hand cleaning sessions.

My sweet in-laws snagged Braxton away from the house Sunday and brought him back that evening with homemade chicken noodle soup. At this point, I was in survival mode. Still sick and exhausted, but having to take care of everyone because Colby was in the state that I was in Thurs-Sat.

Today, all that lingers with T, G and I are congestion and a cough. Colby is finally feeling coherent today, and Braxton has still stayed free and clear of the bug. Thank goodness, because I don't know how I would have kept sane with 4 boys at home feeling crappy, bored and fighting. Gabe is dying to go back to school, but I am keeping his germs home with us for awhile.

So, Colby did a lot of research last night, and talked to a friend who had been diagnosed by a doctor as having swine flu. It looks like that is what our family had this last week. The aches were unimaginable, and came a lot of the time with no fever, by themselves lasting 3 days. The illness has taken 7 days so far, but it looks like we are all almost done with it. Thanks to all of you for checking up on us. And thank you even more for staying away, we are not taking it personal. We don't want anyone to have to go through this.

Now it's off to the shower for me, and then to start getting this illness out of massive amounts of laundry.

My latest project...

So, last week our neighbor asked if we wanted a set of bunk beds. Oh yeah, I jumped all over that one. We have been considering buying some for awhile now. Whether we had a friend's dad make us a set and sell them to us, or drive down to Ikea. But we got these for free. Woot! Tristan has been wanting to sleep in Gabe's race car bed forever, so I took down his crib and he graduated to a toddler bed. That means that Gabe's graduates from a toddler bed to Braxton's old bed. And Braxton is the lucky winner of a set of bunk beds. Wahoo! I still would like to paint the little boys' room (along with several other rooms in my "white-walled" house) but I will save that for after Christmas. So here are the finished rooms. I was very excited to shop for some new/matching bedding. Two sets of the same, but it is all reversible. Love it! Also, we had the ladder at the other end of the bed, but until I move B's planets hanging from his ceiling it will have to stay where it it. The kids kept bumping into them every time they climbed up and down. I was afraid they were going to get mutilated. We keep find our huge cat Skitterz asleep on the top bunk. Can't wait to see him maneuver himself up there. Braxton's room already came painted the way we liked it.
I'm proud to say that I moved Braxton's old bed/Gabe's new bed from room to room all by myself. I was determined to get my project done on my time scale and not have to wait for help.
And I need to remove or adjust the younger boys' names on their walls.The boys were excited that they had no school today. So, I let Gabe and Braxton sleep in the same room (something I never do) and have a semi-late nighter. I moved the TV and DVD player onto B's dresser, and they both laid up there and watched a movie together. Then, they decided that they both wanted to sleep on the top bunk, so I let them. This was a rare night that they got along for such a long stretch of hours. So, why fight it. Here are some pics of the all our boys enjoying there new beds.

Halloween

We had a very relaxing Halloween. We slept in and played in the morning. Then I coaxed the boys into helping me tidy up the house. We had our friend Ben and his girls arrive to play and attend our festivities with us. Colby needed a haircut, so Ben assisted and then decided to shave his own as well. We got the kids all dressed up and took pictures in front like we always do. Braxton can finally fit correctly into his Jack Sparrow costume, Gabe using Braxton's old Spiderman sweatsuit as a costume, Rylee as an angel, Tristan in Braxton's old giraffe costume, and Lily as a cute little clown. (Did I say that I decided to buy a new purse instead of costumes for the kids this year? Oh well, we have plenty to recycle. Plus, I'm loving my Juicy Couture purse.)We stopped by my parents home for the kids to get a glow stick, then off to Colby's parents home for a treat as well. (A quick stop at RedBox to return a movie) Then off to our ward Trunk-or-Treat. Here are Heather and I handing out candy. Gabe and Tristan were done making the rounds.By that time our dinner was done, so we headed home for food. Mmmmm...dinner in a pumpkin. I told the kids they were eating pumpkin brains. They all liked it, except Braxton...of course. Then they just wanted to watch a movie and eat candy, what little they had, so we didn't argue with them. They got into PJs to relax, and we relaxed answering the door and not walking them around the neighborhood. Overall, it was a great day.

Pumpkin Patch

Tristan and I attended Gabe's annual trip to the pumpkin patch with his preschool. We grabbed some Wendy's to eat on the way, since he would be going straight to class from Farr West. We played with some friends while waiting for the entire class to arrive. (He thinks it is hilarious to smile like this in pictures.) Tristan let me do his hair today, I love it this way. Then the kids all gathered around the scarecrow, he stood up, and starting talking to them! (This happens every trip, but it's still fun.) Here are Gabe and Tristan picking out a $1 pumpkin to take home. Gabe wanted to try the head on. Picture time with pumpkin man and Miss Jackie. There are so many fun photo opps at this place. Obviously, Tristan was done with that crazy pumpkin guy.We had a great time. Gabe took his pumpkin back to class to decorate, and brought it home after school. On Wednesday they get to take their pumpkins back to class and smash them, he is anxiously awaiting this splendid event.

Oh yeah! Here is Gabe's preschool class earlier that week. They had a costume parade. Gabe is Spiderman.

November Creative Class

The next stamping classes will be on Wednesday November 18 and Saturday November 21. Again the class goes from 7pm until midnight and the cost is $15 for 10 cards. If you can, bring your own black ink pad and adhesive of choice. We will be making 2 copies each of five designs. So 2 Thank You cards, and 8 Christmas cards. Leave me a comment to reserve your spot - or send me an email or text. Don't forget to specify which class. Again, I am no longer a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator...so there is no pressure to buy anything.

Our Creations!

So here is what we made last night: 2 copies of each - 1 fall card, 1 Halloween card, 3 Christmas cards.

Wednesday's class is still on!

Hey there gals!

My stamping class for this Wednesday (7pm-midnight) is still on! Message me today to save your seat. $15 for 10 cards: 2 fall, 2 Halloween, and 6 Christmas cards. In November we will mostly be doing Christmas cards and December will only be Christmas cards. It's going to be a blast! Let me know so I can cut enough paper and have plenty of embellishments on hand.

Tonight's stamping class...

is cancelled. I only had 5 maybes and then I got sick yesterday. Wednesdays class is still on, and next month's classes are as well. I will post dates for those soon.

Creative Classes

Hey ladies,

Do you want to impress your friends or family with some handmade cards this year? Do you need a night out with the girls, no kids, no husbands? Do you want to learn how to stamp and be creative using different techniques and supplies? This is your chance to get some great ideas for cards, scrapbook layouts, and other creative projects. So, don’t miss out! Reserve your seat today. No need to worry if you aren’t crafty. I come up with the ideas, and cut the paper for you. All you do is assemble and add you own personal flair. No pressure, I’m not selling anything but creative inspiration.

All classes are held at my home on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 7pm-12am.

The cost is $15 for 10 cards.

First classes are October 17 and 21: Autumn, Halloween and Christmas cards. Calendar coming soon to the bottom of this page.

Success!

My first ever yard sale was a huge success. I made my goal and more. Granted I had set my goal low, to make myself feel great if I got more. The leftover's were taken straight to the D.I. afterwards so I didn't need to store all that crap. I only have one more trip there and my home will be free and clear of junk. Well...until spring most likely. Now it's on to better and more exciting things. I have a Scentsy party this coming Saturday, open house 2-4pm. I tried to send an invitation to about everyone I know. If you didn't get one, don't feel left out, if you are reading this....YOU ARE INVITED TOO! Come and smell their great scents and view the cute and fancy warmers they have. They have small wall plug-ins, and fresheners for your cars as well as sprays. All the holiday scents are out, and they are wonderful. I will provide refreshments, so stop on by for a great time.

Yard Sale!

Multi-family yard sale at my place on Saturday 9/19 7am until noon. Good stuff: lots of furniture including queen, full and twin mattresses, side tables, coffee table, dresser, recliner. Also clothes, toys, Stampin' Up! rubber stamp sets, Fisher Price Geotrax, and kitchen items, and much more. Let me know if you are interested and would like the address.

First Official Day...

Okay, so today was Gabe's first official day of his last year of preschool (otherwise know as his second year). He was very excited to go. He made sure I got several different photo shots of him this afternoon. I cannot believe that he will be in Kindergarten next year. We moved back to N.O. when he was 9 months old, wow time flies! We'll see what fun antics this year brings. And to all the parents and kids whom he offends, I apologize in advance. I sincerely hope that this apology will not be needed. We are working with his temper and lack of patience for others. But he sure photographs well!

He and Miss Jackie. And for some odd reason he is being shy, which is so not him!

Happy New Bed Day!

We decided to treat ourselves to a new mattress since testing a few in May. And...we chose a King Sized one. It's so fun being able to hog the bed at the same time as Colby hogs the bed. And the best part, choosing new bedding because we only had queen sheets. Girls love that kind of stuff. The mattress is so soft and fluffy that it makes the bed really tall, which is something I was hoping for. We have never bought ourselves a bed. We took Colby's old queen when we were first married, and then his parents kindly bought us a mattress one year for Christmas. But, we had never had the opportunity to test them and pick what we thought was most comfortable. I have been sleeping great since Saturday. It hugs my body and won't let go of me in the morning, or afternoon when napping, or evening when reading and watching TV. Okay, let's just say that since being delivered we try to not leave our bedroom. TV has been moved from the big TV in the basement, to the comfort of our room. Story time has been moved from Braxton's room. Lunch and Dinner for me have migrated to the bedroom. And, usually I read on the couch. Not any more!
Oh, and we celebrated our 9th anniversary this last week. We had two days of eating way too much wonderful food, shopping alone without the kids. Going to the movies and just cruising in the convertible trying to feel younger. I'll tell you what, 9 years has been hard, but worth every minute. We have both grown up and changed in ways, but hopefully we are able to communicate with each other better every year. Love ya, Colb!

Herrs in town.

Our friends the Herr family visited us yesterday evening. They are in town to drop their daughter off in Provo at the MTC.

(Sister Sharlean Torst off to Russia after the Missionary Training Center)

They decided to make a trip of it and visit a bunch of different people in Utah, as well as stopping by Bryce Canyon. We made the list of people to visit, which I was very excited about. Jen and I became close friends by serving in church together. We had a great time visiting with them, and my boy's had a blast with all there kids. Nothing like food and friends to chat with. Thanks for stopping by guys, see you next time we are in Cali.

(Braxton, Jaden, Gabe, and Tristan chowing down on pizza)

(Trebor, Jen, Rob, Sharlean, Colby)

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

Woot! My first day of no fighting in awhile, it was refreshing. Braxton woke me up at 7:13 wondering why I didn't wake him up to go to his first day of school. My alarm was set for 7:15. I helped him get ready and dropped him off at school. Gabe slept in until 8:20, which is completely amazing. Tristan is still asleep. Oh...the quiet! I am getting the house super clean because I have friends visiting us later today from Cali. I love a good motivation to get me in the "spring" cleaning mood. I will update later with how school was for Braxton. He was very excited for today, we'll see how he feels tomorrow. Oh yeah, Colby and I also celebrate 9 years married today. However we have been together for 11 1/2 years. We will be celebrating on Wednesday and Thursday. It just fit in the schedule for this week better that way, besides we didn't want to miss B's first day in second grade.

Here he is ready to go to school this morning:

Spoils for the day...

My bountiful basket booty:

5 loaves of honey wheat bread $10

fruit and produce basket: $15

4 heads romaine lettuce

3 bunches bok choy

2 bags carrots

1 head of cauliflower

1 butternut squash

1 cantaloupe

2 pounds strawberries

8 nectarines

6 tomatoes

11 small Fuji apples

1 bag green seedless grapes

1 large bunch bananas

online processing fee $1.50

Total $26.50