I Love

I love that Sadie tries to find proof that she's part dog.

I love that Justin lets me work in the yard or garage without wandering into the road too many times.

I love that the forecast today is clear blue skies and 75°.

I love that I don't really care that my house is a mess because I have been outside all day.

I love it when Justin is tired of sitting on my lap and he hops off and says 'ee ya' (see ya)!

I love that no one gets mad when he stops to pee on the floor as he streaks through the house to get into the tub.

I love that my man gets home no later than 5:00 every day, and he doesn't bring a shred of work with him.

I also love that he gets all the Jewish holidays off. And we're not even Jewish.

I love that Jackson fits into my rollerblades and has taken them over so I can get a new pair.

I love it when Audrey tells me I'm the best mom she's ever had. (I didn't realize I had competition.)

And I really love these pictures. Happy Halloween!!

Pumpkin Perfection

Time for our yearly obligatory pumpkin carving family night.
This time we went to the Methodist church pumpkin patch to get our gourds.

That's right. No Walmart pumpkins for us. We spared no expense this year.




It was boys...


vs. girls...


Clearly we won.
How does it go, Audrey?
Girls Rule. Boys Drool.

Tagged

Two people tagged me to do the same post so here ya go!

6 Random Things About Moi

1. I have 3 kidneys.
I know what your next question is: 'How do you know?'
I had an ultrasound when I was 18 for a pain in my side.
And no, I do not pee more than normal.
I often wonder if one of my kids will need one someday.

2. I have been snow-skiing ONCE and it was a painful and humorous experience. It took my sister and me 2 hours to get down the bunny slope.
"Snow Plow!!" automatically comes to my mind when skiing comes up in conversation.

3. I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Most of my blogger buddies and readers know that but some might not. If you want to know more about my Mormon faith and what I believe, go here.
My religion defines who I am. My every day centers around my resolve to live according to it's teachings. I don't drink, smoke, swear, watch R-rated movies or other movies or shows with explicit content. I go to church every Sunday and for the days in between, I try to read my scriptures and pray. I love my family more than words can really say, and I love my Savior even more.

5. I like to make things. I like to cook, sew and craft, but I also like to paint, refinish furniture or remodel things. Some husbands bring their wives flowers. My man brings me power tools from time to time. I once tore out the vanity in the kids bathroom and put a new one in all by myself. When I decide I'm going to do something, I have to do it and I can't wait around for Steve to get home from work to help me. ☺
I would love to have a huge workshop with every tool imaginable. Like those ones they sometimes do on Extreme Makeover Home Edition. ☺

6. I like to mow the lawn. I don't really like to do any other kind of yard work. There's just something satisfying about the look and smell of freshly trimmed grass. We have made one attempt at a vegetable garden since we've lived here, but we weren't serious enough about it to keep up with it. Maybe we'll try again this year.

Okay, so now I'm supposed to tag some people. I don't remember who has or hasn't done this yet so don't do it if you already have! I tag Jill, Marisa, Annetta and Celeste. Have fun!

Photo Of The Day

After being bathed and PJ'd, Justin apparently thought he needed a little more tub time and dove in with Audrey.

Judging by the murky bath water, Audrey apparently had a great afternoon playing in the mud.

Week In Review

GOOD - Only one more month until Justin is old enough to go in the nursery at church.

BAD - He's such a scaredy-cat, I will probably have to stay in there with him.

COOL - When I got carded at Walmart for spray paint. Actually, that falls in the Very Cool category.

NIGHTMARE - When I didn't wear a bra to drop the kids off at school because we were running late and I didn't think I would have to get out.
I was wrong.
That's when babies come in handy to hug nice and tight.
(Too bad I couldn't use him to hide my morning breath.)

EXCITING - Jackson has gotten pretty darn good at tennis. All that dinero for lessons is paying off.

HUMILIATING - He whooped me 4 games to 2....my back was hurting...☺

FINALLY - I finished my Spooky Tree.

BUT - I have a thin layer of black spray paint all over me so my skin looks a little grey.

CUTE - When I sing 'Old McDonald', Justin chimes in and sounds like a broken record cuz he can't get past the 'E-I' part. 'E-I-E-I-E-I-E-I-E-I'...you get the idea.

GOOD - I inventoried our food storage situation and I know what we are lacking and I'm on it.

REALLY BAD - I had some cake mixes that were about to expire so I made a ton of cupcakes to freeze. I ate a lot of them. With frosting.

FUN - Justin had little friends over for the very first time.

BUT - He went down for a nap about 20 minutes after they got here.

HAPPY - Audrey turned 6!!! I can't believe my baby girl is 6!!!

SAD - I can't believe my baby girl is 6...

SAD (The don't want to talk about it kind) - I'm reminded that I lost Audrey's baby pictures through her first year when our old computer bit the dust several years ago.

GLAD - She's my daughter and I love her so much. She wakes me up with her crooked smile every morning. She makes me laugh with her off-the-wall questions and her witty comments. She humbles me with her sensitive heart. She amazes me with her intelligence. She is truly one of my jewels.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEAUTIFUL GIRL!!!

Take This Quarter...

So I made chocolate cupcakes on Thursday and then went about my day for a little while until some time later when I saw myself in the mirror.
The evidence of my taste-testing sins was plainly on my face. It's a good thing I didn't go out of the house.
The funny thing is all I could think of for the rest of the day was this.



If you don't know what movie this clip is from you are dead to me.

It's All Good

I have recovered. My kids are cute again. My marriage is safe. ☺

It helps to have a Saturday at home to get things done.
It also helps to be spiritually rejuvenated and humbled by a prophet of God.

This is just one thing we accomplished yesterday. The rest to be posted at a later date.

Bring on the week!!!

♥Dear Family♥

I wanted you all to know that I am taking 3 days off from cleaning messy bedrooms, stinky bathrooms, cleaning up after every meal and doing mountains of laundry.

Okay, I probably won't really do that since I will have triple the work after three days of trying to make a point that will never be made.

But just think about it for a minute.

♥Sadie - picture this.... times three.


♥Jackson - imagine trying to find a pair of undies in this.... times three.

♥Audrey - if you want dinner, then you might want to unload this.

And clear off this.


♥Steve - I love you babe, but your dirty socks do not go here.

They go here.


♥Justin - just try a little harder to keep your food on your tray, okay?


M♥M

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Fall Can Come Now

It's okay now. My big project for September is over so Fall can move on in. It doesn't ever feel like Fall until we have our annual church County Fair. I'm the Enrichment Leader at our church, which means I get to plan fun, inspiring, educational and enriching activities for the women. This year we decided to make the Fair a family thing and all were invited. I thought it turned out great and was more fun than just us boring ladies.
We had a chili cook off, popcorn machine, candied apples, homemade pies and fresh churned ice cream. The highlight of the fair is the Service Auction where everyone auctions off services...like car detailing, babysitting, landscaping, swimming lessons (or even an offshore fishing trip this year!), or a handmade/homemade item...like quilts, jam, baked goodies, etc. No money is involved. Everyone bids using points they earn from filling out a questionnaire. Last year I made a bench and decided to do it again this year.



I'm going to post the 'how-to' on the Chocolate Monday blog eventually but this bench was already put together several months ago, so since I only had to paint it for the auction I don't have play by play pictures. I want to make a big one for my front porch...someday when I get around to it.

The activity is a lot of work but so worth it every year. I really liked that some of the primary kids got involved and auctioned off babysitting or yard work or some goodies they made.
I also really like my husband. A lot. He is a huge help every year. He made the ice-cream and he made a gigantic pot of chili that tied for First Place (thank you allrecipes.com). Everything runs better with a supportive spouse, I always say. Not to mention very helpful kids! And really good friends (I don't want to leave anyone out)!!
So yeah, I'm ready for Fall...meaning cooler temps and neighborhood kickball games. Speaking of, I have really been wanting to do a Block Party since we moved in here. If anyone has ever had any success with one, I would love some ideas and tips.