Pretty Sweet

Isn't this fun? Makes me want to plan a Halloween party! Six days away and I still need to decorate our porch. I've got an idea, just need to go get the pumpkins.

Back-to-School shopping

Well, it's that time. Back-to-school shopping. Over the weekend i had the kids make a list of what they needed for the start of school. They had to be fairly specific: how many jeans or shorts, how many tees, how many button-up shirts, how many neutral (khaki, gray, black, white, etc) skirts, how many printed skirts, how many casual shoes, how many flats, belts, underwear, etc. Then we sat together as a family and went over each list and figured out about how much each would cost and which stores the kids wanted to shop. We totaled the list and yesterday we went to the bank, got out the cash and headed to the stores. It was fantastic! Everyone knew pretty much what they were looking for and didn't waste time looking at stuff that wasn't on their list. If they found what they needed and the price was lower than what we estimated...Yeah! If it was more, they had to pay the difference or they could wait and we will look for it at a different store. I loved it, they loved it. Lauren only bought one thing, but we still have stores from her list that we didn't get to. Dallin and Sara got most of what they need. The girls need new backpacks. Sara got hers: bright pink from Vans. For us, it's worth it to spend $12-15 more on a quality backpack because the kids can use them for 2-3 years. I bought Lauren a backpack at TJ Maxx last year and she needs a new one because it's ripping. Sara has been using her Roxy one for 3 years and it's just now that she needs a new one. Dallin got a Quicksilver one last year and it's looks brand new and might even last through high school (can't believe he only has two years left!).
Anyway, it was a good day. We walked and shopped at an outdoor mall and it was beautiful. I love hanging out with my kids. I love to listen to them shop together and ask each other, "How does this look?", "Would it be weird to wear this with that?", "Does this look too young (or old)?" I'm grateful that David has a job that allows us to get some new school stuff. I wish he could've been shopping with us...but someone has to make sure PacSun has the stuff kids want, right? Love you David.

Time for a new post!

Wow! Five months later...

We've moved. We are enjoying our little house. We've got a small garden in the backyard: corn, spinach, beans, zucchini, maybe some other stuff that I can't think of. It's really David's garden. Square foot gardening. He built the frame and mixed the soil, planted the seeds. Sara has a few things growing in pots, too.
I would like to get some living room furniture (our couch is in the family room) and some rugs. The living, dining rooms and hallways are hardwood. Maybe this summer I can at least get the rugs!
Work is winding down. Next week is my last week with kids. After that I've got a couple of weeks of "shutdown". Hope I can get everything done that I'd like! I'm planning on bringing a bunch of books home for the summer so I can be ready for the "I don't know what book to get" comments in the fall. Maybe my kids will read a few of them, too.
The only scrapbooking I've done of late is for the Red Bee. I've got a great little desk and everything set up, I just need a chair, so i haven't even used the space.
Lots of stuff going on this summer. I hope we can fit a vacation in there somewhere!

Delicious!

Yesterday we made and ate cookies and even put some on plates to deliver this evening. I made cookie press cookies, Lauren made Chocolate Avalanches (marshmallow creme sandwiched between chocolate cookies), and Sara made Patricia's sugar cookies (recipe from my Aunt's mother-in-law, Patricia). My aunt used to make them for my brothers and sisters and I when I us growing up. We would spend the night at my Aunt Vickie and Uncle John's house on the night before Christmas eve. We'd have dinner, yummy cookies, hot chocolate, open gifts from them and watch TV or movies. It's a great memory. Thanks Aunt Vickie and Uncle John!!!

And thank you Lauren and Sara for making cookies with me!

How many more?

I had been planning on getting a lovely family picture for our Christmas cards (not unlike I do every year). In October I started thinking seriously and saying, "I'm going to make an appointment for family pictures, so if anyone needs a haircut, tell me now." Well, the weeks went by, no appointment was made and at the end of November I thought we could just set up the camera with the timer and take our own. That didn't happen either. So on Dallin's birthday when the kids got home from school I told them we were heading across the street to the park for pictures. David was in Kansas, so if I were going to get the cards in the mail with a picture it would have to be just kids, no parents. They were really good sports and we took some crazy pictures. It had been a good 15 minutes before anyone said, "How many more?".

PS - I knew I was making the photos B&W so we didn't worry about what colors they were wearing!

Happy Belated Birthday Dallin!

OK, OK. It's late. Dallin turned 16 on the 16th. Dallin, I just want to let you know how glad I am to be your Mom. I can't believe how fast the time has gone. Happy Birthday! Top picture was taken on 12/16/09. I forced him to let me take a picture of him on his birthday before school. Bottom picture was taken 2/26/00. Six years old, on a hike with Dad.

Why is that OK?

Why is it OK for women and girls to say things like, "Men are so stupid" or "Leave it to a man to do something so idiotic"? I have a real issue with this. We are all created after our Heavenly Father, who happens to be male. None of us are perfect and we all do and say stupid things sometimes. It is not only men, nor are men as a group stupid or idiotic. What a disrepectful thing to say about any group of people. How is that not different than saying an ethnic group or a religious group is "stupid" or "idiotic". I just don't get it. Do women want their sons growing up thinking that because they are male they are stupid? Do these women realize that without men, they could not live up to their potential? We need them and they need us. We are on the same team, not rival teams. It's interesting to me that the same women who use these terms would be livid if a man said something so demeaning about a woman. Just something to think about.

I want my guys to know that I think they are smart and have a lot of good about them. They're fun, too. I love my guys!