Mom's Birthday/Sisters Weekend



Suzie, Diane, Mom, Lori, Me



This past weekend I had the opportunity to spend time with my Mom and Sisters!! It was my Mom's 73rd Birthday! Me and my Mom drove up to Tooele Friday and stayed at my sister Diane's house. Saturday we went to my niece Kaity's Cheerleeder Competition (she won 1st). We spent the day shopping at the mall, eating lunch at Olive Garden, laughing through a movie and hanging out together! It was so much fun!

I love being with my sisters, and it was a MUCH NEEDED break for me. I think it was worth months of therapy to just be with them! We drove home Sunday and I was so ready to be with my wonderful husband and kids. Time away always makes me realize how much I love my family. I am blessed with great parents, siblings, and in-laws! Thanks to my Dad and MIL for watching my kids so I could go!

My little Cheerleader

This little gadget is my new cheerleader! It plays my music while I run, udates me on how far I have gone/have to go, and engourages me on my way! Today I ran 4 miles with it, and I really enjoyed it! I love knowing the distance/pace at a push of the button! Thanks NIKE for this little piece of joy!

Getting Organized #8 and B (all day one)

 

After



 





Yesterday was a BIG day for my organizing list! I lined up my Mom to babysit Andy and Emily in the afternoon so I could spend that time doing their room. I did the above while they were home and Andy was asleep. But, needing to do their room, I knew they would bothe need to be gone! I had so much fun redoing their room. Andy is now in a much Bigger crib than before and I turned Emil's bed to seperate it a little more. It seems much more inviting to me now. I had 3 buckets of clothes to sort through and hang up. I also moved their shoes from the closet to the thing hanging on their door. Now everything has a place and it nice and clean. Their closet is pretty empty right now. I am considering moving a lot of the toys out of the playroom and storing them their in containers. Up of course where they can't reach them.

This is so much fun, and the kids LOVE their room. Izzy even said she wants to move back into it cause it's so pretty now. I really think that clutter bothers the kids as much as it does to me! Here are some before and after pictures of their room. i didnt get a good after of the pink wall, I will have to add that later cause I am out of time! Oh, and I want to do a little craft thing with their names but that's going to have to wait!



 

 

Getting Organized #7

Before



After

 Today I decided to tackle my computer/couponing/work space. It is right in my kitchen, so I can do stuff while being around my family. Oh, and because there is no where else safe in the house ;)
It started as a great idea, until I couldn't find the file hanging folders I needed for my coupon bin (the big pink box). I have switched to the UnCLipping method of couponing! I will do a different post on that later this week when I go shopping.
Also, Andy decided he was not going to take a good nap today. He usually sleeps a good 2-3 hours each morning. I take advantage of that time to clean, cook, do my Organizing Challenge, and all the little things that are difficult to do while he is awake. Needless to say he was shut in the playroom, buckled in his high chair or layed down in his crib while I did my job today! I don't think I will win any awards for my Mom kindness today, but hey it is the only way I can do anything and keep my sanity!
So, just before Brad went back to work after lunch he pulled down the attic ladder and got down what I needed (the hanging file holders) and I was able to get started!!
It is so nice to have a clean work space! My mind can focus on what I am doing and not constantly be worried about the clutter around me!!! You may not be able to see a big difference by glancing at the pictures, but there actually is a HUGE difference in the mess. As I do other challenges I will be able to move more of the stuff out of there and probably re-do this area again! I know I am obsessed!

Getting Organized #6

Before

After

So, today I wanted to do some Organizing, so far I have had an idea of what I want to do each day, but today I couldn't do what I wanted. So, I got out my list and saw Under my Kitchen Sink on the list. I was hoping to find a dish washer tablet under there so I wouldn't have to go to the store! Well I did find one and another 100! I forgot that I had purchased 2 big Costco containers full of them!

So not only do I feel great about getting something done, I saved money by not buying something I already have! AND I don't have to go the store!! Yippee!! This is so fun, I really am enjoying doing this little project of mine! And even though I am exosing my dirty, messy hidden clutter and crap, I am loving getting it all done!!

Getting Organized #4 #5 and A (all day one)

I did my First BIG JOB. I have my small 15-30 min jobs listed and then I made another column with my bigger jobs that will take about 4 hours to a full day. And, I didn't even get a before picture :*

( But, I really didn't know I would get so much done today!

Today me and MaKayla did : #4- take down Christmas lights outside down and put into boxes. #5-clean/sweep front porch! And then we did a little bonus of A-Putting all the Christmas decoration boxes away up into the attic. This was a HUGE job, and quite the workout. There are about 20 boxes plus misc. bags of decorations and such. For the first time in MONTHS I am able to pull my van and park in the garage

I am so excited! Wow, what a weight off my shoulders. And it feels good to know that Brad will be surprised when he comes home! LOVE IT!!

Getting Organized #2 & #3

Before

After

So to continue on with my organizing I have done two more projects. The 2nd on my list was our sock basket. I put the mismatches from the loads of laundry in it, lately all the socks have gone in it, and none folded. Yesterday I took care of this and matched and folded all of them LOVE IT!

Today I tackled my closet. The medicine shelf has actually kept me awake at night thinking about how messy it is. Probably because the last thing before bed is going in there and changing, and I see it! I feel so good after this one today. I could feel tension and anxiety released as each shelf got cleaned!

I am so excited that things are going well with my little project, and I am surprised how much it is helping my anxiety. I am usually so obsessive about things, I can't do a part of it until I do ALL of it, so this is nice to take it one step at a time!! 

Getting Organized #1

Before

So, I am trying to get going on my Organizing my house goal. I made a list (and will add to it) of the things that I want to get done and reorganized, then each day I will choose 1 thing from my list to do. This way I am not comletely overwhelmed and I can manage it without being too obsessed!
Today is the FRIDGE! It has been almost a year since I cleaned it out, and it was pretty scary! I took everything out of the cold side and cleaned it and put it back neatly!

After!

The down side to this is that I had to throw a whole bunch of stuff away that had gone bad. I HATE throwing food away! It is like money just going into the garbage. So, I am going to have to make due with what I have and use it up! I looked online and found a yummy recipe for Kabocha Squash that I am gonna cook for dinner. I have never made it before, and I refuse to waste it!

However, I am thankful to have a nice organized fridge now, and I actually know what we have to eat!

Photo Editing

This is one of my favorite photos I have ever taken. I have wanted a Photo Editing program for a long time now, and I have been waiting to get it, just for this photo! My MIL gave me Photoshop Elements 9 for Christmas this year and I am so excited! So, of course the first photo I played around with is this one. I know it is not amazing, but I love it and I am having fun.

I got these outfits for my girls months ago, just so I could take pictures of them in them! I used the black and white with color using elements. And I love hoe they turned out. Emily's I should have cleared up her runny nose, but oh well, I can later.

This is a cool one, I like it. The girls have decided that MaKayla and Emily are BUDS and Izzy and Andy are BUDS! I was playing around with a few different things trying out Layers, I know there is a lot of stuff I could have touched up on this, but I like the overall look of it! Plus with gorgeous models, can't be too bad!

Happy New Year!

Each year my family gets together and spends New Years Eve at my Sister Suzie's house. This year with the storms and money situations, only the LOCALS were able to get together! We start out the evening going to dinner at the Panda Garden Restaraunt. There the adults (18 and over) enjoy a great meal without the young ones. We each order a different entree and then share with everyone. I love it! I am a big fan of Chinese food, and I love to have some of everything!
After dinner we all go to my sisters and the teenagers all go to First Night in St. George. Although this year they changed the name, I stick to the old one :) We hang out, play games and enjoy the night together. This year was no exception! I  got some party favors at the store pretty cheap and the picture above it the pile of it! The little kids (10 and under) had a great time popping them. We were all pretty excited they didn't turn out to be fireworks because it was SO COLD outside!
I was very sad that Brad didn't stay with me on New Years, he was too tired from working so early and so he took the 2 little ones home. It was nice to not have to worry about the little ones, but I missed having him there by my side a midnight!
I usually don't do a formal New Year Resolution, but this year I really want to make some changes. Last year I wanted to loose weight and I am so glad that I did. I work well with goals and so I am setting a few that I hope to accomplish:
1. Get my house organized!
2. Pay off Credit Cards
3. Read 1 book a month
4. Read the Book of Mormon
5. Keep up on my Blog weekely at least :)
6. Run a half marathon
I am sure nobody cares what I am doing, but having it written down (typed) gives me something to own up too! There are a lot more things I need to work on, but I am gonna start with this!

Christmas 2010

I love Christmas! I love giving and watching everyone open their presents. I seriously LOVE IT!! I have so much fun shopping and then watching as they get excited over things they ask for! This year was so great. We have been blessed to give our family a nice Christmas this year!

Emily got her BLUE Baby and her Blue Bike

MaKayla got her ipod touch!!

Izzy got her Video Barbie and new bike

Andy got Big GIJoes and a bouncy ball!

Brad got me my favorite perfume (PURE) and I got him a Citizen Pilot watch. We had so much fun and feel to greatful and blessed!

A Christ Centered Christmas

The idea came from my Sister Suzie, and I am so thankful for this  little book. It is filled with 7 traditions to fill our home with the Spirit. Each tradition is based on one of the pieces of the Nativity.

We started this tradition this year doing 1 a night through Christmas Eve. Each night we learned about a different piece and then did an activity from what we learned. Then we would place the Nativity piece in out special nativity.

Some of the things we did were:

Take a family in need a special present, watched the Nativity, told stories of our Faith, and wrote down a goal we would like to accomplish this year to bring us closer to Christ.

I am so thankful that we did this tradition. Next year we are going to do it as a weekly activity so we have more time to ponder and not rush anything. I highly recommend doing this. It really brought the Christmas Spirit into our home and reminded us what it is about.

Our Elf TricKole

This year Santa sent us a special visitor. We named him TricKole and he stays with us until Christmas Eve when Santa comes and then he returns home with Santa. He watched all day to see how we behave, then when we go to sleep, he majically goes to the North Pole and reports to Santa how we did. Each night he moves to a new spot so we have to find him each day!

MaKayla's First Quilt

This year MaKayla wanted to make her Grandma Cindy a quilt for her bed. She picked the pattern out, the fabric and we got started. I don't think she had any idea what it takes to make a Cal. King size quilt. But she learned pretty quickly. She did a great job with it too. Betweent the two of us working non-stop for a week it got finished Christmas Eve just in time.

It turned out beautiful! Her grandma loved it, and I am so proud of the hard work MaKayla put into it. She is going to make one for her sister Hailey, but definatley not as big!

Mrs. Carlton 12-13-2010

12-10-13

Izzy's 2nd grade teacher passed away suddenly on a Mon. night before the Christmas break. She was also MaKayla's second grade teacher. Izzy loved her, and is very broken hearted about her death. She will be greatly missed. She was a n excellent teacher at Santa Clara Elementary. The students will surely miss her.

This is Izzy's 2nd graders at their Christmas breakfast the Sat. before their teacher died. It has been pretty trematic for some of the students. The Tues after her death, Izzy wrote her Mrs. Carlton a letter, and drew her a picture. She put it in a balloon and sent it up to her in heaven. I love my little girl and it is so hard to see her go through something like this.

O Christmas Tree

Every year we get a permit and drive up the mountain to cut down our Christmas tree. We now get 2 every year cause we can't see the big one in the other room! This is the BIG one we got this year. It was so BIG!!

It had rained a lot before we went this year, and was a nice warm day. The mud was so nasty and sticky this year. There were a few scary moments driving around the cliffs, but the worst was when we kept sliding into the ditch, it was so deep it covered the steps on the side of truck! The truck was at a 75 degree angle, and Izzy kept screaming cause she thought we were going to tip over. But, Brad is an amazing driver and got us out of there safe and sound!

The Nursery

Me and Brad are lucky enough to be called to the Nursery this year ;)

Although Andy isn't old enough yet, he gets to come in with us each week. I can't believe how quickly he is growing up. He can now sit at the table for snack time and plays so much better. It really helps having him be around the older kids to learn how to do things!

Emily is also in there with us. She loves to color with markers (check her arm) and she loves to play and pretend. She is so fun to be around, and is our little helper. Cause her birthday isnt until Feb. she gets to be with us another year.

It has been a big adjustment for us to be in the Nursery. Some days we have 13 kids and some only 6. We are adjusting well, and really enjoying it. Brad spends most of the time following one of the little boys around, who is constantly trying to escape.

Thanksgiving

This year on Facebook I did a challenge of posting something I was greatful for every day unil Thanksgiving. It was really fun to take the time each day to ponder about what I am thankful for.
We spent Thanksgiving at my sister Suzie's house this year. Lots of my siblings were there and both sets of my parents. There were a total of I think 38 people that ate int he same room! I love my family and I feel so lucky to be a part of it. We don't have big quarrals and arguments, and we all love getting together. I hope that I can raise my children to appreciate the same as I do.
Black Friday is always part of my tradition, this year my brother and I went to the midnight WalMart sale. It was one of the craziest shopping events I have seen, and I am a seasoned Black Friday shopper. We ended up getting what we went for and it didn't take too long! It was so fun to spend time with my big brother!

The first Dance Recital

Izzy and Emily both started taking dance this year. They did their first performance at the Jubilee of Trees in Nov. It is the beginning of many more performances!! And, I absolutely love it!

Izzy is part of the Super Steppers, she is on the Mini Show team, and also in a competitive group. They will compete starting this coming May. She is a good little dancer! She loves dancing and I love watching, it brings back lots of fun memories.

Emily is part of the Premier Dance Co. She is on the tiny team. I was really worried how she would be when she got on stage, because she is very shy around people. When she stepped on that stage and the music started, she did her little dance like a pro. She is definately a natural!

Las Vegas Air Show

In Nov we went to the Las Vegas Air Show at Nellis Airforce Base. It was so much fun!

I cant believe how well trained the pilots are and how huge the aircraft is! We had a great time together!

Emily showing how patriotic she is!

This picture is a MUST! You can't be a teenager and go to the air show without getting a picture with the guys in uniform! MaKayla and her friend Ashley had a great time checking out all the boys!

My first 5K

From left: Ellie, Luann, Alex, Izzy, Me, Emily, Cynthia

I did my first 5K this past Nov. I ran it with my MIL Cynthia, SIL Luann, Nephew Alex, and Niece Ellie. My sister Diane ran the Half Marathon, and Izzy ran the Kids 1 Mile Run. It was so much fun, and I completed it in just over 30 min. My MIL took 2nd place and my nephew 3rd in their divisions! I am so thankful for my MIL for getting up everyday to run with me, without her, there is no way I would have ever been able to do it!!

After we all finished: Ellie, Luann, Diane, Steph, Izzy, Cynthia, Alex

We did it!!