Some new favorites!!

OK. I have some new favorites. Favorite projects, favorite pictures, favorite people, etc. Here's a few (OK, a lot) pictures showing some of them.

My new favorite napping spot for Bryn while at G and G A's house! All of the rooms were taken by other sleeping toddlers and babies, so Bri's mom came up with this idea. It was great!

My favorite body part of Bryn's...her cheeks! If she turned her head just a little farther, you wouldn't be able to see her lips! :0) (Our 1st picture of Bryn with her 2 boys cousins, Sam and Max, on Bri's side of the family.)

My favorite dance moves shown by Paige and her cousin, Ashley. Such beautiful ballerinas! Let me tell you, Paige was in heaven!!

Some of my favorite toys for Bryn (another favorite will be shown later in the post)

Some of my favorite kiddos. (It was so fun meeting my cousin's kids, Emmy and Kai, for the 1st time!! It was so fun seeing you, Katie and Kent!!)

One of my favorite facial expressions of Austin's. He wasn't so sure of his "new" cousin, Kai. :0)

Some more of my favorite kiddos. (I have a lot of these pictures!!) :0)

And another one!

My new favorite projects. The "tag blankie" was sooooo easy to make and Bryn LOVES it! I can't wait to see Austin with his new tie on tomorrow (the best part about the tie is it's velcro closure in the back!). And these booties....need I say more?!? And of course I had to make some bows to match the booties! Fabric yo-yo bows...yes, a new favorite!

I bought the patterns for the tie and booties at http://www.etsy.com/shop/makeitandloveit. The idea for the fabric yo-yo's came from http://heatherbailey.typepad.com/heather_bailey/2009/09/pa.html

I know so many talented people!!

So, I am really needing to spread the word! I have so many friends and family members who are so talented, whether musically, artistically, spiritually, etc. Some of these friends and family members even sell some of the stuff they make!! LUCKY US!! I thought I'd share a their info so you can see how talented they are!!

First of all, my cousin, Pamela, makes amazing jewelry (among many other crafts!) Check out her blog at http://pamelasusan.typepad.com/pamela_susanup_close_pers/. There's a link to her Etsy shop on her blog. You won't be disappointed, I promise!

Another cousin, Ellen, who happens to be a sister to Pamela (very talented family, let me tell you!) makes awesome dog collars and accessories. If you have a four-legged member of your family, you need to check out her blog, http://www.classichoundblog.blogspot.com/.

Now, on to one of my friends. Krissy is just plain amazing. She is so creative and comes up with some of the cutest projects, whether bags, kids' room decor, quiet activities, etc. She just opened up an Etsy shop with her latest kids' room decor items!! Check it out at http://www.etsy.com/shop/wispyloo.

Also, I have a couple other sites that you have to check out. I have ordered some things from these girls recently and LOVE them! Seriously, I know so many talented people!!! ;0) For vintage, refinished furniture, go to http://fromthevintagefarm.blogspot.com/ and for some cute patterns, dresses, and bags, go to http://www.etsy.com/shop/makeitandloveit. Ashley, the lady who makes these items also has a blog where she shows tutorials on how to make cute things of your own at http://www.makeitandloveit.blogspot.com/

I hope you're able to see what I'm talking about. Trust me, it will be worth your time!! ;0)

Did everyone survive?!?

So, did everyone survive the holidays? Sometimes I feel as if we barely did! ;0) We actually had the best Christmas until about 10:30 pm on Christmas night. Austin woke up screaming and then promptly puked all over his bed. He ended up doing this for the next 2 days and then he was "sick" on the other end. NOT FUN!! At least he's better now. Phew!! So, yes, we survived! :0)

Besides Austin getting sick, we enjoyed having my side of the family over for a few days to do our gift-exchange, Nativity reenactment, caroling and just visiting. (It was so much fun seeing all the cousins together. Paige and Austin are asking frequently when they can see their cousins again and play "Don't Eat Pete" with them!) ;0) Thank you to all my family members who made this get-together memorable and fun!!

After everyone left, we had a very relaxed Christmas Eve and Day. I honestly don't think I've ever had such a simple, fun, and relaxing Christmas. It was awesome!! We stayed in our PJs ALL day, opened presents and played with said presents ALL day, and had my sister and her family come over for dinner (Brandon was the only one civilized enough to be in normal clothes!!) :0). Seriously, no stress Christmas and it was WONDERFUL. It was so nice to focus more on the true meaning of Christmas and realize how blessed we are to know that we have a Savior who came to earth as a little baby so He could show us by His example how we should be living. I am so thankful for that knowledge and I'm so thankful to Him for making it possible to be with my family forever. Being able to reflect on these thoughts is what made this Christmas so wonderful!

Here's a few pictures of our Christmas fun!

The Nativity

My brother, Keith, narrating

Challis as the wonderful star

Paige as Mary. She plays the part well, I think!

Challis made Paige a fish stand for Christmas and Paige LOVED it (as did every other child there.) Paige absolutely adores her cousin, Challis.

My brother, Kolby, and SIL, Melissa, had us for Christmas and Melissa made 5 awesome folder games to take to church. The kids love them (as shown here by my nephew, Jaxson, and Brian!) Thanks again, Melissa!!

Here's my mom with her present. Everyone was teasing her that the bag I made was a new doggy purse for Powder. As you can see, Powder didn't quite like that idea! :0)

My niece, Natalie, enjoying the yummy treats that Kandra made for everyone!

For Family Home Evening on Monday, we played "Don't Eat Pete" with all the cousins. It was so fun!! The best part was how excited the little 2 year olds got when they were able to yell, "Don't eat Pete!!" A huge thank-you to our friends Brandon and Brittany who dropped the game off that very night!! :0)

While the ladies made some "bling, bling", the kids had to do a project of their own, so Kandra and Julie helped them make ornaments for the tree. The paper hearts were adorable and the kids LOVED making them. Thanks, Kandra and Julie!

Treats for Santa and his reindeer. We didn't want a grumpy Santa on our hands!! ;0)

Paige and Austin had to make a card for Santa, also. I wrote exactly what they told me to write. So cute!!

This picture is for my mom. Bryn LOVED the baby my mom gave her. She was lovin' it and eatin' it all day! ;0)

Paige got a Princess Barbie from Santa and Austin got some Hot Wheels cars. His favorite car is the Shark car!

Bryn with some of her stash! She got some shoes, a food masher, some bath toys, a couple baby dolls, a couple books and some toys to put on her carseat (which she LOVES!!) It will be fun next year when she'll be more into it all.

Paige with her loot. She now has 3 Barbies, 1 baby doll, a dress, a picture of Christ, a couple more books, some blocks, a coloring book, and crayon roll (from G'ma and G'pa N), a fun game (from Uncle John and Aunt Bethany), Princess Polly Pockets (from G'ma and G'pa A) and some Littlest Pet Shops.

Austin scored as well! ;0) Along with the game, blocks, coloring book, crayon roll, he got a tool set (which he loves the best because he can use them on the blocks like Bob the Builder!), 2 race car tracks (one Hot Wheels and one Handy Manny), a couple books, some shoes, and a sweater. I love that smile of his!

We had some friends give us these. I thought they were so cute, especially because I love Snowmen so much!! The candy bars were super yummy, also!! :0)
Once Austin started feeling better, the kids were able to do a project. They used the paints that Paige got from Santa to make masterpieces! The best part for them were wearing the old pillowcases as art smocks!! ;0)
So, Paige got a hold of my camera again. This is one picture that she tried to take of herself. Silly girl! I know it's a random picture, but I had to add it because it makes me laugh!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Merry Christmas!

I know this week is going to be crazy, so I thought I would post this before the craziness started. We hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas!!

WARNING: Picture Overload!

I just uploaded all the pictures from my camera and realized that I had pictures from before Thanksgiving on it. I'm a little behind...oops! Because of that, there will be lots of pictures. Sorry.

I'll work a backwards, I guess. Here's Bryn showing us her new trick. She won't even take her binky anymore. Oh well. At least it helps her sleep through the night! We don't have to swaddle her through the night anymore. Yippee!! (I didn't think that was going to happen anytime soon.)

"You caught me, Mom!"
Paige and Austin were very excited to go outside and build a snowman. Can you tell?!? I love seeing proof that they can get along and really do love each other!



Some more pics of Bryn. She's getting so big!!

Look at the creases in her arms. Chunkers!! :0)

Austin and Paige can't get enough of Bryn. They are constantly asking to hold her. I love seeing how Bryn's eyes light up whenever they come to play/talk with her!

Bryn with Grandpa N! Have to love the "deer-in-the-headlights" look! :0)

Hangin' out with Grandpa A. She looks so tiny compared to him!
Oh, how I love having Kandra, Brandon, Sydnee and Dawson living so close to us!! It's so fun seeing these two grow up together!!

Bekah, my SIL, sent me this adorable "Thanksgiving Jar" idea. It's a countdown to Thanksgiving and every day we pulled out a piece of paper that said what we were thankful for that day. It also had an activity to go along with it. For example, we were thankful for neighbors one day and we gave each of our neighbors some apple butter I made with a little note saying how thankful we are for them. It was so much fun. The kids made sure that we never forgot and it was wonderful realizing (again) that we are so very blessed. This will definitely be our Thanksgiving tradition from now on!!

Doesn't Paige look so old in this picture?!? Crazy!

Here are a few projects I've been working on lately. I have a few more that I've done, but I can't post those pictures until after Christmas since it would ruin the surprise!! :0)

I LOVE this bag! It fits so many things in it! I used to have a couple bags to take to church every Sunday, but now I just have to take this! WONDERFUL!!!

I decided to make stockings this year because none of the others matched and we needed another one for Bryn. I think they turned out pretty well. I did stitch our names on the cuff but you can't tell very well in this picture. (I didn't have embroidery floss in a color I liked. Oh well!)

A couple aprons for the kids. Sooooo very easy to make and soooo very cute!

Bows, bows and more bows. A friend of mine sells beaded watch bands and she told me that she would sell my bows for me at different craft shows she goes to if I wanted her to. I thought it was a great idea, so I spent a few hours making these bows. It was fun making so many! I think my favorites are the "Crazy" bows in the top left. So cute!

Busy, busy, busy

Wow, for the last 4-5 weeks I've been telling myself that I need to get on the computer and update my blog but other things just have had higher priority, I guess. Between taking care of the kids, making Christmas presents and treats, teaching piano lessons, making bows, trying to get our house more "put together", and just doing what a normal mother has to do, I haven't had much time to sit down for more than 5 minutes and that just isn't enough time to blog!! :0)

Things have been going pretty well in our little household. I've been having to work with Paige and Austin on listening and not destroying the house while I'm feeding Bryn, but besides that... ;0) Bryn is growing like a weed. We love our chubby little girl. She had her 4 month appointment the beginning of this month and she was in the 61st percentile for weight (14 lbs), 32nd for height (23.8 in) and 24th for head (15.8). We're so used to having the tall, skinny babies we aren't sure what to think of it! :0) She definitely doesn't have the bigger head like her brother, that's for sure! ;0) She's usually a very happy baby. The only time she really gets fussy is when I'm trying to feed her. Crazy, I know. She eats great once she's pretty much asleep and at night, but she just doesn't like to settle down and eat. She wants to look around and see what's going on, even if I'm feeding her in her room with the door closed and no one else in the room. She is doing a little better with it, though, because she has begun to sleep through the night and hunger usually wins over the curiousity after 10-11 hours of not eating. But she would still rather look at me and smile than eat a lot. C R A Z Y girl!! Oh well. So more about Bryn, she's getting really close to rolling over. She rolls onto her side but can't seem to figure out how to get past her arm (Brian says it's her fat rolls, but it's her arm!!) ;0) She can go in a circle if you leave her on the floor long enough, though, because every time she rolls to her side she moves a little. It's pretty funny. We started her on rice cereal today. She actually liked it. She wasn't too sure of it at first because of the different texture, but she started to open her mouth in anticipation for more, so that's a good sign. Maybe it's because she realized she could eat that and still look around and see everything!! Also, she has discovered her thumb. We've never had a thumb-sucker before and I'm a little worried about breaking the habit, but boy, it has been nice at night. That's the reason she sleeps through the night now. I'm really liking that part of it, so we'll let it be for now! ;0)

Austin is doing well. He's doing much better in the "toileting" area. It just has to be his idea to go #2. He has a little bit of a stubborn side in him. (That's a slight understatement!!) He talks up a storm and always makes me smile and laugh with some of the things he says. He loves to sing, especially Christmas songs right now. I think Jingle Bells is his favorite. He is fascinated by the Christmas tree and rearranges the ornaments daily! He's also fascinated by presents. He seems to have a 6th sense on where I'm hiding the presents. He found some in my hope chest in my room but I don't think he saw individual items, he just saw "lots of cool toys and things" (his own words). Then he found the present Paige got for him in the guest room. They usually don't go in there so I thought it would be OK to put the bag in the room for the day. I guess I thought wrong. I was in feeding Bryn and I heard some rustling in the guest room next door. When I finished with Bryn, I went in there and found Austin playing with the toy tools. Luckily they were still in the box. When I saw him he said, "Mom, I'm getting some cool Bob the Builder toys! They're so cool!!" Nice, Austin, nice!! At least I know he will like them!! :o) He was very mad the next morning when they weren't in the guest room anymore! Hopefully he won't find the next hiding spot!! :0)

Paige is our little drama queen and smarty-pants. She lets us know exactly how she's feeling, whether it's happy, ecstatic, sad, angry, confused, etc. She really keeps us on our toes. She is loving preschool, her preschool and primary teachers, her friends, and pretty much life as a whole!! She's very creative and loves to draw, make up words to songs and play pretend. She puts on her Cinderella dress everytime I turn on music and dances like there's no tomorrow! Every time I see the Primary chorister in our ward, she tells me how much she loves Paige. She says that she knows almost every word of every song they sing and she loves to answer questions during Sharing time. She gave me piece of paper after church on Sunday and I opened it to find a thank you card. She drew me a picture and then at the top she had written Thank You. I asked her if she had help writing it and she said, "No, Mom. I just saw what the Bishop wrote on the board and then I copied it on my paper!" She was very proud of herself and I have to say that I don't blame her. Now she asks me all the time how to spell different words and she writes the letters on the paper. I have a feeling she's going to LOVE school in the fall!!

As for Brian, he's doing well. He's busy with work and church as always. He's such a good provider for us and a wonderful example of hard work. I love it because he's so willing to help with the kids when he's home. He usually puts Austin down for his nap when he's home for lunch and then usually puts the kids to bed if he's home. The kids just adore him and love it when he comes home from work. He's getting very excited to go snowboarding!! We're hoping to go this weekend. We'll see if we can work something out so I can go for at least 1/2 a day. I haven't been for years, so hopefully we can do it!

I'm sorry I don't have pictures this time. I have lots of pictures to post, but I didn't have time to upload them to the computer from my camera and then post. Hopefully tomorrow I'll have some pics up. I still have a lot of things to do by the end of this week, so we'll see. At least I can cross "update blog" off my list!! :0)