Snowmen

The Christmas crafting has begun around here! I have been working on these little guys last week. I used paper clay around a Styrofoam ball to form the heads. Which I painted added hats to and glued on top of the jars. The jars came from Hobby Lobby when they were on sale. I was going to fill them with hot fudge but I think I will put something else in them, they aren't very washable!

Deck the Halls!

Our halls are decked! Bring on the holidays! The day after Thanksgiving the kids and I got busy decorating. The villiage is on the mantel now with our gorgeous stockings made by Oma below.

The tree in all its finery!

The nativity that my parents gave William and I when we were first married. It has traveled safely with us from house to house.

I have to say, the kids were actually helpful this year. Usually I am trying to keep them out of the way until things are ready to go. This year they helped clear out everything that needed to be moved, dust it and vacuum. It was a lot more fun!

Thanksgiving

It was a great Thanksgiving around here! The boys came home from school after "Native American Day" looking very cool. So we had some Native Americans.

Also a pilgrim. Wednesday he came home with a turkey hat completing the cast of characters. I love kindergarten!

It was a great day for our family spent with great people, great food and great memories. We are so blessed I can't imagine a better life than the one I have. I am so grateful for so many things, the list is very, very long. I hope it was a great day for everyone else too.

The Phantom of the Opera

It is one of my favorite times of year, rich in cultural opportunity. This is the week our favorite Nutcracker production begins and it is the time most of our local high schools are doing their big play. Lucky for us Northridge High was doing Phantom. I have to admit I was nervous. This is one production that could get ugly fast if you didn't have the talent to carry it. I was counting on their drama department being smart enough to know they had enough talent if they committed to it. They did. It was great! I think high schools in our state have a great reciprocal system going. They seem to share sets and resources which results in a much better production than any of them would have the budget for alone. So this production had great sets, costuming and even the big chandelier. There were very few moments when I remembered that I was at a high school production, although the moment when the chandelier came down was one of them. It descended slowly rather than came crashing down-but they did have to do another show that night. But the big question was of course whether they could possibly have enough kids with voices to deliver those gorgeous songs. They did! Three of them. The Phantom was great, Raol I think I liked better than the guy on my original CD and Christina was gorgeous as was her voice. Seriously, I have said that high school productions are my was of exposing my kids to the dramatic arts but this one was one Brittany and I will be talking about for a long time. The tickets were a little pricier than some high school productions ($10 for adults and $5 for kids) but it was really worth it. It is playing again next weekend, go if you can!

Pinewood Derby

This year's Pinewood Derby. There is nothing like the intensity of Pinewood Derby! Matthew with the entries.

The car refreshments. So cute!

Matthew with his buddies and their cars.

After the official races the guy with the track broke out the loops. While Matthew didn't win the official race, by watching the times we learned he did with the loop races. That is his red car coming out of the loop. The boys had to put their hands in the loop to catch their cars in case they didn't make it through the loop. It was a fun night!

Crazy Hair Day 2011

Hey, what happened to that kid's head?

Hold on-is that Josh or a green-haired old guy?

Yep, everyone's favorite Hair day at school has once again come and gone. Can I just say how glad I am this day falls in October when colored hairspray is available cheap? It wasn't when we lived in CA and it was hard to find it and it was expensive

This was the kindergarten carpool, it is a good look don't you think?

This was the morning carpool. Good looking kids, even with colored hair! I have to admit to really enjoying spraying everyone's head. Makes me think I could have had a second career as a graffiti artist. Oh wait, there isn't any money in that. Guess I will just stick to heads.

40 things

(only picture I could find with me in it!)
So last week was my birthday. It was a big one. 40. Can't believe I typed that. I will tell you I didn't enjoy it. I think anyone who tells you turning 40 is no big deal is lying. It wasn't my favorite day ever. I did go to lunch with my mom which is always fun but it was a busy week and a busy day which ended at the Pinewood derby. It actually improved as the week went on, I guess once the trauma of the day was over I could have fun. Lunch with friends, fun date with William, shopping with my mom and sis.

So I have been thinking about this turning 40 thing this week. I decided I needed to be more grateful for where I am at 40. Cause really, life is pretty great. So I decided to make a list of 40 things I love about my life. Don't feel like you have to read this one, it is for posterity!

Things I love about my life at 40
1. I married the right guy years ago in the right place.
2. I have a fabulous relationship with my sister. She is my ultimate best friend.
3. I enjoy lunch every Wednesday with the friends of my childhood. They are so much better than therapy.
4. Having hobbies I enjoy.
5. Living 7 minute away from my parents after having tried lived hundreds of miles away from them.
6. Loving my neighborhood.
7. Living by mountains again.
8. Not having to change diapers anymore.
9. Having a live-in babysitter.
10. Friday night dates.
11. That I finished college-there were times I didn't think that would happen.
12. William and I still have fun together.
13. I was sent three great kids.
14. Those kids are healthy, smart and fantastic.
15. I have figured out what makes me happy.
16. My life is made up of those things.
17. Having great parents who have been and always are there when I need them.
18. Being able to stay home with my kids.
19. That I live 3 minute away from Hobby Lobby, yes this really has improved my quality of life.
20. William still likes me, and trust me he knows me better than anyone.
21. Having a daughter to hang out with.
22. Having sons to teach me how fun watching sports is.
23. That everything my Young women leaders taught me all those years ago was true. Good choices really do equal a happier life.
24. After a nasty fight with cancer years ago my mom is still here.
25. A quiet house after everyone is asleep and safe in there beds.
26. Late night movies with my girlfriends.
27. Having a healthy body that allows me to do what I want (even if I do miss my pre-baby days).
28. Adult dinners with the in-laws.
29. Having a crafting buddy again, my friend Mandi is responsible for the increase in crafting the last year.
30. That my kids all have close friends-whom I like.
31. Having great in-laws.
32. So shallow, but my new grown-up car. I never thought I could love a car like I do my Acadia.
33. My ward. I love that I enjoy going to church every Sunday.
34. Pintrest. Love it.
35. There aren't many craft projects I won't try.
36. Being a mom is even more fun than I thought it would be (harder too but...)
37. I have finally learned how to say "No". (Thank you Mom!)
38. Dinners/gatherings with my Butler family.
39. Sunday dinners made by my husband.
40. I have everything I ever dreamed of.
I hope that didn't come off as obnoxious. I just needed to remind myself not to get bogged down in less fab parts of 40 (wrinkles, love-handles, creaky bones and being officially "middle-aged" ugh!)
If anyone is still reading this, here is your reward. A rare, crazy picture of me with my friend Amy last Summer. Man we laughed hard in that tube! Hope she will still be my friend if she finds out I posted this picture!

Happy Halloween!

Official Halloween Photo 2011 Here they are! My kids ready for the big day! We have a BYU football player, an astronaut and Morticia from the Adams Family.

Slightly recycled. Matthew wore the suit when he was this age. Brittany re-made the jet pack and in a moment of inspiration I decided to spray paint a thrifted motorcycle helmet for the helmet. You can't see them but I spray painted his snow boots too.

All right so this one tested me. My kids think they can dream up anything and I can deliver. I tried and tried to convince Matt that I couldn't make him a football player costume. We tried to find something else but he really wanted this. We borrowed a helmet from a neighbor but it really was too small. There was no way I was spending the big money for the real thing on line either. Then one day, because I must be living right, at the thrift store there it was. A full set of football pads WITH a white practice jersey! They were an adult large but who cares! He was so excited! So then I used freezer paper to stencil BYU, the number and his name on the back. He was pretty excited when he saw them. Next was a helmet. This was actually a motorcycle helmet I thrifted too. Spray painted it white, painted the stripe down the middle and added decals I bought. Next problem; the pants. I had found actual football paints at the thrift store but they were gold. And polyester and no matter what I tried I could not get them to take the blue dye I tried to use. So finally I took the baseball pants and my trusty spray paint again. I sprayed them blue and hoped for the best. And it worked! Yep, this Halloween was brought to you by Kylon spray paint!

Morticia. Boy it was fun to transform Brittany into the Adams Family matriarch. She took the
role very seriously too! Now we are ready to hit the road and hunt for candy! I get the Milky Ways for all my hard work!

Happy Halloween Everyone!

The Pumpkin Patch 2011

I took the boys to the pumpkin patch this weekend. Brittany was already visiting one with a friend. Don't you love the boys faces in this one? "All right Mom, we will smile if you make us?.

We aren't very good at the self portrait but I still like this picture.

Matthew the Pirate!

Me and Josh, cute couple aren't we? It was lots of fun, even if it did take me a couple of days to recover from breathing hay!

Christmas Cards...Check!

It was a gorgeous day yesterday. The leaves on the mountain are perfect. William was out of town so I wasn't going to make dinner and suddenly I decided to take the pictures for this year's Christmas card. I love this one, even if you can see my shadow.

Like this one too, even if you can't see their faces.

This might be the winner though!

Guess What I am Going to Be for Halloween?

Found these and had to have them. They remind me of the boots I had when I went to college and started dating William. Guess I will have to be a cowgirl for Halloween!

Matthew's Remodel

Remember the remodel of Matthew's room? Well he has been doing some remodeling of his own. When I finished my remodel there were the four large pictures of cars hanging on that wall. Matthew has been carefully cutting out pictures cars from his dad's magazines and carefully creating this collage with low-tack tape. He worked so hard, and it does look pretty cool doesn't it?

Halloween Decorations

If it is time for another holiday you know I am going to have to make some new crafts! I seem to be into banners and I didn't have a Halloween one. This is actually the one I made for my sister but mine is like it just shorter.

This was inspired by this on Pinterest. Mine is very different, since mine uses pictures of my family at Halloween's past and doesn't spell Halloween. Love how Pinterest sparks my imagination.

Brittany has been feeling like making some Halloween crafts too. She made these lovely witchies from dollar store barbies. She put tape over their eyes and mouths to preserve the paint then we spray painted them green. We also sprayed their dresses black. Pretty fabulous aren't they?

Under Glass

I haven't posted much lately. I think my screen time has been mostly spent on Pinterest. Is everyone as addicted as I am? I love being able to keep all the great things I see in blogland in one place so that when I want to do something I can actually find them again. This is an idea I saw there. This is the site that had the tutorial. So easy and doesn't everything look cuter under glass. Just in case you don't check out the tutorial I will fill you in, glass votive from the dollar store with two flat glass marbles super glued on top. I had two sizes so I used them.

I can't seem to stop finding things to put under glass!

The New Pumpkin Recipe

Every year I seem to find a new favorite pumpkin recipe. It has been pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies made with a cake mix, the pumpkin cookies with a chocolate cake mix. This year it is pumpkin muffins with a cream cheese filling. I found it on Pinterest, well actually two recipes that I combined. According to one of them. Each muffin is under 150 calories. Only problem is I want to eat about 10 a day! So here is this year's recipe:
Mix together 1 block of the 1/3 lower fat cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar.
Then form it into a log shape on plastic wrap and freeze for two hours
Then combine:
1 small can of pumpkin or 1/2 a large can
1 spice cake mix
1 cup water
Remove frosting log from freezer and cut into 24 pieces
Fill each muffin liner a little less than half full then add a piece of the frosting mixture. Top with more muffin mix. The muffins in the picture were topped with cinnamon sugar. The first time I made them I sprinkled a crumble on top made of 1/2 sugar, 4 T butter 5 T flour and 1 1/2 t cinnamon. They really were ultimately more yummy with the crumble topping but I figured the cinnamon sugar saved a few calories. Plus it was faster. Bake for 20 minutes at 350

This is what it looks like inside. Sooooo good!

Remodeling

There is something about September that makes me want to do stuff to the house. I have been at it again. Before. Nothing really wrong. I was just bored.

The lack of window treatments was bugging me.

New window. Another chair. Recovered the easy chair and new ottoman. Added yellow pillows.

From above

This was a chair I found at the thrift store for $5. It wasn't perfect but for that price I couldn't leave it.

After some new paint and fabric.

I decided it was time for a new table cloth too. I had found the wire basket thing at the thrift store too. Then I decided to extend the yellow and covered some wiffle balls the boys were done with.

This is my favorite splash of yellow. I inherited this chair from my mom when Brittany was born. I think she had gotten it from her grandmother and rocked us in it.She had painted it black when I got it. I painted it white. I almost went back to the black but decided to go with color. Glad I did. I don't know that I can ever part with this rocker. I rocked all my babies in it. So it is good it got a face lift. Now it is time to get ready for the holidays!

My Boy of Fall

Matthew has been begging for a long time to try flag football since his mother is mean and won't let him play tackle. They have been playing for a few weeks now. I have to admit it is pretty fun. Even when we don't win.

I found myself turning into that mom. You know the one screaming her head off in excitement. So embarrassing. But fun.

The little boys are loving it too. This is Josh with his buddy Gage and a random boy they made friends with. They play too only with their own rules.

Brittany even came to the first game. As did Grandpa and his dog Elliott. Hurray for the Boys of Fall!

Forget Not

One of my favorite blogs posted a great reminder of one of my favorite talks from General Conference. Well, the Relief Society broadcast really, but they are connected in my mind. She had just taken some pictures of forget me nots and then turned it into the perfect little reminder. The blog link is here and the written talk is here.