my baby girl

                                                   Me and my puppy, just 10 weeks old

Look at my sweet little girl.  She was the fuzziest puff ball for the first few months.  She is so big now.  we were just talking last night about how the puppy days are behind us,  its so sad.  I miss her puppy breathe.  Madisen misses how small and fuzzy she was.

Today the sun was out, so we ventured outside.  I loaded up my BOB and we set out on an adventure, roxy leading the way.  We got to the fields near out house where a big creak runs through.  Earlier we found a bird nest full of feathers and skeletons.  So we had to show it to Jeddy today.  The only issue was with the twenty five hundred feet of snow we have been dumped with its now melting.  Yes that's a good thing.  It however brings lots and lots of water and MUDDDDDD.  Benson was walking up the creak, its about 15 feet deep.  Once at the top he slipped and was literally stuck in the mud.  he lots his boots and socks and was sad.  So I pulled him out cheered him up and pt him in the BOB.  

the two big kids were on their bikes.  Jeddy was covered in muddy bike spray.   Roxy had turned from a beautiful golden retriever to a chocolate lab.  My bathtub was filled with dirt, like an inch of slimy dirt in the bottom after the final rinse off.    It was a wet dirty walk, but it was fun.

Roxy loves to go with us on Saturdays to the kids horseback riding lessons.  She is not scared of horses, but terrified of cows.  We love our roxy dog.  just thought you'd like to meet her.  Now that she is a big dog.

I am totally trying to win

I am trying to win The coolest tool ever.  It is expensive.  Its just not practical for me to buy something so expensive.  However I really need this.  I dream about it and all the ways i could be using it.  But there is like 12 being given away on all these blogs i follow, so I hope to be one of the 12 thats gets a free one.

I hope my 2 readers also win a free one, but if you win one  and i dont you have to give it to me.  i mean my birthday is just 8 days away.  jk.  Azure is alseep so i have right now to get all my entries in at all the different awesome blogs.

infarrantly creative
tater tots and jello
crap i've made
skip to my lou
craft a holics anonymous

myrepurposedlife
whipperberry.com
www.allthingsthrifty.com
eighteen 25
brown paper packages
sew dang cute
www.shanty-2-chic.com
tip junkie
www.oopseydaisyblog.com
i heart nap time
.house of hepworths


see all the work i have put in to this . .now go and win one

Catch 22

Thanksgiving, what a wonderful time of year and holiday.

What a terrible memory you hold.

Two groups of very different cultures trying to  live their religion and their lives come together.  I personally think the native american incredible humanity and knowledge was far superior to any help Bradford and his clan gave them.  But I love a great harvest and feast!



My father gave me so many things.  I feel like the struggling pilgrim.  I do not know the land, or gardening, or harsh survival.  My dad was there for me to teach me and help me grow.  I know it was not easy for him.  I learned so many things from him.

I owe my awesome sense of direction, dry humor, height, random knowledge to him.

I have struggled through the years to separate thanksgiving from the event of my fathers death.  The two coincided 8 years ago.

I love my Dad, I miss him.  His passing was a big milestone in my life.  I truly gained a testimony and knowledge of the gospel through that event.  I truly cherish the blessing gained from that trial.   As I am sure the pilgrims felt of their survival, only half of them made it through the winter.

I often think of thanksgiving and my father death as Frodo thought of middle earth after his great big adventure.

"How do you pick up the threads of an old life? How do you go on, when in your heart, you begin to understand . . . there is no going back? There are some things that time cannot mend, some hurts that go too deep . . .that have taken hold." 


These words really resonate with me.  How can I enjoy, celebrate this holiday, when i have been so hurt and changed by events that happened during you?  I very much feel I cannot go back.  Life is not how it once was.  Some hurts and wounds will not be fixed in this life.  Unlike Frodo I have a Savior.    And I know all will be made right, pure and eternal.  So as I have a heavy heart and have tender memories racing through my mind, I heap loads of yummy food in my mouth.

Dad, thanks for giving me a knowledge and love of history, the gospel and our savior, see you later!

Matt Fever

I am so excited!!!! Wednesday night my favorite of all time favorite singer/song writer of all time will be performing at the CMA awards.

He, Matt Nathanson, will be performing his song he does with Sugarland called 'run'.

LOVE IT, WATCH IT, ENJOY IT

earlier this summer Ben, the Toys and I went to a Sugarland concert and i was so hoping he would pop in.  He didn't, and we got rained out but it was so fun.  Then just a few weeks ago Matt came to Denver, so yeah I was there.  With Mrs. Toy,  seriously it was the best night ever in like five years.   Thanks Mrs. Toy for going with me.  Thanks Matt for such a fun night of rockin music and super entertaining covers.

Looking forward to Wed night . . .we will tivo the CMA's for sure.

At last living in our HOME

My $1.96 custom ribbon box.  I just couldn't swallow spending 15 to 25 dollars on one so I just made one with a clearance box, dowel and screws.

My awesome craft room. Still organizing so excuse the clutter and piles.   Magic happens here.  I have fixed, repaired all the broken books, ceramics,toys, jewelry, and mending from the last YEAR all in the last two weeks.  It is amazing what u can accomplish with some TIME and the tools and space to do it.  Don't forget to keep your baby bottles.  I used them to organize all my notions, buttons, and cute things.  I messed up the rows so I do not come across as to OCD with my craft organizing.

 You should notice the brand of soap.  It is the only brand allowed in this bathroom.  One of my favorite features is my awesome magazine rack (thank you 'The Container Store' I love you).  I am not saying it is awesome to have it in the bathroom, i just love the rack.  Bring up the location with Ben.

Some of the family room, I still need to decorate and actually hang pictures where i want them, not just where a nail was left.  But I will get to that . . . .eventually.

 My awesome new Bed, our first frame ever of 11 years of marriage.  We went shopping for an entertainment center and could not decide on anything.  Ben did not want to actually pay for the furniture, and I was getting fed up with how much time it was taking to get one.  We decided to cool off and change topics because we were at an impasse.  So we walked around the bedroom sets for fun.  Ben asked me my favorite.  I told him, and then he just went and bought it.  I can hear all your jaws dropping.  He didn't even ask the price.  Now if I can only figure out a way to repeat this when we go AGAIN for an entertainment center.  He did make me promise I would make it everyday.  We'll he said "lets make sure the last one out of bed makes it everyday".  I am always the last one in bed.  It is the least I can do. I have a beautiful bed.

Kids bathroom, Ocean theme: sears and target.  It was really hard to get all 3 big kids to decide on one theme for their bathroom.  I think madisen was kinda stubborn because she thought she would have her own bathroom.  We got it worked out and they do pretty good about keeping it nice.  I just need to start cutting fingers off every time I see a toilet with donations left.  that should motivate them to remember to flush, right?!?!?!

 This would be the cement fence, 211 linear feet of pressed concrete posts and railing.  Sorry I took this at 10pm so its dark, the triple pane window is the 'piano room', then it curves with the staircase, the back of the house is my craft room, bottom floor and the master bath upstairs. 

We just dropped a huge load of money to get a concrete fence. I have been searching long and far for a dog. We are finding that the price tag for the dogs we want are between $750 and 4,100. So now we are thinking we might hit a few shelters. I cant wait to chase a little puppy, and walk it with Azure. I totally cant wait to put the two kids in my awesome BOB (thank you Marie and friends) and have my sweet dog along side as we blaze through all the trails around our neighborhood. We have a bunch of lakes close by so we can run around a lake or two after we drop the big kids off.

This will all abruptly end when the cold Gods send white fluff down from the sky.

 Dear Mr Basement,

 I am so glad we have finally met.  I love your finished work and high pile carpet.  You keep my kids occupied, and entertained.  I love the stories that leave your walls.  Stories of Hogwarts, and lego construction, stories of Forts, and dress ups,  from gleaming faces I love.

Sincerely yours

Their Mom

The basement has a guest room and full bath and this snowboard closet.  We got all the boards, boots and bindings for $25.00.  That is cheaper then 1 rental.  We almost can not wait for snow, almost.  Jeddy boarded all over the lawn.  He did not get very far, funny kid.

I am so excited to live in my home. I am so excited to not be a renter. I love walking into a room and saying I can and want to paint the walls in here. That really only happens in the kids rooms, I really want to get decorating them!!!!!!!!

If I did not take a picture of it it was not clean.  So guess what all be doing tomorrow with all the rest of the space in the house you didnt see.

I am most excited for all of you to visit!  Looking forward to McEvoy this weekend, and my brother from Japan later in the month.  Calendar is open!

Stats

Married- 11 years, est. March 18, 2000

Moves- 12 (6 of which are across the country or states away)

Children- 4 (Each born in a different state)

Dogs- 0

Debt- add a zero and times by 7 to the average personal debt of americans.  I have always said we are not average!

Cars taken to the grave- 3 (grey, Rodeo, and The freak may you RIP)

Cavities- me three, zero for the other 5

Computers- 10 yr old desk top, 1 laptop, unlike my sister Brittany that spawns tablets and computers everytime I visit.  HaHa, u know i love u.

Hammocks- on our 5th, it seems to be lasting.  But now we will have to take it in for the winters.

Blenders- 1, the original from our wedding

Poopy diapers i changed today-  0

The friends, family and ward members we have crossed paths and served along side with- countless

Thank you for babysitting, packing, moving, cleaning, picking up my kids, and your service! 

Settling

This is Benson at a fun pond by our house. He loves looking for the fish and chasing bunnies in our new neighborhood.

We have finally landed!

Azure and Benson, with CJ asleep in the corner. Sierra, Madisen and Jeddy are in the back. The kids spent way too much time driving across the country this summer.

After 15 different beds (family's homes, hotels, motels) we are comfortable in our new home.
We have spent 12 nights in hotel's and 3 weeks visiting family, broken up into a few days, or a week here and there. We are not sad to end our spree of homelessness, but sad from all the people we have left.
Adorable Azure sporting pig tails. she is up to 10 teeth now, and is pretty much teething constantly. We oral gel her daily. Azure isnt really talking, but loves to scream!

We spent the summer, in cedar city, orem, payson, alpine, salt lake, urbandale iowa, nauvoo, independence, carthage, liberty, Kansas City, playing at our awesome rec center and pools. I have logged countless hours shopping. We really needed allot of things: trash cans, broom, weed killer, hose, shower curtains, rods and towells, spices, FOOD, shelves, furniture, toilet paper, tuperware, more shelves, drawer organizers, school supplies, uniforms for the charter school, piano books, birthday gifts. Ben almost passes out everytime he reviews the credit card.

We love the new house. We still have 2 empty rooms and basically a full empty basement (it only has toys in it. Our dryer broke right as we moved in. We took it apart and cleaned it out. We pretty much thought it was a broken current from a blown therma fuse. So i ordered a part on amazon and we were abel to get it repaired for under 7$. Benson happily tells me alomost everyday how nice our new house is, and that he loves it Azure loves her room, we just got a cozy chair in there to read with her.

Above picture is Madisen at her school. Please notice the so cute headband i made her and she designed the night before school. Next is M and J on Madsen's first day of school. Next is Jeddy in front of his new charter school on his first day. My big 1st grader cant wait!

I'll post pics of my darling kids. Hopefully with 2 kids at school i can actully find time to blog.