Forever, Always, & No Matter What

Check out my Wheels...

2010-04-14T09:05:00.005-05:00

Yesterday Jeremy was able to capture these few rare moments with our kids. I love when they can take simple things and turn them into something entertaining. It is so nice to see them play together without fighting.

Pine Wood Derby

2010-04-08T09:05:00.005-05:00

Last night was Pine Wood Derby for Scouts at church. The Scout leaders make it very official with a wood track, judges, no more than 5oz. cars, double elimination, just to name a few. Dimitri's car took 2nd place in every round. But did not qualify to race in the final 3. We had a good time watching the races and loved all the hard work the boys(parents) put into some of the cars. He was awarded for Most Realistic Car. You can find last years post here.

EASTER with FRIENDS

2010-04-04T22:47:00.001-05:00

We were invited to the Martins, along with the Sautter family and Asay family for Easter pot-luck lunch & Egg Hunt following the morning session of General Conference. The weather was beautiful, the food was yummy, and the kids all played wonderfully together.

The kids before we let them loose outside.

Here's all the kids after the Egg Hunt.

Jackie, Aiden, Dimitri, Elaine, Emma, Lili, Kailee, Stella, Margie, Londynn

Emma who found the GOLDEN egg, filled with a special Cadbury egg.

I was in charge of desserts for the pot-luck. So these are the fun nests I made each of the kids. I prepared the rice Krispie bowls the night before. Then, had Jeremy assemble them for me. Sorry I forgot to get pictures of them before I packaged them all up.

These are the desserts I made for all the adults. They were super easy to make and tasted amazing. Sorry again no pictures before...these were the extras. But of course before the day ended they both got eaten.

EGG-Stravaganza

2010-04-03T12:00:00.002-05:00

Today we took the kids to the annual Easter Egg-Stravaganza at the COP church. It has become the family tradition the past 3 years. They have more than 100,000 eggs, face-painting, train rides, bounce houses and other youth activities. It's the largest egg hunt in the state. This has become a family favorite (see here and here).
Londynn before the EGG Hunt
The kids after the EGG Hunt...sorry squinting from the sun. Dimitri holding his "GOLDEN" egg he found. Dimitri with his basket he won from the golden egg. He was so excited he finally won...after 3 years. I couldn't believe all the fun things packed into that basket.

2010-04-02T22:22:00.002-05:00

Today was Londynn's class Easter Party/Teacher baby Shower. We celebrated the baby shower with everything "PINK". We celebrated with ice cream punch and cupcakes. The kids especially loved the special glass dishes they got to use.Londynn after the egg hunt, which we had to do in the classroom because it rained the night before.

Londynn with her cute teacher Mrs. Blevins. Londynn is 2-2 with getting teachers who are having their first baby.

The class made the baby a special quilt with pictures they all colored. Then one of the mom's put it all together with each of their names on it. It turned out so cute!

1st EGG Hunt 2010

2010-03-27T12:09:00.002-05:00

We took the kids + our neighbor Ashley and her daughter Asayla to an "EGG" Hunt down the street put on by Discovery Kids. It was blowing really hard, which left everyone a bit cold while we waited for the "Hunt" to begin. Our neighbor ran into some friends, so we have a few extra girls in the picture.

Six Flags over Texas ~ Spring Break 2010

2010-03-20T13:21:00.004-05:00

Yesterday we took the kids to Six Flags over Texas for Spring Break. We set off at 6am for the almost 4 hour drive to Arlington, Texas. For the admission price, we decided to buy Season Tickets, since we plan to make Texas our new home at the end of this summer. Plus, this includes the use of all Six Flags parks everywhere. The weather was perfect!

Being that it was Spring Break the park was crowded. So all the big rides we had to wait in long lines, most were about 3 hours. So Kailee & Dimitri were not very happy! We stayed until the park closed at 10pm. We got in about 2am Saturday morning, just before the snow storm hit here in Okieland. Here are some pics from our day in Texas.

Cinderella

2010-02-26T22:00:00.004-06:00

A couple of the YW in our ward participated in their school's production of Cinderella. We were able to go with a couple of my friends from the ward and their daughters. Here is Kailee with Catherine Thomas (aka-fairy godmother), right side and Heather Thomas (aka- Joy the step-sister), left side.

Kailee's First Dance

2010-02-19T22:00:00.004-06:00

Kailee got to go to her first school dance. She bought herself a new dress, I of course had to buy the sweater to keep her modest. The theme for the evening was "Hollywood", Winter Dance.

Valentine's Day Craft

2010-02-14T15:13:00.002-06:00

I made these cute IPod Valentine's crafts with Kailee & Dimitri to give their friends. These are the one's that Kailee finished.

2010-01-27T16:13:00.006-06:00

MEAL #3

Creamy White Chili

1 lb. boneless/skinless chicken
2 cans chicken broth
2 cans Great Northern Beans, rinsed & drained
1 can chopped green chilies
1½ tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. pepper
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 c. sour cream

Place ingredients in crock-pot, cook low/med. for 5-6 hours. Before serving shred chicken, add sour cream. Garnish with pico, avocado, tortilla chips, or shredded tortillas.

***Good with 5-Star Corn Bread***

5-Star Corn Bread
3 eggs
1½ c. milk
1 c. butter, melted (be sure to use the real stuff)
1 c. sugar
2 heaping tbsp. corn meal
½ tsp. baking powder
3 c. bisquick

Mix all ingredients with a fork (not a mixer or it will fall). Place in 9x13 ungreased pan. Bake @ 350 for 40-45 minutes.

*original source can be found here
My recipe varies from original.

Christmas 09' in Cali

2009-12-31T13:05:00.010-06:00

For Christmas break we took the kids to California to see Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins. It was a nice change, a chance to get away and just relax. Here are some highlights form our trip, pics in no specific order.

Beach ~ Sami, Kailee, Serena, Dimitri, Londynn A seashell we found wedged in the rocks. It took Jeremy about 30 minutes to dig it out. These rocks were covered in tiny shells that would squirt water when you pushed on them. Dimitri was scared to try it at first. Then, wanted to show everyone how cool it was.The kids loved the beach!
Londynn wrote her name in the sand.
Beautiful Kailee!
Cute Londynn! Does that mom ever brush that crazy hair? Gotta love Christmas morning, no time for hair!
Dimitri with his new Rip-Stik.

Handsome Dimitri!
Christmas morning at Grandpa & Grandma Lodge's house. Sorry the pic is blurry, this is the only good one I got!
Grandpa Brewer being silly with the girls.
The newest addition to the Brewer (Bryan & Gina) Family. Matthew James Brewer born 12-15-09 @1:01am 9 lb 15 oz 22 1/2 in.
One of our many trips to In-N-Out. Jeremy considers this place to be a delicacy!

Kindergarten Halloween Party

2009-10-30T13:00:00.005-05:00

Today is Londynn's Class Halloween Party! So last week we got to work, we stuffed 20 plastic pumpkins to hand out to each of her class mates. The plastic pumpkins contain: Halloween pretzels, mini Halloween granola bar, tinker bell gummi, toy story sweet tart shapes. Then we stuffed them in some cellophane bags which contain: Halloween pencil, 2 Halloween sticker sheets and candy corn taffy. Londynn loved that she was able to help me. She did a wonderful job!

Meal #2

2009-10-26T17:44:00.006-05:00

Cheesy Spaghetti

1 box (13oz) favorite pasta noodles (I like 'Barilla' thin spaghetti)
1 can (10oz) cheddar cheese soup
1 jar (32oz) favorite pasta sauce (I like 'Classico')

Prepare noodles according to package directions. In medium saucepan combine sauce & soup. Heat over medium heat; until hot. Serve over noodles with garlic bread and side salad.

I am not a big fan of spaghetti, but this makes it enjoyable!

Meal #1

2009-10-20T07:37:00.010-05:00

I decided that I wanted to use our family blog to catalog some of our favorite meals. In an effort to NOT have all my favorite recipes lost when the computer crashes again.
I will at least have the TOP recipes saved here.

BREWER POT PIE

1 bag(12oz.) Steamfresh Frozen Mixed Vegetables
1 can(10oz.) Cream of Chicken Soup
3-pcs. boneless, skinless chicken; cubed
1/2 C. milk
1 can(16oz.) Pillsbury Grands Biscuits
1 TBSP. olive oil

Preheat oven to 350. Place biscuits on cookie sheet; cook according to package. Place olive oil and cubed chicken in skillet over medium heat; until chicken is cooked. Place vegetables in microwave; cook according to package. Add soup and milk to skillet with chicken; until combined. Now add vegetables and cook on low. Serve when hot and biscuits are finished. Can be served over biscuits.

Our family likes to eat homemade jam or apple butter on the biscuits.

You will notice a theme or pattern, I like anything that can be cooked in one pan and love my crock-pot.

Pumpkin Party

2009-10-15T19:25:00.007-05:00

Today is fall break for the schools and our friend Jenn invited us over so the kids could have a pumpkin painting party. After the kiddos painted their pumpkins, Jenn passed out snacks that began with the letter P: popcorn, pretzels, pumpkin bread, and punch.

Thank you Jenn for hosting another FUN party!

Happy Birthday Dimitri

2009-10-11T09:39:00.004-05:00

Today we celebrate Dimitri's 9th birthday. Dimitri is such a delightful young man. Dimitri loves sports, loves to help others, loves to read, loves video games, and is good at just about everything he tries.

As a family we went to pizza(his choice). Then he got to celebrate with some friends on Saturday. We all ate some more pizza(repeat theme with him).

Then headed out to the movies to see "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs".

Came home opened presents and ate some cupcakes. Present highlights....

It was a fun day shared by all.

Happy Birthday Buddy!

We LOVE you.

2009-10-07T06:54:00.002-05:00

Click here for a fun giveaway.

PLEASE MENTION MY NAME IF YOU VISIT FROM MY POST!!!

Dimitri...bikes...ER...staples...

2009-08-29T18:39:00.003-05:00

Dimitri was playing outside with some friends today, when he had a crash and burn moment. Once we cleaned the area of blood we evaluated the laceration to determine if it would need to be closed. So we packed up and headed to the ER for them to decide. Here are some before and after shots. He now gets to sport around with 2 staples for 10 days, until they can be safely removed. This was not a fun experience for our poor kid that needed 4 of us to restrain him while they placed the staples. He was as brave as to be expected when they don't even numb the area.

ALL ABOARD!!!

2009-08-21T20:00:00.004-05:00

Today we took the kids downtown to Bricktown to meet up with our friends the Olsen's. I had heard about this FREE event for the kids put on by Disney. DISNEY PULLS OUT ALL THE WHISTLE STOPS FOR 40-CITY TRAVELING EXPERIENCE. Disney's Christmas Carol Train Tour rolls into the Santa Fe Depot August 21-23, bringing a free behind-the-scenes glimpse into the making of Disney's A Christmas Carol movie, which will be released in theaters November 6th, starring Jim Carey. Glimpse a winter wonderland featuring holiday decor, Christmas carolers, behind-the-scenes glimpses of the film and artifacts from the Charles Dickens Museum. Interactive games will allow visitors to explore Dickens' London in the train and surrounding exhibits. Here are some of the shots from our fun evening.
One of four custom-designed vintage rail cars.

First Day of School 2009-2010

2009-08-20T16:00:00.004-05:00

Today was the first day of school for the kids. We have another exciting year ahead of us! Kailee begins her day at 7:05 am, Dimitri follows at 8:05 am, then I drive Londynn to school at 12:45 pm. No more babies, my youngest has officially started her school days journey. So that leaves me with 2-1/2 hours of NO kids each afternoon. And of course it was a rainy morning, so these shots were taken at the end of the day.
KAILEE~ 7th Grade Lakeview Middle School
DIMITRI~ 3rd GRADE Skyview Elementary
LONDYNN~ Kindergarten Skyview Elementary

Utah summer 09'

2009-07-17T21:24:00.003-05:00

I feel like I am always going every where for my kids these days. I am glad that we were able to come to Utah. Yesterday we spent the afternoon with my friend Amy. We took all the kids to the North Shore Aquatic center. Then, we headed back to Amy's house for pizza, movie, candy, shaved ice and a slumber party. We enjoyed a fun evening with the kids. The kids enjoyed all the toys she had to ride and play in the garage. Dimitri & Kailee instantly went for the Razor scooter. I think this will be making the list for Dimitri's birthday this year. If not his birthday, than definitely Christmas!

Cache Valley Cruise In-Car Show!!!

2009-07-04T22:00:00.008-05:00

Kailee took a picture of this rock because she thought it was so cool that it was shaped like a heart. Cousin Kyle was nice to give Londynn a ride on his shoulders every time she got tired. Kailee & cousin Sara. Dimitri next to his future ride.Today we headed out with our family to Logan for the Cache Valley Cruise In-Car Show. This is an event that Uncle Kris likes to attend every year. This annual event has over 1,000 cars on show at the fair grounds. Every year there is a vehicle given away, this year it was a custom 1937 Ford Coupe! We spent the day walking around looking at cars and relaxing at the park.

OQUIRRH MOUNTAIN UTAH TEMPLE

2009-07-03T22:00:00.003-05:00

Today we went to the Open House of the OQUIRRH MOUNTAIN TEMPLE in Utah with the Arave family. Which is a wonderful opportunity for members and people who are not members of the church to see the inside of an LDS temple first-hand. It is also a great learning tool if you have children. The last Open House I attended was in 1993 for the SAN DIEGO TEMPLE. The Angel Moroni was struck by lightening 3 weeks prior that is why his arm and trumpet are black.

Londynn @ The Royal Ball

2009-06-12T22:25:00.005-05:00

Tonight Londynn got invited to a Royal Ball in honor of her friend Emma. So it was only fitting that she go in the correct attire for the party. If you remember from her birthday post, she got this dress as one of her presents. I did not want to miss this chance to get some photos of her to share with all of you. She looked absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!!

Londynn and the birthday girl in front of the Royal Castle.

Royal Castle ~ Lexie her mom did an amazing job on the props and details surrounding the party.

Dragon Slayer game

Some of the girls coloring their castles while they wait for the other quests to arrive.

Cub Scout Day Camp 2009

2009-06-12T21:37:00.012-05:00

This week has been Cub Scout Day Camp for Dimitri. We would drop him off in the morning at 7:30am and then pick him up around 3:30pm. Today was the last day and Jeremy came along as a parent driver. So I ask him to take some pictures of him participating in all the activities. I wanted to be able to see him doing the things that he has talked about ALL week.

Dimitri taking a break on the fence. He makes it look so comfortable!

BB Guns ~ D is in the blue star wars hat.

Look at that, he got 3 shots in the 10 point center target and 1 in the 9.
What amazing SHOTS!!!

Archery

Dad being a good sport to go along and stay outside in the heat ALL day.

Dad & the leaders getting a chance at Archery.

Troop Flag

Dinner

2009-06-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

Here is another good dinner to give a try if your family likes lasagna. Plus, I love that it is pretty quick to whip up and only uses one pan to prepare. I made this for dinner tonight, it tasted fabulous!

Weeknight Lasagna Toss

What You Need!

1 lb. lean ground beef
2 green peppers, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1-2/3 cups water
1/4 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing
12 oven-ready lasagna noodles, broken into quarters {I only used 10, could even use less}
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese

Make It!

BROWN meat in large saucepan; drain.
ADD peppers, garlic, spaghetti sauce, water and dressing; bring to boil. Stir in noodles; cover.
COOK on medium-low heat 10 to 15 min. or until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with cheese; cover. Let stand 5 min. or until cheese is melted.

*If you have never used the oven ready noodles you should give them a try. They are much easier than having to boil water to cook the noodles.

Happy 5th Birthday Londynn!

2009-06-09T13:35:00.002-05:00

Here are some pictures of Londynn's special day. The family pictures were taken of her opening presents with us at home. The rest of the pictures were taken today with her friends at the spray park. She had a wonderful time and we thank everyone that came and played today. I was not able to capture everyone that came and shared this special day with us. We had Mommy, Kailee, Londynn, Jenn, Joby, Jerni, Becca, Margie, Jackey, Lexie, Emma, Aiden, Christine, Lincoln, Jackson, Nicole, Elaine, Lilly, Stella, Jen, Bree, & Emma.

Desserts

2009-06-08T09:30:00.012-05:00

{THE OLSENS} invited us for dinner last night. She forgot when she invited us that she had the missionaries coming, so they were there too. She asked me to bring some kind of dessert for everyone, since I had a large stash of NEW recipes I wanted to try. So I brought a White chocolate-strawberry cheesecake bars & Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Crunch. I might add that both turned out fantastic and everyone loved them both. Which is a surprise for me since they were both new recipes. I normally always have something go wrong or just not turn out like I wanted them too. I did make a few changes in the recipes as I went which I will share with all of you now. The original recipe will be in black, my changes will be noted in red.

{picture courtesy of kraftfoods.com}

WHAT YOU NEED!

12 OREO Cookies, finely crushed
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
3 squares BAKER'S White Chocolate, divided {I only had white choc. chips on hand}
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1/4 cup red raspberry preserves {I opted for my homemade strawberry freezer jam}

MAKE IT!

HEAT oven to 350ºF. Mix cookie crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of 8- or 9-inch square pan. Melt 2 chocolate squares as directed on package.
BEAT cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with mixer until blended. Add melted chocolate; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust.
BAKE 25 to 28 min. or until center is almost set. {Mine baked between 30-35 min}Cool 5 min.; spread with preserves {or your favorite jam}. Melt remaining chocolate square; drizzle over cheesecake. {Since I did not have Baker's White chocolate on hand and opted for chocolate chips. I did not include the drizzle on top, maybe next time.} Cool cheesecake completely. Refrigerate 4 hours. {I made mine the night before and refrigerated over night}

{picture courtesy of rachaelraymag.com}

WHAT YOU NEED!

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 sticks (8 ounces) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
One 16-ounce jar creamy peanut butter
3 cups crispy rice cereal
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups confectioners' sugar

MAKE IT!

Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. In a medium saucepan, melt half of the chocolate and 1 tablespoon butter over low heat. Remove from the heat; stir in 1 cup peanut butter, then 2 cups rice cereal. Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan; refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes. Wash out the saucepan.
In the saucepan, combine the remaining 2 sticks butter and the salt; melt over medium heat, stirring. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining peanut butter and the confectioners' sugar. {I at this point did not like the consistency so I poured it into the mixer to smooth out}Spread half of the peanut butter mixture over the cereal layer. Top with the remaining 1 cup cereal.
In a small bowl, microwave the remaining chocolate at medium power until melted, 1 1/2 minutes. Stir into the remaining peanut butter mixture. Spread evenly on the cereal-topped peanut butter layer; refrigerate until set, about 45 minutes. Cut into 16 pieces.

*Both of these recipes I think would work well prepared in muffin cups, for nice individual servings. YOU WILL NEED A GLASS OF MILK WITH THE CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE CRUNCH.

ENJOY!!!

Happy 12th Birthday Kailee

2009-05-29T22:00:00.001-05:00

Class Picture

2009-05-27T11:48:00.002-05:00

Londynn Pre-K 2008-2009

Placemats and flowers

2009-05-26T09:23:00.004-05:00

This post is for you mom!

I have been following this blog that creates ALL things from Dollar Store items. They mentioned buying dinner place-mats and turning them into purses. These place-mat purses have been around for a very long time and you can find many examples of them online. But for some reason this time it clicked with me because I love to shop at the Dollar Stores. So the hunt began for me to find a sturdy place-mat with a pattern that I would like. And the beautiful flower I added to the bag is my new obsession. I purchased one of these flowers on etsy and knew I would be able to duplicate them myself. So I pulled out my fabric and went to work. I have made 10 or so for the girls hair, but they also look cute added as a purse accessory or even a broach. They are so cute and I love them!!!

Kailee in Concert

2009-05-19T21:00:00.004-05:00

Tonight Kailee had her final band concert at the High School. Of course, I forgot the camera! They performed the following: Cardiff Castle, Festival of the Eternal Lights, and Synco-Rock. Kailee has worked very hard all year and just amazed me with how quickly she picked up playing the clarinet. She is going to continue to play next year as well as take a voice class. She did an amazing job and we are very proud of her!

*Side Note- she also competed in a contest back in April and placed First Division for a Solo/Ensemble. They were scored on a 1-5 scale, with 1 being the highest. She performed with 4 others and they scored a 1. She was very nervous but very excited with the end result.

Soccer 09'

2009-05-16T22:00:00.001-05:00

Dimitri and Kailee just completed the Spring Soccer through the YMCA. Here is a picture of Dimitri's team. For some reason the older division does not get pictures, so we do not have Kailee. Kailee's experience with her team this time around was not so good. She unfortunately got a coach that should NOT have volunteered. But the kids had fun and we hope to sign them up again next season, maybe even Londynn.

Teacher Appreciation

2009-05-12T23:36:00.003-05:00

Last week was Teacher Appreciation week. So here are the signs I made each of Kailee's teachers, of course done in the school colors red & white. For some reason I forgot to get pictures of the cute gifts I made for Dimitri & Londynn's teachers. Appreciation 7 days a week, go here.

Sushi

2009-05-12T23:13:00.005-05:00

A couple weeks back Jeremy had taken the kids for a few hours to give me a break. He came home with some California Rolls for dinner. So here are the pictures that followed their attempts with chopsticks and trying sushi for the first time. Kailee is the only one that has tried sushi before, and liked it!
Does she looked thrilled in this picture, or what!

Londynn did not get much further than putting a fork in it. She was just happy to be part of the pictures.

Good Luck Charm

2009-05-12T22:40:00.008-05:00

In some cultures they believe,
"Ladybugs are a sign of spring and good luck to all who find them."

Londynn has been studying insects at school. At one point, they even had ladybugs and butterflies in the classroom. So the last few weeks Londynn has been coming home from school obsessed with catching ladybugs in our front yard. She has managed to find them almost daily. It has been funny to see her out there just digging through all the tall grass and weeds to find them. Our grass has been on a growth frenzy, will all the rain. Which means the ground has just been too wet to pull out the lawnmower.

5 Things

2009-04-27T18:29:00.008-05:00

This tag came from my friend Christine. I don't know why I forgot to post this when I finished it, so here you go.

5 things I was doing 5 years ago (2004)

1. Working at Express in the mall as a Stock Manager

2. Looking forward to the time I could stay at home full-time to be with my kids.

3. Happy to have another beautiful, healthy baby girl Londynn.

4. Loving that Dimitristarted pre-school.

5. Enjoying life in our first home.

5 things on my list of things to do today

1. wash ALL beds and remake

2. clean bathrooms

3. vacuum

4. mop floors

5. sanitize doorknobs, light switches, doors, anything that I can reach for that matter.

*Londynn was sick so we need to get it out of our house. So everything MUST be washed, washed, washed. I am a big believer that if you clean everything WELL after and illness, you can help protect and prevent it from spreading.

5 things I would do if I had a million dollars

1. Purchase a place I can call HOME

2. Replace our cars

3. payoff Jeremy's school and all loans thus far; ALL debt

4. Invest & Save

5. Set-up college & mission funds for each of our children

5 places I've lived

1. California

2. Utah

3. back to California

4. back to Utah

5. Oklahoma

5 Jobs I have had

1. Charlotte Russe

2. Express

3. Wife

4. MOM

5. Friend

* I have only worked 2 jobs from the time I graduated high school. I got into management relatively quick and stayed there for many years before I became a SAHM. So the last 3 jobs are equally if not more an important and will remain with me forever.

5 things I want to be doing in 5 years

1. Enjoying LIFE

2. Making memories with my family

3. Vacations, Vacations, Vacations

4. Taking some photography classes

5. School, Work or whatever life might throw at me.

5 people I tag

Anyone who wants to play.

EASTER 4 the Kids

2009-04-12T19:56:00.008-05:00

Here are the kids Easter baskets. It's so sad that my St. Patrick's Day decorations are still sitting in the chair behind them. I have been in no hurry to store them in the attic. I guess I have 2 holidays to put away now.Dimitri has learned how to tie his own tie for church now. So this is his proud picture moment. He looks so Handsome.

After dinner the kids and I sat around the table to build our Bunny Hutch.

Here is their finished result. The frosting needed to sit out and set-up some. It wanted to run down every time I applied it to the hutch.
The weather is yucky today. So here is one shot I got of the kids after church. This was one of the gifts (cuff links) that I gave Jeremy today that he wore to church. I thought these were very fitting for a soon-to-be lawyer. I really wanted the guilty/not guilty, but they were sold out.

HAPPY EASTER!

2009-04-12T09:21:00.007-05:00

"{Jesus Christ} is the light of the Atonement
fulfilled in the Garden of Gethsemane and on Golgotha,
who took upon Himself the sins of the world,
that all mankind may obtain eternal salvation.
He is the Light of the Empty tomb....
He is my Light, my Redeemer, my Savior--and yours."
--Robert D. Hales

HAPPY EASTER

Lots of love,

Jeremy, Laurie, Kailee, Dimitri & Londynn

EGG-Stravaganza 2009

2009-04-11T22:00:00.009-05:00

Today we took the kids to the annual Easter EggStravaganza at the Cathedral church. With more than 100,000 eggs, face-painting, train rides, bounce houses and other youth activities. it's the largest egg hunt in the state. This has become a family favorite (see last years post here).

Everyone waiting on the side lines of one of the age groups before they blow the horn

The hunt is on....

Dimitri holding one of the metallic prize eggs he found. Look at the grin! You can turn the prize eggs in for baskets filled with lots of goodies. He was sooo excited that he found one, the girls were not so lucky. But when we went to turn his in they told us we needed a prize paper from the egg. We found out later that some of the kids they had helping them set-up for the day had been changing the eggs around.

We still had a wonderful time shared with the Olsens and Sautters.

Phi Delta Phi

2009-04-06T21:47:00.014-05:00

Just wanted to give everyone an academic update on Jeremy. I know that he doesn't always share his accomplishments, but he has done really well and I am proud of him.

First, Jeremy made the Dean's List for the fall 2008 semester. Because he ranked in the top quarter of his class for that semester.

Second, on Friday night Jeremy was Initiated into The International Legal Fraternity of Phi Delta Phi.

The ceremony was held at the State Capitol Building in the House of Representatives.

* Sorry this last picture is so dark. For some reason our camera decided it no longer wanted to take good pictures. I tried every setting, to no avail. I was very sad that out of 30+ pictures, I only had 1 from the actual ceremony. Not a moment we wish to miss! I even had my friend Christine look at it to see if there was anything she coud do to make the picture better. She was able to make it a little bit lighter just so I had something I could post here for all of you to see.

I guess a new camera is next on the list to buy.

Third, he was selected to join the William J. Holloway, Jr., American Inn of Court CV.

The following is taken from the American Inns of Court Web site. This is one of the best one-on-one ways to create professional networking relationships:

The American Inns of Court, America's oldest, largest and fastest growing legal mentoring organization is firmly rooted in the noble 800-year-old tradition of the Inns of Court in England.
For over twenty years, American Inns of Court have provided judges, lawyers, and law students an opportunity to participate actively in developing a deeper sense of professionalism, achieving higher levels of excellence and furthering the practice of law with dignity and integrity.
Regular local meetings of American Inns of Court provide a collegial atmosphere that encourages networking between all members, mentoring and skills development, and the exchange of concepts, ideas and techniques.

The goal of the American Inns of Court is to raise the standard of the legal profession. Outside the courtroom and formal training, veteran, seasoned professionals can share their wisdom and insight with less experienced practitioners, individually or in small groups. Focused on the development of skills, Inn programs provide creative, practical, interactive instruction in all areas of legal practice. By participating in these programs, member gain the double benefits of teaching as well as learning.

As a member of the American Inns of Court, you will join with local judges and lawyers dedicated to restoring the nobility and ideals of the legal profession in a hands-on, practical way-and you will be part of over 23,000 like minded professionals nationwide who proudly realize the rewards and benefits of membership and enjoy the support that a strong, national organization provides.

Twilight Party

2009-04-05T19:54:00.017-05:00

On Friday night my friend Jenn threw a PARTY.

A TWILIGHT Party with Dinner, Games and a Twilight Showing.

Beautiful INVITATIONS were mailed, can order here.

Black, White, Red DECORATIONS were all in place.

Including all her family pictures replaced with Twilight photos for the night.

DINNER MENU

Which I missed so I could support my husband, blog post to follow.

THE GIRLS:

Jenn, Virginia, Me, Christine, Lexie, Angela, Stephanie & Becca.

I arrived just in time to watch the movie. Jenn THANK YOU so much for a wonderful night! She even sent everyone home with fun goody bags with highlights from the series of books.

Pine Wood Derby

2009-04-01T22:16:00.007-05:00

Last night was Pine Wood Derby for Scouts at church. This is the first time that Dimitri has had a chance to participate, so we were not sure what to expect. They make it very official with a wood track, judges, no more than 5oz. cars, double elimination, just to name a few. Dimitri's car did not fair very well once the wheel came off. We had a good time watching the races and the amazing job all the boys did on their cars. He was awarded for Outstanding Workmanship.

Londynn vs. Power Wheels

2009-04-01T21:56:00.007-05:00

The other day we decided to buy a new battery for our Power Wheels Quad. We thought it would be fun for Londynn to get some use out of it now that Dimitri has out grown it. So we charged the new battery over night and hoped for the best. The quad has sat almost 2 years, so we were a little worried it might be more than the battery that didn't work. Here are some of the fun shots we got of our crazy girl. She thought she was being fierce, and cute with some of her stunts.

SPRING BREAK 2009

2009-03-19T21:11:00.018-05:00

This week was Spring Break for the WHOLE family. Jeremy has taken advantage of the extra time to put in more hours this week. So here are some of the highlights of our week.

MONDAY ~ Slurpee & park

TUESDAY ~ HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY! Northpark Cinemas to see "Bedtime Stories"; all shows $.50 on Tuesday, can't beat $2 to take everyone to the movies. That evening I went with some of the girls to see Twilight for the 3rd time. I made these shamrock pins for my mothers and those sisters that I visit teach. Then I gave each of the kids a new shirt to wear for the day. WEDNESDAY ~ Arcadia Lake & Pops Our friends the Sautters asked if we wanted to join them for the afternoon at Acadia Lake for some fun in the sun. We let everyone play in the sand and water, then had dinner and smores. The water was cold but the kids had a lot of fun anyways. Then our family stopped at Pops for some drinks for the ride home.
THURSDAY ~ OK Aquarium in Tulsa, which is about a 2 hour drive from our house. But was worth it for a fun day with the family. We were able to touch the stingrays, star fish, shark eggs and baby sharks. Plus, stand in a clear tank to watch them feed the sharks. There is truly nothing like having sharks swim all around you. I have to say, that is about as close as I will ever get to a shark!
FRIDAY ~ Day for me to relax and stay home.

SATURDAY ~ Today Jeremy took the kids to the Science Museum so I could have some free time to prepare for Primary. We have a membership so it makes it nice to go anytime. The kids had fun seeing all the new stuff they added. Plus, they got to see a live show where they create explosions to teach about chemical and physical reactions.

Mom survived, which mans it was an overall good week.

Cereal Box FUN!

2009-03-06T09:02:00.008-06:00

Word Searches can be such a serious business on the back of a cereal box! Londynn was having just as much fun finding letters that she liked and circling them. I told her to search for the letters in each word. But it looks like her brother already beat her to it this morning.

Win a FREE Warmer & Scentsy Bar!

2009-02-15T17:32:00.003-06:00

My friend Jenn had this posted on her blog, so I thought I would play along too.

Just go here, for your chance to win. I would love to win this giveaway, I could never get enough of this stuff.

Talk over Dinner

2009-02-13T20:06:00.007-06:00

Tonight I decided that I would take the kids to dinner while Jeremy is away. Jeremy went to Boston for the J. Reuben Clark Law Society Conference at Harvard University.

Here is how our dinner conversation went.

Londynn: Is this a napkin? (as she holds the cloth napkin in her hands)

Mom: Yes.

Londynn: To wipe my face and hands.

Mom: Yes, honey. LOL

***The funny thing was, Dimitri asked the same question a few seconds later***

Then some people were being sat at a table next to us. The woman stood by her chair and asked for it to be wiped off before she would sit.

Londynn: Mom that girls mom is soooo FAT!!! (so everyone can hear)

Mom: HORIFIED LOOK, with a quick finger to her mouth. Londynn we DO NOT say things like that honey.

Londynn: Giggles, well she is.

You would think that I never take my kids out in public.

Don't ya just love kids honesty!!!

Two by Two....

2009-02-13T11:55:00.008-06:00

A couple months back I decided I would be brave and organize a bow day with all the girls. So, I gathered a head count and set out to buy ribbon for everyone. The best place to buy ribbon is The Ribbon Retreat. I decided that we would be working with solid colors. The colors were picked and the day had been scheduled. We were all able to go home with 12 sets of bows for around $7. After it was over I had no desire to look at another piece of ribbon again.

Then, for Christmas I gave my SIL's 3 little girls some of the same bows. Which they all loved very much!!! After Christmas my FIL asked if I would be so kind to make some more. You see, I had another SIL that was feeling a little left out.

So when my friend Lexie announced she would be organizing another bow day. I told her she would need to mark me down for 3 sets. We got together a couple of weeks ago, to make holiday bows this time. I am just glad that I didn't have to do all the counting and cutting this time. It really is crazy to try and figure out just how many yards you will need for everyone. She picked out 6 of the main holidays to plan ribbon around.

When I came home I got some crazy idea to go through my ribbon tub to see what other bows I could make. The next day I sat and tied 220 bows, good thing it was Sunday. Which made for a good day to sit and do nothing else. Plus, Jeremy sat and watched the Super Bowl on TV after church. I am really glad that I never decided to make bows for a business. The picture is just a few of the ones I have officially finished. Who knows when I will be completely done!!!

And yes, Lexie your bows are really good enough for me. {wink, wink} I just needed to figure out

my method for making them.

Who wants to play

2009-02-06T14:19:00.001-06:00

The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you. This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!

2. What I create will be just for you.

3. It'll be done this year (hopefully sooner than later.)

4. You will have no clue what it is going to be.

5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

The catch? Oh the catch is that you must re-post this on your blog. The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me you did will win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me!

How well does your Pre-Kindergartner know you?

2009-02-04T15:51:00.009-06:00

My daddy is 12 years old. He weighs 6 lbs. and is 6 ft. tall. His hair is black and his eyes are blue. My daddy loves to relax by exercise and he likes to wear black pants. He loves to cook bacon. His favorite household chore is dishes. His favorite TV show is Madagascar and his favorite song is everything. Daddy always tells me stories. It makes him happy when I love him. When my dad shops, he loves to buy bread. If he could go a trip, he would go to a snow place and he would take me. I really love it when my dad makes me smile.

He's the best! I love you Dad!

Londynn

***This was too cute not to post***

GRADES

2009-02-03T12:01:00.006-06:00

Jeremy finally got his grades back form last semester. For some reason the school thinks it should be allowed to punish its students, by making them begin the next semester before they post grades. So we tend to be on pins and needles while we wait for what Jeremy thinks could be the end. Jeremy works very hard every semester, but for some reason always doubts his abilities. Jeremy did really well and I could not be more proud of him. He also set a goal for himself to rank in the Top 25 of his class, which he has successfully done. Keep up the good work, we are half way done!

Congrats honey...I love you!!!

Snow Day

2009-01-28T14:13:00.005-06:00

We have been having a mild winter so far this year. When mother nature decided to hit us this week with an ice storm. So Jeremy and the kids were out of school yesterday and today. Here are some pictures of the kids trying to play in the little snow we had. The storms here like to produce ice rather than nice fluffy white snow. The kids still had fun playing in it for awhile, until they can no longer feel fingers or toes.

SMILE

2009-01-12T17:16:00.002-06:00

Today is cleaning day in our house. So I did most of the cleaning this morning and pushed the vacuum into my room so I could finish later. I knew I needed to rearrange my room before I attempted to do any vacuuming. Little did I notice that when I threw the cord in my room it left me a little present.

This little heart has put a SMILE on my face ALL DAY!!!

The funny thing is I had been thinking all day about Valentine's. I wanted to work on some vinyl decals for the kids bathroom mirror as well as my mirror in the living room.

When the girls came home from school today they both noticed the heart shape in the carpet too.

If you smile when no one else is around, you really mean it. ~Andy Rooney

Baptism

2008-12-27T22:00:00.006-06:00

Today was the big day for Dimitri to finally get baptized. He has had to wait for over 2 months for this day to come. I was the mean mom who wanted to wait for all the family to be here. We our so proud of him and his choice to become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

It was the perfect day for our family! He was nervous all morning he would say, I don't know what to do. As they got ready Jeremy talked with him about how things would go. The water was cold, which appears to be a problem in this building we have heard.

We also carried on the Brewer tradition....we must all be dunked twice. It happened with me, then Kailee, and now Dimitri. Jeremy is getting good at this, maybe that's his secret plan!!! LOL He only has one more chance!

We are very proud of you Buddy, may you always "Choose The Right". Your Heavenly father loves you and is proud of your decision. We love you Buddy!

Holiday Greetings!

2008-12-25T01:00:00.007-06:00

EDIT: sorry it has taken me so long to get these posted. Since all the family was in town for the holidays and my craft business was crazy busy. A few of my posts have had to wait until now. The last picture of the girls Jeremy insisted we buy. He loved that they were able to capture Londynn in this devious manner. Look at those eyes, her hands, she looks like she is trying to plan her next attack. She is a funny kid!!!

Sixth Picture from the Sixth Album TAG

2008-12-07T11:36:00.006-06:00

I was tagged by my friend Jenn to play along in this picture tag game. I had to play a little different since my sixth album only contained 4 pictures. So I went ahead and selected my favorite picture from the album. Really there would have been more, but our first hard drive broke. Which meant we lost every picture we had from our wonderful trip to Hawaii. But we were lucky to have gone with Bryan & Gina (Jeremy's brother) and stayed with Shannon (Jeremy's sister) who sent us backup pictures. I just have not had time to go through the 6 cd's containing all the pictures.

So here is the picture from the sixth album.

This is Jeremy & I in Hawaii two summers ago. We were lucky enough to go the summer before we moved here to Oklahoma. Yes, Jeremy's hair is bleach blonde and we were both very tan, with a little help, of course! I would love to have the opportunity to live in Hawaii someday. I can't wait to go back and visit!

River Parade

2008-11-29T14:00:00.006-06:00

Last night we took the kids with our friends the Olsens, to see the Devon Energy River Parade. Which is a nighttime holiday parade concluding with a spectacular fireworks show. Followed by a special appearance by Santa and his reindeer.

We sat where some of the boats were docked before the event. So we were able to see some of the boats before the parade. We wanted to be there early because they said in previous years they had about 400,000 spectators. Not sure that there was that many last night. But it sure felt like it to get out of the parking lots when it ended. That was even when we tried to leave early to beat the traffic, plus we were all COLD. It did not help much!!!

Here are a few highlights from the night...

What is your sentence?

2008-11-22T13:47:00.007-06:00

Make funny sentences for everyone in your family, just follow the instructions.

Mine says, "I sang to my neighbor because I'm sexy and I do what I want."

Make sure to leave a comment telling us what your sentence for the day is!

Pick the month you were born:

January-------I kicked

February------I loved

March--------I karate chopped

April----------I licked

May----------I jumped on

June----------I smelled

July-----------I did the Macarena With

August--------I had lunch with

September----I danced with

October-------I sang to

November-----I yelled at

December-----I ran over

Pick the day (number) you were born on:

1-------a birdbath

2----- --a monster

3-------a phone

4-------a fork

5-------a snowman

6-------a gangster

7---- ---my mobile phone

8-------my dog

9-------my best friends' boyfriend

10-------my neighbor

11-------my science teacher

12-------a banana

13-------a fireman

14-------a stuffed animal

15-------a goat

16-------a pickle

17-------your mom

18-------a spoon

19------ - a smurf

20-------a baseball bat

21-------a ninja

22-------Chuck Norris

23-------a noodle

24-------a squirrel

25-------a football player

26-------my sister

27-------my brother

28-------an iPod

29-------a surfer

30-------a homeless guy

31-------a llama

Pick the color of shirt you are wearing:

White-----because I'm cool like that.

Black-----because that's how I roll.

Pink-----because I'm NOT crazy.

Red-----because the voices told me to.

Blue-----because I'm sexy and I do what I want.

Green-----because I think I need some serious help.

Purple-----because I'm AWESOME!

Gray-----because Big Bird said to and he's my leader.

Yellow-----because someone offered me 1,000,000 dollars.

Orange-----because my family thinks I'm stupid anyway.

Brown-----because I can.

Other-----because I'm a Ninja!

None-----because I can't control myself!

I saw this on Chocolate on my Cranium

Gingerbread House Decorating Party

2008-11-21T12:11:00.004-06:00

Yesterday Jenn invited Londynn, Margie, Jakey, Sophie, Emma, Aiden over to join her son Joby in decorate gingerbread houses. I think the kids had a lot of fun eating all the candy decorations. We had to call in one of the mom's to build the train, much harder than the box lead on.
A fun time was had by ALL!!!

Here are some highlights...

Husband Tag!

2008-11-16T20:37:00.003-06:00

Here you go Katherine.

1) Where did you meet? Through our best friends.

2) How long did you date before you got married? Several years, off and on.

3) How long have you been married? 12 years

4) What is your favorite feature of his? His butt! Sorry TMI!!!

5) What is your favorite quality of his? He is quick on his feet, sometimes too much.

6) Does he have a nickname for you? Lars

7) What is his favorite food? Any home cooked meal.

8) What is his favorite sport? Video Games, but that really isn't a sport!

9) When and where was your first kiss? Not sure.

10) What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? Go out on dates, anyone with kids knows why.

11) Do you have any children? 3

12) Does he have a hidden talent? He can sing.

13) How old is he? 2 years older than me. He would not be very happy if I posted it here.

14) Who said "I love you" first? Don't remember.

15) What is his favorite type of music? Everything, but rap.

16) What do you admire the most about him? His Knowledge.

17) Do you think he will read this? Yes

12 Days of Tip Junkie

2008-11-13T08:50:00.002-06:00

Laurie over at Tip Junkie has set up the 12 Days of Christmas. Where there will be 2 winners announced each day. It's to help promote & feature some of the amazing women who are selling their products in the Mom-preneur Shop-a-thon. So if you would like your chance at some amazing giveaways head on over to Tip Junkie and enter the contest. Be sure to read through all the rules before you enter.

All in a mornigs work...

2008-11-06T10:58:00.020-06:00

Today I decided it had been long enough that my house cleaning had been neglected. So I set off to do some deep Fall cleaning.

I helped get kids off to school. With the help of Jeremy who helps get Kailee up every morning so I can sleep just a little bit longer.

I straightened beds and picked up bedroom floors.

I vacuumed ceilings, walls, crown moldings, ceiling registers, doors, door moldings, light fixtures, ceiling fans, kitchen tiles, bathroom tiles, bedrooms, the hallway and living room.

I wiped down decorations, fireplace moldings, display table, end table, TVs, entertainment center and dressers. I really hate dusting, it never seems to be much more than a dusty mess again later. I like to just take a clean damp rag and wipe down all the surfaces in my house.

I cleaned toilets, sinks, counters, mirrors, showers, tiles and carpet. Yes, I have some carpet in my guest bathroom by the sink. In my home it would never be an option to have carpet in a bathroom or a kitchen. That is just plain WRONG!!! But when you rent "you take what you get, and you don't throw a fit", as my kids would say.I started making fun holiday decals to go on the hand soap bottles in each of the bathrooms. We had a spider, a witch and a haunted house last month. TOO CUTE!!!I hand washed the windows, ceiling fans, light fixtures and mini blinds.

I steam mopped the kitchen floor with my favorite new cleaning tool. I recently purchased a Shark Steam Mop for my birthday. I hate mops and swiffers!!! They never can do as good of a job as me on my hands and knee's. Oh, how I wish I had this in my last house!!! It would have come in handy with all the wood floors. I really do miss all the space this home provided! Some day soon!!!

I took down the Halloween decor and replaced it with all the Thanksgiving.

I finished the last two loads of laundry.

Now, I am off to organize ribbon, cut ribbon (lots of ribbon), make ribbon headbands, ribbon flowers, 12 sets of boutique bows, make a hair clip frame, label my hair organizer (with my new vinyl labels), and maybe some jars too. We are having a Bow Swap in my ward on Saturday that I will be teaching. So I figured it would be best to have all my bows complete, so I can help others. Hence: the 12 sets of boutique bows mentioned above. I will post pictures later on the bow results.

What cleaning fairy switched places with me last night while I slept!

Halloween @ school

2008-11-04T21:40:00.009-06:00

I know I am slow at posting these pictures from Halloween. But I have just been too busy to feel like blogging lately.

Londynn was the only one allowed to wear a costume to school for Halloween. Most of the schools have a NO COSTUME policy, period. Which I can understand from the school's perspective.

Here are some cute bows that I made to go with her Halloween outfit that she wore the day before.
Her is Londynn trying her best to be a CAT. Even with the PB all over her face.

These are some cute personalized jars that I made for Londynn's cute, cute teachers. She had been telling me for weeks that she needed to bring her teacher some M&M's. Londynn would say, "the baby needs them". So I set off to make something a little bit better than a plain old bag of M&M's. Plus, the holiday gave me all the more reason to make something FUN. Come to find out there was a good reason why Londynn insisted on giving these M&M's to the teacher. She uses them as a reward system in her class. If the kids are not good, she gets to eat them.This is Londynn's darling teacher Mrs. Westfahl. She is expecting her first son in February. For her costume she made a shirt with rhinestones that said "Little Boo", then cut a pumpkin face out of black felt and attached it to her tummy. The kids are all very excited to see the new addition, they can hardly wait for him to arrive.

Trunk or Treat

2008-10-25T21:35:00.012-05:00

Last night was our ward Trunk or Treat party. This year I voted for the easy way out for costumes, or should I say my no money budget voted, NO NEW COSTUMES!!! But the kids were very happy with their costume choices. Plus, I loved that I didn't spend a fortune or time having to prepare.

COSTUMES include...

The ever so ADORABLE over-sized BABY Kailee...who I could never get a picture of by herself.
Sassy Boots Londynn
Out Law Cowboy Dimitri

Dimitri's 8th Birthday

2008-10-24T08:10:00.009-05:00

Last Saturday we had a friend birthday party for D. He had planned on 13 friends, 8 boys & 5 girls. He decided that the theme would be Star Wars, of course.

First, he started to pass out invites at school, but was told NO. Second, at this point it would be too late to mail the invites. Third, mom had to spend one night driving D around to hand deliver ALL 12 invites, minus 1. We had 1 that couldn't be included on the account of address default.

So this left mom to plan for thirteen 8 year old kids running around my house for an 1.5 hours. CRAZY, I know! But due to the school having fall break this same weekend. He managed to have 4 boys & 2 girls. Which was plenty for me!!!

Here is a picture of the group after D opened presents.

Yeah for money! That look on his face just makes me laugh every time I see it. I didn't have many of the pictures that didn't look crazy. The kids were always making faces or piled on top of each other. But Evelyn, the cute girl in this picture, she is one of 12 children in her family. She was a cute, cute, girl. She had no problem fitting in with this batch of crazy boys. Evelyn was almost always chasing D or tackling him. I think she likes him! The party was fun and everyone had a good time.

Yoda says: Stong, Clever and Brave you are FOR ONE SO STRONG...A Jedi Knight in Disguise surely you must be. May the force be with you on your birthday. Happy Birthday D, we love you!

Calendar Note To: Family and Friends

2008-10-11T21:20:00.007-05:00

Dimitri turned 8 today and you know what that means! We get two celebrations;

1st~his birthday

2nd~his baptism

Which means he will officially become a member of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

His baptism celebration will be on Saturday December 27th, more information to follow, please call or email us for further instructions.

But PLEASE SAVE THE DATE!

He has been very excited for his birthday to come, "I have this many more days until..." is all we have been hearing for the past month. Who cares if dear ol' moms birthday is a day before his. He is just happy that his birthday is finally here. He is also so excited to finally be in scouts! Which means he gets more of mom. Since I am the new Cubmaster in our ward.

We would hate for any of you to miss this fabulous day. This is our out-of-state families advanced notice. Absolutely NO excuses from anyone! It is either a YES or NO.
It's as SIMPLE as that!!!

We would LOVE to have/see everyone!!!

$2.69

2008-10-08T22:50:00.010-05:00

I'M ALIVE... I know where have a been...RIGHT!!! JUST LIFE

Sorry, I am just now getting around to posting this little bit of relief in my already very "small budget". The pictures have been in my phone just waiting to be downloaded to the computer. Not the best pictures in the world, but not bad for a cell phone!

I thought I would never see this day again! I wanted to mark this day we hit under $3 a gallon. This was just last weeks prices...$2.99

But then I noticed this today...

$2.69, YEAH!!! We can only hope (dream) that it will keep falling at this rate. Maybe the cost of food will start coming down too.

I pray that the prices will stay down!!!

Remembering 9/11

2008-09-11T21:16:00.004-05:00

On this day I take a moment to reflect and remember those who lost their lives. May we pray for those who lost family members and friends on this fateful day. I can still remember where I was and what I was doing when I got the call that day. My heart goes out to all the innocent lives impacted by this horrible attack on the United states of America.

MAY WE NEVER FORGET

Reservations Anyone?

2008-09-05T11:47:00.007-05:00

I was on my favorite food blog today Picky Palate. She featured this restaurant in Taipei called Modern Toilet. I come from a family with a sense of humor and I figured they might all get a kick out of this post.

It accommodates 100 seats with each made from toilet bowls. The specialties at the restaurant accompany sink faucets and the food is served in mini plastic toilet bowls. The toilet rolls that serve for wiping hand and mouth are hung above the tables, which may resemble glass-topped jumbo bathtubs.

That is just wrong! Would you care for a bite?

The company plans on expanding.

Giveaways

2008-09-05T08:34:00.005-05:00

My friend Lexie's sister has recently started up a Bow business. She is trying to promote her business with a giveaway. So stop by Bows/Girls Galore leave a comment. For every 10 comments she will add more bows, contest ends on Oct. 1st.

NOTE TO STEPH~ Maybe you could give a shout-out on your hair blog to drum up some more visitors.

Another blog I have saved on my google reader is...Babes in Hairland. She is also doing some hair giveaways. So go check out her site and leave a comment, contest ends Sept. 10th.

The secrets in the sauce.

2008-09-03T17:39:00.012-05:00

Tonight while I was making dinner I had an extra side kick. Londynn pulled up a chair to the stove and stood beside me. She always wants to be involved with the preparation of anything I cook or bake.
This is how it went...

L: What is that?

M: Turkey meat.

L: What's for dinner?

M: Spaghetti Bolognese. It's like spaghetti!

L: Let's make THIS! Referring to the spaghetti noodles.

M: In a minute.

L: Ooooh, why did you pour milk in there? GROSS! YUK!!

M: It's suppose to go in there.

L: That is going to taste yucky. I am not eating that for dinner.

M: It will taste fine, you will have to taste it first.

I wish I had time to take some pictures of this fun little dialogue. But there is just not enough hands, nor time to take pictures too. When it comes to ANY pasta dish I make, she will only eat the plain noodles. So it really doesn't matter what I put in the sauce.

If you would like the recipe for tonight's Entree, go here. You will find it comes from my favorite food blog Picky Palate. She makes dinner fabulous every night, plus takes amazing pictures.

Oh ya, it tasted wonderful too, even with the milk!!!

I just had to share it.

2008-08-26T21:55:00.009-05:00

A friend sent me this link today, to my great joy - not only because of the spirit I felt, but more importantly, because I love my Savior, Jesus Christ.

Your love will deepen when watching these images, I promise. For those of you who have not yet felt the light of Christ in your life, but would like to understand this wonderful power, and what impact it has on the soul, maybe this will trigger a desire to plant that seed of faith in your heart.

For many years the Mesa Temple(Mesa, Arizona) of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has had exhibits on the temple grounds during the Easter season. This year, there was also a 'Reflections of Christ' photography exhibit in the Mesa Temple Visitor's Center.

The photographer was given permission to photograph Pageant cast members for the exhibit. They traveled to various locations in Arizona that the photographer felt looked like the places in Israel where the events took place and recreated the scenes. The photographer worked with a few other individuals to put together a 5 minute slide show which includes every image from the exhibit set to the hymn 'Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.'

Just remember when you're watching the video that the photographs are real, they aren't paintings!

They are truly Incredible!

Click on the video link and remember to maximize the video so you can see it full screen.

Here is the link

Bedtime Rituals

2008-08-24T16:56:00.007-05:00

Bedtime in our home has always been a struggle, now that the kids have gotten older.
It is a constant battle to keep them in bed once we have had family prayer together.

They complain about the time they go to bed.

They forget to go to the bathroom.

They forget to brush their teeth.

They forget to get a drink of water.

They forget to show us something from school.

As parents we sometimes get so frustrated about getting everyone in the family tucked into bed at night. That we fill like just giving in all together. So I have been trying to figure out how to make going to bed more desirable than staying up.

New bedtime rituals:

1) Reading 30 minutes before bedtime. Plus, trading off reading to Londynn aloud.

2) Hide schoolwork under pillow to show us at bedtime.

3)The best part of my day/The worst part of my day.

4) Thankful Journal

The Thankful Journal will serve as two parts. First, I will have Kailee & Dimitri write: the best part of their day/the worst part of their day. My goal is to give them the opportunity to tell me what frustrates them, what makes them upset, what cheers them up, and what motivates them. Second, I will have them both write one thing they are grateful for each day. Then, at least once a month we will go over some of the previous Journal entries.

I hope this helps make bedtime more enjoyable in our HOME.

Back to School

2008-08-21T18:48:00.011-05:00

YEAH!!! Sorry did I say that out loud. LOL

Here are some pictures of my cute kids ready to start school. This year Kailee will be in the 6th grade, which means she starts middle school. So she is the first one out the door, to make the 1st bus pick-up, at 7am. She was very excited about going back to school. Just a little unsure of what it would be like to be at another new school. She would not only be faced with 6 different classes/teachers, but lockers too. I think lockers are the biggest fear of most incoming 6th graders. I think she will love it! Boy how she has grown!!!

This year Dimitri will be in the 2nd grade. This makes him my second one out the door, to make the 2nd bus pick-up, at 8am. Like most boys, he didn't have a whole lot to say in this matter. He was just glad that school had finally started. He is such a smart kid that it will take him no time at all before it becomes the norm. And he has lots of friends to be pals with again.

Kailee~6th Grader

Dimitri~2nd Grader

It's the first day of school and Dimitri brought me home this today, already.

~~Kissing Hand Poem~~
A piece of me I give to you,
this special heart because
"I Love You".
The heart is you, the hand is me,
It shows that we are
A Family.

So with Back to School came these...

Personalized clipboards and checklist. I had a similar checklist for the kids in the summer to use. But I thought I would make things easier for myself if our school routine had a checklist. No more of mom nagging all the time to make their beds, brush their teeth, hurry-up you'll miss the bus. Now I can send them to their very own checklist if they forget. They both have an AM & PM checklist that I laminated for them to check off. I hope this will make things seem a little less tense in our home. Plus, I loved how the clipboards turned out.

Londynn's First Day of School

2008-08-21T17:09:00.012-05:00

The First Day
I gave you a little wink and smile as you entered my room today.
For I know how hard it is to leave and know your child must stay.
You've been with her for four years now and have been a loving guide,
But now, alas, the time has come to leave her at my side.
Just know that as you drive away and tears down your cheeks may flow.
I'll love her as I would my own and help her learn and grow.
For as a teacher, I too know how quickly the years do pass.
And that one day soon it will be my turn to take my child to class.
So please put your mind at ease and cry those tears no more.
For I will love her and take her in when you leave her at the door.

Thank you for entrusting your child to me for the coming school year.
I will do my very best every day to be your child's guide in learning
and exploring this bright, new world they've just stepped into.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Westfahl

This was tucked away in a paper sack that her teacher had me take as I left the classroom. I had no problem leaving her in the classroom. She couldn't be more excited that this day had finally arrived. All week I have had to hear her ask, is it my school today? In which I had to sadly reply, not today just three more days, then two, now one. It wasn't until I read this note that the tears filled my eyes.
Oh, my sweet, sweet Londynn is no longer a BABY.

Londynn Pre-K

Doesn't she look so small for this really BIG school.

But she couldn't be happier.

I took these pictures while we waited outside for school to begin.
She loves flowers, but like most little kids she thinks it is OK to pick them.
So she always needs a little reminder to "please not pick".

She said it was OK to touch the flowers that had fallen on the ground.
Then she thought she would get as close as she could to the camera to show me.

Beautiful!!!

She was very excited to see this bench was filled with letters, especially the letter "L".

Here you can see that she had no trouble with me leaving.
She found a book, just as her teacher asked and found her place at the table.

She will be just fine!!!

Londynn-ism

2008-08-18T10:00:00.003-05:00

This morning Londynn came into my room and started emptying under my bathroom sink.
So I had to ask why...

M- What are you doing Londynn?

L- Getting a Band-aid

M- Why?

L- My toe is bleeding.

M- Why is your toe bleeding?

L- It got pocked!

M- Why?

L- It pocked itself. LOL!!!

GNO

2008-08-09T09:33:00.008-05:00

So last night was "Girls Night Out". Yeah, finally a night without kids!!! We do our best to have these GNO once a month. We all met up at P.F. Changs for dinner at 7pm. Really the night out is what each of us long for, not the food. The food is just a bonus in my opinion. We could just as easily go to Wendy's and Walmart and have just as much fun. It had been awhile sense our last get together. So most of us were counting down the days before it came. These nights normally last until about 12:00-1:00 in the morning. Last night was no different! So let me introduce the girls. Starting on the right we have Jenn, me, Becca, Virginia, Charly, Kim, and Lexie. We missed you last night Christine. And I don't know why Charly can not be seen. Somehow she managed to be just barely showing her head in the picture.

One Word Tag

2008-08-06T13:17:00.005-05:00

These days anything easy like a TAG to meet the demands of "Blog Life".

Consider yourself tagged!

1. Where is your cell phone? bed

2. Significant other? Jeremy

3. Worst bad habit? yelling

4. Hair? short

5. Favorite food? chocolate

6. Your favorite thing? crafts

7. Your dream last night? N/A

8. Favorite drink? water

9. Dream/goal? travel

10. Room you are in? bedroom

11. Your ex? N/A

12. Your fear? falling

13. Where do you want to be in six years? content

14. Where were you last night? home

15. What you're not? laid back

16. Muffins? cinnamon rolls

17. Wish list item? vacation

18. Where did you grow up? California

19. Last thing you did? vinyl

20. What are you wearing? shorts

21. Your TV? cartoons

22. Your pets? N/A

23. Your computer? working

24. Your life? content

25. Your mood? shifting

26. Missing someone? friends (Utah)

27. Your car? Tahoe

28. Something you are not wearing? shoes

29. Favorite store? walmart

30. Your summer? HOT!!!

31. Love someone? many

32. Last time you laughed? earlier

33. Last time you cried? N/A

The Bandits

2008-07-31T18:20:00.006-05:00

We have a family membership to the YMCA. Which means we are able to get all the sports or activities through the YMCA for FREE or discounted. I LOVE that!!! It is nice to see that they try and make an effort to save you some money. They also provide uniforms with reversible shirts so you can use them for other sports. I think it is wonderful that they are a kid friendly and family based organization.

The last couple of months Dimitri has been playing basketball through the YMCA, which he loves! Last week was his last game for the season. Here is a picture of him with his team. He had 7 boys and 1 girl on his team. And that one girl was "Oh so SPUNKY", she was a fantastic team player. We had the best team out of the bunch!!! And I'm not just saying that because it was our team.

Our team showed up for every practice and every game. With all the other teams, we were lucky to have enough players. Sometimes they would take from our team just so the teams could play.

It was a lot of fun watching each of them learn the sport. Dimitri picked up the sport really fast. His strong point was scoring for the team. He would always make several shots in every game. GO BANDITS!!!

Making the CUT!

2008-07-30T18:38:00.012-05:00

The HAIR CUT, that is!

Here are some pictures of Dimitri and Londynn sporting their new CUTS.

I know! A Mohawk!! WHAT!!!
Jeremy's philosophy is that he may want some wild and crazy hair cut/hair color as a teenager, that will be hard for us to control. So why not let him have something crazy now, while we still have some control. We have some people at church that think we are "the nice parents" to let our DS have this hair style. I really don't know what the big deal is. I think it's kinda funny. It's only summer...right!
Just a couple more weeks and mom will get her hands on the clippers. Bye, Bye Mohawk!!!

Londynn is "Oh so Cute" with her classic bob.
This has always been a favorite hair style of mine, on her.
This cute haircut frames her face, perfectly! Isn't she cute!!!

Bowznstuff Blog Giveaway

2008-07-29T10:45:00.006-05:00

I was making my normal bloggy rounds this morning and I came across a fun giveaway.

Go to bowznstuff blog and leave a COMMENT.

You must leave a comment, but only one to win!

For every 10 comments she will add additional bows.

So what are you waiting for, leave your comment.

I want to be the lucky winner of some fun new goodies.

GOOD LUCK!!

When the OX is in the Myer.

2008-07-28T09:08:00.009-05:00

The day started out like any typical Sunday morning: get the kids up, get ready, go to church. But today Jeremy had a meeting after church, which meant that we needed to drive separate cars. Not that this should matter much, but for today it did.

So when church ended the kiddos and I headed for the car. I put the keys in to start the car so it would begin cooling, but there was NOTHING. So I tried again, and again, and again. OK, I guess I was hoping that all my other attempts I was just doing something wrong. I really didn't want to believe that my car was broken at this point, it was Sunday after all.

We piled out of the car and headed into the church for Jeremy. Jeremy's not much of a car guy, which means he doesn't get very excited when something goes wrong. At this point we had several friends who were willing to assist us, as needed.

The battery vs. the alternator, which will it be.

We were able to get some jumper cables and get the car started. We knew that the battery was toast and the car would not start again if it got turned off. To be sure that it was only the battery our friends advised us to go to the Auto Zone.

We headed for the nearest Auto Zone. Where they were able to hook the truck up to their machines. RESULTS: The battery would need to be replaced. We thought that with it being Sunday, 110 degrees outside, dressed in church clothes, and three kids in the car it would be best to buy the battery and replace it at home. But the battery had other plans for us.

So, there we sat in the parking lot of Auto Zone while the nice employee changed our battery for us. I'm not sure that it's in his job description! Or if he is even suppose to do that for people!! But this gentleman did it anyways!!!

Yes, with the battery purchase came some drinks too. We had to keep the kids quiet in the car while we waited. I know that keeping them in the car doesn't seem like the most logical answer. But my kids decided that they needed to take all their clothes off, to beat the heat. So I was not about to have naked kids running around the parking lot.

On the way home I explained that this was one of those times that the Ox was in the Myer. We would not normally buy things on Sunday. But in order for us to get home the car would need to be fixed.

ROCK BAND

2008-07-14T11:42:00.004-05:00

I just realized when I was looking at my posts that I some how neglected to post this to the blog. I was wanting to get some better shots of Londynn. But as you can see from this post, it did not happen. So here you go...

Yes, I know! I am not a big fan of the game console world. I would maybe consider a Wii. MAYBE! This is just not my thing!! But my family loves it!!!

Jeremy sold off his old consoles and games so he could purchase a new XBOX 360. This money would be the before mentioned yard sale at a friends house on the July 4th holiday weekend. So with that extra money came ROCK BAND. Which the kiddos could not be more pleased their daddy purchased. Let's just say, there was whole lot of screaming going on when this box came through the door.

It has been so funny to watch each of the children take the role of vocals, guitar or drums. I can tell you that it did not sound as I would hope. I only remember what it was like to play with adults at a recent party we went too. Some how with kids its not the same. They need to work on the pitch and technique a little. But I am sure with practice, they will be pros soon!

CHEERBEAR to the RESCUE!

2008-07-09T13:01:00.006-05:00

Today Londynn got a surprise package in the mail. Grandpa & Grandma Brewer sent Cheer Bear to save the day. As you might have read in the previous post, Londynn vs. emergency room she was a little under the weather. Thank you Grandpa & Grandma for being so thoughtful. Londynn is doing much better. She will still try to play the sympathy card when she wants some extra attention. Smart cookie! Just because of all the attention we gave her with her neck pain. That was a little scary!!!

Londynn vs. Emergency Room

2008-07-05T18:06:00.010-05:00

The last 48 hours Londynn has had a high fever that just wouldn't quit. She would be fine with Tylenol for a couple of hours. But if we didn't keep the stuff in her system every 4 hours. She was just miserable!

She also has been very congested in the nose. Which results in the long hard nights not being able to breathe. She has large tonsils anyways, so it always makes any cold worse.

But then this morning she woke up just screaming that the right side of her neck hurt. It was so bad that she wouldn't even lift her arm. She couldn't even lift her body by herself if she was laying down.

So, I gave her some more Tylenol and watched her for an 1-2 hours more. But it didn't seem like it was getting any better. By this point I figured it was time for us to hit the Emergency Room. While we waited in our room Kailee thought she needed to get a few pictures to show Jeremy.

Jeremy has spent the last two mornings at a friends garage sale. He was trying to sell some old things that have just been sitting in our garage taking up space. I thought it was cute how concerned she was for her sister. So here are some pictures of Londynn while we were waiting to be seen. She was just exhausted at this point. And so was I for that matter!!!

She has an infection that caused a blockage in her right gland(lymph nodes) in her neck. Therefore causing all this pain in her neck and right side. I thought this might be the case. But she would not let me come close enough this morning to check for myself. But she had a very large knot on the side of her neck when I finally got the chance to feel around.

It has just been so sad to watch her today. She has to have help just to sit up. But we have started the antibiotics, which should kick in soon...I hope!

July 4th Celebrations

2008-07-04T11:00:00.022-05:00

HAPPY JULY 4th everyone!

I hope everyone has a fun and safe holiday!!!

Here are some things I have been doing
with the kids to get ready for today.

We started with this...

and ended with this...

and this...

and this.

The kids had fun making their new star leis.
They all turned out really cute.

I also made the girls a set of red/white/blue bracelets.

Some new hair bows to match Londynn's new dress.

Here are some pictures while we waited
for the fireworks to begin at the park.

Dimitri was just being "cheezy" in front of the camera.
For some reason he thinks that he needs to pose in every picture.
What a goof ball!

Jeremy doing what he does best when we are together.

And finally proof that we did see some fireworks.
Sorry this picture is not that good.
It was taken with my cell phone.
My camera battery died before the show began.

Vinyl, Vinyl, Vinyl

2008-07-01T10:00:00.012-05:00

Some have wondered where I have gone.
Because summer can be very crazy with the kids home. I have not found myself wanting to turn to my blog.
But I thought I would share what has been keeping my life busy these days.

Last week was another one of my Bi-Monthly craft nights in my ward. It was scheduled to take place at my home. But due to the large response, I resorted to the church. I put together 55 custom name/families are forever kits. This was the first large vinyl order I have done, aside from my occasional activity on Etsy. Let me tell you it was a lot of vinyl weeding, painting and vinyl application. Plus, I have another 75 orders for another ward later this month.
So yes, I am still here!
Just busy, busy, busy!!!

This is what everyone made...

A Peaceful Summer's Day

2008-06-16T13:20:00.007-05:00

It is always nice to see moments like this between a brother and a sister.

Kailee & Dimitri played with this board game for 2-3 hours without any fighting. They have not had much luck with friends being able to play this summer.

Which makes for very long summer days for me.

I was glad that they could agree on an activity together.

Londynn not being old enough to play along.
Sat on the bed and just colored.
She was happy just to be near them.

I was happy to have some quite time.

Friday the 13th

2008-06-14T10:49:00.006-05:00

Yesterday Kailee for some odd reason was very aware that it was Friday the 13th. I of course paid no attention to the fact. But she was very worried that something bad was going to happen. I reassured her like any parent should that everything would be alright.

So when I had gathered them around the table for a Father's Day Craft project. She politely asked for me to call daddy to see if anything bad had happened to him yet. But I tried to dismiss it and told her he would call if something had happened.

Well during our craft project I needed her to grab a tub of construction paper from her closet. I guess while she was trying to get it down from the top of her closet she needed some help. She had called for Dimitri, with no success. So when she came back to the table she had to share her story.

She said that when she called for Dimitri that she needed him to help with the tub that was on top of the one she needed. So she decided that she would just pull the tubs down by herself. Which of course ended up falling on her, both of them.

Kailee said that this whole thing happened because it was Friday the 13th. She really believed that it would have not happened on another day. I told her that it was just a myth. At this point I could not contain my laughter.

Nothing else happened the remainder of the day.

Londynn turned FOUR

2008-06-12T14:53:00.019-05:00

I know I am late in getting this posted! Londynn turned four this last week. But between Kailee's birthday, which is only four days earlier. Plus, going to Texas the following weekend. I have just not had any time to sit and write any posts.

Please be patient through this very long sea of pictures. First, we had a small family party at home on the official day. Then, we had a birthday at the park with some friends a week later.
So here are some highlights of her special day.

Londynn just being CUTE! She was so quiet just playing in her room. She of course was playing with her toy of choice...DOLLS!

Londynn showing off her new baby sling. You can find them on Etsy. Your place to buy and sell all things handmade.

She was sitting and patiently waiting for me to grab my camera before she opened any presents. We did let her have one present before Jeremy went to work in the morning. The others sat on the fireplace until that night.

She was struggling to get the paper off. I guess she didn't want to tear the paper.

Some of the LOOT.

Londynn's dinner choice for the night. Well, first she said that she only wanted strawberries. But I told her that we could not only have strawberries for dinner. So we settled for her favorite popcorn chicken with a side of strawberries and cantaloupe. I of course was not OK with such a simple dinner. So I decided to make some extra special strawberry treats. See below...

Chocolate covered strawberries. YUM!

OK, I have been wanting to make this fun GIANT cupcake cake I found in a magazine months ago. This cupcake cake went so well with the girls party theme. So I set off to make this new cake. I did not want to go through all the steps on the recipe, so I made a few modifications. I knew that the cake would be a BUMB when I started the assembly process. And being the perfectionist that I am when it comes to baking. This cake was a disaster! So this is my sad attempt to make it look some what decent just for the kids to eat. A birthday celebration "with no cake" was just not an option. I guess I can be lucky that the cake tasted good.

Oh, Yeah! After the kids got their slice of cake the remaining cake went into the trash.

PARTY AT THE PARK

First, we started with these "Oh so Cute" invitations. Designed by a my dear friend Christine a graphic designer. Thank you, it turned out amazing!

Present Time...

The last few times we have been to this spray park. Londynn has showed no desire to even get in the water. This is the first time that Londynn has played in the water. I am glad that she got into the action with all her friends.

SOME FRIENDS...

Jenn, Joby and Jerni~
Londynn and Joby taking a minute for some treats. Londynn of coarse stuffing her face with a cookie.

Jen and Bree~
Bree having so much fun in the water. I don't think I have ever seen her just play so free. She really loved being in the water.

Becca, Margie and Jakey~
Margie at the feet of mom with her two fingers in the mouth. Any time you see Margie you will see those fingers in the mouth.

Lexie, Emma and Aiden~
Emma and Margie the buddies.

Christine, Lincoln and Jackson~
Lincoln just having fun. I never managed to get a picture of Jackson.

Krystal, Gwen and Ry-Ry~
Krystal on the sidelines with baby Ry-Ry. I never managed to get a picture of Gwen.

Baby Ry-Ry being happy with the empty Gatorade bottle.

And last but not least the desserts. I made these mini cupcakes, which can be found from one of my favorite food blogs Bakerella. I love that she can make something as simple as a cupcake look so beautiful.

I also made these Peanut Butter Whopper cookies, which can be found from my #1 food blog Picky Palate.
I love, love, love this blog. Everything I have made has been a huge hit.

Thank you everyone for all the wonderful gifts.

ZOO Fun...Round 2

2008-06-01T21:35:00.011-05:00

We bought a family membership to the zoo.
So yes, you will see lots of pictures like some of the following of our kiddos at the zoo.
You may even see some random shots.
I managed to capture some beautiful flowers in bloom.

Memorial Day Fun

2008-05-28T10:13:00.007-05:00

On Monday we got together with some of our ward friends and had a picnic at the park. Lexie was so kind to get the ball rolling and organize all the "food duties" (LOL, Jeremy will enjoy that Nacho Libre remark)So we headed to the new spray park which is only about 15 minutes away from us. Christine volunteered her husbands BBQ. We also celebrated Becca's birthday. I think everyone had a good time. Despite that KK woke up with a cold Tuesday morning. The water was COLD!

KK Birthday

2008-05-25T19:40:00.014-05:00

Happy Birthday to You!

KK opening her present from Grandpa & Grandma Lodge before her party. I figured that she would want to use her new camera for the festivities. She still has more presents from the family that she will open on the official day.

Friday was the last day of school.
So she wanted to have her friend party.
Presents from friends.

Fun personalized craft for the girls.
They all loved this idea!
I provided the materials and let KK do the demonstration for the girls.
They all turned out great!!

We had a late night, movie night.
So all the girls came dressed in their pajamas.

These are the "Loot" bags that I made for each of the girls. I took some notebooks I found at Big Lots and added my personal scrapbook touch to each of them. Then made some coordinating pens to match each of the notebooks. I loved these so much when I finished, I had to make some extras for future gifts.

Class of 2015

2008-05-19T21:12:00.011-05:00

KK 5th Grade Graduation.

KK~

Where has the time gone!
You have just finished one of the many mile stones
in your life. You are growing up so fast.
I can hardly believe that you will be starting
middle school next year.
You are becoming quite the young lady.

I love that you are so beautiful

I love that you are so smart.

I love that you always push yourself
in everything you do.

I love that you will set goals for yourself
and stick with it.

I love that you have your own personality.

I love that you can just be you.

I love that you like to be silly.

I love that you are always singing. You truly love music!

I love that you help with your brother and sister.
We know it's not easy being the oldest!

I love that you have learned the importance of setting values and standards for yourself. Please don't ever forget those things that can keep you true.

Be proud of who you are and what you will become.
Hugs & Kisses
We Love You!

See What the BUZZ is about...

2008-05-17T11:35:00.006-05:00

Buddy needed his haircut really, really, really bad.
So I decided that I would just buzz it all off.
He didn't mind, plus it looks GOOD.
He has a perfect head to pull this off.

Yard Buddies

2008-05-17T11:22:00.004-05:00

Today I told Jerm that he needed to mow the yard. I was kind enough to mow the front yard earlier in the week. So today he only needed to cut the back yard, weedwack, and edge. Buddy asked if he could help. So Jerm let him go to town. He did a fantastic job.

They also found a friend living in our back yard. Mr. froggy! They put him in this large blue toy bin. Then when they finished they took him to the end of our street and set him free in the field.

Now I know who will be getting a new chore for the summer.

Teddy Bear Picnic

2008-05-16T17:46:00.009-05:00

Today was the last day of preschool for Precious. I can hardly believe it is over already. My baby is growing so fast, she is sooo big. Next year she enters elementary school for the Pre-K program.

Each child brought their favorite teddy bears to school today for a picnic lunch.

Here is Precious with her teachers
Mrs. Roush & Ms. Monica.

T.L.C. Preschool hereby awarded Precious the letter "L" award today. We love the way you can find the letter L in every book we read. We love the way you can find the letter L in everything you do. L is for ...

Post Signature

2008-05-15T22:26:00.008-05:00

This is a TEST.

I can't believe I figured it out. Now I will have to make a cute one as a permanent piece of my blog.
I am so excited!!!