Sarah's Kids, Cakes, and Crafts

New Blog!!!!

2011-01-04T14:00:00.003-07:00

Last Post here. I decided to not redirect this one to the new blog. Everyone will just have to click this link and add my new blog to your list..........

http://www.mome25.com/

Moving Blog

2011-01-01T11:44:00.002-07:00

In a couple of days everyone visiting this blog will be redirected to my new blog. I figured that since I don't get a chance to do too many Cakes and Crafts, I would change the blog a bit. Keep Checking back to see all the new changes I will be making over the next few weeks!

Friendship

2010-12-02T22:28:00.006-07:00

As a child I never really had more than just one really good best friend at a time, not because I couldn't make friends, that's just how I preferred things. I knew someone who constantly had to be surrounded by people in order to feel happy. I never could understand that. I wouldn't say I'm popular, nor do I have any need to be, but I feel like a have a good mixture of friends, and I've learned not to put everything on just one friend. For a while, when depressed, I had built a wall around myself, refusing to be a friend or to build any friendships. I'm slowly working on that. And my efforts have been greatly rewarding. I have been blessed. I am sad to see one of my friends doing the same (with the wall building thing). Those are almost impossible to break down, by the way. And it hurts. I am sorry to everyone whom I've done that to. Relationships are difficult and complicated. I'm constantly trying to evaluate where I stand with others and what I need to do to fix it. But there is only so much one person can do. In order to call it a real friendship, it has to be both sides coming to the middle. There is only so much one person can do. And to those of you who feel like you cant reach me, please fill the emptiness between us with forgiveness, and know that I am doing the best I possibly can right now. And I will do the same for you. It is much easier to fill the empty space by building a friendship than it is to build a wall. I love all of my wonderful true friends.

Conversations with a 4 year Old #2

2010-10-19T20:54:00.002-06:00

Ella-"Mom I do not kiss boys. I only kiss Daddy."

Mom-"Good girl. Thats great! You are way too young to be kissing boys."

Mom-"Why don't you kiss boys?"

Ella-"Because if I do, I will turn into something."

Mom-"Like what? A frog?"

Ella-"No, something horrible"

Mom- "What?"

Ella- "If I kiss a boy, I will turn into a WIFE!"

Ha, Ha....I love this age!

1st grade- Too Overwhelming

2010-10-13T21:44:00.002-06:00

Poor Lindsey had a nightmare last night . She came into our room, still half asleep, crying "There's a plus sign, and a plus sign. They are everywhere!"

Poor girl. But its too cute and funny not to share.

My New Blog!

2010-10-09T17:22:00.004-06:00

I started another Blog. Any advise or help with my new hobby will be appreciated! If you want to check it out, click HERE ! You can also find the link on the side bar under 'other blogs'.

Conversation with a 4 year old

2010-08-05T09:26:00.003-06:00

A couple weeks ago we found out our dog, Lucy, had cancer. Unfortunately it spread very quickly and she didn't make it. We knew that we wanted another dog. But I didn't want to get one right away and have any guilty feelings of 'replacing' Lucy. But after talking to a friend about it we decided that it would be really good for the kids to have a little buddy to help them through and give them something to cuddle and play with. Well we decided we would take on this little dog and save it from going to the shelter. So that the kids wouldn't get their hopes up too much and because the dog was so cheap, I let them know that we would just try this dog out for a while and see if he fits in with us or not.
Here is a conversation I had with Ella this morning...
Ella- Mom can we just keep Rascal for a day or two, maybe three?
Me- I was hoping we could keep him longer than that.
Ella- But mom, then he will just die.
Me- Everything dies. Even I will die someday.
( A long pause..'oh no', I thought, 'here it comes, another talk about death, possibly some tears involved'.)
Ella- Mom, when you die, can I drive your car?

Funny, it appears my daughter is more concerned about a dog dieing than her mother. I love four year olds !

Feeling Old(er)

2010-07-31T22:42:00.027-06:00

I tried to do a Kart wheel for Lindsey yesterday and pulled a leg muscle. It only ended up being a half Kart wheel.

I wanted to show off for the kids by hanging upside down on the monkey bars but couldn't remember how I used to swing my legs up and over. There is no way I could even attempt that one, so I didn't. I just sat on the park bench thinking it over for about two seconds.

My knees hurt.

I'm tired.

OK, so some of the things on this list might not mean I'm old, just need more exercise. Ya, I think that's what I'll tell myself.

I see teenagers on the News and think of them as 'kids' . Kids? When did that happen? My thoughts are things like 'Someday very soon that could be, yikes, Robbie, Emery, or...'

Most of my Mom's and Dad's decisions and talks are starting to make sense.

I can not wear teenage style clothing and feel completely comfortable in it. I probably have held onto this one longer than I should have anyway.

I'm starting to treasure each day more fully as the gift it really is.

Every day I get one day closer to 30 (Still have a little over a year left, so no tears yet). I remember when 30 sounded so OLD.

So, I know that some of you who read this will think, 'Wow, what a small list compared to mine, just wait till she is my age', or even 'Your only as old as you feel', or 'I always thought she was older considering all those kids she has', or my favorite 'But you look (or are) so young'.

Im still in a little shock that I even have a 'getting older' list. Really? When did all of these things start happening?

Cake Poll

2010-06-29T13:40:00.008-06:00

Anyone and Everyone, family, friends, lurkers, blog stalkers....Everyone Please take the Cake poll off to the left of the screen. I am currently not accepting very many cake orders at this time due to the selling and moving process we are going through. But as soon as we move I would like to really start up again. Even before this process started I noticed a huge slow down in cake orders. Please fill out this poll so I can have a better idea of what I need to do. It should allow you to pick more than one answer.
Answers are anonymous. I will not be able to see who chooses what, so please be completely honest.

Thank you

Change ( A New Me)

2010-06-21T09:57:00.004-06:00

This seems to be the theme of a lot of Blogs I've been reading lately. Change is a big deal for me. I like things being predictable. I like to know what is coming. I tried coming into the world face first. And that has always been my personality. I want to see what is coming. I want to have it all planned out. And my adult life, so far has been pretty close to how I always planned it, but now some changes are coming. I cant really see whats ahead, and I have had to rely heavily on my own faith and others testimonies.

We are still trying to sell the house. Blessings have finally started coming and we will now be able to make a few home improvements. Hopefully our house will sell soon! You never know for sure with how the housing market is right now. But I finally have some hope. Moving is not an easy thing for me. My family moved a lot when I was younger. Sometimes it was for the best and sometimes we were led into some worse situations. It was good for me to experience what I did through those situations. I hope that as difficult as this has all been, that someday my kids will be able to see how it has made them better and stronger. I can already see that with most of my materialistic items packed away, I have been led to discover new things about myself, and have had room to improve upon talents I didn't realize I had. But I want more then anything to live in a place I can call home. I want things to be a little more stable and planned out.

Our Day

2010-06-14T21:01:00.004-06:00

I haven't updated the blog in a long time. Sometimes I feel like I have nothing interesting to write about. But lately I have had some friends who seem to be very interested in what a typical day is like for our family. So maybe I will share more often. No two days are ever the same, that's for sure.

Today

I just layed in bed trying to find motivation to sit up, until about 8am. One of my favorite parts of summer is 'not having to' wake up early and get kids dressed for school. I really should be waking up around 5 or 6 to get all the weeds pulled and to exercise or read scriptures. But that seems to never happen.

Once up, I fed the kids cereal as usual. Then we all gathered in the living room for our 'morning devotional' . We say a prayer and read from the children's bible. Today we read about Jesus visiting the disciples after he was resurrected. Then I tell them what their job will be that day. On the schedule I have specific time set aside for chores. But typically it doesn't work, and I just call the kids to help me through out the day when needed. We have a list of Laundry helper, organizer, Kitchen helper, baby/pet helper. Then each kid takes turns filling these roles. Each day they have a different job. But the list of jobs remains the same. I hope that makes sense. I really like this method.

After that we do a little school work. Because their Aunt is away on a business trip, we read about the area she is visiting, then each child either got a handwriting or math worksheet, while Jocelyn watched a baby learning video. It took less then 20 minutes for that today.
Then finally around 10:30 we all got dressed and ready for free lunches at the park. It is a program provided by the school district. We go every day that we can. It saves me a ton of cleanup and money. After they ate and played, we came home and I read stories to them, then let them watch a movie or sleep. While they did that I weeded the garden. I am going to have a very difficult time letting them throw vegetables away ever again! Gardening is really hard work!!!

I came in and did a couple loads of laundry. They played in the sprinklers in the back yard. Then I fed them a quick peanut butter and jelly sandwich (usually our dinners are much better, but it will be difficult to cook for the next few weeks while they have evening swimming lessons.) Today was their first swimming lessons. Robbie came home so upset. I felt really bad for him. We just barely got him into swimming, so he had to be with much younger children. But I know he will pass off everything and very quickly get caught up. Poor boy. Then we had a few more snacks. John went to the gym. I wrote here in the blog. Next the kids will hopefully go to bed, and John and I will stay up, watch a couple shows and go to bed.

Tomorrow will be different. But I do want to keep up some of the schedule if I can. Maybe even get on a better schedule. But over all we did pretty good today.

Quick Collage Update

2010-04-21T09:41:00.005-06:00

Easter at Grandma and Grandpa's House

Fun at the Peace Gardens

Emery's new kitty, Pitch!

Tatting

2010-03-30T09:08:00.002-06:00

One day when I was a very little girl I saw someone at the mall with a tatting shuttle making beautiful lace butterflies. Her hands were moving so quickly, even though the lace takes a long time to make and requires a lot of patience it is beautiful. Very few people know this lost art. That is what attracted me to it the most. It is nice to be able to do something that not many people can do. Well I was 11 years old when a neighbor taught me the art. I dont have a lot of pictures right now. I give most of my tatting away, But I have put a few post on the blog about it before, and there will be more to come.
Meanwhile check out this blog and her giveaway...
http://tattingchic.blogspot.com/

Lady Bug

2010-03-29T16:37:00.006-06:00

Anyone who is friends with me on facebook, sorry about the repeat. All anyone has heard about from me and Lindsey for the past couple weeks is this Ladybug party. For her, it was all about being the center of attention. (Even though it seems like she almost always is anyways.) And for me, it was so exciting to be able to put my talents to work again. It has been a long time. With trying to sell the house, all I ever get to do is clean. So this was a nice distraction and gave me something else to do. Very Exciting! I think I went overboard.

I can not believe she is 6! Wow! So here is her as a baby...Looks like I could have posted pictures of Jocelyn and no one would have known the difference. They really do look a lot alike! Lindsey is wonderful! She is the most creative person I know. She constantly finds new ways to put things together and new uses for things. She really enjoys being the center of attention. She loves anything girly, artsy, or crafty. If I let her, she would wear pink ruffly dresses daily. She says that she is excited to be 6 now because this year she will get better at reading and drawing and possibly get a few visits from the tooth fairy. Maybe even learn how to ride her bike. 6 is a really fun age.

A Year Of Waiting...

2010-03-22T13:36:00.004-06:00

........and my Vanilla is done! Isn't it beautiful? I can't wait to try it. All you do is put some Sliced Vanilla Beans in a large bottle of Vodka and let it sit in your cupboard for a year, shaking it up from time to time. And then strain out the vanilla beans.

I met a lady, Sarah Bell, on the Internet who guided my through the beginning stages of Cake Decorating. She gave me tons of help and advice. Here is a link to her etsy store where you can buy some Madagascar Vanilla Beans, or buy some of her Homemade Vanilla. I know I will be buying some more of the beans from her soon!

Treasures From Japan

2010-02-03T18:03:00.005-07:00

I met a wonderful woman from Japan when I was teaching my scrapbooking class. Her name is Hiromi. Isn't that a Beautiful name?

Collecting Tea Cups is very popular there in Japan. Here is one that Hiromi's Mother sent me. Hmm, this may just become a new obsesion, I mean Hobby, for me.

Here is the back. I forgot to ask her what it says. As soon as I find out, I will come back and post it.

Her is a fabric origami shirt that her mom made. I am going to get it framed one of these days.

Here is the back of a Thank You Picture card that Hiromi made for me. All of those little pieces are cut Japanese fabrics.

And of Course Hiromi herself is the greatest Treasure. What a Great friend. She has taught me so much. and I cant wait to learn more frome her. She picked up on Scrapbooking like a pro. And after only a couple lessons, was doing some very proffesional work. She taught me that you can never show too much gratitude. Do you know what else she taught me? There, in Japan, they have a holiday to celebrate Women! A Womens Day. Amazing! I'm sure you will hear more about Hiromi in future post.

I love all of my Treasures from Japan.

Oreo Review

2010-02-01T08:54:00.002-07:00

Recipe #1

Recipe #2

I love both of them. I would make each recipe again, and again. I honestly couldn't pick a favorite. #1 taste just like you think it will, a bite of cake with cream cheese frosting. Or maybe I just eat too much cake, so that's how I felt about it. Recipe #2 surprisingly did taste a lot like The real Oreo cookies in my opinion. Yummy!

Tip: Do not feed Baby one right before bedtime! She was watching me make these,

So I had to give her a few taste. Big Mistake! Josie was up, and laughing and running around like Crazy till sometime after midnight!

The Best is Yet to Be

2010-01-28T16:15:00.002-07:00

This is what is helping me through today

Click Here

"God doesn't care nearly as much about where you have been as He does care about where you are, and with his help, where you are willing to go."

That is just what I needed to hear.

I am SO thankful for the Gosple.

Part Of My Day That Makes Me Laugh

2010-01-28T15:41:00.006-07:00

I know, I know, another Laundry post...

I remember when having to fold half this amount would make me cry. But today I am laughing....

I am laughing at Ella in the backround here, thinking her little word is just miserable today.

I am laughing at this One Weeks worth of laundry, thinking how nice it would be if it was ever caught up.

I am laughing at the pile that is waiting for tomorrow, knowing that after all the baths tonight, there will be another load added to it, and another load in the morning once the children are changed and ready for school.

I am quietly laughing at all the Cute mommies who are just like I used to be, crying over half this amount.

Now time for everything else, dishes, vacuuming, wiping runny noses, picking up kids from school, making dinner, .......................

................................

In Memory...3 years

2010-01-17T11:56:00.001-07:00

We miss you!

Update

2010-01-17T11:33:00.005-07:00

This update is going backwards. Starting with Robbie's birthday, and going back to Christmas.

Robbie's 10th Birthday was Jan. 10. I had so much fun using my cake airbrush and making him this skateboard cake.

For New Years I decided to die my hair for the very first time. I love it. Very few people have noticed, which I think is just crazy, because it used to be a dirty blond. It looks really light in this picture. But indoors it is at least 4 shades darker.

Out of all the Christmas presents the children got for Christmas. This kitchen, by far is my favorite.

Lets see, what else has been happening? I guess as far as my goals are concerned I am just trying to incorporate 4 things into each day. Organization, Exercise, Creativity, and spending time with my family. Lately it has been mostly on the Organization end of things. We are trying to clean everything out, so that when ever we are able to move, it will be easier on all of us. John has made several trips to the thrift store this past week. Well I guess that is it for now. Once I get more organized, I hope to have more time for those other important parts and people in my life.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-29T10:58:00.002-07:00

Last year I said that we would not over- spoil the kids again----But we did! They only get new toys on their birthdays and on Christmas, and they had gone a long time without very many toys (due to me thinking we were moving soon and packing up half the house). So we really went all out this year for the children. I didn't take ANY pictures. I did make a short video of them waking up and seeing their Santa gifts. Yes , we are the crazy parents who most years wake up the kids on Christmas. We are just too excited to see their happy excited faces. I may post the video later, and I might take and post some pictures later, If I'm not too busy with all of my new toys. But for right now, I will just leave you with this update while I go and try to clean up a little more of the Christmas mess.

Jocelyn is One!

2009-12-05T12:19:00.004-07:00

Yesterday my little baby turned 1! Happy Birthday Jocelyn!

Me and the Giant Scary Goal List

2009-11-19T12:06:00.003-07:00

Those of you who know me well already knew that Goal list would not work for me. I am throwing it out. O.K not exactly throwing it out. I think I will just change the name of the list to, "Things I would like to someday do". I cant stick with things like list, schedules,crafts, hobbies..... But Im constantly making them or trying them for some reason. And dont think that I wont be doing those things, but having it written down makes me feel trapped. And my life is constantly changing and therfore so are my goals. So I will check in with the Blog here and give you a very short list of goals I am currently working on, but nothing like that Monster list.
So what am I working on now, I'm sure you are all wondering.
I am working on a daily routine (not a schedule) that includes only the things that I feel are the very most important. A VERY SHORT list of things that I feel must be done everyday, but too often gets thrown out with unimportant things that come up. I will be trying to get these things done first thing in the morning before all the other stuff gets in the way. This is going to be a very difficult challenge all in itself because it means waking up just a little earlier, which right now is probably one of the most difficult things anyone could ask me to do. But I am determined to start waking up just a little earlier. That is my Goal. If nothing else gets done during the day, waking up early will be a huge accomplishment all in itself for me.
So there you have it, this week, i will be focusing on that 1 goal.

Update

2009-10-14T09:14:00.004-06:00

I have not wrote for a very long time. Here is what we have been doing....

John ran a marathon! He says it doesn't count because he "only " got to 20 Miles due to some injuries. I say it counts! 20 miles is amazing!!!

Jocelyn got some new teeth. Actually 6 now, in two weeks time. She has also been trying to walk. She can only take one or two steps before falling. And she is trying to talk. All the words I have heard her say...mama, dada, rara (robbie), no, ya, hi, socks, clap, night-night, baba, and cat(used for any and all animals)

And this girl isnt even 1 yet!

We went to the zoo.

We went to the Fair. We also went to the circus (sorry no pictures), where Jocie learned how to clap. She now loves to clap at the 'weigh ins' on Biggest Looser too.

And my Mom and Dad came to visit!

Also, We are NOT moving.....yet. We have to sell our house first, and that could take a long time with how things are going. I cant wait till it finally does happen. I love my house so much, but I cant wait to have more space.

Ella will get to start preschool in 2 weeks. She will be in a program that only has them go for two days a week. She is very excited.

And I am so busy this month with teaching. I am teaching cake decorating and scrapbooking classes now. One of my classes has 14 students! And I get to go to a Wilton teacher training thing this weekend. I will come home to sleep, but other then that, John will have the kids for 2 whole days!

John has been so busy. He works full time, Is taking 4 college classes, and is working out 3 to 4 times a week.

We are super busy. But life is great! We have been so blessed!

This is what happens when....

2009-08-28T15:18:00.019-06:00

...you look away for 1 second.

.....you have 5 kids. This is about 1/2 to 3/4 for 1 week of clean laundry.

....your fish dies, and you bring home a new pet. Meet Oscar.

....Daddy comes home early. Attack!

Love September Favorite Skirt Pattern GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-08-28T09:39:00.000-06:00

Love September Favorite Skirt Pattern GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Teachers Pet Cardi, Simple Tee and Poppy Skirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-08-28T09:37:00.000-06:00

Teachers Pet Cardi, Simple Tee and Poppy Skirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

Display Cake

2009-08-21T11:01:00.000-06:00

August 2 week Goal Check In

2009-08-17T14:26:00.005-06:00

I don't know what goal method will work for me. I know that for the past two weeks I haven't accomplished every goal on my list. But I have accomplished a few things that were never on the list. I thought the 101 goals in 1001 days sounded great at first. And I still will check in on that list often. But depending on what *unexpected * adversities or opportunities come your way, your goal list may have to be altered or changed altogether. Lucky for me, an opportunity came my way this past week. First, lets see how I have been doing on my list.

Daily
reading lessons for girls- First week I did great
take care of me- first week I did great
save extra change- not great. Kids needed snacks after RAD kids program
feed fish- Great. Can't believe he is still alive
check goal list- at least every "other day"
pick a book- Collage Unleashed I cant believe I read every word. I usually just skim through
books like this. But it was great!
knit baby booties- threw out old pattern, was very successful with new pattern. One bootie done, One to go. I didn't have the right size needles, so the booties will actually be slippers for the older girls.

Weekly
yard work- I haven't pulled a single weed
FHE- first week we did it
clean C's apartment- he has been home. It is impossible to clean when a man is sitting
around. I can't clean when John is home either, Unless he joins in. So I did
not do this last week. But I will this week
change fish water- Great Job so far!

Monthly
attend temple- not yet, but the month is not over
deliver pay it forwards- one down, one to go
pick a kid craft -not yet

red- I feel like I'm on track with these
orange- could do better
blue-really need to work on

Goals accomplished that were not originally on my list

-Enrolled children into the RAD program ( a program that is run by the police to teach kids what to do in an emergency, and what to do when encountering strangers- including some self defence moves). They loved it.

-started taking a geneology class.

-cleaned a little every day. The house doesn't show it, but I really have been trying hard

-visited a friend with a new baby. took a gift!

-registered kids for school

-Now to tell you about the new opportunity that came up. I was offered to teach a New Scrapbook class. It is a specific program that covers a ton of information. To get certified I had to take an intense training course. I am now certified to teach this Scrapbook class and the Wilton Cake classes. I am really promoting everything at the store, so hopefully my classes will fill for next month. I still need to make some example layouts, and buy more supplies. But, I think I'm off to a good start and everything should run smoothly providing I get my teaching book sometime this week. I am so excited!

Sweetie Pie Bakery Felt Cake GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-08-11T10:57:00.001-06:00

Sweetie Pie Bakery Felt Cake GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

These are so Adorable!

Grandma Garden Progress

2009-08-09T20:31:00.009-06:00

I'm about 5' 4". This sunflower is twice my height, at least!

August List- Official 101 Kick Off

2009-07-31T22:04:00.002-06:00

This will all begin tomorrow. If all goes really well for the next two weeks, I will add one or two goals. If not, I will wait till September to renew my list.

Daily
#2. Reading Lessons for Girls
#18. Remember to take care of Me- Morning and Night- Hygiene and Nutrition
#26. Save all extra change $
#81. feed fish (dont forget cats and dog)
#90. Check Journal and Goal list
#94. Pick book of the month and read it- Pick ASAP
#84. Continue to work on Bootie Pattern

Weekly
#11 Yard Work- Thursday
#19 FHE - Monday
#69 Clean C's Apartment- Wednesday
#81 Change fish water - Sunday

Monthly
#8 Attend Temple - Pick a day ASAP
#66 Deliver Pay it Forwards
#87 Pick a Craft and a Day ASAP

Fun Collage

2009-07-31T19:06:00.003-06:00

This makes it look like I really do have a ton of kids. So cute though.

Another favorite blog

2009-07-31T13:03:00.002-06:00

I am a blog stalker. I love looking at other blogs. Here is one I visit from time to time. She has a giveaway going on right now, in case you care to join. I just love her style.

Her Blog

Her Giveaway

101 Goal Kick Off

2009-07-30T16:47:00.004-06:00

I am really not going to cheat too much on this. Although I will be breaking down some of the goals as I go. But, so that it really will be 1,001 days, I will begin this project on Saturday, Aug. 1, 2009. The ending date has been calculated to be Saturday, April 28, 2012. I am glad that I gave myself a few extra days for it all to soak in and to help me get my thoughts organized on all of it.

Anyway, Here is the kick off plan... The first set of goals I will be working on, and How I plan to accomplish them. I think I will begin with the ones I am already kind of working on, as well as the ones that are very important to me right now.

#2. Teach my daughter to read. (not Jocelyn : see previous post). Lindsey likes to learn by watching examples around her. She will be starting Kindergarten at the end of the month with the most amazing teacher ever! She can read little words like 'cat, bat, dog...." and she is beginning to understand silent 'e'. She can sometimes remember strange sounds like the 'th', or 'sh' sounds. She likes to read words when they are on cards or when they are individual. Once in a book format, she sometimes feels too overwhelmed. We can usually only get through a couple pages of easy readers (5 words or less per page) before she wants to stop.
Ella has to really have things broken down step, by step, by step. You can not say this is an "A" and it makes the sound "ahhh". No, No, No! First she has to learn, this is an "A". And she has to really let that sink in for a while. Then you have to show her, this "a" is also an "A". She might want to trace it with her finger. She might want to color one. She might want to find the "A" in the middle of a bunch of letters and try to pick it out. And you have to wait for quite a while for that to sink in. Then you must sing the alphabet song three times a day. So this may take a while with her.
How to Accomplish this: For Lindsey-- I will read a small book with her every day, or even just a few pages. I will make her some word cards. I will let her create words on the fridge with "ABC" magnets. She loves creating her own words.
For Ella- I will be patient. I will let her choose one of the following activities each day...ABC fishing game, ABC coloring pages, Phonics computer game. I might make her games or little booklets as time goes by.

#14 Grow something edible in garden--This is one I have begun, But I won't feel accomplished till we literally get to sink our teeth in. We have about 5 tomato plants and one cucumber that are growing very well.
How to Accomplish this: Continue to water and weed. Water every day, or let the sprinklers and rain do their job. And Weed around plants once a week.

#29. Make homemade Vanilla: This one has been started, but again just wont be done till its really done. I ordered some Madagascar Vanilla beans from a friend on the Internet. I cut them open and put them in a large bottle of vodka. They have to sit for a whole entire year. So it will be ready in April.
How to accomplish this: Be patient. Do not open that bottle till April. Keep it stored in a dark cool place. Shake it every few weeks. In April strain it with coffee filters and put in nice small bottles with homemade labels. Give a couple away as gifts, and use the rest in my frosting recipes! Learn a new recipe to use the left over vanilla beans in. If it is as wonderful as it all sounds, order more beans.

#66 Finish my pay it forward project and start another---I have it done! All I need to do is deliver them. Hopefully sometime before Christmas so that the recipients don't consider them as Christmas gifts.
How to accomplish this: Take Candice's gift to her. Just do it. I see her at least 2-3 times a week. Mail Aunt Karla her Gift! Just go to the post office and do it already. Remember to start or join one of these next year---no sooner, no later.

#69 Clean Cecil's Apartment once a week--I am actually doing really good at this one. It gives me a lot of satisfaction. I really feel like I am doing something great for someone. And I feel like my kids are soaking in a good example of service every time we go.
How to accomplish: I am only supposed to be doing this every Wednesday or Thursday till the end of the year. But I may continue...

#81 Keep fish alive for at least a year: I will have to go back and see how long it has been. It has already been longer than I ever have. Usually they don't last a week in this house. He is a miracle fish. I dropped him once (OK. twice), the first time I went into shock. I could not move. John ran in and put him in water. I was even in more shock that he was still alive. He swims pretty funny now. I am very fond of him now. I will cry when he does finally die.
How to accomplish: Do not drop him, not ever again. Feed him daily. Change his water weekly. How hard could it be.

#90. Keep a record of these 101 goals: Very important!
How to accomplish: This blog. And the 10 cent spiral notebook we bought last night.

These are all the goals I am currently working on. I will come back to this blog and add a few more, probably just one or two before the official Kick off date--Saturday!

5 Tips To Help Me Accomplish My Goals

2009-07-30T07:00:00.010-06:00

1. Do it when the timing is right....And do not try to do them all at the same time.

2. Do it for the right reason. Are you seeking praise? That's not necessarily a bad thing. But it could be. You need to really go deep on this one. Really think about why you are wanting to accomplish your goal.

3. Break it down. Not too much. Just to something you know you could accomplish, but still with some effort on your part. Some of the goals on my list are already broken down, and some of them I am going to need to modify a little. Some of them might be broken down too much. Examples: #70. Work out for 20 minutes, 5 days a week, for 2 weeks. Too easy! I might have to accomplish this one, then set it for myself again. (Some of your goals won't need to be reset. Some of them will become habits for you.)
Example #20. Eat Dinner at the table with the family. I am going to need to break this one down. It is something I would love to do ALL 1,001 days. However I don't think that it is going to happen. I need to add a time line to this one, maybe try to do it for 2 weeks straight.

4. Support. In order to accomplish some of your goals you will need some support. You might need your husband or mom to watch the kids so you can have 20 minutes a day set aside to work on you goal. The opposite of support, can also be helpful in some cases. Example: #34. Wake up early to see the sunrise for 1 week. I was letting my son, Robbie, look over my list. All of a sudden I heard giggling. "What is so funny?" I asked. " This one here. You're not going to be able to do this one. " He laughed and laughed. He knows how much I Love, Love my sleep. Well, I'll show him!

5. Keep a record, journal, or blog. It will help you watch your progress. It will help you stay focused and motivated.

Finished List 101 things in 1001 days

2009-07-29T13:55:00.008-06:00

Check previous post. Click Here or here is another copy for the blog...
(not in any order)

1. Read the Book of Mormon
2. teach daughter to read
3. start an etsy shop
4. knit pair of socks
5. do one cake demo every three months
6. clean house for at least an hour each day
7. begin doing geneology
8. attend temple once a month
9. sew girls matching dresses
10. teach someone how to tat
11. yard work once a week
12. take a mixed media art class
13. add a few tutorials to my blog
14. grow something edible in garden
15. complete silhouette craft for each child
16. complete some of those stored unfinished craft projects
17. write more letters the old fashioned way
18. remember to take care of me
19. have Family Home Evening every week
20. eat dinner at table with family
21. plant a tree in front yard
22. smile more
23. remember people's names
24. eat less sugar
25. drink more water
26. save all of my change for the 1,001 days
27. walk more often
28. start a new list in 1,001 days
29. make homemade vanilla extract
30. get a proffesional family photo
31. schedule swimming classes for kids
32. have me and kids improve our hand writing
33. make a dinner for another family or missionaries
34. wake up early enough to see sunrise for an entire week
35. complete 5 scrapbooks, one per child
36. make one batch of cold processed soap
37. learn how to change a tire
38. make a thanksgiving dinner
39. take a craft class
40. sleep under the stars
41. add to my ward robe
42. make and trade ATC's
43. take family rollerskating
44. go on a camping trip
45. enter something in the state fair
46. do something nice for someone anonymously
47. fly a kite
48. do my hair and makeup every day for one week
49. enter a contest
50. go one week with no tv or computer
51. get rid of clutter
52. go fishing
53. buy and care for a house plant
54. try a new food
55. keep a daily journal for at least a month
56. surprise someone
57. secretly learn something new, then later surprise everyone with that knowledge
58. finish 72 hour kit
59. can some food
60. make homemade ice cream
61. make 10 homemade gifts each year
62. potty train Jocelyn
63. clean my jewlery
64. make a quilt
65. volunteer
66. finish my pay it forward project and start another
67. keep roses trimmed for at least 2 months
68. go visit mom and dad-me driving entire way
69. clean father in laws apartment once a week for the rest of the year
70. work out for 20 minutes a day, 5 days a week, for 2 weeks
71. take better care of my pets
72. make more cookies
73. make bread from scratch
74. have more meaningful prayers
75. stick to a schedule for 1 month
76. no more yellin
77. no fast food or restaurant for one month
78. have zero library and blockbuster fines for a month
79. make 5 short video's of my kids
80. start a memory box for each child
81. keep my fish alive for at least a year
82. go to dentis
83. go to eye doctor
84. knit or crochet 5 pairs of baby booties
85. tat a doily
86. make 5 more dishcloth/pot holder sets
87. do a craft with kids once a month
88. spend a weekend with just my husband away from kids
89. save one dollar for every goal completed
90. keep a record, blog, or journal of this list
91. go to a BYU game with only John
92. learn how to french braid my own hair
93. get really good at sewing button holes
94. read one book a month-minimum
95. spend an entire day doing wht the kids want within reason
96. get to know some of my cousins
97. take a pottery class
98. use more herbs
99. do something spontaneous
100. write a poem
101. visit each grandparent and great grandparent

100 Goals in 1001 days

2009-07-29T08:10:00.006-06:00

I am cheating and giving myself 1003 days. There is a few links on the left side of the screen. Ya, thats right keep scrolling down.......Keep going.... Its just under Blog Archives....K, do you see it. Where it says 100 Goals in 1001 Days, That is where I am going to be keeping track of some of my Goals. I only have 14 on there right now, but I will be adding more shortly. You can click on the links to the left, or you can check it all out, and make your own Here, or view my personal goals Here. I figure if I post this, I will be more acccountable for actually getting things done.

edited to add: Just read it is supposed to be 101 things in 1001 days.

Knitting

2009-07-28T19:14:00.004-06:00

I have been telling people I know how to knit for years now because....

1. My dad once sat down with me when I was 9 or 10 and taught me the 'knit' stitch, and a
very interesting way of 'casting on'.
2. I have been told that if you know the 'knit' stitch, you know how to knit.
3. I once made a scarf using only the 'knit' stitch.
4. Years later I heard something about a 'pearl' stitch, so I quickly opened a knitting book and read the small section about the 'pearl' stitch.
5. One Christmas I was given one of those round hat knitting tools , and I made several hats.

Because of these 5 points I considered myself a Knitter. I was WRONG! Do not believe anyone who tells you that you know how to knit just because you know the basic most common stitch. The other day I decided to stop sulking around the house waiting for my art journal supplies to magically just show up. I needed something to keep my hands busy. Because you know, taking care of 5 kids and keeping a house clean is not enough. So I went out to the garage where there are mountains of unfinished crafts, and I grabbed out a beginners knitting book, some spare yarn and some needles. I opened up the book to a picture of some 'simple' baby booties. ' I am such an expert, I'll have these done in a hour or two', I thought to myself. I could not get past the first row. I knew the stitches, but once they are actually written down in a pattern format and mixed together, it is just impossible to figure out how to wind the yarn around back to front and when to do so. It was a mess. So I ran two doors down (literally ran) with yarn and needles in hand to my neighbors house, begging for help. My neighbor is wonderful and tried her best to help me. She is way good with knitting, she has even knitted toe socks before. Wow! I went home, tried again, and again, and again. No progress. Read the beginning introduction and instruction part of the book. Had a little more progress, but accidentally skipped one sentence in the pattern. Turns out that one little sentence was instructions for 7 rows of knitting. Anyway I am still inspired to keep trying. I will probably give those booties another 10 tries before I give in, and my neighbor gets another knock on the door. Here is what is inspiring me to keep at this for now....
Never Not Knitting
and Josh's Blog post... (no I'm not lifting weights, this post can be applied to many things in our
lives.)
And the saying my Dad had me memorize as a child...
That which we persist in doing
becomes easy to us. Not that the
nature of the thing has changed,
but our abilities have increased.

I love Josh's post. I love this quote my Dad had me memorize. My problem is that I have a hard time choosing just one thing to "Master". How can I pick when there are so many beautiful arts and crafts. Maybe instead of mastering Knitting, I can live with just mastering this simple Bootie pattern. That would make me happy. So that is my goal for the week, month, year, however long it takes.....Pictures to come once I actually have a bootie that resembles a bootie.

Favorite Blogs

2009-07-25T10:01:00.005-06:00

I would like to every once in a while, post a link to one of my favorite blogs, because they are where I get a lot of inspiration and ideas. And I would like to share my favorite blogs with all of you. I will just post one or two each time (probably once or twice a week) because there are so many and I'm discovering new ones all the time. Also, as soon as I have more time on my hands I will be posting tutorials of some of my arts and crafts. Anyway here is my favorite blog for today...

A Girl and Her Journal

http://kirabelle.squarespace.com/home/category/videos

I haven't started making a mixed media journal yet. This girl has some great ideas on how to do it. This is a link to one of her videos. I love it!

Random pics

2009-07-25T09:34:00.005-06:00

Our first tomato! Yay!

Yucky but Cute doggy kisses!

Swimming! (kind of)

This picture is for my brothers and sister. Tree branch houses! We practically lived in these when we were younger. Ours were much grander than this one. We had several tunnels and rooms in the ones we used to make.

In front of the grandma garden. Those sunflowers in the back round are taller than John by a few feet. Only one has bloomed so far. More Grandma Garden pictures to come later...

A cool ABC fishing game I made for Ella.

Fun hair braids!

My favorite color! Anniversary roses! And I finally did my nails. I know that the color will wear off in just a couple days, but I love this color so much I had to do it.

Peacock feather my kids found at the zoo.

Happy Anniversary

2009-07-21T09:40:00.003-06:00

I love you John! Thank you for making this for us.

New Obsessions

2009-07-17T11:36:00.004-06:00

My first ATC

The kids having fun with ATC's

Yay! Finally something to blog about. We have all been having a great Summer! Hiking, Swimming, Biking, Playing, Relaxing, Picnics, Picking berries, and now ART. So I have been trying to find ways to escape my perfectionism style and bring out another side of me, and I found two great ideas. Collage Mixed Media Journal (it is similar to scrap booking---but way better)..I haven' started this yet because I don't have all the materials gathered up quite yet. But I can't wait. And ATC's (art trading cards)--If you haven't heard of these---Google it! They are great! So far we just started doing them as a family. But if anyone is interested we would love to trade sometime. We are just doing them on cheap card stock for now,but hopefully we can get more professional as time goes on. The kids love it! Here are some pictures of them having fun with this new wonderful project.

Last Day Of School Cake

2009-06-05T15:30:00.001-06:00

Surgery Update

2009-05-30T20:49:00.004-06:00

Robbie's Epigastric Hernia Surgery went well. He took a long time to wake up out of the anesthesia, and he couldn't keep any food down that whole day. But he is doing much better now. He is still very sore and has to stay laying down. Also, here is a picture of our "Grandma Garden" this year. It is looking great!
Our grandma garden is the garden Lindsey and I planted in our yard shortly after Johns Mom passed away. It is where we plant flowers for her to look down from heaven and watch them grow with us.

Bucket List

2009-05-25T08:58:00.003-06:00

I have noticed lately a lot of the blogs I check out have had "bucket list" , things people want to do or have or learn before they die. I already have the most important things on my list. So if I dont ever get the other things, I wont really care. Most of these things I have had on my list since I was a child. I might have to think really hard about this and make a new list someday. Right now I dont really care if I ever meet anyone famous, I dont want to ever jump out of a plane, going to another country would be fun, but its not really on my list. Its just little things I have on here.

#1. I always have wanted to be married in the temple. John and me were married in the Jordan River Temple in July 1998.
#2. I always wanted 4 kids just like my mom had, with 2 boys, and 2 girls. I had that. Then I cried and cried. I couldnt stand the thought of Ella being my last. So we decided to have one more, My little bonus baby, Jocelyn. So I was extra blessed to be able to have this dream of mine. I love my perfect little family.
#3. I have always wanted to build a doll house. Not one for a little girl to play with. One of those really fancy ones filled with really detailed minitures.
#4. When I was really little we lived right next to several navaho reservations. I loved going to thier markets and smelling thier fry bread and watching the women spin the sheeps wool into thick yarn and then weave beuatiful rugs. I've always wanted to do that, learn how to spin and weave like they do.
#5. I had always wanted to learn to sew, knit, crochet, tat,cross stitch,...Ive been able to meet people through my life who were willing to teach me the basics of all of these. Pretty much I want to learn how to do as many arts and crafts as I can through my life. So I'm probably close to half way there on this one.
#6. I want to someday run a marathon just like my husband is going to do this year. I am so excited for him.
#7. I want to someday go on a mission with my husband.
#8. I want to tat a temple alter cloth.
#9. I would like to learn photography.
#10. Great, why cant I think of a #10? Maybe because the baby is crying and the children are bugging me for breakfast. I will have to think about this through the day and get back to you on this one.......

John's Blog

2009-05-18T08:02:00.002-06:00

Hey everyone, Check out my husbands new blog.
http://johnsmarathontraining.blogspot.com/

Cake

2009-05-16T19:43:00.000-06:00

Emery's Cake
Connor's Cake

Ella's Cake

More Birthdays!

2009-05-15T10:59:00.004-06:00

John's Birthday was yesterday. And Emery's is today. It is Birthday month for our family. Emery has come a long way this year. He has improved and grown in so many areas from his schoolwork, and his behavior. He is doing great. And even though he is now 7 years old, he is still not shy about cuddling and hugging 'mommy', or blowing me kisses when I drop him off at school. His and Ella's parties are this weekend, so cake pictures are coming soon.

Happy Birthday Ella!

2009-05-12T08:25:00.003-06:00

Happy 3rd Birthday to my sweet little girl. We made some very important goals this year. First of all we wanted to have her potty trained before she turned 3. We barely made it. She potty trained in March. Another great thing about Ella turning 3, is that the risk of her developing Sturge Weber Syndrom goes down drastically after age three. So I'm very excited about that. We dont have any plans for more laser treatments at this time. Look at that first picture. Can you believe her port wine used to be so dark? I know her bangs are covering it up in this picture I took of her today, but you can barely see the birth mark now. She is so excited for her party Sunday. She couldnt wait, so I went to the store this morning and bought her a few things so we could celebrate a little today. Im also going to go pick up her present (an art easel) later on this morning. We are going to have a fun day!

Happy Birthday Spencer!

2009-04-24T18:12:00.001-06:00

Katrina, Thank you for helping me out earlier this year. And thank you for letting me make this cake. I had so much fun with it.

Easter Weekend

2009-04-15T13:25:00.002-06:00

We had a great time visiting my Mom, Dad, and Brothers. The kids loved the aquarium in Denver. They even have Tigers there! My tatted basket barely got finished today. I had to fill it with skittles because all the stores seem to be out of jelly beans. Jocelyn's little Easter outfit was only worn for about an hour on Easter before she had a blowout that ruined it for the day. Luckily I had gotten a cute picture of her in it the week before. We had a great time. It was so nice to see my family. And it was great for my parents to finally meet our new little one. I hope everyone else had a wonderful Easter also!

Sugar Egg Recipe

2009-04-05T20:02:00.002-06:00

I will try to make a tutorial next year. Because I dont plan on making these again untill then. Very messy. But for those of you who are eager to try, here is this....

Sugar Eggs Sugar Mold Recipe
4 Cups of regular sugar (cheapest kind you can find)
7 teaspoons of water
Mix with your hands. It should feel like playing with sand. If you want it colored, replace a few drops of the water with liquid food color, or mix in gel colors with water before adding to the sugar . Pack sugar mixture into half of an egg mold, pressing firmly. Scrape off excess sugar mixture with a flat spatula. Unmold at once onto a wood board. After unmolding cut about 1 inch off tapered end of egg. Remove excess sugar. Do the same thing with other half of egg. Gently push two tapered ends together while the sugar is still moist, That will be your window. Another way to create a window is to slide spatula across top of sugar already molded, and place a small scrap of wood on top. Wherever the egg is touching the wood or touching each other, it will be soft for you to scrape out. If your egg doesnt have a flat side to sit on, gently take your spatula and slide it across the larger end bottom of your egg shape to create a flat base. Remove extra sugar.

Bake at 250 degrees on the board for 10-15 minutes, depending on if it is a small or large egg.Remove from oven. Turn egg right side up and carefully hold in palm of hand. Do not squeeze or move egg while in your hand or it will crack. Use a spoon and gently scoop out soft sugar center following the contour of the egg. Leave about 1/4 inch thick shell. Scooped out sugar can be used over. Keep Unused sugar covered with a damp cloth to prevent drying.

Use cake tips and royal icing to make grass, leaves, flowers, and borders around egg. Also use the royal icing to glue the two egg halves together after filling with decoration. For decoration use small candy, or miniatures.

Royal Icing
3 level teaspoons meringue powder
4 cups sifted confectioners sugar (or 1 lb.)
6 Tablespoons of water
Beat on low speed for 7-10 minutes (or 10-12 on high speed with small portable mixer) .Color with gel Icing colors.

Peek-a-boo Sugar Easter Eggs

2009-04-05T18:51:00.003-06:00

Crazy Rag Curls

2009-03-30T09:13:00.008-06:00

I have been wanting to try this for a long time!

Wow! I didn't expect it to come out quite this curly!
Lindsey loved hers.

Ella didn't! But I didn't blame her. This is a little too much. She kept screaming, "Don't look at me!" Poor thing. I told her they would wash out and that she wouldnt be like this forever. That helped a little, but not much.

Then I found a way to tone them down a little. Now she is happy with them!

Happy Birthday Lindsey!

2009-03-28T16:34:00.001-06:00

Pay It Forward

2009-03-26T07:27:00.001-06:00

From my Aunt Karla's blog...Here's how it goes: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! (I can only hope)
2. What I create will be just for you.
3. It WILL be done this year.
4. You have no CLUE what it’s going to be … it may be cards, a bookmark, something delicious or a complete surprise to you (and me!) … who knows?
5. Most importantly, you MUST offer the same deal on your blog - the first 5 people to comment on your blog get something made by YOU!

Science Fair

2009-03-25T17:56:00.002-06:00

One student out of each class got a Blue Ribbon. And both of my boys got one! For Emery's project he made some boats out of clay and tinfoil, and had to find out which one would float the best. For Robbies project we cut some egg shells in half and found out how much weight they could hold up. At home, we got it up to 7 cans high, but with all the students bumping the table, we just built a small tower. I'm so glad they got to do this, even though it made for a really busy week.

Hair Fun

2009-03-22T16:34:00.002-06:00

Milestones

2009-03-13T13:15:00.004-06:00

So, yesterday Jocelyn discovered her feet for the first time. She has always been a really good kicker. But she finally got a good look at them. She stared at her feet in amazment for about 5-10 minutes. She even clapped them together. And there are no pictures of it of course, but she also talks and laughs in her sleep. Not just the cute gas bubble giggles, real all out laughter. Its so cute.

Now today, she can all of a sudden lift up her head. When did this happen? One minute she couldn't, then she could. Strange. They grow way too fast. But, she gets cuter every day. She is also finally sleeping better which = a happier mommy.

Trena's Wedding Cake

2009-03-07T19:57:00.003-07:00

Sneak Peek

2009-03-06T08:44:00.003-07:00

Sugar Roses for Trena

2009-02-26T14:07:00.002-07:00

Since when....

2009-02-21T19:45:00.003-07:00

...did the zoo close at 4. I don't care if it is still winter. Today didn't feel like winter. I thought they had always been open till 5. Anyway, there were lots of tears. And our kids deserved to get spoiled sometimes. The idea of a trip to the park would not satisfy this girl. She wanted to see animals. So look what we brought home today. His name is "Clown", because there was a Zurchers next to Pets Mart with a clown picture in the window. And Ella just happened to shout "clown", right after we asked what his name should be. Hopefully there wont be too many tears later on when this little guy 'goes down the toilet', if you know what I mean. I'm horrible with fish. But I really am going to try to do a good job this time. He is now our 4th animal of the home. We also have had 2 cats and 1 dog for quite a few years. Not to mention the couple that have come and gone.

A Little Routine

2009-02-20T12:29:00.004-07:00

So I figure that my exhaustion has a lot to do with the lack of sleep. But more importantly it has to do with the chaos that has been going on since the begining of this last pregnancy. I am horrible at sticking with schedules, so I just wrote up a few small daily routines and put them in this binder to help us stay on track. Hopefully the kids and I can stick with it this time.

And thank you so much to those of you who have been helping me out. It has really made a difference!

She's growing!

2009-02-13T15:19:00.002-07:00

Here she is. Jocelyn, showing off her new size 3-6 month clothes. She is 11 lb. 7 oz. and 23 inches long. That is the 75% height and weight, for her age. We had a great time in Park City picking out clothes for her at all the outlet stores. We got some really great deals. I had saved all the baby clothes from the older girls. But for some reason the box of 3-6 month size went missing. I was really upset at first, but this little shopping trip helped me feel much better. Also I just had to throw in this picture of Ella feeding her baby. Its just so cute and funny. She was trying to feed the baby through her belly button at first.

Other family news: I get to make a wedding cake for March 7th. I am so excited!

And more news: I thought I was coming down with post partum depression. But it turns out, I am just extremely sleep deprived. I am really bad at asking for help. And this is really difficult for me, but it is doctors orders that I ask. So here goes.......If anyone (living close by) can help me, can ignore a really messy house, can put aside any judgements they have about a crazy woman who decided to have five kids, and can spare one to two hours a week to come sit on my couch and hold a baby while I either sleep, read, shower, fold laundry, or scrapbook, It would be more than appriciated. And Im sure you will recieve blessings for your kind act of service. John helps me a ton in the evening, so I would really need someone, sometime between 10 am and 2pm (only for one hour each visit)(And only once or twice a week for 2 weeks). It has been much more difficult this time with out my mother in law here. And my mom lives too far away. Please let me know if you can help. Thank you!

Hearts

2009-02-11T10:12:00.002-07:00

Look what we did ...

2009-02-06T18:51:00.002-07:00

I was mean and took Jocelyn to get her ears pierced. I never knew that double chins could be so cute. And look at that huge smile. Also, the tooth fairy came this week. And with a small bribe (I promised John he could use some of the tax money for a new T.V. ), I was able to get my kitchen floor put in. This is a picture of the old verses the new.

Update

2009-01-26T08:37:00.004-07:00

The blog has been pretty boring lately because all I am doing every day, all day is feeding and holding the baby. Jocelyn has acid reflux, but when she takes her acid reflux medicine she gets constipated. Also I have to stay away from all dairy or her spit up goes from bad to worse (and chunky). She also is still not sleeping very well. She takes a lot of short cat naps through the day and night. I am extremely lucky if she ever sleeps more than three hours. In fact I'm not sure that there has been a time that she slept for more than three straight hours. Her next Doctors appointment is on February 5th. But I may call and talk to him before that about all these issues. She is the sweetest little baby when her stomach isn't bothering her.
Ella is still not wanting to be potty trained. She is doing great with Jocelyn. But just before the baby was born, Ella has become extremely clingy. She is very cautious on who she will go to and when. Hopefully she will start to grow out of it soon.
Lindsey is doing good with the homeschooling. I am starting to get back on track with that. But I can tell she is really wanting more social interaction and activity. Her birthday is the end of March. So for her present, we are going to put her in a dance class.
Emery is a completely different child than he was last year. He is doing great in school and will be tested for the gifted program soon. His behavior still can get out of control at times, but it is nothing like before. And not nearly as often. He has made a big turn around.
Robbie is doing well. He is really enjoying school this year. In previous years school was very boring for him. But he has finally reached the level of schooling now where he is learning new things, and its not as much review like before. He has been a great helper for me.
John is great. He is the best husband! I know how difficult it is for him to sit at a desk all day. Then he comes home and jumps right in, helping me and giving me a break.
I am hoping to teach cake decorating again soon. They have already made up the schedule for the next couple of months for the other teacher. So I will be going back in April unless she needs me to substitute in February or March. I haven't had much time for crafts with how Jocelyn has been. I have been able to start her scrapbook though.
So that's all the news here. Things really slow down for a while when ever there is a new baby. Since, I've been confined to the couch most of the time for all the feedings, I have been reading some great books with the kids. And when ever I do get a few minutes of peace I either do some house work as quickly as possible before she wakes up, or I waste my time on Facebook, depending on where my energy level is at the time.

Zoo

2009-01-19T18:23:00.004-07:00

Ella has been telling us for a couple months now, that the animals miss her. So today we finally went to the zoo. She was pretty disappointed that the Hippo moved. The Hippo is Ella's favorite animal. They did replace his area with this great carousel ride though.

Watch out for Carbon Monoxide

2009-01-10T18:24:00.004-07:00

I'm so thankful for our Carbon Monoxide detector. It went off earlier this week, thankfully on a day John had decided to take off work. Early in the morning we all rushed out of the house. It was difficult to find everyone's shoes. And I really didn't want them to get frost bite, so we took the extra time to find the shoes. Had it been a fire we would have run out with or with out shoes of course. But we will be more prepared next time. The gas company came and discovered some blockage inside the old wall heater, of dirt that had built up. The levels of Carbon Monoxide were really high. They found pockets of it inside every room and closet in the house. I am so glad we had the detector and that we are all O.K.

Happy Birthday Robbie

2009-01-10T17:48:00.005-07:00

We didn't have a digital camera until Robbie was two, and I'm feeling too lazy to scan a baby picture right now. So here is a picture of him on his second birthday and one of him now. He turned nine years old today.

No more 'Monsters Inc.' or 'Pooh Bear' for him. This year he debated between 'Happy Bunny', and 'Captain Underpants'. Not MY favorite characters, but he loves them. He decided to go with the 'Happy Bunny' theme. So here is a picture of his cake.

I can't believe he is nine!

As Promised....

2009-01-04T20:07:00.003-07:00

This blog has been overtaken by all the baby pictures. Here are my other children. Yes I still love them and think they are adorable too. (Note: I do not have 6 kids, and might not ever, sniff, sniff. The cute little two year old boy with brown hair is my nephew, Connor. He is just too cute, so I added him into this mix too.)

Baby Blessing

2009-01-04T19:59:00.005-07:00

Here is my baby on her blessing day. She is exactly one month old today. Her blessing was beautiful. We were originally thinking of blessing her in February. But, I tried her dress on her on Friday and it barely fit. And She just had to wear THIS dress after the hours I put into the tatted lace. Sadly her baby booties I had made earlier in the pregnancy were way too small. So there is nothing but plain white socks on her gigantic baby feet. Some quick last minute phone calls to the family, and her blessing was moved to today.

Post Partum thoughts.....

2008-12-27T12:40:00.003-07:00

Yes, It was an awful pregnancy, the worst out of the five. But, I already want to do it all over again. I'm sad that she might possibly be the last. There is no more room in the house or van for another. We are still pretty young though, and you never know what the future holds. But for now it really looks as though she will be our last. And I am very thankful for her. I always planned on four, well at least up until #4 was actually here. So really she is a bonus. I guess I'm one of those people who never will feel like the family is complete. I'm addicted to babies. I would have another five of them if money wasn't an issue. So my emotions lately have been very conflicting between the sadness of her possibly being the last, and the joy I have of being able to actually have five kids. I am a very lucky mommy!

Spoiled Kids!

2008-12-27T12:08:00.002-07:00

Our kids were very spoiled this year. I was really worried about Christmas this year with how we were having a new baby and everything. But somehow things worked out, a little more than expected.
I've told them not to expect this much every year. We have been very blessed this year.

I love my baby

2008-12-22T16:47:00.008-07:00

I love Jocelyn's chin. It is shaped like a perfect upside down heart. I love that she could smile from day one. Gas smiles or not, I love that she could do it so early. I love that she has a little bit of hair. I love her light "V"shaped birthmark on her forehead. I love how she has different volumes to her cry. I love her extra, extra long feet. And I love how she looks like a perfect mixture of all the other kids.

All I want for Christmas....

2008-12-22T16:39:00.003-07:00

is my 2 front teeth!

Poor Robbie! Another year without his "Two front Teeth".

He had to have an extra pair of teeth surgically removed about 2 years ago. At the time we were told that they would reappear in six months. A year later another dentist assured us they would appear in one month. Here we are, another 6 months later, and they are still missing. I saw them on the x-rays so I know they are in there somewhere.

Santa Hurt The Baby !!!

2008-12-14T21:45:00.002-07:00

Don't worry not my little Jocie. Yes we changed the spelling of her nick name. It makes a little more sense now.

Anyway....John was at the mall with Lindsey and Ella and they both decided that they wanted to see Santa. A few weeks earlier we had taken everyone, and only the boys would sit on his lap. So this time they wanted to try. Well they had to wait for a little baby girl in front of them. She was about 6-8 months old. She was smiling and happy until she turned around to see the huge white beard face looking down at her. Then the little baby screamed. Ella slowly backed up and started yelling, "Santa hurt the baby, Santa hurt the baby!" The other people in line, I'm sure thought this was hilarious. Lindsey sat in his lap next, but Ella still wouldn't have anything to do with him. She wouldn't even accept the little coloring book. So John just held her and told Santa what she wanted and took the coloring book for her. She still is looking forward to him bringing her a new Barbie, but is convinced that he doesn't like babies very much.

Our picture blog

2008-12-10T18:08:00.004-07:00

For those who haven't noticed yet, my husband has been having fun learning how to use our new camera. So he started a family picture blog. The link is also posted off to the left as The Continuing story of bungalow babies. If the pictures look weird when you first go to it, close the window and then reopen it.
http://thecarrollskids.blogspot.com/

Another Jaundice Baby

2008-12-10T17:47:00.005-07:00

Now all five of my kids have had Jaundice. But out of the five only Ella and Josie needed lights. Im just glad they can have the jaundice beds at home now days. It has been a rough week. John decided to take the week off to help me out. I was kind of upset at first because its all unpaid and we have five kids to buy Christmas for on top of all the new baby items that we need. But I dont know how I could have made it through these last few days without him. He has also had a difficult time taking care of us. He has had 2 dentist appointments this week. So between him and me both trying to recover, we are doing the best we can. The next few days to a week are just going to be even more difficult now that our baby has been put on lights. We have to check on her temperature every hour (including during the night), and also constantly check to make sure her eye patches dont fall off. The hardest part is not being able to hold her very often. With all of this we are still very happy. We just love our new little baby so much. And we have been so blessed to have them all here and for the most part healthy. There are many other parents that go through so much more. Compared to what they go through, a little Jaundice problem is really nothing.

Just a cute picture

2008-12-08T20:56:00.001-07:00

Our Tie Breaker....

2008-12-07T00:11:00.015-07:00

Its a Girl!!!!

Jocelyn Sherri C.

nick name-Josie

December 4, 2008

5:20 a.m.

7lb. 3 oz

21 in.

Crazy Delivery--Cord wrapped around her neck 6 times, and no complications at all from it!

39 Weeks!

2008-11-27T17:28:00.002-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving! No baby yet. I'm only one week away from my due date. I'm just hoping I don't go over or past.

Bedrest

2008-11-17T12:00:00.003-07:00

I was in the hospital all Friday night, and put on bedrest for the weekend. I dont want to give all the yucky details. But Im doing much better now. I just have to take things really easy the next couple weeks. The baby is doing great, kicking and moving a ton! This isn't the best picture of me, but I needed a 37 week belly picture. Only 3 weeks left till the due date!

My first needle felting

2008-11-10T13:44:00.004-07:00

Thank you for the birthday gifts everyone!

Once there was a snowman....

2008-11-05T15:43:00.002-07:00

We really had to look hard for all the pieces (eyes, nose,....). I cant believe I still had full bloomed roses under all that snow.

Tagged

2008-11-04T09:20:00.004-07:00

I've been tagged by Sarah J.

8 Favorite T.V. Shows.....

Heros
Biggest Loser
Super Nanny
Office
My name is earl
Dexter
Extreme Home Makeover
TLC and discovery health Baby Shows

8 Things I did yesterday....

Scrubbed Table
Scrubbed Chairs
Scrubbed Floor
cried from all the back pain
Layed down to rest
Picked up boys from school
Made Dinner
Layed Down to rest

8 things I look forward too...

-This baby getting OUT!!!
-finding out what this baby is, boy or girl
-Not having all these aches and pains anymore
-Holding a soft sweet little tiny baby again
-Christmas
-Going to the temple--Hopefully before the baby comes!
-My birthday-tomorrow
-My boys coming home from school every day--I know that might sound crazy to some moms, but I love having them all home

8 Favorite Restaurants...

Olive Garden
sizzler
Old spaghetti factory
subway
applebees
fudruckers
Ambers
Famous Dave's

8 Things on my wish list.....

Needle Felting supplies
Tatting supplies
Cake supplies
a babysitter
a maid
a chef
a craft room
More time and energy in each day-I know thats 2, but they both need to go together for me

8 people to tag....

OH NO! I wish I had 8 people to tag too!

Trick or Treat

2008-11-01T15:01:00.004-06:00

GROSGRAIN MINI STORE OPENING NOVEMBER 6!!!!! AND BIG PREVIEW GIVEAWAY!!!!

2008-10-25T08:22:00.001-06:00

GROSGRAIN MINI STORE OPENING NOVEMBER 6!!!!! AND BIG PREVIEW GIVEAWAY!!!!

Over the Hill

2008-10-20T20:28:00.001-06:00

Over the Hill cake for Christine's father in law!

Cinderella Park

2008-10-20T13:12:00.005-06:00

(Click on pictures, to see them larger.)

Fondant Character

2008-10-20T13:08:00.003-06:00

Please little old weird un-proportioned man, Don't fall apart!

Marie-Therese Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

2008-10-20T12:56:00.001-06:00

Marie-Therese Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

A Religious Cake

2008-10-17T15:12:00.004-06:00

My sister ordered this cake for one of her friends. She really enjoys studying and talking about religion.

Picture Tag

2008-10-17T09:27:00.006-06:00

I was tagged by Sarah J.

The Rules: You pick the 4th picture in your 4th folder and give a brief description.

This is a picture of John's Grandma Mary holding baby Lindsey for the first time.

I will tag--Judy, Aunt Karla, Rachell, and tattingchic.

Shenandoah Costume GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

2008-10-12T11:03:00.001-06:00

Shenandoah Costume GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Robbie's Dinosaur

2008-10-09T17:25:00.005-06:00

Robbie is really into origami!

And another rag rug finished!

playing with camera

2008-10-07T13:19:00.006-06:00

I definitely need to practice more. Here are two that actually did turn out. But I really do love the camera. Even the bad ones weren't as blurry or bad as they would have been using the old camera.