Kari Roberts Holt
* woke up to sunshine, an ocean view, and happy childen ready for another day at Disneyland - perfect!
* just discovered my backup battery wasn't charged before going into the camera bag. There will be no photographic evidence of our fabulous day :( Guess I'll just have to enjoy it rather than capture it!! Way more fun :)
* loves the look on Cougar's face when he rides Buzz Lightyear
* just bought a Mickey shaped loaf of sourdough bread - YUM!!!
* loves the fastpass and rider switch pass :)
* is basking in the goodness of corn dogs on Main Street!
* thinks kissing sleeping baby cheeks (draped on my shoulder) on the tram after shutting down Disneyland is extra sweet :)
Oh, I could have Facebooked so much more today, but figured people were getting sick of my trip to Disneyland!!! Needless to say we are having a fabulous time and can't wait to take the kids to the beach for the first time tomorrow!!! Oh, and the resort we are at is A*MAZ*ING ... will definitely have to take some pics (I am charging the backup battery as I type)!
October 6, 2009
October 5, 2009
BOO!!!
I imagine it could be frightening to come to my blog and actually find an update - it happens so rarely these days. I am actually typing this as we drive to Disneyland - gotta love a laptop. It isn’t often that I have 2 hours of uninterrupted time (aside from changing movies and handing out snacks) to sit without cleaning and laundry screaming at me ... figured I should take advantage of it! We are headed back to Disneyland for Fall Break and couldn’t be more excited - we need a little time away as a family :) It has become an annual trip for us and we never tire of it!! I think this is the 4th or 5th year that we have made this trip now. Last year we didn’t actually make our trip in October like we usually do because we made a BIG trip out of it with my entire family in December, but we invested in season passes at that time and this will be our third visit since then. Kinda sad to realize this is the last time we will go with these passes :( The up side of it? Today is Steve’s birthday so we get to spend it together, as a family, at the Happiest Place on Earth!!
September brought lots of good times for us. Ashton started playing soccer, officially making me a “soccer mom” for the first time. She is really enjoying it and actually played in her first game on Saturday - I forgot the camera. Seems like I’ve been doing that a lot more than I should lately. They lost in a horrible way, but she had a great time!
Brinley has been taking a swim stroke clinic and is really improving in her skills. She loves it and I know it will pay off next summer when swim team starts up again. Kendyl took a session of tennis lessons during September and they were TERRIBLE!!! The program was really unorganized - I don’t even think they got to practice actually hitting the ball over the net until the last day. Needless to say, we won’t be signing up for those particular lessons again - we’ll go back to the city that Ashton and Brinley took from last year ... MUCH better program! Lucky for us she didn’t know the difference and still enjoyed herself ;) 
All three girls are now taking piano lessons and played really well in their recital this month, too! I'm glad they still seem to love it since quitting is not an option ;) Cougar got to spend every afternoon of September (except Tuesdays) in the car running everyone where they needed to be and sitting through lessons. Oh, and he got to take a road trip to Utah with me and a few of my peeps ... but there will be more on that later!
We started September with a visit from Steve’s parents. They were able to come to town for his ordination to High Priest and his setting apart as 1st Counselor in our bishopric. What a wonderful weekend!! It was such a treat to have them there for such a memorable occasion. We were able to attend the temple in the afternoon after we picked them up at the airport. His dad was able to ordain him and join in the setting apart. It was an incredibly emotional and spiritual experience for all ... even the children were crying! There was added emotion because Ed has been having a lot of health problems lately that have recently been narrowed down to the fact that his kidneys aren’t functioning (among other things). He will be starting dialysis soon so it may be a while before they are able to visit us in Arizona again. Steve was able to give both of his parents blessings which was a unique experience that we are so grateful for. If Ed is actually reading this (since he only checks in for pictures) we want him to know how much we love him and that we are praying for him daily.
September also brought a visit from my sister Kristin - another annual trip! She comes to get an eye exam every year and is always here to help us celebrate Kendyl’s birthday ... even if we have to do it a few days early :) We always love to have her stay with us!!
Kendyl turned 6 last month and thinks she is MUCH older than that! I’m sure she’s not the only 6 year old who asked for a cell phone, iPod, and laptop ;) Oh, the things she learns from her older sisters!!! Cougar and I went up to the school to have lunch with her on her big day. She asked for Paradise Bakery (did I mention she only turned 6?) complete with a salad. She scored some cash, a few new CDs - Mitchel Musso and Hannah Montana 3, and a Liv doll with accessories ... she was thrilled!
The end of the month brought an A*MAZ*ING girls’ week to Utah for Spraguefest and the Digital Scrapbook Experience!! I could go into a lot of detail but will save it for a separate post once I get more pics ... remember what I said earlier about forgetting my camera? Well, I actually had it with me and snapped a few the first day, but after I saw everyone else going mad with their cameras I made a conscious decision to let them document my trip for me (since I knew we were sharing pics) - figured I might actually be IN some of them that way!! It was a spectacular week reuniting with dear cyberfriends, meeting new fabulous friends, sharing lots of laughs, enjoying all of my favorite Utah restaurants, making endless Sonic runs, playing tour guide (including some great Provo details that some probably wished they hadn’t heard *HA*), and learning some fantastic new digi skills!!
While the mamma was away the rest of the crew got to play!! Steve was in the driver’s seat for the entire week and came out on top again :) My dear, darling friend Beth was my hero and picked up the girls from school the first few days of the week. They got to play at her house until Steve arrived to get everyone to their activities ... she even taught Kendyl a little on the violin (which she now wants to play constantly)!! She deserves a medal for always being there when I need her! Steve got to play SuperDad all week which ended with the ultimate Daddy Daughter Campout. How perfect could it be that the ward DD Campout was scheduled the week I was out of town? The girls look forward to it all year and said this year was the BEST one they have been to!!
So there’s September in a nut shell - hopefully I can be better in October, but I’m not holding my breath! Who knows - maybe I’ll surprise myself and find some blogging mojo! What I do know is that I’m living life and keeping busy ... enjoying most of it ;) Just wish I could squeeze a few extra hours into each day!
P.S. I've only added a few pics since I'm using my laptop, I have limited photos on my EHD, haven't downloaded some from September, and really don't feel like editing tonight since it's late and we've been at Disneyland all day. I'll have to update photos later ;)
September brought lots of good times for us. Ashton started playing soccer, officially making me a “soccer mom” for the first time. She is really enjoying it and actually played in her first game on Saturday - I forgot the camera. Seems like I’ve been doing that a lot more than I should lately. They lost in a horrible way, but she had a great time!
Brinley has been taking a swim stroke clinic and is really improving in her skills. She loves it and I know it will pay off next summer when swim team starts up again. Kendyl took a session of tennis lessons during September and they were TERRIBLE!!! The program was really unorganized - I don’t even think they got to practice actually hitting the ball over the net until the last day. Needless to say, we won’t be signing up for those particular lessons again - we’ll go back to the city that Ashton and Brinley took from last year ... MUCH better program! Lucky for us she didn’t know the difference and still enjoyed herself ;) 
All three girls are now taking piano lessons and played really well in their recital this month, too! I'm glad they still seem to love it since quitting is not an option ;) Cougar got to spend every afternoon of September (except Tuesdays) in the car running everyone where they needed to be and sitting through lessons. Oh, and he got to take a road trip to Utah with me and a few of my peeps ... but there will be more on that later!We started September with a visit from Steve’s parents. They were able to come to town for his ordination to High Priest and his setting apart as 1st Counselor in our bishopric. What a wonderful weekend!! It was such a treat to have them there for such a memorable occasion. We were able to attend the temple in the afternoon after we picked them up at the airport. His dad was able to ordain him and join in the setting apart. It was an incredibly emotional and spiritual experience for all ... even the children were crying! There was added emotion because Ed has been having a lot of health problems lately that have recently been narrowed down to the fact that his kidneys aren’t functioning (among other things). He will be starting dialysis soon so it may be a while before they are able to visit us in Arizona again. Steve was able to give both of his parents blessings which was a unique experience that we are so grateful for. If Ed is actually reading this (since he only checks in for pictures) we want him to know how much we love him and that we are praying for him daily.
September also brought a visit from my sister Kristin - another annual trip! She comes to get an eye exam every year and is always here to help us celebrate Kendyl’s birthday ... even if we have to do it a few days early :) We always love to have her stay with us!!Kendyl turned 6 last month and thinks she is MUCH older than that! I’m sure she’s not the only 6 year old who asked for a cell phone, iPod, and laptop ;) Oh, the things she learns from her older sisters!!! Cougar and I went up to the school to have lunch with her on her big day. She asked for Paradise Bakery (did I mention she only turned 6?) complete with a salad. She scored some cash, a few new CDs - Mitchel Musso and Hannah Montana 3, and a Liv doll with accessories ... she was thrilled!
The end of the month brought an A*MAZ*ING girls’ week to Utah for Spraguefest and the Digital Scrapbook Experience!! I could go into a lot of detail but will save it for a separate post once I get more pics ... remember what I said earlier about forgetting my camera? Well, I actually had it with me and snapped a few the first day, but after I saw everyone else going mad with their cameras I made a conscious decision to let them document my trip for me (since I knew we were sharing pics) - figured I might actually be IN some of them that way!! It was a spectacular week reuniting with dear cyberfriends, meeting new fabulous friends, sharing lots of laughs, enjoying all of my favorite Utah restaurants, making endless Sonic runs, playing tour guide (including some great Provo details that some probably wished they hadn’t heard *HA*), and learning some fantastic new digi skills!!While the mamma was away the rest of the crew got to play!! Steve was in the driver’s seat for the entire week and came out on top again :) My dear, darling friend Beth was my hero and picked up the girls from school the first few days of the week. They got to play at her house until Steve arrived to get everyone to their activities ... she even taught Kendyl a little on the violin (which she now wants to play constantly)!! She deserves a medal for always being there when I need her! Steve got to play SuperDad all week which ended with the ultimate Daddy Daughter Campout. How perfect could it be that the ward DD Campout was scheduled the week I was out of town? The girls look forward to it all year and said this year was the BEST one they have been to!!
So there’s September in a nut shell - hopefully I can be better in October, but I’m not holding my breath! Who knows - maybe I’ll surprise myself and find some blogging mojo! What I do know is that I’m living life and keeping busy ... enjoying most of it ;) Just wish I could squeeze a few extra hours into each day!
P.S. I've only added a few pics since I'm using my laptop, I have limited photos on my EHD, haven't downloaded some from September, and really don't feel like editing tonight since it's late and we've been at Disneyland all day. I'll have to update photos later ;)
September 2, 2009
It's September, Right?!?
One thing that seems to always hold people back from starting to scrapbook is that they feel so far behind. In my case I've got 4 children and 12 years of marriage to document - and that only takes me back to being 25!!! That's exactly how I'm feeling about my blogging right now. I didn't post a single entry in June or July. I've only posted 18 times since the beginning of the year ... and now it's September. I've missed out on writing about so many things, posting silly happenings, stresses, accomplishments, struggles, etc, yet I'm going to take a page out of my scrapbooking theory - start with the current. Don't worry about what you haven't recorded yet ... you can always come back to that.
The girls started school on August 3rd and progress reports are just around the corner. Brinley is in 5th grade and is clearly growing up. She even said that recess is SO boring now because there is nothing to do now that she is older. I've been meaning to get her into an orthodontist to see when we will be diving into that whole mess ... maybe I keep putting it off because I know how expensive it is going to be. She ended up needing glasses this year and just got them yesterday. She had been complaining about not being able to see the board clearly and sure enough - she couldn't. She is still extremely focused in school and is planning to run for student council again this year. She is still taking piano lessons, singing in the school choir, and is taking a swim stroke clinic right now. She really loves to swim and did a great job on the swim team this summer.
Ashton started the 3rd grade this year and loves it. She has a few friends in her class again this year which is always nice. She's lost a few more teeth and is starting to care a lot more about what she wears ... ugh. She got her ears pierced back in May and is always concerned about what earrings will go with her outfits. She is jumping into the world of soccer this year and will begin practice tomorrow - officially making me a "soccer mom" for the first time. She is also taking piano and singing in the school choir, too.
Kendyl is FINALLY old enough to start Kindergarten!! She misses the cutoff here by only 2 weeks, so she was really more than ready to go last year. Lucky for her she got to spend 2 years with Ms. Beckie so at least she was getting top notch preparation for her "big" school debut. She absolutely *LOVES* school! She has a wonderful teacher and even with all of the crummy state budget cuts to education she is attending all day - really a good thing for her. She has a class bunny named Chloe who gets to hop around the classroom while they do their morning work. I go in on Tuesday and Thursday mornings to check homework folders and offer my help for a few minutes. It is so fun to get to know the children in her classroom as they adjust to being in school full time. She has decided that tennis may be the sport for her (at least for this month) so she will begin lessons next week. She will probably do the swim stroke clinic in October with Brinley since it has been so fabulous. She also started taking piano lessons in August and she's learning to read music but also picks out melodies by ear! I miss having her with me on our Tuesday lunch dates with Beth, but am so glad to know she is happy to be at school.
Cougar is a mess. That boy keeps us moving at all times. He makes us laugh and scream in frustration. It became very clear the first week the girls were in school that life would be much more challenging with only one at home. I have never had only one at home his age ... I always had another by this point (and no, I will not be having another). It is a challenge, to say the least. He changes his clothes at least 3-5 times a day. His clothes are literally all over the house and it is rare to find anything in his drawers ... even if I've just put laundry away. Errand running is great but trying to get any housework done with a shadow is near impossible - I never noticed how much the girls helped to entertain him!! Well, I noticed it, but never fully APPRECIATED it until now. If I am folding laundry he is on the bed unfolding it. If I am trying to sweep he will get out another broom and mess up my pile. He loves to feel "helpful" even when his help is usually more destructive. And yet we get the best smiles and silly expressions out of him when he is on his own. Lunchtime is so much fun when Steve comes home and it is just the 3 of us. He constantly has us cracking up!! His favorite word right now is "AWESOME," and he always turns things around on you. "Cougar, pick that up." "No, YOU pick that up!!" He cries everytime someone else starts to say the prayer, so we have to let him bless every meal and offer every family prayer - even if we follow it up with someone else (who's prayer he will cry through because he is not the one offering it). He has at least one weekly playdate and is still my Tuesday lunch date buddy (along with Beth and Alex). So much fun and so much work all in one little boy!!
Steve was released from being the Young Men's President this past week and called to be 1st Counselor in the bishopric. UGH. The up side to this is he was already attending most of the meetings that he is required to attend now, so hopefully scheduling won't be that much worse - except for Sundays and an added night during the week. He was so sad to be released from YM ... he was really starting to see things moving in the right direction ... but I know he will enjoy working with the Bishop and getting to know the ward members even more. I'm so proud of him. He's always been such an amazing example to me. He drafted his Fantasy Football team this weekend and is looking forward to a great BYU Football season as well - starting with the BIG game on Saturday vs. Oklahoma. GO COUGARS!!! He is always looking for the perfect practice to buy and even tosses around the idea of opening his own. For now I am just grateful that we have a good, stable job!! He wishes he could golf more than he does and still plays basketball on Tuesday nights.
I should probably save myself for another post for fear of writing an entire novel in one sitting. Anyone who actually reads this should really receive some type of medal. Then again, I'd be surprised if anyone even bothers to check my blog anymore. I deserve it. I haven't been posting and I haven't been checking/commenting on other people's blogs. Shame on me. I just got to the point where something had to give and blogging was the easy choice. Stinks, really, since it is the one thing that connects me to the "outside" world and keeps me informed, but it is what it is. A few of my highlights (to spare you the many boring details):
* I survived Girls Camp (and even tried rappelling for the first time)
* We traveled to Utah where we hung with family and ate at all of my favorite places
* I took on a co-leader position over the hybrid creative team at ScrapMatters and also help oversee the hybrid design team
* I became a hybrid designer at ScrapMatters and opened a teeny tiny (so far) shop at SM where I am selling my designs - and will be adding more as time allows
* I got to see Wicked again this summer and especially enjoyed sharing the experience with Jill and John
* I was in charge of coordinating the 2nd birthday celebration at SM ... so much work and yet completely rewarding
* I upgraded to CS4 from PSE6 and am loving learning my new software (when I'm not cursing because I don't know how to do something)
* I am still writing tutorials for The Hybrid Chick blog once a month
* I am still serving as stake YW Secretary
* I decided to chair the hospitality committee for the PTA this year and will also be Kendyl's room mom
* I've started running again after taking too long off - schedule took over back in January and after gaining back more weight than I wanted to (who ever wants to gain weight they worked so hard to lose?) I am regaining control and hoping to find some races to motivate me
* I learned to can chicken and have 24 pints to show for it (well, 22 after giving one to a friend to try and using one for dinner tonight)
* I am headed to Utah in a few weeks to meet up with some dear cyberfriends and help out at the first Digital Scrapbooking Experience - as a TA for the amazing Jessica Sprague
* After 10 years I am no longer a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator ... bittersweet
* I can't imagine how I survived (and held it together) before my BlackBerry
I'll stop there for fear of boredom (and sensory overload with the mere IDEA that I even posted again ... let alone wrote a book). The layout of me is actually one I did months ago that I never posted - it's still one of my favorites from my JS classes. I've got a few more pages and projects to post as well as previews of the goodies in my shop, but I'll save those for another day. Feels good to be back. Seems like I said that after I got off the treadmill this morning ;)
The girls started school on August 3rd and progress reports are just around the corner. Brinley is in 5th grade and is clearly growing up. She even said that recess is SO boring now because there is nothing to do now that she is older. I've been meaning to get her into an orthodontist to see when we will be diving into that whole mess ... maybe I keep putting it off because I know how expensive it is going to be. She ended up needing glasses this year and just got them yesterday. She had been complaining about not being able to see the board clearly and sure enough - she couldn't. She is still extremely focused in school and is planning to run for student council again this year. She is still taking piano lessons, singing in the school choir, and is taking a swim stroke clinic right now. She really loves to swim and did a great job on the swim team this summer.Ashton started the 3rd grade this year and loves it. She has a few friends in her class again this year which is always nice. She's lost a few more teeth and is starting to care a lot more about what she wears ... ugh. She got her ears pierced back in May and is always concerned about what earrings will go with her outfits. She is jumping into the world of soccer this year and will begin practice tomorrow - officially making me a "soccer mom" for the first time. She is also taking piano and singing in the school choir, too.
Kendyl is FINALLY old enough to start Kindergarten!! She misses the cutoff here by only 2 weeks, so she was really more than ready to go last year. Lucky for her she got to spend 2 years with Ms. Beckie so at least she was getting top notch preparation for her "big" school debut. She absolutely *LOVES* school! She has a wonderful teacher and even with all of the crummy state budget cuts to education she is attending all day - really a good thing for her. She has a class bunny named Chloe who gets to hop around the classroom while they do their morning work. I go in on Tuesday and Thursday mornings to check homework folders and offer my help for a few minutes. It is so fun to get to know the children in her classroom as they adjust to being in school full time. She has decided that tennis may be the sport for her (at least for this month) so she will begin lessons next week. She will probably do the swim stroke clinic in October with Brinley since it has been so fabulous. She also started taking piano lessons in August and she's learning to read music but also picks out melodies by ear! I miss having her with me on our Tuesday lunch dates with Beth, but am so glad to know she is happy to be at school.
Cougar is a mess. That boy keeps us moving at all times. He makes us laugh and scream in frustration. It became very clear the first week the girls were in school that life would be much more challenging with only one at home. I have never had only one at home his age ... I always had another by this point (and no, I will not be having another). It is a challenge, to say the least. He changes his clothes at least 3-5 times a day. His clothes are literally all over the house and it is rare to find anything in his drawers ... even if I've just put laundry away. Errand running is great but trying to get any housework done with a shadow is near impossible - I never noticed how much the girls helped to entertain him!! Well, I noticed it, but never fully APPRECIATED it until now. If I am folding laundry he is on the bed unfolding it. If I am trying to sweep he will get out another broom and mess up my pile. He loves to feel "helpful" even when his help is usually more destructive. And yet we get the best smiles and silly expressions out of him when he is on his own. Lunchtime is so much fun when Steve comes home and it is just the 3 of us. He constantly has us cracking up!! His favorite word right now is "AWESOME," and he always turns things around on you. "Cougar, pick that up." "No, YOU pick that up!!" He cries everytime someone else starts to say the prayer, so we have to let him bless every meal and offer every family prayer - even if we follow it up with someone else (who's prayer he will cry through because he is not the one offering it). He has at least one weekly playdate and is still my Tuesday lunch date buddy (along with Beth and Alex). So much fun and so much work all in one little boy!!Steve was released from being the Young Men's President this past week and called to be 1st Counselor in the bishopric. UGH. The up side to this is he was already attending most of the meetings that he is required to attend now, so hopefully scheduling won't be that much worse - except for Sundays and an added night during the week. He was so sad to be released from YM ... he was really starting to see things moving in the right direction ... but I know he will enjoy working with the Bishop and getting to know the ward members even more. I'm so proud of him. He's always been such an amazing example to me. He drafted his Fantasy Football team this weekend and is looking forward to a great BYU Football season as well - starting with the BIG game on Saturday vs. Oklahoma. GO COUGARS!!! He is always looking for the perfect practice to buy and even tosses around the idea of opening his own. For now I am just grateful that we have a good, stable job!! He wishes he could golf more than he does and still plays basketball on Tuesday nights.
I should probably save myself for another post for fear of writing an entire novel in one sitting. Anyone who actually reads this should really receive some type of medal. Then again, I'd be surprised if anyone even bothers to check my blog anymore. I deserve it. I haven't been posting and I haven't been checking/commenting on other people's blogs. Shame on me. I just got to the point where something had to give and blogging was the easy choice. Stinks, really, since it is the one thing that connects me to the "outside" world and keeps me informed, but it is what it is. A few of my highlights (to spare you the many boring details):* I survived Girls Camp (and even tried rappelling for the first time)
* We traveled to Utah where we hung with family and ate at all of my favorite places
* I took on a co-leader position over the hybrid creative team at ScrapMatters and also help oversee the hybrid design team
* I became a hybrid designer at ScrapMatters and opened a teeny tiny (so far) shop at SM where I am selling my designs - and will be adding more as time allows
* I got to see Wicked again this summer and especially enjoyed sharing the experience with Jill and John
* I was in charge of coordinating the 2nd birthday celebration at SM ... so much work and yet completely rewarding
* I upgraded to CS4 from PSE6 and am loving learning my new software (when I'm not cursing because I don't know how to do something)
* I am still writing tutorials for The Hybrid Chick blog once a month
* I am still serving as stake YW Secretary
* I decided to chair the hospitality committee for the PTA this year and will also be Kendyl's room mom
* I've started running again after taking too long off - schedule took over back in January and after gaining back more weight than I wanted to (who ever wants to gain weight they worked so hard to lose?) I am regaining control and hoping to find some races to motivate me
* I learned to can chicken and have 24 pints to show for it (well, 22 after giving one to a friend to try and using one for dinner tonight)
* I am headed to Utah in a few weeks to meet up with some dear cyberfriends and help out at the first Digital Scrapbooking Experience - as a TA for the amazing Jessica Sprague
* After 10 years I am no longer a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator ... bittersweet
* I can't imagine how I survived (and held it together) before my BlackBerry
I'll stop there for fear of boredom (and sensory overload with the mere IDEA that I even posted again ... let alone wrote a book). The layout of me is actually one I did months ago that I never posted - it's still one of my favorites from my JS classes. I've got a few more pages and projects to post as well as previews of the goodies in my shop, but I'll save those for another day. Feels good to be back. Seems like I said that after I got off the treadmill this morning ;)
August 8, 2009
Choo Choo!
After more than two months it's a wonder I even remember how to post here!! It's been a lightning fast summer and the kiddos have already been back in school for a week! Crazy how life moves forward even when I don't post. It was actually nice to take the summer off from blogging (although it's not like I had been blogging much before summer hit). I can only do so many things and that was one that took a back seat while we spent the summer playing, traveling, and working. I've got a lot to write about and may even be able to find a few pics to share ... soon (whatever that means, right?). For now you get to jump on a fabulous blog train!!
ScrapMatters is celebrating their second birthday this weekend with a FABULOUS party!! Everything you can imagine will take place - this blog train, of course, games, a chat, prizes, lots of speed scraps, and a storewide sale!!! You don't want to miss out on any of it ;) There is a fantastic MEGA collab kit that has been put together by the design team, and a complete party pack from the hybrid designers! The kit is yours FREE with a single $15 purchase, and you'll receive the party pack in addition to the kit with a single purchase of $20! Here are the previews:
I will be hosting my first speed scrap EVER on Saturday morning ... 11:00 A.M Eastern Time (that's 8:00 A.M. for me!) and I am so excited! Just look at the amazing participation prize you will earn just for playing along ....
There is a ton of information about all the happenings this weekend in the FORUM ... make sure to check it out so you don't miss any of the fun!
Now onto the blog train ... You get a double delight here because I am also posting a freebie for Monique! Here is what she came up with (the image is linked):
Isn't it great? I decided to create a quick page for you!! (image is linked):
I sure hope you like your goodies! I love the summer - it is filled with memories of family. When I was growing up we would travel by car to Utah to visit grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Now that we have a family of our own we are starting to do the same thing!! We have made that drive the last 2 summers and have watched our own children enjoy the magic that family has to offer.
Well, it's time for you to move along the train ... You should have arrived from Christy's blog and you will now make your way to Cristina's blog! If you happen to get lost along your way (there are 37 stops all together) you will be able to find a complete list in the forum or on the team blog! Thanks again for stopping by :)
ScrapMatters is celebrating their second birthday this weekend with a FABULOUS party!! Everything you can imagine will take place - this blog train, of course, games, a chat, prizes, lots of speed scraps, and a storewide sale!!! You don't want to miss out on any of it ;) There is a fantastic MEGA collab kit that has been put together by the design team, and a complete party pack from the hybrid designers! The kit is yours FREE with a single $15 purchase, and you'll receive the party pack in addition to the kit with a single purchase of $20! Here are the previews:
I will be hosting my first speed scrap EVER on Saturday morning ... 11:00 A.M Eastern Time (that's 8:00 A.M. for me!) and I am so excited! Just look at the amazing participation prize you will earn just for playing along ....
There is a ton of information about all the happenings this weekend in the FORUM ... make sure to check it out so you don't miss any of the fun!Now onto the blog train ... You get a double delight here because I am also posting a freebie for Monique! Here is what she came up with (the image is linked):
Isn't it great? I decided to create a quick page for you!! (image is linked):I sure hope you like your goodies! I love the summer - it is filled with memories of family. When I was growing up we would travel by car to Utah to visit grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Now that we have a family of our own we are starting to do the same thing!! We have made that drive the last 2 summers and have watched our own children enjoy the magic that family has to offer.Well, it's time for you to move along the train ... You should have arrived from Christy's blog and you will now make your way to Cristina's blog! If you happen to get lost along your way (there are 37 stops all together) you will be able to find a complete list in the forum or on the team blog! Thanks again for stopping by :)
May 29, 2009
And Now a Word From Our Sponsors ....
I really have been doing a TERRIBLE job of blogging lately - not only for my personal stuff but my digiscrap goodness, too! I need to strike some kind of balance between the two because I really don't see myself starting another blog just for my creative work ... I can't even keep up with the one blog I have!!! I guess you will all have to learn to skip what you're not interested in ;)
First off, ScrapMatters is having a Hybrid Creative Team Call!! I have had SO MUCH fun being a part of this creative team for the past 9 months ... awesome ladies to work with, amazing designers' goodies to play with, and the fun of being part of an amazing community!! I could not have asked for a better team to call my first! Please consider applying - we'd love to add even more talent to our team :)
CT Requirements:
* Each month create 3 hybrid projects OR 2 hybrid projects and 2 digital layouts
* Participate in site challenges, the team blog, the forum, and the gallery
* Post in 4 galleries (SM, DST, and 2 of your choice)
* Be a team member for 6 months
Please e-mail the following to ward [at] afconnect [dot] com:
* Link to your most active forum
* Gallery link
* A short bio
* Link to your blog (if you have one)
This call closes at 11:59 p.m. PST on Monday, June 8.
Just to get you in the hybrid spirit, I'm posting some of my projects and layouts from the past little while. All images are linked to my gallery if you want to leave me some love or view the designer credits!
Click for more detailed image
Click for more detailed images of entire album
Click for more detailed images
Click to see this matching game in action!
Click for more detailed images
Click for more detailed images and inside
Click for more detailed image
Click for more detailed images
This image not linked - had to be pulled from galleries (problem with kit)
Click image for tutorial!
Click on image to see inside
Whew ... guess it's been longer than I thought since I posted any of my work!! Sorry for the MASSIVE number of images and links. Hopefully I can stay on top of things a little more ;)
Upcoming posts - School's out for summer, My babysitting gig ends, Brinley is inducted, Ashton prepares for her big day (and gets holes in her head), Kendyl graduates ... again, and Cougar becomes a diva.
First off, ScrapMatters is having a Hybrid Creative Team Call!! I have had SO MUCH fun being a part of this creative team for the past 9 months ... awesome ladies to work with, amazing designers' goodies to play with, and the fun of being part of an amazing community!! I could not have asked for a better team to call my first! Please consider applying - we'd love to add even more talent to our team :)
CT Requirements:* Each month create 3 hybrid projects OR 2 hybrid projects and 2 digital layouts
* Participate in site challenges, the team blog, the forum, and the gallery
* Post in 4 galleries (SM, DST, and 2 of your choice)
* Be a team member for 6 months
Please e-mail the following to ward [at] afconnect [dot] com:
* Link to your most active forum
* Gallery link
* A short bio
* Link to your blog (if you have one)
This call closes at 11:59 p.m. PST on Monday, June 8.
Just to get you in the hybrid spirit, I'm posting some of my projects and layouts from the past little while. All images are linked to my gallery if you want to leave me some love or view the designer credits!
Click for more detailed imageClick for more detailed images of entire albumClick for more detailed imagesClick to see this matching game in action!Click for more detailed imagesClick for more detailed images and insideClick for more detailed imageClick for more detailed images
This image not linked - had to be pulled from galleries (problem with kit)Click image for tutorial!Click on image to see insideWhew ... guess it's been longer than I thought since I posted any of my work!! Sorry for the MASSIVE number of images and links. Hopefully I can stay on top of things a little more ;)Upcoming posts - School's out for summer, My babysitting gig ends, Brinley is inducted, Ashton prepares for her big day (and gets holes in her head), Kendyl graduates ... again, and Cougar becomes a diva.
May 20, 2009
Ashton's 8 ... Time to Celebrate!!
In the spirit of her 8th birthday here are 8 things that make Ashton special:1. She has beautiful blue eyes with gorgeous long lashes
2. She still has ringlets that form around her face
3. She is incredibly tenderhearted
4. She loves to sing and is very good at it
5. She is a good friend and well liked
6. She has a thirst for knowledge
7. She loves being a big sister to her little brother
8. She shares her birthday with her Grandpa (Steve's dad)
Well, her birthday was actually on Sunday, but with our schedule these days (last week of school and swim team every night) it's taken a few days to get around to posting. Poor Ashton - her whole life has been like that! We didn't get our first digital camera until the Christmas after she was born so when I look back and try to find photos of her first 6 months they are few and far between ... or lost. I can't even find a photo of me in the hospital with her or holding her in her blessing dress. I have blessing photos, just none with me in them - not necessarily a bad thing given the photos that I DO have of Ashton as a baby. *sigh*
Ashton was our Memphis baby. I remember her looking so much like Brinley those first few months and then she started to change ... next thing I knew she had blue eyes and curly hair!! Oh, she's always been a cutie, but it was fun to see her morphing into something that resembled her father a bit more than Brinley ever did ;) Now we call her "little Steve." I remember Steve coming home from dropping her off at preschool one day - the first time Ms. Beckie had met him. Apparently she opened the door, looked at Steve and said "Ah, NOW I see where Ashton comes from" (or something like that)!! Looking at her baby pictures now we see Cougar ... kinda fun to have 2 of each mold!
It's kinda hard having a birthday on Sunday. It ends up getting mixed in with meetings, church, and an inability to REALLY go out and party. No Red Robin for us that day ... hopefully on Friday once we are in California and can leave the other kidlets with Grammy and Paca ;) We had decided the night before that presents would have to be opened after Steve got home from his 8 A.M. meeting rather than before (although all of my critters are up with the sun). I got up and made monkey bread for everyone ... always a hit! After Steve got home we got straight to the presents - she HAD been waiting for over 3 hours at this point!! She got a salon chair for her American Girl doll, Hotel for Dogs on DVD, a new Puppy in my Pocket, and a new game for her Nintendo DS. Along with that she got loads of cash from grandparents and is planning to buy a bed for her American Girl doll like the one Brinley got for her birthday!
She also got her very own set of scriptures with her name on them - green, just like she wanted (because they are the color of her birthstone). Funny story ... We went to buy them and when we were putting her name on them went back and forth ... middle name or no middle name? What had we done on Brinley's? We couldn't remember! We opted to NOT include her middle name (Elizabeth) because it seemed so long. Came home and checked Brinley's - they have her middle name on them! We decided when we buy Kendyl's in a few years we'll use her middle initial ;) Of course she asked why her middle name wasn't on them, too! We told her it was too long and didn't look right ... not a total lie. Steve and I also had the debate about "timing" - should she get them for her birthday or her baptism (on June 6th)? We couldn't remember what we did for Brinley (would have been useful if I had been blogging when Brinley was baptized). We decided to give them to her on her birthday. She opened them and Brinley said "I had to wait until my baptism to get mine!" TOTAL FAILURES as parents in the "Baptism/8th birthday Traditions!!!"
After a fabulous 3 hours of church - complete with NOT blowing out another tire by hitting a curb like I had done a week before on Mother's Day - we came home and watched Hotel for Dogs ... they love that movie! Really is a cute one :) Ashton had requested steak for her birthday dinner. Yes, STEAK (did I mention she turned 8?!?!)!! I started the grill and came back in the house to prepare the steaks. Thanks to my dad for teaching me the trick to the ultimate steak. Steve came down to throw them on the grill to find the flame had gone out - NO MORE PROPANE ... and it's the Sabbath! OY!! We start discussing our options. It is almost 6:00 P.M. at this point and just about anything else will take an hour since I have no other meat thawed. Steve starts talking about waffles. I'm thinking "IT'S HER BIRTHDAY!!!" I suggest that maybe we could call our dear friends the Wilsons to beg for use of their propane tank if they aren't using it themselves. A quick phone call and not only are they NOT using it, but they have an extra for their food storage! Crisis averted, we carry on with the original plan of steaks for dinner and all is right with the world ;)
What kind of cake did she want this year? I was a bit worried that she might expect me to attempt something grand after the Lightning McQueen cake that I worked my magic on for Cougar, but her request was simple ... Lemon Cooler Cake from Costco. Not only did I not have to DECORATE it, I didn't even have to BAKE the darn thing!! I think it tasted even better for that very reason.
She is now looking forward to having all of her grandparents in town in a few weeks for her baptism and is really hoping to get her ears pierced when we're in Califonia this weekend. We love this girl so much!!
May 7, 2009
I'd Like to Thank ...
My dear friend Shell sent me this video today and I could not believe it ... I never even knew I was nominated!!! While I'm fairly certain that my husband and children had NO SAY in whether or not this honor should be given to me I thoroughly enjoyed the comments from complete strangers as to my overwhelming capabilities as a mother - now if they could only convince my family that I could be the least bit worthy .... Totally hilarious!!
CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO (I can't find a way to embed it here)
CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO (I can't find a way to embed it here)
May 2, 2009
Happy {inter}National Scrapbooking Day!!
Well, the big weekend is finally here! There are so many sales and fun things going on in the digital community today and throughout the weekend that I could never list them all. I filled you in on a few of them in my previous post if you wanna go back and take a peek ;) Needless to say, you WON'T be disappointed if you take the time to head out digi shopping and blog hopping - discounts, freebies, and giveaways GALORE!
My blog happens to be the 25th stop on the ScrapMatters {i}NSD blog train! The designers over at SM have created the gorgeous kit "Hawaiian Happy Hour" that is yours free with a $15 purchase between May 1st and May 8th. It made me homesick for Hawaii all over again!! Now, I know you can't really be "homesick" for a place you have never lived before, but in the few times I have been there to visit I absolutely fell in love! I could sit on the beach, stare at the ocean, and listen to the waves all day long ... and get a fantastic tan while doing it! Our trip there last summer was what I think of when I think of paradise - except I didn't have my children with me. As nice as it was to have some time away to enjoy a much needed vacation, it definitely hit home that our "real" paradise is wherever our little family is. Hopefully we will have the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of Hawaii together someday!
This is one of my favorite photos from our trip last summer. I took it from our balcony the first night we were in Maui. We slept with our patio doors open every night and enjoyed the sounds and smells of the ocean along with the cool crosswinds. I've made it into and 8x8 Quick Page that you can download for yourself! Click on the preview image to download.
Well, it's time for you to move onto the next stop ... Dawn should have another goodie for you!! If you didn't stop by Mary's blog before you stopped here make sure you head back and visit her. And, if for some reason you got lost on your way, you can always head back to the start of the train at Andrea's. There will be a total of 35 stops in all! Thank you for stopping by ... have a fabulously scrappy weekend :)
My blog happens to be the 25th stop on the ScrapMatters {i}NSD blog train! The designers over at SM have created the gorgeous kit "Hawaiian Happy Hour" that is yours free with a $15 purchase between May 1st and May 8th. It made me homesick for Hawaii all over again!! Now, I know you can't really be "homesick" for a place you have never lived before, but in the few times I have been there to visit I absolutely fell in love! I could sit on the beach, stare at the ocean, and listen to the waves all day long ... and get a fantastic tan while doing it! Our trip there last summer was what I think of when I think of paradise - except I didn't have my children with me. As nice as it was to have some time away to enjoy a much needed vacation, it definitely hit home that our "real" paradise is wherever our little family is. Hopefully we will have the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of Hawaii together someday!
This is one of my favorite photos from our trip last summer. I took it from our balcony the first night we were in Maui. We slept with our patio doors open every night and enjoyed the sounds and smells of the ocean along with the cool crosswinds. I've made it into and 8x8 Quick Page that you can download for yourself! Click on the preview image to download.
Well, it's time for you to move onto the next stop ... Dawn should have another goodie for you!! If you didn't stop by Mary's blog before you stopped here make sure you head back and visit her. And, if for some reason you got lost on your way, you can always head back to the start of the train at Andrea's. There will be a total of 35 stops in all! Thank you for stopping by ... have a fabulously scrappy weekend :)April 29, 2009
Treading Water
I'm floating out here ... trying to keep my head above water ;) Lots to accomplish before the weekend. It's a big weekend in the scrapbooking world - National Scrapbooking Day is Saturday. This, of course, spills over into my creative team work so I wanted to make sure you knew about all of the exciting things happening! First, when you stop in on Saturday you'll be jumping on another blog train! The ScrapMatters team will have 5x7 and 8x8 brag book pages for you created with an amazing collab kit that the designers have put together call "Hawaiian Happy Hour." With a BIG sale and tons of fun challenges and speed scraps galore you'll definitely want to get in on the fun! 
I'm also taking contributing to a new hybrid scrapping/crafting blog called The Hybrid Chick. There are some crazy good hybrid girls over there with loads of amazing ideas. My first project was posted a few weeks ago (you can check it out HERE if you want) and I'll be contributing about once a month. They are also doing it up right for the weekend with lots of challenges, ideas, and GIVEAWAYS!!! You really don't want to miss out!
Another not-to-miss-out-on spot will be Jessica Sprague.com. Anyone who has known me over the past year and a half knows how much I love Jessica for her inspiration and teaching style. My life has honestly been changed since meeting her and taking her classes (and, of course, making so many dear friends on the Spraground ... can't wait to see everyone in September!!). She will be having nightly live chats, new products in the store, freebies, a big sale, and two new FREE quick start classes being released! I just finished the Scrapbook Alchemy 3 course and completed an album for my mom for Mother's day (I'm pretty safe posting that because I'm fairly sure my mom only checks my blog about once a month ... maybe). I'll do an entire post about it later with lots of pictures but what I will say now is that you WILL NOT regret taking that class. In fact, it will inspire you. And at 30% off through Mother's Day you simply can't go wrong!!! If you've been wanting to take a dip into digital scrapbooking this weekend is the perfect time!
One last thing ... There is another site called Songbird Avenue that puts together a kit for charity every month. They invite a guest designer to collaborate with their already talented designers to create something beautiful. The kits sell for $8 - almost $7.50 of which goes to the charity of the guest designer's choosing (they only take out Paypal fees ... 100% of what is left goes to charity). This month's guest designer is Ali Edwards who is a phenomenal scrapper and designer. She has been hugely successful in more areas than you can imagine. The charity she chose is dear to her heart - Autism Speaks. Her son is autistic and she has written many stories and blog posts about their journey. In an act of extreme generosity, Jessica Sprague posted on Sunday that she will personally add a $2 donation for every kit purchased by April 30. When Ali heard about it she, too, decided to add a matching $2 for each kit sold. That means that almost $12 will be donated to this worthy charity for every kit sold in the next few days. I am astounded at the giving spirit of those wanting to make a difference. Thanks to Songbird Avenue, Jessica, and Ali for their incredible examples. Even if you don't know what to do with the kit, head over, purchase it, and make a difference. Then head to Jessica's site this weekend to check out her new FREE quick start class ... I'm sure she'll give you an idea of what to use it for ;) Click on the image to make your purchase!
Well, it's time to get back on task ... break over! Oh!! I almost forgot - one of my recent projects was featured on The Daily Digi site this past weekend (right HERE in this post)! To say I was shocked to see it there would be an understatement :) Haven't had a chance to post the project here yet, or many other projects for that matter. One day I'll post a Projectpalooza so you can see what I've been working on ;) If you don't have that site bookmarked you MUST do so now ... or add it to your Google Reader. You won't regret it. Thanks for stopping by ... with my poor excuse for blogging lately it's a wonder I have anyone who bothers anymore *HA*
I'm also taking contributing to a new hybrid scrapping/crafting blog called The Hybrid Chick. There are some crazy good hybrid girls over there with loads of amazing ideas. My first project was posted a few weeks ago (you can check it out HERE if you want) and I'll be contributing about once a month. They are also doing it up right for the weekend with lots of challenges, ideas, and GIVEAWAYS!!! You really don't want to miss out!Another not-to-miss-out-on spot will be Jessica Sprague.com. Anyone who has known me over the past year and a half knows how much I love Jessica for her inspiration and teaching style. My life has honestly been changed since meeting her and taking her classes (and, of course, making so many dear friends on the Spraground ... can't wait to see everyone in September!!). She will be having nightly live chats, new products in the store, freebies, a big sale, and two new FREE quick start classes being released! I just finished the Scrapbook Alchemy 3 course and completed an album for my mom for Mother's day (I'm pretty safe posting that because I'm fairly sure my mom only checks my blog about once a month ... maybe). I'll do an entire post about it later with lots of pictures but what I will say now is that you WILL NOT regret taking that class. In fact, it will inspire you. And at 30% off through Mother's Day you simply can't go wrong!!! If you've been wanting to take a dip into digital scrapbooking this weekend is the perfect time!One last thing ... There is another site called Songbird Avenue that puts together a kit for charity every month. They invite a guest designer to collaborate with their already talented designers to create something beautiful. The kits sell for $8 - almost $7.50 of which goes to the charity of the guest designer's choosing (they only take out Paypal fees ... 100% of what is left goes to charity). This month's guest designer is Ali Edwards who is a phenomenal scrapper and designer. She has been hugely successful in more areas than you can imagine. The charity she chose is dear to her heart - Autism Speaks. Her son is autistic and she has written many stories and blog posts about their journey. In an act of extreme generosity, Jessica Sprague posted on Sunday that she will personally add a $2 donation for every kit purchased by April 30. When Ali heard about it she, too, decided to add a matching $2 for each kit sold. That means that almost $12 will be donated to this worthy charity for every kit sold in the next few days. I am astounded at the giving spirit of those wanting to make a difference. Thanks to Songbird Avenue, Jessica, and Ali for their incredible examples. Even if you don't know what to do with the kit, head over, purchase it, and make a difference. Then head to Jessica's site this weekend to check out her new FREE quick start class ... I'm sure she'll give you an idea of what to use it for ;) Click on the image to make your purchase!Well, it's time to get back on task ... break over! Oh!! I almost forgot - one of my recent projects was featured on The Daily Digi site this past weekend (right HERE in this post)! To say I was shocked to see it there would be an understatement :) Haven't had a chance to post the project here yet, or many other projects for that matter. One day I'll post a Projectpalooza so you can see what I've been working on ;) If you don't have that site bookmarked you MUST do so now ... or add it to your Google Reader. You won't regret it. Thanks for stopping by ... with my poor excuse for blogging lately it's a wonder I have anyone who bothers anymore *HA*April 19, 2009
I'n Tchew!
For weeks now the girls have been having Cougar practice -
Girls: "What is your name?"
Cougar: "Curgar" (or something slurred together like that)
Girls: "How old are you?"
Cougar: "I'n Tchew!!"
And so the day finally arrived when Cougar could tell people that he was, indeed "tchew." I know all moms say that it goes so fast and that they can't believe their baby is such and such an age, but I MEAN it!! I know my memory is shot but I really seem to have lost a good chunk of the past 2 years to nothing but the few things I've written on my blog and a folder full of about 10,000 pictures. These are the times more than ever that I wish I was one of those people that was good about carrying a little notebook around with me everywhere to record the funny things being said in the car, the not-so-funny episodes that take place in daily life, and the sheer chaos that seems to take over most days. Lucky for me I am good about keeping a calendar so I can at least go back and see what was "on the schedule" for the days gone by ;) *SIGH*
Here's an unedited photo of the day our little man marched into our lives.
I DO remember that day. I was supposed to be induced on April 12th. I had to call in every hour to see if there was room for me ... which there was not - all day. I was finally told they would call me when they had an open room. I did not like the idea of having to deliver on Friday the 13th but, as luck would have it, the call came about 1:30 A.M. that we could come on down and get things started. I had to be induced with all of my kids so this was routine procedure, but I'd never been turned away for an entire day!! Off we went, leaving all of the girls at home with my mom. The picture at the end of my last post was literally taken on our way out the door. Once we got to the hospital to start my gel induction they hooked me up to the monitors to find I was already in a steady 2 minute labor pattern ... WHAT?!?! I had never gone into labor on my own and didn't even know I WAS in labor! They decided to watch my labor pattern for a while rather than do the gel and hyperstimulate my labor. This was about 4 A.M. and I got my epidural about 8 A.M. - just in time ;) I've been blessed with easy pregnancies and deliveries for the most part so I sailed right along with no complications and my doctor came in to deliver him about 2:30.
I will never forget the moment he was born. I love my doctor and we were talking and laughing about the next BYU football player entering the world. He was telling all of the nurses that our son's name was going to be Cougar and that he had the coolest BYU nursery. Every time I laughed I was literally pushing the boy out!! In fact, I didn't push a single time in order to deliver him. As his head was crowning my doctor told me to reach down and grab him ... WHAT?! He told me again and I leaned forward - as much as you can with a big pregnant belly in the way - grabbed under his arms, and pulled him out and up onto my stomach. It is a memory and feeling that could never be forgotten. *A*M*A*Z*I*N*G*
He has been smothered ever since - his sisters can't get enough of him (well, they could do without the hitting) and we're pretty smitten with him, too. He has definitely turned our world upside down and taught us that boys are WITHOUT A DOUBT wired differently than girls are. Anything round is a ball, anything with wheels is a car, anything long is a sword or gun, and EVERYTHING is meant to be thrown!!
For his big day we met Beth and Alex for lunch like we do every Monday. It was Einstein's Bagels in our rotation, which the kids love because we sit on the patio and they can play in the bushes, other tables, and planters. I snapped these on our way into lunch ... loved his Birthday Boy shirt!
After running to playdates, school pick up, piano lessons, and home it was time for me to concentrate on his cake. I decided to step WAY outside my comfort zone and decorate one of those shaped cakes like you find at JoAnn's. I got a wild hair the previous Saturday when I saw a Lightning McQueen cake pan while I was out finishing up Easter shopping and decided to go for it ... I'd always wanted to learn so figured I'd jump in with both feet!! It took a long time - I had to color 9 different colors of frosting - but I was happy with the way it came out and Cougar was ECSTATIC with the results! He sat at the island saying "Kween! Kween!" and pointing with delight ;) I even changed the number on the cake to a 2 instead of Lightning's regular number of 95 - yeah, I was impressed with my freestyle!!
After a fabulous dinner of grilled hot dogs ... a Cougar favorite ... it was time to light the candles and sing to our big boy. After last year's finger burning fiasco he was a bit hesitant to stare into the flames again, but after a bit of comforting and a few "practice" runs of blowing out the candles with his sisters he was ready for his big moment. I'm pretty sure he wished for some more Geotrax :)
On to presents, of course. He actually enjoyed tearing the paper this year and didn't even seem to mind his Geotrax Grand Central Station being wrapped in red holly paper with Santas on the reverse side. We bought it for him for his very first Christmas and he never opened it. It went under the tree again this past Christmas but he never got around to it. We decided it was the prefect birthday gift for a 2 year old who is obsessed with Geotrax and saw no need to re-wrap it!! He also scored some Legos, an airplane, a nerf gun from Grandma & Papa, some cash from Grammy & Paca, and Great Grandma & Grandpa Taylor. Definitely a spoiled little boy!
At the end of it all he couldn't wait to play with his new trains so we dug out the Grand Central Station, his other new trains, and let the boy play. He is completely enamored with his Geotrax!! We didn't even get to eat the cake that night because he was too engrossed in his trains ... it was okay with me because it gave me a few extra hours to fully appreciate my hard work!!
One last feat for the day ... it was time to say goodbye to his paci. He has been my only baby to love a pacifier and *LOVED* his paci when he went to bed (which is pretty much the only time he was allowed to have one - except in case of emergency *HA*). I knew I should have taken it away MONTHS ago but Steve is a sucker ("He's the BABY!") and kept giving it to him. Yup - Steve. Really. Well, it was decided that paci would be no longer on his second birthday. We had him throw one away in the morning and he seemed okay with that. I caved and let him have on during his nap because I needed him to sleep so I could work on the cake. That night came and he asked for paci. I told him paci was all gone. He cried for 45 minutes and finally went to sleep. He hasn't asked for it since. I'll ask him where his paci is and he says "My all gone!" Now he just takes choo choos (trains) to bed with him ... and airplanes ... and legos ... and sometimes Diego. At least they won't mess up his teeth ;)
Girls: "What is your name?"
Cougar: "Curgar" (or something slurred together like that)
Girls: "How old are you?"
Cougar: "I'n Tchew!!"
And so the day finally arrived when Cougar could tell people that he was, indeed "tchew." I know all moms say that it goes so fast and that they can't believe their baby is such and such an age, but I MEAN it!! I know my memory is shot but I really seem to have lost a good chunk of the past 2 years to nothing but the few things I've written on my blog and a folder full of about 10,000 pictures. These are the times more than ever that I wish I was one of those people that was good about carrying a little notebook around with me everywhere to record the funny things being said in the car, the not-so-funny episodes that take place in daily life, and the sheer chaos that seems to take over most days. Lucky for me I am good about keeping a calendar so I can at least go back and see what was "on the schedule" for the days gone by ;) *SIGH*
Here's an unedited photo of the day our little man marched into our lives.
I DO remember that day. I was supposed to be induced on April 12th. I had to call in every hour to see if there was room for me ... which there was not - all day. I was finally told they would call me when they had an open room. I did not like the idea of having to deliver on Friday the 13th but, as luck would have it, the call came about 1:30 A.M. that we could come on down and get things started. I had to be induced with all of my kids so this was routine procedure, but I'd never been turned away for an entire day!! Off we went, leaving all of the girls at home with my mom. The picture at the end of my last post was literally taken on our way out the door. Once we got to the hospital to start my gel induction they hooked me up to the monitors to find I was already in a steady 2 minute labor pattern ... WHAT?!?! I had never gone into labor on my own and didn't even know I WAS in labor! They decided to watch my labor pattern for a while rather than do the gel and hyperstimulate my labor. This was about 4 A.M. and I got my epidural about 8 A.M. - just in time ;) I've been blessed with easy pregnancies and deliveries for the most part so I sailed right along with no complications and my doctor came in to deliver him about 2:30.I will never forget the moment he was born. I love my doctor and we were talking and laughing about the next BYU football player entering the world. He was telling all of the nurses that our son's name was going to be Cougar and that he had the coolest BYU nursery. Every time I laughed I was literally pushing the boy out!! In fact, I didn't push a single time in order to deliver him. As his head was crowning my doctor told me to reach down and grab him ... WHAT?! He told me again and I leaned forward - as much as you can with a big pregnant belly in the way - grabbed under his arms, and pulled him out and up onto my stomach. It is a memory and feeling that could never be forgotten. *A*M*A*Z*I*N*G*
He has been smothered ever since - his sisters can't get enough of him (well, they could do without the hitting) and we're pretty smitten with him, too. He has definitely turned our world upside down and taught us that boys are WITHOUT A DOUBT wired differently than girls are. Anything round is a ball, anything with wheels is a car, anything long is a sword or gun, and EVERYTHING is meant to be thrown!!
For his big day we met Beth and Alex for lunch like we do every Monday. It was Einstein's Bagels in our rotation, which the kids love because we sit on the patio and they can play in the bushes, other tables, and planters. I snapped these on our way into lunch ... loved his Birthday Boy shirt!
After running to playdates, school pick up, piano lessons, and home it was time for me to concentrate on his cake. I decided to step WAY outside my comfort zone and decorate one of those shaped cakes like you find at JoAnn's. I got a wild hair the previous Saturday when I saw a Lightning McQueen cake pan while I was out finishing up Easter shopping and decided to go for it ... I'd always wanted to learn so figured I'd jump in with both feet!! It took a long time - I had to color 9 different colors of frosting - but I was happy with the way it came out and Cougar was ECSTATIC with the results! He sat at the island saying "Kween! Kween!" and pointing with delight ;) I even changed the number on the cake to a 2 instead of Lightning's regular number of 95 - yeah, I was impressed with my freestyle!!
After a fabulous dinner of grilled hot dogs ... a Cougar favorite ... it was time to light the candles and sing to our big boy. After last year's finger burning fiasco he was a bit hesitant to stare into the flames again, but after a bit of comforting and a few "practice" runs of blowing out the candles with his sisters he was ready for his big moment. I'm pretty sure he wished for some more Geotrax :)
On to presents, of course. He actually enjoyed tearing the paper this year and didn't even seem to mind his Geotrax Grand Central Station being wrapped in red holly paper with Santas on the reverse side. We bought it for him for his very first Christmas and he never opened it. It went under the tree again this past Christmas but he never got around to it. We decided it was the prefect birthday gift for a 2 year old who is obsessed with Geotrax and saw no need to re-wrap it!! He also scored some Legos, an airplane, a nerf gun from Grandma & Papa, some cash from Grammy & Paca, and Great Grandma & Grandpa Taylor. Definitely a spoiled little boy!
At the end of it all he couldn't wait to play with his new trains so we dug out the Grand Central Station, his other new trains, and let the boy play. He is completely enamored with his Geotrax!! We didn't even get to eat the cake that night because he was too engrossed in his trains ... it was okay with me because it gave me a few extra hours to fully appreciate my hard work!!
One last feat for the day ... it was time to say goodbye to his paci. He has been my only baby to love a pacifier and *LOVED* his paci when he went to bed (which is pretty much the only time he was allowed to have one - except in case of emergency *HA*). I knew I should have taken it away MONTHS ago but Steve is a sucker ("He's the BABY!") and kept giving it to him. Yup - Steve. Really. Well, it was decided that paci would be no longer on his second birthday. We had him throw one away in the morning and he seemed okay with that. I caved and let him have on during his nap because I needed him to sleep so I could work on the cake. That night came and he asked for paci. I told him paci was all gone. He cried for 45 minutes and finally went to sleep. He hasn't asked for it since. I'll ask him where his paci is and he says "My all gone!" Now he just takes choo choos (trains) to bed with him ... and airplanes ... and legos ... and sometimes Diego. At least they won't mess up his teeth ;)
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