Bad Hair Day

A whole day in pig tails does this to your hair!

Firsts

Today was a day of firsts for our little girls.

Tessa went to her first friend birthday party. She was very excited to get to hold the present and give it to her friend, and she had a lot of fun while we were there. She especially liked to come home and show her jealous older sisters the spoils from the party.

Kate had her first pony tails put in her hair. Her hair is always getting in her face, so today I decided to just try and see if I could get it to go in. It worked! Matt had to hold her head still, but it looks pretty cute.

I'm Feeling Blue

My mom has always been perfectly honest in the fact that she doesn't love to cook. But as a child, I remember thinking the things she made were always so good. We had blueberry bushes in our yard when I was little and one of the things I loved about summer was eating the yummy fruits of those bushes; especially when my mom would make muffins.

These muffins I made today were really good. You can find the recipe here. (I added a little more sugar, a teaspoon of vanilla, and doubled the amount of blueberries ...) Yumm ... I love blueberries!!

Alphabet Tag

A to Z about me:

A- Attached or Single? Attached
B-Best Friend? Jessica or Cori or Siri
C-Cake or pie? Definitely pie (strawberry rhubarb is yummy, or chocolate cream)
D-Day of choice? Saturday ... Matt MIGHT be home that day
E-Essential Item? Ear plugs .. j/k ... um ... food (I love to eat)
F-Favorite color? who can have a favorite?
G-Gummy bears or worms? Gummy worms
H-Home town? Edgewood, WA
I-Favorite indulgence? pie ...yummm or creme brulee, Red Robin french fries
J-January or July? July
K-Kids? 4 sweet girls
L-Life isn't complete without? food ... j/k ... my kids and the gospel
M-Marriage date? September 1998
N-Number of brothers and sisters? many. 6 sisters, 4 brothers
O-Oranges or Apples? Oranges, specifically satsumas
P-Phobias? spiders
Q-Quote? live, laugh, love
R-Reasons to smile? silly children
S-Season of choice? fall, I love the crisp air and school starting and Halloween and Thanksgiving
T-Tag 3 people: I am not doing this one ... sorry
U-Unknown fact about me? I have a soft spot for cute expensive shoes (and they're almost always uncomfortable, but I'll wear them anyway)
V-Vegetable? mushrooms, artichokes, squash, butter lettuce
W-Worst habit? baking things and eating them
X-Xray or Ultrasound? (couldn't it be Xylophone or Drum?) Ultrasound of course (Xylophone)
Y-Your favorite food? As if I could choose a favorite
Z-Zodiac sign: Libra

Ode to our Abode

We came inside that very first June
the house smelled of dog, it caused me to swoon.
The walls were so dirty, the carpets were vile,
we had to admit, it just wasn't our style.
The backyard, however, had beautiful trees.
The upstairs was big, and didn't make me feel squeezed.
The charming old built ins and moldings were nice;
the 3 bedrooms and 1 bath would even suffice.
So we bought it, and planned to change a great deal;
fix walls, pull out carpet; make it ideal.
We've put in a dish washer, refinished the wood floors,
added a back deck, changed a few doors,
painted a great deal, replaced old illumination,
gotten a new pantry, dealt with frustration.
Now a complete makeover for out dear family room,
then adding a bathroom this summer, I assume.
It's been a long road, we're still far from done,
some times it seems that we've hardly begun.
The thing about old houses is yes, they are splendid;
but the work of a fixer will never be ended.
So the work will continue, until we finally proceed
to a new place of living with more room, which we need.

(these pictures are of the finished new windows ... except the painting of course)

Book Review: Ripple Effect, The Deep End

Traci Hunter Abramson, Ripple Effect, The Deep End


These are the 2 books following the first one, Undercurrents, I finished over the weekend. I can't really tell you too much about the story without giving away some of the ending from Undercurrents, so I will just say that they are great sequels ... kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I had a hard time putting them down actually. So if you read the first one, try to get them all at once so you can go from one to the next to the next. You will want to find out what happens.

Eat, Drink, and Be Katie

Kate has never done bottles. I finally managed to get her to use a sippy cup a little while ago, and she has now decided that those aren't for her either. So the only thing she'll do at this point is use an actual cup or glass. Well, this weekend she decided that she's too old to even have us hold them for her, so she is now doing it herself. Crazy little girl! It creates a little bit of a mess, but she does surprisingly well considering she's only 14 months old (yesterday was her 14 month birthday ... if you can even count that as a birthday). How WE got the 4 most stubborn little girls I will never know.

(Brielle thought this whole thing was so hilarious, so that is her laughing in the background ... and "ungh" is Kate's word she uses when she wants something ... we can't figure out where she got that)

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Narcoleptic

Well, maybe not quite narcoleptic ... but definitely odd. If you've been reading this blog with any regularity, you will know that I have posted several pictures in the past of my dear children falling asleep in the strangest positions or places. Today proved to be no less strange than the others. (Tessa is dead asleep in the baby walker that we have sitting in the spare bedroom ...Kate doesn't use it anymore so I guess Tess thought she'd take it for a spin and got too tired?)

Book Review: Undercurrents

Undercurrents, Tracy Hunter Ambramson

This is a good LDS romance mystery type of book. It was the kind of book that I couldn't put down because I wanted to know what happened, and by the end, I really wanted to read the next book to find out the next part of the story. (actually, I started it at 9:00 last night, finished it by 12:00 and then stayed up until 1:00 reading the next book in the series.)

The main character in the book is a girl whose dad has died a month ago. Her mom died when she was a young girl, and the only person left in her life is Chase, her boyfriend and only "family" she has left. When she gets out of swimming practice early she decides to meet Chase at his apartment, but once she's there, 2 men barge into the apartment and Chase tells her to hide. Before she knows it, Chase is dead, and she has been put into the Witness Protection Relocation Program. The men who killed Chase are smugglers who know she saw them and now want her dead.

The story escalates from there, and you'll have a hard time putting it down. It's a perfect mix of romance and suspense. Definitely recommendable.

Popcorn, Junior Mints, and Root Beer

Well, Friday we were lucky enough to have Aunt Karen watch the 2 little girls so the big girls and Matt and I could go to a movie. B and L were SO excited ... they have been wanting to see this movie since the previews came out on TV and it was said to be PG. (they know that's the only rating they will be allowed to maybe see) So we saw The Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian. We haven't gone to a lot of movies all together (minus the little ones) because we're busy and there aren't that many good movies that kids can see ... and they have been too young. But we thought it was worth a try this weekend. Brielle did really well, and didn't wiggle around too much, just ate her candy and popcorn and watched. She really liked it. Linzi, did not as well. She was bored after the first half hour (it was 2 1/2 hours long) and kept wiggling around and talking, at one point, she leaned over to me and said, "I'm not scared, my legs are just shaking. I don't know why." I think that means that maybe she was scared. She sat on Matt's lap for the last half. They both had to use the bathroom once ... but I guess that was a long movie. All in all, I think they had a fun time. I felt sad on the way home that we had to leave the little girls, but I guess that's life. It felt really weird to be all together, but not have half the family there. They, survived, however, having had a lovely time looking at bugs and eating snacks with Aunt Karen.

I really liked the movie. I thought it was as good as the first, which I also really liked. I would definitely recommend it to others.

Fieldtrip Fun!

Yesterday was Linzi's Kindergarten field trip to the zoo. Matt took the day off so I could go with Linzi. When we got to the school, and the teachers were telling us where to meet and everything, they said that the zoo was expecting over 2000 people to be there. 2000!!! So, obviously, when we got there, it was PACKED. Now, it wouldn't have been so bad to do this field trip with a bunch of kindergartners from Linzi's school, but imagine doing it with 2000 kids from schools. It was very loud, crowded, and tiring. Linzi, however, had a good time I think. And the little girl in our group seemed to have fun also, so I guess that's all that matters. We saw all the animals (except the ones who were lucky enough to be hiding from the mayhem) and ate lunch there, Linzi went on her first school bus ride, the kids all played ... they had a good time. I, on the other hand, was glad that I had the foresight to take Advil BEFORE we left, because I definitely had a headache about 10 minutes into it. It was not raining though, so that was great ... and the members of my group didn't get lost or maimed ... so that was good too.

All in all, a successful first field trip!

(Linzi chose the "theme" for this montage)

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Call of the Piled

I have been blessed to have gotten another calling ... (this is my 4th!) I am now the 3rd Sunday teacher in Relief Society.

I actually like to talk in front of people (as you may know) so this is a good thing, I think. Hopefully I will do a good job and magnify the calling.

Matt still doesn't have a calling.

Speaking of church, Brielle is going to be baptized on Saturday, June 21st at 10:30 ... I hope to get it together enough to send you all an evite or something, but if not, consider yourself invited. (family, close friends, and ward members!)

In a Class of Their Own

Class picture time!

This first one is Linzi's kindergarten class ...

she is in the middle row wearing a green shirt.

Brielle is the middle of the middle row wearing a black dress.

Aren't they sweet ... reminds me of my class pictures ....

aaahhh ... the sweet memories! (*said with a sarcastic tone*) (I especially DON'T want to remember most of them ... I think I had my "awkward" phase for most of elementary school)

Fairyland, Est. 2008

I found this on the counter this morning. The front of the picture looks like the fairies are having a tea party. The back tells the land's rules I think. Brielle would like to always be president .... I can see that. I think the table with the tea things on it looks very real. I'm sure Brielle would love this land to be real. And who wouldn't want a flower house?

The Rhode to Success

I've decided that I really love rhododendrons.

The flowers are so pretty ... especially the brightly colored ones. These pale colored ones in our yard have little red dots on the insides, which I think is really interesting. They provide a beautiful jolt of color when they're blooming, and when they're not, they are a lovely dark green. (except for the space of time that they have the dead flowers still hanging on them ... that's when they're ugly)

Did you know ...

• There are over 1000 species of rhododendron


• Rhododendron is the national flower of Nepal


• Rhododendron is the state flower of West Virginia and Washington


• Rhododendron is the state tree of Sikkim in India


• Rhododendrons grow almost everywhere but Africa and South America


• Rhododendrons were discovered by a 16th century Flemish Botanist


• All the parts of Rhododendrons are dangerous, especially leaves, showing symptoms of stomach irritation, abdominal pain, abnormal heart rate and rhythm, convulsions, coma, death. Honey made from the nectar of Rhododendron flowers is also toxic and should not be consumed. (that's nice to know ... they're so prevalent around WA state, don't let your kids eat them!!)


• Rhododendron comes from the Greek words "rodon" which means "rose" and "dendron" which means "tree", hence Rose Tree.

Today I appreciate the splendidness that these lovely flower bring. (It's nice to drive by yards ... especially my own .... and see the stunning colors of these nice flowers)

Music Monday, Coldplay

They're going on tour this summer ... but the closest they're getting to here is BC ... Pemberton ... it's a 5 hour + drive (I mapquested it). For those of you in SLC or LV they're coming to both of those cities. Anyway, new album out soon ... this song (Viva la Vida) is the new single. I really like Clocks and Talk (from previous albums). These three are on the playlist.

Bloggable

Apparently on busy weekends I don't have time to blog.

Sorry.

We did, however, have a great packed weekend full of things that are bloggable.

So let's start with the bike riding. Someone from work gave Matt a bike ... so Linzi has a new bike. We took them to a parking lot to ride (there's WAY more room) and they had a really good time! Brielle zoomed around the whole parking lot going as fast as she could, Linzi got used to the new bike and did pretty well. Tessa (we need to get her a trike now ... our other one broke) did as well as she could, considering we only had a push along for her. Matt and I even got a couple "rides" in. Kate is the only one who did not get to ride ... but she walked around and thought it was so fun. (she did manage to get run over by Linzi once ... she has a nice big bruise on her forehead) They had so much fun, that we had a lovely view on the way home ... Brielle, Linzi, and Tessa were all

crying because we had to leave. (at the time, I could NOT see the humor in it ... now, as I look at the picture ... it does look funny ... Tessa looks like she could murder someone ... and if only you could hear Linzi screaming ... it would hurt your ears)Saturday was a packed day full of work and hotness. Matt started very early to get the big window in the family room out and put in a new one. The girls and I started outside, watching, but it quickly got too hot. We put a big blanket in the shade and colored and did stickers ... then they said they were even to hot for that, so they went through the sprinkler for a while, which they thought was fun and I got no pictures of. Then they had Popsicles. Even Kate liked that part. Soon, it was time to go into the dark, cooler house. Poor Matt had to stay outside to keep working. He did a great job though, and managed to get the window in before we had to get cleaned up to go to church for a dinner. (thanks Tim for the help in lifting!) So the before and after isn't exactly that great yet, because it's not completely finished ... but here it is. (the old window you couldn't even see through ... it was really annoying. The new window even opens too! Right now there's a sheet hanging in the window ... but you CAN see through it.) Now Matt just needs to put on the siding shingles and paint the trim ... which we won't do until we paint the whole house later this summer. (I'm using the term "we" very loosely) (and don't look too closely at the area around the window either ... all the garbage from putting it in is still there)

Okay ... the last thing, I promise .... we had to fix the front porch. It was looking sad. The carpet that was on it since we moved in is coming off ... and we want to lay down a new porch (like a deck), but, obviously, since Matt is doing other things, he doesn't have the time right now to do that ... so we painted the stairs (it was SUPPOSED to be dark gray ... but whatever) and got a new mat to cover the porch, and then planted lovely flowers that will hopefully distract anyone from the actual horribleness of the porch.

Anyway ... we had a busy weekend, we got a lot done, and the girls had some fun. (did I mention that Saturday was so hot in the shade, the thermometer said 96!) (and Sunday was so nice that we grilled and ate dinner outside!)

Cuh-Ray-Zee!

We have really been enjoying this nice weather. Last night while Matt was teaching school, the girls and I had a picnic on the deck. Brielle made the dinner ... she made chicken salad sandwiches, carrots with ranch, chips, strawberries and juice boxes. (she was supposed to make a healthy meal for her Achievement Days thing ... I think it's called Faith in God for Girls) She did a great job! After dinner we did chalk ... Brielle and I played tic tac toe, and the other girls colored .... even Kate got a few lines in (she did try to eat the chalk occasionally) ...

Needless to say, they all needed a bath last night when we were done playing. (Tessa got especially dirty ... chocolate and ice cream in her hair, chalk all over ... and of course she won't wear shoes, so her feet were really gross)

These were taken, AFTER the bath. Nice and clean!

(Linzi was shaking out her hair like a dog ... )

Then today at school, is Crazy Hair Day! It took me over half an hour to braid Brielle's and then Linzi just wanted a few, so that was quick.

I am hopeful today will be a lovely day because of the beautiful weather. We'll see.

Hello New World

Step outside and see
the new growth that is sprouting.
Look at that pink tree;
the birds are loud, they're shouting!

The weeds are growing taller.
A fern is now unfolding.
Bushes have new color,
it's nice to be beholding.

Chilly days are fewer;
no more heavy clothes.
The air is smelling newer.
Look at that white rose.

Green has many levels:
leaves, grass, bushes, weeds.
All for me to revel,
and meet my outdoor needs.

The air smells clean and sweet.
Ants marching in a line,
flip flops on my feet,
the sun so warmly shines.

New growth warms my heart.
It is everywhere I see.
It sets the world apart ...
this resplendent potpourri.

Mama Mia

Well, I didn't actually say anything about Mother's Day on here. So, I thought I should just mention how nice mine was.

Matt was a great husband and of course, did more than I needed. He took all the girls to the mall and they each picked out a little Willow Tree angel for me ... they all had a specific explanation on why each was chosen, which I thought was cute. (they got me cards too ... for some reason, I really like cards)Then, because our our washer failed ... we got the new ones, and Matt spent all day Saturday putting them in. (except for when he watched the girls so I could go to the mall with my mom, and to a "Mother's Day Tea" at my grandma's retirement home) He even put in a light overhead of the new ones, built a platform so they are up off the floor and I don't have to bend down to get to them (the new ones are front loaders), and cleaned up the whole area. Above and beyond I thought. (as you can see, they're already in full use, with the laundry piled on top and both filled .... why can't I keep it up better? uggghhh)

Then, the girls made thoughtful things in school (Linzi a hand print, Brielle a nice card) and at church (coupon books ... Brielle says hers are good until she's 19 ... I think I'm going to save the "doing dishes" and "doing the laundry" ones until she's a teenager ... what do you think she'll do when I whip those babies out in a few years ....)!

Matt made a nice dinner, he let me take a nap after church ... in general, it was a nice day!

The things I got were nice, but that's not what made it so great .... I think it's just feeling appreciated. I really did feel "special" this Mother's Day. It's nice to feel appreciated, and I really am thankful for my sweet family. They did a great job, and I love them so much!!

Book Review: Princess Academy

Princess Academy, Shannon Hale

(this is the author who wrote Austenland and Book of a Thousand Days, both of which I loved)

Miri is a girl who lives in a tiny village on the top of a mountain. The people in the village work in a stone quarry and that's what they do. Everyone in the village does the same thing. So when they are told that their village has been "foreseen" to be the place the prince has to pick his bride from, they are all shocked. Miri, along with 19 other girls from the village are ordered to attend the Princess Academy, and at the end of it, meet the prince ... he will choose his bride from one of these girls.

Some are excited, some are annoyed, most are scared ... all see it as an adventure. Miri quickly proves to be an excellent study at all the subjects taught ... but she misses her home. Soon she learns to read, and becomes engrossed in the things the books have to offer. She realizes there is a huge world outside their little village.

What happens next is up to you to find out .... but it's really good. There is romance, mystery (one I did NOT see coming), danger (a horrible group of "bandits"), intrigue (I threw that one in for effect), and even a little mind reading.

All in all, a good book. You should read it. I picked it up this morning when I was feeding Kate, finished the quilt today, made lunch, dinner, and cleaned the kitchen, did the laundry, and still had time to finish it (only 315 pages I think) ... so quick and easy ... but good.

Goes to the Highest Bidder

I finally finished the quilt for the YW auction. (the one I'm donating) It took a little while ... mainly because I had to stop so many times to do other things. (like reading The Host, and taking care of children, you know, things like that) Actually, piecing the top only took a day, the quilting only took an hour (thanks Beth for the help) and the binding just part of today. I am very glad to be done with several days to spare. This is the first quilt I have made that wasn't very precise and "blocky." It was kind of an experiment.

What do you think? Would you place a bid?

Anyway .... on to the next project!

This is the back of the quilt ....

Music Monday, Jason Mraz

I really like this newest album of his. We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.



A few of my favorites are:

• I'm Yours
• Lucky
• Wordplay (on a different album)

His website is fun too, because every time you go to a different section, he's talking about it, saying funny things. You should just take a quick peek, it's interesting.

http://www.jasonmraz.com/

Anyway, this is my pick for the day ... there are a few songs in the playlist.

Book Review: The Host

The Host, Stephenie Meyer

So I liked this newest offering of Stephenie Meyer, but I think I still like the Twilight series better.

The Host is a sci-fi book about aliens who have taken over the world .... this book takes place after the fact. The little "souls" are put into people's bodies and kind of just take over their brains. They are good, though, so they have done away with things like starvation, needing money, war, fighting, police, anything like that.

It starts with a new soul being put into a recently captured rebel. The new soul, Wanderer is put into Melanie to try to figure out where the other rebels are hiding. Once a soul is put into a person, they have all of their old memories and emotions. Melanie, is not like any other body though, she refuses to let Wanderer into parts of her memory, and Wanderer knows that it isn't normal for the host body to still be able to talk and think. So this is where the story comes from. Wanderer is trying to deal with her new found love of this planet, and also deal with Melanie in her head. Melanie is trying to figure out what she is capable of.

When Melanie's memories keep coming back to the same man, Wanderer realizes that she is falling in love with Jared too. So this is not only a sci-fi story, but a romance as well. It took me a few chapters to get into it (by the 7th or 8th, I was hooked!), but once I did I couldn't put it down. I actually stayed up until 4 in the morning reading, and then in the morning couldn't help but wonder what was going to happen next. (I got busy though, so had to wait to finish it)

I would definitely recommend this to you all ... I really enjoyed it.

Oh Happy Day!

Today is a happy day! The sun is shining, first of all, which makes any day seem brighter. It's Mother's Day, which is nice .... the girls got me Willow Tree angels and Matt put in the new washer and dryer last night ... plus, I got to go shopping yesterday. So that's nice.

Also .... today is the 10th anniversary of the day Matt and I met. Weird, huh? I can't believe it's been ten years.

In some ways if feels like it's been forever (in good ways) and then, sometimes I can remember meeting like it was yesterday. I love that we met on Mother's Day, because it's so easy to remember.

We were talking about it yesterday, and he actually remembers what I was wearing that day at church. I'm sure, if I had known that day, I would be pleased to see how our life together has turned out.

I love Matt and am happy we met. We have pretty great girls and have a nice life.

So this is a happy day I think. (this picture was taken the first month we knew each other, before we were engaged ... it's one of 2 that we have before were engaged)

It's Twins!

Today is twin day at school, so Linzi and Brielle dressed exactly alike. They were very excited about it! I thought it was pretty cute. In the car on the way over, they were discussing exactly how to hold their backpacks, and how to talk at exactly the same time ... I love it that they always take things to the extreme.

I wonder if people will be able to tell them apart?