Julie's Space

Donald's Office

2012-01-19T11:02:00.001-06:00

As you enter our front door, if you look to the left you'll see our dining room, to the right is Donald's office. It is an open study with no doors or anything to block the view so I want it to look nice. Donald has been wanting a place to read and study, too. Over the Christmas holidays we finished his office.

Here's how it looked....

And here it is today....

Once again, I refinished the honey-colored floors to a dark walnut (but this time by "I" I mean the teenage boys from church I hired to do the work). Below the chair rail the walls were painted plantation brown and above the chair rail the walls are "creamy." The trim was painted the same semigloss white as the rest of the house.

We already owned the desk and filing cabinet, but pretty much everything else is new to us. The bookcases along the back wall are IKEA. The leather recliner on the right and storage piece on the left side are from a furniture consignment place here by League City. The linen drapes are from High Fashion Home, an interior design store in downtown Houston. The rug, lamp, and clocks are from Home Goods. I would like to find one more clock for above the bookcases...maybe in a different shape.

I came home from a night out the other day to find Donald sitting in his recliner reading and I was so happy that he has a little spot all his own to read and study and think. And I'm so happy to walk in the front door and not see the room as it was in the before picture above.

So, how's the laundry room coming along??? The walls are painted, the freezer is in, and the broom, mop, and ironing board are hanging on the wall instead of cluttering the ground. Now, I'm waiting for the weekend for Donald to run to Lowe's in the truck and pick up a storage cabinet. Then we'll build the folding table and I'll show you pictures.

Dining Room & next project on the list

2012-01-04T17:39:00.000-06:00

     Here's the dining room, so far. I refinished the floors from a honey color to dark walnut. The walls were painted blue. The jumping off point for all the colors in the house are the window treatments in the living room. They are from World Market and I really like the gray-blue background. I found a paint chip that matched and all the blues are along the spectrum of that paint chip. The dining room is the darkest. I loved that the house already had lots of trim everywhere, but I thought the way it was painted was a little outdated. So, from the chair rail down the walls are a white semigloss.
     I made the window treatments. After searching the typical fabric stores and a few decorator shops around the Houston area and not finding anything I liked enough to fork out hundreds for, I ordered the green floral from fabricguru.com. I'm happy with the results and the fabric was only $7.95 a yard and free shipping. I ordered fabric for a few other window treatments as well.
   The table was my splurge. I saw this table several years ago at Pottery Barn and fell in love. Donald thought I was crazy for wanting a table that seats 12, but we've already filled it up a number of times. I bought the table when it was on sale (and for some reason the sale was even better online than in the store) and I had a 20% off welcome to the neighborhood coupon making the price a little more reasonable...about $1200.00. Well, the chairs Pottery Barn stages with the table are about $269 a piece. The chairs would have been more than the table and I wasn't in love with the chairs like I am with the table. So, after an extensive search and lots of debating and mind changing, I decided on these white chairs from Overstock.com. They cost $75 a chairs. Much more to my pocketbook's liking! I only bought 10 chairs because I want the end chairs to be something different. I'm keeping a look out and when I find just the right thing I'll snatch up two more chairs.
      The light fixture was a dated brass fixture. I found this one on sale at Lowe's. The electricians put the light fixture and the cans on separate dimmers so I can get just the lighting effect I want!
   Now the room is mostly finished. I still need the two end chairs. And I've been looking at yard sales, consignment stores, and craigs list for a china cabinet and maybe a side board, too. I'll wait until I get just the right deal to pick those up. Also, the room needs some art. I want to find something that picks up the green in the curtains. If I go too long without finding something I really like I'll just paint something myself.
     Here's a before and after.....

Now my next project involves my laundry room. As we moved in, stuffed got shoved in the laundry room and forgotten about. Then, as I've worked on projects more stuff has gotten stuck in there. It is a messy, unorganized jumble. And did I mention it is pumpkin orange....the old owners left behind the paint cans and the color is called pumpkin orange. A funny thing is that around the outlets and such you can tell a good part of the house was pumpkin orange at some point. Then our teenage neighbor girl was over one day and was oowing and aawing the master bedroom. She said it seemed so big and airy. Then she told me when her best friend lived in our house the master bedroom had been painted black. I wonder if the house was black and pumpkin orange at the same time!
I digress... here's a picture of the laundry room and adjoining hall as they currently are.

     My plan is to paint the walls of the hallway creamy, the same color as the living room and office. I want to add cubbies along the wall for shoes and a coat rack above for coats and backpacks. This part will be simple enough.
     In the laundry room, I think I'll paint it blue (since the painters bought about 5 gallons too much blue). The floors are vinyl with a little blue pattern on it. If we ever change the flooring in the bathroom next door or in the main living areas, I'll change out the flooring in the laundry, too. But, for now it's not a priority and it's in good condition.
     I'll add a pantry, something like ClosetMaid makes, to store tools and supplies I frequently use plus warehouse amounts of paper towels and toilet paper.   We will also be adding a deep freezer to store meat and other things we would like to buy in bulk. In the space next to the washer and dryer, I'll build a folding table with storage underneath for laundry baskets. The washer and dryer stay until they go kaput and then they'll be replaced with large capacity front loaders. The cupboards above the washer and dryer already provide nice storage, they just need tidied up. I also need to find a place to hang brooms and mops and things to get them off the floor and out of the way. Lastly, to pretty things up, I'll add some kind of window treatment. The view is of our side yard fence so anything cute will do. And, I saw a sign that said, "Welcome to the Laundry Room, Now Drop Your Pants." I think it's funny and may vinyl letter it above the cupboards.
     Maybe I should focus on the nursery for now, but I figure with a baby on the way, I will be doing a lot of laundry and I would like to have it organized and functional before she arrives.   I better get to work!

shots of our home!

2011-09-07T10:53:00.002-05:00

Thank goodness for little boys! I think Brayden got my kinks worked out. Here are some before shots...

The upstairs has a large loft area that we are using as a family room. The previous owners left a pool table that we have loved and a plywood bar that we didn't love so much. Much of the house is painted this terra cotta color and it's pretty dark. This room has been painted and a large flat-screen tv has been purchased. All it needs is a better entertainment storage unit and window treatments and I'll be ready to show off the finished product.

Here is another shot of the family room. It is a great example of the ugly brass fixtures we have to start with. Luckily, most of these have already been changed and can lights have been added, too.

The kitchen island had a built-in wine rack. Since we're not big winos, we pulled it out and converted it into a bookshelf for all my cookbooks.

See the slate tile floors. They look lovely. However, they were not installed well. Can we say lots of stubbed toes. And they are really hard to get sparkling clean. It wasn't in the plan when we bought the home, but they'e got to go!

Here is a shot of the fireplace. It was okay to begin with, but I did give it a paint job. I can't wait to have a nice fire on Thanksgiving (if it's not still 90 degrees here!).

The stairs are the first thing you see when you walk in the front door. And while I appreciate the fact the previous owners took out the carpeting, they once again did a poor job with the finishing touches.

To compensate for not cutting each tread to fit, they nailed a nice rope all the way up both sides of the stairs. When we removed the rope we found huge gaps between the treads and the walls. Luckily the stairs were on my list of to-dos anyways. I plan on painting the treads black and the risers white. I'll keep the posts and spindles white then paint the handrail black. And we've added a board and batton treatment up the stairs that I'll show you later.

I appreciate a coastal vibe. We are only about a mile from Galveston Bay. But, do we have to be so literal that we put up beach-themed wall paper in every bathroom? This is the potty room in the master bath. It is also the tamest of the sea scape wallpapers. This paper has light blue lighthouses all over it. It coordinates nicely with the eggplant purple walls in the rest of the master bath! AHH! To top it off, once I started peeling off the wallpapers in the bathrooms...each had an even more hideous wall paper underneath.

This is the dining room. The room began all terra cotta, but I can't find a pic before the upper walls were retextured. This room has had the most done to it and I'm almost finished with it so I'm sure I'll have more pictures soon.

This is Donald's office, right across the foyer from the dining room. It, too, was all terra cotta, but the lower wall got the new texture treatment in here. The room did not have any overhead lighting. Only outlets wired for lamps. So, cans were added and a ceiling fan. And, for you ceiling fan haters...try living in Houston, TX before you whine about ugly fans. They are an energy saver.

This is a shot of the living room and how it connects to the kitchen/breakfast area. You can see where the walls have been patched after adding can lights in here, too. The plaid couch has been moved up to the game room and its slip cover returned. You can see the beginning of my window treatments hanging in the background.

Well, I've been a busy bee since we moved in and from time to time I'll post projects I'm working on. Now, I'm off to Hobby Lobby, my home away from home.

Texas and Politics

2011-09-02T11:16:00.003-05:00

I finally got Internet service on our home computer and was so excited to show you what I've been doing to the house, but for some reason I can't sign in to anything, even my bank. Since I'm computer illiterate I'll have to have my nine-year check it out for me...pitiful!
So, because I can't post pictures I'll share with you'll some bits about Texas and politics. You know I'm obsessed with politics and the Republican primary has me pumped because the three leaders as of now are a Texan, a Mormon, and a woman I totally like! I'll share my thoughts on Romney and Bachmann later and just share a few observations I've made about Texas since moving here a little over a year ago.
The pros of Texas...jobs! Being in the construction business has been tough the last five years or so. Nearly everyone of our family and friends in construction have been out of work at some point or have at least had a significant cut in work and pay. But houses are still being built here. And, we have met so many families that have moved here in the past one to two years for work and not just in the construction field.
The schools are overall more challenging than in South Carolina. Our gifted and talented program here is definitely not as rigorous as Summerville, SC or Lumberton, TX, but in looking at the general class work, Texas schools are more challenging than SC.
The cost of living is slightly more affordable here. You get more house for your money here. And not having state income taxes puts a little extra spending money in your pocket.
Now for the cons...litter! We drove through five Southern states to get to Texas and the one significant difference I noticed...the trash! Everywhere! The interstate, the parks, the beach. South Carolinians would never put up with litter on their money-making beaches. The 4th of July is a hoorah in Myrtle Beach and tourists leave trash everywhere. But, the very next morning the residents do a sweep of the beach and get it sparkling clean again. On a recent trip to the beach in Galveston it was difficult to find a place to set up because of all the trash. There were wrappers, swimsuits, a huge knife the kids dug up while building a sand castle, and even used love-making supplies (so freaking gross!!!). Texans, when you finish your drink from McDonalds don't throw it out your car window. Just put it in your cup holder until you get to your destination and pop it in a trash can. It is so easy.
So, what do I think of Perry. I think he's a good Governor! I like the fact that he would rather cut spending than increase taxes. For critics who complain about schools losing some money I say ha... No matter how much money we throw at schools they keep getting worse. One, because there is too much legislation in the classroom, two, because teachers unions have insane demands and expectations for teacher pay and pensions, three, because we have way too many administrators getting paid way too much, and fourthly, because too many parents expect the school to handle our overindulged children's bad behavior instead of teaching and expecting our children to shut up and behave in class so every kid gets a chance to learn. Now off that aside.
I like Texas. I like Perry, so far. Right now I think my favorite ticket would be Perry for Prez with Romney as his running mate. We've got a long way to go, but it looks good to me. Aren't any of the top 5-6 Republican candidates better than what we have right now? Yeah!!!

We're moved!

2011-04-11T12:29:00.000-05:00

So, after a long wait...we have finally relocated to League City, Texas! We bought an old colonial-style home. I really love the neighborhood and our new neighbors have been really nice and friendly. One brought us a cobbler on one of our first nights here and another has already had us over for a party.

Brayden, of course, already has a new best friend. This boy and his mom showed up at our door a few days after we moved in and announced the boy was Brayden's new friend he had met at school. They played together a few days and then when we went to cub scouts, the boy was there. His family is in our ward and his mom is the primary president. My biggest fear each time we move is what kind of friends my kids will find at our new place. I know Heavenly Father was listening to our prayers and provided Brayden with a very nice new friend.

I would show you pictures of our new home, but both of my cameras are broken! I've already started work on the boy's room so I won't have before and after shots, but I'll figure out the camera situation and show you pictures of the room another time.

Still in Limbo

2011-02-01T08:59:00.000-06:00

So after months of searching, are we any closer to moving??? I don't know! I have fallen for an old tree-lined neighborhood with sidewalks and big, old, colonial homes. Do I want to live there? Yes! But, would it be nice to live in a brand new house, in a brand new neighborhood, with new schools and new stores. Yes. What to do...what to do.

I promise after we make the move I will get back to crafting, cooking, and posting....if we go with the old colonial I'll even show you how I'm going to transform it. With weeks of rain drowning us here in Southeast Texas my crafty side is itching to be busy.... maybe I'll just make a little something today.

Compromise???

2010-11-03T07:33:00.000-05:00

The morning after the election and all the drive-by media outlets are pushing the idea that Americans elected so many Republicans and Tea Partiers because we want compromise. HA! Do we want our newly elected representatives to compromise with the President on health care, financial reform, bailouts, handouts, the swelling of the size of government? No! I want them to put the brakes on President Obama's agenda. I would rather see nothing passed than more big government intervention into our lives and businesses. I want them to counter everything Obama tries to ram through. I want the government to leave hard-working, honest, entrepreneurial Americans alone. I don't want my tax dollars to go to redistribution of wealth. America is founded on the principle of freedom. We need to be unencumbered by our government to achieve all that in is our will and hearts to achieve. If Obamacare cannot not be successfully repealed than I want it to be deadened by not providing the funding for it to be implemented. I want government spending to shrink. I want the main focus of spending to be for wrapping up and getting out of Iraq and Afghanistan (and I want Osama Bin Laden caught). The only place I'm willing to support more spending is in successfully completing our wars and strengthening our military. It is ridiculous that America is not willing to give our young men and women the very best equipment to their jobs effectively, but we are willing to spend billions to bail out car companies. If Obama, Reid, and Pelosi want compromise than they can bend to the will of the American people by cutting spending, cutting taxes, reducing the deficit, and getting out of our way.

Non-Voter Confusion

2010-11-02T09:57:00.000-05:00

Upon moving to Texas I applied for a new license. On the application was a little box to check if you'd like to register to vote. Of course I checked the box and thought I was good. I went to vote this morning only to find out the DMV does not register you to vote when you check the "would you like to register to vote" box, but simply registers you as being eligible for jury duty. Am I the only one confused by this? How many other new Texas residents think they are registered to vote when in fact they are not? I will be a little huffy if Rick Perry loses by only a few votes and I wasn't able to cast my vote.

What A Fun Weekend

2010-11-01T08:00:00.001-05:00

Everyone knows I love Halloween, but this holiday weekend was better than usual. On Friday, we threw Brayden a surprise party. We took Brayden and a few friends bowling. It was so fun. And Brayden had no clue until he got inside the bowling alley. He'll be 9 tomorrow.

Can an almost 9-year-old boy ever take a nice picture???

Saturday was filled with soccer, of course. Then date night with my hubby. We saw Secretariat. I love a good horse movie.

Then Halloween was yesterday. I made a fun, spooky dinner after church and then we took the kids trick or treating with the Clayton's last night. It is so fun to see them all dressed up. Rex couldn't get to the next house fast enough. Emerson and Piper held hands the whole time. So cute!

New Blog, Exciting New Venture

2010-10-14T14:45:00.001-05:00

I have a new blog for all my crafting. You can find all my creations at http://graybirdcreations.blogspot.com. I'll now be selling all my crafty little tidbits at local trade days and craft bazaars, but I wanted a place to share my work far and wide. I'll still post scrap booking tips and all my personal biz here, but the crafts I make to sell, I'll share at graybird creations. Take a peek...I've been busy crocheting (and not just baby beanies).

5 year olds say the sweetest things...

2010-09-24T10:18:00.001-05:00

Rex told me he thought Texas has a lot of cowboys and was wondering where we can go to see some. I told him he had a real cowboy living in his own house. I told him how his daddy grew up on a farm, riding horses, herding cattle, wearing boots, and all that good stuff. The next morning, Rex told his daddy how happy he is that his dad is a real cowboy and that he wants a horse and boots just like dad.

This one's for Carole...after I talked to you on the phone last, Rex asked me to play him a board game. He got it all set up on the table by himself and then when we sat down to play he told me he was ready to go on a date. I asked him what made him think he was ready to do that and he said because he could get a fun game ready by himself. He said to not tell Kennedy and Brayden, but he knew who he wants to invite on a date...of course, he was thinking of Emily. We better keep those two apart until they're 16. He's too sweet!

Peach Dumplings

2010-09-23T15:13:00.001-05:00

It's peach season!!! And Texas has the big, furry, juicy peaches I remember as a kid (why aren't South Carolina's peaches furry and sweet???). So I thought I'd share a peach recipe a Southern lady showed me (thanks Gerry Clemmons!). She made them for me when I came home from the hospital with a baby and I about died they were so good. They have become one of my favorite Sunday breakfasts, but this year I'm trying to eat healthy and lose those last baby pounds....so I'll just let you all enjoy them.

What you need...

4 large peaches
A roll of refrigerated crescent rolls
A stick of butter
A cup of sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Cut peaches in half, remove pits. Wrap a crescent roll around each peach half and place in glass baking dish. Melt butter. Add 1 cup water and the cup of sugar to the melted butter and stir it together. Pour the butter mixture over the peaches. Bake for 30 minutes or until peaches are tender and tops of crescent rolls are golden brown. YUM!!!

More Scrap booking

2010-09-23T15:00:00.000-05:00

Can you tell I've been busy! It's kind of funny that I've been scrap booking so much because, if you know our situation, nearly everything we have is in boxes while we figure out our life, and so all our scrapbooks are packed away. I have a huge stack of pages complete and don't have my albums to put them in. Anyways.....more tips....

See the little star accents I added to make my main picture of cutie pie Rex stand out. I frequently embellish photos with accents and journaling. Now, I do not recommend doing this to the 1920's picture of your great-grandmother (if you want to embellish a vintage photo, take it to a copy store and have a nice color copy made for you to embellish and preserve your original oldie). In today's world where we can store 2000 pictures on a cd and print whatever we want from our home computer in 2 minutes. I say go ahead and doodle, glue, alter, sand, punch, etc, etc.

Journaling strips are a great way to get your journaling to pop on a page. I also like word stickers. Sometimes a few words say more than I ever could in a paragraph. I love the sticker that says "cooties" because it perfectly describes how my 8 year old feels about all girls, including his mother.

You who scrapbook with me know I like to k.i.s.s (keep it simple stupid), but sometimes I too like to go a little crazy. For this adorable picture of Kennedy and Bailey, I had to make it as girly and fru-fru as possible. I just kept adding on until I felt it looked right. So, break out of your box and have a little fun sometimes.

(Maybe sometime, I'll take the time to figure out why my pictures keep turning themselves sideways when I post them to this blog...)

Enjoy!!

Summer Scrapbook Pages

2010-09-23T14:32:00.000-05:00

Here are a few more scrap booking hints from my latest layouts...

Black & white photos are great for adding a twist to the look of your scrapbook layouts. Sometimes I scrap just one black & white for a sentimental effect. But to spice things up a bit, I like to play with black & white a little. In the layout, Blue Eyes, I made the photo black white and then recolored our eyes blue to really make them pop. The layout is about Emerson's eyes looking a lot like mine.

Another b&w trick is to have several pictures in a layout in color and one standout photo in b&w or have all the pictures b&w and one stand out picture in color. In Brayden's zoo layout, I wanted to show off the great shot I got of cute Bailey, the baby elephant.

A great photo trick I learned many years ago for taking pictures of people in front of big things like buildings is to have the people stand way in front of the building and only a few feet away from the camera. That way the people are normal size in the photo, rather than teeny-tiny, and you still get your other subject in. In Brayden's water park layout, he was on the other side of the park from the slides when I took the picture. I got a good shot of Brayden and the twisty slides in the background give the photo a real water park theme.

In Emerson's water park layout I wanted to show the motion of her going down the slide. I took shot after shot of her going down the slide and then lined the shots up across the layout to show motion.

Now for journaling... when I get with other moms to scrapbook they frequently debate handwritten journaling vs. typing. I say use both. When I want to tell a long story or give a detailed explanation for a layout, I will print it off my computer and adhere it to my layout. However, I think even if a mom has what she considers messy handwriting, she should include some handwriting for her children's layouts. My mother wrote me a letter when I was about 12 I keep in my journal that I cherish. Not just for the words in the letter, but because I feel close to my mom just looking at it. It has her perfect teacher cursive and a pretty flower on the stationary. It is comforting just to look at my mom's writing. My mom also has told me that my handwriting is similar to my grandma's. I didn't know my grandma well before she passed, but it makes me happy to think I have something in common with her. Years from now, when our kids are looking through their childhood scrapbooks with their own children, one of the things they will love best is their mother's writing. It makes the book personal and homey. Our children won't care that the writing is a little crooked or a random word is misspelled or that we have chicken scratch, but they will love that we preserved a little of our love for them in a book that can last forever.

T-shirt Dress

2010-09-16T13:41:00.000-05:00

We are going to Dallas next month to see BYU play TCU!!!! Well, I want the kids to be totally decked out in BYU gear, but I don't want to spend a fortune ordering new stuff. So, I took an old BYU shirt of Kennedy's and cut from the bottom hem up and around to the hem of the arm holes. Then I stitched the arms and sides back together so it fit Emerson's body. The sleeves were a little long, so I shirred them to take them up a bit (thanks for teaching me how to shir, Julia). I also cut the excess length below the graphic off the bottom of the shirt. I bought one yard of the football fabric and one yard of netting. Cut both yards in half and sewed the netting to the wrong sides of the football fabric. Then I sewed the side seams of the football skirt. I folded my big circle of football fabric in half, wrong sides together, sewed two basting stitches all around, pulled up the gathers, and sewed it to the bottom of the T-shirt. This gave the skirt a bubble dress effect. The netting helps give the bubble some shape and bounce. One outfit down...only $4.00 spent!!! I got the T-shirt dress idea from one of Kennedy's activity day service projects. They made T-shirt dresses for Mothers Without Borders to bring to orphans in Namibia. It was a great activity- the girls learned a new skill while doing a great service.

Cake Balls

2010-08-25T13:05:00.002-05:00

Right now I'm waiting for my cake balls to set up between steps. What are cake balls....yummy bite-sized pieces of cake and frosting covered in a candy shell. Wow!!! I guess they're a Texan treat because I had never heard of them until we moved here.
I should have taken pictures of the steps, but didn't think about posting this until right now. So, here's how to make cake balls.

1. Bake a cake (any cake you would like).
2. Let cake cool for about 15-20 minutes then use to forks to shred the cake. Then use your beaters to really finely ground up the cake. Stick in freezer to cool while you make the frosting.
3. Make frosting. Mix 1 box powdered sugar with one cube of butter and a few TBLS of milk added here and there until it's the right consistency, and whatever flavoring you want. Or, use a can of store bought.
4. Mix the frosting and the shredded cake together. (Use the whole can). Stick it back into the freezer to set up.
5. Line a plastic storage container with waxed paper. Get out your little ice cream scoop or a melon baller. Make little balls with the cake/frosting mixture. Put waxed paper between your layers of balls...depending on how goopy the cake mixture is I sometimes have to put the storage container into the freezer between layers to let the balls set up a bit.
6. Let your balls freeze up for an hour or two.
7. Melt your candy coating. If you are going to do the candy wafers you get in the wedding aisle at craft stores and elsewhere I suggest melting them in a double boiler. However, I've found chocolate chips (or whatever flavor of chips you like) works better. The chips stay melty right out of the microwave longer and they don't go crazy if they come in contact with water like the wafers do. The trick to getting the chips to set up properly is to mix 1 cup chips with a TBLS shortening when melting...it says so right on the bag.
8. Set out some wax paper on your counter. Dip the cake balls one by one into the candy coating, lightly tap against the side to remove excess coating and then either dip in a topping (like sprinkles) or set on wax paper to harden. If you want to get fancy, you can melt a contrasting color of candy coating and drizzle on top of your balls.
9. I put my cake balls back in the freezer to totally harden the candy coating and then leave them in there until I'm about ready to serve them.

Ta-da!!! Cake balls are yummy...you get more of the best part of the cake in every bite...the frosting, of course. Today, I'm making two versions. I baked one devil's food cake. Divided it in two. And, mixed each half with a different kind of frosting. I made one half with my regular chocolate butter cream (just like above with about 1/2 cup cocoa and a tsp of vanilla extract mixed in) and the other half with peanut butter frosting (just like above but reduce the butter to 1/2 cube and add about 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter). I'm going to melt milk chocolate chips for dipping the chocolate-chocolate balls and I haven't decided whether to dip the peanut butter-chocolate balls in milk chocolate or peanut butter coating. Either way, I'm going to drizzle on the contrasting flavor on the peanut butter-chocolate balls.

So, now I have to go melt some chips. Hope all you non-Texan friends enjoy this little treat!

Scrap Book Ideas

2010-08-09T16:57:00.001-05:00

So you all know how it goes when you're living in a little rental with no place to scrap. When the urge comes, the living room, dining room table, or where ever you can eek out a few inches becomes your scrap spot. This time mine was the living room. For about a week and a half, my living room furniture was pushed out of the way and card tables were placed where the coffee table usually is and the place was a scrap booking mecca. Here are some of the pages I completed with some of my own scrap booking tips....

1. If you have more than one child you want to scrap an event for, just tweak the layout a little. For my little girl, the layout is pink and brown with polka dots and hearts. For my little boy, I manly-upped the colors to bright yellow and orange. The layouts are roughly identical and evoke the same memory, but the different color choices are made to appeal to the main reader.

2. Spotlight something special. See the little dinosaurs cupcake topper? Kennedy and I spent the afternoon before the party modeling these babies out of fondant. In the big picture you can't get a good idea of what his cupcakes looked like, so I zoomed in on one.

3. Use up your scraps. The little squares on this layout are little scraps from other layouts. All together and in the same color scheme they are really cute. Also, use up your letters. It's okay to use different letters from different fonts and different colors all mixed up. It gives your layout personality.

4. Some times one picture is enough. I know our kids are cute, cute, cute. But...sometimes too many pictures on a layout can drown out the message. I wanted to show Rex relaxing in the sun on a day at the splash park. One picture conveyed relaxation more than multiple pictures would have.

5. Take pictures and scrap every day events- not just birthdays and holidays and vacations. These boots were bought for Kennedy 10 years ago and all 4 of my children have loved them. This one especially shows an average day in Emerson's life...one in which she has stripped down to nothing but panties, but still insists on wearing shoes.

I'll be back with more hints and tips the next time I scrapbook. Which will probably be soon since we just made a trip to the zoo to see the cutest baby elephant....until then.....

First up...Kennedy's Quilt

2010-08-09T15:13:00.000-05:00

Kennedy has been wanting a more mature room ever since I first decorated her Myrtle Beach room in a garden theme...mural and all. Now that she truly is a 'tween and will be sharing her room with a little sister for a while, it is time she got an update. Of course, Kennedy wanted a totally modern, bright, polka dot room in lemon and lime colors which totally doesn't go with my decorating style. But, when I spotted a cute kind of polka dot quilt on the cover of a quilting magazine and took Kennedy on a trip to the fabric store I knew we could come up with a compromise. We cut out the circles on my Cricut Expression and ironed on the circles and their outlines onto white squares. Then we sewed around the circles and outlines leaving a little space for fraying. This quilt should get prettier as time goes on. I did most of the cutting and sewing while Kennedy did most of the ironing. It was my first quilted quilt... I've always tied before...and it was fun, if not totally perfect, except for sewing the binding (my fingers were sore). This quilt will be the inspiration for a combination 'tween and toddler girl room when we move to our next home. (Does it seem like we are always moving???? We are.) Kennedy wants to accent the room with owls, so our next project is to make a few owl throw pillows. I saw some cute ones at Target that I'll use for inspiration and I have a few cute owls on my Cricut cartridges. Girl fun...I love it!

Crafting Away

2010-08-09T14:54:00.001-05:00

A nice thing about moving where I know no one is that I've had plenty of time to craft. Even though we are renting a dump, I'm dreaming about the next place I'll call home and making things for the future. This summer, I've made several men's shirt dresses from some of my formerly pudgy but now fit and hunky husband's closet, (Thank you, Julia, for the quick show how), a quilt for Kennedy's bedroom for when we move, whenever that may be, another dress for Emmy from one of my favorite shirts that was torn on one of the gazillion nails in the walls of our dump, tie-dye scarfs, and I've caught up on some of my scrap booking. I'm going to start posting some of the cute crafty things I make so you can get inspiration just like I do from you.

Go Stros!!!

2010-08-01T15:55:00.001-05:00

We've now been Texans for 3 full months and have discovered the best part of being near a major city (Houston) is the baseball. We went to our second Astros game last night and cheered the Stros to another win! The best part was that last night's tickets were free from our public library for the kids reading 20 books during the month of June. That's even better than what we paid for the last game's tickets which were also awesome because all summer long we can get 2 free kids tickets with every adult ticket. Brayden sure loves his baseball and the kids were super happy when they saw themselves on the jumbo tron. I'm hoping next year it works out for us to go see the Astros play the Padres. I'll be calling mom to send me a few Padres shirts for that game. We can't totally change loyalties just because we seem to constantly change cities. For those of you who are wondering....the second best thing about southeast Texas is the 5 country music stations that we can tune into!

Emmy Gray's Birthday

2010-06-11T16:01:00.001-05:00

What a fun day to celebrate!!! Emerson is 2 today. It is so much fun to shop for a little girl. She is getting dress-up clothes and a tea set. The princess dress is Cinderella, of course! I got up early this morning to make her chocolate doughnuts for breakfast (I found the recipe on pioneerwoman.com- they are yummy and the pictures of her cooking are awesome). Then, I took the kids to the sprinkler park to play. It is hot, hot, hot here and a little short on amusement. I'm hoping we can get a house with a pool so the kids will have more to do here.

Which, brings me to our next bit of news...for those who don't know...we've moved to Texas! It was kind of an all of a sudden move. Someone Donald knew from a past job called him up to talk to him about some work in Texas. Donald was mildly interested and decided to fly to Texas just to squish any interest he had. Well, he came back to Summerville and we decided to move to Texas. Within 3 weeks, we were in Texas. We live in a little town called Lumberton in Southeast Texas. Donald is remodeling homes that were damaged during Hurricane Rita.

We like our new ward and Lumberton is a nice, safe town. The kids went to school here for the last month and met friends right away. The home we rent is kind of a dump, so Donald finally gave into the idea of getting a cat and we now have the sweetest little gray with black stripes kitty, which Rex of course named Val.

It seems everyone here went on vacation as soon as school let out so the kids are anxious for their own summer camps to start. We have cub scout camp, soccer camp, and swim lessons lined up for the summer.

But, today we are just happy to be celebrating our sweet, little, funny Emmy Gray (Val has a different opinion of Emmy- Emerson thinks Val is one of her baby dolls and Val does not like to be carried by one arm or leg). Emerson makes everyone laugh everyday and is always ready to give a kiss to anyone who helps her. We are so glad she's 2.

Bahamas

2010-03-25T07:52:00.001-05:00

Donald & I just returned from 4 days in the Bahamas. The water was so blue and beautiful. We stayed at The Atlantis on Paradise Island. There is so much to do there...pools, water slides, aquarium, lots & lots. We were able to get in the water and play with dolphins. It was funny because when the dolphin was asked if Donald was a good kisser he shook his head no and another time he sprayed Donald in the face with water. They are such smart animals. We also went snorkeling, which was the favorite thing we did there. We went out on a sail boat to a reef and swam off the boat to snorkel. There were many different colorful fish and the coral was beautiful- all different kinds, colors, and shapes. Mostly, it was nice to just relax and enjoy being together. Thanks Paul & Lisa- we had a blast!

Family Fun Run

2010-03-25T07:43:00.001-05:00

Two weeks ago, our family ran in the Flowertown Fun Run. Donald did the 5K and came in second for his age division. I ran the 1mile with the kids. Kennedy was the top girl finisher and Brayden and Rex did well, too. Rex ran the entire mile as fast as his little legs would take him. It was a fun start to our weekend.

Snow day

2010-03-25T07:39:00.001-05:00

I'm kind of late posting snow pictures. What a fun morning. It doesn't really snow in Summerville, so to wake up to a blanket of perfect white snow was wonderful. Kennedy had all the kids up and dressed, including Emerson, and outside at 6am. They played for several hours. Lots of snow men were made that day. So pretty.

Leaves Are Falling All Around

2009-10-21T14:59:00.001-05:00

Yeah!!!! We finally closed on our home in Myrtle Beach and decided to take a little trip to Asheville to celebrate. The leaves were on fire and the mountains were so beautiful. We stayed in a cabin with a hot tub- which the kids loved. Our days were spent taking in the beauty all around us. It snowed on the mountain tops Saturday night and it was the first time playing in the snow for Rex and Emerson and the first time for Kennedy since we moved from Utah. Fun, fun days.

Mud Run

2009-09-22T06:56:00.002-05:00

On Saturday, Donald and I did a mud run with our friends Chad and Carole. The mud run is a 4.2 mile run interspersed with 30 military-style obstacles. It was so dirty and slippery, but so fun. Our team finished about 700 out of 1700, which we nursing mommies thought was pretty good. We are already making plans for next year's run. Go Muddy Buddies!!!

Update

2009-08-20T13:22:00.002-05:00

Lots of excitement in the Gerratt household, as usual. Emerson has finally started walking- a little sideways, but walking nonetheless. Kennedy competed in her first triathlon last weekend and did a great job. School started Monday, AHHHH! Peace and quiet for a few hours and a house that actually stays pretty clean. And, we are pumped for the soccer season to start soon.

4th of July

2009-07-08T17:54:00.003-05:00

When we got news that Summerville was having a family parade on the 4th of July, Kennedy and I right away knew what we wanted to do. My mom had put my older brothers and sister as a choo-choo train in a parade when they were little kids and after years of staring at their picture in the hall, I was excited to have my own kids join in the fun. We spent the week shaping and painting cardboard boxes. Our little train turned out quite cute and kids had a blast painting them. The bosses of Summerville must have liked our little train too because it won the prize for "Most Original" entry into the parade. The kids got cute Uncle Sam hats, a gift certificate to use downtown, and their picture in the paper (if you'd like to see the pictures from the paper they can be found at www.summervillejournalscene.com). Independence Day was a fun day for all!

Camping

2009-05-30T12:12:00.003-05:00

Memorial Day weekend was super fun. We went camping with a group of family and friends- all with little kids. Between the five families there were 16 kids ages 10 and under. The Balls suggested a camp site in Asheville they had been to before and it worked great. The camp ground was on a lake with a beach and the kids played for hours in the sand and water. We went to Sliding Rock- a natural waterslide- and slid into a pool of 48 degree water- burrrrrr. Kennedy was feeling extra brave that day and went down the rock several times. It rained each night so we headed to bed early to escape the weather, but it was clear and beautiful during the day. The Clarks came from Tennessee and it was really good to see them before they move back to Utah- we'll miss our friends. We had so much fun we're already planning our next trip.

Meet Our New Neighbor

2009-05-30T12:01:00.003-05:00

So, this big guy moved into the pond across the street from our home about a week ago and now his girlfriend has moved in too! Our neighborhood is on a golf course and to spot a little 3-4 foot alligator is not uncommon. But, this big daddy is about 13 feet and is living in the pond about 50 yards from our house. He has me keeping the kids indoors when Donald or I can't be outside with them.

Boring Baseball?

2009-04-20T06:13:00.004-05:00

So, baseball season is upon us. I thought I could brainwash my children into believing as I always have that baseball is a boring sport. I talk up football, basketball (of course), and soccer like there is no greater fun in the world, but I have always said baseball was a bunch of standing around watching the pitcher and catcher play catch. So, much to my unliking, Brayden decided he wanted to give baseball a go this year. For the past month he has been counting down the days to the start of the season (you all know how focused he can be). He was thrilled in the store picking out a mitt and seemed to enjoy the first two practices. Saturday, their first game, couldn't come fast enough for him. I was kind of dreading sitting out in the sun with three little kids all morning, but once game time rolled around, I found myself getting a little excited. Watching Brayden out in left field staying in "ready position" and totally anticipating a ball coming his way was fun. I was nervous during Brayden's two at bats, but thrilled when he hit solid base hits at both ups. So, maybe I'm admitting I was a little wrong about baseball. It is fun and exciting and pure joy for my 7 year old boy. We'll see if I feel the same way when game 10 rolls around.

Disney World

2009-03-24T13:39:00.004-05:00

Our latest adventure was a trip to Disney World last weekend. My sister flew out from Arizona, Russ & Julia drove down from Greenville, and we hit the road, too. Altogether we had 6 adults and twelve cousins hitting up Orlando. We visited Animal Kingdom one day and Magic Kingdom the next.
Animal Kingdom was cute. We went on a few rides there and saw the animals. Brayden loved the Yeti ride (It is a lot like the Matterhorn at Disneyland). Of course, Kennedy refused to ride nearly every ride and burst into tears about every 30 minutes because the rides were too scary (alas, 10 year-old girls). Magic Kingdom was fun, also. Some highlights were seeing the space launch from Kennedy Space Center over Space Mountain, being able to use our fast pass late on Space Mountain and avoiding more than an hour wait, the funny guy dancing at It's a Small World, and just seeing the cousins get along so well and having fun together. Brayden instantly hit it off with Reilly and McKenna and Kennedy picked up right where they left off the last time they saw each other three years ago.
My sister drove up to SC for a visit and it was fun staying up late talking and hanging out with the kids.

Overkill???

2009-03-11T13:31:00.004-05:00

So, I saw these adorable pillowcase dresses at a craft fair a few years ago and thought they were too cute. At the time, I didn't have any "little" girls to make one for. But, lately I've been in a crafty mood and decided to give it a whirl. I made the hot pink one first, from an actual pillowcase. Then, I saw so many cute print ones online that I headed out to the fabric store and went a little crazy. I ended up making six dresses all together; three for Emerson, one for Kennedy, one for Brooke, and one for Piper. It took me about an hour to make two dresses at once. I love them, but where is Emerson going to wear all these dresses???

Big week for our little girl!!!

2009-03-01T13:51:00.003-06:00

Babies grow up way too fast. After a few weeks of attempts, our little Emerson has taken off crawling. I cannot leave a room now without her trailing behind. Also, Emerson got her first two teeth this week. That makes her the earliest crawler and teether of the Gerratt kids. How fun to watch all her new milestones.

Ski!!!

2009-02-10T13:07:00.003-06:00

This past weekend we made a trip to Greenville to visit the Joneses. On Friday, we took the kids to the circus. Our favorite parts were the animal acts- I especially loved the elephants. Then on Saturday, Donald, Russell, and Curtis took Brayden, Ryan, and Austin up to Asheville to ski. It was all the little boys first time skiing and they had a blast. Brayden has been dreaming about throwing snowballs at Daddy ever since Christmas when he found out he was going skiing. When Brayden got back Saturday night he had the best glow on his face; like he had just accomplished an amazing feat. In a few years all the kids will be old enough to ski together and it will be so much fun!

Thanks Kellogg's

2009-02-06T05:33:00.004-06:00

I was very disappointed to see the news stories about Michael Phelp's drug use. Our family loves the Olympics and so we followed his every achievement during the summer. I remember being 8 and watching Mary Lou Retton at the Los Angeles Olympics and absolutely idolizing her. Michael Phelps was my kid's Mary Lou. Well, Kennedy has of course caught on that Phelps is in trouble and started asking questions. She is disappointed because he is supposed to be a winner and now seems like a big loser- very confusing. Kennedy said her teacher gave them a writing prompt a few weeks ago to write about someone who you look up to. One girl who is into swimming wrote all about how great Phelps is. So, thank you Kellogg's for dropping your endorsement deal with Phelps. Frosted Flakes is one of our favorite cereals and the other day I bypassed picking up a box because it had Phelp's picture on it. He does not represent the values I want my kids developing and he is not someone I want my children to idolize. It seems that in the past few years so many athletes and celebrities (with media aimed at kids) have set bad examples. Boy do I wish there were more Mary Lous.

Men

2009-01-28T10:55:00.004-06:00

Over Christmas we hit a dog and had to have our car repaired. After several weeks of the car being out of commission, the body shop called and said the car was ready. We picked up the car which worked long enough to drop Donald's parents off at the airport and then it proceeded to kill on me and would not restart. So, I had the car towed back to the shop. A few days later, the shop calls with a laundry list of new parts the car needed and proceeds to tell me the car is out of gas and that is why the car died on me. I told the mechanic that unless the gauge had somehow been broken the car had not been out of gas. He said the gas light was on. I told him the gas light comes on at 1/8th of a tank and that it had only come on about three miles before the car died. Needless to say, the men at the shop were convinced I was a stupid female who didn't know how to put gas in her car. Several days later the car was once again "ready to go" except for still being empty of gas. So, Donald and I bring in a can of gas and the car starts right up. All the men, including my husband were looking fairly smug about their diagnosis of a lack of gas. Donald and I leave the shop, drive one block down and return our rental car, pull out to the light, and the car kills and won't restart while in the turn lane. I call the shop and the man has the audacity to ask me if I have gassed it yet. No!!! But it says I have over an 1/8th of a tank (impossible if it was out of gas seeing that Donald had only added a gallon) and I had only driven it a block. How the story ends, is that the car was never out of gas, an additional number of parts needed to be replaced, and the smug men had to eat their words. The moral of the story is that just because a female is driving the car does not mean it is simply out of gas, or she's locked her keys in the car, or she hasn't had her oil changed. I may not know very much about cars, but I know enough to know when I'm out of gas. Also, I must say thank you to my female friends who helped me out- Shauna, who I called in hysterics at the thought of me not being home when Brayden got off the school bus and who dropped everything to run over to my house and meet him, and to Bonnie who happened to see Donald and I break down in the turn lane and gave us a lift home and then offered her car to me for the day so I could keep a doctor's appointment. Some girls are very cool.

New Year Happenings

2009-01-28T08:11:00.003-06:00

Wow!!! 2009 here we come.
We had a great Christmas even with a few bumps. On Christmas Eve we hit a dog on the highway and it totally trashed the front end of our Durango. It has taken weeks for the repair shop to get it right, including returning it to me two times just to have it break down on me. But Rex and I are happy to have our car back- we started to go a little stir crazy here at home. We celebrated with a trip to the park yesterday.
Santa brought our family a Wii for Christmas and it has been a ton of fun. I've lost 8 lbs since Christmas by doing a little Wii fit every day or so. I really like the step aerobics and yoga.
Kennedy's basketball season is wrapping up. It has been a lot of fun to see her growth. She is becoming a better shot and is super at defense. Next up- soccer season.
We enjoyed a visit from Grandpa and Grandma Gerratt. Rex and Rex hung out like life-long buddies.
Cousins from Greenville were here last weekend. Nine kids under one roof- wow! Brooke and Emerson were very cute together. They watched each other very closely and took toys from one another. Two beautiful babies!!! I love Brooke's auburn hair.
Next up is a trip to Greenville for us. The circus is in town, skiing is a short drive away, and Pottery Barn has an outlet in nearby Gaffney, SC. Should be fun.

Christmas pictures are here!!!

2008-12-19T18:49:00.003-06:00

I have given up trying to get four children to smile nicely at the same time. I now take what I can get- Kennedy smiling beautifully and the boys giggling, scrunching up shoulders, sticking out tongues or whatever floats their boat. After taking about 100 pictures to put in our Christmas card I finally decided on this one- not because it shows a perfect little family, but because it shows each of their personalities. Enjoy!

Fall 2008

2008-11-18T12:14:00.003-06:00

I forget how busy Fall can be with Halloween, two birthdays, Thanksgiving, getting ready for Christmas, sports, etc. This Fall has been a blast, though. Between taking a trip to Asheville and Kennedy scoring her first goal in soccer it's been a wonderful season.

Halloween- It's one of my favorite holidays. I always try to convince my kids to dress up in coordinated outfits, but at least one child voices dissent. So, my efforts to have them all dress up together as a train fell flat. Kennedy wanted to be Giselle, from "Enchanted", Brayden was Ashe, a Pokemon character (yes, its still his obsession), and Rex and Emerson went as Tom & Jerry. I made Kennedy's, Rex's, and Emerson's costume, and what Brayden put on to be Ashe is what he wears to school everyday. We also dyed Kennedy's hair red and she's still red-haired today- it's okay, it matches her temperament.

To celebrate Halloween, we also went pumpkin picking. There is a little farm on John's Island where we picked pumpkins and took a hay ride. It was a fun afternoon for the kids.

Since we had a baby and moved over the summer we didn't take a trip then, so, we headed up to Asheville for several days to take in the Fall colors. It was gorgeous. The Blue Ridge Parkway was on fire. Pictures do not do it justice.

Earlier this month, Brayden turned 7 and Kennedy 10. Wow!!! They sure are growing up fast.

A week ago we also had our first rush to the emergency room for stitches. Rex fell on the stairs and split his chin wide open- he needed 6 stitches. The doctor said Rex was his best patient of the day because he laid still and didn't cry at all while the doctor stitched him up.

Kennedy has been playing soccer and last night was her team's first play-off game and she also scored her first goal. She dribbles and passes the ball so well that she often sets her teammates up for goals, but she just hadn't made any herself. She was so happy and the proud look on her face was priceless.

Check out the new pictures of Emerson. She is so sweet and cute. She is just about sitting up on her own and is still happy to see anyone who'll talk to her. She is going to try her first taste of solid food 0n Thanksgiving- a little sweet potato.

Hurricane Hanna???

2008-09-04T12:50:00.004-05:00

I've spent the last few days watching and preparing for Hanna. It looks like she's petering out and will hit north of us, but it is always good to get prepared- especially if you live in the South in September. So, I stocked up on bottled water and groceries, gassed up the car, and made sure we had a little cash on hand. We now live inland enough that I don't think we'd have to evacuate, but with a strong storm we might lose power so I stocked up on batteries, too.
Each of our family members have a hurricane backpack they can grab and take with them in an emergency. I use old school backpacks and pack them with the following: a change of clothes (usually something wearable but stained and is no longer good for school), a change of tennis shoes (ones that fit but are maybe last year's), toiletries (toilet paper, soap, shampoo, a toothbrush and paste, etc- hotel and trial sizes are perfect), two bottles of water, snacks that don't go bad easily (fruit snacks, pop tarts, trail mix, etc), flashlight and change of batteries, a little money, and emergency contact information. Other things I add to the adult backpacks are a first-aid kit, a weather radio, and a little bit more money. Things I would consider adding if I thought we may have to evacuate are small games like cards for the kids to play, paperback books to read, water purification tablets, foil blankets, and canteens.
Our packs are intended to get us through a rough spot- like a day or two- until we can get to a relative's home or a shelter. As we saw with Hurricane Katrina not all shelters are created equal so I want to be prepared. The reason I put money and emergency contact info in the kid's pack is in case we get separated for some reason. It is important that each child be able to carry their own backpack, so think light. If you have a baby like we do, don't forget about diapers and wipes, too.
So, it looks like Hanna might skirt past us, but we'll still be looking out for Ike and Josephine right after. Better to be prepared and have a plan then caught off guard.

Silly Rex

2008-08-25T09:37:00.005-05:00

The first day of school at a new school where you know no one made not only Kennedy nervous, but Rex too. He did not want to see the summer end and be left at home with Mom and Emerson. Rex wants to go to school, too. And ride the school bus. The kids had only been gone about an hour when Rex started asking to go meet the bus.
The funniest thing he did was the night before the first day of school when Donald gave Kennedy and Brayden a father's blessing. When their turns were over, Rex climbed right up in the chair and looked up at his daddy with expectant eyes. Donald asked Rex what he wanted to be blessed for and Rex said "cause I play football at BYU". (Mom's done a little brainwashing already).
Such a cute, sweet boy!

Cousin Swap

2008-08-25T09:26:00.004-05:00

What's a cousin swap? Only the most peaceful week of my summer!!! Julia and I came up with the idea to switch a couple of kids for a week. So, Kennedy went to her home and Kylee came to mine. The biggest plus- our big kids had someone to play with and were away from the sibling they fight with the most.
I wondered how Brayden and Kylee would get along being a boy and a girl, but they behaved like good friends. No fighting, arguing, or name calling. They kept each other company and Brayden did not tell me he was bored the entire week.
I didn't know how I'd manage without Kennedy because she has been so helpful with the baby, but Brayden, Kylee, and Rex occupied themselves and I was able to take care of Emerson just fine.
We went to the Children's Museum, Wannamaker park, and took Emerson to her first movie. Kylee was so much fun to have around and such a calming influence on Brayden. She's welcome to stay with us anytime.
Kennedy has a lot of fun playing with Ryan, too. And Aunt Julia took her to see some horses.
It was a great week because the cousins were able to spend an extended time together and grow closer as friends. I hope we get to do it again soon.

Long time.....No write

2008-08-22T11:18:00.001-05:00

Okay, I've been exceptionally bad at keeping up on my blog. Since October 2007 we've had another baby and moved!!!.

First, the best part...our new baby girl!!! Emerson Gray was born June 11, 2008. She was a very healthy 9 lbs 5 oz, our biggest yet. Now that she is 2 1/2 months old, she's even bigger. Over 12 pounds and in the 95% for height. She is a cute little chubby girl. Emerson has the most beautiful blue eyes. She looks like a cross between Kennedy and Brayden- more like Brayden though. It is so nice to have another girl. I've never bought so much pink in my whole life.

Next, our move. Donald has been commuting and staying over in Charleston throughout my pregnancy and once we had the baby we decided it was time for us to quit the long distance thing. So, the first of August we moved to Summerville. It is a pretty town and we seem to have a really good ward, but whoa the traffic.

Kennedy and Brayden had their first day of school yesterday and both really like their new teachers. Of course, Brayden already has a half-dozen new friends. I was so looking forward to the first day of school and some peace and quiet, but now it's almost too quiet.

Rex is starting to potty train. For resisting the idea for sooooo long, he sure is doing great at it. It didn't take him long to figure out the M&M reward for going- now he wants to pee-pee all the time.

Today's the last night of the Olympics. I'm sad we have to wait four years for another. Go USA!!

Halloween!!!

2007-11-01T10:42:00.001-05:00

What a busy day! Halloween is so fun...carving pumpkins, dressing up, and eating candy. Kennedy was a detective, Brayden was Obi Wan Kenobi, and Rex was a cute little cowboy. Our neighborhood didn't have too many kids out this year so people were dumping their candy on our kids- they made out like bandits. When Donald took his annual "taxes" the kids didn't mind too much because they still had tons left.
After school, I tried to get the kids to get their chores done so we could have fun fast. They were so excited about trick-or-treating it was hard to focus on jobs and homework. And trying to get a healthy dinner in them before they gorge on candy was kind of a joke, too. Although Brayden did eat six pieces of pasta instead of his usual 1 before going out last night.
My one beef with Halloween was the teenagers hanging out in the middle of the street when we returned home from trick-or-treating. The group was all dressed up complete with candy bags and smoking cigarettes. Parents, if your children are old enough to go out trick-or-treating by themselves they are too old to trick-or-treat. And please don't let your children wear trashy costumes. Personally, I turn off the lights about 8:30pm on Halloween because all the kids who should be trick-or-treating are home by then.

Football Fever

2007-10-07T05:59:00.001-05:00

Hoorah!!! Brayden's football team won their first game yesterday. And, when Brayden got the ball on a running play he didn't even drop the ball. Yeah!!!

Brayden is the littlest guy on the field and is still learning the basics. Half the time he's on the field he looks a little clueless. But, he knows what it means to win. He fretted about his team not winning a game yet all week and asked me about twenty times if I thought they would win this week. When he came off the field at the end of the game he had a huge smile on his face. He said the other team was making fun of them, but they won!

Rex loves to watch the football games. During the whole game he wanted to play catch on the sidelines. I don't know how we are going to keep him off the field for two more years.

Mom Days

2007-10-01T14:20:00.001-05:00

So, here's what a stay-at-home mom does. I got up at 5:45am in order to get my kids up, fed, dressed, and on the bus at 6:30. I caught an half-hour of the Today Show and then went to the garage to run on the treadmill for 30 mins. Got Rex dressed and ready for the day, plopped him in front of ETV and took a shower.
Picked the kids up at school at 9:30 for a dentist appointment- Kennedy was at PE and no one in the school office wanted to walk out on the field to get her and I "wasn't allowed" to. We got to the dentist and that went well. My pediatrician recommended a pediatric dentist for the kids and she was wonderful- Dr. Winnie for you here in MB. NO CAVITIES!!! Took the kids to Mc Donald's for lunch since they both missed it at school and then checked them back in at school.
Put Rex down for a nap, did some laundry, and cleaned bathrooms. Met the kids at the bus stop at 3:00pm. Then it was homework and chores. Oh, is Brayden a pain when it comes to chores. No amount of bargaining, threatening, or bribing gets it done any easier for him. Picking up the playroom, a 10 min job, can take days!
Then off to football practice. We brought the dog with us because Kennedy insisted she wanted to play with him at the park. Yeah right! I took Rupert for a swim in the pond (he was one happy doggy) and Kennedy watched Rex during practice.
Then its home by 7:15. Dinner, luckily we had leftover pot pie, baths, and bed by 8:00pm.
At last I could snuggle with Donald on the couch, crochet a little, and enjoy the series premiere of "The Office".

Julie's Space

2007-09-26T11:59:00.001-05:00

Hi Family & Friends,

I'm starting this blog so I can keep in better touch with all of you who are so far away. I'll basically put up stuff about what the kids and Donald and I are doing and update pictures of the kids. Hopefully this site can be used to share some of my crafting- mostly scrapbooking and crocheting. I hope you enjoy reading the journaling and visit the site often.

Thanks, Julie