This Is The Year

Welcome! I hope everyone is enjoying their summer...mine already seems jam packed with activities and commitments! Does it never end? Please forgive me for my negligence in getting around to visit everyone...I'm trying! But I never seem to be caught up! I hope you've all managed to squeeze some time in to get a Mod Podge project done for Mod Podge Mania! I just LOVE seeing all your creative ideas! This month I wanted to share with you the gift I made for my little brother and his wife for the grocery bridal shower (fun, huh?) her family threw. I promised way back when I first started that I would share, and I finished the gift, and gave it away without taking pictures! My brother finally got around to snapping some for me and emailing them to me! My mother and I have gone through our recipe collections, picked out our favorites and she has typed them up and printed them onto 4x6 index cards. Then I make these fun little recipe tins...this is our favorite shower gift to give t...

I'm so excited that one of my favorite bloggers , Shawn at Seriously is hosting Kasey's Friend Makin ' Monday this week! She picked a fabulous topic....Independence Day ranks right up there with Christmas for me on Holidays I absolutely HEART . I can't begin to express my love for this country and my gratitude for being an American. It's so funny, I didn't know about this week's theme at the time, but I stayed up all night last night revamping my blog for July! Do you love it? Please turn your sound on if you don't already have it on and enjoy some beautiful patriotic music while you're here! Also...I had so much fun making my God Bless America button, please feel free to snag it if you'd like to dress up your blog for July! On to today's task! Shawn has some great summer get to know you questions! What are you doing this July 4 th ? We're going to keep it simple this year with a commitment -free day...meaning we aren't ' commi...

I loved my weekend! I'm going to share it with you via TONS of pictures and videos...you should be used to that by now! It started off on Friday with an overnighter with the Young Women. We all stayed in the backyard of the Young Women's President in tents. We roasted hot dogs, and later on had S'mores. The simplified version...have you heard of this? Instead of graham crackers and Hershey's bars, you just use fudge stripe cookies and smoosh the marshmallow between 2 of them. So much easier...and very delicious! I also learned something new from the girls. Have you heard of roasted Starbursts? Yeah, I was skeptical too, but the girls insisted we try it. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised! You roast the Starbursts on a roasting stick, just like a marshmallow. When it starts to bubble around the oustside, it's finished. You let it cool a little so you can get it off the stick, and then enjoy! They end up kind of crispy on the outside, and full of warm, fruity go...

Hey everyone! It's Friday again! I'm at an overnighter for the Young Women, followed by our pre-camp hike. We go to camp July 13! I couldn't leave without first scheduling my Video Countdown to Vegas post! What would you all do without your (my) New Kids fix? Today I'm going to share their latest music video. It's the official music video of their song 2 In The Morning. This is one of my favorite songs on the album (The Block), and the video just makes it that. much. better. Really! I think all 5 of the guys are looking especially fine in this one, and I hope you enjoy! Only 2 more weeks 'til we hit the road! Pray for my dear Tanielle to be feeling better for our road trip! And don't forget Mod Podge Mania, Tuesday June 30!

Today is the 61st anniversary of the day my mother made her grand entrance! I wanted to take this opportunity to wish her the happiest of birthdays...she deserves it. She's been through a lot in her life, and I really admire her strength. Some of you may have seen my Father's Day post so you know a little of our history...but today I'd like to elaborate a little more. Like me, all my mom wanted when she became a mother was to stay home and raise her children. She was only able to do that for less than 2 years. When I was a little younger than 2, and my mother was expecting her 2nd child, her husband decided he didn't want to be a father or husband any longer, and he left. My mother was a single, pregnant mother without a job. She went home to Idaho to have my brother. But then she moved to another state as a young, single mother of 2 in order to find work and support her small family. She worked long days, and came home to take care of her children in the evenings by h...

Hello ladies. Welcome to another edition of EM:ME hosted by the fabulous Amber . Looking to get healthy, and need some support and encouragement? Then you should definitely hop on over to Amber's and check it out! I don't have a lot of progress to report this week. No loss. No gain. I'm feeling a little frustrated at my stand still. My exercise hasn't been as consistent as I'd like, but I have been able to increase my jogging time and walking speed, thus increasing my over all distance on my treadmill workout. I guess that's something. I know my inconsistency in exercising is because of my increasingly bad habit of staying up too late (er, early). I can't remember the last time I went to bed before midnight...and it's catching up to me. I know that on the days I'm too tired to get myself motivated to get on the treadmill, that's why. I just need to make a commitment to get to bed...no excuses. Today's question: "Who is your biggest supp...

Once...there was this one day....when the sun actually peeked out. For a minute. On that day, we went to the park. So I thought I'd share a whole lot of photos from that day. Best shot of the day...to be tucked away to show to future boyfriends. I love these shoes! I couldn't find any in my size! This look on Cowgirl's face is the result of Bookworm standing on the net a little behind her, and jumping up and down...trying to make her fall! This is Bookworm's best "bored" look because he says the park is for little kids and babies. Weeeee! Pixie's idea of swinging "high" is barely moving. Cowgirl is more of a thrill seeker! I took these last pictures for Amanda (Sturgmom)... she's a little envious of my mountains...so I want to share them with her whenever I can! Of course, the rain came back the next day. It's still here. It's taking a 24 hour break right now...but we know it's back tomorrow!

Like when she decides to nearly take Pixie's finger off with a pair of my sharpest scissors. Warning: if pictures of injuries upset you, you may want to skip this one. It's not horribly graphic, but some people don't like the sight of pain...so just my little disclaimer. So Friday night I'm in the bathroom (why am I always in the bathroom when all hell breaks loose?), when all of a sudden I hear a blood curdling scream coming out of Pixie. She doesn't stop...she is in hysterics. She just keeps screaming, and screaming and screaming.... My 2 older kids start yelling "Monkey cut Pixie with the scissors!" There's sheer panic in their voices, and I'm envisioning completely severed fingers or something. I come into the kitchen, where everyone is yelling, and Monkey is now also crying hysterically. There is blood everywhere. I quickly determine that all fingers are still attached, take Pixie to the bathroom, try to calm her down, and clean up the blood,...

We honor Daddies. I am blessed to have a dad who loved my mom, married her, and loved my brother and myself as his own. They married the year I turned 8, and my little brother turned 6. Our biological father had left when I was 2, and my mom was pregnant with my little brother. After they were married in the Idaho Falls Temple for Time and all Eternity, we were sealed to him as well. Shortly thereafter, our biological father gave his consent for us to be adopted. Even before this my mom's new husband was "Dad" to us, but we were thrilled to officially have his last name. Of course things weren't always rosy. The teenage years were filled with stubborness and pride on both sides, which of course led to the inevitable "you're not my real dad". But he is my "real" dad. As real as any dad could be. Thank you for being a dad to me anyway...even when I didn't think I wanted you to. Though his blood doesn't run in my veins, or those ...

Ahhhh Yeah. It's that time again! You know you've been lookin' forward to it all week ... my NKOTB Video Countdown to Vegas! This week's featured song is another oldie but goodie. It's from a performance they did last month on the Today show. Now an outdoor performance just doesn't have the same rich, full sound as an indoor venue with state of the art accoustics. But the energy of this performance is just so fun that I forgot about all that and just really enjoyed remembering this song! The only thing that keeps this video from perfection is that they cut away from the guys to this annoying reporter, anchor, whatever you call them that was being a total dweeb. The first time is right in the middle of my boy Joey's part. Can you say irritating? But I'm over it...remember this song? This time it's embedded Vivienne ...and you know what that means! UPDATE: Need some more New Kids Fabulousness? I just visited my fellow Blockhead JennyKate , and she h...

I'm so excited that the darling Alicia at Imma Momma has started a weekly photo challenge. She gives some basic tips on ways to improve your photography, then each week you share what you have learned in the form of a photo! I so want to become a better photographer! If you do too, go check out her weekly Photo Challenge ! Last week's challenge was: Get In There! Practice taking pictures capturing details and getting up close to your subject. Practice getting up close to eliminate distracting backgrounds. Don't forget to watch for unwanted shadows and continue practicing in different light. Last week we took the kids to the park...I got a lot of great shots that I'll share later this week. But I thought for today's photo challenge I would share this favorite one of Pixie. I just love it! I was also tagged by the fabulous, fellow New Kid Loving JennyKate ! You must go check her out because she's simply hilarious! Trust me! I'm to go to my pictures, open...