1st day of school 2011

Today was the 1st day of kids for my two older ones.

Hunter is in 3rd gradeMadelyn is in 2nd grade
Today was even more special because they got to ride in a BUS!
They are very excited for this new experience.
I don't mind them riding the bus it's the pick up time at 7:10 am that has me a little worried.


After last year's scenario with Madelyn I was TERRIFIED we'd have a repeat. I normally work on wed.'s but switched days so that I could be home on the 1st day of school . All day yesterday I kept asking myself why I did that. I kept thinking I should have left my schedule alone and let Kory "deal" with her this year. To my utter relief she did great. When I went to wake everyone up this morning she was already dressed, shoes on and back pack on her back. That girl was ready before 6 am this morning. I'm glad she was excited. Before the bus came she leaned over to me and said that she was getting nervous. I told her that was O.K lots of kids are going to be nervous today she would NOT be the only one. I think it really helped that her teacher had a little get to know you the night before. Attending this let Madelyn find her classroom, her desk and she even got to pick the chair she wanted.

Hunter while getting ready told me he didn't feel good. His stomach hurt. After spending a few extra mintues with him this morning helping him get ready his stomach ache went away. I think this was his way of saying he was just a wee bit nervous too.
Despite the nerves this morning it sounds to me like they both had a great day!

Girly Projects

A few weeks ago I had had enough of the girls bathroom. You see despite all the work we've done with this house we're living in we haven't quite gotten to the girls bathroom. There bathroom has a huge counter that runs from wall to wall with double sinks. There are three drawers and 2 cupboards underneath. The top drawer is completely missing. The 2nd drawer is present and is stuffed with headbands, hair bows, hair brushes, combs, toothbrushes, toothpaste, bobby pins, curlers, etc. Thanks to the toothpaste that seems to get thrown in there without the lid on of course it is the NASTIEST drawer we probably have in the entire house. The bottom drawer is there but in several pieces and so is also not usable. Of the 2 cupboards, we are using both but one of the doors is just hangin' on one hinge. I'm waiting for the day it too breaks!

Several years ago I made the girls a bow holder. I bought a poster from Good Will, kept the frame threw the poster away and covered it in bright orange polk a dot material that matched our fishy bathroom at the time. I loved it! The girls used it constantly. Having a bow board keeps the bows from being thrown into a toothpaste covered drawer, it keeps them cleaner, they're not smashed and it's much easier to pick which bow to wear for the day when they are all on display. Madelyn has been wanting to change our bow board fabric and ribbon from the bright orange polk a dot to something that now matches her pink/purple/turqoise bathroom.

Not having Hobby Lobby down the street and NOT wanting to drive an hour, one way, to the nearest fabric store I had Maddie pick something out of our fabric stash. She did good! We pulled out the old hot glue gun and together gave the bow board a face lift. After I hung the board she went through all of our bows and tossed the ones that were broken or the ones that we don't use anymore. She did a great job.

Several years ago while blog hopping I came across a blog about turning garbage into useful items again. The one thing that I remember from that blog was how she turned an old Oat Meal container into a head band holder.

WOW!

Wanting all hair products out of the toothpaste infested drawer this became our 2nd project to do together. Madelyn picked out some scrapbook paper and then she and I mod podged it to the oat meal container. While the paper was drying she painted the lid a matching green.

The next morning after all was dried she quickly put our new container to use.

The oat meal container is the perfect width. The headbands both stretchy and hard strap on real good with out a lot of sliding down. What doesn't fit around the container and go inside.

Madelyn loves the way it turned out.

It's been at least two weeks since we've done these projects. Her and Emily's bathroom is staying so much cleaner. They can now see what they've got with everything on display like it is.

The girls are happy with there cleaner drawer/counter space.

It makes me happy as I haven't had to "wash" toothpaste out of bows every stink'n morning.

This coming week our family's schedule is changing again. School starts for the kids and I'm taking another accounting course online that will also begin this week. With EVERYTHING else happening in our life I've wanted to get a few projects done before life gets very hectic around here.

A few years ago it somehow became tradition for mom to make the birthday child a special shirt/outfit for there big day. At the beginning of this year Hunter informed me that he was too old (8) for a birthday shirt this go round. Madelyn having seen a Happy Birthday shirt at DI earlier this year asked to have it instead of me making her one for her 7th birthday. I knew these day's would soon come to an end but it still made me sad.

Back in early March my sister Sheri and I decided to throw our two boys a joint birthday party. We went with a "car" theme and so I made both boy's matching car shirts to wear on there big day. While I was working on the shirts my sister in-law Christina asked if I would make her daughter a birthday shirt too for later this year.

I LOVE my boys but oh my goodness sewing for girls is so much funner!

Miss Elena is turning 2 in a few weeks and this is what I came up with.
I just love the way the skirt turned out with the matching cupcake and bow.

I just love everything about this cute outfit!

Having a lot of left over fabric I decided to make another almost identical outfit for my other niece that will be turning one in a few months.

I always loved putting my girls in dresses but when they were babies I hated seeing the old white diaper underneath. I always tried to make sure they had a diaper cover on especailly for pictures. With Mya's outfit I decided to add a little diaper cover. Having never made one before I used one of Brayden's diapers as a pattern. I think the whole outfit is just adorable. The diaper cover ended up being a little smaller than I would have liked. I'm not sure it's going to fit her. Not having a one year old around I couldn't try it on anyone but my big 2 year old. He loved that (hehehehe)!

I still LOVE these outfits. I hope the mom's of these little girls like the outfits as much as I do!

Kane County Fair

This weekend was our Kane County Fair. Saturday morning we headed to the High School's auditorium to see all the exhibits on display. I contemplated some sewing/crafting projects I've done over the past few months but I didn't know when, where or how to go about turning our stuff in. Next year we will definetly be participating. After the kids hearing that you get $3 and up for every ribbon you earn (everyone earns a ribbon) they want to participate too. While walking around the displays we heard a lot of , "Oh! Mom I did that this year too" from our children.

One of Kory's nieces, Angelique turned 15 a few weeks ago. For her birthday she wanted a "new bedroom". Her parents have gone to a lot of work. Her then bright pink little girl bedroom is now a soft brown with white moulding teenage bedroom. She also got a new bed spread with matching curtains. She has asked me to help her decorate. Before this new bedroom she use to be able to nail, tack and tape all the posters and pictures she wanted to all over her walls. One of the 1st things we made for her was a magnet board. I had one that I wasn't planning on using and so gave it to her. One night about 2 weeks ago she came over and I showed her how to modge podge scrap book paper and create her very own magnet board. She painted the sides purple, added a flower, made some magnets to go with it and tadaa... the final project. She turned it it to the fair and one the Sweepstakes! This caught Hunter's eye. He'd now like to take shot gun shells and turn it into art!

We have a very talented cake decorator in our ward. Her 8 year old daughter turned this in. Madelyn and I have been practicing our skills. Next year Madelyn wants to turn a cake in too.

A few hours after the exhibits we went to the rodeo. Our kids weren't planning on particpating becuase every other rodeo we've been too the kids had to register before hand. At this rodeo the kids registered that evening.

Brayden after finding a plastic spoon spent the night away digging and playing.

Hunter with his cousin Orinn sat on the rails waiting for there turn.

Emily and Brayden were able to ride Uncle Dustin's horse next to where we had parked the trucks.

When it came to the events we participated in a few of them. Madelyn was the 1st to ride the sheep. The first time she did it as soon as the doors opened and the sheep and her were suppose to come barreling out the sheep had other thoughts. Instead of running out the sheep fell over and just layed there. Madelyn didn't get hurt and they gave her a retry on a different sheep.

Her second sheep didn't fall over and ran out as it was suppose to. However on it's way out the sheep ran to close to the corral and knocked Madelyn's leg into one of the posts. She hung for about 3 seconds and then fell off. Daddy was there to help her get back up. She was in tears due to her knee. This morning she's got 3 nice size bruises on her knee and down the front of her leg on that bone. I'm sure it hurt last night.

Hunter too rode the sheep. He was the 1st and only in his age group that stayed on for 8 seconds.

He won $20.00. He says he is definetly doing this again next year.

I have a love/hate relationship with my camera.

During the day I LOVE it. At night or dusk I HATE IT.

The pictures at night are ALWAYS blurry when I try to take a picture that involves movement.

Both Hunter and Madelyn also participated in the hide pull. Unfortuanetly every single picture turned out blurry and un recognizable. A cousin of Hunter's was signed up to do the Sweet Heart's Race with her dad BUT she had fallen asleep in the back of the truck. Hunter was asked to fill in her spot. This is when 2 people are at the starting line but one is on a horse. At GO! the person on foot runs across the arena to a barell. That person has to put a dress on, climb up and then stand on the barell. When the person is up and standing the rider and horse come galloping down, picks up the now "sweet heart" and races back to the finish line. Uncle Dustin and Hunter did an awsome job. For quite some time they were the top speed. Near the end though someone else beat them. Kory says they were beat by 100th of a second.

WOW!

Maybe next year.

Over all it was a very late but very fun night. We are so glad we went. Next year we'll be able to particpate in a little more and help the kids earn some money. The one thing we want the kids to do is to do a show animal. The options are endless, goat, steer, pig, etc. During the fair the kids and there animal are suppose to walk the arena showing off there animal. The next day is the aucion where people can bid on these animals. The winning steer was sold for $2900. Some of the kids cousins pigs sold for $500-650 a piece. The kids generally walk away with a profit of $300+. Kory's got nieces and nephews that have done this for many years. They are in there early teens and have $3-6,000 in there savings account. The parents let there kids spend some of the money periodically through out the year but for the most part this money is saved for missions and college. It's a great way for the kids to earn money!

Ice Caves/Cascasde Falls

Saturday morning we loaded the kids and went out to explore some more.

Our 1st stop was the Ice Caves. It's another hole in the ground only much greener and prettier than Mammoth's Cave was. Unfortunately at the opening was a swarm of bee's, hornet's and biteing flies. Hunter was the only brave enough one to crawl down through the swarms. This cave is much steeper getting into than what we were expecting. This log that's basicly just leaning there was really the only thing you'd have to hold onto. We could have lifted the kids down if there hadn't been so many flying stinging insects around. We had Hunter come out and told the kids we'd come back another time. Hunter said that what little time he was down there he could see ice cycles and the ground was covered with packed snow! We'll have to go back another time.
In the same area that we were in are the Cascade Fall's. Being the Ice Cave was a bust we decided to go here instead.

We had a GREAT time.

It's about a 1/2 miles both ways. The kids were thrilled with this very miniture stream we passed by. It's always fun to get wet.

Eventually we got to the platform above the Casade Falls.

This is what they were all looking at!

Isn't it beautiful?

Brayden was mesmerized by the water fall.

It was a beautiful hike.

The kids had plenty of litle hills to climb.

An almost family picture. Just missing the hubby.

Brayden and mom taking a rest.

It wasn't until we headed back that we realized it was almost all up hill at a gentle slope. Still we quickly realized if we held hands there were less complaints.

We were surrounded by gorgeous scenery.

It was a great way to spend a few hours together as a family.

Sports Room

Moving into a new house is always a great opportunity to get creative. I love decorating each room with a theme. After we moved in I told each of the kids to be thinking of a theme for there new bedroom. I think it would be easier sometimes just to pick it out myself but my older kids are getting big enough that they like to be included in some of these decisions. After a few days of comtemplating Hunter chose a sports theme. Being we have such big windows in all the bedrooms I decided I'd start with drapes first. I made the curtains for the smaller window 1st and then last week finished these bad boys. I messed up so many times on the smaller window that I had scared myself silly to make this big one. There not perfect by any means but it wan't such a horrible experience like the smaller drapes were. Those smaller ones gave me such a hard time that in the end I had forgotten to add the "black out" material. I made sure I didn't forget this second time round. Here is Hunter's side of the room. At Hunter's baptism I had a picture of him with a mat on display. Those that came signed there names on the mat. Hunter chose to hang this above his bed.

This is Brayden's side of the room. See the difference between the 2 drapes? Big difference of how much light comes through. One of these days when everything else on my list is checked off I'll add the "black out" fabric to them. I found a cute sports theme picture frame at D.I last week. It goes great above Brayden's bed with a picture of him in it.

After finishing the boys curtains I decided to do a few more things on the list for there bedroom.

Hunter helped paint this wood plaque I've had in a box for over a year. We added the dowels and it now makes a perfect place for him to hang his hats.

On our list to do was to re-do his dinosaur magnet board.

I've had these sports wood pieces in one of my craft drawers for many years now.

His new magnet board is done just in time for school to start.

He now has a place to hang all his school work on that he wants to keep for a while.

I love the way this little corner of his room turns out.

There are a few more things that Hunter would like in his room.

The wall that his bed is up against is still empty (heaven forbid). Hunter would like me to make him some sports shelves for him to put his trophy's and other prized posessions onto. His bedroom also has a loft in it. He wants me to make something that hangs from the loft that's of course sports related (He's a Interior Decorator in the making). The only thing I've come up with to hang from the loft is to do a sports banner of some sort????

The boys room is almost complete. It's great to see so many projects checked off the list.

Mammoth Cave

I'm playing catch up tonight! It's almost been a month since I've posted last which is very unlike me. After my last post our computer CRASHED! It was down for several days before our awsome computer guru from Arizona was able to fix it for us. After thinking it was fixed I tried to blog to discover ALL of my pictures on the computer were GONE!

This mama was NOT happy. I haven't backed up my computer in over a year! I was so mad to think all of my pictures were gone. I've been working on my kids scrap books lately. Not wanting a ton of pictures lying around I've only been printing a few at a time one child at a time. I was so upset thinking all was lost. Our computer guro, my new hero, was eventually able to find them for me. Part of the bug that crashed our computer was to hide our files. They were there the whole time he just had to play hide n' seek.

Once our computer was up and running again we went out of town. Since then all I can say is we've been busy with other stuff. So tonight I'm trying to play catch up with what our family was up to for the month of July.

This is Mammoth Cave.

It's only about 20 minutes away from our house.

At first it looks like just a big hole in the ground. It kinda is but it's more like a ginormous hole. Hunter's standing almost in the middle of the picture but his clothes helps blend him in. When you climb down into the hole there are two caves. One on each side.
This is the side we chose to go through first. The opening starts out a good size. An adult can stand up fully.

Very soon though the rock ceiling drops very low.

Madelyn, Emily and Hunter had to crouch through most of this cave too.
Kory and I felt like we were crawling most of the way.

After about a 1/4 of a mile of crawling over rocks, we came out on top through another but much smaller hole in the ground.

We then walked back to the original hole and walked through the second cave.

This second cave was humongous! No crawling or slouching needed.

Our pictures aren't the best. Without flashlights on it was pitch black. You couldn't see your hand in front of you. We had everyone shut off there flash lights for the pictures but then we had to aim the camera where we thought and clicked hoping to catch somebody in it. The flash of course caught what was around us.

There were some pretty big rocks we had to climb over.

This bigger cave came to a dead end but was still quite fun. The kids were a bit disapointed they didn't have to climb there way out like they did the 1st one.

We're having fun getting to know the different fun, family, free outings we have in almost our very own back yard. The kids really had a great time exploring these caves. We'll definetly being going back. Another cave near by are the Ice Caves. Apparently all year long there's a lot of ice with in it's cave. Sound a little cold to me but that will be our next exploration family date.
We're all a little curious to see what that ones like.

A Trip To Prescott

I've wanted to take a trip to Prescott before school started again. Last weekend we were finally able to go. I was hoping that our trip to Prescott would be for several days but it ended up being quite quick. Kory needed to go to Prescott for a kitchen measurement and wanted to tag along with the kids and I to save gas money. However he wasn't able to get a single day off so we left Saturday morning and returned monday just in time for him to get to work that afternoon. Despit the quick trip we had a great time with our friends. We stayed with our best friends, the Schultz. April had found this pool on clearance and brought it out for the kids to enjoy. Despite having 7 kids in a small pool they all had a good time. The kids kept going back and forth from the pool to the trampoline.

April's husband Kevin was out of town which was too bad, we missed him. Kory did his thing all day saturday while April and I entertained the kiddo's. When he got home April and I left him alone with all 7 kids under the age of 8. We did take April's baby with us and headed off to Hobby Lobby, my FAVORITE store of all time. I could spend hours there walking up and down each isle. I bought some fabric for an upcoming project that Madeylyn and I are going to do. After Hobby Lobby we went to Target and then to another friends for me to get a much needed hair cut. I love the new do! April and I had a great time together having some much needed alone/girl time together. It was great to be together, to reminence about the past. It's been a year now that we moved. I still miss my best friend living across the street.

One of the things I miss about Prescott is the Monsoon season. I love the rain. Almost every afternoon the clouds would come rolling in, we'd have a little thunder a little lightening, a big down pour that lasts less then 10 minutes and then it's gone till the next day. Sunday after church we got to experience the monsoon season again. The kids were out side playing while we were putting dinner together. We had seen the dark clouds on our way home from church but they weren't close by. All of a sudden we saw lightening, heard a roar of thunder and then BOOM! The kids didn't even have a chance. They were drenched. That's what I find so amazing about the monsoons. There's not a lot of leading up to the big storm, there's no sprinkling. One minute it's dry and the next everything is wet!

Dancing in the rain.

WET! WET! WET!

Thanks for hosting us April, we had a GREAT time.

Can't wait to do it again.