JIKI and Co.

Slacker!

2011-01-17T12:04:00.000-07:00

It's been ages since I posted here. And probably will be again. I do most of my updates on Twitter/Facebook. *sigh* I do update Karasmatically more often. Thought I should let anyone that cares know...

2010-11-05T13:02:00.000-06:00

Yes its been a while, but I'll make up for it with Halloween Pictures! Here they are:

Isaac and his Mistcloak!

I made the Mistcloak. I think it turned out pretty good considering I made the patter. :)

Rachel was a Black Kitty this year.

Isabel was Silvermist from Tinkerbell. She loves her new Hello Kitty bag made by Granny.

I made her dress and she wore it night and day for a week. It's pretty!

Jacob was Roxas from Kingdom Hearts II. He has been wanting to be this character since last year!

Once again, I made his costume. It looks pretty dang close to the pic! Ryan Day made his keyblade.

I made the kitty tail, but don't have a pic for it. Getting her whiskers on was a challenge!

Happy Halloween!

We had a grand time Trick O' Treating! It was cold and rainy, but we went out anyways and once again came home with way too much candy! Good time was had by all!

Busy Busy Me!

2010-09-20T11:44:00.000-06:00

I've been busy. Very busy. I've been starting a new business and even though it has slowed down now that its actually up and running... I am still busy with it and life in general. Its all good stuff!

Jacob and Isabel are back in school and both loving their teachers. Both of them started dance classes this fall and Jacob is continuing with his piano. He is getting very good. I'm hoping to start Isabel in January.

Rachel is very busy and very curious. She gets into everything she can reach and attempts to climb where she cannot. She's not walking yet, but it won't be long until she is running around the house.

Well, its a quick update, but life is busy and doing really well. Yay!

End of July

2010-07-28T11:00:00.000-06:00

I have had a fun, busy month. This week I am catching up and recuperating. I h.ave taken a nap everyday so far and will probably need to continue the trend. Emily is now living with us and I'm really enjoying that. I've also started walking again (7 am!) and I am glad to get back in the habit. I've been working hard at losing some pounds and it is slowly, but surely starting to come off. I am reading a book, listening to a book, and reading an electronic book to fill in the brief moments of extra time. Good times!

Busy

2010-07-07T14:24:00.000-06:00

I've been busy having fun! I had a couple rounds of Moore kids through my house, April/Kenny and Co. have stayed at my house, we went to the Rubert Reunion, dear friends from AZ, and my parents stayed with me. Lots of fun, games, and food have kept me very busy. And it was so fun! I have a few days to recoup then I think I'm off to visit my mom... then back again for Em's graduation and moving into my home. Yay!

Cruise

2010-06-21T15:54:00.000-06:00

I'm back from our Mexican Riviera cruise. To say it was awesome, amazing, and way too much fun would begin describing my trip. It was everything and more that I expected. I want to go again... tomorrow!

It snowed today...

2010-05-24T13:38:00.000-06:00

I had to turn on my heater today. Its the end of May. We had snow this morning! At least its not piping hot! :)

In other news, Rachel is mobile. She does this really cute army crawl thing that's super cute and very efficient! She also is learning to make new noises. Fun stuff! Isabel and Jacob are getting ready for school to be over. We inherited my mom's trampoline and they are making quick use of it. Isaac is almost done with Brandon's stuff and we are all excited to have him back! I've been busy getting doing the usual, trying to tame my yard, and getting ready for our cruise. Both Isaac and I are super excited for the vacation!

Well, that's us! I should be adding a few more book reviews this week... almost done with a couple and have quite a few being delivered soon! Yay!

New Blog

2010-05-04T17:32:00.000-06:00

I've started another blog. Its my book review blog. I wanted somewhere to review the many fabulous books I read. Check it out!!

www.karasmatically.blogspot.com

Life is going pretty well at the moment. Last week my mother-in-law, Dori, stayed with us and hopefully got spoiled rotten. :) That was my goal anyways. Isabel tested into the gifted program and we're pretty sure Jacob did too... he keeps forgetting to bring home the letter. Rachel is eating well and so far only dislikes peas... her uncle Richard is very proud. Isaac is still working hard on Brandon's stuff. Final deadlines are next week. I'm experimenting with yummy meals and desserts while trying to lose some of this baby weight. So far, it seems to be working. Yay!

April's book, "Spells", came out today. I get to enjoy looking for it everywhere now! And I will definitely be watching the NY Times Bestseller list... I hope she stays on even longer this time! Go April! :)

Sick and Tired

2010-04-27T11:05:00.000-06:00

I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. Seriously. My sweet baby is sick and that's just sad! :( My mother-in-law is here this week and we're having a blast! We took her to sushi last night (yes...stuffed noses and all!) and I think she liked it. I loved it! Like always... I'm hoping to finish planting my garden today. My friend Lynda is helping me this year so hopefully it will more productive and weed-free! So, I'll get around to posting some pics soon... maybe... :)

Hey...

2010-04-21T21:39:00.001-06:00

So, its been a while. So much has been happening! And I know I should be posting on here! Sorry... I'll try to do better...

But... I have remembered to add books! :)

Hmmmm...

2010-02-16T11:06:00.004-07:00

I haven't blogged lately. I haven't really felt like it... honestly. But, today seems like a good day to so I guess I will.

I've been busy with normal stuff: kids, baby, house, etc... and I've been trying to decide whether I want to move or not. Isaac got a new job working down in Orem. That's an hour commute one way. Jimmy is okay with all of us moving down south which was very surprising to me, but at the same time not really. If we sell the house, chances of us losing money on it are very good. We could probably buy a nice house at a screaming deal if we choose. But, we are happy in our newly remodeled house. And Richard and Hollie are close. So... its quite the debate.

Luckily I don't have to decide right now.

Crazy Times!

2010-01-17T22:44:00.002-07:00

I have a ton of pics from December, Christmas, and our fabulous trip to California. But I don't want to overwhelm my blog with that many pics so I better do some good editing. When I get time...

So, for today, I will share my goals for 2010!

1. Learn to cook new recipes! This includes healthier meals and new desserts.
2. Eat healthier. Mainly eating more fresh foods and whole grains.
3. Read a book a week. I'll be making a list of them over there...>>>
4. Get prepared for nursing school. I start in a year and there are classes, shots, certifications, etc. that need to be completed. Yay!
5. Simplify my yard into a very manageable state. Anyone that has seen my yard understands.
6. Finish the interior of my house. I've had a lot of work done on my house this last year... motivation to get the rest of it done.

So, now it is written and shared. Hopefully my goals will be achieved and enjoyed!

Nov 2009 Pics

2009-12-15T00:21:00.001-07:00

Here are some fun pics to highlight our fabulous month of November!

Here's our family picture!

Rachel showing off her swag from our friend Dan Wells book.

More swag for her daddy's webcomic.

Our basement flooded and I did a happy dance!

Snow came to Magna! And Isabel had a blast playing in it.

Jacob did his best to make snowballs in the very non-sticky snow.

Rachel showing off her mom's favorite manga series 'One Piece'. So cute!

My beautiful sleeping baby in her pretty church dress.

Me and my Rachel!

Hanging out with Aunt Hollie!

Great Grandma Moore enjoyed holding Rachel.

Chillin' with Aunt Emily!

Singing around the piano with Granny and cousins. (AZ Thanksgiving)

We thoroughly enjoyed the company, food, and weather while in Arizona for Thanksgiving Weekend!

We got to see the Wambolts!

Isabel loved playing at her Arizona cousins house.

Reading and holding Rachel equals good times for Corbett!

Four generations!!

We had a great month!
:) Kara

October 2009 Pics

2009-11-18T20:49:00.012-07:00

Here's some fun pics from October 2009! Its been busy with a new baby, but very fun!

Enjoy!

Playing swords with Grandpa!

Rachel had lots of cuddle time with her Grandpa!

Smiling in her sleep... so precious!

Goofy kids!

Isabel showing off how cute she is in her pants!
(This is quite an unusual sight! She LOVES to wear skirts!)

Jacob loves making hot drinks for everyone.

The kids raked up all the leaves and then had a blast jumping in them!

Isabel is a good little momma!

I love this outfit!! So cute!

Jacob was Luffy, from One Piece, for Halloween. His Granny made his costume and I created the hat!

Isabel was Rosetta, from Tinkerbell, for Halloween. I made her costume.

Good times for all!
:)

Rachel's Birth

2009-10-23T16:07:00.019-06:00

I am FINALLY posting pics of Rachel's birth! Enjoy!

Playing cards while waiting for Rachel to arrive!

Here she is! With her dad!

So Cute! 7 pounds 8 ounces and 19.5 inches long!

Proud daddy, big brother, and big sister!

Granny got to welcome her newest grandchild into this world!

Jacob gets to FINALLY hold his newest little sister.

Ryan and Lynda watched Jacob and Isabel at the hospital so they could be there right after Rachel was born.

Lynda and Ryan had a good time with ALL our kids! :)

Aunt Hollie got to watch Rachel be born! It was great!

Uncle Richard came soon after Rachel was born!

Isabel and Jacob were very happy to be with their mommy at the hospital!

Our beautiful girl!

Isaac got to give Rachel her first bath!

Isabel loves holding her little sister!

So does Jacob!! He can't seem to hold her enough!

Rachel Trina Stewart! So cute!

Time to go home!

Everything went so well and Rachel is such a good baby! I've been really good at resting and recovering... but I am ready to be done! :) More pics soon...

Jacob's 9th Birthday

2009-10-12T12:04:00.013-06:00

Jacob turned 9 yesterday! We had a fun family party last night and here's some pics to highlight the night! And to show off how cute my sweet boy is!!

A very cute bug quilt made by his Granny!

Jacob got a guitar and Guitar Hero from Ryan and Kali.

Heck yes for Legos! From Isabel.

Jacob was pretty excited to get his own "One Piece" shirt! Thanks Lynda and Ryan!

Jacob has had this Sora stuffed toy on his list for a while. From Mom and Isaac!

Party Group 1

Party Group 2

Party Group 3

Party Group 4

Party Group 5

The party was fun and the people were great! Let's do it again next year! :)

Getting Closer!

2009-10-07T16:12:00.002-06:00

I've been kinda negligent about posting... sorry! The weekend of the 26th we celebrated Isaac's 32nd birthday. His family came over that Saturday and we got taken out to a yummy Brazilian place. Then on Sunday we had a party with friends and family. It was huge and we all had a great time! Then on Oct. 1, Hollie and my friend Lynda threw me a baby shower here in Salt Lake. Lots of wonderful people came and my baby got royally spoiled. It was awesome to visit with so many people I haven't seen for a while! This last weekend was spent at my Mom's in Idaho. We had a relaxing time watching Conference and playing games. I left poor Isaac at home so he could get some projects done without family distractions. :) This week I am trying to tie up all my loose ends so that I am all ready for my sweet baby to come! Yay! Less than a week! And yes I'm counting down...

Idaho Weekend

2009-09-21T13:54:00.008-06:00

So, we went up to Idaho this weekend for Corbett's 18th birthday and cuz my mom and mother-in-law were throwing me a baby shower up there. It was a lot of fun and I got some really cute things! Here's some pics:

This picture is me and my VERY BIG belly. (Just for you Andi!)

And another view for Andi's pleasure!

Here's half of the room... guess I didn't get a pic of the other half...

So cute! I really like the pink and brown look!

Of course Isabel had to help open and then proceed to feel how soft everything was. She's gonna be a very helpful and enthusiastic big sister!

I need a close up picture of these little booties. SO CUTE I CAN'T STAND IT!!

So, after the shower, we helped set up and serve for Corbett's big Homecoming date. It was fun to see all the dresses and the guys all dressed up in tuxes. Isabel was having a blast gazing at the dresses and helping. Sunday we had a good time playing games and singing around the piano. Overall, a great weekend!! Probably my last trip before Rachel gets here.... Fun stuff!

Girl's Room

2009-09-14T13:30:00.016-06:00

I finally got all my pics of re-doing the Girl's room. It was a lot of fun transforming this awful room into something cute and pretty! Check them out!
:)
Before: We had to tear down a shelf that ran along the entire room. It required a few layers of spackling before we could even think about painting! My mom is an awesome spackler!

A soft yellow paint and white ceilings made the room look so much brighter!We got a new bed for Isabel! It was an adventure assembling. My sister Emily and my mom were a ton of help!
Yay the bed is assembled! The mattresses are on their way...
Mattresses arrived and so did the new bedding! Jacob and Isabel tried out the new trundle bed the first night!
Isaac painted the vine and I added some vinyl stickers my good friend Lynda custom made for the room. And I finally got all the pillow form... I love it!
Before: The closet
We transferred Isabel's toy shelf to the closet to make more room for new baby furniture. It worked better than I imagined!
Finished look. I love the vine!
Before: Here's my mom spackling the obnoxious holes in the wall.
Here's the dresser that caused quite the adventure! It involved a too small car, a big enough van, locked keys in a running car, and lots of laughter. But it was worth it!

We painted Isabel's old crib a fresh white to match everything else. We had to order a new part that took over 6 weeks to come and we finally got it assembled and decorated with matching bedding. It turned out so cute!So, this is the finished room! It turned out even cuter than I imagined it would!

Thanks to everyone who helped! I couldn't have done it myself!

:)

Show Low Trip Pics!

2009-09-08T14:59:00.018-06:00

Pics! Finally! Here's some fun pictures from our trip to Show Low, Arizona. Enjoy!

Jacob and Isabel doing homework... just what they wanted to do on vacation, right?

This is the little cabin where Dad lives. It's cute!

We toured the new hospital that my dad works at. The people were so friendly and the food at the cafeteria was really good! Isabel ended up eating my lunch instead of hers... silly girl!

Show Low has an indoor swimming pool that the kids and Corbett got to enjoy twice! The rest of us joined them for one of the days. It was really fun!

These are my very swollen ankles. First time! I guess my body didn't like me sitting in the car for so long... oh, well... they're back to normal now!

This is Fool's Hollow Lake. Beautiful and in the city limits of Show Low. And of course, my sweet mom!

Skipping rocks! (Jacob, Emily, Isabel)

Isabel and Jacob loved playing at the lake!

Playing in the lake. Isabel proudly informed me that she was the best lake swimmer cuz she stayed in the water the longest...

Dad found a good place to take a nap. :)

Dad's house has a gas fire pit that we used to roast hotdogs and smores. Yum!!

We all had a great time hanging out and catching up... we miss having Dad so close!!

Grandpa's shoes make the best cars!

We had a blast in Show Low. On our way to Phoenix, we stopped in Payson to visit with the Chrisman's and had a great time... and delicious homemade 'Wildberry Nectarine' Pie! Yummy! We spent a day with Aprilynne and family (sorry... no pics... *slaps head*) and got to visit with some childhood friends. Julie (Fechter) Mills, her husband, and her 5 cute children came and had dessert with us. So much fun!

I've been working on baby stuff since I got back... I'll post pics of all that fun stuff soon... Later!

AZ here we come!

2009-08-17T15:53:00.002-06:00

I'm getting ready to go down to Arizona to see my dad at his new job! My mom, Corbett, Emily, Jacob, Isabel, and I are all driving down on Wednesday and we'll be back next Tuesday. We're also going to see Aprilynne and family in Phoenix. I'm excited to check out their new house! So, busy and fun times ahead!

Yard Troubles

2009-08-10T13:35:00.002-06:00

So, this summer, my garden only grew about half the seeds I planted and of those only about half or less survived. I got some peas and beets out so far. I think I'll get some potatoes and maybe 1 or 2 tomatoes. I will get lots of pumpkins. But overall it didn't turn out that well. My mom and I figure I have really bad soil and that my garden was too big for me. I was easily overwhelmed. So, the next few weeks I will be downsizing my yard work. More grass and a lot less flower beds and garden. Maybe next summer it will be more manageable and I'll actually enjoy being outside! :) I cleared out two flower beds on Saturday and I'm still sore from the work... but it looks so much better! Now I only have like 8 more to go... *sigh*

Montana

2009-08-03T19:47:00.003-06:00

I went to Montana this last weekend for a family reunion on my dad's, mother's side. If that makes any sense. We have just recently in the few years gotten together with them and they are a wonderful group of people! The van ran great and I remembered how much I love owning one! Lots of good space!

We're back to the school grind this week. Nothing much going on. I think I'll use this week to catch up on my "To Do" list...

First Day of School

2009-07-27T09:37:00.004-06:00

My kids started school today. Jacob is in 3rd grade and Isabel is in 1st! Here's some pics of them:

Both of them are very goofy and very excited! :) My house is very quiet today. After 3 weeks of kids being home, family members visiting, and good fun being had... I'm trying to decide if I like it being so quiet....

Recovering

2009-07-02T21:50:00.002-06:00

This week I think I'm finally recovering from a week of Paint-a-thon, then a week full of family and friends, and then this week was pretty calm. Starting tomorrow, my mom and Emily will be in town and we have a lot of fun and work planned! Yay! Kids are out of school for a few weeks and both are excited for some time off. Me too! We'll sleep in a little bit!

Paint-A-Thon

2009-06-16T12:40:00.003-06:00

Well, I'm busy with Paint-a-Thon this week! I'm mainly in charge of the food and I got some good stuff planned. :) Kids are doing well, I'm still really tired but doing well overall, and the garden is half growing and half not growing. I'm doing some replanting this week that will hopefully fill in my empty spots. Here's hoping!

Hunger

2009-06-01T18:08:00.001-06:00

So, I was up late reading this fabulous book last night. It's called "Hunger" by Michael Grant and its the second book in a series. Both books hook you in from the first few pages and never let you go till the last paragraph... and then leave you wanting the next one! I was way impressed by the first one and thoroughly happy to not be disappointed by this one. Now I have to wait for #3... Grrrr.....

It's a Girl!

2009-05-27T09:49:00.001-06:00

So it was confirmed yesterday that my baby is indeed a girl! I've known for a while... but it was nice to have my prediction verified! Yay!

Been a while...

2009-05-18T12:49:00.003-06:00

Sorry its been a while since I posted anything. I've been busy and tired. My garden is done. My kids have been off track. My house is a disaster due to concentrating on outside work. My lawn and flowers are happy. And I'm tired. I'm not sick anymore! So that's a good thing. I'm gonna take pictures of my garden this week and hopefully get around to posting them. It's so pretty and many of the plants have already started coming up! Yay! Kids are doing great! Life is good! :)

Tilling

2009-04-21T12:15:00.001-06:00

I tilled my big garden yesterday! Yay! My arms are a little sore today but not enough to deter me from mowing my lawns with my new lawn mower! I also need to mow my little garden cuz the weeds are too tall to till... then I'll till it, too!! Fun stuff!

Spring! Finally?

2009-04-06T13:42:00.003-06:00

I spent this last weekend up at my parents and had a marvelous time... except the one night I spent puking... but overall it was a wonderful, quick vacation. I can't wait to be able to spend a whole week up there!

It is so nice outside, but I'm forcing myself to try to get my house clean. Its needs it so bad! I got my kitchen straightened and now I'm exhausted so I'm taking a rest with my computer. Hopefully I'll be able to get the counters and floors cleaned and scrubbed before my sweet boy gets home from school...

Well, I'm hosting a scrapbook party this Friday. Its the first in 3 years and I admit I'm a little nervous, but hopefully all will go well. I'm inviting some new friends and some old friends. I'm also blowing off the dust of my scrapbook stuff... hopefully I'm emotionally ready to pick it up again...

No Spring... Yet!

2009-03-27T11:46:00.002-06:00

So it snowed almost every day this week. Lame! So I didn't do a thing to my flowerbeds this week. I did finish reading my garden book so now I can "smartly" plan my garden. Yeah right. It's still guess work but hopefully half of it will be successful... I would consider that a smashing achievement! I have spent a lot of time napping and eating... yes eating. I've had starving/exhausted days lately. Weird! But I can drink milk again so Yay! Anyways... just rambling today... gonna go have rest time with Isabel. :)

HOME!

2009-03-23T13:03:00.003-06:00

Today is my first day of official retirement! :) I had my last day of work on Friday and partied all weekend! So what did I do for my first day of stay-at-home-momhood?? I took a nap, picked up my daughter from kindergarten, and now I'm working on laundry. Pretty exciting stuff. I'm still tired and sick from 24-hour morning sickness, but I've been doing much better now that I know generally what I can and can't eat. It's snowing today :( otherwise I would try to get out and weed a flower bed or two. I'll probably end up watching a show or reading a book depending on how my stomach is feeling. I can't wait until I actually have full energy to get more stuff done...

I have a GOOD reason!

2009-03-14T12:08:00.002-06:00

I have a very good reason for not keeping up on my blog... I've been too sick and tired! Seriously! I'm nauseous constantly and throwing up more than I ever have before... And I have 7 more weeks of this left! Yuck! So... now you know... :)

Heart Day

2009-02-16T18:17:00.002-07:00

I had a wonderful Valentine's Day thanks to my sweet husband. He started the day with breakfast in bed which consisted of fresh fruit, juice, and a yummy breakfast sandwich. Then we got up and got ready, delivered valentines to the kids, and then hit the stores for some light shopping. Then we went to an early dinner (to avoid the crowds) at Tokyo Sushi. Some of the best sushi I've had! It was recommended to us and now we will recommend it. It was so yummy!! We still had some time before our movie so we found a bookstore and hung out there for about an hour. Then we watched "Coraline" in 3-D. So awesome! We finished the night with some yummy hot chocolate and book browsing at Borders. The day was fabulous! :)

Yesterday, after church, we went to see our new niece JaneRuth. She's Thom and JoyBeth's new little girl. She was cute. And fussy. Poor thing. I think her tummy wasn't feeling too good. :( We stayed there for a bit and then headed to Jancy and Drew's place for a delicious dinner and wonderful conversation. I had a blast!! I'm excited to hang with them again.

Today I woke up, played with the kids, fell asleep, made lunch, and cleaned my house. Its been a busy day. I'm still working on my 'wreck' room, but its getting a lot closer! Hopefully I'll get it all organized this week! I'll be up at my parent's this next weekend so my goal is to have it done before I go! Go me!

Taking a Class

2009-02-10T22:57:00.002-07:00

Isaac and I started a financial class together tonight. It done by Dave Ramsey and since I'm an employee, I get a nice discount. Go Zion's Bank! I'm looking forward to learning how to save more and spend less. Now I don't think I'm bad with money... in fact I would say I'm pretty good... but I want to be better! After our first class I'm totally pumped! It's gonna be a good thing. I even invited Holly/Richard to join us and Holly said she'll come! Richard can't cuz he has class, but she'll keep him caught up. :)

Well, that's the second most exciting thing that has happened this last week. I'm looking forward to Valentine's Day this weekend. Got some exciting things planned! What are some of your Valentine plans??

More Writing and Less Busy

2009-02-05T16:17:00.002-07:00

Yeah right! But I'll do my best.

This last weekend was Isabel's birthday and we had a family party for her. Mom, Corbett, Ben, and Grandma came down from Idaho and the Pike's came up too! And of course Richard and Hollie were here! It was fun for us to be together!

After the party, we went to the Draper Temple Open House.... all 35 of us. We met up with Rollin and family and Ryan/Kali/Seth/Breanna. It was funny cuz all of us showed up at the right parking lot at the same time. It was a miracle! We were waiting for a bit, but the temple was gorgeous!

The next day we went to my cousin's baptism that was followed by some good eating with great people. We finished the night at my house playing games and devouring good food. Something we love to do! We played the game Kenny and April got us for Christmas called "Arkham Horror." It looked kinda complicated due to the many pieces, but it was really fun! Even Hollie like it. It only took us 5 hours to finish one game! I think it will be even more fun the next time we play it since we won't have to constantly checking the rule book...

Sunday was pretty mellow. We went to church and I introduced my wonderful mother to our primary since I was conducting. :) After church, Isaac and I had some food and then we vegged the rest of the day. We got a few episodes of Buffy in and enjoyed the glorious brain numbing effect it had on us.

Not much has happened this week. I got tired of returning shelves to Walmart due to my stupid closet not being built straight so I went to Lowe's and got stuff to do it myself! I'm still in the middle of constructin them, but so far they look great and will work better than any other shelf I could have bought! And it only cost me $7 more than what I paid for some really lousy shelves... Go me! One of these days I'll finish my shelves and get my "wreck" room organized... Its my goal for the month!

So does anyone else have any goals this month??

Good Times!

2009-01-27T12:27:00.000-07:00

So, last week I got a pass to my local recreation center so I could go walking. I need an "out" and I need the boost that regular exercise will bring. I went Mon-Fri and didn't try to kill myself the first week. I tend to injure myself if I do. I had the regular soreness that accompanies the first week of walking, but nothing too discouraging. I'm ready to do it again this week! This week I'll pick up a few more jogging laps to make it more of a workout. :) Yay!

Well, this weekend we hit the Provo area on Saturday. We visited Isaac's brother and family. He made us a delicious turkey lunch and Joybeth showed me her first sewing project! She made an apron and did a fabulous job! I think its so cool that she's picking up sewing. Jacob and Isabel had fun playing with Ethan's toys.

Next, we stopped and Brandon and Emily Sanderson's to drop of a few things. We didn't stay long but it was fun to visit for a little bit and get to see Joel. He's so cute!

We ended up Christie and Shawn Boyles house last. Isaac and Shawn worked on RRT, the kids played, and Christie made us heavenly potato chowder in homemade bread bowls. It was DELICIOUS!! Every time we go over there Christie is cooking up something wonderful. She's a great cook! After dinner, we played some really fun games where it was decided that Isaac knows almost nothing about me. LOL!! It was pretty fun! We also learned a new card game that is really fun! I can't wait to play it again!

Sunday was pretty typical except Isabel and I stayed home due to her dry heaving in the middle of the night and her complaining that her stomach hurt. She took a nap and was obviously feeling better afterwards. Jacob and Isabel spent a lot of the night making up silly dances to music. It was fun to watch! They play so well together. :) Isaac and I had fun playing on his computer designing us a new kitchen. We figured out a rough estimate of how much it would cost and now we know how much we need to save. It actually wasn't too bad! We also discussed some of the other things we want to do to our house to make it more "our home". I'm excited to see the changes as the year progresses...

Also, on Sunday, Joybeth had her baby! Congrats to them! :)

Well, this week is Isabel's birthday so we'll be planning and looking forward to that on Friday. She's gonna be 6!! My how time flies.... So, I'm curious what your favorite 'Isabel Story' is... please tell!!

MLK!

2009-01-19T23:00:00.003-07:00

I had a great 3-day weekend! Friday I came home from work and took a nap (I was exhausted from being up with Jacob and his upset stomach the night before), woke up just in time to go to a Pampered Chef party with some women in my new ward, came home and relaxed with my hubby while we watched some of 'Buffy' Season 2.

I slept in on Saturday, relaxed most of the day, and went on a fun date with Isaac. We hit Lowe's (looked at possible bathroom ideas), Dave's Famous BBQ (which had the most scrumptious smoked salmon cheese spread I have ever tasted!!!), and then watched 'The Prestige' at home. Fascinating movie. There wasn't really a defined good guy....

Sunday I didn't sleep in quite as long, as I needed to put some finishing touches on my Sharing Time presentation for Primary. Then we headed to church where Sharing Time was a hit and the speakers were not. Seriously, I have never zoned out so completely! Isaac and I were giggling at our 'family trees'. Yes, we were being irreverent...and yes it was fun. After church, I picked up the kids for a little bit so Jacob could practice his piano. Then we dropped them back off, and headed to Richard and Hollie's were we enjoyed a marvelous dinner and really fun games. Ryan and Kali were there and we learned how to play one of the games Ryan has created. It was really fun and very well done!

Today, I slept in a little bit, picked up my kids, and we relaxed at home most of the day. Richard came over to do homework and Hollie came after she got off work. We had dinner together and soon the kids got picked up. We were supposed to split the day today, but Jimmy ended up having to go to Provo so I had my kids all day. We were all very happy about that! :) I also signed up with the rec center and even went walking tonight! It's something I'm really excited about and something that I really need in my life. Yay!

Well, that was my wonderful weekend. Lots of relaxing and great company! :)

What did you do??

A Curse Dark as Gold

2009-01-16T21:04:00.002-07:00

So I just finished reading a book title "A Curse Dark As Gold." It a retelling of the story 'Rumplestilskin' but with a more realistic taste to it. Better character motivation and great twists and turns! The writing was excellent and the story very compelling. Definitely worth reading and owning! I received it for Christmas from my brother-in-law Dan and was thrilled to finally read it! I'm giving it a four instead of a five due to the slow beginning. So, if you read it, remember to be patient at the beginning...

Slump

2009-01-13T18:52:00.003-07:00

I'm in a slump. And I don't know why. I am completely unmotivated to do anything productive. Well, I guess I am still going to work, taking care of my adorable children, and fixing dinner for my family... but other than that I don't want to do anything except read, watch, or sleep! I'm really hoping it will wear off soon.... my 'wreck room' really needs some attention... at least all my Christmas stuff is down...

A Perk

2009-01-11T19:49:00.002-07:00

One of my favorite perks (there are many!) about being a sister to a writer is I get to read things early. After waiting a good two years, I finally got to read the complete story of "Life After Theft" this last week. It was fantastic!! I read it in one day and then had to call and gush with Aprilynne about how awesome it is! I can't wait to actually see it in print cuz I know she'll sell it! Anyways... I would apologize for gushing about a book no one else gets to read... but I'm not sorry!! Good job, again, Aprilynne!!

Book Review Catch Up!

2009-01-02T17:11:00.002-07:00

Okay. So, I'm still frustratingly sick, but I think I'm finally on the road to getting better. I'm really hoping so otherwise blood may get spilt....

Anyways. Book reviews. Here are my opinions on the last four books I've read:

"The Tales of Beetle the Bard"
By JK Rowling

I'm a huge Harry Potter fan so I had to get this book when it came out. Its a quick and fun read. The notes by Dumbledore give some good insight into the deeper meaning or morals of the stories. Quite fascinating. Definitely worth buying to add to my Harry Potter Collection.

"Leven Thumps: The Wrath of Ezra" (Book 4)
By Obert Skye

I enjoy the Leven Thumps series. It is a different style of writing that is quirky, but tells a great story. Book 4 has some good twists and kept me anxious for the end of the book and wondering how the climax was going to play out. I was not disappointed! Great characters and good humor, this book has me strumming my fingers for the next, and final, book. A great series!

"The Brothers"
By Chris Stewart

This book is the first in a series and was recommended by a co-worker. It is LDS fiction about the last days/millinial times. I thought it sounded interesting so I picked it up. Then, I started reading it and couldn't put it down. It's very intriguing. The first book actually takes place in the Pre-earth life and spins a story that portrays that this "war" on earth started a long time ago. There is a big disclaimer at the beginning stating to not take anything in this book as doctrine, but I found many of the author's ideas similar to my own. I really enjoyed it and I'm looking for a chance to pick up book #2.

"The Candy Shop War"
By Brandon Mull

I loved this book! Basically it is about a couple of wizards that use kids to do their bidding and bribe them by giving them magic candy to accomplish the tasks. The different kids have to figure out who the good and bad guys are then choose sides. Then, there is a marvelous twist at the end. Very well written! Highly recommended!

So, I guess that's it! I'm hoping to pick up another book soon. I got some for Christmas and a few that I need to catch up on. I love reading and need to make more time for it!

Happy New Year!

Sick! Sick! Sick!

2008-12-31T13:41:00.003-07:00

I am so sick of being sick! I have had a nasty sore throat, headache, fever, and body aches the last three days. I have actually been forced to stay in bed for two days straight! Very frustrating. I'm feeling a bit better today, but I think that's mainly due to large doses of pain medication. :) I am hosting the New Year's Eve party tonight and I have things to do! I'll probably be forced to take a nap later though. :( Luckily I'm on antibiotics and I'm not contagious... otherwise I would have to cancel the party. So, wish me luck and I'll try to blog a bit more about how Christmas went and do some book reviews... cuz I have actually managed to read a few! Yay!

What Do You Think?

2008-12-09T23:20:00.003-07:00

Personally, I like it!

Christmas Time!

2008-12-08T23:26:00.005-07:00

I love this time of year! I've gotten my Christmas shopping done, wrapped, and organized. My tree and house are decorated (see below!).... Yay for a free tree! (Thanks, Sheri!!)

I went and partied at my mom and dad's to celebrate my wonderful mom's birthday! We made soap and lip balm with my mother-in-law Dori (I really like her!) and my new sister-in-law Hollie (I really like her, too!). We had a blast hanging out together!

Tonight we went over to Jimmy and Molly's and made gingerbread houses with the kids. Well, kind of.... the kids decorated their gingerbread house, we put them to bed, and then we decorated our own gingerbread house. We had a lot of fun!

Well, life is busy and very fun. I hope someday it will slow down a bit, but it's not looking like it will anytime soon..... I miss having time to clean my house, read a book, and relax.....

Fun Busy

2008-11-28T16:45:00.002-07:00

I've been busy, but its been fun busy! I've been putting my front room together, organizing a Sub for Santa, taking my daughter to a dental surgeon, going to my brother's wedding, throwing a bridal shower, enjoying a scrumptious Thanksgiving, and entertaining wonderful guests. Its all been good, busy fun! I finished a book called "Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins late in the morning somewhere in there too. Highly recommended! I'll try to do a little bit better in keeping updates as this wonderful Christmas Season begins to unroll! Yay!! I love this time of year! Until then....

A Voice in the Night

2008-11-21T21:02:00.005-07:00

I have been so busy at home lately that I haven't had a chance to blog. Sad! I've really missed it! I did get my front room painted and now I'm trying to get it put together. I have been taking pics throughout the process so I'll be able to post them soon. Until then, keep yourself entertained with this story that came from my mom while my kids were in Idaho:

"Last night Corbett danced at the Miss Hillcrest, um, pageant. It was very much like Junior Miss. We got there just when the talents were starting, 14 contenstants. I took Isabel and Breanna. They loved it. In the middle, Duane joined us. About contestant #12, there was a nice lyrical dance. Out of the dark comes this young clear voice, singing all the words to the music that the girl is dancing to.

It was Dolly.

Singing clear and loud, every word."

For your info, "Dolly" is Isabel. That's her nickname. The song was "Fall For You" by Secondhand Serenade. I guessed it the minute I read this story! She is a good little singer and I love listening to her sing. She memorized songs so quickly too!

Well, that's all I have time for today..... better post later..... this week...... hopefully.....

Busy But Good!

2008-11-09T18:09:00.003-07:00

It's been a whole week since I posted and I'm trying to figure out what I did all week that would have prevented me.... Oh, wait... It's called life... :)

I don't remember what I did on Monday. Weird. Tuesday was our date night and we went and bought stuff to start painting our front room. We need to prime the walls and the ceiling so we will end up painting everything like 3 times. Annoying, but hopefully the results will be worth it! We also went to Bajio Grill which was very tasty. It started snowing on our way back and by the next morning, we had been dumped on! The probability of me getting my garden done just went way down. And I only had a little left! Oh, well...

Wednesday night we hung out with the kids and played dominoes. After they went to bed, I broke into the painting stuff. I got one wall done. Whoohoo! Thursday night I helped my kids pack to go to Granny's house. Then we went to Pack Meeting were Jacob earned his Whitling Safty Patch, had icecream in celebration, and headed to the Moore's house where I put the kids to bed. My aunt was meeting my mom at the 'half-way point' the next morning and my kids were going with her to be swapped out for her kids. Very convenient for me! So, Jacob and Isabel are enjoying some good Granny/Grandpa and Oma/Opa time up in Idaho Falls. They will be back this Friday and though I miss them terribly, I hope to get a lot accomplished.

Friday night Isaac and I went to a Relationship Date Night/Seminar that my friend Scott Anderson teaches. I've been to it many times before but this was the first time I had gone with someone I was actually in a relationship with. He gears the seminar part towards married couples. It was very good. I enjoyed it! The food needed a little help, but then again, Bro. Anderson didn't have me in charge of it (which he succeeded in getting me to agree to help out in that regard in the future...) He kinda likes me...

Saturday we went Christmas shopping. I had worked on our list all week! We went to Costco, Toys R' Us, K-Mart, and Target. We got about half of it done. Then we met Richard and Hollie for dinner at Cafe Rio (Yummmmm!) then went to their apartment for dessert and games. It was a lot of fun and I look forward to more nights with them like that! We headed home and proceeded to do more shopping on Amazon. We ordered the gifts we were unable to find in the stores. So, now I can say most of our Christmas shopping is done! Now I get to concentrate on all the fun details that make Christmas so amazing! Yay!

Today I slept in, went to church, took a nap, reviewed and rewrote my 'lists',and now I'm writing this post. Lazy day. I so need it! I have a big week ahead of me! Lots of painting, sore muscles, and whatever else is on my list. Should be good! I took 'before' pics of my front room so hopefully I'll get enough done this week to post them....

Later!

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-02T18:38:00.014-07:00

Here are all the awesome costumes! We had a great time showing them off! Jacob and Isabel came to my work and went trick or treating up and down the cubicles and brought home over 5 pounds of candy EACH! And of course, we still had to go to Jimmy's ward's Trunk or Treat, my ward's Trunk or Treat, and then hit the neighborhood. By the time we got home that night each kid had over 10 pounds of candy. Way too much! So we went through it and got rid of 4 pounds of "undesirable" candy (like jawbreakers, generic stuff, candy that rips out teeth, etc....) and we still have two huge bags of candy left. *Big Sigh* So we won't need to buy stocking stuffers this year.... (yeah, right!) So if anyone needs/wants candy...please come over!! :)

Something really funny, Isabel out lasted Jacob this year. She went for a whole hour longer that Jacob! She LOVED going to all the houses! She was so cute and very polite!

Finally, here are the costume pictures:
Introducing 'Shadow the Hedgehog!' (If you don't know who 'Shadow' is then click here!)

My goofy boy! One of these days I'll get him to smile normally in front of the camera....

Okay... I am really proud of how this hat turned out! I didn't have a pattern and I made it from a knit hat, two Christmas stockings, and a fleece scarf. :) I impressed myself!

A beautiful Blue Fairy! After a few adjustments to bring in the bodice, the costume finally didn't look like it was about to fall off. Isabel was very happy with the results! She's so cute!

Flying and dancing around!

So Beautiful!! Isabel loved her purple hair and refused to take a bath until I made her take one the next night!

My wonderful friend Melissa dressed up in my pirate costume and I dressed as a 'Pink Lady' with my committee. When I got home, I darkened my eye makeup, painted my nails black, lined my lips in black, applied dark purple lipstick, and put on black clothes. I was a great looking witch!

And last but not least: Luffy!! Heck yes!!

This year's Halloween was a lot of fun. Hopefully next year's will be just as fun, but with less candy!!

Celebrating Fall 1

2008-11-02T01:20:00.006-06:00

We have been enjoying the most wonderful weather this week! Our walnut tree decided to shed all its leaves so Isaac raked them up with some help from Isabel... and of course when you have a pile of leaves... you must jump in them! Enjoy the pics!

Helping Isaac rake up all the leaves!

Wow! The pile of leaves is almost as tall as Isabel!

Flying through the air!

Isabel had so much fun jumping in the leaves!

P.S. Halloween pictures will be posted tomorrow night.... :)

Celebrating Fall 2

2008-11-02T00:59:00.008-06:00

We had a really fun time carving pumpkins! Here are some fun pics:

Jacob did not like scooping out the slimy middle... but he did it anyways!

Isabel needed some help with her "girl-face" pumpkin.

Isaac was very proud of the design he came up with for his scary pumpkin!

All three pumpkins turned our great!

This turned out to be an awesome picture!!

2008-10-29T21:41:00.002-06:00

Well, the last few days have been busy and tiring. But good. Saturday night Isaac and I were up way too late laughing our head off for a great book idea. We got up and hurried to church where we both gave good talks. Then we drove to the Shawn and Christi's house were we enjoyed a scrumptious dinner and great conversation.
Monday we went and voted early and then went shopping and I made the cutest counting jars! Look:

They are for our Halloween Party at work. They are "Potion Ingredients!"

Yesterday was our date night and ward temple night so we combined the two. It was fun and we had some good food afterward at Chili's. YUM!

Well, tonight I finished Jacob's 'Shadow the Hedgehog' costume. I must say, I did a dang good job considering I didn't have a pattern and was going off internet pictures. And you'll never guess that I used 3 Christmas stockings and a scarf! :) Yeah. I surprise myself with brilliance once in a while.... Go me!

I also finished fixing Isabel's costume. Her costume was way too big around the middle and shoulders... I know... that doesn't surprise anyone. :) It turned out way cute and its hard to tell that it wasn't supposed to be that way! Again.... Go me!!

Well, I have exhausted myself these last few days and desperately need a nap... I have no idea when I'll get it. Oh well. Thus is life.....

Halfway

2008-10-25T17:14:00.002-06:00

I am officially halfway done with cleaning my garden out! Go me! I'm hoping to get the other half done before the snow sticks... *big sigh* As soon as its all done I will post a before and after picture of my garden. :) And then next year I'll post more "after" pics as I plant and harvest goods in my garden! Yay! I'm actually really excited about it!

So, that was pretty much all I wanted to say. I got some good thinking done while working in the garden. I have to write a talk tomorrow and now I actually have some things to talk about. :) Gotta love a garden to work in to help clear the mind and generate ideas! Yippee!

Okay, I'm done now..... :)

Sick Day 3

2008-10-22T22:02:00.002-06:00

Jacob was home sick again today... so I was home again too. I dropped Isabel off, picked up Jacob's homework, snuggled with Jacob for a morning nap (it was so nice!), woke up in time to get Isabel from Kindergarten, came home, showered, made lunch, did some laundry, chatted with my wonderful mom, caught up on computer stuff, and went shopping. I was gone shopping for almost 3 hours. We were so out of food! What took us the longest was Isabel trying to decide what she wanted to be for Halloween. She kept changing her mind and I had to threaten her with no costume this year before she finally settled on one! Crazy girl! And of course it was the original costume she wanted when we first got to the store. *Rolls eyes* We forgot to bring a picture of Jacob's character so we'll have to pick up his another time. His won't be too hard to create.

Anyways, I just had a great day today. I'm ready to go back to work tomorrow, but I'm also very ready to be home full-time. Gotta pay off that darn, ugly car! I will succeed!! :)

Sick Day 2

2008-10-21T16:38:00.006-06:00

I'm home again with a very sick boy. He actually sounds worse today. If he keeps getting worse I will have to take him to the doctor! I really don't want to... So, since I didn't have to go to work today, I chose another project to tackle. So, I totally cleaned and organized my laundry/food storage room. It beautiful! I even took some pics! Here they are:

Nice and neat! Now it won't drive me crazy trying to do the laundry! I am really happy with how good it looks! :)

So, I never got to the store last night due to being too immersed in "Brisingr." I have to say it is a great story but an annoying read. If you like details about who, what, and where about the environment... then this is a fabulous book. But, if you are like me, and the details are better spent on the characters and a fast paced plot, then you will have a good time skimming the details to get to the good stuff. Overall, I liked the story and the twists, but not the boring details of what everyone was wearing and who was sitting where and blah, blah, blah....

Well, I've gotten a lot of good organizing done in my house the last few days. I feel so much better! I have one more major organizing project and then I think I will be able to breath a little easier... until my brother moves out! Then I'll have 3 more house projects to complete! :) Yay! Until then, I think its time to focus on my garden again. I'm almost halfway done! *Sigh* Back to work!!

Sick Day

2008-10-20T15:55:00.004-06:00

I called in "sick" today because Jacob sounds like a frog. I think I am getting a preview of what he'll sound like in 8 years. :) Its been a great day! I took a nap, picked up Isabel from school, cleaned and organized Isabel's room (it was a disaster!), caught up on finances, lists, and comics, and now I'm catching up on my blog! And the day isn't even over yet! I still have plans to go grocery shopping, make dinner, water my lawns, and work on some other projects I enjoy doing. It's been a great sick day! :)

Days like today really make me anxious to be home full-time... Look at all the wonderful stuff I could accomplish!! Someday.....

One Month

2008-10-14T23:15:00.003-06:00

So yesterday was our one month anniversary... I admit I didn't realize it until my sweet husband came home with flowers and a book! He really know the way to my heart! :) He bought me the 4th "Leven Thumps" book which just came out. I put it on my to read shelf since I'm still in the middle of "Brisingr". We went out for a nice dinner, hit the bookstore, and just had a nice evening chatting and hanging out. I really enjoyed it. :)

Tonight, Isaac and I went down to the BYU Bookstore to join Brandon Sanderson at his book signing. He just released the third and final book in his "Mistborn" series. A series I highly recommend! I'm excited to finish reading them. Anyways, Isaac did all the maps and symbols for this series so he signs the maps when Brandon signs the book. The fans really like having the artist sign their book too! I had a good time chatting with a few people and then getting kidnapped by my wonderful friend Kali for a tour of her new home and delicious Taco Soup (I LOVE Taco Soup!) It was a fun night for me and I know Isaac really enjoyed himself too.

Well, I'm off too sleep. Both of us are fighting colds... mine is losing... I hope!!

I Have an 8 Year Old!

2008-10-13T22:47:00.008-06:00

I would loudly exclaim that I am not old enough to have an 8 year-old child except that I obviously have an 8 year-old son. So maybe I should confess that I'm starting to get old? BUT I remember my own mom and other's moms when I was 8 and I remember them seeming so "adultish." I'm so not "adultish!" Then again, maybe my son views me that way.....

Jacob's Birthday Bash was a HUGE success! We had over 80 people attend the baptism and over 60 attend the party. Yeah... we had to go buy more propane, chips, and drinks. But it was a blast and a half!

And look! I got pics!! Well, actually my awesome cousin Becca was in charge of the camera which (I really appreciated) since I had others things on my mind (like throwing a good party!) so then I didn't have to worry about not getting any pictures of my son's momentous 8th birthday. We had family from all 4 sides of his family. :) And tons of friends. It was just awesome and I had way too much fun!

Jacob got some pretty cool gifts, I just have to add. I admit I coordinated most of them (less I had to buy!). He got a lot of fun toys and most important- church and scout stuff! This was his favorite gift... a BIG Bionicle!!

After the party, Jacob and his posse of friends played his new game "Mario Party 8" until I had to send two of them home because they were getting to annoying (to put it bluntly). Then Jacob and his cousin Zach worked on the Bionicles that Jacob had received. It was very quiet for a long time. We spent the rest of the evening with my sister Aprilynne and her wonderful family. We played "Nertz" (a very fun, fast card game) and chatted until they had to go home. Here's a picture of her son Gid eating the leftover birthday cake.... I think its cute!

Anyways. The day was a success. Isabel is feeling tons better. I'm excited to post pics on here now. And now I'm looking forward to sleeping tonight. :)

A First!

2008-10-10T23:32:00.002-06:00

Well, I got to ride in an ambulance for the first time today... after I flagged it down.... because I had an inkling that my daughter was in the back.... and she was! Yay! Seriously! It's really funny now that I look back on it, but at the time I was very shaky and worried. I received a phone call informing me that Isabel was having a hard time breathing at school and that her Grandma Ann had taken her to the Urgent Care and that they had called an ambulance to transport her to Primary Childrens Hospital. What mother wouldn't run out of her work shaking and crying? Yeah, there will be lots of questions on Tuesday. So I rode with Isabel to the hospital and we got checked in and they checked her out, diagnosed her with "Croup", gave her a steroid, and then informed me they wanted to keep her a few hours for observation. So, Isabel and I had fun drawing, reading books, eating lunch, and sharing snacks. It was really quite fun! It was like a mother/daughter date! After her observation period was over, Isabel and I headed home and took a nap. It was wonderful. The meds they gave her at the hospital have already made a huge difference in Isabel. She's sounding SO much better!

Anyone that knows me, know that I am rarely without my handy dandy cell phone. It's just a part of me and I feel totally naked without it. Well, today I went to work "naked." Of all days to forget my phone at home... really... it was horrible! I couldn't call anyone because most of the people I would call have long distance numbers. So, I called people from Jimmy's phone while he was there and then had to call my brother at work for the rest of my calls. I don't have my husband's phone number memorized and its long distance so I had to call my brother who got the hospital's number from caller ID, I gave him Isaac's number that I had gotten from Jimmy's phone (ironically enough!), and then he called Isaac to tell him what was going on and give him the number to contact me. I thought it was hilarious! By that time, things were good and settled down so I was out of panic mode. The whole lack of phone was an adventure inside an adventure. Pretty funny!

Tonight, I got to see some of the Chrisman relatives that I miss and love. We hung out for a while, had a great dinner made by Molly, and they got to meet and chat with Isaac. Overall, a very fun and renewing experience. :)

Well, I'm exhausted from my crazy day and I'm excited for tomorrow! I want to post pics of tomorrow so hopefully that will give me the motivation to figure out how to post pics here.... hopefully I'll remember to take some!!

Trimming Away

2008-10-08T21:31:00.005-06:00

I did a ton of trimming today. I trimmed my grass, I trimmed some trees, and I trimmed some weeds from my garden. I still have a ton to do to get my garden prepped for spring, but every little bit helps! I now have a massive pile of tree branches in my drive way and almost 4 bags of yard stuff! Hopefully I'll fill some more tomorrow!

Jacob gets to go to his first Cub Scout meeting tomorrow. He's just a little excited. The cub leader came over tonight to talk to him which I thought was really nice. She seems to be a really fun leader! So, one more thing I get to work with Jacob on!

We decorated our cubicles at work today. We strung spiderwebs all over and put up some fun bats. We called it "The Batty Cave". Very appropriate. :)

Well, that is it for today. I'm excited to be out working in my garden again tomorrow.....

Starting Things

2008-10-07T23:29:00.003-06:00

So, today I came home with the resolve to get started on stuff that needs to be done on my yard (there's a lot, but it will be worth it!). And I did! I chopped up and bagged all the tree branches my mom had cut off while trimming my trees (She did a fantastic job BTW), I filled in some holes left in my yard from taking down some really ugly and old trellises, I pulled most of the big roots out of my front flower bed (stupid ivy had grown into trees!), and I planted the two trees that I had bought on clearance (heck yes for $5 trees!). So, I feel pretty darn successful! Tomorrow I need to spray my lawn with some weed killer so it will soak in before it rains this weekend. Hopefully it won't take very long cuz I'm supposed to be helping my friend Kali clean her old apartment. We'll see if that still needs to happen....

I am also started to catch up on "Heroes". I love that show! There is a ton going on this season and I'm excited to see how its all gonna work. Its got a lot of crazy, dark, and some disgusting scenes already...... should be good!

I started something else today....but I can't tell what it is..... but I'm excited for it!

Tomorrow I'm gonna hopefully start a new book. I am going to read "Brisingr" and hopefully it will be a good read. Took long enough to come out!!

I like starting things....I really hope I'll be able to finish all the things I'm starting.... Wish me luck!!

Fun and Stress

2008-10-06T21:52:00.003-06:00

What a weekend! I had family and friends over and we partied till we dropped! We celebrated my dad's birthday.... HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!! And we are just going to do it all again next weekend due to it being my son's birthday this coming Saturday. Good times ahead!

Well, I had such a busy weekend that I didn't get a chance to write about the book I finished reading. It is called "Gone" by Michael Grant. I really enjoyed it!! It is about how all the kids in a small town cope with having everyone 15 and older suddenly disappear. And some of them left, have super-powers. Very cool. I loved the characters and I think the author did a great job at guessing how these kids would react and manage themselves under these extreme circumstances. He put some great twists in there that really made this story unique. Anyways.... I highly recommend it!

I've been trying to not get stressed out about my potentially gorgeous yard. It's very over grown and there's a lot of work that needs to be done and I just don't seem to have a lot of time to do it. *Big Sigh* Luckily, my mom has been helping me see how I can do little things to slowly get it to where I want it and she has helped me to have a "vision" of what I want my yard to look like. That has helped a lot! Its hard to plan steps to get somewhere when you don't know where you're going! So, I now have a plan, and hopefully in a year or so, most of the plan will be accomplished! I took some pics so I can do before and after comparisons. As soon as I learn how to post pics on this blog, I'll post them.

Later!

Differents

2008-09-30T22:31:00.005-06:00

My sweet husband and I went on our first date tonight as a "married couple." It was different. Not a bad different, just different. For instance, we went out for sushi and as we were talking about what to order, he asked me if it was in our budget to get three rolls instead of just two. That never happened before. Also, when the check came, I signed it and I kept the receipt instead of him. That also had never happened before (he was such a good guy to date!). It was different.
And it wasn't just the money thing, it just felt different. We didn't have to have "trying to impress you" conversations. We just chatted. We didn't have to constantly be seeking ways to touch each other. We just enjoyed the closeness. It was a really nice different!
After diner, I went shopping for a new bra (coupon + gift card = new bra!) and Isaac got to help me pick it out. We browsed styles and colors and then when the lady escorted me back to the dressing rooms, she told Isaac he could join me. He was happy to oblige and enjoyed giving his opinions on how the different bras looked on me. It was definitely different picking out a bra, on a date, with a guy in the room with you. A fun different!
We made our way over to the bookstore and wandered around picking up books that looked interesting, weird, and terrible. Something we both enjoy doing. We finally headed home and for the first time after a date, we got to go into the same home and stay there. I like going home with my husband! Its a very pleasant feeling.....a good different!

Adventures in Bread Making

2008-09-29T21:13:00.003-06:00

Okay! I did not attempt rolls last night. I was running short on time so I decided to do biscuits instead. They were so good! I basted them with olive oil and sprinkled garlic salt and italian seasoning on top. They were really fluffy too! After dinner I decided to make bread. I only had white flour so white bread is what I made. I found a basic recipe and started throwing in the ingredients...until I got to Powdered Milk. I don't have any powdered milk. Hmmmmm....so my brain started thinking of other things that could substitute powdered milk. I came up with powdered potatoes! So I added the requested amount of "powdered stuff" and continued adding and mixing the ingredients together. Well, after adding everything, the dough looked really dry. So I added some milk! That looked a little better, but it was still pretty crumbly. I've seen others make bread before and it just doesn't look like that. So, I was getting ready to add more milk when I realized, "Duh!" the milk is COLD! Yeast doesn't grow in cold temperatures, thus the reason you store it in your fridge. So I added some warm water and it started looking a little better, except that the warm water was now leaking out the sides due the the intense sloshing that was going on in the bowl. Well, I just let it mix and after about 20 minutes, I hesitantly checked it. Whoa! It actually looked like bread dough! Amazing. I tested the 'elasticity' as I had seen my mother do....I really couldn't tell what I was testing for. Oh, well! I did the test! Next, the recipe said to let it rise for an hour. So I waited about 40 minutes. It looked bigger. I poked it and it started to deflate so I figured I was good to go! I took the extrememly sticky dough out of my Bosch and tried to shape it into loaves so I could put it into pans. They weren't pretty. I kept having to pull the dough off my hands and fingers! Again it said to let rise for an hour, but after 20 minutes, my dough was about ready to spill over the sides! So I popped them into the oven and a bit later.... Da Dum! Bread!! Yay! I tentively tasted it and it was surprisingly really good! And moist! So, I'm very proud of myself and my first attempt at making bread with my new Bosch! Hopefully many more loaves will come out of it...

New Blog

2008-09-28T15:51:00.001-06:00

Well, here is the first entry to my new blog! Yay! I figured I have a new husband, a new house, a new name, and a new life so I should start a new blog!

I've been back from my honeymoon for a week. I have accomplished much this week! I rearranged my kitchen and bathroom, unpacked two closets, cleaned out my room, gone through all the wedding gifts and cards, planned and executed a birthday party for my new husband, and managed to get my lawn mowed yesterday. I still have a lot to do this week, but I feel better now that my upstairs living space is somewhat organized.

I also purchased a Bosch and a Wii this last week. Both have been used and enjoyed and I'm looking forward to learning how to use both! I think I'm gonna attempt some yummy rolls tonight....