a connors' conundrum

something cute this way comes

2011-10-30T23:25:00.001-04:00

Well, when you get busy with other stuff...

2011-10-30T21:25:00.004-04:00

....you forget to blog. I suppose some things are more important than keeping up with the blog, right? Here are some pictures...some older than others :)

The work I've been doing on our circa 1950-1960's coffee table. That big cavity used to hold a broken swivel-out turntable. There was also an AM/FM tuner, also broken. It was FUN to gut this table out....lol. It's not a professional job by any means, but it looks so much better. Just a few coats of polyurethane to go :)

The only pictures I took at the Time Out For Women event in Richmond, VA. This is Jericho Road performing on Saturday afternoon. They were pretty good.

Me and Mom, after TOFW. Can you really tell that we're related? Maybe on another day? :)

A night of haircuts. Bennett's is the largest pile...and he is on the same schedule as Matt {darkest hair}. Ellerie wanted a haircut too, so she had a few inches come off.

Freshly shorn babies :)

Bennett took a decent nap, came downstairs and proceeded to take another hour+ nap on the couch. Ellerie joined him for oh....about five minutes!

Normal and "weird" faces, according to the kids.

Talk about major cloud cover...this was the latest cold front blowing in, right after sunset.

Bennett enjoying some run around time in the gym at church during Activity Days.

Ellerie is never boring!

What I found in the hall bathroom the other day, on the floor.....

Moving furniture AGAIN :) I made ONE place for all my nice books, my book nook. The den is a work in progress, but it looks so much better than before...even the before that was a few weeks ago ;)

As you can see, I have been a busy bee. I love trying out new combinations and seeing how long it'll last...maybe one day I'll find THE combo that I think is good enough to stay for longer than a few months. Matt has gotten used to it and even said he likes the changes...as long as I don't ask him to help move too many things. I am looking forward to the last trick-or-treat outing tomorrow night {the REAL Halloween as I explained to the kids, who were, I'm sure, confused after trick-or-treating twice already}, to my ENTIRE family coming out to little ol' Abingdon for Thanksgiving {my first real Thanksgiving hosting gig} and to lots of fun get togethers with friends.

This is the season to be thankful, to do things for others and to just have a good time in general. I think I have a pretty good start on that. I just sent my last Valiant 11 off into Young Men's. Although I thought I would enjoy a few months in Sunday School/Relief Society, Primary needs me to substitute {at least for the rest of the year} for the CTR 6 & 7 class. All girls and one boy. It'll be a change-up for sure :) But I'm excited, and apparently, so are the kids. That always helps.

Hopefully my next post won't be so long in coming.....HA!

long overdue

2011-08-28T20:45:00.000-04:00

The first collage is here in Abingdon, but the rest are in Columbia, SC. We had a great trip meeting up with Matts' family :) Enjoy!

it's the end....

2011-07-16T23:12:00.000-04:00

Well, of the Harry Potter movies. My poor eyes are really raw...it doesn't help that I've been a bit sick, either. I'm happy and sad at the same time. It was probably the best movie of the 8, in my opinion...I don't know....it just seemed like they kept getting better and better every installment.

Here are some pictures to make those of you who are sad {like me} happy :) Enjoy!

What do you with bags of dried beans that were never used and are probably not going to taste that good if cooked? You give them to your kids to play with. This seriously entertained both of them for 30 minutes and Bennett, another 30.

What a lovely basket of colored beans you have, Bennett. How nicely you're transferring them :) {There were actually dozens of beans all over the floors.....LOL.}

Good ol' Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-fil-A. It's so nice to get lunch for one adult and two children for under $5, and that's including an extra brownie {or two}. I'm simply amazed they didn't pull off the stickers from their clothing. That's why I had the jacket on Bennett for transport....lol. They were excited to see any one else who was dressed up, as if they were in on the secret, too :) Pretty adorable.

fancy schmancy library tea party

2011-06-27T14:25:00.000-04:00

There's a lot of joy on her face..she was really excited for this tea party. Now we have to have our own :)

Yummy treats!

She was a little nervous to play "Pin the Crown on the Princess"....silly girl.

Some of the many twirls that she did.

More..........

What do you think? Are we related?

Playing inside the awesome pumpkin carriage outside the library.

She was also very excited to up in this tree. I practically had to drag her out to come home.

big boy bennett

2011-06-27T14:21:00.000-04:00

Typical Bennett behavior....too cute to contain!

summer days

2011-06-14T23:19:00.000-04:00

visit to richmond

2011-06-14T23:18:00.001-04:00

Steele Creek Park

2011-06-14T23:16:00.000-04:00

ellerie turns four

2011-06-14T23:15:00.000-04:00

I suppose I will come back soon and pick some of the pictures out that I put on Facebook, but there are 190, so it might be a while. Here are some from her actual birthday :)

day in, day out

2011-05-07T23:18:00.000-04:00

So perhaps you could say it's been one of those months....or at least one of those last few weeks. The kind where you feel like the days just kind of melt together; where you don't feel like accomplishing much, so you don't {or in my case, it comes out in spurts of 2-3 hours of productivity}. The kind of week where the kids watch way too much TV. For that at least, I have a proper defense - I didn't feel all that great for unknown reasons the last few days and was just weak in general. Mostly fine while sitting/lounging, but while standing and/or disciplining {oy vey}, weak. It was just great. At least I sat with them while they watched TV....it was bonding time....:/

Is life full of random points in which we fall into a rut, in whatever sense of a rut applies, or is life one big rut out of which we occasionally {but hopefully more often that that} rise to become something more? Food for thought I suppose. Time continues to fly by and yet there are the pinpricks of momentous occasion you can't ignore. Like the tornado that spun just 1.5 miles away from our home, sparing us, but leaving a wake of moderate to severe damage from Abingdon through Glade Spring and beyond. Glade Spring, just 15 miles away from us, was devastated. Four people died and so many more have lost everything. It isn't terrible compared to the losses sustained in Alabama, but for this area, it is a terrible and rare occurrence. Those storm systems took several hours and huge cells to pass the Tri-Cities area and I almost had a panic attack trying to wait them out. Our tiny kitchen closets, the only available "proper" shelter in our town home, were ready in case we needed to hide. The kids slept on, oblivious to everything that happened. It's probably best, although I wonder if they would have had a calming influence on me. Matt, poor soul, couldn't seem to calm me down. I had to call my sister in Provo, figuring the time difference would mean she would have no problem talking to me for an extended period of time, just for distractions' sake. And so she did, for one hour. We finally fell into bed around 12:30, and although I had my mp3 player in, trying to drown out the sounds of Mother Nature, I distinctly remember the last cell to pass through. The one that held the tornado....that was only 1.5 miles away. I think I had every right to be freaked out, don't you? Let's hope I don't have to relive that scene any more this storm season.

Life strums along. I'm starting to plan Ellerie's fourth birthday party. Fourth...I can't believe she is almost four. That means Matt and I will celebrate our 8th anniversary this July. Sometimes it feels like longer {hehe} but most of the time, that just seems so long when it really feels like yesterday. Well, maybe not yesterday...lol. The theme for her party is Pixies & Pirates. I kinda feel like four is when they really get that it's their big day, and they enjoy having friends over to celebrate. So four is probably going to be a big party for all the kids. 2, 4, 8, 12, 16. With smatterings of smaller {but equally delightful} parties in those interim years ;) Mom's can only do so much!

I am pushing my way through the BBC 100 list {see the tab at the top for progress or to check your own!}. The current book is 1349 pages...it's good, but still, that is LONG. It's taken me well over a month and too many renewals to get 47% of the way through. Let's hope I can find the will to plod through, considering I am kind of behind schedule if I want to finish the other 33 before 2012. I kind of need to start exercising again, too....HA! It would be nice if playing tag inside the house {so a limited area of space, not hard} didn't make me feel tired sometimes. Granted, kids are full of limitless energy....seriously....but the mommy should be able to hold her own, right? So sad, so sad, this post{apocalyptic}baby body of mine....:) But they're worth it.

Well, there are loads of laundry calling. More of those melt-the-days-into-weeks-into-months activities. But they must be done. Might as well be done by me. Hurrah to the moms :)

my first ottoman cover

2011-04-25T21:42:00.000-04:00

As I put, the pictures are blurry....that's what happens when my camera is low on battery power. It doesn't do what I want it to very easily. But you can get the point, right? It's not perfect by any means, but I think it turned out pretty good considering I worked a total of about 4 hours on it :) There are two thick straps of elastic on the underside to keep it firmly in place. Slipcovers usually don't go anywhere, but with Ellerie and Bennett using this more and more as a stepping stool to the window, I wanted to be safe. Here's to decorating my home myself and for cheap!

it's what I do

2011-04-25T21:39:00.003-04:00

This puzzle has 100 pieces. Ellerie put in about 50%. She's getting pretty good at this.

Happy Easter

2011-04-25T21:39:00.000-04:00

As you can see, we had a great Easter...spread out over about half a week :) There are still residual egg hunts taking place at the Connors' house. The kids loved it. The Easter Bunny even left a trail of paw prints and bitten carrots to lead Ellerie and Bennett to where he had hidden their baskets full of candy and goodies. It didn't take them long to sniff them out! The kids looked so darn adorable on Sunday, the pictures don't even do them justice. Bennett actually kept his {slightly too snug} bow tie on the entire time at church. I was very happy :)

more happenings

2011-04-07T20:53:00.000-04:00

I got Ellerier a "Very Hungry Caterpillar" puzzle for $1 at the consignment sale. After a rough patch of trying to get her to figure out how to build it herself, that $1 is the best $1 I have ever spent. She builds that puzzle at least three times a day. She's getting pretty good...with the photographic memory, I figured it wouldn't take her long to catch on. For this 750-piece circular puzzle, all I did was hand her a pile of pieces I knew went with the turtle and she did the rest. She didn't ask me any questions. Way to go, Ellerie!

What do we do when the weather is delightful and mommy doesn't feel like going anywhere? We eat lunch on the back porch. It was lots of fun and Bennett really enjoyed listening to the birds sing pretty songs :)

IF there was ever a train wreck....yeah, we'd pretty much be toast, don't you think? Let's hope that nothing like that ever does happen.

Nothing like peanut butter & jam, nice crisp grapes and string cheese for lunch {Bennett will only eat it if it's cut up into pieces....LOL I know}.

We can't wait to have our next picnic outside. Sadly, the weather most likely won't be cooperating for the rest of the weekend. Hopefully we'll have a nice stretch of warm weather soon. I need to start thinking of ideas for Ellerie's birthday party....May 28....probably going to do it in early June. I like the idea of a cupcake theme, or a color....maybe princesses and knights. We'll see :)

visit to south carolina

2011-04-07T20:45:00.000-04:00

It was a fun visit and we got to meet our newest niece Faye. We also got to see Grandma, Pop, Cyndi, John, Kenzie, Zach, Lydia, Will, Rob, Sarah, James, Sarah's parents, and Sadie the dog {WHEW}. I made a Chocolate Trifle and Ginger Snap Cookies for our main get together and they both turned out very yummy indeed. There was a lot of children running, Ellerie slipping on the floor (lol poor kid, twice in 10 minutes), screaming children, etc. General Conference actually went down fairly well. I had the little packets all figured out. It helped that we only attempted to watch the Sunday morning session. I will enjoy all of the other sessions in the Ensign or online. We also DVR'd everything as well. On to the next post!

picture-full post

2011-03-31T21:56:00.000-04:00

The lazies left, so here are the pictures :)

Not my best birthday cake ever, but it sure tasted nice :)

A very cute birthday boy!

You can really tell how she looks like me in these pictures...at least I think so :)

Some twirling shots, taken in shutter priority...cause I still "know" what I'm doing....lol. Yeah right.

Being silly....

My lovely Moda Bake Shop wreath ended up in my pink and green hall bathroom. That poor room needed some vibrant color!

More potty shots....hehe.

Riding the Daddy Express! {and hanging on for dear life, looks like it}

This is what our bay window looks like now....I put in the cheap curtain rods and will hopefully be able to finish my dark, narrow panels within a couple of weeks. They are long and very tiring to sew.

Off to Columbia tomorrow for General Conference. Hooray!

picture-free post

2011-03-30T23:10:00.000-04:00

I'm just feeling too lazy to go downstairs and grab the camera. Not that I have any pictures of great import to share, but you know the feeling. A few funny things that have happened lately:

It hailed the other day for about five minutes. At one point, it was coming down hard enough that I called upstairs to Matt that he should probably move his car underneath the unused carport next door. When he ran outside, a bit of hail made its way inside. Ellerie proceeded to eat the hail right off the dirty hardwood floor. I told her to stop....she continued to surreptitiously sneak it anyways.
Ellerie always wakes up before Bennett. And Matt always wakes up before me. They were both downstairs and I'd already taken a shower. Bennett was starting to make noise in his crib, so I let him out so he could go downstairs as well. This particular morning, Matt was still asleep in the den from having slept there due to cold symptoms the night before. Apparently Bennett woke him up by doing the following - there was one final banana muffin left in a ziplock on the counter. Bennett got the muffin from the counter (via a stool or chair I'm assuming) and then proceeded to whack the bag at Matt's face while saying, "Daddy, Daddy!" I really wish I could have witnessed this.
Bennett must have knees of steel. Just tonight he was jumping from Ellerie's toddler bed (so not too tall, but still) straight to the ground and landing on his KNEES. Are you kidding me? I couldn't even do that once without incurring a visit to the local ER.

I am currently in the process of redoing our living room colors. With an apartment, there really isn't much I can do except for changing out pillows, adding some curtains, etc. I am having a Craigslist ottoman dropped off tomorrow morning, which I promptly plan to sew a slipcover for. I've found some great tutorials that I hope will be very helpful. I lied..there will be one picture of the fabrics I intend to use for the pillows and other miscellaneous items around the room.

Isn't it such a nice, modern color palette? I found almost sheer fabric from Walmart for only $5 a bolt (5 yards) and I got two. These are going to be made into long, but not very wide, panels for my bay window. The fabric is steel-colored. Because the panels are so narrow, and just for decor and not necessarily to cover the window, I don't think the dark color will matter. The walls are stark white and I think it will add dimension to the room. The ottoman will reside in aforementioned bay window and I hope will act as a small window seat, even if the kids are the only ones who use it :)

We are heading to Columbia, SC for General Conference weekend. We get to see our newest niece Faye blessed and I get to whip up some wonderful sweet concoctions for the festivities afterwards. Always a favorite pastime of mine, you know. I have some stuff planned for the kids to hopefully keep them at bay. At least for the Sunday sessions. With young children, and the advent of the internet and Ensign reprint of everything, I almost think it's pointless to try and watch sessions on Saturday. I know that makes me sound heathenish. But when I can watch it, and actually take things in, at a later date, does it really matter what particular date I am watching/listening/reading? You tell me. Sunday sessions are different, I still feel the need to participate in something resembling church :) That's where the General Conference packets and file folder games will come in. Hopefully it'll all work. Oh and snacks! Can't forget those, right?

I have started a 1349-page book for my BBC list. Thank goodness it's by a current author and has read fairly easily so far. I'm in the middle of that and another list book; they are numbers 66 and 67 of 100. I don't think that's too shabby for having started in November. I am leaving several doozies for later this year....lol! Well, it's about time for me to wrap things up. I'll be sure to take pictures of the finished living room. Someday I will have a separate playroom so my living room can EXCLUSIVELY be a living room. That is all :)

happy birthday bennett - part one

2011-03-14T13:27:00.000-04:00

Here are a few pictures of Bennett's family party.

As you can tell, he has loved being two so far! We enjoyed having Matt's parents come for a quick visit. They had to get back so Aunt Sarah and Uncle Rob could have a new baby, Faye, who we are excited to meet in just a few weeks :) Bennett's friend birthday party is just a few days away and I am already in the middle of setting decorations and extra tables up, just so I don't get stressed on Wednesday night trying to do it all. You can never plan too far in advance for things like these...at least that's what I tell myself {wink}. The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme is proving to be lots of fun to work with and I think all the kids are going to have a blast.

a day at the zoo

2011-02-25T14:43:00.000-05:00

What fun we had at the Richmond Metro Zoo last Friday...

I don't have any pictures on my camera of the carousel rides (TWO, and I had to ride along of course...lol) and the ski lift ride over the zoo. The kids did wonderfully on both and had a great time. While in Richmond we also got to catch up with my parents, Aunt Kelsey, Uncle David, Aunt Lee, Uncle Sam and Uncle Tanner (as known to the kids of course). We played lots of Nertz. Good times.

Hands On Museum

2011-02-04T15:19:00.000-05:00

Thanks to a generous family gift this past Christmas, I finally went to get a membership to the Hands On Museum in Johnson City {thanks Mom and Dad!}. If we ever get a chance, one of the huge benefits is getting into Discovery Place in Charlotte for FREE. Talk about a deal. This time, however, we just stuck to JC and had lunch afterwards at Chick-fil-A {mommy's favorite...we're getting one here before the end of the year!!}. Here's the proof.

I didn't get any pictures at Chick-fil-A, but our visit was just great. I am pretty sure I can get better service at Chick-fil-A than any restaurant I've ever been to. Not that most restaurants don't have good service, it's just that the wonderful Chick-fil-A people go above and beyond, especially when they see a Mom alone with her two kids :) Anyways, we're hoping to make it back down there at least once a month and preferably with some friends here and there. I have a bunch of $1 off coupons for people, too {thanks Expo tickets from last year}.

I have been getting used to my new church calling(s). I moved up to the Valiant 11 class in Primary (kids who are pretty much ready to get OUT of Primary) and I'm also a co-leader over the Activity Days program. We have 12 girls and 5 more coming in this year...wow! I am also going to start playing the piano for the second hour in Primary. The joys of splitting into a smaller ward :) No, really. I have done all these things before, so it's going to be fun!

I am starting to plan Bennett's 2nd birthday party...oh my goodness. Matt's got a pretty tight schedule this Spring, so we'll have small thing with just our immediate family on the day of, and then I'll do his slightly larger friend thing the week after. I'm thinking St. Patrick's Day, although it's going to be a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme. Hopefully he'll enjoy it :) I have been doing more major reorganizing of closets and LOTS of throwing away. It's amazing how many of Matt's holey socks I just threw away. The poor guys only has a few pairs left. Add it to the list! I tend to do all year cleaning, not just spring cleaning. Once I get something in my mind, I just do it. Who needs to wait for a specific season??

The weather is kind of calming down a bit. Still some cold days ahead, at least in the next 10 or so, but at least we're not getting pounded by some new winter storm. That was insanity for awhile there. Well, one child is awake and I hear the other, so I guess my motherly duties will be starting back up again. I do have a Girl's Night Out tonight with some friends - appetizers/dessert and bowling - so I am VERY excited. Thanks honey for watching the kids, you're amazing!

a quick note about snow

2011-01-12T15:15:00.000-05:00

But first, a quick hello from these two cuties:

Now that the niceties are out of the way, on to the terrible. I made it to Walmart today after being stuck inside the house since Sunday. For one, I have been sick and I'm still on the mend, but that's not the real point. It has been snowing almost nonstop since Sunday. Even for a place that manages to keep all the roads nice and tidy during the winter, things are getting a little crazy. The kids in school are on their 9th snow day for the year. All kinds of things shut down. Walmart was practically like a ghost town (which was actually kind of nice). It's the dry, powdery-type snow that would be heavenly IF you were at a ski resort...which we're not. It's supposed to be in the 40s in a few days...hmm, I'll believe it when I feel it.

And another thing that is worth mentioning...this past Sunday our ward was split. We are part of the new Abingdon Ward. We don't have any new callings at church (yet), but we're waiting around for all of the new changes that are sure to take place within the next few weeks. We'll be a small group for the time being, and I am convinced there will be some presidencies that won't be able to get filled up due to needing at least some people to participate in the classes. We'll see :) We're going to be meeting at 11:30, good for winter weather situations, yet to be determined for the naptime schedule. Things could go terribly, terribly wrong there...lol.

Hope you are staying warm this winter week!

no dreaming - we got the white christmas

2010-12-26T21:08:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! See you in 2011 :)

i couldn't resist....

2010-12-20T13:25:00.000-05:00

As much as I complain sometimes about how many stuffed animals we have laying around....I couldn't resist making the kids some last-minute Christmas presents. The pattern was easy, the finished product was irresistibly cute and I had everything on hand already..no EXTRA money! And I have to admit that stuffed animals are an immediate draw for me, no matter how many we have....so cute, cuddly and just darling. Let me introduce you to Oopsie and Opsie.

Wouldn't an entire family of these be SO welcome to your child's lap? The kids already got glimpses here and there and seemed to go ga-ga....luckily they have not asked about them since they disappeared, so I know the short-term memory loss will serve me well this time :) Only four full days until Christmas morning....I can't wait!

only 12 days 'til Christmas

2010-12-13T13:39:00.000-05:00

These are the Christmas decorations that I have hanging around our place. Bennett has already been messing with the Nativity set....grr!

I moved the Christmas tree at least a week ago to prevent any more ornament breakages....the newly finished tree skirt should also prevent such a disaster as well. I'm kind of fond of it myself...it'll pretty much go with anything I decide to decorate with on the tree.

My Advent calendar!! It's finally finished (as of before December 1 of course) after starting it for last Christmas. I am proud of myself...hehe. The kids are really enjoying it, too.

Clearly, you can see what happens when the afternoon sun streams through our front window and into the midst of the snow globe. Pretty spectacular. Matt said it was even capable of slightly warming his hands, when placed on the wall.

Hopefully I'll be getting some better pictures with the Christmas tree before this season is over. The kids were about to go to bed, and as you can tell from the tears, things were a bit rough. Here's to next time!

That's all for now, folks :)

it's the most wonderful time of the year

2010-11-30T23:34:00.000-05:00

Or at least it will be in just a few hours...:) It's been awhile since I last wrote, but with the holidays in full swing, things have been kind of crazy. I don't have any pictures to upload just yet, but those will come soon enough. I have been doing lots of sewing/crafting in the last few weeks. I finally finished my advent calendar...you know, the one I wanted to have ready for LAST Christmas....yeah. Better late than never! At least it's done. I also switched up the walls in our den so I can have a seasonal decor wall, to change as I want with the holidays. I had some really cute Thanksgiving stuff in frames, but I never got pictures. I can just add the files so you can at least see what I framed:

They looked pretty nice on the wall. I have since put up even cuter Christmas pictures, the tree, nativity, etc. I promise to add pictures of those, too.

Our plan to spend both major holidays this winter at home started off well. I did lots of baking the day before Thanksgiving and then only had minimal things to prepare on the actual day. It was a nice, unhurried (we ate at 4:45ish) meal that was quiet and relaxed. It would have been nice to see family, but I'm glad I didn't have to stress about all the stuff that goes along with large crowds of people. The kids didn't eat at least half the stuff, but that's okay...more for me and Matt. I did make the best turkey I have ever made. Seriously. It was actually juicy. A juicy turkey. And my Jamie Oliver stuffing, stuffed up under the skin...to die for.

I ventured out Black Friday morning, but at the fairly late hour of 6:30 AM, and found Walmart to be doable. I wasn't really going for the amazing deals, I just needed to shop without the kids. There are certain gifts you just can't hide in mounds of groceries, you know? All of the presents in our house have been dealt with and I am glad. We tried to keep things toned down this year. It is amazing (and flabbergasting, to be honest) the amount of money people throw out for Christmas. Simply amazing. Especially when you have young kids who probably won't remember this Christmas. I know I'm kind of on a soap box here, and to each their own Christmas preferences, but geez. People who drop thousands of dollars on a Christmas and then have the audacity to complain about financial woes throughout the remainder of the year seriously need to reevaluate their priorities. What's the reason for celebrating Christmas, anyways? Just something to think about...please don't take this personally if you like to seriously deck the halls for the holidays. It's just how I feel and that's all there is to it.

It might actually snow tomorrow..we had one snowfall already, although it didn't stick and lasted about an hour. It's finally starting to cool down, although we've enjoyed the much-warmer-than-last-year temperatures. It's going to be in the 30s and 40s for the next 10 days, so maybe we'll have a "real" December after all. Maybe even a white Christmas...I don't think I've ever had a Christmas, anywhere, where it actually snowed ON Christmas Day. We'll see about that.

Well, although I'm in a typing mood and I could go on and on about all the little things bugging me as of late, it's getting late and I have a husband who is, I'm sure, staring daggers into my back in the hopes that I will abandon this effort and go to bed already. The woes of having the home computer in one's bedroom...one day we'll have a house with its' own computer room. I swear.

One last thing...I ordered my Christmas card pictures last week and they should already be here by now. Doesn't Snapfish know I have a schedule to keep up with? I have never had issues with them before, why now, when it seriously matters? Tracking doesn't even show my package as existing...way to make a girl feel special. That's all.

from the outside looking in

2010-11-06T09:48:00.000-04:00

There's nothing like climbing up a 75+' piece of solid rock, with your two toddlers, to make you nervous. I have climbed Backbone Rock by myself and looked over the ledge of a pretty perilous drop...and was totally fine. With kids, totally different story :)

Bennett cried when we had to leave. This boy would have thrown rocks into the river ALL day if we had let him. He has a pretty good arm, too.

This is somewhere on top of that 75' rock. A mercifully flat area, away from any dangerous precipices.

Don't worry. I did actually let them go out and "play" in the snow for a few minutes, I just didn't take the camera with me at that point. They thought it was pretty cool.

There was a single strand of spider web that had snow gently clinging to it....can you make it out in these pictures? Here's the hoping this winter is nothing like last winter..even though a good snow is fun...sometimes.

trick or treat

2010-10-23T21:14:00.000-04:00

Well, it's not quite that time yet, but Halloween is fast approaching. We have been enjoying lovely weather as well as lots of Halloween/fallish-types of activities, crafts, food, etc. Here are a few pictures to elaborate:

I had to do some significant alterations to the shirt I made for Ellerie because it was way too big. There are pictures from before and after and I'm sure you can tell once I fixed it :) We just went to a town Halloween activity but it was only okay. There were so many people there and all of the free things were just packed with people waiting to have their turn. It just wasn't worth it, in our opinion. The kids probably had more fun playing on that caboose from the pictures, which was on the walk back to the car, then they did hanging around trying to get a turn on the inflatables. Oh well, you live and learn!

Bennett has FOUR teeth in various stages of growth that have erupted in the last month, probably less. His dentist appt. (along with Ellerie) is next Thursday...she'll be so happy :) That will make eight total teeth for this chomper-delayed 19-month-old...lol. That doesn't stop him from putting out a fearsome bight, though, let me tell you! That kid is a fast biter, so you better watch out.

Is it weird/wrong that the latest preschool behavioral issues in our house have been dealt with mainly through the promise or withholding of the next holiday party on the schedule? Geez...that girl knows how to push my buttons with the best of them....or worst, depending on how you look at it. At least we're getting plenty of use out of these Halloween costumes I made. I wouldn't actually keep her away from any of the parties...lol, there are just a LOT of threatening statements made. That's all I'm gonna say!

I am loving the cooler weather that has finally invaded southwest Virginia. Fall is my favorite time of year. So many fun holidays to look forward to, lovely winter weather clothing, boots...speaking of which, I am planning a day trip to Johnson City to find myself some new leather boots. I just got an Etsy order the other day which pushed my Paypal account up enough to buy boots without spending any of my regular money. The Paypal money is mine to do with as I want....yay! Hopefully I can find a good deal at Beattys (which is THE place to go for really great shoes).

Well, I should probably descend from on high (up here in the bedroom) to spend time with the hubs...although from the amount of laughter emanating from down below, it doesn't sound like he's missing my company all that much...hehe. Probably watching something on Comedy Central. I'll be sure to take pictures with all of the "real" trick or treating we'll do next Saturday. I have a fun project in mind for my trunk-or-treaters, something very yummy that is probably just a little better for them than candy...don't worry. They'll still get candy :)

once upon a dream

2010-10-06T19:55:00.000-04:00

well.....

2010-10-03T13:45:00.000-04:00

So much for writing every week. I'm not at my own computer right now, so I can't put any of the recent pictures up. I am quasi-listening to Conference - President Monson is being downright silly....and I love it. It's nice to have a silly prophet sometimes, you know? We decided a while back (well, the kids and I) to surprise my Mom for her 50th birthday by coming to Richmond for a weekend visit. I also planned a small ladies-only surprise party for her, inviting old and new friends. She was completely surprised and we all realized, it's pretty easy to dupe Mom ;) It's been fun to see their new place and kind of remember living here {gasp} TWENTY years ago. Now I can officially say the years are creeping up on me.

We went to Williamsburg yesterday for the first time in a while (for me at least). They had a bunch of stuff to see for free, so off we went. We met up with MY grandma, Meema, and she followed us home to stay over the night. She's already left to go home to Virginia Beach, but the kids had fun getting to know her better (Bennett had never seen her before and Ellerie, only once at six months old). She brought the kids stuffed animals. A dog for Bennett, and a frog holding a rose for Ellerie. Kind of like a frog prince. We asked her what his name was and she said, "Tips" immediately......lol. Tips? Okay. I have no idea where that came from, but it works, so there you go. She has carried him everywhere for the past twenty-four hours.

We are staying here through Tuesday morning, so tomorrow will hopefully afford us some more opportunities to do fun things. I'm gonna check out Chipotle for lunch (haven't been there since 2001, with my old friend Sara Hall Suman, in Colorado), try to go to the zoo our old family friends own and operate {Richmond Metro} if it doesn't rain, etc. We'll see how much of it happens. I already go to head to JoAnn yesterday...oh, how I miss it...it's probably best that I don't have one locally, though, if you know what I mean :) I need to feed one child (Bennett already ate, Ellerie fell asleep upstairs, hence the staggered schedule), so I'm off. Here's to not being able to really enjoy Conference yet again. I guess that's what the Ensign is for, right? {Sigh}

a little something

2010-09-15T16:25:00.002-04:00

Ellerie likes to read herself books now. Here's the transcript of one book before the video took place. I tried to get everything...there are a few things missing here and there. I don't think it matters much...lol.

"These are my favorite books. I want this one. Never seen this one. It’s called the Lake of Juisum of Hansel. Good, this is a new one about a giant. There’s a new giant in this book. Once upon a time happily ever after there was a princess. The new Book of Mormon is called the golden plates. Ohh, the golden plates. The golden plates were beautiful. So Joseph Smith took one to Jesus and one to himself. Oh, plates! Giant began to go on the book and it rained like thunder, it raced the toothbrush in this book. Because there’s no one in this picture. With one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten flowers, I say this, name of Jesus Christ Amen."

Hehe..and here's the next one on film.

Also, here are a few pictures of a hooded bath towel I made for a recent baby shower.

back into the groove of things

2010-09-08T15:17:00.000-04:00

Let's see if I can't manage to get back into my regular schedule of walking, library, shopping, blogging {regularly} and so on...I realized that I pretty much didn't take any pictures in August. Wow. That is pretty pathetic. I guess things were just moving right along and I forgot. Oh well.

We enjoyed an impromptu vacation down to Charlotte, NC this past weekend. Our newest nephew Will was blessed on September 5 and we were glad to be there for it. We arrived a day earlier to have a fun day at Discovery Place in downtown Charlotte. Boy, the kids got their money's worth out of that, especially the water table. It only took Ellerie 6-7 minutes to dump a half gallon bucket of water towards herself. Needless to say, it all didn't quite make it back into the bucket and she went around half sopping wet for the rest of the day. I squeezed out as much as I could. Discovery Place had lots of fun stuff for the kids to look at and we even got to watch a 3-D movie about sharks. It was funny watching Ellerie reach out and try to grab the fish that were "swimming towards her". She even managed to keep her glasses on for half the movie. Not bad. This was the first trip we took where Ellerie didn't have to use the bathroom sometime during the span of actual driving. I was kind of surprised, but happy, of course :) We stayed in a great Hyatt Suites place that had a little kitchenette and separate bedroom, not to mention a DVD player. That itself may have been the best part as far as the kids were concerned. We also enjoyed a full, hot breakfast each morning, which for me was probably the best part. Here are some pictures I took...there's not that many...

I'm gearing up to go to the semi-annual consignment sale here in Abingdon where I can get all the kids' winter (or summer) clothing for amazing prices. They don't need as much this fall/winter, since they've seemed to stop growing SO fast, but I still need to make a list so I don't overbuy. We're also heading to a baby shower for one of Matt's volunteers this Sunday. I go to so few of those these days that I get really excited and kind of go overboard on presents. Although, in my own defense, I still make half the stuff I give, so it's not like I'm spending as much money as I could be...lol.

Speaking of making stuff, these are two fabric flower pins that I made for a Relief Society service auction (or in my case, something I made). They went over rather well. I'm considering trying to sell them...not sure. Would you buy one and how much would you pay for them?

They probably take me about 2 hours each to make...maybe I could make it faster. Annhh....I'm thinking of actually taking that break from selling stuff. Goodness knows if I did, I have SO many baby shower gifts ready to go....I'd have to try and have a big "going out of business" or "extended vacation" sale on Etsy. I did manage to sell all of the remaining cuddle cubes I had to a lady in Australia. They should be getting there any day now. That is a LOT of extra space already in my closet :)

I've been reading a TON. Maybe that's why I haven't been blogging/picture taking/sewing much. I keep telling myself I'm going to get to the end of the stack and then move on to other projects. But then I find another book...oh my precious books. What would I do without you????

Well, I should be moving on to other things right now....haha, yeah. Hopefully I can try and blog about once a week or so. That is my goal.

{always} something

2010-08-24T14:50:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been one of those months where I keep thinking, yeah, it's been awhile since I blogged, but I didn't really feel like doing much about it. And so, I haven't. It's about time to catch up a bit, though, so here I am. School has started for most people now, although we have yet to hit that stage. I am planning on trying to teach Ellerie how to read this fall. The poor child seems pretty bored sometimes...too smart for her own good, you know?

There's a definite hint of the cooler weather to come in the air this week. It was great to hit the Creeper yesterday morning and feel sweaty, yet not uncomfortable - because the air was still cool AFTER I was done. I even had to take a blanket for the kids. Spring and Fall are most definitely my favorite seasons. I dislike extreme heat and extreme cold, both of which we had last year and this year, both of which we were assured we would NOT have :) Oh well, what're you gonna do, right?

We're excited for library story time to start up in the next few weeks. We still go every week, though, to get new books. Ellerie figured out how to work a computer mouse today and happily played a toddler-appropriate computer game for about 15 minutes - all by herself. Congrats, my little girl! Bennett still loves to try and climb everything within reach. That kid is going to be the death {or at least the major injury} of himself. He has three obvious bruises on his face right now from his own shenanigans. Bennett is also spouting off a few more understandable words as of late. They include book, bread, block, water (although he calls it agua...lol), uh-oh, and a few I have forgotten. He still understands pretty much everything I ask him to do in regular adult language, which is nice. Still only four teeth...surely the kid is getting jealous now and should be telling his unseen biters to get with the program!

I have been on a reading rocketship lately, speeding through all kinds of great books. I discovered the fun series by Joseph Delaney, The Last Apprentice. Also like These Is My Words quite a bit and was happy to find out there are two sequels, one of which I've already finished. There can never be too many good books, and you can never spend too many hours reading {as long as your family doesn't suffer because of it}. I guess that's one good blessing for reading really fast - I can manage to keep everything else in line if I only read while the kids are sleeping or in bed for the night. Or watching Little Einstein's....lol.

I'm excited for Halloween...think that might be one of my favorite holidays. I'm trying to figure out what the kids should be, because they must, of course, match or "go" somehow. It was the Princess and the Pea last year. Ellerie has been on a Hansel and Gretel kick for a week {per Little Einstein's}, so maybe I'll go that route...we'll see. It's always fun to dress up as something else...hopefully I'll figure out something that they can wear some other time, too.

Bennett is this >< close to being in Nursery at church. The kid needs to be in Nursery...lol. I don't know how he's going to take it, but he'll enjoy it eventually. Matt has been taking him in for one hour each Sunday and he likes it, but Daddy is there with him, so you know how that goes. I would love to be there with him, but I'm teaching the 9-10 year olds in Primary now, so I can't :( I like my new class, though. It's a good age, not too sassy yet, but they understand :) I don't have to create SO many different games/attention getters, since their attention spans are a little better. The last time I was in Primary was with the Sunbeams...lol, so a major change :)

Ellerie is still doing wonderfully on the potty-training front, and accidents are a non-issue. It's so nice to only buy diapers for one kid. It was always fun to buy two sizes of diapers, which come in different amounts, and have one run out first and still have like 40 for the other kid...alas, those days are over. ONE kid, ONE size, NO hassle. Freedom!

Well, I'll try to start taking more pictures again. I think I may have some on my camera right now, but I don't remember for sure. I'll post soon if I do. The kids' new room is still not quite finished, but it's looking so much better than before. Can't wait for everyone to see it :) I'm out!

changes are coming

2010-07-30T23:30:00.000-04:00

Since I've done a complete overhaul on the organization of all my things (and the yard sale we had actually went well!), why not add everything else in my life into the bucket? The kids are getting a coordinating/matching room makeover, I'm getting a new assignment/calling at church (nope, can't say what quite yet) and I'm thinking about taking a break from my online business for awhile. I'd still be available for local, custom stuff, but there are just so many areas of things to DO in my life for me to be able to do them all wonderfully, or at least to the degree of wonderfullness (HA) that I want. I don't Ellerie and Bennett to feel attention-deprived. We'll see what I decide. I certainly still love to create things, but maybe it'll just be on a smaller scale. Hey...then I wouldn't have to deal with tax issues, right? I think that would mean a massive inventory reduction at good prices. Anyone interested? {{wink wink}}

Ellerie is completely potty-trained now, although she did have two unexpected accidents in one day just a few days ago. Both after waking up from sleeping overnight and naptime. Needless to say, she was very upset about both incidents. So at least she gets that it's "serious"....poor kid :) Bennett is teething something major and will only eat bread, bananas, yogurt, applesauce, goldfish..you get the idea. SO annoying, since he was eating even better than Ellerie as far as variety. He did have a little chicken and peanut butter today, so I guess it's not all bad. But man, the crankiness, whining...he better pop out six teeth or something for it to be worth all this trouble.

We are headed to the Virginia Highlands Festival tomorrow. We're trying to fit a lot into one morning/early afternoon. Even though, it's a two-week event, this will probably be the one time we go and do stuff. Matts' work schedule next week starts getting into what it's "really" like for the fall season of Scouting, so he'll pretty much be a no-show ;) Don't worry, honey - we still love you! But we're hitting up the Tomato Fest at the Farmer's Market, all of the regular Arts & Crafts booths, as well as the Colonial Trade Faire, a bagpipes concert and a free Kid's Fun Day if we're lucky. Hopefully the kids will hold up and have a great time...oh, and ditto goes for us!

Matt and I are trying to eat better and exercise more (story of everyone's life, right?) and I guess that great Chocolate Trifle I made for the Book Club was a great send-off of what we WON'T be eating a lot of. I want to start walking the Creeper again, too. I think I am officially ready for fall weather to arrive. I believe Spring and Fall are my favorite seasons. Not too hot, not too cold, just perfect. Fall might win, though, with the colors, Halloween, that brisk chill in the air, the first snow {before you come to your senses and realize that snow is evil}, etc. You get the idea. It's just delightful in general. Especially when you have a travel-free holiday season to contemplate. I think this is the year we start doing our own thing. Traveling with two kids and all the STUFF that is included - it's just too much. It's hard for kids to be away from their own stuff, especially when there are lots of semi-unfamiliar people around. It'll be nice to enjoy my own holiday decorations for once...on the actual day of said holiday :)

Anyways, I am typed out...catch all you readers (however many of you are left....lol) later.

what a day

2010-07-21T23:23:00.000-04:00

Nothing beats a perfectly planned out morning, right? Well, except for a washer that decides to spew 1.5" of standing water into your {upstairs} laundry room. This said water will then seep into your carpet not only in the direct vicinity of the laundry room, but also into all of the adjoining rooms. Oh yeah...and through the ceiling. Now our ceiling fan could have competed for the next best water park. Too late to reenact it all now.

Somehow the drainage pipe that is part of our apartment came out of the wall and the load of laundry I was doing drained all over the place. Luckily, we were all home (I never leave laundry going while I am gone) and I think I caught it just in time. Of course, there were lots of "freak out" moments, pretty much from me. I caught a lot of "It's not that bad, Mommy" from Ellerie. And apparently {I didn't hear this} several "Calm down"'s thrown in for good measure. Poor kiddos...we were all set to go walking on the Creeper today. We'd just finished a yogurt and homemade muffin breakfast and I heard this suspicious sound. Walk into the den...AHH! Thank goodness I have a lot of towels, although it still wasn't enough. Thankfully, there's no real damage and the ceiling didn't collapse. That is always my fear in second story leaks. Like I said, we caught it just in time. Our landlord said to just let everything dry out and he'll come by in a few weeks to paint over any water spots leftover on our downstairs ceiling. What a day.

I have pictures of the first "Fruits of our labor" from the meager garden we managed to plant. Oh yeah..the garden consists of two tomato plants at this point. And two marigolds. That's it.

But Ellerie certainly enjoyed the two tomatoes we've gotten. Hopefully there will be a few more before the end of the summer.

Mom and Tanner are coming over sometime tomorrow on their way to Richmond. The move has finally arrived and I imagine most of their stuff is already packed on the truck. Tomorrow is any residuals and some cleaning I guess and then they'll make their way to Abingdon. Five hours is a long ways away....I am not a fan of this move for that reason only. It'll be good for them...but sad for us.

I've got book club at my place next Thursday and The Goose Girl is my choice. It's a fantastic book for those who haven't read it before. The refreshments are going to be divine, too, even if I do say so myself :) I have a nice little handout planned and everything. I have to admit that planning events is certainly up my alley...well, reasonably sized ones, I suppose.

I am exhausted from the stress of today, however, and need to sleep. So, stay tuned for more ramblings to come at a later date. Peace.

no, we're not dead {just been on vacation}

2010-07-13T22:48:00.000-04:00

And I have plenty of pictures to prove it! We drove 13 hours through the night to visit family in Florida and then drove through Columbia on the way back to see Matt's parents and also break the 13 hours up a bit. We had a delightful time in both states and got some much needed R & R. The only downside is the weight that I am sure I gained as a result of my Aunt Andrea's to-die-for cooking/baking/spoiling. Hotels and restaurants don't have {nothin'} on her!

This is going to be a picture-heavy post, so enjoy!

WHEW! That does it for all of our vacation pictures. I think I took so many in FL that I forgot to even take out my camera in SC. Oh well, we still enjoyed our time there, too! Our apartment is undergoing major reorganizing/cleaning/weeding out of crap right now and it feels GOOD.

Our 7th anniversary is next Monday. I have gotten the seven year itch...but in a "we have so much crap" kind of way. I think that's a good thing...

digging the new blogger

2010-06-26T23:23:00.000-04:00

I thought I would update a sorely-lacking blog and I discovered all these new options for the overall design of my blog...sweetness. Things have been kind of busy here lately, but it's going to start slowing down for a bit..thank goodness! I don't really have much else to say right now...I know. How lame to have a one-paragraph blog post. Well, do you know who has three loads of day-old laundry to fold? That would be ME!

a belated happy father's day

2010-06-26T22:55:00.000-04:00

for a slight change of pace {a recipe}

2010-06-09T22:44:00.001-04:00

Sometimes I actually feel like cooking/baking. I actually tend to do it in big spurts. Nothing spectacular and then something freshly baked three days in a row...what can I say? Sometimes I am quite the overachiever. Tonight, I finally felt recovered enough from the past few harrowing toddler-crazy days to think about something decent for dinner. Of course, not until about 4:50, but the kiddos were very patient. I kind of used a recipe for part of it, but mostly just threw stuff in, so I figured I should write it down somewhere since it went over so very well :)

For a delicious catch-all {meaning, includes pretty much all food groups} dinner, Chicken Soup & Dumplings.

Soup:

First, chop up all of the following via your food processor {SUCH a time saver}- it will all be super small pieces

2-3 stalks of celery, depending on size
1 sweet/vidalia onion {the only kind I get these days}
2 cloves garlic

In a large pot {trust me, large, those dumplings really plump up later!}, add 1 Tbsp. of olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add all of the vegetables and saute for about 3 minutes. Make some space in the pot to add:

1.5 lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken thighs {thighs are dark meat, which tend to make better soups, more fat :)}
maybe 3/4 of a cup of water, to keep it all moist

Cover and let simmer over medium-low to medium heat until cooked through. What I ended up doing after the chicken was cooked was throw it through a quick food processor run as well. This makes the soup much easier to eat for my kids, who tend to give dirty looks to large pieces of meat...lol. Throw said chicken back into the pot. Add the following:

1.5 cups water
1.5 cups milk {preferably 1%, but skim would probably work}
sea salt to taste
black pepper to taste
parsley to taste
2 chicken bouillon cubes

Simmer the soup until heated through, mixing occasionally to make sure everything is blending well. While simmering, concoct the following delectable dumplings:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
4 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup milk

Mix the dry ingredients together. Cut in the butter until mixture is crumbly. Gradually add the milk, stirring mixture into a thick batter. I used a melon baller {divine creations} to scoop and drop my dumplings onto my simmering soup and it worked like a charm. I have a baller that probably measures out a tablespoon at a time, so my dumpling batter balls {lol} were probably a heaping Tbsp. Once you've used all the batter, cover your pot {try, try not to open it for the duration of dumpling cookage} and let simmer over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes.

This soup really was great. For younger eaters who find soup kind of hard to deal with {think drippy spoons}, this came out pleasantly/helpfully thicker than most soups. It has something to do with the really small vegetables I think...if you mash up some of the dumplings into the soup even more than they already are, that makes it accessible even for a baby {i.e. Bennett, who was able to pick up whole handfuls}. Everyone in our family loves this and I will definitely be making it again. Bon Appetit!

better late than never

2010-06-01T21:39:00.000-04:00

Well, I can breathe a sigh of relief and wonder what to do with all my free time....haha, yeah right! Sorry for the huge lapse in posting {well, I guess it isn't too bad} but things are just now starting to calm down. Here's a pictorial storyboard that I'll explain more about afterwards.

Matt brought Ellerie and I flowers from a volunteers garden. Apparently they had too many {hooray for us} and they have been "stinking" up the house with a divine aroma. Bennett is clearly into self-feeding lately, although how much he actually gets away with remains to be seen on a case-by-case scenario. Obviously, that day he won.

Ellerie has gone and turned three on us...holy moley. Where has the time gone? The poor girl is going to think all birthdays are three to four day events what with the way hers was drawn out over an entire weekend. Her actual birthday was spent finalizing plans for Plumb Alley Day, although we did venture out to Walmart for some handpicked birthday presents and to Babycakes Cupcakery for some yummy {but truly pricey!} confections. Sunday brought Mimi and Ruly over for a real "sing the song" party. They also brought over passes to the Hands On Museum - hopefully we'll be able to go soon! Aunt Kelsey had directions to give Ellerie her old ballet outfit and Ellerie loved prancing around in it. Monday, also Memorial Day, we went to O'Charley's for lunch and the waiters all sang to Ellerie. She seemed to love it :)

Plumb Alley Day went well. I managed to make back my booth fee and then some. I really wanted to sell more, but something is better than nothing. I guess I can take it glass half full...now I don't have to sew like mad to create inventory for Sprout Consignment or my Etsy shop. Thank goodness it didn't rain. It actually was a slow-bake by the end of the show. I felt myself nodding off/floating away on several occasions, and I wasn't even in the direct sun. I gave away lots of business cards, so hopefully my name gets out there more. Only one month until we go to Florida...we are all very excited. Another thing to look forward to is the local library's special Tea Party on June 26. I'm making a dress for Ellerie and one to match it for myself. I think I might have enough to make a matching doll dress, too....I wonder what kinds of looks we'll get!

The library summer reading program looks to be jam packed with all kinds of fun things to do (the tea party is just one of the "special" events). They have regular weekly things and then extra things on the side, most of which we'll be able to attend. Supposedly it gets crowded, but I am not driving out of my way to go to a less crazy venue. We'll just have fun and go with it :) We also have a completely packed church play group schedule {through July at least} that includes a visit to a members' farm. How exciting for the kids! It looks like they are doing something every week, so I'm going to try really hard to get involved in that. The busier I stay {within reason} the better I do I find.

Well, it is time for me to take a break. I've technologically caught myself up now :) Enjoy!

when daddy's away | babies play

2010-05-20T15:53:00.000-04:00

Here are some more as-of-late happenings in the Connors' home.

Daddy had to work the local Scout Expo, so we had a fun day there and hanging out with Mimi.

Bennett acting the fool....:)

More of Ellerie's creations.

How many shots to get a great one of Mimi and one {or two} children?

Ellerie and the new toy...

Bennett and the new toy...

Mommy and the kiddos...

Field trip to the local airport...

And here are a few that just had to have their own space...

What can I say? I've got some pretty amazing progeny ;)

{{I am SO not TOTALLY biased}}

eight days and counting...

2010-05-20T15:46:00.000-04:00

...till Plumb Alley Day! Here's some quick pictures to show you what I've been up to my EARS in for the past few months.

So if you want to get technical, this is like 125 key fobs, 100 bibs, 8 onesies, 2 scrappy quilts..and that doesn't count old stuff I'll be taking to try and make some space. I have a new opportunity to have my products in a real brick-and-mortar store. How awesome is that?? If all goes as planned, the shop (also dealing in child and maternity consignment) will open in the late summer. The girl who is going to open this shop is a doll and though we haven't met yet, I can't wait to see her and get things rolling!

singing babies

2010-05-06T15:25:00.000-04:00

That's what I'm listening to. Ellerie is singing something...probably the theme song to Little Einsteins, as she waits to be retrieved from nap time. Which is, by the way, delightful (or even more so than it was) since we acquired a blackout curtain. Said curtain makes the kids' eastward-facing room much darker, thus allowing for slightly longer sleeping stretches :) No, I'm not happy about it at all....hehe.

I have been making loads of progress on my sewing to-do list for the Plumb Alley Day (in just 23 days!). I just finished sewing ALL of the bibs today, although I still have to do lots of top-stitching, ironing and snap-installing. But the sewing really is the "worst" part. These bibs are so adorable. I plan on putting everything that doesn't sell at the craft fair onto Etsy (let's hope this non-selling pile is small!) so you readers should see everything eventually. I will try to get a picture of all my product pre-fair day, but who knows if that will actually happen with all I have to do. All of the cuddle cubes are sewn and stuffed, I just have to close them up. I still need to sew about 40 key fobs and I need to do two last-minute quilt ideas, although the quilts are kind of optional to me. I was just trying to use some of my vast scrap stash.

I am going to get a outdoor climbing apparatus tonight before I head over to my Relief Society meeting at church (which will include manis and pedis, oh my :) ). I have a lovely Walmart gift card thanks to some credit card points, so it really won't cost much at all. I am sure that the kids will just love it. I think I will relish not feeling guilty for failing to take them to the park multiple times a week. "Hey, you want to go down the slide? Okay, let's hop out onto the back porch." Ahh...it should be divine.

The kids continue to grow and get smarter. Bennett is working on pushing the fourth tooth out and I'm trying to be more lenient as to what real food he gets. He's a great little food masher :) Ellerie is so smart it's terrible sometimes. She actually means most of the sassy things she says and she is teaching us patience every day. I'm trying to give her enough attention since Bennett seems to get more positive feedback lately....it's hard, though, right? He doesn't talk back yet! Potty training is still a quasi-type thing right now. She'll go on the potty maybe 1-3 times a day. Maybe it'll happen while we're on vacation??

Ahh vacation. The mere word brings a smile to my face. We're planning on finally making it down to Florida to see my Dad's side of the family again. We haven't been down there in a while. Ellerie and I traveled there when she was 9 months old, so it's been a couple years for me. Matt hasn't been down there since....well, since before we had kids. So probably somewhere...geez, maybe not since our honeymoon?? Maybe it really has been that long. We stopped off to see my aunt and uncle on the way back home from our honeymoon. I love visiting my Harmon side. The Florida weather will be perfect for swimming (probably too hot for much else...lol) and the list of things to do down there is endless. I'll get to celebrate the big 2-7 while down there, as well, so who can complain about that?

The noise has ceased from the kids room. I'm not stupid enough to think that they've actually fallen back asleep, but I am smart enough to take advantage of the few minutes I have to straighten my hair for tonight. I'll be talking to y'all later.

oh what a day {or two, or three...}

2010-04-27T23:28:00.000-04:00

So I really have needed to get in gear and start sewing for my Plumb Alley Day...but in the mean time {hehe....} here's what we've been up to.

Like I said, I need to get my butt in gear....seriously! I have dozens of bibs to sew, probably 40 more key fobs to sew (thank goodness something in the pile is rather quick to do!) and plenty more things headed to the craft fair that I haven't even started. T-minus one month....go. Our satellite has been out for almost three days now. Totally not a fan of that. We had some raining, some fierce wind...not sure who the culprit is.

Bennett is continually teething, although the fact that he's actually producing the fourth tooth as we speak is exciting. At least the poor thing will be able to have more than two teeth by the time he's in nursery! I have been really involved in spring cleaning lately, and by so doing, came across www.paperbackswap.com. It's been a great help in getting space-taking books out of my house (I pay shipping) and getting books back from others (they pay shipping) that we actually want (aka...Franklin the Turtle books for Ellerie....geez). It's like, give one, get one type thing. I've sent out 11 books so far. I've redone my large and small pantries as of late, too, and they look spectacular. I even solved the workspace issue for Matt....aren't I a good wife for sacrificing my two Target gift cards {that I was saving for a summer dress} and buying another desk instead? Granted, I used the gift cards, the cash on hand, and the desk was pretty much 50% off on clearance, but still. I think I got lucky...it was the only one like it in the store. Score.

At least half of the seeds that Ellerie and I planted for our garden (aka fun experiment for Ellerie that will never amount to sustainable food for the family) didn't come up. We only have Zinnias (which the packet said were guaranteed to grow), all of the peas {insert terrible gnashing of teeth from Matt here}, two carrots and one lettuce. None of the tomatoes or cucumbers came up. I guess we can try again, right? I thought tomatoes were pretty easy to grow. I probably should have gotten the live starter plants instead. Oh well, live and learn. I think Ellerie will like it better this way, basically seeing something grow from "nothing."

On the subject of Ellerie, she officially has an extra tooth. It's between her front tooth and the next side tooth (as seen in several of the pictures I posted). They can't tell yet if there is a permanent tooth waiting in the wings or not, so we're waiting it out for now. I told her she's very special and she seems to get a kick out of saying she has an extra tooth. Too bad she wasn't this excited about the actual dentist visit....! She has the Finding Nemo experience to base all dentists off of, so it wasn't a walk in the park. Besides inserting her entire hand into her mouth to protect her teeth from the dentist/hygeneists, she actually hit the dentist on the leg and told her to go away. Oh Ellerie...what do we have in store in the coming years? Hopefully I can take the next six months to calm her down a bit for the next cleaning.

I was going to add a video, but 40 minutes later....lol I think not.

Creations and Activities {Most of an Easterish Kind}

2010-04-11T21:44:00.000-04:00

We had the opportunity to travel to Columbia, SC for the Easter/Conference weekend. Everyone had a great time playing with cousins, coloring eggs, listening to Conference (not that I got to listen to much...lol), etc. The first collage is another addition to Ellerie's library Story Time creations.

The first Easter Egg hunt where Ellerie actually "got it." Bennett even found a few without any prodding from Matt. Way to go, big boy!

These are the outtakes from Easter pictures that I liked but didn't love. My favorites will follow this collage, all individually. I might be biased, but the cutest pictures deserve their own space :)

I have to explain the crying...we live right beside train tracks. There was a train stopped on the tracks when we got home from church. You know that sound the axles/brakes/something make when a long train just barely starts to get going again? Well, even I jumped. And poor Tut started crying. But I'm one of those horrible moms who can't pass up the adorable crying baby shot....{bad mommy}

My, what a handsome boy I've got!

We're definitely biased, but these are some cute kiddos. Ellerie has been working on the potty training some more and is actually having moderate success. It's tiring when she asks to go to the bathroom several times in one hour (to no avail) but I suppose she has to start at some point, right? Ellerie also continues to incessantly pick her nose, a behavior that's been going on for some time. Apparently Bennett pays attention because he has started to walk around with his finger contentedly resting in his nose as well. Thank goodness he hasn't caught on and actually started digging around for something up there...

I've been managing to do some much-needed organization/cleaning around this place. That includes tackling some piles of sewing that really needed to be dealt with. I also found out my spot for the Plumb Alley Day on May 29th (a craft fair of sorts I'm doing). It's on one of the "edges" so to speak, and around some of the big activity areas/bathrooms, so hopefully a lot of traffic will come my way. Here's to hoping, at least! I was able to read three books of moderate lengths from the library this week. I always love a good read, especially when I can sit and finish it in almost one sitting.

Poor Bennett hasn't been doing too hot in church the last couple of weeks. He's forcing me into inactivity! I heard none of Sunday School today and maybe 10 minutes of Relief Society. Way to go, little man. Only.....four months until nursery! I'm not excited at all {ha!}. Ellerie and Bennett will be in nursery together, which I always thought would never happen with my kids. Well, I was wrong. They'll have 4.5 glorious months together. Hopefully that will take care of any issues he has with me leaving him there. Big sisters are good for things like this :)

Well, that's all I have for now. I think I've been doing a pretty good job at updating this bloggio....I tell myself I shouldn't get annoyed with sparse blog updating when I am guilty of the same thing sometimes. Hopefully I can keep it together on my end and then have a little leeway to grumble about others...lol. This is one of the times when being a voracious reader has its negatives...there's never enough to read!

What Could Be Better?

2010-04-06T15:20:00.000-04:00

Picture this scenario - I am sitting in my bedroom, typing away to all of you. My windows are open, the wind rippling through my sheer curtains, making that nearly perfect sound that makes you think of Spring. I can hear the bamboo wind chimes rolling happily away; they have probably forgotten that January-March even happened. What a scary time that must have been for them....lol. I think I even hear a plane off in the distance. To me, a smallish-sized planes' noise, weaving in and out of the gently rolling hills around us is the perfect thing. It just makes me smile and wish I was in a field full of daisies, lying flat on my back, imagining shapes in the clouds. Except there aren't any clouds today. Just glorious blue sky. No, it's all real, none of it made up. Why couldn't perfect points in time like this occur more frequently? Did I mention that the kids are peacefully sleeping, with only an errant yawn or cough to suggest that I even still have children? No worries, I'm not wishing them gone. We're all going on the promised walk after they wake up.

Before I sat down to contemplate the beauty of today's existence, I even managed to get a moderate amount of work done of my pile of sewing projects. Yesterday I failed to go walking (but did anyone notice, not sure) but did get lots of stuff done. I have a pile of old t-shirts that I am re-purposing into I-don't-care-if-it-gets-ruined childwear. I have dozens of bibs to cut out, sew, close up...literally. Good thing this craft fair is at the END of May. I'll need all the time I can get. I have a gathering at my place next Thursday, so that will be a wonderful reason to get some of the "sitting out in plain view" projects done that need to be taken care of. Like that cute Christmas Advent Calendar...that's still hanging on my kitchen wall....yeah. It lacks days 22, 23, and 24. And at least half the felt figures. Matt teases me about it. I say it won't get done until this December if I pack it up now. I think we're both right....if I add it to a physical checklist that I plan on making, the optimistic hope is that it will be completed around September :)

I finally made the kids' first dentist appointment for the 27th. I think that should be fun/go well. At least that's what I want to happen....I'm trying to psych Ellerie up about it, hopefully that will work. I have to make a couple dozen cupcakes for a baby shower I'm helping with on Thursday. Thankfully, I already have the cupcake toppers done. I get to take the kids to said baby shower....oh joy of all joys. At least it's just around the corner should some unexpected {read expected} meltdown occur. Oh, and I actually scheduled a lunch out with friends (well, it's already a monthly thing) when I get to leave the kids at home. Also, right around the corner. I could (and probably will now that I'm going alone) walk there and back.

I forgot to bring to your attention that I can actually hear the random "moo" from cows here and there....quasi-rural living at its best.

Hi, It's Us Again...

2010-03-23T20:11:00.001-04:00

Back from the land of the blogging dead...:) It's just been a few crazy weeks, that's all. Here are a few picture collages to catch you up on our life:

Some typical images from lunch time and Ellerie's St. Patrick's Day creation

Pictures from the Backbone Rock area just outside of Damascus, VA.

It was the perfect day for a family picnic. We really enjoyed our day.

Matt and Ellerie had fun throwing rocks into the river...can you see them in mid-flight?

I ambitiously (and in part to scare my heights-fearing dad) climbed up Backbone Rock to take some pictures from the lookout deck. It's approximately 75 feet high.

A typical bedtime scene...tears/screaming/prostration/emotive behavior included! We still love Ellerie, even for all of the insane traits she has.

It's shaping up (and already has been) to be another busy week. The weeks/months to follow will be no exception. I do like it, though, having all this stuff to do. It keeps me from twiddling my thumbs at home wondering what to do. And the kids love to get out of the same, boring house, I'm sure. I have a Book Club, baby shower, Recipe Exchange and more to look forward to. That doesn't include weekly Story Time outings, play groups, etc. We are constantly going, going, going. At least tonight I can sit down, relax and immerse myself in the insanity of LOST. I know, not exactly relaxing entertainment, right? Oh well. Only 8 more episodes and it's done.

My Great-Grandpa John died today, but not unexpectedly. He was 96 and really quite the go-getter up until about two or three years ago. He didn't really go majorly downhill until the past six months. I feel relief for him now that he's gone. He doesn't have to worry about all the ailments that were really starting to pile up on him and he gets to see his wife again (she's been gone since 1991). So it's sad, but he's in a better place. He did get to meet his great-great-granddaughter and we have the picture proof of it. Not many families can boast of a FIVE generation picture. I'll make sure to keep it always.

Well, I need to get going...to do nothing of much importance :) But the kiddos are asleep and a nice big glass of water and the couch are calling my name. Vegetation, though art a worthy cause tonight!

the evolution {and utter destruction} of said cake...

2010-03-11T22:18:00.000-05:00

And last but not least...

2010-03-11T22:17:00.001-05:00

My new hair cut....

Some more birthday stuff...

2010-03-11T22:16:00.002-05:00

the {train} cake

2010-03-11T22:05:00.000-05:00

So this was supposed to be a fondant cake..but when I realized how many different colors I wanted to use, I was like, um, no. So regular frosting it was. I can never seem to escape the ubiquitous crumbs when I use buttercream frosting. Oh well. People didn't seem to mind :)

Starting from the beginning...

2010-03-11T22:02:00.000-05:00

I have some catching up to do, so let's start at the beginning. Ellerie makes crafts for story time every week...usually stuff that takes up space. So we keep it for a while, then she takes a picture of it (or with it) and we say goodbye, and away to the trash it goes. It's a great system...and it keeps mommy sane.

This is Bennett's birthday gift (a few days early) from his birthday buddy Mackenzie. Her mommy is one of the March Mommies, too. He (and Ellerie) love his awesome name puzzle. Check out storkgifts.com if you like it.

Bennett is a master of destruction/cuteness as of late. So you see in the pictures. He is really into climbing lately, too. Good and bad. I really need a climbing apparatus of some kind...

Creativity = Fun = Time Consuming :)

2010-03-06T20:05:00.001-05:00

This was a cloth activity book I made for a friends' daughter's 1st birthday. Apparently it has been a smashing success :)

This purse/bag I made for our babysitter's 14th birthday, just a few days before Bennett's (whose is coming up, crazy!).

This was the custom Etsy order I spoke/ranted about so much. I think everything turned out wonderfully {thankful sigh}. She loved it and although it was for her sister's baby shower, she threatened to keep it :)

A Bit of This and That {Musings from another long day...}

2010-02-24T22:24:00.000-05:00

I don't have any new pictures to post. Let's just get out of that way :) It has started snowing again. We all got spoiled by a few days of glorious sunshine and then a few days of overcast and drizzly skies, but who is going to complain about that when compared with the horrid alternative? This "mild winter" has turned into something from my worst nightmares. It is starting to affect my little side job with Etsy. I need to purchase something to finish up a project, but can't go yet because it probably isn't safe to drive yet. Hopefully there will be some kind of reprieve in the morning. I really need those snaps!

We had fun going to a church play group this morning. I don't think Bennett has ever witnessed so many kids (and rambunctious, playful kids) at one time, so he just kind of stared in awe for about ten minutes before actually engaging in meaningful play. It was pretty funny to observe. Ellerie enjoyed playing with a different play kitchen and food and also trying out some neat rocking horses (well, the new kind with springs and all that). She didn't really interact much with the other kids, but there were only two other little girls around her age there and I don't know if they play together much at church...I've never heard her mention the names before. But later during snacks, she did know one of the names, so we'll see. It was nice to socialize with the other moms :)

I have been sewing pretty frequently as of late and like I said, just need a few things to complete my last "must-do" project. It's a custom order for Etsy and the deadline is next week, hence my impatience. This week has been crazy all around. We have a fun weekend planned, though. Well, for the parents. The kids get to be babysat twice, on Friday and Saturday. I don't know what they are going to think about this in retrospect. Oh well. Both nights are work functions, although one is in Knoxville and the other just here in Abingdon. Four hours of travel - the event better be good :)

I don't know how we're going to celebrate Bennett's upcoming birthday on March 9. The weekends during March are already kind of booked/bad timing, but I kind of wanted to have friends and family over, so just finding a good time to schedule it for everyone is proving to be difficult. Do I give up and just have a small thing with us and maybe my parents or try to do it to a larger degree? The smaller event is probably what's going to happen, although I might have a lunch with some church friends and just have a little birthday song/cake on the side while they are there. We'll see. I'm sure Bennett really cares about all this....yeah right!

The kids continue to grow and are getting pretty crazy. Bennett is into EVERYTHING. He has no concept of the word no and doesn't listen to either of us. Ellerie proves a trial during a lot of dinner hours, but other than that, is fairly good for a two year old :) Together they prove that children really can know what they are doing is devious and tricky...lol. And still do those things when they think you aren't watching. Bennett is starting to look back at me when he starts to do something from the forbidden list. It's too bad he's so darn cute. It makes it really hard to discipline him sometimes!

I'm getting excited for at least one upcoming consignment sale in March. I'm hoping to walk away with complete summer wardrobes for both kids, just like I did for this past winter (current winter for all it's worth!). The way these kids grow (or don't) they might possibly fit into some of their winter clothes next season, especially Bennett. I still need to take them to the doctor for LONG overdue checkups and probably some dreaded shots. Why is it these important things usually fall by the wayside when weighed against sewing and other outings? Priorities Nivette...get them straight!

Anyways, enough of my late night ramblings. Sometimes it's just nice to type, you know? It makes me think back to my administrative assistant days and all the typing I did there...and it makes me thankful (most days) that I don't have to work anymore. Not at a regular job that is. Don't get me started on the requirements for my current job {AKA Connors Taskmaster}...lol.

Here's to hoping the snow is gone, or at least in the process of leaving, upon waking.

Pictures Are {Mostly} Intelligent

2010-02-19T14:35:00.000-05:00

Getting that first taste of egg yolk...

The goodies we brought to Story Time for Valentine's Day :)

The kids being...well, themselves :)

A Lack of Pictures (and intelligent thoughts)

2010-02-18T15:36:00.002-05:00

Well I do have pictures that I need to post. That would mean, however, having to get up off my tired butt and pull them off the camera, edit, etc. And we all know that just isn't going to happen today :) I have almost finished purchasing all of the supplies for a custom Etsy order that I won (by way of huge surprise to myself). I really didn't think they would choose my bid since they never do. But alas, here we are and I get to work with a fabric line I have done stuff with before (see Monaluna's Metro Market/Mingle lines). It's a blanket, 4 bibs and 3 burpies. I'm excited.

Things have been extremely busy this February. I like being busy, though, so I guess I shouldn't really grumble. When you can't go to the park almost every day {because of ceaseless snow and allover horrid weather} it helps to have things to fill up your time with. I have Enrichment tonight, but the spouses are invited, too, so I guess it's a family affair :) It's basically about planning out stuff in case we die...luckily they'll have a dessert bar afterwards to chase away the depressing thoughts that will probably come with this kind of subject matter. I have Book Club next Thursday, but luckily the book is very short. Just give me a few undivided hours.

We get to go out, alone, without kids, twice next weekend. Once to Knoxville and once here in town. We also got out for Valentine's Day (the Friday before) and saw Valentine's Day. We thought it was pretty cute. It still hurt to pay $7.95 a ticket when you're used to the Redbox fee! Oh well, sometimes it pays to just pay more (in this case, the marriage is helped by leaving Beast #1 and Beast #2 at home to regain some of our lost sanity ;)).

I don't really have the mental capacities to write much else at this point...but with all these orders and other things in life, mail time will really become fun again. 5 packages coming in the next week or so. NICE :)

A Long Time Coming...

2010-01-28T14:39:00.000-05:00

So we haven't disappeared off the face of the Earth. Things have just been...normal :) I finally got around uploading some of the pictures that have been sitting inside my camera for a few weeks. I have been doing lots of Winter Cleaning lately (cause I apparently just can't wait until Spring...) and that has been occupying a lot of my free time. We've been getting into the groove of our regularly scheduled activities such as library Storytime and such. Matt and I are trying to adhere to a better way of eating (i.e. The Abs Diet) although he's doing it a bit more strictly than I. Overall, we've been doing much better.

Bennett is finally pushing through his first tooth...the little stinker is on the downside of 10 months! Let's hope the other teeth are a bit more mindful of the schedule I wish for! I want B to able to enjoy some real food soon..although he still has a rather decided fondness for rice/oatmeal cereal :) He is experimenting on his own with standing..I catch him doing it a few times here and there each day. He and Ellerie still enjoy playing chase. I think she actually gets a little freaked out/anticipatory when he's coming around the corner and I shout, "He's coming, hide!"

Still a no-go on the potty training. Who's counting, though? I'm just biding my time. Some day it will happen...hopefully before she turns 3. Bennett is FINALLY sleeping on his own in the kids' bedroom...hallelujah! I thought the day would never arrive. It took a heck of a lot LESS time than Ellerie to train him, maybe because he had built-in company to amuse him to sleep :) We put him in the pack-n-play inside their room for about a week, week and a half, and let him get used to the new room and just a little while ago, I took that down and put him in the crib for his first nap there. Ellerie still seems to be awake (mutterings from the other room...) but I guess that didn't bother him. He doesn't even cry now. I had trouble falling asleep the first few nights because there wasn't a baby pawing me to sleep...but now it's much better and I love it :)

Anyways, that's enough for now I guess. I need to check the forecast...I hear tell of another storm coming this way? I really don't want another power bill like the one we just got...but what's a girl to do??

Enjoy the visuals below :)

The Proof is in the Pudding!

2010-01-28T14:21:00.000-05:00

So, my dad and I really did make and finish this play kitchen for Ellerie's Christmas gift, albeit more like late New Years' gift :) Quality takes time though, you know? Here are some pictures of her favorite new obsession. Literally, she has a tendency to become attached at the hip to it...which was kind of the point :)

The felt food that I have made so far...I'll be making other stuff as she wants/I feel like it :)

Funny Stuff

2010-01-10T17:08:00.000-05:00

Just a few more pictures of the kids having some fun.

And Last But Not Least...

2010-01-04T19:21:00.000-05:00

The first two kiddos you might already know :) The rest are self-explanatory. Too bad Bennett had to be the party pooper for the grandkids' picture. Oh well...better luck next time!

Cousins

2010-01-04T19:20:00.000-05:00

Here are some pics of most of the cousins...sorry to James (who I figured was too young to appreciate the constant barrage of flashes going off in his face) and Mackenzie (who I didn't see much, probably cause she didn't want to hang around the babies and old fogeys ;)) that I don't have any pics of you guys. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed playing together and it was a great Christmas!

What We've Been Up To....

2010-01-04T16:06:00.000-05:00

What The Devil??

2009-12-16T22:09:00.002-05:00

So I had forgotten to post this juicy little bit of "say-what??" that happened last week. We had a wind storm (on a perfectly clear day) that knocked out our power for 16 hours. That being said, we had to eat out for dinner. After choosing two places that were without power (much to Ellerie's chagrin...it was McDonald's) we finally drove down to Bristol to hit up O'Charleys. Thankfully, they were in business and we made sure we ordered something McDonaldsesque for Ellerie to consume.

While in the first half hour of being there, I noticed another table get up to go (I people watch..a lot...it's one of my things). There were two younger girls, probably high school age, and they were dressed very, how shall I put it, what they thought was fashionable, but really looked kind of trashy, like they were trying too hard. I watched them go all the way to the front, say something to the guys they were with and come traipsing back towards our area of the restaurant. I didn't turn around, but listened as I heard them say this to a girl (probably around my age) at the table right behind us:

"Hi, we're the official fashion police at _____ High School and we just wanted to tell you that plaid and those stripes are a big no-no. Thanks!" (like real chipper-like and matter-of-fact, as if anyone would have agreed with them...)

I am staring at Matt with an O on my mouth, my eyes shooting daggers at them as they prance towards the exit for good now...."Are they serious? Did they really just say that out loud, in public?" I ask Matt incredulously....oh...my...gosh.

So after periodically remarking how I wanted to kill them several times throughout dinner, I got up the courage to do what I'd been itching to do all evening. Just as we were turning to go, I tapped the girl on her shoulder (after glancing to make sure she really wasn't wearing something hideous) and said, "By the way, I think you look just fine." We exchanged a few words about the matter, agreed that we kind of wanted to slap the offending naysayers and called it that.

How can some people so publically humiliate someone and think that they are doing them a favor? UGH...seriously, just thinking about it makes me want to claw out some eyes....

And their outfits....lol.....

Coming To You Live...

2009-12-06T11:41:00.002-05:00

One More Thing....

2009-12-05T16:30:00.000-05:00

Some adorable shots we had done of Bennett for a "Babies In Hats" promotion they were doing. I think the bottom right-hand corner made it onto their website (www.reflectivemomentsphotography.com) so check it out :)

Forgive the Intrusion....

2009-12-05T15:42:00.004-05:00

but this might take up a bit of space in your Google Reader. It's been almost a month since I last posted and per the usual Holiday season excuses, I have been really busy. That said, I have made a checklist of all things to do as far as gifts/projects are concerned (to be completed by December 15th !) and I find that it's had a positive effect on the timeliness of completion. Go figure that reverting back to my extremely organized ways would work again for me :) Anyways, here is a recap in pictures of what we've been up to.

(These are really in the wrong order, but Blogger is being a twit ) )

The snow day is the most recent, that was today. Matt decided to stay home with Bennett while Ellerie and I had a mommy|daughter date to the local Christmas parade. Luckily we got excellent seats under the Barter Theater awning, so the umbrella didn't get much exercise. We brought a camp chair, quilt and snacks, so she was a happy puppy. She really enjoyed watching the fire engines, ambulances, police cars, horses and dogs (those were the things she talked about) and also the copious amounts of candy that was passed out. We also got three tooth brushes (I always find that amusing...). Afterwards, we walked to the Muffin Man Bakery (such a cute name and place!) for a cookie and brownie. She loved sitting at a real table, eating her chocolate chip cookie and watching the cars go down Main Street in the snow. When Matt and Bennett came to pick us up (which I recommend if you can, it was great not having to find a parking place) he said Ellerie had the biggest grin on her face. Apparently she gave him a rundown of our activities once we got home and I was upstairs. I think she had fun :)

I am working on lots of projects right now, as I mentioned before, the most important one being the advent calendar that I am obviously behind on (since it's December 5th!), but I do have figures made for through December 7th, then I am on the chopping block again! I would like to make Ellerie's Christmas dress today since it's a really easy pattern, but that will depend on everything. We'll see what happens.

It was really great to have all of the siblings together for Thanksgiving. We didn't even have a major fight ;) You know how that usually happens when you get everyone together and you realize it's just better when you all don't live in the same house any more for more than a few days? This visit made me kind of wish I lived with them again...but only a little bit guys ;) You know I love you! The kids were doted upon and loved and they are just going to get more of that at Christmas, although with lots more grandkids available, it probably won't be so much. Dad is working on Ellerie's play kitchen as we speak (well not as we speak now...the Florida vs. Bama game is on....come on people!) so I'm excited about that.

Well, I need to go cut out the fabric for that dress. Whilst checking the Florida game now and then. I guess I'll have to multi-task. Multitasking you say? That's what this busy mama is made of!

Another Lunchtime

2009-11-09T16:40:00.000-05:00

These aren't quite as recent as this week, but they'll do :) Matt is gone for two weeks for job training, so we're holding out on our own. It's all good so far, no thoughts of deep depression or despair....:) Two weeks does seem a little daunting at times, but I've got plenty of projects to try and keep myself busy. Now to see if that plan actually works...ha! The mornings are fine, but there's nothing like a somber night watching TV alone while the kids are both asleep. LOL...anyone want to come for a visit?

I have all of the supplies now to make an advent calendar like the one I grew up with, but with a few new embellishments here and there. Hopefully Ellerie will enjoy pulling a new nativity scene figure out each day during December and finding herself a little treat in the pockets. I also need to make her two fall dresses like I have been telling her I would...for like three weeks now. Good thing she doesn't really get it. Too bad that I do....:) I have a few plans for Christmas decorations that I need to work on, too....ahh, the beauty of having things pile up in the back of mind. Perhaps this two week span will take care of everything!

Anyways, Bennett is crying in the background now for attention. He really should be napping, like his big sister. He's fighting it...apparently he thinks he needs to sleep on me and my person only...unfortunately for him, he might just have to cry this one out. I can only take so much trauma to my facial orifices..silly boy. Mommy's coming....

Happy Halloween

2009-11-09T16:26:00.000-05:00

Check This

2009-10-30T16:19:00.000-04:00

We have Halloween googly-eyes cupcakes and a cardboard casa....what could be better?

Family Pics on the Fly

2009-10-25T19:09:00.000-04:00

To steal a word from my sister, aren't we looking dapper?

I | LOVE | CONSIGNMENT SALES

2009-10-24T16:37:00.000-04:00

So, I thought I was going to miss out by moving away from Athens, GA, as far as consignment sales were concerned. I have picked up a bunch of really great items for Ellerie and Bennett at these events before, and I have frequently been bemoaning their lack of warm winter clothing. We're definitely in a colder climate than GA now, so it's really a nescessity, albeit one that I didn't want to pay full price for. So needless to say, I was very excited when I found out about this consignment sale that took place yesterday and today. Yesterday was full price and today was, too, but during the last 3 hours of the sale, almost everything is marked 1/2 off.

I got a bunch of stuff yesterday and decided I would go back today to see if there were any last minute things I could pick up for really cheap. There had been a slide that Ellerie just about died for, one of those indoor/outdoor Fisher Price ones, that we were hoping would still be there for the 1/2 off sale. Alas, it was not...but I told her we'd find another one...eventually {with a sheepish "probably not" going through my mind}. Anyways, I found several more things today that were all half off and overall, I am thrilled with my purchases. I got there right at 9 AM yesterday and I was the second person in line for the 1/2 off sale today. With these things, it really pays to be on the ball about your timing. Below is the tally of what we got (which you'll see in the pictures above):

For Bennett: 4 sleepers, 10 long-sleeved shirts, 1 hoodie, 1 v-neck sweater vest, 3 pairs of pants, 1 sweater, 1 mitten/hat set, and one Halloween onesie (I couldn't resist!)

For Ellerie: 4 sleepers, 1 pajama top w/ 2 matching bottoms, 9 long-sleeved shirts, 1 church sweater, 5 pairs of pants, 1 hoodie, and 1 pair of lamb slippers (so CUTE!)

Now, mind you, since I was in there pretty early on, most of these items are brands like Old Navy, Baby Gap, Gymboree, Children's Place, etc. I got 47 items total and the average price per item was......{{GASP}}........

$1.73

HA! Take that you department stores/overpriced boutiques/etc. I know how to get great deals. If only I could get clothing that cheaply for myself ;) Either way, these are all super-nice pieces that are all so adorable I could just melt. Most of the shirts I got Bennett are those cute button-up types that work for church or regular wear. He has so many short-sleeved onesies that he has yet to fit into that will be perfect for layering under these more roomy shirts. Elleries' stuff is all delightful, too. I didn't find much for her yesterday and felt bad that Bennett made out like a bandit...but luckily I found more stuff {that I somehow missed??} today, plus, it was all cheaper. I can't believe my baby is already wearing 2T/3T...ahh, I'm starting to feel old. Correction....I'm continuing to feel my age. When did time start to fly by so quickly?

I also made the plunge and have ordered a double jogging stroller...not that I jog...but for those 12 miles a week I walk on unpaved terrain, it really is becoming a drag to use the little umbrella stroller. There's no way I'll sell my beloved single jogging stroller, it will just get used in different venues :) We're hoping it will arrive by Halloween, especially since it's already been shipped out. There was one at the consignment sale, but it didn't have a front swivel wheel, and besides that, it didn't fit in the car. Oh well. At least I know this one has nothing wrong with it at all. Well, Ellerie demands my attention...what's new? More to come soon!

Some Fun

2009-10-17T13:47:00.003-04:00

Pictures to Please

2009-10-17T13:42:00.000-04:00

As of late...

2009-10-05T19:03:00.000-04:00

Pics of the kids visiting with Grandma & Pop in Abingdon and my family in TN

Pics of the Martha Washington Hotel & Spa in Abingdon, VA

Pics of the kids visiting with my family in TN

Pics of Ellerie and Bennett enjoying lunch time today...:)

The Hair!

2009-09-30T15:27:00.000-04:00

Before...

After....no color this time, maybe in a little while. It's expensive!

Some Words to Go with Pictures...

2009-09-27T23:13:00.003-04:00

Thought I should add a few words to go with all the pictures/videos I've put up in the last few days. Things are going well. Today was my first day playing the piano during sacrament meeting (for any readers who aren't Mormon, I'm the congregation pianist for our first hour of meetings) and it went fairly well. I'm still waiting on my piano from the parents, but we have to work out some logistical issues first. I have a key to the church, so that will work in the meantime. Thank goodness I can still sightread like a pro ;) Matt was gone camping for work (much to his chagrin since it never stopped raining ALL day Saturday) so Mom graciously offered to come be the second set of helping hands. We changed seats at church, too, so I can give Ellerie the "eye", you know, just in case. Lol, come on people, don't tell me you've never given your kids the eye before. Don't deny it!

Of course it was gorgeous today. I finally got my mail, since I could never get out of the house to get it yesterday (our mail box area is quite a ways from our unit). I got two fabric shipments I had been waiting for, my Entertainment Weekly, and the Ensign, which finally came to us again after we renewed it about 2 months ago. So I seriously wished I could have had my mail yesterday, it would have made my day better! Maybe only part of the day...it only took me a few hours total to read both magazines from cover to cover :)

I'm listening to a totally quiet house right now. I am thinking Matt has probably fallen asleep, poor guy. He had a good time overall at the campout, but he's a tired boy. I'll need to wake him up so he can sleep in a comfortable bed instead of on the couch or something. I'm going walking again the morning. I am in a routine now of walking 3 times a week, 4 miles each time, with 4 other ladies from church. We take the Virginia Creeper Trail 2 miles in and then come back. It's a really nice, scenic-type walk and Ellerie even gets to see the cows ("MOOOO!!") as we walk by. Although it did drench us one time last week, I am determined to get back in shape. Matt swears I already look different after a week and a half....haha, silly boy, you're lucky that little white lies like that do get you extra brownie points :) If only it worked that fast! Maybe it would if I would promise to eat a little less of all the food I love. At least I'm maintaining...nothing wrong with that. I also need to get some new clothes....it's been awhile since I actually allowed myself the luxury of some new stuff. It's usually stuff for the kids or stuff for Matt, since he started a new job. My things, however, are starting to really show some wear and I have had a bit of a change of style and what I like to wear, so some things need replacing. Time for a trip to TJMaxx/Ross....nothing like a good deal.

Anyways, time to go find the sleeping boy. Hopefully I will have more cute pictures/videos to post in the upcoming week :) Ciao.

Fe Fi Fo Fum

2009-09-26T10:49:00.002-04:00

Hilarious!!!

A Book Like This....

2009-09-26T10:46:00.000-04:00

Starts something like this....

MMM.

We Start 'Em Young In This Family...

2009-09-26T10:42:00.000-04:00

Just Playing Around...

2009-09-07T16:18:00.000-04:00

Johnny Jump Up Jubilee

2009-09-03T19:40:00.002-04:00

A Few Pictures to Share

2009-09-03T19:39:00.000-04:00

The view from our front door...Picasa lent a hand ;)

Mr. Bennett, getting all big and strong :)

More smiles from Mr. Happy...

Ellerie's cheesy grin is always a delight!

A Veritable Vineyard of Alphabet Lovelies...

2009-08-19T15:46:00.007-04:00

So goes our lives the past little while...

We took a much-needed vacation to see Matt's family in SC and we also got to head to Folly Beach for a day. It was great. Pictures are soon to come of the finished apartment...trust me, it makes me twitch having to put up pictures like that...nothing's on the wall, boxes everywhere...ack! It looks so much better now! Heck, it looked so much better probably 1 hour after that was taken...lol. Anyways, Matt has started the new job and is liking it so far. Me and the kids are trying to get into a routine of things. We have a new library card and we've checked out a local park that Ellerie loves. She also likes to watch the trains go by the house...which is like four or five times a day. I have my own little sewing corner again, so of course, I'm happy! I even sewed up an order today. Probably the only one I'll get for August, but it's nice to take things slowly sometimes.

Oh yeah, I opened my big mouth and said I'd rather speak in church every Sunday than teach a class....guess who gets to speak this Sunday? ;) Yeah, that would be me.

"A" is for Abingdon...

2009-08-03T22:24:00.006-04:00

So after receiving the final "official" offer (and by offer I mean, we're finally going to survive on our own again!) and having a couple of rather depressing days of apartment searching, we've finally found a place to live in Abingdon, VA. At first everything we found was either kind of icky or if the price was good, it was too small. Even the newer ones in our price range were too small. Then Matt crunched the numbers and told me what our {actual} budget was....I love you honey ;)

We had been givent the name of a contact and place to look at some townhomes and it turns out, that is exactly what we were looking for. We'll have a nice 2 bedroom/2.5 {gasp} bath townhome with nice and easy hardwood floors downstairs and forgiving berber carpet upstairs. This means I can leave the kiddie stuff in their bathroom and it can stay there. Horray! We have a nice little deck out back and since we're on a corner unit, there's a nice sized grassy area that Ellerie can (and I'm sure she will!) run around in. Bennett, too....geez, let's not think too far ahead. It's nice and bright and has a bay window in the den...I've always wanted one of those :) Can't paint, but oh well, I guess for all the good, I can handle a little less color in my life...lol.

A huge plus for Matt was the carport. Although I'm not sure who will get to park their car there more often...I have the argument of the kids ;) But it will certainly be helpful when rain comes, which will happen a lot more often than it did in Athens, GA. Here are some pictures of a unit that's for sale in the complex. Ours has the different bay window and a few slight differences, but you get the idea :)

Ours is also oriented on the opposite side for everything. I promise {promise} to take actual pictures once we have everything moved in. Now don't groan and think you have to wait and sit tight with anticipation for weeks and weeks...I am an OCD unpacker...has to happen soon or I go crazy. We're also taken a much-needed family vacation to SC/the beach just three days after we move in. Therefore, we must be unpacked well enough to be able to pack...lol oh the irony. Which reminds me of that slightly odd movie I saw on TV with Helen Mirren and Katie Holmes where she chided her on the correct usage of the word "irony"....which makes me wonder if I'm always using it correctly...oh well.

Both kids are sleeping peacefully, I've decluttered the computer desk somewhat (since we're taking it with us) and I finished two sewing projects...one of which is a delicious concoction for a special niece who just turned 1. We missed her party, but that doesn't mean I can't still let my imagination run off, right? It ran off and figured out {with much sighing and frustration} something really adorable...don't know if I'll replicate it for my Etsy shop, but something close to the original might work nicely (and take less time!). Too bad you will have to wait for pictures on that one..I don't want any surprises to be spoiled :)

Did I mention I'm going to try and get into the whole farmers market thing in Abingdon? They have one that won't be that far away so I'm going to try to get all of our fresh food there. Even some meats are available, although those will have to be priced pretty decently to win my eye. I'm still too cheap to allow "grass fed, organic, etc." to have higher precidence than my pocketbook.

Needless to say, we are all very excited to be getting all of this going. I think my family is probably ready to kick us out and have a rave to celebrate that we're gone (that might just be my younger brothers...), but I hope Ellerie takes it all in stride. She seemed to like running and jumping around in "mommy and daddy's new house, Ellerie coming, too"...lol. She is quite the little precocious princess lately. Love her and want to tear my hair out sometimes at her at the same time. I'm sure everyone with children knows EXACTLY what I'm talking about ;) Bennett is eating cereal now around once a day (I'm trying to remember to feed it to him!) and he's a regular big roller...rolling around all over the place. He doesn't really like to sit still for long and we think he's teething...heaven help me. But he's such a happy little cooer (if that's a word) and I love to just smother him in kisses.

I guess I've rambled on enough now. Lots of stuff to pack up in the next few days. I'm so glad Abingdon is only 45-50 minutes away...

What A Day....

2009-07-26T22:29:00.002-04:00

...and apparently many people in the area had the same kind of day from what Facebook tells me. Ahh, where to start. We know (pretty much at least) now that Matt has finally gotten a job with the Boy Scouts to work as a District Executive in Abingdon, VA. It will be easy to move since it's less than an hour away. We went to visit our new ward today, the Bristol Ward, and met lots of nice and very helpful people. Let's bring in the rest of the crazy day.

We decided to drive around and see what kinds of "For Rent" signs we could find so I can have some place to follow up with tomorrow. That turned into almost two hours of semi-fruitful wandering, in which the kids started to have a meltdown. They made it home pretty well, though, all things considered. We found a few places to call tomorrow. Ellerie was acting the baby from around dinner time out and I finally finished up with her and put her to bed at 7:15 or so. That's when Bennett started to have one of his meltdowns, where he gets so overtired he won't eat and he won't sleep. He just fights it with all his might...which, for 4.5 months, is quite a bit. Then Ellerie wakes up at 8:20 for who knows what reason, almost inconsolable, and she finally comes downstairs, just in time for Matt to come home from home teaching. Ellerie finally went down around 9 PM and Bennett just now fell asleep after a 20 minute interlude. Here's to hoping tonight doesn't turn into the newest version of The Exorcist....speaking of the devil, I hear crying again....geez....false alarm?

We have two weeks to find a place to live, pack up our stuff again, move and then get Matt settled in so he can start on August 17....and we still want to go to the beach with his family the week before...wow. Let the games begin.

Tummy Time with the Tots

2009-07-20T12:10:00.000-04:00

As of Late...

2009-07-17T16:33:00.000-04:00

Isn't he a cutie? We had Bennett try out rice cereal for the first time once he turned 4 months (last week sometime)....lol, not so much! Ellerie was 6 months when she started it and she took to it with no problems. He's still a little young I think...we tried simply because he's always hungry and we thought he'd appreciate the extra nourishment. Apparently, he didn't agree :) He still has the reflex that makes him push anything but milk out, so what little he even got after that, he just didn't seem to enjoy. Oh well, we're trying every week to see when he'll take it.

Ellerie was a hit at the Chick-fil-A Cow Appreciation Day. We entered her picture in the online contest, but she's only up to 70 votes so far. I'm her mom, so I feel kind of stupid "campaigning" for her, so to speak. If any of you readers want to further her cause, her picture is listed under the keyword "Curly Tail" at www.showusthecow.com :) She did get lots of smiles and exclamations at the restaurant, though, so it was nice to know my work on the costume was enjoyed. Maybe we'll keep it around for Halloween, if she still fits into it.

Matt is still waiting for this job thing to work out to his advantage. He's had 4 interviews and a ride-along with the same company, but she still doesn't know for sure that the job is his. You'd think that that many interviews/opportunities for interaction would pretty much guarantee him a job, but we still won't know until the end of NEXT week. They are going really slowly about the entire process, but we understand that's just how some people work. Regardless, we're pretty sure he has the job and once we know we can really start to plan things out. The job would be only about 45 minutes away from our current location in northeast TN, so that would make our second move in so many months a lot easier.

My Etsy stuff seems to be hitting another spurt of activity the past few days. I have had several orders, as well as some custom stuff. My local clients' order is almost complete and I hope she'll be pleased with how everything turned out. I'll be sure to take pictures and show a new pattern I have "mastered"....it'll just get easier with each time, right? :)

It sure will be nice to have our own space once we figure out this job thing...we do enjoy getting to spend time with my family, though. It's nice to have extra hands around when needed. I think Ellerie will go through {another} shock once we leave. She's already gotten accustomed to this house being "home" and we're just going to drag her away. Luckily, this hopeful job promises to allow one or so "Mimi" days a week so we can visit :)

Pray that Matt gets this job...it's his only nibble, so to speak, out of over 200+ applications. This job market is INSANE!

Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-fil-A!

2009-07-10T20:11:00.000-04:00

Mercado Market Skirt - We Won It!

2009-06-29T19:25:00.000-04:00

One Fine Day...

2009-06-25T22:52:00.004-04:00

To achieve aforementioned {fine day} you will need the following ingredients:

1} a fellow seamstresses' blog giveaway in which you actually enter with a comment (since you never do) and you actually win the green skirt pictured, along with a ruffly tank, for your daughter

2} an idea to make said daughters' ZeZe (purple animal of comfort) a bed set, in which the idea turns out delightfully cute (including matress, pillow, blanket and nightgown {in tube top fashion style})...ZeZe is currently sleeping soundly with her {mama}...

3} receiving inspiration from the green skirt you win to make your own version and having that skirt turn out just as cute, if not cuter....{sigh}

4} having moments like these, when both Beast #1 and Beast #2 in glowing harmony and happy peace remind you of why you wanted kids in the first place {and you just forget the other 80% of most days....lol}

5} making another sale on half.com of a completely (well, to me at least) useless textbook, so that's another "well-earned" $47...

6} making another two sales on Etsy

7} listing three new items on Etsy and knowing that they are {completely} safe

8} going to the local library to get books and having a wonderful time out of the house with the kiddos....all 11 new books included

Add all of these items up and what do you get? One mighty fine day in which you are completely thankful for all that you have....ain't I a lucky gal?

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-21T21:18:00.002-04:00

M -

I just wanted to say thanks for being such a great dad to Beast #1 and Beast #2...we know it's not peaches and cream all the time! I've known for a long time, even before we had kids, that you would be a great dad. And who knew, incidentally, that you'd be the one to have more patience at times than I? Certainly not me :) You're doing a great job at being there and providing for our entire family, even though times are tough and I'm sure every day brings new frustrations. But trust me - I appreciate it a lot, as do the kids...they may scream, cry, kick, bite, etc....but we all know they love Daddy, too, amidst all their contrary verbalizations...lol.

So to close, Happy Father's Day honey....can you keep up for an entire year until next Father's Day, cause #2, #3 and #4 can't do it without our #1 :) We love you!

N (with Beast #1 and #2 in mind, of course...)

Just A Few...

2009-06-18T15:03:00.002-04:00

Sorry for just two pictures....it has been kind of "ANH" around here lately. You know, when you feel kind of blah about doing anything productive/mommyish, etc...I exhausted all options for fun toddler times yesterday in an effort to keep Beast #1 occupied and happy. ALL options include reading, playing in and splashing with rain, coloring, playdough and making muffins. She only had to go in time out once. Not bad, huh?

Matt started a PT job yesterday and is liking it okay for now. Thank goodness it isn't permanent or his brain might turn to mush. He's done as of right now for the day, but he has an interview with the Boy Scouts of America that started at 3 PM...hopefully he's doing great! I don't know lots of specifics on the job, but it's our first option in what has been a long wait. We'll see what comes of it.

Well, I probably should go soon as we have a severe thunderstorm warning on us right now. We have these breakout storms every afternoon...you'd think we were in Florida or something. It is pretty nasty stuff!

Getting Ready to YART...

2009-06-05T15:49:00.003-04:00

So as a precursor, here's a few pictures from the last few days....of course, cuteness does ensue.

Too bad she doesn't realize she's ON the rainbow...

And now down to more serious business. Etsying has been kind of taking off for me lately. Ever since we got to TN I have been getting at least a few orders a week, which, as it is, is great timing. Etsy is having a YART Sale (Yard + Art = YART Sale) from June 10-14 and I already have one new product planned for that, at an introductory price, but I am on the lookout for more new product ideas. So to any of my readers, what would you love to buy for either yourself or your baby (or a friends') at a relatively reasonable price? I love to figure out small things I can sew quickly and then sell for $10 or under, giving moms cute but affordable accessories and/or gifts. A lot of my stuff is already $10 or under, but I want more! :) One can never have too many good ideas, you know?

Life in TN continues to go well. We've been here a FAST three weeks now and it's been a rather quiet one with both of my brothers visiting our sister out in UT until Monday. Ellerie is definitely in the terrible twos stage, with every day proving to be a constant battle of wills and wailing. She is fast learning the value of a good time out session on the stairs. This is what we get for having an extremely verbal, intelligent and precocious toddler that is well-advanced in many areas...I can't say I knew any of that was coming. I'll take it all for what it is (a learning experience for everyone!) and just hope and pray that Bennett's mellow meanderings in life will meld into his toddler years as well. Hope and pray people...

Matt's job search continues to no avail, at least in the immediate forseable future, but he diligently looks all day (who knew that could entail fulltime hours??!) and is a great help once that clock hits 5 PM....did that come out like I'm actually watching the clock, waiting for the seconds to hit? Oh....that would be my sheepish admission that sometimes I do....I love him all the more for putting up with me/this/everything. He knows that helping me out with the kids helps everyone sometimes, since I keep my sanity by simply creating something out of fabric every few days...yes, my life always comes back around, at one point or other, to fabric...it's sad, sad world we (I) live in. But much must be said for all the de.li.cious. fabric that exists, especially on the dangerous world of Etsy. I read an article some guy wrote...I think he and his daughter would get along really well with Matt and the kids....they called themselves an "Etsy Widower" and an "Etsy Orphan." How true it is...

Anyways, I want to figure out what escape I'm going to make tonight (i.e. what movie we're getting at Redbox) and how we're going to ignore all counsel to live longer (i.e. decide what chocolate masterpiece we're going to consume)...everyone else, enjoy your Friday night.

You Should Come By...

2009-06-02T22:42:00.003-04:00

I will be participating in this event - if you haven't checked out my Etsy shop before, you should. I'll have some great deals going on. This would be the perfect time to stop by for some adorable baby shower gifts. Hope to see everyone there. Happy Etsying!

What We've Been Up To...

2009-05-31T17:27:00.002-04:00

A little snippet of our day to day lives...

In honor of Memorial Day...

The Mistress vs. The Master

2009-05-25T23:20:00.002-04:00

So let's forget for this moment that pride is a bad thing...in certain instances I would like to believe that it's just okay to have a little bit of it :)

This is the aforementioned instance. We went walking up to the local high school's track this morning - me, Matt, Ellerie, Bennett, Ruly & Mimi. Probably a funny show to watch in and of itself. Anyways, Matt did his jogging....which I can't do, by the way, it seriously just hurts...while Ruly did his power walking and Mimi graciously watched Ellerie and Bennett since the high school seems to think stroller wheels will damage the surface...yeah. I walked at a fairly normal pace, all the while taking ribbing from everyone and hearing the continuous, "Pick up the pace!"

I eventually challenged Matt to a race. We have known each other since high school and this went down a lot back then, too. I won every single race back then, when I was faster, so I could only hope for whatever might happen to be close to that these days. We decided on 50 yards, since I'm barely in recognizable shape, and I didn't want to severly injure myself.

We had Dad start us and watch the finish line just in case it was, you know, a close call. Well, guess what people? I ran, felt the wind on my face, it felt good...and I picked up the pace and won. That's right, I beat my husband, who has 10 inches on me, by the way!, in a foot race. Still. I still can do it! Don't worry, I have full permission to give this account, as long as I gave the disclosure that Matt would certainly beat me in a race any longer than 50 yards, as I SUCK at long distance. Suck would imply that I could actually run long distance, though...

Anyways, I am still the fastest side of our partnership and told Matt, "Aren't you happy to know that I could get away if the situation depended on it?" He just smiled and said "Yeah." So here's a challenge to any of my readers out there - are you faster than your husband? I think it would be highly fun to find out. And at least a good work out no matter what the outcome.

Ahh....there are some times in life where a little bit of pride goes a long way ;)

A Quick Update...

2009-05-18T12:45:00.002-04:00

I don't have any new pictures right now...sad. It's been crazy since we decided to move to my parents. We've done the move, gotten things organized down in their basement and have been trying to get into a quasi-routine with the kids. I'm guessing Ellerie still thinks we're on vacation or something cause she still mentions Jocelyn, Andie, Wesley, etc. and I feel bad...who knows if she'll ever see them again. Matt has started looking for temporary work while he continues to look for his "real" job. Hopefully something will pan out.

It's a good bit cooler here in TN, or maybe it's just a cool front going across the south. Who knows; either way, it's been nice. It was actually chilly yesterday on the way to church, and we start at 12:30 PM here. Nice :) I'm thinking I might want to overhaul nursery here...but that's another story for another day.

Dad is working on getting "our" bathroom tiled so it's usable again. Until then, it's a jumbled schedule of 4 adults and 2 kids using one bathroom, which is connected to a bedroom, so in actuality, you have to use the entire room at the same time...hopefully we won't be here inordinately long...then I would feel bad. I'm sure my brothers have just been thrilled to have us come stampede their fairy quiet and normal life. I think the dirty diapers alone might scar them for life.

I am missing my life in Athens, even though there are pros and cons to both TN and GA. It was definitely nice to have my own space and friends and plans to look forward to...I know some of the people here, but I basically have to make friends all over again....not my forte most of the time. Oh well. They all know my Mom, so hopefully they'll know a bit about me, and we'll go from there.

Feel free to give me more ammo to feel slightly pessimistic...it's in the air today (which is, ironically enough, quite nice)...I shall try to rise above :)

Some words to go with the pictures...

2009-05-04T21:01:00.002-04:00

So here's the real update, besides all of the pictures and videos I have previously posted today. The biggest news I guess is the fact that we're going to be moving in with my parents as of May 14. This is due to unforseen economic necessity; we are, however, hoping to really enjoy the time spent with my side of the family. My dad recently retired and is home all day, so he'll really be able to get in some quality time with Beast 1 and 2 :) We'll have plenty of space for our stuff to stay packed up in the unfinished basement, so that's not a problem. Matt still hasn't found a job, part of the reason we're moving, but he'll get some kind of job up in Tennessee and then continue looking for that "real" job. If anyone knows of jobs having to do with non-profit organization, let us know!

We knew we'd be moving away from Athens eventually, but under these circumstances, and with such short notice, it makes it all a little more depressing. I feel like I've made so many good friends, which takes me a while some times, and now we're going to have to move away from it all. On a positive note, I know plenty of people in my parents' ward, so now I have the opportunity to get to know some of them better. And my brothers will be there. Seeing as how I had the least amount of growing up time with them, this will be fun time with them, too. I do feel bad for Ellerie, though...she's just now learning all of her friends' names and she has become so social. Now she'll have to make new friends...only for us to (hopefully!) move again within the next few months. Oh well, I guess this is all part of life.

Bennett is doing so well. He is really such a good baby, hardly ever crying unless he's hungry. His gasiness has seemed to go away to the degree that it existed before, although he still does put out some interesting smells....lol. He's a pretty strong guy and does really well at "standing" up and holding up his head. He is such a smiley baby, too, which just makes me so happy. He's a doll! Ellerie loves to help out with "baby Bennett" and give him hugs and kisses. A lot of her recently acquired vocabulary is Bennett-centric. Her vocabulary is pretty much repeating anything that Matt or I say...she's like a little parrot! It's so cute...well, most of the time. I do have to watch what I say. We had fun with her little birthday party and I am pretty sure she loved it, too.

Right now I am in the throes of packing up boxes, since Matt isn't allowed to pack. Yes, that's right, he knows I do a better job, so therefore it's delegated entirely to me. I am in the process of rounding up more boxes. I also decided to use the detailed inventory method to keep track of what's in each box to help eliminate unnecessary unpacking once we unload in Tennessee. Then, if I want a certain something, I can go to, say box 15, and know that I'll definitely find what I'm looking for.

What else...our crazy weekend of family visitors is almost upon us. 18 people are coming, including us, so it should be interesting. I'm excited to have my sister and her husband stay with us, though. They haven't met Bennett before and have actually never been able to visit Athens since we've been here. By Friday/Saturday, though, I think it will look a little less decorated than it does now, but oh well. We got the biggest size moving truck from Budget, so this time we don't have to worry about really packing a wall of boxes. We'll have plenty of room (we think) to lay it all out. The Upack move from Utah really was harrowing, not to mention dangerous for our belongings...lol. Our poor kitchen table, to name one, will never look as nice as it did.

Anyways, I'm ready to sign off. My house is pretty immaculate right now...nothing like a party to get your house clean. I know what you're thinking...why deep clean for a toddler party? Well, I had to get everything out of the way of searching/grabbing/digging hands, and I always like a good excuse to really get my ducks in order. It's the delightful side of my OCD :) I claim it and fully embrace it ;)

Smiles, Birthdays, and Everything Nice

2009-05-04T19:43:00.001-04:00

Ellerie's 2nd Birthday Party

2009-05-04T19:41:00.000-04:00