So long Dear Friend!

Friday night at 4 p.m. we said goodbye to a dear friend-our house.

Our home in Chadron treated us well and was perfect for us. It was the first home we ever bought and we will miss it terribly. We bought the house the same week that Lucy was born. In the time we spent in that home we went through the life challenges of health (an appendix, broken leg, and countless colds), family (visits with grandparents, a miscarriage, and a new baby), and weather (hailstorms, tornadoes and wildfires).

We started our chocolate parties in this home and cultivated our first garden. We dealt with burst pipes, and routine home repairs and even upgraded the dishwasher, remodeled a bathroom and did some demolition. We will truly miss our large kitchen, square footage, fully wired entertainment room, cool basement

and FABULOUS backyard.

We hope that the new owners can love the house as much a we did. We hope that they will be able to enjoy the grapes, elderberries and the apples, too. We will miss you home!

The Tag Blanket-reinvented

I don't know what compelled me to make a tag quilt but I wanted to make one. This one is a bit different. I wanted to make something that was interesting and had lots of texture. This is super soft and puppy themed. I had to pry it out of Dylan's hands just to take the picture, he loves it so much—just what I was hoping. I made it with clear thread (to hide mistakes) and it proved more difficult than I thought it would be. The supplies cost about $7.50, but in the process of making it I broke a sewing machine needle. So that is what? $2.50? Then, when I took pictures, I broke our 6 year-old camera (at least I got the pictures before the camera broke). So, I would say this little tag blanket cost us about 100+ dollars. With a price tag like that I am glad Dylan likes it so much.

My Poor Baby

Thomas is sick. Yesterday he came home from school and kept saying that he needed some medicine because his tummy hurt. Shortly after that he threw up, three different times.

The part that just broke my heart is he went up to James and said,

"Daddy, I am sorry, I can't play rough house with you. I am sick."

What a sweet little boy.

EEEWWWWW!!!!!!!!!

I like Texas, I do, but I have had to get use to one NASTY fact: cockroaches. We find and kill a yucky bug about once every two to three days. I was complaining about the bugs to a friend here and she asked me what the cockroaches look like. They are HUGE, about 2 and 1/2 inches, fat, and round. They are so gross, but there is an up side. We have the "good" kind of cockroaches, if there is such a thing. Apparently, the big ones are better because they are coming in from outside looking for something to eat (I think they are called a tree roach). The little ones are the kind that take up residence in your walls and infest everything. So I still hate them (sorry Wall-E), but I guess it could be worse.

I just can't wait!!!

The Office is having their season premiere on September 17th. In Celebration of one of the best shows on television I have posted a clip of one of my favorite YouTube videos. I hope you enjoy and I just can't wait to see a season of fresh pranks! (I would have to say my favorite one is the "bears, beets, Battlestar Galactica)

Hooray for James!

James ran his first 5K and I am so proud of him. He came in first in his age group (30-39). The kids loved to cheer their dad on as he ran by and Thomas even told me that he wanted to run when he grows up. We (the kids and I) walked around the area while we waited for all of the runners. Lucy was unfortunate to find a red ant hill, but other than that we had a grand time cheering on our dad. There is another one in September and he will be running in that one too. We can't wait.

The First Smile

This is the first smile we got on camera. Dylan is a very content little baby but not really all smiles and giggles. His most smiley moments are at five in the morning, so getting a camera is not on the top of my mind. He will be four months old on September 10th and we are glad to finally have a picture of him smiling.

Kookles Nursing Cover GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Kookles Nursing Cover GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Our Pretty Pretty Princesses.

For Lucy's birthday in April she got a game named Pretty Pretty Princess. It turns out that this game has been quite popular at our house, and not just with Lucy.

I'm Back

After 5 months of not having internet at home-I have FINALLY connected again with the rest of the world. So now I can blog and post all the things we have been doing these last two months. Yipiee!

I can be dangerous when I'm bored!

Now that is not to say I don’t have a lot to do, because I do. I have cleaning, laundry, unpacking, exercising, and the insurmountable dish pile in the sink. But who wants to do those things—not me. In my attempt to avoid my daily duties I have made a TON of sweets (some which I have blogged about here and here along with: cake, chocolate chip cookies, almond joy fudge, and Bundt cakes) and I did something I thought I would NEVER do. I cut Lucy’s hair—audible gasp. What person with no training cuts their daughter’s hair? And I don’t just mean an inch off the bottom. I gave her layers, and shape—the whole shebang. I think it looks cute. Yeah, it’s a bit crude here and there but it looks how I wanted it to. Maybe I should have become a hairdresser. I might have been rich. Oh, and by the way, see the white skirt, I made that too. Can you tell I have really been trying to avoid my daily chores?

Cinnamon Rolls in 20 Minutes!

I know it sounds crazy and I feel so stupid for not thinking about it sooner. At the store you know those canned cinnamon rolls that taste so processed? (I know them so well because I would make a batch every time we would show the house to make the house smell good.) Well, those rolls are just a biscuit with cinnamon, sugar and icing. So I just made my favorite biscuits and shaped them into cinnamon rolls and voila--cinnamon rolls. The kids got a kick out of eating cinnamon rolls for breakfast and I was able to make them with wheat flour and I snuck in some flax seed. So next time you don't know what to have for breakfast, try cinnamon rolls in no time. Yum!

Pan Dulces

Being the mother of 3 little kids I have seen a lot of Sesame Street episodes. On Sesame Street there is a movie clip of a girl going into her Tio’s (uncle’s) bakery to make pan dulces. Ever since seeing that clip I have wanted to try pan dulces (sweet bread). Well, I have an RSS feed of Allrecipies.com and yesterday pan dulces was the recipe for the day. So I made some bread yesterday and pan dulces is so yummy. I read that you are supposed to eat it with coffee but since I don’t drink coffee I just had it by itself. It stands alone as a yummy treat. I couldn’t keep the kids away from it. This morning they are all gone. So if you are in the mood to try something new here is the recipe. Also, here are some reviews of the recipe. The good thing about this recipe is that you will most likely already have the ingredients. Enjoy.

We're Here!!!

We have made it to Texas. It is hot and the cockroaches are HUGE! We are slowly unpacking and our little rental is starting to feel like our home. I can't wait to be settled! Let me know if you need my contact info. 

First Bath!

Need I say More?

Lucy and Animals!

Lucy is a sweet little girl that loves animals. When James and the family went to Mount Rushmore she got to see tons of different animals. Here she is with the burros on Iron Mountain Road.

Who's Guilty?

I thought this picture was priceless. Thomas and Lucy are here with their cousions Kyle and Breanne. Grandpa Lawson caught these kids just a little too early in the morning.

The Circus, an unenthusiastic yeah.

We heard that the circus was in town and thought, "the kids can't miss this. We HAVE to go." Well, it was the type of thing that is meant to drain the money out of your pockets and we had not budgeted for that type of fun. So first, I had to say no to all the things that the kids wanted. Luckily for the kids, we sat next to some friends that were nice enough to share their Cotton Candy. Second, it was a bit rainy. Aren't circuses in tents? I thought so. The rain got worse and worse and a fun filled night at the circus turned out to be a cold, wet, short trip to see an elephant. Someday we will really see the circus. On the bright side, we learned that Lucy is a huge fan of Cotton Candy (does that really surprise anyone?)

Dylan's Baby Blessing

Dylan's Blessing went really well and we were glad to have Grandma and Grandpa Lawson and Brooke and her family to celebrate with us. Here are two pictures of our happily growing Family.

Confessions of an Over-Stressed Mom

Wow, the jump from two to three kids has been crazy. But I am so grateful for this new little baby. I feel like I can appreciate so much more. A thoughtful call, ten minutes with my book, or kisses from the kids. I love being a mom and Love being Thomas, Lucy, and Dylan's Mom. Not every day goes great and I am learning to let go of control (or the feeling of being in control. I have a theory that I was never in control, I just thought I was). I am trying to just soak up all the joy motherhood has to offer and not let everyday stresses over rule my life (and that can be hard with the up coming move). I guess what I am trying to say is I am trying to find joy in the journey. I just remember what President Thomas S. Monson said that someday I will miss the toys scattered, the piles of laundry and the fingerprints EVERYWHERE! (That talk can be found here)