My Crazy Life...

Holiday Recap...

I'm slacking...but for a good reason. I've been spending time with my family and scrapping a few holiday photos (just for me). I am trying to catch up on a few scrapbooking assignments etc. I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas! Our holiday was great...the kids were so fun this year. They truly embraced the magic of Christmas. My little sister, Shelby, is the only one left at home, so she talked my parents into letting her spend the night on Christmas Eve so that she could enjoy the spirit of Christmas that comes with little kids. We were so glad to have her with us. We also had a beautiful WHITE CHRISTMAS with tons of snow falling and blowing. The snow continues to fall, and the kids have been having tons of fun playing in it and being pulled in sleds behind the Ranger. Since I am short on time, here are a few layouts and photos recapping our holiday week...

I hope you all have a very HAPPY NEW YEARS!!! See you soon!         

Wishing You and Yours...

A very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! See you all after the Holidays!

Thanks for all of the wonderful comments...here are the winners:

Lori Johnson December 19, 2007 at 12:36am

Brenda T. December 20, 2007 at 12:36pm

Please email me to claim your prize!

We're ready...100%. Went to town to buy groceries and a couple of odds and ends this morning...so we are officially ready to sit back and relax the rest of the Christmas season.  This week has been busy. I am trying to catch up on a few more projects that I have due, and then it will be smooth sailing through Christmas. I've been a little overwhelmed lately, but I am trying to stay positive . Here is a quick recap on happenings so far this week...

Grace and her cousins Lindsay and Hannah played violin at church on Sunday. They did great! We are looking forward to their Holiday concert coming up this weekend. Grace has been practicing hard.

The kids made a little snowman craft this week. The idea came from the extremely  talented and sweet Linda, but we made it into a kid craft. We just followed her basic instructions, but made it a little easier for the kids. They had so much fun making these!

We have had a few snow flurries and are expecting more throughout the week. Lily and Russell were really excited to go out and play. I was dissapointed to see that Russell's snow pants were major high waters and his boots wouldn't even fit on his feet. He has grown so much from last winter!

I also made some time to stop by The Ribbon Retreat in Shelley this week. If you haven't heard about it...you're really missing out! They have an online store where you can order some of the most beautiful ribbon at killer deals! If you're local, you can stop into their shop on main street and pick from all of the beautiful ribbons. I chose a lot of basic ribbons (stripes and dots), but they have tons of designs.  I use them on scrapbooking and craft projects, and also in the girls' hair. The store is located on main street in Shelley, but if you don't live in the area, be sure to check out their web site!

AND...go on over to Shelly's blog and check out her little Holiday Recipe Extravaganza. I plan on participating (I'll post my recipe soon), and I hope you will too!

I know this post is already super long, but I forgot that I was tagged by Kim...here it goes:

A- Attached or single?: Very happily attached

B- Best Friend: My husband of course. I don't have much time to spend time with anyone else, but my best girl friends are my mom, sisters and Andrea.

C- Cake or Pie: Neither really...I am more of a salt person. I crave salty things...never sweets.

D- Day of choice: Is there a difference in days? Every day seems the same to me. Every day is a work day when you have four little ones.

E- Essential Item: COMPUTER (are you surprised?). I can't live without it.

F- Favorite Color: Green. Always has been, always will be.

G- Gummy Bears or Worms: Neither...once again...ask me about chips or crackers!

H- Hometown: Firth, Idaho

I- Indulgence(s): Mountain Dew, Mexican food, shopping, scrapbooking

J- January or July: July...I'm not really a winter person.

K- Kid(s): Grace (6) Russell (4) Lily (2) Kate (1)

L- Life is Incomplete Without: Family...they are everything to me.

M- Marriage Date:  May 13, 2000

N- Number of Siblings: 2 sisters

O- Oranges or Apples: oranges for sure

P- Phobias or Fears: ???

Q- Quote(s): "Once I thought I was wrong, but I was mistaken". (only kidding)

R- Reason To Smile: As much work as my kids are, there is nothing that makes me happier or prouder.

S- Season: Fall. Even though it the most busy time of the year for us on our farm, I still love it!

T- Tag others +: Andrea and Tawsha

U- Unknown Fact About Me: I like to pretend that I have it all put together, but believe me...I am human. I stress and worry and have a hard time managing my time just like everyone else.

V- Vegetarian or Meat Eater: Hmmmm...I don't love meat...but I will eat it. I will try almost anything, but I LOVE vegetables!

W- Worst Habit: Not having enough patience and being a perfectionist.

X-Rays or Ultrasounds: ???

Y- Your Favorite Food: Cheese, Mexican Food, Italian Food, potatoes...

Z- Zodiac: Gemini

Hurry...

the cute, vintage Santa postage stamps that I used on my last digi layout (Santa's Mailbox) are free for one day only at Designer Digitals. You can get it here, but hurry because after today, it will go into the store.

Q&A

I'll admit that I am not the best at answering all of the questions I get on this blog. I am going to try to be better about it...so here is a quick Q&A Session answering a few questions from the past few days:

1. Where did you get the Reindeer shirts and red jackets with fur (I got about 30 emails about this, and several comments on the blog)?

I ordered them from gymboree.com. As many of you might already know, 90% of my kids' clothes come from Gymboree. I guess you could say that I really like their stuff (and I love shopping online...and we don't have a store locally). The clothes are very high quality (which means they can be passed down...I have three little girls you know), and I feel like they are very kid friendly. Still fashionable, but not grown-up looking. I like my kids to dress like kids ;o)

2. What program do you use for digital scrapbooking/photo editing and where do you get your digital scrapbooking products and kits?

I use Adobe Photoshop Elements. I currently use 4.0 (because I have both a PC desktop and a Mac Book Pro laptop...and this is the only version that is compatible with Mac). The newest version is 6.0. I have worked a bit with CS3, but I am better with Elements. If you are a beginner, I would recommend starting with Adobe Photoshop Elements. I just taught myself how to use the program (lots of playing around and "practicing"), but I know that there are lots of great tutorials out there! I get my digi supplies from lots of different locations. My favorite stores are Designer Digitals, Shabby Princess, Shabby Miss Jenn, and Sweet Shoppe Designs. I also frequent the Ikea Goddess blog. On this blog, she lists the digi freebies on the web each day.

and to specifically answer sarah's question about the vintage santa stamps on my last digi layout. Watch Designer Digitals, because they will be a freebie coming out soon!

3. Julie asked a question about eggnog. She said she couldn't find a recipe that didn't contain raw eggs and was looking for an eggless recipe.

I didn't say that eggnog didn't contain eggs (hee hee...why would it be called eggnog?). What I really meant to say, was that you shouldn't be scared away from eggnog because of the raw egg thing. A lot of brands do not contain raw eggs (some have pasteurized eggs), and my favorite recipes call for cooking the mixuture (along with the eggs). I've heard that old fashioned homemade eggnog does contain raw eggs, but the alcohol that is usually added to this drink "cures" the eggs (not sure if this is true or not). I prefer non-alcoholic eggnog (since I don't drink), so I have a personal favorite homemade recipe that calls for eggs, but you do cook the mixture so the eggs won't be raw. You can find it here. I hope you can give this recipe a try...it's DELISH!

4. What camera do you use?

I use the Canon 30D. I LOVE IT! I am a Canon person... maybe it's because I am more familiar with the brand. I don't know???? I just like to take photos and play around a lot. THANK GOODNESS for Photoshop...because that is where the real magic happens with a photo (at least for me)! I think my best pictures happen more because of luck than pure talent/understanding of the camera itself.

5. How on earth do you get your kids to look at the camera at the same time for a group photo?

HELLO PEOPLE...it is called luck, bribery, one of a hundred photos, help from my hubby, treats and so on. I have to have David's help when it comes to group shots. To get the Christmas photo of the kids, David was dangling an Airhead candy over my head (it helps get Lily and Kate's attention HAH...why else would Lily be smiling so big???). AND...I have to snap lots of photos and I just hope that eventually, I will get the perfect shot. Of course, I only post the best photos on my blog, so everyone seems to think the shot happened so easy. If you could see the one where Russell was poking Grace in the eye and Lily was picking her nose (all while Kate was crying), you would understand that photo taking is no magical event for me either :o) All you need is patience, treats and a very large memory card! I also think that more you photograph your children, the better they are as subjects. Grace and Russell have finally learned that if they quickly cooperate, they can get it over with quicker. I can't wait until Lily and Kate catch on...

Thanks for all of your questions...I promise I will try to be better about answering them!

Letters to Santa & Snowflakes...

I took the kids to Idaho Falls the other day to deliver their letters to Santa. The cute old Santa Mailbox was standing when my mom was a little girl. It's had a few paint jobs since then, but I can remember delivering my letters to Santa as a little girl. I think it is such a charming old piece...so vintage and cute. My kids were really excited to deliver their letters. Russell wanted to know exactly what time Santa was going to pick up the letters. "In the middle of the night...of course" I told him. He was disappointed to because he wanted to wait for the Jolly Guy to arrive to get his letters. It's always fun carrying on a tradition from my childhood. If you live in or near Idaho Falls...the mail box is near the falls.

The kids and I have been making snowflakes. Shelby helped them make a few the other night, and they have just been dying to make more. Grace has been wanting to decorate the front window on our door...so we hung up the flakes. I can remember making snowflakes as a kid. In fact, I will always remember 6th Science with Mrs. Gerhardstein. She taught us how to make real snowflakes. She explained that a crystal always has six sides (or multiples of six), so in order to make a snowflake that matches nature, you must fold your paper into thirds. To this day, I am so surprised that most people don't know this trick...and the majority of people still make "square" snowflakes. You can find instructions for folding a snowflake correctly here. And, just for fun, the kids and i have been having fun with this. You can make a snowflake without the mess!

And...I snapped a couple pics of the girls yesterday. Lily makes me laugh...notice hernew "cheese" smile. What a dork!

Holiday Stuff...

    Since my lil sis and her family are heading to Canada for Christmas this week, we had a little family get together at my mom's house last night...and I have a couple of fun things to share...

First off, I was in charge of the dessert for the party. I tried out a new recipe...and it was DELISH! It is an eggnog cheesecake. Now before you judge...for some silly reason, there are a lot of people out there who say they don't like egg nog. My question for you, is a) have you really ever tried it? and b) do you really think that eggnog contains raw eggs? Because...it doesn't always contain raw eggs!!!! It is just a pet peeve of mine when people are picky and refuse to try things.  You miss out on so many delicious things if you don't give them a try! I look forward to eggnog every winter! You need to give it a try! Since this is a recipe I want to keep...I made a layout for my recipe album...

Second...I wanted to share some of the fun gift wrapping things I found this year. I found the cutest wrapping paper at Toys R Us with sock monkeys on it. So adorable! And to top it off, I found the cutest little sock monkey ornaments at Shopko (and they were 50% off). I created a quick little tag in Photoshop and it turned out to make the cutest little gift!

Third...I made a few little handmade gifts. Nothing to extravagant...pretty simple things. My good friend gave me these cute little photos frames she found a while back. They are actually a little slider puzzle that holds photos. I added a few little pics and other embellishments to each frame and made a little puzzle for my new niece, Addilyn. I also made a quick little ornament using the new Melissa Frances large resin frames.

Fourth...this is just a little photo frame I altered for my mom. She loves to have holiday photos of the kids displayed...so I made this litte ditty for her...

And...fifth...here are some photos to share from our evening...

1. We stopped to visit great grandma Coral who is recovering from a hip replacement at a recovery center.

2. We had homemade pizza for dinner (a Christmas tradition in our family). Shelby, my 12 year old sister, made the kids the cutest Reindeer Pizza. She is so creative!

3. The kids got to spend time with their grandparents, great grandparents and a great great grandma (who is 99 years old!!!)

   

Countin' Down The Days...

Until CHRISTMAS!!! I always take pics of the kids under the tree to send with my Christmas cards, so here is a look at this year's shoot:

   

It's a beautiful thing...I'm done shopping for my kids, and 75% done with shopping for everyone else on my list! I hate the Christmas rush, so I love getting my shopping done ASAP. That way, we have time to spend together doing the things that are really meant to be done during this season. The kids were so excited to start their countdown calendars. I broke down and finally bought the Pottery Barn Kids countdown, and the kids have been loving it. I have little notes or treats in each pocket. Some of the notes have fun things to do...some have service projects. Others lead the kids to a treat somewhere in the house. Russ also made a cute little santa countdown in preschool. He gets to add a cotton ball to Santa's beard each night. I really love Christmas. I always have. But I have to admit that Christmas just isn't the same as it was when I was little. It is so commercialized. Even a good old fashioned thing like decorating Christmas trees has been ruined. Everyone has to have a "designer" tree...and people even pay others to hang their Christmas lights!!! I thought the whole point of decorating was to be together as a family and enjoy the process together. And yes...dad swearing and cursing as he teeders from a ladder hanging lights that blink on one side and don't work on the other...those are good Christmas memories for me. A Christmas tree where you can actually hang your child's handmade ornaments whithout worrying that it might not match the "theme" of your tree. Watching Christmas cartoons like The Grinch and Charlie Brown Christmas with your family. Reading the real story of Christmas...Jesus' birth in a lowly manger. Taking rides together to look at lights. Family parties. Being so nervous/excited about the thought of Santa coming into my house to bring gifts. These are the things I remember most.  What has happened to Christmas? I don't care if I have the perfect tree, and I don't want to have all sorts of "adult" Christmas parties.  I want Christmas to be about kids again. I want my kids to think of others and to feel the real Christmas spirit. I want them to remember the birth of their Savior who later died for them. I hope that we can all remember what Christmas is really about, because I think it gets harder and harder every year...

I leave you with a few images of Christmas from our house...and a favorite painting of mine by Liz Lemon Swindle...

 

If you're searching for a good deal...

  I just thought I would pass this info along. Every Sunday, Designer Digitals offeres a couple of their new products for only $ .25! Today and tomorrow only, you can get these cute Notebook Alpha Frames or the Iced Delights alphas for only 25cents!

Also...one of my favorite new kits Jolly Lil' Friends Kit(I used it to make the chore chart and calendar on my last post) from Mindy Teresawa is now available too! And check out the treat bag toppers and gift tags that coordinate...

There are tons of other fun new products too...so don't forget to check it out!   

Introducing...

ZIP...the Miniature Schnauzer. All I can say...is WOW. I never thought I would have a dog. I am not really an animal lover...and I have an overly sensitive nose, so it wasn't on my list of things to do in life. I have four small children to take care of already...so I didn't really need another little soul to care for. Hmmmm...you might be asking why we got a dog then. It's really simple. Because I gave in because the kids really really wanted one. Their cousins have the sweetest little Schnauzer named Lucky...and they LOVE him to death. They have to hug him goodbye whenever they leave their cousins house, and they always talk about Lucky. So...we gave in and bought them a dog. I have to admit that he is adorable; but he will be a lot more adorable when he is potty trained! The kids are already in love. They are fighting over him constantly, and they are more than willing to take their turns feeding him and taking him out to the potty...so we will see how things go. As I said, I am not really an animal person, so if you have any tips for training this little guy, it would be greatly appreciated!

And in other news, my little Kate finally took her first steps yesterday! She is a little bit of a late starter (compared to my other kids), but at 15 months, she has finally decided that she would like to try walking!

Lily is now 27 months, and she is ready to be potty trained. I say she is ready...because she is. I think it's me who isn't ready. I think it's harder for the mom than it is for the kid...because it is just a lot of work. She is doing pretty good...I just need to get my but into gear and be more consistent with her.

And...I leave you with a few of my recent digital layouts...

These first two layouts use the Gracie's Garden kit from Shabby Miss Jenn.

I made this little December chore chart and calendar from a new kit by Mindy Teresawa coming soon to Designer Digitals. The kit is called Jolly Lil Friends and is ADORABLE!