Joy

A Change Will Do You Good

Four weeks without a post!  I can't believe it's been that long.  I think most people understand a blogging break the weeks surrounding Christmas but the truth is I was totally in a blogging rut and didn't even feel like blogging AT ALL.  Don't feel bad, I hardly was even interested in reading blogs either.  I don't know if I should even admit this but  I *SLIGHTLY* even entertained the idea of just not blogging anymore (I know, what's wrong with me!)  I figured out that I just needed to make it fun again and change things up a bit.  So with that in mind, I am so excited to start:

Don't know what I'm talking about?  The goal is to take at least one Picture A Day for the whole year and post it here.  I'm so excited to document our life in a different sort of way.  Posting pictures not only of my kids but what we are doing everyday from the littlest of things from what he had for breakfast to the bedtime stories we read.  I know I already post pictures of us doing everyday things but this is going to force me to take more pictures and document something every day even the little things we do.  (I bet you can't wait! :)  How differently you look at life when your trying to find at least one thing through out the day that is worthy of taking a picture.  I'm hoping it will force me to push myself photography wise too.  Here's a few links to a few other PAD blogs that have been inspiring to me.  I love the format of the second one with the calendar, so cool (It's no secret that I love her blog, she is awesome).

So starting today here is my first PAD:

Livee was begging me to take her outside to make a snowman.  So after Krew went down for a nap, we bundled up and headed outside.  The snow was too light and fluffy for making snowmen but perfect for catching on your tongue, so we did just that {oh and we might have done some shoveling too, it dumped about 5 inches today!}

On another note, we had an amazing Christmas with a fun, two week, trip to sunny Arizona.  I REALLY REALLY was tempted to stay their until, hmmmm, lets say, April-May when the snow in ID has melted!!  Somehow, I don't think my brother-in-law would appreciate sleeping on the couch for 4 months so we packed up and headed home!  I have tons of pictures to share as soon as I get them loaded onto my computer! 

Sneak Peek For The Walker Fam

This is one of my bestest friend's from high schools cute little family.  {Did you follow all that!?}  We had fun even if we were FREEZING {dang Idaho weather}!!!  Aren't they a beautiful family?  I just loved their outfits, totally funky! 

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

I can't believe all those crazy people out there that are DONE with Christmas shopping and wrapping.  Man, I just barely finished all the Christmas decorating today.  I think I work better under pressure!  he he!

The tree:

Every time I walk by the tree I have to resist the urge to rearrange the ornaments at the bottom.  If you can't tell, all the bottom ornaments have been moved to the same two branches.  I bet you can't guess who did that!

Here's the mantle {one day I'd like to replace the cherry painting at Christmas time with a vintage Santa picture}:

The banister garland (crappy picture but you get the idea):

This was the first year we put lights up on the outside of our house!  After it took us {I use the term 'us' very loosely}  ALL day on Saturday to get it done, we both realized that's EXACTLY why we've never done outside lights!

Just about every time Krew sees the tree he has this look on his face:

I love it!

My MIL made this last year for us, it's a cute winter wall hanging and Parker hasn't hung it for me yet so right now it's resting on the back of our couch.

 

Liv's tree in her room:

This cracked me up, can you see me:

                                             The End!

Thanksgiving '08

Our Thanksgiving dinner was fabulous.  We had a smallish group compared to what we normally have.  After we stuffed ourselves with the traditional turkey, stuffing, potatoes, etc. we all sat around and talked to Linds and Darren on Skype.  It was **almost** like they were really with us! ;) 
I was in charge of the pies this year.  I can't believe I was trusted with something as important as dessert!  I made Pumpkin and Chocolate pies and then a yummy Pumpkin Pie Cake.  I ate way too much and we had such a fun day.   
We always try to do a fun Christmas craft during the Thanksgiving weekend.  The kids had a tiny paper doll nativity to make. 
  
 
While I can't show you what us girls worked on just yet, here's teeny tiny sneak peak:

Just wait until you see the finished project, you'll just die!!!

This morning Parker braved the crowds and ventured out bright and early to shop.  I like my warm and cozy bed too much to join him so I gladly volunteered to stay home with the kids!  He just can't pass up a good deal!  Whether it's something we need or not he buys it!  He cracks me up but usually I benefit from his impulsive buying so I can't complain!  {Today he brought me home an 8G memory card for my camera!  Thanks babe!!}

Holiday Recipe Extravaganza

My sister is hosting her 2nd annual Holiday Recipe Exchange.  Should be a fun way to find new recipes to add to our books.  I know I'm always looking for new things to make.

Here's my first recipe, this is one of my favorite appetizers:

Christmas Is Coming

Livee is in a local singing group and tonight they had a little performance at a festival.  She did such a good job and had so much fun.  This girl loves to sing and she's been practicing and practicing.  I was actually surprised to find out she knew most of the words and actions to the songs.  She told me she was going to sing really loud so her Grandma and Grandpa could hear her!

Here she is all dressed up in her "Snow White Dress"  before the performance:

 

 

After she sang a few songs we of course had to go find Santa Claus.  My mom overheard Livee telling Santa she wanted Ponies for Christmas!  {Oh dear, what am I going do to make that wish come true!}

Krew is at the "anyone I don't know scares the heck out of me" stage!  Especially men dressed in funny red suits!

 

One more of this little girl because she's just so cute:

Alright, I'm off to go see who got kicked off Dancing With The Stars!

Krew-Cakes {the tutorial}

I've had several people email me asking questions about these cute little things:

So I thought I'd do a little tutorial.  These little cupcakes are so simple but you do need to have somewhat of a knowledge of Photoshop.

First go download the FREE, yes I said FREE, little kit from here.  You do have to have an account at Two Peas to be able to download.  

Open the Seals up in photoshop {it will open all six seals} and use the lasso tool to select only the hat. Be careful not to cross over the outside border.   

Now take the cutest dang picture you have of your birthday girl or boy and zoom way way in so that their little head fills the whole computer screen.  Make sure you can still see their whole head with out having to scroll up or down or left or right {I really hope that made sense}.  Now use the magnetic tool and run the tool right around the edge of their face and head.  If it doesn't look quite right just try it again.  It took me a couple of times to get it just right.  I then just copied, { Edit>Copy } the head and hat into their own window.  Now mess around with making the hat smaller or bigger to fit just right on top of the head!  

I copy and pasted about 15 or so of these little heads onto a sheet of paper and printed them out and just cut around them.  Then I used clear tape to attatch them to the toothpick.  

Feel free to email me if you have any other questions.  I love them and I think they will be a new tradition for birthdays at our house!

 

Has Anyone Seen A Really Cute Dress?

So about a month ago, I went and bought myself this new Portabellopixie pattern, signed by Miss Sandi Henderson herself:

I sewed up this little dress for Livee:

Okay, well I sewed it up until the point where I needed my mom's serger. 

So now a few weeks have gone by and I finally borrowed that dang serger.  I came home all excited to finish the dress and now the dress is nowhere to be found.  I've tore my house up and down, gone through my stash of fabric and have asked Livee a million times if she put it somewhere.  To which she now replys, "No mom, stop asking me, I haven't seen it."  Grrr...it will probably show up in a few years, when it no longer fits Liv.  SO FRUSTRATING!

Tagged!

I have been tagged a few times and have completely put off doing them.  But when I went to my fourth file and looked at my fourth picture I was pleasantly surprised to find this picture:

This was taken exactly two years ago and even though she has a chicken nugget in her mouth I still can't get over how little she was and how different she looks now {at least different to me}.  She was 20 months and her little piggies....they are so cute. 

My Feelings About Election '08

I know a lot of us are upset of the outcome of last nights election but as I watched John McCain's speech I really took what he had to say to heart.  His speech was full of grace and I truly feel that he meant every word he said. 

The most meaningful words:

"I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him, but offering our next president our good will and earnest effort to find ways to come together, to find the necessary compromises, to bridge our differences, and help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world, and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger, better country than we inherited.

Whatever our differences, we are fellow Americans. And please believe me when I say no association has ever meant more to me than that.

It is natural tonight to feel some disappointment, but tomorrow we must move beyond it and work together to get our country moving again. We fought as hard as we could.

Tonight, more than any night, I hold in my heart nothing but love for this country and for all its citizens, whether they supported me or Senator Obama, I wish Godspeed to the man who was my former opponent and will be my president.

And I call on all Americans, as I have often in this campaign, to not despair of our present difficulties but to believe always in the promise and greatness of America, because nothing is inevitable here."

So we can be mad/disappointed/upset/sad/scared all we want but it's not going to change the outcome of what happened last night.  I loved that my sister put a huge picture on her blog saying "let Obama into your heart" and I am going to give him the respect he deserves.

Does he have to a lot to do to actually "win me over?" YES! 

Does this mean I agree with everything he says and thinks? NO.

Personally, I think we are going no where fast.  Things can't be messed up over night, for our government  is full of checks and balances.  I realize there is possibility I might eat my words in four years if everything is messed up, ha, but lets give the man his four years to prove himself!  Things are already pretty bad!  It is a monumental and historical time in our nation right now and I will admit that I do think it is pretty awesome that in America we are actually going to have a black president.  Theres' no doubt we've come along way!  Some people, I know, will disagree with me but how grateful I am to live in a country where you and I can disagree and voice our opinions and still be alive.  

And because I couldn't have said it better myself, the words from John McCain's speech last night:

"Americans never quit. We never surrender. We never hide from history, we make history."

Full Of Thanks

Today I was grouchy, I don't know if it's the colder weather or if it's just a funk I'm in.  Tonight as I was doing the dishes, and my kids were screaming and I wanted to turn around and tell them to "BE QUIET" {in not those nice of words} I realized I have so much to be thankful for and I REALLY want to remember everything.   Then, just maybe, when I'm feeling grouchy I can refer back to it.  I can't think of a better time to be extra mindful of my blessings, 'tis the season, right?

Here's my current list of things I'm grateful for and I plan on adding to it all month long as I think of things:

my hilarious and hardworking husband

my two darling and perfectly healthy children

good health

safe air and car travel

Parker's job

good friends

blogs: to keep in touch with old friends and to meet new friends

supportive family

for Skype and the world wide web, they both make the world feel so much smaller

for both sets of our parents

grandparents

all my talents and abilities that I've been blessed with and am trying to perfect everyday

bad days so I can appreciate the good ones

cell phones

to be able to live in a free country where my voice matters

for being able to vote today

for a mother who taught me the importance of voting and to be proud to live in this country

to be able to live close to family

to be able to be a stay at home mom and be with my children all day everyday, teaching, guiding, and playing with them

TO BE CONTINUED...

The Cat & The Bat

We had a fun Halloween.  We went to our ward's Trunk or Treat and then we took the cat and the bat to my parents house.

Liv pouting about something, probably because I told her to sit down and hold still so I could take more pictures, ya that's probably why!


Very rarely do I have a picture of our whole family, it's not the best picture but I'll take what I can get!

Cheap Entertainment

Parker and I have been getting a kick out of this all week.

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Halloween Party

My awesome mom threw the kids {who am I kidding, the adults had just as much fun!} a killer Halloween party this week.  We played pin the tail on the cat, musical chairs, the kids made Halloween head bands.  Ate pizza and laughed.  Thanks mom and dad for the awesome party.  We love you!

 

Krew sat at the table with the other kids.  He's getting so big!

Shelly wanted to win every game! ;) he he.

                               The girls dancing.

 

 

 

Two important people were missing from our party...we missed you guys.   : (

Happy Halloween!!!

Sneak Peek For Brittney

Isn't he a cutie?