Legos

Jase is really starting to love the real legos, you know the little ones that Meghan will eat. Maybe she will stop eating things before his birthday in May...maybe not. But he has already decided that legos will be the theme for his party, pinata included.

But in the meantime we visit cousins and friends that have legos.

All the snow in Michigan

When we were in Michigan visiting family over the MLK Jr. holiday weekend, we were surprised at the amount of snow they had. But then when you live close to the lake, you get lake effect snow - and lots of it. When we arrived Friday evening there was around 22 inches. Then it proceeded to snow the rest of the weekend and add another 4-5 inches. These are the pictures I got throughout the weekend (Saturday - Monday).

I always love big pine trees with lots of snow.

Look at how much snow is on that picnic table!

While it is pretty, I'm glad we didn't have it back here at home. Although that might mean that isn't quite as cold...

200th post winner!

Sorry I'm running a little behind on getting the winner selected, but I am now sick (worst cold I've had in years) thanks to my loving kiddos.

Anyways, on to the prize:

Some blackberry bath salts, green tea facial mask, and aromatherapy foot creme. These are some of my favorite pampering items!


And the winner random.org selected:

Here are your random numbers:

7 (Gigi)

Timestamp: 2009-01-30 00:38:41 UTC

Congrats to Gigi! I'll bring your prize when I see you in the next few days...

Wrestling

I think Meghan is taking after her father and is exhibiting wrestling skills even at 16 months.

First it was Jase (this goes on all the time).

Now it is her dolls...




Anyone else have girls that do this?

Baby Ian

I just love this little guy so much!

We all do actually.

Jase likes the baby and the fact that he can't move to much yet and take his toys away.

Meghan like him because he is almost as big as she is, but again can't move much (and she likes to try and sit on him).

Joe likes to carry him around.

I just love that he is my nephew.


Until now I have been fine and content with not planning on having anymore kids of our own. Friends have kids and they are cute and all, but I still didn't want more. But now this little super chunk comes along and has stolen my heart.

I think maybe I want another one...

But not for another couple years.

Funky Mommy

Sometimes Joe and I call each punks when we are at home and Jase has picked up on it. But Jase doesn't pronounce P's very well, so it comes out as funk.

Whenever Jase gets excited he calls us funks.

At church before Sacrament meeting Jase and I were walking to the chapel and he told me ever so nicely that I was a funky mommy.

I'll take that as a compliment from my little man!

Go Vote!

Vote now for your favorite item made during January's Christy's Craft Challenge.

I'd love for you to vote for my project - but just go and vote - there are some cool projects that came from this month's challenge...

Go here to vote - what are you waiting for....

Christy's Craft Challenge - January

I can't believe January is already almost over.

It was almost 3 weeks ago when I got my envelope full of supplies from Christy for the Christy's Craft Challenge.

Oh the excitement of getting an envelope full of craft items to make something with and then to also have the possibility to win a prize or the next months craft challenge - sign me up!

The contents of the envelope included the following:
one sheet green paper
10"x 12" piece of fabric with the states and capitols
5 small brads
3 rubber bands
8 - 6" lengths of black embroidery floss

The instructions were:

1. Use as little or as much of each supply provided.
2. Make one craft project using all of the items; clever packaging may be included as part of the project.
3. Send Christy a picture or load it up to her flickr group.
4. Use any additional supplies as needed or desired.
5. 2 winners each month: 1) most comments on craft picture in flickr group, 2) blog about the experience

The first week I thought about what I could (and more importantly wanted) to make. Then my son got sick (croup) and I stayed home a couple days with him, but no inspiration as to the craft to make. Then we were gone visiting family for a weekend. Then my daughter got really sick (pneumonia) and I spent a week home with her (thankfully I have lots of sick days). Finally on the 3rd day of being home, I had an idea.

I decided to make a scrapbooking keepsake for both my kids on where they were born. The piece of fabric I had in my package had both the states of where the kids were born - perfect!

Instructions:

1. Trace child's hand on scrap paper. Bribe with candy and movies (if they are real young and won't stay still and try to grab the pen). Try taking pictures of child getting hand traced - not easy...
2. Cut out hand and trace on fabric over the birth state. (note my lack of pictures for the remaining steps do to a shall-remain-nameless-16 month old that wouldn't leave the camera alone and kept dropping it - thankfully it still works, but I stopped trying to take step by step pictures).
   
3. Cut out fabric hand.
4. Use fray check on edges of fabric to prevent unraveling of threads. Let dry.
5. Glue fabric hand to the green cardstock paper. Cut out leaving ~1/4" border.
6. Handstitch around fabric hand with 2 strands of black floss.
7. Place brad through fabric, cardstock, and rubber band about where city is located.
8. Cut rubber band just below bottome of brad (using rubber band as string to hang the hand by).
   
9. Using a complimentary cardstock color, document child's name, birthdate, and place of birth.
10. Attach with another brad above hand.
11. I then attached the hand to a photo of my child. Long term I plan to scrapbook this in the baby book, otherwise it could go in a shadow box or another picture frame along side a photo.

I made a "hand" for both kids; each "hand" was made the same the way, with the same materials.




I really liked how this turned out. I had fun participating and more importantly I made something that is a keepsake.

So what are you waiting for, the signup for Febraury's craft challenge is already happening. Don't miss out on some crafty challenge fun and friendly competition!

Jase and the Kid's club at Home Depot

We finally took Jase to the Saturday morning building club at Home Depot. It only took forever to either remember or to not have other plans.

This time it was actually on accident. Joe had to go and get something to finish hooking up our ice maker and Jase went along. It took longer than I expected for them to be gone, but Jase was so excited to have made football helmet bookends! Plus, he got the apron and a pin.

Here he is painting them:

Hugs

Meghan is really into hugging everyone, especially her big brother, Jase.

Usually Jase fights it and doesn't want her touching him, but sometimes he just lets her hug him.

And on the rare occasion, he hugs her back.

Here's proof that they actually do love each other...

Poor, sick Meghan

Meghan is really sick right now. She has early pneumonia (I guess because her lung is just starting to sound yucky and her fever is only 100F). Anyways, I hope she pulls out of it fast. It is certainly no fun looking at your little sweetie pie and seeing her hurt and feel yucky.

Plus no one gets much sleep as she coughs the whole night (even with being held upright).

And I hope I don't get sick, as she always turns in to my face when she coughs at night...

Time to read

In our family we love to read. Daddy, mommy, and the midgets; we all love to read. And we all read anything and everything.

Here daddy and the midgets are reading some of the books we got at the library last week.


What are your favorite family story time books to read?

200th post giveaway!

I'm not sure what you'll win, but all you have to do is comment here on what your favorite post has been.

You have until January 28th and then I will randomly pick someone to be the winner...

Spice cupboard

Over the Christmas break I finally decided that I needed to do some major organizing in my spice cupboard. It was at the point where I usually had to take the spice bottles to find the one or two I needed for my recipe.

Here is before:

A friend had blogged about her amazing organizing of her spices here, so I decided to do something similar.

Here are all my tins washed and drying:


Here is one completed set:


Here are my 3 sets (with a little room to grow):


And my after picture of my cupboard:


It is so much more manageable now and nice to look at. I'm so glad that I did this project. But now I have 8 empty tins remaining.

My question for you is what spices can't you live without?

What spices should I get?

Meghan in the kitchen...

I was working in the kitchen over last weekend and Meghan was keeping me laughing with her doing some jigs and investigating the floor and cupboards.

Enjoy!

The study of a baby and a puppy...

On our last day visiting Joseph's sister and family, we went to an indoor inflatable gym. The kids loved it and were completely exhausted after an hour of running around and climbing.









If only there was one of these back here at home.

Last stop for Christmas festivities...

Our last stop in Michigan was Joseph's sister's family. They are a family of 7 with 5 adorable kids that Jase and Meghan love to play with. The oldest is 11 and the youngest is 5 months (although he seems so much older - already weighs almost as much as Meghan and wears 12 month clothes).

Meghan is completely infatuated with babies, so she was always nearby.

Here she is after dragging a step out from the kitchen... not too close now.

Hmmm, maybe I'm not quite close enough...

Let's get this a little closer...

This is better...

Now I can play too!

Just look at how cute this baby is!

Joseph and his sister and her husband prepping New Year's Eve food...

The kids painted woods figures as a craft the one day...

Here are 3 of the kids with the end products...

Then there was lots of silly time on the air mattress in the evening waiting for midnight. The only "kid" that made it to midnight was the 11 year old. Everyone else fell asleep watching movies or decided to go to bed on their own.




Meghan is a popcorn eater, so here she is stuffing herself with popcorn...

We had a wonderful time visiting with our families in Michigan. We hope to see you again soon!