GOOD NEWS!

Good news Good news. All the issues in the house are getting worked out and fixed. The toilet is now running and not leaking. The bathtub is ready for a swim, the internet is FINALLY working, and things seem to be getting back to normal around here. Now we just need to make some friends to go on play dates with which I am sure will come soon. In the meantime we are learning to entertain ourselves and have fun in our new home.

Today was really a great day. We had to stay home because of all the work getting done on the house but it turned out to be just what the kids and I needed. We woke up and watched some cartoons while we ate breakfast. Then we went upstairs and played in the toy room and raced cars. Lizzy raced are caterpillar car while Jackson raced his Lightning McQueen Car of course.

Then we went outside and played for awhile. The weather here is so nice. Around 65 degree which I love. The sun is out so we can wear jeans and a tshirt and not get cold. I have to admit I am glad to be out of that AZ heat (it is already creeping up to the high eighties low nineties there). Then we had a picnic outside and both the kids ate their lunch which is AMAZING! After that we read some books and Liz took a nap while Jackson watched Megamind for the 100th time so I could get some school work done. I have to admit this is the first day in a long time that I wasn't stressed or short tempered. It was nice to appreciate my kids for who they are and spend some quality time with them with nothing distracting me.

Then Brandon came home early and we ate a yummy dinner together. I guess Brandon was a little jealous of all the bonding today because when the kids were taking a bath in the BIG BATH TUB he decided to get in on the fun. So he threw on his swim suit and hopped in the tub with them. It was so cute watching them play in the bubbles with dad and they thought that was really cool. Brandon even turned on the jets, which made Jackson freak out of course (he is so cautious) but Lizzy LOVED them. She was lounging in the tub letting the jet bubbles rub her back and tummy. So funny. She really is a little doll baby.


I usually don't give a play by play of my day but it was just such a great day I wanted to write it down so I could remember it. It has been awhile since I have had a great day like that.

Other funny notes:

This seems to be Jackson's attire lately. I thought it was funny so I decided to post it.

Lightning Car beanie (usually with the matching gloves but not when he is eating), Thomas the Train PJ shirt, Thomas the train underwear (but still refuses to go to the bathroom on the toilet, don't even get me started), eating nutella on wheat toast, hence the chocolate smile. He wears several outfits every day and insists on getting dressed on his own with no help which means most of the time his pants are on backwards and his shoes are on the wrong feet. I am just glad he takes this initiative to put his clothing on himself. He now refers to himself as Jackson or big boy.

Also Elizabeth's hair is finally getting long enough to do something with it. YEAH! I put it in pig tails and it was so cute. She loved having her hair done too. I think she realizes how cute it is with all the compliments I give her so she actually wants to wear bows and girly stuff now. She is so cute I just want to give her kisses all the time.

Our New Home

I know all of you have been dying to hear about the move and the new place. WELL, here is how it is going. LIKING ALBUQUERQUE (I actually learned how to spell it) HATE OUR RENTAL HOUSE. On the surface the house looks amazing. 3700 sq ft, an acre lot, and 3 car garage. Perfect right? Well as I have learned from living here for the past 2 weeks there are a lot of problems. First we live up in the East Mountains. This is really far! Really far. We have gas stations but no restaurants aside for the local cafe, our cell service is awful cutting off all the time, no cable except for dish network, an overpriced grocery store about 15 min away, and to drive anywhere in town it takes us at least 30 min. Plus to living out here it is peaceful, beautiful with trees, and the houses are really nice. The ward is really great too. But honestly I don't think I can handle having to drive 30 min each way to do my grocery shopping for the week. Also the house it self has so many problems.

First we didn't have hot water or gas for 3 days after we moved in. It was another week before we got any tv and we still don't have the internet (I am using Brandon's phone). We also didn't get mail keys for a week and a half. The realtor is in charge of the house and she is a mess. She didn't give us keys to the house until Thur of this week and she came in an told me I had to change a bunch of my furniture arrangement because the house is still on the market. I told her all the things that needed to be fixed like the toilet that keeps running and leaked on the floor, the master bath tub that doesn't have water, and the alarm system that isn't even set up but still goes off at 4am. She doesn't seem too concerned with fixing it so I can tell you we will be having words with the owners. Also, there are bugs all over. Ants in my kitchen and a crack in the wall that had a spider living in it. Oh and when we moved we had some help (which was awesome) but they lost a bunch of the screws to the bunk beds and we are having trouble finding the right size. And the master shower doors are too short so every time we take a shower there is water all over the floor. I almost forgot to top everything off I put our garbage out on Friday, actually Thur night in the pitch black dark just to make sure it got picked up, and the garbage man didn't take it. It was overflowing and we had a few bags in the garage it was so full. I really needed the garbage to be taken out. SOOO, I LOST IT. I totally flipped out and had a melt down. Just so many things going wrong and I couldn't handle it any more. Thankfully I called the garbage guy and he came and picked it up the next day but still.
Family room
View of the loft from the family room
Master Bathroom Shower that gets water all over the floor
Master bathroom tub that doesn't work but is so deep I am dying to go for a swim
Kitchen with a cute baby in it
Kitchen, the island is granite with a copper top (weird and hard to clean)
Oven/Stove backsplash...SUPER COOL
Dinning room that I am using as my craft room
Loft which is our playroom...AWESOME
The kids enjoying playing outside
Yeah, it snowed here in March. WOW big change from Mesa.

I know I am complaining a lot but I am having a tough time. Moving away from all of our friends and family is hard enough I don't need to be isolated in the mountains with everything breaking down around me. I am better now, and have a lot of hope we will find a permanent place to live in the city soon. I like the woods but not when you have young kids. There are just too many down sides to living so far away.

And the cherry on top of this disaster sundae is the guy that hit my car the last time we came to ABQ doesn't have insurance. He said he did but it expired in Jan and I got hit in Feb. So we have to pay our deductible which is $1000 plus pay for a rental car for 2.5 weeks (another $500) if I want to get my car fixed for something I didn't do. I swear the Lord just keeps throwing curve balls at us and I am striking out. Hopefully things will get better and back to normal soon. But for now I just have to realize it is out of my control and I have to let it go.

BUMMER

Well, I didn't make it through this week in the OMTWI contest. I really thought that I would even though the competition was tough. In retrospect I wouldn't change what I did. I think it was a great idea and I love the dress. I think I was just a little over my head in the competition. Mainly because the other contestants had TONS of followers on their blogs and they have been doing the craft blog thing for a long time. I am so thankful to all of you for supporting me, I can't tell you how much it meant to me hearing you say you voted for me. Thanks again, MAYBE NEXT TIME. :)

This Weeks Contest Creation

I AM A LIST MAKER. I ADMIT IT. I HAVE LISTS UPON LISTS. I EVEN HAVE A LIST OF ALL MY LISTS. Okay I'm just kidding about that last part. But seriously I swear I make a list, lose it, and remake lists all the time. I guess I just have SOOO many ideas and so little time to get them all done. Well this week for the 1 Month 2 Win It project we were told to do some SPRING CLEANING, meaning create a project that you buy nothing for. Challenging? Not for me because I have pile and piles of supplies I have collected. Honestly I did this project a while ago for the contest because I knew that I was moving this week and wouldn't have time to get it done. BUT I didn't buy anything for it. Here is what I did:

This weeks challenge was especially exciting for me because I have been dying to do something with my huge pile of "maybe I can make something out of this" clothing. Every time I go through my closet for spring cleaning, I create 3 piles. One is the donate pile, another is the trash pile, and the third is the craft pile.

Now this craft pile has been growing and growing and it was time to really evaluate the "maybe I can make something out of this" craft pile and whether or not I was actually going to do something with those clothes. But, thanks to 1 Month 2 Win It, I had the perfect opportunity to sift through those clothes and find something spectacular to make. Hence the tuxedo dress was born. I found an old tuxedo shirt my husband wore in high school when he waited tables. It was very dated but in really good condition. That is when I decided to use it as a dress for a little girl. I love the pleating on the old tuxedo shirts and it is very hard to replicate so I used that as my main inspiration. This dress is fun and flirty, perfect for spring.
I have to tell you the shirt was U G L Y, ugly and in need of the garbage or a remake. I am just glad I had the great idea of using the pleats. I even kept the rest for another future project (as you can tell I am not too good at actually cleaning out my supplies). But I MIGHT NEED IT SOMEDAY lol. Liz grows so fast that I even added an extra ruffle to the bottom to give it some more length. It is definitely my favorite dress in her closet right now.

Like I said the last round of dresses I made for her was back in Nov and she has gotten a lot taller since then so guess what...LET THE DRESS MAKING BEGIN. I have piles of fabric and ideas ready for some cute new creations. Stay tuned as they pop up on the blog over then next month or so including an Easter dress of course. I LOVE LITTLE GIRLS.

I also need to devote some time and attention to my guy Jack according to Grandpa Derek. So I am planning on making some fun summer shorts and stuff for him as well. Like I said, SOO MANY IDEAS SO LITTLE TIME TO DO IT!

Blogging from NM

Sorry about the lack of posts lately. We have been busy with out move and getting settled. I have lots to talk about but first I wanted to share my craft from the competition last week. I know you are all dying to know which one was mine, lol.

For those that don't know I posted the HONEY BLOOM DRESS.

Nothing says March like flowers and green. I love the smells that arise in the beginning of spring time. The green grass, the new blooms, and little kids playing outside enjoying the fresh air. This was my inspiration for the wear green challenge. When I saw the challenge I knew right away that I wanted to make a little girl dress, my favorite craft to make.

I searched through my supplies and collected a variety of materials that I thought would work perfectly for this project. First I began with the base of the dress and I found the perfect print. Michael Miller Honey Bee Honey Bloom. Could the name say spring any better? I actually bought this material for another project but it was too perfect to not use for the challenge. Then I looked around for some inspiration and figured out how to make the dress special. I truly believe it is all in the details and that is what makes this dress different from any other.

I used a triangle lace trim that I got at a craft fair for $1 a yard, some small yellow roses, and some white ribbon around the arm holes to give it a charming touch. I also love pleats so I added 5 rows of pleats along the front of the dress and instead of letting them hang freely I decided to top stitch them down which creates a bubble effect on the bottom of the dress. After all this and some further evaluation I decided the dress was missing something. As I was milling through the options, (fabric flowers, another ribbon, some more roses, buttons maybe?) I decided a simple white ruffle around the neckline would be perfect. The ruffle is soft, and sweet. The perfect touch to a little girl's spring dress.



I asked my friend if her little girl would model it for me at a playdate. She loved how easy and comfy the dress was as she danced around for pictures. Another little girl at the play date liked it so much she wanted to be my model too. So I took some pictures of her in the same dress. I can't wait for my little girl to have her turn wearing it this spring.

This pictures really don't do it justice. The pleating is so cute and the fabric is a soft cotton which makes the dress comfy and easy to wear. Gabriella really loved modeling for me she was so adorable posing for the camera. Thanks to everyone for voting and keeping me in the competition.
I think Liz was jealous that the spotlight or in this case camera lens wasn't focused on her because as soon as she saw her chance she ran over to Lexie, stood next to her, turned to the camera, and said "cheese". She is so funny. I know she is going to miss these girls.

Time to Vote

It is time to vote again! Don't forget to head over to 1 Month 2 Win It and cast your vote. Voting closes on Wed. The button is on the right side of the blog.

Beauty Baby

I just love having a girl. Lizzy may be tough but she is all girl. She loves attention. She loves dresses and fancy shoes. She loves throwing dramatic tantrums. She is my sweetheart. Her favorite activity is to sit on the bathroom counter and play with my makeup while I get ready. It is so funny to watch her watch me. She uses my brushes on her cheeks and eyes. She cleans her ears out with q-tips. She even likes putting on lip stick (which I don't usually let her play with). When I was getting ready tonight I gave her full access and she took advantage. We put velcro rollers in her hair, blush on her already rosy cheeks, and I even let her use an old lipstick. It was just so cute watching her check everything out and play with it. She is so beautiful she probably won't need makeup but it is always fun to try it out, even if she is only 18 months lol.

She doesn't really understand your not suppose to eat it.
Nice smile baby doll.
Um you have a little bit of lipstick on your teeth child.

Don't worry mom I'm still super cute.

Blowing me a kiss.

I took a ton of pictures because she was having to much fun saying "cheese" for the camera.

BTW, we had her 18 month well check this week and she is not only beautiful but in perfect health. She speaks in sentences and has a vocabulary of at least 100 words. She is really good at repeating words and remembering them after that. She loves reading books and does this cute scoot where she stands in front of you with a book and backs her little bum into your lap. She is a very good listener. I can tell when I talk to her she is understanding every word I say. She loves Jackson and Grandpa. They are her favorite people. Her favorite toy is still her pink pig which is becoming less pink and more gray from all the washings. She is very jealous of other babies, especially if I am holding one. She climbs up on everything. Chairs, ladders, and a lot of boxes these days. The only thing she doesn't climb up on is her crib which I am so thankful for. She gives people that she doesn't know this really funny dirty look where she looks at them under her eyelashes and frowns. She gives it to Cameron all the time which is so funny. She loves vegetables but doesn't like cheese or fruit unless it is in something. She is still a really good eater, eating almost anything I put on her plate. She prefers using a fork over her hands so she is very proper and when she is finished with a meal she says "here mama". She is still super brave and fearless but I think she is starting to become more aware of her surroundings and notices when something is dangerous. And she can count to 4 which is as far as Jackson can count before saying the number 8 which is his favorite number for some reason (but that is for another post). She has started expressing interest in going to the bathroom on the potty. I think she will probably be potty trained around the same time or very soon after Jack. She gives really good kisses and has the best little giggle and the softest skin. And it melts my heart when she says "I lub you" to me. I lub you too Lizzy Bug.

Measurements:
Height: 32.5 inches-75%
Weight: 22lbs- 40%
Head: 18- 40%

On to Round 2

Well I made it through the first round. Thanks to all of you who voted! Check back on Monday for Round 2.

Smith Family at The Farm

This was an adventure in picture taking and I have to tell you all about it. We decided to take the pictures at The Farm at South Mountain. It is a yummy little restaurant with an amazing atmosphere very country meets chic. Anyways, so I am walking up to meet Shannon and I guy in a van tells me I have to get permission to take pictures there. I totally blew him off, lol, seriously how is he going to find me taking pictures of two little boys in the middle of a large space. However he tracked me down and let me tell you THEY WERE WATCHING US. He told us that we needed to get permission because photographers come and use the ground but don't even buy lunch. Shannon assured him that she was going to buy lunch after wards, which was her plan, and he allowed us to use the ground. Let me just say we smiled our ways into that one. Then we got out the balloons for Boston's 1 year pictures. BIG NO NO. Soon he was back over telling us no balloons allowed. But we talked him into letting us take a few pictures with the balloons as long as we put them back as soon as we were done. Well it never fails. Of course we let the 2 year old carry the balloons and of course he let them go and of course they got stuck in a tree. So here he comes to yell at us and we were thinking we are done. Fortunately he was super nice and we laid on the charm. He got the balloons down with an extremely high ladder (that I held for him) and a very long branch. After that he put a branch on the end of the balloons to keep them grounded. Then another worker came over and informed us that balloons are not allowed and we decided that was enough of the balloons. After all the hassle and all the screw ups the boys were very understanding and took some amazing pictures. They were so patient and I am really happy with the way they turned out.

Prayers

Every night Jackson and Elizabeth kneel down with me to say their prayers. Most of the time Jackson likes to say the prayer himself. He is so reverent always whispering the prayer. Lizzy folds her arms quietly and listens. This is the ONLY time they are reverent but it is a sweet moment. And Jackson says the same things in his prayer every night which I think is really sweet.

Here is his prayer tonight:

Dear Heavenly Father
Thank you for Grandma and Grandpa
Thank you for the playground
I love you too
In the name of Jesus Christ
Amen

Lizzy says "Amen".

Then I tuck them in and Lizzy says "I lub you". Then Jackson says "I love you too mommy" and he pulls me in with both his arms around my face to give me a kiss.

I love them so much.

LAST DAY

It is the last day to vote for the OMTWI contest. I just want to tell all of you how much I appreciate your love and support. I am amazed by all your great comments and love you have shown this week. Thanks again and if you haven't voted yet click on the link!

GO VOTE!

Hey everyone, just a reminder to go and vote on the ONE MONTH TO WIN IT blog.

Here is the site again: http://onemonthtowinit.blogspot.com/

Make sure you scroll all the way down to see all the projects and then vote for your favorite. There are some really amazing ideas.

VOTING ENDS SOON SO GO VOTE NOW!

FLAMING

This week we had so much fun. We went to the Hall of Flame Fire Museum with some of our friends. They had the most amazing collection of fire trucks from really old to huge shiny new ones. Most of the museum are antique firetrucks which are behind ropes so the kids can't touch them but the kids didn't seem to care. THEY LOVED IT! I was so proud of them for not going behind the ropes and climbing on the trucks. Jackson was so excited about all the trucks. He kept pointing out things he liked about them like the lights, and bells, and ladders. It was really neat to see how they have evolved from horse drawn firetrucks to today's modern trucks. There was one large truck that the kids could climb on and a ton of fire uniforms to wear. I couldn't talk Jack into wearing a hat because they were so heavy but he had fun pretending like he was driving the truck. He even pulled down the stick to shift, he is really observant. Then there was a movie which they really enjoyed watching that showed fire fighters putting out actual fires and a kids area with a small firetruck, puzzles, and a fire pole to slide down. Liz especially liked the fire pole. She kept jumping off the stairs and grabbing onto it. FEARLESS. Good thing I was there to catch her. It was a really fun adventure and I am glad we got to share the time with close friends.

BYU?

I just want to make a small post regarding the BYU basketball team. As a BYU alum I am well aware of the honor code and what it means to live by it. I admit at times it feels restrictive. Most of the rules are not against the law when you break them; however I know that it is with these rules that we are able to have the freedom to make good choices and not suffer undesirable consequences. Sure most people would think that not being allowed to go into the room of a person of the opposite sex is silly. But how many bad choices have been made in a room where two people are alone? Maybe being required to be clean shaven is ridiculous, but having a clean appearance on the outside will help to create a clean standard on the inside. These rules are here for reasons. The President's of the university didn't just come up with asinine restrictions for the fun of it.

I always liken the honor code to playing the piano. There are rules to follow when learning to play the piano. Notes to learn and practice. Are following these rules going to keep you from being a good piano player? NO, it is when we follow these rules that we are able to have the freedom to play whatever we want. The honor code is the same. If you break the rules or make poor choices the consequences of your actions will be negative. Make good choices and you will have a positive outcome.

I am a huge fan of college basketball and have been following BYU all season long. I have to say I am really saddened by the decision of Brandon Davies. I don't know what he did but I know he broke the honor code and I am truly honored to know that BYU stood up for their standards with no hesitation. They know where the line is and everyone is treated equally. It is sad that he made those choices but I feel that BYU basketball will actually be blessed for sticking to the code.

Here is a great article on the issue and I just want to put it out there GO COUGS!

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=6175251


PS. Just checked the scores and BYU lost bad to NM tonight. Have I told you how much I hate NM this season with their two wins on us? Too bad I am moving to the land of the LOBOS