Crafty-ness

This is the apron that I made for the apron swap that I participated in. http://www.flickr.com/groups/aprons/pool/page2/ has a whole bunch of pictures of others' aprons. It was created in a large part, because of my mothers constant patience with me one entire day- when I was vaca in OH. I especially picked her brain because I didn't use a pattern. It was fun, and at the end, I've become psyched about making myself a similar one. I think a lot of people probably made two aprons once they realized how cool theirs were. My girls thought it was just soo fun and it wrapped around them quite a few times. I hope my swap buddy enjoys it!

We did some crafts at Grandma's the day my sis. was leaving... some keepsakes things, and for 1.00 / bank, I couldn't have thought of anything better!! Afterwards we celebrated with some serious bling... a ring sucker.

Eva has her purple piggy bank- she colored those ears and eyes sooo carefully!

Here's Chloe's Puppy Bank. She colored the muzzle all black, thinking it was just one huge honker of a nose. I thought it was amusing, so I didn't break her bubble. Imagination. Oh, yes, and both girls painted their banks toe nails.

This was the finale picture, and Grandma got to be the first to give to their futures with these banks! Among the collection of banks was a firetruck bank, and a bear bank. They turned out just adorable, and what a great happy pic for keepsakes, too!
We love Grandma's house- so many opportunities for great memories here!

B's proud new toy!

At the graduation party for his mom, B was surprised on his own to get a Wii. So, here he is that night, with his new toy, proudly playing the Hanna Montana game that came with the Wii and a whole bunch of other goodies. Thanks to his family for treating him to such a fun experience! He's such a goof, and I love him sooo much! He's singing into the wii here....





And here he's playing the guitarDon't worry, we did get some manly games for him to use too.
It worked out really nicely, and he sure didn't object to 'finding' room in his carryon to take this lovely gift back home. He'll have had a good 3 weeks daddy time before we get back to invade what will probably have become quite the manly arena!


And this, I believe was a hi-5 to the audience.... or touching hands. He made this look so fun, I tried it but apparently it was easier to watch than do. I'll try and be more coordinated now...

Dress Up with Grandma!

Grandma has shared some of her dress up things with my girls in these pictures.This picture will make B just sigh-- Chloe's got that 'and they lived happily ever after' part down, for sure.

Eva is just a hoppity little diva in her ballerina outfit. She feels so special with Grandma's necklaces, too!

Is this the look of an innocent thinking child? No way! She's got plans going on in that little girly head of hers, I just know it! We'll just have to keep the boys away from those girls' eyes!!

Here's Chloe dancing and twirling to all sorts of rythms.
Rejoicing in our femininity, and isn't that a rare commodity these days?

The two sisters, hand in hand... and no one is getting dunked, either!!

A Family Day!

After the hay days of packing, flying, graduating, and Mother's Day, we decided to have some serious family time. B was about to leave for the next three weeks, allowing us girls to socialize amongst the 'natives' and catch up on civilization as a whole. After a good massage, B was quite smiley. After my shopping, I was quite smiley. And the girls played with Ms. Laura's little girls all morning, so they were quite smiley. We had achieved happiness for that period in time. Instead of pushing our girls through the zoo, which they would have loved but not appreciated d/t the lack of energy, we decided on a low key McD's and Bob Evans picnic at a local park. Not just any park, but the one where we've gone to since B and I were dating. We've fed ducks for over 5 1/2 years there now, when occassion allowed us the time to visit it. The fountain they have and the ripples of the pond are just majestic with the large tree branches swaying over the water. The ducks found it interesting that Chloe was not throwing bread, but mud, so they learned to waddle or swim the other direction quite quickly.
Chloe was so excited to see this park again, the first thing she did was ask permission to take off her socks and shoes to walk around in the sand. And the next thing she did was run along the small tide lines. Eva had decided that food was difinitely a larger priority, giving her and Daddy the best time to snuggle and grab some great scrapping pics!
Afterwards, it was Eva and Chloe running along the beach, together finding all sorts of little odds and ends. I loved the peace and serenity of just 'being' around nature. The desert seems to be so primitive, unforgiving, and harsh in many respects and this peaceful park was certainly the breath of fresh air that I needed. Not to mention the water was the most amazing I'd seen in... a long time!
Here's a great commercial for a credit card company..
The food? 12.95
The car? 34.98/day
Being able to relax while I watch my kids play outside for the first time in months? Priceless.


After this, we came back to our little 'country hotel' and kissed our goodbyes. See ya soon dad!

Nana graduates!

So, B's mom graduated with her degree in Health Information Technology. She's worked so hard for four years now, I believe, and it made my heart leap for joy to see her finish. I think I was just as weepy as she was. Hmmm, hormones? I'm not sure. I know it was partly becuase I remember Patty making huge leaps for Theresa to make it to school. She believed in her sister so much, I know she was with us that night. So, a mix of all of that, and the fact that oh ya-- we flew into our native state, happenin' Ohio, at 5am? I had no sleep-hence, no pictures of me... And, we were running on straight adrenoline. I am visiting fam back here for a while, so expect more pics before I leave. To see someone work so hard and finally attain something, even if it's something as little as a certificate, or as big as a degree, isn't that something to rejoice in?
On a more spiritual note, I wonder if that's what the eternal life will be-- one big graduation day when we all get our assigned degrees, and our families will be there rooting for us. Not just our earthly family but ancestors past and future and the big man up top. His whole mission was to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. Eternal life... now that's a good thing. Eternal families? Even better! Happiness Neverending, now there's a trio of something I'm interested in. And it doesn't come without sacrifice. There's a hymn that comes to mind that says, ''Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven.." No matter what we're sacrificing for, the reward is immeasurably sweet to our hearts. So, in this time of great trials for many of us, let's try to rejoice in the sacrifices because they will usher in the blessings from our Heavenly Father. I know it!
GOOOOO ETERNAL PERPSECTIVE! *Corny and super geeky, I acknowledge*

The Funny Run

Ok - I'm really sorry I've been slackin' on the posts. There's no excuse, I know, I know. Anyways, oh- about 3 weeks ago in good 'ol hometown off Rte66 there was an event called the Fun Run. I call it the Funny Run, just because of one of my favorite movies, Mickey Blue Eyes. This is one of maybe 10 events all year so I must attend, right?
The Event-This is when all these guys who love old cars and have lots of mula and time to spend on them, drive them in for other not so fortunates and hopefuls, and newbys to look at and go.. ooooo. Anyways, I'm a sucker for any ooo and aaa thing- I'm a girl! Shiny whatevers, I'm IN! lol, not quite, but anyways, we drove with my friend from town and saw all sorts of neat and important things. Nothing really struck me as life-changing but, then again, I'm a hard one to please. Being around my g/f was the fun part to me, and I got a good tan out of it. Go AZ Sun!! Oh, ya... did I mention I'm prego? Most of you probably already know, but that's my 'belly' at this point.. Don't look too closely. You'll hurt your eyes...

1,2,3-SNAP!

Maybe it was all the rough necked Harley Davidson riders in Laughlin for the River Run, or maybe it was the absolute satisfaction I had from a Denny's ( the fabulous french toast with biscuits and gravy) breakfast. Maybe it was the fact that I had Brian all to 'myself' that day, or that the girls were behaving like angels or that I'd found some clothes that fit me just wonderfully AND were 50% off. Whatever it was that led me to the climb, when our family passed Claire's in the mall, I looked at B to see if he was thinking what I was thinking.
The girls, especially Chloe have been excited to get their ears pierced lately. Chloe even asked B a month or so ago, and we really didn't have too much of an objection other than 'she's just young'. After much contemplation we decided we were totally opposed to it, so if it was something she wanted so bad, we could indulge her on this. Eva is always keeping track of her shoes, my earrings and has a very keen memory of where things are - helping everyone in the family when we are scatterbrained. (if you know our family you know what a blessing this keen memory is)
So, we pulled into the shop, where the two girls just went bizerk with all the 'girly' stuff at their little fingertips. I talked to the piercer and found out that earrings are much more expensive than I remembered them being. B and I asked Eva if she wanted earrings in her ears, to which she gladly squealed "yes!" B asked Chloe if she wanted to have 'A needle stick through your ear and make a hole in your ear...' She wasn't so sure about that. When I asked her if she wanted to get earrings in her ears, she said she didn't want her ears pierced. But, knowing how apprehensive she is even if she wants something, we decided to do them both together. The two piercers had piercings of every kind, and it gave me comfort (those people have to know above others how important personal hygiene is, don't they?)
And - B held Chloe and 'snap' she blinked and it was done. Then, she felt so grown up she started looking at all the earrings she can wear when this 6wk period is over, and held her own pink bag of ear care solution. SO GROWN UP! I am not ready for that, but it is happening anyways.
And - B held Eva and 'snap' she turned red eyed and angry, but didnt cry. This was totally opposite of what I expected- either screaming or happiness, but she was just angry. She wouldn't eat and moaned for the next 2 hours until daddy pushed her on the swing at the park for an hour. She finally forgave us, well- at least him.
They are totally happy with their earrings now, and they sparkle every time they move, reminding me of the tension that I had watching this whole episode unfold. Eva hides her ears and runs when she sees the cleaning solution, but it's all just a 'no touch' idea-not for pain that she runs. Chloe will get out the supplies and stand on her stool to watch herself in the mirror.
They are getting so big, and I just don't know what I'm going to do to help 'let them grow up' on their own. But here are the two diva's in their ear-pierced glory!

Marshmallow Maniacs!

Brian discovered these giant marshmallows the other evening and showed them to the girls, right before bedtime. I made the girls run around a bit before they could sleep...and super duper brush their teeth. These are amazing, though. Has anyone ever seen such a thing?

The Girls Lately...

I wanted to put up some really cute pics I took of the girls recently. They are just too funny right now, the both of them trying to be 'mom'. Chloe is just outraged when the world is not turning in her favor, and her new saying is "Ya-huh. Jesus said so." When Eva does things just to get her riled up.

Eva has moved all the cans around in the pantry as her organization while I'm cleaning the kitchen and made room for herself on the bottom shelf.

This was a great picture of Chloe on Sunday as the family was out on the porch.
She is getting sooo grown up, although if you ask her she's already 'all growed up.'

My pajamagram!

After having sick kids and wearing myself out this last weekend thereby getting sick on my own, my dear hubby surprised me with a pajamagram yesterday--purple and white polka dot jammies with matching slippers! It also comes with a sachet and a 'relaxing' door knob handle. Oh, the girls and I were so excited. I think Chloe loved the hat box just as much as everything else. It was a great presentation and made my day all the better. It came on a perfect night, too.. movie night. Every Thursday when Brian goes to mutual, I make a 'girls movie night' with cookies and blankets, and popcorn - whatever makes that night fun for that day. The girls look forward to it, and it makes the evening just fly by.
The pajamas are actually nursing pajamas, but they're so comfy I'll wear them probably as long as I can fit into them! And they're keeping me actually perfectly warm.. not too hot and not too cold! Wonders never cease! What a great hubby!

Easter ended up being a fun time, although it was tiring. It was exciting to do the things I remember as a kid.. dying eggs, easter egg
hunts, and things like that. Last year I'd gotten fancy dye with sparkles. I learned a lesson of simplicity is better when it comes to easter eggs. This year, we dyed and used disney stickers to decorate. I know the kids had a blast. Chloe waited all week to dye the eggs, and honestly it went by almost too fast for me. They were so ambitious, but we had order, and efficiency. Two words I've become to say a lot lately. We did the egg dying before they went to bed Friday, had the Easter Bunny come Saturday, and just relaxed on Sunday. I think it was the first time Brian got to dye eggs with the kids too. Chloe and Eva ate candy all Saturday morning, - we didnt give them too much in their baskets. They also got bubbles and go fish and snap cards, and things like that more than candy. We also gave the movie Enchanted as the Easter present. They looove the movie. I aimed for the public easter egg hunts but were 10 min late, so we just gave up. I persisted at home to do an egg hunt, and you know what? They had a completely fun time, with no kids pushing them-although Eva did learn the importance of running to the egg and not making a casual walk.
They hid the eggs all over until they were pretty much all cracked. So, well used, and well appreciated!

Bring it!

I am #1 thankful for Calleen out here for helping me do these chairs, I could NOT have done it without her. I found cute fabric in #2 thanks to Laura for inspiring me, and for 1.00/yd no less!! I bought plastic then-yes, the PLASTIC that I swore would never be on my chairs because I could handle it..... Well. I was wrong. I bought new chairs that came with white slipcovers. Easy enough, I thought- I'll just bleach it and stuff to get stains out. Well- I was wrong, again. The kids hands would touch everywhere before I could take care of one spot. Almost like "don't touch... here? here? oh. maybe here?" SO, I became greatly embarrassed by these things. With family coming out, I was not about to be shown a fool. So, I bought this fabric, and in ONE DAY - thanks to Calleen and our determination finished the four dining chairs. And, I have enough fabric and plastic to do the other two when the moment calls for it. But, one is not even put together yet-we're waiting for expansion in our family. And, the other is in the forbidden to get into guest room. I think they're safe for the meantime. Plus, out of the deal, Caleen made homemade peach ice cream. Couldnt think of anything more rewarding. What a great job we all did!! So now, when the food gets a movin' away from the table, I'm saying, "BRING IT!"

APRIL FOOLS!

So, thinking I would be so prepared for the start of a completely relaxing month, we started April with Chloe's sinus infection / fever / vomiting. She is so sweet when she is sick. She uses polite words, and is quiet and reserved - completely the opposite of her usual self, but it is a nice thing to experience every once and a while even though it means she's sicker than a dog. She has been our little furnace, and she seems to know what her body generally needs. I contribute that to being sick for almost the first 2 1/2 years of her life, constantly. Thank heavens for ear tubes!! I had to drag her through the store afterwards, to stock up the necessities of life and she just slept in the cart the whole time, the whole trip home, and is quietly watching Cinderella at the moment. Eva has learned in the last 24 hours to stop sneaking Chloe's special juice, and to drink her own... and that being sick gets you different things like watching movies, snuggling with mom- day and night when available, and not having to eat your vegetables. I think she's going to pretend sick any day now. I just want to thank her for being such a trooper, even though I know she feels like poop. I also am sighing relief that she waited until after her Uncle Jeremy went to Las Vegas to run fevers and etc. Very thoughtful, indeed! ;) So, my day is ending up being a crazy one anyways.... April Fools on ME!

What a month!

I'm sooo glad March is over. Not that it wasn't fun, and completely crammed with things to prepare for, to do, and to watch for. I am just exhausted with all of everything for right now. I'm looking forward to an even keel April. It seems almost inaccurate to think of my calendar as correct, because there is so little on there. What it tells me is I have this one month to catch up on everything, store up on lots of things, and get ready for my May trip to Ohio. I cannot wait. Well, I can wait until I have everything ready. We had hospital trips, grandma visits, B's birthday, my cousin Marks birthday, Brians working around 75 hours a week a work to help keep his company's information safe and accurate, a funeral, a drive to ID, visits with sisters/aunts/cousins I've never met before, sad losses other than my grandmother, St. Patricks Day, our hitting of 25,000 miles in our minivan *I cringe*, the first day of spring, an uncle visit here, Chloe's birthday, an Aunt and a Grandfathers birthday, a visit to him to celebrate LIFE on this earth.... and... oh, my nephews - two nephews birthdays- 1 of whom I completely skipped. I'm ready to right the wrongs, rest in and of itself, and a physical renewal of strength. I guess time will tell. Oh, and I cant forget Easter, and the easter bunny - who comes the day before to rest on the Sabbath day, too. Oh- and I started a book club last month, and we'll have our first meeting this next weekend.

Life's Lessons #1, 2, 3, etc...

My grandmother passed away, and I took the two hooligan-o's with me on the drive. We met my sister, Sharon at the airport in Las Vegas, and drove up to Idaho where we stayed with my sis, Krista. It was a long and totally bleak drive. The nature was everywhere, but people and civilization... were not. We went a good 10 hours before we even saw a fast food sign. Crazyness. Anyways, lesson learned- sometimes its better to go to the more eye appealing route even if it may take you a little longer. We stayed at my sisters apartment until the viewing, where we checked into a hotel in Ontario. This gave my hooligan-o's as we will call them in this post, a time to totally maul and love their cousin, Nephi. They behaved well until.... UNTIL Chloe and Eva decided to pull double dirty duty with the poop smears everywhere. I need not go into details... if you haven't experienced this, you are blessed. If you have, my apologies to you all. Krista and hubby were totally calm, as I was freaking out completely. This was my worst nightmare, happening at 830pm at night when we were trying to just let them be giggly with their nephew in his room while supposedly going to sleep. Because time was of the essence, I had to defer discipline and showers to my sister, Sharon - the lucky soul. Lesson learned..... when kids are giggly in a room alone, always be on the alert. Then, at the viewing, as Chloe is old enough to understand most of what goes on in a funeral and viewing - Eva is completly frustrated. She was too small to realize ettiquette of what NOT to say, and had too big of a mouth. She interrupted a grieving group and pointed to grandma while saying. "DIED!" To my amazement it did not stop there. After charming several folks, she and my mother were discussing death, and she leaned over the casket and proclaims her new trendy conversation, "Knock, Knock!" Whoops, again! But, like a glutten, I decided to stick around to help grandpa feel loved a little... taking the girls to him, I gave my love and then Eva follows it with , "Show, papa.. wake up!" as she's pointing to the casket in the front of the room. That was the straw the broke my back.. up I flew and decided to remove her before she caused some other person mental anguish, all over again. Lesson learned: Keep visitation short when there is a corpse in the front of the room with your two year old. Those were my main lessons that have stuck in my head from the trip.... it was long, long, long, but it was the first time in probably 16 years that my family had come together like that. Nice job, Grandma. Still working from heaven to keep the family together!

And a chop chop here and and a chop chop there....

We decided - or rather I decided to cut Chloe's hair to some uniform length, leaving us the option of cutting 6 in. or so off or making an official "bob'' haircut. I had Grandma do the 'deed' so that Chloe felt like it was extra special, and so that she wasn't left looking like a lawn mower had gone over her head in various places. Chloe was really excited, and she'll tell you "Now, I won't get any snarls, and it's getting me ready for summer time!" What more could you want from a haircut?! She has had a moment or two where she realized just how short it had become but was quickly reassured to find out that her hair will grow back, and as long as she leaves it alone it can get really long now. Besides, what need has a 3 yr old for long hair anyway except for catching things in it, and performing barber on their own? I think this haircut is perfect for her personality right now. Bouncy and carefree!