Projects galore

I know it's not yet October, but let's fast forward to the next major holiday...Halloween. I saw this kit for making countdown calendars on howdoesshe.com. I actually had all the supplies on hand except the halloween paper so I asked my sister, Christina, if she wanted to make them ourselves. We cut the 4x4's at her place (my bro, her roommie, has major power tools) and spraypainted them black. I thought they turned out pretty good. Instead of vinyl we used blackcard stock instead which worked just as good.

Next up. I just had a friend get married and I wanted to do something different. I found this fun temple idea here, unfortunately, they didn't have the Seattle Temple. I remembered Christina took some pictures of the temple a while back so I got a copy of one and played around with it until it looked aged and also personalized. I printed it out at work on the colored laser printer (shh..don't tell), mated and framed it. Sorry I didn't take any good pictures of the finished project. I do hope they like it. I need to make one for myself now.

My younger brother recently became a dad. They named him Hunter James Miller-Hall. He's such a cute little thing. Born 17 days early weighing in at 5lbs 8oz.

In the spirit of a friend I know and new babies I made a set of blocks for the mom and bouncing baby boy. Forgive the picture quality...I used my cellphone to take the picture.


That's it for now. I am working on a couple more things, but they require sewing and my machine decided to spaz out on me. Ugh... I haven't wanted to sit down with it again as I wasted a whole evening earlier this week and I needed to get to my other things. Stay tuned for more craftiness.

Yahoo! Summer Vacation

Oh, how I love vacations. Getting away from everyday life is always worth the travel and the money spent getting there. Our summer destination this year was St. George, Utah. It was crazy hot, but it was so much fun. We drove down and with a toddler, all road trips require the most entertaining toys, childrens music cds (non-parent-annoying kind), the right snacks and a portable DVD player. Only two minor meltdowns on the way down and that was it. Luke was a great little traveler.

Here are a few photos from our trip:

Family photo at the Logan Temple grounds - turned out pretty good I think.

Snow Canyon - St. George area


Took a trip up north to Bryce Canyon one day. If you haven't gone, it's pretty cool. My parents have this Golden Age Pass so all national parks are free. A perk of being a senior citizen.


Toured the church history sites in town. Here is a neat picture taken at the St. George Tabernacle by one of the senior missionaries.

Spent a day at Zions National Park. Here is a picture of the Court of the Patriarchs. Chris took a bunch of landscape pictures at the parks we visited.

To cut back on congestion and preserve nature the park has a free shuttle. Luke's favorite part of the day was riding the bus.

Hiking a trail at Zions. Luke was tired of walking so we took advantage of his cuteness while on my dad's shoulders.

The wildlife of Southern Utah. Lizards a fast little things and Luke loved chasing them.
Our batteries died a lot so there are other cute photos to come, but I've got to wait until my mom and dad get back from vacation because they are on their camera.

My Lil' Guy Tie

With Luke getting older I wanted to start dressing him like a little man. So I've been on the hunt for a cute tie pattern and I've found one here. Hooray! I actually made them all before church a few weeks ago (we meet at 12:30pm). That's how easy this tie is.

Busy As A Bee

Last week was a busy one, but it was great as it was well spent with family, friends and I even got in a really fun date with my ultimate main squeeze - Chris!

Monday - Early Father's Day Celebration
My dad wanted to celebrate the fathers with the whole family, but didn't want to do it on Father's Day because my mom was having knee replacement surgery the following day. So we all got together nearly a week before at Red Robin. My 5 siblings, plus those with spouses were all there. We had a blast sitting and talking. Luke is just like his dad and loves hamburgers.

(a few of the fathers: bro-in-law Chris, Todd and one of my niece's dad Mike)

Tuesday - Cirque Du Soleil : Kooza
Back in February I had purchased tickets to see Cirque Du Soleil as a gift for Chris on Valentine's Day. Since it was in Redmond and didn't start until 8pm we made arrangements for Luke to have his first sleepover at Grandma and Grandpa's house.
The show was amazing and so much fun. I'd seen one on t.v. before, but it was 100 times better to be there. The music was fantastic, the clowns were hysterical, the acrobatics and dancing were amazing. We even got to witness dare devil stunts. If you ever get the chance to go, you wouldn't regret it.

Wednesday - Card Class
Made some really cute cards with my friend Keri. I don't get the free time alone at home to sit and get creative, so I've got to rely on the wonderful talents of others. I do make original stuff too, but only on demand.

Thursday - High School Graduation
My niece Kairin graduated class of 2010 from Snohomish High School. She's going to Boise State University this fall. This is her with her proud parents. They held it at the Everett Events Center and we were in and out in record time : 1 hour 15 minutes.


Friday - Costco
Got to stock up on the basics when you have a child : diapers! I read this article about how Costco is really good at product placement which is why you can never leave the place without spending at least $100. Everything looks like it is such a great deal...am I right?

Saturday - Graduation Party
I made some decorations for the party. A banner and the table centerpieces. I thought my memory card was full because I wasn't seeing any of the pictures I was taking so this is all I got from the party. Just the cake and one picture of the banner. Anyway, the school colors for Snohomish are Red and white. The black comes for the black panther which is the mascot. I only spent a totally of $8 dollars which were on the red and white flowers I bought at Michael's. The paper I had on hand for everything else.



There was even karaoke. Christina and I sang Abba : Take A Chance On Me. No way was I singing by myself.

So there you have it.....AND I put in 40 hours at work. I'm beat....

The Hiding Place

Behind this door is our bedroom closet. Nothing much in there except Chris's and my clothes, shoes, bed linens and bath towels. It has also become a hiding place for a particular little boy I know and love. How it came to be I'm unsure. I do know he has watched me stand in this very closet while I figure out what I'm going to wear for the day because he usually comes in and shuts the door behind him. But, his use of this space is very much different than mine.



He loves to open and close the door while saying "Hi, Mom!" But, when he has the door shut for a little longer I know he is now using the room for another purpose and usually emerges smelling not so cute and cuddly anymore. If Luke has become quiet and I don't know where he is, my first thought is to check the bedroom closet. Not only do I find Luke, I also find a diaper change waiting for me. Now you know why I have dubbed it the hiding place.

Headboard

I know this is not in any way an awesome reveal, but I finally have the headboard done and I needed to put up a picture. We've had it complete for about a month, but I've wanted to paint our bedroom and get a new bedspread and fun throw pillows before I post about it. When I get there I'll do another post and include pictures of Christina and I using power tools.

Mothering Moments

I wish I had a lot of great advice and things to say about being a mom. I'm still pretty new and getting the hang of the whole thing.

I don't get to observe the way my child learns and discovers new things on a daily basis because I am at work. It does make me sad that I have to hear about it second-hand, but I would not change how much I enjoy being a mom.

Luke is getting so much better at talking. Although he can't describe everything he's done during the day, he does come running to give me big hug as soon as I get home during the week. And sometimes, when he feels like it, he will say "I love you, Mom". Those are the moments that are brightest in my day. The ones I love and enjoy.

What are some of yours?