Christmas Tag

Sorry, Melanie, I loved your tag so much I thought I would spare Melissa the effort of tagging me and just do it myself! It really puts me in the Christmas mood.

Christmas Tag
1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?If it was up to my kids it would be Hot Chocolate, and I guess with all the 7-11 runs I'd have to agree. Especially with the Amaretto creamers!

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?We have had to compromise- Dave's Santa wrapped EVERYTHING down to the gum in their stockings! My Santa didn't wrap anything, so we compromised and Santa wraps everything except the big stuff and the clothes.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? We have white lights on our house and colored lights on our tree. I grew up with white and Dave grew up with color so yet another compromise:)

4. Do you hang mistletoe?I haven't yet, but I'd like to!

5. When do you put up your decorations?Dave won't let us put them up BEFORE Thanksgiving, so we do it on the Saturday after. I assembe our christmas tree, but Dave usually puts the lights up before it gets too cold.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish?I can't stop myself on the treats, but I also enjoy Ham with funeral potatoes, clam chowder, and the au jus sandwiches on christmas day at the Chambers with all the good salads to go with! Yummy:)

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child?I can't believe Joanna had never heard this story until yesterday! Growing up my mom put styrofoam apples with bows on them on the tree. Back in Houston in our rental house, we had a number of critters living with us. I didn't realize until that Christmas that mice like fruit. One day there was a trail of styrofoam from the tree to the kitchen. Yes, the mice had taken off the apples and tried to eat them! We laughed, but what is really funny is that my mom STILL has those same apples decorating her tree!

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? My mom and dad sat down with me after my siblings went to bed and told me at the age of 12! I had just defended Santa that day in school too! It was nice though because I got to help stuff everyone else's stockings and put out their presents. I felt so big.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? My family does the PJ thing, but Dave and I still don't know what to do, slippers? , a pick your own? Story? I think this year we will stick with PJ's for the kids, but who knows next year...

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? First we assemble it, then add lights and the star on top, then comes the onaments, which the kids put on, so they are all in one place:) The kids also have a little tree in their room for their nightlight. They have their special ornaments on their little tree.

12. Can you ice skate? Yes, but not backwards. I haven't been for WAY too long!

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? From Dave it would have to be the big surprise of a new wedding ring two years ago. This is my reaction. I was saying "What??!!" When I opened it and saw how gorgeous it was I cried. I think that was the reaction Dave was hoping for! I still love it so much. Growing up I'd have to say when I was 16 I got a sewing machine, and at the time I was not excited, but now I am SO grateful that I have it. I use it at least once a month.

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you?I love having the Christmas parties. I love making my planning lists, enjoying the kid's activities and listening to Christmas music! (I'm so glad it comes on after Halloween)

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? My ultimate favorite is my Grandma Mecham's caramels. Maybe that's why I can't eat a candy bar without caramel in it!

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Reading a story a day until Christmas - The friend has a fun activity of reading Stories of Jesus, so that's what we're doing this year, and I have to say, I've learned along with my kids. I also love advent calendars (I take after my mom) This year we have the felt ornament tree, a wreath with pictures, a chain Tina made in class, and a taffy a day until Christmas:)

17. What tops your tree? A fun colorful lighted star. The kids made tin foil stars for their trees.

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? I love giving the perfect gift. The one you know the other person is going to love! (Especially when you find it for a good deal!) I also love making things. This picture is of the kids in Dave's "scrub" pajamas I made him. Needless to say they were a little big. His mom and dad were over to see the presents and Dave bent down right in front of his mom, and his pants slipped right down to his ankles! We all had a good laugh:)

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Let it Snow by Gloria Estefan. Dave's least favorite is "Little Drummer Boy" and he says, "a rump-a-your-bum" which the kids get a kick out of.

20. Do you feel Christmas is too commercialized? It depends on you I think. It's what you make out of it. I do notice there are a lot more commercials on for toys in December and I hear the kids saying, "I want that", but we have them write their letters to Santa early so there's a limit:) I think it is just as meaningful that it is the celebration of Christ as it is about presents for them. Braden is so cute when he says that he loves Jesus AND Santa Claus. I just have to add how cute he is right now. I've asked him what he wants to write to Santa and he'll say, "I want to write that I LOVE Santa for bringing me toys!" He actually drew a picture of Santa coming to our house instead of a list of presents in his letter:) It's so fun!!

I tag...Melissa Lewis(you wanted to get in the Christmas spirit right?), Joanna, Michelle (Mom), Marja, Kari, Jen, and Britt and whoever else wants to do this! It's fun

Thankful For...

I promised that I would have a picture of our thankful tree after thanksgiving. The owl on top is a contribution of Braden's Preschool project that he said would love living in our thankful tree. Some of the things we said were:

Dave:

My wife and kids

Babies

freedom

non-closing shifts at work

smiles

days off

lower gas prices

friends

friends who know how to fix vehicles

Christmas

yard work

answers to prayers

love

truck

Mel:

Education

laughter

second chances (or several)

creating crafts

bedtime

music

healthy food

deadlines

comfortable friends

being clean

medical knowledge

relaxing days

Nature

modern appliances

Husband and kids

The Gospel

Family

Tina:

My Family

Our home

School

Coats and Jackets

Tag (our dog)

Flowers

Vaccuums

Me (Tina)

Jesus' Birthday

Tools

Pumpkins

Food

Paper & Pencils

Toothbrushes & Toothpaste

Clothes

Braden:

Love

Peaches and we love them

Toaster

Socks and Shoes

Jesus

Body

Grandmas and Grandpas

Sleep and dogs can move

Braden loves his family

Cameras

Klaire-bear brought us a dog

Preschool

Bread and healthy food

So as you can tell we had interesting things to be thankful for. I think this is definately a tradition we will continue each year. One funny story was on my "relaxing days" leaf, my mom didn't have her glasses on and thought it said "relaxing drugs"! I've had several good laughs about that one:) It has been interesting to think of one thing that we have been thankful for that day. I can't believe how many blessings we have, but I'm sure glad that we were able to do this! We had a great Thanksgiving with our family. I love getting together and laughing. There's nothing greater in the world and I get so grateful that we will be able to have this bit of Heaven with us eternally. I hope that everyone else's thanksgivings were wonderful too.

One Crazy Weekend

Wow, it was a crazy, fun, scary, nerve-racking, silly, exciting, and relieving weekend.

To start off, Thursday (my very crazy day) was piano lessons, literacy night at Tina's school, then soup night at my house. Here are some recipes:

Baked Potato Soup #1

Melt2/3 c. butter and then add 2/3 c. flour. Whisk in 7 c. milk. It will thicken some.
Then add:
4 lg baked potatoes – remove skin and cube
4 green onions, chopped
12 pieces bacon – chopped and fried
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and then add:
1 ½ c. grated cheese
1 c. sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Taco Soup
Brown ¼ - ½ lb. ground beef.
Then drain grease.
Put meat in a large pot or crock pot and add:
1 can of each:
Kidney beans
Black beans
Pinto beans
Hominy
And add:
2 c. salsa.
Heat through and serve with chips and cheese

Baked Potato Soup #2

4 baked potatoes
6 Tbsp butter
½ c. chopped onion
1 c. chopped celery
6 Tbsp flour
5 c. milk
1 Tbsp parsley
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp pepper
5 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
Peel and cube potatoes. Melt butter in large saucepan. Add onion and celery and cook until tender. With wire whisk, stir in flour, salt and pepper. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly until thickened and boiling. Stir in potatoes and bacon. Heat through. Spoon into bowls and sprinkle with cheese.

White Bean Chicken Chili

1-2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2-3 boneless, chicken breasts, cubed
2 cans Great Northern white beans
1 can white corn (optional)
1 can chopped green chilis
2 tsp. cumin
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
Heat the oil in a large pot. Add onion and garlic. Saute until the onion is clear. Add chicken and cook til no longer pink. Mix in remaining ingredients. Bring the chili to a boil; reduce the heat. Cover and simmer for 25 min. Serve with grated cheese and tortilla chips.

Egg Drop Soup

4 c. chicken broth, divided
1/8 tsp ground ginger
2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
¼ tsp salt
1 ½ Tbsp cornstarch
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
Reserve ¾ c. of chicken broth and pour the rest into a large saucepan. Stir the salt, ginger and chives into the saucepan, and bring to a rolling boil. In a cup or small bowl, stir together the remaining broth and cornstarch until smooth. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolk together using a fork. Drizzle egg a little at a time from the fork into the boiling broth mixture. Egg should cook immediately. Once the eggs have been dropped, stir in the cornstarch mix gradually until the soup is the desired consistency.

Afterwards, Dave sent me up to Logan for the annual Chambers girls scrapbook getaway weekend. I LOVE spending time with them. We laugh at stories, and get our christmas present for Dave's mom done! Well, I actually did a year's worth of pictures into 32 pages! And I didn't think this year was eventful?! I did get them all finished and I actually like them this year! My favorite layout was one called "My favorites" I asked the family what their favorite things were and then took a picture of them. Here they are:

It was also the Primary program practice on Saturday, and the program was Sunday. So I had to go back over the mountain to practice with the kids. On the way over, the van just jerked really hard and went into neutral, on the highway! My heart was racing. Luckily I had my cell phone and called Dave to come get me. He came and we switched so I could take the kids to the practice while he towed the van with his dad. And yesterday we found out our transmission is DEAD. For those of you who don't know, this can cost over $2,000 to fix. YUCK. Just when we think that we can get out of debt, this happens! So we did get a quote from the car place we took it to - $2,590, but Dave's boss's husband fixes cars and found a transmission with 30,000 miles that he can put in for 1,400 something. Thank goodness, but we will still have to get a loan somehow:( I was relieved when I called to vent to my dad, and he said they had an extra car available, so we do have transportation thank goodness!!

The primary program was a hit! The kids sang the best they ever had and knew their parts very well. I love those kids:) I was glad that we got it done and now we can sing Christmas songs! My favorite!

So there you have it: The good recipes, the fun scrapbook days and primary program, and the very ugly car fixing price:(

Dial-up

In order to save some money to dig us out of the debt trenches, we decided that we would each sacrifice something. Dave has graciously given up ESPN and we are now getting an antennae for the TV. Our neighbors have one and with the new converter box, the local stations come in clearer. But I unfortunately am very addicted to blogging and my sacrifice is the very fast DSL internet. We down-graded to dial-up and I guess this will make me appreciate what I had once and look forward to the day when we can get it again. All in all, we will be saving about $80 a month, which added to a debt could knock off a year in payments! So I guess I am just telling everyone that I won't be getting on as much because I don't have the patience (it took me an hour just to get this far!) and maybe now the computer desk and surrounding area will be cleaner too??!!
We both thought this change might be good for both of us to spend more time with the kids. Dave loves to just veg in front of the TV and I am constantly hearing, "Mom, get off the computer!" And who knows, maybe our electric bill will go down too?? I hope because it has been outrageous this summer. Hope everyone is doing well, and maybe when I'm at someone's house with better internet, I can check out blogs!

Halloween Extravaganza!

Here are my cute kids: Braden, the choo-choo train driver, Brooklyn the bumblebee, and Tina the witch. They had such a great time trick-or-treating. We had a fun time before at our neighbor's house with a fun LOW-KEY party. We played musical monster chairs and pin the wart on the witch (bubblegum). Inspiration hit me a little late with eyeball punch (grapejuice with frozen ice marachino cherries) They didn't quite freeze as fast as I needed them to, but we just added the other cherries later.

Inspiration hit me a little late when I thought it would be fun to have eyeball punch, but the marachino cherries didn't freeze as fast as I needed them to in the grape juice. So we just added the cherries in anyway. Here are the appetizers. A pumpkin brownie, the punch, which looks a little green in this picture?? Pumpkin squares and a yummy mummy vegetable dip. We also had mouse meatloaves, and monster faces(stuffed shells), and crystal balls (jello with gummy worms or skeletons.) It was so much fun and kept the kids busy until trick or treating time! Thanks Marinda for hosting it! It's amazing to have her spacious kitchen fit everything and everyone so well (not to mention the clean counters!)

I also have to include the annual pumpkin walk cut out pictures. Aren't they so fun? I highly recommend the North Logan pumpkin walk to everyone: It's free, fabulous and gets bigger every year! This year they made a fountain out of pumpkins, and Braden's favorite one was Larry-boy or as he called him the tomato that saved people:) He literally flew in his scene to save people.

Our other halloween celebrations included the school carnival, another neighbors party (thanks Kristi!), Up with kids (Tina's acting class) party, and getting "ghosted." No wonder I am having withdrawls. I did come up with an idea to look forward to Thanksgiving. We are adding a leaf to a tree taped on a wall everyday that says something we are grateful for. Hopefully by Thanksgiving it will be full. I'll post our picture by Thanksgiving. It is fun! Happy Harvest everyone!

Celebrating the successes

So Dave and I are back on a diet. We laugh because we are opposite of the rest of the world, we start in the winter and fall off during the summer. Oh well. I was excited because this week I lost 4 pounds!! I've never lost that much during a week (It probably helped that I was sick and threw up a pound or two??) I'll take it anyway. Dave of course lost a lot more (he always does) a whole 7 lbs. Way to go!!
I'll post a few tricks I'm doing every once in a while. This week my trick was to do one thing during the day to brag about to Dave that night. Hence the title, I'm celebrating a little success everyday.
Mon - I didn't eat the kids leftover mac n' cheese
Tues - When I craved sugar, I ate a bowl of oatmeal with Splenda
Wed - I walked to school instead of driving
Thurs - I weeded the garden (or should I say Jungle)
Fri - My goal is to not raid the kids Trick-or-treat goodies. OK maybe one, but then I stop!

So there's my secret. It is really fun to have to think of something that I have to be good at everyday:)
P.S. Happy Haunting everyone. I'll post pictures of my cute little goblins tomorrow!

Random Things tag:

I thought I would put a picture with some random things in this tag:

1. I CRAVE reading books. It's like a long-awaited candy bar for me...They give me an escape, and apparently I've passed that on to the kids. They are reading to Brooklyn in her "special seat".

2. It is so fun to make things with the kids. Here we made Frankenstein Rice Krispy Treats, and Tina is showing her "scary face" But unfortunately I ate way too much. They were dipped in white chocolate (dyed green). I have problems with sugar - I love it too much in any shape or form.

3. Here is Braden with the witch pretzel and a frankenstein. After I told them the story of Frankenstein and how he was made and didn't have any friends, they both felt bad for him and said they would have been his friend. They didn't think that story was very scary. I guess they'll have to read the book? I read that book for English in 8th grade. I loved it??!!

4. Brooklyn's hair is now long enough to do pigtails. She looked exactly like Tina! I have a confession. I don't do hair very well. I have good intentions, but they don't turn out like I imagine, so I give up and just do the normal stuff. Although it would help if my girls didn't have such tender heads!

5. Here are my boys laying on the freshly dried clothes. I despise laundry! I only do it one day a week and that's it! I have noticed though that I'm getting more particular. I used to just throw things in baskets to go to separate rooms, and now I fold them! I do love the fact that our laundry room is right off our bedroom so it's a short trip to the folding center (my bed.)

6. If you notice me in the background: Dave noticed that when I am sitting down, I curl my toes under my feet. I didn't even know I did this! I guess it's been a habit for awhile? By the way isn't Braden so cute? I love that bow tie!

Now to tag 6 unsuspecting people: Leilani, Melissa Lewis, Miriam, Janese, Michelle (mom), and whoever else thinks this would be fun. P.S. pictures are optional!

Death TO McDonald's

So Dave's store was demolished on Tuesday afternoon. We were all there like it was a parade, but I have to say I thought it was a lot more interesting. I've never seen one before. Windows breaking, dust everywhere, and playland squashed. It was exciting. And for those of you fretting about his job, Dave will be working at their other McDonald's and then coming back to open a brand new store in about 3-4 months.

This was Dave's boss who got to do the first of the tear-down.

Here's the BEFORE picture

The Start:

How close the kids got to be:Goodbye Playland (the employees all cheered when the playland bathroom got destroyed:)Here's all the spectators

And on a side note, there was an accident when someone noticed the wreckage, they did a complete stop on Main Street and got rear-ended. The poor girl in the other car had a head laceration and needed an ambulance. Two firetrucks also were there. Dave was all over helping that out! He loves stuff like that. I'd love to have that story to tell, "I got in an accident because I was watching McDonald's getting torn down!"

Here's some more of the demolition. It was so fun for me! And we stopped by 3 days after and there is nothing there except a port-a-potty and the M sign. Even the asphalt is torn out! I'm amazed at the power of those machines.

A Mother's Dilemma

I found "a baby" (names have been changed to protect the innocent) had fallen asleep on the floor in the hallway:

The dilemma: put her in her bed, leave her on the floor, or:

Change her diaper??!!

Confession: I left her there because I didn't know what to do, and Dave got home and didn't know she was there and stepped on her. Whoops! I guess I'll know better next time:)

Taggin' Queen!

2 names you go by:(other than Melanie)
-Melanoma-head (Dave's loving nickname:)
-Mel
2 things you're wearing right now:
- Jeans
- Long-sleeve shirt - breaking them in!
2 things you want very badly at the moment:
-My daughter off my lap! - I know I'll miss it one day, but she is seriously attached! ( I guess I really want her to start walking - If anyone has ideas: let me know please!)
-My house de-cluttered. All the piles put away in specific places! Maybe I'll work on that today?
2 favorite pets you've had:
-My rabbit "Floppy" - I got when I was 12. His life was ended 4 years later due to a tragic accident involving the dog Caramel.
-Our current dog "Tag" - I just realized that she has been smiling at me...I thought she was barring her teeth, but Dave said that's her smile!
2 things you did last night:
-Watched "Nanny McPhee" with the family on TV. I really like that show.
-Ate soup and grilled cheese. Nothing like it on a cold day
2 longest trips you've taken in the last 5 years:
-In Feb. we went on a Mexican cruise and were gone for 7 days. I think that's the longest I've been away from the kids
-In April we went on a road trip to Seattle, and that was about 12 hours in the car with 3 kids. We were there for about a week also. It sure was fun and nice to stay with Dave's sister and her family!
2 favorite holidays:
- Christmas - I start planning around September. I love making lists!
- Easter - bonus is my birthday time too!
2 favorite beverages:
-Powerade - blue at McDonald's
-Red Cream Soda - at movie theatres
I tag Kim Jensen, and Carli Webb

Mexican Night

A new month of recipes! Yeah, It was fun to have Mexican night on Thursday, and here are some fun new recipes to try. All of which were not that spicy ( thank goodness for me!)

Chicken Tortilla Bake – Marinda Bree
5 Boneless Chicken Breasts
1 onion
1 carrot
2 tsp chicken bouillon
1 can cream of chicken soup
3 cups Monterey jack cheese
1 can green chilies
1 dozen corn tortillas—torn into pieces
In a 2 qt sauce pan, add chicken, carrot, onion, and chicken bouillon—cover with water.
Simmer for 25 min. then discard onion and carrot.
Cube chicken and set aside
Mix chicken soup with ½ cup chicken stock.
In greased baking dish alternate in layers—chicken soup mixture, corn tortillas, cheese, green chilies and chicken.
Continue layers until all ingredients are used up. Final topping will be cheese.
Cover and bake for 30 minutes at 350.


Taco-Filled Pasta Shells – Holly Goodman
1 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. taco seasoning
4 oz. cream cheese, cubed
12 uncooked jumbo pasta shells
1 Tbsp. butter, melted
Boil the pasta (with a little oil to keep them from sticking) until tender. Toss with melted butter – until all shells are coated. Make sure to separate any noodles that are resting inside each other. Set aside.
Brown beef until no longer pink, drain fat. Add taco seasoning and follow the taco seasoning directions. Add CUBED cream cheese and stir until melted and mixed in. Allow mixture to cool for a few minutes
1 c. salsa
½ c. taco sause
Spread salsa in bottom of an 8x8 pan. Spoon meat mixture into noodles and place them in rows in the pan. Spread the taco sauce on top. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30 min or until heated through.
Top with:
1 c. shredded cheese
¼ c. green onions – sliced
Bake another 5-10 min until cheese melts. Top with crushed tortilla or corn chips and sour cream before serving.

Texas Caviar – Shauntae Christensen (LOVE the name:)
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 can corn, drained
1 can black-eyed peas, drained
15 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 bottle Italian dressing
Combine together and eat as a salad or with tortilla chips

Mexican Corn Casserole – Kristi Yates
1 lg. bag frozen corn
½ stick butter
1 large can cream of mushroom soup
2 cans of green chilies
1 large can of sliced olives
1 bag of Mexican blend cheese, shredded
Slice butter and place in bottom of casserole dish. Add frozen corn and bake at 350 for 10 min. Add soup, chilies, olives and bake until bubbly. Add half of bag of cheese and melt in oven. Once out of the oven put rest of cheese on top.

Mexican Rice – Annette Shepherd
2 c. Rice
4 c. chicken broth
½ tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp lime juice
Salt to taste
Serve with: Tortilla, Cheese, Lettuce, Salsa, Beans, Guacamole, Onions, Sour Cream, Chips, Tomatoes

Tortillas by Josh – Eileen Daley
4 c. whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1/3 c. oil
1 ¼ c. water
Roll out REALLY thin!

Pork and Green Chili Casserole – Eileen Daley
1 ½ to 1 ¾ lb. boneless pork, shoulder roast
1 Tbsp. cooking oil
1 15oz. can black beans or pinto, rinsed and drain
1 10 ¾ oz can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 14 ½ oz. can diced tomatoes
8 oz. diced green chili peppers
1 c. quick-cooking brown rice
¼ c. water
1-2 Tbsp salsa
1 tsp. cumin
1 ½ c. shredded cheese
Brown bite size meat ½ at a time. Return to pan and add other ingredients (except cheese). Heat until bubbly. Put in pan. Bake 25 min at 375. Sprinkle cheese. Melt.

4 Things Tag

I am going to have to think...I'm running on fumes, so it may be a little weird, but here goes,
4 things I love about my husband:
1. I call him "the motivator" He is a get up and go type of guy and inspires me to run a little faster.
2. I love his common sense. When I'm trying to make things more difficult, he'll give me the wake up call on how much easier it would be if we did it his way:)
3. He such a good guy. He definately has the love of Christ. He welcomes people whether they have shortcomings or not. He has always been the champion of the underdog and that goes for people as well as sports teams!
4. He is a fun guy to be around. His goal when we got married was to make me laugh everyday - and although you may think that is easy, I can assure you that even I have days where I don't want to laugh, but he is able to act goofy or tell me a joke I haven't heard yet and get me going. I love it!
4 Movies I wouldn't mind seeing again:
1. Enchanted (I love the music!)
2. Home movies (they crack me up)
3. P.S. I love you (it's always good to have a good cry once in awhile)
4. The fugitive (one of my favorites)
4 TV shows I watch:
1. CSI - Miami on Monday, New York on Wednesday, and Las Vegas on Thursday (I'm a junkie)
2. House - fascinating and relatable with Braden
3. Everybody Loves Raymond - cracks me up!
4. Decorating Cents (I don't know if they still run it, but it was my favorite on HGTV) I haven't seen it for awhile, but it's my all time favorite
4 Places I've Been:
1. Cozumel, Mexico 2007
2. Nassau, Bahamas 2004
3. Flaming Gorge, UT 2005
4. Washington, D.C. 2001
4 Places I want to go:
1. Yellowstone
2. Texas
3. Prince Edward Island, Canada? (Anne of Green Gables fan)
4. Back East in the fall
4 people who email me regularly(more like sporatically):
1. Dave's siblings with funny jokes
2. career builder - and other such job hunting sites
3. Aunt Lisa (my aunt on my dad's side, with random thoughts, forwards, or history)
4. shopping places like Sheet music plus, Amazon, JC Penney, and SmartSouirce (coupon site)
4 Things I look forward to:
1. Christmas (I usually start working on it in September)
2.When Dave's store gets torn down - he will start working at other stores until it's rebuilt
3. getting our debts paid off? Hopefully I can get a budget to start working!
4. When little 17 month old Brooklyn will take her first steps! She is close and I want her to before nursery!!
4 People I tag:
1. Miriam
2. Marinda
3. Adrien
4. Veronica
(if you've done it already than you can ignore. I thought it was pretty fun.)

September Celebrations

For Tina's Birthday, the Chambers HAD to go fishing where she would catch a fish. So we went out to a fish farm and of course Tina caught two big whoppers. Probably the biggest in the pond! It was a fun trip!


We got to Dave's parents house in enough time to celebrate a "pony party. Here are the cousins lined up to do "barrel racing" on their "steeds!" - Notice Braden's has more in the front:)

Here are the cute cousins with the gifts they gave Tina. It's so fun to celebrate with them. They are the cutest ever!

Braden picked out these troll (babies) himself!

Tina's fashion show with the clothes from her party and some from Aunt Kim. We gotta love those hand-me-downs!!

Fairs and First Days

We have a plethora of fairs starting in August until September. It was fun to go see the animals entered in 4-H. We also tried out the local rodeo (but decided we will not try to sit through that again! especially with three kids.) Our city celebrates "Peach Days" which is in September and they have many activities for kids. The kids are sporting their spongebob tattoos and face painting in the picture below:

Here are the kids in front of the ferris wheel that we coaxed them out of riding. It was WAY too expensive for us to try it and them chickening out at the last minute anyway:)

I thought these pictures were priceless of Tina's first day of school. This was right before I had to wake her up for her first day. I guess as a new school parent, this is something that I was ingrained NEVER to do...wake them up! Now that I HAVE to it is changing my life as I know it. I'm setting an alarm! And my room doesn't get as messy because the kids aren't bringing in all their stuff to play with while they wait for me to drag myself out of bed. It is so strange, but kind of nice??
Here's my precious doll. She LOVES school and is doing really well. She hasn't had to pull any cards for misbehavior yet, and I'm excited because they have a parent volunteer time that we can sign up to help. I now am signed up for Mondays! I don't know who is having a better time, me or her. I'm meeting parents while we walk to school everyday in the wagon. Her Teacher is so nice and I love being able to help already, and the CUTE kids are so eager for all this adventure too.

Homework has been interesting lately. They bring home a new book when they are finished with the old one, and it's been a process to remember to read everyday. After school all Tina wants to do is play, but it's a learning time for both of us. Braden is enjoying the reading time too (I think) and we are all adjusting quite nicely. It will be weird when she's in school ALL day. I'll miss her.

BTW: I sold all my bags!, but just wondering what in the world is etsy??

Project: Purse!

I love doing projects. Something That I can finish for once! Lately I have thought it would be fun to make purses to try and sell. A lady at an appointment noticed my cute purse Mindi (my sister in law) made for me and asked me if I could make some for her. So here are my attempts. I still need to call her back, but I am really proud of the results (especially since I found a lot of the fabric at Walmart for 1.00 a yard!)

This is the purse from MindiThen I wanted a music bag - for church...I'm the pianist. I LOVE it. My sweet mother-in law helped me learn how to make them.My sister-in-law Jen needed a scripture bag for her almost 9 year old! I told her if she picked out the fabric, I'd make it. It turned out SOOOO cute!I used the leftover fabric from the scripture bag and music bag to make these:My neighbor ordered one and she loves sunflowers! It was so fun. I also learned how to make custom pockets on the inside:) She has a "walking pharmacy" and now has a pocket for it!This one ended up going to my sister and I used dollar fabric for almost the entire thing! I love the bow in place of the flower too! She wanted longer handles and a shorter bag.

What do you think? Should I go into a business?? I do think it's fun except for lugging out my sewing machine and putting it away all the time. What I would give for a craft room!!

Summer Activities Picture catch-up

I finally got around to getting a fix for our picture dilemma! I bought a USB cable! Now the camera hooks up to the computer and can download all the pictures! I can't express how excited I am to finally have the pictures with my blog. So to update:
I caught the kids in the crib with Brooklyn and thought it made for a cute picture.

Our bear lake adventures: Dave's in the boat and Tina and Lorin her cousin are playing.

The Chambers cousins at Willow Park after looking at the animals. That was lots of fun!

Braden and Tina made collages for the library summer home activities. I thought they did a good job finding things to cut out. Tina did her own cutting too! She had a few layers of her favorites.

Brooklyn's first taste of chocolate pudding. What a cute mess!

Our glorious hikes! This was up Sherwood Hills and was shaded despite the heat. We loved it and could have hiked longer if we didn't have to have a potty break! :)

This was a fun cousin day. I found a book at the library where you tell a story and cut something out and they guess what it is. We had tons of fun with Klaire-bear, and Sydnee.