My heart is full

I just had to take a minute tonight to express how very thankful I am for everything that Heavenly Father has blessed me with. I get so wrapped up in the day to day monotany that sometimes I forget how truly blessed I am. I have the absolute best kids in the world. Sometimes I feel like I just need a break, I think that is natural, but at the end of the day, all it really comes down to is that this is where I want to be. I would be lost without them. Them and my wonderful husband Clayton complete me. As cheesy as that may sound, it is so very true. Today there was a tornado warning in our area. It was no big deal, but the only thing I could think about is how I would keep my babies safe and what I should do in an emergency. I am blessed to live in a part of the country where we really don't have any major weather situations like in other areas of this nation where it seems like there is some crazy weather situation. I love that.
I have really been working on my attitude, because honestly, I get really grumpy easily. I am not an easy person to put up with. I want things done my way or no way, and I know with kids (and husbands) that just isn't going to happen. I want my kids to be strong, independent, brave, spiritual giants when they grow up, and I have to let them learn things their own way. I have been really trying to let them do more and stretch their wings. It is hard for me, but to see the joy on their faces when they vacuumm all by themselves, reminds me that it is so worth it.
I wouldn't trade any of what I have, these kiddos were given to me to look after and raise into the best adults they can be. I really can't say anything more than that. My heart is just so full when I look at all I have and see the smiles on my babies faces. I love them with all my heart and just hope that I can convey that to them.

Great giveaway

Ok, I have to admit something. I had never heard about a Bosch mixer until a few months ago. I know, I am a loser ;). But, I have always wanted a kitchenaid. This baby has cured that want! From what I hear it is so much better! Go to this link for Deals to Meals and enter her giveaway to win one. Make sure you put on your entry that I referred you pretty please! She has a great site, with or without the awesome giveaway!

Still got the craft bug!

I tell you, I have a major craft craving goin' on right now! Usually I just sit and drool over everyone elses beautiful crafts (my favorites list is always growing) but this week I have been making my own. What I have really been jonesing for is to get my home painted so I can hang up my awesome vinyl lettering that my awesome sister gave me for Christmas. But, since it is nice weather, the outdoorsy stuff has to be done first. :( No, I am looking forward to some fresh tomatoes and cukes this summer, not to mention needing a yard for the kids to play in, a garage that we can move in without holding your breath and squeazing through a narrow passageway, so I will gladly get that stuff out of the way first! So, while my hubby was outside putting the windows in on our beautiful new shed that he built (I am so proud of him!) I was inside keeping the kids busy with crafts!


In the beginning...


all we have left to do is put in the windows and paint. The color won't change much, but it is just primed for now. Didn't he do such a good job? He loves to build stuff and it always turns out so beautimous! Check out our yard, isn't it fabulous? JK, hopefully that is coming next along with some trees for shade!

Anywho, now that I have bored you to tears, on to the good stuff! I got the idea for these letters here. I copied her capital templates and then just went into microsoft publisher and made my own lower case. It was so easy! I love them! Mine aren't anywhere as cute or as perfect as hers, but I still think they are pretty good for someone who can't sew very well!

Ok, I know I am a doof. My lower case a is backwards. Oh well, it wasn't worth taking the pic over again by the time I discovered it.

I love them. I got most of the material from scraps from my mil and my stash. So basically all I had to buy was the batting. Not a bad little project. I have been playing with them with my 4 year old who puts his breaks on everytime he thinks he is about to learn something. Sneaky, sneaky! He doesn't even know he is learning, he just thinks we are playing a fun game!

This next project is my favorite. I bought some gaudy gold frames on good ol craigs list a while back with the thought to paint them black and start a pretty little black and white collage on my staircase. I was bummed though, because my favorite of the frames I got had this wierd defect. The paint would do this bubbly thing all around it. I don't know if it was something to do with the finish or what, but it just wasn't working. So, I decided to modpodge some scrapbook paper on it. Genius, I know! But really, it turned out even better than I expected! It is absolutley gorgeous! The paper I picked is black with silver writing on it. Not the greatest picture, but most of the frame did this wierd bubbly stuff.

I am in love with this after though! The pic is the one that came with the frame (obviously), I need to get some printed in black and white to put in this. I love, love, love it! Who would've thought, such a simple thing could make me so happy?! Anyway, I did some more, but they need some finishing touches put on them, so I will have to reveal them tomorrow maybe. I am so excited to show them, I think once I get some plate stands, I may actually like the space above my kitchen cupboards with the crafts I did a couple of days ago. I am loving this!
I am linking up to the diy showoff again, because I am obsessed with her site and I love looking at all the other links on her showoffs!

And also here

I love, love these sites!

Feelin Crafty

So, since we moved into our home in August, I have had this obsession with decorating and crafting. I look at decorating/craft blogs all. the. time. Seriously, I have a problem! I look at them and think how fun they would be, but I am too busy looking to actually do them on my own! I have had a piece of wood I bought at DI probably about a year ago now that has been waiting. I've had it painted since Christmas time and was just waiting to order the vinyl for our home evening chart. I finally got it done! I love it! The only problem is that I wasn't paying attention and ordered 1 too many "jobs". There are only 5 people in our family, so I was just going to get 5 assignments, but somewhere along the ordering I ordered 1 too many and didn't notice until the craft was complete. Oh well, I still love it! I have several other small projects in the works that I am working on getting spray painted when the wind calms down enough, which, lately has been hard. I am finally trying to get the space above my kitchen cupboards decorated the way I want too. I have been watching that spot since we moved in and have a bunch of this and that up there. Clayton has all of his popbottles that he collects, I am trying to decide what to do with those. I am thinking the office to go with his MtDew ones that are already up there. Anyway, I am hoping to finally get it to resemble somewhat of what I am going for soon. I hope. Maybe. We will see. :)

So here are the pics of my fhe sign. It is so simple I know, but I love it! Originally it was someones chore chart and had 4 holes drilled in it for hooks I guess. I painted it black (thank you Glidden sample jar that was FREE by mail!) and then distressed the edges. I like it better that way, I probably could've done more, but I was rubbing it off in places I didn't want to so I stopped. Then I put a piece of sheet metal I got at the craft store and had my hubby cut down on with E600. Great stuff! After that I added the vinyl lettering. I don't remember the fonts I used but I got them off of scrapvillage.com. I like how the fonts the assignments are in is not super straight, it made it easy because then I didn't have to worry quite so much about making sure it was perfect. I thought I was being so original with the sheet metal because all of the ones I have seen were done with little hooks or something to hang the names off of, but then when I went to get the metal, the craft store had one displayed similar to it. Darn it. Oh, well, I still love it!



Oh yeah, I made the magnets at Christmas time with those little flat, glass marbles that you get at the craft stores and some scrapbook paper that I had on hand. It worked great because it had little sayings about family on it. I thought that was fitting since it was for a family home evening chart. I wrote our names on the paper and then stuck the paper on with E600. Turned out cute, and was so simple I should be embarrassed that I am even sharing it! But I'm not. Because I love it. Now if I could just get Clayton to hang it.


I am linking up with diy showoff but I can't figure out how to get her cute little button to post in this post so the link is www.thediyshowoff.blogspot.com

Bryson turns 2

I can't believe my baby is 2 today! Where has time gone? Really, I swear to you it just seems like a few months ago that I was feeding him out of a bottle and giving him baths in the sink. He was such a cute little guy, not much has changed there. The proportions are bigger but he is just as adorable as ever. He has the added cuteness of the "beginning to talk" phase where everything they say comes out so cute and soft spoken. I love it.

He started out not being so sure about the opening presents part, but picked that up really quick when he figured out that there was something for him each time he got that blasted paper pulled off (which, by the way, took for.ev.er.) He insisted on pulling it off one tiny piece at a time. Even after he could actually see what was inside the box. He was even so gracious as to give me a courtesy "wow" when he opened up a couple of shirts that he needed, (not so fun, but hey, they were cute.) before he tossed them at grandma and reached for another package.

I love this little guy so much. He brings so much joy into our home. He is a clown, and a mischevous little guy but that just adds to his charm. For now. Ask me if I still feel that way when he is old enough to bring spiders in the house to scare me. :)

Happy birthday, my littlest sweetheart! You may not be a baby any more, but you will always be my baby!

Shrek and McDonalds house party

Have you ever heard of house party? I was told about it this past summer and sort of forgot. It is a free program where you can sign up to be one of the people selected nationally to host a party at your house for different products that are new and they want feedback on.
Most of you that know me know that we are big Shrek fans at our house. Ever since Courtni was little, this has been a favorite for our kiddos. I am pretty sure that if we had it on VHS we would've well worn it out by now (probably a few times!)
Anyway, whats not to love about Shrek and free food? One of the parties you can apply for right now is a Shrek and McDonald's theme! How great is that?
I am pretty sure I shouldn't be telling you, because that increases my competition for winning! LOL, no, but how great would that be to get to host that. Anyway, here is the link, good luck!http://www.houseparty.com/splash/mcdonaldsmcnuggets

Happy Birthday to the most amazing man in the world!

Yesterday was Clayton's birthday, and I gotta say, I am so happy to be his wife! He turned 35. (shh, don't tell anyone). He is such a good daddy and hubby! Happy birthday, babe!
We also celebrated our 9th anniversary this week. I can't believe that it has already been 9 years! It truly doesn't seeem like it! Clayton makes fun of me all the time because he will catch me staring, or something will happen and I will be like, "wow, we are married!"
He doesn't get it, but it seems so bizarre to me sometimes! Its like I forgot I grew up and became a mommy! Somewhere along the line it all rushed so fast that when I take a sec to sit back and actually think about it I can't believe it is real. Does that make sense to anyone but me? I honestly never thought I would find a good guy. I always ended up liking the jerks and somehow I got smart and fell for a truly remarkable man. I thank my Heavenly Father every day for that. Clayton isn't perfect, none of us are, but he is Mr Perfect-for-me and I love him more every day. Happy Anniversary, Babe!