happy halloween and the band of pirates.

*disclaimer: if you missed the previous post i am in the process of updating!  continue scrolling down to see all new posts!*

have you ever noticed that my poor husband is the one who has to either shave or dye his hair...or wear a ridiculously ugly wig?!  this year was busy, busy, busy.  there was no time for making costumes.  no extra money for ordering online (and gasp, would i really do such a thing?)  so...dig through the dress-up box, raid closets and come up with something that EVERYONE in the family can pull off using ONLY items we ALREADY have.  the only thing i splurged on was the before mentioned ridiculously ugly "Jack Sparrow" wig $7.99 at Walmart. gotta love that!

i rubbed some black eyeliner in under chris' eyes (you know, going for the Captain Sparrow look)...however, chris sort of just ended up looking like Ozzy, and quite frankly i couldn't wait to get him home, yank that wig off his head and clean off those eyes.  it was spooky.  (as is this really bad picture of my family trying to look like the misfit band of pirates we were going for...just look at those poor little faces...)

the kids played dress-up as pirates for about the whole month before the actual shin dig.  they just couldn't get enough.  there were various assortments of ways we could assemble our costumes.  brady was a spectacular pirate at school.  i mean really, it was quite impressive that we had everything already in our closets!  

the boys upstairs played pirate all month as well.  it made for lots of fun treasure hunting, map making, and "ARG ye matey!" talk all around the house!

                 

and what do you do when the festivities are all over, costumes have been thrown back in the closets and jammies have been donned?  daddy hurries and gives the kiddos a piggyback ride to bed!!!  

                     

on a side note:  i made delicious canned pumpkin.  i just couldn't bare to see all of the lovely pumpkins on my porch go to waste, so before the frost hit and claimed them for good i hurried them inside and started scooping the guts out of them.  now, there is a disclaimer here.  it is not recommended that you can pumpkin, due to the density of the flesh; however, after many hours researching this particular subject and finding many homesteaders who home can pumpkin year after year with no problems, i decided to go ahead and try it.

it was a messy project and somewhat time consuming, but i think all in all worth it.  i plan on growing my own pumpkin patch this year and can't wait to make pumpkin-flavored goodies all fall and winter long!

zach's 1st birthday.

*disclaimer: if you missed the previous post i am in the process of updating!  continue scrolling down to see all new posts!*

my baby's birthday was waaaaaaay back at the end of october.  sadly he has not had his share of the limelight that he so deserves!  he wasn't quite walking yet on his birthday, but began walking about within the first few weeks after he turned 1.  he is adventurous and brave, full of spunk, laughter and cuddles.  he is learning words but does not like to use them!

 

zach LOVED to play with this kitchen set but it was ALWAYS a mess and underfoot.  when we found out we were moving i packed it all up and sold the kitchen.  i have wicked plans to make an new one for olivia under the built-in bunkbed in the playroom!

he also spent many hours back and forth, back and forth, in this swing.  he absolutely loved it and would chill there for hours without hardly a peep.  he loved to watch me mow the lawn, or weed or sweep or clean or watch everyone eat at the patio table...let's just hope that maybe he loves it as much this year?  i have a TON of yard work to do!!!

he is often found dumping out drawers, stealing the tupperware, biting the lids and being altogether cute and rascally at the same time!!!

Birthday Party

i promised myself that i was going to keep things simple for zach's party.  i have a tendency to go over-the-top.  yeah, it's a confession.  in lieu of wiping myself out in exhaustion like i usually do as the party-prepping queen of madness, i made a simple banner, strung up some balloons, and pulled out my trusty chalkboards for decor.  the cake was even simple, two-tiered with rainbow chip frosting and a tiny little bunting.

            

i also "went a little over-the-top" by making a "first birthday" onesie.  well....he had to have SOMETHING special to wear!

                   

zach got his own cupcake.  i'm not into giving a baby a whole cake...that's a bit, ummm, ridiculous to me.

                
 starting out cautious, "you mean i can eat a whole cupcake mom?!" ...then, "Mmmmmm, this is tasty!" 

to sheer delight....

to a thoughtful stage of wondering, "where has my cupcake gone?"....followed by the rage of knowing that there is no more!

we had quite a few good friends and family over to celebrate zach's milestone with us.  earlier in the day we got a visit from grammie and grandpa graf, and aunties shawnae and chelsae.  we opened our special delivery from aunt nickie, uncle nick and the girls.  out popped a bunch of balloons! best. idea. ever!  there was also a cute ball popper hidden amongst the colorful orbs!

he also got a big ball popper from grammie and grandpa graf. (like my facial expression?!)

picture for zach from cousin, Lexi and from friend, Lily

i also spent a little (ok, waaaay to much time) making these cute bean bags. they weren't hard, but i played around with with fabric color scraps i wanted to use and then had to cut out all of the numbers in black felt and i hand stitched them on with a blanket stitch.  z

zach didn't really get the concept of throwing them into the bucket, but hopefully before too long he'll like to play with them and we practice colors and numbers together.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LITTLE MAN!

you have made our family so much happier with your cheesy smile, contagious giggles, rascally ways, chubby cuteness and snuggle buggles!

halloween family portraits.

*disclaimer: if you missed the previous post i am in the process of updating!  continue scrolling down to see all new posts!*

after we went to the museum we took some family pictures at our friends' house in front of their weathered fence.  it made the perfect backdrop, especially in black and white.  i love having family pictures throughout different times of the year so i can display them along with other holiday decor.  this is going to be a new tradition!

(i took these pictures of the kids and just couldn't decide which ones i liked better- color or b&w.  both have qualities about them that i really love!)

 man, i have cute kids!  just sayin'............

king tut.

*disclaimer: if you missed the previous post i am in the process of updating!  continue scrolling down to see all new posts!*

brady begged and begged for about 6 months to visit the exhibit here at our museum of king tut.  finally, right before halloween we all were able to go as a family.  i had just made brady's mummy shirt for halloween so he was so excited to wear it to see the mummy!  our kids love the movie Night at the Museum, and ever since have fallen in love with museums, history and exhibits.  we will definitely be visiting museums often!

                             

             

                

The Golden Throne and Ceremonial Footrest

Majestically flanked by two leonine heads (representing the sacred mountains if the eastern and western horizons) and with armrests of winged serpents wearing the double crown, the Pharoahs' marvelous golden throne was found in the Antechamber.  Before it lies the sovereigns ceremonial footrest of inlaid wood, decorated with representations of the cheiftains of conquered enemy lands who are "under his feet."  Cartouches on the armrest bear Tutankhamun's name in it's earlier form, Tutankhaton, suggesting that it may have been his coronation throne.  The throne is fashioned from gold-plated wood and inlaid with glazed terracotta and semi- precious stones.

 Ceremonial Chariot 

Constructed of bent wood and leather to be both sturdy and lightweight, it is overlaid in gold foil . This is a lavish chariot reserved for state parades and royal processions.

 

               Ceremonial Regalia                Ceremonial Flabellum
                          hieroglyphic symbol of life                       providing the Pharoah with both shade and
                                                                                        breeze in the arid desert climate was a noble
                                                                                        station like that of a scribe.  this would have
                                                                                        been fitted with ostrich plumes.

 Pharoah's bed

Made of gilded ebony, strung with an elaborately woven mattress.

the artwork throughout the museum was absolutely beautiful with  bright colors and painted painstakingly on papyrus sheets.

when we were done with all of the exhibits at the museum we printed off each of the kid's names in hieroglyphics.  they thought it was the best souvenier to remember our visit with king tut!

after more thought...

so, i think i may have done this before, but after MORE thought i decided NOT to go private.  i don't know...i think i have a problem!  i just love being able to browse other people's blogs and don't want mine to be "un-browsable" (because i have so many great ideas, you know! lol).

SO, NOT going private.  SORRY!  at least it will be easier for you to visit my blog without having to log in!

i have really MISSED this blog a lot.  i keep up with a few of my closest friends' blogs on a fairly regular basis.  they inspire me.  they make me laugh.  they make me miss them.  and they make me want to catch up on this darn old blog of mine!

as each month has passed by without a post i have become more and more discouraged.  i have had so many remodeling projects on this house and it is still so far from being done.  i haven't wanted to post any pictures before everything was perfect, but alas, it's not going to happen for a while....probably never.  so time to start posting!

you'll have to excuse the LONG OVERDUE catch-up.  i am back in October here.  must do everything chronologically!

so, buckle your seat belts friends, it's going to be an exciting couple of weeks as i catch up on our "life through the blog!"

going private.

this has been long-coming.  i meant to do it this past fall....

for the sake of my family and our ever-expanding little world around us i feel that it would be wise to go private.  PLEASE comment with your email or personally email your name and email address if you would like to remain a reader of our blog.  honestly, i am not even sure who reads it except for a few of my very loyal friends and family =)  there are several others who i know frequent as well, and i'm sad because a few of which i do not have open invitations to your blog!  if you have a private blog that i haven't been invited to and you'd like to invite me, please include that in your email as well!!!

i will keep this up until the end of february...

thanks, and i will be working my darndest on getting pictures and OUR LIFE back on this blog!

feeling peace from within.

amidst the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, moving into and remodeling a new home, having three small children along with my normal household responsibilities....i have taken a long break from blogging.  at times i have viewed this blog as a burden- something to cross off my never ending "to-do" list.  now that i have spent quite some time without sharing our world i have realized that i miss it.  i have realized that this blog truly is our family history.  i can look back on so many memories and also connect again with thoughts that i had and trials or events in our life that touched me at a particular time.

i still have so many projects looming in my future, but i'm tackling them slowly.  our house is taking on a lived in feel and it is becoming home.  as i sit in our living room early this morning before the sun rises i am grateful for the warmth that we feel here.  i am home.  this is where i belong.  this is where i can gather my family around me.  i feel peace at heart knowing that i have a Father in Heaven who knew this need within me and i am so grateful to have a relationship with Him, and my Savior.  all things come in their time, and although the last year and a half have been trying for me since we left our home in Twin Falls i finally feel that we have settled in and that we are where we are needed.

i hear a baby stirring and need to get brady off to school....

i have finally chosen to act upon a persistent feeling that i have had for about four years now.  over that time i have continued to be prodded by the spirit that i need to relinquish the part of me that loves to stay up late and wake up as late as possible.  i have growing children now with very different needs than they did when i became a new mother.  i feel like i am entering a new phase: a phase of maturity.  this is the last year of my 20's...a year to blossom into the woman that my parents and leaders gently shaped me into being.  a year to finally allow myself to truly begin to be molded by the Savior.

the persistent thought has been that if i could arise and take care of myself before all others, that although this may be very hard and a sacrifice for me at first (and maybe even forever) that i will have so much more to offer my family throughout the day.  i hate the feeling of being rushed from one thing to another because i was not ready, i was not prepared.  i hate having to spend my first hour with my children in the morning rushing from shower, trying to blow dry my hair and slap on my make-up while making sure baby is not getting into anything, getting fed and changed themselves and not being glued to the television all morning.  i hate that on the days that i actually do get a shower it takes half to morning just to accomplish getting ready, and the other days i am in "scrub mode."

i want to wake up and feel alive.  i want to begin my day with power and intention.  there are not many things that i hate more than having to get out of my warm bed before i am ready in the morning, but i can affirm that when i force myself up and get my blood pumping first thing in the morning through exercising my body and my mind i feel an invigorating confidence all day long that helps me be a better me.

so, here's to fresh starts.  here's to 2013, the year that i shed the selfishness that i've been tenanciously clinging to, trying to avoid "growing up."  sometimes i feel as if i've just been playing house the last 7 years as a mother and 10 years as a wife.  i am awaking now to an understanding that i can be so much more!  to myself and my family!

and just as my children strive when there is order and routine in our home, so do i.  we have never really had house projects other than landscaping to attend to.  our first home was built and ready to move into.  this new house of ours has been a completely different picture which i grossly underestimated in terms of time, and challenge.  i am a creature of comforts, i like to have my house orderly and when it is in chaos i feel like i am in chaos.  although there is still much to do i learning to prioritize and not become distracted.  i am learning to allow myself to focus on one thing (or room) at a time.  i am thankful that my children are resilient and that my family is patient!  what an incredible feeling of satisfaction it is to complete a room and step back and witness the transformation.  i am so thankful that i was taught young by my mother and father that hard work is good work.

i've got a LOT of updating to do!