Berry Family

Christmas Eve

2012-01-23T12:43:00.002-07:00

Aunt Jessica came from California and stayed for a whole month. The girls loved it!
We spent Christmas Eve with the Berry's and some friends from our ward. The girls got to open their Christmas Pajamas. Big sister and little sister pj's. They looked pretty cute.

Growing Family

2011-10-16T17:03:00.003-06:00

Well we thought it was time to go public with our little announcement. We will be welcoming another little girl to our family....February 8th. We thought we might get a boy this time but I guess we are really good at making girls:)

We did not tell the girls till our ultrasound and when Avery found we were having a baby she was pretty excited but determined to get her baby brother. When the ultrasound technician told us it was a girl Avery told her she was wrong and that she had been praying for a baby brother. She pouted for a little while and eventually got over it. Now she has been telling everyone she is going to have another baby sister.

Our Little Family

2011-10-16T16:49:00.002-06:00

My little cuties. We had to take these pictures on a cold windy day. Their little noses were so red and runny but we made it through and the girls looked so adorable.

2011-09-02T08:58:00.003-06:00

Avery came home from school the other day and informed me that we need to buy some drums. This was our conversation...
Avery: "Mom you need to buy some drums...ok."

Me: "Uhh why?"

Avery: "Because my friend Kayden wants to come over and play some drums....and we don't have any for him to use."

Me: "Why does he want to play drums at our house and why can't he buy his own?"

Avery:....rolls her eyes and says..."Mom Kayden and I are forming a band and he wants to play the drums and i want to play the keyboard....so you need to go to the store and buy them..ok!"

Me: "Ya that is not happening....our house it too small for your band practice."

Avery: "So lets just move to a bigger house so I can have a band."

I got to hand it to her...she makes a good argument :)

Homework time

2011-09-01T22:56:00.002-06:00

I watch Matt's cousins a few times a week and the other day after school I found the girls working hard on their computers. Sam and Avery were watching Justin Beiber (not sure if i spelled that right) music videos and Hailey and Morgan were working hard on their homework. For some reason this little scene cracked me up.

P.S. Not a fan of this Justin B. and I especially hate that his stupid face is on 50% of the little girls clothing. Trying to clothes shop for a five year old was tough we had the choice of Justin B., Hello Kitty, or a plain old T-shirt. I had to buy half of her clothes online to avoid this little problem.

My first cake

2011-09-01T22:27:00.002-06:00

This was a cake that I made for a friend. It was her daughters 12th birthday and she asked me to make a cake for it. The only thing her daughter really requested was the lime green color. So I went for a lime green zebra print made out of homemade fondant. The top layer was supposed to kind of look like a cheetah print. I did it out of buttercream frosting because I was worried not everyone would love fondant. The little cheetah spots I made out of chocolate as well as the number 12 on top of the cake. The stars were made out of fondant as well. I also made the cake stand.
I didn't realize how heavy this sucker was until we went to drop it off. My arms were burning from holding it for the 15 minute drive. But it was a fun experience and I think the birthday girl liked it...so that made all the hard work worth it. I see people do this stuff on TV or online all the time and you don't realize that it is time consuming.

School Time

2011-09-01T22:00:00.002-06:00

It is official I now have a kindergartner. It was so much fun going school shopping with her and getting everything ready for the big day....and when that day arrived I am not sure who was more excited ...me or her.

So we got her all ready...she had picked out her outfit the night before...and we took some quick pictures before we walked over to the school. But before we could leave her grandma Berry came over to get some pictures. Avery started to get a little impatient and with hands on her hips she says "Mom we really need to get going, I really don't want to be late."

I was amazed how ready she was for all of this. She went up and introduced herself to her teacher....I saw other kids in her class hanging on their mothers legs with tears in their eyes and I wondered if she should be a little more nervous.

The next day I dropped her off a little earlier so she could eat breakfast at the school. I asked her if she needed my help getting her situated and she instantly said "No mom, you can just stay in the car I know how to do it." I love her independent spirit. But most of all I love having her gone most of the day....I don't mean that to sound bad...but she is so much happier and I am more productive. So all in all ........we are loving school.

Stanford Grad

2011-08-18T16:35:00.002-06:00

This is also old news but my amazing sister graduated from Stanford this spring with her masters. There were 8 people total in her program and they were all so talented.
My sisters....on just graduated and is now traveling the world and the other is experiencing the adventures of a newly wed.
To celebrate the occasion I was able to stay and hang out with Jenni for a week and enjoy the life of luxury....with no kids and no worries. We played rock band...shopped...ate...hung by the pool...ate....and ate some more.

Blog Updates

2011-08-18T15:51:00.002-06:00

So I have tried many times to upload these pictures....and then months went by and I am trying again. So this is old news but Josh went on his mission. He is doing so good. He loves his mission and he is working really hard....which surprised us all :)
Hailey at Avery's T-ball game. She really wanted to get in there and play with her big sister.
Avery and her T-ball buddy. Watching her team play was funny and frustrating all at the same time. When the ball was hit they would all run after it and then dog pile on one another. I am hoping next year she might get the concept of the game.

I am going "insane"

2011-05-01T18:22:00.004-06:00

Just started a new workout program called Insanity. After 6 months of P90x I was not seeing the results I had hoped for...and the routine was feeling a little old. So my friend and I decided we would switch gears and try this more cardio based series. So far we have done one week and it sucks...in a good way...it kicks my butt...I am literally drenched in sweat after a workout. I am hoping it will help me reach my goal..... to look like a hot black guy with ripped abs...just kidding.....I am just hoping to get in better shape.

5 years old

2011-05-01T17:41:00.002-06:00

I can't believe I have a five year old. She is getting so big it is hard to remember all her cute baby stages. This last week seemed like a big step for us. We had her birthday, she started tee ball, and we had to sign her up for kindergarten. She was so excited when she found out she would be eating school lunch and getting her own locker. I was excited when I found out they were offering full day kindergarten!
I over dosed on cake this week. Cake and frosting is my Achilles hill...I love it.....so much that sometimes I get that weird urge to just...smash my face in it...ya I know... that sounds a little disturbed.
"Holy Crap....a bike"

Avery got a bike for her birthday from Gma and Gpa Berry. She loves it...every morning she goes out to check on it. Our friends gave her a little bell and every morning I hear her ringing that little bell. Now if it would quit snowing we could go out and ride.

Milestones

2011-03-27T00:34:00.002-06:00

Ok so i really do hate posting pictures of myself. My kids and Matt are so much cuter and interesting but I thought I would document this milestone. My whole life I have never been happy with my weight and after having two kids...I hate my weight. Throughout my life I have always made goals to loose weight but now i am finally doing it.

So I realized that I can not live like many other women. I can not have a baby and then just magically be at a good weight again. I will have to exercise and diet my whole life. So a few months ago my good friend and I started working out...and we do P90X six days a week.

So far I have lost almost twenty pounds...and I have about 25 more to go...but it is a start and I am finally changing my lifestyle. So loosing the weight has been great and I really hope to loose a lot more...but best of all I have been happier and felt healthier. I have also gained a great friend...which is probably one of the best gifts of all.

My little cuties

2011-03-26T23:50:00.002-06:00

Avery loves to have her picture taken.....the kid loves the camera....
Yeah she clearly gets her attitude from her dad.
I swear this is what we have to do after every meal. Hailey has to feed herself and she is constantly messy. Just to prove again that she really is my child....this girl loves chocolate...I mean she loves it. She is a picky eater but she will eat anything with chocolate on it....which happens to be all over her face in this picture.
Hailey...like her mom loves shoes. She loves to prance around the house in any shoe she finds laying around. Most people probably do not know I have a secret love for shoes. Although my collection is smaller then I would like due to my budget ...and my freakishly large feet...hopefully my girls will not inherit this. But I love to see all the new styles and have seriously contemplated cutting off my toes just so I could fit into a normal size:)

When do we go sledding?

2011-03-26T23:20:00.002-06:00

My favorite time to go sledding....spring. Ya we have winter about 6 months out of the year....and I absolutely hate the cold. So when it kind of starts to warm up I let the girls go out and play.
Avery loves the snow....which is great...snow is fun for kids.....well most kids.
Hailey is definitely my child...she was not digging the cold and the sledding.
My cute little bundle...who did not like being bundled up at all. She hated being in that snow suit.

Valnetines Day

2011-03-26T22:48:00.002-06:00

Ya i know this post is way old...but I thought I would add it anyway. So I love to cook....it has become a fun hobby and challenge. So instead of going out to eat on V-day Matt and i just had a quiet evening at home. But instead of buying him chocolates....I mad him his favorite....cake pops...or in this case cake bites. They are delicious morsels of cake and chocolate and icing....and pretty much just pure goodness.

For dessert....creme brulee....one of Matt's favorites.
Steak with an herb infused butter, garlic mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus. It was pretty yummy and a lot cheaper then going out. The only bad thing...you have to do the dishes:)

My Girls

2011-03-26T20:08:00.002-06:00

So the last few years I have been coaching high school girls basketball and this year it seemed to really consume me. I am the JV coach and I love it. I had some great girls but we had a lot of work to do. Unfortunatley my girls got to this high school level without being taught a lot of the basic fundamentals.....I worked them over and was constantly pushing them and they improved and really became disciplined. One of my highlights was when we came back from a thirty point deficit at half time to barley loose by two too South Fremont. Although it is crappy pay and stressful.... I love my job.
My little team. We started with eight but mid way through the season my starting point guard was moved to varsity so.....my team adapted and we made it through with seven girls.....some games we only had five due to sickness and foul trouble.
My biggest fans. Matt and the girls were at almost all of are games cheering us on. Matt is so supportive during the season and puts up with a lot. The late nights discussing the games or how to improve my team.....driving to all the games....packing the girls around....dealing with my stress....he was a champ through it all. Matt was such a big support in so many ways....he always had my back especially when we were stuck with crappy refs. Even from the top of the bleachers i could hear him cussing out the refs.
My girls decked out in their Teton gear. Win or loose Avery always said "Mommy you did great I am so proud of you." Ahhh pretty cute.
So this picture is to document me actually sitting in my seat. I usually stand most of the game and pace....and yell....:)

Our little Family

2011-03-14T13:56:00.002-06:00

One of my favorite times of the day is... well when my kids are asleep. I know that sounds bad but I love just having a litttle peace and quiet. Latley Matt has been working like crazy....we rarley see him and when he comes home he eats and sleeps. The other day I asked him to hold Hailey while I get a few things done...and this is what I found.....
I love my childrens faces when they sleep...all cute and innocent.....even though moments before they were screaming and getting into things...or leaving me little presents in the bathtub. Ya Hailey just did that to me the other day....It was the first time I had to clean a nasty out of the bathtub....I didn't handle it very well. I almost puked.
Hailey loves her baby dolls which is really cute....what is not so cute is when she tries to poke out their eyes....oh well I am sure that is normal....Right?
Having winter for 5-6 months out of the year can be very depressing....especially when my kids keep getting sick. So we have to mix things up and find fun things we can do in the house...because going out and playing in a blizzard is not an option. So we occasionally build tents and of course watch lots of movies.
Avery's kitty is a hit with the girls. Hailey loves it and goes crazy when she sees him. Avery has changed the cats name about 20 times but I think we are finally settled on rascal. By the way this cat is not tame and it scares me when the girls want to pet it. But it still climbs on to our roof...and the other day I was trying to get Hailey to eat her lunch, but she was so distracted. She kept laughing and pointing at the ceiling. It took me awhile to realize the cat was looking down at us through the sky light. Our very own peeping tom:)

Update on the girls

2011-03-14T13:36:00.002-06:00

What is it like having two girls you may ask..........uhmmm lots of screaming. Avery loves being a big sister and although she may seem cute and girly....she loves to wrestle....and Hailey just happens to be the perfect victim. She loves to torment her.....and although Hailey is learning to stand up for herself I just want a day without.....screaming.
Avery modeling one of her Christmas outfit. She loves having her picture taken....especially if we are taking pictures of Hailey.

More wrestling = more screaming.
Ohh our little Hailey....she is almost 17 months old and a very unique child. She loves to cuddle and when Avery is not messing with her she rarely makes a peep. When she is not sick or teething (she is getting eight teeth in right now...not fun) she wanders around the house or plays with toys. When she doesn't feel good she is a monster and wants to be held every second. She is also a picky eater and wont eat anything but noodles, rice or treats.

Hailey loves to watch people and observe. She has been that way since she was born and she knows just what faces to make or things to do to get you to laugh. She is very tender hearted and when I tell her "no" she gets very upset. I think she will easier to discipline then Avery though. :)

Halloween and Hailey's Birthday

2010-10-31T14:11:00.002-06:00

So my baby turned one on the 22nd.....and we had a big combined birthday party with her cousin Morgan. We invited the family to all come for a fun little Halloween party. There were games...spooky food and funny costumes. The picture above is Hailey in her Red Queen Halloween costume. She had her first real experience with trick or treating. Her wig took the longest time to make.....it did not help that she kept pulling out the red yarn, leaving bald spots:)
Now you may be wondering .....where are the pictures of Avery in her Halloween costume.....well there are none because she decided not to go this year. So....here is what I have learned.......I love Halloween...probably more then my 4 year old and I think I might make it a bigger deal then it should be. The next thing I learned is not to make her costumes. I made her an Alice costume and it took forever...because I had to re-draw the pattern so that it would fit her. She did not want to be Alice and refused to wear it.

Halloween night we got her all dressed up and then when we went to do her hair.......she turned into the exorcist and started screaming and pulling on her hair. So we allowed her to change back into her clothes and stay home with the grandparents to help pass out candy. She was perfectly fine with that option. I on the other hand was livid. What kid does not want to go trick or treating.....dress up in a silly costume and get lots of candy....it just does not make sense. I am seriously wondering if I need to put her in therapy....just kidding....although it does cross my mind....every time she throws a tantrum.
These were all the cuties that attended the birthday party. Matt's aunt Ginni has the best costumes for her kids....they are a riot.
Morgan and Hailey by there cake. Morgan was the cutest little bumble bee and she went around the whole night pretending to sting people.
This was the birthday cake I made. It was kind of an experiment and I wanted to do more with the fondant I had made...but ran out of time. Although it did not turn out how I wanted the cake and icing tasted really good. I found some really yummy recipes.....I think I have a little crush on moist chocolate cake.....it is hard for me to resist.

2010-10-31T12:40:00.002-06:00

Our Halloween costumes this year were from Alice in Wonderland. Hailey was the red queen and Avery was Alice.
Hailey and Morgan opening presents.......unfortunately for Hailey any of her new toys were quickly claimed by Avery.....so she was left with just the new clothes.

This was the only picture I could get of Avery in her costume. She decided she did not like her costume and refused to wear it. What a party pooper!

Tetonia Centennial

2010-10-25T21:13:00.001-06:00

For our town cenntenial celebration we had a parade and a picnic. While I helped Matt with his city council duties....Avery took advantage of playing with all the local kids. She loves the swings.....
This is about the age where a little crack is still cute......apparently it is not cute when your older because whenever my pants slip.....Avery says "oh gross mom I can see your bum crack." ......and then she giggles ....

Uhm sassy?

So the highlight of the celebration was the pie contest. Matt was worried that no one had entered so I threw one together that morning. After the pies were judged the winning pies were taken up front to be auctioned off. My poor pie just sat there...left abandoned on the table with a few other "loser" pies. I tried not to let it bother me...but this was the first time my food was being judged. So I went up and grabbed my pie and sat down ...alone on a bench.....wondering where I went wrong. So I taste tested it and it tasted good to me....the others pies must have been awesome....so i watched the winners go up and get there big ribbons. Then it came to the grand champion pie and they could not find it. Matt came and grabbed my pie....after I had just stuck my finger in it to taste it and they announced my pie as the grand champion. It was kind of nerdy but I was totally excited....I tried to play it cool when they presented me with my big ribbon and my hundred dollar prize...but I was pretty pleased. The judged even told me that after they tried it they had to sneak a second piece. Then it got auctioned off for 50 dollars.....I just did not tell the buyer that I had stuck my finger in the pie....I didn't want to ruin the moment:)

Tetonia Centenial

2010-10-25T15:03:00.000-06:00

Cannibal baby....
The baby was ditched in order to hoard the candy.
And the award for the most redneck float goes to....."Dave's Pub".......our local bar
It was a fun little parade..... in a 100 years the town population has expanded to a whopping..... 250.

First Day of Preschool

2010-09-29T11:31:00.002-06:00

First we had this kitten show up at our house and the girls just fell in love. Avery held it like a baby and Hailey got so excited when it came around.
The cat did not last long...it had a habit of riding in cars....we think it took a ride with someone.
We went and got Avery's school supplies and it was really so much fun to see how excited she got. We found a plain backpack and jazzed it up a little....she loves her backpack.
First day of school.
She needed a painting smock for school so we whipped up this one....complete with pockets and a girly ruffle.

Summer Fun

2010-09-29T11:11:00.003-06:00

So now that summer is over I am just finally getting around to posting pictures....so this is just a little recap of what we did over the summer. I tried my hand at making clothes for the girls and lots of little baby clothes for my friends that were having babies.
We visited the cousins in Utah.
Matt played softball again and even did an overnight tournament at Bear Lake....they played all through the night and we just camped out above the field...it was a lot of fun.
Erickson Family Reunion. We went over to Boise and played at the water park. Then Matt took me out for my birthday and it was a lot of fun.
Avery loved the water park and playing with all her cousins.....unfortunately we all got burned from being in the sun all day...but it was worth it.

2010-09-29T10:55:00.002-06:00

Playing in our little pool at grandmas house.
nelson Family Reunion over the 4th of July
Trips to the Splash Park in Rexburg.
Jumping on the trampoline at grandmas house.

Akward Converstations with a 4 year old

2010-09-29T09:40:00.003-06:00

This morning Avery asked me a question that really caught me off guard......Sometimes it is hard to know when to be honest and direct or bend the truth a little...like when giving the birds and the bees explanation.

So Hailey was screaming and Avery asks.......
"Mom why don't you just lift up your shirt and let her eat you."

Me- "Uhmm you mean breastfeeding?" "Well she does not eat that way anymore."

Avery- "Why not"

Me- "Well because she eats out of a bottle plus I don't have any milk for her anymore."

Avery- "Why....where did it go....your butt?"

Me- "Uhh no...my body just doesn't make it anymore."

Avery- "Will your boobies go away too."

Me- "No hopefully I will always have them."

Avery- I hope I never get boobies.....and if I do I just will wear a big apron over them."

Me- Well you are a girl so you will get them when you are older

Avery- under her breath she says.......gross.

I guess sometimes I just don't realize she notices these things....and thinks about them....I just hope she does not offer all this information to her friends and teachers at preschool. I don't want her to go around and tell all her friends that they are going to have boobies when they get older.

Hailey

2010-07-13T15:40:00.003-06:00

I can't believe how much Hailey has grown. She is almost 9 months now and it went by so fast I forget what it was like to have her as a new born:(
She is really a funny girl and I am trying to decide what her personality will be like. At times she is pretty mellow and just observes and then when you least expect it she will make a funny face that gets makes a laugh. Then she can also be a little temperamental....usually when she is tired and wants her mom...she is a little bit of a mommas girl...which I kind of like:) She is al ittle picky with some things....no binkis, no bottles, and she will let you know if she doesn't like what she is eating....usually cold baby cereal....she hates it plain...so I have to put fruit in it.

This is one of my favorite faces that she does...she crinkles up her nose and then sucks air in and out of it really fast to make funny breathing noises.

Just a little fathers day treat

2010-07-13T15:13:00.002-06:00

So I saw these adorable cupcakes online and I knew I had to try them out. They are supposed to look like hamburgers with a side of fries. So I made a big batch to give to the Matt and Ron as well as the the fathers of the young women that I teach for fathers day.
I gave all my girls these little containers with a side of fries and put it in a lunch bag that said happy fathers day. I think they enjoyed it.
Not to worry there is no meat in these babies...just a yummy brownie and frosting....and the fries are just sugar cookies. They did not turn out as beautiful as the originals I saw on line but they were still pretty fun to make and yummy to eat.

What's the big deal?

2010-05-03T12:33:00.002-06:00

So we were in the store the other day and I stopped by the magazine section to browse through a cooking magazine. I noticed Avery had picked up a magazine and was looking at it. As I turned to leave Avery asked if we could get the magazine. She had this huge smile and was so excited and when I looked on the cover it was Hannah Montana. Instantly I said no, and Avery kept begging but I kept my foot down. Then as we went through the store she kept finding things with Hannah Montana on them and begged and pleaded for these items. A Hannah chair, Hannah soap, Hannah fruit gummies, Hannah yogurt. By the end of this trip I was fed up with Hannah Montana! So I ask you what is the big deal with Hannah Montana? And why is my kid obsessed with her?

One of a kind

2010-05-03T12:14:00.002-06:00

Avery loves to talk and half of what she says is made up...which I am wondering if this is normal behavior. Anyway whenever I take her in public I am always a little worried that she is going to say something inappropriate....because that has happened many times.

So whenever she comes with me to my chiropractic appointments she talks the whole time we are there to the chiropractor. Thank goodness he is a grandpa and tries to amuse her by engaging her in conversation instead of getting annoyed with her. So while we are there she starts telling stories and I am so worried she is going to ask an inappropriate question or spill some of our family secrets....like "my mommy says @#$* when she gets mad." She has said this before. But luckily she only says things like this....

"Me and my mommy went shopping and we saw Jesus at the store....he was buying presents for his kids I talk to him on the phone all the time."

"This little girl came to our house and she was lost and my mom told her to go home." (By the way none of these events really happened.)

"I am going to go on a bear date with my dad and he is going to let me shoot a bear."

"My little sister talks to me all the time, she sleeps in my bed and tells me stories she always says to me..... Hey Avery whats up?."

"My mom gave me a hundred dollars for my birthday!"

These are just a few of the stories she tells....as you can tell she is her own person. She is.....strong willed....opinionated....talkative.....constantly in make believe land......and really one of a kind:)

Do You Ever Have This Kind of Day?

2010-05-03T11:46:00.002-06:00

Today I woke up and felt just exhausted but of course my house is a mess and my list of things to do is more like a book of things to do. I look outside hoping that we will finally get nice weather so Avery can go out and play....but it looks like more snow. That means another day of staying in our house.....which makes me a little crazy.

So I remember I have to go into town for an appointment an I don't have enough time to get ready so I just throw on some clothes and throw my hair back in a pony tail. Now here is the tricky part....I have to get Avery dressed...this is one of the hardest things for me because she refuses to wear anything I suggest and she will not wear her warm clothes because she thinks it is summer. So for 20 minutes and multiple meltdowns she finally has at least long pants on. But her hair looks like she stuck her finger in a light socket.....and she refuses to let me brush it. So finally I get the kids in the car and we are running late.

I go to the chiropractor and he works on my back and he puts this special cream on it....it smells like icy hot...but stronger.....so not only do I look awful....I now smell awful. So after the appointment I have to run to the store, little did I know that my pony tail has loosened and my hair looks crazy. So here I am running around the store in my ugly clothes ...not to mention my stench...with my crazy hair and crazy haired daughter...with her mismatched clothes... and to add to the stress she literally asked for everything in the store. I am pretty sure at one point when we were in the vegetable section she was asking to get Brussels sprouts...which confirms she has no idea what she is asking for.......and yeah for me when I got home I realized my zipper on my pants had been down the whole time. Not to mention the first thing Avery does when she gets home is spill red juice all over my kitchen floor....just to add to the mess I have to clean!!!!

I am sure everyone in town thought I was some crazy person....and that anyone with any self dignity would not go into public looking and smelling like I did. It is not even noon yet and I want to crawl back in bed and dream about the day when my life will not be so crazy!

Avery's Princess Tea Party

2010-04-29T14:29:00.002-06:00

For Avery's 4th birthday we had a princess tea party with some of her buds. It was pretty fun to see these little cuties come in their favorite princess dress.
When the girls arrived they were adorned with their very own princess crown and necklace.
The tea party included peanut butter and jelly sandwiches princess style...the were flower shaped, fruit skewers with yummy dip and homemade mac n cheese with special noodles.
our beverage of choice was pink lemonade complete with strawberries.

2010-04-29T14:06:00.002-06:00

Princess scavenger hunt.
We colored, played games, made jewelry, and danced around......
Avery and her best buds
Each girl got to devour their own giant cupcake complete with lots of pink frosting.
The Princesses

Birthday Party Part 2

2010-04-29T13:26:00.002-06:00

The cake! So i thought it would be no big deal to make a fun princess cake for Avery's Princess birthday party.....it was not as easy as I thought. The frosting's took forever to make....and then I made my own fondant....yikes that took a long time. Hats off to all you cake makers...after making this I realized how nice it would be to take a cake decorating class.

Trying on birthday clothes.
Avery loves Josh's friend Mataya and really wanted her to come to her birthday party. So Mataya was nice enough to come over and hang out with us and she even brought Avery a present with balloons. She loved it.

Springtime Fun

2010-04-29T13:06:00.002-06:00

Josh had prom this last weekend and Avery was in heaven. She loves Josh's friends and seeing them in their beautiful dresses was like spending time with real princesses!
Hailey and Grandpa Erickson at Josh's ball game.
The classic face smashing that every grand baby gets by Grandpa Erickson.

Attempts at Family Pictures

2010-04-29T12:43:00.002-06:00

I wanted to get pictures of the family in their Easter outfits and ....that was easier said then done. We took about 20 or more pictures and these were the best that we could come up with. Avery is in a stage where she will not smile for a picture or she does this crazy smile....so picture time is a lot more frustrating:)

Ya a cute picture!

The Joys of Spring

2010-04-29T12:24:00.003-06:00

This is how spring works in Teton Valley. We have one maybe two beautiful days and then snow. So the nice days we walk to the park and play.
Then the rest of the week we bundle up and endure the snow.

The New Generation

2010-04-02T14:57:00.002-06:00

So today i asked Avery what she wanted for her birthday and her first answer was..... a lady Gaga CD. First off.....I have no idea how she knows this singer....but it does not surprise me. Avery knows how to run my I Pod...she knows how to use the DVD player and TV and her CD player and the camera. (and no I am not getting her this CD for her birthday....she will have to settle with Alvin and Chipmunks)

It is amazing to me that this young generation is so technologically savvy. I can only imgaine what she will be like when she is 10...... I can't even firgure out how to set the time on my microwave!

Matt's birthday

2010-03-26T19:19:00.003-06:00

Just had to throw in this cute picture of Hailey.
Matt turned 27 and we had a pretty low key clebration. But my highlight was this cheesecake I made him. Matt is not really into reagular cake so I made him this one instead. We really like the cheesecake factory kind so I found a recipe that was pretty close.

Not really diet food....but still worth it:)

Hailey at 5 months

2010-03-26T19:03:00.002-06:00

we started Hailey on solid foods...and I can't believe she is already that old....I am already forgetting what she was like when she was first born:(
I found this hat that Avery used to wear and I couldn't help putting it on her.....so cute and chubby.
Ohh my cute little family. This is about as exciting as we get around our house:)

Utah to Tetonia

2010-03-26T18:35:00.002-06:00

So i took the girls to Utah to visit my brother and his family. I was up there originally for a girls weekend with Matt's mom and aunts. It was so much fun. I did more in a week up there then I have done in a long time. Then my brother and his family took us home and we gave them a taste of life in Tetonia. First we took them on a snowmobile ride, then ate at our favorite restaurant and to top it off we venture into Jackson Hole. Not much to see here besides...snow, elk, stuffed bears....and a Sasquatch.
So riding around in Utah we saw a guy in a giant chicken suit....now for most kids that would probably be funny...but for Avery it is terrifying......she is so scared of mascots. So after we pointed him out Avery immediately hid her face behind her pictures she drew at preschool and would not show her face till we got home....she was also crying a little.....poor kid.
Besides going to preschool with Zina, Avery got to go to her dance class with her. She loved it soo much that she would not take off the leotard.
So we went to a Utah gymnastics meet with the Erickson girls and it was crazy. I did not know that this many people would turn out for such an event. The little girls got bored after awhile but we stayed till the end. There highlight was the clown that was giving out free ballons. We stood in line for an hour afterward so they could get one.

Avery's new favorite dress

2010-03-26T17:12:00.002-06:00

So I made this dress for Avery out of some old shirts I was going to send to good will. She wears this everyday and refuses to wear other clothes. It is typical Avery.
The donor shirts.
I wanted the green part of the dress to kind of look like camo....so I took a bleach pen and drew on it....it worked pretty good...and was pretty fun to do. Then I just cut the shirts up into strips...and there ya go....a play dress you don't have to worry about getting dirty.

Bed Time

2010-03-04T22:12:00.002-07:00

So I am trying to put Hailey to bed...she is fed and in her Pajamas and it is so hard to put her down to sleep when she is being this cute.....can you see my dilemma;)
Ohh I could just kiss those cheeks all day....I seriously miss this little girl when she is sleeping...I am always peeking my head into her room to check to see if she is awake yet.....such a fun little girl.

Food Post

2010-03-04T21:36:00.002-07:00

So I have always enjoyed cooking...I remember being a young girl and making my own recipe for salad dressing...but once I got married I really got into cooking. Since we moved to Tetonia I realized that we would not have a lot of chances to eat out and try new food. So I decided that I would try cooking different foods at home and recreate some of my favorite restaurant foods. Fortunately Matt is a great eater and is up for trying anything. So the above picture are the fish tacos I made for dinner. It is cod fried in a batter with cabbage, cilantro, Mexican cheese, and a citrus cream sauce with homemade re fried beans on the side. I had never had fish tacos before...but I thought these were pretty good.
This was a steak sandwich I made for lunch out of leftovers and things I needed to fix before they went bad. I always have lots of leftovers after I cook and I hate throwing them away. We try to eat them for lunch but sometimes you just get tired of eating the same thing....so I like to think of ways to turn leftovers into a different meal. So I took the leftover steak that we had for tacos and left over buns and turned it into this sandwich.....the pictures not that great but it was pretty tastey. I grilled the buns and then topped it with steak, grilled onions, roasted red pepper (I roasted it on my stove top) and to top it off a homemade cheese sauce with chillies to give it a little kick and cilantro for a garnish. I knew Avery wouldn't really want one so I took some of the cheese sauce and poured it over chips and made some yummy nachos for her lunch. Anyway i know this is a lame post....but I thought I would share this little hobby of mine.

On a side note...I grew up with a Mom who taught us to be very frugal...we never ate a lot of ethnic or more expensive types of food which was very understandable and i try to be pretty frugal with our budget. But now that i am a mom I think it is so much fun to try new things with my family...even if it means spending a little more on a spice or a type of fish. The cod I used for the fish tacos was more expensive but even when you divide it up it is still cheaper to make it at home then go out and buy it at a restaurant....and the best part is you have lots of left overs:)

Avery practing her photography

2010-03-04T21:28:00.002-07:00

Avery was playing with the camera while i was making dinner and she was going around taking photos of her favorite things...the first picture is of girls scout cookies.....they were hid in a bag...apparently she found them.
Her daddy
her baby sissy...these were some of her best photos....I had to delete many pictures of the ceiling...and the carpet.

Playing in the snow

2010-03-04T21:16:00.001-07:00

Matt took Avery for a little ride on the snow machine.

Avery has wanted to make a snowman so bad...but we have not gotten around to it....finally today Matt came home early from work....and they got it built. She was in heaven...it was really great of him to come home from work early.....after it was all over she came in and said....."mommy....daddy is my best friend in the world."

Every day is a play day

2010-03-04T21:01:00.002-07:00

This is what Avery usually wears everyday. She loves this ballerina outfit my mom got her. She goes around the house dancing and singing...I really wish I could catch her on video but she gets really embarrassed when she sees me with the camera.....you'll just have to take my word for it...she is pretty funny to watch.

Ding Dong the witch is dead........this is what I found when I walked into our living room...her cute little striped feet....reminded me of the Wizard of Oz.
I told her to smile for the camera and this is what she did.

Preschool and other stuff

2010-03-04T12:56:00.002-07:00

So we are doing preschool with two other mom's in my ward. It is pretty fun...I am not sure how much the kids learn but it gives me a chance to get to do some fun crafts.....so far we have made glittery play-dough, bouncy balls(nit pictured) and chunky crayons....next time I am planning on making some glow in the dark slime with the kidos.....should be interesting.
Hailey in her new bed....I finally took the step and moved her to her crib....she has been sleeping pretty good in it and I think she likes her own space.....where her sister can't attack her.
So I started these baby shoes for her awhile back and today I decided to finish them....I love making cute little accessories for girls...but next time I try these...I will have to break down and buy a pattern....so they turn out a little more....professional:)
Finished product...I also need a new camera, one that takes better quality pictures...if you have any ideas let me know.

On another note....Avery had her first encounter with the baby monitor...this is how it went...
Avery was watching cartoons in my room and I had just put Hailey down for a nap in her room. I turned the monitor on and left the room. Not much later I heard Hailey crying...and then I heard Avery..."Hey....mom I hear Hailey....where is that coming from?" I go in and show her the monitor...a little while later Hailey is still crying and I see Avery grab the monitor and say into "Hey Hailey....shut it...I am trying to watch cartoons!" I tell her that it is not nice to talk like that and that Hailey can't hear her in the monitor.....so she yells louder into the monitor "Hailey quiet please I am trying to watch cartoons!" While laughing I tried to explain that although we can hear her, Hailey can't hear us...I think she gets it now.

Also soon to come...Matt and Amie's new additions.....I know...suspenseful..

Family Time

2010-03-01T08:47:00.002-07:00

Ahh Sunday naps......that's all I have to say.
So I had to show off this cute little dress I bought Hailey for super cheap.....it came with this adorable hat.......Matt got her dressed....and took this picture...so of course the hat isn't positioned just right and the tag is hanging out....but it gives you an idea of just how cute she looked.
Taco Night! This is how we do taco night at our house.
I love authentic Mexican food and there is nothing better then carne asada tacos....So this is how we roll....first I marinate some steak then grill it. You have to have corn tortillas....because they are just yummy....then you heat up the tortilla and then start building your layers. Next you put on homemade re-fried beans...they are so good and very easy to make. Then you put your yummy steak on, then avocados, sour cream, salsa fresca, cotija cheese, and cilantro....and there you have it.....a mouth watering taco...

The Girls

2010-03-01T08:22:00.002-07:00

We put Hailey in this little bouncer because she loves to stand up.....she is not so cuddly anymore...she is learning how to wiggle....she can sit up on her own and is almost turning over.
Yah for the bouncer!

She also likes her swing...this is how I found her the other day. She had fallen asleep and it looked so uncomfortable.

The apple does not fall far from the tree....

2010-02-26T15:00:00.001-07:00

Having kids you never really think how much they turn out just like you.......you always hope they are better versions and as I look at Avery I feel like she is a little individual.....but today she did something I totally used to do. She was asked to clean her room and she did......but as I opened the closet the large pile of toays and clothes spilled out....she had just shoved everything in her closet. I just had to laugh because that is what I used to do all the time when my mom asked me to clean my room. When I got done laughing I told her to do it right and put everything away......she sighed and rolled her eyes and said..."fine mom....geese so bossy."

Updates

2010-02-26T13:38:00.002-07:00

Hailey has been growing like a weed and my little baby is not so little anymore. She is starting to grab things and tries to sit up on her own. I am just always amazed at the changes she makes everyday. The one thing that has not changed is her smiley, sweet personality. She is such a fun and cuddly girl.
Hailey loves the bath. She is so fun to watch, she loves to kick and splash......Avery loves to help bath Hailey and she always wants to sing the "splish splash" song....it is pretty cute.
Las Vegas baby! Ya Matt and I spent a week in Vegas and it was awesome. We went for his work conventions and it was a much needed vacation. We left Avery with my parents...and she loved it......and we took Hailey with us. I found out that if you do not want to be noticed in vegas....don't bring a baby. We were smothered by people who wanted to see our little package.

The weather in Vegas was amazing....everything was so green and sunny and then......I had to come home to two feet of snow......oh well it was great while it lasted! On another note Matt, my dad and I are in a competition to loose weight......and by looking at this picture it is much needed...uhh me...not Matt...he is not suffering from baby weight that wont come off. So anyway we just started and guess who has lost weight already......ya Matt...not me....and why is that? Well he told me one of the reasons is that he is so busy at work and does not eat...total cheater...my hubby is so competitive that he will skip meals to win.....he wont even eat second helpings when I offer them to him.......this guy is a rock...I am thinking about adding pure fat to all his meals........just kidding......(sinister laugh)

Also in the life of Avery....she has been acting so obedient since she spent the weeks with my parents....and she wants to help do chores.....I think that has a lot to do with my mom and my grandma.....so thank you ....thank you! Also she has been saying "yes sir and yes mam" I don't know where she got that...but it makes me laugh.

Anniversary Dinner Cheesecake Factory

2010-02-23T14:15:00.003-07:00

Last weekend was our 5th anniversary and man how time has flew by and 2 kids later we are one happy little family. Our anniversary sort of falls on a convention for work so we spent 4 days in Vegas being wined and dinned by the big oil guys which I must say steak every night wasn't too bad of a deal. We left Avery with Grandma and Grandpa Nelson and flew out of Boise and when we came back into Boise we stayed with our Aunt Tresa and Uncle Jeff along with Grandpa Erickson. We stayed in Boise for a day and watched some of the girls state basketball tourney which was a good time and also ate at one of our favorite places for dinner and took some pictures of the awesome food.

Even though we didn't really have any time to just ourselves I love spending time with Amie, she is my best friend and even though she thinks I would rather hunt all the time rather than spend time with her she is wrong.......I love her so much and am so thankful for someone that shares a lot of the same hobbies and ideas that I do. Life in the last 5 years would be pretty bland without her and she is an excellent mother, wife and friend I could ask for. Thanks for all you do!!

From the Mouth of Avery

2010-01-24T16:15:00.003-07:00

Avery is known for saying funny things.....or whatever is on her mind and sometimes she just cracks me up...so here are a few things she has said lately that I thought I would share.

Instead of saying "Mom can you do my a favor," she says "can you do me a favorite"

Instead of saying you hurt my feelings...she says..."you hurt my faults"

The other day she yelled "Hailey is crying....she needs to eat your boobs."

One night we were having dinner and she kept saying that she wanted to do the juice thing....I didn't understand what she was saying. She said "you know the thing where you tap your cups together and then say juice." "Ohh you mean cheers," I said "you say cheers and then tap your cups together." She looked at me and then rolled her eyes..."No mom you say juice not cheers, cheers is when you are at a game and yell GO Team GO, Go Fight Win!"

My girls

2010-01-06T14:08:00.001-07:00

2010-01-06T13:07:00.001-07:00

My Girls

2010-01-06T12:25:00.001-07:00

2010-01-06T12:07:00.002-07:00

Little jumpers....these were given to the girls by my grandma and I love them....Avery loves her lady bug dress!
Avery's new hat...she loves it because I have one that is similar...she is a funny girl.

Christmas Morning

2010-01-06T11:47:00.002-07:00

My favorite Christmas present!
Avery has been into dressing up so I got her a dress up box with lots of clothes she can pretend in.
Modeling her apron.
We invited our dear neighbor Mr. Barney over for Christmas morning. He lives alone and has no family so having him in our house was really special and added to our Christmas morning.
Avery was giving him some wonderful smiles.....he is so thoughtful of our girls and made sure to get them some Christmas presents. Avery loved the little tea set he got her.

Christmas Photos

2010-01-06T10:35:00.003-07:00

Christmas pajamas or peejamas as Avery calls them.
Another little smile
Jess came home for the Christmas vacation and Avery loved having someone to spend time with. They even had slumber parties and painted nails and played games.....it was fun to have her home.
So with our family it takes about 15 pictures to get a semi-good picture......mostly because Avery can't sit still long enough to get her picture taken.

Christmas Elf

2010-01-06T10:13:00.002-07:00

This year I decided to make a lot of our Christmas gifts. It started out really fun but then with everything else going on in my life it got a little stressful when it was Christmas Eve and I wasn't done with everything. So here are just a few of the projects I made. This top picture is a scarf I made for my sister including a headband and necklace. This picture turned out bad...but you get the idea.
A reversible apron I made for Avery to go with her play dough oven set.
A fairy outfit for my niece.
Another fairy outfit for one of Avery's Erickson cousins.

Other projects included......more necklaces, a purse, rice bags, sugar scrub, dress up dresses, outfits for the girls, and a blanket and crayon roll for Avery....honestly looking back I don't know how I got it all finished:)

Litte Miss

2010-01-06T09:58:00.002-07:00

So I had to post a picture of how chubby Hailey is getting....I love it...she is so cuddly. Except for in this photo...she does not like getting dressed.

Little Miss Hailey is such a smiley baby but it is so hard to catch her smile on camera.

More Hailey

2009-12-01T11:36:00.000-07:00

Avery and Morgan

2009-11-11T10:53:00.000-07:00

Grandma Great's visit

2009-11-11T10:41:00.000-07:00

Trick or Treat

2009-11-01T22:22:00.000-07:00

My gang all dressed up! Matt even dressed up...bet you can't guess what he dressed up as. Just in case you are wondering...that is not his real hair...just a wig....Avery thought it was pretty cool to have her dad dressed up too. He drove her around town and took her door to door and it was pretty cute to watch.
My little lady bug....I made this costume for Avery when she was a baby and it was fun to be able to pull it out and use it again.

Halloween Accessories

2009-11-01T21:44:00.000-07:00

No Tinker Bell costume is complete without a little lady bug......
Avery showing off her wand and her "gorgeous flower " as she calls it.....she has been using the word gorgeous a lot lately. I decided to make these little accessories last minute to add to her costume....she loved playing with the wand.

Tinker Bell

2009-11-01T21:18:00.000-07:00

This year Avery wanted to be Tinker Bell for Halloween. We found these cute wings and slippers at the dollar store (our favorite store) she felt pretty special wearing them.

Unfortunately it is freezing cold up here during Halloween time and most years we have snow so I had to come up with a way to winterize Avery's costume. Originally I wanted her to wear a leotard with her tutu and just plain tights but that would have been freezing so I found an old shirt of mine...the one pictured below and we dissected it into leggings, a skirt and a shirt for Avery's costume.

My New Addiction

2009-10-28T21:46:00.000-06:00

Yes my new addiction just happens to be my new addition. This is little Hailey Rae and I am completely obsessed. She is such a sweet little baby and I spend most of my day just holding her and cuddling her. Before she was born I wondered if I could love another child just as much as I love Avery.....when the Doctor placed her in my arms it was instant love at first sight....I couldn't be a prouder mama.
I love her little nose!
The girls sunbathing.....Avery loves being a big sister. She is very protective of Hailey whenever we change her diaper and Hailey starts crying Avery tells us to stop making the baby cry it's not nice. Whenever Hailey cries...Avery runs over to sooth her......she will say "It's ok baby Avery is her....just breath and be happy."
One of these days we will get a picture of her with her eyes open:) That's if we can get her to wake up........she is a good little sleeper....we have had a hard time trying to get her to wake up to feed. We have had to strip her down to her diaper and use a wet wash cloth to try and wake her....after a few times of doing that it didn't phase her anymore.....
My mom came up and helped us out she was so wonderful and I miss having her here....it was so great to have her....my dad also came up and helped work on our nursery he was such great help.....also Hailey makes that same face when she sleeps....I love it!

Our New Addition

2009-10-23T19:46:00.000-06:00

Avery has been so much help that she has even offered to help Amie lift her shirt and feed the baby. We have loved having here home and Avery is so freakin' cute with Hailey..... she wants to feed her, change her clothes/diapers and has probably kissed her 500 times since 3:00 today.

More Bear

2009-10-21T19:52:00.000-06:00

Matt's New Obsession

2009-10-16T22:53:00.000-06:00

This is a picture of the bear that Matt has been hunting for weeks. He not only is huge but we are finding out that he is pretty clever. He comes in and eats during the early morning and late hours....when all the little hunters are asleep in their beds. As much as they have fed him over the last few weeks I am surprised he is not obese. :) The total amount of food could probably be estimated to 6500 pounds that they have supplied for these bears.....talk about storing your food for winter. If they don't get this bear they can be credited for helping the bear population survive the harsh Teton winters.

Craft Time...A,K.A......"Craps Time"

2009-10-16T18:58:00.000-06:00

So I have a long list of projects I want to get done and so each day I try and work on them...Avery calls it my "craps time" where I work in my craps room with my craps stuff. So here are a few more of the little projects I have finished......

I found a little brown shirt for Avery for just a few dollars and decided I wanted to make it a little more interesting. So I made this little cupcake and frosting applique. It took a little bit more time then i would have liked but at least I finished it.
My friend Carrie came over for some craft time and I made these blocks. She was so nice to supply the wood and cut the blocks herself. She is very good at this kind of stuff so it was nice to have her there to help me. So now I can say that I decorated a little for Halloween.
This is the countdown calender that I made for Avery. It counts down the days till Halloween. I made each day have two pockets one for the little ghost that she moves to each day and a pocket for a little surprise she gets to pull out each day. It is something fun for her to look forward too. For me it is more of a countdown for the baby....she is due on the 28th so I glance at that calender everyday seeing just how many more days I have to endure:)

While Matt Hunts....Amie Crafts....

2009-10-16T18:22:00.000-06:00

Matt has been pretty busy hunting lately so I have tried to find things to keep me busy. I have found some really neat blogs that have great ideas for things you can make yourself. So I have tried a few projects and created a long list of more projects I would like to try. My only problem is I am not the best sewer and when my machine goes on the fritz I don't have a clue how to fix it and I am not the most patient sewer.......my goal is to get better. So here are a few pictures of things I have worked on.

This is a changing mat I made that folds up and goes into your diaper bag. It has a handy little pocket that you can store your diapers and wipes in...so you can just grab it and go.

So I bought a package of onesies and have had some fun trying to glam them up a bit. For young women we tie dyed shirts...so I dyed a shirt for me, Avery and the baby. Avery loved hers so much she had to have it washed and ready for preschool the next day. The other onesie I tried my hand at appliqueing....it was pretty fun...next time I think I will try a cuter applique.

The After Pictures

2009-10-16T17:58:00.000-06:00

So we had this little table before that usually holds Matt's computer...but since his little brother fried his work computer.....he has taken his old computer to work...thus leaving me without my connection to the outside world:) The black frame above it was an old calender frame I found at D.I. so I spray painted it and added the white board paper. I also glued on a metal piece and then glued cute scrapbook paper over it to make a magnent board. So for a few bucks I know have a nice message board. I also bought the little metal mail holder at a fun little store in Rexburg.

So the paint is new and the table and chairs were painted also....thanks to my sisters.
So with a gallon of paint and some paint for my chairs and tables I feel like I have a whole new kitchen. It is so nice not to have that ugly flower wall paper showing anymore! My mom and sister in-law came up and helped me paint Avery's room and the baby/craft room so once I get those rooms all organized and decorated I will post pictures.

The Kitchen Update

2009-10-16T17:48:00.000-06:00

Well I posted awhile ago that my wonderful sisters came and helped me with my house and did some painting and refinishing furniture. I don't think I ever posted pictures so here are the before pictures.....if I did already do this post...I am sorry my mind is so forgetful lately....I am blaming it on being pregnant:)
I only took a few pictures because well my kitchen was pretty scary:)

Trick or Treat

2009-10-15T11:31:00.000-06:00

Exxon Convention in Chicago

2009-10-15T11:24:00.001-06:00

Pictures from Wrigley Field and that was a fun experience but different than any other field I have been to. An also on solo picture from downtown by the Hotel we were at. We didn't have much time to do anything but when we were done we traveled north of the city and hung out with Jed and Emily. All in all great fun other than Amie couldn't come cause of how far along she is in the pregnancy. Next time though.

Conservative VS. Liberal

2009-10-15T11:16:00.000-06:00

This sums it up pretty well.......

If a conservative doesn't like guns, he doesn`t buy one. If a liberal doesn't like gun s, he feels that no one should have one.

If a conservative is a vegetarian, he doesn`t eat meat. If a liberal is, he wants to ban all meat products for everyone.

If a conservative sees a foreign threat, he thinks about how to defeat
his enemy. A liberal wonders how to surrender gracefully and still look good.

If a conservative is homosexual, he quietly leads his life.
If a liberal is homosexual, he loudly demands legislated respect.

If a black man or Hispanic are conservative, they see themselves as
independently successful. Their liberal counterparts see themselves as victims in need of
government protection.

If a conservative is down-and-out, he thinks about how to better his situation.
A liberal wonders who is going to take care of him.

If a conservative doesn't like a talk show host, he switches channels.
Liberals demand that those they don't like be shut down.

If a conservative is a non-believer, he doesn't go to church.
A liberal non-believer wants any mention of God or religion silenced.

If a conservative decides he needs health care, he goes about shopping
for it, or may choose a job that provides it.
A liberal demands that the rest of us pay for his.

Bear Date AKA Bear Hunting

2009-10-13T12:46:00.000-06:00

Lately I have been out chasing bears with a good friend of mine, Daimon and I have had a blast! The only set back was about 10 days ago when I had a bear about 11 feet from me in the dark and I didn't know it until Daimon started yelling at the bear! Scared the crap right out of me. Well since I have been going and doing this now quite regularly Avery always says when I leave, "Are you going on a Bear Date?" It is quite funny. I bought a shirt a while back that said I love it when my wife lets me go hunting ...... it looks like this .....

I really do love my wife and here support and patience with my hunting habits! She has been a great sport about it and I will have to make it up to her! I love you Amie!

Why Blogging at 12:30 at Night?

2009-09-10T00:38:00.000-06:00

Why am I still up blogging? Humm good question......well first let me tell you that I am exhausted but I dread sleeping.......why you ask...well because I am pregnant and sleeping is uncomfortable. The minute I lay down I get heartburn....then laying flat makes it harder to breath.....then I can never get comfortable and once I do finally fall asleep I wake up because my leg is cramping....I have to pee...or I have heartburn again.

I should be an add for why one should choose abstinence:) You know you have got it rough when there is a half eaten bottle of tums by your night stand and another one in your purse:)

Another reason to blog this late is because no one is awake to distract me...and because this the only time I get the chance to use the computer.....since Matt's little brother fried his work computer Matt has been taking the laptop to work with him........my only connection to the outside world is now gone......sometimes Matt so graciously brings his laptop home with him.....then I get to catch up on emails.....research and blogging....

P.s. I only "like" the mint ones.....when I say "like" I mean it tastes like I am chewing chalk...but they have been my saving grace for the past 8 months:)

My Bugsie

2009-09-10T00:18:00.000-06:00

So I attempted to take some pictures of Avery....I see these people who are great photographers and do this kind of stuff as their business....and I think how hard can that be....well it is harder then I thought. First you need a good camera...mine is not great. Then you need some pretty places to take the pictures....my space was limited....then you need a good model...mine did not want to cooperate....and finally you need to know how to edit your photos...I am an idiot when it comes to photo shop. So needless to say I am not starting my own photography business:)

This was the outfit she picked out....complete whit Dora undies.
Yes that is the little stinker spitting.....she did not really get into having her picture taken....I had so many great ideas of poses she could do...or outfits she could wear, but after this experience I don't think I will try it till for awhile,
I wish I knew how to edit these pictures so they looked a little better....the sun on her shirt is a little distracting.

To Do's....

2009-09-09T23:41:00.000-06:00

So I will have to post my kitchen next. That is the other project that got completed in my house...thanks to my sisters. I will also post pictures of our master bathroom. It is almost completed, there are just a few things I need to do as far as decorating...hopefully that will get done this week.

Eventually I would like to get these things done.....
-Paint my room
-Paint living room and redecorate
-Find a new twin bed for Avery and finish fixing up her room
-Organize the office/nursery so that we can actually fit a baby in there.
-Get front steps built....we have front steps but they are unsafe...and I refuse to go through another winter with these old ones. They have almost become dangerous:)
-Start on my Christmas sewing/crafting projects.

This list could go on and on......

Old Bathroom Gets a Facelift

2009-09-09T23:15:00.001-06:00

So this is Avery's bathroom. The walls are these ugly flowers....I have this same print in my kitchen and bedroom....and it is not wallpaper it is part of the walls like that paper that goes over Sheetrock. Anyway my brilliant sister found out that I could paint over it.....so here comes the paint.
I posted awhile ago that my sisters came up and helped me do some projects on my house. Well my sister brought some leftover blue paint and after she left me inspired I went to work on this little bathroom. I had to paint it white first so that those ugly flowers would not show through the blue. Then I painted the walls blue....but the color looked like a swimming pool....so I mixed it whit white and found a color that was much more pleasant. So after three coats of paint I had a color I liked.
Some random photo I have of Avery in a frame I made a long time ago.
My little window....

The tub also needed to be re-caulked so I had to scrape out all the old stuff and start again...it was very time consuming...especially for a pregnant lady who can't bend over very well:)

But in the end it was worth it...I got rid of the old "decorations" and tried to keep things simple...less business and less clutter.

Attempted Art

2009-09-09T22:59:00.000-06:00

Tree
Birdie
Cherries

So for Avery's bathroom I looked and looked for some fun pictures or interesting art to put up. I could never really find what I wanted so I tried to make my own. It is hard to see the detail on these pictures but I think you get the idea. I wanted it to be different and unique....I guess that is what I got:) I used paint and scrapbook paper....along with mod poge....and then little jewels for embellishments. I tried a technique that would make them look older and even crack the paint...but it did not work out like I had envisioned. I also went to my local thrift store to purchase some frames....but they wer expensive so I came home and look around for some unused frames and then I just sprayed them white. I also added the ribbon so that I would be able to hang the pictures. The old frames I used were actualley holding Matt's and my college diplomas.....so I put them away in a folder......very expensive peices of paper:)

New Look For Avery Bathroom

2009-09-09T22:41:00.000-06:00

Here is my attempt at some artwork for the walls. Eventually I will find cool hooks to hang them up with instead of just nails.
Eventually I want to get a fun clock to go above that little saying on the wall.
Another look at the wall:) This bathroom is pretty small is it is hard to get pictures.
Oh and the toilet......
Shower Curtain.......

So to fix up this little bathroom it really did not cost me very much.....thanks to my wonderful mom who had this left over paint. I think all together my total cost for decoration, shower curtain, floor mats, and new toilet seat was probably about $35...not to bad for a bathroom that feels new:)

Idaho's first legal wolf

2009-09-02T10:07:00.000-06:00

Get a Room!!!

2009-08-31T07:31:00.000-06:00

So after a long drive back from Salmon on Saturday we walked into our house and Avery sat at the kitchen table eating some food while Matt brought in all the bags. When I had brought in all the bags I then walked toward the kitchen where Amie met me and I gave her a big squeeze and popped her back at the same time. After doing that I gave her a kiss and another hug and looked at Avery while hugging Amie and Avery looking back at me and rolling her eyes says, "Get a room!" I am not sure where she heard that one but needless to say it cracked us up!

Under Construction

2009-08-27T19:44:00.000-06:00

I have been making some fun changes to my house lately.....thanks to my family and their many talents. My kitchen and both bathrooms got a makeover......my whole family came up and helped me with all these projects. I can't thank them enough and I could never have done it without them, they are awesome. So hopefully soon I will post some pictures of the before and after shots:)

Parade

2009-08-27T19:37:00.000-06:00

Avery and I went to Gooding for the week to visit my family. It was during fair time so there was a big parade that we took the girls to. It was fun to watch the girls chase after the candy that was being thrown. They really got into it.

Avery stopped participating though after the State Farm bear walked by. She has a fear of mascots so she sat on Lara's lap and told Zina to run out and get the candy while she held the candy bag.....nice startegy....have someone else get all the goods for you:)

2009-08-27T19:31:00.000-06:00

This is Avery with our neighbor, he lives right next door to us and Avery loves to go visit him. He had no children of his own so Avery is kind of like his adopted granddaughter. This picture was taken on his 85th birthday.

Baby Names

2009-08-26T15:16:00.000-06:00

So we are having a hard time coming up with names for this baby. With Avery I just knew that should be her name but with this baby I am at a total loss.....so here are some of my ideas.....let me know which one's you folks like the best or leave some suggestions.....your help would be greatly appreciated.

-Prestley
-Addison
-Hailey
-Alley or Alli
-Sydney

That's all I have been able to come up with!

The Zoo

2009-08-24T23:24:00.000-06:00

Feeding the "animals"
I took Avery to the zoo for the first time and she loved it....especially the monkeys. We joined up with my friend Genn and a few of her friends and their kids. Avery was the oldest all the other children were 2 or under so she was really feeling like a big girl.
Trying to get them to hold still for a group photo was pretty much impossible.
Avery loved the monkeys...they were her favorite thing about the zoo. I enjoyed watching them as well until they decided to go "animal kingdom" on us and then I got a little worried that I would have to have the "birds and the bees" talk with my 3 year old. Luckily for me she excepted my explanation when she asked what they were doing.....I told her they were just wrestling. When she got home she told everyone how she went to the zoo and saw silly monkeys wrestling.:)

My Little Entrepreneurs

2009-08-24T23:01:00.000-06:00

Avery, Sam and Morgan find the best ways to keep themselves busy.....so far this summer they have had dance parties, they had their own garage sell....with fake money, they gathered up some of Avery's toys and had me come and buy them. They also set up their own beauty/massage shop. I was treated to a nice foot massage...pedicure included...thanks to Sam....she found out my feet are ticklish and took full advantage of making me squirm. The girls have also spent some time in the kitchen helping me make some delicious treats from cup cakes to doughnuts.....But their most successful venture was their lemonade stand. I think they made a $1.75 each....they had some generous customers.

It is too bad we live in a town of 200 people.....the odds of a successful lemonade stand were not in their favor......

The best thing about cooking treats is getting to like the bowl!

Sunday Nap

2009-08-24T22:57:00.000-06:00

This is usually how we spend our Sunday afternoons......I only wish Avery would nap the other days of the week.

Going Crazy

2009-08-24T22:46:00.000-06:00

I took Avery shopping for a little girls outing in Idaho Falls we had a great time but it took all day and on the drive home I was exhausted. Avery is in the stage where she asks a million questions and sometimes it gets to be too much.....we where half way home when she asks....

"Mom where are we going?" (this was probably the 5th time she had asked that question)

My response.."Where do you think I am going?"

"Ohhh I know....your going crazy....right mom?"

"Yep I'm going crazy."

I think she has heard that line a few times.

2009 Softball Champions

2009-08-10T11:33:00.000-06:00

Summer softball champions 2009

Yes it is another Matt Post

2009-08-10T09:21:00.000-06:00

This is the bull I shot last week thanks to a good friend Chad Williams and his Dad, Jerry. What a great hunt.....thanks for all the help and I am glad my hunting is over for the year! That is Elk hunting anyways!

Thank you Ross!

2009-07-09T13:54:00.000-06:00

The following is something my cousin said that I believe is right on the money!!

I believe, as the founding fathers did, that you first have to be consistently striving to do what is right/principled on an individual level, then on a family level, then on a nieghborhood level, then on a city level, then on a state level and lastly on a federal level. We often try to skip steps 1-5 and try to fix things on a federal level. ......maybe we, individually, should be more aware of what is going on around us politically and, even more importantly in my opinion, economically, rather than spend our time worrying about the next american idol and micheal jackson. Once we, individually, get our priorities straight our country will begin heading in the right direction, again. Or we could all just quit being productive members of society and join the "freeloaders"

South Dakota Prairie Dog Hunt

2009-06-26T12:01:00.000-06:00

My friend John Schriever invited me to join him and his crew on this 3 day weekend worth of fun shooting Prairie Dogs in South Dakota. It sure looks like I a lot of fun and I only wish I could have gone.