February is here!

The great thing about living in the city is that we have not been confined for the winter! We are still going and doing and the season is passing us by!
We have a busy month! Payton turns 6! The girls have parties for school. We attended the school carnival. The girls are still playing basketball on Saturday's until this weekend. The girls decided to take Zumba Kids on Thursday's. We are just 2 weeks into it but loving it! Halle has decided to play Saturday soccer but Payton decided to pass. She really wants to learn karate. Brian and I are tossing the idea around.
Here are a few pictures from the past 2 weeks.

What I'm doing...

OK...
I had this HUGE longish post telling you what I've been up too. Knowing that Blogger saves periodically I was confidant that I needed to reboot and my post was saved...it wasn't.
*sigh*
So what have I been up too?
I am getting back into digital scrapbooking after about a year off. My creative juice holder got a puncture and I was out of gas for a long time, but I am so excited to feel that creative spark again!

Along with making pages I have enrolled in a few digital scrapbooking type classes that I am SUPER excited about! The first is a Family History Album class that I have been collecting pictures from family members like crazy! I am excited to get digital copies of those photos so they are preserved!
This is the class:
http://www.jessicasprague.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.pbv.tabs.tpl&product_id=713&category_id=86&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=403

It is the first in a series and I can't wait to see what's next!

I am also enrolled in a hybrid class that starts tomorrow. It combines digital and paper crafting. I am most excited about learning to make Subway Art! If you don't know what it is check it out here:
http://proclamationpictures.blogspot.com/p/subway-art-family-rules.html

We are hosting Thanksgiving this year. My husband loves to entertain and cook for large numbers! I am excited for him and having family under our roof makes us happy!
BUT
That means that we are working like mad to get the house in order! We spent the weekend unpacking the last of the boxes, hooray! Now it's on to the rest of the little things!

Below are some pages I've made in the past month!

Goings on and Pages

WHOA! It's been awhile!
I don't really have any updates on the construction project. The drywallers are there now, and we have an estimated time for moving back in around October 14.

So busy other goings on?

Sofia got glasses. She is adorable in them! She also melted my heart. I was trying to hold her on my lap so we could fit the glasses on her face and make all of the adjustments, she was telling me to put her down and let her go when the lady put the glasses on her face she stopped squirming at once! She just looked around in amazement. On the way out to the van she watched her feet and shuffled and stumbled a bit because she was so busy looking around! On the way home she never took her eyes off of the scenery. She exclaimed, "look mom, a tree!" I shared the entire experience with Brian and he just smiled and nodded, not really seeing the emotional side of it, then when he returned from a meeting she exclaimed, "look dad, a tree!" while sitting on his lap and looking out the window. Then he got it :)

Halle starts school tomorrow. Just Pre Kindergarten but still SCHOOL! I have to say, it being the night before I am not a bit sad that she is going, but maybe tomorrow it will be different. I don't say that to be insensitive or mock other parents. But I do have a bit more understanding. Working in Child Care we had to master the art of goodbyes between parents and children. Also, I will have 3 other kids at home :) so I won't be lonely. And finally it's only from 9:30-1:00 and I have plans :) I hope to work the kids schedule around that, get them to nap and wake in time to get Halle, so it is really more of a chore having to drive her the 8 miles each way days a week, working schedules out with Brian etc...

And I've been wrapped up in reading lately. I just finished a GRAND novel by Gerald N Lund called The Undaunted. A great historical fiction (based on a true story, but fiction) novel about the LDS pioneers, which of course everyone knows I have a soft spot for.
Before that I went through Twilight, Breaking Dawn, the last 10 chapters of Breaking Dawn again and The Host all by Stephenie Meyer (yes, in that order. I don't care for New Moon at all, and only parts of Eclipse)

We are gearing up for Parker's 1st birthday! He has 2 bottom teeth, drinking juice from a sippy but milk, not formula from a bottle until he turns 1, eats people food with gusto, and loves chasing his sisters. He is walking around using items to hold onto and stands by himself and claps so hard he falls down :)

Here are a few new pages. The first of Sofia in her new glasses!

Update and a few more pages

With our new addition beginning this week or next things have been to say the least hectic. We are packing and Brian is demolishing, cutting down a tree in the front yard, taking the deck off, removing the outside stairs...etc. We will stay here during the construction of the addition and move out when the renovation on the main house begins. Yesterday we went to the flooring store and picked out carpet and vinyl for the house. Paint colors of course will be white :)

Payton starts Ballet the end of the month, I am SUPER excited! Halle starts pre kindergarten the end of September which is also Parker's 1st birthday! It's going to be busy!

I haven't posted recent pages so I thought I would. There are not too many new ones because the site I create for is down for a server upgrade until the middle of the month.
The first one is of Parker. The next 2 are of the kids on our trip to Boise.

I've been published!

WOO HOO! I've been published in the Artisan Notebook, a digital scrapbooking magazine!
They were looking for layouts using lyrics and I had 2 pages in this month!

Here is the cover of the magazine!

This is one of the two pages! It is of Sofia at Grandpa's 50th birthday party.
She loved that balloon!

New pages

Here are a few pages I've completed recently.

We had a FUN weekend. We swam 2 days in a row! Attended a parade! and watched and let off fireworks! That is a TON of stuff for these little ones, they are dragging today!

This week we've got birthday's and the following we are going to Boise with Brian for a conference and trip to the zoo, among other FUN things! What a busy month!

Pages

Here are a few pages I finished over the past few weeks!

New page and interview

WHEW it has been a week! I am SO GLAD it is FRIDAY!
We have so much to do, housekeeping wise, I am excited for Brian to be home so we can knock it all out!
Here is a scrapbooking page I made of Sofia



Here is an interview I did of the girls

I interviewed:
Halle: 3.5
Payton: 3

1. What is something mom always says to you?
Halle: no throwing, no biting, no putting, no pinching

2. What makes mom happy?
Halle: TV
Payton: Because I listen

3. What makes mom sad?
Halle: Because I don’t listen
Payton: You have a shot

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
Halle: she makes you giggle

5. What was your mom like as a child?
Halle: she life like happy and kinda friendly
Payton: a kid

6. How old is your mom?
Halle: Big
Payton: 3

7. How tall is your mom?
Halle: Big
Payton: You go to college

8. What is your mom's favorite thing to do?
Halle: get the laundry
Payton: stick in the mud

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
Halle: sleeps
Payton: mom’s tired

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
Halle:
Payton: she should be free

11. What is your mom really good at?
Halle: making cooking, making bottles

12. What is your mom not very good at?
Halle: I don’t know

13. What does your mom do for her job?
Halle: the laundry
Payton: Cuddling

14. What is your mom's favorite food?
Halle: water, sweet potatoes
Payton: Bread and Jam

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Halle: Ariel
Payton: Erica

17. What do you and your mom do together?
Halle: we do lots of things like some stuff,
Payton: we respect everything

18. How are you and your mom the same?
Halle: we are both a girl

19. How are you and your mom different?
Payton: we have different hair

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
Payton: How do I know she loves youm how do you know she’s mine (from Enchanted)

21. What does your mom like most about your dad?
Halle: he loves you
Payton: That he’s my father

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
Halle: to Home Depot
Payton: 2nd story attic

Chatty Cathy and new pages!

It snowed for the first time in weeks today, I guess it is supposed to snow all week :( so much for my fake Spring!

We are gearing up for Payton's birthday! She is SUPER excited! She picked out her "cakes" at Costco and is already talking about her doctors appointment, "I'm getting shocks in my bewwey!" for her 3 year old checkup. We talk about shots before hand and she is just as excited, but you should see the look on people's faces when she says that!

I've been scrapbooking like a mad woman! The race I mentioned in January is over this week, so is the online class I am in, but with a page or two left to do I am waiting for that sigh of relief!

So Laura! is a reader and we have the same great taste in almost every book :)
When she was here visiting last time she recommended I read a series of books
Poison Study, Magic Study, and Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder...
THANKS for the suggestion Laura!
I've listened to them twice in two weeks! Poor Brian, "Take those things out of your ears (referring to my headphones) I can't stand talking to you then having to repeat myself because you say Huh?" and Payton, "Mom...mom...mom...AMANDA ASHELL (Michelle) I AM TALKING TO YOU!" or Payton, "MOM CAN YOU HEAR ME, I'M TALKING TO YOU!"

As you can tell I am feeling exceptionally chatty tonight!
Parker slept 12 hours from last night to today! I went in 3 times and checked on him and woke up in the night to check on him, I guess all of that cushion sustained him longer last night :)

If you have ever been in our house you know that above our kitchen table there is a HIDEOUS hanging light, I won't call it a chandelier because I reserve that name for something nice!
Anyway we bought a NEW CHANDELIER! It is SO much brighter and there is even talk of matching the kitchen to the new light! WOO HOO!

So I will leave you with some pages I've been mad scrapping!

'night!

New Class, New Page

The 2nd Photoshop class started this week and this is our first page! I am SO excited to learn new tricks!

New page

Who knew 1 day cold be so long?
Brian left for a meeting before the sun was up yesterday and returned home around 11:30 last night...
BUT he's home now :) I don't have to worry about bad roads or dumb drivers *SIGH* He made it!

Today is a new day but unfortunately the same as any other :) One of the JOYS of being a Stay At Home Mom or SAHM in a speck of dust town or settlement with only the contents of our house for company :) that's a LOT to ask of a house :)

I took some cute pictures of Parker last night and hope to get them put up soon but for now here is a page I did for a Lyric Challenge of all of the kids first pictures of sleep :)

Art and Soul

Here is my remake for the race! Also included is my 4th page of the race, the criteria was Art and Soul! The picture is the art part, I LOVE the wings on Halle!

Pages and Ramblings

More pages!

It has been a long and trying week! I am SO glad that it is over!
I look forward to this weekend especially because we are decorating for Christmas! The girls are already SO excited or weary :) Halle keeps saying, "I don't want Santa to put me on the naughty list so I cleaned my room." We are done with our shopping for them and I am SO excited! Hopefully tomorrow it will be a lot more festive! I put up the Christmas clock that chimes a carol on the hour and the girls watch it constantly, the first day it was up they were never out of ear shot! CUTE!

So I got our Christmas card pictures done and managed to make a few pages of the extras :)
It is almost 1 am and here I am :) "not a creature was stirring not even a mouse" So I am going to enjoy my few minutes of peace before I hit the hay!

Whirlwind

It was a whirlwind of a day yesterday! Parker was up all night the night before and that morning Brian had to leave for work early to take a client to a doctors appt. while I got up and got everyone ready to go! We met in Lewiston and he took Halle and Payton and came home, I took Sofia and Parker to the doctor. Sofia got 2 shots for her 18 month checkup. Poor girl is only in the 9% for her weight! With thighs like those I was SURPRISED!
Parker got 4 shots :( poor guy! He now weighs 11 pounds!
So then I came home and dropped Parker and Sofia off and Brian and I went to Spokane for a DATE! We bought bread :) then went to my FAVORITE store Target! and ate at The Old Spaghetti Factory! We ended the night with a CONCERT! Jim Brickman was in Spokane for the first time in 3 years and the concert WAS fantastic! A mix of Holiday favorites and my personal all time favorites!
We got home around midnight or a little after and Parker had a fever of 101.8! I gave him some medicine and then a bath, when his fever still didn't come down I put ice in a bag and wrapped it in a blanket and swaddled him in another, that didn't work either! So here it is 3 AM and he still has a fever and just can't quite settle so I got a bottle and binkie and more medicine and we sat in the chair and rocked and rocked. His fever broke around 3:30 and then he wanted to play! It was SO cute! He cooed and smiled and gargled :) and I played too! Then around 4 I told him that it WAS time for bed and I wouldn't take no for an answer! I crawled into bed at 4:30 and out at well I don't know between 7 and 8! Julee our sitter came over at 10:00 and I went back to bed until 2! HEAVEN!
So
Here it is 11:30 and Parker still isn't settled, I am BEAT!
WHERE IS THE SANDMAN WHEN YOU NEED HIM?

Below is a page I did for Halle's Halloween costume!