Cousins

The girls.

The boys.

All 10.

Early this fall we decided that we needed a cousin picture, before all these kids go different ways. These are my parents 10 grandchildren- 5 girls and 5 boys !! 5 of them are mine, 2 are my sister Karen's, 1 my brother Aaron's, and 2 are my brother Colin's. (We're still waiting on Pat :) ) I'm so glad that they all get along so well and have made lots of memories together. It wont be long and some of them will be spread all over the world (possibly). Keiler will be leaving on a mission soon and Alex wont be far behind him. I'm so excited for both of them and the adventures awaiting them. Jordan is getting married in January and Ashley is only 1 1/2 years younger so who knows when the time will come for her :)

Thankful Thursday

For this month of Thanksgiving, I thought I would list 10 things I'm thankful for. They will be in no particular order :)
1. The Gospel of Jesus Christ
2. My wonderful parents who taught me so much and continue to teach me.
3. My awesome husband Greg who puts up with me.
4. Jordan, Keiler, Max, Dallin and Lauren- the best kids in the whole world!!
5. My Grandparents who are such an influence in my life.
6. Karen, Aaron, Patrick, and Colin- the best siblings anyone could ask for.
7. Rick, Melissa and Katrina- thanks for becoming part of our family :)
8. My house (and especially my craft room)
9. Greg's job !!
10. The best neighbors and friends I could ask for.

My Cousin David

Yesterday, my cousin David A. passed away from injuries suffered in a car accident. This is his beautiful family from last year (their youngest was not in the picture she turned 1 this summer). I don't have very many cousins, but spent my childhood living close to most of them. I have so many fun and silly memories of David. My favorite thing about him has always been his smile. It seems like everytime I ever saw him as a child or as an adult he had this big smile on his face. He will truly be missed.

Why Am I Doing This?

Last Saturday at Weight Watchers our leader challenged us to come up with 10 reasons why joined WW. She said to post our list somewhere where we would not forget so I decided to make it a blog post :)
These are in no particular order and it was way harder that I thought to come up with 10 reasons!!!

1. Jordan is getting married.
2. I want to coach Lauren's soccer team next fall.
3. I want to buy cute clothes.
4. I want to feel healthy.
5. I want my family to be healthy.
6. I want to feel better about myself.
7. I want to prove to myself that I CAN accomplish a goal.
8. I want to avoid health problems.
9. I want to go to Hawaii.
10. ??????

Simply Monday- Today

I'm not sure if my Monday was exactly SIMPLE and I know I didn't do any organizing or much cleaning but I did have lots of fun. Thanks Cassie and Tim for letting me be a part of your girls lives. They are so precious and I truly enjoy spending time with them.

Simply Monday- Homework Box

Having kids in Elementary school means lots of creative homework!! I've tried different things over the years to help my kids have an easier time getting their homework done. This year I have set up a homework area at our dining room table that never gets used for anything else. I also started the Homework Box that stores all the needed supplies for a variety of homework projects. I've added a few things already and have thought of a few more we need but overall it has made doing homework and cleaning up afterwards EASY!! On the dining room table is also a basket for each of them to put their reading books and paperwork on upcoming projects in. That way there is no missing assignments and no searching for books. I'm so hopeful that this will be a Simple way to keep my kids organized (at least for school!!)

Simply Monday (?????)

So earlier in the year I started Simple Monday as part of my simplifying strategy, has it worked? I've fallen behind in all my plans to organize my home and my life. Do I have an excuse? Not really, I just start to many projects before finishing the last one :) I'm hoping to use the next few weeks to finish some of the things I started this summer and I'm going to do them one at a time!!! Today though I will be doing- Carpool, t-shirt dyeing at Cub Scouts, Orthodontist Appt for Dallin, Sewing a quilt together for Relief Society (it was supposed to be done last Wednesday), Cleaning the kitchen, catch up on laundry, planning camping trip for next weekend, soccer practice, and FHE. So I guess I will start the other projects tomorrow......

Simply Monday- Back to School (Clothes)

Well, it's time to start thinking of back to school issues :( I love summer and am not looking forward to school starting. The kids on the other hand are already talking about who their teachers could be and which friends will end up in their classes. All the back to school advertising has also inspired me to get started on making our morning SIMPLE. The first thing that I have to work on is helping Lauren with her wardrobe issues. She is always asking me to help her pick out clothes but never wants to wear what I pick. This is my new strategy- I bought a low hanging clothes hanger for her closet which will have outfits sorted for easy choices in the mornings. She prefers to wear skirts so I have them sorted with matching shirts and all her knit shorts and leggings stay in one drawer so she can easily choose what to wear under the skirt. It has worked well this summer and I'm hoping for the same results as school starts ;)

Cat Nap

We love our cat Sebastian, he is almost 12 years old but usually still acts like he's young. I didn't want to leave his adventures out of our blog, so I've been snapping pictures of him whenever I find him in a funny place. He's been in our family so long I don't know what we would do without him.

His favorite nap place is freshly dried laundry, he climbs into the middle of it and falls asleep :)

He loves boxes of all types and whenever there is an empty one around he finds it.

His favorite chair. (Even when Lauren's doll is there)

He's not supposed to be on the table but when the sun shines through he just can't help it. (Or maybe he just wanted to play with Dallin's legos)

This is where we find him most of the time. Especially in the morning when I'm trying to make the bed. He lets us know at night when he's ready for us to come to bed and curls up at my feet as soon as I'm in bed.

Simply Monday- Family Calendar

I have this white board weekly calendar on the wall in the laundry room to help us remember all the daily activities we have. Normally I update this on Sunday from my planner and then on Monday night we go over it at Family Home Evening. Somehow though I haven't done much updating this summer and have forgotten a few activities till the last minute. Like this morning at 9:45 when I realized that it was Monday and cubscouts starts at 10:00. Luckily it wasn't at my house today so I made it to Lori's on time but with wet hair and no make-up :) I don't think the boys noticed. I love having this calendar where everyone can see it so that when someone asks me if they can do something, I just have them check the calendar to see what's going on. Hopefully my Simply Monday posts will help me this summer since I feel like I've lost my simplifying attitude in the last few weeks.

Summer Camping

Last year we bought a camping trailer and LOVED it!!! It made it so much better and easier to enjoy the experience of family camping. This year we decided to upgrade a little so that we could have more room. It's amazing how much better I sleep knowing that Lauren can't fall off the top bunk onto me (it did happen once last year). Although last weekend she tried to get off the top bunk by herself and landed on the floor and kicked Dallin in the head, just glad it wasn't me :) So far this year we've been to Deer Creek Resevoir (above pictures) and Palisade State Park. We did just a quick trip to Palisade so we could see the Mormon Miracle Pageant in Manti, which was really fun. This coming weekend will be our longest trip of the year since Monday is a holiday so we can stay an extra day without Greg taking time off work. We are going to Bear Lake with my brother Aaron and his family.

Simply Monday, Notebooks

I love notebooks, pads of paper, or anything easy to write notes on. I usually keep one on the kitchen table during the day and if I think of something I need to do, I write it down. I'm sure its partly an age thing, but I seem to easily forget what I need to be doing :) I also keep one in my purse for shopping lists or when I see something I really like I write it down so I don't forget where I saw it, what size it is or what I wanted it for. I also write extra chores on it for the kids and they know where to look if I say there are a few things they need to do. I usually buy a bunch of these after school starts when Target marks down all the back to school items then I don't need to buy them so often during the year (unless I see a really cute one at the store.)

No more...

Last week when I went to the Dr. in trying to still figure out this digestive problem I have, she asked if I was drinking carbonated sodas. I said "Of course not". I'm such a liar :) So, I decided that since I need to be telling the truth I better quit drinking it. I thought it would be really hard since I tend to be quite tired from the medication that I take but suprisingly it hasn't been bad!! I miss the flavor but oh well, I shouldn't have been drinking it in the first place. Greg is thrilled that he doesn't have to share his soda with me anymore :)

Curls

Lauren has been bugging me forever to get her curlers so she could have curly hair. So Friday I finally bought some and we triend them out that night. She did well sleeping with curlers in and woke up extra early Saturday to check it out. Doesn't she look cute??

The Beach :)

The beach was tons of fun!! Dallin especially loved it, he spent most of the time running in the water. Lauren hated the seaweed so she didn't get her feet in much. We buried Keiler in the sand and played with his kites. We mostly just wanted the little kids to have this experience since they have never been to the beach before even though they were both born in CA.

Knotts Berry Farm

Just a few pictures from our fun day at Knotts Berry Farm. We decided to try a new (to us) theme park this time to So Cal. We just went to Disneyland 1 1/2 years ago and Legoland at that time too. It was a fun day, the big kids and Greg loved all the roller coasters and the little kids just enjoyed everything. The last ride they went on was the wooden roller coaster. Lauren, Jordan, Kyle, Max and Keiler went on it and loved it!! Lauren wasn't sure about all the roller coasters most of the day and was nervous to go on them (although she loves roller coasters and is never afraid of them). Finally Jordan convinced her to go and it was definately worth it. We probably wouldn't go there again but it was fun one time. It was half the price of Disneyland but half the fun too :)

Graduates

Not the best pictures but just wanted to officially document the graduations of these 2 boys. Kyle's graduation (2nd picture) was indoor at a civic center in downtown San Diego. Luckily Dallin played his DS the whole time and didn't complain about sitting around for 2 hours. Keiler's graduation was outside in the stadium at his high school and it was hot and sunny. We got to sit on cement bleachers with the sun shining right in our faces :) It took us awhile to realize that Keiler was straight in front of us but that was so cool when we figured it out. The poor graduates were sitting facing the sun the whole time in their hot caps and gowns. So excited for both the boys and the next step they will be taking. (Can't wait to find out what that will be :))

I love this picture

Just wanted to do a quick blog post since we are leaving this afternoon to see two of these handsome boys graduate from High School in San Diego. It is strange that now we will have 3 adult children. I can't believe how fast the time has gone. I remember Keiler's first day of Kindergarden, even then he wasn't thrilled to go to school :) Kyle was 7 the first time I met him and its been fun watching him grow up too. I hope to get lots of pictures while we are in CA and will hopefully post them next week. For now CONGRATULATIONS Keiler and Kyle for making it through 13 years of school, now onto the next adventure :)

12 hours later

Yesterday morning, Lauren was up and ready for the day at 6:45. She even asked if she could go outside and play. I told her it was like when we are camping and there are quiet hours, the same goes with the neighborhood :) We did our daily walk at 8:15 when Sammy got to our house, which the kids didn't enjoy as much as I did. Then they spent the rest of the day playing hard with all their friends. We stuck to our lunch at noon schedule but when dinner time came around I let them play a little longer. We finally had dinner at 6:30 and by 6:45 pm this is what I saw at the kitchen table. She was so exhausted that I had a hard time getting her to her bed and luckily she is still asleep this morning.

Simply Monday- Dishes

Well, I almost didn't do a post today, but since this is mainly a reminder to me to live simply I thought I better do something :) This summer with Sammy here everyday and making lunches for the 3 kids I thought I'd come up with something easy for all of us. Dallin, Lauren, and Sammy all have their own color dishes and those are all the dishes they can use each day. I've shown them how to rinse their cups to be reused during the day and also how to wash their dishes and put them in the dishwasher. It saves me time by getting them to clean up after themselves and since they all have different colors I will always know who didn't do their dishes, or who left them sitting on the table. We are having a set lunch time so they know when they have to be home from friends houses. Also trying to have healthy meals so they wont ask for so many snacks during the day. Hopefully we will get Dallin to try some fruits and veggies this summer when he sees Lauren and Sammy eating them all the time. (At least I can dream :))

Simply Monday- Double Up

I don't love to cook. I don't know why but I think the deciding what to make is just as bad as the cooking itself. What I do love though is making everything as simple as possible and still having a meal that my family will eat. One thing that has worked for me is making extra. Especially things like lasagna and chicken enchilada which take awhile to make but my family loves. So, the solution I've found is to make a double recipe and freeze the second portion. I use the disposable tin pans and cover them in tin foil. They are easy to freeze in and easy to cook and even easier to clean up (gotta love the garbage can!) Some other things that I make extra of are sweet pork and shredded chicken for bbq chicken sandwiches. These are so easy to throw in the crock pot and then freeze the extras in ziploc containers. When I was a single, working mom and didn't have lots of spare time, I would cook up a few pounds of ground beef every week or two and freeze it in separate containers to make throwing it into a pasta sauce or casserole super easy. We are going to be using this idea alot this summer with our camping trips. It will save money and time and make easy meals to take with us.

Random Info

Before U2 started singing they had all this random information flowing around the screen. I made sure to take a picture of the " Blog Posts Today" the numbers all kept changing too. It was so cool. Some of the info they had was a little depressing but it was all really interesting. They also showed the time in various places. I didn't know that some cities are 30 minutes different than everyone else. It was something to do while waiting the hour between when the Fray was done and U2 started.

Over half of my life...

I have wanted to see U2 in concert. It was definately a dream come true and an awesome experience.

This screen that they had above the stage was so cool, you could see the band so well and also they had some videos and pictures of them when they were younger that they also put on the screen.

I know these pictures aren't the best but they will be a constant reminder to me of the fun we had last night.

Simply Monday

I Love Disinfecting wipes!!!! They are perfect for the quick cleanups and easy for the kids to use to help clean things like baseboards, light switches and door handles. Lauren love to help with those types of cleanups. I have tried all 3 of these and usually just buy whichever is on sale at Costco. The Clorox wipes say they have a streak free clean but I disagree, they are also thinner and wetter than the others so they are my least favorite. Lysol wipes are my favorite except that they don't fit easily into bathroom cabinets and other small spaces. The Kirkland wipes are the easiest to store and easiest to remove from the container. I think they do just as good of a job as the Lysol ones and are a little cheaper.
I keep one in each bathroom, the laundry room and the kitchen. I know they aren't the best for heavy cleaning but they make cleaning those small problems so quick and easy. It makes it so easy to stop in the bathroom and do a quick cleaning every day. Anything to make my life easier is great for me :)

One project done

This is the project I was working on for Jessica's friend Heather. I made the carseat canopy and nursing cover with material she picked out. I think it turned out pretty cute. She wanted minky on the back of the canopy which was a pain to work with but super cute when done. I just hope her little boy doesn't get too hot with the extra thick layer. Oh, and I finally got a new camera, nothing fancy but I should be posting better pics than from my ipod soon. Just have to get my computer working so I can stop using Max's :) I'm super excited about my next project- cushions for my patio furniture thats on the front porch. I bought the fabric a few weeks ago and just got the foam this weekend. Hope to get it done soon.

Simply Monday

I love these Snapware containers. They fit nicely in my pantry (2 deep) and are perfect for bulk foods or #10 cans from the cannery. Winco has a nice variety of bulk foods and all their mixes come with recipe cards. I made these cute labels with scrapbook paper and laminated them. They are tied on with thin ribbon that can easily be removed when they need to be washed. The front of the label shows what is in the container and the back has the directions for cooking it (except the basics like sugar and flour). The 0nly downside to these containers is that they are not dishwasher safe.

Dear Julie

This is what I found in Lauren's room after having a difficult morning of getting ready for school :) (At the bottom in yellow it says " Do not erase Sammy" which made it even better!!)

Yummy...

Just because I shouldn't eat them doesn't mean I can't smell them :) I love this new candle I got today, I've had lemon ones before but this one really made my whole main floor smell awesome!!

Simply Monday

This is one of my favorite simplifying items in my home. Thanks to my friend Darci who showed this idea at an organizing class about 4 years ago. This is an over-the-door shoe organizer that I use for the items most needed during the different seasons. It is hanging on the laundry room door which also leads to the garage. All winter it is filled with winter gloves, hats and scarves. Now that it's finally getting warm out, I have switched to my spring/summer items like sunscreen and bug spray. I also keep umbrellas there since you never know what to expect with the weather :) Some items are year long such as the brushes, hair spray, and rubber bands for those hurry out the door mornings. Its also a good place for bandaids and other first aid supplies that you may need quickly. This has saved me so much time and space and I love it!!!

Mother's Day, By: Dallin

Dallin's class did some fun activities for their mothers. I didn't want to wait till Sunday to look at all of it and I'm glad I didn't. They made a cute little book that they filled in the answers to some basic questions. I just wanted to share a few here.

Her favorite place to shop is.... Anywhere
She is 41 years old and her best friends are... the whole family
If my mom had a day all to herself she would.. do whatever she wants
My mom's favorite treat is... Jujy Fruits
I think my mom looks prettiest when... she's laughing.
The most special gift I could give my mom would be... my help

I'm so glad that he knows me so well !!!!!

Simply Monday

I've decided that on Mondays I'm going to post an idea for simplifying my life. This will either be something I have been doing or a new idea that I have found somewhere. Hopefully it will inspire someone else to try the same thing. Today I'm just going to start with a quote I recently found that is part of my inspiration for as I try to make my life more simple.

"The key is not to prioritize your schedule but to schedule your priorities." Stephen R. Covey

I've discovered that by thinking of what my priorities really are and the reasons that they don't always come first it has helped me with organizing my life.

Live Simply

A few years ago I bought this vinyl to put up somewhere in my house. I couldn't figure out where to put it cause it didn't quite "fit" in any of my rooms, but I love the saying. This year as we have set the goal of organizing and simplifying I decided that I needed to find a place to put it. It's now on the wall in the laundry room right by the door to the garage. I figured that would do me the most good since it's a constant reminder as I leave the house that I don't need to find all the good deals on the stuff I don't really need :) We have been working real hard on spring cleaning, maybe when we are done it will finally be spring. I know the reason that it's so hard for me to keep my house super clean is that we have toooooo much stuff. If I would simply take this statement to heart all the time then it would be much easier to follow. I can't complain about the snow today since we cleaned out our bedroom closet for the first time in 5 years. Greg has also spent lots of time cleaning out the garage!!! I started the organizing back in February with my Craft Room and now I've come full circle and need to clean it again, wish me luck!