My weekend away in Instagram photos {York, PA. 2012}

I really wanted to have Ady’s birthday posted by now or even Halloween, but sadly I haven’t gotten to those pictures yet.  I am actually sitting in the car right now while we travel to San Antonio for Thanksgiving.  We are having a non traditional holiday and spending it at Sea World.  So I get to sit here and enjoy the drive and spend time on my computer.  Which is the ONLY reason I like road trips.  My husband loves them while I feel suffocated.  Somehow we make it work.  :)

My new favorite thing these days is Instagram.  The quality of the images are not the best, but the picture is done and a short story about our day is shared so quickly.  Right now that is working for me.  So those of you that follow me on Instagram have probably already seen these photos.  Sorry y’all.  I’ll make up for it later.

A few weeks ago I hopped on a plane all by myself and headed to Pennsylvania to visit my dearest friend.  I couldn’t wait!  We hadn’t seen each other in 10 months.  Both of us could not believe it had been that long.  We are used to seeing each other at least every 6 months.  Sometimes life gets too busy and time gets away from us.  Thank goodness for free air mileage and a husband who is more than willing to party it up with the kids while I am away. 

 

Even the airport with out kids is a vacation. 

Usually when you visit a place you have never been before you want to go out and explore everything you possibly can.  This time all I really wanted to do was hang out at home with Andrea and just be us.  Andrea’s home is my home away from home.  I feel like I am in the comfort of  my own home with out all of the hustle and bustle of my real life.  It was the perfect vacation.  That is when you know you have found a very best friend.  When you travel across the country and what makes you the happiest is spending time together at home.  Staying up late catching up, watching our favorite shows, sitting on the computer or playing with our phones side by side.  Yep, the simple things make us happy!

We did get out and go to the Eastern Market where they buy most of their produce.  Some produce that I haven’t even seen before.  And to the farm to buy fresh milk.  It was a really fun and different experience to see how parts of life in Pennsylvania are so different.  In a good way.  I saw the Amish working the market.  We stayed for lunch and had the best chicken pot pie.  It was a good day.

 

I was spoiled at home with yummy treats like homemade funnel cake. 

I had my own personal hair dresser.  Sweet Tessa!

 

My kids would call me to say goodnight.  They can’t get enough of face time!

I loved every second I spent with one of my favorite families.  We are blessed to be able to share in each others lives. 

  

Thank you for having me and thank you to my hubby for letting me go! 

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!

Back to School {2012} and Back to Blogging

Oh goodness.  I don’t even know where to begin.  I feel like I am relearning a foreign language sitting here at my computer putting my thoughts into words right now. 

How do I do this again??? 

I’m sure it will come back to me.  Kind of like riding a bike again, I guess.  I hope so!

All of my family, friends, blog readers and myself will be very glad to get past the Easter post that has been sitting here for the past 5 months.  MOVING ON ALREADY!  Sheesh…

I don’t feel like being very wordy right now and spilling my guts and all of the feelings I have been sorting through for awhile now, but I will say that I desperately needed a break and now I desperately need the therapy that comes along with blogging.  There is something special and refreshing about working on a post and then pushing the publish button.  It makes ME feel alive again and that is what I have missed.  I have missed celebrating my life with others.  Taking pictures, putting words to them and documenting my family’s life story makes me feel like my life is real.  I have proof of this wonderful life and all of the many things we do each day.  Sometimes it doesn’t feel so wonderful.  It feels a little overwhelming actually, but sharing my life with others helps me search more diligently for the good in each and every day.  The good from the great big milestones to the little quiet moments in a day that could easily get overlooked if I wasn’t paying attention.  I want to appreciate all of the blessings I have! 

OK.  So maybe I will back up for a minute after all and make this just slightly wordy.  I am in my own little therapy session right now.  My blogging therapy.  :)  Here we go…

Life can get so busy and I have to make decisions on how I spend my time every day.  Each Spring I struggle with keeping up on everything.  It is my family’s busiest time of year.  Last May I made the hard decision to put the computer behind me.  COMPLETELY BEHIND ME.  I was starting to resent all of the time I spent on the computer and how it seemed like everything had to be done through the computer.  I needed to focus on the voice inside my own head and not pay attention to the voices of others from all over the entire world.  Sometimes in the Internet-world things are at our fingertips too easily.   I felt good about the decision.  I knew I needed to get back to the basics of my life.  I wanted the undivided time with my family and to completely live in the moment with them.  I truly enjoyed our time together and always putting them first – no matter what. 

But then (there is always a but) I realized how much time had passed and all of the things I let go.  I honestly couldn’t remember why I loved my hobbies before.  I was fully aware of how much time they took and how I was always busy doing something, but I couldn’t remember the why’s.  Why were they important to me?  Why did I do the things I did?  I sat on that thought for a long time, waiting for an answer to come.  I knew something was missing, something that completed me. That sounds funny and slightly dramatic because really my faith, family and friends complete me and I have those things, but there was a piece of me that was empty.  I realized  the ache that I couldn’t push away (and trust me,  I tried really hard to push that feeling away) was my hobbies.  They made ME … ME.  They made me as a person, interesting and an individual.  I have something to offer others when I am an individual.  I also realized that my well was completely dry.  For the first time in my life I fully understood the importance of having water in my well.  I needed to give water to others and I needed water reserves for myself so I could get through the periods of drought. 

The light bulb went on.  Ohhhhh…so that’s what they mean by that.  I get it!  Lesson learned.  We as mothers need to provide for ourselves.  For our individual selves.  We are worth it!  Our families and others around us will benefit.  I know this is true.  Life is a game of balance and I need to remember to continually put myself back in the game. 

Anyway, I felt slightly overwhelmed wondering where to start with this blog of mine but then I realized it really didn’t matter.  I just needed to get the first post done.  After a long break from anything the first is always the hardest but it gets easier and the juices start flowing again.  So here it is…

Back to School {2012}  This is a special request from Nana Moes.  Thank you for not giving up on me!  I love you.  This is a great way to stay in touch and I will not forget that. :) 

The kids started the school year towards the end of August.  They just finished up their 6th week of school.  6 weeks already?! 

Drew is in First Grade. 

He is still the same ol’ Drew – loveable, cuddly, sweet and sensitive with the role of “annoying little brother” perfected at times.  His big brother is still his #1 idle and best friend.  He has become quit the reader and is doing great with Math.  He has discovered a new sport – Soccer.  This is his first season playing soccer.  He enjoys every minute and is so much fun to watch on the field.  He keeps telling me he loves soccer more than baseball.  I tell him he is breaking my heart and I just can’t part with those cute little bum hugging baseball pants. He thinks that is hilarious and laughs like crazy!

Jake is in Fourth Grade.

Jake is still our boy full of knowledge and facts.  He enjoys reading advanced books of all kinds and remembers everything. He gives me a play by play of his day the second he walks through the door.  He loves to talk and share everything!  He has the best sense of humor and can take a joke like no other.  His laugh is the best!   He is passionate about football and gathers a group of neighborhood friends together every single day to play football in our side yard.  I hope he remembers these days!

Kaylee is in Sixth Grade.

This is a mile stone year for Kaylee.  It is her first year of Jr. High. Yikes!  She has grown up so much.  Almost over night it feels like.  She is having a very positive experience so far and I am so proud of her for all the things she is doing and accomplishing.   She is taking all Pre-AP classes which means a lot more homework.  She is also enrolled in the off-campus P.E. program with our swim team, which is great because instead of taking P.E. at school, she gets to take one more elective, but it also means she has to attend swim practice everyday after school.  She moved up a level at swim this year so she is spending 1 hour and 30 min to 1 hour and 45 min a day at swim practice.  This girl was exhausted during the first couple weeks of school!  I thought maybe we would need to switch something around because I wasn’t sure how she was going to do it all.  We had a nice long chat about time-management and being able to push through hard things and feel proud about yourself at the end of it.  A couple weeks ago it all fell into place for her and clicked.  She was like a new girl!  This also is a milestone year for her because she is getting braces.  She is in the process of it right now and will probably have them on in the next month or so.  She thought the spacers were going to kill her.  I am dreading what the actual braces are going to be like. :(

Here is Kaylee and one of her BFF’s, Victoria, on the first day of school.  No more walking them in ever again.  Curb side check only!  I was pleasantly surprised they paused long enough for us to snap a few pictures.  This friendship is extra special because her mom and I had the same friendship growing up.  It is so fun for Sara and I to live the dream of raising our children together and watch them form strong friendships.  We have benefited so much from living by one another.  I only wish it could be forever! 

Ady’s 3rd birthday is right around the corner so she will get highlighted soon enough!

Thank you for coming back to read my blog and to support my family in all that we do.  It feels good to be back!

Life’s Journey {what has helped me}

I mentioned a while back that I was having a hard time with life.  There are two things that changed everything for me.  I know that there were many little daily things that needed to change and things I needed to view differently, but two distinct things changed my view on day to day life dramatically.  I will share those two things in just a sec. 

I believe that technology can be a blessing in our lives just as much as it can be an invader and time stealer from ourselves and those around us.  A couple of weeks ago I learned what a huge blessing it can be if I use technology and my time the right way.  Because I was doing this, I was blessed by stumbling across two articles that I needed to read.  I know that I didn’t actually “stumble” across them at all.  They were there for me to find at that particular time. 

The first one is from Brooke Snow.  She writes an amazing blog about Photography and life in general. I always learn something from her.  Every week she posts about things she has found on the internet that have helped her or she has found uplifting or interesting.  I look forward to these posts from her.  She titles it “Best of…my weekly discoveries.”  Don’t click on these links yet, but this particular Best of led me to this amazing article about our to-do lists and time-management.

I want to get the background set up for you.  This article changes the focus of our to - do lists from the list itself to the actual how and why we do things.  Something that I really needed to learn.  The part that made me stop and really contemplate this perspective was when he said we are creating our Legacy with our daily to-do’s.  Now go back up and click.

Wow!

Legacy has always seemed like such a big word.  It is full of so much meaning!   To use it in a day to day context really made me think.  What he says is so true.  What do you think?

The second one is from a new blog I found.  Cajun Joie de Vivre.  Amy Bayliss is a Christian blogger who writes about so many different topics, including recipes and organizing and crafty projects, which is how I happened to “stumble” across her.  I was organizing a few things on my Pinterest boards.  I was sorting through my For the Blog board, printing some free printables, one of which was from her.  One thing led me to the next on her blog and I found myself hooked reading so many wonderful things that I needed to read.   This is the article that was meant for me.  She sorted out everything that was all jumbled up in my head and put it into words.  She made sense of everything for me.  The concept she writes about are things I already have been taught and know to be true, but I needed to read her words.  I’m not even going to try to explain what she says because she does so perfectly.  Her article is lengthy, but it really was life changing for me so if you feel like you don’t know what you are doing anymore, your days aren’t making any sense and you are pedaling your wheels and getting no where, read her post. 

Just thought I would pass some very good reads your way and a little bit of my own life lessons.  Maybe it will help you like it helped me. 

ME…A New Me (kindof)

Have you ever felt the need to reinvent yourself?  Just start from scratch?  Not that you would be completely different than you are right now,  maybe just tweaked a little here and there.  Softened around the edges.

I have. 

Maybe you feel like you got lost somewhere along the way and you are wondering WHY you do the things you do each and every day. 

I have had those feelings.

I am sure you noticed my blogging absence lately.  I have been doing a lot of  reinventing.  A lot of quiet time trying to get to the bottom of things.  Things like how I spend my time each day. Why I insist on rushing around all day long.  The things that are keeping me busy… are they important…to me, to my family, to Heavenly Father?  What REALLY makes ME happy?  What makes me tick?  Do you ask yourself those kind of questions? 

I try not to honestly.  Sometimes they can be scary to come clean about.  But sometimes it’s just necessary. 

After I really gave myself time to think about it, I realized I was too busy to be truly happy.  The kind of happy that you feel deep down.  Not just surface happy.  I was surface happy, but I was also exhausted all the time and sleep deprived, like most moms.  And honestly, I was sick of feeling that way!  I needed to slow down.  But how?  As I thought about this… what needed to change, why my life feels so out of control, what is a better way for me to manage my day, I kept thinking about how life was before we moved to Texas, when we used to live in Utah.  For some reason those days felt simpler to me.  I didn’t feel like I was getting pulled in every direction possible.  I remember barely checking my e-mail.  I was hardly ever on the computer.  How would that be now, when your computer and your cell phone is the main source of communication?  Technology has come a long way and can be a blessing in our lives, but was I using it wisely?

What I was craving were quiet afternoons while kids were napping or having quiet time themselves so I could sit and read a book.  Going to bed at a decent time so I could wake up feeling refreshed because, guess what? I didn’t stay up until 1:30 in the morning finishing up projects, lists, posts, cleaning and whatever else I thought was more important than sleep. I decided it was time for me to make new priorities and take the simpler route.   No more excessive time on the computer. I started going to bed early and getting up early, exercising, reading (I read the Hunger Games Series…AWESOME! ) I started being more dedicated to spiritual things like reading my scriptures and saying my prayers regularly.  I was able to cook more often and stay on top of my chores.  I was enjoying this new laid back pace where I didn’t give myself deadlines and squeeze in a million extra things. 

But something was still missing.

I was missing. 

ME. 

The person I always knew and the person I  had become.

I had taken away everything I loved to do. The creative side of me anyway.  Which helps define who I am.  Blogging, photography, creating around my house and scrapbooking are all important to me.  That is part of what makes me tick and what makes me happy.  I decided my routine needed to change so that I could squeeze ME back into the equation.  And guess what? It is working!  I still don’t have all the time I would like to have, but a little bit of creative time is so much better than nothing at all.       

I HAVE LEARNED moderation in all things is key.  I personally need a little bit from every category.  Sleep, reading, exercise, creative time, time with family and friends, responsibilities and spiritual growth. 

I HAVE LEARNED that reading the scriptures every day and personal prayer really do help.  Early to bed and early to rise is the smartest thing ever!  These two things go hand in hand.  No wonder I have been taught this from my parents and church leaders since I was little.  Just because I am a grown up doesn’t mean I shouldn’t listen. :)

I HAVE LEARNED not to ignore myself.  Each of us are different and need different things to keep our blood pumping.  Now I know what mine is.  Have you thought about what yours is?

I HAVE LEARNED that I am a better mother and wife when I take time for myself and when my life doesn’t involve having to be responsible all the time.

I HAVE LEARNED that routines are always changing and that is ok. 

I HAVE LEARNED that listening to our inner voice is the way we gain strength and peace. 

So much learned, but so much more TO LEARN.

While I was at it, I decided to reinvent my blog.  Do you like it?  It had gotten lost somewhere along the way too.  I am rededicating myself to my blog…because I want to.  Because journaling about my thoughts and my family and our home make me happy.

Here is a photo for you that makes me happy and want to be a better me.

I have been updating my 365 Blog.  Feel free to check it out!

It’s Time…

It’s time for me to weed out some space on this blog of mine.  It’s time for me to clear my mind and hopefully start blogging better and on a more regular basis.  I’m not making any promises but it’s time for me to start on a clean slate since it’s a  New Year, so that is exactly what I’m going to do.  I love this time of year.  January is probably one of my favorite months. 

In order for me to clear up some space here, I have two new blogs.  I need to spread things out a little bit.  Krysta Moes Photography and These are the Days: Project 365.  This will keep things more organized for me and hopefully motivate me to keep posting. 

So…

If you want to see some heartwarming welcome home photos,

 

A beautiful maternity shoot,

and an adorable newborn named Piper (don’t you love that name?)

Then click here.  This is where I will update all of my photography shoots.  No more mixing them with my family blog. 

If  you have been following me with my Project 365 journey, then you probably think I have given up.  I would if I were you.  I am almost 2 months behind posting these.  I have not given up.  I have been taking photos every.single.day.  I just haven’t been posting them.  These past couple months have been more than a little crazy for me.  But I am trying to get back in the swing of things.  So, if you want to see what we have been up to for the month of November, click here.  You will have to scroll back several pages to get the whole scoop, but it’s all there.  I plan on getting December up soon.  There are other things that need to happen first, but I will get to it soon. :)

It is also time for me to walk by the beat of my own drum.  I am making my own rules.  I am done putting pressure on myself to get a million things done each day and then feeling bad when it doesn’t happen.  Life is too short to spend my days feeling overwhelmed.  I am a list maker.  It keeps me moving forward and clears my mind.  The only problem is…

I don’t know how to stop adding things to the list.  I was at the dentist office the other day, waiting for Kaylee and reading a magazine when I ran across a  great tip. 

Keep your daily list to 3 prioritized things each day.

What was that?  3??? Wow!  That is a HUGE difference compared to mine, which usually has 14 things.  I decided that I was going to do that.  It’s time for me to slow down and enjoy where I am in life and stop getting caught up in all of the To-Do’s.  I think that is going to make the biggest difference for me. 

I am reading the book Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach.  I started it about a week ago.  It has been so good for me.  My mother in law bought if for me for Christmas.  It was one of the best gifts.  In Simple Abundance she recommends making Aspirations for the New Year instead of Resolutions.  That is what I decided to do.  Resolution sounds like such a heavy word.  Aspiration sounds so much lighter and calm.  That’s what I need these days.  Light and calm. 

If I chose words to describe what I hope will reflect the year 2011 they would be:

Simplicity

Love

Patience

Spirituality

Knowledge

Creativity

Frugal

Memories

Confidence and

Strong

And there are some of my thoughts for a happy, worthwhile 2011!!  I hope yours is off to a great start.

Right Now…

 

 

(Yes, I am cheesy and I took a picture of myself)

1. I am missing the fall weather in Utah.  I get that homesick feeling every September and it lasts through Christmas.  I’m not sad, but for me there is no place like Utah during the fall and through the holidays.

2. I got my hair done a week ago and I cut 3” or more off.  So far I like the change.

3. I hardly ever like photos of me.  I am trying to get over that and take it for what it’s worth.

4. I would love to take a whole day, stay in my pajamas, not do any chores and read. All. Day. Long.

5. I finally have a good routine of going to bed on time and waking up early to exercise.  I love it!  I love feeling refreshed in the morning from a good nights sleep and having quiet time by myself first thing in the morning. 

6. Scrapbooking makes me really, really happy.  I don’t do it nearly enough but I need to even if I don’t think I have enough time.  It’s like my happy medicine.  If I can blog a couple of posts a week than I can get two pages done a week.  No more excuses!  

7. I am hooked on Words With Friends.  Sometimes I have 5 games going at a time.  I love taking a break out of the day and using my brain in a different way.  I usually unwind with this game before I go to bed. 

8.  I am so excited for fall T.V.!!!  I can hardly wait.  Do you want to know what I watch?  Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Brothers and Sisters, Private Practice and Dancing With the Stars (not sure when the last one is coming on)

9. I feel the holidays rolling around and I am excited to make things festive around here.  

10. I feel in awe of my life a little bit each day.  Most of my days are busy and chaotic and I feel like I take 3 steps forward and 5 steps back, but I still get glimpses of magical moments each day that make all the bad so worth it.  Sometimes I am overpowered with the realization that I am living my dreams.  I really am.  I have a husband who has exceeded my expectations and 4 beautiful children.  4 was my number for as long as I can remember and I made it!  I have a beautiful home and I am blessed to stay home with my children.  I can remember being a little girl and dreaming for all of these things to be in my future. Not a day goes by that I am not thankful for my dreams coming true.   

Summer Prep – Part 5

 

Or should I say “You Time”?  I think that we need to take time for ourselves this summer.  Time to think about what we want to do.  Doing something that makes us happy, just for us, even if it’s only in half hour amounts of time.  I want to have happy children in my house and I want to enjoy being with them, but in order for me to really do that I need to know that there is time for me too. 

Elder M. Russell Ballard said,  “Even as you try to cut out the extra commitments, sisters, find some time for yourself to cultivate your gifts and interests. Pick one or two things that you would like to learn or do that will enrich your life, and make time for them. Water cannot be drawn from an empty well, and if you are not setting aside a little time for what replenishes you, you will have less and less to give to others, even to your children.”

So, so important, but so easy to forget!  I hope that each of you will plan time for yourselves during the summer break, even with the kids home. Get a babysitter one afternoon and run errands by yourself.  Put the kids to bed early a couple nights a week and do whatever you want to.  Join a gym and take advantage of the free babysitting.  Have a girls night out.  Lock yourself in your bedroom while the kids watch a movie and read or lay on your bed and veg.

I plan on having a little bit of Me Time everyday.  Even though I am planning on it, I know I won’t always get it, but I really am going to try to make it a priority too.  Do you remember my Summer Plan?  I have written on there Quiet Time and Free Time.  I think kids need to have free time everyday to play however they want to and a little bit of quiet time never hurt anyone, but mostly I planned those in for selfish reasons.  I want some me time!  And that is when I’m going to get it.  I am also going to put my kids to bed on time a couple of nights a week and have a few hours for myself before bed. 

I plan on scrapbooking – A LOT and when I need a break from that

I plan on sprucing up my bedroom – a little here and there and in between that

I plan to read.  I have missed reading books.

And I’m not going to feel guilty because I know I will be a happier mom and that

is

a

good

thing!

 

That’s a rap on my summer posts!  Have a great summer and make the most of it.  It goes by much to fast!

Random Wednesday

Ten random happenings in my world these days. (no particular order)

1.  I am trying really hard to go to bed on time (11:30) but it just doesn’t happen.  1:00 is normal and has been for awhile.  That is not a good thing.

2.  Ady says mama…melt my heart!

3.  I have to give a talk on Sunday in Sacrament Meeting.  My topic is on being Instruments in the Hands of God.

4.  I have been bitten by the organizing bug!  I am dying to tear my closets and cupboards apart before school is out and the kids are home for the summer. 

5. Being over 30 years old is starting to catch up to me.  I am switching to Diet Coke or no Coke at all.  I hate that I have to do that!  I am trying to watch what I eat a little more and I need to start exercising.  Oh yeah…and go to sleep earlier.

6.  We are looking forward to a visit from our Arkansas friends (family) this weekend.  Can’t wait!!

7.  I am struggling with Drew right now…disciplining that is.  He cries over everything and gets mad over everything.  Nothing seems to be just right.  I do love tokens though and would highly recommend this to anyone.

8.  It is this time of year again.

We are on our third week of daily swim practice for the swim team.  All is well.  Kaylee and Jake are loving it and doing awesome!  Kaylee is going to start competing in the butterfly.   

9.  When swim season comes it means this is what my laundry room looks like everyday and will until summer is over.

(Except add 3 more suits and 3 more towels.)   

10.  It also means lots of ponytails for me.  It means Ady gets a bottle once a day or I feed her in the car.  It means super easy dinners.  It means hanging out with neighborhood friends.  It means I finally need to get smart and invest in one of those hand held fans!

Mother’s Day Done!

*My two mother’s – Do not look at this post.* 

 

 

 

     These little babies are packaged and in the mail.   

 

  What a great feeling!  A project done AND it will be on time! 

         I made homemade cards inspired from Made.  I sewed  fabric scraps onto cardstalk.  Here are a few of the designs I came up with. 

This was nice for me because I wasn’t following a pattern or stressing out worrying that  I wasn’t doing it just right.  Anything goes with these cards!  I loved them so much that I HAD to make some for me too!

I made coasters inspired from Ruffles and Stuff.  Mine turned out a little different than hers.

I loved the look of the lace, but IT did not love me!  I was ready to seriously pull my hair out and give up.  I really wanted to make these coasters and I already had the muslin part done, so I just grabbed some fabric scraps that were covering my table from the cards and made little squares and sewed those on.  I really like how they turned out.  It was a good mistake for me.  I think they look more like my mom anyway.  I loved these so much that I HAD to make some for me too! 

Happy Mother’s Day to me!!

Besides trying to wrap the lace, this was an easy sewing project for me.  A good one to start with.  I feel a little more confident with that dang machine!  Honestly, it’s the bobbin that freaks me out.  I panic thinking of being in the middle of a project and having something go wrong and I can’t fix it.  So I sew when my husband is home and he’s the fixer! 

Happy Mother’s Day Ladies!!

A set back and a question…

Have you ever heard of Plantar Fasciitis?  I hadn’t until the end of last week.  I started complaining to anyone with ears about how badly the heal of my foot was hurting.  Every single one of them unanimously said, “I bet you have Plantar Fasciitis.”  Ahhhhhh…Planter what???  I still have to ask Casey, “What’s that foot thing I have,”  when I’m explaining it to someone.  Now that I have typed it up, I don’t think I will forget.  That’s how I learn. 

Anyway, early last week my foot started hurting.  That tired kind of hurt after you’ve walked on hard wood or tile barefoot all day.  I get that a lot, so I didn’t think much about it.  But then it didn’t go away, even after I put socks on or my slippers.  It gradually kept getting worse and worse.  By Thursday evening I could barely walk on it and by Friday morning I was in tears with every little step, hoping for any kind of medicine, thinking that a wheel chair and crutches sounded pretty awesome.  That’s when I heard about Plantar Fasciitis.  (Click and get the details if you want.)  The sad thing is it doesn’t go away quickly.  I could have this for years.  There is no easy treatment.  Darn it!!  Can I cry now?

 So these are my new favorite necessities in life:  

Doesn’t that look depressing?  Can I just say…aging sucks! I’m sure this doesn’t have anything to do with my age, but I feel like it does.  I am on a good rotation with Advil and Tylenol.  Tennis shoes are my shoe of choice these days (yuck, yuck, yuck!!!) I love my shoe insert and rolling my foot on ice is Heavenly.  These things have helped a lot.  I’m not in tears anymore and I have given up on my pity party, although I move like a turtle and that drives me crazy!  Slowness and me are not friends. at.all.

But I have reluctantly learned to be friends with this turtle side of me.  There is a lesson in everything.  Right now my lesson has been to see the blessings from slowing down a little.  I have had to let things in my house go (I swear, that is a never ending lesson for me).  Instead, I have enjoyed sitting on the couch more, as hard as it may be.  That has opened my lap up to my children more with some genuine get to know you talks.  I have been able to see the nurturing side of my children while  I hear my name in their prayers.  I see how much quicker they move to help me around the house.  It has also freed up a little time for me to tackle some reading that I have been wanting to do for awhile.  All in all, I think I can cope.  It could always be worse.        

On a different note, my children had a Primary Activity last Saturday.  They brought me home early Mothers Day gifts.

Aren’t they cute?  I love how the boys made me flowers.  I can just picture my boys doing a flowery craft.  Makes me smile.   Kaylee chose to write about me.  She knows me so well!  I love getting gifts like these from them. 

So here is my question…What do you give the Mothers in  your life for Mothers Day?  Do you have to put something in the mail or do they live by you?  I have to put them in the mail and my creative brain isn’t working right now.  I’m starting to run out of time.  Help!  Do you have an suggestions?

P.S.  Ady pulled herself up today.  She was sitting on the floor in front of the ottoman and all of the sudden I saw her little face pop up over the top.  She was after a piece of paper.  She stood there for a long time.  That girl is growing up way too fast!

Ady’s mobile is done!!

This weekend I finished Ady’s mobile.  I am getting there with my list.  Wahoo!  I have been wanting to get her mobile done since she was born…uuummmm 6 months ago today. :)  I bought these little birdies at Hob Lob during Christmas for $1.00 each.  I knew I wanted to use them for her mobile in one way or another.  They have been sitting in her closet ever since, waiting for the right inspiration.  Good ‘ol Pottery Barn pulled through for me.  I was browsing the magazine one day when it hit me.  Do you want to see it???

        Krysta’s version of a mobile. (Pottery Barn Inspired)

  

I love how simple and beautiful it is. 

It really was easy to make too.  It’s a straw wreath (I don’t remember what size, but I used the smaller one of the two) with white ribbon wrapped around it to cover the straw.  (I wrapped it twice because you could still see the straw and I didn’t like that.)  Then I used the same kind of ribbon to attach to the wreath to hang it from.  They are attached with straight pins.  I cut two long lengths of ribbon.  One attached horizontally and the other attached vertically.  Then when you pull it together at the top you have two loops you can hang it from.  It is then tied together at the top in one  loopy knot and hung from a swag hook on the ceiling.  I don’t know if that makes any sense at all.  I should have taken a picture of that.  The thought crossed my mind, but it seemed kind of boring at the time.  

Then I popped the tops of the flowers off the stems and hot glued them on the middle to top part of the wreath.  Actually, Kaylee popped them off for me.  She was a little helper.   

I loved randomly arranging them and coming up with my own design. 

Then I painted  black dots on the birdies with the back of a small paint brush.  I had to give Ady something more interesting to stare at then plain white birds. 

I like how cute and whimsical they turned out.  Not a bad purchase for $1.oo each.  I’m glad I finally got to use them.  I tied each end of the sheer pink ribbon in a knot.  Then used straight pins to attach the ribbon to the top of the wreath and also to the bird. 

                Here is Ady’s view.

One of the things I really love about this mobile is that it can grow with her.  When she is done with her crib I can take the birds off of the wreath to give it a little more grown up feel and hang it above her big girl bed.  So many fun options!

And this is how we roll behind the scenes…

 

Casey found this back pack on Craig’s List this weekend for $5.00.  It’s in perfect shape.  He’s been keeping his eye out for one for over a month now.  All of my Providence friends probably remember Casey out in our yard mowing the lawn with our children on his back like this.  Well, it’s too hot to do that here, but he can get his “Honey-Do’s” done this way!  He loves doing this!  He totes her around everywhere.  I love him for being such a great dad and for supporting me with all of my crazy notions because let’s admit it…Sometimes they can be pretty crazy.  And  he still loves me!

 

I am linking up to Just a Girls Show and Share Day, DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land and the Weekend Wrap Up Party at Tatertots and Jello.

Spring and Summer Wreath

When I saw this wreath while reading blogs a couple of weeks ago, I knew I HAD to make it.  I had been keeping my eye out for a Spring/Summer wreath for over a month with no luck.  This was exactly what I was looking for with out really knowing what I was looking for. Ha, ha!  One of those, “you’ll know it when you see it”  kind of things.  Well, I knew I wanted this wreath on my front door.  So bad that it crept all the way to the top of my list!  That’s sayin’ somethin’.  I found it on Just a Girls Show and Share Day.  Uncommon linked up to her party.  She has the link to the tutorial on her blog.  Check it out if you want all nitty gritty details.

It’s made out of baby lima beans.  It took me almost 3 full bags.  I wasn’t going to do the backside and then remembered I had a glass door.  Grrrrr…dang glass door!  I hot glued on every single lima bean.  Can you believe I did that?  I think I lost my mind!  It took a looooong time to get it done.  I left it sitting out in my kitchen for a good 3 days and worked on it in 1/2 hour amounts of time, sometimes an hour.  One night I got caught up on my DVR’d shows while working on it.  My kids and husband even joined in!  It was like putting together a puzzle and felt a little therapeutic.  I wish I hadn’t been quite as messy with the hot glue and a little more precise with laying out the beans, but I still love how it turned out.  And…it only cost me about $8.00 to make! 

 

Do you love it as much as I do?  I check the mail more often these days, just cause I want to take a peak at my wreath. :)

Musings about Motherhood…

I have been thinking a lot about time lately.  This isn’t a new thing actually but I feel like I finally figured it out.  I had an aha moment this week, thanks to my husband. Let me tell you how I used to view time.

If I have one pet peeve or one thing that I nag about (about myself, to myself) it’s time.  Where does the time go?  Why did I only get one thing marked off my list and add 4 new ones?  Why does Drew want a snack right after I just cleaned up the kitchen?  Why does it take Kaylee almost 1 hour everyday to do her homework?  Why does Ady sometimes nap for 1/2 an hour instead of one full hour?  Why does Jake hop around every morning when I do his hair instead of just standing still?  It would take me half the time to get his hair done.   Why do I not get to scrapbook or read or watch T.V.  as much as I used to?  Why does it take me until almost 9:00 to finish up my chores for the night?  Why do I say I’m going to run errands for 2 hours and it really takes me 3?  Those are just a few of the questions that run through my head every day.  I feel like time gets stolen from me some way or another each day.  I have a list of things I need to get done and on the list are usually a couple of things I want to get done.  I’m good to prioritize so my list of wants are most often put towards the end.  I never, ever, ever  get everything done on my list.  Who does, really?  That used to eat me up, day after day.  I used to be able to make a list and feel like I accomplished something  at the end of the day.  Now, hardly ever.  It honestly drove me crazy.  I am the kind of person who is driven by self motivation.  Self motivation that stems from a sense of accomplishment.  If I don’t feel like I have accomplished something recently than my motivation starts to dwindle and I am left wondering “What’s the point?  Why do I even bother?” 

I have been complaining to Casey about time.  His time, my time, time as a family.  What has happened to it?  Where has it gone?  He feels the same time crunch and I know everyone else does too.  We live in busy times.  Times where it is so easy to add extra little things into our day.  Things that take up more time than we thought they would and probably aren’t as important as they might seem to be.  He has heard counsel from the Stake President recently on several different occasions about this same topic.  He shared it with me.  This one short sentence completely changed my view on time. 

“We all have the same 24-hours in a day.  It’s what we do with our time that is important.” 

That’s when it hit me.  Hearing that was like taking a blind fold from my eyes.  I could finally understand the value and importance of motherhood.  All of these years I knew how important motherhood was and I knew what I was doing was the right thing.  Heavenly Father wanted and needed me to be a mother.  I have been walking the steps of motherhood for almost 9 years now.  I know how hard and tedious it is.  Over time, I somehow changed my view on the day to day things and labeled them in my mind as unimportant.  “I am getting nothing accomplished.”  “I can’t get anything marked off my list.”  “All I do is wipe off counters and cook and do laundry.”  “Why can’t I ever get ahead?”  I had a completely selfish view and the selfishness made me truly think what I was doing every day was definitely not an accomplishment.  Getting my household chores done and having happy kids was not an accomplishment unless I got all of the extra things done each day too.  I was living in a dream land!  The reality of what I thought my day should be was so different than how it really was.  There is nothing greater than the call of motherhood.  I truly, truly, believe that now with all of my heart.  All of the tedious things that I do each day are soooooo important and sooooooo valuable.  There is nothing more important than taking care of Heavenly Father’s children.  I value my roll as a mother 100% now and view each day as an accomplishment.  Because it is.  It is from these tedious, trivial things that we make our children who they are.  And Heavenly Father values that.   

Little Miss Ady – 5 Months

Since my baby is really almost 6 months old, I decided it was time for me to get this journaling done.  I don’t understand how time always sneaks by me.

Casey bought me a plane ticket to Arkansas for part of my birthday present. 

Ady and I spent a long weekend with 2 of our favorite girls. 

I’ll give you one guess??????

                Andrea and Tess

It was a pretty awesome vacation!  Being in a place that feels like home, with people you love, but away from  your own daily routine and responsibilities.  I came back home feeling refreshed and ready to tackle motherhood again.

We kept ourselves plenty busy making a million and one things.  We laughed at the end of the weekend.  We had all of this time together to do pretty much any type of project we wanted and it all had to do with our kids; mainly the babies.  We shopped thrift stores for the kids.  I outfitted them in some really cute spring and summer clothes for super cheap.  I am hooked on thrifting now!  We accessorized onsies, made tons of baby legs (leg warmers) shoes and hair accessories.  Sometimes we get a little carried away.  We can’t help but feed off each other and then one thing leads to the next.  There is no end!  

The girls are so cute together.  

They still have the same little personalities.  Tess is so laid back and easy going.  Calm and content would be good words for her.  Ady is seriously the opposite.  She is so interested in everything around her.  She is already into things and her mind is always twirling with ideas.  You can see it in her eyes.  She has a spirit for life and she thinks she has no time for sleep!  

 

I love her for who she is.

For her zest for life and always being on the go.  For keeping me on top of my game.  I never know what to expect.  She has helped me to enjoy life in a different way and helped me learn to let things go a little more.  She has me wrapped around her finger. 

This was a big month for Ady:

*She went on her second plane ride.

*She started grabbing her feet.

*She learned to roll from back to tummy.

*She sleeps on her stomach now. (I find her like this every time I go check on her.)

*She scoots all over the place.

*She gets up on all 4’s and rocks back and forth and then jumps forward to get what she wants.

*She loves her backrubs.

*She has started sleeping better at night.  We made her cry it out a little.

*She still loves to nurse, but is getting interested in real food.  She watches us like a hawk when we eat.

 

Here is her most recent picture:

 

I know I am a biased mom, but I think she just gets cuter and cuter!

Busy, Busy, Busy

I have gone MIA again.  I am in over my head right now in projects.  I haven’t even read blogs in close to two weeks and I have checked my e-mail once, maybe twice this week.  Definitely not like me.  I am missing blog land and my computer time right now tons, but it is going to have to wait.  I can’t concentrate with this  

or this

 

             It

                                                         is

                        driving

                                                                           me

                                              crazy!

I got back from a vacation on Monday night and my kids have been home for Spring Break this week.  Definitely not a time to tackle projects, but I have been messing with them a little here and there anyway.  I can’t help it.  I get one thing finished in my pile and 3 other things pile up in its place.  Oh well!  So I will be back soon with some real posts. Now you know what I’ve been up to! :)

Show and Tell (my awesome frame from Enrichment)

I have been wanting to do a post about the frame I made at Enrichment for weeks now.   I am in love with this frame.

 

It is a sweet reminder that Christ is the center of our family and in all of the  things we do. 

Before I even made the frame, I knew right where I was going to hang it. 

In my kids’ hallway upstairs.

I already had this vinyl quote on the wall with a different frame under it.  I just swapped them out.  To me, it’s the perfect spot.  Right by their bedrooms where they can see it and be reminded of Christ every time they walk up the stairs.  

Here is a closer look.

Project Rundown:

The photos are 2 inch squares glued onto 2 inch squared chipboard.  The photo of Christ in the center is a 4 x 4 square.  I bought the frame at Hobby Lobby with my 40% off coupon.  I knew I wanted a square frame.  It’s much easier to do this project within a square.  A 12 inch square frame would have been ideal, but this 13 x 13 one worked too.  I started out by gathering photos.  There are 16 squares with photos and 16 squares with scrapbook paper.  I am lucky because I have a 2 inch square punch.  That made trimming the photos and the paper a cinch.  Our Enrichment leader (Tove) had the chipboard squares already trimmed down when we got there.  That was nice not to have to cut those.  FYI - The chipboard comes in a 12 inch square at Hobby Lobby.  I tried my best to coordinate the paper so it went well together and so the colors matched the interior of my home.  Once everything was trimmed, I used a glue stick to attach the photos and paper to the chipboard.  Then I sanded the edges of each square and rounded the corners with a nail file.  Then I inked the edges with an ink pad.  I used brown.  I learned a new inking technique.  * Cut a corner of a sponge off and dip that in the ink pad and then rub it on the edges.  It was much easier to get the ink right where I wanted it to be.  Thanks Tove!  After the squares were sanded and inked it was time to glue them down.  When all of the squares were put together it came to a 12 x12. My  frame was a tad bigger than a 13 x 13 so I had to figure something out.  I ended up flipping the back cover of my frame over (the piece that holds your picture in place).  It was a pretty charcoal color so I glued my squares onto that and had a nice edge between the chipboard and the frame.  It worked for me.  Before I glued them down I played with the layout a little bit until I got it just right.  I had the photo squares and scrapbook squares layed out to be every other – the photos aren’t next to each other and the papers aren’t next to each other.  It was like putting together a puzzle.  Once I was satisfied with the layout I glued it down with Scotch Quick-Dry Adhesive.  That stuff is amazing!!  You have to be quick and precise when you stick the squares down.  Once they are down, they aren’t moving!  Then it was time to embellish some of my paper squares.  This was a fun part.  I attached them with glue dots.  Here is a closer look at some of my embellishments.  

 

Flowers , buttons, charms, monogram letters, ribbon, tulle.  Pretty much anything goes.  The butterflies were fun.  It is a punch and then you just bend the wings up so they pop out more.  I didn’t embellish every paper square.  I think it would be too much.  I took the glass out of my frame so it could have more of a 3D affect.  I love it!

 

My head has been swimming with ideas.  I have been dreaming of chipboard.  Tove had this really cute one done on canvas.  I wish I had snapped a picture.  The possibilities are endless.  One of the girls was going to do a collage with her daughters school picture in the center and then everything that represents her around it.  There are so many different themes you can do and ways to display it.  It was such a fun creative outlet.

Supplies:

Frame

16 - 2 inch square photos

16 - 2 inch square scraps of paper

1 - 4 x 4 photo for the center

32 - 2 inch squares of chipboard

1 - 4 x 4 inch square chipboard

Embellishments

Nail file of soft sand paper

Ink pad and small sponge

Glue Stick

Glue Dots

Scotch Quick – Dry Adhesive

Let me know if any of you try this technique.  I would love to see what you come up with.  Thanks Tove for the wonderful Enrichment and inspiring me!