some serious crafting!

ok, this is the last four months of me squeezing in craft time. I didn't realize how much i have done and wish i could do so much more!


This free primed shelf from a yard sale turned into a shelf fit for a princess with a little paint and help from some cute kids. I got the princess from the dollar store and spray painted it and added a little glitter. gotta have some glitz!

horrible pic of the cute wood boxes i decoupaged with scrap paper for shers room

Craft time with the kids, this was so much fun. I am a huge fan of craft foam! A little goes a long way. we also made dracula, caramel apples, ghosts, and candy corn from foam. Fun!


some paper crafting

a few before and after crafts. ugly tray had huge paper sunflower picture. now a lovely green with filigree stencil i made by printing an image, tracing it. and adding a little extra.

plaque was cute before but didn't match decor. so i painted it.

table was free and ugly yellow at a yard sale but with some paint stripper, black spray paint and new hardware it is wonderful.

go cards!

ok, last year we were saying that in AZ and now we are saying it in MO. Canyon got to have some daddy time!

princess sheridan

She is three! We celebrated by spoiling her rotten and eating chocolate cupcakes with fluffy pink icing.

What do you do all day??

i got this in a forward but i just thought it was too funny to keep to myself. enjoy!

A man came home from work and found his three children outside, still in their pajamas, playing in the mud, with empty food boxes and 20 wrappers strewn all around the front yard.

The door of his wife's car was open, and so the front door to the house and there was no sign of the dog. Proceeding into the entry, he found an even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked over, and the throw rug was wadded against one wall.

In the front room the TV was loudly blaring a cartoon channel, and the family room was strewn with toys and various items of clothing.

In the kitchen, dishes filled the sink, breakfast food was spilled on the counter, the fridge door was open wide, dog food was spilled on the floor a broken glass lay under the table, and a small pile of sand was spread by the back door.

He quickly headed up the stairs, stepping over toys and more piles of clothes, looking for his wife.. He was worried she might be ill, or that something serious had happened.

He was met with a small trickle of water as it made its way out the bathroom door.

As he peered inside he found wet towels, scummy soap and more toys strewn over the floor. Miles of toilet paper lay in a heap and toothpaste had been smeared over the mirror and walls.

As he rushed to the bedroom, he found his wife still curled up in the bed in her pajamas, reading a novel.

She looked up at him, smiled, and asked how his day went..

He looked at her bewildered and asked, 'What happened here today?'

She again smiled and answered, 'You know every day when you come home from work and you ask me what in the world I do all day?'

'Yes,' was his incredulous reply.

She answered, 'Well, today I didn't do it.'

This is priceless.

trying every day..

to fight off the crazy within. Sometimes I say that in jest but today I'm feeling a little melancholy or something. I'm sure I have a thousand bad pictures to choose from to post, but I'll skip it today. I just caught up on some blogs after way to long and even longer on the private ones. One talked about acceptance, I liked it. I've been struggling lately. I don't really like my life some days. Some days I can't imagine a better one. I feel I've been blessed. I've had the chance to see and live new places, meet wonderful and interesting people wherever I go. Some have influenced me more than they can ever know. The women I have met are serving and kind. Fun and creative. I'm amazed at my talented friends. Some are amazing decorators or photographers or cooks and some are just good at being a friend. So that always makes me wonder, where do I fit in? I've asked myself this question most of my life. I think it stemmed from being the only red head in the family. I'm ok with my hair now, in fact I love it. But it grew into so much more. I've struggled for acceptance since fifth grade. Gosh I didn't realize I could pinpoint it like that. But that is when it started; the horrible comparison game. She has breasts, she has straight teeth, she has a tan. Well some boobs grew, braces did their job and freckles resulted in place of a tan. I don't compare so much anymore, I don't feel I have as much to prove as I did in school. It's not a competition anymore, sad thing is, my competitors didn't even know they were in the race. So that is how it all started, but now I'm having a hard time fitting at home. After a third baby, a move, a much bigger house to clean, a new job, kindergarten, a regressed potty trainee... things have been a bit more difficult for me. Fighting off the everyday crazy has been harder and harder to do. I decided to seek counseling. Something I've wanted for a while, because I think it can help me. This week I'll have a medical evaluation, and while I'm afraid of what she'll say, I have to accept the fact that I need help. I can't go on feeling the way I feel. It isn't healthy- for me or my relationships in life. I'm sorry this post is so depressing and after I post it I'll probably feel even more an outcast. Not many talk about the crazy within, maybe it's because not many feel it the same way. I'm not really sure. But this is my blog, and I'll post on it what I feel. After all honesty is the best policy, right?

Ok, so I realized no one has seen my beautiful house. So I added a picture and we can end this on a good note.

how do you make it seem so easy?

I mean how do some of you moms blog so often? You are amazing! I have a friend who just moved and blogged while traveling! How? I can't even blog at home. Anyway, things have been getting back to what the new normal is, I guess? I mean everything is new. New house, new school, new baby, new job, new calling in church (enrichment leader). I'm even trying to make new foods. Chris was complaining that I have cooked the same food for 6 years. My argument - I COOK! Anyway, I am tired of my food too. My cousin has a cooking blog, you should try her creamy Italian chicken recipe. It is delicious! And it's a wonderful crock pot meal, I think those are the best. You should try some of her other recipes too, I also made pizza! Yum. The month so far:

The Papa's and Colter. They were here for the blessing. My mom was too but my camera seemed to be missing that whole weekend.While they were here we went to see the arch! It is just huge. And the kids pretended to like each other while we were there.

Canyon is playing T-ball this summer and while he is playing Sheridan rolls around in the dirt, literally. T-ball is funny. Just like any pee-wee sport all the kids chase the ball and half of the parents are standing on the field trying to keep the peace and some organization. Canyon has confused T-ball with soccer and tackle football both this season.

Sheridan and I stay home and make treats while canyon is at school. I know she is just the cutest girl but things have been a little more rough now that Canyon isn't home to blame things on.

This guy eats like a champ (maybe its all the rice krispie treats I'm eating). He may have started my smallest but he is quickly making up for it. At one month he was already 10-10. At that rate he will pass up his very big brother's growth rate very quickly. I love the little chubber.

the first month

week one.
everything is great, Chris has to work for the first couple of days but amazing church sisters take care of Canyon and Sheridan. Canyon turns 5! He is so big. Chris takes the kids to fireworks show and the 4th of July happens. The Hospital gives Chris a week for paternity leave. No big adventures or surprises, I'm on the mend.

week two.
Gramma J comes to town and takes care of everything. I mean really, plants flowers, paints bedrooms, makes quilts, does laundry. The woman is absolutely amazing. We find things like "oops" paint at home depot and Lowe's for $5 a gallon and have two bathrooms and the kids rooms painted. And we re-floor one bathroom, I love peel and stick vinyl, so great! So I'm healing just fine. Colter has already gained a pound and a half. Chris is also working very hard on the house and kids are loving that grandma is here. They all go to the amazing free zoo together and have a blast.

week three.
G-ma is still here; great! Still taking care of me and the kids. Canyon starts KINDERGARTEN. Oh yeah, the big K. I can't believe I'm old enough to have a kid in school. It weirds me out. First day of school Colter gets a fever. Bad news. New infants get admitted immediately into hospital for 24-48 hrs. They get blood cultures, urinalysis, and spinal tap automatically. So we spend 24 hrs in a hospital, all tests come back normal. Doc says it's a virus, you can go home. Sheridan gets a fever. She gets Tylenol and gets over it within a day too. Chris is back too work and I'm doing fine too.

week four.
Canyon seems to be enjoying school, Sheridan is trying to adjust to a new way of life around the house. Grandma went home. I get a fever, well I must have finally got what the other two had. Next day I can't get out of bed, not just a fever, must be the flu, ugh. Time passes on and week 5 is quickly approaching and I still has a fever, and other various flu symptoms, but its never lasted this long. Chris wants me to get better, he hates taking care of everything and me all at once. Finally Colter is exactly one month old and I'm going to the doctor. Not a flu, kidney infection, go the the ER. I'm dehydrated and they keep sticking me with needles to find a vein. They take my blood give me anti-nausea meds, antibiotics and lots of fluids. Now I can go home and get better. Wait, hold the phone! Doc calls, all my blood cultures come back positive. So now I sit at this computer with a full blown E-coli infection of the blood, hypothermia is a symptom of being septic, that's what they call it when you have dirty blood. So I'm sitting at a nice 95 F . I'm actually getting better, hypo is better than a fever so they assume my antibiotics are treating and beating it.

Needless to say it has been a full month. And hopefully you'll forgive me for not posting sooner.