Preparations for Thanksgiving

I love Thanksigiving, it is a major "food event" in our family! I only enjoy cooking the really fabulous stuff, the things that kids really don't want to eat. So for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, I usely pull out all the stops and go for it!
My Menu is:
*Turkey (fresh)
*Mashed Potatoes
*Homemade Gravy
*Twice baked Yams
*Homemade rolls
*Artichokes
*Broccoli
*Homemade Apple Pie
*Homemade Pumpkin Pie
*Various delicious Nibblies

I am so excited! I also found the biggest (really,really huge) pomegranites at Costco today! So beautiful!
















They look big in this bowl, but not really impressive.















The bowl that this is next to is a about a 8 inch pasta bowl!
These pomegranites weigh about 3 pounds each! the seeds in the bowl is from half of a fruit!
Anyway, my kids and I love to pick on them and this is the only time of year you can get them, so we usually eat ourselves sick on them!

I also found gorgeous artichokes today!















I am getting up tomorrow morning, playing tennis, finishing last minute shopping, hanging out playing paper with Rox and then I am going to get started on the pumpkin pies in the afternoon, I am really looking forward to spending the day with the family, and celebrating a day for expressing gratitiude!
B-

Junkitz Design Team Entry

Submitted my Design Team entry for Junkitz yesterday. I have spent the entire day today second guessing whether I sent the right stuff or not. I love what I did for the different requirements.
I had been working on this entry for a while, and I can't post the projects that I submitted, so I am posting the two that were inspired by my 3-D project.











I have loved the challenge of pushing myself with using just products that I could find. Junkitz has been hard for me to find in my area, and I am not much of an online shopper.





















So I tried to be really creative with the items that I did have that I hadn't used on my other stuff!
There are days when I feel like I can do anything with paper and glue.
That was yesterday!
Today has been long trying and very frustrating with my real world, and the self-doubt is creeping in.
So I put these here to remind me that I love what I do, and that is what matters.
I really would like to work with Junkitz, and I did my very best with what I had available to me, and I hope that it is what they are looking for.
If not, then I will have some beautifully preserved memories, and hopefully a sense of accomplishment for at least giving it a great try!
B-

Run to Target!

These are my Dollar Spot finds! I love them! There are three kinds of printed tape, one has bright pink snowflakes, one has very thin stripes in Bright pink, white and light and dark green and the other has white, light and dark green and bright pink polka dots! Then there are the chenille ribbons, so soft and yummy in bright pink and Becky Green! There are these wonderful bobby pins with little square jewels and then sequined flower hair clips, so FAB!

I have made two layouts for my scrapbooks with the goodies that I bought there!

This is the first one that I did, it was from Chloe's Sixth Grade Graduation! It is such a special picture, and I wanted just the right look for it! I had not found just what I wanted until I found these fun shiny Girlie Girl clips
~perfect~

The second(sorry about the bad photo of the layout, it is late and I don't have good light!) is from Laurel's 14th birthday! This picture was from Girl's Camp, where she got to celebrate with all the girls from the ward! She was so happy and she is so fuzzy about what kind of layouts I do for her, they can't be to fem or she hates them! I thought this turned out perfect for her! So festive and fun, but simple and CUTE!

Anyway, run, don't walk to Target, because this stuff is so cool, it won't be there long! Don't forget to get the take-out boxes, they are also very fun!

B-

What do I see?

1. I see that our family spends too much time and money at our 7-11!

2. I see that it is a beautiful November Morning because of the wonderful quality of light coming in our south facing windows.

3. I see that I married the right person for me! He is neat and tidy and doesn't ming giving the kitchen a good cleaning. Where I on the other hand have about a million other things I would rather do than clean pretty much anything other than myself!

4. The beautiful rose that Laurel cut off the backyard bush and gave to Tyler to put in a Dr. Pepper bottle is at the end of its beautiful bloom.

5. That I am so amazingly fortunate to have such a wonderful home and family!

B-

The art of learning to create art

I was going through some of my old work trying to put a portfolio together, and thinking to myself if I was crazy to think that I would every really become a true artist and designer.










I work hard at creating beautiful images, taking stunning photos, and relaying the truth as seen through my eyes.



















As I have learned different techniques and skills, I still like to see where I have come from and where I would like to go next.



















I feel like there is so much for me to learn and do and try, and not enough time. So many things that seem within reach, but are just elusive enough to keep me wondering if I will attain them.














So I keep trying new things, keep doing old things in new ways, and hope that they make sense when I am done.











So Here I Am in a state of fracture, effort and wonder.

















I will always wonder if I am creating art or learning about the art of creating art.
The lines between perfectionism, appreciation and accomplishment are very thin in my mind.
B-

I got "tagged" today

I got tagged to play by Colleen Stearns on her http://www.junkitz.com/designers/blogger.cfm?UserName=Stearns&View=Blogz blogz! This is a great get to know others game, so here it goes!

Names you go by
1. Mom
2. Becky

2 parts of your heritage
1. Norwegian
2. English

2 things that scare you
1. My kids getting hurt
2 . Spiders

2 of your everyday essentials
1. Evening prayer and hugs
2. Body cream by Bath and Boody works in Peony

2 things you are wearing right now
1. my pajamas
2. A smile ;)

2 of your favorite bands or musical artists (at the moment)
1. Bare Naked Ladies
2. Good Charlotte

2 favorite songs (at the moment)
1. American Idiot
2. That song by the Gorillaz that I can not remember the name of!

2 things you want in a relationship (other than real love)
1. Friendship
2. Integrity

2 truths
1. Very competitive
2. Closet Perfectionist

2 physical things that appeal to you (in the opposite sex)
1. Forearms (weird I know!)
2. Personality!

2 of your favorite hobbies (besides scrapbooking??)
1. Tennis
2. Skiing

2 things you want really badly
1. A new car
2. A home makeover

2 places you want to go on vacation
1. Long trip to Europe
2. New Zealand/Australia

2 things you want to do before you die
1. Play with my grandchildren ( I don't have any and am not close, but you asked!)
2. Become closer to God and Jesus and get better at serving others

2 ways that you are stereotypically a dude/chick
1. I love to shop
2. I have a lot shoes

2 things you are thinking about now
1. Getting ready to go play tennis
2. Who I will tag!

2 stores you shop at
1. Costco
2. Nordstom

2 people I would like to see take this quiz
1. Jessie http://speckledbird.blogspot.com/ Baldwin
2. Sonda http://www.myscrapblog.com/SondaT/Tadlock

That was very introspective, thanks Colleen for the tag!
Have a great day all!
B-

The games people play!

It was so fun to watch Chloe and Dave playing checkers together!
















They kept adding to their "kings" every time one of them got taken off the board, it would be put on one of the others that was left!















Dave won, but Chloe is still way cuter!
She will get him next time!

Halloween has come and gone, but the candy is still here!

I love candy, I love halloween and the combination can leave me remembering the festivities with a gift of about 5 pounds hanging on my rear!
Well I was so good this year!
Up until two days after Halloween I had not eaten any of the candy!
Well there was that Baby Ruth just sitting there begging me to eat it (the big one)
and the left over mini-snickers *love* those, had three in one sitting yesterday! And so it goes!
As for the kids, they each brought home about eight pounds of candy! I usually hide it and then dole it out carefully. This year I just decided to let them graze, they would always just neak what they wanted anyway, and I would sneak it to. So this way they can just get themselves sick of it and be done and I won't eat as much of it! I hope this plan works!
The kids were hilarious! No one really wanted to dress up except Carter, but they all wanted to go trick-or-treating. So they did a frantic dig and came up with pathetic costumes that were entertaining to everyone in the neighborhood!
Carter was so COOL! he loves Bionicles, and we found a Bionicle costume at Target (it was on sale too, even cuter!)
Chloe was a cute witch! Big biker babe boots, short shiny black skirt, and a purple witches hat, adorable!
Laurel was a pirate (arrrrgh!) She had on her school clothes and found a red sash and a buff with the Jolly Roger on it, so funny! Our Neighbors just love the kids so much that it was entertaining to them to see them out like this being complete hooligans!
I don't have a picture of Tyler, he snuck out before I could get him! He put on his afro wig, and the big purple fuzzy coat. It was way too small for him! So funny! His buddy Tony borrowed the hula skirt and coconut bra--I really wish I had a picture of this, Tony is a BIG guy with a great sense of humor, and it was so funny! They went out and visited all of their youth and Church leaders and goofed off! Not much candy came back with him, but he was giddy from the silliness! Such a great holiday, one in which the kids can just be kids and the parents can let them! Now, where are those mini snickers.....

Halloween is just around the corner!

I love Halloween! It might just be my favorite holiday!
















(I would have to do a deeper assessment to see

which one actually ends up on top!) Kids eating way too much junk food, yelling trick or treat, running around in crazy costumes that usually make no sense to anyone but the wearer!

And the excitement before hand is so fun! What are you going to be? Where is that witches hat? Have you seen the vampire cape?
What kind of candy should we pass out?
We also love the movies that we watch in preparation for the big day! Hocus Pocus, All the Batman movies, and The Nightmare Before Christmas (which is my personal favorite!)


After watching Nightmare, Laurel carved this incredible pumpkin, the likeness to Jack is wonderful, and we loved looking at it until yesterday when it had caved in from the mold!
This is such a great time of year, giving just to give, running around with a constant sugar buzz, and pretending that you can be anything that you want! When else can you dress up like an ax murderer and the neighbors say "oh how cute"? It is all in good fun, no political correctness, no worries as to what will the neighbors think when my kid has blood running down his face!
I LOVE HALLOWEEN!

Yay, Tyler is 16 today!

Too big for mom's lap? Never!











How quickly the time has passed since you were just a baby I sang lullabies to, a toddler who chased bubbles, an elementary student practicing your spelling lists and a scrawny guy heading into Junior High. Now you are a sophomore at AMES, a wonderful student and friend and SIXTEEN years old.
You have provided plenty of challenges but the rewards and blessings for the experiences has been so worth it! Tyler, we are so glad that you chose to be our son, so that you could use your compass to help us become better people!
You are truly a sweet 16!

Found: teenage boy, any one interested ...

This teenage boy was found molding on the sofa. Anyone who has any information on what to do with a teenager who is in this state or who would like to lay claim can contact me and with identification and verification, it can be taken home. It does eat a lot, and seems to sleep constantly.. Do not expect it to be very useful as it would appear to have rust on it from lack of movement. It does need to charge on the Nintendo, and this does take time. For more info contact 555-lazy.

7th Grade Math

Math, one of my recently conqured phobias is haunting me at my every turn! My oldest son is in Pre-calculus as 10th grader, and my 9th and 7th grade girls both are doing Pre-algebra. So the older son will ask for help, rarely, but it happens. We can flip back a few pages do some review time for mom and then we are pretty good to go. With the girls, I don't have to review. I am ready when they ask, the problem is they don't ask until they are frustrated and or just wanting me to do it for them. Chloe had a complete meltdown on me, and Laurel refuses to write any of the process down, she just wants to do it in her head. The girls are very good at math, they understand the principles, and are not afraid of it. They just are lazy and don't want to do it. I am very grateful for that!
I am so glad that I went back to school to deal with my own "issues" with math, so I can now recognize what is going on with the kids. Encouraging the kids to study and learn it well now will prepare them for a much more successful higher learning process. In spite of what I know, I can still look at a Jr. high math book and get the willies! 

A Good Orange

Oh, I felt so icky all weekend, the flu is just aweful. I couldn't eat, I ached and the fever was horrible. Could that be why God gave us oranges? One good orange, it made me feel better just to smell it, it was beautiful to look at and it tasted just right.
Thank you God for making oranges! 

Model Citizen

Carter it was so much fun watching you put together you first model car! You picked out the coolest kit, found a paint color you loved, found the right kind of glue with a little help from your dad. You two had such a nice time putting this together, and I loved watching how meticulous you were with your work. The car turned out beatifully, but the real treasure is the memories you and your dad will share of putting this project together with each other. 

GONE!

A very exciting night here! Carter has a few loose teeth in his mouth, and he was bound and determined to get one of them out tonight! He wiggled, wrangled and rocked that tooth until it finally succumbed to his wish that it be gone! After the tooth has been set free, the tradition is to leave it with the "Tooth Fairy Bear" until it can be retrieved by the Tooth Fairy. The money can then be left in its place, as compensation for the pain and suffering incurred by the wiggling, wrangling and rocking of the tooth. Of course this money will then be used to indulge in some treats from our local 7-11. And with Halloween just around the corner, we are not guaranteeing the quality of the teeth that the Tooth Fairy will be retrieving from our home. Of course, I am very proud of Carter, this is the first time he has been able to remove a tooth without some kind of "assistance" from me! I love to pull teeth, and of course the kids all hate it when I want to help, I don't let them prolong the agony long enough! Congratulations Carter, and don't spend all that money on sweets! 

going...

 

Going....

 

What the end of summer looks like

It is coming to be the end of summer here in Utah, the kids are back in school and the air is very crisp. I can always tell when the great change is coming because the flip flops are still on but the hems of the pants get longer the cooler it gets.
I have a hard time with this change. I miss the kids being around and the lazy days of summer turn into the hectic homework filled days of fall. The kids are grumpier, they have more responsibilities, and less time to spend on their interests. The days get darker earlier and morning arrives too soon. It must be time to get our Halloween decorations out, enjoy the season at hand, and remember our last few days in our flip flops.

I LOVE to play Tennis!

Tennis Junkie!
I love to tennis. There is no other way to say it. It is a rocky relationship, with many ups and downs. But in short, I just can't exist without it in my life. I play at least 5 times a week at least an hour and a half each time. Today was 1.5 this morning and 2.5 this evening. I think I might have a problem!
The great thing about tennis is that it touches so many of my needs with one activity! It is a very social thing to do, four people playing doubles, you can visit and giggle and be silly. It is great exercise when you are playing singles, and I really need exercise, (probably more than just tennis--but that is another topic!) You get to hit something hard that comes back for more! It is a very cathartic experience to just crack the ball as hard as you absolutely can! I am usually much nicer to be around after playing because I have left most of my aggression out on the court!
I have gotten to travel for tournaments to fun towns and meet new and interesting people that I otherwise would never have crossed paths with!
I am constantly trying to improve my game, and it makes me crazy, I am a "closet perfectionist" and not being perfect at this is a trial for me! It teaches me patience, and perseverence. Qualities that I definitely need to improve, but then who doesn't!
Anyway, if I am not scrapbooking, on the computer or with my kids, I am likely playing tennis!

A few of us watching the last match finish up 

The team I played on 

3.5 District playoffs 

A quick weekend visit!

This would be Karla, and she always has her camera with her!
My family was lucky enough to have my "sister" Karla and her kids Rawley and Kricket from Oregon come and visit for a day! They drove over Thursday night and got here Friday morning at 8:30.
I wish I had a picture of what it looked like when I went to pick them up! They drove with another family in a "motor home". This deal looked like the Clampett's from the Beverly Hill Billies! It was hilarious! Ten tired looking people piled out of this vehicle! There was stuff everywhere, kids running around and muffin crumbs on everything! At some point during the drive, they had hit a very large rock and it had become lodged in the oil cooler of the engine! They had just come across 700 miles of Southern Oregon and Northern Nevada desert, and if they had broken down at any time along the way, it would have been a disaster! The motor home pulled into the designated meeting place, dripping a little oil, but running. The engine was turned off to unload them into my car, and then it was turned back on, and SPEW! After a few trips to Pep Boys, (which happened to be only a block away), a case of oil and an oil cooler later ($300) the owner of the motor home, Leif had managed to repair it within an hour! Out in the desert, no Pep Boys, no nothing, would have been a big problem! We were so happy that they were watched over on their travels!
I got them to the house, and they had brought us gifts! We love Harry and David's, and they had brought all of our favorites! Moose Munch, Strawberry Sticks, Gummy Clown Fish, Wasabi Trail Mix, Dark chocolate truffles and the best jerky from Gary West! So YUMMY!
Karla is looking for a car, so we went car shopping to a couple of places she wanted to look at. She is so opinionated! I think we probably drove one of everything! Nothing was just right, so we went to the next project, Scrapbooking! We did some show and tell and some idea swapping!
Then while the kids played Karla, Roxanne and I shopped for... Scrapbooking stuff! Yup, it never ends, it begins with Scrapbooking and ends there too! Karla is just starting, and she shopped all the cool local stores, Pebbles, Paper Creations, and we Cleaned Robert's out! At Robert's this weekend they had a 50% coupon, along with their regular 40%! Needless to say, we were there both Friday and Saturday! So many great deals, and she bought some great stuff to get her books going! Karla, I am so excited for you, and can't wait to see what you come up with! You are so talented with everything else, this will be a piece of cake!
I had to let them leave today at 10:00 a.m. ! We only get to see each other a few times a year, so this little unexpected jaunt was so great! I miss them all ready and we will be planning the next great get away! Maybe Thanksgiving there?