Halloween and Giving thanks!

 

I am a little behind and have lots to share!

I will start with Halloween!

 

I had three cute ghosts this year, Jake didn't dress up, apparently at 11 he is getting to old, he did go trick r treating a little at the end of the evening. But I have no pictures.

 

 All ready to go!

 Lets go!!!

 

I have no idea how I didn't end up with any pictures of ALL of the girls together, but I didn't! I was not one the ball this year! It was a crazy busy day!

 

November 1st brought lots of exciting new to our family!!!

Their is a tie for the biggest, st least on my end!

 

1 MONTH LEFT!!! Yes! Only one month until Dustin gets home, give or take a few days!!!

To say we are a LITTLE excited would be an understatement!!!

 

We got to go help make some welcome home posters yesterday! It really is coming!!!

 

Second big news, just as important, is that on November 1st Dustin got promoted!

We knew it was coming, just not sure when it would be official!

So Nov. 1st Dustin was promoted to Master Sergeant! (Same rank as First Sergent, the difference is that a First Sergent is over a unit, and a Master Sergent is not, just works kinda in an office. He will be a First Sergent after he gets home since they plan on moving him over a unit.)

He has worked hard and climbed the ladder faster than most. I am very proud of him and all he has accomplished!

 

 

Now, I am up to November and giving thanks!

 

Nov 1- I am thankful for amazing friends who have helped and influenced my life so much!

 

 

Nov. 2- I am thankful for my amazing husband!!! He is SO great to me and and amazing father! He is my best friend and other half! I would be lost without him! No one can make me smile like him, lift me when I am down like him, understand me like him, or love me like him! I am SO thankful I found the love of my life!

 

 

Nov 3- I am thankful for all that my amazing husband has provided for our family! He works so hard to provide for us so I don't need to and can stay home with our kids! We are very blessed!

 

Last night I got to go out shopping with a friend, with no kids! It was so fun! I was able to look and try on clothes without worrying about little hands, find a beautiful dress for the wedding, some cute tops, and several Christmas and Birthday presents. It was a fun night out! At the end of the evening as I was sitting down relaxing getting ready for bed, it hit me how lucky I truly am. We have a beautiful home, a new van, my kids have or get everything they could want- within reason, and we are able to pay bills, have the kids do gymnastics and sports and other programs and live comfortably. We are able to do, have and give so much. Which is all anyone really needs. Sometimes I forget this, and I want more, I want to be able to be out of debt and have extra money to play with, when really I have all I need and truly want.

 

So once again I am up to date! Hopefully I will be able to stay caught up!

 

Oh, and I have been working on Christmas and Birthday stuff like crazy and am almost done! My goal was to be done by Thanksgiving, and I am close! I am still making several projects and gifts, but I am close and since I have been getting everything to make it all on sale and with coupons it hasn't cost me a fortune! And I have some fun things! Plus I am working on the girls birthday party stuff to! I will post pictures soon!



Catching up...

Yeah, life has been crazy since school started! And I haven't had time to sit on the computer, and when I have, it either hasn't been to blog, or I just wasn't oin the mood. But, now that I am way behind, be prepared for LOTS of pictures!!!

Here we go...

 Jake got to do cross country club at the first of the school year.

He really enjoyed it and did great!

 

He is just like his dad!

 Bekah's kindergarten class went on a field trip to a pumpkin farm and Lizzie Zoe and I got to go to!

Lizzie loved the animals! (And the kids running everywhere like animals!;)

 My cute Bekah!

Looking for the perfect pumpkin!

 

 For one of Grace's Activity Girls activities the Primary Presidency, in cluding me, did a fun mother-daughter night luau. We had a great time together! (And since my babysitters who normally watch Lizzie where there that night, she came too!)

 

Lizzie Zoe is standing!!! Even taking a few steps by herself!

She is so fun! And growing so fast! I can't believe she is almost a year old!!!

 

 

Grace doig a science fair project! She is almost done and then I will tell all about it and post pictures! 

 

So aside from making breakfast, driving the kids to and from school everyday, making lunch, helping at school, taking kids to after school activities, making diner, cleaning, doing my Primary calling, doing Photography, selling and LOVING Jamberry Nails, and being mom... I have been doing some crafting! I even have joined a craft group, which is great cause it gives me times I can just focaus on crafts, and nothing else! My craft to do list is almost as long as my regualar to do list! So be warned, you may see one of your gifts made below... you are still expected to act surprised!

 

 Jean car track! I loved this idea I found on Pinterest! I took old jeans I had been saving from the kids, you know the ones with the wholes in the knees, but otherwise great. I measured width so they were wide enough for the fun wood cars I found, and I cut them into pieces to use as tracks! I painted yellow lines, added some velcro dots, the pokey sides, to the back! I even used the tops of the jeans to make bags! I found some fun car fabric and made a liner for the inside, sewed it in, made handles and tada! Love them! (I sent one to a nephew for his birthday and he liked it, so I hope my other nepehews do to!)

 

 THe kids and I thought it would be fun to throw a candy card into Dustin's birthday box. It was fun to make! We made it in pieces so it could lay flat in the top f the box. SO he opened it and saw the first part, lifted for the second and so on!

 

I have seen these vinyl baords everywhere and wanted one! SO I got ahold of my vinyl lady, Good Golly Graphics, and had her make me one up! I wanted it on something light, and a friend who had moved gave me some uncut mat board for framing pictures, so I decided to give it a try, ad I love it! No prep- just apply and enjoy! Well, I did have to cut it to size! (They are huge pieces, and in several fun colors! I am doing more, hopefully today!)

 

 I decorated some mini pumpkins for Halloween!

 

Mummy door!

 I saw this on Pinterest, they used crate paper streamers for there door, but I wanted something that would last through rain, so I used tulle! I got a huge roll, in the wedding section at Micheal's, using a coupon it was only 5 bucks! Love how it turned out! I just cut strips, and taped them on both sides of the door! Added eyes and I was good!

 

 Tu-tu time! The girls are all going to be ghosts for Halloween, and needed tu-tu's to go with their costumes! I also needed one for Lizzie's first birthday outfit!

 

 I did faces on Bekah and Lizzie's tops! They are so fun! I just cut out the eyes and mouth in black fabric, hot glued on googly eyes and added a flower to Bekah's and the are cute and ready to go! I just need to make hair bows!

 

 Lizzie's first birthday outfit! I love it! I found the flowers at Micheal's and glued them on in the shape of a 1 and all done! So cute, and way less money then buying one and easy to make!

I have a large flower just like the ones on the shirt for her hair!

 

 I-Spy ornaments! I love anything I-spy, and saw this idea and decided to make some!

Love them!

 Hair bows! I got the flowers at Micheal's with coupons. Added a few pearls and clips and all done!

( made these for a special Christmas present, more to come, after Christmas...)

Snowboard cones!

I got pinecone at Micheal's, painted popcicle sticks, used the heads, hats and scarfs I had left from my snowmen ornaments last year and hot glued them together and ta-da! Oh, and I painted on faces. Oh, and I pained almonds, yes almonds from my panty, as feet! Super easy, my kids helped!

(another specail for Christmas present...)

 

I have done a few photo shoots the past few months! Which is SO fun! And this last time I had my kids play at the park while I did the families and then I did my kids Fall Photos! I love that I can take there pictures so much and really see the changes as they grow! I think I am going to need a new camera soon ;)

 

My kids and I!

My friend, whose pictures I took, stayed and took a picture for me so I could be in it for Dustin!

 

 My girls and I!

 

Leaf fight! What fall photo shoot is complete without a leaf fight!

My boy and I!

My girls! So cute!

 

Jake being the big brother! So fun!

I am so blessed with amazing kids! I love them so much! They are growing way to fast!

(((Individual shots are on the right!)))

 

And now we are up to date!!!  For now anyway!

 

A few highlights I didn't go over:

- I am planning birthday parties! So fun!

- Dustin's baby brother is getting married! So I am helping with wedding flowers, and planning a bridal shower!

- Trying to get all my Christmas/birthday things done so I can enjoy the season and just relax with my guy when he gets home!!! We are so close!!!

 

If anyone wants more dirrection on making anything posted above comment and let me know!

 

 

In Love!!!

Just finished this project after over a year of planning and wishing! 

I got this old window, with a few pains missing for free from a friend before we moved! I LOVE the old thing. After convincing my husband I HAD to keep it and it HAD to be moved with us cause I knew what I wanted to do with, PROMISE!!! 

I finally found a vinyl lady that was super easy to work with and SO nice, Good Golly Graphics is awesome! (You can find her on facebook! I have a lot of links to her FB page.)

SO I washed, and sanded and got to work!!!

(I don't have progress pictures, sorry!)

After I got it all washed, sanded and cleaned up, I added, get this, picture frame glass to replace the 3 broken pains! I know! It is actually a perfect 10x 12 size, that they sell at Lowe's for like $2 each!  No cutting required! (They do cut for like 10 cents a cut and have bigger pieces.) Awesome! 

 Then I decided on Vinyl, I wanted the middle top to say something like Family is Forever, but due to the way I wanted it, it wouldn't fit, so my awesome vinyl lady helped me come up with this! 

Which I must say I love! 

Then I used clear scrapbook corner mounts to hold the pictures, so that way I can change them out as I wish, and lets face it, I am ALWAYS taking new pictures of my kids! Bonus, or downfall, not sure which, to being a photographer!  In fact I just took some new ones of Lizzie, (see past post, and need to take new ones of my older kids! Back to school and all!)

Then I put nail brackets on the back, nails in the wall, and ta da! I LOVE it! I think I will add a ribbon to the top, that looks like it is holding it up, but I can't tell you how much I love this!!!

It makes me smile every time I come down stairs or enter my house! Love it! 

One day soon, it will have a family picture in the bottom middle, but for know one of all my kids is great! (I kinda need my guy home to do a family one!)

Total spent: $15

(Window free, glass $6, nail mounts $2, had corner mounts for pictures, $7 for prints from my prof. printing house, cute kids, mine!)

9 months old!

Okay, so she is almost 10 months now, but I took these closer to 9 months! 

And she just keeps getting cuter and cuter!!!

 This one melts my heart every time! 

I love these blue eyes! 

Could she get any cuter?! I think not! 

We are so blessed by this sweet, fun, happy little blue eyed angle! 

She is standing and walking along things, she is into everything, all the time! 

She NEVER sits still! In fact she moves so much she burns off everything she eats and isn't growing very fast! But she is strong! We love our tinny might! 

Back to school- a little late.

So, we made it home after a long fun trip. We had a few days to get ready for school to start. 

Jacob started 6th grade- in the Jr. High!!! (Makes me feel REALLY old!)

Grace started 4th grade and

Bekah started Kindergarten!!! (A little sad!)

And little Lizzie is 9 months old!!! Goes to fast!

 Grace- seems to be hiding her leg, but looking cute in her own style! 

 My big Kindergartener! 

My sweet girls! Love them! 

Bekah has two really good friends from church that also started Kindergarten with her. 

 They were so cute and sweet holding hands! I love this picture! 

My baby girl going into class. 

We just finished the first week of school. It has been an adjustment for everyone. 

Bekah is having a hard time being gone all day, but is starting to adjust and like school. 

Grace, as always is loving school. 

Jake has had a little bit of a harder adjustment, but is starting to get the hang of it. He has started Cross Country Running club and is enjoying it. He is like his dad and loves to run! 

Lizzie is missing her big sisters and brother, but is taking good naps and doing good. She is standing up by her self for 10-15 seconds, and pulling herself up on everything. She is growing so fast it is a little sad, but still so fun! 

I am staying busy driving everyone everywhere! And with the house and taking care of my 4 wonderful kids! I have had a few hard days now and then, but am doing okay. I have been feeling like my life is on pause, yet everything is moving forward all around me. I think it may be a deployment thing. Anyway, I am ready for my wonderful husband to be home and to un-pause life.   But for now we are surviving and trying to enjoy everything that we can!