Everything Else August

Here are a bunch of pictures of other things that happened this month. I can't believe tomorrow is September!

The first weekend in August we went camping with my sister Meredith and her family.


The kids were a bunch of happy campers.

I couldn't believe how dirty Henry got. He got this pretty bad scrape on his knee but a bandaid wouldn't stay on because he was so dirty.

And he found a gun-sized stick which he always does when we are outside.

James tried vanilla wafers (or banana wafers as Erica calls them) for the first time. He's a fan.

As a sidenote, Henry wore those pajamas when we was 12 months old. They are now too small for James.

Sarah made this pillow case. I helped her cut it straight and put in the pins but every single stitch was sewn by her. She did a great job. And I learned watching her sew is easier than watching her frost a cake. I didn't feel the need to swoop in and take over.

On the kids' summer to do list was to have a cookie stand. I had saved some cookie dough and cupcakes in the freezer so it didn't take too long to prepare. Henry got bored after a little while but the girls stayed out there for over an hour.

Cute baby being all babyish.

Sarah remembered playing with shaving cream when she was three. What she doesn't remember was that she hated it.

January 2012

I let her get out the cookie sheets and Justin's shaving cream anyway.

Surprise! She liked it this time.

Not surprised Erica did not.

Our ward had youth conference a couple of weeks ago. I asked what else I could do to help and I got assigned a burlap sign with our theme. If it isn't exclusively made out of fabric or baked in an oven, I don't know how to make it. Luckily my bestest friend Kenzie of over 20 years is quite the crafty lady. I forwarded her the picture of what it was to look like and she totally helped me out with step by step instructions and even made me stencils with her Cricut. I think it turned so great thanks to her. I was almost sad to give it away. We took the youth boating at Deer Creek for youth conference and it was so fun. Boating with teenagers is way less stressful than boating with my little kids.

James's second favorite place to play (the first being the heat vents) is the dishwasher as I'm trying to empty it. I finally just stepped away and got other things done since he was so pleasantly occupied.

James does this cute thing where whenever the kids go outside to play, he grabs the curtain too watch them.

Sometimes he yells for them to come back but mostly just watches. (You can imagine how dirty my curtain is getting in that spot.)

And lastly, bath time has turned into several minutes of James standing at the faucet playing with the shower diverter (does anyone know what that part is really called?) Sometimes he tries to put his mouth on it but mostly likes the sound of it going up and down.

The Art of Homemaking: 10 Years in Our Home

This month's installment of TAOH will be a little different. I want to make mention of a special anniversary for Justin and I. 10 years this week we bought our house.

Here's what two 23-year-olds who have no idea what they're getting into look like.

For the first 15 months of our marriage we lived rent free in my parent's house in Mapleton while my parents were living in Alaska. Before they returned home that September, we needed to find a place of our own.

These are the photos I took on our second walk-through.



When we moved in we brought a bed, cedar chest, computer desk, two nightstands, and a TV. That's it! Well that and loads of wedding presents that we hadn't needed until then. That week we bought a sectional and dining table. We didn't have a dresser for months!

Luckily we didn't have to build the retaining wall

Here's a few more of our first month here.

Pretty sure having two cakes and cinnamon bread was the best birthday decision ever.

Behind these cute boys is a magenta wall that I'm embarrassed to admit I didn't paint over for 4 more years.

First major project was painting the yellow kitchen a more soothing brown.

Thus began a long list of home repairs (too many for Justin's taste) and home improvements (not enough for my liking). Over the past ten years we have finished a basement that added a bedroom, bathroom, family room and storage room. We've replaced carpet and linoleum with laminate. We're on our second table and second microwave, second washer but still first dryer. We've repaired the garage door, the dishwasher and the icemaker. Cleaned up one minor flood caused by the washer overflowing. We've added garden boxes, planted 4 trees, sprinklers, and planted dozens and dozens of flowers and killed a bazillion wasps. And painted the front door.

And added four more occupants.

Although we've been here longer than we planned, and there are maybe only 5 families in our ward here longer than us, it is our first and only home together and the house I brought all my babies home to and where they will all learn to walk. Every night at dinner we give thanks for our home. We may be outgrowing it but we have made it ours.

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And just for fun, here's some more pictures of us at that time. Three of those kids are in high school now and one is leaving on a mission soon. Holy moly!

First Day of School

I don't know how to say this without seeming like a mean mom but I love back to school!!!!

Maybe it's because I loved school. I also love routine. I love new clothes and lunchboxes and seeing the aisles at the store full of school supplies.

Plus I don't love taking 4 kids with me on every errand, endless snack requests, long hot boring days. I just love fall so much and sending the "biggles" (if Erica is one of my "littles" she says Henry and Sarah are the "biggles") back to school is the first step to getting there.

After the eclipse on Monday we got to meet their teachers and see their classrooms. Sarah is in 3rd grade with Miss Neilson. Miss Neilson is new to Rees this year so we don't know anything about her but she seems nice and fun and everything a 3rd grade teacher ought to be like. 

Henry is in Mrs. Searle's class along with his best friend Myer. Mrs. Searle seems very experience and capable so I'm hoping she can handle any shenanigans Henry may try this year (his kindergarten teacher said he was a sweetheart but I know what he's capable of).

Henry was completely dressed with his lunchbox in hand at 7 am. Sure hope this enthusiasm continues. He's always been a morning person though.

Sarah is wearing one of my bracelets on her left wrist. She was nervous about missing me. What a sweetie.

Sarah's report on the first day: "It was awesome. I can't wait to go back!" Tuesdays are PE so now we know not to send her in a dress and sandals on Tuesdays.

Henry's report on the first day: "It was the longest day of my life!" He was up early and dressed again this morning with no prodding from me.

I spent the first day feeling my blood pressure return to normal levels, mopping the kitchen since it may actually stay clean for a few hours and hanging out with this girl. We went to the library and bought the kids sugar cookies as a first day treat.


She lasted until 8:52 before she asked when they were going to be home. Then around 11 she asked how much longer. "About 5 more hours" I said.

"Five more minutes?"

"No, 5 hours."

"Is that like 5 minutes?"

But this morning as I was getting James up, I said to Erica, "Let's go get the kids ready for school." She replied "And then it will be just you and me again!" I think she'll get a little bored most days but overall I think she'll like not having Henry teasing her all the time.

Last school year up until James was born our day was like this: Sarah off to school, run errands with the other 2 or do chores, Henry off to afternoon kindergarten, Erica and I take a nap until Henry and Sarah got home.

After James was born: Be super sleepy from being up all night with baby, get Sarah off to school (sometimes forgetting to pack her a lunch or doing her hair because I overslept or because James took forever nursing), get stuff done or not while James slept, Henry off to school, Erica nap, James nap, Sarah and Henry get home from school.

Since James slept so much and inconsistently, there were many days where there was literally no time to leave the house before someone else needed a nap or a bus would be there to pick up or drop off. Or their naps overlapped 6 hours. Newborn + Napping toddler + Afternoon kindergartner = You're never gonna leave the house.

This year? Huge change. James sleeps all night and so do I so I am up an hour before breakfast, no problem. Get biggles up and out the door. It's pretty hectic doing breakfast/making lunches/keeping James happy in his highchair but Sarah and Henry can do a lot themselves and we'll get better at it. Erica doesn't take a nap anymore so I just have to plan my errands and stuff around James's morning and afternoon naps and be home at 3:50 for when they get off the bus.

One last thing:

I bought these reusable juice boxes from Amazon and I am already loving them. I was looking for a water bottle just the right size for their lunchboxes. The opening is big enough for ice cubes too. They look so retro, like something I would have had in my lunch as a kid. Erica just saw this picture and said "I love those cups. They're so cute."