HaPpY HaLlOwEeN!!!

We have had a lot of fun this past week. We started out by going to Draper to go with my sister and her girls to a little Halloween Party at one of their parks. Neither one of the munchkins would wear their jackets, so of course they were both freezing and a tad on the whiny side. We played some games, got our pictures taken, faces painted and waited in line FOREVER for some popcorn and cotton candy. After the party, we went back to my sister's house for pizza. We didn't get home until after 11 pm...yes, it was a school night. I know, I know....

They were a little hesitant at first to take the candy from "Freakenstien" as Emma calls him.

Christian and Madeleine were very excited to do the race...

Emma..not so much. She just stood there. You could not get that girl to move.

On Friday night, we carved and painted our pumpkins. I have never been a huge fan of carving pumpkins, so I let Marcus help the little ones carve their pumpkins.

Emma painted her little pumpkin she chose at the pumpkin patch where she went on her field trip.

Leave it to Marcus to get out the power tools to carve the pumpkins. What ever happened to a good old sharp knife?

This was Christian's pumpkin.

This was Jessi's pumpkin..Taylor was at a party that night and I wasn't around the next day to get pictures of her doing her pumpkin.

I didn't even attempt to carve a pumpkin. I used good old trusty markers instead.

Halloween night, my sister and her girls came down to go to our trunk or treat with us. Here are four of the goblins in their costumes.

Here are the other two goblins with Emma and Christian at the church.

We had soups and breads outside before the trunk or treat started. Of course, it started to rain and everything had to be moved inside. It was complete and total CHAOS!!!

Christian wanted to be done trick or treating before we were even close to being finished. He went and helped Marcus hand out candy.

Me and my Hulk. Cutest Hulk Ever!!!

The two butterflies.

I honestly think Christian's favorite part of the night was staying home handing out candy to the trick or treaters we got at our house.

After the trunk of treat, we came and went to a few houses around the neighborhood. It was a good Halloween, but I am glad I it's over. I've all ready started to take down the decorations.

Hope you had a great Halloween too!!!

Worms, Witches and Butterflies...Oh My!!

We had a Daddy/Daughter Halloween Party for Young Women's tonight. It turned out really cute. We were all suppose to make fun little treats for the party, and oh boy! did I deliver!! I made worms...yup...worms. They turned out great and weren't too hard, besides the fact that my fingers still hurt.

This is all you need to make creepy, crawly, VERY realistic looking worms.

It does help to have an adorable helper though.

You need LOTS of straws.

After the mix stays in the fridge all night, this is what it looks like before you empty the straws.

And TA DA!!!! Ohhy, gooey worms!!

The hardest part of making the worms is getting the set up mixture out of the straws; you have to use a rolling pin and your fingers. My hands are stained red and pretty sore.
The worms were a hit though!! It was fun to see everyone's reaction. I found the idea here. There are bunch of fun Halloween ideas on the site.

I also made these cute little witch hats. Making the ribbons out of frosting was a little harder than I had anticipated, but Emma helped with the rest and it wasn't too bad.

For lunch I made Christian and Emma these cute Mummy Dogs. They both ended up peeling them and just eating the hot dogs, but they looked cute!

I was feeling pretty crafty and ambitious, so Emma and I made these cute little gift bags for Emma's dance class. Emma sure loves to help me to do anything and everything.

This morning was also Emma's Preschool Halloween Party. She is a Monarch Butterfly this year. I guess she had an emotional day at school; her teacher said the other costumes scared her. She didn't cry, but had a sad little moan coming out of her most of the morning. If she was that scared with kids she knew in costumes, it will be interesting to see how Halloween goes.

She is so stinkin' adorable!!

I didn't want to wear my actual Halloween costume to the Daddy/Daughter party, so I used my cat costume I have had since college. I didn't wear the pants that I used to wear when I used this costume; it was twenty pounds and one child ago. So I improvised and used the crazy tights. I think it worked.

We have more Halloween fun to report on...this is only the beginning!!!

I Can Do Hard Things #1...

I want to start a new series of posts that are entitled I Can Do Hard Things. They will talk about things I struggle with, but I know I can do. This first one was a biggie for me...

I have a very hard time stepping outside of my comfort zone. Doing anything that is new or unfamiliar is a challenge. A few weeks ago, I was invited to a Bloggers' GNO. I didn't know any of the ladies who were going to be there. I only had read one of the ladies blogs and met her for a brief moment when she so kindly donated to our adoption yard sale.

I really wanted to go, but not knowing anyone and just showing up by myself left me with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. I have been on this kick lately of feeling that I don't have any friends and I NEVER go and do anything with anyone. (Yes, it was my own personal pity party...nobody likes me. everybody hates me. guess I'll go eat worms.) I thought as an adult, the feelings of worrying what others think and worrying about being accepted would go away..not for me anyway. (Maybe some day when I grow up.) Anyway, I really wanted to go and meet new people and possibly make friends. After a lot of humming and hawing, I finally decided I would go. Marcus didn't think I would actually go because I don't do stuff like that; to show up where I don't know anyone and have to actually talk to strangers was WAYYY out of my comfort zone. But, boy, did I prove him wrong.

Not only did I end up going, but I had the BEST time meeting this awesome girls. And I do hope that the friendships I made that night will last.

These girls are AwEsOmE!!

From left to right:

Tylaine She is one of the sweetest people I have ever met.

Carrie Awesome girl!! I feel like I really clicked with Carrie.

Kellie She was nice enough to have all of us crazy girls in her house all night. Even though she told me she thought I was stuck up at first, I still think she is hilarious!! :)

Amy Who needs Google when Amy is around?! She is so smart and nice.

Me--ReMeMbEr the camera adds ten pounds and for some reason, I was the only one it seemed to have applied to.

Laura Laura is soo nice. I think she was my deciding factor in actually going. She sent me a nice little email telling me that I should come to the GNO. So glad she did!!

KyAnn Oh. My. Word. This woman is hilarious!! After just meeting her once, she is someone I all ready look up to. Wish she would share some of her courage and zest for life with me.

Then in this picture, we are all the same except Kellie took the picture and Crystal took her place.

Crystal I have been reading Crystal's blog from the beginning and she is awesome!! If I could have even a fourth of her hotness, I would be set. :)

Everyone of these gals have their own unique personalities and interests. I felt like I belonged. I didn't feel judged or inadequate at all. I don't think I have ever felt more comfortable right from the beginning with a group of people before. I hope we can continue to get together and have as much fun as I did that night.

Soccer!!

Christian wanted to play soccer this season. He has actually been wanting me to sign him up for a couple of years now, but between baseball and basketball, I didn't think we needed soccer in there too. But, being the push over that I am, Christian is now on the Blue Dragons. They have been playing all fall with the last game of the season being on Saturday.

Christian is one of those kids that is just naturally good at anything he tries to do. I'm waiting for him to find something he doesn't enjoy and isn't good at...not listening to me doesn't count.
Anywho...he has really enjoyed this season of Soccer. Here are some action shots of him playing. The other day he scored three goals in one game. That's my boy!!

What a STUD!!

Last day of soccer is this Saturday, and then basketball starts next Saturday. He has so much energy; we have to keep him busy!! Now Marcus is thinking drum lessons too...we'll see.

"Mommy, You Are Being Kind of Mean"...

"Mommy, you are being kind of mean." The three year old says this on a regular basis. Usually I am "being mean" when I make her eat her dinner or come in the house when she wants to play outside. But, when she said this to me this morning, she was 100% correct. Mommy was being mean. I was being horrible; it only took the three year old to point this out to me.

Mornings at our house aren't the best. Especially mornings when I didn't get much sleep the night before because two children, who shall remain nameless, wouldn't stay out of my bed. I love my children, but I love my sleep almost as much...sometimes, maybe more. :) So needless to stay, I wasn't on my A game this morning. Trying to get the three of us ready and out the door this morning wasn't going very smoothly. The way I was handling it obviously wasn't making things any better. I was snapping at the both of them and growling over the dumbest things. When Emma pointed out how horrible I was being, it really made me think.

I have noticed lately that I am so short tempered and snappy with Christian and Emma. I don't want to be the mom that is the "mean mom" or the one who is always yelling at the kids. My fuse has been very short lately. Time goes by so fast, and the little ones aren't staying little. These days won't last forever. I need to enjoy the fingerprints on the glass and the dirty socks left in the middle of the floor and the constant picking up of toys. Even the whining and bickering between the kids won't last forever...hopefully anyway.

So the next time Emma wants to play Little People or Barbies or even Potato Heads, I will be there. If Christian wants to go on a bike ride, even if we are in gloves and hats because it's getting so stinking cold, we will go on an awesome bike ride.

I prayed and begged and pleaded to have children. My prayers were answered and I need to appreciate that more. Every moment is precious. My kids deserve a better mommy. I want to hear, "Mommy, you are fun." Thank you Emma for giving me a different outlook on being a Mommy.

Yes, I was put in my place by a three year old.

So What???

So what if I had Diet Coke for breakfast and cereal for lunch today?

So what if I don't think your little dog sitting in your shopping cart wearing a Halloween sweater is a service dog? Can't you read the sign that says "No pets allowed"? Dogs lick their own butts. Your dog licks you while you pet him for being a good dog in the grocery store. You touch the produce I am going to buy. Essentially, I am feeding my children dog butt. Leave your dog at home. It's just nasty. He is not your child.

So what if I am a hypocrite? I tell my children to grab a jacket and not wear flip flops when it's cold outside, then I am the one shivering like a frightened Chihuahua because I am wearing flip flops and no jacket. I make my children wear helmets when they ride their bikes, but don't wear one when I do. First, I hate riding bikes. I only do it for them. Second, I hate wearing helmets. I don't know if I even could suffer more brain damage. I mean, come on, have you met me?!

So what if I steal candy from my kids or make them give me the first bite of anything good they are eating? Someone has to taste it and make sure there isn't poison in it. I'll sacrifice myself for the love of my children.

So what if I think about becoming inactive just so I don't have to sit through Sacrament with Emma? She is pure evil, you know...especially during Sacrament.

So what if I don't let my kids eat cookie dough or cake batter? There are raw eggs in it, you know. My mommy magic makes me immune, so I can eat all the cookie dough and cake batter I want. (That's one of the perks of being the mommy.)

So what if I am deathly afraid of haunted houses? Why would you willfully want to be scared enough to possibly pee yourself? No thank you. You go, I will stay home and make you some nice hot chocolate and have a change of pants ready for you when you get home.

So what if my 13 year old step-daughter tells her friend I bug her? I must be doing my job then, right?

So what if I have three loads of laundry, dishes and vacuuming to do, but instead am sitting here on the computer? I think I know where my kids are. I saw them a few hours ago...

Friday Confessional #1...

I found this fun link up the other day when I was wasting time looking at blogs instead of doing things I should have been doing.

*Even after being in a "blended family" for seven years now, the kinks aren't all ironed out.
*I don't think they ever will be.
*Maybe I am the evil step-mother and not the friend I thought I was.
*The three and five year old have been watching t.v for almost two hours because I don't want to get up to put them in bed.
*Maybe if they stay up late tonight, they will sleep in in the morning.
*You know you are an adult and a parent when sleeping in is 9:00 am.
*I'm thinking of stepping WAY out of my comfort zone tomorrow night and going to a meet up with a whole group of ladies I don't know.
*I hope they aren't crazy serial killers.
*I want to make new friends.

*I feel like I don't have many friends.

*I need more self confidence.

“I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and gosh darn it, people like me.”

Latest Discoveries...

I love finding new things that I like/enjoy/make my life easier. Here are a few things I have discovered the past few weeks that are oh so good.

I am not a fan of McDonald's or a fan of hot chocolate. But McDonald's hot chocolate is super delish!! We were doing a photo shoot up in Logan a couple of weeks ago and at 8 am it was close to 32 degrees. Brrr!!! So now I am obsessed with this stuff. Just in time for cold weather!!


I am trying to not drink as much soda pop as I have been. For about a two month period, I went cold turkey and had NO soda. I let myself have an occasional Diet Coke or Diet Mt. Dew, but nothing like I was. There was a point in time I was downing like 4-6 cans of Diet Coke a day. That's nasty!! I don't want to drink sugary juices and I can only drink so much plain water before I feel like I am drowning. The Hawaiian Punch Sugar Free drop ins have saved my life. They are so yummy. I add more water than it calls for so the flavor is even less than with a normal bottle of water.


I am not a huge fan of cheese flavored crackers. But these...Oh. My. Gosh!!! I could eat a whole box all by myself. Finding the reduced fat ones are a little harder, but so worth the hunt.


Are you noticing a theme here? Yes, I ReAlLy enjoy food!! I have never tried Nutella until a few weeks ago. I have seen it and heard about it, but never tried it for myself. I now know what was missing in my life. So Good!!


I don't sleep well at nights. My brain doesn't know when to shut off. Or if I do fall asleep, I can't stay asleep. Plus, I usually have two additional bodies in my bed besides Marcus and myself. (I know. I know. Don't let the kids sleep in your bed. That's a whole other post for another time.) Anyway, I read about Melatonin supplements and thought I would try them. They are my lifesaver!! They help me fall asleep, sleep better and when I wake up, I don't have that "I took a sleeping pill last night and now I am going to be loopy all day" feel that I have when I take other sleeping pills. They are awesome!!
Can't wait to go exploring and find me some other goodies.

Crafter Wannabe....

I've finally been wanting to be creative (or at least pretend to be) after a very long dry spell. Here are some of the things I have done the last few weeks.

I made this from a blog I saw (and of course, can't remember for the life of me where) and it only cost me two bucks!! I love me some cheap stuff. The glass container is just a vase and a candle holder I bought at the dollar store. I used some gorilla glue to glue them together. To buy this in the stores, you are looking at around $24. I then made the moss balls by crumpling up a newspaper into a ball, covering it in tape and then using a hot glue gun to glue the moss on. I only burned myself a couple hundred times, but I think it was well worth it.

The new creation in it's home...for now. I rearrange stuff way to much. I wonder if there is a support group for that...excessive rearranging and decorating anonymous.

You like how the sneaky three year old how to be in the picture? She's a stinker!!

I also made Emma and all my little nieces these cute bow holders. I saw something similar to this at the Quilted Bear and knew and I could make it much cheaper than what they were selling it for. All I had to buy was the wood. My handy dandy husband used his big boy toys and cut them all nice and straight for me.

This one is Emma's. Now we just need to figure out how to make cute little bows and flowers to add to it. (Hint. Hint. Kim)

We painted the family room back in March. Okay, I guess I can't really say "we". It was right after my surgery and I still couldn't lift anything or hardly move, but I helped..a little. I am very good at telling Marcus what to do. I will put pictures up of the whole room once we are completely done. We still need to do the touch ups which is my job and that's why it hasn't been done yet. There is no way I am going to have paint out when the monkeys are home and when they are at school, I always seem to have too much other stuff to do. Finishing that room is on my to do list. Anyway, we painted this little arch way thing above the fireplace. I still can't decide if I like it green or not. I made the G and redid the photo frame on the mantle. In the past, I have always had big black candlesticks with candles in the archway, but I got tired of dealing with them melting every fall and winter from the fireplace. Duh, what did I expect? I think I like it, but I am not sold on the whole thing yet.

I also redid the candle stick and picture frame that I put in the sitting room. FYI: Emma's picture is in one of the small frames because she is the only one that wouldn't freak out if her picture was smaller than anyone else. Drama.

My goal lately is to simply and get our lives back in order. Things have been complete chaos and I'm taking my life back dang it!! I painted these clipboards and put them in the kitchen kind of as a "command center". The top one is for the week's menu...when I actually write one up. Then the other two are for school stuff, dance or soccer info, or anything kid related that I should be aware of. So far it is working out very well. I don't lose papers that the kids need for school and I can put the school calendars up there and always know where they are.

This doll house is going to be the death of me. I have been working on this thing for ages!! I need to finish the floors and the outside, but it's one of those projects I can't work on when Emma is awake because she wants to help paint and that doesn't usually go over well. Another "some day" project...but I'm closer than ever.

This wooden box thingamajig is the next project I want to do. I want to sand and repaint it and then reupholster the top. I'm wanting to get it done, but it keeps getting pushed to the back of the projects.

Here's to more crafting and great ideas!!

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