Happy Halloween!!

Hope you are having as much fun as we are!!!

Where have we been??? I know - I get way behind on this thing. I did finish the shower curtain and love it - but the bathroom is still under construction so I haven't hung it up yet. I have been working on a few other projects as well lately - Made two full size patchwork quilts for the girls bedroom, halloween costumes (dorthy, cheerleader, and a fairy), new pajamas for the girls (they turned out very cute), and now I am sewing with pink pleather - a little scary I know but a saw a darling superhero cape that I am trying out for some Christmas presents!! I'll take some pictures and show soon...maybe...

Our nephew Kade moved in with us to go to school and work. He is a great kid and Ryan has enjoyed having another male around the house - but I have to admit I have a new appreciation for his 5 sisters!!! A few of which occasionally read this so my hat goes off to you girls, I love you even more!!!

Our house is slowly but surely moving forward. We currently have 1 bathroom for the 6 of us so our neighbors occasionally have a little girl doing the potty dance on their front porch so thankfully they are very nice!!

The first day of school. (I do drive to the same school every morning, but there is something better about the school bus I guess) It has been very sweet watching Morgan take care of Ashlyn at school and making sure she is okay. I love having both of the girls there and can't wait until next year when all three will be with me. Ashlyn is in all day kindergarten so it makes it a lot easier for me, Morgan still loves school and Ashlyn loves it as well.
Backpacking to White Pine Lake at Tony Grove. I have to admit that this was my first experience on peeing in the woods. I was very strategic about it and dehydrated myself so I only had to go once in the 24 hour period! It was a beautiful hike, it was about 8 miles and our girls did awesome. Ashlyn and Morgan walked the entire way, and we only had to carry Maddie when she would fall (she was listening to the Ipod and singing and kept falling because she wasn't paying attention to where she was walking.) Kade and the Smith's came with us and we had a great time!

Our one finished room in the house and I love it - I haven't put anything on the walls (waiting for the rest of the basement to get finished) and we need to get the headboard finished! I am thinking that this will end up being Maddie Sue's room because the other bedroom has to have two girls in the room and nobody wants to share with Maddie.

Ashlyn and Maddie did Future Rockettes over at the high school with the drill team. This is just before there performance. Cute girls that I learned quickly love to perform - I don' t know why that surprised me!!

Spent a long weekend in San Diego and had a great time, Ryan was working on some cabinets for my aunt and uncle so the girls and I spent the day on the beach. A great day!!

I truly believe that this is really where I belong on any given week day - sitting on the beach, reading, watching my kids play in the water and getting just enough sun - loved it. I just haven't quite figured out how to transplant my life to the coast....
Had Morgan's birthday in San Diego - she had her first store bought birthday cake - that was quite the ordeal for me. I have always called it "the curse of my mother" (a good thing of course) She always made our amazing birthday cakes and halloween costumes - I'm am almost positive that if she was here she would tell me that is way easier to buy both (especially with working full time) but she is not here and I am always striving to be half the mother she was!!

Sea World - we love this place - thanks Aunt Karen and Uncle Dee for letting us crash at your home and have a wonderful weekend!!

Oops - forgot to flip the picture - but went camping last weekend up Logan Canyon - I have to admit I whined a little before we went because I hate to be cold and who camps in the middle of October - but it was beautiful and we had a great time!! (You were right Ryan!)

Another sideways picture - The next house project on the list - my basement cabinets. I absolutely love them and am so excited to have red cabinets. How fun is that!! At first I wasn't sure I wanted red because what if I got tired of it in a few years and Ryan reminded me that we own a cabinet shop and we could change them whenever - I'm thinking I'm going to go with a little blue upstairs - I love color!!!

That in a very quick nutshell is what we have been up to. Keeping busy (sometimes probably too busy), having fun with each other, and surviving the remodel!! Hope everyone out there is doing just as well!!!

The Project for Today

I'm going to attempt a shower curtain and curtains for the girls bathroom! I'll show you when it is finished (as long as it looks good!)

Let There Be Light....

Our BIG basement windows are in and I love them!!! It makes the basement rooms so much brighter and safer for my kids! (Now the yard needs a little help...tractors and grass are never a good combination)

The view from the outside
The view from inside

Next... this is where my kids are sleeping now. (Notice the nice new basement windows!) It drives me crazy for it to not be cute but all things will come in time- right??? The girls each have thier own bed, one of each size (queen, full, and twin), a couple of wall ovens to the left for our new kitchen that we bought on an awesome closeout, a 14 foot river raft on the right, and a few other miscellanous items.

** Maddie asked me this morning if she can have Ashlyn's bed when she gets older because she wants to a queen!

Always Makes Me A Little Nervous When....

There is a trackhoe in my front yard - (and Ryan is running it). Finished project coming soon...

Keeping Busy...

Freezing Corn - just call me Suzie Homemaker!(Ha) Ryan and I did 20 dozen ears of corn - Ryan loves the corn - and just ignore the huge chunk of butter in the pans.....

Camping at Alta ski resort with the Stokes and hiking up to Cecret Lake. It was a beautiful campground with all the wildflowers (and two huge moose that went right through our campsite) and a great hike. The kids were really fun to hike with and had a great time!

Just had to throw this picture in - Ashlyn all dressed up as a cowgirl - I wonder about some of the things she comes up with. And to top it off she had folded down the waistband of the skirt just to make it a little shorter - she is only 5 - I think we are in trouble...