Finally Finished!!

With all of my homemade projects that is! Pj's where the last to get done and they turned out so cute. My husband says that I am overcompensating for doing homemade Christmas. Which I probably am, I have alot of Christmas hangups from my childhood but still its not in me to only do 1/2 way either.

These are Taylor's its hard to not to go to cutesie with a 12 yr old but I think that its balanced for Pj's I got 2 1/2 yards for each kid and it gave me 2 pairs of Pj's pants for the girls! so I put a band of ribbon around the bottom of each pair so that they can tell them apart :)

These are for Lexi I just love the way that the flower turned out

Trying to do something on Cole's shirt and not have it look like it was not suiting a 14 almost 15 yr old was hard but this Avengers logo is appropriate as the movie is due to come out soon, and I think it turned out pretty darn good!

Ok So Mara's I might have gone a little bit overboard on. The applique on the shirt is the same bird that is on the fabric. i blew it up and then did it in 4 different fabrics. I love the way it turned out and she is going to be crazy for it! 

To make each of the Pj's I just took a pair of thier old Pj's and used them as a pattern. There is a really good tutorial here

Just a couple more things to get and I am finished!! Yea ME! Of course it is none to soon, the dreaded Stomach Flu bug bit Mara last night, here is praying that the rest of us get to miss it!

What I have been up to part 2

Oh My girls would die to see what I am going to show you! (because it's thier Christmas!) Again these turned out SO much better than I ever thought I am quite proud of myself

This is for Taylor, I got all of the shirts in the post from either Modbod Seconds racks (they have TINY holes under the armpit on one sleeve and I got them for $5!!) or Lexi's I got on clearance at Wmart for $2.25 (love it!)

So back to this picture the pleated skirts are all modified from this pattern I just modified the pleats (she discribed them funny and I couldn't figure them out so I made up my own way of doing it.) I also stiched down the back fold of each pleat. This makes them stay in better and easier to iron. I also added a button hole on the waistband for the tie that is wrapping around the body to come through so that it doesn't have to just come over the top.

The shirt embelishment is from here (I love her blog)

This is Taylors second outfit, I made all of these skirts up! So sorry there is no tutorial I wanted them to look similar to the Downeast ones but with an elastic waist (because I needed easy) so they all have a yoke with a slightly pleated skirt and you can't see it but there is ribbon trim around the bottom.

The T-shirt embelishment is just a ruffle that has been folded over and then topped with more of the ribbon roses like the one on her other shirt, just smaller.

This is the first of Lexi's outfits, same skirt as above and the t-shirt embelishment is just ribbon that I stiched with a gathering stitch on my machine and then wrapped around to create a rose and sewed it on. Its kindof like the embelishment here

This is Lexi's pleated skirt, its SO cute she is just going to love it. I made it the same as Taylors

This is Lexi's other shirt, that matches the skirt that I made for her for school. The flower is from a tutorial found here 

This is Mara's Downeast knockoff skirt (I just love this stripped fabric)

This is Mara's shirt that matches her school skirt I got the embelishment from here

Finally this is Mara's pleated skirt and I just took ribbon that I had that matched all of the colors in her skirt and put it into groups of 3 ribbons and then stiched them together so that they where all sticking up and then stitched all of the bunches together and onto her shirt. I just love the way that it turned out!

My girls are going to be so excited on Christmas morning!

So... you will never guess what i have been up to!

I just have to say I am very proud of myself so far this Christmas season! Why, you ask- well its because we have decided to do a homemade Christmas this year (mostly because its alot cheaper) and our kids and extended family are really hard to buy for right now! I have gotten SO much done and thanks to Pintrest I have had alot of ideas at my finger tips. And as I am pretty sure that no one that I am gifting to looks at my blog (if I have you look away now!) I am going to share all my fun stuff now - mostly because it will help me to wait to give it away :)

OK So this one I made for me BUT I loved the way it turned out and I have to share!

This is a wreath made out of a book! So much fun I made it for my Dad and Stepmom. My Dad is a totally book freak (that may be where I got it from) and my Stepmom is super cute so I thought that this fit them extra well I got my inspiration here

This one is for my In-Laws it turned out so fabulous this picture really doesn't do it justice (but I am not the professional photographer in the family) It matches thier house and I think that they are just going to love it! I got my inspriation for it here

This one is for Andy's Grandma Gallagher it matches her bedroom and I think that she is going to love it! Just a note some inspiration as the wreath above but I will warn you it takes over 100 flowers to do this smaller wreath and almost 200 for the larger one - I am only going to make one more of these! (because well I need one for me!)

These are SO cute we found inspiration for these when we where looking for secret sisters gifts for Taylor to take to Girls Camp. The girls just love them! 2 of these are for Mara and Lexi's Friends and then I made one for each of them! I got my inspriation for them here

These personal progess book holders we also found for girls camp, but they also fit Faith in God books perfectly! Some of these are for Taylor to giver her friends but we have also been using these for birthday party gift ideas and the girls just love them! I found inspriation for them here. I didn't take a picture but I also like to put a spiritual directory assistance card found here in them it fits just perfect!

This is the Aftgan that I made for Grandma and Grandpa Z. I know that they will love it because when I gave a similar one to my MIL, Grandma Z wanted to know why she wasn't getting one too! Because it was just her colors and she loves aftgans -- Yep I got the hint :)

to keep all of the Grandma's and Grandpa's warm we have made each of them scarves and heating pads (see below) so that is a total of 10 scarves (yep I am nuts!)

Heating pads I lost count of how many I made because I did extras for presents and one for each of my kids etc... I have made these before but used flax seed in them this time as its supposed to help them retain heat better-- I hope so :) here

These shirts are for my cute nephews for Christmas. For my side of the family we decided that instead of the kids trying to buy each other some little thing that will be broken in 2 hours we would have them exchage

 t-shirts so that even if they didn't really "like" them they would still be good for PJ t-shirts so since my nephews are all in between the ages of 8 and 6 I thought that super hero appliques would be so much fun! I got my instructions here but the rest was all me

I will have to do another post with pictures of all the stuff I have done for my girls once I finish the last piece! But yea me! I have actually accomplished stuff!

Blessings come when you least expect them...

We got a huge blessing this month. After 3 years working for 1800 Contacts I have made it to the top of the work from home list! I had to provide my own desk and chair but they will pay for the Internet and provide all of the computer equipment. My Darling sister Heather had a desk that she wasn't using and let me have for free (thank you so much!) and Andy's brother Tony and his wife Andree provided a much needed office chair again for free (You guys are so amazing!). We figure that we are going to save quite a bit in gas alone not to mention I am sure that there are alot of other ways that it is going to help us save money which will really help us alot. Just as I started my second week at home last week the alternator went out on the truck. Normally this would cause me to go into extra panic mode but as I don't need to drive to work everyday Andy can just take our van to work until we can afford a new alternator which Andy is pretty sure he can install by himself (which will again save us a ton of money). This last Sunday they finally split our ward (it was very much needed as our Sacrament meeting filled the chapel and the entire gym all the way back!) With the split we lost SO many people that the bishop had to pretty much start over. The Bishop decided to wheel and deal with the Stake presidency again over us and they have released Andy from our Stake Calling and have put him in as the Assistant Deacons Quorum advisor and ----Scoutmaster! I know its not much of a surprise with all that he has been doing with scouts lately but he is really excited as scared at the same time. Andy also just finished another block of classes and after the end of the block that will start Monday he will have 3 more semesters left before graduation. However, we are just not sure how we are going to pay for the next semester we found out at the beginning of this semester that he is just about to hit the cap of financial aide and we only have enough room to make it to the end of the next semester. In some ways I can't wait to see what the lord has up his sleeves to help pay for school, as Andy is promised in his patriarchal blessing that he will be able to get the schooling he desires, so it will be interesting to see what happens. I have just started my 3rd week of working from home and am finally starting to settle in and not have it feel so weird. The kids are all doing fine and are getting excited for Halloween and trying to finalize their costumes. Me, I have already moved past Halloween and am starting to think about Christmas and trying not to stress about it.
We found out last week that Andy's Dad doesn't have Cancer but his Grandma Zaelit does. She has more than one kind of bone marrow cancer and starts Chemo on Wednesday. I hate for her to have to go through it but they say without the Chemo they say that its a good possibility that she wont make out the year, and the Chemo will give her 3-5 years. On top of all this Grandpa Zaelit isn't doing real well either and we are really starting to worry that we wont have either of them for much longer. Grandma and Grandpa Zaelit have been so kind to me and have loved me so much that I might as well have had them my whole life. When we don 't have them anymore they are going to leave a very big hole that isn't going to be easily filled. It's hard to think about, cancer seems to have taken so many people that are important to me.
Well here is to the next couple of weeks-- hope that they are good!

To Manti and Back....

Well there are somethings that happen when you where a kid that you want your kids to experience. This weekend I got to let my kids experience some things that I did as a kid-- I dragged them down to Manti!
 And then I dragged them around the entire town and showed them where they come from, and where their ancestors carved out a living.

They got to listen to all of the little old ladies talk about what it was like a long time ago, they got to hear about what it was like when the pioneers settled Manti and what they had to go through to survive and to build the temple. We also went through the cemetery looking for headstones, and finding those that belong to the people that are important in our families past. 

Then we went to the temple and talked about how their grandpa used to build go carts and race his cousins down temple hill (by the way the kids think that you where NUTS!!!!) Then they got to roll down temple hill just like I did when I was their age-- and find out what I meant when I told them that you cannot roll straight down you always turn sideways!

They also got to play on the school playground across the street from my Great Grandmothers house just like I used to as a kid- however they have updated the toys quite a bit and they are a far cry from the merry-go-round and tires that I played on!

We got rained on Friday night but it didn't dampen our spirits, we had a blast! Andy and I also got to do a session at the Manti Temple which I have seen my entire life but never been in, and it was so amazing! The entire session it kept hitting me that I could be sitting where my ancestors have sat, touching the same banister that they touched, seeing something that they helped to build, it was such a touching experience for me. And the Temple is so beautiful! and its live so you move 5 times! Also you sit on the same wooden benches that my ancestors help make and put there originally which was amazing! 

 The white dress on the far left is the wedding dress of my great great grandmother Mary Henrie the coolest part about it is that the museum had no idea who it belonged to, other than they had her picture, but they didn't know what her name was. However, I did! thanks to all of my mothers dragging, I had seen the dress right after it had been donated to the museum and I was even able to match a picture of Mary at her wedding to the dress and the picture that they had on the wall so that they where able to authenticate it and now it is labeled as her dress! The DUP (Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, who's museum it is) is going to see if they can restore it (as its not in great condition) but now they know that its authentic and worth saving!

It is something that I am definitely going to do again, but next time we are going to go with my grandmother and get it first hand. And the good thing is that the kids want to do it again too!

It just takes time---

Well it has been hard for me to think about writing this post. But in the end time does make things easier. Just in case you didn't already know I had a miscarriage about 2 weeks ago. While it has been really hard to wrap my head around the fact that the thing I had just gotten used to was gone, I think that I have finally come to terms with it. We have done a lot of praying and we still think that there is a spirit that the lord has for us, its just that right now was not the right time. But maybe we needed this time to get used to the idea. As my Dr says if lightning can strike once it can strike twice, and if that is what the Lord wants, that will be what happens. Until then we will just keep standing by :)

Stand By for News--- (I am channeling my best Paul Harvey)

So they say that the lord works in mysterious ways... and sometimes when you pray for an answer to one thing you get something you weren't expecting. A few of weeks ago Andy and I went to the temple because we were trying to figure out if we should keep our van or not. Well the answer that we both got was that we couldn't get rid of our van because we needed it. I just said ok and took it at face value, my darling husband had the sense to ask why we where going to need it. That answer got us somewhere we had not planned! Apparently after having my tubes tied 8 years ago, my tubal has failed (with some Heavenly help) and we are going to have another baby!
I admit that I have been a little freaked out but the idea is growing on me, in more ways than one! I have never been one to be able to hide pregnancy at all, and this one is proving to be no different. I am about 6 weeks, and already have grown out of most of my clothes, I have no waist, and have morning sickness like its going out of style! I am due right around March 17 and it should be a pretty good anniversary present. There is going to be 15 years between Cole and the new baby but at least that is a gap I know how to deal with, because that is the amount of time between Amanda and I.
So next time you ask the lord a question remember that you don't always get the answer that you think that you will get!

When you get to the end of your rope you tie a knot and swing right...

Well here we are we have made it through soccer season! The kids won 2 games (not bad for a team that most of the players had never really played much soccer!) Coulton made a goal (which was amazing!) and we all survived the weather, because they didn't cancel one game or practice due to it.
Last week in our attempts to finish the basement (which I think I talked about on my last post) during the last couple hours of framing Andy and the nail gun had an incident known now as really putting your blood and sweat into the project. He basically, nailed his finger to a 2x4. I would like to thank my Heavenly Father first directing the nail gun away from fingernail and bone. Next for making the 2x4 that they were trying to nail the other 2x4 to move out of the way, so that there was a way to get the nail out of the board enough to cut it off to go to the Instacare. I would also like to thank him for my amazing sweet neighbor who has been helping us and for the fact that he was there and could drive my shocky husband to the Dr (because he passed out on the way there and that would have been worse). I am thankful that the Instacare told him that they would just bill us, because we had no money the day before payday.
Andy’s Grandfather is still hanging on which totally and completely amazes me. He is even getting better and has not fallen for a couple of weeks. We are so grateful for every minute we get to spend with him and know that he is still with us.
As for us, school is over in just a couple of weeks and I think that I have finally reached the point where I desperately want a new job. My company really has been good to work for but the stress level that I am carrying around is not healthy for me. I am timed every second of the day and every item of work that I process could possibly be audited. I understand why they do it, I just can’t handle it any longer. Andy is also looking for something else, and I am hoping we can find something for him that will pay more so that I don’t have to work as much and can stay home with the kids more. The kids are doing amazing right now. Taylor just turned 12 (I know can you believe it!) and has started going to Young Women’s. They even did baptisms for the dead the Saturday after she turned 12 and she got to go with them. It was a great experience for her. Coulton has passed me height wise, an accomplishment that he is extremely proud of. Mara and Lexi have been making lots of new friends and spend hours playing outside when its been nice and in the basement when it hasn’t been. I am so glad that they have been able to find some nice friends.
I am so glad that my Heavenly Father loves me and has put me in the position to be here in our new house. We are really starting to get to know our neighbors and soon we will have new ones (they have started building on one side of us and should start the other house on the other side of us sometime this summer). I really feel like I am where the lord wants me to be. So even if its hard right now I know that this too shall pass and things will get better soon!

The life of a So-Called Soccer Mom....

Well just when I though that life really couldn't get much crazier between the 2 callings and 4 kids and Andy going to school and trying to finish the kids bedrooms in the basement - Coulton and Taylor made the Rockwell Junior High co-ed soccer team! They practice 3 days a week and have 2 games so count them that is 5 days a week! I am starting to think I might just go crazy and like it. The last month we have had some of the yucky colds that have been running around, but on top of that we found out that Lexi doesnt have to have heart surgery this year! Its nice to know that we have at least another year before we have to worry about it again.

We also went and sealed alot of Andy's family together. It was somthing that we have been working on for about 2 years now and it was such an amazing thing to get done. It has really been a priority with us, becuase Andy's grandfather is not doing very well and we wanted to make sure that when he gets to the other side he has tons of his family around him. It has been amazing how the spirit of Elijah has been working on helping us with the geneology. It seems like everytime I get to the point where I am going to give up and say there is nothing more that we will ever be able to find about the lebanese side of the family, we make a break through and have more names. Andy's grandfather is the last one of either of our grandfathers. He fell about a week ago after blacking out and was in the hospital for a couple of days. He fell again in the hospital (because he was trying to get out of bed by himself) and then he has fallen again since he has been back home. Its very hard to think of him being gone. He has been my grandfather for about 1/2 of my life, and its hard to think that he won't be there. It makes me so incredibly greatful for the sealing power of the priesthood, and that we can be together forever someday.
I found out something interesting when we started our new calling. Our Stake presidency is really focusing on missionary work, but not for the living, for those on the other side of the veil.  I never thought of family history work as missionary work, but after listening to our stake presidency I really do understand how it is. All of the missionary work that is done on the other side can only have meaning if we carry out the ordinances that they need here on this side of the veil. Here missionarys challenge investigators to be baptised, on the other side they challenge them to accept the baptism that when it is done on our side of the veil. There is a great work that we need to do so that the ordinance is there when they are ready to accept it. I know that the family history work that we have tried so hard to accomplish, and the temple work that we have done has been accepted and was so very important to those for whom it was done.
So while I run around like a mad woman attending soccer meets and practices one after another, I know that the lord has a plan for me. And even if I dont know what it is I know that he loves me and I will be able to endure until things get better.

Well I suppose it had to happen sometime

The Stake Presidency has finally caught up with us. I guess its what we get for going in to get our temple recommends renewed and talking about how we love to do family names. They have called us to be the Stake Family History Directors, the assistant Multi Stake Family History Center Directors and the Stake Extraction/Indexing Directors! Its a mouthfull and the calling is even more daunting than the name. I hope that We can live up to the Lords expectations and fulfill this calling up to what he would want us to do. From now on the meetings are going to be endless and I hope that I am able to learn more about doing Family History!

Birthday Party!!!!

I know January has been CRAZY but we are doing Cake and Ice Cream for Mara (her birthday is Friday and she is turning 10) and Coulton (his birthday is Tuesday and he is turning 14!) on Sunday Night at 6:30 pm at our house. For those of you who haven't been out to see us yet this would be a good chance to come and see our new house and help us Celebrate! Please let me know if you are going to come so that I make sure we have enough cake (because I wouldn't want to run out with this family!! :)




Also they will be ordaining Coulton a teacher either the Sunday after his birthday or the Sunday after Just after that keep it in mind and I will let you know more when we get closer

YEA Birthdays!!

I'm getting that crafty itch....

Thanks to my darling sisters for sending me tons of cute ideas!! There are some fabulous things that I am just itching to be able to find the time and energy to accomplish!!


http://yarner.blogspot.com/2011/01/paper-rose-wreath.html

I just have to make this one for my front door!!


There is also this one made out of felt that would be so cute for V day
http://eighteen25.blogspot.com/

One of my favorite blogs that they have turned me onto is
http://houseofsmiths.blogspot.com/

She is so amazing she was even featured on Good Things Utah for this project that I am dying to do for Taylors room when we get it finished!

I have totally become a party blog person because I PROMISED my kids that this year after a VERY long birthday party drought in our house we WOULD be doing them this year, so I need Ideas!!!

http://www.hostessblog.com/2011/01/real-parties-sweet-singing-birdie-birthday/#more-31501

This is the idea we found for Mara, now I have not gone crazy I am not going to do everything in this blog, because well its a little to much. BUT there are some great ideas that I will be utilizing. I would post a picture but its to big so you will just have to visit.

Lexi- we are going to do a Ballarina Party with Tutu's and everything. I have a sweet friend at work who found a place to buy tulle in bulk for way cheap and we will definately be visiting. I also found these cute felt crowns that I am seriously considering making

Taylor is turning 12 this year!!! if a birthday wasn't enough it really does up the stakes a bit. We have talked for the last couple of years about doing a totally pink pj party and I found this blog with some SUPER cute fun ideas for it
http://onecharmingparty.com/category/pajama-glam-party/


This cake is going to be a must!! but we will be using Heather's marshmellow fondant recipie so that it will taste as good as it looks!

As for Coulton I CANNOT find the perfect party for him yet and believe me its HARD to find the perfect idea for a 14 year old. They just play Video games and hang out most of the time so it scares me to even try. Esp. when I only have about 10 more days to figure it out. HELP!

Wish me luck!! I will post more have to things as I find them!

We sing...... ALOT

Ok so I am going to start a little backwards, This is Taylors program that she did in January with the entire 6th grade and had a solo to boot! We are so proud of her she did such an amazing job she made her mom cry... Every time I watch it.

The other ones are from Mara and Taylors Christmas program, in which they did a wonderful job. Taylor was so nervous that we had to get her attention and get her to uncross her arms and relax. Mara on the other hand is really into the music and sways the entire time! I am so proud of my girls, both programs took alot of work and time after school. They where amazing, I am a very proud Mom!!