All I Want for Christmas Is...

a Kindle! I am totally fascinated with these amazing little gizmos and if they weren't so expensive, let alone backordered until next year, I think I might have purchased a little gift for myself. I've dropped a few hints to Everett since both my birthday and our anniversary are coming up.

On another note, the other day I was picking Kirsche up from school and on the drive I was inquiring as to what she wanted Santa to bring her for Christmas. Our conversation went like this:

Mom: What do you want Santa to bring you for Christmas this year?
Kirsche: An American Girl doll.
M: Maybe an American Girl doll is a little too expensive for Santa this year.
K: Well, I really don't care what I get from Santa this year ... (at this point I'm getting ready to praise her for being more grateful of what she actually receives, but wait - here comes the curve ball) ... I don't care if I get a Molly or a Kit or a Sophie from Santa as long as it's an American Girl.

I think I've still got a long way to go on figuring out kids!

Beauty of the Season

I love living in an area that has 4 distinct seasons, albeit that Autumn is usually about 2 weeks long here. I think it reminds us how beautiful our world is all times of the year. I apologize that you can't really see the full scale beauty of the frost on my window, but it was breathtaking. Happy Holidays!

A Few Projects

To celebrate the 50th day of school on November 5th, Kirsche's kindergarten had a 1950s themed party. I whipped up this poodle skirt. While I was purchasing the materials to make the skirt on October 30th, I had two different ladies comment that I was a little late to be making Halloween costumes. I just smiled and nodded.

My sister, Lisa, also celebrated a birthday on November 21st. This is the birthday card I made for her. I think it turned out really cute.

I have decided to make homemade goodies for friends and neighbors. Ethan is dipping fondant-covered cherries in chocolate. I think I will follow up with coconut balls, too.

Behind.....Who Me?

Okay, so it's been awhile since I posted (quite awhile, I know!) so here are the belated birthday highlight of November.

Happy Birthday to Ethan and Braelyn! Ethan is now 9 and Braelyn is 3. With something like 11 or 12 birthdays in November between my family and Everett's, it has been a very hectic month, but happy, happy birthday my Sweeties!

Ethan did not want a traditional cake and requested a bundt this year. It was pretty delicious. He received a pair of fishing waders and a Shel Silverstein book.

Braelyn's cake choice was Red Velvet which we made into cupcakes and everyone helped decorate.
Braelyn received a Hannah Montana microphone and a Sunday dress.

Baby Isaiah Has Arrived

My sister Tara finally had Isaiah Landry Carlson on Election Day, November 4th. He was 7 lbs, 11 oz and 20 1/2 inches, I believe. Mom, Dad and Baby are all doing well.

Halloween Has Come and Gone

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, probably because it is the kick-off to six months worth of Candy Holidays. Nearly every holiday from Halloween through Easter has great candy associated with it! Ethan was Anakin Skywalker, Braelyn was our version of Tinkerbell and Kirsche was Tinkerbell's purple outfitted friend. The girls' costumes were super easy to make - tulle tutus and store-bought wings. Even I got into the Halloween spirit and dressed up like a witch.

First Tooth

Kirsche lost her first tooth shortly before Halloween (I know I'm way behind in catching up on the family events). The tooth fairy left her a dollar bill for pulling out her own tooth, but somehow there ended up being about $1.75 under her pillow. I think a certain big brother was trying to help the tooth fairy! Two days ago she lost her second tooth right next to the first!

My New Favorite Pasttimes

With the exception of skimming the Albertson's circular that comes in every Wednesday's newspaper to see if there is a great 10 for $10 sale, I'm not ususally too concerned with coupon-clipping...until now. I found this great site that lets you print coupons at home. If the coupon is really great, you can print multiples. I have a few of these sites that I have been perusing at my leisure and I am hooked.

Another great internet company that Tara, my sister, introduced me to is E-mealz.com. You pay $1.25 per week and you get to download 7 days worth of dinners - ingredients, instructions and shopping list included! After a couple of months you have a great selection of easy family meals to choose from. Great idea and worth the money!

The Girls

Here are a few updated pictures of the girls. Kirsche, like Ethan, doesn't seem to want to smile nicely for the camera. She likes the silly faces. I took this pic of Braelyn at my sister Tara's baby shower. Tara's mother-in-law, Joanie, made yummy bbq hot dogs with cole slaw. Braelyn thought they were fantastic! By the way, a big shout out to Joanie for putting on a fabulous shower! Great job! We can't wait for Baby Isaiah to arrive.

Dilemma...

I repainted our terra cotta dining room with white walls and dark espresso brown trim. The problem I have is that I can't decide whether to paint the interior of the hutch dark or light. I definately do not want to leave it the way is currently is. What do you think?

Green Eggs and Ham

Do you like them Sam I am? Our Araucana chicken has finally started laying her beautiful greenish blue eggs.

Little Chicken is also laying so we are now up to about 3 eggs a day.

Yes, It's Me

Okay, okay. I've been getting some complaints that there are no pictures of me on my blog. I can't help that I am always the one wielding the camera (hee hee). Well, here you go! This is me with Braelyn.

I'll Never Look at Diapers the Same...

Yeah, so I really should be doing more housework and paying more attention to the kids, but I was really excited to attempt to make a diaper cake for my sister Tara's baby shower (please, Tara, no peeking - it's supposed to be a surprise!) that I put off some chores last Saturday to play with nappies. It turned out really cute and it was super easy. The diapers are rolled and all held together with rubber bands!

School is Finally Here

The first day of school. It brought me lots of anxiety thinking about how to get everyone to where they needed to be and home again, but things have settled down. Braelyn felt left out, so she got to wear her backpack along with her brother and sister. Kirsche is in all-day kindergarten and loves it. Ethan is a 3rd grader in Mrs. Wheeler's class and doing great. Part of me hopes this year will go by fast, and part of me wants it to stay this way forever.

A Day at Blacktail

Just before school started, the office had a BBQ at Blacktail boat dock on Ririe Reservoir. Everett was working, of course. (I promise, I really do have a husband!!) The kids and I waded in the water a bit after dinner. It was a great evening and a good chance to socialize with those I work with without the usual hustle and bustle of work.

Kirsche enjoying the water.

Water baby

Kirsche was the only one to take swimming lessons this summer due to travel arrangements, etc. The highlight of the lesson is all the kids jump off the diving board on the last day. Last year Kirsche jumped right in, but this year she knew what to expect and froze at the end of the board, so a lifeguard "assisted" her by tossing her in.

The Best Thing About the Dairy - Ice Cream!

We couldn't leave the dairy without sampling the wares! Huckleberry and vanilla were the hot choices. Notice Kirsche's face is a dead giveaway that she is very upset about the dairy's smell. When I asked her what she would do if we lived and worked on a farm, she grunted at me and rolled her eyes. I wonder if this is a sign of things to come...

Little Pig, Little Pig

Reed's Dairy has some pigs. This is about half of the litter!

This little guy was so cute! He would break away from the litter and come to the fence to chew on Ethan's fingers, then scurry back to the safety of his litter. He was definately more brave than his brothers and sisters who wouldn't venture too far from mom.

I thought Kirsche, who loves pigs, would be the first one to step up and pet the little runt the farmer caught for us, but she just couldn't get past the smell. Believe it or not, the pigs smelled a lot better than the cows!

Reed's Dairy Family Day

I took the kids to Reed's Dairy for Family Day August 9th. Braelyn immediately charged up to a large milk cow and attempted to pet her belly! No fear in the girl at all! It was such a fun afternoon.

The kids and I enjoyed the horse-drawn carriage tour of the dairy - all except the fragrance!

Jerry's in town

Everett's brother, Jerry was in town this weekend and stopped by with his daughter, Lauren, to spend Friday with us. We took Subway sandwiches up to Heise to check on the huckleberries. Needless to say, this year doesn't look very promising for huckleberry harvest. Afterward, Jerry and the kids had tickle wars. My kids absolutely love Uncle Jerry.

Pioneer Day

For those of you who have never happened to be in Utah or Idaho in late July, there is truly a holiday that occurs here that other parts of the country may not be aware of - Pioneer Day, July 24th. Our stake had a big dinner with hot dogs, scones (fry bread), snow cones and huge crowds. Not too many people dressed in period dress, but here we are enjoying the festivities, despite the look on everyone's face.

Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries...

I took Thursday and Friday off last week and thought I would get so much done around the house on my 4-day weekend. Wrong! My mistake was picking cherries from our one little, seven-foot tall sour cherry tree. The kids and I picked 4 large bowls full of cherries with many more still on the tree. When we were done, I'd bet the tree grew another 3 feet from the branches being weighed down with all that fruit! Just kidding. I ended up spending the rest of the day and most of Saturday evening cleaning, pitting and cooking cherries. I made freezer jam and stewed cherries with amaretto that is heavenly over vanilla ice cream!

Kirsche's Big Day

Kirsche has been asking for quite some time to have long, curly hair. I have been trying to get it to grow out, but it's at an in-between stage that is hard to deal with, so I took her to Hilary's Career Beauty College to get a perm. Hilary and crew were so patient and great with Kirsche, even when Kirsche freaked out when the solution went onto her hair. Hilary even agreed to pierce Kirsche's ears even though it isn't a service they offer anymore. It was a little traumatic when the earring got stuck twice on the second ear, but Kirsche was a trooper (after the hysterics!) Hilary may not let us in the door after that experience, but the result was fabulous! Thanks to Hilary, Ms. Bingham, Britnee and everyone else!

Where have I been?

I know it's been a while since I blogged, so I am going to try to catch everyone up on the last few weeks in a shotgun blast. Our 4th of July was great - we pretty much stayed home and chilled since Everett had to work all day : ( All of my high school friends were in town for the holiday and we got together with our families at McCowin Park for dinner. It's so great to have such wonderful friends and that night reminded me how truly special each one of them is to me. Thanks, girls. I love ya all!

Home Again

Gosh, what a slacker I've been when it comes to posting! I've been really busy and sick with a sinus infection, so that's my story and I'm sticking to it : ) I'm now back from Cheyenne and the WTLA convention. It was a pretty good convention and I learned alot, but it's nice to be back with Everett and the kids. Also, I'm not one to sleep well when I'm not in my own bed.

Army Wives Season 2!

Yay! Tonight is the night. Army Wives Season 2 premiere is on in about 15 minutes. I can't believe how hard I fell for this show. It's such a tribute to the military spouses who have the task of being married to one of America's soldiers. It's refreshing to have a show out that shows a supportive side to the Presidency in that these soldiers have chosen to protect, serve and defend our country and it's time that the rest of America took notice rather than protest. Sorry for the soapbox. If you've missed any of Season 1, I've included a link below to get you where you need to be.
http://www.mylifetime.com/on-tv/shows/army-wives/army-wives-video

Spring is Here!

Look closely. On the right we have pears that are starting to grow in our backyard. I think Spring has finally arrived here in Idaho. I bet you can't guess what the plant to the right is. Edamame! Yep, good old soy beans. They are so delicious and good for you. We have the usual tomatoes, peas and lettuce growing along with raspberries, asparagus, onions and shallots to name a few. It's the pears that really signify that winter is over (knock on wood) and that this season is looking promising for production.

Whew! I thought I would get a chance to rest and relax this Memorial Day weekend, but I thought wrong. We, the litigation team at the office, have been gearing up for a huge wrongful death trial that started yesterday, so I worked a little on Saturday and Monday, Memorial Day, prepping for this trial. I can't believe that it is finally at trial! I have worked on this case since it came in, through an Idaho Supreme Court appeal and back to District Court for trial. I am so excited and can't wait to see the outcome!

Kirsche came home from Julie's today favoring her left wrist. She said she fell off the slide this afternoon. She whimpered about it so much through dinner that I went ahead and had it checked at the Urgent Care. She was really brave when they took her by herself to the X-ray room. It's not broken (thank goodness!), only sprained and it will probably be tender for a few days according to the doctor. What little surprise in life is waiting for us around the corner?

Fair Feathered Friends

Our latest endeavor in the animal world...chickens. We have Big Chicken (creative, I know) who was joined by these three simply known as Ethan's Chicken, Braelyn's Chicken and Kirsche's Chicken. These little guys have been a good experience for the kids in teaching them to care for God's creatures. Unfortunately, my kids have also learned about life, death and grief of late when we lost Kirsche's Chicken a few nights ago. Ethan tenderheartedly decorated her grave out back. I hope that in some way these experiences with farm animals will help them deal with life as it inevitably will happen many more times.

Life is a Highway!

Aiden and Ross kicked up their heels with Braelyn Saturday night to the theme song of Disney's movie Cars. They spent the evening with us while Mom and Dad had date night with Aunt Tara and Uncle Nick. The boys were so fun and watching the kids had fun getting to know their cousins.

We also exhausted the kids with the bubble machine! There was just the right amount of wind (is there such a thing in Idaho?!?!) and clouds of bubbles hovered around the backyard. The night ended with each of the twins crashing on my lap and falling dead asleep while Braelyn and Kirsche patted them on the back. I couldn't have asked for a more enjoyable evening.

It's Friday

Fridays are supposed to be great, but I think this one's off to a bad start.  My curling iron literally disintegrated in my hands this morning.  I had to make do with a flat iron and round brush.  I didn't fare too badly, though, but a curling iron was not on my list of pending purchases.  

There is good news, though.  My sisters Lisa and Becky are coming home for the weekend!  Yay!  The both live in Boise, roughly 4 hours away.  Lisa and Shaun don't have any kids yet, but Becky and Cameron have two darling 18 month old tow-heads.  The boys are going to stay with us while Mom and Dad go to dinner with Tara and Nick, my other sister and her husband.  My kids want to know if the boys will sleep over?  Probably not this time.

A new venture...

I've heard it said that thoughts become more concrete when they are written and lately, mainly due to the normal chaos that is motherhood/wifehood/working woman/life in general, my thoughts have been jumbled and abstract - thus, I am experimenting with the 21st century's version of journaling. Plus, I have scrapbook issues. I know it is a huge trend (and many people that I know but won't name any names would be appalled with my aversion to it) but it's so time consuming and expensive! So, here is my family's take on life!

These are my kids - Ethan, Kirsche and Braelyn. It still amazes me how unique each of their personalities are. Ethan is a typical oldest sibling, eager to help and to play parent pro tem at every opportunity. Kirsche (pronounced "Keersha") is highly dramatic and goes from Zero to Sixty on the mood scale in about 2.4 seconds. She is also very much the Princess in our home. Braelyn is the snuggly, smoochy, giggly child and is my only blue-eyed baby.