nice day

We have been loving the nice weather lately. Today was one of those quiet, relaxing Sundays that take you back to when you were younger.

Yum! Yum!

Aunt Shawnee made chocolate chip cookies. This is Emma enjoying one freshly baked.

clean couch

I hate to admit that our couch was looking very seven years old, but I'm sure a lot of people already realized it by just looking at it. The kids had spilled water or juice so many times that it was getting hard to turn the cushions to find a clean, presentable spot. To be quite frank, there just wasn't one. So yesterday Jason gets the brilliant idea to take the covers off the cushions and throw them in the washer. It totally worked! (just don't dry them. haha!) I kept saying that we needed to clean it with a machine. Well I have to say that this was cheaper and faster. So click on this picture and notice that all the stains are gone.

cans

There is something about cans all neatly stacked (and no, I don't turn them all so that the label is facing out. I just did that for the picture. Looks good in the picture. :). Jason was helping me put away the canned goods from Winco. It was so cute. Claire, Ben, and Paul were helping also. Claire had the dump truck and Paul and Ben would load it up with cans from storage so we could rotate things. Then she brought them to me and dumped them out for me to put away by the kitchen. Dented cans - no problem right?! haha!

Beehive Conference

We had our Beehive Conference tonight for the church girls 12-13 yrs of age and it was so much fun. I got the chance to present a mini class on gratitude. Their theme was For the Strength of U and so these were the handouts - a big "U" with little tags they accumulated from each class to remind them of the mini classes. The girls were so cute and a lot of fun. I was grateful for the chance to be a part of it.

Lite Reading

Usually Paul is the one to take a pile of books with him to bed. He can barely move an arm or leg in bed for all the books around him. Well, last night Benjamin thought that Paul needed some books. Ben was so mad at me when I put them all back.

Craft the Night Away Unveiling

Craft the Night Away Spring 2010

April 30 6:30-11:00 pm

Relief Society Age Women Only

No nursery provided

Orders are due March 22

No late orders for Clocks, Family Letters, or Magnetic Dolls

Clocks

Small Clock - 18"

kit: $25

shown here with Crackle finish, rounded edge

Large Clock - 24"

kit: $35

shown here with sponge like finish, rounded edge

(used plastic sack to create effect)

Inspiration and clock mechanism parts came from here

For both clocks choose brown, black, or beige vinyl

will need your family name and year

Family Letters

Kit: $10.00
example courtesy of Heidi Wagner

Mod Podge scrapbook paper of your choice onto the letters and then stain them. So cute!


Magnetic Dolls

kit:$6.00

extra set of clothes $4.00

courtesy of Cynthia Gentry

inspiration came from here

includes 2 dolls, set of clothes, and tin

you can choose which two dolls you like

Children's sign

kit: $6.50

choose brown, black, or beige vinyl

Liberty Blocks

kit: $5.00

inspiration for these blocks came from here


Easter Egg Wreath
kit: $5.50

example courtesy of Missy Washburn
inspiration from here


Felt Topiary
kit: $8.00

so easy to make and such a classy look
inspiration came from here

choose from cream or red felt


Crayon Roll

kit: $3.00
example courtesy of Valerie Martin
inspiration came from here

fabric will vary; non gender specific

German chocolate

We have been spoiled to have a friend who shares her German chocolate. That is chocolate from Germany. We all know that European chocolate is the best. This is the latest chocolate bar. Creamy center-love it!

The Cheese Bandit

Benjamin, the Cheese Bandit, has struck again. He came in so quietly and made off with his bag of loot. It wasn't until I came to the closed door and heard the giggling twins that I realized that something wasn't right. And let me tell you my jaw dropped when I opened the door. He didn't confine the cheese to the farmyard as new straw for the animal's bedding this time. It was ALL OVER the room! So the only picture I have of his criminal actions is the recovered pound of cheese you see above.

Jason and I were so proud of our grated cheese. We borrowed his mom's attachments to the kitchen aid and purchased a couple 2 lb blocks of cheese from Winco, where the cheese is $3-4 cheaper and grated our own. The cheese bandit has successfully ruined all of our glorious cheese, aside from what he and his accomplices ate of course.

Copycat Claire

Claire loves to do what you're doing. Emma made an inventive bed and Claire was right beside her.

Flying High

We went to the park again today. We just go to the softball outfield right close to our house and the kids kick balls and run around. It really is a lot of fun.

cheese, cheese, cheese

Benjamin found the shredded cheese in the fridge. He thought it would taste a little better scooped up by the handful from the floor of his room. Apparently the rest of the kids thought that too.

Quiet = Trouble

But not in this case...

Benjamin played with the food

so well for so long this afternoon.

Craft the Night Away Preview

That's all I'm going to give you for now.

Cookies & Cousins

Erickson cousins being silly-Ethan, Emma, Grace, Paul

Two of our favorites part deux

The new snack bar

Pull up a wheel and put your pretzels in the other one - guaranteed swivel option.

Ode to my pants

notice the hole in the pant leg on the right

Oh fair maternity pants
favorite among denim and cotton,
six years we've walked together
until you recently blew out your knee.

Oh fair maternity pants
you shall be remembered
for valiant service given . . .
farewell!

There's nothing like a good pair of pants-maternity or otherwise.

Grandma's Cinnamon Rolls

Now I say Grandma, but Grandpa helped too; he made the dough. We're staying with Jason's parents overnight. I fell asleep earlier and missed them fresh out of the oven. I'm going to have one now. Can't wait!

Chocolate Dipping Fun

I've been making some Valentine's of my own

The wood is back

Our Spring Craft the Night Away is coming up in April. So the time to be thinking of projects and getting the examples made is upon me again. The wood is back; this is just the beginning.

Homemade Valentines

Emma is so excited for Valentine's Day at school. She made all of her Valentines by hand. By the 26th card and writing out of Happy Valentine's Day her hand was feeling pretty tired. She said, "I thought this would be fun. But it isn't." I reminded her that she had just written out 26 Valentines cards and she was just tired. Her party is on Thursday. We can hardly wait!

This is the dirt.

This is the dirt.

This is the dirt in the flower bed.

This is the dirt in the flower bed
in front of our house.

This is the dirt in the flower bed
in front of our house that Paul threw.

This is the dirt in the flower bed
in front of our house that Paul threw
on Benjamin and Claire.

This is the dirt in the flower bed
in front of our house that Paul threw
on Benjamin and Claire this morning.

This is the dirt in the flower bed
in front of our house that Paul threw
on Benjamin and Claire this morning
before church.

This is the dirt in the flower bed
in front of our house that Paul threw
on Benjamin and Claire this morning
before church while they were
in their church clothes.

Worn out and Yee-haw

We made a trip to Grandma's and this is how the ride home usually looks.

Yee-Haw

reins around the neck doesn't look too safe

This is Benjamin's signature face

My sister and I used to play with this horse when we were little. The dowel that served as the ears for the horse and handle for us kids has long since been lost...or removed because it was being used as a weapon. I saw Claire rocking back and forth saying "Haw! Haw! EE-haw!" for yee-haw.

Costco Run

These were my two little helpers putting away our Costco loot. (Don't mind the messy house. That's usually always typical of a day after a Costco run.)

And like a good neighbor...

Gentrys are there!

Ours (left) Theirs (Right)

So...Friday is garbage day in our little town which means that we put the garbage out Thursday night. But we don't always remember to do it. And if we do remember, it goes out late at night. I know some of you are thinking that we miss the garbage man the next morning and that we have to stack our garbage for the next week since the can is full. Not so because we have kind neighbors who looks out for us. There have been many times that we have rushed out Friday morning to catch the garbage man and our garbage is already at the curb. There have been many Thursday nights that we come home late and find our garbage is already at the curb. This is what we came home to tonight. Thank you neighbors.

Flower Clips

Jason's schedule just changed and so I get to go to mutual again! (mutual= church youth group) Do you feel how excited I am? And my excitement was felt ten times more when I got there and realized how much I missed being with our girls on Wednesday nights.

We made the increasingly popular and ever stylish flower clips for your hair. The girls were really excited about it. I even made some for Emma.

Some of our very adorable young women showing off their creative handiwork.

Two of our very cool leaders

Emma's cute flower clips

Pockets

Benjamin found his pockets.

Paul's room

Emma's room

My brother-in-law has his own furniture business called Madera & More that you can access here. He makes quality pieces. He made us these really neat shelves for Emma and Paul's rooms. (The photos aren't all that great because it's white on white, but you get the idea.) I love that Emma's sweaters and backpack have a place now instead of on the floor and Paul loves to be able to get his own coat.

Backyard Fun

Jason played outside with the kids for a little while. It was really quite cold, but they were having so much fun they didn't care. I tried taking some motion shots. It was fun to see how they turned out.