Happy Halloween!! (I am Thankful Day 9)

Halloween is the best!
I am thankful for a husband who doesn't mind getting his hands dirty,
crazy kids and pumpkin guts,

happy faces,

anything glow in the dark,

helping my kids find just the right costume,

accessories that add just the right touch,

dressing up (even the dog),

and cool guys that let you drag them along (but only if you let them bring a friend).

On a side note I am pretty sure I have eaten enough purple pixie sticks to keep me awake until next week!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween!!!!

(sorry some of these pictures are a bit blurry my camera decided to have issues)

Feast upon the Word (I am Thankful Day 8)

Today is a teacher workday so there was no Seminary. While I enjoyed sleeping in I LOVE seminary. It is the most amazing thing and I seriously don't know what I would do without it. I learn so much every day (hopefully the kids are learning something too).

I LOVE the scriptures!!!! I am so thankful for the words of comfort and strength I find in the scriptures every time I read them. Yesterday our lesson was on 2 Nephi 32:3. There are two scripture mastery versus in that chapter although we only got to one. 2 Nephi 32:3- "Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do."

We talked about what the word feast means. We compared it to words like nibble, taste and sample. One of the kids suggested we look it up in the dictionary. (Great Idea JJ). According to Webster a feast is a rich and elaborate banquet. We decided that feasting upon the words of Christ has a lot to do with the quality of our study and less to do with the quantity.

The lesson quoted Elder Russel M. Ballard, "Individual, personal testimony of gospel truth, particularly of the divine life and mission of the Lord Jesus Christ, is essential to our eternal life. 'And this is life eternal,' said the Savior, 'that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.' (John 17:3). In other words, life eternal is predicated upon our own individual, personal knowledge of our Father in Heaven and His Holy Son. Simply knowing about them is not enough. We must have personal spiritual experiences to anchor us. These come through seeking them in the same intense, single-minded way that a hungry person seeks food."

I love the primary song "I Will Seek the Lord Early"

I’ll seek the Lord early while in my youth, And he will help me to know the truth. I’ll search the scriptures and find him there, Then go to our Father in fervent prayer. I’ll seek the Lord early, and I’ll obey His living prophets in all they say. I’ll keep his commandments; his love will abound. I will seek the Lord early, and he will be found.

I am thankful for the many spiritual experiences I have had that have anchored my testimony. I am grateful for the the words of Christ that can be found in the Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price and through direct revelation given to modern day prophets and apostles. How amazing is it that there is no problem too large or too small that cannot be solved by seeking the words of Christ? That if we search for Him, He will be found.

I am Thankful Day 7

I have been going to the same hair dresser for quite some time. I am trying to remember just how long it has been but yeah I can't. Six or seven years maybe. Anyway she is brilliant and I love her, not just because she always makes me look amazing but also because she is such a great person. She was in her Stake's Young Women's Presidency for I don't know how long (I am sure to her it felt like forever) and she was just called this year to teach Seminary. We have the best talks during the two hours it takes to do my hair and if I could afford it I would go more then every six weeks. Seriously it is better then therapy.

I like to change my hair- color, length, style -nothing is off limits. I love that I can just go in, sit down in the chair and say, "I want to do something different!", and she is totally game. She actually gets excited and I have never been even slightly disappointed with how it turns out. I always love it!!!!! So either I am totally vain or she is totally magnificent (maybe it's a little bit of both).

For several reasons (vanity probably being one) I always take a picture or two or three of myself when I get home from the hairdresser (especially if I have done something different). So BONUS for you- today you get to see my hair through the years. LOL! I wonder if sometime in the future after I am dead and gone my posterity will look through my pictures and wonder why I have so many shots of the side of my head.

this is the beginning of 06- wow I look young! Crazy what a few years will do to ya (this is the first of these type of "self-portraits" I have since we got our first digital camera Christmas of 05).

Oooo I really really liked my hair like this. I wore it this way for a whole year I think.

I decided to go back to my roots. It didn't last long though. Don't look at my zits! This is sometime late 07.

I go short, long and sometimes in between. (this is the end of 07 as well- see I picked that zit so much it made a scar)

slowly started adding more and more blond again lol- early 08

Wow! a shot of the BACK of my head. I think I was trying to show off the choppy layers in this picture (sometime in 08)

I am missing a few stages in between these last few pictures. This was taken this summer. I had been adding back in more and more blond and was tired of it. Decided to go dark again. LOL

Here is the most recent. I decided to do something I had never done before. RED. I really like it!

Remember when? (I am Thankful Day 6)

Kailyn had a marine biology class at the library today. She had a really great day at school but by the time we got to the class she just wasn't feeling it. After the small hands on part she was ready to be done so we left early.

As we were driving home I decided to stop at the park. The weather was sooo gorgeous and the fall colors so beautiful I just felt like we needed to spend some time outdoors.

While we were swinging together Kailyn started asking me if I remembered when such and such thing had happened and this kind of questioning lasted through our swinging, on our nature walk and all the way home in the car.

Did I remember when Shiloh Judd pushed her right out of the swing when she was little? Did I remember the two big dogs we saw at this park a long time ago? Did I remember when Daddy kicked the ball into the stream and she had to jump from rock to rock to get it out? Did I remember the snake Tyler killed at White Oak Shopping Center? Did I remember the snake Allias chased into Lake Benson? Did I remember when I told her she never would have made a good pioneer? Did I remember the trees they used to climb at our old house? Did I remember when we brought Maisy and Molly to the park and we had bought a ball for Maisy to play with but she was scared of it and Molly played with it the whole time? Did I remember the giant snapping turtle Daddy almost ran over and how he picked it up and moved it off the road? Did I remember the Hippos we saw in Disney World and the Giraffe that came right up to us at the zoo? And on and on.

Honestly I only remembered about half of the things she was asking me about but her questioning did remind me of some of my own memories and I enjoyed spending time with her and talking.

Today I am grateful that in spite of our busy lives we have found a way to make a few memories along the way. I am grateful that Kailyn's memory is better then mine and that today she was willing to share some of those memories with me.

I am Thankful Day 5

Today I am thankful that although I tried on four pairs of pants this morning and NONE of them fit (I couldn't even lay on the ground and button them) I know I can do something about it. I can eat better and exercise more. I am thankful that our bodies are forgiving and that a lot of the damage we do to them is reversible. I am thankful for Yoga DVDs and jump ropes and sit-ups all of who are going to become my dear friends in the very near future.
(sorry no picture- it wouldn't have been pretty)
(on a side note seriously I REFUSE to buy bigger clothes)

I am Thankful Day 4

I am thankful Tyler was able to come home for a few days to visit. I am thankful he is doing so well. I am thankful he has such amazing friends and church leaders that have supported him every step of the way. I am thankful for answered prayers. I am thankful he will be home again for Thanksgiving. I am thankful to be his mother.

Sentimental Value (I am Thankful Day 3)

Today I am grateful for things that are so small they would fit in your pocket but take up a hundred times that much space in your heart.

One time when we were at a campground for a family reunion Travis and a few people went into town. Travis brought this back for me. He had made it at a little gift shop they found. I always get compliments when I wear it and I absolutely love it but what I love even more is the fact that Travis thought of doing something like this for me.
My mom used to wear these little silver loops ALL the time. A friend of hers got them in Indonesia and I always loved them and begged to borrow them. One time when I was home for a visit she gave them to me. They are super precious to me- I thought I lost them once and I cried and cried.

One afternoon I went to the movies with a friend. When I was getting in my car to go home I noticed a note on my windshield. Luckily Travis has very recognizable handwriting LOL! I think it is totally adorable and it is one of my prized possessions. I carry it with me wherever I go.

My mom bought me this beaded wallet at the Apple Blossom Festival. It totally reminds me of something she would have or use and I treasure it because of that.

Do you have "little" things like this in your life that mean the world to you?

"Make them laugh, make them cry, but most of all make them wait"- Charles Dickens (I am Thankful Day 2)

Ever since I was a very little girl I have loved books. The first "series" I ever read was The Little House on the Prairie. I was in the first grade and since that time I have read hundreds if not thousands of books. I remember reading the same books over and over; Arthur's Honey Bear, Beauty and the Beast and The Velveteen Rabbit, Frog and Toad are Friends, Just For You and A Bargain for Francis. I have bought and read all of these books to my children over the years and they still bring me the same joy they did when I was younger. I wish I could find the Beauty and the Beast book I had as a little girl. The pictures were so amazing and the beast turned into a beautiful unicorn at the end.

I will never forget the first time I read Charlotte's Web or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and once in the fourth grade my teacher spent a little time each day reading The Oregon Trail out loud to us. It was a very humbling emotional experience and it made a HUGE impact on me.

In Junior High I read as many Choose Your Own Adventure or Babysitter's Club books as I could get my hands on and I also developed a deep love for poetry. In High School I went through a Jack London phase, I would be sitting in the library curled up in one of their chairs bawling my eyes out. I also read That Was Then This is Now and The Outsiders every chance I got. I don't remember owning many books back then but I remember several of the books that I was assigned to read for English class and how I felt about them. I need to go back and read some of those again like Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities.

I love rummaging through piles of books at yard sales and used book stores. I love book fairs and Book of the Month Club, the library and Barnes and Noble.

I love being taken to new places and being shown new ideas. I love books that make me question things and search for answers. I love the whole gauntlet of emotions that often come when I am reading, the twists and turns and ups and downs. I love it when something so shocking happens that I have to slam the book shut and catch my breathe. I love reading out loud and being read too. I am extremely grateful for books and the significance they have had in my life.

Thankful

One of my family members is blogging 30 days of thankfulness and I thought with Thanksgiving right around the corner I would do the same. There are technically 35 or so days left until Turkey Day but I figured I would start today so I can make sure and get 30 posts in by November 26th. Anyone want to join me?

Yesterday Kailyn and I attended a dress rehearsal for the NC Symphony. The second piece of music they played was very dark/eerie and not super pleasant. I leaned over to the guy next to me and said, "I don't think I would listen to this for pleasure it sounds like it belongs in a horror movie." He laughed and agreed. He ended up talking to me a few more times during the song and I found out that he was actually one of the members of the Symphony (he played Clarinet!). He complimented Kailyn on her concert etiquette and me on my ability to home school.

I am thankful that wherever my kids go people are quick to tell me how polite and sweet they are. Kailyn and Allias have both flown alone (Allias several times) and each and every time someone has come up to me at the baggage claim to tell me how charming and delightful my child was to have on the plane. My aunt and uncle said people couldn't tell them enough what a charming, sweet boy Allias was and how it was rare to find a teenager with such great character these days. It is no different with Tyler- his teachers, church leaders, extended family and even arresting officers and district attorneys have all adored him. I remember the first few weeks Tyler was away his letters often talked about how the people he was at school with had no respect for authority. I am glad he wasn't one of those kids. The staff at Tarheel Challenge think he is amazing and they are so proud of him.

So today I am grateful for kids who, even though at home they can talk back with the best of them and drive me insane on a regular basis, know how to behave in public.

Some pictures from the symphony

"Season Six is going to be sic"

Seriously I am pretty sure this is my FAVORITE top 20 EVER!!!! I cannot wait to see these kids dance!
I already don't want anyone to go home. I usually have a few favorites right from day one but this year it is sooooo hard to choose because I like them all. I think they did the perfect job of balancing talent/heart/personality. Last season I thought they focused way to much on just talent and that doesn't make me "like" the dancers. I want to see a good show!
My three favorite girls so far are Eleanor, Mollee and Karen (Paula was totally my favorite but I guess a movie contract is a pretty big deal). The guys are a lot harder I don't think I can pick just three this early. I am liking Russell, Kevin, Nathan, Billy, Legacy and Ryan. I cannot wait to see who everyone is paired up with. I don't think I have been this excited for a show to start EVER!
I am also wayyy excited that they are doing a "meet your top 20" kick off show on Monday!!!!!

After reading each of the dancer's bios I have found out that Ashley (she and her husband both made it) graduated from BYU, Ariana is from New Bern, NC and Noelle Marsh (who seriously annoys me) is from Sanford, NC. Several of these dancers have already done amazing things in their dancing careers and I cannot wait to see what they bring to the show.
As Russell said last night "The show has just begun!"

Design on a Dime

Well I never did find the pictures I was looking for. Honestly now I am thinking I never even took them. I must have just thought about it. LOL! The bonus is that ALL of my pictures are at least organized now by year and then by month. And they are all in one place!!!! The next step is going through each folder and deleting the ones that are garbage (too dark, blurry etc.) and then backing everything up. I am on a roll!!!!

Last spring Travis did some AC work for some friends of ours (Jeff and Deia). Despite his protests they really wanted to repay him. It just so happens that Deia is a brilliant painter with brilliant ideas and that we had bought some paint for Kailyn's room months ago but hadn't gotten around to actually painting (typical for us), so I suggested that she she come over and paint Kailyn's room as a "trade" for the AC work and she agreed. I wish I would have gotten a good before picture but this is all you get. Sorry.

Here is the only credit I can take for the room- I bought and painted the wooden letters, flowers and dragonfly.

We bought the paint to match a bedspread we already had, the only problem was that the fitted sheet had torn. When I was talking to Deia about needing to get new sheets she asked me if I still had the old ones. I was pretty sure I had thrown them away but after a few minutes of searching I found the top sheet AND the torn fitted sheet. I guess procrastination and disorganization have some benefits after all.

Here is where the brilliance comes in (not mine)- Deia suggested that I have someone sew a valance for the window and a curtain for the loft bed from the sheet.

Another sister in my ward is an amazing seamstress (she just recently repaired my favorite dishonest jeans) and so she not only made the valance and curtain but made covers for two throw pillows as well. She is going to use the rest of the material for these darling jean skirts she makes.
Here is the valance! Didn't it turn out perfect? I LOVE it!
The inspiration- doesn't the little throw pillow add just the right touch? Kailyn would love to have someone paint some flowers similar to the ones on her bed along the bottom of one wall- ooooo and I just thought of an idea as I was typing this. I can take some sort of tracing paper and make stencils of the flowers- draw them on the wall and have Travis paint them. Nice! Here is the curtain- Kailyn has a little lamp under there and spends lots of time reading, writing and hanging out with her stuffed animals.

This picture not only shows just how adorable the little throw pillow is, it shows off the new paint color nicely as well.

The only thing I have left to do is get some prints of the tutu pictures Shannon took of Kailyn for the walls and I am thinking a shaggy purple or orange throw rug would be pretty cute.

Awhile back I saw some super cute orange, purple and green frames at Ross that would have matched perfectly and I totally should have bought them because they are gone now. I also saw some long mirrors at Target that came in both orange and purple and I didn't get those either!

I keep waiting for the room to be "done" to post about it but who knows when that will be (this is where procrastination and disorganization do not come in handy) so hopefully you get the idea from these pictures.

The total cost for the room (not counting Travis' traded labor and the bedspread, pillows etc. we already had) was around $90

here is the breakdown

Paint and painting supplies- $40

Decorative rod for valance- $20

wooden letters and flowers-$15

(this cost would have been a little less but Molly ate half the flowers and two of the letters plus Travis broke one. I am sure if we hadn't taken a month to hang them up we could have avoided the damage.)

Orange sheets- $15

Small Treasures Little Wonders

While I was searching for the pictures I took of the design on a dime makeover we did in Kailyn's room I realized my pictures were in desperate need of organization. I also reminded myself that none of my digital photos are backed up onto disks or flash drives so I need to do that as well. I still haven't found the pictures I was looking for but I did get all of 2006 (the first year we had a digital camera) organized into folders. While I was moving stuff around I came across these little gems.