Before the feast begins...

One of Elsa's art pieces from school

complete with glitter and leopard-so Elsa!

Our breakfast buffet-chocolate

Feeling Blessed

Just got out of bed after three days of being sick. Just in time to drag myself to the grocery store and start the food prep. Feeling so much better and oh so blessed! Spent the evening happily decorating the table with the kids while dad was still at work. Listened to some Christmas music as we dipped chocolate pretzels and made peppermint suckers. Storry, Rainey and I got most of the food made and will only have to reheat today and cook the turkey. That means today can be more relaxing and less cleaning. Now I have time to reflect on the many blessings. And there are many!

*A wonderful and loving husband..after 20 plus years of being married that is my biggest blessing

*a thirteen year-old that is teaching me patience but I love dearly

* a crazy boy that wants nothing more than to play and laugh

* a sweet and oh so beautiful girl that Loves her family

* the little guy that calls loves sugar and gives plenty of it

* friends and family we truly love and are inspired by

*jobs that we love- after 6 months of unemployment work really is a huge blessing

*healthy life and happy kids

It doesn't get any better than this.

Wishing all of my friends and family a Happy Thanksgiving!

Week-end of Movies

Date night Friday and we saw this.... Loved it!

Sunday matinee with the kids. Always a good story.

Jim Carrey was amazing.

All Hallows Eve

The stage is set with scary music and candles.
Rainey, Cameron, Elsa, and Eden


Sumo and The Baby (deflated by end of night) First time going solo. They weighed their loot and got 5.6 pounds each. What a haul!


Beck and Eden

Cowboy, Kitty Cat, and Cowgirl

How sad, big boys gone before I could even get a picture. The gangsta' was out the door for those Halloween parties.

Lucky Me...

This is where I have disappeared to over the last month. It's heaven or also known as Dear Lizzie. Lucky me gets to spend her days here fulfilling every girls desire to be around lovely, beautiful trinkets and treasures! Oh what a lucky girl indeed.

Photo from mydearlizzie.com

October... my favorite month!

Our proud display of pumpkins and ghourds. The garden produced some Fall bounty for us. Jay put them in the urns for me and kept my long curly stems on. (Thanks hon, you know that is the best part to me.)

Having fun in the house with all the decorating.

Rainey gave me a helping hand. He is my Fall boy. Celebrates it the entire month- starting with his birthday October 1.

My Fall Fairy arrived today.

What is this? A new ritual? It's actually Storry making fun of Rainey, but I like the idea of some tribal Fall dance better.

Delightful Day

Eye Candy from http://thegraphicsfairy.com/ {again}

Love Love her stuff!

* Got caught up with a favorite friend

*Coffee, movie, and shopping with another friend

*Dinner and movie with my sweetie

Another delightful Fall Day!

My Girl

This little girl makes me so happy.....

I told her I might start working again today.

She was happy for me!

She thought it would be fun to work with my friend.

She knew I wanted to work in a lovely creative place.

She loves me.

I am one lucky mama.

Lunch Time

Beck's {Bento Box lunch} Thought he would appreciate eating out of the small mufffin holder but it turns out it is just more fun to make it than to eat it. (He picked the food for the lunch) I normally don't feed my children pickle juice as part of their diet.This is the I'm full picture and I can't eat any more. Hello? One bite? Thats all. ?!?!

Feelin' Witchy...

It's almost time to get the fun Halloween
decorations out. I couldn't resist posting the picture of the lovely witch. Picture from the http://thegraphicsfairy.com/

Happy Labor Day

Happy Labor Day Everyone!

We are at home and not doing much laboring today. Jay and the boys are out hiking and I have two sick little kids resting . Too much fun on our Snowbird adventure I guess. Our dinner and movie night after probably helped wipe them out. It is a big week for us as we find out if we will be employed in Idaho. The big dilemma of should we stay or go has been raging on for months now. I think we are finally at the point of its ok to go- and so now we wait.. on pins and needles.

Oktoberfest at Snowbird

-One of our Fall traditions-

We have been doing this long before kids came along. Our favorite season is Fall and what better way to celebrate. Chairlifts, mining for gold and rock climbing. Another perfect Oktoberfest.

This Makes Me Happy

I want to live at this darling tea salon! Of course it would have to be in San Francisco. But if I ever get there I will be sure to stop in and enjoy the pure pink joyful ambience. Looks like heaven to me.
http://crownandcrumpet.com/

My Motto

This is from an old English War Poster. Isn't this great? Not only is the saying perfect for today but I love the pink color. Check out this site http://www.graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/ She has wonderful blogging backgrounds, buttons, and more.

First Day...Last Child

No Tears.

Bad mom?

LOVE the peace and quiet.

Waited 13 years.

Rainey getting caught up with friends.

Elsa saying good-bye to her Henry. I do miss {the littles }when they are gone but how I love a quiet house for a few hours.

So this is 13.....

We now get to enjoy lovely decorations like these at our house. I thought they did a nice drape effect don't you? This is what you get to look forward to once you have teenagers in the house.

Anniversary Week-end

August 19, 1989 Bridal Veil Falls Provo Utah

Our 20th Anniversary we spent at Stein Eriksen. It was wonderful. We were married 20 years ago at the top of Bridal Veil Falls when it still had the tram. What a cool place that was. We lived in Arizona at that time and eventually ended up moving to Utah. As I look back on our 20 years of marriage we are once again on the verge of taking a giant leap together. This time we have four kids in tow but I feel truly blessed to still call him my husband. I'll follow you anywhere, to any ends of the earth even if it is only Idaho Falls and it feels like the end of the earth.

Our lovely room at Stein. It was beautiful and the staff was incredible. Our favorite kind of vacation. Low key, mountains, chair lifts, hot tubs, no kids, {love them} but you have to have some couple time. It was wonderful. Hope we have another 20 as lovely as the past 20. Happy Anniversary. And yes , I would still do it all over again.