This elf has been busy!

Okay, I realize it has been a month or so since I began this new project and I have been promising some of you for quite some time now that I would put pictures up "soon." Just remember, I was making 3 so it took a while. And, then, when I got the first 2 off I needed to take a breather (to catch up on my disaster of a house) and begin Christmas shopping for my other children.

What in the world is she talking about you might ask? Let me back up a little. About 9 months ago my good friend Wendy introduced me to my favorite new website. If you haven't heard about Ana White yet, well---now you have. She is this AMAZING lady in Alaska who builds furniture and puts her plans and very detailed instructions online for FREE! She makes it so simple and makes having nice furniture a possibility on a budget. So, I have been following her website daily (yes, she puts something new up almost every day) for several months and have wanted to build several things, mostly the Farmhuse Bed . If you have ever been in my bedroom you know the furniture in it. A mattress on a a metal frame; an old antique dresser and a walmart dresser. Very mismatched and while I am grateful I have them all, they aren't very pretty and don't help me feel like my house is a beautiful home. So, Scott and I had been looking at pictures of beds online and wondered if we could make one ourselves and then learned about Ana's website. We found the Farmhouse bed and fell in love. Not only with the look but also the $. Yep, I only put one $ because we will be able to build a whole bedroom full of furniture for a small fraction of the cost to buy it. But, I have just sat and drooled for months and doubted myself, and doubted myself, and doubted myself. Because even though I might have a little more building experience than some, I was still nervous.

Then, Ana put up what I call the "perfect" beginner plan. It is a farmhouse bed-----for a doll. What a perfect thing to practice on for the real thing because it doesn't have to "be" perfect, a perfect thing for Carlyn for Christmas, and it was perfect for my budget. And then, I got thinking about my sister in law and her family who we still didn't have a gift for. And I knew that her two girls ages 3 and 4 1/2 would love these too. So, I raced off to Home Depot and bought my furring strips (remember it is a doll bed and doesn't have to be perfect) and other needed supplies. I got enough wood to make 4 beds, screws and wood glue. All of that cost me about $32. $7.35 per bed isn't bad at all! And, in keeping with the whole idea of being inexpensive I went to the local recycling center for my paint. I don't know if they do this in your area but people drop off their old unwanted paint. The recycle center then mixes it all in 5 gallon buckets and end up with an ugly brown color. But, they have so much they don't have it all mixed so I was able to dig through and find a nice creamy color. I couldn't have picked a better color. It was exactly what I had imagined to go on them. And guess what, it was Behr paint and the gallon bucket was almost full! How's that for saving $25?!??!!

Ana says you can build this in an hour. Well, maybe she can but I am definitely slower. It probably took me about 3 hours to build the first one and a little less to do the others. I was using only one drill and don't have a countersink bit. So, that meant predrilling, then changing bits to countersink, then changing bits again to put in the screws. I honestly think just doing all that took an hour per bed. But I had so much fun. After I made the first one I was on such a high the rest of the day.

Now, they aren't perfect, but I learned so much working on these. They are so cute and I hope all 3 of the girls (Carlyn and my two nieces) will enjoy them.

I didn't assemble these ones for my nieces because my brother in law was going to take them home with him on the airplane in his suitcase. Can you say "saved money on shipping?" Ignore the yellow ribbon it was merely to designate which bed pieces went together. Let's just say these are super custom (to be read "I don't measure perfectly). I also made mattresses out of one of those blue foam camping pads from walmart. They are only about $5 and there was enough pad for 5 beds. My friend Wendy (who used the last amount of my wood and made the 4th bed for her daughter) and I also made sheets and quilts. The fabric quarters at JoAnns are just the right size for the top. Then we just used $broadcloath$ in a matching color for everything else. I then used a decortive stitch around the edges and tied them with embroidery floss.

This one is Carlyn's. I don't know if you can tell but I didn't want to go super little girly girl on any of these. I went for for the "rustic, old bed with character at Grandma's house" look.

And just to give you an idea of the size of this. This is no wimpy doll bed. That is your regular 24 oz size bottle of ketchup. It is a really good size. Ana designed it for American girl dolls. But, thankfully I don't think Carlyn knows what they are and she asked for a Cabbage Patch doll. I will say it one more time "Cha-ching!"
So anyway, I hope you will check out Ana's website
because it is truly awesome. Thanks so much Ana! Keep it up.
.................Now if I could just decide what I want to make next.................
Okay, It has been brought to my attention that most of my links do not work. I think I have the very first one in this post working. Sorry, I don't know what I did wrong. But, it is late and I need to go to bed.

Okay, new day! All of the links should be right. Thanks to Con for bringing that to my attention.

What makes me happy?

This week has been a good week and I have been so blessed. I couldn't help but be happy.

**It started out Monday with the start of a new hobby and I was able to work on the current project for several hours. More details soon.

**The kids and I went on an excursion to a small aquarium and a picnic. We had a good time and got to be with friends. The best part? It was FREE!

**We spent Thanksgiving with our best friends (if you can't have family who better to have?).

**My husband did the shopping on Black Friday while I stayed in bed AND he got everything he went for!

And the real reason I am so happy...............................................................

...................is because over the past few days I have gotten to do something I was beginning to think was a lost cause here in Texas. I canned applesauce! YUM! Store bought applesauce is sick. This is what applesauce should taste like! And even better? They are Utah apples of my favorite variety. Kudos to my awesome produce contact. I am very happy. 82 quarts HAPPY!

***And it also makes me happy when my kids help. Check out Spencer's face!

I have been in here.............

..........for two weeks. If you had ever told me I would spend large amounts of time in my hall coat closet and enjoy it I would have said you were absolutely crazy. But, I have had a lot of fun the last two weeks in this closet and also learned alot that I am really excited about.

About 3 weeks ago I was blog surfing and checked on an old friend through another friend's blog. If the name Cami G. from Greenfield means anything to you then check out her blog for my inspiration. If it doesn't, it doesn't matter other than that I give Cami credit for this inspiring idea. Because of the layout of our house we don't have an option for a "mud room" or anything. I have struggled to find the right, clean, organized system for jackets, shoes, backpacks, etc. I have tried several different things to no avail. I believe I have found the answer.

The Coat Closet Before

The coat closet After

Something Cami said on her blog really hit me. "Schools have hooks for a reason." It is so true! Can you imagine 20 little children trying to hang up their coats on hangers every day? And besides, I will let you in on a little secret.........I am more likely to use a hook too. So often I hang my jacket on the end of the banister because it is "easier" than taking two more step to pick up a hanger and hang it up. Now you know how lazy I really am! Cami removed her shelf. But, I need that shelf and want another one above it because the ceiling goes on forever (another project for another day).

And, yes I realize I don't have upper hooks. The ones I bought are too tall. But, I have had lots of you waiting to see this so I am putting it up now. I am so excited to be done and get all the jackets off the floor. I think I am also going to get an over the door shoe organizer.

Things I learned on this project: ***how to properly countersink a screw

** use a table saw (still scares me to death though--think what it looks like when your child puts something in the oven for the first time in their life and that is about what it looks like to watch me use the table saw)

*** I measured and purchased everything for the project without help from Scott

*** learned how to properly use wood filler--you can definitely tell where I used it first and thought it was good enough, then later where I really learned. I bet you can't guess how many pieces of wood actually make up the support board under the shelf at the back of the closet!

I have told the kids that there will be absolutely no excuse now for not hanging up their jackets and backpacks and there will be severe consequences. But, I haven't thought of a consequence.

Any ideas?

Getting Skunked and Other Adventures

A couple of weeks ago Scott came home from his early morning ride and walked into the kitchen and asked, "Do I stink?" At first I wondered if my amazing husband was having self asteem issues. Then I wondered if perhaps he didn't want to take a shower before work and wanted me to tell him if he could get away without one. Well, those thougths lasted for about five seconds until I caught a whiff of his choice of cologne for the day.......Ode to the Skunk! He rides early while it is still dark (yes, he wears reflective clothing and has a small light) and he said that he was just zooming along and then before there was anything he could do about it--BUMP, BUMP!

He ran over that poor skunk with both tires! And of course the little guy had to give Scott a going away present. He showered with tomato sauce (I guess I need to have a supply of tomato juice!) baking soda and lots of soap. He washed and soaked and washed and soaked and washed and soaked his clothes and had to toss his water bottle. He has scrubbed and scrubbed his bike but you can still smell the present that little stinker (no pun intended) left him. So, I guess now he has something to say at those funny getting to know you games. I mean, how many people do you know that have run over a skunk on their bicycle!!

A post just wouldn't be complete without something from the garden. These are called Asian Yard Long beans. Look at those puppies. All you need is 1 per serving.

The last weekend of October proved to be fun filled and super busy. It's a good thing we went to the trunk or treat on Wed. because there wouldn't have been time the rest of the weekend.

We started Saturday with the annual fun run that our Stake puts on. There was a kids 1K and an adult 5K. Not to brag or anything, but we kind of swept the competition away. Taylor got 2nd place overall. Carter took 1st place in his age group (6-8 boys) and Carlyn took first place in her age group (3-5 girls). Here they are prerace with our good friends, the "D" children.

Once again, my husband decided to be a speed demon. He kept up an astonishing pace and finished the race in 21:10. Good enough for 3rd place! And for those who are wondering yes, I ran it, but I am slow so I didn't win anything. But we all had a great time and enjoyed the beautiful fall morning.

Then, later that afternoon we went to the "Ballunar Festival" held at NASA. It is a hot air balloon show that also celebrates any kind of flight. Ever since we spent a summer in Albuquerque and heard about the Hot Air Balloon Show they have there every year, we have wanted to go to one. So, when we heard about Ballunar we knew we had to go. It isn't nearly as large as Albuquerque but is was still cool. The festival is also an open house of sorts and you can tour some of the NASA buildings, and stuff as well. They had this little photo op. set up for all the kids.

Carlyn

Taylor

Carter

Spencer

We got there just in time to watch the model airplane show. The kids really thought this one was really cool and how it could fly straight up. We also saw about 40 skydivers land on the field right in front of us, ultralights flying, paragliders, hanggliders and even a flying model lawnmower!

The wind was too bad for the balloon launch at 5:30 so we walked back to the car and ate our picnic dinner. We then hustled back over to watch the "moon glow". This is just when all the balloons stay tied down to the ground but since it is dark it is really cool. The announcer also tells the operators to do different things with their fire. So, to have 40 of them do it at the same time was really cool. We left our camera in the car when we ate our dinner so we didn't get any pictures...............except this one. The secretary at Scott's work is married to the pilot (the guy with is hand up on the controlls behind Carter) of one of the balloons. So we found his balloon and figured we could talk to her for a minute. We got a little more than that! She invited us to come on the other side of the rope and then her husband invited the kids to get in the basket. It was really cool. But, Carly and Spencer were a little nervous. Spencer is still talking about it a week later by pointing to his eyes and saying "ouch" As for me--I fell in love. I have always wanted to go up in one and to watch them at night was beautiful.
The next day was Sunday. About a year ago there was another Stake formed in our area, but they don't have their own Stake building yet so they needed our church building for their Stake Conference. So, that made us have to go to Sacrament meeting from 8 AM to 8:50 AM. And then we had to leave the building so the other Stake could come for their meeting. So, what do you do when you are done with church for the day by 9 in the morning?!?! We came home and had a lovely brunch of fresh, hot, cinnamon rolls and cheesy eggs, and chocolate milk. Then, we went up to the Houston Temple. We decided that since our children had never seen the Houston Temple it would be a great day to make the 1 hour each way trek.

The kids had a great time exploring the temple grounds. Fountains, leaves, rocks, bugs, and they all took their turn taking pictures. We spent about an hour there and most of the 70 pictures that were taken were done by them.

Here they are checking out a black beetle swimming in the fountain.

An impromptu timer family photo.

This is actually one that Carter took. I thought it turned out pretty nice!

I am so thankful for my wonderful family. We had a great weekend being together. It was just a glimpse of what eternity can be. I love each of them and am so blessed to have Scott, Taylor, Carter, Carlyn, and Spencer to be mine forever.

Just a Taste

Because I am so far behind on my blogging I am not going to try and go backward for you. Sorry! I know you are all extremely disappointed with that decision. But, there's a hymn that comes to mind that might help you feel better..........."Count your many blessings, name them one by one." So, just count your blessings that you are getting an update. The following is in no particular order and is just random, fairly recent occurances in our little family.

Taylor's first hunting trip with Dad. They went bow hunting for deer but had a hard time seeing even very much deer sign because of the super thick brush and lack of large public hunting land. Makes you a little homesick for the huge amounts of area in Utah and Idaho.

They had a good time just being together for the day though, and will probably go some more during the rifle season. Scott also said Taylor was really good rattling but they didn't quite bring one in.

Can you guess where Spencer and I spend most of our time these days?

This was right after we bought these for him and Scott had the great idea to put every pair (I think 6 or 7) on this head. Did you know a 2 years old's head is about the same as his waist? HMMM....wish my waist was only as big around as my head! Spencer is doing a fabulous job at potty training. I will spare you any more detail than that!

For our anniversary Scott and I headed to downtown Houston to see some of the sights. Here we are in a pedal boat. I had never been in one before so it was fun. We also went out for Fajitas (I can't get enough of those things lately!), went running together, an art musuem, walked around a "japanese gardern", out for a Vietneamese lunch, did some diamond shopping--you will notice I said shopping not buying. We also walked along the seawall in Galveston and on a ferry ride and saw our first dolphin in the wild. We ended our weekend with Italian food and then home to finish preparing my talk for the next day in church. We were tired from our jam packed 36 hours but it was great to be together. Thanks for the best 10 years of my life. I love you, Scott and can't imagine where I would be without you. Thanks for letting me be the girl that you love.

The first day of School 2010

Taylor 4th grade

Carter 2nd grade

Carlyn Kindergarten

No, Carlyn is not taller than Carter. She had on shoes that had a pretty high wedge heel on them.



The kids like to act out scripture stories on Sunday afternoons. Here they were depicting Christ's birth with Taylor as Joseph and Carlyn as Mary and Spencer as baby Jesus. It was so funny that he let them wrap him up in those towels. I think they used at least two. He was pretty hot when he finally got to get out. Notice they even have a star!

So, now hopefully you can feel a little more caught up on our lives. Until next time..............

My Amazing Husband

Sorry folks I fell off the face of the blogging planet for a awhile. No promises that I am back but it is time to share with you my amazing husband.

Scott decided in December or January that he wanted to do a sprint triathlon. Being the wonderful husband that he is, he kindly waited until I had done my half marathon so that our children would only have to put up with one parent who was an insane exerciser.

Saturday August 28, 2010 dawned clear and bright, much to our relief because earlier in the week the forcast had called for rain. Some of you may think the end of August would be a great time for a triathlon. That means you haven't spent any time in Houston at the end of August. Whoever picked this time was nuts! It is still so hot and humid, even at 7 am.

Anyway, Scott left hours before sunup to get to the location of the race and get set up and have his body marked (which when Carlyn saw the big black numbers on her Dad she got pretty upset because we aren't supposed to draw on ourselves. The kids and I got there just in time to cheer on our hero of the day.

Just coming out of the water after a 500 meter swim.

Just starting out on a 22 K bike ride.



Still looking good at the start of the 5K run.

Finally, at the end of the run and the entire race he looks a little winded! After Scott had been done for a few minutes a guy came up to him and said, "Wow! You are fast. I was using you to keep pace with in the run. But, that last mile you just took off and there was no way I could keep up!" Not bad for a guy with short legs huh? Scott actually got 5th place in his age group (30-39) for the run, so he really was hauling.

1:31:31

WAY TO GO SCOTT! We love you and are proud of all you accomplished in the training and completion of your first Sprint Triathlon.

A Wonderful Day

Do you ever have a day where everything went so smoothly and you look back and say, "Wow!" Today was just such a wonderful day. I can't even describe how good I feel about today. I feel content and at peace. I am not trying to brag at all here but I am going to share everything that I did today so that on those days that are not so good I can look back and remember that there is hope.

5:30 am my day began by sorting laundry and getting it started (Monday is when all "good wives" do their laundry, can you name that book?) . Then on to making the boys lunches for school and get my bag ready to take to the gym. I had about 15 minutes to spare before I needed to make breakfast so I decided that rather than waste it I cleaned the little half bathroom that has been begging to be cleaned. By this time it was time to put the first load in the dryer and begin on breakfast. And, I didn't just pull out cold cereal. This morning we had scrambled eggs, banana muffins and applesauce and juice. Once everyone was ready for the day we all left and took the boys to school. I then dropped the van off at the shop so the AC could get fixed and drove my handsome husband to work so I could have his car for the day. Then it was back to town to hit the gym for an hour. Then, my awesome friend Debbie had offered to watch my two youngest children so I could get some work done. By this point it is only 10-10:30 and I am salivating at the chance to get some major things accomplished with nobody asking for my attention. Drop them off and hurry home for a shower after I again switch some more laundry. Then I chopped and filled the last 7 pints of chicken to be pressure canned. While that was doing its thing for the next 1 1/2 hours I did the dishes, cleaned the kids' bathroom, vacuumed
the stairs, shot off an email to a friend, got a meatloaf ready to go in the oven for dinner and another one in the freezer for a "rainy" day, and and ate my lunch in peace---I also changed another load of laundry during that time. By this time it is 2:00 and time to pick up the van from the shop. Oh, AC is so glorious! I quickly got gas in the car and picked up my children who have been having a great time playing with friends. Then, off the the school for the boys. We came home and I surprised them all with their first popsicles of the year and changed over the laundry again. We got homework done and I threw some potatoes in the ovent to bake along with the meatloaf, and off we went to the park to play with some other friends. When we came home dinner was minutes from being complete, I did the dishes immediately after (this is a big deal because often by dinner I just want to rest and I don't do them until after the kids go down) we had Family Home Evening that was meaningful and was relatively peaceful. The kids are now in bed and I need to put the last load of laundry in the dryer, read my scriptures and maybe eat some Haagen Daaz (which I have never tried) that is waiting in the freezer. Today was a great day. I am so thankful the Lord lets us have days like this. Sometimes that is what keeps me going. So, if you made it through that long log of my day you are truely a true friend. But, like I said I did this for me so I can go back on days that are not so productive and remember that life is good, I have good friends, and just remember all blessings I have.

I Went, I Ran,........

I Conquered! The half marathon was a great experience. And I even did better than I thought I would. But, let's not get ahead of ourselves. All week we were hearing that the weather was going to be cold and rainy. Yuck! But, then thing started looking better and the cold front wasn't going to arrive until sometime between 11 am and 1pm. Well, that was perfect! The morning started out at 62 degrees. There was only a slight breeze and it was cloudy. You just about can't ask for better running conditions. It's warm enough to wear shorts but you don't get too sweaty. There were about 800 people in this half marathon. It was crazy at the beginning trying to get past everyone who was going slower because it was a trail run. So, having 3 abreast was a little much on the trail. Thus, my first mile was about 1 minute slower than it should have. But, after that I was able to make up the time and kept an awesome pace the rest of the race.

Scott, and the kids slept in a little and tried to make it for the half way point but didn't quite make it---partly because I was running faster than normal!!!! So, this is what they did while they waited for me.


Notice there is nobody even close to Carly! I wouldn't want to be by her either when she is swinging that bag around. You never know what might be in there!

As usual, Taylor and Carter are fighting/wrestling. And since it was a park there is a stick involved.


And Spencer, notice his shoes are off. That kid is always taking his shoes off.
And here I am crossing the finish line. My official chip time was 2:11:43. The time you see above me was the "gun" time. But, I obviously wasn't the first one to cross the starting line.


Here I am with my finishers medal! It was pretty cool to wear it around for a couple of hours. But, at the same time I was also thinking, "Okay, so now what?"
All of us that ran the race together. Thanks to all of them for helping me stick to my goal. Such good friends and running buddies.

Wendy D., Amme, Sherri, WendyR.

Running a half marathon was absolutely amazing and I highly reccomend it to anyone. It is even worth the sore legs and knees.

Race Day List

My first half marathon begins in 12 1/2 hours. I am starting to get nervous, but also trying to make myself stay relaxed. Does that make sense? I have actually been meaning to write this post all week. But, with it being Spring Break and all the kids home it just hasn't happened. About 4 years ago I read the book "Running with Angels" by Pam ???. It is an amazing story of 1 woman's struggle to overcome obesity and she ran a full marathon 1 year after she started exercising. Anyway, something she did has always stuck with me. She dedicated a mile to important people in her life. Now, first a disclaimer. If you don't see your name, or feel that you are not included in a group please don't hate me. IT DOES NOT MEAN YOU AREN'T IMPORTANT TO ME!!!!! To be able to cover everyone who is important to me I would have to run 500 miles. And let's just face it, it isn't happening. So, without further adieu my dedication. I will be thinking about you and also praying for you while I run your designated mile.

1-Scott---none of this would even be possible without you. I love you.
2-Taylor
3-Carter
4-Carlyn
5-Spencer---all of my kids have been such a great support during my training.
6-Mom and Dad--Thanks for not getting annoyed each week when I would call you with a new highest number of miles.
7-Shannon, Laurie, Tawna, Curtis, Tammie, Kaley, and also all my bro in-laws and you too, Steph! ----You guys have all been great cheerleaders. You will never know how much your words of encouragement have meant.
8-"The other side" Scott's family---You guys are great.
9-All my Logan Friends--I love all you gals and miss you a ton.
10-Vikki and Camille--My two marathon running friends. You are such an inspiration to me and sometimes thinking about you was the only thing that kept me going.
11-Texas friends--I have made so many amazing friends here in Texas. I can't imagine life without you.
12-Ingrid--You have been so kind to answer questions that I am sure you thought were dumb. Thanks for shoe shopping with me and your willingness to take the weekly running report.
13-Madey--A 14 year old young athlete with cancer. I can't even begin to imagine what you are going through. All I know is I would not have been able to handle your battle when I was 14. Your story has really touched my heart and also all of your friends who are rallying around you with so much support.
.1-Amme B.--If there is 1 thing I have learned in this journey it is that it is okay to take a little time for me. It has actually made me a better wife and mother. So, I dedicate the last 1/10 of a mile to myself and say, "Here's to many, many, more miles."


Race pictures will follow shortly....................................

February Is Springtime in Texas

First a disclaimer... Amme did not post this blog, This is her husband Scott. For those who don't know, I am the one who takes the most interest in the yard, garden, and backyard orchard. Amme is a very beautiful talented individual, but sometimes she forgets to water my plants and they die. Oh, well I killed my Mom's indoor palm tree once so I guess what goes around comes around. Anyway, since I do most of the work I decided to publish this post.

The following pictures, of one of our peach trees, were taken about the middle of February. Sorry, I am as slow as Amme at posting. The weather was still a little cold (30's at night burr.) , but this little tree decided it was time to start blooming.


In Houston, peaches ripen in May and June so the growing season starts earlier than for "all y'all" up north.

The leaves of our peach trees did not fall until after Christmas so they were "leafless" for only a few weeks, which made it a little confusing on when to prune them. When I saw they were about to start blooming, I decided I had better get around to it quickly.

We had a couple of light frosts after this tree started blooming, but fortunately the flowers were ok. Hopefully we will get a few peaches this year. We are also hoping that our Texas peaches will be comparable to the ones we are used to from Utah. The ones we get in the grocery store go rotten before they get ripe, yuck!

Behind this picture is our new blackberry and strawberry bed.


I might have bitten off a little more I can chew, with the new beds. I have decided that next year I am not putting in any more raised beds. My new motto is "use what you've got". Maybe since Amme's big race is next week, we will have more time to garden. Notice the nicely tilled but un-planted beds behind the peach tree,

Since the time of these pictures, our other peach tree and citrus trees are starting to bloom also. The weather is nice and warm. But don't feel too bad. After all, we will be roasting down here from May till October.

My Baby Girl Grew Up!

Please join me on a very brief walk down memory lane. While it may not seem like it, there really is 1 picture for every year of her life. She just really matured between 2 and 3.



My sweet precious Carlyn Mae. Five years ago you came to our family. I still remember so much of that time leading up to your birth and how excited all of us were to have you join our family. I think you had the most nick names of any of our family. Just a few were Princess, Princess Fatty Cheeks, Squishy, Fatty Patty. You had the chunkiest cheeks and legs and everyone love to hold you and kiss you. Everyone said you were such a pretty baby. You are such a happy little girl who loves everything beautiful. After two rough and tumble boys it was so fun to dress you up in pink and ruffles. You were always so patient when I needed to finish up with something.
You continued to love beautiful things. You were so proud of yourself at 14 months old when you found one of mommy's shirts in the laundry and put it on. Little did we know that would begin your love of shoes, clothes, and dressing up.
I am so glad you enjoy books and reading. You are such a smart girl and you are always surprising me with your knowledge and your vocabulary.
Carlyn, you grew up way too fast and that is why I still call you baby girl. My sandal girl. I am so glad we live somewhere warm so you don't have to wear socks very often.
After a short lived fear of swimming when we lived in Albuquerque you have become a little fish. I don't know how many times I have had to save you because you just aren't scared of the water at all! Happy Birthday sweetie girl. I love you!
Carly had her 5th birthday a couple of weeks ago. Sorry! I am a slow poster. Yes, I realize in the above picture that she is blowing out the candles on less than half a cheesecake. Please, let me explain. When I asked Carly what she wanted for her birthday she said "Cheesecake". Wonderful! That gets me off the hook because at our house it is manly to make cheesecake. Scott, makes really good cheesecake. Since Scott's birthday is only 1 week after Carlyn's he made just one cheesecake and cut it in half. But in his zealousness to get it cut and put away (we are both trying to lose weight) he didn't let us put candles on and sing first!!! He even started dishing up slices when I said "Um, aren't we going to sing?"
What do you do when you can't decide which new thing to play with? Just use them all!
Carlyn also had her first "friend party" this year. She has been counting down for months when it would be time for her party. She had a great time with her friends and was very spoiled by all of them.
I did get to make a cake for her friend party which was the day before her real birthday. And, for all you cake fanatics out there I think this has got to be the easiest cake I have ever done. It probably also has the most frosting per square inch I have ever done too. But, that is what birthdays are for right?! We love you Princess Carlyn.