So HARD to wait...

I made this Advent Calendar to help count down the days until Christmas. I thought it would be fun for E... but now I think not so much? He asks ALL day long if he can have his calendar treat, even after he has gotten one for that day. I have caught him on several occasions with a chair trying to get at them. The calendar is hanging on a closet door by our stairs just taunting him as he passes, I think it might be too much for him to know there is candy in ALL of those tins just waiting to be enjoyed. He doesn't get the concept of "one a day" or even waiting for that matter....It's just too HARD!!!!! (I think I will wait until christmas eve before anything wrapped makes it under the tree.)

The Calendar is made of 24 little tins that I covered with paper, stamped a number on, and glued a magnet to the back. The title is vinyl lettering from allysattic, I put it all on a magnetic cookie sheet, tied on some ribbon, and taa-daa.

Each tin has a treat.

(a few random numbers are currently missing their treat)

I also recently made some ornaments for my tree....

Just a wood block some paint and vinyl letters. They were so easy and only cost around $1.25 ea

Sweetness

Cute picture I took on Thanksgiving........they drive me crazy but I sure am THANKFUL for these little monkeys!!! I LOVE U These next two photos capture my little M's two loves right now......Food (especially crackers) & the Dishwasher (no matter where she is in the house, when the door open she comes crawling as fast as she can.) so hard to believe she's 8 months ALREADY!!!! I wish she would just stop growing up so fast!!!!

the new EnTeRtAiNmEnT @ our House

COSTA RICA BABY!!!!

I would LOVE more than anything to say that I posted this picture to brag about an upcoming vaccation......but instead I'm posting to say

CONGRATS DANNY!!!! I'm so EXCITED for you!!!

My baby brother just opened his mission call last night and he is going to Costa Rica (obviously) at the end of Jan. I think I'm going to start making my plans now to visit him in two years when he is done.

BeLaTeD.....

So this is a little late, but last week was my man's ALMOST 30th b-day. I took him to the Jazz vs. Cavs game in Cleveland. We left E at a friends house and M came with us. It was really fun to go to the game even though the Jazz lost it in the 4th.We didn't have that great of seats (as you can see from the picture below) But we still had a good time sitting in Loudville. I made a really yummy "Eclair cake" (Stacey Neely's recipe) We didn't have enough candles to announce the proper age so we just used 2 cause he's still in his 20's.
Part of his birthday wish list this year was a "NEW CAR." When he opened it up E was so excited and said, in all seriousness: "Dad, you got your new car!!!!!!!" I think S was thinking more along the lines of one with a stereo and a seat belt. Maybe next year he will be more specific.

GAME DAY RIVALRY

This is what we looked like the first half of the day.....And this is what we looked like for the second half!!!!! Fortunately and Unfortunately the Red team won both times :) :(

Our new fav family thing to do is go bowling. E is getting better and thanks to the bumpers I'm getting pretty good myself. I even beat S today!!! My first turkey!

The other picture is E's sad face cause the cougars lost :(

Crafty

If you know me you'll know that I always like to have a "project" to be working on. Well it's that time of year when I usually have several. And lucky for me, I have actually been getting them finished (as opposed to piling them up in my basement like so many unfinished ones) So here are a few things that have been keeping me busy lately..... I finally got my "THANKS" done! Just in time. (Lex & Jen, I still like the way yours turned out so much better. I wish I would have used that same paper. Oh well!)
This cute Block snowman is from Andrea's craft night. This is E's personal fav.

I was partly in charge of our ward's Super Saturday last weekend (which was crazy, but so fun!)
We made these cute "Gratitude Jars" for thanksgiving.

Now I just need to fill it up with all the things we are thankful for....I asked E what he is thankful for and he said, "School, the store, and Disneyland."

We also made these boards(above) to hang stockings from, and the Joy Blocks(below) for Super Sat.

*All the vinyl lettering came from allysattic

Let's compare

Everyone is always commenting on how much my kids looks alike. So I thought it would be fun to dig up some old photos of E at this age and do a little comparing.

(the outfits weren't planned...just a funny coincidence)

Not exactly identical, but I think they could pass for twins.

It is so cute how they have all the same features, but M is so girly looking and E is all Boy.

I guess everyone is right....they do look so much alike.

BIG girl & BATMAN

M is EVERYWHERE these days and getting harder to keep up with. It is funny how determined she is, and loves to climb on anything she can reach. I've also been very impressed by how tough she is. Who knows if it comes from having a crazy brother or if it's just in her blood but she rarely ever cries when she falls. In fact she almost always laughs, and she falls all day long. She is the happiest little thing. And she is growing up much too fast for me.
Speaking of crazy....
As if E didn't jump on my couches enough, we found him a Batman costume this weekend and have officially unleashed his wild side. He spent the entire evening on Sat. running around screaming, "I'm Batman!!!"
You gotta love the after Halloween 80% off sale. So what if it's two sizes too small, it only cost $1.00

The Bee and the Spider

My cute kids on Halloween.

(Sorry for posting so many pictures. They are, of course, for the Grandparents)

I dressed as the Flower for my little bumble bee

My SCARY spider

We had so much fun trick-or-treating, and got way too much candy.