Keeping Up With the Kays

Mommy Moment

2012-01-25T05:00:00.000-08:00

The house is looking normal again. I vaccuumed the entire first floor, finished up the 72-Hour Kits (minus a few items that I need to gather up at the stores), washed and semi-put away the laundry, helped the girls with their homework (Early? That's nuts!), painted a few things, and made a yummy homemade dinner last night of Bacon Wrapped Chicken, roasted asparagus, grape tomatoes and pumpkin cake.

Boo-YA!

Of course I didn't do my Bible Study homework (I tried to on two different mornings, but the moths came to the flame), the big girls clean clothes stack is now two weeks deep and not put away, I ran out of diapers for Piper the other day (cloth and disposable), every stuffed animal we own is currently on the basement floor, and I lost the camera for a significant chunk of time yesterday.

Boo-YA!

My friend Sidra posted this on Facebook and it made me smile:

Me & My Girls

2012-01-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

Before Christmas the ladies from my church met one morning for coffee. It was a Tuesday, so Lily was at preschool, but the other three girls and I went for a visit. One of the ladies, Janice, is our official church photographer and couldn't help but bring her camera with her. And take photos. I was lucky enough to appear in some of them, which is awesome because I rarely show up in family photos since I am always behind the lens. I think these photos are so sweet and a beautiful slice of life.

Keepin' It Real

2012-01-23T06:00:00.001-08:00

I told you there were a million and one things going on around here. Here's proof that I can't seem to finish anything to save my life right now:

Valentine's craft project in progress...

72-Hour Kits waiting to be finalized...

1) pegboard waiting to be returned to Lowes, 2) board rescued from neighbor's trash waiting to be painted, 3) bucket of food from 72-Hour Kits to be gone through and used up, 4) basket of clothes to be put away in the girls' room...

Pile of boots to be dried out and returned to the closet...

1) tabletop to be painted, 2) bag of clothes to be donated, 3) shirt with hot chocolate stains to be pretreated...

And the rest of the mess...

Yep, I told you so.

Happenings 'Round Here

2012-01-21T21:05:00.000-08:00

This week we played alot. Which is a good thing, as I tend to not slow down enough. Even as I sit here typing this the sink is full of dishes, I should probably thaw something out for dinner tomorrow and a million other half-finished projects lay scattered about. Even Ava is beginning to notice - "Mommy, you sure do have a lot of projects!" Oh well, they'll get wrapped up soon enough. It's good to spend quality time with people once in awhile.

Monday we started our week at IKEA. Elliott and I popped in the day before to check out the As-Is section to scout material for craft room shelves. I scored a couple of large cabinet doors for $2 each and on Monday went back to hunt for brackets. The girls hadn't been able to play in the play area on Sunday because it was full and I promised them we would go back. So Ava and Lily played for an hour while the other two girls and I picked up a few things which were on my shopping list, including said brackets. Afterwards we headed up to the cafeteria for our usual $.99 Breakfast Plate and free coffee for mommy (yeah!), enjoyed while they watched Mulan. I love IKEA; I am so glad we live close to one.

The rest of Monday was mundane, entailing laundry and carpet guys replacing the carpet pad downstairs from where the water heater had blown. Tuesday morning I enjoyed an hour of floor time with Emma while Lily was at preschool (and the other two watched a TV show). The rest of the day must have gone smoothly, because I can't recall any hiccups. (What a good day when the only thing I can remember is that I played on the floor with my baby.) Wednesday we went to Bible Study in the morning, where I subbed for my sick leader, who ended up coming but letting me lead the group anyway. My leaders are so wise and talented that I was definitely intimidated but I did the best I could and had a good time.

While at Bible Study I started chatting with my friend Nicki, who works in the baby nursery with Emma (and also watched Piper in there last year and watches Piper on Sundays). I haven't had a chance to get to know Nicki very well, but I see her around church twice a week and always chat with her. Anyway, we started talking and it turns out she lives very close by, had an extra set of snow pants I needed for Ava and offered us some other clothes that her daughter had outgrown. What a blessing! That afternoon, after naps for Lily and Piper, we headed over to Nicki's and an intended quick stop-in turned into a nice long visit, with the kids enjoying her stash of Little People. Turns out, Nicki also does in-home babysitting and because of her husband's work schedule, is available on weekends too. She is so sweet and all of the girls love her (her daughter Savannah is in Ava and Lily's church class), so I am excited to have this option available. You never know - maybe Elliott and I will go see a movie soon (Mission Impossible is still calling my name).

Thursday I tackled a long-standing to-do list item: our 72-Hour Kits. I put our kits together over two years ago in Las Vegas and hadn't touched them since. So it was time to reevaluate our needs. I turned to some online resources to help me pull my thoughts together. I decided to dedicate our backpacks to personal care items, things we would most likely need if we had to be in a shelter or someone else's home for a few days. But the backpacks assume we have access to shelter and food. I developed a solid list of what I wanted in each backpack and started to collect the items and noting what I needed to buy. It took all morning and most of the afternoon. Tonight the backpacks are about 85% finished with a few more items to purchase, taking up valuable real estate on the dining room table. I hope to finish this week.

Here's a true Lily-moment from Thursday: trying to round everyone up to take Ava to preschool, I called for the girls to get their coats and shoes on. Lily wandered down the hall to the shoes so I thought we were home free. Next thing I know she's trying to get into the car, with her coat on but no shoes. I sent her back over to the shoe closet where she stood looking in and announced "I can't find my shoes." I told her to look down at the ground, she was practically standing on her shoes. "Oh" was all I got from her. I swear, that girl is exasperating sometimes. Elliott claims she is just like him and that makes me wonder how the heck we got together.

Emma also had her first cereal on Thursday night. The first two bites were tentative but then she picked it right up. And never looked back. I thought I had made too much but she polished off the bowl and kept looking for more. Three nights in now and she is still a champ.

Friday we started our day at Target picking up a few items for our backpacks, then met Lily's preschool friend Elsa at Chik-Fil-A. Elsa's mom, Candi, also has a son in Ava's class and generously offered to bring Ava home from preschool each time, saving me a trip of loading everybody into the van (and usually waking them up from naps). I had wanted to get to know Candi a bit better too, and we had a great time visiting - even if one or more girls at any given time were wandering out of the play area to ask questions or comment on something, which definitely hinders adult chatting. We decided we should get together more and I am looking forward to the next time we do.
After we ate lunch we headed to Salt Lake City to pick up a dresser at Rachel's, with a quick sidetrip to D.I. for a thrifting excursion (snagged an over-the-door organizer and medium-sized Christmas tree for next Christmas decorations). It was such a nice day that after we picked up the dresser, the girls and I drove over to Liberty Park and walked around. They certainly got their excerise and had a great time collecting pine needles and loose branches (even though Piper biffed it running down a hill). Everyone was in such a good mood I pressed my luck and took them to one more D.I. where I scored HUGE! I bought a pair of genuine leather brown riding boots, originally $250 at Nordstroms (the tag is still on the bottom) for $8! I am in love with them.

The downside to the last stop was the girls got a little crazy and I constantly lost one or another. And somewhere I also lost Emma's winter car seat cover, i.e. Bundle Me. Boo! But there are only a few months left of use and I won't need it after that. So I will just make do. (Today I busted out her super cozy baby quilt to keep her covered during trips out into the rain and wind.) We spent so much time shopping and such that "Friday Afternoon Movie" turned into "Friday Night Family Movie". We rented Kung Fu Panda 2 and enjoyed all cuddling together downstairs while watching the movie. Everyone that is except Piper, who got a major sugar high from the gummy bears I gave them for our movie snack and spent the whole movie being crazy. Elliott and I just giggled to watch her entertain herself and not sit still. And then crash. Good times.

Today Elliott and I took the girls to the World Cup Speed Skating event at the Utah Olympic Oval. It was pretty cool to be out of our element and to see some world-class athletics. The girls lasted about an hour and then they were over it. So we ran a few errands and decided to grab a very early dinner with a Groupon certificate at Carino's; the snow was starting to come down pretty hard and we didn't want to go back out once we went home. Topped the day off with some "nakey leg" time for the girls (I just wouldn't let them take all their clothes off, it is winter after all) while I started putting my sewing room overhaul back together. Now I am finishing my night not caring about the dirty dishes and the grocery shopping I need to do, but enjoying sitting on the couch with my honey watching The Middle laughing about the similarities to our life.

Yep, a good week.

Week In Review

2012-01-06T13:35:00.000-08:00

The tummy bug seems to have left the building (thank God!) and Emma and I have been spared so far. The girls were bouncing off the walls on Tuesday, which is worse than when they are sick. Because I am still tired from taking care of everyone and am moving slowly, and they are running full steam ahead. It's completely exhausting! Elliott decided to stay home from work again on Tuesday too because he didn't want to infect everyone at work. Wednesday he was back to the grind, which threw the girls for a loop; he had been home so much between holidays / vacation / sickness that they had gotten more used to having him around than not.

I tried to find some new activity for the girls to do on Tuesday morning while I woke up a bit more, so I had them sort some holiday Hershey's Kisses I got on clearance by color. I plan on using them in our Valentine's gifts for the girls' teachers and Elliott's co-workers. (We'll probably use the green ones for another project, but the red and silver will work nicely.)

Wednesday I spent alot of time in the kitchen, trying to can some soups and marinara sauce for our food storage. In between sessions of running the pressure canner, I tried to take the girls on a walk. It was a gorgeous day in the 50's. We wandered down to the little playground around the corner and played for awhile until the dirt became more of a draw than the slides. So I thought we would move on, but Ava's feet "hurt" so we went home and played in the front yard for awhile.

I also (finally) folded the diaper laundry. Lily and Piper have become really good little helpers, enjoying folding the inserts for me. And I have to say, they are better at it than you might think.

We also did alot of this:

Well, we tried to anyway.

The girls were back in preschool on Thursday, but between sessions I ran errands with the remaining three girls. It was a rough day, I will confess. Girls behaved themselves fairly well at stores, but Lily and Piper had complete meltdowns over my lunch choice (and the fact that it wasn't their requested macaroni & cheese) and I knew I should have put them down for naps. But once they pulled themselves together and scarfed down (you would never know they didn't want to eat it) their lunch, they perked right up and insisted they didn't want a nap. I knew I should not have listened to them. But I did and the afternoon was super rough, with lots of tears, time-outs, and raised voice on my part. I was very, very ready for them to go to bed last night, but since Piper had been up so much the previous night, I knew I couldn't put her to bed too early. I tried to drag it out from 5pm with extended pajama-dressing, two kid shows on TV, several stories read on the couch, and prolonged song and visiting time. By the time I had the older three in bed it was almost 7pm, which is a good bedtime for us around here (since the big girls like to be up by 7am). Whew!

I tried to find some peaceful and happy moments in the day, which was harder to do, but this helped:

Today, since Emma was up from 3-4:15am and I am still trying to recover from earlier in the week (and probably the fact that overdid it in the kitchen on Wednesday) I have designated that today will be a play day with no real work to be done. That being said, I have already reorganized the hall closet, organized my recipes, and gone through my coupons and thrown out expired ones (which Ava is currently using for cutting practice). And I still want update our 72-hour kits. But I also fully intend for the girls to take naps and let them watch loads of TV (while I do the same upstairs). Ahh... gotta love Fridays!

Books I Read in 2011

2012-01-04T03:00:00.000-08:00

In case you didn't know, I keep a running log of the books I read throughout the year over on the right sidebar (along with what I want to read, want to cook, want to create, and what's on the menu this week). It's a nice way to remember how well I do on my goal to read more, which helps encourage me to read even more. So without further ado, here's what I read last year and my thoughts on them:

Matched and Crossed by Allie Condie
Books one and two in a planned trilogy (I think), the books are a fun, quick read in the young adult genre. They are set in a future with a utopian society where your life is planned for you down to the smallest detail. I looked forward to the second book all year and I hear that Disney has acquired the rights to the book, which I think would translate very well to the screen. Can't wait to read book #3 in 2012.

The Postmistress by Sarah Blake
OK, didn't blow me away, but a clean fiction book you could recommend for book club.

Farm City by Novella Carpenter
Memoir by the trailblazing "urban farmer", this was inspirational on some fronts and completely hippy crazy in other ways (what they did to feed their pigs!). But it was up my alley and I thought it was a fun read.

Sin in the Second City by Karen Abbott
The authors of Freakonomics referenced this book, so I thought "ok, I'll read that." Subject matter: prostitution in turn of the century Chicago. Ha! Not a book I can recommend to anyone, but I actually prefer non-fiction and since I learned about a segment of history that I was ignorant in, I liked it.

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
By far, hands down the best book I have read in a very long time. It was so good! If you have not yet read it, I highly recommend it. The story of Louis Zamperini, WWII airman / Japanese POW camp survivor, is written with such finesse that the non-fiction subject matter flows with the ease of a novel and you can't wait to keep reading. Hillenbrand has a gift, a true gift for this literary genre.

Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand
After I read Unbroken, I had to go and re-read Seabiscuit. I love this book! I am glad Momma Kay had it on her bookshelf and let me borrow it.

Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore
A Christian story about how a homeless drifter and art dealer millionaire forged a powerful friendship. Uplifting with life lessons to apply.

Lucy by Laurence Gonzalez
Novel about a half ape / half human girl who ends up in Chicago after being raised by her scientist father in the jungle. Interesting, I liked it. There were some references to inappropriate subject matter, but not enough that it bothered me.

City of Thieves by David Benioff
Novel set around the WWII siege of Lenigrad. Not anything I would recommend or read again. 2 stars.

Concierge Confidential by Michael Fazio
A fun little guilty pleasure showing the behind the scenes workings of concierge servie employees.

The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht
A highly acclaimed debut novel, I found it lacking. The author has been lauded by numerous literary agencies and for the life of me I can't figure out why.

My Life in France by Julia Child
If you know my ~~obsession~~ love of the movie Julie & Julia, you won't be suprised that I adored this book. The did start the book Julie & Julia, bubt didn't like it and quit after the first chapter.

House of Prayer No. 2 by Mark Richard
A memoir of the author's life. Easier read but didn't blow me away.

The Year We Left Home by Jean Thompson
Again, a novel that failed to inspire me. Following a family over many years, I was sad for them at the end that they just didn't do much with their lives.

The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry by Kathleen Flynn
Stemming from my Julia Child obsession love, I read the memoir of the author's experience at the Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. I enjoyed it, it was a fun read. I am looking forward to reading her next book, The Kitchen Counter Cooking School, in 2012 (which I already have in my posession from the library).

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
I can't remember where I picked up this recommendation, but this book was so-so. The novel had a tone that seemed like any pulpy paperback and read like a pulpy paperback (even though it is a pretty big book).

She Got Up Off the Couch by Haven Kimmel
A follow-up to the book A Girl Named Zippy (which I liked), the author again creates a memoir with the same light tone I enjoyed the first time around, especially when in real life the material being remembered can be rather heavy.

The Birth House by Ami McKay
Interesting in that it played to my interest in midwifery, but I did not enjoy this book. It was slightly depressing and I just didn't get the point.

Leaving the World by Douglas Kennedy
Overall the book was slightly a downer, but I really enjoyed the author's writing style and the lilt to the book. I don't think I would read it again or even recommend that you do, but I have to appreciate it for how the talent put the words together.

A Love That Multiplies by Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar
I read their first book back in the day and enjoyed the second as much. I took away several thoughts of things I would like to implement in my life, most importantly the need (and desire on my part) to speak more softly to my children, modeling the instructions in Proverbs 15:1 - A soft answer turneth away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger.

Whew! For those of you keeping track, that's 21 books this year. Yeah me!

I probably even read more than that and forgot to record them. (Sometimes I wish I could get a print out from the library showing me all the books I have checked out during a certain time period, but I can't.) Most of the books were recommendations via Entertainment Weekly's new book reviews, but I also picked up some that had been recommended by blogs I follow or ones people suggested.

I am already working on my list for 2012. Right now I am reading Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time and I got The Secret Life of Henrietta Lacks for Christmas, which I am very excited about especially since I never told anyone that I really wanted to read it; Momma Kay just knows my love for non-fiction. I am going to be joining my friend Shanna at her monthly book club, so I will be reading the books off of that list. I also keep a Books to Read Wish List on Amazon, so whenever someone (or a media source) recommends a book to read I add it to my list there. (If you ever want to peruse my list or make suggestions, feel free.) When I am fresh out of books, I refer to my list and request books at my library (via their convenient website). My system couldn't be easier!

Not So Fresh Start to the New Year

2012-01-03T10:40:00.000-08:00

Well, yesterday saw the Kay household felled by a nasty stomach bug. Luckily it ran it's course quickly. Lily stopped throwing up around 2pm, when Piper picked it up for a few hours. Ava hung in there all day; by bedtime she was worn out but her tummy had settled down and she slept through the night. Elliott picked it up pretty hard too and was in bed (with aches too) for most of the day. Emma and I remain unharmed and I am so grateful that Emma was a trooper yesterday, hanging out on the floor most of the day while I alternated holding sicky bowls for various kids. (When they are this young, they don't give me much warning. I held Piper most of the time because her body spasm was usually the only indication something was about to happen.) I caught up on watching the second season marathon of Sister Wives on TLC, as well as the newest episode of The Bachelor and a few other mind-numbing programs. (It is my survival technique when everyone is extra needy and I need to dig up some extra compassion and patience, and didn't apologize to anyone for making them watch my programming choices.)

Today the girls are back to normal and I although I am not feeling sick, I am feeling rather tired (if I had known what yesterday held, I probably wouldn't have started yesterday at 5:45am) and their energy can seem even more exhausting. Elliott stayed home from work again because we both agreed infecting everyone in the office would be a horrible thing to do (and I think he is still not 100%).

This morning I have gotten some Applesauce Granola made, which has been on my to-do list for ... ummm ... forever. I had made it once before and it was so yummy. Not only is it an excellent way to utilize my stash of homemade (free) applesauce, it has added nuts for protein in the morning. I'd been dying to make it again as I plowed through my first batch and refused to share with others (well, that's not very nice Sarah). The rest of the to-do list is light this week, and since I have decided not to send the girls to preschool this week (again, I don't want to infect anyone) and Bible Study doesn't start until next week, we are wide open.

I have been making progress on pulling my 3-month food supply together. I spent much of New Year's Day getting my recipes in order and making a spreadsheet of how much I would need of each ingredient (I do menu-based planning). This week also marks the start of Caselot Sales here in Utah, where you can buy items in bulk for a "deeper discount". I am not sold on the "deeper discount" part, because I know that some of the items aren't the best deal, but if you want to pay a bit extra for convenience (shrink-wrapped boxes) I say go for it. So anyway, I made the goal to get it together in time in case I want to take advantage of the Caselot Sale and will be looking at the ads on Wednesday to see what I need to purchase to round out our food storage.

Elliott decided yesterday (before he started throwing up) that he needed to go back on the Atkins diet to drop some weight, just in time for me to not be ready for it. I had a menu plan all laid out for the next two weeks, which has now been thrown off thanks to illness and change in diets. Guess I'll have something else to do today, huh?

{December Updates} Life Via Facebook

2011-12-31T07:10:00.000-08:00

December 1Listening to sweet Emma chattering away to herself when she first wakes up is one of the best things about the morning.

I am position #866 for a library book hold. I think they might need to order more copies....

December 2

Gotta love when the Wal-Mart cashier knows of a sale you don't and gives you a discounted price. Got my flour for almost half of what I expected to pay!

December 6

When the hot water heater blows and soaks the carpet, it's a good time to be a renter.

I'm gonna go have some vodka. When it rains, it pours.

December 7

I'm just feeding Piper her lunch while seats on the potty. I am getting REALLY tired of running back and forth, back and forth...

December 8

Water heater is fixed, carpet is being dried, and we DON'T any more money for Emma's birth (a little battle I was fighting). Things are looking up!

Just figured out, by watching You Tube, how to fix my leaky bathtub faucet. How cool!

Next up on my You Tube education - how to make mozzarella. I still can't get the hang of it. Maybe You Tube can help me...

Lily is such a dawdler. We are over an hour into dinner and she is STILL dawdling over her food. Add in a potty break and it is like the dinner that will never end...

December 9

Our day: post office, grocery store, break for kiddoes morning snack of french fries at McDonalds (super healthy I know), Wal-Mart, lunch via Chik Fil A, watched "Rio" with the girls, afternoon snack of chocolate chips (again healthy choice eh?), Walgreens (where a kind stranger gave each of the girls $1 for Christmas), Lowes, then home to fix a leaky tub, blow up balloons for the girls to play with and make dinner. It was a good day!

December 10

Elliott watched basketball today. I am watching "Extreme Couponing." We all have our sporting events!

I don't know if it's the wine or the really bad 80's movie re-do, but I'm laughing so much!

December 14

Enjoying a quiet moment before kids wake up. On the docket today - a trip to Provo to return a library book, hit some grocery stores and get my knives sharpened. Top it off with lunch with a friend at the McD's Playplace so maybe the kid will let me chat. Probably not, but that's the best weapon I have.

Yesterday we were trying to load up the car and take Ava to preschool. Piper was missing. I called to her and heard from afar "I coming." After I called her again and another "I coming" she started slowly walking up the stairs, talking on her "phone" (i.e. a calculator). 'Yeah, OK, that's good' she was saying. I took the calculator away and said "we're not talking on the phone right now, get in the car." Hmmm.... a glimpse of my future perhaps?!

Last night I had an epic fail at making Christmas cookies for the neighbors. Here's hoping my Chex Mix turns out better!

December 15

Emma just wants to be held all of the time so she can be part of the action too. Can't wait for her to be big enough for the Excersaucer. Here's hoping that will be just as entertaining!

Today I was talking about how we were taking treats to Elliott's work today. Ava wondered why we were only making 6 bags. "Well there are lots of people that work at the hospital, but only 6 in daddy's office. He works with the numbers." Ava thinks about it for a minute then asks "Who works with the letters and shapes?"

December 16

Trying to de-stress. After driving around trying to find the DMV and then waiting in line with all of my paperwork, turns out I also needed my marriage license since my birth certificate name doesn't match my social security card. So an hour and a half down the drain! I HATE when my day gets thrown off. I think I might just cry.... It's a great stress reliever you know.

December 17

Ava and Lily are SO excited to be sheep in the kids program at church tomorrow. And they are excited daddy's coming to see them.

December 19

Enjoyed lovely time tonight with a trip to Temple Square for our annual light-viewing with extended Kay family. Cold but worth it!

December 20

My goodness, I am tired from all of the cleaning I did today. But NOW I can focus on the fun stuff. Finishing presents and just enjoying the last few days of the Christmas season.

December 21

I need to do a bit of grocery shopping (expiring coupons!) but am a little nervous to head out to Wal-Mart tonight. Blech!

December 24

Anyone else on checking out NORAD's Santa Tracker? It's our favorite activity on Christmas Eve!

Looking forward to my annual "Sushi and 'Love Actually' Christmas Eve Date" with Elliott.

Sushi consumed and halfway through our movie. Time for a cocktail! What a lovely date night.

December 26

Having a Christmas hangover. The girls are so wired from all the new stimulating presents and week-long candy binge that everyone seems extra emotional and on edge. I think we need to detox!

Made Elliott watch "The Help" with me tonight (my Christmas present). He liked it OK. I tried not to cry again at the end (like I did at the theaters).

December 27

Took advantage today of signing up for a free Annual Family Pass (courtesy of Elliott's work) at the Utah Olympic Oval, home of the US Speed Skating Team. We can now go and skate ANY TIME WE WANT FOR FREE! I am thinking we may have to see if any of the girls take to figure skating.

December 29

Venturing to Target today to check it out. You know, with four kids in tow after-Christmas baragin hunting just isn't the same.

What a privilege to take a meal to a person in need. I hope that someone would do the same for me.

December 30

Thanks everyone for the great food ideas for tomorrow night! The prep has begun (cause Texas Cake tastes better the longer it sets, yum!).

The Best of the Rest

2011-12-31T05:43:00.000-08:00

As 2011 wraps up, I think so should I. Not this blog, just the straggling pictures that never quite made it in. Here's some last minute shots for your viewing pleasure:

Lily is so much more maternal this time around. She loves her sister Emma as is very gentle and loving with her.

I decided to leaf blow in the front yard one afternoon in November. Ava was at preschool, Emma was napping inside, but Lily and Piper had a great time playing in the pile I created.

Even though it has been a drier winter so far in Utah, we have actually had one small snowfall the end of November. The girls had a good time playing in the front yard while daddy shovelled the driveway.

I don't have too much longer to take these bathtime shots of the girls. They are growing up so fast.

Somehow this shot of "gangsta" Lily didn't make it into the post about the candy cane mice I made for the girls' preschool classmates. I had to share, it made me laugh!

We also made our annual pilgrimage to Temple Square in December. Cold but clear. Did I mention it was cold?

I bought car seat cover at a garage sale this summer to use with Emma in the winter (something I hadn't had to do with the mild Las Vegas winters). I think she was the warmest one that night. It is quite cozy underneath there!

If we got lost, everyone just looked for my Stay-Puft white winter jacket. You couldn't miss me.

Emma is now big enough to sit in the Bumbo. She loves it! Much preferred to laying on the floor.

She also figured out how to roll from her back to her tummy on Christmas Day. As you can see, it isn't her favorite of tricks. Yet.

And now that Emma sits in the Bumbo, this is a familiar scene in our kitchen at mealtimes. The only downside: Piper and Lily spend the entire meal trying to play with Emma and I spend the entire meal trying to get them to eat.

{Pinterest} Tips 'n Tricks

2011-12-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

I think one my favorite - and most used - boards on Pinterest is my Tips 'n Tricks board. I have all sorts of great ideas pinned on there and have actually been trying most of them out. Here's a few that I've done:

Screw a Parmesan cheese container lid onto a Mason jar

Plath's Adventures via Pinterest

Cut out the top of a salt container and fit it to a Mason jar.

My New Old School via Pinterest

I am very excited to learn about these two tricks! I tried it and they work! Don't know just yet what I will use it for, but I know I will think of something....

How to easily peel a hard boiled egg

Stone Soup via Pinterest

I tried this the other day and I will be honest - the egg peeled easily. I don't know if it was this trick that did it or because I boiled the eggs the right way or that the eggs were a bit older. Either way, my eggs peeled easily so I want to share it with you in case you want to try it too.

Make your own foaming handsoap

Full of Great Ideas via Pinterest

I had previously made my own foaming dishsoap but (duh!) had never made my own foaming handsoap. I can't believe it either. Well, awhile back I had stocked up at Bath & Body Works on some yummy smelling foaming handsoap (a treat to myself while pregnant and extra sensitive to smells) during a rockin' sale. And although I have several left in my closet, I had emptied a few bottles and randomly hung on to the empties. God must have known I would need them, huh?

Anyway, I used some Bath & Body Works shower gel my mom had given me to try this project. Guess what? It works! I am now using it as my main handsoap in the kitchen, right alongside my foaming dishsoap. Cleaning up just doesn't get any easier than this.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-26T12:16:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas, how about you? Currently we are having a little bit of a Christmas hangover and need to detox from all of the sugar and excitement and just be boring for awhile. But it was awful good while it lasted.

Christmas Eve we watched Elf while Elliott did his Christmas shopping (why do men always do wait 'til the last minute? Or is it just mine?). Then present wrapping and trying to keep the kids from going too crazy. We watched the NORAD Santa Tracker on the computer (our favorite Christmas Eve activity) and I played some Christmas carols on the piano for the girls. I had intended to go to a Christmas Eve service somewhere, but decided at the last minute that the kids really did need to go to bed early and since we were going to Christmas Day services with Grandma and Grandpa, it would be OK for us to just stay home.

On Christmas Eve I let the girls open one present, which coincidentally enough always happens to be their Christmas jammies.

Matching Tinker Bell jammies

Emma opening her Christmas jammies

Santa Loves Emma (and so do her mommy and daddy)

Afterwards we read a couple of Christmas storybooks and the Christmas story from the Bible (we tried to at least, but the tired meltdowns had already started). Then off to bed went the girls. After they had settled down, Elliott and I indulged in our annual Christmas Eve tradition of sushi and a Christmas movie. This year our selection was Love Actually (my favorite!) After our dinner we arranged the presents under the tree (and decided it just didn't look like that much in the large front room) and I prepped our Christmas morning breakfast, Rhodes Monkey Bread.

The next morning the girls were all up around 7am and we tried to keep them away from the front room until we could all go in together (which meant after mommy fed Emma). But eventually we made it!

Lily got a Sleeping Beauty necklace

Emma and mommy

Ava got a DVD - Felicity (from the American Girl series)

Lily was so excited for her present from Grandma & Grandpa Johnson!

The girls got quite a haul. We really didn't spend alot, but I managed to cobble together a pretty solid showing from garage sales, homemade items, and coupon / freebie items. Everyone got a movie, books, hairbows, and homemade playdough along with other things that they needed like shoes and pants. Elliott got a much desired firepit for the backyard and I picked up a copy of The Help on DVD (something I was very clear about wanting) and The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook, a mammoth book overflowing with recipe perfection.

After presents we let the girls open their stockings, which were chock full of candy, chapstick, stickers, and lotion - all little freebies I had amassed. It was strewn all across the living room in short order.

They didn't waste any time busting out the playdough

After presents and monkey bread we Skyped with Nana on the computer and talked to my dad on the phone. Then off to Provo we went, to meet Grandma and Grandpa for church followed by lunch, more presents and Christmas dinner.

Emma was a happy camper

Lily got a new dress...

..and so did Piper!

Ava was very excited about her math book that Grandma and Grandpa got her

Elliott snagged a new rake (much needed)

Some more new clothes for Lily

The girls were so good about taking turns

Emma just hung out ...

... and got lots of love from Piper

Emma loved her presents too!

For dinner we were joined by the rest of Elliott's family. Mom made both beef tenderloin and pork tenderloin, which was so tender, and I made Rosemary Au Gratin Potatoes, which were divine (the recipe is definitely a keeper!). The meal was rounded out with rolls, a couple of salads and sweet potatoes, with cinnamon rolls for dessert.

It was a great day. The weather was clear, the girls were happy, and the laughter was freely flowing. It just doesn't get any better than that!

Holiday Cookie Fail

2011-12-26T06:00:00.000-08:00

I was totally inspired by this picture...

Our Italian Kitchen via Pinterest

and I decided to try and do them myself. I shouldn't have.

I used a tub of sugar cookie dough that I bought from my nephew Calder's school fundraiser. I divided the dough in two and dyed one half green with Wilton gel food coloring (soooo much better than the liquid food coloring you find in the grocery stores). Then I rolled out each half, laid them on top of each other and rolled them up pinwheel style. I had Christmas sprinkles laying around (from some tubs of icing/sprinkles I bought several years ago) and I patted them on the outside of the log. Lastly I sliced the log into cookies and laid them out to be baked.

The first batch wasn't too bad, but I the cookies really spread out during baking and all the edges smooshed together, obliterating the sprinkles. Boo! Also the slices were different sizes so some baked more than others, turning several a little too brown.

The second batch was even worse, with all of the cookies getting too crispy. Some of the pinwheels looked really funky too. Boo again!

The only redeeming factor was that they actually tasted pretty good, so I picked out the best of the best and packaged them up in a Christmas tin I got at a garage sale this summer for our preschool teacher, Mrs. Lockwood. I also packed up another tin for her real Christmas present full of some preschool supplies I had around the house (gotta love stocking up on school supplies during the summer sales!) I had read a discusion about what teachers really like to get at Christmas and useful school supplies and homemade goodies topped the list. Hopefully we brightened her day a little bit!

Zoo Lights 2011

2011-12-24T08:05:00.000-08:00

The first Sunday in December we headed up to see the Zoo Lights at Hogle Zoo, something we really enjoyed last year and have decided to make an annual tradition. It didn't hurt that I picked up a 50% Groupon for the event either, ha ha!

Zoo Lights is so special because you get to see the animals at night, a time of day when many of them are the most active, a side you can't see during normal zoo hours. There are always two places we hit up during Zoo Lights - Santa Claus and the reptile house (in that order).

It was an awfully cold night when we went and we enjoyed every opportunity to be inside buildings. There wasn't a line for Santa Claus this year (yeah!) and all of the girls were really excited to see him....

... until it was time to go up and see him then Lily got shy and wouldn't go near him. But Ava and Piper enjoyed the moment.

Zoo Lights puts up all sorts of fantastic animal displays, and although it is difficult to get outdoor shots this picture gives you a little taste.

Then it was time for the reptile house (which also includes a large assortment of mammals too). The girls looooove the reptile house! The snakes are alert, the cats are pacing, and the animals that manage to sleep through the hub-bub are usually cuddled up right next to the glass giving you a great view.

Even Emma had a good time!

We topped off the trip with a visit to the tigers, who again were keeping watch over the visitors from their bridge overpass. So cool! Then, because we were all freezing our toes off, we hightailed it back to the car and called it a night. Thank goodness for car heaters!

Christmas at Daddy's Work

2011-12-22T16:01:00.000-08:00

Today Elliott's work hosted a luncheon and mini party for the employees and their families. So we decided to go (who doesn't like a free lunch?)

They had a Santa for the kiddoes and I must say - impressive. Real beard and everything! The only other one we have seen this season was at Zoo Lights (more on that later) and he had a fake beard. I am a sucker for a real Santa beard, aren't you?

The girls did really well with Santa and told him what they wanted, although their selection of gifts included things I had never heard of. Ummm, not sure they are going to get what they asked Santa for if they don't tell their mommy too. Piper froze up and had nothing to say (unusual huh?) so I helped her out by offering a gift suggestion (stickers, which I realize is not currently in my stash of gifts, oops).

Then it was Emma's turn. She was a happy camper and looked so very cute up there, all cuddled in to his red velvet. I swoon.

After our Santa visit we headed over to the cafeteria for a yummy Christmas buffet, complete with prime rib, ham, green beans, potatoes, rolls, and carrots. There was also a mini salad bar and large dessert layout. Everything was scrumptious!

During the lunch there was live entertainment in the form of fiddles, banjos, and lots of old-time sounds. I even asked one of the players what was the difference between a violin and a fiddle. Her answer: "Attitude." Don't you just love that?

The fiddler in front is 96 3/4 years young!

The girls were enthralled with the music and Piper really got into it, clapping along with some songs and cheering them on when they finished.

Santa and reindeer headgear courtesy of a shopping trip with mommy to Jo-Ann Fabrics

But nothing compared to how much I laughed watching Piper eat her eclair for dessert.

Yes, it was a mess to clean-up but the entertainment value alone was worth it!

Emma's Baby Blessing

2011-12-22T05:00:00.000-08:00

Emma's big day came on Sunday. We held her LDS Baby Blessing. At nearly four months old, she is older than the other girls were when they were blessed, but our original date in November got scrapped when the whole family got sick (including me).

We decided to hold the event as a family gathering at Mom and Dad Kay's house in Provo. We have done that for two other girls (we blessed Lily in Las Vegas) and always end up having a great family time. Elliott's friends, the Pattersons, were also able to join us as was Momma Kay's neighbor (and my friend) Jackie Porter along with her two girls.

Mom and Dad's bishop wasn't able to make it, which was a little sad because he had blessed our other two, but the counselor he sent was familiar to me and seeing a familiar face was nice. (I guess that shows how many church events we have gone to with mom and dad over the years, huh?)

It was a lovely blessing and (like all the others) especially meaningful having Emma's grandpa administer it. Emma was extremely tired and started to cry right after they started (so many new faces and mommy wasn't holding her!) but we powered through. Afterwards, all the kids (even the big, grown-up ones) were quite hungry and Emma needed a nap, so we didn't get as the group pictures we normally do. But I think the ones we were able to take turned out beautifully!

Christmas Decorations

2011-12-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

Well, being sick over Thanksgiving put a crimp in my decorating schedule, but we have been up and running for awhile and I am finally getting the photos uploaded for you. I was proud of myself for not starting any major new decorating projects, just a few tweaks here and there. So here's a tour:

Our Christmas Tree

Our Christmas tree looks dinky in our new place. I am sure I thought this last year, but this year I put the tree in the front room window and removed the couch. The room feels huge and thus the tree feels so little.

I let the girls decorate it and all the ornaments were only on the bottom half. Ha! So after they went to bed I went through and evened everything out. They never even noticed. I decided to keep the ornaments fun this year. Most are some felt and wooden ones I picked up at Target a few years back, with some homemade and non-breakable keepsakes thrown in. This way I am not worrying about the girls getting a little handsy with them. The colors are fun and make me happy. The star on top I picked up at a thrift store last year.

Piano-scape

The piano ended up a little sparse and that's fine with me. I would rather have a little something than too much of something. I had two fake evergreens and added a live poinsetta in the middle. The "Hallelujah" sign was inspired from Lemonade Makin' Mama via Pinterest. I love my big frame and the family photos in it so instead of using chalkboard paint I bought a black mat in the framing section at Hobby Lobby then painted "Hallelujah" on with white craft paint.

Christmas chair love

I threw my freezer-paper stencilled "noel" pillow and beautiful pillow cover from my friend Lisa on the chair in the front room for some added Christmas flair.

Christmas card holder

I put our Christmas card holder in the hallway and it is the first thing past the front room with the Christmas tree. The girls and I love to see all of our friends and family throughout the day.

I have an entertainment center this year to deck out, yeah! I put garland, sparkly red ribbon and lights along the top and seeing the glow makes me so happy.

I changed out the vignettes from autumn but left the overall layout of bins, books, etc. One space has a small fake evergreen and a cheese cover-turned-cloche (garage sale find) filled with red ornaments.

For the other Christmas vignette I put pinecones in a large vase (we gathered them ourselves in the mountains this fall), a small stone Santa, and a glass jar filled with peppermint candies. I got the jar at a garage sale this summer and the peppermints were leftover from Rachel's baby shower last January (all the candies were individually wrapped so I just threw them into the Christmas bins when the party was over).

Hands down my favorite decoration this year: my own Rudolph, courtesy of a red pom-pom attached to my deer canvas in the living room.

And a few final touches:

A special message on our chalkboard

Stockings hung with care

Keep Calm and Merry On

A little Christmas bling by the kitchen sink

So there you have it, our little slice of Christmas. I pinned several other really great ideas to my Christmas board on Pinterest, so I already have a head start for next year!

My Day

2011-12-20T11:24:00.000-08:00

Here's what you get after being off-duty with your hubby for four days:

Mounds of laundry...

...a living space over run with items to be away...

(at least I get a cute helper)

...an overzealous need to vaccuum behind the dryer (and collect all the stray clothing back there)...

...dishes to be put away, 21 cans of pumpkin to be put with the food storage...

...a bathtub to be scrubbed, and a bathroom floor to be cleaned (since Lily had an accident all over it this morning)...

...but at least my laundry room looks extra pretty, thanks to an early Christmas present to myself. My feet say "thank you"!

Candy Cane Mice

2011-12-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

The idea for candy cane mice didn't come from Pinterest (can you believe it?) but after I was talking about it with my friend Stephanie I did post it on there for her and others to see. Maybe you would like to make them too!

Candy cane mice come from Martha Stewart (duh, right?) and I had cut the idea out of a magazine a bajillion years ago.

This Christmas season I decided it was a good way to 1) use up my felt scraps and 2) create low-cost Christmas treats for Lily and Ava's preschool classmates.

The directions on how to make the mice from the Martha Stewart website are self-explanatory, so I'm not going to detail it here. The candy canes came from Target, specifically the Wonka Sweet Tart variety that was on sale a few weeks back (not surprised are you?). When all is said and done I think the bright colors are very cool and fitting with the felt mice.

But I did have to put my own spin on things and let the kids know who was giving them these cool treats, so I created some tags using some free scrapbooking elements and a font I had collected.

I just tied it on with some yarn I had laying around (kinda wish I had some fun twine, but alas we use what we have) and we are all done! The girls were so excited to take them to preschool today. Fun and practically free!

{Pinterest} Thanksgiving Onesie

2011-12-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

I had pinned this turkey onesie to my Autumn board on Pinterest, but when I realized it was originally from an Etsy shop (which I can't locate) I didn't want to copy it directly. So I went searching around the internet until I found a personal blog that included a turkey template, making it even easier to make. And for the life of me I can't find where I got it from. I wish I could give them credit, but I know it came with an attached template cause I still have the cut out pieces laying around my sewing room.

Bad blogger.

Anyway, I went into my "woman cave", i.e. my craft/sewing room and started rummaging around. I found a 6-month white onesie for use as the base and then sifted through my fabric collection to come up with the theme.

I contemplated a fall fabric layout.

But in the end I decided to be non-traditional and girly and cute, and went with five coordinating pink and green fabrics, with light brown for the body.

I cut out the pieces with the template (really I did!) and because I didn't have any Heat 'n Bond I pinned the pieces to the onesie and zig-zagged around the edges.

I finished it off with french knotted white embroidery thread for the eyes and I painted on a beak with yellow craft paint.

Ta-da! A happy camper!

Thankgiving

2011-12-14T06:20:00.000-08:00

Well, I already showed you this cutie on Thanksgiving, didn't I?

Ok, I just can't help myself. Moving on...

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year, in spite of battling illness. Lily and Emma had been sick earlier in the week, coughing and wheezing with a fever. (In fact, one night I sat up and held Emma through the night because every time she coughed she woke herself up. If I held her she would doze off again after she woke up; it's the only way she slept that night.) Elliott seemed to have gotten over the worst of it (he may have been the one to bring it home) and the other two only got a mild case. (I started getting sick after Thanksgiving, but that's another story.)

We planned for an early dinner at Elliott's parents' house and I brought green bean casserole (my standard) and corn. I also brought the decorations I had been working on for the kids:

They were all a big hit! I think the coloring pages were the best idea; it kept them busy for quite awhile. I decided to pack away the little Pilgrim hat holders for next year (neither Momma Kay or I could bear to throw them away). The little turkey finger puppets were only "ho-hum" but the Turkey Toes were a hit. And why wouldn't they be?! Pure sugar.

Instead of the jar I pictured earlier, I made individual baggies for each child with a fun topper (pictured above) to take home with them. They didn't last until they left. But they did make it until dessert time. Grandpa Kay was glad that there were some extras because he loves candy corn!

All of the food was so yummy and we stuffed ourselves, as we do every year.

For relaxation we spent some time perusing the Black Friday ads, even though I already looked at all of the ads online. However I did learn that you could start ordering from Lowes online on Thanksgiving Day, giving you a head start on your shopping. The one place that I was planning on doing Black Friday shopping was Lowes to pick up some storage shelving for the basement. But I had been dreading to going out to pick them up. And Elliott and I were having trouble figuring out how to logistically get them home. So I got online and cheked it out - and discovered I could order them! Woo hoo! I ordered 4 shelving units (which was the amount I was going to buy), I had four days to pick them up allowing Elliott and I to solve our logistics dilemma, and I shopped through ShopAtHome.com which gave me extra cash back in my pocket (something I wouldn't have received had I shopped in store.) I don't think you can get better than that!

{3 Months} Emma Update

2011-12-13T17:50:00.000-08:00

My big girl is three months old now, can you believe it?! I know I can't. I read on a blog the other day about the "fourth trimester", the milestone of the first three months. At the end your little babes is no longer a "newborn". Patterns are emerging, they are growing and exploring, verbalizing and smiling, laughing and cooing. That's what my Emma is doing.

She full on laughs these days. She is ticklish, especially on her inner thigh and her neck. But the most fun is that she will laugh at you laughing at her. It is so cute! She also finds her sisters completely hilarious and enjoys smiling and laughing at them too (for some reason Ava can get her laughing the most).

I forgot to tell you, but at her two-month check-up she was in the 90%+ percentile on height and weight. Not a shocker as she was my second biggest baby. With her size and the extra bulk of cloth diapers, she has moved up in sizes again to wear 6 month clothing. Crazy! But I remember her chunky-monkey sister Lily was also like that, so my only "normal" sized child so far has been Piper (who is now ahead in sizes too, so it is the cycle that never ends).

She has been sleeping through the night since about 2 1/2 months (although this week we've had a bit of a set-back, but I think she is going through a growth spurt). Don't ask me how. She is my only baby to do this and I have no idea how it happened, but I am oh so grateful for it. Elliott commented to me that she is the only baby where he hasn't done a midnight feeding to give me a chance to sleep (something we would do with other babies when they were newborns). I just haven't needed it. As I've mentioned before she was born with a nighttime schedule, which made the transistion to four kids much easier than it could've been. She had been going to bed around 7:30pm, maybe waking up once to snack (not always), and then back up for the day around 7:30am. I have discovered though that if she goes to bed just a wee bit later she will almost always sleep straight through.

When she wakes up in the morning I can hear her cooing and talking to herself in her crib. It is such a sweet sound to wake up to. She takes naps about every 1 1/2-2 hours, sleeping for about 45 minutes. I so wish she would sleep a bit longer during naps, but the better sleeping at night is my trade-off.

She is really becoming a little mover. She wiggles all over and has now reached the stage where you can't leave her unattended on the couch or bed. She will wiggle off. She is so close to rolling over, as she gets way up on her side but can't figure out what to do with her elbow. When I leave her on her playmat she will do a 360 degree turn during her playtime, rolling all over to face every different direction.

She has complete control over her hands these days and loves to suck on her fingers and hands. She hasn't quite become a thumbsucker but is awful close. She also can grab her hanging toys from the playmat, which her sisters love to switch out and dangle new toys for her.

Her temper is starting to appear a bit when you put her down when she doesn't want to be put down. Then she will immediatley start to cry. I call it her "Get back here and pick me up, I didn't say you could put me down!" cry. She is still a great eater and a very happy girl. Only once in awhile does her fat lower lip appear, and even then she somehow manages to laugh and cry at the same time. She is a joy.

{November Updates} Life Via Facebook

2011-12-11T02:30:00.000-08:00

November 1
Piper spent last night hollering "I need more candy!" as we went house to house. Yeah, like she "needs" more candy, LOL!

Just realized that my birth certificate is a copy and I need a real one to get a drivers license in UT. I feel kinda weird applying to get my own birth certificate so I can prove who I am to another state.

November 2
At bedtime Ava and I were discussing that she needed to get shots at the doctor tomorrow but she would be brave. Apparently Lily overheard. Quite some time later Lily starts yelling for daddy. When Elliott went in she said she wanted to tell Ava something but Ava was already asleep. Elliott said he would relay the message to her in the morning, what would she like to tell Ava. "It will hurt."

November 3
Let the Christmas shopping begin!

November 4
Exhausted but happy. Canned 12 qts applesauce, cleaned up the garden for the season by putting away stakes/hoses and all the outdoor toys, and comforted a wee one who just wouldn't nap today to save her life. Tommorow's agenda - a much needed girly day including haircut with my mom.

November 10
Heading to the airport for the first run, bringing back my brother and SIL and my niece Maggie. Can't WAIT!

All of the family is here and our "Thanksgiving" is in the works for tomorrow. Yeah!

November 14
The house is now much quieter than it has been in days. I am missing people already! Good thing we already have plans for another reunion in 2013.

November 15
The girls have been keeping themselves busy cutting pictures out of magazines. The darned ad for Wheat Thins that is now sitting on the table keeps fooling me; I keep trying to clean up the crackers!

We're already gearing up to miss our Nana who is moving out tomorrow. Elliott says to Lily tonight "what are you doing tomorrow?" Taking Nana to the airport. "That's good" No, it's not good. I'm going to miss her!

November 17
I kinda like that Piper doesn't take naps anymore. Of course I miss my "me time" but now she goes strong ALL DAY (for the most part cheerfully) and crashes into bed around 7pm, sleeping soundly for 12-13 hours. It's so much nicer than her past sleeping patterns, so I am grateful for it.

November 18
I know it's early, but since I am ordering Christmas cards right now I am listening to Christmas music to put me in the mood. I must say, I am loving it!

A trip to the doctor's today so Elliott could get an xray for his swollen wrist (which has now been sent on to a radiologist to read, so no info yet) resulted in a lady removing his car's back bumper with her Mercedes SUV. We are very glad she stuck around to deal with paperwork as Elliott was inside at the time and she could have just hit and run. Man, I felt sorry for her - she was such a mess over it, feeling so bad.

November 19
Big girls moved downstairs, Piper moved to a toddler bed, and Emma moved to her own room. Let's see how tonight goes....

November 21
Laundry, organizing the linen closet, ordering Christmas cards and finishing Thanksgiving projects. What are you doing today?

Trying desperately to fend off a muscle-related migraine. Hang in there shoulders until our chiro appt on Wednesday, OK?

November 22
Everyone in the house sounds so croupy (except for me). I slept with Emma last night in the rocking chair, poor baby. But that means I am awful tired today since that really isn't sleeping. I think we will all have a veg-out day in front of PBS Kids.

‎1. My "turkey toes" treats for Thanksgiving are lookin' CUTE!
2. Making stock for the sickos and the house smells yummy.
3. Piper has been going around the house saying "hola!" Watching Dora much?

November 23
Just caught a perp using my PayPal debit card to get a membership on CreditReport.com. Man what a stupid criminal to use my info to get your credit report! Seriously?

I love getting Black Friday deals that have nothing to do with Christmas presents but are instead items Elliot and I have had on our wish list/save up for list for awhile. Storage room shelving from Lowes, TV for living room, and now IKEA bookshelves as downstairs entertainment center. Woo hoo!

Yes people, I am wrapping Christmas presents.

November 25
Should've stayed off the internet since I don't need anything. But how can I pass up 3 kitchen appliances for only $.34?!

November 26
The most annoying thing about being sick? Now I'm behind on my Christmas decorating!

November 27
I think I finally found the culprit behind the stinky kitchen. Note to self: take cooked broccoli directly to compost bin and do NOT leave in the compost bucket beneath the sink.

November 29
Emma's baby playmat is up and the big girls have been "decorating" it for her. She is. In. Heaven. She loves the new toys and the attention.

The house is starting to look clean again. Hooray! Amazing how much piles up when you are sick.

{October Updates} Life Via Facebook

2011-12-10T02:30:00.001-08:00

October 1
Lovely date night with the hubby on the cheap. Used a Groupon for dinner, hit the thrift store and then used up reward certificates and coupons to buy all of Ava's birthday presents. Total cost - under $12.

October 2
I am struggling to live with Piper's stinky STINKY cast. She had an "accident" in the night and now that smell is living on. It is so gross - and we have a more than a week before it comes off. Let's hope perfume can help...

October 3
Emma's actually napping (thanks to the swing) allowing me to put another coat of paint on the toddler bed and get some meals in the freezer. Now for some mommy-time watching "Fringe".

I MUST get a pizza peel for Christmas. I just made the biggest mess trying to get the pizza onto the hot stone. Grrr! Now all the windows are open hoping the smoke alarm doesn't go off.

October 5
Those darn Comcast people! Got me sucked into having TV again because it was the cheapest way to get internet (bundled). Oh well, no DVR still means I won't be watching it alot.

Is it wrong that I don't want to buy good toilet paper for the girls? They just use so much! :)

October 6
Tried to get a jump on the kids by getting up at 6. Guess who got up at 6:15? Why do I try?

October 7
Just got sidetracked deep cleaning the stove, oven and microwave. Well, now it's all set for holiday baking! (Yes people, I am talking Christmas and Thanksgiving.)

Emma is figuring out this napping-thing. A REALLY good one this afternoon (currently ongoing) and one this AM. Drowsy but awake, not nursing to sleep. Fingers crossed it holds!

First day of having cable again in over two years - and I could care less. I like feeling that way.

October 9
I had to correct Ava's behavior while she was coloring. The next two pictures she created have her animals crying. I think she's not happy with me.

October 10‎
40 lbs of chicken, bushel of plums and a big box of apples. Guess I'll be in the kitchen this week. And lovin' it!

October 13
Going to TRY and catch up at the computer today on blogging, design, etc. while celebrating Ava's VIP day at preschool. The plums will just have to wait until tomorrow!

I know I shouldn't care, but no matter what I do I can't get my credit score above 700. What a joke! I use cash, so it's just a vicious cycle.

October 14
Gearing up to make plum chili sauce. Or a trip to the playground. Hmmm..

October 17
Enjoyed MORE gorgeous fall scenery on the Alpine Loop yesterday (a top 10 spot according to Sunset magazine) after a productive garage saling day on Saturday. Spent about $40 for several Pyrex dishes, a humidifer, steamer/juicer, and TONS of other fun mommy things for me.

October 21
Today my biggest girl turns 5. Happy birthday Ava!!

Just caught Piper playing with a pair of needlenose pliars around the electrical outlet. Crisis averted. (She will be the death of me, I am sure of it.)

Our morning at IKEA per Ava's request (she likes the playland) yielded some purchases to finish several mommy projects AND uber-cheap lunch for all of us. Now off to the park and then IHOP for her requested birthday dinner.October 23Working on yet another project. Hooray! Now that I have discovered how to print on tissue paper, I am a little obsessed.

October 24
Going to put aside the rest of my to-do list today to concentrate on playing with the girls outside. It will be the last nice day for awhile.

Such a nice day! Ava tried out her training wheels for the first time, loved it. And you would never know Lily only rode her training wheels one other time - she is a natural!

Piper & Mommy exchange just now:
"You took your shirt off two times, you will wear a zip-zip" (sleeper onesie).
No, I no wear zip-zip.
"No Piper you WILL wear a zip-zip"
No, you no tell me no!
"I WILL tell you no. You took your shirt off again, you will wear a zip-zip"
No way Jose! ~ That's when I stifled my laugh and tried to get out of the room as quickly as possible.

October 25
So my two-year old has now decided I am "mom". Not mommy. Mom. I don't know how I feel about this...

October 26
Elliott's off for a boys weekend in TX. Sarah's going to have a "get stuff done with Elliott out of the house" weekend. Exciting project #1: steam clean the couch.

October 27
What's worse than having two sick kids? Having a two year old who isn't sick AND is running at full speed when the rest of us are only at half-speed. Already had to clean up Sharpie from the kitchen tile (thank God it wasn't the carpet!) and am now moving on to the crayon from a Tupperware lid.

Organized the freezer and am now rolling cake balls. Had to make room in the freezer for the cake balls, ha ha ha!

October 28
I am seriously grossed out by the dirtiness of the water coming from the carpet cleaner. Eewww!

{September Updates} Life Via Facebook

2011-12-09T02:30:00.000-08:00

September 3
I want to tell y'all how great Emma is doing, but I don't want to jinx anything!

September 5
After living next door to them for a year, I *finally* invited the neighbors over to BBQ with us tonight. Better late then never, right?

First day of preschool for Lily and Ava is tomorrow. I have a special breakfast planned, made them a little treat/craft to share with everyone, and am planning to take them for sno cones in the afternoon. I hope to make it a special day!

September 6
They took newborn photos of Emma at the hospital. Oh yes, I NEED to buy them, they are so beautiful!

September 7
Just ate a large caprese salad all by myself. Three tomatoes and a whole hunk of fresh mozzarella. I guess I am taking advantage of the last of summer's bounty.

September 8
Enjoying the onset of cooler weather. Let's hope it holds through the weekend as I bought tickets to the State Fair. Woo hoo!

Trying to get Lily to listen to me while instructing her on how to write her name is EXACTLY the reason why I can't homeschool. I give up after two tries. Too exhausting for me. Grateful for people who are gifted teachers, because I am not one.

September 10
Happy anniversary to my sweet husband! 8 years together, 6 years married, 4 little girls to show for it. It's been busy, amazing, and truly wonderful. I love you Elliott!

September 11
Piper just counted to 18. I asked her "what comes after 18?" "FIVE!" she screamed. Ha ha ha!

September 13
Is it wrong that I am getting a little too excited looking at the Sutherlands Lumber ad? Look at all of the projects we could do Elliott ! :)

September 16
Picking up a big box of peaches today for canning (not thrilled about processing them but we need more for the coming year) then Ava is going to Grandma & Grandpa's for her first sleepover. She is beyond excited!!

September 19
Bushel of peaches canned and 5 more quarts of green beans. Then I sat down for dinner and never wanted to stand up again. :)

September 20
Thank goodness for three toilets. Cause all three little girls are occupying them right now!

September 22
At 3 weeks old, I am already having to retire some of Emma's newborn clothes. What a chunky monkey!

Piper just sneezed out a green bean. Just when I think it's safe to leave her unattended at dinner...

September 24
Best garage sale buy of the day: a much-needed weedwhacker for Elliott. Price - $5! Saved over $100 on that one! Cross one more thing off the wish list.

September 26
Today I discovered that our landfill has a "re-use center" where they put paint, chemicals, cleaners, etc. Anyone can stop in and pick up stuff for free. Dropped off some cardboard and got some pretty gray Martha Stewart paint for free. Win-win!

September 30
Emma has been such a mommy's girl lately that I am having trouble putting her down. I finally gave in today and put her in the Moby Wrap so I could get some things done!

{August Updates} Life Via Facebook

2011-12-08T12:53:00.001-08:00

August 18
Making beef stock, strawberry jam and salsa. I didn't have a stock pot large enough for the salsa, so I busted out the water bath canner to cook it up in. Smells yummy!

August 19
Ava has asked me a thousand times if I will watch their Friday afternoon movie with them. How can a mom turn that down?

August 20
Off to the Utah County Fair. It's my FAVORITE! Can't wait!

August 21
Tomato, mozzarella, pesto, and basil (all homemade/grown) on ciabatti bread for lunch. Yum!

Poor Elliott. I should feel so much more sympathetic when he tells me he's so tired (from weeding and the gym) but instead I want to give him the middle finger.

August 23
Sitting around waiting for baby to make an appearance does NOT work for me. I am finding all sorts of sewing projects to keep me busy!

August 24
Piper hurt her leg yesterday jumping off a table. Who needs boys? Anyway, we have been dealing with lots of crying as she tries (50% unsuccessfully) to get around. Hoping tomorrow's better!

August 25
Well, Mommy's Intuition wasn't working this time. Piper is now sporting a hot pink leg cast for her fractured tibia. Glad Elliott and Mom made me take her to the doctor.

August 28
Emma Elizabeth was born at about 9:45am this morning. Mommy and baby are both healthy and happy. Sarah delivered naturally after a 3.5 hour labor. Baby weighed in at 8 lbs 13 ozs and 20.5 inches long. Parents are thrilled!! ~ Elliott Kay

August 30
Headed back to the madness that is FOUR little girls in less than an hour. Lord protect us all! And bless the grandmas for covering my butt. :)

Thought For the Day

2011-12-07T03:30:00.000-08:00

Message With a Bottle via Parenting Fails via Pinterest

Green Eggs & Ham

2011-12-06T02:30:00.000-08:00

One of the girls favorite books right now is Dr. Seuss' Green Eggs and Ham.

Recently I went to the grocery store and purchased a small ham to cut up for little girl lunches (I like to do finger food lunches in muffin tins). When I got it home Ava and Piper were sitting at the barstool watching me cut up the ham and Piper started talking about "green eggs and ham". Since lunchtime was around the corner I decided to be spontaneous (which is not my best quality) and I asked them if they would like green eggs and ham for lunch. Boy, did they ever!
So I made green eggs and ham for lunch (thanks to a bottle of green food coloring I had in the cupboard):

The girls let me know that the lunch wasn't quite right as the ham was also supposed to be green, but it was close enough to be pretty awesome. I was excited to pick Lily up from preschool and let her know about the fun lunch we had waiting at home for her. Lily was not as thrilled with the idea as her two other sisters and had a really hard time eating it. She kept saying it tasted funny. So Nana (who hadn't left yet) told her to close her eyes and imagine the eggs were yellow and it wouldn't taste funny. Ta-da! That did the trick and to this day Lily will tell you she likes green eggs and ham (if she closes her eyes, that is).

Bye Bye Nana!

2011-12-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

A plan long in the works has now come to pass. My mom, aka Nana to the girls, has moved out. She had lived with us for the last year and become a staple of family life. She was readily available to help watch the kids, fix scrambled eggs and salads, do the laundry and anything else that needed doing. She came to all Kay family functions and was valued as an extended member of Elliott's family.

Although I tell all when it comes to my immediate family, I try to keep other family member's information private. Hence I am not going to outline Nana's story and journey here, but she has moved on to a new and exciting phase of her life and we miss her oh so much. The girls have had moments where it was difficult for them to understand Nana was not coming back (which was difficult for their mommy to see) but we are hopeful that we will be diligent in communicating via computer. I too miss my mom; in the wake of the emotional high of my family visit to the emotional low of her departure, I cried alot in the days after she left. I am happy for her though and hope to keep our relationship strong, even from afar.

Favorite Nana activity: reading

Emma gets some last Nana cuddles

Bye bye Nana! We will miss you!

Early Johnson Thanksgiving

2011-12-04T08:01:00.001-08:00

As you know, all of my family came into town the first part of November. It has taken me a long time (too long!) to get pictures posted, mostly because I was simply overwhelmed by the number of shots everyone took. Apparently all three of us siblings viewed the occasion as something special and took lots of pictures to document it. Ha ha ha! Between us we shared all the pictures and when I went through I finally stopped at 60 pictures to share with you via slideshow. Even I recognize 60 is alot and you may be bored by all of them, but it was such a small slice of our life for four days that I had to share.

Travis, Abra and baby Maggie (8 months) flew into Salt Lake City Thursday morning, November 10. After doing an airport run to pick them up, Elliott and I immediately turned around to pick up Tracy, Matthew, Levi (2) and baby Jessie (5 months). Everyone stayed with us until Monday, when we did the drop-offs. We are so glad that we were able to have all of the bedroom space to share and all of the kids did REALLY well in spite of all the changes we were throwing at them - time changes, new rooms, extra kids, extra activities, etc.

It was the first time my siblings and I had been in the same place since Tracy's wedding in 2004. In that time since all of us had had children and it was so special to be able to get the cousins together for the first (of hopefully many) times and to meet babies we hadn't met before (shout out to my niece Maggie!). Seeing all of the babies lined up on the floor with Piper trying to hug them all, Lily and Ava trying to entertain them and Levi hovering around the edges overwhelmed by the girliness of the situation melted my heart.

I laughed every time I saw Levi interacting with my girls because he is such a boy! It was hilarious! Tracy had called me before they came because Levi kept asking her if we had a basketball, a football, a skateboard, etc. I told Tracy "I have girls! We have dress-up clothes." Levi would play with the girls through rough-housing, hitting, or pretend shooting while Lily looked at him like he had come from another planet. Levi is a very well-behaved little boy with parents who are uber-attentive and discipline when necessary, but in the end he is full of little boy energy and mind-set, something that doesn't occur in our house very much. We just have a lot more estrogen going on.

Tracy, Abra and I spent some time crafting in my sewing room, which was so much fun. Abra and I showed Tracy how to make the little girl hairbows we had been creating at our houses - and we created a monster! Tracy went crazy with my ribbon stash and the glue gun for awhile, resulting in some of the cutest bows you ever saw. I also showed Tracy how to do freezer paper stenciling. We went to the store, picked up some pretty kitchen towels, printed out a beautiful font for the letter "L" (for Tracy's last name, Lindley) and stenciled it on the towels. (Tracy reported to me yesterday that the towels were a hit with her friends and although she tried to tell them how easy it was they all think she's a rock star so she's going with it.)

We ate our meals at home, creating a large Thanksgiving dinner on Friday afternoon so that we had leftovers to eat the rest of the weekend. I made lots of yummy treats ahead of time too, introducing my family to "cake balls" (which I hear is now a requested dessert at the Lindleys, much to Tracy's chagrin). My mom enjoyed being back in the kitchen, taking care of her kids through food and we were more than willing to be babied a bit. Travis, now an avid runner who completed his first marathon this year (I'm so proud), organized daily walking trips for the dads and kids, which the kids loved. At night, after we got the kids into bed, we would stay up and play games. Flashbacks to childhood abounded, with Travis so "generously" reminding us of our past game-playing behavior. Lots and lots and lots of laughing. (And boy does Travis have alot of energy! Abra says he is like that every day. I would be exhausted by him.)

Besides enjoying each other's company, the only other goal of the visit was to take some family photos. I had hired a photographer for Sunday, who called at the last minute to let me know she was very sick and wouldn't be able to come. After some scrambling we were still left empty-handed but decided we would do it ourselves via Travis' camera-timer and a tripod. I had already arranged for my neighbor Polly to come over and direct the kids' attention so we could all get them looking the same way, so we were set. Here are some shots that resulted:

Didn't they turn out GREAT?! We collaborated ahead of time on coordinating our clothes and the weather cooperated beautifully for our shoot outside. The other great shot of the weekend:

Looks at those cutie-patooties and their little naked toes. Aren't they adorable? Yes, yes they are. This was our houseful over the weekend. And we couldn't be happier.

Here are a couple other of my favorite shots:

It was sad to see everyone go, but we plan to get together again in 2013 and do so every other year after that. I don't know if I will be able to wait that long, but I am glad I got my Johnson fix.

I love you guys!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T08:12:00.001-08:00

Mommy made me my shirt, isn't it cute?

Christmas Cards Ordered!

2011-11-21T07:29:00.001-08:00

Starlight Snowflakes Christmas Card

Add one photo or multiple to your Christmas cards this season.

View the entire collection of cards.

{Giveaway} Shutterfly Winners Are...

2011-11-16T14:47:00.001-08:00

I had my trusty helper (aka my daughter Lily) draw three random names out of a hat to find our Shutterfly Christmas card winners. And they are....

The Provident Planner

Abra Johnson

Shanna Patterson

Winners, I will be sending you information via Facebook, so check for a message from me there. Thank you for participating everyone! And don't forget, even if you didn't win check out the selection of Christmas card designs on Shutterfly to make your holiday easy and beautiful.

Thoughts Today

2011-11-09T11:37:00.000-08:00

Only one more day and my family will be here! My brother, my sister, and all their families are coming for a long weekend visit. I am beside myself with giddiness. We haven't all been in the same room since my sister's wedding in 2004. This will be so much fun! I already have a photographer booked to capture family photos (a genuine treat for my mom especially, who will be moving right after everyone else does so these memories are especially precious for her). Stay tuned for LOTS of photos.

So what else is going on around here? I was watching "Baby's First Day" on TLC yesterday morning (why? because I was sitting on the couch nursing Emma and there is literally nothing on TV) and decided it is still too soon to be watching shows like that. Seeing the mom in natural labor almost gave me an anxiety attack. Seriously, I am pretty sure y blood pressure was a little elevated. I think I need some more distance; not quite ready to see that yet.

Daylight Savings Time has thrown the girls off. Way, way off. 5:30,5:45 am wake up times. Uggh! This momma doesn't function before 6:30. Compounded with no naps and early bedtimes, and the cycle repeats. Everyone is so tired today that they are all taking naps and I am hoping the later bedtime this produces will help them sleep in a bit more.

Speaking of naps, two year old Piper is no longer taking naps. Yuck! I really enjoyed the two hour reprieve every day, but lately she just doesn't run out of steam and protests ("I no take naps!") when the time rolls around. When she was taking naps, she would then stay up two hours past putting her to bed, playing and singing to herself (Elliott and I could hear her). In the end she rarely gets cranky and just keeps going, like a little Energizer Bunny, antagonizing her older sisters (which is really funny to witness but still tiresome to have to referee). And bedtimes now are super easy. She still protests ("I no wanna go to bed!") but then she passes out after a few minutes and then sleeps until 8am or so, so I let it slide.

Emma has been doing very well, sleeping-wise. Her nap schedule is still solidifying, but I know what it is. Her bedtime at night is about 7:30pm, up once to nurse about 4am, then up for the day about 7am. Three nights in a row last week she slept through the night (yeah!) so I have been getting quite a bit of sleep. I would get even more sleep if I would go to bed earlier, but that's on me isn't it?

Here's a couple of kid-isms to make you smile today:

Ava, holding Emma: "Can I hand this over?". Me: This has a name.

After breakfast, Piper: "I all rea-dy!". Ready for what? "I all ready for da day!"

I Am Now a gMum

2011-11-08T14:12:00.000-08:00

My new big news - we are officially making the switch to cloth diapers. A third of you probably thought I already did that, another third are wondering what took me so long, and the last third wonder why would I ever want to. Ha ha! I am wondering all of that too.

When we moved to Las Vegas and were expecting our first child I considered it. However, at the time, it was pointed out to me that the "greener" option in an area with limited water was to limit my water usage, i.e. washing cloth diapers. It made sense to me and so we went with disposables.

So what changed my mind? First, we are no longer in Las Vegas so I figured it was time to reevaluate. Second, I needed to purchase diapers for Piper and knew it was now or never. I would spend approximately the same amount on a box as I would spend on an initial order of two diapers, so after talking about it with Elliott we decided to bite the bullet. We realize the initial investment will be a little more, but in the end it will be worth it since Emma is just starting her diaper usage.

When we started talking about cloth diapers I realized I was very ignorant on the topic. So I started talking to friends who used cloth diapers, getting their opinions. I even looked on You Tube to try and figure it all out with visual aids. In the end I decided to go with gDiapers. I liked that the insert was separate and if the baby was wet I would only need to change the insert, not the whole piece. I found the gDiapering series at Joyful Abode sooo helpful for figuring it all out; if you are at all interested you must read her series. I am using my friend Jen's suggestion of using microfiber towels (found in the automotive section of Sams Club) as inserts as well as using prefolds as suggested by Joyful Abode (cause I have those laying around), and I even found a tutorial on Sew Kate Sew on making my own gDiaper inserts should I feel like actually sewing some from other materials (like leftover bits of towels and fleece).

I was certain that this transition would help Piper potty train faster; she seems so ready right now. However today she is in her gDiapers for the first time and she seems to be stubbornly refusing to go near the potty (although she is excited about the jellybeans she will get as a reward should she decide to use the potty). Sitting in her own pee doesn't seem to phase her a bit. Yep, she's a stubborn one.

I put Emma in them for the first time yesterday and it was baptism by fire - she had a big poo that didn't all stay in the insert, but in praise of the gDiaper it did stay in the liner and nothing leaked out. I think that's saying alot. I just wasn't thrilled that that was the first diaper I had to change.

I had already stockpiled quite a few disposable diapers, so I have decided to use them at night and for trips when we are out and about. Eventually we will run out and use cloth diapers exclusively, but I think this is a good compromise to use up the stash.

The gDiapers come in three sizes - small, medium, and large - and Emma is already in medium while Piper is large. I have two diapers in each size, plus two extra liners that rotate between the two. I would like to get a few more in each size, but this is actually not a bad start. I bought some off Ebay and some at Babies R Us. I also have a 20% coupon for Babies R Us, so I will probably go pick up a couple more later on (unless I get a smokin' deal on Ebay, but this is a hot ticket item I am discovering).

I will keep you up to speed on how it is working out. As I said to Elliott last night- I have everything now, I have no excuse. Yes I am nervous. It's new territory. I am super slow at changing a diaper (that's a new feeling). But it is something I am committed to. So stay tuned.

{Pinterest} - Thanksgiving for the Kids

2011-11-05T03:00:00.000-07:00

I keep seeing some fun things popping up around..... Pinterest (shocking right?) for decorating the children's table at Thanksgiving. Although we will be having Thanksgiving at my in-laws and thus I am not in charge nor have I been authorized to decorate, there are a few little things I would love to wrap-up / create for the all the kids (mine included). Hopefully it will keep them entertained and make the day extra special for them.

Source: Fiskars

Source: Reading With Kids

Source: Paper Glitter

Source: Chasing Fireflies

Source: Frog Prince Paperie

{Giveaway} - (CLOSED) Christmas Cards by Shutterfly

2011-11-03T12:14:00.000-07:00

Is it really that time already? I have to think about Christmas cards? Oh yes you do! Less than 8 weeks until Christmas!! (Yep, that snuck up on me too, so don't feel bad.) I have a family photo shoot planned for next week and I can't wait to use them in some beautiful Christmas cards.

Do you know who makes gorgeous Christmas cards? Shutterfly! Have you ever used them? We got our Christmas cards through them last year, as well as baby announcements, calendars, mouse pads, and photobooks. They rock!

Our Shutterfly family Christmas card, 2010

Shutterfly photobook of Emma's newborn photos, 2011

So now begins my search for the perfect 2011 Christmas card. Again, my go to is Shutterfly. Check out some of the Christmas designs I love:

I think in the end it will depend quite a bit on what family photo I want to use, but that is the great thing about the Christmas card designs that Shutterfly offers - there is something for everyone! I am liking the ability to list our names and just have a great family photo front and center. If I go with something colorful, I will probably choose a black and white photo. See people - so many choices!

Multiple photos, single shots, you can even go black and white with no trouble. Maybe you want to add more photos and stories on the back of your card - you can! I think that is a pretty cool feature because I know alot happened to us this year and sometimes you just can't convey it all in one sentence. Some of you may need Hanukkah cards or some of you prefer generic holiday greetings rather than anything religious - Shutterfly has that too.

Also be thinking about thank you cards for after the holidays. (I know this is always something I am really bad about, hopefully you are better than me.) Wouldn't Grandma and Grandpa love a little note from the kids? Maybe add a handprint or a personal drawing on the back of the card? So cute!

And here's the best part, Shutterfly is giving THREE of my readers 25 FREE holiday cards!

Leave me a comment letting me know which card you would choose and you will be entered in the giveaway. Share the news with your friends too, let them have a chance to score some free cards courtesy of Shutterfly. This is a fantastic giveaway, I can't wait to hear how you would use your free gift!

Eligible contest entrants will receive a promotion code which is good for 25 free 5×7 flat or folded cards. All applicable taxes, shipping and handling will apply to orders in which this code is redeemed. This promotion code will expire December 31, 2011. Disclosure: I am receiving product compensation from Shutterfly by writing this post.

Halloween: The Girls

2011-11-03T07:02:00.000-07:00

The girls' Halloween celebration started a bit early this year. Ava and Lily's preschool class had a Halloween party / witch hunt at Gardner Village in West Jordan a few weeks ago. So we were able to have a dress rehearsal before the big day.

Ava went as Tinkerbell (a $3 garage sale find), Lily was a princess (though she wanted to be a monster and I didn't get it done in time), and Piper was an angel.

All of the girls have now worn the angel costume:

Ava, 2007

Lily, 2008

Piper, 2011

Emma wore her pink skeleton onesie, a gift from my friend Marlo.

The girls and I had a great time at Gardner Village.

The preschool group was rather large (the morning and afternoon classses together) but all the kids stayed together. That unto itself is an accomplishment!

Piper even found a little boyfriend for the day, a little brother of Lily's classmate.

After we went on the witch hunt and had a snack, the kids went trunk or treating in the parking lot. Boy were they excited for the candy!

Once Halloween rolled around, we were old pros. Emma sported her skeleton onesie again and hung out in the morning with her cousin Rose (while daddy got his beard shaved).

Halloween night we drove down to Provo so Elliott could reveal his costume, but also so the girls could trick or treat around Grandma and Grandpa's neighborhood. We know a suprising amount of people around there, it's very child friendly, and the cul-de-sac set-ups make it very easy to navigate with little kids who tire out easily.

Emma wore our puppy costume for trick or treating.

Hmmmm... this scene looks familiar....

Piper and mom, Halloween 2009

Did I actually wear the same shirt? Yes. Yes, I did. (Well, I did wear the same Care Bears shirt to both my first and second grade yearbook photo AND I have worn the same green t-shirt for several Christmas mornings, so I this doesn't suprise me.) But hey let's focus on the more important point - I can fit into the same shirt! Holla!

The girls had a good time trick or treating. Piper dragged Nana along with her, hollering "I need more candy!" as we went house to house. She also didn't like to stick to the "one piece of candy" rule and frequently filched at least two when a bowl of cnady was offered. Then she would shriek "Nana, I got candy" and the cycle would repeat. Ava and Lily gave up long before Piper was ready to quit, but majority rules in our house.

Even Emma had a great time. Look at that smile!

{Video} Elliott's Dad Sees The Costume

2011-11-02T13:47:00.000-07:00

{Video} - Halloween: Elliott's Costume

2011-11-02T13:40:00.000-07:00

The idea for Elliott's Halloween costume this year actually began germinating last year. The brothers and sisters joked about it, "wouldn't it be so funny if...", but we didn't actually pull it together in time. This year though was different. Elliott started working on the costume almost three months in advance. The brilliant idea:

Elliott went as his dad for Halloween.

Yes people, that's why he has been growing a beard. Now, maybe this isn't too funny to the people outside out little circle, but it is hilarious! Everyone always says how much they look alike; they even act alike and (in most cases) react alike. So we decided to put it to the test.

His dad, Vince, always wears the same outfit to his work installing cabinets: a blue Provo Firefighter t-shirt (from his days as a paramedic) and overalls. He has also had a mustache as long as anyone has known him - including his wife. Momma Kay has never seen Dad without a mustache, and they've been married 40 years! Add his glasses and (according to Momma Kay) a pencil in his overall pocket - TA-DA!

Elliott's sister Rachel helped him transform, by cutting off his beard and trimming his hair and mustache like Dad's. (Afterall, she is Dad's hairstylist so she knows what it looks like.)

Here is his mom's reaction when she answered the door:

I am having some trouble uploading the video of his dad's reaction, so until I get it working here's pictures of the end result:

Are you rolling on the floor laughing yet???

Pumpkins Mean It's Fall

2011-10-31T08:22:00.000-07:00

I love pumpkin season! You should see how many recipes I have bookmarked from other blogs that contain pumpkin. Since discovering how easy it is to make my own pumpkin puree' last year, I have upped the ante' with the number of pumpkins now collecting around my house awaiting their execution. Current count: 6 (with one already under the knife). Some are small, some are big; I'm not particular about only using pie pumpkins.

When I cut up my pumpkins, I have both roasted and steamed them as a means to cook up the pumpkin; I hear you can even cook them up in your Crock Pot. I don't think I have a preferred method, though I think steaming it in a large stockpot with only a bit of water was faster and heated up the kitchen less. Once they're cool, scoop out the flesh and blend it up. Last year I used my food processor which worked fine; this year I used my food grinder attachment on the Kitchen Aid. Once again, both methods worked fine so use what works for you. Then just bag it up in whatever amount works best for you; I normally bag it up using Ziploc snack bags in one cup amounts because that seems like a reasonable size to be able to use up after thawing. I really enjoy when recipes ask for a measured amount of pumpkin rather than a can size. This makes it so much easier for cooks like me.

After I cooked up a pumpkin last week, I saved the seeds and roasted them. You have got to try this! They were so good. Piper really loved them too.

One of my favorite recipes is for Pumpkin Bread. It came from a local cookbook given to me by Momma Kay. It is seriously so delicious that I don't even glance at other pumpkin bread recipes that cross my path; my heart belongs to this one. I like to bake it up in my 8-mini loaf pan, freeze them and just pop one loaf out at a time so it it is nice and fresh.

I have also been seeing numerous recipes around the blogosphere for Pumpkin Spice Latte. I bookmarked three different versions so one morning I decided to weed them out and test drive them all.

The first version of Pumpkin Spice Latte is the one I have been seeing most often referenced. My verdict: way, way too much pumpkin. I whisked my pumpkin milk up by hand and in the end the ingredients just congregated at the bottom. Yuck! Maybe using your blender is key. But I really just didn't like the texture of that much pumpkin.

The second version of Pumpkin Spice Latte was better, but not quite there. My verdict: why not just drink coffee? This recipe simply made me wonder why I was trying to doctor up my coffee drink as it was nothing exceptional.

This morning I tried one last one, a version called Clean Eating Pumpkin Spice Latte (courtesy of my stepmom). It doesn't use any actual pumpkin puree but still incorporates pumpkin pie spice. My verdict: I would have to say from the three this would be my favorite. However I use "favorite" loosely, because I think in the end I discovered something about myself - I like plain coffee. At least this version added only some spices and extra milk, so I could get on board. I also added an extra packet of Splenda beyond the suggested tablespoon of maple syrup.

So that's that. No more Pumpkin Spice Lattes for me. Straight coffee with cream and sugar is just fine. Unless I try and make this Pumpkin Syrup from Pennies on a Platter....

Kool-Aid Play Dough

2011-10-30T03:00:00.000-07:00

Elliott has been out of town this weekend to visit his friend Dave in Dallas. They went to the TCU/BYU football game at Cowboy Stadium, but he also managed to be in town during the Rangers' World Series attempt. So, major sporting weekend for those two.

On the home front, the girls and I have been getting all sorts of things done (as you can tell from my recent posts). We have also battled sickness, steam cleaned the carpets and couch, and avoided leaving the house too often. It seems like the days and nights have been extra long with Elliott's absence but I am sure it has do to one main fact: the days all seem the same. I get up, take care of kids all day, put them to bed, go to sleep, then wake up and do it all over again. So today I attempted to break up the routine and tried my hand at Kool-Aid Play Dough.

I had this recipe in my "to-do" pile for awhile along with several other variations of Play Dough, but since I discovered some random packets of Kool-Aid running around in the pantry (and no intention of actually feeding sugar water to the kids) this one got bumped to the top of the heap.

Our verdict: Easy, colorful, and fun!

I think the whole things takes 5 minutes to make, so I have no excuses anymore. And the girls know it. It smells yummy when you mix it together, but the smell wears off after a little bit and after I told the girls not to eat it because it didn't taste good, I had no trouble with anyone eating it (even Piper). I even had an excuse to bust out the container of cookie cutters I got at a garage sale. We had lots of fun!

Kool-Aid Play DoughFrom Infarrantly Creative

1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup salt
2 packages unsweetened Kool-Aid mix (I just used one packet)
1 cup boiling water
1 1/2 tablespoons oil

1. Mix flour, salt and Kool-Aid well in a large bowl.
2. Add boiling water and oil and then mix with a wooden spoon until it sticks together.
3. When cooled and you can handle the dough mix the rest by hand blending all the color in so it is a nice even color.

Note: This recipe does not stain your hands like Kool-Aid normally stains your lips. And is usually lasts up to 3 months when stored in an airtight container.

Changing Up My Wall Art

2011-10-29T14:27:00.000-07:00

When we moved into our house last year, I put up this gallery wall on a large blank space in the living room.

It did take alot of work and, though I have enjoyed seeing many memories up there, I haven't been sold on it. So I took it all down.

My mom asked me in all sincerity one day if I ever chose a task based on how easy it would be. And in all honesty I told her no. I think this proves that theory, right? Ha ha!

My inspiration for the redo were these two projects I found and pinned to my boards on Pinterest:

Random Thoughts of a Supermom

A Little of This, A Little of That

I liked the idea of painting "Masterpieces" on the wall and I already had eye screws and picture wire in house. Then I went to IKEA. And my project morphed further. I found their version of the picture wire version that had little sliding hooks. I opted to buy only the hooks and not the wire, then as I was looking for a cheap alternative for a towel bar for my bathroom I discovered some long bars used to hold hooks in the kitchen section for only $2. So I ended up combining the products. Total cost for the project was less than $10.

When I got home I measured out the wall and screwed the bars in based on where best to display the girls' artwork and high enough to be discouraging of little fingers. Then I found a font I liked and typed out the word "Masterpieces". I didn't worry about the size of the word, because I knew I wanted it bigger than Word could make it anyway, so I used BlockPosters.com (the same site I used to help create my "Be Happy" artwork) to create a word image the size I needed.

I borrowed some old-fashioned carbon paper from Momma Kay and traced over the letters on the wall.

Then I handpainted it in dark gray (that I got for free from the recycling shed at my local landfill).

What do you think? The girls have already been busy filling it up. They love the concept and I love that the space is at once more open and more personal of who our family is.

Now for the other side of the room.
I shared in my Tips 'n Tricks post awhile back I was working on something using a collage from ideas I found on Pinterest. The collage looked like this:

Well, it ended up like this:

I still used ideas from Pinterest and the concept of using canvases as my art platforms, but what I put on those canvases changed a bit.

I have been seeing several versions of the map-heart concept (like these) around the blogosphere. So I made my own using places important to me:

The four places represented are Boston (where Elliott and I met and lived for awhile), the resort area where we married and honeymooned on the Big Island of Hawaii, and the areas that we have lived with our kids - Las Vegas and Utah. One of the maps I cut out of an atlas I had, one map was a photocopy from an atlas at the library, and the other two I printed off from the internet.

The other artwork is a photocopy of my hand over Emma's little newborn hand. I saw the inspiration here. I. LOVE. IT.

You should have seen me trying to get this picture though, you would laugh! I really do wish someone had taken a picture. I took Emma to Office Depot and hauled her up on the copy machine, trying to simultaneously flatten her hand underneath mine, cover her eyes, and press the Start button on the copy machine. But it worked! I took it home and scanned it into the computer, turned it into a JPG and sent it off to Wal-Mart for printing. I had a coupon for a free 16x20 poster print so that's how it became as large as it did. I glued it onto a blank canvas and then Modge Podge'd over it. I still am going to paint black around the edges of the canvas, so that it looks custom wrapped, but I need to pick up some black craft paint.

The last element is my beloved vintage gas station number "6", a gift from my friend Lisa. Why that number? Cause there are 6 of us! I had always thought about framing it, but this frame dropped into my lap. I was walking into church for Bible Study one day and noticed it peeking from the top of a trash can. Upon examination I realized a picture (glass and all) had broken and someone had just chucked the whole thing in the trash. Yep, you guessed it - I snagged that little baby right out of the trash, stashed it in the stroller and went on my way. And it works perfectly!

I really love how it turned out, mostly because of how personal everything is to me. Each element means something and makes me happy to think about. What do you think?

Life in Pictures

2011-10-29T03:00:00.000-07:00

Ava had her "VIP Day" at preschool this month. (It's when they celebrate her birthday.) We were in charge of bringing the treat that day. I made "ghost sticks" (pretzels dipped in white chocolate) and "pumpkin juice" (orange-flavored Crystal Light). I wanted to make mummy juice boxes, but ran out of time. Any guesses what I will be doing next year?

I had read a tip on Pinterest about a quick way to shred a bunch of chicken. First cook it up in your Crock Pot...

Then throw it in your Kitchen Aid. Turn it on for about 20 seconds and .. voila! Shredded chicken!

(See Ava "taking a picture" of me taking a picture? Ha ha ha!)

I used cold chicken and the tip says to use warm or hot. I will say it IS better to avoid cold chicken. It worked for me, but the consistency got a little mushier than I would've preferred.

Piper loves her plums!

Emma and Daddy having a conversation after Elliott got home from work.

Last week we headed down to Provo for a day so that I could pick some more plums (for baby food) and apples (for applesauce) from Jackie's house. We also didn't have preschool that day because it was Fall Recess. Turns out the Valgardson cousins were going to be at Grandma's house that day while Sarianna went to Salt Lake to have Rachel do her hair, so the girls got some fun playtime with their cousins (and Grandma of course).

Emma took such a long nap on Grandma's bed; I just had to take a picture of this sweetness.

Last Saturday I let the girls pick out their own pumpkins at the farmers' market. (It was simply easier than taking them to the pumpkin patch.) And since I want to use them for pumpkin puree later on and I am not a fan of using a large knife with the kids' hanging over my shoulder, I let the girls paint them instead. I learned a few years ago that this will make them go bad faster (maybe because the pumpkin skin can't breath anymore) so I wanted to do it when we didn't have to let them sit around for a month afterwards.

I redid the pictures in the front entry. Since I now have four children and four beautiful frames...

TA-DA! Four gorgeous little girls.

Elliott dug up our first carrot last week. We are waiting until after the first frost (which has now happened) to eat the rest as we are told they are sweeter, but Elliott just couldn't wait.

It was massive!

The countertop picture doesn't do it justice.

The girls are enjoying eating the carrot sticks I made out of it. I also plan on making some baby food for Emma with them too.

We also harvested the last of our green tomatoes before we lost them in the frost. I suggested Elliott put them on the floor in the storage room (where they will slowly ripen). The barrier was his contribution; I guess he thought they might run away.

Can you spot Lily? I can't hardly either. I had to take a picture of the way I discovered her sleeping the other night - head under the blanket, feet on her pillow.

Emma having a chat with Nana

And speaking of Emma...

What a cutie-patootie! Can you believe she is two months old already? Me neither.

Ava Turns Five

2011-10-28T09:03:00.000-07:00

So this..

has become this ...

Last week Ava turned 5!

We started out the morning with our "Happy Birthday" banner. Ava then opened her present from Grandma and Grandpa Johnson - a fun toy called Fazoodles that the girls played with that morning. (It's kinda like large fuzzy pipe cleaners combined with Mr. Potato Head pieces that you can bend around to make into little people or animals).

Although I didn't have a special birthday breakfast planned, we all decided to go to IKEA for the morning. The girls love going to IKEA! They have a great play area where you can drop your potty-trained children (so I get to take two out of the four, which is still awesome) for up to an hour free of charge while you shop. Win-win! Ava and Lily told me all about the ball pit they played in and the movie they watched. They had a blast!

Afterwards we always head upstairs to grab a bit to eat in the cafeteria. They have a $.99 breakfast plate, so the girls had breakfast-for-lunch and I got their $.69 cinnamon roll & coffee combo. Under $4 for lunch? You can't beat that! Then they got to watch Finding Nemo while they ate their lunch. Even better.

On the way home we popped into Blockbuster and I let Ava pick out a movie for our "Friday Afternoon Movie" tradition. She picked out a Halloween Care Bears (much to my chagrin) that the girls watched while munching on some Kettle Corn. Then Lily and Piper took their naps. (Although Lily doesn't normally take naps anymore, when there is alot of action she needs to refuel, and I knew it was going to be a longer day.)

After naps I had told the girls we could go to the playground, but they decided that they were perfectly happy playing with the cat that lives across the street, Cali (can you guess why?) They adore that cat, and oddly enough the cat seems to relish the attention. I swear if I wasn't allergic to cats I would take the owners up on their offer to give her to us. She is such a sweetheart. I mean, how many other animals do you know that would put up with Piper's "love"?

The girls got a little sidetracked playing in the neighbor's leaves. And I got a little sidetracked taking pictures of them. Afterwards I realized we were probably "those people" - we were just playing all over their yard, not paying any attention to the fact that it wasn't our house. Oh well! I am sure they didn't mind.

For her birthday dinner Ava requested IHOP - "breakfast for dinner is my favorite!" and since they are running their All-You-Can-Eat-Pancakes promotion combined with Kids Eat Free, Elliott and I were more than happy to oblige. After dinner we picked up my mom from the airport (she had been out of town) and headed home to open presents. She got a couple of dress outfits (because she prefers dresses and a set of Tinker Bell pajamas.

We celebrated again Sunday night with Grandma and Grandpa Kay (since they hadn't been able to celebrate with us before). We decided to eat birthday cake on Sunday; Ava had requested strawberry cake (which she picked out herself at the grocery store) and found the number "5" birthday candle in the baking section which she asked to get too.

After cake and ice cream she opened her presents from Grandma and Grandpa, as well as Great Grandma Jerry, who gave her $.50 pieces in her card.

Grandma and Grandpa Kay got her this beautiful outfit (she loves it!) and a set of training wheels for her bike (which we put to use the very next day).

Look at my big five year old! We love you Ava!

Printing on Tissue Paper

2011-10-28T03:00:00.000-07:00

I was THRILLED to learn how to print on tissue paper recently. How, you say? BEATS ME!

I came across the technique SOMEWHERE. Where, I can't remember! I have looked and looked (my bookmarked favorites, Google Reader, Pinterest) and I even Googled the topic and still couldn't find it.

So I will tell you how:

Cut a piece each of tissue paper and freezer paper 8.5" x 11". (You should already have a roll of freezer paper running around for freezer paper stenciling. You don't? Run and buy some!)

Using dry heat, gently iron the tissue paper to shiny side of the freezer paper (to give it heft). Freezer paper will temporarily adhere to the tissue paper due to the heat, but will peel off without leaving any residue. Neat huh?

Now print on the tissue paper via your printer as you would a normal piece of paper. When the ink has set gently peel off the tissue paper. This will leave you with your printed tissue paper!

(Note: I tried to do this technique with a black a white photo project and I think it was just too much black ink on the tissue paper. It wouldn't separate from the freezer paper without ripping, so keep that in mind.)

I decided to use this technique to make my own version of the cutest personalized canvas for a new baby I saw at a kitchen table for two. My friend Holly recently had her first little one and I wanted to make something special for her. The obvious was something to sew (since that's more my niche) but since I have a new baby too it just wasn't happening. However this project struck a chord.

I created word art in Photoshop using baby's personal stats and then matched the colors to Holly's nursery decor. I made the graphic an 8"x10" size so I could print off only one sheet of tissue rather than piecing multiple sheets together.

Once I printed and separated the tissue paper I used Modge Podge to attach it to an 8"x10" canvas from the craft store. The brilliant part about using tissue paper on the canvas is that the project looks like a professionally-made canvas (which would cost alot more money) since the tissue paper allows the canvas to show through the white areas.

The result:

TA-DA!

Do you love it as much as me?

Not possible.

But most importantly, how does Juliet like it?

I think that is one satisfied customer. Welcome to the world Juliet!

Autumn Goodness

2011-10-27T18:55:00.000-07:00

I have been decorating for autumn since ... um.. the first of September I think. I don't like decorating for Halloween because I am not into the scariness of it (as well as numerous religious reasons, childhood upbringing, etc.). Plus I like that the decorations can span several months, as opposed to some holiday decorations which stay up only a few weeks.

The front of our house sports a fall leaf wreath, which I got a couple of years ago on clearance somewhere. I picked up the three-pack of mums at Sams Club this year for about $15 and they have lasted quite awhile. Love them! They make me happy whenever I drive up to the house. The small pumpkins on the porch are from Ava and Lily's preschool and the large pumpkins I picked up at a grocery store. I plan on cutting them up after Halloween for pumpkin puree.

I already showed you how I decorated the entertainment center, but I tweaked it just a bit by adding three extra little pumpkins next to the candlesticks.

I made this "Give Thanks" banner to place above the window in the dining area.

I got the banner letters over at the blog At Second Street. I had been saving the idea since last year, if you can believe it. I downloaded all of them, then separated each sheet into individual letters via Photoshop, cropped them to 4x6 prints and printed them as photos free (with a coupon) at Target. Then I cut them apart and glued them onto scrapbook paper I had on hand. I added a few red construction paper maple leaves and strung it all on jute twine.

The only other place I have to decorate is the top of the piano.

I put some real branches in a large green glass vase (from a garage sale). I love them, but they are almost dead now, which makes me sad. The printable art from last year got busted out from storage again, along with a jar of fake acorns ("fakorns", ha ha ha). The jar and acorns are from garage sales and then I put them atop a candlestick, temporarily attached via Glue Dots. The cake pedastal is full of baby butternut squash from our garden that didn't grow big enough to eat. And the cake pedastal is (gasp) homemade:

I Gorilla Glue'd a nine inch cake pan atop a glass candlestick (probably cost me a total of $.50 at a garage sale) then spray painted it. I think next time I would probably attach the cake pan upside down and spray paint it a fun color. But I love how it turned out!

Piper-isms (And Another Video)

2011-10-26T13:22:00.000-07:00

What did you learn about at Bible Study today Piper? A duck, not Jesus.

Uh oh, my hurt is bleeding.

No way Jose'!

Night night! See you tomorrow!

Jussa minute. I right back!

She has also been calling me "Mom" instead of Mommy. (Daddy is still daddy.)

Piper & Mommy exchange at bedtime:
   You took your shirt off two times, you will wear a zip-zip (sleeper onesie).
   No, I no wear zip-zip.
   No Piper you WILL wear a zip-zip.
   No, you no tell me no!
   I WILL tell you no. You took your shirt off again, you will wear a zip-zip.
   No way Jose'!

And behold, her (current) favorite phrase:

{Video} Piper Singing and Being Sassy

2011-10-25T20:12:00.000-07:00

In case you don't speak two year old, she's singing "I'm in the Lord's Army". And did you catch what she says to me at the end? She cracks me up!

Girls Update - Ava & Piper

2011-10-21T16:02:00.000-07:00

Ava is my number one helper these days. She is very helpful and responsible - opening doors for the stroller, cleaning up her toys, holding her sisters' hands in parking lots. She is also really creative. She loves making "books" with scrap paper. Sometimes she is copying books we own (B-I-N-G-O) or making them up. All of her drawings have enormous backstories and most of the time you can tell exactly what she drew.

5 years old today!

All three girls are actually very much into coloring these days. They use a prolific amount of paper. We get scrap paper via Elliott's work, but if we didn't have this unlimited supply I would have to insist they use coloring books (a second-rate gimick in their minds; they are not big fans of coloring books).

A few weeks ago Ava and Lily played Guess Who with Elliott and I. Ava is really good! (Lily needs a little more help, but she loves it.) I laughed so hard while we were playing, I hope to do it again soon.

As you know, Piper got her cast off last week. She is still her zany self and enjoys cracking us all up. These days she can swing from happy to whiny in .05 seconds, but we are working through it. She is such a talker, it is incredible. I have to stifle laughing at her most of the time, because she is being thoroughly serious in the most high-pitched baby voice. It is very funny.

Here are a few snippets of conversation from Piper:

Said to me: Whatcha watchin? 'Ad Men? (Mad Men) Oh, OK.

This is a conversation repeated over and over again about anything. Hence:

Who you talkin' to? Oh Daddy? OK.
or it's equivalent Who you talkin' to? Oh Daddy? I LUUUUUV Daddy!
You can pretty much replace the word "daddy" with anything. Ooohh puppies? I LUUUUUV puppies! Ooohh grass? I LUUUUUV grass!

Tips 'n Tricks I've Learned

2011-10-20T08:35:00.000-07:00

Cleaning the Oven Door

Using a paste made of baking soda and water (seriously, that's all!) cleaned my oven door. Then I tried it on the inside too. Took off all of the gunk INSIDE my oven as well. Loving this tip, as I was set to use Easy Off and that would've taken two hours and smelled up the house. This is so much nicer!

Sprinkling Baking Soda on Mattress

I read this tip via Pinterest but they didn't have a source (one of the pitfalls of this otherwise wonderful site). Here's what you do: Pour about 1 cup of baking soda into a mason jar and drop in 4 drops of lavender essential oil. Put on the lid and shake up the jar. Using a kitchen strainer, sprinkle the baking soda mixture all over the mattress and let it sit. I left of on for an hour and a half. Using the hose end of your vacuum and an upholstery attachment, thoroughly vacuum the mattress. The baking soda helps draw up any moisture and deep dirtiness. It deodorizes and leaves the mattress smelling fresh and clean.

When I did it, I did not use the essential oil. I had it, I just decided I didn't want a smell. I can't tell you if there is truly any difference, but it was super easy as I already had the bed stripped for laundry day. And if it is actually cleaning something, I am all for it!

Creating Collage in Picasa

I have used Picasa before but had forgotten about this feature until reading this article. Yeah! Loving it! I used it to put together what my brain was envisioning for a spot on the living room wall:

(You'll see how that turns out soon!)

I also used it when my extended family and I were thinking about how to coordinate for family photos. Here's another little tip: Did you know that if you Google "what to wear family photography" you get a ton of mood boards with outfits already put together for you? Me neither! Anyway, that's what I did, then put four mood boards into Picasa to create (again) what my brain was picturing:

I plan on using this same technique to put together a mood board of design / craft projects I want to finish in the girls' rooms.

Essential Oil on Cotton Ball in Vacuum Cleaner

I don't know where I picked this trick up at, probably a magazine. I have a bagless vacuum cleaner so this works for me; I am not sure it works for the bag kind, though it probably does. I put a few drops of essential oil on a cotton ball (I used lavender because that's what I had, but I am really craving a citrus smell for this trick) and drop it in your vacuum cleaner canister. When you vacuum it will make your house smell faintly of that smell. Nice and fresh. Of course, when you dump out the gunk you will have to replace the cotton ball, but this will give you a chance to try some different smells.

Getting Eggshell Out of Your Batter
Again, I don't know where this tip came from (maybe my mother-in-law), but I wish I would've known about it sooner in life. Did you know that the little bits of eggshell - the kind that fall into your batter and you try desperately to fish out - are attracted to eggshells? Seriously! Just dip your larger eggshell back into the batter and, as if by magic, that missing bit of eggshell will float right over to it. Genius!

Cleaning Stovetop Grates

My stove top grates did NOT look like this before, but after placing them in a closed bag (I put all of mine in a trash bag and sealed it up) and spraying them down with Easy Off, the gunk fell right off. And what didn't came off with only the littlest of elbow grease. Nannygoat (where I learned about this ages ago) says to use simple ammonia (which is also what I am seeing alot of around Pinterest) but I used Easy Off because I had it on hand. If you try it with ammonia, let me know.

Scant 1/4" Quilting

Diary of a Quilter is one of my favorite blogs. In fact, Emma's baby quilt came from a pattern Amy designed. I wish I heard of this trick ages ago. By moving my sewing needle one position from center, your seam will be a "scant" 1/4 inch. It's much better than not having enough seam allowance at the end. Brilliant! I can't wait to try this trick.

I hope you find some of these tips 'n tricks handy!

Girls' Update - Emma & Lily

2011-10-19T20:13:00.000-07:00

Emma is now 7 weeks old. She gets more social every day. I already told you what a smiley baby she is, but it is full-steam ahead these days. She loves to smile! And coo. And gurgle. And tell anyone who will sit down and talk with her how happy she is. She adores interacting with people. I am constantly amazed at fast she picked up on this. She will be screaming her head off as I am trying to finish getting ready in the morning and as soon as I go over, lean down and talk to her the crying vanishes and I get a ginormous grin. Let me tell you, I am a sucker for that smile.

She has been going to bed about 8pm each night, getting up about 7am. She will sleep for about 5 hours the first stretch (she did 6 hours the other night) then up after shorter periods of time until morning. The other night she went to bed at 10pm, so her feeding was at 3am then she was up again about 6:30. I have to say, that was pretty awesome - up once and then ready for the day at 6:30. She is a better sleeper than Piper these days, who is horrible at waking up for no reason and then having trouble settling down. Grrrr!

Emma's naptimes have been developing too. She will stay up for about an hour in the morning, nap for about an hour, up again then back down for a little catnap or her long afternoon nap depending on when she woke up for the day. Her afternoon nap has been developing into the longest (for up to 3 hours) and then she will take another hour or so nap in the evening to get her through until 8pm. She is taking bottles of pumped milk well, so all in all I am getting to a point where I can confidently predict her schedule and would feel comfortable leaving her for a bit with daddy or a grandma if I had to.

The girls still love to hold her (especially Lily) and talk to her, which she is really starting to enjoy to. Usually during her "awake time" I will lay her on the floor so they can all interact. I try not to hold her too much (so she gets used to it) but enough that I don't look back on these moments and wonder why I didn't treasure the snuggles more.

See, I told you she was smiley!

Lily continues to excel at preschool and gets better each day at writing her letters. She loves homework but is still sure she knows better than I do. This is probably the theme of my life right now with her, as she continues to march to her own beat, devil may care what Mommy says. I can't quite tell if she truly just lives in "la-la" land or is willfully disobedient. I would guess it is about 75/25. She sings and plays constantly; my mom reported to me that while I was out running errands one day with Piper and Emma during Ava's preschool (total of 2 1/2 hours) Lily either sang or talked the entire time. The entire time. That sums Lily up in a nutshell.

Here are a few funny Lily-isms:

When we were at the State Fair she saw a goat, um, relieving himself shall we say. "Look, that goat is laying eggs!"

One morning I was listing off items they could eat for breakfast but after I had said something I got sidetracked mid-thought an muttered "oads...." (why? I don't know). "I want oads!! I want oads!!" Lily yelled excitedly. I wonder what she thought "oads" were.

"Nectarines come from bees because bees get nectar and make nectarines!!"

Lily is also back to taking naps three days a week. Preschool and Bible Study days are a bit much for her with all of the activities, so I have been putting her to bed with Piper on those days (oh, bliss when I can get Emma down at the same time). One day we came home from Bible Study and I directed the girls to sit down for lunch while I made a beeline for the bathroom. When I came out Lily was missing. I asked my mom where Lily was and she thought she had seen her head down the hallway. I checked Lily's room and there she was in bed, under the covers. She told me she wanted to rest (she doesn't like the term "nap" all of the time; I guess it seems too final). I asked her if she wanted lunch first and she told me no. So I said OK, turned off the light and left the room. Three hours later she reappeared. I guess she was tired.

Fall in Utah

2011-10-18T03:00:00.000-07:00

Isn't Utah pretty in the fall? Not as much red as back east, but lots of yello from the aspen trees.

Mom and Dad Kay had a timeshare in Park City for a week the first of October. We headed up on Sunday to spend the day in nature (my sentiments) and enjoy dinner with family. After stopping in to say "hi" at their condo, we headed up the street to Deer Valley for a little hiking. It was gorgeous weather - clear, cool and colorful. We took so many lovely pictures (the trees were a perfect backdrop); here are a few:

Emma Talking With Mommy

2011-10-14T21:43:00.001-07:00

Preserving Plums

2011-10-14T16:15:00.000-07:00

Momma Kay's neighbor (and my friend) Jackie has a "pluot" tree in her front yard. And they don't eat plums! Their loss, my gain. (By the way, they also have two apple trees and have given me apples too the last couple of years. Their tree makes the most delicious applesauce.)

Last week when we were in Provo Elliott got up on a ladder and picked a bushel of plums for us to take home. I helped by talking on the front porch with Jackie the whole time and offering (halfheartedly) to hold the ladder. But now that I have them, I guess I need to do something with them, right?

I had planned all along to try a recipe from An Orgeon Cottage for Spicy Plum Sauce. But as I faced down the box of plums I decided to start digging for some other plum inspiration on Pinterest (see, I actually use Pinterest and don't just spend hours on it in vain). So today I processed the plums into:

* 6 pints and 9 half pints of Spicy Plum Sauce (though I didn't make it spicy)
* 5 half pints of Chinese Plum Sauce (different spices than the other Plum Sauce and this time I did make it spicy)
* 5 pints of Plums in Honey (5 with vanilla beans and 1 with a rosemary sprig)
* 4 quarts of simple canned plums in syrup

I hope to use the non-spicy Plum Sauce as a ketchup replacement for the girls, as a marinade, and as a stir-fry sauce. But I can't wait to try all of this - and to share some with Jackie!

Elliott's 40th Birthday

2011-10-14T03:00:00.000-07:00

A milestone birthday this year for Elliott. Wednesday he turned 40!
We celebrated with all of the Kay family on Sunday with a BBQ at his parents house, complete with his requested mashed potatoes and a yummy chocolate cake (among all the other goodies).

Last week I told him I gave his mom some ideas for his birthday. He paused and then said "I don't know what you told her, I can't think of anything I want." But I had remembered a few things he had mentioned (wink, wink).

Mom & Dad Kay gave him a BYU flag (along with a pole) to fly in our front yard on game days - a long held wish to rival our next door neighbor's U of U flag. He also got a couple of gift cards to spend on himself, one for CDs at Target and one for Outback Steakhouse from the Valgardsons.

His big birthday present this year was our trip to New Orleans the end of May, so I didn't get him anything on the actual day. The girls colored him lots of pictures (lots!) and I made him this fun goodie to take to work with him:

Isn't that fun? I saw the idea over on Blue Cricket Design and knew I had to make it.
For dinner he requested a trip to Red Robin, a family favorite. They sent him a e-coupon for a free burger of his choice (his favorite is the Royal Red Robin; it has an egg on it) and the girls love the bottomless fries. To sweeten the deal even further (no pun intended) they brought him a slice of their chocolate ice cream cake. Yummy! The girls and shared it with him. (In fact I think we ate most of it.)

We went home and got the girls in bed, then I busted out his last treat - homemade cheesecake, his favorite dessert and always requested in lieu of a birthday cake. I don't know where we found the room to eat more, but somehow we did. It will be nice to have it to enjoy the rest of the week, helping make the celebration last even longer.

Piper's Cast Comes Off

2011-10-13T10:34:00.000-07:00

Tuesday Piper got her cast off. It had been 6 weeks, which was erring on the safe side since the doctor didn't think it would really take that long. After the first couple of days with her cast she treated it as if nothing was out of the ordinary. As you can see, she loved to jump in it:

Aren't their musical stylings darling?
She had adapted remarkably well but was excited to get her "sock" off. (In order to wear shoes, one shoe is her size and the other one is Ava's.)

She was a little scared of the cast saw at first, but "helped" the doctor by holding the plastic ruler down her cast (I think to shield the leg a little more from the saw).

Ta-da! The cast was amazingly clean with only a few pieces of grass lodged down in there. Some of her skin was pretty dried out and she had developed a good-sized callous right above her big toe, probably from her newly acquired habit of walking on her toes like a ballerina. (I hope this habit will go away soon as she does it on both feet.)

After getting her cast off all she wanted to do was show daddy and have a lemonade. So we went to Elliott's work, where he met us in the cafeteria for a little lemonade-and-french fry treat. She walked a little tenuously (as expected) but is steadily putting more weight on it each day. She still walks on her toes but I think this is from habit rather than pain. She is back to jumping on the bed, wrestling with Ava, and running laps with Lily - all within 24 hours. She is going to give me a heart attack. So I would say things are back to normal, whatever that is.

1st Corinithians 13 For Moms

2011-10-11T09:07:00.000-07:00

I can read bedtime stories till the cow jumps over the moon and sing “Ten Little Monkeys” until I want to call the doctor–but if I don’t have love, I’m as annoying as a ringing phone.

I can chase a naked toddler through the house while cooking dinner and listening to voice mail, I can fix the best cookies and Kool-Aid in the neighborhood, and I can tell a sick child’s temperature with one touch of my finger, but if I don’t have love, I am nothing.

Love is patient while watching and praying by the front window when it’s 30 minutes past curfew.

Love is kind when my teen says, “I hate you!”

It does not envy the neighbors’ swimming pool or their brand-new mini van, but trusts the Lord to provide every need.

Love does not brag when other parents share their disappointments and insecurities, and love rejoices when other families succeed.

It doesn’t boast, even when I’ve multi-tasked all day long and my husband can’t do more than one thing at a time.

Love is not rude when my spouse innocently asks, “What have you done today?”

It does not immediately seek after glory when we see talent in our children, but encourages them to get training and make wise choices.

It is not easily angered, even when my 15-year-old acts like the world revolves around her.

It does not delight in evil (is not self-righteous) when I remind my 17-year-old that he’s going 83 in a 55-mph zone, but rejoices in the truth.

Love does not give up hope.

It always protects our children’s self-esteem and spirit, even while doling out discipline.

It always trusts God to protect our children when we cannot. It always perseveres, through blue nail polish, burps and other bodily functions, rolled eyes and crossed arms, messy rooms and sleep overs.

Love never fails.

But where there are memories of thousands of diaper changes and painful labor(s), they will fade away.

Where there is talking back, it will (eventually) cease. (Please, Lord?)

Where there is a teenager who thinks she knows everything, there will one day be an adult who knows you did your best.

For we know we fail our children, and we pray they don’t end up in therapy, but when we get to heaven, our imperfect parenting will disappear. (Thank you, God!)

When we were children, we needed a parent to love and protect us. Now that we’re parents ourselves, we have a heavenly Father who adores, shelters us and holds us when we need to cry.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love But the greatest of these is love.

~Author unknown (via Jill Savage)

Encouragement for Moms

2011-10-09T09:05:00.000-07:00

No ordinary work done by a man is

either as hard or as responsible

as the work of a woman

who is bringing up a family of small children;

for upon her time and strength demands

are made not only every hour of the day

but often every hour of the night.

Theodore Roosevelt

Thank you Clover Lane!

Life in Photos

2011-09-27T13:59:00.000-07:00

Ava has been spelling out everyone's names, including our past dogs. On separate sheets of paper. Needless to say, she's been using alot of paper. But all of the girls have. Elliott brings home stacks and stacks of used paper - and the girls go through all of it. Even Piper has been coloring. Her latest handiwork - coloring her cast purple.

This photo is a little bit older as Emma is a bit bigger now, but this scene is a familiar one. They all love their baby sister and fight over who gets to lay down next to her.

Doesn't Emma look so comfy on daddy's chest? She doesn't like to lay like that on mine, as she can smell the milk and goes hunting for it.

Just a pretty baby. That's it. Next photo...

We picked up an extra bike helmet and kneepads at a garage sale one day. Since Ava already had hers, we promised these to Lily. She put them on in the van and refused to take them off until we took her out for a spin on her bike with training wheels (which we purchased the beginning of the summer and had yet to try out).

The girls wanted to go outside and play one day just as it started to rain. So instead they sat at the doorway and watched for awhile.

More pictures of a cute baby. Next ...

Have I ever shown you a picture of our entertainment center? When we moved into our place last year there media niche in the living room and I hunted around (and saved up) just the right sized piece. This monster came from IKEA (I think they are being discontinued) and it fit like a dream. Anyway, I have been tinkering with it, decorating it for fall - a hurricane with acorns, another large vase with beaded pumpkins, and twig pumpkins on top. The letter "K" decoration was a gift from my friend Lisa. The brown canvas bins underneath came from Target and hold the girls' books and toys, burp cloths, blankets and DVDs. And one of these days we WILL be upsizing our TV.

This is a small collection of our tomato harvest. At the height of the season I picked 52 in one week.
Right now is the second wave and we are enjoying them alot.

This is one of my favorite ways to eat our tomatoes - on ciabatta bread with pesto, basil and mozzarella, broiled. I also LOVE caprese salad.

Lily adores holding her baby sister. And usually Emma likes it too.

I also forgot to tell you I chopped my hair off again. Here's the new 'do. I LOVE it! Literally takes two minutes to do it and once it's done I feel so put together.

Last but not least, I leave you with a smile. OK, it's a pretty bad picture but I was trying desperately to capture to magic we see every day. I know people say babies don't smile this young, but Emma came out with one on her face. We have seen it every day of her little life and it gets more and more pronounced. She loves being talked to and is especially happy first thing in the morning after her breakfast. We can't wait to see more!

First Day of Preschool

2011-09-22T13:19:00.000-07:00

Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to school we go. And this year - two are in school! We enrolled both Ava and Lily in the same preschool that Ava attended last year. It's an in-home preschool on Tuesdays and Thursdays, taught by a long-time teacher who focuses on academics while keeping a fun environment. Best yet: it's just right up the street from us. Ava loved it and Lily was so excited to be able to go this year. In fact, all summer long we kept telling her (when she would ask) that she could go "after the baby came" so when Emma was born one of the first things Lily said was "can I go to school now?".

Lily is attending the 3 year old class from 9-11am and Ava goes to the 4 year old class from 1-3 pm. Ava attended the 4 year old class last year too, but because her birthday (October 21) is past the September 1 cut-off for Utah public school enrollment, she is not eligible to attend kindergarten this year. The schedule has actually been really nice. The night before the girls pick out their outfits for the next day. In the morning either Elliott or I drop Lily off, then after I pick her up we have a good chunk of time to eat lunch and get everybody rounded up to walk Ava to school. Afterwards I come home and put Piper and Lily down for naps (Lily is just too tired after school to make it through the afternoon without one) and then hopefully have some quiet time (if Emma lets me). Once Ava gets picked up we have snack time and then the girls play until dinner. It's been a nice schedule and the girls are settling in well.

Our first day of preschool this year was the Tuesday after Labor Day. I wanted to make the day a little special so I made pancakes with strawberries for breakfast (the girls' favorite) before walking Lily to school.

Lily was SO excited - and Ava was such a ham for the camera.

I even made a little treat for the girls to give their classmates on their first day of school. I thought it turned out really cute (especially for just using what I had on hand)!

We finished the day off by going for shaved ice. But since I couldn't find any shacks that were open, we ended up at Sonic (happy hour, yeah!) for slushies. I don't think the girls minded the change one bit.

Emma's Newborn Photos

2011-09-21T12:41:00.000-07:00

One of Those Days

2011-09-18T20:35:00.000-07:00

Piper has been on a tear today. Who needs to have boys when I have Piper?

She woke up this morning covered in pee, having filled her diaper long ago, so we started the day with a bath. Finally got everybody dressed and out the door for church, where she behaved herself (I think). After lunch at home I caught her coloring on her church dress with a crayon. So I decided it was naptime and whisked her off to bed. I thought I took the crayon away. I thought I did...

...until I went to get her up from her nap. Where she was sitting happily coloring. On everything...

her sheet and pillow, ...

her dresser, ....

her crib, ....

her soother.

My saving grace is that the crayon was washable. And I have a Magic Eraser in the cleaning supplies. Whew! Crisis averted. But that's not all folks.

After waking up from her nap I sent her outside to play. She came in a little while later with grass clippings all over asking to eat fruit for a snack. Since I was canning peaches I gave her a few pieces and sent her back outside. I figured she can't get any dirtier, what's some sticky peach juice too. And by that point I had given up and raised the white flag.

That's pretty much the extent of her craziness. Today anyway. Stay tuned, I am sure there will be more.

Emma’s Baby Quilt

2011-09-15T08:55:00.000-07:00

One of the things I do for every baby is make them a quilt. Each time I pick a different pattern and color scheme, so that each one is unique. For Emma I was inspired by a vintage baby quilt I had been using with Piper, which was flannel (and super soft). I also knew I wanted the flannel fabric to be feminine, but not too "babyish" and not too pink.

But the very first step was picking a pattern. Momma Kay loaned me her quilting books and files to look through for a pattern and I had some inspiration of my own stashed away. In the end I chose the Chain Linked pattern from Diary of a Quilter. Amy creates such beautiful designs and I have yet to find a project from her that I don't like.

Once set on what pattern I would be using (and hence how many fabric pieces I would need) I headed to a fabric store in Provo which I discovered (accidently) carried a huge selection of designer flannel fabric. I was in heaven! So many choices, color palettes, designs, etc. I had a hard time deciding but eventually settled on a line of Riley Blake fabrics with white, pink, and turquoise as the main colors. Not too babyish but definitely feminine.

Off to work I went. The piecing came together fairly quickly (which I was grateful for) and the pattern was easy to follow. For the finishing, I had decided to tie the quilt with white yarn. In the past I have hand-quilted the finished piece, but since I wanted the flannel to remain soft I asked Momma Kay if she would help me tie the quilt. She is an expert at this, having tied many (and many more) quilts; heck, she even has her own quilting frame downstairs for this very project. We set aside a day in Provo to set up the frame and she showed me how to tie it. It went so fast, we were done before lunch. The longest part was just getting it framed!

I decided I wanted to back it with the pink fabric I used in the quilt, but (of course!) when I went back to the quilt shop they were all out. Upon doing a little online research I discovered that the fabric I needed was over a year old and, after calling around to some fabric shops, nobody local carried it. I finally found a shop on Etsy who carried what I needed (woo hoo!) and the amount even with shipping would be what I would've paid at the fabric store. Yeah!

And then I got it. Grrr... I assumed the fabric would be 45" wide (aren't they all?) but this was around 40" wide. So my measuring was off. I ended up piecing the back together a little bit so I had a large enough piece to back and bind it, but when all was said and done nobody can really tell the back is pieced (including me). I also ended up using a double layer of batting, so the quilt is super fluffy as well as soft.

Didn't it turn out well? Emma likes it. (Doesn't she look so little on it? And it's not even that big.)

Emma's Birth Story

2011-09-09T09:30:00.000-07:00

*WARNING*: In case you don't like all the details that generally accompany birth stories, you can stop reading now. Otherwise, read on.
Emma's due date was August 30. I felt very confident with this accuracy of this date, though according to her ultrasounds she was measuring bigger (one week ahead at her 20 week ultrasound and two weeks ahead at a 28 week ultrasound). Elliott and I both felt that she would come earlier, but as two weeks early came and went, then one week to go passed us by we knew this baby had a mind of her own.

From the very beginning the one concern I had with her due date was its closeness to the age for school cut-off in Utah, which is September 1. Maybe this isn't a concern to most people, but I have been frustrated with Ava not being able to go to kindergarten this year (because her birthday is October 21) while she and Lily thrive on learning. They are both whip-smart and, as girls tend to try to keep up with their sisters, I believe that Emma will also be ahead of the curve. The thought of holding her back a whole year because she was born one day late galled me to no end. I had spent my pregnancy hoping to be able to experience this birth naturally (the other three I had epidurals) but as the due date loomed I began to be worried that I would go for an inducement/epidural again, a decision Elliott and I made long ago.

I started dilating/effacing 6 weeks out. By my 38 week appointment I was dilated to a 3+, 75% effaced. My doctor gently stripped my membranes (with my approval) and then I waited for another week with no action. I did have quite a bit of mucous shedding throughout the week, but no "mucous plug" per se. My doctor said that was normal, as I was dilated so much already that this constant shedding was in place of my "plug".

At my 39 week check-up I was up to a 4+ dilation, 85% effaced. Dr. Langer stripped my membranes again and we called to set-up my inducement for the following Monday, August 29. Apparently it was going to be a busy inducement day at the hospital, so they put me on the waiting list. Dr. Langer said if nothing happened the rest of the week, I could come back in the Friday before and strip my membranes again. Again, the week brought no new developments so back in the office I went on Friday. I hadn't dilated any further and the doctor stripped my membranes for a third time.

The rest of the Friday we spent in Provo, enjoying visiting with Elliott's sister Gabby who was in town from San Diego and taking my mind off the last few days of waiting. Elliott was very nervous to take me anywhere, but I insisted it was better than sitting at home waiting. Saturday we spent the morning garage saling (""Maybe it'll send you into labor" says Elliott) and that evening we went to the Valgardson's for our nephew Calder's birthday party. I did feel a little crampy on the drive down, but kept my mouth shut as I didn't want to send everybody back home if nothing was happening, and the pain had stopped by the time we got to the party.

I went to bed normally Saturday night and woke up at 6:15am Sunday morning feeling like I was about to wet myself. I reached down to feel my underwear and felt a "bulge", like a small water balloon, between my legs. I jumped out of bed and dashed for the bathroom, but my water broke on the way. I did manage to make it to the tile before gushing all over the floor. I grabbed a towel but remembered my sister Tracy's advice that the water keeps trickling out, so I woke up Elliott to go grab me a pack of maxipads out of the closet.

Once awake Elliott and I decided that we should probably head to the hospital. Dr. Langer had told me to do this, just so they could check me and then they would let me walk around and labor naturally. Elliott took longer to get ready than me, so I checked my Facebook, chatted with my mom, and was able to hug the two big girls goodbye before we left. By the time we got to the hospital I was clocking very light contractions at 7 minutes apart, but I was barely feeling them and they weren't painful at all. We were checked into the hospital at 7:20am and they hooked my up to monitors and started the paperwork. At this point I stopped looking at the clock, because I tend to get caught up with how long everything is taking and stress out, so I don't have exact times but I remember generalities.

The hospital I delivered at is very supportive of natural labor and my desire to do it my way. They wanted to monitor the baby's heartbeat for 20 minutes before they let me off the monitors, and they put an IV placeholder in my hand should I need medicine in an emergency, but I wasn't hooked up to anything. (That process took awhile, as my nurse blew my first two veins and had to call in the charge nurse to put in the IV.) First thing the nurse measured me again and I was still where I was at on Friday - 4+ dilation, 85% effaced. I lay in the bed awhile while the monitor measured baby's heartbeat, watching the morning news coverage of Hurricane Irene, chatting with Elliott. I got kinda hungry and even though I was told not to eat anything, I sent Elliott to the cafeteria for a piece of banana bread (which I scarfed down before the nurse could see). Later on, when the nurse returned she let me off the monitors and had more paperwork questions. By this time the contractions were about 2 minutes apart and I could tell they were getting stronger, but I could still talk through them.

When the paperwork was done I asked Elliott for my MP3 player so I could listen to my relaxation techniques. I had been listening to both the Hypnobirthing and Hypnobabies techniques (courtesy of my sisters-in-law Rachel and Lizzie, who used them for their natural births) but as soon as I tried to listen Elliott and the nurse kept asking me more questions, so I gave up and threw the player back at the Elliott to put away. I knew I was going to have to go this alone.

Elliott wanted to go to the cafeteria too and get something quick to eat, and I said that was fine; it didn't bother me. (Elliott said later he assumed he still had at least three more hours.) The nurse was really nervous at this and told him to hurry. She put the emergency button by me and told me to push it if I needed anything; she was going to start setting up for delivery.

From this point everything gets very busy to me and I don't really have a concept of time. I know the strength of the contractions really picked up while Elliott was gone. The position I found I liked was kneeling on my knees beside the edge of the bed, and I would groan into the covers through the contractions, remembering to breathe. At some point the nurse wanted to check my progress and I told her I was was having another contraction. She said that was the best way to measure, so I climbed back into the bed for her to check and she said I was dilated to an 8. That's when she started to scurry. She put in a call to my doctor (who was not on call but said she would come) and to the doctor who was on call just in case, and ordered stuff for the baby from the nursery.

Elliott got back about 9am to find me in full-blown labor. The nurse stayed in the room with us (you get one-one-one nurses with natural labors I found out later) and encouraged Elliott to apply counter-pressure to my lower back throughout the contractions. I remember hearing their voices ("you're doing great", "just breath, good") and cool washcloths on my neck. The nurse said to let her know when I was ready to push. I crankily said it all hurt, I didn't know what the difference was. "Oh you will" she said.

I will not lie - it hurt. Time is amnesia, but I will remember that it was not pain-free. I breathed and groaned, clutching the covers on the bed as I made my way through each contraction. At some point I said "I think I want to push". The nurse cried out "That's it!" and I climbed into bed just as Dr. Langer walked in. They asked if I would like a mirror to watch and I said yes and they called for the baby's stuff again (it hadn't arrived yet). Dr. Langer barely had time to get suited up, the baby's stuff barely got there, and the mirror didn't make it in time. I pushed through two contractions, crying out like something in a Hollywood movie. On the second contraction I heard "stop Sarah, there's a shoulder, ok go, wait there's the other shoulder, SHE'S OUT" and they put her right on me. It was 9:45am.

Dr. Langer and Emma

Emma looked like Lily, both Elliott and agreed. She was so very alert and awake, and they let me hold her for quite some time. Then they needed to weigh her and clean me up, at which point I remembered the camera and told Elliott to grab it and stay with Emma. Dr. Langer showed me my placenta (no one had ever done that before) and she and the nurse worked to get my bleeding under control (I ended up needing two bags of Pitocin and some sort of shot). I didn't even need any stitches. By the time I was in recovery and off the IV it was about noon. And thus began our new life as a family of six....

Life With Emma

2011-09-08T06:22:00.000-07:00

Life with four girls, wow! We are all home now and adjusting to our our life as a family of six, and I must say - so far, so good. Emma is my easiest baby yet; it just keeps getting better and better. She is a champion nurser (no problems at all from the very beginning), she sleeps well without the aid of the swing (hope I didn't buy that in vain), is super alert during her hour-awake time between naps, sleeps for long stretches at a time (Friday night she slept for almost 5 1/2 hours straight, but normal is 3-3 1/2 hrs), does not have her days and nights mixed up, and (best of all) is already establishing a solid schedule.

Emma's coming home outfit

The other three girls are madly in love with her, especially Piper. Whenever I bring Emma out of the bedroom and Piper is around, she immediately puts out her arms and says "I hold my baby." She loves to give Emma hugs, cuddles, and kisses - whether Emma (or mommy) wants her to or not. Emma was sleeping in her swing the other day and Piper draped herself over the swing and simply laid on top of Emma, giving her "forehead kisses." Lily too is very fond of holding Emma and sits there quietly, soaking up the love that Emma exudes. We are a little surprised at Lily's adoration, as most of the time she is happy to be by herself and doesn't really interact with her younger cousins. But it simply melts my heart to see how sweet she is with Emma. Ava (as expected) is my little mommy. She's not overly cuddly with Emma, but the most helpful. She will bring things to me and keep an eye on things. She has expressed how excited she is that soon she will be able to give her a bottle and feed her (when the time comes).

After having three other little girls, Elliott is a champ. I feel his support and thoughtfulness more than ever before. He is becoming so great at learning to balance everyone's neediness (including mine) and seeing what needs to be done, then stepping in to do it. Last Saturday night, after he spent the afternoon watching the BYU game on the computer I was a little frustrated with him, but then he promptly got up and whisked the three older girls off to the park for an hour and let me have some quiet time with Emma. Bliss!

After Emma's first bath

As for me, I am trying (mostly unsuccessfully) to not overdo it. I probably feel the best out of any recovery, both due to my quick delivery (that story is coming), lack of pain medicine dependance, and fairly healthy amount of sleep. I feel blessed and am just enjoying one day at a time.

Introducing Emma Elizabeth Kay

2011-08-29T09:24:00.000-07:00

Emma Elizabeth Kay was born at 9:45am Sunday, August 28. She weighed in at 8 lbs 13 oz and 20.5 inches long. Her sisters are ecstatic and can't get enough of her. Neither can her parents.