Organized Chaos

Mr. Ben.... a senior photo shoot

2012-02-26T06:54:00.000-08:00

He was a little too cool to always smile.....right? This cliff is basically in our backyard where the canyon is... I made him PROMISE me he would be careful.... now the boys think they can go out there.... "NO FAIR! Ben got to!" Hmmmph.

He is just such a cutie pie... I am soooo not ready for high school.

I did a senior photo shoot for my friend Karen. Her son Ben is graduating so I took him out to Castlewood Canyon State Park and my very own backyard for some pictures. He was a good sport considering he hates having his picture taken. His mom loved them and that is all I wanted. What a sweet kid.... and big too.... I don't remember boys being this tall when I was in high school!!

Another Xmas craft

2012-02-25T04:42:00.000-08:00

This was a very easy craft.... took no time to prep and kept the kids busy for at least 15 minutes... hmph.

Chocolate moustache anyone?

2012-02-24T04:26:00.000-08:00

This is precisely the stuff you get subjected to if you come to Super Bowl at my house. I had made some cake pops and had some extra yellow chocolate already melted.... and guess what I found in my pantry? YUP.... a moustache mold.... I actually totally forgot I had bought it and it was put to good use to make some blond staches. LOL... it was fun....stupid fun.

Ha! Bye for now. :) ~Kristin

A Valentine Craft...

2012-02-23T04:33:00.000-08:00

This was a little kit I found at Target... Landon loved it. Mason wanted nothing to do with it. :( Oh well... hope you all had a very love filled Valentine's Day!!

PUMPKIN SMASH 2011

2012-02-22T06:25:00.000-08:00

Here were the boys in the back.

And that was the Pumpkin Smash 2011. I honestly forgot how much the boys enjoyed this last year. I will add the link to last year's smash. They are crazy.... they were so out of breath and exhausted by the time they came in that I kind of wish we could have one of these once a week. And I am still proud of their swings.... great form....and priceless fun!! Plus the deer come later and eat every last bit. :)

Pumpkin Smash 2010

MORE photo booth fun

2012-02-21T02:08:00.000-08:00

The top was taken in February 2012.... bottom one has GOT to be at least 3 years old.... maybe 2009 or 2010? Has to be awhile ago because I think Mason kissed me willingly. :)

Playing catch up...

2012-02-20T04:09:00.000-08:00

So yeah.... I realize that I was "MIA" A LOT in the last few months. I have been working so much and getting so involved with the kiddoes.... I guess that the blog is what ends up suffering. Sorry! :( I have done so many crafts and projects and have not taken a SINGLE picture of them. SOOO.... I promise to be better about that. I figure Pinterest is keeping you guys plenty inspired. So what I plan on doing is hitting on some of the major events in the latter part of 2011 and then get caught up with where we are now.... sound good? So I will leave you with the newest HAPPY wreath I made. I have to have SOME color around this snowy place.... I need some warmth!!

My Grandfather

2012-02-19T06:04:00.000-08:00

The boys with my Grandpa in July of 2010...
General Dwight "Ike" Eisenhower....Commander of all allied forces in Europe. Presided over D-Day invasion of Normandy and was prepared to take full responsibility had it failed. Had to manage enormous personalities and egos in the likes of Patton and Montgomery.
LT. General Omar Bradley. What amazing pictures, right?
This was a general from the British Armed Forces, he also worked closely with other major players in World War II.
"Ike"
Here is my grandfather in the forefront of the picture. You can see Bradley and Eisenhower behind them in strategies. My grandfather, interpreted many things for them during strategic plannings.
OK... enough history for one day. Didn't think you'd come across this kind of stuff on my blog, right? Well... this post is more about my grandfather that would have been 96 today. We will miss him... check out what a life he had:

John Joseph Oliva was born on February 19, 1916 in Pasadena, California. He entered the Dominquez Seminary from August 1927 to June 1932. He left the seminary in l932 and attended John Muir High School for his junior and senior year and graduated in June 1934. He attended night school at Pasadena Business College for two years. From l942 to l946 John served as a Lieutenant in the Armed Forces. In December 1943 he was sent to the British Intelligence School and graduated in l944, was transferred to Bristol, England and served there until after D Day. Upon reassignment to Paris, France in 1944 he met his wife to be, Raymonde Jeane DeCarnelle. He was then transferred to Germany and assigned to Counter Intelligence Service until August 1945. While still in Germany he was transferred to take charge of a receiving warehouse for the Army Quartermaster. On August 18, 1945 John and Raymonde were married in France. He returned shortly to the United States to be discharged and then came back to France where he had the opportunity to work for the U.S. Embassy until November 1948. He then brought his family to the United States and settled in Altadena, CA. In February 1955 John opened and operated a Retail Liquor Business in Burbank, Ca. with his three brothers and continued in this profession until l981 when he retired. John and Raymonde moved in 1981 to San Juan Capistrano in the Rancho Alipaz Mobile Home Park and worked actively in the Park for many years. Raymonde passed away in November 2006 after 61 years of marriage.His remaining days were spent quietly at home and in the company of his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

That was his eulogy and still... yet,there was a lot more to him. He was a self taught pianist and he could play anything he heard by ear. He had taught himself to read sheet music and could cook a mean meatball. He spoke 7 different languages and was an interrogator and interpreter in WWII. He had to do some heinous things in WWII and I think between that and seminary, he developed a sometimes unapproachable, tougher, mean outer shell. He was brusque, strict and funny. He was a tough one to grow up with but I had the good fortune to learn some of the reasons why he was who he was in the last 15 years of his life. He had a tough, hard life. He wasn't my favorite grandfather growing up but he was always there if we needed him. I do feel so blessed that I had made a habit of calling him once a week.... it was kind of a weekly phone date between he and I. I had discovered that he had grown softer and kinder in his last 10 years of life. He loved his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren very much. Although the words, "I love you" did not grace his lips often, I knew that he cared... deeply. He passed away this last December and I realize every day that I could have never gotten to know enough about him.... I miss him. I often think about all of my grandparents and live with the sad fact that I never had enough days with them. So many questions to ask... so many stories to be heard. I can't stand this getting older stuff. :( And so I wanted to honor him here on his birthday. I look forward to documenting his life with these awesome pictures from his life in the Army. There are hundreds... literally. I want to document all of my grandparents life eventually. They were so outstanding in so many ways and I want my boys to know all about each one of them. Now... why can't we have this appreciation for their lives when they are around? Right?
So, moral of the story: take the time with your living relatives and friends. Learn their stories, understand why they are the people they are.... I loved my grandparents and wish they were all here to be told that. What amazing lives they led.... This was the very last time I got to see my grandfather alive. It was one of the hardest things about moving out to Colorado. Most of my friends and family are all still in California. I miss you guys!!

Rainbows....

2012-02-17T12:13:00.000-08:00

This makes me miss Santa Monica.... a little bit....
A rainbow button dress? These are rainbow knitted stairs.... unreal....Being in the midst of snow and gloom.... just needed a little color. :)

A Child's Own

2012-02-16T10:00:00.000-08:00

Too FLIPPIN' CUTE, right?

This poor girl needs help.... FIRST... check out her site. Now, I am in love personally... this totally makes me want to give sewing "stuffies" a shot.... not too sure how successful I would be... but still. There are far too many of my kids' drawing that I would want to be sewn to life.... but this is one talented girl, I tell ya!! And maybe...juuuuust maybe, an opportunity for one of you!! Anyways.... she is needing some help and is in search for some talented crafters.... so here is the link:

Child's Own

Happy LOVE day!

2012-02-14T07:38:00.000-08:00

Hope your day has a little something special to it!!! <3 Kristin
(Photo by Wendy Tsao 2009)

Shop Sweet Lulu

2012-01-21T06:10:00.000-08:00

Be still my beating heart.... I came across one of my all time favorite party websites... and guess what? They got even cuter!!! I currently have too much in my cart but cannot talk myself out of anything as of yet.... Take a look:

And now they even have party hats? Why am I not the OWNER of this site? I love it!!

These straws make my heart happy.

Love their variety of sweet/treat bags....

No idea what to do with these but would be cute little gift containers... maybe Valentine's?
Love these lollipop candles.... I need to throw a girl party....
This is on my wish list.... I think I NEED this cake tray....
And all of these too. ;)
More lovely cupcake liners.... ***sigh***
Purchased these for some springtime baking.
And I NEEDED this color combo.... Whomever can put their products into a beautiful color scheme, can get me to buy anything.... I am such a sucker!
So there it is again:

Shop Sweet Lulu

Love these

2012-01-20T06:48:00.000-08:00

The rhino one is my favorite.... it is going in the boys' room. :)

Cool prints found HERE

Very fun party....

2012-01-19T08:14:00.000-08:00

I just loved this theme:
at Lisa Leonard's Blog

THANK YOU TIFFANY!!!

2012-01-09T08:48:00.000-08:00

My friend is awesome. She is super inspirational and always gets my mind focused... especially when it comes to family. :) It is a wonderful thing since my mind seems to be going in a million different directions on a daily basis.
So I bought a ONE MONTH dry erase board to organize our meals and actually USE all of the food that I buy at the store. It has worked for week one. It was actually successful KNOWING what was going to happen each day. It also helped the kids know so they didn't give me the usual, "We don't want that!" or "We had a hamburger for lunch!!"
So here comes Miss Tiffany with:
30 MEALS IN A DAY
This girl made 32 meals in ONE day for $357.00 Amazing or what?
So I am going to try this and I will let you know the progress of it. :)
We were talking about even doing this with a few of your own favorite recipes.
I am so in. I felt good about giving my kids a homecooked meal at least 6 days out of the week. Now tonight is leftovers...that equals NO COOKING for me!!! :) So check out this website and see if it is a good fit for your brood. The programs even will make out a grocery list for you!! REALLY? I love these folks!!

30 MEALS IN A DAY

Pretty Cake

2012-01-05T07:45:00.001-08:00

Here's the link:

HERE

Sorry.... been buried....

2011-12-29T08:09:00.000-08:00

in snow. In wonderful visitors. In wrapping paper. In Christmas cookies. In crafts. In more snow. In LOTS of hours at work. And still with more visitors. I swear.... I was barely able to get Christmas cards out and I still have a handful to send. Shame on me!!!

Christmas came and conquered here in Castle Rock.... here are a few fun pictures from our cozy little town.....

Here is a great idea for a Christmas card....don't be surprised if this is next year's theme. :)

And a sweet chapel all lit up for this awesome holiday season. It is over....

And here is a t-shirt I got for Xmas.... so cute. I love it. That is not me though.... just a little FYI.... maybe by the end of 2012. LOL.... and then again... maybe not. We'll see.
Had a whirlwind trip back to California in the midst of the holiday craziness and was able to spend time with friends and lots of family. So I am back to a few crazy shifts at the hospital over the next few days and hope to be back in January with lots of posts. It takes a lot of time to do a blog....one reason I admire people who can do this daily. I run out of things to say but mostly I run out of time. Let's hope I can manage my crazy schedule a little better in 2012. Already have plans to meal plan, craft again, start sewing and continue with my regular life as well. We'll see where it takes us. For now, I hope your holiday was fantastic and that 2012 is filled with lots of exciting things for you and your family!!!

XO,

Kristin

This has been my YEAR!!!

2011-11-12T14:59:00.000-08:00

FOR REALS!!!

We have a winner!!!!

2011-11-10T08:16:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the day late post.... am a little behind the 8 ball these days.

So without further ado...the WINNER is:

Chance said...
I love the It's A Boy Thing! Whoop! Whoop!
November 1, 2011 3:11 PM Chance said...

whoop whoop is right Chance. Email me your email addy and I will get the correct codes over to you for the free software!!! CONGRATS!!!

Thanks for all those who left a comment. I will hopefully be hosting some new and exciting giveaways coming up. It is hard to only pick one!!! WAH!!!

Last day to Enter....

2011-11-08T08:01:00.001-08:00

Leave a comment today for a chance to win!! :)

Here is the post:
HERE

I {heart} wreaths....

2011-11-06T08:36:00.000-08:00

I love wreaths.... love hanging them, making them and giving them as gifts. Here are some very interesting ideas:

Wood...Yellow rosettes....

Antique clothespins.....

Coffee stained coffee filters....

Burlap....

Antique Christmas ornaments....

Yellow felt... yummmmmmm....

BALLOONS!!!!

Out of pages in a book.....

Here is a link to not only these wreaths but quite a few more:

Wreath Party

Fun Cookies....

2011-11-05T06:24:00.000-07:00

I looooove Glorious Treats. The sweetest and dutest cookies I have ever seen.A very simple looking tutorial... I WISH it was this easy....
And look out how she packages them... LOVE!!
Go check out other ideas and tutorials. :)

The sweetest clown at the rodeo....

2011-11-03T05:13:00.000-07:00

You may happen to remember LAST YEAR ....We dressed Molly up in a bull rider costume with her being the bull. Poor thing. She was so embarrassed. :( So I lent the costume to my friend for her pooch, Cooper. Well.... Miss Zoe, the Boston Terrier, could not be forgotten.... so my sweet and very creative friend Amy made her a rodeo clown!!
Now is that not the CUTEST/FUNNIEST thing you have ever seen? EVER?!?!!? She is such a good sport. That costume was all handmade.... a red onesie and baby pants.... it just makes me smile. :)

November Giveaway!!!

2011-11-01T07:20:00.000-07:00

Here we go!! MyMemories.com is an awesome digital scrapbooking site that makes your life VERY easy!!! They are letting me give away their very awesome My Memories Suite Software, a $40 value, to one of you guys!! It is such an easy way to complete albums or projects with all of your digital photos. Here is a sample of what the software can do and how easy it is to follow:

They also have a calender maker that is sooooo easy to use. I completed a 2012 calender in one hour... guess who's getting a calender for Christmas?!?!

Here is a sample of a brothers album that is already to go for you....

A sample of a boy album..
This is such a fun and creative site. I love scrapbooking but I just don't have the time to always drag everything out and complete the handcrafted layouts and projects that I used to. This site give you a simple and easy way to complete albums or very unique gifts in very little time.

So one of my lucky friends will get a FREE download of the My Memories Suite Software that will allow them to create without the mess or choose a super simple project where all the design is done for you. All YOU do is drag and drop your images where you want them.

So what I'd like you to do is go over to:
MyMemories.com

and choose your favorite theme or digital paper pack and leave a comment on this post. I will leave this giveaway open until November 9th. I will choose a lucky winner that day and give you the instructions on how to download your free software. :) Easy, right?

If you would like to purchase anything from the site, he coupon code for the site is: STMMMS46988

Use it as much as you want!! You can make scrapbook layouts, photo books, cards, videos, you name it! So let's get creative in a very non time consuming and inexpensive way!! :) So leave your comments below and I will announce the winner next week!! Good luck!

Have a Happy Halloween!!

2011-10-31T10:13:00.000-07:00

Have a safe and Happy Halloween!!! Will post some pictures of my ZOMBIE doctor and my little policeman soon!! There will be a fun giveaway as well tomorrow!!

Halloween TIME!!

2011-10-20T07:51:00.000-07:00

So I finally have a few days off.... IN A ROW!!! And I am thinking we need to spook our house up a little bit. PLUS we have some pumpkins to carve too. Here are some cute ideas I've been seeing around blogs and online. :) I love the whole witch theme.... might have to try this too...

This would be funny at a frat house :)

I just love these circle of ghosts. It's always been one of my Mom's favorites!! I am going to try these someday.... very easy to make.

And those are just a few. Hope you can get a little inspired for the best holiday of the YEAR!!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-19T03:29:00.000-07:00

The Corn Maze

2011-10-18T05:51:00.000-07:00

OK... so this was my very first corn maze. It was soooo much fun.... once I blocked the images of Children of the Corn out of my head. It was daylight, so I figured I was somewhat safe... but it is still impressively creepy to get lost in there with dead ends and scary things all over the place. The boys were in heaven!!
They must have had 20 scarecrows all over the place. A bit freaky for anyone who ever watched that flick called The Scarecrow.... still freaks me out to this day.Trying to figure out the map that was given us.... I should've taken the picture of it. It was a bit...ummm.... inaccurate. LOL

View of the first half of the corn maze... it just went on and on. FINALLY found the hay bale jump.... that place was HUUUUUGE!! The boys still trying to figure out which way to go. :)

Scary stuff all over the place... and they do this at night!! Creepy.

I swear I thought that there was an ER visit in my near future... they went crazy!!

And my sweet 3 boys in the fall...

The Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-17T06:48:00.000-07:00

We made a quick detour after Georgetown to see what this patch was allllll about.

They had a little/stinky petting zoo. The boys loved the pigs... they kept chewing on their shoe laces and pants... Ewww

By far, the bunnies were Landon's favorite things to pet. He just loved them.
A scary burlap spider?

Tons of Canadian geese out there.

This is the SNAKE TUNNEL.... very ominous....

And the view from being eaten up by the snake. :)

My sweet little pumpkin.... Mason found a Denver Broncos scarecrow. He liked him. :)

And my toothless scarecrow... maybe he should have been in the pumpkin one with those missing teeth!

And that was our fun filled day at the patch!

I loooooooooove this town....

2011-10-16T07:26:00.000-07:00

This is the official town of Georgetown, Colorado. Population: 1003. It was my personal challenge to take pictures of all the rainbow of houses in the town. I could've spent all day there but lots of these were shot from the (speeding) car. What can I say.... Trafton is not a slow down and take 1000 pictures kind of guy. :) So enjoy this sweet town:

This is a picture of their main street. We really need to go back and visit soon. Such a cozy, sweet and colorful town. :)

Haunted Train in Georgetown....

2011-10-15T07:20:00.000-07:00

Notice anything different in the second picture? LOL.... Mason LOVES to be scared... LOVES it. So we were at the Georgetown Railroad museum and there were some old, creepy passenger cars that were on display. Mason said he was creeped out and that he said, "I bet this place is soooooo haunted at night!" So being the mean/funny mom that I am, I went into photoshop and made a small, yet noticeable ghost at the back of the passenger car. When Mason went through the pictures with me, he flipped out.... and I am sure he is still telling all of his friends about it at school. He is sooooo beside himself that we "caught it on camera"... :D He told me that he is never going back there unless it is noon and he is surrounded by TONS of people.
I am so mean....

Georgetown Railroad

2011-10-14T06:56:00.000-07:00

We went out of Silver Plume Station.

My in laws love trains.... but not the cold. So maybe it was reaaaaally bright out there. Here we are!

Our conductor was awesome!!

Landon was all smiles! This was an awesome steam engine. Going over Devil's Gate Bridge..... scary....

The folks liked it.... just not the cold noses. :)

First Snow of the Year....

2011-10-13T06:43:00.000-07:00

Well.... Saturday, October 8th.... winter hit us. Please tell me this isn't a sign for the winter to come. BRRRRRR... we got about 3-4 inches in Castle Rock and enjoyed staying warm. It is still exciting to get the first snow of the year for us. The novelty hasn't worn off YET!

Landon looking like he is going to whack Mason with the snow shovel....

Trafton buried Mason.....

Molly attacking the boys... nicely....

Molly chasing her tail because she is so dang excited that she didn't know what to do with herself.

My in-laws were here for the first snow and they loved it.... they were freezing... but they enjoyed it (from the inside).

Wordless Wednesday "CORN!!!"

2011-10-12T08:37:00.000-07:00

There was corn EVERYWHERE.

WAH WAH WAH....

2011-10-11T14:02:00.000-07:00

Enough of the pity party... .even though another horrendous thing happened.... we are moving on.... :)
We have been busy lately and one of the places we ventured to was Estes Park for the Elk Festival. Lots of fun was had and here are some fun pics:

Always one of our favorite spots in fall!!

Struggling....

2011-10-03T08:11:00.000-07:00

Seems like a theme lately. Reallllly trying to find balance out here in Colorado lately. I have been working extra days (trying to pay off a series of bad events) and really trying to just catch my breath. Most days, we have football from 6:00-8:30. I get home from work, get dinner, finish homework and out the door for practice. Taking call stinks... lack of sleep doesn't help matters. Computer is broken (will be out of commission for 4 days)... so I am here at work typing this. Things are frustrating... jobs are few and far between for Trafton and it is a very scary time in the world. The economy is awful and it seems like one thing after another keeps happening. UGH.... just need a breather and I don't see one in sight.
I struggle with finding time to work out, do creative things, bake and spend time with the boys.... like good QUALITY time with them. We are burned out with no relief.... so we are alive and healthy.... yeah. Just running on empty and trying to make time for the family. Discovering that 9 year old boys are mouthy and irritable... Mason sure is testing us lately. I try to spend time with them at bedtime:
I tuck them both in (which includes talking about the day.... tickling them.... rubbing their backs...and going over what time I leave in the morning.... and yes... "I WILL WAKE YOU UP" in the morning boys....). It is never enough. They still want me to stay longer, talk more, read another book. They want me home more.... I feel guilty....
It is tiring and frustrating but I know they need all the extras as well.... even though I can't wait to crawl into bed and hopefully sleep for 6 or so hours before I get up and do it all again.
I have so much respect for single mommies. I do not know how you do it. Truly.
Trying some new meds for my migraines... hopefully they will help.
Trying to create stuff for an upcoming craft fair that will hopefully make me some moolah for Christmas... or new tires... or a new computer... or a new air conditioning hose that just blew up on Sunday....or Mason's travel ball team that will cost us a pretty penny.
Tell me... does it ever end?
I am thankful for our good health, good schools, having a job I love, a roof over our head and a car that takes us to these places....
I miss my family and friends back home that I was always able to decompress with and have a glass of wine. I miss just being able to do that. I really need it right now... so now I am officially homesick. BLAH....
So that is my life these days.... I am still here and have lots to show you once my computer is back and working right again. Let's hope nothing is lost and it is cheap to fix. HA! I just am spreading myself soooo thin these days....too thin.
So I will be back.... soon I hope. Hope all is well out there with you all! :)

For Tiffany

2011-09-16T05:55:00.000-07:00

And a wreath so that way she can think of me often. :) Happy Birthday honey!! Hope you liked your goodies!!

2011-09-15T05:41:00.000-07:00

I think it is one of my TOP sites right now... and I am afraid for a LOOOONG time to come. If you know about it, you KNOW what I mean.... if you don't know about this site. I.am.sorry. You are now about to become addicted to it. So many ideas, so many colorful things, so many bright colors and inspiration out of the wazoo!! You can sign up for it and follow your friends on Facebook, or you can simply browse. I signed up and currently have about 14 "boards" on which you "pin" or "repin" your favorite ideas. You click on the image to blow it up. Click twice for it to take you off to the how to blog on which it was found. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it.

So go now: Pinterest

Keeping with the theme of OLD....

2011-09-14T06:16:00.000-07:00

Old window frames.... easy to find and I love all the things you can do with these as well.... And YOU KNOW that this stained glass piece makes my heart happy!!
More gorgeous stained glass....
OK.... I think I will end up doing this somewhere.... not sure where yet....
I adore this idea of a potholder.... not sure if it would go in my kitchen but it is still cute.
Adorable....
Have always wanted to try stained glass....
Love the look of these photo collages....
They make very cute. eclectic frames. Or you can show off your patriotism....
Cute cabinet.....
Now all I need is to win the lottery so I have the time to do all this fun stuff!!

My latest obsession....

2011-09-13T07:29:00.001-07:00

OLD, weather worn doors... the older the better. Love the character and the endless possibilities.
I think you have to have a pretty garden (so not me.... at least here in Colorado) for this but I still think it is cute...
I love this idea... what a fun message board!
Old barn doors for a boys room.... so cute...
Check these old doors out.... as a headboard? GENIUS!!
As a backdrop for photographs....

A door turned coffe table...

These were used as seating charts at a country wedding....We have a store in town called The Barn where they sell old windows, shutters, doors, posts and those such things. I just love them all!! I want to have every color in my house but Trafton may think me crazy when I start bringing them all home with me.

The Help

2011-09-04T07:10:00.000-07:00

Possibly one of the very best books I have read in a VERY long time. I loved it and was sad for it to end!! Now I need to go see the movie. :)

Wordless Wednesday ~Pretty Colors~

2011-09-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

I finally made this wreath!!

2011-08-31T07:27:00.000-07:00

I love the way this turned out. Just rolled Riley Blake fabric into flowers and hot glued it onto a $3 Michael's wreath.... EASY PEASY. And finished for under $7... YEAH!

Our Little Football Player

2011-08-29T18:10:00.000-07:00

Looks like we have a football player in the family. Mason just started this weekend and he did AWESOME!! He didn't get a whole lot of breaks this weekend but he didn't complain.... :) They had 3 games and he played most of the time... poor baby!! He had 7 tackles and carried the ball for 15+ yards. He just loves it!! Check out these pics!! I am so proud of him!
Here's Mason kicking off.... And the hand off.....

And that was our entire weekend!!! LOL

What's wrong with me....

2011-08-28T06:28:00.000-07:00

that THIS PARTY makes me sooooo happy. I think my obsession with rainbows started at a young age...
I reeeeaaaaalllly want to try this....

Guess my obsession is still here after 37 years!!

Hair decor

2011-08-27T05:46:00.000-07:00

My first attempt at a fancy little hair thingy. See? I am such a tomboy. Went to a bridal shower where the theme was wearing a fancy headpiece.... well... my choices were a baseball hat or a cowboy hat. Then the light bulb went off and I remembered I had these pom pom flowers already made from a prior project.... so here was the final result.... added seed beads, black netting and a few feathers to a headband.... :)

Landon's first cafeteria meal...

2011-08-26T05:54:00.000-07:00

This is so cute to me.... Landon started 1st grade and was off to a great (and expensive) start. We packed an extra SPECIAL lunch for him with all of his favorites. When he got home later in the day, he told Dad how BOTH of his lunches were great!!! He said it was the best chicken tacos he EVER had.... hmmmm..... so we emptied his lunch bag out and all the goodies were gone. Go figure. We tried packing the lunch on day 2 and again... he came home telling us the cheeseburger was AWESOME!!!! Wow.... I thought we packed a PB&J...which later was taken out of his lunch bag in one piece still. Again... nummies were gone. We now are -$5.00 on his lunch balance. Go figure. We are now on week 3 of school, and although it is a little more expensive, I think we have learned that Landon prefers a HOT meal at lunch and it makes him happy to go through the cafeteria and get what he wants...notice the chocolate milk on the tray. Hmmmmm. What a little stinker.

Melted Crayon Art

2011-08-25T05:39:00.000-07:00

So these are allll lover the internet... especially over at pinterest.com (my newest obsession.... thank you Tiffany). Such and easy and fun project to do. I didn't do a step by step since there would be far better ones posted (i.e. Meg'sblog )... so here are some of the beautiful colors that Landon and I made. :)

It was really quite cheap and easy (go get the 64 pack and an extra 24 pack of Crayola crayons that are on sale for back to school). All you need are the crayons, a canvas(you can even find them at Big Lots) a hot glue gun and a hairdryer. Be patient, grasshopper.... the results are awesome!!!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-24T05:45:00.000-07:00

2011-08-23T05:47:00.000-07:00

Can these clocks get anymore whimsical? I love them!!! I want the octopus and mermaid sooooo badly.... you have to check out her other designs too... so much fun!!

Close2myArt

Scrapbook USA

2011-08-22T12:53:00.000-07:00

Is anyone going? Here is some info on one of the BEST conventions I go to in regards to scrapbooking. You can't beat the prices, the vendors or an ALL GIRLS WEEKEND!! I can't wait to go!!! So excited.... so come if you can!!!
Scrapbook USA

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

2011-08-21T05:49:00.000-07:00

Seriously?
Could there POSSIBLY be anything yumier than this? You have to check out this recipe.... my kids adored these and they were kinda fun to make. Check out the recipe HERE

Adele's Sweet girly tray

2011-08-20T05:17:00.000-07:00

My friend Shawn was here from Florida and she just HAPPENED to bring pictures of her sweet baby Adele.... so.... we took a trip to Archiver's, bought the very gorgeous Crate Paper's

Emma's Shoppe

And this is what I created for her. Hope Adele liked it when she got home!! :)

Landon's Monsters

2011-08-19T05:10:00.000-07:00

So the boys finally separated since Landon is a BIG first grader.... Mason has a sports room now and Landon loves his monsters still....

I got a new Cricut cartridge called "Bump In The Night" and that made up all of the little monsters on his banner. :) It is a REAAAAALLLY cute cartridge. :)

Great Online Math lessons for all ages...

2011-08-18T02:53:00.000-07:00

I am in love with this for the boys.... they are now earning money for finishing up extra math lessons.... what can I say? Money motivates!! :) They even have printable awards and everything.... Love these sites!!
IXL

Wordless Wednesday "Our AMAZING Rainbow"

2011-08-17T05:07:00.000-07:00

Cute flower tutorial

2011-08-16T14:39:00.001-07:00

I have made pom pom necklaces like these with a hot glue gun but her tutorial uses a sewing machine... but as always, her tutorials ROCK and are so easy to follow.... cute kids too!! Check it out: Make It Love It

Cuuuuute hats

2011-07-29T08:25:00.000-07:00

Came across this site and fell in love... check out her creations...

Behold these cute monster hats... so adorable...
BitOWhimsy

TYPICAL

2011-07-24T06:01:00.000-07:00

This is how this story shook down....
Mom: Landon!!! Do NOT throw rocks at your brother....
Mason: He's gonna do it Mom!!!!
Mom: No he won't... just leave him be.....
Mason: MOM!!!!! He IS going to throw it at me!!! WATCH him!!
Mason: I TOLD YOU MOM!!!!! HE THREW ROCKS AT ME!!!! SPANK HIM!!!!
Landon: ***uncontrollably laughing in the background***

Mom: LANDON THOMAS HAYNE!!!!

SOME KISSY FACE STUFF

2011-07-23T07:16:00.000-07:00

See? We are still a happy family after 14+ years. :)

~Family Pictures 2011~

2011-07-22T06:50:00.000-07:00

The End...

Fishing At The Elk Ranch and more

2011-07-21T05:05:00.000-07:00

We first went offroading all over the 3000+ acres of gorgeous land and came across several Bald Eagle nest... they are HUMONGOUS!!! Seriously large.....
The boys love shooting the guns (kinda at nothing really) but they feel like big boys doing it.
The deer hide very well up there..... they are so pretty too!!
Landon got to drive on Daddy's lap.... This was the fire that Landon FELL into at night.... I mean seriously? He is the poster child for what happens to kids when they don't listen.... He is ok... just got a good burn on his arm but he survived. Poor thing....
What is a fire without S'MORES?!?! Apparently s'mores ALLLLLL over your face!!
Poor baby.. he had a WHOPPER of a fish on his line but it got away....

He got right back into it though..... This was a funny outtake of Mas trying to get a hold of the fish.

FISH ON!!!!! Again!! Mason did great that night!!

The bucks are all in velvet right now.....

And we all had a great time, minus the burning incident. GEESH!

Wordless Wednesday "the Official Tooth Picture"

2011-07-20T06:03:00.000-07:00

Landon learns to shoot....

2011-07-19T06:56:00.000-07:00

He is just too cute for words.... we are so proud of him!!

NICE butt shot Landon!! He is so proud too!!

World Series Runner Ups...

2011-07-18T06:43:00.000-07:00

The 2011 DC Dolphins Silver!!!

All of the boys were lined up and their names were announced... here is Mason raising his hand and being shy....
Mason receiving his much deserved trophy.... they fought hard!!

You think he liked it? :)

Here the boys are.... Coach Dad/Trafton and Mason

I think he slept with this trophy for 3 nights in a row...

And one of Mason's biggest fans is his buddy Beau.... how cute, huh?

Very proud of the boys. They played a tough team and were ahead for 4 of the 6 innings. Mason went 2 for 4. Walked twice. Had phenomenal plays at shortstop, some RBIs and pitched the last 2 innings. 3 strikeouts. He is one impressive ball player....

What now, you ask? Tackle football starts next week.....LORD HELP ME!!

Butterfly Canvases

2011-07-17T06:28:00.000-07:00

We did it.... finally. I have been wanting to use the Martha Stewart Anywhere butterfly punch and so I DID!!! With help from some very cute artists. :) My sweet neighbors (who have officially dubbed me their Second Mom... .AWWWWWW) had a basement slumber party with the girls and this was our art project for the night.....

Landon took this VERY seriously and painstakingly picked out all the "babies" from the basket because he LOOOOOOVEd them soooooo much. They were "stinkin' cute" according to him.

This rainbow collage of the butterflies is mine. So pretty against the black background....

And these are the finished products. ENJOY!!

Cute idea and summer project

2011-07-16T06:32:00.000-07:00

from Make It and Love IT!!
Repurposing Tshirts
Their step by steps are AWESOME... check out all of their tutorials... great site!!

CHA Summer 2011- SCrapbook Releases

2011-07-15T06:31:00.000-07:00

If you are a scrapbooker, papercrafter or artist, take your cute little tush over to this site:
CHA Summer 2011
and check out the new releases from some of your favorite companies. They have all the tags set up for you and they link everything to the most current site. I LOVE THEM for that!!

So far, my favorite releases are:
Jillibean Soup (everything)
Echo Park (Apothecary)
My Little Shoebox- loving the 3D accent sheets that they are putting out
Little Yellow Bicycle- very decent lines this time around...
Prima (some amazing flowers>>>as usual<<<)
Teresa Collins (like a few of the lines....especially the Haunted Hallows line)
Bella Blvd. (fun fun fun lines)
American Crafts (love the Amy Tangerine line and lots of the new ones).
**3 Bugs In A Rug are back in action as well as Queen & Co. with some new festive lines. Cute.**

Some disappointments:
Basic Grey (my all time fav go-to company.... not so much)
Crate Paper (fabulous winter release... not so fabulous summer release... I just don't get the colors... one of their lines is named "RaNdoM" and that is what this whole release is to me)Making Memories... feels like a repeat
Pink Paislee... nothing there for me
BoBunny.... out of 7 lines, I only can see myself buying some of the Fall line....

So there you have it.... my 2 cents on the new releases....
Fancy Pants... I do lile Oct 31st but will pass on the rest (the color pallette is just not for me)... which makes me sad... it is another go-to company for me.

I got nothin'...

2011-07-14T08:12:00.000-07:00

Lately, that is what I've got. A whooooole lotta nuttin'. Summer has been seemingly endless with things we are going to, baseball tournaments..... (have some cool pics to download and share), thunderstorms.... (which kills a lot of the outdoor plans that we make)

We have seen lots of movies... the latest was:

Cute as always and I love the Toy Story short film in the beginning.... cuuuute. We seem to have a never ending stream of kids at our house.... we love it but it is expensive and exhausting. My on call schedule at the hospital has been hideous lately. Not enough sleep and no time for catching up. Makes doing the everyday stuff unbearable some days. I look forward to bedtime and then once I am in bed, insomnia hits me. UGH... I think that I am getting to the point that I think most mommies are feeling right now... when does school start again?

Mason starts tackle football next week. Our friends are coming out from California (can't WAIT to see Kimmy and her family).... I miss them and lots of friends back home.

WOW.... I sound kinda blah, huh? So.... the lack of blogging isn't intentional.... just need to find some time to sift through the 400+ pictures that I have in my camera.

OH!! And we took family pictures at the end of June so I should have those to post ASAP.... lots to share.... no time to sit down and do it.

Hope you are all having a fun summer. I need a vacation!!

Random Phone Pictures....

2011-06-29T06:22:00.000-07:00

Mason... 4 teeth pulled... YIKES... finally looks like a 9 year old though....

Feathers in my hair.... then I started realizing that I may be one of the few adults with them. Oh well, right? Mason's google eye trick with his glasses....

Landon's little peanut head at the Avs game....

This was for Kendra.... "YOU MUST PAY THE RENT....."
"I CAN'T pay the rent..."
And here I am .... still alive..... believe it or not.... Just thought I'd share the day to day silliness a little... My phone camera sucks though...

Happy Birthday Wendy!!

2011-06-28T08:07:00.000-07:00

To the most ENERGETIC, fun loving, caring, CRAZY, creative wonderful Mommy I know. Wendy always makes living in Colorado fun and exciting.... she is a phenomenal friend and has helped us so much since we have moved here. My kids adore her and she is always here for me. THANK you Wendy for being YOU and being simply so AWESOME!!!! LOVE YOU!!

Summer Fun

2011-06-27T09:10:00.000-07:00

We broke out the 3 lane slip n slide recently... our above ground got vetoed by Dad (and the HOA) so this was the wet alternative....

You can't really keep Molly away from the boys OR the water... though we tried.

Is this brotherly LOVE we are witnessing here?
Landon posed after every time he slid...

Mason's unhealthy, educational lunch.... HA!

And that's all for now...

We ARE baseball right now...

2011-06-26T07:39:00.000-07:00

Eating ....sleeping...drinking baseball right now. Here are a few outtakes from Landon's Tball season so far and some from Mason's playoffs right now....

It is keeping us busy in the evenings and crazy busy on the weekends... but we love it....

Goodbye Winter Hair!!

2011-06-25T06:10:00.000-07:00

Who IS that shaggy haired boy?!?! Mason grew his hair out over the baseball season but started getting sick of it once it got hot. He waited to show Grandma Charlene and off we went to the barbershop....
What a difference....

Landon had a big night too...

2011-06-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

Once upon a sunny, hot Saturday at the ball field.... this little boy...waited EVER so patiently on the third base sideline....

Until this very sweet Detroit Tiger baseball player....

tossed up Landon's "very first MAJ-OR league baseball" EVER!!!!

He ran straight to Daddy to show him his prized possession....

Got a high five from Dad...

And posed with this new treasure of his....

And lived happily ever after....

at least until we told him "no" to the cotton candy....

Mason's big night at the Rockies

2011-06-23T08:53:00.001-07:00

Mason's Little League baseball time had the honor of walking the warning track at Coors field last weekend. He did not sleep the night before.
Stepping foot into the Colorado Rockies stadium... .first time EVER!!!
Here they are on the JUMBOtron..... surreal....
This was probably one of the best moments of Mason's young life.
The Rockies won 5-4 and we had a great time with the team. :)

Last snow of the year.... in MAY

2011-06-22T08:18:00.000-07:00

Seriously... May. We were waiting on summer... even spring would've done.... but nope. Winter wasn't ready to say goodbye yet... :)
This was the size of all of these crazy snowflakes....

Always funny to watch Molly get confused by all of the snow....

This crazy weather is just that. C-R-A-Z-Y!! This was end of May... and we got over a foot that night. We had breakfast for dinner and the boys enjoyed winter's last hoorah!!

She's here... finally..

2011-06-21T08:24:00.000-07:00

It has been over 5 months for me and 7 1/2 months for the boys. But my Mom finally got out here and we are having sooooo much fun with her. The boys are in heaven. They fight over who gets to sleep with her, who gets her attention.... Everything is, "Grandma.... watch this... Grandma... come here... Grandma... Grandma... Grandma" It truly is music to my ears. I wish I didn't have to work the majority of the time but when I am off, we do nothing but laugh and talk and share stories. We have been crafty together, have eaten some good food and have made lots of memories with the boys. I don't want her to leave.... so I am soaking up these last 4 days with her. And the boys are looking for homes to move her into. :)

It's Here....

2011-06-13T07:20:00.000-07:00

The big book of scrapbook layouts... and I have a couple of layouts inside!! I was at Hobby Lobby and spotted it. I opened it up to see Landon's sweet little face inside and I showed him (I think he was confused).... anyways. I haven't submitted anything in ages.... and this makes me want to do it again. It is so nice to see your pages in print. I think that might be my goal this summer. Get a few pages done and submitted. We'll see how far I get with it.
For the time being, we were busy separating the boys into their "own" rooms this weekend. We had a huge community garage sale and I came across a desk for $10 for Mason's room. Took it home and painted it black and Mason's excitement got me going. Needless to say, Landon and Mason are officially split up.... save for the fact that Landon still slept in the bunk last night. Baby steps, right? We should be finishing up today or tomorrow so I will post pictures to show you their rooms soon.

Weekend Update

2011-05-31T10:41:00.000-07:00

Memorial weekend was....F.U.N. We spent some time out of town but just did one fun thing after another. I actually had THREE days off and I didn't want to do ANYTHING at all... except for fun things, that is. No more studying and no work was FANTASTIC!!! I am well rested and totally ready for my Dad to come in tomorrow. Can't wait!!

We did a very interesting PUB CRAWL fundraiser through the bars of Castle Rock for Lonie Paxton's Fundraiser (ACTIVE FORCE). Was fun until I had to go get the kids. :) But we went home to watch.....

some college softball. I am soooo glad the boys love to watch it with me. These girls are simply amazing athletes and it makes me want to relive my days as a softball player. I wish I had gone on to play college ball.... makes my heart hurt that I didn't. :( Truly awesome to watch this college series, though. Brings back lots of memories for me.

So that led us to many hours outside playing baseball with the boys. We had many pick up games this weekend with friends.

Sunday, we went to an AWESOME Louisiana craw fish boil. 80 pounds of craw fish were served up and devoured. My lips are still burning from the experience but I was even more surprised that my boys LOOOOOOOVED it. Landon (who doesn't eat ANY seafood at all), devoured at least a few pounds by himself. It was very good. We finished the meal with a red velvet cake. YUM!

Monday, we had to walk off the craw fish calories by hiking the rock in downtown Castle Rock. It was beautiful and windy up there. Happy to have gotten in a good hike though.
We watched movies, played games, napped, ate and were together as a family all weekend. I loved every minute of it!!!

FINALLY!!!

2011-05-26T11:31:00.000-07:00

My life can now return to a semi-normal state. I PASSED my vascular boards and now am an official registered vascular technologist!!! That makes my 11th license.... and really don't have anything else I can take. So YAHOOOOOOOOOOO! And will be catching up with lots of posts over the next week or so. See you soon!!

REAL Chinese food in Denver?

2011-05-20T05:30:00.000-07:00

I have grown up with my Grandma taking me to dim sum and going to downtown Los Angeles to get her favorite Chinese pastries from Phoenix Bakery. It is just all so authentic and GOOD.... By the way.... these sugar butterflies are the best thing in the world!!!Well Miss Paulette, took me down to a WONDERFUL place in Denver and I struck GOLD!!! Great dim sum... awesome pastries... and authentic teas and food to blow your mind. So glad to have found it here. It brings back lots of memories with my sweet Grandma! :) I miss her!

Hi there....

2011-05-19T09:52:00.000-07:00

I am indeed still alive.... Thought you lost me there for a second? :) I have been studying diligently for my vascular boards again.... in 6 days.... AGHHHHHHH!!!! I have a house guest, Miss Paulette (super sweet friend from high school), staying with me for a few days.... Trafton and I celebrating our 11 years of marriage this month.... remodeling some of our house....cheering on Mason's baseball team as they are headed to the World Series of Little League... currently in 2nd place and I am NOT a calm mom while I watch him... I am way too nervous and competitive. Shame on me!! Looking forward to summer (since we just had a foot of snow a few days ago....), and preparing to see both my Mom and Dad in June!! YEAH! So that had been my life lately.... if and WHEN I pass this test on the 25th.... I will feel like a new woman. I have so many pictures to upload and share... just need to clone myself as I have often said.
One small obsession lately is trying to find a unique coat rack.... we use them A LOT here for some reason. My Grandma had an awesome wooden, standing coat rack growing up and now I want one. However, I come across all of these cool wall coat racks and I get stumped.... We need some though... bad... so I sit here and peruse the web instead of studying.... OK... I gotta go. Just wanted to check in. And I have a mini album I did that is cute too. So lots of posts forthcoming.... but after my test.... K?

Here are some of my latest WANTS from Crate and Barrel.... We are looking for something in our front hallway to store coats, shoes, backpacks etc....

I want this hutch in like 6 different colors.....

For Miss Molly...
And these candles WILL be outside in my patio once the weather starts STAYING warm...

Mother's Day was.....interesting.

2011-05-12T08:40:00.000-07:00

....to say the least. I woke up to two monkeys jumping on my bed. Each had a very cute card with lots of pictures inside.... and a ONE dollar bill each. Out of their very own wallets.. very cute. And it made me feel like the richest Mommy in the world (now I only owe $2,998.00 for my new engine). :) Once I was fully awake, We got dressed and I took the boys to IHOP.... or they took me. Trafton couldn't swallow or speak so I told him to get to the doctor's to make sure he didn't have strep throat.... which I knew he would have it. He looked awful.

So after breakfast and errands, the boys asked me if I wanted to see a movie. I told them I would LOVE to.... however, deciding on one that we all wanted to see was a feat. So Thor won... fine by me... let's hope he was a cute superhero, right? Well.... yeah. He sure was!! The boys enjoyed the movie and so did Mommy.... ***sigh***

Got a text from Traf... he was in pain and hadn't gone anywhere to check it......>>>insert non smiling smiley here<<< Seriously? The Little Clinic at the local grocery store was closed by this time. Called the doctor and they had JUST stopped taking patients an hour ago.... >>you can add steam coming out of the ears of the non smiling smiley at this point<< And we ended up here:

YEP.... 4 hours later, steroids, Z pack and a very strep throaty husband, we went home.

Where I did 4 loads of laundry, 2 loads of dishes, changed the bedding, cooked dinner and went to the grocery store...
But who's complaining? I am lucky and proud to be the mama of two crazy boys and one BIG BOY... I am lucky to have a family to look after.... even if it does get interesting sometimes...
And I got a 90 minute massage yesterday so that more than made up for the stress!! :)

Oh.... and I have a new boyfriend after Sunday's event.... Chris Hemsworth.... hes made a dreamy Thor and totally made the movie fun for a Mommy on Mother's Day..... Thanks Chris!
***SIGH*** told you he was cute. :)

UPDATE TO FEARS POST....

2011-05-07T05:21:00.000-07:00

As of Friday, May 6, 2011... I can officially say that I have at least 11 fears....
11. Dying inside a Chevy Tahoe Z71 while it is on fire.... seriously... (this picture is just a reference of what ALMOST happened to me... well... it may be a bit dramatic.... but it was kinda scary....)
Driving to the hospital for my regular Friday shift, my car slips a gear and starts making some REALLY scary noises.... like, the kind you NEVER want to hear coming out of your car that is driving.... I managed to turn around and get home since I was fairly close... Pull up to my driveway and a whoosh of smoke follows me. I see my normally calm husband holding a coffee mug outside waiting for me.... THROWS the mug down... runs for the hose and yells GET OUT OF THE CAR!!!!!! Ummmm.... needless to say I moved faster than I have in over 15 years. My transmission cracked and all the transmission fluid was catching fire (maybe on the catalytic converter?!), at least that is what Trafton said. Fire put out, AAA called and probably $3000 later, I may get my Tahoe back in...say.... 2 weeks or so. UGH. Sooooo not a good Friday. so.not.good. :(

Fears....

2011-05-06T05:10:00.000-07:00

We recently had a discussion at work about our fears.... rational or irrational. Some of them are pretty funny... some more serious. Afraid of toes? That was the best one.... although they are sometimes not so pretty.... So I tried to come up with my top 10 fears. To be honest, there are only a few that make me reaaaaally feel like I am going to have an anxiety attack and others that just give me the willies.... so here they are from BIGGEST fear to not so biggest fear:

1. Child abduction...what can I say... it's my biggest nightmare....

2. The dentist.... I literally have a HUGE phobia of these people....3. SLOTHS.... yes... I know they are docile,tree dwelling, herbivores that live in Central and South America... but the nails really are creepy.... not to mention their weird hair and faces...BLECKCreepy, right? You should see these things walk on the ground.... DOUBLE BLECK....

4.CREEPY/SCARY clowns.... or Ronald McDonald... must have been traumatized by him when I was younger. And you can thank Poltergeist and Stephen King's IT for the scary ones....5. Heights.... in the following manner of speaking... this just makes my stomach hurt looking at these pictures..... I have seen this in person and would have to say that it made me weak to even THINK about doing that....

6. POTATO BUGS.... or Jerusalem Crickets.... NO THANKS!! I have my Dad to thank for this one. We would go up to Northern California on trips and he LOVED to point these hideous things out wherever we went. EWWWWW. And yes... they get their own category....7. Most insects don't bother me.... here are a few that DO:8. Dolls... especially a lot of creepy old dolls...again... thanks to horror flicks and my Mom's love for creepy dolls growing up.....9. Alice In Wonderland.... creepy movie, creepy plot... and animals that talk? That is just scary and weird.... not to mention the movie they originally made.... 10. LIGHTNING... this wasn't a real issue until we moved to Colorado....after Trafton was struck on DAY TWO of living here, I started taking the stuff a little more serious. It gets pretty crazy in Castle Rock on some days. Beautiful... but scary.
And that folks.... are my Top 10 FEARS....

Rainbows are happy things

2011-05-05T08:37:00.000-07:00

Pink and Green Mama

2011-05-04T07:45:00.000-07:00

I adore this blog.... and etsy shop too:
Pink and Green Mama Her blog is full of fun and colorful projects that you can do with the kids. She is always providing links to great projects and products as well. And who can resist all that color?!?!

Extreme Couponing....

2011-05-03T07:27:00.000-07:00

I can thank my mother in-law for getting me sucked into this show. I recorded a few episodes of Extreme Couponing to see what all the fuss was about. It was hard for me to believe that these people could get so many groceries for $5.49 (I think the grand total was $1100 or something). Craziness, right? Well... these people are a bit obsessed with it... I can see doing this for a big family, to help with church donations...etc. But how many bottles of mustard can one family use? Certainly not 67.... right? WOW... that's a lot of condiments... Trafton hates the fact that I watch the show... I think he knows that I would give it a shot to see how much we could save. Maybe he's afraid of me wanting HIM to start couponing....he doesn't even believe it's real but it is pretty amazing what people have actually saved. Will this all go bad before they can actually use it? It is pretty extreme but it is also pretty amazing as well. You should check it out. I may have to start clipping a few coupons to see what I can save..... then again... there aren't enough hours in my days lately....and these families put A LOT of time into this....
OK.... this is just nutso.... Really? I hope this lady is feeding 14 people.... SERIOUSLY...

This is where I would draw the line.... dumpster diving...

Let me know what you think of the show.....if you have time to watch it. :)

Landon's Field Trip

2011-05-02T05:15:00.000-07:00

Anna asked if I was SURE that this bear wasn't REAL... so cute...

Anna and Landon... This was our group at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo... we fed the giraffes again (Landon ACTUALLY did it this time) and we weathered the sleet and snow to make our way around the zoo. Here are some pics of our fun trip.

Probably not the BEST placement of the kiddoes... but they picked it. :)

Landon's little buddy, Collin... this boy is SO adorable...

Can you tell what a lovebug Landon is? He just loves his friend!! :) This was also his very first bus trip and they were all soooo excited!!

Mason's Economics project

2011-05-01T12:08:00.000-07:00

I vote this the best project of the year.... Mason's economics project was to provide services for our family.... and he did so... with little fussing... and WITH. A. SMILE.... Wow... he got a great great on it and now he is tooling around the house doing chores happily... WOW...

I KNOW I KNOW

2011-04-29T09:40:00.000-07:00

NINE whole days ( or has it been longer?!?!) since my last post. :( Boo on me. I have been working lots.... lots of days off for the kiddoes (on my only day off....) and a field trip with Landon's kindergarten class to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. I have been busy... we are in for some snow sometime this weekend so will upload some new pics from the zoo and Easter... I just wish there were more hours in the day... or a clone of me that I could send to work. I want to be creative (and have been... a little). Made a few of those necklaces that I wanted to make and am set on doing this wall hanging for the boys' room.I have all the goodies for it and reeeeeaaaaallly want to break into this new line of boy paper by Crate.... Here is the link to make your own:

Here at the Crate Paper Blog

See you a bit more this weekend hopefully.... Trafton is away for 3 days so that means I get to play!! YIPEE!!

Just a few pretty finds...

2011-04-20T05:32:00.000-07:00

I love THE WHEATFIELD
There are so many beautiful, POSITIVE daily reminders in her shop. :) This one is for when I miss my ocean in California.... I love this letter k...

Gorgeous lampwork beads...

And I think these rainbow bobbies are ADORABLE!!!

MiChiMaLand...

2011-04-19T10:26:00.000-07:00

Just some of the cutest little felt goodies I've seen on etsy. What an adorable shop. Take a look:

MiChiMaLand on etsy

I am going to try to make these...

2011-04-15T13:02:00.000-07:00

But if you aren't feeling super crafty, you can buy them here:

Lilly Pie Accessories

If you ARE feeling really crafty.... here's the tutorial:

HERE

Bass Pro Trip

2011-04-11T06:51:00.000-07:00

After Mason's ball game on Saturday, we went to the Bass Pro Shops in Denver to stock up for Mason and Trafton's turkey hunt coming up next week.... Mason learned how to call turkey at a demonstration.... he did great!! The highlight of the trip for ALL my boys...

Never too old, right?

Fun Saturday afternoon. :)

New favorite mug....

2011-04-10T08:08:00.000-07:00

Animal lovers...look away....

2011-04-08T05:33:00.000-07:00

Well.... Trafton has made Mason an official hunter.... his first turkey hunt and he snagged a record turkey for both the guide and the ranch they hunted on in Kansas. The boys were so ecstatic, that even though I am not a hunter/huntress in any way, shape or form, I just HAD to be happy for him. I think he called every single person he knew to tell him about his bird. Way to go Mas.... at least I know we will never starve.... LOL

Funny video of Mason...6 years ago...

2011-04-07T07:01:00.000-07:00

I wonder if Mason will always be my little daredevil....

I mean seriously Mason... could you NOT just go down the FIRST hill? Wasn't scary enough for you? And let's hope he learns to keep his eyes on the road later on in life...

Wordless Wednesday "Happy Spring" from.....

2011-04-06T05:59:00.000-07:00