another give-away

OK so I didn't want to be one of those people who post a whole bunch of giveaways--but I need to post this one!

I have been trying to make an aapron for MONTHS now and I am totally stuck on the bias tape--I am not confident enough to continue....so maybe I will just win one instead


Check out this cute Aapron!
http://aprongoddesses.blogspot.com/

so cute!

cute hair bow give-aways

http://tinydiva.blogspot.com/2009/08/giveaway_25.html

go here to see the cute hair bow give-away!

I hope I win the happy birthday ones or the halloween ones!

camping--

La Jara Resovier

So the Larson family went camping last weekend and had an interesting time.

Pepper is not quite old enough to take camping and have her parents enjoy it!

We arrived at our spot and enjoyed a nice little time of fishing and watching the sunset.

SO PRETTY!

Cute little mess of a girl

funny face

(great movie btw-I suggest everyone rent it-unles you don't like chick flicks)
and can you see all those hairs at the top of her head sticking up--that is where she cut her hair off this summer.

Lucas fishing--LOVE THIS PICTURE!

wish you could the fishing pole--

it looks like he is comtemplating life.

The next morning we woke (that is assuming that I slept, which I did very little of)

to a nice drizzle of rain.

We "enjoyed" it as long as I could and then packed up and headed home.

We left around 4:30 and were home the next day by noon...

short, but nice to get away for a while.

However, I found that even if you are camping for 1 night or 6, you still pack almost the same amount of stuff (yes more food and clothes), but really you pack almost the same amount.

and if anyone is interested. I have a camp packing list...I am posting it for your enjoyment.

(I also have a packing list for the sanddunes and up to denver if anyone is interested)

CAMPING LIST
Tent/stakes
Sleeping Bags
Pillows
Flashlight
Camera
Trash bags
Wet wipes (for clean up)
First Aid Kit
Glow Sticks
Umbrella
Sunscreen
Bug Spray
Matches
Pocket Knife
Toilet Paper
Small Table
Guitar and Music
Camping Chairs
Towels (small & Large incase they fall in lake)
Work Gloves
Wood?
Walkie Talkie
Small Dust Broom for Tent
Bucket to do dishes
Bandanna
Cards (and other activities you can play in the tent during rain)
Water Bottles
Duct Tape
Scissors
Hatchet
Baby Backpack
Guns and ammo
poncho’s
if you have small children a portable potty chair

Pet Items
Rope
Food
Dog bowl

Cooking Items
Dish towels
Soap
Spatula-with a long handle so you don’t have to reach into the fire
Frying Pan
Paper plates
Paper cups
Napkins
Sippy Cups
Hot Coco
Marshmallows
seasonings
cooking oil
a kettle to put on the fire
a hot pad
lots of water!
spoons/forks/knifes

Dinner
Hot Dogs Ketchup Relish
Buns Mustard Mayo
Marshmallows
Breakfast
Pancakes Milk Syrup Butter
Snack idea's
Muffins/popcorn/granola bars/tin foil/red-hot’s/cinnamon/Apples
apples cooked on fire, wrap in tin foil with red-hots & Cinnamon
Lunch

Hamburgers

Buns

For the Kids
Toys (outside/digging)
Crafts-
1. Glue to make sand paintings
2. Paint & Paper (Make stamps of rocks, leafs, and so on)
Scavenger Hunt—find and take a picture or do.
1. Skip rocks
2. Walking Stick
3. Pretty Flower
4. Round Stone
5. Litter (and pick it up)
6. Fish
7. See some wild-life
Backpacks to hold treasures and hiking stuff
Star gazing
Wood gathering ---Longest stick, biggest stick, crookest stick. etc.

Per Day (or so)--clothing and personal items
Amy Lucas Sedona Pepper
Pants Pants Pants Pants
Shirt Shirt Shirt Shirt
Socks Socks Socks Socks
Underclothing Underclothing Underwear Diapers
PJ PJ PJ PJ

All Kids Extra
Hair brush Lotion Camera-Film/Batteries
Toothbrush Pain Killer Cell Phone
Toothpaste Allergy Medicine Chargers (car)
Floss Cold Medicine Day Planners
Hair Accessories Night Medicine Pillows
Tweezers Nail Clippers
Chapstick Blankets

CAR BAG & DIAPER BAG
Diapers Wet Wipes Music Drink
Snacks Toys Books

Per Person
Shoes (water shoes/boots/hiking/or at camp)
Extra set of clothes
Wash cloth
Hat
Sunglasses

Summer
Sunscreen Bug Spray
Sandals Swimming things (goggles, suits, floating, toys)

Winter
Coats Hats Gloves
Scarves Boots

Hello Everyone--Dyson Give away!

Organized Chaos is a fun blog I ran into--Here is a give away that she is doing--she does many!Hope you enjoyhttp://www.myorganizedchaos.net/

To Do for Friday

So I have Annie's girls today, but I am still determined to get stuff done.

Here we go!

Laundry--keep it going all day!
Done--1. Freeze the beans and Peas in fridge
Done--2. Check Garden for anymore veggies that need Frozen
3. Start a rice blanket for the girls
4. Clean kitchen
Doing--5. Look up Apple reciepes
6. Start picking Apples
7. Do Apples the rest of the day.

Wish me luck! I will keep you all posted!

Next projects...

So tomorrow Sedona's teacher is coming for a home visit--which means I will clean the house better than normal, so that naturally means I will find lots of stupid odds and ends stuff to keep me not focused on my task--One which I am hoping to be a really cute flip chore chart that I found on a blog.

They took a three ring notebook and turned it into a chore flip chart.
I have a brain book for myself, which I need to get into the habit of using again, so why not give one to my kids...
The notebook is flipped on it side so it stands up by itself and each child have a ring with her chores on it. It is great, but I can't find the picture--When I make mine I will take a picture so everyone can see what I am talking about!

Off to get ready for scout activity! Have a great night everyone!

Train Wreck--maybe I will submit this to Cake Wrecks.

So I have learned some things in the last few hours.

1. Making a cute cake is no longer on my things to do...it is not worth the time, trouble, mess. To make a really cute cake you need more patience than I have and more practice than I am willing to put into it.

2. Good music makes even the most boring task interesting.

3. I like coming up with cake decorating ideas more than I like to do it.

However I did make the train cake--

Enjoy--but don't mock....

The full train from the side ( I tried to fix the major frosting mistake on the front one--

This is from the top --see I tired to fix the side...
The engine couldn't go worse...
Candy toppings include

Lolipops
Chocolate carmels cut into pieces
Nerds
Blue Tootsie rolls

The wheels and headlights are made out of dots-smoshed flat Last picture ( I am sure you are saying THANK GOODNESS!)

Cute cake to come....I hope

hello all!

I am very excited because one of my goals is to do a cute cake before I turn 30--Well that is coming up quicker than I want to admit, but I think I might get this one off the list....today!

The cub-scouts are having their kick-up tonight and I was just going to do another boring cupcake thing, until I looked up cute cakes--I saw one that was a train--and I have a perfect cake set to do a train--they are mini loafs--of about 2 cup-cakes put together in size.

I have 0 money so I am improvising with what I have---and I might even enter into a contest that I found on another blog--if it turns out ok.

Wish me luck--pictures to follow--I hope it turns out! If pepper stays asleep for a little while longer it will help ALOT!

PS: can I just tell you that it is very annoying to try to make a cute cake only to have your HUBBY come in and tell you a couple tricks and the cake looks SO much better--he didn't do it with this one, but he has in the past--I AM the one who is supposed to be the good cook, but alas--he is still better at that than I am. The only thing I have found I am better at him is
1. Singing (and only because he didn't grow up singing, I think he would be better if he learned and practiced
2. Some video games--
but really those aren't very important in the grand scheme of things....

Temple Trip

TEMPLE TOUR

We arrived at them Temple at 10:35-and our tour started at 11:00

We split the group into 2--the older (about 5 and up) and the Younger (4 and younger) and went our different ways.

This is the older group...I was with the younger group so I am not sure what they were saying here.

The younger group--They tried to find nice shady spots for us to sit in while we were looking at "a point of interest".



The words on the Temple--


Angel Moroni

the pretty temple flowers. I really liked them.

The Older group again

The younger Group

Pretty Flower on Temple Grounds

Trying to Get all the Primary kids to take a picture

Attempt #2

Attempt #3--Hope Kelanee got some better shots than I did--

After we went to a cute little park and had Pizza and let the kids play a little.

The ride home for me was horrible! I am terrible at directions or remembering how to get places, SO I got lost and was lost most of the trip home (until I got to the road that goes to Ojo and Antonito). I was very frustrated and in alot of stress so I had a nice time, until then!

Hello Cyberworld & Sedona's Starts School.

Why I play in Cyberworld!

I have been thinking alot about why people even Blog, and I think I blog in order to fulfill a few things....

1. My need to stay focused...when I blog (and take pictures) I want people to see the progress I am making, including myself, and this helps keep me motivated.

2. Gives me a distraction. Some days I am just not interested in doing housekeeping stuff (ok, actually just about everyday!), so logging on and writing for 10 minutes (1/2 hour) gives me just a little reward from the daily routine.

3. Makes me feel like maybe I am contributing to the world. I have found that I like to give, and be recognized for it...I know we are supposed to do secret works, but we all like praise and if I can do/write something that helps someone else out then I feel good.

So here is my TO-DO list for the day--Pictures to come as I finish jobs--

1. Work on my mountain of Laundry!

2. Go through Toys and give MANY away

3. Bring some Toys downstairs

4. Dishes (always dishes)

5. Follow my schedule really well--So far--NOT SO GOOD!

I will post my schedule later in the week.

Sedona started school today!

The bus doesn't pick up Sanford kids anymore, funds cut and lack of bus drivers, so we took the stroller today, and hopefully will take the stroller until it gets too cold--then I was thinking maybe I make some more rice socks and heat them up so the girls can stay warm and I can still get my 5 minutes of exercise in...

Anyway...Sedona walked right into her classroom right up to the teacher and said

"Here I am!" and then stood there until the teacher looked at her and Sedona said something like

"How do I look?" the teacher told her ....

"You look so pretty!". Satisfied Sedona went right to a chair and sat down...other kids were still clinging to their parents, but not Sedona. The teacher just smiled and said ...

"you know what you are doing, huh Sedona?" And Sedona just smiled at her....then Pepper started to go in and I told her...

"no only Sedona", which caused a little whining until I told Pepper to tell her Bye-bye. For some reason saying good-bye to someone makes it all ok for Pepper. Since dropping Sedona off, Pepper has asked about 20 times
"Where Dona?" Poor little girl is so sad to not have her sister to play with all day.

(peppers sad face)

Also, Sedona took her time getting ready today--She wanted to wear her pretty dress--her matching shoes, her sparkly bracelet, hair in pig-tails, and of course her fingernail polish--where did I get such a girly-girl?

This is Sedona putting on her toe-nail polish!

Don't worry, it isn't real polish, or else I would have made her do it over paper in the bathroom.

Just a break from the everyday

Lucas asked me if I would be able to do the dishes today, that is the first time in almost 3 months that he asked me--and he wasn't being rude--the dishes really needed to be done. I am pretty proud that I have kept the kitchen clean-most of the time-

now on to getting the bedroom clean all the time.

Have you ever wanted to get rid of clothes just so you would have less to wash? Does that work? I think it might in our case, but I have paid attention and found that my girls go through 2 pairs of clothes almost daily--Pepper for sure--After each meal I have to change clothes (she will not keep a bib on!).

I have also learned life is easier with "older" kids, meaning kids that can do somethings for themselves--like finding their shoes, bringing me their diaper, or Sedona is now dressing herself...Most of the time she does really good.

Does anyone else have trouble with getting their kids to play with toys? My girls love to play with other kids toys, but our own...the toys sit upstairs while my girls get into everything downstairs...I wonder if it is because I am downstairs they don't like to play upstairs-- I will bring toys downstairs later tonight and see if that helps keep them busy--won't help keep the house clean--but somethings gotta change--

Just for FUN
So I love Youtube because of the funny video's---My girls and I love the sneezing panda, and looking at laughing babies---The latest one I saw is called Grandma hitting a car---It is an old women with a silver car waiting for her--it you also watch youtube look it up--I am pretty sure it isn't real, but made me laugh.

Random

Sedona loves this outfit (thanks Annie) and she did her own hair--She really wanted a picture, and of course Pepper couldn't be left out--So here are my cute girls!

I wish this was baby powder, but it is Destin! I don't know why Pepper loves it, but this is not the FIRST time she has done this--she is so proud of herself. Luckly she didn't get any in her eye (I know it looks like she did, but she didn't!). She is always into sometime.

Scrapbooking

All my scrapbooking papers, stickers, embellishments, and tools are pretty organized, so now I all had to do was organize my pictures. First I put all the pictures in different catergories--Camping, car shows, birthdays, and so on....then I sorted them out by year...so all my pictures are organized by year (as best as I could tell) and them---not the real fun starts....
In the process of organizing pictures--I was almost done by this time--you should have seen it when it was really a mess--good thing I did it in a room I could close the door on--No kids allowed in here for about 2-3 days while I did it all.

PS: Most the time I just organize my stuff instead of actually using it...now that it is all together maybe I will actually get something done!

I will have to post the pages I finish.

Camping

Sedona and I went "camping" the other week--We made a fire, roasted hot dogs, and slept in a tent-that Luke set up for us...

These are the pictures

We had a comfortable bed (thanks again to Lucas), and some good-night books to enjoy!

In the morning Lucas made us eggs, bacon, and Hot Coco--what a great dad and husband!

Lucas's Man Cave

In Luke's shop he is always inventing things to make his shop better--the latest is his "man cave", which is actually just some desks and a "bar" area he is making so his customers have a place to drink their pop and hang out while he works.

This is the first picture while he is making his area--He took the desk from the scary clutter room and put it to good use out in his shop.

More to come---later... At least in his "man cave" some of his little women will be welcome!

He and Sedona set up this work bench for her, but Pepper enjoys it alot also.

Off to go make a chore chart for Sedona and get dinner on the table

before Lucas goes home teaching!

Also I wanted to do a blog on Mr. Darcy again, and how he compairs and contrasts to Lucas--That will be a highlight of things to come. :)

life is good

As I write I have two little girls crawling all over me asking me to do 4 different things!

What a blessed life I live!

I had a friend one time make a happy list--of all the things that make her happy
(note being tickled it NOT one of my happy things--as Sedona has learned and thinks is very funny!)

So I will start a list and add to it on and off....each in a new post....
this is not in any specific order.

1. My little kids who still want to play with me
2. A clean kitchen
3. Fresh laundry sitting in the dryer--and not the washing machine
4. Finishing a project that has been sitting for months
5. Little girls who get so excited to see their dad walk in the door
6. Dancing time with my girls
7. having a lovely garden that I have already started to harvest and freeze
8. A husband who works so hard for us
9. Watching the fireworks on Manassa hill--even if you have a slight chance of being burned...
10. The smell of rain
11. A rainbow that touches the ground
12. My little Sedona "whistling"--she just makes a loud, high pitched hoot.
13. Pepper winking at me
14. S'mores
15. Campfires--I have learned I enjoy camping because of the calm in the morning and the campfire--those two things makes the rest worth while
16. Sleeping in a comfortable bed
17. Being woke up to a Sedona face right next to mine saying "Pepper woke me up!"
18. Raspberries
19. A hogi-yogi raspberry/Heath ice-cream (Does Hogi-Yogi even exist anymore)
20. A really good book-that you can put down, but are excited to read ASAP
21. A nicely done Scrapbook page
22. Stickers
23. Good kids in my primary
24. The telephone
25. Moms who are trying hard to be good moms
26. notebooks and fun pens--I LOVE fun notebooks and fun pens
27. Jobs that allow you to be creative
28. I love planning things--even if they aren't going to happen
29. When the girls sit still long enough to do their hair cute
30. General Conference editions of the Ensign
31. I am always amazed--though I shouldn't be--that there is always a talk in the ensign designed just for me!
32. Garbage men--I would hate to deal with all my trash--or ANYone Else's
33. Plumbing
34. The colors Red and Yellow and yes even pink sometimes
35. Caneoing--I have only had one weeks worth of opportunity, but I fell in love with it--especially in the very early morning--
36. Waxed legs--I hate shaving--waxing is worth the pain.
37. The crunch of really cold snow--and how it sparkles
38. I like the smell of people burning their leaves in the fall
39. The memory of my dad sitting in his chair describing how all the Christmas tree lights look like fireworks without his glasses on.
40. A wall painted red
41. cute and fun blogs--that don't make you feel like to big of a slacker--
42. Learning a new recipe that takes really good--and is easy
43. Family/Friends who help me try new things
44. The smell of lilacs
45. Watching hummingbirds on our hollyhocks.
46. Good Chocolate chip cookies
47. A movie that can be watched over and over and over
48. A song that makes you get up and move no matter what
49. An eternal family
50. Hot Chocolate
51. The smell of jack-o-lanterns before they burn
52. That one outfit that makes you feel really good about yourself
53. Waking up with a feeling like you can get ALOT done today
54. Crossing off your days To-Do list-before you run out of steam...
55. leaving something better than you found it.
56. Spell check!

OK I really could go on and on---but I will stop...for now

no more farm games---

So after reading an article in the Ensign about being addicted to Video games--I saw that I was one of them--I wasn't a bad mother, but I found myself rather playing the games then eating with my girls--That right there should have been my wake up call, but it wasn't until I read the Article that I saw the trouble I was in.

I don't like to be addicted to anything, so today I blocked all farmville and farm town from my facebook---I haven't really thought about it today, but I am sure tomorrow when I am bored I will miss it---I did go online and find some great activities to do with your kids, so if I start wanting to play my games I will just turn to those idea's.

OK--so maybe my blogs will be more exciting now that I am not spending all my free (and alot of my not-so-free time playing games!!)

Media Fast---Over

OK So i went maybe 15 hours--but in my defense...Lucas join Farmtown so I had to go and visit his farm....Sign....

maybe tomorrow will be better!

Media Fast?

OK I am totally addicted to Farm Town on Facebook---so much so that I think I will plant plants that take 2-3 days to grow--and Say Good-bye to Farm Town AND Facebook for two whole days---I will start tonight---however I do need to go on and say what I am doing--people might be afraid if I suddenly stop going there!! :)



Starting in 1 hours--no facebook for two days!

Lets see what I can get done in those 2-3 Days!!

Ready....GO!

The good---the bad--and the Ugly

So the good is that Sedona and I enjoyed a wonderful night in the tent. We enjoyed our campout alot and slept pretty well.

The Bad---Sedona did not clean her room--I gave her more than an hour to clean it and when I went upstairs it was just as messy as before.

The Ugly--I went and got grocery sacks, and put all her toys on the floor in the sacks--She will be able to earn her toys back if she keeps her room clean for 1 week--If not, the toys are going to goodwill. She cried the whole time I was picking toys up to put in the bag.


Sedona has gotten into the habit of licking! It is SO GROSS. She just licked her finger and wiped it down my nose as I was typing. I am not happy!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I took before pictures of my rooms downstairs and will post after pictures as they get clean. It is 2--and I have spent most the day on the computer and that always makes me grumpy, so I am off to get something DONE.

Hello

So today I went to Alamosa so I am pretty much done for the day, but we are roasting hot dogs and marshmellos tonight and sleeping in a tent. Sedona wants to go Camping---so we will at least go to the backyard--

Last night I gave the girls a bath--and then I was so smart--I went outside with them, sprayed them with bug spray, built a fire, and we roasted marshmellos

---remind me to wait til AFTER to give them baths next time! They were more dirty after that then they were before the bath!
Oh well- You live and learn.

you can't really see all the dirt on sedona's face!

Also Lucas took the desk from upstairs so that cleared out an area upstairs in the scary room! Pictures again to follow.

Almost...

I think I ran out of steam---I had Roj and Keeda today and they were great.

I was able to get lots done on my list, but not all.

I Finished
1. Trash
2. Lawn & Swept (our grass leaves clippings which bugs like to live in so Lucas bought me a great invention called a lawn sweeper--it saves me hours of work)
3. Bathroom cleaned (except tub--which it doesn't need too bad)
4. I got 4 loads of laundry folded and put away--3 loads washed-and 2 loads dryed. I know it doesn't make add up--but I had loads dry without putting them away- and I am still working on it.
5. Car! That was a big one--I got the Cruiser all cleaned out and vacuumed (now I have a mess inside to deal with!)
6. Clutter room---OK I didn't work on it for more than 5 minutes, I found letters I wrote to Lucas while he was on his mission--I read a few of those--OK I read for about 15 minutes--cleaned 5, read 15--sounds like a typical day.

Plus the dang farm games on Facebook are so addicting! I have got to do something about that!

Tonight I will keep laundry going, do a quick pick up of whole house, put some Car junk away, and look through pictures--unless Sedona wants to sleep in a tent outside tonight, then everything can wait till tomorrow!

Some fun movie trailers that look fun!
I am not sure what they are rated, but I would like to see them.

This one is a little environmental, but still looks fun
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2igjYFojUo&feature=popular

Amelia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioZCEpRLpxo&feature=channel

Just a little break---off to work!

Done....

1. trash
2. 1 load washed-1 load dry
3. Lawns Mowed!

Oh and....

Upstairs Scary Clutter room-

Today is a game--How much can I clean up in the 20 minutes I am giving myself to work like the devil on it

The Scary Clutter room has Piles more than the whole thing being a total disaster--
This is mostly Christmas stuff that I need to go through

This side is the worst, and you can't tell, but there is a pathway through the junk--that wasn't there before!

Anyone need Baby Stuff? I have a very Old School Swing, and a Lovely bassinet!

The Car mess---I never got my car cleaned out from Denver, then we had celebrations, then Sand-dunes---so it just piled up!

Back Seat

The Trunk--I actually cleaned a little out of this so it won't be too bad!

The Driver Side---I can't find anything to say the least!

I envy those people who are naturally clean and organized!

The Bathroom-not that bad, just mostly a normal clean

My Piles of Laundry start at my door and work its way back to the ever full laundry bag!

But Luke did make the bed this morning!

These are the pictures of my TO DO list--lets see what I can get done...

I also need to add

1. Take out Trash (DONE!)

2. Mow Lawns & Lawn Sweep!

-Back & Front

Alright Lets Get to WORK!

Life List today

OK so I need to get so energy and motivation going again--
sorry if you find my to do lists kind of boring, but like I said I find that the blog keeps me motivated---

So today I will....

1. Do 5 loads of laundry (wash, dry, AND put away)
2. Clean both the cars out and Vacuum them
3. Clean Bathroom
4. Clean Upstairs scary room for 20 minutes
5. Sort my pictures half an hour!

OK--I will take before and after pictures to help keep myself honest--

Here I go!

Am I propery caring for my husband?

I really need to re-read
"The Proper care and feeding of Husbands"

Before you have a fit--it is a wonderful book about how we, as women and wives, need to treat our husbands with respect. I feel that if more women read this book and actually applied the teachings (I don't agree 100% with all of it), then people, marriages, men and women, would all be happier.

Of course this only works if you are in a healthy relationship to begin with!

BTW (by the way)--does anyone know where my copy of it went too? I gave one copy as a gift, but I thought I had two....