Sunday, September 18, 2011

Chalk

Do you want to know one of my favorite things? I LOVE my children's art and I especially love sidewalk chalk, always have..always will. I really don't think I ever even used it as a child growing up (we had a chalk board in our home) but there is something magical about my children drawing on our concrete. It is beautiful to me and it makes me happy :)

P.S. Another one of my favorites is when my children make snowmen! It makes me smile every time I see them out our window!
P.P.S. (I do not want it to snow yet).

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Wyoming, Japan

We had the privilege as a family to go to Martin's Cove in Wyoming with our ward. Don't we make great looking pioneers? It was a fabulous experience! My mother was wise and graciously offered to tend Savanna since we were in charge of the food and we were glad she did!

For the month of August we had a 13 year old Japanese Exchange student, Maho. It was a great experience for me and our family that we will be repeating in 2 years with Alex and again with Abigail. The requirements to qualify for this particular one month program is that you have a child of the same age and gender as the student. Her mother made all of our children these traditional Japanese outfits called Jinbe (the short sets) and Yukata (the dress).

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Where did the teenager come from?

Brittany turned 13 yesterday, we officially have a teenager about the house! Where does the time fly? We are so lucky to have such a beautiful, strong daughter. We love you Brittany :)

She requested fondant cake with three tiers. She designed the cake on paper and requested the color combinations and I think she did a great job. This is only the 2nd fondant cake I've ever made and it is fun, I really enjoy doing it for my children-it's one of the ways I say: I love you!

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Medley

St. Patrick's Day brought green themed things all day. Dinner was Thai food, we had green rice, green peanut sauce with green vegetable, kiwis, green orange julius', and our traditional pistachio cake, I didn't have to use any fake green coloring this year as everything was colored with food! Yes the leprechaun visited us and Parker's pants were green.Savanna is toilet trained! She's only 23 months but she was ready and is doing great! This means she needed to be able to get out of her crib to use the toilet. Wyatt made this little rail to keep he safe as we took off the front of her crib.
I got to go with Alex's class on their snowshoe trip, it was fun and we got to see a porcupine.
I love when my children build me snowmen, I think I should have one in my yard at all times but our snow doesn't cooperate because when it is too cold there is no moisture in it but this day, Alex and Abigail built three mini ones. If you could see the detail you would see eyelashes, eyebrows, smiles and even carrot noses! Thanks A&A you make my heart sing!
We just got 2 baby goats for 4H. They have to be bottle fed 4 times a day for a little while. The children love them.
Parker turned 4 and wanted a rocket jet plane for his cake, when the candles were lit it was "blasting off"

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Kitchen Pictures!

After 3 months I am very happy to upload pictures of our new kitchen. I documented the process all along the way of most every stage, so that's why there will be so many. Many thanks to everyone who was involved and a giant THANK YOU with much gratitude to Wyatt, his brother and his father. I appreciate all of your hard work!!! The first day. All of the cupboards have been unloaded, the appliances have been moved to the laundry room that now functions as our kitchen for the next 3 months and the old cabinets are taken off the wall. Wyatt and Felipe do the demolition while the cabinets are being built.
The 3 layers (sheetrock, plaster and old sheetROCK) on each side of the wall are removed.
One, two, three, LIFT! This I-Beam went into place with a lot less effort than the first section last January (go to my blog archive and see posts last January under "remodel" and 2 in February). The old adage, "many hands make light work" is true.
The studs have been removed and so has the old linoleum, plywood and tar paper off the floor in the old back entry.

Sheetrock is being attached to the metal beam with adhesive, the clamps are providing equal pressure. All during this process, new electrical wiring is being taken up into the attic and underneath the crawl space to give me more than the two outlets I had before. Wyatt is under the floor moving the plumbing around and also some furnace ducts.
Sheetrock and drywall has been completed. We are filling in the wood flooring where the existing walls were. Also the return air duct has been relocated to this wall.
The entire kitchen ceiling and walls have been primed and painted. Wyatt refinished the floor again (4 years ago, Wyatt had a friend who used to do it for a living help him so he learned some tricks -yet another skill) so all of it will now be the same. The base cabinets are installed on the exterior walls.
Sleeping Beauty. Look at those lashes!
You might be wondering, "why are there pictures of Parker and Savanna in the middle of the kitchen remodel pictures?" Well these were taken on one of the many trips I made to Idaho Falls looking for tile, paint, cabinet hardware, etc... Picking up formica, wood, the sink and supplies. What little troopers they were.
Can you say DUST!!! Wow remodeling creates dust in layers not just a film. I am in no way complaining, just documenting. It was a privilege to clean up in between each project. In a last minute, late night project Wyatt made me little shelves inside of the I-Beam and he pulled a phone wire so I can always have a phone (we seem to never have the cordless where it's supposed to be-can you say "Five little monkeys...")
Countertops were attached to the base cabinets, the sink is getting installed, Wyatt can now do this so if anyone doesn't want to pay for granite but wants an undermounted sink- call him, he's the man!
The raised bar is being created and the front of the countertop has been attached. The suspended seating support is installed.
Installing the formica.
All the beautiful cabinet doors are waiting patiently to have their hinges attached and to be hung. They are built out of rustic maple.
Hanging the doors, Paris and Nathan built them, what fine craftsmen they are. They turned out beautiful, and the stain... well now that's a secret!
Building the back of the island and finishing it off with wood.
The lights have been installed, Wyatt is so amazing, he was the electrician for this project too. He is so talented-Honey, is there anything you cannot do? They have lifted up the cabinet that goes over the refrigerator and freezer.
Backsplash tile set on the diagonal. Little details that make a BIG difference! Again, Wyatt worked with a professional tiler awhile back and picked up more skills.
Filling the tile with grout and then sealing it.This past summer, I stripped the six layers of paint off this original wood door to the bathroom so it could be stained and match my pantry door. I am just getting the last of the paint out of the nicks.
Toe kicks and the baseboards are being cut, stained and installed.
The finished pantry and bathroom door!
Shelves and counter are finished inside the pantry.
Inside the pantry (Wyatt added the wood flooring and finished the shelves).We are done!!! The appliances are in and everything has been cleaned. I love the two tone wood stain, the crown moulding and baseboards are a darker version of the stain we picked for the cabinets.
The china cupboard. The plate rack is Wyatt's baby. It's a fun addition :)
This is the counter height kitchen table Wyatt and I got ourselves for Christmas this year. It extends to seat 10. I love the fan/light above our table.
Suspended seating was the only way I was going to have a bar. Sweeping underneath this is a breeze so keeping it clean is manageable.
Here is the best overall picture of the room standing in the living room looking into the new kitchen, it's very open and bright. I like to have staring contests with the kitchen-obviously the kitchen wins but nonetheless I can do it for a long time ;) I am so grateful for this blessing for our family, words don't convey the joy I get from this. It is a completely different feel from what it was before, welcome to our gathering place!

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Eight is Great!

Abigail turned 8 years old and was baptized in January. She is a joy to have in our family. A peacemaker, a great helper and sensitive for sure. She was so excited for this day to come and thanks to all of our family and friends that joined us. Thank you Abigail for choosing to follow Jesus and be baptized and for being part of our family :)
Looking beautiful in her "second white dress" (Three White Dresses)

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Random Pictures

Here we are driving to Thanksgiving, the road didn't even open until 11 am, the roads were icy, visibility was low and traffic wasn't great but we made it safe and had a great time.
These are cousins at the "Kid Tables"


Brittany decided to cook a surprise meal for me. I didn't know she had planned any of this because I stayed 2 extra days in Utah after Thanksgiving to finish Christmas shopping. Here are the 5 courses on the menu: We drank homemade wassail, ate homemade cheese ball and crackers, salad, leek soup in a bread bowl, roasted lamb with homemade mint sauce, homemade cheesecake! She cooked this meal all on her own with very minimal assistance. I am so proud of the things she is learning.
Here is our Christmas tree this year. It didn't come out of our mountains for the first time and it isn't a borrowed artificial one, I think it's our most beautiful yet. (The boys weren't posing for me, I just found them this way and had to take a picture!)
Brittany plays the Tenor Saxophone in band, here she is at her first concert.
Brittany is the 3rd from the right. She played the bells several times this season with a hand bell group.

Wow

A lot of hard work has been going into our new kitchen and when we got home from our Pryor Family vacation this is the sight I got treated with!!! The base cabinets had been installed. The color is so me. The wood is beautiful and the cabinets are built wonderfully. Look for posts of the finished room later...