Harvest Directions

Okay, so I've had some requests for the instructions on how to do the Harvest display. The credit for this design came from wonderfullywordy.blogspot.com. You can also email her at casonshelley@gmail.com for the complete package, and she can ship it to you. Here are the directions:

1. Go to a vinyl distributor and get her to make the word HARVEST. HVT is 8"x 4.5 ". AE are 4"x 4.5". And RS are 6"x 4.5".

2. Get 2x6 board cut 3 at 9" 2 at 7" and 2 and 5"

3. Sand and Paint blocks. (spray paint is fast and easy)

4. Cut cute scrapbook paper the size of the blocks. Rip the edges and then apply stamp pad to the edges, making it look burnt or roughed up.

5. Glue down the paper to the boards with modpodge. (read directions on modpodge) you want to apply a lot and then scrape down with a credit card. Then wait 15 mins for it to dry.

6. While your waiting for it to dry apply the letters to the paper. Ask your vinyl lady how if you dont know.

7. When 15 mins are up, Modpodge on top of the letter and and paper. It will seal it and give it a glossy look.

8. 15 more mins and then you can decorate! Buttons, ribbon, leaves, and riff raff make this project!

* note if you want to do a smaller scale on a 2x4 do same sizes but make letters 2.5 inces wide instead. I wanted something big. Ours cost about 18 dollars to make.

Harvest

See my beeeeauuuutiful craft? I did that last night! All by myself! Cute huh? I got the idea from wonderfullywordy.blogspot.com. You can order a kit through her. It took around 2 hours to make. It wasn't hard to do at all! And speaking of harvest. I did that too. :) I went to my mother in laws house and we did this craft and we canned peaches. It was fun. Ive never canned before, so it was a learning experience for me. It wasn't hard at all. Lots of fun actually. (The people you do it with is the fun part) I did 35 jars of peaches and 6 quart size jars of peach jelly. I didn't get home till midnight last night, but it was well worth it. It was a fun girls night out. :)

What a morning!

I AM POOPED! Let me tell you about the morning I've had. So my house is up for sale as everyone knows. And I've done a pretty good job (for having three kids) at keeping it clean. All until this weekend. We put our carpet in, so doors had to be taken off, furniture had to be relocated, and the house got trashed. Then yesterday I worked for hours and hours on corn. Which was a success by the way. I shuck and blanched 130 pieces of corn. Whew. But everyone knows what happens to your house when you let 3 monkeys take over and your adding to the mess with lots and lots of dishes. So this morning, I wake up, feed the kids, and get them settled into a cartoon, and sit down to check my email, and blogs and stuff (its my morning wake up time) and I get a phone call. OF COURSE ITS THE REALTOR. But here's the kicker. Its not someone wanting to look at the house, it is a whole bunch of other Realtor's coming to look. Annnnndddd..... he's had this planned for 3 weeks and not told me!!!!! Well not till this morning at 8:30 and they were going to show up anywhere between 9-12!!!!! So I freaked, and banned Kevin from going to work until he helped me put the doors and closets back on. Then I raced to clean whatever I could before they got there. Of course my poor kids got the blunt of my stress. Lets just say there was yelling involved. Meanwhile I still have to get Madison ready for school and the other kids dressed. Just as I was cleaning up the last thing they showed up. Phew. House looks good. I told them I couldn't leave because of Madison going to school. So like 20 people come in, my Realtor says go for it, and they all scatter. They gave themselves a self tour and left! Just like that. No explanations of all the goodies that the house offers. Nothing. All of that pain, stress, and torture and that's it. I'm a little aggravated. So I'm venting. I hate this part of selling your house. But on the up note, my house is clean, and I'm going to go to my in laws house and meet up with my sister in law and mom in law and can peaches and do a cute craft. I'll post pictures tomorrow. Kevin is watching the kids. I'm taking a break. :)

Corn Pickin!

Tonight we went corn pickin! :) It was an adventure to say the least. Of course I couldn't turn down a photo opportunity. There were some nice bails of hay nearby though that we could sit on and take some pictures. They turned out cute - I think. The kids had a BLAST. It is harder than you think to get the corn off the stalk though. You really have to pull them hard.

It seems like every picture I took, one of the kids wasn't looking at the camera. I took like 6 or 7 pictures and NOT ONE of them has all three looking at the camera and smiling. So I had to pick this one as the best. At least the big kids are looking at the camera. I took lots of pictures of Hannah because she was my only still subject. I can put her some where and she'll stay. I couldn't get the kids to SIT STILL! They wanted to go pick corn! Go figure?

I love this picture with the kids laughing at each other. Its one of those precious moments you catch by accident. I love those. Of course after all that hard work of picking corn, (really Daddy was the only one who worked for his keep) we all went out for ice cream. The kids had fun and now we get to learn how to "shuck" corn and freeze it. That will be tomorrows adventure. Check back tomorrow to see how that went. :) I'm sure we'll survive.

Fall is here

As I woke up this morning to it being 63 degrees in the house, and a lot lower outside, I'm reminded that it is fall. Today I'm torn between loving fall and hating it. I always love the changing seasons.... the new smells, looks, feels, and clothes. (maybe it mostly the new wardrobe) :) Fall has so many good things to it... beautiful leaves changing colors, the start of many fun holidays, yummy foods like pumpkin pie, pumpkin cookies, hot chocolate, and egg nog, to name a few. The feeling of putting on a jacket and having that brisk feeling hit you when you walk outside. The smell of snow not far away. Living where I do I get to enjoy all four seasons. Football season starts. So I love all these things.... but this year we had an extra long winter, which meant summer started late. So I'm torn with loving fall, and not wanting to give up my shorts and flip flops yet. Laying out in the sun and reading a book. Playing baseball out side with the kids (and not freezing to death) Watching them play in the sprinklers. All these things are making it hard for me to be ready for it to be over. What do I do? Well I have to get over it. CUZ ITS HERE. :) I'll just focus on the positives of fall (the clothes and food are at the top of the list!). Today after Madison gets out of school were going to go pick corn to f

reeze. Yet another fun thing of fall is to can and store. "Harvest" So that should be fun, and we'll get some fun pictures out of it too. I guess in the end, I'm looking forward to another change of season. Fall or not Fall that is the question.

Carpet is in!

We did it! The carpet is done after 4 days of trying to get it in. :) (Note to people doing construction, nothing is as easy as you think. Always plan double the time that you "think" it will take. Something ALWAYS happens.) It looks good and the kids love it. It feels more like a part of the house now instead of the basement, aka dungeon. Now that everything's done..... were going to sell it. :( I think this is a recurring theme of my life. Finish a house, move.... ;)

Kevin and Vanessa Through the Years

Today I thought I'd post some pictures that I thought was funny. Ive been wasting way too much time today doing it, so I might as well make it our blog entry today. Its our "yearbook" pictures from the 1950's to 2000's. If you go HERE you can do it too! Its funny because some of them you start looking like your mom or grandma! Notice in 1994 Kevin looks the same as he did in 1994! I even believe he had that shirt! My favorite for Kevin is 1976 - he was a hottie. And my favorite for me is probally 1966, love the hair! HAHA! Right now were in the middle of putting in carpet in the downstairs, so tomorrow I'll post some pictures of the finished project. Have fun and happy yearbooking!

Hannah and Madison

Today I just have the girls because Austin went to work with Daddy. So I thought it would be a good idea to show off all the tricks that Hannah can do and Madison's toothless grin. Lets start with Madison first.

As of 2 days ago Madison has lost all four teeth in front! She just lost the last one on the bottom right. She walks around singing "all I want for Christmas is my four front teeth" :) She's very proud that she's the only one in her class and on the street that has lost so many teeth for her age! Were going to get family pictures taken next week so we can document this awkward time in her life. :)

Madison and Hannah have fun together. Madison is a good big sister and helps Hannah all the time.... I don't know what I'm going to do when Madison goes to school full time next year!
Now lets get to Hannah. She all of a sudden started doing all of these little things that make me laugh. Shes saying so many things (which if you know my kids, they don't talk till their 3!) She coming into such a cute personality and feisty too! She doesn't take anything from the kids, she'll give right back to them what they give to her. :)

Hannah just figured out how to feed herself with a spoon. She's so proud and wont let you touch the spoon now. She wants to do it!
When you say, "lets say prayers" she folds her arms like this. Its so cute.

Hannah practicing all of her words. She can say more, but my mind went blank and I couldn't remember anymore. She just started walking too finally. About 3 weeks ago. So she likes to walk all around the house. She follows the kids around like a puppy dog. :) At the end of the clip she says, "bye bye mama" which means I'm done. LOL

This one is last and so funny! Hannah figured out how to blow on Daddy's tummy last night and now she's trying it out on Madison. You cant help but laugh when you see this. LOL.

Neighborhood Horse

Yesterday the little girl down the street had a birthday party and brought a horse for all the kids to ride! The kids loved it! They all took turns riding the horse. A bonus of living in the middle of nowhere. :)

Austin couldn't wait to get on, and then couldn't wait to get off. :) And then.... he wanted back on again. LOL!

Madison loved every minute of it! She thought she was a real cow girl! She kept asking if Daddy could buy her one. :) She even got a quick lesson on how to ride!

Moving

Soooo....... Kevin goes to Alaska to go fishing. There he meets the person who hires body guards for the church. Who then in turn offers Kevin a job. And guess what! Were taking it!!! WERE MOVING TO UTAH! Ha ha! So our house is for sale, he is wrapping up this year, and were looking for houses in Lehi. There are a lot of bonuses for this job. We get great benefits, job security, and good retirement. We have family around there so we wont be totally away from everyone. Now we just have to get Vanessa's parents there! Weve had a lot of prayers, and blessings, and temple visits, so this isnt just a fly by night thing. Were pretty sure this is what were supposed to do. They even pay for Kevin to go to school. How nice! :) So Utah, HERE WE COME!

Madison's First Day of Kindergarten!

Here are some pictures of Madison's big day. I have such a big girl now! She lost her front tooth a week before school started. Hard to believe she's already kindergartner! Of course Mommy cried. :) But she was so excited! She said, "Don't worry Mom, I'll miss you too.... but I have to go to school now." LOL! She's a hoot!

Hello Everyone!

Yes, I'm finally doing it.... I'm blogging. Mainly to let everyone know whats going on in our lives, and to make sort of a "journal" for myself. I hope everyone enjoys, and feel free to leave comments. ;)