I have created cuteness!

It's boutique season again and I've been spending a lot of quality time up at my desk working on hair clips. I'm actually kinda excited about what I've been working on this time around and so I made Jane go outside and hold still long enough for me to take a couple of photos.

She kinda fell in love with this one. It might find itself a permanent home with us.

What do you think? Too much?

By the way... Jane got a haircut this morning before church.

Brent didn't notice. He's not what we would refer as "observant."

This one is for Christmas. Would you put this on your child or yourself this holiday season and then walk around like that?

I totally ripped this one off of someone I saw on etsy. Don't tell them. I'm not planning to sell it on etsy and they aren't going to be selling at Oh Sweet Sadie, so it's ok... right?

Right.

Thank you for agreeing with me.

I've got more. Lots more. Many, many, many more. Chances are good that they will find they way onto my blog, so I will advise you all prepare yourselves for that.

Pumpkin Patchin' it up

It is the custom in our family to make several trips to pumpkin patches in the month of October. I can't ever help myself. I just love me a pumpkin patch. And I love bringing my camera with me. Fortunately for you, I only got one photo that's worth sharing from our first visit...

I love it.

Please take into consideration that this is the same girl that didn't go to school ALL WEEK LONG because she was too far too sick to function. It's amazing what kind of energy she can muster up when pumpkins are involved.

Fortunately for you, I didn't go to the second pumpkin patch because I was legitimately sick as a dog and therefore, we have no pictures... yet. My sister in law informed me that she got some of the girls and intends to send them my way.

Fortunately for ME, I got to go to another one today and I got tons and tons of photos.

I know, Charlie. I get the same way every time I find myself surrounded by hundreds of pumpkins.

My mom is always getting on my case because I post unattractive pictures of Lizzy all the time. It isn't as easy as she thinks to catch that girl looking adorable. It might be the hair. Or the clothes. Or the absent minded looks she walks around with, but she just isn't the type of kid that's ready for her glamor shot at any given moment. It was a good day for my camera, though...

Take THAT, mom!

On the other hand, Jane is always ready for her close up.

And another.

She looks slightly annoyed here. That might be because I was forcing her to pose for a picture before she went through this:

That is what one would refer to as an awesome maze.

Charlie was the only one who would hold still long enough to take a picture with me, and he wasn't happy about it. He didn't seem to mind having his picture taken with Brooklyn, though.

Sometimes I think my kids like her more than me.

And sometimes I know it.

But even Brooklyn couldn't compete with the tractor.

Nice try, Jane. I'm not buying it.

And I'll leave you all with another adorable Lizzy photo just to let it sink in.

Happy Pumpkin Patching!

Adding one more to the family

A couple of weeks ago, I put Charlie's crib away. It was time. He's two now, practically a man. Cribs were SO last month. So up went the tiny little bed and down came the crib.

Sigh. Other than a month or so when we were switching Jane over to a bed, this is the first time in over six years that I haven't had a crib in my house. And when we took it down before, I was already pregnant with Lizzy, so I was still in baby mode. Anyway, it was a little bitter sweet. I've been a emotional about it, you know? Feeling kinda empty now that I haven't got a baby in the house anymore. I'm not entirely sure I'm ready to be out of baby mode.

The feeling was short lived, though, because we ARE having another baby in the house. We know he's a boy, we know that right now, he's very, very small and we know that he's a ball of fur that needs to work on relieving himself in the great outdoors instead of my front room.

I'd like you all to meet Buster.

You can call him Buster Brown.

Or just Buster.

"Heeeey, brother."

The little squirt used to belong to Brent's sister, but as it turns out, she's NOT in baby mode and happened to call me in my moment of weakness, offering her young one to us. Who can say no to that face? He's 4 months old and actually almost full grown already. His dad is a toy sized Yorkie, his mom is a Shih Tzu and he's a Shorkie. Or a mutt, if you're my dad.

That should keep those baby hunger pangs at bay for a good while.

LOOTD

I was going to try to write a post about our afternoon, which included Jane getting stung by multiple hornets (one got caught in her pigtail and stung her several times under her hair), the upstairs toilet overflowing and flooding the bathroom* and Jane loosing her first tooth all within the same 60 minute period...

but I'm just not feeling it. Maybe I'm tired from screaming hysterically for my husband's help so many times.

Instead, here are a few photos that I took of Lizzy last week.

She had been wearing her ballet clothes when I told her that I'd invited a couple of her friends to come over. She suddenly became acutely aware of her inappropriate attire and ran upstairs to change into something more suitable.

She was so proud of herself for getting dressed without any assistance. She doesn't like to have to ask for help for anything, especially when she needs to get dressed or go potty. (see the above reference to the overflowing toilet)

Those are tights that, I believe, are made to fit your average 18 month old. And, for effect, she layered them with socks. It was deluxe.

Let the record state that I love Lizzy.

*A couple of months ago, we were preparing to go out with Leslie and Cameron when we received a phone call from them telling us that Ben had happened upon and nest of hornets and been stung several times over. As they were frantically trying to treat him, they failed to notice that their washing machine had disconnected from the wall and was flooding their laundry room. I'm not sure what it is about the hornet sting/flood in the house combo and members of my family, but it's a very effective way to shake up your afternoon. Give it a try sometime.

Con-fernce weekend

Just posting a couple of photos (and their accompanying bizarre captions) from our weekend...

Remember how I mentioned that my mom's yard was more like a park? She's got the playground equipment and smiling, happy faces to prove it.

This is what Lizzy and I did while everyone else put together the playground equipment. I don't really like to get my hands dirty if I don't have to. Besides, Lizzy was dirty enough for all of us combined.

Did you know that my parents still have VCR? They do! They do! And it works! And my children don't know what it means to rewind! And they were wondering where the menu was! And I found myself saying "when I was a little girl we didn't have fancy dvd and bluray players and all we had were these tapes and blah blah blah" and I'm pretty sure that they stopped listening at "when I." So instead, Brent and I entertained each other by reminding ourselves of the Be Kind, Rewind signs at Blockbuster.

And now I'm feeling kinda, sorta, really old.

Moving on, my mom's backyard in Summit was getting jealous of the front and so she decided to give it a makeover. I'd have taken a picture of it, but I didn't have a camera (Brent had to take all our photos with his fancy shmancy phone) and also because it was a big pile of dirt and cement footings. It wasn't much to look at and there wasn't much going on over the weekend.

The workers had foolishly left their heavy machinery lying about over the weekend and Charlie was fairly certain that the world would come to an end if he didn't get to try it out for himself. As it turns out, I've been right about that child all along.

He's all bark, no bite.

His eyes are bigger than his stomach.

He bites off more than he can chew.

Ah, Chas. You are a total wuss. You are cute and lovable and fun and very, very wussy.

If you think this is bad, you should see him when the garbage truck comes by. His window is on the street and it wakes him up during nap time. He climbs up on his changing table, curls into the fetal position and cries. I actually kinda feel sorry for him.

Jane and I also made an excursion down to LaVerkin to visit two of our very favorite people.

Brooklyn.

And Brooklyn's mom, Sheri. (not pictured) (obviously)

Brooklyn made us her favorite meal and Sheri microwaved us some very fine rolls :)

We really loved being there with them in their new home. I think Jane and I both teared up a little on the drive home. It's not every day that you make friends as great as mine are.

All in all, our weekend was right, near perfect. Thank you again to my mom and dad for always having a room for us to stay in when we need a little break from real life.

Mum's Mums

My beloved family and myself took the familiar trek down to Summit to spend conference weekend with my parents. I love watching conference in Summit and did lots of sitting around and eating and sleeping and shirking my responsibilities as a parent. It was fantastic. I'll tell you more about it later, but right now, I've got more important things to focus on.

Flowers.

Last year (it WAS last year, wasn't it?) my parents landscaped their front yard in Summit and this year my mom has spent a great deal of her summer beautifying said yard. At this point, it looks more like a park than some one's front yard.

She's got all kinds of veggies and flowers growing...

but the best part is the mums.

She spent all week planting these mums.

I love fall mums, don't you?

I mean, I seriously LOVE mums.

Time well spent, Mother.

Time. Well. Spent.