Conference time and tutus.

The previous three weekends we had Women's Conference, then General Conference and the next week was Stake Conference. Its a time of self reflection. In fact I'm a hit and miss on new year's resolutions because I usually make the most important ones at Conference time.

Sometimes personal weakness can feel so overwhelming and frustrating. But Conference always inspires me with more confidence and capability to meet my demands. I can definitely do alot better.

So a few of my Conference inspired resolutions : Mostly just the basics.

Personal: Meaningful personal Prayer and scripture study. Find a time to pray in the crazy morning hours.

Family: Patience. Earlier to bed (big one for me). FHE every week. Watch my words and body language especially around my little sponges.

Other: Attend the temple monthly. Always pay tithing first. Control my tongue and negatisms about people and situations. Stop the procrastination!


Speaking of procrastination. I had spent all Saturday night making these no-sew Tutus for our Super Saturday display today. They are actually going to be part of the girls Halloween costumes. Saydee is going to be a witch and Elli a bunny. I used this tutorial from Plumtickled.typepad.com. They are so easy and they have a large variety of colored tulle, even darling sparkle tulle at Hobby Lobby. Goes on sale every few weeks.

At home

We've been mostly chillin all day at home this week. Alot of time outdoors means alot less cleaning up their wreckage indoors. So we do that. It must be that vitamin D and fresh air but there is always less fighting and happier faces outdoors.

We got this hay bale to display our pumpkins. And our girls have slowly been destroying it. Notice all that loose straw? PS, I would really love to build a simple little bench for our front porch. Wouldn't it look lovely under our window? It could replace our haybale. Heath??? I know you read this occasionally :)

We play hide n'seek alot. If you haven't played it with toddlers in a while, let me refresh your memory.

6 times we played. And 6 times I found them behind the haybale.

Saydee pleading with me to play "one more time". Even with her sweet sad face I could not do 7.

They distract easy enough.

Fall does make me a bit antsy. You know it can't last forever. And a long indoor winter is just around the corner.

On a more possitive note if I could freeze an era of my life, it would be now. I've had a pretty good life and loved growing up, but nothing makes me happier than being a wife and a mother.

Apple and pumpkin picking

Heath got a 4 day weekend this week. What with his flex Friday and Columbus Day this Monday, we decided to have ourselves a little staycation. Thus Friday Zoo Day and today Apple and Pumpkin Picking Day.

Our little vacation couldn't have had better timing. Weather has gotten a bit chili here but this weekend has been beautiful and warm, mid 80s. And we always have so much fun with our friends, the Critchlows. Ours kids have become pretty much inseparable these last few months. We will miss them tons when they move.




The nice guy who took this picture cut Heath and Elli out completely. Rude but still nice.

Again Heath rudely cut out. Man the guy can't catch a break. It was a good day.
I will be sad when I have to say goodbye to this warm weather.

snuggling

A few days ago the girls fell asleep together watching a movie while I cooked dinner. Between 4 and 5pm these no nap days hit them hard. After determining that Elli was indeed still breathing of coarse I got the camera. I did the initial "ahhh... how adorable." And then the realization hit that we'd now be staying up with these two into the late late pm hours.

The Perfect Zoo Day

Today we enjoyed a gorgeous day at the zoo. The girls were much more enthusiastic about all the animals this time. And I love how the Zoo gets so festive for Halloween.

Right before we left Elli took a painful faceplant onto the asphalt. She cried for a sec and then ran off again. Her little face definately shows a little roadrash. Kids rebound so fast. They make me feel so wimpy.

Some projects last way too long.

That's how we feel about this Farmhouse dining table and benches, well now just the benches.
Our table broke 2 1/2 months ago. Building our new table took a day. And 2 months later building the benches took a day. Staining was our downfall and robber of these 2 months time without a dining set. Now after much trial and error we'll remember to research more and jump right in a little less. Not our forfeit. Of course nothing educates better than firsthand experience.

We learned that polyurethane stain (stain + polyurethane mixed in) does not bond well with raw wood. We also learned that nothing dries here in our Illinios summer heat and humidity.

I'll spare you the details and more of our staining drama. Just know it does not have to be this hard. When we did it the right way it was pretty darn fast and easy. We do love how our table turned out.

And the benches should be done anyday now especially if we actually work on them :). We've pittered out on enthusiasm. Sitting to eat is overrated anyhow, am I right? JK we do have our old chairs which don't quite fit the height of our table but work.

It was exciting times for the kids while staining the table. For two weeks (mostly time spent drying inbetween the stains and restains) the kids picniced on the floor or ate at their little outdoor picnic table. And yes we had a few too many meals on the fly during that time while Heath and I slaved away. They were in cereal and hotdog heaven.

I'll try to snap a picture of the final result. I'm sure most people could make and stain these table and benches in a weekend. Wish that was our experience ;)

A home for catapiller

I was sanding down some benches in our garage with the girls playing in our driveway when Elli comes to me running and yelling. "Mommy! Mommy! I fine a Caterpillar. And he loss his Mommy!" She was very insistent that I come and help her and Saydee right away.

But, alas when I got there to help the little Caterpillar "find his Mommy", he was nowhere to be found. We searched forever. Then Saydee says to me "Mom, I think I know the problem. He just can't find his home or maybe his house burned down." (She is obsessed/scared of fire and things burning up).
So they set out to build him a new one. And now they are waiting for him to find his new home, and his Mommy too.