Painting

Last month, I decided it would be fun to get some new crafts for the kids. I found some paints at the store, and let them have at it.


Painting really is a lot of fun.

Apparently, the paint also tastes pretty good. I couldn't keep it out of her mouth. Oh well. At least it's non-toxic, right?

Josh saw Emily painting herself, so he thought he'd get in on the action too. If you look closely, you can see his temporary mustache.

FHE Treats

Last night, for family home evening, we made sugar cookies for refreshments. We had some dough from Friday still in the fridge, so we thought it would be a fun activity for the kids... and yummy, not to mention.


Ready to cut some out?

Working together

Emily

Josh

Fish Tank Stand

So, we began having problems with the location of our fish tank the moment Emily became interested in it. She loved to go and put her hands in the little door at the top... gross! And as you can see, the cords trailing down behind the tank and along the floor also posed a serious problem. It was such a fun area to play in, that it occupied far too much of my time keeping both the kids away... though mostly Emily.


Our fish tank, as shown here, used to be on this cheap, cheap, cheap... actually free... coffee table. Peter had to reinforce the bottom of the table to make sure it wouldn't break under the weight of the fish tank. It was ugly. The cords were a mess. The kids could play in it. And we had to kneel down to enjoy the fish. The green color of the water happened because we thought the new stand, or cabinet, would be ready pretty quick, so we waited. It ended up being an extra two weeks. Oops! Fortunately, all our fish survived this experience.

Peter made the cabinet for the fish tank to sit on. Our back porch became a makeshift woodworking shop for a couple weeks. Here the kids are "helping" with the finishing touches.

Thought I ought to include a picture of the genius wood worker himself. Attaching hinges on the doors... almost ready! Yeah!

The finished product! Notice the lock on the cabinet doors? So essential. We also have the cords and the air tube for the bubble stone pulled into the cabinet from behind. Inside, we have a power strip that everything plugs into. So the only cord coming back out is the power strip cord, which the kids cannot get to, since the outlet is directly behind the stand. Ah! My life is so much easier with this new cabinet. I love it. Peter even designed it himself. He is so creative. He is a wonderful husband and father, and I am so fortunate to have him. I love you, Peter.

Temple Trip

It has been EONS, but we finally made it back to the temple. Thanks to our friends in the ward who asked us to join them to the temple, and take turns watching the kids at the park. It was wonderful to be back. I can't wait to go again. Though we'll have to come up with a new solution for the kids. They ended up being at the park for 6 1/2 hours. (With a 2 hour drive each way.) Talk about a long day.


All of us in front of a fountain in front of the Orlando Temple. Took about 20 shots, and Josh FINALLY smiled for us.

Happy Birthday Emily!

Emily's birthday was on Tuesday, January 27. She has been such a joy in our lives for the past year. We can't wait to see what happens in the years to come. We love our little girl.

1st Birthday cake. Made my mommy, with love. I made the same cake for Josh... without the pink bow. I think I'll make it a first birthday tradition. Everyone will get to get a bear cake.

Emily enjoying her cake. If you notice throughout the collage, she begins by tasting the icing, then she really dug in. We gave her the entire ear, all for herself... in was only a cupcake. But it had a TON of frosting on it. Boy, was she a mess.

Josh enjoyed his share of her "birthday" too. He'd been asking if we could make her "birthday" for a few weeks. So, he got to help a little with it too. I guess the fact it was a birthday cake for her birthday is a difficult concept. It always surprises me what comes out of his mouth.

Opening a few presents. She actually figured that out very quickly. Maybe it was because Christmas wasn't too long ago.

Emily is such a girl. She saw this doll, and stared for a moment, then got a huge grin. When she first got the doll in her arms, she gave it a huge kiss and a big hug... which is what you see here. At least she understands that we love our babies.

And then she got this stroller to put it in. Wow! She's having so much fun with her new toys. She loves to push this thing around almost as much as she likes to climb in it herself... no she doesn't fit, and does need help to get back out. I need a picture of that, I think.

She really did make out like a bandit this year. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

And last, but far from least, Emily got this adorable little dress from Grandma. Grandma is such a talented seamstress. By the way, she makes beautiful blessing gowns to sell. If you are in need of one, let me know. I'll get you in touch with her so you can find out what she has. Or what she can make. I am so proud of her. But, back to Emily. Isn't she so cute in this new dress?

Learning to Be a Model

A few weeks ago, I was trying to get rid of all the rest of my Mary Kay stuff I had stashed in my closet. So, I pulled everything out to get it ready for the thrift store. This included pulling all my makeup samples out of my nice little sample organizer, and throwing them in a pile on the bed. Of course, with me going through all this makeup, Josh wanted to make sure he got to participate. Below are some pictures of what ensued.

Josh putting on some lipstick with perfect form.

Here we are with the eye shadow.

And now for some blush. He was very thorough.



Here's the finished product. What a great job, Josh! Especially for a first try.

And here he is all cleaned up, but ready to practice posing for some shots. My silly little boy. :D

What does a stay-at-home-mom do?

So, credit should go to Leighanne for posting this on her site. But I wanted to put a link to the actual article here.

You can also see one SAHM's response to this woman's question here.

I thought it was very good. Sometimes I wonder what I do each day, and why I don't get anything done sometimes, but then I look at my kids and realize they are so much more important than making the beds. I love them and am so thankful for them everyday.