Santa’s Workshop

Christmas was busy in Santa’s Workshop this year.  Evie received a barbie house!  Thank goodness Santa knows how to build one of those!  Plus, Grandma & Grandpa must have an “in” with Santa because they helped stock the house with more furniture besides what Santa brought!  I’ve seen only the back of Evelyn’s head since Christmas morning!   (Long nights working {indoors because it’s too cold to paint outside!})

On Christmas Eve, we went to our traditional breakfast as a family, and then we went to the Grand America Hotel where they have window displays inside the Hotel.  They have a little treasure hunt to look for certain things in the windows.  When you complete the cycle, you end up at the bakery, and they give you a cookie.  It was a lot of fun, and I was very surprised with how well Evelyn enjoyed it.  Merry Christmas!

Funeral Flowers

This month, 2 of my uncles on my mom’s side passed away within 2 weeks of each other.  Both were old and had lived wonderful lives.  It was a fun reunion as a result!  I loved seeing my beloved cousins and talking with them.  It was also wonderful to hear the beautiful words my cousins expressed during the funeral about their fathers.  They were amazing men, and I know my mom adored each of them.  The second funeral was close enough that I could deliver the flowers for it from the nieces/nephews and my mom & her siblings.  It was an honor to put these together to celebrate their life!

While there, I snapped this photo of my mom and her only remaining sibling (out of 7).  This is her older sister.  I love this picture of them!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Merry Christmas everyone!  We hope you have a fabulous holiday with those you love!  I am so grateful for my Savior and the joy and hope that His birth brought to the world!

Meeting with Santa…

We had our ward party this weekend.  We gathered for a nice soup/salad dinner on a cold winter night.  It is so wonderful to meet together with neighbors we love so much.  Our santa is fantastic!  After a very nice program (my sisters were wonderful enough to come and sing with me for a couple numbers…), he arrived, much to the delight of the children!  Evelyn was really excited and went right to him; not timid at all!  What a doll she is!

‘Tis the season to be jolly…..

Handmade Gift Exchange

I participated in another handmade gift exchange through craftaholics anonymous.  It was so fun!  You sign up, and Linda randomly matches us up with a partner.  My partner is expecting her first child this spring and loved the phrase “I am  child of God.”  So this is what I made and sent to her. (she requested this color combo…).  I added the family initial for her to enjoy as well!  

 

My partner sent me a ton of darling hair bows for my little Evie & a bow holder.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was wonderful this year.  We went to Justin’s family this year & had a great time.  One of my assignments was the favor.  This is what we had at each setting. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Gift ideas & Christmas Crafts

It’s time for Christmas crafting!  My favorite craft this year is my countdown to Christmas magnetic tins.  They are so fun to make because I just think of the magic of excitement each day as a child opens a tin to find a treat or an activity inside. 

Here are a few other favorites!

Block Nativity: a scene from the nativity on each side.

Stacking Blocks: $12

Here are my favorite gift ideas for a mom, sister, wife, friend or grandma! 

 

Multi-word block set. Spells at least 17 words between the 7 blocks and covers about every season or holiday!  ($20)

FHE chalkboard!  Perfect gift for the sibling you give to this year!  $25

Message boards:  Magnetic board $25 & Dry erase board $20 (different sizes = different prices.  Can be custom made – colors, etc.)

Custom wood letters in any personalized way!  $2/letter

And, of course wood signs!  These can be made in any size and color.  You can put a custom saying or one I have already created (many to choose from!).  Prices vary. (a few samples below)

Happy shopping this season!!

Halloween Fun!

We had a fun Halloween.  Evelyn was the chick-fil-a cow and so we had to visit there for dinner before going trick-or-treating.  She was a hit and loved the attention.  They let her ring the cow bell!  Also, customers in the store were taking her picture.  So funny. 

This is her 3rd Halloween, and so really, the first Halloween that she could really enjoy.  It’s amazing how quickly kids pick up going house to house! We had a fun time visiting neighbors as we went around.  By the time we made it back to our house, I only had about 5 groups come by our house.  With all the homes being taken down around us for the highway, no kids made their way over here.  Lots of leftover candy.

Justin took her around dressed up as a cowboy – complete with his horse!  I made the sign by painting some chipboard, and printing the vinyl on my cutter.  Then, tied it onto her with twine. 

The Farm in Minersville

This weekend was the start of the deer hunt.  Evie and I drove to Minersville with Justin and he took off to their camp in the mountain.  On Saturday night he came back down to spend Sunday with us.  We had a really nice time visiting and staying with Grandpa Great and Grandma Kathy was there too.  We took a drive on Sunday out to the Dairy Farm.  The cows are so adorable, and the first time we saw them, I realized I had forgotten my camera.  So…we drove back to grandpa’s, got the camera and returned.  Needless to say, the shots were not so “candid” the second time around…but they capture the idea of it. 

Evie walked right up to the stalls at the first.  This baby cow had knocked its bucket out and so she helped by putting it back. 

Here is just one row of the baby cows.  so cute!

Boutique season is here!

My boutique is this weekend, and then the next weekend we have a booth at the pumpkin walk in Stansbury park.  Here are some items I’ve been working on.

These signs turned out so fun!  They are old crate boards & I stenciled a graphic onto them.  Different, but fun.

My niece Ashley received her young womanhood Recognition Award. I am so proud of her!  This is what we gave to her to tell her congratulations.  The other side has the other quote.  She can decide what kind of mood she’s in …

the only thing that keeps me going is how brilliant and amazing I am.

Sweet little 3 year old Evie

Evelyn is now three!  She loves her babies, dressing up in skirts (sometimes 5 at a time!), playing with her kitchen, eating broccoli, Bubble Guppies, singing I am a child of God in Portuguese, playing ABC’s on the computer, going to preschool, swinging on Grandpa’s swing, stacking blocks, watercolor painting, chocolate chips, marshmallows, Dora & hot chocolate!  We love her so much.  She is such a blessing in our life!

She was watching a movie in our bed and this is how we found her awhile later.  So precious. 

New bike from Em! (Jamison & brenda…thank you!)

She finally got a shirt with “mom” on it!! She has 2 “dad” shirts and was so excited to have one that said mom!

Setting up her new tea set for a tea party with clifford, cleo & T-bone. She plays with the tea set every single day.