Looking for something to craft?????

Blake and I collected some pine cones today for this project! It is so simple that I think Cami and I can do it together!

{just some hot glue and ribbon....shh no one has to know!}

Check out these sites for some inspiration!

Check out this adorable pumpkin center piece at Reinvented!

Edie {one of my favorite bloggers} is hosting a 12 days of handmade Christmas full of awesome tutorials. I am already making one of the tutorials on there!

Check out Country Living's Holiday decorating ideas here

My latest craft project......

Owl Towel

This is the first time I have made my own applique` and actually sewed it onto something!!! It turned out so cute! (I think it actually looked better in person as I didn't have very good light when I took the photos)

This was a gift for my friend Amy for her baby shower. She is having her 4th boy in two days!!! I always make hooded towels....or hair bows. I love owls for boys. So cute! After she opened the gift, she passed it around the room where it was analyzed and questions were asked like how did you do this etc. I had to explain that it was my first applique and the machine gave me terrible fits all the way through! Why didn't I just get an outfit for him ??? LOL

I miss my blog!

Life has taken me in so many directions this past month that I haven't been around much. With the cold weather setting in (OK it was setting in and today it is 80 degrees out) I thought I would make some kind of yummy creamy chiken soup in a bread bowl for dinner tonight. I'll post the recipe and some pics later - that is if we all like it and I like how it looks in my bowl~ LOL

I have pics of the hooded towel that I made for my friend Amy's shower that I loved.....that I will get on here ASAP.

How have you all been???? For all my readers that don't have a google account...sign up already and get one so you can comment....or even start your own blog~ I would love to hear from you!

The Pumpkin Patch and Halle Berry? WOW!!!!

I already posted this on Facebook....I mean come on, where else can you share your excitement and see it spread instantly???? Oh but I do love my blog! So, here are the pics that my friend shot of me with Halle Berry in the background, we didn't want to be too obvious after all. OK, there was NO ONE else around us....the petting zoo is kind of off to one side on the hill and we stalked her all covert like. I think we pulled it off! Of course we waited for her to get out of the petting zoo which was about 2 minutes and then I told her how cute her little girl (Nala?) was in her darling outfit! She said thank you and was quite nice and then proceeded to wipe goat and sheep poop off of her sparkley sandals. So there we are! Enjoy and yeah I know that was a bit of a run on sentence if you ever saw one! LOL Have a great day!

Here they are with the animals.

And me posing

Here she is washing her daughter's hands (the other little girl and lady were her friends) Total normal mom!

Hi! That's my head! But there is Halle! (I don't know what that thing is in her hand....anyone else know???)

You can click on THIS to see it bigger! (Thanks Linds)

It's my 2 year Bloggiversary!!!! and the U2 concert!

Blogger isn't letting me upload any more photos for some reason! Darn it!!!! I have so many wonderful things to catch you all up on! I am so sad! {having my own pitty party right now}

So, I guess I will have to fill you in on my trip to Dallas with out all the fabulous pics!

So, my sis in law Cathy who is married to my oldest brother Jeff is a huge U2 fan....she knows everything about them and the two of us have seen many concerts together over the years. Well, since we were supposed to move to Dallas TX over the summer she went ahead and bought up tickets. {Isn't that sweet?} Well, you all know that we didn't move...yet. So, Cathy from ID, her sis Carol from VA and my sis Dallas from UT and me here in CA all flew out to Dallas to spend 4 days together doing all kinds of fun girly stuff! Shopping at the Galleria {amazing} 4 hours spent there and then a trip to the House of Blues, we had a driver and a Town Car to take us all over. We ate some really good food OK A LOT of good food!

Monday was the Big day! We got all dolled up and headed to the new Dallas Cowboys stadium. It was really nice. U2 was playing the inaugural concert and it was AWESOME!!!!! Totally Rad! LOL

The Muse opened up {love them!} and then "they" came on! I love Bono!!! I love all of U2 but I love the humanitarian in him too. He is happily married with kids and uses his fame as a platform for oppressed and forgotten people.

Here we are 13 rows away from the stage!!!!

This is Dallas my sister AKA my twin to everyone we ever met who didn't know us and to everyone on Facebook! My hair really did look cuter than the picture...promise! LOL

Did you see the lady drinking her beer behind us??? I laugh at that! The whole place was overflowing with beer. But we didn't have any crazy drunks though....sometimes they make a bad concert more fun but not on this night...no crazy drunks needed!

I have a few stories and pics to share that I have to post when it will let me! Stay tuned for the crazy taxi mini van driver!!!

It's a bit blurry but that man right there is Bono!!!! You know from U2? If you don't know who U2 is then I am so sorry for you! LOL

I can't believe two years has gone by so fast! I have really enjoyed blogging and keeping in touch with friends old and new and my family!!!! Hmmmmm........ what can I do to celebrate? I'll get back to you on that!

Sippy Cup Adeventures and why I haven't posted a picture lately!

Truth be told...........we have been doing so much lately and here's the shocker! I don't know if my camera is broken or just dead!!! (Mike I hope that you don't read this post!) The charger is somewhere in storage and the reason that it could be dead is that Blake's Diego sippy cup with the straw (yes occasionally I still have him drink from one...I don't know if it is because I can't let go or if it is because of the mess that I can still prevent while he uses one!) Anyway, I put that sippy cup in my nice Dooney bag and put it and Blake in the Yukon and drove off into our day. When I turned the corner, my purse slipped off the center console onto the floor! Well, that sippy cup was loosened ever so slightly by a sweet lil boy just b4 I put it into my bag. Yep! Apple juice drowned the bottom of my bag where my camera sits in its lil protective case. I went to turn it on and NOTHING!! My only saving grace is that I knew that the battery was low the last time I used it. Oh and the bag is fine!!! You would never know that the lining was completely saturated with juice! The leather (did I mention that it is red?) is as beautiful as ever!!! Gotta love those Dooney people!

Anyway, look for pictures (hopefully soon) of a little boy playing peewee soccer and all sorts of other fun stuff!

Have a great day!

Happy anniversary

Dear Mikey,

Well we are officially in the teens now!!! 13 years! I remember the first time I met you. You were so sure of yourself like you were gonna knock my socks off! Well, you did even though you made me play Clair de Lune infront of a hundred strangers(remember?)!!! We've known each other now for 16 years.....that is almost half my life! I loved that you were so fun and adventurous always making me try something new....mountain biking, hikes and most recently over the past few years you taught me how to ride my quad! Remember that guy on the Huntington Beach Pier that was kind of a wacky old drifter and how he played his guitar and sang "Mike and Elaine walkin down the pier...they love Jesus and Jesus loves them!" I think that was the night that you found out I was a baby! 18!! There you were a college guy who 5 months earlier returned from serving the Lord on a mission and had so many great experiences! I was so in awe of you. And now here we are....in our 30's happily married and raising our 4 incredible children. How did we get to be so blessed?

Looks like we are in for one of our "adventures" in real life now. If what has happened had to happen then I am glad it happened with you. You are so strong and wise, funny and great to look at. I am so proud of your decision to go back to school. Your first week back and your teacher already sends her praises!! You have had to make everything in your life happen completely on your own with almost no family support (except for Christina) and I know how hard that has been on you. You always come out on top no matter what life throws your way. It truly amazes me how our Father in heaven has blessed you! I will always be there for you and will always support you and be your help mate. We are your family and we love you. Thank you for my children.....I don't ever want to think of my life with out them (or you). Our 3 rough housing talented sons and one amazingly sweet beautiful daughter look up to you and love you so much. You are the man in Cami's life and her world, thank you for the way you treat her. It brings tears to my eyes to know that she has a soft place to land with her Daddy. She will have and does have the father/daughter relationship that I have always dreamt of for myself. She will have better self worth because of her relationship with you. Thank you thank you thank you. My babies have been the most incredible gifts...next to your love. Can't wait for our date tomorrow night. Did you get a babysitter??? :)

I love you...did I tell you today?

~Me