One of THOSE days!

We had a few Christmas items to return, a watch that didn't work and a hoodie needed traded for a different size.  Since we have free passes on Frontrunner we often drive to the station and ride the train to Salt Lake,  to The Gateway.  The kids usually take their 3DS's because they can access free wi-fi and that entertains them on the ride.  Today was no different.  After our exchanges were made, we tried to hustle up to the TRAX stop to catch it back to the train station.  The TRAX was approaching and it didn't look like we were going to make it, (even though I thought we should try to run for it) but according to the schedule, we could just wait for the next one and it would arrive in the nick of time to the Frontrunner.  The next train came, we got on, and for some reason, it waited through 2 cycles of lights at the intersection without turning while we were chomping at the bit knowing that every second counted.  As we were almost there, I could see the arms of the crossing go down and sure enough the train was departing.....without us.  DANG!!  The next train was another hour!  I was a little irritated.  So we thought about going back to the Planetarium  to kill time in the gift shop, but of course, I made a snotty comment about how we should have ran for that other TRAX.  Shawn got mad and got off.  We still sat on.  He told us to do whatever we wanted.  I didn't know what to do, Taylor didn't want to go back to The Gateway to just have to turn back around and come back so I told the kids "let's go".  All the kids and myself got off.  That TRAX was ready to depart, it announced it's departure and started away.  Cade got this horror stricken look on his face and said "my 3DS case and games are on the train".  (fortunately his brand new 3DS system was in his pocket). He had set the case on the seat next to him. I started running after it and tried to push the button, but as soon as it takes off, there's no stopping it.  The kid is hysterical, I'm freaking mad, the other boys are starting to peck on Cade giving him their best "YOU dumb IDIOT" (as only brothers can do). We're like, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME, YOU JUST GOT THAT YESTERDAY!!!"  The other TRAX train that was arriving as soon as it stopped  the driver then came over asked us what the problem was, that he saw us running after the train.  He radioed the other train telling him a case and games were left, it was only a matter of minutes but as they checked the train, nothing was to be found.  How frustrating!  Someone snatched that up instantly, and as the train attendant went walking by, they must have known someone RIGHT THERE had it, and that someone knew EXACTLY what they were looking for.

We fumed, of course I was thinking that over $70 had JUST slipped through our fingers and that made me mad.  Well, the Frontrunner arrived and had about a half an hour before departure, so we boarded and sat.  One of the games was Cole's so he was feeling bad, I was still going over the what if's....what if we had run for the other TRAX, what if Shawn hadn't got mad and got off, what if I hadn't hurried the kids off, what if.........

and then tempers started to cool, the look of Cade huddled against the window with his back turned to everyone, a tear streamed face, the image of his horror stricken face as he remembered he had left his case and the games.  Of course we're thinking how we're going to "FIX" this.  Do we practice the Love and Logic and say that he's going to have to suffer the consequences and work to earn money to replace Cole's game, take his away as punishment. Or do we realize that he is just a sweet (but very forgetful) 9 year old that makes mistakes, sure, some more costly than others, but just replace the items.  Shawn called him over and gave him a hug and the tears just started flowing out of him. He felt terrible. That's when we realized what we were going to do.  

After we got home, Shawn and I left.  Christmas was yesterday for crying out loud, and we were more than ready to slow the cash flow, but we had some remains of a gift card, and I had a new coral sweater that I'm sure I didn't really need and with that we replaced the lost items. As a parent I think we're always trying to do the right thing, battling with what we think is the best way to handle a particular situation.  Others might have handled this entirely different, but in this case we did what felt right to us. You know, it's only money!

How neat is that! That's pretty neat!

For the LOVE of boys!  Our older kids went to scout camp on vacation,  to Jackson Hole and came back laughing about these videos.  Then when we went on vacation I swear we heard  "How neat is that? That's preeey neat!" literally thousands of times.  We've watched these several times and for some reason, they get funnier the more we see them.  It's like Napoleon Dynamite to me, and we still say, "make yourself a dang quesadilla" every time someone's looking for an dinner alternative. Boys have a silly sense of humor.

Let the stress begin

The house hunt is on.

We have been in our current house for 15 years, where does the time go. I didn't think that when we bought it we would be here for so long, because it was small when we bought it and has only gotten smaller as each child entered our family. I always joke that in the summer, my square footage increases as the kids spend most of their time out

side and the house doesn't seem as full. I've kept telling myself that lots of families "in the olden" days grew up in small homes... and with lots of children, but somehow it's different now.

We have lots of good memories here, it's where we grew our family and have made friends that we could easily consider family. I feel like it's where we've "grown" up. But it's time to move on and we're excited for the change. We feel grateful that our entire family is on board and excited for the change. To say I'm super nervous would be an understatement, heck, I need benadryl to even get any sleep. I don't expect I'm going to be very pleasant from here until January 12th what with house hunting and Thanksgiving and Christmas and all the stress associated with all those things. I'm not t

he most stable person to begin with. (And nobody would argue that in my family). So, chocolate and caffeine....lots of it and maybe we'll make it through. Can't wait to see where we end up.

Lucky, Lucky me!

As a preface to my post, I have to put it out there that I have for as long as I can remember been a huge fan of black and white. My wedding was just that. Black and White. I'm also extremely crazy about polka dots and the hounds-tooth pattern. So......., last year I was browsing RCWilley with my sister one night and came upon this chair with over sized black and white hounds-tooth upholstery. I gasped! I sat in it. I swooned over it. For crying out loud, I even pet it. And it was $1200! What the????????So I walked away, saying good buy pretty chair. THEN, an RCWilley commercial comes on TV and Paige Davis was sitting in MY chair. I backed it up and recorded it on the DVR. I showed Shawn when he got home so he could see THE chair I had been talking about. One night Shawn and I were browsing floor coverings at the SLC showroom, I hunted all over the store until I found it so he could see it in person (I was sure he was dying to see it). Goodbye again!

A few weeks ago, my sister saw it in the Clearance center. They called me to give me an opportunity to pay $450. for it. I had to decline given the fact we're trying to conserve due to hopefully moving and of course Christmas,.... just couldn't do it.

But then....., tonight, my sister called and said she's leaving work and she's stopping by on her way home. I go out to the car and she has THE chair........for ME....Holy Cow!!!!! Instantly I cried! I'm totally grateful to her and for her. I cannot believe she did that for me! Can you believe she did that???? The gesture is beyond generous...really. But that's the way she is. She's the one who got me through our looooooong unemployment phase. When things were what I thought was more than I could handle, she's the one I'd call. And during that time she called and asked how long it had been since I'd changed the oil in my van, she made a phone call and called me back and told me what time to be at Jiffy Lube as she was taking care of it. Who does that? (Well, actually she does that ALL the time....she's always taking care of everybody) And she's the one I'd tell when I was overwhelmed with emotion for the miracles and generosity we received during that time. She understands hard times and hard things. She helped me make it. So, yes the chair is a beautiful gift....I will LoVe it forever!!! It makes me feel loved and I'll think of you every time I sit in it!!!!! I Love you, Cindy!!!!! You Made my Day! You're the best! Isn't she BeAuTiFuL?

Birthday rag quilt

This is one of my BFF's, Amber.This is her daughter Nea and she is Noah's BFF.
Her birthday was yesterday . . . and this is what I made her.


HOLY COW, it turned out cute! I want one just like it.

Jump starting the holidays

I usually do all my creating after the 10 o'clock hour when the house quiets down and I'm all alone. My friend Wendy prompted a little craft morning and I have to say......that's the best, Hands down!!! No tutorial here, but the stockings are from Hobby Lobby and already have the bells attached. After mod podging assorted printed papers to them, I strung them using flexible jewelry wire evenly apart (I have never used this stuff before, but I am now SUCH a fan). A trip to the dollar store for the glittery ornaments and some tulle and sheer ribbon finishes it off. Thanks to Wendy and Penny for the get together and good company, I'm ready to do this again ANY TIME!!

Too cheap to buy the real thing

So, last year I heard about the elf on the shelf, I thought it was a cute idea and wanted to get it, but once I checked it out and found out it was $29.95 I said forget it. Being the cheap and resourceful girl that I am, I was determined to rip off the words to the book from somewhere (I was hoping someone would post the poem somewhere) and I planned to create my own little book. It must be the protected secret of the universe, because I couldn't find it anywhere. That brings us to this year and I'm still too cheap to plunk that kind of money down, so after scouring the web, I came up with this alternative. This is a similar idea, where you can print a letter from Santa introducing you to your elf, and the elf's passport, great idea from

organizedchristmas.com ! I have been on the lookout for an elf, and just last week found this one at Robert's crafts for $7.99 (unless you score a 40 percent coupon like me!)

We haven't officially introduced him to our family yet, but for now.....he's an extra set of eyes in the teenage boy's room.