My 5 minutes of fame!

http://www.cw30.com/content/news/dailydish/story/Do-it-Yourself-Frame/IRIJyOqhW0OyqkWKqJ8UzA.cspx

colors of the canyon

Enough said 

Trick or Treat

"CANDYYYYYY!!! YAY, CANNNNDY!!!!" He was so excited to trick or treat!

Nonna dearest

Before Halloween my dear Grandmother celebrated her 86 years.

My mischevious Aunt and Uncle planned a little surprise dinner. It was so wonderful to spend the evening with my lovely family and I know Grandma had a great night, she even danced! 

My Grandmother is such a lovely woman. She has taught me so much in this life and is quite the fireball. I love how fierce and vivacious she is and feel so lucky to be able to spend so much time with her growing up!

changing things up

First off, let me just say I love having a video baby monitor. I'm a nosey mom and like to know what my kiddos are up to. It also makes when I craft a little easier.

 Today I finally took down Halloween, I think I was so hesitant because I don't really have any Thanksgiving decor. I wanted to change that too.... So I took some of the tree branches I spray painted black for Halloween and painted them white, FYI it was so much easier and faster to just paint with a foam brush and acrylic paint than spray paint. add that to some orange garland I have had for a few years plus my new felt wreath I made and vuala....

 This month we have started a gratitude chain, daily as a family we will find a handful of things we are grateful for and add to the chain. It has been a great opportunity to try to help Oliver understand what gratitude means, yesterday he added nursery, friends, and then listed all of his aunts, uncles and cousins.
Tutorial for the felt wreath:
Supplies: 1/2 yard of felt, hot glue gun, wreath form (mine is a small foam one from the dollar store)
cut circles ranging from 3-4" diameter. Next fold circles into many different ways ex. fold in half then half again. I played with many different ways to fold so they wouldn't look so uniform. Next just hot glue folded circles onto wreath form
Cost ~$3.50
The "Thankful" frame is just some scrapbook paper with painted chipboard letters. I like that the chipboard letters are simple yet they give some dimension. This frame will stay on my table and I trade out the picture for every holiday.

This guy isn't new, I made him last year. I think I saw this on Good Things Utah? but this is mostly paper cut into ~3" & 2" circles and folded to make the feathers

I think this wreath looks better in person, I don't love how it looks in a picture. But I also use this wreath all year long and trade out the embellishment. These are felt flowers. you first cut a circle and then cut the circle spiral like (does that make sense) and then roll up the cut circle into a rosette. I like when the circle isn't perfect, I add some curves as I cut the spiral. This way when you roll up the rosette it isn't all uniform. I added wire to the back of each rosette and then just stuck them into the wood wreath.
I'm kind of a cheap person, so when I decorate I try to use something as the 'base' and then build up/take down from there.

All Hallows Eve

 These our my children. Aren't they precious? I decided Halloween was going to be a homemade Halloween this year so I have been a busy little bee. I watched a lot of movies while cutting out each of these feathers.

 And now, my Oompa Loompa. He doesn't understand what he is but sat still long enough for me to get him all put together! I'm going to take advantage of this as long as I can!
Great news is this week Gus man has decided to not like diapers and now prefers "beeg boiy uwndewaire" It is a pretty crazy game we are playing here and he is sucking down the jelly beans (rewards for going in the potty) Hopefully we can keep this going!!!

I am so excited for trick or treating tomorrow!!!

Sneak attack

These are the words I heard as I turned the corner to this after church today

A couple of weeks ago I was feeling ambitious and needing a change for our room so I made this

And by I, I mean I drew it out, Curtis cut, routed and sanded (thanks dad for the use of your fantastic tools) and I then painted it.

I am waiting to cut out the center. for now there is just this lovely canvas adorning it. Materials were probably about $12... Not too shabby I think

And I love it!

Next project.... a tufted headboard, night stands and new comforter. Decisions decisions

time spelled love

                                            

                                                 

makes my heart melt

More summer fun:

splash pad

I can't figure out why it wont let me rotate some of these

The healing field, I don't know why I can't rotate this but I LOVE this picture

don't you ever grow up

Oh little darling, you change so much every day. I think I could just sit and stare at you all day long as we coo back and forth at each other. You have the sweetest most intriguing eyes that I get sucked into.

Mercedes is now 3 months! Yeah, seriously. I haven't been great on keeping up on all of her growth on here like I know you all have been anxiously waiting for. I think Mercedes is about 10 pounds now, yup a light weight just like her brother. I'm not exactly sure her other stats since it has been a month since she was measured. She is a great baby. of course she cries, like most babies do. but she also has her very content moments. She is persnickety, she knows just what she wants and since I am no mind reader it can take me some time to figure it out, which can really be frustrating to her.

On average she sleeps from about 10:30-7. she will have a rough night here or there but generally is a great sleeper. She is also a pretty good napper but I am finding she needs to be put in her own room for her naps or Oliver will interrupt them. She is still a good eater and just recently decided to take a bottle again!! I am so thrilled about this!

Oliver adores his sister and is such a great help, the only thing that is not such a great help is when he sneaks up behind her and goes "rooooaaaarrr!" She freaks! sometimes I can't help but laugh because she hates it so much.

She is still sleeping in the cradle next to me and I am hesitant to move her to her room mostly because her waking Oliver up or visa versa but we will just have to bite the bullet on that soon.

Final taste of summer

Pattern overload?

I think this is the first picture in a long time that I actually have Oli not just looking but SMILING at the camera!

August we decided to take a little vacation up at Bear Lake with all the crazy Royce's. Our first stop on the list...

Hill Air! It has been many years since both Curtis and I had been up there, maybe since a kindergarten field trip and with Oli's obsession with planes we thought it was a great idea. It was very cool to check out these monstrous machines....

 Check out those shiners. No need to call dcfs on us, Oli was jumping from the couch to the love sac and smacked his head on his knee. he got the most horrible goose egg dead center of his forehead, a week later the swelling started to drain to his eyes. he had 2 dreadful black eyes that lasted like 2 weeks... BOYS!

Next stop, go see NONNA! Mercedes met her Nonna for the very first time, we have missed her and it was good to spend some time there.

 And to our final destination... BEAR LAKE, WOOT WOOT

 Have I mentioned before just how much I love and adore my husband? I'm a lucky girl

                                    
 the kids had so much fun playing in the water and surprisingly enough Oli didn't give us too much grief about his life jacket

This is the first year Oli has been able to participate in boating activities,, he rode on the tube AND had a wakebord ride with curtis

 the house we stayed in was perfect for our family. JR has so much talented when it comes to finding awesome deals! This house was built with families in mind, perfect as a place for family reunions/vacations. It had 9 bedrooms 9 bathrooms 2 large family/tv rooms a massive kitchen with 4 tables a theater room pool table air hockey a play area complete with trampoline, basketball court and a giant play ground. There was a look over from one of the living rooms so adults could watch the kids easily. Another incredible feature... For every staircase, there was a slide right next to it! We all had to give that a try, even my parents! The kids were in heaven. It was a great weekend get away and great to spend time with all of the family