St.Patty's Day / Clipboards

I know I'm a little behind! I just thought this was a cute pic. No the cute baby is not mine. I just love taking pictures of her when I babysit, but I did take full credit for her today when a lady said at the store, "Your baby is so cute!"

I've had a request for info on the clipboards:

You'll need-
Clip Board (I usually get mine from Smith's Marketplace)
Spray Adhesive
Sand Paper
Modge Podge
Foam paint brush
Ribbon
Paper

You will first want to decide how you want your design to be then you'll want to trace and cut out your paper. It doesn't have to be perfect, I like to see a little of the clipboard around the edges. Then you'll want to sand the front of the clipboard down. You can put paper on the front and the back- I have done it both ways, but I decided it wasn't necessary and less hassle for me. The back you do not need to sand regardless. Wipe the board of access dust. Using one paper pattern at a time spray the adhesive below it and smooth it over and over to make sure it is nice and flat. Use plenty of adhesive to make sure the board is covered under each piece of paper. After you have applied each section of paper add whatever ribbon you need to to cover where the different paper patterns meet. Using the spray adhesive for that also. I have to wash my hands alot during the spraying part because they get SO sticky. Continue to put pressure and smooth paper. Let sit for 10 min. Using the foam bruch apply Modge Podge to paper on board. Some spots on paper will lift. The boy clipboard I made today I could NOT get the bubbles out- but they dried flat:) Just continue to smooth paper back out with fingers. The paper will dry flat, just try to get out as many bubbles as you can. If you do not put paper on the back you do not need to Modge Podge the back. You can add flowers to the clip and modge podge those also. I like these boards because I can add lots of ribbon to it! (Do not modge podge the ribbon) I hope I explained this easy enough- because that's what they are -EASY!

These are for my nephew and neices birthdays next week- Derek let me know he would be expecting one for his birthday also. ( Just wanted to show some of the different pattern options)

Super Mom

Is it possible? To be a super mom? I read Angie's post today, and I had a whole bunch of emotions run through me.

Sad- I know I can do better. I know I have what it takes to be a wonderful mom. But I don't feel like I come close to that potential. Are there even enough hours in the day? And what makes a mom super? Does she have to be a stay at home mom? Do I need to be teaching my child multiplication at 2? Should I take them to places they have never seen before? Does a super mom mean to have children that never talk back?

Happy- I AM a mother!!! I have been blessed to have children to nurture and mold into wonderful little people.

Motivated- Above all. I am going to make a strong effort! There are a list of things to change and list of things for me to start doing. One day at a time!


I recently gave a lesson in Young Womans on Homemaking. It was a bit silly. All the good stuff- make sure your house is clean, be a super mom, etc.:) But my favorite was a talk given by President Thomas S. Monson. To paraphrase he said, "In everything we have to do from church callings to soccer games to homemaking, try to take time. Just STOP!! The best time for wonderful memories to happen are when you have nothing planned and nothing organized. There can be wonderful teaching moments and times best spent. Just doing NOTHING!"

This is my goal for the summer- time well spent as a family. Not having to take them to the Zoo, or a museum. Just time together in the back yard being a FAMILY. Teaching them to be kind, teaching them to be loving. And hopefully being a more patient, loving mother in the meantime. Starting now- I am going to stop blogging, turn off then WII, and play with Dillon!

Clipboards

My aunt started making these a while back and I thought they were brilliant! We made them at girls camp over the summer, I personalize them for each of my neices and nephews for birthday gifts, and we gave them to teachers for Christmas. I decided to use them for an organizing project- Kasidee has homework every night and has books sent home from school. Along with the kids weekly chore charts, we clip everything together so they are never lost or clutterig up my counter space. These clipboards are also great for coloring in the car or other outings! Here are the fun ones I made my kids-

Seriously, So TIRED!

Someone had to deliver the mail.

What a weekend! Derek left me to fend for myself, he went to Las Vegas. Me and the kids filled our schedules to the brim! Our first night alone we slept over at Brooke's-thanks for breakfast and watching the kids! Friday we went with friends to the Discovery Museum (we bought a pass it was so fun!). Then hit the food court- everyone was happy with the selection. Then as we got to the car I realized I'd lost my keys! Luckily the museum had them! Then I took Kasidee and her friend to tumbling. THEN we went to the park and played. And finished the day at Quiznos with Brooke and Ella. Saturday was a whole different ball game- 9:00 am Dillon had his first soccer game. This year he was right there in the midst of the action. Last year he wanted to sit on the sidelines and eat snacks:) Then Kasidee had Activity Days at the church from 10-12 and invited a girlfriend to go. And while they did that Dillon watched Power Rangers and I did 4 haircuts! McDonalds was the kids choice for lunch, then the gym (had to get my run in). And we stayed and swam for an hour. Of course the fun couldn't stop there! Off to the movies to see Inkheart with my parents, Brooke, and Ella! We all went our separate ways and Mandi met me and the kids for dinner at Mimi's. Then we snuggled in my bed and watched movies. The kids slept with me every night because I was so scared! I've NEVER slept alone before! It was such a fun, exhausting weekend. Sunday I was able to get caught up on some sleep, and we had our first homemade meal for the weekend-thanks mom! I'm so glad Derek is coming home today- I really took him for granted, the single mom thing is rough!

Shopping for Groceries-




Dillon's Soccer game, chattin like girlfriends:)



I told ya we were tired!

Oh Mr.Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun!!

We missed you!! This has been such a nice weekend- Dillon said "We don't even need to wear a jacket! It's like SUMMER!" Kasidee even ran around in flip-flops. It's so funny that 50 degree weather is summer (in Utah). Hope you all are basking in the sunlight also- till Monday when the clouds roll back in.

Everybody was Kung Foo Fighting

Dillon had been asking me for a while if he could take Karate. And I finally found a place that could match my budget. Dillon is in heaven! He practices hard during the week so he can show off his mad skills:) We should be getting his uniform soon- which he insists he must have before we can call this legit. The teacher does such a good job at making Karate interesting for 4 yr olds. Kung Foo Panada is referenced quite a bit.

My Son, the Photographer

Derek keeps telling me to go and get Dill his own little camera- so if anyone has any cheap suggestions let me know. (except for the Fisher Price one- Kasi has it and we aren't fans.)
I had no idea he had taken these pictures and had a good laugh when I saw them:)
I love how he captured his models true feelings:)

Change with added good looks!

Kids are so funny, when I would volunteer in Kasidee's school the kids would ask me who I was voting for! And also let me know who I should vote for and who I shouldn't and why. These kids are 8!!! It was a well aired election, and my kids seemed to have an opinion also, just not for the right reasons. Kasidee had done a packet on Obama on Inaguration Day. When the question was asked what she found most interesting about President Obama she wrote, "He is VERY handsome."
The girls has good taste. I guess she'll only vote for the cute ones:)
Also at FHE the other night we were talking about tools that we have here to help us return home to Heavenly Father and I said, "he's a very special man, and we are so lucky because he lives here in Utah" And Kasidee yelled "OBAMA!". Uh, no.
The prophet.
That man is on her mind!

Walking with the Dinosaurs

My Dill is a Dino fanatic. He received many books about Dinosaurs this year- which we read daily. And collects every Dinosaur toy made! I'm very impressed with the amount of information a 4 year old can hold! So of course when we heard this show was coming we couldn't pass it up. I drug my feet a little (not wanting to spend the money) but we decided it would be just a mom and me date and left Kasi and Derek home (don't worry they saw Paul Blart, The Mall Cop instead:)) The show was great- very educational. And if you asked Dillon he would say "the Dinosaurs fighting each other was awesome"! We begged (it didn't take much) our fun friends Camille, Jack, and Dill's BF Luke to come along! Other people were laughing at how enthusiastic our boys were to see the show, and I would say they were definently the loudest cheering group!

My Baby is 4!!

I'm a bit behind in the blogger world! I had a total brain meltdown with the holidays, 2 birthdays and a baptism! The baby of our family turned four Dec.30th! My silly Dilly is such a sweet boy. We had a Dinosaur party and it was a blast, We dug for fossils, made masks, and did the dinosaur stomp. I attempted to make the dinosaur cake- in Dill's favorite color of course- red! I think I am in denial- I wish he could stay little forever. But as he reminds me quite often- "I'm a big boy now, I'm 4!"

The kids get to pick where we go for dinner on their birthdays, Dill has a more pricey taste. We went to Tempanyaki! $100 bucks later, and all for a onion volcano!



4 of my favorite things about Dill-

*His lisp
*He LOVES to snuggle with his mommy!
*He makes me laugh
*His need for sleep. He'll say, "Mom,I'm ready to take a rest!"




Kasi and Dill made the cupcakes for his party-

Baptism

We had some road bumps and trials in trying to prepare for Kasidee's baptism. Luckily I have a wonderful friend in the Primary presidency who helped me figure everything out. It was definently a learning experience for me and Derek. But when all was said and done Kasidee had a great experience and that's all that matters. Kasidee had her baptism interview with the Bishop and he said, "this girl knows her stuff." As a family we really prepared ourselves to really understand why we should be baptized. He asked her why she wanted to be baptized. And Kasidee replied, "Because I want to be a member of our church and have the Holy Ghost help me." I was worried she was going to say, "Because my friends/cousins are." She really is growing up.
Kasidee was baptized with her best friend, her cousin Bailee. She was very happy to share that day with her. Kasidee smiled from ear to ear on her baptism day. I just love her so much!

Kasi and Bailee


Kasidee's cute friends congratulating her


Ella going to town on the all you can eat buffet

A brand new year, a brand new start.

I was reading an article in the Ensign about goal setting. I can't remember which of the Seventy wrote it, but- He said we should always be goal setting and always trying to progress ourselves. Not to wait for the New Year, and that is why he is where he is (in the Seventy) and I am where I am. I do appreciate his advice and will try harder to make goals throughout the year. He also said to make goals you can actually accomplish! Ideal right?! So don't put on your list *become filthy rich, put *I'm going to save $ amount per week, per month, whatever.
So for FHE the other night we all set goals, individual ones and also as a family.

Kasidee-
*Have a better attitude
*Move to level M in reading

Dillon-
*Try to not throw fits ("try" is the keyword)
*Be better at putting my toys away

Brittany-
*Keep my cool with the kids
*Serve better as a leader in YW (read scripture's 5 min. a day, say prayers, smile.)
*SAVE my money
*Excersize. (not the "kill myself" excersize. the "I feel good" excersize)

Derek-
*Still working on his list

Family-
*Read the Book of Mormon
*Be nice!!

Elves at the Village

We went on an elf scavenger hunt- Kasi and Dill had fun seeing all the cute scenes. I printed off a list and we had to find certain elves, and then got a treat at Sweet Aftons. I love spending time with my kids:)

Gingerbread Houses

We had a blast putting together our gingerbread house. Derek was being a bit of a perfectionist-he had to come to terms with a 3 yr old and a 7 yr old putting it together. Later we watched a Paula Deen christmas show - her gingerbread house was awesome. Derek is making some plans to renovate next years house.

Temple Lights

We had such a fun night with my family last night. It was SO COLD- but we still wanted to take the kids to see temple square lights. We are never disappointed in the light display and nativity scene, and it has become our family tradition to make time to go up there. But seriously, it was cold.



Grandma and Kas



The whole gang



My cute kids

Toys For Tots

Our good friends had such a great idea- we usually bring a gift to our party and play a game- but good ole' soft hearted Mitch said we should use that money and buy toys for children less fortunate. So we did. We decided to go out to eat, see Santa, and have our children learn about giving instead of receiving. Things didn't go as planned. Santa had left by the time we got there. My kids were actually relieved but poor Morgan was not okay with it. It was still a fun night, we rode the carousel instead:)

Rockin' around the Christmas Tree

Kasidee started the holiday season off on Dec. 6th with a dance recital. Me and Dill had such a fun time cheering her on. I think Kasidee was made for the stage (especially with all this drama she has:) ).

Christmas Photo Shoot

Angie had taken the kids pictures for christmas/birthday's and here are a few of my favorites.







Thanks Ang, you are SO talented!

The Lion House

I remember going to a birthday party (I think Taryn's or Annie's) at the Lion House when I was younger. But it wasn't a tradition in my family. But, along with many other things I've aquired with Derek's side, going to the Lion House when you turn eight is one of them. They actually invite all the grandma's and aunt's though. So I had to tweek the tradition a bit because the whole party would have been a family reunion with all the aunt's and grandma's we have. It was nice, a bit overpriced for what you actually get, but Kasidee enjoyed herself and that's all that matters (right?). All 11 of the girls were very well behaved, Kasidee is such a cute friend, she had such a hard time picking who she wanted to invite- but when a couple of 5th and 6th graders appeared on her list, well-lets just say I did the final draft.

I feel like we have celebrated Kasidee's birthday 10 times this week! Dillon was SO funny, he LOVED everything Kasidee recieved. When my mom gave Kasidee her gift he kept yelling "A CUPCAKE MAKER?!! YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!!! A CUPCAKE MAKER!!" That boy cracks me up.

Kasidee found the gumball in her peice of cake- which means 1 year of good luck.

As most of you know Brooke is creative. She made this pillow for Marley to sleep on- it has her initials- Marley Cupcake Kuehne- it was a hit:) for Kas and the pup.

Thankful

We had a great Thanksgiving day! At Derek's moms the kids all said one thing that they were thankful for- Kasidee said the TV. It was a little embarassing, but at least she's honest. So I just wanted to post a few things that I am thankful for. It's been an emotional week for me-Cade's birthday was on Friday and of course it brings back such wonderful and very sad memories. I said to Dillon "Did you know that Cade would be 3 today?!!" And he said "Mom, I'm 3!!!" And we laughed at the fact that I have two 3 year olds, and also cried at the fact that only one is here. My sister in law had her baby on Monday and I really struggled with that. I am of course so happy for her, I just was having a pity party for me! Poor Derek has gotten an earful from me this week! He is so patient and loving. He might not run out and buy me flowers but doing a sinkful of dishes is exactly the remedy I need!
I am thankful for-
*Derek
*Kasi and Dill
*My friends (also comfort food :) )
*My Savior
*A puppy that's sleeps all night
*And, like Kasidee, I am thankful for TV :)
*My family
*My best friend, My Mom (who had also gotten an earful from me this week and every other day:) )