Young Reunion

This past weekend I loaded up my kids and "little" brother Aaron and headed to Zion National Park where we'd be having our annual Young Reunion. Yes, these are my in-laws so you may ask "Where was you husband?" Well, he was stuck at home with work. He has too many houses finishing right now so it'd be very stressful for him to head south instead of work another weekend. Luckily for me I've known this family my whole life so they're as much mine as they are his! Anyways, it was a BLAST! The Stansfields went all out to keep up continually busy, entertained, and fed! I was so grateful Aaron came with me because I know it would've been so stressful instead of such a vacation... Thanks Bear!

Wordless Wednesday

"Leaps and Bounds"
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New Boy

While in Southern Utah for the Young Reunion I had my sister-in-law, Karlie, give Gary a little boy haircut. Now this isn't his first haircut... I thought he was so super cut with the shag that we've just been keeping it trimmed up, so here's the post of his first haircut. This haircut totally changed the little boy I know... he looks so different now that I have to keep reminding myself that it's the same boy, just cause I'm not used to the new look yet. Anyways, I think he's super handsome & I'm so proud of him. Karlie gave him her spray bottle to keep him entertained by spraying all of us during the haircut... that was definitely the most fun part!!

The Dark is Rising

This book, The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper, both intrigued me and bored me. First... the eleven year old boy, Will, discovers this amazing thing about himself, then he goes back to normal every day life just waiting for the next event to happen upon him. If I was told that I was so supernaturally special and had a very divine destiny to fulfill I couldn't just go back to life and wait, hmm. But things got real interesting has a massive snow storm dumps on London and all things come together. But in the end I found myself saying a lot of whats? and hmms? Made me wish I would've read the first book in this sequence, but it was chosen in our book club so I just went with the flow. Still it made me wonder if a lot of those whats? and hmms? would've been eliminated and all would've made sense. So I'm not real anxious to get the next book, but if I am in need of a book I may just pick up the first book and then go from there!

For Koda

I have been so upset that it's taken me so long to get this blanket to my first ever nephew, but it's finally done! It was actually the second one I did for him, but some how lost the first one... I guess if you saw my box and pile of yarn and blankets it'd make complete sense, but let's not go there!! I chose this bright green because every time I see my brother-in-law he's always always in green, so I just figured he'd carry this on to his son! The blanket dimensions are 32.5x34 inches. This is the second time I've done this blanket, and I've really enjoyed it both times! If you're interested you can check out my growing portfolio here, and if you need a blanket you can pick one out and then choose colors or go with something different. Mostly, I'm just so excited to have this one done & can't wait to give it to him since I'm hoping to see baby Koda at the Young Reunion!

Innocence

Today Sheena and I hosted a bridal shower for our long-time friend, Laura Joy. This is the same fabulous friend I did the bridals for... yeah, I love her! So we decided to assign each guest a room, I like showers where I have a starting point to buy gifts. Well, her sister-in-law took off on the "bedroom" assignment... but what was so cute and innocent was Laura's soon to be four-year old niece's perception on the gift items. First Laura pulled out the "edible bra", then the KY Jelly then a couple other "bedroom necessities"... anyways, this little girl says, sharing with the group the gifts given, "A candy swimsuit! And hand sanitizer." Then she continued on demonstrating, pretendingly, how to use the "sanitizer"... "You put a little on your hands, rub it on the bottom and top, then shake..." so innocent an so fun!!

Pumpkin Patch

There were so many fun pictures from our pumpkin hunt that I had to do another post on the whole experience. This little pumpkin farm is in Salt Lake City on 9000 S. and west of Redwood Rd. (I can't remember the road that the actual intersection is). The kids saw it while we were running errands & wouldn't stop talking about all the pumpkins. So later that day, Monday, we loaded up the dad & headed there to pick our pumpkins for the season. Liv was content just to sit in the cart & point out the good pumpkins... such a girl. But Gary was into the pumpkins and dirt before we even got ten steps past the fence. I can't tell you how many times he face planted into the pile of dead vines that surround all the pumpkins through the field, but it didn't matter to him... he'd hop right back up and start running to the next plump pumpkin. He is such a boy! Todd found him a great pumpkin that looks like bum cheeks... he's got big plans for that one. I guess that tells you a little bit more about my husband! I was content just to keep snapping pictures all the while. The shadows were real harsh, that was frustrating, but it was a wonderful time for me to watch the family bond while participating in such a tradition & capturing every moment on my camera!

Wordless Wednesday

"Pick of the Patch"

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ABC tag

Here's a new tag going around... I thought it was fun, so I decided to participate:

A - attached or single: attached
B - best friend: Husband, Laura Joy, Sheena
C - cake or pie: definitely cake... chocolate cake!!
D - day of choice: Monday... I'm usually worn out and ready for a break from the craziness of the weekend.
E - essential item: my camera
F - favorite color: yellow, purple, and bright blue
G - gummy bears or worms: yummy worms!
H - hometown: West Valley City, Utah
I - indulgence(s): chocolate and shopping sprees
J -January or July: July... it's my birthday, Liv's birthday, several other loved ones' birthdays, fourth of july, pioneer day, east canyon, and summer!
K - kids: Liv (3) and Gary (20mths) and usually my husband!
L - life is incomplete without: my family and the LDS gospel
M - marriage date: June 6, 2003
N - number of siblings: two "little" brothers, Nate & Aaron
O - oranges or apples: apples... I'm allergic to oranges :(
P - phobias or fears: being squished or loosing a child
Q - quotes: "Live the life you love, love the life you live!"
R - reason to smile: Gary's laugh
S - season: spring
T - tag three: open invite
U - unknown fact about me: my first kiss was in 6th grade
V - vegetarian or meat eater: meat eater, but I wish I could just be a breadatarian... or even better a chocolatarian!!!
W - worst habit: nail bitter
X - xrays or ultrasounds: depends on the reason, I think...
Y - your favorite food: chocolate, of course, most breakfast foods, as well
Z - zodiac: Cancer Crab

Sunday Spotlight

I have failed to introduce you all to our newest addition... Zoey. We adopted her when she was 13 weeks old, and Liv was the one to bestow her name. It was real hard for me to decide to get another kitten after our tragedy with Minnie, but after I got home from our Texas trip I felt like something was missing at home. My aunt has a kitty too, and the kids just love them so much, our family just wasn't complete. So I got surfing the website www.petfinder.com and that's where I found Zoey! She is a lot different than Minnie... her way of playing is very different, much more calm. Minnie liked to run across the top of the couch jump on to the recliner, then try to climb the drapes from there. Zoey is content with just attacking a piece of string and the fruit flies that have been keeping residence in my house! She spends most of her day sleeping and cuddling.

Learning Encasing

So I'm finally getting these beads posted... I've been working on encasing which is basically covering your colored or opaque bead with clear glass. It has been real fun since I love the glass beads because of their transparency quality. I still need tons more practice, of course, but these are what I've done so far. Also, I made some encased stringers, even though I'm having a difficult time with stringers... I think I'm starting to develop my own technique for it, although I'm not so sure what it is... it just seams to work out sometimes & I run with it (I guess that's my technique... I know, I'm such a dork!

Have You Met My Brothers?

Star in Your Own JibJab! It's Free!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my sweet Mom's birthday... it's a bittersweet day, but I like to keep on celebrating it for her. I really miss her (she passed away almost three years ago now), and this little tradition we have of the family meeting up at her grave for cake is real therapeutic for me cause I spend the day remembering her as I make the preparations. She was the coolest woman ever! She was perfect! She taught by words and example, I never wondered what my mom believed... I always knew just as this primary song says:

"I see my mother kneeling

with her family each day

I hear the words she whispers

as she bows her head to pray.

Her plea to the Father

quiets all my fears,

and I am thankful,

Love is spoken here."