I love reading craft blogs...

While I was browsing craft blogs, I came across "The Boy Trifecta" Blog, http://theboytrifecta.blogspot.com/ The author of this blog has started a challenge: The Handmade Holiday Challenge. It entails making at least one handmade gift a week for the next 9 weeks. I have been wanting to give handmade gifts for Christmas this year, and this is just the motivation I need to get going. I have added a button on my sidebar... (you can add one too!) Wish me luck~! (maybe i will post some pics, but since most of the people that read my blog are family members... maybe i wont)

it's been a while.

PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO READ ABOUT MY REAL LIFE, MY FEELINGS, MY SHORTCOMINGS, PLEASE COME BACK SOME OTHER TIME. THIS POST WILL CONTAIN SOME NEGATIVITY. BLOGGING HELPS ME WITH MY FRUSTRATIONS, AND HELPS ME THINK THINGS OUT. I SHOULD PROBABLY BLOG MORE OFTEN.

No reasons for lack of posting lately. Kinda been bummed lately. Been reflecting on decisions we have made, not regretting, but wishing we had put more thought into some. Life has been throwing us tons and tons of curve balls, and we keep surviving. The problem is, i don't want to be just surviving. I want to thrive. I want to provide more for my family. I want to be accomplished, but in what? I haven't got a clue. Thus far, nothing has really sparked my interest to pursue. Honestly, I love sewing, but so do a million other people. I just don't see that as a way of making a living. I would love to have a refashioning business, (remaking old items into new again) and have read where goodwill has joined forces with a designer to re purpose items from the store that don't within a specific time period. I would love to assist in something just like this.

Life with kids has been quite busy. Hayden has started kindergarten, Ady started preschool. Hayden played soccer this year, and loved it tons. We moved in the middle of the summer to a lovely house, and i spend most of my free time cleaning it. I quit my job at the beginning of September, and have been home with the kids since. It's been a big adjustment!

I have not be succeeding in the weight lost aspect. If fact, i believe i have gained about 20 pounds since i stopped weight watchers. Pathetic. Yep I know. I know how to lose weight, I just can't. (I know, it's me telling myself I can't, I can, I know I can.) I know what needs to be done, and i simply just don't do it. The gym and I do not have the best of relationship right now, but sweets and i do. They are my pit fall. Yet, i keep on baking. I have been engrossed in self pitty lately about this (bad bad bad) I keep saying why me. Why is it if I even look at sugar I gain 5 pounds. Why do some people not have to work at staying thin. Why, why, why. I just need to get over myself. Easier said than done. We'll see when that happens.

Living in B-Town has had its ups and downs. Ben and I have found it difficult to find good family friends. It's been hard to relate. Example: Small town living: Everybody knows everybody, i know just about nobody. We have met several people, but having somebody you can relate to, doing things with, and enjoy each others company is a different story. On top of not feeling like i ever fit in, I feel like I am never good enough. I'm always the fat one, the shy one, the poor one, the weird one, the dumb one, the one that no body wants to be friends with. You name it, it's me. I'm not saying we haven't met any new friends, but it comes few and far between. I feel like there is hardly anyone here that we can just be ourselves with.

That's all for now... Maybe I'll post pictures later.

Updates Galore!

Keep scrolling to see tons and tons of pictures!

Things I have made!

I have been busy sewing/refinishing... Here are a few pictures. The pictures aren't the best, but that's all I've got!
Pajama's for Ady! This is an outfit for Paisley, although Ady "needed" to try it on!

Bag for Dana!

A quilt for a lady at work. My coworker bought the fabric, and I sewed it together. It's a rag quilt, but you can't really tell from this picture!

A portable DVD holder/bag, for my niece, Ashleigh~!

A cute little purse, for a cute little girl!

Another Outfit for Ady!

This one turned out toooooo small!

So I made another one!

Ady's birthday is coming up, and I asked her what she wanted. She said "a pretend baby that does real things, a pretty bedroom, and pretty hair bows" We got her the pretend baby (which you can feed, and then it proceeds to pee/poop, and I thought i would made a few accessories for her and her doll.

I made them matching outfits!

This one is for the doll!

This one is for Ady! The shirt it folded up so you can see the skirt. I will post a picture of it on her after I give it to her for her birthday!

Doll Diapers!

Doll WetWipes....in their own fabric case.

I have also been refinishing furniture. These pieces are not quite done yet, but here is a picture anyways. I forgot to take before pictures!

I bought this sewing table for $7.... and i am loving the way it is coming out.... now i need to poly it!

I also made this cute outfit today!

Here is another birthday present for Ady! Her request pretty hair bows, and a holder, for her room! I made the holder and all of the bows!

June, in a snap.

We did a lot in June to keep ourselves busy!

We went to the Boise Zoo! Rode the rides!

Hayden Graduated from Preschool! He loved every minute of going to preschool and is uber excited to be able to attend Kindergarten in the Fall!

Hayden with his teacher, Mrs. Brooks!

We worked on some projects at home:

Ben working on his project car! Cleaning PARTS! FUN, FUN, FUN. and I acquired some awesome deals at yard sales (notice one piece of furniture in backround).

Ady and Hayden built some pretty spectacular towers !

We also had the opportunity to go camping with some friends. We had fun, even though it rained 89% of the time!

Hayden building towers with the fire wood!

Cute Family! I believe Ady and Hayden broke the record this weekend for the most junk food eaten....EVER!

Sitting around the campfire!

Ady is so proud of her artwork!

On the one and only summer day in June! We managed to squeak in a few minutes of slipnslide time!

Hayden and Mommy

Ady and Mommy

Daddy being silly!

Ben's Mom and Step dad, Jack, came to town during the free fishing weekend, and motorcycle rally. Saturday morning we headed out fishing. It was a good day of fishing, as Hayden won the kids contest, for 3 different things. I think they are for Biggest Trout, Biggest Blue Gill, and Longest Trout! He got to pick out 3 different prizes/

Next, we headed downtown to take a look at all of the motorcycles!

Of course we had to stop and get charlies ice cream!

Ady fell asleep on Ben's Shoulders! I think we wore her out!

Just a few of many motorcycles!

Ben and I!

May: came and went.

May was a busy month. It flew by in the wink of an eye. At the beginning of May, we took an unexpected weekend getaway to Washington. We went to the TRI-CITIES, stayed in a hotel with a pool, went to an awesome playground, and did tons of shopping!
Here are the kids ready for the day! Family shoot first!

We went to a great park they had there, i believe it was called discovery cove, or dream land... but I can't remember. It was a huge wooden park, with tons and tons of toys. We didn't stay long because the weather did not cooperate.

Ady's favorite thing to do is swing.

Hayden enjoyed all aspects of the park.

At the top of the castle

Ady and Daddy having fuN!

On our drive home, notice the nasty weather, there was the end of a rainbow right in front of us. I was expecting my share of gold, but no, not this time.

We also managed to make it to Boise in May.

Here is Warren, my nephew, and I, on his blessing day! Isn't he adorable?

Dana, Britnae, and Warren... Too cute.

While in Boise, we had to take the kids to their favorite spot, MCDONALDS!

Hayden has been attending CARAVAN at a local church, and he graduated from Benson Buddies. He was pretty proud!

All of the Benson Buddies!