Feeling crafty.

I've had a few projects lately that I just so happened to take pictures of so I thought I would share...


I saw something kind of like this somewhere so I thought I would try and create an "I am a child of God" picture in Lyndon's room.  I printed it at kinko's for $2. I love how it turned out!




One of my Young Women are getting married in a couple of months. (I can't believe I could possibly be that old.) I went to her bridal shower last week and couldn't think of anything to get her until I remembered this idea from my very crafty sister, Lindsey. The jar is full of date ideas to do for a dollar. Isn't she genius? Things like "buy a kite from the dollar store and go fly it at the park" and "buy a notebook and take turns writing down how you met" and "start a trade-up scavenger hunt with a dollar bill". I typed them in photoshop elements then punched them out with a cute square scalloped punch. Oh, and for the "apothecary" looking jar it's a glass candle stick holder and a glass vase from the dollar store glued together with E-6000 glue.






I'm so excited about this one! I've had my eye on these pottery barn dry erase calendars for a couple of years now. But I just couldn't get myself to fork over the $50 for the board plus $20 for the rod to hang it. So my handy dandy husband made an exact duplicate in Photoshop and I printed it on 16x20 photo paper at Costco for $6. I had this frame that I got on clearance at Target for $8. I put the calendar in the frame and presto, my very own pottery barn-inspired dry erase calendar for $14. I love it.

(this is the one from pottery barn)

(this one is mine)

Hello to all of you coming from the Crafting Chicks! For those of you who are wanting these files, head on over to my photo blog...I will be posting the files there for you to download.

can't get enough.

It's been awhile since I've recorded any Maddie and Lyndon-isms. But it's time...

Maddie went out to eat with Jonathon before they went to the Daddy-Daughter dance. She ordered fettuccine alfredo and just as she took the first bite she said, “Well, there goes my diet.”

Lyndon and I were reading a book called “The Trouble with Cauliflower”. After reading that Mortimer the Koala didn’t like cauliflower because it made him have bad luck the next day, Lyndon turned to me with a with a very serious tone and said, “Cauliflower makes my big toe hurt. That's why I don't like eating it." I wonder what all the other food he doesn't eat does to him?

Maddie watched a music video of Taylor Swift where she was wearing a beautiful long flowing gown. Throughout the entire song she kept saying, “I love that dress! Oh! It’s so pretty. I have to have that dress!” Fast forward about 2 weeks after she saw the video We’re driving when she hears that same Taylor Swift song on the radio. She immediately recognized it and after about 30 seconds I hear from the back seat, "I just can't get that dress out of my mind!"

Throughout the day Lyndon will frequently tenderly cup my chin with his hand and say, "I love you, Mom." How lucky am I?

I made a weekly schedule for Maddie and Lyndon. Maddie checks and follows it religiously. On Thursdays I usually clean the floors, bathrooms, etc so I put a little cleaning sticker on her Thursdays. The first Thursday since I put her chart up she saw the sticker and wanted to know what she had to do. I gave her a few chores (some that she already does) and she got to work. It took all of about 10 minutes and then she was finished. But that night she asked me, "What’s tomorrow?” “Friday”, I replied. Then with a very long over-dramatic sigh she said, “Oh good, cause cleaning day was awful!" Pa-lease.

Lyndon must have learned about saying "I forgive you" on some show because for about 2 weeks now whenever I say sorry or if I do something he may not entirely like he says to me, “That's okay Mom, I forgive you". Gee thanks, Lyndon.

Maddie loves to study things out and make notes. Here’s one of her papers she was making notes on while she was studying the American Girl Doll catalog. I know it's not much to the outside on-looker but she fascinates me.

We were checking out at Whole Foods and the cashier couldn’t get enough of Maddie and Lyndon. She kept talking to them, asking questions etc. We were getting ready to leave and she got out 2 stickers. She handed Maddie the turtle and then holding out the sticker to Lyndon said, “And here, you can have the octopus”. Faster than she could get out the word octopus he replied, “Uh, that’s a squid.” Thank you Baby Einstein for teaching my kids about sea creatures because I had to go home and look at google pictures to see if he was correct!

The other night as I was coming in to tuck her in bed she asked me to bring her a pen because “she had to make a quick note”. I brought her the pen and she immediately started writing something on a piece of paper. Before I left she showed me what it said…”Mom, I (heart) you sooooooooooooo much”. Awww, I heart you too, Maddie.

In Primary a couple of weeks ago Sister Munzer was doing sharing time. She asked the whole Primary, “What are some things we do in an order?” Apparently all Lyndon heard was “order” so what does he raise his hand and say? "McDonalds Happy meal!" That’s my boy.

row, row, row your boat.

On Tuesday Jonathon, the kids and I decided to go canoeing downtown Austin on Lady Bird Lake. It was so fun! The weather was perfect. We saw turtles, fish, a crane, ducks, and a big ugly black swan that was a little too close for comfort. (we used out mad paddling skills to get out of his way.) The kids loved it. Lyndon was excited from the second he put on his life jacket. Maddie--or should I say Nervous Nelly--was a bit more cautious. She loosened up after 20 minutes and ever since can't wait to go again. Just one of the many fun things to do in Austin.

(I didn't want to risk taking my camera in the boat so I got some pictures when we were finished.)

Our sugar high of a week...

A rundown of our Valentine Week Extravaganza...

first of all, V-Day packages from both sets of grandparents arrived on the same day! Talk about good time and lots of excitement.

Lyndon didn't waste any time to try out the marshmallow treats.

All the loot!

They got new jammies too. We received this package 5 days ago and Lyndon has worn these Spiderman pj's for 4 days now. You do the math. He loves pj's and he loves super hero's, it was the perfect storm. :) (Check out Lyndon's face in this picture. that kid.)



On to decorating cookies! How can you celebrate Valentines Day without heart shaped sugar cookies with pink frosting? You just can't.

I asked him what he thought of his cookie...

Off to the annual Round Rock library Valentine Party...

Good thing I got this picture of the two of them because about 2 seconds after I took the picture...

this rif-raff began...

and continued...

and still continued even more...

Now for writing out Valentines...

Lyndon was more interested in eating the candy. Who isn't, though?

And so ends our Valentine festivities! We hope everyone had a sweet day! (we sure did)

Lyndon, oh Lyndon

While Jonathon and Maddie were at the Daddy Daughter Dance Lyndon and I had a little photo shoot. I just love my little snuggle bug. He was cracking me up...as usual.

Daddy Daughter Dance

Every year the weekend before Valentine's Day our Park's and Rec dept puts on a Daddy Daughter dance. Jonathon and Maddie went last year and she has been looking forward to it again all year. (Jonathon too.) Tonight was the night. They had a great time, dinner at Johnny Carinos, face painting, cookies, punch and of course...dancing. She wore her dress from Kindron and John's wedding.