A December to remember

December is always a busy month, and I usually enjoy the hustle and bustle, but could of done with a little less this year. The month didn't start off that great: the car needed new tires, the roof had a big leak, and the washing machine died. Not the type of purchases you want to be making right before Christmas!  On the bright side I feel safe driving around, I can enjoy the Washington rain again, and I found an awesome deal on a LG...

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Working on a new look for blog

Trying out a new template for my blog and adding pictures for the sliders. ...

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Merry Christmas!

The best Christmas present ever!   Everyone was willing to indulge me and take a family picture, priceless!...

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Oooops!

I have been feeling a little glum with what seems to be a sudden realization that I am no longer a mother of 4 kids, but a mother of 4 young adults, and rapidly growing close to an empty nest.  Christmas is a little different with teenagers, as they tend not to show the same enthusiasm as they did just a few years prior.   As I was putting up the Christmas tree I was feeling a little "grinchy", no-one wanted to participate, not even...

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Good-bye Sugar

No this is not a diet post, Sugar is a large golden brown stuffed dog. Several years ago Sugar accompanied Jadyn everywhere she went, and held a prominent place on her bed at night.  A couple of months ago Jadyn became a teenager, and over this last year I have definitely seen her blossom from a child to a young woman.  Jadyn is the youngest of the family so it has been bittersweet to see this change.  Last year her room was...

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Getting in the Christmas Spirit

Christmas Tree Cones made from card stock, scrapbook paper, and sequins The stores, radio, and even the church organist have been displaying and playing the Christmas spirit for quite some time now, so although it is not yet Thanksgiving I feel like I am behind. This Christmas feels a little bittersweet as it will be the last one we spend altogether as a family for at least the next two years, as all 3 boys plan on leaving for their 2 year...

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Enjoying the sun while it lasts - another diy skirt

Summer seemed to take forever to get here this year, but it was definitely worth the wait.  Once the sun finally decided to come out it stayed for a long time, and is still shining.  This is very unusual for Western Washington, but I am definitely not complaining.  As a result I have been wearing a lot more skirts to work.  I wish I had kept count, but I think I have probably worn a skirt to work everyday for almost 2 months,...

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Proud mamma of an Eagle Scout!

This past Sunday we finally held Jordan's Eagle Court of Honor.  He had earned his Eagle award a couple of months ago, but as usual time slipped by with summer activities, Girls camp, Scout camp, vacations, work, life, etc. You know how it is! I think the hardest part was setting a date, once that was done I was able to get to work on preparing for the event ......well, more like work really hard the couple of days prior, I do best under...

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I ran 10 miles!

You may have noticed I have been running a lot lately.  After my recent 5K I was browsing the internet for other potential events and came across the Over the Narrows 10 mile run.  It looked like a lot of fun to run over a big bridge and back, plus it cost only $23.  It was a last minute decision, and I signed up just days before the event.  I had recently completed a 8 mile run and felt this would be a great next step in...

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Run for Virtue

Virtue Run August 25, 2012 As you may have noticed I have taken a recent interest in running.  I have always been active in sports, but  I have not ran on a regular basis in years.  Back in May we challenged the Young Women in our Stake to participate in a “Run for Virtue” to prove that they can do hard things both physically and spiritually.  Their Young Women leaders and mothers were also invited participate, and...

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DIY skirt - made from a dress

This last week I have been on vacation and had a lot of fun with the family with trips to a water park and the beach, but I wanted to finish at least one project before I returned back to work. So around 8pm Sunday night I decided to start a long overdue sewing project. Like the scar on my knee, for some reason on a recent hike I thought it was a good idea to crawl under a fallen tree that was covering the trail with my big hiking pack on my back...

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Happy Feet

I have been trying to get back into running again with the goal of running a half marathon, and maybe eventually a marathon. I remember running track back in high school, I started off competing in the 3000 m, but gradually reduced my distance, finding myself quite happy with the 400m. Once around the track was quite enough for me. Back then I would never have considered a marathon. So what has changed? A desire to challenge myself?...

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Clutter Clearing Challenge - Mission impossible?

(Google images) When working full time and living in a family of 6 tackling clutter can feel like a losing battle. I find it hard parting with my stuff, because most of the stuff I have in my home I probably bought or loved at some point in time. However, clutter really bogs me down, and I feel unproductive and hard to focus. I have read many articles and watched videos for inspiration and tips on how to tackle this task.  Many...

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Sod-Top Gardening

It's hard to believe it is almost June, and I am so behind in my gardening.  As always I have such good intentions to get started earlier each year, but here it is the end of May (I should of probably named my blog The Happy Procrastinator).  Grass grows especially well in my garden area, and to get it all turned over and ready to plant is definitely not the fun part, and so I didn't even get around to getting the garden prepped...

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Flower Power

I was thrilled when all 3 of my boys decided to attend a church prom. I had so much fun preparing for the event; shopping for outfits, making props for a planned photo shoot, and making corsages for their dates.  I had never made a corsage before so I spent many hours searching the net for inspirations and instructions on how to construct one. I really liked the techniques shown on You Tube by Flower School http://www.youtube.com/user/FlowerSchool where...

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