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happy

yesterday was a sunny happy day.

very little fighting between children in the morning.

had a good workout…got to watch Steel Magnolias on the treadmill.
the beginning – not the bawl your eyes out ending.
“miss truvy i promise you it will not affect my ability to do good hair.”
the woman who works out like a sweaty maniac with the machine banging
like she is about to break it was not there…that is always nice.

got some groceries without children.

my grandma came over with goodies and took us to lunch.
anytime i can have coconut cream pie in the middle of the day is a good day.

it was nice outside.
everyone is nicer and happier with some time outside.

craig came home early from being gone for 2 days in california.
he brought me coffee.
(it’s official…he loves me.)

movie night all together on the couch…cuddled up…watching Matilda.
i love that movie. it was cute to see annie and talby so nervous.
you have to have your kids watch that movie.

ok..enough words.
look what annie and i found at the antique store!

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it’s a bit crazy looking…
but is the prefect fit for the playroom or the girl’s bedroom.
someone worked hard on it (in the 70’s).

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i don’t think i will leave it as a wall hanging
probably make it into a very big pillow.
it looks like it was made to go with these fabrics!

one of the things my grandma brought me…

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this is the dress she wore to my parents wedding.
i think it was so beautiful.
she made it herself.
it won’t fit me…but i like to look at it.
but it’s special that i have it now to keep.

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ok…now i have to go help my kids clean.
it’s saturday…time for chores.
i dread these 2 hours of my week with a passion.

Jenny Pocknall - My kids love Matilda. They hide behind their hands, or come and peek from where ever I might be.
That embroidery is divine. It definitely goes with that fabric.
Love the dress. I remember finding some of my Mum’s dresses from when she was at college. It was when I was at highschool, and they didn’t come anywhere near fitting me then. Her waist must have been so tiny!!

Jennifer P. - What finds! I know you’ll do something amazing with the picture turned pillow!
I have my mom’s prom dress and love to just pull it out and look at it. Glad you’ve got a dress to do that with now too :).
Hope you make it through the next 2 days alright. Being husband-less is never fun–at least I don’t like it. But, what a kind coffee send-off!

Crystal - Lovely!!!

emily loria - That needle work will make a lovely pillow. So cute!
That dress is soooooo neat!

chris - What beautiful colors looking forward to the pillow, and that dress, how wonderful and fun.

traci - Number one fav. thing…kids getting along
Number two fav. thing…fab. thrift store find
Number three fav. thing.. sentamental/gorgeous hand me down!! All in one day…HOW did you handle it???

Andrea - LOVE that dress!
And I cannot WAIT to see the fabric and pillow combinations.

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princess?

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i was on my way to pick up the kids from school.
i am glad i caught a glimpse of myself in my car window.
through the incredible dirty window…
can you see the plastic princess tiara i had on?
annie had said i was a queen (how did she know?)
while were playing puzzles.
i guess i’d had it on over two hours at that point.

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tonight annie didn’t want dinner.
we were having the kind of dinner that is
“get whatever you want and i will help you make it.”
she wanted nothing.
so while the four other kids are moving around the kitchen…
being very loud…
very messy…
very busy…
i notice miss annie under the table.
she was “reading” out loud the story to herself.
completely in her own world.
adorable.

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lauren made bacon for her meal…
and an egg sandwich concoction she’s come up with.
i had to read the instructions for how to make bacon.
i have made it very few times and only ever made it in the microwave.
she doesn’t like it from the microwave (i don’t like it at all).
but how lame to have to read the instrucitons for bacon
and to see it read “fry in pan”
i am a dork.
i also recently learned to make jello.
seriously.

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i love sonic.
this was a treat reward for going to bed with no fights.
the girls always pick hot fudge sundaes.
the boys get lime-aids
nice change of pace after school.
we sat there till they were all done…just for fun.
listening to alvin & the chipmunks.
again.

gabrielle - Hope you got your cupcake…My friend who led me to Sprinkles..I saw her Nephew yesterday..the nepehew who stands to inherit a gazillion dollars..I asked him…do you bring me a sprinkle? To which he replied…”I wouldn’t pay that much for a cupcake!” Not..I won’t stand in those lines. but complaining about the price…oy he is just like his father. No wonder he is a millionaire…do you have any cupcakery near you?

Tiffany - In response to your comment on my blog (thanks for stopping by!)lol You aren’t kidding, the ice is perfect! I remember they used to sell bags of it, do they still do that?
Wow, happy hour at Sonic? OMG I hope they will have that at this one, I can’t wait!!!
~T.

Tiffany - I just posted something about Sonic this morning, so it was neat to see how much you all enjoy it! lol Love the tiara by the way, I think we should all have one…

Queenie Bee - So cute, that crown. On numerous occasions, I’ve worn my sunglasses on my head while crazily searching the house for them!

Julie K - I can’t wait to play with tiaras!
I love your picture in the car window.
And what a fun weekend with Jenny! I love that. I know it was refreshing …
I wish we could have weekends like that once a month … but maybe they wouldn’t be as special as they are when they come around less frequently. Kind of like christmas or birthdays … I’ll take what I can get. :o)

restyledhome - You have the sweetest family…I love following along on your journeys!
Your pictures are amazing, and always make me smile!
Linda
xoxo

cynthia - no tiara’s in our house but we sure make those dinners whenever possible!

Jennifer P. - This whole post makes me smile. I really need to take my camera along more often. Though I haven’t left the house in what feels like a month!!!
Glad to know I’m not the only one who rewards their kids with ice cream runs, or who doesn’t know how to cook bacon 🙂 (I buy canadian bacon and pancetta–much easier and much less grease!).

Jenny Pocknall - I often get my kids sundaes on Fridays when I collect them from school. Never heard of Sonics though. There is a McDonalds just around the corner from the school so that is where we go.
Your children have beautiful eyes. Always perfectly captured in your photos.
I think I will have to find a tiara in my girl’s dressup basket, and start wearing it while I do the housework.

Shelly - Annie is so cute! I love the last picture of her, getting that BIG bite =)
Love it!!

Crystal - All the days in your house look SOO fun! 🙂

Erica - you’re funny about bacon… although I must admit I was in the same position about a year ago. I HATE getting the flying grease on me… it hurts and I can’t stand it in the microwave so someone told me you could put it in the oven for 15 min. EASY!! 🙂 BTW, I can’t remember if Peter was quoting the office… but I’m gonna go with a YES because he is OBSESSED! Whenever our small group sends emails back and forth there is always an office quote somewhere in the mix. I watch it but don’t have every line memorized like the rest… I’m still catching up on you guys and your SNL lines. 🙂 Have a GREAT WEEKEND!

carissa - annie… she is as cute as they get!
i think my Riley & Annie must be close to the same age… just guessing.
I’m with Lauren… yum… bacon! BLAT sandwiches are my fav!
huge Sonic fans here too! hot fudge sundae… i’m up for that NOW!

hqm - i wear a tiara a lot when i am working…the ups and fedex guys laugh everytime i amswer the door in my pj’s and tiara!

jeanetta - we had one of those dinners last night too.

meg duerksen - danelle
you are right…it didn’t make sense.
i changed it a little.
so now you can know how truly dorky i am. 🙂
-meg

danelle - When you said Lauren had bacon and then I scrolled down to the kids eating ice cream, and I thought you were gonna say everyone else had ice cream!

melissa @ the inspired room - Another enchanting day at your house!
That sundae looks SO GOOD, I want to go to bed with no fuss so I can have one too.
Happy weekend (almost!)!

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ready…OK!!

check out my cutie pie niece!

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morgan…i get you.
i understand 100% that need to perform and that love for CHEER.
i was a cheer addict.
if i could’ve have done this when i was 10 i would’ve loved it as much as you do.
i used to watch cheer competitions on ESPN all the time.
and you know…those cheers will be in your head for decades.
just last night i did a cheer (with actions) in my kitchen for lauren.
she said “Oh my gosh…i hope no one drives by and sees you doing this”
i think that meant she loved it.

keep working on your tumbling…you’ll never regret it.
(unless you hurt yourself…..don’t do that, ok?)
i would love to say “i used to be able to a back hand spring”
but i can’t…so you do it for me.

love you mor-gee!

kim in Camas - ScrapToMyLu - oooh, I was a cheerleader……Queen! Not just head, but queen. LOL I loved cheering. She looks like she’s having fun.
So much to catch up on here. You don’t like bacon? Who doesn’t like bacon? Good grief. 🙂

Jennifer P. - I cheered for 2 years and then did Drill Team all through high school. I can still do the splits both ways. I’m so cool. Just don’t tell that to my children who die when I do the running man and the Roger Rabit and all the other Bust-a-Move moves that were once cool :)!
What a cute niece! You can tell she’s really in her element. Cheering is getting so competitive now–and younger and younger kids too! Whew!

Gini - My niece is a 10 year old cheerleader. I love looking at photo’s of their meets because all the expressions are priceless/hysterical!!!

Mom - Morgan is beautiful – looks like so much fun for her.
Remember – that since you couldn’t cheer at 10, you danced! Those dance classes kept you very happy and performing! You were a natural.

carissa - she is way too cute! i love her face in the third shot… priceless!
take Houston by storm!
i attempted a herkie the other day… could barely get off the ground… was not cute!

Brenis - Your neice is darling! LOLOLOL am busting a gut at the comment the Lauren made, and the beautiful fact that you don’t let it get to you! I think I do that to my 17 year old son on purpose occasionally, just to see his reaction! 😛
Yay for you having such a WONDERFUL friend filled weekend!! What a great boost to be around those you love, and laugh non stop! 😀

Shannon Davis - She does LOVE LOVE LOVE it!! She has nationals this weekend in Houston. Thanks for the cute post. I can’t wait to show it to her 🙂 Tell the kids HI from Aunt Shannon

traci - WOW…you can tell by her facial expressions she loves to cheer!!! She is a cutie. I have one who could care a less about cheer and one who would do it in a new york minute…

chris - We don’t do the cheering here in Canada like the states , but I wish I had been brave enough to join cheerleading in high school, I think it would have been fun.It is quite a sport.

chris - We don’t do the cheering here in Canada like the states , but I wish I had been brave enough to join cheerleading in high school, I think it would have been fun.It is quite a sport.

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bonus weekend

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i had the best weekend.
jenny got into kansas on thursday night.
when she walked n the door….
she had our other best girlfriend lisa with her too!
they were so sneaky not to tell me she was coming.
awesome surprise.
i was so happy.

i took them to all the best places.

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we cooked together.

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they cleaned for me.
i kept them well hydrated…

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they played with my kids.
we went out.

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but we mostly stayed in and talked and laughed.
so much laughing.
staying up past 3 AM…
we felt like we were college girls.

then when it was time to go home
the airline called and jenny’s flight was cancelled!
lisa made her plane but i got to keep jenny one more night.
it rocked.

we moved away just after annie was born but our other children grew up
with these 2 women (and their husbands)
in their lives every monday night for 7 years straight.
they were at all their birthday parties…
they baby sat them…
they prayed for them…
they were there when annie took her first breath.
i love them both with my whole heart.

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oh the memories.
and the laughter.

Jennifer P. - So happy for you! Good friends just make a happy life all the better. Glad you had such a memorable weekend!

traci - so glad you had a wonderful weekend with your girlfriends. they are so important!!!

cynthia - how neat to have such wonderful friends…

carissa - that is the best!
I love how with best friends you can just pick up right where you left off!

traci - I dont have a whole slew of friends just about 3 that I simple could not breathe without and qualify in my book as SISTERS! I think that is what you are talking about with your friends and the cherry on top is when you actually really, really love your own birth sister to pieces….I adore mine too.
looks like so much fun and hey, true friends can even have a BLAST at walmart..lol

chris - Sounds wonderful. Good friends.

Kate of all Trades - How fun! Girlfriends are such a blessing!

Liz - How fun, you have lovely friends. Wal-Mart and drinks? That’s my idea of a very good time!

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coloring

i’m trying to find color everywhere.
it’s fun…you should try it.

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it’s really everywhere you look.
so thankful for that.

Jimaie - you are SUCH an incredible fotog!!!!!

kari & kijsa - Those are the most beautiful photographs….just wanted to stop by and say thank you…thank you…thank you for all of your sweet comments on my birthday (and happy birthday to your sister too)!
Have a blessed and wonderful day!
smiles, kari & kijsa

kari & kijsa - Those are the most beautiful photographs….just wanted to stop by and say thank you…thank you…thank you for all of your sweet comments on my birthday (and happy birthday to your sister too)!
Have a blessed and wonderful day!
smiles, kari & kijsa

Gini - Love your blog – I have a link to you from mine actually. I check you out everyday to get my splash of color! Thank you for that. Being the type A personality I am, got the camera, no time or desire to read the manual on how to get great photos like you – I am jealous for sure. As far as the Cottage Living style – Love it but was more appropriate when we lived on the East Coast not here in the desert!!! My husband is grateful for that, I bet.

Mrs. Fox - Fantastic! Love the pins. I need some of those.

Mrs. Fox - Fantastic! Love the pins. I need some of those.

carissa - woo hoo… cheerful & chipper! thanks for the beauty!

chris - Good morning , I have a question , would you mind sharing with me the color of your great room /kitchen walls, I am thinking I need to warm up the colors in my kitchen family room , I am looking for a nice cream shade. After living with the dark brown in my bedroom I have decided it is not for me, I will do a more soft grey tone, good thing I did just one wall and a test wall for that matter.
Thank you
Chris

kristin - i love this.
i’ve started sets of colors that i want to do something with…maybe a calendar…anyway, i am with you on this color thing!

mom2fur - What a fun idea! Looking for color is sure a great way to cheer up in the middle of winter!

traci - great color. you always find beautiful color. i am going to try that!! enjoy your sunday!

Jenny Pocknall - Great photos again. Is the top one the top of a bird cage?

Jennifer Peterson - You could also play the “guess what this is” game–I’m stumped on the first one. I love the color combos. Cottage Living puts together on its spines too.

chris - Your photos are so cheerful, thanks I needed that . I don’t think we get Cottage Living ,sad.

Sarah Keith - Oh Fun!

traci - Im in okiehoma..lol and your in kansas. Our two sister states pretty much mirror each others weather sooooo you must be looking for color because its COLD and cloudy.

Crystal - Just wanted to say that I LOVE your blog and have added a link from my own…I hope that is ok. 🙂 Very inspiring and beautiful!! 🙂 Have a wonderful day!! 🙂

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happy birthday!!!

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my big sister…
my only sister….
my favorite sister…
my artsy sister….
my super smart sister…
my loving sister…

is having a birthday today.
i love you lorel.
i wish i could be with you on your birthday.
i hope you have the best time tonight!
i am so glad you are my sister.
i love being your little sister.
you taught me so much….mostly good stuff.

happy birthday.

Jennifer Peterson - Thought the same thing about Annie and Talby too! What a similarity!!!

traci - happy birthday to your sister. what a sweet post. very cute picture of you two.

Queenie Bee - No way!!! We’re celebrating a birthday in our house today as well!!!! Happy birthday to your sister!!! I love my big brother, but I always wished for a sister. You’re so blessed to have her, I just know it.

carissa - awe… sisters… the best! sweet wish!

traci - I Agree that picture of you sitting there looks just exactly like annie and talby!!!! At least they know they will grow up and be VERY PRETTY.
I have a sister also whom I adore. One of my favorite things to do is call her and say…Hey, how is my FAVORITE SISTER? She will laugh and reply…”Funny, since Im your ONLY sister”..lol….I wouldnt trade her for all the money in the world!!!

lorel - Thanks for saying all those nice things about me Meg! That photo is one of my favorites. Can’t you just feel the humidity on that summer porch? I remember that outfit too. It was aqua blue terrycloth with orange and pink knit trim. I don’t remember what color yours was-maybe lime green?, but it was all one-piece (and also terrycloth), so you had to completely undress when going to the bathroom. I am so glad they stopped making those! My birthday is not exactly how I thought it would be – we are at home for our second snow day in a row. Maya was sick yesterday, and I thought I would have to cancel everything. But she is doing better now, and so I think we are still going out tonight after all. Love you so much! Lorel

Dana D - Oh my heavens, Annie and Talby must be little clones of you! When I first saw the photo of you and your sister, I thought I was looking at a picture of one of them!

Mom - Yes, Lorel, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
That is such a funny picture of both of you. Love it!
Did Jenny make it to Kansas?

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Q is for quilt

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preschool.
i think it is the greatest place to be.
this week they got to bring their blankies for cuddling during story time.
they opened the window so they could get really cozy.
isn’t that so sweet?

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for circle time they sat on a quilt.
i watched for awhile because i love to hear them interact with ms. kristin.
their voices and their answers are adorable.

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when i came back to get annie
ms. kristin was giving rides on the “quilt express”…
pulling the quilt down the hall with kids on it.

i just love preschool.

Jennifer Peterson - That’s why I decided to homeschool my kids. I thought EVERY grade should be as fun as preschool!

Tammy Fischer - You’re so right…it’s the best…I still remember it like it was just, um, a few years ago. I awarded you the “You Make My Day” award today. Feel free to stop by my blog and then pass it on to a few of your friends! XO XO XO

traci - I taught preschool for years and loved every single day of it!!! Kids say and do the funniest, silliest, cutest things…even when they are being difficult sometimes I had to hold back laughter. In my opinion most preschool teachers do not get the respect they deserve….however you certainly do appreciate yours! Thanks for sharing..

kristin - well, you just made my day. i love seeing preschool from another perspective
funny, when i first saw your post title, i thought: oh, it’s q week at preschool, too!
geez.

Queenie Bee - Preschool IS the funnest place to be!!! Thanks for sharing your pix. I taught preschool music for several years until I decided to homeschool my own children this year. It truly was the funnest job I’ve ever had! I think I’ll go get out my parachute now… 🙂

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