Life...Sometimes it Gets Busy

This week was suppose to be a relaxing week since last week was a bit hectic. Well it is shaping up to be busy too. I realize that what is busy to me isn't busy to others.

Monday will be spent bowling and celebrating Megan and Matthew's birthday. I am planning to work Tuesday and Wednesday so that I have more money for the weekend. (more on that in a second) Emma also has her Hip Hop dance class that night. Thursday is quilt group. It meets for about four hours at the church. Friday I leave for my "girl's night" with my best friend Maggie. We will be enjoying good food and shopping. That is why I need more money, there is never enough money.

Maggie and I were suppose to go shopping for fabric in preparation for Thursday, but with work, I'm not sure if we are going to make it. She might have to go alone. I love shopping for fabric. I really want to go....whine....we'll have to see if we can squeeze it in somewhere.

I am excited to go to quilt group. It might help me get back into the swing of things. I have one month to do two quilts, if I want them in time for Halloween. I don't know when else I will have a chance to work on them.

Here is the last quilt top that I made. (the colors in the top photo are more acurate. The background is a pretty muted yellow, not a bright lemon yellow)I still haven't gotten it quilted because I am spending all of my money on other things. I also have real issues with completing projects.

.....makes no difference who you are Anything your heart desires will come to you ...

Today one of my dreams came true. I am going to be an annual passport holder to Disneyland.

(It's the little things that make me happy.)

Paul was asked to visit the production plant in Southern California at the end of September so we decided to make a family weekend out of it at. He will leave on Thursday and do what he needs to do, then the kids and I will fly down on Saturday. We already had a trip planned with our friends in November. I had been counting down the days. Now I get to go twice this year, and earlier than expected!!!

The annual pass is the only way to go if you will be going to the park more that twice in a year. That means we will get to see the Halloween decorations again and be back for the Christmas decorations. I am THRILLED.

There are so many things to love about Disneyland. It is the sights, the smells and the sounds. It is like my world is in technicolor when I am in the park. There are thrills and laughter, and photo ops galore. I can't get over the characters. I love them, I stalk them. It was always a life long dream of mine to work as a character at Disneyland. (Too bad that the only character I could play now is the Fairy Godmother. Kidding!)

In honor of my love of Disney I decided to be Cruella for Halloween.

Sadly enough,I know that the day is quickly approaching that the kids will be bored with Disneyland. They will want the bigger more exciting rides. This might be the last year that they are as excited as I am to be going twice and more than likely three times in a year. But as for now...

I'm going to have an annual pass!

I'm going to have an annual pass!

I'm going to have an annual pass!

Here are some of my pages from our last trip that we took in October.

And So it Begins

The first day of school. A brand new school year. There is such a mixture of emotions. I am thrilled and heartbroken all at the same time. It is exhilarating, exciting, nerve racking, and a little sad. How can you not shed a tear when sending your kids off into the big unknown?

They were so excited this morning and oh so cute! Both of them were wide awake right on time. There was no “mom, can’t I just sleep a little longer?” Both were up and eating and then doing stuff in record time.

I love all of the traditions that go along with the first day of school. I love doing their hair that morning (most days I am not allowed), snapping the tags off of the new clothes, and most of all, the Father’s Blessings.

Last night Paul was able to give both kids, and their mom, beautiful blessings. Emma was told that it was going to be a wonderful year. (What a relief that was to me since 5th was my worst year.) Andrew was told that he would become an even better reader and be able to learn all the things that will be taught to him.

I was given the greatest gift of all. I was told that my children were in good hands, and that they would be very well taken care of at school. I was also promised that they would be returned home to me safely ever single day this year. What a comfort that was to hear. It has filled my heart with joy. I know that my kids are safe. I have tears in my eyes right now just thinking of it.

It's going to be a great year!

Decisions Decisions

According to the Halloween countdown we are only 74 day and 4 hours away from Halloween.

The kids are saying that they will be the devil and an angel. I will let you guess who is who.

I have been planning on being an American Indian for a while now but the costume that I want isn't in stock. I am still on the look out though. The costumes below are my top two choices. I am hoping that the indian becomes available. If not, it's a pirate's life for me!

Success again!

I have been dreaming of fresh veggies from the garden ever since last year, but there is always the concern that the stuff just won't grow. This year I planted bell peppers (yellow, green and purple), tomatoes, string beans (green, yellow and burgundy), sugar peas, zucchini, yellow squash and without my knowledge a PUMPKIN PLANT! So far it has been a great success.

I love making this

From this

After baking I went out to the garden and gather all of these beauties.

I made Mignonne's Citrus Chicken for dinner with the zucchini and yellow squash. It was fab! Now if I could get my tomatoes to turn red we would really be cookin'.

Here are a few more pictures of the things from my garden.

Aren't those pumpkins precious?

I guess I suck at blogging

Geez, how do you sum up a year on one post? You don't!

We are preparing for the kids to start school in just two weeks. Can you believe it? Just two weeks. Guess what I have been doing. That is correct, more back to school shopping. Woot!

The kids are leaving for grandma's house tonight so that I can work and they can play at Cherry Hill and with their cousins. While they are gone I am going to inventory everything that I have gotten for them . They are done no matter what, but I would like to see how bad I was this year.

Emma will be going to 5th grade (how is that possible?) and Andrew will be in 2nd.

Last year we requested that Emma have a fun and creative teacher and that Andrew be given anyone besides Mrs. Hays. A little over a week ago we got their class assignments in the mail. Guess what? Andrew got Mrs. Hays.

We had been there, done that. The endless packets of busy work and the Nazi like approach to handwriting was just too much. I however, like to think that everything happens for a reason. We were going to let it go, or at lease wait until we could see the complete class list.

We got the push we needed to act though before the class list was published. While Emma was at piano we got a warning from her teacher. It was cut and dry, "Get him out. Get him out now!" She told us that she had destroyed her little boy and that it took years before he was able to enjoy school again.

Andrew is now in Miss. Connell's class with a ton of kids from our ward. I am hoping it will be a great year. Emma is in Mrs. Johnson's class. She was excited to get her as a teacher and has a few classmates that she is thrilled about.