Crazy Week!

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! Here is a little piece of our decorations this year. I saw this idea on Pinterest.com and thought I'd try it myself. It would have been nearly impossible without my Silhouette, so I must give the credit where it is due!

Of course, these last two weeks have found us deep in the throws of sharing Valentines with each other. Chad came up with some great Valentines this year! Sunday night, Chad filled the tub with really hot water, bubbles and this:

(That is a little Fisher Price lamb in a boat.)

I got a pretty good laugh over it and then climbed in. When I turned around, saw this:

The joke is funnier when you know the tub looked like this a few days before:


It all started on Tuesday, 7 Feb when Chad went out to feed the animals and found 2 little lambs! By the time Chad got home that evening, Leah and I had brought this little ewe lamb inside because she wasn't standing on her own anymore.


She lived in this box, sitting in front of the heater in the bathroom, for the night while we bottle fed her through the night. Daniel named her - Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. We called her Super instead.

Here is Super's mother and twin sister. They are still doing quite well. But they no longer recognize each other as family.

She's pretty darn cute, though!

The next day, we had more babies. Chad found them in the morning again. There had been triplets, but sadly, one was already gone. The other two were doing quite well for a while, but we eventually brought the littler one in and put her in front of the heater. We caught her earlier and she's still a better eater than Super. We named her Ali as in Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Those two little gals were so SKINNY!

During the night, while we were feeding the lambs, Chad went out to check on Ali's brother. He was fine. Less than 4 hours later, he was moments from death. Those lambs will die for no reason! We bought a second heat lamp that evening and got it up in the shed.

Meanwhile, I was getting my fill of lambs in my bathroom. Their poop was really stinky. I tried to keep them in the tub to make the clean up easier, but Chad was worried that the cast iron tub was too cold. So then the poop built up in the box we were keeping them in. Gross! On the other hand, I am quite impressed with my washer and laundry detergent!

I would put them in the tub to hopefully catch the poop and pee that inevitably came after a feeding. When Ali started getting OUT of the tub, I knew we were at our limit. Chad moved them outside to the warm heat lamps. And then he cleaned the bathroom. What a man!

Two quiet days passed and then we ended up with triplets again on Saturday. We watched them so closely. OK...Chad did the watching. He got up every 90 minutes to make sure everyone was well and occasionally to feed Super and Ali. He was pretty tired on Sunday!

The lambs were growing well and seemed fine. Here is a shot of them from yesterday.


And then I went out today and found the smallest one (a ram) cold, on the ground. Shoot. He was doing so well! So we are currently at 5 lambs. There are two ewes that have not had babies yet. We just wait and watch and pray over our little flock. Even the kids mention the lambs in their prayers.

We are not very skilled shepherds, but we are trying. Hopefully, we are learning and will have a better year next year (provided next year is as we plan).

Ribbon Rack

I bought this wood-like lazy susan at DI back in May. I had grand designs for it, but then had second thoughts and just kept it in my room for months on end. I eventually had another idea, but it took me a while to get my rear in gear!


But with a little measuring, drilling, cutting, gluing and painting, I ended up with this. (My thanks to Chad who got the drill and sand paper out of the garage for me and cut my dowels.) I painted it this morning with some paint I had on hand.

Ta Da! Now I can see all my ribbon in a simple spin and can access all of it without creating an avalanche. And I can also see that I need to get more ribbon!

One of "Those" Days!

Today really started last night when Chad was hooking up the trailer to his truck in anticipation of making a trip to Rexburg to buy some hay. When he went out this morning, he realized he'd locked his keys in the truck. No big deal...I have a key to his truck. The problem was that he'd left the key turned in the ignition and the battery was DEAD.

I had no clue that there was a problem until Daniel mentioned something about Daddy having a hard time getting the van out with the truck in the way. I threw on some pants and went out to help. By that time, he'd unhooked the trailer, put it in the garage instead of the van and had the van up to the truck as close as possible (there is a fence in the way). We got the truck started and headed back inside to finish getting the kids ready for the day.

I changed back into my pjs and finished getting the kids out the door. Chad had already said good-bye and had been gone for at least 5 minutes when I looked out the window to check on the kids (waiting for the bus). There was Chad again, trying to tow the truck into a good spot so that he could get the van up to it. The engine hadn't run long enough and the battery was still dead. So while the bus is pulling up to get the kids, we are straining to push the truck. We were no match for it, but were able to get the van closer (barely).

Once he was on his way, Chad had no more trouble. But he was late and couldn't stop at the bank to get the money for the hay. So I took Joseph and Sarah with me and pulled out what he needed. The plan was to be waiting for the afternoon bus to immediately take the boys and the money to meet Chad at work so he could get to Rexburg on time.

WELL, the school called just as the final bell was ringing to say that Leah didn't feel well and thought she might throw up. Did I want to come and get her or just have her come home on the bus? I couldn't load up the kids that fast, and how many times have we heard a child say they thought they were going to throw up and never do it? Besides, Sarah was constipated and I had just given her a suppository that I was waiting on.

When the bus was late (and Sarah still had not pooped), I wondered if Leah had thrown up. It finally arrived and Leah got off with a red and tear-stained face. Yes...she had thrown up...twice. The bus was late getting to the middle school because of it. I'm very sorry for her having to get sick publicly and to have the bus driver get that nice present, but I'm grateful it happened on the bus and not in my van! They can just hose down the inside of the bus!

So she and Rebekah stayed home while I drove the boys to meet Chad. Joseph and Sarah came along for the ride. :) Everything was nice and calm and Leah only threw up once. It took Chad a while to get home because he was over-loaded with over a ton of hay and was sticking to back roads. (He fell off the half-loaded truck once while he was loading it and is still finding places that are sore.)

When he got home, I went out to help him unload. We got the trailer backed up and unloaded and Chad pulled out to park the trailer so we could unload the truck bed. Remember that we recently got a new drain field? That left us with loose dirt. Normally, this time of January would give us frozen ground. But because of the warmer weather, we have MUD. And the truck found a really soft spot, burying the rear driver tire up past the bumper. It was still loaded.

That began the job of unloading the truck on the other side of the pasture from where we wanted it. Meanwhile, we were fighting off two very hungry calves. Once the truck was unloaded and a bit of digging was accomplished, Chad was able to free the truck. That began the job of REloading the truck to drive around the soft mud to get the hay bales where we needed them. It took 3 trips.

At one point, Chad was chasing after the troublesome cows and stepped (fell) right into the hole the tire had been in. He was in mud up to his knee. Maybe it sounds mean, but I laughed so hard I almost fell out of the back of the truck! When a cow fell in the same hole and also struggled to get out, I thought the show was well worth my money. :)

We finally got the hay moved and were driving the truck out of the pasture, so I walked ahead to open the gate. I stepped right into a different mud hole up to the top of my chore boot! I had to pull my foot out and have Chad pull out my boot. Ah...more laughing. And now my foot was cold and muddy. We had to move the trailer by hand and get it out of the pasture.

The best part? That isn't even half of the hay that Chad paid for. He has to go back! It will take two more trips. We are sad farmers, but we laughed a lot. Our coats went right into the washer, including Leah's coat with throw-up on it. The pants and socks still need to be laundered. Chad's shoe came in filled with water because he's sprayed them off. His sock was dripping mud. We both have sore muscles and new bruises.

BUT, I was able to accomplish something during a quiet moment this afternoon. I made this menu chart for our dinners. We chose some of our favorite meals then I divided them into categories and color coded them. We'll pick from our tried and true favorites and add a new recipe every once in a while. Knowing what I'm going to make for dinner has really helped this week!

We expect tomorrow to be boring after the day we had! How was your day?

Before and After

We scored some chairs from Chad's aunt, via his parents who were trying their hardest to get rid of them.

When I saw the chairs, I knew they would be perfect for the desks in the kids' rooms. I thought I might be able to recover them for personality. :)

I finally got around to my project yesterday and just finished up today.

Here was what each chair looked liked:


Here was my first chair, for the boys:


Here is the 2nd chair, for the girls:


I'm just so proud of myself (so you don't need to be) that I actually finished this project! That's what my self-esteem needed...a little success.

The fabric was less than $2 each chair (clearance at Hancock Fabrics). The only other materials I consumed were heavy duty staples and threads from the serger and sewing machine. Plus, I got to use a stitch on my machine that I'd never paid attention to before. It's a stitch that is like sewing 3 seams very close together...but all in one pass.

My time was less than 3 hours total (there was a bit of a learning experience with the first chair).

And now I can go back to being lazy and unproductive.

Sleeping, crafting and celebrating

I've mostly overcome my funk from last month. And it's time to catch up on all the stuff that's been going on in our lives. Sadly, some of the best moments will be lost because those are the little things that we don't remember forever. I guess that's what happens when you hold a pity party. :(

Chad caught this moment one night in May as we got ready for bed. This is an interesting twist on sleeping under a laundry basket! I think everyone should get a "Joseph" in their family! He and Sarah are best friends. Who wouldn't be smitten with a someone willing to sleep under their crib in such a fashion?

I showed you the shirts I made for the kids' last day of school. The kids made the shirts even better. We have received (and still receive) some great comments over these tees. Joseph even wears his turtleneck in 80+ degree weather.

The end of the year was an exciting time. Rebekah participated in a Kindergarten program and then the elementary had an awards assembly. Both Leah and Rebekah earned the "Teacher's Award" which is given to one girl and one boy from each class...chosen by their teacher. (Bet you didn't already figure that out.) There were field trips and class parties. Daniel's end-of-year was marked by a maturation presentation. He barely lived through it. (When I was making their shirts, Daniel asked if I could make his say, "I survived 'The Talk'." I didn't go for that idea.)

I used my Silhouette machine to make the shirts, as well as this family name grouping. (I have no idea what to call it. Anyone?) I ironed some heavy-duty Heat 'n' Bond to the back of the fabric, cut each letter out on my cutter, then ironed them onto the canvases. I bought the canvases in a 10 pack at Michael's and painted them.

This was a fun project, but also a learning experience. I would do it a little differently if there was a "next time".

Also on my cutter, I cut out these ties and the letters to make a Father's Day bunting for Chad. This was a pretty easy craft.

The letters from the middle of the white were given to the kids who made Chad a card. Amazingly enough, their message was the same as mine!

When we got home from church, we found that the cat had played with the bunting and the string was in three parts. It was a little shorter after we tied it back together. Fatherhood is like that sometimes...you survive the turmoil and get back on track. (I think this is a much better analogy than the one I came up with when I found my Mother's Day plant covered in little white bugs!)

Every penny counts!

We have plans to make it to Disneyland this year. (Have I already mentioned that?) We have set up a system for the kids to earn their own spending money. And thanks to my much loved and often used Silhouette, they now have their own bank to save in.



I etched "Disneyland" onto each jar. (They are jam jars with handles.) Chad put a slot in each lid and I painted them all black (no fights). We put each child's name on with vinyl and glued the lids on. We have a little over 5 months to save. We'll break the jars open when it's time to go and count up our totals.

Rebekah has not really earned this money; it's purely for show. Once the picture was taken, I emptied her jar and glued her lid on. Leah and Joseph are the first to earn any money. They each got a dollar tonight. :)

Holiday Buntings

I have had a crafty bug lately. (This is likely due to the germy bug that spent two weeks over-staying its welcome in our family. And just when we thought things were on the "up and up", Daniel starts coughing.)

I've already kind of shown you my St. Patrick's Day craft. Here is a better picture. It was really easy to make and was done in one day. (Joseph was trying to get in the picture.)

And here is one that replaced it today. This one was pretty easy, too, though more involved. It took a few days, because of several interruptions.

Now I have to decide what else to make!

My new toy

I got a fun toy for Christmas. Chad got me a Silhouette SD after I mentioned I was trying to win one online (though I knew my chances were impossible).

It's like a Cricut, but doesn't use cartridges and can use the fonts from my computer. It can cut vinyl, paper, vellum, etc. I can download new designs from their website. I can save the things I want to cut to an SD card and use the cutter without connecting to the computer. It can use pens and draw the designs instead of cutting them. I haven't got those yet. :)

So Joseph and I cut some snowflakes earlier this week

and decorated the kitchen cupboards.

I cut out several hearts in different sizes. (Valentine's Day is coming, you know.)

One of the included designs was a box. I made several tiny ones. Those were fun. :)

The cutter came with a $10 download card. I spent $1 on a temple design. That was a really neat one!

Now I just have to dream up some fun projects!

Scout Patch Boards

I've been wanting to make these for the boys for a while to display all those unique (read: large, strange and/or pointless?) patches they earn that can't be worn on their uniforms.

I got a couple of 14" cork boards from Walmart during the school supply clearance sales. I found a yard of scout fabric on eBay. I bought a spool of gros grain ribbon and got to work.

Long story, shortened, I hot glued the fabric and ribbon to the back of the boards and then cut some foam board to fit the space, used more glue and covered the back.


I found a place online (TropicoolAccents.com) that makes motorcycle patches and got the boys' names done to match the fabric. Each patch was $6 and my total with shipping was $14. I hot glued those on as well.

Here is what they look like, with two of Nathan's patches pinned on. :) I'm excited to see how they like these and what they look like on their bedroom wall.

Ho Hum

I feel like I'm supposed to blog and be witty, entertaining, insightful and purposeful at the same time. I think I'm going to miss on almost all points (except for the blogging part).

Don't think that I've snuck away for a chance to do this. I have all 3 little ones in the room with me. The girls keep asking me, "What does this say?" And I'm sure Joseph is aspiring to be a printer repairman. He just has to have a broken printer first, so that is what he's trying to achieve. Heck, maybe I should let him break it and then I can get a nicer printer to print up my scrapbook pages. Maybe I can hold him off until next year's tax refund comes so that I can actually buy a new printer.

We've got a wet, gloomy day outside today. October was beautiful (despite the freak snow on occasion), but November is slipping into a sort of depression. The least it could do is snow so that things could look cleaner and brighter!

I've recently taken on a task to sew, sew, sew and crochet. I'm trying to make up some things to hopefully make a little money. With Christmas in the air (or at least in the stores), I'm aiming for the gift-buyers. So between dish cloths, pillows (some in high school colors), aprons, and whatever else I can make quickly, I don't have much time for daydreaming. I'm hoping to find a craft fair soon or else I'll come up with some other way to get them out there.

Chad's mom came out on Wednesday afternoon to watch the kids for us while we went to a Stk. temple meeting and session. We hadn't been to the temple together since before Joseph was born. It was nice to get a chance to go back. We really appreciated her willingness to come for the night and the kids had fun with her!

We are currently down to 12 chickens. Both roosters have been butchered and slow cooked on Sunday afternoons. Thank goodness. I was tired of carrying a stick out to the coop to gather eggs. The last rooster was probably tired of my stick! Let this be a lesson for you all: I eat my enemies!

*In response to comment #2: I personally did not butcher the roosters. Chad has decided that warmer weather is better for cleaning out chickens.