The Eliason Family!!!!

A bunch of 1sts!!!!! (And maybe a couple re-dos)

2012-01-30T15:57:00.000-08:00

So, in my lameness of trying to be a better blogger, I've still missed quite a few things going on in our ever busy lives. (slapping wrist) Shame on me! Still, 3 posts in January??? Hold the phone!

A few firsts going on over this way:

Anaya was the first to lose a tooth....and then within a couple weeks, she lost another one. She picked out a cute pink cupcake tooth fairy bag from mom's stash, and we had our first visit from the tooth fairy!

Austin was a bit upset for awhile feeling that since he was the oldest, he should have lost the first tooth, but not to worry! 2 months later, he lost his first tooth, and will be all caught up with Pie since he has ANOTHER loose tooth.

While Choopie is still growing her teeth, and she hasn't lost any (thank goodness!) she did have her first visit to nursery! Super successful! Josh and I thought this baby was going to be a piece of cake since she went right on in the 2nd week too. 3rd week = serious separation anxiety!!! Weeks 4, 5, and 6 have all been the same and she is clearly a daddy's girl!

Re-do of the month: The dreaded pregnancy glucose test! EWWWWWW!!!!! Certainly not a first, but definitely the last! :) That is something to smile about!

We also got to be up in Denver for the first time as a family at the temple. The temple was closed for cleaning, but the kids were excited to see it!

Secrets of a SAHM chef

2012-01-18T08:54:00.000-08:00

The real title of the salad is Autumn Harvest Salad, but after making this, it's not just an "Autumn" salad. It's an all the time, year round, at least once every two weeks kind of salad. Seriously, it's that good. Seriously. I found the recipe on Pinterest (If you've never been on pinterest, you have got to get on there.! Even my husband has an account.) and tweaked the recipe a little bit. The awesome part of this is that this salad can be a snack or a meal depending on how you fix it. Here's the recipe I made.

1 head of romaine lettuce

1/2 head of red leaf lettuce

handful (or more) of raw spinach

Feta cheese

candied pecans

craisins

red pears, diced

5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

balsamic vinegrette

poppyseed dressing

cubed chicken

Tear up your lettuce into salad size pieces. I bought a block of feta cheese and crumbled it myself because it's cheaper. Add in your craisins, bacon and pecans and pears. If you are making a meal, add the cubed chicken in. Using a 1:1 ratio mix the balsamic dressing and poppyseed dressing together.

Pour dressing over the top and toss. How easy is that? If you need to know how to candy pecans, read on.

Candied pecans

2 T butter

1/2 C whole pecans broken up

brown sugar and white sugar

Melt the butter in a sauce pan. Add the pecans and mix well making sure to get all the nuts coated well. On Med heat, add 1 T each of brown and white sugar. Mix super well. Let the sugar melt a little in the pan while stirring every so often. You want the sugar to caramelize. You know if you've done it right when you take the nuts out of the pan and there is a little hard coating on each nut. Let cool on wax paper. DO NOT put into your salad hot! It will wilt all the greens.

There you have it folks! One of the best salads in the world!!!! Enjoy!

My knight in shining armor

2012-01-09T19:03:00.000-08:00

My favorite person in the world is my husband. :) This last December, we celebrated 8 glorious years of marriage together. 8 1/2 years if you count the time we dated and were engaged. Each year I reflect on the amazing things we've sometimes struggled to get through as a couple. We've had our ups and downs in life and celebrated our big achievements. We love to watch comedy together, and craft together (whether it's his craft or mine!) All of these things we've done as a couple. He is always there when I need him. He doesn't mind if I get snot on his shirt when I'm crying about something, or if I'm pregnant and snore so loud I could out snore any warthog that came my way. He doesn't mine when he comes home tired from work and the house is a wreck - he even helps me clean it up.

What I really love about Josh is the fact that when he walks in the room, I feel my heart leap. Eight years of marriage hasn't changed the fact that he still makes me blush when I catch him looking at me. I still love to dress up and go on dates with him and I still love to wear jeans and a t-shirt and go to the grocery store alone with him, just to be with him.

Some of my favorite moments in our marriage have been the simplest of things. Doing the dishes together and talking, helping him sand some of his wood projects and chatting about our life or snuggling up in a blanket and watching some cheesy chick flick (because he let me pick) and being so content with my life.

Josh does so much for our family. I love when he snuggles up with all three of our kids and reads to them - it makes me smile. He works so hard at his job and often makes sure he is 5 or 10 minutes early to beat his bosses there and sometimes works until he is the last one there. I really appreciate the fact that it is important to him to let his bosses know that he is a hard worker and is deserving of the pay he makes. At home, he works hard along side me and helps with household duties that are considered by a lot of the world to be the "woman's jobs". Josh has never been one to say, "Well I'm a man, I can't do the dishes because that is one of the wife's duties." Or the laundry, or the vacuuming or the mopping of the kitchen floor. I'm grateful that when he sees something that would help me out, he does the chore out of love for me. He is truly my match and I am eternally grateful that he is mine. :)

Public Service Announcement...

2011-12-08T08:02:00.000-08:00

Sooooo.....if you didn't already know, we are expecting again. Another baby that is. Our planned/not planned baby. We've always planned for 4 kids, just not so soon. Soon meaning I'm already 5 months along. Which means in 4 months we're going to look like this.

All for good reason though. :) I have an ultrasound on the 13 of December and that will give us our due date. I'm guessing around the last bit of April....but we'll see for sure. I think we're having a boy this time around. I kind of do hope we have another boy so Austin won't be alone. I will take some pictures of my tummy soon. I haven't taken any - but I can tell you I'm much bigger than last time. I've gained about 2 lbs so far and I think I'm about 20 weeks. Happy Pregnancy!

The Curse of the Stolen Cupcakes

2011-11-13T17:06:00.000-08:00

I teach the Valiant 11-12 age primary class at church. They are a handful. After 3 1/2 months of being in the calling and having brought treats once (they were starbursts) I decided this Sunday, I would bring in cupcakes. Delicious devil's food cake cupcakes with homemade butter cream frosting. I thought we'd celebrate the birthdays that had happened already and celebrate the baptism of a boy in our class. So, I spent the morning baking a frosting and applying those yummy rainbow sprinkles. I have 9 kids in my class so I packed 9 cupcakes.

I put the cupcakes "safely" in the kitchen of the church - or so I thought. Within an hour or two, 2 (maybe more) 16 and 17 year old boys snuck in the kitchen and found my beloved cupcakes and ate 6 of the 9. Josh had gone to bring my cupcakes in to my class and found the pan raided and he was as disappointed as I. Both of us had a hunch that it was boys in his class and so we hatched a plan to find the culprits. We decided that he would some how tell his class that the cupcakes had dog poop in them and watch for a reaction.

I sadly went back to my class to tell their disappointed faces that someone had taken their cupcakes and that I would bring something next week. They were broken-hearted. One boy even said, "But we were so good this week."

Josh did me one better. He changed his whole lesson plan to figure out who stole the cupcakes! He talked about sin and how it can creep into our lives a little at a time without us realizing it. He told his class that he had brought cupcakes as an object lesson but ironically they were stolen. He wasn't going to let them eat them since they had dog poop in them. But even though they weren't edible, they were still enticing in their yummy looks. He also talked about how sometimes sin isn't super obvious and detectable, but it is still there. Most of the young men were laughing and a couple of the young men tried to laugh, but then ducked their heads. Hahaha! We knew exactly who took the cupcakes. Sometimes revenge is sooo sweet! Josh said the looks on the culprits faces were priceless when then realized what they thought they had done.

Moral of the story: Don't ever take other people's things without asking! You may be bargaining for a lot more than you think!!!!

Summer Babies!

2011-07-28T11:47:00.000-07:00

So...I'm a stinky blogger. A really stinky blogger. My last post was in May and now, it is almost August. Lame!

Here are a few highlights of our summer!

June
- Choopie celebrated her 1st birthday! She has grown up into such a super cute TODDLER! She walks everywhere!
- We went to Buena Vista on a day trip with Papa, Grandma and Bethany to check out white water rafting. We also had a picnic and went on a hike.
-Josh and Em went on a crazy fix it spree and refinished 2 dressers, 2 nightstands, upgraded bathroom fixtures and finished the fence.
-Nana and Grandpa came home early from their mission in Fiji and are living with us!

July
-The Melville Family reunion happend! It was a blast and we had so much fun with our spy theme!
- Emily volunteered to help with the Colorado Epic Relay. A 205 mile race from Colorado Springs to Crested Butte with a 12 member team. Em was stationed at exchange 3 and got to see our team run through!

Enjoy the pics!

Graduation!!!

2011-06-01T09:11:00.000-07:00

Whew! We made it! Mostly Josh made it! Josh graduated on May 20 with his MBA in accounting! It was such an accomplishment! Going to school has been much harder than we anticipated - especially since we kept expanding our family. :) Josh and I agree together that everyone in our family has sacrificed to get this degree...it was a family thing. But, Josh sacrificed the most in his endeavor to be uber brainy. haha! And he is! There were late nights studying, giving up his lunch hour to study and not eat lunch, long drives to school, coming home late and not seeing the kids, paying outrageous tuition and book fees...it's a long list. We are so proud of you Josh for your hard work! One thing I love about you is your ambition. If you think you can do it, you go for it. Commencement was held in the World Arena and was 3 hours long!!! The kids did really great. Avery went to sleep and Austin and Anaya watched a movie on the ipod touch. For the most part, they were quiet. We celebrated with lunch at Red Robin and had the most yummy burgers! It was a fantastic day! Congratulations Joshua Eliason, CMA, MBA class of 2011! I am so proud. (And so are the kids)

Our little Stud Muffin

2011-05-13T11:57:00.000-07:00

Josh had the special opportunity to go to school with Austin for Dad's Day! They got to build things out of wood together and paint and make a kite and fly it. They got it pretty high. They also went to the school BBQ for lunch and just had a man's day out!

Josh also told me that Austin is the ringleader. All the other boys want to be on Austin's team and all yell that they get to be on Austin's team. The girls all cheer for him on the playground during recess. (How does he have a cheering section? He's only 6!) Josh said all the girls were sitting on the sidelines watching the boys play a game and when Austin ran by they all started chanting, "Go Austin! Go Austin! Go down the slide!!!" So, what does he do? Keep his adoring fans happy of course! He goes down the slide and when he gets to the bottom, he hops off and yells, "Yeah! Yeah!" while pumping his fists into the air. Sigh, Oh that boy! In Josh's words, he's a little Casanova. (Oh dear!)

Austin also got his first love note from a girl in his class. He was so excited to show me when I picked him up from school. He only turned 6 yesterday! What's going to happen when he is 7? Oh, please pray for me! Yikes! :

Choopie eating dinner

2011-05-09T07:54:00.000-07:00

There is some serious complaining going on in this video - just beware.

Happy Birthday Nana!

2011-05-02T08:21:00.000-07:00

Awesomest Dad award!

2011-05-02T08:17:00.000-07:00

Here is another reason I love Josh so much. He is a great dad! Not just great, fantastic! He tries so hard to help his kids and spend time with them. I forgot to get bread over the weekend and Austin wouldn't have a "normal" sandwich come Monday for school. I figured Austin could just make do for one day with a hamburger bun sandwich - he wasn't getting hot lunch (he's terrified of the lunch lady) and in my mind, that was a win. Josh got up extra early Monday morning and drove to the store and bought bread so Austin could have a regular sandwich in his lunch. I know it meant a lot for Austin to be able to have his sandwich and that Josh recognized how much it really did matter. (I have become desensitized - bread is bread whether its in bun form or a loaf.) I appreciate how much he loves his (yes the kids are all his!) kids and that he is willing to sacrifice sleep to make them feel loved. Thanks for being a great dad honey! You win the dad of the year award! :)

Birthday Girl

2011-04-22T10:39:00.000-07:00

Hi, yes, I'm posting almost a month later about my birthday. It was fun! Josh coordinated a fun get together with all of our friends and we had cake and ice cream. I love my friends! :)

So, I'm 27 now. I was thinking about my life and what I've done with it. What I haven't done with it, what I love about it, what I don't love about it, what I do want to do with it....So, here it is. These are more highlights of my life, otherwise I think I'd be blogging a long time.

In the last year - I've had a super cute chubby baby who is now 9 months old!, I've made money selling the things I make, I celebrated another fantastic anniversary with my cute husband.

In the last 5 years - I had 2 babies, got my own car, moved 2 times, found out my husband had depression and anxiety, helped Josh start his grad program, went through a serious weight loss regiment, became YW president, helped remodel our house, paid off all credit card debt.

In the last 10 years - (Hmmm...I was 17 ten years ago...wierd) I graduated H.S. early, went to college at 17, went to 2 different colleges, became triple jump champion at a national's track and field meet, broke up a long distance relationship, met a cute boy at school, married the cute boy from school in the temple, moved 3 times, totaled a car.

Thinking about all these things made me realize how busy I am and how much I have experienced even at 27. It makes me excited for the future and all the new things I can see and experience in a span of the next 10 years and beyond that! I am still just a baby and have so much more life ahead of me.

I've made good decisions and not so good ones, I've gotten fatter, I've gotten skinnier, and I've such amazing people in my life to help me become who I am today. I do love my life and how I've grown up and matured. There are things I would go back and do differently in my life, but I wouldn't want those experiences cut out of my life. I don't really have regrets. I have been very blessed by my Heavenly Father. Happy Birthday to me! :)

Josh is 30!

2011-03-05T09:11:00.000-08:00

So...my husband is 30! The big 3-0! Very low key to begin. J didn't want to do anything big for his birthday, so we had dinner with his mom and just kept it simple. Little did he know that I was plotting away behind his back.

We had a get together with our friends in the latter part of his birthday week and I was so careful to not leave a paper trail or phone calls where he could hear and he still found out! I can't surprise the man. 8 years of marriage and I can't surprise him. Me buying (2) 1/2 gallon tubs of ice cream gave it away, and he suspected.

I had even made a cake and hid it somewhere. Anyway, it was fun chatting with our friends and visiting. Happy Birthday Josh! One day I will surprise you!

The Internet

2011-03-03T15:56:00.000-08:00

One of my friends (we'll call her Hadley just cause I like that name.) made the decision to delete her facebook account. This was not an overnight decision for her and it did take a lot of thought. She was moving overseas and facebook as we all know is just another means of communication. The reason behind Hadley's decision was that she felt she was spending too much time on the website. Sadly, in explaining her decision to her friends received email after email and post after post about how now was not a good time to delete as she was moving and how would they keep in contact? It made me really sad that she had to defend herself for a decision that would ultimately make her a better person. Less time on the internet = more time for hobbies, schoolwork, family time, etc.

It just made me think...honestly, what did we do before facebook came along? How did we communicate? How did we talk to our friends before texting and phones and internet?? The more I thought about it, the more infuriated I got! Infuriated, yes. Our culture is so dependent on electronics to do things for us. Folks can't break up with their significant other in person, they do it in a text. Some can't even wait to text so they do it in the bathroom (ew!), while driving, while people are talking to you (so rude!) People walk around with their lives in their hands and when they lose that ipod touch or cell phone with all the people on earths numbers in it....well, that is the end of their lives as they know it and don't be expecting a call or text anytime soon because they are busy hopping on facebook creating a group "Help I lost my phone give me your number".

Now, I am not anti-electronics. I love mine. I have a great computer, t.v., phone and so does my husband. They are great items that can do all sorts of things. But I don't let them run my life. I am perfectly fine if I do happen to lose my phone, my life will not be over. I just think there is a time and a place for them. Letting my kid cry while I text someone is not a good time. Watching endless movies on netflix instead of playing with my kids or spending time with my husband is not a good time. So much time can be wasted while we spend endless hours on our electronics!

So, while Hadley kept defending herself to all of these people the thought crossed my mind..."are you really her friend then? If you are, then you will make time to email (which in my opinion is the same thing as a face book email) or call or even mail her a snail mail letter because that is what a friend would do.

So in honor of my friend who has moved out of the state (and that means you can't ever get in touch with her??? c'mon! (Are you sensing the sarcasm?)) I challenge you all who read this to spend less time on the computer. Go out and do something with friends, read a book, do a craft, spend time with your families. I'm thinking if you are hopping on 3 or more times a day to check the status of whoever only to find that their dog ate their kids binky and then threw up on the carpet and they had to rent a steam cleaner and when they got it home it broke so they had to crate the dog and drag all their 3 or 4 or 7 kids to the store with the broken steam cleaner to get a new one and they were all rented out.....you should probably delete your account too. Looks like you are on a little to often.

School Valentines

2011-02-13T20:51:00.001-08:00

Austin needed to make some Valentine's for his school class as well as a Valentine mailbox to put his valentines in. Here is what we did!

We made a love monster mailbox out of an old kleenex box and some craft supplies. Easy, peasy and he loves it! Want to make your own? Here's what you do.

You need:
An old kleenex box
Wrapping paper of any kind
Valentine Stickers
Pipe Cleaners
Googly eyes
Felt for the teeth
Tape
Hot Glue

Trim the plastic off your kleenex box where the tissues come out. Wrap your box in the wrapping paper and trim an X in the hole where the tissues come out. Tape those down in the inside. Cut out teeth from the felt and hot glue on the inside as well. Decorate with stickers. Using a small screwdriver punch holes in the box for the googly eye stems and the arms. I rolled the googly eye stems in a swirl so I'd have something to glue the eyes to. And your monster is ready to eat some Valentines!

His valentines are just jewelry bags with hugs and kisses in it. We made simple bag toppers that said, "Hugs and Kisses from Austin" He did great signing all of them - all 23 of them! Anaya, Austin and I made an assembly line to make them all. Anaya filled the bags with hugs, Austin with kisses and closed them and I stapled all the toppers on. It was a great afternoon of crafting!

Avery's Army Crawl

2011-01-24T21:48:00.000-08:00

This girl is getting good at scooting around!

You're beautiful

2011-01-22T13:58:00.001-08:00

Here's another husband series....

Josh and I were talking today about how women are "softer" in body type than men. I was complaining about how flabby I was, because I still haven't lost all of my baby weight. Josh mentioned that he likes that I'm not so buff that I'm like a rock. I then told him that if I was a rock, it would be like living with a vampire (twilight reference!) and that I would be super beautiful.

Get ready, this is the best part...

Josh then said, "I don't think you could get any more beautiful than you are now."

No prompting, no hints to get him to say that. Thanks Hon for making me feel pretty!

The Husband Series

2011-01-17T14:16:00.000-08:00

I'm a total copy-cat. Again. My dear friend Rachel also started this series on her blog. She is the genius behind the idea. "The Husband Series" is just posts made for Josh. Just him. It's a moment for me to tell Josh how much I love him and am grateful for all the things little or big that he does for me. Mmmm...Love this idea!

It's been snowy here in the last couple of weeks. Austin had a couple of snow days because of snow (duh) and the sub-zero temperatures. One night as Josh and I were watching the news, it said that there would be closings and delays from the weather. Austin's school wasn't listed so I planned to check in the morning.

Not only did Josh check for me the next day, he had gotten up a few minutes earlier than usual to do it. He also let me sleep. There was a delay for the schools and when he went out to start his car and let it warm up, he scraped and brushed his car AND MINE! It was 7 degrees out! He then came in to tell me good-bye and that he loved me. He didn't mention how long he had been out scraping ice off of my windshield or even mention that it had snowed 5 inches. And that's why I love him. he didn't feel the need to be credited for what he had done. He just did it because he knew it would help me out. It was a nice surprise. :)

Our super cute fam...

2011-01-17T12:30:00.001-08:00

Just us over the last couple of months. :)

Avery laughing...

2011-01-17T12:21:00.000-08:00

Rewind!!! - Back to 2010

2011-01-17T11:59:00.000-08:00

Ok, so lame! It's already the middle of January, and I still haven't blogged Christmas. Who's a bad blogger? Me. So, for the sake of time (2011 is just ticking away!) I'm just going to sum it up in one big post. Hhhheeeeerrrrreeeee we go.

December - We were able to catch up with some great friends of ours! Parley (Josh's childhood friend) and Anna (my old college roommate) and their cute kids Parker and Paige were traveling back to WA and stopped in the Springs! We spent an evening chatting and catching up while at dinner at Giuseppe's.

Josh and I went formal to his work party and enjoyed ourselves immensely! Lots of good food, great company and we got lots of compliments on our waltzing. (haha!)I'm not really taller than Josh, I have my heels on. :)

Josh, Avery and I went out to UT to see one of Josh's cousins get married. Cute couple. We experienced every kind of weather except sun. :( It was great to catch up with family and Avery got to meet Gramee and her great-grandparents. Austin and Pie stayed up with my parents while we were away. They had a blast! We also brought back Nastia (a girl from my parents Russian mission) and my sister Beckie for Christmas. This is weather on the way to UT...

Weather on the way back...

Everyone who held Avery fell in love with her! The teenage boy cousins a lot of the time were arguing about who got to hold her last and who's turn it was now to hold her.

We spent Christmas Eve up at my parents house. The kids got scooters and scored all kinds of great gifts! And of course we had our appetizer feast! Yum!

Here's Nastia...

It was a great Christmas, and month of December!!!

Looking Back...

2011-01-05T10:33:00.000-08:00

2010 was a great year! There was so much going on and even though it was full, there was still lots of fun! Here are my top 10 highlights! (And these are not in order, they are just what came to mind. Just filling the spaces people!)

1. I had a baby - not just any baby, the SWEETEST (for real) baby.
2. Austin started school. Good for me, good for him - it's a win/win.
3. One of my best friends moved in next door! I love having her around!
4. Josh completed his CMA exam! Hallelujah!
5. I got to take a whirlwind trip to UT. Take note - First time out of CO with Josh in 2 years.
6. Started a business with some girlfriends and made some moo-lah. Realized my crafting stuff is sellable and was successful in selling things!
7. We put up a fence and made a front yard! After 2 years of talking about it, we actually did it. It felt good!
8. Along with starting a business, I also counted up how many sock monkeys I made. It was such a sense of accomplishment when the number was 92!!!
9. My parents got their 2nd mission call to Suva Fiji!!! Lucky Ducks!
10. Cut off 13 inches of hair and donated it to Locks of Love. Now, I have a sassy short haircut.

I'm know there are more highlights, but this is good for now! Thanks 2010 for being amazing!!! Looking forward to a fabulous 2011!

Sunshine List

2010-12-03T08:55:00.000-08:00

One of my good friends Rachel, made a sunshine list on her blog. I thought it was such a good idea that I am going to do one as well! A sunshine list is a list of things that make life better, things you are grateful for, things that make you happy! So....here we go!

1. I am grateful for my family. Especially my husband. He works so hard and even if we just cuddled up and watched a movie every night, I would still think it was the perfect ending to a good (or bad) day.
2. I had a flat tire the other day, and two kids with me. It made me happy to know that I could handle the situation by myself and not need help. It's situations like these that remind me that I am much stronger than I think I am - at least when the moment calls for strength.
3. I do P90X. A grueling, intense workout that makes you sweat and hurt and be sore all of the next day and maybe even for a couple days after that. But, it helps me see that when I want something - in this case, to lose some weight- that I will go after what I want and be proactive towards a goal that I set.
4. My kids make me so happy! I think the hardest job in the "workforce" is that of being a mom. This is really the true test of endurance and patience and working under stress. But all of that is worth it when one of them comes up and says "I love you Mommy!" or I say hi to my baby and she smile a huge smile back at me.
5. My husband's job! In this economy, my husband and I have seen people with Master's degrees humble themselves and take minimum wage jobs to make ends meet. While we aren't swimming in wealth, I am grateful the Lord is mindful of our family's needs and allows us to have our income.
6. My girlfriends. Sometimes a guy's advice just doesn't cut it. :)
7. I am not grateful for other peoples suffering, but sometimes seeing their distress makes me think of how much I've been blessed with. It's humbling.
8. Cash. In our budget, I take out money for groceries and there is just something very satisfactory about holding 200$ in cash. (Obviously, I don't hold it often or I wouldn't get such a thrill out of it! haha!)
9. Foot rubs are a wonderful way to end a long day on my feet. And my sweet husband Josh is always willing rub them even if it is just for a few minutes. It is those tender moments that I can tell how much he loves me.
10. Home! As Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz, "There's no place like home." and she is right! I love walking into my home (even if it is messy! Which most of the time it is.) and knowing that here, I am loved and wanted and it is the best when my family comes over and hugs me and tells me how much they missed me while I was gone.

Even just rereading this list makes me smile. :) Now, go and make your own sunshine list!

Clue at the Eliasons

2010-11-11T10:22:00.000-08:00

It was P90X in the family room with brutal torture!

That's right, I think I'm going to die. I am in agony! Getting dressed is torture. I think I've been this sore only one other time in my life.

Avie-Bee update

2010-10-26T12:42:00.000-07:00

This little girl is such a joy to have in our home! I can't tolerate much fighting between the kids, but when the fighting is over Avery, it gets kind of comical. I hear quite often, "Mom, Austin won't share the baby!" Both Austin and Anaya are so good with Avery and love to help her by feeding her, getting her blankets, putting her in her bumbo chair so she can watch t.v. with them. It's all very sweet! Avery just had her 4 month check-up at the doctor's office. I'm still wondering how it can already be 4 months?! It's gone by so quickly, and I'm almost 100% sure it didn't fly by this fast when I was pregnant with her. :) Anyway, back to the doctor's visit. Avery weighs 15 lbs and was 25 inches tall. She's at the 75th percentile for height and weight. She's doing so great learning. She can roll over and has this awesome spitting habit. She loves to smile and is laughing a little more each day! We love you Avie!

Check out this face she makes when she spits!

Craft Fair #1!

2010-10-04T20:01:00.000-07:00

I survived my first craft fair this last weekend! A couple of my friends Jessica and Jen and I got together to combine our cute crafts and sign up for the fair. It wasn't technically a "craft fair". We were a booth at a large, very large consignment sale in the Phil Long Expo Center. For huge crowds shopping there for the sole purpose of buying clothes, we didn't do too bad at all. Everyone made their booth fees back which was our goal for this. We had a great time and were able to get our names out there! I sold about half of my inventory that I brought. And, we have signed up for two more this year! Whooo hoo!

This was a crazy awesome consignment sale! We bought a whole bunch of outfits for Anaya who needed clothes for about 20$. There were women who came with big old empty laundry baskets, took off their belts when they got there and attached them to the laundry baskets to pull them around. They would load up with stacks literally 3 feet tall. It was insane! See picture #2.

Thank you to everyone who helped with babysitting, dinners and the support! I appreciate it so much! A special shout out to my lovey Josh who took off of work so I could go. Thanks hon! I love you so much!

Elder's Quorum Synchronized Swimming

2010-09-18T18:21:00.000-07:00

Josh and some guys from Elder's Quorum did a synchronized swimming routine for our Ward Talent show. It was pretty funny and these guys really know their synchronized swimming moves!!! They did a good job! They song they are swimming to is from Harry Potter 4 at the Quidditch World Cup.

Lowe's build and grow

2010-09-01T18:39:00.000-07:00

Austin and Pie enjoyed a morning out with daddy with a trip to Lowe's. Usually about twice a month, Lowe's puts on a free clinic for kids called build and grow. You can sign up free online and take your kids to the clinic where they can build special projects. They also get a Lowe's apron and goggles, a certificate for completing the project and also a patch to put on their apron. During this clinic, the kids got to make "back to school school bus chalk holders" with a chalkboard top. They turned out so cute! Josh said that Lowe's provided mini hammers for the kids to work with. Both Austin and Pie loved spending that time with daddy and getting to build something with him. Next up - fire trucks with working sirens. (Can we leave the sirens at the store? :p)

Austin's first day of school

2010-08-29T20:21:00.000-07:00

Austin is so big! He started school this year and is in kindergarten. His teacher is Mrs Vasser at Trailblazer Elementary school. She is great and he loves her. He's doing great and loves eating lunch out of his Thomas the tank Engine lunch box. Austin did so great his first day and there were no tears from me or him. :) Guess mommy is grown up too. haha! Isn't he cute???

Cutest little Avie bee

2010-08-29T20:13:00.000-07:00

Having Avery here has been such a joy! She is the sweetest baby and only cries when she needs something. She loves to be held and Anaya and I love dressing her up and making her look pretty. Austin just adores her and gives her hugs and kisses whenever he can and Avery has wrapped her dad around her little finger. They are a cute pair. We had to take a picture of her little feet - they were so cute on Sunday. And she's smiling!

Gargantuan Marshmallows

2010-08-29T20:01:00.000-07:00

I just had to post this because these are so huge! Josh and I found marshmallows as big as your fist in one of our grocery stores. We surprised our kids (who are big marshmallow fans) and my mom with them. They were so surprised. Anaya didn't know what they were at first! Imagine making a s'more with one of these!!!

BBQ

2010-08-29T19:21:00.000-07:00

We finally got a grill! It had been put on the back burner for awhile - there were other more important things to get before a grill. But, now we have one! We've been grilling a lot. It's nice to be able to make dinner without heating up the house to do it.

Operation Front Yard - Complete!

2010-08-12T20:46:00.001-07:00

Wow! This was a major project! When we first moved in, there was a large hole - maybe for one of those yard ponds in the yard. We filled it in and left it for a couple of summers. This year, we went all out and built a sidewalk, graded, gardened, rototilled, mulched and sodded. Not all in that order. :) Josh did 99% of the work and I worked that 1% and also cheered and dictated from my lawn chair as I was pregnant during most of the construction. I also brought my man ice water drinks when it was hot. haha! :) Finally, after a couple months of hard work and mosquito bites we are finished! It looks so great! Here are some pics of the men hard at work laying sod. (In the rain I might add - such dedication!) Austin wanted so badly to help and pulling those heavy pieces of sod out of the car was no easy feat for him, but he did it! He hopped in the car, pushed the grass out, and rolled and unrolled until he was at the spot he wanted to lay it.

Anaya, Avery and I did take cover in the back of the car when it started raining a bit harder and it got chilly.

Water Park!

2010-08-12T20:37:00.001-07:00

Today we went to the water park with some good friends! The kids had a great time running and dancing around in the water and I enjoyed it because it was free! :) Colorado Springs has lots of small water splash parks in the city that are free and open to the public all summer long. We love visiting those and a couple of fountains in town as well.

Avery's Birth Announcement

2010-08-03T21:32:00.001-07:00

Here is Avery's announcement! Didn't Josh do a great job photo shopping?

Austin the Artist

2010-08-03T16:51:00.001-07:00

Just thought I'd post this...it's sooo cute! Austin drew our whole family and even included Anaya's pigtails. She's the tall one in the middle.

Fishing at Nana and Grandpa's

2010-07-26T12:46:00.001-07:00

My parents invited me and the kids up for a day of fishing at a nearby local lake. It was a great day. We had great weather - sunny and warm. We didn't catch any fish, but we didn't try very hard. :) The kids each put some bait on their lines and cast out. They waited for about 10 minutes and then decided they were done fishing. But, they found other things to do. It started with throwing rocks in the lake, and then getting as close as they could to the water's edge. And then, sigh, they were wading - with their shoes on! Ah, what can you do. Avie-bee did great and just sat and watched everything before going to sleep.

We did see a fish, but it was already dead. :( We did see a lot of fish jumping around, but none of them took any of our lines. Oh well, next time! Thanks for taking us fishing Nana and Grandpa!

Mom Helps!

2010-07-19T11:50:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone! I just wanted to apologize again for that super scary post awhile back. Rereading that made me realize how over stressed I was and that trying to be the "perfect mom" is not realistic. One of my friends lent me this fabulous book. Really, every mom should read it. It is fantastic. It's a definite pick me up and makes you feel so good about yourself and about motherhood. It is a hard thing, motherhood is. And it is normal to have stressed out days and to cry about it. I recommend this book to anyone who has kids and anyone who is thinking about kids. It really helps to put things back in perspective. :)

It's called I was a good mom before I had kids.

You can get it on half.com or amazon for pennies.

Summer!

2010-07-17T20:54:00.000-07:00

We may not have left town at all, but we sure have been busy this summer! Here are some of the things we've been doing!
- We had a baby - Avery Jeanne on June 23.
-Josh has been working hard on our landscaping (pictures to come). He's finished putting in a walk way to our front door and a beautiful flower garden up on a tier, and is now working on grading our front lawn to be sodded. It looks great!
- Austin is learning to read and is getting really excited to go to Kindergarten. One of his friends named Josh from church is going to be in his class!
-Anaya has been nicknamed "Little Mama" because of her love for Avery and her desire to be a mom. She puts diapers and clothes on her baby doll and has many times successfully gotten burps and poops out of her doll as well. :)
- We have stayed cool by swimming in fountains and baby pools and sitting in the shade. It's been so hot!
- Avery quickly got on a schedule her first week here! She's great!
- Mom has been learning to juggle 3 kids
-We've been up to Woodland Park to go fishing and Austin caught TWO fish this summer!

We're doing wonderfully! Hope you all are enjoying your summers!

Avery Jeanne Eliason

2010-06-27T20:05:00.001-07:00

Well, I'm sure after reading the title of this post you've guessed correctly that we have a new baby in our family! Josh and I decided to be induced and went into the hospital on the 23 of June to have our baby! We got there at 5:30 (a.m.!) and the pitocin drip started at around 6:00. I had previously told the baby several times while in my tummy that we weren't going to have a labor longer than 6 hours. Avery came out in 5 1/2. :) Such a good listener!

Josh and I took a hypnobirthing class which taught you to be calm and relax your body so the baby could move effectively down the birth canal quicker than if you were contracting your muscles in pain and preventing or slowing that trip. It was wonderful and the techniques I learned in the class were so helpful during labor. The breathing really helped keep me relaxed and the only way Josh knew I was having a contraction is when I closed my eyes to deep breathe. I did get an epidural when I was dialated to about a 6-7 when I was having a hard time focusing.

Our sweet little Avery made it into the world at 12:33 p.m. weighing 7 lbs 1 oz and was 19 3/4 inches. It was a very easy labor and we even got to enjoy watching the world cup! :) Go USA! Avery is the sweetest little piece of heaven and we're so glad she is here with us! She is a lovey bug!

This pic of all THREE kids is my fav. :) It makes my heart smile!

Sorry!

2010-05-30T14:36:00.000-07:00

So thanks for bearing with me with that last post. Believe me, everything is okay now. Those were just not a good couple of weeks. Doing good now and waiting for baby bun-kins to get here!

Another venting post...beware

2010-05-25T20:31:00.000-07:00

This week has been a rough week. It's only Tuesday. But with the past couple of days combined with the last yucky week I had...let's just say my stress level has gone through the roof! It really is just a sick joke. I have 2 kids who I haven't gotten along with for about a week and 1/2 now and expecting a 3rd. Really? Seriously? Just how is this going to work?

The stress of the last 2 weeks has just caught up. I'm burnt out. I cried for the first time this pregnancy. I was kinda hoping to make it through the whole 9 months, but I'd say 8 and 3/4 is a pretty good record.

Josh and I were discussing (or at least he was, I was busy soaking his t-shirt with my tears and snot) how I'm at one of the points in life where I can't de-stress. I can't exercise because of fatigue, sciatica and just the whole round belly thing. I honestly don't cry and if I did, I'd need to cry for a couple hours. I don't like to spend money to make myself feel better. What is a woman to do? I can eat. I'm really good at that, but I don't want to make that a habit!

The reason I can't de-stress is because getting hired on as a "mom" really means lifelong commitment. Which is fine by me. Unfortunately, on the days that I want to "quit", that vocabulary isn't in the business contract, so I'm kinda stuck. I stay in my "office" a lot of the day and I do get out, but I take my "co-workers" with me and when I go home, I bring my work with me. Now, don't get me wrong, I love my "job". I love it more than anything and know that I have the most incredible job and seeing my son write mom in his newly learned penmanship is way cooler than seeing CEO on a name plaque outside a fancy glass walled office.

But really, is it too much to ask for a tiny break? Please? Just something!

Rojo party!

2010-05-22T19:03:00.000-07:00

Well you saw from our previous post that Austin celebrated his 5th birthday! We had his party this weekend and had so much fun with the "Rojo the Red Lobster" theme. (Rojo is Austin's stuffed animal lobster that he totes around everywhere!)
Here's a look at his cake. Thanks everyone who came and helped us celebrate this amazing little boy!

Happy Birthday Bubby!

2010-05-11T09:08:00.000-07:00

Dear Little Austin,

Daddy and I are so happy you were born today, 5 years ago! How time flies! I remember only 8 hours ago, at 2 in the morning, your dad and I were driving to the hospital to have you. And now, here you are 5 years later this energetic exuberant little boy. You're so grown up and handsome and while I'm so excited that you are at the age where you get to go out and experience the world, I'm so sad that I will lose one of my best buddies in the fall when you go to Kindergarten.

Austin, you are a very sweet boy. I have always admired how sensitive you are to others pain. When I am not feeling well and tell you that I really need you to help during the day you were always the first to run and get me a sippy cup full of water. I love how you enjoy Primary and learning about Jesus and his love for you. I absolutely love reading you the scriptures because you learn so much so quickly and always jump at the chance to get the scriptures for family scripture time at night.

I have loved watching you grow and develop and figure things out for yourself. You are so smart and you amaze me with how quickly you learn hands on activities. You have the funniest sense of humor and your flair for the dramatic really shows when you are super excited about something. Thank you for being in our family! We love
you so much! Happy Birthday Bubby!

Love, Mom, Dad and Anaya

My Mothers

2010-05-08T12:39:00.000-07:00

I would like to take a minute to thank my Mother-in-Law Shannon and my Mom for being two the greatest women I know. Both Joshua and I know that the reason we "turned out" is because of the wonderful life lessons our mothers taught us and are still teaching us. (Or at least tried to, but we weren't listening. haha!)

Now, 6 1/2 years after I got married, I am a mother. I have now understood the hard work it takes to keep a family running smoothly - something my mom did with flair. I realize the sacrifices a mother makes to keep her children happy (ie. no sleep!) and the effort put into making dinners even though you are about to fall down from exhaustion at the end of the day. All these things, I learned from my mother.

We've all heard the saying "Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime" My mother has taught me to be self sufficient. A gift you can only give through example. From teaching me to correctly do laundry and make soup to basic sewing and writing talks for church. Things now that I am teaching my children to learn. I am so grateful for the time she spent teaching me these things, and I'm sure she's enjoying watching me try to teach my kids.

I love you Mom, and am so grateful for you in my life. Thanks for understanding when I need a break from my kids and having them come sleep over at your house. Thank you for still loving me when I was a beast and was Miss Crankypants. Thank you the most for teaching me how to love and forgive and how to put my Savior first. You are the best! Happy Mother's Day!
p.s. I'm gladly taking the flower.

Nana's birthday party!

2010-04-26T11:00:00.000-07:00

We had a litte party for my mom for her birthday. We made dinner and had cake and presents. It was very simple. Dinner was Italian cream cheese chicken over rice and green salad with lemon dressing. We had cupcakes for dessert. The kids did a great job singing happy birthday to her. Thanks for letting us pamper you on your special day!

llama day!

2010-04-26T10:44:00.000-07:00

We had a really fun day at the library of all places! Cheyenne Mountain library hosted "llama day". They had an actual llama come (his name was Bo) inside the library into the children's room. We got to learn about llamas, what they eat, what do they do all day, what their hair is used for and so much more! And, at the end of the presentation, the kids got to go and pet Bo and have their picture taken. Here's some pics of our fun!

Being humbled

2010-04-25T16:48:00.000-07:00

I had a humbling experience today. I went to Sunday School today...(shocking, i know) and enjoyed a wonderful lesson about Moses and his leading the Israelites into the wilderness and how much they complained. They complained a lot! We got to a point in the lesson about how the Israelites were complaining about the fact that they had to eat manna day after day after day and how they had no meat and they actually compared their free lives eating manna with their enslaved lives in Egypt eating meat and having a variety of food. They lost focus of the miracle it was that they even escaped Egypt and that in their current state (wandering the wilderness)it was by Heavenly Father's grace they were still alive. He provided a way for them to be fed and not starve and yet they complained. At anytime, the Lord could have taken the manna away and let the Israelites fend for themselves. The teacher asked, "How often to we take the miracles in our lives for granted??? How often do we disregard them as miracles and see them as trials and something we just can't get over and complain about "our blessings"?

I thought about my life - how I have much to be thankful for. I felt ashamed after hearing this lesson. Although I am not held captive in a place I don't want to be, I have never ever wanted for anything. It was a miracle I found a husband and got married in the temple. And while we spent the first part of our marriage super poor, we were blessed with the miracle of being able to finish school and have our first child. I especially felt embarrassed about how much I complain about my pregnancy. I have successfully carried 2 babies inside of me with no complications and am now carrying a 3rd baby while having good health. 3 beautiful little miracles. And getting pregnant 3 times without having to go to extremes to have a baby are three more miracles.

I do complain about my aches and pains while being pregnant. They are painful, and sometimes at the end of the day I am in tears. But I am carrying a healthy miracle, and I am healthy enough to have a baby - also another miracle. I am willing to pay the price, which means having those aches and pains for at least 9 months, but out of the whole pregnancy experience I get years of miracles from that one child. So, I may be at an 8 or a 9 on a pain scale of 1-10, but you won't know it. I am committing myself to complain less and enjoy the miracles the Lord is giving me. I really have nothing to complain about.

Blonde Moments

2010-04-17T21:13:00.000-07:00

Do blondes have more fun? Maybe, but they also look stupid at the checkout in the store debating with the cashier that the total is wrong. That is me. Story for you. So, lately I have been going grocery shopping and weighing my produce so I know roughly (within a $2 range) how much my food is going to cost at the checkout. I'd say I'm a pretty careful shopper and buy things on sale to get the most for my money. I love having fresh produce, especially baby carrots and apples.

These last few times I've gone grocery shopping, and I've actually cared how much my apples cost, I weigh them and do the math right there in the produce dept. However, when I get to the checkout, my total cost is off by 3 or 4 dollars, sometimes more. How is that possible, when I've done the math myself and double checked to make sure I am right? Now, I may not the world's brightest bulb in the box (by the time you read the whole story, you'll think otherwise)) and I did struggle majorly with math in school but I did pass and I still remember how to multiply.

I can tell you why my math is so off. In addition to try and save money, I have 2 little but very adorable distractions in the cart - haha, lame excuse. That's not the reason. When looking at the grocery scale, I have been multiplying kilograms - Yes kilograms, not pounds. I don't know why the red flag didn't go up. I guess I thought I was getting really good deals every single time I went to the store?!

Yes, I'm a dork. A big one. One who apparently needs schooling on how to read a scale properly. Go ahead, you can say it. Emily's a dork. :)

Easter!

2010-04-08T19:30:00.001-07:00

We had a great Easter this year. It was very low-key and uncomplicated which made for a very relaxing holiday! We tried to do "commercial Easter" on Saturday so we could focus on the true meaning of Easter on Sunday. We had a pretty big easter egg hunt up on my parents 3 acres - this meant our kids really had to work to find their eggs. It was very cold and windy but very worth it to see Austin and Anaya's faces when they found an egg. We did also get to watch conference with my parents on Saturday as well.

On Sunday, we were home and just enjoyed being together. During the break between sessions of conference, we dyed Easter eggs (every child must have that experience) and read the Easter story of Christ's resurrection. Austin is so sweet and is truly amazed by that story. And then for dinner the kids helped peel the eggs we had dyed for a quick Easter dinner of egg salad sandwiches. Very simple, and they ate because they helped with the entire process from dying and peeling to smashing and spreading on toast. It was a nice holiday and I loved that I could spend it with my little family. This is the last of many things with just 2 kids. I think reality is starting to sink in that now we are going to start doing things with 3 kids and not 2. :)

Springtime!

2010-03-23T16:04:00.000-07:00

We are so excited for Springtime to get here! We are ready for the picnics and the warm weather and most of all, the sun. The kids and I decorated for Easter this last Sunday. I made another one of my table runners to go with the holidays coming up. I always make them double sided one holiday per side so I can just flip it when the holiday passes. We have an Easter side and just a plain everyday side because it is awhile before the next holiday.

The kids made a great springtime paper chain full of pretty spring colors. They are really quick at making a chain and can really go to town! Just to let you know, if there were a paper chain making contest, you would lose to my kids. Yes, they are that fast. We also broke out all the Easter baskets and Easter looking stuffed animals and their favorite part - all the Easter eggs. We are using them right now for the centerpiece filler until the Easter Bunny comes to our house. Austin says the eggs are in the middle of the table so the Easter Bunny can find them and fill them with m&ms.

Oh hurry Spring and get here so we can be warm!

"P" night

2010-03-23T12:17:00.000-07:00

In our church, we spend one night a week for "Family Home Evening", or FHE! We have a gospel lesson, an activity and get to spend time together as a family. With Joshua going to school, we've had a hard time making a habit of this since traditionally FHE is on a Monday night. J has school Mondays. But, with him on Spring Break this week, we had an open Monday which we dubbed "P" night.

We started out with Pizza for dinner, which our kids loved. They loved it so much they even ate the crust. :) I love having sit down dinners and just chatting. We next had a gospel lesson on Prayer and talked about the correct way to pray and how we show respect through our body language while we pray. We finished up the evening by making homemade pretzels. The kids enjoyed rolling out the dough and twirling it and making it into different shapes. We explained that the twisted middle part of the Pretzel reminds us to fold our arms while we pray. It was a very fun evening and those pretzels were sooo delicious!

St. Patrick's Day Parade 2010

2010-03-15T12:28:00.000-07:00

A family tradition we have started since moving to Colorado is going to the St. Patrick's Day Parade every year! We broke out all of our finest green and headed out! The kids love it and this year we were close enough to the edge of the parade that they were able to grab some candy from the candy tossers! Austin did great getting right in the thick of it and was usually able to grab enough candy for himself and his sister who was not so quick on the draw. She was timid. :) It was a perfect day out on the town with nice sunny and warm 65 degree weather!

We went with the Eyrings again this year and got some pretty good parking in the park and only had to walk about 7 or 8 blocks! All the kids entertained themselves on the curb before the parade by wolfing down a bag of doritos...wow! They were hungry! Here are some of our favorite parts of the parade!

Daddy and Pie

Bubby

The bag pipers! We love bag pipe music. Go Clan Gordon!

All the leprechauns on and off the horses!

Waiting for Candy!!!

The "burrito balloon" (That's what Austin calls it!)

These crazy guys on pogo stilts doing tricks...the crowd loved them! They were pretty awesome!

The llamas...oh the llamas!

And the chik-fil-a dancing cows!!! Free sandwich coupons made for a great lunch afterwards!

Our last St. Patty's day parade with 2 kids!

Couldn't leave out this little piece of sweetness!

Teenager Anaya

2010-03-10T10:31:00.000-08:00

Help me!!!! It's already beginning. What's beginning you ask? Well, the teenage years. This girl is going to be the death of me! Growing up, I would say I was a tom boy. Yes, I liked to wear dresses on Sunday and have my hair curled, but the other 6 days a week I was out romping in the woods with my best friend, playing in dirt, digging worms (that's for you mom) and sweating it up.

Anaya on Sunday has complained to me that she is not pretty because her underwear does not match her dress. What??!! Are you serious? The other 6 days a week she is either in a dress or a skirt with her princess shoes and toting around some bag with princesses in it. And making sure her underwear is matching.

A couple days ago, she figured out how to get into my steamer trunk. Inside she found a box with RED LIPSTICK in it. Oh no!!! She was very quiet and when I had last looked at her, she was reading a book. When I looked again, she was just smiling...lips super red. Then she slinked (slunk?) into the bathroom because she said she had to go. Josh and I let her do her business but then got a bit curious when she was gone for a good 15 minutes. We knocked on the door and she said, "just a minute!" and opened up. There she stood with super duper red lips. I asked, "Did you put more on?" Anaya said, "No, I didn't. I just licked it off and put more on." Oh ok.

I went to document with a picture and she posed! I didn't ask her to do this. This is just pure Anaya personality! I repeat, Help Me! :)

New Slide for the kids

2010-02-17T21:00:00.001-08:00

Yes, that is the closet door. We're classy.

Shoes x 3 + a Lobster for Valentine's Day

2010-02-17T20:45:00.000-08:00

For Valentine's Day, Josh bought Austin,Anaya and me converse shoes! He got Anaya and me matching pink ones which she was ecstatic about! She kept saying, "Look mom, we match. We are wearing the same shoes!" Austin was not as excited as Anaya was, but still excited because he got new shoes.

We know that Converse shoes are also known as "chucks". Sweet Anaya just couldn't get the lingo down for a couple of days and referred to her shoes as "clucks". Brought a smile to my face every time I heard her say that. So, hooray! We are officially a converse family!

Josh and I also decided to celebrate Valentine's Day this year WITH our little valentines. Austin begged to have lobster for dinner because he wanted to try it, so we found some tails on sale and got some. Outcome: Austin hated lobster and Anaya loved it so much she ate all of hers and then some. It was really nice to spend the holiday with our kids and show our love for them. It was also really fun for me to try to cook a new food. Lobster was a bit more difficult than I though it would be. :)

2 kids and a Hazel

2010-02-11T16:46:00.000-08:00

Today I got to watch my friends the Ballards little girl, Hazel. She is the sweetest little thing and my kids love her! It has been so long since I've had a little baby in the house younger than 1 year old and I have to say I was a bit rusty at the newer baby phase!

You forget quite a bit when you don't have a baby around, for example the freedom. Hazel was great, but I forgot that at 6 or 7 months, babies don't like to be alone even if you are making them food.

Even though I am a little nervous for #3 to get here, I think my kids will adjust just fine. Austin and Pie were great at keeping Hazel entertained while I made bottles or if she was a little fussy. Anaya read her books and let Hazel play with her sneetch doll and Austin was good at keeping the musical toys going so she didn't get bored. Anaya was also mad when I was the one to put Hazels bottle in her mouth. She declared very loudly, "That is my job. I give Hazel her bottle, not you!" She's our little mama! Thanks Hazel for coming to play!

I'm losing it!

2010-02-09T12:32:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone! I would like to introduce you to a side of me you don't see often in public. This, is me.

Warning: This is a venting post. Be ready for some mass emotional explosions.

Lately I have been feeling overwhelmed. Overwhelmed is an understatement. A big one. Do you ever get the feeling where you have so much to do or should be doing, but you don't know where to start and even if you do start you'll have only made a teen tiny, minute, almost invisible dent in the humongous pile of junk called life? I think that is where i am.

Another big understatement...Mothering is hard. Although I know that Josh and I were supposed to have another child, in the back of my head I'm screaming at myself, "You are a nutcase. What are you thinking? Two is difficult...what is three going to be like?" Between everyday chores like cleaning and laundry, there is trying to teach my children what goodness is and what it means to play nicely and that kicking is still kicking whether its a toy or someones face. And as I'm staring at my kitchen counter trying to muster up some motivation to clean it up, I'm wishing I had a fairy godmother who would come and bibbity bobbity boo everything up and make my home spotless. And worse, in a cluttered and unclean home, I can't think. Oh, what to do.

My calling...oh boy. In addition to my own 2 soon to be 3 kids, I have 18 more. 18 teenage girls to be exact and I love them all. My mom told me after I was married and probably during my teenage years that I would keep her awake. She would lay in bed thinking about me and wondering how she could help with my problems. How silly I thought that was. These girls aren't mine and I lay in bed thinking about them. I think mothers who lose the most sleep are the ones who have teenage children. I love my calling, but there is so much going on! Refer back to the picture at the top of the post. I am slowly losing my hair. :(

Now for the worst part. My mouth. I have a bad molar and one of it's jagged edges is slowly cutting a hole in my bottom gums. I think I need a crown. And some vicodin. I can't chew food, which is so sad because I love food. If I ever had a love affair in life, it would be with food. What am I reduced to? Boost drinks. Yum! And with Josh's new job, we are still trying to figure out if our dental plans overlap or if there is a lovely waiting period before our new plan starts. Good bye food, hello orajel.

Still, I have much to be thankful for. I have two rambunctious children who occasionally poke their heads out during quiet time and yell, "Mom...mom..MOM!" until I respond to which they reply, " I love you!" how can I be mad at that? I have a loving husband who works so hard at his job as a father and provider and tells me when I am bloated and unshowered that I am still the most beautiful woman he has ever laid eyes on and that he is so proud that I'm "his girl." And I have the most loving Heavenly Father who lets me come and vent to him whenever I need to and still pours his blessings upon me and my family to let me know that he cares. So even though I am pulling out my hair, and taking 20 deep breaths to get myself under control, I think I'm going to go clean my kitchen. Thanks for letting me vent.

Where are you???

2010-01-15T20:31:00.001-08:00

Just to let you know, I'm lazy. Really. We've had lots of fun things to blog about and i don't...Maybe I should have made blogging a new's years resolution...nah!

Josh is doing well...working on his second to last semester of school. Hooray! And also working on the 3rd part of a 4 part CMA (certified management accountant) test. Still as hunky as ever and he is the man of my dreams. Josh also grew his first beard over Christmas break at my request. He claimed it was itchy and shaved it off as soon as he could. He did keep his goatee though. Josh thinks this is what he looked like with a beard. And he did, just with hair on the head and glasses, and more facial hair...yeah, he looked just like Chris Daughtry.

Em - I am not doing so well. I am in the middle of pregnancy #3 and this one is a doozy! I am sick a lot of the time and have found my new mommy post dictating from the couch. The kids and I read a lot of stories and snuggle on the couch. It is our new cozy spot. And while the couch is comfy and great, it makes for difficult disciplining. We are due in June this year. I am 17 weeks and in month 5!

Austin - This kid is so funny! He makes me laugh everyday. He tells me stories about his lobster Rojo (he's a stuffed animal) and he has a great singing voice! I often hear him in his room singing away in a manger or nursery rhymes. He also learned over Christmas to write the entire alphabet. He was so excited about that, and even wrote his first letter to Santa all by himself.

Anaya - Wow! This girl has an attitude. We are quickly learning that if she doesn't want to do something, we can't make her do anything...not for candy or cookies or any kind of bribe. She has also gone in to Sunbeams this year!!!! Anaya told me after her first Sunday in class, "It's not fun, there are no toys." She loves to watch cooking shows on t.v. with Austin and me, and will often go and make the same food out of play-doh. Today she made me barbecue sauce.

So that is our little update...See you in 3 months. Just kidding. I'll try to write before then!

I love to See the Temple

2009-12-14T09:34:00.000-08:00

This morning as i was checking my email, I heard Austin say to Anaya,

"Anaya, when we get big, we're going to get married in the big white church like mommy and daddy. That is where we should get married."

It makes my heart smile that that is something he already wants. :)

2009-12-05T14:11:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Car rides with Anaya and Austin

2009-12-01T12:32:00.000-08:00

Our kids have the wackiest senses of humor!!! We were driving home from Woodland Park around 9:30 at night so it was dark (about 20 min away) when this conversation started.

Anaya: Oh good another Christmas song! I love Christmas songs. Oh no! There's a ghost! He's coming. Hurry daddy, drive! He's chasing us in a car!

Mom: Where is his car?

Anaya: It's there! On the Mountain! Go go!!

Austin: Yes mom, he is coming! You better drive dad. He's running into trees and rocks and driving like Cruella DeVilla in the puppy movie (101 Dalmatians). And he's wrecking his car!!!

Mom: What color is his car??

Austin and Anaya: It's red! Hurry!

Josh and I had a good laugh. Kid Imaginations are great!

Get ready for these...

2009-11-29T14:04:00.000-08:00

Best. Oreo Cookie. Ever.

Major Disappointment

2009-11-28T10:01:00.000-08:00

So, Josh and I decided to brave Black Friday...WITH our kids. We went to a few stores, got a couple Christmas gifts and decided after our last stop, we'd grab a bagel for each of us at Panera or if you are from St. Louis, St. Louis Bread Co. We got to the restaurant and after a couple of minutes of thinking decided to unbuckle everyone and all go inside. I'll admit it, I am a huge fan of Bread Co and I was way excited to get a bagel. I love them. We got inside and took a look at the menu and then turned around and walked back out to the car. :( Panera is asking...wait for it...$1.40 a bagel!!!!! Unbelievable! When I was in high school, which was only 7 years ago, they were $0.75.

We were so disappointed, but then Josh saved the day by suggesting we go to Safeway to go get bagels - where they were $0.59 and just as good. And we bought a tub, yes a tub of cream cheese. For the price of 2 1/2 bagels at Bread Co, we got 4 bagels and a big ole' tub of cream cheese. Thanks dad, for the great idea! You are our hero! :)

Thanksgiving FHE

2009-11-24T11:35:00.000-08:00

This week for FHE we had our topic be Thanksgiving. We talked about how we need to be grateful and say thank you for things that we have. Both our kids were very cute and we each got a turn to list off things we are thankful for. Austin mentioned he was thankful he can grow, and Anaya said she was thankful for her princess dress. We got crafty after that and made some cute Thanksgiving napkin rings that also double as place settings for our Feast. The kids had a good time expressing their crafty side and it was fun to spend time with them. I am thankful for my family and for the chance i get to spend with them everyday. I am grateful for a had working husband and that he has a job. I am grateful for the gospel and for the opportunity that I have to be with my family forever and that i can now teach my children why the gospel of Jesus Christ is so important. I am so blessed and I know I have a lot to be thankful for.

Habla Espanol?

2009-11-20T10:15:00.000-08:00

Our Anaya is a little spitfire! A couple nights ago, I was reading her a spanish book before she went to bed and there was a phrase that was repeated over and over. Ay Caramba! She says it like this, "Ay Cawumba!" So cute! Well last night Josh and I were speaking Spanish to her and saying Ay Caramba again and again. AFter about 5 times, she stood still, looked at us and asked very seriously, "Do you Caramba?" We couldn't stop laughing. She believed she was saying, "I Caramba."

The best Grocery Store is...

2009-11-14T15:15:00.000-08:00

King Soopers, hands down. As we were running some errands today, we found ourselves at King Soopers. Besides having great deals all the time and free samples (Yum-O!) here is why they are cool.

Darth Vader and his 5 Storm Troopers collect for the Salvation Army. Enough said! King Soopers is the awesomest!

And I love...

2009-11-12T19:57:00.000-08:00

For those of you who haven't seen the Hunchback of Notre Dame II, here is short recap:

Quasimodo has no one to express his love to at the Festival of Love in Paris. He desperately wants someone to love him despite his hideous looks and be able to see the real Quasimodo. Along comes the Circus to town and in the circus a girl named Madeline. Madeline has low self esteem and through befriending Quasimodo learns that she is of worth and falls in love with him. In the end, Quasimodo and Madeline are able to express their love for each other at the Festival and stand up and shout before their friends, "I love Madeline!" and, "I love Quasimodo!"

At this point in the movie, Anaya stands up, throws her arms in the air like Madeline and Quasi and shouts, "And I love High School Musical!"

Ah, gotta love the girl. :)

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T09:39:00.001-08:00

Our family dressed up this year as....JELLY BELLYS! Like the candy jelly bellys. Austin was a dark blue one, Anaya was yellow, Mom was pink and Daddy was the jelly belly king, a.k.a. the jelly belly mascot. He got to wear the chef hat. The kids costumes were super easy to make (hence, everyone was one!) and also easy to put on and take off. After this year, I am glad Halloween is over. I am just so halloweened out! We went to 3, yes 3 trunk-or-treat parties, trick or treating in Old colorado City and then in Fountain. The phrase, "We got a lot of candy!" is truly in understatement in this house! Out of curiosity, I weighed all the candy from this year and the scale said, 8 POUNDS!!!!!! That is just so wrong on so many levels. Needless to say, we need to find a dentist! :)

New Blog!!!

2009-10-19T17:03:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone! Just a quick little FYI. I started a new blog. An Emily blog. One where I can share some of the crafts I make possibly with tutorials so you can make then too!!! I'll share good recipes I come across, cute home decor...basically it's a fun mommy blog. My new blog address is:

Thepolkadotpenguin.blogspot.com.

Go check it out!

em

The Uninvited Guest

2009-10-16T22:25:00.000-07:00

It was about 10:30 at night. The kids were settled down and were mostly quiet. There were a few bangs and loud noises every so often from Austin's room. He was still up playing. Josh and I had cuddled up on our couch to watch a movie. Both of us heard a noise. I figured it was Austin, but Josh got up to look. What he heard, was NOT what I heard. Just outside our laundry room door, literally just 3 or 4 feet away was a BLACK BEAR getting frisky with our garbage can! He was after the rotisserie chicken we'd had a couple nights ago. I had repackaged the bones and then bagged it so we wouldn't be inviting all kinds of wildlife into our yard. Don't think it helped.

Anyway, so this bear just sat down like he was Winnie-the-Pooh and started feasting on our chicken bones! The bear was probably 250-300lbs! He hung out for a good 5 minutes! We went to get Austin to show him the bear and after looking at it he said, "Ok, I'm going back to my room. I'm scared."

I tried to get a picture, but it was too dark. I didn't want the flash on my camera to scare it, so we'll all just need to be happy with google art. But, I can't believe we had one of these in our yard!!!

OH, MY GOSH!!!!

2009-10-16T17:20:00.000-07:00

My sock monkeys made it into the newspaper!!!!!!!! Holy cow, I'm stoked! Josh and I don't subscribe to the Gazette here in town, but my in-laws do and they saw the pics. Woooo....I am thrilled!

I'll see if I can't get a color copy of the monkeys to post! Boo-yah!

Crafting with Jen and Emily

2009-10-15T11:12:00.000-07:00

So, this week my best girlfriend Jen and I got together. Our kids had a play date and we got crafty. This week's project was holiday blocks!!! I chopped up a 2x4 to varying heights, the tallest being 4 inches. We then painted them and cut some coordinating scrapbook paper for each block. Jen brought her cricket cutter (I have got to get one of those!) and cut out vinyl letters for the blocks. We each made a Halloween set and a Christmas set. Each set probably cost right around $1.25. Sigh, I love cheap projects! Cute right???

Guest Blogger is Me!

2009-10-05T14:07:00.000-07:00

http://sarahannstyle.blogspot.com/2009/10/fall-decorating-tips-from-emily.html

Hi! I'm a guest blogger on my friend Sarah's blog. Sarah and I have been friends since middle school, so i was very excited to write a post for her. Go check it out. Highlight the above link and paste it into your browser. Should pull it up. I bet you are all dying to know what I wrote, so hurry and look! :)

Advertising!

2009-09-25T12:56:00.000-07:00

I just want to share this with you. The sock monkeys are taking over. Lookout!!!! Susan, who runs the Retro Moto Toy store is going to the Colorado Springs Center for Business and Economic Development dinner where my monkeys are going to be featured as a centerpiece on one of the dinner tables for the night! This is an annual conference for business men and women around the Colorado Springs area to learn about marketing strategies and other things that will help enhance their businesses. The dinner is $80.00 a plate and Susan mentioned there will be a lot of head honchos there! I was able to see the centerpiece Susan put together and it looks phenomenal! I'm so excited that my business is taking off and that other people can see what I do. Stay tuned for pictures!!!!

Date night!!!

2009-09-16T17:32:00.000-07:00

Josh and I usually go on a date at least once a month. This month we decide to grab dinner and go mini-golfing! We went to a place called Adventure Mini-Golf. This place was cool! There were three different 18-hole courses that we could choose from. We decided to go "Around the World." We had fun golfing around a pirate, an elephant and a windmill. We had lots of picture opportunities, since the family in front of us had 5 people golfing! But, it was nice because it gave us a chance to
slow down and just enjoy our time together. We got some funny ones! Afterwards, we went and enjoyed a late dinner at T.G.I.Fridays. Sadly, I remember it being really good, but the restaurant we went to was yucky and Josh totally got gypped on his fries! He got like chicken finger size fish n'chips minus the chips. We could have counted the number of fries on two hands, but our waitress was nice enough to get some more for him. It was a fun night!!!

Here's one of the cool trees the golf place decorated! We loved the lights and all the birdhouses.

Pizza Pinwheels!!!

2009-09-11T12:46:00.001-07:00

Sorry, another blog! I had to share this with you. A couple of days ago, Josh was craving cinnamon rolls and I was craving pizza. A new and fantastic food was born. Pizza Pinwheels! They are soo yummy and an easy way to feed your kids, or your nieces and nephews or just kids in general, pizza without the problematic mess of topping falling off! I'm gonna load y'all up! Here's the recipe by moi!

Dough:
4 C flour
1 T sugar
2 packets of yeast (2 1/4 t each packet) I use rapid rise
1 T salt
2 C hot water (around 110 degrees)

In a bowl, Mix 3 C flour and rest of dry ingredients together. Add water and mix until dough starts to form. Add in the last C of flour. When it becomes too hard to stir, knead the rest of the flour in. You should get a lovely dough ball like this:

Remember, your dough should hold it's shape and be slightly sticky. Lightly flour the top and put back in bowl. Let it rise until doubled.
(I am a total cheat. As a mom of two kids, I realize how precious time is...so say hello to my little friend. The rice bag. Pop it in the microwave for about 30-40 sec, put in a baggie and place on top of dough. Cover bowl with tin foil making sure to include a couple steam vents on top...20 minutes later after you have multi-tasked you have dough that has risen!!!)

Now you are going to want to roll the dough out. Punch down your risen dough and pull it out onto the counter. Goal: You are aiming for a long narrow rectangular shape. May take a couple of tries. That is okay. I make mine about a foot wide by 2 feet long. Just roll, roll, roll.

Now it's time for the toppings...You can use any amount of toppings and any toppings you want. Make sure they are chopped. This makes for easy cutting towards the end. Just remember you are going to have to roll this up, so you don't want to pile them on. One tip though about pepperoni. Use turkey pepperoni. It has less fat. Normal pepperoni has 13g of fat per 6 slices!!! Turkey, has 4g per 6 slices. I think it tastes better, and has just as good of a flavor. See??? You can see the difference. The turkey pepperoni is on the left. Look how much less fat there is. You can actually see it!

Ok, enough. Put pizza sauce on your dough leaving about a 1 inch margin all the way around. And sprinkle on your toppings! You don't need a lot. Now, gently roll the dough up from the long side. Be careful! You need to be patient for this process! When you get to the other side, pinch your seam shut. Makes for a prettier pinwheel and it won't fall apart as easily.

Now for cutting. DO NOT USE A KNIFE! A knife is possibly the worst thing you can use to cut a cinnamon roll or in this case a pizza pinwheel. Knives tear at the dough instead of clean cutting. Meet your new favorite kitchen tool. Denim thread. It can be found at any craft store, or even wal-mart, which is where I think I got mine. You can also use dental floss...make sure it is not waxed with some kind of flavor or you might end up with minty food. Start with your thread underneath your roll. I cut about every 1 1/2". Simply bring your ends straight up and cross them once.

Now, holding your string ends, pull them in opposite directions. Gently!!!!! You will end up with a nice clean cut piece of dough.

Put cut pinwheels on a very greased baking sheet. Bake for about 15 min or until dough is golden around the edges in a 400 degree oven. Serve with warm pizza sauce or ranch for dipping! Yum-O!!! Makes about 2 dozen. Yay! If you want, you can sprinkle a little bit of garlic bread sprinkle on top when they come out of the oven. Makes them even better, if you can imagine them better. :)

Randoms

2009-09-11T10:49:00.000-07:00

Today was a day in Emily Eliason gardening history! I actually got a tomato off of my tomato plant without killing the thing first! It's a smaller beefsteak, but red and beautiful. Austin had a good time picking it. He bragged to anyone who would listen about how he picked "the red tomato." Here it is in all it's glory!

Also something Josh and I are excited about is our new washer and dryer! Our other dryer died, and I thought we'd just replace the dryer, but this was an opportunity Josh wasn't going to pass up. I guess he'd been waiting for over a year for the washer or dryer, or both to die so he could get new ones. At last, the moment arrived and Josh bought the new set he'd had picked out for awhile. They are front loaders and absolutely wonderful. I didn't realize how junky our other set was until I used the new ones. A load of laundry dries in 30 minutes!!!! They are laundry heaven!

Onto a new topic, this year is also my first year as YW president to conduct our Young Women in Excellence. Here's what we've got so far. We are giving the girls a chance to dress up in prom dresses or any other fancy thing because we are going to....THE EMMA AWARDS! We're planning on talking about Emma Smith and how she had wonderful qualities that our Young Women can aspire to have. And our gift to the Young Women this year is an Emma award. Look how cute they are. They are Mrs. Butterworth Syrup bottles spray painted gold. I love how they turned out.

Labor Day Weekend!!!

2009-09-08T12:11:00.000-07:00

We had a great Labor Day Weekend! For the past two years we've gone to the Balloon Classic and enjoyed watching the balloons "glo" and take off. And this year, my parents were able to come with us! We thoroughly enjoyed the balloon glo on Saturday evening. We had a great seat up on the hill and were able to see all the balloons inflate. There was a lot of ooohing and ahhhing from Bubby and Pie. :)

Sunday night we all went to bed early so that we could get up early and make the balloon ascent! Early meaning, being there around 7 a.m.! So, Anaya did her hair herself and went to sleep.

Here is her morning do

Here we are at the balloon ascent! Very, very early!!! The Eyrings also came with us and like last year, Jen and I cooked breakfast so we could eat in the park while watching the balloons.

Boating trip

2009-09-01T14:53:00.001-07:00

Some new friends we've made in our Ward invited us to go boating with them! Jordan and Cassie Christensen are a cute couple with three kids just our kids ages. Their parents were actually in the same ward with us when we first moved to Colorado. We were blessed with a beautiful Saturday full of sunshine! We all drove down to Pueblo Reservoir with plans to picnic on a beach. We spent the whole day out on the lake. It was gorgeous! There was a little bit of a breeze to keep us cool while we were picnicking.

Josh was the first out on the tube and made it so enticing that Austin got up the courage to go! They were so cute floating on the tube together. Austin was laughing the whole time and thought it was awesome! Anaya liked hanging out on the boat. There were a couple of times when we thought she would go on the tube, but at the last second, she chickened out. I don't blame her. She's only 2.

I ended Austin's tubing career when he got on the tube with me. It was going great. We had a good run and he was laughing and talking to me the whole ride. When the boat cut the engine, and the tube stopped I lost my balance, fell off and he toppled off head first into the water. He was so scared and was crying. :( At least we knew his life jacket worked!

The kids had a great time playing at the beach. We found a frog, and a few empty crayfish exoskeletons. They were pretty good size too!

Josh and I ended the day by taking a few rides on the tube together. We ended up with some bruises, 1 bloody nose and 1 arm rubbed raw by whisker stubble. We had so much fun even though we sustained some minor injuries. And, we got some good air off the wakes with the two of us on the tube.

Thank you Christensens for the fun day!

Fun at Nana and Grandpa's House

2009-08-31T22:29:00.001-07:00

As most of you know, my parents returned this summer from a mission in Russia for our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They have now settled in Colorado...Woodland Park to be exact. They bought a cute little house near the Mountains and have a fantastic view of Pike's Peak every day. The kids and I (Emily) took a small trip (- really our trip up takes about 20 minutes, though sometimes it feels like I'm packing for a trip getting the kids ready) up to visit one day. Here is some of the fun we had.

Austin is great at naming plants in our area. He found a huge Mullen plant and wanted his picture taken.

Austin and Pie checking out one of the horse stalls in the Barn with Nana

Austin being Austin - He's swinging on one of the fences in the Barn

Cute Anaya on one of the tree stumps in the yard. It's shaped like a chair.

Both the kids enjoyed a quick game of baseball with Grandpa. Pie can hit the ball pretty well, but if not on the first try, she throws the bat down and says, "I can't do it." Austin hits almost every pitch. He is quite the slugger!

We're so excited to be living close! Thanks for moving in Nana and Grandpa! We love you!

Back to school time!

2009-08-27T11:38:00.001-07:00

Hi Daddy,

We just wanted to let you know that we are so proud of you for going to school!!! We miss you on the nights you are gone, but we're lucky to have you on the weekends and every other night you are home. We hope you have a good time in your classes and just know we are praying for you to be able to remember what you learn and that you come home safely to us! We love you!!! Go Mountain Lions!!!

Love, Mommy, Austin and Anaya

2 kids + a good camera = fun and cute pics!

2009-08-27T11:26:00.000-07:00

So, I finally got my camera back!!! I had a moment about a month ago where I was apparently not thinking clearly. I thought to myself, "I will just put the camera on the car so I will remember to take it in after I get the kids out of the sandbox." Yeah, not a good idea. I also happen to have a Nikon D40 - in other words, a $500.00 camera! I put the kids into bed, and then sent Josh off to the store, who at the time didn't know the camera was on the car. Luckily he didn't run it over when the camera fell off in the driveway.

The fall messed up the sensors in the flash and a whole bunch of parts had to be replaced. Sad! But, now I have it back and I sewed a cute camera strap slip cover so now I'm styling, AND wearing my camera so I don't put it on any cars.

The kids and I went out and had a good time taking pictures and goofing off. Here's a few of our fun outing.

New Anaya Funnies

2009-08-21T09:40:00.000-07:00

Lately, Anaya has just been a comedian of sorts!!! Today I told her as she was eating breakfast in her underwear, "You're pretty Ny!". She stopped eating and looked at me and said, "I'm not pretty. I need clothes to be pretty. I not wearing clothes." I laughed, and replied to her, "You're pretty just like that." And she answered, "No, I need clothes. When I get some clothes, then I be pretty."

A couple of days ago, I had put in a movie for the kids so I could grab a shower. I had just gotten out and put on a sea scrub mask when Anaya decided to come in a scare me. She hid behind the dresser and jumped out at me with a loud "RRRRRRRrrrr!," then, "Oh my gosh mom! You scared me look at yours face! You scary!" It's true. I was a sight to behold.

She is a funny funny girl and makes me laugh everyday.

Texas Trip

2009-08-03T10:50:00.000-07:00

Josh and I were able to take a wonderful trip down to Texas kid-free and with lots of spending money!!!!! Thanks to my parents who watched the babies for us. Ron and Beth accompanied us to Texas (North Dallas area) to see our cousin Chris get married. It was a nice ceremony with a reception and dinner after wards. The car trip itself was pretty great on the way down. Josh drove the whole 12 1/2 hours

and I had a few cat naps. The scenery in southern Colorado is so pretty as is the Dallas area. Everything in between we don't need to talk about. :)

We stayed in a Holiday Inn Express and with the hot weather took advantage of the pool and indoor exercise room!
We had a lot of fun with family too. Gramee and Aunt Renee came out from Utah for the wedding and we stayed up late playing scum and other fun games together.

Some of the fun things we had to do while we were there were go to Ikea(!!!!!!!!!!!) and the Aunts took Beth and I to a fun store called SamMoon.
It is this awesome store that sells, funky print luggage, tons of jewelry (good quality for cheap - what you would find in Claire's) and accessories. It is really hard not to go spending crazy at either store. There is so much to see and do. After a long trip to SamMoon, we enjoyed a wonderful lunch together at The Cheesecake Factory. Yum-o! My tastebuds were in heaven!

On Saturday, we went swimming in Aunt Sue's neighbor's salt water pool and shopping at Ikea.
It was Josh's first time in an Ikea, and he loved it.

I finally got my new bedspread. Oooh, I love it so much! I can't wait until they build the Ikea in Denver. It was wonderful to see Chris get married and visit with family. We got home late Sunday night. I think the best part of the trip was coming home and seeing our kids yell, "Mommy and Dad are home!" and get big hugs from them.

we're alive

2009-07-27T10:49:00.000-07:00

Just letting you all know, we are still alive and kicking...just been busy. We'll blog soon!

2009-06-27T18:49:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the following winners!!!!

Ruth from Nooz from the Dubleyooz won the Rainbow Monkey!!!! Congratulations Ruth!

Michelle from Chris, Michelle and the girls won the firecracker hairbow set! Congratulations Michelle!

I'll be in touch to send you your prizes. Thanks to all who entered the giveaway!!!

emily

Giveaway #2

2009-06-20T10:39:00.000-07:00

In honor of my new business zigzagsandswirlz, (which is also run by my friend Jen!) I'm doing a couple of giveaways!!!

This next giveaway is a sure hit in the stores that we sell to! Sock Monkeys!!!! Well, a sock monkey. We sell to a store called Envi in Old Colorado City, and to a toy store up in Manitou Springs. These are awesome and a fun way to bring back a vintage toy.

Don't worry, all the socks are brand new (we don't believe in recycling socks!)and we have a lot of fun patterns to choose from.

In this giveaway, you will win....Rainbow Monkey! He's made out of knee-hi length socks and has cute button eyes. He's stuffed with a high quality fiber-fill and is really cuddly.

How to win:
Leave me a comment telling me why you'd like to win Rainbow Monkey along with an email address to contact you.

How to enter again?
Send a friend this way and have them leave a comment of why they'd like to win Rainbow monkey, their email address, and your name. (so you get entered again!)

The giveaway will end June 27 at 12:00 noon. Good luck to all!

Giveaway!!!!

2009-06-20T10:29:00.000-07:00

In honor of my new business zigzagsandswirlz, (which is also run by my friend Jen!) I'm doing a couple of giveaways!!! This is something new for me. The first giveaway is a pair of Fire cracker Clippies!!! This is perfect for our upcoming holiday next month or any other time you are feeling patriotic.

Each clippie is made with high quality ribbon and secured on a 1 3/4" alligator clip. Each clippie also has the non-slip grip on the inside.

We are selling the hair clips in Old Colorado in the Mountain Moppets store. If you would like to order clips, let me know. We do custom orders as well!!!

How to win:

Leave me a comment telling me why you'd like to win the clips along with an email address to contact you.

Want another chance to enter?
Send a friend this way and have them leave a comment with their email address and your name.

The giveaway will end on June 27th at 12:00 noon. Good luck!!!

Monkey Business

2009-05-28T13:03:00.000-07:00

My friend Jen and I have had an etsy site for awhile...basically a small online store where people can buy your homemade things. We wanted to expand our store and get our products into real stores. We made a couple trips over Memorial Day weekend to some of the stores in the Old Colorado City district and the Manitou Springs area (2 really big tourist spots!!!!) to see if stores would take us local crafters and start selling our craft line. It worked!!!! The big thing seems to be sock monkeys. Jen, Josh and I were busy sewing sock monkeys to make our first deadline. They all turned out so cute!!! Also we are checking back with a couple of other stores to see if they will take our line of little girl bags and hair bows!!! We are excited to be in business. Wish us luck!

Mom's Haircut

2009-05-14T11:33:00.000-07:00

Josh got me a haircut for Mother's Day! Something I've wanted for awhile, but never got around to doing it. I had my hair layered and cut off about 5 inches off the bottom. I really like it! Thanks Josh! Love you!

Austin's first Talk

2009-05-12T08:56:00.000-07:00

Austin had to give his first talk in church this last Sunday. He did such a great job! He was so excited, I don't think he was nervous at all. We had practiced a few times at home and talked about baptism (his topic) and he hopped up on the podium and held the microphone. He did so well! Here is his talk.

Baptism

This is a picture of Jesus being baptized.

John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the River Jordan.

We are 8 years old when we are baptized.

When we are baptized we become members of Jesus’ church.

We are baptized in the water like Jesus.

All of our sins are washed away and we become clean.

I want to be baptized when I am eight and be like Jesus.

I love Jesus very much.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Austin also called John the Baptist "Juan" I just kept praying he would say John in his talk. Juan the Baptist works too when you are speaking Spanlish. :)

Happy 4th Birthday Austin!

2009-05-11T19:49:00.000-07:00

Today is Austin's birthday! Where has the time gone?? How glad I am for this very sweet and loving little boy in my life. He can be very trying sometimes, but the good days that we have far outnumber our yucky ones. I love how he still covers me up with a blanket when I am laying on the couch or gets me water when he thinks I don't feel good. He's very sensitive and loves his family. All he wanted for his birthday were drinking straws...he likes to build with them and cut them up with scissors and a slinky. Easy enough. Today was low-key. We didn't really have a party because we are having one in June with my parents when they get home from their mission. Grandpa Eliason took us all out to Chuck E. Cheese to celebrate our little 4 year old. Pizza was expensive!!!!, but great and Austin had the most wonderful time playing ski-ball and whack-a-mole and the basketball game. It was so fun to watch him. He didn't even know what the tickets he got from playing a game were for, he was just ecstatic he got some! Here are some pics of our fun night! Happy Birthday to our favorite 4 year old!!!!

On the Merry Go Round!!!

Inside the big Monster Truck ride

Whack-A-Mole

This was Anaya's favorite ride. It's called Mr. Vet or something like that and has a puppy and the vet in the van. She would only go in and drive if the ride wasn't on...At the beginning of the night it started like this......

Then this....uh oh.... :S

Then to poking the man in the eye.

Chuck E. Cheese had a fun booth where you could have your picture taken and Chuck E. would draw you.

Josh and I had to do the photo booth too. The last time we did this was on our first date!!!

Latest Projects

2009-05-11T15:58:00.000-07:00

Josh and I bought over a year ago some decorative letters to spell out Austin's name for his room. They were plain white and kind of boring and I didn't know quite how to hang them or to match them to the blue decor of the room...so they sat there in my closet collecting dust. Then, the other day, I had an epiphany! I got out the letters, and mod podged different blue scrapbook paper onto it. I hung the letters with ribbon and they turned out soooo cute! So cute in fact that I had to run out and buy more letters to do Anaya's room. Check out the adorableness.

Also while I was at Hobby Lobby, I stumbled upon a fabric clearance rack. They cut different lengths of fabric from bolts and price them at super low prices. I found a shirred 1/2 yard piece that was just the right size for a dress for Anaya. It was $.50!!!! Someone had accidentally cut a "V" down by the bottom of the piece. I put a seam down the side, hemmed it and added some straps. 3 steps and out came a super cute sundress!!!

Funny things kids do

2009-05-09T19:52:00.000-07:00

Anaya
It was about 5:00 in the evening and Josh and I were cleaning up before he left to go see Star Trek with some friends. We had asked Austin (who was running around in his underwear) to go and get some clothes on before Grandma came over. He went and got some and was carrying them around when Josh asked him to get dressed and then let the dog in. Anaya said she would let Paisley in and that's when the kids started to compete as to who would get to the door first and open it for the dog. Austin who was still holding his clothes and running around in his underwear couldn't get the dog in, (He won't come in for the kids.) so he went outside, still holding his clothes to pick up the lead to pull Paisley in. ANAYA saw this as a perfect opportunity to get revenge as she had gotten to the door second. What did she do? SHE CLOSED THE DOOR AND LOCKED IT!!!!! I heard the door shut and went to investigate. That is when I heard pounding and "Anaya, let me in!!!" There in the laundry room is our supposedly sweet girl, standing at the door watching Austin, yes, outside in his underwear. His clothes in one arm and the dogs leash in the other, hopping up and down because it is about 55 outside. Nice. We're classy.

Austin
Austin is in that childhood phase where picking up toys is not even a thinkable option. You just leave them all out so that when you want to play, you don't have to drag them out again. It makes sense, but also makes for treacherous footing when a parent comes running into the room in the middle of the night because of a nightmare. We know from experience. I've been telling Austin to clean up his room because it looks "atrocious." You couldn't see the carpet. As we are cleaning up today, we tell Austin to clean up his room so he can have a slinky for his birthday. He says ok (what??!!!!) and starts to clean (gasp!!!!). Then he comes barreling out of his room and declares, "I am not going to clean my room until Anaya cleans her room. It's atrocious!!!" Funny what words kids decide to pick up. (no pun intended)

Latest Project

2009-05-05T15:43:00.000-07:00

I have finally organized a spot for all of Anaya's hairbows! And she has a lot to organize. I've had these "A" letters laying around that we had bought for Austin and Anaya and never did anything with them until today. I painted and mod podged for a bit, trimmed down my scrapbook paper, did a little staple job and voila! A hairbow organizer. You can do this project with any letter or shape. It's really easy and you could install little hooks to hang belts or necklaces instead of hanging a ribbon.

Anaya's first haircut

2009-05-04T09:11:00.000-07:00

Anaya has this gorgeous hair. I'm so envious. It's exactly the color i want. It's this pretty dark brown color and when the sun hits it she has these to-die-for auburn NATURAL highlights. She's so lucky! While the color of her hair is lovely, the length was not! Somehow, her hair did not grow all at the same speed. She still has some tiny little baby hairs that are the same length as when she was a year old, and then some that was about 4 inches below her shoulders. I thought I should even it out a bit. Now, she's got a cute little bob. We cut off about 4 inches (in some areas!) She looks super cute with her new do!

just ignore my face, I was trying to make Pie smile.

It's our 100th Post!!!

2009-05-02T11:54:00.000-07:00

Wow! We made it to our 100th post! Woo hoo! Thank you to all those who have been leaving comments and taking a peek at our blog. We love to share with you all what our family is doing. Here is a fox that found a snack just outside our bathroom window!

P.S. Only 29 more days till mom and dad get home from their mission!!!

The babies have new curtains!!!

2009-04-20T13:06:00.000-07:00

The kids have had their rooms painted and decorated for almost a year now. But, they never had any kind of window treatments. I finally got on the ball and sewed them up some cute valences. Now their rooms are really done. We found a cool blue Hawaiian hibiscus print for Austin's room, and all the blues coordinate really well with his blue walls. For Anaya's room we found a very girly butterfly and flower print which I made even more girly when I added the eyelet trim on the bottom. I think they turned out pretty cute!

New Shoes

2009-04-15T10:03:00.000-07:00

I just need a moment to say that I have found the cutest shoes ever! They would be even cuter if they were my size, but they fit Anaya. I found them at Target for $10. 46.

How cute are those little espadrilles?