Sew Liberated Book GIVEAWAY!!!!

Sew Liberated Book GIVEAWAY!!!!

Thanksgiving

I know I am late in posting about Thanksgiving but better late than never. We had a great Thanksgiving day. We spent the day with Brandon's Family. This kids had a fun time with their Aunts and Uncles. I made them these really cute Turkey shirts. I found the idea on a blog. Sorry I can't find the link to share at the moment. The day after Thanksgiving The kids and I drove up to my parents for the weekend. We had fun helping Grandma get her tree up and decorated. Uncle Cory took the kids for rides on the Rhino down by the river. They had so much fun and got really wet. I love having family so close by.

Marley's Baby Blessing

It is always so touching to my very soul when we get to bless our new babies. Marley looked so cute in her blessing dress. Brandon gave her a very sweet blessing. My heart was full of love and appreciation. I am so grateful that we have family that came and shared this moment with us.

Halloween

The kids loved craving pumpkins this year. Ellie wanted a happy face and Ethan wanted a scary face. Ethan was Superman and he loved being superman. For about two weeks he has been wearing his costume around the house pretending he could fly. Ellie was a ballerina and loved twirling around. They both looked really cute and had a great time. We spent Halloween at our ward Trunk-or-Treat. They both had a blast.

Sibling Love

Ellie and Ethan both truly love their new sister Marley. They are such big helps and love to talk to her. Ellie is the true big sister and wants to mother Marley all the time. I feel sometimes like I have a new shadow because she will follow me everywhere when I am holding Marley. I am truly grateful that they enjoy the new baby so much.

Ethan's Birthday

Sandy gave Ethan this Nerf Gun and he loves it. Our dog Kramer is terrified every time Ethan has it out. I have had to threaten to take it back to the store if he shots the dog anymore. That has worked for the most part but I think he often waits until I am not around and then shots the dog.

Okay so I am a little behind on my blog updates. Ethan turned three last month and he had been counting down the months to his birthday for some time. He was luck and really had two parties. We were up at my parents on his actual birthday so we did cake with them. Then we had his other birthday at the park with the rest of our families a few days later. He was so excited to get his Batman Toy. For months he has been asking for a train cake so I did my best and it turned out pretty good if I do say so myself. What a handsome three year old. He is truly a light in my life. I love his smiles and he makes the best faces. What a character!

Visiting Grandma and Grandpa

Since before Marley was born Ellie and Ethan have been begging to go to Grandma and Grandpa's house and stay the night. So we finally made a trip down and we only where able to stay one night but we stayed busy the whole time. The kids love going there and are already looking forward to our next visit. Ethan also keeps asking to go and see Jedda their dog. I think he is in love with that dog. I am so grateful that my parents love having us come. My Dad takes the kids on rides in the Rhino and they love it. Mom thanks for helping me to be an even better person. We love spending time with you!

Picking Apples

We were able to go to an apple orchard while at my parents. It was so much fun to pick apples with the kids. Now that I am home I wish I had picked even more than I did. I made an apple crisp last night that was so wonderful. The kids really enjoyed picking the apples off the tree. We are most definitely doing this again next year and I will be getting even more apples.

Salsa Festival

We went to the Salsa Festival down at my parents house. We were able to taste some really great salsa. My favorite was a green salsa that had pineapple in it. They had hot air balloons the night before lighting up the street. It was really fun. The kids loved it. There was a man giving rides in a little train. We told the kids yes and had the in before he told us it was $4.00 a piece. Yikes, but look at Ethan's face it was well worth the cost just to see that smile.

Marley Renee Homer

On August 27th Marley joined our family. She was born weighing 8 lbs 4 oz and 22 inches long. She was greeted by Grandma Sullivan and her Dad in the delivery room. Ellie and Ethan were so anxious to meet her. Their Aunt Crystal brought them down right away. Ellie was so happy that her sister had made it. She even forgot about wanting her to have blonde hair. Ethan was excited also and each day he tells me how much he loves her. Marley was born on her Aunt Tasha's birthday. Tasha was flying in to be here for the birth but Marley just couldn't wait and was born about an hour before Tasha's flight arrived. We are grateful that they will have a special birthday bond. I always feel so blessed after the birth of each of my children. I know that Marley will be such a blessing to our family

DiamondBacks Baseball Game

So we took the train with a big group from our ward and went to the D-Backs game. The whole way to the train Ethan was singing a little song in the back seat about riding the big train. They loved being on the train. Ethan hates lots of noise so when a large group got on he kind of shuts down. We got into the game and we sat on the third level and the stairs were killer. We only had to go up and down them 4 or 5 times. Luckily it didn't put me into labor! It was 80's night and we got our picture taken with the Star Wars Storm Troopers. Ellie wasn't to sure about being in the picture if you can't tell. They both had a lot of fun. The last time we went to a game was two years ago so they didn't really remember that.

Maternity Pictures

This weekend my dear friend Celeste did a Maternity Session for me in her home studio. Here are a few of the pictures she took and I think that they look really great. The kids love seeing themselves on her blog. I have had a few people wanting to see how big I am getting so here is your chance. Only a few weeks left and them I have to worry about getting skinny again :)

7 Years of Marriage

Today marks the anniversary of our wedding day. Seven years ago Brandon and I knelt across an altar and where married for All Time and Eternity. I can still remember how happy I was that day to know I was marrying the man I wanted to spend the rest of this life and the next with. As I reflect back on the last seven years I truly feel blessed. We have made a wonderful life and family together. Brandon is my best friend and I can't imagine my life with out him. So as we continue to reach new milestones I know that our love will continue to grow and be strengthened.

Pioneer Day

We had a lot of fun at my parents for Pioneer day. In the morning we went to the local musuem and checked it out. It was neat to see all the old stuff. It was a little hard with the kids because they wanted to touch everything. Not really a kid friendly environement but we survived.

After that we were all hot so we headed out to get some shaved ice to cool ourselves off.

The parade was fun and Ellie loved the fireworks. They were right above our heads. It was awesome. I am so grateful that my parents live so close to us that we can get there in just a few hours. The kids love going to their house.

MOnsters

I had the kids painting this morning to entertain them while I finish cleaning the kitchen. When they got tired of painting the paper they decided to paint themselves. Not only did they paint themselves but they painted themselves into monsters. Aren't they the cutest monsters you have ever seen!

All Things New

Yesterday we had a few new things happen at our house and the kids wanted to share it with all of you.

Ellie got a very cute new haircut. It was time for a change and less scraggle. So we bobbed her hair and I love it. Now I just have to make sure and do it. Ethan is very excited because we finally got him a bed frame. He has been sleeping on a twin Mattress on the floor for over a year. I love craigslist because I was able to get this bed for a bargain price.

Plastic Grocery Sacks

Last night I went to WalMart and had brought my own grocery bags. The cashier was really nice and told me she loved the bags. Usually I get impatient looks at Walmart when I bring bags. So I told her thanks and that I hated the plastic bags. She then told me that in about a month Walmart is going to start charging people for plastic bags. She said about $.25 a bag. So I thought I would give all of you fair warning so you can get your reusable bags ready. I love my Sprouts and Fresh and Easy bags, they are so big and roomy. Here is a link to a website that has free sewing patterns if you would like to make your own http://tipnut.com/35-reusable-grocery-bags-totes-free-patterns/. I made one of these for my sister Tasha and it was really quick and easy it was a MorsBag.

Baby Quilt

Last weekend at my mom's I was able to get most of the baby quilt finished. This week I finished it. I think it turned out beautiful and since it is my first quilt I am very excited. I couldn't have done it with out my mom's help. She truly is the great quilter! One more item I can check off my list to get done before the baby arrives.

A wonderful 4th of July

The kids and I just got back from spending the 4th with my parents in their small town. I am so glad that I decided to do that it was so nice to be in a small town and feel connected to my country. Our big city cancelled their 4th celebration because of budget issues and so I decided I would head to my parents. On The morning of the 4th the fire trucks cruised around town at 5:30 am honking and sirens blaring to get everyone up. At 6:00 am they had a small parade and then we all proceeded that to a flag ceremony and watermelon bust. As we were watching the little parade and my kids were waving their American flags and just beaming, I couldn't help but be emotional. We truly do have a great country and my heart is so proud of those who paved the way for our freedoms. At the flag ceremony my heart was so full as I listened to the songs and the speeches. I had the thought if only the people in Washington could see the people of this small community showing their love for their country maybe they would actually remember who they are supposed to be serving. I couldn't have asked for a better way to share the morning of the fourth with my children. We later barbecued with my cousins family and watched fireworks. It was a truly wonderful time. I hope that all of you had as good of a time as I did.

A growing Baby!

Last week my Dr. did another ultrasound. We are happy to report that everything looks great. She is still a girl and has very long legs. I guess my kids are just destined to be giants. I can't believe how fast this pregancy is going by. I only have about 2 months left.

Trip to New Mexico

I have fallen behind on my blogging the last two weeks. After going to New Mexico for my cousins funeral I just wasn't sure what to put on here. Jackie was an amazing woman and will be deeply missed by all who loved her. I am so grateful to know that she is with her mother now. My heart is saddened for her family here and how much she is going to be missed. The trip to New Mexico was good and it was nice to see all the family that we don't see very often. I hope that the next time we meet it will be under happier circumstances. One thing that keeps going through my head after all this is that we never know when our life maybe taken from us, all the more reason to live a great life and be prepared to return home at anytime.

Book Giveaway

Go to http://afroginmysoup.com/2009/06/cheerios-spoonfuls-of-stories/comment-page-1/#comment-14926 and if you leave a comment telling your favorite children's book you have a chance of winning 5 children's books. How great is that! They are also telling about an opportunity through Cheerios to get a children's book published. Cheerios is looking for people who are interested in writing children's books and if you have one good enough it could win a prize and a chance at being published. What a great opportunity. I may just have to really get serious about writing a children's book. I have always wanted to. Take the time to leave a comment on this great blog and you may win some free books!

Summer Fun

I was so excited last week when I won this summer fun chart from one of my favorite blogs http://chocolateonmycranium.blogspot.com/. I got it in the mail this weekend and I am looking forward to my kids getting to pick an activity out of the cones each day. I am still working on what activities will be going in but I know that this will help in summer not getting boring. You know swim today swim tomorrow. I plan on having some really fun with this. Thank you to Cocoa for picking me and sending this. I love it.

Creating Shade

Living in Arizona you sometimes have to get creative to avoid the heat. Ellie and Ethan had their cousins over to play and they wanted to play outside. So I threw up our sunshade meant for the beach and filled up the water table. They had a blast and stayed out their for at least a half an hour. I guess I found good use for the sunshade that doesn't make it to the beach much.