my alarm this morning

Okay so I was lying in bed thinking I really should get up but my alarm had not gone off this morning. When I hear "Mom? Mommy?" long pause, "Mommy?" It is L calling me from his crib, I wish I could have recorded the adorable way he was calling for me. Now it takes a lot to get me out of bed anytime before I need to be and then usually add the snooze to that too. Well how could I resist? The reward was well worth it. When I came into his crib and picked him up, I received a huge squeeze and a "here you are!" I melted. He articulated it so well. I was in disbelief. I asked Justin if he had heard it and he said that it was very clear what he said. I brought L back to our bed and snuggled him as he was telling me all about the things he saw in my room and out the window. Can I just freeze frame right now?
If you want to see something really cute...go to Haylee's blog. She just posted a favorite from our photo session and it is mine as well. L is just too cute and I know I am not completely biased because others tell me the same thing :).
ps It is a good thing he is cute and there is such thing as Magic Eraser. The marker came off of the cabinets. Phew! I didn't quite want the territory to be marked in remembrance of this stage for years to come.

Where is my apple cider?

So instead of sipping cider through a straw I had to settle for scrapbooking a page about apple picking. So one more page for little L. Wahooo! This is also on the Bo Bunny blog too, you should go check out the awesome projects the DT made. I haven't sewn on a page for a long time, it is so much fun.

today is a good day

So as opposed to my yucky day yesterday. My sod is going in and a sneak peek of the pictures we had taken is up on Haylee's blog!!! I have wanted to hire her since my SIL Paige told me to check her out and thought I would really like what she did. OH YES I DO!!! I have been a blog stalker since. I didn't know how it was going to work out getting a shoot with her when I lived all the way across the country from her but then we moved to Utah. I wanted to book her for our family photos in the Fall. So I did!!! I can't hardly wait to see the rest! Thanks a million Haylee! We had a great time.

look what arrived at my house today

just for fun

okay so I was searching picture cds for pictures to print. I am so behind on the kids scrapbooks it truely is pathetic. (Not that I have ever felt caught up but when A has 5 huge books, M has 2 and L has 5 pages....I swore I wouldn't let that happen and I did). I have a print credit at Costco so I thought I would get a whole bunch of stuff uploaded and printed so I can get to work. Well I stumbled across this.....









It was taken when we were packing up to move. It made me chuckle because it is so silly and so L. He takes after his dad and is a cute little dork. (Can I say that about my kid?!) Anyway it brought a smile to my face and is my favorite photo for today.

Happy First Day of Fall

though it is a bit depressing....
I knew before I moved that this would be the hardest season to be away from New England. Yes I could go back and visit but it just won't ever be the same. You just don't get reds like this anywhere else. (2005)













A flash back to our first fall in New England 2003, at a real pumpkin patch. I miss the Pickin' Patch. Martha Stewart even goes there.











And teeny little M in the midst of all the drop apples at Lost Acres Orchard. I can't find all my pics but I wish I could of the peach pie I made after this visit. I salivate just thinking about it. The owner had drop peaches in a brown paper lunch sack and sold them for dirt cheap and said you want to do something with these right away. So I made a pie that was TO DIE FOR!! (2003)










And a tradition at General Conference time, the Mum Festival and our family pumpkin picture.(2005)









Apples that you couldn't even wait to pick to sink your teeth into at Lyman Orchards. The apple cider and cider donuts are hard to rival. (2007)


So please excuse me if you see me start bawling in the middle of Costco in front of the huge mums they have there or refuse the apple cider that is being served. I have been spoiled by New England and will never be the same.

oh my...

just when I thought it couldn't get better it did. Okay I am sorry but this new Flirty line is TDF!!! The birds are so cute and fun. I want those birdies all over M's room.

Sneak peeks

Oh my goodness! Seriously cute stuff. Everyday this week they are previewing their new collections. I am totally blown away and LOVE IT ALL! Run on over and leave a comment and get a chance at receiving some of this cute stuff. Bo Bunny I can hardly wait!

I LOVE rainbows

The kids came running in from outside, " Mom, Mom quick grab your camera there is a beautiful bright rainbow." The sun is setting so the colors are awesome.

Missing another tooth

Well A lost another tooth last night. Yes the tooth fairy did visit but had to be pretty sneaky as someone is starting to catch on. Though he is scheming what Santa is going to bring him this year....so I will hang on to the last remaining strings of childhood innocence. A has his friend over and they were comparing notes and they are missing the same tooth. It was meant to be! They have been inseperable from the time we moved in. I still think of the day when C came over to introduce himself and Justin was interviewing him, "Do you like Legos... Bionicles....soccer....." while A was in the background jumping up and down "Me, ME, ME!"

Morning air

Walking to school this morning, A reported, "I love the smell of the morning air after the frost has melted." Okay there wasn't any frost this morning but what a pretty picture that paints. He always has great ways to describe things and not how you would conventionally think about it. So maybe he will become a writer or maybe not. Writing is always a good thing to do well. He definetly didn't get that from me, that would be Justin.

Grandma Tea Party

M asked Grandma Jodi when they were going to have a Tea Party. "Grandma you have to wear a dress too!" Grandma was prepared with a kit for making tiaras and ready to make cookies. While we didn't actually have tea, or sipping of any kind, it was a Tea Party to M! My mom is soo much fun. Watching her play with the kids brought back memories of my childhood. We would have so much fun pretending, dancing around the house, singing songs, making cookies so we could snitch the dough (Mom would pretend to be mad) and reading books. One of many blessing of living closer to family is having Grandma Jodi so close. Not only for my kids but for me too. I am still her baby even if I have my own. M and I had little difference of opinion on what she was wearing. I need to fix it so it actually fits her by adding more fabric. M reminded me, "You told me I could wear whatever I want!" Well I lost that battle because I remember saying it. M did Grandma's hair, fancy don't you think! I regret not video taping Grandma dancing with the girls, so much fun. We were belting out tunes too. Luckily no one else was hear to have to witness that first hand. All that matters though is we had a great time and even when it was time to go we wanted it not to end.

First day of school

Well for M at least. A has been in school for a week. I don't know why they start Kindergarten one week late but that is what happens here. M had homework last week, she had to make a paper doll that looked like her to bring for her first day. We had a fun time picking out stuff for her. She picked the yarn that was closest to her own hair color. The eyes are made of glass beads and she added mini black buttons in the center. The long eyelashes came next and a cute button nose (she told me, "I need a cute button nose because that is what you call my nose.") She also wanted earrings and a necklace, she found some flower embellishments I had made for something else. The pleats in her skirt, M cut strips of cardstock and overlapped them and then made boots for her doll too. I got teary eyed dropping her off. Maybe a little because she looks so big but she was having a really hard time and on the verge of tears herself. M was so nervous, usually she just calms right down but she wouldn't even sit by the kids that she already knows. I wanted to just rush her back home and say we will wait but that isn't fair. She is ready and I fully expect to go pick her up in a few hours and see a huge smile and a declaration "I love school". At least that is what I am telling myself over and over.
A is loving school. I expected more of the clinging from him I guess but there was none of that. He has been so anxious to get to school and meet friends. He loves his teacher and I think it will be an incredible year for him.

Labor day weekend

Well yesterday was a bust but we had a great weekend. Maybe our last hoorah for summer and my last sunburn for the long winter ahead. Saturday was beautiful we went to a reservoir and played in the mud on the beach and rode the wave runner. L thought the "boat" was awesome! Justin and I had a retirement party to go too. The kids went to the cabin with Grandma, Grandpa and cousins. We were supposed to go the reservoir again on Monday but it decided to rain/hail most of the day and then about 1pm when we decided to head home it started to snow. brrrrrr. The temperature has dropped a good 20 degrees here at home too. I get excited thinking of Fall. Now if I can find my box of sweaters and long sleeve shirts.