"My naaaaaame is Jaaaaames, that's what mother called me..."(sung in a Brittish accent)

My baby James turned 4 on Thursday! He was the most mellow baby ever! He has such a happy outlook and has been a real joy to have in our family.Do you think I am encouraging violence by giving him these? (at least they're real soft)
I can't believe he's four! I just love his personality. Every time we go somewhere without him, he tells us to have a great time, and then he always asks, "Dad, how was work?" or "How was your meeting?".
Happy Birthday James!!!

A Quote

I have always loved qoutes by Neal A. Maxwell, and came across this one the other day...
"Ultimate hope and daily grumpiness are not reconcilable."
This is something I can really apply to my life! Maybe it's the pregnancy or just a bad attitude, but I feel pretty grumpy lately. I guess I need to increase my hope so there won't be room for a negative attitude. I really admire people who seem cheerful all the time (or, on a bad day, I want to smack them). Are they born with this ability, or is it learned? I do know that we can change and improve, so my goal is to be more "chipper"!

Pin curls & Peaches

Marinne wanted curly hair for church, but couldn't find the sponge curlers. I decided to go the old fashioned route and try pin curls ( I twisted her hair and then held it in with bobby pins). Not such a good idea! It reminds me of "Stars" (the dance team I was on in the 80s). We had to have a fro for every performance, the BIGGER the better!












On a more successful note, peaches were on sale at Sprouts, so Melanie and I bottled a bunch of them at her house. My food storage is seriously lacking, so I felt quite accomplished after making some effort in this area!

Happy Anniversary

August 8th 11 years ago ...

Back To School!

Blake is now in 2nd grade, and Marinne is a big 4th grader! Their teachers both seem nice, so I think it will be a good school year. Now I get a break from hearing

"What are we going to do? I'm bored".

Projects and Birthdays

Every once in a while I get in "project-mode" and think of a bunch of crafty thinks to make. Then I shirk my responsibilities and spend all my time making stuff. Summer is filled with family birthdays (seems like we're celebrating one every other day). My baby sister Natalli turned 18! I made the cork board for her to take to college. My parents finally got all the kids graduated, but still have no sign of an empty nest. Natalli will leave for B.Y.U. right as Bethany returns home for a while. Amy and her family still live there too. It's probably just as well. My mother has had nothing but chaos for the last 32 years and if her house was suddenly quiet, she might go crazy. I made the apron for my sis-in-law's birthday. My bro Steven's birthday is today, but I didn't get crafty for him. So, Happy Birthday everyone!

My Mother Taught Me Well!

We went back-to-school shopping and got some great deals! ($272 worth for only$106). I found a $30 shirt for Marinne and paid only $1.97! I love finding a good deal! I am constantly telling Ray how much money I SAVE him, and reminding him what a thrifty wife I am. I can't claim all the credit, because I was raised by the Queen of Bargain Shopping, and trained to go straight to the clearance racks to find the sales. I have a hard time paying full price for anything. Maybe we're nerds, but when I was growing up, my mom and I would add up all of the original prices on things we bought, and figure out how much money we had saved. Maybe I'm just a cheap-skate, but even when I'm really rich... I'll be looking for those red tags!