Spring pictures

Samuel playing in the fountain at the Tulsa Rose Gardens

The little girl in the back ground had picked a rose and upon walking by the fountain she threw it in!! I PROMISE you I am no photographer and I have no clue as to image enhancing software stuff, sometimes I do click on the "auto fix" button but other than that I don't really mess around with that stuff! I just saw this and took a picture and it turned out like a screen saver or something!! It's so pretty.

Here are some pictures during our photo session with my friend Oliva, I'll post the awesome pictures she took when I get them.

Clowning around

Had to get Popsicles from the ice cream truck! And yes this is AFTER the real photos were taken and yes I did get all the stains out of those white outfits believe it or not!

Too cute!

Gardening 101 (more like 2010)

I say more like 2010 only because 101 is for learning and more than likely you won't learn anything from us except what not to do!!

Last year our garden was good, the year before that it was okay, but I'm hoping this year will be great! While preparing our beds this year a couple of weeks before Easter (those in Colorado yes it's okay to be jealous, the growing season here is just so much better but then again we have to deal with heat, humidity and weird & nasty bugs all the time) Michael found the following: see pictures below.









What is that?
















































It's a CARROT!! I guess a seed got lodged in between the bricks and never got noticed till it was pushing the bricks apart. It grew there all winter long! It was HUGE and how fun to find such a treasure after such a long cold winter. No we didn't eat it but it did go into our new compost bin.





How does one prepare raised beds, we don't have one of those mantis tillers which would really work great in these small beds but I can't see spending the money and those garden claws are really expensive too so Michael welded one up from some scraps and it may not be the real claw but it works GREAT!! I love having such a handy man around!

We have some onions still growing from last year, but for some reason my garlic never came up!!



Gabriel is checking out the pea trellis, we already have some almost ready to pick can you believe it and we've been eating fresh radishes for a couple of weeks now. I just LOVE radishes.




















Some seedlings we planted back in Feb.











We are going to try our hand at composting this year. The city of Tulsa is trying to get more people to recycle and were selling compost bins for a fraction of the actual cost of one so we decided to get one. I'll spare you and myself for that matter on the contents of the bin who wants pictures of that, seriously!! But I did find out you can put your dryer lint in the compost! I have a tub in my laundry that I fill with my dryer lint and have been wondering what I could possibly do with all that lint....tah dah, it's been waiting all this time for the compost. Although now I have no lint since I got my new laundry line up. Gee whiz trying to be more "green" or country as we grew up knowing about these things a while back is so fun.

Yep Still Crafting!

My model for my first pillow case dress did not want to take off his cowboy boots or pants but I really wanted a picture of this cute thing. I made it for Michael's, sister's little girl Kyla for her birthday and she said she liked the colors green and purple, which I thought was going to be SO hard to find material with those colors but look how cute the material is, and I found matching polka dot ribbon for trim and ties too! Great choice of colors Kyla. I wanted the eyelet lace to be on top and let just a smidge of the purple hang below but I messed up and just went with it so it kinda hangs like a bell with all that material underneath, oh well!! For my first one I thought it turned out okay. I hope Kyla likes it most of all.

I found this cute Easter fabric on clearance at the quilt store so I added a strip to a tea towel and it turned out so cute I have about a yard and a half left and don't know what to do with it. It's not something you can really cut up to use in a quilt because it's already kinda cut up so to speak. I was considering just making a table runner out of the whole fabric but am not totally sold on that idea, any suggestions would be appreciated. I also have some Valentines, Halloween and Christmas fabric to do this same thing with the tea towels (because I like to decorate for the holidays) but I would like to try my hand at reverse applique on one of these. If I ever get around to doing that I will post those pictures.

I finally finished the other two quilts for my friend with the triplets and got those sent to her just this week (and surprised her) just in time for their first birthdays!! I appliqued their names on each quilt Jesse (only to find out later it's Jessy) and Jett!! Oh well, I'll bring the "Y" down when we come for 4th of July and fix it for her.

This was so cute, I didn't posed the boys for this picture they just all crawled up in my chair and were loving on each other. I love that they can be so sweet to each other. I hope they will always be kind to one another.

Here are some more of my diaper clutches and wipe holders. All of which I gave to friends!

A girl version of the tag blankie, my friend Brenda commissioned me to do this for her baby after seeing the one I made for Gabe. It turned out great with the matching heart edge and I did brown thread on top and pink thread in my bobbin so that it would show up on the opposite color fabric.

Due to all my sewing adventures for myself and gifts for my friends several people have asked me to make them items to give as gifts themselves as well as do some mending and other sewing. So I have started up a little bitty business. (not really enough to make money at but give me some spending cash here and there) ?Sew What? is what I named it and I've already had 2 customers! It's fun and I hope I don't get too busy so that I can still do my own projects but for now it's all fun. Thank you friends for your belief in my abilities to help you out. I would like to get the word out like on Face Book with my own "business page" but I'm a little scared that I might get overwhelmed with the work. I really hate to be tied down to things. Suggestions?

Finally

Okay my computer picture downloading software has not been good to me so that is why no blogging and no pictures. Luckily during some serious decluttering and organizing I found my original software that came with my camera so now I can easily download pictures and blog about them!! I promise no more slacking!! HAHAHAHAHA

The boys in their dressy t-shirts I made them!! I've seen these types of shirts all over OK at the different craft shows and vowed to make some for my boys...don't you just hate going to craft shows just to get ideas and never find the time to make them!! I also can't stand to pay someone money for something I can make for much cheaper, although sometimes if I know I won't make it because of the amount of time or materials I'll go ahead and break down and spend the money but that's rare for me.

Any who it's warm here in Oklahoma but still a little windy at times but I can't say I mind because it's helping to keep the air much dryer here and helping my clothes dry out on my new clothes line quickly too!!

Easter morning

Some high lights over the past couple of months:

We have OFFICIALLY yep I'm gonna say it out loud to everyone, finished potty training!!! Even at night, yeah we still get an accident here and there when Sam's so tired he just sleeps through it all but for the most part he stays dry and clean every day!!! No we haven't moved the potty chair out and I asked him about it the other day, he said no not yet!

Hunter is excited to be almost done with school but not so excited about going on to first grade, he says "but I wanna be a preschooler mommy!" Apparently Kindergarten is too hard and first grade is definitely too hard!!! ARGGG I'm not looking forward to home work with this one if I can barely get him to go to school. I'm thinking about homeschooling AHHHAHAHAHAHAHA yeah right I don't think anyone in this family would live through that, just sign me up for the mental institution.

Gabriel is about to turn 17 months almost a year and a half old already! He is so much fun to be around but can also be so dang ornery!! He is quite expressive with his face so you can definitely tell how he's feeling and as of this week we are pacifier and bottle free!! I made the decision after many nights of him waking me up and nothing but sleeping with him would settle him down, too many nights of disturbed sleep and I said for what!! So lets just do this, needless to say since I (yes I said I because I think those things were for me not him really) made the break we have both been sleeping much better!!

Michael is moving back to the San Juan basin at work (he's been in the Barnett Shale or Fort Worth group for the past 6 months for training on drilling operations) he begins next week which means we will get to visit our family and friends more frequently since business will take, mostly him to the Four Corners area, but occasionally the rest of us will get to tag along too. YEAH!

Easter was nice the weather was so beautiful here which has been a change from more recent Easters, I think because this year it was later than previous years. Gabriel came down with a fever and was throwing up the night before, so he and I ended up staying home while Michael took the big boys to church. That was sad that we all didn't get to go to church but Gabe was feeling better by the time he was finished with his morning nap. So no family pictures in our matching outfits, although I did get Gabe dressed up after lunch and took pictures of the boys.

quick post w/o pictures

Okay so not much happened in February with our family so that is why no posts. I don't think I took a whole lot of pictures either but when I get the time to download a few I will post them and blog some more!
Hunter's best friend Emma moved away at the end of February. They shared going to and from the Delayed Development Kindergarten and the Regular Kindergarten so they definitely had a special bond. Michael says I'm probably more devastated than Hunter is about her moving which is probably true. Mainly because Hunter has a hard time making friends and she accepted Hunter for who he was even if he is a little different. I keep telling myself that someday they will reunite when the time is right!!
Samuel had some set backs with his potty training. We had a pizza party at our house with several of my MOMS Club friends and their husbands and kids way back in December. Since our guest bathroom is so cramped as it is I took Samuel's potty chair out since he was using the big toilet now. Of course this sent him into a what do I do now phase and he started pottying in his pants again!! Even though I brought the potty chair back ASAP. So finally after months of working with him and his refusals to go on the potty at all. I got really angry and screamed at him that if he didn't use the bathroom on the potty that he would get a spanking every time he pottied in his pants or pull ups!! Well that did it and after just a few accidents (no I didn't spank him, he was at least trying now) we are once again potty trained!! YEAH!! Lesson learned: don't take the potty chair out till the child is ready even if they aren't using it.
Gabriel has learned to pull himself up onto chairs and go up and down the stairs safely! Huge moment when, for the last time I will be able to leave things out on counters, tables and such places that baby can pull a chair up to (yes he is pulling chairs around the house already!!) and get into things like markers, chap stick, lotion, etc! And NO MORE baby gates around the house or toys down stairs (okay that last one is a dream but intentions are well meaning). It's nice not to have to lift guest children over the baby gate all the time, my boys are pros at hoisting themselves over it. And finally I was able to move ALL the toys upstairs so that all three boys could be together when they play even though all they seem to do is get everything out and play with none of it!!
I'm still sewing although the last couple of weeks I've taken a huge break! I guess I over did it a little. But hope still runs high that I will complete the many projects that I have started or have bought fabric for, it may not be till 2020 but hey I have a goal and intend to keep SEWING!!

Pretty New Bible!

review

Okay like always I haven't been so good about blogging but I just don't have the time!! So Sorry, but I have all of 3 followers so I guess no one really reads this stuff any who (hint hint, sign up as a follower).



I reciently received a brand new "Busy Mom's NIV Bible" from Zondervan for FREE!! Since it was free I need to write a review on it to share with my peeps!! I've never "reviewed" anything before so bare with me.



First off usually something that is free (especially samples) take FOREVER to ever get to me but this came in less than a week, I was floored how quickly I received this HUGE ($20 at Mardel's) freebie. Upon opening the box, just the colors of the soft and can't-keep-your-hands-off Italian leather are amazing! I've never owned an NIV version of the Bible, my parents have stressed the importance of the KJV so have always had that on hand and nothing else. It is a little easier to read than the KJV but I usually cross reference just because you never know how you may interpret one writing or the other. I Love the special busy mom's pages through out this bible, 1) they are made of different kind of paper so they are easy to locate thus saving serious time, 2) They have neat 1 minute thought starters, you know a busy mom doesn't have much time so it just gives you something to think about through out the day. 3) if you have more time on hand then there are 5 minute and 10 minute reflections and study's that you can look through and read that are related to the 1 minute thought starters. So say this morning I woke up before the boys and was able to read the 1 minute thought starter just before the baby woke up crying. In the car while wating for Pre-school to let out tomorrow I could squeeze in 5 minutes to read the reflection about the 1 minute thought starter that I read today and Friday while waiting for my baby to come out of surgery I can definitely fit in the 10 minute Bible study that ties all of these together!! Too busy to read the Bible now? I think NOT!!!

Thanks Zondervan for the new Bible, I've been telling all my friends about it and showing it off because it's so pretty too!!

Still crafting!!

I made this quilt for my friend in Colorado who had triplets this past spring...yep just now getting around to it!! But I personalized it by adding his name appliqued by the sea horse. 1 down 2 to go!!!










This is Samuel's nap mat for school. It's made out of fleece but could be cotton or flannel too, I just made a sleeve for a purchased school mat with a travel pillow encased in the top and an added blanket that's attached to the side! He loves this mat and the best part is it all rolls up in a nice package with a carrying handle that can all slide right off the plastic mat and into the washer!!
If you've got a preschooler needing a nap mat makeover let me know!!! This is one of those must have items.
I found a web sight that had a tutorial on french seams...never heard of such a thing!! So I tried it out making these cute pillow cases for the boys, it was AWESOME!! Not only did the pillow cases come out looking like store bought but It took less time to sew than it did to do all the cutting of the fabric!! Who knew the French knew so much. I think I'll be making some more of these sweet things as gifts!! Any takers?

Being Crafty

Well in addition to Hunter's birthday in January I had a niece and a nephew with birthdays later this month as well. I sent Evie the quilt that I had made, only because I wanted to keep it for my bed as it would have gone perfectly with my green walls but it wasn't big enough. Evie has a similar green in her room and since she was turning 14 I thought she could use a more grown up bed covering!!
Any who Brevan turned 7 and I had seen these at craft fairs and on line so I decided to make a little coloring tote for him. I had to practice first just to be sure the directions I got were legit!! But they weren't thank goodness I figured that out right away. The directions to make it were fine but they were only using 8 1/2" squares for the tote and most coloring books are 12" tall!! So I adjusted and made the crayon slots smaller since I was using colored pencils. I left a place for an eraser or pencil sharpener on B's tote because you always need to sharpen those things and need one handy! I also embroidered his name on it so no one could snatch it up!


A friend of mine saw my crafty crafts on my blog and asked if she could commission a few baby gifts for people she knew so by all means...I whipped up some diaper clutches and wipes containers!!

Hunter's 6th Birthday

Hunter kept thinking since it was his 6th birthday that his birthday was January 6th (instead of the 5th) I guess that makes sense to a child, but what happens after 30 or 31? AAAAHH




Both of the boys really enjoyed the birthday presents! It's really hard to shop for a kid who just celebrated Christmas 2 weeks before this!! And let's not even talk about parties, we've only had 1 big party and it was good but usually the weather is less than stellar and the timing is just so bad, maybe we should start celebrating 1/2 birthday's as someone suggested to us.
Thanks for the Camo nana and papa, I want to wear it every day but mama won't let me!!

Good bye 2009, Hello 2010

Well I have caught up on my blogging, with the exception of Hunter's 6th birthday which was just last week so I will get those pictures uploaded and blogged about ASAP! As for me today has been nothing but catching up and it feels SOOO good to mark just one more thing off my to do list! I hope you enjoyed 2009 as much as I did and I hope my uber blog fest hasn't made you feel overwhelmed!

Thanks for reading!!

Christina

And the WINNER IS......

12 weeks post biggest looser and just hours prior to my final weigh in!


Can you believe that I won that challenge and 75% of the money pot!

I ran my 5k just a week before this photo and the day after Michael and I went on our Mexico Anniversary trip with some sweet spending cash!

I would still like to lose about 10lbs and I'm still working out but my eating hasn't been so good with the holidays and all!! But I will get there hopefully before swim suit season! This challenge and the fact that I could lose weight and look decent in Mexico and make some money for our trip was just what I needed to push me to lose the weight! It's great to be back in my old clothes but it's even better that I can buy some clothes in a smaller size!! YEAH