Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Burpy's - Video

Here's a little video showing some of Grey's talking. We start out by talking about his experience with the "burpy's" (barfing/flu), and move onto saying names, animals, and cute stuff. He's adorable.

New Building Project

Utter devastation. Why oh why can't you take us to 7-11 for slushee's? Because it's not summer.

I know you'd think a trip to 7-11 was an hourly occurrence around here, with the way they talk about it. But even in the summer, we only go a few times...one of those being on July 11th for free ones!

Since they were so disappointed, they decided on "the next best thing". They would build a 7-11 in our front yard. This plan was carefully hatched (as I overheard their schemes), and would utilize all the bricks surrounding our trees and gardens. I didn't think they could actually move the bricks, so I let them scheme.

Brian's been on a night job recently, but happily, not also on a day job, so he is around during the day for the first time ever (literally, ever!), and has been able to see how our day goes and what hilarity the kids come up with...

They did succeed in a portion of their plan. One brick. It was very heavy and took them about an hour to situate, before they decided building a 7-11 could wait until tomorrow. But it was too heavy to put back, so they left it in the middle of the yard.

Brian leaves for work at 4pm, while it is still light, avoiding the brick and returns home at 11pm, in the dark, forgetting about the brick.

Brian, coming inside: I almost killed myself on the 7-11

That whole sentence just totally makes me laugh! And it also makes me happy that he knows what it is! Normally, he'd say "I tripped on a brick in the yard?!" And not know why it was there, since he hadn't been home experiencing their little adventures.

Our very own 7-11

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Almost Two

Grey is less than a month away from being TWO! To watch time literally fly by, take a look at the other two kids, about one month before they turned two.
Kennedy, 23 months old. The hair.

Brooks, 23 months old. The softie.

Lleyton Grey, 23 months old. The look.

Sicky Icky

Well, we (Kenna, Grey & Dar) got the flu and, (Bri) random bacterial throat infection! Brooks remains unscathed, and to this day has never had a prescription for anything! However, he is the only one with stitches so far:-)

We feel quite a bit recovered today, thankfully. It was a long weekend, and a violent little bug!

Of course, I haven't taken a picture in days! I'll get back to it, and get back to posting really soon, promise!

**The day that Brian is actually fatally ill, he will get NO sympathy from me. He pranks me all the time** Here is an unedited text convo from this morning while he was at the Dr's...he went in, because we thought he had strep...

Me: Long wait? (11:02am)

Brian: Nope

Me: Good. You dying?

Brian: Mhmm

Me: Strep

Me: ?

Brian: She saw a growth, I said...Like a tumor? She asked if I smoke, said I should have come two weeks ago. Waiting for the dr.

Me: Oh great. Just what we need. More bills!

Me: Throat cancer is deadly so you better start praying! (11:08am)

Brian: (11:13am) False alarm

Me: YaY!!!!!

Me: Nurses should be careful what they say!

Brian: Yeah, I basically just made it up

Me: Lol. I wondered that. So strep?

Brian: Not sure, waiting for the doc.

**What a terrible person!!! Thankfully, I've been around his antics long enough to know... I was suspicious of prank right away this time, lol, hence the lack of reaction. Oh brother!!** Aren't we all glad I have a sense of humour? haha!! He DOES make me laugh, that's for sure. Even when he gets a smack on the bum!

Saturday, February 25, 2012

DIY: MakeUp Fix

Oh Pinterest, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...this morning I saw a pin, immediately said "GET OUT!" {Imagine yourself being shoved across the room a la Seinfeld's Elaine. It was *that* kind of get out}.

Did you know you can fix your broken powered makeup? Here is the link to the original tutorial I followed.

Nothing will ruin your day faster than dropping a beloved blush, powder or shadow, only to have it crumble. Boo. As soon as I saw this tip I immediately dug out my only current crumble. I've been saving this for about a year. And now I know why:-) {Really, I was saving it for MAC's empty container recycle program...you turn in six empties and get a free lipstick!}. The irony of this whole situation is this: *Last night* I purchased this very same eyeshadow (MAC Sable) brand new. Hilarious.

Ok, so here's the how-to: Take your makeup crumbles. Add a drop or two of rubbing alcohol (75%) - just enough to soften the makeup and make it mouldable again.
Mush it all back together, and let sit 24hrs before using! Done!! I definitely suggest checking out the original tutorial - she goes more in depth (not that it's needed, but in case you want to hear every possibility - she explains how the alcohol works and doesn't hurt your skin), and she was "remaking" a MAC bronzing powder, and quite a lot more than the measly amount I had left. (She must've dropped a near full container!)
So now I can use this one up before breaking into my brand new one! Knowing how well MAC lasts, it'll take me another year:-)

Another great money saving tip! Yay!!

Friday, February 24, 2012

May Play

Someone has been rolling over for a little while...I finally got it on camera! May loves her tummy time...but usually ends up on her back.
May, playing

There she goes!

She did it! She's doing well with sitting up too! She's very steady!

Thursday, February 23, 2012

DIY: Foaming Handsoap

I saw this idea awhile ago online. Make your own foaming handsoap! In a unprecedented move, I didn't pin it, I remembered it. Shock and awe. I think it was actually before I was really into pinterest, but anyway, it was a mom type blog and she said that foaming handsoap is mostly water, and gave the following tips. I filed it away in my mental filing cabinet...and what do you know, I'm ready to put it to use!

YOU WILL NEED:
An empty "foaming soap" dispenser (washed or rinsed out)
Normal refill handsoap of your choice (mine is a "thicker" soap with moisturizer in it). Pick one you love, you will have it until 2052, should the Lord tarry.
Water
Put soap in the bottle. Not very much. This is likely less than 1/4 of the full bottle size? Then slowly add water until its full. Gently shake, or stir (you don't want to create too many bubbles out the top:-). And you're done!
Put some soap in the bottle, then add water
Put the lid on, and pump out some soap! Wonderful!! It's sooo easy, and a big money saver too. I do prefer the foaming soap, and the kids love it too, but it always costs more in the store (per volume), and now that we know its just watered down soap, we know it's a sham!! So glad to find another money saving tip that works!

A New Look

Backstory: I have had a need for awhile...glasses. My glasses are 15 years old. I bought them brand new when I was 18. They are dangerously close to half my life old. And half my life of prescriptions ago. They are so bad, that they only work to get me from the bathroom and into bed each night, and back again in the a.m. Yes I am that blind. When converting my prescription from the diopter system, to the 20/20 system, my vision is 20/600, and 20/500 in the other eye (-6.50 & -5.75)...and I have astigmatism also. Go me. I don't think I know anyone with eyesight as bad as mine...not that this is something great trait that I am proud of or anything. It's a pain in the boo-tay.

I truly love my contacts and could never justify the cost of buying a new pair of glasses...since my Rx is so bad, the lenses are pricey. We got paid a pretty small amount that was owed for a job from last May. We really thought we would never get it, but when we did...

My thoughtful husband wondered how much it would cost to get me some new glasses. He wanted to use the money for that, which was so sweet. The thought never entered my mind! I was due for an eye exam in March anyway, so I did it!! I queried all my lovely facebook friends for the best and yet cheapest place to get glasses (as I still only intend to wear them "part time" - so I don't want to sink more money into them than I have too). Costco was the resounding answer!! So - for 1 eye exam, 1 pair of glasses (lenses & frames), and 6 pairs of contacts, the grand total was $296.00. Costco really was SOOO cheap by comparison to other places.

So glasses. I really hate glasses. Even though they look cool on some people, I still hate them.

I really love the dark plastic frames look that is trendy these days. In my mind, I envision a free and flowy existence, with a touch of super smart because-I-study-all-the-time. Resembling something like this:
Penelope Cruz. Don't I wish!
But I have a heavy and low brow. This causes a few issues when trying to find these frames...that don't make me look
a) like I had no eyebrows
b) like I have heavy duty uni-brow
c) like I am angry
d) like the old man from Up
Yup. Dead Ringer.
Thin wire frames make me look like Hetty King, with her glasses on. Imagine that one.
So since I had no hope of looking like this:
Megan Fox
Heck, I'd even settle for this:  !
Pretty Boy.
...I'll have to be happy (and I am very happy!) about this:
 Smiling made me look like Dr Doofenshmirtz:
...so since I was taking pics of myself in the bathroom (kinda doofy anyway), you get serious Darla faces, but I'm always smiling on the inside...
They are as thin as they could make the polycarbonate stuff...and look how thick they are!

The first test shot. Can I do this? I'm not very good at this...

 ...and you wanna see the old ones?
(on me? no way:-) I got new ones for a reason! Notice how super scratched they are!!!

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

A Send Off

Our dear friends Josh & Melody left for Papua New Guinea yesterday. They were some of our very first best friends when we moved to this area...back when Josh was still in the Navy and the thought of full time missions was just a thought for the future. After years and years of training, the future is here! They are missionaries with New Tribes Missions, and we can't wait to hear all their stories! We will miss them so much...the next time they come back in 4 years...Kenna will be 10!! Yikes. That's a long time in kid years! Thanks to blogs, skype and facebook, the other side of the world seems a little bit closer though. We had a little send off "party" at the airport yesterday, and it was really sweet to see them off.
Sarah and Kenna - buddies.

A bunch of kids at the airport send off, including the 3 Simmons girls, Sarah, Morgan and Hannah.
We will miss you all but are so excited for your jungle adventures! Thanks for taking the Good News so far from home. We appreciate the huge sacrifices that you've made for the sake of the Lord!

Beached Whale

...no, not pics of me in my bathing suit, (ha ha), an ACTUAL beached whale! It died and washed up onto our Oceanview beach. Here is a link with some video about the whale . It was a 42 ft sei whale (or fin whale?, conflicting reports, I don't know anything about whales)

Tiffany, Ardyn's mom got Ardyn early, and took Kenna (only one not napping at the time) along with Jack to see the whale, as they were preforming a necropsy (marine life autopsy), and burying it (it washed up on Sunday, but I didn't hear about until today).

*******In the words of Kenna:
When we first got there we saw part of the mouth. I don't know, I think it was the mouth.
I didn't think it smelled bad but Tiffany and Jack said it smelled disgusting, but I guess I have a nose stuffed.
That's the skeleton
We saw the brain. It's red and it's huge and it's cut. And they put it inside a zipping bag, so then they hooked the skeleton.
They buried it in the sand so so deep
That's the head. On its mouth it had hair, well it looked like hair, but it was actually teeth. And once we saw all this goo and it was green and bubbly
They are scientist-es, so they're gonna take the mouth to their own aquarium I think. I mean, I'm not sure about that, I just think it. But Miss Tiffany said that was prolly what they'd do about it.
******
So her first experience seeing a dead animal was a positive one, and she wasn't grossed out! Perhaps we have a marine scientist on our hands:-)

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Engagement Pictures

Well, plans for the first family wedding of 2012 are well under way! Davis and Danielle are getting married on June 30th. They recently had their engagement pictures taken by last year's family bride, Kari. She is such a great photographer, I love all the shots I've seen...here are just a few faves.

Question and Answer!

This is the cutest idea!
The lovely couple

perfect candid!

Going to the chapel...

The second family wedding of 2012 (Lauren & Dale) is set for August 4th, and I'm sure I'll have nice engagement pics to show you of that one too coming up here soon!

Friday, February 17, 2012

Administration

I will be spending a little admin time on my blog in the months coming up - trying to label things better and such. Doing this because it seems any time I want to find something, I can't. Rawr. Going to see if I can come up with something helpful to me that works. If you all have any suggestion (label topics, something you try to find from the past but can't) feel free to comment and suggest away! I am pretty sure I am the only one referring back to posts from yester-year. But I guess you never know:-) Anyway, small changes coming soon - and if you have a thought, you are more than welcome to share!

Thanks all - we love our friends and family, and are very glad we can share the exciting mundane of the extraordinarily normal everyday with you!

*A few weeks ago, while being babysat*
Grey is dancing around, and Brooks asks the sitter if she video taped that...no...Oh, he says, my Mom likes to put stuff like that on the blog.

Haha! We live to entertain! :-)

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Funny Phase

Enter the hilarious phase of leaving "circle yes or no" undecipherable notes around the house. I found this note on the toilet...
When asked to read this (aka translate:-), Kenna said this says "Do you like the bathroom". Circle your answer, please.
When I look close, I can see "Baf R" that is likely the Bathroom. The ending 3 letters are KBG, which is what I put on their Valentines cookies, so perhaps reminiscent of that.

Wedding Dress Fun

I saw a picture on pinterest that inspired me! It was a little girl in her moms wedding dress. She was about 3, which I think would be a perfect age, Kenna is a little old now (not so chubby and baby-cute anymore:-). BUT  I wanted to do it before she got any older...heaven knows she won't want to actually wear it for her own wedding, but we can work these pics into the slide show! :-D I just set her up on my bed and she held the dress up around her. Turned out really precious I think (and of course she loved it!). If you have a little girl, you really need to try this!...although it might only work if your dress was of a puffier style, I don't think a sheath or something would make quite as cute of a pic.


She has a cold, which I can see in her nose and eyes. Poor thing. Maybe I should have picked a better day.


**When I showed Kenna the pictures I posted, I asked her if she liked them and which one was her fave (as she was making faces at the screen)..."uh, number 1, because you can't really see my big nose" - I hadn't said anything to her about that, so it was funny that she saw it too. Haha.

Candy Math

Candy heart math! I found some printables on pinterest (on my "schooling" board if you want to check it out) for candy heart math...perfect for this week! The two worksheets are about at a grade 1 level, as Kenna and Brooks are doing Bob Jones Grade 1 math currently, and it was stuff on par with what they are already doing. It covers counting, sorting, graphing, < and >, addition and subtraction...and eating!! It was very fun!

2011 Family Album

I've finally finished my album for our family photo shoot this past year. Took me what...3 months? It's so pretty, I love it!
I designed this one by myself. It's a simpler version of the slider album (which I make, but did not design)
Opening it up...

It's a flip album!

The front is all the way open! The "tags" in the center section are still blank, I'm going to write a little "about me" thing for each of the kids for 2011. Still have to come up with what I'm going to say.
Don't you love it?! I think it turned out just perfect for immortalizing our pics:-)

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Blast from the Past

1998: Kaden, Jillaine & Janessa visiting me in Chicago

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Necklaces

The antics of Lleyton Grey! His pj pants somehow came off in the morning, and he decided to dress with them around his neck instead.
Nice scarf for a cold day...where are your pants?

Catching a picture of this goon is nigh unto impossible these days...

He can't stop moving for even a second, and that smile...oh the corny smile...:-/

On Valentines we all made candy necklaces. And even the boys wore them proudly despite their colours. Amazing what we will tolerate when sugar is attached to it.

um...gross. Between the snotty nose, sticky face and icing on/over his eye...it was a mess that only a bath could fix