The Carmacks

Grandpa Perk

2012-02-15T17:51:00.003-06:00

Grandpa Perk

We love you!!!

I know this is a really old picture, but it is one of my favorites. He loved his "grandbabies"!

That is as much as I can write, right now. But I do have so much I can say... soon. He was a great dad and grandpa, and we miss him so much!

We are here!

2012-01-24T15:42:00.001-06:00

stay tuned.....

{Where in the world are the Carmacks?}

2011-12-22T18:31:00.000-06:00

I wonder if they got lost or something since they never post anymore? Hmmm What do you guys think? Where are they?

288,000 Jelly Beans!

2011-11-05T21:57:00.003-05:00

This is the coolest video ever!!! After you watch it, make sure to watch the making of it. My girls and I watched it over and over. It's amazing!
Now I'm off to Itunes to buy this song. :)

Happy Halloween 2011

2011-11-03T14:20:00.004-05:00

Happy Halloween from Sesame St. :)
Getting ready:
Miles is getting a little Grouchy!
Gray loved his "Dash" hair!
Carys turning into Yoda.
:)
Yep, Anthony was Yoda too! Yoda 2?
The whole gang at Uncle Cody's Monster House.
BFFs!

BYU Football Fireside

2011-11-03T13:38:00.003-05:00

Last week we got to go the BYU football team fireside. We went as a youth activity with church. It was such a great night, and I loved listening to and learning from the stories of some of the players and their coach. Hearing all those big tough guys singing was also so cool! The Spirit was so strong, you could really feel their testimonies. I loved it! (So did all of the young women!)
It was especially fun getting to see Danny Sorenson, the safety, and meeting Justin Sorenson, the kicker. Our families are in the same ward in California, and it was funny seeing them in Texas. :)
***
*nothing like a couple of Sorensons to make you feel really short!*
(stand up straight, Paige!)
*We loved seeing Bishop and family!*

house cleaning tip

2011-09-29T15:52:00.003-05:00

Today I thought I would try a new Scentsy scent. It's called Clean Breeze. It's a really fresh, clean laundry type smell. I put it in this morning while Miles was at school. When he came home, he walked in the door and said "Mom, you cleaned the house today? It smells good!"
***
So my tip of the day is: Don't clean your house, just make it smell like you did.* :)

*If you want your house to smell as good as mine, you can order Scentsy from me anytime! :)

first day of schools...

2011-09-29T13:35:00.003-05:00

Here are my girls on the first day of school. They are all a little excited and a little bit nervous.
After they got home, they all reported a great first day. Yay!

Livee is in 4th grade, she really likes her class and her teacher. She is also happy that she gets to be in choir this year. Zoe is in 7th grade, and this is her first year in a school without a sister. She is doing great, and she is very glad to have some classes with her good friends. Paige is in 9th grade. She loves high school and she is loving seminary too. She is on the JV soccer team.
Miles started preschool this year. He gets to go on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He loves it! He also thinks it's super cool to have Grayson in his class, and Rowdy right next door.

My four kids are in four schools. It's a little crazy, but they all have really good teachers and classes. They are coming home from school happy, and that makes me happy!

Happy Birthday Paigee!!!

2011-09-20T12:12:00.005-05:00

{fourteen}

Minute To Win It

2011-09-07T15:55:00.003-05:00

Zoe wanted to have a birthday party like her favorite TV show. It was so fun!!!
Here are some highlights:
Zoe doing the "Paper Dragon"
Rowdy and Miles playing "Ready Spaghetti"
Livee with her "Junk in the Trunk"
JoEllen doing the"Breakfast Scramble"
and the grand finale... "Face the Cookie"
I am a little sad that she has so many candles that they barely fit on a cupcake!
Happy Birthday Zoe!!!
That was the funnest/funniest/laughiest birthday party ever!

Elliot

2011-09-07T15:23:00.003-05:00

"YUM"
{photo by paige}

{lol}

2011-09-07T08:11:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday Zoe!!!

2011-08-09T13:18:00.003-05:00

*12*

Dear Zoe,
I look at these pictures of you, and I feel so blessed to be your mom. Your sweet spirit and personality shine through! I love your giggle, and I don't think that there is anyone that is not affected by it. It is infectious! :) I am glad that you make good choices. You finished your Faith in God goals, and now you are excited to start working on your Personal Progress in YW with Paige. I am so lucky to be serving there now, so that I can be with my two big girls. I love that you have a good big sister to look up to. And I love that you are a good big sister to Livee. Happy Birthday Zoe! I love you! And I like you!
-Love Mom

2011-06-29T17:31:00.000-05:00

House Party Rescheduled

2011-06-11T10:03:00.002-05:00

Hey, just letting people know that my Expo House Party is being rescheduled to next
Saturday
June 18th at 7:00.
My sister and her family surprised us by coming out for the summer, so we need a few days to get everything settled and back to normal. So... see you next week!

My new (sort of) kitchen table.

2011-05-31T15:58:00.004-05:00

I've never loved my kitchen table, but the size and shape were good for my space. It has this tw0-tone stain look, which just isn't my style. Also, the finish is not so good, and it highlights every little nick or scratch. Not good for a house that is always full of kids! So I found this super cute laminated cotton fabric from Ikea and Craig just stapled it on. Quick and easy. I love it!

Elliot approves.....

2011-05-31T15:14:00.005-05:00

...of Uncle Tad's famous ribs. Yum!

Why do they love Uncle Cody so much?

2011-05-31T14:57:00.003-05:00

Freestyle "diving" Competition

2011-05-31T13:25:00.004-05:00

We spent the afternoon at the T.A. Bowlers yesterday. I just want to say... Thank you for getting a pool. It was super nice of you. We love it!!!
***
The kids decided to have a jumping competition:

and a couple of group jumps:

So, what do you think? Who won?

House Party!

2011-05-17T09:38:00.002-05:00

I'm so excited! I was accepted as a host for another House Party. This one is going to be another good one. It's for Expo Washable Markers. The first washable dry erase markers. Smart!
Of course I am going to turn it into a girls night party. :) Pictionary... Yummy food... Good friends... lots of laughing... and of course Goody bags! Everyone will get 2 sets of markers (fine tip and bullet tip) a white board and an eraser.
The party is going to be on June 11th at 7:00 at my house. Who wants to come?

silhouette fun

2011-05-06T15:05:00.002-05:00

cows!

2011-05-02T09:46:00.003-05:00

My kids love going to Grandpa Perk's and Grandma Carol's house. Twenty acres of nothin' but fun there! They do have some next-door-neighbor cows that aren't too friendly though...
(it's a stare-off!)

Just kidding! These are the friendliest cows I've ever seen!!! They let the kids hand feed them and pet them. Miles is perfectly happy to just toss the food to them, but Livee will feed them...

...and so will Zoe! Ewww!
They also have some pretty friendly horses too. (actually pretty and friendly!)

assignment #8

2011-05-01T09:36:00.003-05:00

{light}

(ISO:100, 1/200, f/5.6)

assignment #7

2011-04-22T16:41:00.002-05:00

{shadow}
Livee and I had fun with this assignment from my class at bethvphotography.

(ISO:100, 1/500, f/5.0)

assignment #6

2011-04-22T10:41:00.002-05:00

{loud}

(ISO:100, 1/125, f/5.6)

assignment #5

2011-04-22T07:42:00.003-05:00

{quiet}
I know this isn't a perfect picture technically, but I love it. This is my Paige! And this is what her "quiet" looks like any chance she gets. She's my kind of girl!

(ISO:200, 1/60, f/5.0)

L.I.V.E.E.

2011-04-20T17:03:00.003-05:00

Lovely
Interesting
Vibrant
Eclectic
Endearing

assignment #4

2011-04-20T16:20:00.003-05:00

{out}
So this assignment is all about outside pictures without the shadows. This photo session for me is kind of cheating because it is overcast today. I didn't have to find any open shade. It was still bright enough that I had to find a position where Livee wasn't squinting, so I'm still learning stuff! :)

(ISO:100, 1/80, f/5.6)

assignment #3

2011-04-13T16:20:00.003-05:00

{in}
This time we had to take a picture of something inside the house. We are trying to find good light and not use our flash. The master bathroom has really good light, and a convenient little nook right by the window - so that's where I put Miles. I took a lot of pictures, made a lot of settings changes, and I used up all of Miles patience! This is the best I got. But I did manage to get some catchlights! :)

(ISO:100, 1/20, f/8.0)

assignment #2

2011-04-11T12:50:00.003-05:00

{new}

I introduced Garden the other day. Since she is the newest member of our family, I thought she would be the perfect subject.

ISO:100, 1/400, f/5.3

Happy Birthday Livee!

2011-04-09T21:57:00.004-05:00

Today Livee turned 9!
Here are some highlights of her day:

Love you Livee!!!

Z.O.E.

2011-04-07T21:04:00.003-05:00

There is something different about Zoe today.

Yep! She got her braces back on. Isn't she so cute?!

Zazzy (it's a word - look it up)
Optimistic
Empathetic

What are your words for z.o.e.?

Online Photo Class

2011-04-07T20:19:00.006-05:00

I'm a girl stuck in auto mode. With my camera. Cousin Jill posted about this cool free online photo class she's taking at bethvphotography. I thought I would join her. I'm excited to learn some new stuff. I have a good camera, I guess I might as well start seeing what all she can do! *** Our first assignment is:
{old}
I thought this old tractor from Grandpa would be fun. It was Uncle Cody's when he was little and now Miles has it and loves it! Here is my photo straight out of the camera:
(ISO 400, 1/125, f/4.8) -not that I know what any of that really means yet! I like it a little better after I edited it. The orange isn't SO bright. :)

Our new pet.

2011-04-06T10:14:00.002-05:00

Yesterday we got a new pet.
We have to feed her.
Make sure she has enough water.
She's going to need to be groomed.
We already love her.
Her name is Garden.
***

We have been wanting to start a little family garden, so yesterday Craig built us one. He made a 4x8 foot frame. Then, Miles and Gray helped him fill it up with soil. When the girls got home from school, we planted the veggies. And fruits. This is our first one, so there might be a little trial and error, but we are super excited! Wish us luck!

Here she is!

(by the way... can i just say i love livee's little outfits she puts together. every morning is a fun surprise. we never know what she's going to wear, but we know it's going to be colorful. :) i love it! craig... just smiles and shakes his head. love ya livee!)

P.A.I.G.E.

2011-04-05T10:35:00.002-05:00

Precocious
Affable
Ingenious
Genial
Extraordinary

:) she likes big words. what words would you use?

Sydney & Letti

2011-04-05T10:27:00.003-05:00

i had fun...
tons!
i miss you already.
come back...
soon!

Happy April 1st!

2011-04-01T23:01:00.008-05:00

At our house tonight we had a very fun dinner. Or, as Rowdy said, "mixed-up."
For dinner we had "grilled cheese sandwiches", "fish strips and mixed diced veggies". For dessert, yummy homemade "cupcakes."
Miles was happy to find out that his sandwich was really toasted angel food cake with orange frosting. Livee..... wasn't so sure.
The classic jello-in-a-cup trick. :)
Elliot really liked that one!
The fish sticks were a favorite of Ezra's. They were actually sugar wafers spread with peanut butter and coated in crushed corn flakes. Uncle Cody magically turned Airheads and Chewy Jolly Ranchers into mixed veggies.
And Livee's favorite were the cupcakes. (meatloaf with mashed potato frosting) I think she ate four of them! It was kind of fun telling the little boys that they had to eat all of their dessert if they wanted more dinner. :)
The girls also had some mix-ups in their lunch boxes. They were pleasantly surprised to pop open their cans of fruit and find chocolates and a note from me. They were not so pleasantly surprised to open up their bags of Doritos to find baby carrots. :)
I love April Fools Day!

{fun, fun, fun}

2011-03-16T11:31:00.001-05:00

Were having lots of fun with our California Cousins.

Again?!

2011-02-09T12:57:00.002-06:00

Happy Snow Day Number 5!

A Family Goal For 2011

2011-02-06T20:17:00.002-06:00

Grapevine Lake - January
This year we want to get to know the area that we live in a little better. So... our goal is to explore one new lake each month. We had so much fun in January! We went to Grapevine Lake a couple of times, and even though it was a little cold, it was nice to get out and have some nice, simple family times!

Zoe's Homemade Oreos

2011-01-20T15:49:00.005-06:00

Zoe made these YUMMY cookies for New Years Eve and they were a big hit. She had a few people ask for the recipe, so here it is..... along with a few pictures.

This is a "remove your rings" kind of recipe. The dough is a little dry, so just get in there!
Usually we just roll the dough into little balls, this time we wanted to see how it worked with cookie cutters, so Zoe rolled it out.
Just out of the oven. They are really yummy right now, but try and wait until you frost them. It's worth it!
Little boy approved! (even with a heart)
Here you go:
Zoe's Homemade Oreos
2 boxes of Devils Food Chocolate cake mix
3/4 c. oil
4 eggs

Mix all together. (we use our hands :)
Roll into walnut sized balls ***or roll out, and use cookie cutters
Bake at 350* for 8 minutes.

When cool, frost cookies and stick them together.

Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese
2 2/3 c. powdered sugar

Beat together until smooth.
***When you use cookie cutters, the cookies turn out crispy... more like a real Oreo. We like them both ways!

2010-12-25T22:21:00.000-06:00

Dear Santa,

2010-12-24T10:18:00.003-06:00

Please come. We've been really good! (at least that's what Grandma says)
Sincerely,
Paige, Zoe, Livee and Miles

Miniature Golfing.

2010-12-13T11:21:00.005-06:00

For Chase's birthday (he's 15!!!) he wanted to go Miniature golfing. I use to work here like 100 years ago, so it was fun to go back and see how it's changed.
Paisley loved the view from way up high on Uncle Craig's shoulders. I don't think she'd ever been that high before. :)
Just being silly.
Miles definitely got the Bowler tongue.
How is she so tall and grown up already?!
"FUDGE!" She missed her shot.

Oak Glen, CA

2010-12-13T10:35:00.005-06:00

One of my favorite places to go when I was little was to Oak Glen. Whenever I get the chance, I love taking my kids there now.

My little tough guy wasn't so tough around these big bad goats. :)
My animal lover loved the petting zoo!
My cute little sister, and my cute Paisley.

How do you like that sign?
Me with my mom and sisters, Letti and Sydney.
Nan and Pops with 8/17 of their grandkids.
Of course we ended our trip with some yummy apple treats from one of the bakeries. No pictures of that. We were were too busy eating. :)

Crazy Hair Day!

2010-11-04T21:33:00.002-05:00

2010-10-31T22:16:00.000-05:00

Halloween Bum.mer

2010-10-25T21:43:00.002-05:00

It aint easy being (half) green!

Can you tell what this little guy is for Halloween?
:)

thirteen!

2010-10-04T11:19:00.003-05:00

This cute little chubby cheeked girl is now a teenager!!!
Here are 13 facts about my favorite oldest daughter:

1. The girl loves chocolate. Plain. No nuts. No nothin'. Just chocolate.
2. She loves to sing.
3. Favorite color: orange
4. Will not eat ham or any kind of pork. (well, okay just bacon and sausage. but they don't really count. right? :)
5. Recently is a little obsessed with her looooong hair. But it still usually ends up in her trademark braids.
6. 5'5" (sorry Pops)
7. Lucky to have her best friend live right across the street.
8. Happily working on her personal progress goals.
9. A recent project is being submitted to the newspaper by her science teacher.
10. Her least favorite thing is cleaning. (quit laughing Letti!) But she does it anyways with minimum complaining. (she's getting better)
11. Currently serving as Beehive secretary and National Junior Honor Society Treasurer.
12. Will be performing in Seussical Jr. in November.
13. She makes the yummiest cinnamon toast!

I could go on and on about Paige! She is seriously one great kid! I am a little sad that she is growing up so fast, but I love seeing the kind of person she is becoming. She definitely has a quality about her that draws people in and makes them happy to be around her. She is a blessing to our family and I am excited to see how she continues to grow. She is a good example to Zoe and Livee and I already see them wanting to be just like her. Zoe wants her hair fixed the same as Paige and now Livee and Zoe are wearing mismatched socks too. :) I love you Paigee!

*I know this post is a little late. oops! I forgot my camera when she was opening presents. Luckily Aunt Celeste took some. Now I just need to get them. When I do I will add them here.

My Middle School Girls

2010-09-21T22:31:00.002-05:00

Yesterday Paige came home from school with a note from the school counselor. This is what it said:
Congratulations! Your child has been nominated by her teachers to be a member of the Welcome Committee. This is an honor, as the teachers are asked to select only 8 students from each grade level that will represent the student body. The selected students will welcome the new students to our school by helping them get their books and ID, giving them a tour of the school and sitting with them at lunch....
Paige was so excited, and I was so pleased too! Out of the entire 8th grade, she was one of 8 chosen by the teachers. How cool is that!!

Today Zoe came home from school with a note from the counselor. It said the same thing!!!
I am so happy with my girls that they have made such a good impression on their teachers.
The Carmack Girls are Representing at NWISD!

The best margherita recipe!

2010-09-14T20:53:00.002-05:00

Margherita Pizza
I found the recipe here at The Sisters Cafe.
It is so so so yummy! We have made it twice now. Their pizza dough recipe is the best I've tried too!
Make this!!!

Even my girlies that don't like tomatoes like this pizza. :)

(so does Ezra)

Fashion Show

2010-09-10T10:45:00.008-05:00

My girls are Supermodels!
;)

Amelia's school program that she works for was asked to provide models for a back to school fashion show at Belk. She needed a few extra super cute girls, and she knew where to find them. :) They had so much fun. I loved watching them practice their walks and poses for a few days before the show. Here are a few pictures.

Miles made cookies.

2010-08-30T21:10:00.002-05:00

And they were so yummy! Can you see the huge bite he's taking in the background? :)
Miles' Snickerdoodles

1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. shortening
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla
2 t. vinegar
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
2 3/4 c. flour
3 1/2 T. sugar
3 1/2 t. cinnamon

Cream together butter, shortening, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Mix in vinegar, baking soda, salt and flour until well combined. Make small balls of dough and roll in cinnamon sugar.

Bake at 400 for 8 minutes. Let them sit on the pan for about 5 minutes. Eat. Enjoy!

Zoe had a birthday!!!

2010-08-23T09:00:00.001-05:00

She's 11 now!
Zoe wants to be a chef when she grows up, so of course for her birthday she wanted to try a new recipe. Together we made some yummy cream puffs. They turned out really good. Everybody loved them. She also requested steak, mashed potatoes, and homemade rolls.
She loves her new green scooter. Now her and her BFF can be seen riding through the neighborhood on their matching rides. :)
Happy Birthday Zoe!
Our family is so lucky and blessed to have you. You are the giggliest girl ever, and nobody can stay in a bad mood for long around you. I love it!

Library Books

2010-08-18T14:49:00.002-05:00

My family loves to go to the library. We go once a week, and each person chooses two books. That means we have to keep track of ten books at a time. I decided that we needed a specific spot to store them while they weren't being read. I wanted a permanent spot, we had tried the book bags, but then we had to look for the books and book bag when it was time to return them. So I had an idea.
This dresser in my entryway/hall is hiding it.
Here it is! I found the vintage wire basket at the little antique store in town for a few dollars. I got the two knobs at Home depot for less than a dollar. I used a Cricut to cut out the vinyl. It was such an easy project. I love it!
And I love that the kids actually use it! No more lost library books around here! :)
*I didn't have any vinyl in that aqua color. All I had was black and white. Spray paint to the rescue. :) I cut out the vinyl first, then sprayed each piece. Worked perfectly!

sweet sister

2010-07-29T11:33:00.004-05:00

This girl can be such a tender-heart. Last week, Paige, Livee, Miles and I went to Grapevine Mills Mall. Paige wanted to shop a little, so she brought her wallet with forty dollars of her babysitting money. Well, she accidentally left her wallet in a bathroom. Five minutes later we went back and it was gone. Of course Paige was pretty bummed. We all were. We checked at lost and found, and gave them our information in case somebody turned it in. (haven't heard anything) We went home and a little later Paige left to go to a Young Women activity. This is what she found when she got home:
Livee had put her savings into a little bowl, wrote this note and put it on Paige's dresser. When Paige showed me, it brought tears to my eyes. What a sweet sister!

t-shirts

2010-07-20T15:34:00.002-05:00

Tiffany and I made these super fun bleach t-shirts. They were really easy too. First, borrow your favorite neighbors Cricut. (unless you are lucky enough to have one of your own) Next, cut out any words or cute images on cardstock. Then, using spray adhesive, stick your cut-outs onto your shirts. Make sure all edges are pressed down firmly. After that, take your shirts and a spray bottle of bleach outside and spray away. That's it.
We did take it one step further with Paige's and Livee's. We just googled altered t-shirts, found some tutorials on YouTube, then just started snipping away. This was the first time we tried it and I can't wait to make some more now that Zoe is home. You guys gotta try it!

The 4th

2010-07-07T18:05:00.003-05:00

I feel so blessed to live in the USA!!!
What a great reason to celebrate!

Tiffany, Kodi and Degan were here for the weekend, so we got together with Cousin Kellie for a picnic at Lake Grapevine. We found a cute little wooded area where we ate an early dinner. There were lots of trails for the kids to explore. They loved it!

A little later, Livee needed to find a little girls room. (no roughing it in the woods for that girl :) So we packed up and tried to find a better area for watching the fireworks later. We ended up finding a perfect spot. The kids played in the water for hours. They were really good entertainment for Tiff and I, and the other people sitting around us. They splashed and danced and ran and laughed and embarrassed their moms (Tiffany) all night long. It was just a fun, easy day.

I love you USA!

Awards

2010-06-14T20:27:00.004-05:00

Can you believe this girl is going into Middle school?! It just doesn't seem right. For some reason my camera was on a weird setting and I couldn't figure out why my pictures were blurry in time to fix it. I still had to include this pic of Zoe in a skirt. It's been years since that happened. This is also a picture of her Very Best Friend. (VBF?)

This is another of Zoe's and Livee's very good friends, Mckay. She lives right across the street and is also one of my favorite girls in my Primary class. Zoe's teachers always tell me that they wish they could have a class full of kids just like her. She got lots of awards including Hall of Fame, Citizenship, and Excellence in Citizenship. She had a very good year and passed all of her TAKS tests, two of them with commended scores (and one of those was 100%) I am sad to be sending her off to middle school, but very pleased with her great elementary school experience!
This is the face of a kid who did not want to be woken up early. Especially when he found out that there were donuts waiting at home from Uncle Tad.
Livee also had a great year! She had really good teachers and improved greatly in all her subjects. She walked away with a whole packet full of awards.

One of those was very cool:

The school focuses on a few different character traits throughout the year. And at the end of the year her teacher thought Livee was a good representative of Honesty.

It was a very good school year for all the girls. I am so thankful for that! Now only two more years until the little man can start.

"finding the light" :)

2010-06-09T20:20:00.004-05:00

So at first Miles wasn't really happy when he found out he got the lollipop in exchange for being my model..... but, at least his mood didn't last too long. He was a very good little subject the rest of the time.

What do you guys think of his new haircut? Any ideas on some product that will last in his hair? (syd? tiff?) After just a few minutes he turns into mr. fuzzyhead.

I was really trying to "find the light" in his eyes. I am new to this and when I saw beautiful pictures of kids with their eyes highlighted and all super sparkly, I thought that the photographer just got lucky with a good shot. I didn't know you had to look for it. :)

I still have a lot more learnin' to do. Will I ever totally "get" my camera? I don't know, but I had a fun session with a super cute little model today. Up next..... the big sisters.

swagger wagon

2010-06-05T09:21:00.002-05:00

Okay, me and the girls can't stop watching... and laughing!

teacher gifts

2010-06-04T11:05:00.003-05:00

I saw these featured on Today's Creative Blog and I thought they were so cute and simple, I just had to make some. The original post was from eighteen25 and they even have everything available for you to download already. Perfect! The girls and I had so much fun making them! We used the giant Symphony bars. Yum!

2010-06-01T14:27:00.001-05:00

The balloon says it all.

2010-05-23T20:00:00.004-05:00

One of Paige's teachers chose her as Student of the Year. She was really surprised. But mostly surprised because of what class it was in... math. Her least favorite subject. Paige also got an award for A/B honor roll.

Good job Paigee!!!

You are a great example to your little sisters and brother and all your hundreds of little cousins. :)

This girl...

2010-05-20T17:45:00.002-05:00

...is getting a BIG award at school tomorrow!!! One of her teachers just called me. I can't tell you what it is yet, because Paige doesn't know yet. All she knows is that she needs to dress up in the morning. She's a smart girl, and she knows that there is an awards ceremony tomorrow, so she has figured out that she's probably getting some kind of award. But, she doesn't know how HUGE it is. And she doesn't know that this Mama is dying to tell her, so that we can do the happy/proud dance together! YAY!!! I can't wait 'til tomorrow morning!!!

Look at the spider!

2010-05-12T19:51:00.003-05:00

I asked the kids if they could see the little spider on my camera. :) That was the only way I could get them to slow down enough so that I could get a picture of them looking at me. It kind of worked. They all got so serious looking for that spider, that they lost their smiles. Oh well, I think they still turned out pretty cute.

baptism day

2010-05-11T09:33:00.004-05:00

House Party! Kraft Foods Taste of Summer

2010-05-08T17:57:00.002-05:00

I was chosen to host another party from houseparty.com. We all had so much fun at the last one for DiGiorno Pizza, so I thought I would apply for another one. Yay! I got it! This is going to be a good one too. We are going to be trying out lots of new stuff from Kraft. Look at all this stuff they sent me:

beach balls, Frisbees, reusable bags, an apron, Crackerfuls, Homestyle macaroni and cheese, Kool-Aid Fun Fizz..... plus a coupon booklet for me to pick up some more products from the store for FREE! I'll be getting Kraft's 100 calorie packs of cheese bites, Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh meats, and more DiGiorno Pizza and Breadsticks. This is going to be a yummy party! Oh, and of course I have more coupons for my guests.

You all need to go here and sign up so you can start hosting your own parties.

Funnest Party Ever!

2010-05-07T16:49:00.004-05:00

Livee had a very "fancy" birthday party. Her friends came over all dressed up and were seated at a really nice restaurant. Their waitress was very patient while taking orders. :)

After the fancy feast, the girls got to make bracelets. One for themselves and one for Livee. They also had their fingernails painted.
Next we went outside for a very fancy photo shoot.

Back inside, the girls played "put the make-up on the princess."

They really had fun with this game!

Unfortunately, we did not find a future make-up artist in the bunch.

After Liv got cleaned up, she got to open presents, and they all had some yummy pazookie.

Perfect "fancy" party for our perfect "fancy" little girl!

nan - days 2.3.4.5

2010-04-30T16:37:00.006-05:00

When Nan got here, the first thing she did was make a schedule. It included dinner menus, whose house she was staying at, and what was going on during the day. Monday through Thursday it said "Parks with the littles." So that's what we did. While the big girls were at school we took the little boys (and Kodi) to a different park every day. They loved it! It is kind of hard to get good pictures of little boys at parks. They are just too excited and too fast! I did manage get a few fun ones.

How I "Coupon"

2010-04-23T11:14:00.006-05:00

Okay, this post is for Letti. It will probably be boring for everyone else, so feel free to skip this one.

This is my coupon binder. I got it at Target. I think it was $9.99. I really like this one because of all the extra features. You are definitely going to need one that zips close. Otherwise, all your coupons are going to slide right out if you set it down wrong.

I had a couple of helpers today. :) Miles is showing you the cool accordion file. I like to use this for my different store ad fliers. It is also good for the different coupons that you can pick up while you are out shopping. (blinkies, tear pads, little coupon booklets) I just stick them in there and then sort them into the different sections when I get home.

Miles, move your head please.

Thank you.

This is really nice at the front of the binder. There is a place for my pens, a pair of scissors, and room for the store cards. There's also a place for my cell phone and a pocket to put my money in. That way I don't need to bring my purse in. One less thing I have to worry about leaving in the cart is always good!

I have these plastic dividers, which I also got at Target. I like the pockets they have. I use these for my Internet coupons(they don't fit well in the holders), and also for coupons that are expiring within the week. Oh, and I use baseball card holders to hold all my coupons. I bet you know where I got those too. :)
I really like the front pocket too. That is where I put my shopping list, and all of the coupons I'm using. I just check my list, then go through and find my coupon, and then put it right into the pocket. Then, when I check out, all of my coupons are already stacked together,
and I just hand 'em over.
I will say that sometimes it is a pain to do all this stuff. Clipping....sorting....removing the expired ones.... checking ads from different stores. But then I see how much money I am saving.... It's worth it!

nan - day one

2010-04-20T20:20:00.002-05:00

Nan got here on Sunday, which was Degan's 3rd birthday, so we decided to have a combined family b-day party for Liv and Degan. Cousin Kellie made really yummy fresh strawberry cupcakes.

They were really yummy!
Tiffany and Bobby brought a super fun Transformer pinata. (Degan's favorite)
That was Nan's favorite too!

Then Degan showed us all how to transform. This was so cute. We need to get him on video. He even does sound effects.

Happy birthday to my favorite little Decepticon!

So Super Cute!

2010-04-14T09:35:00.003-05:00

Aunt Lestie made some invites for Livee's b-day party. She is so amazing! She just sat down and drew it all out real quick. I just gave her the theme and she came up with this. Isn't it so super cute?!

8 IS Great!

2010-04-10T11:00:00.005-05:00

Happy Birthday Livee!

Oh my goodness, Livee had such a fun day today. She woke up to hot, homemade doughnuts. Then, we surprised her at school with goodies for her class, and took her home early. Craig and I asked her what she wanted for lunch, and she wanted baked potatoes. So, we went to Jason's Deli. Yum! After that, she got to go shopping with her own money, and of course picked out a couple new dresses. When we got home, there was a package waiting for her with new shoes inside. This girl loves her dresses and skirts and pretty shoes. But, while she is wearing all her girly stuff, she is acting totally tomboy. I guess it's a good mix. :) One of her gifts was a giant stuffed animal from us this morning, and her 3 favorite things in life right now are pretty much shoes, dresses and stuffed animals. So I think she was happy! Carys spent the rest of the day with her and there was lots of twirling, and running and jumping going on, so I got lots of fun pictures.

{Livee & one of her bff's}
{let the twirling begin}

{silly girls at the creek}

{it wouldn't be a day with Livee without a little bit of this}

We love you Livee, and are so glad that you had such a great "8" day!

b.o.r.e.d...

2010-04-08T16:32:00.002-05:00

YAY!

2010-04-05T17:56:00.000-05:00

This girl is the newest member of the Panther Girls Soccer Team!

Easter Eggs

2010-04-04T21:26:00.003-05:00

Our day at the park.

2010-04-04T19:08:00.003-05:00

In Grapevine yesterday, we discovered a fun new park. Well, new to us at least. It has a really cool spider-webby climbing thing that the kids loved. It is also part of a beautiful botanical garden. It was so fun and it is a great place for some great photo shoots. We got a few good pictures and the kids played for a little while. Then, Livee's asthma started acting up, so our trip got cut a little short. We are going to go back soon for sure!

Happy Easter Everybunny!

2010-04-03T22:15:00.000-05:00

Look at that smile!

2010-04-01T22:10:00.002-05:00

Notice anything?

Happy April Fools!

2010-04-01T22:00:00.002-05:00

*dinner*

*dessert*
*yum*

Our family had a really fun dinner tonight! Livee and Miles were really wanting that cake for dinner. They were happy with the meatloaf and pink mashed potatoes once they tasted it. They all really liked the faux french fries too. Paige and Zoe are just getting too big! Can't pull one over on them anymore. Oh well. They still had fun!

I got these ideas from Family Fun magazine.

Gray's Parade

2010-03-27T23:07:00.003-05:00

After the Easter Egg Hunt there was a parade for the baseball opening ceremonies. Gray is playing Blastball this year so his team had a float. I was looking for him when his team went by, but they went by so fast, that I didn't see him. I just took a few pictures as they zoomed by. But when I looked at the pictures on my computer, I was so happy because I did manage to get a couple of Gray.

Can you find him?

I was happy to see him on the pictures but also a little heartbroken. Look at his little face! I think he wanted me to rescue him, but I didn't even see him. Poor little guy!
I even caught him as they were driving away. See him?

Awww... it's that face again.

Silly Grayson, parades are supposed to be fun! :)

Hey Everyone...

2010-03-27T22:44:00.004-05:00

It's that time again!

Does anyone know why they are still called Easter Egg "Hunts"? Because there is definitely no hunting going on!

:)
{Miles checking out his haul}

{Livee waiting patiently}
{Good job Zo!}
Paige didn't get to "hunt" but she did get to help open the eggs.
{love this picture}
{Paige helping Miles}

My DiGiorno Houseparty

2010-03-22T17:33:00.003-05:00

YUM!
This pizza is good. Beyond good! And the breadsticks..... those were gone within minutes of being taken out of the oven! Everything was so yummy, the adults and the kids, even the baby, couldn't stop eating it. I loved that the whole party was free too, the decorations, the games, the party favors, and of course all of the DiGiorno Pizza and Breadsticks. You guys have to go sign up at houseparty.com.
I admit, I hadn't had DiGiorno pizza in a while. Usually we just end up grabbing a refrigerated pizza from Walmart. And, those are pretty good. But, I would definitely recommend the DiGiorno brand next time you want some really good pizza. Enough of talking about how good it is... here is some proof:

{Ezra couldn't decide what he wanted. Look! He's even drooling!}

{Looks like Celeste likes it. Cody gives it a big thumbs up!}

{Miles won't even wait until it cools off.}
{the clean-up crew}

DiGiornos Champions House Party

2010-03-19T10:44:00.002-05:00

I got my party pack. YAY! Look how fun it is too. There is a cute referee apron. Mardi Gras beads for all the guests. Games, a pizza cutter, a fridge magnet... Plus, 6 free coupons for me to buy all the pizzas. And, they are the new pizza & breadsticks & dipping sauce all in one box. Plus, lots of coupons for $4.00 off for my guests!!! I didn't see them at our Walmart yet (I will be getting mine from Albertsons) but when they get there, they should be about $6.25. So after my guests get their coupons, that will be a really inexpensive and yummy and easy :) family dinner! I am so excited for my party, and I will even have some family from out of town here. Can't wait!!!

You all should go to Houseparty.com to sign up to host your own free party. And check out all of their past parties too. And then don't forget to invite me :)

Yay Paige!

2010-03-11T21:54:00.001-06:00

Listen...

WARNING

2010-03-08T14:34:00.002-06:00

If you leave your kids at my house for more than a few minutes, chances are they will be shot. :)
They might even end up blogged.

My new job.

2010-03-08T13:58:00.002-06:00

I have been using a lot of coupons lately and I love it! It is a lot of work, but it is fun to see how much I can save. I have had a few receipts that show that I have saved around 90%. (it's normally 50% - 70%)But this has never happened to me:

Yep! Cash back!!! It was only 6o cents. But still!
So, since stores are now paying me to buy their products, that means it's my job, right?!

Thanks Disney!

2010-03-07T17:32:00.003-06:00

So yesterday, My family got to do some really fun volunteer work. We did it through Disney's Give a Day, Get a Day. We went to Fossil Rim Wildlife Center. Miles wasn't old enough, so he got to spend the day with Grandma Charlotte and the Borens. When we got there, the girls went off with the rest of the kids and got to learn all about the animals and play some games. I guess Craig and I were the ones that did the real volunteer work! We cleared leaves and trimmed the plants around a picnic area. And then we did something that I never thought I would ever be doing. We put on orange vests and grabbed a couple of trash bags, and then a truck dropped us off on the side of the highway and we started picking up trash. :) Believe me, that was not in the description of what kind of work we would be doing! Oh well. I told Craig that at least we were doing our part to make the world a more beautiful place :)

***

{the one picture of all of us. of course there's gonna be funny faces!}

We really did have fun though, and after we were done, we got to go on a tour, and see all the animals, and feed them, and of course take lots of boring, I mean interesting, pictures of them.

{the girls' liked the ostriches the best}

(they're pretty photogenic too}

Thanks Disney, for the Disneyland tickets (can't wait!) and also for helping my family get more motivated and to get out and volunteer more!

p.s. I just checked the website and it says they are really close to reaching their goal, so hurry up and go sign up here.

My DiGiorno Champions House Party

2010-03-04T17:22:00.003-06:00

I was chosen to host a DiGiorno house party. I am so excited! Have you heard of this? houseparty.com selects people from all across the country to host parties featuring different products and sponsored by leading brands. For example, my party is obviously for DiGiorno, so they will be sending me coupons for free pizza and breadsticks and a complete party pack. They will also be giving me $4.00 off coupons for my guests. It's just a cool new way to do some at home, personalized advertising. You should go and get more information and sign up at houseparty.com. I think it is going to be really fun!

Happy Everything to Me!

2010-03-01T21:16:00.008-06:00

I came home the other day to a surprise. I saw a package on the table and I thought we must have got a fun package from somebody in the mail. Then I saw that it was for me. Written all over the box was "Happy Anniversary" "Happy Birthday" "Merry Christmas" "Happy Valentines Day" "Better Late Than Never"..... "Love, Craig"
:)
I ripped off the paper and I found this:
I love it!
I am a little overwhelmed by it right now. But, I am having fun playing with it and trying to figure everything out. Here are a few pictures:
{trying to wink}
{Kellie's yummy cupcake}
{Gray}
{worried?}
{kiddos}
{playing around with different focuses}
Thank you Craig!!!

Livee's Hair

2010-02-22T13:42:00.006-06:00

Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of Liv's hair before I had to take her back for some major damage control. Fortunately I found a picture online that was pretty close:

Seriously! The front/sides of Livee's hair was still long. I don't think the stylist even cut it at all. but the back! SHORT!!! and choppy and super uneven. I don't even know how my request for a simple "bob" turned into that. I didn't really look at it that good at the salon because I had the rest of my kids and Rowdy with me. Plus the salon was really crowded because of the $6.99 sale. So we just went home. Then I got a better look at it..... Oh my! It was the worst haircut ever!!! I called the next morning and asked if I could bring her in for a fix. On our way back I had to stop by Iya's to show her :) She definitely agreed with me. Luckily the new stylist was a magical hair genie (she was shocked by the cut, too) and she made Livee's hair super cute again:
I don't know why the pictures are sideways. Just tilt your head. :)

So, the moral of the story is... A $6.99 hair cut is risky!

But, Miles and Gray and Zoe all ended up with cute haircuts the 1st time.

Pictionary Fun..... How good are you?

2010-02-22T13:24:00.005-06:00

We were playing pictionary yesterday. It was so much fun! We saved some of our favorite drawings. Can you figure out what the word is? There is one drawing from each of us.

Snowmen and Sunbeams and Highlights. Oh My!

2010-02-18T21:20:00.003-06:00

Chapter One: Snowmen.

We have had a very surprising amount of snow in TX this winter. The kids have been loving it. My carpets... not so much. The kids go out and play, a few minutes later they (and their snow-covered shoes) are back in running through the house because it is just too cold outside. A few minutes later they have forgotten about their frozen fingers and toes, and are back outside again. For a few more minutes... I wanted to show the difference between our Christmas Snow (above) and our Valentines Snow (below)

Chapter Two: Sunbeams.

Miles is a Sunbeam now! That means that at church he is no longer with the little kids in nursery. He gets to go with Livee and Zoe to primary. He is a Sunbeam now and he loves it!
He really loves it!
Chapter Three: Highlights
(alternate chapter name: I'm the Coolest Mom Ever!)
For New Years Eve, we got to take a little trip to Round Rock and visit Uncle Bobby, Aunt Tiff, Kodi, and Degan. It was so much fun! We got to dress up for a "fancy party", make homemade pizzas,we decorated party hats and stayed up waaaay past midnight. (about 12:03 to be exact :) But for the girls the highlight hee-hee of the trip was the highlights! Yep, I let my little girls get a highlight. There was some leftover color from Auntie Leste's color. So why not?!
They felt so cool and sophisticated and grown-up. They also thought their mom was The Coolest Mom Ever for letting them. Props to Aunt Tiff too!

Pretty fun! They love those highlights. Just don't tell them that you can't see them. :)

p.s. Thanks to Celeste for the pictures!

Happy now?!

2010-02-18T20:52:00.003-06:00

Okay, it really stinks not having a camera! I don't like to blog without adding a few cute pictures of my kids. (or a few pictures of my cute kids :) Plus I also have a new fun hobby that is keeping me a little busy. Coupon-ing! I love it! It's like a game trying to see how much you can get with the least amount of money. Also free stuff is always good! And, it is fun competing with Cody. :)

Anyways to make all the fans of "the blog" happy, here is something new:

*
I am putting up these pictures of Livee, and I want you to notice her cute hair.

This first picture is soon after she got it cut in the summer. Fun little bob. Perfect for her fun little personality!

Oh my goodness. Isn't she just the cutest thing!!! Her hair has grown out a little here. Still fun. Still way cute!
Just another picture to show her hair a little longer. Totally versatile. She can wear ponytails... pigtails... braids. Lots of different things. I really like her hair this length. But, I miss the bob.

Livee missed the bob too. So..... stay tuned to see the aftermath of a 6.99 haircut

HELLLOOOO???!!!!

2010-02-16T17:31:00.003-06:00

hey mom.......POST A NEW BLOG!!!!!!!
ITS GETTING BORING AROUND HERE!!!!!!!

please? :)

I heart my new lamp.

2010-01-06T15:38:00.002-06:00

Look at what Craig brought home for me last night:

(from Restoration Hardware)

He was doing a plumbing job with his dad, and there was this lamp laying out on their back patio. The lady said they were giving it to Goodwill because it was broken. Craig told her he would take it because he knew I liked to fix stuff like that. So he brought it home and all he had to do was screw the post back into the base. Seriously. So.... instead of buying it new for $299!!! I have a new (I'm pretty sure it's brand new) lamp for FREE! Thanks Craig!

Ice!

2010-01-05T16:37:00.003-06:00

Our family got to go and see Ice! at the Gaylord Texan. (Thanks Grandma Charlotte!) It was so neat. Of course all of the ice sculptures were really cool, but also, the whole place is so amazing at Christmas time. Starting from when you turn onto Texan Drive. All the lights, and decorations... the kids loved it all!

The Grinch greeted us at the door. Paige had to give him a little smooch.

Hee hee, her hood makes her look like she has Marge Simpson hair. :)
Even being there and touching everything, it was hard to believe it really was all ice!

The kids really liked this ice tunnel. Carys takes pictures just like her momma! :)

The nativity was sooo beautiful!

(all of our red noses can give you an idea of how freezing cold it was in there. I told Craig it would have been perfect if they could figure out a way to make it 75 degrees in there ;)

After, we had a yummy dinner at Texas Roadhouse. In this picture, I can really tell that my kids are growing up. Don't they both look like they are getting so big!?

Glad I wasn't in charge of the turkey! :)

2009-12-17T16:53:00.002-06:00

I'm tired of seeing my crafty party invite!

2009-12-07T21:37:00.002-06:00

So... here are a few pictures from the big family visit:

***

Paige had fun playing volleyball with Nan and Aunt Letti.

Rub-a-dub-dub..... 4 cousins in a tub.Finally got to see little Paisley again. I had fun fixing up her curly, curly hair. Loved spending time with Cousin Casey too!

Livee watching the family softball game with Miles and his "best friend Cole"
Cute picture of Zoe. I'm pretty sure this was the game winning hit, too! :)