Easy Spring/Easter Craft

It's time to get the Easter decorations out! Hooray!

I have this space above my cupboards in my kitchen..... I like to change it out with the seasons. Sometimes that works out really well, sometimes NOT! This year, it's bugging me.

So, I went down into my craft HOARD and found 2 art canvases. One is 9X12, one is12X12.

I didn't have the paint colors I needed, so I got some at Hobby Lobby. So, this project cost me $4! Because I already had all of the other supplies.

So- two quick coats of paint.

Then Google "Easter Silhouette Images" and pick something you like. I had to enlarge mine on the copier, by 50 - 80%. Cut out your image and trace onto cardstock. Mine is Bazzil Basics, because I like the texture, in a nice chocolate brown.

And, to get them to stick and to give everything the same finish, MOD PODGE!! I like the gloss finish. :)

Two coats of that.

Then I swiped a twig from my yard for the birds and gave the bunny a nice bow.

The area isn't done yet, but it fills in some of that space nicely! And I can leave the birdies up past Easter!

So, run with it! I know you are all WAY more creative than me... it would be fun to see what you do!

Beach Bums

Whenever we go to California, we know we will be spending a majority of the time at the beach.... Solana Beach! We are LUCKY that we have such a lovely place to stay!



The last time we were there, Harper was only 4 months old, she really didn't dig it. This time she LOVED it! That girl loves to get down and dirty! She kept saying, "Harper Me! See the 0-chun!" She mainly liked to huck sand.








Cannon is all over the place and does a little bit of everything.


Oh, the ocean! The lulling sound of the waves. The fresh ocean smell! It is hypnotic. We love it!










Gotta get pics of Cannon writing his name and Harper's little footprints.










Greg is from California, salt water runs in his veins. He loves being in his home state!















-March 10 & 12, 2011-

Things To Remember About Disneyland...

-It really is "The Happiest Place On Earth"! Always beautiful, always clean.




















-The Snow White ride is FREAKING SCARY!!! Loud, DARK, SPOOKY!! No matter how much your little one likes the movie, that ride will FREAK HER OUT!!!



-It really is MAGICAL. You can shrink down to fairy size and meet your very favorite Pixie. And she will know your name. And she knows you love her. And the Mommy will
definitely cry!



















-Every scene is set beautifully. And you will get hundreds of wonderful pictures. And you will walk till your legs feel like they're going to fall off. And you'll be totally pooped out when you leave. But it is all worth it!!






--March 9, 2011

This Week...

Pudding's on the menu! (And on Harper's nose!)

My poor kids are sick! Of course, right when we go back on track. Cannon was back for one day and now they both have the croup.

I hate the croup!

The croup is the poops!

So, I'm just letting them graze on snacks all day. Whatever sounds good, goes. It's hard to get them to eat when they don't have

an appetite!

And Cannon's not so sick that he can't duck out of a photo!! That's good, I guess!

Lots of time spent in jammies, in bed reading, on the couch watching TV and movies.....

Oh please oh please let them get better quickly!

We've had our fill of hacking coughs and boogie-snots!

Goodbye, Tonsils! *graphic pic included*

Yesterday, Harper finally got her tonsils out! She has never really slept great, due to "obstructive sleep apnea". Basically, her gi-normous tonsils blocked her airway. They touched each other in the back of her throat! They crossed each other when she got sick! Sometimes, she'd even gag on yogurt.

Our doctor wanted to wait till she was 2, to have them out, for safety reasons. So... IN WE WENT as soon as the holidays were over!


Poor little thing! This was the third time she's been put under anesthesia in her short little life! First for ear tubes, then for a clogged tear duct. Neither time was pleasant in the recovery room. She gets CRaNkY!!!! And she is La-La-LOUD!!!!



But they are wonderful at the Avenues Surgical Center, and very well equipped for kids. Lots of fun stickers, and little socks and gowns. And little monitors that fit on their toes.



AND they are ready with those LOOOOOPY drugs to get them calm before hand! Thank goodness!



Surgery only took about 40 minutes. As I feared, she was NOT happy when she woke up. Luckily, the smarty nurse gave her some extra pain medicine, so she went to sleep soon after in daddy's arms.

We were able to get her dressed and home while she was still groggy.











This mama was so happy to get her baby home! I was so worried! And so relieved that everything went smoothly.




She did really well yesterday, eating, and drinking, and taking her medicine. She's continuing that today also. BUT, she is not reacting well to the Tylenol with Codeine!!! She is HYPER! And WILD!! And she's acting like a dog, and licking her arms, and jumping all over the place!! Kind of funny, yes.

I'm also glad to see she's not in any pain. BUT- I would rather see her pain free and groggy and resting. We'll see what we can do about that.



So far so good. She (and I) didn't sleep really well last night, but from what I did observe, even with a swollen throat she is breathing so much easier! No more mouth breathing! No more snoring! No more Darth Harper!
Hooray!

She's Wild!

Here's the sight I was privvy to today when I went to see why Harper hadn't fallen asleep for her nap yet......



Does it look like there was a blizzard in her crib? A little. Guess again. SHE TORE ALL OF THE STUFFING OUT OF HER PILLOW!!!



Yep.




I remember at my baby shower for Cannon, one of the pieces of advice I got was: "Keep the camera handy, you won't yell right away, and you'll be happy to have the picture later on."

This is good advice. With Cannon, I used this advice 2, maybe 3 times by the time he was Harper's age.

I think I'd better keep the camera as handy as my cell phone with this girl! It is good though, it keeps you from freaking out right away, if you have to take a moment to get the camera.


GEEZ!!!!




The poor pillow! I came in, and she said, "Look, Mama! Castle! Ta-da!"



I need to get this girl to the beach.















There is the poor pillow carcass. I guess your innards aren't safe, even when the zipper is on the inside of the pillow case!!!!!




Live and learn. Again!!!

Missing Johnny

My nephew Johnny left in May on an LDS mission. He is in Indiana. MAN we miss him! He is always the life of the party, always the 2nd loudest, (me being the LOUDEST), always the hungriest. Always there, always available, always ready to hang out. It's been an adjustment not to have him a phone call away!

We get emails from him every week. Luckily! In the beginning they were mostly filled with lots of hahahahahahahahahahaahahhaha's and :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)'s.



We nicknamed him "Speed Racer". "I've got to read my scriptures, hahahahahaha!!" "I need some new shoes, hahahahahahahhahahahaha!!!!!!!!" etc.


I always read the emails to Cannon.



Cut to yesterday: Cannon brought home his journal from Kindergarten. This one's all filled up, so he got to bring it home and start a new one at school. They write or draw in it every day at the beginning of class. They are free to write whatever they want. I PORED through every page. So funny, and heartwarming, to see what's on my son's mind.

There are 2 entries in a row about Johnny. There are no dates, so I can only assume it's soon after he left, and after reading a weekly email. Now, one concern I have, since I'm anal about spelling, is, well, his spelling!!! They have a new "sight word" program in the Jordan School District, and he can read ANYTHING, and he reads a full grade level ahead. So I'm wondering why in the world he can't spell. Oh well.

Anyway, I'll translate these pages to the best of my ability:
"That's Nuttin'! Ha Ha Ha!
I drew nothing! Ha Ha Ha!
I heard Johnny always say Ha Ha Ha!
And I heard that Johnny is on a mission.
I hope he is home soon"



Next one:
"Hi it's me Cannon HA HA HA I wonder
if Johnny has seen the emails.
This is Cannon until tomorrow."

Ah, my boy. I love him! And I miss Johnny too!