Moving On

So I finished my projects, and I'm glad to be done. It's now time to move on from focusing on those projects on here, and focusing on us and what we are doing. It seems like for the past year all of my posts have been about those projects, but now they are going to be about our family again. So here is to a new year (a month late), and a new future for the blog. So look forward to being updated on us, how life is going, what fun things we are doing, and what is changing! So I'll be the first to welcome us back into the world of blogging. 2011 will be a better year to catch this blog.

Not quite done

I have finally discovered the real reason I fell behind in my attempt to do a craft a week. The job I took totally cut into my craft time at night. It is hard to get things done when the time I had to spend doing things and being creative was taken by something else. Now that I know where I went wrong I feel a little bit better about falling short. Here is what I have done.
First off we have a failed attempt to make an ice cream birthday cake. It didn't seem like it would be too difficult...but it didn't turn out...AT ALL. It looked horrible, as you can see, and didn't taste good at all (I guess letting Carson pick the cake and ice cream flavors didn't work out since they didn't mesh well). Oh well AC#40 (Don't mind the single candle-I couldn't find my package of candles, and only came up with one...good thing he is only 5 and won't remember the single candle or disgusting cake :))
Next I attempted another first in baking. I tried to make caramels. My sister Aubry always make the caramel in our house growing up. I never tried it until this year. I cooked it too long so it was really hard. Once you softened it in your mouth for a bit it was fine and tasted good, but it was overcooked. Sorry to those who received the rock caramels. I didn't have time to make more! AC#41. Good thing I'm only attempting to be creative cause I'm in a run of not succeeding!This project turned out. Christmas goody plates for friends. AC #42I had such a busy day the day before we left for vacation (I did the caramels, cookie plates, got a hair cut, and had my piano recital all in one day!) Here are the simple little programs I made for the piano recital. Project #43
Alright now while on vacation my mother-in-law helped me make this awesome scarf. She saw one in the store and thought I could totally make that (which is where I get most of my inspiration for projects I do...seeing, and then attempting). The scarf turned out really nice, but you'll have to excuse my "I just woke up" face in this photo. And I guess the face that 1/4 of the scarf is cut off in the picture. #44Remember the shelf I refinished (see a couple posts down the page). Well I am going to be putting it in Halli's room and wanted something to put on it so I covered these letters with scrapbook paper and fancied them up a bit so I can fill the shelf-hope it looks good when I put it up! AC#45Ok I have two other projects finished, but I haven't taken photos of them yet so I only have 3 left to go. I will finish, I will finish, I will finish. I just have to squeeze them in between work nights.

Almost There

We've been on vacation for 2 weeks now. We've had so much fun, and enjoyed being lazy. I did some projects while we were here as well, and am almost finished. I know the year is over, but I have a handful of projects left to do. I know it is just excuses, but...I was sick last week and didn't get as many projects done as I wanted to, and then I was going to work yesterday and get the last ones done, but I had a killer headache that wouldn't go away. I decided I'm ok being a week overdue-it happens. I'll finish my 52 projects, and then report what hasn't been reported. I only have 4 left to do, but still need to post about all the other ones I've done. The other problem is that I took photos of the AC projects, but we don't have out cord to get the photos onto the computer so I'll have to wait until we get home to put up photos anyways. I figure I mind as well just wait to post about them. We will be heading home Monday so hopefully by next weekend I'll have everything done and be able to make the last AC post.
I'm making an easier goal for myself next year. This was a tough one, but I enjoyed everything I learned! Happy New Year to everyone!

Finally a Post

I'm finally getting around to posting again....I know it has been way too long. Have I mentioned that we have a problem with our computer, and it won't load photos properly? (I know I have, probably about 20 times!) Well I just never feel like trying to load things, so I just never post. Ryan has been researching our problem though, and thinks he has figured out what is wrong. So...hopefully, with $50 and some new RAM we'll get the little problem fixed and loading photos will be a cinch. I'm hoping to do better at posting and reporting what is happening with us more often (starting next year-when we get the RAM in January).
Life has been rolling on for us. We had a great Thanksgiving here with my sister Lindsey, and her husband Kenny. They got to spend a week with us here in Kansas. Also, Ryan's sister Jenny, and her husband Nick got to come up for the day and hang out and eat with us. We were really sad they couldn't stay longer. We are excited to see them some more at Christmas though. They took the time off work for Christmas rather than Thanksgiving-understandable!
Carson's birthday is this week. Our little boy is going to be 5 years old. I can't even believe it! Speaking of birthdays...my sister Aubry had her little girl on the 3rd of December and she is oh so adorable! So if you know her, or just want to see her cute little Jada Monet (cutest name huh?) go check her out here (I think she is putting up photos tonight....if not, they better be up soon!)
I have still been working on my projects. The years is almost up and I still have a handful of projects to do to make my goal. So...hopefully I can get things together and finish it by the 31st! Here's some of them.
#36 I made some pumpkins for Halloween-don't underestimate how much time it took to cut these out and glue together! It was time consumingI made Carson this cork board to match his room. The photo is supposed to be turned the other way, but oh well-you get the idea. Project #37I made two of these earlier in the year...or maybe it was last year. And I have wanted to make one for myself since then. I finally got around to doing and finishing it. I'll hang it in my kitchen after the holidays are over (I've got something else hanging in it's place for the season.) #38A couple friends and I got together and tied the ribbons on these buckets then made some tags for them. They will be perfect for giving away some goodies this month! #39Ok, I know I still have 13 projects to do in just a couple weeks, but I am determined to get them done. They won't be super time consuming projects, but I'll be reporting my progress as they get completed! Here's to a jam packed month of crafting!

Oklahoma City

So Ryan and I got to go down to Oklahoma City last weekend...alone. It was so great! I have a friend who volunteered to take them for the night so we headed down and spent a night there. We had such a fun time, but still found ourselves exhausted by 10:30.
After Ryan got off work on Friday we drove down there, checked into our hotel downtown, and went to Cattleman's restaurant. It isn't the best looking place to eat, but it was dang good. It's been around for 100 years and has been featured in lots of magazines and food shows on TV. We've heard about it so we decided to check it out. We left there extremely full and completely satisfied. We also discovered while we were here that the camera I brought alot to take pictures had a dead batter...and of course I didn't bring the charger, so we took no pictures (I'm getting all these off the internet.)
We headed back into town and walked around bricktown for a little bit. We went to see if there was a movie we wanted to catch, but didn't see anything of interest so we picked up some ice cream and headed back to our hotel room.We spent the rest of the evening eating our ice cream, watching TV, and relaxing.
In the morning we decided to check out the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum. It was a very sobering experience, to say the least. This photo shows the reflection pond where the road previously was that ran next to the Murrah Federal Building. The museum gives a detailed description of the happenings of that April day in 1995. I was only 11 years old when it happened, so I don't remember much about it. I only remember seeing stuff on the news-the pictures with the building half blown away. If you ever go to Oklahoma City I would definitely recommend going to this museum. I learned a lot, and felt a lot. It was a beautiful memorial and museum! I left there feeling physically and emotionally sick. It is hard to imagine all the lives that were changed in one day, one instant.
After the museum we looked around Bricktown a little bit more then headed over to the temple. The youth of our ward were going down there so we signed up to go help. It was so nice to be there especially after the museum. Isn't it so great that families can be together forever. We enjoyed our time at the temple. Afterward, we ate some dinner then headed back home. We really enjoyed the trip-it's the first time we've left our children...we'll have to do it more often than once every 5 years!

"Kittens"

When I put Halli to bed at night she frequently asks that I sing "kittens". Here she is singing the song herself-with a little help. Do you know what song it is?

Other October festivities

We took a trip to the pumpkin patch in October and the kids both picked out their own pumpkins. Here are their choices (along with the other pumpkins we purchased).
Here they are in front of the pumpkin patch sign this year

Here they were last year (2009) in front of the same sign. Looks like they've grown!

I made these fun snacks for a party my friend had (AC#33)

Here is another one of the projects I did at the beginning of the month #34

And this is the finished shelf i posted about a while back-I just need to get it on the wall #35