Happy Birthday Hope!

13 Years ago, we were blessed with this precious girl!

Happy Birthday Hoperrific

Cute Ideas

... for Mother's Day

Heart-Shaped Sachets

photo credit: Keith Scott Morton

Freshen up drawers with heart-shaped sachets. Cut two heart shapes out of your favorite fabric, place printed sides facing each other, and sew edges, leaving space to add filling. Then fill with potpourri, stitch up, and enjoy!

Decorative Photo Plate

from Martha Stewart Living

A meaningful snapshot can be transformed into decorative objects for Mom's dresser

Learn How to Make This Craft

Mother's Day Menu

photo credit: Miki Duisterhorf

To print a menu on a napkin: Type the menu on your computer in a Word document as you would a printable invitation. Print out the menu using white iron-on transfer paper (easily found at any Staples or Office Max). Iron onto your selected napkin. The transfer will work best on 100 percent cotton fabric.

Fresh Flower Napkin Ring by Matthew Mead

What you will need:
Half dozen Begonia blossoms
Waxed twine
Small water vile
Cinch folded napkin in center with twine. Place fresh blossom in water vile and slip under twine. Hide vile with green leaf from flower.

Happy Birthday

Yesterday was Marci's Birthday

"what shall I wish for....."

I can't believe she'll be my age next year!

The extended fam was in Utah for BYU graduation so we're celebrating

Sunday. A joint birthday dinner for Marci and Hope!

Unanimous dinner request from both is Chicken Enchiladas.

We loved the cake that Melissa made for Marci's baby shower for Preston. It was deelish!

Hope wanted a birthday cake made by "The Cake Lady" (I won't take it too personally, I totally agree).

Back to Marci....she has so many qualities that I admire. Is it possible, I acutally look up to her!

She is beautiful, athleltic & smart. She has determination amd has accomplished so much in her 28 years already. Last year, her friend did the "LIST".

Quote from Marci "You just bold the things you've done...it either makes you feel really cool or really boring :-)" the boring conclusion kept me from participating.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a Meteor Show
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a Mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked (what!)
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a Lamb(you did, Montessori field trip, in your pre-school book the caption reads, Marci had a little lamb)
26. Gone skinny dipping (WHAT!!!)
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (you've been to Idaho...does that count)
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglade
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
    

age 1

not too shy (top row 2nd from the left)

Volleyball #6

semester in Uganda

Mike & Marci BYU Graduation
Marci with the cuties, Ella & Addie Preston's on the way!

Happy Birthday Wishes!

On a Ledge

Better Homes and Gardens
Use epoxy to top crown-molding divider blocks with inexpensive plywood, then paint to create these miniature shelves.

Lemon Sandwich Cookies

from Everyday Food

Ingredients:

• 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, for sprinkling
• Creamy Lemon Filling

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter, confectioners' sugar, lemon zest, and salt until combined. With mixer on low, add flour (dough will still be stiff); finish mixing with a wooden spoon.
2. Turn dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, pat into a disk about 1/2 inch thick. Wrap, and chill until firm, about 1 hour (and up to 3 days).
3. Unwrap dough; place on a lightly floured piece of parchment or waxed paper. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough about 1/8 inch thick (if dough cracks, let it warm up slightly).
4. Cut out cookies with a 1 1/2-inch round cutter (reroll scraps once, chilling of too soft). Place 1 inch apart on two baking sheets; sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake until barely beginning to brown, 15 to 20 minutes; transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
5. Form sandwiches: Place about 1 teaspoon Creamy Lemon Filling between two cookies, sugared sides facing out; squeeze gently.

Makes 3 dozen

B is for Baby

door sign by Pink Coconut Designs...aka Kayley

... and BANNER!

I found the most adorable banners at EMMIE CAKES.

I e-mailed Tina to see if she would make me a custom banner kit for Preston's room and get it to me in time for Marci's baby shower. I sent her some pictures of his crib set and a few specifications and couldn't have been happier with what she came up with! Tina's a joy to work with and I can't wait to add her birthday banners to my e-store this summer!

The candy bar needed a little banner too. Martha Stewart has this great Alphabet Template.

The Giraffe watching over the candy was at Home Goods (I get high every time I go in that place!) in the clearance bin. His neck folded in half so I did a little surgery and put a dowel in for support. Now he can hold his head up proudly.

Banners are such a fun way to add a little festive whimsy. I'm hooked! Thanks again Tina♥ Everyone adored Preston's banner.

Thank You Thursday

I can't believe it has been a WHOLE week since my last post! I've been really busy with Easter, church work and Preston's Baby Shower (I'll post more later). Back to Thank You Thursday.

Today I'm thankful for the blessings of Modern Medicine and wonderful doctors.

Hope was diagnosed with Scoliosis in February. She didn't "pass" her 6th grade screening test at school last year but her case was very mild. She recently had a major growing spurt and things took a turn for the worst. We started with our Family Doctor who sent us for X-rays. When she got the results she sent us to an Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr. Davino and he did MORE X-rays.

Here are scans of a couple of the X-rays he took February 16th.

Her curvature was 28 ° and Dr. Davino felt strongly that because Hope is still growing she should wear a back brace to help her spine straighten out as she grows.

The next step was a visit to Dr. Steve at Orthotic & Prosthetic Associates. He made a cast and sent that along with a CD of her X-Rays to Boston to have a brace made.

This is what her brace looks like:Front

Side

Back

It is not the most accommodating attire if you know what I mean. Hope has had such a great attitude. She is to wear it 24/7 with the exception of athletics. She has managed to adapt her wardrobe so that most people don't even realize she has it on. Some kid at school was joking around and punched her in the stomach. She said(as she was chuckling) he'll never do that again! She has lots of funny stories of things that have happened. I think she is so amazing to have a sense of humor and I admire her resilient spirit and courage. She has been wearing it faithfully (through pain and ridicule) for 4 weeks now.

This week I took Hope back to Dr. Davino so he could do a follow up X-Ray. She did her X-Rays and we were waiting in the little room for the results. I was hoping with all my heart he would see a difference so Hope could have some gratification from all of her pain and dedication. When Dr. Davino entered the room he was smiling from ear to ear and practically jumping up and down. He was thrilled with the results. The lower part of her spine was at 0°(perfect) and the upper spine was down to 13°! He said he had NEVER seen this happen (in such a short time frame) in all of his years of practice.

Although that brace is really uncomfortable and a big time wardrobe challenge, Hope won't mind wearing it for 12 - 18 months knowing what wearing it is accomplishing!

Thank You Thursday

To Create-cre·ate (krē āt′; often krē′āt′)

transitive verb created -·at′ed, creating -·at′·ing
1. to cause to come into existence; bring into being; make; originate; to make or design (something requiring art, skill, invention, etc.)
2. to bring about; give rise to;

3. to invest with a new rank, function, etc.

Do you remember this talk "Happiness, Your Heritage" by President Uchtdorf last fall?

I loved every word of it. It was so uplifting and inspiring.

The Work of Creation

"The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before.
Everyone can create. You don’t need money, position, or influence in order to create something of substance or beauty.
Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty—and I am not talking about the process of cleaning the rooms of your teenage children.

You might say, “I’m not the creative type. When I sing, I’m always half a tone above or below the note. I cannot draw a line without a ruler. And the only practical use for my homemade bread is as a paperweight or as a doorstop.”

If that is how you feel, think again, and remember that you are spirit daughters of the most creative Being in the universe. Isn’t it remarkable to think that your very spirits are fashioned by an endlessly creative and eternally compassionate God? Think about it—your spirit body is a masterpiece, created with a beauty, function, and capacity beyond imagination.

But to what end were we created? We were created with the express purpose and potential of experiencing a fulness of joy. Our birthright—and the purpose of our great voyage on this earth—is to seek and experience eternal happiness. One of the ways we find this is by creating things.

If you are a mother, you participate with God in His work of creation—not only by providing physical bodies for your children but also by teaching and nurturing them. If you are not a mother now, the creative talents you develop will prepare you for that day, in this life or the next.
You may think you don’t have talents, but that is a false assumption, for we all have talents and gifts, every one of us. The bounds of creativity extend far beyond the limits of a canvas or a sheet of paper and do not require a brush, a pen, or the keys of a piano. Creation means bringing into existence something that did not exist before—colorful gardens, harmonious homes, family memories, flowing laughter.
What you create doesn’t have to be perfect. So what if the eggs are greasy or the toast is burned? Don’t let fear of failure discourage you. Don’t let the voice of critics paralyze you—whether that voice comes from the outside or the inside.
If you still feel incapable of creating, start small. Try to see how many smiles you can create, write a letter of appreciation, learn a new skill, identify a space and beautify it.
Nearly a century and a half ago, President Brigham Young spoke to the Saints of his day. “There is a great work for the Saints to do,” he said. “Progress, and improve upon and make beautiful everything around you. Cultivate the earth, and cultivate your minds. Build cities, adorn your habitations, make gardens, orchards, and vineyards, and render the earth so pleasant that when you look upon your labors you may do so with pleasure, and that angels may delight to come and visit your beautiful locations. In the mean time continually seek to adorn your minds with all the graces of the Spirit of Christ.”
The more you trust and rely upon the Spirit, the greater your capacity to create. That is your opportunity in this life and your destiny in the life to come. Sisters, trust and rely on the Spirit. As you take the normal opportunities of your daily life and create something of beauty and helpfulness, you improve not only the world around you but also the world within you. "

Now there is a beautiful video with the "Create" message.

If you haven't seen it...Enjoy!

today I'm thankful for the gift of creation

everyone can create

Improve, Beautify, Extend, Smile, Cultivate, Develop,

Create

Easter Paper Crafts

Paper Flowers

Envelope Bunnies

Paper Easter BasketsEaster Bunny Garland Paper Grass
Flowery Notes

Click TITLES for How-tos

all courtesy of Martha Stewart

get ready for summer

Blessings

Are there people in your life that you look up to .... that you think of as your heroes? To me, heroes are those people that have the capability to see beyond our earthly moments. They have a God given perspective that is eternal. Today I came across two beautiful heroes. They are the parents of a beautiful little baby boy named, Eliot. Eliot had Trisomy 18 (T18) or Edwards Syndrome. Eliot's parents saw him as a Child of God, a gift from Heaven, a Blessing.

Get your tissue, and be inspired by the courage, faith and hope of these parents. They chose not to abort their little one and were blessed by the Lord's love and 99 precious days with sweet baby Eliot.


blessings

forever families

a life with hope , purpose & meaning

eternal joy

Easter Paper Craft

Good Housekeeping has these fun stencils to create these adorable egg animals.

Aren't they cute!
Download them HERE.

Go HERE for more egg decorating ideas.

(The silk ties are awesome.)

Bunnies

I saw this on Heather's blog and had to share it!

2 Tops + 1 Skirt

2 tops + 1 skirt = outfit {options}

We were on the look out for some little tops to embellish that would be cute with Heather Bailey's pretty fabric. We spotted these cute tank tops at Gymboree. The grograin ribbon with pink stitching was perfect. I added the emboidered flowers to match the under skirts.

...but I really wanted to try the tutorial for the ruffle sleeves from Jona's blog and I thought it would be nice to have another shirt to go with their Edith Twirl Skirts.

I picked these tanks up at Target when they were on sale.

Applique is so fun to do. I sewed little beads and added embroidery to embellish the flowers. Now Ella and Addie can have 2 looksfor 1 skirt.

It's April 1st ☻

♫ Happy Birthday Scott! ♫

(the Elder)
Happy April Fool's Day!

«Laughter, some said it's the best medicine in the world.
So start smiling and laughing as much as you can. Have a hearty laugh over every amusing situation. Laugh even at yourself and smile at the simplest pleasures in your life. »
«With smiles and laughter, your days will become lighter, more joyous and more bearable even on those hay-wired days. Your smiling face looks much more appealing and beautiful too. »
«Give away your smiles freely and in abundance. Spread your laughter around as it's contagious. »

Laughter is an instant vacation. ~Milton Berle

What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul. ~Yiddish Proverb

When people are laughing, they're generally not killing each other. ~Alan Alda

I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose. ~Woody Allen

The most wasted of all days is one without laughter. ~e.e. cummings

Laughter is a tranquilizer with no side effects. ~Arnold Glasow

A good laugh is sunshine in the house. ~William M. Thackeray

Laughter is the shortest distance between two people. ~Victor Borge