Pretty Girl

This was so cute the other day at my mom's. Kathryn came out of the toy room with two necklaces on and a bracelet. And the hair bow is one I made at the Petal Party I went to the day before. Such a Pretty Girl!

I couldn't get her to look at me. But she's still such a cutie!

Bouncy, Bouncy Bouncy

Turn it down the air blower is kinda loud.

So Since our trip to New Mexico and to Hoots Matthew has been looking online at the bouncers. He found two for a great price on Craigslist the other day and we ended up with one. This little video is of our new bounce house in my sisters front room. Its only like 9 feet square with a slide down one side.

If anyone wants to rent it for birthday parties it would be great for 2-5 year olds for a small party as its not supposed to have more then like 3 kids in it at a time. Matthew will also provide balloons and I'm going to take up face painting. If anyone is interested let me know and I can fill in the details on price and such. I'm not sure what we would charge just yet. Kathryn had a blast on it. I'm happy we have a bouncer its going to be fun for Kathryn's birthday parties in the future.

Need Money!!

I just got a ticket today on my way to my friend Amber's house to learn how to make a Capri Sun purse. So ironic that my last ticket being pulled over was like 10 years ago in the exact same location, at the exact same speed in construction as this one.

Its a speed trap on Higley and Guadalupe. GO SLOW.

So as for the title of this blog. I need to come up with $225 for the defensive driving class. And since I learned how to make the Capri Sun purse I thought I could sell them for $25.00 a piece if it is just the short one. and $30 for the taller one.

I also want to remind you all that I still have a lot of necklaces left so if you need some fun colors for your accessories just let me know the color and I'm sure I have just the necklace and earring set for you.

Let me know if you want a purse.

Visit to Jolene, Ji, and Devin

We got to go visit one of Matthew's sisters in New Mexico this past weekend. Matthew's family all lives so spread out that we only get to see them at weddings... So we like to take trips to go and see his brothers and sisters. There is still one sister- in-law that I have not met yet with their two boys. Our next trip will be to Arkansas to visit with Steve and Amy.

But this trip was to Albuquerque, NM. We left Wednesday night after work and made it to Matthew's parents house in Snowflake, then left the next morning around 10 to finish the trip. We played games and had fun with their puppy Max. Even thought he is still very much a puppy and likes to bite everything. Kathryn loved it. even with all the scratches she got.

Friday we spent the morning in Santa Fe. walking around the shops. That was fun. It reminded me of the shops in Mexico. Where it looks like just a strip of shops on the store front but there are walkways in the middle of the shops that take you back into a whole bunch of other shops behind the store fronts. I so some wonderful art galleries of paintings that I would love to have in my home. Except for the fact that the ones I wanted were like 11k. So what I have expensive taste in art. We ate at a fun little place that was like eating in a courtyard. but it was covered.
We then went and toured an old church there. That was so pretty. It is still being used today.

On Saturday morning we went to a new park by their house and played for quite a while. It was really hot though. We just happened to visit on their hottest day of the year. Kathryn liked the toys. and Matthew and I got a little dizzy on one of the toys. But it was so much fun! Then later that day we went to a place called Hoots. Kathryn feel asleep in the car but the place looked like so much fun we had to wake her up. I'm sure she's glad we did cause she had a blast. It is one of those places that is filled with the bouncy toys and a huge jungle gym made out of seat belt stuff. It was so much fun. Matthew and I may have had just as much fun as the kids did. We'll have to go to the ones around here.

Jolene made the best salads ever. I'm still in the maintenance mode of the diet and have gained a few lbs back but the salads Jolene made were awesome. I'll have to get the recipes from her or find my Costco cookbook.

We got to go to church with Jolene and Devin on Sunday. Our old home teacher from the Tempe ward is in her ward. It was fun to see Rich there, Amanda had just had a baby the day before so we didn't get to see her. Such a small world. Amanda is even Jolene's VT. John has even fell down Jolene's stairs before.

Thank you Jolene and Ji for putting us up for a weekend. Kathryn had so much fun playing with Devin. I hope they can be great friends as they grow up.

Check out the girl behind Matthew. She is hauling!

Playing with the Hose and then Tubby time

Kathryn loves playing with the hose. She'll play all day outside with the hose if I would let her. Here are some fun pictures of her and the hose! This time she spent most of the time in the dirt making mud. I usually try to make her stay in the grass but it was fun watching her play in the mud.

Starts with clothes.

Ends with just a diaper.

Then the tub!!

Another Crayon Roll

I found another website that had better instructions. I like this one way better. It turned out better I think.

It's Over

I am no longer safe to have Kathryn stay in her crib. Two days ago I put her down for a nap and 30 minutes later after I here her playing around in her crib I her a knock on her door from the inside. I either left the window open and someone is in there or she climbed out of her crib. Luckily it was the later.

It's over for me. No where to put her to keep her enclosed. What am I supposed to do???

Happy Independence Day

We had a fun Fourth of July! We were woken up with a call to come have yummy waffles at John and Micah's. Then we were deciding what to do for the rest of the day and Matthew's Uncle stopped by and asked if we wanted to come swim and BBQ with their family that afternoon. I had fun swimming with Kathryn. Kathryn LOVES to Swim!! She's getting more daring all the time. It's time for some floaties! For this I made some yummy brownies, that I didn't taste, that were stars, flags and two firecrackers. I was quite proud of myself. The pictures doesn't do it justice at all. They looked fantastic.

Then we went to my parents that evening and went out to see the fireworks in Chandler with Melissa and Stefan's family and my parents. We had a great view! Took quite a while to get home but it was fun. Melissa took lots of pictures of that event so I'll have to get pictures from her to post.

On Thursday I was at the store and Kathryn was wearing two of the new bows I had made and the lady behind us at the check out commented how cute the bows were and asked if I have a Red, White and Blue one for the holiday. I was like NO shoot I've got to make one. So I made a really cute bow for the fourth. I have to say Kathryn was such a cutie for this holiday!

I love this holiday! I love to remember how blessed we are for living in a land of the free. I just pray always that our leaders of this great nation will keep it that way!

Visual results of HCG + diet

I can't believe I'm posting these pictures. But I have to say I'm way proud of my self. I didn't cheat once. Well I guess I did once. Last night we went to the Vietnamese place we love and I had lettuce wrapped pork dipped in fish sauce. It was so yummy. I thought for sure I would have gained some from yesterday but no I lost .6 lbs. So Once cheating day out of 40 is going to be OK with me. I really can't believe I haven't had any sugar in 38 days. I truly didn't think it was possible. But costing me $200+ made it possible. I wasn't going to let that money go to waste. And it didn't. Matthew and I kind of talked about if I would have spent that money on a gym membership and we both came to the conclusion that this diet was better.

My face looks awful but just focus on the difference. I still have a ways to go before I'm at what I want to be but now I'll start Maintenance for 6 weeks so I won't gain or loose anything for that amount of time and then on to a good exercise program to start some toning.

Thanks everyone for all your support and encouragement. Thanks Becky for saying he to the skinny lady! I love it!

Before and After Front

Before and After Back
Before and After Side

Total pounds donated - 26.8!!!

Total inches gone - 11.5!!

Tutu's

Rachel made the bright color one. I did the red green and black, the ribbon has lady bugs on it.

I made two Tutu's yesterday and a couple more felt hair bows. So much fun to make things at home.

Tutu's are SO EASY! Here is where I got the instructions. Make it and Love it. If any one has a little girl. This is a must have!

I got the Tulle at Hobby Lobby by the spool. I think that made it way easier!

I cut the pieces of this to on to be like 18 inches instead of 28. Makes a great small tutu, that sticks out a lot more.

Other Favorite HCG recipe - Mini Meatloaf

Looks kinda like this without the sauce on top.

This one is very yummy! I've found these recipes on a blog HCG Recipes. I've found it very useful and a good variation to the little amount of food you can eat. I've actually found in the last week or so that I want my meat just plain. No seasonings at all. I guess I was just using the same seasonings for all my meat and it started to taste the same. Now I add nothing and I get to taste what they really taste like. Except for the few recipes that I really love.

Mini Meatloaf
100g ground steak
1/2 t milk or bbq sauce
1 grissini (ground into powder)
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1/2 t dehydrated minced onion
1/2 t spicy mustard
1/4 t allspice
1/8 t sage
salt/pepper to taste
Any additional seasonings you like
Preheat oven to 350.
In small bowl, combine all ingredients and form into a small meatloaf.
Place in glass dish, cover, and bake 25-30 mins.
Uncover dish, add bbq sauce or homemade sugar free ketchup to top, and bake 5-10 additional mins.
Serve immediately with a bit more of bbq sauce or homemade sugar free ketchup for dipping.NOTE: This includes your meat, grissini, and 1/2 t of your daily allowance of milk.


Here is the bbq sauce

Smoky BBQ Sauce
2 T sugar free tomato sauce
2-3 T water
1/2 t dehydrated minced onion
1/2 t red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1/4 t sugar free liquid smoke
1/4 t paprika
1/4 t chili powder
1/8 t cinnamon
1/8 t cloves
1/4-1/2 t sugar substitute (if needed)
salt/pepper (to taste)
In small non-stick saucepan, combine all ingredients and bring to boil.
Reduce heat and simmer 20 mins.NOTE: I will often omit and add different seasonings. I sometimes add mustard, chili paste, or jalapeno juice. BBQ sauce is often a very personal thing, so experiment and see what works for you. This is just a starting point.

Crayon Holder

So I've been kinda in a crafty mood lately.

I've made Hair Bows, button bracelets (thanks Emily), Wanting to make a Tutu, and all sort's of stuff. I finally went and got the Tulle to make the tutu's. Its going to be so cute!

But when I got home I didn't want to set into the Tutu just yet. I'll wait to do that with Rachel as she got some to make as well. I was looking at fun blogs and ran across this one that was listed as Hair bows and I went to it and found a fun Crayon Holder. I looked at the directions and it didn't look to difficult so I went through my scraps of fabric and found some cute material and I actually had enough of. I think it turned out really cute. All but the button and ribbon part. I can't get it to fit so I'll have to come up with something else to keep it closed. Velcro maybe...

I'm making a lot of these things to take to my family reunion in July. We do what we call Grandma's store, which is an auction type sale, where all the proceeds go to help maintaining the ranch. I get the best homemade stuff there. Crocheted wash clothes are the very best!

I think this would be great for bringing to church for the little ones to color and they only get so many crayons that have to be put back in the pouch. You could even make this smaller so it only fit like 8 crayons in it instead of 15.

Here are the instructions. http://www.girlythingsbows.com/krayon_keeper.html

Temple Quilt

I finally got my Temple quilt. I was so undecided about colors that I never got around to picking out the fabric before my wedding so it's been almost 3 years for me to decide. My mom did most of it. I did a good share and a few others each have a stitch or two on it.

It is a wonderful quilt and way to warm for the summer but it will be nice to use this winter.

Thanks a million mom!

Fathers Day #2

Sorry about this being late but I wanted to show off my creativity regarding cooking.

On Father's day we fasted for a family member so I couldn't make Matthew the breakfast that I wanted to, So I decided to make it for dinner on Monday night. This is what it looked like.

I made his favorite family tradition waffles, with cheese and bacon and then cut it into the shape of a tie. Since I didn't get him a new tie that is.

I thought it turned out great. Especially with the stripes of bacon!

Keepers

Their marriage was good, their dreams focused. Their best friends lived barely a wave away. I can see them now, Dad in trousers, tee shirt and a hat and Mom in a house dress; lawn mower in his hand, and dish-towel in hers.. It was the time for fixing things. A curtain rod, the kitchen radio, screen door, the oven door, the hem in a dress. Things we keep. It was a way of life, and sometimes it made me crazy. All that re-fixing, eating, renewing, I wanted just once to be wasteful. Waste meant affluence. Throwing things away meant you knew there'd always be more.


But then my mother died, and on that clear summer's night, in the warmth of the hospital room, I was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn't any more. Sometimes, what we care about most gets all used up and goes away...never to return. So... While we have it... Its best we love it... And care for it.... And fix it when it's broken..... And heal it when it's sick.


This is true... For marriage.... For friends... And old cars.... And children with bad report cards..... Dogs and cats with bad hips.... And aging parents.... And grandparents. We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it.


Some things we keep. Like a best friend who moved away or a classmate we grew up with. There are just some things that make life important, like people we know who are special.... And so, we keep them close!

Hair Clips

I made my first hair clips for Kathryn today. I am such a bad mom. Having a beautiful girl with so much hair and I'm just now learning how to make some fun hair clips. Well this is what I made today. The flower ones are flowers that I used at my wedding. So that will be fun to have for a long time. The felt ones are something I learned from my friend Amber. I think she learned this from Kenyon. These were so easy to make as well. Its just felt which is so cheap and a button to put in the middle. use a little hot glue and add the clip and your done. I like the pointed one. I want to get some red and green felt cause I think it looks like a poinsettia for Christmas.


I'll teach anyone how to make these to if you want to learn.
Thanks Amber and Kristen for teaching me how to make such cute bows.

Easy Skirt Pattern

I had enough material left from Kathryn's dress to make a skirt for me and Lucky me my Mom went to a class on how to make a skirt that fits your body. It was actually really easy to make, well except for the zipper, as I"ve never put in a zipper before.

I had my mom help me with some of it. She made it look more presentable and helped me add the bottom row as I made it a little two short. I think its so cute.

Now I have a Dress for Kathryn out of this material, a skirt for me and my Kitchen curtains. I'm a product of watching the Sound of Music.

Here's how to make this awesome skirt that is made to fit your body.

1. Measure your waist then add 2 1/4 inchs then divide that by 4
2. Come down about 4-6 inches to the wide part of your hips and measure that then add 2 1/4 inches and then divide by 4.
3. Then you make it the length that you want
4. Cut two pieces on the fold, this ends up being your front and back piece. and that's it
5. You need a zipper about 6-8 inches.

a. If you want a facing just do a 4 -5 inch strip that matches the top 4-5 inches.

I guess if I didn't know how to sew this may not make sense but for those of you who do try it out. Its a great skirt. It was fun wearing it today. Actually I started this skirt before I started the diet and had it all done except for the zipper and i had to take it in an inch or two to make it fit again!
If you don't sew I would be happy to come over and explain it better to you.

Happy Sewing!

Skinny Pants

So I decided to try on some of my pants I haven't been able to wear since before Kathryn and well the results were FABULOUS!!

I now have 7 more pair of pants then I did before. The best part is even some of those are now loose!!!

Next shirts....

Happy Fathers Day

Today was a good day for Matthew. Last night he said he wanted to sleep in the front room on our air mattress in the tent. I let him do the air mattress but the tent was to much. So that started out his day! This morning Kathryn woke up early and Matthew said I could come give him his presents with Kathryn in bed. So we all were up early. I got Matthew a really cool Hawaiian shirt, some candy bars and a really cool picture that, thanks to Julio turned out great!. We also finally went to Kohl's to use his gift card he got for his birthday and he got some nice athletic shoes.

It was hard to choose which picture to print for Matthew to take to work. But finally I choose the one with Kathryn holding the camera.

I am so in love with my Matthew. I'm so happy we are together and that we have a little Kathryn that makes Matthew the Dad of our family. He is the worlds greatest Dad for Kathryn. It's so fun that she points him out in pictures and says daddy, daddy all the time, and She doesn't like to go to bed without having a kiss and a hug from her daddy. At first I was thinking she will be a Mommy's girl but deep down I think she'll be a daddy's girl.

We love our parents as well. We couldn't ask for better grandpa's for Kathryn either.

I hope everyone had a great Fathers Day!

My new mode of transportation

My new form of exercise! Hooray for Matthew wanting to go on a shopping spree! We tried it out tonight and I love the new bike and Kathryn loved getting to ride in the trailer.


The trailer we got is orange not blue. But the bike is exactly the same as the photo! I love it! THANK YOU MATTHEW!!! And it's not even my birthday... Happy Fathers Day to Me.. what...LOL


Anyone wanting to go bike riding with me is more than welcome!