My sad kitchen...

So I love reading craft blogs and pursuing Pinterest for inspiration on crafts, recipes and DIY home improvement. I do a lot of the crafts and I try a lot of the recipes, but I don't really do a lot of the DIY. The reason-N8 and I are NOT handy!! We both know how to work hard and try hard, but for some reason we just aren't very successful. So today as I was catching up on one of my favorite blogs Sugar Bee Crafts, I saw that she was entering a fun giveaway.

It's an Epic Room Makeover Giveaway!! Boy would that be awesome!! First of all it was solve our lack of handiness. We could help a ton, but would have the expert right here in our home helping. Second, it solves or location difficulties. We have a serious lack of style and shopping here people! And third it's FREE, which is great when you're on a budget!So the room I would most love to have made over- MY KITCHEN!!!! My 1980's, worn out, cluttered, mismatching and not my style kitchen!!

So here's the problem:

I have 4 crazy kids, keeping this kitchen decluttered and looking good is impossible!

The color stinks, mismatching appliances and brown on brown counters and cabinets-not my style!

The cabinets are just plain wearing out!

I've tried to do some "stylish" things in my kitchen, but it's hard to make faux wood counters look decent!

Please help me!!!

My little backpackers....

N8 loves the outdoors and loves that Bud and Emma love the outdoors. He and some other friends got together this weekend and took the kids on a little backpacking trip. (I stayed home with Mo & Henry who were deemed too young for the trip.) It was a few hours north of here and a 1 mile hike in. They did another little hike this morning as well. From what I can gather everyone that went had an awesome time.

Benjamin & Emma ready to head out!

The start of the hike. Jason & Wade carpooled with N8 and the kids.

The Fitt's from Bishop joined them.

I think these kids all had a great time!!

They needed to get this trip in before soccer season starts in a few weeks. N8 thought that both Bud and Emma handled the backpacking really well and could have done a longer hike. I know he's looking forward to being able to take them on more and more backpacking as they get older.

1st day of school....

Last night we got to go over to the school and see the class lists and which teacher Bud and Emma have for this year. I'm very happy with Bud's 5th grade teacher and am happy with Emma's teacher, but a little nervous. Emma is in a combo 2/3rd class with 14 2nd graders and 14 3rd graders. We've never done a combo class before. Luckily there are lots of kids that Emma knows and is friends with in her class (there are 5 kids from our ward in her class!).

Emma at her desk. She has friends on both sides. We'll see if that lasts!

Bud and his best friend are in the same class this year!

 

I did get a phone call just before lunch "Mom, it's me. My glasses are all bent up, can you come." We need to look into some industrial strength glasses or something!

Visitors....

We love to have people come and visit us!! This past week I got a call from my brother, who happened to be at Disneyland with his family, wondering if they could come up and see us Friday night, of course!!!

I feel a little bad because we didn't do much-dinner at one of our favorite Mexican places, the kids played, watched some Olympics, and visited. They left Saturday morning, but we had a great time.

Someday we need to make it out to New Mexico!

"Cheese"...

Henry's  birthday day was pretty low key. Emma and I got haircuts, we ran errands, he took a nap. The usual! But some great friends did bring him a gift of a backpack and some books (which included Blues Clues stickers. He was pretty excited!) Thank you Halls!!

 

Last night we celebrated with Little Ceasar's Pizza and a movie. N8 went over to the church for opening exercises for mutual and then came home so we could open presents and do cake. We started with opening presents. Henry loved everything he received and love saying "cheese" with each picture I took.

I had seen a fun way to make a birthday cake number on Pinterest this week and gave it a try and it turned out great! I also so a fun way to decorate a birthday cake and did a take on that. Besides the lopsidedness I was pretty happy with how the cake turned out. Henry could have cared less. Oh well!!

Happy 2nd birthday!

The birthday boy....

Today Henry turns 2!!!

We love this little guy.

He is constant entertainment. Laughter, silly faces, chatter, you name it he's got it. Everyday he amazes me with all of the things he tries to do and say. He wants to be just like his big brothers and sister. 

We love you Henry!!

An excellent evening with the Young Women

Last month I was released from being the compassionate service leader in my ward. I had been serving for 3 1/2 years and personally I think I was on the brink of burn out. I am happy with the Facebook and emailing age where we can instant message and quickly connect without a phone call. As a teenager I don't even remember enjoying chatting on the phone. I would rather be in person. So a calling that consisted of a lot of phone calling (for 3 1/2 years) was sometime tough for me to handle. Although I do think I magnified and did what was asked and needed of me.

With the release of one calling comes a new one. I am now the Young Women Secretary.  In all of my adult life I have never served in the Young Women. I also haven't been a secretary since I was 12 and in Beehives. But I love the ladies I get to work with and we have fabulous girls in the Young Women program.

Since N8 serves in the bishopric and is specifically over both the Young Women and Young Men, he attends the weekly opening exercises and activities. So I don't get to go to those, but I do go to the Sunday lessons and help keep things organized (or at least try to!).

But this week was different, it was Young Women in Excellence. An annual activity recognizing the girls in the accomplishments within the personal progress program. And since school hasn't started I was able to find a college student home that could babysit so I could attend.

Setting up

I wasn't in on too much of the planning, but was able to help make some awesome T-shirts designed by Ashley and help set up for the activity. It was touching to see the girls present items that that had worked on for personal progress. Like I said we have some pretty awesome girls. It was also pretty cool to have the parents come up and read letters that they had written about how their daughter arises and shines forth (or gets her shiny on :))! That was the theme for the evening "Arise and Shine Forth", which is also the mutual theme for the year.

The cute shirts wrapped in fun sparkly ribbon by Ashley!!

Fun pictures for the girls made by Rachel F

Another sign made by Rachel F for the girls. She made them after she was released and the week she moved. They were so cute and sparkly!

The YW leaders

I wanted a shot of the back of the shirt :) It says "got my shiny on"!

 I can't wait to see what more comes as I serve with these wonderful ladies and young women!