I watch too much HGTV....

and it might get me into trouble! It's like a sickness...no, really it is. I watch these shows full of fantastic projects and creativity and I just cannot turn my brain off. You think I'm kidding, but I'm not. I can't help, but look around my house and think, "hmmmm....I wonder if I could..." Now, don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't love my home because I do...don't ever want to leave it. I'm a creative person and I think this is one of the ways to express it. I love putting my personal stamp on things. I just have to remind myself that I don't have a professional design team and a tent full of tools with a hunky carpenter sitting in my driveway!
So back to the point of this post. I've wanted to change a lot of the wood finishes since we moved in(everything is a natural finish, knotty alder). Way too much money to think about replacing everything, plus it's perfectly good wood. So, I've been working up the guts to make changes. A couple months back, I stripped and re-stained my master cabinets. It was a lot of work, but I was very happy with the results. Ultimately, I'd like to paint my kitchen cabinets. I actually borrowed a paint sprayer from my brother-in-law (thanks Cameron!), but I think I'm going to have to watch the user video 10x more to figure out the thing. So, I'm still working my way up to that project, as the kitchen would be a very, very costly mistake! lol So, tonight, I ran to Home Depot and grabbed some white primer and white gloss paint to do my mantel. I had toyed w/ the idea of staining it like my bathroom (please don't tell me now that would've looked better! lol) but, decided I liked the idea of the white base board trim running seamlessly into the mantel. Plus, I'm thinking white is more traditional (might equal boring to some, but traditional nonetheless!). AND I bought sandpaper...all sorts of sanding tools. What for you might ask? Umm, I want to do my railings. Yes, I know, an insane amount of work, but I'm a expressing my creativity, remember?!



( < stairyway and mantel inspiration)

SO...as of right now, I have a primed mantel and a partially (emphasis on partial) sanded railing. Have a bitten off more than I can chew? Maybe. Who knows maybe it will all turn out just like the pictures I've saved from Better Homes & Garden, or at least that's what I'll tell myself when it's all done! ;)

3 Hours?!!

So, this morning I had the chance to meet Camille for a quick breakfast. I met Camille about 5yrs ago through scrapbooking. I have kept in touch with some of these "PKPT" girls and have truly grown to care and love each one of them....who knew that such great friendships could be made and maintained through the internet?! Anyway, Camille is visiting from AZ. I am so glad she made the time meet up with me. We had such a great time talking about kids, church, family and the music scene. Before I knew it, we had sucked our diet cokes dry and 3hrs had gone by! Would you believe that not once did we talk about the very thing that brought us together? Go figure! lol Camille...I came home and checked out "Need to Breath's" site...really enjoyed what I heard! So fun to hear about your adventures...and keep me posted on Kaitlyn!

Road sign wisdom...

I'll be the first to admit that I am a thinker...often over-thinking things...sometimes even deep thinking about things, but I'm not that great at expressing my thoughts so this all may sound a little silly. Oh well. That being said....am I the only one that sees the great wisdom in this road sign? When we first moved into our home a couple years ago, the street did not go through, hence the need for this sign. When I first noticed it, I had someone close to me going through a very difficult time. With my thoughts on this person, it immediately jumped out at me when I was walking one morning. I think the words hold such a beautiful message. I love thinking of this sign when I feel like I've reached a dead end of sorts in my life...beyond this temporary dead end will be future development for me. Development that I hope will make me stronger. I think in large part how temporary that dead end is can be controlled by me...I can hang out there or hopefully immediately push past it and find a new path. So here's to coming up on dead end's and seeing where the development leads!

Totally 80's....like, totally fun!

So, for New Year's this year some friends of ours threw an 80's party. What a good time it was! Half the fun was getting ready for the party. Chad and I headed to the DI to do some shopping. It wasn't too hard to find lots of possibilities. I found an awesome prom dress that I really, really wanted to work out, but alas, my hips have birthed 4 children. So, I found an awesome dress and cream pumps (completed w/ cream nylons)....think circa 1987 fireside. It was perfect! Chad went for the Miami Vice theme. He found a great linen blazer and pants, a turquoise t-shirt and some great shoes. Of course, the pants had to be tightly "pegged" at the bottom. It was so much fun that I had to do a "dry run" on the hair and make-up as soon as I got home from shopping. The kids were so confused....wondering what in the world happened to their mom! On the night of the party, Chad watched with perplexity as I got ready. He asked, "Did it take that long to get ready in the 80's and did you use that much hairspray?" Yes, I think I did! These pictures don't do the look justice. My hair had the "wings" on the sides and the nice puff or "claw" of bangs on top. The look was completed with teal eyeliner, extra thick mascara and a thick line of blush below the cheek bone. Ohh and you cannot forget the frosty pink lip gloss! We had such a great time at the party laughing at everyone else's interpretation of 80's fashion. Who knew there were so many options in the 80's??? Man, there was really a bit of something for every personality and every facet of society! lol We did a lot of reminiscing and laughing at dance pictures and yearbooks. We also busted a move on all the old dance moves. Chad and I even practiced our best school dance pose and faces for the picture at the top. Good times!

Holiday Highlights...

So, the holidays have come and gone. So much anticipation, a moderate amount of stress, not enough sleep and definitely not enough Christmas music (but you just can't listen to it once Christmas is over!) All that and then....it's done. Now to un-decorate the house and get back on a schedule. The kids started school today, but I let them stay home (yes, I know, I'm a cool mom...ha) because their cousins from CA spent the night last night. All in all we had a wonderful holiday. Here are a few highlights (in no particular order):

--Megan taking out her Endowments and getting married to Cameron. It was a beautiful wedding...Heidi did gorgeous flowers and Heather took amazing pictures.

-- Christmas Eve at G'ma and G'pa Jensen's house. Even as a little girl, Christmas Eve was the pinnacle of the holiday for me. It's the day/night we focus on the Savior. We enjoy a dinner of fish, grape juice and bread...eaten by candlelight. A dinner maybe a little reminiscent of what Christ would have eaten. Then, the Nativity story that the kids dress up and act out. Love this tradition...hands down my favorite.

--Christmas Eve breakfast with friends. We've been doing this for years with whoever happens to be in town. Love this opportunity to catch up! Numbers were small this year, but not any less fun. For those of you who weren't there or haven't been back to UT for Christmas in a couple years, I missed you!

--Watching the deer in G'ma and G'pa's backyard...they come to eat the birdseed almost daily!

--Sarah being so consumed with excitement on Christmas Eve that she couldn't sleep. The kids slept in our room...fun for them...not so fun for mom and dad.

--Volunteering at the Bishop's Storehouse with my kids. We peeled skins off onions and packaged toilet paper. They loved it...well, not the onions so much. They want to go back...I think we will make it an ongoing off-track activity.

--Learning to play Guitar Hero. This was Josh's biggest wish on his Christmas list and Santa came through. He watched GH3 clips on YouTube for weeks before Christmas to prepare. I've given it a try, too....this game is harder than you think. I've become adequate on "Easy," but still stink on "Medium." Fun stuff.

--The Christmas program at Church and Relief Society this year was amazing. Loved being filled with the holiday spirit and listening to and singing such beautiful music. Like I said, I didn't get enough Christmas music.

--Honey Baked Ham and funeral potatoes. Need I say more?

--Eating an entire box of Fernwood mint sandwiches....yes, I did and I don't regret it.

--Frequenting the gym to keep up with my holiday appetite. AND...running for 24min/2miles straight without stopping! I know, it's a 12 min mile, not great, but this was a big mental step forward for me. A long ways from a marathon, but a step forward nonetheless.

--The 80's New Year's Eve party....serious fun! I will post more later.

Congratulations Megan and Cameron!!!!!!!

What a beautiful (very cold 20 something degrees) day it was today! Megan and Cameron were (finally) married in the Bountiful temple. After dating for nearly 7 years (yes, SEVEN), this day has been a long time coming and we are so happy for them both. We love Cameron and we are thrilled that he is finally an official part of the family! YAY!!! We love you both!

Christmas Cuties

A quick photo of the kids before church today. Sarah and Jenna loved the their dresses from Sidney and Gabrielle (thank you!).

ETA...I am totally chuckling. I just noticed Sarah added her necklace and hot pink ornament to the tree...that is so Sarah! lol

One of the best things about the holidays

is definitely the Christmas cards. Really it is, don't you think? I stalk the mailman each day waiting to see what cards will come. I anticipate photos and family updates; waiting to see who has a new edition, whose moved, whose kids have change the most. It's kind of like a yearly roll call to make sure all my family and friends are safe sound!

Home for the holidays...

I love looking at all the things friends and family do to adorn their homes for the holidays. It's so fun to see their creativity and personalities come through in the way they decorate. I've enjoyed being inspired and filled with the holiday spirit as I've gotten peeks into the homes of friends and family. Here are a few photos from around our home. Certainly nothing spectacular, but just right for our family to feel the holiday spirit.

Seriously delicious

With all the get-togethers over the holidays, you're always in need of a yummy recipe. This is the BEST, no really, it is. I can say that because it's not my recipe (got it off tv a couple years ago). This is perfect as an appetizer or to just leave on the counter for snacking when you have company over. When I found the recipe, I believe it was called cranberry salsa, but it doesn't look like salsa and I didn't like it with tortilla chips (like they served it). I aptly renamed it, "Christmas Caviar." Well, because it looks like caviar and you can only make this during the holidays. (fresh cranberries are only available this time of year) I really hope that someone out there gives this a try and lets me know what they think....you will not be disappointed! Serving it w/ cream cheese and crackers is best, but it really makes a great cranberry sauce for turkey, too. I've included a photo...sorry, not the best picture, but it will give you the idea. Enjoy!

Christmas Caviar

12oz pkg fresh cranberries
¾ c sugar
1 med jalapeno, remove seeds
1 green onion
2T fresh cilantro (I always add more)
1tsp dried cilantro
1/4tsp cumin

Blend all ingredients in a food processor. Chill overnight (this is a must…the sugar must sweeten it). Best served with crackers and cream cheese. Also good with tortilla chips, beef, pork, turkey or chicken.

Someone lost their first tooth!

Congratulations Sarah! She has now been visited by the tooth fairy. I am playing catch up a bit...she actually lost her tooth on 12/3. In the picture, it's hard to tell that she even lost a tooth. The new tooth is stealing her opportunity for an empty grin. For the record, she was more brave than her older brothers when it came to pulling it out. (sorry I called you out boys!) She let mom yank it right out with hardly a flinch!

Early Christmas

Grammy and Papa are heading to California next week for Christmas, so we got to celebrate with them tonight! Each year, the kids look forward to decorating a gingerbread house with grammy. This year was no different...it turned out just as creative and messy as always. Such a fun tradition! Grammy and Papa also came bearing gifts tonight. Webkins, books, jerseys, a doll, a bike and Pixel Chix were among the gifts. (and a Costco membership for Chad and I....looks like I'm in trouble!). Thank you so much Grammy and Papa...we had a wonderful time with you tonight. We love you and appreciate all you do for us.

The "gig" is up....Part 2

So, I mentioned I was feeling a little sentimental about Josh's newly attainted knowledge. Well, there's more. The other night he lost another tooth. Just before bed he asked me if he should put it under his pillow. Surprised, I looked at him in disbelief and said, "are you serious?" He said, "well, I don't know...what do you mean?" I chuckled and handed him a dollar. A few minutes later he came back into the room. I could tell he had been crying. I felt so bad. I feel like I've slammed the door on his childhood. Josh is a super smart kid, but apparently more innocent and tender than I thought. I told him it was okay to be sad and that the fun wouldn't stop. We just hugged and cried together in the kitchen. It really was a special moment...you just don't get to hold and hug your kids like you did when they were younger, you know what I mean? I think he felt a little better when I asked him to stay up with me (Chad is out of town as usual) and watch tv and eat chips and salsa. Man, I love that kid.

Baby, it's cold outside,

but that doesn't stop the kids from wanting to play in the snow!

So, the "gig" is up...

I'm talking about Josh and the current holiday season. Yep, we figured since he was now in YM's he should be fully informed. I think he was really just hanging on to please us anyway. We talked about informing him and I was kinda looking forward to it...you know, letting him be a little helper and all. So, yesterday was the day. Dad and Josh had some special time together. When Chad told me they'd had the talk, I didn't quite expect the feelings I had. I almost started to cry. Don't get me wrong, it was time and he basically knew anyway. But, somehow, it really made me sad. Like the end-of-childhood kind of sad. I guess with all the growing up he's been doing since he turned 12, I've been rather sentimental.

Christmas Recital

Josh and Andrew had their Christmas recital on Saturday. They both did a wonderful job. Andrew played "Spirits Everywhere" and "Joy to the World." Josh played "Chip of the ol'Bach" and "Ukranian Bell Carol." It has been really fun to see them progress...I love hearing them work on the dynamics of their music. Great job, boys!

1st Class Scout

Congratulations to Josh for earning his 1st and 2nd class ranking in scouts. He recieved his awards last night. Thank heavens we have some great scout leaders in our ward because I am clueless and Chad and I aren't exactly the outdoorsy type. He even earned his first merit badge last night, too...man, before you know it we'll be working on his Eagle project!

It's Beginning to Look A lot Like Christmas!!!

Finally!! It's absolutely beautiful outside! I

couldn't think of a better way to begin December!

Putting away the drill after 36 years!

I can hardly believe it's already time for my dad to retire. It has been very interesting to reflect on how he must be feeling upon retiring after 36yrs of dentistry. Last night we celebrated all his years of work. The party could not have turned out better (a big thanks to Dan and JaNel who made it happen as well as everyone else who pitched in). It really was a wonderful night. I could tell my dad was really pleased and really appreciated all the love and gratitude that was expressed to him. The room looked great: beautiful flowers (Heidi!), great sign (Shawn!), great pictures (JaNel had some pics of my dad blown up...so cool!), great food....everything looked so nice. JaNel even ordered a "denture" cake (so funny!) and these great little cookies that had my dad's logo on them. It was fun to see my dad's siblings together (we missed having Gary there) and seeing so many other friends, family and patients. Josh read a poem (thanksHeather) and the g'kids each shared what they were looking forward to doing with Papa w/ his extra time. Ryan gave a hilarious roast...loved it! What a great night indeed!