Fall Crafts

I promise I do more than just craft groups. I am so behind on my blog. We had the funnest fall break ever, and I have yet to post a single thing from that. Anyways. Last week I held a craft day up at my sister in laws again. She had a different group show up this time. It was nice to get to know new ladies. Hopefully they join us again. The next night I held a craft night with my friends. It was a much smaller turn out than usual, but it was so nice to get to sit and chat and catch up. Usually I am bouncing between 3 tables and aswering questions related to crafts while everyone else is chatting it up. So I really enjoyed it. But I've already started working hard on my christmas crafts and I have a feeling they're going to be huge.


This was my fall wreath. Definitely the favorite of all of them.

 This is a large Thanksgiving plaque, I have it setting outside my front door. The quote is perfect.

 The next 3 blocks came as buy one for x, 2 for x, or 3 for x.

 And the final. Gobble til you wobble set. This was the second most popular.

I really enjoyed these crafts. A little something to decorate with till all the Christmas decorations come out. :)

Halloween Crafts

I did another round of crafts for Halloween. I held a craft day up at my sister in laws a couple of weeks ago with all of her crafty friends. It was a lot of fun. She had a great turn out. I love having a reason to go up there. Autumn just happened to have a Wed off of school for teacher in service and Drew was out of town for a hunting trip so it gave us something to do.

Last week I held my craft night. I told myself all day to remember to take pictures but once people started showing up, and I had 14 people in my kitchen crafting I forgot all about it. I had an amazing turnout and feel so blessed to have such wonderful friends! I love doing this. This has been so much fun for me. It's actually been therapeutic while Autumn is in school all day. :) It gives me something to do and work on and gives me a reason to get together with all my friends.

4x4 Pumpkin Patch

4" Candy Corn- these were the second most popular. They're so cute and festive. Theyre more of a fall decoration and can stay up after Halloween is over.

Trick or Treat Blocks

Witch Plaque-

Witch Plaque variation- my sister in law, her mother in law doesn't have any kids at home. She liked the plaque but the original words didn't apply for her since no kids live at home. I love that she came up with her own saying. It's really cute!!

BOO Wall Sign

Black Burlap Wreath- this was the most requested craft between the two groups. It's so insanely messy and makes you itch but it sure is pretty!

Orange Burlap Wreath- my sister in law has a friend with a black door and she still wanted a wreath but needed it to be something other than black. She asked for orange and at first I wasn't sure. But now I love it!!

Black and Orange Burlap Wreath- at the last minute my sister in law had a friend request a black wreath and I didn't bring any extras so she gave her hers and asked for an orange/black one, I really like it. It's super festive.

I've already started my Thanksgiving crafts, and finished my fall wreath! I will share those after the craft groups! But these Halloween crafts were a lot of fun. I've been selling some on FB as well to my community.

Craft Nights

I'm trying to catch up. Over the summer I held 3 different craft day/nights. It was so much fun. I couldn't believe the excitement and the turn outs I had at each of them. 2 of those craft days were up in ShowLow with Drews sister and her friends. Unfortunately the first one was cancelled because of sick kiddos, so she and I made a couple of the flag block sets and her friends picked up their kits and did them at home. The second craft day a few weeks later was awesome. I love doing crafts and I love sharing what talents I have. I don't take pride in many things, but one thing I do pride myself in seeing or hearing an idea and being able to recreate it. Pinterest has really helped with that too!!

I did my craft night on June 10th at my home and had an amazing turn out. 17 people signed up for various crafts and most people I knew, a lot I didn't and it was wonderful!! 15 actually showed up at my house that night and the other 2 picked up kits for later. We had so much fun. I wanted to take pictures but I was so busy helping people with their crafts and socializing. I seriously love get togethers and hosting this kind of stuff!

So I do have pictures of the crafts I sold.

This was a small 3x5 July 4th block.

 Land That I Love Block Set, this was a favorite!

 Pledge of Allegiance Block

 God Bless America Flag Blocks

This was my biggest seller. I absolutely love this wreath! American Flag wreath



I also sold these online to my local community through a FB page. They were all incredibly popular. I was loved keeping busy and having something to do!

I've got my next craft night planned for the first week of Oct. I didn't want to do the craft nights to close together for fear people would get tired of them, and the stress of them for me. But people are asking about our next one and wanting another one so I'm excited!!! We've got one planned at my home and at my sister in laws again as well.

Birthday Camping (7/20)

I'm so behind on my blog! Back in July we went camping for my birthday. I think it took everyone by surprise that I mentioned doing that for my birthday. Drew and I hadn't been camping since I was pregnant with Autumn. So it was long over due to give it a try.

On Fri. my family went up and got to the campgrounds early in the afternoon.
Autumn was really excited.

 It was the second to last weekend of summer before school started so all the campgrounds were pretty packed. Drew immediately set up the tent, we ate lunch which was sandwiches and chips, and we got everything situated right before it started raining.

We all went into the tent and talked, played games, and at one point Autumn asked us all to be quiet and she immediately passed out and slept for an hour and a half. Thank goodness for technology because that kept the younger 2 totally entertained.

We just hung around waiting for everyone else to get up there. We enjoyed the beautiful scenery and gorgeous weather.

Mark and Christy's family arrived at the campsites around dinner time. We grilled hamburgers and hung out. Drew made his dutch oven peach cobbler and we used that as my birthday cake.

 It was really fun to have campsites right next to each other. The kids had so much space. We built a great fire, and while all the other adults tried to put kids to bed I watched the fire go out and when it started to rain I went into the tent.

It rained the whole night, and I was miserable. I got maybe 2 hours of sleep. Thankfully my kids slept till 7/7:30 and were all in really good moods.

In the morning Mark made pancakes and bacon, and they also brought donuts and cantaloupe.

We tried to take pictures of all the kids, but a few weren't having any part of that.

 This one is my favorite. The next picture speaks for itself, I love the faces on each of my kids:

Then we went "fishing." Well Drew went fishing and the rest of us watched the kids splash and play. Or if your Mark, he sunbathed.

 Cannon came, he helped keep the kids entertained. They loved throwing sticks in the water and watching him swim back with them.

 These boys are so imaginative. They were putting their sticks in the water and pulling them out quick and said they were fishing.

 

We went back to the campgrounds and we ate lunch and then packed up our site. While Drew was loading the van these two boys found something very entertaining to do. It grossed me out, but boys will be boys.

 

 I wouldn't consider myself sold on the idea of camping but I did have more fun and enjoyed myself more than I thought I would. If I could sleep in a tent and on an air mattress then camping would be awesome. I am so thankful to have some family near by and have them join us camping. It would've been much more boring with out them.

Autumns 1st Talk 8/19/12

Today at church Autumn gave her first primary talk. She was so anxious and excited for her talk. She was most excited to use the microphone. During Sacrament Meeting she kept asking after every little thing if it was her turn to give her talk. She asked after the opening prayer, after the sacrament, after the first speaker, etc... She was definitely prepared and willing to speak in front of everyone. Drew said she spoke clear and loud enough for everyone to hear. A few of my friends complimented her talk and how well they understood her. She was very proud of herself!!

Her topic was "I should do things on the Sabbath that will help me stay close to Heavenly Father." When I sat down to write her talk I asked her what things we did on Sunday, and what we didn't do. Hoping she has recognized that Sundays are special. She had some great comments and so I put them in her talk.

"There are many things I can do on the Sabbath to help me stay close to Heavenly Father.

Our family likes to sings songs out of the Children's Songbook. I like to look at pictures that go along with the songs.

Our family also likes to read stories and look at pictures from books with scriptures stories in them.

My dad works on Monday night so we do Family Home Evening on Sunday night. We sing songs, read church stories, discuss scriptures, and pray.

To help me stay close to Heavenly Father on the Sabbath I do not go outside and play, or go to any stores. I spend the Sabbath Day at church and doing quiet reverent things with my family."

I held up the visual aids which were the children's songbook, old testament stories book, and a picture of a family during F.H.E. I am very proud of her. She did great and I now know she doesn't have a fear of speaking in front of large crowds. :)

1st Day of School- 8/6/12

I am still in awe that I have a Kindergartener. I was emotional all weekend. We went to Meet the Teacher on the Thurs night before school started and I could hardly keep myself together. So it was no surprise how anxious and nervous I was all weekend for school to start. Monday morning did not go how I had invisioned it. I did make a big breakfast, but we had to wake Autumn up at 7:30 so that we could leave by 7:45 and it just felt rushed. I did get a quick picture before we left.

Since my morning picture wasn't all that I wanted it to be I figured we could make up for it after.
This picture is when I picked her up after her first day. She was so excited to see all of us.

When we got home I did the picture that I planned to do in the morning but we didn't end up having time to sit down to have her write out what grade she was in. I have loved all the ideas on Pinterest for first day of school photos and I admit I am a perfectionist and would've loved doing something cute and clever with perfect penmanship, but there is something special about a childs handwriting, so I decided against all the ideas I had seen and originally planned and went with this. I admit I got onto her for writing too big, but then apologized because did it really matter? She still got all the letters on there. And it's her writing. I will treasure seeing how her writing skills change over the years.

I get to walk Autumn to and from school, I truely feel extremely blessed to live so close to her school that I can walk her to and from. There is about 10 houses in between the school and our home. The heat is pretty intense on our walks after school and she drags her feet but I feel like we talk more and get those few minutes to communicate about her day that we wouldn't get if we were in the car. She is loving Kindergarten so far and we are enjoying what time we get with Autumn in the afternoons and evenings. We definitely miss her when she's not here.