Weekend Fun

We took off this last weekend for a fun trip to Star Valley. It was so nice to get out, especially since we haven't gone anywhere since Thanksgiving due to the winter weather and a new baby! So this was Trysten's first trip and he did great! He is such an easy going baby that it didn't change his schedule or attitude at all, it was wonderful! We left Thursday night around 7:30, a little later than planned due to a leak in the Yukon that David was trying to fix. I fed Trysten right before we left, and we picked up dinner for the girls on the way out of town and all 4 kids fell asleep and slept the entire ride - it was so nice. We actually made it to Star Valley in 4 hours, which is record time since we've had kids.

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Usually there are potty breaks every chance we get, since there are only a couple places to stop between here and there ;-) plus the kids just need a break on such a long car ride. Brailee woke up about 10 miles from our destination and let us know that she needed to go potty, so we did make one quick stop in Afton, but that was it! She did great on her first trip as a big girl - we put a pull-up on her for the ride down, just in case, but she stayed dry! On the ride home we forgot to put one on her. She slept until we got to Jackson but didn't need to go yet, and then just as we were headed over Togwottee, she needed to go. At that point, we're about 40 minutes from a potty in either direction, so we told her to hang on and I'm proud to say she made it!

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On Friday morning I woke up in so much pain - my throat and ear hurt so bad, I just knew I had an ear infection. Luckily there is a doctor there in the valley that just takes walk-ins, so I was able to get in and he put me on an antibiotic. Good ol' Dr. Perkes - he's actually the dr. that delivered my brother, so he's pretty old, but I got the meds I needed! I was pretty sick and miserable the rest of the day, so I missed out on the girls having all their fun snowmobiling and riding Ghostbuster and playing in the hot tub, but David did manage to get some pics of Kaylee and Ghostbuster for me.

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On Saturday morning, my dad and Shelly were taking the girls to Granite Hot Springs, and since Trysten is too little to ride a snomobile on a trip like that, we decided to go to Idaho Falls instead to do a little shopping. Brailee came with us because she had been complaining that her neck hurt, so we were afraid she was coming down with something and didn't want to send her snowmobiling and then swimming. She had fun shopping with us and it was different just going as a family of 4 ;-) I started feeling better that morning and could finally swallow again without it feeling like I was swallowing knives. While shopping, I finally got a new bike trailer/stroller and some Keen shoes that I've been wanting for a while - they are so comfortable and will be so nice for camping, walking, and bike rides this summer. Unfortunately, Gpa T, Shelly, Kaylee, and Brianna didn't get to go swimming after all - they got all the way up there and found out the pool has been drained for the season. So, instead they had a picnic and played around on the snowmobiles, then went back home and played in the hot tub. At least we'll know for next year that even when there is a lot of snow, they close it pretty early. Last year we went the first weekend of April, so we must have just made it in.

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We got back that night just in time for me to run into a friend's wedding reception - I haven't seen her in so long, so I was glad I got to stop by. That night Shelly made a yummy Easter dinner and then we dyed eggs with the girls - we all went to bed very late but it was a fun day!

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Easter morning the girls woke up and we made them get dressed before all of the events that day. Then we went upstairs to find their Easter baskets. The girls got some cute yard tools - rakes, gardening gloves, and hand tools that are color coordinated - Kaylee got pink, Brianna got blue, and Brailee got green. I didn't get pics of them with those yet, but I'll have plenty of opportunities as they love to help outside. After that, we went outside to hunt for eggs. The girls have hunted for eggs in the snow here plenty of times,but we never have as much snow as Star Valley. They had fun and found plenty of eggs. Shelly made another yummy meal and we had lots of family come together that morning for Easter Brunch. My dad picked up my grandparents and brought them - it was nice to see them, but sad to see how my Grandma keeps getting worse. My Grandpa looks the same as he always has! My brother and his wife came, and Shelly's kids were there, except for one, so it was one big happy blended family! I failed to get a picture of everyone together - shame on me - but I did get some pics of our side of the family.

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We didn't take the kids' Easter clothes with us since we were leaving before church, so I haven't even taken pics of them all together in their matching clothes, but I hope to within the next couple weeks. Kaylee and Brianna are playing soccer right now, so between school, dance, and soccer, I don't have much time to do it. I should have done it last week while they were on Spring Break.

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Well, there's a long update of our weekend fun - if you've made it this far, now here are some pictures!

Be Yourself

The weather has been so nice this week having the girls home for Spring Break - we've spent lots of time outside jumping on the tramp, going for walks, swinging, and even just relaxing on the porch. The only downside is I haven't taken any time during the day to do any creating. This morning, however, Trysten woke up at 4:30 to eat, then I fixed breakfast for David at 5:00 and sent him off to work, and with all of the kids asleep, I decided to play. I ended up making a few cards which I'll get around to posting - for now, here is one I made with the upcoming May SOTM, Be Yourself. This card was inspired by Laurel Seabrook - she always has such fabulous artwork - you can view her inspiration piece here. This card sketch is from i {heart} 2 stamp and as soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted to use Laurel's idea with it. I used the Daydream paper (with a touch of black added), Black Bigger Brads, Sparkles, and Blush RicRac Ribbon on this card.

Thanks for looking!

Just had to share...

...we were sitting outside yesterday enjoying the beautiful weather and Trysten was just so happy I decided to get a little video of his happy face - he gave a good show, I think ;-) Enjoy his happy sounds!

Growth, Blessing, and Eggs!

We had a fun-filled weekend, along with a few disappointments - here are some pictures and updates.

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Trysten had his 2 month check-up on Friday - he is now 13 pounds, 8.2 ounces and 23 3/4 inches long! That puts him in the 90th percentile for both height and weight, compared to just the 50th at his 1 month check-up.

He also got his shots - poor guy! He did take a nice long nap after his appointment which was nice because then I was able to go outside and help David and Brailee do a little yardwork to prepare for the upcoming Easter party. We cleaned up all the tumbleweed and trash that blew into our yard this winter and raked up the leaves and stuff we missed last fall. Trysten woke up grumpy that afternoon, but after a little snack and another nap, he was back to his happy smiley self!

Saturday was Trysten's Blessing day and the Easter Party and this is what we woke up to that morning. Not much here in town, but South Pass and part of the Interstate was closed because of the weather, so my mom and her husband were unable to come. Plus, when we planned the blessing date, I thought my dad and his wife would be back from their cruise, but they didn't get back until that day, so none of my family was able to come :-( David's sister in Gillette also missed out because of bad roads.

So we had a small turnout for Trysten's Blessing, but it was still very special. Another bummer was that he didn't get to wear his special blessing outfit that my mom knit for him since she was bringing it with her. You can view his outfit here on her blog.

Then we had the Easter party in between Saturday's Conference Sessions. Since it was so wet and snowy outside, everyone was in the house - it got very noisy! The kids got all bundled up in snow boots and coats to go on the Easter Egg Hunt after lunch, which turned into a Cascarone war and snowball fight! But they had fun.

Reflections Challenge

Here is a super simple layout that I did for the Reflections Challenge - you'd never know it was so simple as it took me forever to finally complete it ;-P For some reason I had a hard time finding the time to sit down and work on it - I kept getting sidetracked! I've been doing that a lot lately. Anyway, hopefully next week I'll be inspired to get some projects done!

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This was my brother's HS graduation almost 5 years ago - I just used Honey, Vineyard Berry, and White Daisy CS, some White Daisy Dazzling Die-Cuts that I brayered with Honey ink and covered with Liquid Glass, the Tiny Typewriter stamp set, and the title SVHS was stamped using the Building Block Alphabet set and embossed using Vineyard Berry EP.

Thanks for looking!

April Challenges

Hooray - I'm finally on time getting these posted! I don't have any samples done yet, but I'm hoping to get working on them soon - I've been busy getting ready for this weekend with family coming. Next week is Spring Break, so with no extra kids to babysit and a chance to let the kids sleep in with nowhere we HAVE to be, maybe I'll get a chance to play.

Here are the challenges for April - scroll down for the March Challenge results, there was a lot of awesome artwork submitted last month! Remember, everyone who participates will be entered into a drawing for a fun pack of cards from my stash!

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Cherish Challenge - Echoes pg. 40-41

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Imagine Challenge - Salsa pg. 118-119

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Reflections Challenge - Quartet - Perfect Square pg. 108

Click here to view my sample

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Originals Challenge - On Your Left pg. 21

MARCH UPDATE

Congrats to Sandy who was our winning participant last month!
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Cherish Challenge - Harmony pg. 38-39
Click here to view my sample

Here is Sandy's:

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Imagine Challenge - Ensemble Piece pg. 40-41
Click here to view my sample layout

Here is Shirene's:

Here is Sandy's:

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Reflections Challenge - Main Frame Wrap Around pg. 65
Click here to view my sample layout

Here is Sandy's:

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Originals Challenge - Message In a Pocket pg. 28
Click here to view my sample

Click here to view Sue's

Here is Sandy's:

No Foolin'!

We have snow - with more in the forecast! I think we have had more snow storms in the last 3 weeks then we had all winter long, what's up with that!?! I'm thankful for the moisture as we've been in a drought the last few years, but in March and April I'd rather have rain! Plus this weekend we are blessing Trysten and having the DeVries Family Easter Party, so we have family traveling so I hope the roads will be safe and the weather will be nice!

Here are some more crooked smiles to brighten my dreary day ;-) I will be back later to post this month's challenges and last month's challenge update!

Just can't get enough of this smile ;-)

I just love this smile - can't get enough of his cuteness!

He has a crooked smile very similar to Brailee's when she was this age - here she was at 2 1/2 months old...

And this will give you an idea of how much he has grown. The first picture is Trysten at 12 days old - in a size Newborn diaper - look at his scrawny arms and legs. The second picture is Trysten at 2 months - growing out of a size 2 diaper - notice how his feet have not grown at all, but the rest of him has!

2 Months Old!

Yes, Trysten is now 2 months old! I've said it before and I'll say it again, I can't believe how time flies! He sure is growing, too - he hasn't been in for his 2 month check-up yet, but I figure he weighs about 12-14 pounds now, he's really filling out. He is quite the social bug, he's happiest when he is in on all the action. He sleeps less during the day and spends his awake time observing the world around him. He loves it when his sisters hold him and talk to him - they take such good care of him! Here are some fun pics that I took today.

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I just love those chubby cheeks and that darling little dimple in his chin.

Trysten and Big Sister Brianna

Practicing his different expressions ;-)

Sweet Baby Face - PageMaps Sketch Contest

Here is my last minute entry for this month's PageMaps Blog Sketch Contest. I have been really sick today so while David and the girls were outside playing and doing a little spring cleaning, I just took it easy inside. I had an hour where I actually felt good enough to do some scrapping, so I pulled out these old pictures of Brianna, and this fun bright paper that my SIL Sandy gave to me, and put together this page. I didn't think out of the box with this sketch since the pictures fit perfectly, plus I wasn't feeling very creative with this cold ;-P but here it is!

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ETA: I just noticed that the contest deadline has been extended, so give this sketch a try! You now have until the 25th.

I used a variety of White Daisy rub-ons from CTMH, flower brads from the White Daisy Mini Medleys, Color-Ready alphabet stickers, and the following stamp sets from CTMH: Calendar, Noteworthy, Precious Alphabet, Sans Alphabet, and Adorable.

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Thanks for looking and I appreciate your comments.

Butterfly Wings

I had a club gathering yesterday, so this was the card that I came up with for the Make & Take using this month's Stamp of the Month, Butterfly Wings. I loved the different ways some of the club members ended up stapling on the ribbon - some really fun, unique ideas!

Then I wanted to show them another moving card idea, so I created this fun Spinner Card thanks to Kim's Tutorial.

So while I was on a Butterfly Wings roll, this card for my Word Puzzle Workshop was just TOO plain and simple, so I decided to add a little dimension.

Thanks for looking!

Thanksgiving 2003

I'm trying to get back on track with my goal for this year of scrapping my old pics before I print new ones. With a new baby in the house, it's been hard NOT to print all of his latest pictures. I've really struggled the last week or two and finally decided I need to take a break from the recent pictures and pull out some old ones. I pulled out my 2003 photo box and went through that until I found some that would work with one of this month's challenges. So I was finally able to complete a layout with pictures! This is the layout I did for this month's Imagine Challenge. Once again, I used a cut-up photo storage page to fit more pictures on the pages.

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Products Used (all CTMH): Abundance paper and Stickease (retired), Color Ready Alphabets (Oxford & Bold), Autumn Garden Organdy Ribbon - Goldrush (retired), Six Pocket Photo Storage Page, Autumn Terracotta Photo Clips (retired), and the Friendship Alphabet stamp set.

Here is the page with the hidden journaling and pictures:

I just love this picture of my Grandma with Kaylee and Brianna.

My Snow Angels and Handsome Little Man

The snow that fell on Monday here lasted until this weekend - I think that's the longest that we've kept snow on the ground this winter! There is still a little here and there but most of it has now melted and you can see our lovely brown grass, just like we've seen all winter - blah! Anyway, the girls had fun playing in the snow every day after school, so here are some pics of my little snow angels...

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Kaylee was always the first to come in, begging for hot chocolate...here she is throwing a snow ball at me, the little stinker ;-)

Brailee would come in about 20 minutes later...

Brianna, on the other hand, stayed out forever! She built many snow blocks out of any kind of bucket or container that she could find. She even used an orange cone to make pointy blocks!

Here she is with her tiny snowman...

Here is my darling little man - so happy! This was the first picture I took during this 'photo shoot' and just look at that smile - he's a keeper! He is growing so fast - he has already outgrown some of his 0-3 month clothes, especially the one-piece outfits! These clothes here are 3-6 month and I thought they'd be too big for him, but they fit perfectly! I may have to take his Easter outfit back and exchange it for the 6-9 month size, we'll see!

And when I say little 'man' this is why - check out that receeding hair line! Most babies loose their hair in the back, but no, he's going bald on top! I think it's because he had such bad cradle cap when he was a few weeks old, so I scrubbed his hair a lot, but it was worse in the back, so you'd think he would have lost it there first - who knows! Anyway, you can see where the new hair is coming in already, so there's hope for him ;-)

Here's a reminder of how much hair he had when he was born - he has the cutest little cowlick right in front, just like Brianna - you can already see its pattern in his new hair coming in.