a pruett life

moving

2009-10-12T13:00:00.000-05:00

dear my beloved readers:

i am switching blogs.

please click this button to view my new one.

i love you.

love shay

another birthday boy

2009-10-10T12:11:00.004-05:00

yesterday was mr. pruett's 27th birthday.

he had the day off but we couldn't decide what to do

with no money.

(i miss his hair like this. a military downfall for sure)

so while we sat around thinking of a plan, i ended up starting a new quilt:) while the mister cleaned out the shed:) :) ahhh, it was like it was my birthday or something!

this new quilt is inspired by our guest/sewing room rug. when the room isn't such a mess, i'll take some better pictures. for now, it's letting my creative juices flow!

but we both did missed this girl all day:(

hopefully today we can get our cabooses up and go to

the monterey aquarium!

repurposed

2009-10-08T10:57:00.003-05:00

feeling pretty thrifty lately...

paisley's crib is also used as a place to store CRAP underneath.

since i'm getting rid of our old crib bedding i thought i'd throw together a crib skirt to cover all my "storage."

to avoid spending money, i used an old ikea sheet, an old floral nightgown purchased at a thrift store a while ago, and some discounted lace i've had lying around.

2 days and some ghetto sewing later...

very simple and nothing special, but it does the job!

with another thrift store purchase,

i made this dress for paisley.

all it is is a vintage pillow case and a cheap

old navy tank top sewn together.

well, i did add a sash with some yellow scarp fabric i had.

pretty cute aye? easy peasy.

spook

2009-10-07T00:02:00.002-05:00

finally got around to some halloween decorating:

i'm craving some more spooky projects though so we'll

see what i come up with.

sorry for the crappy iphone pics. can't find my camera card!

nie nIE on oprAH

2009-10-06T00:46:00.004-05:00

nie on oprah

did you hear that nienie will be

on oprah on wed?

i think i might get a babysitter for the kids for the 4 o'clock hour:)

wed

wednesday!

am i really an adult?

2009-10-05T22:31:00.003-05:00

i'm so glad i'm not in high school anymore...

but so glad that great friends came from it.

kelly, shay, amanda, matthew, kavi

aunt jackies' visit ended by driving her up to san fransisco.

so kelly drove up with us to meet amanda (visiting from idaho)

and matt who lives in SF.

these really are by best friends from high school

(minus a couple in southern cali)

the evening involved:

*walking by 184 homeless people

(this might sound weird, but i love big cities for that reason)

& breathing in secondhand smoke by the pack

while walking to dinner.

*new york style pizza was taken back to matt's apartment

* adult conversation was had

while

* my kids ran around loving all the attention

(it's rare that they are the only kids in a room full of adults.)

i loved the evening.

later i couldn't help but think about all of our current lives:

kelly is teaching 2nd grade. a TEACHER!

amanda is in grad school for psychology/social work?!

matt is in freaking law school!!!

and i'm married with two kids!

this definitely qualifies us as adults.

so my question is...

when did we grow up?

lamp vamp

2009-10-04T22:46:00.004-05:00

this $20 lamp (marked down from $100) was looking

too drab from the couch today

as i watched a session of conference

for my church.

this is what happened during the next hour:

these roses were so easy to make. i used THIS tutorial.

although mine came out totally different and involved hot glue.

ahhhh,

much better eye candy.

marriage

2009-10-04T10:34:00.003-05:00

the mister and i have had a hard couple of days together.

no real reason,but just sarcastic, sassy, and

insensitive to each other.

so like any woman would do (right?), i was sulking in bed last night when he came and scooped me up (literally) and plopped

me on the couch. he then proceeded to:

*set a movie up for the kids on the laptop

*put a movie on for us.

his pick? pride and prejudice. yep, i married the right man. if for this reason only! but for many others as well.

*bring me cookie dough on a spoon (that he had just made)

*followed by a glass of milk

*tuck me in with a cozy blanket and pull the ottoman under my feet

*bring me a cookie fresh from the oven

*bring me my contacts case and solution so i could take them out and put on my glasses

and then cuddled me for the whole movie.

all this was done with no words between us.

sometimes, makeups don't have to be a long drawn out talk fest.

i liked this kind much better.

and of course i ate up every minute of my favorite movie while the mister enjoyed it too. (he knows my favorite parts:)

as the movie came to an end and my favorite part of all closed,

i looked over to my mister darcy;

mister pruett and said a quiet

thank you.

aunt jackie

2009-10-03T13:08:00.002-05:00

an evening at the beach

was followed by clam chowder on the wharf.

all with aunt jackie who came to visit us from utah.

the kids loved having her here for a couple days!

thanks auntie!

be thou humble

2009-09-29T12:23:00.002-05:00

our new home.

although this is not our exact house, this is what our new neighborhood looks like.

all duplexes built in the 1950's.

do you love the car ports, lucious lawns, storage by the kitchen window,

and electric boxes pasted right to the front of the house?

me too.

i'm definitely being humbled at this point in my life, but can't complain

because it is a roof over our head.

it's slowly becoming "home"

kitchen curtain

2009-09-29T10:26:00.003-05:00

i love windows.

and

i love the light that shines through them.

but i also love me some curtains.

when i saw this fabric, i had to have it my kitchen.

so here's the outrageous curtain i made for my dish doing days:)

color?

check.

floral?

check.

houndstooth?

check.

heaven.

this fabric is paula prass' new line called summer soiree.

it is divine.

check it out here.

a winner and a dampened ego

2009-09-24T01:20:00.003-05:00

so,

out of the 3

people that entered

the giveaway,

#1 was randomly chosen from random.org.

the winner is stephanie!

who by the way, is like the cutest thing that ever walked

this earth.

for real.

so congrats girl

and email me

your

address

and what you would like.

the boy and his birthday

2009-09-21T12:42:00.008-05:00

he helped me make his chocolate cake

and let me tickle him

and blew out his candle

then devoured his creation.

happy boy. happy day.

and i chowed down on this

32 cloves of garlic, mushrooms, goat cheese, & basil.

need i say more?

friday freebie

2009-09-18T23:22:00.002-05:00

i have finally updated my etsy shop and want

to CelEbrAte with a giveaway!

thanks to kara for more amazing pics

i need to get the word out, so in order to enter, please post one of these pictures to

your blog with a link to my shop and tell people about this giveaway.

don't forget to link back to my blog as well.

a random winner will be picked on wednesday. they will get ANY item of their

choosing from the shop fo free!

oh, and leave a comment telling me you did so:)

if you don't have a blog, you can still enter by

leaving me a comment telling me

how much you adore me.

really.

thanks and good luck!

i dont believe it

2009-09-18T12:05:00.003-05:00

this is my boy.

today he turns 3.

that's too old.

i don't know if i can bear it.

kavi is a piss ant.

kavi is sweet.

kavi is quirky.

kavi is hilarious.

kavi is sensitive.

kavi is elated about turning 3 today.

that means he got captain crunch for breakfast

and will get a chocolate cake tonight.

thank you for coming into my life 3 years ago my boy.

you bring me such joy and laughter

(like peeing my pants laughter.)

i love you kavers.

first day at the beach

2009-09-16T23:31:00.003-05:00

have i mentioned that i live a mile

from the ocean?

because i do.

are you jealous?

re-united and it feels so good...

2009-09-15T15:07:00.002-05:00

i'm alive. and the route.

2009-09-14T22:51:00.003-05:00

our travels included:

14 fast food meals

1 puking baby girl

8+ diet cokes for nana

11 gas stations

counting crows on pandora

driving

1,933.5 miles through 6 states.

from missouri

and finally to

this took us 6 days,

27+ hours of driving,

and we took our time.

during these 6 long days, i couldn't help but think of my ancestors.

the pioneers who crossed this country on foot.

i figured out that my journey would have taken me

26 days and 4 hours on foot.

that's without stopping.

every night i unpacked my van while my mom watched the kids.

i complained about lugging heavy luggage & a portable crib,losing sleep at night in hotel rooms, entertaining my grumpy kids (with modern day technology might i add) and eating gross fast food for 6 days. and all this without a

husband. i felt so sorry for myself.

i'm such a baby.

but we ARE here.

safe and sound.

and i am so grateful.

2009-09-05T10:37:00.001-05:00

We are here and all is well.
(except that I have no Internet yet, but my iPhone.)
I just watched my husband change the boys diaper and then he tickled him to death.
This is why I am here; for those moments.
Smiles are aplenty around here:)
TONS more to come as soon as I am " hooked up" to the real world.
Thanks for all your well wishes.

Ciao!

destination california: part three

2009-09-03T00:08:00.002-05:00

stop 3:

springville,

our halfway point.

a visit was made to my SIL parents house since she was there visiting with my brother and kids from hawaii.

molly has a million sisters.

all of whom are freaking adorable!

i had the pleasure of hanging out with 5 of them:

ummm yeah...AdOraBlE!

we then got to spend the night at grandma's house

and see aunt jackie and brittny.

(who are equally as adorable)

1 stop, tons of family.

destination california: part two

2009-08-31T23:03:00.003-05:00

stop 2:

cheyenne, wyoming

days inn

its been a. long. day.

destination california: part one

2009-08-30T22:36:00.002-05:00

from kansas city to california in 6 days.

stop 1:

omaha, NE

to visit noel, kara, grandma, dad, and tay

my grandma is so sassy and stylish.

the boy got to explore papa's garden on his shoulders.

and the girl kept us all entertained with her drama.

thanks kara for taking these amazing pictures.

you rock my world.

in more ways than one:)

materialistic

2009-08-27T21:51:00.003-05:00

yesterday as i was giving the movers the rundown of all my crap, the head boss asked:

"is there anything really special to you that we need to take extra care with?"

i thought about this for a good minute before i replied.

"no, they are just things."

he walked away satisfied with my answer, but i walked away more than satisfied.

i was proud of me.

i tend to focus too much on my physical environment. i'm a visual person and i like beauty to be all around me. this reflects inward and affects my mood sometimes.

of course i will always want to make my home a beautiful place for my family,

but when it boils down to it, there was not one piece of furniture that i couldn't live without.

i couldn't, however, live without these two precious little souls:

moving day

2009-08-26T21:22:00.005-05:00

it's official.

i am now a moving snob.

i will never pack my own belongings again.

the navy sent packers today and i did minimal packing.

i did however have to entertain two grumpy kids.

the boy did this:

and the girl did this:

and in the evening i got these:

i think i'm loving them.

i'm also loving this boy.

tomorrow the loaders come.

wish me luck and happy thursday!

straight out of the mouth of my boy

2009-08-24T19:16:00.004-05:00

as we were sitting in church yesterday, i noticed the boy

rubbing a bug bite behind his neck. he was doing

this for quite a while before he

turned around and asked with a complete serious face,

"mommy, is this my back nipple?"

no joke.

i almost peed my pants during sacrament.

how reverent would that have been?

i pulled this picture out yesterday when the boy was looking over my shoulder. i explained that it was him as a newborn. after studying the picture a while longer he jumps with a pointed finger and yells,

"look mommy, i'm in a sandbox!"

so if that isn't funny enough; today he saw the picture again and with another pointed finger says, "look mommy, i have another penis" as he points to his umbilical cord. next comes, "and there's another one" as he points to the machine laying next to him!

that's a grand total of three penis' folks.

THREE!

for dinner

2009-08-23T23:00:00.002-05:00

polka dotted pizza

shredded cheddar cheese with fresh mozzarella balls.

in limbo

2009-08-22T23:17:00.003-05:00

i miss this man so much it hurts.

it's been three months since our family has been together and the weeks just keep going by. we are waiting for military processes to fall into place. you know, housing, movers, etc... we will be reunited pretty soon here; looks like sometime in the next two weeks is when the movers will come to pack away our lives

here to start a new one there.

the excitement of being together again is overwhelming. i'm feeling the same giddiness as those weeks before our wedding. it's only

been four years, but man, don't we look so much younger then?

he is so handsome! especially with that yummy curly hair

that he no longer has:(

so while i am in limbo, my blogging might start to dwindle off here and there as i prepare to move halfway across the country. but i do have many fun posts and surprises coming up including:

more wedding pictures

(because i just went through them)

7 siblings in 7 days

quilting progress

a whole new "name and look" for this itty bitty blog of mine

more headbands and into the etsy shop

a guest giveaway

now pardon me while i lay my head down to dream about my honey on the beach with long hair...

goodnight.

more magic for my taste buds

2009-08-21T09:33:00.002-05:00

how to make fresh pesto sauce:

*steal fresh basil leaves by the bag full

from your brother's garden and get your nephews to help.

* wash and dry leaves.

*add other necessary ingredients.

*double the garlic from the recipe because you

can never have too much.

* puree the ingredients in a really messy kitchen, while

you are also baking cookies.

* "taste test" by the spoonful.

*store in baggies that you can put in the freezer.

(i put about 1/3 cup in each baggie so i can pull it out of the freezer for homemade pizza sauce.)

*enjoy the smell, the color, and the taste!

one of those nights

2009-08-19T23:20:00.002-05:00

the kids ate leftover pasta while i made me some guacamole.

avocados work magic on my taste buds.

this is all i ate for dinner.

i stuffed myself full of it.

then came dessert.

strawberries slathered in nutella.

food O.

we ate it on the kitchen floor.

just me and my two babies.

it was a delightful dinner.

the rest...

2009-08-19T18:47:00.007-05:00

...of the weekend included more festivities for our company and momma's birthday.

taylor spent 4 hours in the kitchen making lasagna

and garlic bread (that looked like a wooden dutch clog.)

creme brulee was made by yours truly per request of the birthday girl.

ice cream was had.

warriors took over the living room.

monkeys were tickled.

scavengers ate parmesan cheese off the floor.

SOMEONE finally started her own blog :)

and nana enjoyed every second with her

rambunctious grand kids.

the end.

and the weekend isn't over yet...

2009-08-14T22:56:00.005-05:00

thursday brought molly and the boys.

kavi and jayden meet.

kavi follows jayden's every move.

the afternoon was spent at a local farmstead in the heat.

we had a grand ole time.

friday brought in momma's 59th year.

it also brought taylor to town.

the evening was spent on the boat.

1 bag of homemade chocolate chip cookies.

reade was dreamy as always,

and uncle taylor was the hero of the night.

let's see what saturday and sunday bring...

1 dolla-make-you-holla FUN

2009-08-13T22:16:00.002-05:00

1 pack of balloons

238 breaths of air

hours of entertainment for the boy.

his imagination came up with the following:

"look mommy, i'm..."

and

then he came up with this question:

"mommy, why do these balloons have belly buttons?"

this boy kills be with his wit and curiosity.

and the winner is...

2009-08-12T19:14:00.003-05:00

the winner of my very first giveaway is...

drum roll please...

# 8 Molly Bea who loves the "purple bow one" for her sister.

Congrats to Molly's sister!!!!

i picked this winner at random using random.org, but i can't seem to figure out how to post the results,

so you'll just have to take my word for it that i'm fair. wink.

as for your comments, i loved them all and whoa were your prices way higher than i expected! it's a compliment, but i hope you all were being honest. i'm thinking 10-12 bones, but we'll see.

so thanks all for indulging me and my creative dabbling.

more friday freebies to come!

a proud auntie

2009-08-11T23:36:00.002-05:00

the stewarts went camping last weekend.

it made me realize how much i

am going to miss them when

we move to monterey!

check out what cole caught.

yeah, that's my nephew!

(and my scruffy brother)

2009-08-10T22:35:00.001-05:00

I lied.

I will announce a headband winner in a couple more days.

That means those of you who read my blog, but haven't entered this giveaway ( I know there are quite a few of you...) still have a chance!

friday freebie

2009-08-07T19:17:00.005-05:00

want to adorn your pretty little

head with one of these?

all you have to do is leave a comment telling

me how pretty i am.

just kidding.

but you do have to leave a comment.

tell me which one you like the best and how much

you think these bad boys

would/should/could sell for in my etsy shop.

i'll pick a winner at random on monday night and

send your choice of

headband right to your door.

good luck my friends!

snake update

2009-08-06T13:35:00.002-05:00

turns out the mysterious old man with the ciggies

in his shirt pocket is named tom.

i tracked down his address (because i have my ways) and delivered his chocolate chip cookies as promised.

also turns out that tom is very humble and

would barely accept them.

i met tom's wife who he has been married to for

50 years this week!

and lastly, it turns out that tom and his wife knew

the previous owners of this house and informed me that they once found a snake in their living room.

this is the living room where i live!

yeah, so i'm not that dramatic or far fetched,

because it could happen,

and it has.

introducing the bilibo

2009-08-03T22:55:00.004-05:00

this arrived on our doorstep the day after the cruz family left.

(too bad i don't have any pictures of their stay...ahem carlos.)

a surprise package from our departed guests.

the boy uses his imagination in many ways to make this new toy a:

stool

turtle shell

spinning chair

hat

...and many more exciting things.

you can find this crazy toy here.

thanks aunt jen and uncle carlos!

gone away

2009-08-01T21:58:00.005-05:00

so the cruz's have come and gone,

(a while ago)

and this finished beauty went with them

since i finally sewed the binding.
(see previous post about this quilt here)

home to it's new owner:

noel

the cruz's also left a couple gifts behind.

i'll post pictures later...

why a grown woman like me had to crawl in bed with her mommy

2009-07-31T11:45:00.006-05:00

the other day i started cleaning out the garage so i could start packing my crap

and start a pile, when i noticed a long, i mean l o n g black snake

slithering along a ledge on the wall.

now, i have no problem with snakes; as long as they are not in my living space.

the garage? your living space? you ask? well, this story wouldn't be so bad, except that this long, nasty, evil serpent of satan crawled right into a small hole leading to the attic. another reason this story gets worse is that the attic shares a wall with my bedroom! that's right.

i couldn't believe my eyes, or my luck. my room was no longer my place of refuge, but a hell hole of fear. i couldn't walk in without looking around the ground and imagining this snake making babies across the wall and them crawling through my vent into my bed.

SO, i called animal control, but they wouldn't go in attics, so i called pest control guys and they wanted to charge me 200 bones! so i had to live like this all week. my world was not the same i tell you! the first night, i couldn't sleep, so i snuck into my momma's bed. the next couple nights, i was a little braver and slept in my own bed, but with light on!

how pathetic.

so today as i was opening the garage door i see the little sucker hiding under a pile of wood and call animal control again. they rejected me again, so i called my small neighborhood police department. the lady was nice, and said she'd send someone out right away. so i stood there.

and stood there,

and paced back and forth,

without moving my eyes from this wood pile. then it dawned on me that i should cover the snake's passageway to the attic. this was my feeble attempt:

first i tried plastic bags... no good.

then a hoe... no good.

then a flip flop... no good.

then a noodle... no good.

i gave up.

so after 30 minutes of pacing i call the police chick back and ask what the deal is. she says they were busy with a disturbance call so she doesn't know when they'll get to me.

this is when i take matters into my own hands.

i google "how to catch a snake" (i don't know what i would do without this trusty internet friend.)

i call annette to see if she's in on my snake catching plan. no luck... the poor girl just couldn't oblige.

so it's just the mom and me; each with gardening gloves on and a broom in our hands. the big trash can is lying down on its side with the lid off. we start moving wood away looking for this evil thing. as we do so, my prayers are answered! i hear a beat up old chevy truck roar up the driveway and out come an old rugged man with a pack of ciggies in his shirt pocket. he brings a shovel and without speaking much, starts moving the wood like it was nothing. i hear another car, and it is ANNETTE exclaiming that she felt so bad that she turned me down! (could she be any sweeter?) the answer is no.

my hero eventually finds the snake and pushes him into the trash can with a stick. my life is back to normal. i can breathe again!

before he leaves, i ask where he lives so i can bake him cookies since he saved

my sanity (and life). he mumbles something and leaves with the snake and our trash can. (he returns it later.)

cAN you believe:

A. that i almost did that myself?

B. how big that bad boy is? i swear at least 4 feet long!

yeah. me neither.

her ears

2009-07-29T23:21:00.002-05:00

this little miss had tubes put in her ears this morning.

i was terrified, but she did great.

she's already back to her normal self and

hopefully she'll have a lot less ear infections.

yellow

2009-07-27T21:29:00.005-05:00

our first summer squash from the garden.

yellow squash is one of my favorite veggies so i was so

excited to see it in our garden.

i do have to thank my mom, because she does most of the work.

it was so yummy to cook up and taste for dinner.

SO, speaking of yellow, here are a few things

i'm proud of lately:

check out this gorgeous retro cookie jar.

i scored it at an estate sale with jennifer last weekend!

it was such a fun find and even more fun was the price:

$4!!!!!

for reals.

and

this feminine headband i made with rosettes:

i love it!

and

of course

my new yellow project:

i can't wait to see this triangle quilt finished.

i might just keep it for myself.

i'm noticing yellow is becoming a reoccurring theme

in my life these days.

maybe it's a happy sign,

or maybe it's becoming my favorite color.

my sailor man

2009-07-25T09:34:00.004-05:00

so the graduation went well.

(besides the fact that i was throwing my guts up in the bathroom)

david was elected honor recruit for his division of 80 sailors,

so this is him up front being introduced.

i got VIP seating (what what?) and got to be escorted out before the

rest of the crowd to finally see my man!

he was waiting in the hallway with the biggest grin on his face.

after meeting all the captain big wigs

we then got to spend only an hour together outside before i had to go

check out of my hotel and he was rushed off to the airport.

he was such a perfect sailor.

hot and yummy and respectful.

he wouldn't even let me touch his butt in his uniform!!!

flying and driving and eating gross food for 24 hours straight

was worth hugging him for 1 hour.

every 60 minutes of it!

monkeys and skinny jeans

2009-07-23T22:32:00.002-05:00

just a few pics from my phone at the park yesterday.

off i go

2009-07-22T20:38:00.008-05:00

tomorrow i am packing a small suitcase and a

backpack with my laptop.

i will also be packing:

a polka dot dress

red shoes

and

red lipstick.

i am off to see MY MAN graduate from navy boot camp.

i'm leaving on a jet plane,

and will be back within 24 hours.

i'm so excited to see him for the first time in 9 weeks.

and to hug that man,

and kiss him,

and squeeze his toosh.

all in the 30 minutes i get to spend with

him around hundreds of

other girlfriends, wives, and proud parents.

but i shant complain,

for i DO get to see him.

i cannot wait!

i HAVE to write this down

2009-07-19T18:50:00.004-05:00

the boy with "tony the turtle"

so we are playing out in the backyard with all of the

boy's cousins. i notice he has poop in his diaper

(because he refuses to potty train.)

i tell him we need to go inside to change his poops and

he puts up a fight.

after a while of going back and forth i finally throw

my hands up and say..

"fine. do you really want to sit in your own poop? go ahead?!"

the boy nods his head.

i go back to the bench where i was sitting and talk to carlos.

a few minutes later...

"mom! watch me, watch me!"

as he stands at the top of the slide.

he then turns around and slides down the

slide on his stomach, feet first.

he stands up and screams,

"look mommy, i'm not sitting in my own poop because i slide down on my tummy!

wow.

pretty smart kid.

the boy with our first carrot of the summer.

never say never

2009-07-16T14:10:00.010-05:00

i've had my life planned out for a while now.

i always said that i would NEVER:

get married before the age of 24.

HA!

MARRIED AT AGE 20.

have kids before being married for a couple years

and having my degree.

HA!

THE BOY BORN 16 MONTHS LATER.

THE GIRL BORN 21 MONTHS AFTER THAT.

marry a man in the military.

HA!

DAVID JOINS THE NAVY 3 MONTHS AGO.

move my family around A LOT.

HA!

WE'VE LIVED IN 4 DIFFERENT PLACES IN 4 YEARS...

AND IT'S ABOUT TO BE 5!

contrary to my original plan to stay here for the next year

and a half to finish nursing school, i have decided to join

david in monterey!

i have debated and pondered this for quite some time now and it was a hard decision to make; but now that it is made, i feel silly for doubting it at all. school is so important to me and i know that i WILL be a nurse eventually. but what could be more important than keeping my family together? school doesn't trump that.

nothing does. we've missed david so much while he's been in boot camp. my kids need their daddy, and i need him too.

so, yeah. my life hasn't exactly gone as planned so far, but looking back, these are my proudest decisions. these are when i was listening to my heart the most. i wouldn't change any of them, and i'm sure i won't regret finishing nursing school later to keep this little family together. besides, CALIFORNIA? how could i not?

i'm going to miss this place though:

addicted

2009-07-13T22:16:00.003-05:00

this:

has turned into this:

and badly needs to be finished.

this:

still needs this:

(binding)

but all i want to do is make:

THIS

and then she was gone

2009-07-09T19:18:00.003-05:00

back to texas she goes.

to do another rotation for PT school.

we miss you already noelie.

love, shay,

mom,

kavi boy,

and paisy girl

(your angel of love)

she's all yours jen.

#3

2009-07-08T21:32:00.004-05:00

this is noel sleeping.

this is noel with her new quilt.

this is noel's sister explaining how she made

the quilt for noel.

this is noel with her new quilt and her sister.

this is noel sleeping happily ever after on her new quilt.

the end

p.s. these are two sisters who love each other very much.

how it all went down

2009-07-07T20:28:00.004-05:00

our fourth of july started with the annual

lake winnebago 5k fun run at 7 am.

noel was a trooper and ran with me. annette had my

kids out on the driveway near

the finish line which was super gratifying.

then we watched the ski show with overcast weather.

cole robert was the first act and dressed

up as his uncle mark (navy SEAL).

he knee boarded by and waved at the audience

the whole time. so cute!

paisley enjoyed clapping away while the boy wouldn't leave uncle dick alone!

then there was food.

brandon rocked it on the bbq with his

famous lemon-pepper chicken.

isn't he a charmer?

dad bird watched.

the boys were mischievous.

then there was the boat ride.

check out my hot momma, aunt, and sister.

i missed the fireworks because paisley has an ear infection, but the rest of the family watched from the boat. this neighborhood is perfect for this holiday!

the next sunday:

so happy to be with family during this blessed holiday.

i enjoyed watching cousin kara in loveland

daydreaming about her man,

and aunt noelie playing with my kiddos.

hope your 4th was just as magical!

my little miss P

2009-07-04T21:46:00.006-05:00

cousin kara shot these picture of

miss P yesterday.

she is just killing me with her cuteness lately.

along with that cuteness has come even more sass.

and boy do i mean sass!

she's such a lover, but oh the drama is

already starting!

she is very serious with strangers at first,

but loves her older brother and cousins.

what kills me the most about this little miss is

that freckle right on her luscious edible cheek.

thanks karebear for loving on my

paisy-bear with your camera!

orange

2009-06-30T21:13:00.002-05:00

this boy is getting old...

old enough to have a favorite color,

old enough to wear big boy undies,

old enough to crack his momma up with his whit,

old enough to bully his sister all day long,

and old enough to temporarily take the place of his daddy as the man of the house.

taking chance

2009-06-28T00:25:00.005-05:00

patriotism is running through my veins.

i once swore that i would always hate politics.

as i grow older and wiser, i realize that i must make room (a tiny corner) for them in my brain.

this world means so much to me.

this country means so much to me.

my family means so much to me.

my faith means so much to me.

my life means so much.

these things are all intertwined and i'm slowly figuring out how to process their relations.

meanwhile, i watched this movie that my brother recommended to me:

taking chance

it all means even more to me now.

put the politics on the shelf (because there is a place for them later, which i won't talk about)

and watch this movie.

and cry.

because their is nothing greater than life, no greater gift than freedom, and no greater sacrifice than dying for it.

in honor of Independence Day approaching, watch this movie and remember those who are gone. their families are forever hurt, but forever honored to have known them. each one died for our world, our country, our families, our faiths, for our lives.

and for our freedom.

and i am eternally grateful.

drumroll please...

2009-06-23T20:57:00.003-05:00

and the language that the mr. sailor man

(my husband)

will dive into and learn for a year and a half is...

arabic

all i have to say is...

wow

don't read unless you'll comment...fo real

2009-06-22T00:34:00.004-05:00

other possibles i thought of titling this post:

YOU better comment

i need help

this mirror is the same color as my birth control pill

i'm losing my mind

i know who you are

comment or die

can you tell i'm bored?

this is not a father's day post

dilemma of my life

mirror problems

EXHIBIT A

a $2 mirror from goodwill that i re-painted

now for my dilemma, and your opinion:

my wall of mirrors is soon upon completion...i think,

but i can't decide which way to hang this one.

do i

A hang it vertically to the right,

B hang it horizontally on the bottom

????????

this is me past midnight convincing myself that

this is the world's toughest decision.

i dreadfully need your help.

i don't care who you are,

you better comment with a vote!

please?

oh, and if you feel extra giving, you can vote

on my potential titles as well:)

like a ton of bricks

2009-06-20T22:27:00.002-05:00

i've been waiting for this.

it has just hit me and it's hitting me hard...

my husband is gone, and i will be sleeping without him next to me for a very long time.

i hurt.

my boy- the aborigine

2009-06-17T19:44:00.009-05:00

one of the many eventful days around the cruz house

while we were in texas:

kavi loves to be nakey and one day asked aunt noelie to tie this string around his waist.

the poor boys' ribs stick out and

he even squats like a little native.

other quirks of his during our texas trip:

falling in love with his swimming life jacket

and insisting to wear it everywhere,

including cora's school program

and

not taking off mason's bike helmet all day.

29

2009-06-11T21:23:00.002-05:00

happy birthday markie marshmallow.

i miss you.

for baby max

2009-06-09T18:01:00.009-05:00

my second quilt was lovingly made for my good

friend beth's little guy.

i'm in love with it.

and equally in love with her little family.

i love the puckering after it is washed.

this was the first time i attempted the binding.

poor beth; it is so ghetto-ly done...

but i'll get better at it.

look at this little charmer.

only 2 days old and already workin' it.

talk about cuteness; max's older sister,

maelynn is off the charts!

congrats bradfords!

girl power

2009-06-08T21:19:00.006-05:00

the triathlon was a blast.

i loved being a part of something so big,

i loved being with so many women,

but most of all i loved being with my sister.

we did it!

and noel kicked my butt!

the day went as follows:

just rolled out of bed, half hour before,

carbs and protein sun screening up

the swim was divided into separate waves and we were towards the end.

we waited in line forever and saw literally all shapes and ages of women-i loved it.

the water was warm and it was a fun swim.

luckily, we got to start at the front of our wave. the swim was 1/2 mile and

this was my easiest event. the only hard part was getting disoriented as i caught up

to the wave ahead of us and the water was pretty packed.

next up was the biking.

kicked. my. butt.

there were so many hills and i had not trained nearly enough on a real bike;

not to mention we had mountain bikes instead of road bikes,

which apparently makes things a lot more difficult.

12 miles.

i told noel to go ahead of me around mile 2 of the bike because i just couldn't keep up.

she rocked it, then she ran the whole 3 miles.

i walked half.

here she is:

a whole 20 minutes before me.

just how darling is my sister?

i know.

and after i crossed the finish line, i scarfed down a bagel, watermelon, and oranges.

food has never tasted so good.

the overall feeling of the day was so powerful.

women were cheering each other on left and right, and we all finished.

it was an accomplishment.

my favorite part of the race was during the run. at one point, i was all alone. i was running through a field with sunflowers on my left and the blue, blue sky beaming. it was gorgeous and a huge gust of wind blew by me. it was bliss. i felt so alive running strong with this healthy body that my heavenly father gave me.

no matter what my weight is, or how much i complain, i am healthy. my body is strong and it is able to give life. what is a better blessing?

thanks noelie for doing this with me.

and thanks jen for cheering us along.

LOVE those sisters of mine!

2009-06-06T22:55:00.001-05:00

Trialthon eve

Almost 11pm
Need to wake up at 5am
Starting to freak out
Say prayer
What did I get myself into?
Wait..

I CAN do this.

Now if I could just fall asleep.

yesterday

2009-06-02T22:29:00.003-05:00

4 years ago, i married this man.

i married him knowing we were young and

i saw the potential of our future.

i worried at times if we would ever reach

the milestones i foresaw;

but slowly and surely, we are right on target.

he is growing into the man he is meant to be,

and i feel so lucky to get to watch him do it.

hopefully i am reciprocating this act as a(his) woman.

but no matter how fast or slow we grow, we grow together and

our marriage is strong.

strong together.

strong under Christ.

happy anniversary my love.

i hope you get a chance to think about us,

among your sweaty, stinky, days of

shooting guns and such.

a popsicle and a mullet

2009-06-01T22:58:00.004-05:00

DC trip-prepare for picture overload

2009-05-31T22:41:00.014-05:00

DAY 1

washington dc temple.

for mark.

my birthday.

DAY 2

sightseeing.

eating.

laughing.

DAY 3

more sightseeing.

highlight: top of the washington monument.

more family.

learn that washington DC is not in the state of virginia, but in it's own district- of columbia?!!!!

realize the public school system has failed me.

feel stupid in front of my brothers.

DAY 4

arlington national cemetery.

early in the morning before the crowd.

see mark's headstone.

cry a little.

still laugh.

day 5

visit "the boys".

memorial service for fallen NAVY SEALS.

learn more about these amazing men.

hear more stories of mark.

be amazed.

fly home a better person.

letters to boot camp

2009-05-28T21:08:00.002-05:00

my love,

i miss you.

the boy misses you.

the girl misses you.

i am on your laptop on the couch in your family's house.

the boy is watching madagascar II and the girl is sleeping soundly upstairs. all is well; even with the longing of

you to be here.

the boy asked me a while ago if we could call you. i explained that we couldn't. he then nonchalantly asked to call aunt jennifer instead?!?

do you remember my 4 goals for the summer for the kiddos?

well we checked one off today and you would be so proud.

kavi can swim!!!!!!

well, with a life jacket. he started out not wanting to get in the pool. then, it was just on the steps. then, i held him with two hands, down to only one. as soon as i eventually let go and he made it to the edge by himself, there was no stopping that boy. he swam back and forth for the next 30 min, stopping to clap and yell "i did it" at each wall.

i got a little teary-eyed thinking how proud you'd be. i love sharing that pride with you: seeing our beautiful children accomplish something. i wish you were there.

speaking of pride; we are all so proud of you. keep up the tough guy stuff, but save some tenderness for me please.

i love you.

love,

your wifey

2009-05-23T21:42:00.001-05:00

Birthday wish #4- hear the words "happy birthday" from my boy over the phone.

CHECK.

2009-05-23T21:24:00.001-05:00

Birthday wish #3- go to the temple with my family.

CHECK.

2009-05-23T20:29:00.001-05:00

Birthday wish #2- eat good food.
Breakfast-oatmeal
Lunch- pad Thai with sweet mango rice
Dinner- Mediterranean (to die for) pizza

CHECK

2009-05-23T20:22:00.000-05:00

Birthday wish #1- watch my family laugh.

CHECK.

Picture to soon follow