An Update

Over the Thanksgiving break we found a really nice hike in the Angeles National Forest.

The worst part of the hike was the fact that the first (and last) half a mile was a very steep hill. Starting was alright because it was down hill, but having to do that right at the end was brutal. I was carrying Kaitlyn in the pack because Cameron had her the whole hike in. Breanne decided that her legs were too tired to go on so Cam ended up carrying Bre on his back! By the time we got back to the car we both were pretty exhausted but it was a lot of fun.

This was our first year doing Thanksgiving ourselves. I was a bit overwhelmed at first, thinking of all the things that needed to be made but it went off without a hitch.

The day after Thanksgiving we pulled out our Christmas tree and what few decorations we have.

I thought Cam's idea to hang the stocking like that was pretty ingenious.
So, now we are looking forward to our trip home for Christmas. The girls and I will be leaving on the 17th and not returning until the 31st. Cameron only has the 22nd-28th off so he will only be with us for part of our trip. I'm excited to pull out the winter hats and winter jackets and to really feel some cold weather for just a couple weeks and then back to the wonderful Southern Cali winter weather.
For presents this year, we are crafting all of them. This is more of a warning to my immediate family then anything else.

Park Time Photo Shoot

Breanne's crazy laugh

Kaity's crazy laugh. They pretty much look the same :) Both with food in their mouth

I don't think this will be the last time I get this look from her

More Creations

This one has pockets. Tricky, huh? Okay, not really, but I was proud of it!

Pencil skirt made from a pair of dress pants. I REALLY like this.

And...TADA! My first button holes. Trust me. I felt pretty cool after I figured out how to make my machine do these. i think from now on EVERYTHING I make will have button holes.

And the reason I tried these new fangled things...

A lengthened pair of sweats for Bre.

I have so many more things that I want to make it's ridiculous. I have plans to make the girls reversible jackets possibly for Christmas and, yes, I plan on trying to make something for Kaity. She's just so hard to measure and try stuff on because she's so wiggly!
Yay! Makes me so happy to see that I don't REALLY suck after all (just moderately. Don't look real close at seams and such. I'm still learning!

Non trick or treating

So, for Halloween this year we didn't go trick or treating. There, I admitted it. I figured that the girls are still pretty young and still don't quite get the whole idea, we had taken them to our wards trunk or treat so Bre had already gotten enough candy in my opinion and on top of that I really didn't want to take them out in our neighborhood. Anyways, I did dress them up. We ended up having mummy dogs and french fries and pumpkin cheesecake for dessert. Um, yeah, yummy! While we were eating all that I found some old Casper the friendly ghost cartoons to watch. Breanne really enjoyed those. It was fun and next year lets just hope we live in a more kid friendly neighborhood because I don't think I'm going to get away with not taking them 2 years in a row. I've seen lots of pictures from everyone else and it looks like everyone had a great "holiday". Yay!

Pumpkin Carving

We finally got some pumpkins and carved them last night. Now, for those of you who remember pumpkin carving last year know that Breanne was absolutely terrified of getting her hands gooey. Well, that's the way it started out this year as well. I guess old habits are hard to break. Kaity on the other hand seemed pretty okay with sticking her spoon in there. That is until mean ol' daddy came along and MADE her stick her hand in there and grab all the gooeyness that is pumpkin guts. "uhhh...what am I doing?"

"What is this stuff?"
"I don't want to do that again, dad"

"I said I didn't want to do that again!!"

She doesn't usually cry if she's scared or unsure about something so at first she had a very scared look on her face and after sticking her hand in there a couple of times she had had enough. Breanne finally started doing it herself. Yeah Breanne!

Kaity had more fun sucking on the pieces of pumpkin we were carving out.

Creations

This is a purse I made for Bre yesterday because she liked the one I made for myself so much.

This is a dress that I made TODAY! I found the "idea" from the idea room. They have a link on the right hand side of my page. This dress was made from Cameron's old dress shirt. Yes, a dress shirt. I have to say that I am completely and utterly in love with it! Breanne looks less then thrilled, but trust me she loved it.

I sewed a little bit of lace in the front to bring the neckline up a bit.

This is the back of the dress, but it was the front of Cam's shirt

This dress didn't cost anything to make because everything I used I already had in the house. The lace was part of a pillowcase that we had got for a wedding present that I knew I would never use. So I put all the pieces to good use. The lace here and the actual pillowcase for Bre's Halloween costume.
It was REALLY easy and if I think it was easy then ANYONE can do it. Look up the tutorial at:
www.theidearoom.blogspot.com

the girls at the park in So Cal.

This is my new purse that I made with my sewing machine. I plan on making others. Once I figured things out it was fun.

What is the Meaning of Life?

Isn't that the most cliche question? So many people have asked this and how many really know the answer? People say, "if you were to meet (fill in with some famous thinker/God) what would you ask him/her?" This is on lots of people's lists.
I had an epiphany tonight as I was talking to Cameron in bed (he was sleeping, of course). I know this answer. Now, I've known this answer for a while, it's not like I just figured it out. But that's the crazy thing. I have this answer, that so many thinkers have contemplated. Simplified it's this: Learn all you can, be the best you can so that when the day comes that you are called home you can return to your Father in Heaven. This is what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is! The Gospel is the answer to the age old question. Maybe it's amazing to me that I know the answer because I didn't always have it. I joined the church as a teenager and many times I wondered why the heck I was here. What was the point to all of it? Everything was made clear.
I couldn't get someone else's opinion on the matter because, like I said before, Cam is now asleep. So maybe it's just me and my crazy tired brain. I know that people get comfortable with the way things are and what they like, but if they would learn more about WHY we do what we do (we being the LDS church) they would see that the things that we are asked to refrain from make our lives easier. I compare my life with the way it could have been or with other people and I don't have the same struggles they do. I choose to do things a little bit different but the outcome is tremendous. All these things go back to that question. It's all about what we do, how we choose to do it, the words we say or don't say. I'm not perfect be any means and I know that I will never be, but I can keep trying. If we would view families the way the Lord would have us we would know that families are eternal. "Til death do us part" has no say here. Why would a loving, caring Heavenly Father part us from those we love so much through death to never be with them again? He wouldn't and he doesn't. The meaning of life is family. With out eachother we would have no hope to get through this life OR to return to God. If EVERYONE knew this and lived it the family wouldn't be falling apart like it is. There are so many in this world who are confused about right and wrong and what is true and what is a lie. The church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the answer to "what is the meaning of life" and to what is right and what is true.
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light"-Matthew 11:29-30

"What kind of existence can we hope for? Those who come unto Christ, repent of their sins, and live in faith will reside forever in peace. Think of the worth of this eternal gift. Surrounded by those we love, we will know the meaning of ultimate joy as we progress in knowledge and in happiness. No matter how bleak the chapter of our lives may look today, because of the life and sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we may hope and be assured that the ending of the book of our lives will exceed our grandest expectations. 'Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him' (1 Corinthians 2:9)."-Elder Deiter F. Uchdorf Quorom of the Twelve Apostles

The meaning of this life is to happy and to experiece that "ultimate joy" that Elder Uchdorf spoke of, with those we love.

Happy 1st Birthday, Kaitlyn Sophia!

September 18th, 2008

October 2008

November 2008

Holidays 2008

February 2009

March 2009

April 2009

May 2009

June 2009

July 2009

August 2009

September 2009

Happy Birthday, Beautiful girl!
She is walking and getting into everything. Just what a One year old should be doing!