I am a SAD blogger

Ok I haven't written forever but I still think about blogging. I have been so busy already this summer. We took a two week vacation. I felt I learned so much. So I thought I would share a few things.
#1-Went to Martin's Cove to do a pioneer trek with my family. I learnt I can walk over 7 miles and not die. But most of all I found out that pioneer life really sucked more than I ever understood. Wyoming is constantly windy and drives you crazy! I was there in summer not freaky freezing winter. I think I would have killed myself! Snaps up to all those Mormon Pioneers!
#2-South Dakota is not that far from Utah and it is so beautiful!
#3-There is a Mammoth Site in Hot Springs South Dakota. Mammoths all fell into a hole millions of years ago and now they are digging out their bones. It was so cool. GO there!
#4- Hot Springs also has a fancy hot springs pool that cost $11 a person. If you walk around town you can find a beautiful path along the creek.In certain places you can go into the same hot springs for free. Yes it is shallow but it is much prettier with trees and sky than the $11 swim indoors!
#5 Custer State Park is a hidden gem!
#6 Mt. Rushmore is an amazing feat. You see pictures and are amazed but real life is gobsmakking! And the drives through the black hills are so wild! We went through a tunnel and as we started getting to the end we realized it framed Mt. Rushmore. Super Cool!
#7 Ok...I am a loser. But as a child my bro Paul(who was with us) and I watched the movie-Close Encounters of the Third Kind. So we had to stop at Devil's Tower. I was fun and then we tortured my kids and made them watch the movie. I learned it was a pretty boring movie and the guy in it seemed a little too friendly with a women who wasn't his wife! Missed that as a kid!
#8 After that we went to Yellowstone Park. Learnt more than I wanted there. I think of Yogi Bear when I go there. Well I saw a bear but it was eating a poor little baby fawn. The Mom spent the day walking back and forth all over the meadow trying to get her baby. Where is a picnic basket when Yogi needs one??
Then the other problem was I watch the movie 2012 recently. Big Mistake! AND then I found out the whole flippin' giant park is actually in a giant volcano from long ago! AND the park has shooting steam everywhere. It could blow at anytime!! Some parking lots had some cones in spots where a steam vent blew through unexpectedly! Crap...I was risking my life for over three days!!! But at least I didn't see the freaky guy in the trailer monitoring volcano action like the movie!
#9-Don't go trying to relive your past 20 years later! 20 years ago this Aug I went to Ricks College. I spent a year there and had a great time. I wanted to share this with my kids since we were passing by. HA! What a joke that was. Yes, I knew Rick College changed to a 4 year university and they changed the name to BYU Idaho. But we parked on campus and I couldn't even figure out where we were. They added so many buildings. So I finally found the main building. There they had the place my roommate and I ate lunch everyday. Where all the dances were. The school store, bowling alley. Ya know the fun place! ANYWAY the whole place was gutted and redone. Man that is how to make a person feel dang old!! Oh...town was unrecognizable too! The dance place we spent tons of time at was gone too! But the movie theater was still there and we went! Brought back memories of many dates...better stop there...heehee
#10-So the last thing I learnt was- I need to take longer vacations because that was too much fun and I didn't want it to end!!!(I am now blocking that BYUI was once Ricks. My school is still in Rexburg Idaho and I hope to visit it one day to show my kids. BTW-Does anyone out there have a time machine?)

Money, Money, Money...

Today as I am driving my teen home from guitar lessons. He asks me,"Why do you let Jacob spend money at the school book fair?" Jacob is my 8 year old son who is so clued out to reality. Anyway, I was gobsmacked to say the least as my son started telling me about the poster Jacob bought him...and the present he bought his "girlfriend"...and the things Jacob bought for himself. So I was a little hot under the coller by the time I got home. Sorry to the school but the book fairs are a little expensive and my kids never want to buy books. They just want to buy the jacked up expensive pens, pencils and erasers. GRRRR!!!
So I get in the house and start yelling. (What happened to the lesson I gave on Sunday about being a Peacemaker at home) I swear it was a test and yes I failed. Well turns out my lovely sharing son decided buy himself two pens that cost $4 and $5, one he left at school so who knows what it is. The other is a weird "message pen" that is suppose to connect to other pens and send messages. It seems like a watch with time (for New York)and other stuff. BUT...not sure how it works because he just through the directions in the garbage. So really it is useless except as a cheapo pen that cost $5. I told him I'd sell him a fifty cent pen for a fiver!
Jacob bought his brother a poster which I actually thought was really nice. It was the other four kids he bought for that I wasn't too happy about. My loving son spent(I think) a whoppin' $30. So with his birthday and Christmas money, he got two cheapo pens.
Shaking my head is really all I can do. What can you say? He shouldn't be taking money to school for one. I should never have let him have his money because he is a money idiot!! But it is a good lesson I guess.(still trying to convince myself.)
I am questioning the school though. I know they are fundraising but I think I would be a little concerned when an 8 year old pulls out a $20. And when a gang of kids are following him around begging for money. I would wonder if the parents would be ok with it. But NO that didn't happen. The school encourages the kids to bring in their money. Are they so short of help that in a very small area they don't notice one kid is paying for a group of kids!!
ARRGGG!! I am just irritated to say the least. I'm going to bed because I think I need this day OVER!!

Olympics Days are Gone!!

It seems so long ago that Vancouver was trying to get the Olympic to come to their city. 2010 seemed so futuristic to me. It is hard to believe that the games are over.
My heart is fill with love for my home country of Canada. Watching Vancouver brought back years and years of good memories.
I am not usually a huge watcher of the Olympics. I am not a sports fan. I do like watching the figure skating. This year I watched bits and pieces of everything. My husband is a junky!! And come on it was in Canada...and to top it off BC.
It was weird watching this year from Utah. They focus on the Americans... surprise..surprise. But the Olympics taught a lot about Canadians. I loved it. I loved that the news was teasing a bit about how Canada has never won a gold on Canadian soil. I loved that Canada made them eat their words by taking the most golds. A joy in my heart for sure!
I loved that I could follow the torch traveling through towns on facebook. Seeing pictures of friends watching it pass by. Seeing the pride of Canada in their faces.
I am a proud Canadian..even though I am living in the USA. I have always felt that Canada did not show pride in their nation. I am so happy that finally Canada was loud and proud. The streets were full of red and white. Maple leafs abound!
Thank you to all Canadians for being you. For making our city look great. Wish I could have been there. But my heart sure was! GO CANADA GO!!!
ps-loved that Canada took gold in hockey!! It was a memory of a lifetime!

Tubing my way.

I really have a love/hate relationship with snow. I just think you can do some really fun things in snow...like tubing. But I hate cold, wet weather and I hate feeling cold. So tonight I went tubing. I was so happy the weather was pretty warm. I wasn't cold at all. The other thing I hate about tubing is walking the flippin' hills. It is so tiring. So tonight I finally went to a hill with a tow rope. It was fabulous! Tubing without killing yourself walking up over and over dressed like a good tire blimp(remember I hate being cold). I wish that they had tow rope tubing when I was a kid. I would have loved it. The runs were long and fast. Now it was fun but had a little wipe out...oops. I now am a little sore and am definately feeling my age!

LDS New Beginnings Night

I am a leader of the Young Women in our ward at church. Every year we have an event called New Beginnings. On this night we introduce any girls who are turning 12 over the next year to our program. This year we focused on wonderful women of the old testiment. So I thought I would show the blogging world the invitations I made. Yes, I used my silhouette cutter. I wanted something simple and elegant to celebrate womenhood throughout time. Hope you like it. I also made posters to introduce each girl turning 12 to the other girls. They were very last minute, hurry, hurry because I've been crazy busy, but I hope you like them.
ps- I am totally failing at blogging. I just have hard time downloading pictures. And can't figure out how to turn them in the program I am transfering them from. Please ignore my total incompantance. It makes me not want to blog but I hate the computer beating me. I will prevail!!

Bulpitt Bucks

I hate housework. I hate fighting kids to get housework done. So last night I made Bulpitt bucks. I spent hours making currency $1, $3, $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100. Each person got their beautiful picture on a money amount. I'm a $50!! The kids loved it and are excited to get jobs!! It makes me happy. I actually stole the whole idea from my brother and I stole all his rules, chores and everything. Now fighting, name calling, not brushing your teeth all cost you. But good grades, helping out, brushing your teeth etc. you get money!! The kids are excited but it's a ton of organization and I am hoping I am up for it. I think I need to be charged if I don't follow through.
So right now I am trying to figure out how much to sell items for them to buy with Bulpitt bucks. My brother rips his kids off but they still work hard. My kids were already complaining about his rip off prices. I figured out he charges $25 for an fudge ice cream bar. Robbery? I don't know I guess it depends on how much they can make a day. My brother has been doing it a while and his kids make a lot of money. But mine could lose it all. For example- All the money was made and my kids wanted to have some. So they cleaned the kitchen table, stoves, counters, swept, tidied the kitchen. It was great then a little tiff broke out. My daughter hit the other daughter with the broom. I said,"that hit just cost a dollar." She got mad and hit her again. This continued for a bit and I realized that they may owe me money everyday. I may never have to pay out. And I have been stocking up on cheap stuff for them to buy in the Bulpitt store. Anybody want to buy some tiny cheapo speakers to plug into your equiptment with a headphone jack, or how about some lights that are on elastic for your fingers, or some yummy cookies. They are really cheap...just come on over and work at my house for a bit. As long as I don't have to do it...

What the long weekend is over already!

Yes, I win the total waste of space award this weekend. I did nothing really. Watched TV, read a few no mind books. And my mind is still not mush. I'm feeling like a teenager. Watched a movie for family night tonight...see keeping with the weekend theme. Anyway we watched the movie-Inkheart. I thought it was a great family movie. Not many movies are that great now days so I like to give good ones a few snaps when it's due. I just think movies need to be fun and a good escape as well as clean. By the way-Like to know if a movie is appropriate for kids...or me... go to www.kids-in-mind.com
Hoping to get a few scrap projects will get done this week...having a hard time breaking the teenage habits I picked up this weekend!!heehee

Next Blog...

I just spent a bit of time exploring the next blog button. It was very interesting today. Every blog was about young families with toddlers, babies or one in the oven. It made me feel OLD!!! And I also realized that they talk a lot about potty training..gag! Boy that made me feel happy, I am so done with that.
Anyway everyone's blog was about their kids. Which made me think about the direction of my blog. Do I want to put my kids pictures up on my blog? use their names? I am a paranoid freak? I worry some sick creapo person will steal them or something. And then will my blog just be taken over by my perfect kids..heehee!! I don't want to be bragging about them all the time. Or maybe more so telling all their craziness!! Like Heidi's bedroom that seems to explode at least once a day. Or Jacob's fondness for hitting teens to make them his friend.(gotta love the logic of a 8 year old)
So I am hoping to stay true to my wishes and make my blog into more of my loves which amazingly enough are not just my four kids. But they do take up a ton of my life so they will have to be some part of it...like it or not!

Card from my sister in law.

Life has been crazy lately. My full 8 passanger Suburban broke down the other night and while waiting for a tow truck I get a phone call. My 8 year old had thrown up all over my bed and all over the floor. Great!! So now I am trying to do volunteer hours I signed up for at the kids school and deal with a sick kid, all with no truck. My husband also just started a new semester at school and is on the run all the time. I started to feel a little crazy and frustrated. But again life tells me to grab a clue. I am so blessed. Haiti just had a major earthquake. People are wishing their child was alive to care for. That they had a home, nevermind a school to go to. That a truck is major luxury working or not. Right now they are literally dying for a drink of water. I am so saddened by their tragedy. I am grateful that help is slowing reaching them. I am grateful the my church, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is already helping to deal with the problems there.
So today I am posting a card my sister in law, Julie just made me. It made me happy!! Love good crafting!

Silhouette addict??

Ok It is now 1:23 AM...yes AM. Still Monday in my head! Anyway, I am laying on my bed trying to be quiet so I don't wake my hubby. Am I going to sleep like a normal person? No I am not. I am checking the Silhouette store to see if anyone else loaded new cutter files today. And there was new ones that weren't there earlier today! Every Monday new files are put on the site for sale. Lots are put on Monday but sometimes throughout the week and they are put up by different artist at different times. So I like a crazy women check them a few times Monday and then periodically throughout the week. I have the unlimited download option where you pay a monthly fee. So therefore I MUST download everything even if I'll never need it...because I might one day. I know I have serious issues. It is not like I am even cutting stuff out everyday so why must I have the files the as fast as they are put online. I already have over 5000 files. It is so crazy. So tonight as I was on the site a few minutes ago I realized it is time to admit I have a problem and maybe seek help. Call craftaholics?? Start a 12 step program? I wonder if they have that? I'll search online as soon as I check the Silhouette site one more time...

Sketchers:Shapes-Ups

Last night I actually went on a date with my man. He really needed some new running shoes. Well my man has very European fat feet. Finding shoes is always a challenge for him...to say the least. Well he tried on a few wide widths and they were ok. But he felt they weren't comfy enough. So on to the next shoe store. Well they pretty much had the same shoes. We were feeling a little frustrated. Then I saw the weirdest shoes I have ever seen. They are called-Shape Ups...by Sketchers. Get in shape without setting foot in a gym...they claim. The sole of the shoe is wild,kinda seesaw looking. They bump out but don't when you are standing in them. I wanted Ken/my man to try them. He walked away thinking I was crazy. I was just curious about them and I thought they were only in mens. So after a few whines he tried them. He was so surprized because they were so so comfy. And the weird sole looked ok when on. He insisted I try them. So I searched for the womens shoes and put some on. Oh my...total comfort. Next thing I know we bought Ken some and oops some for me too. They didn't have the style I wanted so mine will be delievered hopefully asap. Anyway I am excited to try them. I will keep you posted because these shoes claim to-
*Improve posture
*Strenghten the back
*Firm buttocks Muscles---need that BAD!!
*Reduce Cellulite and tone thighs.
*Firms Calf Muscles
*Improves blood circulation
*Tightens Ab Muscles.
*Reduce stress on knee and ankle joints
I know it's a shoe...sounds like a amazing workout machine. Sweet Niblets...as Hannah Montana would say. I can't believe I just wrote that! But seriously check them out...they even come with a video. www.sketcher.com. But don't look at the price...embarrassing I paid that...but mine were a bit on sale.
Seriously go to a shoe store just to check them out because they are so different.

Magnets decorated with Silhouette cutter shapes.

While watching TV the other night I quickly cut out a few Silhouette shapes in vinyl to decorate cheap Ikea magnets. I really like them and am excited to use them. My family can't keep their hands off them so I think they are a hit. I really like the alien guy...super cute. All designs are from Silhouette America.
p.s.-Anyone know how to turn pictures on here?

Friday night fun??

Yes, another friday night and I'm a at home doing nothing...loser. But actually it is by choice. It is freezing in my house and so it must be way too cold outside for me. Why must winter exist?
Anyway I did a bunch of crafty things that I want to post but I can't find my camera. Duh!! But today I finally used the new embossing powder and dryer thingy that my dear hubby bought me for Christmas. I have just never got into embossing...I like it but was too cheap to buy the stuff. I wasn't sure I'd really like it that much. So today my daughter Kaitlyn played with me and we both really liked it. We tried a few colors and had a bunch of fun. We also threw together a two secondish card. Which I will post asap...well as soon as it warms up enough to search everywhere for my disappearing camera.
As you can see I found it.
The first picture is the card I made for a girl in our church youth group. I am the 2nd Councillor in the group. So I am in charge of the 12-13 year old girls and the group is called the Beehives. The purse is for the girl too. It is full of candy!!
The last picture is the quick practice of embossing.

Day 1

Why am I blogging?
There are many reasons for this blog. Mainly...all my friends are doing it. How teenager-ish. I'm such a grown-up.
Every day I love to look at my silhouette craft cutter blogs. I love them but hate how they are all "somebodies" in the crafting world. They also all share their stuff on each others pages and I want MORE. So now I'm going to add my stuff. I am not a professional. I am just a stay at home mom who makes ok crafting stuff. But bottom line it makes me really happy. I hope you enjoy the stuff I make.
Last night I made a purse with my silhouette machine and pattern from the Silhouette company. I blinged it with some garage sale find beads and now I making a cute card and maybe a tag to go with it. I was suppose to be doing it now but started a blog instead...typical. I am hoping to post pictures later because again I am out of time. I am planning to figure out how to do that and post them tonight.