Good Luck Morgan!

We met up at the Olive Garden yesterday with the Stacy's for dinner to help send Morgan off to the MTC. I guess her mission will include our stake, so if she is ever in dire need of chocolate or a home cooked meal......we'll have chocolate,lol.

The kids were a bit overwhelmed by the menu, since they didn't have what my kids have come to know as typical pseudo Italian fare-- no Spaghetti-o's and giant loaves of garlic french bread. Eventually Parker found ravioli, and Zane found fried mozzarella. Matt ordered the endless pasta bowl, but after eating 5 salads and 3 bread sticks, he couldn't even finish one bowl of pasta.

Romy has her surgery tomorrow, so I'm keeping her home today to just have some one on one time with Mom and to go buy her a new stuffed animal to take back with her tomorrow. We won't get a time until 2pm today. It's a minor surgery, but please keep our little nut in your thoughts and prayers tomorrow.

still digi scrapping

All elements by peppermint creative (Sheesh, you're a tough crowd....)

I joined a new digi scrap group and to join you have to submit an "about me" layout, which will probably work well for Kayla's challenge starting next week. (BTW, Kayla-- I'm promoting your group in every digi forum I frequent.) You've all seen my wanna-be Elsie- style pic too many times to care, but now that I have scrapped it, perhaps I will retire it, but I still love my beanie hat to death.

Emma!!

It must have been something we ate....last night there were 6 of us who were feeling rotten. We had a few pukers, a few more with other tummy troubles and all 6 people had bad headaches. Romy was the sickest and fell asleep in bed with Mom and Dad. Poor kiddo. She seems to be feeling better today, but we all slept in and recovered from whatever evil thing we ate at Dairy Queen yesterday that made us all have the "yucks."

I mentioned that recently I taught Emma how to crochet and she really took to it, she has been working on finishing a scarf and this morning , Romy came down wearing a hat Emma made for her. So cute! Emma pretty much self taught herself how to do the "ears" on this one, we're so proud of her and Romy is as pleased as punch.

One more

I'm not feeling well, so I'm in bed watching House and digi scrapping. I have no idea where half the elements came from and I'm too lazy to look them up right now, and I don't think the 7 readers of my blog actually care.

Brothers

Another digital layout. Star buttons by Rhonna Ferrer, all other elements by http://www.peppermintcreative.com/.

Digital

My good friend from High School, Kayla Lamoreaux, has started a new website that features tutorials and tips on digital scrapbooking and photo manipulation. She's been working her rear off and I'm really proud of her. It's motivating me to try and do some digi designs again and to work on my skills in that area. It sure is a lot less messy than traditional scrapping.

Her site is located at: http://www.digiscrap101.com/

I've posted a few layouts here before that are digital, and over the next month I'll be participating in a challenge on her site to do a small mini layout based on taking one photo a day from my life. 31 all digi layouts should be an interesting challenge for me. I tend to only digi scrap when either the craft room is a super huge mess, or Matt is asleep and I am feeling crafty in the middle of the night.

Today I pulled together this digi layout. The elements were designed by Carrie Stephens at http://www.fishscraps.com/ .

Reflections 2009

We finished the entries for Reflections for Grey and Romy today. They both worked super hard but they did them and they did almost all of the work themselves.

The theme was "wow" so Grey did a mosaic of his face and included little squares that say things like "I am funny" "I am kind" those kinds of things.

Romy created a "photo quilt" she took pictures of things in our home and yard of different colors and we punched holes in the pictures and she sewed them together.

This year's projects took a lot more time than the ones that they have done on other years, but we always enjoy participating in this event, it's something new to our family, they don't have anything like this in Arizona. I love the idea of a state sponsored art event for kids.

Punk Rock Girl

I saw this version of the French Manicure in a magazine last week and we copied it on Kate, she loved it even though it chipped off really quick.

Not much going on this week, I've been working on a baby blanket for my neighbor and visting teacher, Mindy. I also went and played guinea pig for a neighbor selling Mary Kay so now my skin is a mess. Bleah.

Last night we went to visit Grandpa Keith, his leg looks terrible, but we're all hoping and praying the infection passes through his system and he feels better soon.

Mmmm...pie.......

I made this for my sweetie today. I actually made 2 pies and almost brought one to a neighbor and Matt stopped me and said "I can finish 2 pies in a week, don't give it away." I kept it and was glad I did. One of the bonuses of having 2 teenage boys is that there are few leftovers, the family polished off a whole pie just at dinner tonight.

I had an 85 dollar photo order from Costco today-- eek.

Portraits

Today we had family portraits taken at Murray Park by my sister, Sunnie--- they turned out so great, here are a few of our favorites......
Thanks, Sis!!!!

Her professional website is:

www.sunniemerrillphotography.blogspot.com

Ward Block Party

Last night was the Ward Block Party, every year we go and they hold a raffle where every child gets a a toy and they have a pie eating contest that turns inot a food fight every single year.

This year, in order to control the mess and chaos, Sister Roeper made it a twinkie/cupcake eating contest. More people were able to participate and there was no big messy fight to clean up,lol. All the kids except parker participated, and so did Matt.

Romy took one bite of her twinkie and realized she hate Twinkies. I guess she has never had one before,lol. She kept trying to give them away to everyone.

The raffle was fun, Grey won a teddy bear and got upset, so I traded him tickets and later he won something else. Me having the bear worked out great when Jane won one of the big prizes, a cooler. She and I traded and everyone was happy. Romy won a finger paint set. I may have to kill myself later when she tears into that holy mess.

A little blast from the past

Recently Matt and I have been looking for old friends on facebook, and have been enjoying seeing the faces of people we haven't talked to in ages. That got me looking in my old momento box where I found this:

One of the things I always had on my wall was a large print of a young woman with long hair, my mom always said she imagined I'd look like that when I got older. How could she know how vey popular AquaNet hairspray would be when I hit my teens?

She also had two prints of little girls with big hairbows in fluffy dresses on the wall, and this was one of them.

There's really no point in posting it, but I think my siblings will recognize the picture and smile.

Cuteness and not so much

I have a cuteness family, especially in stick figure form. :)

I finished my hat for myself, pardon the goofy pose, but I take terrible self portraits.

I also finished what has turned out to be the ugliest scarf on the planet. In my head, it was so cute, kind of a Suess-ish Elsie-esque look. In the end it looked like some nightmare one would create in a nursing home. I think I need to make a matching toilet paper roll cover just to have balance in the ugly as sin crap people make universe.

Oh well, it's not like I have antlers above my bed. At least I know when something is unfit even for the goodwill.

Romy saw it this morning on my dresser and proclaimed it the most beautiful scarf she had ever seen.

Weekend whatevers

During sacrament meeting this week, Jane was using her super secret fortune telling device......We use to call it "MASH" as kids. It is an incredible device, it tells you how many kids you will have, if you will live in a mansion, an apartment, a shack, or a house, it will also tell you who youwill marry.


Apparently Jane didn't want to take any chances, so she put the same boy's name in all four slots of potential husbands. Smart thinking, kiddo.


This weekend we also cleared out all the furniture and the kids played tackle with Dad. We came to the conclusion that Zane is just getting too big for tackle. Matt can handle him in a one on one match, but add to it 5 other squealing pouncing kids and Matt gets his butt kicked.

It's my party and I'll cry if I want to....

Today we made a quick stop to Provo to bring Baby Dylan his birthday presents. We all started to sing "Happy Birthday To You" and he absolutely freaked out. Apparently we are not the Von Trapp Family singers, although we do love our lederhosen. He seemed happy with everything we got him, especially the stacking rings and the alligator piano.

I have finally mastered crocheting a simple beanie hat and it takes me about an hour to get one finished. I made Jane's on the way to the weekly pickup, it matches her scarf. Emma asked if I'd help her figure it out and so I taught her as well, but we didn't quite make the base big enough and it ended up only fitting a doll, so she is working on making it larger. I am still finding a balance between making a conehead hat and one for Stewie from Family Guy. It's a fine balance,lol. Here is Matt modeling my first hat because I thought it would be funny to see him play Rainbow Brite's freakishly tall gay uncle.

Also, this morning was the Elder's/ YM annual softball game. Matt had to go to a BBBS board meeting today, so the rest of us went to cheer on the boys. Parker didn't want to ruin his "beautiful" school shoes so he played in his socks. Yes, his socks. You can't tell in the pictures, but what you can see is Parker actually playing a sport. He even RAN during the game. We would not have believed it if we had not seen it with our own eyes.

During the 6th inning Zane got hit really hard by a misguided throw and it knocked his glasses clean off his face and popped the lens out. That brought Mom running to the field and once we had ruled out a concussion, he got to sit the rest of the game out and he has a nice goose egg to show off for the next while. The guys in this ward are all a bunch of overgrown boys and they have such a nice rapport with the small YM group we have.

Us, Day 1. (Matt's version)

I had been dating, but not seriously. Besides, I was going to be leaving town for Chicago in a few months. No need to get into an entanglement…
Online one night, surfing the web. Crisayneo72 pops up on instant messenger on LDSSingles.com. She’s funny; it’s fun to chat with her. Then I look at her other pictures in her profile, and I realize—this is the girl that Match.com tried to set me up with last week! She’s cute, but I wasn’t a paying member of Match so I couldn’t even talk to her. And now here she is flirting with me on another website. Coincidence…?’
I already had plans for Saturday (hockey game with a girl from St. George) but I wanted to see her. Next weekend was my custody time, but…
>> “You know, I’m not doing anything on Monday. Nope…nothing at all”
>> “LOL. Maybe you should ask me out then”
So it was a date then.
But Eagle Mountain?!? Wow, not a good sign. That’s a long drive. Longer than I remembered even. I drive and drive and think “man, I musta missed the freakin turn-off.” But no, there it is up ahead. I walk up to the front, through the snow, and ring the bell. A kid opens the door, she’s walking through the kitchen and says over her shoulder “Come on in, I’ll be ready in a second.” I look over to see her and
BAM.
Those eyes!
My heart flips over. “wow, she is way hotter than her picture.” I mean, WAY hot. Those eyes are amazing. I’ve never reacted that way to any date, ever.

I am totally kissing this girl.

We drive back to civilization (well, Lehi) and just chatter the whole way. It’s like talking to myself, only without the strait jacket.
We go to Chili’s. Yeah high end, I know. Stop bustin’ my chops. Chris ordered a cheeseburger, ketchup only.
“I have a ketchup problem.”
Ummmm… “all right.”
She puts extra ketchup on the burger, and a pool of ketchup on the plate, into which she dips the ketchupy burger.
But then again, I’m on my sixth Diet Coke and they just brought the food.
We should get along just fine.
All through dinner we talk. It just flows and flows, natural and easy. As we’re leaving the restaurant, she says “I’m cold.”
Now, I don’t know what came over me. I’m not sure what I was thinking. Maybe it was the eyes, or the 10th Diet Coke. But I hear myself say:
“I know how to warm you up…”
And I grabbed her coat and kissed her. At that moment I was hooked, and I haven’t been the same since.

Body Worlds

http://theleonardo.org/bodyworlds/the-exhibit/

Bwahahahahaa, we are so there. Just got tickets for all 9 of us to go. We wanted to see this in Chicago and now it is here in Salt Lake.
WooHoo!

Wired X 3

I know I have been blogging a lot these days, but it beats folding the 10 loads of clean laundry I have calling my name upstairs.

I finished another scarf, Emma's and am almost done with Kate's. Matt is cracking up at how addicted I am to making them. While at the orthodontist today the receptionist asked if she payed me, if I would make her a scarf like Katie's. I said "sure." Then the other receptionists jumped and wanted scarves too. I know they are simple and basic, but they are fast and cheap (sounds like someone we know) and I am considering taking up a friend's suggestion that I open an Etsy shop. We'll see.

So, yeah, Zane got braces today. His whole face looks different to me. When he got his permanent teeth, his smile stayed the same, but now it is a real change. He's not feeling great, but I have enough popsicles and ice cream stocked up to accommodate the kid.

That's three in braces now. Emma gets her's off soon, but not before family pictures.

With 3 in braces, one in a retainer, and the other 3 also under his care with braces on the horizon, we think our orthodontist needs to name his next boat "The Olson."

Imagine....

Last night we held Family Home Evening in Orem at the Red Cross fundraiser along with my mom, my grandma, and Brian and Paige. A Beatles's tribute band, Imagine, performed. It was great. Grey hated how loud it was and Parker hated every part of it, but it was a lot of fun. The funniest part was seeing my mom and my grandma, screaming like teenagers and re-living another time. It was hilarious. At the end, they sang "Hey Jude" and everyone held up their cell phones and sang along. Romy woke up this morning singing "Yellow Submarine." It was a blast. I didn't think it would be so much fun, but I had such a great time. And seeing my wonderful ,sweet MeeMaw just singing her heart out and screaming at the band, I will never forget that. That will be burned in my heart and in my mind to cherish forever.

I have also finished 2 more scarves. Zim's craft store is going out of business and I bought up a ton of the pricey softer yarn at half off, so until my fingers fall off or I realize how very dweebish I have become..I shall continue scarfin'.

Also...Sweetie....

Special not so secret message to my Schmoop...I had a great day with you today, I love you so much.

I remember once I was having a bad day and you cheered me up by dancing with me in the kitchen and singing me this song. As we listened to the Beatles this weekend working on the house, it came on again and I thought of you and how you know just how to make me feel so happy. I know sometimes it's rough and we both say and do stupid things, that we came into this with some crappy pain in the butt baggage, but no matter what, as I look at my life, you are the best thing that ever happened to me. You are the source of everything that matters in my life, you are the best of it.

There are places I remember

All my life though some have changed

Some forever not for better

Some have gone and some remain

All these places had their moments

With lovers and friends I still can recall

Some are dead and some are living

In my life

I've loved them all

But of all these friends and lovers

There is no one compares with you

And these memories lose their meaning

When I think of love as something new

Though I know I'll never lose affection

For people and things that went before

I know I'll often stop and think about them

In my life I love you more

Though I know I'll never lose affection

For people and things that went before

I know I'll often stop and think about them

In my life I love you more

In my life

I love you more

It sucks that we didn't meet 15 years ago before we let rotten people lie to us and treat us like dirt, but I would rather have you for the last half of my life, than the first half.

I'm a better person now, stronger, calmer, less concerned about stupid things. I know what matters and what matters most is this family. One day, the kids will all grow up and have lives of their own. I am excited and so comforted in knowing the rest of my life, has you in it. Every hardship and stinky season was worth it, if it brought us to one another.

You're worth it, Babe. You are my everything and I love the crap out of you, Galoob.

A rare thing....

A kid free day. We haven't had too many of those since we got married.

Today we were so sore from all of the work on the house yesterday. I'm still surprised at just how much got accomplished and what a drastic change it made on the facade of our home. We were so sore and tired, we overslept and missed church. Since we were Sabbath breakers anyway, and we had the kids all gone today- we decided to visit the Olson parents and stop by Lagoon and enjoy riding rides together. Normally we each have to sit by a child who has decided a ride just isn't worth riding if they cannot at least pretend to be afraid, when we all know they aren't.....

We rode Wicked 3 times in a row, and then hit all of our favorites, and called it a day after an hour and a half and headed out to visit the parents. By the time we reached them. Matt hit a wall and was super tired, so unfortunately everyone was subjected to my endless chatter as i crocheted yet another wacky scarf.

Afterwards we got a bite to eat and Matt felt well enough to take the long way home and we drove through Daybreak to look at the houses and to see the progress of the new temple being built. I didn't realize the put the Moroni on it so soon.

Nice camera shadow on Matt's face, eh? Eh--- he's a hottie. Seriously, he is so gorgeous.

Anyway- it was really nice to have a quiet grown up day with my wonderful handsome husband, even though we are really tired and sore, we really are happy and enjoy each other. Everything in my life, no matter how hard, seems possible with Matt as my best friend. He's a good man. Thanks, Mom and Dad Olson.

Tomorrow is Roe's appointment to see when she will be getting her surgery scheduled...eeek.

Help! I can't move my arms!

Last night Brian and Paige came over and helped with the roof, I wasn't feeling well, so I'm afraid I rambled on in a Nyquil induced trance while she was trying to do other things, but I appreciate her tolerating my verbal diarrheah.

Today Ted and Mom came over to help, and since my ex is in town spending time with all of the kids, I decided to tackle the painting. My mom pays attention to details and doesn't get annoyed doing the little things I get impatient with and do a half-butt job on, so when we are both in the mood to work hard, we get a lot done. ( I am typically the one who does not want to work hard-- what can I say? I'm a yellow.)

Here's a picture of my Mom and the men working.

At one point I went up to paint the dormers and started to climb the scaffolding, and with each step got more and more terrified and scared until I was full on bawling. I knew I was a little afraid of heights, but I didn't realize I was THAT afraid. I stayed freaked out for awhile, it really weirded me out.

The hardest part of the roof is finally DONE, now all Matt has to do is the flat part on top with way less cuts and crap to mess with. he also has the little awning above the front door to do, but all of this is the easy stuff and we were able to return that evil scaffolding.

I still have 2 dormers in front to paint and all of the trim to paint white but I am SO SO SO SO happy with the way the roof looks and the paint I can't believe this is the same house. People have been slowing their cars down as they drive by all day and a few people have stopped by to tell us how great it looks. I am usually happy with home improvements we do, but this one-- huge--- I LOVE it. I absolutely LOVE the facade of my house now. When we get the bushes to fill in the planter area, the gutters fixed or replaces and the rest of the paint done, I will feel like I have the prettiest house on the block.

I'm so happy with it.

Thanks Mom and Ted and Brian and Paige and our neighbors, Brandt & Eldon, and Aaron for the help you have been. It was more work than we thought but the worst of it is over.

Scarfin'

I made another scarf. I love how I can finish one in a few hours. Every female child I know is going to end up with one for these.

Here's my Jane in her new pink camouflage scarf that she loved.

Blog addict again

Once a month I attend "stamp club" with some women from the ward, we make a project and gossip. Tonight's project was to make these little framed signs, they were supposed to read "family", but I opted for the less generic route. I love being Mrs. Olson, being Matt's wife. It's the thing I am most proud of and I love to show off the most.

I am also working on my swap contribution, we are to make 8X8 layouts that have some glitz and glitter in them. This did not turn out as cute as I imagined it in my head, I think the black is the problem, but white does not look right and the colors are bold enough and will not pop the same as background color. I need some contrast against the color, so the black will probably stay. All the paper is glittery and the plastic shiny word is a new product from Colorbok, from their "the sweet life" line the buttons are from Sassafrass Lass. The colors are crap in this photo-- the frame is actually a light teal. Anyway- if any of my scrapping friends are up late and have suggestions......I was going for a little bit of an Elsie flair, but we all know I'm no Elsie--- I picked a WAY hotter guy after my divorce,lol.

A Casualty of the Olympics

I really love my funny quirky Greyson.

Apparently her recently lost his glasses and didn't tell me. This is how I found out. First day of school hits and I am standing in the hallway as he walks into his new classroom. Mr N says hello to him and asks "Have I met you in person before?" and Grey takes a deep breath and says in his big guy voice "I think so, but you probably don't recognize me because I don't have my glasses on. I lost my glasses during the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympics."

I just started to laugh. That day after school we swung by Dr. Gellar's office and ordered some new glasses and they came in today. He's a weird kid, but he cracks me up to no end.

Also- for the second time in two days my sister Lindsey has pulled a China. She lives 5 minutes away from me? What the heck?

Yesterday I went in for my bi annual tooth rape from Wiz's office. The do a great job cleaning, but sheesh, it leaves my gums so sore. I got home and took some pain medicine and since the cable is out until today I surfed the net for a rediculously long time, looking up old friends and some aquaintences. Found some people I haven't talked to in awhile, and reminded myself why I haven't so that I didn't send a "remember me?" email. I did that a few years ago with a gal I worked with in High School. We met up for lunch and ran out of things to talk about in about 10 minutes. Lesson learned.

I woke up today with an internet hangover. Thank heavens the Dish guy is coming back today, I am a person who needs some background noise, preferably the soothing melodic sounds of Law and Order.....

Romy and the Technicolor Scarf

Another busy day, boring to read about, but oh so interesting to participate in........The roof is 1/3 the way done. The weather cleared up around lunchtime and the guys were able to seal up the leaks we had last night and get a ton done. Meanwhile, I ran some errands, made banana bread and got all the current zucchini shredded and stored in the freezer. As I type Matt is sitting in a bath full of Epsom Salts trying to recover from this weekend that left him frozen and sunburned.

I also have been pushing myself to learn some different stitches in crochet, since all I have ever been able to do were Granny squares. We have a crochet group that meets in the ward every week and they make socks and hats for the preemies at the hospital, but sadly, they had no use for potholders, as I had perfected. I asked the lady who hosts it of she would teach me and the girls some of the basic stitches and told her I can only do granny squares. She looked at me and said "Granny squares are a million times harder than what we do-- if you can do granny squares, you can do anything we do...." that pushed me to try and experiment on my own to learn some of the stitches between the simple chain and my baby quilts that take forever. I sat Em and Kate down and taught them to chain and Kate got frustrated because she couldn't hold the yarn right- within an hour Emma had figured out how to crochet a panel. If Emma can self teach in an hour, I could learn, too.

And I did.

And it was easy.

And I will never give away a granny square gift quilt again.

I made this for Romy in about 2 hours.

Anyone else need a scarf? That's what I'm going to be making for the next few weeks. If you all get scarves for Xmas, you were warned.