2012 August

Oh snap

August 28, 2012 Leave a Comment

I feel that there is a combination of talents in this world that are uniquely mine. Ones that help define me as a person. Three of those talents are: pulling out splinters, tying water balloons and snapping green beans.

I don’t have the best technique when it comes to snapping beans. This I know. I also know that my grandma told me for years that I was good at snapping beans when I’d spend a week at her house in the fall harvesting and preserving. I believed her. Still do. Perhaps that should also be included in my talent list.

Filed Under: {bonne buche}, {tickles and smiles}

Spotlight: Katey Belle

August 20, 2012 1 Comment

Daddy: Katey Belle, I love that you love to dance and I’m so happy you had fun at your first dance class this year. You also love to twirl.

Caleb: I love her. I love her dance class.

Daddy: What else do you love?

Caleb: I love Meri.

Joshua: What I like about Katey is that she has such a great smile and that she’s creative.

Jacob: I love that Katey is bubbly and funny.

*Katey starts blowing mouth bubbles. and laughing voraciously.* – Jacob is so right.

Katey: I must be the bubbliest one in the family.

Autumn: She has a giggly laugh. I love it.

Katey: cackley-goodness

Drewby: I love Katey because she is so funny.

Daddy: She is funny!… and sweet.

Mommy: I love when Katey sits on my lap and snuggles in. She picks great books that have lots of stories and we read and read and read. She is so focused and loving.

Mommy: Ok – last paragraph – anything anyone else wants to say?

Jacob: I’m trying to think of something unforgettable.

Katey: Daddy – it’s your turn.

Daddy: I did the first one! We love you Katey Belle – even Meri does. Meri Jane flips for Katey. (She really does – right over Daddy’s legs. She is all over the place right now. Even taking side scooches and holding on with one hand – she is way too close to walking.)

Katey is a sweet, sweet, sweetheart. She is also a riot to have around. She does funny things, has funny thoughts that come right out and keeps us all in stitches. She is protective and kind both. She can be thoughtful and silly and is a good sharer. And Autumn thinks Katey’s dance shoes are cute.

Filed Under: {*spotlights*}

Mommy and Me Journals

August 11, 2012 3 Comments

I found about this idea for capturing everyday from my good friend Mindy: Mommy and Me Journals.

{credits: here}

These are journals to ask questions and draw pictures in. We take turns. Child asks a question. Then they place it on my pillow. I answer their question and ask them one and put on their pillow. They answer my question and then ask me a new one and put it on my pillow. Back and forth – as often as wanted. So. Very. Wonderful.

Mindy’s cute journals are here. | A post about them is here – on Purdue Avenue. | More about this sweet concept here.

The journal above is Autumn’s. She’s a talker and this is just perfect for her. The little question book on the back was made with her in mind – she likes lots of ideas to pick from.

Sometimes Autumn uses the booklet for ideas – and sometimes not. You are welcome to download our questions by clicking on the image above. The directions for folding/cutting/making the sweet little books is on Elsie’s blog. My book is made based on a template by Mandi (thanks for making it easy girl!). If you’d like to make your own – head to her blog and download the evidence field book from the sidebar. The photoshop template is in there.

Inspiration is everywhere when it comes to questions. Autumn recently discovered the “English Roses” book series. This one has tons of questions that the girls answer and then blank ones to answer in the back. We used some of the ideas above. I also found some fun questions in our Cranium game: What would we talk about at the beach? How many feet could I fling a spoonful of mashed potatoes? If you were packing a picnic basket, you’d be sure to put ________ in it. I also like the idea of just asking back and forth with whatever comes.

Katey saw us having so much fun and wanted a journal of her own. She started by drawing a picture. We draw pictures back and forth and leave them on the pillows too. The first picture is of a mommy with her hands over her head. I was told she was saying “What are you two doing not in bed?” This is guaranteed to be interesting…

Autumn’s journal always has a quick turn-around. It is so fun to discover and share with her. Without this journal I might not know that the person she would most like to meet is a poor man so that she could give him money (so sweet!) or that her favorite thing to do at dance class is dance. 😉 She has learned all about my BFF from high school (that she is named after – middle name) and I now know that she prefers a different color of nail polish on her fingers than her toes. I accidentally messed up on one of my questions and just ran with it: If you were on a desserted island, what three desserts would you search for first? 😉 We use the journal to make plans, design dresses, talk about favorite songs and she heard all about my first date with her daddy. We have named constellations, talked about her future family (she’s planning on 100 children), drawn self-portraits and I learned that the thing she daydreams about the most is ice cream. I am excited to see how the conversations change over time.

My current fav:

Me: What qualities do you want in your future husband?

Autumn: Advencrich and tikalich (adventurous and ticklish)

Filed Under: {capturing everyday}, {digital happiness}, {happy times}, {Jessica Sprague}, {tickles and smiles}

Tour by Katey

August 6, 2012 2 Comments

Back to Pageant and those promised posts…

On June 12th we parked in the temple parking lot and started up the curvy path to the costume building to get our costumes for the year.

Watch Katey – she’s going to be your tour guide. 🙂 Look at those determined steps…

turned to a run.

At the turn the costume building peeks up. It is a big building – full of costumes, changing rooms and areas for make-up application.

Katey just saunters on in.

I wish I had taken more photos of the various costumes. There are little sections within the building for the different scenes. A section for warriors, one for pioneers, dancers, angels, Nephite costumes and a big section in the back for all the individual roles. Here is one photo that shows the New England costumes on the right:

After being assigned, the costumes are kept on a hanger with a number for the person wearing the costume. They are kept in the coordinating section. We were given Nephite costumes by Cheryl. She was so sweet and patient to help pick out all the right sizes for our family. She even let me come back and dig through what was left for my costume. Colorful is what I was going for. Later I realized I would need to nurse in my costume, so I was glad it was a shirt and skirt instead of the initial dress selected. Photos of costumes will be in the next post, but I wanted to share these two of Andrew and Josh helping pick out their costumes. A feel can be had for the rows upon rows of costumes. Almost the whole cast is in the Christ in America scene so they have close to a thousand Nephite costumes. Incredible.

Big families get to keep their costumes all together in big totes for easy access. The totes are numbered and placed in the front – across from the New England costumes. This year we were #40.

We dressed in shorts and t-shirts and the costumes were placed over. Makes changing in public modest and easy.

Finished with our task, we headed back down the hill for practice. Katey led the way.

Filed Under: {Mormon Miracle Pageant}

Olympic Gold

August 4, 2012 3 Comments

Meet my amazing, sweet, beautiful, giggly, new mama, fun-lovin’ sister Christina:

She’s on the right. 😉

Recently we went on a road trip/family reunion together. It was pure gold. I loved having her riding shot gun and we talked and talked and talked for a few days. Loved it. On our last day together we visited our hometown and took some sister photos by the train station. We might have been excited about the Olympics coming up and our photo shoot shifted.