Make Shirts All Night, Sleep All Day

If only I could sleep all day. 

For some reason I always come across some kind of little hiccup when doing a big project. Usually something like, not enough vinyl, wrong color, wrong size, something small that can be fixed. Not this last time though. It was a big hiccup.

I was making shirts for my sister's Bachelorette party. I had all the vinyl cut out and placed on shirts. They were all ready to be heat pressed. My machine was heated and ready and I was knelt down on the floor in front of it ready to press the first shirt. As I open the heat press machine, a huge spark goes off in front of my face. Then an instant black mark on wall and smoke. I was so freaked out. I assumed the machine blew the circuit in the wall. I was afraid that there was a fire in the wall so I woke Bob up. Bummer about that is that he had to be at work around 4am and it was of course after midnight when I started this project. He assumed it was all good and went back to bed. I couldn't sleep. I was so nervous that the house was going to burn down all because of my crazy t-shirt making hobby. I ended up sleeping in the girls room and would get up throughout the night feeling the wall to see if it was hot. 

Come to find out, the main cord to the machine was melted in one spot with wires sticking out. I guess when I was heating my machine up, the cord was either pinched in it or something. I don't know. I haven't gotten the replacement cord yet so fingers crossed that a new cord makes my heat press machine work again. 

So after calling every place in town I finally found a store that let me bring in all my shirts and press them for me. Woo-Hoo! Maybe this will teach me to not procrastinate my projects. Probably not.

Valentines of past

We love valentines over here.  

For some reason this is usually a holiday that I get on board with way in advance.  I think its the puns.  I know.  So lame.  But who doesn't love trying to make up a pun about a random dollar isle toy?  I know.  Me too.

So, as I try and make up a pun for the eraser rings that I just found at target, I thought I would put up some our past valentines ideas.

We only have eyes for you

( I love this one so much)

We had a Picture Perfect Valentine free printable with little mini cameras I got from oriental trading company.

and a few fast paced Valentine free printables made from erasers I got at target.

and "You make my heart Leap" Valentine free printables with more target dollar isle frogs.

We did a "You're the write one for me" free printable using pencils.

We had a goldfish printable that would be cute with goldfish crackers or swedish fish too.

The year before we did an "Im stuck on you" and "You make my heart spring!" valentine printables with sticky hands and slinkys I got, you guessed it, from the target dollar isle.


My favorite ones (and I am using them again this year and may update that printable) were the dinosaur ones-

and I did those with bouncy ball printables too.

You can get those here.
Al did the heartbreaker valentines from MADE and I always love those.  They are so so cute.

We have also done some 3D paper valentines, too.

And on the actual day, Allison and her crew had a daddy/daughter dance.
(This is seriously the sweetest thing ever.)


and love notes.

every year.

We made tins for each other and filled them with little notes about what we love about each other and then read them to each other at dinner.

We made a Valentine Wreath.

(I miss that old green door so much.  Sigh.)
And allison decorated with melted crayon hearts.

SO, I don't know exactly how Im going to do ours this year, but its so fun looking back and seeing what all we have done in the past.  And it makes it so easy to recycle those ideas again :)
Happy Valentining to all of you.  Hopefully you guys can use some of these! (or just use the ideas and make them even cuter.)

Word 2014

It is difficult for me to know how to reach out and serve others because I am so shy and afraid.  I justify it with kids crazy schedules and no babysitters, but I can do better about that since we are now closer to family.  I do not want to be afraid anymore.  I want to use the courage I got last year (high five for real life application!).  Since, I don't know exactly what to do or how to serve, I thought I would just try and focus on other people over myself, in a broader way.
So this year, I am going to move closer to my goal of serving others.  It is a small step, as I have no actual thing that I am planning on being involved in, but just a word to keep in the forefront of my mind.  I just simply want to think of others first.  I want to, in every situation, do what would be better for someone else instead of myself.  When I am talking to someone I don't want to be on my phone or thinking about what else I have to do; when I am with Shea in the day or my kids after school I want to serve them- and their friends and teachers- with a smile (I am already helping out at their school and I want to do more); when I am with Jeff I want to think of things that would make him happy.  I can be so bad about being thoughtful.  For my family, or in laws, or friends-when someone is sick or has a baby or needs a ride- or a friend- I want to be ready to help.  I want to think of the thing that they need and do it- not next week or when I have time- right then.  Even when I am tired, and even when I don't know exactly how to help.  I want to be available and have my mind ready to think of something, even if its small.  I feel like I often want to help, I just don't think of something in the moment. Or if I do, I wait and do it "when I have time".  And way too often, it never gets done.  I want to teach my family that we are not the only people in the world and that they are here to serve.  I know it starts with them, and I want them to benefit from this, but I want it even more  to be about the other people that surround us.
We will see how long this lasts and if it even really gets me outside of myself.  There are no guarantees, but I am hoping this catapults me into doing more for others than I thought.  I hope it changes my mindset and teaches my kids that we always to put others first.  And maybe even allow me to help on a bigger scale.  I have to start small and I cant really do much, but I do want what I do to matter to me and at least change me, even if it does very little around me.

Happy One Month Shea

Due to my inability to choose, here are two options of our month to month growth pics.  I just dont know which one I like better.

Shea, we just could not love you more than we do.  You are truly such a blessing to us and I could go on and on and gush about you, but I will try and hold it together.  You even sleep for 6 hr stretches most nights- none of the other kids ever did that.  Clearly you are the favorite.
Avery can not stop picking you up. Ben and Sass are just as obsessed, but Avery cant help herself- she has to hold you.  And as soon as everyone comes home from school, it is just a mad rush to see you.  You get so many kisses its probably against the law.  We all just do whatever we can to get you to open your eyes and look our way.  You just make us happier than we can ever say.  (except when you dont go to sleep until 1 or 3...but obviously you like to party.  we understand.  we'll cut you some slack)
Happy one month baby girl.

Hittin the slopes family style

We went skiing this weekend.  Yup, all of us.  I took an almost four week old baby up in the altitude like only a mom of four would do.  Luckily she did great.  And so did everyone else.  But, as you can see from every pic- it definitely took a village.  We could not have done one aspect of this trip without the helping hands of every single family member.  (thank you thank you thank you)


Due to my moms injuries earlier this year, she did not ski.  And she loves to ski, so I kept trying to push her out the door, but if you know my mom, you know she won that battle.  She ended up keeping shea the whole time and it was really just so great to be able to ski so much.  The big kids went to ski school and were weary at first, but then said they had a great time when we picked them up.
And if my mom ever needed to do something else, there was always someone willing to hold Shea.  It was just so amazing.

The next day we all skied as a family.

It was insane.

It was one run down and then one more and it felt like 1000.


It literally took every single person helping a kid or another adult the entire time.

My legs have never burned so bad.

Avery was awesome.  She was never pictured because she was always so fast.  And sassy was too.  She would fall and get back up.  She needed some assistance but sometimes went by herself.  And both girls just loved it.  My son, on the other hand, was cold and tired and loved having someone to help him out in any way possible.  He did love it though.  Never not smiling that kid.

Then there was hot tubbing, snow man building, game playing and lots and lots of eating.

Here's to many more runs with all skis on the ground and a lot less piggy back rides in 2014.