Me Being Crafty Part 2

I have been in such a quilting mood lately. I could spend hours down in my craft/sewing room if there wasn't about a million other things I should be doing with my time. On our weekend getaway last week I did these stitchings - one for my mom and one for Dave's mom. Both of their birthday's are coming up in the next few weeks. Then, this week I turned them into pillows. I was proud of the end result. I hope the picture does it justice.

I can post this and not worry about my mom reading it because even though her birthday isn't until August 6th - I gave it to her last night because I couldn't wait.

Now I need to go. I'm speaking in Sacrament Meeting today and I got up early to go over my talk (which I wrote last night). Instead, I'm blogging and reading blogs. Big surprise! Have a great day!

Celebrity Look-A-Likes

You may have done this before, but I got this from a friend's blog. This is who came up as my "look-a-like." I'm not sure about Leonardo DiCaprio?? I won't tell you the one that I left off of my list! (Roseanne Barr!) Try it and let me know who you look a like!

Emmie and Dad

Emmie likes to use Dave as a "Jungle Gym!" This is funny!

Creepy

When Dave and I were driving home on Sunday from our trip, we drove through a forest fire. We are overrun with fires right now in Utah. This fire that we drove through was just as we entered Utah to the north. I guess it wasn't anything like the one that is still burning in southern Utah. On Sunday, my brother Dustin was driving back to Las Vegas and he had to take a bunch of back roads because a fire there had jumped the interstate and it was out of control. We are breathing smoke everyday and can't wait for some rain!!

Weekend Away!

Dave and I got away this weekend and had a great time. We traveled to Boise for his cousin, Ivy's wedding and then we went to Baker, Oregon (2 hours from Boise) for the reception on Saturday. It was a good time. Maddie and Talbie stayed with my parents and Bronson and Emmie stayed with Dave's mom. It was a vacation for them as well.

We arrived in Boise on Friday afternoon and we used that time to do a little sight seeing. We got some pictures in front of some of my old houses and schools. We have been by them before on trips to Boise, but since we didn't have the kids, we took time to take pictures.

This is the house I lived in when I was 5




My kindergarten. McKinley Elementary


This is the house I lived in from 3rd grad to 11th grade. My family then
moved to Utah for my Senior year.






We drove out to Caldwell and had a great visit with my Great Uncle Floyd. He will be 94 in September!

That evening we went to dinner with my cousin, Matt and his wife, Tammy. Matt is my age and we were best friends growing up. I love getting together with them. We have such a great time.


Saturday was the wedding in the Boise Temple. I was 15 when that temple was built. I was able to attend the dedication and I have done baptisms for the dead there, twice. It was a pleasure to attend a sealing there.

Ivy and Joseph Waite

The reception was that evening in Baker. We stayed the night at the Geiser Grand Hotel in Baker. It's an old hotel that was restored about 10 years ago. It was built in 1886 and was quite famous in it's day.

Breakfast at the Geiser Grand The interior of the beautiful Geiser Grand Hotel

On the way home on Sunday, we stopped in Twin Falls, Idaho. I lived there in the 2nd grade and we drove past my old house. We could have made this tour of all my old houses and schools. I lived in 3 different houses in Boise and went to 6 different schools.

My Twin Falls house that my dad built. I lived here in the 2nd grade!

While we were in Twin Falls we drove past the new temple being built. It's going to be
beautiful!

Les Miz

On July 3rd we went to Salt Lake and saw "Les Miserables". Maddie and Talbie came with us, along with my mom and dad - and Brittany and Jared. We saw it at the Pioneer Valley Theater by the University of Utah. It wasn't a Broadway production but it was "Broadway quality" and I really enjoyed it. I think it was my 5th or 6th time to see it but I NEVER get sick of it. It's Dave's all time favorite play too.

Actually, "Les Miz" was the very first Broadway play I saw. I had bought the CD my freshman year at BYU because my roommate loved it. I got hooked on the music and summer after my freshman year, my dad took me to New York and we saw it. It changed my life and I can't get enough of Broadway Musicals!

I fun thing for me is that Talbie has developed such a love of music lately. I told you that she has completely worn out our CD of "Wicked" this summer and she has watched it over and over (we have a pirated copy that we obtained through and undisclosed source - Brittany :). She got to see "Beauty and the Beast" last week and "Les Miz" this week. She is even starting an "acting camp" at the Hale Center Theater in 2 weeks.

Happy 4th of July!

We had a wonderful 4th of July celebrating with our families. We spread it out over 2 days to get even more partying in. Here's some pictures...


The night before the 4th we lit fireworks off at Brittany and Jared's house. This is Dave and the kids anxiously waiting for the show to start!

Talbie and a sparkler


Bronson and Emmie getting sparklers from Jared



Maddie and Maddie attached at the hip!

We all enjoyed the fireworks show. Maddie and Maddie spent the whole time trying to capture the fireworks on their camera phones! I don't think any of them turned out so they ended up watching the whole thing on the screen of their phones!




4th of July morning at Aunt Sandy's house!





Dave's sister, Sandy and her daughter Jessie always have a wonderful 4th of July breakfast for everyone. We have a flag ceremony, talent show, and tons of yummy food. Jessie is such a trooper and she put the party on again this year even though she's been so sick with cancer! Way to go Jessie and it was wonderful!


Bronson and Jessie




The yummy food and beautiful decorations

Family picture



A tradition we have with my family is going to the Oakley Rodeo for the 4th. This year we decided to head to the "Cal Ranch" store after our breakfast and get some cowboy hats. They were having a great sale and even though Dave and Bronson already have a collection of cowboy hats - we all got new ones.



The kids in their hats. Talbie's is more of a "Beatrix Potter" hat that she loved. My mom had a new hat for Talbie already so she was able to get this one.

At the rodeo! We came early to eat dinner! We were some of the first ones in the arena. We had great seats too on the front row - center!

Another family picture


My little cowgirl!

Tape Ball Update

Well, the excitement of the tape ball has worn off and this is the final product. We figure there is 7 rolls of blue masking tape, one roll of black electrician tape, and 8 rolls of yellow masking tape in this ball. Some of you may think this is a giant waste, but let me tell you - it was worth every penny and trip to the dollar store. It kept Bronson busy and he loved doing it. On to the next invention...