I know its been a super long time since I've posted anything....!
So here is the Christmas dress I made for my little girl! I love it! There's little green ribbons with flowers in here hair that match! I love love love how it turned out! I can't wait to do another!

Here's the boys at the Washington DC Temple. We went there last night to see the lights and the Christmas tree display and nativity display in the visitors center.

Aside from Nathan ...... he he he! Even with Nathan it's a great picture!

I love this picture!!!

And this is all of us who went!

coconuts and cookies!

Last weekend while grocery shopping with me, Hunter was thrilled and excited to find a real live coconut! Of course we had to buy it, and this past Saturday morning we broke out our hammers and nails!

In the cup is some of the coconut milk -- which I think tastes really bad! No one liked it, and we were all very glad that we weren't stranded on a desert island!

That evening was our ward Christmas Party, so I baked up a storm, and we had a great time! The kids were a part of the Nativity Scene, and Ben performed with the Young Men a jazzed up arrangement of Oh Come All Ye Faithful!

I had to take this shot this past week of my three boys - with imaginations going wild - all playing legos together!

And this is me! Gary wanted to take a picture on the camera and this is what came out of it! Not too bad!

Wonderful weekend!

New Christmas outfits.

Ready to put up the tree! Someday when we have Christmas at our own house, we'll get a real tree, but until then... we'll save some money and use this one! It really is beautiful.

Ben and Papa working hard together.

Everyone helping.

Ready!!!! I love sitting at night by the lighted tree with a good book! The other night I had Christmas music playing, and children were in bed, and I read the new Ensign magazine that had come. All by the light of the tree. It was heavenly!

St. Nicholas Night!!!

Here's our boots out on the doorstep ready and waiting!
The boys were very excited! They took turns helping each other check on the boots through the front window. Yes... we all still believe around here! It's great!

Finally he came!!! Gary got little wooden cars and trucks and such with some reeses pb cups.

Felicity received a little doll and a Christmas headband.

The big boys got a hat and glove set, chapstick and a little lego set. They were so amazed at how well St Nick did. And kept praising him all night for how he just knows everything! (Thanks, boys!)

Oh, and each one of them got an ornament for the tree. St. Nick gives them an ornament every year.

P.S. This was the very first year that "I've" been St. Nick. It was really fun!

Thanksgiving Vacation in MA

We helped fill the newly built woodshed with wood for the winter.

The boys each got turns driving the tractor. With the bucket full of kids and full of wood!

Cousins enjoying the woodstove. Later we roasted marshmallows and had smores!

My four playing happily!

Haircuts!

Before....

After!

He's had these crazy sideburns for a couple months now, and just loves them! So we keep them, because it's a simple way to make him happy. I must admit, though, that shortly after Thanksgiving they were cut off, and I was happy to see them go! (So was he!)

My favorite things....

One of my very favorite things to do is rearrange my furniture! So with the anticipation of a Christmas Tree.... of course I had to do some rearranging! We'll pick out our tree on Friday after school. I can't wait!

I love our stockings! This will be the first year we use them. From left to right we each have our own color.

live writer

can I do this?

my model

She was laughing so hard here and having so much fun with Hunter!

Isn't she just beautiful!?!!!!!!

new front table thingy

I change it every day to something new! It's so much fun!

My newest creation!

This afternoon while Gary was napping Felicity and I had a sewing date! I sewed and she just played and played and played! It was so lovely!

Ben had a pair of pants that just couldn't be mended anymore. I'd done it so many times already. So I repurposed it into a cute little jumper for Felicity!

Cute flower that was soooo much fun to make! I've got to do some more! I think she'll need a hair bow to go along with this!

And here's a picture of the back. Just a simple bow to tie it closed!

My latest find

Sometime next spring -- when it gets warm enough to work outside, this is what I'll be working on! It's an antique seed bin I got for free on craigslist!
I have big plans for it! Yes, it may end up back on craigslist if it gets the better of me, but for now -- I have big plans!

It's so incredibly heavy! I don't know what kind of wood it's made out of but it's a massive piece of furniture! I want to sand it down and re-varnish it. Repair the roll-top doors, and use it! It may have to wait until we're out of this house before it's used, but I'm okay with that! It's got so much character!

Primary Project

This past Sunday was our Ward's Primary Sacrament Meeting Program. It was wonderful! Afterwards we let the Primary teachers go to Priesthood/Relief Society, and we kept all the kids with us. We rotated them through stations of playing a Family Game, Making cards to give to the Veterans, and making a family tree. I was doing the Family Tree station,and look what it turned into!

I love how it turned out! This is just the top. I still need to put a backing, and such, (and iron) but I'm so excited to show the kids!

Each tree has a leaf for the individuals in each family. Nathan's happens to be in the bottom left corner here. Dad, Mom, Nathan, Hunter, Gary, Felicity!

20 minute project

This was a shirt that a friend gave Felicity, however I didn't like the front. I've kept it around thinking that I'd change it or cut it or do something to it, and today was finally the day! I should have taken a before picture, but I didn't. So this is the shirt inside out where you can see the swirly part that was there before along with some writing that said something like ... Stop Games Girls Only Keep my Secret -- or something to that effect (super wierd, therefore Felicity wasn't going to wear it!)
So now it looks like this! I love it, and it only took me 20 minutes!

Think twice (or more) before getting rid of things!!