Grant's Pink Glove

So Grant found this lonely pink glove in my sewing table.  

So he decided to keep it.  

He puts it on every time he goes out onto the back patio to play...in the dirt.  

Oh, this makes me laugh.

"

"What Mom?"

Have a Merry Christmas!

We went to the trains

We made it to the trains the first night they were on show.  Good thing too, because I hear the other nights where packed.  Did you go?

I love Grant's hat.
 Not only is it super cute, but he keeps it on!
And look how well it covers his ears.

Playing with Great Grandpa Bates

As Great Grandpa was taking his usual evening nap, Grant covered him in toys and books.

Great Grandpa thought it was pretty funny.

Comfy?

Christmas Sunday Best

Quick family picture after church

 Grant sitting in my Grandma's rocking chair from when she was a little girl.

"Mmmmmm...graham cracker!"

Mesa Temple Christmas Lights

Had dinner with my family last night and then we all headed to the Mesa Temple to see the Christmas lights.  It was pretty nippy outside.  Grant loved the lights.

Grant & I drove by the temple again tonight and he started clapping when he saw it.  He was so excited to see the lights again, even if just from the comfort of the car.  He also gets excited when he sees the lit up candy canes and christmas tree in our front yard.  If he could talk, he would say, "Wow, these cool lights are in OUR yard!"

Some fun things to do here in December

1. The East Valley Mormon Choral Organization is having their annual Christmas concert at the Mesa Arts Center on Sat. December 4th.  If you love a good Christmas concert, this is your ticket!  I went to their Memorial Day concert and was blown away with how huge the choir is and how amazing they are.  

2. The Tempe Marketplace is having a tree lighting and ice skating show at 6:30pm this Wednesday and then it will SNOW at 7 and 8pm!  Then starting Friday night through December 24th it will SNOW there every night at 7 and 8pm.  Sounds like fun to me!  I will be there at least once.

3. Have you ever been to the Annual Christmas Train Tour put on by AZ Big Train Operators?  If you have little boys this is a must see this year!  Actually everyone will love it.  This will be the 3rd year for us to go.  Just click on the link, scroll down and click on the link for the Holiday Train Tour and take a look at the maps of where the trains are.  An absolute must see is the Sirrine's house on 24th St in Mesa.  You will be blown away with how many trains they have and how their whole back yard is one big train track wonderland!  Amazing!

4. Every year Fountain Hills lights up their down town with thousands of luminarias.  It is beautiful!  Starting at sunset on Dec 22, 23rd, and 24th.  Load up the car and take some hot chocolate!

5. Like Christmas lights?  Then you'll LOVE visiting the Mesa Temple Grounds.  Thousands of Christmas lights light up the gardens around the temple.  Each night there is also a 30 minute concert at the south side of the Visitor's Center.  Enjoy this starting THIS FRIDAY and going on through December 31st.  This is another great place to bring hot chocolate with you!

These are all on my list.  We'll see if we do them all.  Do you have some fun things you like to do at Christmas time?

Right Stuff

Did you listen to New Kids On The Block when you were growing up?  I was just looking up some music and thought, "I wonder how that song of theirs went."  Pretty good laugh.  I can see why they did not last.  My sisters and I used to make up roller skating routines with the girls down the street and put on performances for our moms.  We always used New Kids On the Block.  Those where the days!

In other news...this is my first post from my new MAC mini.  Keith set me up with my early Christmas Present last night.  I do not know what I am doing!   But he promises me that I will like it.  So far I have learned how to open the internet, open a new internet window, change the wallpaper, and adjust the volume.  Oh boy!

Little Mug Shots

Working out in Dad's tennis shoes

Helping Mom get ready

Swinging a baseball bat
 (the bat is up behind the sombrero)

Keeping Paper Under Control

Remember my post not that long ago about organizing?  Well that same gal over at Sunny Side Up has a new post on attacking the paper monster in your house.  It's genius!  Paper is one of those things that can definitely take over if you don't have a way to keep it under control.  Take a look at her idea...you'll be glad you did.  Really. 

I really like how she used the space under her stairs for organizing the paper in her house.
Then when she closes the door, it's gone!  Magic!  :)

I also really like her idea of having a notebook that acts as a one stop shop of a to-do list.  There are always things we have to do, but what about things we want to do.  They don't belong on the same list.  I like her idea of putting all those things in one place.  I have the perfect notebook waiting for me to do this...tomorrow.

Halloween 2010

Here's our Chicken Little.  Amazingly, he actually kept the hat and glasses on!  The only part he didn't like was when we put the orange tights on him.  That was all kicking and screaming, but I promised him that I wouldn't put him in tights ever again, and then he was fine.

We went to our ward's Halloween party on Saturday.  I think we came home with more candy than we brought!

We headed to Keith's parents house for Halloween night.  Grant was half chicken, half ASU football player.  He got to go to two neighbors houses and he loved it!  I think he totally gets the whole trick-or-treating thing. I even threw on a wig for fun that night.  Keith did to, but you don't want to see pictures (we didn't even take any) because it was pretty scary.  Really, it was.

Check out the picture of Grant one handing the root beer.  Keith's mom makes homemade root beer every year and Grant was obsessed with it!

Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?

Charts

Is Grant to young to do chores?  I really like this chore chart I found at abbieshouse on etsy.

I was really looking at this growth chart vinyl.  I think I might get it for us for a family Christmas present.  I would really like to have a growth chart that can move with us.  Pottery Barn Kids had one a while back that looked like a giant ruler.  That's the look I'd like to have, but they don't sell that one any more.  Has anyone seen something similar out there?

We picked a good day

We decided to head to the zoo on Saturday morning, not knowing that they were having a special Zoo Boo day.  Lots of kids were in their Halloween Costumes.  The whole kids farm area had tons of fun stuff to do.  They put fake vegetables in the garden and let the kids pick a basket full of veggies and turn them in for a prize.  Grant loved it!  What a fun idea, and what a great surprise for us.

I love

I love that it rained all through the night last night.  

And then Keith was great and got Grant in the jogging stroller this morning so we could go running 

(something I've been meaning to do).  

I loved running amongst the puddles.

I love that my house smells like fresh warm banana bread.

And I love how Grant made up his own game yesterday of placing the small pumpkins on the toilet paper and then throwing them one at a time onto the couch.  He's such a boy!

And I love that Grant's head has held together just fine with the liquid band aid.  Whew!

At least I got my workout in first

Grant ran into our shower this morning right after I turned it on to get it warmed up.  In all of his excitement,  he slipped and fell back, hitting his head on the corner of this little tile ledge thing.  Anyway, he split his head open just a little.  Oh the tears!  I was on the verge of tears too.  We hugged for a long time and then I checked the damage.  Not bad enough for the doctor to fix, but close enough to make me wonder.  I hate that whole "Should I take him to the ER?  Should I go to the doctor?" thing.  Luckily Keith works way close to home and he looked at it and thought it would be fine too.  So you can't put a band aid on hair, so what do you do?  We tried putting a gauze pad  with ointment on it and keeping it there with a wrap.  He looked so cute.  But that didn't last too long before he pulled it off.  So Grant and I went to the store (him wearing a hat) and got some liquid band aid.  That seems to have done the trick for now.  I am so glad it wasn't worse, because if he needed stitches, they'd most likely have to strap this boy down to one of those boards to keep him from wiggling, and I could NOT handle that!

Grant on a happier day on our recent trip to the zoo with Grandma Jackson

Organizing...from a pro

I feel like I need an organization re-boost about twice a year- spring & fall.  Sunny Side Up frequently has great organizing tips.  I was once told by a professional organizer that if you can find what you're looking for in less than 5 minutes, then you are organized (doesn't sound so hard).  She also said that being organized doesn't always mean that it looks pretty, but that everything is in it's place.  Check out the link above for great ideas & photos of ways to get organized and STAY ORGANIZED.  I'm really liking that cute clear acrylic container she has for her nail supplies.  I might just have to get one!

We highly recommend it

We had a great time at Schnepf Farms last weekend.
Keith & I went together on a date last year and decided to take Grant this time.  He had a blast.
I love the pulled pork sandwiches & the fresh kettle corn.  YUM!
We went on a hay ride and got to see reindeer.  Grant loved the pig races.
They even have fireworks at the end of the day.
Grant slept the whole way home.

We recommend it if you're looking for a fun fall family outing.

I've been waiting for this

I've always loved when I see the nursery kids come out of class after they've had a lesson on eyes and ears.
Finally it was Grant's turn on Sunday.  Doesn't he look adorable!?

Happy Autumn!

Autumn decor goes up tonight!  

First Day of Fall Dinner tomorrow! (one day late)  I can't wait!  

We're going to have a fall fashion show after we eat.

Something Beautiful

I have a major crush on this beautiful bentwood chair,
as well as almost everything else this company has on their website.

I love finding things like this.  Too bad I don't have anywhere to put it.

I

from Brocade Home

Did you know there's only 21 more days until the first day of fall?!

Hooray!

(Grant, last year at this time.  He looks so tiny!)

Every year we have a First Day of Autumn Dinner at our house with my family.  This day is totally something to celebrate around these parts.  This year will be no different.  Now to come up with a yummy menu for the big event.  Any suggestions?  Do you have a favorite fall dinner or dessert?

Out and about

Enjoying the cool mornings this week.

A cute picture to start off the week

We got this hat for Grant at the Gap Outlet while we were up in Sedona. He loves it! He also loved going to the park here on Saturday morning. It was only 80 degrees!

As for his first day in nursery...he didn't love it. He went in fine and walked straight for the toys. About 45 minutes later I heard him crying in the hall and I knew they were coming to get me. He had been crying the whole time after I left him in there. Keith took him back in and stayed with him for the next hour. Better luck next week.

Don't you think this would be great? I do!

I cannot find where I found this picture, but isn't it beautiful? Stephanie over at Barefoot in the Kitchen featured another beautiful kitchen on her blog today. She inspired me to do the same.

I dream of a looking out a great big window with white trim everywhere as I stand at my beautiful big sink & make yummy food in my kitchen that all my family will love. Wouldn't TWO sinks be even better? It makes sense to me. I use one sink while making my masterpieces, while the Mr. does the dishes in the other sink. Wonderful!

We ran away

We had to get away. Keith started school again last night, so before we got back into the thick of it we hit the road and went to Sedona for a few days. I have never been there before. I was surprised at how beautiful it is. We had lots of fun. We couldn't go down slide rock because of bacteria in the water, but we found things to do elsewhere. We will definitely be going back. It's only 2 hours away! And we found a cool house for sale. Anyone want to come stay with us? Ha ha ha!

The rest of the trip

On our final full day in Colorado, we went up to the nearby mountains and enjoyed a beautiful walk. We saw deer, and wild turkeys, and a pretty horse. The light was beautiful. If only I were a photographer, I could have captured all the beauty so much better.

Grant learned how to blow a dandelion with his dad. He also had a fun time getting attention from his cousin.

Saying goodbye to my grandparents.

This is their beautiful garden on the side of their house. You should have seen the huge zucchini we brought home (I forgot to take a picture).

Our annual family picture with the giant ice cream cone in Raton, NM.

We went to visit my favorite primary teacher in New Mexico. She was also my Young Women's President right before I moved to Arizona. She's seriously one of my favorite people. We got to check out her turtles; the same turtles I would look at back when I was 12. Grant smelled her flowers too. He's really good at that.

And then we finally made it home! Hooray!

Colorado Day Five

The Big Day!

Keith got in that morning! Hooray!

Colorado Day Four

Auntie Ann went to the temple for the first time on Thursday. Then we took naps. Well, everyone except Grant & I. He preferred to rip apart his bed and scream at me. Then he went out to check out the garden with everyone else while I rested.

At this point, we were staying at my other sister's husband's parent's house. (Whew!) They were gone on a week long pioneer trek with their ward and they offered their house to us since all our other family would be staying with my grandparents for the wedding. This house had such an amazing garden. They were so nice to let us all stay there!

More

Discovering Honey Nut Cheerios.

After finishing his first little bowl this morning, I gave him more and he got so excited and said "OH!" As if it was the last thing he expected, and he was so excited.

Colorado Day Three

After having a yummy lunch on the back patio, we needed to let the kids run wild for a while. So we headed to the coolest park in the world. Grant was luckily taking a much needed nap, so I escaped with my brother & his family.

So this park is HUGE! It has a beautiful lake with a paved path all the way around, and tons of wonderful grass.

My brother brought his way awesome kite. It's one of those fancy kind that does tricks. It only needs the slightest wind to fly. I tried flying it once in stronger wind and it flipped me around. You can tell by how my brother is leaning back in the picture that this kite has a strong flight.

Colorado Day Two

Grass everywhere! That's one of my favorite things about Colorado. The grass is that lush, thick, soft, and super green grass that we just don't have around these parts. My grandparents yard has plenty of that grass. Ahhh....to play outside during the summer. We loved it. It even got cold at night. Cold enough for a light jacket! Awesome! Another of my favorite things about staying at my grandparents is sleeping with the windows open. That was some good sleep!

I started taking pictures of my favorite things in my grandparents house, but I didn't get to far. Here's what I've got:

1. The awesome painted portrait of my dad in the entry way. Love it! We always laugh because they painted him with white lips. Who knows, maybe he just got done with a box of powdered donuts?

2. The beautiful ballerina pictures above the sofa in the living room. My grandma used to be quite the dancer. Her mom told me once (in her weaker state of mind) that these pictures where of my grandma, but they're not. Still cool to pretend though.

3. The tile floor in the entry way. I can't get enough of it. I just stare at it. Someday it would be so cool to have a floor like that of my own.

4. I think that lamp is really neat.

5. Love the wallpaper! That's the cool thing about their house. They haven't changed much of it at all over the past 40 or so years, and lots of it is coming back into style. I could totally do this wallpaper myself someday, just in different colors. Don't be surprised if I do. I wish I took shots of the other wallpaper in their house, like the fuzzy wallpaper in their blue bathroom, and the fruity wallpaper in their kitchen with matching curtains.

Colorado: Day One

Grant and I took off early Monday morning (last week), along with my parents and my brother's oldest daughter, for Colorado. We made the trip in one day! And that's a big trip...over 15 hours! Grant did so well. He had a few moments toward the end where he started to lose it a bit, but having my niece with us helped to keep him entertained. We arrived safely at my grandparents beautiful house after driving through heavy rain for a few hours. The kind of rain that makes you nervous....well it makes ME nervous. I love my grandparents house. We got to sleep upstairs in my favorite bedroom, with the windows open. Sigh. I could have stayed there for another month or so.

One more before we go to Auntie Ann's Wedding

So I have a new helper in the laundry room. It's great because now I don't have to bend over to throw the laundry into the dryer...he does it for me! Things slow down a bit though when we get to Mr. Blue Bear. Grant has to look at him, hold him, hug him, and then finally throw him in the dryer. Too cute!

An online bridal shower...who'd have thought?

This morning we had a fun online bridal shower for my sister. The invite had a poem that explains it all:

A virtual shower for the bride to be
She is in Wyoming you see

Come on time if you can
And enjoy our online chat with Ann

In lieu of gifts, a card is great,
We’re just getting together to celebrate!

If bringing a gift is what you prefer
Remember, you’ll get to open it for her.

All the details can be found below
She’d love to see you, so….

Please come!

It was really fun to have her projected onto the wall.

We asked her lots of questions and opened up some fun presents for her.

Mr. Grant was there too. He charmed the ladies & loved carrying around this giant troll doll.