Talents

So I am starting to get back into doing my talents. I know how important it is to keep them up or you loose them- like I did with singing. I am going to start playing the piano more -I know I can't play how I used to and its just not the same with having a keyboard since its so much shorter than a piano, but I am going to try and keep it up again. I really love the song version of I Stand All Amazed by Michael R. Hicks. I think the arrangement is so beautiful, so I am currently learning to play it. (a plus -It's not necessarily difficult:))

And I am going to start drawing again. The last time a sat down to draw was after I had Olivia, when I drew her picture, so about a year ago. I drew these on Friday.

(done with Prismacolor; size 16x20)

(done with Prismacolors; size 16x20)

The John Wayne picture is for my dad for Christmas- luckily he never looks at my blog- so no one tell him about it either. He is a big John Wayne fan... just like Mike's dad too. I wanted a flower picture of some type for my own house, so I sketched that one. I know it's pretty simply but I really like it! I think the only times I will have to draw though will be during Olivia's nap- or after her bedtime.

Pretty Productive For A Thursday

Today was a pretty productive day.

1. Organized/cleaned the house( as much as I could while Olivia napped)

2.Prepared my lesson for Sunday- I always liked teachers who were creative so I try and make my lessons creative. I hate when I feel like a work so hard on the lessons and then the kids don't even care really, but that's why I try to have fun lessons.

3. Let Olivia paint her first masterpiece( pics to come)- I added the "Olivia"-from the show on it after she painted, and colored. If you haven't seen the Olivia TV show its a must. It is seriously such a cute kids show! I didn't name Olivia after Olivia the pig- mostly because I had never seen the show or read any of the books, but I wouldn't be ashamed if I had named her after the show. The show makes me want to change her room to the "Olivia" theme- I doubt I will but when I do have a house I think I will do something "Olivia" themed- like in the playroom or something...

4. Ran some errands-a- beauty supply store:I am coloring Mike's sisters hair on Saturday,b- Roberts Crafts- I decided I am going to get back into sketching

5.Hung up some more pictures

6. Made Alfredo noodles for dinner- I love homemade Alfredo sauce and the recipe I have is so delicious!(so I will share)

1 cube cream cheese, a couple TBS butter, 1 tsp garlic, Cup milk/or cream, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese- these are the estimated measurements because I just mix for the texture that I like.
Melt butter and cream cheese with garlic in pan- once it is creamy and smooth add milk/cream- stir til smooth then add Parmesan cheese. mix til smooth. I sometimes add basil also- 2 tablespoons. This sauce gets pretty thick just to let ya know- it's so good though!

Tuesday

The things I did today:

1. Took some pictures. Took a picture of my brother to send in with his mission papers-I can't believe he turns 19 in January! I had to take a picture of him with Olivia, kind of like a "this is how small she was before he left on his mission"

2. Ran some errands

3. Curled my friend, Emily's hair for her family pictures

4. Made the best Potato soup:) My grandma would make it all the time for us growing up, and also my mom, so I gotta keep the tradition going

5. Ate a salad. I decided I really should start eating more healthy things. I am not a salad person at all and am pretty picky. But, I find I don't mind spinach leafs as much, and I was actually in a salad mood:)

6. Updated Blog

7. Played with Olivia:) (my favorite part of the day)

Stone Job

This is the stone job Mike did on Saturday for my parents. It turned out pretty amazing! My parents love it. Mike is so talented!

Who Wants To Go Swimming

So my parents ward rented the PG Pool for the night for their ward party. Olivia and me went. Mike was beat from doing a stone job at my parents house that looks awesome!( pics to come) Anyways it was so hot today so I thought it would be pretty warm tonight- perfect cool summer night air but freezing water! Olivia was such a trooper. We went under the little waterfall they have and did swim for a little while. I know she is going to be an awesome swimmer. She was kicking and stroking her arms like a swimmer! So cute! We stayed for an hour. I just wish it would have been warmer.

New Pics Of Olivia's Room

My sister Stephanie gave this to Olivia for her birthday.

Saturday

We did so much on Saturday! I'm so beat.

1.

So Saturday morning we played our softball game and the team we played were a bunch of complainers but I won't go into it too much. I'm just glad we won! So then we played another game right after that one. The team was really good and we just couldn't seem to hit it to an open spot. I did , however, hit an amazing hit! I was so happy I hit it clear way out in the outfield past all the players. They were surprised too. I can hit the ball I just haven't ever hit it as far as I did. Mike hit a couple of amazing balls too. Our team played awesome even though we didn't come out the winners in the end. We did get a t-shirt and our team picture taken though.

2.
Lindon Days. Mike and me missed the parade because of our game, but my mom had Olivia and so they watched it. She said that one of the clowns came up to Olivia, and it scared her pretty good:(.


3.

Saturday night we went to the REAL Salt Lake game. I haven't ever been to a pro soccer game before. Our friend Steve invited us to go. We took Olivia (she really could have cared less) For never seeing a game it was fun to watch, but I decided I like watching basketball and football the best:)

Take Me Out To The Ball Game

Last night we played our first region softball game. Mike and me were recruited from our ward to play with the 3rd ward's team. The game started off a little "iffy", and I thought we might get beat or that it was going to be a close game the whole time, but we ended up winning 22 to 7! It was so much fun. We play again on Saturday. Wish us luck!

Smile

Smiling is infectious,

You can catch it like the flu.
Someone smiled at me today,
And I started smiling too.

~Author Unknown

Always remember to be happy because you never know who's falling in love with your smile. ~Author Unknown

A laugh is a smile that bursts. ~Mary H. Waldrip

The shortest distance between two people is a smile. ~Author Unknown

If you don't start out the day with a smile, it's not too late to start practicing for tomorrow. ~Author Unknown

A friendly look, a kindly smile, one good act, and life's worthwhile. ~Author Unknown

Keep smiling - it makes people wonder what you've been up to. ~Author Unknown

You're never fully dressed without a smile. ~Martin Charnin

A smile can brighten the darkest day. ~Author Unknown

It takes seventeen muscles to smile and forty-three to frown. ~Author Unknown

Of all the things you wear, your expression is the most important. ~Janet Lane

All the statistics in the world can't measure the warmth of a smile. ~Chris Hart

If you would like to spoil the day for a grouch, give him a smile. ~Author Unknown

Candy Bar Symphony

Mike does so much for our family. He is such a hard worker and loving husband and father. I sometimes feel like I don't express it enough to him how grateful I am for him letting me stay at home with Olivia, so I was planning on making him a Candy bar poster for him but decided to do it in song. Now, I know I'm not the greatest singer so I'm just warning all of you, and also this song I made up this afternoon was meant to be kind of cheesy but I really do appreciate everything that Mike does. He is one of the most unselfish people. I love him so much.

Melanie

My sister Melanie is 15 and has an awesome voice (and is the most photogenic person). She is so brave. Last night we went to watch her perform for a singing competition in Orem- I guess it's a pretty big one because people come from all over. They pick three winners each night to go onto the semifinals and then the winner gets to perform with Montgomery Gentry. I recorded her singing but when I went to put it on the computer it was all fuzzy sounding so you couldn't hear her very good:( but I got part of the clip where it was the clearest- and we sat at the top of the hill, so that's why its blurry. She sang Taylor Swifts song... I'm only me when I'm with you. The band that played all the songs were amazing as well. There were some other really good singers too as well as some... not so good:) While we were watching the others perform we were talking about how all us girls (my sisters and me) should sign up for a singing contest so at least one of us win... I dont think I want to embarrass myself for my sisters to win though... Anyways Melanie didn't win but she was one of the youngest singing (most of them were 18 and older) so as great as her voice is now it will be way awesome when she is 18. Also Melanie was the first singer to walk around the stage- true performer:)

My Other Love

Tai Pan Trading

I love this store and they always have great deals! I am really into chandeliers ( new thing started to collect) and I found a square one at Tia Pan today. It was marked down only because a jewel wasn't hooked on it, but it's an easy fix- especially since the jewel is still somewhat on it...

I don't know where Im going to put it yet but Im really excited about it:)

Story Time Table

Todays project was modge podging the top of a little black table for Olivia's room. I chose rhyming paper to go on it. I thought it was perfect for her room. She loves sitting at it now, and looking at her books- She loves books. She loves it when Mike or me read her them:)

(I did not pose her with the book)

Poor Baby

So first, I had to share this video of Olivia. It was this morning. This is her favorite game lately:

Olivia got her first big boo boo. She likes to leave places by herself now, and she was stepping up and over the doorway and it dropped down further than she had thought and she lost her balance. She slipped and hit her head on the brick wall- the corner of it. It swelled really fast. Luckily it was above her eye.

It's Magic

For my primary class the lesson was: I Can Be Kind. And also how Jesus said "Love Everyone" so I talked about the good Samaritan, and had them act it out. Then I had a story of how we are supposed to love everyone even if they treat us wrong, and told them I said we are going to make some "Love" cookies with my magic oven- a cardboard box, which I put a piece of paper in the middle so they couldn't see the bottom of it when I opened the lid and so I already put some pre- made heart shaped cookies in the bottom of it. I cut on the side of the box so I could open it like an oven but just so they could see the bottom half when it opened. So I put holes in the top and bottom of some eggs so I could get the yoke out of them so I could put heart pieces of paper with questions from the lesson ( our ingredients) then we put the heart papers in the top of the oven. The kids kept asking are we really going to eat those? Are they going to turn into real cookies? So while they were "baking" we sang the song...I'll walk with you, I'll talk with you... and then I went "Beep" and took out the cookies- the kids were so excited that it worked and they all thought it was a real magic oven:) It was really cute. ( forgot it was fast Sunday when I was making them, so I put them in goodie bags for them to take home- with a tag on it saying- Jesus said "Love Everyone"