time to blog!

I've been trying to catch up on everyone's blogs.  I'm not completely caught up, but I felt like I needed to start blogging again.  I have been watching way too much TV and eating too many things I don't normally eat.  I have decided watching TV and eating inappropriately goes hand in hand in my life.  I eat more healthfully when I don't watch very much TV. 

I have decided I have amazing children.  I read their blogs, instagram and talk to them on the phone and I stand in awe. 

I am very tired tonight but have promised myself to get back into blogging.  We didn't get to watch conference this last time, so I have been catching up. I LOVE Conference.  I don't know how anyone could watch conference and not gain a testimony.  I have been watching it at night if I can't sleep and sometimes for my scripture study.  May I say one of the saddest things that has happened in this last year is Steve Jobbs dieing.  Apple is already suffering comparatively.  I love my Iphone and Ipad.  I don't know how I lived without them.  My quality of life has changed dramatically.  I love how it brings the gospel more alive and instantly there whenever I need it.  I get instant videos of my sweet grandkids adn family on my phone.  Life is better for Steve Jobbs.

I have a lot to catch up on, but for tonight here are a few pics.  I woke up one day and said," it is time"  time to cut my hair off!!  I am so glad I did. I get so many compliments, and fun "you look younger" comments again!  Can't get enough of those! Got accused of being a sister again!  Got a love that!  Love you all!!!

Jakes Fam and other things

A couple of weeks ago I went to Jake and Lyndseys, to do some shopping and to visit.  I spent the night.  I got to play the card game Amy made for the first time.  The kids loved it!

  

This is the box and Amy put Maddie on top! :-)

 

Ruby did great, but it has been a while since Miles had played and we should have done a "learning" game first.  Miles got his feelings hurt because he had to give up Grandpa and Himself. It wasn't hard for him to give up everyone else, but when that happened all in one turn he quit. I feel so badly about it.  I am hoping we can get him to play again but help him the first time.

We went to Bobs and had lunch, that is always so wonderful. I babysat  for a while.Ruby is getting so old and beautiful!                 Handsome Miles!

 

Then we made cupcakes of course!

 Miles usually can't make it to the second, he has to dig in!

 Went to Ikea, grabbed some things too fast, am going to take back one, but we will set up the TV stand soon I hope.  Then I went home, stopped at TJ's and Costco on the way home.  

Been busy unpacking and cleaning.  We started moving in at the beginning of January and I hadn't vacuumed or cleaned a toilet.  So I spent some time yesterday doing those things. It felt good. I have the kitchen, Laundry room done.  It feels good.  I have my bedroom and bath, as done as it can until the new dresser arrives.  Steve started the sewing room, whahoo!!  He has to put the table top in through the window so that takes help and ladders which he didn't have.  It is coming together!  We had our first 2 renters this in our Newport home this last week.  It is good to get that over with.  We have several signs for the elevator. Steve had people try to figure out the elevator with instructions on the door. By the time he got done with his experiments with different people we had changed the signs about 4-5 times.  Fun huh?!

Life is good.  We had Stake Conference this weekend.  They are doing it over the internet at the branch building for us.  It is wonderful!  There are still some bugs to work out, we lost the sound and picture several times but got to hear most of it.  We had two general authorities and got a new stake pres.  It was very uplifting and made me think of the atonement a whole new way.  I love my Savior.

I love all of you!!!

Still not done! visit to California

If someone had told me it would take this long to unpack my house I would have said, "you don't know me!"  Well, I don't know me either!  I think moving two houses, and having to get one ready to be a rental and all that entails, advertising and buying stuff that you thought you had but doesn't work in this house...etc.  Anyway,  I am hoping to finish the downstairs this next week or two and then work my way upstairs.  The upstairs shouldn't take quite as long I hope! 

I want to start on Gracie's baptism dress the first part of March, so I hope I can get Steve to put up my sewing table next week or the latest the following.

We went to California to go to Tanner's baptism.  It was so much fun. We celebrated Kats b-day first. 

  

These glasses were a crackup

It was fast, but fun.  We went one day early so I could go with Kate and Lizze to Disneyland.  It was so great, I loved every minute of it.  First we went to "Princess breakfast"   
Lizzie told her to ask them questions and most of the princess were really sweet about it.  Kate was very concerned about their moms.  
 

 Next we went to the Bibpty, boppity, boo shop and Kate became a Princess.

 Picking out the hair style

 She picked out her crown, its in her hands

 Oh Meg, I bet you wish you could have done this!

 All done!

 She didn't want a princess dress because they were itchy.  I love the pic below, Lizzie was so sweet to make everything about Kate.  She wanted to see herself close up without everyone looking at her.

 

We then went to the animals and spent some time there.

 


 

She wanted to do Build a Bear.  It was cute to watch her and Lizzie.

 

The next day we gave Elle her b-day presents early. I made her a Minni mouse blanket out of fleece. and we bought her some figurines from Disneyland.

 

The last day we were there Tanner got baptized.  Rebecca's fam and Amys came it was fun to see everyone!  Marion made this Golden Plates cake, cool huh?

 All in All a great fast trip!

Too busy

One of the things I  told Steve years ago is that I will throw away necessary things before my grand kid stuff. So here are some my priorities.  The pic above is a new shelving unit I got from container heaven (the container store) It holds all my sprinkles in the bottom 3 drawers and the top drawer holds my decorating supplies.  This is on the floor of my pantry closet in the kitchen.                                              

 

Here is my cupboard in the laundry room, and these are all my cupcake molds, pancake molds and  a few other odds and ends                                                                            

              

 Also in the laundry room the top shelf is cookie cutters.  

 Instead of remolding my coat closet I finally decided with the urging of Steve to put a shelving unit under the stairs.  It holds all my Christmas dishes, thanksgiving stuff, my crystal dishes and paper products.  I made a box for the paper plates, know you will all get a charge out of that!                            

 Life has been crazy. I have been packing and now unpacking for a month and 4 days. It has been all the emotions,exhausting,stressful,tearful, and ecstatically happy. I have gotten the kitchen  organized and clean about 3 times, not because I didn't do it right  the firsts 2 times but because I would open up more boxes.  It has been easy and hard as far as where to put things. Some things went back where they were when we lived here before and others changed because I realized I didn't use some of my cupboards very productively before. Also I have added some dishes and finally put up some of the organizational things I had bought but not used. So it has been an adventure to say the least.  I have  pretty much finished the garage - that is always trickery.  Then there is the a difference that Jake and Lyndsey's  family are the only ones that live in this state and they don't have babies or toddlers anymore. So some of those things make more sense to go up in the attic. Sorry this is so boring.  It's just this has been my life for some time now!!
On the more exciting side Steve has walked on the beach several times now!!  He literally never walked on the beach when we lived at Surfland.  I have loved walking and watching the ocean here, it has always been my favorite view.

I got to go to the temple with my mom Friday. It was great!  I love to go to the temple and I love being with my mom!   We  went to container heaven while we were there!  I got some organization things there. They have the best stuff. I wish I could have stayed longer but I had so many places to go.  I also learned we will never go on Friday again!!! It took almost 3 hours to do one session. It normally takes us 1 1/2 hours.
The  thing that has been the hardest for me is  being so far behind the people stuff, birthdays and etc.
we went to Tanners baptism, had to order his present after I got there. I keep telling myself it is just one year. Next year will be better. I also feel like I am not really fulfilling my callings. I am hoping that after this week, I will be able to balance my life and the unpacking. By then it will just be the upstairs and that isn't as urgent. Nice to have done, but not urgent. Whereas, kitchens,our bedroom and bathroom and the garage are all necessary for a sane life.
I will post some other fun things that have happened in-between  another day.  Love you all!