Trampoline

Daddy bought us a trampoline! I had been looking at them longingly for a couple of weeks and I guess I may have made one too many comments about wanting one because he came home with one a couple of weeks ago. It has been a hit!

Lainey loves it as long as you don't jump high, or fast, or near her. She'll get the hang of it eventually! She's already doing a great job of bum and knee flops.

Adria on the other hand is not so fond of it!


A favorite thing that the kids have discovered is that trampoline's are even more fun when you pile things on it. This was a pic i took of the kids jumping with every piece of play food on it.

As they'd jump pieces would fly out and land all over the back yard.

This was even more fun with balls all over it (the play food tended to really hurt when you landed on it.) But when the balls started flying over neighbors fences and the kids had to go plead for them back, it took all the fun out so we are back to just jumping normal.

Thanks Daddy for a super fun prize! We love it!

I Did Something SUPER Awesome

I am a person who wants to be handy and crafty. With just a couple pocket screws and some hot melt glue, anything is possible. right? Well, maybe for some, but not for me. Although I want to be able to make something amazing, I am usually quite unsuccessful--case in point . . . my handmade quiet book (just ask Alison) and my hand-sewn polo shirt (which my dad "lost" at least 25 times before it was re-gifted to Scotty, someone who truly appreciates a powder-blue, starched-collar polo made with love.)

But when my WS and Best-y, KJ, sent me some pics from her friend, Kelley, who did this, I knew I had to accomplish it! And, I am happy to say that I did . . . with a lot of help!

First of all, shout out to Jane at Out of the Crayon Box who made this up in the first place! BEST IDEA EVER! Follow that link and make one for yourself . . . I mean for your kids :).

It all began with a Craig's list posting for a $5 Dresser.
(Thanks to Butch for driving me an hour away one rainy, cold night to fulfill my dream of making something awesome!)

Here's what I got for $5 (plus gas, plus McDonald's for a couple of tired little girls)!
I chose this one from all the other Craig's list postings because I loved the many-knobbed drawers.


Not much to look at . . . yet!


My dad, who's an amazingly talented, SELF-TAUGHT Wood Worker was such a good sport to help me with this project. This kind of crafty-ness isn't his favorite thing, but he helped me every step of the way! Thanks Daddy-O!

He started by cutting the front off the top drawer.
We did this so that drawer could become a hinged oven door rather than a drawer.

Daddy-O likes to teach his kiddos "how to fish" so he didn't let me off the hook easy. Although he did do that first cut for me (using a table saw is a dangerous job--he once cut most of his hand off), he did require me to help with all the rest.

That meant using the circular saw.
The circular saw was old news (I've done that before . . . I'm pretty good at it, but I am a major spaz at measuring . . . I know, I know and I am a math teacher? A geometry teacher no less? So sad!)

The other tool I got to use for the first time was the Jig-Saw.
This is a hand saw that can cut any shape you can maneuver! I was really nervous because I had to cut a perfect (or nearly perfect) circle to fit the sink bowl. If I cut it too big or too crazy, goodbye cabinet!


I had my dad take a pic of me pre-cut because I knew that if I screwed up I wouldn't be able to have a smile on my face anymore!
Not only was that saw AWESOME (it really is a thrill to use power tools and that saw truly defines the meaning of "cutting like butter!") but I also did a FANTASTIC job!

Perfect fit!!
Go me!

Now we had to measure for the faucet holes. My dad really is a measuring genius! He adds and subtract fractions like a wiz, "Tara, what's 1/16 plus 3/8 minus 1/2 of 3/4?!?" And before I can even fathom what he just said, he's got the answer and is now asking for my verification.

He started me out on the faucet measuring
but then left me to my own devices.

Luckily I did it right and after using the biggest drill bit you've ever seen we had a sink and faucet snugly tucked in my soon-to-be kitchen.

I wanted to keep the whole project a secret from Lainey, but couldn't. So, she stepped in and helped a bit.
She gave up on sanding as quickly as she started . . . and so did I--prep work stinks! I decided I didn't care and went right to painting the darn thing.


After many, many coats of paint, it was time to affix new hardware. You can see that I got rid of the antiqued brass knobs and went for shiny silver knobs.

My oven door handle presented me with some problems though--its really a bathroom towel hanger and it was a bit too long.

So in came my main man, Butch, to hacksaw it down to size.
(Power tools are AWESOME . . . hacksawing metal by hand? Not so awesome! But he did it with ease and no complaint--thanks B!)

Then to top it off, he installed it for me too!

Next came time to dress it up with oven knobs and burners.
My dad and Butch came up with a genius idea that made it possible for the oven knobs to actually turn which is super fun for the girls!

And so the final outcome . . .

Now keep in mind that the whole point for most people who make these is to make something awesome that's also awesomely cheap.

My whole point was just to make something awesome no matter what the cost. So I did splurge on things like the real sink faucet ($25 at Home Depot), and real oven knobs ($20, Home Depot). I also bought more than necessary (price-wise) drawer knobs (6@ $1.50 from Lowes) and towel bar/oven handle ($13 at Lowes).

But I also saved by using paint that I already had (yes, I did paint a couple of walls in my house that hot pink color . . . what can I say? I LOVE rainbows!) I also saved by buying the sink bowl and burners (which are actually black plate chargers that I cut to size and hot-melt glued on) from Ross for $5 and $6 respectively.

In the end, I didn't really care about the cost because its really cute and even a bit classy, if I do say so myself, and most importantly, the girls LOVE IT!

Our Lovely Garden

I have a garden, a lovely garden

(two rows of tomato plants)

With flowers blossoming everywhere

(my sweet little strawberries)

The rain falls lightly and sun shines brightly

(but sometimes the rain just falls and falls and falls and soaks right through my slicker, except I think that's really a wind breaker I'm wearing, no wonder I was SOAKED!)

and breezes blow the sweet fragrance there.
(Well, maybe the fragrance isn't that sweet in my garden. I am not sure why, but I never realized what bags of cow manure really are. For those of you in the same state of denial that I was in (get ready to have your nostrils blown) cow manure is actually just that--COW MANURE! That's right, bags of poo from a cow. Like real poo. And its not like its mixed with something like wood chips or dirt to make it a little less disgusting. Its just poo. YUCK! And every time that "rain falls lightly" in true rain or sprinkler form, the poo smell wafts up all around.)

Blue birds are singing out of the sky; Butterflies winging, fluttering by
(none of these things yet, but that's a good thing--they'd probably nibble on my hard work)
And in my garden, my lovely garden
(a beautiful little corn plant . . . from a seed!)
There's always beauty to greet the eye
(those are my beautiful little snap pea seeds, all grown up into teensy-tiny snap pea plants)

So, for the first year, we have a garden and it is indeed lovely, thanks to Cameron. But, he's not the only one to have helped me.

Who tilled in the stinky poo? Shandee.

Who cheered me along (even when, in a fit of garden-rage, I chucked those Hungarian Footlong seeds across the room ranting, "I DON'T CARE!!!!!")? Liana. (P.S. I still don't care)

Who convinced me to get brussel sprout seeds (even though the packet blew away and I never got to plant them?) KJ (I tried KJ, I really did!)

And who has helped me plant all these lovelys? I have had the help of a YW in my ward who is doing it for her Faith Value Project.

It seems a strange thing grow a garden to increase your appreciation and understanding of Faith, but I tell you what--its very easy to doubt that those tiny seeds that look like nothing can produce such results. They are only tiny plants now, but I am still a bit shocked at how a small seed can grow (in cow poo, REAL COW's POO . . . like from their bum) into something so big!

Here is the fresh sproutlings of a white or red onion

can you see it trying to poke its head out from that weed?

That's a hard-to-see tomato plant.

Not from a seed though, so not too impressive--but hopefully impressively delish on a BLT or homemade spaghetti sauce!

We also have, not pictured, asparagus (or as Lainey calls it "That vegetable that makes your pee smell." And, she's right--don't deny it!). artichokes, cucumbers (but not Hungarian Footlongs), potatoes, green and red bell peppers, garlic, basil, chives, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, and lettuce.

Hopefully my garden will grow to be lovely and beautiful (and hopefully Adgey and Lainey will actually try the things we grow!)

P.S. Do any of you remember that "I Have a Garden" song? It was one of my favorite primary songs. My mom had these pictures glued on Popsicle stick that, if you were chosen, you got to hold up for the rest of the primary kids to see on your part of the song. I loved them. Too bad its not in the Children's Songbook anymore. It was a good one. Thanks mom, for teaching it to me . . . and oh yeah, and thanks for giving birth to me too.

Easter

Easter Eve

Lainey's School hosted an egg hunt and craft day the day before Easter.
Both girls had a great time searching for eggs.
Lainey did a great job filling her basket.
Adria did too but every time she walked to find her next egg, two or three would fall out of her basket.

(And then Lainey would spot the lost eggs, "Here's another one," she'd shout with glee as she put it in her own basket, oblivious that it just fell out of her sister's basket.)


Lainey and Adgey posing with their Easter Eve loot.

We then headed inside for some cookies and crafts .
Lainey colored her foam eggs, Adgey put stickers on her face.

That night we dyed eggs.
Daddy helped Lainey
who was amazed at the whole process.
They had a great time!

Easter Day

As is tradition, the Easter Bunny left a trail of M&M's from the girls' rooms, down the stairs, and into the family room to their Easter baskets.

Before we could go downstairs we had to collect the M&M's. Lainey collected them neatly and nicely in her basket. Adria collected them in her mouth!


After collecting all those M&M's you'd think the girls would rush to get to the baskets, but not Adria--she needed more M&M's!


And even when we finally made it down the stairs, she didn't care about her basket! She just wanted more chocolate.


When they finally got to look in their Easter buckets, both found a "stuffy" (as Lainey calls stuffed animals), a coloring book with stickers, and a book to read.

Typical Lainey looked at her nice new stickers, contemplating where they would look the best.

While typical Adgie stuck hers all over her face (our favorite Sacrament Meeting past-time by the way).
And then Adria remembered chocolate and walked around pointing at her mouth saying "Mo Chocolate?"

Time for the egg hunt. The girls prepared themselves by strapping on sandals over their footy pj's (Daddy was so proud . . . that's the ultimate socks with sandals, isn't it?)

Let the hunt begin!
It was old news for Lainey, but a grand, new experience for Adgie who had to yell "Egg!" each time she collected one.


Before we headed in, we got this pic of the girls with their filled baskets.

Typical Lainey lined her eggs up nice and neat.

Typical Adgie did not!


This wasn't so bad until she decided to dump them on her head.
Such a funny girl!

Daddy made us a delish breakfast of crepes
using our dyed eggs! (No, we don't boil the eggs 'cause we don't eat boiled eggs . . . we like to live on the edge of life and color raw, breakable eggs! Daredevils, I know!)

Because it was General Conference, and Emi and Grandpa were out of town, we had family over for the afternoon. Turns out Scotty (that's my little bro!) is still a "bird whisperer"! We couldn't get our birds to come out for us, but with his soft harmonies and silver tongue (and also grabbing the poor birds) he got both Emily and Kayda to hang out on his shoulder for quite some time.

Lainey even almost touched one of the birds!

Except for that "weirdest earthquake that I have ever felt that made me feel like I was on a boat, solidifying for my mind that a cruise is not for me" we had a great Easter!