Another project done!

So glad I got this done! I told Laura about it weeks ago. Someday my life will calm down and I will be able to start and finish a project in one day (sigh) one day- seems so long away!. Last year after a soccer game Lone Peak was having a huge garage sale and I spotted a stack of these shutters- big and small ones. We bought them all for a great price and payed for them with the last of our grocery money till payday- priorities my friends and not to worry, food storage got us through! Anyways it was fun to make and I'm thinking now I should antique the A more and also the shutters. I also need to get some fabulous updated pictures to hang on it. Finally one of my basement walls has something on it and soon the others will too- creative juices are flowing!!! (oh man I really dislike that saying- sound so messy!)

Ruckus at the Allens house

This year we hosted New Years eve at our home and had a houseful of kids and adults. Mom and Dad, AmyLyn and Andy, and Laura and Mark and family. We had so much fun. After stuffing ourselves with yummy food that would not make an appearance again once our resolutions were made- we played games. AmyLyn and Andy taught us a couple of games. The first one- farckle. Lots of fun. Then we played golf(card game) Ethan and Jake got in on that one and we've played it a few times since. The kids had a great time also. Jocelyn and Addison got dolled up in makeup and Payton played video games. The older kids played a game of apples to apples. I didn't think everyone would stay till midnight so at 10 o'clock Ben lit the fireworks off the rock wall and whistles were passed out to the kids. Everyone stayed (except mom and dad)-till after midnight - and then left after we finished our game of golf. The babies were asleep and Riley had crashed on the couch. Other than that everyone else was suprisingly awake AND happy. What a fun New years. It's been a long time since I could enjoy the celebrations from either working or having worked the night before and not being able to stay awake to make it to midnight. I love that my boys are old enough now to play games with the adults (when we let them) that us as adults enjoy. I also like that the cousins get along and can play games on their own and have fun together. What a great family I have, so now bring on the New Year. I'm ready- I think. Lots of first for our family will fill this year and I'm excited. Don't worry I'll blog about them all!

Definitely making more of these!

So this post is basically for my sis Laura who at this moment is making her first twirl skirt. Since I don't have the time tonight to run by and see her (you) Here you go- I plan on making Jocelyn a bunch of these for summer- they are just so darn cute and easy to make and she loves them- she actually wanted to wear the orange one today! Not to mention I have about a million more (ok maybe not a million) designs and ideas swimming around in my head. I still want to go get some gigantic rick rack for her apron but the kids don't make it easy to go to the specialty stores and I already used my 40% coupon at Joanns of course. Ahh if Joanns would just be like Roberts- a coupon per day- I would probably be in big trouble with all the fabric I would have. Have fun and call if you need anymore help.

How can I ever catch up?!!!

O.k. so last night I was informed by AmyLyn that I needed to update my blog- yes, I know. Now could you please explain that to my five kids. For some reason each time I have sat down to blog, something else has taken me away. (just now I shooed Jocelyn away.) So yes I am very far behind, the holidays consumed me, Beware this may be a long blog.
Halloween was great the kids looked cute and had a great time trick or treating with friend and carving pumpkins.

Jocelyn finally was able to have her barbie birthday party. All those cute girls had a fun time and each went home with a barbie as a party favor. Jocleyn loved it. She has a lot of cute little friends. Lucky girl!

Thanksgiving we went to my parents and did the normal turkey dinner,games and the annual black friday plan of attack (which went great-mom,Laura and I got everything we set out to get-in order to do that we were at walmart at midnight after deciding toys r us was too busy)




All the single Ladies....


Usually we head up to the mountains later in day on black friday to get our christmas tree but this year to make everyone schedules work we went on Saturday. It was a great time. Each year we get better at finding the trees and this year it took just over an hour for the men and AmyLyn to return with the trees. The kids had a blast sledding, eating, drinking hot chocolate and watching a movie in our expedition. Ben picked out our best tree yet.








Between Thanksgiving and Christmas it was filled with recitals- piano, choir and dance. I can't believe how fast time went. We were able to visit temple square with my mom before christmas for Ethan's choir recital and we also went after Christmas with Ben's brother Matt and his wife Lisa. It was beautiful as always and I loved being able to go twice this year. The kids can never get enough of Temple Square.



Jocelyn and her friend Emma at their dance recital "I want a hippopotamus for christmas"

Our new ornaments - this year we let them just pick whatever they wanted. Ben and I stuck with santa,Ethan stuck with snowmen, Jake stuck with star wars, Jocelyn picked a mitten, Riley a candy cane, and Owen a gingerbread man.

We also were able to squeeze in our annual graham cracker houses at Grandmas. As always the kids loaded up their houses thinking beyond creativity and into their stomachs. Fun for all!







This is what we got as a sunday christmas picture-Riley and Owen crying. Oh well we'll try again soon.

Traditional pjs christmas eve.

Christmas was great, Matt and Lisa were fun to have for the holidays and it has seemed like parties continuously since they came. We had Bonnie and her family over a couple of times also for games and dinner.
Everyone got what they were wishing for. Ben a new tv and jeans, Me- a new camera -couldn't have come at a better time, Owen pulled the old one of the counter 2 days before christmas so now the pictures look like everyone is melting! Needless to say I am loving the new camera and keep finding excuses to take more pictures. Ethan and Jake both got nintendo ds and legos. Jocleyn got what she thinks is an american girl doll (can't bring myself to tell her it's not-maybe she can have a reall one after I see how she treats this one!) She also got a bunch of cute clothes for her doll that I have been making every spare chance I could get- pretty much consume my free time hence no blogging! Riley got a scooter of his own and Lightning Mcqueen geotrax, and Owen got little people farm and hoddies. I promised myself we would not go overboard this year but once presents were opened it seemed like a lot of stuff. Maybe it's the five kids=lots of presents!

Our Christmas Tree


Everyone in on the pictureka game.

Mat and Lisa were a blast to have for Christmas!

Fall fun

October is one of our favorite times of the year. This year was no exception. Over the UEA weekend, Ben took some time off and we headed to Hee Haw Farms- our first time ever going there. The kids loved it. They especially loved the long slides, the hay ride, launching corn cobs, and the corn pit. They were not too excited about walking around in the corn maze. I thought they would love it but three year old legs tend to get tired and bored if not stimulated (lots of whining, which made us all more anxious to find an exit!) Once we were out the whining stopped-amazing how that happens! We were lucky, it was a beautiful day, sunny and warm and hard to believe it was fall.





Jocelyn turned FIVE this month! What a cute girl! She wanted a barbie birthday so of course I attempted the infamous barbie cake- turned out pretty good and she was so excited- she had to show it to all her friends while they were over here to play. She got a scooter (she really wanted one especially since she lost Jakes, sad thing is she got a pink scooter so Jake won't even ride it as a back up!) and a new helmet and then later that night before cake I let her open on last suprise- Miley cyrus CD! Been rethinkin and singing party in the usa since! Oh we just love her to death, Jocelyn that is -Miley some days we could do without but it is just too cute to see her and her friends rockin out to very loud songs! We still need to have her party-too busy to find a night to have it although next week is lookin up.



As for last weekend we had the annual Halloween party with my family. Lots of food,sugar,games,sugar,crafts,sugar,and more sugar! What a rush and just as we got home the crash. Thanks mom- the kids had a blast.



Me sewing away on costumes to have them ready for the afore mentioned Halloween party. Ethan still needs a hat for his potato head and Jocelyn thinks she needs a broom for her witches costume! Why are costumes never done!

Here's a sneak peek at the potato head- lookin better each day!

Music to someones ears

So right now I am sewing Ethan's Mr potato head costume - complete with changeable body parts( it sounds cuter than what it may look) anyways Ethan and Jake are in the next room listening to a cd that Ethan got tonight at the library- Mozart! Jake is less than thrilled and just about a minute ago all was quiet while they are in bed listening to the cd, and then Jake says to Ethan "You owe me 50 cents for this!" I could hardly keep from laughing! They are such complete opposites sometimes- especially with music. Where Jake loves guitar hero 2 music- Ethan prefers music from high school musical, Paul Cardall and as of tonight Mozart. It amazes me they are from the same parents sometimes! Anyways Ben is at convention and I have been a single parent (at least it feels like it, for the past couple of weeks) and will be at least until Sunday. Conventions stink! We sure miss him but tonight a trip to Del taco and the library made it a little more bearable. Well, back to Mr. potatohead, not quite the male interaction I'm used to this time of night!

A few things I forgot...

Our cute little Rileybug turned 3 the end of August and of course we had to celebrate with Lightening McQueen. He is still (thank goodness) in love with McQueen. I love that he is still in this phase and hasn't quite gone to the dark side yet (star wars that is!) I know it will come soon and I'm ok with that I just like that he still likes the cute innocent stuff. So for his b-day we went to Toys r us to roam the aisles and pick the perfect present. It was a hard for him but it was narrowed down to geo trax mater and a Mcqueen book bought with the money Grandma Allen sent. We headed home for a Cars cake and some more presents of course lightning McQueen boots. Ethan and Jake had yellow rain boots when they were Rileys age and I remember them being wore till they smelled so bad I had to throw them away. The boys would wear them year round and in the summer when riding their bikes and other adventures. There is nothing like a good pair of rain boots for boys! Riley is just a blast to have around -he is a joker and keeps us on our toes. Still refuse to be potty trained and is still afraid of being naked. I'm still not sure what to do- we've tried everything even bribing him with a trip to Disneyland! But when Grandma asked if he was going to go potty and go to disneyland he just said "NO, I not going to disneyland"! Urgh! I've never had a problem with my kids being potty trained but I have figured out there is no forcing him and eventually (hopefully soon) he will accept being a big kid! I can't imagine our family with out him and love him to pieces!




Owen also had his first birthday a couple weeks ago and I can't believe how fast it has gone. We weren't able to celebrate on his birthday so this past sunday I made him a monkey cake- not the cutest ever but hey I worked the night before and had just woke up from a nap! That's how it goes! He is our little monkey. He has been climbing things for the past two months and is into everything! He will climb anything he can get his leg up on-stools in the kitchen, Jocleyns rocking chair, the bench in his bedroom(which then leads him to climb on Rileys bed), the stairs, the couch, and so on! A little scary when he didn't know how to get down but now he is a champ! Although I'm still not fond of his going down the stairs - he walks along the wall or sits on his bum- it's scary to watch. The boy has no fear! Last week he really started to walk and now he can pretty much get across any room without falling. He also loves to give kisses,high 5's and loves to wrestle with the boys- but watch out he also bites pretty hard! We've all learned our lesson. We took him in for his 1 year check and he is 75th percentile for height and 25th for weight. He's our smallest kid-hazards of having 5 older siblings I guess.