Fun Halloween Craft (no it's not too late!) & Hawaii Preview!!

When school & activities were canceled during the fires last week I desperately looked for something fun to do with the kids. They were going nuts not being able to go outside. So, after talking to a dear friend (thank you Jane!) who had just done these crafts with her kids we got on the site http://www.familyfun.com/ & got crafty! These were fun & EASY Halloween crafts made from things I already had around the house. A definite success. My kids LOVED making these! The kids were able to mold their own ghosts (with salt dough) from this easy recipe :

***This dough was so great & so easy--it would be fun anytime to let the kids mold shapes for any occasion! Besides ghosts, Loren made a swan & a witch. Jake also made a car for his ghost! Lindsey made an entire family, with twin baby ghosts of course!

Then, we used brown paper bags and made the spooky paper bag trees by following these simple instructions:

It has been way too long since I've visited their site. What great ideas! I know that I'm super late blogging about these and that it's almost Halloween already but oh well!!! :) Check out the pictures of these ghosts & spooky trees on this site as well as other great ideas at http://www.familyfun.com/ .

Ok...next...we're heading to HAWAII tomorrow to see my parents & finally be together with all my immediate family!!! YAY!!!!! Loren gave us a little preview & got us in the aloha spirit today at her Hawaiin Dance Class recital! SO CUTE to see those little hips swayin'! She's getting pretty good!

This is Loren & her teacher.

Swayin' to "Over the Rainbow". Go Loren!!

So cute!

Would any of you guess that I have performed a hula dance for an audience at the PCC in Hawaii? :) It was our "recital" for the hula p.e. class I took at BYUH! The funnest p.e. class I ever had (okay...except my surfing P.E. class!). No, I was not a dancer for the PCC . White, blonde girls can't find many jobs at the PCC--Polynesian Cultural Center--but, I happened to luck out and got a job my freshman year to sell "Pineapple Delights" at the night show...Moo Moo and all! Want me to bring you back to my BYUH single days? Why not. Fun times! Next time I get back on here! :)

Oh, I can feel the tropical breeze & the sand in my feet already! I'm so ready to get to fresh, clean air & tropical paradise....not to mention seeing my family!!! & hopefully being there for my sisters 1st baby to be born! (So sorry Whit that I can't pack you up in my suitcase! We had some good times didn't we?). ALOHA!!

Surrounded-- By Fire & My Little Treasures

I don't have any pictures of the blood-red sun & the blackened sky of yesterday or the neverending images of canyons & homes up in flames or threatened that filled the news stations today--I just didn't think to capture it! I have been just amazed & shocked & it just hasn't felt real--that this was happening in our valley! It still doesn't quite feel real. But, I know that to many it is VERY real since they had to quickly gather their families & precious belongings/valuables & evacuate from their homes --or were evacuated at some point today because of these amazing wild fires. We have been in "hibernation" mode all day & have felt very safe & "far" away from danger--while all around us fires were burning! Surrounded!Today, the kids were restless, wanting desperately to play outside while we kept tuning into the news off & on & trying to find things for them to do. Two of our children have asthma & so we stayed in with all windows & doors shut tight. I was on edge, watching them every second, looking for the signs of an attack. They were affected, but thankfully not as bad as I was expecting. We had quite a few melt-downs today & needless to say mom was tired & not as patient as she could have been! It's been a long day! Why am I awake!? At one point we didn't know if friends were going to be camping out at our house last night due to a pending evacuation order or that if family from San Diego (who had a mandatory evacuation) would be coming to stay with us today.Things were just up in the air! As we checked in with friends or were called by friends today we realized how close the fires actually were & that it was affecting many of their lives. They had gone through the experience of gathering what they could & evacuating with their families. I imagined what they must have been going through & was hit hard with the reality & possibility that we too could at some point be foreced to leave our home & many of the comforts & "things" we have (if not this week maybe next year or in 5 or 10 years). To have to leave, not knowing if your possessions would be there when you returned would be overwhelming. However, at times such as these it is amazing how quickly priorities are put into perspective. Things are just things, a house is just a house...but our families and friends are the real treasures, the real happiness. How quickly we can become focused on the "things" around us, including all the really good things we are involved in...that in an emergency situation is all canceled & not of real importance...the focus is turned back to those things that can never be replaced...our loved ones. I'm grateful we're safe & that all my kids are sound asleep in their own beds (& that two of them are breathing & not suffering from asthma attacks!). Tomorrow is a new day to treasure. I'm so grateful for my little family & I hope & pray that all our loved ones are sleeping soundly tonight as well.

Admitted Confession

I know...I know...I'll confess and admit that one of my "faults" is to stew & then stew some more on things (ok...lot's of things!) & change my mind MANY times while I'm at it. Usually, once I do this a handful of times I finally get things to where I really like it! In this case--my little banner at the top of my blog--I needed more color!! Oh, I love photoshop! I'll change my mind again probably, just be prepared! I've been known to "just need a change" & quick! When I have my mind set to it I won't wait around for help. Probably my worst example of this is back when we lived in Draper, UT. I just HAD to move the piano to another wall because I needed a change & thought it would look better--BJ was at work--oh well, can't wait! It's got to happen NOW!! Not the smartest idea considering I was 8 months pregnant (with Lindsey). Put me into a nice set of contractions (not new since I have contractions for months & always have babies a few weeks early!). Well, I had Lindsey about a week later. Yup! I'm nuts. The piano had wheels though!! :) BJ just laughs & knows that things may just change around when he get's home-- pictures changed around on walls, kids entire rooms changed around (& then sometimes moved right back), something painted a new color, another "little" project started--need I go on?! I'm a nut case! But, I have fun doing it all. I love to see things in a new way, make something old look newer & be a little creative once in a while. It's not a fault, right?! It's my outlet! :) ok...here's the lovely piano that has moved around I don't know how many times!

Check out our new website business!!

We finally have launched our new website business: http://www.myplace2sell.com/. Go check it out and post something you want/need to sell or get free advertising for! This can be anything...your home, car, clothing, shoes, home decor, appliances or your homemade product, service, or business. We have been working on this forever it seems and it has finally reached launched status! Yeah! We have many more features that are coming to the site as well! This is a video classifieds site where sellers can either list items they have for sale with pictures, or take it a step further and use video as well. It is so much more interesting to see how a product looks from all angles, or the sounds or functions it has. It is also much more captivivating to see a video of someone describing their resume, or taking someone on a tour of your home, rental, service, business, etc. from the comfort of their own computer! If you are overwhelmed at the video option just take some pictures. For examples of what others are doing visit our site!

Finally!

I have finally entered the blogging world! I have been viewing several of my friends blogs for months getting great ideas & loving their pictures & updates----So! After much coaxing & reminding & then more coaxing I finally have done it! (Thanks to Mique & Lindsay!). I decided to name our page-- A New Day to PLAY--because it's a new goal of mine and I need a daily reminder! Every day is a new day to set aside time to just play with my kids--either spontaneously or planned, for 5 minutes at home or an afternoon at the park or somewhere... but just PLAY...with my undivided attention! Sometimes my days are SO busy filled with the typical stuff mom's do like carting kids to their activities they are involved in, homework, lot's of reminding :), laundry, dishes, running errands, projects, making meals, more cleaning up and...oh the list goes on! Sometimes, we get through a day and got lot's done...or NOT, but we didn't just PLAY! So, there you go! Who is joining me?!

We had a great time playing at the pumpkin patch last week during fall break. All the kids & I went with Jake's preschool class...they had a blast!!! A major highlight was counting what seamed like 100 scarecrows in the corn field during the "train ride". Allison was amazingly entertained in her stroller for almost the entire tour! At the end she was released and loved "organizing" the little pumpkins she found. Aren't these kids cute?!