My business

One day, I am going to have my own business--any kind. I always have ideas for it. Right now my idea is to get a cute place, like remodeling an old house or something, with a beautiful garden in the back. It would be a bistro, where people could go to relax and drink some lemonade in the summer in the garden or hot chocolate by the fire in winter. It would also have Todd's eclairs and other nummies, and I'd learn how to make cute pasteries. I'd also have events there, like tea parties and holiday activities and kids and adults birthday parties and such. Ohhhhh, I would enjoy that.

Coming soon..... :)

Boys Club

Today the boys went to "Boys Club," (not to be confused with "gentlemens club") a club for 5 and 6 year old homeschool boys. They loved it! There were 7 boys, including my boys. They play and then have an activity every week. Today they also exchanged Valentines. Alex chose Spongebob Valentines and Nathan chose dinosaurs. They have another Valentine party with another homeschool group on Friday and they both chose "Wonder Pet" Valentines for that one.

Here is a small thought from the "Boys Club": One of the moms hosted the boys club in her house. Her house was very clean, she had everything very organized, she had chore schedules posted, she had a detailed daily schedule posted which included waking up at 5:30am, she homeschools her children and has a baby. I was envious of her organization. And seeming supermom skills.

Another mom there was pregnant, due April 1. She has been sick with her pregnancy. Her little boy came to her and told her that the toilet was not flushing. The host mother went into the bathroom and confirmed that the toilet had been clogged. Pregnant mother and host mother danced around the issue of who would plunge, for quite some time, so I said, "I'll do it." Host mother replied, "You're not scared of it?"
So I went in and plunged the toilet-- Superhero Kristie. I bet she was envious of my bravery.

Moral of the story: we all have our strengths and weaknesses.

How do I love thee... let me count the ways

On Monday Todd and I will have been married for eight years! We went out last night to celebrate and my wonderful brother and his wife watched the boys for us. We brought the baby with us because she is having some separation anxiety and because she is such a good baby that it is not a burden to have her with us.

We started out going to an early dinner/late lunch at Chili's. Then Todd said he had a surprise activity for us... he was taking me shopping!! And not just any shopping, but the girly stores that I love!! (Remember this post?) Todd HATES shopping, but he didn't even complain and let me look as much as I wanted and let me get some things, too.

After that, it was a little after 6pm, and I told him we could look at a store he wanted. He went to Circuit City for a few minutes, and then we went to eat dessert. Todd had a brownie sundae and I ate a molten lava chocolate cake...yummy! We were going to go to a movie after, but they were all sold out. But we were getting tired anyway (we are an old married couple now) So we went back to Ryan and Shannon's.

shopping and chocolate all in one day...I told him it was the funnest day I've had since we went to Disneyland.

I love you, Todd!!!!! Happy 8 years and an eternity left to go!!!!

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of every day’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
- Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Flashback Friday

I know a few blogs who do "flashback Friday" where you tell a story from the past. My story will show you how wierd I really am.

I was on my way to Salt Lake to my sister-in-law's baby shower and I thought I could find her house without an address or directions. Well, I ended up lost and no one was answering their phone so I could get directions. I was getting frustrated and so I called 911 to get directions. I told the guy I was lost (I'm surprised he didn't ask if I was a 5 year old) and he told me, "well, 911 isn't really for directions." I told him I didn't know what else to do, so he was nice and told me the directions. To make matters worse, I was practically there and didn't even know it. Gotta love 911!
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In school we learned "singular-just one" and "plural-more than one". Nathan said, "I want a plural of cookies!"

Alex's piano lessons

Alex started piano lessons today! His teacher is REALLY GREAT and used to do a music class for the kids for my daycare and does music in the kids' primary. She is Russian and her mom is helping her, but her mom speaks no English. They did a great job and Alex said he liked it and had fun. I am so excited--very-- and hope that he enjoys making music as much as I do!

I have the best husband ever

But I have to add-- I am an idiot. Todd ordered these flowers this morning to be delivered to me today to surprise me. We must be married, though, because I just started thinking about flowers today and thinking, I really want some flowers, so I'm going to ask Todd to get me flowers for Val. Day and our anniversary (Feb. 9). So I emailed him with an idea-- ("I wouldn't mind if you got me flowers... I like ...") That was in between the time he ordered them but before they sent them. We had a good laugh.
Thank, Todd! I love you!

I'm rubbing off on him...

I had to write this...
Todd is really excited about Kate's Easter dress:). He told me today "I can't until we get it (we ordered it online) and I can see it on her." I laughed and he said "What? It's a cute dress!" I laughed and laughed!

THE Easter dress

Can you imagine my angst trying to pick ONE dress for Katherine for THE Easter dress??? There are SO many cute dresses, how could I ever pick one??? So, Todd picked to relieve me of THAT KIND of pressure! We did like the polka dot one everyone voted for, but Todd and I liked this one better. Here's the one he picked:

I was ok with it because there is a 30 return policy in case I see one that I like so much better.

Now, what kind of head accessory... bow? hat? flower wreath? So many choices!!

Funny clip

This was really funny. I stole it from my neighbor's blog.
http://mcghie.blogspot.com/2009/02/funny-clip.html

Look what I got!

Mommy got me this ADORABLE hat! She was so happy because it was only 99 cents! It's purple and looks really cute with this shirt and bracelet. But let's be honest, it's really ME that makes the outfit adorable!

Look what else Mommy got for me (thanks, Daddy!):

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Today we were going to meet Todd at a bakery (The Sweet Tooth Fairy in Provo) by his work to see him. He asked me to bring him a hot dog for lunch. Well, in trying to get all of us ready and in the car I forgot the hot dog cooking on the griddle! I didn't remember it until we met Todd. After we ate our sweets, I went home and it wasn't even burnt even a little. So I put it on a bun and drove it back to Todd's work and he ate it and he was happy.

fun day

Today we had a fun day. We went shopping! We each got to pick a place (but Katherine and I were on a team). Alex picked Toys R Us, Nathan wanted to get a rubber duck in Salt Lake we saw last week and I wanted to go to a boutique I saw online (Dear Lizzy). The boutique was GIRRRRRLY!!! I came out of that store smelling like roses. The boys tolerated it and were good about it, but I long for another girl to go window shopping with me! I can't wait until Katherine is older and we can go together. Can I have more girls, please?? Who wants to go shopping with me until then? Here's what we would do:

Go to Tai Pan--they have a bistro now too-I wonder if that's good, go to Gardner Village and then have a tea party at the tea party shop after window shopping, then go to Dear Lizzy and then eat at the bistro and have their pretty pasteries and cream sodas. There's also a cute place that serves a traditional English tea by Trolley Square.
Know of any other good girly shops?
Oh, and there's a new patisserie that just opened next to Quilted Bear in Provo that is really good- The Sweet Tooth Fairy. You should try it.

Tip for expectant mother and good news/bad news

Dear Kerry,

Here is one thing to know as a future parent: kids are not logical.

Case in point:

Baby Katherine usually takes 3 naps a day and goes to sleep between 7-9pm. Today she decided to take ONE 20 minute nap. Logic says she will go to sleep early, right? Well, she went to sleep after 9pm, after a long massage, singing, nursing, back patting and finally tylenol. (As a side note, she is still a very happy baby, even with no sleep). But,

they are definitely worth it!

Case in point:

Freshly bathed baby in cute bunny towel:

Dancing to the Superbowl half-time music:

I love you! I'm so glad you are my sister!

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Some more good news and bad news:

bad news:

I threw a paint bucket in the laundry room and it opened all over the dirty clothes.

good news:

It mostly got on sleeping bags and blankets, but it ruin some clothes (it could have been ALOT worse), so we get to get some new clothes!

good news:

Todd made some REALLY good cookies for our "Superbowl party" (just our family, and really it's not about football, it's about the food). He wrapped them up on the counter for us to eat after church. We did steal a few and boy were they good! (He made other things, too, but he is going to post them on his blog with pictures)

bad news:

We came home and saw that Rocket had eaten ALL 14 cookies. He had to be outside the rest of the day, mostly so Todd didn't kill him. Todd tolerates Rocket because he knows the rest of us like him, and Todd had spent a long time making those cookies and was really looking forward to them. BBBBAAAAAADDDDDD dog!

Rocket outside pouting, with 14 caramel coconut chocolate cookies swimming in his tummy, sitting on the painted blankets we threw out back to dry.

Todd's eclairs available

Todd's eclairs are now on the Nie auction if you want to bid on one dozen of Todd's divine goodness:
http://www.formerlyphread.blogspot.com/

Do you have something you could donate to the auction? email jennyeckton@gmail.com

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You'll also notice that Todd is the highest bidder for the signed photo of Brooke White from American Idol.

Today Todd was looking through the auction and saw a 2-hour landscaping consultation. He thought "That's a stupid one. I wonder what people are bidding on that one." Then he saw I was the highest bidder.

little moment

Here was a "little moment" from my day: I was sitting in the chair with my covered-in-pink baby, contently sitting on my lap, Alex snuggling with me (that doesn't happen much these days:() on the other side, and Nathan (in his shark swim shorts) explaining to me, as he's running around, how his lego rocket he made is defeating Saturn and Jupiter (complete with sound effects); all the while eating homemade slightly over-baked brownies I once sold on the street corner in my bathingsuit.

(that was the world's longest run-on and on and on sentence. kinda like the time I spoke in church the entire sacrament meeting and they had to invite todd to speak the next Sun.... so embarrassing!)

Happy times:)

Baby eats pen

As I was trying to do the dishes the boys yelled, "Mom! Baby has pen all over her face!" You can't see it too well in the picture. Right after this picture she pooped out of her diaper all up her back... And that's how my day started.

My day also included:

"Boys clean up the toys in the living room."

"Boys clean up the toys in the living room."

"Boys clean up the toys in the living room."

"Boys clean up the toys in the living room."

"Boys clean up the toys in the living room."

"BOYS CLEAN UP THE TOYS NOW!!!!!!"

"Boys put your shoes on."

"Boys put your shoes on."

"Boys put your shoes on."

"Boys put your shoes on."

"Boys put your shoes on."

"BOYS PUT YOUR SHOES ON NOW!!!!!"

good news and bad news

Good news:
I finished all the painting downstairs, put the furniture back and even SWITCHPLATES on!

Bad news:
Our computer died so I can't post pictures. I'm on Todd's crappy work laptop right now. The boys and I are going through computer withdrawls really bad.

Bad news:
Stephanie and Christian Nielson got in a plane crash and got burned (click here to read the sad story). I love reading her blog (click to read) (before and after the crash).

Good news:
They are doing an online auction for them. Todd is donating a dozen eclairs for the auction. Click here to see the auction.

Good news:
You can now order super powers on the internet. Alex got on the dead computer today and told Nathan he was ordering super powers. After typing some keys he said, "It should arrive in one to two days."

The Beach with Rexy

I was putting Baby to sleep for her nap, and Nathan came in there with his swimsuit on and his other swim shorts on Rexy (pronounced "Raxy"). He told me they were swimming on vacation at the beach and said, "We laid on the towel for a while now we are going to take a run on the sand," and ran off.
Sorry, no picture though because I fell asleep with Baby.

Yesterday Nathan told me that he loves Rexy as much as me; and if our whole family died, he'd still have Rexy so he'd be ok. But if Rexy died, he'd have his family so he'd be ok.

Nathan, Rexy, Katherine and I went to some shops yesterday for fun. (Alex stayed home to play Titan Quest with Daddy). One store was PetSmart and there were lots of dogs in there so he asked me to hold his Rexy the whole time so none of the dogs would get him. He was really worried about that. Nathan would tell me, "Rexy wants to eat things in the store." So we had to tell Rexy not to eat the goldfish, and other things we saw.

I had to add this-- just now Nathan said pointing to his toys (Rexy, Sharky, dinosaur toys), "Wouldn't it be horrible if someone told me I had to eat these guys raw or die?" One of these days I should just follow the boys around and write down everything they say.

My Day

What a beautiful day it was! What a difference the sun makes! It was probably over 50 degrees-- Hallelujah!

Me: "Gosh, it's so bright I need my sunglasses! This is great!"

The blue sunny sky reflecting in the melting snow and ice...Spring here we come!!

I went to a home decorating store (Tai Pan) today and came out of the store with my head spinning because there were so many things I wanted in that store (went home and took 2 advil). I did get a cute Easter decoration for $2.98 that's on my coffee table:

Nathan: "How much is this, Mommy? Can we get it?"

Alex: "I'm going to save my allowance for this..."

Alex and Nathan: "We're going to save our allowance for this."

Alex to Nathan (who is going crazy like a self proclaimed "wild onion"): "Listen you diabolical student!" (and hitting stick thing on the back of chair)

In the car the boys talked about buffalo and other randomness and made me laugh, and they decided to play a game of all the games in the world when we got home. Nathan to me: "Does that sound like awesome? Do you want to play?"

Everywhere we went everyone oogles over my cute baby:

Katherine: "Thanks Emily and Erika for the dress, and Thanks Nana for the coat!"

These are the smiles she smiled at me today (she's looking at me). Aren't I SO lucky? The other day we were at Del Taco and a little girl came up and said, "I wish I was her mommy."

Painting

Yesterday I spent the day painting, painting and painting. I am finally finishing the painting project I started almost a year and a half ago in the downstairs living room.

Though I loved the artwork...
creative artistry from Daycare Child:

Creative artistry from different Daycare Child:

paint samples all over the living room:


Neglected child #1:
Neglected child #2: looks like the paint fumes are getting to him...

Neglected child #3: and very happy about that because that means Mommy is not monitoring computer time (What's with the Terminator look?)

Tip of the Day:
Don't EVEr eVEr EvER EveR EVeR eVer EVer EVEr eVEr EvER EveR EVeR eVer EVer try and texture walls yourself.

But I am happy with the color and half of the texturing (the one pictured above)

More pictures to come when I am all the way done.

Random Thoughts

I am painting today-- I'll post about that with pictures tomorrow, but for now I thought I'd write about some thoughts I have.
First, it seems like a lot of people lately are telling me how lucky I am, so that has been a theme in my thoughts lately. I'm grateful that I have so much. I really am lucky/blessed.

Another thing I am thinking about as I paint is about how my sisters Allison and Kerry both chose the color "teepee brown" to paint their walls. There are millions of paint colors out there and it was such a coincidence that they both chose the same color! Another coincidence-- the other day I was on a date with Alex in Provo and we decided to go through the McDonald's drive thru. Guess who pulled up right behind us? Ryan and Shannon! What a coincidence that we happened to be in the same town and go to McDonalds at exactly the same time. I think it's more than coincidence though, we are family! We've got some kind of family vibe going...or somethin...

Sugar and Spice...

...and everything nice, that's what This Baby is made of!!

Kerry touched up this photo for me and it's so adorable! I'm going to frame it.

Isn't this a nice picture? I got it here

Allison's pics

Here are some really cute pics of my sister Allison's family- click here.

Cute Kids Pictures

Here's Katherine all bundled up....thanks, Allison, for the coat!
The boys are scheming...they like to invent traps. Here's a trap they made and the pretend brownie is the bait. They had me test it out and when I took the brownie they pull the tape measure and I pretended to scream. Alex said, "It worked perfectly, Nathan."

A while back Alex got a big sucker with a big red bow on it and he took off the bow and gave it to me and said that I could use it for Baby (cute). So here she is in the cute bow Alex gave her. Have you ever seen anything so cute in your whole life?????

After she has a shower her hair gets really fuzzy so I tried to hairspray it down today.

Look at those beautiful (tired) blue eyes!