Making the Most of Our Time

Can't think of anything sweeter than spending time with grandchildren.

Maybe the sparkle their parents have in their eyes as they watch them entertain us.

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The floor is sanded and ready for color.  We hope to do that this coming weekend.

We promise it won't give your feet slivers but it might knock your socks off!

 The the ceiling is all painted and the walls are primed and ready for color.  MANY thanks to Jake, Lindsey and Davis for all their help this weekend.  Here are Mark and Jake ready for action.  Too bad we didn't take any after photos!  Wow. Spraying is such a time saver!

Making the most of our time...sometimes that means lots of hard work when we are really tired.  Sometimes it means savoring the minutes you have with the people you love.  Sometimes it means giving up something you want to be doing to help someone who has a need.  Learning, thinking, organizing, creating, planning, dreaming, working, loving, sharing.  Hope we are all making the most of our time.

Celtic Night 2011

Em...we couldn't be more proud of you!  Your dancing was magical

to watch. I wish I could have beautiful photos of you in action, but that

wasn't possible in the big theater.  We are so proud of you and your

hard work and focus.  We love the passion you have for dance.

Thanks Shelley, Kaycee, Janey, Abbie, Lindsey, and Molly for coming

up to spend time with us and watch Emily.  We love our family.

 This post will probably go down as one of the least favorites as far as
quality photos...our little orange camera wasn't in the mood so we
have what we have, but it was a lovely evening!

 The director, Julie, broke her foot Thursday night at the
dress rehearsal. We are sad for her. She is a remarkable lady.
This is a picture of Em, Julie, and Julie's daughter, Jocelyn.  

The Ellen Eccles Theater is beautiful.  What a sweet weekend we have had!


And here is a little secret!  Miss Em is be getting her braces off Thursday afternoon!  She can hardly wait!

We Can't Imagine the Sorrow

We had our own little disaster this weekend.  You can read about it here.  But watching the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami in Sendai really puts things in perspective. Our prayers and with these sweet people as they try to pick up the pieces and move on with their lives.  It's hard to imagine being so overwhelmed and broken.

Insulation Day, A Beard & Gettin' the Jig On!

Liam...this little clip is for you to see.  We had the BIG insulation trucks pull up in our drive way yesterday.  They took a very, very long hose out of the truck and put it up through the window of our

new party room.  The men who were dressed in plastic squirted white foam out of the big hose and covered the wall and the ceilings with this foam.  When it comes out of the hose it is wet and then it magically grows to 100 times its size and becomes giant and fluffy.  It looks like a very big marshmallow!  If you look carefully you will see the steam that comes off of it at the end.  It gets very hot - 140 degrees! It will help our room stay cozy warm in the winter and nice and cool in the summer.

You might hear Papa say..."it looks like a giant cowpie!"  Ask your daddy what a cowpie is! Hee Hee.

I filmed it on my cell phone - blogger wouldn't take it.  I filmed my cell phone with my
little Elph camera and I think it kinda worked...
I have posted some progress photos on the sidebar link.

 Here is our girl with a shadow of a beard and still a little chipmunk-y.
But she can now chew real food and smiles a lot more!!

For the past several months, Emily has been lacing up her dancing shoes.  March is a busy time if you are an Irish Dancer.  This girl can certainly get her jig on and is so much fun to watch.  We are so looking forward to her performances.  She has been working really hard.

 

Next week she will be doin her jig on the big stage!

Take LUCK, EM! xoxo

Treasures...

When I was a little girl I would play with my cousin in the homes my uncles were building.  We loved going in these gigantic castles (or so they seemed to us) and searching for treasures.  We considered ourselves the luckiest girls in the universe when we found the magical silver coins left behind by careless workers.  We knew we would be rich one day!  Last night I went down in the man cave and had a peek with Mark.  The lights are on and there is power!!  Yippee!!!  But the first thing I noticed was - all over the floor were the magical silver coins!  I couldn't help myself...I had to pick up a fistful to save!

Presenting the man cave...with lights and power to build and create!

How exciting it is to finally have power!!  It won't be long now before all of these

tools will humming in harmony as papa builds some bunk beds and 

book shelves and worktables for the new room!

*Camber update...developed an infection and the swelling still continues.  She is starting to bruise under her chin and is feeling pretty lousy :(  I think she needs a cupcake.

Its about time to say farewell to the beauties of winter in our little neighborhood.

Our Little Chipmunk

Friday morning Camber lost all of her wisdom...teeth, that is.  She must have a very fast metabolism because she woke right up after surgery and was quite with it.  I came armed with the video camera to catch any hysterical comments.  There were none.  She did ask what time it was several times.  Well, the poor little thing was already swollen when I tucked her in the car to take her home.  When they smile and tell you "...everything went really well!" They don't bother adding all the details like how far they had to stretch your mouth open or how much tugging and pulling they had to do.  Guess that is best for all.  She is on the road to recovery :)

Friday morning just after we got home.

Her special technique for holding the ice bags in place.  Great use for a hoodie!

Saturday night...lots of swelling and sore jaw.

Sunday morning...very swollen and still have a hard time opening her jaw.

Get well soon Camber!!  

We miss your cute smile!!

xo

Beauty and Color

Did you realize we all re-design our lives and homes about every 7-10 years?

I just got back from a fabulous color workshop hosted by Bennett's Paint and presented by Fawn Chang from Porter Paints. You can read a little bit about her here. I just couldn't take notes quick enough.  It was so interesting to listen to her teach us about design and color and space.  One of my favorite quotes was:

"Beauty and color are as necessary as water, air and light.  By loving your spaces you become a force for positive change in our world." ~Fawn Chang


I also love this new phrase:
Kalos Kagothos ~ "Triumph of meaningful beauty"
    ... a beautiful object or a person of admirable character

And if you haven't heard :)  the color of the year is.....

The official report was released to the media on December 9. In it, Pantone Color Institute Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman says, "In times of stress, we need something to lift our spirits. Honeysuckle is a captivating, stimulating color, that gets the adrenaline going- perfect to ward off the blues."

The hue's uplifting effect is attributed to the fact that its mother color is red, the most "physical, viscerally alive hue int he spectrum." It is a stark contrast to last year's color fo the year- cool, serene turquoise "While the 2010 color of the year, Pantone 15-5519 Turquoise, served as an escape for many, Honeysuckle emboldens us to face everyday troubles with verve and vigor," said Eiseman

I have added a few new photos of the progress of our room.  I came home with the most beautiful paint chip sample card and I can hardly wait to start creating new wool colors.  I think I better figure out a formula for the color of the year too!  *Keep your eye over here for updates* Honeysuckle. It's sweet. Hope your week is going great! xo