Silly Little Things

Easter Crafts!

2011-04-22T16:27:00.000-07:00

I was just about to email my wonderful friend Wendalish about some of the crafts we've been working on lately, and I thought, heck! I might as well post 'em on here - what's it gonna hurt, right?

Well, we've had a few of my nieces around the last week, along with some of my other amazing nieces and nephews here in Utah and they always force me to dig deep in the crafty department! This spring I've seen so many great ideas on different blogs, so we decided to try a few out! Here's how we're doing so far :)

First off,

this http://www.howdoesshe.com/decorating-with-peeps and this http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/04/tutorial-quick-and-easy-easter-wreath/peep-wreath-ii/ inspired this:

My mom took over and wouldn't let me touch it (even though it's going to hang at my house :) and went wild! It actually looks even better in person - I wasn't sure what I would think, but I actually really like it :)

A dessert we're half way through with can be found here:

http://www.howdoesshe.com/easter-tradition So far they look like this:

But we're having some problems peeling the balloons out - next time I think we should cover the balloons with powdered sugar (shaking off all of the excess) before we dip them - No one wants laytex in their Easter Mousse! (oh, we're just doing bottoms, not tops - 20+ people are just too many to do tops and bottoms for! :D We're calling them baskets instead of eggs :) Oh! We're going to fill them with mousse made from this recipe:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Death-by-Chocolate-Mousse/Detail.aspx Death by Chocolate sounds alright by me! :D

We also made these:

http://picky-palate.com/2010/12/06/brownie-covered-oreos/

But for some reason they all stuck to the pan this time! We used the spring oreos with yellow centers this time - so fun! Last time, we just used the regular ones and used colored frosting (on top of powdered sugar) to decorate them like eggs! I'll have to see if I can find a picture! It was fun for the kids (figers dipped in brownie mix.... broken oreos... you get the idea ;)

The kids really had a fun time painting and working on THESE:

As you can see, our flock is only half done - most still need eyes and wings! We found our inspiration here:

http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/crafts-by-type/animal-bug-crafts/animal-themed-crafts/bird-crafts/easter-eggs-easter-dove-661708/

After they got painted my sister had the great idea to spray them with sealant - Genius! Here's a few P did a few weeks ago (sans flight -perhaps they're related to penguins more than doves) We've consitered doing some Angry Birds, but for now this is what we've got ;)

Well, there are a few other things in the works, but I think this is will do for now! I'm exausted and half of them aren't finished but hopefully we can make it! Tonight we're going to dye eggs! I REALLY hope we can try Silk Tye Dyed Eggs, but you probably shouldn't eat them and I don't know how many my hubby has to sacrifice (though I'm sure I can find a few... ;-) If you want to know how, you can check them out here:

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/04/silk-dyed-eggs-aka-tie-dyed/

and here:

http://www.skiptomylou.org/2011/04/06/silk-tie-dyed-eggs-tutorial/

Don't worry - we haven't forgotten the REASON for Easter - we found this little 7 day guide to the week before Easter here:

http://beinglds.blogspot.com/2011/04/three-awesome-easter-activities-for.html http:

Though I had a hard time printing the pages

This sweet neighbor is going to have Easter dinner with us and will be making Ressurection Rolls found on that page as well! (or something like that) This looks like a nice guide as well:

//www.sugardoodle.info/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4281&Itemid=5

Well that'll do us for now, folks! Love you and hope you're having a wonderful 'Holy Week'!

Some YW Valentines and Personal Progress tags

2011-02-12T13:18:00.000-07:00

Here are a few hand outs I made for Valentine's Day in our ward - We're passing them out with chocolate heart suckers - yum! I'm not quite sure how to make it so when you click on the picture it's a high enough quality to print, but if you're interested, just let me know. I know there's not much time to use them - I'm kind of last minute here! :D

The Valentines were designed with tags and elements from Summer Driggs's Dance with me kit. I've also attached some Personal Progress tags we're attaching to heart suckers. They were inspired by Carol at ldsywpersonalprogress.blogspot.com (specifically this post: http://ldsywpersonalprogress.blogspot.com/2009/01/put-your-heart-into-personal-progress.html) and designed again with Summer Drigg's Dance with me kit found here: http://summertimedesigns.blogspot.com/2011/01/dance-with-me-kit.html
Anyway, enjoy! I enjoyed making them and hope the girls like them too :)

Quick! Watch it before he deletes it! :D

2011-01-06T14:19:00.000-07:00

Dru's Christmas gift to his girlfriend :) No, he doesn't propose-even better!

What we've been up to...

2010-12-05T19:02:00.003-07:00

Hey Everyone! Wondering what we've been up to lately? Check out http://operationcompassiondonations.blogspot.com for photos and more! :) Thanks and Merry Christmas Season!

Thanksgiving Project!

2010-11-24T23:39:00.001-07:00

After being inspired by blogs like Impress Your Kids and so many Thanksgiving Ideas, including those at Craftily Ever After, I thought my daughter and I would try making a Thanksgiving sign to help us get in the mood and make our home a bit more festive for the big day!
So today (yes, the day before Thanksgiving) I pulled out the canvas and paint and we went to work!

To begin, I gave Priya a paint brush, some orange paint and let her go to town on the canvas!

Notice the intensity! :D Please ignore the 'bareness' of it all - we were in a hurry and that seemed to be the easiest way to keep paint off her clothes for the moment - I know, I'm a nut.

While that dried, I hit the computer and, with a little design advice from Joe (a shocker, I know ;) we came up with this baby! Unfortunately, the first time around, I miss calculated and we make it a little too big - but with a quick adjustment, Joe had it ready to go and had the vinyl printed! I quickly weeded it (probably the easiest I've ever weeded! Most of the time I hate that part!) and attempted to stick it to the canvas - no luck! After MUCH impatient patience, I finally got it down! This is how it looked:

This might be ok... IF you are a Denver Broncos fan, which I am CERTAINLY NOT (sorry Wend, but nothing new in that statement! ;) So we moved on to the next phase:

Originally the plan was for me to paint around the edges of the letters and let it dry so Priya wouldn't accidentally peal up the letters as she painted, but after I started I realized letting the paint dry completely without pulling up the letters could pose a problem! So, I made Joe get my rouse my recently put to bed Non-sleeping Beauty and I put her to work!

We finally put the princess to bed after she did a thorough paint job! About 30 minutes later I carefully removed the vinyl and WALA! It's not perfect, but it's a new Thanksgiving treasure! Hopefully someday we'll add some ribbon to the edges, and I wish I'd thought to put the kids hand prints on it or something, but there's always tomorrow (and if not then, next year! :)

Here's wishing YOU a HAPPY THANKS Giving! :D

a picture for you

2010-10-26T13:19:00.001-07:00

My big 7 month old :)

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It's True...

2010-10-17T20:38:00.000-07:00

My Baby is a CRAWLER!!! HOORAY! And (in the words of Joe) oh Crap! :) We're in for it now! He did his first official forward moving crawl last night at 11:30, 30 minutes before he turned 7 months old! What a big boy!! And thank you to Grandpa H. for suggesting the plastic chicken as motivation - haha! Who would have thought - but it worked! I just can't believe how he's gone from needing us to sit him up 2 weeks ago, to totally able to move wherever/however he wants! It may not be pretty, but that boy can get just about anywhere he wants to go!

Also, he cut a tooth back on Oct 6th, I think! Late birthday present to me I guess :)

What a big, smiley, happy boy! I love you tons, my little man! And I'm so glad Grandma & Grandpa Heaton, Jon & Rainah, Robert & Beth were all there too! Now I have witnesses ;)

PS - what a great few days with family! We just feel so blessed to have spent so much time the last few days with so many of Joe's siblings, their spouses and his parents - really, what a great group! My heart is just so full right now with gratitude for each of you, not to mention all of the fabulous family and friends that we didn't see this weekend... We truly are rich - thank you!

The 6 Month Old :)

2010-09-21T16:04:00.000-07:00

While doing a family photo shoot for my friend Wendy (her 'unrefined' favs (meaning I have yet to really put my hands on them :) can be seen on her blog here) I took advantage of the moment and snapped a few of my little guy! I don't know why I love this top one so much, but I do :) Here are a few favorites and some messing around I did with them :)

There are others, but I think this will suffice :) The one that's in the group of 4 is my favorite, I think.. though I'm never really very sure :) Last Friday on the big day we were horrible parents and bought Krispy Kreme which we shared with him, much to his delight! Priya made him a card and we sang "Happy 1/2 birthday!"
I cannot express the joy this little guy brings to my heart! He smiles, often at the drop of a hat and those eyes could melt the coldest heart - Truly, little man, you are a Gift from God!
Here's to many a birthday ... 1/2 birthday more! :D (and keep smiling when your mom tries to take pictures - it makes her happy! See Wo's of a Mom Photographer :)

Bread Maddness!

2010-09-21T14:38:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday I decided to take a bread making class from our new downstairs tenant, Adrian! Well, it seemed so easy I got the necessary ingredients and Sunday made THESE top 2! Italian bread and STUFFED CRUST PIZZA! Actually, the pizza was a team effort, but I made the bread - SOO good! And start to finish, the bread is done in 1 HOUR! (10 min prep folks, that's it!)

Well, it went so well, I decided to do another half batch (this is a 4 loaf recipe mind you), however this time things did not go so well - flour stuck to the bottom of the bowl, runny beyond imagination... I couldn't figure it out! I managed to salvage a couple lame loafs, but a work of art it was not!

Yesterday, however, we were having an end of summer BBQ and I was DETERMINED I was at least going to make a loaf of Italian bread to share, if not some rolls but AGAIN things were not going right - I couldn't figure it out! I'd add flour, and it would look like it was going to work, but then it would turn back into a bowl of soupy mess!! Gross! I worked it and worked it in the bowl, adding more and more flour. After probably 20 minutes (this stuff is supposed to only mix for 5 mind you) I realized my mistake! While I halved the recipe, I FORGOT to half the WATER! No WONDER I had a mess! I quickly added more ingredients and below are some of the results! Beautiful, if I do so say myself!

Some were lighter and fluffier than others, but after all of that I'm just happy I came out with anything edible! Thanks Adrian and I can't wait for the next class! YUMM-O!

Post Script: Adrian is an instructor for Pantry Secrets and if you'd like to take her next class, I'm sure she'd love to have you! You can find info on her classes here:
http://www.pantrysecrets.net/classes-instructors/adrian-selle/

The Swapping Beauties-Frozen Dinners & Recipes, Oh My!

2010-09-20T08:47:00.001-07:00

Some of you may be aware that I am part of a frozen dinner exchange group! Well, we started a blog outlining how we do things and since I've spent some (ok a lot :) time on it, I thought I'd share it with you! You can find it at www.swappingbeauties.blogspot.com. We've also started posting favorite recipes and while so far I'm the only poster I have assurances my co-collaborators will be joining me soon (nudge nudge :).
It's still a work in progress, so let me know whatcha think! In the mean time, Go Swap something - it'll make you feel good!

Broken Crayons? No problem!

2010-09-20T08:35:00.000-07:00

While I have several adventures to post about, I just couldn't help share this next 'day off'' project - and it's so easy we shouldn't even have to wait for a day off! Here a link: http://cookienut.blogspot.com/2010/08/coloring-shapes.html All it is is turning old crayons into new fun shapes! Awesome!

Coming up next - adventures in the photo and baking world and 'the perfect play-date' - Excited?

What would you do with 2 hours and a box of band-aids?

2010-09-09T22:21:00.000-07:00

Poor Peewee - she went to the doctor today because I found a few little bumps on her skin - turns out they were molescum and they were EVERYWHERE! From her head to her toe (or shoulder to foot - close enough), she was covered! And worse, the only way to get rid of them is to dig out the center - GROSS! THANKFULLY, the doctor covered her with numbing cream that sat on her skin for 45 minutes before they went to work on her little body and while I don't think it was very comfortable, she hung in there and didn't even complain once! I think her daddy and her BoBo may have helped a bit with that too :) Either way, after 2 hours, a gagillion band-aids and lots of pokes and prods, Baby P has proven herself quite the trooper!!

When they were done, she had over a DOZEN new band aids (including 1 for the scrap she got while we were waiting and she stepped on a pack of BBQ sauce and I tried to clean it and she fell over, skinning her knee, but that's another story), many covering more than one of the spots she had removed :( Tough day! The nurse was laughing though because she had 2 little band aids on her bum - one on each cheek! HaHa - I know, TMI but it was so funny! I wish I had pictures - not of her bum, you freaks, but of her covered in band aids - it was a toddlers dream come true!

As for me, I've been working on a secret project that you will NEVER persuade me to tell you about! Oh, ok, it's another blog, but that's all I can tell you! Well, it's for our frozen dinner swap group - there - exciting I know :) But it's been fun to prep and I'm excited to roll it out soon! Oh, my exciting life! ;)

I've got a few more projects in mind for my next 'day off' but ... I'll save that for next time - until then! Oh, and if you're having a rough day, just grab a band-aid - the 'experts' say they help ;)

A Day Off!! (Kind of :)

2010-09-07T23:55:00.000-07:00

For once Joe got to stay home on a holiday (Yay!) No, he doesn't have some pressing carrer that requires him to work holidays - he just has a silly employer that thinks it's better to give a couple 'floating' holidays than actually give the guys the day off when normal people stay home! (not that I have an opinion ;) Oh, I guess I like the floating holidays too... let's just give 'em both and call it good - Deal? Well, it was worth a shot! Who am I kidding? Today I'm just glad he has a job and he likes it and the future looks decent- 3 things to be grateful for - but enough of my tangent!

We had a great weekend complete with a trip to TGP (Thanksgiving Point) and a lot of family time (yay for siblings and kids!) and then on Monday decided to take on our yard a bit! In case you don't remember what it looked like at the beginning of the summer, check out Joe & Pee wee here :)

After months of work and care, we finally have GREEN! We've been slow often times to cut it because it's still just baby grass (and, well, we forget :) but yesterday it was CUT and EDGED! AND we added red lava rock to the front along the sidewalk - doesn't that sounds cool? LAVA rock...lava lava lava...ROCK (easily entertained :)

And here are the results! Ok, again just taken with my cell, but at least you get the idea! You can even see the construction going on across the street -wild! It's taking lest time to build those houses than it took for us to get grass!

So THAT'S what we did with a day off... well, sort of :) We still were parents and still had to, ya know, take care of them and all, but still!!

Next day off... repaint THIS!

Vids of my Kids :)

2010-09-07T22:05:00.000-07:00

1st off, my baby is WAY too big! What in the world?! He's going to be 6 MONTHS in just over a week - madness :) (every mom sounds like this, doesn't she?oh well - might as well embrace it) He's also decided he's ready to be a 'sitter' so way to go him! So to kick of our vids of the kids here are 2 of him - one from Monday sitting on a ... whatever you wanna call the thinger, which Joe for some reason feels the need to push - the kid can hardly sit and he's trying to take him for a joy ride! Boys! :)

This next one is of him tonight- I know, the quality on both of these is horrid, shot on my cell phone, but I think his personality outshines the video quality, especially on the first one! ;)

Kids - they grow up so fast ;)

Our last kid vid is of P. yesterday recording a video for her uncle in Iraq - it's nothin fancy, but it's cute to see her little face :D

Well, that's it for this episode of 'Vids of my Kids - tune in next time for Priya starting high school! Or...not ;)

PS - bubble painting!

2010-09-07T00:15:00.000-07:00

Bubble Painting!

Doesn't this look fun?! We've got to give it a try! Find it here at WhiMsy Girl or Love or something like that :)
THIS I might actually be able to do without a day off! :D

The Masterpiece!

2010-09-06T23:56:00.000-07:00

Remember that 'Crafty Bug' that bit a few weeks ago? Well, that day Priya and I went outside, I pulled out a canvas and paint and I set her up and let her go to town! Below is the result:

Notice the cutie hand and feet prints? I think she did great! I really didn't help, except to steady her feet a few times and help get her paint set up! After painting the base coat in the morning she couldn't wait to do more, so in the afternoon she finished it off!

After we had our little painting party I stumbled across this blog with a great idea for spicing up toddler painting in a fun and creative way - check it out! It's called "Impress your Kids" and it even starts out with a nice tutorial about how to cut out paper letters really quickly and easily - but that's for my next 'day off'!

We actually attempted a few 'crafty' things today with a little modge podge, some scrapbook paper and
some block letters, but I'm not sure how they'll turn out yet so we'll save that for another day :) It's truly my first real project attempting to decoupage so we'll see how we do! (Priya is always my little helper, hence the 'we' - could you imagine Joe attempting to use Modge Podge! HA!) So hopefully you'll hear a success story someday soon! If not, I'm sure the letters will end up back in my closet where I found them this morning, awaiting future enlightenment and rescue. Till then!

It's time to celebrate!

2010-09-05T22:54:00.000-07:00

Finally I have a functioning blog again! I've been so bad about posting I'm sure I've lost most of my audience, but maybe we can work on that :). While I'm trying to catch up on posts I'm hoping to start sharing some projects I'm saving for the day I finally get some 'time off' - haha, HAHA er, I mean, when I work it out that I can try out a few new things :) I have to be careful not to give away any secrets though! Who knows - if I EVER get to any of these things, they might be a present for YOU! :D

To kick off my list of things to do on my 'day off', there is this great photo book I'd love to try out!

Let me back up-

The other day I found this blog "We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ" . This month this site is celebrating the family, and is doing so by focusing on an AMAZING document called The Proclamation on the Family, put out in 1995 by the Prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley as well as the Twelve modern-day Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Anywho, this blog is having guest bloggers all month and the one for today came up with this great idea for a photo book celebrating the Family and this incredible Proclamation! Check it out here!

I might tweak it a bit... if I ever get to it! :) But there you go! For you, for me! And if you'd like to learn more about the sacred importance of the family and what we can do to help strengthen ours, check out their Celebration - who knows, we might just learn something, and, well, celebrate ;)

PS - I'd love feedback on anything really, but especially about my header - is it too much?! I love playing with stuff, but I'm afraid I might have gone a little over-board! HAHA well, at least you can see 2 of my favorite Silly & Precious Things! And, let's be honest, they're probably what you're here for! ;)

the cookie is crumbling... :/

2010-08-27T15:45:00.002-07:00

Dang it - my blog is falling apart! Sorry for the glitches in the scenery - hopefully I'll have it beautified again soon - pics of priya's master piece (part of our 'crafty bug') coming soon!

Gettin Crafty!

2010-08-10T11:04:00.000-07:00

Ok, so the crafting bug has been working on me for years, but it's kind of hit or miss in the virus manifesting it's self. However, I think it's really got a hold this time! By proclaiming this here, I'm hoping to actually have something happen! THEREFORE I am proclaiming the new Priya/Mommy crafting hour! Perhaps we'll call it Peanut Butter time or something silly like that :) Anyhow, I think one of our first projects will either be her paining a canvas for her room (her idea :) or us mod podging a canvas of bath time photos for the bathroom - either way hopefully you'll see updates about that and much more coming up soon on SLT (Silly Little Things) Stay tuned!
:D

Wos of a Mom Photographer

2010-07-20T20:28:00.001-07:00

Why are your own children always the most difficult to get a good photo of? ;)

YW Values handout :)

2010-06-27T18:40:00.000-07:00

The bottom one we printed as 5x7s and gave to the YW as a hand out @ our recognition night - if you'd like a copy, please just leave a comment and I'll get it to you. We use the theme of "A call to Virtue" as a theme for the night and had a board where we pinned up statements the girls made about what they would do to live more virtously - it was really neat :D

Whew!

2010-06-27T12:35:00.000-07:00

No, I don't have the promised ballet photos yet - whoops! It's been quite a few weeks! First off, we were sprinting to get things ready for a big YW recognition night on June 16th and then on Father's Day my parents came in town for a week to hang out and celebrate Alysse's graduation from 'beauty school'! She'll start in on the Skin Academy and become a master esthetision (sp?) starting in the fall - she's amazing and I'm sure will do big things! Then next week we'll take a little trip to Wisconsin for a while and leave Joe here while we hang with the Lemke, and hopefully some of the Heaton clans!
This last week has really been a ton of fun, with my mom helping me organize and clean out the kids clothes, my dad cutting down trees and mile high weeds and just playing, having fun with all of the cousins with movie nights, swimming, jump on it, boodocks and lots of other fun adventures! I think one of the neatest things is that P. was finally big enough to do more of the fun things and the second neatest thing is that I wasn't so big, so I could do some of the things as well! :D It's been a blast being able to do things with her and just have fun without worrying about a big ol' belly... well, at least not quite as big!! :D
In another note, Brayden has got to be the smiley-est kid ever!! That baby is always flashing a smile and mom, dad and even strangers! Its so funny because almost every time you ask him a question, he replies with a grin - we are just so blessed by our crazy and happy kiddos! We'll see if we can post Alysse's grad. invite and some of the YW stuff I've worked on lately - have a beautiful day!

Dancing Queen!

2010-06-14T18:01:00.000-07:00

AH! I just realized I never blogged about Priya's first day at dance class!! Well, here's a teaser with more to come :)

It's been a year...

2010-06-10T21:07:00.000-07:00

So, I guess I'm waxing a bit nostalgic tonight. It's been a year since we've moved into our house today and I can't help but reflect on all of the fun, amazing, sad & tragic things that have happened in that year. I can't help thinking about the Grandmas and Uncle we lost, some with more warning than others, and how much I ache, missing them here on earth with me. I am sad none of those who have gone got to meet my baby in the flesh, though I'm sure many were with him before. I miss their laughs, I miss their love and I miss having them here in my life.

I can't help also thinking of this crazy house we have and all that has come with it, for good or for... less good :) I think of our neighbors, our church responsibilities and all of the other things that have changed just because we moved a few miles south. Just over a year ago we had tenants that were some of our best friends, not to mention family and now, we have wonderful tenants in a totally different place, yet it's just not the same. At least Robert and Beth moved too, so its not like it's our 'fault' that one changed :D

I can't help also thinking of all of the beauty and growth of this year. Another pregnancy, this time with a toddler in tow! A beautiful boy that is healthy and oh so VERY very happy! A joyful, dancing, singing, performing, dirt-playing, every-day dress wearing 2 year old that offers a new reason to laugh (or cry :) about every 20 minutes. I also can't believe she finally has hair! And it's oh so cute too! (even if it is out-of-control nap hair! :D)

Mostly, I can't stop thinking of how grateful I am... grateful for my family...near and far, immediate and less so...grateful for my children and husband that I love more every day... grateful for my brother getting ready to deploy, even though I'm scared... grateful for new friends, new responsibilities.... new chances to honor and remember and reflect on the lives of those who have passed - to remember stories they told, try recipes they made, learn more about the lives they lived and hopefully live to be with them again someday.

Believe it or not... it's only been a year.

Hangin with Dru part 2

2010-06-10T19:11:00.000-07:00

So as promised, here are a few more photos from when we were all hanging out the other night, along with comments :D feel free to add your own (hint hint-ooo I'm so subtle, I know!)
We had a lot of fun and are just happy we'll get to hang out for another day or two in WI before he heads off for a year. PLEASE be safe, little bro! <3Enjoy!

Hangin with Dru...

2010-06-06T17:15:00.000-07:00

Dru deploys soon, but before he does, we spent a little time hanging out at his place with a few friends and family. We had a fun time and look! We even got Dru to hold a baby! (don't you love the face :) More photos to come - I know, you can't hardly wait, can you ;)

1st trip to TGP - take 2!

2010-06-06T17:11:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm trying something new... I THINK this will link to an online album, but who really knows :D Here are a few more photos from last Thurs. trip to TGP (no Dad Heaton, not 2 Girl Party- nice try though!) They're not edited or anything, but I'm hoping to make a few edits if I get the chance... especially of my monkey girl and hopefully one of this cutie boy too :) What a cute group of kids, huh?

TGP round 1!

2010-06-05T14:01:00.000-07:00

Ok, I was going to wait to post these till I had the rest from our Thanksgiving Point trip ready, but I couldn't wait any longer :D I was just so happy with the way these turned out! Last Thurs. we went to TGP Farm with my good friend Wendy and her 2 kids and had a great time! Ok, more honestly, we survived dealing with 2 2 year olds and 2 2 month olds and even got some time hanging out with another adult so I would count that as a super success and a smashingly good time :D Oh, and I think the kids had a good time too :D

These two girls have been friends since birth! Here's to hoping they'll be friends for life! :D Love you guys!

300!!

2010-06-02T17:17:00.003-07:00

No, not 300 hot guys killing people.... my 300th Post!!! And it's only taken 4 little years to do it in ;)

Happy 300 to you, Silly Little Things! With all the catching up I should do, we'll be at 400 in no time! haha :D

More of Grandma's Visit!

2010-06-01T15:10:00.001-07:00

I was so sad when I realized I didn't take any photos of our Wii playing and all the other fun thing we did with the fam while Grandma Heaton was here! We had a great time with the 'ray ray', 'ry'?, 'jon-o' and 'rainy' but apparently that's all only documented in video :) Maybe we post that another day - Mom beating Joe at Wii sword fighting was pretty intense! :D And Jon and Joe jamming was definitely over too soon! So much talent it's out of control! Hopefully Jon will get a chance to share some of the tracks he and his brother in law are recording someday soon!

What I DO have is a few photos from after church Sunday- first my Peewee again :) Then here are my 2 dapper dudes :) Joe had to go get his suit-coat. You'd think now that he's kind of a leader at church (EQP) he'd wear a coat with his suit pants more often, but no :) Still the same Joe!
Below that is Grandma, then me - notice my photographer didn't have quite the same skill level as in the other shots ;)
At the bottom is a picture Mom got from Grandma Ella's house - it was Grandpa Garth's and I believe his dad is in the photo... is that right Mom?
Well, that's us for now! Enjoy your day and my cutie fam!

Dru's unit on Memorial Day

2010-06-01T12:55:00.002-07:00

This is Dru and his M.I. unit! Like he said,
"Check out utah news ksl for what we did today besides kill things wit dis 50 Cal machine gun 141 Military intelligence" this was a text :)
Here's the link:
ksl.com - Utahns, deploying soldiers pay tribute to service men and women

A few other things he sent by text yesterday :D Too bad I can't get the tank vid to work :)

Thank you....

2010-05-31T15:11:00.000-07:00

... to all who went before and are fighting now so that we could enjoy all that we do. Thank YOU. (that means you too, Dru)

Our Beautiful Yard (and our crazy girl!)

2010-05-31T15:09:00.000-07:00

As I type, Joe is outside finishing tilling our beautiful yard that just last week looked like this:

A crazy photo, I know, but she was dancing around and being so cute! Unfortunatly, it doesn't really translate into a photo well :) Below you can see Joe from earlier this week. He looks much the same today :) Fun way to spend Memorial Day, isn't it :)

Below is a photo of Priya AFTER playing outside earlier this week. Note the dirty face, sliver in the hand and ADORABLE headbands ;) They're some of her favorites.... we see them often, both as headbands and necklaces :D

And this is the princess with her crazy hair...post nap :D I think it was a different day where her hair was nice and beautifully curly earlier, but I just love the wildness :D It looks like her hair might take after me after all ;)

Grandma's Visit!

2010-05-31T14:58:00.000-07:00

Ok, so, as is normal, I am behind in blogging :) We've had lots of events I hope to get back to, but I couldn't wait to post about Grandma Heaton's special visit!! She came out to take care of some things with Grandma Ella's house and we were blessed enough to have her stay with us! As you can see, neither Brayden nor Grandma took much time getting comfortable :)

I had to post this little glamour shot Daddy took while Priya was getting ready to go to church yesterday :)

Grandma did a whole lot of diaper changing... apparently she thinks its fun, or something like that.... ;)

Well, I'm not quite sure about the sanity of anyone who enjoys changing diapers, but we were sure super excited to have her here!! I'll post more photos later - boy am I glad to have my picasa blogger button working on our new computer... yes you can only do 3-4 pics at a time, but it sure is a heck of a lot easier! Whew! you might actually get updats from us now! :D

1st photos

2010-04-24T00:12:00.000-07:00

Some of his first photos :D

Brayden's Birth-day and week 1!

2010-04-23T22:58:00.006-07:00

First of all, my Mom flew into town on Monday afternoon and we met Dru, Brent and Craig's family at the Thai Village - Yum! Tues we spend preparing for the rest of the week, with Brent and Dru coming over later for dinner - apparently they thought I was hogging my mom to myself and missed the fact that she and I were trying to get stuff ready for a new baby and a house full of guests! :D Boys ...

On Wed., March 17th (St. Patrick's Day) we went into the hospital, but I already can't remember what time I went in, other than it was after 9 or later - and that I had to wait a while because they were SUPER busy with other soon to be Mommies :D Anyway, everything went just fine... I was prepped for surgery, had to wait a bit, but then was taken in and by 1:08 pm I had my baby boy! Like I indicated before, this whole pregnancy has seemed a little surreal, but once I knew he was born, the reality and wonder of it all hit me with such force. I felt...honored and awed to be given this amazing little boy. We love him so very much and are incredible grateful to have him in our lives!

Even though I just went into the hospital on Wed, I asked to be released early so by Friday night I was back home. I was off IVs and lots of family was coming to stay the next day so I decided to come home! Unfortunately, I still wasn't very mobile, though to be honest, I probably should have stayed in bed a bit more :) oh well! Thankfully i had lots of great help, first and foremost in the form of my Mom and Joe... they made it possible for me to do ANYTHING those first weeks! THANK YOU! I also had tons of help from my great friend Katie Q, Stephanie R and Rachel, along with my mom, who helped clean and prep my house for guests! We tried so hard on our own, Joe and I, but let me tell you, at 9 months, I am NOT very mobile! :)

Early Sat. morning my Dad showed up and when he finally woke up he too helped prepare for everyone! He's a saint too! My dad ended up staying 3 weeks! Saturday afternoon my brother Brian and his family came for spring break!! WOOHOO! It was so great having them here! But I'm sure I'll talk about that more in the next post :D

In the mean time, here's a slideshow from week 1! :D

A Big First Month!

2010-04-16T23:03:00.002-07:00

Well, with all the visitors that have been out here in the great state of Utah, you might guess correctly that this little guy has quite the first month of life! While my bed is calling to my sickly bones at the moment, look forward to several posts filled with lots of exciting adventures for both kiddos... well, about as exciting as life can be for a newborn and 2 year old, without traveling more than an hour and a half from home.

Grandma Ella

2010-04-16T22:04:00.004-07:00

A few days after baby Brayden joined us on earth, his great-grandma Ella Gregersen left us. She is an amazing woman, with an incredible sense of humor and love. It was always so fun to take Priya to visit her, even when we got scolled if we so much as frowned in Priya's direction. In Grandma Ella's eyes, a little girl like her could do no wrong and I'm pretty sure she would have at least punched us in the arm, if not punished us further, if we ever tried to scold Priya in her presense. :) The only two things I wish could have been different when I think of her are, #1, that we could have introduced her to Brayden on earth - at her funeral he was wearing a little suit I know she would have gotten a kick out of :) and #2, that I could have known her years ago.

Dad Heaton had a brief and nice tribute on his blog: http://frozenpizzasundays.blogspot.com/2010/03/blessed-relief.html

And Mom Heaton wrote a nice obituary:

http://www.richfieldreaper.com/articles/2010/03/23/obituaries/gregersenella.txt

We miss you, Grandma!

Welcome to the World...

2010-04-05T19:13:00.005-07:00

These photos are from when he was 1 week old... we sure love this little man!

If you'd like a link to more photos (currently on facebook), let me know and I'll send it your way.

Joey & 'rents :D

2010-03-07T18:00:00.002-07:00

I made this collage super duper quick the other day in Picasa for my baby shower - such cuties :D

Thank you....

2010-03-06T17:58:00.002-07:00

Thank you so much for everyone, near and far, that has made today such an awe-inspiring day. Thank you for ALL of the love and support, both for me and my family during this day of celebration of life - both at it's beginning and end...Thank you! ♥ Under the circumstances, we could not have hoped for a better celebration...

baby 'st. patrick'

2010-03-03T14:12:00.002-07:00

It's (almost) official!! They should be calling me today or tomorrow and scheduling my C-section for WEDNESDAY the 17th! St. Patrick's Day, here we come! No, we will NOT be naming him Patrick, but we are still looking for cute name ideas, so please feel free to pass them this way! Anyway, just wanted to share the news! My cutie holiday babies... at least their birth dates should be easy to remember!

Bruce - We will miss you...

2010-03-02T09:13:00.003-07:00

In the end, the blood clots and other complications won out and my uncle, Bruce Robert Lemke, passed away yesterday afternoon at about 5:30 Milwaukee time. Plans for a memorial service are being made for this Saturday, March 6th, which also happens to be my baby shower... perhaps that's a good thing so this beautiful new life can help ease the pain of a life cut short.

We will miss him, his love and his never ending sense of humor! Family parties will certainly have a less laughs without you.

With love -

Bookshelves!

2010-02-27T15:11:00.002-07:00

Never have I really had a place to put kids books... until now!!! Joe just built these uber cute shelves (with a little Bree inspiration) and I LOVE them! He even used the router my dad gave him for the first time as well - thanks dad! No more books on the floors, getting destroyed because they didn't have a home!! Now it's just time to fill them, which we get to work on Monday as we head to Barns and Noble with Wendy and Sophie to use a birthday gift card from Onny and the M's! Can't wait!!If you look close, you can even get a glimpse of the 2nd poll Joe put in the closet to fit Priya's and the baby's clothes, as well as the top of 2 shelves for toy bins! Look at us get organized!

Thankfully, we had TONS of help from Craig & Deann -she's helped me organize and sort everything from Priya's baby clothes to boy clothes she and Katie brought over so our kid wouldn't go naked or have to wear pink! ;) They're all hand me downs, but who cares! At least we don't have to buy a complete wardrobe for him and its cute!

Craig also helped do a ton of stuff from patch the ceiling and wall to wire lights in our hallway! WOOHOO!! Maybe we've got a shot at getting this place in shape before baby boy comes after all!

Thanks 'team'! If it were all up to me, this poor kid would be up a creek! :D

Lions & Tigers & Bears... Oh my!

2010-02-25T16:43:00.008-07:00

So, I know this is a random thing to post and I don't want to seem needy. It's just a lot of people have been asking about what we need for this soon to be born little man, and since not a ton of people see this blog anyhow, I figured this might be a discreet place to post a list :)

So here we go!

First of all, we am registered at Walmart and Babies R Us, though in truth, I think Target has some of the cutest baby stuff!

Really, what we need is anything BOY! :D We have so much pink, girlie stuff and I LOVE it!! However, I'm not sure Baby Boy Heaton would be happy to look back at his baby pictures and seem himself adorned in pink! :D Here are a few ideas:

Boy outfits, ranging from 0-24 months

Boy Bath towels and washcloths

Receiving Blankets & burb clothes that aren't pink :)

Boy Swaddlers/burrito making blankets for sleeping (they ususally have some velcro or something to help out with the swaddling

We have a few bigger blankets that are yellow, but a blue one or two wouldn't hurt either :)

Other things we need:

A new changing table cover (we registered for one or two at Babies R Us)

A hamper

Diapers & wipes! (we love Huggies brand, but will try whatever!)

Other baby care/cleaning/medical supplies that you always need on hand -lotion, bath soap, tylonal, etc. Unfortunately, we usually use Aveno, Aquafor and other scent free supplies since Priya's skin seems to indicate we'll have 'sensitive' children :)

Soothie passifiers

Bassinet sheets/extra crib sheets

Other ideas:

Books!

Baby Mat for tummy time

Boopie cover that's not pink

Same with a nursing cover!

Car seat toys

Boy hats! - baseball, beach, whatever!

A simple dinner scheduled for some time after the baby is born

A weekend get away for 2 ;)

Anything else your wonderful mommy brains come up with!

I'm sure I've forgotten things and I know we've registered for a couple more decorative items at Babies R Us. Really and truly though, we're just grateful to have friends and family to celebrate this special time with-We are blessed to have the people around us we do! A call, note, email or even facebook message or blog comment with congrats is plenty! - anything else is just extra!

My friend was kind enough to give us her old bedding set, which is adorable! Here's a link to it if you're looking for some inspiration. http://www.mybabysam.com/madaboutplaidbeddinginblue.aspx

His room is beige, brown and white (with a pink wall his sister will be sure to dominate :) Her stuff is cream, white, brown and pink)

Again, thank you for even thinking of us! We are just excited/nervous for our new arrival and can't believe he'll be here so soon!!

With love - PB&J + 1

(oh, why the title? well, I kind of like jungle animals for his stuff, but not super bright, crazy colors-though I like receiving blankets that are blue and brown, even if they're bright! just not bright green for some reason... I know, totally random! Sorry! Maybe I'll rename this post when I come up with something better :)

2010-02-17T00:02:00.001-07:00

So, I need to change my header, but I couldn't wait any longer on the back drop! Don't worry... it may not be for another month or so, so our little man can be part of the header, but something cute is on the way! :D

A break from the serious

2010-02-16T09:48:00.003-07:00

OK, since my posts have been of such a serious nature lately, I thought it was time to share a few photos of my cutie, crazy girl :) My dad emailed these to me yesterday! Thanks Dad! The first batch is of Priya at my Grandma Jean's house when we visited in Jan... She loves her some donut!

This next batch is from when my family was out here just after Christmas... Can you tell she loves her 'tutu's' :D

I love this little cutie! :D

Bruce...

2010-02-15T18:34:00.003-07:00

Bruce and me :D

It looks like Bruce will have his leg amputated Wed. They've upped his pain meds, which is a relief, but my mom is really worried what damage has been done to his mind from all of the swelling on his brain the last 2 weeks... All we can do is wait and see and hope that this amputation is a good thing...

Grandma Jean... Bruce, and other thoughts....

2010-02-05T11:51:00.006-07:00

My grandma Jean passed away Jan 23... she had suffered a major stroke more than a week earlier and though she amazingly made a bit of a recovery, it was only temporary. Gratefully, I was able to fly back for a week and spend some time with her before she passed away. Unfortunatly, I wasn't able to be there for her funeral, but I was able to design her funeral program...here's the front and back...

Its hard to really realize she's gone... and that my Grandma Lemke is gone as well... As I prepared for my trip home to see Grandma Jean, I found my self thinking about how I needed to make sure I stopped in to see Grandma Lemke... I guess it still isn't real. I love them both so very much and hope they are at peace with those they love. Of course, I also hope we will soon be able to do their temple work, but we'll have to see when the time is right for that.

Unfortunately, it appears as though tragedy has not quite passed us by yet. About a week ago my uncle Bruce who came and visited us last summer and fall with my parents went into the doctor with what he thought were stress fractures in his foot. Instead, it turned out the pain was being caused by several blood clots in his thigh (even though he's already on blood thinners) and they admitted him immediately to the hospital. By the following morning he suffered a stroke and no longer has use of his right side. His speech was also affected, which is especially tragic since Bruce is ALWAYS handy with a joke or funny comment! It may spare the staff some bad jokes, but it's really putting a damper on his ability to cope.

After seeing my grandma improve so many days after a stroke, I'm still hopeful he'll recover at least mostly... Unfortunately, today is not the day for that I guess... they just moved him to the intensive care unit of a different hospital...

My poor baby boy... this pregnacy has not been very focused on his little life! It began with the funeral of my Grandma Lemke and the chaos of moving into a new home, amazing visitors and me learning how to be a mom to a toddler. Then there were abnormally chaotic holidays, starting around Halloween and lasting into the first weeks of Jan, when my other grandma fell ill... On top of that I've been struggling to wrap my mind around the fact that there is a little BOY coming into this home... I love him so so soooo much.... but what am I supposed to do with a boy?! I know it's lame to feel that way... I've come to embrace the thought and get excited about it in the last week or two but I feel like there's so much I need to do to prepare and I just don't even know where to start.

Don't get me wrong- we have had TONS of wonderful times and experiences the last 8 months... it hasn't all been tragic. Thankfully, we have been blessed by lots of time with WONDERFUL family and Fantastic friends! I just wish I knew where to start so that I felt I was ready for this beautiful boy to join our family instead of feeling like I'll be playing catch-up from the moment he gets here!

But I didn't want this post to be about me.... I just wanted to share what's been going on lately and I guess I started to vent a little too much! Hopefully I'll post some more of the crazy and adorable things our little Priya has been up to soon... she certainly is an amazing joy and light that seems to shine no matter what else is going on! We are so grateful for her!

thank you for your patience with me. we love and are so grateful for all of the amazing people that bless our lives constantly... thank you...

With love, Bree

Cookies Cookies EVERYWHERE! :D

2009-12-13T00:20:00.002-07:00

Well, I can't believe I didn't take a SINGLE picture, but we had a cookie exchange here tonight - what a blast! I so wish you all could have been here! You wouldn't BELIEVE the piles and piles of cookies! Thank you everyone and I hope to have recipes ready to share soon!

2009-12-09T23:41:00.000-07:00

Isn't this so cute?! She was so excited Monday to try out her snow-suit! Unfortunatly the only boots we could find that fit were rain boots, but 3 pairs of socks later and here you are! After all of the prep and smiles, I thinks she spent about 5 minutes outside! HAHA still so cute!

2009-12-07T21:27:00.003-07:00

So much to blog, but i couldn't miss the fact that Priya finally said "I love you" this morning to Joe as he left for work - it was so cute! Usually telling her to say I love you is met with her blowing several kisses, but not this morning!

To top off her cuteness, she has been saying most of our family prayers the last few days - most of the time she doesn't even let us say them without making sure she has a chance to repeat key phrases and words :D SO cute! Anyhow, just wanted to share!

Last Day of Gymnastics - FIRST Hair Cut!

2009-11-20T16:45:00.004-07:00

So this was kind of a big week for our 'baby' girl! Last Tues. was her last day of gymnastics and YESTERDAY was her FIRST haircut! The photos have comments so it should kind of narrate the 2 events for you... Over all a fun week :D

Uncooked Squares aka Dark Chocolate Goodness :D

2009-11-16T15:48:00.000-07:00

Uncooked Squares – aka Dark Chocolate goodness!

By Bree (actually, by my Great Grandmother, Helen Zion aka Grammy)

There are 3 layers.

Layer 1:

· ½ cup butter

· ¼ cup sugar

· 5 T. unsweetened coco powder

· 1 t. vanilla

· 1 egg

· 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (I use 2 packs, minus 2-3 graham crackers – 2 full packs makes the mixture too dry)

1. -Heat butter, sugar and coco powder in a pot, stirring till smooth

2. -Beat egg and vanilla together then beat into above mixture

3. -Add graham cracker crumbs (I find the finer the crumbs the better… if mixture won’t stick together, add a little more butter or less crumbs)

4. -Pack in the bottom of a 13x9 or smaller pan (it all depends on how thick you like your layers)

Layer 2:

· ¼cup butter

· 2 T. instant vanilla pudding powder

· 3 T. milk

· 2 cups powdered sugar

-Mix and pour over first layer

Layer 3:

· 4 squares bitter chocolate (baking chocolate) (I replaced a square or two with dark chocolate because that’s what I had- it works but you need to be careful or it gets WAY too sweet!)

· 1 T. butter

1. -Melt over double boiler & Pour over layer 2.

2. -Chill the whole thing till firm –

NOTE: You want to make sure you score the top of the chocolate after it starts to firm but BEFORE it’s hard! :D

ENJOY and think of us J

HALLOWEEN PARTY MOVIE CHOICES :D

2009-10-25T23:17:00.005-07:00

Sorry - I blurred the address for safety, but if you need it just let me know :D

OK! Here are the current movie options!!! I was going to do a poll, but there are too many and we need to decide fast if we hope to actually be able to GET a good one! While I'd like everyones feedback, I'm especially looking for PARENTS of younger kids to vote... (and ALL parents to let me know if there's something you really DON'T want me to show!) I haven't seen all of these, so your input is CRUCIAL! :D Just leave a comment and let me know that you think! Thanks! :D

(PS - if you didn't know, we're having a Halloween Party and YOU'RE INVITED!)

The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown

Practical Magic

Monster House

Wizard of Oz

B&W Frankenstein

B&W Dracula

Something Hitchcock

Nightmare Before Christmas

Corpse Bride

Curse of the Warerabbit

Hocus Pocus

Monsters vs Aliens

Haunted Mansion

Casper

Psycho

Watcher in the Woods

Wait until Dardk

Monsters Inc

Twitches

Halloween Town

Ichabod & Mr. Toad

Brothers Grimm

Monster Squad

Beetlejuice

Young Frankenstein

Something Wicked this way comes

Mr. Boogidy

Igor

The Village

Signs

Pumpkin time

2009-10-25T20:01:00.004-07:00

Last Sunday we carved pumpkins over @ Dru's house - here are a few of the crazy photos! Yes, priya is trying to kiss Boom (the dog). Also, you can see she thoroughly enjoyed tossing pillows down to her uncles! They, in turn, enjoyed pegging her with them when they threw them back - Nice uncles :P :D

ELMO!

2009-10-25T19:31:00.003-07:00

So, a few weeks ago Priya fell in love with an Elmo sweatshirt she got from Onny and gang - here are some photos of her showing it off! (She then wanted me to take photos of BoBo :)

Since then we purchased an Elmo trick or treat pail, which has joined her in her bed for almost every nap and bed time since we bought it!

Crazy Kid!/Future Supermodel? :D

2009-10-23T23:34:00.005-07:00

I was going to wait till I posted a few other things first, but this was last night and these photos crack me up! I can't choose just one - they each show some other crazy part of her nutty personality! How I adore this child! :D

So... it's been a while...

2009-10-20T21:30:00.003-07:00

Sorry it's been so long! I don't have anything particular to blog about ... probably just a million things big and small, but I thought I'd at least share a few recent photos from some of our more recent... adventures :D

First, here are a few photos of Priya and Baby David playing the other day. They were both still in PJ's and driving me CRAZY so I opened the door to the wet porch and let them at it! In case you can't tell, Priya was trying to sip the standing water out of the chair - GROSS!

She was mad here because we didn't want her to keep playing with the screen door!

As you can tell, the were both VERY wet!

I was going to combine the posts, but I think we'll just have to break things up for now... so more fun stuff later!

Next Top Stylist - Alysse's Way! :D

2009-09-26T21:41:00.000-07:00

So, Alysse is another competition at school and has some beautiful photos. Here are a few. The first one the theme was texture.

This one the theme was color... While she did dye the hair (beautifully I might add) she chose to add bright colors with bright yarn balls instead.

This one is from this past week - theme Fashion Forward. She created the outfit with corrugated cardboard and a black sheet, with a cardboard hoop skirt. - Crazy, huh? The hair is fun too...though I can't really tell you what she did... it's so easy for her but then she explains it to me and it sounds like... HUH?! You figured out you could do WHAT with hair? And that's easy, huh? Well good to know! Who'd of though... :) While it's an over all competition, there are also weekly rankings for the top 3 and Alysse took 1st last week :)

The funny thing is that she was sure she'd be eliminated since hers was so different from everyone else's. Almost every week she seems to take the theme and do it slightly different from everyone else and there has been some... unbalanced judging in the first several weeks. But thankfully adjustments have been made and there seems to be a much more level playing field! Now, win or loose, at least it should be fair! There are lots of beautiful photos and alysse's are always a little different, so we'll see what happens next! Good luck, Ci Ci! We're rooting for you! (and I can't WAIT to have you dye my hair this week! GREAT TIMES!)

Thanks to Everyone...

2009-09-20T15:17:00.003-07:00

who voted! We're heavily into the planning stages of the party and it's gonna be lots of fun! We'd love suggestions for movies, games etc so if you've got some ideas, we'd love to hear them!
Oh! I'm also trying to figure out the best way to make a fake person! I'd love to make several, but when i tried last year, it just looked like a lump in a chair :( any suggestions?
Take care!
PB&J+1

Labor Day

2009-09-14T22:04:00.004-07:00

Time for bed!

So, our Labor Day was pretty chill, but we did spend some time with Rachel & Ryan hanging at a park etc. Here are a few shots (ok, mostly of P) from the day! I was having fun taking pics of her little jeans - so cutie! :D

18 month photos - kind of...

2009-09-14T22:00:00.000-07:00

Any of you on facebook have probably already seen these, but just for my non-facebook family and friends viewing pleasure, here are a few of my silly little girl :)

18 month photos - attempt 2

2009-09-14T21:38:00.004-07:00

I haven't really had a chance to touch these up or anything, and most are pretty random, but I think they're kind of fun anyhow. Well, hope you find one you like! Either way, she's my cutie girl - I love that little chick-a-dee! Even when she IS covered with mud! :D

Just a few shots from before the shoot :)

2009-08-27T09:18:00.002-07:00

Priya has broken out with some crazy dance moves lately! Here's a glimpse.

We're SO missing all of our visitors from the last 3 weeks! We'll post more photos soon :)

PB&J

My Little Noodle :D

2009-07-27T12:03:00.007-07:00

I guess Priya finally found some food she really could 'sink her teeth into' - Ramen Noodles! :D

(these first 2 are from my phone so not very high res etc. We'll see if we can get the other vid to load or not! - whoops - guess not!)

Add your own caption to this one! :)

2009-07-20T08:07:00.003-07:00

Priya has just been a nut lately! She's more clinging, which is frustrating, but I think she's cutting more teeth and who wouldn't want to whine about that! But she's also figured out that she can direct people and get them to do what they want, which is awfully hilarious sometimes! It started at the Open House we had a month ago - WHICH, by the way, was GREAT!! Thank you SO much to all those who came and helped pull the thing off! The carpet was still covered with plastic until the day before - it's amazing how everything came together!

Anyway, during the party we had Rock Band set up downstairs. As you probably know, Priya has ALWAYS been a fan, but the door was closed and she was upstairs so she couldn't get to it. Well, that didn't stop her! She grabbed a new 'friend's' hand and led him to the door. When he opened it, she crawled down a step or two, then just looked at him and reached up as if to say, 'ok, well, will you carry me already?' which he did and put her down contently in front of the game.

The funniest was last night as we were playing in the living room. I would lay on the ground on my back and she would try and roll me over so she could jump on my back. When she wanted Joe to play she grabbed his hand as he stood, pulled him to the ground and rolled him over all so she could gleefully jump on him. When he then got up and stood up and had her on his shoulders, she didn't quite know what to do :) She's such a nut! We love her so much and to do a variation on what my dad used to say "If I could go to the little girl store and pick out ANNNY little girl I wanted, I'd pick one JUST LIKE HER!.... except maybe she wouldn't teethe so much ;)"

Shot number 2 :)

2009-07-11T23:10:00.000-07:00

The Definition of a 'Silly Little Thing'

2009-07-11T22:43:00.001-07:00

Ha HA! I have So many things to blog about.. Most happy, some sad, but all I can think about is this AdOraBle little girl! She cracks me up! I Love You Forever, P. R., my litttle Engi-NERD!! ;)

Let the pictures begin!

2009-05-17T22:31:00.007-07:00

I took these the beginning of May outside our old house - of course, they were just kind of casual and she never does as well for mom as she does for anyone else, but thankfully Robert and Beth showed up (they do still live there, after all :) and so we got a few good smiles out of her! I just can't help but think back to the AMAZING photo I got of her last year! The saddest thing is that I think I only have a small copy of a few of last year's photos! I'm afraid they may have gottendeleted somehow! :( I'm horrified at the thought, but I'm trying not to think about it!

You know, I've realized that I must go into Photo hibernation during the winter... I hate breaking out my camera and seldom do - but its spring again, so here I go! :D

These are a few from may 15th, 2008

PS -don't forget to check out more cutie photos at http://www.heidisphotography.net/ - just use priya as a password ;) I need to pick which ones to get! So cutie, Heidi!

Finally a few new photos!

2009-05-16T08:54:00.005-07:00

As you may guess, it is at times hard to take photos of my squirly little child - she does best when there are new people to show off to, so imagine my delight when a new friend asked if she could borrow my babe for a photo shoot!

There are a few more on her blog: http://heidis-photography.blogspot.com/ but I think some of the best ones are still just in the client folder on her website http://www.heidisphotography.net

If you'd like the password to see the whole shoot, let me know and I'd be happy to give it to you!

I love my little babe! She is such a ham and truley unlike any other child I know! thanks for all the joy and laughter you bring to our lives, my little Princess P!

A.I. thoughts

2009-05-14T07:57:00.003-07:00

Ok, so we don't have TV right now, right? So, since Joe and I are American Idol fans, we decided to do like any self-respecting 'young person' of today would do and search youtube for the songs from Tuesday. After some searching, we found them and life is good, right? Not quite-

As we were listening I made the mistake of taking a look at some of the comments (note to self, never read youtube comments!) Anyway, I was ... disappointed and truly upset to see so much hate towards Adam. Of course, there was lots of praise as well, but seriously?

You know, even if you REALLY dislike his voice, style, even look... fine - go ahead and say that. "I think he's pitchy (dog)" "Mmm.. falsetto really isn't my style" "His clothes are kind of wack" - Fine - you have a right to your opinions - we all do and if you feel you must share then, fine. But to attack him or anyone Personally, and especially in a public form, just isn't ok.

We all do it - the basketball player we think is a jerk, the movie star we think is a tramp... but just because we all do it, does that mean its ok?

You know, I don't know Adam personally - I don't know what he does when the AI cameras aren't on him and I don't know what kind of life he lead before, Nor Do I Really Care... I Do, however, know that he is a child of a loving God. I also know that as far as I can tell, he seems like a respectful and kind person-a humble guy with an Enormous amount of talent and I don't feel he deserves to be bashed simply because some people feel insecure about the fact he can hit a high B flat and at times wears Jonny Dep eyeliner to help fill his roll as 'rocker'. He is still a Person and that title alone means he deserves respect.

At least, that's what I think...

A rose by any other name...

2009-05-12T11:23:00.002-07:00

Hmmm... Dad Heaton just posed a good question... Now that we have our new home, what should we call it? When we first moved into our last home, my mom affectionatly called it the 'Heaton Hilton' and I was convinced one day she'd ship us a sign with that title, since we always seemed to have someone staying in our guest room.

While charming as the 'Heaton Hilton' might be, I think this new home could use a fresh name...perhaps the Homestead doesn't need the name Heaton in it at all... Any suggestions? It's not 'the Lodge' as I see every other day on a house I pass... 'The Palace' seems a little over-the-top, even though its size might qualify it for that title...

We'll take a vote! Suggest any and all names you think of - good, bad, funny, sad... we'll take them all! Then we'll have a vote! I'd LOVE to see what Abby and Kim come up with, along with all the other 'witty' Heatons! :D

So friends and family, take a stab! What should we name our pad, so fab?

Well, it's done!

2009-05-11T11:56:00.002-07:00

The papers are signed, the money is paid... once it goes through the house is ours!

Now we just need to clean, build, decorate and PARTY!! :D Feel free to volunteer for any one of those 4 things ;)

With love, PB&J

WHEW!

2009-05-02T14:37:00.004-07:00

I wanted to post some photos from moving and our visit, but after posting the house photos, I'm pooped! We had about half a gajillion photos of the house and I just spend FOREVER reorganizing them and adding comments etc., so I'm wiped out! I took a break to mow our temporary lawn-well, START mowing our lawn - it's LONG! Joe will need to finish that - I'm a weakling ;)

So you'll have to wait for another day, for those! But stay tuned! There are tons of cutie shots of kids and big people alike! Catch ya next time! :D

HOUSE...

2009-05-02T14:24:00.006-07:00

...PHOTOS! Warning- The peeps living there left in a hurry so there is stuff EVERYWHERE!! for once in my life I can't WAIT to clean! ;) It's a bit of a long slideshow, but it has lots of commentary so hopefully you won't get too bored ;) OH! BUT if you'd like to look at larger photos and comment on them, just check out the link below the slideshow-ENJOY!

If it doesn't work or you want to take more than 1 SECOND on each photo, just follow this link here:

Springville Home

Time to Catch You Up!

2009-05-02T11:32:00.003-07:00

The biggest news is WE'VE moved!!

"Where to?" you ask

"Why, to an apt just down the street!" we reply

"I thought you were buying a house?" you ask

"We are" we say

"Huh?"

Ok, so as you may guess, it's a bit complicated - however, so far the news is all good!! Though we didn't close on our new place before we sold the old one, we ARE getting the house put an offer in on in December! We are so excited (and a bit scared) but we know the Lord has DEFINITLY been guiding us and helping things fall into place... eventually! :D

When do we move in? we don't know

When do we close? Soon

Where have we been living? well, around :) My parents, niece, uncle, sister and her family all came out to help us pack up and move - (THANKS EVERYONE!!!) They, along with my brothers that live in Utah all helped out INCREDIBLY! Without them, moving could have been a VERRRRRRRRY long process!

We sold our place on Tues the 14th of April, but my fam was in town till Sat so we spent a few days at a hotel, with joe going to work during the day and priya and I chillin with the family! We did some Great stuff, including Tucanos and Lil Sahara where we had an AMAZING time on the sand-dunes!

On Saturday Priya and I headed back to the Mid-West with my parents and uncle, leaving Joe behind to stay at his sister Rachie's house! (Thanks Rachie!)

Back in Wisconsin, Priya and I spent a ton of time with her cousins and grandparents, including a visit from Mom & Pop Heaton with Auntie RISSY! Priya even made a new friend when we met up with my grade-school pal Christy Has-an-Itch (lol - sorry Christy!) and her daughter Rachel - what a cutie! Priya LOVED seeing her cousins and was convinced she was one of the big kids! She mastered stair climbing-and even decending-and was 'running' around the playground like a big kid! She doesn't believe me when I tell her she's still a baby and especially doesn't seem to listen when I tell her she should just lay still and cuddle like she did when she was just a blanket burrito :( Maybe if I give her a good talking to... no? hm...

Well, Auntie Alysse flew out to Wi the end of the week and Monday we and she flew back to Utah. Now I'm back on the same street, still not in a place of my own, but at least we're getting closer! For now we're enjoying life in a cul-de-sac (Priya is a NUT and bangs on the front window waiting to run out and play with all the kids here) and dreaming and planning of everything we want to do in our soon-to-be new home!

Wish us luck! We can't wait till you can come visit us in our new place! For now, we'll just have to get you a few photos, but I think you'll agree it should be a fun place to hang out!

PB&J

Brewer game 08!

2009-04-17T10:29:00.002-07:00

Ok, so this is a little out of control-old, but i just found these photos and realized I never posted them before! In June of 2008 my dad was asked to throw out the first pitch at a Brewer's game in Mil-town. Well, he declined but my baby sis Alysse did the honors instead!

This was Baby P's first baseball game ever and as you can see, she quite enjoyed herself! The funniest thing about seeing these photos after almost a year is that neither Alysse or Baby P look ANYTHING like these photos! :) lol - oh well! change is fun, ...right?

Same twinkle smile though!

A Beautiful Message for this Easter Season and always...

2009-04-12T22:06:00.005-07:00

In case it doesn't work, you can check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpFhS0dAduc - It's only about 4:30 min... not too sad or dramatic, yet a simple and humble reminder of what Christ did for us from one of the men called to be one of His Special Witnesses... (the last 3 words take you to the first part of another amazing video...)

House... are you for real?

2009-04-09T11:05:00.004-07:00

Unfortunately, no, I am not talking about us having a house... though let me tell you, I'd be ecstatic if that was the case. No, today I need to pause and comment about a favorite of mine - House - the TV show. If you follow the show, you have probably already figured out that on the show on of the characters committed suicide. ... Let me say that again... on the SHOW one of the CHARACTERS committed suicide. This isn't for real, people. Sorry to burst your bubble, Fox but It's NOT REAL. And yet, for some reason FOX feels it's a good idea to post all kinds of memorial sites and photos, as if he were a REAL person. I understand what they're doing and I understand why - hey - I enjoyed the video montage of clips of Kutner, but a MEMORIAL site on facebook - personal photos and notes from the other doctors and an obit to boot? - Don't Look - DOn't Look! Ah..oh... don't! - you did already didn't you? It's ok, I did too... but seriously - you know, sometimes people have a hard time differentiating between reality and fiction.... and we wonder why...

Oh but the REAL gem is why he left House! You can read all about it Here (from my f-i-laws blog) and Here (an interview with 'Kutner' and friends) Glad to see they're trying to do more than run a popularity contest... oh wait... my bad ;)

Adam Lambert - Top 8 American Idol

2009-04-08T23:38:00.002-07:00

For those of you who missed it, here's what got the Standing O from Simon last Tuesday on American Idol - you can't deny it - this kid's got some serious skills!

A few notes...

2009-04-07T12:46:00.003-07:00

A few notes on the last videos-

1- I don't file MY toenails.. I file HER'S... I'm always scared to use clippers on my babe!

2-The sleeping vid is funny to me because she always wakes up with these big Dents in the top of her head where she's been pressed up against the bars... now you can see why :)

I'm sure there are other things, but I'll refrain. But tell me, is it annoying to have to click on them like that in order to watch them? Or did it make much of a difference for you - let me know... I'm torn since one way is easier for me, but the other looks better I think... Let me know - thanks!

A few more...

2009-04-06T14:01:00.002-07:00

As you can see in all of these last videos, our house is a WRECK as we're trying to sort and pack and sort and pack.... and somehow we don't seem to get very far with any of it!!

My one other lament is that I never seem to get photos or videos of her in her ADORABLE outfits! She has lots of BEATUIFUL clothes that are from her cousins...unfortunatly every time we seem to grab the camera, she seems to be between outfits, for whatever reason! But just so you all know, we really do dress our child - she DOES have clothing! :D

From april videos

Some recent videos

2009-04-05T22:10:00.002-07:00

From april videos

Relay for Life

2009-03-26T12:34:00.007-07:00

PS - please feel free to post your stories of friends and family that are or have battled cancer and I will get the info to Laura to make sure a light is lit in their honor during the event - thank you

Hello everyone- As many of you know, my baby brother has just BEAT cancer! It is a miracle and we are so grateful! While he personally will not be participating in Relay for Life this year, his girlfriend will be and he has asked that anyone interested in supporting him, donate to support her instead. Even if we all just donate $5, together we can make a BIG difference!

I am so very grateful for the medical advances that allowed my brother to not only have SURVIVED cancer, but to now be 100% cancer free! I can't imagine what life would be like if we had lost him and know that someone else's donations helped make his survival a reality! Below is the letter written by his girlfriend Laura Fischer, a fellow cancer survivor and one of the angels that helped him through this all, along with a link to her Relay For Life page-

Thank you for looking.

With love,

Bree

--- A message from Laura Fischer

Dear Family and Friends,

I hope this letter finds you well. The past year of my life has been eventful to say the least. I started my freshman year of college at Winona State University this fall, and I am on my way to achieving my goal of becoming a pediatric oncology nurse. But starting college was only one part of my life changing year. As you may know, my boyfriend, Brent, was diagnosed with choriocarcinoma in January of last year. He bravely endured four rounds of chemotherapy and a highly invasive surgery, and is now cancer free! Watching Brent bravely fight cancer this past year has taught me so much about courage, positivity, and the importance of loving and supportive family and friends. It has also lit an even greater fire in my heart to see cancer cured in my lifetime. Cancer has affected too many people I know and love. I have watched both my Grandparents, my Aunt Jan, and many friends bravely fight cancer. Unfortunately, cancer will continue to affect people we all know and love. That is why I am asking you to help me continue the fight against cancer.

On April 24 and 25th, I will be participating in the American Cancer Society's signature fundraiser, Relay for Life at Winona State University. I am actively involved in the American Cancer Society's Colleges Against Cancer chapter here on campus, and I am very excited about the upcoming event. I have greatly enjoyed my experiences with Relay for Life in the past and I have great expectations for this year. I am so thankful for the generous support you have shown for my efforts in the past, and I am graciously asking for a tax deductible donation once again. Any amount you can give is greatly appreciated. All donations support the American Cancer Society's efforts in funding life saving cancer research, cancer education, early detection and prevention programs, and patient support programs. To make a tax deductible donation to my team, please follow the link to my Relay for Life homepage at the bottom of this email.

Finally I ask you to please reply to this email by sending me the names of all the people you know who have been affected by cancer. Please indicate whether they are still fighting, a survivor, or have lost their courageous battle. I will make sure that there is a luminaria in their honor on the night of relay. If you would like, you may also send a message you would like to have printed on their luminaria.

Thank you so much for your continued support! We will find a cure for cancer! :)

Sincerely,
Laura :)

Click here to visit my personal page.If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY09MW?px=8753435&pg=personal&fr_id=15885&fl=en_US&s_tafId=273405

Click here to view the team page for Standing Up to Cancer If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY09MW?team_id=371094&pg=team&fr_id=15885&fl=en_US&s_tafId=273405

A Note About Laura and Relay for Life - As written by my father:

The following (preceeding) email is from a young lady who was a tremendous support for Brent as he went through his Cancer treatments.

In addition to being an excellent student she has spent many hours raising money and awareness for Cancer including visiting our Congressman and two Senators in Washington DC explaining the need for Cancer Research Funding. Cancer research is the reason she and Brent are both alive today.

Please visit her website and make a donation if you can.

Thanks, Craig

Our Deepest Fear....

2009-03-25T11:02:00.002-07:00

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Our Deepest Fear
by Marianne Williamson from A Return To Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles

When I first read this as a freshman in collage, I was told it was from Nelson Mandela, but I guess I, like many others, was wrong :) Either way, I LOVE it and need to live it!

Getting ready for Easter

2009-03-24T10:44:00.000-07:00

I know I'm a little early, but I wanted to design some cool quote/signs of all different kinds so while I was up waiting to get tired after midnight last night I created this one.... I not sure it qualifies as cool, but it's a start :)

Nummy Num Num

2009-03-23T16:01:00.002-07:00

So Baby P has hit a few more landmarks, at least when it comes to communication! Sat. she started saying Please! Ok, it sounds more like Bees, but you get the idea! She also started saying Yummy about a week ago whenever she gets hungry. How did she learn to say yummy? Well, my mom got her this great play cube that she bought because of the Spanish features - she thought it would be cute, especailly since her mommy speaks Spanish, if lil P picked up a few words as well! Well, she for sure has learned a few words, though I'm sure they're not the ones my mom was thinking! Instead we get "Yummy, Nummy, Nummy..." repeated loud and fast whenever she wants food! Its actually pretty cute... most of the time ;)

She also holds conversations either with you or by herself or with the cell phone ALL of the time! She's such a little chatter-box! And a ham too! Whenever there's someone new around, as long as she's at home, she reaches out for them, flirts with them, makes noises to get them to look at her... it's hillarious :) If we're away from home, she's a little shyer, at least for the first few minutes. After that, well, you get the idea!

I love my little turkey! She's such a sweatheart - and cheeseball to boot! Maybe she got some of my wisconsin flare after all! ;)

Dino-Day!

2009-03-20T13:13:00.007-07:00

Yesterday we took a trip to the dino museum and celebrated T-dog's birthday! Happy 4 years, big boy!

This vid isnt anything amazing, but I thought the kiddos were fun to watch :)

Look at those mus-kles!

More of my nut :D

2009-03-19T14:46:00.000-07:00

These are from 3-12-09 - Just a few more photos of my baby being a goof!

This one's got opinions! Especially at Dinner Time!

Just taking a few minutes with parenting magazine - She's got to figure out how to raise us right, you know!

Packing

2009-03-19T14:30:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know, PB&J will soon be moving! Our house will be closed on soon and it looks like we might actually have a shot at getting the house we've been waiting for since Dec!! Last Sat little sicky girl decided to "help" as I was sorting and packing some of her clothes. As you can see, she was a BIG help! (not :)

You may also notice that there are a lot of Saturday photos :D Well, after breaking my other little camera, Joe finally found a "slickdeal" on a cannon powershot, which arrived last Fri (yeah!) I absolutly LOVE my big cannon, but i just can't whip it out all the time, so Thanks Joe for my new little camera! Hurrah for Digital and cameras small enough to fit in my pocket! :D

Banana Face!

2009-03-19T09:26:00.000-07:00

Now that she's not as sick, she's been eatting breakfast like a pro! One of her favorites is Banana which she delicatly eats, until its small enough to JUST squeeze in her mouth, then POP! Well, you can see the result! This was yeserday morning :D

You know, cuz I ALWAYS cuddle with a caterpiller on my head...

2009-03-18T11:51:00.002-07:00

while I'm sick and watching the lead up to March Maddness... don't You?!

2009-03-18T11:29:00.002-07:00

Priya is a phone ADDICT! This is from last Saturday while she was sick- TODAY she sent her first text! Her aunt Deann felt honored to be the first recipient!

dec 19th, 2008-I am SO behind!

2009-03-14T23:27:00.003-07:00

This was taken at the Morgan home before Christmas and Emily's Wedding - Notice the excitement - we couldn't believe how she was walking! Now she walks everywhere like a pro! Who said she was allowed to grow up!

That's IT!

2009-02-22T12:54:00.004-07:00

Here's a blog entry I started a while ago... I'm not going to finish it right now - just post as is and hopefully add more details and a few birthday details later on -here goes!
---

I don't care if I have the time or am in the "mood"~ I'm BLOGGING! Why the passion? Because my baby has been walking for 2 weeks now and I haven't said a WORD! (Facebook Status unincluded) Since I don't keep a journal very well, if I don't record it here, it doesn't usually get recorded - sad I know! But all the more urgent need to blog! PLUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SHE TURNED ONE~!! How lame am I that I haven't even recorded about my most precious child's first birthday!!

So here it is! Well, Part 1 at least :D

On Monday the 9th of Feb (Kenna's Birthday - love you Kenna!) Priya started taking her first REAL steps! i mean, she's tried in the past, but these were real honest to goodness steps! On Wednesday (or was it tuesday?) I was in the kitchen and all of a sudden I turned around and there she was! For a week or so she went on like that, usually only taking a couple little steps, with a few longer stretches mixed in. Then a couple days ago the stretches got longer and longer and more and more frequent! But the craziest stuff was just in the last few days, as she began taking off into the middle of the room with no hand-holds or things to catch her self on in sight!

Take a Second to Laugh!

2009-01-21T21:57:00.003-07:00

Joe sent this to me -When my Dad saw it he said "I think those who look at this and enjoy it with a mirthful attitude have a definite sadistic side to their nature.I can’t wait to show it to Mom!"

PS - She loved it ;)

My little "Carrie Underwood"!

2009-01-20T16:22:00.001-07:00

My dad called her Dale Evans, the wife of Roy Rogers, but I'm an American Idol girls so Carrie Underwood it is! She is ABSOLUTELY OBSESSED with microphones ever since we got Rock Band! So Joe pulled out our Karaoke machine the other day and she has been singing away! Well, more like moaning the same crazy note over and over, playing with different volume levels! What a little nut!

Kisses!!

2009-01-20T11:55:00.003-07:00

So my crazy little child will squeeze the guts out of her stuffed bear, smother other kids with loves and kisses, but REFUSES to kiss mommy and daddy! Until yesterday! Right after Joe came home from work he was holding her and I was just standing there, feeling tired and a bit sad, when all of a sudden she LUNGED at me, planning a Big One right on me! Later in the night she gave kisses to me, Joe and even our friend Katie! Even later in the night she repeatedly rested her head on me, giving me loves! I could get used to this!

Out with the old...

2009-01-18T23:47:00.000-07:00

For those who missed it, this is the old header - I just love this cutie little girl!