Arts-Beaches-Crafts WEEKEND

 In two days....a wonderful group a gals will be here!  We will be crafting, relaxing, indulging and just plain getting spoiled!

This idea of spending some great time with other fabulous women, crafting, bonding and just relaxing has been a dream of mine for a long time.  With the attempt of this locally at The House in Salmon Creek, and then a major road going through shortly after, that dream was put on hold.  While the dream has still always been floating around in my mind, now was just not the time.

And then I was invited to attend Craft Weekend and all my dreams came to life again.  So after attending this weekend in Kansas with my adventurous friend Traci, who willing went with me and never once told me I was completely crazy, we couldn't wait to share this awesome idea with our local friends and family!  On our way home from Kansas we were talking about the possibilities and fun we could have!  So it was decided we would try this concept out and since we live so close to the coast with amazing beach homes,  this is where we would host our first Arts, Beaches, Crafts Weekend.

So after weeks of planning and with some convincing of our friends to leave their families for just a tiny amount of time to join us.....we are just about ready to leave and embark on a fabulous weekend!  So stay tuned for lots of updates and pictures from the weekend! 

Wonderful porch to enjoy some coffee wrapped in a blanket!

space soon to be transformed into craft central!

Lauren

Poor Lauren has not got much time in blog land lately...so I thought I would share some pics of her.  She is really taking a liking to books lately and her reading is improving so much.  She has started spelling tests and has weekly ones.  She does really well at them, even when I forget that there are spelling test until the night before. 

She is a Daddy's girl for sure.  Mom can do no right when he is around....

she loves clothes and almost always wears a dress....

Ty's 4th and final birthday party

We celebrated with our local friends at a great little pool that is perfect and close by.  I didn't get any pool pictures but we all had a great time swimming and they have a slide that is so fun and Ty insists I go with him so I think i went on it about 50 times.  I love his giggle as we down it. 

Just a plain ol home make cake with crushed oreo's on it. 

Lauren and Cali celebrating

And of course more trucks...can you ever have enough???

My favorite sticker ever!

This sticker is on my Dad's old beer refrigerator in his shop!  Best sticker ever!  I am often accused of being a Hoarder.  Or as Tommy likes to say, You are one pile short of an episode of hoarders.  You just never know what you are going to need!  And maybe the guys from Pickers will show up at my house someday!

Continued Birthday week for Ty!

We also celebrated Ty's birthday at Grandma and Grandpa's house with aunt Diana also.  Ty requested steak and corn for dinner...that is his normal request, ever night!

Ty asked Grandma if he could put his face in the cake...and of course she said yes!

I am not sure why he requested this....but it was funny!

Grandma and Aunt Diana...you can only imagine the spoiling that goes on with these two around!

Failure???

So I might already be a failure at this blog stuff.  There is so much I want to do and learn for it.  I got a brand new Mac and am so excited about it.  But after some failed attempts at trying to figure some stuff out on my own on it, I resolved myself to taking a few classes so I won't continue to be frustrated.  Also....not like there isn't a million other things going on around here lately!  And yes I bring most of them on myself. 

So last weekend we celebrated Mr.Ty's 4th Birthday in Boise with my family.  We had a spectacular time and the kids have a great time playing with all their cousins.  We celebrated at Tyler & Ashley's House on Sunday and the kids all had so much fun playing.

Ty and his birthday cupcake.  He was all smiles!

Tanner...what a sweetie!

Carter....finger licking good frosting!

They are their own gang....watch out the bandanas came out later!

Can we ever get a normal picture???

I told everyone to hold up their fingers with their age....Tyler was very confused.

Lauren spent the day and night with her cousin Kennedy!  They wanted to play American Girls together and just hang out.  Well....Lauren didnt want to come home!  The first night Katie did facials for the girls...only some big brother ate the cucumbers so they had to improvise and use apples.....hilarious....

Doesn't she look like a hug bug!!!!  I love it!

The next day they went to church and then came home for what Lauren discribed as THE BEST DAY EVER!  The got play in the ditch and dig holes to China....well duh that is the best day ever!

Their hole they dug....and I love the irrigating boots!!!

They got all they way to their knees toward China!  

Then our drive home on Monday morning...a bit of snow, one sleepy boy and one spoiled girl in the back with the whole seat to herself!

Say Hello To My Little Friend!!!

Best Valentine's Day Present EVER!!!!!  I have been dreaming, dropping hints, saving my pennies, selling things on craigslit....all to hopfully have one of these some day!  Well the waiting is over.  Tommy surprised me with one!!!  I can't wait to get home and play tonight!  I am going to need a college course to run it I am thinking....but I am sure it will all be worth it.  Now maybe someday my blog can be all neat-o looking! 

Happy Valentine's Day to Everyone!!!! 

The Weekend of Sleepovers!!!!

This weekend we had 2 friends stay the night!  One Friday night and one Saturday night!  It is always a big event when someone stays the night and there is usually fort building involved.  And while it is fun, it is a pain to clean up.  So I got the big blow up queen mattress out and the party was on!  Day and night all the kids loved laying on it to play or watch movies.  Ty I think was the biggest fan.  He stayed in his sleeping bag, with his one eared dog pillow, most of the weekend.  And I even got ropped into letting him sleep on it last night!  While Lauren went and spent some girl time with our neighbor, babysitter, psuedo grandma, closest thing we have to a maid and friend...Marilyn.  Our kids just cant get enough of her!

Lauren and Colby....Ty slept at the foot of the bed!  Even though Ty is the youngest they all seem to get along and Lauren is nice enough to include him in most activities.

Lauren and Ava!  They look like devils but they were sweeties.  Watched movies and had "homemade" popcorn...which is always Ty's request at sleepovers.

And then Ty helped make everyone Mickey pancakes.  He does love to cook.  He attempted to make his own corn dog this weekend....got everything done on his own...just needed to know what buttons to push on the microwave!!!

The Devil Inside!

Yes it is a song most of us know.  But sometimes I think there could be a little devil inside me.  And possibly the reason Ty is a devil too.  So remember said parking ticket I obtained about a week ago?  Well yesterday I returned to the scene of the crime, chose my parking spot wisely and paid the meter.  Then while walking to and from Lauren's dance class I pushed the little button that gives you a free 20 minutes on every single meter that had under 10 minutes so no else would get a ticket!  Yes I did that before and after class.  Lauren thinks I am wierd.  But she did remind me to back in the parking spot...

Speaking of devils....Ty finally got a hair cut!  Man his hair was long!





And a picture of the two little devils.  Even Ty takes care of the American Girl Doll and makes sure she is buckled in.  He also likes to strap her to his semi and tow her around!!!!



A Little Craftiness!

I found this crate thingy at a garage sale a year ago or so and just knew i could do something with it.  It was only $2!  I couldn't go wrong!  I saw this idea on Pinterest (the waste of all my spare time) and just new I had to do it!

So on Superbowl Sunday, I ran to Freddy's to grab some food for the game and a few supplies.  One can of spary paint and a few little eye screws....and that was it.  I will say the wood was so dry that the paint just kept soaking in, so it is an antiqued look right???  It has turned out that the shelf is perfect in my bathroom for all the jewelry that I never put back in my jewelry box.

While making this I decided it would be faster to drill some holes before I screwed in the little hanger screws.  I did this of course on the kitchen counter...to which Tommy replied.....you would kill me if I brought tools in here and worked on car parts on the kitchen table.... True I suppose, but I thought it was different!!!

Our American Girl Store Adventure

American Girl Dolls are a pretty new thing to our home.  Lauren doesn't even have a "real" American Girl Doll.  At Christmas I purchased a fake one to deliver her a gift certificate to the American Girl Store, where she could choose her own doll.  So off to the store we went...Lauren and her friend Cali loaded up at 7:30am on a Saturday to make the journey.  They lead the total glamorous life and watched a movie on the iPad on the way there.  I got to sip coffee and listen to whatever music I wanted to so I didn't object!

Here is the long awaited store!  It was sorta hidden in a shopping complex so it took me a bit to find!  They squealed when they finally saw it!!!

Lauren with the doll of the year!

Cali with the doll of the year!

Both happy campers and ready to play with everything as soon as we got back in the truck!

A little lunch at Red Robin and we met my cousin Molly so that was so nice to get to visit with her!!!

Not 30 minutes into our drive home.....OUT!

I was laughing so hard at this pic.  Cali literally passed out in an empty box and slept there for a long time....It was a riot!

 We had a great day.  When I first entering the store, there was a bit of sticker shock on how much things were.  But, I will say....all the things we bought were super well built and I am pretty sure they will last for years to come.  Lauren opted not to get a new doll.....she told me she didn't want to "waste" her money on a new doll when she could get a bed and an outfit.  She really is a girl after my own heart!

Nothing is ever Free!!!!

Lauren had the chance to try out a few dance classes this week from a company in downtown Vancouver.  Today she went and took the tap class....she loved it and it was great.  And then.....

BAM!!!

 And then there was me....thinking....I put money in the meter....maybe I paid the wrong one???  So I look and the meter still has time.  It must be a mistake.  OH NO!!!  This spot is back in only!!!!  WHATEVER!  Who has back in parking only?  So the free dance class only cost me $25....NEAT!

Don't worry thought...for my convenience I can pay on line 24 hours a day.  Maybe I will wake up at 2am just to pay it!!!