Painting

BEFORE



AFTER



What do you think? Improvement????

YUCK!!

I was looking for a cute little outfit for Kaiya the other day and look what I came across. I ABOUT FELL OVER!! Of all things, I didn't think they would ever ressurect the STIR UP PANT!!! I am sure we will soon see the stacking of two or three socks again!!

What do you think of the bringing back of the stir up pant? Will you be buying yourself a pair? Your daughter a pair??

All I can say is . . . YUCK and WHY???

Random Pictures of the week

Well, took a few pictures through out the week and thought to share!

First, GREEN THUMB Kaiya softening soil for wild flower seeds . . . . .



Second, Dad fixing MOM's BAD paint job! Thank goodness for the ARTIST in him and his steady hand . . . mom, not so much an artist as a free spirit creative!!



Third, HOW DOES A THREE YEAR OLD pass the TIME while all the grown up are painting . . . .

By playing BUS with the tape for a steering wheel, the chairs are your bus, and well, "the glasses keep bugs from my eyes mom."


This is for RACHEL . . . picture of our pumpkin plants that still exist! Yes, I let Kaiya plant all of them . . . hence no ORDER, REASON, or RHYME to them!!

Now, just to keep the PESKY birds out of them . . . . at least till a few get big! I might go invest in a bb gun!! Silly birds have been digging them up to get to the pumpkin seed at their root! BB GUN here I COME!! Yes, I am a pretty good shot!

Something a little POLITICAL

I was just forwarded this from out of D-town. The author has a great point! And I do think we need to really think about choices this coming November and make sure we know who and what we are REALLY voting for!!

Peal away the onion; No. 1: Agent of Change.

Adolf Hitler came into power by identifying discontent and selling himself as an agent for change; which he was. He also presented himself as a person of principle. This too was accurate. He believed in the principles of Darwinism; especially the part where the human race was supposed to be evolving into a more perfected species (the Master Race). Adolf Hitler delivered on his promise of change and did change the world; those that survived, will attest to that. When the Allied forces finally stopped him, he was well on his way to carrying out his principles, as he was systematically wiping out a whole race of people called the Jews. The next major target of his “principles” was all people of color, starting with those of the darkest skin; all for the purpose of helping the evolutionary process along.

It is interesting to me, how so many people today are so eager to join the mantra of “change” without caring to find out what changes are intended or what principles are espoused by the agent of that change. Most people like filled pastries; but, only a fool would eat one without knowing what it is filled with.

By J. Fulk

If you wish to pass this on, it would be OK with me.

See, you never thought I would get all political on this site, did ya? I just think we need to GET OUT AND VOTE, but VOTE after we have POURED over the ISSUES and can make an INTELLIGENT DECISION, not just fill in a line!!

Update

House Painting - we are a little more than half way done! We hope to be totally done by Saturday with my working on it during the day and help coming after work! And, For those who have been concerned, we were smart enough to get a sprayers and aren't trying to roll the entire thing. however, we are rolling and brushing the pop out!

GARDEN
Pumpkins - We have starter plants popping out of the ground! Kaiya was SoOOOOOOooooOOOO EXCITED to see the little plants coming up!
Tomato - we have one little tomato bud a starting and two other flowers on our plant! YEAH!!!
Peppers - we have six tiny peppers and flowers starting! YEAH!!!

I told Kaiya, "you must have a green thumb for the pumpkin seeds to have plants growing already!" She asked for an explanation of a green thumb. The explanation was followed by this response, "Mom, let me show you my green thumb, this one here is my green thumb" as she held up and points to her right thumb!!

Memory Lane

Here are the directions:

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you know me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.

So let's have it! Don't be shy! What do you remember? Anything funny, silly...

SUPER DUPER SATURDAY

Ok, NO PICTURES - - ARE YOU KIDDING, TOO BUSY FOR THAT SILLINESS!!! We just finished spending 13 hours painting the exterior of the house. And, after 13 work the entire time hours, we only have a little less than HALF the house painted!! So, we will be painting again next week and well, ANYONE REALLY REALLY BORED and able to tape, paint with brush or roller, and move plastic is WELCOME to join . . . I just know you all will be sending in your RSVPs for that fun activity!! Ha ha! The weather was nice to us and didn't rain . . . I will post picture of our progress tomorrow. When it is light!!

13 hours!! I can't believe 13 hours and we are only half done! Grrr . . . does it count that we had a little counter acting with the 3 year old helping?? Just wondering!!



WHITE is OLD, brown is NEW!!! Love it!!

Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Please Grow Pumpkin!

Newest garden adventure has been to plant our own pumpkin. I have never actually grown a pumpkin. So, it is all by the book and a HOPE to have a pumpkin or three by Halloween!! So, we have planted our pumpkins and now are just waiting for them to grow. Hopefully come Halloween our pumpkin patch will at least look like the patch above.


A picture just for Rachel and her Canadian girl!!
Rach, I couldn't resist!!

MONSOON LOVE

This is one of my SIMPLE PLEASURES IN LIFE -

RAIN!! I LOVE HEAVY RAINS!! I LOVE THE SMELL OF RAIN!!! I LOVE THE SOUND OF RAIN!!! Right now, I AM LOVING THE HEAVY RAIN OUTSIDE!!! LOVE IT!!!!!!

Latter-day Saints or Mormon Facts

"Some facts [that] might [help others understand Latter-day Saints] include:

"First, 'Mormon' is a nickname for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. Members are often referred to as 'Mormons,' 'Latter day Saints,' or 'LDS.' The term 'Saint' means 'member.'

"Second, the Church was restored in 1830 in upstate New York with Joseph Smith as its first prophet and president. Today it is headquartered in Salt Lake City, with President Thomas S. Monson as the present prophet.

"Third, there are now over 13million members in 176 countries and territories. About 6 million of these are in the United States, making us the fourth largest Christian
denomination in America. As one of the fastest growing Christian faiths in
the world, we complete a new chapel every working day. Members pay a tithe,
which is 10 percent of their income, making this and other programs
possible.

"Fourth, local congregations are led by volunteer, unpaid members. Both men and women serve in assigned leadership positions.

"And fifth, Mormons are well represented in politics and government. . . . Members also serve in high and trusted positions throughout the world in business, medicine, law, education, media, sports, and entertainment."

(M. Russell Ballard, "Faith, Family, Facts, and Fruits," Ensign, Nov. 2007, 25 26)

I have posted this because we have been encouraged by the First Presidency to share TRUTH about the church. I love this months Ensign. I really do believe we need to do missionary work and why not start with a little right here on my blog!!! Plus, I want to refer to CHASTENING given to my by the SISTER MISSIONARIES in my ward and by the Lord via a lesson I had to teach!! Every MEMBER a MISSIONARY!!!

Children and Stains

Ok, I have no idea what to call this post, hence the name! But, I had to go through the experience of having a child bed wetting stain happen to my bed last night! Kaiya has decided for the last 4 months that she likes to nap on our bed and not in hers! Our room is the coolest room in the house on average (a/c phenomenon). Well, yesterday she woke up in a wet spot. She used the bathroom before, but that didn't prevent yesterday. We got the sheets and mattress cover off and she wanted to lay down again. I let her. I also have a feather bed topper on my bed, so I figured that would catch any further accident and in TRUTH I didn't expect more. Well, more came and I just assumed the feather bed caught it all. To my not welcome SURPRISE, it didn't! There was my beautiful cream colored mattress with a big yellow spot. I blotted what I could. We didn't sleep on it to let it air out. And I woke up this morning to a yellow STAIN!! NOT ACCEPTABLE!! I went to work trying to figure out how to get rid of the KID SPOT on my BED!!

I found something that worked WONDERS and I feel obligated to pass it on to all other parents! Here it is . . . .

Standard Cleaning Method
When it comes to problems with urine or other stains on the bed, use this method for cleaning them out.

Steps
1 - Blot dry as much as possible with clean terry cloths. Do not rub, but use pressure. When no more liquid is being removed, stop.
2 - Next, apply a good amount of hydrogen peroxide to the area. Use a spray attachment to apply. Do NOT SOAK - worst thing to do is SOAK the mattress
3 - Allow to sit for five to eight minutes.
4 - Blot dry.
5 - To remove odors, sprinkle baking soda on top of the area where the stain was and allow it to sit for several hours.
6 - Brush off.
If the stain is no longer wet, applying the hydrogen peroxide will help to activate it again, allowing you to work on it.

If the stain will not come clean, apply dry borax the stained area. Use a gently rub to work it into the stain. Repeat the process of removing the stains from above until it is fully removed


Now let me tell you - - you are suppose to try to get to it while it is still wet. I let mine dry over night because I didn't know what to do and I didn't feel well, so I wasn't messing with it last night. It still took the stain out! I did repeat step 2 and 3. Now, the key is your are not suppose to SOAK the mattress with any liquid!! Just moisten the top with the hydrogen peroxide to make it damp! And you know the trick works even once the stain has dried over night!! YEAH!! I have no ugly KID STAIN on my GROWN UP BED!!!

Now, on to trying to save my feather bed! I hope this helps someone at sometime!!

Family of One and ONLY - all ORIGINALS!!

Our entire LITTLE family are the 1 and only to have our name! Yipee! It is great to know we will never run into ourselves!!

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 1 or fewer people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

4th of July FUN!!

Ok, I posted my HAPPY 4th of July post really quick before we headed out on the 4th. Let me explain what the 4th of July was to me growing up! I will try to make it short and will just do a time schedule sort of thing.

CHILDHOOD 4th of JULY schedule
8 p.m. - 12 a.m. Capture the Flag with cousins
12 a.m. - 2 a.m. PANCAKE BREAKFAST at Lions Hall with cousins
About 9 a.m. Parade on Main Street
11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Carnival and FIREWORKS at the park !
After fireworks - Home to light your own with the family.

I grew up in good ole Grantsville, Utah and looking back, it was like the ALL AMERICAN CHILDHOOD, especially on the 4th of July! Needless to say, being busy from midnight the night before till later the night of the 4th of July has left me feeling like unless I am busy from sun up till sun down, it wasn't the 4th of July as an adult! So, my stuggle in ARIZONA (or the VALLEY of the SUN),has always been it isn't a BIG 4th of July spender in comparison to what the 4th of July should be in my mind! I have always felt like I was missing something. This year, that feeling wained a little (I still need the PARADE!! The 4th isn't the 4th without running down candy thrown by floats)!

We have found "our" family tradition. We woke up, did a few things around the house. Got in the car, drove to PAYSON, AZ. Once there we established we needed to set up camp since there was MAJOR CLOUDS looming above and setting up camp in wet mud isn't optimal for a dry nights sleep!! Once camp was set up, we headed to their town lake for a little carnival, BBQ, and fireworks!

Upon arriving at the park, we found a parking spot in a barpit (also known as the place where there would be a side walking the city but in the country it is the buffer between the street and yard). Got out the jogging stroller (rain gear equipped) and loaded it with all our "essentials for the next 4 -5 hours). As soon as we had everything there and shut the car, the rain came POURING DOWN! Having lived in Hawaii there isn't much that registers as pouring to us having experienced POURING there! However, this registered! The drops were HUGE and falling a fast! We decided lets leave Kaiya in the stroller, pop the back of the car and sit in the back with her under the tailgate till it passes! Our logic -

ARIZONA RAIN DOESN"T STAY BIG or LAST LONG! A few minutes and this will PASS!!!

After about 15 minutes we aborted that plan and back in the car we went!! Realizing it wasn't stopping anytime soon, we pulled out the movies and started to watch Peter Pan! Neither Prasan or Kaiya have ever seen Peter Pan before! We got about halfway through that move when the rain let up to a drizzle! Off we went to the party!

We quickly found the ONLY stand that still had DINNER TYPE FOOD!! Yes, it was 5 p.m. fireworks were suppose to start at 9 p.m. and everyone was out of their food except for ONE!! We waited in the HUGE line and then waited another 15 minutes for the hamburgers! Soon, the lady called us up and said, "We are out of hamburger buns, do you want a hot dog?" My response, "Don't do dogs, can you cut our hamburgers in half and give them to us on a hot dog bun?" So, we ate the most interesting hamburgers ever and I didn't take a picture!!! We were starved!! There we were with our haburgers in hotdog buns! They were DELICIOUS!!! Chowed down on our hamburgers, hit the Kettlecorn! Prasan and I have a LOVE - LOVE - LOVE of Kettlecorn! (Note to self: Buy GIANT HOLIDAY BIN of KETTLE CORN for us if you don't know what to get us for CHRISTMAS) You can't keep kettle corn (I should say good kettle corn, we know within the first bit if it is good or not) around us! Kaiya loved watching the guy cook the corn in a kettle! She thought that was much "COOLER than MIcroWAVE!!" I can't imagine why??

After our dinner, she played on the playground for a while. Aroudn 8:30 we found our prespective spots on the lawn around the lake and waited!!! Can I say fabulous! Kaiya played with her glow sticks, had a hand at taking a few pictures, and then fireworks started! The show was a half hour long! I kept thinking it was over, but it just kept going and going!! It was wonderful!! Off we went to our car and we decided to conserve gas by finishing Peter Pan while everyone else fought to get out down the little main street. We took a leisurely drive of 10 minutes from the park to the campground!

Saturday we enjoyed a few hikes, a play in a leech infested river (we left when we noticed the leeches), and a fun picnic back at the park for a little playground time and frisbee flying!

We had a great weekend! We hope everyone else enjoyed theirs! I think our favorite part was the 93 degree high and the 65 degree lows!! LOVELY!!!! LOVE IT!!! Just one thing is still missing, the PARADE!! Anyone know of any towns in AZ that does a PARADE??

Happy 4th of JULY

Just wanting to wish everyone a HAPPY 4th of JULY!! We hope everyone has a wonderful holiday and enjoys their little piece of the beautiful United States of America!! A BIG THANK YOU to everyone, past and present, who have done everything in their power, including giving their lives, to ensure our freedom!!

Day at Phoenix Children's Museum

I took Kaiya to the Children's Museum in Phoenix today! We have been in the house (or pool) most of the week because all the activities she normally does were canceled for the week of July 4th. We had SO MUCH fun! I think I should have gone at 9 a.m. this morning and stayed till 4 p.m. I took some pictures, but she was such a busy body none of them are SUPER FABULOUS! But, just so you can see some of the fun things we did, I will post a few of them!!

A Few Favorites

During Kaiya's short life she has developed a few favorites! One of them being the color PURPLE as most friends of the family know, especially if you have visited the house, she wants to show EVERYONE her room.

In the last week, she has developed another favorite! A new HAIR DO FAVORITE that we have nicknamed PIGGY BUNS! It all started in my attempted to keep her hair out of her face while swimming and soon every day she wanted "PIGGY BUNS." Picture of PIGGY BUNS with her FAVORITE LITTLE GIRL DOLL



So, I wanted to start putting bows in them to make them cute. We headed to the ribbon store to get some ribbon for our 4th of July bows and Kaiya found something she had to have for her PIGGY BUNS!! Here is a picture of her new fabulous FAVORITE look all for only $2.30 total!!

How do you like her flower adorned PIGGY BUNS??? Yes, the FLOWERS ARE PURPLE!!

The following is her favorite activity DRESS UP in her FAVORITE PURPLE TUTU (from Rachel), with her favorite doll! She wanted me to take her picture with her doll, funny!
Princess PIGGY BUNS with Little Girl Kaiya Doll



Yes, her name is another favorite thing! EVERYTHING is named KAIYA!!! Well, with the exception of a few stuffed animals. I have tried and tried and tried to get her to choose other names, but she always says, "I not like that name, I like Kaiya." Glad we like our name!!

FRIDAY is the 4th of JULY!!

I would claim the whole blog change is for RACHEL only! But, I began doing it last night and saw her post this morning! Rachel, is a good ol' AMERICAN, who was swooned by her hubby after many years of trying to move to his country, CANADA! Well, she now is slowly succumbing to his brainwashing and turning her BEAUTIFUL AMERICAN BEAUTY LAUREN into a CANUCK! So, I just want to REMIND her of her HOME COUNTRY and that we are celebrating it's INDEPENDENCE on FRIDAY, you know JULY 4th!! So, I hope she will DOLL her AMERICAN BEAUTY UP in a RED, WHITE, and BLUE outfit, STAND her on the FRONT PORCH and have her wave an AMERICAN FLAG!!
Rach, this is just a friendly reminder of what YOUR COUNTRY'S FLAG LOOKS LIKE!! Hee hee!!

Can I add one more thing?1?

U.S.A.
U.S.A.



******honestly, I have nothing against CANADIANS or CANADA - this is all just friends poking at friends folks! Have a LAUGH WITH US!!!*******


ALSO, I AM REALLY NEW at ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS and DIGISCRAPPIN' - - my new BLOG HEADER SCREAMS THAT LOUD AND CLEAR!! If anyone had tips for doing digiscrapping in PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 6.0, I would LOVE THEM!!! I couldn't get any of my embellishments to show just the embellishment and not all the white around them!! TIPS PLEASE!! Or if you have another great program please refer me to it!! THANK YOU!!

Swimming, swimming, and more swimming

That is all we have been doing. Every morning Kaiya wakes up and says, "Mom, I want to go swimming."