My First Rosette

I don’t have a little princess… yet. (That is NOT an announcement of any kind). And they have so many wonderful tutorials for so many cute hair bows that I just want to make so bad.

So then I cut my hair and decided that short hair is cute with hair bows and I was just going to make them for me instead of waiting for a little girl of my own.

Anyway. I’m not starting with a hair bow, but it's still a little rosette. I did the monthly “Create With Me” on one of my new favorite blogs, U-Create (link), that uses this (link) tutorial from Secret Stitch Club.

My first rosette ever! After I made it I wanted to keep it forever and ever. I love it. Also, don’t mind my painty craft table. It’s ugly on purpose.


Then (it looks like) I went a little overboard…


And this was the final product. Using my Everyday Lettering pictures (found here). I LOVE how it turned out.



And I’m thinking my blog will be filled with crafts for a little while because I’m totally hooked and without hubby for a little while. Sad!

I Guess We'll Grow Up

Last night was the end of an era. Josh played in his last concert ever. Sad!

We knew it would get to this point eventually and the time had come. Josh is going to be starting a new phase in his career, and as such working a lot more. Plus, once it warms up we have a ton of work to do on our yard, which we neglected last year while we fixed up the inside. And at some point we may want to have more kidlets. All of that equals busy, busy, busy. So Josh decided it was time to call it quits.

I thought I was excited to not have to worry about band stuff anymore. Sometimes the scheduling of it all is a little much. But it feels so weird having this part of our life over.

Josh has ALWAYS been in a band. Since well before I met him, he was busy rocking out. Music and playing shows has always been a big part of his life… and subsequently my life.

This band “Tobin” (named after my youngest brother) seems to me like the longest running and most well known of the pre-mission bands. Plus, I LOVE this picture so I'm posting it.


I have kind of always been the band photographer… I think I took ALL these pictures. And lets all just admire how much better my new camera is than my old film point 'n' shoot.

I love this one, we came right from work to this show and Josh just wore his work clothes.

And I was {almost} always there to support him.


In high school we were at concerts more than anywhere else. It was our favorite thing to do. And we always had SO MUCH FUN!


And a little while after Josh’s mission he finally found a band he loved. And he has loved every minute of it for the last two years. I haven't been able to go to as many shows as I used to, but I'm grateful for our wonderful parents who babysat as much as they did so I could go.

But last night, at the Avalon in SLC, Josh played his last show.

PS. The Candidate will still keep rocking out, just without Josh.

Hott, hott, hott!

I'm sorry, but I just have to say that I have one sexy hubby! *Swoon*

I am both happy and sad that this part of our life is over. It’s definitely going to be different. I guess we can always still GO to concerts when we need a music fix. At least there’s that. Either way, we will have more time as a family now, and that’s what matters most!

Twin Bed & Metal Head

Before we get into all that, here is a cute picture…

Sunday we went to Josh’s Grandpa & Grandma Jones’ for the usual delicious food and fun visiting. Afterwards Grandma Jones made us line up all the kiddos and I’m so glad because for reals, how freaking cute.

From left to right: Chloe, Jettsen, Hallie (Josh's cousin) holding Sammie, Owen, Kylie, and Traegan

Now, lets get on with it.

Ever since the Christmas Croup episode, Traegan has NOT slept in his crib. He has always formed sleep habits really easy… especially the bad ones. So a week of sleeping on the couch apparently means that he will never sleep in his crib again. I haven’t slept more than about two hours at a time since the Croup thing because of this. He believes his bed is the couch downstairs, and won’t stop screaming until he is there.

Anyway, Josh and I decided we would take this opportunity to move him to a twin since he wasn’t sleeping anyway. Luckily my mom and dad donated their old bunk beds to us ages ago and my mom had some spare twin bedding laying around. I will be refinishing the bed, since it is kind of beat up and changing the bedding with a really cute set I found when money starts to grow on trees. Don’t hold your breath. But at least I have goals. Just for now ignore the fact that the bedding doesn’t match the walls.

Anyway- we switched it on Monday and in a word… FANTASTIC! That twin bed has saved my sanity. I’m now sleeping like a normal person again and that really needed to happen.

But he looks ridiculously small on that big bed to me and it freaks me right out.

After he fell asleep...

Obviously, you don’t have to watch the movie. I just love watching Trae try to get into the bed. And jumping. I really just love to watch him. It was taken before he went to sleep and when we were trying to get him to like his new bed.



Then in other news. My mouth has had a new addition… braces. Yea. NOT! I hate them. I can’t remember why I choose to get them. I want them gone.

Especially because I was supposed to get those nice pretty ceramic braces that hardly show at all. But much to my surprise and disgust they put the usual ugly metal ones on my teeth. Quite fun. When they asked me what color elastic/bands I wanted I almost bit their head off. Turns out they have NO ceramic ones at all because they were trying a new kind and they don’t work. So I have to wait for them to get new ones.

So in a few weeks I get to go back and get these ones popped off, sanded down and do the whole process over again. Anyone else super happy for me? You know, the me that looks like a 14 year old girl?

That is all.

T-Man: He's a Teeny Man

T-Man is the new nickname around here, and it is almost always followed by “He’s a Teeny Man”. It caught on quick. Especially with Grandma and Grandpa Jones. :)

T-Man is finally consistently doing what I have been hoping he would for so long now… saying cheese every time he see’s the camera. Hallelujah! It sure does make picture taking much easier.

Like today, when I walked in the room with my camera to take a picture of him walking in the Kinko’s box, he immediately perked up and cheesed. I love it!

After he says cheese and you take a picture, he then has to come look at it. Then he runs back for more. This time however he ran back and started giggling. Seriously, I could not love him anymore.

And then he charged the camera. Also, as I have been editing videos and making this blog post, he keeps laughing hysterically at this picture. But you can't really blame him.

Oh and last night, Traegan and Josh went to Josh’s parents for a bonafide guys night. I went to Zumba. ☺

Josh’s brother’s came and Owen & Jettsen, so all the boys were there. I’m told that Owen, Jettsen, and Traegan played very well together and that Jettsen loved playing with Josh. Cute. But it just so happened that they all showed up in matching pajamas. I’m so glad Kathy took a picture!

And since this is just a random mix of crap, here is a video we took on December 31st. Traegan was just learning about raspberries… well trying to. You can also see him saying “Cheese” when I bring out the camera, just like I said he does.

And then I found this old video when I was getting the other one. This one was on September 7th, and Julie was still pregnant with Sammie. She was at a doctor’s appointment and Kylie, Chloe, Trae and I were having a dance party. So fun! So much fun! I love these kids.

Just In Case You Care

Everyday Lettering is being featured on a great blog called Rosy Red Buttons. She is hosting a giveaway right now, but it ends today. So if you want to win… you should enter. Click here!

Also I'm now doing Everyday Lettering parties. Kind of like a Pampered Chef or other such party, only you and your guests make you own (it's easy, I promise). Your guests get them for discounted pricing and the host gets credits towards her order. You can read about it here.

My teeth and I are currently not friends. Up until this week it had been three years since I’d paid a visit to a dentist. Yep, fail. I know. I am aware you are supposed to go every six months. I will spare you my series of really bad excuses and just say I did not go for about three years. Learn from me people. Go every 6 months.

I’m getting braces on soon, did I mention that yet? Yep, I’m getting braces in like a week and a half or so. My mom feels bad she never did them for me and she gets some pretty wicked sweet discounts and offered them. I don’t want them. Like really don’t want them. But I know I’ll regret it if I don’t do it. So yeah, braces soon so I figured I better get my teeth checked out.

They were bad. I have five old fillings that need to be redone and two new cavities. Which apparently isn’t bad for going three years, but it still feels that way. Friday was the first of my marathon dentist appointments. Not fun. Wanted to die a little. My mouth still hurts and I’m pretty sure he drilled the side of my tongue as it is missing some skin and hurts like the dickens. Anyway, this week I have two more appointments and then I get spacers put in. I’m pretty much just expecting to not eat again for like the next year.

Traegan is awesome. Truly awesome. He is starting to laugh at things on tv and while he is playing. I’m not sure if he understands it yet or if he is just laughing to laugh. But it sure seems like he is starting to get humor.

He is also really trying hard to talk. I’m hoping one day he will just explode with a million words. But for now he just has a handful or so and endless babble. I do love that though. He has the best stories for me that are so important.

Also Trae did awesome in church yesterday. He wasn't a holy living terror in Sacrament and he stayed the whole time in nursery! Wonderful. Josh and I just kept saying that this is what church should be like.

And that’s it. I have no pictures. I haven’t taken any. The end.

So Dapper... For a Minute

Here is my cute little Traegan before church yesterday. He looked so dapper in his new suit from Grandma and Grandpa Jones. I just love it.


And I’m so glad I took a picture BEFORE church, because…

When I sent my dear Traegan off to nursery yesterday (for only the third time and the first time alone) I told the nursery workers, “Please come get me if you need me.” Yes, I’m a worried mom.

Not five minutes later my friend Sherrie was standing in the door of the primary room with Trae. I went to get him, only to find that he had puked all over himself. Well kind of. He puked all over the front of his vest and the back of his pants. Not sure how he managed that.

As I was frantically cleaning the puke off his clothes while he ran around the bathroom in his diaper whirling his socks around, I noticed it was very hot pink puke. Kind of odd. He had not eaten anything bright pink that I knew of.

I went back and asked Sherrie if they had eaten snacks already or what this mess could be. Turns out he had eaten a bunch of the pink play-dough… then puked it all over himself.

Yep, that’s my boy; eating play dough and puking all over his butt. I’m the proudest mama there is!

Most days I think he is a little monster…

But I still love him!

(And I couldn’t have gotten that last picture without Janece)!