50 things I love

50 Things I love:

1. When the bulbs pop up in Spring. I have completely forgotten about them all Winter. And then, wa-la, here they are in Spring!
   
2. Molly's chubby legs.
   
3. Yesterday I was giving Benson a cookie and he said "I want that bread in there" I told him the bread was to keep the cookies soft. He said, "I want that bread to keep my mouth soft".
   
4. When we get in bed and even in the middle of the summer my feet are cold. Casey always lets me put them on him.
   
5. My new kitchen curtains.
   
6. When it's sunny and snowing at the same time in almost May!
   
7. Wii fit.
   
8. A very LONG hot shower on a cold morning.
   
9. Benson's laugh. It's the best.
   
10. Knowing that we're together forever.
    
11. My dishwasher. Thanks to Casey's parents
    
12. When Benson really learns something. Not just memorizes something, but REALLY understands it. And I taught it to him.
    
13. Molly learning to laugh.
    
14. When the mail comes. Even if it's junk.
    
15. Every time Molly sees me, she smiles. Not just a little smile, but a huge open mouth grin!
    
16. Looking back at what happened this time last year, 2 years ago, 5 years ago, etc.
    
17. My tahoe.
    
18. Having people we trust live next door.
    
19. When Benson spells his name "B-E-S-O-N" Almost always forgets the first N.
    
20. When Benson counts. 1-2-3-5-6-7. Almost always forgets 4.
    
21. When I get Molly out of her crib in the morning. Her always big smile is bigger.
    
22. When the whole family gets together.
    
23. Having a bad dream (I hate that), but waking up to realize that it's not real.
    
24. Sewing.
    
25. Having a ward you love.
    
26. Knowing that we'll love our next ward too.
    
27. When the kids get hurt (I hate that), but the only person they want is their mom…. And that's me! And somehow, my kiss is magical. It's amazing!
    
28. When Benson does or says something funny and he knows it.
    
29. Christmas music. Maybe I'll turn some on.
    
30. Molly's huge eyes. And when she looks at me… right at me. Like she knows who I am.
    
31. The way I know that my Heavenly Father loves me. And teaching it to my kids.
    
32. When Casey gets home from work. That is our favorite time of day.
    
33. When I bring my cakes home from class and Benson says "wow!"
    
34. When Molly won't let anyone else hold her or feed her. And she's so upset. Then the minute I take her, she calms down and eats. Makes me feel bad for the other person, but I love it!
    
35. When my mom has the day off and we get to hang out with her all day.
    
36. The chocolate peanut butter shakes Casey makes on the weekend when the kids are in bed.
    
37. Having a clean house. It's even better if it lasts for 10 minutes.
    
38. When the boys all go golfing together.
    
39. Gayle's scones for breakfast on Christmas morning.
    
40. Garbage day.
    
41. Mod-Podge.
    
42. The days I get a shower. It's even better if that shower is before 4 pm.
    
43. When I make food that people love.
    
44. Helping someone out. Especially if nobody else can or does.
    
45. That Casey is a geek.
    
46. When a project goes well and I don't have to undo or redo.
    
47. House plans. I could look at them all day long!
    
48. Our grandparents.
49. My roomba.
50. When Benson sings.

4 years ago yesterday....

4 years ago, on the 28th, we got our engagement pictures taken.

Ahh, the memories.

you take the cake

My sister, Tami and my sister-in-law, McKenzie and I are taking a cake class. It has been SO much fun. I love coming home every week with a different cake (and so do Casey and Benson). Here are some of the cakes I've made in my cake class. I've also learned some stuff about cupcakes too, but I don't have pictures of those cause they got eaten too fast.

Also, as a side note:

So, last night at 7:55, 5 minutes before my class was supposed to end, Casey called to see if I was coming home soon and to ask how to get Molly to eat. I told him to hang on and I would be home soon. When I got home from my cake class, a very messy Benson ran out to me. Casey was holding Molly, who had red eyes from crying. Casey said "I don't know how to make everything stop smelling like poop. I cleaned her up and I washed my hands like 5 times, but I still smell the poop!" I came into a house completely torn apart. Benson was asking me to do something and Casey kept telling me that he didn't know how to make Molly eat. Benson fried Casey's computer and there was paper shredded in the living room. There was poop over here and spit up over there. Molly had one sock on and no pants. Poor Casey was completely frazzled as he told me, "I don't know how you ever get anything productive done!!!"

And to think that he WANTED me to get out and find a hobby! What a sweetheart!

Where is the mom? Oh wait, that's ME!!!

All I have ever wanted in my life was to be a good wife and mother.

Probably because I had such a good mom who was always there for me and who was also a wonderful wife. I loved having my mom stay home with us kids. Sometimes I would need her while I was at school and I knew if I called, she would be there. Sometimes my friends and I would want to go somewhere and their moms couldn't take us, but my mom was always there for us. And best of all, when I was sick, I could count on my mom to rock me in her rocking chair (even when I was bigger than her) and take care of me.

Today I am sick...

And my mom is far away in Washington, D.C.

It's days like today when I wish I was the kid again, and not the mom. I wish I was the one being rocked, not the one rocking.

Casey is a good helper, though. He came home for lunch and let me sleep with Benson while he took care of Molly. When he left, I was laying on the couch and the kids were both sleeping. I guess when I don't have a mom around, at least I have a wonderful husband.

LOVE THEM!!!!

wii for mii

I got Casey a wii on KSL the other day. It was a pretty good deal and came with a wii fit, guitar hero, and DDR. Turns out I DO NOT like the wii, but I LOVE the wii fit! Can't post cause I'm busy learning yoga!!!

Oh, and still haven't trained for the 5k. We'll see if we ever do.

What-a-day

Slept in.

Quick Shower.

Cupcake for breakfast.

Library Day.

Lunch with friends.

Sam's Club = $168.

Pick up house.

Figure out sewing project.

Boy poops on the lawn.

Pizza for dinner.

Photobooth stuff.

Play the wii.

Finish preschool pictures.

Deliver preschool pictures.

Stop by in-laws'.

Back home.

Do the dishes.

Time for bed.

Forgot to blog.

Feed the baby.

Tell a story.

Daddy's turn for bedtime.

Goodnight everybody.

AND BREATHE.

My Mod-Podge Life

A while ago, I was complaining (as usual) to my husband, Casey about how he had so many hobbies and things to do, and I never had anything to do. I was jealous that he got to go golfing and play basketball and yes, even go to school, while I stayed home alone with the kids all day and then during the nights when he was gone. So of course, Casey was very supportive (as usual) and helped me find something I would like to do. I signed up for a cake class (more to come on that), and started doing a TON of crafts. Turns out I love to sew, cook, paint, and especially MOD PODGE!!!!!

So here are some of my latest mod-podge creations. I've posted some of them before, I think, but oh well.

This was on old glass jar that Casey got from someone at work as a Christmas gift. We used to use it to collect coins, but I wanted to make it into a utensil holder for my kitchen because I saw this tutorial from Keeping it Simple. It is using the same fabric as the new valances I made for the kitchen.

My sisters and I made these Family blocks together. My dad cut out the letters on his trusty saw and then we mod-podged them with cute scrapbook paper from Hobby Lobby. I stuck them on a shelf I painted that I got at Hobby Lobby and then arranged them on the wall with some black & white photos. LOVE them!

This is a bow holder for my baby girl's bows. I used fabric from Hobby Lobby and mod-podged it onto a very inexpensive frame from Hobby Lobby.

So, Hobby Lobby is my ALL-TIME FAVORITE STORE!!!

While we were at Hobby Lobby, Benson kept seeing these wooden letters and pointing out "my B!!!", so I got him and Molly both a letter for their door and mod-podged them with scrapbook paper. Not my favorite thing ever, but Benson loves "my B and Molly's M".

I got these frames for $1 at Michael's (not my favorite store) and mod-podged them with matching scrapbook paper that I had.

Same thing. His and Hers. Still need a picture for the middle one.

We got new brown couches, so my living room decor needed to change from black and off-white to BROWN and off-white. So I got some cute fabric from Hobby Lobby and mod-podged my Black lamp that I got at a yard sale for $2. It wasn't the easiest project because the lamp was so curvy, but by far, one of my favorites!

I also painted my black TV cabinet with some off-white paint I found at Ace, it was mismatched, so I got all of the paint for $4! Then I mod-podged the front with the same fabric I used on the lamp. Then I made a table runner out of the same fabric with some cute green fabric that I am planning on making throw pillows for the couch out of.

This project was for sure the scariest one yet because it's such a big piece of furniture, but I got the cabinet for $40 on KSL.com and the paint was $4, the fabric was $6 and the door knobs were $1.50 each.... so I figured it I totally ruined it, I would only be out about $50. But I LOVE how it turned out!

5k = 3.10685596 miles

Casey and I have signed up for a 5k to run together. Actually, the check and registration forms are sitting in the envelope ready to be mailed... waiting to see if we are really going to run it.

So a few weeks ago, I went to dinner with some of my friends and this charity 5k for a family we know got brought up. A few of them said they were going to run it. I had thought about it, and even mentioned it to Casey, but didn't really think I would run it. But I got all excited about it after talking to my friends, came home and ran a mile and a half on the treadmill.... ok, I walked or jogged most of it. But I was excited to train for something and even more excited to lose a few pounds and get in better shape.

I got done running and Casey was in bed. I told him that I was really excited and had gotten a training schedule online. He said he wasn't going to do it. As much as I talked to him about it, he didn't want to.... So fast forward to a couple of days ago. Casey is wondering why I'm not training for my 5k. Apparently he is going to train for it, and so should I. So I filled out the paperwork and wrote a check, addressed the envelope and let it sit on my counter until it gets closer, just to see if we are actually going to do it or not.

Well, the race is in one month and so far I have ran (walked) a total of 1.5 miles to prepare for it. I have NEVER, ever ran in my entire life. One time my friend wanted me to run track with her, so I went to the first day of track and pretended I had a knee injury to get out of it. So it's not like I could just go out and run over 3 miles without any training. Casey could, and has. My anxiety keeps building and I think that there is no way I can run this race.

So the money is in the envelope.... waiting for me to get my booty in action. Thus the point of blogging. If all of YOU (the 2 people who read this blog) know that I am training for it, you will be valiantly waiting to hear the results of the race on May 22.

Now I need to get going!

Oh, and I hope nobody got the feeling that I was husband-bashing. Casey's the best! And he is being very encouraging now. I sure love him!

Our Christmas

Didn't post yesterday because it was Sunday.

And, I never posted about Christmas. We had a lovely one. The pictures are out of order, but oh well...

One of my favorite traditions, Breakfast at the Dalpias house. Yummy scones!

Benson got an apron and dishes to help me cook in the kitchen, he hasn't touched them since he opened them on Christmas morning.

Christmas afternoon at the Haws house. My dad got an onion sack of golf balls (by his chair) and it turned out to be one of the best Christmas gifts yet.

This is how to Haws boys spent Christmas Evening.

Grandma Jan and Grandpa Wayne got Benson this vacuum. He loved it!

I got Casey a meat slicer. Actually it could be an anything slicer, I guess.

This is us on Christmas morning before we went to see what was under the tree. I couldn't wait, so I made everyone wake up at 5! (no, Benson doesn't sleep in our bed).

Casey opening his slicer.

And here is a video of Benson coming out on Christmas morning. He LOVED his little golf clubs!

A little boy and his trains

Casey's parents and grandparents gave Benson this train set for Christmas. It just happened to be the PERFECT gift for a 2 year old who is very interested in trains.

A few days before Christmas, we rode the front-runner train to Salt Lake to see the lights at Temple Square. We never actually made it to Temple Square, though, because we went to build-a-bear instead and Grandma Gayle was SO nice to buy each of the kids a bear. Or in Benson's case, a monkey named Marvin.

So now every time we see a train, especially the front-runner, Benson says "we rode the train to build-a-bear!"
Benson loves being the "ducter" of his own train! And guess where the train goes every time he drives it? To build-a-bear!

I'm riding my bike to Washington!

Benson & Molly's uncle, Cory, and his dog, Kokanee, moved to Seattle last month. We really miss them a lot! Cory always nicknames everyone. He calls me Margie, Benson is Stretch, and Molly is Mo-Mo.

Since Cory has been gone, Stretch has been obsessed with going to Washington. He'll get on his bike and say he is going to Washington to see Cory and Kokanee and Mater.....

Yep... Mater! There is a tow truck in Seattle that is painted just like Mater. Cory sent Stretch a picture of it, and ever since then, Stretch has been wanting to go see Mater. Maybe one of these days we will get to go see Cory and Kokanee and Mater..... We sure miss them (we don't miss Mater.)

I got....

One of these...

Again this year

And haven't killed it yet!

By the way, I am going to try to post once a day for the rest of April, we'll see how it goes.

I guess this is what you get....

When your kids stay home with Mommy all day long.

Molly's Blessing

I lost the camera for a while, but now that I've found it, I can finally post pictures of Molly's blessing. Casey was able to bless her on March 7th. It was a wonderful blessing and I am so grateful that he has been able to bless both of our kids. We had a lot of support from our families. Both of Molly's grandpas, a great-grandpa, and all of her uncles (minus 2 who live far away) were able to participate in her blessing. Afterwards, we had lunch at our house. We are so grateful for wonderful families and friends who are so supportive and wonderful to us. Molly was so good during her blessing. She started to fuss a little bit and then found grandpa Wayne's finger and held on to him for dear life. It was a big bonding moment for Molly and her Grandpa.

She was able to wear the same dress her mom (Natalie) was blessed in. And grandma Jan got her some adorable shoes and a cute headband.