HAPPY BIRTHDAY AARON!!

15 minutes left of my little bro, Aaron's birthday!

I have a great picture of the two of us that I will have to post as soon as I can find it. But until then, I must share Aarons endless talents- I will highlight some of my favorite qualities about him.

Aaron has always been super artistic. When we were little, he would draw pictures during church and then pass them to me, because he knew that I would understand him and his need to create. He could totally be a graphic designer. His style of art is very precise and geometric. He has designed logos and makes awesome designs for business or personal cards. Any company would be lucky to have his talents within their grasp.

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Aaron has an ear and beat for music. He is a drummer, and a killer one at that. He has played drums in lots of bands- and when you watch him at his craft, you can tell that he puts his whole heart and energy into what he's doing. He has a natural rhythm and unbeknowest to some, he also has a wonderful singing voice. Music is a hard road, and hard way to make a living- but this hobby that he has had of making music should never be left by the wayside because he makes everything sound AMAZING!

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Aaron is meticulous. We're talking don't spill anything on my shirt, No crumbs on my carpet, How does my hair look detail. He is the one and only person you want to clean and organize a space if you want it done right. He had his own Detailing business for cars, and you have never seen a car look more prestine than after he was done with it. His eye for detail and care to make everything look perfectly so would blow any Super Sonic out of the water.

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Aaron has a big heart. He cares about others and is tender hearted. Aaron took a lot of bullying from his two older sisters growing up, but he always forgave us and came back to play and be buddies again. We've shared some good times laughing and just sharing the things we love together.

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Aaron is a salesman. He could sell an old lady a BowFlex, he could sell a baby Dentures, he could sell me Speedos. He has a talent for convincing and smooth talking, all the while looking so handsome and so darn cute doing it. I never had the confidence that I see in him as he tackles his different ventures and shares with us how passionate he is about this subject or that. His enthusiasm can be contagious, and I love it when he gets fired up about something important, because he lights a fire in your heart.

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I love you Aaron. I'm thankful I have you as my brother. I'm thankful for the things I've learned from you. I hope you know that you will always be my Obijah Buddy!!

5SF- Edition 10

FIVE SENSE FRIDAY

TASTING-

Banana Bread

SMELLING-

Melaleuca's Antibacterial Citrus Soap

FEELING-

Sleepy

SEEING-

Art by Gustav Klimt

HEARING-

Orff's Carmina Burana

I first heard this when I was a little girl. My grandmother sang with the Utah Symphony Choir and I went to her song practice where they were working on this piece- I was totally captivated. Carmina Burana is a scenic cantata composed by Carl Orff between 1935 and 1936. It is based on 24 of the poems found in the medieval collection Carmina Burana in Latin. The most well known movement is "O Fortuna" that opens and closes the piece.

Summer Inspiration

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Feeling miserable with congestion

and nasal passage obstruction

is perfect for being idle on the computer and doing

a little virtual shopping to get some inspiration.

Even though I can't taste my food,

and even though my head is throbbing,

doesn't mean that my pretend wallet

full of pretend money

can't be put to good use...

A girl's dreams can be realized if

she translates her ideas into

something tangible and cheap-

perhaps collected from a second-hand store

or fashioned by hand.

So today I found some things to get

me in the mood to make stuff and decorate

with a fresh new look.

I don't have to spend money,

to look or feel money.

Oh my gosh,

I am brilliant!

These french metal bistro chairs

have long held a place in my heart,

they can be found lots of places...

namely Pottery Barn and the Sundance Catalog.

the above and below are wallpapers from

FERM LIVING

Wallpaper has made quite a comeback.

Five years ago I found some killer vintage

wallpaper at a thriftstore that I am just waiting to

find the perfect place for.

The commitment of pasting

it on the wall must be scrutinized carefully.

Always love all the whimsy found at the

paper treasure trove that Papaya is.

http://www.papayalicious.com/

Virtual shopping,

also means,

virtual eating.

I'm in a salad mood.

These recipes can be found on the

Williams Sonoma Recipe Finder

Arugula-Orange Salad with Pomegranate-White Wine Vinaigrette

Beet Salad with Chèvre and Walnuts

Charred Corn Salad

Candy compliments of this dandy store-

Artichokes and Company

For a funky and kitschy feel

Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie

never dissapoint.

boombox pillowcases....hello cool

awesome inflatable moose... for my boys room

skull key covers....way cute

butterfly knobs... be still my beating heart.
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I love dishes.

These bowls from the Sundance Catalog

are good enough to eat.

And the colorful stripe platter from

Pottery Barn makes your food look festive.

And lastly,

I'm very inspired by the

nautical-americana-beachy theme for summer.

marine flag wall plaques from Pottery Barn

This Astrid Chair always taunts me

when I visit Anthropologie

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Go to Martha Stewart to find

directions for the last three images.

HAPPY THURSDAY ALL!!

Schools Out!

Addy said that as the clock was

ticking down the last couple minutes of school,

the girls in her class were chanting,

"summer, summer, summer, summer...."

priceless.

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I'm starting to go through

the countless papers the kids

have accumulated during the school year

and this picture and caption

has classic Landon humor.

That is Abraham Lincoln

operating the bulldozer

and knocking over the school...

I especially love him in the middle

with his thumbs up.

priceless.

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Today they get to celebrate by eating

Monkey Bars and Moose Bars

(banana and chocolate popsicles)

and

veg out by watching lots of

mindless disney channel.

priceless.

Beaming with Pride

Another school year has passed us by.

As I ponder over the past year,

I want Addison and Landon to know how proud

I am of their efforts towards educational pursuits.

Addy, I'm sorry I embaressed you when your

friends got in the car for carpool and I called them "girlfriends".

Landon, I'm sorry I wasn't more on the ball at checking

your homework- and thought it quite amusing that you decided

to turn in the paper chewed in the corner when your little brother

truly did "eat your homework"- Atta Way Son!!

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Addy was recognized for getting super grades with this award-

And Landon was recognized as one out of two students

in his class that excelled in mathematics.

Two more days of school and then

all my kids will be home...

all day...

every day.

This is both exciting and unnerving

as I conjur up fun activities for the summer,

but also try and figure out how I'm going

to keep the peace

and fill the constant

need for food and entertainment.

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Last year we came up with a family mission statement.

This hangs in our kitchen as a constant reminder of what we

are aiming for as a family,

and the type of home we want to have.

There isn't always peace,

respect,

or honesty for that matter...

but there is always LOVE.

Whether it comes in the form of wrestling, a tantrum,

or an apology after you've "accidentally bitten"

your brother on the shoulder.

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I know with a little creativity,

lots of popsicles,

sunscreen and sprinklers,

this summer will ROCK!

I pray for patience, understanding, and long-suffering.

Don't be surprised if I sell my kids to the gypsies.

May Randomness

I really don't like reading about how

people are feeling sick on their blogs

because then I start to feel sympathy pains

but,

I just had to share my sarcasm in how much

I love it when I feel like my head has been hit

with a blunt object and then someone has

filled it with all sorts of swampy loveliness.

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We're all a bit under the weather.

Chris and I are the last to get it,

and hopefully it doesn't linger as long as it

did with the little ones.

Colds in Spring?

In my world there will be no colds,

or headaches,

or empty calories.

We made these over the weekend.

Inspired by this girl.

It might be hard to see,

but our terrariums range in themes from

quaint forest cottage,

to army dudes on a mission,

to alien man getting a tan,

to desert lizards and green monsters.

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And to end all your curiousity

This is where we are going in July.

It's a family history trip of sorts.

. IRELAND . SCOTLAND . HOLLAND .

I wish I could swing by a couple other places..

France, Austria, Germany, Sweden, Spain...

but HELLO! I'm actually going to a foreign land,

and I couldn't be more excited!!!

Someday I'll visit all of Europe,

and hopefully get my butt pinched in Italy.

5SF- Edition 9

FIVE SENSE FRIDAY

TASTING-

GYRO from American Burger

Greatest place for fine Greek Cuisine!

Strange, but true.

SMELLING-

Old Navy's

Ruby Red Guava Body Butter

FEELING-

Relieved...

We spent a couple hours today taking our own

passport pictures to save some moola,

which almost didn't seem worth it after we

handed over nearly 300 bones to cover the cost

of the applications for Chris, Tade, and myself.

I'm sure my neighbors were baffled as to why

we kept taking pictures in front of paper taped on

our back porch door- the thoughts they must have had.

Then we filled everything out and turned them in.

Mission Accomplished.

SEEING-

Art by NORMAN ROCKWELL

When I was little I use to look through my

grandmothers Norman Rockwell books and just

study all of the detail and expression in his paintings.

He was one of my first favorite artists,

and still today when I look at them I feel all nostalgic-

I have a Norman Rockwell book of my own now

that my kids love looking through.

HEARING-

BON IVER (Justin Vernon)
album- For Emma, Forever Ago

I've been listening to this c.d.

over and over.

It's perfect for these rainy days

we've been having lately.

Lookin' Perdy

Here’s my philosophy…

I don’t like to do my hair and makeup everyday so that when I do “do it” (hair and makeup), I look especially fancy and pretty. If I looked cute everyday, then where would we go from here, and what would there be to look forward to?

Is this a weird philosophy?

Maybe.

But just today, I did said hair and makeup and Oliver said I looked beautiful about 10 times. Also, Chris called me over to give him a little smacker and said I looked cute… he then said I gave him butterflies.

See what I mean?

If I looked this good everyday,

I don’t think they could handle it.

Okay fine.

I’m just lazy…

but those things really did happen.

Gardening and the Circle of Life

Monday and Tuesday of this week was spent being slaves to our yard. We tilled and raked, bent and dug, lifted and hoisted, planted and watered. By Tuesday night I was a mess of achiness and sunburns. On Wednesday I was hoping to regroup and work in the house doing catch-up on laundry, dishes, and computer nerdy stuff- but instead, our power was out ALL DAY! Do you understand how dependant we are on electricity? I felt like I couldn’t do anything but rub two sticks together, eat a bag of marshmallows, and lament about how we don’t have enough batteries for our five billion flashlights. Luckily the power came back on in time for us to watch the American Idol finale.

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Today it is snowing…what the!? A few days ago I was wearing my sun bonnet and sweating in the 90 degree sun, and now all my freshly planted gems are covered with a thin layer of frosty death. Some would call this global warming. Some would call this the last days of life on this earth. I call this not fair. If my plants die, there will be heck to pay.

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On a lighter note, my friend and neighbor Jennifer took this picture recently and I had to share it. There is no lovelier sight than that of sweet eggs in a nest. This picture rocks!

It also reminded me of last spring. We had hanging baskets of flowers on our porch, and a bird had decided to lay eggs in one of them. Winds out here can get pretty fierce, so I tried to set the baskets on the porch whenever there was a storm, but while we were gone one day the wind had knocked the baskets down and the eggs cracked. I was devastated. I couldn’t imagine the mama bird coming back to her little babies and discovering they had been destroyed. I know this happens a lot in life, but it doesn’t make it any less sad.

look closely and you can see the wee little eggs

Recently Addy and Landon have been catching grasshoppers and had a grand plan to dissect them. My first reaction was absolutely not! We don’t catch God’s creatures and then kill them for recreation. But the more people I talk to, the more I realize that kids do these kind of things, whether it’s burning ants with a magnifying glass, feeding a bug to a spider, or sicking a cat on a mouse. Where do we draw the line anyways? Should I let them experiment and be curious kids?

Charisa's birthday

BIRTHDAY BONANZA
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I was the oldest of eight kids growing up, and when my mother remarried almost 13 years ago, I gained another 6 siblings. With 14 children now, my parents have done an awesome job of making each person feel like they are equally as important as the next. We refer to each other as brothers and sisters and have really tried hard to leave the “step” mentality at the door. I don’t know how my parents do it with all they have to remember between birthdays for this child, spouse, or grandchild. Since 8 (almost 9) of us are married, there are 26 grandchildren, and 3 on the way, this makes for a very busy, loud, crazy, but fun environment when we all get together- which we do quite often considering the amount of energy (and food) it takes to organize a family gathering of this size.

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It is obvious that I have chosen to honor my siblings and Chris’ siblings, plus their spouses with birthday shout outs. So it is not surprising that I have been late or have forgotten altogether a birthday post…I am only human people. My sweet sister in law Charisa recently had a birthday and somehow I didn't write it in my planner. She didn't remind me, she didn't call to say, "Yo Sara! Where's my birthday post?!" I just made the discovery when I read on her blog about how she had celebrated her birthday. So here we are over a week later...

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Charisa married my brother Trent. She is pure sunshine and lollipops! They fell in love while doing the play, Beauty and the Beast in Idaho Falls- she was Belle, he was the Beast…..cue to romantic music. Both of them have voices like American Idol contestants. Charisa is pure charisma and I wonder if her parents knew she would be, hence her name. Since the first moment I met her I loved her, and I knew that she would be a wonderful addition to our family.

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The best way I can describe Charisa is by comparing her to Disney Princesses. As sappy as that sounds, I’m sure she’ll “get” the meaning behind it all.

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She is beautiful like Aurora...

She tends to and takes care of little Ethan

like Snow White with her dwarves...

She is smart like Belle...

She has a voice like Ariel...

She served a mission in Taiwan,

and has a fondness for the

Asian culture like Mulan....

She is unselfish and hard working

like Cinderella...

She is adventurous and sassy like Jasmine...

She is spiritual like Pocahontas...

But unlike all these fictional characters,

Charisa possesses true princess qualities that makes

all who meet her fall in love.

Happy Birthday to our own princess,

Charisa!!

We love you!!