Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Leen the Graphics Queen Giveaway!






yes, please!

These are beautiful and they are being given away at Leen the Graphics Queen!

The braches would look smashing above my bed and my kitchen is almost done being painted (yeah, yeah, still not done, life happens!) and it needs some new art!

Now, if you don't mind, I have an new Etsy shop to drool over look at.

Sunday, November 01, 2009

caramel apples


butterfinger was the winner this year


yum!

and yum!

All Hallows Eve, part II



Saturday morning, we headed to the library for the magic show.  Dallin laughed his head off.  He kept saying, "Daddy's friend [the magician] is SO funny!!!"  Ellie wasn't too interested in the show, but she loved the candy.

We finished up the jack-o-lanters.

Then we told the kids NOT to look at the camera, OR smile!

They managed to disobey us a couple times!




Oops!  How did that picture get in there?
(cute bum, hun!)



Then we entertained ourselves, waiting for trick-or-treaters!

the mommy had a birthday

"mommy, you're gorgeous!!"  -dallin duncan


(complete with wrap job by dal.  he picked the sports wrapping paper.  LOVED IT!)


boy singing his heart out!


(devils food with milk chocolate icing.  DELISH!)

and lots of calls, texts, and messages from loved ones
two great babysitters for two great dates

GREAT BIRTHDAY

Thursday, October 29, 2009

riddle me this....

does the new blogger editor not have spell check?  or am I just blind?  it is my crutch.  i can't really spell.

Prehistoric Trunk-or-treat 20009 bc

Archeologists in Winchester, Kentucky made a recent find during a rare, but important dig.  Below, you will find evidence that there was life on earth in the year 20009 bc.  Our findings:


Ooga booga ug ug ug.  Uuug buuug huug-a-lug!
OOOOOGGGGAAAA BOOOO!!!!


Uugaagaa bugaagaa ugla bugla!
Lug-a-bug a booog doo boog.

Gooba booba looba AAAAAAAUUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
Gooba looba dooba gooba hhooooba!

Booobaalaa hoobagaoauuubahuahao!!!!!!!!!!
{groundbreaking evidence of the first ever vampiress}


{thanks for the costume idea steal Jordan}

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

dress for emmi



This pattern has become my go to.
I really hope my kids give Christmas presents to all girl cousins this year.  (hint, hint ;) ages 12 months (or younger) to 5 years)

Halloween Thrifting

Here are some (last minute) fun thrift store halloween decor ideas at Savers.

Our ward trunk-or-treat is this evening!

Our costumes?  Hint:  It will be dirty!

Sunday, October 25, 2009

GLAMOROUS


The REAL Duncan party!

Grandpa and Grandma Duncan's (& Brady's) visit came just in time!
We had so much fun!  And as you can see from the picture below, we had some last minute and very welcomed visitors.  Paul's brother Clint and his family drove down from Hershey and brought with them their brand new little baby!

Uncle Brady was a hit with the little girls.
And his skills are a-MAZ-za-zing!


Grandma Duncan was so great to play with the kids.
Playdough
Ring around the rosies
Reading books
Taking Dallin to the potty (it's undies OFFICIALLY, and we are NOT going back!)
Putting Dallin to bed at night
She was truly heaven sent after a stressful couple of weeks!!!!


The other Duncan fam.  We are so glad they made the long trip!
Their posing skills are equally a-MAZ-za-zing!


Dallin and Ellie had so much fun playing with Emmi.


Dallin kept calling her "my girl cousin."  And the girls loved to dance around.


We (minus me, Ellie, Jordan, and Easton--much needed naps were taken) went to Court Days in Mount Sterling.
Grandma bought Dallin this really cool (loud) pop gun, which he LOVES!


We also made it up to Natural Bridge to enjoy the beginning of the pretty colors.


And ride the tram.
It was quite romantic (with a 4 year old sandwiched in between us).
We still snuck in a kiss or two. ;)


The boys thought they were dangerous and climbed rocks.  Even though they probably weren't supposed to, and someone got mad at her husband (please wait until you get a million dollars worth of life insurance, honey!), they had fun!

This visit came at just the right time and we are so glad that everyone came.  We had so much fun, watched a lot of movies, ate a lot of food, and made some great memories!  Helen and I got in a little shopping, and Jordan and I even fit in a craft. ;)

Monday, October 19, 2009

on a plane--aaahhhchoooo!

Our visitors (Damma, Dampa, and Uncle BrAAAAdy) are on a plane.
We had a wonderful visit and are so glad that they came.
We were also fortunate to have a tiny little baby Easton (and Uncle Clint, Aunt Jordan, and "where's my girl cousin" Emmi) come all the way from PA at the last minute.
We had a full house, lots of fun, lots of laughs, lots of food and lots of love.
---------------
Fake Sneeze
This evening, as I was helping Ellie to say her prayers:
Me: Say, "Bless Ellie."
Ellie: AAAAAAAAHHHHH-CHOOOOO!!!!

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

friends to the rescue

THANK YOU one and all for your sweet comments.
Sometimes, I just have to write about things. Sometimes I lay in bed early in the morning, I can't sleep, and my mind races. It isn't until I get up and write about what I am thinking about that I can get on with normal day to day. I am feeling really great this morning (knock on wood) and I have a doctor's appointment this afternoon. I have had so many amazing friends help out. Yesterday was the first time I let someone clean my house for me. Talk about humility on my part. If you are my friend, you are going straight to heaven.
AND>>> In two days, the in-laws are coming!!!!!!
Last Tuesday, I found myself in a major rut late at night. I didn't want to go to bed, Paul wasn't home. Before I got "sick" a trip had been planned to my friend Andrea's house, only two hours away. I had been putting it off because I was feeling like crap. I woke up Wednesday morning to get Dallin up for school, and instead, made a split decision and packed bags for our trip instead. I had to get out of my house and pretend to lead a different life for a couple days.
I am so grateful for Andrea and for letting us crash for a couple days. The kids had fun playing and I had fun acting like a teenager again (or maybe a college student). I will say one thing, I am not young anymore. Staying up until 2 in the AM is fun, but it sure makes for a rough morning!
I only snapped a few pictures and I will be honest, I wouldn't let Andrea take any pictures of me. She was nice and "didn't get any pictures taken". Dallin and Gabby had a love/hate relationship--They are a match made in heaven {wink-wink}.
Oh! This smiley picture of Ellie makes me happy. Although I wish I could have gotten the front of her face better, because........


This is her rockin' "CHEESE!" face lately, any time I tell her to smile for the camera!


Andrea,
Thanks for saving my life
and wiping bums.
Love you!

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Free PG tests

That being said, I just found this.

Tuesday, October 06, 2009

Humor for the day

Monday, October 05, 2009

Rotten Peaches and Curdled Cream

Wherein you jump into my head (a week ago) for a spell.

Life is always peaches and cream. Always.

Sometimes, however, we eat rotten peaches and curdled cream.

There is a certain anticipation that comes with peeing on a stick. Yes, I wrote PEE. Regardless of your circumstances, I believe that anticipation is always there. Good or bad. Always.

Take, for example, at church four weeks ago, when Sister So and so asked me if I was expecting. The question came from across the room. I was frozen on the spot. My body had been changing, and much to my protests, my clothes were becoming ill-fitting. I wasn't gaining weight, but exercise wasn't rewarding me with anything but tighter fitting clothes. I blurted out, "No. I'm just fat." I was in shock. No one had asked if I was pregnant since the old lady at Kroger, as I was carrying 2 month old Ellie in her carseat. The thought of being pregnant, this time, had not crossed my mind.

Four days later, after feeling sick on and off for 2 weeks, and almost throwing up, I took a test. I lied. Not always the anticipation. There was no actual anticipation as I took this test. This was the fifth test that I had taken in two months (probably the 15th since January). Not because I always think that I am pregnant, but because I am impatient and irregular. And because I always think that I am pregnant.

It was positive.

It was positive?

It was POSITIVE!

IT WAS POSITIVE!!!!

Later in the day, I was on the phone with Paul, holding back the news. I wanted to do something fun. I gotta go, he said. I'm pregnant, I said, and hung up the phone. That was fun.

That night, I had Paul give me a Priesthood blessing.

Okay. We are going to have a baby. And it's probably going to be boy, I thought. Bring on the unisom and B6. Brace yourself for the pukes. All the first doctors appointment brought was a yep, your pregnant, and a two week wait for a "due date determining" ultrasound.

If you have experienced a pregnancy, you may be fortunate enough to button up your pants until your 16th week. I, on the other hand, last about 5. With a rapidly changing body, I expected other things to come, but the pukes, for example, never came. I was really tired, but the unisom and B6 stayed in the cupboard. This was weird. And different. I had hope that this pregnancy would be amazing and I was feeling amazing. But everything was different. I even changed my mind. It was going to be a boy or a girl. Throughout the whole thing, I couldn't help but feel that something was, indeed, different, wrong. But I felt a great peace and love from my Heavenly Father.

"I'm nervous." Paul announced as we walked out the door to head over to the ultrasound. I couldn't help but tell him that we will accept whatever the outcome.

"What's your guess?" the tech asked. 8-10 weeks, came my reply. The real answer: 5.4 weeks. That doesn't make sense. A positive home test at 3 weeks? None of it made sense. Although my appointment to see the midwife wasn't for another hour, they rushed me into an exam room. It didn't look good. I was prepared, I thought. No tears, I thought. NO TEARS, I thought. Tears, tears, tears.

For the next three days, I waited. I got poked and poked. And I waited. And I locked myself in our office, glued to Hulu and my sewing machine. I wanted to avoid real life.

Fight or flight? I fly away.

Friday, came the final answer and we were placed with a couple difficult choices to make: D&C or let my body naturally take care of itself. Another hard choice, Paul had a week long business trip planned; to cancel or not to cancel. After much prayer and fasting, we felt the spirit strongly in our hearts and our decisions were made. Neither choice what we thought it would be.

So, this morning, as I kissed Paul goodbye for a week, I sit and wait for my body to take it's own natural course.

I have been blessed with wonderful friends who have taken care of my children, and brought dinner. I have been blessed with amazing family and friends who have prayed for us. I have been blessed with the constant companion of the Holy Ghost. I have been blessed with a wonderful weekend of spiritual guidance from our Prophet and Apostles. I was blessed to read a wonderful scripture (Mosiah 24:13-15) on a friends blog.

I mentally prepared myself to be sad or even jealous of those who where pregnant (I am human), but those feelings never actually came. With blogs and Facebook these days, word spreads fast if you want it to, and you find a lot of baby birthing! Within the last week, I have found myself more than happy for my friends or family members who are expecting or who have recently had babies. Overjoyed, really. The amazing power of the Atonement in my life is so real! I am so blessed.

I know that the Lord has a plan for me, for my family. It is by this knowledge that we are carried through life's unexpected. I am grateful to be a member of Christ's church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This church is true. I am Mormon. I am Christian. I know that God lives. I know that my Savior, Jesus Christ lives. I know that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is real in my life. I am so grateful to Paul, who holds and honors his Priesthood. Who has blessed our home with amazing love and power. I have two wonderful children who bless our home with their amazing spirits and love.

I am blessed. Always.

Life is always peaches and cream. Always.