another note to self

I also want to do this (in my backyard)  Maybe we would get some Summer visitors.

note to self

I want to do this somewhere in my house - dining room maybe.

i think i like this

I'm not sure, but I think I like this bedding.  I definitely love the creative spin.  I don't think I would put it in a master bedroom but I can see it in my boys bedroom or maybe even a fun, off beat guest room.

To see more pictures of this unique bedding click HERE.

7 day challenge

For those of you interested in emergency preparedness you need to go visit the girls over at Food Storage Made Easy and sign up for their 7 Day Challenge.  They want to help us all get ready for an unseen emergency by helping us get our preparation taken care of now through the summer months and then seeing how we can handle a 7 day emergency challenge in the Fall.  I think it sounds like a fun challenge.

To get more info and to sign up go here.  By signing up you get a chance to win a wheat grinder. referring people gives you more chances of winning so use my name as the person that referred you and then spread the word to your friends and family

awwwww

I find this terribly cute and romantic

mary had a little lamb

Nathan performed in the 4th and 5th grade musical program last week.  There was some major recorder playing going on.

The solo of Mary Had a Little Lamb was particularly fierce.  We're proud of you Nathan!

in no particular order

Still no camera cord - where did we pack it?!?!  However, Derek found our card reader (or something like that - I have no idea what things are called) so we now have pictures.  Let's all shout Yippee!

I'm not even going to attempt to post things in order so sit back and enjoy the random postings that will be going on for the next while.

Let's start with this great shot...

This picture is from our old house where the boys had bunk beds.  For whatever reason the boys didn't like sleeping on the top bunk so they always ended up together on the bottom bunk. I can't imagine that it was ever very comfortable.  Would you want to sleep with your little brothers stinky foot on your mouth and nose?

Since moving we have separated their bunk bed into two twin beds.  They are both thrilled to be in their own bed and now that I think about it they hardly ever come into our bed in the middle of the night to sleep with us - hallelujah!  I bet they were sleeping with us because they were getting tired of feet in the mouth.

a private concert

Enjoying the evening...Derek and Dave (a friend from church) playing guitar and singing Jason Mraz songs while I sit upstairs and enjoy the music.  Life is good!

where oh where has my little cord gone?

Missing: one camera cord, needed to download months worth of family memories.

Last seen: hiding out in a box at our old house.

Reward if found:  seeing the last few months of our life in pictures on this blog - exciting, I know.

happy birthday

to our cute clothes wearing

music loving

beautiful, kind, funny, smart, spiritual, friendly, trust-worthy, loving daughter

(I could go on but really who wants to keep hearing how wonderful you are?!?!)

Happy 15th Birthday!

soft map

Maybe it's because we just moved into a new house but I keep finding new and different house accessories/furniture/etc. that I would love to put in our home.  Here is my latest find...

It is a Soft Map Blanket.  They are dupioni silk quilts that can be custom designed with a map of your town, the city you grew up in, where you met your spouse, where your baby was born, etc. What a cherished heirloom this would become.  

You can find these beautiful quilts at Haptic Lab.  I'm off to add this to my wish list.

our little "angel"

Our family was able to go the Angels game last night thanks to some tickets Derek scored from Oakley.  We hadn't been to a game in a while so the kids were excited.  When I picked up the boys from school Luke serenaded us with Take Me Out To The Ballgame over and over and over and over...  He seemed to be obsessing about the song and wanted to keep "practicing" it. Little did we know the song would bring us plenty of laughs later in the evening.

Conversation between me and Luke at the game...

Luke:  "So Mom, buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks."

Mom:  "How about some cotton candy?"

Luke:  "That's a better idea, I don't even know what Cracker Jacks are."

I wonder what he thought he was singing about all day.  A few times during his singing "practice" he would sing "buy me some peanuts and Apple Jacks"  I know he knows what those are.

Another conversation/comment from Luke as we were leaving the stadium after the 7th inning stretch (we knew we were going to leave early so kids could get in bed - we also knew we had to stay for Take Me Out To The Ballgame or Luke would have imploded)

Luke to Nathan after hearing some lady sing "the song" he had practiced all day:  "that lady stoled my career"

I guess Luke had been planning on singing his song at the game and was disappointed that his career dreams were crushed by some lady that was not nearly as good as he would have been :)

yes, please

I would like one of these.  

I love when people take the ordinary and make it extraordinary.  This keyboard is beautiful!

just look away derek

So I believe I have mentioned my sordid past before - Greenpeace, love of whales, etc.  Derek tries to ignore my Save the Whales past but I love to bring it up constantly to remind him that he married such a radical (yea, right)

Well, now he gets to hear about it even more often because of my new love...Whale Wars.

The show is about a crew of whale lovin' crazies sailing the Antarctic Ocean in search of Japanese whalers.  Once the whalers are found the Sea Shepherd crew totally messes with the Japanese crews and my Free Willy insides bubble over with giddyness.  Honestly, I love watching the chaos - stink bombs, trash talking, men overboard, and more.  

If you want to have some idea of how crazy some of these folks are look no further then the Captain of the ship.  He is one of the co-founders of Greenpeace but after so many years was voted out with a vote of 10 to 1, his vote being the dissenting vote.  If Greenpeace thinks you are too radical you  must be in the running for the mayor of crazy town.

All craziness aside, I do love that they are saving the whales.  Derek on the other hand...I'm guessing he is indifferent.  His comment to me, "When can we watch a show called Cow Wars?"

a feast for the eyes

I love the look and feel of this movie - you know what I mean? The sets, colors, cinematography - it reminds me of Penelope.

Adding this to my list of movies to see.

birthday boy

Happy 10th birthday Nate!  We love you a ton and are so glad that you are a part of our family.

whistle while you work

We have an endless list of things to get done in the house and that is what keeps us busy these days.  

The biggest project is painting the whole house.  It is slow going considering it seems to be taking two coats of primer to get good coverage over the dark existing paint.  I'm hoping it will only take one coat of color but we'll have to wait and see since we haven't even gotten to that part.  I'm hoping to write a blog post in a couple weeks that says we're done painting but at the rate we're going it may be Christmas before it all gets done.

Derek's favorite new toy in the house is this beauty....

The existing water heater was rusty and leaking and needed to be replaced so we installed a tankless water heater.  The size difference is amazing - I love not having the big old cylinder water heater.  We are excited about not running out of hot water (which has already happened once while the old heater was still in) and we are anxious to see if it effects our gas bill much since it is not constantly heating up water.

The other new home gadget we are loving is this...
a keyless garage door entry.  No more keys going missing because they have been "misplaced" by Megan.  No more stress when I realize that I am still 15 minutes from home and my girls are being dropped off after an activity and have no way to get into the house.  No more calling Derek at work to ask him to come home because I've locked myself out of the house.  No worries when we are half way to Utah and we think we left the iron on but our neighbors have no way to get into our house to check.  

Beyond painting and new home gadgets we still have unpacking to do (some of it can't be done until painting is done)  We need to replace some light fixtures and see if we can't get overhead lights in the kids rooms.  There are no lights in 4 of the 5 bedrooms and it makes me crazy.  The kids are relying on little desk lamps that don't really provide much light.  We'd like to replace the carpet but have to see what the cost for that would be - we're hoping  it can be worked into our budget but if not we'll be on hold with it.

I better stop the blogging and get back to painting.  The updates here may be sporadic as we try to get everything done.  I have been taking pictures of the process and plan to post pictures here if I can ever find the camera cord needed to download pictures - oh the joys have living in boxes!

a personal thank you

Dear Brenda,

You are far too kind and thoughtful.  I can't begin to tell you how much I love the housewarming gift.  You could not have given me anything better.  I love, love, love it!

Thank you for thinking of me - you made my day!

I can't wait to get the walls painted so that I can find a place of honor for my fantastic "B"

Many, many thanks!

Denise

what a great way to capture your family

check it out!

house warming gift

As if buying me a house wasn't enough my sweet husband just bought me this.  I have been eyeing it since December but was sure I would only enjoy it's beauty through the computer screen.

Thanks Derek - I absolutely love it.  Now if I could just decide on a paint color and get the house painted I might actually have a place to hang the gift when it gets here.

finally!

We signed paperwork for the house today (well, technically yesterday since it's about 1:40am)  All I can say is finally!

this makes me happy

really? you've got to be kidding

Oh how I wish I was kidding when I say that we have yet to sign loan documents.  This whole process has been beyond frustrating.  The hold up with the bank has me pulling my hair out (and yes, it's attractive)

We are still crossing our fingers that we might be in our new home by Friday but we thought we'd be in it last week.

wild thing

October release date - can't wait!

april fools ideas

Not really feeling the Aprils Fools spirit even if it is one of my favorite days.  

For those of you that are getting into it and looking for ideas take a look at our Fools Feast from last year.

You can find lots of great ideas at Family Fun if you need more ideas.

quick update

Still no house - we no longer own our home of 12+ years (said with tears flowing) and we don't have a new house to move into as of yet (said with much bitterness and anger towards the bank) We should have been moving into the new home this week but an appraisal issue has us in limbo and has me in a state of nearly constant panic attacks.  

To help take my mind off of all the house garbage I have become a bread making maniac.  We have enjoyed nearly daily loaves of whole wheat goodness.  I have found relief in the bread making process.  Last night I even made home made hamburger buns.  Yes, you heard me - homemade hamburger buns, I'm feeling very Amish :)

I've also spent some time reading to try and help me not think about my homeless state.  I just finished Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.  I found it very interesting.

Well there you have it...my incredibly upbeat post - yeah, right.  

Say a prayer for us that this all gets resolved soon, really soon!

in case you were wondering...(although I know you're not)

I am not a fan of mortgages, loans or banks at the moment.  

I am so never moving again after this.

a little iphone fun

Our nephew Brian (along with a friend) created a new app for the iPhone and iPod Touch - Awesome Ball.  You can check it out on their site awesomeball.com.

It seems that Apple is running an app contest and you can help Brian win.  Here is the info from Brians blog...

As some of you know, a friend of mine and I have entered an iPhone App contest.  We finished writing our app, Awesome Ball, and it is now available for download on the App Store.  We think it turned out really well and we have plans to continue to add features even after the contest is over.

Awesome Ball lets you bounce a ball around in a 3-D space and lets you customize the ball with different built-in ball types. You can even customize the ball and walls with your own pictures. We think you will enjoy it! Here it is on the App Store:

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=308174381&mt=8

We need your help to win the contest, though. The winner is determined by having the most iPhones and iPod touches download and use our app during the next two weeks (by April 5th). And hey, you get a fun little iPhone app for free!

How you can help us the most:

1. Download Awesome Ball from the App Store
2. Join our Facebook group (invite all your friends!)
3. Make a blog post* linking to www.awesomeball.com
4. Leave a good review on the App Store. Good reviews can help a lot!
5. Tell all of your iPhone/iPod touch friends to do the same!

* If this doesn’t fit with how your blog goes, I wouldn’t be offended at all if you don’t!

 

Thanks for your help! And I hope you enjoy Awesome Ball!

So go and check it out and then help spread the word.  Good Luck Brian!

love this..

the final countdown

We are just over a week out from closing escrow on both houses.  We continue to pack and pack.  Yesterday Derek and I - with some help from the kids, very minimal help :) got more of the garage packed, most of the kitchen packed plus some closets taken care of.  

People continually asked if I'm excited about the move.  I am but am so tired from all the work that its hard to show too much excitement.  I think most of the excitement will come when we are settled into the new house and I have had a nap (or two)

our new house

I am excited that my mom will be coming in to help with the move as well as some projects in the new house.  You all saw how much she did when we put our house up for sale.  It will be helpful to have her here.

Don't expect much in the way of posts for the next few weeks but I will try to resume some schedule of posting once we are in the new house.

movin' on up

movin' on up, to the top.  To that deluxe apartment in the sky-y-y.  

Are those even the words?  If you are younger than late 30's would you even know the reference?

We are in the midst of packing, packing and more packing.  At times it all seems to be moving along well and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel but some days I can't even imagine how we are going to get everything done. 

We are about 2 weeks out from the big day and most of the house is packed up...the attic is packed up as is most of the garage (minus the rafters and Derek's tool bench)  We packed up a lot of the house when we listed it so basically what is left is stuff we need until the last day we are here.  I have some closets to do and the kitchen plus plenty of cleaning - bathrooms, appliances, inside cabinets and drawers, floors, etc.  We need to get some yard work done and odd jobs here and there.  I'm anxious for it to all be over.

now i know why derek is always laughing at me after the dentist

a must have with the new move

I just found this handy new tool over at Design Mom and now I must have it before we move.

Hanging pictures, etc. on the walls causes a bit of stress at our home.  Derek dislikes hanging things for me because he thinks I'm a bit psychotic when it comes to things being straight, at the right height, etc.  I'm really not that worried about it - I just eyeball things when I hang them.  He is the one with issues - using rulers, levels, etc. he just wants to blame it on me (we see through your thin curtain of deceit Derek - no one thinks I'm psychotic)

Anyway there is no need to point fingers any longer.  Head over to The Hang 'em Awl and check out their short video on how these miracle workers get the job done and then tell me if you don't want them too.

a lesson for us all to learn

I watched this little video with Nathan the other day and was touched by the message. I hope that I can instill in my children the importance of being kind and serving others. Actually, it's a lesson we can all benefit from.

new music i'm loving

I found out about Cubworld yesterday from my niece Mandi's blog. Mandi's husband Nick has been playing some shows with Jake Kongaika who is the voice of Cubworld. Ever since I read Mandi's post yesterday I have spent an extreme amount of time on YouTube, iTunes and Sellaband listening to Cubworld. Yes, I realize I should be packing but listening to good music while relaxing in a chair seems so much more fun - less productive, but fun!

I have emailed some friends that I knew would really love this music and all the reviews back have been great - so far everyone that's heard Cubworld loves the cool, mellow sound. I plan to get the word out to even more folks so that others can hear Jake.

I'd encourage anyone reading this to check out the video and then head over to iTunes or YouTube to hear some more. We bought Cubworld's album off iTunes last night and I can't wait to get it on my iPod and the rest of the families iPods - my teenagers will love this music!

If you like what you hear get the message out to others - it's a great way to support newer artists.

Now if I can just convince Nick to convince Jake that they need to do an Orange County show we'll be set. Here's to hoping Cubworld will come share their music here in the OC.

Enjoy the tunes!

blogger protocol

So tell me this...what do you do when you see a friends blog on the blog roll of someone's blog and when you click on the link you find out it is private?  Do you email the friend/acquaintance to ask if you can visit their blog or do you assume that if they wanted you to read their blog they would have already invited you?  I'm perplexed.  

It feels a bit forward to ask to be included especially since the insecure voices in my head are screaming, "Denise, they probably don't like you and don't want you nosing in on their business." On the other hand maybe they haven't invited me because their insecure voices (assuming they have them) are saying "Denise probably doesn't care to read about what is going on with your family and life."  For the record...I love reading peoples blogs - I think it helps folks feel closer and more in touch (in a impersonal world wide web sort of way - confusing, I know)  

So if you like me at all (even just a little bit) I'd love to be invited to read your blogs.

i can't believe i'm about to say this but...

I went to the dentist and it was a great experience (as great an experience as getting two root canals and two crowns put on can be)

In addition to the long list of phobias I already have (why have I never sought out professional help?) we must add dentist to this list.  I am incredibly fearful of going to the dentist and so I don't go very often - you think I'm kidding but really, I never go.  As an adult I've been three times... right before my mission when I was 21, about three years ago and then yesterday.

I have been living in pain for at least a month and I think Derek was finally fed up with my inability to call and make an appointment so he made my appointment, took yesterday morning off and escorted me to I was sure would be my death.  Have I ever mentioned that I have the most kind and considerate husband (although I wasn't thrilled with the idea of going to the dentist)

We decided to try a new dentist so we were off to Dr. Ballard's office.   Dr. Ballard (Rebecca) is a friend from church and we had heard nothing but glowing reports from everyone that has gone to her.  I now add my glowing report.

Tuesday night when Rebecca saw that I would be coming in the following day called the house and talked to Derek to find out if I needed any medication to calm my nerves (she knows my fears due to the fact that I have cried in church talking to her about my dental needs - just face it I'm a nut)  Some anxiety medication was prescribed for Tuesday night and Wed morning and the next thing I knew I was sitting in Rebecca's dental chair listening to her reassuring words.

To make this long story a bit longer Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was put in - my choice for movie but don't ask why I would choose a movie with Johnny Depp's dad as a psycho dentist.  

A sweet little gas mask was put over my nose and although I was awake the whole time I'm pretty sure I drifted off to la-la land.  I heard conversations, felt Derek rubbing my feet occasionally, didn't feel any pain but after talking to Derek later in the day seem to have done things or said things that I have no recollection of.  

I do remember trying to let Rebecca know I wasn't feeling well but do not recall throwing up all over the place as Rebecca and her assistant worked on me (nice visual huh?  Nothing better then lying on your back in a dental chair while throwing up)  I feel horrible and am embarrassed to face Rebecca - Derek says I spent a great deal of time apologizing after it happened although I don't remember that.

I left the office feeling a bit tired but came home to a quiet house and a few hours of sleep.  I'm a little sore today but I'm hanging in there.  Honestly, I wouldn't choose to go the dentist but since I had to go it was as pleasant as it could be.    I appreciate all Rebecca did to make it a good experience for me and now I am not near as scared to go back for future visits.

If anyone in the area is looking for a dentist I can't say enough about Rebecca. You really should visit her at her office in Mission Viejo.  You can find more info about Mission Dental Group and Rebecca here.  Tell her the crazy throw up girl sent you!

love this message

we've only practiced this at school

Today was quite the adventure at church.  Derek and I spoke in Sacrament - so glad to have my talk over!  I have a serious aversion to giving talks, it freaks me out.

After Sacrament we moved on to Primary where it was business as usual until the last hour. About 10 minutes or so into Senior Primary strobe lights start flashing and the fire alarm (the very high pitched fire alarm) starts going off.  My first thought honestly was fire drills are only practiced at school and I had a small moment of panic - what are we supposed to do?!

We poked our head into the hall to hear a member of our Bishopric directing us to get out of the building so that is what we proceeded to do.  The kids and teachers were amazing.  We got the kids out to the parking lot and we didn't lose one kid - that was my big worry.  My guess is within 5 or 10 minutes we were back in the building - the alarm had stopped (talk about an annoying noise - I still have a headache from it) but the strobes kept going until the fire department showed up.  Its always fun for Primary teachers to be stuck in little classrooms teaching a class full of kids with a strobe light going off.  

The kids all thought it was a great adventure today - I did too, I was only wishing that the alarm had gone off during my talk - now that would have been a tender mercy!

overwhelmed

Thats about all the post I can muster up - lots to do and not much time to do it.

8 days on the market and....

perhaps we should be buying an ark not a house (aka a pity post)

The rain is non stop.  It has been raining for a couple days but tonight it seems to really be coming down.  We have 3 sets of folks (that we know of) coming over tomorrow to view the house - hope the rain doesn't keep them away.

The rain is probably not helping me with my mood.  I've been in a constant state of tiredness the last couple weeks.  I'm currently feeling way nauseous and praying that I'm not coming down with the flu.  It is after 10:30 pm and Derek is still at work.  Life seems blah right now - here's hoping that tomorrow brings less rain, a stomach that doesn't feel like releasing it's contents and a husband to spend the day with.

if my friends are reading this please stop now

Since we will soon be house poor (assuming we sell our house and buy another) I am loving this "recession proof" gift set.  I can get my friends a great gift without spending a bunch of cash.

Do you not love these coupons from Anvil Modern Paperie?  The graphics and colors bring a smile to my paper loving, type loving, graphic loving heart.

for mom (and any looky loos)

Here are some pictures of the house mom - thanks for coming out and helping us so much.

it's official

Our house is on the market.  

hey all you mommies of toothless kids

You have to check this out.  How adorable is this kit?!?!?!

zombie

4:44 am and here I am blogging - yikes!  Derek and I have been up cleaning, spot painting, doing Goodwill runs, putting boxes in our storage unit, etc.  My life seems to be all house all the time - I need to find some balance.

The house seems nearly ready to list.  Flooring guys will be here Tues. - Thurs. and then we will be ready to take some pictures and list the house.  The only glitch in the plan (and the reason we haven't gone to bed yet) is that a realtor asked our realtor if she could bring some clients in tomorrow to see the house (actually that would be today since it's so early in the morning) even though we don't have it listed yet.  I guess they have been looking for awhile and haven't found the perfect house but their realtor seems to think our house might be the one.

We'll see what happens.  We are not holding our breath for a quick, pre listing sale - I mean, really, what are the chances that someone would give us the amount we want before we even list?  It would be awesome but it seems highly unlikely.

I think I really need to get to bed now.  4:51 am and I have to get up far too soon.  Poor Derek has to be up for a 7 am meeting.  Any bets on if we are going to be taking naps today? 

:(

My mom left, I have workers in my house, I have a killer stomach ache, I'm beyond the point of exhaustion and it's raining.

Why did we decide to sell our home?

some more kid pics

Ashlee, the photographer I mentioned in a previous post just posted pics of the kids from the photo shoot.  You can see the Baker kids here.

Thanks Ashlee for the great photos.  

the mom report

Paint Emily's room - check

Clean Emily's ceiling fan - check

Paint kid's bathroom - check

Install light fixture - check

Paint master bath (until 1 am) - check

Continually pick up after four kids because they can't seem to grasp the concept of "we have to keep the house picked up so some one will want to buy our home" - check

Install toilet paper holder - check

Hang shelves - check

Keep me from having another total breakdown (Sunday was not pretty in regards to my mental health - why must selling a house be so stressful?) - check

The above was my mom's list for Monday - I'm sure I didn't even cover everything she did.

Today promises to be as work filled as the last few days (will it ever end?) but I do think we are starting to see light at the end of the tunnel.

don't tell derek but i think i'm in love with jay reily

Can't wait to see all the pictures from the photo shoot but you can check out a few here.

I also have a bit of a girl crush on Ashlee, but that's a secret too. Ashlee is an adorable mom of 5 from Provo that was shooting with Jay for the day.  She couldn't be nicer and her photography is amazing.  Be sure to check out her blog to see her work.

when your mom is a work horse

First off...my mom is one of the hardest working people I know.  Derek and I along with the kids were gone for a good part of the day yesterday at the photo shoot with Jay Reilly (more on that in a minute)  My mom pounded through a ton more house projects and got so much done.  My pantry sparkles right now, my newly painted bathroom cabinets are amazing - why did I not paint them such a glorious "brown velvet" (paint name) before so that I could enjoy them?  She cleaned up our backyard - I think she wanted to help but more than anything I think she worked in the backyard so she could bask in the warm California sun.  She has been a tremendous help and we are just so thankful she is here.

Hanging out with Jay (like the hanging out phrase?  I'm sure he and I are best buds right now) was a lot of fun.  He is just a low key super cool kinda dude.  The kids liked him and they had a great time having him take their pictures.  We can't wait to see how they turn out!

I have a bit of camera envy - his camera was sweet.  I also have some house envy - not because of size, layout or anything like that but because his walls are covered with amazing family photographs that truly capture the feel of his cute little family.  I now have an idea for some creative family goodness to grace the walls of my new home but I'll share that idea later. 

there may be a serious lack of posts

I've been a little busy...

We have made the decision to put our house on the market and if you have ever done that before you know what it involves.  My mom flew down this morning to be my handy man for a week so that we can get our house listed.  Since about 1 pm today she has completely taken care of my boys room - took down bunk beds, cleaned out bookshelves, took down old blinds, puttied holes plus she cleaned my kitchen, painted my pantry plus a ton more.  I am so glad that she is here - we wouldn't be able to do this without her.

If you're in the market for a house let me know and I'll send you an email when it is finally listed (hopefully within a week)  If you are not looking just say some prayers for us - I'm not looking forward to following around my kids picking up after them so that the house can stay "ready to show clean"

lucky, lucky

This guy has invited our kids to be a part of his photo shoot tomorrow in Carlsbad - can you see me grinning from ear to ear?!?!