Improvements

I actually completed a couple little projects recently that I am pretty proud of! Once I got that hip new rug in my living room (birthday gift) I had to add some color to other stuff so it didn't look so out of place! My stylish friends Jacqui and Chandra offered me some of their great decorating advice, and although I didn't do as much fancy stuff as I wanted to {yet!} I like how it's looking already!

BEFORE:

NOW:

I made all but 3 of those pillow covers myself! woot! And to make it better--I didn't even have a working sewing machine so I used stitch witchery and did a bum-load of ironing to make them! They may not be the most durable and long lasting, but they were super cheap and I figure if I want to change my color scheme any time soon or if anything *happens* to get spilled or pooped all over any of them, I won't be super sad. I really like the colors added. 

And then on to another project.... our hideous dining room chairs. I have been pining for a new table and chairs for YEARS, since it really sucks that ours only seats 4 and that means our family plus just one other person--which is only enough when it's only my dad or Collin's mom visiting. Otherwise it's too small! But alas, we are not in the market for a new table right now. So I did the next best thing and reupholstered the chair pads. I use the term reupholstered pretty loosely...because really all I did was take them apart and staple new fabric over the old. I figure, again, if it's going to be used by our family and quite possibly ruined quickly, no point in slaving away or spending tons of money on getting them done. Plus, I still really have that hope that someday, perhaps someday soon, I'll be getting that new table! 

BEFORE:

(note the disgusting stains.... I'm really embarrassed I didn't do this earlier, they were pretty grody.)

NOW:

Photo Book

I have been meaning to make a little story book for Ashlyn about how she came into our family forever.... and I finally got it done! And thanks to shutterfly I got it for free...just paid for shipping. Yahoo. Anyway, it is by no means professional but I wanted to keep it simple and appealing to her. Here it is if you want to check it out! Now let's hope that I will be making a book for another baby some time soon..... *sighs* *shrugs shoulders* *says a prayer* :)

Click here to view this photo book larger

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For Your Viewing Pleasure

Camp 2013

I survived Girls Camp! I felt like I didn't get any sleep all week .... a combination of staying up way too late and just the general suckiness of trying to sleep while camping! But it was a good time! It was weird not really having any responsibilities. I'm glad I was there because I was the only other leader from our ward there besides our YW president.....and I did help a lot with ward night, which was a lot of fun. But besides that, I pretty much just hung out! It wasn't too shabby!

I got lucky -- 2 of the cooks were some of my buddies...and the CRAFT LADY (said with love) was one of my favorite people too! So we had a good time together!

Mondo sodas on our drive into Stanley. Note the totally cool survival bracelets we had made as well. :)

This stake is pretty lucky....the entire last day of camp consisted of nothing but boating on Alturas Lake! 

My biggest responsibility was treats for the girls each day... one of the days they got these cool nerd glasses. We had to rock our own of course. 

One of like 500 Chonya selfies!! We are a little crazy!

Cups. So did you know that most of the kids there thought that Pitch Perfect invented the Cups game?!? I was stunned.  I learned that in like 5th grade! Oh well, at least kids are still playing it!

Ward night.... with me clearly looking my finest!

Look closely! I'm sexy and I know it....

We took like 50 of these because Chandra can't frown! I was laughing so hard! Which made it even harder to frown! 

What a fun week with my buddies! I'm glad we all survived and still like each other! (at least as far as I know....)  :)

Camp Roundup

I'm going to camp this week! It's pretty weird! There was a time there, from 2005-2010, that I went to camp at least once if not more every summer! And now here I am, having a hard time figuring out what to pack and how I am not going to cry when I have to leave my little one for 5 whole days. Weird. For fun I was looking back through old camp posts. There aren't as many as I thought because I guess I didn't start blogging until after the first 3 years I worked as a Camp Oasis counselor, and one of the years I was a leader at girls camp. Camp memories are some of the best memories I have in my life.  In case you happen to be stiflingly bored, I rounded up some of the old camp posts if you care to peruse.

Girls Camp 2008

Camp Oasis 2008

Camp Oasis 2010

Trek 2010

UTAH...again!

We took a somewhat last-minute trip to Utah again in July! Collin's brother Tyler moved to Arizona last year so now we kind of have to coordinate our visits with when he will be coming up to visit....makes it a little tricky! But this one worked out, and I think those brothers had a lot of fun together. Ashlyn and I had fun too! Nana lives right on Utah Lake and we spent a day down there riding the wave runners. We also had a great trip to IKEA (always great in my opinion) and lots of yummy food and movies. Ashlyn as always had a blast playing with her cousins!
 

Originally Collin was just going to take her slowly around the marina, but she kept saying "faster, faster!" so he took her out on the lake! He said she would be smiling one minute and on the verge of tears the next....but she didn't seem too traumatized! :)

 

 

Hanging out with Uncle Tyler

Cousins!

W.O.W. & Birthday Week

I was again a WOW--Widow Of Wrestling--for a week in July..... and it happened to be the week of my birthday! Now before you think Collin is a horrible husband for leaving me on, heaven forbid, my birthday, you should know that he really did check with me like 10 times earlier in the spring to make sure it was ok with me. I gave him permission! :)

Anyway, I don't know if it's just because I was finally feeling a little better health-wise or because I have the awesomest friends and family a girl could ask for (probably a big combination of both!), but that was by far the best WOW week I've ever had! Good timing that it was my birthday week! 

Birthday festivities started before Collin left... this was my present from him! I have been dying for a new rug for our living room, since ours is nicely chewed on, ripped, peed, pooped and barfed on, etc. It was time to upgrade! We got it on Rugsusa.com, I would recommend it, catch their sales they are great! Anyway, it arrived the day before Collin left, and even though he was out running errands I couldn't resist rolling it out and setting it up! I love it! The next step is adding a little more to the color scheme in the room to actually match the rug! (post on that to come!)

Collin took me out for my birthday that night too. We went to Joe's Crab Shack-- I am always saying I want to go there but then always forget. Well, we went! It was great and tons of seafood. We had a great time crackin' crab and watching the servers do dances between the tables. Then we went to Despicable Me 2. Super cute! It was a great date night! (and thanks Lindy for watching Ashlyn!)

Once Collin actually left town, I was surprisingly busy! Usually it seems like I can't find enough to keep me and Little Missy busy when we're alone, but this time it was opposite! We had youth temple baptisms one night, a birthday outing for me the next night, and then I had company staying with me for the rest of the week! So I was not alone much at all, which was fun and also busy! 

I did get some crafting done, I am always in the mood to craft when I'm home alone! I got a couple of projects I started a while ago finished, finally. Dr. Quinn (yes I am totally watching that show like, daily right now~thanks Tara!) kept me company into the wee hours of the morning while I made bow-holders (below) for a friend's baby and my own, and plenty of bows (below that).

My fabulous friend Lindsay had to leave town on my birthday so she planned an awesome girls' lunch date for us before she left! We got pedicures (my first one, EVER) and Jambas! Can you get better than that? It was awesome. I am so spoiled.

Then on my ACTUAL birthday I got to go out with my dear friends! I love these ladies! We went to the Reef and had some delicious food and then ended up at Target until past my bed time! Also can't get much better than that! My friends spoiled me and it was so, so great to hang out with them! I am a lucky girl.

Molten Lava Cake from the Reef.... or, according to Cheryl, mug chocolate cake recipe from Pinterest! Gotta try it!

Fun continued that week.... we made a trip to the splash park with most of those same buddies and their kids the next day! It was super fun, especially because for the first time Ashlyn actually got into the water! She was soaked, face and all! I was so proud of her. 

That night Andrea and Dad showed up! 

Andrea and I took Ashlyn to Ivy Wild the next morning for preschool swimming time--it was a lot of fun! We had great adventures with her going down the slide, just like I always do when we take her there, ha ha. It is pretty funny. It was a hot morning so it was great to hang out in the pool, and every time we swim Ashlyn gets more brave so that is so fun to see too.

Snackin' poolside .... the swim cap just kills me. 

We met up with Dad after he got done seeing his clients and had a lunch at the Old Spaghetti Factory. It was the best lunch I have ever had with Ashlyn along! She scarfed down all her food and was a total angel while we were there for over an hour. First time for that for sure! I guess the secret is to take her swimming beforehand?!

The fun continued later that day when Tara arrived! She flew up from SLC to hang out with us for the weekend. She was feeling a little *ahem* under the weather so we didn't exactly go crazy, but we had or good times and our laughs for sure! We made sure to hit up the Sno Shack (Five mile and Ustick has the BEST one, if anyone's wondering)

Naps were taken for sure! Mix in a Saved by the Bell marathon and that is what most of our time consisted of!

I did get a sitter Saturday night so us 3 girls could go out for a little bit. We went bowling (SO fun, including a little dance-off, ha ha ha), and hit up Aspen Leaf's All-You-Can-Fill-In-A-Cup for $4 deal, yikes!! Then of course we ended our evening with yet another girls trip to Target, my headquarters lately! I went home with some new pillows for the couches, yahoo.

And then.... Collin got home about 6 hours earlier than planned Sunday, what a great surprise! In fact he woke me up with his call from BSU Sunday morning at 8:00am, ha ha. It was great to have him back! Thanks again everyone who spoiled me and checked up on me during my WOW week.... I really have the best friends and family a girl could ask for! Love you guys!

And finally, about Collin...  he was in Fargo, North Dakota that week! At Cadet and Junior Nationals. He helped coach Team Idaho again this year, meaning besides coaching at the BSU camp earlier in June, he also was at most of the Team Idaho practices in July. So for the (hopefully) last time, he took the trip out there to coach for the week. He had 7 guys from his high school competing, and 2 took home national titles!! Pretty awesome. We are proud of our hard-working, super-awesome wrestling coach!