Friday Walk

 I love Aubree's looks that she does when she's posing for me. She knows exactly the look that I'm going for.

It finally warmed up to 55 one day and I have been itching to go outside and take some pictures. I was halfway down the rode when Aubree caught up to me and wanted to go. I told her if she was coming then I was going to make her pose for me. (wondering how I was going to do that with the hot pink shirt, purple sweat pants, and hair that hadn't been brushed in days!) Luckily she grabbed her new sweater as she was running out the door to catch up with me!
So these are some of the pictures that I got.

Cheney 2011 Album

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Shutterfly allows you to customize your photo book just the way you want.

Merry Christmas

We had a great Christmas this year!! Aubree did throw up early Christmas morning, but I think it was just nerves. The girls woke up at 11:30pm and asked how much longer. Ummm...like 8 more hours!!! I told them they could open up presents when it was light out. So from 4am on they would come into our room "How much longer?" (I don't think they went back to bed!) Finally when they saw some daylight, they burst into our room "Okay its time!!" I told them not until Austin was up. SO 30 seconds later they burst into our room again."Okay he's up!"  I love it.

The girls begged and begged to have their own room so we finally gave in and moved the office downstairs. After all of that work with taking apart the desk, setting up Addie's bed, hauling everything upstairs or down.....THEY STILL SLEEP WITH EACH OTHER!!!!! SO they have their own rooms during the day and Addie sleeps with Aubree at night...ridiculous!
I found this fram at DI with the weird Jesus painting and thought it would be perfect for a chalkboard (since their was no way to get the canvas print out anyways!) I bought the pom pom's from Martha Stewart and they were pretty easy to put together. I hauled the doll house bookshelf upstairs that I had painted blue to match the playroom, but Addie needed something else in her room and it wasn't getting much use in the playroom. Theirs still some odds and ends I want to add but its done for now.

Treated myself to some Florabella actions for Christmas. Just messing around.

Blue Man Group

David and I saw Blue Man Group last night and it was so cool. Aubree was going to go with me, but built a new fort that day so she wanted to stay home and play. She totally missed out and would have loved it! It was so funny!!! If they are in you area I would highly recommend them!

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things....

 My camera. Oh how it has changed my life.

 My lens:) My new best friend. Don't ever buy a kit lens...EVER!

PINTEREST :) Addicting is my word and THANK-YOU to whoever invented it!

NEED  TO  BREATHE! My new favorite band! The opened for Taylor Swift and now the whole family is hooked! Its all we listen to in the car. Check out "Something Beautiful" Austin knows all the words (in his own little way) and sings along.

 Unbroken was the only book I read this year that I gave five stars to. I haven't done that since Hunger Games.

My favorite blog right now is I HEART ORGANIZING 

This is my favorite picture right now. Another favorite is the Vanilla Black and White filter from FloraBella Designs

My favorite cleaning supplies are MRS MEYER. YUM! My favorite scent is Basil and Lemon. You can buy it from Amazon or Target and sometimes Wal-Mart.

The last thing on my list is Shutterflys new custom path. You can finally do what you could only do in Photoshop (which takes a PH.D!) . Its the closest thing I've gotten since I quit paper scrap booking. You can now customize your page EXACTLY how you want it and their embellishments and papers are a lot better. The only thing I wish is that I could have that layered paper look, but right now you have to use their page ideas.

Killing Lincoln Review

Killing Lincoln: The Assassination that Changed America Forever by Bill O'Reilly

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


We listened to this on the way home from Arizona. I love history and their was a lot I didn't know about the assassination. Okay basically all I knew was that he was assinated. Even Aubree enjoyed listening to it!



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AZ Trip

I took 240 pictures so get ready for a lot of posts!!! The trip was awesome with no major mishaps (Addie got the flu the night before Thanksgiving, but other than that...) The weather was awesome and it was great hanging out with my brother and sister who I haven't seen in 2 years! CRAZY! and pathetic.

Crossed Review

Crossed by Ally Condie

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I'm crossed (excuse the horrible pun) between a 3 & 4 rating with this one. Their were times when I couldn't put the book down and their were times when I was getting bored but then something would happen that would make me want to read it some more. (Isn't that pretty much like every book?) But to be honest at the end I wasn't racing to amazon to buy the 3rd one (or maybe thats because it isn't out yet!)



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My first attempt at shoot all manual on my camera! YEAH! Its not so scarey anymore! Still learning though...
Anyways. We snuck Austin on Jr. Stallions basketball. (It said Kindergarten and he is technically kindergarten age...) But he loved it! When he saw me with my camera he'd really start showing off. Probably getting sick of all of Aubree's basketball pictures!

Aubree's Award

Aubree submitted one of her photos for the Reflections Program (which I hate btw!) and received an award for principals choice and judges choice. The theme was Diversity Is....  and I hate spending time on these things so one day she was out taking pictures of the yard and showed me the picture that she took and I told her lets use that for Reflections and call it good!

Austin's Swim Lessons

Austin LOVES swim lessons. They just ended last night so I grabbed my camera. As soon as he would get out of the pool he would ask me when his next lesson was. He passed his class and his next level is with a bunch of 8 & 9 year olds!! They practice in the deep part of the pool!!!!...Next to the diving boards!!! So I might bring him some floaties just in case....

Family Binders

This has seriously been 3 months in the making! I first saw this idea on I heart Organizing. I have made one before learning from FLYLADY, but after looking at the one on I Heart Organizing it got me inspired to take it to the next level.
In my binder I also have a folder for our Netflix movies, and gardening articles, a project folder that I mainly just put my paint swatches in, I also make copies of any fliers on book reports due, Reflections programs..things like that.
Both girls have their own and love it. They know what needs to be done each morning and each evening and no more asking them "Did you put your clothes away?" They love checking off their chores and homework. Their is still some tweeking to do, but for now its done. The girls also have a folder for any special papers they want to keep like artwork or a report card. So far its working! I went to Jen Jones Etsy store to have her custom make me the check lists. That was a little stressful trying to come up with a check list on how I wanted it and I still need to change it after using it a couple of times, but Jen jones was very patient with me. I don't know how many times I emailed her with changes (and I still got some things wrong!) I glued a clip on top of the binder so their pens are always handy. (I found one on pinterest that you can buy, but I forgot to repin the site and now I can't find it!)

 Here's a better picture of the print outs. Aubree's is similar except she has Uniform laid out, UTIPS, and a few other things. They each have their own list of Saturday chores, too.

Sock Bun

I saw this idea on Pintrest and had to try it! It works better with Aubree's hair since its so thick, but I can do it in Addie's too. Its so easy! Here's the link

Aubree's 11th Birthday Party

HOLY  COW!!! I never thought I could fit all 18 girls in my house but we managed!! (3 couldn't make it...THANK_YOU!!)  It was 2 1/2 hours of screaming, dancing, and more screaming! I told Aubree this was her last one. Now Addie wants a big party like Aubree's. I just turned and walked away.

Enjoying the last of my roses before winter hits

REALLY?!

Aubree has always been one we can't figure out. She loves to hiking and exploring. She will eat anything in front of her friends (bugs worms, you name it) And she collects things which brings me to my picture.
    SERIOUSLY!!!! I found this on top of her jewlery box (which she proudly bought with her own money from the DI). Was she meaning it to be for decoration?  A couple of years ago she dug up a dog skull in one of the fields (which for Aubree is a huge score on her part!!!) and get this: was hiding it in her drawer for who knows how long!!!  Everytime we go for a walk she always brings home weird things: Anything metal, horseshoes, weird looking long sticks, car parts..stuff I don't even want to mention and she tries to sneak it in the house to put in her collection box.  So when I saw this, I just had to shake my head and laugh. It will be gone though as soon as she gets home from school. I just refuse to pick it up!