Organizing and Crafting

Over Christmas break I have been being creative and trying to organize some things that have gotten out of control.  Instead of a million little papers on my bulletin board strips, I made some hanging folder pockets from manila folders that I scored from Marc's earlier this year.   I also decided to decorate them with some craft paper so they look prettier.  I can store all the kids school papers that I need to refer to from time to time in these pockets.  

I also made a to do list pocket and a pocket for seminary ideas.

Jacob moved his desk (well I kicked him out) and Maggie and I are making a sewing / craft area.  It is pretty basic but it will do.  It will be nice to have a place to do a quick project with everything in one spot instead of spread all over the house.

We are doing some decorating of the craft area and Maggie is already working a some little curtains to hide the cords.  

4-H Pictures 2013

 Curtis's First Year Project.  Really cool Robot/Alien thing.  Has a zipper for a mouth.  

 Maggie's Loungewear project.  It came out super cute.  

 Maggie's robe.  She learned how to do a crocheted edge.  It is so fuzzy but lightweight.

 Jacob's Wool coat.  He did a great job.  

Doug's Biking outfit.  

 Doug's First Day of High School.  Love that he has to wear a uniform!  Bio-Med Science Academy Ready or not here he comes!

Style Review 2012

Jacob in his outfit.  He won in his category Spectator Sportswear.  

Maggie and her quilt.  She also made her shirt.  She didn't place with her shirt, but won with her  quilt.

Doug in his outfit.  He took 2nd place.  The girl in the blue won the category.

Thi

More 4-H Sewing

4-H Judging and Style Review is this next Tuesday.  We are all finishing up our projects.  This year has gone rather smoothly.  Jacob is entering in Spectator Sportswear.  Doug is doing Clothing for Middle School and Maggie is entering Tops for Tweens and Quilts.  I will post more pictures after the Style Review on Tuesday night.  Wish us Luck!!!!

Jacob working on his Jeans.

Working Hard!

Seam rippers are our friends.

Maggie working on her quilting project.

Getting it just right!

Jacob checking out his stitches.

4-H Has Begun 2012

Well it is 4-H Season again.  The kids are busy at work sewing their projects.  Here are some pictures of Maggie making her top.  She is doing a good job so far.  I hope she does well this year at judging.  It is so stressful for a mom!  The boys will start working on their projects soon.  I have to help them get a pattern traced so we can reuse it.  They will LOVE that.  They grumble through most of the projects, but they do like it when it is over and they can see their accomplishment.

Sometimes it is Boring...

Sometimes waiting at church for all the boys to be done with scouts is very boring!

January

I have been waiting to have something spectacular to write.  Still waiting. :)  In January we have been really hitting the homeschooling hard.  Maggie finished up her vocabulary and spelling units for the year.  Now we are concentrating on harder subjects.  Jacob is doing mid term tests this week.  He has his spanish today...say a prayer...

Steve is doing great with his weight loss plans and has lost over 40 pounds to date.  I am very proud of his efforts.  I on the other hand...lose 2 gain 3 lose 3 gain 1...etc.  I am not getting anywhere.  Trying would probably help my situation? 

Doug and Curt are still determined to stay in "regular" school.  We tease them and try to entice them, but its a no go.  

I am worried about grades for both of them.  I think things get glossed over and once you miss something you are out of luck, unless you figure it out yourself.  Meanwhile, it effects your grades until you figure it out...if you ever do.

Schooling has been fun but does seem to take over life at home quite a bit. 

I have to download a bunch of pictures soon and post them.  Like I said before, schooling is taking up most of my time. 

Have a great day.  I have to go grade Maggie's Literature Semester Assessment.

Homeschooling

Homeschooling has been wonderful.  Maggie is a good student and doesn't give me much trouble.  It does however take about 5 hours of my day. Therefore, I don't have much time left to blog.  I have been working on our church's Primary Program for the last little bit, trying to write the darn thing.  This Sunday we begin practicing with the kids.  It is a bit later than most Primary programs, usually it is in Oct/Nov...but we are doing ours in Dec.  We had a huge change of staff...with our choirister moving and getting a new pianist.  Oh dear.  It will be fine...

So I have been busy. 

Plus another fun note.  Steve broke his wrist playing church basketball a week and a half ago.  He just went today for a check.  He will be out for 3 1/2 more weeks.  No working...
No working = less income.  Nice.  (that was sarcasm)

This might be the lamest Christmas ever. 

Although...Grandma is coming...so the kids will be spoiled and probably won't notice the lame gifts we get them anyway. So that is good.

No working = Being home all day every day.... (need I say more)

He also can't do any fix it projects while he is home.  He can't move his hand.  So he is kind of going stir crazy and we have 3 1/2 weeks to go.  My mom is coming on Sunday...and it will be thanksgiving and Christmas.

I love to decorate for Christmas...I do it when Steve is at work...cause he hates it.  He will be home this year...what fun (sarcasm)

He is going to drive us all nutso...I mean...I love being home with my hubby.

Wish me luck,

Julie

Slightly more craziness...

Well since my last post, Maggie has come home to school at home with OHVA too.  So it has been busy around here. We set up a classroom and got all the supplies and we are off and running!  It has been lots of fun so far.  Luckily we enjoy each others company.  We are together A LOT.  The two other boys said NO WAY!  That is ok because I think I would freak out with two more kids to school.  I would probably just handle it but it is nice to start slowly. 

Jacob is doing great in his classes so far.  Straight A's with the exception of Spanish.  I hope he doesn't have my language gene...hopefully he has Steve's.  One semester of Latin was more than I could handle. 

Doug finished up his Cross Country season. He did well.  He seemed to really like it and he wants to do it again.  I hope he runs track this spring.

Curtis is Curtis. Pretty happy go lucky.  He is playing soccer this year, but is considering football next fall...he should he is about 2 inches and 10 pounds heavier than the bigger kids in his class.  He is SOLID!  As Steve says..."ya can't teach them to be big"

Maggie is playing soccer too.  She wants to start flute lessons.  Hopefully we can make that happen too. 

One more week and soccer will be over...yeah!  Hip Hip Hurray! 

The best part is that I am going to the temple on Sat.  I haven't been in a long time.  So I am looking forward to the peace that is found within the walls.  I am driving so I hope we don't get lost!  I also hope it is easy and I can feel more comfortable making the trip. 

I was really hoping for a temple announcement in Kirtland, or at the John Johnson farm...two church sites that are close.  I am greedy I admit it.  I can't even imagine living in Utah where there are temples less than a half hour apart.  That would be awesome.  It would be like zipping out to the store...as opposed to 2 weeks of rearranging schedules, dealing with kids, finding time to be gone all day.  Plus gas money to travel. 

Oh well..I will stop whinning about it...

That is all for now.  I think Maggie is about ready to get started on a new lesson.

My Maggie

.Today is officially girls day.  Tonight the boys are going on a father/son campout and it will just be us girls!  We have plans...oh yes we do...well I am going to wait and see what she wants to do...I hope it involves eating out!  Usually girls night consists of painting nails and watching princess movies.  We never get to watch girl movies around here.  Boys always take over because we are way out numbered.  I love the fact that I have a girl.  I don't know what I would do without her.  She reminds me of the fact that I have to teach her to be a woman.  Therefore...I need to be a better woman.  If it was just boys around here I would probably just completely morph into a tom boy.  (which is a natural inclination)

Maggie is fun to watch and I don't worry about her too much YET!  She can be sweet as pie and in the next second (if someone does her wrong) she really lets them have it!  She can stand up for herself...well at least with her brothers, which I hope will transfer over at some point. 

I know that things will change here very quickly...she is nine now.  The next few years might be bumpy.  I remember things being bumpy for me.  I hope they aren't bumpy for her...but they probably will be at some point.  I thought babies were hard, teens are hard.  It is hard to watch them go through "stuff."  I just want to protect them from things that hurt them, just like I did when they were small.  Teens usually have to go through it and live through it and find their way. I hate that!

Doug and Steve are having some bonding time in Washington DC.  I hope they are having fun.  I can't wait to see the pictures and hear the stories. 

Well I have a million loads of laundry to fold...ugh!  So I guess I should go and try to get that done before my great girl night out!!  Whoo Hoo! 

Princess Ball 2011

Here is Steve and Maggie at the Princess Ball in 2011.  They had a blast.  This year Steve could dance.  Last year he had just had his foot operated on right before the ball.  This year they danced the night away.  Steve even did the hokey pokey...which means he must really love his daughter!!!!  He hates the hokey pokey.  They also did the chicken dance.  It was good for them to have some daddy daughter time together!

$3 Makeover

Here is some pictures of Maggie's room.  I found a pretty sheet at the goodwill and then found a duvet cover that matched.  The cover was $2 and the sheet was $1.  I  made valances and pillows with the sheet and just put the cover over her princess comforter that she didn't like so much anymore.  What do you think?  I am still going to make a dresser scarf with the valance fabric and we are going to make some accessories for her doll house...so everything matches. :)

Maggie's new glasses

This is the first year that she didn't pick purple or pink glasses.  I am still getting used to them.  She loves them and can see much better! 

Rag Rolling

We rag rolled Maggie's hair last night for something fun to do.  It came out cute and really curly.  I figured she would hate it, but she liked it.  So we left it kind of messy and fun looking.  It is so much easier than sitting there with a curling iron.  It worked much better and less pulling and complaining.  I am sure we can get better at getting the sections just right so it is the same curl overall.  We pulled up the back out of the way, she didn't cut her hair...it is still long. 

Birthday's Galore!

Curtis had his 7th birthday! 

 

He got a snuggie, books and a magnet game. 

Maggie had her 9th birthday!

She absolutely loves her doll house.

We are now officially done with kids birthdays before Christmas.  Now with 15 days left we can concentrate on Christmas completely.  I really need to get shopping so we can have a few things under the tree.  I don't feel as stressed, although I probably should be.  Oh well I am glad I feel fine.  I basically know what I am going to get everyone so it is just a matter of "getting it"

Well that is all for now.  Probably won't write again until Christmas...I will however still be following along with everyone else's blogs.  I love to see what and how other people are celebrating the season. 

Have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Stuff that has been happening around here.

Jacob turned 14 this year.  I can't believe it!  That is a lot of candles on that cake.  He is looking so much older and truly isn't a little kid anymore.  Amazing.

It was also Maggie's 9th birthday this year.  Oh my.  This is her all dressed up for a family wedding.  She had a great time dancing the night away!

Doug being Doug...

Miss Lucy the dog.  This is the face everytime I am eating anything.  She is there looking at me...waiting for a bite to eat too.  You would think I would lose weight always having to share.

This last few weeks we traveled to Virginia for Thanksgiving and for early Christmas.  That was fun.  We got to see everyone and eat too much.  We have been celebrating birthdays.  Curt's is coming up soon.  We are still working on Christmas shopping.  The tree is up, the nativity is up and I am really not feeling like doing to much more decorating.  The kids seem satisfied and so why make myself crazy.  I am trying to clean out stuff...making donations to Goodwill...coats and things that we have grown out of.  Curt has his first talk at church on Sunday.  We still have to write that.  He will have to practice a lot.  He tends to mumble and get really quiet when he is nervous.  I hope he does fine.  Steve had me go to the store and buy primer for the basement walls.  I hope we can finish the basement soon.  That would be a great Christmas gift. 

Halloween Pictures

Doug as a skeleton...not too far of a stretch!

Curt wanted to be a mime.

Jacob...rock star

Maggie the witch!

Curt again.  I think I did pretty well with the makeup!