we love to camp

We had a nice, rainless, delicious, and adventure filled camping trip.

I haven't gotten my camera out with the couple pictures we took, but here are some from Thomas' cell phone and from Liko:





It was really fun! I think next time we will try a different spot. Hoomaluhia is AWESOME so we will definitely go back sometime, but we want to try other places too.

And I am officially retiring from my self-appointed position as group camping trip organizer! This trip started out as a lot of people saying they wanted to go so Liko and I getting things set up and then people being in, out, and in between.

Next camping trip is gonna be simple- maybe just our family and one other. We will see. Camping is just fun- period.

boy were they ever cute!

We had a ward trunk-or-treat tonight so it was do or die with the costumes. I worked hard the last couple of days and was happy with the results.

Thomas created the AWESOME robot costume and I created the adorable (if I do say so myself) Pinocchio costume. I wasn't sure I was going to make the hat until the last minute when I suddenly thought of a way I could do it. So glad. It made the outfit complete. I also made Ambrose's trick-or-treat bag.

All the hard work paid off because Ambrose was so happy to be a robot and had a blast running around proclaiming "TRICK OR TREAT!!!!!!!" all night long. I think he's saying it in just about every picture I have of him on here. He knew it meant "GIVE ME CANDY!!!!!" and that is something he is VERY enthusiastic about.

I got the trick or treat bag fabric LAST YEAR and since I didn't really know how to sew back then it sat in a bin. I was happy to be able to use it this year- yahoo!








Thanks to Liko for the bag pattern and Ashley for the Pinocchio ribbon!

Oh my, when will I learn

This is Ambrose's new preschool group. Same school (Na Kamalei) but different location (Sunset Christian across from Ke Iki beach) and some new friends.

See the happy little Ambrose with his ukulele. So sweet and precious.

I need to learn my lesson: He is the two year old and I am the mom.

If I pack our day too full and he doesn't get a nap because of it he will be extra cranky and I need to recognize this fact instead of losing my patience and acting like a two year old myself. Or a hormonal teenage girl fighting with my little brother. Whatever I was acting like- it wasn't like I was acting like his loving mother.

The preschool picture has nothing to do with this lesson that I am trying to teach myself. It just has more to do with me sitting here yet again, thirty minutes after he has gone to bed (Yes, I put the tired boy to bed an hour early. We both needed him to be in bed.) looking at sweet pictures of him and feeling sorry that I can't be a better mom when I am tired/stressed/or feeling out of it.

I need to eliminate things from our life that don't matter and focus on what does.

I read this tonight and felt like I knew what I needed to do:

"Satan and his hosts will do all in their power to keep you from obtaining the ordinances required for the ideal family. He will attempt to distract you from centering your mind and heart on raising a strong family by nurturing your children as the Lord requires.

Are there so many fascinating, exciting things to do or so many challenges pressing down upon you that it is hard to keep focused on that which is essential? When things of the world crowd in, all too often the wrong things take highest priority. Then it is easy to forget the fundamental purpose of life. Satan has a powerful tool to use against good people. It is distraction. He would have good people fill life with “good things” so there is no room for the essential ones. Have you unconsciously been caught in that trap?" "First Thing's First" by Richard G. Scott 2001

Today was packed with a little too much and my son needed a nap and my understanding and love.

I will do better tomorrow. I promise.

backpack, backpack

if your child is obsessed with dora the explorer (like mine, groan.) the title of this post will haunt you for the rest of the day. you're still singing it aren't you? you just finished the "knick knacks" part huh?

anyway.

in sewing class tonight we took a much needed break from sewing our blankity blank aloha shirts and made these fun backpacks.


i have had this japanese fabric for over a year and was saving it for something cool.

i love it!

and katie thought we needed an "over the shoulder" pose:

ha! i think she's right.

awesome.

that she wore for the first time today

i made this dress back in march i believe. but i was pregnant, and didnt want to wear it, and it was my first experience sewing with a knit fabric so i was OVER IT when i was done (so over it that i didnt put the cutesy cute front pockets in. bummer.).

but i wore it to work today!

and i liked it.

then i came home and changed into regular clothes because someone tell me how i was supposed to nurse my baby in that.

trrrrrricky.

a tasty treat

Thomas found some awesome little clips of Ambrose from before Asher was born and put it together for your viewing pleasure. It could just be because I am his mom, but more than half of this made me laugh so hard my sides hurt.


ENJOY!

yep, we went.

last year there was a lot of pumpkin patch blogs and i thought, "why didn't i get the pumpkin patch memo?" it looked so fall-ish and autumy and fun!

we paid attention this year and heard about one on the west side of the island. it was fun! we even saw some good old pals of ours there. yep. pumpkin patch: check.

coming to terms with two things

No.1: I don't think we can afford to come home for Christmas this year to see my family as we had planned/hoped. This means my family won't see Asher until August when he will be a whole year and two months old! This makes me sad. Ambrose also talks about cousins non-stop and I really wanted him to be with them.

No.2: My wallet is GONE. I needed to just recognize that fact and quit waiting for it to show up.

SO, I went to a cheap store and chose the only one without sparkly sequence or cheetah print and I think it is fitting that my new wallet is large and purple and plaid. HA! It will be hard to lose/misplace this big mama!

I got a new license.... and my weight on there.... well, I hope you can't actually see it (YOU'RE TRYING TO ENLARGE THIS PHOTO AREN'T YOU!? Well, lucky for me the stupid license wouldn't photograph clearly no matter how I tried. Must have something to do with the finish... reminds me of Freaks and Geeks when they try to photograph themselves into a large fake ID... wow, back on track.) but I maybe sorta put five pounds less than I am now... something to shoot for- HAHA!
Got a new BYUH ID as well:
and all those empty slots?
Well, of course we had to cancel all my cards and so the new debit card and credit card are on their way.

Now I just need a library card and a Costco card replacement.

Never lose your wallet. It's annoying.

come what may and love it

it's been a junk day. i feel like i have too much to get done lately and i'd rather just be with my kids... oh yeah and my wallet has completely and mysteriously vanished and just a bunch of annoying randomness was getting me down so that by the end of today i was in a funk, nursing my baby and dreading doing anything but cuddling him. i hate that feeling (not the cuddling one... the dread and gloom) and then the phrase "come what may and love it" came into my mind. i watched this video and cried a bit. it was just what i needed and i am grateful to have wise counsel to cling to on days like today that really aren't that bad in the grand scheme. and dont you just love elder wirthlin? i miss him. anyway, thought i'd share. it will really just take a moment of your time and i hope it lifts you up as it did for me.



the three phrases that jumped out to me: "stretch our understanding, build our character, and increase our compassion for others." love it.

construction progress

I know some of my family has been asking about the construction and luckily my mother-in-law, Linda, has been going out and taking pictures after the workers leave most days and so we have visual proof of progress!

Here's the house as it was for many years:

and here it is after the demolition:

Goodbye carport roof and all those concrete stairs! Hope we didn't need any of our stuff that is stored in the apartment- hehe! (We can use a ladder if we get desperate for something.)

After all that destruction, work on the new addition stopped so the entire house could be retro-fitted with hurricane straps, and some ventilation to cool down the house. Basically a little improvement to keep the apartment from flying off the top of the house in the event of a natural disaster and some other just nice improvements in general.





Then it was back to work on the original project so they laid the foundation for new concrete in the area where the extended two-car carport will be (which will be the base of the two new bedrooms in our place) and the new concrete for the enclosed stairs, as opposed to the old stairs that were outside. It sure will be nice to not have to climb those stairs with two little babies in the rain!

As you recall, Ambrose assisted our contractor with this project! ;)


The new foundation for the carport and stairs after the concrete was poured:


And finally, they are framing things up now. So, as you look at these pictures you can start to see the roof of the carport- aka- the floor of our new bedrooms being framed and the support pillars for that and the little extra storage closet at the top of the new carport on the right.




I get so excited and just want things to be done already, but it is also fun to see your future living space coming together piece by piece.

We have picked up some new items for the place and are starting some really fun DIY projects too (many of them can be found on the links bar of my blog so feel free to create along with us!) so I will keep you posted on all that fun as it happens.

want your own sewing cabinet?

we saw these on craigslist last night as we were browsing possible furniture pieces for our new place and i thought these were all awesome... in fact, we were kind of laughing that there was all of a sudden SO many options, but i am still happy with mine.

none of these are cheap, but our wasn't originally either. you can always ask for $100 less and see what happens. it worked for us!

hope you find something that works for you sewing friends!

http://honolulu.craigslist.org/oah/fuo/1427518416.html

this one has extra side storage.




http://honolulu.craigslist.org/oah/fuo/1427531196.html

this one looks just like the one in weekend sewing- just wish we could see inside.




http://honolulu.craigslist.org/oah/fuo/1427653451.html

and this one is beautiful solid wood that you could paint a really inspiring color and i LOVE the arch on the top! love it.




happy hunting sewing soul mates!