Family stockings are finally finished!! 

What do you think?

We love how they turned out. Miah was so surprised. I had been using a stocking that I had when I was a little one and Miah just had been using one we picked up at the store a few years ago and Bells had a little puppy head at the top stocking. So I figured we needed matching family stockings. I have a family I go to for my embroidery, they are seriously amazing people. He is a cop and she stays at home but they run their little business from the house. The machine is so interesting to watch. I called Ron up and told him I have some ideas for stockings but I needed some pictures of the snowflakes he has. After a few emails we finally got the design just right and I sewed the front took them over and he did all the fun work. I picked them up and almost cried with how beautiful they looked. I literally ran home and sewed the whole stockings together as fast as I could. 

Now we have the cutest little stockings ever. 

Now I can't wait to fill them up with all the fun goodies!

I think a Nike GPS Running Watch will look just darling in mine, don't you?

Christmas in a week!?! 

Seriously where did time go? 

The beginning of October is always so slow but then once Halloween hits, it is off to the races. My favorite time of year is this time of year. But it is also my least favorite. The worst day of the year..... December 26. It means the best time of year is over and we have to wait another year for it. I think this year has been just crazy. I know this sounds weird but I am still trying to get my life together, as in settle in. Will it ever happen? I think so but not for awhile. Miah and I were talking about it and we believe we want to move to a house. We need more room, especially a third bedroom. He thinks it will be for his study, hehehe but I think it will be MY SEWING ROOM! 

Anyway, I was snapping some fun shots of Bells the other day and after doing a little bit of adjusting, this cute little picture came out. 

I hope everybody is having a wonderful holiday season. 

One week left....

A Few Crafts

I had some time on my hands when I was sick. I hate being sick but even worse I hate sitting still and relaxing. I can't even sit through a movie without doing something else too. I usually take that time to write my recipes on their own cards. Slowly but surely one day I will have them all done. 

Anyway, I decided to post a few things I had been working on. 

I went with a friend to a craft party one weekend and they were making some wreaths. They had taken burlap and made them into roses and glued them on. A little plain for me and well I like to add my own touch to things and make it mine.  Take a coupon to Hobby Lobby and get this wreath for about $6, burlap, paint, wooden scrap piece and a glue gun. 

I cut out the desired circle size I wanted, painted the burlap the color I wanted, then cut the circles into a spiral. I then rolled and glued each circle up and Ta-DA....a rose!

I painted welcome, I was going to put Taylor but I am scared here.  I do not want anybody knowing my name by my front door. Being on the mainland creeps me WAY out! Then I started gluing the roses on and finally my welcome sign. I love it. Simple, cheap and fun!

A close up of the roses and sign. 

I think my dining room is my favorite room in my house. 

Not only because I love cooking and it is where my family gathers to eat, laugh and talk but because it is beautiful (to me at least). 

Our table needed some love, it is beautiful but it just needed something else. A table runner would be perfect I decided. So I came up with an awesome design and called my mom to tell her, she told me it would work, might have tweaked it a little bit and I went at it. 

I love the gathered look, simple sides and a little something to draw your eyes to the middle. 

Gray and white...perfect!

My dining room left side. 

My dining room.

Oh how I love you. 

Miah designed the center piece. I love it. A teal glass long bowl thingy and he added shells and candles. Perfect for our beachy themed house. What I love about the glass thing, it has ripples and it really looks the ocean waves. Crazy we found it!

I needed a blanket. It gets cold here and when it drops below 70 degrees, I FREEZE! Bells isn't really liking Arizona weather either. She actually cried the other morning because we had to go  to the grocery store and it was about 45 degrees outside. She wouldn't go out and told me she would just stay here on the lovesac. Obviously I took her, she cried, we drank lots of cocoa at the store and she told me over and over, she doesn't like Arizona and she wants to move back to Hawaii. Not someday but now. 

I made a blanket to match the house. More ocean theme. I love the free range quilting. Lines to just go here and there. It really added some funk. I binded it with some cool white fabric that had swirls, like waves too. Of course I had to add a triangle that I had embroidered with the 3 of Us. 

A close up....Can you see the swirls?

I really enjoyed these projects. I thank my mom for this. She gave me the genes to be able to do this.

I have a special surprise on my next post!!

No hints either.....

Surprise Party

It was not just a random surprise party but the town of Surprise's Christmas Party. 

Confusing, I know. Somebody invited me and I told them I didn't feel comfortable going to a party for some stranger. I went anyway. Boy was it fun! I was recovering from more kidney issues so it was very calming and relaxed. 

I wonder how sore this guy is after hours upon hours of walking around like this. 

He was so so Jolly, I just loved him.

They had about 12 hot air balloons that were all around. They would light them up and it just looked beautiful. 

Bells' favorite...why because it was a SPIDERMAN hot air balloon! The other side was his face and that looked even better!

Who would of thought, hot air balloons were Christmasy? But then again, the last 3 years we have been decorating palm trees and playing on the beach on Christmas day. 

The coolest event of the whole night, they had 4 guys jump out of an airplane and they all had lights or sparklers. They went all over and made fun designs and then landed right in front of us....like 20 feet in front of us. The coolest thing I have seen. Of course they waited to blow up the sky with fireworks until after they had all safely landed. 

Daddy and Bells got to ride an elephant. Miah was way excited.

He thought it was the best thing ever, LIKE EVER. 

He asked me if I saw him sway back and forth like crazy. 

Yes my dear, I did. 

Hmmmm, I look and wonder who has a nicer bum....

Vote 1 for Miah

Vote 2 for the Elephant

(he won't ever know)

She loves getting her face painted. These ladies are so talented and patient. Painting thousands of kiddos and wanting perfection. 

This lady especially...

Bells loves Jack Frost. 

I need to go to the court house and change her name on her birth certificate to drum roll please....

Ellah Grace Taylor Bells Jack Frost. 

She wanted Jack Frost on her face or arm, either would do. This nice lady didn't really know what he looked like. I showed her a picture I carry around in my pocket, just incase these situations come up. 

She couldn't do it. She said how about a nice pretty snow queen. My innocent angel looked up and glared, I AM NOT A QUEEN, I AM JACK FROST!

Taken back, she said well how about a pretty purple snowflake. Again, she is so sweet (why did we name her Grace? It should of been Captain Hook) ICKY PURPLE, I DO NOT LIKE PURPLE.

She through a life line to me...

Bells what about Spiderman? She thought for a minute, a snowflake on my arm will be just fine, but one of Jack Frost's snowflakes. 

She started painting. 

I dislike the girls like pink and purple and sparkles stereotype....so does Bells. After telling her she does not like purple, she added some purple. Bells was not happy AT ALL. 

But I convinced her it was something to do with Pitch Black and it was going to change to another color. 

Crisis Adverted....

She then decided to take some of that frustration from the face painting out and hit the batting cage with Daddy. 

We had a good time playing at the Surprise Christmas Party.

P.S. I do not carry a picture of Jack Frost in my pocket at all times. I had to look one up on my phone. Please do not forget to vote on the best bum!!

Our List

I love this picture of Bells. She looks so much like my niece Reece here, wild hair and all! 

She just now started getting out of bed from nap time and bedtime, well that is afterwards. She would usually call us and patiently wait for us to come in and cuddle and play. Now she thinks it is a game, sneaks out, attacks us with stuffed animals. Right before this picture was taken, she had slipped her fingers under the door, it was hilarious. I ran to the cookie jar, grabbed a cookie, then placed it next to her fingers. She tried to pull it under the door but because of the carpet, it would fall back. Miah and I were laughing so hard watching her little fingers try over and over until the door slightly opened, a little arm slipped out and grabbed the cookie, door closed and the sound of little crunches. 

I am sure you are tired of hearing how much we miss Hawaii but lately, it is really bad. It is just a different way of living over there, the best place to be. Bells is going through major withdrawals. She tells my multiple times a day, she just wants to go back to Hawaii, she does not love Arizona. She wants to be back with her friends, Morrison will leave Washington and Kylia will leave Texas, she tells me and they will meet in Hawaii. She tells me she misses Kawela Beach and Baggers. She is always trying to find sand to make sand castles. Mommy, why does Arizona not have any sand? We have a big legos and we build Hawaii at her request. While at the park, a plane flew over head and she became really upset....

Apparently they were leaving to Hawaii without us and we must catch up to them. She will tell me one day we will live in Hawaii again Mommy, then she turns to Daddy and makes him promise.

We all miss it so much. My heart aches to be there again. Seeing my baby girl miss it like she does, just kills me. She misses her best friends even more. 

And as for Miah and I, it has been far too long Char and Jared!

Christmas is wonderful! I love this time of year, who doesn't? If you do not...something is wrong!

But people do get a little caught up with everything, especially presents. Shopping is crazy, I hate leaving the house starting Black Friday to New Years. I do like going to Costco though, lets say around 4pm, that is when the yummy samples start, this time of year, they are AMAZING!!

The other night Miah and  I were laying in the love sac talking about keeping the true meaning of Christmas and well how great Christmas will be this year. It will be all about watching Bells. She really gets it this year and I can't wait to watch her face on Christmas morning. 

If we could have one thing on our list...it would be back in Hawaii.

I am not sure if you have ever heard of Mike Thompkins...this guy is amazing. My good friend Bethany introduced us to him and the three of us can't stop listening and watching him. We kinda sound creepy. He does EVERYTHING with his voice and mouth. No other instruments or anything. You should check him out on youtube. 

I love this video about Christmas and presents.

Hope you guys are enjoying this time of year and not forgetting what Christmas is all about. 

Phoenix Zoo Trip

Who doesn't love a good day at the Zoo? When I suggest to Miah that we make a trip to the Zoo, he takes me to the computer and pulls up the website and shows me all the pictures of the animals there. When done showing me, he tells me that was a nice trip, let us go again sometime soon. 

My husband is sarcastic, not cool!

But Bells and I got our way, mainly because we had free passes to go.

So off we went...

What is it about giraffes? They are so beautiful and just such an interesting creature. 

A family of three just like us!

Miah shoving his face full of food, my being picky and Bells being easily distracted. 

We missed being able to feed and pet the giraffes by 10 minutes, DARN IT!!

Look at how happy those two are! I think Miah secretly loves and I mean LOVES the zoo. He just doesn't want anybody to know it. 

This big guy made us all laugh. He was doing all sorts of crazy things. Bells thought it was time he should take off his Halloween mask, silly baboon. 

This girl was taunting us just sitting at the window. She was very flirty with Miah. I told him to give her a kiss. He  went to place one on her and at first she was being very bashful.

But she never had a chance, his charm is too strong!

I'm still under his spell and it has been 5 years!!

Pucker up lil' lady!

She was mad at me, she must of saw me holding his hand. 

She does look a little green.

Just look at the face she is giving me!

Rude!

I was done with Mrs. Grumpy Pants Monkey, so I moved on to Lucas the Camel.

I was seriously so excited to ride a camel! Bells would have nothing to do with him.

I decided if I was ever Miss America, I would ride Lucas in a parade, I already have my wave down and just look at his smile.

Bells was super excited to see this HUGE tortoise. 

Like the giraffe, the jaguar is also very interesting. 

A very prestige animal. 

This little guy wanted to play, he was pacing back and forth in front of us....

or was he just hungry? 

Monkeys are my favorite animals. They are funny, cute, playful and just awesome. Bells thought he was funny, he was swinging around, gathering blankets to make a bed and coming up to the window to say hi. 

Miah thought he would be brave and go inside the Komodo Dragon's enclosure....

he got the best of him. 

This Zoo was awesome. There were so many more animals to visit. In between animals they would have activities for the kiddos, next to the monkey exhibit, you would have to do pull ups to see how strong the monkeys are. LOADS of facts and just fun things. 

We WILL be going again....

What Is Love?

Love  (luhv)  noun

-a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person

-a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for parent, child or friend

-a person who love is felt, beloved person; sweetheart

I am sure we all have felt it in some way or sort, right? But do we know what it really is? Or do we have an idea or an example of it? 

Right now? I can say I LOVE these Nike shoes. 

What is not to love?

(Santa, you hear that?)

I LOVE these two people that complete me. 

They are my world. 

Both of those answers are good, at least for me. 

I guess I was never told exactly what love is but instead I was SHOWED what love is. 

That is even better I believe. 

I had the best example right in my house growing up and to this day, they still remain that part, especially to my husband and I. 

Happy Anniversary to the most amazing parents I know.

Rich and Lori Edwards,

36 years and counting. 

It might seem weird that I picked a picture of the Flintstones. They are old as molasses and well even though my parents are getting there, hehehe, that isn't the reason. I chose this because of how amazing and a complete gentleman my father is. You can tell he was also raised in an amazing household. He is the guy they call old fashion. They have THAT relationship. You know the couple you see in town and you can't help but see how cute and want to be just like them. 

That couple is my parents. 

He opens doors, 

gives flowers for no apparent reason,

 cooks FANTASTIC dinners for my mom, 

pays the bill,

 holds her hand just because,

would do anything for her and

loves her unconditionally. 

You just can't find those kind of guys that often, especially these days. 

My Mom is one lucky lady!

I can not begin to explain how great my parents are. Each individually is an amazing person but together, I believe they are unstoppable! 

My mom, is the strongest person I know. Yet, one of the most loving and unselfish people I know. 

She is there for you, no matter what. 

She is the glue to our family. 

How does she do it? 

I only wish I can be like her someday. 

It would take me forever to explain everything they are to my family. How they have helped us to be better people, parents and spouses each day. 

I hope they know how much they mean to me. 

I could not ask for better role models for marriage then you two. 

I love you guys!

Thank you for showing me what the real definition of love is. 

( although I still LOVE those Nike shoes)

Congratulations 36 years....

You guys really are amazing!

Imaginations and Leaves

I love this little girl and her HUGE imagination. I am almost 29 years old and my imagination still runs crazy! I bet anybody would have a hay day as a fly on the wall watching Bells and I throughout the day. Actually, ya know what? Just come on over, we don't mind, we will still be silly and imaginative as ever with people here. 

We went on a 6 mile bike ride today to a park that rocks. On our way back we were enjoying nature's beauty and all that it holds for us. She was fascinated with  the leaves and flowers today. 

I had seen something on Pinterest awhile back and I asked her if she wanted to pick the leaves and make pictures with them. Those beautiful brown eyes filled up with joy and her little hands began to pick away. 

She said they were a surprise for Daddy and that he would be so proud of her. 

We laid out the leaves when we got home and made lots of little animals.

Glued them to paper and then began coloring and drawing. 

Just so you know, it is starting to get cold here and we do put clothes on her but the minute she gets inside, those clothes are off and she runs around in her undies...

She is our little Island Girl!

A turkey and a bird

A butterfly, turtle and a fish. 

And her Daddy could not have been more proud of her!

Pumpkin Carving and Halloween

I don't know about anybody else but by the time Halloween night finally came, we were so ready for Halloween to be over with. We had 4 Halloween parties and then trick or treating. Don't get me wrong, I love to dress up and have lots of fun but this year, we were ready to be done. 

Plus, Bells was beginning to knock on any door she would see and say trick or treat. It needed to end before she thought it was a daily thing. 

She is still into Pirates, big time. We went round and round on what to be this year. She wanted to be Captain America, Daddy- Hulk and Mommy- Iron Man. We didn't have enough time to put those together. She also loves the chipmunks and decided we will be those next year. One party Miah was Tony Stark and although I didn't get a picture for some reason, he rocked it! Bells was a pirate for every party and well I was Pippy...

We had lots of fun carving pumpkins. Riddle me this though....

My husband is going through Dental School so he can dig into nasty, dirty bacteria infested mouths but he WILL not dig out the seeds of a pumpkin, even with gloves on. Our daughter has decided to carry out that same trait. I love that job! I was able to dig out three pumpkins.

My husband is one of the most talented people I have ever met. Anything he does, he is good at. He is so artistic, which is a good thing, especially when he will be carving out new teeth. 

He sometimes gets carried away, seriously! 

Do you see his Pumpkin Carving Tool Set to the left of his pumpkin? 

Yep, that is my nerdy husband. 

While I was taking pictures, Bells said, "Mommy, take a picture of me like this, it is my scary Halloween face."

Well done, well done. 

She still looks like a freak here.

Honestly though, she gets that from my side. 

The ability to be silly and not care!

Point justified right here. 

What was I doing?

Miah does not have that side. He gets embarrassed and WILL not be silly if we are not in our house, blinds and curtains closed and doors locked. 

He cares way too much about being cool.

Poor guy!!

This was Halloween night. Miah was all dressed up as Tony Stark and Bells really wanted him to be a pirate like her. So being an awesome Daddy he is.... he went and changed. 

Guess who did my hair? 

Miah did!!

He actually always braids my hair and helps out with Bells' hair as much as he can. Reminds me of my Dad, he did my hair a lot too. 

Both great Dads!

Uncle Mike and Auntie Trista carving pumpkins with us. 

Auntie Rebecca and Uncle Nick, at least he can be silly!

We made it past Halloween now on to THE HOLIDAY SEASON!!