What Are You Thankful For?

Ben and I have a tradition at this time every year of creating a Wall of Thanksgiving: a large piece of paper posted on a wall where we can randomly write down things we are grateful for as we think of them. Well this year we expanded the tradition to allow all visitors to our home to write their thankful comments as well, and I thought I would also extend the invitation on our blog. So...here's your chance: What are you thankful for? Leave a comment!


This is our wall this year (the markers are hanging from the raffia). Don't worry...there are more than three items written on our wall now. I can't wait to hear all of your comments!

Being Crafty

So for some reason, at the end of the summer I thought it would be a fun idea to actually participate in the annual craft fair that Heritage (where Ben works) hosts. It is a small, inexpensive craft fair to participate in, perfect for getting my feet wet in the sport of crafting.

Craft showing (if you'll allow me to turn it into a verb) is a whole other world to experience. After slaving away for a week and a half to prepare enough product to display on one table, I understand why crafts can be so pricey! Of course, I imagine it would be easier having more time to prepare for each fair. It took me a while to decide what to make and to actually get the guts up to do it, hence a full-time job the week before the show. Overall, it was a really fun and liberating experience (there is something about operating a table saw that makes you feel like you can do anything!). I'm not sure whether or not I will continue, I haven't decided that much yet. It is hard to know what people will buy; the items I thought would sell well didn't, and the items I didn't spend much time on, sold the best. Who knew?
A BIG thanks to everyone who supported me in this effort (especially to my mostly patient wood-working teacher, Ben)!

This was my display as you saw it from the entrance. Some of the items I made include brag boards, peg hangers, blocks that say ho ho ho and bebe, sensory tag blankets (my best seller by far) and quilt ladders (my second best-seller).

A better view of the ladders. I actually had made a red one as well, but that was my first thing to sell that morning so it isn't included here.

Rice Cereal...yum

Two weeks ago we fed Logan solids for the first time! This has been a pretty entertaining process as Logan has learned to hone the skills of transferring food to the back of this mouth rather than thrusting it out the front. He is a good eater so far, but of course I've only introduced two cereals and one vegie so far. This week we'll move on to sweet potatoes and avacados and next week we'll try split speas, so exciting. :-)

Mom and Logie right before the first bite. Notice the bumbo...it took a few days for us to get the high chair set up, but the bumbo worked great! He loves the high chair now, though. At meal times our legs and arms flail out of control when we see the food coming.

First bite going in...little did he know what was about to hit him.
What on Earth is this?
In the end, it was a hit...a hit that ended up mostly on the bib, face and hands. We're getting there.

Playing Catch-Up

So, I'm sorry I am so sporadic at this whole blogging thing... Going back a month, Halloween was a blast! Logan was the cutest pea pod ever!

On Halloween, we went trick-or-treating at Omniture, where Dave and Megan Cook work (that's a whole other story. Their company goes all out for Halloween and spares no expense to put on a show. For details check out their blog www.cookholiday.blogspot.com) Then later that night we ate pizza and hung out at the Nelson's. A party as always!



One of these things is not like the other...or is he? My special pumpkin, Reach, on the left and Ben's (just as special) on the right.


Logan and his cousin, Abby, showing off their Halloween outfits (thanks Marmie!). Maegan (Abby's mom) and I have had no luck in taking a successful picture of the two to this day, so this is the best I got!


The Friday before Halloween we went to Katie and Jason's Halloween party which was a blast. Ben, the tacky tourist, myself, the scary punk lady, and Logan, the greenest pea pod ever!

To Clean or Not to Clean? That is the Question

I was talking with a friend the other day and she was telling me about her struggle to always try to keep her house clean and orderly, a daunting task now that her 1 year-old girl has begun to walk and has become very mobile and even more curious. She told her mom about her frustration about always picking up after her daughter and in response her mom told her to forget about always having a clean house. "You're a mom now, your house is going to be messy. Years from now, Hailey won't remember how clean the house always was, but she will remember the things she learned and discovered through playing with her mom and with her toys." (So, that wasn't the exact phrasing, but it is pretty close).

This conversation with my friend reminded me of a class I took while I was at BYU-Idaho. In that class we read an essay that I fell in love with, My Home as a Temple by Kristine Manwaring. It was from our text, Strengthening Our Families: An In-Depth Look at the Proclamation on the Family. Some of you may even own this book (pictured above). I just discovered on Sunday that the essay was actually published by Meridian Magazine as well, so I thought I would post the link to share my enormous enthusiasm with everyone.

This lesson has been one that I have also had to learn, and I'm sure I will continue to learn it as more distractions come my way. My number one job, now, is being a mom. I am responsible for the nurturing of Logan, which by all means includes exploring and learning together. I do believe in having an orderly enough environment to allow the spirit to reside in your home and to give your child structure and stability, but there has to be a balance. One purpose for the home is providing a place where family relationships can be built, protected, and strengthened, and if that requires making (and cleaning up) a little mess sometimes, then I am ok with that! I hope you all will take the time to read and enjoy this article. It is one of my favorites!