Easy YW Idea

For all you women serving in Young Womens here is a fun thing we just did. My Mother-in-law emailed me an idea to make Personal Progress holders. Personal Progress is a program that our young women (12-18 years) work on. It consists of 8 values that they learn more about and work to develop in themselves. They do a 10 hour volunteer project for each value as well.  We had the Beehives make them on a mutual night. We were able to get them all done in the time allotted. I made an extra 5 for incoming Beehives. To simplify it I bought double-sided place mats instead of cutting and sewing together two different fabrics. Here are the directions:

• Fold the bottom of the place mat up 4 1/4 inches (hot dog fold).
• Sew the left and right sides to make a giant pocket (vertical line down the 4 1/4 inches).
• Measure from your left seam (the one you just sewed) 5 1/4 inches and sew a vertical line.
• Measure 1 inch from this new seam and sew. (Pen holder).
• Measure 5 inches and sew.
• Measure 1 inch and sew.
• Measure 5 inches and sew. 
• Cut 3 feet of ribbon. 
• Measure in 1 1/2 feet of the ribbon and sew to the back (outside) of the pouch where your last right pen seam is. 

Sorry if the directions are little confusing. Just buy a place mat, get a PP book, Strength of Youth, and PP journal and do your own measuring. If you place mat is a different size than mine you'll have to do that anyway. Enjoy!

I think summer is finally gone!!!

It rained today and our house never fully heated up. I was in a long sleeve shirt all day and wasn't hot! I have to admit I did turn on Mannheim Steamroller while cooking dinner for the missionaries and pretended it was December. I'm excited it is finally fall! (Hopefully I haven't jinxed all of California with this statement of autumn...)

A Helen Keller Situation

I feel like Annie Sullivan when it finally clicked in Helen's mind that everything has a name! Carson is so excited right now about communication. For the past week or so all day every day he points to everything and wants to know it's name. I tell him and he repeats. A lot of it sounds like "bim", but at least he is trying, right? This is such a cool age. It's like all these light bulbs are going off in his head and the world is finally making sense to him. He is such a big boy. I can't believe he's going to be two next month!

A Visit from Grandpa

My Dad was in Sacramento on Friday for business and decided to extend his day trip and come stay with us overnight. Carson loves his Grandpa Kelley. He went to him right away and led him by the hand everywhere. He always made sure that Grandpa was going where ever we were going. Carson had him on a very tight leash. Today we had quite the day. We spent an hour this morning at Chuck E. Cheese. Carson had never been and thought it was pretty cool.

Playing a little basket ball. It's not cheating, right?

Killing dinosaurs with Grandpa

After Chuck E. Cheese we went to the Western Railway Museum in Rio Vista. They have a large variety of old trains and street cars. They also do train rides. The train ride was about 15 minutes long and dropped us off at a pumpkin patch. The Fairfield Rotary Club during the month of October is putting it on and today was opening day. There were games, a giant hay castle, a bounce house, pony rides, BBQ. It was really fun. For all my local friends I highly recommend taking your kids on a Saturday this month. They add a $2 fee to your museum admission price, but it is totally worth it.

Riding in the 1930's street car

Hay Castle with fun mazes underneath

3rd trimester I have arrived!

Don't you just hate when...

You drive an extra long way to shop at that really cheep grocery store...you shop for an hour and have a fully loaded cart...the total is $167...and you left your wallet at home?

Oh Murry Wiggle, you've got a hold on my son!

Carson loves the Wiggles. His favorite is Murry because he plays the guitar. He LOVES the guitar right now. I think it is a mix of watching Murry play on T.V. and also watching big kids play Rock Band when we go to the Lovell's house. The other day we were at Target and he heard music playing and quickly picked up the toilet brush in the cart and started "playing it" like a guitar.

Jimmy Eat World

Last night Steve and I went with one of Steve’s Shell friends and his girlfriend to see Jimmy Eat World in San Francisco. If you weren’t aware I am a huge Jimmy fan.  I used to be a big concert goer, but alas wifehood and motherhood has made me a much more boring individual… The concert was awesome, right up my alley. It was a small venue where there was not a bad seat in the house. We were third row on the balcony and could see everything perfectly. The Warfield is beautiful. It is a cool, very ornate old turn of the century theater. Jimmy was amazing of course. Their new album just came out and I am excited to get it! Thanks Melissa for letting Carson sleep at your house. I am exhausted now, but it was totally worth it =)

Play Groups

 I have kids over Thursday mornings. Here is Derek, Carson and Ty.

Poor Ty looks a little squished!

Nothing like a bounce house and Popsicles on a hot day.

Watching the city of Fairfield guys dig-up a tree stump. Every little boy's dream!

Carson and Ty

 A group of us met at Scandia last week for some air conditioned fun!

Melissa and Allison

Kisses

Happy Autumn!

I'm not sure which I like decorating more for autumn or Christmas. I think I just love the beginning of October because that means the holidays are right around the corner! I love the colors of fall and the changing of the weather. October is BEAUTIFUL here. Despite the 100+ degree weather outside I was determined to make it feel like fall in our house. It better cool down, or Carson will have a heat stroke in his Halloween costume.