Hawaii & Eclipse

I finally made it!

At the beginning of the last school year I met an amazing person.  I was new to the school and didn't know anyone.  I volunteered to serve pizza to the kids on Wednesdays with another mom, Lindsey Chaney.  Well let me tell you....!  She is quite talented and an inspiration to me.  When I went to her house, she had this FANTASTIC "Family Rules" canvas that she made herself.  I asked if I could take a picture to copy at home.  I immediately bought blank canvas (well it was on sale at Michael's & how often does that happen! Guess what, now I know, canvas goes on sale a lot....), anyway.  I had the canvas laying around my house for months and finally....

I didn't do family rules, like Lindsey, but I used President Gordon B. Hinkley's B's.  It's very colourful!  I don't think it's as nice as Lindsey's but its a good effort!  Check out Lindsey's blog "thepleatedpoppy"  She shows off all her cool crafts and sells some of it too!  Happy browsing & some shopping too! 

Pie, Pie, Pie & a very large nephew!

My friends and I went out for a birthday girls night out and we're terribly frugal.   You see we went to Marie Callenders for dessert.  And heres the conundrum, one slice $4.99 or an entire pie for $6.99 AND our waiter was in a contest on how many pies he could sell!  Well, being the frugal women that we are and willing to help the competitive spirit of our waiter, we each bought an entire pie!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

And what other wonders appear in my life, but a surprise visit from my nephew.   LOOK at him, He's huge!  Like 6'1" and 18 years old just graduated from high school.   Congratulations Jonathon!

Abby never left his side!  She adores him! 

June Wedding

My friend got married this weekend.  She looked beautiful.  And the day went off without a hitch, or should I say with a hitch....... Mr. & Mrs Bradley Boulton were hitched!  HAHAHA!
Anyway it was beautiful.  The Bridal shower I had a few days back was for Abby and I made this banner for her shower and WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT!  She used it for her reception!

The dessert table was amazing......You could get all the whip cream you wanted!  You served yourself!

She even had cookie jars.  3 of them!  and who did I find with their hands in the cookie jar!!!

We all had a good time!

Congratulations Abby & Brad!

The Piano Man

This is what my middle child likes to do in his PJ's

And he is quite good!













And this is what my oldest likes to do in his PJ's......

 but I won't let him!

This is our Family timeline from our first year of a Classical Education!  Isn't it sooooo cool!

Can you see the change from BC to AD?  That's around Jesus' birth.  We studied about ancient history and the beginning of Christianity.  Our required reading was out of the New Testament.  We used Holy Scriptures for our school study!  And look what else, we even included Book of Mormon stories on our family timeline!  How happy am I....... off the Richter scale!

More painting and crafting at the Dichmann's

We love to paint!  Kirsi's brother, Matt was coming home from his 2 year mission.  We like to make posters to welcome the homesick missionaries when they get off the plane.  And so Abby and I got out the paints!

See the strawberries in the lower left!  Do you see remnants of our timeline on the wall behind the poster?  This is a great day for homeschooling!

And since we have been homeschooling we do many projects.  Here Kirsi is helping Michael paint his ancient Roman aqueduct.  I'm not sure who is having more fun, Kirsi or Michael.

Party at my House

A dear friend of mine is getting married and I volunteered to have a bridal shower at my house.  And then I started looking at my house differently..... What a mess!  It's been years since I've done anything new to the decor.  I saw many things that needed changing with my new eyes.  The first, my kitchen window.  It is a beautiful window, with an AMAZING view.

 However, during the summer the sun sets right into my kitchen.  During our first summer living here, we wore sunglasses while eating supper.  There are wooden blinds and hotel grade shades through out the house, but the kitchen window is too large and unique for any professional coverage.  You see there is an arch on the top.  Any way, I set out to make my own blind with velcro.  I did this 8 years ago.

It attaches with velcro and I hate it!  I have always hated it but it served it's purpose.  So now with the party approaching and the time of day that I choose to have the party forced me to do something different.

I saw these GREAT blinds at Smith & Noble, pretty pricey and the arch would have to go (be covered).  Maybe one day I can get those blinds, but the party is right around the corner.  I was looking for an easy way out.  I looked at duvet covers and sheet patterns, but I couldn't find what I was looking for until I hit the shower curtain section.

My friend the bride to be needed a shower curtain and her wedding theme is "Nature".  This is a bare tree and I added colourful pattern fabric leaves that I cut with my Cricut (well someone else's Cricut, I now own my own!!!)  When my bride friend left after the shower I put her new shower curtain in a box with the rest of her shower memorabilia.  I sure hope she likes it!  I did, while it was hanging in front of the blazing sun.

Now all I have is the brown back drop hanging.  I'm looking for another shower curtain!  Target has a nice selection.  I'll keep you posted!