Summer is here and with that I have been cruising the boards looking for fun, easy crafts that I can do with the kiddos. I came along this one on Pinterest and thought that it should be easy enough to do Pony bead sun catchers . I had some pony beads that I bought and used at Scouts so I did a test sample. The beads were different than what the picture showed and I liked the sun catchers she made, so I loaded the kids up and we went to Joann's to buy more pony beads.
I really never thought I would use my original bag of beads and at one time wondered why I was even buying them. Now, I'm going to the store to specifically buy more and in a variety too!
Crafters addiction for sure. I let the kids pick out what style of beads they wanted to use and we came home to start arranging. It really is super simple.
I took my cake pans, and layed down one layer of beads. I popped them into the oven for 15-20 min at 400 degrees. Because I'm melting plastic I opened up the windows and doors, turned on the ceiling fans, because of the fumes. After I felt that the beads had melted enough I took the pan out of the oven and put it on a cooling rack. Once the pan was cool I flipped it over, gave it a couple of taps and this popped out.
The one shown above is Kelly's, she was going for a rainbow look. I haven't gotten a good picture of the others because I need to drill holes so that I can hang them up. One some of the catchers if the bead hadn't melted enough or there was too much spacing it would come out with little gaps, like Kell's did. The kids really enjoyed this and it took a while because I had them make sure all their beads faced in the same direction. I think the beads would melt just fine if they were just layed out willy-nilly, I'm sure we will make a few more before the summer is over so I'll be able to test this theory :)
Oh and yes the photo is sideways, I completely forgot to rotate it
*Carrie*

Last night Rob and I finished filling out the paperwork and this morning I found the kids' birth certificates.
Yep, we're registering at a new school.
It has been a decision long coming. While we have loved the teachers at TAG, there is too much being offered in our local school district.
This coming year Wyatt will learn the recorder and Kelly the guitar. There is an art program, scheduled PE, chorus, track. All the things that Rob and I grew up having that wasn't available at TAG.
Heck, I'm excited about having a cafeteria. The biggest bonus for me is that my kids can walk to school.
I've been worried about Kelly switching schools with only one year till middle school and I realized the other day that I shouldn't be. Kelly is very accepting of people and even though she can be shy she is well liked by her classmates. So making new friends should be good, especially since her friend Madison will be there too.
Wyatt, he's ready for an adventure. He is so easy going and makes friends easily. I talked to Wyatt just a bit ago and he has no worries and is excited about the new school.
We just got back from dropping off the the registration forms and doing a quick walk through the school. Talk about excited. I know this is norm for pretty much everybody but too see them excited about the library and cafeteria/mpr cracked me up. The class rooms are big, I can't wait to see this place filled with kids.


*Carrie*

So I found this great idea on Pinterest schools out finish line and I kept it in the back of my mind for this years last day of school.
The day before the kids got out I went to our local teacher/parent school connection store and picked up a roll of paper.
The only rolls they had were 4ft by 200ft or I could buy it buy the foot, Since I have more projects in mind I went ahead and splurged on the big roll. The roll cost $23.
On the last day of school I dropped the kids off and raced back home.

I set Chelsea up with a movie and went out front with the scissors, paint, tape and went to town.
I unrolled the paper to a bit wider or is it longer, than the posts and then I cut the paper.
Laying it out on the driveway I just went for it and painted "welcome to summer". I was really worried about the size and spacing of the letters but decided that if I made them too small I could add some decorations to minimize my blunders.
The paint dried really fast, so I had the really hard job of trying to hang this monster without tearing it. A little bit of tape on each top to keep it 

in place while I secured the rest. The whole thing took less than a half hour to do. Love it!
The weatherman was predicting high wind advisories shortly before the kids were due out and I was so nervous that we would come home to a ripped banner but, nope! thank goodness!
So we pull into the driveway and Kelly asks what is that for, pointing at the banner.
I explain that the banner is to welcome the fun of summer and the end of this school year. I told them that they were gonna run through the banner but not until I was set and ready cause momma wants to take pictures.

Rob and I told them to just charge right through the paper
Go!
The paper was a lot tougher than I thought!
The kids crashed through it and it ripped from the sides instead of the middle.
Heck it ripped clean enough that Wyatt asked if we could use it next year!
Instead I let the kids ball it up and put it in the recycle bin.
Who knows, maybe this is another tradition that we will have.
And of course after dinner we went to DQ and had our first/last day of school ice cream. Gotta love that tradition.
*Carrie*

Three weeks ago, can that be correct?, we planted our first veggie garden.
Rob started talking about wanting a veggie garden last year but with the yard torn up and him not wanting to try my idea we put it off. Fast forward to this year and Rob starts making noises again and nothing has changed with the backyard.
So being the loving wifey that I am, I went to Lowe's, bought a big kiddie pool and a bunch of dirt and came home and dropped it in the back yard.

When Rob came home from lunch he saw the pile of bags and the pool and smiled.
I told him that after work, we were going veggie shopping. The kids got in on the act also and helped pick out or find certain veggies.
Included in our garden is; corn, zucchini, squash, yellow, red peppers, two types of tomato's and strawberries.
Now please remember, we've never had a garden like this before, so after planting we have been informed that we don't have enough room!
We are gonna do the best we can but one thing Rob has asked is that I take a picture once a week to see how our garden is growing. I must say after 3 weeks nothing has died so that's a plus right?!
Also if all goes OK next year we can transfer the dirt over to our bigger garden and use the pool for something else. Who knows?
*Carrie*

thank you provo craft for letting me use this picture of the Paisley cartridge.

A little over a week ago I got the bug to go on ebay. Dangerous for me, so dangerous.
In two weeks I have bought 6 cartridges. I'm feeling so inspired, so crafty lately that I'm trying to be proactive about it.
I have been doing my usual and bookmarking things on Pinterest but now I'm ready to get busy.
I don't want to be one of those people that collects items for projects, I want to be one who gets her projects done.
With that in mind, this morning I started a creative to do list. Yes, I know I have done this before, I'm actually staring at my previous list that is taped to the printer.
This one is new and improved, its special...ok, let me think it's special.
I do have one flaw in my special list though... my craft room.This week I will be getting it cleaned up to a semi functional state so that I can begin my creative process.
Oh and if you were wondering what new carts I purchased; Art Deco, Over the Hill, Ribbons and Rosettes, Tablescapes- Spring and Summer, Tags, bags boxes and more 2, and Pretty Pennants. I'm going to be doing some home decorating with the kids this summer. Plus for me it's birthday party season. Chelsea has  asked for me to use the tablescapes cart with lots of hanging, twirly stuff, mixed with party ideas from Pinterest, we're gonna have fun.
I grabbed some magazines on Saturday at J's and M's and the one mag I was the most excited about was the newest issue of Where Women Create. I purchased my first issue last year and it really spoke to me. The colors, the quotes, the brave women whom have stepped out and taken a chance. I love reading about how other women have come to some of the same conclusions that I have and some that have never even crossed my mind. This magazine has spurred my journey on whom I want to be or maybe whom I'm becoming.
Right now my creative list is only 7 items long but there are 7 items on the list that will make a difference around our home. I know once done they will make me happy. :)
I guess I better start another list for all the books I want to read, plus my list for what to do with wine/liquor bottles.
Yep, its shaping up to be a pretty colorful summer. I'm so excited...
Pretty Pennants just came in the mail...yippee!
*Carrie*

Now dang nabbit, I had this cool blog post in mind but then I had trouble finding a picture, grabbed a random one and then Chelsea asked for a snack, now Bella wants to go outside.
My amazing blog post is gone, zip, out of my head.
Now let's see what I come up with.

It was a wonderful weekend. Truly it was. It was a Saturday where Rob didn't have to landscape, so we watered our plants, watched Mathilda with the kids, smoked some ribs, picked up some new magazines and then went to my brothers for dinner with the family.
Mothers Day, I received $$ for mom, she says to buy plants, big cheesy grin, but Rob says I need to save for welding stuff if I want bottle trees. I received a pretty planter and hanging plant from my MIL, and yard spinner from Rob and the kids. Both moms got the same spinner I got but a different color, my MIL gave my mom the same hanging plant that she gave me and my mom gave my MIL a different type of hanging plant. Lots of flowers were exchanged, lol.
After church we took my mother in law to this new U-Like Asian buffet for lunch. She liked it, thank goodness and so did the kids. It was so nice to see them eat and not fuss about whats in front of them. After lunch we came home and chilled for an hour then headed out to get family portraits done.
Did you know we haven't done a formal family portrait since Kelly was 2 months old. Yowsers.
Thanks to my mom who arranged the whole thing. We were in and out in less than an hour. Group shot, individual family shots, grand kids, siblings. The kids did great, so did us adults. Can't wait to update the wall with these new photos.
After the photos we came back to our house to hang out and spend some last minute time together before dad leaves to head back to Michigan.
We snapped some shots of the goodbyes, but I'm not ready to download them just yet. Tomorrow.
Oh, and if that great blog post comes back, I'll update.
*Carrie*

A looong time ago, before our age of children, Rob and I had a pretty garden filled with iris'. The children came along and so did the weeds into the garden. After a while we let it all go. Our yard, our Eden fell apart from neglect.
A month ago, we were given a few plants. Those plants have revived our gardeners hearts.
Yes, we talked about re-doing the back yard garden but I wanted it to be different this time. I talked to Rob about color and art and showed him pictures that I had found on Pinterest. 

I asked him what he would like and it was awesome on how much we both wanted the same things.
We dug up old pots and bought new ones.
In this past month we have exploded with plants.
We have purchased 3 different colors of hibiscus, two types of jasmine, and our first rose bush.
I don't think either of us really understood how much we have missed having flowers around.
Right now our front yard is covered in bright colors, yellows, reds, pinks and lots of green.
Once there were days we would awake and go walk the garden to see what was blooming.
Those days are back.
This time we're doing it better, we have involved the kids.
We are starting our first veggie garden this week and we're letting the kids pick out not only the veggies but the flowers they want to see.
My plan is to buy a plant every payday, to rebuild, to bring in the butterflies and hummingbirds that ignore us for the neighbors yard.
I pray that this is a start to a colorful relationship.




*Carrie*

This past weekend I was at retreat called Learning to Love the Master with 20+ ladies from our church.
The premise of the course is to write your God story. Which in easy terms means that you start with your earliest memories, whether you were a believer or not and ask where God was. It can be very powerful to see along the way how the Lord protected, cried, laughed and held you during your journey to him.
For me it was slightly different.
I had to learn that I don't have to get it "right". That God made me just the way he wanted me to be and that I need to stop trying to be someone else.
I found that I have been heading in the direction the He is leading me and that I need to stop making excuses for it and be a light for myself and for others.
In Carrie terms that means that I continue to wear bright colors, sing while standing in line, dancing around a room when there is no music and trying to make you smile almost every time I talk to you. I have learned how tender my heart really is and that I marvel at the beauty that is our world that my Father created for us.
Learning to Love the Master is not just a one time retreat, its something that I found I have been doing for a couple of years now, I just didn't know it.
See, Rob took the course a few years ago and I asked him questions on how it works. Since then I have been seeking where God has been whenever a memory came up.
When this retreat was announced for the women, I felt no hesitation, I was open to the experience and excited to see where God was going to take me.
This is very unlike me because I tend to be a home body and I don't like to room with 5 other women.
By the way the accommodations were awesome! Yes, it was rooms filled with bunk beds but there was A/C and great water pressure and the food was down home yummy.
When we started the overview Friday night I was all psyched up, ready to cry, ready to cleanse and learn more about my life. While I tried to force memories and be like the other women in my group it became very apparent that that's not the direction God wanted to go.
And I'm really curious to see where God wants me to go.
*Carrie*

This is my morning to relax. My home is the cleanest its been in months and even though I have a room to go, the crap room, I need to take a break for me.
Plus you missed me right?
tap, tap....is this on?
Friday morning we dragged Grandpa and the kids off to the zoo.
I must say I'm loving the improvements that have been made and the new animals that we have acquired. Our zoo isn't huge and since we go so often we get through it pretty quick. I believe our 

time this round was an hour and a half. I would love to go one day with no kids and to take my time and photograph all my favorite animals.
Saturday morning was the final Tour of the Tucson Mt's bicycle race. Our little team planned to ride 27 miles and complete it in 2-21/2 hours.
Me and the kids saw them off and wandered around to wait, thankfully I got a closer parking spot in the shade that made things soooo much easier.
 The weather was perfect with just a slight breeze. At about 2 hours the kiddos and I head to the finish

line. Within minutes my phone rings and Rob is suppose to be calling me from the final rest stop so that I can get ready. The call went something like this.
Rob- hey hon
Carrie- How you guys doing?
Rob- we're at the halfway point.
Carrie- Wha?
Rob- your mom is having some problems. (he proceeds to fill me in)
Carrie- Ok, be careful. I'll see you at the finish line.
Half way? at least another 2 hours? We can do this.
The kids and I head back to the shade of the truck to play their Ds' and me to read and browse Pinterest on my phone.
After about 2 hours we head back to the finish line, just as we are about to cross the street a car pulls up next to us with mom on board. Barely able to walk and near tears, she rode 20 miles before they made her stop. I hear more of what happened out on the course. Mom, cute as can be tells me that the guys will be a while because they have eight more miles to ride.Figuring in the length of her car ride and how quick Rob can do a few miles I hotfooted over to the finish line. Let me tell you I got over there just before Rob crossed and a minute after that came their friend Rick.
Now the story of what happened to mom. She had been riding her bike in practice and had told us that she was doing 11 miles at a time. Come to find out her bike computer was set to kilometers instead of miles. She was doing maybe 4 miles at a shot. Out of the bike course mom was also having alot of problems with her seat. At their first rest stop mom fell off her bike, her legs wouldn't support her, whenever they reached another aid station Rob would pull ahead and then help mom to stop so she would continue to fall off. By mile 20 moms legs were numb and her girly area swollen. Mom had ridden 3 times farther than ever before on a bicycle that wasn't completely set up for her. Of course, she was beating herself up for not finishing and we hope she finally understood that 1) most people don't even get off the couch 2) her bike wasn't set up properly 3) it doesn't matter because she amazed all of us 4) there will be other races.
Later that afternoon we had our Girl Scout cookie recognition party at the park. Us leaders talked about how we wanted to present the awards because we didn't want a mess on our hands or awards to get mixed up. After some yummy lunch and cake, we had all the girls get together and handed out their goody bags. Kelly was given her bag and patches for selling 500 boxes of cookies. She was a trooper at all the cookie booths and when we got the boxes for the incentives she helped me separate all them by girl and bag them up for the party. It really has been a great year for her in scouts, heck the best year so far and she is looking forward to another year as a junior. I'm excited to see what next year will bring.
 *Carrie*