Patriotic Wreath Project

If you are here from Pinterest and

would like a better tutorial for this wreath,

please CLICK HERE!
You can also find it in my etsy shop, HERE :)

This is one of my favorite things I've crafted in awhile- I love how these patriotic wreaths turned out! My friend Monica and I did them together (or rather, she completed hers while I got a little bit done in-between nursing and toddler refereeing)... so it blessedly goes around here!

A little midnight oil and we now have this adorable patriotic frosting on the front door! I have looked and looked to find where I first saw this idea and have finally decided I'm not wasting anymore time looking! I've seen this style around quite a lot and certainly didn't come up with it myself!


It's made using a foam wreath form and small squares of felt, pressed in to the foam with a skewer stick. We did have the idea to include some springy stars and they are a cute touch! Thanks Monica for a fun afternoon and fun project... click here to see her version and Happy Independence Day all!

Love Like Crazy

My youngest sister introduced Stephen and I to this song this last weekend and I instantly loved it! Had to share... hopefully it works for you all! The song is Love Like Crazy by Lee Brice. I'm grateful for the man in my life that gives his faith and sweat and pray we will always overuse 'I Love You' just like we do now... :)

Early Summer "Frosting"

It sure feels like it been forever since I've gotten to do too much creative, let alone post about it. Summer seems to be bringing out my creative juices lately and I'd thought I'd share some of the recent frosting around here. I love being able to find and try fun ideas with and for my kids.

Simple and cheap pop bottle bird feeder- Coop really liked this one and likes checking to see if birds come to it when we're outside. Get the instructions here.

Cooper said several times the other day "Mom, I'm bored." I had seen this idea and thought I could make it fit him, so I gave it a try. The idea is that Coop will pick out one stick whenever he gets bored. Some of them are activities and some are chores. Stephen loved that I used one of his falconry mugs ;) See more about this idea here.

This "bubble snake" is the coolest idea I've tried in awhile... so fun and so little kid friendly! Everything I needed was on hand and it was so fast to get going- Cooper really liked this and I have no doubt it will be an almost daily backyard activity around here! Get the instructions here and then go try it!

And if you need a yummy breakfast this weekend, try this recipe for Snickerdoodle Muffins... Stephen loved these and he wasn't the only one- they were yum!

Once-in-a-Lifetime

Only once in our lifetime will we help Stephen celebrate Father's Day like this:

This last Sunday we traveled to Pocatello for Taron's ordination to the Aaronic Priesthood... what a neat experience for Stephen to get to bestow the priesthood on his firstborn, and on the day each year that we celebrate Fathers at that.

Taron was so reverent and excited at the same time- we are so proud of him! Right afterward he said to Stephen and I, "I feel a little different now." Indeed he did, and rightfully so...

I KNOW that the power that was placed upon him is the same power our Savior possesses and I KNOW that it will bless Taron's life as he honors it. So it begins for this house full of boys... what a blessing it is to be surrounded by the priesthood in force! Congratulations Taron! And great job Stephen :)

Finally Summer... for the day at least

Yesterday was an 85-degree day around here and boy did we take advantage of it! The neighbor friends came over, the sprinkler got tossed under the tramp and the popsicles were ripped open! Summer is here... Finally :)

Eating sand... makes me cringe but I couldn't stop him in time! And, oh my goodness, is he not the sweetest little guy ever? I love this pic...

Coop finds a hole in the hose...

Stephen took over and sprayed the kids down... love thier big smiles!

And now it's Cooper's turn to torment the brothers... they are good sports and he loves being in the thick of things with them!

Today it's partly cloudy and cooler with chances of rain again... good thing we took what we could get!

P.S. Have I mentioned recently that I love following my kids around with the camera? :)

Boys and Crafts and More

See that little love?... He's looking at me :)

Orange buttercream frosting with choclate fudge cupcakes- yum! Made these for Coop's birthday and then again later that week to take with a meal to a lady I visit teach. This frosting is one of my new favs! Get the recipe here.

Some fun, colorful little notepads I made for our friend Nathaniel as part of his birthday gift. Little crafts like these are so fun to make- I love how simple and bright they are! I got the idea here.

Ryder is most content these days when he has a golf ball in his hands- funny huh? :) I guess it's just the perfect size for him to grip around and has a fun texture. At one time it was my hairbrush that he most wanted to hold, so I'm glad for this switch! :)

Dad on the tramp= Taron and Keaton are the coolest friends ever. A few of the boys in the neighborhood have been showing up in our backyard to play while the boys have been with us lately and it's been really fun! Stephen recently got on with them and showed them some sweet moves ;) Notice Cooper in the thick on there? Ya, as soon as this picture was snapped, I quickly came to the rescue and found an alternative activity for the little guy!

Twelve year old Taron teaches himself to tie his tie after only two tries... say that twice fast! You rock Taron :)

Twelve Years Old!

This last Tuesday we celebrated my stepson Taron's 12th Birthday!! Not always is he with us on the actual day of his birthday, so we had a little party to celebrate! He was pretty excited to have it be his day :)

I love how optimistic and easy going this kid is- he has a definite knack for looking at the bright side! He is fun and easy to talk to and a great big brother!

Believe it or not, Taron was actually excited about his new bird vest from Dad. Stephen does good at taking the boys out whenever he can- be it with the birds, fishing, shooting, whatever.

And the new bike was a hit! Taron is keeping the stretch in front of our house pretty hot on this thing already!

I made these fun pinwheels as a table decoration for his party. The stems are 1' x 8' cello bags that are fun to fill with M&Ms, Skittles and jellybeans! They made things look bright and summery :)

This may not be the ultimate birthday picture, but I wanted to include it to let the people in it know that we are so grateful for them! Great friends that make a party! Taron's friend Tucker from church and his primary teacher also stopped by- what great people we live around!

Turning 12 means that Taron will be getting the priesthood now. He is so excited and anxious to be able to pass the sacrament, and what a life highlight for Stephen to ordain his firstborn! We are so proud of you Taron!

I Think I'll...

register Cooper for swimming lessons... and do a Mommy and me class with Ryder at the same time

Learn to sew... and then make curtains and a diaper bag and about 15 other projects I've been wishing I could try :)

Visit the zoo with my sister and niece... on a Tuesday

Plant a few seeds in our garden space... and actually weed them!

Catch up on laundry... and stay that way

Read a few verses from the scriptures with Cooper in the mornings

Have the boys all help make homemade popsicles and baking soda volcanoes

Teach Cooper how to check out books at the public library

Make homemade bread once a week... and mop (not just sweep) my kitchen floor just as often

Schedule appointments, manage invoices and take care of correspondence for this attractive entreprenuer I know ;)

Never refer to my best friend as my babysitter again :)

Take the term "talking points" out of my vocabulary...

Because I Can!!



PS. Happy 12th Birthday today Taron! I'll post more later this week after our shindig tonight!

Cooper Conner Is THREE!

Last Sunday our Cooper Conner turned three! I can already hardly believe- wow, how time flies! I thought it went fast before I was a Mom and now, it is heartwrenching how quick it seems to be! He is so fun right now- spunky, bold personality and loving heart...

He has a bird obsession going on right now and even though I don't like to feed it too much, I figured his birthday was an exception :) He got to open this adorable stuffed pigeon first thing that morning.

After church, we had both sets of Grandparents and some good friends over for a bbq and mini-party. I made this pinata and it was the treasure in a treasure hunt for the kids! It was actually really sturdy! I will definetly try one again. I got the idea and instructions here.

Grammie and Grandpa Huffaker sent Coop this great sand and water table in the mail- what a fun treat for him! He is loving playing with it and making a big huge mess :) And...

Playing in the box itself of course! :)

Opening presents that afternoon from our friends- he loves Buzz and Woody right now. We are excited for a "date with Mommy" when the third one comes out!

This scooter is from Dad and Mom. He's already gotten pretty good at it! He practiced in out kitchen and now can turn around in our driveway and stop himself well enough- it will be a fun toy for the summer!

This little kennel was snatched up at D.I.- Stephen knew the moment he saw it that Coop would love it and he sure does! A rather significant portion of our days are spent finding new kennels or birdhouses for Coop to stash his toys (anything works!) and this one is his definite fav now!