Being 8 is G-R-E-A-T

Why does it make me sad when another child reaches a BIG milestone? 

I realize that half of my daily parenting is done with this one.  I only have 8 more years to teach and inspire.  Or yell and threaten..depends on the day. 

But it does make me sad. I see the young lady that has

blossomed overnight. 

She went from this...to that above...so fast. 

I think I love her ear to ear smile, whitty and mostly comical personality, her creativy, her sensitivity towards her sisters, her tender heart, her desire to march to her own beat, and her ability to make me laugh and smile.

We had formal pictures snapped a few weeks before from the lovely Lindsey Hale. Reagan had been begging me to get her haircut short months before...but NO Mama wanted long flowing hair for her formal pics. I got my wish. Luckily it was a great Spring Day. You never know around here.

I had to jazz things up a bit and add a little color. That is definitely more Reagan.

A week later, she again asked about getting her hair cut like some star on a Disney show.  I tried to ask her to wait until after her baptism but she threw her hands on her hip and declared

"Is this MY baptism or YOURS". 

Reality Check for this Mama...we headed to the salon the next day. 

We showed the stylist the picture....she put her hair in a pony tail and WHACK...her long pretty locks were gone.  Lots of snips later a sleeker older looking Reagan emerged.

This sleeker look also brought a sassier personality.  She has never looked back. 

So this is what she looked like on THE BIG DAY. 

Of course I have to have camera issues that day.  I was running around like a crazy woman and forgot to check the cameras settings...well needless to say..the whole days worth of events are better captured in memories.  But here is what I could salvage.

That picture makes my heart melt. 

She was blessed to have her lovely Aunt Lauren give the talk on Baptism.  As always that girl is beyond her years of wisdom and testimony. 

Next was the baptism itself.  She was worried her dress would fly up in the water.  And it started to...but a quick acting Reagan quickly saved herself from embarrassment and tucked it between her knees.  One dunk was all it took.  She looked up at her Dad with such utter glee and innoncence. 

Then her Nana gave the talk on the Holy Ghost.  Props and all.  Her father then confirmed her a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and gave her the gift of the Holy Ghost. 

It was a simple and lovely ceremony.

But her luncheon afterwards would be anything such.  

I fretted over every last detail...from her dress and bow...to the table scape setting for the luncheon afterwards...to how to color coordinate all of us to the color theme of the day.
Grey and yellow if you can't tell.

I can thank Anthropologie for my canary and grey number and I can thank 4 different quilt stores for the fabric I used to whip up skirts 3 days before the event. That was a skirt a day. My sewing machine has never seen so much action on a consitant basis. Now only if the gym could say the same. But thats another story.

Thanks to all who came in person or in spirit to help make this a special day.  And I couldn't have done it without these 2 ladies...my Mom and baby sister.  LOVE YA!

Live Simply...So others Can Simply LIVE

One day last month...I was rushing to my one of my places I don't feel bad indulging in...a quilt store.  Hey its sparking and feeding my creativity...so spend away. 

It was a Saturday afternoon and after a long 10 mile run earlier that day...I didn't make it quite out as early as I wanted to visit this shop.

So by the time I got there I had less than 30 minutes. Who can look at all the plethora of color and designs in 30 minutes. 

I need more time to digest it all and focus on a project (or 2 or 3 at a time). 

I quickly read a flyer posted on the enterance door...but knew I couldn't spend time dwelling on it...there was fabric to touch and feel and fall in love with.

So I rushed in and was taken by the burst of color.  Right now in the dreary days of winter...color can boost my soul..and promise that prettier things are ahead. 

So as my soul was rejoicing in color...my soul kept turning to the flyer i read on the door.

I couldn't focus on my love of fabrics I had to go re-read the flyer and put my mind at ease. 

I laid the bolts I already had decided had to be mine on a counter and proceeded outside.

I read the entire flyer and was moved.  I knew what I had to do.  I couldn't spend $50 on fabrics plus the $16 pattern to make a dress for the littlest imp of my household.

There were girls in Haiti who needed dresses...and they were asking ANYONE who could sew to put their talents to use for a greater cause. 

So I marched back in...put away my fabric and said another day I can sew for my own...but today I will take care of Heavenly Fathers other daughters.

It was intoxicating to me...to start pulling fabrics to make these simple pillowcase dresses.  They didn't need to be made all fancy...but why didn't the little girls in Haiti deserve some high quality...beautiful prints too.

So away I went...my bag full of fabric for someone elses daughter to enjoy.  But that is not all that was full...my heart was too...finally something I could physically do for the people of Haiti.

The next morning was the Sabbath Day.  My Sunday mornings are usually a day to sleep a little later  (since church isn't until 11:30)...eat a big breakfast with the family and then start the long journey of baths for 6 people...dressing myself and 4 others...and doing 5 sets of hair (and curly messy hair if I might add).

But in the middle of my Sunday routine...I had some inspiration.  I had set a lofty goal of making 20 dresses but what if I spread the word and presented this service opportunity to women in the ward. 

YES this is what I had to do.

I ran downstairs and furiously cut..pinned...pieced...and sewed a pillowcase dress.  It took me about 1 hour since I didn't have a pattern.  I stood back and marveled how quick and easy this was going to be.  And now I had a sample to show the 100+ women I have the pleasure of rubbing spirits with each week.

I made a quick sign up...hoping for 10 people who wanted the pattern to help sew.  I got home excited that the sign up sheet was full..12 people.  Then I noticed that there was another sheet behind the first one full and a 3rd one behind that full. Names scribbled off to the side...I had 38 women who wanted to answer the call.

Over the next 2 weeks we sewed...some of us quietly in our homes...others formed groups and made them together.  A few Sundays later I had 35 dresses delivered to me...then 8 more on my doorstep...then 40+ in a box hand delivered...my 20...and a few more here and there.

A total of 115 dresses.  Did you hear that 115 dresses. 

I thought maybe 50-60 but 115 little girls who may have no home to go back to would have beautiful handmade dresses to liven their day. 

I felt guilty delivering these by myself.  There were many hearts and hands who went into this.  I drove up to the store and brought in a box full of bright colored dresses.  The gal behind the counter was amazed...she said you have a whole box of dresses?  And I said NO...I have 3 boxes of 115 dresses.  They were amazed.  I told them my story so they knew of the good hearted woman I live by..ready to jump at a cause.

The Art of Neglect

We interrupt this long blog hiatus for some snaps of the things we have been doing. 

Ringing in the New Year on a plane back from Texas (wiping away a tear).

Celebrating 15 years of marriage to the man of my life.

Wishing that same man a Happy 39 and holding Birthday.

Overcoming 2 weeks of sicky kids...finally just coming up for air.

Training for a HALF marathon.

Celebrating my own 39 and Holding Birthday.

Escaping with that cute husband of mine to the place we honeymooned 15 long years ago.

Celebrating Valentines Lovers Day while on that beautiful island.

And trying to be creative where I can.

But there were always some laughs along the way....

Let me see if I can sum it up in some pictures.

On the 5th day of Christmas

`On the fifth day of Christmas...my stupid self gave me....

A lesson that my hitting a snowbank AINT free.

it was 8am...I had someone managed to get all 5 of us dressed...and scurrying out the door to the beloved dentist.

I was my usual 5 minutes behind schedule...but feeling good that no one was still in jammies or skipping breakfast to get out the door.

The dentist is only a stones throw and I knew if I hurried I could make it before the "You are LATE LOOK" from the doctor.

the closest parking spot had a big snowbank in front of it.

So I rammed my infant SUV (I call it an infant b/c it is just barely 1 year old...pretty soon she will be a toddler) into the snow so that my tail end wouldn't be sticking obnoxiously out.

Snow is suppose to be soft...Right???

Well not after the heaviest slushiest snowfall of the decade...and it has 2 warmer days to thaw and refreeze each night.

I thought I was on the Titanic and hit an ice berg...it didn't budge...but my fender did...it moved inward. 

Boy hubby loved hearing that news. 

Well now this warm weather Texas girl knows...not all snowbanks are created equal.

Not only do I have to watch out for YELLOW snow...Now I can't just run over any snow pile I see.

EAT MY SNOW!!!

On the Fourth Day of Christmas

On the fourth day of Christmas my girls gave me...

A chance to come, watch, hear and see.

Who doesn't love a Christmas concert sung by a 4 year old...or a play put on by a 7 year old...or an symphony number put on by an 11 year old viola player.

But who loves it all crammed in the last few days before Christmas break???

Only a MOM.

One the 3rd day of Christmas

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me.....

A house full of 18 youth to feed.

It was Etiquette Night at the Vance House.

BUT I had to teach hubby some manners first.

1st- don't plan a HUGE event for your wife to host the week before Christmas.

2nd- don't over step your guidelines of a 3 course meal and make it into an 11 course meal.

3rd-K.I.S.S (Keep it simple Stupid)

4th- Quit trying to show off your candelabras. Yes they are big and Fantastic...but no one likes a show off.

But overall it was a fun night.

The girls looked FABULOUS. I couldn't believe they went all out and wore ball gowns.

I was lucky to throw on a clean shirt.

I was underdressed at my own party.

On the 2nd day of Christmas

On the second day of Christmas, my 3 youngest gave me...

A house full of white fluffy white stuff to clean. 

Why is a box of packing peanuts so fun??  I will never know.  But the bigger question is why are they more fun if they tear them up into a thousand little pieces??

Have you ever tried vaccuming that stuff up?  I clogged my poor Dyson 3 times.  And how about it in every fat roll of my cute baby.. it sticks like glue.

But the funny part is if you just look out the window...and put on your snowpants, snowboots, your gloves, your coat, your hat...you can go outside and enjoy real fluffy white stuff. 

Go mess up mother nature and leave my Dyson out of this.