layout contest

Ok so there's this new contest going on and you submit your digital layouts to win huge prizes, like a $1500 camera, $500 printer, $100 wacom tablet (which I've been wanting SOOOOO bad, can you say Christmas anyone ;0) Anyway these are two of the layouts I created and submitted. I'll of course let you know if anything comes of it . . . doubt it though, there's some stiff competition out there. If you're interested in the contest check it out here.
If you want to see all the layouts in the contest click here.

Here is a post of Isaiah doing his homework. For kindergarten he had to memorize the entire passage of Psalm 23. He worked for a few weeks on this and I asked if I can video him. This was while he was still learning it, if you ask him now he can remember it perfectly. In the first part of the video he says his verses and you can hear Alorah prompting him in the background. In the second half of the video Daddy and Micah are helping Isaiah work on his sight words ~ quite cute!

Isaiah's Outfit

Last week I went to pick the kids up from school on their last day before Thanksgiving break and I found Isaiah sitting on the bench wearing this adorable outfit. He had made this in kindergarten with Mrs. O'Day and the rest of his class. I think is one of the most adorable things I've ever seen and something I'll probably save forever! He told me he was Squanto ;0)


The outfit came complete with beads, a feather headdress and some kind of primitive writing . . . something about a fire . . .
And lastly he even had a papoose on his back ~ simply precious!

The last one!

Here is the last layout from my class. I'm really sad to see this class end and can't wait to do the next class!

2 new layouts

I am in the last week of my Jessica Sprague class and I have learned SOOOOOOO much. I am absolutely going to be so sad when it's over. Here are my last two projects from the class

Journaling reads:
I love to dress the four of you in coordinating colors. Almost like the Von Trapp Family Singers. Two times out of the year that I especially love to do that are Christmas and Easter. 2005 marks one of my favorite Easter combos. You four looked just darling in your blue tulle dresses and blue striped vests. What an adorable lot you are. I couldn’t take enough pictures especially with Micah just two months old.


This is from when mom took the kids out to Folsom lake. They came back filthy but had a great time digging, swimming, chasing gophers, crab walking, and riding around in Gram's car with the top down!

A very, very special day

On Thursday my actual birthday I was a bit stressed prepping for my annual dinner party on Friday night. With 4 kids in the house I can't clean too far in advance otherwise it's totally pointless and then I have to clean all over again. My dearest friend Jill called on Wednesday night and asked if she could come help me clean my house on Thursday. I was of course over the moon thrilled and accepted right away. (no arm twisting needed for that one!)

The Bell family showed up at 9:30 am with all 5 kids and two hours to work. (jill homeschools and they still had schoolwork to get done that day) So I made up a list of things I hoped to get accomplished and off we went. The three big kids were all put to work while the 4 little ones watched some cartoons and played. In that two hour timespan the 5 of us got 8 - 10 hours of work done! Jill of course had lots of tips to make things more efficient (She's always the one I call on to get me more organized). I was amazed by how much we got done and as always I was in awe of what an amazing family they are. Her kids came with servants hearts and a willingness to help. I never heard one word of complaint, the kids were all laughing and smiling. (they did have to take goofy pictures though to show us how exhausted they were ;0) I feel so blessed to have them in my life and I love watching what beautiful young adults Johanna, Madison and Colson are growing into.
Madison swiffering my floors:
Scrubbing up all the rough spots (and with a two year old there was quite a few of those)
Acting the part of exhausted
Colson scrubbing windows:
Colson was worn out:
Johanna scrubbing my toilets
Back breaking labor
Jill and I were such slave drivers the three of them couldn't even stand up straight ;0)
Later that evening Ev came home to a nice clean house. He brought me roses for my birthday and my favorite candy, snickers. This was a huge deal to me because he's not ordinarily a very thoughtful or romantic guy. So the fact that he put that much thought into it and brought me my two favorite things was very touching. We had filet mignon for birthday dinner (Ev grilled) and then the doorbell rang. My 22 year old brother Taurean baked me a cake and surprised me for my birthday. I was again deeply touched and felt so special.
the Bell family minus Steve:
to sum it all up i felt very, very loved on my birthday!