What do you think of our new lens?

Can you say, "Dremel?"

Ammon showed me how to use his Dremel tool so that I could do this fun design on our pumpkin. I used an exacto knife to cut out the words and instead of carving all the way through, I just took off the orange skin and thinned the wall of the pumpkin from the inside. If you decide to do something like this with your pumpkin, here's a helpful hint: you can't use a real candle. Since there aren't any holes in the pumpkin, there is no air circulation to feed a candle. I just use a few of the electric candles that have the flicker motion & they work really well!



Can you guess who will be the topic of this post?

Yep, it's Sharon. She just happens to be the subject of 90% of our photos these days. So she ends up being the subject of most of the scrapbook pages as well. Guess what! This is my 300th post! Wow!

Trying Out a New Lens

So I was trying out one of our new camera lenses by taking pictures of Sharon at the park this morning. She's always been very interested in the leaves, but discovered sand today. I thought I'd do an ad campaign for her! =)

Typestaches

I saw a poster of typestaches the other day on a blog that I read, and decided I wanted to make one for myself. I'm not sure if I'll actually get it printed, but I think it's hilarious anyway! You ask, "What is a typestache?" A typstache is one of these {squiggly brackets} turned on its side to look like a mustache. I think they're so funny! I really like Mr. Ank. Which one is your favorite?

I now have the high resolution image available for FREE download through 4shared. It's sized for an 11x14 print. Get it {here}.

If you download the print, could you please leave a comment here so that I know the download link is working? Thank you!

Our New Bed

I found the plans for this bed at Knock-Off Wood by Ana White. It is called the Farmhouse Bed. I did have to figure out my own measurements, because the ones she has for the King-sized version has the mattress turned so it's 80"wide x 76" long. We like ours the normal way. So ours is 76" wide x 80" long. I also added ten inches of extra height to the footboard measurements. This was such a fun project to work on together & it turned out just like I imagined it would!

This week at LDS Moms Unite

The posts over on LDS Moms Unite this week are going to be center around the question:
What ways do you try to keep your child(ren) reverent during Sacrament Meeting?
You can check out my post here and feel free to leave any comments and advice for the things you've come up with that help keep your kids reverent during the meeting.

Provo Freedom Run page

Kewpie-do

12 months of Sharon

A New Blog!

Hey everybody! I just want to share with you a blog that I've joined. It's called LDS Moms Unite. Each week there will be a selected topic, and various blog members, including me, will post their ideas, suggestions, and input for all of blogdom to read. The first topic was about General Conference, and how to keep kids interested, or at least not have them screaming for the entire two hour block! So, check back often to see new discussions, and post your own ideas in the comments. The more input the better. Hopefully this site will be a good source of inspiration for many of those challenges that we all face, and we can face them together! I hope you enjoy it!

Turning my heart

Today I am excited! "Why?" you ask. Well, I'll tell you! It's because of Patriarchal Blessings. If you aren't familiar with what a Patriarchal Blessing is, feel free to click on one of those links to find out more. A Patriarchal Blessing is specific to each person. It contains advice and blessings for the Lord, and also reveals your lineage from Abraham. I received my blessing when I was 15 and it has been a great source of comfort, joy, direction, advice, and so much more, throughout my life. Even though it always contains the same words, I feel like I find something new each time I read it. I love it! It's like a chapter of scripture written specifically for me, which is pretty neat! So, why I am I so excited?
Last week, I was checking out the new LDS.org website. It has recently be redesigned and is amazingly easy to use. It has some new features, including a certain button under the Tools menu called "Patriarchal Blessing: Request a Copy." There are two ways to use this button. If you've received your own blessing and would like another copy, you can request your own. Or, if you have deceased ancestors who received their blessings, you can request a copy of their blessing. Obviously you have to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to use this, and you do have to log in to make the request.
I haven't done much research for my family history, but I am so excited about this feature, because in reading the blessings of my ancestors, I can come to know them in such a personal, spiritual way.
So, I requested a copy of my grandfather's blessing, and it arrived in the mail today. Such a neat experience! So go ahead, check it out, and request the blessings of those of your family who have passed on. Today I requested the blessings of my great grandmother and grandfather. I can't wait until they arrive.

Mohave County Fair Page

A New Kit at Summertime Designs

You may have noticed that I really like digital scrapbooking! Well, one of my favorite digital elements designers is Summer over at Summertime Designs. She makes her kits, and then you can download them for FREE from her website. I love it! Her kits are definitely my style and are so fun! She has a new Halloween kit on her blog, so go check it out!