Could not resist!

Last night I curled Ashlyn's hair for church. We only made it to Sacrament because she after a week is still coughing and also I am watching a little girl so I could only handle an hour. When we got home I didn't want her hair to go to waste. So I snapped some pics of her wearing our new head wraps. Love this sassy spunky girl! Also on a side note Teagan chose to stay at church and our neighbors brought him home. So proud of him for wanting to stay!!! Makes my heart swell!!! 

Here Comes Santa Claus...

Anyone else feel this year in particular flew by??? It feels like just yesterday it was summer break. Now it's almost TWO THOUSAND and FOURTEEN!!!! What the FLAGNOD! With the boys in school and me watching someone else's kid on weekends we have not had a lot of just our own family time. So Wednesday the boys had a half day of school, perfect opportunity for us to go see Santa! I love that Bass Pro has so many fun options for the kids! It's a truly amazing store! We enjoyed our afternoon and evening together. Love our kiddos!

4 Score and 7 years ago, wait what!!!

So Ashlyn only turned 4 back in August. I wanted to post about her after her party. We had a little get together last weekend. My sister came out from FL for another event so I took advantage of her being her and had the party that weekend. We did a Rapunzel themed party and Ashlyn enjoyed her day. She is already planning for next year. Heaven help us!!! She had a wonderful time and is very loved! Ashlyn is spunky and sassy. She likes to tell people what to do and she has not concept of time. Everything we do in the past is "remember when we did such and such yesterday?"  She hates sleeping alone in her bedroom and since Brian has been working nights she generally is found in our bed with me. She loves sucking her thumb (UGH) and petting her pillow pet at the same time. She goes to preschool 3 days a week and I have a hard time thinking she will start kindergarten next year! How is that possible!!!! She is very independent and I have power struggles with her each day for preschool when I don't allow her to dress herself. I want her looking cute at least three days a week!!! In September she started taking tumbling classes from a lady in our ward. She LOVES to go and if I tell her it's Tuesday that's all she asks about. I am glad she is able to do this extra activity just for her! Brian and I both totally spoil her!!! Poor brothers! Ashlyn is so imaginative lately as well. She loves animals, her favorites are dogs and horses. Today at dinner she said she was allergic to bees. Well she has never been stung and neither have I. My sister is allergic so there is a possibility. She then said she was also allergic to horses. I had to laugh because she has been asking about going horseback riding for the past few weeks. I keep telling her soon around Halloween. They were able to ride on horses at a Pumpkin Patch last year and we plan to go again. So when she stated this I laughed and said well I guess you can't ride them. Then on cure she oh no I am not I love horses. She is so funny. Ashlyn is none stop all day long, but I really do admire her spunk and energy. I know she is a great girl with lots of potential. She loves her buddies at preschool and also at tumbling. A few are even in her Sunbeam class.

Just recently, she was in the Primary Program this year. Her part was "I am a child of God" she memorized it, but generally said it as "I child of God." Sunday came and she pretty much freaked. I walked her up and she wanted no part. I even sat with her, but nope she was too scared. Glad I knew all the songs so I didn't just sit there mute! Hopefully next year will be better for her!

I took some pictures with some of her favorite things and how big she is. She was cracking me up. Of course all the pics I have of her party loaded the wrong way so I will just blog those later. She is one sweet special little girl of ours!!! And of course got to get in that tumbling pic!!!!

Daddy

Each week seems to zoom by and we try and soak up the time Daddy is home. This schedule is tough but we sure do appreciate all the work Brian does for us each week! I am so grateful for my husband and all that he does. Since I was let go I have kind of freaked about not having enough. It's been tight for sure, but we are getting by. Brian wants to just see how we do for a couple of months and then make a choice. I am glad to be home doing the most important job there is a mother and a wife. Glad to be home. Ashlyn just loves her daddy!!! Thanks honey for all the hours you put in each week and providing for us all! 

Busy

I seem to have found a grove of keeping up with this house now that I don't have to work in the mornings. It's been nice to get things done and still find a little me time. However today cleaning the bathrooms with Ashlyn home was disastrous. She wanted to "help" and that was a blast. I lost my temper after she dumped her shampoo (half a bottle) into a cup thankfully. So glad it didn't go down the drain. But still she has done this twice, down the drain, and has not learned that it is NOT okay. I asked her if she knew that would make me mad and she said yes. So why, and she just looked at me. Next week I will be cleaning bathrooms on Wed. when she is at school! I feel like I didn't sit down at all today, but I feel accomplished so its all good. Earlier I made a double batch of those yummy granola bars, and I just cut them up, and put them into a gallon ziploc bag. My family is super excited because they are SO good! Teagan even shares his with a friend at school who also likes them. Glad they are getting eaten. So happy to have found an easy to make snack that tastes good and is better for us to eat. Win all the way around!!! 

Yummy Treat

Okay so some blogs generally have a Pinterest Wednesday. In this house we have a Pinterest Daily! I am always using ideas or recipes from this AMAZING site!!! Love it so much! Well I have been meaning to try and make up some homemade granola bars. I bought the ingredients like at the beginning of summer, but I never made them. I guess I thought I needed the oven, which you totally DON'T, just stove top! So today we are tight on money and the snack food is dwindling down for school lunches so I thought I need to make these granola bars. It was beyond easy and the tiny taste I had was so GOOD!!! Here is the link to my pinned recipe http://pinterest.com/pin/88101736431242943/

Teagan helped me make them up. I hope that both boys come home tomorrow raving about the yumminess. 

It was Pajama Day at school today, yes we do get ready in this house during the week days! ;)

Stirring the mixture of peanut butter, butter, brown sugar, and honey

Adding in the oats, rice crispy cereal, and crushed pretzels (also vanilla extract)

Smash into a wax paper lined pan and refrigerator for 30 minutes. 

Cut up and I stored mine in a ziploc bag in the fridge. 

Crazy Hair Day Attitudes

This week is Spirit Week and I love Crazy Hair Day. So I did the boys hair and both were NOT thrilled. "Why can't we pick out what we want!!!" Both boys whined. Because I am doing it. So Rayle is smiling, but don't let that cute face fool you, he hated his do. Disclaimer I had ZERO hairspray so I only used gel.  

Teagan aka Dr. Seuss style blue with pink trees. Smile 

Rayle a Wolverine ish style.  Orangey/yellow with black tips

Ashlyn was happy I didn't touch her hair ;) It was also backwards day as well. Grumpy kids!!! At least I try and make their lives fun. I bet half the parents don't even pay attention to Spirit Week!!!

Coloring

Ashlyn started preschool last week, well the boys started school too. I guess I need to blog about that! Anyways I love Ashlyn's teacher! She is such a wonderful person and so patient with our crazy kiddo! Today there was a coloring page Teagan brought home from school. Ashlyn decided to color it for me, and I seriously am SO impressed with how well she did! She didn't color everything, that girl can't sit still for too long, but what she did color is pretty darn good! Last year in preschool she brought home papers that had the tiniest amount of scribbles on them. I can't wait to see what this year brings, and to see how her coloring improves. I also got some wipe off letter practice thing from Target. She calls it her homework. So cute!!!!!!!

Shark Attack

So we be poor right now. LOL and I wanted to pay tribute to shark week (even though we can't even watch because as stated we be poor! No cable/satellite) I wanted to paint my nails but I don't have the right colors so I totally used puffy paints! How lame, huh?!?! Anyways I think it looks dorky but that's all good! Only did my thumb with the shark and the other 4 I did like a splash I will call it. Nail polish remover is your best friend. 

Debating

So I have a major problem here I can't decide, it's a HUGE debate. Should I do this

http://pinterest.com/pin/88101736433617718/

Or this
http://pinterest.com/pin/88101736433620455/

Why did back to school and Shark Week have to come at the SAME time!!!!

Nail Art

I really love my nails. Seriously like my most favorite thing about me. Sad huh. Anyways, I have been bad about painting them so the other day I looked up some ideas on good ol' Pinterest. Such a wonderful site!!! I decided to paint them red and white with polka dots. Really loved how they turned out. If I had black I would have totally added a bow or even a Mickey Mouse face. Maybe next time. My friend wanted me to paint her nails, so today she came over and I did hers. I LOVE how they turned out. It was pink and silver with like a leopard spots on the nails. It makes me want to do mine over. Ashlyn got her nails painted yesterday, but the little stink peeled the polish off. I spent a good 20 minutes on them. Gotta love almost 4 yr olds! She wanted me to paint hers again, but honestly not sure if I want to because she'll probably just peel it off again!

Independence Day

I hope that everyone had an enjoyable day celebrating this great country we live in! Our Father in Heaven preserved this great country until these later days to help pave the way for the gospel. I am so grateful for all the freedoms that I have and that I can live in such a great nation!!! I am thankful for all of my rights! Today we celebrated pretty low key. Brian worked yesterday night so needed to sleep most of the day. We kept it low key so he could get some rest. All the kids got bathed and I was able to paint their faces for this evening. For dinner we had some hamburgers and hotdogs with french fries and corn. Easy dinner! We decided to go to the fireworks show in AJ again this year. This was the third year we have gone. It's pretty low key, they offer bounce houses for the kids and free watermelon. They also have vending as well. There is a live band that plays country. Tonight we got there perfect timing not too earlier but not overly crowded. The kids ran off as soon as we secured our spot. They enjoyed the bounce houses for sure!!! The fireworks came on at 9 and it was a 35 minute show!!! It was great!!! Also it did not take long at all to get to our truck and get home. All in all its been a wonderful night.  Happy 4th of July!!!

4th of July Rosette Wreath

Last night a friend and her SIL came over and we made some crafts! It was fun to be crafting with some friends and the kids (mine) pretty much just played and stayed out of our way. I started two different crafts last night and finished up one today. I made a wreath with some red, white, and blue rosettes. I wrapped my wreath in burlap first and then added the rosettes. Instead of ribbon I used an ivory colored tulle for my bow. Also I added a little pennant banner with a different material and some twine. I can't wait to put the wreath on my front door, but I need a hook first. I really love the colors because they are muted and not bright. More me!!! Can't wait to finish up my other ideas! Another craft night next week!!!

End Of Another Year

The boys and Ashlyn finished the school year strong. Me on the other hand not so much! Homework logs and homework for that matter didn't get checked or at times even looked at. August is a new start...right??? Both boys rounded out with straight A's this school year 2012/2013. For Teagan that is 16 quarters of A's. Rayle is following suit with 8 quarters of straight A's. So proud of our boys!!! Ashlyn loved her preschool and will be attending next year for sure! I just managed not to fly off the handle with a few of my classes. Only joking but some can test you that's for sure! A few pics to share of the end of the year. 

There is a reason we Gibson's are not in the back row. LOL

Loved Rayles teacher Ms. Blatter. I had to rush back to work before Rayles assembly was over. Missed getting more pictures of him and his friends. 

Teagan walking in. Got there early with Ashlyn so we were front row. 

Teagan and his teacher Ms. Silvas

Teagan and his best friend Jacob and friend Cody. 

Next year we are on to conquer 4th and 2nd grade. And mom will have to take a math class so I know what they are learning. LOL

New Friends

Today was a chance to make new friends. I am so grateful for the gospel and knowing no matter where we go my children will most likely have classmates and friends. Teagan has already received a phone call and set up a play date with a boy! Rayle a little more reserved said that a school mate from another class was at church. Hopefully tomorrow he can connect with him at school as well. So excited for this little change!!! Ashlyn didn't want me to leave during Primary but she seemed to have done wonderful during class. Can't wait for Scouts on Wed. Should be a GREAT week!!!

Princess Camp

Yesterday our boys went camping for Fathers and Sons except they went with another dad since Brian had to work and couldn't take time off. I had planned to have Ashlyn and I do a princess camp. It would include watching movies, doing hair and make-up, and painting nails. But I was so worn out from the Field Day at work so we didn't do a lot. We had dinner and watched Tangled and then I crashed. Ashlyn fell asleep with me in bed too. So this morning I had to redeem myself and I did her hair, make-up, and nails. I had her put on the flower girl dress from my sisters wedding from last year and I snapped some pics. She had fun but won't do all the poses I wanted her too. Daddy was not too happy, he said she looked to grown up and he's not ready for his little princess to be all decked out in make-up. We were just having some fun though and man it's tough getting make-up on Ashlyn she does not sit still for ANYTHING!!!