giving is awesome! DEADLINE EXTENDED till 6pm MST 12/31/09

there are only a few days left to submit an AZ family to the Giving is Awesome contest!  Please enter a family you think could really use a HUGE photo package and photo shoot as a gift, then RED FEATHER PHOTO will choose a winner.  It's an amazing opportunity!  See details here

now send in an email for a family that could use something special!

handmade black friday (well, everyday)

marypoppinspresents.etsy.com

marypoppinspresents.etsy.com

feel free to shop my etsy store.  well really anyone's etsy store, we love support for all things handmade with love!

Happy thanksgiving!

I know I should be counting my blessings but all I can hear in the background is a four year old girl, with amazing vocals screaming into her wet tear stained pillow "I WANT TO PLAY I WANT TO PLAY..." etc, you get the idea.

grounded for another holiday.... at this point I won't even need to Christmas shopping for her.  Heaven help me.

xoxoxo, 

j

Halloween was scary!

I may be biased, but holy moly my kids are ADORABLE!  now if only they acted as adorable as they looked, we'd be made in the shade!

Jocie has been melting down at every step of the way lately and there have been some "hard lessons" to go along with it.  Long long story short, she chose to not go trick or treating the night before Halloween with a different choice.  She knew it was her decision, so although we handed out candy and visited friends, she was not aloud to take any candy (I am now known as the mean mom by our neighborhood and several others), but surprisingly she was ok with it.  She made up a song and dance while shaking boxes of nerd candy, so I don't think she's as scarred as others may have thought!

I don't know how it happened but about 2 months ago Harrison woke up as a boy.  A full fledged cup throwing, car rolling, book killing, mess making BOY!  Don't get me wrong, it's everything I hoped for, it's just that he is cutting about 5 teeth right now and he is a little irritated and moody on top of the whole boy thing!  He is such a joy (when he's on motrin or tylenol) and we love his little guts!

We hope you all had a great halloween!

*pics by Kate at Red Feather.... at her front door, in the dark, with a bird on her head... she's got talent!

updated:
how did I almost forget Jojo's preschool party pics and video?

October is Family Portrait month

This October when you get your Family Pictures taken

 (for your Christmas cards.... remember that's coming up)

at RedFeather Photography, you take part in Operation Smile, a 45 minute surgery that will CHANGE a childs life, forever!

read what Kate has to say about Operation Smile and how you can help, while she helps you!  CLICK HERE

United We Stand

I received an email from a friend yesterday, it was a FW: which I usually give little attention to, but it caught my attention it was titled 9/11/09 Day of Fasting and Prayer

it said:

During the Revolutionary War, Congress appointed a Day of Fasting & Prayer to call upon God, and plead for His Providential aid. The fasting and prayers of three million Americans were answered as the power of God enabled them to win battles they otherwise shouldn’t have won and gave them strength to defeat their enemy.

Today, we too are in need of miracles for this great nation. We invite you to join us as we call upon God again through Fasting & Prayer on September 11, 2009,

to help us secure and preserve our

Faith * Family * Freedom

and for guidance to know what WE can do to protect our Nation and its inspired Constitution.

Please join us.

***************************************

I don't know who started this idea circulating, but I do believe we as Americans need to plead with the Lord to help guide us and be with us. Will you please join me in fasting and prayer on Friday?

God Bless America, our home sweet home.

in my spare time

I've come up with a new little something to keep me busy... because why wouldn't I? I'm pulling my hair out at work and home with more to do than I can or want to. ALL I want to do is create! day and night! In fact I've come up with SO many creations people are getting sick of receiving my "gifts" (sorry makayla, I know you hate your new dress... better luck next time!)
so what to do with all my projects?? open an etsy shop.... duh?! I learned from the one thing I've managed to put in the shop that creating is sooooo much funner than listing stuff online! Back to the sewing machine! Check out my Mary Poppins Presents blog here!

cake smash for Harrison (gone horribly wrong) HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETIE!

It started out as it should....









and ended, when he realized "frosting is sticky, and party hats are uncomfortable", mean mean mommy! So to console myself, I ate it. Not the part his feet were in, cause that would be gross.

Happy Birthday to my sweet boy, who decided this morning that he doesn't like applesauce... I guess we will be seeing more changes everyday in our little angel!

coming soon

Prince Harry's 1st birthday!

we can hardly wait, and we have the pictures to prove it.... but you'll have to wait till Saturday!!

I think she's onto something...

my sister is a genius. i'm sure i should have something to blog about but.. instead i blog about her. why, because she's cute and smart and fun and i live just to see what she will come up with next! so she has started alphabet blogging this week, and today is letter C (i suggested some C words like Clancy, but she took a pass.... oh well) so what did she come up with??
a Cooking Contest! but not just any cooking contest, like the best one ever - her rules, her taste, her judging, and NO FRUIT (as it should be!). at first she was worried that people would think that she was just in it for the food, then i reminded her she was, and then she was ok with that. i'm not saying the prize, to be announced on W day (for "w"inner), is a Car... but, it's not a car. i don't think.
check out her contest here.

I should blog about something while i'm here.... huh.... Harry runs, Dave's truck is in the emergency room, my brain tumor is stable therefore I have life insurance thanks to LarryKerby at Beneficial ( I love Larry! if you need any insurance call him! 480-316-8383 - I made him promise if I die he is to go over all our outstanding debt with Dave and put him on a budget/allowance - he promised! did I mention I love Larry??), we got a new babysitter yesterday and Jocie puked on her 3 times... poor Whitney!, we went to Legoland for vacay... i should blog about that with pictures, i have a 3 month old TO-DO list - but I lost it, Harry is going to be one next week... what the heck, how did that happen, would like to quit nursing - but my body and Harry have other plans (I wonder if he will kill me for that sentence later in life), it is so stinking hot here that i've made the kids eat cold cereal for dinner for months now, GMAC Mortgage people s u c k - been working on a loan modification since DECEMBER and they still can't give us an answer, work is going pretty good - ash has been sick but should be back soon, thank goodness!, and facebook taunts me.

there.

there is a whole lot of, who gives a rats rear end of information.

this post was brought to you by the letter C, as in cooking, clancy, and crap!

xoxo

Our Pixie turned 4... and blogger won't let you see it!

the party was great and all the girls got to have their own special photo shoot! click here to see

I was blessed with lots and lots of pictures to show you, that you would have loved!

Craft making, candle blowing, 4 year old melt down, cake eating, present opening, and dance party-under the canopy of tulle and a crystal chandelier...... HOWEVER, blogger (aaaarrrggg) won't let me upload anything accept this. LAME

There were 11 pixies in attendance, but they were never all in the same place for any amount of time, so this is my idea of a group picture! They made the frames and Kate took their portraits, waaa laaa. Hopefully blogger will find it in it's heart to let me show you the real pictures at some point soon!

all portraits were taken by the lovely and amazing Kate Lane at www.Red-FeatherPhoto.com

And the winner is......

My sister Megan!!

She has always been creative, but I've noticed since her latest condition (of pregnancy) she has been in one big creative spurt! This manifests itself in picture mail of adorable things (I feel bad that all i send her is pictures of me on the toilet with bills at my feet and kids crawling up my legs... probably i won't post that one!)

so i let her know that in honor of her many accomplishments, I have made her the winner of the Mother of the Year Award! Congrats Meg, you deserve it! (below are qualifying submissions)

If you would like to nominate someone for this prestigious honor, send me their portfolio and I too can photoshop an original award to been seen by all their passers by!

wrong side of the tracks with kate at Red Feather photo

pixie preparations......

We are planning the pixie party of lifetime (at least a 4 yr olds lifetime), invitations are on their way, the box of tutus, wings, wands, and halos from here arrived today.

only one problem.....

Party isn't till the 4th of July.... i guess we will just have to practice and prepare until then.

red feather rocks!

Kate (my cousin) at red feather photography came over last night, and my kid made this face for her.....
and I think she's a genius! (click here for her blog)
Thanks Kate for such a fun time..... oh and the cupcakes!
xoxoxoxo,
j

compassionate service leaders

so today I learned about sugardoodle! it's a plethora of information for embellishing an LDS calling or lesson AKA: nourish and strengthen it!

So being the helpy helpful gal that I am, I forwarded my postcards that I use to remind ladies when it's their turn to be on call for compassionate service..... whaaaa laaaa, just like that - I'm a featured Sugardoodler!

check out their website here for tons of great ideas!

InHonorOfHarry

check out the full auction listing at http://www.inhonorofharry.blogspot.com/
(oh and it is NOT TOO LATE, leave me a comment if you want to add something to an auction )

Auction for Harry Randall Benefit

Those of you that know the Randall family are asking what you can do to help! ? And those of you that don't know them are asking, what's going on?

Our friend Shannan and her husband Monti gave birth to a beautiful 8 pound boy last Sunday after emergency c-section. The cord came first which is the baby's lifeline to not only food but oxygen and blood. The doctors and Phoenix Childrens Hospital did all that they could, and after many tears, prayers and medical life saving measures the machines were turned off on Friday, and he was returned safely to heaven on Friday afternoon.

This was supposed to be a time of rest and relaxation for the family, but that was not meant to be. They are reeling, emotions are raw, and the funeral expenses were not expected.

This is were you come in. "WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP?"

This Thursday through Saturday (hopefully many) blogs will be hosting online auctions to raise money to cover the funeral expenses, and time off work for the family.

If you will be hosting an auction or would like to donate an item email me at shannanrandall@gmail.com

I will have a list here of all the places you can shop!

AUCTION RULES AND INFORMATION
If you would like to bid on an item:*Please place your bid by leaving your Name, Email, and Bid Amount in the comments section of the item you are bidding on. The auction will go on from Thursday till Saturday, keep checking the comments to see if you need to bid higher!

IF YOU WIN THE AUCTION:*Please pay your high bid amount directly to the Baby Harry Fund at PayPal by clicking on the link on the sidebar.

*Please forward the receipt they email you to the person running the auction with your shipping address. The person running the auction will then ship your won item.

Easy??? clear as mud???

Pray for the Randalls

online auctions to come this week! leave a comment if you are interested in helping!
xoxoxoxo