A Little R&R

We Made his favorite blueberry muffins

Crazy baby! And yes - his father got him dressed for bed the night before!!! What a good Dad!
We read books... lots of books! He read through the 8 new Mercer Mayer's I got him at the DI last week!

They cuddled & watched movies

And he & I shared a plate of cookies & talked while the brothers slept

A couple times a year McKay crashes... yesterday was one of those days. He got up & ready for school & when it was time to go he started to cry. McKay never cries & when he does I have learned to listen. He LOVES school - he is my Mr. Social & can't stand the thought of missing out on recess! He's the captain of the football team! (I think that is because he brings his football from home! Football = Captain!) But, he wanted to stay home. I refuse to send him out the door in tears & felt like he just needed a down day. I had errands to run & things to do... But, I cancelled them all & we made muffins, read books, cuddled, watched a movie & just relaxed & took it easy. His brother's enjoyed having him home as much as I did. And sure enough this morning he was excited to get back to school & left with a smile on his face! I know that education is important. McKay is in an accelerated program at school & does very well. But, some days I do think that there are more important things. And yesterday just happened to be one of them.

Here's One For The Wall's!

Greg, James, Curtis & Travis

May Family Ranch 2008

I was looking for a certain picture of McKay today and came across these pictures... to most people they are a little random. Yes, I could have cropped them down - But, I liked that they showed Amy & Cody & even Sadie! At first I laughed when I saw the pictures! Then I cried & then I laughed again! To many this post will be very random. But, the Wall's will get it! Some will laugh (It's hard to not laugh at James screaming like a girl!) & some will cry! But, we will all be grateful! Grateful for Miracles. Grateful for the wonderful family that we have that loves & supports each other!

Heart Wax Paper

How cute is this! It makes me want to make some of Grandma Turley's lemon poppy seed bread and take it around to the neighbors! The idea is from Skip To My Lou. But, the direction's are from Martha & oh so simple! Simple enough to have the boys help me! A bright light just went off... make the lemon poppy seed bread... have the boys help me with the cute wrapping... have the boys take them to their primary teachers for Valentines!!! http://www.marthastewart.com/goodthings/heart-covered-waxed-paper-how-to

Valentines Robot Tee's

So, I decided that I wanted to make Cannon a Valentines shirt... I'm not quite sure how McKay and Carter would feel about wearing one... But, I still have one little man who doesn't care what I put on him!!! Last year I wanted to make him a robot shirt and didn't get around to it. So, I googled robot stencils and found this cute little shirt on Lil Blue Boo. The great thing is she even had a template for the robot:

http://lilblueboo.blogspot.com/2009/11/green-robot.html

I have done a lot of the freezer paper stenciling and love it! It is so easy! But, if you have never tried it here is a tutorial over at one of my favorite blogs Made. This is the tutorial that I used & it's super easy!

http://www.dana-made-it.com/2008/08/tutorial-freezer-paper-stencil-makenna.html

Carter's School

Yes, he has a basketball jersey on over a football jersey! And I have learned to not mess with it! He thinks it's pretty cool! And under the football jersey is actually another basketball jersey!!!

He loves to draw his own dots and lines to practice his letters. I am double jointed & hold my pencil really funny... it's the only way I can grip it. Carter naturally holds his just about the same! I have tried to work with him on it... but, it's not working!

James & I didn't sign Carter up for pre-school this year... We both had our own reasons. His are a bit more opinionated than mine!!! Mine were a bit more selfish! With McKay starting 1st grade & being gone all day I wasn't ready for Carter to leave to! He has a another whole year before kindergarten & I will put him in pre-school next year.... I will put him in pre-school next year... I will put him in pre-school next year... (trying to prepare myself!!!) However, I have a child who loves to learn! Each day I put Cannon down for his nap right after lunch & before Carter's nap Carter and I do "school" as he calls it! M,W,F we do the fundamentals. T, TH we do art projects. If it has to be missed for some reason, he is not happy about it! He has his own little school desk & magnet board that he puts his projects up on. I love the time that it gives us together!

Chalkboard Placemats!

After I get all of the Christmas decorations put away I am quick to start planning Valentines day! I love Valentines day! I grew up with my Mom always baking us our own cherry pie & my Dad always giving me a big box of chocolates & a card on Valentines day! I still have those cards stored away! I always bake a little something special for the boys... but, I like to make them something to! I think this looks like the perfect little something to go with the box of Lego's that they get! And to add to their church bags! You can find a tutorial for it at The Polkadot Chair:

http://thepolkadotchair.blogspot.com/2010/11/chalkboard-placemat-tutorial.html

She did use a Silhouette for a couple steps. I do not have a Silhouette... but, I am quickly starting to think that I might need one! However, I think that those steps could be skipped or modified. I googled chalk board fabric and it averaged about $9.99 a yard... But, depending on how wide the fabric was you could get at least 4 from the yard! They would make cute little Birthday presents for my Niece's too!

Thoughts...

I have had a lot of things on my mind lately... I don't know if it is the ending of a year & a beginning of a new year. It makes you feel a little refreshed! As we have moved into our little rental house I have been doing a lot of de-junking... after having a majority of our stuff in storage for the last year you really see the things that you can live without! I have been making multiple trips to the DI each week & it has felt really good to get rid of the excess... to simplify! I have found the same with my life... I tend to let it get cluttered...

The week of Christmas our family got some news that a friend - really he is so much more than that - was sick... Really sick. And after you are done crying & then done being mad you start to re-group. You start to take inventory of the things that truly matter in your life. I learned this lesson with Travis's accident - but, was reminded of it again: not to take the people and things that matter most for granted. And as I was running around like crazy the week before Christmas trying to get all of things done that I thought I needed to get done... this news stopped me dead in my tracks. Suddenly it all didn't matter. Suddenly the art project that Carter had been wanting to get done for a week or the new Wii game that McKay was wanting my help with... those things or I should say that "time" with my boys became most important. Because as I have seen all to clearly in my life - one moment everything is wonderful & the next it might not be. And in that latter moment you are hoping, praying & wishing for a few more moments. So, I have decided that it's time to de-junk my life. To get rid of the clutter that takes those moments away. It is about the art projects, the moments of playing Super Mario Brothers with McKay & watching and laughing as he jumps all over the place with Mario! It is about rocking Cannon just a little bit longer or playing out in the snow with the boys instead of watching them as I clean the kitchen. The kitchen can wait. It's about Carter missing his afternoon nap and cuddling with me in my bed as we watch Rocky together... it's about checking McKay out of school early to go skiing or letting Cannon completely empty the fridge while I am making dinner!

Cancer runs in my family. There is a very good chance that I will one day be the one that is sick... I know people don't like to think about it or talk about it. But, I am. I am addressing it now. I don't want to look back and wish that I had made time for more moments... time goes by too quickly anyway. But, I am going to make more moments in the time that i do have. I am going to de-junk! De-junk the clutter that takes away from my family. So, I will warn you now - if you stop by and my kitchen isn't at it's cleanest I really don't care! I'm not even going to apologize!

Each year instead of making New Year's resolutions I do something a little different. I choose a word (or word's) that I want to live by for the next year. This year my word's are "simplify" & "quality". They may seem a little random to you! But, to me they mean that if I can cut out the junk and "simplify" my life it will open up more time to spend on the things & with the people that matter the most. And it will allow that time to be more "quality" - to live more in the moment. I have spent some time making a list of the things that I want to do with my family this year, the things that I want to teach my boys, the things that I want to accomplish as a family. I think all to often people are to busy and run around like crazy & don't have much to show for their time. Next year I don't want to wonder where the time went... I want to have memories, moments & goals that are accomplished to show for it. The first step is to simplify...

I wish you all a New Year full of joy. What ever your joy might be! May you and your loved one's be healthy & happy. I know well enough that we will not all make it through this next year with out our highs and lows... with out heartache along with the joy. It is my prayer that in difficult times we will be blessed with strength & peace. And in the moments of joy we will have grateful hearts. I thank you all for your love and support! Happy New Year!

Disclaimer: Yes, I know that I am a OCD clean freak! And having a dirty kitchen will be difficult for me to over come! I do not plan on letting my clean house go! I just plan on cleaning it when my family is a sleep! Thank goodness for naps & a husband & children who go to bed early!!!

A Very Merry Christmas!

Temple Square

Making Gingerbread houses

We wondered at the end why Carter had less candy then McKay... after going through the pictures I found out why!!!

Cannon was NOT excited to open his Christmas pajamas! Or, he wasn't excited to have Carter hold him down for the picture!

Once they were open and on and he was with Grandpa... he was happy!

On Christmas Eve we always play a new game. This year we played "Chairs". You try and see how high you can stack the chairs without them falling over!

We at the Turley house do not just leave cookies for Santa - But, we leave juice for the reign deer! A very special juice that has been known to have apple juice, milk, carrots, whip cream, chocolate chips, cinnamon, oranges, bananas.... I think you get the point! The boys make it by themselves & each year it is different! But, the reign deer LOVE it!

So, I'm not one to like to post pictures of myself in the first place... and it is VERY painful to post one on Christmas morning pre-shower! But, this is what Carter gave me for Christmas! James took him shopping with my list! But, this is what he found and what he had to have! It's a horn that I can blow if I am ever in trouble! And if I am in trouble and blow the horn he will come and save me! And the necklaces around my neck are from McKay! So, I can look beautiful when I go grocery shopping!!! And you better believe that I will wear them when I go grocery shopping this week!

We were lucky enough to have my parents come and stay with us this Christmas! Carter had called and invited them a couple months before & the boys prayed every day that the roads would be good enough for them to come! I will fully admit that I was just as excited as anyone for them to come! We had a wonderful time! We went to Temple Square to see the lights with Curtis & Susan and Megan & Greg and the girls. Mom & Dad took the boys to Cabellas for an afternoon of seeing the animals, playing the shooting games & lunch. I had a list of things that I needed my Dad's help on around the house. But, mostly our time was spent just being together - watching movies, playing games, and carrying out our Christmas traditions!

The boys were spoiled this year by Santa, Grandparents, Aunts & Uncles and Cousins! It touched my heart to see the things that family gave them this year! They truly took into consideration who my little boys were and their personalities & gave them wonderful gifts! I personally know that Amy & my Mom went all over Idaho Falls to find the boxing gloves for Carter! Thank you!

I struggled this year as we are in a little rental and it just wasn't feeling "homey"... But, as the tree went and the Christmas spirit set in it started to feel like home! I learned that it doesn't matter where you are... it only matters who you have with you & the true reason. The boy's truly understood this year that we were celebrating our Savior's birth. I hope you all had a wonderful & merry Christmas!

Lazy Days...

Today... we are still in our pajamas, the boys made a fort out in the snow - just to come in & get back into their pajamas! It's a pajama day! Drinking homemade hot chocolate, making fudge, warming homemade potpourri on the stove with oranges, lemons, cranberries, cinnamon sticks & whole cloves - the house smells sooooo..... Christmasy! If that's even a word! I finally hooked the Wii up for the boys & they have been enjoying watching A Christmas Story. Cannon has a candy cane mustache (or as he calls them "nanny nane's"!). I am working on cutting out a quilt for Cannon for his Birthday & we are just enjoying a lazy day... looking forward and anticipating Christmas! My parents are supposed to come..... weather permitting..... & we are really looking forward to having them here! They rank right up there with Santa Clause! I love the feeling of anticipation.... it is in the air!

I Want This Pillow... BAD!

Seriously... I have to have this pillow! I think that it is darling & want to put it on Cannon's bed now that he has his own little bed! Stephanie Nielson showed it on her blog & I have been stalking it at the Pillow Factory 0n Etsy : http://www.etsy.com/shop/pillowfactory. However, $110 is WAY more than I would ever even dream of spending on a pillow for my almost 2-year-old's bed! My "Significant Other" would shoot me! And I would be physically ill over the purchase - that would buy many yards of fabric! So, the wheels in my head are turning... I'm making him a little quilt for his Birthday in January & think that I just might have to see what I could put together for his own pillow to! It's just darling I say!

Peppermint Fudge...

I unpacked my last box today! Yeah! I have been putting off doing anything Christmas until I was unpacked... We did finally put up the Christmas Tree on Saturday - only because McKay and Carter were begging for it... I was putting it off as long as I could - I didn't want to fight Cannon tearing off all the ornaments! And wouldn't you know it he hasn't even touched it once! Here's to hoping that he doesn't all of a sudden notice a large tree in the corner with bright lights and ornaments all over it!

So, now that the boxes are unpacked it is time to start with Christmas! Time to start baking & decorating (yes, I am aware that Christmas is less than 2 weeks away & it is a little late to get into the spirit! I'm okay with that!). I saw this recipe for fudge & we are going to make it for family night tonight. Or, I will probably make it up before hand to have it ready to eat at family night! It killed the kids to wait while I put the lights on the tree... can you imagine how crazy it would be if they had to wait for fudge to set! My kids LOVE candy canes & this will be the perfect little treat with some hot chocolate!



So, here's the link at Making Memories With Your Kids: http://makingmemorieswithyourkids.blogspot.com/2010/12/white-chocolate-peppermint-fudge-week.html

Leader of the Poop Patrol....

I will full on admit that I have thought that it was a little funny each time that my nephews thought that it was a good idea to swallow an object... my sister-in-law's would stand watch and hope that what ever it was would pass! They would be the leader of the poop patrol! Well, on Tuesday Mr. Cannon got into Carter's wallet and I came into the room just in time to see him drop a coin into his mouth... I tried to swipe it out - but, was to late and watched as he worked to swallow it down... I called James right away & told him what had happened. He wasn't giving me enough panic! He was way tooooo calm - so, I quickly got off the phone and called my parents! In the mean time Cannon had drank a whole sippy cup of apple juice and had eaten an orange - So, he wasn't in any kind of distress. He was already running around chasing after his brothers again! It was the Mom that was in distress! After calling three medical providers this is what I got: As long as the child is not showing any immediate discomfort & can eat and drink then you need to wait it out. If he starts throwing up at any time bring him in immediately. And if the coin has not passed in three days bring him in. In the mean time everyone I know decided it was a good time to tell me all of the horror stories they had heard of children ingesting objects! This is not the time to share that information!!! So, I was now the leader of the poop patrol! Everyday I picked McKay up from school his first question was "Did Cannon poop out the coin today"! It was a family affair! We didn't know what we were waiting for - a quarter, nickel, dime or penny! We were hoping for a dime or penny! And luckily enough this morning Carter got his penny back! Well, I asked him if he wanted it back! He was very quick to turn it down! So, for all of you who have laughed when other children have done it... it will one day be your turn!!! And you will get to wear the crown of the leader of the poop patrol!

Christmas Gift Idea!

So, I saw this cute picture holder at Shanty2Chic and the wheels in my mind started turning! I quickly sent the link to Megan (my cousin - who just happens to live here by me!) & got her excited about making them for Christmas gifts! Right now I think she is cursing me though! We split up our list of the things to purchase. I took Lowe's and Home Depot (and I got my stuff easy enough!)... she took Hobby Lobby because she was on her way there.... needless to say that two of the Hobby Lobby's in our area are completely out of what we need! And she has been all over looking for the bases, candle stick and little applique's... Finally we found out what day our Hobby Lobby gets new orders in and we will be there first thing trying to get the things to finish our little project! Next time I find a little project for us to do she is going to run the other way!!!

I live in craftville Utah! Maybe the craft store near you has what you will need to make one! If so, here's a link to the directions at Shanty2Chic: http://shanty2chic.blogspot.com/2010/12/cheap-but-chic-christmas-gift.html

And if I just happen to have your name for Christmas don't bother making one!

Coming Out Of The Moving Haze!

Well, after moving, unpacking, finding lots of my stuff broken after a year of storage... heading to St. George for Thanksgiving, unpacking some more, getting McKay settled into a new school, getting Carter settled into a new primary class, Christmas shopping & unpacking more... and throw a bout of the flu in there for all three boys... I have felt a little crazy! But, I finally feel like I am coming out of the haze of it all! Starting to feel a little settled! Just a little!

Oh What A Crazy Week...

And we are off again! We are packing up and moving to Sandy, Utah. James couldn't be more excited... he was raised in Sandy & feels like he is going home! And... I am excited for him! We have a crazy next week... In one week I need to finish packing, take the boys to the dentist to finish up some work they have been getting done, check McKay out of school, move, paint the upstairs of our new house, unpack, go to a new ward, check McKay into his new school, keep unpacking.... all in time to leave to go to St. George for Thanksgiving next Tuesday! One week! I have one crazy week! So grateful for all the help we are receiving... many offers for help with the boys & my fabulous cousin, Melissa brought us dinner last night! Thank you! I have to admit with our moves I have been able to spend wonderful time with my cousins. Something I am so grateful for! Miranda - I do love you... but, I really hope that we aren't moving to North Carolina anytime soon! So, we are off... I'll check back in when things have settled a little! I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Take The Time...

If you have not heard of Stephanie Nielson... you need to take the time to learn of her story. She is a wife & a mother to 4 children who was in a near-fatal airplane crash and burned over 80% of her body. I first heard of her last year shortly after Travis's accident. As I spent days in the ICU with Travis I literally spent hours reading her story & following her recovery... It gave me hope. But, now her fierce love for her family & life humble me. Her honesty amazes me. Take the time... read her account of the accident... it will make you very grateful for life. It will make you look at things in a new way... it will remind you not to take things for granted. Google her... do whatever you have to... But, seriously... take the time.

Here's a link to her blog:

http://nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/

Project Norya

Please take a few minutes to look at this and contribute if you can. I can personally tell you that this is an amazing project. My cousin, Miranda is trying to get a young woman over to the states from Russia. She has until this Sunday to finish raising the money. Please, donate if you can. It's something so simple to us but so life changing for someone else. Thank you!

http://www.projectnorya.blogspot.com/

"Cheese"

Cannon LoVeS stickers! They are right up there with Legos! If I give him a sheet of stickers it gives me a good 30 - 45 minutes to get something done! And we all know that that is golden time! As you can see he puts them all over his hands, then he goes to his clothes & will finish with his face!
Then his big brother thought he needed a hat...

Which he liked the idea of... because he wouldn't give it back!

Back to the stickers...

And... on last "cheese" before I walked away!

My Oldest...

McKay also known as, Mac, Big Mac, Mac Attack, Pudge, Bug & Turley... random I know! But, he answers to them all. I have to admit that when he was little I really didn't like people calling him "Mac"... Now, I call him that as much as anyone. Lately he has really been pulling at my heart strings... I don't know if it is because I see him growing and changing so much right before my eyes... But, I look at Cannon and I can soooo remember McKay that little & now he is so big! I had a total moment last night as we walked into the school together for his first parent teacher conference of the year... how did I get here so quickly! How can I already have a first grader... Because of his birthday being late we held him back... So, in all reality he could be a second grader! I kept telling myself that last night! Trying to make myself feel better that first grade wasn't all that bad! He of course is doing amazing. Top of his class in all areas! Ahead on reading! But, is a little bit of a jabber box! Ha! Ha! She didn't tell me anything I didn't know! I'm glad he is a jabber box because he jabbers to me all about his day and everything that is going on in his life! And I think that is very important! McKay likes school once he gets there... in the mornings it's always "Mom, can't I just stay home with you"! So, often times he is a little grouchy as we load up to go... I have found the cure for that is me singing Man In The Mirror (by the King of Pop himself) at the top of my lungs as we drive to school! By the time we get there he is laughing hysterically and he is off to a good day (and anyone who has passed us on our way has got a good laugh at the crazy lady rocking out to!). I'm proud of the little man he is becoming. He has never been mean a moment in his life... He likes to make up funny stories - but, when it counts he is always honest. I will full on admit that McKay has more energy then any person I know... and he can get pretty hyper at times... he has a true love for life & enjoys everything that he does. He is never grouchy, he is never cross... but, he can be a little bossy at times! Kids gravitate to him. As I drop him off at school and he gets out of the car they just start gravitating to him... I had lunch with him at school last week and I loved watching as they all came up to him & he is truly kind to all of them. We were out to lunch last Saturday at Golden Coral (it was Carter's Birthday and he got to pick!) when an little boy tripped and spilled his food everywhere... McKay was behind him and quickly picked the boy up and started brushing the food off of him... I was so proud of him! I am so proud of him. I love the confidence that he has and how gracious he is. He can be quite persistent.... or maybe really persistent at times! But, it is good because he never gives up. He knows that we prayed so hard for him and I think it gives him a special confidence that is hard to explain... he just gets it. He is my son, but he is truly my friend & I love him so very much.