Donna Randall's Blog

JoJo's Birthday - Wipe out Style!

2011-07-05T14:06:00.000-07:00

The highlight of Jonathan's week is watching the TV show "Wipeout." I have to admit, it is kind of funny... but it has always been his DREAM to try this over sized, messy obstacle course! For his birthday, Allison (Jonathan's niece from Ohio) and I created our own little version of wipeout.

The "Big Balls" are the highlight of the show so they had to be the highlight of the cake! Since we don't each sugar anymore, making this cake was a bit of a challenge, but it was pretty fun- and you have to have the guys falling off the big balls!

He was such a good sport- I love this guy!

Of course, as soon as he was done, Jonathan turned on the kids that "helped" with the course. Armed with silly string, water balloons and shaving cream, the kids had almost as much fun as JoJo!

Next year is the big "Three O" .... what will next year bring??

Unfortunately, the video didn't load, so if you want to watch it, you will have to checkout my facebook.

Yellowstone with Allison

2011-07-05T13:48:00.001-07:00

We took Jonathan's niece Allison to Yellowstone a few weeks ago and it was BEAUTIFUL! I know it looks fake, but we really are sitting in front of the falls... and it looks like Allison doesn't want to be anywhere near us.

We saw the coolest rainbow directly over our heads!

Nothing like a little drive through Yellowstone.... and almost getting run over by Bison.

I am trying to find new perspectives to photograph. This picture was taken at the new visitors center at Old Faithful. Its a refection on the window. Someday I will get better at this whole photography thing!

I can't wait to take my parents back to Yellowstone in just a few weeks!

Happy Place

2011-07-05T13:03:00.001-07:00

We all should have a happy place and I think I have found another one of mine. The other night, I was watering flowers while watching TONS of fireworks go off around me. When I finished, I decided to just sit in the grass and watch the show. As I was watching, I started to notice how peaceful my backyard was. When Jonathan and I bought our house 6 years ago, we knew we wanted to have a backyard retreat, but had NO IDEA how much work it would be. We did EVERYTHING ourselves. Looking across reminded me of the MANY, MANY, MANY weeks spent working on each phase of the yard- from raking up rocks, digging trenches, laying sod, putting up the fence, building the pergola-twice, laying pavers, putting in the gardens, building stairs, planting roses, and MANY, MANY more little things. I should mention that I put in the fire pit ALL BY MYSELF! Most of this was new to both of us and while the fence almost cost us our marriage, looking across our yard brings a smile to my face. We started with dirt....actually it was clay. And now, we really enjoy our backyard. While it's not perfect, we made it. I really hope that someday, when we sell our house, the new owners will enjoy it as much or even more, than we do.

Sunday Afternoon lunch

2011-07-05T12:50:00.000-07:00

"I'm STARVING" are almost always the first words out of my cute hubbies mouth when we get home from church. The trick is getting the church clothes put away before they are covered with dog hair and then lunch made BEFORE my cute husband "melts" away from hunger. Our new solution- Rachel Rays' Sweet Corn Quesadillas! YUMMY! I did change it up a little big- I am lazy/cheap so I used canned corn and roasted red peppers from a jar but so good and so fast!

Just so you know, I HAD to make a 3rd one so I could take a picture because they were gone so fast!

You can check out her recipe -http://www.rachaelraymag.com/Recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-search/fast-recipes/sweet-corn-quesadillas ENJOY!

Herb Markers

2011-05-11T18:56:00.000-07:00

I don't like boring plant markers, so I made these. Once my cute hubby showed me the right hammer to use, I was on my way! If I had more spoons, I might make them for the garden...

It's CLEAN!

2011-04-29T11:23:00.000-07:00

It is often said that a messy room means a creative genius is at work. My craft room, is usually VERY messy... but I think that is just because I am too lazy to clean it up! Anyways, I finally was bitten by the spring cleaning bug, and here is the result!

There are a few things about this room that I absolutely love! My cute hubby built these fantastic shelves designed to hold all of my "crafty stuff."Another thing I love is this frame. It may look like complete Chaos to you, but it is one of my prized possessions. Last summer, my family had a reunion at the end of July, which also happens to be my birthday. They surprised me with this frame covered in things they had gathered that represent them or remind them of me. I love looking at it and noticing all the little details! Can you see the pink baby booty on the right side? That was mine when I was a baby.

One of the other things about this room that I love is the chandelier. I found it while we were visiting NY last summer. My mom had to ship it to me because it was WAY too big for my suitcase. Thanks mom! You can also see the "purpleness" of this room. As a lover of purple, I had to fulfill my dream of a purple room, with purple stripes and a purple ceiling.

There you have a small tour of my craft room. Now go get crafty!

Spring Is In The Air!

2011-04-07T13:28:00.000-07:00

Spring is in the air! (At least that is what I am telling myself!) Here is a quick little tour of what I am doing to make my house FEEL more like spring! Since my yard is not big enough for a REAL greenhouse, this will have to do for now! (But I am afraid it is too pretty to put outside!) I just need to find some herbs to plant in here!

We LOVE the feeling of grass, but thanks to Idaho weather, it might be a while before we get to play in it, so I grew some wheat grass for a centerpiece.

I have had TWO people so far ask me why I put an "R" on my front door. I guess they don't know me that well. It's kind of hard to tell in the picture, but the R is covered in moss.

Don't judge me, but I am a little obsessed with Modge Podge and sheet music. For my latest trick, I turned sheet music into carrots.
Well there you have it, for a better tour, come over and visit. We would LOVE to see you! If it's warm enough, I may even let you pull some weeds!

Finger Puppets

2011-03-16T08:17:00.000-07:00

I made these finger puppets for a special friend's first birthday. I think I might need to make another set just for me...

Best Hubby EVER!

2011-01-09T21:24:00.001-08:00

I know what you are thinking. TWO blog posts in one day!
I just had to give a shout out to the BEST husband ever! For the last few months, I have been dreaming of getting a Kindle. The library fines were getting OUT OF CONTROL so I stopped going. My solution: buy a Kindle. But I had to spend all my "extra" money to pay the dentist, so I put the Kindle on hold til February when I could save up the money again. Little did I know, that my sweet husband took all of his extra "fun" money to buy me one for Christmas. He made me the sweetest book to trick me into thinking he didn't get me one, but the last present I opened was my new Kindle! He was so sweet! (after calling me a nerd for even wanting one in the first place). Silly me, I put a monopoly game on it, so we were fighting over it most of our vacation, so I made a really PINK cover for it, hoping he wouldn't want to steal it anymore. My plan failed because now he just takes the cover off. Oh well. I still love my Kindle!!

My Journey

2011-01-09T20:20:00.000-08:00

:::WARNING:::
What I am about to post might be too personal, but I feel that I need to share some of my recent feelings with those around me. Please understand before you read this that 1.I am NOT pregnant and 2. This post is VERY long, so if you don't want to read it, that's okay.

It has been a REALLY long journey. I don't exactly know how I got here, but I am sure grateful I am here now. I guess I should tell you where I am. This journey began many years ago. I was a new bride and had dreams of having lots of babies right away. As a young girl, I always dreamed of being a mom... and being on stage. (My mom has some great stories.) Despite all the desires of my heart, the Lord knew that I needed to wait a little while before I could be a mom. While living in a heavily populated Mormon community, surrounded by new moms EVERYWHERE, my heart ached that I could not be one of them. I couldn't bring myself to be around them. Every announcement would make me sad. Tears would often soak my pillow when a friend would tell me that they were expecting. Baby showers were missed. Friends were neglected. Sorrow filled my heart. For several years, I spent so much energy almost hating anyone who complained about being a mom. I avoided baby blessings like the plague and dreaded meeting anyone new because I knew the first question I would be asked was, "How many children do you have."
After being married for 7 years and still not being blessed with children, I had lots of practice answering awkward questions. Often, my basset hound, Lady, was my excuse for a child. Other times I would say, "none yet - I must not be praying hard enough." If I was in a really bad mood, then I might respond with, "After seeing all the naughty things your kids do, I don't think I want to have any." (Okay I never really said the last one, but I did think it once.)
Something needed to change. Ironically, having a baby wasn't the solution for me. Granted, in my mind, all I needed to do to be happy was to have a baby. I kept telling myself that I would be happy when I was a mom. Like the flip of a switch, life would be better the day I found out I was pregnant. After years of this philosophy, I decided something needed to change and that something was me.
I was wasting so much time on being bitter. In the deepest part of my heart, I knew that I will be a mom in the Lord's time, but that didn't make it any easier. I was basing my happiness on something that has yet to happen, and let's face it, might not ever happen. Taking a step back, I looked at my life right now. Pre-mom world.
As my husband often reminds me, I live the retired life. I don't have to work and I pretty much do whatever I want most of the time. I stay home taking care of our dog, but Basset Hounds don't really need a lot of attention. Give her a little bit of sun, make sure she has water and that's about it. Scrapbooking can consume my day, or I can go shopping or for a walk whenever I want. I can spend the whole day in the Library or sewing in my craft room. Don't get me wrong. There are still plenty of unpleasant things that I have to do, but in the grand scheme of things, life is good.
Despite all of the wonderful aspects of being a house wife with no kids, my heart still aches. A few months ago, I was talking with a dear friend. I was telling her how miserable I am not being a mom. As a single woman herself, she was saying how miserable she is not being married. While telling her how great she has it as a free woman, it hit me. My friend and I were both completely missing this great phase of life waiting for the next one. While she waited for her prince charming to bring her joy, I was waiting for a baby. We both had so many blessings right now, but were missing them waiting for the next phase. While I have my prince charming, I was waiting for that little price or princess. Someday we are both going to look back over our lives and regret wasting so much energy yearning for something we can't have yet.
Flash forward a few weeks. I had been praying for my heart to be comforted. I knew that I wanted inner peace with not being a mom right now. It did not happen over night, but through the course of a few weeks, I began to slowly feel more joy creep into my heart.
One morning, I was saying a prayer, and unlike most of my prayers, I was praying out loud. In my prayer, I told Heavenly Father that I was happy. I was happy to be Donna-not-a-mom-yet. As tears streamed down my face, I knew that what I was feeling was complete joy. Don't get me wrong, I still want to be a mom, but I can have joy in the here and now.
So this is where I am. On this journey, that I know is far from over, I know that I can be happy despite how hard it is. I still want to be a mom just as bad as before, but something has changed. I can have joy in the journey. While the fertility treatments are still just as hard, (maybe even harder than before,) I feel as though the Savior is carrying the burden of my sorrow. With all of my heart, I know that I am doing everything I can on my end to make it happen, so if it takes longer that most people, that's okay. The things I am learning today will make me a better mom someday.
While writing this all out, I wondered why I felt like I needed to share this. Maybe you know someone going through something hard. Maybe that someone is you. I believe that at some point in all of our lives, we have to go through something so hard that it brings us to tears. For me, many times it's friends that help me through those times. I know that my Heavenly Father is always there, but often I lack the faith to depend on Him to help me through. I guess that is part of the lesson I am learning.
Please forgive me for this long post. Hopefully, someone can smile a little more after reading this. Our journey is far from over.

Meal Planning

2010-11-16T17:45:00.000-08:00

If you have a hard time planning meals, try using these. With only two of us eating most nights, I often loose enthusiasm for cooking. When I have a plan made up AND written down, meals almost seem to prepare themselves! Gone are the days of standing in front of the refrigerator while letting all the cold air out and I contemplate how we have no food. (Which is NOT the case at all... just nothing I am in the mood for.) Mind you, the planned meals are subject to change (if maybe my cute hubby decides to take me out for a night on the town) but having a plan just makes it so much easier to make dinner! Also, we tend to eat more healthy when I plan something besides pizza for dinner. So, if you feel so inclined, try writing out your menu and let me know how it goes!

Dream Backyard

2010-11-02T08:29:00.000-07:00

No, this is not our backyard. We have made some amazing friends with an amazing backyard. Not only are they the most welcoming family, but they have an incredible talent for gardening! We dream of someday having a yard half this beautiful.

Someday, at our house in Kentucky, this could be our yard. {Okay I am TOTALLY dreaming right now.} I know it will be a lot of work, but worth it. I think one of the reasons we love it so much, is that our friends did all the work themselves. The pond alone took an entire summer (and then some). After we re-create this AMAZING yard, you can come visit any time you like.

Woody's Round Up

2010-10-31T10:15:00.000-07:00

I love Halloween. Blood and gore aren't my thing, but I LOVE to be creative. This year, I decided that we would dress up like Woody and Jessie from Toy Story. We LOVE the movies and I thought that Lady would make a great Bullseye....

Trying to find a saddle for a dog was IMPOSSIBLE! I had to make something up totally out of thin air. It looks like a saddle doesn't it? I tried to make her a tail that looked like Bullseye the horse, but she quickly ripped it off and proceeded to eat it. Needless to say, she is now Bullseye the dog.

Our church did a Trunk or Treat this year and it was so much fun! Seeing all the kids dress up makes me excited to someday dress up our kids. I spent too much time working on our costumes and ran out of time to really decorate the car. We did have a poster that kind of looked like the wall paper in Andy's room and then we put little army men all around the trunk. I found the soundtrack for Woody's Roundup that we had playing. Next time I will plan better!

Even the adults got into the spirit of dressing up! I was able to make all three costumes for less than $20! Now I have to start thinking about what we will be next year... Any suggestions?

The Room Where Everything Goes To Die.

2010-08-10T15:51:00.000-07:00

You know you have one. Maybe yours is a closet, but you know you have a place where you put stuff until you have time to put it away- and you never have time to put it away so it ends up looking like this:

This would be my craft room after returning from a long vacation. I swear things in this room reproduced while we were gone for 2 and a half weeks! (Not that I would mind more craft stuff, but I don't think the JoAnn fairies visited me.) How does stuff pile up so fast??

This is where you come in. I NEED HELP! How do I organize/de-junk this room? I don't know where to start. It is OVERWHELMING and it needs to be done. My mom is coming for a visit and I want to show her that despite my entire childhood, it IS possible for me to keep a room clean! I am on a VERY tight budget... (as in NO budget since my husband would have a COW if I spent any more money on this room.) Got any ideas? (other than getting rid of it all.)

Atlanta Aquarium

2010-08-09T14:02:00.000-07:00

When we were in Georgia, one of the things I REALLY wanted to do was to visit the Atlanta Aquarium. It was AMAZING!!! Taking pictures was a challenge because you can't exactly get fish to pose for the camera, but I think I got a few good pictures.

These jellyfish were all tangled up together.

I wonder who is going to win....

Yes that is a SHARK in the tank. It's a whale shark and it's the size of a small bus!

Big fish. The divers said they are actually more afraid of these fish than all of the sharks in the tank. Apparently, they are very territorial. (Like they are the only girl in the family or something.)

This is the underside of a sting ray.. cool huh? I told him to say cheese, but I am not sure he could hear me through the 2 feet of glass.

You know I had to get fish and chips for lunch! Jonathan called me a murderer because we ate right in front of a fish tank.

I pet the shark! It was really slimy!

I was more nervous about touching the sting ray than the shark, but since little children were doing it, I thought I would take the chance.

If you are ever in Atlanta, I HIGHLY recommend going to the Atlanta Aquarium. It was breath taking! (and soon they will have dolphins too!) Be sure to go EARLY in the day because it gets PACKED!

Kentucky!

2010-08-09T13:19:00.001-07:00

Jonathan and I don't LOVE Idaho. We have DREAMED of moving to Kentucky for some time now, and we thought that it might be a good idea to check out the state before we up and move there. Why Kentucky? A few years ago, Jonathan and I got got out a gardening map. We had a LONG winter in Idaho and were SICK AND TIRED of all the snow and NO gardening season. We knew that we didn't want to live in Idaho forever, but as far as where we moved next, the sky is the limit! While looking at the gardening map, we said that we should both pick a state we wanted to live in and then we would say them at the same time. Then we would try and find something in the middle of the two. We both said Kentucky. After laughing for a LONG time, we really started to think about it. After visiting, we KNOW that is where we want to be! Don't worry our Idaho friends... we have a while before Jonathan finishes school, but as soon as he does... we are out of here!

We thought it might be a good idea to check out some houses in KY. In reality, we REALLY like to dream! Jonathan found this one.. the location is perfect... but we just need to talk them down on the price... A LOT. The streets around it were lined with parks and it over looked the Ohio river. ::sigh:: I heart this house. I know it needs TONS of work, but I am a Randall now! (You can click on the house and see the listing... but if you buy this house before me, know that I am going to move in with you.)

Kentucky is horse country! We had to stop by Churchill Downs and check it out. I can't wait to go to a real race someday!

While driving around, we found this "house" in the middle of the road. Kind of random, but I guess you wouldn't have to worry about too many house guests!

While in Kentucky, I FORCED Jonathan to stop at some antique shops. (He would tell you we stopped at ALL of them, but you know better than that!) I LOVE looking at all the old stuff and thinking about the history behind it all. I found one store just off main street and told Jonathan I HAD to stretch my legs... and my evil plan worked! I found this AMAZING set of Noritake dishes for only $19! Service for 8!!! I had to talk my hubby into it, but I LOVE it! I can't wait to have a dinner party with it!

I had WAY too much fun shopping, and only got to bring back a few treasures, but I will always think about our trip when I use my Kentucky treasures!

It was a VERY long trip, but I loved almost every minute of it! Other than spending WAY too much time in the car, I loved visiting with our families, seeing so much of the country and spending quality time with my sweet hubby.

What I have been up to

2010-07-15T12:20:00.000-07:00

I love to blogstalk. I don't know if that is a real word, but it's what I do. My husband blogstalks differently than I do. For example, he LOVES this blog. I however, like to blogstalk people who are crafty and give me tutorials about how to copy them. The sad part is that I spend WAY too much time stalking, and not enough time doing.

About a month ago, I found a blog post about making camera strap covers. While I had seen a few of these before, this one caught my attention. It might have been the ruffles, but I knew I wanted to make it. I even went as far as to buy the fabric. Everyday that fabric would look at me from the TO-DO pile. (I know it's against all the laws of nature, but that pile NEVER shrinks!) Ever since getting my camera (last THANKSGIVING) I have wanted to make a cover (or four). FINALLY, last night I did it. There are a million things I should have been doing instead. (If you come to my house, please IGNORE all the weeds.) But now, when I look at my TO-DO pile, the fabric is no longer staring back at me. (only the fabric I bought 2 months ago to make some throw pillows.)
It's hard to take a picture of your camera let alone your new camera strap. Smart Donna would have taken a picture before I put it on the camera, but then again for some reason, I never seem to listen to smart Donna.

I love the ruffle all down the middle. I like the colors too. (even though my camera is black and the fabric has a brown background.) Good luck getting to the bottom of your TO-DO pile!

Oh Lady.

2010-06-30T11:06:00.000-07:00

Often times my sweet husband will say, "I want Lady's life." I am not sure if this moment was one of them, but for some reason I can picture my JoJo, sleeping with his head in a pizza box and also being totally content.

Simple Pleasures of Summer

2010-06-30T10:56:00.003-07:00

The simple pleasures of Summer. While watering my flowers, this HUGE butterfly decided to join me. She stuck around for about 15 minutes; long enough for me to grab my camera and take a few pictures of her. This is the part of summer that I love. I LOVE my new camera. The only editing I did was some cropping. LOVE IT!

Fourth Of July Invitations

2010-06-30T09:10:00.001-07:00

I LOVE to celebrate the 4th of July! The first summer we lived in our house, we tried to have a 4th of July Party and well after much planning and LOTS of food.... nobody came. I am sure it is because most people around here have LOTS of family around. For some crazy reason, I thought that this year would be different. So far, not so good. I have handed out some invitations, but so far, nobody has RSVP'ed. Sad day. Oh well. At least I had fun making the invitations! Here is a tutorial if you would like to make some for your next 4th of July Party.

For each invitation, you will need 7 Popsicle sticks. I kind of like the "not-so-perfect" ones. (They add character.) For each flag, you will need to paint 4 red sticks and 3 white ones.

Divide your sticks up so that you can paint all of the red ones at the same time and all of the white ones at the same time. (I didn't worry about painting the sides. I like the rustic look... or maybe I am just lazy.)

Once your sticks are dry, arrange them in groups of 7 with 4 red and 3 white in each group. Be sure to alternate the colors. Then separate the top 4 sticks and using a foam brush, paint the left hand side of 4 of the sticks with blue paint. It helps to keep them together and paint them all at once to keep a strait line.

Make "flags" with all of your sticks. Remember that they don't have to be perfect. That's part of the fun!

Using a silver paint pen, draw some stars on each flag. I liked to alternate 3 stars on one line and 4 on the other, but there really isn't room for all 50!

Print the information for your party on the sticks.

Bundle each flag up and tie with some fun star garland or ribbon. These invitations have to be HAND delivered! I hope you have fun making these!

I hope that this year I am not making NY hotdogs just for 2! Please stop by on Saturday and celebrate the 4th with us!

Fiesta Chicken Chowder

2010-05-15T11:03:00.000-07:00

We LOVE this soup! It is one of our new favorite! (My hubby, who could care less about soup, asked if we could make it again!)

Just so you know, it is SUPER YUMMY with black bean chips!

If you want the recipe, check it out here:

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Fiesta-Chicken-Chowder

I dare you to make it!

Potting Station I Have Missed You!

2010-04-08T13:22:00.000-07:00

I LOVE SPRING! I also love to plant in containers. As a young adult, I worked at a gardening center in NY. While it was hard work sometimes, I learned SO MUCH and loved almost every minute of my job. I miss those days, but now I get to play in a yard of my own. A few years ago, Jonathan built me a potting station for Christmas. Maybe he was sick of me planting containers on his table saw...Anyways, I LOVE my potting station and all the things I have created on it.

I also love cooking. What fun it is to create a dish with fresh herbs picked right from the kitchen! Someday, in my next house with a BIG kitchen, I will have a plant shelf in the kitchen window with herbs on it all year round. {Not that I have been planning out my next kitchen or anything. Did I mention the double wall ovens and the 6 burner stove?}

Did you ever have a plant read your mind? No, I'm not crazy, but I am pretty sure that this moss growing between the pavers on my patio knew that I wanted him there. Jonathan and I even talked about planting some, but we thought that was a bit over the top... and now look who has crept into our garden! I might start thinking really hard about Peonies in the front yard...

Easter in Vegas

2010-04-06T09:56:00.000-07:00

So by now I am sure you have figured out that my nephews are a big part of my life. I love them to pieces and treasure watching them learn and grow. Sometimes I just want them to stop growing up so fast. This is the first year we could spend with the boys, and it was so much fun! The Easter Bunny brought the boys some new jammies and sunglasses and of course LOTS of candy! Peeps for breakfast never killed anyone!

One of Rebecca's neighbors organized a neighborhood Egg Hunt in the park. It was a fabulous idea! Parents donated a dozen filled eggs for each of their kids and the dad's went to the park early in the morning and hid them. After all the eggs had been hidden, the mom's and kids came to the park to find all the treasures. When all the eggs were found, everyone enjoyed a potluck breakfast! I can totally see doing this in Idaho, but we might have to put snow pants on the kids first.

I just love these boys! These hug moments are far and few in between, but they are sweet.

One thing that I love about being a kid is how easy it is to have fun. I watch my nephews play on the same playground with new found eyes every time. They don't worry about tomorrow or even yesterday. They can find joy in such simple things. I guess when the Savior told us to be like a child, there are many ways that could be.

Rebecca's Garden

2010-04-06T08:52:00.000-07:00

Want a little helper build your garden? Little Leo loves to help!

For spring break, Jonathan and I went to Vegas to help his sister build a garden. Of course the little guys wanted to help us.

Boys and re bar. This friendship could last for HOURS!

Little hands in lot's of dirt!

I just can't resist a pouty face!

Here it is! The newest raised bed garden in Vegas! I really hope that it works for her. We planted vegetables and a whole bed for strawberries! With a new sprinkler system and many prayers, the Roger's family should have a great crop of wonderful garden fresh food.

While gardening in Vegas is more of an act of obedience than a money saver, there is so much satisfaction gleaned from gardening! Unfortunately, Idaho hates me and wont let me garden yet, so I will have to go to Vegas to get rid of my bug! I even cheated and already bought some herbs for me herb garden that Mother Nature informed me this morning is going to have to be an indoor garden for a while!

Grandma got the boys some "four wheelers" which kept them occupied for a long time! I just can't wait to be working in my garden! I bet I could talk these guys into coming up here and helping me, even if I have to bribe them with cheese and ketchup!

New Cabinets

2010-04-06T08:30:00.000-07:00

We "finished" our basement about 3 years ago, but we didn't really finish it until a few weeks ago. We built 2 food storage cupboards on one end of the basement with the intention of adding a little kitchenette eventually. Silly me, I forgot to take some before pictures and I suggested after we pull the cupboards out so I could take a before picture, but I was out voted. After much hard work (Thanks Rebecca!) and lot's of priming, painting and sanding...

Tada!

I really wanted beadboard cupboards, but they were WAY out of my price range, so I bought some beadboard wallpaper at Lowes and added it to the center of the panels on the doors. I LOVE beadboard wallpaper! I am a bit addicted to it now. I wonder what else I can use it on...

I know it's hard to see with my shadow, but you can kind of get the idea.

I still have a few touch ups, but I LOVE my new cupboards! The beadboard was so easy to do and I think it adds a lot to the project.

Dear Spring, WHERE ARE YOU??

2010-03-23T10:30:00.000-07:00

Dear Spring,

Where have you been? I have missed you so! I thought you were here already, as did my tulips. You were so convincing, that they started to come up but are now covered with snow.

Remember when you were visiting us last year? I know it was a short visit, but you have to admit that it was a fun one! Bike rides, spring flowers and you can't forget how much fun we had at our first picnic together! Why don't you want to visit me this year? Are you mad at me or something? Was is something I said? You know I love summer, but I love you too! Winter just wont leave no matter what I do! You don't have to be scared of winter. It may be a bully, but nobody really likes it. We just say we do to make it feel better so it won't beat us up. I was hoping you would be there when I woke up this morning, but you weren't. Winter said, "good morning" instead.

If you come for a visit, I promise to make it worth your while! I have all kinds of plans for us this year! How does walks with the dog and more bike rides sound? I even have plans for planting flowers as well as the garden. Would you like to come to my garden party? It just wouldn't be the same without you. Please tell me you will come! Oh Spring, I miss you! Hurry and visit us soon! My sweet husband doesn't want me to forget you, so he brought me some of your flowers to remind me what you look and smell like.

I hope to hear from you VERY soon! We will have so much fun!

Love,

Donna

Tape Measures and Puppy Dog Tails- That's What Little Boys Are Made Of

2010-03-23T10:01:00.000-07:00

What will keep little boys entertained for HOURS even if they are visiting Aunt Donna who doesn't have tons of toys?

Tape Measures!

The discovery of the fascinating tape measure dates back to the early days of desperate need for cheap entertainment for three, tool lovin', crazy little boys. Thanks to Hobby Lobby and their 99 cent tape measures, hours of fun was had by all.

What do you do when the tape measures get lost and it's too cold outside to play in dirt?

Bring on the DOG!

Who doesn't want some love from this cute puppy?

Okay, so I am not about to open my mouth while kissing my dog, but apparently, it's all the rage with these guys! Good thing my little Lady doesn't mind all the chaos when these cute guys come to town! I really do miss them when they leave, but then I can always fill my time by erasing all of their "love marks" from the walls.

2010-03-03T19:22:00.000-08:00

We have been on a kick lately to try new recipes. This is one I found in the Best of Taste of Home 2010 edition. I LOVE it! There are about 30 different recipes flagged in my copy waiting to be tried out in my kitchen! Bacon Cheese Burger Buns can be found on page 72 and according to my husband, it's a keeper at our house! One thing that I liked is that it made 24 large "pockets" perfect for freezing, picnics, road trips and lunches on the go. I know you are going to ask for the recipe, so here goes:

Bacon Cheeseburger Buns

2 packages of active dry yeast (about 4 tsp)

2/3 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees)

2/3 cup warm milk (110 to 115 degrees)

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup shortening

2 eggs

2 tsp salt

4 1/2 to 5 cups flour

Filling:

1 lb sliced bacon, diced

2 lbs ground beef

1 small onion chopped

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 lb processed cheese (Velveeta) cubed {I used 2 cups shredded Cheddar and it was okay.}

3 to 4 tsp melted butter

1. In a large brown, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add milk, sugar, shortening, eggs, salt and 3 1/2 cups of flour; beat until smooth. Stir in remaining flour to form a soft ball.

2. Turn onto a floured surface and kneed until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm pace until doubled; about an hour.

3. Meanwhile, cook the bacon. Remove from pan and drain. Brown the hamburger and diced onion. Drain. Back in the pan, mix the hamburger, bacon, and cheese till it melts.

4. Punch dough down. divide into 4 sections. Roll each section out into a 12 by 8 inch rectangle. Cut each into 6 squares. Place 1/4 cup of meat mixture into each square. Bring corners of dough together and pinch together to seal.

5 Place 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 400 degrees for 9-11 minutes. Brush with melted butter. Serve warm with ketchup or barbecue sauce.

Makes 24 pockets

PinewoodDerby

2010-03-03T19:03:00.000-08:00

The elders quorum in our ward had a pinewood derby last week. Jonathan had fun designing a car and I thought it would be fun to make a cake in the shape of a track. Even though his car wasn't the fastest, he did win most creative! {His prize were 2 "Best of Bette Midler" tapes.}

This is for you Dad

2010-02-27T14:34:00.000-08:00

No, my dad does not hunt, but he does enjoy watching the deer in his backyard. I took these pictures when I was home several weeks ago and posted them at my dad's request. To all my hunting friends: No, you cannot move in with my parents. I believe this particular day, there were 5 deer in the backyard at once.

I think she's hungry...

Maybe it's me, but I think she is watching me as much as I am watching her!

Clothes Pin Makeover

2010-02-18T21:05:00.000-08:00

I always love a good find at the thrift store {although it has been slim pickin' lately}. Jonathan actually found me this beauty for $1! While it wasn't much to look at when he found it, I just applied my favorite color and made it much more fun!

Valentines

2010-02-08T11:04:00.000-08:00

I thought I would make some valentines for my music students. They were very simple to make! The lines across the card make it so you have to take the candy through the "maze" in order to eat it.

1. Print a message on festive paper. Your heart needs to be a least 5.5x5.5

2. Cut out the heart from paper and another heart slightly larger from a sheet protector.

3. Sew the paper and the plastic together. Be sure to back stich leaving a 2 inch space on one side (for the candy to slide out).

4. Add the candy to the card. I found 10 to be a good number.

5. Sew two strait lines 2/3rds of the way across to create a maze.

6. Write a message on the back.

Who in your life is going to be lucky enough to get a valentine from you? Nothing says "I love you" more than a homemade valentine.

Cruisin and Kissin'

2010-02-08T07:29:00.000-08:00

This past fall we went on a cruise to Mexico and this was my FAVORITE souvenir! I didn't have my SLR camera yet, but I think my Kodak point and shoot did a pretty good job! I am entering it here: http://iheartfaces.blogspot.com/ Go check out all the cute kissin' pages! You will be sure to be in the Valentines mood!

"R"

2010-01-24T21:50:00.000-08:00

{Before}

After much searching for the perfect "R" for my front room, we decided to make one. Jonathan cut the letter out of particle board and then we spray painted it. (Yeah for spray paint!) I finally feel like my picture wall is complete (except for needing one more picture). Don't worry, our tree is down now, it just took me forever to blog about it!{After}

Sister's Weekend 2010

2010-01-20T15:38:00.000-08:00

I LOVE my sister-in-laws! Don't get me wrong. Growing up with 2 brothers and no sisters had it's perks (such as NEVER having to share a room or clothes) but I do love having sisters now. Every year, we get together in January and with no husbands or kids, we let loose! We have a few things we do every year; go to the Temple, do our nails and stay up late watching chick flicks and then we try new things.

Cyni had the perfect tub for us all to climb in and soak our feet. We had fun making faces at the camera too!

This year, we added an Iron Chef competition! A neutral party provided 2 ingredients that we had to combine into one dish without using any recipes or the Internet for help. The two ingredients: Mini marshmallows and instant brown rice. Yes my friends, marshmallows and brown rice. While we had to get VERY creative, I think we all did very well. Cyndi (far left) created a "Turtle Mix" complete with pretzels, Chex cereal and, of course, rice and chocolate. Next, we had Beth with brown rice pudding garnished with extra marshmallows followed by Rebecca's Food-Network-inspired sweet potato souffle with rice filler. I attempted to make sweet and sour meatballs with a marshmallow sauce on a bed of brown rice. Beth's rice pudding won! (I only found out after the fact that neither judge likes sweet and sour to begin with, but I'm not bitter!)

We had lots of fun just being together while laughing till we cry!

We went to a glow in the dark mini golf place and then went out for ice cream.

I had TONS of fun and had a BLAST just hanging out with the girls! Sister's Weekend is a great chance for us to just relax and regroup after the holidays and gear up for the year to come! I wish everyone could have great sisters like me!

It's Been a While

2010-01-05T08:33:00.000-08:00

I know it has been a while since I wrote, but I have been SUPER busy and it's only about to get worse! With my new camera in hand, I have been taking TONS of pictures, but most are not really blog worthy. Learning about my new camera is taking me much longer than I wanted, but I am having fun with a new hobby. So, I am going to TRY and write a few updates before I leave for NY and Ohio, but we will see how I do.

First, I thought I would pass along a GREAT recipie. I found it at one of the blogs I follow. I made mine with a different pasta, but it was still VERY yummy! (Just a note, I made 1/2 the recipe and it was PLENTY!)

You can link to the recipie here:

www.granvillehouse.blogspot.com/2009/12/shower-recipes.html

Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Mom!

2009-12-12T12:42:00.000-08:00

For my mother-in-law's birthday, I let her make veggie pizza. Actually, all she wanted for her birthday dinner was veggie pizza (I think it was just so she could watch her son be forced to eat vegetables) and she wanted to help make it.

(Don't judge me for my dirty oven. It's well used. Someday there will be two of them and they will be in the wall. Someday.)

Growing up, Jonathan always had a watermelon instead of birthday cake, so guess what his mom got this year?

It was great to be able to celebrate mom's birthday here this year! Happy birthday mom!

My New Canon T1i

2009-11-30T08:41:00.000-08:00

I have always wanted to get into photography, so I took the plunge and bought a new camera. While I have SO much to learn, I had fun playing with my new toy this past weekend. Because they are are so easy to photograph, I thought I would use 3 toddlers for my first subjects! (Ha.)

Halloween at 1319 Cornerstone Dr

2009-11-02T07:26:00.000-08:00

I love fall, but I love soup in the fall even more. Maybe it's my moms fault. I remember growing up and whining because my mom loved soup so much that we would beg for dinner to be something that we can't eat with a spoon. I think she would have had soup everyday if she could!
I love to make cards, but they never seem to get mailed out on time!

A friend of mine is a 1st grade teacher and I asked her if I could help with her class party. I was so excited to plan and after a million ideas went through my head, this turned out to be my favorite activity. I took 3 plastic skeletons and spray painted them on white butcher paper. I then took the skeletons apart and then spread the pieces all around the classroom. The kids had a blast finding the bones and putting the skeletons back together.

I love to decorate, but my husband is not a huge fan of all the Halloween decorations. This year I gave in and only put a few things out. Then, for some reason, Jonathan got the decorating bug at 6:30pm on Halloween! Even though it only lasted a few hours, I am glad that he got some Halloween spirit!

While we had lots of fun food for our Halloween feast, I think my "bone bread sticks" were the best! I just made pizza dough and shaped it like bones. After they baked, I brushed butter and garlic on them and finished them off with a dusting of Parmesan cheese. (They looked extra creepy dipped in "blood" spaghetti sauce.

Our little Lobster

2009-11-02T07:06:00.000-08:00

"Oh I lobster, and never flounder....

...he wrapped his line around her and they drove off in his carp.
Oh I lobster, and never flounder....

I octopus his face in, he'll only break her heart!"

So maybe she wasn't the happiest lobster, but she was still cute!

Scrappy Hobby Horse

2009-10-24T17:27:00.000-07:00

I had TONS of fun making these hobby horses for my nephews! I hope they like them. My favorite part is the mane! I just tore some denim fabric and washed it like a rag quilt.

Strawberry Picking In October

2009-10-22T16:58:00.000-07:00

You read it right! Today, October 22nd, I picked strawberries from our garden! Crazy huh?? I never would have thought we would be picking strawberries in October; an activity that usually happens in June around here. Don't be fooled, the weather has been freezing and even into the single digits at night. These strawberries will make a great "fall" dessert.

Back to Blogging Again

2009-10-22T16:31:00.000-07:00

After several failed attempts to blog about our cruise, I have given up. So, if you would like to see pictures from our cruise, you are welcome to check them out at http://www.fireworksinmexico2009.shutterfly.com/

Now on to the latest. The other day, one of my students said, "Sister Randall, your windows are really fuzzy. I can't say dirty cause' that would be rude." After about wetting my pants, I decided that I would wash my windows. Now in my defense, you have to know that the sprinklers shoot our lovely hard water onto the windows all summer long. Since it's all the rage in the blogging world to do before and afters....

Our Fuzzy Window

And then clean

So that's what the neighbor's house looks like! Well maybe this will inspire you to clean one of your "fuzzy" windows. ( I know you have one too!)

Apron Update

2009-08-28T20:37:00.000-07:00

Well, if you must know, I'm CRAZY! Wait... if you know me at all, you already knew that! I have decided to make 30 aprons in 2 1/2 weeks (all while recovering from an INSANE summer as well as start my studio back up and get ready for our cruise!). I am going to attempt to sell them at Peach Days in Utah. I hope they sell! Any that don't sell, will go to etsy assuming that I can set up shop there. My poor husband has been so kind to help me keep up on the house work so that I can sew like a mad women and get this all done! Wish me luck! PS... I am trying to decide on a price for my aprons... do you think $15 is too much?

Homemade Salsa!

2009-08-28T17:06:00.000-07:00

First, you pick some tomatoes from your garden and chop them up.

Then drain and rinse a can of black beans. (Rinsing your beans helps to cut down on the gas!)

Toss in a can of drained whole kernel corn with your tomatoes and beans.

Add some red onions (or green-thanks for the tip Courtney!)

Chop up some cilantro and toss it in!

Then add some kick with fresh hot peppers or canned Chilies!

Pour over a little olive oil to hold it all together....

And YUMMO! Fresh garden salsa! Be careful to not over mix because you can break up the beans!

Dinner without cooking! (And uses up stuff from the garden and food storage!)

My First Attempt at Artisan Bread

2009-08-25T17:17:00.001-07:00

My mom makes this "fancy" artisan bread with TONS of garlic in it. I thought I would take a stab at it, and YUM-OH! If you look at the second picture carefully, you can even see the garlic smelling steam seeping out. I think I just made my hubby very happy!

Addiction

2009-08-18T15:26:00.000-07:00

Okay, I think I have an addiction! (But they are so fun to make!) I have fabric to make about 10 more....

Pink and brown and pink Ric-Rac

2009-08-18T11:58:00.001-07:00

I love these colors! Doesn't this just make you want to make cookies?? Pink and brown is my new favorite combo!

Our living room

2009-08-17T12:44:00.001-07:00

I have been bored with all the BEIGE in our house, so we decided to spice it up a little. First we had this...

and now with a little magic, a lot of sore muscles and some paint... drum roll please... Tada!

Okay, it's not finished yet. The big gap in the frame collage is going to be a big letter R and the pictures in the frames will soon be of us and not a sideways boat, but you get the idea!

Babysitting

2009-07-30T19:35:00.001-07:00

I love babysitting! (Crate available for rent.)

No children were harmed in the making of this picture, although some sanity was regained!

Worth all the scratches!

2009-07-29T10:14:00.000-07:00

Picking berries in the sun is by definition summer. One thing I love about having our own home, is having a yard. While it is a great deal of work,

it's worth all the scratches! If I could, I would share some warm raspberries with you right now!

My cute family

2009-07-28T08:56:00.000-07:00

When we were in NY, the stars alligned long enough for us to try and take some family pictures. I love my CRAZY family!

Hill Chomorah Pagent

2009-07-27T13:24:00.000-07:00

Last August, Jonathan and I decided to apply for a once in a life time experience to be in the 2009 Hill Chomorah Pageant. The pageant depicts several stories from The Book of Mormon with a cast of 739 people in addition to the staff of a few hundred. It was amazing to meet other cast members from all over the world! We made friends with people from Hawaii, Saudi Arabia and Italy as well as many from the States. We had an amazing experience. Because the pageant is 16 days long, we had to save up Jonathan's vacation for the whole year, and it was totally worth it! There is way too much to write about all here, but I will do my best. My apologies for such a long post!

The first day, we received our parts. Jonathan was cast as a New World Disciple, or as we liked to call him...

Pocahontas.

I was cast as a wicked Noah citizen. Type casting I'm sure!

My sweet mom worked in the resource room so we got to see her all the time! She did an amazing job making sure we had good food to eat and even a place to rest during our "down" time.

My part was to worship the wicked King Noah,

and to watch Abinadi burn to death; which was much harder to do than I thought it would be.

Jonathan's part was in my favorite scene in pageant; when the Savior appears to the people in the new world.

See the pigtails? ( He is second to the right from the Savior.)

While we had a ton of fun, it was also a great testimony builder. Before the performances, we would go out into the audience and visit with our guests. We met people from all over and as far as Australia! It was wonderful to visit with different people and answer questions about the pageant. Since I love to be the center or attention, all the people wanting out picture and autographs was flattering too!

We were able to take a little time off to go and see the historical sites around including the Sacred Grove.

Being in Pageant was a lot of work, but worth every minutes. With 14 hour days and little time to rest, I was grateful for my mom and all the work she did to take care of us when we were there! My testimony grew leaps and bounds and I was able to spend tons of quality time with my hubby. I loved it and hope to do it again someday!

Struggles of Marriage

2009-06-23T15:17:00.001-07:00

I am not one to often keep up on celebrities, but I have loved watching the show "John and Kate Plus 8." They have recently announced their decision to divorce which has caused me to ponder a bit about divorce. Divorce is sad; not just for the kids, but for the whole family. Things like this are often preventable, but not always. I just hope and pray for their family as well as any others going through a divorce, that they continue to respect and pray for one another. Like so many watching this story, I took some time to reflect on my own marriage, and thought that there is always room for improvement. Maybe we say thank you more, and forgive faster. Maybe we compromise more and serve each other even more. The beauty of marriage is that it is an opportunity to perfect the art of being human. We choose a spouse that will help us perfect ourselves and love us while we are doing it. That means that there are going to be good days and bad ones; it all comes down to how we treat one another. I love my husband more than anything, but sadly, sometimes I treat him the worst. I heard a quote the other day that said, "Treat your company like family, and your family like company." I liked that because I like to spoil my company! I challenge those of you who are married to talk with your spouse about how to make things better even if they are already great!

Girls Camp 2009

2009-06-22T18:27:00.000-07:00

Our camp ground was beautiful!

The girls were SOOO much fun!

and they looked super cute in their matching sweatshirts!

Boys at girls camp? Jump girls!

I LOVED girls camp! If I could go every month, I totally would! The girls were awesome and I had a BLAST! I could spend all day trying to write about camp, but a picture is worth 1000 words. Girls camp is my dream calling and I hope and pray that the girls loved it as much as I did! The theme this year was, "Be Loyal to the Royal in You." While it was fun to have a princess theme, it was more important to help the girls to know how special they are and that they are Royal Daughters of God.

Happy Birthday JoJo!

2009-06-21T20:59:00.001-07:00

Jonathan turned 27 on the 19th. What an old man! (I only have a few more weeks that I can call him that before I'm old too!) Growing up, his mom always cut a watermelon in half. She would give Jonathan and his sister each half with a few candles in it. {They share a birthday.} I started a tradition a few years ago by making him a "watermelon" cake. It's not his favorite, but he usually enjoys it. If I could only figure out how to make a pizza cake! Now that would be his favorite kind of cake! Happy birthday Jonathan! I love you times two for eternity!

To make the cake, you just take a white cake mix and add one 3 oz package of watermelon jello to the dry cake mix. You make the cake just like the instructions but you add 2 cups of mini chocolate chips. Divide into two round cake pans and bake as directed. I like to freeze the cakes to help the cool and it makes it easier to frost. Just tint 2/3 of a can of whipped vanilla frosting green and the other third bright red! I also like to sprinkle a few more chips onto the top of the cake. For this one, I dyed some coconut green and squished it around the cake.

Zach and Bubba

2009-06-03T16:20:00.000-07:00

Which caption should I use for this picture?
1. Just because we don't have a pool, doesn't mean we can't have fun with pool toys!
2. Take me to your leader.
3. Any sign of intelligent life Bubba?
4. Adult supervision not required.

What is it with 2 year olds wanting to touch the camera?

Fruit Tart... Yum!

2009-06-03T15:56:00.001-07:00

So instead of doing all the things I should be doing... I made a fruit tart for enrichment tonight! It doesn't quite look like the picture, but I think with practice I could perfect it!

Missing in Action

2009-06-02T07:18:00.000-07:00

I know I have not posted anything in a LONG time, but I have been really busy! With summer now here, I am starting to panic! This summer is going to be a crazy one for the Randall family. First, I am going to take the young women in my ward camping. While this sounds like a simple task, in true Donna form, I have taken it to the next level and in so doing, have made it much harder than it needs to be! Needless to say, I am totally excited and stressed at the same time! Five days after I return from Girls Camp, I leave for 4 1/2 weeks in NY! Jonathan and I are going to be in the Hill Chomorah Pageant in Palmyra, NY this summer. We have to be there for 3 weeks, so I am going out early to see friends and family. Jonathan will be flying out just a few days before we have to report. We come home at the end of July just in time for my birthday! (I am sure we will be too tired to do anything too crazy to celebrate.) August will consist of camping trips with friends, home projects (it wouldn't be a Randall summer without them!) and working in the garden. (Did I mention I have a garden with 24 tomato plants, among several other things, to tend to??) I am sure I will make a trip to Vegas and then we are off to conclude our crazy summer with a cruise to Mexico! While all of this craziness leads to great scrapbooking and blogging (why else would I do all of this??) I apologize in advance for long bouts of no blog posts!

Mother's Day

2009-05-11T11:31:00.000-07:00

For me, Mother's Day can be kind of sad, only for selfish reasons. I have a wonderful mother who has taught me and loved me more than anyone I know. We talk almost every day and often for an hour. I treasure the things she has taught me and talents she shares with me. Since being married, I have wanted to be a mother. Actually, I have wanted to be a mother since I got my first doll. I was often very "motherly" as a child and truthfully, still am. (I like to be the boss!) This year, I decided that I could make Mother's Day a happy one by serving others. We have some very dear friends that lost their mother this past January, so we decided to have them over for brunch. It was a wonderful morning and Jonathan was VERY helpful in the kitchen! (He made the muffins all by himself!) We all had a great time and it really did help me from being bitter about not being a mom yet.

Bird's nest update

2009-05-11T11:24:00.000-07:00

I know I have not blogged in a while, so I am making up for it today starting with our birds nest. We went from 3 eggs to five, and now back to 3 (I think) because 2 are hatching! I am sorry this picture is kind of gross, but I don't think I have ever seen a baby bird at this stage. Momma bird flew away while I was working in the front yard, so I thought I would take the opportunity to snap some pictures of the eggs, and look what I found!

New Neighbors

2009-04-25T18:21:00.000-07:00

I have a wreath on our front door which is my favorite spring wreath. It is a bunch of pussy willows and I LOVE pussy willows.

This year, the robins have decided they love them too! They made a little nest in the top of it.

And soon, we will have some new neighbors.. right on our front door! I guess we are going to have to go in and out of the garage soon! I will be sure to post pictures of our new friends when they hatch!

Our "Jam" Session!

2009-04-25T18:03:00.000-07:00

My cute hubby LOVES strawberry jam! Every year, I try and make enough to last him the year... but a few years ago I may have gone a little overboard. I decided to ration his jam consumption and hid most of the jam so he would not eat it all at once. (He likes to eat it with a spoon!) Well, in true Donna form, I forgot about the hidden stash, so when my mom and I tried to make more jam the next spring, I had no jars! (They were all still full of last years jam!) Needless to say, I had to go buy more jars. Jonathan LOVES his jam! This year, I was babysitting a neighbor boy (Porter, age 2) while we were making jam. Porter was happily coloring Elmo a funky shade of orange, when he decided to help us. He brought a chair over to the counter and began smashing the berries. All he could talk about was, "JoJo make jam." and "Della make jam!" (He calls me Della because he has a dog named Bella, and apparently, Donna is too hard to say.) Porter has been having strawberry jam for breakfast every morning since.

Jonathan's Drag Name

2009-04-17T20:57:00.000-07:00

Tonight at dinner, Jonathan thought great dinner conversation might include coming up with our very own drag names. His recipe for these clever titles is as follows: You take the name of your first pet and the name of the street that you grew up on. The results are in and Craig's (our adopted college student for the week) alias as he walks the street as a woman will be "Chucky Barrett". My drag name would be "Fishy Bennington", while Jonathan takes the cake only to be known as "Lady Optimist". I'm sure we scarred those 80 years old and older sitting around us at Perkin's for life. (Don't judge me Dad) So, I have no idea why this Perkins is on fire... but I thought it might get your attention so you would want to read my blog. Did it work? What would your drag name be?

Cupcake time!

2009-04-08T09:11:00.000-07:00

Jeremiah

Zach

I think these pictures say it all....I wanted to scrapbook some cupcake pictures, so I thought "what better cupcake subjects than my nephews?" One likes messes... the other does not. Can you tell which is which??

April 1st 2009

2009-04-01T22:41:00.000-07:00

Jonathan's sister Rebecca and her three boys came to Idaho for what was supposed to be a week.

The boys LOVE Lady!

Awww!

"Cheese"

The boys had tons of fun... although I don't think Leo likes his picture taken...

Then the plan was for me to go down to Vegas for a week. Well, as they always do, plans changed. Last Saturday, Jonathan's grandpa passed away. So that Rebecca could go to the funeral without kids, I decided to come down to Vegas and babysit for her. I was really looking forward to watching the boys and for the most part, it has been fun. Mind you it's only been one day so far, and we have only had one "accident."

I went upstairs to put the baby down, and the boys thought it would be fun to play in the rice cereal they found in the diaper bag!

Well, I will keep you posted with all the fun we are having in Las Vegas!

My dad and his beard

2009-03-14T07:52:00.000-07:00

I have been working on a few St. Patrick's Day cards, and I noticed a striking resemblance....my dad and this leprechaun have the same facial hair! Dad I love you!

Yikes!

2009-03-09T22:00:00.000-07:00

I see that I have not blogged in a while. I guess it is because I don't really have anything to blog about. I have been super busy, but no cool pictures or stories to go along with my craziness! Our church is putting on a musical, so I have been super busy sewing for that. I am by no means a seamstress, but I have to admit that being thrown into the roll has taught me quite a bit! While many of the things I have learned are more like what not to do, learning is a process and I am defiantly learning! Maybe once more of the costumes are done, I will post some pictures. Besides all of that, I have been trying to plan girls camp (slowly but surely) and tending to a sick hubby. (Why is he ALWAYS sick now??) I think one great thing about prenatal vitamins is that they are chalked full of vitamin C, so maybe that's why I am not getting sick... No I am not pregnant, but the doctor said that taking them might help the process... but not if Jonathan keeps getting sick. Maybe I should make him take some prenatal vitamins too... what do you think?

We are back!

2009-02-24T14:20:00.000-08:00

So last Thursday, Jonathan said to me, "we should go on a road trip. I forgot what grass looks like." Being the "spontaneous" couple that we are, within 24 hours, we had packed and were on our way to Vegas! I would like to note that I did NOT sleep the whole way down! (Don't ask me about the way back though!) We stopped at Ti-Pan; my favorite decorating store ever! It's a good thing for our bank account that there isn't one in Idaho! Anyways, I thought they might have cleaner bathrooms than gas stations... and they did as well as a few things to look at. I was very good though and only bought one thing! We then drove onto Vegas and had a blast! We played with the boys and my sister and brother in law. After wearing out the kids, we played Mario cart and just had a ton of fun! Jonathan and I were thrilled to be able to do some yard work and even plant a little garden! I forgot how much I love to play in dirt! Plus, I got a sunburn! Who could ask for anything more?? It was great, but now its time to fold laundry again....

Longing for spring

2009-02-17T08:08:00.001-08:00

This is our backyard right now. I don't like it. Looking out at all the snow makes me long for spring days when I can play with the dog in the backyard. Then I would grill some chicken and veggies on the grill. I would make lemon aid and enjoy a nice quiet dinner with my hubby in the backyard under our pergola. (Granted in this "vision" I am not pulling weeds or swatting bugs.) We would just sit and talk until it was dusk. Then, we would make a fire and watch a movie on the projector. I miss those summer days! Why does it seem like we always want something we can't have. In the summer, I am so hot that I am praying for a cozy snowy day. In the spring, I can't wait for the fall harvest when we have fresh garden tomatoes that you can eat like an apple because they are so sweet. In the winter, I want nothing more than to lay on a freshly mowed lawn and look at all the flowers. Someday I will be happy with the season that I am in... but not today.

Pay it forward...

2009-02-14T15:36:00.000-08:00

Pay It Forward Exchange is based on the concept of the movie "Pay it forward". I will send a hand made gift to the first three people who leave a comment to this post on my blog requesting to join the PIF exchange. All the gifts will be made and posted out 'sometime within the next year'. How exciting to not know when your surprise package will arrive! What you need to do in return, is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog. This Exchange is only open to those with active websites or blogs. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS PROMISE TO POST THIS SAME 'PAY IT FORWARD' MESSAGE ONTO YOUR BLOG, WHICH MUST BE ACTIVE IN ORDER TO PLAY. YOU WILL PAY IT FORWARD TO THREE PEOPLE WHO COMMENT ON YOUR BLOG. I'd love for you to join me! Will you? Other comments are welcome, but only the first three will be my Pay It Forward recipients. Who doesn't love free loot?

Peace

2009-02-12T07:09:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, I was flying home from Las Vegas and I had a quiet moment. I don't seem to have very many of those lately. While resting on the short plane ride, I looked out the window to notice a sunset from a perspective that doesn't happen very often. I am so grateful that I was able to have this peacful moment. When looking through some of our more recent photos, I have noticed that not many of them are this peaceful. I doubt I am speaking for just myself when I say that we all could use a peaceful moment today! Often our lives seem to be stressful and over scheduled. I find myself thinking, "I need a break from all the craziness!" So, just for me, take just a moment to take a deep breath and enjoy the sunset! Leave the craziness alone just for a minute. It will be there when you are done breathing. Trust me.

Pizza Muffins

2009-02-07T08:34:00.000-08:00

All growing up I remember my mom making pizza muffins for us every time we went on a road trip and often for picnics. For me, pizza muffins were a staple in our family. Then I married a pizza lover. Okay, lover is saying it lightly. If Jonathan could figure out a way to get pizza 24 hours a day (maybe through an IV or something) he would! He is OBSESSED with pizza! But I still love him! Anyways, back to the pizza muffins. We had been married for a few months and I made pizza muffins. Here comes a tangent... All you newly or soon to be married girls. Hint: Always save a few things up your sleeve such as hidden talents or recipes with extra bacon to surprise your husband with for the first few years of marriage. Every time you come up with something "new" he will find new birth in his love for you. Alright, back again to the pizza muffins. I neglected to tell my hubby that I even knew of such a thing until we had been married a few months. One day, when he came home from working a long 12 hour shift at the plant, he was greeted with pizza muffins. You would have thought that he died and went to heaven. I thought I would post this little story along with the recipe for one of my husbands favorite things about me. My ability to get pizza.....in a muffin. I hope you enjoy this recipe! It has been a family favorite of ours for years! If by chance you ever win any cooking contest with this recipe, you better share some of the winnings!

Pizza Muffins
2 cans refrigerator biscuits (I use homemade pizza dough-watch for a new post soon)
1 lb of hamburger or sausage
1 chopped onion
2/3 jar spaghetti sauce
pepperoni
Mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Press flattened biscuits into greased muffin cups (20)
3. Brown meat in sauce pan. Drain. Saute onions. Add spaghetti sauce and meat back into the pan and stir until warm.
4. In bottom of each muffin, put one pepperoni. Then add one scoop of meat mixture to each muffin. Add another pepperoni and then sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
5. Bake for about 20 minutes (check after 15) until light brown. Allow muffins to cool about 5 minutes before removing from pan. Good warm or cold!

Girls Camp...

2009-02-02T21:07:00.000-08:00

I was recently asked to be the camp leader for the girls at my church. While I am totally thrilled to do this (I LOVE camp!) I am a bit overwhelmed. In my search for ideas, I think I have memorized sugardoodle.net (note: sugardoodle.com is a sight to buy Himalayan cats...long story) and I am still not sure what I want to do for a theme. I think I have a few good ideas, but I am afraid that I don't know the girls well enough to make a decision. Any suggestions blogging world? I love the idea of having a FROG theme (Fully Rely On God) but then I think that might have a strong selfish reference to my obsession with frogs that I claimed to have left behind when I got married. (Really I just put it away until I have a little boy and have the excuse to buy everything frog again!) There are so many great ideas, and I want camp to be so much fun. ::Sigh:: Well, my goal is to have the theme picked out by the end of the week!. Sometimes, I think being too creative is a curse. I have so many ideas rolling around in my head, that I get lost! If you are looking for me, I might be glued to the computer... At least one thing is done already. We have the camp booked (thanks to Sister Fullmer!) so I can scratch that off my list! Well dear follower, if you have any ideas, please let me know!

I'm in Vegas baby!

2009-01-28T19:34:00.000-08:00

If you have been trying to get a hold of me...sorry but I'm not home. I'm in Vegas baby! I am not gambling or getting into any trouble so don't worry mom! I actually am here on business. Well cleaning up some little boys business. My sister-in-law has 3 little boys (as seen in previous pictures) and so I try and come down and visit one week a month. Does that sound like I'm in the national guard or something? One week a month and 3 weekends a year... Anyways, I guess I will leave freezing Idaho (it was -20) when we left and come here where it is 50. It's a sacrifice I am willing to make!

Zack and Lady sittin' in a tree...

2009-01-26T07:23:00.000-08:00

Okay so they are not sitting in a tree, but they do love each other! My little nephew Zack LOVES our dog Lady! All week he has been following her around and trying to kiss her. Often, she kisses back which then makes him giggle and laugh! While I don't have many toys for the kids to play with, Lady makes up for that ten fold! Every morning the first thing Zack says is, "D-ah." I think that means dog. Zach is really going to miss Lady when we leave for Vegas tomorrow!

2009-01-20T18:37:00.001-08:00

So I had a really bad week last week, and so far, this week is a million times better! In a nut shell, last week a very dear friend of ours passed away very inecspectedly. Then, a few hours after we found out about that, I went to the dentist for what I thought was a routine visit and ended up having to have a root cannal...my first ever and I was so not emotional prepared for it! This week however has been so much fun! My sister-in-law and her family came up to Idaho from Vegas to spend a week with us. Her hubbie had to go home yesterday, but we have been having so much fun playing with her boys!

I've been Tagged!

2009-01-14T21:09:00.000-08:00

My aunt Patty (of Itsawonderfullife.blogspot.com)tagged me! Now I get tell you all 16 random things, facts, habits, or goals regarding moi. Then I must tag some other bloggers. My dad was tagged also, but my guess is that the editor in him will take several days to say the perfect things, but I don't really put that much thought into it. I think I will ramble.. here goes

1. My favorite person to snuggle with is my husband. He says that I am always warm, and he is ALWAYS cold! I tell him that I just have superior circulation!
2. I love grasshopper shots. You take grasshopper cookies (kinda like thin mints) and bit a little off opposite sides of the cookie. Then you dip the cookie into piping hot chocolate and suck up some hot chocolate into your cookie. As soon as you feel the coco hit your tongue, you throw the whole cookie in your mouth. Trust me, you can't have a bad day with grasshopper shots! (unless you just had a root canal!)
3. I love to sing in the shower. I don't do it when anyone can hear me, but if I know I am home alone, I belt it out baby! (I prefer oldies and musical songs)
4. My purple craft room is my happy place! I love to be creative, and I love to leave my "creative mess" out as long as possible... my craft room makes me happy!
5. I LOVE teaching the youth at my church. While I really struggled at first, I have learned more and had more fun than I ever thought I would. Seeing them grow spiritually has made all of the hard work totally worth it. Plus, teenagers will do anything for a homemade cookie!
6. Music has played a major role in who I am today. When I was in fourth grade, I had the opportunity to choose an instrument. I had to choose during recess, and even though my first choice was clarinet, the line to try it was WAY too long for this social butterfly! There was no line for cello, so guess what I have spent the last 18 years of my life playing!?! I truly believe there was some divine intervention there!
7. I only switched to bass in college because there was this really cute bass player in the symphony, and I thought he might give me private lessons....little did I know that I would be making pizza for him every Friday night for the rest of my life!
8. I can't wait to be a mom and hold my own babies! I love to hold other peoples babies, but there is something about looking into the eyes of my very own that gives me goosebumps!
9. Idaho is not my favorite place on Earth...by any means. I really don't like the winters here (this past year there was snow every month except July and August) and it is WAY too far from my family. Plus, I kinda miss diversity and good shopping. Any by shopping I don't mean hunting for the perfect elk. That is not shopping!
10. While walking out of symphony tonight, I realized that I am very close to the ground. At a staggering 5'0, I often have moments when I realize that I am very short. My brothers would never let me forget that though!
11. I have taught myself how to pop my neck without using my hands. I think that is talent.
12. I (like so many others) have become a fan of "The Office" tv show. While I do not work in an office (my hubby says I live the retired life) I do find the show hilarious and it makes me laugh to watch it with my hubby who can totally relate.
13. I have decided to move to a state in garden zone 6. This is the perfect zone because I can grow everything that I want, and its not too hot. While deciding where to move next, we both "sarcastically" said, "Kentucky!" It has stuck, so hopefully in a few years, I will be bloggin from garden zone 6.
14. Someday, I dream of having a kitchen with double wall ovens and a faucet that is right behind the stove so I don't have to move heavy pots of water. My sink will look out over the backyard where there is a huge play fort and tons of gardens
15. Entertaining is my forte! I love to host parties and have people over. I keep party food on hand at all times because you never know when a perfect game night might erupt!
16. On wii fit, my fitness age is 20. Don't ask how... I don't know, but my husband is 46. That little fact makes me happy!

I really hope you read that whole thing because I am about to tag.... (drum roll please)
Heidi Lemon and Dana Gallant! Happy blogging!

My new toy...

2009-01-08T19:08:00.000-08:00

If you know anything about me, its that I truly enjoy the girly colors. Purple, (as seen in my craft room with purple walls, a purple ceiling and purple stripes!)is closely followed by pink. Maybe it was being surrounded by boys growing up, but I LOVE girly colors; and my husband doesn't. Bless is heart...he let me paint the craft room purple! (and he even helped do it!) So, why am I telling you all of this? Well what better way to keep your husband from stealing your new MP3 player? Get a pink one! Plus, I love that color; it doesn't get any better than that! I am still learning how to put movies on it, but I think I have the music part down. So here are a few of my favorites (in no particular order):
1. Jack Johnson (anything)
2. Smokey Joe's Cafe
3. Dave Matthews (everything)
4. The Supremes
5. Richie Vallens (Who wouldn't love a guy who wrote a song called "Oh Donna?")
6. Pretty much everything my dad has ever burned for me
7. Unforgettable
8. Okay, now I am realizing there is WAY too much to list!
Maybe I can figure out how to add movies, and then I will post my favorite movies!
If anyone can help me figure out how to convert and load movies, I make a mean chocolate chip cookie...

Who do you look up to?

2009-01-05T15:49:00.000-08:00

WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL???
Try it without looking at answers
1) Pick your favorite number between 1-9
2) Multiply by 3 then
3) Add 3, then again Multiply by 3 (I'll wait while you get the calculator....)
4) You'll get a 2 or 3 digit number….
5) Add the digits together

Now with that number see who your ROLE MODEL is from the list below :
1. Einstein
2. Oprah Winfrey
3. Tom Cruise
4. Marie Curie
5. Bill Gates
6. Gandhi
7. Brad Pitt
8. George W
9. Donna Randall (yours truly)
10. Barack Obama

I know....I just have that effect on people....one day you too can be like me.... :-) Believe it! PS. Stop picking different numbers. I AM YOUR IDOL, JUST DEAL WITH IT

Happy new year!

2009-01-02T11:05:00.000-08:00

Things that I hope happen in 2009: (in no particular order..Dad!)
1. Hopefully we can get pregnant! Please don't send me any descriptions on how this should happen. Way too many strangers have been offering me insight, 99% of which I really didn't need to know.
2. Jonathan would finish school. I know that wont happen because he has too many credits left, but I have to have some dreams
3. Lady (our basset hound) would learn that drinking so much water/eating so much snow really does make you sick.
4. When I travel (especially by plane) nothing would go wrong. My luggage and myself would make it to my final destination without anything going wrong!
5. Gas prices will remain under $1.75
6. A new car would magically appear in our driveway.
7. I would get to see my family more than once.
8. Roberts (my favorite scrapbooking store) would have a class that I actually want to take that didn't cost $20.
9. Someone would invent a selfcleaning kitchen and provide me with the prototype to "test it out"
10. I would be able to see all my friends and family be happy

We wished it was a Merry Christmas

2008-12-28T19:42:00.000-08:00

Dear Faithful blog followers,
I have not written about our Christmas on my blog yet, because it was a little less than picture perfect. In fact, you really don't want to see any pictures from that day. We all had the flu. Actually, I should clarify a little. Our friend Criag (our adopt a college student program) came down with the flu on Tuesday before Christmas. Jonathan was then blessed with it on Christmas eve thus we were not able to attend midnight mass or our friends Christmas eve dinner. Then, Jonathan being ever so generous and despite 2 cans of Lysol, the flue was my Christmas gift. Needless to say, it was not exactly fun at our house, but we made the best of it. Jonathan got a set of Looney Tunes DVDs which he watched most of the day while I lay sick in bed watching a gift from Matthew MeConaughey. (He sends me something every year!) Santa brought Jonathan a train set which Lady wasn't sure she wanted in her house at first, but then took to watching it go around the track all day while Jonathan I were too sick to play with her. While I had planned a nice Christmas dinner complete with a Birthday cake for Jesus, we changed plans and had chicken noodle soup which, while a little less exciting, was exactly what we needed. We have since had fun with our new Christmas gifts and it is starting to feel a little more like the holidays, but it still seems like Christmas never happened! I hope that you had a very merry Christmas!

I don't like snow!

2008-12-23T16:33:00.000-08:00

So, I could go on and on about how I ran my car off the road last week, hit a fence and then got a ticket for driving on unplowed roads, but I think that would not help me in my healing process. The winter season wouldn't be so bad if they would just PLOW THE ROADS! I like building a snowman as much as the next guy (okay maybe just snowballs) but driving in this snow is a nightmare! I grew up with lots of snow... never ran off the road or got stuck, but ever since I have been driving in Idaho, my love for snow has more than dissipated! I guess marring a Florida boy didn't help that situation either! I do have to give a shout out to my friend Craig. He has been staying with us for his Christmas break (part of our "adopt a college student program") and he has shoveled the driveway many times since this "manna from heaven" (as the Idahoans call it...JoJo and I call it manna from somewhere else) has started falling. Thanks Craig! We are the only house in the neighborhood that you can actually see the driveway! There are a few blessings from all of this snow. For one thing, it covers up all the ugly brown around (and the weeds that I never pulled) and there was so much snow this morning, that Jonathan couldn't get to work! I'm trying to think positive! Well anyone who sees this blog, is sitting in 60 degree weather and would like to experience a VERY white Christmas, is more than welcome to come on over! How about we trade???

What I did in Vegas..

2008-12-18T17:20:00.000-08:00

No gambling! Instead, I helped my sister-in-law create a sweet playhut for her boys! What was suppost to be a tent, turned into a jungle theme playroom complete with a Swiss famliy Robinson play fort. In true Donna and Rebecca for, we went a little crazy! As you can see by the pictures, we went a bit overboard! We had tons of fun planning it...and some fun making it. I really don't enjoy sanding, but I am a Randall now, so I guess I have to get used to it! I had a blast painted the animals on the wall though. I think my favorite part was watching the boys do laps from the ladder, down the slide and back up the ladder again!

I'm not dead

2008-12-18T09:43:00.000-08:00

So, I'm not dead...I just haven't been able to blog in a while. My computer, which has a mind of it's own, hates me. Really! The night before Thanksgiving, I was going to go online and order a new laptop and knowing that it was going to be replaced, the computer decided to freeze all of our programs. After trying everything we could possibly think of (including control-alt-delete which is suppost to fix everything right?) we gave up. We ordered a new laptop which just arrived this week. So, I am back to the blogging world! I have lots to blog about!

Annual photo shoot

2008-11-21T16:28:00.001-08:00

I hate getting my picture taken! We have started trying to get our picture taken once a year, so here are some pictures we had taken for this year. One of them will be in our Christmas card!

1319 Cornerstone Dr

2008-11-21T15:47:00.000-08:00

Our first home. What a lot of work! When we lived in an apartment, all we kept thinking about was how much fun it would to have a home! Little did we know what we were getting into! The great thing is that we both really do love doing yard work. Jonathan has a lovely rose garden (sorry no pictures) and I enjoy working on the other flower beds around the yard. We are constantly learning what grows in Idaho..actually more like what doesn't grow here! We have several fruit trees as well as a raspberry patch, strawberry patch and a 200 sq foot garden all along the back fence. The picture is not a current picture because right now...our yard...well is covered in leaves! Here's a shout out to Aunt Pattie...thanks for the suggestion! Extra credit for the idea!

Jonthan's Birthday Party

2008-11-20T12:53:00.000-08:00

So, after a few requests, I thought I would post some pictures of the surprise party I threw Jonathan this past summer. The party actually took place in June, so I guess I am a little late getting these pictures out. In order to fully appreciate the party, you have to know that Jonathan, who grew up in Florida, HATES flamingos. Well, I should clarify; not the animal as much as the plastic imitation of the animal that people put in their front yards. Knowing that, I took it upon myself to collect every tacky flamingo thing I could find and throw him a surprise party with that theme! It was great because he didn't even have a clue! The best part, in my opinion, is that I bought a great deal of the stuff when we were home in NY, and he carried it all the way home to Idaho in his carry on suitcase and didn't even know it!

Bind-It-All 2.0!

2008-11-18T11:30:00.000-08:00

So this is the newest addition to my scrapbooking addiction! I LOVE IT! It's a Bind-It-All machine. I can't wait to try all my new ideas!I saw the license plate ideas and I just had to try it! My friend Sabra Ann was getting rid of a car, so we took the plates off and made this adorible album! I also made a little book to keep track of all my Christmas plans,wish lists and cookies I want to make.

Tuesday, November 18th

2008-11-18T10:57:00.000-08:00

So, I have been thinking for a while that I should put some pictures up of things that I have been making. I love to look at other people's blogs for ideas, so I guess I should give back! =0) Normally, when I make our Christmas cards, I stress over what to do. I end up buying all the stuff to make the cards one way, and then after making about 2 I decide I don't like it and have to go back to the store and buy more stuff to make them another way. This year was different! I decided that I was going to make them all unique just like the people I was sending them to. I bought a pad of coordinating Christmas paper and a pad a solid Christmas colors. I then played for two days! Some I like better than others, but all in all, I think they came out okay! These pictures are just a few of my favorites!

Election Day

2008-11-04T17:36:00.001-08:00

I am watching all the election coverage right now and I have a lot on my mind. While I am a republican, there is just so much that I don't know about. I worry about a lot of things, and while I believe that McCain is more in line with what I believe, there are still many things about him that worry me. Unfortunately, I feel like he promises a lot of things that I don't think he can follow through with.
On a more optimistic note, I am so grateful that I am able to vote. Many people have suffered and even died so that I can have this opportunity, so I am not going to take it for granted. This country is going to change in the near future, and it needs to change. The economy is struggling and we feel the pinch. All of our money that was in the stock market is almost gone. It kills me to think about how much we just lost! I really worry about same sex marriage becoming legal. I do not believe that this will continue to be a blessed nation if we endorse such immoral behaviors. While all I can really do is make my voice heard, I worry that I am not using it loud enough. Is it enough that I vote? Should I have done more to share my opinion? What can I do now to help others to become educated about important issues?

Merry Christmas!

2008-10-12T08:43:00.000-07:00

Okay so it's not Christmas....it is October 12th, but it sure looks like it should be Christmas! Just yesturday morning, we picked the rest of the garden. I guess you could say just in the nick of time!

Did I mention I am already sick of snow?

Our Humble Abode

2008-02-27T06:17:00.000-08:00

Our first home buying experience was a fun one. Sadly, not nearly as dramatic as our wedding, but none the less, a major step in our lives. Actually, the process of purchasing our home wasn't the trial, but the getting the builder to finish everything was less then productive. Long story short, I believe that our next home will not be a brand new one. =0)
Maybe I will just describe our first home. It is a cute split entry home located on a cozy 1/4 acre in the booming metropolis of Idaho Falls. We have 3 bed rooms and 3 full baths compete with a now fully finished basement. Our yard is very pretty in the spring and summer surrounding the house with lush grass and beautiful flower gardens. We have a cherry tree in the front yard, (the birds tell me that the cherries were delicious!) and 2 apple trees in the backyard right along side a small little raspberry patch. We have a 200 sq ft garden bed along the backyard and a rose garden along the other side. The best part though is the entertaining features. Not only do we have a built in fire pit (built by yours truly without plans might I add) but a 16x16 stone patio canopied by a pergola that soon should be covered by grapes (that is if the plants grow a lot this year!).
If I had to choose a favorite room in the house, it would now have to be my craft room. Anyone who knows me well knows that my favorite color is purple, so it is only natural that my craft room be purple right? According to my husband and a few other skeptics, Barney would feel right at home in my new craft room. So what if it has a purple ceiling, purple walls with purple stripes! I love it and I can never be sad while I'm in the room! Jonathan built me a beautiful countertop that extends on two walls and built in shelves that cover the wall with the window. I think it’s pretty and that’s all that should matter!
While I’m not a huge fan of Idaho, (I am trying to be positive) I have decided that there are worse places to live. Our ward is mostly composed of our neighborhood which is still strange to me. Just yesterday our mailman stopped and thanked me for taking the call to be a Sunday school teacher and gave me the new manual. You know you’re in Mormon-vill when… It’s not so bad sometimes….I can walk to do my visiting teaching and our “drive to church” is less than 2 minutes (only because we hit 2 stop signs on the way and half the neighborhood is leaving at the same time!) Sunday mornings at about 10:55 is high traffic time around here. (Church starts at 11 am.) We have nice neighbors and for the most part it is quiet.
Due to the fact that school is really cheep here and Jonathan has about 2½ years left, we will be moving in hopefully 3 years.

Once upon a time...

2008-02-26T22:36:00.000-08:00

I guess it's offical now....I'm part of the blogging world. I wonder if I should get some of those clicking shoes and dance around in an outfit that even a square dancer would be ahamed of. =0)
Okay. Well let's see.... what to say. Since my life is already 25 years old....a lot has happened. So to catch you up to speed on the last few years of my life...
Now to the once upon a time part. Once upon a time...I went to college at BYU- Idaho. For some reason, I chose Idaho. Dont ask. =0) I was a music major and majored on cello and the string bass. For those of you who know me....and know that I am exactly 5 feet tall, I am sure that picturing me as a string bassist is quite funny. Stop laughing. Please. The good news is that while playing the cello, I met my sweetheart Jonathan (who was a bass major at the time) and I couldn't get close enough to him in Symphony, so I decided to switch to being a bass major. He graduated before we sat together in the school symphony, but we now sit together in the community symphony. After being best friends for 3 years, we thought it might be nice to get married. Our wedding will soon be published into a movie....well it should be. Eveyblushing bride should watch this movie so as to feel better about herself and all the things that she thinks are going wrong, but could very easly be worse as demonstraited at my wedding. The Readers Digest verson: The groom was late because he was left at his appartment 2 miles way, without a car. After months of planning a beautiful outdoor summer wedding, a tornato blew down the tent. The guest of honnor was not so much the bride or the groom but perhaps the Sherrif who came to tell us that we must take shelter and abandon the gazzebo and tent that were so beautifully decorated before the wind blew away all of the flowers and tule. We forgot the cake at the bakery. It closed before we got there. We had a "lovely" reception in the foyer of the music building (suting isn't it?) complete with a metal mixing bowl filled with water from the bathroom sink for our punch bowl. The string quartet (less 2 musicans who didn't want to play in the rain) was nice. =0) The fact that we lost the marriage license and almost went through all of that fun an excitement for nothing was, well almost killed me. But, about an hour before the cerimony would have been null and void with the John Hanncok of the two witnesses, the license was found and saved the day...well kind of. Let's not forget that my little brother forgot to bring pants to Idaho, so he had to borrow some. Oh and the best man forgot that he was the best man. Did I mention there was only one emergancy room visit. I guess that could be my happy thought! While there was plently more little things that go wrong at a wedding, I try not to think about them all. I just keep in mind that if the old wives tale about rain on your wedding day being good luck, well than NOTHING bad will ever happen to us. In fact, there was enough rain that day that I dare say that our grandchildren and possibly great grandchildren should be feeling the blessing. =0)
I am lucky enough to be married to my best friend and that is enough for me. While it did take me several months just to look at my wedding pictures, I wouldn't trade it for the world. I guess you could say I like drama.
Tune in next time to learn about our first home buying adventure!