My favorite Nativity

One of my favorite blogs is Crap I've Made and she has started a Nativity Roundup -- this is a nativity I made several years ago with my dear friend Valerie. 

She had found a tutorial online at Sculpey.com and suggested that a group of us should do it.  I had never done anything like this before, but was up for the challenge and really loved how it turned out.  And was suprised that I could actually do it.   I have actually given several of these (both full and just the holy family) away as gifts.  One of my sisters really wanted it for Christmas and I ended up not having time to make one so I just gave her mine and figured I would make a new one.  I wanted to make some changes anyway.

Well, this year I decided to do and it and when I went to find my instructions they were gone, I'm blaming our move.  So, I figured I'd just re-download them from Sculpey.com, but they have removed the tutorial for this nativity.  So I searched the internet looking for the instructions for this set and couldn't find them.  SO ----- if you have the instructions for these could I get a copy???  Otherwise, I think I am going to have to figure it out on my own, and I'm really bad at designing, just good at copying.

A "Magical" Halloween

Happy Halloween! Continuing with the Birthday theme everyone had to be Harry Potter characters, except for Spencer who wore Andrew's old Jester costume. Here are the photos.

 

 Our Harry Potter

Hermione

 

And in case you haven't played Lego Harry Potter here is our version of "Ginny in a Hooded Top"

  

 

Here is our very well behaved witches & wizard. 

Then to find out how they really are . . .

The New Normal

After a late night at the ER we came home with a prescription for steroids for the next few days.  Spencer is fine, Mom and Dad are still recovering.  Let's just say today is a lazy day.  Apparently, next time he gets hives it is the epi-pen and off to the emergency room we go.  YEAH!!  I do have to say, our friends that were still at our house when all this happened, stayed with the kids, put them to bed, and cleaned up after the party.  Needless to say, we were very blessed last night.

Got to love the new normal . . .

There's always a first time

Remember back when I said I was done with food issues? Well, it gets better. The epipen was only a precaution but yet here we are in the emergency room with Spencer. We had a potluck with several USU students of Brandon's that live here. Anyway, someone brought some fantastic muffins that seemed to be pumpkin With cream cheese and chocolate chips. Spencer LOVED them. Come to find out, there were peanuts in them. He got some hives and so we gave him some benadryl which made the hives go away. But a shot time later he was wheezing. Our do tor's office is open until 11 so we rushed Spencer there and by the time we got there he wasn't doing good. A shot of epinephrine, throwing up all over me, and an ambulance later we are now in the waiting room at the UNM children's hospital. Spencer seems fine now, and, hopefully, we will be able to see a doctor soon and we will get to go home. We will let you know.

I HATE FOOD ISSUES!!

Balloon Fiesta

In case you didn't know, Albuquerque is home to the largest Hot-Air Balloon festival in the world.  Basically 500 balloonist show up here every year for the first week of October.  Last Sunday morning we got up and went to a place where you can get a great view of the balloons and between Brandon & I we took a lot of photos.  Here are some of our favorites.

 This is one of the "Special Shape" balloons they have at the festival.

Where there is a pig, there must be a fish.

Just reminding us not to start a fire (even though it was chilly at 6:30 in the morning)

Of course, this was Andrew's favorite!

 

 This was one of my favorites.

We have learned that balloons determine the direction they are moving based on their height in the sky.  It was fascinating to watch them circle above us.  Here is a small time lapse video of them moving.

 

On Saturday, we got up an watched some out Brandon's and my bedroom window.  Also a decent view.

How 'Bout Them Aggies!

USU-31 BYU-16

Family Home Evening

We finally have an FHE chart that I like and that is fully functional.

I basically modified this chore chart for our FHE chart.  Once again, I love my Silhouette which cut the vinyl for the blocks and the paper name for the sticks and the paper that is modge podged on the sticks.

Happy Birthday to Me

I figured I should mention my birthday mostly because Brandon pulled off a surprise, which is not common.  He was out of town on my birthday  and the Sunday following he said he wanted to go for a drive but we had to pick something up from some friends.  Once we got there it was a party.  It was very sweet of him.

Happy Hogwart's BIrthday to you!

As most of you know, Karissa & Andrew's birthdays are 8 days apart.  So this year when I asked them what they wanted for their party they both said "Harry Potter".  Karissa getting her inspiration from the books she has been reading and Andrew getting his from Lego Harry Potter for Wii.  Anyway, since I didn't want to do 2 parties on the same theme a week apart, I convinced them to have a joint party and it was a raging success.  Now just to come up with a theme for next year that interests an 11 year old girl and then 8 year old boy.  But I am not worrying about that until next year.  On to this year's party.  I have to admit I went a little crazy but since I only had to do one for the both of them I felt fully justified.  I can claim very little imagination on the party I basically copied parts of this party and this party.  This is what we did.

When they arrived they went to "Diagon Alley" to "shop".  They went to

for their wands,

Then to Flourish & Blotts (Don't have a photo of the sign) for their book

you can go here for pictures of the inside of the book.  Basically, it had a basic history of Hogwart's, the schedule, some info on the classes, etc.

and pencils

thank you modge podge and my Silhouette and the idea from here (I am now going to make more like the ones from the site)

Then they went to

and got a caldron (a spray painted dollar store bowl) for use in their activities.

Then we gathered at Platform

 and went to Hogwart's where we had a feast and were informed that all children from Albuquerque were always in Griffendor so there was no need for sorting (this was basically to eliminate any fighting over who was in what house).  While at Hogwart's they also found a suprise in the bathroom

Moaning Myrtle came to visit.

Since we were a little ahead of schedule they also all went to the basement and got themselves and animal

since this was just a preview day we allowed all animals

Then they were off to Transfiguration where they learned to hold their wands and started the transfiguration spell by coloring on Shrinky Dinks and saying "Chango-Arango"  I think the girls really got a kick out of it.  We then baked them and made magnets.

Then they went to potions (recipes were in the books) and used their cauldrons to brew potions.  They got to do two.  One thing they don't say in the movies or books, is that potions smell bad

But I think it was their favorite part.

Finally we had Divination

Some of the kids got into it more than others.  

Andrew loved the "OOOMMM" part

In Divination they made "fortune tellers"

You can see the "fortunes" here

 Then we had the closing ceremonies with presents and the cake with invisible writing

Finally, as they left they visited HoneyDukes for candy

Some of the "Professors" even enjoyed the visit

As usual Spencer spent a lot of the party just looking cute

We had a lot of fun and we were worn out by the end.  Luckily, it is another year until the crazy birthday week!

Happy Birthday -- Again!

Now it is Andrew's turn.  I can't believe he is 7 already.  My how time flies.  Here is one of my favorite photos of him.

Such a handsome boy!

The birthday girl! (just a little late)

Happy Birthday to Karissa a little late.  She was sick on her birthday so we didn't do much. But now she is feeling a lot better.  Now to just come to the realization that she is 10!!

We are now celebrating in spurts.  We went shopping today as part of her "celebration."  More info to come on the party.

First Day of School (This Year)

Okay so I am a little slow, but this was Karissa & Andrew's first day of school.

Now just tell me when they got so big??