A lovely surprise

 Last Sunday, we got the best Valentine's surprise: visitors! My sister and her family moved to CA a couple of months ago. She is about 2 1/2 hours away, which is nice to have someone so close, but it is still quite a trek (and definitely not a pretty drive) to see each other. That's why we were so shocked when she called and said they wanted to come see where we live and they were going to leave in about 15 minutes. It was awesome! They got here just in time; pot roast was just going onto the table and Evan had just woken up from his after church nap. We enjoyed dinner and dessert together, hung out in the back yard for a bit, checking out the fish and enjoying the sun in the hammock. We decided to take them to the Base and show them around before it got dark (because what else is there to do??) 

Here's Addie and Landry checking out the newest plane with it's missiles.

And of course, posing with the engineer and pilot :) Nate, Kolby, and Tyler were around here somewhere, getting the official Nate tour. Addie, Landry, Jenni and Evan opted for the Sara tour :)

I always love having a full house. It feels more like home! Kolby is an awesome ball player, so he and Evan spent a whole lot of time together. Landry loved checking out all of Evan's toys, and Addie worked on her Valentine's for school, making sure she didn't give any boys the wrong message ;)

We tried real hard to get Evan walking. This is how well it went over.He looks real stable, doesn't he?

But Evan sure did love having a buddy to read with! 

 It was so wonderful to see them. It made my entire week!! We know they must really like us, because no one just up and comes to visit us here! We love you, guys!

I guess my husband must like me, too. Another lovely Valentine's surprise!

Hi, I'm a Mormon

https://mormonorg.lds.org/profile/preview/eng/#

Happy Valentine's Day To All!

Craft TIME!

I remembered a friend doing this craft on her blog a REALLY long time ago (right, Sarah?), thought it was cute, but didn't have a need for it at the time. Well, lucky for me, I recently was in need of a clock. So, I found my old one we got years ago, and spruced it up to fit my current, crafty style! It's always fun to see something go from old to new, especially knowing it was all totally free!!!

Materials used: Old clock that could use a makeover, scrapbook paper I had on hand that matched my bathroom colors and was pretty clever with the clock theme, leftover paint in my garage from when the walls were painted in our house. I just used a sponge brush, and did kind of a light coat of paint so that it was streaky and showed a bit of the original wood. It gave the clock a "used" look to it, and I like it. I also used modge podge over the scrap book paper before putting the hands back on. But I would not recommend doing so; it made me paper bumpy instead of flat and smooth. Or maybe you are better with modge podge than I am, and you can pull it off. This was a lot of fun, quick, and free! I'm pleased.

In other craft news,

My creative friend Ashley helped me create this advent type countdown to Valentine's day.

On the back of each heart is a cute little poem that gives an idea of service to show to someone else that day. It's such a fun addition to my Valentines decor, and I have loved that it's helped me think of others, instead of focusing on all the chocolate I want from the stores. The scrapbook paper Ashley had, and she used her Cricut to cut the heart and numbers. The clothespins were from the dollar store and I just painted them black to tie it all together. And the garland it's hanging on is also dollar store!Yay cheap and cute!

 Now, I know exactly what you are thinking...how can she go TWO posts without a picture of that handsome guy she lives with????

Evan and I were enjoying a little Wheel of Fortune action this morning. He LOVES to clap along in this show. But today, he decided he should be clapping with his feet, instead. I was trying so hard not to laugh so that I could get a picture, but I was shaking, so the pic is blurry. Plus, he looked when the camera beeped and got embarrassed. From there, he decided to just nibble on his toes for awhile instead of feet-clap. Have I mentioned lately how he's my favorite? Oh, and that other guy I live with? My other, favorite handsome one? He's been getting "14 Days of Valentines", so he'll be getting his own post sooner or later. Happy Thursday!

For Megan

I have this dear friend here in Ridgecrest. In the last month and a half or so, she learned she had breast cancer, had it removed, and is today, starting radiation. The first time I met her, she said, "I'm in Young Women's, so I'll probably never see you." Soon after, she was assigned as my visiting teacher. Needless to say, we have definitely gotten to know each other. She was calling us at the hospital when Evan was born, thinking of US on Christmas Eve, making sure we were alright. She came and stayed with me until late into the night when Evan was less than a week old, because Nate was going to pick up his mom from the airport and I was terrified of being alone with my new baby. She has been completely genuine since the moment I met her, sincerely wanting to get to know me and my family. Although she's a Cougar, I've managed to put that aside since there are so many other things I enjoy about her. She loves to sing. She appreciates music. She has a special bond with my child, and seems quite fond of him. She is the founder of Brazil night. She is always in the know, about anything and everything. She is superbly organized. She has a tender heart, and always manages to bring the spirit into my home. She thinks my husband is a dork, and still likes to be his friend. She seems to always know exactly what I need. She teaches her kids how to be champions at rock band. She let me be her BFF for a day, giving me lunch from my favorite restaurant in town, just because she could tell I had been having a hard week. She is dedicated to whatever she puts her mind to. She has done a spectacular job raising 3 pretty spectacular kids. She has the heartiest of hearty "real" laughs. (If I can get her to laugh her "real" laugh, man, do I feel awesome.) She can always find a good deal. She truly knows her Savior. She is always up for a girls night/lunch/day, whatever to just get out and chat. She is real. She is not afraid to let the world know how she feels. She's an avid blogger. She has taught me so very much about motherhood and sisterhood. And as I lay in bed last night, after praying for her peace and safety today, on her first day of radiation, tears were streaming onto my pillow thinking of all the reasons why I am so grateful she is in my life. Suddenly I was ticked at her because I had to get out of my warm bed to go retrieve tissues from the bathroom. Then I smiled as I thought about sharing that story with her and picturing how it would probably make her laugh and cry and the same time. So, my dear Megan, this one is for you, since I know there is NOTHING (okay, so that's probably a mighty exaggeration) that would make you happier today:

The TRIPLE BumpIt.

I don't know if this has ever been done before.

And to all my friends in Utah who see nothing wrong with this picture, that makes this that much more awesome. :)