Tidbit

I am seriously annoyed with myself and what a horrendous job I have done keeping up with this blog for the past year or so.  I AM going to do better.  I also have slacked on printing the blog books.  That will happen too.  The past year has been different for me in so many ways. There has been a lot of discovery, learning, growth, introspective, and change in all areas of my life. I am going to try to keep a goal of posting one post a day to try to catch myself up a bit.

Yesterday I posted these pictures on Facebook of all the kids at Kelley Family Easter.  Grandma and Grandpa Kelley had gotten these super cute Minnie Mouse outfits for Eden and Viv for Christmas.  They hadn't had a chance to wear them yet and I thought, rather than get new Easter dresses, they could wear these and be freaking adorable!  And adorable they were!  Oh my goodness, I these two girls are just too much cute!

 My boys have totally made my life complete by giving me an awesome photo of ALL of them STANDING STILL, LOOKING AT THE CAMERA, SMILING, AND NOT THROWING SOME KIND OF FIT!!!!  I am in heaven.  I love the rainbow shirts I made them wear too, lol!

 

Mud Volleyball

 Every year at Grape Festival there is a Mud Volleyball Tournament.  I have never actually participated in it, though I was SUPPOSED to the year that Jeremy and I started dating but, I stayed out to late with Julie Scheetz the night before and we both overslept, lol!  Anyway, Chris Hutson called Jeremy and wanted to put together a team for old times sake.  Jeremy agreed.  I was going to be doing the Grape Stomp with Trisha that morning.  Well, at the last minute they needed another player so right after the Grape Stomp, I changed and went to play Mud Volleyball, reluctantly, lol!  

 I only actually played for a few minutes but, it was a BLAST!  My main concern was that Jeremy got to have a great time with his best friend, Chris, and his brother, Tyson.  And boy, did they ever!  

Our team actually did better than we thought we would do and got to play until the early afternoon.  

 After we were done playing, we all piled in the back of Tyson's truck and headed down to the river to "wash off".  It was a super fun time and something we are glad we got to do.  

 These guys were hilarious!! 

After this, Jeremy and I actually cleaned up and went to The Wine Barrel because we had heard that the food truck, Fork It, was there.  We went there and got a ton of food to eat and headed to Colchester.  I had really wanted to make it to the Labor Day celebration over there because they have a GINORMOUS flea market and I wanted to get some props, chairs, etc. for photo sessions I had coming up.  We got there late in the day and all the vendors were closing but, we did awesome for the little bit we got to be there and I walked away with a chairs, benches, and props for a great price!! 

Beggar's Night 2015

Eden dressed as her own version of Anna from the movie, Frozen.

Cedric dressed himself as a soldier.  We bought him some khaki pants and a camo thermal shirt and he found the rest of the stuff himself. 

 This time of year is always super busy but, adding my own business to mix has been new with both good and bad results, lol!  I am definitely learning a ton and trying to adjust where necessary but, whew!  Anyway, so Halloween kinda snuck up on us this year....I mean we knew it was coming but, we were dealing with other stuff first and then all of a sudden the days to actually dress up were right around the corner(the next day, lol) and I was making a mad dash to the store to try and get last minute costumes.  So, this year I had six kids dress up.  Tristan has reached the age where he didn't want to and he decided to stay at our house and pass out candy instead, which was fine with me because I always want to pass out candy at our house but, never get to. That was one of the itty bitty, teeny tiny good things about living in Carthage was that we would do Beggar's Night in Nauvoo and then on Halloween, I could pass out candy in Carthage and some of the kids would trick or treat Carthage too. Anyway, I digress, so....Liam wanted to be a dementor from Harry Potter but, at the last minute all I could find was that spooky looking thing he is wearing(I can't remember what it was actually called, lol) and he was fine and dandy with it! Yay! Asher wanted to be a ninja again.  But, not the same ninja as last year(that would be too easy....and free), so he was a different ninja this year.  Cullen wanted to be a soldier as well.  Luckily, for his recent birthday he got a dress up army play set! We just bought some cheap camo pants and camo long sleeve shirt and used the play set for the rest.  

Eden wanted to be Twilight Sparkle from My Little Pony.  I searched high and low.  Couldn't find ANY My Little Pony costumes anywhere.(I had one in my Amazon shopping cart for at least two weeks ahead of time because I put in it there right after I ordered Viv's costume.  Do you think I could click ONE LITTLE BUTTON to order it in time.  Nope.) So, I looked for a different costume she might like and they were all like $40 or more.  Stupid.  I decided to look in the little girls dress up section in the toy section of Walmart while I was there.  I found a cardboard decorated treasure chest with two Anna and Elsa dress up costumes with some jewelry, hair stuff, and stickers or something.  It was on clearance for $20!  The costumes and the cardboard treasure chest were both cheaply made but, I thought we could work with what was in it.  I was so dang worried that Eden would not want anything to do with it because she had been dead set on being Twilight Sparkle.  Too my delight, she LOVED it!! She had zero issues with being Anna or Elsa (it took her a few minutes to decide but, she chose Anna, which I thought was appropriate because they look similar.) She was obsessed with carrying the treasure chest around for the next week, lol! 

Vivianne was Pinky Winky the Monster.  She was adorable.  When it came in the mail, it was just me and her home.  I took it out of the shipping packaging and showed her the costume still in the package and she immediately wanted to hold it.  I took it out and she held on to my shoulder and lifted her foot up like she wanted to get dressed!! :)  So, we put it on her right then and there and she LOVED it!! She wanted to wear it around all the time.  I took a quick picture and video to send to Jeremy and we took it off to not get it too dirty before Halloween but, she still wore it a few times before Halloween anyway, lol!  Anytime she sees it, she wants to put it on.  I just put it in the Halloween tote to store though...so no more, I guess. 

 

 We decided to try trick or treating in Bluff Woods this year, since it is where we live, could walk, and we had heard that Bluff Woods was THE place to trick or treat, lol!  And it was!! We only did a small part of it too.  We knew that Grandma Kelley had food and treats at her house so we thought we would finish up in town and start in Bluff Woods.

 All the kids were smitten with Vivianne as usual.  She is a super lucky girl to have so many people dote all over her, all the time!  

 Eden picked out everything for her costume.  She is freaking awesome.  She had on fleece lined black leggings, a purple shirt, her Anna dress, purple socks, pink shoes, her fleece winter hat, and of course she can't go anywhere without her backpack loaded to the brim. 

All the kids were super excited and cute when the went to the doors.  At first Eden was annoyed and yelled at people to give her the candy.  Once she saw how it worked, she started saying "Trick or Treat" and " Please and Thank you".  She was so thrilled every time she got something!  

 One house gave out bags of candy AND these cute little pumpkin flashlights.  Asher told the lady that hers was the best house ever.  LOL! She didn't give one to Viv, which I understand but, Vivi was really sad she didn't have one to hold on to.  

After trick or treating in Bluff Woods for a bit, we loaded everyone up and went to town to trick or treat.  After that the whole family kinda hung out at Grandma Kelley's house, ate yummy food, and chatted with everyone.  Then we all came home and crashed.  Trick or treating was a success and actually really, really fun this year!!! YAY!!

Life Right Now

Jeremy and I have been taking half a day off on Wednesdays to go to the Carthage house and work on it until it is done.  It is coming together slowly but, surely.  We have/are painting every single nook and cranny in the entire house. (well, maybe not every nook and cranny....but, pretty dang close!) Yesterday I started in on trim and oh my goodness, it is going to take me YEARS to finish, lol!  But, it is looking sooooooo much better! It is amazing what paint can do!  I wish I had taken before and after pics.  When we are all done, we want to take everyone over to see what we did, lol!  I have to say that we are pretty proud of ourselves. *pats self on back* And if we get to do to the steps what we want to do to them, I will be thrilled!  There are some things we just can't fix right now or ever so what will be, will be. But, I sure hope this house sells for the price we want.  Knowing that we can swing two house payments and double payments on most utility bills is kind of comforting in a weird way, lol.  We certainly don't like doing it, and could definitely find better uses for the money but, there was a time when I thought we would never get to a point like this.  
But, I have to also say that we couldn't do this without my mom and Jeremy's mom.  They have been instrumental in allowing us the time to get this big project done by helping with kids and time.  I literally feel like I have never been so busy in my whole life!  We are constantly do/or worrying about doing something.

Tristan and Cedric have been working for Jeremy this summer at his store.  He wants to start teaching them more so they can help out with the store and earn some money.  Tristan also took the initiative and applied for a job at Pete's Place here in Nauvoo.  And....he got the job!! Awesome!  He is happy to be working there too!  Good job, Tristan!

I am now affiliated with a professional print lab for professional photographers!  Things are going really good with my business and I am excited about the future!  I will complete tomorrow a huge endeavor that I was asked to do this summer, taking team and individual photos of the Nauvoo Athletic Association's summer ball teams.  They had a total of 8 teams and I did photos for 7 of them.  It was so much fun!  I just made up four packages that they could choose from with some a la carte items as well and went from there.  I learned a lot and if I am asked next year or by someone else, I will definitely do things a little differently but, it was a great learning experience.  I am also excited about getting new equipment.  I plan on upgrading my camera to the next level.  I have it all picked out.  The body of the camera alone is $2400.  It is expensive but, it is so going to be worth it! I CANNOT wait, lol!  I am also going to get a new monitor that is specifically designed for photographers to get the best true colors and quality out of the pictures.
I also have quite a few people asking me about senior pictures.  This fall should be quite busy with photos as well.  I love it!!!!!

Eden is getting scheduled for surgery on her mouth in either August or September.  We had two options with her since we have no dental insurance.  The first option was cheaper but, more traumatizing for Eden.  The second is much more expensive but, much easier on Eden.  We chose the second option.  I don't like that she will be completely under or what is going to happen but, it does need to be done.  I am hoping that the house sells really fast because this is one of those things that the extra house money would be perfect for!  The whole thing is going to cost more than our cars. Good grief.

Vivianne is walking all around now.  She jabbers all the time and has so much to say!  One of the best parts of our day is when Jeremy is getting ready to leave for work.  When Jeremy says that he is going to leave she automatically starts waving, blowing kisses, and saying bye-bye!  It is freaking adorable!  We stand at the door and wave until Daddy is in the car.  And when she sees us come back from somewhere it is just as cute!!  She has an infectious smile that just doesn't quit.  Everyone gets the biggest kick out of every little thing she does.  She is pure joy.

We have not been doing Asher's meds much this summer.  I really don't like him being on the medicine.  It does help for when he is at school.  I wish I could homeschool again.  I am considering it but, I really don't think I can do it for at least another year.  Once we own this house and maybe have added on which, we want to do asap.  But, Asher seems to be doing really well without it most of the time.  I have been changing my approach with the kids lately. I felt like all I was ever saying to them was no. Or shut up.  Or telling them to stop or saying how annoying they were.  Not very uplifting stuff.  I was feeling overwhelmed with everything and taking it out on them.  I was even annoying myself.  When I stopped to think about why the kids were being so mean or misbehaving, it made me realize that maybe I am part of the problem.  If all you ever hear is someone yelling at you, then it can't make you want to be a very happy, kind person.  I am doing my very best to be patient and understanding instead of quick to temper and mean.  (Not that I am mean to my kids, don't take this the wrong way....it's just that I feel like I am not being the best example right now....I think everyone does it at some point.)  It is also very hard when you have 7 kids.

I am doing well on my weightloss journey that I started in January.  I started out at 210(I think) and am down to 177!  That is 33 pounds since January.  That is almost 5 pounds a month.  I am trying to not be annoyed that it isn't happening quicker but, I think this is actually a healthy rate to lose it.  Having a fitbit is great for motivation.  It is also great to make you feel like crap.  When I am editing pictures, I HAVE to sit at a computer for a long time.  And I don't get as many steps as I like.  But, it is still good to have, to make myself accountable and more aware of my activity.  I need to find something to do during the winter to keep my activity level up.  I thought about getting a membership the YMCA or something.  I don't know. We said we were gonna do that a year or two ago and never did.  Completely forgot about it.

Tristan is also getting ready to go on his great Boy Scout adventure to Philmont!  They are all taking the train out to New Mexico(an adventure in itself) then will spend a week at Philmont and ride the train back home.  He is saying that he really doesn't want to go anymore.  But, I know once he does it, he is going to love it.  It is already paid for so he is going, lol!

More of our Father's Day Campout

 I only got a few pictures on our Father's Day campout.  Liam and Asher were playing tic-tac-toe and getting along really well on Saturday morning.  Liam can be a great big brother when he wants to be.  He is responsible, kind, and helpful. 

 I got a great video of Eden pretending to be in a Dora the Explorer episode.  She was marching through the woods, singing "I'm the grumpy old troll, that lives under the bridge".  Then she would turn around and say "Solve my riddles!"  It was super cute! I will have to see about loading it on here. 

 The night before we had to set up camp by the light of the cars and we had two tents and lots of stuff to arrange.  The kids were real trooper and team players.  Tristan got his tent up by himself with help  from Ced and Liam.  We all pitched in on the 8 person tent but, Jeremy was at the helm.  We had the boys looking for sticks to start a fire too.  The walked just a little way into the small woods that were around our campsite.  The next morning when we woke up, we could see finally, and saw that we were literally right next to the lake and the kids almost walked right into it!  It didn't make us feel any better when we went to rent paddle boats about 100 feet from our campsite and saw three poisonous snakes and a huge bullfrog just hanging out on the shore.  *shudder*

We tried renting paddle boats after getting back from the beach.  The guy had to chase away the snakes and frogs and actually EMPTY ALL WATER OUT OF ALL OF THE PADDLEBOATS.  What.the.heck!?!?  It looked like they didn't keep them up at all.  Me, Cedric, Liam, and Asher all went out.  The guy left.  Well, turns out the dang boats don't even work and we pedaled and pedaled until our legs were limp nothings but, just keep going further out into the lake.  Jeremy finally had to go get some rope from our campsite and then throw it out to me and pull us in.  Did I mention that the little lake at The Landing is completely surrounded by RVs, tent sites, cabin and condo sites?  Yeah, well, it is.  lol!  It was quite the experience!  

Also, on our mad dash to Hannibal during the storm, Jeremy was driving his Vibe in front of me with Tristan, Cedric, and Liam.  We were flying to try to beat the main part of the storm.  The sky was dark but, the constant flashing of the lightening was allowing us to see all the cloud formations.  The wind was trying to blow us off the road the best it could.  Well, I was following Jeremy pretty close because we had a few turns to make before getting to Hannibal and Jeremy had the GPS and I had no phone.  Apparently, as were were cruising down the road there was a truck pulling a huge boat and it was losing shit left and right.  At one point, Jeremy scared the crap outta me because he swerved really fast outta nowhere and then I see a HUGE inflatable thing for about 10-12 people.  It was massive and covered our whole lane even deflated.  Jeremy's little car whipped right around it but, I had less warning than him and couldn't swerve fast or far enough(without wrecking the Expedition) and smacked right into it!  Scared the heart outta me!! Then before I could recover my nerves from that, there was a case of beer in the road we had to swerve for too! Gah!! We finally passed the boat once we got on the two lane freeway and he was losing everything. I don't think he even knew it.  I bet he was super annoyed when he got home.  

Cullen was cracking us up all weekend too!! That kid says some of the best things all the time!  I wish I could remember them all or always record them somehow.  Anyway, these three little gems are from the ride to Hannibal on Friday night. It was me, Asher, Eden, and Cullen in the Expedition and we talked the whole way to Hannibal.  

1) "Mom, when I grow up, I think I want to be a kid again."
2)"I really really like Sarah. (Sarah Clark) She is so nice. *pause* And polite."
3) "I wish my name was Jesus."