Sunrise, Sunset...

So, Aubrey went to her first Homecoming last night. I kept thinking back to the song from Fiddler on the Roof and wonder where is that little girl I knew so long ago with the blond ringlets?! Her spirit and nature are still just as sweet, but she is growing up too fast!

I had planned to be here for when her date picked her up for their day date, but was unable to due to a last minute wedding job. So Rick was there, poor kid...no one to protect him from Rix attempts to be parental! Then I planned on being here to do her hair help with makeup and be here when her date picked her up for the dance...nope, I was AT the chocolate job earning $. The Lord blessed me though in my desires, and I was able to be here for all the "getting" ready parts, and left as soon as I knew she was ready to walk out the door! I was booking it to be to my job on time, but it all worked out!

Aubrey keeps giving me credit for helping with her hair...it was all her! I stood there and maybe did 3 curls and sprayed her hair at times, I do take credit for tweezing, and accenting her eyebrows!

Aubrey's dress was originally strapless and it was 70% off at Dillard's, Aubrey ended up buying 3 different cocktail style dresses for future dances! She wouldn't have been able to afford it, except she had a generous Grandma who contributed to the purchase! The timing was perfect as my mom was visiting and with a few adjustments, all 3 dresses looked like they were bought modestly!

When it came to shoes, she KNEW she did not want uncomfortable high heels, so if there was ever any doubt, this girl is MY daughter! She chose converse for her comfort and she said she got compliments on her shoes all night! I know her date loved that he could wear his converse, too!

So...a run down of the big date, was at 1 they played laser tag, then went for an early dinner to Smashburger, then the mall to kill time, then they all separated and got ready, then picked up at 7 for pictures and the dance, then ice cream and home by midnight! She had a GREAT date, and was even home before curfew!

We are so blessed to have her in our home! Helping her get ready over these few weeks has been fun! Can't believe how the time has flown...As for Rick, he is not liking the direction her life has taken! Poor Rick, can't stand to let her grow up!

My Sewing Example

Having my mom here was so much fun. I spent weeks checking out blogs and crafting sewing ideas and bookmarked them for later. After getting the house clean, and working on family history, we were able to work on sewing things!

I have so many friends who have made things that I wanted to copy! My friend Erin gave Parker his first crayon roll, and they are so cute and easy and cheap and personable! So I knew we were going to make those, and we couldn't just make them for my kids, we had to make them for the nieces and nephews...problem is on my side alone, there are 40! So, we decided to make 1 of for each family! A lot easier on my moms sewing hands and the budget! We made a lot of regular rolls for 16 crayons, and then we made 1 for a Jumbo set of crayons. And then, this photo is what it looks like when I try to do something on my own! First thing Rick said when he saw it, "maybe you should leave the sewing to your mother!" so yah, my 2 yr old will be getting the mess up!



My sister in law, Shauna (mymixofsix.blogspot.com) made these cute car mats for her family and so we made some with some added touches from my mom. We decided to sew a piece of elastic to hold the cars, and picked different fabrics. WE rummaged through our cars bucket to find some old micro machines! They work perfect! We had to order some used ones on eBay, because you can't find them anywhere! I wish we could have given everyone a mat with the mini cars, but oh well, when the cheap $ store cars break their parents can order a new, better, smaller one! So here are the mats we did make!




(notice in the upper left corner the mini ice cream truck!)

Last but not least, was these cute note pads that I found the day before my mom left! They sell them in a 3 pack at my very favorite store, Target! They are back in toys by the card games! They have 3 notepads and they are $2.99. You can choose from Tic Tac Toe, Hangman, or Dots! I planned on just stitching 1 pocket for the pad and 1 for the pencil, with no cover and call it good, but before I even had a thought about how to do it, my mom and sewed this! My boys came home just as she was making them and they each wanted their own! So, these are the 3 she made, using just scraps from my sewing box!








I don't have photos, but my mom also made a baby quilt for our cousins firstborn and she sewed bean bags with Ashton. Carter got sewing lessons and they started making a quilt...now it is my job to help him finish! I will post those photos whenever I get it done!


I can't say thanks enough to my mom for all the help, the late nights and all the fun we had! You know I love you! You are always welcome, sewing machine, or not!

A clean house gets cleaner

For those of you who know me, my house is generally always clean, no clutter, no mess, nothing...but for those of you who REALLY know me, and look for it, you will always find dust in my window sills, lime build up in my toilets, hard water spots in the bathroom and wood that needs a shine! That is....until my mother came to visit! She introduced me to some affordable easy to use stuff that made all of those things disappear!

There is a cleaning Guru that my family turns to when the regular store brands don't work...he is Don Aslett. He has a toilet bowl cleaner that works wonders, it is called the Johnny Mop and it eliminated (along with some elbow grease from my Dad and a gentle pumice stone) the lime build up in our toilet bowls! They all look brand new! You only need one for your entire house and it will change your life...if you want it to! You can order them for about $14.



Next, we move to the hard water spots and all the not so new looking shower, tubs and sinks...and for the mere price of $1 you too can have a new bathroom. The Dollar Tree Chain of stores carries LA Awesome, which is from the Oxy Clean people. There is an everyday cleaner, a version of CLR, a version of Fabuloso lavender cleaner and more! I generally always used glass cleaner, soapy water, magic eraser (delicately) and never could quite clean what I wanted! This stuff works on everything!




Onto my wood, and there is a lot of it...I introduce Pledge Orange Oil! You can pick it up for about $5. When you first apply, it looks like I poured a jug of cooking oil on my wood and forgot to wipe it off, but overtime it is like a hot slab of concrete that soaks up the rainfall! In a matter of days, sometimes hours, it makes your wood look new and vibrant! The oily look goes away and leaves a beautiful shine! I love it!




So these are the new cleaning products that I always heard of but never thought about trying! I will never use anything else! These worked great! The first use, always takes more time and elbow grease, but after the initial use, I just re-apply monthly!

My Dad

Growing up I always felt close to my Dad. I loved seeing him come in from work in his army uniform and helping unlace his tall black boots, I loved that he would take the time to chat, or read a story with us. I have been married for 14 years, but this is the first time that I have had both my parents stay with me for an extended length of time!

My Dad was always ready at a moments notice to help do one of the "honey-dos" that have been on Rix list for EVER! He installed a fan/light fixture in my bathroom, took down all the blinds, so my mom and I could clean them. He fixed the sink drain in the boys bathroom! He replaced the garden hose in our hose box.

The biggest project he did was to help Rick put in our vinyl horse railing around the back of our property! If any of you know my husband, it was not as simple as digging a hole and putting in the posts. Everything was calculated, measured, triple checked, each hole was filled with concrete and each post was filled with concrete! Every morning while Rick was at UPS, Dad was digging holes trying to beat the 100 deg heat and be inside by 10 am! He was a trooper and the final project was complete and looks beautiful!

He and Rick were able to golf 3 times while he was here, and he found time to take my boys fishing. By the end of his visit Ashton caught 14 blue gill and Carter caught 9! He helped Parker with reading and spent time trying to get him to eat something other than wheat thins and milk! My favorite was watching him with Hunter. Hunter soaked up every minute of attention he could get. Hunter's favorite book is Go Dogs, Go. I would hear my Dad read to him 3-4 times a day as Hunter would repeat the words. I recorded it in hopes of saving it for years down the road as a keepsake for him and I.

So thanks Dad for all the memories you made with me and that you are now making with my children! No Empty Chairs. Love you forever.

Meet the Parents

SO....I can't even remember the last time I blogged! My parents were here for 3 weeks! It was so special and fun to have them here! The big things, the little things, all of it was so memorable! It is easiest to break this up into 3 different posts. One will be of my Dad and all he did, another will be of my mom and all she did! We enjoyed just having them around. Waking up and having the kids get to sit across from them at breakfast, and hug them on their way out the door. I loved having them around to see their relationships develop with each of our kids! I loved putting the kids to bed and staying up late watching movies, or old episodes of our favorite shows! I love having them in my home...I yell a lot less when they are here, too, I am sure my kids loved that! So, thanks mom and dad for taking the time to visit and for all the fun things we were able to do while you were here!