Making No Promises: September 2013

September 25, 2013

Why do I do this to myself?? I had the missionaries over for dinner tonight. I planned on making pasta and breadsticks. The recipe I have for breadsticks is delicious and easy, and always comes out as it should. So why did I mess with it tonight and decide to add wheat flour? I've never made them this way before and they were like tasteless sticks. I need to remember to not mess with recipes when it matters how they turn out.

Where most of the breadsticks ended up. Probably where all of them should have been.

September 24, 2013

I know some of you (Utah) are lamenting that Fall this year was skipped and Winter has begun, but some of us are still waiting for Summer to end. I like to pretend everything is as it should be, seasons-wise, and that means visiting our friendly, neighborhood pumpkin "patch."

This is definitely my favorite part of autumn in Amarillo.

September 23, 2013

Yay!

Now I know this may not be that exciting to most people, but I've envisioned a desk very similar to this for sewing/scrapbooking since we moved here. I wanted something sturdy, with a smooth, durable top. This fits the bill perfectly. And it looks cool in a retro kind of way.

This is a genuine Steelcase desk from 1965. I looked into getting one that was already refurbished but they can go for a couple thousand dollars. Imagine my delight when I found one for sale on Craigslist for $150, and within driving distance.

I tried spray painting it myself, but realized pretty quickly that it wasn't going to look as good as I wanted it to. So I picked a painter out of the phone book to send it off to be sprayed. I was so nervous all weekend that it wasn't going to turn out like I wanted. But it came back this evening exactly like I dreamed. I'm giddy.

A couple extra cool things about this desk; 1) It has a hook underneath where your knees go. I can just imagine 1960s secretaries coming to work, hanging their purse on the very convenient hook. 2) It reminds me of the desk that was in my parent's den growing up, right down to the slide out tray (where the ward directory was taped) and the dividers in the middle drawer where pencils and paperclips were kept. Sitting at it, I feel like I did 20 years ago.

September 22, 2013

There was much discussion among the kids at lunchtime today about the "fortress" they were going to build. Can you guess what song has been in my head all day?

These are the remains of the fortress.

September 21, 2013

For saturday chores, the kids pick numbers out of a bag that correspond to a list of jobs. Every time they leave out their backpacks or shoes after school during the week, they have to pick out an extra job on saturday. Somehow cleaning this front window has been chosen every week. I'm pretty sure it's more dirty after Ryan "cleans" it than it was to begin with.

September 20, 2013

Tonight's restaurant was chosen solely by the dessert options. Black tie chocolate cake for Jeff and pumpkin cheesecake for me. Tasted like Thanksgiving. Mmmm...

September 19, 2013

September 18, 2013

Breakfast for this girl has become difficult and I blame Ryan. He's the first one to point out when a person's cup and bowl match. Bailey now thinks this is really important and the only way to have cereal and juice.

September 17, 2013

For a couple of weeks now, Bailey has talked about her boots when I give her a bath. I guess I haven't really been paying attention until the other night when I saw what she was talking about.

See how her feet look like they're wearing boots in the water? So silly.

P.S. I have something in my garage right now that I am very excited about. I've been trying to get my hands on one of these for a year or two now and it's just never panned out. But today the stars aligned. It's not quite time to reveal it yet. Stay tuned.

September 16, 2013

Yay for rain!

Boo for our improperly graded lawn that spills water onto our patio every time we get a heavy down pour!

September 15, 2013

The return of our froggy friend. Okay, probably not the same frog.

This frog may have peed on our patio and I may have unknowingly stepped in it. Ew.

September 14, 2013

Okay, I'm done. These petunias did surprisingly well this summer, but I just don't have it in me to keep them going any more. A five month growing season is too much for me. I stopped watering them this week and they're dying a slow, hot death.

September 13, 2013

When Syd requested a spooky movie for movie night because it's friday the 13th, how could I refuse? Don't they looked spooked?

The movie: Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit.

September 12, 2013

I didn't take this picture with the intention of posting it. I was at Hobby Lobby and noticed the swarms of teenagers and their parents buying supplies to make their mums for homecoming. I took the picture to send to Jeff. We still just don't get it.

September 11, 2013

Waiting our turn at the dentist's office. Five kids, three cavities, and braces in the near future for Shelbi, and less-near future for Sydney. Yippee!

September 10, 2013

Bailey's current strange obsession

September 9, 2013

Every once in a while Ryan used to bring me these "gifts." Usually they were a few of his books, lovingly wrapped in his blankie.

Oh, Ry-Guy.

September 8, 2013

Somebody found this bumbo in our storage room and Bailey has claimed it as her personal mobile seat today. This doesn't seem that long ago:

September 7, 2013

Some more pictures from our pre-digital days. This was Shelbi's baby blessing, November 25, 2001. There was a huge snow storm that morning and our church was at 8:30. It's a wonder anyone made it. Jeff's parents, his sister Ellen and her husband Rich came from California to be there. Following church, we had a brunch at my parent's rental house in Lindon.

My mom made Shelbi's dress from leftover fabric from my wedding dress.

With Grandma Foster

I love babies in onesies!

September 6, 2013

The cute sight in my rearview mirror today.

September 5, 2013

Sometimes when I've forgotten to take a picture for the day, I browse through the pictures on my computer, looking for one to post about. But there are seven or so years of our family life that happened before we had a digital camera. I forget all about those pictures. So here's one from 2000. Jeff and I went with my parents to my brother Jason's medical school graduation in Chicago.

I could totally live in Chicago. Although, cold winters would take some getting used to again.

September 4, 2013

The best part about shopping at the mall? Lunch at the food court Chick-Fil-A.

September 3, 2013

In 2003, we had a family pine wood derby at Bear Lake. Most car designs were kept very secret until the unveiling at the race. My design was a car fashioned after our old family car, "The Staish." (By the way, how in the world do you spell that??) Other cars were much more creative.
Along with the race that was regulated by standard pine wood derby rules, we had an alternate race, where there basically weren't any rules. Mostly warped-minded brothers and husbands entered this race. Trying to describe the cars doesn't do them any justice. Just think model rocket engines and contraptions that push other cars off the track.

The entrants.

My brother Jeff went to the thrift store and found some old trophies to give out as prizes. I don't remember what I won. Surely not fastest car. And the helmets? I don't know.