The yellow shoes, 3 craft projects, and the boom-booms

So, my family blog has been a little neglected lately. I've been having a little too much fun on my coupon/cheapie blog! Let me attempt to catch up a little bit. First, some pictures:


These cute yellow shoes were purchased for the upcoming role that Allison will be assuming for the next month. She was cast as Gertrude (as in Gertrude McFuzz with the one feathered tail) in Seussical Jr. The 6th grade classes at her school are performing the play in March. Oh boy, oh boy- could she be any more excited? She has immersed herself in the play and the role and is constantly singing! I don't think she loves to do anything more than singing and acting.




These were 3 different craft projects found on 3 separate floors of the house. All by.... guess who?? None other than Rebecca Ryan! Hilarious! In the basement, the start of a puppet for a school assignment. On the kitchen table, cutouts to make a collage from magazines. And finally, in her bedroom upstairs a guitar she's working on for Tommy made from a cracker box. The best part, these were all started on the same day!

Did you notice there are 3 separate pairs of scissors by each project? Ah-ha! I promise I did not plant those! I don't know if finding scissors is a problem at your house, but it's been an issue in our home ever since Becca was about 2 years old. For a super funny read, which also addresses kids and scissors, read this by my sister Lindsay. I think we can all relate.



Next is the drum brushes and drumsticks. Thomas is, surprise, surprise, turning into a drummer! I've got to get a video soon and post it. You won't believe it!

So Tommy was getting a little wild with the brushes- breaking one and poking himself in the eye at one point. (Ow!) So John got the idea to put the drum set in the all-concrete food storage room. That way, they can use the real drumsticks and not hurt everyone's ears at the same time. It also helps that he has some AMAZING headphones that muffle the sound- so Tommy has no fear and just wales away on the boom booms! I wonder what all that noise does to the shelf life of wheat, rice, and oats? We may find out in a decade or so....

(By the way, we watched a DVD of Manheim Steamroller and Chip Davis himself used the term boom booms, so the boom booms they are!)

I'll post a video soon and catch up even more a little later! ;)

It had to happen sooner or later......

I started a coupon blog! Savvy Sister Shops - I launched it yesterday and the response has been great so far. Mostly due to a little local store up here that is doing double coupon week all week indefinitely!.... I owe all my success to them.
So far, it's been hard work! But I really get excited about this stuff. I just posted some deals for all you people that live down south. :) enjoy!

My blog was featured here: Freebies2Deals
Here: Utah Deal Diva (Well, mostly the store here was featured, but they did mention my blog!)
and my awesome double coupon trip in December was featured here: She Shops Smart

John also helped me put together an e-book that people can buy and it will be instantly downloaded and encrypted to their computer. I never could have figured that out! The ad for my e-book is here: www.savvysistershops.com

Wish me luck and happy shopping!

Snowy Saturday

Grandma Ryan had a birthday last weekend. So we got invited for a lunch/sledding/cake and ice cream party. We felt like we had the whole mountain to ourselves!

We discovered that it's better to be lighter rather than heavier in this sinking kind of snow. Tommy could have stayed on his sled for several minutes each run, rather than a few seconds like the adults.

Favorite picture of the day:

Man, this one really cracks me up! Is it the goggles? Or maybe the hair? The goofy expression on his face? Maybe all three. Whatever it is, this one really makes me laugh! Whatever our trials in life, we really are that we might have joy! I'm so grateful for a family (yes, all of you) that bring me joy every single day!

Grad student in the house

That's all. :)

Here we are- 2010!

New Year's Eve started out with a bang thanks to these two! These are my awesome parents, who work at the St. George Temple every weekend, so having them come up for a visit was an extra special treat! We had a big dinner, my Dad made a prime rib roast- man, it was tasty! My Dad is getting to be a great chef! (I know you love this picture, right Dad?)

We had lots of entertainment, too! This is my little niece, Lexi- we thought she looked like a little clown here, trying to pick up as many balloons as she could!
My girls love their sweet little baby cousins!
Me and my mum!

"The boys" got some pretty nice looking outfits from Grandma and Grandpa! (Yes, we got to celebrate Christmas again!)

We were so jealous of the Blackwells that got to go bowling in St. George with my parents, we had to make a trip of our own! We went to the new Boondocks in Kaysville, here's Allison celebrating! It looks like she got 8 down that time!

There is much to see while waiting for your turn!

Two cute girls! (My sister and her daughter, Mataya!)

The real reason my parents were able to get the weekend off from their calling in St. George was to attend the sealing of my cousin at the Bountiful Temple. Here they are with half of their kids. Didn't we plan our outfits nicely?

By the way, Mac Christensen was the sealer! You know, Mr. Mac and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir President? (No one seals the way he seals!)
The reception was at the Salt Lake City/County building. I thought it was cute to see these babies checking each other out! 2009 was the year for baby girls!

These are some short videos from our New Year's Eve party- Tommy is turning into a little rocker with the help of his Dad. He accidently poked his eye that night with some brushes for the drums, so you'll see a nice large band-aid over his eye. Spencer's grooving in there also. The bottom video is Lexi getting some "cha-cha-cha" action going! She's quite the dancer!