Bridal Shower Fun!

So my amazing cousin Celeste is getting married today. Unfortunately, she is getting married in California and with our home/car saving I couldn't fly out there.

I love her...and her husband-to-be is wonderful too! She is an INCREDIBLE singer/musician, you can listen to some of her songs here: Celeste's Music

It was so fun to put on a bridal shower for her last week with my Mom, who planned it all, and my aunts and sisters:)

It was also so joyful to be with family. I am so grateful for families and Heavenly Father's plan for them!

Celeste and some others are gluten-free eaters so all of our food was gluten-free:)

Happy Wedding Day Celeste!!! Wish we were there!!

Made a wedding dress today....haha

I can't say I have ever made a wedding dress before...here is why I did it today:)

We updated our toddler chart to "Captain Hook" for some variety. We have had to add some toy-taking-away to our discipline as well just because she is testing the limits of the chart:)

Today she did so awesome with her behavior so our new Captain Hook made it to Never Land!! Sabrina chose from her treasure box the paper that said "Make a Dress"

She wanted a princess dress...Giselle's wedding dress...haha.

So we looked in my fabric odds and ends box and found an old white fitted bed-sheet, old white robe, and an unused tulle curtain and this is what we came up with today:)

Cost: $5.00

Time Spent: 3 1/2 hours

and a fun photo shoot for a girl who loves a picture of herself:)

Happy Friday!

Tried something new...Faux Stained Glass...SOOOO Fun!! Try it!!!!

So my wonderful Church - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hosts an "International Art Competition" every three years. It has been one of my life goals to enter this competition...and I did it!


I don't feel very "expert" in any art medium so I determined to try something new. I want to learn how to do stained glass someday...but it takes a lot of special tools and such so I tried another way this time around. It is called Faux Stained Glass, with stick-on leading and "fake glass" paint. If you want a fun project you should try it!
The theme for the competition was "Tell me the Stories of Jesus." I love the Savior and had a very difficult time choosing one of His stories to portray, but this one really stuck with me...do you know it?

Why I chose this story --During the October 2014 General Conference President Monson spoke about how we can walk with the Savior as we come to know Him better. In my mind and heart I know that I surely want to know Him better. I began a more in-depth study of the New Testament and have since discovered many rich and treasured teachings and experiences from the Savior’s life that I had not recognized before.  

One such experience is that of a Fig Tree in Mark 11. Upon seeing the beautiful leaf-filled fig tree, the Savior sought “haply” to partake of the fruit thereon only to find it bare. On a fig tree the fruit buds always come before the leaves, so the leaves should have been a clear sign of a fig-filled tree. Because of its barrenness the Savior “cursed” the tree and the disciples observed the next day that it had “withered away” and “dried up from the roots.” 

As I have considered this story, I have been touched by the Savior’s reasoning, His symbolism, and the response of the disciples witnessing the seemingly healthy-to-withered tree. I have come to know three things from this fig tree. First, I know the Savior has power over all things, for He is our creator. Second, I know I do not ever want to be like the fig tree. I want the Savior to know me by my righteous fruits as I live up to both my purpose and potential. Lastly, I am so grateful for the Fig Tree, with both its leaves and its withered branches, because it helps me to know my Savior better. 

I will post about the process soon...you really should try it:)

Toddler Behavior Plan...is working!!!!

We created a plan to help our Sabrina, and it is working great so far! :) She is bright, happy, and so driven and determined in all she does. With this strong spirit and will, our daily challenge has been to curb severe fits and whining and help her to learn that she is the master of her own soul. It has been really HARD.

Lets just say we have all cried a lot about it.

We feel like we have tried so many things, and just when we seem like we have a few good days we sometimes feel like we are back to square one. It has been a matter of prayer and struggle and I know that as we continue to turn to Heavenly Father we will keep making progress. We have seen a lot of progress this week!

The Actual Plan

We made this for the fridge (Sabrina LOVES Peter Pan right now)

It is a very simple magnet Peter Pan and Jane who follow the stars all the way to Never Land. When we see Sabrina choosing to happily obey, serve at home, be positive, play kind with her brother, help without being asked, etc. then we move them a star forward. If she whines, hits, or has a fit, they move a star backwards. Once they make it to the green star in Never Land then she gets to choose something from her treasure box we made together (out of some boxes:).

We have a discussion about what things she would really like to earn from the box. (We want to keep it simple and cheap, but exciting enough for her to want to earn it) 

She chose some actual "things" along with things "to do" such as:

-Plant a seed

-Make cupcakes

-Make a dress

-Get a Wendy's frosty

-Peter Pan Book

-Tangled Book

-Stuffed animal

-Magnifying glass

-Make a pie

-Make a fort

We plan on adding variety by changing the magnet out, and then eventually changing the actual charts pictures depending on what she is most interested in. 

She chose "plant a seed" the first time she got Peter Pan to Never Land...and here is its progress :) 

The biggest key I knew was for both My Man and I was to be super, super consistent in our implementation of the plan. So far we have done two solid weeks and Sabrina is showing a deeper understanding of her own ability to control herself:) The other night she sincerely wept because she "did not be obey to dad"...it was sad and soooooo happy!

It is exhausting to be consistent but I know it is a quality that I need to work on in other aspects of my own life so it is such a blessing too.

I am so grateful to be a Mom. Along with the endless exhaustion and steady hard improvement of my character there also are so many treasured moments and hours where I thank our Father in Heaven as I feel ever so much closer to Him through the spirits of these little ones, and through our time as a whole family. The family is of God.

I feel so blessed, and so thankful that Heavenly Father created the perfect "behavior plan" for us to follow. I am ever grateful for his patient and perfect consistency as He helps me stop whining and throwing fits ;) He is so good. His Son is my perfect example. I love them. 

Have a beautiful day.