remember

in case your following this blog...ive moved!
http://teamausman.wordpress.com/

Tryin Something New

I have been having a ton of trouble with blogger lately soooooooooooooo
I'm trying out wordpress.
To see new posts (not that I have any yet)
please visit http://www.teamausman.wordpress.com/

First Week of Summer

I kinda challenged myself to do something "fun" everyday for summer vacation. Well the first week of summer is over and I think we did pretty good!

Last Friday was our last day of school and we headed to California as soon as B got off work.
Saturday we went to the beach with my brother's family.
Sunday Brian took the 4 big girls to see Shrek 4 then we had a birthday party for my Dad.
Monday we went to a park for a Memorial Day ceremony, then played.  I also ran 5 miles of hills!
Tuesday we drove home from California, and played family games that night.
Wednesday we had friends over for a weekly play date - we crafted & played in the backyard. We did school, and later in the afternoon we went swimming before soccer.
Thursday we went to the gym (ran 3.5 miles & did yoga), we also played with chalk in the backyard and watched a movie.  Somewhere in there we also did school.
Friday we went to the gym (bootcamp), did school, went swimming with friends at the beautiful Summerlin pool. (which is more like a water park than a pool!)
Today we have our last soccer game, then a pool party to celebrate the season (or in my case, the season ending haha) Brian is off riding his bake right now -next week is his big ride (and our long drive!) Who knows what the evening will bring - I'm hoping dinner on the BBQ and frozen yogurt, but we shall see :o)


I LOVE Summer!  I love all my girls home, I love the heat, I love the lack of regular schedules, I love summer-time activities, I love summer vacations...I love it all!

Cousins!!!

We went to California for my Dad's birthday this weekend...and 3 of my 4 brothers were there with their kids!  We figured out that we had a kid at each age from 1-8!

AJ is 8!

Lucy is 7!

Alison is 6!

Zoie is 5!

Ellie is 4!

Talmadge is 3!

Brooke is 2!

and Cannon is 1!

Here they are all together!!!

Chad and I are in Vegas and Scott is in Oregon, so we don't get all the cousins together very often.  It was so fun to see them play together.  There were no fights believe it or not, and they all included each other in everything.  We went to the beach, celebrated Dad's birthday, saw a movie and hung out...it was the perfect Memorial Weekend!

Last Day of School!

Kindergarden Graduation!!!

The kids were SO cute - and So feaked out by all the cameras and videos pointed at them as they walked down :o)

She insisted on bringing her purse

They sang some cute songs first - of course she was in the back so I could barely see her!

Here is Mrs Monto (left) and Miss Pardon giving her her "diploma"

and the Principle giving her another award.

My girl :o)

WARNING: brag time...

They give out one award in kinder.  It's the Christian Character Award.  It's for the student who is a good friend, compasionate, responsible, shines God's love etc...

and Alison won it!

I didn't cry on the first day of school,but I was so proud of her that I cried on the last day  :o)

She is such a good girl and sometimes I take that for granted -I was so happy that she was recognized at school. 

After she won, she ket sneaking peeks at me

After graduation, we went back to the classroom for cake and punch and of course more pictures!

Here she is with her friend Dora

This is her best friend Cole.  His Mom said "won't this picture look cute next to their prom picture?"  haha

Miss Pardon put togethera book of pictures for each student and these 2 are next to each other in most of them.  Luckly he is a good kid too (and a cutie)  :o)

Some more friends AnaMaria and Mieko

It was a fun morning - I wish Brian had been there, but he had to work.  She had an amazing fist year of school and learned so much.  Her teachers were wonderful!!! So glad we picked that school!  She can't wait till next year!!

New

testing from my dads new ipad that we got him for his birthday! 

Projects this week

Here are a few things that I have been working on this week:

I made this giant bag for the beach/pool.  It will hold all 4 towels, sunblock, diving sticks etc

The material is like what reusable bags are made of...I found it at Joann's for 2.99/yd - and its 60" wide!

Its folds up nice and small, and should dry pretty quickly.

It's my first time attempting box corners - super easy, I don't know why it's taken me so long to try them!

I also made this HUGE wall print using this site...

I think I ill redo it with a little more contrast...I didn't think it through with my white shirt and Alison standing right in front of Brian.  I just liked that it was a happy action photo :o)

I also made something for my Dad for his birthday - we are going to Cali on Friday to celebrate with him...so I can't show it yet.  He reads the blog sometimes ;o)

i had just spent an hour detailing the inside of the car...when ellie decided to climb all over after playing in the dirt. the moment just before this was taken, was not my best...
*Mandi*

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Busy Busy Saturday

At 7am I headed out for a 4 mile Mud Run...we had SO much fun!

We are already working on next years costumes :o)

I met some new friends and maybe a new running buddy.

It gave me the itch to do another race...it's just SOOOO hot to train in the sumer!

Erin - Jessica - Amber - Me - Amber

Then we came home for a shower and lunch...

Before heading to the library to return some books.

It was quicker than I expected, so we stopped at Sonic for some drinks...

Before heading to Ellie's soccer game.  She won 6-3!

Next we sopped at Target to pick up my perscription

 (which I no refills for - AND my Dr closed his practice, so they couldn't call him...perk to working at Target & knowing the pharmacist: he gave me one more month anyway in exchange for a promise to find a new Dr this month)

and a card for Mr and Mrs Tilton!

We rushed home, for a snack & to get Brooklynn and Brian...

Before heading over to AJ's baseball game! He won also! (it was a playoff game)

We had to leave before it was over to go home and ge ready for...

Katie and Justin's wedding!!

my camera battery is still dead, so I'm waiting on pictures from Stephanie.

It was a beautiful wedding and we had a ton of fun...especially watching Elijah dance!  He was a dancing fool :o)

It was so cute, at one point he was crying because he was so happy.  He was the cutest 7 yr old in his little brown suit (he wouldn't take the jacket off all night!)

Katie was beautiful and Justin looked so happy!

It was a full day - but w woldn't have missed any of it. 

On Sunday, Brian rode 40 mile with Darric while I went to church with the girls.

Then we did nothing all day!

Updated the other blog...

TILT

This weather: I l.o.v.e. HOT

My insanely hard spin and bootcamp classes...they make me feel like I can do anything

(silly I know, but they really are empowering)

My quilt tops being done...and finding the perfect thing for the quilt backs

(you'll never believe what Im using ;o)

It's my big brother's birthday today!!! 
 Happy Birthday Jeff

Our costumes for our Mud Run on Saturday...they are so stinking cute & funny

One of my bestest friends is getting married this weekend!!!  So happy for her!

No school tomorrow - its a pool party at the YMCA and we are ditching it :o)

Brian took Alison lunch today for a "Dad's Picnic", he wasn't excited, but she sure was.

Next week is our last week of school...so ready to be done.

Finally made a decision about Ellie & kindergarten

(fight to get her in or not)

Yogurtland: Im addicted.  My trainer says I need a 12 step program for it ;o)

My new magazine I got in the mail...a gift from Millisa.  It's about sewing, and I love it.

That Brian and I pulled off Brooke's party without any fights between us...it's a miracle - lol
I'm gonna see my brother and his family next weekend!  So so so excited. 
 Its been almost 2 years since our kids have played together
- and I have a nephew I am meeting for the 1st time! 
Life is good.  Real good.

Quilt Tops

The quilt tops (for Ellie and Brooke's bunk beds) are done!!!

The outer boarder is pieced way more than I would have liked BUT - I just about ran out of fabric and I couldn't find more of it ANYWHERE.

 I thought about using another fabric...but I kinda wanted them to match.

Now I have to wait to finish them, because I want to put their names on them before I quilt and bind them! 

(I need my new machine to do that and it is being serviced right now...)

I hope they LOVE them!

Birthday Girl!!!!

My baby turned 2!  While I don't miss having an infant around, it is kind of sad knowing that there will be no more babies in the house.  And as soon as she learns to talk, reality will really set in ;o)

Here she is with her biggest fans!

At 2, Brooke doesn't have a lot of friends - lol.  So it's mostly my friends (and Brian's) and their kids...the ages were from 20 months to 11, so I needed a party that woul work for that big age span.

A carnaval party saved the day!

The part table:

The bags were for the kids to put their prizes in and had their initials on them.

The boxes in the middle were labeled by family, and were to get their fish home safely

the popcorn boxes ended up full of popcorn, and the cake went in the middle

(not sure why I took the picture before it was ll finished :oP) 

Drinks and plasticware table

The prizes, that they traded tickets for!

a close up of a prize bucket...

I hung fabric from a string strung across the yard.  The clothespins (with a superstar B)  held it in place.

We had 6 games, 3 on each side of the fabric

two of the signs got mixed up...this should have been "ring a bottle".  Throw shower-curtain rings around the bottles.

we realized in practice, this was way too hard...so we ended up using the baseball tee and throwing pool rings at it instead

catch a fish...throw ping pong balls into cups to win a fish!

here are our 30 fish - 2 per kid + a few extra just in case

somehow we ended up with 15 fish though - someone needs to come back and get their fish!!!

knock a can - throw bean bag balls at the cans

roll a ball - Brian even weed-wacked a lane so the grass wouldnt slow down the balls :o)

here is my other wrong sign...drop a pin - stand on the chair and drop a clothes pin in a jar

pick a duck - find a marked duck and win 3 tickets

Grandma was in charge of collecting tickets and making sure no one helped themselves to extra prizes  ;o)

We served hot dogs, salads, dips and veggies, chicken-on-a-stick, chips & finger jello

I had a lot of fun planning and setting it all up, and it paid off.  The kids LOVED it!

Thank you all that came to celebrate with us!