Fall in Arizona (it feels like winter)

Happy Fall

This is not Arizona fall weather. This is Utah fall weather. We are freekin' COLD. I have turned on my heater. We have snow on our mountains. And I have to bundle up my children to do anything. Its been this way for a week now. I am cold. November in Arizona is suppose to be cool enough that you can start to ware pants, but still warm enough that you can ware pants if you want to. NOT suppose to be so cold that pants are requite and so are closed toe shoes and long sleeves.

 This was one of the warmer days we've been having.

Yes its nice not to be in the 100's anymore. And the snow on the mountains are beautiful. And this area really really needs the rain and the snow.... but I'm just cold. Its too early. We are still in Fall and this is Winter weather.

Nightmare Mayor Costume

As I said in the previous post, I love to make and design costumes. My brother came to me wanting to be the Mayor from the motion picture "Nightmare before Christmas" He had already decided to just ware his suit, get a spider for the tie and find a red ribbon, but he needed the hat. I designed how to make it and made it for him.

Here is how we made it:

• 2 Styrofoam cones tips cut off and glued thin ends together.
• 2 polyester witches' hats
• ~ 1ft of grey/silver duck tape

it turned out AWESOME.

Fairy Godmother Costume

My friend Amanda, wanted a fairy godmother costume to go with her daughter's costume of Cinderella. She asked me about making one because she knows I sew. I would totally love to make it. I love making costumes. My husband and I have discussed actually advertising the fact that I do custom costumes.

How we made it?

• 1 pattern for a Jedi hooded robe (cut on fold so that it was closed)
• 1 large old blue king size sheet
• 2 yards of pink fabric

My favorite part is that I used a Jedi costume pattern to make it. Cut the outside from the blue sheet and the lining from the pink. We didn't line the whole thing just the sleeves and the hood. Then we made a waist belt tie to give it more shape. Looked awesome. thanks Amanda for giving me that chance. I've missed doing sewing.

Train! Historic UP844 travels though SE Arizona

Thursday 10Nov2011

we went up to Benson to see Union Pacific Historic Steam Engine train 844. It pulled into the train stop and blew its whistle. It was huge and LOUD. My son hid behind me and covered his ears every time the whistle blew. At first I worried that he was scared of the train and I had now ruined trains for him from here on out but that wasn't the case, it made him love trains more as my husband put it he realized the "awesome power" that a train is. He love it. 
We only got to see the train for about 15 minutes and it was totally worth the 45 minute drive to Benson.

Friday 11Nov2011-Happy Veteran's day (THANK-YOU TO ALL TO SERVE OUR COUNTRY)

My in-laws and my family drove to Tucson to see the train again. It was on display all day in the Union Pacific train yards. We first went to Michaels and JoAnn Fabrics. Then met up with my sister's family at the train yard. This time the train wasn't on. It wasn't blowing its whistle. But instead they had stairs up to the cab so that turns could be taken in looking into the cab. You could also walk all the way around and stay as long as you like
All this for FREE. Besides the gas to get to the train this did not cost us a thing.
If you'd like to learn more about the UP844's journey from WY looping through CO,TX,NM,AZ,CA,NV,UT and back to WY check out the following website.

http://www.up.com/aboutup/special_trains/steam/details.shtml

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween

We had a long Halloween time. We went to my sister's ward's Trunk or Treat/Fall Festival on Wend. night, Friday was my parent's Trunk or Treat. Saturday we went to the Balloon Festival (that was suppose to have trick or treating so my son wore his Sparky costume), then Monday we went to my mother-in-law's office party cubical to cubical trick or treating. That evening we went to Aunt and Uncle and Grandma and Granpop's and we were done.

Little Al was "Sparky" the ASU Sun Devil mascot.

 My sister's family did a Star Wars theme, with her husband as Darth Vader, she was Padame, her son was Luke Skywalker, and her daughter was Leia. 

My son was totally interested in this candy thing. This year he got that he was getting candy, but I don't think I got him to actually say "trick or treat" to someone even once. 

Love this photo. Grandpa is trying to talk Princess Leia out of her Almond Joy (he says he wanted to give it to Grandma) 

My original costume idea didn't work out the costume as designed on the pattern looked HORRIBLE on me. So I only used part of it and said I was a Woods Nymph. We had fall flowers and leaves coming out of every part of my hair. 

My girls went as "Salt and Pepper" Rose was Salt and Nellie was Pepper.

They were just too darn cute! Wish I could say I made Little Al's "Sparky" costume, I purchase it 2nd hand from someone who had made it for their 2 yr old. I made my costume. I made the girl's hats, they are just knit and I found a pattern online. But their onsies and tights I bought.

Happy Halloween

Figure it out and move on with life

Life doesn't stop. You can't just sit in your house and wait for your children to grow up. There are still things that need to get done and things to go out and do. Life lately has been about finding things that work for me as  a mother of a toddler and twin new born girls.

I am grateful for the double universal car seat stroller that we were given and the Moby wrap that someone gave us. Without those two things I don't think leaving my house I could be functional. 

I meet people all the time who say that they have no idea how I'm doing this, or are in awe that I'm brave enough to leave my house. My answer is almost always something to the effect of "well life doesn't stop, so I had to figure it out and move on with life."