Sam's birthday is coming up next week

and i've got plans in the works for his birthday party this weekend.  But as scatterbrained as i feel right now, i'm posting what i WANT to do for his birthday here.  Actually results will most definatly vary.

from here:  pleasant-home

I've got this great idea of making this kind of cake for Sam.  Only make it a double decker and put a train on it (yup, still a train (and Lego) freak!).

I've also thought about doing a ice-cream sundae bar.

EAK! i can't wait!

doing a little fixing up in my scraproom...

and i'm REALLY needing to get my ideas all in one place.  So here we go....

from here:  funky junk interiors
I kind of want to have doors or something of the like on my scrapbook room.  Something i can leave open when i want to but something i can use to close it off when i have a lot of kids running around downstairs or to just block off the mess in there. 

LOVE LOVE LOVE the look of these and they would be very functionable, and totally fits in with our tastes.

...and how about this!

combined with this: 

from here: knock-off wood      Thinking that this would be perfect in my scrapbook room.  I really like the double shelves and absolutely LOVE the sink in it too.  my room is already set up for a sink, we have the sink, and we even have the faucet.  Now i just need a table to put it on!  I could get rid of some of those wire cubes that i have stuff stored in and use the shelves on the table... Nice huh?

and that towelbar in the front!  DUH! i would have never thought of that!

a little motivation

a little something-something to keep me motivated through this schooling (and more) part of my life.

I spend a LOT of time here at my desk so i figured it was more than fitting to put it where i can see this day in and day out.

The message to myself:

Never let someone say you can't do something.

Prove them wrong and show them that it's in you to become more than you are right now.

Easter 2010

Easter felt different this year. 

I'm not sure why. 

It seemed to come too fast and by the time i warmed up to it, it was gone just as fast. 

Maybe it has to do with the fact that i've been pre-occupied with school that i feel like i can't keep up with the daily stuff that's happening around me. 

Regardless, it was nice to share Easter with Taylor, Jared and Quintin. 

I just love that bunch.

We did the typical Saturday-before-Easter-Sunday thing.

We headed to the foothills to BBQ, shoot clay pigeons, have a easter egg hunt, and roll eggs down the hill.

It was cold, which is nothing new, but the wind made for some great kite flying and bubble blowing.

A few things to note:

*Daylon has sadly hit that age where he's considered too old to hunt for easter eggs. 

*On the other hand, Daylon has also hit that age where he can, without my freaking out, participate in the clay pigeon shoot... and hold his own.

*Rianne, being one of the VERY few girls in the family, has a huge advantage over the boys and easter goodies, namely easter plush toys.  Boys don't like girly toys... well most of them. 

*Rianne and Jayden are attached at the hip, and i can't be more thankful for that.  Rianne really needs some girl influence in her life and Jayden was my miricle this weekend.  (thank you Jayme)

*Sam and Quintin might as well be brothers.  They have a great love/hate relationship going on there.  Sadly, at this moment, Sam is heartbroken that Quintin is gone.

*For Easter, I bought myself a tulip plant.  I've decided that I really love flowers, regardless if some people think they are a waste of money.  It's nice to see a happy, sunny spot in my house. 

(...and i've decided that i'd really like a pussy willow.  I've forgotten how amazing they are)

it's been that long?

It's been mentioned that i've fogotten about those of you in blog land and that i should really update my blog.  Not a whole lot has happened since blogging last.  I'm not even sure i've pulled out the camera since Rianne's baptism.  Sad but true.  I've been studying my tail off and have made it through the first term (6 months) of school.  So far, so good.  I'm learning things now that i just couldn't even begin to wrap my brain around in High School.  I consider that a HUGE success on my part.  The math is starting to come around and almost, dare i say, fun.  My current term is full of HUGE classes like Quantitive Analysis (which i just passed! and wasn't nearlly as scary as i thought it would be), Economics (macro and micro), and Marketing.  Next term, i break into the finance and accounting part of it.  If all goes as planned, i'll have my BS degree by August of next year (fingers crossed). 

In other news, hmmm.... not sure there is really any other news worthy news.  I'm back on the weightloss bandwagon again.  I'm determined to loose those "freshman 15" (although, i'm glad i'm not to that extra 15 yet) since starting school.  DarRell is working again after a long, no new work hiatus. 

Daylon, Rianne, and Sam are doing the school thing and it's working out well. 

Daylon just bought his own DSi after spending over a year to save up for it.  I'm quite proud of the little man.  Although it does give me a lot of leverage to help him keep his grades up. 

He's decided he really likes the "arts" part of school.  Not actually the art class but more like drama and band. 

Life is a bit "hard" for him being the older brother.  Especially when he's the oldest by several years compaired to all the kids around here.  And to top it off, he's in that stage in life where he's left out of a lot of stuff cause he's too old but then he's not old enough to do the other stuff.  I hate this age.  It's so hard to see them try to (forced into?) transition.

Rianne is flying through school with flying colors. She's actually starting to get a little bored with it and starting to slip up.  School seems to come quite easily for her and is in the top of her class.

She's an absolute girly-tomboy, if there is such a thing.  She likes it rough and tumble but is the first to cry foul when she gets roughed up a bit.  She thinks it's tough being the only girl in a house of boys (i don't count, ask her.  Although i do get her point).  I feel bad that she doesn't have a little girl her age to play with at her beck and call.  I think she needs a little bit more of "girl influence" in her life.

Sam is doing great.  Since starting school, his personality and vocabulary has opened up in incredible leaps and bounds.

He enjoys all the attention he gets being the baby.  He's got quite the personality and is always smiling.  We are starting to get over that 3's attitude i think - WHEW! 

He's really into trains and helecopters and legos.  Definately legos!  He can sit for hours, literally, playing with them.  He still struggles with sleeping all night long and eating but i can see improvements in both so hopefully we are on the way to being a "normal" household with EVERYONE sleeping at night and sitting at the dinner table together as a family instead of customizing everything to suit Sam's stubborn needs.