the farmers market...

we traveled to the big city on the 4th and visited the farmers market at pioneer park.

i've wanted to go forever and i talked big d into it. i have to search out vendors for the show...right?;D fun, fun, fun. loved it. there were so many great vendors and lots of fun food stands. i bought fresh made cheese from this lady and it was so yummy! we tasted fresh cherries and jams. the little ones got their faces painted and got balloon animals and drove dad crazy runnin around. the people watching at the market is not to be beat. so many different characters!! caputo's deli and grocery is right across the street so of course we had to go there...i love that place! i got some fresh parmesan and 'made in utah' fresh italian sausages and fresh fettucine noodles. that sausage was soooo good. we wandered into the tin angel cafe

but big d took one look at the menu and politely said, 'we can eat here if you want to but i can't see one thing here i would eat'. they have very fun gourmet food and that is not my man's cup o' tea. i'll be visiting there later...so we ended up at squatters. which was fine with me...they make a mean cobb salad. i told big d this was how i could spend every saturday. he agreed maybe that was a possibility when the two little ones are grown and gone and we don't have to deal with tantrums and pedophiles (my words, not his). point taken. speakin of the devil here are the two little hooligans right here...

dang those are some cute kids...

so people of utah...go support the farmers market and give the locals your business.

BUY LOCAL!

and i found a couple of awesome little vendors for the big show. so see there was a legit reason to drag my guy to the farmers market!;D

little one...

well my little one is 3...

3yrs have passed since she was born. i didn't know about her 3 yrs ago...not until later on in the month. it makes it feel a little weird that she had her original birthday and i didn't even know about it. sometimes i feel like her real birth day is the day we got to bring her home. i thank god every single time i see her smile that she got to come home...to her home that he intended her to have.

my 3 favorite things about you, little mama...

* every expression you get on your face.

* your hugs and kisses, which you are so happy to give away.

* your sassiness...you are one tough little woman.

so, thank you heavenly father for the precious gift. we sure do love her and are so glad that she came along. she brings things to our family that no one else could have.

blogging...

i've been transferring all of my bookmarks to google reader...thank you apron girls for the suggestion. as i've looked at all of these blogs that i've bookmarked over the last year or so i realized something. i used to look at all of these other women and be so envious of their talents...writing, crafting, sewing, photography, yada yada yada. that is how i became a blog stalker really. the thing is i've met quite a few of these women in person. i've learned about them and their insecurities and the people that they blog stalk because they are envious of their talents. isn't it funny? i'm so glad that i have gotten the opportunity to become friends with these people because they make me realize that we all have strengths AND we all have insecurities. even those that we look at and think are perfect look at others and think they are perfect. it's silly really...anyhoo, just an observation.;D have a great day and go around with your head held high because chances are someone looks at you and thinks your the coolest thing since sliced bread!

probably me.:D

goodbye...

my dad passed away today.  i'm glad that i got to see him a few times in the past week.  we were able to say the things to each other that we needed to.  he got to see mady, which made him so happy and he got to meet the little ones.   they were as cute as ever for him and gave him big hugs and kisses...he liked that.  so, i'm glad that i went.  i have had a couple of friends who also have had rocky relationships with their dad talk to me and i had an aha moment.  the difference between me and them is that i have a lot of good memories with my dad.  i am so grateful for that.  i'm so grateful that i just get to remember the good and the bad is fading into the background.  i'm just grateful that he was my dad and that i had him in my life.  so goodbye dad...i know you are in a better place and that you are happy.

*thank you dear friends for all of the kind words on that post before.  it's so amazing when you realize all of the people who care for you and are there to back you up when you need it.  i hope you know that i would be there for you too.

GO GIRLS!

-k i met the coolest girl at soap making class the other day.  her name is olivia and she has a little group called GO GIRLS!  the idea came to her one day when she was taking a class about water storage and the speaker asked the question...how are you going to feel when your little one tells you that they are so thirsty in the event of an emergency and you have no water to give them.  she decided right then that she needed to get going.  so she started this little group of ladies and they meet once a month during summer and twice a month during the school year.  each time one of the ladies teaches about something she wants to get accomplished...then each of those women go out and do it!  they either have to have it accomplished when they come for the next meeting or have a plan on how they are going to accomplish it.  they'll kick you out of the group if you don't do it!!!  seriously.  i love it too because they are CHEAP and so they understand the need to keep costs down.  i'm totally joining them.  if you are interested and live remotely close to the valley then let me know and i'll give you her info.

yay!

i know that you will all find this hard to believe (;D) but i just finished my very first head to tail quilt on my own.  it's for my little niece, mckinley, and it was super easily done with a couple of the little charm packs. i decided to make a quilt every time a niece or nephew is born.  sorry all of the ones that came before, i just started this tradition.  you better have some more adorable nieces and nephews for me and then you can have one too! 

*just a small shout out to ginny my amazing sister with a quilting machine...contact me if you want info on her...she does a great job!  oh and to my mom for helping me figure out that crazy continuous binding again.   also to heather bailey for the tutorial on corners.  i couldn't have done it all myself without you guys!;D

big d & fatherhood...

once upon a time, a long 16 yrs ago, i was a single mom.  i had a beautiful baby girl but was runnin a little short in the love department.;D  then big d showed up AGAIN in my life and the rest is history...we are a happy family.  well we are a stubborn, sarcastic, sometimes happy family.  just keepin it real people.

the point of it is this...it's father's day.  big d is a great father and deserves a little pat on the back for being one.  so i'm going to tell you why he is. 

• he is a father to 3 girls who are emotionally all over the place and has a wife who is me...not an   easy task. 
  
• he loves all of us with all the love he has.
  
• he works hard then comes home and vacuums...never mind that is his happy place, he still does it and it's much appreciated.
  
• he takes the little girls to the movies and out to dinner even though it makes him want to scream and pull what little is left of his hair out.
  
• he is  good for a cuddle or hug whenever, wherever.
  
• he gives them 5 otter pops at one time and i'll only give them 2.
• he will clean up puke, poop, and deal with the kids anytime of the night...their mom is not nice in the middle of the night.  true story, my friends.  not nice at all.
  
• he loves his girls and would fight to the death for any one of them.  believe it.  ask the boys that mady's brought home.  a couple of them could tell ya.

there are a bazillion other reasons that i could think of but mainly i just want to say...thank you handsome for being a wonderful father to our girls.  thank you for being there for us when we need you.  thank you for making us laugh.  thank you for taking me away from the crazy kids every once in a while and to the movies when i think my head is going to pop.  thank you, thank you, thank you.

love you....always & forever.

me