Swiss Days

So I had the great opportunity this weekend to sell some of my emmie cakes banners at the biggest craft fair in Utah, Swiss Days. Thanks to my cousin and her friend, I was able to add them to a booth that she has. The banners sold great. I have even already had some inquiries from people who saw them there. I only started this little project 2 weeks ago and it has taken off more than I could have ever expected or hoped for it to. It has been a fun learning process and I am throughly enjoying the fact that I have pretty much done this all on my own.

A couple of my friends and I went up to enjoy the show and couldn't help walking by the booth 3-4 times to see how things were going. From what I understand, the Simply Splendid booth (the one that sold my banners) got voted best in show. Yeah for them. It was really cute and they had some great stuff. We had a fun time at Swiss days, bought some really cute stuff and also got some great ideas for stuff that we want to try and make ourselves.



After our day in Midway, we got to have a little girls night in Park City. We shopped, ate good food, stayed up late laughing and talking and had an all around much needed and well deserved night out with just the girls.

Mom then and now

So I have been thinking lately since my kids started school about how my life has changed over the past 10 years. I've been trying to get my business up and going and it has taken a lot of time away from other things and as I sat working the other day with Preston watching his third run of the Dora DVD, I compared my parenting with four kids to my parenting with just one and how times have changed.

I remember rocking Maggie to sleep every night and letting her stay up as late as we did because I wanted to spend every waking moment with her. Now I put my kids in bed at 9:00 and tell them that if I see them again or hear them, they are grounded. It's my time and I am done with them.

I used to take Maggie everywhere. We even continued to take her to the movies with us until she was about 2. I shopped at the Mall for hours with her in the stroller, we went out to eat in real restaurants and actually enjoyed it. Now I live for the moment the babysitter gets there and thinks it's a real treat when I actually get to go to the grocery store by myself or go into the mini-mart to get my drink. I only shop at stores with carts that have buckles (and that won't last much longer) and our yummy dinner at a resaurant, well that doesn't exist any more. If they don't have drive-thru or a play structure we just don't go.

I remember doing craft projects with maggie. Paint and glitter was not a big deal. Now if they even think about getting out the crayons and paper I stress out. Just one more mess to clean up. Can't they just do that stuff at school.

Anyway, I probably sound like my kids drive me crazy, and trust me sometimes they do, but I guess we all just adjust to changing times. I would love to hear what things have changed with you since your families have grown bigger.

First week of school

We survived the first week of school. No problems as of yet. 

     Maggie is in 5th grade this year and fortunately in not acting like a 5th grader, yet (She still is sweet as can be). 

     Dane started third grade, I can't believe it. He was excited to have some of his friends from his class last year in his class again this year. 

     Emma started her third year of preschool this year, its a bummer when they miss the deadline by only a few weeks. She is thrilled to be back, but it isn't quite enough so we have signed her up for a second preschool with the hopes of passing her into first grade next year. Keep for fingers crossed, I think I am ready for her to be gone during the day. She gets so bored and requires lots of attention that I don't know if I have the patience to give her right now. 

     Preston couldn't start this year although I think he would love to go. He is obsessed with letters and can recognize upper and lowercase and knows all the sounds. Did I mention that he isn't even 3 yet. I am so proud. It is nice to still have someone home with me to make noise in the car use up any free time I might have. I honestly can't believe summer is over why does time have to go by faster and faster the older you get?

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Timpanogos Cave

So we decided to send the summer off with a bang. We took our last Saturday and hiked up to Timplanogos Cave. It is about a 1.5 mile hike up and an elevation gain of about 1000 feet. I didn't know if I could make it and I especially didn't think my little ones would make it, but to my great surprise we all took the hike very well. There was some complaining, but for the most part they all did awesome. It was well worth the hike. The cave was so cool. I had been there once before when I was a teenager, but didn't remember much. It was fun to see the kids enjoy it so much. We all had a really good time.


So School in back in session. Yeah! Need I say more.

Our funny girl Emma

So I feel like my life is boring. I don't have much to post about. This is the last week of summer and I am burned out. It will be nice to have a little more free time and have the kids back in school for a while. Hopefully it will give me a little more time to work on Emmie Cakes.

So I was thinking about what I would write and I thought of something funny that Emma said the other night that made us all laugh. She had on a BYU shirt and was saying how she loved BYU, so I asked her if she knew what BYU was and she said no. So I proceeded to tell her that it is a college and that Mom and Dad met while we were going to school there. She then asked me if Dad thought I was cute when he first met me and I told her to ask him. So she turned to Justin and said, "Dad when you first met Mom, did you think she was hot?" We all busted up that this almost 5 year old would ask such a funny question. She is always cracking us up. She says the funniest things and is always making funny faces.

So things have been a little fun and crazy lately. Justin took the three younger kids out to his parents house this weekend for some goods times at the Duchesne County Fair. I talked to them tonight and and Preston told me that he got all dirty at the rodeo because he walked through some "cow mud". I guess its a good thing I wasn't there, I would have freaked out. Anyway, they are having a good time and I've been at home with Maggie just crafting away. We stayed up until 2:30 last night and well I writing this at 3:10, while the boys are away, the girls will...craft. We have been going crazy making banners for our new Emmie Cakes and other fun projects that are still in the works. That girl is following in my footsteps. I love having someone as excited about scrapbook paper and embellishments as me. It's been fun just the two of us.See, we've been busy. 

I also hosted a fabulous enrichment activity this week. We had a girl from our ward come and teach us some great cupcake baking and decorating techniques. She had some easy, smart tips and I will never decorate cupcakes the same way again. Here are just a few of the great cupcakes she decorated. Thanks Cake Expectations for the lessons. Yummy Yummy.

Got Templates?

So I've been on many of your blogs and have seen such cute templates, but I myself, can't seem to find anything that great. So I am reaching out to all of you, where are you getting them? Is it pretty self-explanatory when I do find a background that I like? I would appreciate any input on this topic. I'd really like to spice things up a little. Thanks to all you fellow bloggers.

Aspen Grove Family Camp

We just spent a week at Aspen Grove family Camp up the Provo Canyon. This is something we do about every other year and look forward to every time. The kids absolutely love it. There are so many fun activities and we are with all our cousins. It is a week full of fun and almost no rules. They go where they want when the want, eat all the junk they want, stay up until midnight. Its a week long craziness. 

We go with my dad, all my siblings and their families, and some of my cousins from my dads side and their families. Of course there are always a few extra a long for the ride. I think this year we had almost 70 so you can imagine the fun.

Some highlights from the week. We had major thunderstorms about 3 nights and the kids loved playing and getting wet in the rain. We had our first Huish Music recital where many of the kids performed and a few of the adults too. Justin played "Campfire song song" (from SpongeBob) on the guitar and had about 15 kids sing along. It was sweet. Of course we love the late night games of signs and Mofia. This year we also did a craft day which was really fun. A few highlights for me were making it to the pool in the morning to swim a mile and climbing the rock wall which I did 20 years ago and never thought I would make it to the top now. I almost turned back but with the encouragement of my husband and many family members, I made it to the top. One of the most physically difficult things I have ever done. Yeah me.

Anyway, we really had a fun time and now that I have finally finished the laundry, I am able to write a little bit about it. 
Maggie and Lindsey playing in the rain.

Preston and Emma splashing in the pool.

Here I am on my way up and wanting so bad just to come back down.

I love this picture

Emmie Cakes

So I've had a few people inquire about my Halloween Banners. Well I have started a blog for my new company "emmie cakes" and within in the next week or so I will have information on how you can purchase them. I am also working on some new designs and will post those as well. So keep checking back and I'll let you know when things get going. Thanks for those who asked about it. Are there other banners that you would like to see? I have done custom Birthday banners to match colors and am working on a christmas one. Check out the new blog at myemmiecakes.blogspot.com