Oh Tannenbaum

Last Wednesday, I got out the Christmas decorations.You see, here in lovely Las Vegas, it just doesn't feel holiday-ish. I was on a holiday high in Idaho and coming back was a slap in the face. I figured if it didn't feel like Christmas outside, I was going to bring it in. After I put away the fall decor and decked the halls with wonderful winter stuff, it was time for my favorite part. The Christmas tree. I put it all up, plugged everything in and...2 branches lit up. The rest was dead. So, I wiggled a few branches which eventually turned into non stop shaking of the tree. 

Scott got home, and the electronic tech came out in him. He started doing stuff with the lights and wires and plugging and bypassing...and a whole other slew of things that don't make any sense to me, but to no avail. The tree was still not lit.  

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't upset. I'd also be lying if I said I didn't cry. It was the last straw that broke the camels back. The chances of us getting home for Christmas are very slim this year. I was in dire needs for something to brighten my spirits, and thought for sure that my Christmas tree would do the trick. I needed that warming feeling you get as you sit in the dark staring at the glowing tree. That has always had a calming effect for me. Some of my most inspired thoughts of come in the light of the Christmas tree. 

So after my ever so patient husband listened to his sobbing wife, he left for scouts. I knew it was a silly thing to be so upset over, but was having a hard time convincing my heart. At 8:05, my knight in shining armor came marching through the door, new tree in tow. It brought tears to my eyes, good ones this time. He knew exactly what I needed and did it for me. I married a good man.

It is starting to feel a lot like Christmas in our house. But every time I look at this tree, I see more then ever before. I see love and selflessness. I feel gratitude for the direction the Savior has taken my life. I know I am so blessed and am grateful for this time of year. It is hard to ponder on our life and not feel overwhelmed with blessings.

Thank you Scott. 

You sure know how to make a girl smile.

Stocking Love

I have been wanting to make stockings for some time. I instantly fell in love with this fabric when I saw it at JoAnnes. It was screaming my name, so I picked up enough for these lovely stockings...and some extras for any additions down the road.

I'm super pleased with the outcome, considering I didn't have a pattern.

I printed the names onto the fabric from my printer. Yes, I made each font different on purpose. That way when we have more kids, I won't have to worry about trying to track down the same script.

It took a little more effort to piece the fabric together, but I am so glad I did it. These are definately stockings we'll be keeping for years to come.

If you look closely, you can see the 'quilt stitching' I did on top. They totally look home made, but it just gives them more character, right?!

I love these so much, I think I'll keep them up all year long! 

Fall Wreath Makeover

 I love wreaths! I especially love fall wreaths. However, this year I felt my normal fall wreath wasn't Vegas appropriate. Its full of pretty yellow and orange leaves. Its looks out of place here in LV where we are surrounded mostly by palm trees. So I did a little wreath makeover.

First, I stripped my old wreath of its beautiful leaves.

Then, I added grabbed some scrap fabric. Once again, stolen from my mother.

I cut the fabric into strips and wove in through the twigs.

 Added the ribbon to hang it with, attached the same sign from last year and Viola! A Vegas themed fall wreath. Its not as FALLish as I prefer, but its a fun free project...so no complains here!

This is kind of a crumby picture. :(  Much  cuter in person.

Another fun thing about fall? My mom has harvest break. Which mean, drum roll please, she and my dad will be here in TWO days! Wahoo!

Hats

My mom made my boys these extremely cute hats! Aren't they the cutest?

Love them.

Sold!

Well, the papers have been signed. We officially accepted an offer on the house and the process has been started. We received full asking price PLUS we get to rent the house from the new owners until Scott graduates in May. It doesn't get any better than that! We are so blessed. I love seeing the Lords timing play out and am extremely grateful for his hand in our life. I'm trying not to get my hopes too high until we close on it, just in case something happens, but for now I am very pleased with how things are going. Once again, we are so blessed.

Pretty Pumpkins

In my last post I mentioned I would be painting pumpkins this year instead of carving them. I think they turned out pretty cute.

This one is my favorite. I love how the finish turned out.

Something about pumpkins in the front of my house makes me smile.

Happy Fall!!!

Any Takers?

The time has come....

FOR SALE! Sad, I know...but definitely good. Details later.

Check out our house blog here to see our updated kitchen and pictures of the house.

Let us know what you think and wish us luck on the new adventure!

D.I Chair

We were at the D.I the other day when Tayden spotted a chair just his size. I didn't have my wallet with me, so my mom bought him the cutest little five dollar chair. It was in major need of some TLC and I was just the person to do it. Haha...yeah right. I had several different ideas and couldn't decide on one, so I incorporated a little of everything. It turned out okay. I like it, don't love it, but I like it. I can't complain too much though, because I had everything I needed laying around the house...so it was a fun free project, minus the five bucks my mom shelled out. With that said, here are the before and after pictures.

"Sweet Tie Buddy!"

Those were the words of my bishop this morning when he saw Tayden wearing this...

I have to admit he was looking pretty dapper in this HOMEMADE tie and $5.oo shoes! (What a steal right?)

This is the first tie I have made him. There are a few little adjustments that I need to make for the next one, but all in all it turned out cute.


I tried to get some pictures of him in the actual outfit, but have you ever tried taking pictures of a rambunctious one year old after church. He was ready to run, so this is the best I could get. The only thing keeping him half way still was Tanners ball. Yum!

You're welcome for having such a cute little boy to look at! :)

Sew, new PJ's huh?

That's right...new PJ's for Tayden, made with love by his mommy.
He's so lucky.
And I am so lucky to have a mommy that helped me.
They turned out so cute.
I love them.
I might be semi-domestic after all.

Home Sweet Home

This month Scott and I have lived in our home for two years! We have absolutely loved it! We have the best ward, neighborhood and could not ask for a better first home experience. I have often said how I wish our home were bigger or newer or more open or whatever, but truth is...I LOVE my house. I am already dreading the day we have to sale. So to mark our two year 'anniversary', I thought it would be fun to post pictures of our home. A word of caution, major picture overload. Enjoy the tour!

Front Room

I love our front room. It is very comfortable has a great big window that allows a lot for a lot of light.

Dining Room

Since we got our table for Christmas, we are able to eat dinner as a family every night. It is so wonderful.

Kitchen...for now

We will be updating the kitchen this summer. We will be refacing cabinet doors, replacing the counter top, repainting, tiling the floor and hopefully get a new sink!

Our Bedroom

My sanctuary.

Upstairs Bathroom

The bathroom was hard to take a full picture of, this is the best I have. It actually bigger than it looks.

Taydens Room

Full of toys and lots of fun. Little Mister loves his room and knows where all his toys are.

Family Room

Favorite place in the house. We spend 95% of our time down here and its great.

Office

Still a work in progress since the 'flood' last spring. We still have trim to put up, but other than that it is a perfect place for Scott to study. And yes, that is a signed David Cook shirt!

Downstairs Bathroom

Its huge and the shower is amazing. I feel like I am at a spa.

So there you have it, our little starter home! I sure do love it!

8 Teeth, 2 Drapes and 1 Ceiling Fan

This weekend was a busy one for the Packard household. Taydens 8th tooth broke through....finally. I made some amazing drapes and Scott hung a beautiful ceiling fan.

One of the two panels I made for my bedroom. A huge thanks to my mom for all her help. I was at her house ALL day long finishing the curtains. She talked me through the whole process and watched Tayden so I could sew. I couldn't ask for a better mom! Thanks ma, you're the best!

Another view of the drapes. The color is a little off from my headboard, but I can't complain- the whole project was less than 20 bucks! $10 a panel is not too shabby!


Scott did a great job on the fan. He spent most of the day in the attic installing braces for it, wiring it and doing some other really important stuff that I don't understand!


Our nice new fan over the bed. B-E-A-U-tiful!


Oh and before I forget... Scott is ready for duck hunting. He didn't get to go elk or deer hunting this year due to school and work. (And just a word on that...he is wonderful because of that. He LOVES hunting and put it on the back seat for other responsibilities. What an amazing person. I love him.)


I couldn't let him have all the fun. I had to put on the waders too. As you can see they still have the price tag on them, that is because he has yet to use them. I gave them to him for Christmas 2 years ago...but he has been too busy use them. This year he FINALLY gets to go. Yay for him.

I know you love my moves!

Office Chair

We are in the process of redoing our office. Not by choice really, it flooded last spring and we are getting it put back together. Scott and I got separate wrap around desks and somehow he ended up with the nice computer chair. So, I went to the D.I to purchase a stool (easier for scrap- booking) but left with this chair instead.

But after a little bit of paint and some clearance fabric...

I got this chair! Nothing like a fun cheap project!

Autumn Wreath and Watch

Why is it that I never have anything to post, and then 2 days later I have a thousand things to say? It must be the unspoken blog law?! So today, I have 2 things I would like to post:

#1-I made an Autumn Wreath.! I got the idea off Make It And Love It. It turned out super cute. Plus, it cost under $7.00!

I have tons of leaves left over, so if anyone has any ideas what to do with them, let me know! Or, if you want some to make your own wreath or craft, let me know and I'll give you some! I seriously have a lot left.

#2-The real reason I am posting today. I am one of those lucky people and have great in-laws. I am truly blessed because of the family I married into. They are always so supportive of our decisions and love my family unconditionally. My mother-in-law must have known I was in dire need of some 'me time' and invited me to her enrichment night. And even nicer than that, she bought me the supplies to make a watch. And then even nicer than that, she watched Tayden! I was in heaven...until my baby started to turn into a little monster. Poor Cheryl! Lately, Taydens mood is as unpredictable as the weather in Pocatello. Happy as can be one minute and ticked off the next. I felt so bad. He didn't even want Grandpa Packard, which was a huge shock because he loves his grandpa! So, as I was rushing to finish my watch, Cheryl was taking over my cranky baby. A true manifest of love for her daughter-in-law and grandson. I had a horrible time concentrating and had to restring my watch about 4 times. I was so frustrated. After all the re- dos, I loved my final outcome. It is so cute! Here is a picture:


Oh, wait. I forgot to tell the rest of the story! Shortly after we left the church, Scott had to run to his grandparents. I was showing his grandma my new watch that I loved so much when Tayden decided he wanted to see it too. I was on the other side of the room, which meant Tayden had to crawl over to get it. His Great Grandma Packard was so excited to see Tayden crawl and I was having a bit of a proud mother moment, so I continued to hold out my watch to coax him to keep coming. Before I knew it he was climbing up my leg. Well, this happens fairly often at home, so I didn't think twice about it. Next thing I know, Tayden grabbed my beautiful watch and yanked hard. It shattered everywhere! Ah, my heart broke a little bit too. After all that hard work and my mom-in-law watching Tayden the Terror, my watch was gone. Fortunately, I got plenty of practice making it at the church, and it is going to be a fairly easy fix. I guess those are the joys of motherhood.

I just wanted to say thank you to my awesome mother-in-law for the wonderful night. Sorry it wasn't a wonderful night for you and that Tayden was a poop, but I appreciate it more than you know! You are always so great to us and always willing to give me a break from Tayden, even when he is not the most fun to be around. He is lucky to have a grandma like you. And a quick shout out to my dad-in-law. Thanks for giving me a break and letting me eat. Five minutes of sanity is worth thousand dollars! I used to be worried that when Tayden was a stink, people would quit loving him and not want to be with him, but I never have to worry about that with you guys! Thanks Dave and Cheryl. We love you!

P.S-I know I said I had 2 things to post, but I had to show everyone this picture. (Sorry, its not that great. Its from my phone.)

My son is into absolutely everything, nothing is safe. I was in the kitchen and Tayden had crawled to the front room. No big deal. I walked in 30 seconds later, and this is what I found. He had gotten into the newspaper. The picture doesn't do it justice. Regardless of all the craziness, I live for this little moments. I love being a mom.

My Friends Cute Kids

The other day I went to the park with my friends, Lindsey and Amanda. I love taking pictures and they were kind enough to let me take some of Kaden and Hannah. Tayden was a little sick and not to happy, so there aren't any pictures of him. Here are a few that I took:

They are showing up a little darker and a tad fuzzy on blogger than on my computer. I will have to see if I can figure out why, but here is a sample.

* I went to the David Cook concert last night! It was awesome!!! I will dedicate a whole post to it after my friends email me all their pictures. Stay tuned for an sweet post!