Bunk Beds!

We finally got bunk beds!
I've been trying to find a good deal on a bunk bed for a while and we finally found a great find on craigslist (thanks to my mother in law)! I was super excited and the boys were too.
The only time Dustin and his dad could put it together was late at night so we let the boys sleep in the play room that night, they thought that was the greatest thing ever!

We also finally got the crib out since the move. Before we had Peter in the pac-n-play between the two beds which made it a little crowded; so every one got new beds today.

Now the top bunk bed is the place to be.

Oliver's 3rd Birthday

Right after Peter's birthday, we celebrated Oliver's birthday so it was a little crazy but fun weekend. Oliver was so excited for his birthday, he's been waiting since before Christmas.
He wanted a Star Wars cake so we went with that theme.
When he first woke up he asked to see his cake.

The boys loved the Lego guys and they played with those all day until their cousins came.

I loved this picture of Oliver so excited to show his cousins his new toy.
Then his cheesy smile with the cake ha ha.

Playing with some of his birthday presents.

Happy Birthday Oliver so glad you are in our family.

Peter's First Birthday!

Peter had a birthday!

I love first birthdays! They are the best, and I love that I actually get to pick the theme.
So we did a little zoo/animal theme because it's adorable and I haven't done that one yet.
For birthdays I really like to set the table all cute for the kids to wake up to and they really enjoy that. I usually have the cake done as well, but with Peter's cake I decorated that day and the two older boys loved helping me, and right after they said it was time to take a picture. I must be rubbing off of them, they talk about decorating, and how things are "beautiful" in the store, and now they like to take pictures like me.

I thought the cake turned out cute and it was the easiest birthday cake I have made so far. While the boys were helping me frost we kept Peter entertained by letting him lick off the frosting, that boy was in heaven.

Thomas taking his pictures of the cake he helped decorate.
That night we had Dustin's sister and mom come over for dinner and cake. Peter was very excited about his cake (I think he was looking forward to the frosting) and cried every time Dustin cut into it and passed it to someone.

Then presents! Thomas and Oliver were more than willing to help him out.

It's crazy to think Peter is one, this past week I feel like my baby is not a baby any more! He is so fun to have in our family.

I'm Still Here

I feel like it's been a while since I have blogged, so a little catch up.

One of the reasons I haven't been blogging, I have been busy.  All of a sudden I have been busy doing a lot of photo shoots. In this past month I have had five people come up to me to do their pictures. So I have been busy finding new photo shoot locations, taking photos, and editing photos.
So people ask if I'm a photographer? I'm leading on "no" I don't love it as much as illustration, but as I have been having more clients, and have done more photo shoots it has become more enjoyable for me, but it's something I haven't been pushing to get more business, so I don't advertise but I don't say no either. Ha so I don't know what to say? Yes, I'm kind of a photographer....

Another reason I have been busy is I really want to push on my art career this year. I have an Etsy shop open now, thanks to my AWESOME brother, and I'm hoping to make an announcement about it soon on social media (I guess blogging is social media but I feel like this is more a journal that close friends and family read, so like five people) and I'm in the process of looking for an art Rep.  since lets face it, I'm no business person so I think I will be more successful with someone representing me. But before I start contacting a bunch of people and say "Hey look at me, please be my agent!" which is a very scary thought for me, I want to add a few more portfolio pieces on my website, that I also have been working on... So I have been working on a few paintings VERY SLOWLY because I'm a mother as well and life happens, but I'm very excited with my new ideas and I'm hoping with an Etsy shop I will have something to drive me to do more art, and hopefully having a rep that can find me more art jobs. It's very exciting and scary at the same time. I already feel like I'm busy and not sure how this will all work out if it does work out, but I really feel like art is something I need to do with my life. Motherhood is amazing and I love it so much, at least most of the time ;)But I also have been having promptings to work on my art and I guess I'm just trying to follow those urges and promptings.

I have also been busy with birthdays, this past weekend we had two Birthday celebrations (more on that later). And this coming week I will be doing an art class for the Relief Society sisters in my ward, and again I have another photo shoot. So yes, it's busy and I'm wondering when life will start slowing down.

But here are some pictures of the past month, just some from my camera I have more on my phone but I'm trying to catch on the blog so I might have to add those later.

New Years Party

In the last two years Dustin's family has done a New Year's party, and it's always fun. Lisa had the place decorated nice and there was really yummy food that I ate too much of.

We started the night with white elephant gift exchange. But before I continue, I need to give you some background story.

Last year, Dustin and I were getting ready to head to my inlaws for the new year's party when Dustin last minute told me that we needed to bring a white elephant gift, I was mad because I am a planner and I don't like doing things the last minute, and I was saying that I had to find something quick and it was going to be the lamest gift there(I can be somewhat competitive), when an idea popped in my head, (and it was probably because I was somewhat irritated that my husband told me last minute) I printed off a funny picture of Dustin and put it in a dollar store frame, I thought it was somewhat funny but didn't think anything of it. Well when Dustin's cousin, Bailey, got it everyone was laughing so hard and it became a hit that night. And it started become this inside joke, Bailey had it next to his bed all year long except the few time Dustin's, aunt Leslie, would but it on the guest night stand when any family came to visit, so many got to see this "famous" picture of Dustin. It was almost an honor to have it by your bed.

Well New years was coming again, and I was trying to think how I could top last year's white elephant when Dustin came home from an Art Teacher's convention in November and he said he went to a class about making dolls and that he designed a doll but they ran out of materials so he never made it, and when he showed me his design I asked if it was him (Dustin loves caricatures of himself so naturally he would want a cartoon doll of himself right?) and I started laughing and I told him it would be the perfect white elephant gift. So the night before the party I made the doll and put velcro on one of the hands so I could put accessories with it. I made a soccer ball, pencil, a slushy because that's what Dustin was drinking in the photo I printed last year, and a chocolate cake because his family teases how eats a lot of junk food, and it was a hit! The time to make it was soooo worth it!

The below picture is Rachel getting the famous picture of Dustin from last year. Everyone was cracking up and we passed it around for all to see.

Then this picture is seriously my favorite; Leslie and Bailey laughing so hard at the, as I called it, "Little Mr. Clark Doll".

Dustin and the doll. Dustin loved that thing, he wanted it so much but it gotten stolen too much and it was taken away from him. 

And some more white elephant gifts:

Then we played Bunco till midnight.

It was a fun night! And we are excited for the year 2016!

Photo credit, to Dustin's sister, Tiffany.