This is why.

This is why I haven't posted for a while. I am hosting a Holiday Gift Show at my house and it will be so Great! My friend Stephanie and I have co-hosted for a few years now and every year it gets better. Anyone is invited so come and bring your family and friends. Here is a hint though...if you want a fresh wreath or topiary you had better get here early. They go fast! I hope to see all of my local friends there.

P.S. If you are a blogger and post this on your blog, send me the link and I will have a special treat for you at the show.

I enjoyed this one...

I just saw this on my friend Andrea's blog and it made me smile. Even though I am boycotting all Christmas things until after Thanksgiving. I always love Gap ads and it makes me want to shop there. Oh yeah...that is what they are supposed to do. I guess that is why those ad execs get paid the big money.

pics of cute kids (not mine -- my kids I mean)

I had the pleasure of photographing my cute neice and nephew yesterday. They are ages 1 and almost 3. Baby C. gave me a run for my money but thank heavens for digital cameras. I can take hundreds and get a handful of really good ones. Here are a few. (Anne these are for you.)

Baby C. in her puffy shirt and looking gorgeous!

Isn't he handsome. This is one of the times where he is sitting still or not pulling a funny face. He is sitting in the chair "like Jake does". He loves doing anything that the cousins do. Including sitting on his chair backwards. To his Primary and school teachers - I'm sorry.

I promised him that I would take a picture of his pumpkin and this is it.

We are Ute fans!

Look at this cool new accessory we have at our house! Isn't it cool? My neice had to start a business for one of her classes and this is the business -- painting a "U" or a "Y" on your driveway. Clever! Luckily it is a year when both teams are doing well and people aren't embarrassed to have one of these on their driveway. Ours is semi-permanent paint but they have permanent also.

A Little Hike and Homecoming

This Weekend is Fall break so since the kids weren't in school Thursday Matt took off work and we went for a little hike. We chose to go to Lake Mary because it wasn't too far. Something too ambitious would be disastrous for our whiners -- Oh I mean kids. It turned out to be a great time and further reminded me why I love living so close to the mountains. Here are some pictures we took on our hike.








Olympus High School's homecoming game was a couple of weeks ago. The team isn't doing so well this year but they won this game. It was fun for the kids to go and see their friends and I love the feeling of night games in the autumn. The view of the sunset from the stands at Olympus is always so pretty. Go Titans!

Two More!

No not two more days until our kitchen is done. I wish. We are still waiting for our hardwood to dry out before installing it. This is worse than waiting for paint to dry or for water to boil. Oh well, it will happen eventually won't it?

Actually we will be adding two more babies to our family. Sorry it isn't me that is expecting. Heck no! My brother Tony and his wife are expecting their SECOND set of twins! We are sooooo excited! She is due sometime in April. Happy day for the Clawsons!

miscellaneous and the kitchen

Why oh why do I even bother. After cleaning off the countertops, doing the dishes, etc, etc, I came upstairs after being gone for only minutes to this....

I don't know why it takes THREE knives to spread Nutella on the countertop but apparently it does.

Last Saturday Matthew's football team got to go greet the Utah football players as they walk to the field for warm ups before the game. They even got to play around on the field. After all of that they got to stay for the game. Fun was had by all. Here are a couple pics. BTW Jake is not actually on the team but he just put on a jersey and pretended.




The past week was big for Jake. He lost his first two teeth. Actually he pulled them both out by himself. I am way too squeamish to even touch loose teeth. He was brave and the tooth fairy doubled his money for it. Here is a photo of the first loss. (We didn't take a picture of the second.)


After many many hours of work on the kitchen we are almost done. Yay! The floor is the only thing left to do and that will be done next week. Here are some of the previews. I am very sad to say that I didn't take before photos so that you all can appreciate the improvement.


Please ignore the blue tape on the back door, I still have a little painting to do.
A sample of the floors -- WAAAY better than the dreaded white tile and the light beige carpet.

Used to be Oak. Now it is white thanks to my new paint sprayer. Call me if you need to borrow it!
The Island.
My knobs and pulls. I love them.

I'll post pictures of the whole kitchen as soon as it is all done.