More Pinterest Inspired Projects...

So after I made the wood blocks for Bunco back in December, I asked my Dad to make just a few more cuts for me.  And from those I made some blocks to put on my table seasonally. Since this is my new holiday command central of sorts. My house seemed so boring after the Christmas stuff all came down, so I made a little January display with my 'Keep Calm and Snow On"printable and SNOW blocks. 

It drove me crazy that I couldn't find something to fill my apothecary jars, I wanted some faux snow, but of course as soon as Christmas is done it is impossible to find, so I will keep my eye out early next year!

This is one project that as soon as I pinned it I knew I HAD to make it.  Sorting socks it a bit of a running joke around here.  I have bins of them, bags of them, boxes of them! I took this picture and emailed it to my Mom saying "Look, I created your very own department at Beck Inc." To which she replied, "Do you think there are enough clothes pins?" So, I added some more, and after I took out ALLLLLL the socks I matched a ton and now, I only have about as many missings as I have clothes pins.  I'd say 50% are infant socks.  The rest are either Rusty's dress socks or a hodge podge of the other boys socks.  I really do use this, having them right there where I can see them makes a HUGE difference to mating pairs back up!

These little Converation Hearts I pinned burned a HOLE in my brain until I made them. They were so easy. The hearts were at Hobby Lobby for a dollar and then I used some Martha Stewart paints to give em a coat.  The vinyl I cut with my Silhouette in red.  The cutest was Brenner, he loved showing me where his name was every single time!

After I made the red, back and white I knew a Halloween version was MUCH needed!

I want to make one simple one of a four leaf clover to put out for St. Patrick's Day. I have a "Keep Calm and Leprechaun" printable. And my Valentine's Day one says "Keep Calm and Be Mine." I also am in the process of making about a million, or so it feels that way, green and white yarn pom poms to fill the large apothecary.  I can't wait to put up Easter, it's one of my favorite to decorate for. 

Braden's B-Ball Skills & Ward Splits...

We decided to up our game and sign Braden up for Wham! Basketball League this year. And while it will be nice to have our Saturday afternoons back we have mostly enjoyed the league.  We did have our first run in with a overzealous coach mid season but thanks to my nifty iPhone and video skills the league moved fast to make sure that kind of coach wasn't with them any longer.  Seriously, let me just say if this is where having kids in sports is going, I am not sure my blood pressure can handle it! Ha!

We were happy to be on a team with Stratton again.  We love the Bethea's and having the boys play each season together.

On a side note: in December our ward of 9 years Higley Groves was split and combined with half of another ward form our Stake to for a brand spanking new ward called Highland Park.  It was a pretty big shock and it meant leaving behind some very dear friends and Rusty's parents in the old ward. But the transition was eased when we realized we would fit right in in the new one.  Rusty was made the Sunday School President, I am on the Relief Society Committee and our boys have a ton of new friends their ages.  Boston will probably have the most friends his age, since there are 45 infants (under the age of 18 months that is) in our ward.  And counting.  And yes, I said 45.  We are quite the loud ward, and the mother's lounge is always packed to capacity.  Good thing none of us are above sitting on the floor to feed babies!

So, anyways- this really does all blend together I swear, when basketball started and we got an assistant coach I knew he looked familiar but it wasn't for about 3 more weeks when we ran into each other dropping babies off in nursery that it clicked.  Caden and Braden were on the same team AND in the same new ward, BONUS! And I was called as Caden's Mom's visiting teacher and since she came from the other ward I had an easy time getting to know her at games.  We miss our friends in Higley Groves a ton.  It still seems so weird to look around church and NOT know everyone's names.  But I am sure it won't take long.

Back to b-ball!

So Braden is having fun and playing well.  He has scored a couple times but he prefers to pass the ball and go for the assist.  He has been complaining about running during the games and line drills and I hate not knowing if he is tired because of heart related things or just because he isn't used to running so much.  I know I hated b-ball drill back when I played.  We only have two games left and we are at the point where we have to commit to next season already if we want to keep the team together.  Fourth grade the league becomes competitive and I am so not sure I am ready for that one.  We'll see.  We've already registered for Baseball and he is old enough for the Minors this year which means tryouts. Ugh.  Well here are a few pictures from games this season.  GO Braden, your Mom and Dad and especially your brothers LOVE watching you!

 Boston loves watching the games.  He especially loves spitting up on me while watching the game.

He does enjoy warming the bench.  Maybe a little too much.

Snowboarding...

Rusty, Braden, his dad, his sister Kelcie and his uncle's family went to Sunrise to go snowboarding and skiing while there was actually snow.  I didn't go on the trip so I can't narrate the pictures more than what I see, so here they are for you to enjoy...I do know that Braden did ski school in the morning and it totally helped him keep up with the others the rest of the day.  

Can't wait till next year when Berkley gets to go too!

 They warmed up in the lodge and got lunch and then it was back to the slopes!

 Kelcie

 Todd

 Maryn

 Rusty

 Braden going down with the skiiers

Pops

 Russ Rusty and Kelcie

 Having a little fun at the cabin before they head home.

Rusty's 33rd Birthday!!!

When Rusty walked in the door the boys were beyond ready to celebrate their Dad! Here he is with his balloons.

 These boys wanted to open his gifts so bad.  Especially the food ones.

 It wasn't a terribly excited gift year, he got a few shirts, since he has lost so much weight, we are having to replace most of his wardrobe.

 Brenner did NOT want to let these chocolates go.

 My BOYS on Rusty's Birthday.

 We went to eat at Kona Grill for his birthday dinner. It was a relaxed and yummy.  Love you Rusty!

Be Mine...

Our Valentine's Day this year...

The big boys loved doing the Valentine's exchanges at their school. Brenner loved stealing all their suckers when they weren't looking. Boston was just happy to be there. They got to make, or have made for them, giant cookies again this year with their Noni.  We ate in for Valentine's Day, I always think it is so much easier than fighting the crowds!

Congenital Heart Defect Awareness!

I am so so so far behind in my blog.  I know you don't care, but I do.  I have been making about 30 shirts for the upcoming Ethan's Run.  I couldn't NOT at least point out that Feb 7-14th is CHD Awareness week and that FEB 7 was Braden's 9th Post Op Anniversary!  Love our CHD kid and our extended Heart Family! A big thank you goes to all the HEART MOM's who wrote to our governor and had her declare it a state recognized week!

Very Pinteresting...

Do you Pinterest? (I just heard Rhonda say No) well I do. It is a great place to collect images, ideas and other things and sort them all the way you want to, for when you want to. If you need an invite let me know, I'll shoot one your way.  I have gotten so many good "pins" on my 'pinboards' and I finally and getting around to sharing them! I have so many more pins to do, so I am sure this won't be my last Pinterest post. I wanted to show you the ones that I was inspired by for a side by side, but Pinterest won't let me save the pictures. Ergh. So just check my pin boards if you wanna see em.

 (I know you saw these on the Bunco post already)

 I got ideas for filling my glass apothecary jars and the "Keep Calm" printable from it. Actually the frame stays there and I have a rotating list of Keep Calm pictures that go in it.  Right now it says 'Keep Calm and Snow On'.

 The popsicle stick snowflakes were a little bit of an obsession once I started making them. The inspiration looked like the bottom far right, but was done with standard size sticks. I used variations of large sticks and patterned sticks.  Below you can see they took over my staircase.  I want more next year. And it was so cheap. I had everything on hand.

I made this little gem for Rhonda for Christmas.  By the way, I am in LOVE with the Martha Stewart line of craft paint. It is more expensive but so worth it. I used the red, and it covered in one coat. I was hooked!

And these were the cutest gifts for my Mom and Mother-in-Law. I wanted to use various shades of green for the boys hands. And then I used a star stamp. You can't see it but around the edge I glued a glittery red rickrack. On my MIL's we added 'ornaments' in red using my niece's fingerprints. I love Boss's hands, too cute huh?

So THANK YOU PINTEREST for making my holidays a little cuter, and yummier too. My 'Wanna be Foodie' board has brought me some awesome new recipes! I already have another post with Valentine's crafts inspired by Pinterest so that will be coming soon!

Boston lately...

Here are just a few cute pictures of Mr. Boston. He is such a joy.  He could sleep better for me at night but he is a happy kid, so it is manageable.  He just got started on a new formula, Nurtamigen as well as Zantac for his reflux. After, seriously, 8 different formulas his body really seems to tolerate this one the best.  The medicine isn't really helping his reflux, so I am going to have to give it another week and take him back to the doctor to see what we do next.  I can't believe he is going to be 3 months old this week!

 This is how we spend a lot of time, him screaming and me holding him upright so he spits up less...

 I absolutly LOVE these swaddleme blankets.  I got one from a friend and immediately ordered a bunch from Amazon. They have velcro and keep baby swaddled so tight. As you can see, he loves it.

 He is my bestest snuggle buddy. I got to take a lot of naps with him while Rusty was off.  Thanks Honey, I really needed all those mornings of sleeping in and taking naps.

 Did I mention his hair is getting curlier and curlier?

Seriously, even with spit up all down his arm and belly he can still smile.  Oh, and he is ticklish !

Prepare yourself for cuteness overload.

Are you dying right now? I know.  His feet are ticklish too!