yay!!! it's christmas time! i have to admit christmas is one of my favorite time of years. halloween is still my fave but it's pretty close. i'm almost done with shopping and the decorations are mostly up. i finally finished all my craft projects from last year. the last was the garland around the lamp post out front. i had it all ready to go and just had to brave the cold to tie on the flowers then hot glue gun them in place. it was a lot harder than it sounds since it was super cold outside when i did it. my fingers were totally numb by the end but it was totally worth it. now that all the setup is done all that's left is wrapping and mailing off gifts and cards.
right now i find myself bored listening to korn's new album (highly recommend) and waiting for my millions of frames to import into photoshop as layers for one of my many projects i most likely won't finish. apparently you can only import 500 frames at a time so i had to split my frames into different files :). if i'm lucky i will be done importing it all sometime tonight.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Tara makes an AMV
Sunday, October 9, 2011
This is Halloween!
you know it's officially october when the swenson's break out their halloween decor and light up the neighborhood. we are a little late this year but managed to get the outside decorations up yesterday. we should be getting the inside up today, which we are super excited for, and hopefully getting the garage cleaned out so that we can fit the cars inside.
fall brings lots of changes around here. we get to start opening the windows and letting in the fresh air, we can stop worrying about the sprinklers and start worrying about the leaves, and for some reason it makes me want to cook. i love to cook soups and stews so i will soon be breaking out my giant pot and filling it with delicious hot meals.
this year we are trying to be healthier so this week starts the long road to the gym. we are going to try and meet up with sara, beardman, teenie, logan, and megan whenever they go. we are also trying to eat healthier and stop eating out. in addition i'm giving up caffeine and soda. i'm on day one and replacing them with a green smoothie. i have to say i'm pleasantly surprised that spinach, bananas, and water actually make for a yummy treat. sadly it's not doing much for the caffeine headache but i'm sure after a week that will go away.
october also means it's time for our anniversary! this makes 7 amazing years and they keep getting better. i'm so lucky to have such an amazing, talented and funny hubby that i get to share my life with. our anniversary was yesterday october 8th but since we made the unexpected trip to montana we had to make up some time at work so we will be celebrating it next week. i'm in charge of planning the evening activity and steve has the day. it will be super fun and i can't wait!
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Saying Goodbye
We just arrived home from a very fast, unplanned road trip to Montana to say good bye to Grandma Shirley Melon (Tara's Grandma). Grandma Melon passed away a few weeks ago in Spokane Washington.
The last week before she passed I kept thinking about her and remembering silly little things like the treats she would keep around the house for us kids. There were always drumsticks in the freezer, butterscotch candies on the side table that held the newspapers and magazines. On the kitchen counter were wintergreen certs that I would constantly eat. She would also always have powdered donuts and milk for us.
On the day Grandma passed away I went to the grocery store and bought some powdered donuts and milk because I had a random craving for them. It wasn't until a few days later we got the news of her passing.
Aunt Annette and Uncle Frank took the ashes to Missoula, Montana on Monday Oct. 4th at about 4 pm and placed them in a beautiful black stone mausoleum in St. Mary's Cemetery. The same cemetery where her infant daughter, my aunt Carol is buried. It's a beautiful place with lots of unique tombstones.
We weren't planning on making the trip but Monday morning when we woke up for work, I decided I would regret it forever if I didn't go and say goodbye. So within 20 minutes Steve and I were packed and out the door with a rental car waiting for us.
We rented a little Chevy Aveos and started the long drive up to Missoula. It's about 8 hours from Salt Lake. We made really good time, stopped at the usual places along the way and captured the epic buffalo just out side of Dillon.
We missed Annette and Frank by about 20 minutes which was sad but we were able to find the mausoleum, still unmarked since the stone hasn't been engraved yet, and say our good byes. We also stopped by and said good bye to Carol.
We stayed in Missoula for about two hours. While there we found grandma's old house which was once pink and brown and is now black and white and updated. It looks very different. The pigeon coop and garage however still look the same. The pigeon coop had insulation in the openings to keep the homing pigeons my grandpa raised from coming back. I always wondered how that work since they sold the pigeons after he passed. The old dog house my grandpa made for my mom was still outback next to the garage.
We also stopped and grabbed hoagies and hoagie cheese fries from hoagie ville. You can't make a trip to Missoula without getting one. Then we started the trip home.
We managed to get to Idaho Falls at 11 but were to tired to finish the drive home so spent the night at the same hotel that saved us during the snow storm of doom a few years ago. The room was non-smoking but man it smelled awful and all of our luggage and belongs share the wondrous sent now. Fortunately it can all be washed.
We left Idaho Falls around 9 and finished our 1079 mile drive at about 12:30, totaling 16 hours of driving in 27 hours. Needless to say we are super exhausted but really glad we were able to say goodbye.
The last week before she passed I kept thinking about her and remembering silly little things like the treats she would keep around the house for us kids. There were always drumsticks in the freezer, butterscotch candies on the side table that held the newspapers and magazines. On the kitchen counter were wintergreen certs that I would constantly eat. She would also always have powdered donuts and milk for us.
On the day Grandma passed away I went to the grocery store and bought some powdered donuts and milk because I had a random craving for them. It wasn't until a few days later we got the news of her passing.
Aunt Annette and Uncle Frank took the ashes to Missoula, Montana on Monday Oct. 4th at about 4 pm and placed them in a beautiful black stone mausoleum in St. Mary's Cemetery. The same cemetery where her infant daughter, my aunt Carol is buried. It's a beautiful place with lots of unique tombstones.
We weren't planning on making the trip but Monday morning when we woke up for work, I decided I would regret it forever if I didn't go and say goodbye. So within 20 minutes Steve and I were packed and out the door with a rental car waiting for us.
We rented a little Chevy Aveos and started the long drive up to Missoula. It's about 8 hours from Salt Lake. We made really good time, stopped at the usual places along the way and captured the epic buffalo just out side of Dillon.
We missed Annette and Frank by about 20 minutes which was sad but we were able to find the mausoleum, still unmarked since the stone hasn't been engraved yet, and say our good byes. We also stopped by and said good bye to Carol.
We stayed in Missoula for about two hours. While there we found grandma's old house which was once pink and brown and is now black and white and updated. It looks very different. The pigeon coop and garage however still look the same. The pigeon coop had insulation in the openings to keep the homing pigeons my grandpa raised from coming back. I always wondered how that work since they sold the pigeons after he passed. The old dog house my grandpa made for my mom was still outback next to the garage.
We also stopped and grabbed hoagies and hoagie cheese fries from hoagie ville. You can't make a trip to Missoula without getting one. Then we started the trip home.
We managed to get to Idaho Falls at 11 but were to tired to finish the drive home so spent the night at the same hotel that saved us during the snow storm of doom a few years ago. The room was non-smoking but man it smelled awful and all of our luggage and belongs share the wondrous sent now. Fortunately it can all be washed.
We left Idaho Falls around 9 and finished our 1079 mile drive at about 12:30, totaling 16 hours of driving in 27 hours. Needless to say we are super exhausted but really glad we were able to say goodbye.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Holidays Swenson Style - The Summary
Well the holidays have come and gone and I have fallen very far behind in updating the family blog. So I will do my best to summarize the fun filled events.
Trina Comes To Town and Traci gets a Kitty:
The week of Thanksgiving Trina has started to come and visit every year. It's awesome, we have so much fun and get to celebrate lots of traditions together.
The first night we all go together was Sunday after the hellish snow storm. We went down to Traci's where she made a delicious roast and we made caramel apples, which is something we haven't done as an entire family since we were kids. This year was the first year in several where the caramel wasn't so hard you couldn't actually eat the apple.
The girls all decorated theirs with bright sprinkles and marshmallows where I'm more of a plain caramel kind of girl.
Traci got a new edition to her family. Another little girl, a kitten who wandered into their garage and is sooo cute and cuddly and lets the girls man handle her.
Tara and Trina Spend a Day Being Crafty:
I had off work on Monday so Trina and I wandered around town running errands. We spent most of our time at Michaels Arts and Crafts where we purchased items to make holiday wreathes. I had been talking about making them for a while but was to intimidated.
After collecting all the pieces we went over to Moo's, watched Troy, and made three wreathes. One for each side of the garage and a large one for over the front door. They turned out great and we had a lot of fun making them.
After all was said and done it would have been a lot cheaper and faster just to buy pre-made wreathes, but then they wouldn't have our personal touch.
The Forgotten Day.....
So I can't remember what we actually did on Tuesday. Trina Stayed at our house on Monday Night and then worked on homework while I went to work. Steve had the day off so the two of them hung out. I can't actually remember what we did that night but I think we went over and hung out at Moo's. There was supposed to be a terrifying blizzard so Traci and the girls didn't come up. Moo made us dinner, sadly thats all I can remember....
Slumber Party:
Wednesday we all went over to Moos and had a sleepover. Moo made her delicious Brocolli Cheddar Soup which has been a family favorite since we were all little. We talked and joked and watched movies. When everyone was ready for bed Steve and I headed home to sleep.
Thanksgiving:
On Thursday Steve and I went over to Moo's early so that we could wake everyone up. We ran to the gas station and grabbed a paper so Traci and I could look over all the Black Friday Sales and plan our attack for teh following morning. We said we weren't going to go this year but after looking at the great deals we quickly changed our minds. We even talked Trina into joining us. :) We were all going to meet over at the Target by Traci's in Orem. I was going to head over early and get a spot in line.
We watched the Thanksgiving day parade and Steve made us all a delicious breakfast of German Pancakes. After we ate everyone got ready and Traci, Trina, and I went to the gas station for coffee and papa's(diet coke)
We finalized our plans for the next morning, watched some you tube videos, and then when everyone was ready we went to Mimi's Cafe for Thanksgiving Dinner. We decided since it was just the adults (Traci's girls were with their dads this year) we would let someone else worry about the cooking and cleaning this year. It was delicious and came with desert. I discovered I didn't like Bread Pudding but the rest of the meal was delicious I even ate my potatoes which is quite the feat.
I actually think it would be fun to make Thanksgiving Dinner next year. I'm trying to convince myself I'm capable of doing it, so we will see what happens. The decorating of the table intrigues me the most...
Happy Birthday Traci!!! & Black Friday Madness:
Friday morning started early...very early. I woke up at 2 and was planning on driving down to Orem, but decided not to. I called Traci and Trina and they said they would meet me up in Salt Lake instead. So I got to Target at 3:00 am, the line was already wrapping around the side of the building and across the parking lot when I got there. It was very cold out but I was so excited I didn't really care.
The doors opened at 4 and all of us were able to get what we needed. After Target we ran to Kmart so that I could grab something for Brinners. From Kmart we ran to Old Navy and the Mall which had some incredible deals. After we went split up I ran into Home Depot and was able to grab a shop vac at a great deal. I was able to finish up all of my holiday shopping that weekend minus a few small stocking items.
After the excitement of shopping ended we all took naps. After our nap Steve and I went back to Old Navy and bought some jeans for me and a shirt for him with money from parents to buy each other gifts.
The most important thing that happened today was Traci's Birthday!! We went over to moo's in the after noon and opened presents with the whole family. Traci got lots of clothes and a very cute bag from the Spauldings.
After we opened gifts Moo made us dinner. Traci asked for steak (Moo makes the best steaks in the world), potatoes, brown sugared carrots, and for desert a delicious angel food cake. We had a lot of fun!
Bye Bye Trina:
Saturday was Trina's last day in town. Her and Traci hung out down in Sprinville until it was time to go to the airport. I went with Moo to drop her off and we said our good byes. I can't wait to see her again next Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving Continues:
On Sunday we celebrated Thanksgiving with the Swensons. We went over the the parents and ate a delicious meal with all the traditional fix-ens and everyone came over including the Hansens. We had a ton of fun and we drew names for the siblings Christmas Gifts. We volunteered for Thew and Jenny because we had a great idea for it.
Trina Comes To Town and Traci gets a Kitty:
The week of Thanksgiving Trina has started to come and visit every year. It's awesome, we have so much fun and get to celebrate lots of traditions together.
The first night we all go together was Sunday after the hellish snow storm. We went down to Traci's where she made a delicious roast and we made caramel apples, which is something we haven't done as an entire family since we were kids. This year was the first year in several where the caramel wasn't so hard you couldn't actually eat the apple.
The girls all decorated theirs with bright sprinkles and marshmallows where I'm more of a plain caramel kind of girl.
Traci got a new edition to her family. Another little girl, a kitten who wandered into their garage and is sooo cute and cuddly and lets the girls man handle her.
Tara and Trina Spend a Day Being Crafty:
I had off work on Monday so Trina and I wandered around town running errands. We spent most of our time at Michaels Arts and Crafts where we purchased items to make holiday wreathes. I had been talking about making them for a while but was to intimidated.
After collecting all the pieces we went over to Moo's, watched Troy, and made three wreathes. One for each side of the garage and a large one for over the front door. They turned out great and we had a lot of fun making them.
After all was said and done it would have been a lot cheaper and faster just to buy pre-made wreathes, but then they wouldn't have our personal touch.
The Forgotten Day.....
So I can't remember what we actually did on Tuesday. Trina Stayed at our house on Monday Night and then worked on homework while I went to work. Steve had the day off so the two of them hung out. I can't actually remember what we did that night but I think we went over and hung out at Moo's. There was supposed to be a terrifying blizzard so Traci and the girls didn't come up. Moo made us dinner, sadly thats all I can remember....
Slumber Party:
Wednesday we all went over to Moos and had a sleepover. Moo made her delicious Brocolli Cheddar Soup which has been a family favorite since we were all little. We talked and joked and watched movies. When everyone was ready for bed Steve and I headed home to sleep.
Thanksgiving:
On Thursday Steve and I went over to Moo's early so that we could wake everyone up. We ran to the gas station and grabbed a paper so Traci and I could look over all the Black Friday Sales and plan our attack for teh following morning. We said we weren't going to go this year but after looking at the great deals we quickly changed our minds. We even talked Trina into joining us. :) We were all going to meet over at the Target by Traci's in Orem. I was going to head over early and get a spot in line.
We watched the Thanksgiving day parade and Steve made us all a delicious breakfast of German Pancakes. After we ate everyone got ready and Traci, Trina, and I went to the gas station for coffee and papa's(diet coke)
We finalized our plans for the next morning, watched some you tube videos, and then when everyone was ready we went to Mimi's Cafe for Thanksgiving Dinner. We decided since it was just the adults (Traci's girls were with their dads this year) we would let someone else worry about the cooking and cleaning this year. It was delicious and came with desert. I discovered I didn't like Bread Pudding but the rest of the meal was delicious I even ate my potatoes which is quite the feat.
I actually think it would be fun to make Thanksgiving Dinner next year. I'm trying to convince myself I'm capable of doing it, so we will see what happens. The decorating of the table intrigues me the most...
Happy Birthday Traci!!! & Black Friday Madness:
Friday morning started early...very early. I woke up at 2 and was planning on driving down to Orem, but decided not to. I called Traci and Trina and they said they would meet me up in Salt Lake instead. So I got to Target at 3:00 am, the line was already wrapping around the side of the building and across the parking lot when I got there. It was very cold out but I was so excited I didn't really care.
The doors opened at 4 and all of us were able to get what we needed. After Target we ran to Kmart so that I could grab something for Brinners. From Kmart we ran to Old Navy and the Mall which had some incredible deals. After we went split up I ran into Home Depot and was able to grab a shop vac at a great deal. I was able to finish up all of my holiday shopping that weekend minus a few small stocking items.
After the excitement of shopping ended we all took naps. After our nap Steve and I went back to Old Navy and bought some jeans for me and a shirt for him with money from parents to buy each other gifts.
The most important thing that happened today was Traci's Birthday!! We went over to moo's in the after noon and opened presents with the whole family. Traci got lots of clothes and a very cute bag from the Spauldings.
After we opened gifts Moo made us dinner. Traci asked for steak (Moo makes the best steaks in the world), potatoes, brown sugared carrots, and for desert a delicious angel food cake. We had a lot of fun!
Bye Bye Trina:
Saturday was Trina's last day in town. Her and Traci hung out down in Sprinville until it was time to go to the airport. I went with Moo to drop her off and we said our good byes. I can't wait to see her again next Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving Continues:
On Sunday we celebrated Thanksgiving with the Swensons. We went over the the parents and ate a delicious meal with all the traditional fix-ens and everyone came over including the Hansens. We had a ton of fun and we drew names for the siblings Christmas Gifts. We volunteered for Thew and Jenny because we had a great idea for it.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Winter Wonder Land (Satan's Frozen Hell)
the first big snow of the season has arrived. and it was a big one. we got about six inches to a foot of snow in about three hours. fortunately trina's flight arrived safely. traci and the girls picked her up and all made it to moo's safely for a slumber party. we did not attend because i always seem to get sick on my days off....yesterday was no exception (stupid fever). we did still attempt to go but the roads were terrible so after sliding down the hill on highland we turned around and bunkered in for the night. steve made some yummy potato garlic soup for dinner and we curled up on the couch and watched some darker than black. we are still trying to decide if we like it but its definitely getting better.
tom and kym are both very disappointed about the snow. this morning they both excitedly ran outside but came to a halt on the front porch trying to figure out what the evil cold wet stuff was everywhere. luckily for tom its the first sign of his favorite time of year christmas! it's when he gets to roll around in glitter, eat the tree, wrapping paper, and ribbons. not to mention get at his stocking which he has learned is full of goodies. its always tricky to keep him out of it on christmas eve.
traci and moo already put up their tree and decor which means we are behind. i bought some items to attempt to make three wreathes for outside but am terrified to actually start on them. i'm not even sure where to begin. i also purchased some blue, orange, and green ribbon and am hanging christmas ornaments from them to hang in the three windows that don't house the tree. i was really hoping we would have the fireplace done in time to hang our stockings from it but it looks like it will have to wait till next year.
although our decor may not be up we are well on our way to getting ready for christmas. most of our shopping is already done and we only have a few items left to purchase, which means no black friday shopping! i'm both excited and sad about this. it is very comically to watch the deadlock sea of carts in the middle of target. we may still end up fighting our way through the crowds if we can get a good deal on a terabyte drive to back up our art work, music, and family photos.
i love this time of year! i love all the holiday smells, traditions, and spending time with our family and friends. this year i'm hoping to start some new traditions. i want to bake christmas cookies using moo's recipe for cookie dough and frosting. they were always my favorite holiday cookies and i can't wait to make them with steve! i would love to start throwing a cookie party too, where everyone bakes cookies and we put them out to sample then as a party favor people get to take their favorites home with them. thats a lot of work though so that prob won't happen. lastly i want to watch the nightmare before christmas on christmas eve after we open our christmas pajamas (already a tradition). we'll have to see how much of it we actually do. :)
tom and kym are both very disappointed about the snow. this morning they both excitedly ran outside but came to a halt on the front porch trying to figure out what the evil cold wet stuff was everywhere. luckily for tom its the first sign of his favorite time of year christmas! it's when he gets to roll around in glitter, eat the tree, wrapping paper, and ribbons. not to mention get at his stocking which he has learned is full of goodies. its always tricky to keep him out of it on christmas eve.
traci and moo already put up their tree and decor which means we are behind. i bought some items to attempt to make three wreathes for outside but am terrified to actually start on them. i'm not even sure where to begin. i also purchased some blue, orange, and green ribbon and am hanging christmas ornaments from them to hang in the three windows that don't house the tree. i was really hoping we would have the fireplace done in time to hang our stockings from it but it looks like it will have to wait till next year.
although our decor may not be up we are well on our way to getting ready for christmas. most of our shopping is already done and we only have a few items left to purchase, which means no black friday shopping! i'm both excited and sad about this. it is very comically to watch the deadlock sea of carts in the middle of target. we may still end up fighting our way through the crowds if we can get a good deal on a terabyte drive to back up our art work, music, and family photos.
i love this time of year! i love all the holiday smells, traditions, and spending time with our family and friends. this year i'm hoping to start some new traditions. i want to bake christmas cookies using moo's recipe for cookie dough and frosting. they were always my favorite holiday cookies and i can't wait to make them with steve! i would love to start throwing a cookie party too, where everyone bakes cookies and we put them out to sample then as a party favor people get to take their favorites home with them. thats a lot of work though so that prob won't happen. lastly i want to watch the nightmare before christmas on christmas eve after we open our christmas pajamas (already a tradition). we'll have to see how much of it we actually do. :)
Friday, November 19, 2010
Aww.. My Boys
i'm so lucky to have such sweet boys. i love them all so much. here's to a nice relaxing day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
