OK, I can't help it - I am loving my new short hair. I feel like I can actually go for a "style" now. So fun. Before this, I have been using the same techniques and hair products as I did when I was 14. I basically watched what my older sister, Bethany, did and copied her and then never knew what else to do with my crazy curly hair. Anyway, I promised Leslie, my mom and my sisters that I'd keep them updated on my hair status, so .... on Friday night I washed and styled my hair for the first time by myself and then went out on a date with Daniel. Before we left, I had him snap some shots of my hair. Check it out girls .... it's a little deflated (which I like) and smoother (which I like), so I think I'll try and replicate this style more ... thoughts??

OK, well, I decided on using picture number 8 as my guide to get my hair chopped:



And then armed with my picture and a great recommendation from a friend, I went to "One Salon" in Novi and had Janine cut it all off. I chopped about 12 inches off and this is what I ended up with ...

I took these first few by myself, then Daniel came home and snapped a few shots of me with the boys bouncing around on my bed in the background:










So, what do you think?

I think I really like it, but time will tell. I have to figure out how to style it and work with it. You can't tell in these pictures, but it is shorter in back than in front, so it's like an A-line haircut, so I really can't pull it into a friendly old pony tail like I'm used to. I'll write more when I live with this for a while, but for now - no more neck aches and headaches from my gosh dern heavy carpet hair!!

1. I need more IKEA plastic plates, cups and bowls ... I am doing ... wait scratch that, DANIEL is doing dishes everyday and our dishwasher is packed with only colorful plastic plates, cups and bowls, sippy cups and spoons.

2. I have wiped up urine off the bathroom floor more than I wanted to.

3. I have not "deep cleaned" or even thought about it in 4 days. And by "deep clean" I mean vacuumed, swept or wiped the countertops.

4. I have never heard Noah or Naomi laugh so hard.

5. I have been blown away with how 4 kids can entertain themselves for 2 1/2 hours just playing in the backyard. Noah and Liam alone only last 5 minutes or less. (I'll bet you're wondering what I did for 2 1/2 hours - well, there was lunch to clean up after, tables to wipe down, showers to take, snacks to prepare and about 1 hour was spent working on a sewing project - woo hoo!)

I am feeling pretty good about myself. I did it. And the time went super fast. When you're busy all day long, time flys. I leave to go pick up Leslie from the airport in bout 3 hours and Naomi is at a friends' house until her mom comes home and Stella is sleeping. So I'm down to 2 kids again and they're outside playing - phew!

So here are a few pictures I snapped. Most of them are Naomi and Noah because Liam and Stella were hard to catch on film not moving and awake. :)

So .... my friend, Leslie, and I came up with a genius plan a few months back. Neither one of us has family nearby so we never have grandparents to take the kids for a sleepover. So we decided to do a kid swap so that each of us as a couple with our hubbies could go on an overnighter trip. That's why Daniel and I were able to see Chicago for a weekend trip sans kids and last night, Leslie dropped off her two girls and I have 4 kids (her two girls and my two boys) for the next 4 days while she's at Marco Island with her honey.

4 kids ... this is what I've noticed thus far:

1. There are more dishes to wash and toys to pick up.
2. Daniel and I don't get to talk and hang out much. We seem to always be playing tag-team. I take the girls and get them ready for bed and he takes the boys. I grab the bags from the car and he gets the kids out of the car. I make dinner and he does laundry, etc.
3. Noah and Naomi are occupied playing with each other pretty much 100% of the time. I don't have to find activities for them to do at all. This afternoon we put Stella and Liam down for naps and Naomi and Noah played upstairs and downstairs for 2 hours while Daniel and I napped. It was awesome.
4. Noah is generally more happy. Mostly because he has a built-in playmate.
5. Getting ready for church takes 4 hours.

That's all I've got so far, but I'll keep you posted.

Wow, so much has been going on lately. I have started several new projects, programs and lists for myself, "school time" for Noah for the summer and Aqua Tots for Liam. I've been hosting parties, playing with some awesome gal pals and doing play dates for Noah ... so it's been "good busy", but busy nonetheless.

Liz and Ian came to visit a few weeks ago and we loved it. I had planned some outside-the-house activities but we didn't really do them. Really, we just hung around the house, took naps everyday and ate. One night we got a babysitter and went out to a Mexican place to eat (On The Border) and then saw the Robinhood movie with Russell Crowe. It was so relaxing!

I had a menu prepared for the weekend that would hopefully not irritate Ian's IBS or lactose intolerance and I think it worked! It was so nice to have a menu. I loved not having to think up something interesting and yummy for every meal, I just knew and prepared for the stuff I had previously planned. It was nice.

They came in around 1 am on Friday morning. Daniel had to go to work for a half day on Friday, so we took our time getting up and ready and then Daniel came home, napped with Liam and the rest of us went to Old Navy and Kohl's to buy shorts, sunglasses and flip flops. The rest of the day we just vegged and talked and napped.

Saturday I had planned to go out and about, but we just ended up hanging around again, eating meals slowly, napping and then eating and talking some more. Then we went out to eat and went to a movie that night. Sunday we went to church and came home and napped, then ate (are you getting a recurring theme here?) and had Family Home Evening with the boys before they went to bed. After that we watched a mission video that Liz had brought. This was one of my favorite evenings.

The video was taken of Daniel right after he got home from his mission. He just sat in front of the camera and talked about his mission in halting and accented English for like an hour. Oh man, I just adore him. Daniel is the cutest human ever. I love watching him talk. All his mannerisms are adorable and his face is just beautiful. His calm tone of voice and sweet grin are endearing and his laugh comes unexpected and quick. A special treat at the end was a little speech by Mark about how proud he was of Daniel. It warmed my heart to see Mark talking again. Mark got emotional and I loved having Daniel see and hear what his Dad had to say.

Monday morning we realized we hadn't pulled out the camer at all!!! So we shot a few pictures in front of our house. Here are those few pictures. Most of the pictures are of Ian and Noah doing crazy midair poses. It was fun and I'm sure quite a spectacle for our neighbors! Hahahaha!




















These two look so much alike, I think. Cute little faces.

My little sister, Mina, just had baby number two! It was a girl, they're naming her Devyn Ray Donner and she was born at 1:40 MST. That's all we know so far. They haven't even weighed her yet. Here are some pics my mom sent me from her phone:

There is a major let-down after a fun vacation, trip or event of some sort for me. Does this happen to you too?

This past weekend Liz and Ian came to visit - it was pure bliss. A true vacation complete with afternoon naps everyday. And here I am now - Liam is screaming and crying in his bed, not taking a nap like he should because his favorite blanket got thrashed with pasta sauce this weekend and is in the dryer. I am running loads of laundry, trying to plan our meals for the month and putting together a shopping list because it's the first of the month. Noah is banging around the house doing who knows what and asking when I am going to set up a play date with Ordaz boys every ten minutes. And my phone is ringing.

It's back to life - hardcore. Daniel is gone and has a group meeting tonight with his classmates, so I don't know when I will see him and shouldn't plan on seeing him before 9 or 10 pm. I am washing, cleaning and planning and the boys are the boys - needy, hungry, whining, destructive, angry, deliriously happy, then mad, and messy.

But let's try and be positive .... the sun is out and it is June 1st - which means it's summertime. Thank heavens! I have park days on the calendar and a Forsyth family camping trip next month. Noah finishes swim lessons this week and Liam starts his swim lessons (a.k.a. Aqua Tots) next week. I am planning an outdoor get together for some girlfriends in the ward this Friday and I love planning parties - especially outdoor ones with twinkling lights, lanterns, citronella candles, patio furniture and drinks in galvanized tubs ... it screams summer and I LOVE it.

One more noteworthy item - dinner for the month of June.

I have been overspending on our monthly food budget every month for about 6 months now and it's bad. I thought it was because of certain events we hadn't planned into the budget or because of miscalculations of some sort .... but really, it's not, it's just me. I need to plan better. In an effort to get control of the food spending, I am doing something different this month. I am planning out the menu for the entire month of June.

I have been looking on some awesome food blogs and gleaning recipes and tips from all over to plan the meals and menus. Then it's time to plan the shopping list and we'll see how I do this month. Here my favorite food blog so far: Our Best Bites

Wish me luck!