Chamberlains

Happy Valentines Day

2012-02-14T09:14:00.002-07:00

Happy Valentines Day to my 2 sweethearts.
I love you both with all my heart.
You two have made me the happiest mama in the world.
Thanks for all of the LOVE you give me,
and for all the smiles we share together.

My cute Ruby
I wanted to get some Valentines pics of her.
I had some ideas of what I wanted but she is so strong willed about what she wears and does that it all turned into what she wanted.

They still turned out pretty darn cute

I was soooo happy to get a few of the two of us together. I don't have very many of us.
I am so lucky to have Ruby and she always makes me feel so special
according to her I am the "best mom in the world" and she tells me about 10 times a day.
Love her

Ruby's Valentines headband

2012-02-13T10:59:00.004-07:00

I just made this Cute little headband for Ruby today. I think she will love wearing it for Valentines Day tomorrow. That little one is super opinionated when it comes to things she wears so lately I never know what she will like and won't like. But I'm thinking that she will love the fact that it has her name on it.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed!!!
xoxo

Linked to:
Lolly Jane

Valentines Decorations

2012-02-09T14:34:00.006-07:00

I have been having fun getting ready for Valentines Day!
Here are a few of the things that I have been working on this past week

These two banners

The vintage cards are from The Graphics Fairy

I made the sweetheart sticks with my Cricut and some dowel that I painted
The vase was just an old glass vase that I covered with jute twine. I have used it so many times for different holidays. I love it.

This heart garland made out of felt was Janan's idea.
and you all know how I am obsessed with doing things with felt, so I was happy to make one when she showed it to me.
These are just a few of the things that I have been up to. I'll be back to show you more.

We have visitors here with us right now. Colton Lambert and his girlfriend just got in last night. We are so excited to hang out ans show them around lower Alabama

Linked to
Transformation Thursday
Lolly Jane

Birthday Present How to

2012-01-30T16:05:00.006-07:00

For Clint's Birthday I made this wall art.
I always have such a hard time deciding what to get Clint for his Birthday
because we both just get what we want throughout the year.
So after stressing....I decided to make something that showed him how much I love him.

This is the Inspiration....It is from the adorable Chasing Fireflies. I Love that catalog.
This one costs $278.00
Crazy right? They are practically identical
(Chasing Fireflies)

I bought a long piece of 1"x2" and a large piece of 1/4" wood
I decided what size I wanted it to be and I gave those measurements to the wonderful
Michael Welch, and he did the amazing stuff.
He went way above and beyond what I was planning on doing.
He cut the 1x2 with the measurements that I gave him and gave the corners 45 degree cuts
He then routed out a 1/4 inch down the middle of each side
The 1/4 inch piece fit in perfectly. Snug as a bug.

Then it got pinned together for extra strength.

I wanted the frame to look like raw aged wood.
(just like the inspiration)
I looked up on line and used a method of soaking some 0000 steel wool in a glass jar of vinegar for 24 hrs. then you just brush the liquid onto the desired wood.
It worked like a charm.

I white washed the 1/4 wood and let it dry. Then I printed out the saying on the computer in the font that I wanted. I taped the paper to the wood where I wanted it and with a ball point pen I traced the saying. This makes a little indentation onto the wood so that when you remove the paper you can see the saying and just paint within the indented lines.
After the paint was dry I gave it a quick sand. and then I was done.

I love how it turned out and that it is something so personal that I made for Clint.
The other great thing is that I can use it in my Valentine decorating.

linked to:
Transformation Thursday

DisneyWorld Day 1

2012-01-21T10:34:00.003-07:00

For Christmas 2011 we went to Disney World
We went with my parents and my brother Matt and his wife Yoshi and their cute little Mei
We had so much fun.
I love Disney anything and Ruby has been to Disneyland twice but this was her 1st Disney World experience.
We didn't even tell her that we were going. We just showed up at The Magic Kingdom.
It was so fun watching her face and how excited she was. I couldn't stop taking pictures of her just looking at everything.
It really is a Magical place.

Cinderella's Castle

These faces were so excited and just pure Joy

There are always tons of shows going on and typically we don't stop for those.
We just run to the next ride
But Ruby was really amazed at seeing all the characters so we watched pretty much every show that was available
There were also some great Holiday shows and Parades. It was so fun to be there during Christmas.

Mei's cute face

We loved spending time with Matt and Yoshi and Mei and getting to know them better.

Waiting for a parade

All the fun Christmas lights and decorations down Main Street USA

The view of the castle as we were leaving on the ferry

What a fun day

There are still 3 more days of pics to come.
Stay tuned

Clint's Happy Birthday

2012-01-15T15:02:00.004-07:00

January 11th was Clint's birthday.
It started out with Clint getting up at 4:15am to go to the flight line.
So exciting!!!!!!!

Clinty,
Happy Birthday, I feel like such a lucky girl to be sharing this life with you.
Thanks for taking me on this journey with you.
We have had so many great experiences together with our little Ruby.
I love our family of 3 and even though it's not what we had hoped for.
I feel like we are so close as a family and I wouldn't change that for anything.
We truly cherish every little event and change in our lives . And that includes your special day!!!
Happy Birthday!
Love your Wifey

We had a birthday dinner that night and then had friends over for cake and ice cream.
I am so glad that we have friend here to share these special days with.

This picture was taken as we were all singing Happy Birthday
so typical.....on his phone

Clint always has to have a strawberry cake with strawberry frosting.
He remembers his mom always making one for him when he was growing up.
So cute!!!
I am not a big strawberry fan, but this Strawberry Shortcake Cake is so delicious.
But I always make some sort of chocolate cake too.
This year it was a Chocolate Raspberry and oh my was it divine.

This is what I gave Clint.
I love it, cause it is so true and it doesn't hurt to be reminded.
The best part is that I made it
(I had some help from our good friend Michael with the cutting, Thanks Michael)
But I feel like it means so much more knowing that I made it.
I am so happy with how it turned out.

Table Redo

2012-01-10T14:13:00.006-07:00

I bought this table this past summer while I was in Utah.
I fell in love with it because of the two drop leaf sides
and I thought it would be a great size to use as our desk/craft/project table
The other great thing about it is it had two leaves to make it even bigger

This is what it looked like when I bought it

After being stripped and sanded

The legs getting a coat of primer

And here are all of the lovely after shots

The top was stained in dark walnut and coated with a wax

The base was painted in Creamy by Sherwin Williams
I fell in love with this table from Miss Mustard Seed and had to try it.
So it worked out perfect when I found this table.
The only thing I didn't do that Miss Mustard Seed did is rub stain over the legs after they were painted. I tend to like a cleaner look.

I have loved this table so I am sad that we may not keep it.
We have to figure out what we will have room for in Washington.

Linked to:
Today's Creative Blog
Primitive and Proper
Miss Mustard Seed
Transformation Thursday

Poms

2012-01-06T12:50:00.008-07:00

I have had a few different people ask me about the Poms that I made for my sisters wedding.
I love these poms.
They are super easy but a bit time consuming
I have made so many of these for a ton of different occasions
Weddings
Birthday parties
Baby showers
I even have some hanging in Ruby's room right now!!!!

What you will need:
Tissue Paper
Scissors
Floral wire

1. Stack 8 pieces of tissue paper at either 20"x30" or 10"x20"
(like I said, I tend to make the smaller ones more)
Make 1 1/2" wide accordion folds(fold the longer width)
Make a really good crease with each fold.
2. when it is completely folded wrap floral wire around the center, but don't smash the paper
3. Trim both ends, either to a pint, or rounded
4. Slowly and carefully fan out each individual accordion, and give it desired puffiness
5. Hang with either monofilament or ribbon

I tend to make the small ones more often because they hold there shape longer
I also like doing the rounded edge more than the pointy
But that is all a personal preference.
The ones that I have hanging in Ruby's room
I made for a baby shower over a year ago and they still look perfect!!!!

Have fun & let me know what you make them for!!!

Linked to:
Lolly Jane
The Girl Creative
Today's Creative Blog

New Year's Eve

2012-01-03T10:58:00.002-07:00

The last 3 weeks have gone by so fast. We have done so much that it is going to take me awhile to catch up.
My parents have been in town
We went to Disney world for Christmas
and
We spent New Years at the beach.
I am going to start with New Year's and then catch up from there

WE LOVE THE BEACH
So I was so glad that we got to spend New Year's Eve there.
We went down with my parents, but a bunch of our friends were there too.
It was a fun day and perfect weather.
I was prepping myself for freezingness at the beach.
I mean I was thinking coats and hats and all
But it was beautiful.

As always Ruby had fun with the Welch kids

Everyone did lots of reading and just hanging out.
The MEN went out on the kayak and snorkeling.
I mean it was nice weather but the water was freezing.
CRAZY!!!!!
I spent most of the time listening to the Utes bowl game

It was great being there with so many people and just enjoying our time

This girl is going to miss the beach.

Ruby spent a ton of time tracing our shadows
It was so cute

Cute Man

Then Everyone got serious about building a sand castle.
It was funny to see the dads getting into it with the kids

Ruby was given the task of filling the bucket with water and bringing back to the castle.
She loved having an important job.

A few final shots of the last sunset of 2011
This is such a beautiful place. We are going to miss going down to the beach so easily.
But we are super excited to experience something new at Ft. Lewis WA

Felt Garland

2011-12-13T08:38:00.010-07:00

I have loved this garland ever since I saw it here on this amazing blog Me oh My by my friend Nicole. I have been looking forward to making it for this Christmas season and I'll tell you what I couldn't be happier. It is so easy, there is no sewing involved, just a lot of cutting so get ready for that. My friend Janan and I made them together and her finger was numb for a week from all of the cutting.

I am loving felt right now and all of the great things there are to make with it, so after the garland was made I used the leftover felt to make a circle garland. I just cut random sized circles and lined them up in the random order that I wanted and then sewed them together. It is so cute and just adds that extra little bit to anything. I have one on a window opening with all of the vintage ceramic figurines that my mom gave me. These little pieces remind me of my childhood.

I couldn't stop there, so I made a garland for the tree

My little Ru made this gingerbread elf for school
She had it all planned out and knew exactly what she wanted.
Cute thing

Linked to:
Today's Creative Blog
Transformation Thursday

A Merry Christmas

2011-12-08T09:07:00.003-07:00

We are getting so excited for Christmas around here. Although it is quite weird not to be freezing and have no snow. But it certainly is christmasy inside our house.
We have been baking yummy treats. Ruby's treat of choice is pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. which is way more fall or thanksgiving to me, but she loves em, so we have made a couple of batches and they always disappear fast.
I have been doing little projects to make more Christmas decorations.
Who doesn't want more Christmas????

This is such an easy banner to make.
All you need is paper, twine and Holly leaves and berries
I cut out the letters with my Cricut and glued them to white squares.
You'll notice that my white squares aren't uniform. I wanted them to look random and hand done, to give it an older vintage look.
I punched a hole in the top of each square and then reinforced the hole.
Then I tied each square individually with twine to a long strand of twine.
To finish it, I hot glued Holly leaves and berries where I wanted them.
I love the traditional look of this banner.
I liked it so much I made one for my mom and my mother-in-law.

Linked to:
Show and Tell
Transformation Thursday

Thankful For......

2011-12-05T13:54:00.008-07:00

I know I am a bit late with the whole Thankful thing,
But I didn't want another day to pass without sharing what I am so very Thankful for.

These two make my life what it is. I couldn't ask for two better people to share it with.

Clint is an amazing man that is perfect for me. I am so thankful that he is willing to serve our country and go to work everyday and allow me to stay home with Ruby and be creative .

Ruby is a complete joy to have in my life. I stare at her every day and am so thankful that I have her. She is so sensitive and concerned with making her mom and dad happy. I miss her everyday when she is at school and can't wait til she gets home to play with me.

I am Thankful that we have such good friends here that love us and love Ruby and make her feel like she actually has siblings.

How adorable are these pictures?

I am thankful for the yummy meal we shared with such great friends. Mmmmmmm

I am thankful for the beauty that is all around us.

We have loved living here in Alabama and will miss so many things about it.

Another Costume

2011-11-17T11:31:00.005-07:00

Today for school Ruby got to dress up as either a Pilgrim or a Native American.
We chose Native American since we already had the whole thing figured out
thanks to this Family photo.
However....we did add a little something to it for the occasion.
The day before she had to wear it to school Clint suggested I make a little vest to go over her dress, that way she could help me decorate it the way she wanted.
So I headed to the fabric store and got myself some faux leather and some ribbon trim (we already had the beads and feathers) and this is what we came up with.

It was so easy.
I used an old vest of Ruby's to figure out the my pattern.
Once I did that i just cut it out, sewed the two side seems together and sewed the trim around the neck and down the front.
Then we just cut strips all the way around the bottom for the fringe.
So dang cute!!!!!
Ruby came up with the design of all the accessories that we added.
She did the beads and the feathers all by herself!

Ruby's cute friend Tierney.
The first time I saw this picture I couldn't believe how tall Ruby is getting.
She is a giant it looks like.

Did you notice the hair?????
She got it cut yesterday.
She was a bit traumatized, but loves it now.
Have you ever had to deal with a child wanting their hair cut for weeks and then when you finally do it they cry and throw a fit?
Well it wasn't fun.
After the first cut she said she changed her mind and just wanted to leave it that way.
Drama!!!!
I think she looks so cute with short hair.

Linked to:
Just Something I whipped up

Only in The South

2011-11-07T10:57:00.004-07:00

We had a very busy Saturday and pretty much all of it consisted of things that could only happen in The South.
I know that I have said before that there are always these different festivals that they hold here on Ft. Rucker. Its pretty cool that they always have stuff going on. So in the fall they have a chili cook off and you can buy tickets and then go to these different booths and get a little cup of their chili. It's totally fun and there are always fun activities for the kids.
What made us laugh the most this year though was this chili booth.......

I mean honestly.....we couldn't even bring ourselves to try this chili cause the booth just grossed us out.

But there was plenty of other chili to try

Ruby decorated her own thanksgiving bag

And then we waited in line for the obstacle course. Ruby loves doing this and I even gave it a shot this time. I totally rocked it in my UTAH sweatshirt!!!!!!

There goes Ruby

In the afternoon we headed off to the National Peanut Festival.....I know....you probably had no idea there was such a thing.
But it's a pretty big deal around here, so we thought we'd check it.

There were barrels and barrels of peanuts throughout the entire festival,
just grab a handful and shell em as you walk.

Cute Michael and Janan

Our Stake has a booth every year of "Elephant Ears"
basically a scone with cinnamon and sugar on it. The money made goes to the local boy scout groups so we had to give our share and buy one. Yummy!!!!
For sure the best part about going to a festival like this is all the YUMMY food you get to consume. As we finished the night we realized that we didn't even have dinner, just a bunch of junk food. But it was oh soooooo delicious!

Cotton candy

This cotton candy was so good. They even had different flavors! Have you ever heard of that? and if so have you ever tried it?
Well we did....of course. Remember I said all we ate was junk food.
We tried grape, green apple, and strawberry

Next we found the Kettle corn
and ate the entire bag

Then we saw these tasty Turkey Legs. Don't they look Yummy?
Well I couldn't tell you cause we didn't get one.
Remember the junk food?
I'm not kidding when I said that's all we ate.
I mean those logs look good, but c'mon we had to save room for the important stuff.

We had a great time walking around and checking everything out. Even though we were a bit creeped by the Carni people.

Ruby's first bike ride

2011-11-02T17:57:00.002-06:00

Ruby finally learned to ride a two wheeler. Look at her Go! YOu have to listen to the audio...it's the best part.

Our Frost Fairy

2011-10-28T07:07:00.002-06:00

Wow!!!!! This year was stressful when it came to Ruby deciding what she wanted to be for Halloween. I'm sure she is like most 5 yr olds changing her mind 10 times a day. But she literally has been talking about what she wants to be this Halloween since last Halloween. She was all over the place. She went from The Little Mermaid to Rapunzel to an Indian to an Avatar. Near the end I heard things like The Statue of Liberty to The Bride of Frankenstein.....I really wish I would have made a list of all the things she went through. But ultimately I was so happy when she stuck with The Frost Fairy idea, even though she just made up her mind 1 week ago. I think she make such a beautiful Frost Fairy, and I had so much fun making the costume.

I was actually super lucky that stores were starting to put out Christmas decorations, because that is pretty much how I was able to pull this costume off and put it together.

The wings - 2 Branches for decorating Xmas trees that I just attached together
with wire and glue
The headband - One of my ribbon wrapped headbands that I just attached the snowflake
ornaments to with glue using my favorite E6000
The wand - painted dowel with a snowflake ornament attached and embellished
with ribbon and tinsel
For the bodice I bleached a pink leotard and embellished it with white fringe yarn
The Skirt - Tons of tulle and a cheap sheet and ribbon.
I just went with it on this one. I knew how I wanted it to turn out and I just whipped it up.
The key to everything was just using my imagination.
It was so fun to put this together and I am sooooo glad that Ruby gets to wear it 3 times this year.

The wings are definitely my favorite part. I just love how it makes the whole thing sparkle.

We sprayed glitter everywhere and she loved it. She kept wanting more and more. A girl after my own heart. Loves the glitter.

This picture was Ruby's idea....she said "mom take a picture of me looking down like this."

The classic Halloween parade at school...I didn't send the wings, cause I didn't want them to get ruined. But she still looked pretty darn adorable.

Oh how I love this little princess of mine. That shy little smile that makes my heart melt. You are the cutest Frost Fairy with the sweetest personality.

Linked to:
Lolly Jane

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-27T09:48:00.001-06:00

We headed out to the Pumpkin Patch for a family night activity.
We were so happy to go with The Welches
It's always more fun with em'

First the kids picked out their pumpkins

Then we headed out to see the animals

There were these beautiful sunflower fields that looked gorgeous in the afternoon sun

And finally we went out to the corn fields to pick our own corn.
The kids had a blast and we came away with lots of pumpkins.
The only bad thing is that we can't carve them til right before Halloween or else they go bad.

Chamberlain 2011

2011-10-19T18:40:00.002-06:00

This is just a preview of the annual Chamberlain Family Christmas photo.
We took this back in July when we went out to visit.
I am so excited for this one.
It was extra fun because we got to dress up
and
It was extra special because it was all Doug's idea,
all of the props used, like the spears and arrows were all made by Doug.
He loved crafting Indian weapons.

Isn't she the cutest little Indian princess ever.
I am trying to talk her into being one for Halloween
Since she changes her mind everyday I haven't made a costume yet and this would be super easy since we have everything and it is all actually part of her wardrobe.

Kim's cute family minus Liam who is Carlan's adorable little boy

That's right....horses and all.
Can you believe it?
Now you understand why this will be the best one yet

Cute Doug
It was so hot that day and He was not feeling well
We got him out to where we shot the photo in a golf cart that the owner of the horses luckily had.
It was a rough day for him, but I am so glad we will have this final picture.

Eden is so adorable and so sweet to Ruby
Every time we visit I realize how much I miss and love Cami's kids
Having such great nieces and nephews helps to make the pain of not having anymore of our own a little more bearable.

Cowgirl and Indian
Sophia and Ruby

Three of Kim's four
They are all so cute

Fall in Utah

2011-10-08T17:36:00.002-06:00

The first couple of weeks we were here in Utah the weather was warm and beautiful.
This past week it has turned cold and frigid.
I don't love the cold weather, but it has been so fun cozying in under the covers and snuggling with my two Loves.

Despite the cold we have still been able to enjoy the amazing colors that the fall weather brings to the mountains.

One thing I love doing whenever we visit Utah is going up to Clint's' family cabin up at Mt. Air

It is like a little tree house cabin that hasn't changed in years.
Whenever I am there I can imagine Clint's Grandma,
MersD Mama,
running around and playing as a child as she spent her summers at the cabin.
How fun would that have been?

Douglas Lamond Chamberlain

2011-09-30T12:13:00.006-06:00

My incredible Father in law Doug passed away on September 29, 2011. We are so saddened that he is gone and left this life. He was such an amazing man and that has left behind a legacy that is so great.
He has had a long battle with cancer and his body just became to weak. He never gave up on his fight and even til the very end he showed his family that he is a fighter. He continued to teach all of us to love this life up until his final seconds on this earth.
Clint and Ruby and I Were lucky enough to fly home and be with him and Eve and the rest of the family about a week and a half ago. We spent day and night with him and have enjoyed all of the time that we were blessed with.
Doug was the rock of The Chamberlain family. He loved having all of his family gathered together and seeing all the grandchildren play. He was so loving that these family gatherings often included non family member that Doug loved and wanted to feel apart of the family.
Doug loved and fought and I will never forget all the he taught and did for us. We are so sad that Ruby will not grow up knowing her amazing grandfather, but we will teach her about this loving man that was taken from us far too soon.
We love you Doug

He leaves behind a wonderful family that I am lucky to be a part of .
We will continue to love and strengthen one another and remember all the lessons and principles that you taught us all.

Current Read

2011-09-26T10:01:00.003-06:00

Just finished Tunnel Club.
This is a book that my brother Rich wrote about some of his High School experiences.
It is a great story and a fun read.
You will especially love it if you went to East in the early 90's
Your name might even make an appearance.
Check it out on Amazon
Also check out and "Like" their Facebook Page

Beachin it up

2011-09-19T11:04:00.003-06:00

We spent the weekend at the beach with our good friends The Welch's.
It was a blast!!!!!!
We had perfect weather
Lots of laughs
Tons of Sea Shell collecting
Even some Crab catching.....followed by some crab eating.
Yep Michael and Clint caught 18 crabs and they cooked em up and ate em.
We made such great memories. Especially Ruby, who just adores their kids.
She wants to copy Paige on everything and Paige is such a good sport about it. We are so Grateful that we have been able to make such wonderful friends.

Here is the crab catching, cooking and eating. Yummy

I couldn't believe Ruby wanted to hold all of these Sea creatures.
She has been having some really fun experiences and I love that she is growing and learning

Relaxing in The Ocean.
We absolutely love The Gulf beaches.
So warm and Beautiful

This was our stow away little friend.
Clint and Michael went out snorkeling to get some big shells and Sanddollars.
It just so happened that while they were searching they got stung by jellyfish.
However...
Clint found this really cool shell that he was so excited about. They put it in the mesh bag that they carry and when they got back to the beach and opened the bag this little guy came out.
Talk about surprised.
That night when Ruby said her prayers she said
" thank you that my Daddy could be safe, but really he wasn't that safe cause he got stung by jellyfish..... and thank you that we got to see the octopus even though it was freaky, but it was awesome too"
I really almost started laughing. it was so cute.

Glitterrific

2011-09-15T07:39:00.003-06:00

I love adding glitter to anything I can, for any occasion!!!!
It adds so much fun to something that was otherwise plain. So if you have any glitter grab it and start glitterifying anything you see!!!
My favorite thing to add glitter to is Halloween decorations
and luckily that is just around the corner.
So run out and grab something that you can add glitter to.

I sorta went crazy with the glitter on the graveyard bones. And I couldn't stop. It really is an addiction.
There are probably a ton of ways to glitterize something ( I'm trying to see how many different ways I can butcher the word glitter)
But here is what I do.....
What you'll need
a good spray can of glue
Glitter (I like using the really fine stuff)
Lrg Ziploc bag

Put the glitter in the ziploc bag
Spray the item you want glittered with the glue
Put the item in the ziploc bag and shake it around getting the glitter in all the little crevices.
Take the item out and let it dry.

and there you have....some serious glitterfied bones baby

Now this method is easy but kinda messy.
So I was extremely giddy when I read this over at Vintage Revivals
I mean how genius is that. A spray can of glitter.
Now it will just take one easy step. Oh the possibilities.
I have a feeling I am going to go crazy with the glitter. And I can't wait.
The only problem is going to be finding it in lower Alabama. Good luck to me!!!!

So go out and try it!!!!!!!

Dance Central

2011-09-13T07:51:00.003-06:00

These lovely ladies are ready for a night of Dance Central.
They are probably going to kill me for posting them on The Blog, but I couldn't resist.
What more could you want
Friends
Food
Dressing up
&
Dance Central

Love the pose Christy

Kristen was by far the best
Gotta love the old school aviator goggles, those are a necessity for dancing.

Come on.....show us your moves....

That's better ladies

Rock on girl

A Little Paint

2011-09-08T20:06:00.002-06:00

A little paint sure goes a long way.
Look at how cute all of these projects are.
I am kicking myself for not taking before pics
But don't worry, I have more of where they came from.
And next time I will give a step by step.

The jewelry box is one that I found for $1.oo
I wasn't going to get it but my mom was with me and she saw the potential
A coat of paint and a little sanding later I just adore it.
We ended up giving it to Ruby for her Birthday.
I think it looks like a little piece of furniture.

For now this bowl has a home on our kitchen table.
I am loving the color, it reminds me of the beach, and with this cooler weather we have had that makes me so happy.

This has got to be my favorite piece so far, but I have a feeling it won't stick around for too long.
I have thoughts of using it for decorations for all the different holidays
Think
ornaments for Christmas
nests and eggs for Easter
mini pumpkins for fall

oh the possibilities

I love that these bowls are so cute but can serve a purpose
thread
buttons
jewelry
headbands

All of the bowls that I have shown are for sale and will be posted on my etsy shop.
I will let you know when they are there

And speaking of headband you are gonna die when you see what else I have been up to.
That will be in a couple of days.

Selection Day

2011-09-01T12:27:00.011-06:00

So today was a really big day for Mr. C
It was selection day...For those of you not familiar with Army Aviation here goes the explanation.
So for the past 8 months or so Mr. C has been learning to fly helicopters
While in training so far he has flown what is called a TH67
It is a basic helicopter. No army stuff . Just something they learn the basics on,
and this is what it looks like

btw that really is Clint flying in the above 2 pics

The last 4 weeks of that training was spent in what is called BWS (Basic War fighting Skills)
During that training Mr. C flew the OH58 A/C
Which is an old Army aircraft used just for training.

After all that training was complete he had to take a PT test
The combined scored of that test and all the other tests he took during flight school made up what is called an OML list.....which is just a list of how well you did on everything and determines which order you choose aircraft's. So basically the better your combined score the higher on the list you are and the sooner you pick from the list of aircraft's available.
After all of this when it was Clint's turn to pick there was a

OH 58 Delta Kiowa Warrior

which is the airframe that Clint has really wanted to fly ever since he started flight school.

We are so excited and really can't believe that we are at this point in training
Now onto more studying for this new airframe,
and next up is finding out where we are going next.
So stay tuned!!!!!

$3 Dress Refashion

2011-08-30T10:06:00.013-06:00

Yep you read that correctly.
I purchased this knit dress at target for $3.00
I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it, but what I did know is that I have been sooo in love with knits lately and the fact that it is striped was just an added bonus.
This was super easy and only took me one evening of work after Ruby had gone to bed, and while Mr. C played his PS3.

Since it was an XL I had to take in the sides of the top. I didn't take any in off of the skirt part

I also took off those waist band hangy thingys....didn't want those. And then I changed the neck line.
Instead of a faux wrap top, I made it just a plain V-neck. And I love the way it turned out.

I love the way it turned out. Can't wait to see what people think.
Have a great day!!!!!!

Linked to:
Made by you Monday

Today's Creative Blog

Sew Cute Tuesday
Line Across My Face
Things I've Done Thursday

School Days

2011-08-23T07:16:00.007-06:00

Summer sure went fast......Now we are back home in Alabama.....Mr. C is back in class and waiting to select his airframe. We did so many fun things this summer it was hard to get home and have to get back into a routine of school.

I tried to get Ruby to smile, but she just wasn't feeling it. It was a big day for her. All day kindergarten!!!! I can't decide if it was harder for her or me

We have loved going on walks in the evenings and trying to catch fireflies, but gets a little scary when we come across snakes on the path. YIKES!!!! It's fun to have that family time together though.

Ruby is loving these pics...she always wants me to take just one more.....and then she has to check out the results and see if she wants another one. Cute thing.

2011-08-14T16:44:00.002-06:00

We were able to make it to Denver for a Hellstrom family reunion, which is my mom's family.....basically all my cousins from my mom's side. It was put together so well, and we had so much fun....we can't wait for the next one. Here is a preview of a few things we did. More detailed posts will come soon. There was so much packed into 2 days that one post just won't cut it. A family classic that we have to do every reunion is sock hockey. We get super competitive. It's almost scary with all the little kids involved. But there were no major injuries.

A family classic that we have to do every reunion is sock hockey. We get super competitive. It's almost scary with all the little kids involved. But there were no major injuries.

The pool was a hit with everyone

Loved minute to win it....

Of course the adults were happy just to sit around and chat.

The kids had so much fun with all of the activities that were planned, but most of all they enjoyed playing with each other and getting to know everyone. It was fun to see them branch out and play with other cousins they hadn't met before.

All these cute faces belong to our family...all of my cousins have some cute kids.

Road Trip

2011-07-30T23:10:00.002-06:00

So if you thought we were crazy to road trip it to Utah from Alabama. We have continued the driving. We just got back from a short little road trip to Denver. My Mom's siblings and their kids had a family reunion there. I am so glad we got to go. It was awesome to see my cousins that I don't get to see that often. We did some really fun things (more of that in another post).
The drive over was beautiful. I definitely appreciate all the different types of scenery way more now that I am not around it all the time. My wonderfully brave sister-in-law Lucy drove by herself with her 4 kids so we helped her out and took my niece Eliza with us in our car. Ruby loves hanging out with her so it worked out perfectly. We stopped at a few spots where some beautiful Indian jewelry was being sold. The girls thought it was great...especially cause my mom bought them each a necklace.

Fun times in the Hot Tub

This little guy is so adorable, with the cutest smile ever.

Cousins Party

2011-07-22T21:06:00.002-06:00

We had a fun get together with my cousins on my dads side

My uncle Richard said he was so glad to learn about the little bbq from his kids.
He loved it that we had made the effort and all of the arrangements.
I had to laugh cause I hadn't thought twice about getting together with these cousins.
In fact I love it.
I love catching up and talking, and all of the little kids have so much fun together at Uncle Ben's house.
Even though he terrorizes them.
The only problem this time was that we all decided that we need to come up with something really exciting to talk about for the next time we get together, since my cousin Brooke and Clint out did us all with their Helicopter talk......they think they are so cool!!!!!!!
Which to tell you the truth they are pretty cool.
Love you guys

Yummy Pace's Dairy Anne bars
these are a must have if you live in the Salt Lake, Bountiful area

2011-07-16T23:17:00.003-06:00

We have been having so much fun in SLC
We have been able to spend a lot of time with family

We had a combined birthday celebration with The Chamberlains for Me and Ruby
We were very spoiled this year with so much Family love
It was really great to be with everyone.
It is so great seeing all the kids and seeing how much they have grown and changed

Cami, Eve and Holly visiting

Cute Colton came over to see us.
I miss this guy so much
He has become such a Man

A lot of the kids playing

what an adorable face

This is the beautiful cake the my wonderful sister-in-law Carlan made for me
It was soooooo delicious

And this is the yummy pineapple rum cake that everyone in my family gets on their birthday
whether you like it or not......My mom loves this cake and now it is a family tradition.

Road Trip

2011-07-11T21:51:00.008-06:00

We took a last minute Road trip, and when I say last minute I really mean last minute. Clint came home for lunch on Wednesday and said he had the opportunity to take two weeks off if we wanted. So Thursday morning we hit the road.

Beautiful scenery along the way

Ruby was a trooper. She is awesome on road trips.
Although it doesn't seem like it would be too bad with a DVD player and an I pad.

And we ended up in UTAH

5 Years Ago Today

2011-07-05T08:33:00.004-06:00

Our Perfect little Ruby was born
I can't even imagine life without her.
She has such a sweet nature and has brought so much happiness into our lives
On the hardest days Clint always reminds me that we may only have one child, but our one is as perfect as they come!
We are so lucky to have her in our lives, she has grown up so fast, which is sad, but I find myself looking forward to all the times we will share as she continues to get older

Dear Ruby,
Five years ago today you came into our lives. We were so happy to finally have you, after such a long wait. So many people were at the hospital waiting to meet you and love you. You made so many people smile from the day you were born. While we stayed at the hospital the nurses said they had never had so many visitors for one person. And they were all coming to see you.
The night you were born so many friends were there visiting and we all stayed up with you til two in the morning just looking at you. It was the happiest moment of my life.
You made so many people feel loved.
You still have such a sweet loving nature about you
We love spending all of our time together as a family and when we have to be apart we are always thinking of you and can't wait to see you again.
You are so excited to be 5 just like all of your friends from school
We hope this year is as wonderful as the last.
We love you very much
Love
Mom & Dad

Freedom Fest @ Ft. Rucker

2011-07-04T19:07:00.003-06:00

We had such a great time at Freedom Fest this year
Our day started out with Ruby wanting a new headband, so she told me everything she wanted and this is what we ended up with.

I think it is pretty cute for her first design

We had fun with so many friends and even family at Freedom Fest.
Yep that is my brother in law Rex.
He came down for the weekend from Ft. Benning

The 58

All the Yummy and Healthy food available

A southern specialty......boiled peanuts

Delicious roasted corn

Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band put on a great show
It was super cool to celebrate the 4th with so many people that support and love this country.
They even sang Sweet Home Alabama, which was super fun.

Happy 4th of July to all those that we love
We are so grateful to be apart of the Army and feel so proud of the sacrifices that so many wonderful people make each day!!!!

One Last Project

2011-07-01T14:52:00.007-06:00

This is my last minute 4th of July project. I am happy with how it turned out. Especially cause it gives me something to put on my front door, so I can finally replace the wreath I had hanging that for some reason smells like doo doo. Literally, I am not exaggerating. It was bad. This was super easy.....The pattern is one sheet of scrapbook paper that came in a book. I found it at Michael's. I went to Home Depot and had them cut a piece of wood the size that I wanted.
I then painted the wood and sanded the edges.
I modge podged the paper to the wood and then modge podged over the paper too.
To finish it off i just drilled two holes in the top and strung some rope ribbon through that I already had.

Just ignore the lovely burgundy door. Apparently when you live in Army housing you don't get a choice on that many things. And when I say that many I really mean you don't get a choice on anything. That's ok though every one of my neighbors has the exact same door, so I'm not totally ashamed of the burgundy.

We are excited for a fun weekend.
There are tons of things going on here on post for the holiday weekend.
Check back to see all the fun pics and videos of Freedom Fest
We can't wait for Gary Sinise & the Lt. Dan Band
These are always fun southern adventures.

Linked to:
Itsy Bitsy Paper
Homemaker on a Dime

Yummy!!!!!!

2011-06-28T09:40:00.004-06:00

This is often what I wake up to in the morning.
I go to the fridge to get some milk to find the butter looking like this.
If I really needed to I could match the teeth marks against dental records,
but cute little Rubes doesn't try to hide anything from us,
so she will always tell me that she got hungry and needed a snack.
Just what you go for when you need a little somethin somethin before bed huh!

Another Redo

2011-06-22T14:20:00.006-06:00

I recently finished another redo project. This one is of the cradle that we used when Ruby was a newborn. I had always intended on refinishing it for other kids, but now it is time to let it go and hopefully put the money towards another invitro cycle or adoption, so I have listed it on craigslist. Let me know if you are interested.

Here it is during the first coat of primer

Here she is all finished

I love how the distressing turned out

Happy Birthday

2011-06-14T20:10:00.009-06:00

Today the Army is 236!!!!!
She's looking pretty good huh?
I normally wouldn't know this tidbit of info, but I got lucky with my mom here, she knows random things.
But I did feel proud, knowing that we as a family are a part of this amazing group of people that dedicate their lives to serving this country.
I look at Clint and think how lucky I am to be with someone like him
who is so honorable and willing to do what he does.
It really takes someone special.
Thanks

In honor of this great country (and for the upcoming 4th of July),
I have been making banners to hang in our house.
I am so happy with how they turned out
I just want to keep making more.

Happy Birthday U.S. Army

Wonderful Weekend

2011-06-12T12:24:00.007-06:00

With my wonderful mom in town we headed down to the beach. She just finished up Chemo and one of the side effects is that her feet and hands are always cold, and since it hasn't really warmed up in Utah she came here to get warm. The warm sand felt great on her feet. Heck... I didn't have chemo and the warm sand felt great on mine.
The water was absolutely perfect
It felt refreshing to get in but you could just sit in the surf all day to stay cool but not get cold.
My kinda day!

My mom enjoying the warmth
Ruby and her cute dad playing in the water

This kid loves being in the ocean

Out on a walk to look for sea creatures and sea shells.

Lunch break

We love going to the beach and spending time together as a family. We have had some fun adventures.

Sewing Table

2011-06-09T08:23:00.006-06:00

I never get great deals but maybe my luck is changing. I found this table at an old antique barn. Its awesome, a little scary but awesome. Anyway..... I had my eye on this table for some time and it was priced at $25. I would have paid that, but I wanted to see if I could get it for any cheaper. Well.....Clint asked the nice man what he would sell it for and to my amazement he said $5... yep that's right FIVE DOLLARS!!! I was so happy.

I love the built in storage.

This is the loveliness before I started work. We took off the legs and stripped the top. (that sounds a bit psychotic) It wasn't in bad shape, just needed some love.

Then I painted it Ultra Pure White by Valspar. I wanted it to look clean and crisp.

I finished it off with some rough sanding which turned out perfectly. And topped it off with a clear coat for protection.

Perfect little table that could be used in so many different places.

Last Day of School

2011-06-07T07:26:00.005-06:00

Ruby made it through her first year of going to school. I remember that first day I put her on the bus, she seemed so little to me. I have to admit that I cried. This is my precious little Ruby, she's the only one we've got and I couldn't believe that our days of hanging out together were over. It was only half day pre-k but it was more than I had ever been apart from her. Looking back I guess I am glad that I made it through her first year of school.

Her friend Evan waiting with her at the bus stop

I am so happy that we have the whole summer to go to the pool, draw picture and just hang out together. Especially since I just found out that next year she goes all day. What will I do?

Most recent Chamberlain Family Pictures

2011-05-30T18:34:00.005-06:00

This is the most recent Chamberlain family picture. Amazing Right?
Every time I look at it I smile because it is so cool!!!!
It was really incredible that we were able to get all those people so close to the aircraft at once.
Carlan didn't disappoint! She is so talented. I wish I could take her with me everywhere I went, and just have beautiful photos of everything we do. How awesome would that be?

We also snuck in a few photos of our little family

This one is Clint's Favorite!

And cute Doug & Eve. Soooo cute!

Today's Project

2011-05-21T16:49:00.003-06:00

I had a baby shower to go to today, which I am always trying to find a way out of going to baby showers, go figure. It just never sounds that fun to me to go to a party that is celebrating a baby when I know I may never have another. Everyone just sits around talking about being pregnant and how hard it is, funny isn't, how easy is to complain about something that comes so easily......

Alright that's my little feel sorry for myself speech for now.

So I decided I didn't have a good enough reason not to go. And cute Rebecca is just too sweet. So I made a few of these adorable bow ties and then I was super excited to go to the shower. Well.... excited enough. But I do think they turned out way cute.

Spring Festival

2011-05-16T09:16:00.011-06:00

One of the many wonderful things about Ft. Rucker is that for many Holidays they have these fun outdoor festivals with yummy food, games, and a ton of things for the kids, and for the Spring festival they even had an Easter egg hunt. Clark and Holly were in town for all of the festivities. Looking at these pictures makes me miss having them here with us. Ruby loved, loved, loved having Ella here. We did so many fun things. My next post will be of all of the fun days we spent at the beach. I took soooooo many pics while they were here this is going to take lots of different posts....But onto the Spring Festival....
The girls had fun with all the baby animals.
They got to hold the baby chicks

And pet a bunny while Clint held it

Surprisingly one of the things the kids loved the most was the Lowe's tent where they had little projects the kids could build.

I love how serious Ruby's face is in this picture.

After a while I could not get enough of watching the adults trying to figure out how to build these little kid projects. It was pretty hilarious.

Owen is the cutest little man ever. He just wanted to use his hammer. What a boy!!!

Before we left all the kids wanted to try the obstacle course.
So cute

It was a fun day and I am so glad we had family here to share it with.

Family Day

2011-04-25T10:48:00.012-06:00

This was the coolest thing we have ever done..... Clint had his Family Day and we got to go out to the stagefield and see him fly. It was so amazing to see him pilot an aircraft and do it incredibly well.
Clark & Holly & the kids came out for it and to have a little vacation. Clint was so happy to have Clark here for family day.
We had so much fun watching from the control tower and knowing that Clint was the one we were watching. He has worked so hard to get to where he is at and to be a good pilot. I am so proud of him, and glad that we got to see him do his thing!!!!!

Busy Weekend

2011-04-10T18:26:00.000-06:00

I had a very productive weekend. I refinished this table that was my grandma's. I never really liked it that much, but now I LOVE it. I love the dark wood top with the red base. I love seeing the transformation. I was so excited to get started on this one that I forgot to take pics before I stripped it. So all you get to see is the drawer. Just imagine this color on the entire table. It wasn't so pretty. But now I think its' gorgeous. What do you think?

I also sewed a curtain for the guest room, primed a new bedroom set and made a new Easter skirt. Told you I was busy. I will post pics of all the other stuff soon.

Before & After

2011-04-07T12:50:00.005-06:00

This beauty needed a little love. And I finally got around to giving it that love.

The top needed some fixing.

But after sanding, a little paint and a new top coat she turned out pretty good. Clint says it makes him happy.

The Beach w/ Rich & Esther: Part 1

2011-04-05T18:17:00.005-06:00

Before Rich and Esther left on Monday morning we spent the weekend at the beach. I really can't get enough of these beaches. The beautiful white sand, the warm water and the great weather. The weekend was perfect. Joseph loved playing in the sand and Ruby loved digging a huge hole with Uncle Rich.

Esther was able to get a few minutes of reading in.

This little guy is so sweet. It was fun to have a baby around.

Ruby and Clint just chillin and enjoying each others company.

For Heather

2011-04-04T14:56:00.006-06:00

This is for my cute friend Heather who knows me all too well. I love bathing suits. I love buying new ones and finding cute ones that I just can't live without. She is a lucky girl and gets to go to Costa Rica in a couple of weeks. Jealous!!!!!! Anyway she asked if I had some ideas on where to get some suits. I have a list of ones that I am wanting to get. I know... I have a problem.
Since I am in Alabama, far from any major shopping I have to stick to internet shopping. But usually I love T.J. Maxx and Nordstrom Rack for swim suits. They are always way cheaper. All of the following are from Victoria's Secret.
Here are just a few....

I think this one just looks so fun and playful

Floral Ruffle Bandeau

This one has been in the Vicky's catalog for a long time, but I have always loved it, (And I promise it's not cause I am secretly in love with Marissa Miller) But I just think it is a good basic cut and such a cute print

Boho print Halter

This one is a pick for me because I think it looks sporty and when I am at the beach that is always something I am looking for. You definately have to have your pool suits and your beach suits.

Sara Sliding Halter

Love, Love, Love this color and I think it would look good on anyone. It is such a classic suit. I am totally in love with it.

One shoulder one piece

Let me know of any cute suits you like.

2011-03-31T15:54:00.004-06:00

After a few rainy days and a day trip to Atlanta we finally got a sunny day while Rich and Esther are visiting.
Our trip to Atlanta was quick but worth it. I absolutely love Atlanta. I think it might mostly be because it is nice to see freeways and tall buildings. I always forget how much I really do miss a big city. As always I was able to hit H&M. That's usually the big highlight. Now that we are back we are prepping for a weekend down at the beach. Can't wait.

Today we spent some time at the helicopter museum and some time in the warm sun.

more visitors

2011-03-29T14:36:00.003-06:00

We love our visitors. This week it's my brother Rich and his wife Esther and their adorable boys, Joseph and Gabriel. It is so much fun to have people come and see where we live and experience our life here in Alabama.
Ruby has been so anxious for them to get here and she just loves playing with Joseph and holding and feeding baby Gabriel.

It's so cute to see Ruby take care of baby Gabriel she says stuff like "hey buddy" and "you're so cute buddy." She keeps asking if we can keep him.

field trip

2011-03-25T08:06:00.005-06:00

We we able to go on a little family field trip out to an airfield where all the attack helicopters are stationed. That means we got to see the Apache and Kiowa up close. Clint is in the YM's presidency in our ward, and the YM's president is the commander of the attack brigade. It was so incredible being next to these amazing machines. Every time I see one I am so proud of my Mr.C and can't believe that he is flying helicopters. What a man!!!!

This little guy is the helicopter that Clint would love to fly the most. It is The Kiowa. Clint loves the mission of this helicopter. They go out and look for the bad guys. It reminds him of his police days. Another perk is that the pilots carry their own M4's to shoot out the window.

Ruby and I even got to get into an Apache which is the BIG gun ship. This one is huge compared to The Kiowa. I think they are all awesome in their own way.

We had a fun evening just being together and being close to what Mr.C does everyday!!!

chamberlain

2011-03-24T10:48:00.002-06:00

Ruby is working on remembering how to spell that long last name of ours.

Lucky

2011-03-17T09:07:00.004-06:00

We certainly are lucky to have been given such a sweet girl. We adore our Ruby more than I can put into words. Many of you know that it is really difficult for us to get pregnant therefore we have to consider the fact that Ruby may be our one and only. As hard as this is we truly spend every moment possible making sure she knows that she is the most important thing in the world to us. We consider ourselves very lucky to have her.

St.Patricks Day breakfast. She insisted on having green eggs after she read me Green eggs and ham

Right before catching the bus

A few of the things I love about Ruby
I love how Ruby tries to copy whatever I write on the chalkboard. She is learning so quickly
Last night before bed she gave me and Clint a big hug and said "You are the best family that I have."
Everyday after i am ready for the day she always tells me that I am the cutest mom ever.
She loves going to the gym with us.

Sucker Tree

2011-03-15T17:18:00.002-06:00

Do any of you have memories of these cute sucker trees?

My Mom had one when we were growing up and it would be full of yummy homemade suckers. Mmmmmmm I can taste them on my tongue now. Well this is my version. Isn't it cute. I am so excited to make some suckers. I have all of my Mom's old sucker molds. I love doing things for Ruby that I so fondly remember from my childhood.

Wings and Goodbye

2011-03-11T06:55:00.007-07:00

Today was definitely bitter sweet. Our good friend Jason Burton got his wings and graduated today from flight school. Congratulation!!!! Not only did he graduate, but his first duty station is Hawaii. Totally jealous!!
Although we are so excited for him we are soooooo sad that he is gone. We really will miss him so much. Jason and Clint were in the University of Utah ROTC program together, but their friendship has become so much more while here at flight school. I am so happy that Clint has such a good friend in Jason. We have made some great memories here with him. We have been down to the beach several times and Jason would help Clint study during the drive. He drove back to Alabama with us at Christmas time, now that's a good friend. We've spent so nights playing games like rummikub, skipbo, and the best of all Bonanza (which Jason introduced us to.)If we werne't playing games we would be watching NCIS or Bones or SVU. And the latest is MOdern Family. Many times Ruby would cuddle in with Jason to check out what he was doing on the Ipad. She considers him family. And so do we. It was really hard to say goodbye. But hopefully we will get to be at the same duty station at some point in the Future.

Jason,
Thanks for being such a good friend to Clint and for being such a good guy.We are going to miss you and your happy face so much. Thanks for all the memories and time spent with us. We are excited for you and your life in Hawaii. Keep in touch

friends

2011-03-04T14:16:00.002-07:00

Ruby has a new friend....Evan.
They have the same bus stop, and every day Ruby is so shy to see him. It's pretty sweet.
Ruby has also told me that when she is older she wants to ask Evan to be her boyfriend!!!!

Destin

2011-02-23T17:31:00.004-07:00

with Mas and Pas
We have been having fun with my Mom and Dad. We've been eating at fun restaurants like
Another Broken Egg and
Mcguires....Yummy!!!!
If you ever get a chance to be in Destin FL you have to go eat at these two places. You will love them just like we do. I want to go there right now just thinking about it.

If you look really close you can see that the ceiling in Mcguires is coverd with money. I mean covered, It is incredible how many dollar bills are in that place.

Happy

2011-02-16T17:57:00.005-07:00

that we are not in the freezing cold weather in utah

This is what we have been up to this week. The weather is getting warmer and we have been spending a ton of time outside. These are the days that we don't miss utah.....But we do miss all of our family and friends.

Cookies Cookies Cookies

2011-02-15T08:09:00.007-07:00

Ruby had a Valentine's cookie party with a few of her friends. We decorated yummy cookies and read Ruby's favorite book "Ruby Valentine" and went to the park. It is so fun to see Ruby interact with her friends. She always reminds us that she is a big girl and shows us how tall she is. What a cute thing.

Olivia

Brynlei

Dehli

Evan

This is Ruby's Valentine shirt that I made for her. I think it turned out way cute. I was quite pleased.

Ruby, We love you so very much, and are glad you had a fun Valentine's Day. Thanks for asking us to be your valentine.
Love, Mom and Dad

Heart Garland

2011-02-13T15:59:00.005-07:00

This is a cute craft I did this weekend. I think it turned out so cute and I love the fun colors it added to all of our Valentitnes Decorations. Here is how I made it.

To start
You will want double sided scrapbooking paper because you will see both sides on the finished garland. I used 10 12X12 sheets. Cut out your hearts. I got 9 3" hearts out of each sheet. I used my cricut which saved a ton of time, but is not necessary.

Next, pair up the hearts using two different prints per set.
You will sew each set together and then connect all the hearts like a chain, just keep adding them on while you sew.

Once you have your chain of hearts done just bend the paper in the center to give it a 3D look

ENJOY!!!!

Valentines Cookies...Mmmmmm

2011-02-11T08:35:00.004-07:00

Don't they look absolutley delicious? I love making these perfect little sugar cookies. There honestly is nothing better, especially when they are customized for any Holiday. Wish you all were here to share them with us!

The Beach..... Again

2011-02-09T17:18:00.007-07:00

This time the weather was soooooo much nicer. Ruby even played in the water. It was much too cold for me, cause we all know I am a baby when it comes to being cold. But it was warm just hanging on the beach. So I was happy.

Those are some pretty sweet moves by the Dubes huh?

Now this is a great picture of Clint and Jason. However they really wanted me to take the pic to get thhat sexy older woman in it. If you can't see her that well keeping scrolling down to the next pic.......

Isn't that sad....I used my daughter to try and get a better shot of the cougar. I really am pathetic. But it was pretty hilarious. Can you believe that woman. WOAH!!!!!

Florida Caverns

2011-01-30T07:27:00.005-07:00

One of the fun things about having people come to visit is that we get to see new places too. We took my friend Angie to the Florida Caverns. Ruby loved it. She kept telling people we went into the Earth. It was a fun day trip to someplace new.

A day at the Beach

2011-01-23T18:02:00.007-07:00

My dear friend Angie came to visit me in here in The Great State of Alabama. I am so glad she came to see us and hang out for a couple of weeks. It makes me feel like I am back in SLC hanging with all my friends close by. I am so lucky to have such a great friend. Thanks for coming Ang.

Even though it was somewhat chilly out, we headed down to the beach for a little shell gathering and kite flying. It was a beautiful and fun day.

Happy Belated Birthday Clint

2011-01-21T08:36:00.004-07:00

Clints birthday was last week, but with everything that we've had going on with Ruby I am just getting around to posting pics. We had some friends over in the evening and had cake and ice cream. Every year since Clint can remember Clints mom has made him a strawberry cake with strawberry frosting. So I couldn't let this year pass without making one for him. We had a fun time with our dear friends. Thanks for helping us celebrate.

Surgery

2011-01-17T17:31:00.008-07:00

Ruby had to have surgery today on her eyelids. She develops salazions on her eyes. which is the fancy way to say sty. The difference is that these beauties don't clear up on there own. So what we get is what you see below. She had them removed from all 4 eyelids and 13 were removed. Dr. Callahan said that he was really surprised that there were so many and that it was unusual. We are glad that we finally got this taken care of. Now we don't have to worry about everyone asking Ruby what is wrong with her eyes. And her responding with "My Dad hit me" There is a story behind this. Gotta love what kids say.

Once she was dressed they took us to pre op. That's where they gave her "Princess Juice"... the cute way of saying medication. After that Ruby was feeling pretty good. She was being really silly and enjoying everything.

Walking into post op was hard. To see her knocked out and looking like she had been beat up made both Clint and I want to cry for her. All the nurses and Dr. said she was so sweet and did a wonderful job. We are so protective of our little Ruby....knowing that she is all we have makes us just adore every second we have with her.

Christmas Time

2011-01-13T14:29:00.006-07:00

I knowChristmas was forever ago, but I wanted to share with you what Christmas Looked like around our house.

I love making banners for every different Holiday. This is one that I made last year.

These cute little kissing angels remind me of my childhood. They were my moms and I always loved them. Now I get to have them in my house. Love it.

This is the advent calendar that my mom made for me. She is so talented. I love it. The Christmas fairy brought Ruby something every night. It was so fun for all of us.

Nickle Ride

2010-11-23T10:26:00.002-07:00

For those of you who don't know.... The Army is full of old traditions. The Nickle Ride is on of those traditions. In flight school it is a tradition that the first day you fly the helicopter you pay your pilot instructor a nicle from the year you were born. Well...Clint had his Nickle Ride this past week. I was so excited to hear how it went, and then he got home and he was all bummed cause he said he did'nt fly that well. All I could think is "you're not supposed to be able to fly well. It was your first day" But then I reminded myself that Clint is a perfectionsist. (One of the many things I love)I was so happy to hear that on day 2 he was more than happy with the way he flew. So here he is finally flying helicopters. AMAZING!!!!!!!
Congrats on your Nickle Ride Clint

Fall Festival

2010-11-16T15:03:00.004-07:00

One of the things that I love about living on post is all the activities that are provided. It seems like there is always something fun going on. A few weekends ago there was a fall festival on post. The festival fields are so close to our house we just walk on over every time there is anything going on. The Fall festival was extra fun because there was lots and lots of Chili to eat. There was chili with pasole or chili with peanuts, or just basic chili. Something for everyone. They served it in small servings so you could try lots of different kinds. Yummy!!!!!!!

They always park the helicopters on the field and let everyone check them out.It's so cool to see these amazing machines. And to think Clint will be flying one soon.

We met up with some of our friends. Brandon Jack and Natani Atsity

And as always....Ruby had a blast. She loves playing with all of Clints flight buddies. What a fun life.

November

2010-11-02T09:38:00.002-06:00

This is how we spent the first day of November

It was our last chance to go to the beach before Clint started flight school. As of today he is a flight student. We are so excited.

Mas and Pas in Alabama

2010-09-04T07:35:00.004-06:00

Ruby has been so excited to have Mas and Pas visit her in Alabama
From the moment we picked them up at the airport she couldn't stop talking
She kept saying "I love you Mas and Pas"
She wanted to cuddle all night with them

We have done lots of fun things with them. We have been to the helicopter museum

And we have been down to the beach

Ruby played frisbee with Pas

Got burried in the sand

And found lots of seashells

Is that Ruby

2010-09-01T07:16:00.003-06:00

Before we left Salt Lake City to come to Alabama, Clint's talented sister took some incredible pics of Ruby and her cousin Sophia. Look at these two little models. They look so grown up and like they totally knew what they were doing. It is fun to have the photos so that Ruby can remeber her friend and cousin. I can't get over how adorable they are. More pictures to come.

School

2010-08-25T08:05:00.002-06:00

Ruby started school. I cried, but she has been so excited. Especially to ride the bus!!! Here at Ft. Rucker they have a Pre-K program, the bus picks them up and drops them off and Ruby just couldn't be happier. We are excited to see what this school year has in store for her. I just can't believe she is old enough to go to school all by herself. What a big girl!

Ruby getting off the bus after her BIG first day!

Can you even believe how cute this backpack is?

2010-08-10T09:06:00.002-06:00

Clint and I have a new obsession.... The Hunger Games. It is all we can think about. This is the first book in a series of three. We read the first two books in a week and now we are impatiently waiting for the third and final book to be released on the 23rd of this month. Unfortunately for me Clint will be gone at that time and unreachable, but he has made me promise to wait and read it with him when he gets home. I'm not sure if I can do it. The night after we finished reading the second book "Catching Fire" Clint said I kept talking about it in my sleep. I am telling you....you become obsessed. Let me know if any of you read them.

stitches

2010-07-31T20:16:00.002-06:00

Today Ruby was trying to be real tricky at the pool and it didn't end so well.

She was such a big girl and even told Clint that she would be brave and wouldn't cry if he would just hold her. She was true to her word and did such a great job. Clint and I couldn't believe what a trooper she was.

And this is the finished product.

new blog

2010-07-23T08:48:00.006-06:00

While wasting time on the internet, I came across the cutest blog such pretty things. It is filled with such great ideas and cute things. It has inspired me to keep my eyes open for anything. Hope you enjoy too.

the beach

2010-07-14T07:41:00.002-06:00

For my birthday we headed to the beach again. I love being able to go there so quickly! We went to a state park beach that was really calm, it was perfect for Ruby. We snorkeled a bit and just played in the water. We also went to dinner with some friends, then hit up the mini golf! It was a fun day, and nice to spend my birthday with Clint, since he was gone last year.

happy birthday Ruby girl

2010-07-11T20:49:00.003-06:00

Ruby turned 4 on July 5th (I know... I'm behind on my posting of this wonderful event) However I have been a bit busy with the move and unpacking...
So we celebrated Ruby's bday with my family before we moved. I love the look on her face when the cake is in front of her, What Joy!!!!! I was so glad she got to celebrate with family, I was worried she would miss everyone on her actual birthday and I was feeling so guilty for ripping her away from everyone.

However, the day of her bday we went to the beach.... and she loved it! She wants to go everyday. It's so great... the beach is just an hour drive from our place in Alabama. We had a fun time playing in the sand and swimming in the waves. We are happy to finally be together as a family. Wha a great way to celebrate.

Mr.and Mrs. Rilloraza

2010-07-09T07:40:00.005-06:00

Maren and Rex got marreid on June 26th. It was a beautiful day and they were very happy! Rex is an awesome guy! we are lucky to have him as part of our family! Congrats you two!

And this is what I was busy doing during the festivities....
-Food
-Flowers
-Decorations
And much more...

ups & downs

2010-06-21T19:24:00.002-06:00

This past week was a rough one. Clint was able to come home for ten days because we lost the baby. I was so glad to have him come home, but it was such a sad time, I feel like I was not able to take advantage of him being here. This has been such a hard time on our family, we worked so hard and spent so much time, effort, and money to get to this point, it has been devastating to know it is all over. Thanks to everyone for all of your thoughts. It is during time like these when you realize how many wonderful friends we truly have.

BIG NEWS!!!!!!

2010-05-31T11:55:00.005-06:00

These are the two embryos that were transfered back into me on April 25th. It is crazy to think that we all started out this way.

And this is the picture from the ultra sound where I got to see one perfect little heartbeat. We finally did it!!!!!!!! We are having another baby!!! We really cannot believe it. It seems unreal right now, but we are so excited to finally add to our family. My amazing Nurse, Angie, says that this truly is a little miracle baby! It started out a bit sketchy and weak but is determined to come to our family. Thanks to everyone for your prayers and thoughts. We love you!!!!

Cousins

2010-05-12T11:55:00.003-06:00

Ruby has had so much fun lately hanging out with her cousins a ton. We went to Las Vegas with Doug and Eve and Carlan and Sophia. We stayed in the most fabulous Resort. I kept forgetting we were in Vegas. The girls had so much fun in the sand and pool. We can't wait to go back and play.

Jopeph also came to visit us. Can you even believe how cute his little face is? I adore this kid, and Ruby has so much fun with him.

Eggs

2010-04-23T16:10:00.003-06:00

Today was the long awaited egg retrieval. It was a minor surgical procedure so all I have been doing since is sleeping. Everything went well and Dr. Blauer retrieved 6 eggs, which is what they were hoping for. Now we just get to wait until tomorrow to see how many of them fertilized and started growing. Keep us in your prayers. We need em!!!!!!

IVF & My Mom

2010-04-10T22:15:00.004-06:00

Yesterday was a big day for me and Clint and our little family.... I started my meds for our first In Vitro Fertilization Cycle. For those of you who weren't aware that we were even trying to do in vitro I will give you the quick run down. We have been trying to have another baby pretty much since we had our precious little Ruby. Even though I would go month after month being depressed and feeling so alone I kept holding out hope that we were just another "normal couple" and that I would just one month be pregnant..... well that hasn't happened and I hit my breaking point. Poor Clint has had to deal with every type of emotion from me. He has been so great through everything, I really do feel so bad for him. Anyway..... yesterday was my appointment to find out whether or not we could move forward with the in vitro.... and we got the go ahead..... finally some good news. I really was expecting worse. Now every night I have to give myself 2 shots. Normally I would make Clint do it, but he is out of town. So i just figured that I would do it, I mean after all I want this so badly I would do anything. However, I couldn't do it!!!!!! Good thing I have my mom! She has done it for two nights now and will have to continue to do it or the next week or so. Aren't moms the best??????? Thanks mom. I love you

Ruffles

2010-04-07T08:20:00.012-06:00

I love RUFFLES.... so you can only imagine how I feel about these shorts that I am dying to get for Ruby. Aren't they absolutely the most adorable things ever? I can picture them on her now.

Flowers

2010-03-26T10:09:00.002-06:00

I was super busy this year on Valentines putting together a bunch of flower arrangements for the Alta Club. Ruby was my little helper. She doesn't make it any easier, but I love having her there with me. It was fun to see the arrangements turn out so amazing.

Orders

2010-03-18T15:52:00.003-06:00

Clint finally received his orders today!!!!!!! We are excited to learn that we will be moving to Alabama on May 25, 2010. We will have a ton to do between now and then but we are so excited for this next adventure. While we are in Alabama, Clint will be learning how to fly helicopters. FUN!!!!!! The best part about it is that we will only be an hour and a half from the beach. I can't wait!!!!

Snow

2010-03-14T18:39:00.003-06:00

Recently we had a very rare weekend where we weren't totally busy and had a chance to do something fun as a family. So we went snow shoeing. Ruby even got in on the action! She didn't last very long walking on her own, so it was good we brought the back pack. It was fun to be together and doing something we enjoy. Even though it was fun, I am ready for spring to be here. I want warm weather and sunny skies... I hope it comes soon... and stays.

California!!!!

2010-03-09T17:49:00.003-07:00

This year for Clint's Spring Break we took Ruby to Disneyland. It was so much fun to see her there. She loved every minute of it....Well except for the times we took her on rides like Splash Mountain, Space Mountain and The Haunted Mansion. She was a real trooper and actuallly after the fact she loved all the rides. It was a perfect time of the year to go there were no lines at all. The longest wait was 20 min and that was for Peter Pan. We walked right on to Splash Mountain, Haunted Mansion and Pirates. It was so much fun.

After a few long days at Disneyland we needed to relax, so we spent 3 days in Plam Springs. We just hung at the pool all day. It was a dream.

We also made it to the beach one day. It was not super warm, but Ruby had fun.

New Chamberlain Pictures

2009-12-21T11:30:00.004-07:00

Once again our family picture turned out great, Thanks to Carlan of course. It is quite the task with this big of a group. Of course Ruby was grumpy and wouldn't let go of her toy piggy that her cousin Eden gave her. What a Joy

Jackson Hole Continued

2009-11-15T16:39:00.002-07:00

This is a big family picture from Jackson. This was when everyone was there at once. It was pretty crazy around the resort, but fun being with the entire group. Ruby thought it was summertime and just wore her swimming suit around the entire day.

On a day that Doug felt good enough to get out we went to a wildlife museum and drove around to see if we could find some animals. We spotted a big herd of Buffalo. It was pretty cool.

Jackson Hole

2009-11-10T10:18:00.003-07:00

We are having a great time in Jackson Hole with all of The Chamberlain Family. Ruby loves being with her cousins 24/7. we have been Hot Tubbbing

Wathcing Movies and just having fun with everyone.

Halloween

2009-11-02T14:56:00.003-07:00

We had such a fun Halloween this year. I made a ton of new fun Halloween decoratios with my sister-in-law Carlan, and on Halloween we had a Halloween Party for the kids, there will be more pics to come . For now, this is a picture from the party. This was the picture backdrop that I set up at the house. I am so glad Carlan got this picture of Ruby and Sophia, not just cause they are adorable but because I made Ruby's costume and Sophias cute red riding hood cape. I was so proud of my self and grateful for my mom and all that she has taught me.

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-22T14:28:00.004-06:00

We finally made it to a Pumpkin Patch!!! I have been wanting to go for weeks and we finally found the time. It was a great little Pumpkin Patch with a corn maze for kids and a lot of old tractors for the kids to climb on. I was totally looking forward to going and taking Ruby and getting a ton of fun fall pictures. But of course that never works out when you want it to. Ruby was asleep in the car and wearing some girlie outfit that she had picked out that didn't match or work for the weather. Once we got there we woke her up and started changing her clothes. Of course she was not in the mood for that and she just broke down. Needless to say she was in a bad mood the entire time we were at the Patch and not interested in anything there. Why do we even try????????Because we love her!!!!!

Alta Club Photo Shoot

2009-10-20T12:00:00.003-06:00

It was Christmas in September at The Alta Club.... I have a super fun job where I do Holiday and event decorating at The Alta Club in downtown Salt Lake. One of the members there owns DownEast and wanted to do the Christmas Catalog shoot at The Club, so I got to do all the set decorating and it was a ton of fun. This is one of the areas they did the shoot. The lighting is bad, but you get the idea.