Kaylee...sleeping standing up!

I have proof! Tangible, physical evidence. This girl FELL ASLEEP while standing up. She terrorized the house (as usual), changed her clothes like 50 times, then finally became so exhausted she just fell asleep...BEFORE she could get herself onto the couch! I had to try SO hard not to laugh while taking these pictures, because every once in a while her legs would like twitch, as if they were going to give out any second! Awe, but isn't it so cute how she STILL cuddles up with that ragedy elephant?






And she didn't do it just once...she did it TWICE! Here's her in the exact same spot a couple of days later...OUT COLD.

Well, I couldn't very well make a post without including little Brenna Mae. Ah! That smile just melts my heart! Her poor head is almost too big for this beanie.
Look at those eyes! They burn right into you, even just sitting here looking at the computer!

I love this picture. It looks like she's a little old lady whose missing her dentures.

Have a great Wednesday everybody!

Valentine's Day Wreath

Love is in the air! Isn't it? I mean, just walk down the seasonal aisle at walmart and your heart will be throbbing! (Or saying, geez, didn't we JUST get done with Christmas? Is life a perpetual holiday?)
This project is easy easy easy and FUN! I mean, look at how adorable it is! And right now I'm gonna show you how ta make it. :)

Now pay close attention...

Start with 8 wooden flowers, a bunch of wood cut-out hearts, some buttons, ribbon of choice, paint, scrapbook paper of choice, mod podge, and a glue gun.

Paint the flowers and hearts like so.

Mod podge the scrapbook paper onto the flowers as you want...be creative!

Hot glue them together, with every other flower on top.

Now glue on all the hearts. Mod podge the whole thing for a nicer, shinier finish.

Hot glue a bow onto the front.

Then hot glue some matching ribbon to the back. You can take the price tags OFF the flowers, or just be tacky like me and leave them on. (LOL!)

Oh yeah...the buttons! I also put on some mini hearts (confetti) last minute.
And you're DONE! See, that took like no time at all! Pat yourself on the back, then go hang up your new little Valentine's Day wreath.

PLEASE READ

This is for a very good cause....please help if you can!

My new blogging friend Courtney and here husband Nate are helping with the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Boise, ID.

SHE NEEDS YOUR HELP!

The athletes love trading and collecting pins from others who are at the games. They want to have plenty of pins for their trading pleasure. They want each to have at least one. But pins are expensive! That is where you come in. Do you have any lapel pins that are just stuffed away in a drawer, do you know of someone who would like to donate to our cause, do you want to buy just one pin and contribute to their collection? Anything would be much appreciated, they are looking for all sorts of pins. Anything that has to do with Boise or Boise State, Idaho, pins from across the United States, Disney characters, sports teams, hobbies, ect(just nothing political or religious).

If you'd like to help leave me a comment on her blog or email her at courtastaley@yahoo.com. She can then give you her address to send your pins.

Go check them out, and help!

Adding an image to divide your posts

I always love to learn new tricks in blogging. This one is one of my favorites! You know how you see those cute images that divide the blog posts? You can add one to yours!

First of all, get an image. One that's flat and wide. I made my own on photoshop. If you need more info on how to do this, email me {sarah@mrsdlightful.com}.

Here is my image.



Ok. First thing, go to photobucket.com and create an account if you don't have one already.
Upload your image.
Click 'edit' below the image.

Now, go to your blog. Click customize. Click the layout tab. Click 'edit html.'
Scroll down to where you see something SIMILAR to this, especially where I've highlighted in red.

/* Outer-Wrapper
----------------------------------------------- */
#outer-wrapper {
background-image:url(http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo326/sjbringhurst/BVSfleurspaper01.jpg);background-repeat:repeat-xy;
width: 955px;
margin:0 auto;
padding:10px;
text-align:left;
font: $bodyfont;
}

#main-wrapper {background-image:url(http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo326/sjbringhurst/BVSfleurspaper02.jpg);background-repeat:repeat-xy;

width: 700px;
margin-left: 10px;
padding:5px;
float: left;
word-wrap: break-word; /* fix for long text breaking sidebar float in IE */
overflow: hidden; /* fix for long non-text content breaking IE sidebar float */
border: 2px solid #804000;
}

Now. Where it's highlighted above in purple, REMEMBER that number.
Now go back to your photo that you downloaded to photobucket. Remember you are in the editing screen. Where it says 'resize,' change the number to whatever it was in your html code of your blog. Then choose to replace original.

Go back to the 'edit html' area of your blog, same as before.
Scroll down to where you see this.

/* Posts
-----------------------------------------------
*/
h2.date-header {
margin:1.5em 0 .5em;
}

.post {
margin:.5em 0 1.5em;
border-bottom:1px dotted $bordercolor;
padding-bottom:1.5em;
}
.post h3 {
margin:.25em 0 0;
padding:0 0 4px;
font-size:140%;
font-weight:normal;
line-height:1.4em;
color:$titlecolor;
}

Replace the highlighted code with this:

.post {

background: url(direct link);
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: bottom center;
margin:.5em 0 1.5em;
border-bottom:0px dotted $bordercolor;
padding-bottom:5.5em;
}

Go back to your edited image in photobucket. Copy and paste the DIRECT LINK to the image.
Paste it in the code above where it says direct link.

And there you go! A cute little individualized divider! Now you've got the cutest blog around!

Bath time and update

Today was the first time Brenna took a bath without the little baby bath tub thingy. She LOVED it! She just kept splashing as hard as she could! Kaylee seemed to enjoy it too. She even helped to wash Brenna. "So fresh and so clean!"

Here's a little update: I'm a college drop-out. Yes, I dropped my classes. I've never done that before, I was a little bummed, but glad because I made the right decision. Things just didn't feel right, you know? My girls need me to be HOME when I'm home. Not studying. I think now that we have 2 kids it's best that only 1 of us goes to school at a time. So someday I will go back, when Nate is done, but now is not that time.

And I'm sure some of you have noticed my other little project, Mrs. D. Lightful. I'm glad I started it, because it has really motivated me to be a better home maker. We'll see how long I can keep up with it! It really is a fun little getaway for myself, and if any of you ever want to play, let me know. I'd be glad to share your creative ideas. But of course, my first love is Bloghurst (even though the name is...well...more Nate-ish) because of all the love I get from all of YOU! {hugs!}

And Nate is still in school! We are so excited that he will be done with both of his Bachelor's degrees this May. Then it will only take him 2 or 3 semesters after that to get his Masters! He's been really tough to plow through like he has. And I'm grateful because as soon as he is done, I can cutback on time at work and be at home even more!

Ok, this story is sort of funny and sort of not. So when I last took Brenna to the doctor, he was concerned about the shape of her head...he was worried about the growth plate fusing! Her poor melon! I didn't mention it before because I wanted to see the plastic surgeon before causing anyone unneccesary worry. So yesterday we saw him, and he says she looks perfect to him! He said her head is a little flat on one side (which even I didn't notice) but it's because she sleeps on her back. I saw so many other kids in the waiting room with helmets and stuff, it made me so grateful that I have had such healthy, problem free girls!

Tagged by Audrey!

Six names you go by:
1- Sarah
2- Mommy
3- Babe (I am one to my husband, believe it or not)
4- Sar
5- NURSE!!!!!NURSE!!!!!!
6- Ma ma (as of yesterday! Good job Brenna!)


Three things you are wearing right now:
1- Watch Cami made for me for Christmas
2- Brown flats
3- Jeans

Two things you want very badly at the moment:
1- Charise's Pumpkin rolls
2- A house

Three People who will fill this out
1- Chaleese
2- Kami
3- Jen M.

Three of your favorite things that you did last night:
1- Watched a movie while cuddling with my hubby!
2- Cooked food in Cinderella's (Kaylee's) kitchen
3- Painted nails with my girls

Four things you ate today:
1- Oatmeal
2- Broccoli
3- Toast
4- Chicken sandwich

Two people you last talked to on the phone:
1- Angela
2- Kaylee (does texting count?)


Six things you are going to do tomorrow:
1- Go to Primary's for an appt. for Brenna
2- Cook food
3- Play with my girls
4- Fold laundry (that dang laundry keeps coming back)
5- Read Scriptures
6- Try to organize my crap

Three Favorite Beverages:
1- Water
2- Chocolate milk (or strawberry)
3- Pink lemonade

Five things you are grateful for today:
1- My children
2- That I'm employed
3- The health of EVERY SINGLE ONE of us at the same time!
4- Nate's almost done with school
5- That I belong to Christ's church...my testimony

I tag Kami, Chaleese, and all the Jens

Wedding gift: Honeymoon lunchbox

Do you want to get a practical wedding gift on a small budget? This is easier than a basket gift!
Someone did this for me when I was married, so it's not my own unique idea. But it's a good one! It only works when the couple is not going somewhere by plane for their honeymoon. Here's the idea; a carry-along cooler with treats in it for breakfast the next morning...and a few extra snacks. When someone did this for us, we appreciated it so much! It made it so we didn't have to worry about getting up early the next morning to go somewhere for breakfast. And we were poor, so that's one free meal!

Here's the cooler.

Here's what I put in it. OJ, pre-packaged muffins, bananas, and some chips and candy. And a little romantic candle.

Here is everything all snugly packed in.

Once everything's in, I just attached a bow and a card! There you have it! Don't you like that idea? It's different from the typical popcorn bowl with movie card basket, huh?

Nose bubble! Get ready to laugh!

My Stargirl

My friend from work Kristen had me read this book, and I'm really glad she did. It's an easy read, like easy enough for a 2nd grader, but it's a family classic.

In essence, the book talks about a girl. Stargirl is her name. A strange girl...that is....she's strange to everyone because she's different. Instead of wearing jeans like everyone else, she wears long flowing skirts. She drapes a curtain around her desk every day at school. She sings happy birthday to people at lunch while strumming her ukelele. She has a pet rat that she loves. She dances in the desert. She gives gifts...lots of gifts...to people she barely knows. She cares about everyone, even people from different schools. It doesn't matter who you are; your age, your 'group', your race, hobbies, anything! Her interests are different from almost everyone, and she doesn't seem to care...because it's HER.

*SPOILERS* Eventually, a friend of hers convinces her to care about what everyone else thinks, and she starts trying to blend in. She transforms her entire appearance, her attitude, even the way she talks and walks in order to fit in. Luckily, it doesn't last and she eventually goes back to being herself.

*NO MORE SPOILERS*So as I read this book, it reminded me of someone I know....my own little stargirl. She loves art, anything to do with art. Painting in particular. She loves to wrap up small 'treasures' in Brenna's burp cloths and give them to Nate and I as presents (often a marker lid, the shoe off one of her dolls, Mr. Potatoe Head's nose...all of which are very precious to HER). When she chooses her clothes, she doesn't pick what other people would. But it's beautiful to her. She sees wonder in things that I typically wouldn't even notice.

Kristen made a good point...isn't it so tragic when we try so hard to force our kids to do, say, and wear what WE want them to, just so they'll be like everybody else? This book has made me appreciate the uniqueness of my own little girl, and I have made a goal to more fully embrace it. I am going to try really hard not to fight her when I want her to wear the pink jacket and she wants to wear the brown and white plaid one. And I will try not to argue if she wants to wear her cowboy boots with her pants rolled up. I love her exactly the way she is, and I don't want her to be afraid to be just that.

Since Kaylee has learned to dress herself, she changes her clothes about 3 times a day. She loves to show off her own style.

If things are quiet, you can be sure Kaylee's working on some sort of art project.

Here are just a couple of the MANY adorable things she says on a regular basis:

"I show my applause." (As she curtsees like a princess)

"It's all my fault!" (We still don't know what she is at fault for, well, when she says that anyway)

"Does your slipper fit?" (Like on Cinderella)

"I'm just a little girl."

"I can help you. I can do it all by yourself!" (Mostly when getting dressed)

Nate says, "Kaylee, can you put your toys in your room please?" Kaylee says, "No, I put them in Jesse's room." (She calls herself Jesse as in Jesse the yodelin' cowgirl from Toystory 2)

I love you my little starlet!

Five ways to make your husband fall in love with you tonight after work

This is a quick list for a girl on the run. (Aren't we all?)


1. Have your hair and makeup done BEFORE he gets home. Or if you already did it, freshen up. Put on some perfume. Make yourself LOOK like the woman he wants to come home to. It's not exactly ideal for a man to see his woman wearing sweats with a puke stain on her shirt, and her hair looking like a rats nest.

2. Kiss him for 10 seconds right when he walks through the door. Not 2, not 5, but 10. And not like an annoying long kiss, but one that says you really missed him all day and that he's your MAN and you love him.

3. Make him dinner. No, let me rephrase that, get him dinner. Don't have time to cook? Run to Quiznos, grab a couple of subs, run home, and throw a table cloth on the table. Light a candle. VOILA! Candle light dinner. And have it there ready when he gets home. This will speak VOLUMES to him about how much you care about something that is important to him....FOOD.

4. Give him time to UNWIND. Men need cave time like girls need talk time. Let him get his cave time in before dumping on him all the worries of the day...he's had enough to worry about today at work.

5. Compliment him on SOMETHING, and mean it. Compliment him on something that makes him feel manly, like the way you appreciate him going out into the work force every day for your family, or how his muscles look really big in that shirt, or how it was so awesome of him to shovel the snow the night before.

Do these 5 things and your hubby will either think you are up to something suspicious, or that he married the most wonderful woman in the whole world, which he did!

Taylor and Sara.........Wedding reception!

Tonight was Taylor and Sara's reception (Taylor is my cousin). They will be married and sealed tomorrow in the Salt Lake Temple.

Ah, I love wedding receptions. It is so fun to see the romantic glow in the couple's eyes! I mean look at them! They look amazing. Especially the bride! (No offense Taylor!)


Here's a picture of the 2 studs next door! Gavin's lookin' pretty good in that vest!

My favorite part of weddings is always the pictures. These two had tons to look at! She had a fuzzy winter cape around her dress, and a lot of the pictures captured the falling snow! It was just beautiful!

One of my many favorites

Here's a random picture of Gavin and Jake. Cute boys!

No pictures of the girls, sorry. They were at home with their dad because they are both sick!

Anyways,
Congrats Taylor and Sara!
See ya tomorrow, bright and early!

Easy Enchiladas

What you need:

1 20 oz can of enchilada sauce(spicy or mild, you pick!)
1 10 oz can of green chile enchilada sauce
1 small can of sliced olives
1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion chopped
1 can refried beans of choice
10 tortillas

First, brown ground beef and onions in pan. Add about 1/4 of the 20 oz enchilada sauce. Coat a casserole dish with cooking oil spray.

Place a tortilla in the dish to the side.


Spread a spoonful of refried beans down the middle. Add some of the beef and sauce mixture. Top with cheese and green sauce, like so. Then roll it up. Repeat with all 10 tortillas, or until meat mixture is gone.
Empty the rest of the enchilada sauce evenly over the rolled up tortillas.

Cover with more shredded cheese and top with olives.
Cover with tin foil. Bake for 30-35 min. in oven at 350*. Serve with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and sour cream! Enjoy!

Are you sure you want kids?

I love being a mom, I really do. But sometimes it is....well....interesting. No I take that back; it is always interesting. And most of the time a good kind of interesting. But sometimes a bad kind of interesting.

I'll just throw one example out there, say today for instance. WARNING: GROSS STORY THAT MIGHT MAKE YOU WANT TO THROW UP. Both of the girls are sick with colds. Nasty ones. I woke up and realized I now have it (big surprise). So I thought it would be a great idea to throw them both in the bath to make them feel better. So I did that. (Brenna still goes in the little baby bath thing, and Kaylee just sits outside of it.) Anyways, I let them play in the bath while I changed out the laundry in the washing machine. I came back, and before I walked in the door, I heard Kaylee say, "You going stinkies?"

I just thought, oh no. No, no, no, please, no. Sure enough, Brenna had pooped a really big messy poop in the tub. It was all over both of them. Kaylee just sat there with a crinkled nose and kept saying, "Ewe, yuck." So I had to get them both out and drain the tub and rinse the tub and then put them back in. Kaylee said, "No, I want to be all done!" And I said, "No, you are still dirty from Brenna's mess!" And she said, "No, it's all dry now."

So anyways, to finish the bath was a battle because Kaylee was sick of bathing (can't blame her). The good part of the story is that I got really motivated to clean the bathroom today!

Happy Mothering! :)

Grandma Relda

On Saturday morning, Nate's Grandma Relda passed away. Although we will miss her very much, it was a blessing that she did not have to suffer too long, and that now she has been reunited with her eternal companion, Frank Bringhurst. I have taken the opportunity to sit back and appreciate the great legacy that these two beings have left behind, and what it means to my own posterity. I am so grateful to be part of such an amazing family and to claim them as my own. I am grateful for the knowledge I have that I will be with my family forever. If I could say one thing to Relda, I would thank her for being who she was; for her humor, whit, intelligence, and perseverence. WE LOVE YOU!

Chocolate Covered Brownies!

I was inspired by my friend Kaylee to try covering something with chocolate. What better than brownies? These are so cute and perfect for Valentine's Day!

1 pkg brownie mix (and ingredients required on directions)
3/4 package of vanilla almond bark
red food coloring
decorative sprinkles
wax paper

Start by making brownies according to directions on box. Allow to cool COMPLETELY.


Use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes in the brownies.

To keep intact, use a spatula to remove cut-out. Put brownies on a sheet of wax paper.

Heat almond bark in a sauce pan on low, stirring to prevent scorching. Mix in food coloring to desired pinkness.
Plop a blob of the bark onto a brownie.
Use a small spoon to GENTLY spread over entire surface.
Sprinkle immediately after applying coat. Allow to sit until almond bark is hard.
Cut around the edges once dry. Then serve...enjoy! Makes about a dozen.

Brenna at the doctor

Well, I took the Brennster to the doctor yesterday. She was in SUCH a good mood! She was smiling and sticking her long tongue out at everyone! (That's what she does when she's excited) She especially loved our nurse, who was Jamaican. Every time the nurse would talk, she would just start laughing! Even when she gave her shots, Brenna cried really hard, but would smile at the nurse in between bursts of crying. The nurse felt so bad and really didn't want to poke her! Also when the doctor came in, she was laughing at him too and tried to suck on his stethoscope. I was surprised at how well things went!

Length: 27.24 in.............82 percentile
Weight: 15.94 in..............31 percentile
Head: 18.1 in...................99 percentile

So she's long and skinny with a big head. And just the cutest baby in the whole world!

Baby feet!

Brenna giggles so much when we tickle her face with her feet! Don't you ever just wish you could just bring your feet up to your face like a baby? Yah, me neither.

Brenna is 7 months old this month! Stay tuned...her doctor check up is later today!