Bits of 'our week...

I realized today I haven't posted for a week now, so this post will be random bits of our life this week. This weekend was our Relief Society birthday party, and as my current calling in the ward is to the Literacy group, this somehow brings me under the canopy called "enrichment" and saw me waiting tables Saturday morning for a garden party breakfast in our ward cultural hall. I was also the official poster and invitation maker, which being quite honest I enjoy immensely. Waiting tables wasn't all that bad, either, nor was acting in the capacity of official greeter by the front door. I know it's a shocker, but I really enjoy talking with people once I'm forced into it. Here's the poster - nothing designer, I know, but I thought it was cute:

Audrey accompanied me Friday night setting up the tables, and has been more than helpful since then setting our own table at home. She knows it all goes on the table, although she can't quite reach to see just where yet. I love the help and think she's adorable. So does she. :-)

While I was learning floral arranging and making friends and allies for life, Justin was home pruning our apple tree. Seriously, this tree needs help. It's got to be 25 feet tall, and not a branch can be reached for either spraying or picking apples, so last year it amounted to a little shade during the summer and a lot of rotting apples on the ground in the fall. Drastic measures were needed, and Justin and Erick were up to the task. Mother nature tried her best to dissuade them, but the tree is now little more than a tall stump in the backyard mirroring the "Y" on the mountain behind it. This summer when new shoots come out (assuming we haven't killed the tree completely), we'll begin retraining the branches to a more convenient shape. Although it about stopped my heart to see him with the loppers, Erick assisted by cutting the smaller branches up for Justin and we have a decent stack of firewood now for next winter. I love my fireplace! The drier pieces you'll see stacked in the firepit, keeping the infantry warm.

Oh, how we love Polly Pocket at our house. How could they improve on this stylish yet fully packable beauty? This week's great discovery was the new line of Disney PRINCESSES, all made Polly-style and Polly-sized. We've seen Polly now in Cinderella's dress, while Jasmine, Snow White and Belle donned much more casual clothing for their trips to the cabin and the mall. The girls play pretty well together, and I've been impressed at how few shoes and small items they've lost for how often we have them out. And okay, I admit to dressing the dolls after my own had been in bed for hours... they're just too fun! I'm trying to find an excuse to get the double decker bus or the pool party next, but we don't have birthdays or christmas coming up nearly soon enough!

Audrey's taken her hide-and-go-seek to new, scary levels these days. Sunday we were at a missionary homecoming for my cousin, Josh, when we realized Audrey was missing. We found her after a thorough search of the house hiding behind a chair playing with someone's cell phone. I hope she didn't make any calls, and I hope I put it back in the right purse! Then tonight, I got Izzie out of the tub and when I came back to get little sis, this is what I found -

By her smile afterward, she thinks she's a lot funnier than I do... But then again, I'm the goof taking pictures.

Finally, our craft project this week for MBASA was making "I-Spy" bags - something I've learned is almost exclusively Mormon. Why is that? I can't help but think it's because we mormons so rarely do "crafty" things with anyone of the gentile persuasion, and I think it's a real shame because these are really fun! I've seen them at church and other places, and have admittedly experienced a little harmless "I-Spy" envy, but envy no longer, I finally finished our rendition of the toy.

I made them 8x8 with the cow fabric on top and a different fleece on the bottom. Audrey's is pink, Erick's is red and Izzie's is green (by request). But let's be honest here. Justin and I spend a lot more time with them at this point than the kids do. If you haven't done this yet, here are a few tips: Fleece does have a grain, and matching grains on the top and bottom fabrics creates less stretch. I know, it's obvious but I didn't think about it until the last one. When choosing things to go in the bags, metal items sink in the pellets and are more difficult to find than plastic ones, no matter what size they are. I chose to forego safety pins, although I've heard they're tough to find in there, because I'm sure my kids will eventually get them open. the most difficult thing in our bags to find are the bolts and washers I included, and they're about an inch in size - not teeny by any means. I made a pocket on the back for the cards, because I think a chain might just rip off, and I wish I'd made them with handles. Oh well, live and learn. And because I'm obsessed with photoshop and have nothing else to do with my days (ha!), I had to "cutesy" up the cards.

Hope your week was fun as well!