I blinked.

I can hardly believe that Warren is five. I don't know why but this birthday seems to really be a significant one to me and I am having a few growing pains along with it. Perhaps because he is starting school this year. I worry about him entering into the real world and all the fun and challenges which come with it. The other night it dawned on me that he has lived with us for a little more than 1/4 the time we will get with him before he leaves home. How does time fly by so quickly? Here is a small preview:

Hello World. Master Warren Maxwell Hall has arrived! I was 8 days late.... (exhausted after mom put me through 38 hours of labor)...but definately worth the wait!

My first day at home. (4 days old) - I already liked to be perched up so I could look around.

2 weeks old - Giddy on up cowboy. Yea...I am a stud.

3 months old. The happiest little soul you ever did meet....

By the time I was 6 months old I had been in 11 states (MI, PA, OH, IN, IL, MO, AR, OK, LA, TX & UT). Places to go...people to see.

9 months old- and a Merry Christmas to you! Autographs by request.

My first birthday- Don't I make comb overs look good. ;) My mom finally cut my hair a few months later. Thanks mom.

14 Months old - graduated law school at Michigan.

18 months old - ladies....this man is taken. I love my momma!

2 years old

2.5 years old

3 years old

3.5 years old. - such a character!

The prankster - almost 4.

4.5 years old - Classic Warren smile

Warren - 5 years old (Sigh)

Words can't say how much we love you and the joy you bring to us. We are so grateful Heavenly Father sent you to our family!

A Bats At The Beach Birthday

Warren turned 5 years old on March 9th! We celebrated the Saturday before with friends. We had a picnic at the park and birthday festivities for the little ones. The weather couldn't have been more beautiful and Warren had a blast. He wanted a "Bat's At The Beach" party, themed after his favorite book.

What was to eat? All sorts of yummy bat treats: "Beetles (Black licorice), worms (gummy worms) and milkweed bugs (juice box's). Crickets, moths (cheese balls) and pickled slugs (relish). Damselflies and salted skeeters (peanuts), no room here for picky eaters!"

I started to read Bats At The Beach to the kids and Warren insisted that he do it. He has had it memorized for about 2 years now.

We played pin the bat in the tree.....a little trickier than you may be able to see!!

Dad taking matters into his own hands after the pinata did NOT co-operate. See that beam? SssssssssssssssMaaaaasshhhhhhhh! It was not dramatic AT all! LOL

Fun friends and Presents!!

Warren just absolutely tickled with his new big boy bike that mom, dad & Ben gave him for his birthday! It was a great day! We love you buddy!

New Rug

I wish I had a really cool new haircut that I could post pictures of with this title but hey.....sorry its just a normal rug, ok? ;)

Therefore, here is my new rug. :) Several of you have asked me to post pictures so here it is! I have been looking for one for our den for over a year and a half. So..... I am really excited to finally have one that I LOVE now! I have had a hard time finding an 8x8 that was well made and didn't look like it belonged in a grannies house. ;) I tried various sizes of other rugs that I did like. The 4x6 was WAY too small and an 8x10 was too big.

So, I was just about to order an 8x10 rug from CB2 and then have it cut and seamed when I decided to check overstock.com. I am so glad I did because this was exactly what I had in mind and it was HALF the price. It's really well made & 100% wool.

Here is a little closer look so you can see the texture better.

It is SUPER soft. It feels like walking on a bed of marshmallows. The boys love jumping and wrestling on it. Cheers for looking, searching, waiting and finally finding!!! lol ;)

(Song Tag: The Way You Make Me Feel - MJ)

Heaven Sent.

Today was my dad's birthday and we remembered him by sending off some balloons - Heaven bound. It's hard to believe he has been gone for over 6 years. He would have been 64. I sure miss his hugs, kisses, shopping trips together and his sense of humor which filled our memories with laughter!! I will miss him always.

Warren was so excited he literally peed his pants! lol ;)

L.O.V.E.

Valentines week was a busy one. We were all feelin the love.....

Earlier in the week we received some surprise yummy treats and killer valentines socks from a "secret admirer" ;) to get us in the mood for Valentines..... ;)

Warren had a Valentines Day party at preschool and I got to organize the festivities for it! I had so much fun! This was my first school party and so it was a new experience for me. Warren's little face just beamed when he walked in the room and saw me there and proudly informed his kids " that is my mommy!" It may seem like a small thing but I feel so so grateful I get to have these experiences as a mother and to see what it means to him. It means so much to me. I am also grateful for a husband who works hard so I can!!!

After every sprinkle was carefully placed, he partakes of cupid's manna. We teased the kids that they would fall in love with the first person they looked at after they ate their cookie! Warren looked right at me!! Now if that doesn't melt your heart I don't know what will!!

I read Guess How Much I Love You and Slug Love. The kids loved the stories, giggling all throughout....
Saturday before Valentines we got to go to the Temple together! Benn & Andrea invited us to go early and swapped babysitting in the annex, taking turns going to the Temple! It was such a fun way to start of Valentines weekend!!

Afterward, we all ate lunch together at Chili's. After several games of eye spy, our food finally came. It was really fun, although I felt a slight deviation of attention from Weston once he laid eyes on this puppy......he was hypnotized!!!

Every year it is a tradition of ours to 1. Make and deliver chocolate covered strawberries with our Valentines to our close friends. 2. Make a fancy shmancy dinner for each other. We take turns and it is sort of a silent competition to beat last years dinner. This year I was in charge and I made: Prosciutto Chicken stuffed with stagionato provolone, fresh pesto, red peppers and asparagus. Served on a bed of spinach and topped with hollandaise and crumbled bacon. I got to test out my new soup tureen.... serving homemade cream of asparagus soup & sourdough bread along with chocolate covered strawberries for dessert. It was de-li-cious. I think its safe to say he's got a serious challenge on his plate next year!!! ;)

Weston bought me the roses you see pictured in this post and put our powder room sink back together! He even mounted the new faucet I have been wanting switched out for a while! He was so thoughtful!

Surprise Valentines are always the belle of the ball!!! Thanks Miss Andrea, Benn, Ashira & Ethan for your thoughtfulness!!!! We love you! Hope you all had a great Valentines too!!

Reap what you sew....

It seems like I have been sewing a lot lately and I thought I would share a few of the things I created last month.

This is the first nursing cover I have made. I didn't have a pattern I just went freestyle. The momma is having a girl and I LOVE baby blue for little girls. I think it turned out swell. ;)

I don't know if you can tell but I lined the bottom half of the cover with terry cloth. I thought it was a grand idea since you are usually burping the babe just after you nurse and I ended up using my cover as a towel half the time anyway.

I love poppies and impressionistic art. When I found this fabric I just couldn't leave it there! I love the colors! So bright and happy. I loved how it turned out.

I used minky polka dot fabric on the back.

I made another super cute blanky for my friend Katie's baby boy that I regret I did not take a picture of. It was a precious vintage cowboy print on one side, with an embossed star minky fabric on the back. So, Katie if you read this....take a picture and email it to me!! ;)

Ben's room before: I bought this chocolate corduroy over a year ago only to come home and find that I was just sightly short of being able to sew my curtains. Bummer. It was the end of the season and so I had to wait until this year for the fabric store to get the same shade of corduroy in. SO....a year later I finally got to scratch this off my list! Wahoo! Looks much better I say!

After

Not a sewing project but I have been wanting to do something like this for each of my boys for quite sometime but never found the perfect shelves that didn't cost an arm and a leg. I found these at Ikea, they were very affordable (about $15 each) and I love how it turned out. Warren LOVES to read and displaying his books this way makes it easier to rotate them and is much more inviting than a basket/bookshelf of books I think. :)

Viola! Beach ready!

Ok, I was just reading our monthly community magazine and I ran across this ad. I am considering it....as long as it is waterproof. Can't have my ABS falling off at the beach. That would be seriously LAME! Ohhhhhh my. ;)

THe MAN Loofah

Weston and I have been married for 12 years and for as long as I have known him and been the purchaser of the soap, he has always been a bar of soap kinda man. You know... the most manly soap of soaps. No girly stuff for him. Dial. Antibacterial. The extra orangey...... the better.

So, a few weeks ago he comes home from Walmart with a smile on his face:

Me: (slightly suspicious) So, did Walmart treat you good tonight?

Weston: (revealing his new bath soap and accessory with a twinkle in his eye) Yea, it did in fact.

Me: What do you have there?

Weston: (matter of fact) My loofah and new manly soap.

Me: (laughing) YOU....got a loofah?

Weston: Yea, I used yours the other day (side note: ewe!) and I decided I liked it. So I bought me one.

Me: (laughing) So, you have a..... MAN loofah?

Weston: Yea, its blue and my new soap is extra manly too.

Me: You mean your body wash? (still laughing of course)

Weston: Oh yea. Just for manly men.

Me: You know this is going on the blog right?

So there you have it. Weston's MAGNETIC man wash & loofah. Rawwrrr. I like to see that he stayed loyal to his brand too. I didn't notice until later that it is Phermone infused also. Should I be worried? lol

Yertle My Turtle.

"On the far-away island of Sala-ma-sond,

Yertle the Turtle was king of the pond.

A nice little pond. It was clean. It was neat.

The water was warm....

There was plenty to eat....

The turtles had everything turtles might need.

And they were all happy. Quite happy indeed.

They were...until Yertle, the king of them all. Decided the kingdom he ruled was too small. "I'm ruler", said Yertle of all that I see. But I don't see ENOUGH. That is the trouble with me......

With this stone for a throne, I look down on my pond but cannot look down on places beyond. This throne that I sit on is too, too low down. "It ought to be higher!" he said with a frown. "If I could sit high, how much greater I'd be! What a king! I'd be ruler of all that I see!"

"All mine!" Yertle cried. "Oh the things I now rule!

I'm king of a cow! And I'm king of a mule! I'm king of a house!

And what's more, beyond that, I am king of a cranberry bush and a cat!

"I'm Yertle the Turtle! Oh! Marvelous me!

For I am ruler of all that I see!"

I sure am lucky my mommy still loves me!