Crocheting

I can't believe I'm actually doing this! I've wanted to post for so long and just haven't done it! I don't know if it's possible to catch up, but I'll try. Let's start from the beginning.

My Grandma Leslie has been crocheting afghans for as long as I can remember. I have tried to learn before, but have not wanted it enough to keep it up. Well, this summer I was at their house a lot. Mom told me I should learn and I did! I made an American girl doll afghan! You can crochet so many things! I know how to make afghans, washcloths, toy snakes, hot pads and I could learn so much more! I have a book from the library, but I was hungry for more so Mom ordered a crocheting teddy bears book that I was so excited about, but it turned out to be just patterns and I couldn't understand it. She ordered a kit that comes with more yarn and a book that will definitely work. I can't wait for it to come! Anyway, I've made so many things and Amy has already asked for as many washcloths as I can make. I made a snake for Ruby for her birthday. I don't know how she liked it, but I thought it looked cool. I love crocheting. I can make so many things by just learning one stitch and then it's easy to learn more! I can take it anywhere. I just need a hook and yarn and I'm good to go. Sewing is awesome, but you have to have the machine (hand sewing is just too much work). So, there you have it. I can crochet!

My First Movie with Contacts

Okay, time for a new post. I could have had a lot to post about this summer, but because there was a lot going on and a lot to post I didn't have time to post it. So, when I'm not doing anything and I do have time to post I don't have anything to post. But today we are going home to California and we have to leave two hours after Mom and she hasn't left, yet. She was having problems with the car and then she got a rental. So, now I don't know what she's doing. But anyway, yesterday was pretty exciting.

I got CONTACTS! I never posted that I was going to get them, but I talked to Amy about doing it with long nails and Lizzie said she thought I should get them, too, so I got them. I don't know if you all know that I tried contacts before when I was only nine. You can imagine how that turned out. Plus when I tried to take them out my mom wasn't even there. Some old lady was with me and started yelling at me. Afterward Mom felt so bad that she had left. Overall, it was just an awful experience. So, I was super scared when I went to try them out again. I knew three years had passed, but I was still super scared and nervous. I think the main reason the last time went so awful was because I was under a lot of pressure. This time everything was so much better. I watched a video where they showed me a new way to take out my contacts out and Diane's brother, Ryan, (he's the eye doctor. It helped having my step uncle as the doctor) talked to me and told me about when he got contacts. He told me I could take as long as I needed to put them in and take them out. So, then I washed my hands and sat down at a glass table with Ashley, a woman who works there. She was super nice and calm and gave me some tips. The video told me to take my index finger and slide the contact down as I looked up and then without moving my finger taking my thumb and taking it out. That way is so much easier than grabbing the center of my eye. It took me two or three times to put them in and then take them out and then when I put them in the second time I did it on the first try. I took them out before dinner when we got home. Ryan said to wear them for five hours. I got both contacts out by myself on the first try. I couldn't believe how easy it was. I'm going to wear them for seven or eight hours today.

Then, yesterday afternoon we saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2! I loved it. I was crying off and on the whole time. I can't really remember the book very well, so I don't know how close they did it to the book, but I still liked it. My step brothers weren't so easily pleased. They said, "It wasn't bad" or "It was nothing like the book!" They judge the movies way to harshly. They only really like movies that weren't based off of books at all or that are exactly like the book (and when is that ever going to happen?). But anyway, I loved it. It was hard crying with my contacts since it was my first day with them and I didn't know if they were still in or if I was crying them out. But it was great. I hope you all liked it. I love you all! :)

Room Deocrating Ideas

Okay, I am going to do it this time. I am still at the dining room table listening to Nathan, Seth and Luke babble to themselves, but I am really going to post this time.

I'm trying to think of what's happened since I posted last. I don't even know when that was. But if I say, we are at our dad's, we've gone to Idaho several times and seen Danielle for dinner once, that pretty much sums it up. For Anna's birthday she had a Glitter Toes party. It's this really big thing in Utah. It's sort of like acrylic nails for your toes and it's glitter. Yes, there is real glitter on them. I still have mine on. It was really fun. For Father's Day we were going to get together with Diane's family and welcome home Grandpa Orgill from the hospital (he had a stroke in March), but for several different reasons it got postponed and then canceled all together. Diane was going to make homemade Oreos for that and she said she would make them anyway, but she still hasn't made them! Hopefully, she will soon. We are going to Seven Peaks tomorrow. It's a water park. I've never been, but the boys say it's really fun, so we'll see.

I've been thinking a lot about decorating mine and Anna and Gracie's rooms when we get back to California. I get the small loft. If you put two twin mattresses on the floor it pretty much takes up the whole space. Anna and Gracie get the one room to share. Mom agreed to let me decorate the rooms a while ago, but I have to pay for it. I'm obviously paying for my room and I'll probably have Anna pay for half of her room. Gracie hardly has any money and I'm not making her pay for decorating. Mom said she would pay for paint and carpet. She said she would also buy new bed spreads for us. Yea! Mine is worn out and Anna and Gracie's just don't match the theme. Which is, beach... ocean. You get it. The carpet is going to be blue and about two feet up the wall is also going to be blue, also. Then the rest of the wall is going to be kind of peachy pink for a sunset look. We have three surf board rugs that will help tie together the look and I will also cut out some fish with my Cricut to put on the blue part of the wall. Maybe some flowers on the pink part, I'm not sure. I've got lots of ideas and I can't wait to actually decorate. I am worried about organization, though. Our room in Redlands was pretty much always a mess. The room won't look cute if it's a mess! Hopefully, we will be able to keep this one clean. Or at least be able to see the floor. :)

My room isn't coming along as well. The theme is personal progress or Young Women. The walls are going to be pale pink to match the color of the personal progress book. I just can't think or ideas. Especially since I have so little space. The walls go up probably almost four feet tall and then there isn't much of a ceiling. I mean of course there's a roof, but the ceiling is basically rafters. I think that's what they're called. I can stand up in between them, but other than that I will be kneeling up there. So, I won't be able to fit too much. Oh well, I'll make it work. But if any of you have any ideas for Anna and Gracie's room or for mine feel free to comment. My mind is wide open for ideas. Thanks! I love you!

What to post?

What to post, what to post. I am typing on my dad's computer in our dining room in Utah trying to think of something to post while Nathan and Anna are randomly talking. I am randomly getting into the random conversation. I started this post like... ten minutes ago and I haven't gotten very far. Oh, and now Seth is in here wearing his skeleton gloves while playing on his DSIXL. I think we are going to eat lunch, now. I'm sorry. I promise I will post soon, though. But honestly, my brothers are very distracting. Sigh. Anyway, I love you all!

I Still Love You

Just a little post to show that I still love you all and to show that I am going to do better with blogging, but honestly, I barely have time to do it. We are so busy. We had an LR meeting today. It was our last one for the year. When we were looking for work samples to give, other people were coming in and out, buying Mom's bed set and tables. Coincidentally, the mom and daughter that came to buy the bed set were LDS. The daughter was getting married in the Redlands temple. She had nothing, so, Mom offered our ugly table that she was going to give to a thrift store. She also took a lamp for $20.

We are moving tomorrow. The wedding is Saturday. We are going to our dad's on Monday for six weeks! It's crazy. I feel overwhelmed. I can't imagine what Mom feels like. I am trying to help. I did the dishes and picked up by myself before our ES came. I'm going to pack when I'm done with this. I better do that so I need to go. But I love you all and am so excited to see you! :)

Very Eventful Weekend

So, as I said in my last post, Tanner, Kate, and Elle were with us this weekend. When I posted nothing had really happened, yet. Since then a lot has happened.

Kate refused to eat lunch yesterday. She just didn't eat anything, and then about an hour after she started complaining that her stomach hurt. So, of course Mom said, "Kate, it's because you didn't eat any lunch." and then Kate said, "No! I not hungry!" We went to the park because we all had a case of cabin fever. Kate just stayed in the shade, and sat the whole time. When we came back she complained again, and then she laid down and cried. Eventually, she fell asleep and was out for at least and hour. Then, right when Mom went in her bedroom to take a nap Kate threw up. I won't dwell on that. I'll just say she threw up a few more times during the day and once in the middle of the night. One time Mom had gone to the store really fast and I was babysitting. I handled it well I am proud to say.

Elle wasn't too good either. She refused to sleep. She took a morning nap and woke up with scratches all over her legs, but after that she wouldn't sleep. Her diaper was fresh, we tried to feed her, we even gave her some melatonin last night. She just wouldn't sleep. She was fine if she was up and we were with her. She wouldn't cry, but she was still tired and needed to sleep. Mom says that she didn't sleep at all last night. I felt so bad for Mom. Today, she slept a bit this morning. This afternoon she got hives. She had shots on Thursday and Mom says that's why she got hives. Mom managed to give her some allergy medicine, and then she took a long nap. I'm so glad. Lizzie and Shad came back right after that. Kate didn't throw up today and I think she's mostly better. Maybe still a little weak, but she ate some and kept it down.

Oh yeah, on top of Elle and Kate, the microwave broke this morning. I don't know why, I don't know how, but it did. So, there you go. It was still very fun, but I must ask... are you jealous?

Tanner (6), Kate (4), and Elle (about 16 months)

Okay, Mom just took out some banana chocolate muffins, and they are really smellin' good, but I will try to stay focused. They taste better cold, anyway. Anyway, Tanner, Kate, and Elle are here for the weekend, while Lizzie and Shad are out on their own for a bit. So far, it has been so fun. Don't get me wrong at all, I love Tanner and Kate and I have gotten several kicks out of them, but Elle is just the funniest and most precious thing ever. Since Lizzie can't do it, I might as well write a list about them for you all. Let's see if I'm as good at it as Lizzie.

~ Tanner really likes to say, "I don't know." He is very intelligent, and I'm sure that a lot of the time he says that he really does know. It's really cute, though.

~ He is so good. He has been very good about eating the fruits and vegetables at meals, cleaning up, and playing with everyone.

~ He is very creative. He loves loves to do art. He says he wants to be an artist when he grows up.

~ He gets so hyper when he's excited. We had donuts for breakfast this morning, and when he found out he was jumping around the room. When we finally got the donuts and he settled down Gracie was crying because he had bumped into her.

~ Kate loves our barbies. She will just sit in her own little world and play and sing. She sings so softly that all of the other sounds in the room always drown out her voice, but she doesn't care.

~ She likes to wear make-up. She's not allowed, but she wants to be. I was putting on some lip smackers and Kate looked at me and said, "I want to wear make-up." So, I put some on her. It looked very pretty.

~ She loves her stuffed dog, Stew, and her dog purse, Dog Purse. I remember a long time ago we were at her house, and we were playing doctor. She brought in Stew and Dog Purse as patients and when we asked for the names of them she said, "Uh, Dog Purse." It sounded so funny. She even brought them in her suitcase here. I don't think she's touched them, though.

~ She likes to have her back scratched. She's smart.

Now, Elle seems to do a lot more that I can write about. So, there's probably going to be more than four for her. :)

~ Elle likes to do what Tanner does. He snorts all the time and at a meal yesterday she was sitting in my mom's lap and she started making these gagging sounds. There was no food in her mouth. You could tell she was trying to snort. It was so funny. Even she started laughing. They have played with dominoes several times and Elle started gently tapping them together. She was trying to stack them like Tanner! It was so cute.

~ It's funny that we say that babies don't talk. Elle talks all the time! Sure, it's not real words so we can't understand, but in a way, it's a language. She talks just as much as we do. She likes saying, "Baaa! Yeah, yeah, yuh." And stuff like that. She really likes the sound "aaaa." She says it more than anything else.

~ When she's excited she starts panting and she sticks her tongue out. It's kinda like a dog.

~ Her smile with her teeth is adorable. She laughs all the time, too. I guess saying it's cute doesn't give you an image, but it's true.

~ She's very dainty. She has very small and dainty hands and for the most part, uses them really daintily. Unless, of course, she gets really excited and bangs them on the table.

~ She is the saddest sight when she is really truly crying. Like any other kid, she sometimes just whines, but when she is really sad about something it is so sad. It makes you want to scoop her in your arms and just comfort her.

~ She is now down for a nap and just talking to herself. She's just making these sounds. Sometimes she shrieks them even though she doesn't sound upset.

~ She is getting pretty. Not just cute, but pretty. Her hair is getting longer and lighter. Now, you can put her bangs in a little ponytail and have it droop like most ponytails do instead of have it stick straight out. Lizzie put it in a little bun for a while to prevent that from happening.

~ When she waves, she waves backwards. She waves at herself. It is so cute. She can also blow kisses. She'll smash her hand up against her lips and then shoot her whole arm out. It is also, very cute. :)

I'm sure there's more, but I can't think of any right now.

I'm great. I'm tired, but great. I'm excited to move, I'm excited for school to be over, I'm excited to see everyone. Aside from this particular weekend, nothing is really happening right now and I am just looking forward to the future. I know that's no way to live a life. Don't worry. I still get up every morning, do school and live. I'm just excited for the future. I can't wait to see you all! Love ya!