half way there

I am smack dab in the middle of the Bij. I am having an extremely hard time getting excited for anything because all my mind can process right now is things that start with Bijou and end with Market. Thanksgiving being three days away and Hawaii a mere 8 days after that is not even registering with me.

Having said this, I do need you to understand that as stressful as this crazy circus of a life is right now, it is by far the most amazing, fun, thrilling, and energizing thing in my life. Provo was as always wonderful. It is always fun to see old faces and make new Bijou friends.

Spending two days straight with these lovelies makes bijou over the top for me which makes me so glad that we get another day this coming Saturday. So if you were feeling blue because you didn't get down to Provo this weekend cheer up, we will be up in Taylorsville for our first ever Bijou Market Salt Lake City.

In the meantime, if you missed seeing me talk about the Bij on Fox take a look. click here.

coming soon, my Bijou Market picks.

Santa

I thought that this would be the year that Gavin finds out the "big secret." Not that I want him to find out, we have just done a really bad job hiding gifts and lists. I have to say that I think we got Gavin back on the right track last night.

Last night Gavin gave us a riveting FHE lesson about prayer to fulfill a cub scout requirement, and after we made our way to Parker's Drive in for 25 cent ice cream cones {for you locals every Monday is 25 cent cones at the Parker's in American Fork} and then Chad remembered we needed a light bulb for our refrigerator, so we hauled everyone in. If your kids are like mine, they ask for EVERYTHING when we go to a store. Last night was no exception and they{mostly Gavin} were getting on our nerves about buying a video game, when we saw and old gentleman who looks A LOT like Santa. We pointed him out to Gavin and told him that he was Santa and he was watching him so he better stop asking for things and be good.







You would think that seeing a man that clearly looked like Santa would be enough to make any child into an instant angel, but Gavin didn't buy our story for a second, so I whispered to Chad to go and ask the gentleman if we would be Santa for our kids. So while I kept the kids occupied Chad slipped away and asked the man if he would help us out, and then told him our kids names.

After a lot of prodding we finally got the kids to go over and ask if he was Santa, but before Gavin could even say anything "Santa" said "Hello Gavin, how have you been this year?" Gav, turned as white as a ghost and stood there silent. Then ,without any help or info from us the "Santa" said, "Are you going to ask me to bring you a video game this year, I thought you would be sick of those by now?" I couldn't have scripted it better myself. The day before we told the kids we didn't want them to ask for any video games this year.

Then he sat and talked with Milo about the drums he wants. And of course as I was sitting there I realize I don't have a camera or my phone for a picture. It's okay though, I don't think Gavin or Milo will ever forget it. As we walked away Gavin said to Milo "That was the most amazing moment of my life!"

So thank you to "Santa" in Walmart. That was the best gift you could give my kids this year!

Boston II & III

If you were wondering about the rest of my vacation to Boston, wonder no more! Here you go.

Day 2
Location: Plymoth, Plimoth, Plymouth and Cape Cod
Lessons Learned: I would be a horrible Pilgrim, but I think I could hack it as an Indian thanks to the menstruation houses. {another post entirely} Rachel Ray gives good advice on eateries.


Clockwise from top left:
-Thatched roof at Plimoth Plantation
-"Surfing" on a cannon
-Millie, Mom Pilgrim {who doesn't know what a camera is} and me
- The Lobster Trap, great seafood at a fraction of the price
- Plimoth Plantation- Everyone should go here. SO FUN!
- Plymouth Rock
-Us with some pilgrim women who also didn't know what a camera was
- Camille eating a boys daily catch
- My mom and I napping pilgrim style.
- Hanging from a cannon
- trying to catch a chicken
- Looking out the porthole of the Mayflower II
- My mom hunting with some pilgrims {she was a good sport even though she did not want to pose for this picture AT ALL!}
-Hanging out in the captains quarters on the Mayflower II
-Eating in the captains quarters on the Mayflower II
- Millie and I playing with our dinner at The Lobster Trap
-Trying to decide if we should buy these amazing hats
-Eating dinner with the Indians
-Inside the Pilgrim fort
- Millie being sea sick {or dead} in the Mayflower II
- Helping and the Indians fish
- Rubbing the Indians bum for good luck {does that work?}

phew- Are you still with me? Okay here is the rest.

Days 4 &5
Lexington, Concord, Salem, Cambridge, Walden Pond
Lessons learned: Salem is LAME!!!, Emerson and I have the same idea for gravestones, Massachusetts in the Fall can't be beat



Clockwise from top left:
- Monument of Mary Estes - one of the victims of the Salem Witch Trials, and an ancestor
-Philosophising with Thoreau
-Grave of Ralph Waldo Emerson
- Walden Pond
- The largest lighthouse we saw
- Sitting in Thoreau's house {he lived on Walden Pond for two years}

We honestly had such a great time, we saw lots of sights, got off the beaten path, strengthened relationships, and pretty much laughed the ENTIRE time.

p.s. if you were paying attention you will notice no Day 3, that day was deticated to shopping, an thrifting.

gift guide

ATTENTION!!!!!

We are a mere 7 days away from Bijou Market. If you want a sneak peek jump over to Bijoumarket.com. You can also see my Holiday Gift Guide, as well as Emily's and Nicole's. Have a great weekend!

THANK YOU.

alerts

Bijou Market is upon us, we are busy putting finishing touches on everything to make this our best Bijou Market yet. As it gets closer it is always fun to get a Google alert when people talking about the Market. This alert however was just weird... and a little funny. Click here. Ever wonder what happens to pictures of you? This is what happens, they end up on some strangers foreign blog. Totally normal.

By way of invitation here you go...

Massachusetts

My sister Camille {number four} is living in Boston for a year and so my Mother and I hopped a plane to spend a week with her. Words alone can't express how wonderful it was. I didn't realize how much fun a trip with your mom and one sister can be. And until you have seen New England in the fall, forget about it.

Day one
Location: Boston, MA
Activites: Freedom Trail, Mike's Pastry, etc.
Lessons Learned: Bostonians have no patience when it comes to driving, or walking or anything really. No one says excuse me. Everyone walks EVERYWHERE! Unless you are very brave {like me} do not wear a Lakers T-shirt in Boston, you will get lots of comments and dirty looks.

Clockwise from top left"
-bulidings are so close to each other you could jump from one to the other
-One of many pictures I took of architecture that inspired me
- me, millie, and mom after our trip to the top of Bunker Hill Monunment
- posing at Fauevil Hall
- amazing grave stones, I took about fifty more just like this one
- Old North Church, you know one if by land two if by see...
- Sweets brownie cupcake
- Memorial to soldiers killed in the Iraq wars
- Lobster roll, you can't leave Boston without trying one
- Millie and Me standing in front of Paul Revere the statue
- Bunker Hill Monument {294 steps to the top}

August's guide to carving a pumpkin

Step 1 have dad open the pumpkin

Step 2 Put my hand into the pumpkin

Step 3 get grossed out about the pumpkin

Step 4 Think about putting my hand back into the pumpkin, while also thinking "why do people think this is fun?"

Step 5 Show dad how gross the pumpkin is in case he doesn't already know

Step 6 Hand back into the pumpkin. Seriously I am almost two, I have got this!

Step 7 I will show this pumpkin who is boss. You will not beat me little pumpkin.

Step 8 Am I done yet? Forget it, my mom will finish this for me.

Halloween roundup

Halloween is my favorite holiday. People don't understand why I love it even more than Christmas, I don't even understand it but I do love Halloween the most. So here is our re cap of my most favorite of Holidays.

I will start with Nightmare Express. This is a fun tradition for our family, that Gavin tells me each year he will only attend if the sun is still shining. He tries his best to act tough but this VERY mild train ride/spook alley always makes him want to hold our hands and not leave our side. For you locals click here for more details.

Next is the Lines Halloween Party. We always do different costumes for this party than the ones we wear on Halloween, usually something easy and cheap {meaning whatever we can find around the house.} One year Chad and I went as my Mom and Dad. This year we opted for a Meet the Robinsons theme. Meet Louis, Wilbur and the Bowler Hat Guy sans the bowler hat.

Onto pumpkin carving. we only have one rule in our home, you can't trace. You can copy a picture but you have to free hand it. That said, Gav decided he was on his own this time around and the result was pretty good, for 8. We only had to remind him every 12.7 seconds to move his fingers out of the way of his knife.

Chad went with Oogey Boogey, Milo of course did a Y, and I crafted a waving Brobee from Yo Gabba Gabba for August because he was too busy running around yelling How-ween, How-ween!

My neighbour Emily and I decided to host a costume parade this year to kick off Trick or Treating. Not expecting more than five people at this shin dig I was so excited to see so many fellow lovers of the Holiday come out and support.

Happy Halloween...yesterday!